Fire, Blood, and Beauty: A Reverse Harem Romance Read online

Anger has always been my ally. It’s been there for me when the vampire curse took all my other emotions away. They eventually came back, with years and years of learning how to feel again behind me, but none of that compared even a little to the change in me since Eva came into my life. She’s rekindled the dying ember of my humanity that I thought was gone forever. She’s made me remember what it’s like to care for someone like this.

  And most importantly, she’s reminded me that dead though I may be, I do still have a future ahead of me and for the first time in centuries, it’s a future I’m looking forward to.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Eva

  I’m not sure how we got here, but I’m laying with my head in Morgan’s lap and his cool fingers are raking through my hair while his silky smooth voice washes over me. He’s reading poetry in another language, and even though I don’t understand the words, I understand the emotions. I can hear the wistfulness and longing in his voice, and the strange lilting words shift into a song in my head.

  It’s crazy to be like this with him, like nothing else in the world matters to him but me. Like he can’t imagine being anywhere else, with anyone else. It’s enough to make a girl dizzy.

  “What is that poem about?” I finally ask, sitting up to lean against him. He wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his chest.

  “It’s written by a man who wants a woman he cannot have. He has to watch her from afar and dreams of the day he’ll be able to make her his.”

  My heart races, jumping to my throat. It’s just a coincidence, right? He didn’t pick that poem because he feels those things for me, right? I’m just getting worked up over nothing, I know it.

  “Does he ever get to?”

  “It’s not clear from the poem. I always like to think he does, but knowing the Greeks, probably not.”

  I frown, reaching up to run my fingers through his hair. It’s so soft it almost feels liquid, and his eyes close slowly at my touch. “I think I like your version better,” I say, my voice a breathless whisper.

  His eyes open and catch mine, holding them locked in place, staring deep into my soul. My breath catches in my chest, the intensity of his gaze making the rest of the world fall away until I feel like I’m swimming in those hazel depths.

  “Me too,” he says, his voice even softer than mine.

  I don’t know who makes the move first, but suddenly we’re kissing and I feel like I’m flying. His lips are cool to the touch, but that doesn’t stop an inferno from roaring to life inside of me. His hand plunges into my hair and he pulls me against him like he needs to breathe the air that’s in my lungs, like he can’t stand there being even a millimeter of space between us.

  I cling to him, my arms hooking together around his neck, my heart beating fast, my pulse throbbing all the way down to the space between my legs. The need there takes my breath away, like a spike of hunger after a long fast. Now that I’ve started down this path, there’s no stopping me.

  But that just makes me think of the beginning of this path and Brandt and an ice cold bucket of guilt floods my veins and I break the kiss.

  “What’s wrong?” he asks immediately, his eyes shining with concern. “I thought you… Did I read this totally wrong?” He sounds horrified, his voice broken. “Eva, I never would have if I didn’t think—”

  “No,” I say, sliding my palm over his chest. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I did. I shouldn’t be here with you when Brandt and I have already…” I can’t bring myself to say it, but I do manage to life my eyes to meet his.

  “You’ve already lain with him?” he asks, and I don’t hear any of the jealousy that I expect, just curiosity, like he’s asking if it’s sunny or cloudy outside.

  I nod, my throat tightening. “I’m sorry, I should have told you sooner, but I was so excited to see you again and I can’t explain what this pull is, but I really do want—”

  “Shh,” he says, pressing a finger to my lips. “Don’t fret, Eva. I’m not upset with you. You’ve done nothing wrong. This is all part of the plan.”

  “The plan?” I ask, my eyes narrowing. “What does that mean?”

  Morgan looks thoughtful for a moment, then shakes his head. “You trust me to be straight with you, Eva, so I’m not going to lie. We don’t know the full extent of what the prophecy entails. Both the dragons’ version and our own seem to be missing some key details, but we’re working on figuring out what it means. In the meantime, you’re meant to be with us. All of us. And we all knew that coming into this. There will be no jealousy between us. This is what is meant to be.”

  He strokes the side of my face as he says it, his hand sliding down my neck, then my arm until his fingers are skimming the contour of my breast and making me shiver.

  I think I should probably care more about what he’s saying. I should probably try to figure out what he means by being with all of them and what’s meant to be. I should rebel against the idea that I get no say in my own fate or that these prophecies seem to rob me of my free will, but I don’t do any of that. I don’t do it, because Morgan’s touch is like a drug. The slow sensuous movements of his fingertips are hypnotic and here, surrounded by trees and warm shade, I’ve never felt more at ease. I’ve never felt more comfortable or at home than I do right now in Morgan’s arms.

  So it’s impossible to focus on what he’s saying other than to know that he’s okay with this. He’s okay with me having been with Brandt. And he claims the others will be all right with it too. If I can count on anyone to tell me the real truth, unpleasant though it may be, I know it’s Morgan.

  “You promise?” I ask, my voice small and meek like a little mouse. That’s what I feel like. A mouse being conned into his trap. Only his trap isn’t a cage or a prison, it’s a trap of deliciously sexual promises that makes my head spin.

  “I swear it,” he says. “You have nothing to worry about here, Eva.”

  That’s all the reassurance I need to jump forward and kiss him fiercely again, this time much less shy about letting my hands rove over his athletic build. His muscles are as cold, smooth, and hard as granite, like the man himself is a statue, but the way he moves is graceful and fluid, more like a river than stone.

  I’m straddling his hips beneath the huge tree and we’re both completely shielded from any prying eyes. I know we should move this to one of our bedrooms, but I’m tired of waiting for him. It’s been too long already.

  His hands skim up my thighs, lifting my skirt as they go over my ass and then between my legs, teasing my entrance from behind.

  “You’re this wet and you were going to try to stop this?” he groans, one long slim finger delving into me as I gasp.

  “I… I didn’t want it to be tainted…” I pant, his finger working magic on me already. Now that I know what it’s like to be with a man, my body is craving it again, it needs more, it demands more, and I can feel my interior muscles clenching and fluttering around his finger as darkness creeps in around the edges of my vision.

  “Oh god,” I moan, slumping forward, clinging to his shoulders for dear life as that one finger works in and out of me masterfully. My thighs are shaking, my body clenching, my hips rolling against him of their own accord when he leans forward and nibbles my ear.

  “Let go, Eva. I want to see your beautiful face when you shatter for me.”

  His words wash over me and ignite my insides like they’re dry brush and kindling. There’s no resisting him and his glorious finger, especially when he scrapes his fangs every so lightly against my neck.

  My whole body stiffens and then shudders with a quiet release, my mouth still hanging open in gasping silence as he leans forward to kiss me.

  “Incredible,” he says smiling.

  I smile back, kissing him fiercely as I work on undoing his pants. I’m done waiting. I’m done tiptoeing around it.

  “I want you so much, Morgan,” I pant, finding him hard and ready for me as I wrap my fingers around his length. My skirt is hiding us
, but I can tell by his size in my hand that he’s big and I’m hit with a new wave of uncertainty. With Brandt, he did everything and was careful not to hurt me, but with Morgan, I want to do this. I can’t say why, but I just need to.

  “I’m all yours,” he growls, hissing as my hand slides up and down him. He moves my panties to the side and holds my hips as I guide him into me, slowly sinking down his entire length, ending with a long, satisfied sigh.

  “You feel incredible,” he groans, his eyes so intense they make my skin feel like it’s on fire. But then his cool touch follows and I’m just writhing in bliss.

  Soon, I lift my hips up and start to ride him. It’s a wholly new experience, but it’s incredible. Being the one in charge of the pace and rhythm means I can experiment and see what feels the best to me. I can take my time slowly building that feeling until I can hardly move. And when that happens, Morgan takes my hips and thrusts into me himself, grinding in deeper and harder with each powerful thrust until I’m exploding all around him again, stifling my cry of pleasure in his chest.

  Afterwards, he stays buried inside me for a long time, me still straddling his hips, my skirt still covering us as his arms wrap around me and he showers me with kisses on every inch of exposed skin.

  I cling to him like I might float away if I let go because that’s what it feels like. It’s an impossibly good feeling that almost doesn’t make sense it’s so great. I don’t know how I’m going to wrap my head around this, but I know that I don’t regret it for even a second.

  “I knew being with you would be amazing, but even I hadn’t predicted that,” he says, his voice filled with all the awe that I feel.

  I nod, agreeing with that assessment. “That was crazy good.” Even though I don’t have a lot to compare it to, I know that what Morgan and I just had was the kind of thing that unsatisfied housewives everywhere fantasized about. And it’s mine. And I’ve got no plans of giving it up any time soon.

  Eventually, Morgan does pull out of me, but we stay cuddled together under the tree for a long time, until the sun’s setting and glowing lights appear amongst the trees.

  “What did I ever do to deserve you?” Morgan whispers, his voice barely audible as I’m drifting off to sleep in his arms.

  I manage a yawn and cling to him tighter. “I could ask you the same.”

  He just chuckles and places a soft kiss on the top of my head while his hand travels up and down my spine in a sleep-inducing circuit.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Eva

  I’m not sure when it happens, but at some point, I feel Morgan lifting me in his arms and carrying me to bed. I don’t even really wake up all the way, just clinging to him the whole way. He pulls the covers back on my bed and gently deposits me on the mattress before turning away.

  “Don’t,” I whisper, reaching for his hand.

  He stops and looks conflicted, but already my eyes are drifting closed again and I can’t seem to fight it anymore. I hear the sound of curtains being drawn and then his weight settles into the bed next to me, pulling me tight against him.

  “Sleep well, sweet Eva,” he whispers into my hair with a soft kiss. And before I know it, I’m fast asleep again.

  When I wake up, Morgan’s still lying next to me, but he’s wide awake, still holding me and playing with my hair. I guess at some point he undressed me and put me in pajamas, because I don’t remember doing that myself.

  “Good morning,” he says warmly, his arms tightening around me.

  “Good morning,” I say with a grin, turning in the bed to kiss him. “Did you not sleep?”

  “I don’t sleep at night,” he says.

  “Right… Of course,” I answer, blushing. How could I keep forgetting obvious things like that?

  A soft chuckle rumbles through his chest and he kisses the tip of my nose. “I appreciate that you only see me as human,” he says, and I believe him. There’s no way not to believe Morgan.

  “I’m glad you didn’t leave…”

  “I’d never leave you if you wanted me to stay, but I’m afraid I do have to meet with Lucas about some things this afternoon.”

  “About the prophecy?” I ask, my chest tightening.

  He nods.

  “Yes, and hopefully I’ll have some answers for you after that. I know you’re desperate for them.”

  That isn’t the only thing I’m desperate for, I think, feeling his hard bulge pressed between my thighs. But he’s already pulling away, straightening the blankets on his half of the bed though they’re barely disturbed at all.

  “When will I see you again?” I ask, sounding more desperate than I mean to. I sit up in the bed and comb my fingers through my hair, already missing his presence next to me.

  “Soon,” he promises. “Today or tomorrow without a doubt.”

  “Okay…”

  He walks around the bed quickly and takes my chin in his hand. “Nothing is ever going to keep me away from you for long, Eva,” he says, his voice a powerful promise before he captures my lips in a kiss that makes the whole planet tilt on its axis.

  There’s a knock from the sitting room and I jump to my feet to answer it, running across the room. Morgan’s behind me, standing back in the doorway of the bedroom as I open the front door to find the maid.

  “Oh, hi Stella,” I say brightly.

  “Good morning,” she says, nodding. Then her eyes catch Morgan in the doorway and she stiffens. “I— I’m sorry, am I interrupting?” She looks pointedly at my pajamas and then back to him, no doubt making all the connections she needs to. But I don’t care. Not really. Brandt told me that Desergans share women, and Morgan told me that this is all part of some sort of plan, so I’m not going to be shamed by the maid.

  “No, not at all,” says Morgan, stepping forward. “I was just leaving. I’ll see you later, Eva?” We exchange a chaste kiss and I nod.

  “Definitely.”

  He smiles. “Have a wonderful day, ladies.”

  Stella waits until he’s out of sight before turning back to me. “The King would like to speak to you,” she says formally. I’m not sure what it is, but it seems like Stella’s unhappy with this latest development. But that’s hardly my problem.

  “Okay, I need to shower and get dressed, but I can meet him in an hour or so?”

  She gives a stiff nod. “I’ll let him know. He’ll be in his study.”

  “Thanks, Stella,” I say, making her finally lose the frown. Sometimes you just gotta kill them with kindness.

  Once I’m more presentable, I make my way through the palace to Trylor’s chambers. I’ve never actually been in his rooms, but I know where they are because I’ve made Stella give me a number of tours since I’ve been here. I think she gets frustrated that it’s taking me so long to learn my way around, but put her in my forest for a day and that would all be turned around.

  I knock on the door, not sure if that’s the right thing to do, and I half expect some guard or adviser to open the door, but it’s Trylor himself that greets me, his eyes tired, but his smile for me genuine.

  “You wanted to see me?” I ask, not sure what this is about.

  In an instant, Trylor has his arms around me and he’s holding me tight, nearly crushing my ribs and squeezing all the breath out of me. I don’t know what’s happening, but I know it’s nice to be held like this so I squeeze him back. I can feel his relief pouring through me, and feel him sagging with exhaustion.

  “What’s going on?” I ask, finally pulling back enough to look him in his shimmering golden eyes. He shakes his head and closes the door behind us, leading me into his study.

  “It’s been a long couple of days,” he says, his voice sounding even more tired than he looks.

  “Is everything okay?” He looks like he’s been through hell and back and I don’t know what’s going on, but I want to make it better for him. I want to take care of him and make sure he doesn’t push himself too far because he seems like exactly the kind of person to do such
a thing.

  “Not really, no, but I think it will be. In due time.” There’s something hollow in his eyes, something broken and devastated. I don’t have any idea what it could be, but it makes my heart ache for him.

  “What do you mean?”

  Trylor shakes his head and sinks onto one of the large over-stuffed lounge chairs in his study. On Earth, the thing would be a loveseat, but here on Desergan, it’s just a normal armchair for a normal-sized dragon.

  “I don’t want to worry you with it. You are here and that is enough. That’s all you can do.”

  I frown, nibbling my bottom lip. I don’t feel like I’m doing anything. And I don’t know how me just being here is enough to help. He certainly still looks like he can use all the help he can get.

  I wriggle my way onto the chair with him, surprised by myself. I never would have done this a few days ago, but now that I’ve been with Brandt and Morgan, I understand what the touch of another person can do to soothe your worries and calm your mind. If I can give Trylor even a slice of that peace, I’m going to.

  “Is this about the evil?” I ask, my voice soft and gentle like I’m trying to coax a frightened animal out of a trap.

  He nods and slumps forward, pressing his forehead to my breastbone. I just hold his head as quiet sobs shake his shoulders, my heart breaking for him. I don’t know what happened to change things, but I can only imagine. I know the immense pressure he’s under and the terrible threat to his people that lurks in the shadows relentlessly. This strong formidable man is breaking before me and I’d do anything in the world to make it better for him, but I don’t know what I can do.

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper, stroking the back of his head, holding him tight to my chest. “I’m so sorry you have to go through this.” I don’t need to know exactly what ‘this’ is to feel the anguish pouring off of him in waves. And that just brings back memories of the shared vision with Lucas and the soul-deep pain that still haunts him to this day. So many beautiful, broken men. How can I mend them all?