by Ella Stone
“This is not the same as that. I am not the same as those men.”
“Why? Because you’ve fallen out of love with me?”
“What? No!”
Before he could think what he was doing, he had crossed the room and taken hold of her hands. He dropped them in an instant, but her gasp said it all.
“Calin, what’s happened to you?”
He backed away and returned to the fire and the safety of its warmth.
“I am not the man you knew. I don’t even think I’m a man anymore. I don’t know what I am.” He turned away.
Red and orange flames flickered, as the fire crackled and spat. Breaking wood sent sparks up into the air.
He turned back to her. ‘What do you believe in?’ he asked.
“What do I believe in?”
“Yes. Do you believe in God?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then, in that case, you must believe in the Devil too? And in the Devil’s servants that walk among us?”
“Calin, please, you are making no sense. I’m your wife. You just have to tell me the truth.”
She moved slowly, as if she was attempting to corner a feral animal. Her hand reached out towards him. In an instant, he had darted across the room, faster than her eyes could follow.
“How?” Her jaw dropped. The colour drained from her cheeks but, still, she moved towards him. Backing him against the curtains.
“Please, Ruth. I shouldn’t have come here.”
“Yes, you should. This is where you belong. You belong here, with me.”
She took another step forward. Her heart was steady now, a constant throb. How could she be so calm? His own body was twitching, hackles rising with the fear of what might happen next. She lifted her hand to his cheek.
“Ruth…”
“It’s fine. You are safe.”
“No!”
It was a snap decision that he wasn’t even conscious of making. But there it was, out in the open. Two fangs, glistening in the firelight.
“Dear Lord.” Her hand flew to her mouth.
Regret flooded through him. He could see it all in her eyes—the confusion, then the terror, the disgust. Unable to bear looking at her, he bowed his head. A moment later, a surge of warmth flooded through his cheek.
“Calin…” This time she didn’t recoil at the cold as she touched him. Her hand remained there, the warmth of her flesh seeping into him, soothing him. It was more than he could stand.
“Ruth—”
“Shh. You poor, poor thing. It’s okay now, my love. Whatever happened? Whatever they did to you, it’s okay. You’re home. I’m here.”
And then, for the first time since those first days on the front line, Calin cried, sobbing as he had not done since he’d been a small child. He buried his head against her chest, ignoring thoughts of his cold body pressed against her. He needed her warmth. He needed her scent. He needed all of her. Murmuring sweet nothings, she stroked his hair. It was intoxicating. And, beneath it all, that same steady beat of her heart.
“It’s okay, my love. You are home now. You are home.”
But he could no longer hear her voice. His mind was now fixed on the drumming of her pulse. The sound of the chambers of her heart opening and closing. His fangs were still out and his throat was dry, but he would not, could not, hurt her, he told himself. But, with each stroke of her hand, he could feel his determination slipping. His strength ebbing away.
Wordlessly, Ruth cupped his chin, moving his mouth to meet hers. He could have been drunk, the way the world slipped out from beneath him, as he felt her lips against his own. They moved slowly at first, then faster and with more urgency than ever before. He pulled her closer, grabbing fistfuls of her hair. Savouring the taste of her, his kisses traced along her jawline and down to the crook of her neck.
“Calin!” She broke away, her voice trembling, fear flashing in her eyes. But he didn’t care, with his hands still in her hair, he yanked her back towards him, returning his lips to her throat.
“Calin!” She snapped back, this time pushing her hands against his chest. “What are you doing? What the hell are you doing?”
Her hand flew to her neck, to where his lips had been. That was when he saw it—the trickle of blood seeping out from between her fingers. And he could smell the adrenaline. Like a rabbit, having just caught sight of the fox. His throat ached. Just a single drop. That was all he needed. If he could just taste that tiny bit of her…
Epilogue
He ran into the night, the sound of sobbing echoing behind him. Somehow, he had pulled himself away and moved faster than he ever had before. He didn’t hear the screams of the children or the shout of the drunk. All he felt was the wind against his skin.
When he reached the house, he rushed upstairs and packed a bag. He would tell Polidori they needed to go straight away. They could travel, skip Europe, and head straight to India. Africa. Asia. As far away as possible. That night he made himself the promise that he would never set foot on that island again. Not while there was any chance he could hurt her. Calin Sheridan would not return to London as long as Ruth was alive.
The End…
Dear reader
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While Son of a Vampire is not essential reading for the main series, when you read the full Dark Creatures saga you are going to get loads of little ah-ha moments as the tiny details click into place. If you would like to know more about the exciting up-coming series then head over to my Facebook page.
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Dark Creatures
He took everything from her. Now she’s determined to make him pay…
London. Narissa Knight is obsessed with revenge. For ten years, the twenty-five-year-old has hunted for the vampire that murdered her father. Desperate to put an end to her futile search, she resorts to offering herself up as a meal to the bloodsucker elite.
Garnering the attention of a handsome century-old Calin, she attempts to have him unwittingly aid her quest for vengeance. But as the lies and secrets begin piling up her quarry turns the tables, and Narissa finds herself confronting the most devastating secret of all…
Is the cost of retribution too high even for her?
Dark Creatures is the first book in the chilling Dark Creatures episodic urban fantasy saga. If you like brooding vampires, shocking reveals, and fast-paced action, then you’ll adore Ella Stone’s supernatural tale.
Buy Dark Creatures to drive a stake into the underworld today!
Pre-Order Dark Creatures today.
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About the Author
Ella Stone is a long term reader of urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels. The Dark Creatures Series is her highly anticipated step into that world as a writer.
Aside from imaging and writing about things that go bump in the night, she spends most of her time trying to appease her four cats.
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