Embedded Files
Paranormal Romance, MPreg
Date Published: March 13, 2026
A death mage turns out to be the perfect mate for a human omega.
Lucas Krauss is getting used to being out of a nightmare and acclimating to life with Saridan Tower. His mate is a death mage, one of the deadliest kinds of vamps, and now they are sorting out their lives as a family.
Raphael Santos isn’t fazed by the looks and whispers he gets from passers-by. His status is unmistakable due to his pale skin and the aura that surrounds him. He never thought he’d find his mate, yet a sweet human omega is more than happy to touch him, unafraid of Raphael’s true nature.
But not all is well. House Lorthaen makes it clear that they are not going to leave House Saridan alone, and Raphael vows to protect his family, no matter what.
WARNING: Mpreg, Alpha/omega, Fated Mates, Hurt/Comfort.
EXCERPT
Lucas
Everything hurt. Not as bad as when I’d… well… when a human cop had swooped in, ready to obliterate Gino Boone. Gino had the jump on him, though, and ate a bullet like a fucking coward. I was happy to be out of that nightmare, but I wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about being here now. The head of House Saridan, Deacon, and another vamp had visited me in the hospital and brought me here to Saridan’s Tower. Outside this apartment, I still didn’t feel entirely comfortable, but when Raphael was around, that all changed.
He was my mate. I didn’t need any sort of test to tell me that either. My gut instinct had made it crystal clear the second the man had walked into my hospital room with Deacon.
When we’d arrived here at the tower, I’d noticed others gave Raphael a wide berth. I couldn’t fathom why, though. He’d told me what he was: a death mage. His magic was the kind that manipulated a being’s life force. There seemed to be a faint aura of… something around him everywhere he went. It didn’t scare me, though. He might’ve terrified others, even other vamps, but not me. In private, he was attentive, almost to the point of being a mother hen. He was soft-spoken and gentle, far more than I ever expected someone like him could be.
The wounds from the beating Gino had given me were healing, though I was still sore. The worst part, though, was not knowing how the rest would play out. Gino had whored me out to random bastards, and, at some point, I got pregnant. Raphael knew, but unlike most alphas, he didn’t seem upset about it.
As I sat on the bed, I put a hand on my still-flat belly. I had no clue whose kid I was now carrying, but I’d always wanted a family. I prayed Raphael didn’t want to get rid of it. We hadn’t had much time to talk since, apparently, there was a rival vamp House determined to bring House Saridan down.
The apartment door opened, and I knew who it was without needing to hear or see him. Of course, no one else would come in here, but Raphael didn’t even need to announce himself.
“Are you all right?” he asked as he stepped to the bedroom doorway.
He hurried over to the bed and crouched in front of me, his height putting us at eye-level. He ran his fingers through my hair, and I couldn’t help but close my eyes and smile. His touch was so gentle and loving.
“I’m okay.”
I caught his hand and brought it to my mouth to kiss the tips of his fingers. We’d only hugged, not even a single kiss in the couple of weeks I’d been here, but I wasn’t sure how much longer I could wait for him to make a move. Aches or not, I couldn’t deny how attracted I was to him.
Raphael smiled. “Did you rest well?”
I nodded. “Slept like a baby, actually.”
His gaze shifted downward the slightest bit, and my breath caught. His smile was wistful. “We need to talk, you and I.” He looked back up at me. “Are you hungry?”
“I could definitely eat.”
Before he could move away and stand, I gripped his hand tighter. Raphael met my gaze, those almost white eyes mesmerizing. I didn’t need to say another word. He cupped the back of my neck with his other hand and pulled me closer.
I couldn’t recall the last time I’d kissed anyone. I certainly never let any of Boone’s guys do it. It was an act so intimate, so personal, that I’d fought to save it for someone special.
Someone like Raphael.
His touch was featherlight, and his lips were surprisingly soft. I opened for him without hesitation. He took his time, tongue stroking over mine, never trying to take control or push the kiss into harder territory. I could’ve kissed him for the rest of my life and never tired of it. He tasted like the peppermint candies I’d discovered he had an affinity for, and a slightly minty scent swirled in my head.
“If we don’t stop now,” he murmured on my lips, “we’ll never get out of here.”
I chuckled. “In all honesty, I’d started to wonder if maybe this attraction was one-sided.”
Raphael pulled back a little and caressed the side of my face. “Never. I want you. I’ve wanted you since the first day I saw you in the hospital. You needed to heal, though.” He raised one eyebrow at me. “You still do.”
“I’ll admit I’m a little achy, but… please? I promise I’ll tell you if I need to stop.”
“Tell you what. Let’s go eat. We can talk about us, including the baby.”
I swallowed and stared into his eyes, searching for a hint of what he was thinking. “I… I want to keep it. I’m sorry.”
“Never apologize for something you didn’t do,” Raphael said. “And certainly don’t do it with regards to our child.”
Our child.
I somehow managed to blink away the threat of tears. He wanted to keep the baby, too?
Raphael stood and helped me up as well. “Come on, mate. Food and talking.”
After I got dressed, I followed him out of the apartment, my hand held gently in his. I’d worried how he would react to my statement, and I kind of felt like I was in a daze as he led us to the elevator and down to the tower’s main dining room. According to Deacon, there were fifteen floors, with his place as the penthouse at the top. Then there were several floors for residents and the main dining hall. Raphael’s apartment was a single-bedroom and much larger than one would expect.
Until now, we’d had food brought up to us, but I’d told him yesterday I wanted to try to go out and be around others. I’d spent so long being terrified, but now that I was safe, I wanted my life back.
* * *
Raphael
To say I was proud would’ve been an understatement. Not only was my infatuation mutual, but Lucas was also venturing out of the apartment for the first time since we’d brought him here about two weeks ago. I’d known what he was to me the moment I’d seen him at the hospital. My magic gave me the ability to detect things like that without the need for blood. Despite what folks thought, not all of my magic was relegated to death. It was why I’d moved him from his own small room to my apartment. I could take care of him and the baby without worrying so much.
The idea that I was finally going to be able to have a child thrilled me to no end. It didn’t matter to me who the biological father was, and I’d hoped Lucas would want to keep the baby. We sat at a table in the dining room, and one of the servers walked over to us, his smile genuine. Out of all the guys in here, he was my favorite. He never acted like I was some kind of pariah. I didn’t ask to be a Spiritori, but I also didn’t regret it.
“Hey, stranger,” Dale said to me as he handed us our menus. “How have you been? And… who’s the cutie?”
Lucas blushed and chuckled softly, lowering his gaze. I smiled at him, then up at Dale.
“Doing quite well. Dale, this is my mate, Lucas. Lucas, this is Dale, one of the best servers here.”
They shook hands, and Dale shot me a wink. “It’s great to meet you, Lucas. What can I get you both to drink?”
“Usual for me,” I replied, referring to lemon water with a sprig of mint. “Lucas?”
“Um… do you have unsweet tea?”
“We sure do,” Dale said. “I’ll have those out in a moment.”
He left, and I reached over the table to touch Lucas’ hand. He turned it palm up and linked our fingers together. It felt amazing.
“How are you feeling?”
“Sore, like I said, but getting better. I don’t know what sort of docs your boss has employed here, but they’re damn good.”
I nodded. “That they are. I’ve had a few bumps and scrapes from work over the years.”
Lucas tilted his head slightly, his gaze questioning. “Have people always treated you like you’re contagious?”
I laughed. “For the most part, yes. You sure it doesn’t bother you?”
“Doesn’t faze me at all,” Lucas said with a slight shrug. “It’s who you are. Besides, death mage stuff aside, I’ve seen the real you in private.”
This time, I swear I felt myself blush, if that was possible. I’m sure my pale face was certainly a bit pinker. “Believe it or not, I much prefer diplomacy when presented with the option. Unlike my coworkers, namely the Venari, I’m not a violent person. Not inherently a pacifist, mind you, but I try my best to avoid fights.”
“Do you enjoy being a Spiritori?”
Dale returned with our drinks, and we ordered our food. I waited until he left again before replying to the question many folks have asked me over the majority of my life. I took a sip of my lemon water and sighed.
“As a child, I often wished I’d been born something else, to be completely honest.” I gestured to myself. “No matter where I went, people knew what I was. Same thing happened to my alpha father. It’s useful in many circumstances, but the stigma is incredibly prevalent. It’s why my folks divorced. My omega dad got tired of the looks, whispers, what have you, whenever they went somewhere.”
“Damn,” Lucas muttered. He reached across the table and gripped my fingers gently. “I’m sorry.”
I smiled. “Thanks. But enough about me. I want to hear all about you. The past couple of weeks have been a bit nuts, between you healing and Deacon’s ongoing issues with Lorthaen. We haven’t had a lot of time together.”
“Not much to tell, really,” Lucas said. “I had an older brother, but he died in a car accident when I was twelve. My dads are still alive, though my omega father isn’t doing too well. We think it’s dementia.”
“Wow. That has to be hard on them both.”
Lucas nodded. “My alpha dad is his primary caregiver now, utterly devoted. I moved out about four years ago, but I still visit.”
“Dare I ask how you ended up working for Boone?”
He grimaced and visibly shuddered. “A ‘friend,’” he replied, using air quotes with his free hand. “Needless to say, dude is no longer anyone I speak to. Hell, Boone had me blindfolded anytime he whored me out, so my ex-friend could’ve been one of the assholes to use me.”
I wanted to erase the pain from that entire situation, but I couldn’t. Before I could answer, Dale came by with our food. We tucked into it, and I couldn’t help but grin when Lucas moaned in appreciation.
“Told you,” I said. “Deacon spares no expense.”
About the Author
Mychael Black has been writing professionally since 2005. He writes gay romance and erotica, but also het romance as Carys Seraphine and queer fantasy as Katherine Cook.
He's an avid PC gamer with a love for RPGs, a horror fanatic, and a fantasy nut. He also has a weakness for anything relating to skulls, dogs, and Spongebob Squarepants.
Mychael lives on the Eastern Shore of the US with his family. He loves to hear from readers, be it via email or Facebook.
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