by R. E. Butler
What she found most interesting as she and her mates walked through the club that night on the way to the family room, was how the blood bar was set up. Real blood and SyBl could be ordered in several ways: hot like coffee, frozen like a smoothie, or room temperature like red wine. She’d never seen so much blood in her life.
She leaned against the bar, facing toward the club. “You sure you want SyBl tonight? It’s a special occasion.”
“We’re beloveds,” Vex said. “Real blood from anyone but you wouldn’t taste right to us. Our nature would rebel against it.”
“We’ll happily drink SyBl,” Rage said. “You’re the only one who satisfies all our needs.”
She shivered and bit her lip at his sexy tone. He looked at her as if he could devour her, and she’d relish every second of it.
“Can we dance later?” she asked, her gaze slipping from her adoring mates to the dance floor painted with strobe lights and lasers in reds, greens, and whites. Holiday music flowed through the speakers interspersed with rock music and dreamy ballads.
“We can do whatever you wish,” Vex said.
“Well, Mishka wants us to hang out in the family room for a bit, right?”
Rage nodded, looking over her head at the all-glass room. “He has an announcement.”
She hummed and pushed away from the bar. “Let’s go up then.”
They took her hands and walked away from the bar with her, past a buffet full of real food for the non-vampire mates of the coven members. She waved at the mates who were filling their plates. At the foot of the stairs, she greeted the two guards and continued up to the room. They were the last to arrive.
The family didn’t traditionally exchange gifts. Rage said that after reaching one hundred years old, it grew tiresome to find gifts for people every year, knowing that the gifting would never cease because of immortality. The mates, however, had declared that gifts would be exchanged between all the females that year, including Cella.
Angie had brought gifts and passed them out. The males watched with amused smiles as the females gifted each other with sweet and thoughtful items. Once Angie had passed her gifts out to Harmony, Arissa, and Cella, she sat on one of the plush couches between her mates and accepted the gifts from the females.
Cella had gotten Angie a beautiful dress and heels for New Year’s Eve, promising that the party at the club would be the most amazing one she’d ever attended. Harmony had found an early twentieth century artist’s desk which Angie knew would fit perfectly in their large chamber in the corner she’d declared to be her workspace. Arissa had given her an assortment of herbal teas and a cute mug with a cartoon wolf howling at the moon.
Angie settled back on the plush couch between her mates and sighed happily.
“Did you exchange gifts already?” Cella asked Angie and her mates.
“We did at my parents,” Angie replied. She lifted her wrist where a stunning diamond tennis bracelet glittered in the overhead lights. “This is from Rage.” Then she gestured to the matching earrings. “These are from Vex.”
“Gorgeous,” Cella said.
“Angie located an antique dagger with a handle made of bloodstone for me,” Vex said.
“She found two antique swords for me,” Rage said.
“It’s not easy to shop for males who’ve been around for such a long time,” Angie said.
“Tell me about it,” Harmony said with a chuckle.
“Did you and your male exchange gifts?” Angie asked Cella.
Cella shook her head vehemently. “I sent him packing. He wasn’t the Prince Charming he’d made himself out to be once I’d gotten him set up in the cubicle. He tried to pressure me into turning him right away. I think he wasn’t really interested in me at all but saw me as a stepping stone to become a vampire.”
“Damn, I’m sorry,” Angie said. “Do you want me to shift and give him a good biting?”
Cella chuckled. “Thanks, but no. I kicked him out of the club. He’s not allowed inside for any reason.”
Angie felt bad for Cella. At the same time, she was thankful that she’d never have to deal with loneliness again. Her mates were amazing and attentive, and she was fortunate to have two sexy males as her truemates.
Conversation flowed around them as Angie settled into the couch a little deeper and squeezed her mates’ hands. “I think this is my favorite Christmas ever.”
“It’s certainly ours,” Vex said, kissing her temple.
Mishka cleared his throat and everyone quieted, looking at the master of the coven. “It thrills my heart to see a new face in the family tonight. Many of us have found our beloveds, and I hold out hope that those who are unmated tonight will soon find their beloveds.”
“Damn straight,” Temple said.
“I have a few things to say to you before we adjourn to greet the coven members and officially start the party. First, the offices will be closed until January second. Consider this your vacation. Whatever you want to do with the week, enjoy it to the fullest with my and Harmony’s blessing.”
Everyone clapped and Mishka smiled. “Second, I wanted to report that since the two conspirators were taken out of the factory and we moved the trucks to our own warehouse, that the SyBl deliveries have gone out without issue.”
Angie cheered with the others, grateful she’d been part of helping to solve the problem.
“Finally,” Mishka said, once the noise had quieted. “The restaurant is about a month out from being completed. We’re already interviewing for staff and picking the menu. Before it opens to the public, we’ll have a private dinner for the family there.”
Harmony smiled and stepped to the side, lifting colorful giftbags tied with curling ribbon. “These are from Mishka and me.”
The mated couples received one large bag, while the unmated family members each received their own smaller bag. Inside the large bag with her, Vex’s, and Rage’s name on the tag, was an invitation to use Mishka’s private jet for a trip anywhere in North America, the latest cell phones, gift cards to local businesses, and a box of handmade chocolates.
Angie opened the box of chocolates and inhaled the sweet scent. She picked up a dark chocolate covered caramel and took a bite, groaning at the heavenly taste.
“Make that sound again, beloved,” Rage whispered in her ear, “and we’ll haul you down to the chamber in a heartbeat.”
She swallowed the bite and grinned. “I’m so tempted, but I want to enjoy the party.”
“Later, then,” Vex said, ghosting his fingertips up her bare arm. Goosebumps erupted on her skin.
She loved their sexy promises.
After returning the chocolates to the gift sack, she and her mates followed the family down to the club, where Mishka and Harmony stood on the stage under the bright lights and welcomed the coven to the party. Mishka gestured to several long tables against one wall that held gift sacks which were for the attendees. After wishing all attendees a Merry Christmas and reminding them that the club would be closed the following day, they all lifted their glasses to toast the night.
Vex and Rage whisked her to the dance floor where they danced the night away. When it neared dawn, she and her mates said goodnight to the family and headed to their chamber. Rage carried her over the threshold and kissed her so deeply that she was lightheaded by the time he set her gently on the bed.
“We have an idea,” Vex said, tugging on his tie.
“A naked idea?” she asked hopefully, wiggling her brows.
“Eventually,” Rage said.
“What’s the idea?” she asked.
“To get married on Valentine’s Day,” Vex said.
“Aw,” she said, pressing her hand to her heart. “That sounds perfect.”
“If you’re certain?” Rage asked. “It’s only seven weeks away.”
“I don’t suppose a wedding planner was hired without my knowledge by the coven?”
Vex chuckled. “No, but Arissa and Brone used a local company for their
s so you can ask her for the details.”
Her mind reeled at putting a wedding together in less than two months, but at the same time she knew her mom and sister-in-law would help, plus the females in the family. “I’d love to get married on Valentine’s Day.”
“Excellent,” Rage said, running his finger along the strap of her dress and giving it a tug so it dropped off her shoulder. “The sooner we can make you ours in every way, the better.”
“I agree one hundred percent,” she said, reaching for them.
They tumbled to the bed together, their panting cries of pleasure echoing in the room as they chased the night from the sky with their passion. By the time they’d wrung every last ounce of pleasure from her, she was the most contented wolf who ever lived. Snuggled between her sexy mates in their chamber, she stared up at the carved ceiling and let her thoughts drift.
Candles flickered on the nightstand, lighting the dark grey rock with flashes of gold and amber. She’d never pictured living underground, but ever since she’d mated Vex and Rage, she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. She had everything she needed with her mates. Love, laughter, and an eternity of happiness that awaited them.
Years ago, when the dreams had started, and she’d been nearly crazed with want, she’d been so worried she would never find her mates. Now that she had them in her life, she was the happiest she’d ever been. Whatever the future brought, she knew she could handle anything with Vex and Rage by her side. Eternity didn’t seem nearly long enough to love them. They were hers, and she was theirs; the wolf and her twin vampires. They might be an anomaly, but she didn’t mind. She’d be forever grateful for the mating dreams and the happiness that had come on the heels of finding her mates.
She was truly the luckiest wolf in the world.
Coming Next from R. E. Butler
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Marking Melody
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Every Night Forever
Every Dawn Forever
Every Sunset Forever
Every Blissful Moment
Every Heavenly Moment
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Norlanian Brides Volume One
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The Wiccan-Were-Bear Series Volume One
The Wiccan-Were-Bear Series Volume Two
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Volume One (Books 1 and 2)
Volume Two (Books 3 and 4)
Volume Three (Books 5 and 6)
The Hunter’s Heart (Book Seven)
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The Wolf’s Mate Series
The Wolf’s Mate Book 1: Jason & Cadence
The Wolf’s Mate Book 2: Linus & The Angel
The Wolf’s Mate Book 3: Callie & The Cats
The Wolf’s Mate Book 4: Michael & Shyne
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The Wolf’s Mate Book 6: Logan & Jenna
The Wolf’s Mate Book 7: Lindy & The Wulfen
Stand Alone Stories
Purred Promises
The Alpha’s Honor
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Coming in 2019
Need (Vampire Beloved Book Two)
Vampire Cella has been around for a few hundred years, and she's never made a mistake quite as large as trying to bring a human into the club as her private food source. On the surface, Quaid was the right fit for her, but once he got settled it was clear the only reason he wanted to be with her was so she could turn him into a vampire. After kicking him to the curb, she wonders if she'll ever be lucky enough to find her beloved mate, the one male on the planet meant for her.
Tiger shifter Cyrus hasn't had the best of luck when it comes to females, but he's not going to give up hope. Somewhere out there is his truemate and their paths will cross eventually. When he's asked by his alpha to head up a crew working construction at the vampire restaurant in downtown Cleveland, he senses a presence that drives his cat wild. The source? A stunning blonde vampire with curves for days. He never expected his truemate to be a vampire, but he's never needed anyone more.
The coven isn't as safe as it used to be, thanks in part to a dangerous anti-vampire group known as the First Church of Humanity. They've been trying for years to get rid of the vampires in Mishka's coven, and they'll do anything in their power to destroy every last one. When the restaurant is attacked while Cyrus is working, Cella races against time to find her beloved. Can she save him, or will her only chance at love turn to dust?
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