The Vampires' Blood Mate: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Romance

by Lili Zander

  “Yeah, that's my take as well.” Nero looks thoughtful. “I met Empress Astrid once. She was the same way.”

  “Do you blame either of them? They both had to grow up pretty quickly when their parents died.” I give him a sidelong glance. “You know Ragnar isn't going to let us escape when he discovers that Raven's the carrier of a fatal blood disease.”

  “Oh, I know that,” he replies. “I'm under no illusions about him. His first loyalty is to the Empress.”

  “Saber’s going to have to return to the inner sectors tonight. Ragnar will be wondering where he's gone.”

  “Knowing the Colonel, he's already thought of an excuse.”

  “Levitan will be calling for a status update too. He’s going to have to make something up.” So many enemies. So many complications.

  Nero frowns. “Speaking of Levitan, I don’t like lying to Raven.”

  Me neither. I want to be honest with Raven. What I’m doing isn’t right. Before we slept with her, there might have been some justification to keeping the truth from her. But now? There is no excuse. Without honesty, no bô can survive for long.

  Another long silence falls between us. This time, neither of us breaks it.

  We continue west, passing the two abandoned mines Raven mentioned. The wind howls like a wounded animal, blowing snow everywhere. We can’t see more than a few feet in front of us. We’re navigating by sensors, trusting the instrumentation to guide us.

  I’m beginning to wonder if we’ve missed it when I get a blip. “Head southwest,” I tell Nero. “Twenty meters. I think I see something.”

  The buildings loom in front of us as we get closer. “Another abandoned mine,” Nero says in disgusts. “This planet is littered with them.”

  I’m watching the panels. The needle on the electronics sensor is quivering. I frown at it, wondering what’s going on. I’m picking up faint static, but there should be nothing here. Unless…

  “Of course.” I shake my head in admiration. Levitan’s a traitor, but he’s a cunning one. “You’re right. There are mine shafts all over the planet. What better place to hide a lab?”

  “Underground?” Nero’s gaze sharpens. “If the lab is really here, where are the guards?”

  Good question. The hair at the back of my neck rises up, and I tighten my grip on my gun. “Let’s go look around.”

  We get out of the skimmer and walk to the mine shaft. There’s a metal ladder on the side. “Be careful,” Nero warns as I start to climb down. “I have a very bad feeling about this place. Something isn’t right here.”

  Halfway down, the familiar earthy tang of vampire blood hits my nostrils. The lower we get, the more the stink grows. By the time we reach the bottom, it's so awful that I can't stop myself from retching.

  “This place smells like death,” Nero mutters. He pushes open the door in front of us and recoils. “I don't think we need to be concerned about an active facility.”

  That's an understatement. Blood is everywhere. Crusted into the carpet, splattered on the walls. There are about thirty bodies strewn around in various stages of decomposition. Some are human, but most are vampires. A few people have been shot, but the vast majority of the vampires look like Olaf after he drank Raven's blood. “They were testing the weapon on these people,” I say, my voice vibrating with anger, my hands clenching into fists. Nobody, no matter what their crimes, deserves this fate.

  Nero steps through the bodies, an expression of revulsion on his face. “Look at the people that have been shot. They're wearing lab coats. Scientists. You think Thistle killed them?”

  Thistle would have been part of Equality Pact. They’ve never shied away from using violence to achieve their ends.

  “Or Levitan sent a clean-up crew.” So many dead. I feel sick to my stomach. “Let's do a quick search of the facility for anything linking Levitan to this place and get the hell out of here.”

  “Hang on.” Nero fishes a couple of vigilene pills out of his pocket and hands me one. “The last thing I want to do is slumber here.”

  I couldn’t agree with him more.

  In search of boarium, the miners tunneled extensively. There’s a maze of corridors and passages underneath the ice. Thankfully for us, we don’t see any more bodies as we start exploring, but that’s about the only piece of good news. The laboratories look like a bomb went off in them. Every screen is smashed, every comm broken. Living quarters are in disarray. Everything has been destroyed.

  I hadn’t really expected to find evidence linking Levitan to this place. The General didn’t get to where he is by being careless. But a small piece of me had still hoped we’d find something here.

  No such luck.

  I guess we’re going to have to do this the hard way.

  28

  Raven

  Boarus 4

  Sunrise, EleventhDay of FourthMonth

  By the time we get back to the tent, my tears have crystallized into cold incandescent rage. I want to burn everything to the ground. I want to howl at the winds and break things.

  No more petty acts of defiance like attending an illegal history class. No more vague, unrealized thoughts of avenging my parents. No more. I want to hurt Zimmer. I want him to die the way Olaf Vander did, in agonizing pain.

  I want to rampage. I want to kill.

  Saber watches me carefully. “If you try to attack Zimmer, he will discover who you are.”

  “Yes,” I snap. “You don’t have to condescend to me. I’m quite aware of that.” There’s a voice in the back of my head that points out that this situation isn’t Saber’s fault, and that biting his head off isn’t exactly fair. But I’m too wound up to listen.

  “Lula Kenner is going to confront Ragnar about Zimmer’s crimes. There will be justice, Raven.”

  “I don’t believe you.” I clench my hands into fists. Fresh tears prickle at the back of my eyelids. I’m seconds away from bursting into angry sobs. “My parents were killed for trying to organize a peaceful protest, and nothing happened to Dieter Zimmer. Klaus Zimmer has murdered and imprisoned so many people, and the Empress doesn’t care as long as her supply of boarium is uninterrupted. Don’t talk to me about justice, Saber, because there is none here. Not for humans anyway.”

  He sways on his feet, and it jerks me away from my anger. Unnoticed by me, the sun has risen in the sky. On a normal day, I’d be crawling into bed after an exhausting night of work. It almost makes me miss the mines. “You have to slumber, don’t you?”

  “I can fight it.” He mutters a curse under his breath. “Fucking black market vigilene.”

  “Vigilene?”

  “It’s a drug. Helps us fight deep sleep. Nero found some in some back alley somewhere, but it isn’t as good as Imperial Army issue. Doesn’t work as well.”

  That’s how they were able to rescue me yesterday. But this stuff can’t be good for the vampires. Saber has dark circles around his eyes, and he looks drained. “You’re pretty unsteady on your feet.”

  He gives me a wry smile. “Vampires are not meant to be awake during the day.”

  “You’re waiting up for Nero and Zeke?” The anxiety comes roaring back, setting up camp once again in my stomach.

  He glances at his screen. “They should be back by now.” He’s pacing again, stumbling against the walls of the shelter. “I hope Nero’s not doing something pointlessly heroic.”

  Thankfully for both his nerves and the integrity of our small cabin, Nero and Zeke return not too long after we get back. They drink vials of human blood to refresh themselves and then tell us what they found.

  It’s not good news. “The place is wrecked,” Nero says. “Bodies everywhere. Someone did a pretty effective job cleaning up.”

  Zeke shows us the vid of his findings, and I have to fight the urge to be sick. Saber’s expression is hard. “We stick to our plan,” he says. “Go through with the tournament. Zimmer’s hosting a banquet for Ragnar at the end of the tournament. Two hundred guests, dinner, music, danci
ng, the works. It’s quite a production. We’ll make our break when everyone’s distracted.”

  We fall silent. It’s warm in the shelter, and the bed calls to me. In the last twenty-four hours, I’ve only managed to get a few stolen moments of sleep. My eyes are drooping shut.

  A nap sounds like a really good idea.

  Except, unlike the vampires, I don’t intend to sleep all day.

  I might have been distracted by Saber’s obvious need to slumber, and by Nero and Zeke’s news. But underneath the bone-deep chill that the warm fire just can’t dispel, my earlier anger still lingers.

  The Overlord has no regard for human lives. He never has; he never will. We are not people to him.

  I can’t kill Zimmer; I’m not deluded. What I can do, however, is make my way to the re-education camps and tell Mical that Joanna’s coming for him.

  If I leave now, one of the guys will insist on coming with me. That’s a really bad idea. Time seems to have slowed to a crawl, but it was only yesterday that the three of them were burned by the sun. As potent as the healing salve was, they need rest.

  I don’t have to fake a huge yawn—I’ve been up all night, and I’m wiped. “Let’s go to bed,” I suggest. “Things will look better after some sleep.”

  Zeke rolls his eyes. “Come on, Raven. Give us a little credit. You’re planning something. Going to slip away when we’re in slumber?”

  My cheeks heat. Damn it. Their reactions might have slowed because of the tug of deep sleep, but their minds are just as sharp as ever. Why do they have to be so perceptive?

  Saber raises his eyebrow. “Are you going to collect your flags?”

  For a second, I debate lying to them. But only for a second. Saber, Nero, and Zeke have shown that they’re worthy of my trust. “My friend Joanna has a brother in the re-education camps. He stood up to Olaf Vander, and he was sentenced to eighteen months for not showing proper respect.”

  Saber winces. “I’m sorry,” he starts to say.

  I cut him off. “You don’t have to apologize; you didn’t do it. Joanna’s friends with Lula Kenner. She’s in on Lula’s plan to break into the camps and free the residents.”

  Saber’s expression turns wary. I rush on. “Joanna asked me to give Mical a message. She wanted me to tell him that they were going to break him out.”

  Predictably, the guys aren’t happy. “Raven, that’s too dangerous,” Saber argues. “The re-education camps are filled with enforcers that are loyal to Zimmer. What you’re thinking of doing…” He takes a deep breath. “I know you want to do this for your friend. But Lula’s going to move any day now. Whether you tell him or not, a rescue is imminent.”

  How do I make them understand? “For ten years, I thought the way to survive Glacis was to give up hope, but I was wrong. I would have sold my soul to know that there was someone who cared about me, someone who wanted me back home. Joanna thinks Mical’s losing the will to live. He’s just fourteen. He needs this message. If I can give him just a little bit of hope, it’ll be worth it.”

  “There’s no reason for you to go alone,” Nero says. “Let me come along. If you get caught…” He gives me a crooked smile. “I do enjoy a good gunfight.”

  “Mical won’t talk if he sees me with a vampire. Besides, you need to slumber. You all do.”

  “I could forbid you to go,” Saber starts.

  I cut him off again. “You could try. Unless you intend to imprison me here, it won’t work. I can take care of myself. I know the terrain near the re-education camps like the back of my hand. The enforcers won’t even see me.” I don’t want our relationship to be antagonistic, but I will not give on this. If we are to be in a real relationship, they need to treat me as an equal, not as their possession. “You’re vampires. You’re always going to be stronger and faster than humans. But if you value me, please don’t smother me. I’m not stupid. I promise that I’ll be careful.”

  Saber raises his head and pins me with his stare. “You didn’t let me finish. I could forbid you to go, but I’m not going to. I value your strength and your courage.” He gives me a stern look. “You’ll take the gun and use it if you need.”

  A smile breaks out on my face. “You’re okay with this?”

  “Not even a little,” he replies. “But I understand why you need to warn the boy.”

  Nero grimaces. “Take the far-glass too,” he says. “Sweep the landscape with it every few minutes. If you see anyone approaching, hide. Take a comm too. Page us if you run into trouble.”

  That’s a good idea. I was always better at avoiding trouble than confronting it head-on. “I will, I promise.”

  Zeke sighs in resignation. “You should probably pitch your tent somewhere where the drones can record you.” He pulls up the map, and we settle on a spot. “Get some rest first. I’ll hack into the network and make sure they’re nowhere near you or the re-education camps this afternoon. You’ll be clear after four.”

  The drones. I’d totally forgotten about them. Thank the Great Spirit that Zeke hasn’t.

  I hug them goodbye, standing on tip-toe to kiss each of them. The moment should feel awkward, but it doesn’t. It feels right.

  When it’s Saber’s turn, his arms tighten around my waist, and he holds me close to him. “I’m going to be trapped in a nightmare until you return.”

  “I thought vampires don’t dream.”

  “They don’t.” He stares into my eyes. “Stay safe out there, Raven. Come back to us.”

  “Don’t worry.” Steely resolve coats my voice. “I’m not going to take any chances.”

  29

  Nero

  Boarus 4

  Sunrise, EleventhDay of FourthMonth

  I’m fighting the pull of slumber. Tendrils of sleep wrap around me, demanding I surrender to it.

  That’s not happening. “There’s no way in hell that she’s going to sleep out on the ice by herself without one of us keeping watch,” I burst out as soon as Raven leaves the shelter. “Let me go after her.”

  I can’t believe Saber agreed to let her travel alone. It’s not that I don’t trust Raven to take care of herself—I do. But the reality is that she can’t defend herself against six well-armed men. If Zimmer sends another troop after her, then she’s in danger.

  You weren’t very effective yesterday.

  No, I wasn’t. The black-market juice had kept me awake, but it had slowed my reaction time. The sunblock hadn’t worked at all.

  I won’t repeat those mistakes again. As long as I stay in the skimmer, I’m shielded from the sun. As for the vigilene… Today, I’ll be taking the good stuff.

  “No.” Saber shakes his head. “I told her I’d let her go by herself. I’ve lied to Raven enough. I’d prefer not to add to it. Especially now.”

  Especially now that we’ve slept with her.

  “You haven’t lied, exactly,” I argue, though even I know that’s semantics, nothing more. “Just bent the truth.”

  “Thank you, Nero.” Saber’s voice is sarcastic. “That makes me feel much better. And I did lie. I lied about why we were sent to Boarus 4, remember?”

  Damn it, he’s right.

  Saber turns to Zeke. “Can you monitor Raven from a distance?”

  “Yes, I can,” he replies. “I’m tracking every skimmer as well as the choppers. If anyone leaves the main settlement and heads toward the deep ice, I’ll know.”

  “Good.” Saber collapses into his seat, drained. “We’ll take turns staying awake.”

  None of us state the obvious. Fighting the slumber for more than a few hours isn’t advisable. Army regulations don’t allow more than one dose every thirty days. We’ve surpassed that. I took a dose of juice yesterday, and another dose already today.

  It’ll be over soon. Just two more days, and we’ll be out of here.

  Zeke clears his throat. He’s got to be running on fumes as well. “While we’re on the subject of lying to Raven,” he says. “I think we should tell her everything.”


  Saber forces his eyes open. “You want me to tell Raven that one of the most powerful men in the Empire is after her.”

  “It’s not our lives at risk here,” Zeke retorts. “It’s Raven’s. We owe her the truth.”

  “No.” Saber cuts off the discussion, his voice flat and dead. “The topic is closed. Nero, you have first watch. Wake me up in three hours, and I’ll take over.”

  I lift my head and stare at the Colonel. What’s going on with him? He never shuts us down; he’s pretty good at listening to opposing viewpoints.

  I wait until Saber is asleep. “Do you know why he’s so touchy?” I ask Zeke.

  He exhales in a sigh. “I don’t know the precise details, but yes, there’s a reason why he’s acting the way he is.”

  “And that is?”

  “I’m not entirely comfortable discussing Saber like this.”

  I give him an impatient look. “Zeke, this isn’t about gossip. It’s about survival.”

  “Fine,” he concedes. “Like I said, I don’t know exactly what went down. Just that when Saber was very young, he had a human lover. They were going to be blood bonded.”

  I raise my eyebrow. There are many types of bonding, but the blood bond is permanent and cannot be undone for any reason whatsoever. Nowadays, only the royal family makes that kind of commitment, and even then, it’s only to cement the lines of succession. When it is time, Astrid will be blood-bonded, but Ragnar, who isn’t eligible to rule the Empire, will not have to make the same sacrifice. “That seems drastic.”

  Zeke shrugs. “You know Saber. Even now, after everything that he’s seen, there’s a thread of idealism in the Colonel.”

  That’s true. Saber always sees the good in people. That’s why he recruited Zeke and me. “What happened?”

  “She betrayed him. She drank from someone else.”

  I inhale sharply.