~ NEW ~ 99¢ SALE ~ EXCERPT BELOW ~
A vampire attack sweeps Natalie into a terrifying world of shifters who claim she’s descended from a legendary queen. Now her life is in peril, and it’s impossible to trust anyone — except the mysterious stranger who saves her again and again.
Check prices before you buy.
Amazon US Amazon UK
~ AUDIO BOOK ~
Audible Apple
Amazon US Amazon UK
Amazon AU Amazon CA
“Please tell me that wasn’t a vampire,” Natalie whispered.
Tristan scowled at the fleeing gargoyle, then motioned at the back door of the soup kitchen where Natalie volunteered. “No, that was a vampire. We need to get you out of here.”
He hated that his words came out all snippy and cold, when all he wanted was to reassure her. Hold her. Keep her safe. But somehow, he couldn’t get it out the way he meant, what with his mind spinning so quickly.
Save mate. Kill vampire. Report to the big boss — who would not be pleased.
Shit. What a mess.
“A vampire? Are you serious?” Natalie stared at him through those startled doe eyes.
“Dead serious,” he murmured in reply.
Natalie paled, and he cursed himself. Could he say nothing right?
He looked around. His top priority was to keep Natalie safe. Second on the list was not revealing his dragon side, which would be tricky with a vampire to fight. Third was figuring out some way to explain to his boss why he’d engaged a vampire rather than reporting it.
“That way.” He pointed left, focusing on priority number one — keeping his mate safe. But as soon as he faced that end of the alley — the one with the shortest distance to the main road — two tall figures swept into view.
“Oh God,” Natalie grabbed Tristan’s arm. “More vampires?”
He nodded. “Stay close.”
Pricks of red light showed in the vampires’ eyes, a sign that they were on the hunt.
Natalie followed him into an about-face, and not a second too soon. She had barely retraced her steps past the back door of the soup kitchen when it flew open, and Olivier, the vampire ringleader, hurtled out.
“Stop,” Olivier ordered, using a deep, authoritative tone laced with magic.
But Natalie just huffed and hurried on. “Like hell, I am.”
Another vampire appeared before them, cutting off their only avenue of escape. Which left Tristan with four vampires after his mate — and only one of him. How was he going to pull that off without revealing his dragon?
The kitchen staff threw a few halfhearted protests after Olivier, but even they had the good sense to yank the door shut. A moment later, the heavy grind of a bolt sounded, and the alley went deathly still.
Natalie backed away from the fourth vampire, bumping into Tristan’s chest. When he looped an arm around her, she put a hand on his forearm. And, wow. Though Tristan was totally focused on the threat before them, a corner of his mind registered that he would remember that moment for the rest of his life. The trust. The perfect fit of her body against his. The gesture that said, Your fate is mine.
But, damn. He had to think fast, with one vampire before him and three more behind.
“When I say run, go. Run for your life.” He kept his whisper so low, he wasn’t sure Natalie could hear. But her chin dipped slightly, and her body tensed in the prelude to a sprint.
“My dear, what are you doing? You can’t trust him,” Olivier purred in a hypnotizing voice. “You can only trust us with your royal blood.”
Tristan frowned. Royal what?
Natalie snorted, and Olivier’s brow furrowed. Clearly, the vampire was used to enthralling humans, but Natalie seemed immune. The other vampires murmured to one another, and their eyes fell to her chest — or rather, her necklace. Tristan couldn’t see it, but he could sense a low, pulsing power and see a hint of a golden glow.
“Close your eyes,” he whispered.
One curt shake of her head said, Are you nuts?
“Close your eyes,” he insisted.
He doubted she would, though, and there was no time to waste. So he slapped a hand over her eyes and leaned to one side, opening his mouth on a huge inhale.
The vampire’s eyes went wide with an expression that said, Oh shit.
Oh shit, was right. Or rather, Oh sh—, because an instant later, Tristan hit the vampire with a long plume of fire. Nothing as big or as powerful as he could summon in dragon form, but enough to make the bastard duck and roll aside.
“Run.” Tristan pushed Natalie forward. She took off past the fallen vampire, and for three steps, Tristan followed. Then he spun and held his ground, ready to die for his mate.
Tristan scowled at the fleeing gargoyle, then motioned at the back door of the soup kitchen where Natalie volunteered. “No, that was a vampire. We need to get you out of here.”
He hated that his words came out all snippy and cold, when all he wanted was to reassure her. Hold her. Keep her safe. But somehow, he couldn’t get it out the way he meant, what with his mind spinning so quickly.
Save mate. Kill vampire. Report to the big boss — who would not be pleased.
Shit. What a mess.
“A vampire? Are you serious?” Natalie stared at him through those startled doe eyes.
“Dead serious,” he murmured in reply.
Natalie paled, and he cursed himself. Could he say nothing right?
He looked around. His top priority was to keep Natalie safe. Second on the list was not revealing his dragon side, which would be tricky with a vampire to fight. Third was figuring out some way to explain to his boss why he’d engaged a vampire rather than reporting it.
“That way.” He pointed left, focusing on priority number one — keeping his mate safe. But as soon as he faced that end of the alley — the one with the shortest distance to the main road — two tall figures swept into view.
“Oh God,” Natalie grabbed Tristan’s arm. “More vampires?”
He nodded. “Stay close.”
Pricks of red light showed in the vampires’ eyes, a sign that they were on the hunt.
Natalie followed him into an about-face, and not a second too soon. She had barely retraced her steps past the back door of the soup kitchen when it flew open, and Olivier, the vampire ringleader, hurtled out.
“Stop,” Olivier ordered, using a deep, authoritative tone laced with magic.
But Natalie just huffed and hurried on. “Like hell, I am.”
Another vampire appeared before them, cutting off their only avenue of escape. Which left Tristan with four vampires after his mate — and only one of him. How was he going to pull that off without revealing his dragon?
The kitchen staff threw a few halfhearted protests after Olivier, but even they had the good sense to yank the door shut. A moment later, the heavy grind of a bolt sounded, and the alley went deathly still.
Natalie backed away from the fourth vampire, bumping into Tristan’s chest. When he looped an arm around her, she put a hand on his forearm. And, wow. Though Tristan was totally focused on the threat before them, a corner of his mind registered that he would remember that moment for the rest of his life. The trust. The perfect fit of her body against his. The gesture that said, Your fate is mine.
But, damn. He had to think fast, with one vampire before him and three more behind.
“When I say run, go. Run for your life.” He kept his whisper so low, he wasn’t sure Natalie could hear. But her chin dipped slightly, and her body tensed in the prelude to a sprint.
“My dear, what are you doing? You can’t trust him,” Olivier purred in a hypnotizing voice. “You can only trust us with your royal blood.”
Tristan frowned. Royal what?
Natalie snorted, and Olivier’s brow furrowed. Clearly, the vampire was used to enthralling humans, but Natalie seemed immune. The other vampires murmured to one another, and their eyes fell to her chest — or rather, her necklace. Tristan couldn’t see it, but he could sense a low, pulsing power and see a hint of a golden glow.
“Close your eyes,” he whispered.
One curt shake of her head said, Are you nuts?
“Close your eyes,” he insisted.
He doubted she would, though, and there was no time to waste. So he slapped a hand over her eyes and leaned to one side, opening his mouth on a huge inhale.
The vampire’s eyes went wide with an expression that said, Oh shit.
Oh shit, was right. Or rather, Oh sh—, because an instant later, Tristan hit the vampire with a long plume of fire. Nothing as big or as powerful as he could summon in dragon form, but enough to make the bastard duck and roll aside.
“Run.” Tristan pushed Natalie forward. She took off past the fallen vampire, and for three steps, Tristan followed. Then he spun and held his ground, ready to die for his mate.