“I agree with Adam. I can’t let Rose die at the hands of the wolf.” Don stood and accepted Adam’s hand.
Robert gazed at the room. “Are you all stupid? Our women could have died.”
“But we didn’t, Robert,” Sophie said as she walked into the room. She laid one hand on her stomach. She walked past them all to stand in front of her mate. “If you let Rose go, you’re not the leader your father thought you were. James is doing this deliberately, to tear our family apart.”
“I’ve got another question.” Cook, who’d survived the attack, walked into the room. All heads turned to the older human woman.
“What is it, Cook?” Adam asked. He knew Cook and Rose had become friends.
“I want to know why the daughter of two vampires—who has been cursed to live her life as a vegetarian never drinking blood—can drink the blood of a werewolf.”
Outrage poured through the group.
“Rose wouldn’t drink that stuff.”
“You’re lying.”
Cook held her hand up. “She came to me with blue lips and shivers gripping her body. I fed her the blood myself. For some reason, I had gone to a source and brought it here. Don’t ask me why I did it—I just did. I fed it to her two nights ago and she grew stronger. I’ve served the Valentines these past two hundred years and accepted blood to keep me alive. I want to know why the youngest daughter—whom I consider my own—can drink werewolf blood when all of you would die from a single drop.”
“Because Rose is not just a vampire.” Mary had come unnoticed into the room. Don went to her and as she opened her mouth to say more, a flash of light erupted throughout the room. A naked woman lay sprawled on the ground covered in blood. Katie ran to her.
“Tara?”
The woman looked up and whispered, “Help me.” In the next moment, she collapsed in a heap on the floor.
* * * *
Adam and Poppy settled down for the night with more questions than answers. “I don’t understand what is happening,” she said, joining him in bed.
“I think our lives are about to get even more complicated in the coming weeks.”
“You’re right.” Poppy lay against him and kissed his lips. “As long as I’m with you, I don’t care how hard things get.”
“You’ve got me, Poppy. For now, forever and for always.” He turned out the light and lay with her in his arms, thinking about what had happened. He knew hard times were to come about Rose, but for now he was happy knowing his mate and the love of his life was safe in his arms. For now, anyway.
Epilogue
“You fucking, pathetic, idiots. Can’t I trust you with anything?” James yelled at the room, throwing a steel pole at one of the wolves. All of the wolves were bent down in submission to their alpha, whimpering. Lewis tensed as the pain cut him deep. The more he watched the rages on his father’s face and he sensed the wolves’ fear, the more he wanted to stand between them and his father and protect them.
“We’re sorry,” another cried out only to have his heart ripped out and his head severed.
“I don’t care what you all have to say. Out of all of the Valentines in that house you didn’t kill a single fucking female and you bring me back the weakest of all.”
Lewis stared at the female vampire chained to the wall. The metal cuffs looked disgusting against her pale skin. He’d done this. He’d brought her here.
James went over to Rose and pulled her by her long, thick black hair. Lewis fisted his hands at his sides, trying to keep down the need to protect her.
Her screams echoed off the walls, cutting through to his heart.
“Tell me your name, you little bitch,” he said, tugging at her hair.
“Rose,” she cried out between chattering teeth.
“What you’ve brought me is nothing more than a weak vampire. No one protects her because no one is stupid enough to waste valuable energy on her.”
He threw her to the ground and stormed out of the room. Other pack members followed but Lewis stayed. He watched as she sobbed in the corner of the room. The white dress she wore was marred with the dirt from the floors. She didn’t deserve this and he was sick to his stomach for being the one to bring her here.
He went over to her and touched her arm. She flinched from his touch.
“Get away from me,” she screamed.
Lewis closed his eyes as a flash of her smiling face came to mind from the lake where they’d taken a swim.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
She looked up and he saw her eyes change colour. They went from a cool green to the black of the night. The transformation startled him. He knew his eyes turned black with the height of the full moon.
“You charged into my house, and beat my family when the men were gone. You’re nothing but cowards. Stealing me has achieved nothing for you.” She sniffed and rubbed her nose.
“We’ve got you.”
“My family won’t come for me, Lewis. Is your name even Lewis?”
“Yes. I’m sorry I lied to you.”
“Was any of it real?” she asked.
He wanted to take her face and force her to look at him. As much as he thought it wasn’t real, in his heart he knew it was. He remained silent.
“I didn’t think it was.”
“What makes you think your family won’t come for you?” He tried to get her pain out of his mind.
“Because once you see how useless I am, you’ll get rid of me.”
“Useless?”
“I’m not a full vampire. I’m weak and useless to you. After all, how much can you torture a vegetarian vampire?”
Lewis stood away from her.
What the fuck had he done?
Want to see more from this author? Here’s a taster for you to enjoy!
Love and Death:
Love, Death and Justice
Sam Crescent
Excerpt
Someone was chasing her. She didn’t know who or what it was, but the unmistakable urge to look back overcame her. She glanced back and there they were, following close behind. She shouldn’t have been there—her sister had warned her to stay clear of the club and warehouse—and now she had just watched her sister being murdered in cold blood.
Catherine Hart suppressed a sob. For months her older sister, Sidney, had been caring for her, helping her get through university free from debt. If only she’d known before that Sidney had been selling her body to the highest bidder to care for her. To pay all of her student fees. Catherine would have told her she was crazy and she shouldn’t be using her body—she should be out enjoying life and love. Catherine didn’t need education—it was something their parents had wanted for them.
Catherine turned down a darkened alley and ran straight into a muscled chest, then her arms were roughly grabbed and squeezed tight. Catherine couldn’t control the sobs escaping her mouth.
"Please, don’t hurt me," she begged the unmoving man.
"You got her?" One of the men who’d been following behind her panted as they caught up.
"Of course I did. Unlike you two, I don’t fail my boss."
Catherine was shaking. They were going to kill her, she was sure of it.
"Let’s get her back to the club. Kill anyone who looks a little too closely," the one who held her ordered the two men.
The club in question was a nightclub known for strippers, prostitutes and many underhanded dealings. She cried out as they forced her inside a black car, the windows blacked out so no one could see in.
After all her years mocking these situations in movies, Catherine couldn’t believe she was now living it. Her heart was racing and her stomach doing somersaults with every speed bump they passed, taking her closer to the monster who’d killed her sister.
Sidney. All the memories she’d had of the woman who’d cared for her since her parents’ death came swimming to the surface, threatening to suffocate her.
I’m so sorry, Sid. I should’ve listened to you.
<
br /> A few nights ago, Catherine had dressed ready to go out for a night on the town with her sister. Sid had been furious and had refused to let her leave the apartment.
"I’m working, baby, and I can’t do my job if I’m worrying about you."
Not understanding her sister’s words, Catherine had refused to speak to her. Then tonight she had decided to follow her.
The biggest mistake of her life had been believing that Sidney could pay for things and take care of her without getting into trouble.
The car stopped round a back entrance and the same man who’d forced her into the car now pulled her out. Her fear returning—along with no common sense—she kneed the man who held her in the balls then used the small opportunity, when he let go to cup his crown jewels, to try to run.
Another of his men grabbed her, hauling her back. The man she’d kneed dealt her a stinging blow across the face.
Pain shot through her head, making her heave.
They pulled her into a hectic kitchen of what appeared to be a busy club then into an office. Her fear spiked to unimaginable proportions. Two huge men with guns and foul expressions greeted her at the door with a sneer and she was dragged further into the room. Behind the desk, holding a phone to his ear, sat the monster—the murderer who’d taken her sister’s life.
Oh, Sid, why?
For the rest of her life, Catherine would never understand what had pushed her to make money in this way.
"I’ve got a guest right now, but you can tell Mr Clay he’ll be supplied plenty of girls... Sorry—one girl. No problem. I want this business to work." As she listened to his conversation, she wondered who would choose to do business with the creep.
The phone was slammed down and the man stared at her—his eyes dead and the look he gave menacing. Her fear doubled. There was nothing to stop him from killing her right now.
"So this is the sister?" His voice commanded attention and the men stood straighter as he got out of his chair and came round to her.
The guy behind her tightened his hold while the boss moved closer. She struggled, unable to help the instinct inside her to get away from him.
He was a killer. She loved her sister dearly and would miss her...but, God help her, she didn’t want to die.
"She’s prettier and would bring a few bob for our trouble." The monster stroked a finger down her cheek and Catherine sobbed. Danger was calling out to her and she wasn’t able to handle it.
"You killed my sister," she accused.
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About the Author
Sam Crescent is a USA Today Bestselling author who is passionate about romance. She resides in the UK, and loves creating new exciting characters that take her on a journey she never expected.
When she’s not panicking about a story or arguing with a character, she can be found in her kitchen creating all kinds of havoc.
Sam loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website details and author profile page at https://www.totallybound.com
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