Sentinel (Vampire Conclave: Book 2)

by S. J. West

  Sentinel

  Vampire Conclave, Book 2

  S.J. West

  Contents

  The Vampire Conclave, Book 2

  Books by S.J. West

  Acknowledgments

  1. Chapter 1

  2. Chapter 2

  3. Chapter 3

  4. Chapter 4

  5. Chapter 5

  6. Chapter 6

  7. Chapter 7

  8. Chapter 8

  9. Chapter 9

  10. Chapter 10

  11. Chapter 11

  12. Chapter 12

  13. Chapter 13

  14. Chapter 14

  15. Chapter 15

  16. Chapter 16

  17. Chapter 17

  18. Chapter 18

  19. Chapter 19

  20. Chapter 20

  Author’s Note

  Harvester, the Harvester of Light Trilogy, Book 1

  About the Author

  COPYRIGHTS

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  © 2017 by S.J. West.

  All rights reserved.

  Cover Design: Paper & Sage Design, all rights reserved.

  Interior Design & Formatting: Carolina Silva, all rights reserved.

  Proof Reader: Allisyn Ma.

  Published by Watchers Publishing April, 2017.

  www.Sjwest.com

  BOOKS IN THE WATCHER SERIES

  The Watchers Trilogy

  Cursed

  Blessed

  Forgiven

  The Watcher Chronicles

  Broken

  Kindred

  Oblivion

  Ascension

  Caylin’s Story

  Timeless

  Devoted

  Aiden’s Story

  The Alternate Earth Series

  Cataclysm

  Uprising

  Judgment

  The Redemption Series

  Malcolm

  Anna

  Lucifer

  Redemption

  The Dominion Series

  Awakening

  Reckoning

  Enduring

  OTHER BOOKS BY S.J. WEST

  The Harvester of Light Trilogy

  Harvester

  Hope

  Dawn

  The Vankara Saga

  Vankara

  Dragon Alliance

  War of Atonement

  Vampire Conclave Series

  Moonshade

  Sentinel

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I would like to express my gratitude to the many people who were with me throughout this creative process; to all those who provided support, talked things over, read, wrote, offered comments, allowed me to quote their remarks and assisted in the editing, proofreading and design.

  Thanks to Allisyn Ma.my proofreader for helping me find typos, correct commas and tweak the little details that have help this book become my perfect vision. Thank you to Carolina Silva for creating the Interior Design of the books and formatting them.

  Last and not least: I want to thank my family, who supported and encouraged me in this journey.

  I apologize to those who have been with me over the course of the years and whose names I have failed to mention.

  The world, as I knew it, has been forever changed. Some would shy away from the new reality of my life, but I’ve decided, for better or for worse, that I will embrace it and allow myself to be whisked away on the current of the unknown to destinations no one can predict. Where will I end up? I have no idea, but whatever happens, I will face it head-on and embrace whatever fate throws in my path.

  Since I am starving and it is so late at night, we end up stopping at a Waffle House restaurant just up the road from the beach in Navarre. I basically order one of everything on the menu. Our waitress looks at me as if she doubts my ability to eat such a large quantity of food.

  “Are you sure, hon?” she asks, looking me up and down as if she doesn’t believe I can eat one plate of eggs and waffles, much less ten. “Wouldn’t you rather eat one thing at a time and see just how hungry you really are?”

  “You can bring it out that way,” I say, attempting to be gracious and not let my hunger choose harsher words, “but I assure you, it will all get eaten.”

  Just then, my stomach lets out a mighty roar so loud it does nothing but confirm my words to the woman. I see the waitress’s eyebrows rise in surprise before she heads back toward the counter to turn my order in to the cooks in the kitchen.

  I look over at Julian and can’t help but smile at the sight of him sitting across from me in the booth. Without saying a word, he stretches an arm across the table, holding his hand out palm up. I place one of my hands in his, relishing the warmth of his skin against mine and knowing without any doubt now that he loves me. He just declared as much on the beach only a few short minutes ago.

  “Maybe we should have just gone through the McDonald’s drive-through,” I whisper to him in slight aggravation. “At least an ordering terminal can’t look at you like you’ve lost your mind.”

  “Nonsense,” he replies, wrinkling his nose at the prospect of my suggestion. “Considering how much food you would have to order to satisfy your appetite, I would never get the stench out of my car.”

  I let out a small laugh at his sense of priorities. “What? You don’t like the smell of greasy French fries and hamburgers?”

  “Not in my car,” he states resoundingly with no room for misinterpretation. “Besides, I would end up having to drive so you could eat. I think we can both agree that I probably shouldn’t be doing that right now. At least not until we’re sure the soul inside me doesn’t intend to make another unexpected appearance.”

  I squeeze Julian’s hand reassuringly. “We’ll find a way to get it out of you,” I promise. “There has to be a solution.”

  “In all my years and travels,” he begins with a note of hesitancy, “I’ve never heard of this happening to someone. Just the thought of this girl’s soul residing inside my body puts me on edge.”

  “Should I have kept that piece of information to myself?” I question him, second-guessing my decision on full disclosure.

  “Absolutely not,” Julian assures me, squeezing the hand he still holds to emphasize his words. “I never want us to keep secrets from one another, Sarah. Lies have a tendency to perpetuate more lies and cause rifts to form between people. There’s nothing in my life that I don’t want you to know everything there is to know about.”

  I look out the window toward Julian’s car. I can’t see him, but I know Viktor is curled up in the backseat of it, taking a nap. I return my gaze to Julian and say, “Then in the spirit of complete disclosure, I need to tell you something about Viktor.”

  Julian’s eyes narrow on me, filled with obvious curiosity as to what I will say next. He remains silent, patiently waiting for me to continue.

  “Viktor can change into a human form when he wants to,” I whisper, even though there’s no chance anyone else can hear me. The only other couple in the restaurant is sitting on the opposite side of the room. “Apparently, one of my alfar ancestors casts a spell that grants him the ability to switch between a human and a cat form at will.”

  Julian considers my words for a moment before nodding his head. “His constant presence among the alfar royal family makes sense now. We all knew he was more than just a cat, especially if you c
onsider how long he’s lived, but I had no idea he was a shifter too.” Julian covers the hand he holds with his other one before saying, “I suppose he was upset with me for kissing you on the beach, because he expects you to marry an alfar to continue the lineage of House Moonshade.”

  “He’s mentioned it,” I reply, feeling my heart sink at the thought. “But he also knows how I feel about you. So me choosing you over them shouldn’t come as any surprise. To be honest, I’m not sure why he felt the need to show his temper on the beach when he caught us. He knows I love you.”

  “Perhaps he assumed I wouldn’t find the strength to love you back,” Julian suggests. “He may have thought your infatuation with me would eventually subside if I rebuffed you enough times.”

  “That seems rather devious of him,” I comment, wondering if Julian’s assumption is correct.

  “The alfar believe in keeping their bloodlines as pure as possible. They frown on their royals fraternizing with humans, much less marrying them and having children. I can only imagine what Shael will say when she learns about our relationship.”

  Julian looks uneasy about the prospect of my alfar aunt discovering that we’re in love with one another.

  “I really don’t care what she says,” I state stubbornly, intending to nip his unease in the bud concerning my father’s side of the family. “To be blunt, it’s none of her business who I decide to love.”

  “But it is …” Julian replies hesitantly. “You’re the next in line to rule her house. She’ll expect you to have an heir to carry on the Moonshade legacy.”

  “I understand that,” I say, attempting to keep my temper in check, “but I don’t feel as though I owe them my allegiance. My father left them for a reason, and I don’t feel any great obligation to continue their traditions. He did what he wanted. Why shouldn’t I do the same thing? Besides, I’m only half alfar. Maybe they don’t even want me to rule them.”

  “Then why would they send a Valengard detail to protect you?” Julian points out.

  “Shael seems to be a nice person, and whether she likes it or not, I am her niece. I’m sure she’s only doing what she believes my father would have wanted.” I tilt my head slightly as I ask, “And what exactly is a Valengard detail?”

  “That’s the name of the elite fighting force of the alfar,” Julian explains. “From what I’ve been told, the alfar select a small number of young children each year to attend their Valengard Academy where they’re trained in combat and schooled in specific subjects. When they graduate, their sole purpose is to protect the rulers of the five alfar houses, especially those within the royal family.”

  “Protect them from whom?” I have to ask, finding it odd that the royals need special guards to keep them safe. “You make it sound like the rulers of the houses are always in danger.”

  “Potential danger,” Julian clarifies. “The alfar houses used to fight amongst themselves quite a bit. It’s been about a hundred years since their last war. House Moonshade has retained control through political means and having the most powerful mages on their side. To the alfar, magic is worth more than money. Whichever house has the most magic is the one who maintains control.”

  “Since I’m an outsider, maybe Shael won’t expect me to become the next queen,” I suggest. “Surely there’s someone else in House Moonshade who would be better suited than me.”

  “I think that’s just wishful thinking on your part,” Julian gently tells me. His words aren’t meant to disregard my own, just put them in a realistic context. “I believe she expects you to take the throne one day. Otherwise she wouldn’t have given Viktor up so easily to you. She was unnaturally protective of the cat. Now I understand why he was always with her, especially during events like the party.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I assume only a select few know he can transform into a human. As a cat, he could spy for her, and no one would be any the wiser. He probably told her who she could and couldn’t trust and warned her who the trouble makers were around her. It’s genius really. Whoever made him was quite brilliant.”

  I know Julian’s assumptions are more than likely correct. Even I used Viktor to spy for me and didn’t give it a second thought. Before we went into the beach house in Destin, Viktor was able to find a way inside to scout out Julian’s and Petru’s exact whereabouts. He was a tool that I used, and it ended up costing him his life. Well, at least I thought it had when I saw the woman snap his neck and throw him over the railing of the stairs. Thankfully, my feline friend has multiple lives. I’m not sure if he has nine because I haven’t been able to speak to him in his human form yet, but I definitely intend to find out just how many lives he has left.

  Our waitress brings me my first full plate of hash browns, scrambled eggs, waffles, and sausage links. I’m so hungry, I forget all about my table manners and use both my hands to shove the food into my mouth as fast as I can without choking myself. Before I became Julian’s companion, I never cared that much about food. It was just something I needed to eat in order to survive. Now, it’s like my drug of choice. Every sweet, bitter, spicy, juicy morsel of food that enters my mouth is like a new revelation.

  “I can’t believe I used to hate these things,” I tell Julian, holding up a sausage link in each of my hands before taking a bite of one and then the other. “They’re so delicious!”

  Julian smiles at me, and I can tell he wants to laugh at the rather unladylike way I’m eating.

  “Go ahead and laugh,” I tell him through a mouthful of sausage. “It’s all your fault that I’m like this now, you know.” I swallow before continuing. “I didn’t care about food this much before I met you. Now it’s practically all I can think about!”

  “I would apologize for that,” Julian says as he continues to smile at me, “but I can feel how much joy you receive from being able to eat anything you want.”

  “Are you coping with that any better?” I ask, instantly realizing that I need to clarify my question. “With being able to feel what I do is what I mean.”

  “I don’t mind it now that I’m not trying to fight my own feelings for you,” he replies. A gentle understanding comes into Julian’s eyes. His gaze conveys the warmth of his love, surrounding my whole being like the golden rays of a bright sun peeking out from behind a cloud. For a moment, I forget about being hungry and simply want to take the man sitting across from me home to my bed. We haven’t only been dancing around our feelings for one another, but also the desire we’ve both felt since we first met. I’ll never forget the moment his lips first touched my skin on the dance floor in New Orleans. I may have been under the influence of Julian’s coercion spell back then, but I don’t believe it would have made much of a difference if I hadn’t been. I think my body would have reacted the same exact way.

  After I clean my plate, our waitress promptly brings me the second one and practically runs away after collecting the empty one from in front of me. I would have made a witty quip about her being afraid I might eat her arm off, but I have a completely different subject occupying my thoughts.

  As I wipe the grease from my hands onto a handful of brown paper napkins, I chance a glance in Julian’s direction. He’s staring at me with a questioning look in his eyes.

  “I sense you want to ask me something important,” he says, sounding intrigued as a hint of a smile plays with one corner of his mouth. “What is it?”

  “Helen mentioned that you’ve had a lot of lovers over the years,” I begin. “And you and I have had a couple of close calls in that department,” I decide to point out as a gentle reminder. “I was just sitting here wondering how long it will be before we … you know … do the deed.”

  “Hmmm,” he says, considering my words carefully before leaning back in his seat with a thoughtful expression on his face. He fiddles with the edge of a napkin on the table before raising his eyes to capture my full attention and voicing his thoughts on the subject. “I don’t like to put a timetable on such things, Sarah.
When we make love, I want it to happen naturally. I don’t want it to be a planned event. When we do decide the moment is right, you need to know that I won’t be rushed through it. I won’t be denied the satisfaction of watching you experience every pleasurable stroke my hand makes against your skin. I want to feel your body tremble against my tongue when I touch you in places only a lover can, and I want to feel you welcome me into your warmth, knowing that I’m the only one who can satisfy the hunger buried so deep inside you that only I can assuage its ache. That’s what I want, Sarah Marcel, and I’m willing to wait however long it takes for that moment to arrive.”

  After hearing Julian’s declaration of pleasurable promises, it takes me a moment to calm my racing heart, but when I finally can take in a tremulous breath, I ask, “Can that moment be right now?”

  Julian grins at me with a pleased look on his face, but much to my dismay, he shakes his head.

  “As much as I would enjoy making love to you, this is not the right moment for either of us. You know that. We’re both tired and have a long way to go before we reach home. I’m sure Helen will worry less after she sees us.”

  I sigh in resignation. “You’re right. We have people who need us back home. I’m just having a selfish moment.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with being selfish,” he assures me, stretching one arm out to push my plate closer to me with his hand. “Now eat up. We have a lot to do. Besides,” he says, looking over my shoulder toward the front door, “it looks like Nadia got tired of waiting for us and decided to check up on you herself.”

  I quickly glance over my left shoulder and see Nadia take a seat in a booth near the door. She doesn’t look over at me, but I’m certain she would be able to see a gnat land on my shoulder and defend me from it if she had to.