The Vampire Awakenings Bundle: Books 1-5

by Davies, Brenda K.

  The walls he’d erected between them crumpled, and he allowed his self-hatred, his anger, and the thrill he got from killing to pour over her. She’d known he was a killer, she’d accepted this, but she’d never realized how much he enjoyed destroying those who deserved it. He’d been afraid, if she’d known how much pleasure he took in it, she would turn away from him. Instead, she found herself loving him more. No matter what, he was her vampire, her mate, and she was never going to let him go.

  Brian’s good hand dug into Abby’s waist as he turned his head into her neck and nuzzled the hair back from her skin. He scraped his fangs over her flesh before biting deep. Her acceptance of everything he was swept over him as she allowed him to feel the love she’d been keeping locked away in order to keep her heart protected from him.

  Releasing his bite on her, he lifted his lips to her ear. “I will never break your heart, Abby. I treasure it above all else.” Tears wet the collar of his shirt as they slid down her face. “Shh, dove,” he whispered.

  He wanted to stand here and hold her forever, but that would have to wait until later. He had no idea how many of Drake’s men may still be wandering these tunnels. “We have to go,” he said.

  Disappointment filled him when she reluctantly retracted her fangs from his neck, but the bond between them remained open. Her mind brushed against his as she kissed him tenderly. Then, she bolted upright in his arms as she completely recalled where they were.

  “Aiden!” she gasped.

  She went to squirm out of his arms, but he held her in place. “No, not yet,” he groaned. “I just got you back.”

  Abby stopped moving and dropped her head to his shoulder again. She was in no rush to be free of his arms yet either. He kept her close against him as he strolled through the tunnels, moving with single-minded determination as he was drawn forth by the essence of their friends and family.

  “Almost there,” he murmured.

  Turning a corner, he stopped and waited until Ronan came around the next bend in the tunnel. The older vampire stopped when he spotted them. Ronan’s eyes ran over the two of them before settling on Abby and widening when she turned in Brian’s arms to look at him. Brian set her on her feet when her brother appeared behind him.

  “Aiden!” she cried and ran toward him.

  He lifted her and hugged her close before settling her on her feet. “Are you injured?” he demanded as his eyes ran over the blood drenching her.

  “It’s only my arm,” she replied. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Well now, that’s unusual for a woman pureblood,” Declan said when he spotted Abby’s still mottled skin tone.

  Abby glanced down at her strangely colored arms and managed to raise her good shoulder in a shrug. “Don’t fuck with my mate,” she replied.

  Declan laughed and folded his arms over his chest. “Apparently not.”

  “Drake?” Ronan asked Brian.

  “Dead.”

  “Good.”

  “I say we get out of this place,” Declan said. “I have beers and babes waiting for me somewhere I’m sure.”

  Walking over, Brian gently took hold of Abby’s dislocated shoulder. “I can put it back in place, but it’s going to hurt.”

  She bit her bottom lip and gave a brisk nod. “Do it.”

  Brian’s hand remained on her shoulder, but he found he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Ronan stepped forward and brushed his hand aside. “Allow me,” Ronan said. Brian moved reluctantly out of the way. “Don’t attack me or I’ll knock you out, and then your mate here is going to get all pissed off.”

  “I won’t.” Brian’s teeth ground together as he fought to keep himself restrained. Declan and Lucien stepped in front of him when Ronan took hold of Abby’s shoulder.

  “Count to three,” Ronan told her.

  “One, two…” Snap.

  Abby barely kept herself from screaming when he shoved her shoulder back into place. Declan and Lucien grabbed hold of Brian, holding him back when he jumped forward. His eyes burned with the fires of Hell once more.

  Abby slid between the two men and toward Brian. He wrapped her up in his arms once more, holding her close against him as he sent a scathing glare at Ronan. She rested her hand against his cheek. “I’m fine.”

  His eyes bled back to their beautiful, ice-blue color as he kissed the tip of her nose and lifted her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nestled closer to him.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “You should go home, Abby.” Vicky swung her legs back and forth while sitting on the edge of the back porch swing. It had been a week since the events occurred in the tunnels, and the first time Vicky had brought up the idea of home to her. “The others should meet Brian.”

  “They have met him,” Abby reminded her with a nudge of her elbow against Vicky’s side.

  “Let them see him as he is with you. It will go a long way to melting the rest of their reservations about him. It has with me.”

  “They’ll meet him again, eventually.” Abby’s eyes scanned over the massive bushes of the maze before them. She still hadn’t made it to the center of the maze, something she’d become determined to do. “And they understand that I prefer to stay with you right now.”

  “And what does your mate prefer?”

  “Do you honestly think Brian is eager to plunge into the Byrne clan?” she asked with a smile. “You know how someone’s not a people person? Well, he’s not exactly a vampire vamp.”

  Vicky laughed and swung her feet out again. “He’s really not. I would like to be there when he is engulfed by that horde. I guarantee it will cause some good laughs.”

  “It will,” Abby agreed. “But you’re not ready to go home yet.”

  “I’m not.”

  “The family will understand you didn’t mean to kill her. The Stooges and Mom and Dad won’t even be able to smell it on you.”

  “It’s more than that.” Vicky took a deep breath as she lifted her head to study the gardens. “I want Duke dead first, and I can’t go back there when killing him is all I can think about. I’m not ready for family loving when all I feel is hate for him.”

  Abby rested her hand on top of Vicky’s. Over the past week, many of the vampires who had been involved in Drake’s operation, including Garth, had been taken out by Ronan, Brian, and the others. Brian had happily been the one to destroy the vampire who had killed Marissa and set Abby up to be captured.

  Brian had informed her that, while undergoing questioning, Garth had admitted he’d known Vicky was in the warehouse. When Abby had called him claiming to be Vicky, and then sent her picture, Garth had realized he’d be able to capture her too. They’d been prepared for Abby’s arrival that night. They hadn’t been prepared for all of them.

  Though most everyone had been destroyed, Duke was still out there. Brian had offered to help find him when Vicky was ready, but her normally impatient sister had decided to spend more time training here before going after Duke. Abby suspected it was because she was more scared of what was out there than she was letting on, but Vicky would never admit that.

  “I understand how you feel and I’m staying with you until you’re ready,” Abby assured her. “We’ll go back together. We can use Brian as a distraction and some entertainment when we do.”

  “You two are evil.” Abby turned at Aiden’s words as he stepped beside her and grinned down at them. “But it really is going to be entertaining. You know those kids are going to swamp him just because they’ll find it fun to torment him.”

  Vicky and Abby laughed as they pushed back on the swing again. “Looks like you’re going to be stuck with us for a bit,” Abby told him.

  He pulled one of the other chairs forward and settled into it. “I’m okay with that. Have you talked to Mom and Dad?” he asked Vicky.

  “A few days ago,” she replied, her eyes darting to the side.

  It had been a short conversation, consisting mainly of Vicky insisting she was fine and that they should stay
with the others. When Vicky had grown tired of the conversation, she’d thrust the phone at Abby and walked away. It had been up to her afterward to keep their parents from jumping into the car and driving around New York in search of the training compound. She’d promised to let them know if anything changed, but she believed it was only a matter of time before she got the call saying they were in New York and insisting on seeing Vicky.

  The sun was hanging lower over the maze when Brian stepped onto the porch. “Come with me,” he said and stretched his hand out to her. He helped her to her feet. “Don’t expect her back anytime soon,” he said to Vicky and Aiden over his shoulder.

  Vicky gave a small wave while Aiden shook his head and folded his arms over his chest. Brian led her down the steps and toward the maze entrance. “Are you finally going to show me how to get through it?” she inquired.

  The wicked smile he sent her melted her heart and curled her toes in her boots. “I’ll show you anything you want.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  The way his eyes hungrily ran over her caused her voice to come out huskier as they stepped into the entranceway carved between the ten-foot-tall, thick, green hedges. He led her unerringly forward, taking turns that left her confused and uncertain of where they were. By now, she would have come across at least ten dead ends, but he never encountered a wall.

  “Did you use your ability to get to the center?” she inquired suspiciously.

  He tugged her against his side. “Nope, I’m naturally good at everything I do.”

  “You’re not very good at being humble.”

  “I’ve never tried it before, but I’m sure if I did, I’d be fucking fantastic at it.”

  Abby laughed as she leaned against his side. “I’m sure you would too.”

  She searched the hedges as they strolled through the maze together. She couldn’t tell if she’d already been in this area before or not. After ten minutes, the pathway widened and they stepped into a large clearing in the center of the maze. Abby’s mouth fell open when she finally discovered the secret the maze had been hiding.

  She didn’t know where to look first as her gaze flitted over the large glass building before them. There was a fountain inside the building with vines twisting over the sides of it. Roses climbed a trellis, their thick red and yellow blooms dangling over the top of it. Stepping forward, Brian pulled open the door to the large greenhouse and gestured for her to enter with a small bow.

  Her gaze continued to run over the assorted plants and flowers blooming within the building. All around her were hundreds of roses, orchids, hydrangeas, and lilies. Spongy plants sank beneath the weight of her hiking boots when she stepped onto them. The setting sun lit the glass surrounding them with pinks, yellows, and oranges as it dipped toward the horizon.

  “This is amazing,” she breathed.

  “Not as amazing as you,” Brian replied as he watched the delight dance across her face while she moved through the greenhouse.

  The warmth of the humid air within the building felt good against her chilled skin. She turned as she gazed at everything, trying to take it all in. Brian stood by the fountain; his eyes locked on her while she inspected the plants and inhaled their sweet scents. He didn’t move as he watched her with a predatory hunger. She smiled as she walked back toward him; her fingers itching with the impulse to touch him. Her skin became electrified with her need for him.

  When she was only a foot away from him, he pulled something from his pocket and went down onto one knee before her. Abby froze, and her hand flew to her mouth as he opened the box to reveal the large diamond within. Tears burned in her eyes as the fading sun lit his hair and eyes and caressed his chiseled body.

  “I don’t know how long I’ll have to work with Ronan, but I can promise you that when it’s done, I will take you everywhere you ask to go and live out every one of your dreams with you. I will love you every second of every day for the rest of our lives, and I will protect and cherish our children with everything I am.”

  Her head shot up at those words. They’d yet to discuss the idea of children since the first time. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to risk ruining the bubble of bliss that had been surrounding them this past week by bringing it up again. He’d still been pulling out of her when they made love, so she had no reason to suspect he’d changed his mind.

  “You want children… with me?” she asked in a hitching voice.

  “I want everything with you. As soon as my time with Ronan is over, and you’ve done everything you want to do, I would love to see our babe growing within you.”

  A sob escaped her at his words, and he took hold of her hand. “I never thought I’d meet someone like you, Abigail Byrne. You’ve turned a desolate life into one of promise and love when I never believed there would be again. Will you marry me?”

  Unable to speak, Abby could only manage a nod as tears spilled down her cheeks. The radiant smile on his face caused her heart to swell to near bursting when he slid the ring onto her finger. She didn’t get a chance to look at it before he was rising to his feet and wrapping his arms around her. She cried out in joy when he spun her around before claiming her mouth with his.

  Abby’s hands slid into his hair, and she pulled him closer as the swelling evidence of his arousal pressed against her belly. She’d once wondered which side of him was more dominant, the brutal one or the tender one. She knew now they were both intricately woven together to create this enticing, frustrating, amazing vampire who was completely hers, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

  She’d never been happier in her life than when he laid her down on the spongy plants and took possession of her. With him was where she would always belong.

  The End.

  Fractured (Vampire Awakenings, Book 6) is now available HERE.

  Ravaged (Vampire Awakenings, Book 7) is now available for pre-order HERE.

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  Read on for an excerpt from Good Intentions, book 1 in The Road to Hell Series.

  Good Intentions

  River,

  It has been thirteen years since the war started, the bombs were dropped, and the central states became a thing of the past. When the war ended, a wall was erected to divide the surviving states from those destroyed. I never expected to go beyond the wall but unlike all the others who volunteered to go, I wasn’t given a choice.

  With a dim knowledge of what I could do, the soldiers came for me. They took me beyond the wall where I learned that the truth is far more terrifying than I’d ever dreamed. Alone, with humans and demons seeking to learn what it is I can do, I find myself irresistibly drawn to the one man I should be avoiding most. One who intrigues and infuriates me. One who is not even a man, not really.

  Kobal,

  My entire life, I’ve had only one mission, reclaim my throne from Lucifer and put right everything that was torn apart when he was cast from Heaven. It’s a mission I haven’t wavered from, not even when the humans tore open the gates and unleashed Hell on earth.

  Now, I’ve never been closer to obtaining my goal yet I find myself risking it all because I cannot stay away from her, a human who may be the key to it all.

  ***This Series will follow Kobal and River throughout. Not all things will be resolved in this book. Due to graphic language, violence and sexual content this book is recommended for readers 18+ years of age.***

  Sneak Peak

  River

  I was nine when the first of the fighter planes flew over thirteen years ago. I remember tilting my head back to stare at them as they moved over us in a V formation. Excitement buzzed through me, but I felt no fear. The planes had been a more common sight before the military base closed last year; despite that status, planes still occasionally flew over our town.

  When the
planes vanished from view, I turned my attention back to the game of hopscotch I was playing with my friend, Lisa. I was about to beat her, and I wanted to finish before Mother woke from her nap and called me away. Lisa stared at the sky for a minute more before turning her attention back to me. She bent to pick up the rock on the ground as four more planes flew over us in a tight formation. They left white streaks in the sky as their engines roared over us.

  The rock Lisa had picked up slid from her fingers and clattered onto the asphalt. Together, we watched as the second wave of planes disappeared from view. I don’t know why the initial wave of planes hadn’t bothered me, but the second wave caused a cold sweat to trickle down my neck.

  Following the noise of the planes, the world around us took on an unusual hush for a Saturday afternoon in July. Normally there were shouts from kids playing up and down the street. The rumble of cars driving down the highway, heading toward the beach, was a near constant background noise now that tourist season was in full swing.

  Turning my attention back to Lisa, I waited for her to pick her rock up again and continue, but she remained staring at the sky. The planes had unnerved me, but what did I really know? At that point in my young life, my biggest problem was napping in the house a hundred feet away from me. I hoped the planes hadn’t woken Mother; grouchy was a permanent state for her, but when she was woken from a nap, she could be a real bear.

  I glanced over at my one-year-old brother, Gage. My heart melted at the sight of his disheveled blond hair sticking up in spikes and his warm brown eyes staring at the sky. He lifted a fist and waved at the planes fading from view. His coloring was completely different from my raven hair and violet eyes, due to our different fathers. Mine had taken off before I was born; Gage’s father had at least stuck around to see his birth before leaving our mother in the dust.

  Turning his attention away from the sky, Gage held his arms toward me before shoving a hand into his mouth. Unable to resist him, I walked over and lifted him off the ground. I cradled his warm body in my arms. I always brought him with me during Mother’s naps so he wouldn’t wake her, and because I couldn’t stand him being alone in the house while she slept. I’d been alone so many times before he’d come along that I refused to let him be too.