Noble Blood

When those sapphire eyes focused on her window for one blinding second, the mischievous smile in them took her breath away. Akane backed away from the window, startled, terrified, and more turned on than she could ever remember being.

Oh hell to the no. She was not going to allow herself to be attracted to Jethro. The man was a menace in more ways than one.

She crawled into bed, determined to drive all thoughts of Shane Dunne from her mind.

It turned out to be a lot harder than she thought it would be.

Moira woke up sandwiched between her loves, her face buried in Jaden’s hair. Duncan’s hand cupped her breast, his half hard cock nestled between the cheeks of her ass. Her hand rested on Jaden’s chest, feeling the even rise and fall as he slept in her arms.

All was right with her world. She couldn’t stop the smile that crossed her face, or the happy wiggle she gave. Her men were here and safe and nothing could take that from them.

Jaden’s chest rose under her hand, his leg twitching against hers. “Mmm. Morning, sweetheart.” He lifted her hand to his mouth, kissing the back.

Moira snuggled close. “Morning, a ghra.”

She heard the sound of a phone ringing. “Hell.” Duncan rolled over onto his back and slipped out of bed. She watched that amazing ass of his as he bent over to grab his phone. “Hello?”

She watched him begin to pace. “Yes. I understand.” His hand clenched. “No. It will be on my terms.” Her passionate Sidhe lord had to be speaking to a Malmayne for him to sound so cold and hard. From the disgust twisting Jaden’s features she bet it was Henri.

She flinched when another ringtone filled the air. This time it was music, the Tatu cover of “How Soon is Now”. Jaden rolled out of bed and grabbed his cell phone. “’Lo?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Duncan’s voice dragged her attention back to him. His jaw was clenched, his hands fisted at his sides. “You do not dictate to me.”

“You want me to what?” Moira looked back at Jaden. His brows had practically disappeared into his hairline. “Hell, no!”

“If that is what you wish. I’ll expect you within the hour.” Duncan hung his phone up. He was so angry silver sparks danced around him. “Expect a deluge of clan members in one hour.”

“Crap.” Moira got out of bed. “Let me guess what they’re objecting to.”

He gave a frustrated sigh. “My bond with Jaden.”

She blinked. “Wait. Why are they objecting to that?”

“They’re claiming that he’s the one who set up all this stuff about the Seer and got Charles to believe it through his Vampiric mind powers.”

“You’re fucking kidding me.”

“Nope. They’re going to demand blood debt.”

“Shit.” She ran her hands through her hair. “What do we do?”

“I’ll be here.” Jaden hung up his phone. “Akane’s on her way over. She knows what’s going on and she’s going to confirm that the hit on Charles was sanctioned.”

“This is just so fucked up,” Moira complained.

“Tell me about it.” Duncan took hold of them and began steering them toward the bathroom. “Showers all around. My darlings, we need to look our best.”

“We need to let Ian and Mrs. Pagett know. How many are coming, Duncan?”

“All of the clan currently in Nebraska.”

She stopped. “How many would that be?”

“About twenty.”

“Shit.”

Jaden began to drag her forward. “That’s maybe a tenth. The Malmayne clan is world-wide.”

Duncan grabbed their toothbrushes and handed them around. “The rest of the family will attend via satellite feed.”

She squealed when Jaden’s hand slapped her ass. “So let’s get moving. Nobody gets to see my mates in the buff except me.”

Moira rolled her eyes and brushed her teeth. This week just keeps getting better and better.

Duncan settled in behind his desk and stared at the twenty relatives lining the room. Of course Henri was there, fawning over the weeping daughters of Charles. Both Cecelia and Constance bore the Malmayne stamp of blonde hair and willowy figures, reminding him of his sister.

Duncan shuddered. One Kaitlynn had been bad enough.

Moira had made sure she was seated with Akane, off to one side and out of the line of fire. The dragoness seemed completely out of place with her Asian features, but her highly fashionable clothes declared her a force to be reckoned with, at least as far as the rest of the clan would be concerned. They still seemed confused as to the role she was going to play in this meeting. Duncan had every intention of enlightening them.

He rapped his knuckles on the desk. Even though the sound had been quiet the clan immediately quieted down except for the sniffling of the two women.

It was obvious Henri hoped to control this meeting. The man stepped forward, ready to confront him. There was a gleam in his eye that told Duncan he was enjoying what he thought he was about to do.

Duncan smiled. Henri was in for the shock of his pampered, pompous life. “We’re called here today to deal with the fact that The Hob called an inquiry into the doings of Clan Malmayne.” There was a hiss of indrawn breath, but far less shock than Duncan was comfortable with. “His Blades, after careful investigation, determined that Charles Malmayne was working with one or more agents of the Black to force the Dunne family into an unwanted alliance.”

“Unwanted by whom?” Constance asked. As the eldest daughter she stood the best chance of being chosen for an alliance marriage now that Kaitlynn was dead.

“Unwanted by the Dunne Charles hoped to force. Leo Dunne is in a truebond and unwilling to contemplate a second marriage. His bonded wife is also adamant that no other marriage will take place, thus insuring that it would be impossible and unwanted.” Duncan steepled his fingers and watched his clan members carefully. Some still seemed shocked, but the majority of them stared at him with blank faces. “The Malmayne-Dunne marriage contract has been fulfilled by myself.” He held up his hand when Henri tried to complain. “I will hear no more on Moira’s unsuitability. She is a Dunne child.” He said that deliberately, watching the reactions of his relatives. Jaden was listening in the security room, watching the reactions of those who were not on American soil. They planned on keeping each other informed through their bond. “The subject of my mating with Moira is hereby closed.”

“The bond is incomplete,” Cecelia piped up. “Therefore the contract has not been fulfilled.”

Duncan smiled. “Moira requested that the Vows be said with her family standing as witness. That has been arranged.” Something he’d seen to just after Jaden assassinated Charles for his crimes. Sean hadn’t been surprised in the least, and Aileen had been ecstatic. All that was left to do was be there, on the Dunne farm, ready to speak and seal their bond for eternity. “I assure you, our bond is complete. And that is the last time I will talk about my mating with Moira.”

“Then what about the rumors that you also mated with the vampire?”

Duncan kept his expression coolly amused, but he could tell that this was where things got tricky. The disdain most Seelie Sidhe held vampires in would work against him here. Moira was marginally acceptable to them; Jaden would not be. Not that he gave a flying fuck. “That would be correct.” The gasps of outrage were louder this time; never had a White Court Sidhe mated a vampire. “I have the great good pleasure of having been blessed with a tribond.”

Some of the Malmaynes moved restlessly at that, most of them with disapproving expressions.

“Isn’t Jaden the one who killed Charles?” Henri shook his head and tsk’d. “How exactly does that work? I understand Charles was going to challenge you for leadership of the Malmayne clan. How convenient for you that he was executed after your pet vampire accused him of collusion with the Black.”

“Are you saying that I have a Blade in my pocket, Henri?”