Rose Bound: The Rose and King series Book 1

by J. J. Marshall

  Contents

  Warning

  Acknowledgments

  Terms

  Part I

  Exordium

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Light

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Part II

  Light

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Light

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Darkness

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  To be continued.

  About J.R. Walden

  About J.J. Marshall

  Copyright ©2021 by J.J. Marshall and J.R. Walden

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion of this book thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  * * *

  First Printing, 2021

  Warning

  The following story has explicit language, graphic violence and adult sexual content.

  Reader Discretion is advised.

  To Gavin Jax.

  Acknowledgments

  A big thank you to Jessica Boaden for being our Junior developmental editor on this gem, without her help Rose Bound wouldn’t be as polished as it is today.

  To our developmental editor, Maggie, from Ms. K Edits for making sure that we have provided you all with the best story possible.

  To our proofreader, Morgan Maynard and to our beta readers, Mercedes Gomez, Nicola Dooley, Maria Shanklin-Fleming for being with us on this crazy ride!

  And finally, thank you to Moorbooks Designs for our stunning cover!

  Terms

  Fangbanger: derogatory term for vampire

  * * *

  Moon juice: insult to werewolf; watery diarrhea discharge that can happen when a werewolf changes during the full moon.

  * * *

  Moon child: Name used by vampires for werewolves; in reference to the goddess Artemis.

  * * *

  Bloodwhore: a term used by vampires for humans who willingly give blood with sexual favors, oftentimes these humans live in bordellos.

  * * *

  Ripper: a vampire that cannot control their blood lust. Oftentimes, resulting in serial killings.

  Part I

  Exordium

  Legends

  Celeste had been warned about the things that lurked under the cover of darkness; a time when chaos ran free and the god, Limos, had dominion over the realm. But the shadows within her sang, luring her to play with the Night.

  She shared a cottage- a small cobblestone ramshack with just enough room for the three of them- with her two sisters, Artemis and Dia. It sat on the edge of the Dead Run River, far away from the Night King and his revelry.

  Celeste, eldest of the three, looked to her left to where her younger sisters slept soundlessly in their shared bed. Artemis’s white-blonde curls splayed out like a halo around her pillow and cold blue eyes resting, and Dia whose caramel locks fell around her face, shielding her warm complexion and cheeks flushed with sleep. Celeste released a sigh, her attention drifting to the open window and to the alluring chaos beyond its panes. Phantom kisses peppered her jawline, carried on the breeze.

  Come to me, it sang. Come and join the darkness. And oh, how she wanted to join the darkness, nestle up with him and rule the realm. Celeste closed her eyes, relishing the cool wisps on her skin before rising from the bed and tiptoeing to the open window.

  Their bedroom window wasn’t high up, so the fall was mere feet to the ground, just enough to tousle her hair and wrinkle her raven-colored nightgown, but she didn’t mind. She had a man to meet. A king. And on this particular night, Celeste knew he was going to ask her something that would forever change her world.

  Before trudging off, she looked over her shoulder to the window where her sisters slept. A tinge of sadness clouded her eyes. The Forest of Knowing wasn’t a far walk from her home, and soon, she’d meet Limos, the prince of destruction, and taste his sweet darkness. Her lips tingled at the thought and then, without another glance back, she set out into the night.

  Artemis felt the sudden absence of her sister’s warmth. She shivered, her eyelids fluttering open, only to find an empty space where Celeste should have been. The air nipped at her neck as she slowly arose, her eyes falling on the window where she watched Celeste push off the window ledge. The air froze in her lungs, choking her, sending Artemis into a coughing fit. She turned, nudging Dia from her slumber.

  “Dia, sistermine, wake up!” she whispered hastily. Dia groaned, her caramel curls shifting into her face.

  “I’ll get up at morn’s light.” She yawned, pulling the duvet tighter around her.

  “Nay!” Artemis growled, yanking the cover away from her sister. “Celeste has leaped from the window! She’s going to see Limos and we have to go after her! We have to stop her before he brings her harm!”

  “Then she got what was coming to her,” Dia hissed, “We were told not to wander the darkness, but Celeste turned a deaf ear! I’m going back to sleep. If she is still gone on the morrow, then I’ll set out. ‘Til then, sistermine, good eve.”

  Artemis gnashed her teeth, set her jaw and pushed from the bed. She would bring her sister back, with or without Dia at her side. Her feet padded against the cool wooden floor toward the window, and placing her palms against the sill, she pushed herself up and over.

  Come to the forest, a voice called to her. I love you, Artemis. She gulped.

  Limos. Her heart jumped within her chest as she sucked in a breath and sighed. She was off to find her sister and to see the boy that had captured her heart.

  Dia heard Artemis land in the grass outside the window. Her body thudded upon impact, followed by a string of curses. With a frustrated grunt, Dia sat upright in the bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Artemis was right. They couldn’t let Celeste roam Elirion by herself, especially at night with chaos running amuck. If something happened to either one of them… No. She couldn’t think like that.

  Throwing back the covers, Dia swung her legs over the edge of the bed and placed her feet against the chill wooden floorboards. She called to the light within her, watching as golden tendrils streamed from her fingers, illuminating their bedroom enough for her to find her boots. With a flick of her finger, the light took the shape of a glowing orb, freeing her hand as it hung in midair. Dia pulled on black leather boots and slowly crept to the front door, unlatching the lock from its place, she pulled it open, her light trailing behind her. She reached out to her light, calling it back to her before cupping it gently and using it to illuminate the dirt path before her. Dia groaned inwardly and set out to seek chaos.

  A canopy of leaves loomed over Celeste as she walked the silent forest floor. She’d heard rumors that the trees in this particular forest knew secrets and held magic, but she’d yet to experience it.

  The smell of rain permeated the air, invigorating all of her senses. She stopped, closed her eyes and just listened to the silence. Maybe then, the trees would speak to her.

  “My sweet
.” Limos’s sultry voice greeted her as he materialized from the shadows. He shimmered in her vision, dressed from head to toe in glittering black that reminded her of a liquid night.

  “I came,” she breathed, tensing as he took a step toward her. His raven hair curled around pointed ears beneath his black top hat, its brim casting a shadow that hid his eyes from her view. Eyes that would tell his intentions and make her privy to his secrets. She saw his lips quirk up, a sly smirk crawling across his immortal face.

  “You did,” he replied, taking another step forward before reaching for her hand. “Will you join me?” She gulped; her eyes wide.

  “W-what?”

  “In ruling the night? In bringing chaos to a forefront? Will you join me in forever?” he asked. A rustle to the right snapped Celeste’s attention back to her surroundings.

  “Do not fear, nothing here will hurt you,” Limos said. But the truth was, she did fear. She was afraid of everything the King of the Night stood for, yet she yearned for it all the same.

  “No!” A cry pierced the night, crashing footsteps in its wake. Artemis screamed, hurling herself from the trees. “You will not touch her!” A touch from the king would seal the deal, would pull the deceit and darkness inside of her, out. She would be transformed into a dark queen. Celeste needed time to think. Time to get her affairs in order and make sure that her sisters were taken care of, if she accepted his offer, that was.

  “Go home, Artemis,” Celeste snarled. But Artemis continued to barrel toward them. Her milky skin began to glow, shrouded in moonlight. Artemis dropped to all fours, fur springing where bare flesh had once been. Bones cracked, cloth tore. Screams ripped from her throat in agony, and then silence consumed the trio. Standing before Celeste and Limos was a wolf, whiter than the moon itself.

  Celeste’s hand covered her mouth, choking back the scream that threatened to erupt. The wolf’s lips curled back in a snarl before she launched at the King of Chaos.

  * * *

  Celeste watched in horror as her sister lunged at Limos, baring her razor-sharp teeth, snapping at his neck. She knew that if her sister got a hold of the god, she would die. Immortals didn’t die, but Artemis was very much a mortal… or was she?

  Limos ducked and dodged each snap of the wolf’s teeth, keeping only a breath away, his smirk never leaving his lips.

  “Come and get me, sweet puppy,” the god taunted before he leaped backwards into the trees, hands still neatly tucked into his pockets. Shadows curled around Celeste.

  You will be mine, they sang. And then, you will truly die.

  Celeste gasped, mesmerized by the shadows dancing around her. She felt the familiar allure take hold, a taste of danger evolving on her tongue. Slowly, she called the darkness within her to the surface. Power coursed through her veins, faster than the speed of light. Celeste trembled, her breath leaving her lungs as her head tilted back. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound escaped her parted lips. Every nerve in her body burned. Fangs sprang where canine teeth had once been, oozing with venom down her chin. Her heart slowed… slowed… until it hardly beat. Celeste’s vision clouded, a thirst for bloodshed calling her, stronger than her infatuation for Limos, stronger than her need to breathe.

  She needed to kill.

  Snarls echoed through the silence as Dia walked through the forest. A chill crept down her spine. She had the feeling she was being watched, but that didn’t surprise her. She knew the stories about the Forest of Knowing, but she didn’t have any secrets. She never did. That’s how she stayed safe. Though she couldn’t see more than a few paces ahead, Dia ventured further into the woods against the clenching feeling in her gut.

  * * *

  Unearthly sounds roared through the leaves as Dia’s light grew brighter. She saw a boy, no older than eighteen, clad in black from head to toe, dancing with a white wolf. He was perhaps the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Stopping, she watched for a moment before a blur of black raced toward the pair, spilling streams of crimson into the air.

  Celeste, sistermine, what have ye done?

  Dia knew who the boy was as soon as she saw her sister. She also knew that the wolf, a child of the moon, was her sister Artemis. Sucking in a deep breath, Dia whispered a prayer and made a decision that would forever shape time. It was the only way to stop the fighting. The only way to save Elirion from impending doom.

  Her fingers danced in the air, streams of light curling and swirling on command into a singular white rose. Dia pulled the rose from where it hung and slid her thumb over the thorn-laden stem, piercing the tip until drops of scarlet welled onto the thorn. She removed her finger and slowly, she painted the petals red before whispering a spell that bound her and the prince of darkness together into an eternal prison in the pit of the sun.

  1

  Gavin

  Screams rang through the Underground as the crowd chanted to the rhythm of wolves fighting below. Werewolves, bloodied and soaked with sweat, lunged at one another with bared teeth and claws, tearing at flesh while vampires and bloodwhores filed along the railing of the poorly lit pit. Coins of gold and silver passed discreetly from palms into bony ghoul fingers, each placing their bets while the carnage continued. Above the pits, along the back wall of the establishment was a bar, and sitting at that bar, swigging back the last of his amber drink, was Gavin Sinclair.

  The smell of sweat, blood, and sex hung in the air, feeding something dark within Mister Sinclair as he pushed from his stool to his feet. The room began to spin, blurring his dark brown eyes.

  A good day.

  A good fight.

  And a goddessdamned good drink. It seemed as though nothing could sour Gavin’s good mood until the bell chimed that the fight was nearing an end. Oliver Dawson, his best friend and the wolf he’d bet on, was winning until his opponent threw his shoulder into the werewolf’s gut, pile-driving him onto the dirt floor. Gavin threw his crystal glass to the ground, shattering it around his feet, and stomped on the remnants before stepping toward the railing.

  “Goddamn it,” he cursed under his breath, watching Dawson fall.

  “Sir! You’ll have to pay for that!” a lowly kitchen maid scolded from behind him.

  “Sod off, lady!” Gavin barked and shot a damning glare over his shoulder before returning his attention to the fallen wolf. His confidence in his betting ability had cost him the rest of his coin. Coin Gavin needed to buy a few humans their freedom from Palmer, the skeevy ghoul king. Another win meant another life saved.

  A smile played on Gavin’s lips as he thought of his parents’ faces and wondered what they would think of their heir sitting in a slum betting house. He wondered what they would say if they knew why he’d ran. But Gavin knew that they’d never have approved of his decision or of Daimis. Humans were scum, it was the wayward thinking of vampires. They enslaved those that couldn’t afford their freedom and sold them on the black market, known in Elirion as Bloodwhore Markets. But Gavin was different. He believed human life was worthy and began to save one soul at a time, buying their freedom from Palmer and setting them free in Daimis. There, he could ensure their safety and allow them to live happily.

  Gavin sucked in a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. Squinting his eyes shut, he willed the thoughts away. He had other things to worry about. He opened his eyes a moment later, scanning the pits as the next fighter entered the ring. A ragtag wolf in tattered, moth-eaten clothing was going up against a burly mutt twice his size. If Gavin had had any winnings, he’d place a bet on the brute, but he didn’t have a goddessdamned coin to his name.

  Heavy footsteps creaked up the stairs to the bar, slowing behind Gavin. He’d known who it was without having to spare him a glance.

  “Gavin, you mangy bastard,” a voice greeted from his right. Gavin’s eyes drifted from the pit to the face of the hulking man now standing at his side. He was dressed in a white cotton shirt and weathered jeans. And with a mischievous grin on his face, he sidled up with a bar stool and took
a seat next to his friend, slinging an arm around Gavin’s shoulder.

  “Piss off, Ollie, my coin purse is empty because of you!” Gavin snarled, exposing his fangs. Oliver smiled a toothy grin and ordered Gavin another glass of dark amber liquid. The barkeep, a slender vampire, muttered under her breath and obliged, handing the wolf two glasses moments later. Gavin wrinkled his nose as he took a whiff of the drink, smelling the sweet harsh tones.

  “How am I supposed to pay for those, Dawson?” he fumed. “How am I supposed to pay for anything?”

  “Oh, brother, don’t be so sour. All you care about is coin and whores, all of which come at your best mate’s expense. What would the fangbangers think if they really knew their prince?” Oliver goaded, smacking Gavin’s coated arm, wrinkling it. His suit was dark, standing in stark contrast to his milky skin, and complemented Gavin’s own chocolate locks.