Blood Ascendant (Sons of Navarus #7)

by K. M. Scott

  When he looked around at the group, he didn’t see two other faces. He feared even asking where they may be, but he had to know.

  “Where’s Thane?”

  The room fell silent for a long moment that felt like it dragged out forever, and Vasilije silently told himself whatever the answer was, he’d have to accept it. The truth was he’d left Sasa alone for far too long again, and this time it had been all his choice. He couldn’t claim he needed to protect his vampires like the last time he neglected her.

  If she didn’t wait for him, he only had himself to blame.

  Nobody seemed to want to answer his question, which made him sure he knew the answer, but then he saw Theron walk in and wave him over to him. As he made his way there, he couldn’t believe how much Noele and Ramiel’s son looked like his real father.

  Enough that even talking to him made Vasilije more than a little pissed off.

  “Finally decided to give up the ghost up top and join your friends, Vasilije. It’s good to see you again,” Theron said in a deep voice that sounded so different from the last time he’d spoken to him.

  “I guess being the king of the Underworld made you grow up. Good for you.”

  Theron flashed him a smile that told him he may not have picked up on his sarcasm. “We never really did like each other, did we? Well, that’s all in the past. This place is no longer a prison for vampires like it was under Hades’ rule.”

  “Except Nico and the Archons who fought against us.”

  “True, but they got what they had coming to them. Not all Archons, though. Just ask Dante. His buddy Nero was an Archon of New York and when a hunter finally got to him, he came here and has an even better life now than he did before. I remember all those who fought on our side and make sure they know I appreciate their efforts back then.”

  “Life, or I guess it’s death, is good for you then. That’s nice.”

  Theron slid his arm around Vasilije’s shoulders and began to guide him toward the door. “Let’s take a walk. I have something to show you.”

  As they moved around the Underworld and its ruler gave him a tour of the place while extoling all the wonderful benefits vampires possessed there now, Vasilije had a sense Theron was simply distracting him to avoid telling him the truth about Thane and Sasa. When they reached his throne room, he stopped him.

  “I get it. You’ve won and won fucking big. You got everything you wanted. Good for you. But since nobody wanted to tell me what happened to Thane, I’m assuming it’s because he and Sasa are together now. You can tell me. I’m a big boy. I can handle it.”

  In truth, the thought of spending eternity in the Underworld, no matter how great it was for vampires, knowing that Sasa had gone back to the one male who’d betrayed him more than even Nico made his stomach roil until he felt like he’d be sick right there in Theron’s throne room.

  “I’m assuming you knew Thane was my father too, like the others?” the ruler of the Underworld asked with an edge to his voice.

  But Vasilije wasn’t okay with calling Thane that or any other name of honor.

  “He contributed some fluids. Ramiel has always been your father. I don’t know what you all decided down here, but to me, Thane did nothing much. Ramiel raised you. He gets the title of father.”

  Halfway through his attack on Thane, it occurred to Vasilije that Theron may actually like the son of a bitch, but he didn’t care. So he could send him to prison like he had with Nico and the Archon fuckers who deserved it. Whatever. Without Sasa, this whole fucking place had quickly turned into a prison for the rest of eternity.

  “I heard you didn’t like Thane. I see that hasn’t changed in all these years,” Theron said with a grin that looked fucking smug.

  “No, it hasn’t, so why don’t you just tell me where the hell he and Sasa are and stop this little cat and mouse bullshit thing you’re doing. You must have better things to do with your time practically being a god and all now.”

  “It’s more than practically, but we don’t have to quibble about details now. As for Thane, he’s gone from the Underworld. I gave everyone in the Sons family the same choice, and now I’ll give it to you. You can stay here, or you can go back up top and live again. However, that life you choose on earth will be human, not vampire. Your choice.”

  Vasilije felt his mouth drop open as Theron’s answer filtered through his brain. “Are you saying Thane chose to be human again and is alive up there?”

  “Yes. He had nothing to stay here for after I imprisoned all of Hades’ daemons, which included his girlfriend. So he chose to live another life as a human.”

  “Wow. If I had known he was walking around up there, I would have found him and ripped out his jugular.”

  Theron threw his head back and laughed at Vasilije’s comment about Thane. “You do know how to hold a grudge. Well, I know you never liked me, but you did fight on my side. I’ve never forgotten that.”

  “Yeah? Does that mean if I choose to stay here that I get a deluxe suite in the Underworld, courtesy of your beneficence?”

  Shaking his head, he answered, “No, but I have something that might help you make your choice for you. Follow me.”

  He led him to a room and opened the door, stepping back so Vasilije could see in. There on a bed Sasa lay fast asleep. Vasilije quickly worried she wasn’t asleep but somehow dead unlike the rest of them, but Theron stopped him.

  “I know what you’re thinking, but no, she’s fine. When she arrived here, she was despondent. She wouldn’t leave this room. My mother told me she was worried you might think she betrayed you while she waited here for you. So I gave her the peace she needed for herself and wanted for you. She’s been asleep since then and has never left this room.”

  Vasilije didn’t know what to say. Shocked and thrilled at the same time, he stood there speechless as Theron walked over to the side of Sasa’s bed and gently pressed his fingertips to her forehead.

  He waited for her to respond, and a second later, her eyelids fluttered open and he saw those beautiful deep brown eyes he’d missed all those years he lived without her. His heart swelled with love at the sight of her again.

  “There’s someone here for you, Sasa.”

  As he walked out of the room, Theron looked over toward Vasilije and smiled. “You’re welcome.”

  “You’re finally here. Did Theron tell you I’ve been here alone the whole time?” she asked as she sat up in the bed.

  Vasilije walked over to sit next to her, pulling her close to him. He’d waited years to finally feel her next to him again, and to now experience it nearly overwhelmed him with emotion. Like she had so many times before, she rested her head on his shoulder as he answered her.

  “He did, but this wasn’t necessary. I left you alone for far too long again, so if you had gone with…”

  Even now, after all this time, he didn’t want to say his name to Sasa, so he let his sentence trail off as he held her to him. Just speaking that name would ruin everything, and he didn’t want to do that again now that he had another chance with her.

  She pulled away and looked up at him, shaking her head as worry filled her eyes. “I wouldn’t have done that, Vasilije. No matter how long I had to wait this time, I wasn’t going to make the mistake I made the last time.”

  He leaned down and softly kissed her lips to stop her from talking. He loved hearing her voice again, but she didn’t have to explain herself anymore. She’d sacrificed years to be with him this time. That didn’t require an explanation.

  Sasa ended the kiss and hung her head as tears began to roll down her cheeks. “I was so afraid you’d think I betrayed you again. I just didn’t want to mess things up this time. I would have stayed alone in this place forever waiting for you, but Theron offered to do that thing he can with his fingers on my head, so I said yes. Anything to make sure I could be here for you.”

  Vasilije gently touched her chin to lift her head and looked into her brown eyes still filled with tears. Wiping
her cheeks, he wished he was worthy of such a wonderful creature. After all the mistakes he’d made, she worried she might not be there for him. No wonder he was madly in love with her.

  “You had every right to be happy while I was gone, Sasa. I am glad you waited for me, though. I waited for you too.”

  She looked up at him in shock. “You waited all these years to be with me again?”

  “I did. After I lost you, I couldn’t imagine ever being with anyone again. I spent all those years existing, but nothing more. Life wasn’t worth it without you. That’s why when that hunter caught up to me, I didn’t fight back. Missing you became too much to bear, so I let him send me off to you.”

  “Oh, Vasilije. I love you. I’ve always loved you.”

  “And I love you, Sasa. I’d forgotten what being happy felt like for so long, but just seeing you here has brought it all back.”

  She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. After a minute, she said quietly, “Did Theron tell you about what he can do? He can send us back to live again.”

  Vasilije heard hopefulness in her voice and leaned back to see her face. That hope he heard was in her eyes too. “He told me it means going back as humans, not vampires, though.”

  “I wouldn’t care. As long as we were together, what would it matter? We’d get a second chance to do things right.”

  Even though he’d lived amongst humans for centuries, he hadn’t been one since Queen Elizabeth I and Shakespeare were alive. A lot had changed in all those years.

  “It’s been five hundred years since I was human, Sasa. I’m not sure I could handle all their frailties. I’ve gotten used to be a vampire. Don’t you think we could be happy here?”

  She nodded and forced herself to smile. “Yes. I just wonder what it would be like to be human again with you human too. We could start over and do things differently this time.”

  He didn’t know if he wanted to do this, but he wanted to make her happy. “Maybe live in New Orleans?”

  Her face lit up, and she smiled like she used to all those years ago when they were first together. “Oh, could we?”

  “I’m not sure how we’d live. I was a prince in the sixteenth century. What would we do?”

  Sasa thought about his question for a moment and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. We’ll be together and that’s the most important thing. No Sons of Navarus. No Archons. No war. Just Vasilije and Sasa living life together. And when our time ends, we’ll return here to our friends.”

  Pulling her into his arms, he held her close and tried to think of a reason to tell her no. He had none. He’d promised her the world when he made her vampire. Now she asked for that promise to be fulfilled, except with the two of them as humans.

  How could he say no?

  Quietly, he whispered in her ear, “Okay. Just promise me no matter what happens, it’s just you and me, Sasa.”

  She looked up at him and nodded. “Just you and me and a second chance to have that life I always dreamed of for us. Do you want to tell Theron now?”

  Vasilije smiled and shook his head. For at least a few hours, he had other things in mind for their first night together.

  Easing her back onto the bed, he looked down into her beautiful brown eyes as she gazed up at him. In them, he’d seen the world and more, and he’d see it again as a human man.

  “Tomorrow. For now, let’s enjoy our last night with you as my vampire and me as your sire.”

  He kissed her long and deep as his fangs slowly descended into his mouth. No other woman had ever excited him like Sasa, and he wanted to get lost in her just once more like this.

  As she slid her hands down to palm his cock and she wrapped her legs around his waist, he wondered if once would be enough. They did want to have a memory of the Underworld that could get them through life as humans.

  Maybe a few more times getting lost in one another would be better.

  Dear Reader,

  This book has been a long time coming, hasn’t it? I wrote Vasilije for the first time in 2011 in Vampire Dreams. Eight years have passed, and I still love him and all the Sons as much as I did when I first began to hear their stories all those years ago.

  I think readers assume it took this long to get to Blood Ascendant because I was so busy with my contemporary series. While that was part of it, the truth is I struggled with Theron for a long time. Writing a character who has existed for only three years but has abilities, needs, and desires of a grown man proved challenging for me.

  The problem is I wanted to fight him every step of the way. He wanted to be himself, and I wanted him to be someone else. So I started to write this book half a dozen times and stopped every time when he pushed back against me.

  I guess I should have known he’d win in the end, right? Characters always do.

  It was Vasilije who reminded me of that. I remembered back to when I wrote Blood Avenged and not once did I try to change him. He was as good and as bad as he always was, and I wrote him that way.

  But with Theron, I think I thought I knew better since he’s only three years old. Foolish author. He reveled in showing me how wrong I was. I had it coming, Theron. I see that now.

  So the Sons story is finally completed. If you’re a reader who started off with me back in the day, thanks so much for staying around to see it end. If you’re a reader who just found the series, it’s great to have you with me.

  With the end of this series, the Gabrielle Bisset name is officially retired. For her part, K.M. will continue to write books, but there will be no more paranormal romance from me.

  Thank you to all the readers who have emailed and messaged over the years asking when the Sons would get their next book. This one is for you.

  Love,

  K.M./Gabrielle

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  About the Author

  K.M. Scott writes contemporary romance stories of sexy, intense, and unforgettable love. A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, she’s been in love with romance since reading her first romance novel in junior high (she was a very curious girl!). Under her Gabrielle Bisset name, she writes paranormal and historical romance. She lives in Pennsylvania with a herd of animals and when she’s not writing can be found reading or feeding her TV addiction.

  Be sure to visit K.M.’s Facebook page at facebook.com/kmscottauthor for all the latest on her books, along with giveaways and other goodies! And to hear all the news on K.M. Scott books first, sign up for her newsletter today and be sure to visit her website at www.kmscottbooks.com

  Books by K.M. Scott:

  Crash Into Me (Heart of Stone #1)

  Fall Into Me (Heart of Stone #2)

  Give In To Me (Heart of Stone #3)

  Heart of Stone Volume One Box Set

  Ever After (Heart of Stone #4)

  A Heart of Stone Christmas (Heart of Stone #5)

  Return To Me (Heart of Stone #6)

  Forever With Me (Heart of Stone #7)

  Heart of Stone Volume Two Box Set

  Hard As Stone (Heart of Stone #8)

  Set In Stone (Heart of Stone #9)

  Silent As A Stone (Heart of Stone #10)

  All of Me (Heart of Stone #11)

  Temptation (Club X #1)

  Surrender (Club X #2)

  Possession (Club X #3)

  Satisfaction (Club X #4)

  Acceptance (Club X #5)

  The Complete Club X Series Box Set

  If I Dream (Corrupted Love #1)

  If You Fight (Corrupted Love #2)

  If We Fall (Corrupted Love #3)

  The Corrupted Love Trilogy Box Set

  Crave (Addicted To You #1)

  Adore (Addicted To You #2)

  Shatter (Addicted To You #3)

  Claim (Addicted To You #4)

  The Addicted To You Box Set

  In The Darkness (Project Artemis #1)

  After The Storm (Project Artemis #2)

  Behind The Scenes (Project Artemis #3)
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br />   The Project Artemis Box Set

  Hard Work (Standalone)

  K.M.’S BOOKS ARE IN AUDIOBOOK TOO!

  Books by K.M. Scott writing as Gabrielle Bisset:

  Vampire Dreams Revamped (A Sons of Navarus Prequel)

  Blood Avenged (Sons of Navarus #1)

  Blood Betrayed (Sons of Navarus #2)

  Longing (A Sons of Navarus Short Story)

  Blood Spirit (Sons of Navarus #3)

  The Deepest Cut (A Sons of Navarus Short Story)

  Blood Prophecy (Sons of Navarus #4)

  Blood Craving (Sons of Navarus #5)

  Blood Eclipse (Sons of Navarus #6)

  Blood Ascendant (Sons of Navarus #7)

  The Sons of Navarus Box Set #1

  The Sons of Navarus Box Set #2

  Stolen Destiny (Destined Ones Duet #1)

  Destiny Redeemed (Destined Ones Duet #2)

  Love’s Master

  Masquerade

  The Victorian Erotic Romance Trilogy