by Ariel Marie
Toma
The Dark Shadows 2
Ariel Marie
Contents
Toma
Copyright
Dedication
Before You Begin
1. ~Anika~
2. ~Anika~
3. ~Toma~
4. ~Toma~
5. ~Anika~
6. ~Anika~
7. ~Toma~
8. ~Anika~
9. ~Toma~
10. ~Toma~
11. ~Anika~
12. ~Toma~
13. ~Toma~
14. ~ Toma~
15. ~Anika~
16. ~Toma~
17. ~Anika~
18. ~Toma~
19. ~Anika~
20. ~Anika~
21. ~Toma~
22. ~Anika~
23. ~Toma~
24. ~Anika~
25. ~Toma~
26. ~Nicu~
27. ~Anika~
28. ~Toma~
29. ~Nicu~
Sneak Peek
Teague
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Ariel Marie
Toma
The Dark Shadows 2
by Ariel Marie
Copyright © 2016 by Ariel Marie
Cover Design by Natasha Snow
Editor: Debbie Smart
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, businesses, events, and incidents are a figment of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any similarities to real people, businesses, locations, history, and events are a coincidence.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 978-0-9963263-6-0
Created with Vellum
To the love of my life. Thanks for the support. I love you to the moon and back!
Before You Begin
WARNING: Due to the explicit language and graphic sexual scenes, this book is intended for mature (18 years +) readers only. If things of this nature offend you, this book would not be for you. If you like a good action story with hot steamy scenes with vampires, then you have chosen wisely…
1
~Anika~
After working a 12-hour shift she took a deep breath and stared out into the eerily quiet parking lot. A pitch-black parking lot, she added, laughing nervously to herself. Anika Massey never thought that she would be too chicken to walk out of the hospital at night by herself.
“You can do it, Massey!" she muttered to herself.
She had become accustomed to having her vampire guard trailing her everywhere she went after her best friend, Nadira, had been attacked about a month ago. Today was her first day with no guard and she was more nervous than a prostitute walking into church.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door to the hospital and practically ran to her silver Toyota Camry. She looked into the car first, made sure no one was hiding in the back seats and then jumped in and locked the doors.
“This is crazy!” she said, shaking her head as she started the car and put it into drive.
She didn't live far from the hospital and made sure that she drove a little faster than normal to hurry home. She thought of all the tips that her vampire guard, Idris had given her before he was pulled from guarding her. He had taught her tips on how to spot someone following her; he had installed a new alarm system in her condo and even taught her a few self-defense maneuvers, just in case someone threatened her.
Her best friend Nadira Olaru, a vampire princess, wanted to have a purpose in life and had become a nurse. They met back in nursing school and had been inseparable since. Nadira was even able to pull some strings to help Anika get her nursing job at Lutheran Hospital, a private paranormal hospital that few humans were privileged to know about and Anika is one hundred percent human. She was one of the few humans that work at the hospital.
In all of her twenty-nine years, she would never have thought that there were supernatural beings walking this Earth with humans. Nadira was patient in explaining about her being born a vampire and the other paranormals.
A little over a month ago, Nadira became the target of a group of powerful beings called necromancers who were currently at war with the vampires. An attempt had been made to snatch Nadira, and Anika was with her right before it happened. As a precaution, Nadira’s father, the king of vampires, assigned a guard to watch over Anika. It had been a month now and since there were no other occurrences involving Anika, it was decided that she would no longer require a guard.
“I’ll be fine. The necros do not want a pleasantly plump human,” she tried to reassure herself as she pulled into the parking lot of her condominium.
She didn't live in the best of neighborhoods but at least there were plenty of street lamps illuminating the parking lot. Her building was an all brick three-story building with two condos on each level. Goosebumps spread across her arms as she began walking up to her third floor condo. The Cleveland night air could be chilly in the fall.
She hurried up the stairs when a feeling of dread began to appear in her belly. She slowed down as she made it to the top of the stairs on her level. She silently cursed herself for taking the top floor condo and the buildings lack of an elevator.
At five foot five and one hundred and sixty pounds, she wasn’t drastically over weight but she was definitely out of shape and had thought it would be great exercise when she first bought the place. She definitely wasn’t what was plastered all across the supermarket magazines.
The condo across from her had been empty for a few months. The previous owners moved due to the husband’s job transferring him to Phoenix, Arizona. She stopped outside her door, putting her ear to it to listen to see if someone was in her apartment.
“Get a grip Massey, there is no one in your condo!” She unlocked the door, and immediately noticed something was wrong. She pushed the door open and flipped the light switch in her entryway and immediately a scream tore from her throat.
“Oh my God!”
Her place had been ransacked. Everything was flipped over, her pictures slashed and thrown across the room. The pillows in her couches were slashed and the filling scattered across the floor. Even her television didn’t make it; it was cracked as if someone kicked it in.
“Snowball?” She called out for her little West Highland white terrier that her parents had given her for her birthday seven years ago.
She didn't come running like she normally would when Anika came home. She frantically wiped her face as tears flowed down her cheeks. She knew she shouldn’t go into the apartment but she had to find her beloved dog.
“Baby, mommy is home,” her voice cracked ending on a whisper.
She pulled out her phone as she carefully entered into her apartment stepping over her broken coffee table and slowly making her way down the hallway. She stopped dead on her feet at her bedroom door, frozen, as she stared at Snowball’s tortured, bloody body hanging from the ceiling fan in her bedroom.
“No….” she moaned falling against the doorway, sobs racking her body.
She backed up, bumping into a solid mass. She quickly turned around and saw a hooded figure. A scream flew out of her mouth, quickly cut off as the figure grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off her feet, then slammed her into the wall.
“Where is she?” the figure growled.
She shook her head as she clawed at his hands. She fought to get a breath as he pulled back and slammed her again against the wall causing her world to go black.
* * *
~Toma~
“Ronin says that he spotted another versi downtown this morning,” Nicu said from the front-end of the table.
The Dark Shadows leader looked around the room and paused before nodding his head to Ronin to give him the floor. Toma sat back in his chair scowling. He’d rather be out hunting down the fucking necros than be in a meeting discussing them and their damn dead puppets. He just wasn’t meant to be sitting in a conference room. He was more of a get your hands dirty type of vampire.
Toma glanced around the large conference room that was located deep in the Olaru mansion’s basement. Not only were his brothers Adrian, Teague and Nicu present but the rest of their local team of warriors were currently seated around the conference table. Viktor, Ronin, Khalid, Gadiel and Phaelyn, the only female member, made up the rest of their unit.
Viktor, an old vampire around six hundred years old, loved his swords. He was a wise vampire with a long scar that ran down the left side of his face. No one knew how he got the scar considering vampires tend to heal rapidly. He had been a loyal member of the Dark Shadows for centuries.
Ronin, an Italian vampire, was a man of few words but fierce and loved his daggers. He was a beast in hand-to-hand combat and had admitted to having a need to look in his opponent’s eyes as they died. He was extremely deadly in battle and Toma was damn glad that Ronin was on their side.
Khalid, a four hundred and twenty five year old vampire who hailed from the Middle East loved his cross bow. His skills with a crossbow were unmatched by anyone. His long range shooting with his modified bow was the stuff a person would definitely write home about.
Gadiel and Phaelyn were both from the Olaru’s old country of Romania. Both were the youngest of the group. Gadiel, a three hundred year old vampire was a master hunter. There was nothing that this vampire could not track down and find.
Phaelyn was the only turned vampire on the team. She was once human and was kidnapped, beaten and left for dead until Nadira found her and due to their friendship, turned Phaelyn into a vampire a little over two hundred years ago. Phaelyn had sworn to serve the Olaru family and protect the vampire nation ever since. She was a deadly warrior with her sword and had proven herself time and time again to be a loyal fighter for the Dark Shadows.
“The versi was walking on west Fourth Street. I was trailing him when—” Ronin was cut off by the shrill sound of a telephone. Everyone in the room reached for their own, but it was Nicu who answered his phone.
“Cooper,” Nicu answered quickly, with a scowl.
Detective Zac Cooper, was the mate of the youngest Olaru sibling, Nadira, that none of the brothers at first approved. The Fates had determined that the once human detective, now turned vampire, was made for their sister and she for him.
Nadira fought them in order to be with her mate. A month ago the necromancers had kidnapped Cooper and tortured him within in an inch of his human life. Nadira, at the prompting of their mother, the queen, turned him into a vampire in order to save him. Once the change took, he exhibited signs of an alpha vampire. He immediately had the strength and control of a seasoned vampire.
Toma and his brothers were coming around to accepting the new vampire into the family. Cooper loved their sister, was very protective of her and made her happy. If he made one wrong move, Cooper knew that he would have four deadly vampires after him who wouldn’t hesitate ending him.
Toma and his brothers had always been very defensive and guarded of their only sister and for good reason too. Recently the necromancers had set Nadira in their sights. The necromancer king wanted Nadira and his son Xalak to mate in order to join the two feuding races. They were now at war because their father, the king of vampires refused to use his daughter as a pawn.
“You’ve got to be shitting me!” Nicu growled as he continued to listen.
The room drew silent as all eyes turned towards the Dark Shadows leader. Tension filled the room as everyone waited for Nicu. He disconnected the call.
“The necros have attacked again. That was Cooper calling to tell us that Nadira’s best friend Anika was attacked and she’s currently in the hospital,” Nicu announced to the room.
Curses filled the room as Toma’s chest tightened with a feeling he was not used to experiencing.
Fear.
Anika Massey, his little sister’s best friend was the curvy, light-brown skinned woman that had haunted his dreams since the first night Nadira introduced them. Never in a million years would he act on the feelings that he had for Anika.
She was the complete opposite of Toma. She was outgoing, feisty, always smiling and a constant flirt. Because of these strong feelings for her, he had avoided her at all cost. There were a few reasons why he could not pursue her.
She’s his little sister’s best friend.
She’s human.
And she was his mate.
2
~Anika~
They were not lying when they said that bruised ribs hurt like the dickens, Anika thought as she gently turned over in her hospital bed. Tears pooled in her eyes as the memory of last night surfaced. She held in a broken sob because her throat hurt too much to even try to cry.
There was a knock at the door. She sat up a little just in time to see Nadira peek her head into the room. One look at Nadira and the floodgate of tears erupted. Nadira dashed into the room grabbing her in a fierce hug.
“Anika, I’m so sorry,” Nadira murmured, rubbing Anika’s hair as her sobs began to quiet down. “This is all my fault.”
A noise at the door drew Anika’s attention. Even with tears clouding her sight, she knew who it was.
Toma.
Nadira’s older brother leaned against the doorway with his ever-present scowl in place. She would recognize his tall, perfectly sculpted frame anywhere. One look at the vampire and one word came to Anika’s mind.
Dangerous.
Ok, maybe a few words came to mind. Sexy, dominant and one hell of a piece of male specimen, all came to her mind as her gaze locked on him. One intense glare from him and she was almost certain her panties would disintegrate into ash.
If she were wearing any right now, that is.
She silently laughed to herself, not understanding why hospitals left a person completely naked beneath the open back gowns they throw their patients in.
In all of the years that Anika and Nadira have been friends, Toma had made it very clear that he didn’t care to be around Anika. She knew that she would never be his type. An average height, curvy girl like herself would never gain his attention. She sighed, knowing that he would only continue to be the star of her dirty little fantasies.
“How are you feeling?” Nadira asked, pulling back, her blue eyes lined with worry.
“I’m a little sore,” she responded with her new raspy voice, her hand automatically coming up to touch her neck.
The doctors said that her throat would be raw for a few days due to the attacker choking her. She glanced back at Toma, as a cloud of fury rolled across his face as he stared at her neck. He quickly looked away, his hands balled into tight fists.
“My place is trashed, Snowball is dead and I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she whispered, her throat too raw to speak.
“You can come stay with us,” Nadira volunteered. Anika quickly shook her head. “I don’t want to hear it. You’re my best friend and it will be no problem. Plus, you’ll be in the most secured place in the city.”
“Have the police been by?” Toma’s deep voice caused her heart to flutter. She nodded her head, yes. “Do they have any clue as to who did this?”
“No,” she answered glancing in his direction. His ice blue eyes, identical to his sisters seemed to see straight through her. “It was a tall man, who was strong enough to pick me up with one hand. He wore a hood and that’s all I could see.” She held onto her throat as she tried to talk. “Everything happened so fast,” she said, her voice ended on a squeak.
“Here, don’t speak,” Nadira cu
t in realizing the struggle Anika was experiencing trying to speak. “Do you know when the physicians plan to release you?”
Anika shook her head no. According to the physicians, her injuries were not life threatening. Once they had finished with their poking and prodding, they concluded that she had a slight concussion from her head hitting the wall, sprained esophagus and voice box, bruised ribs and a few minor scrapes and bruising.
She was lucky that those were her only injuries, it could have been much worse.
She could be dead.
“I’m going to run out to the nurse’s station and see if I can talk to the physicians.” Nadira got up pausing at the door. “Have you spoken to your parents yet?”
“No, they and my sister are out of town,” Anika said, pausing to rest her throat. “It’s hard to get ahold of them. I called my mother and left her a voicemail message. They went on that cruise in the Bahamas and should be back next week.” Nadira nodded before stepping out the room, leaving Anika alone with Toma.
“My sister is right,” he started, walking over to the window. “You’ll be much safer in our home.”
“I don’t want to be a bother,” she said, her voice cracking again. She silently cursed. Here she was, finally alone with Toma and she was in a hospital bed with a hospital gown on, no voice and there’s no telling what her hair looked like now.
“It wouldn’t be a bother, “ he frowned, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his massive chest. “There is plenty of room.”
“But still, I couldn’t,” she said shaking her head, unable to take her eyes off of his exposed biceps. “I can go stay at my parents house until they get home.”
“No, that wouldn’t be secure,” his voice was gruff. “You’ll stay with us where we can keep you safe.”