The Vampires' Blood Mate: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Romance

by Lili Zander

  “For the moment, as little as I can. Time enough for full explanations once we’re safe and out of here.”

  I think about the way Raven marched into the Overlord’s audience chamber and demanded a sponsor. She’s got strength and guts. We should tell her the truth. It’s her life that’s being threatened. She deserves to know what’s at stake.

  She’s human. Her people have been oppressed by vampires. Her parents were executed by them. If she knew the truth, she could kill every vampire on Boarus 4.

  “Okay,” I agree, soothing my troubled conscience. “But we tell her the whole truth once we’re off-world.”

  13

  Raven

  Boarus 4

  A few hours past midnight, FifthDay of FourthMonth

  The restaurant we go to is in Sector 1, of course.

  It’s beautiful. Glass globes hang from the vaulted ceiling, filling the place with golden light. The tables are plasteel, but they’re polished to look like dark wood. The chair cushions are soft. The air is warm. Three people play music in one corner, entertaining the guests.

  We walk in. I stay a careful half-step behind Nero. The maître d’—a tall human woman, her hair tightly slicked into a high ponytail—looks at me and does a double-take.

  I cringe. I don’t belong here. Everyone in here is well-dressed, wearing expensive off-world garments. Arnie Hento’s jumpsuit would fit in here. My miner-issued gear doesn’t.

  “Is there a problem?” Nero asks, his eyes narrowing.

  “No, of course not, my Lord.” She’s immediately contrite. “Your party is here already. Please, follow me.”

  She winds her way through the restaurant. Every head in the place turns to watch us as we walk past. Whispers break out, but I can’t catch what they’re saying.

  I hate this. I hate being the center of attention.

  The maître d’ shows us to a private room. Saber and Zeke are already there. They both get to their feet as we enter, and Saber pulls a chair out for me next to him.

  I gulp and take my seat. The Colonel makes me nervous.

  Zeke gives me a friendly smile. “You got your things?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  Saber studies me intently. “You look uncomfortable.”

  I don’t know what you want from me. “Everyone was staring at me.”

  A smile tugs at his lips. “You’re surprised? By now, word has gotten around about what you did today. You’re the talk of the entire colony.”

  “The Oensi did a brisk business on you,” Zeke adds. “They’re giving you the same odds they’re giving Tomas Cabal.”

  The Overlord’s champion? “Because I spent ten years on Glacis?”

  “It’s more than that. You walked into Zimmer’s palace, and you showed a will to win.” Saber’s eyes dance with amusement as he parrots my words. “I am stronger than them. I am faster than them. I am tougher than them. People think you’re a good bet.”

  “Did you think I was a good bet? Is that why you sponsored me?” I don’t know where my boldness is coming from.

  He flashes me a grin. “To be honest, I was just doing it to annoy Zimmer. Lula Kenner was ready to make an offer until Zimmer stopped her. That irritated me. Zimmer has no business favoring his contestant so blatantly.” His face turns serious. “However, I’ve unwittingly put your life in danger.”

  In Boarus 4, even the walls have ears. I half-expect the Overlord to materialize in front of me and drag me back to the camps. “In danger? How?”

  Before they can answer, a waiter appears at the table. He bows low and hands menus to Saber, Nero, and Zeke. “Would you like something to drink, my Lords?”

  Saber looks puzzled. “Why didn’t you give Raven a menu?”

  The man looks discomfited. “She’s human, my Lord.”

  His eyes narrow. “I’m confused,” he says, his voice going very quiet. “Why is that relevant?”

  Are these vampires naïve, or are things really that different on Starra? “Up to three years ago, humans weren’t allowed to eat in inner sector restaurants,” I explain. “Even now, we’re not allowed inside unless we’re accompanied by a vampire.”

  The waiter looks relieved to be out of the spotlight. Not for long. “Get her a menu,” Saber snaps. “And a bottle of slenti. The one from Corsu. This fucking planet is driving me to drink.”

  The waiter scurries away. Saber shakes his head with a sigh. “I’m sorry,” he says. “Had I known how they were going to treat you, I’d have picked a different place.”

  “That’s okay.” This restaurant is so luxurious that I might as well be on a different planet. Is this what Starra looks like? Saber, Zeke, and Nero seem to take it for granted, but I can't stop running my hands over the soft fabric of the cushions. I've never felt anything so silky and smooth before in my life.

  The waiter returns with a bottle and a menu for me. Nero pours the drink into four glasses and offers me one. “Have you had slenti before?”

  I shake my head.

  “Go slow,” he warns. “Sip it.” He flashes me a wicked grin. “And whatever you do, don’t try to match us drink for drink. You’ll end up under the table. Vampires metabolize alcohol better than humans.”

  I take a sip. The blue liquid is sweet and smoky, with an undertone of tartness. It’s wonderful. It warms its way all down my insides.

  A girl could get used to living like this.

  Snap out of it, Raven. “You were saying I was in danger?”

  My stomach chooses that moment to rumble with hunger. I duck my head in embarrassment. They feed us in the mines every dusk because a hungry worker isn't a good worker. Today though, there had been nothing to eat in my pod, and I’d been too afraid of the Overlord’s enforcers to go out.

  “Let’s order first,” Saber says, beckoning the waiter hovering in the background. “Raven, what would you like?”

  What do I like? I like when my insides don't gnaw with hunger. I like the feel of a warm meal in my belly, and I like when I get lucky, and three ice-fish bite my line so I may gorge myself.

  Choice isn’t a luxury I’m allowed often.

  Saber’s waiting for me to respond, but I don't know what to say. He's not treating me as I expected. I don't know a single vampire in the colony who would be concerned about a human's preferences.

  That’s the slenti talking. Snap out of it.

  “Let’s order a little of everything,” Nero cuts in. Maybe he senses that I’m too overwhelmed to speak. “Since it’s on your tab, Colonel, we might as well see what’s good here.”

  The waiter disappears to fill our order. In less time than I’d believed possible, he re-enters the room, wheeling a large tray of food that he places in the middle of the table.

  “Help yourself?” Zeke says.

  I spoon some stew into my bowl, surprised to see that the vampires are eating too. “I didn’t know you could eat human food.”

  “We can digest it,” Saber replies, putting a small helping of cured meat on his plate. He takes a sip of slenti. “It doesn’t nourish us very well. Empty calories, really.”

  I’m thirsty for information. Even with Ma Kaila’s illegal history classes, I know so little about vampires. “How often do you need blood?”

  Ma Kaila. In the chaos of the last two days, I’d almost forgotten she’s been locked up in Zimmer’s dungeon. I’ve been fighting for my own survival, but still, a surge of guilt runs through me. Is this how I treat someone I consider family?

  “Once a week.” Saber puts some leafy greens on my side plate. His hair glitters red-gold under the lights. When he smiles, his face relaxes, and he looks friendly. Approachable. “The Overlord is up to his neck in debt. He’s hoping to use this tournament as a way of getting out of it. He’s placed a large wager on Tomas Cabal with the Oensi Federation.”

  “He’s going to attack me out on the ice.”

  “He’s going to try,” Saber replies. “He’s not going to succeed. Not if we have anything to do with
it. Also, we’re going to teach you to defend yourself.”

  I don’t understand. “Why do you care what happens to me?” I ask, blunter than is strictly wise. “I’m just a human. You don’t know anything about me.”

  Saber exchanges a glance with Zeke. “Four weeks ago,” he says, “We walked into an ambush.” His voice is flat, and his eyes are hard. “My team had eight people. You’re looking at what’s left of it.”

  I wait for him to continue. His fingers tighten on his glass, gripping it so hard his knuckles turn white. “Solar, Max, Pesca, Yakim, and Gayel were good people. I was proud to be their commanding officer, and I let them down. I got them killed.” He lifts the slenti to his lips, his clear blue eyes holding mine. “They were all human. I want a chance to make amends.”

  He might sound emotionless, but his death-grip on the glass tells me otherwise.

  It’s the truth. But the instincts that have served me well for ten years in the re-education camps warn me that it’s not the whole truth. There’s something that Saber isn’t telling me.

  I’m not brave enough to pursue it. I lapse into silence while the three of them talk amongst themselves. Nero makes a joke that dispels the somber mood, and then they start to banter. Neither Zeke nor Nero seem to hold Saber in awe. I’m curious enough to ask about it. “Have you been working together for a long time?”

  “I was the last recruit,” Nero says, reaching for some bread. “How long has it been?”

  “Seven years,” Saber replies. He turns to me. “We got sent to clean up some gang activity in Merin. Nero was one of the ring-leaders. I gave him a choice. Either end up in prison or join my crew.”

  “Why?”

  He grins lazily. “A question I’ve been asking myself for almost a decade.”

  Nero makes a rude gesture with his fingers. “I make things interesting,” he replies. “If it weren’t for me, Saber and Zeke would have a very uneventful life.”

  Zeke chuckles. “You say uneventful, I think peaceful.” He passes me the stew before I can ask for it and leans back in his chair. “I’ve been part of the team for nine years. I joined under similar circumstances. I grew up on Zola Prime. The administrator’s brother-in-law had just killed a pair of children in a drunken skimmer accident, and Overlord Riordan was intent on covering it up. So, I hacked into Zola Prime’s systems and released the vid taken at the scene to the entire planet. Needless to say, the authorities weren’t amused.”

  “I was on vacation,” Saber grumbles. “There I was, on the pink sand beaches of Zola Prime, minding my own business, and Riordan was about to pass a death sentence on some punk kid who got around his infosec.” His eyes dance with amusement. “Neither of us are welcome in Zola Prime anymore.”

  He collects strays, I realize. He takes troublemakers and gives them purpose, and in return, Nero and Zeke would do anything for him.

  Is that what he’s doing with me?

  There’s an open space behind the house. We head there after our meal. “Can you train now, or do you want to rest for a few hours?” Saber asks me.

  “You’ve never worked in the mines, have you?” I quip before my brain has time to catch up with my mouth.

  Once again, Saber takes me by surprise. He shakes his head. “Unlike Zeke and Nero, I was born into privilege. I’m painfully aware that I’ve never had to struggle for anything.”

  I don’t know how to respond to that bit of honesty and self-awareness. “I can train now.”

  Sleep has remained elusive ever since the vampire bit me at sunrise on SecondDay. Surrounded by Saber, Zeke, and Nero, I finally feel safe. I have a stomach full of food, and my eyes are droopy.

  I should listen to Saber’s suggestion and take a short nap, but truth be told, I’m not expecting to be challenged much. The vampires can move faster than me, of course, but I stayed alive on the ice desert for ten years. I know how to take care of myself.

  Nero disappears inside the house and returns with two stout sticks. “Honestly,” he says, “A gun would be better, but we’ve got to make do with what we’ve got.”

  “Only enforcers are allowed to carry guns.”

  “Yes.” He rolls his eyes. “That’s convenient for Zimmer.” He throws a stick at me, and I catch it out of mid-air. “Ready?”

  Training is humbling. As Saber and Zeke watch, Nero coaches me on how to attack, block, and defend with my stick. “You’re vampire-bit,” he says, penetrating my guard with laughable ease. “Act like it. Don’t leave yourself open. Never take your attention off your opponent.” He walks me through the block again, and we practice it until my muscles are screaming with pain.

  Nero isn’t even out of breath.

  “Why does being bitten matter?” I ask, mostly as a pretext for a few moments of rest. This is humiliating. I really thought I could hold my own in this fight.

  “It gives you more strength,” he replies. “You'll find that you are faster and stronger now. But being bit won’t give you technique and skill. That takes practice.”

  I work with him for nearly two hours, and by the time I'm done, my clothing is slick with sweat, even in the cold night air. My heart is racing in my chest, and my limbs are trembling. My pride is taking a battering here. “I need a break,” I gasp. “Please.”

  “Okay.”

  I sink on the ground, my legs refusing to support my weight any longer. Nero flashes a grin at Saber. “What do you think, Colonel?” he asks. “Fancy taking a turn?”

  Saber looks amused. “Tell you what,” he suggests. “You fight with Zeke, and I'll fight the winner.”

  “Sure,” Nero says cockily. “I can beat both of you as easily as I can beat one of you.”

  Zeke takes up my stick with a roll of his eyes. “Nero,” he tells me, “is all talk and very little action.” He tests the stick’s balance as he walks into the middle of the space. “Alright, Calorio,” he says. “Let's see what you've got.”

  The two of them start exchanging blows, moving so quickly that they seem to shimmer through the air. My mouth falls open as I watch. “Great Spirit,” I whisper. “They're fast.”

  Saber settles next to me, stretching his legs out. “They are fast,” he agrees, watching the two men fight. “Some of it is being a vampire. We’re faster and stronger than humans.”

  “Yes,” I reply, my voice sullen. “I know.”

  He gives me an exasperated look. “I'm not saying that to rub your face in it, Raven,” he says with exaggerated patience. “I find it wise to learn one’s limitations. If you find yourself in a fight with a vampire, you cannot win on speed and strength alone. Not without far more training than we can give you in a few days.”

  “Is it possible for a human to win a fight with a vampire?”

  “Of course. Every member of my team has taken me out at least once in their lives. Pesca, in particular, was remarkably skilled. We stepped into a ring sixty-three times. She won forty of them.” His voice is soft, remembering. Sad.

  Watching him feels like an intrusion. I turn my attention back to Zeke and Nero to give Saber some privacy.

  He recovers his composure almost immediately. “Nero and Zeke have had years of training.” His full lips twist with disgust. “The enforcers on Boarus 4 are badly trained. Zimmer does not maintain proper discipline, and his men don't respect him. The soldiers would never make it back on Starra.”

  Seeing Zeke and Nero move, quicker and more lethal than a pack of s’kal cats, I tend to agree with him.

  “But Overlord Klaus Zimmer’s biggest problem,” Saber continues, “is that he’s insecure in his office. He’s cruel when he doesn’t need to be. Ruthless when kindness is called for. He doesn’t realize that the harder he squeezes the colony, the weaker he gets. A strong ruler would know that.”

  If I were caught saying the same thing as Saber, I’d end up back in Glacis. Or executed, like my parents. Once again, I don’t know how to respond.

  Saber seems to notice my discomfort. “Sorry,” he says. “I’m
not telling you anything you don’t already know. And, to put your mind at ease, Zeke has scramblers set up here. Our conversation won’t be overheard.”

  It's the closest thing, but Nero just manages to beat out Zeke when the other man trips over a crack in the ground and stumbles backward. In that split-second of distraction, Nero knocks the stick away from Zeke. “You’re next, Saber,” he calls out. “Unless you're afraid of getting your ass handed to you?”

  Saber gets to his feet and grabs Zeke’s staff. “Yes,” he says dryly, “That’s exactly it. Talk is cheap, my friend. Let's see what you've got.”

  I thought Zeke and Nero were fast. That's nothing compared to the speed of this battle. The two sticks move so fast through the air that I can barely see them. In less than two minutes, Saber succeeds in knocking Nero's staff from his hands. The younger man raises his hands, laughing. “Alright, alright,” he says. “I concede.”

  I've never seen vampires like this—laughing, joking, just fooling around. Then again, I guess I don't know many of them. They don't venture to Sector 23.

  Just before sunrise, we move indoors. The three men close every curtain so that not even a ray of sunlight shines through. I brace myself for whatever’s going to happen. Despite Nero’s assurance back in my pod, I don’t quite believe that I’ll be sleeping alone tonight. Any moment now, I’ll have to repay them for their sponsorship. Sexually.

  Saber’s eyes rest on me, and I get the feeling that he can read my thoughts. “The bedroom next to Nero’s is empty. You can have it.” His lips tilt up in a half-smile. “You have another long day of training ahead of you. Get some sleep, Raven.”

  14

  Raven

  Boarus 4

  Sunrise, SixthDay of FourthMonth

  I watch the holos for a little while after Saber, Zeke, and Nero retreat into their bedrooms. The local channel is showing the choosing. I see Tomas Cabal ride out on his skimmer, tall and strong, waving to the crowd. The other contestants follow, one by one, and then it is my turn. My skimmer emerges from the shadows into the brightly lit arena, and I relive that moment of intense nervousness once again.