The Ravana Clan Vampires: a Young Adult Paranormal Romance (Complete Series)

by E. M. Moore

  Diesel’s tree stump legs started to move. All eyes went to him as he made his way over to Gregor. He dropped in front of him, one knee in the loose dirt at their feet. “You fought honorably, Gregor Ravana. I am pledging my service to you. Never before have I heard such words from someone in power. Your actions recommend you more than the one I am used to. If you will have me, I will stay and honor you for as long as I am able.”

  Several notes of surprise sounded from the former Dumont Clan side. Gregor bid Diesel to rise to his feet and held his hand out. Diesel, after looking at it awkwardly, took the offered hand in his. Gregor squeezed it with the firmness of a leader. “Then, you are welcome here.”

  Several more warriors came forward, each of them lowering to one knee before Gregor pulled them to their feet and shook their hands. A roll of pride shook me to my core as more and more people, some warriors, some not, came to Gregor and lowered themselves to him. To each and every one, he raised them up and welcomed them as an equal. Each one of them stood stunned, and my heart panged a brief sadness for every one of them as I thought about what they’d endured before this point. In our world, though still not perfect, they would see great relief. Together, we could all work together for the greater good. There would be great change. With the mixture of both sides, we could see even bigger strides in the development of our clan, and I wanted to be right there when it all happened.

  Soren inched his way over to me, his head bowed. “Do you see these people? They are not used to kindness. I don’t know if they all will stay or not. I am sure Gregor will want them to change some of the ways that they are used to living—our feeding habits for one, but they’ve never received such benevolence before. Gregor has done a great thing in welcoming them all to him. They won’t soon forget it.”

  The crowd parted just in front of us and a towering Diesel stepped through. Despite his size, the earth didn’t shake when he made his way to us. I was a few feet shorter than him and had to crane my neck up to see his face. Soren raised his eyes as well and we waited for Diesel to speak. He looked at the both of us, but when he finally did speak, it was to Soren. “Dumont charged me with killing you as soon as the battle was over.”

  Soren’s feet shifted slightly backward, but he brought his hands over his chest in defiance. I’d become fond of the rogue vampire next to me. I dropped my own hands to help if I needed to, but Soren just smirked. “And will you?”

  Diesel shook his head. “No, I don’t believe so. Dumont has made me do many things I did not feel was right, and this was one of them. I will not be killing you, Soren Thormasciya. Not now or ever. I will let that order die with our former leader.” He turned to me, one eyebrow piqued. “You are quite young, guard. Yet fierce and humble. What you did for Clive was honorable. No warrior should ever be treated with disdain just because he failed to win against a better opponent.”

  I blinked, taken aback. “I agree.” Then, raising my voice, I added, “I am sorry it had to come to this. Strong fighters were lost on both sides.”

  “And I took away one of your…friends.”

  “You did,” I told him, speaking of Lex. She wasn’t just my mentor, she was a friend, too.

  “Should I fear for my life because of it?”

  I thought of T.J. and Matthews. I thought of all the guards who Lex had helped. There was a great sadness due to her passing, and Diesel was directly responsible. But what did he do that any of us wouldn’t? We all would’ve acted the same way given the circumstances, and I even did. “No, Diesel. You won’t receive any retribution.”

  He nodded, his eyes opening a little wider. He bowed once and then walked away. Around us, people were tearing down the fence that formed the perimeter of the arena. They hauled the wood logs to the center, piling them up one on top of the other until it rose above my head. Diesel started the fire, the flames roaring up to meet the tree lines. In the next instant, he pulled at Dumont’s body and he and another warrior carried it to the blaze. They heaved their former leader into the flames, sending sparks into the sky. The fire roared to life and sizzled and cracked as it ate up Dumont’s clothing first, then worked through the skin and bone left on the body.

  I turned away to find Soren staring at it. The flames flickered over his face. He noticed me looking and smiled. “I cannot say any part of that brings me grief, Young One. I feel as if the chains of my past life just fell away. There is only me, and ahead of me, there is freedom.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. Do you think you’ll stay like Diesel? I know how much you want that solitary life…”

  He looked around. As the night grew thick, the light from the fire was the only thing that let us see. Well, at least allow me to see. All the vampires could see much better than I. “I’m not sure,” he said. “I don’t know if I ever thought this was an option. I thought perhaps your clan would win, but that Dumont’s people would go back into hiding. I never dreamed we might see a day like today. A day where two became one, and who knows, it may all be different by morning.”

  I searched the surrounding area, my eyes narrowing to see the faces I didn’t recognize. They ranged from that of the superior, finely dressed with jewels, to those who were more akin to servants. “Them,” I said, pointing to a group of women in the corner who stayed just outside the boundary. “Who are they?”

  He blinked when he saw who I referenced. Then his eyes turned sad, his face paling to a sallow white. “Those are the feeders.”

  Feeders? I asked hesitantly in my mind, coming to grips with what he meant. Of course. Those were the humans they used like a buffet, always to travel with them, staying with the elites so they would never be without food. Gregor would not like that. “We’ll have to do something.”

  “They probably don’t know whether to stay or go. They certainly don’t know of any place to escape. For some, this is the only life they remember.”

  Though there was a general air of celebration all around, my heart hardened. We couldn’t have these women afraid for one more night. I caught Stephan’s eye and waved him over. After pointing the women out to him, I said, “We have to do something. I’m sure there’s blood to share with the Dumont Clan so we can free those women.”

  Stephan swallowed, the tone of his skin turning a mix of yellow and green. “Of course. I’ll free them right now. Soren, maybe you can come with me. They know you, and—”

  Soren immediately shook his head. “They do know me and that is why I will not follow you over there, Young Prince.”

  I tugged on Stephan’s sleeve. “Christian will know what to do.”

  Stephan nodded and left, disappearing through the medley of bodies in the crowd that gathered ever thicker around us.

  “Do you think the more prominent families will be mad?”

  Soren shrugged. “If they are sticking around this long, it’s because they’re curious. Most feeders are easily found. I doubt they’ll mourn the loss of any one of them, especially if they decide to leave the Ravanas, they can just as easily find a replacement.”

  “But the feeders, don’t they get—?”

  “Yes, they’ll need particular care going forward. Stephan will be able to help them recover, I think. At first, they will be like drug addicts and junkies, I’m afraid.”

  I took a deep breath, my eyes flitting over to them again. Christian and Stephan approached the group, and for the first time, I noticed a few men also among them. They looked as lost and unsure as the women. For the time being, the rich families had yet to pay any attention to what was going on and I hoped that would last. Those people deserved a future, a future where their lives weren’t dependent on those bent on hurting them time and time again. They deserved a choice in their own life. Maybe some of them would want to become guards, maybe they would want to leave, or maybe they would want the promise of immortality like the ones who pained them. Whatever they decided, it would be their choice, their freewill to do with their lives what they wanted.

  “Why are you smiling, Youn
g One?”

  It wasn’t just a smile. My vision became fractured as heat gathered behind my eyes. “Because I see their future stretched out before them. It’s not filled yet. It’s not concrete. It’s a vast, lengthy path and they can choose to take whichever way they want. They don’t know it yet, but the real adventure is just starting.”

  30

  For many hours afterward, the celebration rang on. Blood was brought out in droves and those who partook, had plenty of it. Those who weren’t dependent on human blood didn’t shy away from their friends’ feeding habits. I stayed awake as long as I could until the pure exhaustion from the past week caught up with me. When I couldn’t take anymore, I found Stephan who also looked like he had enough. He took one look at me and swooped me into his arms to take me to my room.

  Outside my window, we could hear the tangle of voices of old and new. For a moment, I stood looking out the glass, thankful that everything I knew could happen had actually come to fruition. Then, I closed the blinds and turned. Stephan lay on my bed, his body stretched out from headboard to footboard. I tiptoed back to the bed and drew myself up close to him. His eyes opened. “Here we are,” he said, his lips curling. “There’s no more danger.”

  “Yet so much to do,” I told him. “Do you think those feeders will be okay?”

  He turned toward me on the bed. “They have a lot of healing to do, but they’ll be fine, eventually.”

  I smiled, basking in his positivity.

  “Now, as far as you,” he said, pushing my shoulder down until it was on the bed before following me over. “I still think you need some healing.”

  I looked at the barely visible bruises on my arms. “Actually, look how well I’m doing.”

  He pulled my arm out and looked at it thoughtfully before leaning down and kissing me. He swept his lips over mine gently, and I ate it up, deepening the kiss. Kissing Stephan was like eating the cream between the Oreos. Sometimes that’s all you wanted because it was so good. He lowered himself over me, his penis hardening the more passionate our embrace became. His hand traveled under my shirt and skirted the waistband of my pants. They paused there before he finished the kiss and broke away. “I want to try something.”

  He looked away, unsure, but I turned his face back to meet mine. “What?” I placed my palm over his cheek. “Tell me.”

  His thumb rubbed over my waistband. “I want to taste you, but I don’t know how good I’ll be.”

  A muscle twitched in my stomach. “Stephan, you couldn’t possibly do anything wrong.” I put my hand on his and helped him lower my pants, my panties coming along with it. His jaw clenched when he saw me bare to him. He smoothed his hands over my legs, up my thighs and past my stomach to my breasts before reaching for my shirt and pulling it over my head. My bra was next until I lay in the middle of the bed just staring up at him, my throat dry. Though I’d experienced this with the others, every new thing with one of them was something special. How Christian loved me wasn’t how Stephan did, and it certainly wasn’t like Nicolai or Connor.

  He inched himself toward the foot of the bed and knelt over me. He started with slow kisses on my thighs, then down to my knees where he pulled them apart, opening me up to him. He traveled back up, his hot breath caressing the sensitive skin. I ran my hand over his hair and on his cheek as he explored, letting him go at his pace. My heart raced in my chest, just waiting for that initial touch. His fingers delved up my hips as he bent lower. My heart was in my throat, expectation coursing through me. I opened my knees wider, the heat from his breath getting closer. I was practically panting waiting for him to touch me. I bit my lip, muting a moan. I raised my hands and grabbed the pillow at my head to refrain from grabbing his head and making him move at my pace. The wait would be worth it. When Stephan did something, he did it with precision. Every response I had, he took cues from and made predictions like a true data analyst.

  His tongue reached out, tentatively rimming my sensitive skin. I couldn’t stop the sound of pleasure from escaping. “Ohhhh.” I squeezed the pillow harder. He licked the other side as well, and I pushed my heels into the bed. “Oh, God, yes, Stephan.” The area between my thighs throbbed with want. He was an expert at tantalizing me, making his every movement that much more pleasurable just from having to wait for it.

  He found my clit, swirling his tongue over it as if he’d done this a hundred times. I bucked into him and he squeezed my hips. “Oh, Ariana,” he said his breath coming out in gasps. “Does it feel good?”

  Does it feel good? God, yes. “Please, Stephan. More.”

  He bent over, straight for me. Licking and sucking and tonguing me in every spot my body cued him to take more time on. My fingers wrapped around the pillow and my toes curled. He took his time, his tongue exploring until he ran across my clit again and I bucked into him. There he stayed. His tongue played with my clit until I moaned non-stop. The door rattled, and I immediately grabbed Stephan’s head, willing him not to stop. My body was racing toward that sweet oblivion. Blissfully, he didn’t stop. He pulled me closer, suckling on my nub until I came hard and fast in his mouth. “Yes, yes, yes,” I screamed.

  Stephan pulled away, fire in his eyes. Immediately, though, he looked over his shoulder. My gaze followed to find Connor staring at us. Still wrapped up in my heady emotions, I couldn’t control the thunder of my breath as I tried to calm myself. Connor nearly raised his eyebrows, looking surprised at his brother.

  I didn’t care. I moved to my knees, and brought Stephan to me, kissing him in all the excitement of my orgasm. “That felt so good,” I told him, whispering in his ear. Surprisingly, he kissed me back. I pulled him to me, bringing his hips to mine. He was still hard, rock hard. I groaned and went straight for his zipper. He didn’t stop me as I unclasped the button, lowered the zipper, and spread the two sections apart. Afterward, I reached my hand into his underwear and stroked him.

  He groaned into my ear. “I don’t know about this, Ariana.”

  I looked up at him. “I want you. Please.”

  “Don’t let me stop you,” Connor said. He sat on the bed behind me, his hands smoothing over my bare back.

  I let out a cry of surprise and locked eyes with Stephan. His eyes flit from me to his brother before his hands clasped behind my neck and brought me to him, his mouth once again sweeping over mine.

  Oh, my goodness. Connor and Stephan, both here with me. I eased backward until Connor’s hands swept over my back and then moved to my front to fondle my breasts. “Oh, God.”

  Stephan moved forward as I moved backward. I pulled his shirt over his head and pulled his pants down, completely freeing him. He pulled away to take them the rest of the way off. Connor took that moment to drag me to him. His lips sealed onto my neck as one hand cupped my breasts and pinched my nipple. The other dipped lower, past my belly button to between my legs. He pushed his finger inside and sighed. “You are so wet. Does this turn you on?”

  I moaned, my eyes opening to see Stephan staring at us. His eyes were like hot coals, fire still burning inside them. His look took my breath away. He wasn’t shying away, he wasn’t lost. I moved forward, pushing Stephan to his back as I climbed on top of him. Once on top, I eased down over his dick, thrilling myself with the pressure as he filled me. I rocked against him, eager to show him how much I loved him, how important he was to me. It didn’t matter that Connor was here, he should never take backstage. His hand gripped my hips as I rode him. Connor kissed my neck from behind. He pulled my hair over my shoulder and stretched my neck to the side as he kissed my ear, my throat, my collarbone. His hands threaded under my arms to once again play with my breasts.

  With every roll of my hips, I was taken further and further into bliss. This sharing of love filled me to the brim. I bit my lip and rode Stephan harder. He was so hard and thick inside me. I bared down, appreciating every nuance of this. “I’m close,” I told them, moaning the last word.

  Stephan grunted, his body shaking underneath me as if he was
trying to hold on. He groaned and bucked into me.

  Yes, yes, yes, I repeated in my head. Connor’s hand moved South, just barely grazing my nub. My eyes flew open as I barreled over the edge. Stephan let go at the same time. He yanked my hips to his as I felt him come inside me again and again. My insides squeezed him until I couldn’t tell what was coming first, my pleasure or his. I let out a low wail as I came back down. Immediately, I locked eyes with Stephan and bent over to kiss him. “Thank you,” I said.

  His throat worked, and then he pulled me to him again, deepening the kiss.

  Connor rubbed my ass and then pulled up. Stephan slipped out of me and Connor’s dick was right there, nudging at my entrance. My eyes bulged out of my head. I pulled away. “I don’t know if I can, Connor.”

  He stopped immediately. “Sore?”

  “No.” I looked over my shoulder. “I’ve already come twice, I don’t know if I can again.”

  He smirked. “Don’t worry about that. You just kiss Stephan and let me do all the work.”

  Stephan angled my face toward his again, pulling me to kiss him exactly like Connor said. Connor eased behind me and slid inside. I made a noise in the back of my throat that Stephan ate up. It didn’t matter if I couldn’t have another orgasm, this was just perfect, this connection with two of the ones I loved at once. I kissed Stephan with a frenzy as Connor started an easy pace. Seconds, minutes passed as we took pleasure in one another. At last, Connor pulled back and entered me forcefully. “Oh,” I said, pulling away from Stephan’s mouth. He did it again, and again, hitting a delicious spot inside me that awakened my arousal once more.

  I held onto Stephan as Connor continued his steady, hard rhythm. Stephan moved my hair around my ear. “You’re so beautiful.”