New Ingdom: American Court

"Stay here," Gabriel instructed as he rushed to the living room in search of his cell phone. Alena tried to follow but was nowhere as fast. When she stood, the room started spinning and the floor began swaying up and down. Suddenly, she felt as though she were on a ship, rocking on the ocean. She wondered if the cabin was swaying in the river's current. Thinking it strange that she was just now noticing the motion, she whimpered softly and then everything disappeared into blackness.

Gabriel raced through the room looking for his phone, when a moan and dull thud from the bedroom stopped his progress. Turning back to the door, he saw Alena lying unconscious on the floor beside the bed. Gently lifting her in his arms, he listened for her heartbeat and then her breathing. After he was convinced that she was alive, he placed her on the bed and started checking her body for injuries.

Sure that she had no cuts or breaks, Gabriel walked to the bathroom and returned with a wet cloth. Tenderly applying the cloth to her face, he sighed in relief when her eyes began fluttering open. "Baby," he whispered, "Don't try to move. Do you remember what happened?"

"Gabe?" she asked, slightly disoriented. "Give me a sec, ok?"

"You have eternity," he smiled at her. "Look at me. Can you at least tell me if you remember hitting your head?"

"No," she replied with a stronger voice. "There was a phone call. You said something was wrong and I wanted to make sure Iona was ok."

"I heard you fall and didn't get to phone before it quit ringing."

"Sorry," she said. "I don't know what happened. I stood up and got dizzy."

Gabriel pulled her into his lap, placing her head against his chest and stroking her hair. "Alena, you've lost a considerable amount of blood," he said slowly. "I'm sorry. Maybe I took too much."

Touching his face, she said, "I'm fine. Maybe it was just a result of all the excitement."

"In order for you to change, you have to almost be drained," he explained. "I thought it might be less traumatic if I took some every day over the next few days."

"I'm fine," she repeated with a yawn. As he rocked her gently, she relaxed in his arms until she succumbed to sleep. He laid her on the bed, pulling the blankets around her small body. After watching her for a few minutes, he decided to return to the living room in search of his phone.

In the royal suite of the American Court mansion, Edward grabbed his cell phone from Iona, disconnecting the call before Gabriel could answer. "I told you," he said to his mate, "to leave them alone."

"You don't understand," the girl cried. "I have to warn her!"

"Warn her of what?" he asked in exasperation. "You had a nightmare. You always have. She told me that you've had them all of your life."

Moving to the couch, Iona sat down and dropped her head into her hands. She sobbed in fear and despair. This new life was so strange. Edward had explained that Alena had been with her until recently and was now vacationing with Gabriel. After all of their fights and differences, how could Alena abandon her now?

Feeling pity for his mate, Edward moved to the couch and pulled her into his arms. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry. I know you believe something is seriously wrong, but I promised Gabriel that we wouldn't interrupt them unless it was life or death."

"But I swear it is," she said wiping tears from her face. "I know that you think it was just a dream, but Alena will listen to me."

"Ok," he offered. "Try to explain it to me and then, if I can't solve the problem, then we'll call Alena."

"It's hard to explain...."she stopped at the sound of Edward's phone ringing.

"Ah, shit," he said looking at the caller ID, "here we go."

Pressing the connect button, Edward tried to start the conversation on a positive note, "Gabe! How's it going? Sorry about the call earlier but I did try to hang up before you answered."

"What's wrong?" came Gabriel's voice through the connection.

"Uh," Edward hesitated looking at Iona, "it seems that Iona still has nightmares. She had a relatively intense one just now and wanted to call her sister."

"What did she see?"

"She's not a seer, Gabriel," Edward explained. "It was just a dream."

"Edward," Iona interrupted, "please let me talk to her."

Shaking his head not consenting to her request, Edward said to Gabriel, "Listen, I'll take care of it. I'm sorry for the ...."

"Edward!" Iona yelled, "Let me talk to my sister!"

"Edward," Gabriel responded through the phone, "Alena is asleep. She's not well."

"Is she ok?" the king asked his friend.

"Oh God, what happened?" Iona asked pulling at Edward's arm to reach the phone.

"Iona," Edward said losing his patience, "stop it. Now."

"Hey," Gabriel said in a strangely calm voice. "Put her on the phone. Let her tell me what she saw."

Resigning that his mate and created enough panic to worry his friend, Edward covered the mouthpiece of the phone and said, "Your sister is sleeping. He wants you to tell him what you have seen."

Taking the phone, Iona quickly started talking, "Gabriel, what happened? Is Alena ok?"

"Yes," he answered wondering how to explain his mate's accident. "She fell earlier but she's sleeping now. I promise you that she's not hurt. She's just very tired. Now tell me what you saw."

"I can't really explain it to you," she answered. "Alena would know what I'm trying to tell her."

Running his hand through his hair in frustration, Gabriel sighed. Trying to keep his voice calm, he said, "Iona, just tell me whatever you would say to her."

"Your children are in danger," came the eerie reply on the phone.

"What children?" he asked.

"She will know," Iona said sadly. "I'm sorry Gabriel. I'm very sorry that I've caused you so much grief. Please tell my sister," then before returning the phone to Edward, she added, "And tell her that I love her."

Handing the phone to Edward, Iona walked out of the room. She stopped in the bedroom, looking at the king size bed that she had been told she shared with Edward. Waking up as the mate of a vampire king had been a strange experience for her but losing several weeks of her life between her human existence and this life was haunting her.

Iona hoped Gabriel would relay the message to her sister. Unfortunately, she must have really fucked up her first try at vampirism and had earned Gabriel's eternal resentment. If he would just tell Alena to protect her children then everything would be fine.

"What children?" Edward asked from behind her.

"I don't know," she honestly answered with a shake of her head.

"Then why torment them now?" he said obviously frustrated with her. "Gabriel partially blames you for keeping them apart eight years ago."

"Partially?" she turned to him and asked in confusion.

"Yeah, well," he confessed with a smile. "I guess you could say that I'm the other reason."

"Ah," she said with understanding, "but he chooses to hate me."

"He doesn't hate you," Edward stated pulling her into his arms. He laughed at her raised brow and kissed her lips. "Trust me. He helped me find you and then he saved you."

"Both of those would be favors to you."

"No," Edward said, stroking her back. "He was the only one who could save you. He tried to refuse because he knew how much I would hate to see you suffer but, in the end, he realized that you were not in control of your own self, and he saved you."

"Thank you," she whispered against his chest.

"For what?"

"For being patient with me, especially after the past several weeks."

"Ah," he said, "but I'm not a patient man. I'm a man who is used to getting his way."

"And," she asked confused at the direction of his conversation, "what do you want?"

"You," he answered stroking his fingers down her face. "And it's not just a want. It's a need."

Pulling her into his arms, Edward kissed Iona deeply giving her no room to argue with him. As he led her to their bed, he tenderly held her close, rubbing his hands over her back. "Iona," he started, "The past several weeks have been difficult. I know that you can't remember everything but things became pretty difficult. You need to know that I don't blame you. I know who you really are and that person is the girl that I love."

He paused to tilt her head so he could see her eyes. Smiling at her, he added, "And no one else blames you. You had a difficult transformation in the beginning and now you have to deal with this gap of several weeks that you don't remember." Breathing deeply, he confessed, "I have, uh, arranged your amnesia because I felt that it wasn't fair for you to deal with that right now. When you feel better adapted to this life, I can lift the veil and you will remember everything."

"But for now," he said tracing his fingers down her throat, "for tonight, let's just make some new memories for us." He slipped he's hand beneath her shirt and reached for her breasts. "Tell me what you want."

"I want you," Iona said with a moan.

"Tell me what you want me to do," he said nibbling on her ear.

"Love me, let me love you," she said as she unbuttoned his shirt kissing each inch of his chest that was exposed. "Edward, I don't remember this part of our life but I know that I want to remember us. Tell me that I belong here, with you."

"You do," he said. "Never doubt that you are the only mate for me.

Pulling her shirt over her head, he reached around her back and unhooked her bra. With her breast uncovered, Edward stepped back to admire his queen's body. Taller than her sister, she also had less curves and more lean muscle making her look like an athlete with a model's face. Her dark hair was thick and wavy with a shine that made him want to run his hands from her scalp to the ends of her locks. When she freed his shirttail from his pants, he stilled her hands and asked, "Impatient, my dear?"

"More frustrated," she said with a grin. "But if you're not in the mood, then I can watch TV or something."

Grabbing her hand and placing it on the evidence of his desire, he asked, "Do you think I'm not in the mood."

"You always feel big and hard. It matches the rest of your body," she teased.

"You doubt me?"

"No, but I'd be better convinced if I could see the evidence with my own eyes and not have to rely on your word," she replied while stroking his length through his pants.

Before Edward could respond, Iona unbuckled his belt and began opening his pants. "Kick your shoes off," she commanded and then smiled at his raised brow. After he complied, she peeled his pants over his hips and legs, kneeling at his feet so he could easily step out of the clothing. Remaining on her knees, she reached for the waistband of his boxers and carefully pulled them over his erection, down his long legs and away from his feet.

"Now do you believe me?" he asked as she stared at his body.

"I never doubted you. But I wanted to have proof in case I ever need to defend your honor," she replied then grasped the base of his cock.

Watching her remain still for a few seconds, Edward asked in frustration, "Are you just going to kneel there staring at it?"

"I'm showing respect to my king," she added with a playful grin. "My sister always said that I should act more like a lady. I had no idea what I was missing," she finished and then with a wink, opened her mouth and moved closer to his body.

"Wait!" he said, placing his hand on her head stopping her approach. At her confused look, he laughed and said, "Maybe you shouldn't mention your sister when we're together. As a matter of fact," he added with a chuckle, "I command you to never think of her when we are less than fully clothed. You two share an interesting gift and I don't think she appreciates seeing everything you see. I know that I wouldn't appreciate it."

When she continued staring at him in confusion, he playfully tapped the back of her and, with a smile, said, "Get back to work woman."

Standing nude in the cabin's living room, Gabriel quietly snapped his cell phone shut debating whether he should turn off the power to the annoying little device. Deciding to take a chance that no more calls would interrupt them, he returned to the bedroom and stared at Alena's sleeping form. Ignoring the insane message from her sister seemed reasonable but something kept nagging him to repeat the warning to his mate.

"Baby," he said softly stroking Alena's arm. "Can you wake up for a minute?"

Slowly waking from her restful slumber, Alena smiled at the sound of Gabriel's voice and stretched her arms over her head as she pointed her toes to the end of the bed.

"Oh," she said with a small grimace. Then with a blush, she added, "I forgot that I'd be a little sore."

Wrapping her in the blanket, Gabriel lifted her body onto his lap and held her against his chest. "Yeah," he agreed, "We'll try out that tub in a minute, ok?" he asked while stroking her back.

"Mmmm, sounds good." And then with a start, she asked, "Did you find out who called?"

"Yes. It was your sister."

"Is something wrong?" she asked twisting on his lap to see his face.

"More strange than wrong, I'd say," he admitted.

"What did she say?"

"She had a nightmare."

"Oh no, those again," she sighed and laid her head back on Gabriel's chest.

"Anyway," he started, "When she awoke she felt that she needed to give you a warning."

Sitting straight up on his lap, Alena asked, "Gabriel, what was the warning?"

Raising his brows at her use of his proper name, he repeated, "Your children are in danger."

Inhaling quickly, Alena slid down from Gabriel's lap to the floor and winced when she took a step. Looking around the room, she asked, "Where's a phone?"

"A phone?"

"Yes," she said tripping over the blanket wrapped around her body.

Quickly catching her and holding her close, Gabriel asked again, "A phone? Who will you call?"

"The hospital," she replied struggling to untangle her feet from the wrap.

Setting her on the bed, Gabriel placed his hands on her shoulders and said, "Baby, if you will tell me what's going on, I will help you." Then reading the panic in her eyes, he said, "Wait. You think the children at the hospital are in danger?"

"What else could she mean by her warning?"

"She could have been fucking rambling after another nightmare!"

"She's not like that," Alena whispered in defense.

Not wanting to fight with Alena over her sister, he realized that he needed to change the direction of the conversation quickly. "Ok, I have an idea. Since I'm technically the president of the organization, no one will question my order to increase security."

Seeing the hopeful gleam in her eyes, he continued, "I'll have more guards added during the day and some vampires will patrol at night. Agreeable?"

"Thank you Gabe," she said standing and raising on her toes to kiss him. "I owe you."

"It's a big debt," he said with a grin at her. "And payoff starts with a bath," he finished by grabbing her cocooned body and held her in his arms.

Amid the shrieks and kicks, he laughed at her attempt to get loosed from his hold. He walked into the bathroom and perched her on the side of the tub while he started the bath water. When he was satisfied with the temperature, he turned to her and said, "One of us is overdressed."

"Yeah," she said with a blush looking away from his naked body, "I'd noticed."

Then carefully standing, she dropped the blanket and looked up to Gabriel. She saw his eyes glimmer in admiration and felt a sense of pride that he was pleased with her body. Moving closer to him, she opened her arms as he pulled her into his embrace. Feeling his cock against her stomach, Alena pulled slightly away and reached her hand between their bodies. Before touching him, she looked up to Gabriel with a silent request for instruction.

With a quick kiss to her forehead, he held her hand and guided her to gently wrap her fingers around his rapidly hardening cock. Hearing Gabriel's slow exhale, Alena pulled away thinking she had caused him pain.

"No," he said guiding her hand back to him. "Well, yes, it's a little painful but not the way you think," he explained. Then wrapping her fingers around his width, he showed her how to slowly move back and forth. When she no longer needed his help, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, leaned his chin on the top of her head and closed his eyes.

Enjoying this new experience, Alena smiled at the obvious arousal she was creating with such a simple touch. When Gabriel had guided her hands around the width, she had been shocked by the size. But now after stroking him for a few seconds, he had grown longer and thicker. Her strokes up and down grew longer and her fingers could not meet around his girth. Wondering if he was the biggest man in the world, she contemplated how she would be able to find out.

At his outburst of laughs, she stopped her motions and asked, "Are you laughing at me?"

"No," he said with failed attempt to hide the humor in his eyes. When he realized that she wanted the truth, he added, "You have the strangest thoughts sometimes."

"I told you to stop that," she said with a smile and turned to the bath. "Ok, before we do this, do you have any nautical tricks I should know about?"

"If I tell you all of my secrets, how will I keep you still interested in a few hundred years?

Looking over his tall, muscular naked body, Alena said, "I believe there's enough to keep me occupied forever." Slipping into the warm water, she asked, "How do we do this?"

"You're paying a debt, so we start with you washing my back," he said stepping over the tub's edge. "Lean against the back of the tub." Nestling between her legs, Gabriel savored the heat from her sex pressing against his lower back.

As she lathered the soap in her hands, she watched the muscles on his back flex as he adjusted to sit between her legs. The feel of his skin against her thighs encouraged her to spread her legs wider so she could feel him against her sensitive folds. Wondering how intimate this bath would be, Alena paused in lathering and waiting for Gabriel's response to her thoughts.

He chuckled at her thoughts and leaned back, resting his head against the tub and the nook of her shoulder. Receiving a smile from her, he kissed her cheek and guided her hands to the front of his body where she proceeded to lather his chest.

Gently threading her fingers through his chest hair, Alena enjoyed the feeling of the hard muscles bunched underneath his skin. Becoming bolder she dipped her hands below the water and massaged his abdomen in slow circles moving downward until she could feel his erection bobbing against her hand. When Gabriel swiftly turned around pulling her up and into his lap, she squealed and kicked sending water into the floor.

"What happened?" she asked watching the water slosh in the tub.

"It just occurred to me," he said lathering the soap in his hands, "that we are taking too damn long to bathe." With a kiss to her shoulder, Gabriel massaged the soap over her shoulders and down her back finding those ticklish areas that would have her tensing, giggling and thrashing in the water. Pulling her close to him, he could hear her quick intake of breathe as his cock stroked against her back. Continuing the bath, he gently applied soap to her breasts and tummy, skipping her sex, continuing down to knead the tension in her thighs.

When his fingers ascended to her warm folds, she asked, "Do you really think soap is reaching that spot?"

"Hmmm," he pondered. "Good point," he answered lifting her from the water and placing her bottom on the edge of the tub. Pressing her shoulders back to the wall, he sat back and admired the naked beauty surrounded by the flora, with legs spread apart waiting for him.