Voracious Vixens, 13 Novels of Sexy Horror and Hot Paranormal Romance

by Travis Luedke

  Valentine shivered with delight and dropped her head back.

  ~* * * *~

  A clunk sounded in her ear and Valentine turned her head on the pillow. A fantastic aroma of coffee wafted close as she wrinkled her nose and heard a chuckle.

  She awoke and looked into the dark depths of Victor’s eyes while he lowered his lips to hers. “Good morning, Marla Rose.” He affectionately smacked her lips with his and placed a tray on the bed next to her.

  Juice, coffee, eggs, and toast sat in an inviting arrangement topped off with a little red vase, which held a single white rose.

  Startled, she gazed at the tray and back up to his face.

  “Breakfast in bed!” He grinned at her, reaching back and plopping a pillow behind her.

  “How sweet.”

  “Well?” He motioned to the tray.

  Valentine reached for the cup and sipped at the dark brew. “Mmm, yes.”

  Quietly, Victor folded his hands into his lap.

  She took a bite of toast and dipped it into the eggs. “This is wonderful!” She chewed and swallowed. “You cook?”

  “Oh yeah, it's a hobby.” He stared at her. “I’m really good with heat.”

  At the seductive purr in his voice, a spur of warmth flushed her face as she took another bite and swallowed it down with juice.

  A smile nudged at his lips while he sat and remained unusually silent. He sighed and swung his distracted gaze over to the closet.

  Valentine studied his seemingly out of character tranquility as she reached for the coffee mug. “Um—is everything okay?

  “I want you here with me.”

  “Well, I am here.”

  “I mean all the time.”

  Valentine dropped the mug to the tray. “You mean live together?”

  He nodded. “For...” His eyes rose to her shocked face. “Always.”

  “I don't know.”

  “You need to be protected.”

  “I’m a cop, Payne,” she scoffed. “I don't need—”

  “You’re one of only a handful of female chimeras on the Earth.”

  “What?”

  “There will be others...,” he paused. “Beasts who will try and take you.”

  “You’re the only beast who has taken me!” She smiled wickedly at him.

  Victor didn’t smile back.

  “You’re really serious about this?”

  He grasped her hand. “I was a full beast once and I wasn’t very nice.”

  “Well, you’re not nice all the time now!” She laughed.

  “You don't understand.”

  “You’re right, I don't.” She dipped her toast again.

  He released an anxious breath. “Before I became a cop, I was involved with something.”

  Valentine gasped. “You’re married?”

  “No!”

  She released a relieved breath and took a bite of the toast.

  “There are worse things, Valentine.”

  Setting the tray aside, she giggled. “Well, were you any ruder than you are now?”

  He smiled at the swipe. “I will just tell you, so that later you won't...”

  “Won’t what?”

  “I wasn't human at all, I was—a king.”

  “A king, like as in royalty?”

  “I have been for a thousand years.”

  “What?” She let out a disbelieving laugh.

  His expression remained serious.

  “You mean you’re a thousand years old?”

  He nodded.

  “Oh, Payne, now come on!”

  His serious dark eyes glowed at her. “And not just any king. I was a cold and a true killer. I just want you to know what is was like and how I became...”

  “Became?”

  “Human-like.” He gave her a warm smile.

  “I don't follow.”

  “About three hundred years ago or more, I sent my brother Lycian to another kingdom to get a queen for me,” he sighed.

  Valentine studied his face as she listened.

  “He went there, followed the court rules and petitioned for the nuptials. Queen Bellanna was an immortal, though not a full beast. She possessed a special gift, purported to be from the Goddess Isis. Bella could tell where human wars would be or where massive death would occur. We gargoyles, by nature, need the kill, and were murdering each other into extinction. She could find opportunities and disasters where we could...” His eyes met hers. “Kill.”

  She swallowed at the ominous sounding word.

  “She wanted to be with him instead and it wasn't an option, so she refused and he turned her by force.”

  Valentine raised hands to cover her mouth.

  “By my orders.” His eyes met hers.

  “You ordered him to take her by force?”

  “To save my clan, my kingdom,” he explained. “He took her and forced her to beast and when he did, he fell in love with her.” Victor remembered the magnificent Bella. “He took on human feelings and she hated him after,” he sighed. “She detested him so much, my resemblance to him prevented the royal marriage.” He lowered his head.

  Valentine felt a wave of sorrow at the sight of his bowed head.

  “So, he married her, determined to make her happy again. I watched the suffering misery of it all for two hundred years, while he tried to make it up to her and correct it.” He gazed over at Valentine. “He believed love could conquer the problem and finally one day, she nearly killed him when she spectered. I sent her away.” He released a scornful laugh. “As a beast, I thought it preposterous to believe love could survive all that, but while I watched his dedication, it turned me to human too.”

  “Is that the man I saw with you last night?”

  Victor nodded.

  “Did they end up together?”

  “Yes, it took more than three hundred years, but yes.” He leaned forward. “When I say I sent her away, I had her memory wiped of my brother and their life together.”

  Valentine shook her head with puzzlement.

  “We beasts have a relationship with a group called the Mesmers and they have the ability to wipe a chimera’s memory and even replace them with new memories.”

  “So, you gave her freedom back to her.”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, you had no choice and you say they made it through. It's all in the past now.”

  “I have a very long past, Marla.”

  “I don't see how it could matter now.” She shrugged.

  He tilted his head at her. “There’s also a blank spot in all of this.”

  Her curious gaze met his.

  “You,” he announced. “You must know you’re not twenty seven and you’re not Marla Rose Valentine, don't you?”

  “No, I don't know.”

  “So, you also more than likely have a shady past.” He grinned at her. “Maybe even as long as mine, although I doubt that really. Your memory was wiped and there must be a reason why you wiped.”

  Mute, she gazed down at her hands.

  He stepped over and tugged her to his broad chest.

  “That’s scary, Payne.”

  “We’ll see about that later, but for now? You have more lessons ahead of you.”

  “Oh, yeah? You mean there's more?” she joked.

  “Yes, there are table manners, ceiling etiquette and...”

  Valentine froze while an exhilarating anticipation rushed through her.

  “I’m going to teach you how to fly.” He winked at her shocked expression and lifted her to his hips.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Newhall, outer-Los Angeles

  The sun rose behind the hills, heavenly colors blending to cascade across the sky, with pastel streaks painting orange and yellow glimmers over the city. They sat together and watched it rise.

  “Oh, it's beautiful,” Valentine whispered, her eyes reflecting the pastel light.

  Victor wasn’t looking at the sunrise, he only looked at her.

  She turned her gaze
to his. “Payne?”

  He smiled at her while gold glints shone from his eyes. “I’ve seen it literally a million tedious times. It's the first one that ever moved me.” He held her tighter in his arms while she sat in his lap.

  At the intense expression on his face, she lowered her head.

  “I never would have guessed you could be shy,” he teased.

  “I never was before, believe me!”

  Victor stood up with her in his arms. “Yes, I guess you just never know about someone, but the glory of the investigation can be a most enjoyable journey.” He took her into the living room while wearing a huge grin on his face.

  The phone rang.

  He halted and they gazed at each other. “The real world calls.” He set her down and answered the call. “Payne here.”

  Valentine stood stock-still and watched him. She knew this call would come; they never solved the case officially and were supposed to make a report yesterday.

  He listened for a long moment and his gaze narrowed. “Yeah, thanks, Laura.” He set the phone down.

  “What?”

  “They have an APB out.”

  “A suspect?” She grabbed his arm.

  He nodded.

  “Well?”

  Victor released a heavy sigh and stared at her.

  She shook her head while she backed away. “No!” She drew in an anxious breath. “They think it's me?”

  “They have video from security cameras at Phillip Gardner's mansion.”

  “What can we do?”

  “You’re not getting booked and processed. That’s the one thing we won't be doing!” he growled low.

  “They think I murdered all those men?” Her eyes filled up with tears.

  He grabbed her arm and pulled her back to the patio.

  “Where are we going?”

  Victor scooped her into his arms. “To my world.” They lifted from the ground and shot up into the morning air.

  ~* * * *~

  Lycian Keep, Lithuania

  Victor set her down on the ground at the entrance.

  Valentine leaned her head back while she stared at an enormous, stately castle with dark spires, which seemed to climb for stories. “This is...?” She swallowed with awe. “...Yours?”

  “Yep.”

  “It must have like, what? Fifty bedrooms?”

  “Seventy five, I think.”

  Valentine gazed around with wide eyes. “Where are we?”

  “Lithuania.”

  “Lithuania, the country?” she asked with a gasp.

  He nodded.

  “But how did we get here so quickly?”

  “I always fly first class.” A teasing twinkle sparked from his eyes.

  A sudden massive amount of people appeared from all around, like from smoke. Men all dressed in black were everywhere and there were so many of them.

  Valentine gazed over to the entry and jumped with a startled gasp. A long line of people, men and women all stood lining the ostentatious entrance. “Where did all these people come from?”

  Victor turned her toward the entrance. “Well, I haven't been here for a while and they’re...the greeting committee?” He moved her toward the line of solemn faces.

  Gigantic golden statues stood on either side of the majestic castle doors. They appeared to be cast in gold paint. Their faces twisted with evil snarls and ghoulish horns jutted from their large heads as wicked, razor-sharp teeth gleamed in the sunlight.

  Gargoyles! She shivered as she stared at their life-like glowing eyes. The artist must have used some kind of jewels, as their eyes glinted with a surreal sparkling.

  Victor tightened his hold on her shoulders. “I’m in charge here and no one will hurt you, okay?”

  “It's the statues,” she explained in a hushed tone.

  “What?” Victor glanced over at them.

  “They–”she stuttered as she stared. “They’re so real looking and their eyes are like-following me.”

  Victor studied them and turned to look at her terrified expression. He tilted his head back and laughed loudly.

  Valentine gaped at his laughter.

  All of the lined servants collectively gasped and fell to the ground.

  Valentine dropped her stunned gaze to the nearly fifty servants, lying along the marbled walk, their faces meeting with the cold, hard surface.

  All of the men who were clad in black, a hundred count at least, were all kneeling with their heads bowed.

  “Who are all of these people?” she asked.

  Victor seemed oblivious to the subservient event as he shook his head at her and swiped at a hilarious tear. “A kingdom, Sweet V; just a kingdom.” He took her hand and led her along the walk still littered with people on the ground.

  “You mean they live here all the time and just wait for you?”

  “I released them all, years ago.”

  Valentine gaped at the kneeling men; all of them were hunks of male prime with proud looking features and well built physiques. “What’s with the black army?”

  “That’s exactly what they are, sweet girl. The King’s Guarding Army.” He pulled her in through the wide double doors. “They just won't leave. They‘ve been here for hundreds of years and I suppose they don’t know of anywhere else to go.”

  Her steps slowed to a halt while her stunned gaze swung over the vast foyer. “It's like Windsor or something!”

  “Oh no, Windsor is full of humans and all complete fucking stiffs, by the way!” He laughed and made his way to the hall. “Are you coming with me?” he called back to her.

  Valentine trembled at the familiar seductive words and stepped through the long hall, where she stopped and stared around. “I think I'm lost!” she called out. An odd scraping noise rumbled from behind her and she flipped around. Smoky glassed double doors, which she hadn't noticed before, swung open by themselves.

  Astonished to speechlessness, Valentine peeked in; the entire room appeared to be made of smooth, smoky glass. She carefully stepped inside to see colossal glass walls and a gigantic ceiling stretching high above her. Dumbfounded, she stood frozen. She’d never seen a room like this before. Room? She mused in silent bewilderment. It’s the size of a fucking museum all by itself!

  A life-sized oil painting hung on each massive wall. Classics, like Rembrandt, Picasso and Waterhouse paintings.

  One of the works sparked with a cerulean blue light and she moved toward it as though it beckoned her. Painted with deep blues and jet-black strokes, it depicted a blue velvet ottoman with a woman lying on it, fully nude as her jet-black hair with raven hues gleamed from around her bare shoulders.

  My God, she’s stunning. Valentine gawked with admiration. The woman's eyes glowed with an azure blue, and around her neck she wore a sapphire diamond necklace, perfectly matching her striking eyes. Standing above her—the tinted image of Payne. She gulped heavily at the painted revelation and swung her astounded stare over at Victor.

  He stood leaning back against an enormous mahogany desk. “Not me.” He shook his head at her.

  Valentine turned her attention again to the alluring, eerie painting.

  “Lycian and Bella,” he whispered while suddenly standing next to her as though he just appeared at her elbow. “They’re now known as Jack and Constance.”

  At the near sound of his voice, she leapt to the side.

  Victor grinned. “Oh, sorry, that’s rude I guess, to just pop up like that.”

  Valentine blinked rapidly at him. “Well, the rudeness I’m used to, but not...” She shook her head and peered up at the marvelous painting. “She’s so...” She released a breath. “I can’t even describe it.”

  “Viciously beautiful?” He gazed up at it too. “Yes, she was.”

  “Was?”

  “This painting is three hundred years old. She’s still stunning, but not a full specter anymore,” he sighed.

  “Specter?” Her raised voice echoed through the chamber while the walls seemed to shutter
and the sound of it made her jump.

  He grabbed her shoulders. “It's okay, it is just...acoustics.” He steered her to the desk. “It’s a special type of glass, which picks up on the sound of different creatures and it reacts.”

  Valentine felt overwhelmed by all of these bizarre events and she didn’t even register his explanation about the strange wall rattling. “What does specter mean?”

  “A full beast, with a cold heart and ravenous hunger.”

  “Were you a...?”

  Victor crossed his arms over his broad chest. “More beastly than any on the Earth.” He winked at her. “Extremely deadly.”

  Valentine stood still, feeling lost while attempting to understand it all.

  “I had to be vicious. The clans all warred fiercely and if we don’t fight, we die. It’s still that way in some respects. There’s been a truce in place and with the exception of a few incidents? We’ve not fought any real battles for hundreds of years.” He shrugged. “It was the Mesmers who finally brought us peace. All the bloodletting and taking humans for sport is gone now, except for the Mergers.”

  At the way he spoke about this other world she never knew existed, a peculiar alarm pinged at her, but she couldn’t figure out why. After all, this world of beasts had nothing to do with her and her life. She shook the odd sensation away. “The what?”

  His eyes glowed. “Mergers—they’re killers of the lowest sort, their bloodline tainted,” he paused as he shook his head. “An enemy clan, now run by Giovanni.”

  “The man at the club?”

  He nodded and went over to the desk. “But not a man, Rose—a Chimera and black-hearted as they come.”

  “He was with her.”

  “Yes, he was,” he agreed. “And we need to find out who she is.”

  “She’s a murderer and a fiend!”

  “It's not surprising, if she is chattel to his clan, they are the most bloodthirsty.” He pulled a drawer out from the oversized desk, reached in and pressed a button.

  “What are you doing?”

  The walls rattled and she spun around. They shifted sideways and the smoky glass shimmered while it changed colors. Startled, she stepped back to the desk.

  “Don't worry,” he assured her. “There’s nothing here to harm. I’m just letting in a little light to the mystery. It’s the best way to find out.”

  The walls smoothed out again and one shimmering panel opened.