by Martha Woods
Table of Contents
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Bonus Book 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Bonus Book 2
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
Bonus Book 3
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
BonuS Book 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
The Immortal’s Legacy
(Book 6 of Calder Witch Series)
Martha Woods
Contents
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1. Part One
2. Part Two
3. Part Three
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Bonus Book 1
The Alpha’s Return
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Bonus Book 2
The Vampire’s Desire
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
Bonus Book 3
Escaping the Demon's Trap
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Volume 4
Mysteries of a Vampire
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
© 2017 Martha Woods
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Part One
Veronica sat watching her brother from across the room. He was cross-legged on the couch, staring down at the hands in his lap; while Tessa was slouched against his side, asleep. It was taking her time to adjust back to their nocturnal schedule. But the more Veronica watched him, and the more all of it really sank in. This wasn’t the life Kristian should have anymore.
While being turned human had been shocking and worrisome at first, that was because they had been in the heart of the enemy at the time. It was then that the only thought on Veronica’s mind was if Kristian doesn’t get out of here, he’ll be crushed like a grape. After a week or so to resettle, the family choosing the West Virginia mountains for privacy as well as safety, and time to think, the more Veronica realized that it wasn’t a curse—but an opportunity. Veronica knew that Kristian was just taking time to enjoy the simple pleasures, such as food and sunshine. He would soon want to return to being a vampire, knowing that he would feel useless if things were to stir up between the vampires and the witches again. But, Veronica wasn’t sure she wanted that for her brother.
After watching for long enough, Veronica stood from her chair and walked over to him. She tapped his shoulder lightly to get his attention. His head tilted up, his emerald eyes immediately finding hers. She nodded toward the balcony for him to follow her. Veronica walked ahead as he managed to maneuver himself out from underneath Tessa without waking her. Sliding the door open, she walked out to the railing of the balcony. They had almost always chosen to hide in cities, thinking that in plain sight, with a blanket of normal people surrounding them would be the safest. Damn, had they been missing out on the true views of this country. A lush green forest completely surrounded them, with the silhouettes of the rocky mountain range just barely visible from the light of the full moon above. Stars completely covered the sky, being completely mesmerizing. “We haven’t seen a sky like this since before the Industrial Revolution,” she said to Kristian as he joined her side.
He let out a sigh and nodded, running a hand through his untamed chestnut hair. “Things were a lot simpler then, weren’t they?”
“They were,” Veronica agreed. “I feel like things were simple until Leticia…”
“Well, you can’t carry guilt about that, Ronnie,” Kristian said, resting a warm hand on his sister’s shoulder. Admittedly, hearing him call her that name again made her heart sang. Their relationship had been strained in recent years because of everything going on, and it made her feel as though they were finally back to getting along. Veronica tried her best to not l
et that sway her in any way.
“I know that… I know…” Veronica murmured, looking back out to the forest. “Just… part of me feels like that was the first domino to fall, you know? Leading us to this chaotic, dangerous life.”
“Being vampires always meant danger.”
Veronica wrung her wrists. Why was she having such a hard time saying what was on her mind? She had never struggled with telling him anything. Veronica had always been a forceful and blunt woman… It had to be that way because she didn’t exactly find it in her favor, but was what was best for him. At least in her opinion. “Exactly… And...” she began, but her voice instantly died off.
“Veronica,” Kristian articulated carefully. He could already tell something was going on. “Just tell me what is on your mind.”
She chewed on her lip and sucked in a deep, unnecessary breath. The best way to be just to come out with it, right? That was what she had always done. “Well, I’ve been thinking… I think… I think that maybe you should stay human. At least for a while.”
Once she worked up the nerve to glance over at him, Veronica saw his face carved into a look of confusion and shock. “What do you mean stay human? That’s just asking for me to get killed…”
“No, brother,” Veronica insisted, jutting her hands out and takings his in hers. “I mean to finally get away from this mess and have a normal life. I know it’s perhaps overrated in your mind, but to me it isn’t. You can have all the things you could never have as a vampire.”
Kristian’s brows scrunched together. “Don’t get me wrong, going out during the day and gorging myself on pizza and cake at night is great, but it isn’t that great. And in no situation would I want to leave the family behind.”
“Not even to have a child?”
The air between them fell deathly quiet. Veronica analyzed his face. It was as though the thought hadn’t crossed his mind, and centuries of longing and regret that he had buried deep within his very soul came to the surface. No vampire lived more than a couple of a decades without aching to know the feeling of being a parent. Kristian was no exception, not in the slightest. He was paralyzed by the realization that he could possibly have a child, staring at her, his face not moving whatsoever. Then, she could see the gears starting to turn in his head once again through the look in his eye. Kristian shook his head, turning back to look out at the forest. “I don’t want to just have a child by any means necessary, Veronica… A child deserves to have parents. Getting some poor woman knocked up and then just taking her child? That’s not right.”
“You could start over with this supposed woman.”
“No,” Kristian firmly stated, shaking his head. “I know you don’t care for her, or the things she has done, Veronica, but I do love Tessa despite it all…”
Veronica crossed her arms, “Do you love her enough to father a child of hers?”
“I don’t know, maybe at some point… We are just starting to rebuild our relationship… That seems like a lot to ask of someone. And she is a vampire…”
She did her best to keep calm. After all, Veronica couldn’t exactly lord over her brother’s love life—no matter how much she wanted to. Tessa had eternally burned Veronica with all her naïve mistakes, putting Kristian and their entire family in harm’s way. After so many mistakes, one had to question if they were actually mistakes, or just the actions of a selfish, thoughtless woman. With no concrete proof that anything Tessa did was ill intended, Veronica was forced to play along. If for nothing but the sake of Kristian’s happiness. The thought of that woman mothering her potential niece or nephew soured her, but if it was what Kristian wanted since she had now put the idea in his head, she could do nothing but try and be supportive.
“Not that I’m a fan of this idea,” Veronica mumbled. “But, if Bethany was able to turn you human… Then maybe there are some witches out there that could turn her human as well.” Kristian thought about it, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to mentally poke as many holes as he could into the notion. Veronica placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “Brother, I’m not trying to encourage you or discourage you in any direction. Just remember that this could potentially be your only time to do it. If you are going to stay with Tessa and are going to stay in the family, you’ll have to be turned back as soon as possible. Take some time, think over it, and try to come to a decision. Okay? No matter what happens, it’ll be for the best.”
He nodded and looked to her, “You’ve given me a lot to think about… Honestly, I had forgotten about the possibility of having children… Thanks, Ronnie.” Then, surprising her, he pulled her into a hug. They certainly loved one another dearly, but they never expressed it much. The embrace was welcomed, though, Veronica leaning into it and being careful not to squeeze him at all. It had been so long since she had touched a warm body, she had forgotten how nice it felt. Memories of them as children came rushing back to her within an instant, and then were gone when he pulled back. He then headed back inside. Veronica watched him through the glass as he very gingerly scooped Tessa off the couch and headed to their bedroom.
Another long exhale escaped her, closing her eyes and leaning down to rest her head against the railing. Veronica wasn’t one for religion, but she prayed things would turn around. For Kristian and Tessa, and their family as a whole. She knew Morgan had hopes that their location could be a stable one. Morgan had actually purchased the land with some stocks, which provided them with enough space to have the newborns in cabins isolated by themselves. If they did get to stay there, couples could build their own homes and have the privacy all of them had always wanted, but couldn’t get in the city. At least, until the Calder rebuilt. Apparently it could take up to a century for them to if they had to train a regular witch instead of someone from a High Priestess bloodline; according to what the Firehaven witches had shared with them before leaving. Veronica loved running the family, and thought she and Morgan did a decent job, but it was time for everyone to have a break. At least while they could.
* * *
Kristian leaned against the headboard while his fingers sifted through Tessa’s locks. He could feel himself always gravitating toward the single streak of white hair. He wasn’t sure if it was because it was new, or because he had some sort of ill feeling toward it. It was like a constant reminder of her time with the Calder. He did love her though, and knew that her time there was for the best. It helped her gain and control her Calder magic. He couldn’t help but think of Tessa as a wild stallion. She needed so much training and refinement to be contained enough to function. It was through no fault of her own, though. There was too much conflicting, powerful magic within her body, as well as insatiable cravings and strength from becoming a vampire. Then, the impulsiveness and naivety of her came from a complicated, stressful life that was the result of being dropped into the human world. A world that didn’t understand her gifts, and that would write her off as a schizophrenic—or depending on the crowd, a sideshow psychic. Before Kristian had stumbled upon her, Tessa had only looked out for herself. If she didn’t, no one else was going to. She had been alone in the world for as long as she could remember. Sure, she had gone through batches of parents, but they hadn’t understood her. If anything, they worsened the loneliness by making her feel like a freak, or a waste of life.
His fingers instinctively drifted across the skin of her back, where the wounds of the time spent with her foster parents once had been. Tessa shuffled slightly at his warm touch, but didn’t yet wake. Kristian let out a sigh. He was grateful to have been the one to heal her of those wounds, even if it didn’t erase the memories. Even to Kristian, it shocked him how the woman that had left him and sent him spiraling into an alcohol drenched depression, still managed to have such a grip on his heart. Hell, his heart had never been free of her clutch. It had hurt to have her vanish without a goodbye or explanation, and even worse to think that she had started to move on, but knowing everything now made him realize that it wasn’t a decision she had made
on her own. Bethany had pulled every trick from her sleeve to trick Tessa into going with her. Telling her they were half-sisters, using Tessa’s fear of hurting others, and even fucking enthrallment… How could Kristian be upset with her after knowing all that? It made him ache to think that Tessa was caring guilt over it, when it was practically out of her control. And for Veronica to stay so bitter toward her…
Oh, his mind was reeling. How long had he been awake? Kristian’s head tilted to look at the window, the curtain having a bright yellow hue from the afternoon light hitting the back of it. He sucked in a deep breath when he looked back to Tessa. How could he make the decision whether or not to have a child so soon after getting her back? If they were humans, it would have been the worst idea. Veronica was right, though. It was dangerous for him to stay human, so any decision he was going to make, had to be made soon. Was he a fool for even thinking it possible for Tessa and him to have a child? How would they even find a Calder witch willing to actually help them? A jolt of pain shot through his head before planting roots in his forehead, making him groan. What the hell was that? A headache, you idiot. Right, he was human, a fact that he was painfully aware of and yet seemed to catch him off-guard constantly.
She shuffled some more, his eyes falling back down to her. Her cheek nuzzled into his thigh, causing a thin grin to spread his lips. Tessa dawdled in the task of waking up. Her hands instantly went to her eyes, rubbing them aggressively to unblur her vision. Her mouth gaped as a long yawn sounded from her, her body stretching and sprawling across Kristian’s lap further. Finally, her warm coffee eyes looked up to him, a drowsy smile coming to her face at the sight of him. His heart thumped noticeably. Knowing how happy it made her to be back with him overjoyed him, proving to him that she never wanted to be away from him. “How long have you been awake?” she asked, her voice croaky from slumber.
He shrugged, “A while. Good afternoon to you too.”
“It’s already afternoon?” she gasped, her head falling backward to look at the clock on the wall next to the bed. A groan escaped her. “I will never get back into the nocturnal routine…”