Claiming Her Mates: Book Three: A reverse harem paranormal romance series

by Dia Cole

  Nathan let out a choking sound. “I’m here, sunshine. Daddy is right here.” He lifted his tear-covered face to Mason and yelled, “Fucking do something. Don’t let my baby suffer.”

  Mason reached for the syringe with the cloudy liquid.

  No. No. No. A piercing scream ripped from my lips. “Mira!”

  “Get Havana out!” Mason shouted to Gabriel.

  Moving in a blur, Gabriel rushed across the room, hauled me into his arms and carried me out.

  I fought him, scratching, and kicking the entire way.

  When he finally set me on the wooden bench outside the door, blood streaked down his face.

  Wracked with grief, I didn’t care that I’d injured him. “I need to see her. Let me go back in there!”

  Gabriel braced his arms around me, refusing to let me up. “There’s nothing to see in there but death.”

  An unbearable wave of sorrow consumed me, leaving me sobbing and clinging to Gabriel as if he were my lifeline.

  Liam reached out to us. “What’s happening?”

  “Not now, brother,” Gabriel said, wrapping his arms around me.

  “How can this happen?” Mira was so young. Sassy and sweet. Stubborn and charming. She loved dressing up and hated eating vegetables. A deep and searing anger stirred inside me. “It’s not fair.”

  “No, it’s not, Princess.” Gabriel swiped his hand across his bloody face.

  “I’m sorry.” I let out a ragged breath and sagged against the wall.

  Shouting from inside the clinic interrupted Gabriel’s reply.

  I stiffened. What’s happening now?

  Something thudded against the other side of the clinic door.

  “Ah, fuck. The child must’ve reanimated.” Gabriel stood and pulled a wicked-looking knife from the waistband of his jeans. “Wait here.”

  I grabbed his arm. “You don’t know that! What if the cure worked?” Hope and terror churned inside me as I stared at the shaking door.

  “Stay back!” Gabriel pushed me behind him and turned the doorknob.

  The door swung open and a huge wolf barreled straight at us.

  9

  Gabriel

  There was only a second to register sharp teeth and claws coming at my pregnant mate. Threat! Primal reflexes honed from decades of training, killing, and fighting for my life had me raising one arm out to protect Havana while I swung my knife into the attacking creature’s side.

  It let out a high-pitched yelp and fell to the ground.

  “That’s Mira!” shouted Nathan, rushing to the doorway. “You stabbed my daughter, motherfucker.”

  Havana let out a soft cry. “Oh, no!”

  I looked down at the large wolf on the floor noting the silver-streaked fur. Ah, fuck. What have I done?

  “She’ll heal.” She has to heal. I bent down and ripped the knife out of her side.

  Mira let out a pain-filled yelp.

  “Brother!” Liam mentally shouted in my mind. “What’s happening?”

  “Not now, Liam!” Shit. I didn’t know Mira could shift, much less into an adult-sized wolf.

  Havana shoved me aside and fell onto the ground next to Mira. She was joined by Nathan who gathered his daughter’s lupine body in his arms.

  “I didn’t know,” I whispered. I never would have knowingly harmed the little Alpha. She reminded me so much of the girl my niece could have grown into.

  I’ve killed Mira just like I killed Isla.

  I stumbled back, nearly slipping on the wet floor. There was blood everywhere—pooling under the wolf’s body, on Havana’s robe, on the knife in my hand.

  With a cry, I released the weapon. It hit the wood floor with a wet thunk.

  The coppery scent of blood stung my nostrils and dragged me straight into the memory of that terrible night.

  The plaintive wail of a babe rang in my mind. Horrific images followed. Me silencing Isla’s newborn cries with my blade. Me cutting down my sister, her mate, my parents. Their anguished screams at my betrayal. My own silent scream as I tried desperately to fight Tasha’s order to kill my family. I’d been helpless to resist Tasha’s compulsion and unable to stop my body from turning on the people I loved.

  Havana had helped me finally forgive myself for the atrocities I’d committed. She’d made me see Tasha’s compulsion was entirely to blame. But I hadn’t been under any compulsion when I struck down Mira just now.

  Accident or not, I’d attacked and possibly killed another innocent babe. A chainsaw of guilt and shame ripped into me.

  “Shift, sunshine,” Nathan said in a commanding voice.

  Mira’s breathing became labored. Her eyes took on the glassiness of impending death.

  Ah, fuck.

  “My compulsion isn’t working,” Nathan cried, his eyes frantic with worry. He glared up at me. “If you killed my daughter, I will end you.”

  If another babe died by my hand, I deserved that and more. I bowed my head willing to accept whatever punishment he dealt me.

  “Where’s Mason?” Havana cried. “He’d know what to do.”

  Nathan glanced back inside the clinic. “Mason's unconscious. You have to compel Mira. Don’t let her die, Vana.”

  Havana took a deep breath and then shouted, “Mira shift right now!” Her voice thrummed with such power, my skull ached. “Mira, shift!”

  Gripping my head in my hands, I shut my eyes against the pain.

  The popping sounds of Mira’s bones and joints remaking themselves was one of the best fucking sounds I’d heard in my life.

  Havana made a startled noise.

  “What in the fates?” murmured Nathan.

  I opened my eyes to see Mira shift into the monstrous hybrid form. As she reared back on her hind legs, she lifted her massive head, and let out a roar that shook the wood beam ceiling.

  Dust rained down on our heads.

  What the fuck?

  Stunned by the impossible sight and the ringing in my ears, I froze in place. In this form, Mira stood nearly eye-to-eye with me. She was the half wolf, half human killing machine only a rare few of our species could become.

  Mira turned her bright gold gaze on me and bared razor-sharp fangs as long as my fingers.

  Oh, shit. In this form, the child could easily tear me apart limb by limb. I sank into a defensive position, readying for her attack.

  “Love bug, stop scaring Gabriel,” Havana said in a firm voice. “Change back to human.”

  Mira tossed her snout from side to side and inched closer to me. The knife-like claws on her paws scraped the floor as her steamy breath heated the air around my face.

  From years of observing Tasha in this form, I knew if I ran or tried to attack the hybrid would take me down in a heartbeat. There was only one thing to do. I slowly sank to the floor and rested my head at her feet.

  Mira shuffled back on her hind legs, seeming confused.

  It’s working.

  “Mira, shift into a little girl.” The compulsion in Havana’s voice made my own head hurt.

  Mira let out an annoyed snarl and slowly took her human form.

  I blinked at her in shock and awe. Taking wolf form at her age was unheard of. Taking hybrid form should have been impossible.

  “What are you doing?” Mira said, staring down at me.

  I pushed myself up on my arms. “I was playing dead.”

  “Well, I don’t like you.” Mira stuck her tongue out at me.

  Fair enough. “I’m sorry I stabbed you. I thought you were attacking Havana.”

  Mira looked back at my mate who was sitting on the floor next to a dazed looking Nathan. “I’d never attack Vana. She’s going to be my mommy when Daddy gives her the sparkly ring.” She whipped her head around to glare at me. “You can’t come to the party.”

  Fuck me. I definitely wasn’t scoring any points with the little female, but at least I hadn’t ended her life. I let out a deep breath and picked up my knife from the floor. As I wiped the blade clean on my tatte
red jeans, I resolved to do a better job assessing potential threats before attacking them.

  “Mira, come here,” Havana said, raising her arms.

  The little girl dove into them.

  “The black veins are gone. You’re healed!” Havana cried happy tears as she adjusted her robe to cover the child’s naked body. “I’m so glad, you’re okay, bug. We’re all so happy.” She elbowed Nathan.

  The Alpha male picked his jaw off the floor. “Thank the fates. You gave me a scare, sunshine.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

  Mira smiled up at Nathan “I can turn into a doggie.”

  “Yes, you can,” he said, a hint of awe in his voice.

  “Can you turn into a doggie?”

  Nathan slowly nodded. “All of us can.”

  But not all of us can take hybrid form. I looked over at my mate. When I’d seen Havana in hybrid form yesterday, I’d been astounded. Only Originals had ever been able to take the monstrous form. And now, with a dose of Havana’s blood, Mira could transform too. It was incredible.

  “Can Mason turn into a doggie?” Mira asked.

  Havana twisted around to look into the clinic. “Mason!”

  Nathan wrapped his arms around Havana and Mira. “He’ll be fine once he wakes. I think he may have injected himself with some of that sedative.”

  Havana’s eyes rounded. “Are you sure he’s okay?”

  “I’ll check on him.” I needed to do something helpful for a change. I stepped around Mira, Havana, and Nathan noting how happy they looked together.

  Doubt crept into my mind. Maybe Havana would be better off mated solely to Nathan. Male-female couples were the norm in our species for a reason. Males, like me, were jealous sons of bitches that had a hard time sharing anything. Alpha males were even more territorial. Nathan and I would likely be at each other’s throats for the rest of our lives. Lives that would be significantly shorter because Havana had claimed Mason, Liam and me.

  Alphas lived for decades beyond Betas and Omegas, and no one even knew the lifespan of the Originals. They could be immortal.

  Havana could be immortal. Or at least she might have been if she hadn’t bonded to Mason, Liam, and me. Fuck. The realization that our bond made my mate vulnerable hit me like a punch to the gut.

  Not wanting to examine those thoughts any longer, I took stock of the chaos inside the clinic. The desk lay on its side. The floor was covered in papers and medical supplies. One exam table had been overturned and Mason’s loafers stuck out from under it.

  Sighing, I maneuvered through the mess and hefted the exam table off Mason.

  His chest rose and fell with a steady rhythm. Except for the growing bump on his head, he looked okay.

  I was thinking about moving him to the hallway when I caught sight of the remaining vials of Havana’s blood sitting by the windowsill.

  If a dose of Havana’s blood allowed Mira to take hybrid form, will it do the same for me? Would it make me an Alpha?

  The idea excited the hell out of me. All my life I’d lived in the shadow of Alphas. Despite lacking the increased strength and the yellow eyes of the highest ranks of our species, I possessed their quickness and their dominant nature. It’s what set me apart from the other warriors and made Tasha select me as her Head Enforcer. But it hadn’t been enough to save my family.

  I picked up one vial and rolled it in my palm. The red liquid swished and swirled inside like the fine wine I’d often seen Tasha drink.

  Tasha’s power came from her compulsion and her ability to take hybrid form. As the Beast, she could destroy anyone and anything in her path, but if we all could take hybrid form too, we could destroy her.

  The thought had me clenching the glass vial. I can avenge my family. I can avenge Isla.

  I pictured the beautiful face of my dead niece.

  Pain and anger swelled inside me. Tasha needed to be destroyed. Nathan had a plan, but if he thought his political coup would work, he was kidding himself. The bitch would never concede her power to a bunch of lesser Alphas and council members. No matter how many other factions rose against her, she’d only fight harder.

  Even after all those years with her, Nathan didn’t understand the Alpha of Winterhaven. Tasha feared only one thing, those with more power. That was why she’d killed every Alpha female born in her faction. She took no chances that any female would grow in power to rival or exceed hers.

  That’s why we had to protect Havana and Mira from her. That’s why we needed to do what no other assassins had done before—kill the Beast.

  The idea of murdering a nearly immortal being would have been ridiculous just an hour ago. But now we had this. I lifted the vial, peering at the ruby liquid inside. This can shift the odds in our favor.

  Determined to test my theory, I sifted through the crap on the floor until I found several packaged syringes. Not knowing what the different gauges meant, I tore one package open and plunged the needle into the vial.

  “How is Mason?” Havana called out.

  “He’s fine. Enjoying a nap,” I shouted back. I didn’t want her looking in and trying to talk me out of my plan. If there was a chance her blood could change me the way it’d changed Mira, I had to try.

  Once I’d filled the syringe, I lined it up with a vein in my arm.

  “What are you doing, brother?” Liam’s deep voice boomed from the doorway.

  Startled, I nearly dropped the syringe.

  “Since when do you do drugs?”

  “Shut up and get over here.”

  Giving me a puzzled look, the giant waded through the mess. “Havana said Mira no longer has the virus. Good news. Right, brother?”

  Aggravated with how long he was taking I clenched my teeth. “That’s not even the best news.”

  “It isn’t?” He ducked under a wood beam.

  “Look at this.” I help up the syringe.

  Liam tripped over Mason’s leg and nearly fell on the male. “Shit. Sorry, Doc.”

  “Never mind him.” I waved my hand impatiently. “This is how we kill the Beast.”

  He squinted at the needle in my hand. “How do you figure?”

  “After one dose of Havana’s blood, Mira could take hybrid form.” I snapped my finger against the needle.

  A drop of blood flew into the air and landed on Liam’s cheek. He wiped it off with the back of his hand. “You’re kidding?”

  I gave him a telepathic playback of the last half an hour. When I’d finished, his incredulous expression had changed into amazement. “I want an injection too.”

  I motioned over at the remaining vials. “Help yourself.” I waited while he filled his own syringe with Havana’s blood.

  “Where do I stick it?” Liam tried to position his needle on the inside of his arm.

  I shrugged. “How the fuck do I know? Just find a vein.”

  Together we inserted the needle into our arms.

  “On three,” I said. “One… two… three.”

  We depressed the syringe plungers at the same time.

  Nothing happened.

  Liam frowned. “Well, that was as anticlimactic as shit.”

  Disappointed, I pulled out the needle. “Maybe we need more blood. We’re a lot bigger than Mira.” I headed for the windowsill where two more vials lay.

  “Or maybe the blood infusion only works on latents,” Liam countered.

  I stopped in my tracks. Fuck. I hadn’t thought about that. Still, I wasn’t ready to give up hope just yet. “Let’s at least try one more dose.”

  Liam suddenly groaned, his body shaking violently. “I don’t feel so good.” His eyes rolled back and he hit the floor.

  “Brother!” I’d barely taken a step toward him when the most intense pain of my life hit me. Fuck, this better be worth it, I thought before collapsing.

  10

  Havana

  If not for the persistent anxious feeling that hadn’t gone away, I could almost relax.

  Blissfully unaware of my worry
, Mira slept in my lap.

  I rested my hand on her back savoring her slow deep breaths. Those minutes when I’d thought she’d died had been the worst of my life.

  Nathan placed his large, warm hand over mine. “Praise the fates, she’s alive.”

  “Yes,” I murmured.

  Nathan went motionless, and then shook his head. “Screw the fates, you are the reason my daughter is alive.” He laced his fingers through mine “Without your blood Mira would have died.”

  I tensed, uncomfortable with his gratitude.

  “I will forever be indebted to you.” His bright amber gaze glowed with emotion as he stared down at my face.

  Okayyy. I was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth. If Nathan’s appreciation meant he was no longer giving me the cold shoulder, I’d take it. “Does this mean you’ll stay mated to me…permanently?”

  He nodded.

  “And you’re okay with the baby.” I held my breath.

  He looked down at his daughter. “I love children.”

  “What about them?” I motioned into the clinic where three of my mates seemed to have disappeared. What the heck are they doing in there? Just a minute ago, there had been crashing noises. My bonds with Liam and Gabriel had flashed with pain, but both males had quickly called out that they were okay.

  Nathan clenched his jaw. “We’ll figure something out.”

  Filled with happiness, I leaned over and planted a kiss on his lips. “Thank you.”

  He deepened the kiss.

  Sighing, I gave myself over to his masterful lips and tongue. No one could kiss like Nathan. It was as if he were seducing me and claiming ownership at the same time.

  My head spun, and a moan escaped my lips.

  Mira mumbled something in her sleep.

  Oh, crap. Mira.

  We froze and looked down at her.

  Thankfully, she continued sleeping. Besides shifting for the first time, Nathan thought Mason might have injected her with some sedative before she attacked him.

  Nathan let out a ragged breath and pressed his forehead against mine. “Damnation. I’m not a worthy enough male for you. You may not remember, but this is the second time you’ve saved my daughter’s life.”