His Vampire Harem_Harem Paranormal Romance [Gay]

by Lily Harlem

  When the sun began to stroke shades of peach and lilac on the London horizon, Lloyd and I went back into the apartment.

  Oscar was in the same position I’d left him in, perched on the edge of the sofa and staring at the bedroom door.

  “All okay?” Lloyd asked, shucking his hood back and running his hand over his crew cut.

  Oscar nodded.

  “Any more burning smells?” I asked.

  Oscar glanced at me. “No, nothing. Silence.”

  “You sure they’re in there?” Lloyd frowned.

  “Nowhere else they could be.” Oscar stood. “But it’s time for us to go.”

  “Where?” Lloyd asked.

  Oscar nodded at me. “Rhys here thinks we should take Darius to The Order, present him to Master Concorde.”

  Lloyd was quiet for a moment, then, “Yeah, and I think that’s a good idea.”

  “So does George apparently.” Oscar folded his arms and rocked back on his heels.

  “What do I think is a good idea?” George said as he pulled open the bedroom door.

  I wasn’t surprised he’d heard us talking. In fact, he’d probably heard everything we’d said earlier too, if he hadn’t been in the throes of ecstasy that was.

  “About going to Master Concorde,” I said. “Today.”

  He nodded and pulled the door closed. “Yes, I do think it’s a good idea. It will give Darius an introduction to The Order, and he can be seen as a human mate.”

  “So we’re going to present him as all of ours?” Oscar asked.

  “No. Just one of us. It will be hard to hide the fact we’re all in love with him, but we need to try.” George rubbed his chin. “And we need to make sure only one of us is with him in the dungeon.”

  “So you think the dungeon is a good idea?” Lloyd said. “I thought you weren’t sure.”

  “I’ve thought about it. Rhys is right. We have to treat him how all vampires treat their human mates, and that means sex in the dungeon, a private room most likely for a first visit.”

  “And who will be the one?” Lloyd asked.

  Me. Me.

  Oh, how I wanted to be with him—to hold him, touch him, have him touch me.

  George glanced around us, then nodded at Oscar. “What do you think?”

  Oscar huffed. “I’d like to say myself, but Darius isn’t ready for me. I think it should be Rhys.”

  I turned to Oscar. “You do?”

  “Yeah, kid. I do.”

  “Oh, okay.” I glanced at Lloyd.

  “I’m a patient man,” he said. “You know that. And I’ll have my turn with our guy when the time comes.”

  I shoved my hands into my jeans pockets and shifted from one foot to the other. “Okay. I’ll take one for the team.” I grinned.

  “If…” George stepped past me, “he’s up for it, Rhys. To be honest, I think I may have worn him out.”

  “Is he still sleeping?” I asked.

  “He’s stirring. I’ve come out to make him a coffee. Someone tell me we have some.”

  “Fuck knows,” Lloyd said. “But I’ll go to the shop if not. Won’t take me long.”

  “Bet you can’t get to the shop and back before the kettle boils,” I said with a grin, feeling suddenly buoyant and excited.

  “You should know damn well never to bet me anything.” Lloyd’s mouth twitched into a half smile. “Go put the kettle on.”

  An hour later I was heading down the large sweeping street that housed The Worshipful Company of the Ancient Order. The terraced houses were tall with sash windows and the brickwork painted white. Each had a pillared porch leading to a shiny black front door. Railings, to match the color of the doors, protected basements, and a few had gates leading downward. None of the houses were homes, mostly they were offices.

  Darius walked at my side. He knew the plan was to speak to Master Concorde honestly about our situation, but outside of the Master’s office he would be primarily at my side, as though we were a couple.

  We walked into the high-ceilinged hallway of the reception area then drew to a halt. The walls were sectioned in half by a wooden dado rail. Beneath was painted startling red and above the rail a pale cream. The floor was parquet and another huge door ahead was of the same dark polished wood.

  A woman sat at an empty desk. She was stunningly beautiful, immaculately made up and wore a scarlet blouse that matched her lipstick. She smiled warmly. “Hello, George. It’s been a while.”

  “Yes.” He touched the peak of his cap. “I trust you are well, Samree.”

  “I am.” She sniffed the air and looked at Darius. “You have a local with you?”

  George nodded. “Can he sign him in?”

  “Of course.” She placed a thick leather-bound book on the desk and added a feather-tipped pen next to it. She didn’t take her attention from Darius, as though like us, she was drawn to his beauty.

  “All visitors must sign into the Company,” I said, picking up the pen and passing it to Darius. “It’s policy.” A wave of protectiveness came over me. Samree would take her fill of Darius’s blood if she were given half a chance.

  “That’s fine with me, Rhys.” Darius opened the book and began to write his name.

  “Are you going to chambers?” Samree asked.

  “Perhaps,” I said. “We have a meeting with Master Concorde first.”

  “You do?” She raised her eyebrows and glanced at George. “Concerning what?”

  “Samree.” George leaned forward with his hands on the desk. “Do you have to know everything?” He smiled then swept his tongue over his bottom lip.

  She frowned and cleared her throat. “I was only asking, that was all.”

  George chuckled and straightened. “It’s simply to offer him use of our cabin in Siberia. I know how he likes it there.”

  “Oh yes, he does.” She picked up the book and pen which Darius had now finished with. “That’s very kind of you.” She turned to Darius. “Welcome to The Ancient Order, I hope you enjoy yourself.”

  “Thanks,” Darius said. “I’m sure I will.”

  She narrowed her eyes and studied his face.

  I stepped closer to him, my arm brushing his.

  “You’re…” she paused. “Exceptionally beautiful for a human.”

  Darius laughed. “So I’ve been told.” He nodded at the door we’d just come through. “And it’s why I’m on several billboards across the city and gracing two magazine covers this month.”

  “Ah, you’re a model?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That explains it.” Her features relaxed as if she’d solved a puzzle.

  “Come on.” I wrapped my arm around Darius. “Time to show you this place.”

  The first room we came to after Reception held a sweeping staircase and a large stone sculpture of a bearded man in a ragged fur cape. It was Master Benedict, and he stared downward with his lips pulled back in a grimace. He’d come to a bad ending, and the creator of this sculpture had captured an element of that, despite him being a good vampire who only wanted what was best for others who’d turned and the humans they lived amongst.

  “It’s him,” Darius said, coming to an abrupt halt. “The man in my dreams.”

  I shared a look with Lloyd.

  “Good,” George said. “That confirms it then.”

  Darius stared up at the statue. “He’s a principled, kind man, I can feel it, despite him looking like a…caveman.”

  Oscar laughed. “Yeah, he does a bit.”

  “He was one of the longest living vampires ever, if living is the right word,” I said. “And the fact he’s coming to you in your dreams is more important than you can possibly imagine.”

  “Shh,” Lloyd said, glancing about. “The walls have ears, Rhys.”

  “There’s no one here,” George said. “Not that I can hear anyway. Come on, let’s go to Master Concorde’s office.”

  I had a familiar gush of nerves going into the Master’s suite of rooms. There were a
couple of the senior ranking vampires who gave me the creeps. A woman, Elfrida, and a man with a long white beard who always stared at me for longer than was necessary. I wasn’t sure if he disliked me or wanted to get to know me better.

  Master Concorde was standing beside a window, staring out at the street below.

  We came to a halt, in a row, and I took Darius’s hand in mine.

  Master Concorde turned. He swept his gaze over us all, his attention ending on Darius. “I’ve been expecting you.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Darius

  I swallowed down a fizz of trepidation. The Ancient Order was huge and grand with many winding corridors, giving the impression of a rabbit warren—each burrow full of vampires I didn’t know. It also felt otherworldly which I guessed it was. And Master Concorde, he could have been a friendly grandfather, except he was dressed in a medieval style cape held on with ropes over his chest and he held a golden stick with a wolf’s head on the top—a head that appeared to have been severed, ripped off. The wolf had no eyes, just black holes.

  “You’ve been expecting me?” I asked, squeezing Rhys’s fingers tighter. I was glad of his return tightening. Master Concorde’s words had surprised me.

  “George said he would find you. It’s not often my son doesn’t achieve what he sets out to.” He stepped up to George and kissed each of his cheeks.

  His son?

  “You’re too kind, Master.” George inclined his head. “As always.”

  I looked between George and Master Concorde. There didn’t appear to be any family resemblance.

  “And where did you find him?” Master Concorde set both of his hands on the top of his stick, covering the wolf’s decapitated head.

  “Paris,” George said. “Lloyd made the final discovery. As you know we’d been making headway over the last few years.”

  “Well done, Lloyd.”

  “Thank you, Master.” Lloyd bowed his head.

  Master Concorde’s eyes narrowed, deep lines shot from the sides to his temples, and he stared at me.

  I resisted the urge to squirm or fidget—I was used to being stared at.

  “You could almost be a vampire,” Master Concorde said, “Quite impressive work for a demon.” He snapped his head to George. “You have told him, haven’t you?”

  “Yes, of course.” George nodded. “He knows everything. We thought that was only fair.”

  “It’s certainly safer.” The Master set his attention on me again. “Mmm, apart from a rise of color on his cheeks, the pulsing of neck veins and the sound of his heartbeat…almost a vampire.”

  “Cambions are rare,” Lloyd said. “It’s not often an incubus can impregnate a human woman.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Master Concorde huffed.

  “Which is why we’re here,” George said. “We need to protect him. If the fable is true, if we find out what the key is, then all the vampires on the planet will want to know it. They’ll all want Darius for themselves.”

  Master Concorde rubbed his chin. “Yes, we’ve had the same problem with Bombays for years.”

  Rhys turned to me. “Humans with Bombay blood type were almost wiped out by vampires unable to control themselves with their obsession for it. Now there’s only a handful left. Master Benedict’s ancestors had to put in vampire laws to protect them.”

  I nodded, hoping there’d be some kind of law to protect me if necessary.

  Master Concorde reached out and put his hand on my shoulder. “Darius, you’re safe here in this room, you’re amongst friends, and I suspect, lovers.”

  I glanced at George, the gorgeous man who’d given me a tender and beautiful first time then held me close all night. My heart tripped over itself. I was falling for him hard and fast. Everything about him seemed so right for me, as it did with all my vampire protectors.

  “But out there.” Master Concorde nodded at the door. “You’re not so safe.”

  “Can I ask a question, sir?” Oscar spoke for the first time.

  “Of course, Oscar.”

  “The fable suggests that Darius holds the key to our salvation. How come you do not want him for yourself?” He folded his arms and looked down at the older man standing before him.

  Master Concorde was quiet, then, “That’s a good question, Oscar, and one that should be asked.” He paused. “I met a cambion, many years ago, in Kathmandu. I was with a friend, another vampire who is sadly no longer existing but his soul is relaxing where he deserves to be for he was a good man.”

  “I don’t understand,” Oscar said gruffly. “Where he deserves to be?”

  “Yes. We both drank from a cambion in a sacred place, and it set our souls free from eternal damnation. So you see, I have no need of your cambion—I’ve had my own. But I believe I’m the only one here at The Order in that fortuitous position, unless others have kept it quiet for the sake of the one with the key.”

  There was silence for a moment, as though my vampires were letting the new knowledge sink in.

  “You drank from him in a sacred place?” Lloyd asked eventually. “That was the key?”

  “Yes, it was a temple in Patan Durbar Square in Kathmandu. Drinking his ethereal blood at a certain date and time on the Magh Nepali calendar—they’re decades ahead of us—was the key to our salvation.”

  “You drank his blood and it saved your souls?” I asked. Was that really the key? My blood?

  “A cambion’s blood is delicious, much more so than regular human’s blood,” Master Concorde went on. “Like Bombay blood, it’s rich and power-giving, I guess a little like having beluga caviar instead of roe. But it’s more than the taste—it’s magical, it’s literally soul-saving if consumed by a damned soul according to the rules of the key.”

  “So we can take Darius to this temple in Kathmandu?” Lloyd said, his eyes widening. “And if we drink from him there, we’ll all be together forever, our souls saved? There’ll be no Hell, no limbo, no parting, ever.” He smiled at me, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “We can be together without fear.”

  “I’m afraid it’s not that simple.” The Master shook his head.

  “Why not?” George asked.

  Lloyd frowned.

  Oscar tutted.

  “The temple is no longer there. It was flattened by an earthquake several years ago.”

  “But there must be something, ruins perhaps,” Oscar said.

  “Maybe, but the date was significant, too. And like I just said, they go by a different calendar in Nepal.” He looked at me. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to figure out the key Darius’s dreams hold for yourselves. From what I gather, each cambion in history—and there have only been a handful—have their own place, date, and time where drinking their blood is sacred.”

  “So it’s in here.” I touched my head with my free hand. “The key to saving the souls of these men.” I glanced at Oscar, Lloyd, George and then Rhys. “My mind holds the place, date, and time they must drink my blood?”

  “Yes.” He stepped close again and rested his hand on my shoulder. “And I have no doubt that between you, you’ll figure it out.”

  “Darius is a good man,” Rhys said. “There is no demon in him.”

  “Of course not,” Master Concorde said. “Good always prevails over evil, and Darius’s maternal bloodline is one of great purity of the human soul. The demon slipped up there in his choice, but that is to your advantage.”

  “Can I ask something?” I said as thoughts rattled around my brain.

  “Of course.”

  “The cambion you fed off, Master Concorde, where is he now?”

  He inclined his head. “Yes, you, out of everyone, Darius, have a right to know that.” He sighed and adjusted his grip on his stick. “He’s still alive. He lives in Tibet as a monk. There they do not question his great age or wisdom.”

  “Did you love him?” George asked.

  “Yes, of course, he’s a truly wonderful person.” Master Concorde smiled. “But I am
not a vampire who has ever wanted physical pleasure with another man, indeed not often with a woman. It’s the price I paid for turning late in life. So I gave him a promise of anonymity and that I would never tell a soul his name. We parted ways after our other friend left this Earth.”

  “How long ago was that?” Lloyd asked. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

  “Nearly five hundred years ago.” He turned. “It was a difficult parting, but I was called here, to carry on Master Benedict’s work and maintain an Order in London.”

  I spotted Lloyd and George looking at each other. Lloyd nodded.

  “Master Benedict has visited Darius in his dreams,” George said.

  “I’m not surprised.” Master Concorde smiled. “He works in mysterious ways, and although he’s gone, his energy was so powerful it still weaves around us. It’s why we take comfort in his teachings and follow his guidance to this day.” He smiled at me. “You are most fortunate to have a direct pathway to him, however surreal it must be for you.”

  “Yes. I understand that,” I said. “I think.”

  George cleared his throat.

  “Yes, George?” Master Concorde turned to him.

  “Would it be possible to do a private claiming ceremony for us all with Darius so we have made our position known that he belongs to us?”

  “Four of you? That is most unusual? Two perhaps for one mate, but four?”

  “Which is why it should be private,” Lloyd said.

  “No. That will bring far too much attention to all of you, and that’s the last thing you need right now.”

  “But it will be something for us to fall back on, and it shows we have the support of the Masters,” George added. “And besides, no one else will know unless it’s necessary to tell them.”

  “As I’ve already mentioned, I’m the only Master here you can truly trust, George.” He tapped his stick on the floor, not impatiently, but as if thinking. “What you need to do is a keep a low profile. Let others believe you are still searching for the cambion.” He raised the stick and gestured to my hand linked with Rhys’s. “Let it be known that young Rhys has found himself a human mate, nothing more than that. A human mate who will accompany you on your continuing search.”