Heart of a Vampire, Book Bundle (Books 1-3)

by Amber Kallyn

  “I know that.”

  “Perhaps. But do you understand it? She’s no simpering miss content to stay at home and sew while her man goes off to battle. She’s as much a warrior as you or I.”

  Connor stepped back as the weight of Jordan’s words hit him. The man was right, to a point. He hadn’t really considered how the person Ashlyn was now affected his hope for their future. But he would.

  None of it mattered, though. He loved her regardless she wasn’t the same sweet girl she’d once been. Perhaps, he loved her more, seeing the strength she now had.

  “Come,” Jordan said, turning to head back down the hall. “It’s time to meet the others.”

  Connor followed, finally glancing around, and asked, “Where the hell are we?”

  Jordan only laughed and began to backtrack.

  When they reached the receiving chamber, Ashlyn was already there, seated near the fire. Sean stood behind her, a hand on her shoulder. Both looked pissed.

  As Jordan entered behind Connor, Sean stepped forward. “What do you mean, putting my mom in danger like this? I’m the one who should be bait.”

  Ashlyn stood. “I told you, no.”

  He glared at her. “I’m not a child.”

  Her eyes softened. “I’m aware of that. But here, you’ll be safe.”

  “While you go out and face danger alone.”

  Connor spoke up. “She’ll be fine.” He’d damn well make sure of it.

  The boy turned his glare on Connor, and the force of it hit him deep. Magic made the air static and electricity crawled down his spine. He itched to reach for the sword strapped to his back as demon magic flowed from the boy.

  As quick as it came, it dissipated.

  Sean continued to glare at him though. “It’s my job to protect her.”

  Connor tilted his head. “Says who?”

  Jordan stepped between them, beckoning Sean to the large table with the map of the town. “Come. We’re all going to ensure she’s protected. I promise.”

  Sean finally moved to Jordan’s side.

  Connor stayed by the door, watching Ashlyn. She refused to meet his gaze, but he didn’t care. The fact she was here, so close, was enough. For now.

  He didn’t like the thought of using her as bait, but any protest was ignored. So he’d just have to keep her safe.

  As the others filed into the room, Sean came to his side. He stared into Connors eyes, a promise in his red-green gaze. “Take care of her. I don’t care if you’re a Judge, or my father. If she gets hurt, you’ll answer to me.”

  The boy headed for Ashlyn.

  Connor’s lips twitched, but he dared not smile as admiration filled him. For his son, the man Ashlyn had raised.

  She protected him like a she-bear, but he too protected her. Their loyalty to one another was heartfelt, their bond strong.

  And, he knew, he wanted to share in it. But as Jordan said, it would take time.

  Once this demon was destroyed, they’d have all the time in the world. He just needed to make sure Ashlyn let herself face that truth as well.

  As she stood, Sean hugged her tightly. She smiled at him, patting his cheek. “Everything will be fine.”

  Sean nodded, shooting Connor another glare.

  Ashlyn left the room, and Connor followed. At the door, she stopped. Without turning around, she said, “Don’t be too close. He’ll sense you.”

  “I won’t. I’ve done this before.” He fought the urge to reach out and stroke her flowing red curls. Then he stopped fighting. Her hair was soft as silk.

  She stiffened at his touch, silently leaving the house.

  Grinning at making her uncomfortable, he stepped outside and watched her head into the forest surrounding the castle. Behind him, Jordan and his men came out.

  “Ready?” Jordan asked.

  “Aye.” He was ready for anything.

  After giving her a two minute head start, he ran, flashing through the forest as he chased her towards town.

  They’d find the demon. Destroy him. Ashlyn and Sean would be safe from the monster hunting them.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ashlyn strode down the nearly empty sidewalk, watching the shadows. They’d planned to do this in the middle of the night, hoping most people would be in bed asleep, and out of danger.

  She was surprised how many were still up at midnight. Did no one have anything better to do?

  Disgruntled, she headed for the center of town, sorting the scents in the crisp air. She caught the oppressive, rotten odor of demons a few times, but so light they were untraceable.

  Every so often, she heard or smelled those following and watching her, but both Jordan’s and the sheriff’s men were good.

  Connor on the other hand, she couldn’t get out of her mind. He’d touched her hair, almost petting her, before she’d left. It was as if he needed the physical connection.

  It... disturbed her, to say the least.

  Shaking her head, she entered a nice, dark alley and let her eyes adjust to the dimness, and to the sensations of magic from the earth beneath her feet.

  She fingered the dirk at her waist as the night darkened further.

  “Ah, my dear,” a gravelly voice whispered from the night.

  She spun, searching the shadows, but saw nothing. Her mouth dried and her stomach churned at the thought of facing the monster who’d held her for so long, inflicting any torture his depraved mind could conjure.

  As the memory of her son’s screams filled her mind, she clenched tight to her courage and grabbed hold of the magic in the air.

  “Come on, Laroche. Don’t you want me?” she whispered hoarsely.

  The night grew deathly silent, as if she’d walked into a vacuum void of life.

  Something touched the back of her neck, so soft it could have been her imagination. She spun, ripping the dirk from her belt and one of the swords from her back.

  No one was there.

  It came again, on her upper arm. She whirled, slashing with her sword. It met empty air.

  “More games, Laroche?”

  Pain ripped down her back where the demon’s scratches were still healing. Warmth oozed over her skin. Blood.

  “I do love my games. And you’re so fun to play with.”

  Slashes stung across her cheek. She raised her weapons, but still... nothing.

  “Where the hell are you?” she demanded, moving to put her back against the nearest wall.

  “Oh, you’ll see me soon enough.”

  The light touch came again, on her right wrist. Her arm exploded with agony as the snapping of her bone filled the silence.

  She screamed, her sword clattering to the ground. Frantically, her gaze darted along the alley.

  What new magic was this? He wasn’t here, yet he was able to touch her.

  The sensation drifted over her jaw, her neck, down her chest. She shuddered as disgust filled her.

  Pain knifed deep into her chest, above her heart. She screamed, unable to contain it, as fire burst deep inside her.

  “You’ll come to me, or I’ll take everything you have,” Laroche whispered.

  She felt his breath whisper over her ear, but was still alone.

  How could she fight such magic when she didn’t understand it?

  She tried to call her own power, to draw from the earth, ignoring the fiery agony ripping through her. It was a struggle, but light sparked as her magic filled the night. She searched for the connection to Laroche. Found it.

  Sent her magic hurtling through the air towards him.

  He cursed as she forced him away.

  As quick as the silence came, it filled with shouts. Jordan called orders to his men.

  With a thump, Connor landed on the ground in front of her. His eyes were dark with rage. The predatory snarl and fangs would have driven even those with a stout heart running for safety.

  Her panic dimmed.

  He was here. Laroche couldn’t touch her again. Not now.

  Her
vision wavered as pain roared up her arm and into her shoulder, as if the demon heard her thought and was showing her how wrong she was.

  “Baby,” Connor whispered, gently lifting her into his arms and holding her to his chest. His heartbeat thumped beneath her ear so fast she feared it might explode.

  Behind him, Jordan ran into the alley. “What the hell happened? You were there, then gone.”

  As the pain buzzed in her mind, she numbly said, “Magic. He hid me before attacking.”

  Connor said, “Grab her sword. We need to get these claw marks on her face cleaned up.”

  “Not poisoned,” she whispered, her adrenaline fading, leaving her feeling exhausted. “He wasn’t really here, I don’t think.”

  “Damn it,” Connor growled as he carried her from the alley.

  On the street, the sheriff was speaking to his men. When he saw her, his eyes widened. “Come on. My truck’s not far.”

  Ashlyn let her eyes slip closed as she tried to relax, let her body start healing. Her stomach still churned with nausea.

  Soon, Connor was sliding into the sheriff’s truck, keeping her in his arms. He settled her on his lap and tipped her chin up. “Darling, eat.”

  She shook her head. She didn’t want to take his blood, not here. To her, that was a private thing. But she only said, “My stomach.”

  He sighed, holding her tighter as the sheriff started his truck and raced down the road toward Jordan’s castle.

  * * *

  As Shane pulled his truck to a stop in front of the castle, Connor could barely contain his fury. Or the shame, seeing her shirt in tatters, blood soaking it a crimson. Her face, with three claw marks slicing from temple to chin. The worst was her shuddering and the nearly-silent whimpers.

  He jumped out of the truck, carrying her into the castle. Vampires came out from every doorway as he strode down the hall and to the staircase.

  It took a long moment, but their disheveled appearance and dirty, blood streaked faces finally penetrated his mind.

  The front door slammed open behind him and Jordan strode in, then froze. “What the hell happened here?”

  Behind him, Brandon jerked to a stop, then dashed for the stairs, running up them so fast he was a flash even to Connor. Checking on his brother, most likely.

  One of the vampires near the door stumbled to Jordan’s side and began speaking low.

  Connor didn’t have time for this. He went upstairs, to Ashlyn’s room, and into the bathroom. Setting her on the wide, tiled rim of the bathtub, he rummaged around for bandages.

  She blinked, and said, “Tell Sean I’ll be fine. I don’t want him to see me like this.”

  He nodded, slipping her shirt off and pressed a wet cloth to the deep furrows over her back.

  His hands shook so much he nearly dropped the washcloth. While following her, she’d disappeared, exactly like the night he’d spotted her in the city. He hadn’t been able to smell her, sense her in any way.

  It felt like something had been ripped out of his chest, leaving him on the brink of insanity.

  She moaned as he finished bandaging her back and cleaned her face. Lifting her gently in his arms, took her back into the bedroom and laid her on the bed.

  Her wrist was swollen, purple and black bruises marring her pale skin, but the only thing he could do to help with that would be to feed her.

  “I’ll be right back.” He kissed her forehead lightly.

  “I’m fine,” she mumbled.

  He didn’t want to leave, but she needed blood. Forcing himself to take the first step, he headed back downstairs. The place was eerily quiet. In the hall to the kitchen, he ran into Dalia.

  She held a tray piled with bags of blood and food. “I was just bringing this up to you.”

  “Thanks,” he said, taking it from her hands.

  Her gaze was filled with worry. “You haven’t heard what happened, have you,” she stated softly.

  Foreboding crawled up his skin and he stiffened, preparing for what she was about to say.

  A hand clamped on his shoulder, and he turned to face Jordan. The man took the tray from his hands, and walked away, saying, “Come.”

  Connor hurried after Jordan. “What happened? Damn it, tell me.”

  Jordan stopped at the foot of the stairs, head bowed. “It was a trap. Laroche somehow found out we were going to the city.”

  Connor remembered the dirty, bloody faces of the vampires he’d seen when arriving. “He attacked here, didn’t he?”

  His heart skipped a beat as he realized Sean hadn’t come to see his mother yet.

  “Th-the boy?” His voice cracked.

  Jordan’s shoulders tightened and his grip on the tray turned white. “He’s gone. Taken.”

  The world spun around Connor, flashing by in a stream of dull colors surrounded by gray. Sean’s image hovered just in front of his eyes. “No,” he whispered.

  “I’m sorry,” Jordan said.

  “We have to go after them.”

  Jordan started up the steps. “I have men looking for the trace of demons. As soon as I let Ashlyn know, I’m heading out with Dalia.”

  Connor felt flushed, his every step heavy as he followed Jordan to Ashlyn’s room. At the door, he stopped. “Let me tell her.”

  Jordan raised a brow.

  “I assume the castle is now secured?”

  At the man’s nod, Connor said, “After she eats, I’ll join the search.”

  “Good.”

  Taking the tray, Connor entered the bedroom. He couldn’t look away from Ashlyn as he crossed the room and set the food on the table by the bed.

  He opened a bag of blood, then lifted her by the shoulders and held it to her lips. She drank greedily, a tiny bit of color coming back to her face. When it was empty, he helped her drink another, and a third.

  Finally, her eyes opened, clear and bright. She glanced around the room, blinking. “What happened?”

  Connor cleared his throat. “What do you mean?”

  “I remember being in the alley, being attacked by some ghostly form of Laroche, but not getting here.” She gasped, raising a hand to her chest.

  “Oh, god.” Her eyes widened as she fell back on the bed, screaming.

  “Ashlyn?” he cried.

  She stilled, eyes closed, pale and silent as death.

  He felt for her pulse, found it, thready and weak, but it was there. He tried shaking her, but she didn’t wake.

  The door burst open. Jordan strode inside. “What the hell?”

  Behind him, Dalia pushed inside, hurrying to the bed, her eyes wide as she stared at Ashlyn.

  Jordan grabbed his cell phone and dialed. A tinny voice answered the line. “Shane, we need you. Now.”

  The sheriff didn’t ask questions. “Five minutes.”

  It seemed like an eternity passed as Connor held Ashlyn’s limp hand. Her pulse grew weaker, harder to find.

  When the sheriff finally walked in, he came to the side of the bed. Holding his hands above her head, he demanded “Tell me.”

  “As I fed her, she woke. Then she grabbed her chest, screamed and passed out.”

  “What’s happening to her?” Dalia asked, gripping Jordan’s hand to her heart.

  Shane stared at Ashlyn, pulling a leather pouch from his pocket. He settled it on Ashlyn’s chest, hovered his hands above her face. His eyes grew unfocused as he moved slowly down her body, then back up.

  “She’s somehow wrapped in magic. It’s strange magic though, it feels like that of the earth, but it’s entwined with the spirit world.” He glanced at Connor. “She’s dying.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Connor could barely breathe from the agony searing his chest. “She can’t,” he whispered.

  Shane’s eyes softened. “I will do my best to help. But you of all people know there’s no guarantee.”

  Shaking his head wordlessly, Connor’s mind went blank. Thought stopped. Red tinted his vision, the edges of reality turning a dingy gray
.

  With a roar, he lunged forward and grabbed the sheriff by the throat. “You must save her.”

  Shane’s skin blazed with heat, spreading over Connor’s hand. Powerful, painful magic sliced up his arm.

  He flew across the room, slamming against the wall. Dazed, ears ringing, he sprang back to his feet with a growl.

  Anything to save her. He’d do it.

  Jordan grabbed him, tossing him into the nearest chair.

  Wood splintered. Connor found himself laying flat on his back in the middle of jagged wooden pieces, drawn into Dalia’s strange gaze.

  The world tilted. His desperate anger calmed.

  “We will do everything we can to save Ashlyn. But you must control yourself.” Her voice whispered to him on some deep level, slipping through the consuming terror.

  She straightened, breaking the spell as she turned away.

  Connor shook his head and slowly sat up. He wanted to rip the place to shreds, to destroy everything—and everyone—in the room who dared voice doubt Ashlyn would survive.

  The very idea of losing her again crushed him.

  But Dalia was right.

  Besides, if he managed the feat of beating up the sheriff, the man couldn’t save his precious Ashlyn.

  Taking a couple deep breaths, he closed his eyes, clenched his fists. Where the hell was his legendary control? His command, coldness of emotion.

  He had to use it now, before he fell into a state of bloodlust.

  When he opened his eyes, he could once more think clearly. “This link killing Ashlyn. It’s from the demon Laroche, right?”

  “Sounds like it,” Shane said cautiously, watching him as if he were some strange, rabid animal.

  Which wasn’t far from the truth.

  “So what if I find the demon and kill him? Would that help?”

  Shane scratched his chin as he glanced at Ashlyn, pale and still on the bed. “Perhaps, but be careful. His ties could take her upon his death as well.”

  “Then we capture him, bring him here and make him free her.” Struggling to his feet, Connor strode to the side of the bed.

  As he passed Shane, he said, “My apologies for losing control.”