Alana Serra [Serra - Dark Pact: A Reverse Harem Fantasy Romance (Her Dark Guardians Book 1)

Dark Pact Alana Serra 2019.

Amazon Kindle Edition.

Edited by Mystique Editing.

Cover design by Jacqueline Sweet.

A ll rights reserved . No part of this story may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the copyright holder, except in the case of brief quotations embodied within critical reviews and articles.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writers imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

The author has asserted his/her rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book.

This book contains sexually explicit content which is suitable only for mature readers.

Created with Vellum

W ith huge thanks to my beta readers Erica and Michelle, as well as the entire Reverse Harem Readers & Authors Facebook group for being so welcoming to a new author.

R hiannon lingered by the largest table in the Blind Buck Tavern despite the fact that shed already delivered the drinks.

A group of nine men and women sat, chairs tucked close together to accommodate such large numbers, tankards sloshing freshly poured ale as they talked with exaggerated gestures. A fair assessment, Rhia thought, as she was sure the stories were also exaggerated. But they were entertaining, and so she didnt mind. She merely listened with rapt attention, her gaze finding the most prominent speaker of the moment.

I cant believe you went in there alone, a woman groused, her accent placing her from the lands further southa place Rhia had never been. Then again, shed never been anywhere beyond Esrinas. Five different signs condemning the place, saying it was infested and hazardous to humans, and this fucking idiot waltzes in anyway.

The woman who spoke was as beautiful as she was deadly, it seemed to Rhia. Her platinum blonde hair was done into a tight braid that traveled down the length of her back, and her tight leather jerkin stretched across a muscular torso, her arms bared and showing a lifetime of training with a swordincluding a variety of nicks along her forearms to prove it.

She was a captain of some kind in the guild, and every time she spoke, the others listened. All but the one she was addressing now.

A mountain of a man with a bushy black beard and no hair atop his head grinned wildly at her, his eyes glimmering. He threw back the tankard, the frothy liquid spilling into his beard and down his chest. You act as if I can read, Meliva, he teased. Unlike you, I spent my early years doing important things like fighting and fucking.

Half of those signs were in pictures! she exclaimed to a round of raucous laughter.

Even Rhia smiled, the corner of her lips quirking upward. The man with the bushy beard caught her eye and she tried to school her features, but it was too late. Hed seen her, and she swore she saw his pupils dilate as though hed just fixed upon his prey. Rhia lifted her chin, refusing to shrink under his regard. Even if a man like that could overpower her with ease.

You think thats funny, little one? he asked, his loud voice taking on a rough, almost husky tone.

The rest of the table turned toward her and Rhia felt heat suffuse her cheeks. She hadnt wanted to make a fuss. Shed honestly hoped they wouldnt even notice. The rest of the tavern was always hanging upon their every word, so why not her? Swallowing, Rhia managed to find her voice.

It is, though only for the fact that youre alive, she said. It might be slightly less funny if you were dead.

The woman with the blonde braid threw back her head and laughed, and that action seemed to give the others leave to do the same. Even the man who addressed her grinned, though she swore it was like looking into the maw of a smiling wolf, fangs poised to bite her in half.

I think the rest of these fools would find it much funnier were I dead, but then I wouldnt be here to tell you all about why I went, would I? He looked at the others, gesturing so widely that half his drink must have sloshed out. But when he spoke again, his gaze fell squarely on Rhia. Theres nothing a man wont do for a fine pair of tits.

She felt her body flush, adrenaline rushing through her blood. Someone else might have appreciated the attention, or at least been ambivalent toward it. But words like that, spoken with the aid of a lustful leer, reminded Rhia of the many times shed been leered at in the past by men who knew she couldnt reject their advances. Shed done it anyway, and had paid for it in bruises and broken bones. Such was the life of an orphan whod sprouted breasts early on.

Itd been worse before Desmond. Every man whod ever set eyes on her had wanted to push her boundaries; had ignored her when she told them to stop. Had taken advantage of the fact that no one gave a damn about what happened to yet another girl on the street. Yet Desmond had stood up to them, even at great cost to himself. Hed nearly lost an eye for her, and still he defended her every time. He always had, and some silly part of her hoped he always would.

She thought of him now, of his steady bright blue gaze, his golden lions mane of hair, his handsome features and sturdy form. It bolstered her, knowing he would look out for her. That he would care if something happened. And even if he wasnt here right now, it helped Rhia firm up her own resolve. Her chin lifted just a bit higher, her jaw setting as she stared down the gargantuan man like she was some aristocratic lady.

Oh, relax, girl. I wouldnt exactly call those bee stings of yours a fine pair of tits, he said with a snort, even tossing his head as though he were an agitated beast.

Youre just mad because she isnt falling at your feet begging you to suck on them, another man said, the taunt accompanied by jeering.

She would be, if she knew half of what I did in that mine, he said with a wild, unsettling grin. Ill bet none of you lot have ever fucked a spider queen.

Rhias gut churned, her mind recoiling from the very image of that. Shed seen enough illustrations to know that he must be speaking of the Arachni line of noble spiders who were half human, half spider. Fearsome things, the thought sending a shiver down Rhias spine. She still didnt want to hazard a guess about how they how a human man could

No. She wasnt going to think about it. He was being boastful, as they all were. It was a common occurrence at this tavern, which was part of why shed chosen to work there despite the pay being worse than nearly anywhere else in the city. Being around members of the Adventurers Guild, hearing their stories and the creatures they fought to keep the armies of evil at bay, Rhia hoped all of it would one day play into her own training. If they knew her face, knew her name, shed have an easier time once she scraped together the money for the academy.

Because unfortunately, the guild didnt accept poor tavern maids who knew the proper way to clean a tankard with steaming hot water so that it didnt reek the next day. Shed have to have something to set her apart. While Desmond was handy with a sword and an excellent leader, Rhias talents ran somewhat toward magic. A raw affinity for it had manifested in her at an early age. She just needed the money to actually afford proper training.