A Forever Series Box Set: A Paranormal Reverse Harem: Books 6-10

by Eve Newton

  “I will ask him nicely then,” he says with a smile.

  “Well seeing as that smile has been known to make me weak at the knees, I don’t think you will have a problem persuading him,” she says sweetly, and his heart skips a beat.

  “I love you,” he says softly.

  “I love you too,” she replies.

  “I’ll let you get some more sleep. You will need all your energy.” He is reluctant to end their conversation, but she looks beat.

  “Okay, baby. I am going to dream about where you can take me on our date, and what we might get up to during and after.”

  “During?” he asks with a laugh.

  “Oh, yes, I want lots of kisses and hand holding and other things.”

  “Other things?” he murmurs huskily, and she shivers.

  “Mmm,” she says slowly and then he shivers.

  “I had better let you go before I start to make a spectacle of myself on your lawn,” he says, as he feels himself go hard.

  She giggles and says, “Such a fun spoiler. You will have to make it up to me.”

  “Oh, have no doubt that when I get you alone, I will do,” he warns her.

  “Bye, baby,” she whispers.

  “Bye, my love.” He cuts her off. If he doesn’t, he is going to engage in some of that very arousing sex telepathy and now is not the place. But he is resolute in one thing. He stands up and heads back into the house, calling for everyone to join him.

  Five minutes later he has everyone’s attention, although he can’t say that any of them are pleased to be summoned by him, but tough shit.

  “I have just spoken to Liv…” he starts and then gets the tirade he was half expecting, the outrage and accusations, but he just stands there and lets them finish. “Yes, I have a telepathic connection with her, and I have just spoken to her. She is hungry. There are no humans where she is and she says that even though she has a Faerie who is sneaking in to feed her, she says it isn’t enough. We have to get that Remiel guy here now to take her Ramon.” Lincoln says it determinedly and is surprised that no one argues with him. Mind you the subject at hand is not really up for debate. They all want what is best for her.

  “Trust her to go off half-cocked as usual,” Constantine mumbles under his breath. “She never thinks before she acts.”

  “If I recall, this is all your fault that she is there,” Cole snaps at him. “You can’t blame her for being stuck there with no food.”

  Yep, no love lost between them.

  “Look, there is no point in blaming anyone. The situation is what it is, and we need to get Remiel here now. So how do we, you know…summon him?” Lincoln tries to bring the conversation back around to the matter at hand.

  No one answers him. “No one? No ideas?” he asks.

  “He’s your ancestor,” Sebastian says to Xane. “Try and get him here.”

  “How the fuck am I supposed to do that?” Xane asks. “I am not a ghost whisperer.”

  And then the arguments ensue with everyone shouting over themselves. Lincoln stands back with his head in his hands.

  “How long do you think until they notice I am already here?” a voice next to his ear asks.

  He turns to the voice with a grimace and says, “Probably awhile at this rate. How did you know to come?”

  “I always know when someone utters my name,” Remiel says mysteriously. “And I also know that she is stuck there with little to no food. It is making her docile.”

  “If you knew that, then why didn’t you take her someone already?” he snaps at Remiel, who looks at him mildly.

  “She didn’t ask,” he says nonchalantly.

  “And it never occurred to you to just do it?”

  “Well, no not really,” he says in surprise. “I suppose I should have, really. I am still new to this trying-to-help-and-not-kill business.”

  “Fine, just go and take her, her Feeder. Please,” Lincoln says to him.

  “What’s in it for me?” he asks slyly.

  “The feeling that you get when you help someone. What more do you want?” Lincoln barks at him.

  “I rarely do something for nothing, Wolf,” he snarls into a moment of silence that now has everyone finally noticing that he is here.

  “Just do it!” Lincoln yells at him in desperation.

  “Humph.” Remiel straightens his suit and looks less than pleased with his outburst. “Mind your manners.”

  “Okay, I’m sorry for yelling, but you are the only way to get her what she needs. Please.” He tries to mollify him.

  “Well, since you asked nicely now,” he says. “I will, however, be expecting a payment of some kind. I am sure I can negotiate better with Aefre. She seems to know how to do that very well.”

  “Only because you leave her no choice,” Constantine says, stepping forward with Ramon, who has appeared out of nowhere. “I will pay whatever price you demand, just go to her.”

  Remiel narrows his eyes at Constantine and they square off for a second, but then he relaxes. “Maybe you do have something you can give me,” Remiel says, but then grabs Ramon and disappears without another word. Lincoln is quite glad that he was not on the receiving end of that comment. It sounds ominous and, well, downright dangerous. He sits and focuses on Liv again. She is awake, but still in bed staring at the ceiling. She jumps a mile when Remiel appears by her side and Lincoln smiles.

  “What are you doing here?” she hisses as he pushes Ramon towards her. “Drake will go ballistic if he finds you both here.”

  “Your entourage insisted that you feed.” He sits on the bed and makes a “hurry up” gesture to her.

  Entourage? Lincoln bursts out laughing, as he doesn’t take offense to that, but he is certain other members of this group would.

  “Lincoln?” she snaps at him as she hears him. “What do you think you are doing?”

  “Helping you,” he says out loud, making everyone’s eyes zero in on him.

  “I didn’t ask for help,” she says, affronted.

  “No, I know. You never do. Now just be a good girl and drink up.”

  She is stubborn enough to refuse and he thinks for a second that she is going to, but then she looks hungrily at Ramon and dives onto him with gusto. Crap. He hopes that either she pulls back or Remiel pulls her off. “We should have sent two,” he mutters, but then sighs in relief when she pulls back. “Feel better?” he asks smartly.

  “Yes, thank you,” she says. “I just know how Drake feels about this. He won’t be happy if he knows.”

  “Well, he can’t expect you to go hungry. Is he some kind of monster?” he asks.

  “Kind of. Not so much to me, yet. I will tell all when I get home. Thank you, Linc, I am grateful.” She smiles sweetly.

  “It’s no problem,” he says softly. “You may have to give him something though,” he adds. “He is a huge pain in the ass.”

  “Who, Remiel? Yeah, tell me about it.” She glares at him sitting there next to her. “What do you want?” she asks him.

  “You already know,” he says as he stands up, grabbing hold of Ramon. “I hope you get out of here soon; you owe me.” He disappears and Lincoln is left feeling disturbed by his parting comment.

  “See you soon, my love,” he says to her and she smiles.

  “Bye.”

  He cuts her off and opens his eyes to find everyone leaning in close to him as if they expect to hear what she was saying to him. He glares at them to back-off.

  “Well?” Cole asks anxiously.

  “She’s fed, but it’s not going to last her long. That place is draining the energy off her. I can feel it,” he says worriedly.

  “What do you mean, you can feel it?” Constantine asks with derision.

  “I mean I can feel it,” Lincoln growls at him.

  “But is she okay?” Cole asks desperately.

  “Yes, she’s fine. For now,” he replies.

  “Oh, no need to thank me,” Remiel says. “You all just go about your business.”r />
  “You should have mentioned this sooner,” he says, standing up.

  “Well, perhaps next time,” Remiel says dismissively. “You are not wrong though in your assumptions about it draining her energy.”

  “What do you mean?” Sebastian rounds on him with a bit more force than he would expect from “just a friend.”

  “The Dragon in her is fighting to come free. It is…how can I put this delicately…unhappy to be in the Fae Kingdoms,” he says. “She knows if she loses control of it, it will end one of two ways: her being slain or her doing the slaying.”

  “And you never thought to mention this before?” Constantine roars at him and includes Sebastian in on his rage. Interesting. Does he know more than he is letting on?

  “It makes sense,” Xane steps up. “We already know that Faerie hate Dragons. It is the whole reason they are separate from the Underworld, and Dragons hate Faerie just as much. If ValamAtrux is being held, effectively prisoner, She won’t be best pleased. We should have anticipated that and factored it into the decision to rescue her.”

  “She doesn’t need rescuing,” Remiel says and gets everybody on edge. “She is under control and only there for another day. Let her see it through.”

  “What is it to you?” Cole yells, joining in on the bellowing, giving Lincoln a headache. “You have no say in this whatsoever. In fact, we should be trying to figure out a way to kill you so you can never hurt her again.”

  “I will let that slide, boy, as I can see you are upset by your wife’s absence. But threaten me again and there won’t be a single being in the Realms that will be able to protect you from my wrath,” Remiel says ominously, and everyone in the room feels his power and goes silent, stepping back from him a fraction.

  “Look,” Lincoln says, standing up, ready to diffuse this situation. “Now that we know, we can keep an eye on her. Remiel, if you would be so kind as to remain on hand to take her a Feeder should the need arise, it would be most appreciated.” This is why he is the reasonable one. He has diplomacy and tact and knows an ally when he sees one. These Vampires run on pure instinct, and it doesn’t really matter to them who they offend in the process of getting the outcome they want.

  Remiel smiles genially at him and ignores the rest. “You see, I knew I liked you, Wolf. You know respect. I will be happy to help, just call me.” He steps closer to him and repeats, “Just you. I will not take orders from these heathens who could use a lesson or two in manners.” And with that he disappears. Once again, the arguing starts, and his headache turns into a migraine. He grabs a bottle of water and heads back outside.

  This is the problem with living in the same house with a bunch of Paranormal creatures, way too much supernatural vibe. Wolves he can take, even Shifters in general, but add Vampires, Demons, and whatever the Hell Remiel is, and his head feels like it is going to explode. He sits and opens the water, taking a big gulp with his eyes closed against the sun.

  “Erica,” he says, sensing her hovering. “What can I do for you?”

  “Sorry for interrupting, I heard all the shouting from the front door. I wasn’t sure if I should knock or investigate,” she says with a smile and sits down next to him.

  “Probably best to run in the other direction,” he says, returning her smile.

  “That bad, huh?”

  “Worse. It’s tough when Liv isn’t here to act as a buffer.” He rubs the back of his neck.

  “She’s not here?” she frowns. “I thought she was supposed to be back from her business on Thursday?”

  “She got held up,” he says evasively, not wanting to give details away. You never know exactly who you can trust with the Queen’s business.

  “Oh. What about the thing?”

  “I’m looking into it. I have a few leads. Just let me get rid of this migraine and I’ll get back on it.”

  “You have a migraine?” she asks, surprised, as Shifters don’t get sick. Well, Paranormal creatures in general don’t get sick.

  Lincoln nods back to the house where the arguing is still going on.

  “Oh,” she says. “Here, let me.” She kneels behind him and kneads the back of his neck and massages his shoulders and it feels better almost straight away. “Wow, you are tense,” she says as she digs her thumbs in and he lets out a small groan of pleasure. She continues her ministrations for a few minutes and then she breaks the silence. “Um, I have been thinking about something. I wonder if you might hear me out?”

  “What is it?” he asks. He keeps his eyes closed as she works her hands down his back.

  “Just let me finish before you jump in, okay?” she says.

  “Okaaaay,” he draws it out, now getting a bit concerned.

  “I know that Liv is your Alpha mate. You have been through the Pairing and you have your bond and your Pack in place, but…” she hesitates, and he has a sinking feeling he knows where this is going. “Have you thought about, or talked with her about what you are going to do when you want to have kids?”

  “I don’t want kids,” he tells her, and she pauses.

  “You don’t?” He can sense her frown. “Is that because Liv can’t give them to you?”

  “No, I just don’t want them,” he says and frowns himself now, as this is none of her business.

  “Oh, because I have come up with a solution,” she says cautiously.

  “There is no problem,” Lincoln says to her now, turning around to glare at her.

  She takes her hands off him. “Sorry, I know that came out wrong. I had this whole speech rehearsed and I wasn’t expecting you to say that you didn’t want to have children.” She chews her lip. “Can I still say what I came here to say?” she asks after a minute.

  “If you must,” he says with a sigh.

  “I think we should integrate our Packs,” she says. “You and Liv can be the Alphas, but when the time comes that you want to breed, you use me. I will be like your Substitute Alpha.”

  His eyes widen at her words. Liv would throw a shit fit if she heard this. The word “Substitute” has strong implications and causes a very bad and violent reaction. “If you ever use that word again it will be your last,” he says to her with meaning, and she blanches.

  “Okay, call it whatever you want, but don’t you see that it is a good idea? You can still be with your chosen one, but she is unable to bear children. I am capable.”

  “So is she,” he says to her astonishment.

  “But she is a Vampire by nature,” Erica says, confused.

  “No, she is a Dragon by nature,” Lincoln points out.

  “But…”

  “But, nothing. Should I change my mind, I will discuss it with my Alpha, and she will be the one bearing my children. As it stands, I am not in a place where I want that.”

  “Oh,” she says. “Okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize she was…I’m sorry.”

  You should be, he thinks in annoyance.

  “I should go. Let me know if you find anything on that creature,” she says, standing up.

  Before he can answer her, she is gone. He sighs and flops back to the ground. Seems to be his favorite position at the moment.

  He wasn’t entirely honest with Liv the other week about it not happening for them. He knew of her plans with her sire, which pains him, but if it is what she wants then he won’t interfere, and her concerns about the Other her and Other him having children. He wanted to reassure her that it was not going to happen with them.

  It could very well happen if he ever lifts the curse, he put on himself when they first started their sexual relationship. He knew he didn’t want kids. He had been trapped in a forest for half a century, it was the last thing on his mind. Tatiana was very helpful in getting him the right curse and so far, it has worked. Liv doesn’t know. He thought he probably should tell her at some point, but it never seemed the right time and now it seems a bit too late. If she ever said to him that she wanted to do that he would take it off in an instant now, but he knows she was horrified, a
s he was, when they found out about the Others’ offspring. He wonders if she knows that for Shifters to breed, they must be in their natural form at conception. She probably does, as the same is said for Dragons. Maybe that’s why she is so hesitant to mate with him as a Wolf. Maybe he should tell her about the curse, as his Inner Wolf is dying to get his Alpha in a furry tussle.

  He grins at that pleasing thought, but it fades as he concludes that even if she did want it and it did happen, the second she Shifted to something other than her Wolf or human form it would probably be over. How sure could they be that it would never happen? Consciously, sure, but Xerxei tends to turn up unannounced and that chick is all Demon, and if she is fighting off her Dragon form now, who’s to say in the future she would win that battle? Lincoln sighs and sits up. Erica’s right, they do need to talk about this. He has been brushing it under the carpet.

  Fortunately, though, he has time. He is only just over a third of the way through his natural life. As an Alpha, he will live until about nine hundred. Not many have been recorded much past that, although Liv’s blood is going to change that for him. He doesn’t know if she is aware that he is drinking it when he bites her and that her blood is making him stronger, faster, and more powerful. It is also slowing down the aging process. He can feel it almost as if it is a physical thing. It is probably best to keep that as much under wraps as possible, who knows what freaks would come out of the woodwork to bleed her for their own gain if they ever found out.

  He hauls himself to his feet and heads back inside. The long way. He likes to avoid the others as much as possible. It is better for his head.

  He has loads of work to do so he settles at his desk and gets started. Things are a lot easier now that he has designated delegates that deal with the everyday stuff. He tends to just handle any major problems, or any inter-species deals that arise. He knows most of the Vampire delegates that Liv appointed have their own set of delegates to do their grunt work. Devon has three that he knows of. In fact, he hardly does anything for the Regency anymore.

  His focus has shifted quite considerably and seeing as he doesn’t have an actual job anymore, he is busier than ever. His knack for numbers is astonishing, so it is no surprise their entire group, with its net worth of what must be about a trillion dollars if not more, appointed him in charge of their portfolios. Lincoln’s included. Everything Devon touches comes up trumps. He has quadrupled what he started out with inside a few months. He thinks it is an actual magickal gift. In fact, it must be, because he has never won at poker with Devon and he racked up tens of thousands of dollars in Vegas at roulette. A fact that Xane was less than impressed with, especially considering the wards he has up to prevent magick users from cheating. His gift must be innate. He wonders if he even knows or just thinks he is a lucky son-of-a-bitch. He likes Devon. He considers him a friend. Probably the only one he has here. Although, he feels Cole is warning up to him slightly. He never would have though the man would agree to the three-way they engaged in the other night.