Out of nowhere, someone grabbed me and before I knew it, I was being lifted into the air. It happened so fast, it was unlikely anyone near me had noticed a thing. I was flying through the night at such speeds that everything was a blur of motion.
Had this been nothing more than a ruse, to get me where he wanted, so he could then take what he needed from the Moon Witch?
There was a flicker of fear in my heart, but it was quickly doused by the total and complete love I felt for him. I knew then that I would give up my life, so that I would never have to feel the pain of living without him.
With me in his arms, Marcus sailed through the sky, for what seemed like forever, before I felt our motion slow. We were almost floating to the ground.
At first, I was too disoriented to take in my surroundings, but as the world stopped spinning, I saw that we were on a beach, somewhere on the eastern seashore.
That meant sunrise would come an hour sooner.
Once I’d gotten my bearings, I realized Marcus was no longer beside me. He was kneeling in the sand - gazing out at the sea.
“Why are we here Marcus?” I asked, though in my heart I already knew, at least I thought I did.
“The sea is so peaceful … so serene, don’t you think?” he asked, ignoring my question.
Falling to my knees beside him, I brushed long strands of flaxen hair from his face. “You don’t have to do this Marcus. We can find a way.”
“There is no way. It is my curse.”
“Look at me Marcus,” I pleaded.
Shaking his head, he growled. “If I look at you … I will kill you. To be this close to you, is dangerous.”
“Please try. You have to try!”
“Back off,” he barked, before scrambling a few feet away from me. Still, he would not turn in my direction.
There was no way I was giving up that easily. Defying him, I moved to his side again, but before I could say anything, he held up a hand to stop me.
“Each day I grow weaker. It is better for me to die, than to exist in eternal sleep. Then my soul will finally be free to go to the light.”
“You grow weaker because you are not feeding. Feed from me,” I said, offering my wrist to him.
He shook his head violently. “I am not strong enough. If I even start to feed from you … you will die. I can’t control it … and it is part of my curse.”
“Why did you bring me here then?” I asked.
“I want your face to be the last I see on this earth,” he whispered.
“I will die before I live without you,” I vowed.
For the first time since we’d come down on the beach, Marcus turned toward me, and I was instantly falling into those beautiful bright vampire eyes. At that moment, they were a contrast of fire and ice. Just the way he was looking at me, sent my heart racing, but at the same time, I felt as if I were being surrounded by the chill of the Nordic wind.
“Since the beginning of my existence in this hellish darkness … you have been the only light in my life. I have kept that light safe inside of me. I will not be the one to put out that light,” he said, his eyes never leaving mine.
“That’s what you came to Cookson Springs for … to find me.”
“I went to Cookson Springs to find the Moon Witch. You and the Moon Witch were the two people I needed most. One of you was my life … the other I must kill to save my life. How ironic that you turned out to be one in the same. This must be that cursed witch’s idea of a joke.”
The bitterness and sadness in his voice tore at my heart. Knowing that we had little time left, I said no more. Instead, I pressed my lips against his and opened my mouth, inviting the intimacy of his tongue. His kiss was full of passion, and an overwhelming hunger.
I was left gasping for breath when he pulled away.
“We can’t do this Star,” he whispered.
This time his eyes glistened with tears instead of hunger.
“Love can overcome the darkness. I just know it,” I insisted.
Marcus shook his head.
“Try it,” I urged. “Feed from me, and you will see that love is stronger.”
“You are fooling yourself,” he told me, before turning away.
Out of pure frustration, I pulled my hair to the side and place my beating artery near his lips. “Feed from me Marcus. Take from me what you need to live. Do it for me.”
The temptation was too great. As I felt the sting of his fangs sinking into my flesh, and my life essence slowly seeping away, I was suddenly thrown into a swirling mass of snow - ice and fire.
I saw Marcus as a child playing near the sea of the Norse country, I saw him running wild and free in the green grass of mid summer, and then the scene changed again. Now I saw the two of us, standing atop a hill in the Scottish Highlands. The vampire and the man came together, and they both loved me.
My eyes fluttered open. The first thing I saw was Marcus’s face painted with terror and self-loathing.
But I was still alive!
“Star!” My name slid from his lips like he were saying a prayer. He kissed me once again, this time the tenderness in his kiss, spread through me - covering me with warmth, like a soft down blanket in mid winter.
Slowly - sensually, he removed my clothes, and as he did, his hands worshipped my body with soft - gentle caresses.
This time when I felt him enter me and we came together, it was like ascending to heaven after an eternity of darkness.
I knew then, we would find a way. Light and love would overcome evil. It had to.
###
The Immortal Destiny Series
Get all four books of the Immortal Destiny Series in one collection.
Born to Darkness
Alec's music is as dark as his vampire kiss is deadly, but Nicole will risk everything, including her life, to love him.
Nicole Ashe is the average American girl, except that she happens to work for a vampire and doesn't realize it. But all that changes when her boss sends her to convince a local rock musician - heartthrob, to help them retrieve an ancient relic that could be the answer to the vampire's curse. Nicole soon discovers that Alec is a vampire ... and completely irresistible.
There is something about Nicole that stirs Alec's hunger nearly beyond control, but he would do anything to protect her ... even from himself.
Nicole is destined for a world of darkness that she cannot even begin to imagine, and love that can transcend eternity.
Night Breed
Born the daughter of a witch, Sarah is no stranger to magic. But when she meets an immortal, she quickly discovers that nothing can compare to the magic of being loved by a vampire.
Coming from a long line of powerful witches, the only thing Sarah has ever wanted is to have a normal life, but a normal life is not part of her destiny. She is one of the immortal sisters, and her fate is one of darkness. But within that darkness, she will discover a love that she could never have imagined.
While Nicole and the Light Seekers search for the two remaining sisters, Sarah is on her own and unaware that she is the target of an ancient and powerful vampire - a vampire that wants her dead.
Darrien is a cold and ruthless vampire. He kills without conscience, and is the perfect assassin to rid the ancients of the immortal sisters, but when he looks into Sarah's eyes, he is consumed with a fiery passion that not even his bloodlust can overcome.
Wolves & Black Roses
A love triangle is complicated enough, but when it involves a werewolf and a vampire, it can get downright scary.
Summer Gray Eagle's fate has always been tied to the immortal sisters, but in ways that she could never have imagined. College girls are dying in a series of bizarre murders. Summer is caught up in helping the police catch the killer when her girlhood crush shows up to take her home to her groom, and a prearranged marriage that she is set against. Summer has loved Anton since she was a young girl, and she is determined to entice him into falling in love with her long before she ever make
s it to the altar.
Unfortunately, Summer runs into a number of problems. Anton just happens to be a werewolf, and she is about to become the obsession of a gorgeous but sinister vampire. Summer is about to enter a world of passion and danger that will change her life forever.
Tears of the Vampire
Eternal love and unrelenting passion. This is what Kathrina finds in the arms of an ancient vampire. Unfortunately, dark and dangerous takes on a whole new meaning with this vampire lover, especially for Kathrina. He needs her blood.
Kathrina is the third immortal sister and she has possession of the Book of Anu, the journal of the world's oldest and most powerful vampire. While reading this journal she becomes obsessed with the vampire and determined to find out who he is, but she doesn't have to look far. The vampire is much closer than what she realizes. He has heard the calling of her blood and has come to claim what is his, but neither of them is prepared for the uncontrollable passion that is unleashed when they come together.
Kathrina is convinced that the information in the journal can help the immortal sisters defeat their uncle and win the final battle between good and evil, but what she doesn't know is that there is an evil at work that is far more powerful that anything she could ever have imagined. Their only hope may be her vampire lover and the secrets he has kept from the world since the dawn of mankind.
About the Author
Lorraine Kennedy is the author of the Immortal Destiny and Realm of the Wolf Series, as well as several novellas and short stories. Ms. Kennedy was born and raised in Utah but has lived in several different states. She attended Weber State University, majoring in Criminal Justice and Anthropology. Lorraine Kennedy and her family now make their home in Utah. You can get Lorraine Kennedy news by visiting her on the web at www.lorrainekennedy.com
Also by Lorraine Kennedy
Vampires 101
Immortal Destiny Series
Born to Darkness
Night Breed
Wolves and Black Roses
Tears of the Vampire
Skinwalkers Series
Bad Moon Rising
Witching the Wolf
Crimson Rush A Vampire Romance (Crimson Book 1) Page 18