REDEMPTION:
MY VAMPIRE LOVER PART #2
(A Dark Realm Novella Series)
By Ally Thomas writing as Victoria Embers
Copyright 2013 Ally Thomas
All Rights Reserved.
Discover other titles by Victoria Embers at myvampireloverseries.com.
Cover design by Sable Grey featuring Jimmy Thomas
SMASHWORDS Edition
Smashwords Edition License Notes
This Ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or person, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1 – Raphael’s Unexpected Delivery
Chapter 2 – Caroline’s Realization
Chapter 3 – Raphael’s Offer
Chapter 4 – Caroline’s New Sense and Sensibility
Chapter 5 – Raphael’s Proposal
Fanged to English Translations
About the Author
Dedication
For a dark angel who spread his wings and flew to Cat Heaven
Lucky Ninja (September 8, 2012 – January 21, 2013)
Acknowledgments
Thanks to all of the new readers who read and perhaps reviewed Conquest (My Vampire Lover Part #1). I was amazed at the interest the freebie generated. As well, thank you for sharing your impressions about the first story with me. Writing in the romance genre has been a fun, new experience for me. I’ve already learned a lot! Special thanks to Alexandra Anthony, Stephanie, Catherine Wolffe, Kellie, Mayrose, Charidy, Amanda, Cathy V., Lisa W. Thanks to my beta readers and my street team for their feedback and support.
Westley: Hear this now: I will always come for you.
Buttercup: But how can you be sure?
Westley: This is true love - you think this happens every day?
From the movie, The Princess Bride
EXPLICIT ADULT CONTENT WARNING
These stories are considered paranormal romance with fantasy and erotica elements. They are for mature audiences only. They contain adult language, violence, and strong sexual content including some light bondage situations. All characters depicted in these stories are 18 years or older. All sexual activities are of a consensual nature.
REDEMPTION:
MY VAMPIRE LOVER PART #2
(A Dark Realm Novella Series)
By Ally Thomas writing as Victoria Embers
Note to the Reader
The first story, Conquest (My Vampire Lover Part #1), which was published on November 15, 2012, is available for FREE on Amazon and at other book retailers’ websites. That story occurs eight months AFTER Caroline was kidnapped.
The second story, given here, is called Redemption (My Vampire Lover Part #2). It flashes back to when Caroline was first kidnapped by Raphael’s father, Lord Asmoedus and placed in Raphael’s care.
Chapter 1 - Raphael’s Unexpected Delivery
Author’s Note: This chapter is told from Raphael, the hero’s point of view. Each chapter goes back and forth, sharing the hero and heroine’s point of view.
Eight Months Earlier in a realm far, far away
“Who is that woman chained to my bed?”
Father didn’t miss a beat when I stormed through the door of his study, unannounced. I thought he’d be shocked by my absurd question or at least annoyed by the intrusion of my 6’ 2” frame. He wasn’t, and that worried me. He was up to something. Placing his journal on the massive mahogany desk, he took his time to stuff the book and some papers in a drawer and lock it. As he tucked the key in the front pocket of his red silk vest, he buttoned his black velvet smoking jacket, retrieved his pipe, tapped it a few times on the desk, and met my gaze, acting, not the least bit surprised by the interruption.
“That woman is your new pet.” He shook a long, bony red index finger at me and made his way around the desk to settle on one corner. For a few moments, he stared at the wall of bronze werewolf skulls he had collected, waiting to see if I’d inquire about a few new additions. I didn’t take the bait. However, I did notice one was female and one male. He made no distinction between genders. A kill was a kill. If asked by a stranger how he gathered his collection of trophies, he’d boast he had received them all as tokens of appreciation for being such an honorable leader which was a lie. Father had killed each and every one of them in his sick games, games I refused to participate in. I may be a warrior protecting the realm, but Father was a sadistic hunter, one who needed to be destroyed.
Finally, he returned his attention to me. His human eyes rolled over and changed to a blood red as his pupils dilated, disappeared, and formed menacing glowing orbs. He thought his monster face would scare me.
I didn’t flinch. “I don’t need a pet, Father.”
“I handpicked her for you, my boy. I thought you’d be grateful. When was the last time you got any golden pussy like that? I ask you.” Snapping his fingers, a fire spark ignited at the tip end of his index finger. He used it to light his pipe. He inhaled deeply, taking a second or two to size me up until he finally released a puff of smoke in my direction.
“I won’t play your games.”
“Oh yes, you will,” he snapped. “You’re going to be on the field this year. That bitch is the cream of the crop. She’ll perform well. I hear tell she’s a Livonian werewolf. And guess whose daughter she is?”
I remained silent.
“You give up?” He asked. His eyes returned to their more humanistic qualities as he situated his vest.
Immediately not wanting to hear anymore, I crossed my arms and leaned slightly against the door frame, refusing to answer or enter the room entirely. I also cocked my right foot in front of the left, letting the steel toe of my black leather boot smack firmly on the freshly polished wood floors. Surely, that would leave a nice scratch for one of his staff members to buff out later.
He didn’t seem to mind. His excitement took precedence over the condition of his precious treasures in his finely decorated office, or the floors for that matter. Father and his schemes. He and his brothers – my uncles whom I refused to claim any relation to other than we were all a part of the same underworld known as the Dark realm - acted like six-year-olds when it came to the Season of the Games or they figured out some cunning ploy to irritate the Golden realm, the latter plan, which usually ended up being remarkably stupid, or one some person, mainly me, had to clean up. My patience thinning, I sighed and observed him.
My father was one of the seven lords of the Dark realm, and he was a demon like all his brothers. He was called Asmodeus, a Latin word meaning ‘king of demons’ that he preferred to be called because 1) he thought it meant he actually was King of the Dark realm which he wasn’t and 2) his brothers had put him in charge of recording all their adventures whether they were true or not. It was a task he prided himself on even though he had yet to print the first story. Scribbling down notes in between smoke breaks seemed to be his approach.
I was looking forward to the day when the real King of the Dark real
m, Sarif would ask my father where the book was. That would be fun.
Until then, playing the part instead of doing the work was my father’s past time. He delighted in dressing up like a scholarly gentleman on his way to a speaking engagement in a dark three-piece suit with matching vest, top hat, tails and pointy leather shoes, despite his thick purplish red skin, two inch frontal horns he hid with his hat, and an assortment of face piercings given to him every one hundred years marking his birthday. With all his pomp and circumstance, my friend, Orlando and I had given him another name we used quite often when discussing his latest idiotic idea. It fit my father better and was much easier to say. Asshole.
“Ralph, my boy, I snagged old Lycaon’s only daughter. It was so simple. In my disguise I dreamed up – not this of course – I was a … Well, never mind. Anyways she came right up to me. It was so easy. I fear she’s not terribly bright, but that won’t matter. I’m sure she’ll do well in the games.” In between puffs on his pipe, Father produced a series of wide grins that showed off a mouth full of yellowed fangs.
“My name is not Ralph,” I uttered through clenched teeth.
“You know what I meant, Raphael.” He pronounced my name with a grand amount of sarcasm and disgust.
“You kidnapped the Werewolf King’s only daughter? The Princess of the Golden realm? And you want her in the games? Tell me you cleared this with one of your brothers?” I rarely indulged in listening to my father’s ridiculous schemes, but this one was beyond insane if I had my facts straight about who the woman was. Immediately I cursed the fact that my father was not as well read as I was or he’d know his Lunar mythology. He won’t be getting a kill this round, not if I could help it.
“Nope. Don’t need them on this one. Our city is hosting the games this year. I have news for my brothers. We’re going to win. And you, my boy will lead that werewolf into the games.”
“I have my dragon, Father. I don’t need a werewolf.”
“That dragon has seen better days. He’s missing most of the time anyway. Besides a werewolf will give you an edge, a sexy edge. I’ll give her a warm welcome if you decline to. I bet she tastes delicious.” He roared with laughter as a ring of smoke rose above his head.
“I realize Sarif is busy, but you at least notified Mammon about this. Didn’t you?” I attempted to bring him back to reality with my subtle threat. His comments were revolting.
“No.”
“Belphegor then?”
“No.” He threw his hands up in the air. “Honestly where is your spirit of adventure? I have it in me because I write about it every day.” He thumped his chest with pride. “I suppose you do not. You’re a pale-face hybrid. Plain as vanilla. With no imagination. Why did I get such a useless son?”
“You don’t have to make this personal, Father. I may be simply a vampire, but I’m also a warrior of the Dark realm. I serve to protect others and keep the peace. I don’t need to look for adventure. You find enough ‘adventure’ for me to clean up as it is.”
“You are such a dumb brute,” he said. “You think being a warrior makes you important among us, demons? You’re a fly on my ass. That is all!”
Refusing to get into a shouting match with him because the door remained open, I held my tongue. Instead, I shut the door to his study and assumed a calm, yet defensive position. Hearing his lack of love for me always reminded me that my chosen path was the correct one. I didn’t want to be the man he was. Not now. Not ever. I didn’t want to rule the Dark realm in the condition it was currently in. Things needed to change.
His passive aggressive nature tempted me to lose my temper, but I wouldn’t do it. He was the one who lacked imagination. Instead, I straightened my back and legs, crossed my arms, dug my nails into my well-toned biceps, and glared down at my father. Given his short stature of five feet, it was easy to do. It pleased him to remind me of my lineage. He may be my demon father, but my mother was human and I favored her ancestors, not his or that of his brothers. He delighted in reminding me of that.
I had the same bright blue eyes, pale complexion, and shiny raven black hair as my mother did. From her journals and letters, I had obtained, she dreamed about my growing up to overthrow my father someday and becoming a ‘great divine warrior’ as she phrased it. One day I would have revenge because my father was the reason I could no longer see my mother. He had banished her to the Beyond. I had yet to discover if she was alive or dead. If she was dead, there would be Hell to pay. That I knew.
Father’s voice brought me back to reality as my nerves gnawed a hole in my stomach. “I don’t have to run every single idea by my brothers. All I have to do is create some havoc for the werewolves now and then. They’ll love this plan. When opportunity comes knocking, what am I to do? Look away? I think not. And what better opportunity than kidnapping Lycaon’s daughter? She’s a peach, my boy. Not the brightest star in the cosmos, but she’ll make a terrific pet. Fuck her well or else.”
“If she’s a Livonian werewolf, Father, that means she’s bound to the Moon Goddess, and she’s a threat to us. Do you really want the Moon Goddess showing up and blasting us to Kingdom Come or exiling us to the Land of Intolerables?” I asked.
Father scoffed at me, repeatedly rubbing the lapels of his velvet jacket with one hand as he chewed on the tip of his pipe with the other. I had hit a nerve. He and I both knew living in our city of Asmodian was fine. Being banished to the Land of Intolerables, a place inhabited with creatures far scarier than either of us, was a thought neither of us wanted to entertain.
“No one has seen the Moon Goddess in centuries,” he replied. “She doesn’t exist. That’s a myth Lycaon came up with to protect the Golden realm, and so is that Livonian werewolf crap. They can’t keep us out, and I proved that today. The Golden realm has no one protecting it. The Moon Goddess is gone. Wait until your uncles hear about this! They’ll owe me!” He bounced around his desk like a school kid.
“You’ve taken leave of your senses. This will plunge us into war.”
“Doubtful. I bet Lycaon won’t even notice she’s missing. She’s a female. Remember? And they’re good for one thing, fucking. Okay two. Fucking and then killing. They don’t count unless they are dead.” He laughed again. “Don’t worry. I’ll return her at some point or get rid of her. Yes, I’ll get rid of her after the games and add her to my wall, with the rest of her family.” His eyes glowed, and he glanced over at me. Quickly he looked away when he saw I was not amused. “But don’t you get any bright ideas. You’re not letting her escape. I mean what I say. She’s to be your pet and presented at the first tournament, or else.”
I turned on my heel, not waiting to hear anything more my father had to say. Staying out of this shit storm had suddenly disappeared as an option.
***
“Sir, I did the best I could. I had to settle her down before she created an incident.” One of my domestic assistants, Frederic met me at the door to my bedroom. His agitated demeanor was on overdrive. He raked his fingers through his wavy red hair as his eyes darted from side to side, avoiding making eye contact with me. Being a werecat, the presence of a wolf sent him over the edge.
“What did you do, Fredric?” I inquired attempting to appear calm.
“I had to think of something quick. She broke her chains and was shifting all over the place. I had to protect myself, and I couldn’t let her escape, sir.”
“That’s fine. I’ll see to it now, Fredric. Thank you.”
“Yes, sir. I’m sorry I couldn’t help more.”
I nodded, hoping my loyal friend of many years, would adopt the same composure before someone from Father’s staff heard us.
Fredric stood frozen in his tracks, his eyes remaining extremely wide as he rapidly blinked his eyelids and twitched his nose and lips. Werecats were skittish forest creatures.
“Bring me some refreshments, towels, soap, that sort of thing. Okay? Leave them by the door here.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Thank you
, Fredric. That will be all.”
“Oh sir, should I get her some clothes or something?” Cautiously he backed away from the door when he heard a thud on the other side.
I smiled at him, keeping my fangs hidden from view. In a normal situation, I thought, I would have said yes. However, this was not going to be a normal situation. Far from it.
“She’s a gift from my father, a pet. She’s to serve me…” I paused for a moment, searching for the proper phrase of words.
“In the games, sir?”
“Yes, among other things,” I mumbled. “Okay?”
Fredric’s pale face turned beet red. “Yes, sir. Of course, sir. Thank you, sir. I’m sorry. Yes, okay. Thank you, sir. Thank you.”
***
Knowing it wouldn’t take Father long to find an excuse to stop by my chambers and check in on the woman, I quickly considered my options. As I watched Fredric scurry down the hallway, I entered through the door of my library, adjacent to the bedroom. I shut the door and glanced about the room. I waited and listened. The thudding sound had subsided. Assuming the woman was loose in my room, I decided it would be best to materialize instead of walking through the door and possibly frightening her again. I retrieved the bottle of potion Orlando had given me from a hidden compartment in one of the large walnut bookcases that surrounded my library and drank down the contents. Instantly I vaporized into a trail of blue smoke and found my way through the locked bedroom keyhole.
Nothing could have prepared me for the scene in my bedroom. The startling realization of seeing the woman in wolf form crammed into a wire cage jolted me out of my vapor form. I fell to the floor in a heap. I’d have to speak to Fredric immediately. She wasn’t going to remain in a cage.
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