“Come to me Valerie.” A man’s voice beckoned. It was James, bathing in the glory of the river, his skin slick and wet with the blood.
Valerie licked her lips, her fangs extending, and dove into the river. With an open mouth she allowed the liquid to fill her as she swam under the water towards James. The blood sated the burning and the babe in her stomach calmed. She broke the surface of the water when she neared James. Smiling at her satisfied hunger Valerie wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her mouth to his. The electricity that flowed between them was stronger now than it ever had been. James murmured into her mouth as she pressed her body against his hard length. Her need for him was almost painful. She deepened the kiss to quiet him, not wanting to talk.
James grabbed her shoulders and firmly pulled her from his body. “Valerie, wake up. Please wake up darling.”
Valerie shook her head in confusion. She was awake wasn’t she? Before her eyes the waterfall began to dry up. The river bend turned to mist and disappeared. She tried to focus on James. He wasn’t growing hazy or disappearing. Valerie blinked a few times, trying to make sense of her surroundings. Where the trees and river had been there were walls and furniture. She wasn’t standing in a river of blood, she was on a bed. It took a moment for her to realize she was back in Linda’s home, back in the bedroom she had stayed in after the rogue attack.
With embarrassment she realized her legs were wrapped tightly around James. She had been trying to mount him in her sleep. He was still covered in blood, but it wasn’t from the river. With a gasp she realized he had a gaping wound on his neck that was just beginning to heal. Sliding her tongue around her mouth she tasted blood and knew she had torn his throat open, and from the looks of it she wasn’t gentle about it.
Disentangling herself from him she pushed herself backwards on the bed and sat up against the headboard. “Oh my god! I did that to you. I am so sorry. Are you okay?”
James chuckled, reaching a hand out to caress her chin. “Don’t be sorry. Hunger is part of the turn. You aren’t expected to have good manners when your body is undergoing such a transformation. And might I say what a transformation it was. If it is possible you are even more beautiful now, positively glowing luv.”
Valerie reached up and felt her face. It felt the same, but maybe a bit smoother and harder. “So I am an immortal now? This hasn’t all been some crazy dream?”
“It is done, we are blooded.” James whispered, gathering Valerie in his arms. “Right now you will feel the hunger, the thirst. Because of this we must lay low for a bit until you can be trusted in public. There is also another desire that is stronger now, I am sure you can guess what that is.”
Valerie blushed remembering how she was behaving when she awoke, or at least she would have blushed if she was still mortal. She wasn’t sure if immortals did blush. She would have to ask James about that later. Nuzzling into James’s embrace she tried to wrap her head around being blooded now. The immortals version of marriage. Growing up she never envisioned a wedding that included visiting Hell or being bitten. She had always wanted a big wedding outdoors in the evening; with lights sparkling admits flowers that covered everything in sight.
Valerie felt a tear slide down her cheek. She was immensely happy to be able to spend the rest of her life with James, but she started this life as a mortal and somehow the blooding ritual wasn’t quite enough for her.
“Don’t cry Valerie, the thirst gets easier to control.” James whispered.
“It isn’t that.” Valerie replied, hastily flicking a tear away. “I know this is everything you grew up dreaming about, but it isn’t what I grew up dreaming out. I am just feeling sorry about not having a wedding. It isn’t a big deal; I mean we are married in the eyes of your people.”
James hugged her tightly and covered her face in tender kisses. “It is a big deal and if you dreamt of a wedding you shall have it, better than anything you could have imagined.”
Valerie’s heart swelled but before she could respond Linda came bursting through the bedroom door. “A wedding! I will help plan it; oh we have so much to do. A dress, a cake, decorations, the guest list! Where should we start?”
Valerie and James laughed at the woman’s display of excitement. Mathius was hot on his mate’s heels, pushing ahead of Linda into the room.
“I am deeply sorry, I tried to get her to leave you guys in peace but she was concerned about how Valerie would handle the change, and well you know woman.” Mathius said running a hand through his hair in embarrassment.
Linda folded her arms across her chest and stamped her foot before whirling around on Mathius. “We haven’t had a wedding in centuries. Don’t be such a spoil sport; Valerie is pleased I want to help. Aren’t you Valerie?”
Valerie looked at the woman’s face and saw the joy written all over it. How could she not say yes? It looked like she would break Linda’s heart if she declined her help. “Of course I am pleased, I mean I can’t possibly plan a wedding all by myself.”
Both men rolled their eyes, but judging by the smile that James was trying to conceal she knew he was pleased with the turn of events as well.
Rubbing a hand over her stomach Valerie thought of the baby, she thought of the God who had impregnated her, and she thought of a coming war. Sighing she pushed all those thoughts aside and gazed at James. Despite the craziness in her life his energy calmed her. Just having him near made her smile. War would have to wait because right now all she wanted to do was plan a wedding and bed her mate, not necessarily in that order.
Turn the page for a special sneak peek….
Halfway
to Hell
Book 2 in the Eternally Blooded Series
By Brandy Sullivan
Coming Summer 2014
“He did it again?” James groaned. “Mathius can only bend our laws so far. Children born immortals are allowed leeway the first few weeks, but really it’s been a few months with Darian.”
Valerie bit back the excuses she was about to make. Darian wasn’t a normal immortal child. With the blending of bloodlines he was different. People feared different, they feared the unknown. It was bad enough their appointment with the council concerning Darian’s development was coming up quicker than she would like; the child was still drinking to deeply and had killed another mortal. It was true they could survive off bagged blood, but every immortal child needs to learn to drink from the source in case an emergency should ever arise.
Darian had excelled in all the other training both Valerie and James had provided. At a year old he was already the size of a nine year old boy and had powers far stronger than Valerie’s. He was able to mesmerize his prey within seconds; he was beginning to be able catch glimpses into the minds of immortals and could read a mortal with no effort. Valerie still had to concentrate to pierce a mortal mind. She loved Darian with all her being, but a small part of her was growing afraid of him.
“James he just doesn’t understand his own strength. He needs a little more time. Do you think we could put off the meeting with the council for a bit?” Valerie pleaded.
“Put off the meeting? Have you lost your mind? Mathius held them at bay during the pregnancy and for an entire year afterward. They won’t wait any longer. If Mathius wasn’t the head of the council this meeting would have already happened and in all likelihood Darian wouldn’t be living with us. We owe Mathius a debt I can only hope to be able to repay someday. He put our friendship above his duties already. I cannot ask him to do it again.”
Valerie began to cry. She couldn’t help it. Darian seemed to be at the root of all their fights and all the tension in their lives. She knew being a mother would be rough but no one could have predicted just how rough her life was destined to be. Half the immortal world looked at Damian as the savior, born half God half immortal; they thought he would eventually rule over both races fairly and equally. The other half looked at the child as the end of the world, as did some of the Gods. They feared him because no one kn
ew just how strong his powers would grow to be. There had never been a mixed child before. When the news of her pregnancy spread the grumblings of war began. People wanted the baby dead, the council wanted to raise the baby and shape him for their own uses, and Erra, the boy’s true father wanted to steal him and raise him as a weapon.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brandy Sullivan is the author of five books, including the Amazon bestselling novel Stolen Lives: The heart breaking story of a trafficking victim, Shattering Sofia, the novella The Devil came a Knockin’, and most recently To Hell and Back, the first novel in the Eternally Blooded series. Brandy is also a freelance writer for SEO articles and an avid painter in her spare time. When she isn’t writing or painting she spends her time in the kitchen baking for friends and family. She lives with her husband, four children, dog, and cat in cozy New England
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