by Claire Marta
Blood Moon Rising
The Hunter Chronicles Book 6
Claire Marta
Copyright © 2018 Claire Marta
Cover Design © 2018 by AmperSand Book Covers
Formatted by AB Formatting
Edited by Tracy Roelle
The moral rights of the author have been asserted.
All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be used, distributed or reproduced in any manner, including photocopying, recording or other methods electronic or mechanical, whatsoever without prior permission from the Author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
The book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Contents
Also by Claire Marta
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
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Epilogue
Thank You
Follow Me
Playlist
About the Author
Also by Claire Marta
FROSTBITE: The Hunter Chronicles Book 1
Dark Desires: The Hunter Chronicles Book 2
Claimed by Magic: The Hunter Chronicles Book 3
The Serpent’s Kiss: The Hunter Chronicles Book 4
Twitch: The Hunter Chronicles Book 5
Bloody Ties – Bullets & BloodLust series with co-writer Abrianna Denae
The Devil You Know – Ceasefire Series Book 1
The Devil’s Plaything – Ceasefire Series Book 2
Beauty’s War – Gods Reborn Series with co-writer Anna Edwards
Hip perched against the bonnet of the silver Mercedes and hands shoved deep into the pockets of his grey suit pants, Eric stood patiently waiting.
The humid Rome evening left his clothes feeling sticky and uncomfortable against his skin. Its discomfort, though, was a welcome distraction.
Brooding expression taut across his face, he’d been unmoving for the last half hour. Too much idle time gave him time to think. Something Eric tried to avoid, more now than ever. Yet, even with a harsh regime of back to back assignments, he couldn’t escape his thoughts, no matter how he tried.
Light was barely filtering into the space, but his sensitive vision was keen enough to see in the semi-darkness.
Gaze narrowed, he stared at his reflection in a piece of broken glass on the floor. Cerulean blue eyes reflected back at him in a devastatingly handsome face. Short black hair, which was neatly cut that morning, was already messed from running his hand through it numerous times. He was paler than usual.
Feeding was something he found less and less appealing. Blood from donors was something he no longer enjoyed. He found it tiresome even trying. There was only one woman who he truly craved. One female who’s blood he hungered for. A woman who hated him.
Jasmine Hunter.
Yet, past all that in his mind’s eye, all Eric could see was Jasmine before he fucked everything up. When she had regarded him with adoration. Her green jade eyes, the soft coppery hair she always cut in a pleasing feminine bobbed. How her lips would pout when she smiled.
Love so deep and unexplainable he could barely sleep stormed through his defences the moment he saw her. He had no strength against what he felt. She was all he wanted. Needed. Jasmine was not of his kind with a life span so much painfully shorter than his own, but none of that mattered. Not anymore.
Love was something that Eric had never experienced in all of his existence. It had hit him so hard, so fast, that it had left his head spinning. Two months on from discovering this unexpected feeling and he was still coming to terms with what had been unleashed. Emotions were things he had been taught to suppress. A nuisance that only got in the way of clear logic. Something he’d never needed before, but now, something he couldn’t live without. Jasmine opened his eyes to a diverse way of living. Yet, the girl had no clue of what she’d done. What she awakened.
Here in the middle of an assignment in Italy, his attention was not on his work. It was a dangerous thing, but he couldn’t help it. He was going out of his mind with thoughts of her.
“For fuck sake Eric, just man up and go get the lass if you love her,” Conall sighed from beside him.
Blinking, the words brought Eric back to his surroundings. Car fumes and the faint smell of garbage assaulted his nose.
The empty underground car park was perfect for seedy meetings or catching a target unaware. It was still unclear how this evening would unfold. It left him feeling edgy.
Tilting his head, he regarded his friend with a frosty glare. They had no problem seeing each other in the dark with their vampiric night vision.
The good-looking Irish vampire just stared back at him with a half-smile tipping his lips and a twinkle in his emerald eyes. His fiery-red hair, which was short at the sides and longer at the top, had been gelled up. Also dressed in a grey suit, he had his arms crossed over his chest. The bulge of his gun was more than obvious to the trained eye.
“No,” Eric replied coldly.
It’d been almost two months since he’d seen Jasmine last. The time apart was killing him.
Eric had made an error of judgement. A foolish mistake. Giving her time had now cost him dearly. He was fully aware she was with someone else.
Fucking someone else. Feeling her pleasure had been overwhelming down the connection between them the last month or so. It had almost choked him with its passionate intensity. Overall, it had left him stunned.
He couldn’t comprehend it. Bonded by blood, she should’ve been craving only him. The pull would have been undeniable. Had been the last time he had set eyes on her. Yet, something, now, was interfering with it.
Before that, her feelings had been raw with misery. Whoever she was with, he was sure had taken advantage of her fragile state. It was despicable. Under-handed.
And Eric was still trying to conceive how such a thing had happened. His connection to her was still there. When he chose not to block it out, he felt her emotions as if they were his own.
“So, you’re going to spend the rest of your existence brooding”–Conall continued with a raise of an eyebrow– “I never took you to be a sulker.”
Jaw tensing, Eric tried to stop himself grinding his teeth. The Irishman knew of the situation. He and one of their other comrades who had met the girl previously, were keeping tabs on her. They kept their distance and remained hidden, discreet.
Eric now knew her normal routine when she wasn’t working. Her every move was his to know. She was now living with Twitch, who was her best friend, and Cousin. He also knew she regularly visited Asier the Master vampire of London’s favourite club Liquor and Lust. The unanswered question ‘why’ burnt on his tongue. After all, half of the place was devoted to BDSM. Was she now a customer? Or merely indulging the curiosity she had shown back in Prague. Perhaps, she enjoyed watching?
Eric felt a pulse of jealousy at the alternative. Just the thought of her participating in the
sex play drove his blood pressure up.
Raoul and Conall never ventured inside. They were too well known, and even disguised, they’d still be sensed as vampires. He had no wish for them to draw attention to themselves.
Eric didn’t want Jasmine to know that she was being observed, merely wanted to make certain she was safe. He hadn’t felt comfortable asking his friend, Asier, what she was doing there either. The Italian also never mentioned her.
It was a unique situation. Normally, they were more than happy to talk and felt enough at ease with each other to leave nothing untouched. With Jasmine, though, he didn’t want to let anyone outside his close circle know his true feelings for the girl. It was something that could be dangerous. And Eric had his suspicions who she was involved with. Something that left the bitter taste of betrayal in his mouth.
He knew his mood had been foul for weeks. Going from feeling nothing to everything was still taking its toll. With anyone else, it was business as usual. He could remain emotionless and detached. Ruthless and hard-hearted.
But the moment his thoughts turned to Jasmine, his well-placed walls came tumbling down.
“He’s feeling real love for the first time, but also fear. It’s only to be expected.” Came another familiar voice.
“There is little I fear, Raoul,” Eric scoffed turning to look at his other friend.
Dressed elegantly in a chafferer uniform, the mocha-skinned vampire stood proudly by the side of the vehicle. Raoul had the striking looks of a supermodel, both appealing in a masculine and feminine way. His honey-brown eyes were watching him with sympathy.
“You’re frightened she will reject you. That’s why you haven’t pursued her. Frightened she might have found someone else before you have had a chance to tell her you love her.” The darker skinned male continued perceptively.
Although he didn’t speak much, he always seemed to be more than aware of what was going on in his friends’ heads. He’d found Eric’s attraction to Jasmine in Paris amusing. Over the last few months, though, this had morphed into concern.
“Seduce her”–Conall jumped back in before Eric had a chance to reply– “it’s not like you can’t. Women are panting over you all the time, and Jasmine’s no different. You’ve had no problem with something like that in the past. She’ll soon forget about anyone else.”
Eric released a frustrated breath. Could it be that simple? Would she forgive him? Was there a chance she’d let him into her heart? Could she love him? Or had she already fallen for someone else?
She wasn’t the type of girl to sleep around. That was clear from the beginning. If she were sharing her body, then she was invested on some emotional level to the male she was with. But was it love or lust?
Eric wanted her desperately, but he also wanted her to feel real love for him. He refused to use his powers of persuasion to gain her affection, craving that the bond be genuine. It was something he’d never yearned for before. But with Jasmine, it was all he could think about. That and having her in his arms again. Her body beneath him as he worshipped her with his hands, lips, and cock. Hearing her mewls and cries as he brought her nothing but ecstasy.
His dick twitched in his pants at the thought. Suppressing a growl, he tampered down the growing urges of desire that his feisty female always evoked.
He missed being inside her. The heaven he’d found as she’d orgasmed around his cock, as he’d fucked her, had been unbelievable. Not having her in his bed was driving him insane.
No other woman turned him on as much as Jasmine. There’d been no one else since her. No thought in his head to bed anyone else. She was the only one, now, who would ever do. The only one to ever have his frozen heart. It wasn’t just the sex. She challenged him in ways no one else had in centuries. Jasmine was intelligent and beautiful, and her youthful vibrance drew him to her.
Eric’s dreams were haunted by her. Some nights, he’d awaken, believing Jasmine was in his arms. But she was never there. Like a ghost, she’d vanish, leaving him aching in a tangle of sweat soaked sheets with longing and regret.
Pleasuring himself with his own hand was one release. Even then, it was Jasmine who he imagined touching him. Her lips, licking and sucking him off. Eyes sparkling up at him as she knelt on the floor of his bedroom.
Eric released a tortured sigh. He’d never gotten a chance to experience the real thing, and he was pretty damn certain it would be better than anything he could imagine.
The sound of a vehicle entering the car park interrupting his thoughts.
Straightening up from the bonnet, Eric glanced at his watch. His contact was right on time. Perfect.
Headlights lit the gloom as Raoul leaned inside to turn them on. Their lights cut a bright path across the concrete floor.
The sound of a car engine drew closer. It took less than a few minutes for them to catch the first glimpse of the car.
Keeping his hands casually in his trouser pockets, Eric widened his stance a little, remaining relaxed. Letting his familiar cold façade fall into place, he exuded calm and confidence. Now was the time for business.
Reeving its engine, the intimidating black SUV came to a halt. The windows were tinted, but with their enhanced vision, the vampires could easily see the passengers within.
Six heartbeats greeted Eric’s sensitive hearing. The boy brought his entourage. It wasn’t a surprise. Something, in fact, they’d been expecting.
Eric stood motionless. Mind centred, his razor-sharp intelligence pushed aside any thoughts of the female who possessed him. Now, it was time to work. Any failure in concentration could risk lives, and it was something he could never allow.
Three large-muscled bodyguards piled out of the car first. Each one of them scanned the area with an experienced eye.
Eric’s quick cool gaze took in the outline of their guns beneath their jackets. He was more than sure they carried backups too. Perhaps even blades. They were the same men he saw every time they made this rendezvous.
At last emerged their leader, dressed from head to foot in stylish Italian designer labels. The youth was no more than in his mid-twenties. The clothes he wore showed off his muscled frame. Hair slicked back, the dark brown strands curled slightly at his neck. Slim faced, he had a certain Mediterranean charm.
His skin was smooth and tanned, most likely from hours sun bathing on a beach or expensive yacht. All of it paid by blood money.
“Valentino buonasera how good of you to join me,” Eric’s deep voice rumbled out in perfect Italian.
Valentino was the son of a notorious Mafia Don. After persuading him that it was in his best interests, Eric convinced the boy to become his informant. As snitches went, he was eager to help. Valentino appreciated the benefits it reaped. Mostly, they were Eric and the Italian authorizes looking the other way when the young man did something illegal. So far, he’d followed the ground rules, which had been set for the last three years, without complaint. No killing. No rape. And to keep his nose clean.
Valentino looked uneasy. Brown eyes shifting between Raoul and Conall. He couldn’t stop rubbing his lower lip with the pad of his left thumb. He was nervous. The scent of fear and alcohol were wafting from his every pore.
Eric knew he wasn’t the only one to scent it. Both his comrades tensed. It was too subtle, though, for the humans to see.
Eric’s senses immediately became alert. Something here was out of place.
“It’s been a while, Eric,” the young man muttered. He didn’t stop moving. Pacing backwards and forwards, his edginess began to grow.
“You have some information for me?” Eric asked, not wanting to waste any time. If something was going to go down, he wanted to be out of there as quickly as possible. They’d already checked the exits before entering the place. Being prepared was something they always trained for in any situation.
The bodyguards were no match for them, nor the boy or his driver. Eric didn’t like being taken by surprise. Whatever game was being played, Valentino was poor to
hide it.
“Maybe...”
Eric tilted his head at the vague answer. “Did you bring me here to play games? Or do you have something for me?”
“I’ve been hearing there’s a man you’re after...a doctor. Someone you can’t catch.” A sly smile inched up the young man’s lips.
Eric’s interest piqued. Was it possible Valentino had knowledge pertaining to his nemesis? So far, it had been an impossible task. If there was even a whiff of information regarding Dasyurus, it vanished as fast as smoke. Those who had offered it disappeared; their bodies never to be found.
“I have an interest in the man, yes,” he confirmed, hiding his eagerness.
Pausing in his pacing, Valentino’s smile became a grin. “Why do you have such a hard on for this guy, huh?” he asked. “He fuck your girlfriend or something?” Personal questions were off limits. The young man knew this, but still, he asked.
Eric slid his hands out of his trouser pockets. “That is none of your concern. I take it you are here just to waste my time, then?” he responded stiffly.
“Oh, I have something for you, bloodsucker.” An aggressive sneer formed on his mouth.
Valentino looked far too pleased with himself. And in that split-second, Eric knew they’d been betrayed.
“He sent me with a message for you.”
Eric became unnaturally still. “You have met him?”
