Chapter 42 Rasmus
Rasmus
Tiberius Vane’s son stared down at me with a mixture of anger and jealousy. The fool wanted the female in my arms but seemed unwilling to admit it. I’d known my soul-bonded mate would have others in her harem. It was common for a powerful witch to have more than one consort.
Before the virus killed most of us, vampires would often be a part of a witch’s harem.
As I’d told mea amica, vampires did not discriminate when it came to matters of the bedroom.
Fucking and feeding was the vampire way.
My little witch would learn to enjoy it as much as I did. She would eventually take my blood too.
“She needs rest,” the mage hissed before his gaze softened as he looked at the witch. I offered him a toothy grin.
“And rest she’ll have. Eventually.”
The bear must have heard me because he barreled over with a growl, closely followed by the smirking incubus.
“Give her to me, vampire.”
“Rasmus, or Prince Rasmus if you prefer.”
The taller shifter approached us and laid one hand on the growly one’s shoulder.
“Rex is dishing up the food. Come and eat. There will be no more arguments. Not tonight. We have much to discuss.”
The shifter was right. And besides, I was still recovering from my unwanted blood fast. If we had a long journey ahead, I needed to conserve my energy to avoid harming my mea amica.
“She’s fine with me. The little witch needs to eat, and then I will take her to bed.” The tall shifter nodded. “We have three guest bedrooms. Skyla is preparing them now.”
I lifted my witch and carried her through to the kitchen, where a long table was piled high with bowls of bread, a large cast-iron pot of stew, and various side dishes. As a vampire, I didn’t need human food, but I very much appreciated fine wine.
Our host must have known this, for he passed me a glass of red wine.
“A vintage Chateauneuf-du-Pape. I picked up a bottle the last time I visited Europe. Enjoy.” The rich, complex flavors burst on my tongue, and I nodded appreciatively.
“Thank you. This is indeed an excellent vintage.”
Sadness hit me hard as I thought about our family’s vineyards, which were likely lost once we and our loyal servants perished. Perhaps when it was safe for me to travel to Europe, I would take my witch to see if the vines were salvageable. With the help of magic, it was likely they were.
Fluttering wings rippled the air, and when I looked up, a petite female sprite had appeared. She ducked under the tall shifter’s arm and smiled at us all a little nervously.
My witch blinked in surprise at the sight of a winged female.
“Oh my stars, your wings are gorgeous!” Her ass wiggled on my lap as she attempted to sit up, which had an unwanted effect, but I wasn’t complaining.
It had been so long since anything or anyone had touched me that the enjoyment of a gorgeous female in my arms was even better than the fine wine in my hand.
The witch blushed before coughing. “Sorry, that was rude. My guardian always told me off for commenting on a magical’s appearance.”
The kitsune jumped onto the table, poked his nose in the pot of stew, and sniffed.
“Thor, the foxy wants some food! Get him a bowl; the poor thing looks starving!” The sprite’s eyes sparkled with tears as she stared at the definitely-not-starving creature blinking up at her with what looked a lot like devotion.
He trotted across the table, ignoring the mage’s curses and the bear shifter’s growls of displeasure before hopping off and rubbing his head against the sprite’s legs.
She giggled and reached down to pet his furry head.
My witch snorted. “He’s not a fox; he’s a kitsune,” she told the sprite. “A very manipulative one,” she added under her breath.
“He’s adorable!”
The wolf shifter sneered at the kitsune. “Filthy creature.”
“Rex!” The sprite gasped in outrage. “Don’t be horrible to the poor starving little fluffster.” She turned her back on the wolf to pet the creature some more, much to her other mate’s amusement. The wolf looked stricken at her obvious dismissal.
“Skyla, baby! You know I didn’t mean it!”
“Yes you did. And because I’m angry with you, you can sleep in the woodshed tonight.”
We all watched in fascination as the wolf shifter threw a tantrum and stormed out.
“Wolf shifters are such assholes,” my witch whispered to herself, making the incubus chuckle.
“He’s such a big baby,” Skyla sniffed before smiling shyly at us all.
“Please don’t let our obnoxious wolf mate spoil your appetite,” the tall shifter said in a resigned voice. The bear shifter grunted and grabbed a plate. I watched as he filled it with stew and added a bread roll.
“Little mate, you need to replenish your energy. Please eat.”
The witch grumbled at the bear shifter’s plea but took the plate anyway. It was obvious she enjoyed being spoiled even if she pretended otherwise, which was perfect because I had plans to spoil her too.