The Vampires' Blood Mate: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Romance

by Lili Zander

  He turns a questioning look to Saber, who shrugs philosophically. “Can we get in?”

  Zeke’s already plugged his comm into a small port on the body. “Not very secure,” he says. “Then again, Ragnar’s probably not expecting to be robbed.” He does something, and a door slides open, and a ramp swings down. “Shall we?”

  Two hours later, we’re in deep space. Safe, at long last. Zeke has stabilized Saber’s wound, and he’s sleeping now. “He’ll be fine,” Zeke assures me. “We’ll take the long way to Merin, and by the time we get there, he’ll be as good as new.”

  Nero’s sitting in the pilot’s chair, an expression of bliss on his face. “I was going to steal the Overlord’s ship,” he says. “But this is so much better. Bold thinking, Raven. I like it.”

  I look fondly at my three vampires.

  I’m flying into the unknown.

  Will Ragnar hunt for us? Will Harek Levitan?

  Will we find safety in Merin?

  Will we be able to remove this disease from my blood?

  There are more questions than answers, but I know one thing. With Saber, Zeke, and Nero at my side, I’m ready for anything.

  Epilogue

  Ragnar

  I look down at the dead body of Klaus Zimmer and swear, loud and long and vicious, suppressing the urge to smash something.

  For months, I’ve been trying to turn Zimmer. I arranged it so Tomas would throw the Night of the Shayde. Astrid doubled her demands for boarium, and I made sure Zimmer’s mines wouldn’t produce what was needed. And through all of it, I turned a blind eye to the atrocities the Overlord committed on Boarus 4.

  All so Klaus Zimmer would flip and betray Harek Levitan.

  Now he’s dead, and with it, months of careful work flushed down the drain.

  Tomas Cabal disentangles himself from the shadows and extends his tablet to me. “I pulled this off the feeds.”

  Cabal is young, just twenty-four, but he’s already one of my best operatives. He’s ambitious. Smart. Crazy hacking skills. I can tell he’s chafing to get off Boarus 4 and take on more challenging assignments. He’s ready too. After his success with the tournament, I owe him.

  I take the tablet and watch the whole disaster unfold. Zimmer walks in, Raven holding a gun to his back. A few minutes pass, and then Saber, Zeke, and Nero rush in, their guns drawn. They have a tense conversation, and, in a moment of distraction, Zimmer wrenches the gun away from Raven, and lifts the weapon to fire at the woman.

  Moving faster than I’d believe possible, Saber and Nero throw themselves in the path of the bullets. Zeke fires one deadly accurate shot. Zimmer goes down.

  “Can’t say I blame Ulrich,” Tomas comments. “He’s taking care of his own.”

  “What a fucking mess.” I stare down at the crumpled body and replay the conversation on the screen in my head. You know, Saber, you have terrible taste in women. What a lot of trouble this human is. Going to Ragnar could work in my favor, but it’s too much of a risk to take. Things would be a lot cleaner if I just shot her. “Zimmer wanted to bring Raven to me. What’s special about her?”

  “I don’t know,” Tomas admits. “I’ve gone over her file. She’s exactly who she appears to be. She survived the camps, and for the last four years, she’s worked in the mines. She’s not involved in politics. She stays out of trouble.”

  Yet my instincts tell me that Raven Peace Unnuk is at the center of this, and they’ve never been wrong. “Look harder. Talk to her friends. Her family. Her neighbors. I want to know everything about her.”

  “It will be done.” Tomas Cabal looks up, and his eyes sparkle as he surveys the empty dock where the Valiant once stood. “They stole your ship,” he says, his amusement impossible to miss. “I like their style. Isn’t Saber Hafsson a friend of yours?”

  I thought he was.

  “Do you want me to get it back? I can access your controls remotely.”

  I shake my head. “The Valiant isn’t a priority. Raven is.”

  A few hours later, we have our answer, and it’s not good. It’s not good at all.

  I pull out my comm and call Astrid. “Harek created a biological weapon,” I tell her after we exchange greetings. “We located the laboratory, but everyone there has been assassinated.”

  Astrid’s face settles into a mask. When our parents had died, Harek Levitan had been like a father to us. This betrayal cuts deep. “Does he have the weapon in his possession?”

  “I don’t know. Given the severity of the situation, we have to assume he does.”

  She closes her eyes for a second. “Tell me you have a plan.”

  “Always. Levitan’s looking for a human woman who’s a carrier. I’m going to find her. We can synthesize a vaccine from her blood.”

  “Keep me posted.”

  “I will.”

  I hang up, my mind sorting through scenarios. A human woman from one of the grimmest, most inhospitable planets in the Empire, holding the power to kill us all. If she chose to, she could cause the death of thousands of people. Millions.

  Saber trusts her enough to keep her alive, I remind myself. Then again, Saber trusted Marya Revit.

  “You’re going to kill her.” Tomas’ eyes are bleak.

  Raven wore a dress tonight, red as blood and light as air. Her hair was braided around her face, the dark brown strands glinting fire-red under the overhead lights. Her eyes were blue, as clear and vivid as the ocean.

  Saber, Zeke, and Nero couldn’t take their eyes off her. I can understand. She’s a beautiful woman, but it’s more than that. I’ve read her file. She’s had an impossibly difficult life, but despite everything thrown at her, she’s still standing. She’s strong. A survivor.

  What would she be like in bed? Would she allow her walls to drop?

  I shake my head. “I need her alive.”

  “Until you find a cure. Then what?” His eyes flicker to the dead body on the floor and move away.

  Something in his voice gives me pause. “You’ve been on this rock for a long time,” I say quietly. “You’ve seen this man do terrible things. I’m not Klaus Zimmer. I don’t kill for sport.”

  It’s a partial truth. I don’t kill for sport, it’s true. But I’ve killed over and over again. I have plenty of death on my hands.

  I don’t start fights. I finish them.

  “Track the Valiant,” I order Tomas. “I’m going after them.”

  Epilogue

  Marya

  “Tell me you have good news.”

  Marya Revit winced. This was not a call she wanted to make, but bitter experience had taught her that there was no point putting off the bad news or trying to soften the blow. Harek Levitan always knew when he was being lied to.

  “They got away in Prince Ragnar’s ship.”

  “All of them?” The General’s voice was sharp.

  “Yes.” Marya closed her eyes and massaged the back of her neck, and chose her next words carefully. “If I might respectfully remind the General, I suggested that I stay close to the situation. Klaus Zimmer was never known for his competence.”

  And Saber would never have killed an innocent. Something she knew all too well.

  “I don’t keep you around for your insight.” Levitan’s voice was icy. “Don’t get above yourself. You are a weapon. A force of destruction. I point you to your target, and you do your job. Is that understood?”

  Fuck you, General.

  “Who would the General like me to target next?” She didn’t try to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

  “I want the woman.”

  “What about Colonel Hafsson and his men?”

  “Kill them.” His expression turned piercing. “Given your past history, is that going to be a problem?”

  “No.”

  She had personally loaded the virus into two unmanned shuttles before assassinating everyone in the facility. Did they make it back to Starra? Did Levitan have the blood virus in his possession? She didn’t know. Levitan hadn’t
seen fit to share that information with her.

  The answer to her question would tell her what she needed to know.

  “And the woman. Do you want her alive or dead?”

  He answered. She listened, her face carefully neutral. She’d learned a long time ago to give nothing away.

  Marya Revit nodded. “It will be done.”

  Thank you for reading Night of the Shayde!

  The adventures continue with Blood of the Shayde. Turn the page to keep reading Raven’s story.

  Blood of the Shayde

  Blood of the Shayde

  The Vampires of Shayde want more than just my blood…

  One deadly human assassin sent to kill me.

  Two powerful vampire politicians, playing games with human lives.

  A gorgeous, terrifying, inscrutable prince who wants to claim me.

  Three deadly enemies. Three mortal threats.

  But I am not alone any more. I have Saber, Zeke, and Nero on my side. And together, we can do anything.

  Bring it on.

  ...This time, I’m not rolling over and playing dead. If the vampires want my blood, they can fight me for it.

  1

  Raven

  It’s time to stop sulking.

  We’ve been on board the Valiant for two days. We’re on the run—from Harek Levitan, from Prince Ragnar, from pretty much everyone in the galaxy. All because of me. Because of the disease I carry in my blood, a disease that can annihilate the vampires.

  During our escape from my home planet of Boarus 4, both Saber and Nero were shot. Nero’s wound was minor. A bullet grazed his right arm. There was a lot of blood, but thankfully, it was just a flesh wound.

  Saber’s chest injury, on the other hand, was more serious. Zeke and Nero pumped him full of blood, and for the last two days, he’s been in a healing coma in the Valiant’s small sickbay.

  As for me? I’ve been closeted inside my bedroom, trying to deal with my confused tangle of emotions.

  Here’s what I know.

  Saber, Zeke, and Nero have been protecting me from the moment we met. I believe that with every fiber of my being.

  They’re attracted to me. I’m attracted to them. Back on Boarus 4, I thought we had something. Though I should have known better than to dream, I started to imagine a future with them in it.

  Then I found out that they’d been hiding things from me. They should have told me that Harek Levitan had sent them to bring me back to Starra, the Shayde capital, but they didn’t. They withheld information from me. They treated me like a child.

  That’s not the basis of a healthy relationship. Not at all.

  Which is why I’ve been hiding in Ragnar’s luxurious bedroom.

  The prince has impeccable taste. The bed is massive, and the sheets are soft. The carpet is silver-gray. The walls are painted a soothing shade of blue that reminds me of the oceans I’ve seen in the holos. There’s even, shockingly, a window. At night, I can lie in bed and see the galaxy drift outside. It’s hypnotic.

  It almost makes me forget that I’m avoiding the three scary, terrifying, gorgeous, vampires.

  Saber’s the leader. He’s an infuriating combination of arrogance and integrity. He does the right thing automatically and instinctively, but he’s also used to being obeyed without question. Half the time, I want to smack him for being maddeningly high-handed, and the rest of the time, I want to kiss him for doing the right thing.

  Nero’s the daredevil. He’s got a wicked glint in his eyes and a grin playing about his lips, and a spirit that refuses to be crushed.

  Then there’s Zeke. Calm and competent, friendly and reassuring, but underneath his unpretentious exterior is a mind that’s as sharp as a shard of ice.

  Have I mentioned I slept with all three of them on Boarus 4? And that I really, really want to sleep with them again?

  Because I do.

  It’s not just the sex. I’ve known the three vampires for less than two weeks, but already, I miss them when they’re not around. I miss their camaraderie. Their banter. Their unfailing support.

  If you miss them, do something about it. Stop hiding in Ragnar’s bedroom. Go talk to them.

  I swing off the bed and pull a black shirt over my head. I came on board the Valiant wearing a blood-stained ball gown. It’s lying in a crumpled heap in the corner of the bedroom, and I’ve taken to raiding Ragnar’s wardrobe for clothes.

  The prince is a lot taller than me. The shirt comes to my knees. Deciding I’m dressed enough—it’s not like Saber, Zeke, and Nero haven’t seen me naked before—I open the door and head to the ship’s rec room.

  The conversation comes to a stop. All three vampires turn to stare at me.

  Awkward.

  “Hi.” I flash them a tentative smile. Saber’s out of the sickbay. He’s stretched out on the couch, reading something. There are dark circles under his eyes, and he’s lost some weight, but otherwise, he looks fine. Who am I kidding? He looks hot. His strong jaw is covered with stubble, and when he sees me, a slow smile spreads across his face.

  A thrill of pure hot lust shoots through my body.

  “I didn’t know you were up,” I tell him. Ugh. Not setting the world on fire with my conversational skills. “Should you be out of bed?”

  He makes room for me on the couch. “There’s nothing wrong with me. Zeke and Nero worry like old women.”

  Nero rolls his eyes. “You nearly died,” he points out. “We’ve almost exhausted the ship’s supply of blood.” He grins, the dimple on his chin flashing into view and sending a shiver of desire down my spine. “But sure, you’re okay.”

  Saber laughs out loud. I sit down next to him, my heart hammering in my chest. They’re powerful vampires. Apex predators, each of them. Strong, muscled, and deadly.

  And I’m human. Prey. Food. I don’t understand why they’re attracted to me.

  I swallow my nerves. “Are we still headed to Merin?”

  “Yes,” Zeke replies. His gaze meets mine, and the intensity in his dark brown eyes makes me catch my breath. “We need to lay low for a while. For that, we need fake identities. You can buy anything on Merin for the right price.”

  He’s talking about the plan, and instead of paying attention, I’m picturing Zeke stripping me naked, laying me out on a bed, and devouring me with those dark eyes. I’m fantasizing about Saber eating me out, his stubble rasping against my skin. About Nero squeezing my breasts, making me pant with need, laughing when I beg for more…

  The three vampires go very still. Saber’s nostrils flare.

  Shit. Can they smell my arousal? “Why do we need fake identities?” I ask, trying to distract them—and myself—before we give in to temptation and do something we might regret.

  Saber gives me a long look. For a second, I wonder if he’s going to call me out on my obvious desire, but to my relief—or is it disappointment?—he lets it go. “Harek Levitan hasn’t put a warrant out for our arrests. That can only mean one thing. He’s sending an assassin after us.”

  That jolts me back to reality. This is my life now. People send assassins after me. I feel special.

  “Then there’s Ragnar,” Nero grins. The thought of assassins clearly doesn’t bother him. “We stole his ship. He’s going to want it back.”

  “Will he kill us?”I wipe my damp palms on my t-shirt, and Zeke’s eyes snap to my bare thighs, his gaze hungry.

  I squirm in my seat, clenching my thighs together as my insides flutter with anticipation. I have to physically restrain myself from reaching for them. Spirit, what is wrong with me?

  “If he has to, yes,” Saber replies. “He might not enjoy it, but he’ll do what it takes to protect Astrid.” He takes a deep breath. “Ragnar is not a fool. Once he finds out about the virus, he’ll put together a team of scientists to work on a cure. He’ll need your blood. Once we’re safely hidden, we can send him what he needs.”

  Saber and Ragnar’s relationship confuses me. They seem to have gone through training
together, and on the surface, they appear to be friends. But there’s an undercurrent there, one I don’t fully understand.

  Nero winks. I fight the urge to lick his dimple, and his smile broadens. I’m convinced that he knows exactly how much I want him right now. “Then we’ll find a hospital that’s capable of doing a full-body blood transfusion,” he says. “And voila.” His face turns serious. “You’re a target only because you’re a carrier of Levitan’s twisted disease. If you’re not a carrier any longer, the General has no need to hunt you.”

  So that’s the plan.

  Step 1: Get to Merin and get fake ID.

  Step 2: Send my blood to Ragnar so his scientists can make a cure.

  Step 3: Do a transfusion to eradicate this disease from my blood.

  Step 4: Try not to die.

  Sounds simple, right? Sure. If you ignore two things. We are being hunted. And—no pressure at all—if we fail, every vampire in the galaxy could die.

  Including the three vampires in this room.

  I saw Olaf Vander die of the blood disease. It was painful. Awful. His death still haunts my dreams. I hated Vander. If the same thing were to happen to Saber, Zeke, or Nero…

  I grit my teeth. We will not fail. We cannot. I will not let it happen.

  Saber clears his throat. “We should talk about what happened on Boarus 4.”

  Yes! We do need to talk. Hell, what we really need to do is have one big screaming match where we all yell at each other. Let it all out. I can kick and screech about how Saber should have told me who they work for, and why they were really on my planet, and they can retort by telling me I’m a fool of the worst kind for listening to Zimmer and almost getting all of us killed.

  Once we clear the air, we can move on to having amazing makeup sex.