Ravaged: A Dark Vampire Reverse Harem Romance (Dark Vampires Book 2)

by Zara Novak

  “You sure you’ll be okay?” I asked. I hated that we had to leave her here like this.

  “Yes… and we will see each other again soon. Do not worry. Everything will be okay. Oh… Lily. Before I go, I have a gift for you.” Neave closed her eyes and then I felt a weight appear on my torso. A bow and quiver full of arrows were now on my person. “You used to use something like this when you hunted for your tribe, right? You should keep this weapon close to you. It is an important part of who you are.”

  “Thanks,” I gasped. I had to pull the bow out to marvel at its beauty. Its wood was dark and decorated with intricate sculptures. It was perfectly balanced, a beautiful weapon. “I will use it well.”

  “That you will.”

  The witch lifted her hand with some effort and delicately placed her thumb against my forehead. At the touch I felt a warm flourish of light echo through my body. She dropped her hand, nodded weakly and limped off around the corner. I took a step forward to make sure she was okay down the hallway, but she was gone.

  Once we were back downstairs, we made our way outside again, stepping into the cold and silver night of the black wood. Both Ronan and Victor quickly shifted back into their dragon forms. A light rain started to fall as I clambered up Victor’s back and secured myself in the riding position.

  Cold rain started to beat down harder as we lifted up into the sky. I saw forks of lightning flash through the black clouds a couple miles to the east. Ronan and Victor’s wings beat furiously through the air, determined to get to Shadow as fast as they possibly could. I had never seen them fly so fast before.

  About twenty minutes into the journey both dragons dipped back below the clouds and we landed in the forest. Dismount, Victor said. I did and they both shifted back into vampire form.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “We should proceed on foot now,” Ronan said. “They’ll see us coming a mile away if we fly in as dragons. We don’t know how the Morrow coven are going to react, so stealth is our first approach. We need the element of surprise, and we have a better chance of achieving that on foot.”

  The plan made sense to me. We proceeded onwards, moving much slower through the forest now, but with the added luxury of stealth and silence that simply wasn’t possible when the boys were in dragon form. We walked silently through the trees for a few minutes, all hyper-vigilant of every sound.

  Everything was going fine until two figures stepped out onto the track before us. A tall vampire and a small blonde girl, both holding laser rifles in our direction.

  “Ronan and Victor,” the man said with a deliberate laugh. “I should have known this had something to do with you.”

  “You know these guys, Thorn?” the girl beside him asked.

  “Sure do. I guess you could say they’re the guys running the outlands. I gave them that freedom many years ago. I heard things had been slipping recently.”

  “Thorn,” Ronan said. “What the hell are you doing here? Who’s the girl?”

  “This is Isabelle, she’s my mate. How about you?”

  Everyone looked at me. “This is Lily,” Ronan answered. “She’s our mate.”

  “I’m confused,” I said to Ronan. “Who are these people?”

  “This is Thorn. He’s the leader of Vrakal, the vampire city nearest to here. Last time I checked he was an ally of ours, but from the way he’s holding that gun I’m not so sure.”

  Thorn and his female friend seemed to remember the guns and holstered them. “I’m pursuing lost property, Ronan. Where are Xander and Shadow?”

  “We’re currently going through a rough patch,” Victor said. “What’s the lost property?”

  “Three Vezulian fighter jets, stolen from my personal flight deck over a year ago. Haven’t seen a lick of them until the other day when one of their signals bounced on my computers. We found one of the jets crashed near Udari territory. A little snooping and we traced its flight path from somewhere in the Carapath mountains.”

  “How did you find us here?” Ronan asked.

  “We’ve been keeping a close eye on the air,” Thorn answered. “Saw two bogies take off from the mountains a few hours ago but lost them over the black wood. We were about to head back to the city when we picked up two large objects moving north at a high speed. Then we saw you land.”

  “Well we’re not in the jets,” Victor said. “It was Xander that stole them by the way. If you’re looking for a fall guy, he’s the one you want to talk to.”

  “Forget about the jets for now,” Thorn said with a smile. “I know trouble when I see it. You guys aren’t the type to take jets and joyride them for fun. Tell me what’s going on.”

  Ronan and Victor quickly caught their friend up to speed. “And now we’re on the way to try and save Shadow before these fucks kill him.”

  “Shadow told me would meet friends along the way,” I said, suddenly remembering my vision of him.

  Both Thorn and Isabelle looked at me. Isabelle looked small, but I saw something fierce in her expression. “We’re friends to those that need help.” She looked at Thorn. “What do you say, shall we clean up this rogue coven?”

  Thorn looked at Ronan. “You guys want help or not? I don’t want to get in the way. This is your territory. It’s your call.”

  Ronan laughed. “Hell, the more the merrier at this point. We need all the help we can get. Xander is back at the castle nursing an injury, and Shadow… well we need to hurry. For all we know he could already be dead.”

  And just like that our party expanded. Together we all moved as one through the trees. Thorn and Isabelle walked at the outer flanks; their laser rifles held high as they scanned the forest for any movement. In the center there was me, Ronan, and Victor. I wasn’t really sure what purpose I could serve at all. Shadow had said I had to come here; he had insisted he would die without me. I had a bow now, but I didn’t have the strength or speed that Ronan and Victor had. I got the impression that Thorn and Isabelle were gifted fighters too. I was sure I could help somehow.

  So why did I feel like deadweight in this team?

  My purpose became apparent a few seconds later when a voice came into my mind. It was strong and clear as day. Shadow was shouting, and I was the only one that could hear the call.

  Down! he warned. Tell the others to get down now!

  I had no idea what the warning referred to, but I relayed the message, nonetheless. “Everyone down!” I shouted. “Now!”

  Everyone looked at me and then they hit the deck. We dropped to the forest floor as one. Seconds later half a dozen missiles came streaming out of the trees. They whistled overhead, leaving thick columns of gray smoke in the air. Great balls of orange fire tore through the air behind us, sending dirt and splintered wood everywhere. A wave of heat swept through the cold night, fire illuminated the dark forest and a high-pitched whistling rang through my ears.

  I pushed myself up out of the dirt and saw huge figures looming in the forest ahead of us. The rest of the Morrow coven had appeared, and they were already in their mutated dragon forms. Suddenly a hand was pulling me up from the floor. It was Isabelle.

  “Come on!” she shouted. We’ve got to run!”

  Why?! Is what I wanted to say. The answer came seconds later when the spot I had been lying in exploded in a great ball of dirt and rock. Isabelle and I ran into the trees, breath racing as we fled for our lives.

  The fight had begun.

  9

  Isabelle and I ran through the trees, trying to find somewhere safe amongst the calamity. A creature on all fours sprinted through the brush, looking like a man crossed with an alligator. This one was about the size of a gorilla. It launched through the air, opened its jaws and was heading right for me.

  “Not today, asshole!” A burst of bright red laser-fire screeched from Isabelle’s gun as she shot the creature down. “This way Lily, quick!”

  We cut round a fallen tree and headed for a patch of boulders, slipping in between cracks to find m
omentary shelter. The forest was now alive with the sound of chaos and violence. I heard the roar of dragon wings as Ronan and Victor flew overhead, I saw huge deformed dragon beasts tearing trees apart as they sprinted through the forest, looking for Isabelle and me.

  Something popped in the air and then I saw a figure standing there amid the rocks with us. It was Thorn. He was breathing heavily, and his gun was smoking.

  “There’s too many of them. I managed to take out about ten before my gun overheated. Ronan and Victor have easily killed that many too.”

  “What do we do?” Isabelle asked.

  In all the calamity I wondered where Shadow was, and how we were possibly supposed to save him from this madness.

  “If we knew Shadow’s location that would be a big help,” Thorn said. “Lily, any clues?”

  “I can try and sense him… one second. Keep me alive.”

  Just as I said that two more of the deformed dragon beasts vaulted over the rock tops. Isabelle and Thorn lifted their guns and started blasting. I closed my eyes and tried to think of anything else.

  Shadow. Shadow. Where are you?

  I saw his face in the darkness again, his red eyes calling to me like a siren.

  I was wondering what all the noise was up there. Looks like you guys have arrived.

  “Where are you, underground? How do we get you out? There’s too many coven members for us to fight alone.”

  They have a Seer, a magic user. He’s standing above ground, using magic to keep me down in the tunnels. Look for the vampire with the glowing blue necklace. Kill that bastard and I’ll take care of the rest.

  “How will you kill an entire coven by yourself?”

  The vision broke away and I found myself back with Thorn and Isabelle.

  “Die fucker!” Isabelle roared as her gun blasted another one of the deformed vampire creatures.

  “Any luck?” Thorn asked hopefully.

  “They have a Seer. He’s wearing a glowing blue necklace. Shadow said to kill him, and he’ll sort everything else. I think we—”

  The thought was left unfinished as a huge vampiric beast lifted up the boulders shielding us in. We all started to run, Thorn and Isabelle firing back as we fled. My breath was hot and heavy, my feet pounding dirt and my throat stinging from the cold night air. Everywhere I looked I saw huge figures pouncing through the misty forest.

  I saw one much clearer as they dropped out of nowhere and crunched into the ground right in front of me. The beast was at least twenty feet tall, a hideous deformity of man and magic. “Crush!” it roared.

  In that second, I was pretty sure death was close, but I also noticed something else. A solitary figure about forty feet away from where I was standing, right between the beast’s legs. The Seer had his arms held out on either side of him. Lines of opalescent electric blue magic circled through the air on all sides.

  One second the beast in front of me was there, the next he wasn’t. The huge form of Victor’s dragon came crashing through the trees and cleared the path.

  Go! he said.

  We started to run again, dodging chaos on all sides just to get closer to the Seer. Ronan and Victor swiped beasts from the path, Isabelle and Ronan shot down grunts. When we were fifteen feet within reach the Seer looked over and noticed us, fear gleaming in his beady little eyes.

  Then Victor was knocked out of the sky. Ronan was next. I looked back and saw Thorn and Isabelle overwhelmed with too many enemies. It all came down to me. Still running, I pulled out my bow and notched an arrow from my quiver. My legs burned but I kept going, pounding up a small rocky ramp and jumping off the top as I got a clear shot on the Seer.

  All or nothing.

  I released the arrow and it whistled through the air, the world falling into slow motion as I hit the ground with a roll to see the shot fly out. It sliced through the silver moonlight like a knife through time, burying itself deep into the Seer’s heart.

  The vampire erupted in flame and then the forest started to shake. The monstrous coven and my friends all came to a stop to regard the great disturbance. The floor underneath where the Seer had been standing erupted in an explosion of dirt and stone. Shadow burst up into the air, his eyes glowing a terrifying molten white. With a single snap of his fingers a pulse of dark energy radiated out through the forest, vaporizing the demonic beasts as each one was caught up in the flow.

  It was the first time I had witnessed the sheer terror of Shadow’s immeasurable grip on the dark magic, but in that moment the only thing I could feel was awe. We had come to save him, but without him we wouldn’t have made it out either. A coven. A unit. A team.

  A family.

  When the last Morrow vampire broke into dust Shadow dropped to the dirt on all fours. We ran over to get him. Ronan and Victor, now back in their human forms, helped him up along with Thorn.

  He lifted his head and looked at me. For the first time I saw red eyes in the flesh and not just in a vision. “You got my message then,” he said with a smirk.

  “Loud and clear,” I said with a smile. You’re part of the coven. Did you think I’d leave you behind?”

  The striking red faltered then, flickering back to the endless hollow black that I could only associate with Shadow. He let out a deep roar, his clothes straining to contain the muscles swelling all over his body.

  “You all need to leave,” I said to the group. “Now.”

  “Lily he could kill you like this—” Ronan began.

  “If I don’t secure our bond now, he will die. I have to take that chance. He’s already waited far too long. Leave. Now! If we’re not back at the castle by sunset you can assume that we’re both dead.”

  “If you’re not back by sunset we’re all dead,” Victor said. “You can do it Lily. I know you can.”

  The others retreated into the trees until it was just me and Shadow. He was on all fours, his fingers scrunching into the dirt as low and laboring growls came from his chest.

  “Run,” he warned.

  I stood up slowly and walked past him, tracing my fingers over his shoulder as I did so. Just ahead I saw the cave mouth that led down into the tunnels beneath the hill. I looked back over my shoulder and locked eyes with Shadow.

  “Chase,” I said back to him.

  It was time to take my final vampire.

  10

  It was cold and dark inside the cave. I didn’t know if Shadow was going to follow me or not, I could only hope the magic inside of me would appeal to his beast and tame his broken mind. He was already gone past the point of repair, that much was clear, but I wasn’t going to give up on him. Doing that would condemn every one of the brothers to death.

  I couldn’t let that happen.

  The ground sloped downwards until it opened up into a large chamber where a fire was roaring. The surroundings were surprisingly sparse considering this was meant to be the Morrow coven’s main base. Footsteps crunched over gravel and I turned back to see Shadow staring at me, his chest falling as his dark eyes undressed me.

  “Mate,” he growled.

  “Come,” I said, walking past the fire and into a smaller chamber in the back. Light flickered in this room and the air felt hotter. Then I saw the source of heat. A natural pool was bubbling away towards the back of the chamber. Lights were underneath the water, casting shadows of the surface across the cave walls.

  Shadow had followed me. I turned and faced him as I undressed, curling my finger in the air to beckon him. The feral vampire ripped the clothes from his body and came forward on slow and lumbering steps until mere inches separated us.

  He was sniffing the air, no doubt finding the scent of my arousal. My body was open and ready for him. I needed this now.

  “Mate,” he said once more. I nodded my head a fraction and saw excitement spark in those dark feral depths. I expected lunacy or depravity, but with the most unexpected gentleness he lifted a finger under the crook of my chin and pulled my gaze upward.

  He kissed me, his lips t
aking my mouth with a deep and passionate pulse. His tongue ventured forward and danced against mine. I moaned into his mouth, my body clenching in need for him. His hands very carefully wrapped around my hips and he tugged me against his body. I was shaking for him.

  His cock burned against my tummy like sun-kissed marble, brandishing the pale flesh with his iron lust. The world melted away as I lost myself in that moment of tender and unprecedented affection. Then he steadied his grip and pulled me up off the floor.

  I let out a gasp as I lifted up into the air. When I came back down again, he caught me in his arms. I wrapped my own around his neck, and my legs around his waist. My sex was crushing up against his abs. I was so wet.

  Then he lowered me down, spearing me with his rock-hard tip. I gasped as I slid down the length, my walls stretching the further I went. I thought Victor and Xander might be contenders for the largest, but neither of them held a candle to Shadow.

  Hung was an understatement.

  I finally bottomed out against his huge base, every inch of me filled beyond measure. I clenched around him, gasping as I felt him tense back against me. I kissed him. I had to. All I wanted to do was taste him.

  The vampire kept tight hold of me as his hips started to roll, his powerful arms guiding me up and down his length. Pleasure whimpered through my shuddering breath as nonsensical sounds. I quickly lost the ability to talk. All I could think about was how good he felt.

  Each powerful thrust built great walls of pressure inside of me, walls that stretched up towards some unknown height until another powerful thrust came along.

  The fire inside me shattered as a brilliant wave of pleasure, one that left me crying my lover’s name and shaking from head to toe. I pulled myself tight against him, eyes scrunched closed as orgasms rocketed up and down my body from my core. It only got worse when he erupted in me a moment after that.

  I was smiling, holding myself tight and stealing kisses as he pumped me fall of his molten love. His huge cock swelled inside of me, pumping wave after wave until I was sure there was no more.