Healed Hearts

  Healed Hearts

  By Tamsin Baker

  The final piece, book 3.

  Copyright © 2018 by Tamsin Baker

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:

  This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  Cover by: Emcat Designs

  Edited by: Carolyn Shelly Depew

  Table of Contents:

  Prologue

  Chapter 1.

  Chapter 2.

  Chapter 3.

  Chapter 4.

  Chapter 5.

  Epilogue.

  London 1812

  All vampires are selfish creatures by design. Monsters, created to feed on the very kind they were before they died.

  This un-natural state turned many vampires into truly sadistic men, but that was when Fate stepped in. To give a reprieve for the souls who could find peace in their immortality.

  Vampire unions are too explosive to have only two souls joined. The strongest piece of rope is three strands combined.

  So, legend tells that all vampire unions should fall into menage relationships. Three, generally, although four is sometimes necessary.

  Without all three or four of the vampires united, the others feel incomplete and often fall into a depressive state. When, and if they do find their third or fourth, the soul rests happy forever because they’ve found their final piece.

  Prologue.

  Ten years before

  London 1802

  Bright butterflies of excitement and dark sparks of fear tangled inside Piers’ belly, making him wriggle where he lay on the bed. He reached his arms out for his lovers.

  “Are you sure this is going to work, Luc?” Piers asked Lucas, seeking reassurance from the man who had shown him what true pleasure was in bed.

  Lucas crawled onto the bed beside him naked and began to stroke Piers’ stomach in a soothing rhythm. God, Piers loved Lucas’ talented fingertips.

  “That is the legend, Piers. We know you are our third. It makes no sense that we all feel so incomplete still.”

  Piers nodded his head with understanding, running his hands over Lucas’ huge, muscled torso. His brown eyes were so calm and loving as they gazed down on Piers.

  The mattress dipped, and Thomas joined them, Lucas’s mate of almost three-hundred years. He was leaner than Lucas, but just as tall.

  Piers likened himself to be the mortal amongst gods with these men, but he truly loved them.

  He’d never consider turning himself into a blood drinking vampire for anyone, or anything less than perfect love.

  “Tommy, I want you to drain me, please. I love your bite.”

  He adored feeding his lovers. It was one of the most erotic parts of their lovemaking. Giving that up was one of the most difficult aspects of his decision.

  But transitioning would be worth it when that nagging feeling went away. He hated it. That tug telling them all they were incomplete.

  They weren’t incomplete, their love was wonderful. He was enough for them. He had to be.

  Thomas smiled as he drew close, his eyes an identical brown to Lucas’, lighting up at the thought of being the one to do it.

  Lucas pinched Piers gently in reprimand. “And what about me? You don’t love my bite?”

  Piers reached out both of his hands, and his mates took one each. A bolt shot through him of pure pleasure. Nothing felt as good to him in this world as being connected to his two men, but it was still there.

  A loneliness, an ache. Something that did not feel quite right, but tonight they were going to change that and he would no longer feel like a disappointment to them.

  “I want to drink your blood, Luc. Perhaps I will get some of your strength,” he joked, though they all knew he was partly serious.

  He hated being so much weaker than his mates, and Lucas’ body was truly powerful.

  Lucas leaned forward and dropped the sweetest kiss on his lips, and Piers’ cock swelled. These men aroused him like no others ever had.

  “You don’t need some of my strength. You have all of it, Piers. I will love and protect you forever.”

  Piers gripped the two hands he held tighter. He was ready. After all these months, he was finally giving his life up for the men he loved.

  “Tommy, I love you. Bite me. Please,”

  He tilted his head away from Tommy and waited for the sweet pinch he knew was coming.

  Thomas leaned forward, his hot breath tingling over Piers’ skin. Tommy pressed a kiss to his flesh that made Piers moan, before biting gently into Piers’ neck.

  He gasped as his heart sang with happiness.

  He moaned as Thomas continued to drink, far past the usual stopping point.

  Death was nearing. Piers could feel a cold hand gripping his heart.

  Lucas pressed his warm wrist to Piers’ open mouth. “Drink, my love.”

  The pull of death was dragging him down, but the hands that held him anchored him in this world. He extended his tongue and tasted sweet, thick blood. Slightly metallic, yet so addictive.

  He groaned as Lucas’ life force flowed into his body and he began to regain his strength. He attached more firmly onto Luc’s wrist and drank as much of the blood as he could swallow.

  Heated flames licked along his legs and arms, and his chest swelled with power and blood. A different type of blood.

  He opened his eyes, expecting the whole world to have turned on its head.

  There were his mates, looking at him expectantly.

  They looked exactly the same.

  Well that was all right, he supposed.

  He gripped their hands tighter and smiled as he searched his feelings.

  Oh my God!

  “It’s still there!” He jumped off the bed and glared at his mates. How could they have done this to him?

  They had confirmed his very worst fears that he couldn’t make them happy. He wasn’t enough.

  No matter how much he gave, including this final gift, he would never be enough.

  “We don’t understand ... but how?” Lucas looked at Thomas, who looked equally perplexed.

  Anger, pure and unforgiving, poured through Piers. “I will never forgive you for this.”

  Chapter One

  London 1812.

  Lucas stood in Lady Tonnington’s beautifully appointed ballroom and glanced over at their third mate. He couldn’t suppress the heavy sigh that rose as Piers flirted with a young woman nearby.

  She smelt horrible to him. So therefore, she would be neither a good blood source, nor lover for them. When would he learn what was an appropriate choice?

  Thomas, his gorgeous mate and best friend of almost three-hundred years, walked up to him and grimaced. Thomas was almost as tall as he, but much leaner. They were both a head taller than most men they knew; and Lucas had once been likened to a pugilist with his muscle.

  Thomas exhaled sharply through his nose. “I know. He still hasn’t learnt.”

  Lucas nodded in agreement but said nothing else. Thomas and he had thought themselves uncommonly lucky to have found their third ten years ago. So few vampires completed their triad so early in their lives, but from the moment they’d turned Piers, nothing had gone to plan.

  The beginning of their relationship had been wonderful, of course. They fell in love with the beautiful Piers the moment they smelt him. His scent had attracted them instantly.

  Then they had wooed him, fucked him, and promised him the world. Which they had thought was a reasonable manner of completing their union.. Everything in their legends
had indicated that the moment they completed their triad, true happiness would be theirs.

  Once they had turned him, assuming all the pieces had magically fallen into place, that strange disconnect they all felt when together had not gone away. In fact, it had made things worse.

  Piers had not forgiven them yet for what had been termed “their mistake.”

  Lucas would never forget the way their leaner, brown-eyed, brown-haired mate had looked at him when they had all realised that the mating had not worked.

  It had been pure agony, for them all. Back then, and even now.

  “Lucas, Thomas, you came. I’m so glad.”

  Their hostess, Lady Abigail, walked up to them and curtseyed. She had fiery red hair that matched her temper, and after birthing half-vampire twins, she was beautifully curved. Her wonderful scent drifted over Lucas’s senses, and his fangs extended and cut into his lower lip.

  Lucas raised his hand to cover them and forcibly withdrew them once again. They had only fed a few days ago so he was not thirsty. Why did he have no control in front of her?

  Abigail laughed at his modesty. “Don’t be ashamed. You know I don’t find it offensive.”

  Lucas smiled. He did know that, because this very thing had happened several times already. But before he could open his mouth to reply, Piers was taking hold of Abigail’s hand.

  “It is so lovely to meet you, my lady.”

  Piers was turning on the charm, and Lucas stifled his laugh. If only their young mate knew she was so incredibly out of his league.

  Abigail curtseyed appropriately to his mate but slid her eyes over to Lucas in question.

  He and Thomas had known Nathaniel and Michael for over a hundred years. They had been very pleased when they had learnt that last year, Michael and Nathaniel had found their third.

  “Forgive me, Lady Tonnington. This is our mate, Piers. Piers, this is Lady Abigail Tonnington...”

  “Our third...” Michael, one of her vampire mates, finished for him as both of Abigail’s vampire mates flew to her side, their hands possessively clinging to her waist.

  Piers’ face fell in disappointment, so Lucas reached out a consolatory hand to his mate.

  “Take heart, my love. She is definitely the best choice in the room. I’m glad your senses are being honed slowly.”

  Piers shook Lucas’ hand off and glared at him before turning back to their hostess.

  Lucas’s stomach dropped. He should be used to the rejection by now, but was the same every, single time. Horrible.

  “You are not mated to your vampires yet, Lady Abigail. Why?”

  Lucas’ mouth dropped open in shock. What sort of question was that to ask of their hostess?

  Michael and Nathaniel growled in warning, but Piers merely raised an arrogant eyebrow. Lucas squashed the impulse to groan aloud. Piers was gorgeous, reckless, and spoilt.

  He would meet a vampire one day who did not indulge him as they did. Then they would all be in trouble, because he and Thomas would die for the ungrateful pup.

  Abigail surprised them all by stepping away from her pair of possessive vampires and taking Piers’ arm.

  “Come into our library, Piers. You all may follow.”

  She continued on and they all walked behind her as though in a trance.

  Lucas shook his head as they moved. Five vampire men all dancing to the tune of one human female. Slightly ironic really, the power their mates had on them.

  She led Piers to a chair then sat down in one opposite him.

  Nathaniel and Michael flew to her side as mated vampires often did to their humans. The need to protect her, especially when she was in such a fragile human state, was very strong.

  Lucas remembered feeling that way about Piers when he was still mortal. Constantly worried that something would happen to him whilst they slept.

  The relief he had felt when Piers had finally asked them to turn him had been huge.

  Thomas glanced at him and together they walked over to where Piers sat and flanked him. He may be a pain in their arses, but they loved him more than their own lives.

  “Tell me what is wrong, Piers.” Abigail’s soft voice wafted over to them all like the sweetest honeyed blood.

  Lucas’ cock hardened at the mere thought of bedding Abigail and drinking her blood. An impossibility he knew, but his body still lusted after what he couldn’t have.

  Despite his two male mates, Lucas still fantasized about a woman, which frustrated him to no end. Was he a man who needed men or women? His body certainly liked both.

  Piers shifted in the chair, his breathing rate increasing as he thought about Abigail’s question. Lucas could feel the pain and confusion wafting off his mate. He reached out to place a hand on Piers’ shoulder, but Thomas shook his head.

  Lucas pulled his arm back down again, pain engulfing him. When would they be able to touch each other again freely?

  Piers took a deep breath in and began speaking. “I was told ten years ago that I was Lucas and Thomas’ third. They said that once we were mated we would all finally feel complete and happy.”

  Abigail’s eyebrows rose high on her beautiful face. Lucas could see her intelligent mind putting everything together. “And you are not?”

  Piers shook his head vehemently.

  Abigail turned to one of her mates. “Michael, would you go into the ballroom and see if Jackson, Eric, and Malcolm are here? If they are, please ask them to join us.”

  Michael nodded and flew from the room. Lucas watched him go and wondered at Abigail’s request.

  What is she up to?

  Thomas tapped him on the shoulder and gave him a telling look that indicated he wasn’t particularly happy with what was about to happen.

  He needed to intervene.

  “I’m not sure we should speak to anyone else about this, Lady Abigail,” Lucas said. He didn’t really want his dysfunctional relationship gossiped about.

  Abigail smiled at him with as much love as he had ever seen from her. “Trust me, Lucas? I promise it will be all right.”

  He nodded stiffly, still vaguely annoyed that she was doing something he didn’t understand.

  Moments later Michael returned. He opened the door and walked straight back to his original place next to his mate. On his return, he was followed by three male vampires.

  All handsome men in their late twenties, they bowed in greeting. Lucas couldn’t help comparing the other three vampires to his trio. The main difference was that the other three men were contrasting in colouring. One blond and blue-eyed, one black-haired and blue-eyed, one brown hair and brown-eyed. Varying builds, though they were all trim.

  Conversely, he, Thomas and Piers were all of a very similar colouring. They all had medium-brown hair and green eyes. However, they had very different features and had varying builds.

  “Gentlemen.”

  Piers stood, and as one, they all bowed in return. Why had Abigail called them in?

  “Good evening.”

  Abigail stood up and opened her arms to the newcomers. The three men flew to her, kissing her cheeks and hugging her tightly.

  “That’s enough.” Nathaniel stepped towards the group and pulled his beloved out of the fray of arms and lips.

  Lucas chuckled at Nathaniel’s response. He loved the possessive nature of vampires. It was a pity Piers fought them so much now. Thomas and he would shower Piers with so much love and affection, if he would allow it.

  Michael stepped forward and made the introductions.

  “Piers, Lucas, Thomas. This is Malcolm and Eric, two of the oldest vampires I know, and their newly mated third, Jackson.”

  Jackson stepped closer to his mates and smiled with a look that broke Lucas’s heart. Piers had not once, in all their time together, had that look on his face. In fact, all three of the male vampires had a dreamy, luminescent quality Lucas had only seen in truly mated threes.

  “Excuse our staring, but we have never seen another mated three males before,”
Thomas murmured, echoing Lucas’s exact thoughts.

  Jackson smiled and slipped his hand into each of his mates’ hands. “I was a little surprised myself, but I knew the moment I met them that they were everything I needed.”

  Eric turned to his mate with a raised eyebrow. “Is that why I almost died? Because you worked it out so quickly?”

  Jackson shrugged and leaned forward to drop a tender kiss on Eric’s mouth before he turned back to them. “I fought it in the beginning, that is true. But I always knew.”

  Lucas could feel true distress rolling through Piers. His face was pinched and his fists were clenched on either side of him. Lucas put out a hand to him, and for once, the young pup came into his arms willingly.

  Piers’ warmth and presence settled something within Lucas that he couldn’t describe. God, he had missed him.

  Abigail stepped forward and joined their circle. “The reason I asked you two groups to meet is because of your similarities, but also your differences.”

  She turned to Piers. “Perhaps they can help, Piers. Because, you see, I knew from the moment I first made love to my vampires that they were everything to me. I felt complete, settled, and whole. Jackson?”

  Jackson laughed with joy in his voice. “Exactly the same for me. The first time we fucked I thought I might go insane from how good it was.”

  Malcolm chuckled. “It may have been nice if you had told us that.”

  Jackson leaned forward and gave Malcolm a similar kiss to the one he had bestowed on Eric before he murmured, “Oh, shut up.”

  Piers began to tremble, and Lucas tightened his hold on his fragile mate. The ease of affection among the other three men was affecting them all. That was how he, Thomas, and Piers had been before they had turned Piers. They had lost so much, and seeing it before them was so much more difficult to deal with than it usually was.

  Lucas cleared his throat, his belly tight with fear as he asked Abigail the question they all wanted answered. “You feel complete, even though you are still human?”

  Abigail nodded, as did Jackson.

  Damn. We were so wrong.