Adored By The Rancher: Mail Order Brides Box Set

by Dreams, Brittany

  Slowly Asher’s fangs descended. He tilted her neck and she held her breath. This was truly it. This was her last minute as a human. She cried out when he struck her. He took her blood in strong pulls that were nothing like when he had fed from her before. He held her tightly, even as her vision went black around the edges. The last thing she saw was the crown of his golden hair, his head bent, taking her life essence.

  Epilogue

  “What you would you like to do tonight my love?” Dawn smiled as she came fully awake. Her fangs descended hungrily at the look in Asher’s eyes. They had been mated for over two decades, a mere blip of their long radar of life. It had been hard, growing used to the transition. Dawn had given up everything she had ever known including her human life for Asher.

  It had not been a mistake. She loved her mate more than ever. Over the years their species had become robust again. Shane and Aylona were raising two children of their own and had turned several others. Saber and Keerin had found mates the same way Asher and Dawn had found each other. They had, surprisingly, each fallen in love with human women who were willing to give up their lives to become vampires to remain with the mates they cherished.

  After years in the city, Dawn and Asher had preferred to move to an acreage out of the city. They could raise their children there, the three she had birthed and the four they had turned. Dawn wasn’t sure how being a maker worked with other vampires but she had given each person a choice. Oddly enough, her best friend Sarah, wanted to be turned as well. She had gone to Sarah, wanting to tell just one person what had happened, intending to erase her memory after and surprisingly Sarah, with little attachments of her own was the first person Dawn had brought through the transition.

  They farmed now, living off their own land. It was rather strange at first, living only during the night but Dawn had quickly become used to it. Their animals lived on the same schedule as they did, as did their land. Since they could feed mostly from each other, they rarely left the farm. The trips they did take into the city were always accompanied with a visit to Shane and Aylona, who still lived in the house where it had all started for Dawn.

  Thanks to the money Shane accumulated over the centuries they were able to buy land and create farms and housing for their kind away from the threat of humanity but close enough that they could still be a part of it. Asher, like a true prince, was involved in every decision. He was always helping, always keen to lend an ear or provide advice.

  “There is always the chores and the children,” Dawn whispered. She knew by the look in Asher’s eyes he had something else in mind before she got up to start their normal routine “What did you have in mind?” She asked suggestively.

  The glow in Asher’s eyes left her in little doubt what he had in mind for her. His hands were already snaking over her heated skin, stirring the passion that was always as ready and fresh as the first time they’d ever come together.

  “I love our life,” Asher whispered, kissing Dawn deeply. “I love you my mate. You grow more beautiful with each passing day.”

  “And I love you Asher.” Dawn smiled, running her hands through his long hair. “The love of my heart.”

  “Do you ever wonder where you would be if you hadn’t chosen this life? If you had remained a human?”

  Dawn shivered. “No. It hurts me to see my parents growing old, my brother, and not being able to tell them the truth. It hurts me to delve into their minds and lie to them that way but that is my only regret, as we both knew it would be. I don’t regret a single second of my life with you. I love you Asher. With all my heart. I love our children… all of them.”

  Asher kissed her again, his hand moving over her breast, then lower, over her stomach before reaching lower. Dawn sighed and shifted into his touch.

  “You were the mate of my heart from the first second I saw you,” she whispered. “I never truly doubted it.”

  “You were always my destiny. Even if I didn’t know it then, I do now.”

  Asher gathered her into his arms and she went willingly. She sighed deeply into his neck, caressing a body that was now as familiar to her as her own.

  “And we have our children now. All of them. I love our family. I love each and every single vampire that we know. I’ve been truly blessed to become a part of your life. My own life has been all the richer for it.” Whether because she was such a new vampire or because she was just shaped for it, bearing Asher’s children had been easy for her despite the fact that vampire pregnancies were often difficult.

  “It’s true my love.” Asher arm tightened around her. He continued to caress her body with his free hand. “We have everything. It will be years yet before our kind can really thrive but we have every single blessing I could ever have asked for right here. Right now.”

  Their life together had been a good one. She relished the promise of a future together. Despite the pains and the hurts and the uncertainty that they’d endured and had yet to experience. Despite the difficult of the task in front of them, they would always have their love for each other and with it they could endure any obstacles.

  Asher’s hand found Dawn’s breast and she moaned, arching into him. All thoughts fled and she gave herself up in surrender to her mate.

  Blood and Soul

  A Vampire Paranormal Romance

  Introduction

  Lance William is a fast-rising Hollywood superstar. After winning a highly-acclaimed award, he finds himself riding high – until tragedy strikes, and he must make a choice between life and death. Unfortunately, one is no better than the other, and Lance is forced to give up everything he loves to start anew. He is sent off on a journey of self-discovery, as he must look past all those stereotypes he learned from the movies and find out what it means to be a real vampire.

  His guides along this path are Matthew, the vampire who created him, and Sara, a young woman who opens her home up as a vampire halfway house. As Matthew tries to encourage Lance to embrace his new life and see the brighter side to being a bloodsucker, it’s Sara who restores Lance’s hope, showing him that he can still have the happiness and normalcy he craves.

  “And the Oscar goes to…Lance William.”

  It took a moment for the announcement to register. He still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that he sat in the second row surrounded by the big screen legends he had admired for years, or that he had been nominated for Best Actor several months ago. But to hear his name called, to realize he had been chosen above his seasoned colleagues, left Lance feeling shell shocked. It felt like that proverbial dream everyone talked about, as he rose from his seat and buttoned his tuxedo coat before making his way toward the aisle amidst applause and cheers. A couple of his costars jumped up to catch him in a brief hug and offer congratulations. His director met him with a back-pounding embrace before sending him toward the steps leading to the stage. Lance felt his heart threaten to burst from his ribcage. Some distant part of his mind told him not to trip on his way to the microphone. Even when they handed him the golden statuette, it took several moments more to adjust to the weight of it in his grip. Only then did he realize what was happening.

  “Oh my god,” he mumbled, and the mic carried his stunned voice throughout the pavilion. “I think I just died and went to heaven.” He cleared his throat and looked down, blinking back the tears that started to form on his lashes. Taking a deep breath to compose himself, he lifted his blond head again and smiled. “I want to thank the Academy for this truly amazing honor.” He looked out at the audience. “To all my fellow nominees – I have only the greatest respect for you all, and share this award with you.” That earned another wave of applause. “I would not be standing here today without the love and support of my relatives and friends, my agent... To them, and to all the fans out there who have helped me to get to this place, I owe my deepest gratitude. Whether or not we are bound by blood, we are still family. All our lives are tied together, and as such we need to continue to work together to make this world better
. Every single person matters. It’s important that we always remember that we are all connected, every one of us…for all eternity.” He nodded. “Thank you.”

  Immediately following his acceptance speech, Lance found himself escorted back to the press area. Camera shutters clicked rapidly, flashes strobed, and he did his best to answer as many questions as possible through his big grin while still clutching his award.

  “Lance!” one reporter called out to him. “What’s up next for you?”

  “Well,” Lance said, shielding his blue eyes from the glare of the lights for a moment so he could see the person asking the question. “Aside from my ongoing charity work, I start filming on a new project tomorrow. I have to catch a flight out to London right after the show tonight. Sadly, this means I won’t be celebrating at the Governor’s Ball or any other parties.” That got a mix of laughter and exaggerated groans of disappointment and sympathy. “No, no – it’s okay,” he assured, gesturing with his free hand. “Believe me, I’m already celebrating, in here.” He pressed his palm to his chest and smiled.

  “Would you say this has been the greatest night of your life, Lance?” asked another reporter.

  “Next to seeing my son being born,” Lance said, “I have to say ‘without a doubt.’” He could feel his phone buzzing insistently in his pocket and fished it out. “I hate to cut this short, but I’ve got to take this – it’s my mom.” Waving the Oscar at the press, he made his way from the interview area with his phone to his ear, his excited mother already gushing at him, telling him how proud she felt and how much she loved him. Lance returned to his seat in the audience to watch the rest of the show, his head still humming with disbelief over his incredible good fortune.

  At the end of the ceremony, Lance found his way out to his waiting limousine. His driver high-fived him when he saw the Oscar in his hand. “Congratulations, Mr. W!” the older man said. “Something told me you would be bringing that gold home, tonight.”

  Lance laughed and shook his head. “Your faith was stronger than mine, Freddy. I really didn’t think my chances were all that great, given some of the other performances out there this year. I was sure I was going to lose to Spacey.” He slid into the back seat and Freddy closed the door. Placing the trophy on the bench beside him, Lance pulled out his phone and checked on his flight schedule. He still had two hours before he had to check in at LAX. That gave him time to go home, change clothes, and grab his suitcase which he had packed that morning. He looked at his messages. His brothers and sisters, all his friends, his agent, and his publicist had sent congratulatory texts, emails, and left voicemail in the span of a few minutes right after the live telecast of his win. He smiled. He would have to answer all of them once he got on the plane; all but one, which he planned to call back right now. He heard the line pick up on the second ring. “Hey, Olivia…is Micah still up?”

  “Yes, and he’s been waiting to talk to you.” He could hear the warmth in her voice. “We watched the broadcast. I’m so happy for you right now, Lance. You really deserved this.”

  “Thanks.” While things had not worked out between them, they had managed to stay friends over the years for the sake of their son. “I wish you could have been there, beside me.”

  She was quiet for a moment before answering. “So do I.” Her voice lightened. “Okay, here’s Micah.”

  “I’ll make it quick,” Lance said. “I know he has school tomorrow.” A moment later, he heard his son come on the line. “Hey, buddy! Heard you were watching tonight.”

  “Well, yeah,” Micah said, and Lance could almost see the boy roll his eyes. “I told you that you were gonna win, Dad.”

  “Yes, you did,” Lance said, smiling. He picked up the statuette and looked at it. “So, you got space on one of your bedroom shelves for this golden guy to stand on? Remember, I promised you if I won that he would be coming to live with you.”

  “Already got a spot clear,” the twelve year-old said enthusiastically.

  “Awesome. I’ll bring him over when I get back from London in a couple of weeks, okay?”

  “Okay, Dad.”

  Lance glanced out the window, watching the passing traffic as Freddy merged the limo onto the freeway. “You get to bed, now.”

  “Okay. Love you, Dad.”

  “Love you, too, Micah.” Ending the call, Lance sighed and sat back. He looked at the statue and chuckled. Pulling out his phone again, he thumbed over to the camera. He held the Oscar up next to his face and took a selfie as he kissed its polished cheek. He sent the picture out to his best friend and fellow actor, Dean Vincent, along with a message. ‘You get the next one, brother – this one’s mine.’

  From the front of the car, he heard Freddy let out a curse, and felt the car swerve sharply to the left. Lance dropped both the phone and his award to grab onto whatever he could. The next thing he knew, they were airborne, spinning. Lance tumbled around, slammed into the ceiling. One whole side of the car caved in, metal screaming, glass shattering and scattering. He lost consciousness.

  When he opened his eyes again, he could not focus. Everything was still. He wheezed, every breath he struggled to take coming in short, painful gasps. He tasted the sharp metallic tang of blood in his mouth. He tried to move but found himself held into place. Blinking, he glanced down and saw a jagged piece of metal jutting out from his midsection. He could hear voices shouting, and saw bright, flickering white light that made the broken glass sparkle around him like diamonds.

  “Jesus Christ – someone call 911!”

  “They’re on the way. We’ve gotta get these guys out of here – there’s gas leaking out all over the place, this thing could catch fire and blow.”

  “The driver’s dead – half his head is gone, man.”

  “I’m going to squeeze into the back and see if I can get the other one out. Do you have a blanket or something in your truck?”

  “Yeah, hang on – I’ll go get it.”

  “Okay.”

  A moment later, someone appeared in front of Lance, blocking out the light. Lance could not make out the features but could hear a soft male voice speaking to him. “I know you’re in a great deal of pain right now,” the stranger said, calm and level. “I can tell you’re dying. I’m going to give you a choice. I can help you to live, but your life will never be the same again…or I can help you to die, release you and speed you on your way. Which do you choose?”

  It was an odd question, almost surreal. Lance thought about his family. About his mom and dad. About Micah. He thought about the charities he had founded and all the people he helped every day. I’m not done, yet. I still have so much to do. Nodding ever so slightly, Lance managed to muster enough strength to push one word past his lips. “Live,” he breathed out.

  “Then you will live,” the stranger said.

  A moment later, Lance felt a tug on his left arm followed by the sound of cloth tearing. The stranger bent over him, and Lance experienced a brief sting, like a needle puncturing the tender skin of his inner elbow. Darkness began to surround him again as sound and light became distorted and distant, and he felt himself slip away once more to the cold of unconsciousness.

  ***

  “A tragic story to report, tonight. Actor Lance William, whose recent performance as poet and Royal Canadian Air Force pilot John Gillespie Magee, Jr. in the critically acclaimed biopic High Flight saw him win his first Academy Award for Best Actor, has died. Authorities say that William’s limousine had been struck by a drunk driver fleeing from police in a high-speed chase on northbound Interstate 5; the limo then flipped over the center barrier into south-bound traffic. William’s driver had been killed instantly; reports say that William, who had just come the Oscars, was still alive but succumbed to his injuries before emergency responders could reach the crash site. Well-known for his charity work in addition to his recurring role in the big-budget Take the Money and Run franchise, William is survived by his parents, siblings, and his son from his brief relationship with
actress Olivia Ashley. Lance William was thirty-two.”

  ***

  Lance awoke, sucking in a lungful of air. He was lying on his back on something cold and hard. A white sheet covered him. He struggled to throw it off, only to find his arms wouldn’t work. Lance looked around in wide-eyed confusion at the stainless steel and white tile of his surroundings. Where am I? What’s going on?

  “Relax,” a familiar soft voice said to him. A young man, tall and thin, with deep-set eyes and a shock of thick, brown hair came into Lance’s line of sight. “Hello...do you remember me? I offered to help you live; I’m here to complete the process.”

  “Process?” Lance echoed, his voice a dry rasp. “What…process? What happened to me?” He glanced around again, bright blue eyes darting before coming back to the stranger. “Who are you?”

  “My name is Matthew. You were involved in a terrible car accident. I was one of the first people on the scene.” He gave Lance a gentle smile. “You were dying. Do you remember me telling you that?”

  “Vaguely,” Lance said. His voice was coming back to him more but he still sounded hoarse to his own ears. He tried to sit up but could not budge. “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I move?”

  “Your body is undergoing a change,” Matthew said. “All your wounds are healing at a rapid pace as the new antibodies take hold. I started the process at the crash site, while you were still pinned inside your vehicle. I followed the EMTs here after they were able to free you in order to finish the transfusion.”

  Again, Lance frowned. “I don’t understand…”

  “I told you I could grant life or death,” Matthew said. He continued to speak in that same calm, easy manner, like someone discussing the weather. “I told you if you chose to live, you would never be the same. By that, I meant the person you used to be would no longer exist. You are no longer Lance William, famous Hollywood actor. That person was pronounced dead on arrival at the Los Angeles City Morgue last night at approximately 9:45pm last night.”