The Druid Breeders 4-Book Bundle

by Eros, Marata

  Holly grabbed the duffel and we flung the cheap motel door open, the first smile of the week on her face.

  It faded as she looked into Andrew's face, darkening by the second.

  His eyes slid to the duffel, then to mine. “Going somewhere?”

  Holly took me at my word and screamed, “Zach!”

  And he was there, a blur of muted grays, barreling into Andrew.

  That's when all hell broke loose and we watched as a Reaper and rogue, took on the foot soldiers of Alexander's kiss.

  Cole heard the desperate cry and with barely an acknowledgment, he and Zach triangulated the position and came at Andrew together. Cole allowed Zach to plow into the Reaper while he watched for the others. Where there was one Reaper, there were more.

  He was not disappointed as the three that had been melded to the shadowed border of the building came forward. Each one held a weapon of the kiss.

  Cole had nothing.

  He hazarded a glance behind him and saw the rogue was banging the head of a large Reaper against the concrete sidewalk. He had fought beside Andrew in battle. He knew the tenor of the male and girded his loins to kill the other Reapers.

  Males he had fought beside.

  Cole felt the talons slide out from his fingertips, the usual small stab of pain nothing to what he felt as he walked into certain melee.

  Josiah and Elias flanked Cole, one with the preferred curved saber. The ultimate tool for relieving a vampire of their head.

  The other had one set of talons in stark relief, moonlight glinting off the polished ivory of them.

  Cole did not hesitate, as one who he did not know, came from behind him, he rushed the two Reapers, he slid toward them, using the ice beneath his stout boots for momentum and spun in a twirling spiral, both his hands coming out in front of him. He slashed downward at two targets that were nothing more than a blur of color, but with his acute night vision they slowed before his assault, his talons cutting a path down ribs, sinew, broken and torn flesh.

  They fell like mighty trees.

  He was too late for what happened next, as the Reaper at his back impaled him with all ten of the talons he had seen silvered in the moonlight.

  Cole staggered forward as Rachel screamed, coming for him.

  “No!” he barked at her, hoping she would stay back, seek safety. Anything but getting in the middle of battle lust as a Druid female.

  He could not think of a worse mix if he had planned it.

  Zach saw two of the Reapers fall, and another come from behind Cole. He dropped the Reaper and flew to intercept the one which attacked Cole but was too late.

  He hauled the Reaper off Cole and the talons punched their release of his flesh. Rachel threw herself on Cole and he wrapped an arm around her even as his lungs filled with blood.

  I saw the Reapers come for Cole even as he slid along the icy ground and propelled himself into a spinning tornado, using the down stroke to slice through the chests of the warriors who came for him. When the one who had been behind Cole, stabbed him with his long claws, I screamed and raced into the heart of the fight, ignoring Cole's harsh warning to flee.

  My ass. I wasn't going anywhere, he was hurt and I knew what to do.

  My blood would cure his injuries.

  As I avoided, by a hair's breadth, the Reaper who grappled with Zach his claw caught my shoulder, and sliced me cleanly. I fell where I stood, the agony so far beyond screaming I fell to the gravel silently, graceful in my pain.

  Andrew got on all fours and shook his head. The rogue had done his best to make a hole in the concrete with his skull. His gaze slid to his left and he saw his opportunity.

  Holly watched Zach rush the Reaper that had stabbed Cole with the worst claws she'd ever seen on anything. She covered her mouth, shock creeping in at the edges of her consciousness and backed away. A small noise made her turn her head but by then it was too late. She was held in an unbreakable embrace.

  Andrew's. The one that had sent an orgy to her in a dream.

  She screamed and Zach turned to see his soulmate in the arms of a Reaper. The one he had not finished. He took the head of the one he fought almost casually, heaving the body to the ground as he sprinted for Holly.

  Holly felt the talon slide against the tender flesh of her throat and felt her bowels clench. She thought she'd known terror before but she hadn't. Not really.

  Her eyes met the silvered eyes of Zach and she read many emotions there. But the main one that held true was fear.

  Fear for her.

  “Stop!” Andrew yelled, taking in the scene of Rachel giving blood to Cole, Josiah and Elias on the ground gasping like salmon out of the sea.

  “Do not come further or I will harm the queen!” His glacial eyes blazed out of face gone hard like chiseled granite.

  Zach of the rogue stopped entirely, stunned into speechlessness.

  I took my wrist away from Cole's mouth. He rose to his feet, hauling me up, swaying and lightheaded to my feet.

  Had I heard Andrew right?

  Cole tucked me underneath his arm and dragged me to where Andrew stood.

  “What are you saying?” Cole asked, then added, “Do not hurt Holly. You of all vampire understand her value.”

  Andrew face showed a wash of different emotions. Finally the right one took residence on his expression. He slowly released Holly and she rushed to Zach where they crashed into each other. He rained kisses all over her face, while murmuring soft words to her.

  Zach turned Holly into his body and watched as the wounded Reapers rose to their feet and gave Cole a look.

  Cole was not wholly steady but one look at Andrew told him he was in charge of the Reapers who approached. Their gaping slash wounds began to close even as he watched.

  *

  The group made an uneasy truce and went into the large suite the Reapers had procured through compulsion. Finally, after much situating the three Reapers who lived faced off with Cole and Zach.

  Andrew pointed at Zach and said, “This one may not understand or be privy to the law. The ancient order. But you, Cole. You understand much.”

  Cole sighed. He thought he knew what all this meant and he pulled Rachel closer to his body. He never thought he would have seen this day come.

  He nodded. “It is possible. But...”

  “Unbelievable,” Andrew supplied.

  Cole nodded.

  Holly looked out from the circle of protection of Zach's strong arms. “What? Why are you all looking at me?”

  “Tell her if you like. She has already been involved in the mating ceremony through dream share.” He looked at Holly significantly and she blushed a deep red.

  Zach growled low in his throat. He knew what a dream share was. That they would have mated with the one that was meant for him was beyond apology.

  He put Holly behind his back and moved toward Andrew.

  “Wait, friend,” Cole instructed Zach.

  “Why should I?” he said without turning. “This one has admitted that they violated Holly while she slept.”

  Cole looked at Zach, his body poised for violence, his hands clenched and ready to beat and pound.

  Zach turned and regarded Cole.

  Cole spread his hands and began the telling of the ancient vampire prophesy.

  “Centuries ago, in the Book of Prophesy...”

  “The Book of Blood?” Zach asked.

  Cole nodded. “If you like that name.”

  Zach went back to Holly, throwing a scathing glance at Andrew behind him.

  “In any event, it promised that there would come a pure blood Druid, a virgin. And when she was bred by one not accepted...”

  “Rogue,” Josiah said in a low voice.

  Cole continued, “Then she would serve three others. From this singular event, she would sire kings. Vampire kings that would be daywalkers. All the good of vampire, but without the disability of walking only by the moon.”

  “That cannot be!” Zach seethed, looking a
t a scared Holly.

  “I am sorry, Zach. Taken with the presence of Rachel...” Cole began.

  “What do I have to do with all this prophesy crap?” I asked. As if there weren't enough things to keep me pissed off. Finally, I was reunited with Cole after what seemed like one long nightmare of running only to find out Holly was some kind of whacked out Vamp Queen. No.

  Cole chuckled. “Rachel, the prophesy tells of two Druid women who are kin. That the older will guide the younger. She will be the confidant to the queen. A helpmate of sorts.”

  I was Holly's sister? I mean... I'd noticed the resemblance but no way. I was adopted, there were no other relatives. I told them that. Vehemently denying relation.

  “I was adopted too,” Holly said.

  We looked at each other.

  Elias and Josiah said in unison, “Protection.”

  “What?” I asked harshly, my hands planted on my hips.

  Elias came forward and I scooted back a little toward Cole. He stopped moving. “We have spoken much and think that there is a contingent of Druids that know of our kind. Actively seeking secrecy by hiding pure offspring.”

  “Okay, say that's true. Then where are all the others?”

  Cole interjected, “They may be breeding themselves. Keeping things quiet.”

  “But that doesn't make sense,” Holly said. “If I was so important then why would they give me up?” She swiped a tear away and Zach curled his massive body around her protectively.

  “They may not have known. It was probably the best contingency they had. There may be more 'soulmates' amongst those pure Druids that are hidden from us. More that could be with their vampire mates. If it were not for this faction,” Andrew elaborated.

  “What does this mean for me?” Holly asked, pleading for an answer that wouldn't be what she thought it might.

  “To be perfectly blunt, the arms that hold you are the ones you will reside in. But you are destined to be the mother of vampirekind. For that outcome, this one must claim your virginity, then allow the three of us to spill our seed within the ripeness of your womb, sealing your destiny forever.”

  Holly looked at them in horror.

  When Elias saw her expression he said, “Was the dream share really that awful?”

  Holly's face became red as Zach said, “What if I do not want to share her? My one true mate?”

  “What if your sons could be daywalkers? Vampires of the sun?” Josiah asked, brows to his hairline.

  Zach was quiet for a heartbeat, thinking of the enormity of what that meant for their race.

  Cole spoke up, his voice ringing with finality, “I have not said the last.”

  All eyes were on him.

  “The queen will begin a new coven, a coven of one who is not Reaper, the rest will be of Reaper bloodline. And most importantly, the Book says that she shall be as a beacon to other Druids, her light casting a call of such brilliance and sound, that all will answer.”

  The room lay silent.

  Holly was overwhelmed and put her head in her hands.

  I was pretty sure when she'd gone to study group a few months ago, she'd never planned on being a queen.

  Queen of the vampire.

  CHAPTER 7

  safe

  The house was old and drafty, roomy.

  But the vampires warmed our chilled flesh.

  I hadn't really gotten used to where we were yet. Not running, living a life that seemed like a dream. Even with as modern as I thought I was, the Reapers, and Zach, had an ancient logic, which they applied.

  The house stood above Seattle, the city buildings and their twinkling lights winking back at us as we worked in the kitchen, Holly and I.

  She cut vegetables that only we would eat. I sliced the tender cut of meat into long strips that would stir fry up into the fajita mix they'd become.

  Holly paused in cutting, looking at me over the steam from the frying pan, butter and an aromatic mix of spices wafting through the kitchen, rising to the ten foot ceilings above. “I'm scared,” she said, using the knife to slide the remainder of the veggies off the wooden cutting board and into the pan. It sizzled as it made blunt contact with the buttery heat.

  I turned, placing a hand on my hip. I lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “I trust Cole. They didn't traverse a frozen landscape of two thousand miles if they weren't serious.” I searched her eyes.

  “I had a plan, Rachel. A life!” Holly said in a loud huff.

  I thought of my life in the cubicle, my cat, my stuff... it just seemed so long ago. Had I been happy? I thought... I'd been content. That was the most accurate assessment of my former life I could make. But how to convey that to a nineteen-year old woman.

  A woman that was actually my sister.

  I felt my face soften. “I understand. Nine years ago I was your age. I had the world by the testies.” I squeezed my hand into a fist and Holly giggled, turning to stir the meal into cooperative completion.

  “But,” I spoke to her back, her hair a black sweep between her shoulder blades. “It wasn't some great adulthood. I had a best friend that was superficial and we were looking for different things. I had a job I could barely stand...” I let my sentence trail off. “Here we are unique. In this life, with the vampire, we matter for what we are in a way that others can't. We have purpose.” I smiled suddenly, feeling the caress of one of my deep dimples. “And then there is the lifespan advantage!”

  Holly glowered. Taking the food and pouring it into a bowl, I then loaded the tortillas with the guts of the meal, ladling a spoonful of sour cream and salsa. Perfect, I thought, watching the colorful goodness of orange and red peppers steam on our waiting plates.

  We sat down on the bar stools by the elevated breakfast bar as Holly picked at her food. “I don't know if I wanna live forever. I don't know if I want to be a queen. I'm nineteen. A few months ago the most I had to consider was what class to sign up for.” She swiped a tear that had fallen, threatening to land on her food.

  I folded my hands. “Listen, I know this is really overwhelming but this is what it is. If we believe what the vampire say about the prophesy, the Druid lineage, all of it, then, this is where we were meant to be. And believe me, I'd rather be with these dudes than that creepy Alexander.”

  Holly shuddered, thinking about the stories I'd told about my short stay in that coven. “There would've been no choice there. Free will, gone. Here, you will be a queen. You will be respected and they'll be devoted to you.”

  “I just want Zach,” Holly said flatly.

  “Okay, so it's not so hot that they all have to have sex with you for this,” I put my fingers up and made air quotes, 'ritual of royalty'. But, it could be worse. Even Zach has conceded it.” I stared into her eyes, so like my own it was eerie. “It doesn't mean he's not doing the alpha male jig and having big cows and stuff.”

  Holly laughed despite herself, sticking her first mouthful of food in her craw and chewing thoughtfully.

  “Look at it as a task you have to accomplish,” I said with mirth. I held up my hand and started ticking off the points, “You have to have sex with four males. The first one, your soul mate, will take your virginity. Then each subsequent male will grovel before you sexually, doing all in their power to bring you to orgasm, while you watch their hotness in the throes of passion.” I laughed and continued, “I think it may be something you can bear?”

  That got the grin out of her I was hoping for.

  “I'm scared,” she said again.

  “They won't hurt you, obviously.”

  “I know, but I've heard...” she began.

  “It is,” I answered for her. “But that only lasts a little while and they'll be priming the pump, so to speak.” I grinned and she returned it.

  “You'll see,” I said, scooping the juices that were running out of the tortilla and taking a messy bite. We looked at each other as we ate, then I looked at the clock.

  Time was moving toward the big ritual. Holly a virgin no m
ore.

  For me, I was quaking with anticipation of finally being bonded forever to Cole.

  CHAPTER 8

  Queen

  Holly looked resplendent in her flowing gown of white. Josiah, Elias, Andrew and her true mate, Zach, stood in front of her.

  It was like a weird wedding. But, unlike other weddings, this felt more real and right than any I'd ever attended.

  We'd spent hours in a bath, talking and getting Holly ready. After trying a million different hairstyles, in the end, simple had been the order of the day and Holly looked perfect, blue highlights shining in the sweep of raven-colored hair that graced her body, falling nearly to her waist.

  Zach came to her and took her hands, Cole presided. In his grip was a thick book, darkened to a deep bronze with age.

  He began, reciting a ceremony designed to give the Vampire hope. A species separate from humans, but forced to live among them. At the top of a food chain that was too great in number to conquer and too necessary to exterminate.

  When he finished Zach took Holly's face in his hands, giving her a chaste kiss, cradling her head like a fragile egg. She pressed her body against his, the blackness of his attire in sharp contrast to the whiteness of hers. He wrapped her in his arms and, picking her up in a classic cradle hold he strode to their matrimony chamber.

  *

  Holly was more nervous than she'd ever been in her whole life. She sat on the edge of the bed as Zach turned the lock. She had completely put the Reapers that she'd have to share her body with before long out of her mind. Right now, she was concentrating on the male that would give her pleasure.

  The rogue.

  Warmth pooled in the junction between her thighs and she scissored them together subtly as he drew near.

  Zach laughed low in his throat. “It is normal for you to become aroused with my nearness.”