“Arthur get the fuck out.”
Without a word, he left the cabin and I carried Lisbeth to the master bathroom, setting her down gently in the large shower and stripped us of our bloodied clothes before turning on the steaming hot water. Lisbeth’s body was fully healed, but that didn’t erase the anxiety I felt seeing all the dried blood on her naked body. I soaped up a loofa and tenderly ran it over her pale skin to clean her. She held her arms to her breasts, letting me get every spot on her back. When I couldn’t see any red on her, we stood under the water spray to rinse her off, and I held her as close as I could.
With her body clean, I dropped a generous amount of her shampoo into my hand and I worked it into her curls until every strand was saturated. She stood under the spray and rinsed it all out, and when every sud had run off her head and down her legs, I picked her up off the wet tile floor and she rested her chin on my shoulder.
“I didn’t die, Knight,” she soothed, her hands holding my head to her. I didn’t say anything, just lifted her chin with my finger and brought her beautiful lips to mine. My mouth searched every corner of hers, memorizing it with my tongue along the seam of her lips. I devoured her until I’d kissed her for at least ten minutes straight. Then I carefully backed us to the tile wall and pressed her against it, sliding my length inside her heated core, and I felt emotions so powerful I could’ve wept, because this was what I’d almost lost. I’d almost lost waking up to her every day. Seeing her smile at me with love. Holding her against me like I’d never let her go.
I poured all of that into making slow, gentle love to her against the shower wall. The unhurried climb to paradise meant I had more moments with her, more chances to kiss her velvet lips and feel her body against me.
The slow build made the impending explosion much more powerful, and when Lisbeth’s orgasm flushed over her body, she shook so hard I almost dropped her. I was so close with her trembling against me, she brought me down for a kiss, and my body released inside hers in a rush. We rested against the wall, breathless, and kissing so many times I never wanted to not have her lips on mine again.
Feeling fresh and clean after our shower, we went to the kitchen to start making dinner. I saw Arthur standing next to the lake, looking out over the beautiful blue water. Lisbeth put her arms around me from behind and peeked her head out to see what I was looking at. Her wet curls brushed against my arm and we watched the stoic warrior against the water.
“He was worried too. I’m not the only one who almost lost you,” I said, kissing her hand. “He cried.”
She looked at me in disbelief. “You’re lying.”
“I’m not.” I lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Go tell your boyfriend that we’re making dinner and he’d better help out or he doesn’t get any.”
She lifted up on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek, and then she walked barefoot outside to where Arthur stood. I craned to hear them, but they didn’t say anything until they both turned and walked back inside the house.
“I managed to contact Olivier,” he said, putting the radio on the counter. We waited for him to say more, hoping he had news about Kitty. “The epidemic is overtaking the planet. They’re trying to save as many as possible, but there’s almost no point. Alistair has destroyed everything.” He sat down on one of the bar stools and clasped his hands in front of him. “I should’ve…” He let out a ragged breath and Lisbeth came to grip his hand in hers. She reached back to me with her other hand and I took it.
“I swear to god if you cry, I will lose it,” Lisbeth scolded. “We’re not going to sit in this cabin and whine about what we should’ve done. We’re going out there to find our children. I don’t care where they are or how long it fucking takes. If the world is being re-written, I want my children by my side. And both of you.”
“Our?” Arthur questioned, his eyes still cast down to hide any moisture on them.
“We’re having a child together. You’re family. Get used to it.” She let go of his hand, wiped at her nose, and squeezed his shoulder. “Let’s make dinner. We’re leaving tomorrow morning.”
We ate spaghetti and drank wine. It was almost normal. Me cracking jokes, Lisbeth laughing, and Arthur telling us to grow up as he struggled not to crack a smile when he looked at Lisbeth’s face. You’d have never known the world was going to hell outside. We went to bed and woke up the next morning, packed our bags, and stood on the front porch planning where we’d go.
“I think we should leave the jeep, just walk off-road,” Lisbeth suggested, running her hands down her backpack straps. “The drones will be in the cities with the gas stations. It’s not worth the risk.”
Arthur was marking a path on the map and nodded. “Agreed. We have tents, rations. We’ll have to restock but we can do it safely. There’s only one problem.”
“Blood supply,” Lisbeth noted quietly. I saw Arthur making notes on where he could raid some hospitals.
“Damn it,” I complained with a sigh. “Arthur can drink from me. If I get a boner from it, that’s on you.”
Lisbeth put her hand on my arm. “No, no one is asking you to do that. Especially since I’m expecting and I’ll need more blood from you.”
“I don’t care. We have to. If he continues drinking bagged blood, he’ll get weaker, and we need him strong. Arthur, we cool?” He nodded, way too cool with this arrangement. Pervert. “Cool. Anything else?”
Lisbeth shrugged. “I think we’ve got it from here.”
“You’re lucky your cabin had all the supplies we needed,” Arthur said, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
“Fist bump?” she asked him with a smile.
“Never.”
“You’re literally the worst.” She tossed her long curls and I saw for the briefest moment Arthur smiling at her where she couldn’t see.
“You two are the cutest,” I cooed playfully.
“Oh my god, can we just go?” She stomped forward off the porch and we followed after her, into a world that was changing with every moment, but we’d both be there to keep her safe.
Together.
Rise of the Monsters
Born Vampire, Book five
NSFW Edition
Prologue
Year: December, 2053 - Lisbeth
Running while eight months pregnant was not on my list of fun activities, and yet that’s exactly what I was doing. With Arthur in front of me and Knight behind, we moved as a unit down a deserted alley, hoping against hope that the nearby vampire drones wouldn’t catch our scent. Arthur stopped at the street opening, waiting, listening. I stood close to his back and tried to ignore how powerful his scent was to me. It was only because of the baby, I kept telling myself.
“You okay?” my mate asked behind me, Knight’s warm hands coming around my sides to press on my wide belly. I leaned into him and took a much needed rest for a few precious seconds.
“I’ll be better when we’re not running so much,” I commented, shutting my eyes and laying my head against his chest.
Arthur shuffled around in front of me and I felt him step closer. “Ssh. They’re almost on us.” We waited, holding our breath and straining to hear the nearby horde receding. Once they were far enough away, Arthur took my hand, I took Knight’s with the other one, and we crossed the empty, forgotten street to another alley. Before we were safe in the shadows again, a pain ripped through my belly from deep inside me and I cried out, ruining any chance we had of getting away unseen.
Further down the street I saw them: a pack of several dozen vampire drones, and the creatures roared out a battle cry as they charged towards us. Knight picked me up and dropped me into Arthur’s arms, then pushed us towards the alley.
“Go! Get her out of here now!” he commanded, pulling out his pistol and knife, ready to take on the horde to protect us.
To protect me.
“No, no you can’t do that!” I shrieked at him, but Arthur was already running in the opposite direction with me in his arms. I pulled myself
up to look over his shoulder but we were already too far away to see Knight. “Arthur, no!” I beat at his unwavering shoulders, tears coming down my cheeks. “Put me down, take me back, god damn it!” My protests fell on deaf ears and he continued carrying me away from my mate, so far that I couldn’t hear the horde anymore. We went up some stairs and inside an old apartment building. With me still in his arms, Arthur checked every door in the hallway until he found an open one. He carried me inside and set me down in the apartment’s entryway.
As he turned back to face me, I slapped him smartly across the face with my full strength, so hard he flew back against the wall and made a dent in it.
“What in the fucking hell is wrong with you?” I yelled at him, not at all ashamed when his cheek started swelling up from the force of my slap. Arthur righted himself like nothing had happened, lifting his arm to click the apartment door’s lock into place and feeling his jaw with his hand. Apparently I’d broken something because it clicked back into place and he tested it a few times by opening and closing his mouth.
“We made a deal,” he said once his bones were repaired.
“You what?” Glaring into his icy blue eyes, I put my hands on my enlarged hips so he knew how seriously pissed off I was, as if I hadn’t made it clear enough already.
“Knight made me promise to protect you, no matter what.”
My fists clenched at my sides so hard I smelled my blood. “How many fucking times do I have to tell you to stop making choices for me? You never listen. Never. I don’t need you to hold my hand, I don’t need you to protect me.”
“You asked me to stay by your side and this is what that means.”
“Don’t you dare play that card with me, Arthur. You said you would stay, but you left me.” As the words left my lips, I realized how much pain they brought, no matter how much time had passed since it happened.
Arthur continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “I will always put your safety over your wishes. I don’t care how many times you bitch at me, because one day maybe you’ll let me protect you without complaining about it.”
Stunned, or maybe just too tired to keep arguing with him, hot tears trickled down my cheeks. “If he dies because of you trying to protect me, I will never forgive you. I forgave you for almost ending his life before. I will not extend that kindness a second time.” My anger deflated like a balloon and the tears continued with my hands coming around my belly. The baby kicked at me, almost distracting me from attempting to reach out to Knight with my powers. His image came to my mind, as if I was seeing out of his eyes. He was knee deep in the drones, slashing and shooting when they came at him. I snapped back into my head and wiped my cheeks. “Go get him.”
“What, and leave you here, pregnant and defenseless? Absolutely not.”
My mouth scrunched up as I contemplated slapping Arthur again. “Why do I even bother pretending you’ll do what I say? You never will. You’re such an asshole.” A rush of hormones brought more tears until I was sobbing against my hands. “I can’t lose him again. I can’t. I can’t…” I broke off into more sobs and Arthur’s arms were around me, holding me to his icy warmth in an embrace I hadn’t felt for a very long time. That pull to him came again, making me wish he would tilt my chin up and kiss me.
You only want him because of the baby, I told myself over and over. How many years had to pass after Arthur dumped me before I got it through my head that he didn’t want me?
“I suppose you made him other promises too,” I said quietly against Arthur’s chest. One of his large scarred hands stroked at my hair, relaxing me despite my inner turmoil.
“Not the kind you’re thinking,” Arthur answered.
What did that mean?
I raised my head to ask further when a knock came at the door, startling me out of Arthur’s arms. He un-clicked the lock and Knight walked in, covered in blood and ick, but more or less intact. I jumped into his arms, not caring that he was getting blood on me. He was safe, that’s all that mattered.
“What happened to your face?” Knight asked, pointing a finger to his cheek, around the same area where Arthur’s skin was still mottled.
“She slapped me for taking her away from you,” he answered, like it was a normal day for us. To be fair, I’d slapped him before for less.
I grabbed the front of Knight’s t-shirt and brought him to me until our noses were pressed together so I could stare right into his deep, brown eyes. “The next time you two make a deal about my safety behind my back, you won’t enjoy my reaction either. We clear?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed when he gulped at me. “Yes, ma’am.” The stare broke as another sharp pain ran across my stomach and I bent in half from the force of it.
“Owwww…” The word escaped my lips like a timid whine after getting a burr stuck in your foot. The long braid of my hair swung in front of me.
“Shitshitshit,” Knight said quickly, bending to hold my hands. “Is the baby coming?”
I shook my head, letting out a slow breath when the pain passed. I’d been having irregular contractions for the past few days, but nothing serious so far. “Not yet. Soon though.”
“This town is crawling with drones,” Arthur stated, looking around the apartment. “We’ll never make it out alive if they smell that much of your blood.” He walked away, checking the apartment for something. Knight led me to a couch in the living room and dusted it off with his hands before helping me sit down.
“Get some rest, we’ll keep watch,” he assured with a kiss to my forehead. Arthur returned holding a blanket that he draped over me. They stood nearby as I eventually found a comfortable spot despite my round belly and drifted off to sleep.
After what seemed like an age of dreamless sleep, I woke up on the couch with Knight sleeping in an easy chair nearby. Arthur stood by one of the windows, looking out at the street. He noticed me sitting up and stretching, and he came to sit at the end of the couch by my feet. With me distracted by a yawn, he took my foot in his hands and removed my shoe to press his fingers into my swollen skin.
“Do…” he started, and stopped, hesitating, which was not like him at all. “Do you recall the last time I rubbed your pregnant feet?” His eyes stayed downwards, focused on his task, which was nice because I’d started turning pink with that particular memory coming to the forefront of my mind. So many years ago, Arthur had rubbed my feet when I was pregnant with Kitty, and then he kissed me so deeply, so passionately, it wasn’t hard to realize I’d fallen in love with him. Unsure of what his intentions were with this conversation, I stayed silent, except for the soft moans escaping my lips whenever he pressed just right. “When I left to search for Alistair, I told Knight that if you had the second child in your dream while I was gone that he needed to massage your feet every night.”
I giggled mid-sigh. “That’s why he was so insistent about doing that when I was expecting Jason. He must’ve liked the suggestion.”
“Actually he told me he was planning on it anyway. Said he needed to take care of you for both of us.” Arthur moved to my other foot, removing my shoe, and drawing a hiss from me when he pressed into my arch. “I’m…” He hesitated again and my stomach flipped over with either dread or anticipation. I couldn’t tell which. Both. “I’m sorry I left you. You were right earlier, you asked me to stay by your side and I left.” Just barely, his eyes turned towards me, but he refused to meet my gaze.
“You had to—”
“I didn’t have to,” he interrupted. “I was trying…” He finally met my eyes with his icy, blue irises. “I was trying to forget you.” My stomach flipped again, and dread was the emotion that stayed. Of course he wanted to forget me. He didn’t want me like that anymore. His insistence on me being with Knight was proof of that. Embarrassed, I tried to take my foot back but he refused to let it go. “It didn’t work, Lisbeth.” That stopped me, freezing my body on the couch. My eyes moved to where Knight lay, still asleep. Even though the thought of him hearing this had my heart sk
ipping a beat, I wished he was awake because I felt as fragile as a bird egg. “It’s impossible to forget you. You’re etched into every part of me.”
“Stop,” I said, getting up and holding my round belly to steady myself. “You can’t say these things to me.” The words felt like poison leaving my lips. I wasn’t even sure if I meant them. It was a programmed response, a product of my upbringing in a society that no longer existed. A curtain of tears smudged the image of Arthur on the couch, staring up at me. “You pushed me away. You said you didn’t want me.”
“I lied.”
“Shit,” I swore, bringing a hand up to my trembling lips as two simple words changed everything inside me. I wiped my eyes and looked away to bring myself together. He stood up so I held out a hand between us. “Stay. You stay there,” I ordered firmly. If he touched me I would be lost, and I didn’t want that. Not right now when everything was uncertain inside my head. “You don’t get to reject me and then say it was a lie after thirty-five years.” My hand moved to point at Knight’s sleeping form. The mental connection between us was silent, making me confident he wasn’t faking and was actually asleep. “He would never do that to me. You think you know what’s best for me, but you never stop to think that you’re wrong. You don’t listen to me about anything. About what I want. About what I need from you. Regardless of whether or not Knight approves of you being my mate, I can’t be with you if you act like that. And even if you changed…” My eyes fell to the apartment carpet, stained with dirt from the family that lived here before the world ended. “Part of me thinks you’re too late.”
“And the other part?”
I looked back up and met his eyes again, the turmoil inside me only rising at the sight of his scarred face. “Prove to me you can change and we’ll see.” My belly came alive with another rip of pain and I braced myself against the chair Knight was sleeping in, startling him awake.
The Born Vampire series: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance (The Complete Series, NSFW Edition) Page 66