Blood Mates

By Sandy Ellis

A new day; a new mini-drama. The excitement continues at The DMZ for Sam, Roman and Julian. They just want to get on with their new life together, but when people from their pasts show up, will it make their bond stronger or tear them apart?

It’s never boring at The DMZ. Part Two of The Blood Mage series continues the story of Blood Mage Sam, Vampire Julian and Mage Roman. As they prepare for their wedding, people from their pasts begin to show up, the ultimate goal to break them up. Difficult choices must be made by everyone at the bar. In the end, will their love be enough to overcome the ghosts of their pasts?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sandy Ellis
• Release date: Apr 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310011177

Sandy Ellis

Author's Biography (Editor's Note: This is verbatim, from an email exchange with the author attempting to get her to talk about herself) "...It was early. Needed coffee. Now that I am properly caffeinated, I can face my day. I don’t know if I really want to do a blurb about me. But if I was going to: Sandy lives in Tampa with her dog and two cats. She works in the health care industry and really, really wishes she could win the Lottery so she could stay at home in her pajamas all day. If you liked her book, let her know at [e-mail]. If you didn't..."

Book preview

Other Titles by Sandy Ellis

Published by Smashwords

Blood Mage

Blood Mates

Coming Soon

Blood Child

Acknowledgements

Trademarks

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following word marks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Anberlin

Avenged Sevenfold

Ben and Jerry’s

Cliff Notes

Coke

Corona

Dansko

Disturbed, Indestructible

Gavin DeGraw

Glock

Guinness

Hollywood Undead, Undead

iPod

Juan Valdez

Kodak

Linda Blair, The Exorcist

Linkin Park

Maker’s Mark

Marilyn Monroe

Metallica

Nine Inch Nails

Nordstrom’s

Publix

Reader’s Digest

Rob Zombie

Shrek

Star Trek

Swiss Army Knife

The Beatles

The Jerry Springer Show

The US Marines

The Walking Dead

Titanic

TiVo

Wesley and Buttercup, The Princess Bride

License Notes

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Other than the trademarks listed above, any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, save those clearly in the public domain, is purely coincidental.

BLOOD MATES Copyright © 2014 by Sandy Ellis. All rights Reserved.

For information about this book email [e-mail]

ISBN-9781310011177

Published April 15, 2014

Cover Art Design by Sandy Ellis

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting my hard work, and I hope you enjoy it!

Contents

Blood Mates

Other Titles by Sandy Ellis

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Epilogue

Author's Biography

Preview of 'Blood Child'

CHAPTER ONE

A Mage, a Vampire and a Sentinel walked into my bar. I looked up from the beer I was pulling and smiled.

The Mage was tall, six-four, and his wicked black leather biker boots added another two inches to his height. He was two hundred and fifty pounds of long, hard, lean muscle and he was absolutely enormous.

His thick black hair had grown in the two months since I first met him and he had taken to tying the locks back with a leather tie. His deep blue eyes scanned the room, looking for trouble, missing nothing, assessing everything. Old habits die hard.

His face was almost too hard to be called handsome, at least not handsome in the typical way, but to me he was beautiful. His straight nose, hard square jaw and sensuous lips didn’t hurt him in the looks department.

His name was Roman and he was all mine.

The Vampire was light where the Mage was dark. Streaky blond hair, also back in a tie, green eyes the color of emeralds and a face that would have made Michelangelo weep. He was just as tall as Roman and just as muscled, but he was not quite as lean, a little bit stockier.

His eyes swept over the bar as Roman’s had, only he did it in a more predatory way, like he was hunting something or someone. He’s a Vampire; they just do things like that. It always makes me shiver.

His name is Julian and he’s all mine, too.

The Sentinel was not nearly as tall as Roman or Julian, nor as thickly muscled, but he was still powerfully built, wide shoulders tapering down to a slim waist, a swimmer’s build. He had dark blonde hair, cut short and it was messily tousled in the way that only a serious application of styling product can achieve. I had never seen it look less than perfectly styled.

Sentinels were the equivalent of police in the Other realm. Composed mostly of Mages, with a few Vampires and Werewolves thrown in for fun, they kept the peace. At least they tried to anyway. Sometimes peace is an uphill battle. Literally. The battle part, I mean.

His name is Caleb and he wasn’t mine, because, let’s face it, I’m already being annoyingly greedy with Roman and Julian, but he is fun to look at. Hey, just because a girl’s on a diet doesn’t mean she can’t look at the menu, right? I just can’t order off it.

He stood one step back from Roman and Julian and when he scanned the room, he was looking for one thing and one thing only. His brown eyes stopped when they found it. Kelsey. My part time waitress.

Kelsey is drop dead gorgeous. She has long black hair, dark brown eyes and she is tall and slim. Her golden tanned skin and sensuous mouth don’t hurt her tips any. The first time I met her, I hated her on sight. That didn’t last long because she’s so freaking nice. We’re friends now, of a sort, as well as having a good employer-employee relationship.

She and Caleb have been dancing around each other for two months now. I kind of wish they would just get over themselves and do it already; the sexual tension around them is unbearable sometimes.

The trio of men finally moved forward, taking their usual seats at the bar. They had a ‘Reserved’ table in the opposite corner, but that was for business. When they were here for fun, they sat at the bar.

Hello, love, Julian said as he settled himself on a bar stool, his back to the wall. Old habits die hard indeed. Of course, being paranoid may have been one of the reasons Julian had made it to the ripe old age of seven hundred and something. And counting.

He reached for my hand and kissed the fingers softly. Can we get a pitcher?

Sure, I nodded.

Hey, baby, Roman greeted me, leaning over the bar to plant a soft kiss on my cheek. How’s it going tonight?

Good, I said, beginning to fill the pitcher for them. It’s been kind of busy for a Wednesday.

I set the pitcher in front of Roman, added three ice cold glasses from the cooler and looked at Julian. The Buffalo chicken salad you made is almost gone. Looks like that needs to stay on the menu.

The Vampire smiled. All right. I was hoping it would do well.

Before you say it, I know. Vampires that cook? Well, Julian is an excellent cook. Seven hundred years to perfect your talent will do that. And, yes, Vampires can eat, a fact I just learned myself a couple months ago. It doesn’t give them any nutrition so most don’t bother with it, according to Julian, but he enjoys it.

I smiled at the Sentinel. Hey, Caleb. You off shift for the night?

Yeah. I don’t like my new hours. I’m a night owl and this afternoon shift the new Grand Sentinel has imposed is kicking my ass. He reached for the glass of beer Roman had poured for him.

Wouldn’t be working afternoons if Roman had just stepped up and taken the Grand Sentinel job, he grumbled, gulping down half the glass.

Roman laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. Give it up kid. I fucking quit, remember?

It was an old argument. The former Grand Sentinel, devious bastard that he was, had tried to get a rogue Troll to kill me. I ended up killing him instead and Roman, still a Sentinel then, had showed up to investigate.

That’s how I first met Roman and Julian, who also used to be a Sentinel. We became friends that night and lovers a little while later. Now, we were engaged to be married. Well, the actual legal stuff would be between Roman and me, but Julian and I were going to say vows also. Hey, don’t judge. I love them; they love me. All you need is love. Just ask The Beatles.

Yeah, well, Caleb continued. Any time you change your mind, let me know. There are enough of us that can’t stand the changes that Simon’s been making that we’ll mount an insurrection and put you in charge.

Not going to happen, kid. Roman replied easily. I like my new life. I like helping people who need things the Sentinels can’t or won’t provide. It suits me.

It really did. After they quit the Sentinels, they had gotten their private investigator’s licenses and were now running a sort of Magical investigation business from the ‘Reserved’ table. It was working out quite well. They’d already had several cases and when they weren’t doing that, they were helping me.

It was win-win-win.

Kelsey came over with her tray and order pad. Sam, I need another pitcher for the Humans in the corner, a Guinness, two rum and Cokes, a whiskey sour, a Manhattan, for the gods’ sakes, and a very dirty martini with extra olives.

I nodded and got to work. Julian got up, stepped around the bar and started building the Guinness while I took the mixed drinks. The Vampire had been a bartender many times before in his very long life and he was good at it. It was great to have help.

Hey, Julian, Kelsey greeted him with a wide smile. How are you doing?

I tensed a little, forcing myself to keep a straight face and keep mixing drinks. So what if I shook the martini a little harder than absolutely necessary? Kelsey was a Human that Julian had regularly fed from before he met me, part of the reason I had hated her at first sight. I wasn’t sure who he fed from now, but I didn’t think it was from Kelsey.

He sometimes fed from me or more often, from Roman. However, our blood was too potent for him to use us as his only source of sustenance. I knew he still fed from Humans, he had to, but I was so employing the out of sight, out of mind philosophy on that subject.

I’m fine, Kelsey, Julian replied carefully. He knew how I felt. Literally. Feeding from someone allowed him to feel their emotions. I swear I don’t know how he deals with that on a daily basis. He says he can turn it down when he needs to. Whatever. Still gives me the creeps.

Oh, Kelsey pouted just a little at his tone of voice. Well, that’s good. Hi, Roman. Hi, Caleb.

Roman only inclined his head to her as he drank some more beer. His deep blue eyes met mine over the rim of his glass and he swore softly. He must have seen the uncertainty in my eyes before I dropped my gaze back to the drinks I was lining up on the counter for Kelsey.

Caleb didn’t miss it either.

Freakin’ Sentinels.

CHAPTER TWO

Caleb frowned at Kelsey. Hey, Kels. He stood. Let me help you with all that.

I got it, she protested when he grabbed the pitcher and fresh glasses.

Let. Me. Help. You. The deliberate words must have made an impression on her, because she caught my eye, mouthed ‘sorry’ and took off with her tray.

She doesn’t mean anything by it, Julian said softly, his arm coming around me to pull me into his hard frame. She’s not trying to start something with me. She really does care how I’m doing, but it’s in a friendly way.

I nodded, putting both my arms around him and squeezing tight. I know, but it’s still hard.

Roman reached out to put his hand on my shoulder. If this isn’t working out, having Kelsey work here, he said softly. You know you can make a change, right?

I sighed. Yeah, I knew that. Just like when I hired her I knew that she had been with both of my men; they had shared her, just like they shared me. Well, not exactly. They loved me; they cared for her, but it wasn’t love. Never had been.

She’s really good with the customers, I answered just as softly, still ensconced in Julian’s arms where I felt safe and loved. And I don’t hate her or anything. Just sometimes I remember that you’ve had her and she’s a lot prettier than I am. It makes me feel…I don’t know, sorry for myself, I guess.

I was really wallowing in it if I allowed those words to actually come out of my mouth. Julian stiffened and I cringed. Shit. They really hated it when I talked down about myself. Hated it to the point of spanking me when I did it. Yeah. Major fuck-up on my part.

Um, what I meant to say, I backpedaled hastily, but Roman cut me off.

Don’t, he commanded. Kitchen. Now. He stood and strode through the door into the kitchen without even looking at me again, certain I would follow. And he was right.

I looked hopefully up at Julian. Help?

He chuckled and shook his head. Nope. He’s pissed. Only one thing is going to help that. You go on and I’ll watch the bar and make sure you have privacy.

He leaned over and cranked Rob Zombie up a couple of clicks on the iPod dock I kept behind the bar. No juke box for me. I wanted to listen to what I wanted to listen to. Got a problem with that? Go drink somewhere else.

Dammit. I sighed and blew out an irritated breath. I totally knew better than to let words like that come out of my mouth in front of them, Roman especially, because his temper was more volatile than Julian’s.

I was five-five and a totally curvy size fourteen. I had lost a few pounds when I almost died a couple of months ago, but Julian had kept shoving food in my face till I gained them all back. He always claimed that he remembered when my body type had been the stereotype of perfection. Yeah, whatever.

I have short hair that I dye a combination of dark brown and red and tousle with hair goop. My skin is very pale and I need to spackle a couple of coats of foundation on it every morning or I look like I’m blushing twenty-four/seven. My medium blue eyes are my best feature, in my opinion, and I always enhance them with mascara to make them pop.

I looked over my shoulder at Julian, still hoping for some sympathy but all he did was shoo me towards the kitchen.

Craptastic. I scowled at him as I turned away.

I pushed through the door. Roman was leaning against the prep counter, his strong arms crossed over his massive chest, a frown on his face. His blue eyes had gone glacially cold and I shivered in reaction. Oh, he was pissed all right. Understatement of the year, Julian.

Roman...

Stop. He tried to shove his hands through his hair, realized it was tied back and hissed in frustration. Just fucking stop.

He pulled the leather cord from his hair, freeing the black mass to fall around his face and shoulders. He did shove his hands through it then, something he only did when he was really irritated. He turned those frosty blue eyes back to me.

Why do you say things like that? Why do you believe them? You are so fucking gorgeous, don’t you know that?

Hot tears prickled the backs of my eyes and I blinked furiously to keep them from falling. I didn’t, actually, and he knew it; but, for whatever reason, they thought I was beautiful. Eye of the beholder and all that crap.

I didn’t mean to say it, I whispered raggedly.

Fuck, he swore, stepping forward to pull me into his arms. Don’t you get it, baby? I don’t want you to even think it. You are so gorgeous.

I did let the tears fall then; I just couldn’t help it. Being held in his arms like that, all comforting when I was a mess, always made me emotional. I’m sorry.

I know, he responded with a sigh. Gods, I wish you could see what I see when I look at you. I see a beautiful, fun, smart, sexy, voluptuous woman with a body just made for fucking. I don’t see that when I look at Kelsey. You know that, right?

Yeah, I do, I answered quietly. You’re just friends with her. I know that. Julian, on the other hand.....

Julian feels the same as I do about her, Sam. We care about her, she’s our friend. Nothing more. Not now, not ever. Julian fed from her and yes, I will not lie to you about this. We did have a physical relationship with her at one time. I know Julian has already been through this with you. What else do I have to say? The frustrated anger in his voice was evident.

Gods, I’m really messing this up, aren’t I? I took a deep breath, put on my big girl panties and looked the big bad ass Mage in the eye. I know you and Julian love me. Only me. I know that in my heart. I promise I won’t ever doubt that again.

His eyes thawed first, then his face. Oh, baby. He pulled me into his massive chest, stroking soothing circles over my back. It’s just that I love you so much. It breaks my heart when you doubt yourself.

I know. I’m sorry. I let him just hold me for the longest time.

Are you going to spank me? I finally asked in a very small voice.

Do you want me to? Roman pulled away just enough to look into my eyes, his face very serious, blue eyes wary.

Sometimes, and I know this is weird, but sometimes, letting Roman spank me made me feel…better somehow. Like if he didn’t really care about me or believe what he was saying, he wouldn’t bother.

I flicked a glance over my shoulder toward the bar. Maybe later? I answered tentatively.

He chuckled, a purely masculine sound that made me feel all gooey inside. All right, baby. I’ll owe you one. He gave me a long hard hot kiss and I got a little dizzy. Damn, that man can kiss!

Let’s get back out there.

He pushed me to the door and we were laughing when we swung back into the bar. Julian turned to us, smiling broadly, hand held out in invitation for me to grab hold and let him pull me in to his arms for a hug.

And then a Troll walked into my bar.

Oh, shit. Here we go again.

CHAPTER THREE

Trolls are seven feet tall, all blue skinned muscle and bad temper. They, as a rule, are rude, disgusting creatures and they are usually pissed off about something. It makes them a tad unstable. To say the very least.

This particular Troll, however, was the very antithesis of Troll behavior. Throg was polite, well spoken, and continually apologized when he swore in front of me. It was kind of cute.

He had been friends with Roman and Julian for decades and he was their go-to guy when sheer brute muscle needed to be employed so some idiot would realize the error of his ways. Like my men couldn't handle that by themselves, but Trolls are very, very scary.

Trolls are also virtually indestructible. Well, unless they were shot in the chest with iron bullets from a 12 gauge shotgun, like the one I had under my bar. Then they sort of died. Painfully. With much pooling of blue blood.

Throg! I called out in greeting, already filling a pitcher with beer for him. He could drain a glass in a single gulp, so a pitcher just made more sense. Trolls like beer. A lot.

Samantha, he replied warmly. He always used my entire first name, which used to make me squirm a little but now I kind of liked it. How are you? Ah, thank you, he added when I set the pitcher in front of him.

I’m good, thanks. How are you doing?

Very well, thank you. He took a giant swallow of beer. Roman, Julian, Caleb. He acknowledged the three men with nods of his giant blue head.

Hey, Throg, Roman answered, doing a little fist bump with the Troll. What’s up?

Well, the Troll looked around, making sure we were in relative privacy. I have the update you were asking me about.

Roman’s features went carefully blank. He’s not as good at inscrutable as Julian is, but then he hasn’t had seven hundred years to practice it either. In spite of that, his blank face is damn good anyway.

I see, he replied softly. Let’s take this discussion to the table, gentlemen.

Just like that, they were off the bar stools and moving to ‘Reserved’-land. I was never invited into ‘Reserved’-land. Dammit.

What’s going on? Kelsey asked as she came back up to the bar, a tray full of empties in her hands.

Beats me, I answered, shrugging my shoulders. They never tell me what they consider confidential information.

Kelsey giggled. Guess cause then it wouldn’t be confidential anymore, right?

I smiled at her. Guess not.

I took the empties and began washing them.

Um, look, Kelsey began. About before, you know I…

I know, I cut her off. It’s all right.

Okay, she answered, her tone saying she clearly didn’t think I thought it was all right, but, she chose to drop it, for which I was grateful. I mean, how do you tell someone your fiancés used to sleep with and feed from that you don’t want her asking how they are because she’s too gorgeous? Can you say craptastrophe?

Malachi, bless his furry little heart, chose that moment to come in with his Pack of Wolves. They sat at their usual table in the corner and I began filling six pitchers for them. Wolves like beer almost as much as Trolls do. Almost.

Mal nodded a hello to me as he took his seat, his gaze scanning the room just like when the others had come in. Alpha males really like to know the lay of the land. Mental eye roll.

I helped Kelsey take the pitchers and glasses to the Wolves table. Hey, Mal.

"Hey,