The Prince's Consort Ch. 05

Kalen eased her into a bath filled with suds, the greenish water tinting pink as the blood dissolved off her skin. She still wept, the old tears dried and cracked on her cheeks.

"You're safe, we're at the suite." He looked over her head, grabbing a hand towel and getting it wet, "I'm not going to hurt you. Let me clean you off."

Her limbs had shaken the entire ride home and were fatigued from the effort.

Kalen lifted her arm gently, scrubbing off the remaining spots, "I have to see how much of this blood is yours. You have open wounds, we'll need to run some tests."

"Why?" her throat cracked.

"To make sure those bastards didn't infect you with something." He growled, rubbing her naked chest and neck. He froze and leaned in, staring hard at her throat, then let out an unintelligible curse.

Caitlin let him handle her, cleaning blood from the crevices of her face and body. When before, his hands might have given her comfort, now she could only remember the bodies in the alley. "Is that what you do to us?"

"What?" Kalen looked up at her.

"Is that how you kill people?" she rephrased, fighting the frog in her throat.

He stopped scrubbing momentarily, then returned to the task, "No. Those men were about to rape you, one of them almost did." He said through gritted teeth, "They intended to kill you afterwards, Sara too."

Caitlin remembered the press of the man's flesh against her, "When did you know?"

"When I heard you cry out. It was my mistake, leaving you with a human guard at night."

She looked up at Kalen, no sign of those black eyes or long teeth. He hid his monstrous nature well, she thought as he scrubbed under her nails.

Caitlin turned her head away, resigned to his care.

"It was a mistake, bringing you here." He murmured, sudsing her hair. "I'm sorry I lost my temper, you have every right to know what I am." Kalen dipped her head into the water to rinse off, "You know I would never harm you." pulling her up by the neck, his thumb ran along her uninjured cheekbone.

"Yeah," she whispered hoarsely, not looking at him.

Kalen returned the hand towel to the water and rang it out, "I have to clean your lower half, can you sit up?" with his help, she circled her arms around his neck. He started at her front, gently splitting her lips open with two fingers and rinsing the tender flesh. She clutched tighter to him and gasped, no one had touched her in quite that way before. Soon enough, he moved backwards, scrubbing away the last of their touch. When finished, he lifted her from the water, which had stained a brilliant pinkish orange.

He wrapped her in a towel and lifted her out like a child, carrying her to the living area.

As much as he'd frightened her, he'd saved her as well. She wanted what they were becoming before this incident, before she really saw all that he was.

But if she'd never seen it, she'd never have known the monster that lay beneath his calm exterior.

"Kalen," she whispered as he laid her on the couch.

"Yes?"

"I don't want to be alone." It was hard for her to admit, it contradicted her instincts. "please don't leave me alone." Caitlin clutched at his bare shoulder, sinews of muscle rigid beneath the surface.

"If that is your wish." Kalen's long form passed over her laid behind her. He drew a blanket over them both and pulled her in tight.

Caitlin curled up, knowing this was the safest place for her, but flashes of the scene surfaced, making her heart race. He could hear when it did and reacted with a comforting squeeze.

"You're safe," he whispered, "I'll never let anyone hurt you again."

The words, meant to bring comfort, didn't protect her from the recent past. All over again in her mind, they flung her to the ground, bent her over... and...

"Shhhhh," Kalen hushed, stroking her hair as a panic attack consumed her. She breathed hard and heavy, sobbing in tearless gasps. He lifted her hand so she could see her palm and traced lines along her fingers, "It's over now, come back to this present moment, breathe." He drew out the last word as he inhaled. She did her best to copy, it took several attempts to slow her breathing, but she managed. "Very good, now rest." Kalen's words were laced with power, as if a hand pressed down on her. Sleep came, then, freeing her from suffering it all over again.

*

On the second night, before he left for business, she was introduced to her new escort.

"This is Nadia." Kalen introduced a pixie cut blonde with chocolate skin who stood shoulder height to Caitlin, "She'll be your escort from now on, and will be on-call as needed during the night. During the day you won't go anywhere without both Sara and Micha."

The young woman watched her without a smile, 'stern' seemed to be her only emotion. "I serve the royal family with my life." Nadia stated with pure conviction.

Caitlin didn't know if she were part of that family, but Nadia had Kalen's orders, and she assumed that was enough. She didn't know how she felt about another vampire coming near her. "How long will you be gone?" she asked him.

"'Til sunrise, likely; it will be a long night of droning finalization on a building's purchase. I'll be meeting tomorrow night as well; the sellers have been nearly impossible to work with." He rolled his eyes, "Once it's done, we can leave the city if you wish to return to the mansion."

Having to wait two more days made her heart ache. She nodded mutely.

"I'll leave you two to get acquainted. Nadia," he eyed the tiny vampire.

"Yes, Sir?"

"Take it easy, Caitlin's human, she's not used to our world. Do anything she wants to do." He turned away from them after leaving a gentle kiss on Caitlin's forehead.

Nadia saluted and stood at ease.

Both watched as Kalen disappeared into his office, Caitlin from the couch she'd spent most of the day on. She didn't want to be around her new escort, didn't want to think about the violent potential, so like Kalen, but so unlike him as well. She had no idea what to expect from the petite vampire.

The scratches on her cheek and shoulder were mending; the last man standing had nicked her neck, but it wasn't as serious as the Prince thought. Kalen had already taken and sent blood samples to a lab to determine if she needed additional care. He assured her that their kind didn't get infections from humans. If she made the transition, and did have them, they would not follow her.

She and the vampire watched each other as a Wheel of Fortune rerun played on the screen. Nadia wasn't responsive, even after Caitlin tried to make small talk. She wished Marianne was with her, they would have had plenty to say. Thoughts of her mother rose, she still had the letter, hadn't thought to send it out. "Nadia." Caitlin turned and directly addressed her.

"Ma'am?" she asked without emotion.

"I need you to send a piece of mail, then leave me alone for the night."

"As you will it," Nadia said with the first smile she'd seen from the vampire. "what letter?"

Caitlin was exhausted by recent turn of events, least of all this new girl in her space, "The top zipper of my black luggage." She lifted her legs onto the couch and laid to one side, flipping channels.

Kalen emerged from the office with a briefcase, wearing a pressed suit. "Don't be afraid to give her orders," he murmured, stroking her hair gently. Caitlin's follicles still burned from the attack. "I'll return by morning."

She lamely took his hand and flipped it between her own. This hand had been covered in blood when they returned before, now, it was perfectly manicured and trimmed. His face, she remembered, had also been splashed with gore. He'd killed them, not for their blood, but for her. "She doesn't like me."

"She is loyal and will keep you safe. You are part of my family," he rested a hand gently on her stomach. "be back before you know it."

The reminder made her cringe, "Yeah." She expected his kiss to taste like the dead men's blood. It didn't, nor did his teeth grow to pierce her lower lip.

Kalen was gone too soon and Nadia not gone long enough, "I have completed what you asked."

"Fine." She dismissed her, "Don't you have people to kill or something?"

Nadia stood, blank faced.

"Please go away?" Caitlin looked back at the vampire, who stood stock-still.

She shook her head, "Orders from my Master." Nadia didn't look pleased but refused to move.

"What were your orders?"

"To keep you in my sights at all times." Caitlin had to hand it to Nadia, she certainly had the discipline that Kalen's other servants didn't.

"You don't want to be babysitting me." Caitlin concluded, flipping the tv off.

"No." the escort said honestly.

"Why?"

"Permission to speak freely?" She nodded to Nadia, not sure what she agreed to. "You're a liability, a weak spot for our enemies. Not only that," her voice took on an edge, "but you risked his exposure last evening. We don't slaughter humans in the street, it's too high profile. He should impregnate you and be done with it." Her sneer melted back into stern silence.

Caitlin turned from her escort, stunned. Did everyone else feel the same? "You're probably right," she whispered, mostly to herself, "I don't belong in his world." The kindness he showed her was out of pity, certainly. She was only meant to carry his seed into the world, and then the focus would be on the offspring. Caitlin didn't want to live to see what they'd create.

She tried to ignore the new escort, feeling the smug smile cross Nadia's face.

Nothing on the television was entertaining enough to distract her, "I'm going to bed, don't follow me." She wagged a finger at the escort. Nadia stood like a statue, unmoving, unresponsive, Caitlin hoped she stayed that way.

Plodding off to bed, she curled into the covers, her heart sinking deeper in her chest.

*

The door creaked open at four-thirty. "Good morning," Kalen eased in the room. She was curled tightly in the bedding, facing away from him. "Did you have a good time with Nadia?" The silence was answer enough. He leaned over the bed and turned her head by the cheek, feeling the dampness, his features went stern. "What happened?"

"Why are you even bothering with me?" she choked out.

"What?"

"Get it over with," Caitlin rolled, opening the blanket to reveal her naked form. "Why all the pretense? As long as I'm your captive, I'll never be happy."

Kalen touched the softness of her stomach thoughtfully, "This is not all you are to me, you do not feel the same?"

"No... it's not..." she breathed, "... Nadia made clear my role, anything else is useless if it puts you at risk. You're a Prince, after all, I belong to you." Caitlin turned her head away, secretly begging him to finish what he started.

"What did she say?" His tone had changed, his anger rose. At least this time, she thought, it wasn't in her direction.

"She didn't lie." Was all Caitlin said, rolling back over, and exposing her naked backside.

He stormed out without another word. After a span of silence, something in the suite crashed violently to the floor. She thought she heard whispering, but the world outside her room went silent again. He flung the door open, and Nadia was thrown through, landing hard on her knees.

Caitlin, blind to her own immodesty, sat bolt upright in bed.

Kalen loomed over the escort, who had fear in her eyes.

"Where do your loyalties lie, Nadia?" The tone justified Nadia's fear.

"With you, my Lord!"

"And?"

"With your family, and your consort." She groveled at Kalen's feet, "I'm sorry Master, the girl asked me to speak my mind, and I did!"

Caitlin looked up at the Prince, whose eyes had darkened to blackened voids; he was a monstrous shadow in her doorway. "So, you torment her with your opinions?" She brought the blanket over herself.

"Please be merciful, Sir! I have only ever been loyal to you."

He did not seem merciful in the moment, and Caitlin didn't want more bloodshed on her behalf. So, she stood, wrapping the sheet around herself and stepping between the two, "Stop it." She feared looking up at him but did anyway. The heat of his anger almost overwhelmed her, but she held her ground. "Please, Kalen." She asked softly.

Kalen's dark eyes roved over her face, gauging her temerity. Slowly, he decompressed, his eyes lightening to the dark brown she remembered.

"For you." he whispered, touching a thumb to her jaw.

"Thank you," she exhaled with relief.

He put a hand on her back gently, "Get out, Nadia." The escort scrambled upright and bowed, many times, before shutting the door behind her. It took a moment for him to compose himself, "You did what few vampires would ever do, obstructing me from my target." Kalen sat her on the bed, "I might have cut through you to get to her, it was very dangerous. Don't ever do that, again." He chided gently.

"I couldn't let you kill her, too..." Caitlin lay her head on his shoulder, teasing his lapel.

"You're brave, Caitlin Stone. Braver, even, for saving someone you don't know."

"I was never brave in my hometown."

"There was nothing to foster its growth, it was in you the whole time." The gentle Kalen was back, he lifted her chin to stare in her eyes, "I love you."

The profession caught her off guard, "I love you, too." She realized for the first time. "There is no monotony in your life, is there?"

Kalen looked at her blankly, and then barked out a laugh, "Not a moment of it." He touched her nose, "It is almost sunrise, we should both be off to bed."

"What about Nadia?"

"I'll have her replaced tomorrow evening."

"No... I mean," Caitlin hesitated, "it was my fault she said what she did. You're not going to hurt her, are you?"

"That has passed," he reassured her, "I should not have reacted the way I did. If anything, she will be reassigned to her old tasks under my father's command."

"I don't want another vampire coming near me." She mumbled, "And if the sharpest thing Nadia has is her tongue, I think I can deal with her. For a while, anyway."

"It is only one more day," He agreed, "unless you wish to stay longer."

"No." she answered quickly, "I just want to go home." Caitlin wanted to barricade herself in the suite until the limousine came to take them away.

"As you will it." He stood, lifting her hand, and kissing it. "One more thing," he knelt, "Never again offer yourself to me half-heartedly, I do not want our child conceived out of desperation."

She bowed her head, a little ashamed, "okay,"

Kalen planted a kiss on her brow, "Good night."

"Night," she murmured, rolling into the covers, and closing her eyes.

*

When she woke, it was only three in the afternoon. It would be hours before Kalen woke, and Nadia was nowhere to be found. The television had nothing compelling enough to distract her for long, and the books she'd brought with were too dry for her mood.

Caitlin was tired of moping about, the suite thoroughly paced.

She went upstairs to see Sara and Micah, who were playing a game of rummy on a fold out table.

"See that, fucker? Straight Kings." Micah thrummed his cards out on the table victoriously. Sara growled, revealing his unmatched set.

"Lucky." the escort grumbled.

"Three times in a row? I don't think so." Micah gloated, then caught on to Sara's gaze, "You're up," he amended, reshuffling the cards.

Caitlin nodded, "I can't sleep. What do humans do in the city?"

"What don't they do?" he mused, Sara shook his head at the chauffer with knitted brows. Micah changed his tune, "Um, you hungry?"

She could eat and said as much.

"Good, I'm starved. You like takeout?"

"What's takeout?" the question garnered disbelief from both men.

Micah stood from the folding table and rifled through an old welcome desk, when the building was used for something else. He tossed a set of brochures in front of her, "Pick one and we'll order."

Caitlin looked through each, reading the lists of ethnic foods she wasn't familiar with. "I've never had any of this, which do you like, Sara?"

He seemed pleased to be given a say, Sara pulled one from the stack and handed it to her. "Shawarma." Was his only reply.

"Again?" Micah complained.

Caitlin ignored it as he seemed to have issues with anything they decided on. Looking through the list, she found something she was willing to try. "Lamb Kabobs."

"Fine," Micah snatched the brochure and circled her order, "A Shawarma plate for you," he pointed the pen tip at Sara, "and more baklava for me..." he rolled his eyes.

"Baklava?" She wondered aloud.

"Dessert," Sara answered.

Micah peered over the menu, "And some for you, too." He finagled a corded phone to his ear and punched in a number, waiting for the dial tone.

Caitlin sat where Micah had vacated, toying with the deck of cards. Sara tapped on the desk, motioning her to set them down. She did with a quizzical look as he stood, knocked the table slightly with his bulk and strode to the elevator.

Micah gave him an open hand with a shrug, as if to say 'where are you going?'

Sara waved Caitlin over and said only, "Upstairs." It made her curious, as she'd only seen the lowest level of the building. She followed the big man into the elevator and he thumbed the highest number, the doors closed and they began to ascend.

Caitlin realized all at once that she didn't know Sara very well, being in the tight space with him unnerved her. Fear clutched her chest, the dark alley resurfaced, the men with knives, their hands, their... she gasped for air and held herself upright by the railing.

Kalen wasn't present to stop it.

She saw the confusion in Sara's eyes as she curled into the corner, taking in shuddering gasps trying to reason with herself. Sara had tried to protect her that night, he would never do what they'd done to her, and those men were dead. They couldn't hurt her anymore.

After forever, the elevator stopped and the doors slid open. Her escort stuck an arm out so the door wouldn't close, "Here." He offered his meaty hand.

Caitlin wiped tears away and bashfully accepted it, he hoisted her upright. "Sorry." She mumbled.

Sara shook his head, pointing out towards the hall. The rooms had remnants of the previous owners, scattered pieces of furniture, abandoned picture frames skewed on the walls. He brought her through a large set of double doors. The room was almost made entirely of glass, and they were so high up, down below looked like miniature toys.

"Wow," Caitlin mouthed, panning over the horizon. Near the edge, she could see green, and hills too, shrouded in an afternoon mist.

"It's peaceful up here." Sara said.

Caitlin turned to her escort with surprise, "That's the longest sentence you've ever said to me."

He shrugged impassively and moved towards the glass, watching the street below with hands clasped behind his back.

A rolling chair lay on its side, she picked it up and sat a safe distance from the windows, she had never been so high up in her life. Sara seemed to appreciate the silence, and Caitlin didn't intend to interrupt. The city that panned out before them gave her some perspective; the world was so vast, she felt little more than an ant on her mother's counter top. It was humbling, and she sat in that feeling, watching the sun gradually descend in the sky.

They were interrupted by a buzz in Sara's pocket. "Hey," Micah shouted on the other line, "Get the Princess back down here, foods arrived." He hung up before Sara had a chance to respond.

The return trip was less taxing; Sara, as usual, minded his own business. She did not feel the clench of anxiety as on the way up.

When the elevator doors opened, a foreign aroma wafted towards Caitlin. Her mouth watered.