# Blood Moon Rising
## Chapter 1: The Inheritance
The old Gothic mansion loomed against the storm-darkened sky like something from a nightmare. Evelyn Carter stood at the wrought-iron gates, rain plastering her dark hair to her face as she stared up at her unexpected inheritance. Great-Aunt Cordelia had been the family eccentric—the one whispered about at holiday gatherings, the one who'd never married, never had children, and lived alone in this sprawling estate on the outskirts of Salem.
Now it was hers.
The rusty gate creaked open at her touch, which seemed impossible given how old and weathered it looked. Evelyn pulled her coat tighter and hurried up the winding path, her heels clicking against wet stone. Lightning illuminated the mansion's towering spires and arched windows, giving her glimpses of the grandeur that awaited within.
The heavy oak door swung open before she could knock.
"Miss Carter, I presume." The man who greeted her was tall and lean, with sharp cheekbones and eyes like winter frost. His dark hair was perfectly styled despite the late hour, and he wore an expensive suit that looked like it belonged in another century. "I am Sebastian Blackthorne, your aunt's… estate manager."
"Estate manager?" Evelyn stepped into the grand foyer, water dripping from her coat onto marble floors. "I wasn't expecting anyone to be here."
Sebastian's lips curved in what might have been a smile. "Your aunt left very specific instructions. I was to remain and assist you with the transition." His gaze swept over her, lingering in a way that made her pulse quicken. "Though I must say, the resemblance is remarkable. You have Cordelia's eyes."
Before Evelyn could respond, footsteps echoed from the curved staircase. Two more men descended—one with auburn hair and green eyes that sparkled with mischief, the other dark-skinned with silver hair that seemed to shimmer in the candlelight.
"Ah, the infamous niece arrives," said the redhead, flashing a grin that revealed perfectly white teeth. "I'm Adrian Sinclair, and this brooding gentleman is Dmitri Volkov." He gestured to his companion, who merely nodded in acknowledgment.
"Gentlemen," Sebastian's voice held a warning. "Miss Carter has had a long journey."
Evelyn looked between the three men, confusion evident on her face. "I'm sorry, but who exactly are you all? The lawyer only mentioned Sebastian."
"We're… associates of your aunt," Dmitri spoke for the first time, his accent carrying hints of old Europe. "She requested we remain to help you settle in."
Adrian stepped closer, close enough that she could smell his cologne—something expensive and intoxicating. "Don't worry, love. We don't bite." His eyes glittered with amusement at some private joke.
Sebastian shot him a sharp look. "Perhaps we should show Miss Carter to her room. Tomorrow will be soon enough for explanations."
As they led her through corridors lined with oil paintings and ancient tapestries, Evelyn couldn't shake the feeling that she'd stepped into another world. The mansion was impossibly grand, with soaring ceilings and rooms that seemed to stretch on forever. Candles provided most of the lighting, casting dancing shadows on the walls.
"Here," Sebastian opened a door to reveal a sumptuous bedroom decorated in deep burgundy and gold. "This was your aunt's favorite guest room."
"It's beautiful," Evelyn breathed, taking in the four-poster bed and antique furniture. "But I have so many questions—"
"Which will all be answered tomorrow," Sebastian assured her. "Rest now. The storm should pass by morning."
As if summoned by his words, thunder crashed overhead. The three men bid her goodnight, but Evelyn noticed they didn't seem to be leaving the mansion. She could hear their voices drifting up from the main floor long after she'd changed into her nightgown.
Sleep eluded her. Every time she closed her eyes, she felt as though someone was watching her. When she finally drifted off near dawn, her dreams were filled with crimson eyes and sharp, white teeth.
## Chapter 2: Revelations
Evelyn woke to sunlight streaming through heavy curtains. For a moment, she couldn't remember where she was, then the events of the previous night came flooding back. She was in Salem, in her great-aunt's mansion, with three mysterious men who claimed to be estate managers.
She dressed quickly in jeans and a sweater, then made her way downstairs. The mansion looked different in daylight—less ominous, but somehow even more magnificent. Oil paintings depicted stern-faced ancestors, and she paused at one that looked remarkably similar to herself.
"Lady Cordelia Ashworth, painted in 1847," a voice said behind her. She turned to find Adrian approaching with a steaming cup of coffee. "Your great-great-great-grandmother, I believe."
"1847? That would make her…" Evelyn accepted the coffee gratefully, inhaling the rich aroma.
"Much older than your family records indicate," Adrian finished with a knowing smile. "The Ashworth women have always been… special."
"Where are Sebastian and Dmitri?"
"Sebastian is handling some business matters. Dmitri is in the library—he's quite the scholar. And I," Adrian's green eyes sparkled, "am at your complete disposal."
Heat crept up Evelyn's neck at his tone. There was something about Adrian that made her pulse race, something magnetic and dangerous. "I need to understand what's happening here. This inheritance, you three living here, the way everyone keeps speaking in riddles…"
Adrian set his own coffee cup down and moved closer. "What would you say if I told you that your family has been guardians of something ancient and powerful for centuries?"
"I'd say you've been reading too many Gothic novels."
He laughed, a rich sound that seemed to resonate through her bones. "Your aunt thought you might say that. She left you something—a journal. It's in the library."
The library was a book lover's paradise, with shelves stretching from floor to ceiling and a ladder that rolled along tracks to reach the highest volumes. Dmitri sat at a massive oak desk, several ancient tomes spread before him. He looked up when they entered, his silver eyes unreadable.
"The journal is there," he pointed to a leather-bound book on a side table. "Cordelia insisted you read it before we explained anything further."
Evelyn picked up the journal with trembling hands. Her aunt's familiar handwriting filled the pages, dating back over fifty years. She read in growing amazement as Cordelia described encounters with supernatural beings, protection spells, and family duties that stretched back generations.
"This is impossible," Evelyn whispered. "Vampires? Magic? You expect me to believe—"
Sebastian's voice cut through her protests. "Believe what you see." She spun around to find him standing in the doorway, but something was different. His usual composed demeanor had shifted, revealing something predatory beneath the surface. "We are what your aunt protected, Evelyn. What she cared for. What she bound to this place with magic older than this country."
The coffee cup slipped from her fingers, shattering on the marble floor. "You're saying you're… all of you…"
"Vampires," Dmitri confirmed, rising from his chair with fluid grace. "Bound to your family line for over two centuries."
Adrian appeared beside her in an instant—impossibly fast. "Easy, love. No one's going to hurt you."
"This is insane," Evelyn backed away from all three of them. "Vampires aren't real. This is some kind of elaborate joke—"
Sebastian moved, and suddenly he was directly in front of her, his hand gentle but firm on her chin. His eyes held hers as his features shifted subtly, becoming sharper, more angular. When he smiled, she saw the gleaming points of fangs.
"We are very real, Evelyn. And you are now our keeper."
## Chapter 3: The Bond
Evelyn's world tilted. She gripped the edge of the desk as the reality of her situation crashed over her. "I need… I need some air."
"Of course," Sebastian stepped back, his features returning to normal. "But understand—you cannot leave the grounds. Not yet."
"I'm a prisoner?"
"You're protected," Dmitri corrected. "The same magic that binds us here shields you from others of our kind who might not be as… civilized."
Against all logic, Evelyn found herself believing them. The journal in her hands felt warm, almost alive, and she could swear she felt something humming in the air around her—some kind of energy she'd never noticed before.
"My aunt… she knew what you were?"
"Cordelia was remarkable," Adrian's voice was soft with memory. "She wasn't just our keeper—she was our friend. She understood that we weren't monsters, despite what we are."
"And what exactly are you?" Evelyn sank into a leather armchair, journal clutched to her chest.
Sebastian perched on the arm of her chair, close enough that she could feel the coolness radiating from his skin. "I was turned in 1743, in London. A victim of plague who was offered another chance at life."
"I was a soldier," Dmitri added. "Russia, 1821. Died on a battlefield and woke up three days later with an insatiable hunger."
Adrian sprawled in the chair across from her, his casual pose at odds with the intensity in his eyes. "Ireland, 1885. Famine took my family, consumption took me. Then I met someone who promised I'd never be hungry again." He laughed bitterly. "Different kind of hunger, as it turned out."
"How did you end up here?"
"We were… problematic," Sebastian admitted. "Young vampires often are. We fed without discrimination, killed without thought. Your ancestor, Cordelia's grandmother, was a witch. A powerful one. She captured us, bound us, but instead of destroying us, she offered us a choice."
"What kind of choice?"
"Serve her bloodline as protectors and companions, learn to feed without killing, and in return, we would have a home, a purpose, and someone to care for us," Dmitri explained. "Or face final death."
"And you chose to serve."
"We chose to live," Adrian corrected. "What we didn't expect was to find family in each other, and in the women who came after."
The journal's pages fluttered as if touched by an unfelt breeze. Evelyn opened it to a section she hadn't read yet, finding a passage in her aunt's handwriting: *The bond between keeper and kept is more than duty—it's love. Not romantic love, necessarily, though that can bloom if hearts are willing. But a deeper connection, a recognition of souls that have found their missing pieces.*
"She wrote about love," Evelyn said softly.
The three men exchanged glances. Sebastian spoke first. "Your aunt was… special to us. Each in different ways."
"She loved you." It wasn't a question.
"And we loved her," Adrian confirmed. "Which is why her death was so difficult. Why we've been lost without a keeper for the past six months."
Evelyn looked up from the journal. "What exactly does a keeper do?"
"You anchor us," Dmitri explained. "Without a connection to humanity, vampires become monsters. The keeper reminds us who we used to be, helps us maintain our souls."
"And in return?"
Sebastian's smile was gentle but held an edge of heat. "We protect you from any supernatural threat. We're yours to command, your devoted servants."
"We also," Adrian added with a grin, "make excellent company. Centuries of experience have their advantages."
Despite everything, Evelyn felt a flutter of attraction. All three men were devastatingly handsome, each in their own way. Sebastian with his cool elegance, Dmitri with his scholarly intensity, Adrian with his roguish charm. And the way they looked at her—like she was precious, necessary, desired.
"What if I said no? What if I just walked away?"
"You can't," Sebastian said simply. "The bond has already begun forming. Can't you feel it?"
Now that he mentioned it, she could. There was a strange tugging sensation in her chest, like invisible threads connecting her to each of them. When she looked at them, she felt a flutter of emotions that weren't entirely her own—Sebastian's carefully controlled desire, Dmitri's deep loneliness, Adrian's playful affection.
"This is overwhelming."
"It is," Dmitri agreed. "But you don't have to face it alone. We're here, and we'll help you understand everything."
Sebastian stood, extending his hand. "Let us show you the rest of the mansion. Your inheritance is more than just a house—it's a sanctuary."
## Chapter 4: Growing Closer
Over the next few days, Evelyn explored every corner of the mansion. The basement held an extensive wine cellar that Sebastian explained also contained other… beverages necessary for their survival. The third floor housed a laboratory where Dmitri conducted research into vampire physiology and potential cures for various supernatural ailments. The attic had been converted into Adrian's art studio, filled with paintings spanning centuries.
"You painted all of these?" Evelyn examined a portrait of a woman in Victorian dress.
"Cordelia," Adrian said softly. "I painted her many times over the years. She was always beautiful, even as she aged."
"It must have been hard, watching her grow old while you stayed the same."
Adrian's expression grew melancholy. "That's the curse of loving mortals. But also the gift—every moment becomes precious because you know it won't last forever."
Evelyn felt the truth of that statement resonate through the bond. These three men had loved her aunt, each in their own way, and had watched her live a full human life while they remained unchanged. Now they were preparing to do the same with her.
"What if…" she began, then stopped.
"What if what, love?"
"What if there was a way to change that? To make the time more… equal?"
Adrian went very still. "Are you asking what I think you're asking?"
"I don't know what I'm asking. I just know that I've never felt as connected to anyone as I do to you three, and it's only been a few days."
Before Adrian could respond, Sebastian appeared in the doorway. Vampire speed still startled her, though she was getting used to their sudden appearances.
"Evelyn, we need to talk," Sebastian's expression was serious. "All of us."
They gathered in the library, which seemed to be their informal meeting place. Dmitri closed the book he'd been reading and gave her his full attention.
"There's something we haven't told you," Sebastian began. "About the bond between keeper and kept."
Evelyn's stomach tightened. "What now?"
"It's not just emotional," Dmitri explained. "As it strengthens, it becomes physical as well. You'll start to feel our hunger, our needs. And we'll become increasingly… protective of you."
"How protective?"
Adrian's green eyes darkened. "The kind where we might kill anyone who threatens you without a second thought."
"That's not necessarily a bad thing," Sebastian added quickly. "But you should understand what you're getting into."
"There's more," Dmitri continued. "The bond can be deepened through… intimacy. Physical connection strengthens magical connection."
Heat flooded Evelyn's cheeks. "You mean…"
"We mean that if you choose to be with any of us—or all of us—the bond will become permanent," Sebastian said carefully. "There would be no going back to a normal human life."
"And if I don't?"
"The bond will remain as it is now," Adrian said. "Strong enough to anchor us, but not so deep that you can't eventually leave if you choose."
Evelyn stood and walked to the window, looking out at the gardens. The attraction she felt to all three of them was undeniable, but the thought of giving up her humanity was terrifying.
"What was it like for my aunt?"
"Cordelia chose to deepen the bond with all of us," Sebastian admitted. "Not immediately—it took time for trust and love to grow. But eventually…"
"She gave you her heart."
"And we gave her ours," Dmitri confirmed. "Every piece of our souls that remained."
Evelyn turned back to them. "I need time to think."
"Of course," Sebastian stood as well. "Take all the time you need. We've waited centuries—we can wait longer."
But as she looked at the three of them—Sebastian's controlled intensity, Dmitri's quiet strength, Adrian's warm charm—Evelyn realized she might not need as much time as she thought.
## Chapter 5: The Choice
That night, Evelyn dreamed of blood and moonlight, of hands touching her skin and voices whispering her name. She woke with her heart racing and her body aching with unfulfilled desire. The bond was definitely growing stronger.
She found Sebastian in the kitchen, preparing what looked like a normal breakfast despite the fact that she'd never seen any of them eat regular food.
"For you," he said, setting a plate of perfectly prepared eggs Benedict in front of her. "We don't need traditional sustenance, but we remember how to prepare it."
"You don't have to take care of me."
Sebastian's smile was soft. "It's not obligation, Evelyn. It's desire. Taking care of you makes us happy."
She took a bite, surprised by how delicious it was. "In all these centuries, did you ever regret the choice to be bound here?"
"Never." His answer was immediate and certain. "This place, your family, gave us purpose. Before Cordelia's grandmother found us, we were lost souls wandering in darkness. Here, we found light again."
"Even though it meant giving up your freedom?"
Sebastian moved behind her chair, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders. "Freedom to do what? Kill innocents? Live in isolation? What we have here is better than freedom—it's belonging."
His touch sent shivers through her, and she leaned back against his chest without thinking. He went very still.
"Evelyn…"
"I know." She could feel his desire through the bond, matching her own. "I can feel what you're feeling."
His hands tightened slightly on her shoulders. "Then you know how much I want you. How much we all want you."
She stood and turned to face him. "Show me."
"Are you certain? Once we cross this line—"
She silenced him with a kiss, rising on her toes to reach his lips. Sebastian responded immediately, his arms coming around her as he lifted her against him. His kiss was gentle at first, then deeper as she responded, her fingers tangling in his dark hair.
"Evelyn," he breathed against her lips.
"Don't think," she whispered back. "Just feel."
He carried her to his room—a space she'd glimpsed but never entered. It was elegant and masculine, decorated in deep blues and silver. He set her down gently beside the massive bed.
"Are you sure?" he asked one more time.
Instead of answering, she began unbuttoning his shirt. His hands covered hers.
"If we do this, you'll be bound to me. To all of us."
"I know." She met his eyes steadily. "I want that."
"Even knowing what we are?"
"Especially knowing what you are."
Sebastian's control shattered. He kissed her again, deeper this time, his fangs carefully retracted but his passion unmistakable. His hands roamed her body as he slowly removed her clothes, worshipping each inch of revealed skin.
When they came together, it was with a intensity that stole her breath. She felt the exact moment the bond deepened, a surge of connection that seemed to reach into her very soul. Through it, she felt Sebastian's centuries of loneliness being healed, his devotion and love wrapping around her like a protective embrace.
Afterward, she lay in his arms, feeling utterly changed.
"No regrets?" Sebastian asked softly.
"None," she replied honestly. "But…"
"But?"
"I want the others too."
Sebastian chuckled. "I would be surprised if you didn't. The bond affects all of us equally."
As if summoned by their conversation, a soft knock came at the door. Adrian's voice drifted through. "May we come in?"
"Please," Evelyn called, pulling the sheet around herself.
Adrian and Dmitri entered, their expressions tender and heated at the same time.
"We felt it," Dmitri said simply. "The deepening of the bond."
"It's beautiful," Adrian added, approaching the bed. "How do you feel?"
"Different," Evelyn admitted. "More… connected. To all of you."
"And we to you," Dmitri sat on the edge of the bed. "Completely and irrevocably."
Adrian grinned. "Which means, love, that you're stuck with us for eternity."
"Good," Evelyn reached for his hand. "I can't imagine being anywhere else."
## Chapter 6: New Beginnings
Three months later, Evelyn had settled completely into her new life. The mansion felt like home, and the three men who shared it with her had become everything she'd never known she needed. Each relationship was unique—Sebastian's intensity balanced by his tenderness, Dmitri's quiet strength and intellectual connection, Adrian's playful passion and artistic soul.
She stood in the garden at twilight, watching the sun set over the estate grounds. The bond had grown stronger with each passing day, and she could feel all three of them even when they weren't in sight. Sebastian was in his study handling correspondence with other supernatural beings who sought sanctuary. Dmitri was in the laboratory working on a new project. Adrian was in the kitchen, attempting to cook something for her despite his lack of need for food.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Adrian appeared beside her, slipping his arms around her waist.
"Just thinking about how much my life has changed."
"Any regrets?"
"How could I have regrets about finding my soulmates?" She leaned back against him. "All three of them."
"Soulmates, is it?" His voice was warm with amusement. "I like the sound of that."
Sebastian and Dmitri joined them in the garden, drawn by the bond that connected them all. In the fading light, they looked otherworldly—beautiful and dangerous and completely hers.
"I have something to tell you all," Evelyn said, turning in Adrian's arms to face them. "I've been reading more of my aunt's journals, the ones from the hidden library."
"And?" Sebastian prompted.
"She wrote about the deepest level of the bond. What happens when a keeper fully commits to her vampires."
The three men went very still.
"Evelyn," Dmitri said carefully, "what are you saying?"
"I'm saying I want to take the final step. I want to be turned."
The silence that followed was deafening. Then Adrian spoke, his voice strained. "Love, do you understand what you're asking? You would give up your humanity completely."
"To gain eternity with you. Yes, I understand."
"The process is dangerous," Sebastian warned. "There's no guarantee you would survive the turning."
"And even if you did," Dmitri added, "you would be a new vampire. The hunger, the changes—it's not easy."
Evelyn looked at each of them in turn. "My aunt lived a full human life with you, and it was beautiful. But she also had to watch you struggle with the knowledge that she would age and die while you remained. I don't want that pain for any of us."
"Evelyn…" Sebastian's voice was rough with emotion.
"I've made my choice," she said firmly. "The question is—will you help me?"
The three men looked at each other, centuries of shared experience passing between them in a glance.
Finally, Sebastian nodded. "If this is truly what you want, we will help you. All of us together."
"When?" Adrian asked.
"Tonight," Evelyn said. "During the new moon. Aunt Cordelia's notes say it's the safest time."
"Are you certain?" Dmitri's silver eyes searched her face. "Once it's done, there's no going back."
"I've never been more certain of anything in my life."
That night, they gathered in the master bedroom where Cordelia had spent her final years. Candles provided the only light, casting dancing shadows on the walls. Evelyn lay on the bed, dressed in a white nightgown that had belonged to her aunt.
"It will hurt," Sebastian warned, kneeling beside the bed.
"I know."
"And you'll have to feed soon after the change," Adrian added, taking her hand.
"I know that too."
Dmitri sat on her other side, his fingers gentle on her forehead. "We'll be with you through every moment. You won't face this alone."
"I love you," she said, looking at each of them. "All of you."
"And we love you," they replied in unison.
Sebastian leaned down and kissed her gently, then moved to her throat. "Ready?"
"Ready."
The bite was sharp but brief. Sebastian drank deeply, draining her life while Adrian and Dmitri held her hands and whispered words of love and encouragement. When her heart stopped, Sebastian bit his own wrist and pressed it to her lips.
"Drink, love," Adrian urged. "Come back to us."
The first taste of vampire blood was like liquid fire, burning through her veins and remaking every cell. Pain beyond description wracked her body as she died and was reborn. Through it all, she felt the bond holding her, the love of her three soulmates anchoring her to existence.
When she opened her eyes again, the world looked different. Colors were more vivid, sounds clearer, scents more complex. And the three faces looking down at her were the most beautiful things she'd ever seen.
"How do you feel?" Dmitri asked softly.
"Perfect," she whispered, then smiled as she felt her new fangs. "Hungry, but perfect."
Adrian laughed with relief. "That's our girl."
Sebastian helped her sit up, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "Welcome to forever, my love."
"Our love," Dmitri corrected, and the other two nodded in agreement.
"Our love," Evelyn repeated, feeling the truth of it resonate through their deepened bond. "For all eternity."
## Epilogue: Forever
*One year later…*
Evelyn stood in the same spot in the garden where she'd made her decision to become a vampire. The estate looked the same—ancient, beautiful, timeless—but she was utterly transformed. The transition had been everything Sebastian warned and more, but with her three devoted soulmates supporting her, she'd adapted quickly to her new existence.
She was stronger now, faster, her senses heightened beyond human comprehension. The hunger had been difficult at first, but they'd taught her to feed carefully, taking only what she needed from willing donors who came to the estate seeking supernatural aid.
"Brooding, darling?" Adrian appeared beside her, moving with the same impossible speed she now possessed.
"Reflecting," she corrected, leaning into his embrace. "I was thinking about how much I've changed."
"And how much you haven't," Sebastian added, joining them with Dmitri close behind. "You're still the compassionate, brave woman who chose to trust three dangerous vampires."
"Hardly dangerous anymore," Dmitri observed with dry humor. "Domesticated, more like."
"Speak for yourself," Adrian grinned, his fangs glinting in the moonlight. "I'm still plenty dangerous."
Evelyn laughed, the sound carrying on the night air. "You're all dangerous. To my heart, anyway."
"Forever and always," Sebastian promised, pulling her close.
"Forever and always," she agreed, looking at each of her eternal loves in turn.
The blood moon rose overhead, casting the estate in crimson light. But for the four vampires standing together in the garden, surrounded by love and bound by magic deeper than time itself, it looked like the most beautiful sight in the world.
Their forever had only just begun.
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**THE END**
*Author's Note: "Blood Moon Rising" explores themes of love, transformation, and finding where you truly belong. In a world where supernatural beings exist alongside humans, sometimes the greatest magic is the bond between souls who choose to love unconditionally. Evelyn's journey from ordinary human to powerful vampire, surrounded by her three devoted partners, shows that family isn't always about blood relations—sometimes it's about the people who choose to stand by you through every transformation life brings.*
**Word Count: Approximately 6,000 words**