The Van Wilden Chronicles Box Set Books 1-3

by Jessica Gleave

  Morgana shook her head, her lips twitching, and her body still thrumming from the aftereffects of their morning-sex session. Hopefully, the election results would be over soon, so they could get back to Gareth’s bed.

  “You’re not helping,” Gareth growled, then moved to her side and took her hand.

  “Pussy tease,” she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

  Oscar waved them over to where he and Vivienne were standing. Amusement flooded the bond as Gareth led her through the crowd toward her parents. They navigated their way through the throng of Oscar’s supporters and the other campaign workers, Morgana and Gareth greeting and smiling at everyone along the way until they finally reached her parents.

  “Darlings.” Vivienne placed her hands on their upper arms, giving each of them air kisses. Morgana refrained from laughing out loud, also feeling Gareth’s amusement through the bond. She didn’t dare look at him. She wouldn’t have been able to stop herself.

  “It’s an act, Gareth, just put up with it.” Her mother sounded like she was chastising him, but her icy-blue eyes were also twinkling with mirth.

  Oscar hugged her at that moment. “Nearly over.” Morgana pulled back to see he meant more than the mission cover. She nodded, stepping back.

  “Gareth, thank you for coming out here today, and for all your hard work on the campaign.” Oscar shook his hand.

  Gareth was having a difficult time keeping his face straight. She knew he was itching to make some smart-ass comment, but he was trying to behave himself.

  “Hullo,” Alastor’s voice greeted them from behind. Morgana turned to see both him and Ava standing there. The reporter bounced on the balls of her feet, her hazel eyes flashing as she looked around the room. Investigative journalism was Ava’s passion, but she could never resist covering any story. Morgana smiled at them.

  “Nay, it ain’t what you think,” said Alastor, interpreting the expression on her face. “She heard The Council might be making their decision any day soon.”

  “Yes,” Ava hissed, her grin wide. “I want to know how it all goes down.”

  A vibrating noise was heard from Oscar’s pocket. He pulled out his phone, frowning at the caller ID on his phone.

  “Looks like you’ll be finding out sooner rather than later, Ava.” His eyes flickered to Morgana, Vivienne, Gareth, and Alastor. “Council,” he mouthed to them.

  Ava squealed with delight, clapping her hands, drawing the crowd’s attention.

  “Aye, just excited for the results folks,” Alastor told them all.

  “Excuse me while I take this.”

  “But Oscar, they will be announcing the results in five minutes,” Phyllis protested, waddling up to them. She’d chosen to wear a lime green business suit today, giving her that frog-like appearance.

  “I won’t be long.” He flashed her a reassuring smile.

  “So that’s the call?” Gareth said, keeping his voice low.

  “Yep, the one we’ve been waiting for,” Morgana replied through clenched teeth, plastering a fake smile on her face.

  ***

  Oscar walked a few steps away, so he was out of earshot of the crowd. The others would still be able to hear, but he didn’t want any human ears to perk up.

  “Fellow Elders, how say you?” he greeted.

  “Octavius.” Batheras’ deep voice boomed through the cell phone speaker. Usually, Oscar would wince, but Brutus’ barking must have desensitized his ears. “It’s time.”

  “Put down the receiver, Batheras, so we can all hear him.”

  Oscar barely caught the irritated voice of Agnor, one of the female Elders.

  The other Elders must be talking through the loudspeaker, their voices distant sounding. Oscar couldn’t help but grin. How far technology had come. Gone were the days of using runners as their messengers.

  “And what decision have you all made?” Oscar asked before Batheras could retaliate. Otherwise, he and Agnor would bicker for hours.

  “Well, as you’re also on The Council, we’ll need your input as well.” He recognized the soft female voice belonging to Elder Wellchide.

  “I believe you all know my stance on the subject. As we have recently re-discovered, Ragnorok has a personal vendetta against my family. I vote he die before he attempts to kill one of our own.”

  Murmurs of agreement sounded where he pictured them gathered in the Elders’ chamber room at Headquarters. Ever since the war and the loss of many Primus, including an entire family coven—the Dovkoskys—the Primus had become very protective of each of them. They may not live in the village all together in the old country anymore, but that sense of close-knit community cohesiveness remained—no matter where on the planet a Primus Vampyr may be. Four hundred years ago, when he married a human, the other Primus had accepted Vivienne and Morgana into their fold with open arms.

  “Then I think we all know the decision,” Gregorus stated.

  “So, we’re all in agreement?” Batheras asked.

  “Yes,” came the collective voices.

  “Very well. Octavius, you and your fellow agents are to eradicate the Forest Clan.”

  Oscar didn’t realize his whole body had tensed waiting to hear the decision. His shoulders relaxed as he looked toward the others. Both Gareth and Alastor’s faces split into wicked grins, Morgana smirked like she already knew the decision, and Vivienne looked pleased.

  “Oscar,” Phyllis snapped, appearing in front of him. It was extremely difficult to startle a vampire, but somehow, the campaign manager had managed to do so. “Please, end your phone call. They are just about to announce the results.”

  A female chuckle was heard on the other end. “Well, it looks like we have to let you go get back to being human, Oscar,” Jelani chortled.

  “Let us know the outcome, my friend,” Hammadi spoke.

  “Yes, I will. Goodbye.”

  The Elders bid him farewell, and he slipped the phone back into his pocket. He looked at Phyllis. “Let’s go find out who wins.” Hope filled his chest. If he won and they rid the town of the Forest Clan, surely, he could stay here.

  Phyllis nodded, turning her attention toward the large flat-screen television attached to the bar wall.

  The female anchor, dressed in a cobalt-blue business suit, opened her mouth to reveal his fate.

  “Well, the results are in, and it looks like Mayor Coleman has stolen victory of the mayoral race from Oscar Van Wilden. This will be Coleman’s fifth term as mayor.”

  The room became a vacuum of sound. Oscar could still hear the soft mumbles of astonishment and commiserations from everyone around him, but he was lost in his thoughts. His chest tightened and neck bent forward. He didn’t know why it affected him. It was only a cover after all. But he had put in the effort, and he would have liked the excuse to stay. A hand on his arm brought him back.

  “Are you all right, dear?” his wife’s soft voice asked him.

  “Yes, dear, I’m fine.” He tried to give her a reassuring smile and patted her hand, even though they both knew what he was really feeling.

  Vivienne gave him the look, the one when she knew he was lying. But she nodded her head in understanding. She knew more than anyone how he truly felt about the campaign.

  “Well, I can’t believe this.” Phyllis was affronted.

  “You should probably say something to everyone, dear,” Vivienne said to him.

  “Of course.” He patted her hand again and stepped away, clearing his throat. “Excuse me, everyone.” The room fell silent. “I’d like to thank you all for your support and efforts during the campaign. We fought hard, but it seems the other man won. Still, that doesn’t mean we won’t keep fighting for the right outcome on the most important issues. Our voices will not be silenced.” He turned away. He didn’t know what else to say.

  The crowd clapped half-heartedly.

  “This is all your fault,” Phyllis spat at Morgana before lifting her chin in the air and stomping out of the restaurant as best
she could through the crowd that was now dispersing.

  Vivienne growled, “If anyone is to blame, it’s that woman.”

  Morgana stepped forward snarling. “I have never wanted to kill a human so much before.”

  Gareth had a tight grip on her upper arms, holding her back. “Just think of it this way,” he murmured, loud enough for all the vampires to hear, “Now you guys have a good excuse to be out of the public eye for a few days. Seemingly devastated by the campaign loss, you’ll be able to concentrate on eradicating the Forest Clan.”

  “He’s right,” Oscar agreed. “Why don’t you spend the night at the boys’ house? Have one last night of freedom, and we’ll all re-group tomorrow and strategize how we’re going to march on the Forest Clan.”

  Morgana’s eyebrows arched while he was talking, but she nodded in agreement.

  “Sorry about the loss, Mr. V.” Ava gave him a sad smile before turning away with the others. He caught snatches of their conversation.

  “I’m hungry,” Alastor mumbled.

  “Yeah, we should raid the blood supply.”

  “I could do with some takeout,” Ava commented.

  “I don’t want human food,” Gareth complained.

  Morgana moaned. “How ‘bout Ava and I get takeout, and you boys can be gluttons on the blood?”

  Oscar watched as they walked away.

  “Are you sure you’re all right, dear?” Vivienne asked, placing a hand on his arm.

  He turned to her with a grim smile and patted her hand. “I’ll be fine. I think I just need to go home.”

  ***

  Oscar walked into the house and slumped into his favorite armchair.

  An excited bark and flash of black fur stirred him from his depressive state. Brutus wagged his massive tail, and Oscar swore his little friend was smiling at him.

  The dog must have sensed his somber mood because he placed his head on Oscar’s thigh, looking up at him with sad eyes.

  Oscar chuckled and scratched behind his ears. Brutus’ tail thumped the floor. “You never fail to cheer me up.”

  The tail thumping grew louder.

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you love him more than me,” Vivienne teased. Brutus turned his head to receive a pat from her, then turned back to Oscar.

  “A bond between a man and his dog is undeniable. There’s something about him that’s soothing to the soul. I don’t know why I didn’t have a dog years ago.”

  “I know what you mean.” She smiled down at Brutus. His tail thumped even louder as he flopped at her feet and rolled over, exposing his belly. Vivienne smiled, bending down to scratch his belly.

  “I should make a tasty treat for dinner,” she cooed.

  Oscar’s stomach rumbled. “Yes, I could do with some blood.”

  Vivienne turned to Oscar, smirking. “I was talking to Brutus. Dax is going to let me bring home some scraps from the restaurant for him.”

  Brutus righted himself and walked out of the room toward the kitchen. Vivienne winked and trailed after him.

  Brutus may recognize Oscar as the alpha, but he knew the omega, Vivienne, was the one who fed him.

  Oscar chuckled.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll get your meal, too,” Vivienne called out.

  And just like that, his mood was lifted.

  Chapter Seven

  Back at their house, Gareth reclined on the sofa. Morgana sat on the floor, her legs tucked up underneath her, leaning against his legs.

  He looked around the room at his friends, smiling. They hadn’t hung out like this since the dinner at Ava’s when they tried to suss out whether Morgana was a vampire or not.

  The girls were sharing a bottle of wine and giggling about something. Gareth tuned out after he heard the mention of makeup.

  Morgana hardly wore makeup. He believed she didn’t need it. She was as beautiful today as she was the day he saw her up on that stage in her college-girl outfit. Now he knew better. She was not so innocent, in more ways than one. He adjusted his crotch, his dick getting hard thinking about the ways Morgana wasn’t so virtuous.

  God, he hoped their little giggle session ended soon. He needed to feel Morgana wrapped around his cock.

  She leaned against his legs and nuzzled her cheek into his thigh. There was a spike of arousal from her end of the bond.

  “Right.” Gareth stretched his arms out, feigning a yawn. “We should get to bed considering we’ve got a big day tomorrow, killing vampires and whatnot.”

  Ava covered her mouth but still burst into a fit of giggles.

  “Aye, love, we should also head to bed.” Alastor winked at his girlfriend.

  Morgana stood quickly, her voice serious. “Yes, you should both get the fuck out of the way now. Who knows when we’ll be able to do it again.” She winked at Gareth, then walked out of the room, ignoring their astonished faces.

  Gareth stood. “Well, you heard the lady.”

  Ava’s face turned a delicious shade of red before averting her gaze.

  He looked down to see his boner tenting his pants.

  “For feck’s sake,” Alastor grumbled, placing his hand over Ava’s averted eyes.

  Gareth shrugged. “It’s the bond. I feel whatever she feels. It just happens to be manifesting physically.”

  “Aye, right. The bond.” Alastor rolled his eyes.

  “Well, hang on now.” Ava tried to move Alastor’s hand, but it wouldn’t budge. “How do we know he isn’t telling the truth. I’d like to know more about their bond.”

  “Love, I’m a lad, and I know what he’s thinking.”

  Gareth chuckled. “You heard the boss.”

  “Aye, go on, ye bastard, git.” Alastor swiped his free arm at him.

  Gareth ducked and took off after Morgana at vampire speed.

  She was crossing the threshold of his bedroom when he reached her.

  “Took you long enough,” she said, turning her head to the side, her eyes half-lidded.

  He grasped her by the waist and twisted her around, fisting her hair. “Don’t tease me, woman.” He backed her toward the bed, her legs hitting the wooden footboard. Morgana turned them around with her vampire speed, pushing him back onto the mattress. His pants were off in seconds. “Who said I was teasing?”

  She reached behind her. He heard the sound of her zipper as she let her skirt drop to the floor before stepping out of the puddled material. She prowled over to him in only her blouse and lace panties. The scent of her arousal consumed him.

  He pulled off his shirt, laying back down, his penis at full mast. “Well, have at it, then.” He waved at his dick, grinning impishly.

  Morgana clicked her tongue, shaking her head, but the bond betrayed her true feelings of amusement. “Gareth Lloyd, if I weren’t so horny, I’d reprimand you for speaking to your superior that way.”

  He raised an eyebrow feigning innocence. “What, you don’t like the alpha male?”

  Morgana smiled, her eyes full of lust. “You know I like to be in control.” She bent down and licked the tip of his penis. A groan escaped his mouth, and his eyes closed in ecstasy. She took him further into her mouth, and his head fell back onto the mattress. “Fuck, yeah.”

  Her mouth slowly worked her way down his shaft until he hit the back of her throat, and then she slid back up again slowly. She kept repeating the action over and over.

  Gareth lifted his upper torso, resting on his elbows. “I thought you weren’t teasing me?”

  Morgana laughed around his cock before increasing her speed.

  Now that was more like it.

  The tingling in his balls indicated the pending release just before he spurted in her mouth.

  She swallowed every drop.

  “Satisfied?” She stepped back, but he knew she was teasing again.

  “Not even close.” He leaped up from the bed and walked behind her. Placing a hand on her back, he bent her over the edge of the footboard, so her cheek was pressed into the mattress. He peeled off
her panties, pulling them down her legs, not bothering to remove them completely before he sheathed himself inside her delicious wetness.

  Morgana turned her face into the mattress to muffle her screams as he pounded into her. He raised a hand and slapped it across her rounded ass cheek, making her clench tighter around him.

  Even though they did have somewhere to be in the morning, Gareth took his time with Morgana, thrusting into her until she collapsed from multiple orgasms.

  He finally shuddered into her and collapsed on top of her before lying on his side and pulling her into his chest as he did so.

  After a moment to let her catch her breath, Gareth’s toe nudged a hole in the mattress. He let her go and sat up to inspect it.

  There was a perfect bite mark in the sheets and mattress cushion.

  “You bit my mattress?”

  “You kept spanking me while taking me from behind. What was I supposed to do?”

  Gareth laughed into the back of her shoulder before pulling back and turning her to face him. “God, I love you.”

  She grinned, still wearing her blouse. “I love you, too.” She sat up, reaching down toward her ankles.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Pulling my panties back up.”

  “Nah, leave them off. We ain’t finished yet.”

  ***

  Alastor rolled his eyes at the grunts drifting down through the ceiling. “Ye ready for bed, love?” He stroked Ava’s blonde hair absentmindedly.

  “Yes.” Her green eyes were hooded and dark. She looked like she could devour him.

  “Don’t tell me Gareth’s cock display did something to ye?”

  Ava giggled, shaking her head. “No, what Morgana said about getting it done before you guys head out on this mission tomorrow did.”

  “What, ye don’t think I’ll have the time? For, ye, I’d make the time.”

  “I don’t know. I feel like we should make love before it starts. It feels like it’s the right thing to do.”

  “Aye, yer right.” He pulled her onto his lap. “I also want to show them,” his eyes flicked up to the ceiling again, “how loud I can make ye scream.”