The Black Dagger Brotherhood Novels 1-4
Page 122
“I’m right here.”
The deep voice drifted in from a darkened room, and Zsadist glanced to the left as a huge male with a cane—
Shit. Oh…shit. This was so not happening.
The Reverend. Bella’s brother was that mohawked, violet-eyed, hard-ass drug dealer…who, according to Phury, was at least half symphath.
What a flipping nightmare. Technically the Brotherhood should be running his ass out of town. Instead Z was looking to mate into the guy’s family. God, did Bella even know what her brother was? And not just the drug-dealer part…
Z glanced at her. Probably not, his instincts told him. On both accounts.
“Rehvenge, this is…Zsadist,” she said.
Z looked at the male again. The pair of deep purples staring back at him were unwavering, but beneath the calm there was a flicker of the same kind of holy hell that Z was feeling. Man… exactly how was all this going to play out?
“Rehv?” Bella murmured. “Um…Zsadist?”
The Reverend smiled coolly. “So, are you going to mate my sister now that you’ve knocked her up? Or is this just a social call?”
The two females let out gasps, and Zsadist felt his eyes flash black. As he pointedly drew Bella to his side, he itched to bare his fangs. He was going to do his best not to embarrass anyone, but if flyboy with the mouth peeled off any more one-liners like that, Z was going to drag Bella’s brother outside and beat an apology out of him for upsetting the ladies.
He was damn proud of himself when he only hissed a little. “Yeah, I am going to mate her. You drop the tough act, civilian, and we might invite you to the ceremony. Otherwise you’re off the list.”
The Reverend’s eyes flared. But then he abruptly laughed. “Easy, there, brother. Just want to make sure my sister is taken care of.”
The male put his hand out. Zsadist met the big palm halfway.
“That’s brother-in-law, to you. And she will be, don’t you worry about that.”
Epilogue
Twenty months later…
Oh…the agony. This training was going to kill him. Sure, he wanted to get into the Brotherhood, or at least be one of their soldiers, but how could anyone survive this?
As time was finally called, the new pretransition candidate sagged because the class on hand-to-hand was finally over. But he didn’t dare show any more weakness than that.
Like all the trainees he was terrified and in awe of their teacher, a great, scarred warrior, a full member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Rumors abounded about the male: that he ate lessers after he killed them; that he murdered females for sport; that his scars were his doing just because he liked pain….
That he’d killed recruits for making mistakes.
“Hit the showers,” the warrior said, his deep voice filling the gym. “Bus is waiting for you. We start tomorrow, four sharp. So sleep up good tonight.”
The trainee ran out with the others and was grateful to hit the showers. God… At least the rest of his class were just as relieved and sore. They were all like cows at this point, just standing under the spray, barely blinking, stupid from exhaustion.
Thank the good Virgin, he wouldn’t have to go back onto those godforsaken blue mats for another sixteen hours.
Except as he went to put on his street clothes, he realized he’d forgotten his sweatshirt. With a cringe he shot down the hall and sneaked back into the gym….
The trainee stopped dead.
The teacher was across the way, shirtless and sparring with a punching bag, his nipple rings flashing as he danced around his target. Dear Virgin in the Fade… He bore the marks of a blood slave, and scars ran all the way down his back. But, man, he could move. He had incredible strength and agility and power. Deadly. Very deadly. Totally deadly.
The trainee knew he should leave, but he was unable to look away. He’d never seen anything snap out so fast or strike so hard as the male’s fists. Obviously, the rumors about the instructor were all true. He was a flat-out killer.
With a metal clank, a door opened at the other end of the gym, and the sound of a newborn’s cries echoed up into the high ceiling. The warrior stopped in midpunch and wheeled around as a lovely female carrying a young in a pink blanket came over to him. His face softened, positively melted.
“Sorry to bother you,” the female said over the wailing. “But she wants her daddy.”
The warrior kissed the female as he took the small young into his heavy arms, cradling the newborn against his bare chest. The baby girl reached her tiny hands up and around his neck, then settled into his skin, calming instantly.
The warrior turned and looked across the mats, pegging the new trainee with a level stare. “Bus is coming soon, son. You better hurry.”
Then he winked, and he turned away, putting his hand on the female’s waist, pulling her close to him, kissing her again on the mouth.
The recruit stared at the warrior’s back, seeing what had been hidden by all that vicious movement. Over some of his scars there were two names in the Old Language in his skin, one on top of the other.
Bella… And Nalla.
Praise for J. R. Ward and her novels
“J. R. Ward’s unique band of brothers is to die for. I love this series!”
—Suzanne Brockmann, New York Times bestselling author of Into the Storm
Lover Awakened
“Best new series I’ve read in years! Tautly written, wickedly sexy, and just plain fun. Now here’s a band of brothers who knows how to show a girl a good time.”
—Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author of Gone
“Lover Awakened is utterly absorbing and deliciously erotic. I found myself turning pages faster and faster—and then I wished I hadn’t, because there was no more to read! The Brotherhood is the hottest collection of studs in romance, and I can’t wait for the next one!”
—USA Today bestselling author Angela Knight
Lover Eternal
“Ward wields a commanding voice perfect for the genre, and readers new to the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood should hold on tight for an intriguing, adrenaline-pumping ride featuring a race of warrior vampires who fill enemies with terror and women with desire. Like any good thrill ride, the pace changes with a tender story of survival and hope and leaves readers begging for more. Fans of L. A. Banks, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Sherrilyn Kenyon will add Ward to their must-read list.”
—Booklist
“[An] extremely intense and emotionally powerful tale…. Ward’s paranormal world is, among other things, colorful, dangerous, and richly conceived…. Intricate plots and believable characters.”
—Romantic Times (Top Pick)
Dark Lover
“It’s not easy to find a new twist on the vampire myth, but Ward succeeds beautifully. This dark and compelling world is filled with enticing romance as well as perilous adventure. With myriad possibilities to choose from, the Black Dagger Brotherhood series promises tons of thrills and chills.”
—Romantic Times (Top Pick)
“A dynamite new Vampire series—delicious, erotic, and thrilling! J. R. Ward has created a wonderful cast of characters, with a sexy, tormented, to-die-for hero…. A fabulous treat for romance readers!”
—Nicole Jordan, New York Times bestselling author of Fever Dreams: A Novel
“J. R. Ward has a great style of writing, and she shines…. You will lose yourself in this world; it is different, creative, dark, violent, and flat-out amazing…If you read only one paranormal this year, make it Dark Lover.”
—All About Romance
“An awesome, instantly addictive debut novel. It’s a midnight whirlwind of dangerous characters and mesmerizing erotic romance. The Black Dagger Brotherhood owns me now. Dark fantasy lovers, you just got served.”
—Lynn Viehl, author of Dark Need
Novels in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series
by J. R. Ward
Dark Lover
Lover Eternal
Lover Revealed
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Copyright © Jessica Bird, 2007
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Dedicated to: You.
Man, you had me at Hard-ass, you really did.
But then there was your Here’s looking at you, kid…
Mad love to you.
With immense gratitude to the readers
of the Black Dagger Brotherhood
and a shout out to the Cellies—
what couch are we on now?
Thank you so very much:
Karen Solem, Kara Cesare, Claire Zion, Kara Welsh.
Thank you, Cap’n Bunny a.k.a. the Pink Beast and PythAngie the Pitbull Mod—seriously, Dorine and Angie, you take such good care of me.
Thank you to the Party of Four: MFN hugs…M-F-N hugs. Don’t know what I would do without you.
To DLB: Remember ya mummy loves you. Always. To NTM: The thing I love most about you-know-where is…you. I’m just so lucky to know you.
As always, with thanks to my Executive Committee: Sue Grafton, Dr. Jessica Andersen, Betsey Vaughan. And with much respect to the incomparable Suzanne Brockmann.
With love to my Boat, my family, and my writer friends.
Glossary of Terms and Proper Nouns
ahvenge v. Act of mortal retribution, carried out typically by a male loved one.
Black Dagger Brotherhood pr n. Highly trained vampire warriors who protect their species against the Lessening Society. As a result of selective breeding within the race, Brothers possess immense physical and mental strength as well as rapid healing capabilities. They are not siblings for the most part, and are inducted into the Brotherhood upon nomination by the Brothers. Aggressive, self-reliant, and secretive by nature, they exist apart from civilians, having little contact with members of the other classes except when they need to feed. They are the subjects of legend and the objects of reverence within the vampire world. They may be killed only by the most serious of wounds, e.g., a gunshot or stab to the heart, etc.
blood slave n. Male or female vampire who has been subjugated to serve the blood needs of another. The practice of keeping blood slaves has largely been discontinued, though it has not been outlawed.
the Chosen pr n. Female vampires who have been bred to serve the Scribe Virgin. They are considered members of the aristocracy, though they are spiritually rather than temporally focused. They have little or no interaction with males but can be mated to Brothers at the Scribe Virgin’s direction to propagate their class. They have the ability to prognosticate. In the past, they were used to meet the blood needs of unmated members of the Brotherhood, but that practice has been abandoned by the Brothers.
cohntehst n. Conflict between two males competing for the right to be a female’s mate.
Dhunhd pr n. Hell.
doggen n. Member of the servant class within the vampire world. Doggen have old, conservative traditions about service to their superiors, following a formal code of dress and behavior. They are able to go out during the day, but they age relatively quickly. Life expectancy is approximately five hundred years.
the Fade pr n. Nontemporal realm where the dead reunite with their loved ones and pass eternity.
First Family pr n. The king and queen of the vampires and any children they may have.
ghardian n. Custodian of an individual. There are varying degrees of ghardians, with the most powerful being that of a sehcluded female, known as a whard.
glymera n. The social core of the aristocracy, roughly equivalent to Regency England’s ton.
hellren n. Male vampire who has been mated to a female. Males may take more than one female as mate.
leahdyre n. A person of power and influence.
leelan adj.; n. A term of endearment loosely translated as “dearest one.”
Lessening Society pr n. Order of slayers convened by the Omega for the purpose of eradicating the vampire species.
lesser n. De-souled human who targets vampires for extermination as a member of the Lessening Society. Lessers must be stabbed through the chest in order to be killed; otherwise they are ageless. They do not eat or drink and are impotent. Over time, their hair, skin, and irises lose pigmentation until they are blond, blushless, and pale-eyed. They smell like baby powder. Inducted into the society by the Omega, they retain a ceramic jar thereafter, into which their heart was placed after it was removed.
lheage n. A term of respect used by a sexual submissive to refer to her dominant.
mahmen n. Mother. Used both as an identifier and a term of affection.
mhis n. The masking of a given physical environment; the creation of a field of illusion.
nalla (f.) or nallum (m.) n. Beloved.
needing period n. Female vampire’s time of fertility, generally lasting for two days and accompanied by intense sexual cravings. Occurs approximately five years after a female’s transition and then once a decade thereafter. All males respond to some degree if they are around a female in her need. It can be a dangerous time, with conflicts and fights breaking out between competing males, particularly if the female is not mated.
newling n. A virgin.
the Omega pr n. Malevolent, mystical figure who has targeted the vampires for extinction out of resentment directed toward the Scribe Virgin. Exists in a nontemporal realm and has extensive powers, though not the power of creation.
phearsom adj. Term referring to the potency of a male’s sexual organs. Literal translation something close to “worthy of entering a female.”
princeps n. Highest level of the vampire aristocracy, second only to members of the
First Family or the Scribe Virgin’s Chosen. Must be born to the title; it may not be conferred.
pyrocant n. Refers to a critical weakness in an individual. The weakness can be internal, such as an addiction, or external, such as a lover.
rythe n. Ritual manner of assuaging honor granted by one who has offended another. If accepted, the offended chooses a weapon and strikes the offender, who presents him-or herself without defenses.
the Scribe Virgin pr n. Mystical force who is counselor to the king as well as the keeper of vampire archives and the dispenser of privileges. Exists in a nontemporal realm and has extensive powers. Capable of a single act of creation, which she expended to bring the vampires into existence.
sehclusion n. Status conferred by the king upon a female as a result of a petition by the female’s family. Places the female under the sole direction of her whard, typically the eldest male in her household. Her whard then has the legal right to determine all manner of her life, restricting at will any and all interactions she has with the world.
shellan n. Female vampire who has been mated to a male. Females generally do not take more than one mate due to the highly territorial nature of bonded males.
symphath n. Subspecies within the vampire world characterized by the ability and desire to manipulate emotions in others (for the purposes of an energy exchange), among other traits. Historically, they have been discriminated against and during certain eras hunted by vampires. They are near to extinction.