Sever the Crown: Vampire Reverse Harem Complete Series

by Mysti Parker

  “I don’t know for sure, but it wasn’t a secret. I assume there was, well, a schedule of some sort.”

  “A schedule for what?”

  He chuckled.

  “Oh…oh!” No one wants to think about their mother getting it on with someone, but there we were. “I guess that sort of makes sense.”

  “If you’re going to put your harem on a schedule, I’d like every Wednesday.”

  “Why?”

  “Hump day. Duh.”

  I laughed. It was a relief, this gift he had of making light of dark moments. My joker. “What was his name?”

  “Albert.”

  “Really?” Somehow, I never figured I’d be the spawn of an Albert, but hey, why not?

  “Yeah, he was Scottish. My dad told me he’d been turned a long time ago, like in the 1800s.”

  “Turned? Really? Does that make me part human?”

  “I don’t know. I guess all vampires are at least part human.”

  I zoomed in on the picture. On the scabbard at his side, there was a round brass emblem with the initials AMD. “Are those his initials?”

  “It looks like it. He was a MacGregor.”

  “But then he took my mother’s name?”

  “Of course. All harem mates take their queen’s last name. Just like Ashe, me, and the rest will.”

  “So, you’ll be Charles Delacroix, or will you hyphenate it like Charles Ford-Delacroix?”

  He nodded. “That last one actually sounds pretty good, like I came from old money and have a driver and butler.”

  Another question rolled around on the tip of my tongue. It was something most vampire kids probably learned well before middle school. Pity I’d never had that luxury, or a mother who shared even the basics about our species. Well, fuck it. It wasn’t like Charles and Ashe didn’t know how clueless I was.

  “Can I ask you something else?” I finally blurted.

  “Of course. Anything.”

  “Okay...how are babies made?”

  Charles grinned. “Well, when a mommy and a daddy love each other…”

  “No, I know technically how they’re made, but what about pregnancy and gestation? Is it the same with vampires as with humans?”

  His smile faded like he finally realized I was being serious. “It’s a little different. It’s actually not as easy for vampires to get pregnant. Most will have only one kid if they have any at all. Two kids are pretty rare. I’ve only heard of a couple instances of three. There can be decades between siblings. But I think the low reproduction rate is one reason the harem tradition came about. It increased the chances of a queen having a biological heir. And a spare, if she was lucky.”

  “Oh.” In just a few words, Charles had shed light on something I’d wondered about since I was a kid. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t ever be afraid to ask me anything. I won’t judge you unless you ask me to dress up like a clown during sex. I fucking hate clowns.”

  I smiled and rubbed the back of my neck. Tension had become my constant companion.

  Charles sat back against the couch and brushed my hand away. “Let me help.”

  His cool fingers kneaded my tight shoulder muscles until I nearly melted under his massage talents. Then he moved down to my aching lower back and the slightly tender skin where I’d been wounded by the silver shot. I flinched.

  “Sorry,” he said and bent down to kiss that spot. “I thought I’d lost you that night.”

  “You won’t get rid of me that easily.”

  “I never want to be rid of you.” He sat up straight again and whispered against my cheek, “Not ever.”

  “You’re kind of growing on me, too.” I turned my head and looped my arm around his neck then kissed him deeply, hoping to convey how much I wanted and needed him.

  It must have worked. Charles lifted my hips and scooted himself to the edge of the seat. Then he lowered me onto him until his dick was seated deep inside me. I slowly rode him as he held my breasts and kissed the back of my neck. Unlike our first few matings, we took our time, until we both sighed in blessed release. Charles turned me around so I straddled him with my legs around his waist. He held me tight, and I rested my head on his shoulder, taking in his scent, allowing myself to feel, if only for a moment, complete and total trust in someone else. The second section of the tattoo now shined and pulsed as strongly as the first.

  Charles stood and carried me back upstairs. “My queen should get some sleep.”

  “Only if you’ll stay beside me.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else.”

  I thought about something then as he lowered me to the bed. I hadn’t asked about the other two men in the picture. “Charles, who were the mates on either end of the portrait? The ones in the navy-blue suits?”

  He stiffened, jaw tightening. “We should sleep now and talk about that later.”

  “What are you not wanting to tell me?”

  “You need sleep, and I don’t want you to stay awake worrying about the past.”

  “If you don’t tell me, I won’t be able to sleep. I’ve gone my whole life not knowing jack about where I came from. Whatever you know, stop holding it back from me. As your queen, I command you.” Okay, so that sounded weird and pretentious and totally not me, but whatever. I’d been in the dark about my past long enough.

  He laughed softly. “As you wish, Your Majesty. The guys on the end were actually brothers…Dylan and Devin.”

  “That Devin?” Hair prickled on the back of my neck. “Surely not the one that Ashe was accused of murdering?”

  Charles nodded. “One and the same.”

  “If he survived the coup, why wasn’t he protecting my mother when we were on the run?”

  “Because he was a filthy liar and cheater. He was having an affair with your aunt shortly before the rest of her mates were killed.”

  “Was he in on it, then?”

  “It’s highly likely. Though Ravana kicked him out shortly after.”

  “So, mates aren’t totally committed?” I stared down at my symbol and the two points that cast a warm, pulsing glow on my arm.

  “If they’re good mates, of course they are. But we still have free will.”

  This news opened the door for more doubts to creep in. It hadn’t taken me long to start trusting Ashe and Charles. Knowing that they could turn on me filled me with an unease that crawled along my skin like invisible insects.

  Charles climbed into bed and pulled the covers over both of us, then gathered me in his arms. “Wren, listen to me. I was born to protect you, trained to do just that in the Royal Knights. I will never betray you. I’d die a thousand deaths first.”

  “You did drug and kidnap me.”

  A deviant smile crept over his mouth. “Before I knew you were really my queen. I’ll regret that forever. I’m sorry. And as much as Ashe is a thorn in my side, I know he feels the same about you. I don’t know about the rest of your mates, but as far as the two of us, you have nothing to worry about. Now let’s get some sleep.”

  We settled in for the day, but I lay awake for a long time. Why had Devin betrayed my mom? Had she distrusted him before he betrayed her? Had she loved him? Had he loved her before he’d decided to ruin her?

  ****

  We woke well after dark. Charles’s phone read 12:19 a.m. He headed for the shower while I dressed in a clean black tank top and jeans and tiptoed to the other bedrooms, unsure exactly where Ashe and Zac had slept. But both the other rooms were empty. One bed had the covers and pillows strewn about as though its occupant had tossed and turned. Downstairs, no one stirred either. I wondered then whether Ashe or Zac had heard or even seen Charles and I getting it on. Chances were pretty high at least Ashe had witnessed it.

  Could it be that he’d gotten jealous and left? Could jealousy have made Devin turn against my mother?

  I peeked out to the driveway around the back of the cabin. My car was missing.

  Charles came down then.

&
nbsp; “Where’d they go?” I asked. “And in my fucking car, no less. Should I worry?”

  “I’ll text Yoga.” Charles typed up a message and sent it. His phone buzzed a few seconds later. “He says they’re on their way back.”

  “From where?”

  He shrugged, but I could read him well enough now to know when he was full of shit.

  I gave him some serious side-eye from my place by the window.

  “You’ll find out soon enough, little lady,” he said with a laugh.

  Satisfied, for now, I settled on the sofa and picked up the map we had discovered the night before in the music box. “So, Skillet Lick—I guess that’s our next destination. You know anyone there?”

  “Not that I know of. But we’ll just have to go find out.”

  I hesitated because bringing it up again made me slightly nauseous. “Why do you think Devin betrayed my mother?”

  Charles settled on the couch beside me. “I don’t know. I don’t know why anyone would have. She was an amazing woman and a good queen. I never really spent any time around Devin though. The other mates from what I remember seemed totally devoted to her.” He smiled and stroked my cheek. “Especially your dad.”

  “Was it possible that Devin was jealous of the other mates?”

  He shifted, propping his elbows on his knees. “I don’t know. It’s possible, I guess.”

  “How do you feel, sharing me with four other men? Eventually, I mean.”

  Shrugging, he held my gaze with an honest, sober expression. “If I had my way, I’d have you all to myself. But it’s not my choice.”

  “But is it possible that you or Ashe could get jealous enough to…”

  “Wren.” He took my face in his hands and searched my eyes. “I know what you’re asking, but you have to stop worrying about things that may never happen. I am devoted to you. Jealousy will never change that.”

  The front door opened, and in walked Zac. “Hey, you’re up.”

  “Yeah.” I stood, forcing a smile. “Where have you been?”

  “Getting food and a new lock for the door.” He grinned, holding up two paper bags. “Hungry?”

  “Now that you mention it…but you took my car! I told you no one drives Birdie but me.”

  “Birdie’s fine. I got you some take-out blood.” He set the bags on the table and removed two pouches of blood from one of them, then handed them to me and Charles. “It’s still kind of warm.”

  “Oh…is there a drive-thru blood restaurant or something?” They came with stiff little straws like one might find on a kid’s drink pouch. I stuck the straw in and had a sip. It wasn’t bad. A little plasticky, but not bad.

  “Yes, as a matter of fact. But we also got you something else.”

  Ashe pushed the door open then, and I did a double-take. In his arms, he carried a woman who appeared to be totally unconscious. She was wearing a maid costume.

  “Who’s that?” I asked.

  “She’s our mole,” Ashe said. “Charles found her from all those pictures we took last night with his facial recognition app.”

  I cast a confused look between the maid and Charles. With all of our sex last night, when had he had time to sort through pictures? “Did you say she’s our mole? She looks like she’s dead.”

  “Well, she’s a vampire, so that’s technically correct,” Ashe said, laying her on the couch.

  I followed him, keeping my distance. She didn’t look familiar. “Okay, why do you have an unconscious vampire here in my mother’s cabin?”

  “We went back to the mansion,” Zac said nonchalantly as he took a burger from the other bag and started eating it.

  “Why did you go back without us?” Charles asked, jabbing the straw into his bag before taking long gulps of the fresh blood.

  “Just giving you some alone time. Is that a problem?” Ashe’s gaze flicked from Charles to me and lingered. I saw a mixture of anger and hurt in his eyes, which twisted the knot of worry that had wedged itself inside me.

  “Not at all,” Charles answered. “We appreciated it, didn’t we, chère?” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

  I didn’t answer. I’d have to speak with Ashe later, but right now there was an unconscious vampire on the couch.

  “What did you do to her?” I asked, sitting on the coffee table beside her.

  “Just a little Fangaway,” Zac said. “She was cleaning up the nasty mess the partygoers left behind. Alone.”

  “Hey, did you take my stash of Fangaway?” Charles slurped down the rest of his blood and wadded up the pouch in his fist.

  “No, I found my own,” Zac said. “I have connections.”

  “Spoken like a true drug dealer,” Charles said with a distinct note of sarcasm. “You fools could have gotten yourselves killed.”

  “Well, we didn’t, so you can chill. She’ll wake up soon.”

  As if on cue, the woman stirred. Her eyes fluttered open. She blinked up at the bone chandelier then looked around the room. When her gaze met mine, she gasped. “What the hell?” She stared at the men, her eyes growing wider by the second. “Where am I? Who are you? Why can’t I move?”

  Charles knelt in front of her. “You’ve been drugged. Your body will be useless for a while. We mean you no harm.”

  “What do you mean, no harm? You fucking drugged me! Are you planning to gang rape me or something?”

  “No, not at all. We just need your help.”

  “Then you could have fucking asked me instead of drugging me.”

  “True, but helping us could get you killed.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “Then we will kill you.”

  The poor woman went bone white. If her eyes got any bigger, they might have popped out of her head.

  I put a hand on Charles’s shoulder then smiled down at her. “What’s your name?”

  She glanced at Charles, then rested her gaze on me. “Elsie Mae Smucker.”

  “Like the jam?” Zac asked as he chomped down on his burger, casually leaning against the dining table.

  “Yeah, I guess,” Elsie Mae said. “Who are you, and what do you want with me?”

  “She works for the queen,” Ashe said, though the disdain in his voice for the word ‘queen’ was palpable.

  “So what?” she answered. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

  “You’re going to help us spy on her,” Charles said.

  “You’re crazy. She’ll kill me.”

  Ashe came over, holding a vial of liquid silver up for her to see. “Not if you don’t get caught. But if you don’t help us, all I have to do is inject this in your vein, and you’ll melt from the inside out.”

  “Whatever,” she bit out with a fierce glare. “Do as you say, or you’ll kill me. Blah, blah, blah. I hear it every damn day. You don’t scare me.”

  “Maybe not. But the tiny implant we injected in your body might.” Zac walked over, holding his phone up, a sly gleam in his blue eyes. “All it takes is a tap of this app, and boom, instant UV light explosion. It’ll kill you before you can blink, and everyone around you, including your queen.”

  Elsie Mae’s jaw trembled. “You wouldn’t.”

  “Oh, he totally would,” I said, even though I had no idea if Zac was telling the truth or not. “But it sounds like you’re not that happy with your job. Has Ravana threatened you?”

  “When hasn’t she? I used to be tight with her until my sister became her favorite. Now all I get are shit jobs like this – cleaning up after orgies at stupid events like last night’s. It’s not worth the trouble.”

  “Uh, I take it you don’t care for the parties?” I asked.

  “Aren’t you the perceptive one?” She laughed sarcastically. “I knew I should have stayed in Miami last week when Ravana dragged me there. Plenty of seniors to go around. They can’t outrun you, and hell, some of those old perverts love it when I drink from their—”

  “Fascinating story, but we don’t have a lot of time,” Charle
s said. He pulled a tiny plastic bag from his pocket and held it up for her to see. Inside the bag was a clear plastic disc. “We need you to plant this somewhere you know she’ll be often.”

  “She’s always on the go. I’m talking new purses, new shoes, a different mate every night. It’s impossible.”

  “Is there anything she keeps with her more than others?” Zac asked. “A purse? A suitcase? A pet?”

  “She does have this annoying little fuck of a dog. Pompedoodle or some mixed up shit. You want me to cram it up its ass or what?”

  “Does it have a collar?”

  “Yeah, looks like the crown jewels.”

  Charles nodded. “Good. Just stick it on the collar. It’s just a clear piece of plastic. Clip it onto the fabric, and no one will ever know it’s there.”

  Elsie Mae stared at the object then met my gaze. “I don’t know you people. Why should I help you? What’s in it for me?”

  “We let you live,” Charles said with a shrug.

  “Yeah, and if she finds out, she’ll make sure I beg for death.”

  This chick wasn’t buying it. I had to appeal to her disdain for her boss. “It’s like this. Do you like working for the queen?”

  She narrowed her eyes at me and opened her mouth as though she were about to protest then sighed. “Look, I used to, okay? Back when she first turned me.”

  “Turned you?” Ashe said, not bothering to hide the shock in his voice. “That’s illegal.”

  Elsie Mae laughed. “Tell Ravana that. She does what she wants. At first, it was all night orgies with me, her, and her ABCs and whoever else she chose. All the blood I wanted, too. Those homeless people she likes to brag about getting off the streets. Let’s just say, they’re permanently employed now.”

  “Wait, what do you mean her ABCs?” I asked.

  She blinked at me as though I should have known that. “Her mates. She calls them that. Allessandro, Bartholomew, Cordero, Disaster, and Erasmus.”

  Charles snickered. I shot him a look that slid the smile off his face. Now wasn’t the time to make light of things, even though my aunt’s nickname for her mates did seem ridiculous.

  I was dying to ask more questions but couldn’t keep showing how clueless I was about vampire culture. Then I realized what angle I needed to take. “And now here you are, cleaning up body fluids because she got bored with you. Don’t you think you deserve better?”