by Eros, Marata
“So I have to choose between one of these guys?” Nova sighs.
Tension fills the room.
“What can make it easier, Nova?” Zach asks.
Her chin lifts. “If none of this had ever happened.”
Zach chuckles. “That won’t work. You're here. You're Druid. The obvious answer is to breed with the Reaper who possesses the most Druid blood.”
His gaze travels to Ren, and Zach grunts suspiciously. “And how much does the Harborer have?”
“He's enough,” Nova says defensively.
I feel a stab of painful jealousy at her comment.
Just this once. Never again.
I'll never share Nova again.
Mikhail steps forward.
“No way,” Nova says, leaning back against me. “I'm not doing you. A buddy of Kellan's? I don't think so.”
I'm instantly hard again from her nearness.
Mikhail nods. “I know you believe we were in alliance with him, but we were fooled by him. However, it doesn't alter the facts. My mother was a full-blood Druid. My father was Faction with Reaper blood.”
Zach whips his head toward Mikhail. “You know we could invoke rights of death for your Faction blood?”
Mikhail nods. “I'm a product of a rape. There's nothing glamorous about my existence.” Mikhail takes his tunic off in a tearing pull over his head. Numerous scars cover his body where lashes met his flesh in the not-too-distant past.
“The Faction did not care if I shared their mongrel blood. It was survival of the fittest. Not until Damon found me half-dead and starved did I learn that torture is in part motivated by jealousy. I possess something they do not.”
His eyes focus on Nova.
She steps away from the shelter of my body, and I allow it.
“What?”
“A chance,” he says in a growl. “A chance to breed with a female of quality. A worthy female.”
“By kidnapping me?”
He shakes his head, and some hair falls from the tie at his nape. “I'd hoped all things would be overcome in time, that we'd learn to cleave as is meant to be.”
“Don't get all stuck on that idea, Reaper,” I say dryly. “For one, she's mine. Nova's not going to boink a slew of Reaper-Druids. I know we're short on breeding Druids, but we're not going to be like Cole's home coven.”
“I haven't chosen anything yet,” Nova says.
Before I can respond, Cole says, “Most of our breeders were treated well, but they were paired with two or three of us.”
Nova doesn't acknowledge Cole's comment. “I don't know what I want. Considering having sex with guys I don't know...”
Ren clears his throat, and Nova squeezes his hand. “Except Ren. I know him. And he's on board with this… plan.” Her throat convulses in a hard swallow.
“Trust me, breeder, once you begin with males who have enough blood of your blood, you will want all that we offer,” Mikhail says.
Nova gives a shaky laugh. “If I can get past all the caveman speak.”
Rachel laughs. “Nope. But it makes for good comedy.”
“What?” Holly asks with a mild pout. “I kinda like it.”
Nova looks at her. “Yeah, that makes perfect sense.”
Mother smiles at their interaction.
I just want to finish this. Protect Nova. Claim her.
My eyes meet my Father’s, and he nods.
Time to move things along.
“Talking won't be an important part of breeding, Nova.”
She looks at Mikhail once more, her vague smile melting away as her expression grows serious.
“Scent them,” Zach says. “You don't have to listen to Mikhail. Your blood will know the best match. You're awakening to your cycling. Let your biology choose for you.”
Nova looks at Zach. “Like some kind of bloodhound?”
Zach dips his chin. “If you will.”
Nova snorts. “Ooookaay, boys.”
She walks toward the row of males who've been in my coven from the beginning, then the two newcomers. “Pfft. I feel stupid doing this.”
“It's like choosing the perfect ice cream flavor,” Holly pipes up.
Nova gives her a withering stare, and Zach sends her an indulgent glance. Holly pats her swollen belly, returning his loving glance with a sly smile.
Watching Nova move through the ranks and sniff the vampires makes my guts clench.
She hesitates over Josiah then moves on. Nova stands in front of Mikhail. His bare chest moves up and down quickly. His breathing gives away his nervousness.
Nova sets her palms on his chest, and he flinches as though it hurts.
I know it doesn't. His eyes widen at the skin to skin contact.
Nova's do as well. “Oh,” she says in a slightly mystified whisper.
His face leans down beside hers, and his large hand moves to her lower back. “My restraint is not limitless, breeder.”
Nova sinks to the flats of her feet. Her hand creeps up to his shoulder. “Okay.”
Nova steps away, glancing over her shoulder at Ren and me.
“Him.”
I close my eyes against what I see in her gaze: certainty and lust.
Why does that cause me pain when that's how I look at her? It's a question I don't want to examine too closely.
“So be it.” Zach looks around for challengers. Seeing none, though the other males manage their disappointment badly, he continues, “The breeder has chosen.”
Nova walks back to my side.
I want to hate Mikhail, but he sees what this costs me, and he waits where he stands for his invitation.
Rachel moves to Nova’s side. “Come on. We'll get you all sassy and slutty for the boys.”
“Really? Right.” Nova gives me a covert glance and blushes.
My dick is so hard it hurts.
I watch her walk out of the room to be primped for the breed.
Zach waits until after Nova is out of earshot. “Now tell me about this other breeder, Alicia.”
“A-lee-c-ia,” I correct automatically.
“Yes.”
I tell him.
He turns to Josiah, Elias, and Andrew. “You heard what Brandon said. She holds his seed. Any supernatural within fifty miles will scent her.”
He turns back to me. “How many days has it been since this occurred?”
I think back. “Maybe a few? Three?”
“Damn.” Zach looks at Damon, as quiet as the inside of a church. “Can you stay and provide guard for the kiss? We will be down three Reapers when they scout for Alicia, and your fellow warrior will breed with two others. That leaves only Cole and myself. It is not sufficient numbers in case Kellan, or others, come calling.”
“Only if I have a promise in return,” Damon announces.
I still, as does Ren, Cole, and the king.
“And what would that be?” Zach asks slowly.
“I want a chance to fuck the new breeder.” He jabs a thumb in my direction. “This one already sunk his meat in her willing snatch. It is for the rest of us to taste of her Druid ripeness.”
Seconds pound by.
“Agreed. But in this coven, we do not deal in rape. We deal in chemistry. The right Reaper-Druid with the correct female. Is that clear?” Zach asks.
Damon's face contorts into disgust. “I do not need to force a breeder.” A cruel smile curls his lips. “Though I am not above rough play.”
“How rough?” Cole asks, his eyes narrowing at the newcomer.
Damon's gaze narrows. “As rough as the breeder can stand.”
Zach lifts his chin. “And what blood do you possess?”
“Many,” Damon answers vaguely.
“Only a few supernaturals enjoy violence as part of their sex,” Cole offers.
“Faction?” Zach replies to the unspoken question.
I hit on it first. “Werewolf.”
Damon smiles at me, the grin looking toothy around the edges.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
Nova
I'm going to have sex with three men.
I should be horrified and running for the hills like a bat out of hell.
Instead, I'm letting three women I don't know work me over. The bathtub I soak in is filled with rich lavender crystals, now dissolved, and swirling around me in a moist, fragrant cloud.
Holly is doing my nails, of all things.
“I'm thinking my hands won't matter, just saying,” I say.
Rachel sighs. “You know, Nova, we all felt like you once.”
Doubtful. I ignore her comment. “And nothing's awkward about you preparing me to go traipsing off to have sex with your son. No. Nothing. Awkward. At. All.”
Aubree laughs. “I think you'll see things are handled more primitively within a vampire coven. Our kiss doesn't have the niceties of society. We know our worth and where the Druid vampires fall in the food chain.”
“At the top,” Rachel says, lathering my hair.
“So what does that make us?” I ask.
“Special.” Holly strokes the last layer of a clear polish mixed with a fine opalescent glitter over my nails.
I stare at my beautified fingertips. I don't know what kind of magic she worked on them. They'd been in tough shape, and now they're gorgeous. Maybe I've been a little bit mean to Holly.
I clear my throat and make a stab at civility. “They look pretty, Holly.”
“Thank you,” she says with a happy smile. “I love nails, hair, clothes...”
“Sex,” Rachel says in a droll voice.
“Yes, definitely lots and lots of that.”
I'm silent in the middle of their banter.
They turn to look at me and Rachel says, “We know you're a virgin.”
Oh. Now that's embarrassing.
Holly sees my expression. “It's okay. Remember I told you Zach took my cherry then three other Reapers bred me?”
My stomach does a slow flip. “Wow.” My eyes feel like golf balls inside their sockets. “You make that sound—” I wave my hand.
“Careful,” Holly chastises.
I hastily stop, checking my nails to make sure I didn't gouge her work. “Right, sorry.”
“She makes it sound normal because it is,” Rachel explains in a matter-of-fact way.
“But you didn't...?” I ask.
“No, Aubree and I have just one Reaper. The queen must be bred with more than one initially.”
“Then…” Oh boy, how do I ask the asshat question?
“Ask,” Holly says, studying my face.
I stand, water dripping over my body and splashing inside the tub. Rachel hands me a towel, and I wrap my body, loving the luxurious feel of the terrycloth.
These guys have all the wealth. I take in the opulent surroundings. Every surface is tumbled marble, and the tub's so big it could fit three.
It probably has. I don't dwell on that.
“So who's baby is it?” I ask.
Holly lifts a shoulder. “I don't know. The first baby might be Zach's or not. The important thing is they'll be daywalkers.”
“This makes my head hurt,” I confess.
“All the future babies will be Zach's,” Holly adds.
Ah-huh. “Great.”
Holly scrunches her nose as I move into my “chamber.” A large four-poster bed anchors the center of the room. Wood floors gleam from their high polish. They glow amber in the tangerine light spearing the windows as twilight succumbs to the night.
“Most women would be all over this hunk sandwich,” Holly adds.
I turn away from the darkness pressing against the glass. “I don't think most women would like the whole fang component.”
Holly gives a small nod. “Maybe, but Rachel and I have a guaranteed orgasm when they sink fang and prick at the same time.”
I give Aubree an incredulous look, I don't even bother to rein in my shock.
She simply gazes back unfazed. “I'd love to refute that but really—I can't.”
She laughs.
Well, hell.
“There's something to this Druid breeder thing.” Rachel says. “We can do things other human women can't. Our bodies our designed to take more, breed better. Have vampires that walk in daylight.”
“What about the Mer thing?” I ask as I drop my towel and Rachel lays out my “mating” attire.
“You are a maiden of the sea. Somewhere in your lineage, someone was of the sea. That's why you and Brandon shared the call of the breeder before you'd even met, but because you are of Mer blood, it was stronger. He left after he was barely more than a youngling.”
Aubree falls silent.
“What if I was supposed to be with a Mer guy?”
Aubree shivers. “Nah. Our intel says they've gone whacko. A Faction vamp killed the prince to save the princess. In fact, Bran was there for a pivotal battle. The Mer warriors were going to do some kind of ritualistic gang rape against their own royalty.”
“Constantine,” Rachel says with conviction.
Aubree nods. “He actually saved her, Bran said.”
“Amazing,” Rachel says with a shudder.
I don't know who Constantine is, but I'm glad I haven't met him or the Mer warriors. If they'd be willing to hurt their princess for power or whatever, they aren’t high on my list. “I guess it's good they didn't get to me first.”
“Definitely. Those fishy fucktards,” Rachel clucks.
I laugh. Maybe the girls aren't so bad after all.
I run my hand over the beautiful pure white silk dress. It's simple. The plunging V-neck is embroidered with glittering clear stones along the edge of the bodice. The straps are spaghetti-style, paper thin and elegant. It will fall nearly to my feet.
I gulp. Grammy would be so proud. And so shocked. I bark out a laugh.
Rachel grins, her black hair swinging forward as she tosses the dress over my head. It slithers down like a hand of silk, hugging every curve.
“What's so funny?” Holly asks, dropping gingerly to her knees to check the hem. She adjusts her big belly between her legs.
“I was just thinking my grammy would be so stoked for me to finally mate a Druid. But”—I feel heat rise on my face—“I don't think she envisioned me doing the nasty with three vampires.”
Aubree looks me dead in the eye. “You're a cherished female amongst the Druid-Reapers, Nova. This isn’t some cheap screw for them. You are the future of our race—we are as well. The males are completely aware.”
I look away.
“If I'm supposedly such a big deal, then why am I so scared?”
Holly touches my arm. I look down into her upturned face and am struck by how tiny she is. She struggles to stand because she's so far along in her pregnancy.
“You've never been with a guy before. Believe me, they won't hurt you. I mean, I can't speak for the Harborer, but I'm assuming he'll do right by ya.”
I nod. “I've wanted Ren forever.”
“He's handsome,” Aubree says.
“Neapolitan ice cream,” Holly says randomly.
I look up from tightening the strap of my ridiculously high silver heels.
“What?”
“Three flavors in one.” Holly looks at me expectantly. “And you thought I was slow. Duh. Vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate.”
The men. Oh yeah.
My face feels scaldingly hot.
The women laugh.
“It'll be okay,” Aubree assures me. “I raised Bran right.”
“For five years!” I say.
Aubree shrugs. “It is what it is. Our world is strange, but it's our normal, Nova. And it will soon be yours.”
Right. I move to the full-length mirror. The faces of the girls are reflected around the perimeter.
My whole life has been lived in a poor existence: cheap apartments, clothes, not a lot of discretionary income… I stole happiness where I could.
Now I stand in a “mating” gown for a vampire wedding of sorts. It's the fin
est thing I've ever worn in my life. It lies against my skin like a breath of soft air, seemingly handmade for me.
Rachel scoops up my dark hair and pins part of it on top of my head. It's still damp from the bath. It's naturally wavy and tends to curl when it's not blown dry.
Green eyes stare back at me from the mirror. Rachel's icy blue eyes meet mine, and the emerald ones looks too bright in my pale face.
I've never felt more vulnerable.
“Don't worry. You'll be fine,” Rachel says, placing the last tendril in a chilly curl against my spine.
My nipples rise into pebbles from the cold.
“More than fine,” Holly says with a seductive giggle.
A soft knock sounds at the door, and my heart leaps painfully. My body becomes one long line of tension.
It's time.
I'm not ready.
At least, that's how I feel until I get a load of the vampires.
Mikhail enters first. He is handsome. His scars stand at livid attention like pink lightning strikes against his ivory skin. Silver eyes stand in a face seemingly sculpted in granite.
My gaze roves his body with an intensity I'm at once unnerved and embarrassed by. I should be shy, innocent, but my body knows instinctively what it needs. A throbbing ache begins deep inside my pussy. All the drudgery and hardships have brought me to this moment, with these males.
However improbable, we're meant for this fated event.
Ren steps in after Mikhail, his hazel eyes hooded with a completely unfamiliar expression of lust directed at me. He takes in my beautiful gown, and I see his arousal from here.
I never thought I'd be doing this with Ren.
Brandon is last, and my breath catches at the sight of him. His eyes are black holes burning with low fire for what's to come. He wears loose trousers in blood-red satin fabric.
Ren's trousers are forest green and Mikhail's a deep royal blue. I notice the girls slipped out the door at some time in the middle of my stare-fest.
I can't help what I do next. I mean no disrespect to any of them.
My feet take me in a slinking stride directly to Brandon. His blood calls the loudest.
For once, my magic makes sense. If only my heart could too.
I stop thinking.
Brandon looks at every part of me with his hands on my shoulders. By the time his eyes travel back to mine, the depths of his gaze draw me in.
