Masters of the Hunt: Fated and Forbidden

by Sarra Cannon

  She looked into his eyes and realized with sudden, terrifying clarity that he was insane. Something small and purple skated past the edge of her vision and she prayed that Violet would bring the others before it was too late.

  She dug her nails into his thick, hairy wrists and tried to heave him off of her. He growled with pain but settled himself more firmly on top of her.

  He began to squeeze her throat and before her air supply was cut off, she choked out, “He’ll kill you.”

  “He’ll never know.” He crooned.

  — —

  Val looked around the campsite and frowned. Abigail was nowhere to be seen and there was a bad feeling growing in his stomach.

  “Neil, have you seen Abby?”

  The big man shook his head. “She was right here. I’m not sure where she went.”

  “Where is David?” Val suddenly asked harshly.

  “He’s unloading the wagon. At least, I thought he was.” Neil replied.

  He shouted across the clearing to Landon. “Landon, have you seen David?”

  The younger man shrugged and continued to build up the campfire.

  There was a sharp tug on Val’s hair and he turned to see Violet, her purple skin flushed and her eyes wide and frantic, staring at him.

  “Where is she?” There was an unfamiliar sensation in his stomach and after a second he recognized it as fear. “Where is she, bug?”

  Violet made a choking motion with her hands and pointed into the woods. He snarled and, as Violet darted into his hair and wrapped her small fists around it, he raced into the trees.

  — —

  Abby pulled weakly at David’s hands. Black roses were blooming in her vision and her feet drummed helplessly on the ground as his hands squeezed tightly around her throat. She mouthed Val’s name as tears leaked down her cheeks.

  There was a loud snarling and David was torn away from her. Choking and gasping she rolled to her side, grabbing at her throat as she fought to tear air into her throbbing lungs. Vaguely, she was aware of Violet hovering over her as David screamed pitifully.

  “You dare to touch her?” Val roared. His hand around David’s throat, he shook him like a rag doll. The big man screamed again as Val threw him to the ground.

  “Please!” He begged as Val dragged him to his knees. Snarling and spitting, his fangs extended to an almost impossible length, Val bent towards him.

  “Val no!” Abigail tried to scream and produced nothing but a hoarse whisper.

  He turned to her and she shrank back at the sheer rage in his gaze.

  “Wait…” She whispered and then watched in horror as Val bent his mouth to David’s throat and ripped it open.

  David made a gurgling noise and clutched at his throat as blood gushed down his chest and on to the ground. He collapsed forward as Val wiped the blood from his mouth and walked towards Abby.

  She stared wordlessly at him, her hand rubbing at her throat, and he knelt down. She flinched when he reached for her and a look of pain flickered across his face.

  “I will never hurt you, little dove. I promise you.” He cupped the back of her head and drew her towards him. He rested his forehead against hers as Violet hovered anxiously over them.

  “Do not be afraid of me, Abigail. Please.” He whispered pleadingly.

  With a soft cry she threw her arms around him and he hugged her hard. “You’re safe, little dove.”

  He helped her to her feet and tilted her head up to look at her throat. Bruises were starting on her throat and he made a soft sound of distress. She tried to peer around him at David’s body and he stopped her.

  “No, little dove. Do not look at him.”

  He kissed her mouth lightly and she kissed him back before burying her face in his throat.

  “Come, we need to get back to—”

  A sudden shrill scream made them both jump and he turned towards the camp as more screams rang out.

  “Stay here!” He demanded and took off in a blur.

  Abigail hesitated only briefly before chasing after him. Panting, dragging air in through her swollen throat, she stumbled through the trees.

  Her breath hissed out of her lungs when she reached the campsite. Ten vampires were tearing through the people in the campsite. She watched in horror as a short, fat vampire grabbed Erin by the hair and yanked her head back. He buried his face in her throat and she screamed as he bit deeply into her skin. As he drank, he tore her throat wide with one long and dirty fingernail. Her blood sprayed out and he lapped at it like a dog, grinning and sucking at her neck as she sank to the ground.

  Neil, his face grim, swung his sword in a wide arc, beheading the vampire that was about to sink her teeth into Maria’s neck. She exploded into ash as Neil helped Maria to her feet.

  “Go!” He roared. “Under the wagon – now!”

  Maria scurried towards the compartment under the wagon as Eone and Val, hissing and snarling, attacked the vampires. She watched wide-eyed as they quickly dispatched the vampires, their swords flashing in the gloom.

  Violet clung to Abigail’s neck, hiding her face in her hair, as Neil and Val worked together to kill the last vampire. They had him cornered against the wagon and he dropped to his knees and held his hands up in surrender.

  “Please no! I will leave! I’m sorry! I will not—”

  His words died off in a gurgling little moan as Val thrust his sword into his chest. He stared up at Val, his eyes wide with shock and pain, before he exploded into ash.

  Neil, panting harshly, looked around the campsite. “Oh my God.” He whispered. Dead people lay scattered across the campsite. Only he and Maria had survived the carnage.

  Violet released her grip on Abby’s hair and fluttered a few feet away. She hovered, looking with horror at the dead people on the ground.

  Val, his silver eyes glowing and his pale skin flushed with colour, frowned when he saw Abby standing next to a tree.

  “Little dove, I told you to stay—”

  His mouth dropped open in wordless horror when a vampire appeared out of thin air next to Abigail. He wrapped his arms around her body, hissed at Val, and disappeared with her in a flash of light.

  Neil watched as Val dropped his sword and ran to where she had been. The vampire dropped to his knees, a low keening starting in his chest. The keening quickly became a scream as he opened his mouth and wailed his pain into the night air.

  Eone approached him gingerly. “Val, I am sorry. She is gone.”

  He turned on her and snarled, baring his fangs at her. “I will find her! Do you hear me, Eone? I will find her!”

  “It’s too late, Val.” Eone replied. “She is probably already dead.”

  He screamed again and Neil flinched when Maria grabbed his arm. “Neil, what do we do?”

  “I don’t know.” Neil replied quietly.

  He watched as Val staggered to his feet and stared at them with haunted eyes. The vampire paid no attention when Violet darted forward and buried herself in his long hair, clinging grimly to the long strands.

  “I will find her.” He whispered hoarsely before disappearing into the trees.

  The Vampire’s Love (Other World Series Book Two)

  By Ramona Gray

  Heat rating: Steamy

  Paranormal Romance

  Chapter 1

  “Care for a drink, sir? Only a gold coin.”

  Val looked up at the vampire standing before him. A woman wearing only a skirt and a thin collar around her neck with a chain attached to it, swayed next to him. The vampire tilted her chin up and showed him her throat.

  Val wrinkled his nose in disgust. The woman was thin and pale with missing front teeth and stringy black hair. She had multiple bite marks on her neck and upper chest and she was barely conscious.

  “No.” He grunted and flapped his hand irritably at the vampire. “Leave me.”

  “Christ, Val. Why do you come to these places if you’re not going to drink?” Faren grumbled.

  “
I wouldn’t drink from any of the women in this place. God knows what they carry in their blood.” Val snapped.

  Faren shrugged. “It’s not my fault we can’t afford a better dining experience. You’re the one who refused to rob the humans we stumbled upon last night.”

  Val rolled his eyes. “You drank your fill of their blood, was that not enough for you?”

  “If you had let me take those heavy coin purses around their waists, we wouldn’t be sitting in a dump like this.” Faren remarked.

  “Have we not done enough to the humans already? Is it not bad enough that many of our kind kill them for no reason? That we keep them as pets to drink from when we feel like it?”

  “Jesus, Val. I know we’ve only known each for a few months but your love for the humans is really starting to get on my nerves.”

  “I have no love for them.” He snarled. “I just believe we are better off staying away from them.”

  “Stay away from them?” Faren shook his head. “Have you gone mad? They’re our food source remember?”

  “There are other ways to live.”

  Faren snorted. “You mean wildlife? No thanks. Deer are fine when there is nothing else but why bother when there are so many humans available? Hell, half of them want us to bite them.”

  Faren drummed his fingers on the table. “I still believe the Great War between the vampires and the humans could have been avoided if we had just practiced a little moderation. If we had only drunk from the willing, they may not be so anxious to kill us now.”

  Val rolled his eyes. “It would have happened regardless. Our kind and their kind were never meant to live in harmony.”

  Faren stared at him shrewdly. “Tell me, Val, how long has it been since you drank the blood of a human?”

  “Thirteen months.” He grunted.

  Faren whistled under his breath. “Christ, it’s a wonder you’re still standing.”

  “Fuck you, Faren.”

  Faren held up his hands. “You know as well as I do that we cannot exist on animal blood forever. We need human blood to be at our full capacity. Can you even lift that sword you carry around your waist?”

  “Would you care to find out?” Val asked silkily.

  “Nope.” Faren said cheerfully. He looked around the crowded room as the auctioneer leaped on to the stage set up against the far wall.

  “Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for your patience! I’m bringing out our next human for auction and I think you’ll agree that this one has been worth the wait. She is young and strong, and I have a feeling her blood tastes as sweet as honey.”

  The curtains behind the stage opened and Faren watched with bright interest as a woman was led out. She was naked from the waist up and he whistled appreciatively at the sight of her full breasts. Her bottom half was covered by a short piece of brown fabric and her feet were bare. A leather collar circled her neck and the auctioneer yanked on the thick chain that was attached to it. She stumbled forward and stared at the floor of the stage, her face hidden by her long dark hair.

  “Ooh, that’s a good one.” Faren nudged Val and he gave a brief, disinterested glance at the woman on the stage before looking away.

  “She’s nice and curvy. So many of them are skinny and fragile now. They last maybe a couple of months before they’re too weak for you to feed from. You have to feed them loads of food just to keep them going. Not worth it in my opinion – they’re hardly worth the gold you pay for them.”

  He licked his lips. “This one though, I’d pay a good amount for her.”

  “Forget it, Faren. We barely have enough money to find lodging for the day. I’m not sleeping in some dirty cellar just because you want to spend the last of our money on a pet.” Val said warningly.

  “I suppose you’re right.” Faren sighed. He took one last look at the woman before glancing at Val.

  “Ahh, the bug appears.”

  Violet, her small face peering out from the strands of Val’s hair, glared at him and made a rude gesture with her tiny hand.

  Faren laughed. “Why on earth you allow that pest to live in your hair, I will never understand. Why not squash her and be done with it?”

  Violet sat down on Val’s shoulder, keeping his hair wrapped around her to hide her small body, and stared around idly.

  “It’s none of your business, Faren. I’ve told you that before.” Val growled.

  “You are as soft-hearted towards the bug as you are to the humans. I could get rid of her for you if you’d like.” Faren offered. “I can make it quick and painless.”

  “Go anywhere near the little bug and you’ll feel the tip of my sword pierce your heart. Do I make myself clear?” Val warned, his hand resting lightly on the handle of his sword.

  “Yes, yes. God, Val, I was only joking.”

  Val relaxed against his chair and ignored the soft kiss that Violet placed on his neck. In the thirteen months since the vampire had taken Abigail, he’d had plenty of opportunity to lose the bug. In the first few weeks, as he searched desperately for Abby, he had barely even noticed the tiny pixie. When his head began to clear and the horrible truth had started to set in - Abigail was lost to him forever – he had thought about driving the pixie away like he had driven Eone and Neil and Maria away. In the end he couldn’t do it. Abigail had loved Violet dearly and the little pixie was the last part of her that he had to remember her by.

  Besides, he had believed the bug would eventually wander away on her own. As the months passed and Violet stuck around he realized that for her, he was the last part of Abigail that she had left. They had forged an unlikely friendship.

  Now, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of dried meat. He handed it to her without speaking and she took it and chewed on it as she peered around the room.

  “Who will start the bidding?” The auctioneer cried merrily from the stage. His fangs flashed in the dim light and he raised his hand. “We will start at twenty-five gold pieces.”

  Grumbling erupted across the room and the auctioneer bellowed laughter. “Come, come gentlemen. You can see for yourself how delectable she is!” He reached out and cupped one full breast before sliding his hand down her flat stomach. “She alone could feed a family of four for months! Who will give me twenty-five?”

  “Over here!” A tall, thin vampire raised his hand and the auctioneer nodded.

  “Fifty!”

  “Sixty!”

  As the bidding increased steadily, Val felt Violet stiffen against his neck. She leaned forward and stared intently at the woman on the stage. He could feel her wings vibrating softly against his neck and he frowned.

  “What is it, bug?”

  Her eyes wide and her mouth trembling, she stared at him and then pointed to the woman standing with her head bowed.

  “What?”

  She pointed frantically and he nodded without really looking at the woman on the stage. “Yes, I see her. What? You suddenly want a human pet like Faren?”

  He snorted soft laughter and turned back to Faren. “We need to find lodging for tomorrow. I do not want it to be like last week where we were forced to dig holes in the ground before the sun burned us to a crisp.”

  Faren shrugged. “The old ones used to sleep in the ground all the time, Val. We have become soft.”

  “That may be true but – OW!” He clapped his hand to his neck and stared at the blood on his fingers in disbelief. Violet had bit him hard with her tiny needle-like teeth and he turned his head and glared at the pixie.

  “What the hell, bug?”

  She yanked on his hair and pointed to the stage again.

  He glanced up to see the auctioneer holding his hands up. “Now, gents, before we go any further, I feel I should be truthful. Although the front of her is - how do I say this - pleasing to the eye, she does have a bit of scarring on her back. It was probably put there from her last master. Although I dare say she did one of the markings herself. The foolish human tried to protect herself from us with this!
”

  He swung the woman around and all of the air was sucked from Val’s lungs. The woman’s back was marred with scars and there was no mistaking the scar of the cross on her lower back.

  The woman about to be sold was Abigail.

  Chapter 2

  Violet, her wings fluttering violently, flew off of Val’s shoulder towards the stage. Quickly, Val reached out and snagged her tiny leg. She turned and glared at him, struggling to free herself, as he pulled her back towards him.

  “Not yet, bug.” He whispered fiercely.

  She ignored him and continued to struggle as Faren watched with interest.

  “Bug!” Val hissed at her. “You cannot help her! Be still for a moment and let me think!”

  She stared at his face for a moment and then relaxed. He dropped her back on to his shoulder as he stared at Abigail.

  The auctioneer had turned her forward again and Val watched as he grabbed her hair and yanked her head up. She stared vacantly into the crowd as Val’s pulse thudded in his veins. Her hair was longer now, it trailed nearly to her waist and she had lost weight. Her formerly round belly was now flat and her breasts, while still full, were smaller. Her face had lost its fullness and her arms and legs were thick with muscle.

  She continued to stare vacantly into the crowd as the auctioneer called for more bids.

  “Faren, how much money do you have?” Val muttered.

  Faren shrugged. “About sixty in gold. Why?”

  Val cursed softly. The price for Abigail had already gone over a hundred pieces of gold and he didn’t have a hope of winning the bidding war for her.

  Faren stared at Abigail for a moment and then back at Val. “What? Now you want to buy a human pet?”

  Val didn’t reply and Faren shook his head. “What has gotten into you, Val?”

  “Shut up goddammit!” Val hissed.

  He watched as a tall and powerful looking vampire stood up from the back of the room. “Three hundred!” He shouted loudly.