The Vampire's Mark 2: Hell Storm (Reverse Harem Romance)

by Rachel Jonas

  “This fool mocks us, undermines the great and powerful Dynasty our fathers have fought to build and protect, and no one does a thing to stop him,” he seethed. “But why should he be stopped? Especially seeing as how everything he speaks is the truth.”

  Julian took a deep breath. “Jon Carlisle will fade into the abyss with all the others who have come against members of the monarch over the centuries.”

  “What we’re involved in can’t be compared to anything before it.” Roman spoke sharply, as if the words were daggers. “No one before us was stupid enough to involve themselves in a scandal like ours.”

  Roman shifted a fiery glare toward Julian. “Or … should I say a scandal like yours?”

  There was a brief standoff before Julian’s gaze lowered, and I didn’t doubt for a moment that guilt had suddenly weighed him down.

  “That’s enough,” I interjected.

  “It’s not enough!” Roman roared. “Is no one else willing to speak the truth that’s on all our minds? Yesterday, we went so far as to claim ownership of this girl. Has that not earned us the right to speak freely on the matter?”

  My brow tensed as I stared.

  “Perhaps our love for our brother from the East is more toxic than his Doll,” Roman suggested, using the term Jon had just attributed to Corina. “Perhaps it’s insane that we’ve vowed our allegiance to Julian when his allegiance clearly lies elsewhere. Whatever the obsession is, it’s overshadowed his loyalty to everyone else. Including himself,” Roman concluded.

  “This isn’t—”

  “Let him speak his mind,” Julian cut in, turning his attention toward Roman after I’d been silenced. “We’re brothers, and part of that bond means we respect one another’s opinions.”

  Even when that opinion is hurtful and skewed.

  Roman knew the hand Levi and I played in Julian being reckless at the gala. We were just as much to blame as Julian was. Perhaps more to blame than he was. Still, knowing this, Julian positioned himself to endure the verbal attack Roman was more than ready to give. I guessed as much from the hard stare he had yet to turn away from Julian.

  No one spoke. No one moved. It was as though the scene had been frozen in time, as we sat waiting to see who’d give in first.

  It was Roman who finally broke his gaze. Turning away, he continued to fume, tapping a finger agitatedly against the table.

  Julian didn’t seem to take Roman backing down as a victory, and neither did I. It was merely a further breakdown in communication. A further breakdown in our once solid unit of four.

  I had to say something.

  “Listen, I know none of this has been easy, but we can’t afford to fall apart. There’s too much at stake.” I turned to Roman. “And despite how any of this came to be, there’s no denying that the outcome of the blood bond will be great for our people as a whole.”

  My words faltered when I met resistance—a hard sigh from Roman that meant he didn’t want to hear what I had to say—but it needed to be said.

  “Just last night, there were a dozen or more deaths reported. Ianites are strategically being eliminated, and there wasn’t a whole lot we could do about it,” I stated. “Until now.”

  “The cure,” Roman grumbled. “The cure we have zero proof will actually work?”

  I was beyond exhausted. It felt like we’d brought him back from the edge, only to continue fighting him on some unquenchable desire to run right back to that dark place.

  “We won’t know one way or the other until we try,” was the only answer I had for that.

  Another breadth of silence crept in, and luckily, Levi broke it.

  “Either way, whether we believe in it or not, we’ve committed to this thing in front of the entire world,” he concluded. “So, there’s no choice but to ride it out.”

  “Agreed,” I seconded.

  “With that in mind,” he continued, “I volunteer to perform the next Claiming ceremony.”

  My vision shifted when I tilted my head, surprised that Levi, of all people, would offer himself as the next candidate for what Roman viewed as nothing more than a glorified experiment.

  “Really?” I couldn’t help but to ask.

  Levi gave a swift nod. “Might as well. But I have a condition.” He smiled with the statement, maybe because I requested a similar consideration when he asked for the favor with Julian.

  “Such as?”

  Levi’s grin widened. “I won’t go through with it unless you do to me what you did to Julian. Bestow the gift of true sight on me, so I know that, whatever this process makes me feel is really me. No … smoke and mirrors, as our good friend Jon Carlisle stated.”

  Interesting.

  “Can you guarantee it will override the imposed feelings of the bond? The Claiming?” he inquired.

  With certainty, I gave him my word. “I can guarantee it will be the most powerful, most overwhelmingly true thing you’ve ever felt.”

  The gravity in my tone seemed to give him pause.

  I extended my hand to shake his, and to grant his request right here and now.

  Dropping his feet from where they’d been propped on the table, they hit the floor with a thud as he leaned in closer. His gaze fixed on my hand for a moment. My guess was that he knew I only needed to touch him with the intent to bestow, and the deed would be done. When his gaze rose again, our eyes locked. Then, with certainty in his stare, he pressed his palm to mine, sealing the deal.

  “Consider it done.”

  The words left me as a wave of energy flowed from me to him.

  He breathed deeply, probably sensing the exchange within. “And so it is.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Corina

  Had I not agreed to join him for breakfast, I wouldn’t have gone. It wasn’t like my nerves would let me eat anything anyway. Already, my hands were shaking, and I wondered if coming down wearing the black v-neck Elle paired with dark, slim-fitting jeans was too much—the shirt too lowcut, the jeans too tight.

  I made a quick mental note to see when I’d be allowed to, you know, pick out my own clothes. However, as soon as the note was made, I erased it from my thoughts.

  Why am I thinking about settling in? The first chance I get, I’m leaving.

  The quick reminder sobered me. Trudging ahead, I tightened my ponytail as my steps echoed in the flats I wore. Julian’s home was massive. Had it not been for the waitstaff rushing in and out of the dining room, I might not have known I was close.

  Before daring to step inside, I paused and took a breath. It still felt so unnatural to walk among their kind, to share a table with them, but this was my life.

  For now, anyway.

  When I crossed the broad threshold and stood beneath a carved archway, four sets of eyes zeroed in on me right away—each with his own inquisitive stare.

  Julian looked as though he might have smiled had it just been us two.

  Silas generally carried a look of worry, as if the world was a flimsy house of cards that would be whisked away at the first hint of a breeze.

  One corner of Levi’s mouth quirked into a devious grin, as always. He twisted the band of a ring he wore, boasting a large ruby at its center.

  And then there was Roman. Behind his stare there was only ever darkness. As if there was an empty void where his soul should have been.

  “Good morning.” That deep, sultry voice rung pleasantly in my ears, and when I turned toward the sound, I wasn’t surprised to find Silas smiling.

  I forced one of my own as a settling breath passed between my lips. He stood and then proceeded to pull out the seat between he and Julian. It took a moment, but I realized he intended for me to sit.

  “Good morning.” My voice sounded so small when they were all in a room.

  And my voice was never small.

  “Did you sleep well?” Julian asked.

  I offered a stiff nod. “I did. Thank you.”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him the same, just to be polit
e, but then I remembered; they had a choice of whether they rested. Unlike humans.

  Swallowing hard, I did my best to quench these wayward nerves of mine.

  “Julian says the Claiming was a success last night?” Silas stared with an inquisitive look, as a plate was placed before me—eggs, bacon, a croissant, fresh fruit. As if to ask what I was waiting for, my stomach growled. It was a ferocious, ugly sound that made me regret that these four had such good hearing.

  Embarrassed, I cleared my throat. “Um … I suppose you could say that.”

  Silas seemed pleased enough with that answer. “And was it everything I said it would be? Do you feel a deeper connection with him?”

  I blinked and couldn’t help but to glance at Julian, remembering the silly longing I had mere seconds after he left my room the night before. That feeling only intensified as the hours wore on, fueling me to dress more quickly than usual, and then rush to get down to breakfast. It had all been because I was undeniably anxious to see him.

  Holding all those words and emotions inside, I simply nodded.

  “If I’m being honest,” Julian spoke up, “the connection is far more intense than I thought it would be.”

  I was shocked he’d been so forthcoming.

  “How so?” Silas questioned.

  Julian faltered for a second, as if he wished he hadn’t said so much, but the lapse was only fleeting. “I’d go as far as to say I … nearly went to her room in the middle of the night.”

  My face heated upon hearing his confession. I imagined it turning red as a beet while they all sat observing me.

  Silas chuckled a bit. “What stopped you?” As he bit into a croissant, it was clear he enjoyed how the question made Julian uncomfortable, causing him to squirm a bit.

  There was a look exchanged between them that reminded me of my closeness with Liv, the sibling bond that existed despite not being actual family.

  “What stopped me was that it would have been highly inappropriate, and not to mention, very presumptuous to assume I would have been welcomed inside,” Julian answered.

  “Oh, please,“ Levi scoffed with an air of laughter laced within the sound. “You do know this is forever, don’t you?” he asked, directing his question toward Julian. “From what Silas explained, it’s more binding than even a marriage, for Pete’s sake. ‘Highly inappropriate,’” he repeated, grumbling the phrase mockingly.

  Julian reared back in his seat, getting comfortable as a smile touched his lips. “Are you suggesting I should have just barged in there like some Neanderthal? Demanding she share her bed with me?”

  “Yes!” Levi’s voice boomed before realizing he’d gotten ahead of himself. “I mean … well, no. Not exactly. Of course, you give a lady the opportunity to tell you to screw off and pitch your tent elsewhere, but I suppose you’ll never know what sort of answer you would have gotten. Seeing as how you were too afraid to even knock on her door.”

  Heat crept up my neck, and then my face when I became aware of Levi’s heavy stare.

  “So, let’s say she did allow you to enter her suite. If you managed to give a pleasant performance,” he continued, a teasing gleam dancing in his eyes, “she might have even invited you for an encore.”

  I was certain the redness in my cheeks had deepened even more.

  “Did you seriously just refer to physical intimacy as a ‘performance’?” Julian asked with somewhat contrasting expressions. He was smiling, but also couldn’t hide his disgust for his Dynasty Brother’s verbiage.

  Levi immediately scowled at Julian’s phrase in return. “I’m not sure what’s worse—hearing you disagree with what I’ve said, or using the term ‘physical intimacy’,” he mocked, making the statement with air quotes.

  I was mildly offended, having been discussed like an inanimate object, but what was harder to suppress than offense, was laughter.

  “Well, you all seem to have forgotten, I’m still in the room,” I reminded them coyly. “And for what it’s worth, I actually appreciate that you respected my privacy, Julian. Thank you.”

  I wasn’t sure where they got the idea that I’d be letting any of them into my bed—now or ever—but I knew for certain that I’d double check the lock on my door before I went to sleep.

  “Come on,” Levi laughed. “I can’t be the only one who’s thought about it. We’re linking ourselves to her, one woman, for the rest of our lives. Are we going to pretend there won’t be sex involved? Ever?”

  The only response he got was silence.

  It was clear I’d have to find a way out of here sooner than I already intended. If this was the plan these four had for me.

  “Well, I suppose that answers it,” Levi sighed, rearing back in his seat, “We’ll all be eunuchs, I suppose.”

  Silas glanced at me, maybe noting how uncomfortable I’d become with the conversation.

  “On another note, once the blood bond is sealed, that’s when our individual gifts will all be passed on to one another, and to you, Corina,” Silas said with a thoughtful nod.

  I offered a tight smile. “And … how is it sealed?”

  “A mutual feeding.” I turned, surprised Levi answered this time. “From what I read, you’re to feed from each of us once your transition from human to Ianite is complete, followed by the four of us feeding from you.” He casually bit into a grape. “Sounds rather erotic, doesn’t it?”

  My stomach sank with the image Levi had just painted. It made the idealistic plan I had to return to my team seem so farfetched. Especially after … I transitioned.

  Maybe that wasn’t going to be as simple as I thought. What if my team didn’t want me, didn’t think it was safe to be near me?

  A server entered with a crystal pitcher of blood, and all other thoughts slipped away. She carried it so casually, not caring in the least that a human was seated at the table. I meant to lower my gaze, meant to lower my expectations that these four would behave any differently than the beasts they were, but I’d forgotten to do either. Instead, I watched as the woman circled the table, asking each prince if he’d like a glass.

  I felt Julian’s gaze on me when he was approached. “Uh … no. Thank you, Glenda,” he answered dismissively.

  I wished I could lift my gaze to his face, to see what expression he wore, but I couldn’t stop staring at the blood.

  “None for me either,” Silas replied right after.

  “Perhaps later,” Levi suggested.

  But then the woman went to Roman. “Can I interest you in a glass, Your Highness?”

  His eyes lifted as he stared at me from his seat across the table.

  “Absolutely.” There was a wicked grin on his face when he answered the woman’s question.

  The other three were dead silent, possibly thinking something similar to what I was thinking—that Roman’s message had been received loud and clear. The others hid their nature as a courtesy while in mixed company, but Roman made no apologies for the monster he was. Even as I watched him now, he made a show of savoring every ounce he swallowed. When he lowered his glass and licked the remnants from his lips, there was no missing the smile he wore.

  Suddenly lacking an appetite, I lowered the fork I held.

  This was … wrong. I wasn’t supposed to be sitting at this table with them, like some twisted, macabre family.

  “Excuse me,” I stated, pushing my chair back as I stood.

  “You don’t have to leave, Corina,” Silas insisted, but I begged to differ. “Roman is just in rare form this morning.”

  “Like hell I am,” the monster himself rebutted. “This is my only form, because this is who we are! We drink blood, we feed on humans, and most of all … we do not play house with common, human filth. If she wants to leave the table, I say we let her!”

  I was fully prepared to let this go. My thoughts were at peace not addressing how inconsiderate Roman had been, but those words, implying that he was superior simply because he was an Ianite … I couldn’t walk away from the table a
nd say nothing.

  “Well, the beloved prince of the South has spoken, so I suppose it’d be wise to obey,” I mocked Roman with an exaggerated curtsey. “If you’ll all excuse me, I’ll be on my way.”

  When I rolled my eyes afterward, Roman took notice.

  “Is there something you’d like to get off your chest?” He asked the question through clenched teeth.

  “I wouldn’t dare,” I replied. “Far be it for me, a mere human, to speak out of turn in the presence of such a formidable Ianite. One who clearly gets a hard-on by talking down to women.”

  It appeared that my boldness agitated him even further. This idea was confirmed when the scowl on his face deepened.

  “You’re walking a mighty thin line.”

  I was certain his warning was meant to frighten me, to make me cower like I guessed so many others would have, but it only pissed me off even more.

  “What’s your deal?” My gaze narrowed as I analyzed him. “I’m guessing you either really hate yourself, or you’ve got serious daddy-issues. It’s the only reason I can come up with for why you’re such a massive dick all the time.”

  I imagined Roman had lived his whole life atop his high horse, without anyone ever admitting what they really thought of him. I was more than happy to be the one to break that streak.

  He sat there all high and mighty, as if he thought of himself as some sort of god. However, the truth was that he wasn’t owed more respect than the next guy. Especially if the basis for this mindset was simply that he boasted the last name Fairchild. Hell, if he knew the weight and prestige my own family name held among humans, he might have weighed his words more carefully.

  I was a direct descendant of the honorable soldier who firmly stood his ground during the last battle, before the fall of our people half a millennia ago—General Grant Prescott. Survival was in my DNA.

  The thought of it—having to keep the Prescott legacy secret—made my blood boil. A handful of my ancestors evaded capture that day, thanks to Grant’s fast thinking and military training. But over the centuries, several were apprehended and either enslaved or put to death. For those of us who remained, for those of us born into freedom, we learned to survive in the shadows, becoming invisible because it kept us alive.