The Vampire Prince’s Harem

by T. S. Ryder

  A huge fist sunk into his stomach. Pain exploded through his body, blinding him. He was just able to keep his hands wrapped around the thick wrist, to keep the knife away. His heartbeat had nearly stopped from the blow. When a second one came, stealing his breath, Darius did the only thing he could.

  He lunged forward, clamping his teeth in the shifter's shoulder. The hand with the knife jerked and the bear pulled back. Darius took the opportunity to put distance between them, spitting out blood. It tasted awful like he had dragged his tongue through diesel.

  The bear inspected his shoulder. It was dribbling blood, but the wound was superficial. It would be healed before Darius had a chance to get his breath back. His lungs felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest.

  "I should have expected such a low blow from a vampire," the bear growled.

  "Low blow?" Cleo shouted from somewhere. "You're the one with the knife! If this were a fair fight you'd already be dead, but you're too much of a coward to face him on equal footing."

  The bear turned, snarling. Darius saw the opportunity to attack – but he was just able to draw in a single breath. If he attacked now, his strength would be greatly diminished. The Thunder would easily turn the attack against him.

  "And as for you, you wuss of a vampire, just take him out!"

  Darius couldn't help but smile. Always directly to the point. It was exactly what he needed. He didn't bother wasting time looking for his wife in the crowd.

  He ran forward, springing off the ground right before he clashed with the bear. The shifter spun on his heel to follow him, but Darius kicked him hard in the face before landing lightly and driving his knuckles hard into the bear's abs.

  The bear gasped for breath a moment, but raised his knife again and shook off the blows. Rage was still in his eyes, but there was something else as well. Desperation. Pain. And even as they continued to trade blows, Darius suddenly felt a surge of sympathy for his opponent. If their positions had been reversed and it had been Cleo to die… wouldn't he have done the same thing?

  There were only two options for the shifter. Revenge or death. There was nothing else for him. Not without his mate.

  Silence fell around them. It was just the two of them, fighting for so much more than their own lives. And when Darius twisted the knife from his opponent's hand and drove it through his throat, there was no joy on his face. There was no fear in the Thunder, either.

  "I'm sorry," Darius whispered, pulling the knife back out.

  The bear sagged, and he caught the massive brute and lowered him slowly to the ground.

  "I'm sorry for killing your mate," the vampire whispered. "I hope there's an afterlife where you may be rejoined with her."

  He got to his feet and backed away from the bear. Glancing around, he saw absolute fear on the faces of the shifters. Maybe that was a good sign. His shoulders slumped as he gestured to their Alpha.

  "The last thing he sees should not be the face of his enemy."

  The shifters stirred. A second man, almost as big as the bear he had just defeated, stepped forward. "Take your mate and leave. We will do as was promised and leave vampire territory."

  Darius nodded at him. Nobody challenged him as he went to Cleo's side. Tears shone on her face and there were red scratches oozing blood on her arms. He picked her up, holding her close, and started walking. He knew in his gut that the shifters would honor the agreement their Alpha had made. The war, at last, was over.

  If only there was a way this could have ended without violence, he thought sadly. But at least it is over now.

  Chapter Ten – Cleo

  The sun shone brightly through the leafy foliage of the elm tree that Cleo and Ed sat under. The sisters had a blanket spread out under them while Ed carefully cradled her newborn nephew. Cleo smiled at the sight. Even though she knew that baby vampires, just like the adults, couldn’t contract diseases, she had been nervous about bringing her son to the hospital Ed lived in. He was going to age at the same rate as humans until he hit adulthood, but, at the moment, he just looked so small and helpless.

  Seeing how her sister beamed made her glad she had decided to come visit.

  "He's so cute," Ed crooned. "What's his name?"

  "Tobar. I wanted to name him Eduardo so I could call him Ed after you, but Darius said that it was too close to Edward. Tobar was his father's name, so we decided on it."

  "What's wrong with Edward?"

  Cleo shrugged. "He said that there are already too many princes named Edward and that we wouldn't be adding to the list."

  "Why is he a prince?"

  "Oh!"

  Cleo shook her head. She had been so concentrated on her little son that she hadn't even remembered to tell her sister about the many changes that had happened over the past two months. The Rebeluna pack had kept the Thunder's terms of the fight against Darius. They had retreated from vampire territory, taking with them all the shifters fighting against the vampire armies.

  With them gone, shifter incidents had virtually stopped. King Iosif had publicly praised Darius for staking his life on the chance to drive them out. And just last week, there had been a huge celebration for three days and nights, at the end of which Iosif declared Darius his new heir. It was everything the two of them had hoped for.

  "Darius was adopted by the king," Cleo told her sister, deciding to leave out the complicated politics of it all. "He's the prince now, and he's going to be king someday."

  Ed stared at her with wide eyes. "That means you're a princess!"

  Cleo nodded. "Yes. It does. Speaking of Darius, he should be here soon. He said he was going to come spend the afternoon with us."

  Both sisters looked around. Ed pointed, although she was very careful to keep cradling Tobar's head. "There he is! And Gordon is coming, too."

  "I see them."

  Cleo stayed where she was, smiling at her husband as he and his friend approached. Both of them returned the smile. Ed started to fidget, trying to smooth her hair one-handed while still holding the baby. Her eyes were glowing, and Cleo felt her own smile widening. Since she and Darius shared all their secrets, they had been visiting her sister often.

  Gordon came with them quite a bit, and Ed had developed quite a crush on him. Cleo's own relationship with the vampire was improving as well. They weren't friends, but they were getting there.

  "Hello, lovely ladies," Darius said, bowing to the both of them. "Do you mind if we join you on this fine day?"

  "No, you can join us," Ed said. "Gordon, sit next to me. I have a new cat’s cradle trick I want to show you."

  Cleo retrieved her baby as her sister started rooting around in her pockets for the string. Gordon sat beside her, a patient smile on his face.

  I'll have to remember to thank him for being so good with her, Cleo thought. It's not just a show, he really does listen to everything she says and doesn't get tired of her. She needs people like that.

  Well, maybe everybody did. But Cleo didn't care about everybody. She cared about her sister, and she was glad that she had a real friend that wasn't there because he was being paid. Although the staff at the hospital were terrific, Ed needed to have friends from the outside world as well.

  "Let's go over to the bench to play cat’s cradle," Gordon suggested, offering a hand to Ed. "I think Darius has something he wants to tell Cleo."

  "Okay."

  They went off, leaving Cleo alone with her baby and husband. The human turned a puzzled look on the vampire. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

  Darius was grinning. It stretched from ear to ear, and he looked so excited he was practically glowing. This was something special, Cleo could tell. But her husband shrugged, as though it was no big deal. He plucked a blade of grass from the ground and teased her nose with it. Cleo batted it away.

  "Don't keep me in suspense."

  "Okay. Well, I've been doing some research and asking around. I've arranged it so that Ed can come visit us at the estate regularly. And not just a
drive out and drive back here. I'm getting a room set up for her there, too."

  Cleo's jaw dropped. "Can we really do that? She doesn't do well outside the hospital."

  "I've spoken with all her doctors, along with many other professionals. None of them see a problem with her leaving for short vacations. I've already hired a special staff to look after her at the estate and here, to minimize disruption of her routine. And it's not like we're going to let her run out of her meds, is it?" Darius brushed Cleo's hair from her face. "I know you feel guilty for not doing more, even if there wasn’t really anything more you could do. You were right, she needs professional caring, but we can facilitate that at the estate now."

  A warm feeling of love swept through Cleo and she kissed her husband, tears pricking her eyes. "Thank you."

  "You're not crying, are you?" Darius' soft voice was teasing. "The baby hormones are still getting to you."

  "Yes." Cleo laughed as she wiped her face. "I think you did that to me on purpose, getting me pregnant so you can tease me about my emotions being all over the place."

  Darius kissed her again, taking the baby as he did so. The tiny bundle of blankets looked so delicate in his arms. He beamed at his son. "Did you hear that, little man? You have made your mother an emotional wreck. But that's okay, isn't it? Because we don't have secrets from each other anymore – except for surprises and presents."

  "I'm glad we decided on that policy," Cleo said. "Sharing secrets. I didn't realize there was so much about my life that I wanted to share with you until I started telling you."

  "I'm glad, too. And I'm glad that you're my wife." Darius stroked Tobar's fluffy dark hair. "I'm glad we have a son. I'm glad we have peace. I'm glad that I'm the king's heir, but I'm gladder that I was able to save you. I could keep going forever."

  Cleo nodded. She understood the feeling. There was so much to be grateful for. But most of all, she was grateful for her husband. That he loved her. That she loved him. She leaned into his arms, resting her head on his shoulder. Yes, she had everything she had fought for. But she had far more than that.

  She had love. And even if everything else was taken from her, she knew that love would sustain her the rest of her life.

  *****

  THE END

  About T.S. Ryder

  If you’re in for hot-as-hell vampires and shifters, you’re my girl. There’s nothing paranormal that I don’t like or write and I’ll give it all I’ve got to bring beasts and hot men (preferably both :) ) to life for you.

  I love writing stories about sexy and protective alpha males and the strong women they love. My stories are always full of steam and I generally throw in a fair amount of action.

  So kick back, get comfortable, grab some chocolate and tea and fasten up your girdles for some extra smoldering hotness. Enjoy!

  Please check my author page for the latest news and releases.

  Selected Other Books by T.S. Ryder

  The Vampire King's Captive

  A curvy virgin paying off her debts PLUS a jealous vampire king looking for a donor PLUS enemies who will do anything to destroy him!

  Aria Taylor wakes to her biggest nightmare when Gavin, the vampire king, drags her out of bed in the middle of the night. Aria’s father owes him money and Gavin has come to take him away.

  There’s only one way out: Aria has to become Gavin's blood donor to pay off the debt. Too bad that she hates her bloodsucker. What right does this possessive beast have to be so handsome and yet so cruel?

  Gavin is more than happy with his new blood donor. Her full curves drive him crazy and he can’t wait to pierce her skin with his fangs. The thought of teaching this virgin all the pleasures of the body stirs fires inside of him…

  But Gavin has enemies and things take a turn for the worst when Aria suddenly disappears. Where is she? Gavin knows one thing for sure. No matter what it takes, he will get her back.

  He’s coming for her.

  The Shifter's Nanny

  Does this hot panther shifter need me to take care of his daughter or does he want my curves for another reason as well?

  Rose Doctor needs a job. After years of emotional abuse by her ex-boyfriend, she’s broke and deeply scarred. So when a gorgeous shifter needs her help to take care of his infant daughter, she accepts.

  Her new boss is hot as hell. But she’s not going to let her heart get the best of her. Not this time.

  Devon was always a loner. He’s not looking for romance, much less a mate. All he needs is a nanny. Yes, she has curves in all the right places. But no, she’s here to look after his daughter, and that’s it.

  But everything changes when Rose’s past catches up with her. Her ex-boyfriend is back and will stop at nothing to force her to take him back...

  Will Devon do what it takes to protect Rose? Can he resist the primal urge that’s roared to life in him? And can Rose find it in herself and trust again?

  Sometimes risking everything is the only way to find out…

  The Vampire King's Virgin

  A desperate curvy virgin PLUS a vampire king who needs fresh blood PLUS lethal beasts and enemies out to kill!

  Curvy Sofia Velásquez is desperate and poor. So when the vampire king offers her a million dollars a year to be his new blood donor, she doesn’t hesitate.

  She just needs to make sure she doesn’t faint every time he flashes his firm abs and delicious V. Her virginity needs to be protected at all cost.

  Vampire king Aaron is every woman’s fantasy. Tall and square-shouldered, his body radiates power and confidence. He gets everything he wants. And what he wants is his new blood donor and her curves. He can just claim her, right?

  Um, wrong. Turns out the path to love is paved with curses, potions, witches, and beasts. And all of them are out to get Sofia and Aaron.

  Can Aaron protect Sofia against evil? Will they risk everything for a chance to live? And can Sofia stay a virgin and get pregnant at the same time?

  It’s time for Aaron to show what he’s worth. He’s the king, and they’re about to find out what that means.

  Her Two Alphas

  A curvy virgin given away by her father PLUS two Alphas ready to share a mate PLUS a wolf looking to sacrifice for love.

  Curvy Elena Aldana is about to be mated to not just one, but two Alphas. Except she doesn’t know about it. Her father has made the deal. She doesn’t want to. Until she sees them – tall, broad-shouldered, and muscled. Hmm, her virgin lady parts might like this after all.

  Lukas and Will are ready to share a mate, both for their own reasons. Lukas is in massive debt and, though not his fault, he needs wealthy Will’s help. And Will? He gets what he wants, and that’s a family.

  But bad things are afoot. A rare astrological event has brought forward the soul of the Geisterwolf, an ancient Alpha who will sacrifice a living Alpha's mate to bring his own lost love back. And this time he's chosen Elena.

  If Will and Lukas can't bind together to fight for her, Elena will be dead within a month…

  They can’t fail.

  The Alpha's Baby

  A curvy wolf looking for an escape PLUS a hot-as-hell Bear choosing his mate PLUS his biggest enemy on their heels!

  It’s Joshua’s responsibility to lead his Bear pack as he sees best. And what he thinks is best is to take his enemy’s daughter as his mate. It’s all for his pack. But when he sees her curves, he can’t help but feel his loins tighten.

  Wolf Naomi should have been Alpha after her mother, the previous Alpha, died. But her father made sure that didn’t happen. She wants freedom, not love, and Joshua's offer is her escape. She can’t let that perfect V of his abs distract her.

  But their new union is put to the test immediately when Naomi finds an abandoned baby in the woods. Where did it come from? Where should it go?

  When, on top of that, they discover plans that threaten the whole Bear pack, Naomi and Joshua have to make a choice. And Naomi has to face her biggest fear... her own father.


  As danger rises and desire heightens, Naomi and Joshua need to focus and stay alive. They can’t mate yet. She has to stay a virgin, until Christmas…

  Chosen by the Vampire King

  A BBW who needs money PLUS a vampire king who wants to impregnate her PLUS a violent enemy out for revenge!

  Maribel Arnaz never thought she’d sell off her virginity. But she’s about to...

  Robbed of everything by an ex-boyfriend, Maribel needs money. One signature and some blood, and she has what she wants – a job as a vampire’s blood donor. This should be easy, right? Right. Until the sexy-as-hell vampire king makes her an offer. She can have whatever she wants, if she bears him a child.

  It’s just a business agreement. No emotions involved. So why is she so drawn to that predatory gleam in his eyes?

  Vampire king Sheridan wants an heir and has found the right woman for the job. But he can’t satisfy his needs, because he might lose control and hurt his human mate. What is he supposed to do? She tortures him with her golden-olive skin, lush curves and body made for love. How much longer before he gives into temptation?

  When others try to take her away from him, there’s nothing he won’t do to make them pay. There’s only one way to make them obey a vampire king. Fight. Destroy. Anything to get her back.