A Forever Series Box Set: A Paranormal Reverse Harem : Books 1-5

by Eve Newton

  “Oh,” he says. “That’s… intense.”

  “Yes, it is. Everything is changing, nothing is the way it was. I envy Cole that he will only learn the new way,” I admit.

  “Hm, I suppose being a newbie has its advantages. But I wouldn’t give up the last five hundred and six years for anything.” He strokes my face and curls my hair behind my ear in a familiar gesture.

  “Seeing you with him in that way…it was incredible,” he murmurs, his lips close to mine. “I want to see you with him again, but properly this time.”

  I nod, highly aroused by this prospect. “I want that too. He will agree. He’s already told me you can join us.”

  He smiles wickedly at me. “I want him to watch as I fuck his charge,” he snorts with mirth. “But I also want to watch you fuck your sire.” He breathes in deeply as he pictures it all in his mind.

  “Now, I’m all riled up,” I murmur, before I plunge my tongue in his mouth.

  “Me too,” he whispers, pulling away. “But go and find your newbie. He needs you more than I do right now.”

  “I love you,” I say as I kiss his palm, then I stand and leave him, wishing that I could’ve lingered a bit longer. But shit needs sorting out, and soon.

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT

  F inding Cole in our bedroom, I give him a small smile. “Sorry, baby. I know you’re worried about me, but I’m okay. Don’t make a fuss, just let me hold you.”

  There is no way on Earth he can refuse an offer like that. And he doesn’t.

  “What happened to CK?” I ask after a minute or so.

  “He went back to Italy, thankfully. He is in a proper bad mood about this charge’s thing. Why does he want to keep you all apart?”

  I giggle at the mood comment knowing exactly how much of a moody dick he can be. “It’s more he wants to keep them apart from me, I think.”

  “Because of Lance?”

  “Since that incident, it is a part of the reason, but not all of it. I am only speculating. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure I want to meet them anyway. Certainly not any of the ones that are younger than me. Or women,” I grouse jealously.

  He chuckles. “How can you be jealous when you yourself have charges, who are men?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. It’s not rational. It’s just a dodgy area.”

  “Well, Devon and I get on just fine,” he points out.

  “Yes, that’s true,” I say and give him a bright smile. “And I’m so happy about it. But with him…I don’t know. He has never given me a reason to be secure, I guess. I have, haven’t I? With you?” I know I have with Devon. I hope the same can be said for my husband.

  “Yes,” he says. “I thought it would be different, difficult and awkward, but I don’t feel that way at all. I am secure. Although, it would help if your sire would be a little less overbearing.” He snorts with laughter.

  “Ha,” I laugh as well. “Fat chance, I’m afraid. But, Cole, I need you to know that I love you, and that I love him and Devon as well.”

  He says, kisses the top of my head, but not pressing the issue further by demanding special privileges because we are married.

  “Anyway, about the charges thing. I will deal with them as and when. Right now, I have to concentrate on Lance.” I stand up and pull him up with me. “We need to leave soon to get there in the morning. I want him at his weakest.”

  “Where exactly is it that we are going?”

  “Sibiu. Transylvania.”

  He bursts out laughing. “Are you joking?”

  I frown at him. “No. What is so amusing?”

  He snorts. “Really? You don’t find it kind of a cliché?”

  “A cliché?” I ask confused, but then grumble dryly, “Oh, because of the Stoker thing? What a menace he was to our society.”

  “I wonder if Dracula was based on Lance then?” he asks.

  My turn to snort. “I’m sure he’d like to think so. Arse.”

  “Arse? Is that the strongest word you can come up with for that monster?” he asks in earnest.

  “Ha! No, I have plenty of other words for him. Most of them not suitable to be said out loud.”

  “You know you are stronger than him, right? You don’t need to be afraid of him,” he says quietly.

  “I’m not afraid of him,” I say in a huff.

  “You were this morning. I saw it in your eyes.”

  “Humph,” I say rudely, embarrassed.

  “Liv, all you have to remember is, with a click of your fingers, you have the most dangerous weapon ever created in your hands. He doesn’t have to be an Initial Vampire for you to use it on him. Remember, G.I. is your friend.”

  I smile at his use of the nickname I gave the sword, shortening it, as Gladius Infernus is such a mouthful. Crawling onto the bed, I sigh. “I know. I forget. He makes me forget. Makes me think of how easily he subdued me in the first place.”

  “Magick?”

  “Yes, powerful. I’ve never known anything like it. This is why I want his backing.”

  “Okay, well, we will get it. We will support you and take it from him,” he says forcefully.

  I smile. “I love you.”

  “I love you. Now, do we have to pack a bag, or will we be in and out?”

  “Pack a bag,” I say with a sigh.

  We all meet downstairs in the den, an hour or so later. Dressed to kick ass. Well, at least I am. These three vain fools are in their best designer gear, top to toe. I roll my eyes at them as they gawk at me in casual gear – black combat pants, a vest top and boots… flat ones!

  “You do realize that not only will we be Astralling into a forest but also in fight mode, should things immediately go awry?” I inquire of them.

  “Sure,” is the general response so I leave it be with a shrug.

  “Fine. Let's go. CK take Dev. I’ll take Cole.” I wrap my arms around him and Astral us out, thinking of the dreaded dark, black wall of Castelul Negru.

  Landing just outside of the castle walls, CK following just after, my skin begins to crawl.

  “Are you okay?” CK asks as he senses my trepidation.

  I nod resolutely. “Yes, I’m fine.” Oh, there’s that word again as they all grimace at me.

  We four stand there for a moment, looking up at the big black walls of the castle. I move slowly forward to touch one of the stones and have a horrible flashback but brush it aside as this is business.

  A very loud howl resonates behind us. I turn slowly. Before us is a very large black wolf with several of his pack behind him.

  I move towards them, not afraid, but CK growls, “Aefre,” as I move forward.

  Ignoring him, I focus on the Alpha, staring intently at him as if I know him somehow. He backs up and shakes his head in protest, but I continue to move forward until I’m right in front of him. I kneel and reach my hand out to stroke him saying, “Hey there. Aren’t you a beautiful thing?”

  He ducks his head and lets me scratch behind his ears as I smile at him. His clear green eyes look inquisitively at me.

  As the gate on the castle wall grinds open, the wolves look startled, backing off as they know we are welcome. Interesting, I make a note: wolves protecting Vampires.

  Well, here we go. Back into the hellhole. I square my shoulders and stalk into the grounds like I own it… which I shall in a few days, I remind myself. CK is close to my side, gripping my arm almost as if he needs it more than me. Cole grabs my other arm, and I have Devon at my back. I couldn’t be more secure physically. Now I just have to convince my brain of the same. We feel a sharp sensation go over us. CK and I whisper, “Wards,” to each other as we move forward.

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE

  A woman opens the front door for us. I sense her magick and know straight away she is one of his Romani.

  Without a word, she steps back and lets us in. I hesitate for a moment, blinking at the sight. Modernized, of course, as is CK’s Ponte, but still very much the same. I find it odd that there is little
to no electric lighting. CK pulls me forward and I move with him shaking off the dread. My eyes flick to the stairs and I get flashbacks of me being dragged down them by my hair, but again, I try not to think about it.

  “Father, Sister. How nice of you to drop by,” his smarmy voice greets us before he steps out of the shadows.

  CK’s grip tightens on my arm to the point of pain, but I don’t say anything. I am too traumatized to speak at the moment.

  “Lance,” CK growls.

  I just stand there, remembering Cole’s words from earlier: click my fingers, dangerous weapon, mine.

  “Lance,” I say as pleasantly as possible. “Are we welcome?”

  Delighted to be asked, he replies, “Of course. You may stay as long as you like. And it’s Vladimir now, Liv.”

  Of course it is.

  We all just stare at each other for a moment, then he breaks the silence. “And you would be?” he inquires to Cole and Devon, even though I have no doubt he knows exactly who they are. They introduce themselves stiffly.

  He nods. “Nephews.”

  They both look like they might be sick, as do I, probably.

  “May I inquire to the reason for your visit?”

  “Liv, thought about what you said,” CK answers for me. “We do need to keep this in the family… under the circumstances.”

  He glows with satisfaction. “I thought as much. I may need something back from you though, Father,” he remarks pointedly.

  “That’s up to Liv. She has it,” he says shortly.

  Three pairs of eyes land on me in various shades of surprise. I blink and say, “All in good time. First things, can we get settled?”

  His eyes burn into mine at my refusal to give him what he wants, but he says, “Of course. Tatiana will show you to your rooms?” A smirk is attached to the question.

  CK glowers back at him. “No, one will do,” he says and stalks past Lance, to the surprise of the three of us left to follow in his wake.

  Halfway up the stairs, Lance says, “Oh, Lucretia.” I stop dead as CK grips my elbow. I turn. “Your room in the tower is still available, should you want it.” Evil black eyes bore into mine, proving a point after my refusal to give him his ring back.

  Again, CK speaks for me, “I’m sure Tatiana can provide us with something more suitable.” He turns us both back around and forces me up the stairs.

  We follow Tatiana down the main corridor as she leads us to a room at the end. Opening the door, she steps inside, and we follow. Looking around, I take it in. A lavish room with a sunken sitting area, millions of pillows and cushions everywhere, heavy drapes, that are, of course, closed, dark wood tables adorned with beautiful vases full of fresh flowers and turning in a circle, I catch sight of the bed, as do the other three.

  CK grunts softly, while Devon looks at it in glee. It must be at least twice the size of a king-size bed. It is covered in black satin with mountains of pillows and is clearly made for sleeping more than two.

  The penny drops and I shudder. “An orgy room? Really? This is where she brings us? I would rather have taken my chances in the tower,” I mutter to myself trying not to think of the depraved goings-on that have occurred in here.

  “Don’t be silly, Aefre. This is perfect. Now we can all stay together.”

  He turns to thank Tatiana in Romanian, well, I guess that is what he said, I don’t speak it… for obvious reasons.

  She is staring at him in awe. The sire of her Master, quite something to be terrified of, if Lance is anything to go by. She bobs her head and mumbles something back. He nods his thanks.

  “What did she say?” I ask as soon as he closes the door.

  “She offered us her services.”

  I move to open the heavy curtains, feeling better at the sunlight streaming in and I stand in it, not moving. Devon goes to blow out the candles.

  “Why does this place not have electric lighting?” he asks the question I was thinking.

  I shrug. “Probably costs too much to run 24/7. It’s not like he can open the curtains during the day for natural lighting,” I say, staring out of the window at the remarkable view. Opposite side to the tower windows, I note. I definitely prefer this view. Catching sight of the wolves roaming down below, brings my attention back to them and why they would protect this place. Knowing Lance, it must be for less than honorable reasons.

  “Are you okay?” Cole comes up behind me and put his arms around me. I lean back into him.

  “Yes. Itching to just kill him and stuff the consequences.”

  “I think you might find this may be easier than we expected. I am under the impression that, well, certainly Tatiana, is not altogether happy to be here,” CK says, coming to stand next to me.

  That catches my attention and I look at him sharply. “Why would you think that?”

  “When Lance mentioned the tower, her heart started to race, and she was terrified. If she doesn’t have the full story, she definitely knows something and is not happy about it.”

  Hm, interesting.

  “So, are we going to test this bed out then?” Devon remarks slyly from the other side of the room. Cole gives me a look, which expresses his earnest about sharing a bed with my sire, while CK chuckles, clearly remembering the impromptu three-way from a few days ago.

  “Maybe,” I murmur. Devon looks delighted, CK looks surprised and Cole just looks resigned. “It’s this room. It puts thoughts into your head. It expects it.” I smile gently. “However, I’m pretty tired, so I’m going to take a quick nap,” I add with a yawn.

  Christ, I’m so tired again. This is just annoying now.

  “I can’t say that much will be going on around here until it gets dark. Clearly, as he is stuck to the shadows, his minions are as well,” CK says. “Go and lie down, my sweet, we will keep you safe.” He kisses my forehead and I nod my thanks. Cole leads me to the bed, that Devon is currently bouncing up and down on. I shake my head at him. “Hey, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it,” he says, flopping down and leaning against the pillows. “Pretty tired myself, so I’ll just stay here,” he grins at me and settles himself further into the sumptuous bed.

  “Whatever you want. Just don’t start jumping again. I want to sleep.” I sit and Cole takes my boots off. Feeling oddly vulnerable, I choose to leave my clothes on as I curl up on the bed, Devon’s arms going instantly around me, while Cole gets as close to me as he can and laces his fingers through mine. I fall straight to sleep, feeling safe.

  CHAPTER EIGHTY

  I wake up a few hours later to what I think is a dream. I blink, but no, it’s real. I smile to myself remembering the time difference and it is in fact our sleeping time. Well, not CK’s as he is still on Italy’s time. He is awake but lying flat on his back at the foot of the bed, staring at the ceiling. I’m nestled in between Cole and Devon, both dead to the world. Yes, I do like this bed, I decide, and wonder if I should get one for our house in L.A.

  CK turns his head to me as he hears me stirring and smiles his made-just-for-me smile. “Well, it might not be exactly how you wanted it, but you got us all in the bed all the same.”

  “Give it time,” I grin at him and crawl down the bed to lie next to him in a matching pose. He takes my hand in his and we just lay there in silence for a while, taking what we can from the small amount of contact.

  “He is clearly comfortable with Devon,” CK remarks softly. “I’m guessing it’s me he has a problem with.”

  “He doesn’t have a problem with you. I just think he doesn’t want to see us together,” I say, lightly.

  “Ha, he should be worried,” CK says with a sly glint in his eye.

  “CK,” I reprimand him. “I want him to be comfortable with you as well. If you say things like that, it will put him off. This…” I indicate the bed, “is the perfect opportunity to get over this particular hurdle.”

  “You are going to try?” he asks.

  “Of course. I want all of you together. There is no reason why I can
’t have that.”

  “I will do whatever you want,” he says to me, bringing my hand to his lips to kiss.

  “Just be quiet when I make my move,” I chuckle at him.

  “Done,” he says and gives me a searching look. “We all love you, Aefre,” he says after a lengthy pause, but adds no more than that.

  I nod and he changes the subject.

  “Tatiana came by earlier,” he says. “Lance is having a dinner party in our honor tonight. Our presence is requested at first nightfall.”

  “Don’t you mean Vladimir?” I snort.

  He huffs. “Whatever you do, Aefre, don’t go anywhere alone. Oh, and a thought occurred to me, try and pull on your virtual armory. The wards may stop you being able to access it.”

  Sitting up, terrified he might be right, I immediately call a dagger to my hand. It appears to my relief, but with a loud zing.

  “What was that noise?” Devon sits up suddenly, rubbing his face with his hand. Cole wakes as well at Devon’s voice.

  “I’m not sure. I called a dagger to make sure the wards weren’t blocking my magick and it arrived with that noise.”

  “It was probably forcing its way through the wards. They are strong, but you are stronger, however, whoever set them, will have noticed that,” CK says. “Expect a visit any second now.

  There is a loud knock on the door.

  “Get rid of it,” he says, climbing off the bed to answer the door, while he unbuttons his shirt and musses up his hair. I make it disappear with a loud pop that makes us all cringe.

  Crawling back in between my two boys, I pull my top over my head and cuddle up to Cole, as I grab Devon’s arm, exposing his wrist. I drop my fangs and drink. Catching on, that we need a distraction, he scoots further into me while Cole, a bit slower to catch on, looks stumped. Devon gives him a look and he nods.