by Billi Jean
Table of Contents
Legal Page
Title Page
Book Description
Dedication
Trademarks Acknowledgement
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
New Excerpt
About the Author
Publisher Page
A Totally Bound Publication
Eternal Embrace
ISBN # 9781781848760
©Copyright Billi Jean 2013
Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright November 2013
Edited by Sue Meadows
Totally Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.
Published in 2013 by Totally Bound Publishing, Newland House, The Point, Weaver Road, Lincoln, LN6 3QN
Warning:
This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Totally Burning and a Sexometer of 3.
This story contains 230 pages, additionally there is also a free excerpt at the end of the book containing 10 pages.
Sisterhood of Jade
ETERNAL EMBRACE
Billi Jean
Book four in the Sisterhood of Jade Series
When a sheltered young woman meets the one guy in this world that fits her, she might not be ready for the changes he brings, but she’s more than ready to be in his eternal embrace.
Jaxon knew he was in trouble stalking one woman over cappuccinos, but he never guessed the wild redhead was much more to him than a hot crush he can’t seem to shake. He learns quickly though that when she’s in danger he cannot let her die. Not even when the laws demand it. He faces the biggest challenge of his life—keeping her alive. But Jaxon isn’t going to quit, not even when he breaks the laws of his people and aids her into becoming a vampire. Even when doing so, he might win her hatred, rather than her love.
Joey’s never known anyone like Jaxon. She’s never wanted to. Now, after experiencing the pleasure only found in his embrace, she wants more. She wants his love. But when the Death Stalkers move up their battle to turn immortals into their slaves to include humans, she suddenly finds herself battling not only for her life, but for Jaxon’s.
Dedication
I’d like to express my thanks to my friends who have encouraged me to keep looking ahead and never even think of giving up.
Kay, don’t lose track of your dreams, lady! More chips and salsa!
Jenna, get yourself to California, girl!
Cara, true love does exist—maybe even in Texas.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Sleeping Beauty: The Walt Disney Company
Cinderella: The Walt Disney Company
Victoria’s Secret: L Brands Inc.
Jell-O: Kraft Foods Group Inc.
Cadillac: General Motors Company Inc.
Sherlock Holmes: Conan Doyle Estate
Jedi: The Walt Disney Company
Carhartt: Carhartt, Inc.
Never say Never: Isaac Slade and Joe King
The Terminator: Orion Pictures
Teuscher’s Chocolates: Teuscher’s Chocolates of Switzerland
The Highlander: 20th Century Fox
Underworld: Screen Gems
The Mummy: Universal Pictures
Baileys: Diageo, plc
Hannibal Lecter: Thomas Harris
iPhone: Apple Inc.
Highwire: Magic Rock Brewing Company
The Avengers: Marvel Worldwide, Inc.
Jacuzzi: Apollo Management
Orbit Gum: William Wrigley Jr. Company
Mary Poppins: The Walt Disney Company
Spiderman: Marvel Worldwide, Inc.
Coke: The Coca Cola Company
Lone Ranger: Fran Striker/ George W Wendle
Chapter One
Jaxon stared at the woman on his bed. An IV ran from the inside of her pale arm to the bag of blood he’d hoped would repair the damage caused by two Death Stalker vampires. He’d replaced all her lost blood with the hospital bags, but so far, nothing seemed to be stopping her body’s shift to vampire.
Her skin was the natural ivory white only a true redhead could make look sexy. But now, her skin tone was pasty instead of luminescent. The bite marks were red and swollen. Worse, there were faint blue veins spreading out from the sites of the punctures that scared the fuck out of him.
She twisted this way and that on the bed, as if caught in a nightmare that wouldn’t end. She’d stop for a bit, then almost immediately start all over again. Keeping the IV in place was difficult. With a husky groan, she tossed her head, and her red hair fell across her delicate features. She suddenly jerked her knees to her chest, nearly upsetting the IV stand. He dived for her, barely catching her arm and securing the needle so she didn’t rip it free.
Panic shot straight to his heart. Fear chilled his skin followed by anger. He couldn’t help her, not this way. Nothing was working. Not one thing he’d done seemed to stop Joey from transforming into a vampire.
Cursing, he bowed his head and tried to gain some control over the chaos ripping him to pieces. He wanted to both shake her and demand to know what the fuck she’d been thinking going back to that club when he’d made it clear she shouldn’t step one foot inside. He also wanted to hold her tight and swear to her he’d never let anyone harm her ever again.
He laughed without humour and adjusted the needle in her arm. He knew. She’d been trying to get him out of her system with the oldest trick in the book—with someone new. He could have saved her the time—no one else would do. He’d tried. All he could think about when he’d been around other women was Joey’s teasing smile, her lush breasts in his hands, and how she’d sighed his name when he’d made love to her.
Yeah, he knew all about why she’d been at that club. Only he’d never dreamed she’d have the nerve to disobey him. She was tiny, delicate in ways that sent a shot of lust along his spine. But she had more fire than he’d realised. Oh, he knew how much she had in bed—that one night he’d been unable to resist her burnt in his brain, d
iminishing every other fuck he’d ever had down to nothing. Joey was a seven-course meal savoured over hours. Every other woman was six-day-old pizza still in the box.
She’d called him a coward when he’d ushered her to the cab outside that club. In one sense, she was right. Sitting by, helplessly watching her human body shifting into a vampire, he felt like more of a coward than he ever had in his life.
Many of the immortals who knew him counted on him to be always ready for a fight. And he always was. He’d managed to survive and even kick ass in this world he lived in, but he’d never put himself on the battlefield because shit mattered. He’d fought to fight, maybe add his punches to the ‘good’ side of the battle, but nothing had really meant anything to him. He’d never risked caring about anything enough for it to matter.
Until Joey. Losing her, ending her life before she turned into a vampire, wasn’t something he could do.
One look into her face—just that single glance across a street nearly a year ago—and he’d felt his world unravelling. Everything he’d believed about himself had slowly fallen away the longer he spent in her presence, until he’d become addicted to the one thing he couldn’t have—her.
She sighed and her body eased. If she followed the pattern, she’d sleep, then start all over again.
He stood and walked over to where he’d left a jar of salve on his worktable. A witch he trusted had said it would help Joey. It might even save her life—her vampire life—he thought. Beauty, the witch and the bonded of one of his long-time friends, had given it to him when he’d realised nothing he’d done to help Joey was helping.
Would Joey hate him when she turned? Would it matter? He couldn’t let her die. There wasn’t a chance of him allowing that. He loved her. Loved everything about the crazy wildcat. But if she hated him after she awoke, a vampire…
He’d use the salve no matter his worries.
He fisted his hand around the jar, turned and sat, dropping his head against the tabletop to block the sight of her.
She was changing. The past was replaying, as if he’d not got a front-row seat the last time. The question that plagued him day and night was, would this time be different?
Joey was different. As far from Elizabeth as night was from day.
As a vampire, he knew that difference between night and day—from the drop of the sun against the horizon to the breaking of dawn—to the exact second.
But with people, he wasn’t as certain.
Especially with Joey. She made all his beliefs blurry—all his hidden desires possible. She wasn’t like anyone he’d ever met before.
The mistakes he’d made with Elizabeth had proven fatal for an entire village. He’d ignored too many things about her that had made him uneasy and instead had acted, saving her when he’d found her nearly dead from loss of blood. He’d disregarded every instinct warning him not to bring her over and transform her from a lovely, if selfish woman, to a dangerous, deadly vampire.
With Joey, he didn’t ignore one detail. His instincts flared every time he so much as glanced at her, urging him to cure her suffering and guide her into her new life. With him. He had only to close his eyes and he could see her the way she looked when she was thinking, or how her eyes sparkled when she was happy. He could hear her speaking in his head even when he shouldn’t, and he knew beyond a doubt that Joey was pure and free of evil.
But what if all he could do was create evil? What if he saved Joey now and had to kill her—
“Shit!” He raised his arm to throw the salve across the room, but at the last moment he made a fist until his knuckles cracked around the small jar. Slowly he lowered his hand and breathed in and out, in and out.
Joey. She was a survivor. He’d make certain of it. Maybe this was his second chance, and fate didn’t toss beggars crumbs too often. Joey provided enough proof by existing that he wasn’t the cold, heartless bastard he wanted everyone to think he was. He cared for her until his chest tore at the thought of her hurt, let alone suffering like she was on his bed right now. She was going to shake his life to the foundations, but wasn’t he ready for that? He should be. Excitement warred with his fears until he shoved his chair back and walked to the bed. Joey was his life now. It might take some convincing and maybe even some pleading on his part, but hell if he was sitting here when this salve might cure her.
Swallowing tightly, he sat next to her. She was silent. No more signs of a struggle appeared to be bothering her, but her breathing had turned shallow.
“Shit, get your ass together, man,” he muttered.
She twisted, as if she could hear his voice. If she could, she’d probably snap his head off. A smile tugged at his lips for a moment. Yeah, he’d nearly jumped into that cab with her when she’d let him have it. She’d yelled at him with enough heat to burn him. For some damn reason her tirade had turned him on so badly he’d wanted to jump in the cab with her then jump her. Not the reaction she was probably aiming for, but damn, the woman stirred him. Even now, he wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold on as tight as possible.
Insane. She drove him insane.
Stilling her with a hand on her flat stomach, he pushed the sheets and blankets off her slim legs with his other. A low growl broke free from him at the sign of another vampire’s bite on her inner thigh. His anger had no outlet though, so he breathed steadily and settled his nerves. He’d killed the bastards who had done this, but looking at her wounds made him wish he’d made them suffer first. Barbaric, but hey, that was life. Brutal.
She murmured, the first time since he’d brought her here days before.
He froze with his fingers a breath away from her cool skin, and cautiously glanced up. She still slept, but her breasts rose and fell rapidly, the pink nipples so hot his body hardened just at the sight of them. On the inner curve of the left one, hidden from him, he knew another bite mark marred her perfection. The spot taunted him, drawing his lip in a snarl he couldn’t control.
After several seconds of her not moving, he forced himself to turn his gaze away, unscrewed the lid and spread a small amount of the clear salve on her wound as gently as he could. After a few more minutes of massaging the wound, he examined the two puncture marks and felt his breath come easier. The blue, angry lines trailing off had lightened to nearly invisible against her healthier-looking skin. The wound looked almost like any other injury after a few days of healing.
Beneath him, Joey’s breathing slowed and gradually she relaxed.
She belongs in my bed. The thought stilled his breath. She did, though. Her short red curls made his hands ache to run his fingers through them and tug her beautiful lips to his. She had an amazing mouth—her lips were lush, puffy-looking. Her hair simply teased him—the bright colour drew his eyes even when he tried not to look at her. Teased him, too with the silkiness of it.
He usually liked long hair on a woman, but the chic bob fit Joey so well, he never wanted her to look any other way. The soft edges brushed along the nape of her neck and made his heart race just remembering how he’d taken her, from behind, his lips pressed right there. He wanted her to pulse under his lips again, wanted to taste her sweet-smelling skin and experience the caress of her silky hair against his face.
She shifted her legs restlessly on the bed, jarring him out of his thoughts. If she looked better, did that mean the salve had healed the wounds, or rid her of the curse? Uncertainty pissed him off. He liked to know the battle before he hit the field. With Joey, it was like someone had ripped the rug right out from under him. Cursing under his breath in case his voice woke her, he bent over her, carefully smoothing more of the balm over her rounded breast. His fangs dropped in anger and lust at the mark of another on her, but he fought the need to tear through her flesh and erase all evidence of anyone before him. Instead, he concentrated on the easy, gentle motion of his fingers against her flesh.
He’d have decisions to make if she survived. If he had to guess, Joey would not be happy—not even slightly happy—he’d
saved her only to live among his kind. Will she hate me?
Will it matter?
Yes, it would matter, he realised, understanding in that moment why he’d fought his attraction to her for so long. He wanted her until it had almost made him cross the line. Their night of passion had almost ended completely differently—with him claiming her.
He’d not. He’d resisted by some power he still couldn’t understand. But now, he looked down at the perfection of Joey and knew he’d do whatever he had to in order to keep her—claim her.
But what if she doesn’t want you? Elizabeth didn’t—not really.
Jax shook his head at the memory of Elizabeth. She’d never wanted him. Joey though, she had wanted him.
Once.
Before you deserted her.
“She is different.”
Shaking himself, he focused on her, examining the mark to see it, too, had lost some of its savage colour.
Her body, though, began a completely new round of torture—on him. Her nipples grew hard, turning from lush rounded beads to sharp berries he wanted to devour. Her breathing increased, turning hectic and outlining her tiny ribs with each pant. She shifted her hips, sliding her legs along the sheets, to open her slim thighs in a mockery of every wet dream he’d ever had.
His body went hard as stone, aching and heavy with the need for her.
Startled at his own intense reaction, he broke away and stood, half turned from her, fighting not to rip his jeans off and slide between her lush thighs to ease the throb hitting him all the way down to his toes. She smelt of heat, too, the lush, sweet scent he’d lost his mind to only once before—in her bed.
Would she want him again? He needed her until he’d grown used to the tight ache in his chest. She’d been safe from him as a human, and he’d protected himself from his desire for all of her, he admitted. Now, with her in his bed—where she looked like she belonged—there was nothing holding him back from taking her, sampling her body and her erotic power nightly, hourly if he chose. From possessing her so deeply that there would be no Joey without Jaxon.
If she lets me.