Crimson Bond

by Amy Patrick

  “He’s awake,” was all the woman said, but it was enough to send Abbi running down the corridor without taking time to even close the door behind her.

  Great. Shane had pulled through, the scrappy little bugger, and she was literally running to him.

  So, he was a vampire—and my “child,” which meant he’d be hanging around for literally eternity.

  The only good thing about the development was the wait was over. Now Abbi would finally be able to think with a clear head and make a decision about her future—and mine.

  I honestly didn’t know which way she would go.

  29

  The Real Thing

  Abbi

  Shane was sitting up in bed and smiling when I arrived. He and Marjorie both turned toward the door.

  “Abbi,” Shane said in a joyful voice. “Boy am I glad to see you.”

  “I’m happy to see you, too. How are you? How do you feel?”

  “I feel great,” he said. “Though I just now figured out I’m actually alive and not in the afterlife. When I woke up and saw Marjorie’s face, I wasn’t too sure. I thought at first she was here to welcome me to Heaven.”

  “Awww.” She leaned over and squeezed his hand. “You’re sweet.”

  I walked closer to them, stopping at the end of Shane’s bed. Obviously, they’d had a happy reunion. I wasn’t sure how much she’d told him about recent events.

  “How much do you remember about what happened before you... before you fell asleep?” I asked.

  “If you’re asking whether I remember being the main course at a vampire potluck dinner, the answer is yes,” he quipped. “Kind of hard to forget something like that. Mercifully I passed out at some point. I understand you arrived and stopped them just before they polished me off. Thank you, by the way.”

  “Please don’t thank me. It’s my fault you were even in that situation in the first place. I feel terrible.”

  “It’s not your fault,” he said. “That creepy ‘mom’ of yours is the one who told all those vamps to dig in and wished them, ‘bon appetit.’”

  “I know. I’m so sorry. So... I guess you also realize you were bitten multiple times?”

  “Yeah. Not nearly as much fun as when I was bitten before.” He slid a flirty glance at Marjorie, and she giggled.

  “I lost count at about bite eight,” he said.

  “And you shared your blood with me three times when we were together,” Marjorie reminded him.

  The number of bites didn’t really matter since the one Reece gave him sealed the deal.

  “You should know you were on the verge of death when Reece bit you—he was the guy who was with me that day in the clinic when I had to leave. He was trying to save your life,” I added.

  Shane held up both hands. “Hey, it worked. Tell him thanks for me.”

  “Sure. I will. Of course.”

  Now came the hard part—making sure Shane understood what it all meant. His eyes were lilac-colored, the tell-tale sign of vampirism. But I didn’t know if he felt any different.

  “So...” I began.

  Shane jumped in and prevented me from having to say it. “So... I guess I got a little makeover while I was sleeping, huh?”

  “You look amazing,” Marjorie reassured him as she reached for his hand again.

  He did indeed look good. In addition to the lilac eyes, Shane seemed to have grown overnight. His shoulders looked wider, his arms were thicker and more muscular. His skin was completely clear.

  “Don’t worry. If you... well, if this is going to be your new life, I’ll make sure there are people to guide you through the adjustment period,” I said.

  He pulled Marjorie closer. “Someone’s already volunteered on a full-time basis.” The two of them beamed at each other and shared a brief kiss.

  “Good. That’s great.” I meant it. It was incredible to see Shane this happy. Thank God Reece hadn’t let him die.

  “I was going to suggest another option for you, but I don’t know, you seem so okay with this that maybe I shouldn’t even mention it.”

  “What option? Two full-time mentors?” he said. “You’re welcome to join Team Help-Shane-Get-Up-To-Speed.”

  Marjorie didn’t look quite as open to that possibility. Her brow wrinkled and she glanced between me and Shane furtively. Of course, she had no way of knowing I was deeply in love with someone else and felt only friendship toward the love of her life.

  “Actually, I was going to tell you it’s possible there’s a cure,” I said. “My friend Larkin brought it here with her. You could have it—if you want to reverse the process.”

  Shane was already shaking his head no before I finished making the offer.

  “I’m so good with the way things are. I told you before I even knew Marjorie was here that I’d be okay with turning, remember? Now, I can’t think of anything better than spending forever with this girl. No offense—though I don’t think you were ever actually interested in me that way.”

  I gave him an apologetic smile. “Not really. No offense.”

  We all laughed.

  “There was a time when I thought we might make a good couple,” he said. “That was before I saw you with that bodyguard of yours, and I realized nothing and no one could come between the two of you.”

  Only my fear and sense of inadequacy.

  Shane smiled at Marjorie. “I recognized it because I’ve felt that way before—about this beautiful person right here. I made the mistake of letting her go and not fighting for us with every breath in my body. When you’ve got love—the real thing—you shouldn’t let it go for anything.”

  An image of Reece popped into my mind. His shirtless body stretched across my bed, the sheets bunched around his waist. The pure love in his eyes when he looked at me.

  Everything I do—everything I’ve done since I came here was about the chance to be with you.

  Reece and I had the real thing. He’d fought for me every step of the way, and I was going to fight for him. I wouldn’t let anything stand in our way—not my fear and not the rules of the Crimson Court. Whether or not Larkin’s formula worked, there were going to be some big changes around here.

  Hooking my thumb over my shoulder, I took a step toward the door. “I should get going, and I’m sure you two still have a lot of catching up to do. Let me know if you need anything.”

  When I stepped out into the hallway, I almost bumped into Dr. Coppa.

  “Oh, Abbi. I was coming to talk to you. Imogen’s showing signs of coming out of it. She’ll wake soon. I thought you’d want to know.”

  My knees went wobbly, and I had to brace one hand against the wall. Dr. Coppa’s eyes said what his words had not. I thought you’d want to know in case you want to get a head start.

  But I wouldn’t be running from this. I had to face what I’d done head-on. I had publicly challenged the queen’s authority. I had privately caused Reece to break his Bloodbound vows. And I had very possibly ended Imogen’s vampire existence.

  Entering her quiet room, I nodded to Kannon, who stood guard. Larkin was there too. Dr. Coppa must have notified her as well so she could see first-hand whether her research and hard work had paid off. I slipped into the chair at Imogen’s bedside.

  Her eyes were still closed. If she was no longer a vampire, it didn’t show. She was still beautiful and unnaturally young looking. She seemed tiny under the plain white bedsheet, vulnerable, and in this state, she looked almost innocent.

  It couldn’t have been further from the truth, but it made me wonder once again how she had become so depraved and vindictive. She couldn’t have been born that way. No one was.

  When had Imogen decided power at any cost was worth so much more than peace?

  If she had truly been the mother-figure I’d first taken her for, I could have asked. As it stood, the only thing I was likely to hear from her mouth when she woke was, “Off with her head.”

  If she was still a vampire, and therefore still queen of the Crimso
n Court, she was sure to order my swift execution. Larkin’s and Reece’s and possibly Kannon’s, too.

  If she had returned to her human state, it would mean the cure worked and it was possible to reverse vampirism.

  It would also mean the Bastion would need a new leader and the vampire species a new queen.

  There was motion in the bed. I stood, and Kannon and Larkin both came to stand at my side, all of us looking down on Imogen now, wondering, and waiting to learn our fate.

  Imogen opened her eyes.

  We had our answer.

  Thank you for reading Crimson Bond. I hope you loved it and you’re eager for more Crimson! The story concludes with Crimson Crown, which will be coming your way as soon as possible!

  Click here to pre-order your copy now. And turn the page for a look at the cover and a preview.

  Next in Series

  CRIMSON CROWN

  * * *

  Pre-order it now!

  The Crimson Court is at a turning point, and Abigail Byler’s life is about to change profoundly… or end for good. It remains to be seen what will become of the vampire queen, Imogen. And Abbi’s eternal love Reece faces the possibility of taking on a job he was never meant to have while living without the only girl he’s ever loved.

  In this fourth and final installment of the Crimson Accord series, the fate of both the vampire and human races is at stake, and it all depends upon who will wear the Crimson Crown.

  Don’t miss the exciting conclusion of Abbi’s story! Pre-order your copy and find it waiting for you on release day!

  Afterword

  Thank you so much for reading Crimson Bond, the third book in my brand new Crimson Accord series. I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a review on the retailer where you purchased it. And if your fingers aren’t too tired, on Goodreads as well. It’s not hard to do—just a few words about what you thought of the book is perfectly fine. Reviews are so important for authors and help other readers find great books.

  The series continues with book four, Crimson Crown available soon!

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  And be sure to turn the page to check out my completed bestselling Hidden Saga series— perfect for a magical, emotional, deeply romantic book binge. For a limited time, book 1 Hidden Deep is FREE!

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  The Hidden Saga is in audiobook! Books 1-6 are available now. Books 7-9, the Ancient Court subset containing Hidden Game, Hidden Magic, and Hidden Hero, will release in audio soon. You can also listen to book 1 of the Crimson Accord series, Crimson Born, in audio!

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  About the Author

  Amy Patrick writes "unique" and "engrossing" (Examiner. com) romantic fiction and young adult fantasy/paranormal books that make you want to "read straight through the night into the breaking hours of dawn." (Bitten By Books)

  Her hugely popular Hidden Saga is now joined by her new Crimson Accord series, a young adult vampire romance saga.

  Follow Amy on Bookbub to receive notices about her new releases and sales, and join her VIP mailing list at https://bit.ly/APsVIPs for the latest book news, insider info, and fun freebies.

  Amy is a multi-award-winning author and two-time RWA Golden Heart finalist and lives in Rhode Island where she enjoys writing at the beach year round. She's been a professional singer, voiceover artist, and TV news anchor, and currently writes fiction full time as well as narrating audiobooks.

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  Copyright © 2021 by Amy Patrick

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. All trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

  Crimson Bond is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places, brands, media, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and should not be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Oxford South Press/March 2021

  Editing by Judy Roth

  Cover design by Andreea Vraciu at AV Fantasy Book Covers Art and Design