by Ali Winters
I look out the window at the grounds below, bathed in the light of the silver moon. Scowling at the night, I place an arm against the pane, resting my forehead against it, then take a slow sip of my drink.
The weight of an arm slides onto my shoulder. I turn to glare at the man at my side, looking for all the world as though his presence here was because he wanted my company and not because he was sent by the queen bitch herself.
“What is the real reason you are here, Lawrence?” I ask.
He takes a sip of his drink. Pulling a face, he says, “This might be the finest brandy made, but it is deplorable next to fresh blood.” He swirls his drink again before downing the remainder. “Your scent was on her, but not as it should be.”
I throw my head back and swallow my drink in one gulp. “Leave it be, Lawrence.”
Lawrence walks to the fireplace and leans on the mantle, staring into the fire. He is restless tonight and that is never a good sign. “You’ve not marked her yet. Elizabeth will not be happy.”
“Just answer the damn question.”
“You know why I’m here, Alaric. Don’t play stupid. You’ve never claimed a human before. You had to know Elizabeth would be interested in who managed to catch your attention after all these years. If you had drank her blood and killed her, I could report that, and we could be done with this whole mess. But you haven’t.” He turns his piercing gray eyes on me, accusingly.
“It’s pointless for her to make a fuss. Clara has nothing to do with her.”
“She lives with you as if she were more than a claimed human. You not only haven’t bothered to drink from her sweet little veins, but you’ve refused to mark her. That makes her fair game for any vampire that comes within five miles of her.”
A low, warning growl rumbles up from my chest. I know it’s a mistake the second it fills the room. I take a deep breath and try to regain my composure. “She doesn’t wish to be marked and I will not force any part of this life on her or anyone for that matter.”
“You already forced this life on her the second you claimed her,” he snaps back.
I want to lash out at him for saying as much, but it is the truth.
Lawrence narrows his eyes. “I don’t know what is going on between the two of you, but your behavior toward her is strange for a vampire, even for you. She is only a human.”
“There is nothing between Clara and I.” I focus on keeping all trace of emotion from my face.
Lawrence throws his glass into the fire. The flames jump and brighten then return to normal.
“Demon shit.” He runs a hand over his face then huffs out a deep sigh, resting his fists on his hips. “I won’t say she is unmarked, but I do have to report that you have a human with you, alive. And you know that Elizabeth will expect you both to be there in two months’ time with the rest of us. Your solitary bullshit won’t work as an excuse any longer.”
“I see no reason to go traipsing halfway across the world because her highness is curious.”
“What is it about this human that has you acting like this?” He waves a hand up and down. “You’re in denial.” He stops speaking suddenly, and in a blink, he’s only inches in front of me. “You have feelings for her?” his voice is tainted with disgust.
“Don’t be absurd,” I say, sneering.
He bursts out laughing. “You never could lie, old friend. The casual nature between you two says otherwise, and the lack of your scent on her is telling. But no matter, the details are not important. Though whatever it is, hurry and be done with it soon. Fuck her and mark her or kill her if you must. Do whatever it is you need to in order to get her out of your system—but do it before the winter solstice.”
The sound of hoof beats thundering up the road silences any further words on the tip of my tongue. For the second time today, a large black carriage comes into view over the hill, this one led by horses so black, even the moonlight doesn’t shine on their coats.
“Elizabeth will expect you to give in to her now that you have claimed a human at last,” Lawrence says quietly.
My stomach churns at the thought.
The carriage pulls up to the front, and from within, three figures clad in black step out.
Clara is out of time.
The others have arrived.
Continue the story in
THE VAMPIRE CURSE
Or visit www.thevampiredebt.com for more information about the series as well as maps, custom art, playlists, bonuses, giveaways, and more!
Author’s Note
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Acknowledgments
And so ends the first book in another series. Clara and Alaric’s story is only just beginning and they have a lot more to tell and I hope you stick around.
Acknowledgments are hard because there are countless people to thank for being part of my support system and my mind likes to go blank. So I will keep this short and sweet. I’ve had this story in my head for years now. This is truly a book(series) of my heart.
I never would have finished this book if it wasn’t for a handful of wonderful people.
Thank you, Jesikah Sundin, for being a light and listening to me, and walking me through things. Thank you for being a ray of sun during a very strange and dark time in this world.
As always, thank you to Trish, Kitty, Kristine, April, and Jon. You all mean the world to me and I’m so glad I found such a wonderful group of weirdos.
Thank you to, Michelle, for all your hard work and helping me so I could focus on writing.
Thank you to my parents for always believing in me.
Thank you to all my friends I haven’t named here, (the list would be impossibly long,) who’ve been there when I needed a shoulder. Who cheered me on, sprinted with me, and worked as a sounding board for ideas, and so much more.
To my husband for forcing me to keep a schedule of sleeping, eating, and working out so I could continue to function.
And last but never least, a million and one thank yous to my fans, thank you for continuing this journey with me! I couldn’t be do what I love without you. Or if you’re picking up my work for the first time, thank you for joining us!
Also by Ali Winters
The Hunted Series
The Reapers
The Exodus
The Moirai
The Fallen
Flirting with Death (A short story)
Shadow World
The Vampire Debt
The Vampire Curse
The Vampire Court
Th Vampire Oath
The Vampire Crown
The Vampire Betrayal
In The End duology
Sound of Silence
Light in Darkness
Stand Alone Titles
Army of the Winter Court
A Sky of Shattered Stars
Cast In Moonlight
About the Author
Ali Winters is the USA TODAY Bestselling author of several series filled with romance, magic, and adventure. She enjoys breaking down characters to build them up so they find their true strengths.
Her first love will always be fantasy, but she fully admits to being obsessed with coffee and T-Rex, and has a weakness for love interests that walk the line between gray and villainy.
Ali was born and raised in the PNW but now currently resides in the wastelands that time forgot, with impossibly cold winters, and summers that are too short. She spends her days with her husband and her two dog pack. (They have assimila
ted her as one of their own and since she’s the only one with opposable thumbs, have made her their leader.)
When she’s not consumed with creating magical worlds for readers to get lost in, she can be found walking, reading, designing graphics, and creating art in various mediums.
Connect with Ali online
www.aliwinters.com
