by T. S. Ryder
He raced towards where he last heard her voice. He came around the corner and there was Myrcel. She looked at him furiously, baring her teeth.
“You go too far, Myrcel!” Alastair screamed, vibrating with rage.
“I go too far? You bring this human peasant into your bed. You give her The Flower of the Court. You would have her sons replace mine and I am expected to do nothing! Bearing an heir is my right.”
“What are you talking about?” he demanded.
“The prophecy! It decries that the human who will lay with the Vampire King and bear a son that unites the empire.”
He pushed past her. There in the cell was Avery. A strong vampire woman had her hand around her throat.
“I am the Crown Prince, I order you to release her,” the woman’s eyes travelled between him and Myrcel and then fell on the dozens of guards who had gathered around them. They were whispering to each other, the words son and prophecy echoing in the room. Finally, the female vampire released Avery.
Alastair threw the door open and she ran to him. He grabbed her in his arms and glared at his wife.
“We are done, Myrcel. Prophecy or no prophecy, Avery is the only woman who will bare my sons.”
Myrcel gaped at him, her mouth hanging open as Alastair hurried Avery up the stairs.
Epilogue
The Fire Islands were beautiful. The shores were white sandy beaches backed by blue ocean waters. The interior was a thick jungle. Everything burst with life. Fish practically jumped into fisherman’s nets. Fruits dripped with succulent juices, falling from the trees when they were ripe.
To Avery, who had spent her life in dirty back alleys and old caravans, it was a paradise. Alastair put her in a house right on the beach for her confinement. Every morning she woke to a strong ocean breeze blowing the heat away. She strolled the beaches, her feet sinking into the sand. Servants met her every need as the baby grew inside of her.
In a few months’ time, they would return to the palace, but the Vampire Princess would no longer be there. In his infinite kindness, Alistair had given a gift to Myrcel—Castle Deep Stone. It was located seven leagues to the north of the Severed Lands, buried deep in the northern mountains. When he, Avery and their child returned, the Vampire Princess would be long gone.
Alastair had no trouble putting down the small uprising of the Fire Islands. The rebels put up only a paltry fight and the people were happy to see them defeated. By the time the baby was due, he was back from his campaign and sleeping beside her.
It was a moonless night when her contractions started. She gave birth to their son in the bungalow with the roaring sea behind them. A beautiful, perfect boy they named Brandon.
With the birth over and her eyes heavy with sleep, Avery watched as her Vampire Prince held their little baby in his arms. He was so gentle and delicate with Brandon and Avery allowed her eyes to close knowing that he would permit no danger to befall them.
“Our son,” she heard him whisper and her heart swelled.
*****
THE END
About T.S. Ryder
If you’re in for hot-as-hell vampires and shifters, you’re my girl. There’s nothing paranormal that I don’t like or write and I’ll give it all I’ve got to bring beasts and hot men (preferably both :) ) to life for you.
I love writing stories about sexy and protective alpha males and the strong women they love. My stories are always full of steam and I generally throw in a fair amount of action.
So kick back, get comfortable, grab some chocolate and tea and fasten up your girdles for some extra smoldering hotness. Enjoy!
Please check my author page for the latest news and releases.
Selected Other Books by T.S. Ryder
The Vampire King's Cage
What do you do when you’re pregnant with the guy you’re supposed to kill?
Belinda Greene is the best bounty hunter on the planet. So when she’s given the assignment to kill the Vampire King, she can totally do this, right?
Wrong. Soon, Belinda is the one fearing for her life.
Lucky for her, a hot stranger comes to her rescue. The kind of guy she always dreamed about. Perfect.
Until she finds out he’s the Vampire King. And she’s pregnant with his child…
After thousands and thousands of years, Vampire King Carlos has finally found his mate. This woman is the one for him. Except she’s human. And she wants him dead.
And unfortunately for Carlos, that’s not his only problem. An ancient demon-fae wants revenge on Carlos, and what better way to do that than kill his unborn child?
Can Carlos capture his enemy and save his child?
Can Carlos and Belinda bury their swords and find each other?
Is love stronger than hate?
The Shifter's Prisoner
This was one delicious hunk of a dragon and she wanted a taste.
Ever since Asa lost his wings while protecting his king, he’s had his motorcycle as a poor replacement. Now he needs a maid to care for his home. And he knows exactly whom he wants. The girl with the fiery red hair.
Easy enough. All he needs to do is ride in with his Dragon biker gang and take her.
Willow has always heard the warnings: never stray too far from the village lest the savage Dragons take her. But would it be so bad to escape her miserable life and abusive parents?
Being a Dragon’s property isn’t exactly what Willow had in mind but she has no choice. And Asa, with his powerful body, muscly arms and cocky grin ignites sparks in her core. Sparks that quickly roar to flames…
But there is a dark magical presence in the Dragons’ city. An outcast fairy wants Willow to perform a blood sacrifice that will allow him to rule the world…
Can Willow keep herself safe when she becomes a target?
Will Asa release his inner beast to go to the end of the earth for Willow?
Can Willow and Asa heal their wounds and find love and passion at last?
The Shifter's Catch
A Dragon who needs an heir. A girl who needs money. Sounds like a match made in heaven. Unless they end up dead…
Prince Edan never wanted a mate. But now that his brothers are killing each other, he’s the only one who can produce an heir. So when he meets a woman who makes his fires burn blue, he doesn’t think twice.
His Dragon spreads its wings and flies her away to his kingdom.
Isobel has only one dream. One that costs money she doesn’t have. So when she meets a rich stranger who offers her a job, she’s ready. Except she doesn’t realize that the job is to have his babies…
But the vibrations of the universe have spoken. And by the way, it’s pretty difficult to say no to the delicious hunky Dragon and the sheer dominance that radiates from him.
What Edan doesn’t know is that Isobel has a gift: She can see the ghosts and demons that are threatening the kingdom.
But as the feelings between Isobel and Edan deepen, can she still see?
And will he unleash his flames for her when she becomes bait?
Selected for the Vampire King
Love is weakness. Humans are fragile. Can this vampire King resist his heart’s desire?
Tindra isn’t looking for love. All she wants is a day off work. And that’s exactly what signing up for the vampire-human matching program gets her. What she didn’t expect is to be chosen by the vampire prince, Thor, which could be a dream come true…
Except she’s more interested in the king…
Vampire King Rollon has been alone for centuries. But when he smells Tindra’s intoxicating scent, he wants to do nothing more than sink his fangs into her, taste her blood… and engage in other forbidden pleasures.
Tindra’s off limits though. She belongs to his son.
Not that it matters. Humans are too fragile, too short-lived to get involved with.
But Thor has a surprise in store…
And an old enemy resurfaces…
Can Rollon keep his dark desires t
o himself?
Will Tindra survive when she becomes the enemy’s target?
Can there be a future for a human and a vampire king?
The Shifter's Secret Son
He needs a queen. She wants revenge. Let the game begin . . .
Julia is on a mission: Seduce the crown prince and then rip out his heart. Why, do you ask? He unknowingly impregnated her best friend Cynthia and destroyed her life. After Cynthia dies and with the baby now in her care, Julia swears to seek revenge.
But his highness, with his stormy eyes and smoky scent, makes her knees buckle and turns her into a drooling puddle. That wasn’t the plan.
Benjamin is prince playboy. The giant Dragon warrior is under stress though. He’s supposed to get married, because a Dragon king without a mate is nothing. Unfortunately, he doesn’t do forever. He needs some pant-dropping to distract him. Who’s that new servant girl?
But what begins as an innocent flirt soon spirals way out of control.
Between a pushy queen trying to claim him and an assassin waiting to strike, Benjamin and Julia are slowly falling for each other. She’s the one making his flames scorch his throat.
As feelings deepen, Julia has to ask herself whether Benjamin is really the monster she thought he was.
Has she bitten off more than she can chew?
Will he love her when he discovers her secret?
When he discovers he has . . . a son?
The Vampire King's Nanny
A curvy romance writer paying off her debts PLUS a sexy vampire king healing his heart PLUS a child with special powers…
Vampire king Thomas needs a woman. Not for himself, but to take care of his daughter. But when he purchases a human with curves better than Marilyn Monroe, all he can think about is drinking her delicious blood…
Adrielle is a romance writer struggling with her past. To pay off her debts, she sells herself and her virginity at an auction to the highest bidder. Who happens to be a vampire king. An insanely attractive one. But no, she’s definitely not going to lust after her captor!
But the underworld she is brought to isn’t safe. Vampires are not the only beasts roaming the darkness here… and the child she is supposed to babysit appears to have special powers…
Soon, Adrielle discovers that behind Thomas’ cold and emotionless outside, he is hiding a heart full of pain. Can he fight the beast that has its claws wrapped around his heart?
Can he keep Adrielle safe?
Can he love a human against all odds?
The Shifter's Secret Twins
What do you do when your one-night stand turns out to be your new shifter doctor?
Single mom Lana Flores needs a distraction. Badly. So when she meets a hot and bossy guy twenty years her senior at a ball, she doesn’t think twice. Shame she’ll never see him again after their hot night together.
Until she meets her new doctor.
Simon Wolfe is a world-renowned doctor leading a breakthrough study using shifter blood. Plus he’s a shifter himself. An incredibly gorgeous one. In the bedroom, he is king. The only women he doesn’t sleep with are his patients. That would be so unprofessional.
Until Lana.
She’s way too young for him. Not to mention his patient. But she makes his Wolf howl.
She needs his help though. And not only because he’s the best doctor. Her cute little twins have starting shifting into wolf pups. Apparently the sperm donor was a shifter. Maybe the doctor can help track him down?
But Lana and Simon are in for a surprise. And before they know it, all bets are off…
Single Dad Shifter
A kidnapper falling for her latest target PLUS a single dad shifter who needs a nanny PLUS lies, betrayal, manipulation and… love?
Billionaire dragon shifter Grayson Alexander lost his wife due to lead poisoning. Ever since, he’s been lobbying against the mining industry, which is getting dangerous.
To make sure his twins are cared for while he works to create a better future, he’s looking for a live-in nanny. And he’s just found the perfect woman…
Arabella’s on a mission. She's been hired to kidnap Grayson’s children to force him to step back from politics. What she hadn’t counted on is that the guy’s the hottest target she’s ever had.
His sun-kissed skin, steady eyes and sharp jawline make her want to… Stop! She should focus on the mission.
But it’s already too late.
Before she knows it, Arabella finds herself entangled in a web of lies. How can she complete her mission and save the twins at the same time? How will Grayson react when he discovers her secret?
The Shifter's Hostage
A curvy gal with hidden powers PLUS an insanely sexy dragon shifter PLUS dangerous creatures looking for their next target…
Lydia is a curvy restaurant manager who doesn’t need unfriendly customers. Least of all the arrogant, but unfortunately extremely sexy billionaire who keeps sending back his food.
But when she’s suddenly attacked by a bunch of demons, the billionaire might just be the only one who can save her. Even if that means he has to keep her hostage in his fancy mansion. Just her luck…
Ian Orkney a.k.a. “The A**hole” wants everything to be done exactly his way. But behind his self-built wall is a man who has lost everyone he loved.
What he really wants is a mate and children. But that means he’d have to reveal the secret he’s been keeping for almost three hundred years: He’s the last of the dragons. His job is to protect the world against demons. And his newest project involves a human. An incredibly sexy one.
Not that that matters.
He could never love a human.
Right?
The Vampire King's Mate
A sexy vampire king trying to control his inner beast PLUS a feisty virgin who doesn’t want love PLUS a danger from the past that can destroy the future…
Vampire king Adam is called “the Blood Bringer”. Built like Goliath and frightening as hell, his bloodlust and temper turn his inner beast into the devil when he finishes off his enemies.
But the most powerful vampire in the world is also lonely. His bloodthirsty reputation means that everyone fears him. Except this spunky and feisty virgin. Could she be the perfect woman for him? Can she stop him from becoming the devil?
Wanda isn’t afraid of anything. Abused and abandoned, she’s not afraid to speak her mind, defend herself or spit the sexy vampire king in his eye.
There’s only one thing that scares her to death: Love.
But when Wanda’s broken past comes back to haunt her and her life is in danger, Adam might be the only one who can save her. Can he control the berserker blood rage that turns him into a mindless killing machine? Does he even want to? Will Adam and Wanda get a chance on love?
The Shifter's Secret Baby
A curvy gal with a secret love child PLUS an impossibly hot werewolf Alpha PLUS a vampire coven getting ready to flash some fangs…
Eric Civery is scorching hot, filthy rich and the powerful Alpha of a werewolf pack. His gobs of money and killer abs can get him anyone he wants. But he isn’t interested. He gave his heart away a long time ago.
Kayla thought that she would never see Eric again. Three years after their passionate affair, all she has from him are memories… and a little daughter he doesn’t know about.
But the past comes rushing back when Eric and Kayla meet again. She knows she has to forget about him—it will only end up being a big mess. But why on Earth does the guy have to be so freaking hot?
And as the same intense passion that was Eric and Kayla’s undoing years earlier reaches a boiling point, a vampire coven threatens to attack Eric’s pack.
Eric has to ask himself one question: Can he keep his mate and child alive? Is he prepared to risk everything for them?
The Vampire King's Captive
A curvy virgin paying off her debts PLUS a jealous vampire king looking for a donor PLUS enemies who will do anything to destroy him!
Aria Taylor wakes to her biggest nightmare when Gavin, the vampire king, drags her out of bed in the middle of the night. Aria’s father owes him money and Gavin has come to take him away.
There’s only one way out: Aria has to become Gavin's blood donor to pay off the debt. Too bad that she hates her bloodsucker. What right does this possessive beast have to be so handsome and yet so cruel?