by April Kelley
Jules might be one of the only humans amongst a house full of paranormal being, but they’re his family, and he’s not giving them up for two mates who left him at the hands of a monster.
Jules Somerset has fought hard the past year to get his life on track after being kidnapped by an insane vampire. Since his rescue, he’s gained a family who loves him, has a job he’s good at, and has made friends with a lot of his fellow clansmen. He also holds a longing in his heart for two prejudiced jerks. Okay, to be fair, Hacen is the only one prejudiced. Tommy just goes along. Jules wants to be so over the whole mating thing already but can’t seem to stop wanting them both.
Warnings: M/M/M romance (as in, the story is about a polyamorous relationship between three males). Also, this book is a part of a series and is NOT a standalone. The author recommends reading the book in sequence.
CAPTIVE SOUL
MARCH 2018
COPYRIGHT (c) 2018 by April Kelley
Cover Art by Bronwyn Heeley
Cover content is for illustrative use only, and any person depicted on the cover is a model
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.
Published by Hard Rose Publishing
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Captive Soul
Saint Lakes Six
by
April Kelley
Prologue
The vampire had a grip on Jules’ arm, holding him firmly but without causing pain. He had a sword strapped to a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt with the word fangs on it. A kindness lay in every muscle of the vampire’s face, yet he still walked Jules down the hall as if taking him to his execution. And he didn’t speak. Not one word fell from his lips, although he did make a shushing sound when Jules whimpered.
The vampire carried all of his contrasts like badges and Jules didn’t know if any of them would grow teeth and turn on him. Would his blood splatter across the pretty wallpaper?
The paper was maroon with gold flowers and trimmed in dark wood. His blood would blend in to some degree. The colors reminded him of an old movie he had watched with his grandmother once. The actors in the story clothed themselves in big dresses and high collars and talked in a pronounced way no one did anymore.
Lights, encased in glass, were interspersed along the walls. Every illuminated bulb had more to do with making the place look lavish than lighting the way. Shadows hung like ghosts in every corner, thick and threatening.
The carpet cushioned his bare feet as the vampire hurried him along. His toes were numb with cold, though. Everything that touched him held a level of deception.
None of his past experiences had prepared him for death, although a part of him welcomed it. Dying equaled freedom. The other part of him made a sound between a cry and a whimper even as his legs locked up. Tears wouldn’t form, even though Jules shook with the need for them. Sobs welled in the center of his chest.
The hand on his arm tightened. “Calm down, human.”
A door opened on the left further down the hall. A woman, dressed in black leather from neck to feet, exited. She had a gun strapped to her hip like some western movie cowgirl outlaw.
Jules covered his bare privates when she gave him the once-over. She grinned, flashing her long fangs. “Untried blood whores are my favorite.”
“Nicolono wants him first.” They talked about him as if he were rare steak.
When they drained the blood from his body would he die quickly? Would it hurt?
He wanted to be brave in the last few minutes of his life. The blood-sucking animals, who lived in the mansion, be damned.
His stomach turned at the thought of standing up to his captors.
The woman moved past them. Her booted feet pounded down the stairs, echoing along the hall even as the sound faded.
They stopped in front of a door and Jules’ legs locked up again. He tried to pull his arm free, but the grip might as well have been handcuffs. The vampire knocked. A muffled voice told them to "come in," and before he knew it, he stood in front of two more vampires.
Jules whimpered when the smaller vampire raised his hand, moving it up and down, silently indicating Jules’ naked body. His lips pursed. "Bring him some clothes. He is my mate, not some common blood whore. And let everyone know not to touch him. Death is what awaits if they do. Make the announcement as soon as possible on my behalf, Angel."
When Angel’s hand left his arm and he left the room, Jules curled in on himself as much as possible.
The second vampire sat in a chair with a scowl on his face. He had long black hair, which he pulled back from his face in a neat ponytail and had on a dark gray suit that should have contrasted with his dark tanned complexion but didn't. Their gazes met, and Jules looked away quickly.
“Look at him, Hacen. Isn’t he beautiful.” The smaller vampire sat on a stool near a bar that was opposite the big bed. An arched doorway was to the left of the bar. The only thing Jules saw of that space was floor to ceiling shelves loaded with books and a lonely desk.
Hacen looked bored and pissed all at the same time. “Can I go? Or are you gonna keep me here forever, Nicolono?”
Nicolono croaked a finger at Jules, completely ignoring Hacen’s question. Jules refused the silent request, locking his whole body in place. Nicolono huffed, and his lips thinned out. His eyes held a spark that Jules didn’t understand. And then some invisible force pulled him onward as if his leg muscles obeyed something other than his brain.
He patted his knee. The gesture turned Jules' stomach. He tried to refuse, but his body betrayed him again. Jules swallowed the bile in his throat and sat down, stiffening when he felt the material of the vampire's slacks on his bare ass.
“I have the unique ability to control certain people. You’re pliable enough to allow me access.” Nicolono’s hand gripped his waist painfully. "Now tell me, what's your name, boy?"
"Jules.” Each syllable shook as it spilled from his mouth.
"Just relax, Jules. I would never hurt you." The vampire touched his chest, sliding his hand down until he got to his belly button. "How old are you?"
His tone was too smooth and his smile charming. His whole demeanor was a lie. "Nineteen."
"So young. I'm a hundred and eighty-seven years old." His hand, gliding down Jules’ abdomen, spoke more truth. "Vampires are ancient creatures, Jules. To hear my wife tell it, we're also very hard to live with." The vampire looked over at Hacen. "Doesn't Silvia say I'm impossible?"
"Yes, sir." A muscle ticked out a rhythm in Hacen’s jaw. Something about it mesmerized Jules, allowing him to empty his mind, giving him the meditative rest he needed.
At some point, the scowl deepened on Hacen’s face when Nicolono shouted. Jules didn’t pay attention to what was said, though. He refused to let the two vampires penetrate the wall he created.
He transported himself back to the farm where he spent most of his childhood. His grandmother stood in the doorway of the house that needed painting, waiting for him to get off the bus. The bus popped and wheezed as he ran down the driveway to her. His backpack bounced behind him. She smiled the closer he got and held out her arms.
As quickly as the trip began, he was shoved back to reality when a hand smacked him on his waist. The sting jolted him as if it were an electric shock.
"Wait right here for me, and I'll finish what I started." Ju
les had no idea what the vampire meant by those words. Jules covered his naked bits and stepped away. He wanted to be stronger and curse the vampire, but the words froze in his throat.
Nicolono turned to Hacen. "Shall I have Thomas put a curse on you? Thomas is your mate, correct? Shall I have him take the mating pull away? Or better yet, let you long for him unable to bond for the whole of your life. Or maybe my wife should hobble you. She's very good at causing pain with her damned curses." He smiled in delight but just as quickly the smile fell. When a wicked sparkle entered Nicolono’s eyes, Jules backed up until he stood in the corner of the room, pressed against the wall as tightly as he could.
Everything Nicolono did was with a calculation Jules hadn’t ever encountered in another person. Even the finger he ran across the footboard of the bed and the way he casually entered the space with the books.
Jules had never set eyes on evil until watching Nicolono lean against the desk and glance up at a sword that hung to the right of the shelving units. His intentions were clear.
"Do you know what it's like to find your mate and not be able to bond with him, Hacen?"
"Thomas and I are unmated, so yeah."
He eyed Hacen for the longest time without saying a word. "Did you know I can smell it when people lie, including you?"
Hacen shook his head, looking confused at the sudden change in topic.
"Yes, my mother said it was because my great great grandmother was a wolf shifter. It’s also how I can manipulate some people." Nicolono chuckled. "Can you imagine, a wolf and a vampire, a mated couple? My mother tells me it was a true mating. She was able to smell a lie as well, you see."
He moved away from the desk toward Hacen, who stood. His body stilled before taking jerky steps toward the other room.
"You killed the human that would help me bond with my mate." Nicolono said the words as if he were talking about something mundane like washing a dish wrong.
"That was Gary. We'll get the male witch. You'll be able to bond with Jules soon, sir." The words came rushing out so fast Jules had to listen carefully. When he heard his name, he didn’t completely understand what Hacen meant. He knew what a bond was and he certainly didn’t want to do anything relating to bonding with any vampire, especially Nicolono, who he was dubbing Mr. Evil because that name fit better.
He could guess what a mate was. He’d watched animal planet enough to understand. Maybe vampires called their romantic partners that too. Jules’ only question was why Mr. Evil thought of him that way.
"Gary is dead. Now his mistakes are yours, Hacen. How many humans have you drained dry the way Gary had?"
"No one."
"Lie." Mr. Evil took a swipe with his long nails across the big guy’s stomach. The big vampire hissed, and his eyes turned red. Blood slowly saturated his white shirt. "How many?"
Jules wished for invisibility.
"Hundreds." Hacen stood there, staring straight ahead as if he didn't just profess to murder.
Mr. Evil’s lips curled up, showing his fangs. "Do you know the council will be on my ass once they learn of this? I've been hiding it from them for too long. I can't keep covering for you."
Jules sucked in a breath when Mr. Evil moved from the desk, heading to the sword. Jules must have made a sound because their gazes met. Jules looked away quickly, not wanting any of that anger spilling on him. "I'm not going to kill him, Jules. I'm going to do something far worse."
Jules slowly turned, facing away, not wanting to see what came next. His shoulders came up to his ears and curled inward.
"Yet another of your sins, Hacen. Making my mate turn his back on me." Metal clinked against metal. "Bring Thomas to me and stay in the room while we talk. You'll want to know the kind of curse the ancients will bestow on you. Their curses are always worse than death."
“Thomas won’t curse me.”
“I hold everything he holds dear in the palm of my hand. His warlock magic is mine to use.”
When a redheaded man entered the room, Jules turned back around. He guessed the man was Thomas only because he entered in front of Hacen.
Jules’ body lost some of its stiffness. Thomas seemed to have the same calming effect as the tick in Hacen’s jaw. He looked as human as Jules, and as scared, although he held his shoulders back as if bravely waiting for the executioners to fire their guns.
Thomas had hair such a dark red it had brown undertones, although the red came through when the overhead light streaked across it. He had on jeans that hugged his ass and thighs, and a blue t-shirt that had a darker blue rectangular box on it. The image resembled one of those old telephone booths Jules had seen on television a time or two. Dark circles lay under his eyes, staining his otherwise perfect complexion and a bruise covered part of his neck.
"Warlock. How is the room I gave you?"
"Great except for the locked door and the fact that you're holding my sister and me prisoner." Thomas folded his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. Despite the show of bravado the weariness came through in sharp relief.
"You'd do well to watch your mouth, Warlock."
He didn't respond but did keep the defiance in his stance. The redhead wouldn’t go quietly.
"Now I want you to curse Hacen."
"How?"
Jules slid to the floor, drawing his knees up against his chest. His arms came around them.
"I needed the male witch to lift the curse my wife placed on my genitals. Without the male witch, I can't bond with Jules properly. Hacen took the chance away from me by not doing his job, so I want you to take something away from him."
"What?"
"His lack of a conscience. Give him one. Now."
Thomas narrowed his eyes. “And if I don’t?”
“If you don’t, I’ll sever one of your sister’s fingers and put it in a gift box with a pretty blood red bow.”
Thomas nodded, and he walked further into the room with the desk. He looked over at Jules. His eyebrows drew together. Jules met his gaze and wanted to go to him, but the redhead's eyes went black. "Do you intend to tie the human to you?"
"He's my mate."
“The ancestors think you don’t deserve him. They’ll protect him from you. Nicolono Stavros, you make yourself an enemy to them.” Thomas’ voice deepened on the last sentence. The sound waves echoed off the walls.
When Thomas began chanting, the deep, echoing voice remained, but the words didn’t make sense. He closed his eyes as a glow surrounded his body like an aura.
That deep voice whispered in Jules’ mind, and Jules understood every word it spoke. For one moment he thought it was Mr. Evil playing tricks on him. He hid his face in his knees and held his breath. Do not be scared, little human. Your role is bigger than this moment.
Jules lifted his head, looking at the warlock, wanting to know what he meant, but he still chanted nonsense. An ache grew in Jules’ chest and a longing so acute he’d never experienced anything like it before. He stood up slowly, letting his hands fall from the death grip he had on his knees. His legs wobbled like gelatin when he stood. Thomas opened his eyes and held out his hand to Jules.
Mr. Evil’s gaze followed him across the room. His anger vibrated off the walls. Jules wanted to run the rest of the distance to the warlock and the vampire, the whispered words came back to him, calming his fear enough that he held back.
He breathed a sigh of relief when Thomas circled his waist, pulling Jules to him. Jules was taller by a couple of inches, but he was still able to bury his face in the warm flesh on his neck.
Thomas' arm moved, and then the room darkened. Jules lifted his head long enough to see a dark dome form around them. The dome included Hacen when he took a step toward them.
He wrapped thick arms around them both. The scent of lavender wafted off him, wrapping around Jules like a blanket.
Hacen looked at Jules as tears gathered in his eyes. He pressed his lips to Jules’ forehead before addressing the warlock. "What did you do, Tommy?"
"I took away Nicolono’s mating bond."
"Why do I feel it now? Toward both of you." Hacen growled. “By the gods, Tommy, this won’t end well. You know that. There’s too many to fight our way out of here.”
"The ancestors thought you deserved us, I guess."
"The ancestors?" Jules might not understand what was happening entirely, but he realized he had felt differently right after the deep, soothing voice left his mind.
"I channel my magic through my ancestors, and I don't always have complete control. They always do though, and in this instance, they must have thought we'd make better mates."
Hacen growled and tried to pull away. Jules let go of Tommy and wrapped his arms around Hacen instead, hanging on as if his life depended on it. His body gave off a warmth Jules never wanted to give up. He pressed his cheek against the broad chest and closed his eyes.
"I didn't fucking want this, Tommy." He wrapped an arm around Jules' waist. His thumb rubbed circles on his bare skin.
"You'd rather go back to not feeling anything, is that it?"
"Yes. Fuck!" Hacen released Jules, gently peeling him off like a wet shirt. Hacen ran his fingers through his hair, pacing from one end of the black dome to the other.
“Do you think Nicolono was lying when he said he’d hurt my sister? She’s a child, Hacen. I had to give him what he wanted. But he needs to pay still. Don’t you see that?”
“All you did was make me feel guilty for the shit I’ve done. What about the shit I’m about to do? Got any guilt to lay on me for that.”
“What do you mean?” Tommy pulled Jules into an embrace once again.
“I can’t get us all out and save your sister. I can’t fucking fight everyone between here and the front door.” Hacen tapped his temple. “Think about it. For just a second.” Hacen’s glower darted to Jules as if it were his fault they were in the predicament.
Jules glowered right back.