by Amanda Kay
Copyright
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events or persons, living or dead are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names or featured names are assumed to be the property of their respective owners and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or in part, mechanically or electronically, constitutes a copyright violation.
Published in the United States of American in May 2014; Copyright 2014 by Amanda Kay.
The right of the Authors Name to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by them in accordance with The Copyright, Designs and Patent Act of 1988.
Self-Published by Amanda Kay
Cover art by Cover Me, Darling
Interior formatting and design by Amanda Kay/Brenda Wright
Copyright 2014 © Amanda Kay
Language: English
This book is intended for a mature audience of eighteen and older
Dedication
To my husband. You are truly my Prince Charming.
And I am so amazed that’s it’s already been almost seven years since we said “I do”.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Prologue
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
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
To my parents and my family you know how much I love you and how much your support has meant to me. To my husband, thank you for not only loving me, our daughter and son, but loving this country enough to serve it you are my hero.
The blogging community without you indie authors like myself would never see the light of day. I am grateful for all you do.
To fabulous writers/authors I have gotten to chat with and get to know over the last few months. I am grateful for everything.
To my Beta Readers thank you for taking the time to read this book not once, but twice. I am beyond excited to release it to the world.
To my PA Jen. I love you, thank you so much for all the hard work you have done. Without you I don’t think I could do this.
To my street team. My Fairies are the best and I appreciate all you do in getting my name out there.
To an amazing editor Brenda who took a chance on a new genre for me. I am so happy to have found you. Here’s to a busy schedule.
And finally to my readers, I would not have made it without you. I am so thankful for you and so thrilled to bring you this first book in The Search Series.
She was standing by a small white car, just outside his house. He didn’t care how she ended up there, just that she had. She looked so completely lost and so fucking adorable. He knew just looking at her once that he wanted to make her his. No, that is wrong. Not wanted to make her his, needed to make her his, without a shadow of a doubt in his mind.
She definitely wasn’t from around here. He would have seen her before if she had been. Hell, he probably would’ve been off the market ages ago if she lived there. “Raiden, what are you looking at?” He snapped his head from the window back to his bed. Damn it all to hell, why did he bring Gloria home last night? She had been trying to get into his bed for the last year and half and now that she had, it was time for her to leave.
“You got your fuck, Gloria. You can leave now,” he hissed and refocused his attention to the window.
She was now sitting on a bench just outside the gate of his house. Actually, it was more like a castle. He didn’t really care, it was a place to live and place to bed countless women. At least that was the way he used to look at it, but looking at her, whoever she was, he now only wanted to ever bed one woman there again, her. It looked as though she was writing, maybe a journal or diary. He couldn’t tell from his window, but he sure as hell had every intention of finding out.
“Baby, come back to bed,” she whined, did she think that was attractive, because it sure as hell wasn’t. His head snapped from the window again. She was interrupting his gawking at the mystery woman he had to meet. The woman his head and his heart were screaming at him to meet. Instinctively, he knew she was going to be his soul-mate. He didn’t know how he knew, but he was going to listen to his heart.
“Gloria, I believe I told you to leave,” he hissed again, not taking his attention from her this time till she actually got off his damn bed and out of his house. Shit, what more did she want? She got what she had wanted for the last year and half, now she needed to get the hell out.
She glared at him but pushed herself off the bed and bent to retrieve her clothes. He watched her, she was beautiful, but she was a bitch. Not something he wanted in his life for more than a night. He crossed his arms and waited while she dressed. She was moving so slowly. Oh hell!
“Hurry up, Gloria. You need to get lost.” He snapped leaning against the wall next to the window. They usually didn’t spend the night but he was so trashed last night that when he finished fucking her, he passed out. He was paying the price for that now.
“You know you can be a real jackass, Raiden?” she spit out. Wasn’t anything he didn’t already know so it didn’t bother him one bit, in fact, it brought out his attitude.
“Yeah, been told that once or twice,” his cockiness fully apparent in his voice.
“Seriously Raiden, you know I was the best lay you’ve had in a while. I know who you’ve slept with.” She was pissing him off. His reputation wasn’t a secret, but her shit-don’t-stink-attitude always ticked him off. It was one of the reasons he put off bedding her for as long as he did. Last night he had a weak moment and she ended up in his bed. She got what she wanted, and he got what his cock needed. Now things were done between them. It wasn’t until he spotted her out his window that he started questioning his own reputation.
“Look, Gloria, you got what you wanted. I won’t deny you gave me what I needed, but this is nothing more than last night. Now I won’t tell you again, get out of my damn house!” The glare in her eyes told him she understood this time. She wasn’t happy about it but he didn’t care.
She exited his room rather hastily and he returned to stare out his window. Thank goodness she was still there, and from the looks of it, still writing. What was she writing? Who was she? These questions and so many more he wanted to find the answers to, including finding out her name. As she scribbled in her book, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sorrow for her. What had brought her here of all places? Was she running from something? Was she here with someone? He hoped the answer to the last question was a big fat hell no. But even though he didn’t have the greatest of views from his window he could tell that she was pretty. If someone had let her go they were a fool and sure as hell was not getting her back without him putting up a fight for her. And he would f
ight for her.
“Another one, Raiden, really?” He turned to find his dad leaning against the entrance to his room.
“I know, dad. Trust me though, you didn’t want any of them for a daughter-in-law. Especially the one who just left. She’s a bitch, majorly.”
“I hope I don’t need to remind you what is at stake, Raiden.” He was a mixture of sad and angry. Raiden knew why and he felt guilty but none of those women deserved the life that would be given to them. They would take it for granted; they would take him for granted. Raiden would be able to give someone the world, so that girl needed to deserve it.
Yes, ninety percent of the time he was a complete jackass to the women he slept with, but it was only because they were bitches and deserved the treatment they got when he was done screwing them. He was holding out for the one till then, the rest were fillers and he always felt there was no use in stringing them along. It was that attitude that made him a jackass to most women, but none of it would matter when he found the one he wanted to romance.
His eyes twisted back towards the window and the lost looking woman on the bench. She was worthy. She was worthy of everything. He knew that with every fiber of his being that she was meant to be the one. Her sitting out there in front of his house was fate’s way of telling him that. He was going to stop at nothing now. He nodded his head and locked eyes with his dad.
“Don’t worry, I found her.” ‘Hell yeah I found her.’
Tai
To the world,
So yeah, I have landed. The place I ended up in after landing and driving for a time was a town named Aishan. It’s a pretty place, not a huge place, but a pretty one and very peaceful. Which is, of course, what I was in search of. Now if I could find Prince Charming. Ha! I know he doesn’t exist. If Jordan taught me anything, he taught me that. But I think I can at least find peace here and that was the point of it all, right? To find peace and start over. Get away from the hell that was my life back at home. Who knows, maybe I’ll find more than I am hoping for and then again, maybe I’ll find just enough. My life is what it is and it’s time to stand up and make the most of it. I don’t want to continue to be dragged down by the recent events in my life. It’s time to move forward, world, and I am going to do just that.
~Tai
She had left home to find herself. And sitting on this bench writing in her journal staring at an amazing looking house, she knew this location would bring her peace. When she landed in the foreign country on a six-month visa. She was hoping to find adventure. She rented a car and just drove when she saw a sign that said entering Aishan. Something about the name spoke to her. The adventure would start here she had found it. It wasn’t going to be the end, just the beginning. Everything about this place screamed peaceful serenity, the perfect place to begin her personal journey of finding herself.
She wasn’t looking for a relationship. No, after the one that just ended, it wasn’t happening again for a while. She needed her own life now, she needed to stand on her own two feet. She allowed herself to be captured by the events surrounding her the past month. She allowed herself to drown in emotions from things she couldn’t control. No more! She was going to be stronger, determined and she was going to put the past behind her. Life wasn’t something one should take for granted. She didn’t realize till this past month that she had been doing just that. She was letting the situation with Jordan and her parents dictate every emotion she had felt the past month. No more, she needed to be independent now. One day she would find real love, something she thought she had already found. She knew the reality now. She thought Jordan was her fairy tale, her happily ever after and instead he turned into her nightmare.
To the world,
One more entry for now, world. I know one day happiness will find me.
“If you’re next in line for Raiden, heed this warning; he isn’t Prince Charming.” The female face startled Tai. She looked up from her journal.
“I’m sorry?” She hoped she looked as confused as she felt. Who was this woman and who was Raiden?
“Raiden, he lives there,” she said signaling to the house. He and dad pretty much run this town.” She was clearly perplexed at the fact that Tai didn’t already know this information. Clearly, she didn’t realize Tai was not from around there.
“I just got to town. I’m on a self-discovery mission. The house was pretty and I was tired of driving, so I took a break.” Tai explained.
“Ah, I see, well then heed this warning; stay away, he isn’t the kind of guy that settles down. He screws your brains out, which is amazing, of course, but then he turns into a complete asshole when he decides he’s finished with you,” she spat out at Tai. Clearly this woman wanted more than what Raiden offered. However, it occurred to Tai she sounded like she knew exactly what would happen before she slept with him, so she couldn’t feel too bad for her. It was actually quite comical.
“Noted,” Tai chuckled. The scorned woman huffed at Tai’s humor and stormed off. Tai’s attention went to the house briefly before shaking her head with a small laugh and returning her thoughts to her journal. Something she had recently started doing. It was step one in her road to self-discovery and she had to admit it did feel freeing. She could write whatever, and not have to worry about others’ opinions on it. Yes, definitely something that freed her from her cluttered head.
Okay, so as peaceful as this place seems, it is not going to lack on entertainment. That was the strangest encounter I think I have ever had. Although I could get use to watching the drama happen to someone else for a change, Raiden sounds like a playboy and no doubt was easy on the eyes judging from the beauty of the woman who had stormed out of his house. I know my place in this world. Jordan always told me I was adorable or cute never pretty or beautiful, so that girl had nothing to worry about I won’t even be worth a second look for Raiden’s eyes. As sad as that sounds world I know it’s the truth. Anyhow world, I digress. I’m tired and in need of a hot shower, some food, and a bed. Perhaps it’s time to find a hotel. See you soon, world.
~Tai
Most of the women he came in contact with described him as sultry and sexy. He never lacked a woman in his bed. With a snap of his finger, he could have a line of women outside his bedroom. On the outside he seemed normal. But normal he isn’t. He’s a prince, but above that, is a vampire. He isn’t a typical vampire in that he lives life normally, goes out during the day and most people under him and father don’t know the truth about his family. The only thing they know is that he and his family are wealthy and pretty much own the town. Raiden prefers people to think just that, his secrets are his and his alone. One day he might find someone he wants to share everything with. For now though, he hasn’t found anyone who deserved to know the whole truth.
His search for his soul-mate might be coming to an abrupt end, however. There has recently been a major change in his life though his father needs to step down sooner than expected due to an illness. Raiden and his family are a special kind of vampire, in that they are not immune to human illnesses and death. This is due to the choices they have made. It claimed his mother only a year ago when she discovered she had a terminal illness that was so far advanced nothing could be done with even the best doctors money could buy. He missed her every day and knew she wanted him to find ‘the one.’ However, if things didn’t shape up or rather he shape up he would never find her and instead be forced to marry his best friend who was like a sister to him, Bethany. And while a marriage to her wouldn’t be a bad one, it wasn’t what either of them truly wanted.
They aren’t the only vampire family in the region; they are just the ones in control. There is one vampire family in their area who has been fighting for control and they have made it known they won’t rest till they are the ones in power. The Lukas Family would take over if Raiden wasn’t engaged in six months, due to his father’s failing health. His dad gave him three months to find someone he could love, before they would arrange a bride for him. Well it was arrange
d, it had been arranged for a while now, the change was he now had a timeline to follow. He agreed to it because of the importance of the situation his family was in they couldn’t let the Lukas family have their seat because they would destroy the half breed society that Raiden and his dad over saw.
Raiden was full vampire, but was able to live amongst society as a human. The members of their clan weren’t all full vampire, this was due to interbreeding with humans, something that never bothered his dad or him. Because of this, it cursed them a bit and they were subject to human fallacies. It was something they accepted as their fate but if the Lukas family took over then half of their society would be killed off in an extermination project that they had been itching for. It was such a big desire for them that the family wanted for years and years, they never understood Raiden and his dad’s attitude. They felt everything should be pure, but that wasn’t a shared opinion amongst Raiden and his dad, as well as some other vampire families in the area. So yeah, the Lukas family was rooting for Raiden to fail in his search, which was ultimately why Raiden agreed to the arranged engagement and then marriage after three months if he didn’t find his own bride.
He hated the idea of it but it was the only way to protect their society from the Lukas family. “I understand, dad, and I’m willing to accept your terms,” Raiden said seated in his dad’s study discussing the future.
“Raiden, I don’t want it to come to that.” He was defeated, he wanted Raiden’s happiness. He didn’t want to force a bride on Raiden but there would be no choice in six months if he wasn’t engaged the Lukas family would assume power. It was something Raiden understood as something that could not happen under any circumstance. He wanted the chance to find what his parents had. But he was also ready to assume his responsibility no matter the sacrifice he would have to make. He knew that his dad wanted him to be able to live life with his soul-mate, whoever she may be, but he would force his hand if Raiden allowed it to get to that point. Raiden understood this, and while it sucked, he accepted it without a fight.