The Vampires' Blood Mate: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Romance

by Lili Zander

  “You should tell her that.”

  He raises an eyebrow. “While we’re advocating for honesty,” he says, “So should you. Tell her everything.”

  Saber’s parents were good people. So was Nero’s mother. They can’t understand how corrosive it is to be deeply ashamed of your family. How terrifying it is to know that their blood runs in your veins. How watchful I have to be to always do the right thing, because if I slip up, I’ll become my parents. “It’s not that easy.”

  “Zeke, I’ve known you for nine years. You’re a good person.” He puts his hand on my shoulder. “You’ve been keeping Raven at a distance.”

  He noticed? Of course, he did. “I don’t want to rush her.”

  “Raven’s stronger than we give her credit for. She knows her own mind. Trust her.”

  I still want you, she’d said to me. I’d pushed her away. I really hope I haven’t screwed up.

  I change the topic. “So we’re working with Ragnar now.”

  “We did screw up his plan. I guess we owe him one.” Saber’s lips curl into a smile. “You heard him, didn’t you? He’s been trying to lure you away from my team for a long time.” He shakes his head admiringly. “And here we are. Ragnar has a way of getting what he wants.”

  15

  Raven

  I’m flying a skimmer over the frozen wastes of Boarus 4 in the middle of the night. The stars are bright, and the moon shines down on the ice. The very air seems to glow, silvery waves of light spilling everywhere.

  The scene shifts.

  I’m holding Zeke’s gun in my trembling hands. I lift the weapon and aim for the enforcer fighting Nero, and I fire. The man screams in agony, and falls back to the ice, blood gushing from the wound in his chest.

  He’s dead.

  I’ve never killed anyone in my life. I feel ill. Violated. Sick to my stomach. My soul tears to shreds at the finality of my action. Somewhere, there’s a child who’s waiting for a father who will never come home again. The way I’d waited for my parents.

  The scene shifts again.

  I’m in a tent, warm and secure. Three men touch me everywhere, their hands dancing over my skin, their clever mouths making me gasp and twist and clench. I hear myself whimper their names, I hear myself beg for more. I’m burning up. My braids are undone, and my hair spills everywhere. They stroke me, their touch like quicksilver through me, leaving only heat and desire in its wake.

  Another change.

  I’m in the port, cowering on the floor as Zimmer raises his gun. Things would be a lot cleaner if I just shot her. His eyes are cold and his voice distant. I can’t speak; I can’t breathe. Death rushes toward me, dark and grim and waiting, and there’s nothing I can do to ward it off.

  Then Zimmer falls backward, and I see the terrifyingly precise bullet hole in the center of his forehead. Zeke holds the gun, his face expressionless, and then he steps over the body, cold and careless, and holds out his arm to me. His face flickers. One minute, he’s familiar to me, a vampire I’ve come to count on. The next, he’s a ruthless, merciless killer. Friend or foe, I don’t know which.

  The world tilts on its axis.

  I’m walking across Glacis, shivering with cold. The icy wind knifes through me, leaving me numb. My vision blurs, and I ache to lie down on the ground and rest. You can’t, a young boy at my side says, his eyes filled with panic. You cannot stop. You must keep walking.

  I know him. Baird Shaw. He saved my life that day, but Baird hadn’t made it out. He’d been killed by a wild pack of s’kal cats. But I survived.

  For ten years, I survived.

  The ice warms.

  You are so beautiful, little human, Saber whispers. So soft, so responsive.

  I’m lying on scarlet sheets, silky and cool against my skin. My hands are tied above my head, and my legs are spread wide. My three vampires are clothed, dressed in black from head to toe, while I’m naked for them, every inch of my body exposed to their hot, possessive gazes.

  I arch into Saber’s caress, silently demanding more.

  Please, I beg. I want to put my arms around him and pull him close. Goosebumps break out on my skin as he watches me writhe, takes in the restless need raging within me. Please take me.

  The air shimmers. The voice that answers isn’t Saber. Are you mine, Raven Peace Unnuk?

  Ragnar looms over me, an unreadable expression in his green-grey eyes. His brown hair falls around his face, the strands brushing my naked breasts, causing my nipples to pebble and harden. Blood is splattered on his face. Droplets coagulate across his forehead, crust on his knuckles. His fangs glisten as he lowers his mouth to my neck, inhaling deeply. The way you smell, he breathes. Sweet, sinful, temptation.

  My heart hammers in my chest like a caged bird. This is a vampire of immense power and might. And the way he’s looking at me, hungry and demanding… I swallow hard as his thumb brushes over my lower lip. Heat builds between my legs and spread as I am, there’s no way to hide my body’s reaction to his touch.

  Are you? Those eyes. Those amused, mocking eyes. Tell me, Raven. To whom do you belong? Even as he speaks, his body slides over mine, hard, hot and ready. I whimper as he plunges into me. Your body knows the truth, he growls, nipping my earlobe.

  Two hot tongues lick my nipples. Nero and Zeke. I’m tangled up in silk sheets, surrounded by naked men. My vision flickers. One moment, it is Saber who’s fucking me. The next moment, it’s Ragnar. Then Zeke. Then Nero. Bodies writhe over me, nibbling, nipping, licking my skin. My head spins. The men stoke the fire, over and over, until my desire is an out-of-control inferno.

  Teeth scratch the fragile skin of my neck. So tempting, Ragnar murmurs. So impossible to resist. I would drink from you, little human.

  At those words, my lust vanishes, and I start to struggle in my bindings.

  He can’t drink from me. My blood is liquid poison. I struggle on the silky sheets, trying to break free of the ties that bind me. Please don’t, I beg. Please stop.

  Ragnar’s eyes darken with displeasure. You dare say no to me?

  He’s not used to being denied. One word from him and worlds burn. Women would sacrifice their first-born for the privilege of giving blood to Prince Ragnar. And I, Raven Unnuk, a survivor of the re-education camps, a miner from the dusty backwater world of Boarus 4, am denying him my blood.

  The fangs descend. Closer and closer. My attempts to break free are futile.

  They’re hungry now. Not just Ragnar. Saber’s nostrils are flared. Zeke licks his full lower lip. Nero growls in his throat, his eyes feral and wild.

  They’re caught in the grip of blood lust.

  Nothing I do or say stops them.

  Their fangs pierce my veins.

  My poisoned blood gushes forth, hot and angry, ready to obliterate them.

  They clutch their throats. Fling themselves back. What is happening? Saber chokes out, his eyes clouded with disbelief and pain. Raven, what have you done?

  Without their help, I would have died on Glacis.

  Without their help, Overlord Zimmer would have sold me to the Empress’ torturers.

  And because of me, they’re dying in front of my eyes. Because of my sweet, irresistible, tainted blood.

  I’m sorry, I whisper, tears rolling down my cheek. I break free of my bonds, but it’s too late. It’s far too late to save them. All I can do is sink to my knees.

  I want to close my eyes, but I force myself to keep them open. To confront my sins, to see what I’ve wrought. I make myself keep them open, because my vampires are dying, and they do not deserve to die alone and unloved. I must bear witness and honor their deaths.

  The Prayer of the Long Night is on my lips. Sing your death song, my vampires. Die like heroes going home.

  “Raven.” A harsh voice punctures my nightmare. “Raven. Wake up.”

  The weight of my tears presses down on me, heavy and suffocating. My throat is thick with sorrow, my grief a smothering blanket that I want to cover myself with
. I don’t want to open my eyes and face the truth. Everyone I have ever cared for is dead.

  “Raven.” Saber sounds more urgent now. “Open your eyes.”

  Saber? Keeping my eyes closed, I grope along the covers until I touch him. “You’re here?” I don’t understand. I can still smell the metallic tang of blood in the air. If I’m very quiet, I can hear the echoes of their dying gasps.

  “You cried out in your sleep.”

  My sleep? Thank the Great Spirit, it was a nightmare, nothing more. Gripping Saber’s hand, I slowly open my eyes and almost cry in relief when I see him at my side, a solid, warm presence.

  “I had a bad dream.” I snuggle into him, too shaken to be embarrassed by my nudity.

  “Want to talk about it?”

  A shiver runs through me. “You drank from me,” I whisper. I leave out any mention of Ragnar for the moment. “You, Nero, and Zeke.” I swallow past the lump in my throat. “Everyone died.”

  He puts his arm around my shoulder. He’s bare-chested, his skin cool to the touch. I can’t stop myself; I lean into him, my head resting on his shoulder, and sink into the comfort he’s offering. “It was just a dream, Raven.”

  “I know.” I want the images to be scoured from my mind. “Where’s Nero?”

  “He relieved Zeke at the controls. The ship does have an auto-pilot, but with Marya pursuing us, we need to be alert. We’ll take turns piloting the ship.”

  “How long will it take for us to get to Merin?”

  “Twenty hours. I spoke to Ragnar.”

  Shit. Has Ragnar told Saber he more or less propositioned me? “About what?”

  “Two things. One, he’s going to send Ivar Karling to Merin to do your blood transfusion.”

  “That’s good?”

  He nods. “Very much so. We have no idea what Levitan’s virus is capable of. The procedure might not be as straightforward as I hope it will be. It’s good to have a scientist there to supervise. I looked up Ivar Karling. He has an excellent reputation. You’ll be in good hands with him.”

  “What else did you talk about?”

  “Astrid lost a major offensive because of boarium shortages. We think Levitan’s sabotaging the clean-up of the Uncharted Reaches. Zeke offered to help Ragnar find the missing fuel.” He gives me a sideways glance. “You remember Tomas Cabal? Zimmer’s champion?”

  “The one who threw the race? Yes, why?”

  “Turns out he’s Ragnar’s spy.”

  My mouth falls open. “No,” I breathe. “Really?” I sit up as a thought strikes me. “Hang on. Tomas helped Lula Kenner break into the re-education camps. He wouldn’t have done it without Ragnar’s consent, would he?”

  “Nope.” A smile plays about on Saber’s lips. “I’d forgotten how entertaining it was to hang out with the prince.”

  I look at him curiously. “You said you used to be friends, but I also got the impression you didn’t like him very much anymore.”

  A pained expression flashes over his face. “An unfortunate misunderstanding. A long time ago, Ragnar told me not to blood bond with Marya. I thought it was because she was human.”

  All of Ragnar’s soldiers had been human. All of them had been willing to throw their bodies between the prince and the attacking vampires. I don’t think that kind of loyalty can be bought. “That’s not why?”

  “I felt sorry for Marya. Ragnar saw it. Pity isn’t the basis for a healthy relationship.”

  “Do you pity me?”

  “I admire the hell out of you.” His eyes fall to my naked breasts, and his eyes gleam with desire. “I want you. The last thing I feel for you is pity.”

  “Why? She had a hard childhood, so did I. What’s the difference?”

  He thinks about my question. “You cried when you saw the children in Gratvar’s hold,” he says at last. “Marya lost the ability to feel; she couldn’t get over what she lost. You, on the other hand, went through the re-education camps, and you came out whole.”

  Until I was ten, my parents had smothered me with love. Maybe that’s why. I am lucky. I had something Marya Revit never did. “She can still kick my ass though.”

  “I’m not going to sugarcoat it; she’s a killer. Your training will begin as soon as we land in Merin. We won’t go easy on you.”

  Because he wants me to survive. And maybe because, as Ragnar said, he wants me to be part of his world, and the better prepared I am, the more I will fit in.

  Especially after everything we’ve been through, I owe Saber perfect honesty. It’s hard to accuse him of keeping things from me when I’m doing the same thing. “Ragnar told me there were two reasons he didn’t harm me. One was because you’d be mad at him.”

  “What was the other?” he asks. “Because he’s attracted to you?”

  “You knew? Or did he tell you?”

  “A lucky guess.” He laces his fingers in my hair and pulls me closer. His lips meet mine in a deep kiss. My arousal level goes from a slow simmer to an out-of-control blaze instantly. I moan into his mouth and kiss him back. I can’t get enough of my vampires.

  “Raven,” Saber breathes. He pulls me onto his lap and sucks my lower lip into his mouth. I throw my head back, waves of pleasure hammering my body. My fingernails rake down his back, hard enough to scratch. Judging from his throaty growl, he likes it.

  I run my palms over him, lingering over his hard chest and tracing out his muscled abs. A very tempting bulge is tenting his pants, and I can’t take my eyes off it.

  “Like what you see?” He doesn’t try to conceal his hunger. He wants me, and he’s not afraid to show his desire, and that turns me on even further.

  “Yes,” I breathe. “Very much. Take off your pants.”

  He pushes me back on the bed and looms over me, a knee between my thighs, his hands on either side of me. His blue eyes bore into mine. “If I take off my pants, I’m going to fuck you.”

  My nipples pebble at the promise in his voice. My insides tighten. “I’m counting on it,” I reply, pulling him into me. “I will hurt you if you stop.”

  He laughs softly and presses soft kisses on my shoulder. “Should I be afraid?” His hand cups my breast. His thumb grazes my nipple, and I throw my head back and surrender to the pleasure.

  I can barely think; my body is shaking from long-suppressed need. “Saber, please,” I beg. “I want you now.”

  “So impatient. I’m tempted to keep you at the edge of orgasm for hours.” His voice is a low, sexy growl. He rolls my nipple between his thumb and forefinger. “I want you to fall apart when I touch you. I want to see you tremble and quiver. I want to hear you beg me to let you come.”

  “Yes,” I promise through clenched teeth. His thumb swipes over my nipple again, and liquid pleasure flows through my body. “Anything.”

  He flashes me a smile of pure male satisfaction before repeating the motion on my other nipple. I whimper and writhe under his body, shamelessly spreading my legs open, hoping he’ll get the hint. “Saber…”

  He moves away from me long enough to take off his pants. When he returns, he stretches out next to me. Pulling me closer, he rains kisses on my body. My neck, my throat, my erect nipples. “I can feel your pulse race when I touch you,” he says, running his tongue over that spot. “Are you frightened, Raven?”

  Frightened? I’m half-crazed with lust and desperate for more. I reach for his cock, but he moves my hand away with a teasing smile. “Not yet, kära. I need to taste you first.”

  He moves down my body, sending delicious friction sparkling through every nerve ending. His hands hold my thighs open, and he bends his head toward me. His tongue licks at my slit, and when he reaches my clitoris, he sucks it in between his lips.

  Heat shocks through me.

  “Ah,” he groans, his fingers gripping my flesh, “The taste of you…”

  That reminds me of my final theory about why the vampires are with me. “Can I ask you something?”

  He pushes a finger into my pussy. My thoughts
fragment. I pull them back together with effort. “Are you here because you feel guilty that Ottar Thistle bit me and dragged me into this?”

  He stops what he’s doing. “What?” He looks confused for a second, and then incredulity replaces the puzzlement on this face. “You think I’m eating you out because I feel guilty?” He rolls his eyes. “You really don’t know anything about men, do you? The taste of you drives me wild. Everything about you turns me on, and it doesn’t have a dammed thing to do with Ottar Thistle or the virus in your blood.”

  Okay. They’re not with me to prevent genocide. They’re not with me because the virus makes me irresistible. And they’re not with me because they feel guilty that a vampire ruined my life.

  Saber pushes another finger into my pussy. “If it’s alright with you,” he says, a flash of arrogance in his voice, “I’d really like to get back to what I was doing.”

  He curls his fingers and twists them, and a low, insistent heat builds within me. I can figure out this puzzle later. “Okay,” I exhale. “That’s perfectly fine with me too.”

  He chuckles, and his breath tickles my core. “Good.”

  He resumes licking me, his strokes long and steady. I’m lost in a delirious haze. I ache everywhere, and it’s so good. Saber feasts on me, his tongue circling my clitoris, his fingers pumping in and out of my pussy.

  I gasp and whimper for more. I’m so close. Every muscle in my body tightens. Great Spirit, this is so good.

  Saber senses I’m close. His thumb presses down on my bundle of nerves, and I explode. My orgasm thunders through me, intense and overwhelming. Shaking and quivering, I cling to him as wave after wave of pleasure washes over me.

  “Take me.”

  His eyes blaze with heat. “Gladly,” he growls. He looms over my body and pushes inside me in one forceful thrust. I groan as his thick length fills me completely. Every nerve ending in my body comes alive. This feels incredible.

  “The way you feel…” He pushes my breasts together, and nips them, each bite sending a sharp pinch of lust through me. He withdraws from me, before slamming back into my body. The strokes are deep, powerful. Each one sets me quivering. I’m drowning. I can’t think straight. I can’t hold on. I feel each thrust deep in my gut, and it fills me with a pleasure that straddles pain. I never want this to end. If he stops, I will die…