The Vampire King’s Virgin (The Vampire King Series #4)

by T. S. Ryder

  ***

  When Elena opened her eyes, it took her a moment to remember where she was. It wasn't Will's house. She remembered quickly enough. After what had happened with Harriet, they had gone to Xavier and Timothy's house. Their mate, Amelia, had taken the baby to go stay with a friend of hers who had two Bear mates, leaving the Wolves alone to strategize.

  Elena got up. It had to be close to dusk, and she already heard Will and Lukas' voices just outside her room.

  "So it's true," Will said, his voice heavy with regret. "The Geisterwolf is my ancestor and it chose Elena because she's my reluctant mate."

  Elena flinched. She looked around for her clothes, which she had discarded when she went to bed.

  "You can't blame yourself, man," Lukas said. "You didn't know. Although it is a little ironic."

  "What is?"

  Elena paused, wanting to know what Lukas was going to say.

  "For a long time, I've had a lot of anger towards my father for leaving the pack in a mess for me to clean up. Part of the reason I wanted to bring you in was so that I didn't actually have to do anything. I wanted to be free to dote all my attention on Elena and love her the way my father never loved my mother."

  Will chuckled at that. "I wouldn't hold your breath on that on, Lukas. I've never had to do anything in my life. The old Alphas are right. I'm a screw-up."

  "Come off it. You single-handedly made your pack the wealthiest in the area."

  "A fluke."

  Elena crept to the door and put her hand on the handle, but didn't open it. Not yet, at least. The conversation she was overhearing was just too tantalizing to interrupt, even though she knew that it was rude to eavesdrop. Lukas had just said that he wanted to love her–but didn't that go against everything he had told her already? That he didn't want her for a mate?

  "My parents doted on me as though I was the king. I had no experience being an Alpha when they died. I've never been held accountable by anybody before, Lukas. And Elena… I realize now what I was doing with Catherine and Harriet was a desperate attempt to fill the hole in my life that was meant for my mate. I've never felt this way before. It's like… it's like she's the most perfect thing that has ever happened to me."

  "I know the feeling. I've loved her before we met, and when I heard that she didn't want to be my mate… I guess I panicked."

  Warmth flowed into Elena's chest. It filled to bursting and she pressed a hand over her mouth to smother the giggle that rose up in her. They loved her. Despite everything, they loved her. It was a feeling that she hadn't been expecting. At that moment, she wanted them more than anything. But it was almost dusk–they didn't have time before the Ghost Alpha attacked again.

  "As soon as you explain that to her, she'll understand," Will said. "Me, though… I don't know how she can ever forgive me for the way I treated Catherine and Harriet. I messed things up so bad. I don't know if I'm ever going to be happy."

  Elena flung open the door. Will and Lukas stood in the hall, clothed for once, and both jumped when she stepped out of the room. Her heart pounded as she looked from one to the other. "First off, did you two know I was awake before you started revealing your souls to each other?"

  Both Alphas stared at her in shock, as though they had never seen her before. Elena grinned–it was answer enough. She took their hands in her own and remained grinning broadly at them, though she didn't know what to say. What did one say when one overheard the men that she thought were protecting her out of a sense of duty, maybe with a little lust on the side, say that they actually cared for her?

  "It's true, isn't it?" she asked. "Both of you actually love me. This isn't just some sort of Alpha thing or because of the Geisterwolf. Even if we weren't in this messed up situation, you'd still love me."

  Lukas nodded. "I do. I love you. I don't expect you to feel the same way—"

  Elena cut him off with a kiss. Her body pulled towards him, a throaty moan escaping. As soon as she was done with Lukas, she turned to Will and gave him the same kiss. Her eyes slid shut as both Alphas pressed their bodies against her.

  "I do," she whispered. "I love you. Both of you. And after this is over, I will gladly be your Alpha female."

  Chapter Nine – Lukas

  The ceremony had to be performed with only the three of them present. Any others that were included would only lend strength to the Geisterwolf. Lukas wished that they could have the strength of the packs and other Alphas backing them up, but the fact was that it had to be just him, Will and Elena. For all the times that they spent protecting her with the help of other Wolves, in the end, it was down to Will and Lukas to finish this and stop the Ghost Wolf from ever coming back.

  The site for the ceremony was remote, on the top of a mountain that overlooked both the Cedar Grove and River Basin packlands. Lukas' hand shook as he lit the various candles set up in a circle. When he glanced at Will, he saw that the other Alpha was fingering his lighter and wondered if he was wishing he could smoke. He hadn't since Harriet's death. Lukas had even seen him throw out all his cigarettes.

  "The full moon is already in the sky," Elena said.

  Lukas nodded. "The Geisterwolf will be here as soon as the sun goes down. But we're ready."

  "Good. Because if you die protecting me… well, I won't ever talk to you again. That goes for you as well, Will."

  The other Alpha managed a small smile, but it faded quickly. And no wonder. The outcome of tonight could be dire for all of them. It was only their strength that stood between Elena and the Geisterwolf's plans for her. And if they failed?

  They couldn't fail.

  "Are you ready?" Will asked Elena, pacing around the circle of candles.

  "Yes."

  Lukas knelt in the candles with her, his heart hammering. The last red clouds from the setting sun were turning to a dusky purple, and he took a deep breath. Elena's eyes were wide as a howl pierced through the air. Will growled and Shifted, the creamy Wolf he was huge and intimidating in the night. Lukas did his best to ignore him, and the pale shadow just beyond the other Alpha as the Geisterwolf began to coalesce.

  The Geisterwolf leaped at Will, mouth gaping wide. Will stood his ground, biting at the Geisterwolf's throat. Elena gasped, her hands pressed to her mouth. Lukas pulled a knife from his belt and slashed himself across the palm.

  "Elena Aldana, I am your mate and I will be forever more," he said rapidly, quoting the words Xavier has drilled into his brain. "I love you and I do give myself willingly to you from this day forward."

  He turned the handle of the knife to her. She took it, her shoulders hunched and head bowed, as though she was desperately trying to ignore the fight going on just beyond their circle of candles. A chill wind blew over them, making the flames flicker. Will howled in pain.

  "Lukas Shultz, I am your mate and I will be forever more. I love you and I do give myself willing to you from this day forward," Elena said in a rush.

  She drew the knife across her palm without any hesitation and grabbed Lukas' hand. Their blood mingled, and the Geisterwolf let out a pained howl. It stumbled, giving Will time to regain his footing and redouble his attack.

  Lukas jumped to his feet. He Shifted as he leaped from the circle of candles. His connection to Elena had been cemented, weakening the Geisterwolf, but they had to move quickly. It was Will's turn to perform the ceremony, and it was Lukas' turn to hold off the Ghost Wolf until that was done. A howl ripped from his throat as he dodged in, ramming the Geisterwolf with the full weight of his body.

  The Geisterwolf stumbled, falling close to the edge of the mountain cliff, but as Will retreated, the Ghost Wolf snarled a deep, terrifying sound. Lukas charged it as it charged him. When they collided, Lukas felt the impact jar throughout his whole body. It knocked the wind out of him. He bit at the Geisterwolf but had to release it because he couldn’t breathe.

  The Geisterwolf had no such weakness. Its teeth clamped around Lukas' shoulder, sending pain jolting through his body, and flipped him onto
his back. Lukas kicked and bit at it. There was a look of triumph in the ghost's eyes as it used its weight to crush down on him. Its jaws locked around Lukas's throat. He was able to get in a single gulp of air and then nothing.

  A streak of a creamy white jumped over him and rammed into the ice-white of the Geisterwolf. Will.

  No, Lukas wanted to say. Leave me. Protect Elena.

  Will pounced on the Geisterwolf's back, savagely tearing at its neck. The creature released Lukas and turned, snapping at Will. Lukas rolled to his feet, but his brain spun from lack of oxygen and he stumbled. He shook his head, trying to regain his senses.

  An unfamiliar howl echoed in the air. The Geisterwolf's ears pricked, and it turned its head briefly. It howled in answer, and Lukas froze in horror as a second Wolf shape started to form. This one was a rusty brown, glowing with a duller light than the Geisterwolf. Its paws were planted the ground, its whole body leaning away as it was dragged by an invisible force towards Elena.

  The Geisterwolf's mate. She was here.

  Lukas jumped at her, barking and growling in desperation, but he merely melted right through her form. And then the Geisterwolf howled again, and its mate was pulled forward, thrown into Elena's body.

  Elena screamed, clutching her head. Fur began to sprout all over her body. She twisted, contorting, her head leashing back and forth. Her ears grew sharp then rounded again. The fur shrank back into her body only to burst out again, thicker than ever. Lukas was horrified, but a bark from Will broke him from his transfixion. The other Wolf was pinned to the ground, blood spraying from a wound in his shoulder.

  Fire filled his belly. He was not going to lose his mate! Lukas jumped, snarling, onto the Geisterwolf's back. He clamped down on the Ghost Alpha's spine, shaking his head side to side in an attempt to break the creature's neck. It howled in pain, and Will retreated. He jumped over the candles and landed in his human form beside Elena.

  The Geisterwolf shook Lukas off, but the smaller Alpha dodged in front of it, not letting it closer to his mate and partner as Elena recited the words of the ceremony. Lukas may have been told all his life that he wasn't good enough to be Alpha, that he was from weak stock and his father's weakness had been passed onto him, but at that moment he didn't care.

  He lunged again, this time getting a killing grip on the Geisterwolf's throat. The larger Wolf pawed at him, claws scraping over his face. One of them tore into the delicate skin of his eyelid. Blood blinded him, but he tightened his grip until his jaw felt like it was about to crack. He wasn't going to let go and let this thing hurt his mate!

  The Geisterwolf began dragging him towards the circle. It was choking, blood staining its white fur, but it determinedly pulled him along inch by inch. Lukas could see from the corner of his eye what was happening. Elena drew the knife over her hand again and passed it to Will. Her eyes rolled in pain, teeth too large for her mouth, clothes starting to rip as her body transformed.

  Will recited the words quickly, stumbling over them, as Lukas tried to find purchase on the ground and pull the Geisterwolf away. His efforts were in vain. As soon as its paw stepped into the circle, Elena threw her head back. A pained howl ripped through the air as her body Shifted, turning into the form of a Wolf.

  "I love you and I do give myself willingly to you from this day forward," Will shouted.

  He grabbed Elena's nearest paw. A bright flash of blinding light, then Elena was human again. She crumbled to the ground.

  Lukas' heart stopped. Was she dead?

  The Geisterwolf tore itself from his grasp and charged towards Elena, but Will was quicker. He used his body to knock the Ghost Wolf off course, tearing at it as he snarled. Lukas jumped onto the Geisterwolf's back, trying to find his previous purchase. The creature swiped at both of them. Chunks of fur went flying. Blood flew every which way. It showed no sign of weakening. How were they meant to stop it?

  The cliff.

  Lukas' eyes met with Will's, and he knew that the other Alpha had the same idea. Together they threw their weight on the creature, not only keeping it separate from Elena but now fighting to drive it towards the cliff as well. They worked in perfect unison, the technique honed over the month they had spent fighting this thing already. Lukas danced around it, nipping and biting, distracting it just enough for Will to get a good grip, to use his weight to push it backward.

  When the Geisterwolf's back paw slipped off the edge of the cliff, Lukas could see in its eyes that it knew what was going to happen. It jumped forward, clamping its jaws onto Will's scruff even as the other Alpha threw his weight onto it one last time. The Geisterwolf fell backward, dragging Will with it.

  Lukas jumped forward, latching onto Will's leg and yanked him back to safety. The Geisterwolf's grip loosened. The two Alphas tumbled back towards safety as the Ghost Wolf fell from the cliff, howling as it disappeared into the dark.

  Behind them, Elena moaned. Lukas scrambled to his feet and rushed to her, Will close behind. They both Shifted and gathered her into their arms. Her eyes fluttered.

  "You're both here," she whispered.

  "Yes," Will said. He kissed her gently. "We're here."

  A smile crossed her face, but she flinched. "I feel... strange. Something's different."

  Lukas clutched her hand, worried eyes meeting Will's. Had they been too late after all?

  Chapter Ten – Elena

  She was getting used to running on all fours.

  Elena dashed through the trees, Lukas on one side, Will on the other. Everything was more vivid when she was in this form. The smells, sounds, the feel of dirt beneath her paws. It took a lot to get used to, but with her two mates running on either side of her, she wouldn't trade it for anything. Lukas yipped happily at her, and she replied in the like, changing her trajectory slightly so that when she wagged her tail it brushed against his side.

  When she first transformed, it had been terrifying for all of them. It had happened involuntarily; things were getting heated between the three of them, lying in bed swapping kisses, and suddenly she was a Wolf. All three of them had been afraid that it meant that the Geisterwolf's mate was bound to her and would eventually take over her body again.

  It didn't take much for them to find out what really happened. Xavier had already been researching the side-effects of Elena's brief possession and assured them that the Geisterwolf's mate was gone. Something had changed in Elena's biology, though, in order to accommodate her during the brief moment when the ghost had inhabited her body. That change had stayed, and with a little practice, she found herself after to Shift at will into a rusty-brown Wolf.

  And now she was able to run with her mates whenever she wanted to.

  Will barked at her and Lukas before putting on a burst of speed. Elena fought the urge to roll her eyes as she and Lukas kept their steady pace. He was faster than both of them, and he liked to show it off. By the time Elena and Lukas got to their destination, a beautiful, open lake, he had already Shifted again. He floated on his back, buck naked. Lukas Shifted as well and jumped into the water, but Elena sat down on the shore to admire them for a bit.

  They were both beautiful specimens. Strong bodies, built differently but neither really more attractive than the other one. And neither of them were making decisions about her without her anymore. They had even discussed the original agreement that they had had–that she would have Will's children first–and both had agreed with her when she said that they'd leave it up to fate. Elena was certain that it wasn't a big deal to either of them anymore, anyway.

  Of course, in order to have children, certain things had to happen first. Elena felt a tight stirring in her loins as she considered it. It had been a conscious decision to abstain from sex for the time being. With everything that had happened, it was a roller-coaster and Elena wanted to be able to focus all her energy on her first time. She didn't want to be worried about turning into a Wolf.

  But she could control it now.

  She Shifted and plunged into the water
with her two Alphas. The water was pleasantly cool, and her boys were quick to pull her into deeper water, to where she could barely touch but they were still well above the waterline. Lukas pulled her onto his hip and grinned down at her.

  "Are you happy?"

  Elena nodded. "I've never been happier."

  And it was true. Bad things had happened, yes, but facing down the Geisterwolf had given her the courage to face her father as well. She finally put her foot down and stopped him from treating her as if she owed him everything. She didn't. It was his job as her father to take care of her as she grew up, and she had been giving him next to free labor since the time she was sixteen–and free labor from when she was twelve. If it wasn't for her, he never would have built his company in the first place.

  So, with that in mind, she had insisted on becoming a partner in the business. She already did most of the administration anyway, but now she had the power to not only get paid for the work she was doing but also hire people to help her with it. She also had a fee from the company dedicated to paying off the mortgage on the piece of land that had been given to her father by Lukas's father.

  All in all, life was good.

  "Almost sundown," Elena said, letting her dark hair soak into the cool water. "It's going to get cold. We ought to do something to keep warm."

  At just her words, both of her Alphas took on desirous looks. Elena could feel how Lukas took her meaning, and she laughed. It came out more nervous than she intended, but she didn't really care. She had been looking forward to this for such a long time. And now she was ready.

  "Are you saying it's time to do the mating part of being mates?" Will asked, gripping her hips under the water.

  Elena nodded. She reached for his hand, and when she found it, he guided her to another part of his body. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her hand. They got ready fast! Another nervous giggle. She hid her face in Lukas' shoulder, giggling like mad.