Queen of the Vamps: FourWinds Series Read online

  Queen of the Vamps

  FourWinds Series

  Serena Akeroyd

  Copyright © 2019 by Serena Akeroyd

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Foreword

  Treaty of the FourWinds

  Part I

  1. Lyssa

  2. Dmitry

  3. Lyssa

  4. Niko

  5. Dmitry

  6. Niko

  7. Lyssa

  8. Niko

  9. Dima

  10. Lyssa

  11. Lyssa

  Part II

  12. Niko

  13. Lyssa

  14. Dima

  15. Niko

  16. Lyssa

  17. Niko

  18. Lyssa

  19. Niko

  20. Lyssa

  21. Dima

  22. Niko

  23. Lyssa

  24. Dima

  25. Dima

  26. Lyssa

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Also by Serena Akeroyd

  Foreword

  This is a slowly developing Reverse Harem series.

  Trust me.

  When have I ever let you down? ;)

  Serena

  xoxo

  Treaty of the FourWinds

  Vampyres

  Signed by Coven Maesters:

  Nikolai Korsov

  Rule Dubeau

  Curzio Lisardi

  Lykaens

  Signed by Alphas:

  Dmitry Vasin

  Zeke Caron

  Dante Lucciano

  The Maesters and Alphas herewith declare their union. For every Vampyre, a Lykaen guardian shall be assigned. A trinity blood bond shall be enforced between the pair to protect the races.

  The Lykaen shall be the Vampyre’s sole source of blood. The Lykaen’s own needs, sexual or otherwise, shall be addressed by the Vampyre.

  If one dies, the other shall perish.

  If one finds a mate, the other will share that mate.

  If children are born to the bonded pair and said mate, their offspring will have two fathers.

  Each Lykaen and Vampyre must be thus entwined to protect the future innocents from destruction.

  By the power vested in the Maester and Lykaen councils we do decree; to cease the shedding of blood witnessed on this day, November 16, 1815, both Lykaen and Vampyre shall be enemies no more.

  Not allies, nor friends.

  Bound.

  As one.

  Until death parts them.

  No longer shall Vampyre and Lykaen be at war, forever seeking the other’s end. From this moment, and for every other, this union means blessed peace for two warring races.

  The gods are the witness of this treaty. May they protect this bondage and seal each pair with their power, for only they can authorize such a pact and ensure the protection of the blood of future generations.

  Part I

  1

  Lyssa

  The day I discovered vampires—excuse me, Vampyres… Apparently, the spelling is important—existed, I didn’t freak out.

  The undead are among us, boohoo. Christ, I’m a noughties babe. A kid reared on Twilight, Buffy, and Blade.

  Hell, I was actually thrilled to learn they exist. Especially as the guy telling me he was one was my fiancé.

  Yeah, get that.

  Nikolai Korsov is a Vampyre.

  If you don’t know who Nikolai Korsov is, then where the fuck have you been these last five years? Under a freakin’ stone?

  I mean, Christ.

  This is Niko Korsov we’re talking about here.

  The computer coder who revolutionized the Internet. Who matched what Steve Jobs did for the industry during the latter half of the twentieth century.

  Niko is infamously famous.

  If you don’t know him, maybe you’ve been living in the Arctic or something. But wait. I think the polar bears know who Niko Korsov is.

  My fiancé decided to come clean about the whole existence-of-Vampyres thing the night before our wedding rehearsal dinner.

  I guess he mustn’t have realized how enlightened I am or known how cool his fiancée is. I mean, at first, sure, I laughed.

  It was comical.

  There we were, sitting in the tiny Welcome Inn where my father insisted Niko stay before we say “I do,” and out he comes with it all.

  Bloodsucking.

  Inhuman strength.

  Yadda yadda yadda.

  I dealt with it all. Handled it rather superbly, if I say so myself.

  Until I asked the question.

  The question that had popped into my head the instant he’d started talking about sucking blood. A question that had taken priority over every other, including the one where I wondered if there was a coffin somewhere in the basement for him to snooze in…

  Whose blood was he using for dinner?

  Okay, I guess it’s weird to freak out about that but not about the fact the world is far more than the “average Joe” human realizes. Nobody ever said Lyssa Jane Hamilton had her priorities in order.

  Hmm, that’s probably nothing to be proud of. But fuck it. Vampyres exist. Reality as I know it has tilted, and I’m allowed to be wobbly about this new information.

  Sue me.

  As it is, Niko’s answer didn’t exactly make me feel warm and cozy inside. I think I’d have preferred to learn he’d been “drinking” from other women. Better that than learn Niko’s badass bodyguard, Dmitry Vasin, is his version of a grocery store. And that if I’m to marry Niko, then this shitty old treaty that happened two hundred years ago states I also have to marry Dmitry.

  Some bullshit to do with a war that happened years ago, the blood of innocents being shed, blah, blah, blah.

  Now, I pay my donation to Greenpeace and to UNICEF. Technically I was baptized Christian, but I'm not a believer. I sure as hell don't go to church every Sunday, but hey, who does? Apart from all my family, that is. This is the Bible Belt after all. I'm as charitable as I can be, but this just takes the biscuit. Why should I have to marry two guys because of a war that happened two centuries ago?

  Does that sound fair?

  No. It fucking does not.

  Okay, I'll admit Dmitry is hotter than hell. And yeah, the idea of Niko clamping down on Dmitry’s throat and slurping up A Negative like it’s champagne makes bits of me tingle…

  But I ain’t frickin’ doing it.

  That’s what I told Niko.

  Yup. I did. I said no.

  N. O.

  I left the Welcome Inn in tears, heart breaking as I stomped away toward my rented car, and felt like I was dying when I drove over my daddy’s land and headed toward the lake where, as a kid, I’d spent nearly all my summer vacations. It had been my haven and bolt-hole. Adulthood hasn’t changed that.

  But now, after spending the night in the SUV, the crick in my neck hasn’t improved my mood any. The sun’s too bright, and my heart’s still aching.

  I could accept the whole bloodsucking thing. But two husbands? I mean, sure, I’ve read way too many ménage romances. What chick hasn’t? And what chick doesn’t try to figure out which bits go where while being the filling in a hunk sandwich?

  But the reality is, the bad girl stays locked up in the bedroom, glued to her erotic romances, and gorging on ice cream and chocolate.

  The good girl is the one who decides to get married, have kids, and settle down. The good girl goes to work, earns an honest dollar. The good girl diets and wishes she had the guts to be naughtier.

  If the bad girl has it better, then…? That isn’t life, is it? That isn’t how it works, right?

  Or is it?

  Nibbling my lip, I look out onto the lake. I’ve been staring at the goddamn thing for the last sixteen hours, hoping to get some clarity on this shitty situation. The only time I haven’t been gawking at the mirrorlike surface is when I slept and when I got out to do my “business.”

  I’ve been watching the ripple-free water under the shining light of the moon and through the glimmering rays of the sun. Through it all, I’ve ignored calls from my daddy, my sister, Niko—an impressive twenty calls an hour—and the minister who’s supposed to be marrying us in three days’ time.

  It makes no sense, then, that after squinting away the glare from the lake and reading Dmitry’s number on my screen when my cell buzzes, I finally pick up.

  I’ll be damned if I know why.

  “You do realize you have your entire family pissing themselves with worry over here, don’t you?” is Dmitry’s greeting.

  “Lovely to hear from you too,” I bite out.

  Fuck, the day a girl learns Vampyres exist, and that her Vampyre fiancé wants to hook her up in some kind of Big Love scenario, she’s entitled to be selfish. Right?

  “Cut the bull. Your father’s freaking out. I’ve had to stop him from calling the sheriff out. Your sister thinks you’re lying dead at the side of a highway. I’ve also had to stop her from calling in the sheriff. And Niko’s… Well, Niko is feeling as guilty as fuck for a situation he can’t change.”

  “He should have told me a long time ago the way the land lies, Dmitry.”

  The sound of a harsh exhalation crosses the line. “I know. He knows. I told him to, but he wouldn’t. He didn’t want to lose you.”

  “By waiting until the last minute, he has lost me.”

  “Look, we can both agree on the guy being a dick, but he can’t help what the treaty says. Neither can I. As much as you’re stuck with me, I’m stuck with you.”

  “Whoa. If that’s your idea of charming me into going through with the wedding, you’re a long way off.”

  “Screw that. I’m trying to get you to come home. That's all. Much longer and your family’s going to get the police involved, all because you’re a selfish brat. Couldn’t you have checked in once? At any time of the night? Christ, you could have left a message. But oh no, Lyssa’s got her panties in a twist and everyone has to suffer.”

  The fact he’s right pisses me off more. “I’m not a selfish brat.” I wince. “All the time,” I amend.

  He huffs. “What? Fifty percent?”

  “Thirty.”

  I know he doesn’t want to, but his begrudging laugh echoes down the line. “Look, we both know you’re on the rise over the lake. Stop pissing behind bushes, come home, and use the perfectly adequate bathrooms the ranch has to offer.”

  “You bastard.” I hiss. “Have you been watching me, pervert?”

  “You wish, babe. Golden showers aren’t my thing. I checked out the lay of the land, saw your truck, and put one and one together.”

  “I hate you, Dmitry.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Get over it. In three days’ time, we’ll be sharing the same roof.”

  “I called off the wedding.”

  “Bull. You said no to the treaty’s terms. You didn’t call off the wedding, and I’ll tell you why you didn’t. Selfish brat you might be, but you love Niko. Plus, this isn’t love as you know it, it’s a mate bond. You can’t call that off. It’s a part of your soul. So, stop with the tantrum because you’re twenty years too old for it, and get your ass back to the ranch.

  “Say sorry to your dad and sister, get a goddamn shower, and make yourself presentable. Then, come over and tell Niko you’ve thought about it and you’re willing to take me on too.”

  “What if I’m not?” I shout at him. “I don’t know you, and what I do know frightens the shit out of me. You’re not like Niko. At all.”

  “You’ve got that damned right. We’re polar opposites, and that’s something you’ll have to get used to. He might put up with tantrums, but I sure as hell won’t.”

  His orders don’t sit well with me, but something about them has me wanting to comply with them regardless. I don’t know if it’s because subconsciously what he’s telling me to do is exactly what I want to do. Or…

  What?

  There’s no way in hell I want to be bossed around by Dmitry Vasin.

  Glaring at a bird that has made ripples break the stillness of the lake’s surface, I bite out, “You’d better start talking nicely to me…”

  “Or what?” he interrupts. “You’ll tell Niko on me?”

  At his laughter, I slam my hand down against the seat. “Stop laughing at me, goddammit. This isn’t a joke. This is my life.

  “I can’t handle you, Dmitry. I can’t. You’re like my stepfather. I got out of his household as soon as I legally could. I can’t go back to another relationship like that.”

  Silence hovers over the line for a second. Then, coolly, he asks, “Did he beat you? Touch you?”

  At that, I can hear a quiver of anger slice through his words. I know any man would feel anger at asking a woman that kind of question, but still. This isn’t any man, and I’m not any woman.

  If, and it’s a big if, I accept this weird treaty, he’ll be my man and I’ll be his woman.

  An explosion of butterflies quiver through my gut and surge through my veins.

  Not necessarily in a bad way, either. How confusing is that?

  “He beat my mom. Not me. He tried to control me, make me…” I break off, not wanting to relive the past.

  When my mom and daddy divorced, I went with her, and Laurie, my younger sister, went with him. Like The Parent Trap without the happy ending.

  Laurie got the better end of the deal.

  I love my mom. I would have hated to be parted from her, but I’d have endured the separation simply to stay away from Stephen Markham’s clammy paws.

  “Make you what, Lyssa?” Dmitry’s voice has dropped an octave. He’s trying to be sensitive. The thought alone has me wanting to chuckle.

  I could never have imagined Dmitry being sensitive. Not in a million years.

  I met Niko and Dmitry on the same day about fifteen months ago. I’m a designer, and Niko was thinking about floating his company, Coven—that weird title finally makes sense now—on the stock market. He hired me to handle all the publicity brochures, be it fliers or the manifesto. At the same time, he was looking to rejuvenate his website and company logo. I did all that.

  Coven’s logo had been a rather rudimentary lion. Kind of like a drawing. I’d updated it. I couldn’t get Niko away from the crappy big cat idea. Instead, I shifted it up a notch. Took a lion’s head, removed all curvature and fur, and created a graphic version. Gold and black shadows with misty bronze striations to take the place of the mane. It looks pretty cool, in my own humble opinion.

  The day I met both men, Niko caught my attention first. I won’t lie, Dmitry did too, but Niko, well, he’s fucking adorable.

  I guess terming a Vampyre as adorable wouldn’t be considered a compliment to said Vampyre, but he is.

  From the neatly cut hair that, no matter how short he has it trimmed, always flops over onto his forehead, to the crumpled linen shirts and trousers he wears…

  He’s like a mad genius.

  What am I saying?

  He is a genius. And he looks it. But he’s sexy as fuck too.

  That first day, he’d been barefoot.

  In his house, which is also his remote office for Coven, a sleek glass-steel number perched on the top of a cliff and overhanging the sea, my heart had been snapped up by the geeky coder.

  Dmitry, on the other hand, had inspired other emotions. I hadn’t thought of him as being adorable. Not in his two-thousand-dollar suits and neat-as-a- pin hair. Sure, he was gorgeous, but he was…threatening. Dominant.

  Something I’ve always backed away from in relationships.

  When they had turned to see me, I’m not being bigheaded when I say I knew they’d found me attractive.

  Niko had stumbled and fumbled. Stuttered and blushed. Christ, that flush of heat on his cheeks had had a burn of its own starting in my belly.

  Dmitry’s heated gaze had traveled down over my neat pantsuit, mentally stripping me bare.

  Everything inside me had rejected Dmitry’s blatancy, whereas I’d melted at Niko’s flustered self.

  And now, Niko’s telling me I’ll have to start cozying up to this guy if I want to be with him?

  Like, seriously cozying up.

  Penetration kind of cozying.

  As I purse my lips at the thought, Dmitry’s concerned voice slips through my concentration. “Lyssa? Are you okay? Talk to me, sweetheart.”

  His tenderness is unexpected. In my head, I’ve always classed him as being a bit brutish. Maybe that’s not fair. Especially when he’s as sleek as hell to look at. Nothing brutish, aside from the sheer bulk of his muscular form. Still, the first impression had stuck, and though I’ve been with Niko for over a year, I know as much about Dmitry as I did that first day. Jack.

  “I’m fine. I’m returning from a trip down a shitty memory lane.”

  “Please tell me your stepfather didn’t touch you, because if you don’t, I’m going to have a pissed-off Pyre on my hands.”

  “Pyre? You don’t shorten Vampyre to ‘Vamp’?”