Chapter Seven – Yuliana
"Let me go!" Yuliana fought against the iron grips around her arms.
She'd never noticed before how bad other vampires smelled. Out among the Shifters, everything was clean and fresh, with a noticeable earthy smell to the world. But these vampires smelled stale, like a room that had been locked shut for a thousand years. It made her gag as she struggled to free herself.
"Yuliana, stop fighting us," a familiar voice ordered.
"Zak?" Yuliana twisted to find her old friend backing up the three vampires that had her in their grips. Her jaw dropped. When the horde of vampires had burst through the trees, attacking the Shifter camp, she had thought it was the king taking the offensive again. But if it was Zak here… "What are you doing?"
"Saving your life." Zak took the place of one of the other vampires. They picked her up bodily, grunting a little, and began running from the camp.
Loud, deep roars and howls echoed down the mountainside. That was why they were running. The Alphas were attacking. Leon was attacking.
"Let me go," she said again, trying to hang as limply as she could while still kicking at the vampires that carried her. "I told you before that I am here—"
"Yuliana, I was never here for you. It was a cover." Zak glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "The king sent me to follow the Wolves and learn more about them. I'm only taking you out of the fight right now because you gave me that knife. You haven't been completely brainwashed by the Shifters yet."
So it was all a ruse all along. Yuliana snarled. When she was free, he'd pay for this! She continued to struggle uselessly. Eventually, the vampires put her down and tied her hands behind her back. Zak threw her over his shoulder and raced away while the other two turned back. The faint scent of Shifter told her why—
Leon was coming after her.
"Leon!" Yuliana shouted. "Leon! I'm here!"
Zak grunted, running faster. Yuliana rocked her body from side to side, making his grip slip. She tumbled off his shoulder, onto the ground. As she scrambled to her feet, Zak lunged for her. She fell again. Her head struck a rock and everything went black.
***
Yuliana's head pounded like she had drunk ten thousand gallons of straight vodka. She didn't want to open her eyes, but memories of what had happened just before she passed out returned. Her heart rate spiked. Hitting her head, even hard enough to knock her out, shouldn’t have kept her down long. But as she blinked open her eyes, she found herself not staring at the forest canopy. Not at the familiar sight of the lean-to canvas. Instead, she was staring at a pale pink ceiling.
Her ceiling. The ceiling she had at home with her parents…
"Leon?" she whimpered.
"You're awake!"
Yuliana's heart jumped at the male voice, but it didn't take long for her brain to register that it wasn't Leon's. She turned her head to find her father sitting beside her. A smile broke over his face. He stroked her hair back from her face.
"Don't worry, Yuliana," he said. "You're safe now. Zak told us about how the Shifters had you drugged at their camp. But you're safe now, you're home and the drugs have worked their way out of your system."
Yuliana frowned. Why would Zak tell them a lie like that? He'd have to know that as soon as she woke up, she'd reveal the truth… But he must have drugged her. He wasn't looking for a lasting lie, just one that would allow him to get out of here as quickly as it could. Anger bubbled in her stomach.
"I wasn't a captive," she growled, pushing herself up. "Where is Leon? Where is my mate?"
Her father stared at her with puzzled eyes. "What?"
"My mate," she repeated. "Where is he? King Harold double-crossed him. I was supposed to help bring harmony between our people, but the king still attacked. Where is he?"
"The Alphas had gathered, to discuss a war strategy against the vampire kingdom."
"No."
Her father put a firm hand on her shoulder. "Yuliana, you—"
"Where is he?"
Her father stared at her for a moment longer before his shoulders slumped. He shook his head and Yuliana's heart stopped. What had the king done with Leon? Had he…
"The Wolf and the rest of the Alphas were taken as prisoners. They are being held at the vampire palace, awaiting their trial and execution."
Yuliana blanched. What was the point of a trial if the execution was already set as the punishment? The anger that had bubbled in her was almost doused by fear, but it came back stronger than before. This was not going to happen! With another growl, she swung out of bed. Her feet were a little unstable–due to Zak's drugs, no doubt–but she wasn't going to let that stop her.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"The palace," Yuliana said. "I'm not going to let him get away with this. Leon is my mate, he's not going to be killed for something he didn't do!"
***
If he was anybody but the king, Yuliana might have attacked him the moment she saw him. But he was the king, and when he smiled at her, his fangs flashing. She was reminded that he could have her ordered beheaded as easily as snapping his fingers. So she forced herself to curtsy and wait for permission to speak.
"Yuliana. What a pleasure to see you again. What brings you here?"
"My mate."
"Your—" The king laughed, clapping his hands lightly. "You mean the Wolf? Don't worry about him. You served your purpose when it came to the Shifters, and unfortunately, Leon decided not to accept the olive branch I extended to him. You can return to your home now."
Yuliana's hands clenched. "I don't think so."
The king sighed heavily. "Oh, I think I know what you want. I can smell pregnancy on you. Don't worry. I'll have my healers terminate it at once, so you don't have to deal with a mongrel child."
Yuliana fell back a step, wrapping her arms around her middle. Was that a threat? That if she didn't just fall back in line and not fight for Leon's life, he'd take her child from her? She couldn't bring herself to ask.
"No," she rasped. "I'm not letting anything happen to my baby."
"Your baby?" The king stepped forward, catching her face in his hand. "Don't tell me you've gone and fallen in love with a Wolf? Is it just because he gave you things you never thought you'd have? You're a pretty girl, Yuliana. You've got a delightful scent. It was why I chose you for that failed mission… but I won't let you be alone again. Let go of the Wolf, and you will have a place as one of my queens."
Yuliana struck his hand away before she knew what she was doing. The king's face darkened, but Yuliana threw back her shoulders and stared him in the eye. Even as she was wondering if she was actually brave enough to say what she wanted to say and do what she wanted to do, she found herself speaking.
"I would never marry you! You are a disgusting liar and I hate you!"
The king stepped back. A brief flash of anger crossed his face, but he shook his head and laughed soon enough. "You've found your voice, then? I'm surprised. A timid mouse like you, speaking out against the king himself… not well, mind you. 'I hate you'? I'd expect that from a toddler having a tantrum."
Blood rushed to Yuliana's face. But the implication of her actions also rushed to her mind, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. She couldn’t just blow up like that… Apart from not helping Leon and the other Alphas at all, there was also the fact that it could also get her in big trouble.
"Leon never conspired against you. He called that meeting so that the other Alphas could know me as his mate, not to form any sort of attack."
King Harold leaned forward. "Ah, so it was the Wolf that called the meeting? Excellent… it will make proving his guilt even easier."
Yuliana stepped back from him, shaking her head. "He didn't plan to fight against you! You're just looking for an excuse to kill them all. Why?"
"Clearly they have done a number on—"
"I want to see my mate. Please, let me see Leon."
The king drew himself up. Any trace of friendliness disappeared from his face. "I have given you plenty of time to come to your senses. More than what most people would think you deserve. Fine. You want to be with your mate? You can be with him. You will be locked in the dungeons with the Wolf until the operation to terminate your pregnancy."
"I won't—"
"You will terminate the pregnancy or die as a traitor."
Yuliana froze again. The king seemed to like her silence because he smiled again before he called the guard. Her arms were wrapped firmly around her middle as she was lead down to the dungeons. What was she going to do? Everything she wanted, a man who loved her and now a child, were about to be taken away from her. And what could she do about it?
If I had agreed to marry him, would he have spared my little one?
Her stomach churned at the thought, but as she was taken down past the dank levels, that thought kept coming back. There was nothing she could do to save Leon… but maybe there was a way to save their baby…