THE CHOSEN:
A TALE OF THE BLOOD BREED
Blood Breed 1
Jenika Snow
EROTIC ROMANCE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance
THE CHOSEN: A TALE OF THE BLOOD BREED
Copyright © 2010 by Jenika Snow
E-book ISBN: 1-60601-595-8
First E-book Publication: February 2010
Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2010 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter from Jenika Snow
Regarding Ebook Piracy
Dear Readers,
I would like to thank each and every one of you for purchasing this story through Bookstrand.com, and I would like to thank you in advance for not sharing a copy of it. There is an ongoing problem with e-book piracy, and I just wanted to say a few words about it.
A lot of time and effort goes into creating a story, and when e-books are distributed illegally, it makes it more difficult for the parties involved in creating that story to produce more. My stories are not just my dream, they are also my livelihood.
So once again, thank you for purchasing this ebook legally and for not participating in e-book piracy.
With deep gratitude,
Jenika Snow
DEDICATION
First, I would like to thank all the readers. Without you guys I wouldn’t be here. I would also like to thank everyone who helped put this book together. Without them this book would just be another dream. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank my husband for his immense patience with me during this whole process and the encouragement he gave me in following my dreams. Thank you.
THE CHOSEN: A TALE OF THE BLOOD BREED
Blood Breed 1
JENIKA SNOW
Copyright © 2010
Prologue
Russia, 1400
Aleksei sat in the overstuffed chair by his mother and father’s bedroom door. His mother just gave birth to his newest brother and sister. The castle bustled with servants making sure all the preparations had been completed for the twins’ arrival. It was tradition for all Royal Bloods to pay their respects to the parents and the newest members of the Blood Breed. Young of their kind were considered the most precious beings life could give. Royal Blood young were even more so.
Aleksei wasn’t one for sitting and waiting for things to happen. No, he was more of the type to go out and take action himself. As the oldest child of the Royal Blood, he was heir to the thrown and therefore had to commit to certain duties as the next king. One day he would rule all of the Blood Breeds—a race of immortal vampires who lived amongst humans undetected.
Being only twenty-five years old, he was already being prepared and conditioned to be the next ruler of the throne. The Blood Breed were immortal, but even the king could only rule for so long. His father could decide many years from now that he wanted to pass the crown down to him, and in that case, Aleksei would have to be fully ready to take on all of the responsibilities. Looking up, he saw his two youngest brothers run up to him. Covered in mud, the two young boys, aged ten and fifteen, were out of breath and laughing hard.
“Is it true, Alek? Did Momma have the babies?”
Being the older of the two, Luca always spoke first, even if Dorian was starting to talk. “Yes, little brother, she had the babies, a boy and a baby girl.” Aleksei didn’t suppress the smile that shaped his lips as Luca started jumping up and down at the news. He looked at Dorian, his young brother’s face a stoic mask at the exciting news.
“What’s the matter?”
Dorian looked over at him and crossed his arms over his chest as he sighed. “Nothing.”
Aleksei knew Dorian was jealous, but Dorian acted the same way when Luca was born and didn’t pay much attention to it. Didn’t children become upset to a point when new siblings were born? He rumpled Dorian’s hair, smiling when Dorian’s little hands smacked his away.
“When can we see them?” Luca ran up to Alexei, a huge smile covering his lips.
“We should be able to go inside in a short while.”
Ruffling up Luca’s hair, he watched in amusement as they began dueling with the sticks they carried. Watching them fight brought reality into his mind. The world around them was dying from disease and war. They didn’t have to worry about human diseases or minor injuries, but a massive injury could be the death of them. As always, the sun was not their friend, with the slightest ray burning their skin to the bone.
He brought his mind back to the present and looked around the spacious and elegant hallway where he sat. The Draukowski castle was carved right into the mountains, a protection that proved to be monumental. At the base of the mountain lay a hidden entry that led into the thick forest and intricately placed gardens. A pond had been recently erected by the servants at their mother’s request. Around the base of the mountain were small colonies in which many of the Blood Breed resided.
“My lord.” Aleksei cleared his thoughts and turned around to see one of the servants bowing before him. “The King and Queen are requesting you and the young lords’ presence.” Bowing once more, the servant turned and opened the door. He kept his head bent until Aleksei and the two boys passed through.
The door shut softly behind them, and Aleksei gestured for his brothers to keep quiet. He kept them behind him and made his way toward his parents’ bed. Long white drapes hung from a canopy around his parents’ bed and shielded them from his eyes. He heard small whimpers before two identical cries rent the air. He smiled at how precious those noises sounded to him. Pulling the heavy drapes aside, he called out to his parents.
“Mother? Father?”
“Come forward, my sweet children.”
Aleksei heard the weakness reflected in his mother’s voice and worried for her. Pulling the drapes away, he looked at his mother, who held a small bundle. His father sat next to her, also holding a small bundle. E
ven though his mother appeared weak and pale, she was as beautiful as ever. Her dark hair fell in curls around her face, and her large blue eyes stared at him with love and compassion.
“Come look at your new brother and sister, my loves.”
Aleksei walked to his mother’s side and knelt on the floor to face her.
“This is your sister, Aniya.”
He smiled as Aniya opened bright blue eyes that were identical to his mother’s. He ran his fingers through her feather soft dark curls, smiling again as she made gentle cooing sounds. Already he loved this little girl and knew he would do whatever was necessary to protect her. Kissing her lightly on the head, he moved over to his father and looked down at his brother nestled in the white silk blanket.
“This is Milo.” His father’s deep voice was rough and loud compared to the soft whimpers and cries of his mother. Milo’s hair was as dark as Aniya’s, but his eyes were black, just like their father’s.
Picking up one of his tiny hands, Aleksei brought it to his mouth and kissed the little fingers.
“Welcome, little one.”
He said his goodbyes as Luca and Dorian ran up to their mother and embraced her. He didn’t miss how his mother winced slightly before she set her features back to normal. Her features were much too pale, and Aleksei’s heart clenched with worry. She seemed so weak and small huddled underneath all of those blankets. Who was he to know any different, though? He knew childbirth was a long and grueling process, and he hoped she made a speedy recovery.
* * * *
Aleksei lay in his bed later that day, loving the feel of soft hands stroking over his bare chest. His cock stood at full attention, pulsing with pent-up need. Tatiana, one of his mother’s personal servants, moved her hands over his chest before she lowered them to what really needed the attention. Her long blond hair brushed against his skin, smelling of newly fallen rain. She stared up at him, her light blue eyes at half mast, and kissed his chest.
“Would my lord like me to kiss you here?” She grabbed his cock and stroked it from base to tip.
He growled deep in his chest as she moved below the covers. Her hot mouth slid over his cock, and her hands cupped his full sack. He was right on the verge of coming when a sharp knock sounded on his door. He gritted his teeth as he gently pushed her aside and pulled on a pair of leather pants. He ripped the door open, tension radiating off of him in waves. A small man held his hands in front of him, his head bent in respect.
“Please forgive me, your highness. Your father is asking for you immediately.”
He didn’t wait for the servant to say anything further. Fear consumed him and made a tight knot in the pit of his stomach.
Rushing toward his parents’ chamber, he burst through the door, eyes scanning the room. His father knelt on the floor, holding his mother’s hand. He knew his father was saying something, but the words were muffled and low.
“Father?” Walking closer to his father, he saw his mother’s hand was as white as the marble surrounding the garden. Dread filled him when all the pieces fell together.
No, this can’t be right. My mother can’t be gone.
His heart pounded heavily in his chest as his father’s agonized face looked up at him.
“Your mother bled to death. I…I should have been here for her.”
Aleksei could do nothing but stare at his father in shock. His father turned back to his mother and brought her limp hand to his mouth, giving it a gentle kiss. He stepped closer and was able to hear the soft endearments his father whispered.
“She seemed fine after the twins were born.” His father took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “She started to say she didn’t feel right, that something was wrong. I thought it was just because she had the twins mere hours before.” His breath hitched, but his deep voice continued. “If I would have listened to her, just listened, she would still be here. I left for only a few hours…she had completely bled out from the delivery.”
Aleksei stared in horror at what his father said. His father stood and gave his mother one last kiss.
“The doctors said the twins’ birth took too much out of her. It’s my fault. I should have been here with her.”
Aleksei felt hollow inside, not wanting to believe his mother now rested in the Shadow Realm. His father just stood there, looking down at the bed, and continuing to whisper in the Old Language. His mother was gone, and he knew his father would follow shortly after.
Once a Chosen died, the mated Blood Breed soon followed.
* * * *
Five years later
Aleksei sat in the garden, the stars shining brightly against the black sky. Milo and Aniya threw rocks in the pond, laughing as the small pebbles skipped across the water. Looking at the pond always reminded him of his mother. It made him smile yet made his heart clench with sorrow. He couldn’t help but feel sadness when he looked at little Aniya. She was so small and fragile and resembled their mother so much.
Aniya turned toward him and smiled innocently. Her black curls bounced around her face, and her bright blue eyes shined with a happiness only a child knows. Milo, on the other hand, was busy searching for that perfect rock to throw into the water. His dark eyes were so much like their father’s, his hair so dark it blended with the night sky. One day they would ask—wonder—where their mother and father were. Every time he looked at the twins, he couldn’t help but remember the tragedy that had taken place five years ago.
No one had been able to find the king for two nights afterward. After meticulously searching for his father, he finally found him in the woods that touched the castle walls. He wasn’t surprised his father had been drinking, but to find him completely drunk was a total shock. His father had, on occasions, drank to celebrate but never consumed so much that one could actually smell the liquor on him. He wasn’t surprised, though—the loss of his Chosen undoubtedly broke his heart.
He called out to his father, but only silence greeted him. It was at that point he knew in his heart his father was gone. His father slumped against the thick trunk of the tree with an empty bottle in his hand. His attention focused on the bright moon that peaked through the large tree branches. His father threw the empty bottle against a tree and then finally spoke.
“Tonight I have lost my heart, my soul, and my living breath.”
Aleksei watched as his father brought his knees to his chest and rested his head against them. Minutes later he lifted his head and stared at Aleksei.
“How can you live without those things, son? I have a hollow ache in me that hurts and will never go away.” His father waved him off, his attention going back to the sky. He walked back to the castle as he heard his father weeping softly in the night.
The following night, Aleksei walked back out to the large tree trunk. He wasn’t surprised at what greeted him when he got there. All that was left of his strong and fierce father was white ash that occasionally stirred when a slight breeze whistled through the trees. His father let the sun take him without any regard for the children he left behind.
Bringing himself back into the present, Aleksei looked back at the children playing by the water. He thought about Luca and Dorian, as he frequently did, and hoped they were doing well. They had gone away to train as warriors, an age-old tradition all Blood Breeds completed.
It was necessary to know how to defeat the enemy, whoever they might be. War raged all around them, not only in the human world, but also in the Otherworld. Rogue males—Bloodless—started to infiltrate villages and kill innocent humans, making their mark and causing humans to speak of “devils” and “demons.” Their numbers needed to be strong if they were to defeat their rouge brethren and prosper. The Bloodless would know who their ruler was and would bow down and surrender.
Chapter One
Stone Brooke, USA, present day
Lana rolled over and blindly grabbed for the ringing phone. She knew who it was calling at this ungodly hour because no one in their right mind but Kayla would.
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br /> “Hello?” Clearing her throat, she pulled the phone away as Kayla’s annoyingly chipper voice rang through.
“Rise and shine, princess!”
She pulled herself up on the bed and squinted at her alarm clock. “Do you know what time it is?”
“Of course I do! You always act like I’m calling you at four in the morning instead of seven.”
“That’s because it feels like four in the morning when you call me.” Yawning, Lana grudgingly crawled out of bed and headed toward the bathroom.
“I have some news that will brighten you up, that is if you don’t have to work this weekend.”
“I don’t know, Kayla, there are things I should do at the house since I have some free time.”
“I swear, Lana, you are the most antisocial person I know. When you’re not at school, you’re either working or studying. You never do anything anymore. Please, will you go out this weekend? For me?”
Lana couldn’t help but laugh at the pleading in Kayla’s voice. “Wow, beg much?” She really did need to get out relax. She had been so stressed with school she became a recluse. She breathed out, knowing Kayla already knew she had been convinced. “What could possibly be better than hearing your voice so early in the morning?”
“You’re hilarious. Anyways, my friend Nadia works at The Night Phlox and can get us in.”
“Who?”
“Nadia. You know, she hung out with us a few times. Long brown hair and really thin.”
“Oh, yeah, the one who looks like a runway model. Anyways, why would I be excited to go to this club? Isn’t it a members only club?”
“I thought we could celebrate you getting your BSN. Think of it this way, if we get too trashed, you can medically assist us.” Kayla snorted and continued. “I mean, who wouldn’t want to go to a place like that? Live like one of the ‘beautiful’ people. Besides, I already got the tickets, so you have to go.”
Lana couldn’t see herself going to a place like that. The reviews had been phenomenal, detailing the exquisite interior and posh amenities.
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