by C. M. Steele
I know that many have struggled greatly these many years. This life in darkness has broken down your soul; however, we must not let the enemy win. It was The Lamia who put the darkness on us with the help of dark sorcery. There is hope on the horizon and we must cling to it as the coming months will be unsettling to all. My lab has been working towards a cure for a very long time. As the humans have advanced in fields of genetic testing, we have been able to utilize it to our favor. This beautiful creature is my mate. She has been working alongside us for a cure and has stumbled on new hope.
I feel your agony and your need for solutions. I ask that you take to heart that the end of this war is near.
I ask that if you wish to serve in our army, please see us to enlist. If you cannot come out during the light, we’ll have training under the moon.
I will take a few questions.
I pointed to the vampire in the near back with his hand up. “How do we know that we can trust that should you defeat The Lamia you won’t become a tyrant?”
“I do not know you, young man. However, I am the only remaining member of the Supreme Council. If I had wished to take power, it was mine these past three-hundred years. I am the highest-ranking vampire in the lands, yet I have been working hard over the centuries fighting The Lamia and searching for a cure to the darkness. Something I didn’t need to do as I haven’t been forced there. I am only here to lead the battle and guide you all through. If you all recall my mother’s prophecy, it would be parents of the first female born vampire who would rule and help destroy The Lamia. I don’t know who that is. My mate and I have only met, the same with my friend Draco and his mate. It could be any of the people below. Another question?”
“Is there a reason it has taken so long to find the leader of The Lamia?”
“That’s a very good question. He has been forced into the darkness, and it was best to let him live with his monster he created and brought on himself. With continuing attempts to seize control of vampires, we have returned the battle and have always won, but he flees or never appears in battle to begin with. After the battles ended, we moved to hunting for a cure. We sought the best and the most bizarre and nothing until recently with the new age of medicine has helped lead us in the right direction. Any other questions?”
We stood there as they pondered the next question. Then a female raised her hand and I pointed at her to speak. “How will this all carry on with the humans around? They will notice battles going on.”
“That’s another excellent question. We have some methods, but that isn’t something we should discuss publicly. We have managed to fly under their radar for so long that we will manage. In addition, if you do have a special gift, please inform us. Not all of us are made the same, just like any other animal. Thank you, now I ask you to return home and make your decisions and seek out our people to become a part of the Army of Light.”
I bowed to the people and returned back inside the castle with Nora at my side. My team had grown already, and it was only a matter of time before we had a large army at our side as massive or even greater than the one before. “Pietro, Placido, please go with Mary and Dante as they begin registering the soldiers. I must speak with Draco.”
“Yes, my Lord,” Pietro said with a smile. “I’ve longed for another battle and revenge. The Lamia will pay for our fates.” They had been relegated to the darkness as well. I felt like one fortunate soul, and it was my duty to share that fortune and bring them back to the light.
“Yes, they shall,” Mary uttered, escorting them out to the courtyard where I was certain many had already gathered.
“Falcon,” Nora called out as she clung to my side.
I looked down at her and asked, “Yes, my beloved?”
“I’ve been thinking about the lab. Do you think we should close down the entire building? Maybe sell it? If we have everything at the house, we won’t need it anymore.” Her mind was always focused on science. I loved the brilliance she brought with her. Never had I met someone as smart and as engrossed in their line of work.
“That is true, but I don’t wish for you to think of that at the moment. In fact, I wish for us to take some time here for the next few days as we assemble the men. Allow Vigo to rebuild it.” I turned to Draco and Charlotte. “Do you believe you can assist Vigo on your own? I wish to greet those who wish to join.”
“Shall I return in the morning?” Draco asked, clearly wishing to be alone with Charlotte.
“Yes, so we may begin the training with those in the light.” I addressed Charlotte, “Is there anything that I need to be aware of?”
“No; as it happens, you are on the right path. I fear the battles in the future will come swiftly. I don’t believe Stavros has thought through his course of action yet. Unless he is aware of me and is waiting to make a final decision, which I don’t think he is. I feel as though his goal is to catch us off guard as often as possible. The war will be spread out in territories that are vacant or already battle torn locations.”
“Good, we must keep it that way. I have no desire for him to learn of your gifts. You would be his target then,” I stated. Draco nodded as he tried to remain calm, but he was thinking about losing Charlotte and that would never be a good path of contemplation. They said their goodbyes before disappearing, leaving Nora and I alone in the room.
“Come. Let us meet with those eager to sign up.” I grabbed her hand as we joined the rest down at the courtyard. There were so many vampires that it took me a moment to wonder if they planned to sign up or were only interested in learning more.
“Mary, what is going on here?” I asked, approaching the large table that was set up.
“These men wish to fight for us and those they know who are suffering in the darkness,” she said. I could see she was pleased, but her heart was breaking as she stood there.
“Mother, I wish you would go and rest,” Dante said, taking her hand in his. He was a good son and his father would be proud of him. The fact that a son could turn on a parent was unfathomable to me. I loved my parents and mourned their loss for centuries.
She turned, her small smile etched in pain. Caressing his cheek, she woefully replied, “My sweet son, I cannot. I can’t be alone with my thoughts. They haunt me with each passing moment.”
“Sire,” Pietro called out to me. I looked into his direction and noticed two large men at his side. They were about Draco’s size with hulking frames. If it wasn’t for the genuine smiles on their faces, I would have thought it was battle time.
“Yes?” I responded, holding Leonora to my side. As insane as it was, a rush of primal jealousy slammed into me. She belonged to me and no one could steal her from me, but the thought of losing her was prominent in my mind.
“These boys are here to join,” he said proudly, clapping their backs.
“These are your sons?” I asked. They were huge, but that wasn’t always a good thing. Smaller, thinner vampires were more agile than ones that looked like body builders.
“This is Fierro, Placido’s son, and Lorenzo is mine.”
“Hello, men. Welcome to the Army of Light. Let me introduce you to my mate. This is Lady Leonora Lombardi.” We hadn’t had a marriage via the human ways, but we would do it civilly soon for appearances sake.
They bowed to her, giving her the respect her status deserved, which she wasn’t used to accepting. “Lady Leonora. It is wonderful to meet you.”
“Thank you, gentlemen. Falcon, if you’ll excuse me, I wish to speak with Mary for a moment.”
“Yes, my love. I’ll be right here.” I watched her walk away and up to Mary. They smiled at each other, then they turned to the next group of vampires ready to enlist.
“Have you signed up with Mary already?” I asked, looking at the big boys.
“Yes, we have. It’s a fast-growing list,” he cheered. These two looked like they were itching to do some fighting. I liked that a lot. We needed those willing to give it all in the end, although I hoped it didn’t come
to that. We’d had a great record and I wanted to keep it that way.
I gave them a nod. “Fantastic. Training will begin tomorrow at sun up for those in the light. Your talents may be very useful for the night trainings and may give Draco and I some rest.” My eyes are focused on Leonora. It only took a moment for her to look my way. She turned her head looking over her shoulder.
“I need to make an announcement. Please excuse me.” I stepped away from them to get Leonora.
I slipped my hand around her waist and pulled her to me. “Come with me for a moment.” We entered the castle, then teleported to the balcony inner courtyard. “I need to inform them of something before you and I retire for the night.”
“Okay, Falcon,” she said without asking questions. Her love and trust in me made me strong. I had to taste her lips before addressing the people waiting once more.
I whistled, gaining everyone’s attention. The voices hushed, and for the first time, I felt like a true leader of the people. A leader as a warrior was one thing. I commanded armies, but the people of Lombardi were my mother’s domain. “Hello, may I have your attention, please.
“I am extremely pleased at the turn out, and it makes me proud. Training will begin at sun up for those who can enter the light. An hour after sunset, those in the darkness can train. Please be prepared to test your limits. Many of you have already fought by my side and I’m grateful that you have again put your faith in me. Thank you, and rest well.” I took her hand and guided my lovely mate to our bed chambers. I walked through the dark halls lit by tiny lanterns on the sides of each painting that graced this side of the castle. It had always been one of my favorite locations.
“I’m totally going to get lost in here.”
“No, I shall be with you,” I replied, taking her hand to my lips and kissing her soft, smooth skin. “I won’t allow you to be lost.”
“Falcon, make love to me,” she said in a hushed tone, staring up at me with her eyes bright and needy.
“I love when you ask with pleading breathlessness. It’s heady and sends desire straight to my loins. I’m going to love you hard.” I smiled at my mate, looking into her eyes with the longing I always had for her. If it wasn’t for the war, I would be inside her all day long. My lustful thoughts were forced to be tucked away. With her request, I could not refuse.
With a forceful grip on her waist, I tossed her onto the mattress, landing over her with my hands supporting my weight on the sides of her head. I stared down at my mate, my desire looming in my penetrative gaze. She gasped, the softest little sound passing her beautiful red lips. Her eyes were bright and hungry. Our clothes were tossed about as we undressed each other between kisses. Our skin brushed against each other as we both ran our hands all over. I grabbed her ass, squeezing a cheek hard, so she bit my lip in retaliation making me bleed.
I nipped at her bottom lip as I lifted her off the bed and onto my lap. I wanted her to take hers. The bite stirred my desire. She confidently straddled my thighs as I licked her lip, tasting the drop of blood. Arching her brow, she grinned and shook her head.
“Talk about a love bite,” she purred as leaned forward and kissed my lips, slipping her tongue inside to taste her victory in my blood. With a rumble, I lifted her hips and speared her on my length. Her tight pussy gloved my cock to perfection. I wanted to come, but I wanted to take our time; to love as humans, not as vampires. She began to roll her hips, her body rocking and riding me like I was her mount. I took her breast into my mouth, tasting her softness mixed with her hard nipple. My cock was throbbing as she danced on top of me. I had to kiss her; our passion had grown with every movement and both of us were teetering on the brink of coming. Breaking our kiss, I watched her vein beating to a rhythm just for me.
“Mine,” I growled, nudged her head to the side, and bit down on her racing pulse. I felt her walls clench around me and a cry escaped her lips as she came on my cock. I was with her, coming into her body, filling her up with my seed as I drank from her. Pulling my mouth from her neck, I licked the wound closed then tilted my head. Her bite sent another orgasm ripping through me, one I didn’t know I had in me.
I roared and pumped my hips until I felt her tongue lick her bite on my neck. “Mine,” she stated, looking at me deeply with a bit of blood dribbling down the side of her mouth. So much for human sex. It was still incredible and draining. We wrapped ourselves up in the covers with her back pressed to my chest and our legs intertwined, then fell happily asleep.
Chapter 6
Draco
We were about to head to the castle after spending hours setting up Falcon’s home lab with Vigo. I’d also installed an intense security system with a radar detector. We could get out of the house within a few seconds should an attack happen. I also had an idea that I ran past Vigo. He agreed and devised up a way to secure the house even further. He wasn’t very pleased with me, but he couldn’t give me too much shit because he wasn’t sure it was me who had broken the beakers. He went over lumpy train tracks, shaking the contents in the back of the van. While I was here at the castle, I was going to look into revamping the security here. We needed this to be our fortress and base for the time being.
“Charlotte, are you well, my love?” I asked as her face paled. She’d been looking sour for days, and I couldn’t figure out what was going on with her. I thought it was the buildup to the attack and its results, but it was more than that.
“I’m pregnant,” she blurted out. I stared at her in wonder as if she didn’t just change everything with two words. I swallowed hard, unable to say a word for many moments. It was normal for it to take a century to have a son. This surprise pregnancy felt off. It scared me that we were going to have the girl from the prophecy. I wasn’t prepared for this. I wasn’t prepared to be anything more than to be a right hand man.
“Tell me, Charlotte. Do you know if we are to have the girl?” My words came out slowly because, in truth, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
“First, it will be me who has this baby,” she reminded me with her lips pouting. I pulled her onto my lap. “And second, I don’t know.” She ran her hands through my hair, messing with it as always. “Are you worried, Draco?”
“I am. I was never meant to be a leader. A warrior, yes; a ruler, not at all. I may be labeled a doctor, but I’m not. I’ve always been the mechanical man. Falcon became the mad scientist. I did his bidding and picked up a few things along the way. I don’t want to rule anyone but you in the bedroom.”
“That I can see, but it doesn’t change the fact that the possibility of ruling could fall onto you. And I love when you rule me in bed,” she said with a smirk.
“You do know something?” I argued.
“No, my love. I do not. I just know that things will be changing for all of us because of this war. You are a leader of vampires in battle. I hope that Falcon is the one who will remain ruler, but I have to consider that because I’m pregnant there is some reason for it.”
“There have been mates to become pregnant immediately, but I’d never thought it would be us. Truly, Charlotte, I’m jumping up and down inside. We’re going to have a child made from us. To me, that’s a part of being one with your mate. I’ve been told that the sooner a male is born, the deeper the mates are connected.” It was a possibility that it was because we were so connected.
“Wow, that’s interesting. I wonder if there’s any proof to it,” she said.
I wrapped my arms around her a bit tighter, pulling her close. “I know there is. I couldn’t fathom living an hour without you.”
“Make love to me, Draco,” she begged, her honey-colored eyes looking longingly up at me.
“We don’t have time,” I argued. In truth, I wanted her on any and every surface I saw.
“We have two minutes, show me how strong this bed is,” she demanded, tossing off her blouse and losing her jeans in a flash. I followed after her and proceeded to show her how well built the bed was. Her body was thin yet supple, and t
hose eyes made my cock throb with need. They were bright and beautiful.
She climbed to the center of the bed, giving me a sexy stare, eyes locked on mine. I growled and grabbed her foot, pulling her down toward me. With a menacing smile, I bit her calf softly, working my way up to her sweet center. She moaned as I pressed my tongue into her. Her hands dove into my scalp, tugging on my hair, riling me up. I felt her body tighten as her hands pushed my face into her pussy. A loud cry reverberated around the room as her orgasm coated my tongue. Her taste was so inviting, but we were short on time. I rose up, looking at my mate with the lustful desire only she could create. “Scream for me,” I demanded as I pushed my cock deep within her, claiming her body over and over again. She did so perfectly. My name came from her lips as her walls continued to contract around me. I roared as my orgasm ripped from the base of my spine and drenched her depth, marking my territory. Our bodies were covered in sweat and our combined scent only made me want more. I had to remember that we’d have more time later. With reluctance, we cleaned up and got dressed.
“I’m going to take you against the castle wall while everyone is training. Charlotte, I want you hard and fast, then soft and slow. I want it all.”
“Later, Draco.” She patted my chest. “I have much more planned for you, my lover,” she teased, sauntering away knowing that we had to get going. I had more for her, too.
Chapter 7
Falcon
