by Kim Loraine
Olivia’s voice echoed through the cavernous hallway and a chill covered me. “Logan, please.” Fear made her words tremble.
I ran harder, turning the corner when she continued. “Stop,” she begged. “I know you don’t want to do this.”
Logan’s whisper, “Liv. I can’t,” made rage fill my chest.
“Please don’t do this. You’ll never forgive yourself. You said you loved me. If that’s true, fight this.” I came into the main dungeon hall, scanning each cell for any sign of them with her words ringing in my ears. Then I saw them. At the farthest end of the prison locked in a cell together.
Logan’s body shook and he took a long, slow breath. “I’m okay. It’s okay.”
He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close. My stomach twisted knowing this would end badly. I moved as fast as I could as he said, “I do love you, Liv, but you should know better than to trust a vampire by now.”
Her scream tore through me. Grabbing the bars, I pulled hard, even as the silver burned my skin. Logan didn’t look my way as he destroyed her neck, tearing her perfect throat and spilling more of her blood than he was feeding upon.
A blur of dark hair caught my eye, and before I could register her presence fully, Eliana had shoved me away from the cell. I crashed into the wall, mortar and dust falling around me where the force of my collision had broken the stone. How had she gotten free?
“No. You don’t get to save her, Cashel. You get to watch her die.”
“Stop this,” I said, getting to my feet. “You shouldn’t be here.”
She laughed, the sound bitter and filled with hatred. “You taught me to be prepared, my love. Did you really think I would come into that chamber without a way out?”
“Leave her alone. You’ve killed Callie, don’t you have enough?”
“This is only what you deserve. You are a traitor to your kind. Now because of you, she will suffer at the hand of the other man she loved.”
I rushed her, slamming into her hard, but she was ready for me. She took me down at the knees, snarling with rage as she did so. Then I felt it, the smooth slice of a blade in the right side of my chest. It didn’t hurt, but it would. The stake I brought pressed into my back, and I managed to get one arm around to collect the sharpened wood.
“You missed,” I said, looking directly into her eyes. It was true, she’d completely missed my heart.
“Did I?” She cocked a brow and pulled the blade free before pressing it to my throat. The exact same blade she’d used to kill Callie. One quick flick of her wrist opened my veins as I slammed the stake into her back, hitting her heart with the force I used to drive it through. She coughed and spluttered, eyes wide as I struggled to stop the bleeding of my open wounds. This wouldn’t kill me, but the sun sickness she’d just infected me with would.
Her death wasn’t painful, but it was true. She fell to the side, a rapidly deteriorating shell of who she used to be.
My blood left my body at too fast a pace for me to keep up with, but I needed to get to Olivia. I had to save her from Logan. I crawled to her and found the bars wrenched open and the cell empty except for the crumpled form of my little bird, barely breathing and bleeding from her wounds.
“Cashel,” she croaked.
I couldn’t speak. My injury was knitting back together slowly, but not fast enough. I couldn’t save her. She would die.
She reached for me, her fingers coming through the open space between the bars. I did the same, and as her skin touched mine, I lost the battle with consciousness and said goodbye to my little bird forever.
The end…for now
COMING SOON
BLOOD HEIR
THE BLACKTHORNE VAMPIRES
Want more of Cashel and Olivia?
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More Blackthornes to love
Want more of the Blackthorne world?
Keep reading for a sample of Immortal Promise, my contribution to The Midnight Coven’s Vampire Mates series.
Each of my Midnight Coven books are set in the Blackthorne universe, and you never know, you might run into one of my naughty royals in these novellas.
Forever Claimed (Vampire Brides)
Immortal Promise (Vampire Mates)
Wicked Wishes (Cursed Coven) releasing in October 2019
Immortal Promise
Brandt
It’s been close to seventy-two hours since my life was changed irrevocably. I walked into a coffee shop and laid eyes on the woman meant for me. Like a scene from a Greek tragedy, that was the same moment she’d been brought to death’s door. I’ve spent three nights waiting to see if I’ve done what a mate should do for his woman—save her. No matter the situation, my instinct screams for me to protect, defend, and claim her. My eyes burn from the effort of keeping them open as, once again, I feel the sun begin to rise even from the safety of my home. I will not sleep until I know she is mine.
“Brandt, Elaine has transitioned. This one is a lost cause,” my friend and fellow vampire Mattias says.
A growl builds in my chest. How can he expect me to give up so easily? “Stay out of this. You have what you want. I can sense the spark of life in her.”
He approaches, and I shoot him a glare that would wither a lesser man. “She’s gone. You can’t stay here like this much longer.”
“I’ll do whatever I have to in order to serve her when she rises.”
Letting out a sigh, Mattias places a hand on my shoulder. “I am taking Elaine back to my clan at sunset. She’s still in the haze of her transition, but soon she’s going to ask about Claire. I have to tell her the truth.”
Claire. My mate’s name is like a stake through my heart. All this time by her side and I never knew. I run a finger over her pale cheek. “Claire,” I say, testing out the feel of her name on my tongue. I want to say it and have her eyes flutter open, for her to offer me a smile, for her lips to utter my name as well.
“I must tend to Elaine. Please, consider what I said, Brandt. You need rest.”
I shake off Mattias’ hand and return my aching gaze to Claire’s eerily still form. “Safe journey.”
I feel it when he leaves the room, and soon my eyes are too heavy to keep open, the sting in my blood feeling more like fire. My lids slide closed, and all I know is darkness.
“Where the ever-loving fuck am I?” A woman’s voice shakes me from my rest.
I bolt upright, gaze trained on the brunette in my bed. “Claire,” I breathe.
Her eyes widen, and she backs up, clutching the sheet and pulling it up to her chin. “Who are you? How did I get here?” Then her memories must flood back, because she turns the color of bone and lets out a cry as she touches the now healed wound across her neck. “He…he slit my throat.”
“Easy, love. He’s gone. Never to harm you again.” I reach my hand out, but she flinches away.
“Everything hurts. It’s so…loud in here.”
“It’s your transition. You must feed before you’ll feel as you should.”
“I…feed?”
Slicing open my wrist with my own fangs, I offer her my blood. “From me.”
“Fuck you, asshole. Is this some kind of twisted game? I’m not drinking your blood.”
“You will if you want to live.” I know instantly that was the wrong thing to say. Her eyes show nothing but fear in their depths.
“What happened to Laney? Where is she? Let me go. Please. I won’t tell anyone where you live. I promise.”
“Claire, your cousin is fine. Her mate turned her and saved her life.”
“I…I should be dead.”
I shake my head. “You’re a vampire. You’re transitioning because the man who attacked you slit your throat, but I saved you. I turned you. But you have to drink now or your body will reject the change. You’ll be truly dead.”
I stand over her, holding my wrist close to her lips. I know I’ve got her when she inhales through her nose and her pupils
dilate at the scent of the blood. She licks her lips, and my fucking cock goes rock hard at the sight of her pink tongue darting out of her mouth. I could force her, use my power to transfix her and command her to drink, but I won’t. She needs to do this of her own free will.
“I don’t want to be a vampire,” she whispers.
“But you don’t want to be dead either.”
Her brow furrows. “No…I don’t.”
“Drink, my mate. Then we’ll move through this together and come out on the other side.”
A soft whimper leaves her, but she leans forward, and her mouth brushes my skin. Then her fangs latch on to my wrist and she drinks deeply. Pure pleasure races through me. Not only because of the rush of need that hits me at the feel of her, but because of the soul-deep satisfaction of serving my mate. This is what all the stories couldn’t explain. This is why my clan stopped searching for our mates. The feeling can’t be taught. Seeing is believing, and now that I have her, I fucking believe.
She tears her lips from my wrist and gasps, a small line of blood trailing down her chin. I reach out and wipe it away with my thumb. I want to kiss her, claim her, make her mine in every way.
“My mate,” I whisper.
“You keep saying that. I’m not your mate. I don’t even know your name.”
“My name is Brandt. All you need to know is, you’re mine. My responsibility. I made you a vampire, I’ll protect you forever.”
She backs away and holds up both hands. “Hold on, Casanova. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”
“You cannot.”
Standing, she cocks a hip and rests her hand on the gentle swell. “Yeah, I can. Thanks for…saving me and all, but I’m out of here.”
I intercept her in two quick steps. “I’ll not risk your safety. You are my mate.”
I put my hands on her shoulders, but she jerks free of my grasp. “Don’t touch me.”
This isn’t how our union is supposed to go. She should want me as much as I want her.
She glances around the room, then down at her blood soaked clothes. “Where’s my purse? My keys?”
“I’m sure they’re still at the coffee shop. But, Claire, you can’t go back.”
“Why not?” There’s venom in her eyes to match her voice.
“Because you’ll kill the first human you come across. You’ll decimate this little town and then spend eternity unable to live with yourself.”
“And I suppose you’re the only one who can keep me from turning into a monster?”
“No, but I am the right one.”
She laughs, but the sound is bitter. “Then get me out of here and teach me how to control myself. But after that, I want you to get the fuck out of my life.”
My gut clenches, but I nod. This woman is going to be the end of me. I’ll win her heart. After all, we have eternity.
Immortal Promise (Vampire Mates)
Acknowledgments
Just a quick little note for you all, if you read these kinds of things. I wanted to say thanks to a few key people who got me through writing this book. Kerrigan, Mo, Patricia, Amelia, Emily, Rachel, and the authors in The Midnight Coven. You all helped me immensely when I needed it most (the middle of a book is where all the self-doubt gets me) and I appreciate you all.
My readers. My street team. My family. Thank you!
I can’t wait to bring you more Blackthornes.
xoxo
Kim
Also by K. Loraine
Paranormal Romance
The Midnight Coven Collaborations
Vampire Brides Series
Forever Claimed (A Blackthorne Vampire Novella)
Vampire Mates Series
Immortal Promise (A Blackthorne Vampire Novella)
Cursed Coven
Wicked Thorne (A Blackthorne Vampire Novella)
The Blackthorne Vampires
Blood Captive
Blood Traitor
Blood Heir
The Watcher Series
Waking the Watcher
Denying the Watcher
Releasing the Watcher
The Siren Coven
Eternal Desire
Cursed Heart
Wicked Temptation
Immortal Flame
Reverse Harem
Their Vampire Princess (A Reverse Harem Romance)
The Shadow Court Harem
Their Shadow Queen
Protecting Their Shadow Queen
Returning Their Shadow Queen
About the Author
Kim writes steamy romances in both the contemporary and paranormal genres.
You’ll find her paranormal romances written under the name K. Loraine and her contemporaries as Kim Loraine. Don’t worry, you’ll get the same level of swoon-worthy heroes, sassy heroines, and an eventual HEA.
When not writing, she’s busy herding cats (raising kids), trying to keep her house sort of clean, and dreaming up ways for fictional couples to meet.
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