Sever the Crown: Vampire Reverse Harem Complete Series

by Mysti Parker

  “I can’t. I have to keep touching him.”

  They stared at me for a moment, but then swooped in to lift him off the stone floor. I gripped his hand in mine and kept my other hand pressed against his cheek as the others carried him carefully up one step at a time.

  We finally reached his room. The door was open, so we carried Hawk to his bed and laid him gently on it. I lay beside him, touching as much of his skin as our clothes would allow. He still trembled as though he were freezing. Was he falling into a coma like his grandfather had?

  Vincent ran in, his face stricken as he saw his brother on the bed. “What happened?”

  “It’s the headaches.” I figured I wouldn’t go into details since they could probably guess what we’d been doing. “We were…talking, and then it hit him, and he fell off the landing and started having a seizure.”

  “Shit,” Vincent said and scrubbed a hand over his short hair. “I thought he was making all that up.”

  “Well, he wasn’t,” I said, losing my patience with the sibling rivalry.

  I had to do something. But what? Then I realized, it was my touch and eye-to-eye contact that seemed to pull him out of it before. Maybe it was overkill, but it was worth a try. “Help me with his clothes.”

  Ashe shifted his feet, a pained expression on his face.

  Then he started forward, but Charles waved him back. “Just help Wren with hers.”

  Ashe nodded and came to my side. I was careful to keep one hand on Hawk at all times as the other guys carefully undressed him while Ashe undressed me. And there we were, Hawk and me, totally naked and surrounded by my other mates and his brother. I climbed on top of Hawk and stretched out over him to maximize our skin-to-skin contact.

  This wasn’t exactly how I’d pictured voyeurism, but I’d have to contemplate the weirdness later.

  “Damn, chère,” Charles whispered. “Anyone else feel inadequate? No? Just me, then.”

  “You won’t hear me complain,” I said, trying to relieve the tension.

  Ashe chuckled as he sat down on the bed beside me and stroked my back.

  “Good.” Charles sat at the foot of the bed and massaged my legs, while Marlowe scooted a chair up to the other side of the bed and stroked my hair.

  I knew they felt just as uncomfortable and concerned as I did. This connection via mystical tattoo stretched beyond just me and my mates. It connected them as well. Guys that would have had nothing in common with one another just a few weeks ago now shared a bond I didn’t know how to explain. They seemed to feel each other’s pain and emotions, not just mine. If one of them was in trouble, like Hawk just now, hopefully that connection meant they’d be there to lend each other a hand.

  It brought tears to my eyes for some reason. Maybe because this was how I imagined a family would be. Everyone looking out for one another, despite their differences. It felt good to be part of something bigger than myself. I’d missed out on that for most of my life.

  That’s what I had to grab onto, that promise of a family. Of unconditional love that I could count on when things got bleak. That was worth fighting for. And if I ever was blessed with a child, I’d do everything in my power to make sure he or she would grow up in just such a family.

  Vincent stood close with his arms crossed and his worried gaze glued to Hawk’s face. He loved his big brother even if he wouldn’t admit it.

  Hawk’s skin was still cold and clammy, but the tremors were fading. His eyes no longer rolled back in his head, but were now squeezed shut, his teeth gritted as though he was fighting this with all he had.

  “That’s it,” I whispered, stroking his cheek. I gently kissed his temple and spoke softly in his ear. “Come back to me. I’m here. I won’t leave you.”

  He groaned just before his two big arms twitched, then came up and wrapped around my waist. I lifted my head and watched as his eyes fluttered open. It took him a moment to focus, but he finally zeroed in on my face.

  And his smile lit a fire in my cold, dead heart.

  “Wren,” he said in a raspy voice as his hand slid up and down my back and settled on my bare ass. His eyes widened. “You’re…uh…” And then his gaze flicked around to the other guys. “Please tell me they weren’t watching us.”

  I laughed. “No, they got here after that. They helped me carry you upstairs. Are you in pain?”

  “A little, but it’s better than before.”

  Vincent cleared his throat and glanced over at us before tilting his head toward the door. “I’ll go tell Gramps you’re awake. He’s worried sick.”

  Hawk turned his head and studied his brother for a moment. “Tell him not to worry. I have a queen on my side.”

  “On all your sides, from the looks of it,” Ashe said.

  Vincent headed for the door, but stopped to add, “I’m glad you’re okay, big bro.”

  Hawk held me tighter and kissed my bare shoulder. “Do we still need an audience?”

  “I know how to take a hint,” Charles said. “Let’s call in a DBD for the Hawkster. That cheap shit in his fridge ain’t gonna cut it.”

  “I’ll give Annie a ring,” Marlowe said.

  “Uh, no.” Hawk shook his head. “She’s my sister.”

  “Right. We’ll get someone else.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  Marlowe smiled. “Anytime. Let’s go.” He kissed his fingers and touched them to my lips.

  The guys filed out the door.

  “Just give a shout if he goes all Exorcist again,” Charles said on his way out, closing the door behind him.

  Hawk sighed contentedly and hugged me close. “How is it that you can ease my headaches?”

  I raised up to look into his gorgeous wine-red eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s a special queen power or leftover healing magic from Angelo’s feather. Whatever it is, I’m glad it works.”

  On my thigh, I could feel his dick hardening.

  He held my face and brushed his thumb across my bottom lip. “I think you may be part angel. I’m just not sure what I did to deserve you. Or what you did to deserve the likes of me.”

  I grinned. “That’s the thing. Maybe we’re more alike than we care to admit. We’re both killers, and we both enjoy the job when it rids the world of scumbags.”

  “You’re the most beautiful killer I ever met.” He pulled my head down and kissed me deeply. He gripped my buttocks and slid my body up his chest until his dick was free, then nested the head at the entrance to my pussy.

  I slid down until he was seated deep inside me. Our lips never parted as Hawk sat up, and I circled my legs around him. He held to my waist, lifting and lowering me along the length of his cock. It filled me, stretched me to the brink of pain. But any trace of pain morphed into slick, hot pleasure as my pussy relaxed and opened even more to him.

  Our kiss became one of desperation, and our hands roamed each other’s bodies as though we couldn’t get close enough to one another. Hawk held to my ass with one hand, helping me ride him while he squeezed my breast with the other. He broke from our kiss, captured a nipple in his mouth, and sucked hard. I threw my head back and focused on the feel of his huge cock thrusting into me and his wet lips and tongue pulling such amazing sensations from my breast.

  It was absolutely surreal, this thing between us, just as deep as with my other mates, but like with each of them, it was an entirely different experience. He let go of my nipple and looked up at me. All the intense emotions in his gaze drew an incredibly deep, hard orgasm from my core. I cried out and closed my eyes.

  “Look me in the eyes,” he whispered harshly.

  I forced myself to ride it out while focusing on him. Not only was it physically hard, but it felt as though he could see straight into my soul and met me there with his own. Both of us broken, flawed, searching for that missing piece and finding it in each other.

  “Now feel me come inside you.” He barely got the words out before his cock became impossibly hard, and his entire body tensed. And then I
felt it, hot and thick, pumping into me as he gritted his teeth and his lips parted, revealing his pearly white fangs.

  But he never broke eye contact. I rode him so hard the bed creaked, and the collision of our skin echoed through the tower. I rode him until I just couldn’t move anymore and until we melted back into one heap onto his bed.

  He held me against him and kissed my neck while my fingers drifted over his dark brown skin, across the planes of his wide, muscled chest. My beautiful killer.

  Just before I drifted into the most wonderfully satisfying sleep, he roused me with a gentle whisper. “I’ve never told anyone this before, but…I love you.”

  I smiled against his chest. “I love you, too.”

  ****

  We took the big van back to the bunker to prepare for the party. Hawk’s granddad, the poodle, and Archie came with us. They’d all be safer down there. The place was locked up like Fort Knox.

  Marlowe had called Annie in and asked her to bring along a high-quality DBD for Hawk. Annie met us in the lobby along with Margaret, the royal secretary, and the quadruplets.

  “We heard what happened,” Talia said.

  “Was Zac with you?” Travis asked.

  “No, why?” Hawk snapped, sounding a lot more annoyed than he should be.

  Travis shrugged. “He left while you were gone and didn’t say where he was going. So, are you guys okay?”

  “Yeah, we’re okay. Hawk just needs a little TLC .” I squeezed his arm and smiled up at him. “By the way, this is Phineas, Hawk, Vincent, and Annie’s grandfather..”

  Phineas smiled, looking around in amazement. “This place hasn’t changed much since we built it.” His gaze landed on some charred spots on the rugs and bookshelves. “But I can tell Marlowe’s been here,” he added with a chuckle.

  Marlowe rubbed the back of his neck. “I haven’t started any fires since you started training me, so that’s a start.”

  Travis shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re half demon. Does this mean you have wings and stuff?”

  Marlowe slid his gaze to me and grinned. “I’ll show you later. Right now we have some planning to do. We’ll need you all to come along to the party to provide distractions when we make our move. And a way out if needed.”

  “A portal?” I winced a little, remembering how not fun it had been to be whipped through time and space in Doreen’s portal back to 1800s Scotland.

  “It won’t be that bad,” Travis added. “Master portal caster right here.”

  “Without the time travel, it’s much easier on the stomach,” Theodore said, hand to his belly.

  “He gets portal sickness every time.” Thaddeus chuckled.

  Travis frowned. “I’d say. He ruined a perfectly good pair of suede boots I bought in Vienna.”

  “Oh, come on, I conjured you up another pair,” Theodore fussed, smacking his brother on the shoulder.

  “Would you three knock it off? You forget the company we keep,” Talia said, flicking a spell that muted their argument, even though their mouths still moved.

  Their exchanges were like watching a tennis match. Annie broke her attention from them and hugged her grandpa. “I’m so glad you’re awake and here with us.”

  “Me too, hon.” He pulled back and held her at arm’s length. “I swear you get prettier every time I see you.”

  “Oh, you go on now.” Annie kissed his cheek and ran to Hawk. She threw her arms around him, and he picked her up off the floor and spun her around.

  “It’s been too long,” she said.

  “Yeah. How you been, sis?” Hawk put her down.

  “Just fine. I’m a royal DBD now, like Mom was.”

  “I heard.” He smiled at me.

  She took his hand and inspected his glowing tattoo. “Mom would have been over the moon about this. Dad, too.”

  “I think they knew.” Hawk slid his gaze to Grandpa Phineas, who simply nodded.

  “Well, you, me, Vincent, and Grandpa have some catching up to do,” Annie said. “Just because I’m not a vampire doesn’t mean you should keep me out of the loop.”

  “Sorry, sis,” Vincent said. “Where’s that DBD you brought for Hawk? He needs to fuel up before the party.”

  “Yes, I’m sorry. She’s waiting in your room, Hawk.”

  My gaze cut to him, jealousy spiking to eleven.

  He held up both hands. “Hey, this wasn’t my idea.”

  Annie laughed. “Bette is an exceptional DBD. She’s in high demand. The reason is that she can feed two vampires at once, no problem. Super high iron. She’s like an espresso machine for vampires. So…” She grinned at us both. “You two can go drink together.”

  “Aw, our first dinner date,” I said, taking Hawk by the hand.

  “Can’t say I’ve ever had a date this nice,” he said.

  We followed Annie to the elevator.

  Though I didn’t need to touch him all the time, presumably since we’d had a whole lot of skin-to-skin contact, he’d told me his headaches started returning if more than fifteen minutes or so passed without my touch or if I wasn’t looking at him. I still wasn’t sure why my touch or keeping him in my sights had anything to do with it, but I wouldn’t question it so long as it worked.

  I snuggled up against him in the elevator with Annie smiling at us the whole time.

  “To think my brother was destined to be royalty…” She shook her head, chuckling.

  “Why’s that so hard to believe? I’m twice the man as the rest of them.” He lifted his chin with one eyebrow arched, but the slight upturn of his mouth told me he wasn’t serious.

  “In size, maybe, but Marlowe’s brain makes us all look like preschoolers. He’s terrifyingly intelligent,” Annie said, but her smile faded. “Seriously, though. This is big. Are you ready to fight with everything you’ve got for Wren?”

  Hawk looked down at me, his eyes searching mine for a moment before he smiled and brushed my cheek with his thumb. “Damn right I am. I’d die for her, no questions asked.”

  “Let’s hope that you never have to make that sacrifice,” I said and pulled his head down for a soft, gentle kiss.

  Annie made a fake gag face, then laughed. “I would say get a room, but…” The elevator stopped and let us off on the fourth level down. “Enjoy your dinner.”

  We stepped off the elevator. Like Annie had said, a woman wearing a white robe waited on the edge of the small bed in a room someone had made up for Hawk. It had a mini fridge, a microwave, a TV, and even a litter box, scratching post, a dog bed, and some toys.

  “Hi, I’m Bette,” the woman said. She was tall and heavily built, with long, red hair and stunning green eyes. She smiled and uncrossed two long, slender legs. From the peeks of skin in the openings of the robe, I could tell she wore nothing underneath.

  Bette patted the bed. We came over and sat, one of us on either side of her. “Annie told me you need a good meal before you embark on a big adventure. So, you may drink until this blood pressure monitor”—she pointed to a patch on her neck that looked like a mini bandage—“sends an alarm to my smartphone there on the table. Got it?”

  “Yes.” Already my mouth was watering. I could smell the iron-rich blood just beneath her skin.

  “Good. And you may drink—and touch—anywhere you’d like.” She lowered her robe just enough to show the pale swell of her large breasts.

  I glanced over at Hawk, who was just as wide-eyed as I was. Apparently, this sort of feeding was new for him as well. But he finally gave a quick nod and flicked his eyes toward our shared DBD. I swallowed hard, then pulled her robe completely off her shoulder. Hawk did the same on his side.

  Fangs extended, we both lowered our heads and bit into the soft flesh of her breasts. Bette cried out softly but then her pain turned to low moans of pleasure when we latched onto her nipples and sucked the stiff peaks as we drank. Her blood was hot and rich. It didn’t take long to get my fill.

  Bette’s blood pressure alarm beeped, so Hawk pulled
away from her as did I. He bit his finger and smeared his blood over Bette’s bite wounds. They closed almost immediately.

  I sat on Hawk’s lap, where we exchanged soft kisses and caresses while Bette sipped a protein shake and made small talk as though it was just another day at the office.

  Finally, she stood and wrapped the robe around herself, then gave a little bow. “It’s been a pleasure. Do call on me again soon.”

  “Pleasure’s all ours,” I said.

  Hawk chuckled and held me close. “If it pleases my queen, it pleases me.”

  She left the room, and we flopped down on his bed, sighing with complete satisfaction. Needless to say, it was the most sensual meal I’d ever had.

  ****

  By ten o’clock, we were dressed and ready for the party, which started at midnight sharp. Marlowe had procured us our chosen roles. I would be Hawk’s date. Charles was a bartender, which he seemed entirely too giddy about. Ashe didn’t relish his role as a waiter, but seemed morbidly resigned to it, while Marlowe seemed rather nervous about his role as valet.

  “I’m going to be stuck outside parking cars and can’t keep an eye on you,” he said as we put the finishing touches on our outfits in my bathroom. “My sources tell me that Ravana will be arriving late, but her mates will be arriving a few minutes ahead. We have about a fifteen-minute window to separate one from the pack and capture him before she arrives on the scene.”

  “Sounds easy.”

  “It won’t be, Wren. You need to be extremely careful.” He wrapped his arms around me from behind and kissed me on the neck.

  Energized by Bette’s blood, I’d practically tackled him when he came down to my suite while Hawk showered in the fourth level bathroom. Marlowe and I had shared a frenzied round of lovemaking on my bed and a shower together after. This juggling of mates was becoming as familiar, and as fun, as my favorite guitar riffs.

  “Hey, look at it this way,” I said. “If all works out as we hope, our biggest concern will be scheduling who will share my bed each night.” I circled my arm up around Marlowe’s neck and enjoyed his tongue teasing my pulse.

  Vivian had done a remarkable makeup job on him. He didn’t need a mask. You couldn’t even see any scars. She’d slicked his curls back and dyed them blond. He looked like Leonardo Dicaprio all dressed up for the fancy dinner in Titanic, complete with tux.