by Terry Spear
A woman with long straight black hair tied severely behind her back caught Crystal’s attention. She wore a black floor length satin gown and walked up to Crystal, then tilted her head to the side. “You were invited by…?”
Crystal took a deep breath trying to recall the name Thomas had mentioned. “Malavon?”
A man joined her and smiled. “Do I know you?” His dark eyes shifted to her neck and the bite mark located there. “Seems you had a bit of a rough time with someone.” He touched the bruise lightly. “We never take a host before they’re ready. You struggled against the vampire, or you wouldn’t have bruised like this.”
“Nicolai.” She folded her arms. “I told him no.”
The man’s lips turned up slightly. “Nicolai? You don’t mean my cousin, Nicolai.” He smiled evilly. “I’ve never known anyone to stand up to him.”
Voices came to her as if on the wind, only there wasn’t any breeze stirring in the house.
“Who is she?” a woman asked, only no woman’s lips moved.
Crystal rubbed her temple. Now she was hearing things.
A male voice responded in her head, “I’m not certain, but if Nicolai wanted her, and he couldn’t make her bend to his will, she intrigues me.”
A woman said, “Come to me, friend, and let me touch you.”
Was the female vampire talking to Crystal? She ignored her and considered the room full of hosts and vampires.
“I cannot control her mind or read her thoughts. Can you, Malavon?”
He stepped in front of Crystal and looked into her eyes with the intensity of a vampire who tested her willpower. “You will be mine.”
She smiled. “Right.”
His gaze didn’t shift from Crystal as he attempted to figure her out. “She’s different. I don’t understand her. But if Nicolai wanted her, and she’s escaped him, she won’t escape me.” He rubbed his smooth chin. “I don’t want the word to get out she’s here though. He’d come for her. He doesn’t like to lose.” Then he smiled. “But I won’t lose her.”
Several agreed in their telepathic way.
Crystal shook her head. Vampires were so arrogant. She spied a young girl of about fifteen with a man way too old. Immediately, she wanted to rescue the girl. But had she been turned already? She wouldn't listen to Crystal if she had been.
Crystal skirted around Malavon and crossed the floor to the girl. The teen girl shifted her attention from the male vampire and eyed Crystal with disinterest.
“Have you been turned?” Crystal asked.
The girl’s mouth dropped open. She turned to Malavon. “Who is she?”
Crystal swallowed hard. The girl was a vampire. For how long, she didn't know.
“Perhaps she has not had enough exposure to us. She cannot read our thoughts, nor can…” Malavon paused in his thoughts mid-sentence. He swooped across the floor and faced Crystal, his eyes narrowed, menacing. “Why can’t I control you? I can control any human’s mind. Where are you from?”
“From the land of the free and the land of the brave. No,” she corrected herself, “the home of the brave.” She realized she wasn't feeling quite herself yet.
Malavon bared his teeth, but she quickly released her wrist blades and struck him with the right one. He immediately collapsed without uttering a sound as the blade penetrated his heart. The male standing with the teen lunged at Crystal, canines exposed, sharp and aimed at her throat.
“She is a huntress!” The rally went through the minds of the vampires in a chant.
She smiled. “Yes, I am.” She managed to jab her knife into the male vampire’s heart, killing him instantly.
“Kill the huntress!” one of the vampires shouted.
Robert and his brothers stormed down the stairs like a herd of horses from the second floor, their swords already dripping with blood. Scowling, Robert made his way to Crystal, killing the vampires who attacked her flank.
Utter confusion reigned as human hosts fled the house, and the hunters targeted the vampires. Crystal was too busy wreaking her own havoc to see what Robert was doing. When the house was quiet, the bloodsuckers dead, Robert seized Crystal’s arm and hurried her outside to the convertible while his brothers followed behind.
Thomas shook his head. “When were you going to make her listen to reason, Robert?” He veered off toward his SUV.
Crystal smiled, then stumbled, the sedative still affecting her. “I already am perfectly reasonable.” She looked up at Robert, his brow creased in a frown. “You shouldn’t have left me behind.”
Robert raised his brows at her. “If you can hunt, you’re ready for more pleasurable business.” He lifted her off her feet and ran for the car while Mark opened the door for him.
She breathed in Robert’s exquisite male scent that reminded her of a summer woodland breeze, and she nuzzled her face against his chest. “But I don’t have a fur bikini to wear.”
“Less is even better. Believe me.”
Glancing back at the vampire’s lair, she realized Nicolai had changed her after all. He had given her the vampire’s ability to read their thoughts, to overhear their conversations, maybe to even speak with them as one of them someday.
She studied the trimmed boxwood hedge and silent oaks that should have been cloaked in darkness, but were washed in a warm light instead. She could see in the dark as well as the vampires could now.
Most of all, Nicolai had aroused in her the need to end the vampires’ stranglehold over the humans. She was no longer a liability, but someone her kind, well, was her kind, could count on. Now, she was something altogether different.
With Robert’s seed and her special genes…she’d make a superior hunter race.
"So when do we return to our Army jobs?"
Robert looked at her like she had to be crazy. "I thought you wanted to hunt."
He had no idea. "I was thinking of a rematch with swimming during water survival, hand-to-hand combat in your office, and…," she said.
“Bondage in my bed? That can be arranged." With that said, he deposited her in the backseat of the car, motioned for his brother to drive, and climbed into the backseat with her. "But you'll have to tuck your fangs away," he said, kissing her throat. "And be a good little huntress."
"Just like before."
That brought a smile to his lips, right before he kissed her so thoroughly, she knew then she'd found the right hunter for her, one who was not afraid of her uniqueness, who truly knew she had been turned, and still loved her for it.
"You're one of a kind," he said coming up for air, his hands tangled in her hair, his body pressed against the length of her. "And all mine."
"I love you too, Robert Parker," she said breathlessly, and pulled him down for another searing kiss.
About the Author
USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Terry Spear has written over fifty paranormal romance novels and five medieval Highland historical romances. Her first werewolf romance, Heart of the Wolf, was named a 2008 Publishers Weekly’s Best Book of the Year, and her subsequent titles have garnered high praise and hit the USA Today bestseller list. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry lives in Crawford, Texas, where she is working on her next werewolf romance, continuing her new series about shapeshifting jaguars, and having fun with her young adult novels. For more information, please visit www.terryspear.com, or follow her on Twitter, @TerrySpear. She is also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/terry.spear. And on Wordpress at:
Terry Spear's Shifters
http://terryspear.wordpress.com/
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Also by Terry Spear:
Heart of the Cougar Series:
Cougar’s Mate, Book 1
Call of the Cougar, Book 2
Taming the Wild Cougar, Book
3
Covert Cougar Christmas (Novella)
Double Cougar Trouble, Book 4
Cougar Undercover, Book 5
Heart of the Bear Series
Loving the White Bear, Book 1
The Highlanders Series: Winning the Highlander's Heart, The Accidental Highland Hero, Highland Rake, Taming the Wild Highlander, The Highlander, Her Highland Hero, The Viking’s Highland Lass, His Wild Highland Lass (novella), Vexing the Highlander (novella), My Highlander
Other historical romances: Lady Caroline & the Egotistical Earl, A Ghost of a Chance at Love
Heart of the Wolf Series: Heart of the Wolf, Destiny of the Wolf, To Tempt the Wolf, Legend of the White Wolf, Seduced by the Wolf, Wolf Fever, Heart of the Highland Wolf, Dreaming of the Wolf, A SEAL in Wolf's Clothing, A Howl for a Highlander, A Highland Werewolf Wedding, A SEAL Wolf Christmas, Silence of the Wolf, Hero of a Highland Wolf, A Highland Wolf Christmas, A SEAL Wolf Hunting; A Silver Wolf Christmas, A SEAL Wolf in Too Deep, Alpha Wolf Need Not Apply, Billionaire in Wolf’s Clothing, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, SEAL Wolf Undercover (2017), Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas (2017), Flight of the White Wolf (2018), Billionaire Wolf Christmas (2018)
SEAL Wolves: To Tempt the Wolf, A SEAL in Wolf's Clothing, A SEAL Wolf Christmas, A SEAL Wolf Hunting, A SEAL Wolf in Too Deep, SEAL Wolf Undercover (2017)
Silver Bros Wolves: Destiny of the Wolf, Wolf Fever, Dreaming of the Wolf, Silence of the Wolf, A Silver Wolf Christmas, Alpha Wolf Need Not Apply, Between a Rock and a Hard Place (2017), All’s Fair in Love and Wolf
White Wolves: Legend of the White Wolf, Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas (2017)
Billionaire Wolves: Billionaire in Wolf’s Clothing, Billionaire Wolf Christmas (2018)
Highland Wolves: Heart of the Highland Wolf, A Howl for a Highlander, A Highland Werewolf Wedding, Hero of a Highland Wolf, A Highland Wolf Christmas
Heart of the Jaguar Series: Savage Hunger, Jaguar Fever, Jaguar Hunt, Jaguar Pride, A Very Jaguar Christmas
Romantic Suspense: Deadly Fortunes, In the Dead of the Night, Relative Danger, Bound by Danger
Vampire romances: Killing the Bloodlust, Deadly Liaisons, Huntress for Hire, Forbidden Love
Vampire Novellas: Vampiric Calling, Siren’s Lure, Seducing the Huntress
Other Romance: Exchanging Grooms, Marriage, Las Vegas Style
Science Fiction Romance: Galaxy Warrior
Teen/Young Adult/Fantasy Books
The World of Fae:
The Dark Fae, Book 1
The Deadly Fae, Book 2
The Winged Fae, Book 3
The Ancient Fae, Book 4
Dragon Fae, Book 5
Hawk Fae, Book 6
Phantom Fae, Book 7
Golden Fae, Book 8
Falcon Fae, Book 9
Woodland Fae, Book 10 TBA
The World of Elf:
The Shadow Elf
The Darkland Elf (TBA)
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Blood Moon Series:
Kiss of the Vampire
The Vampire…In My Dreams
Demon Guardian Series:
The Trouble with Demons
Demon Trouble, Too
Demon Hunter
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Non-Series for Now:
Ghostly Liaisons
The Beast Within
Courtly Masquerade
Deidre's Secret
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The Magic of Inherian:
The Scepter of Salvation
The Mage of Monrovia
Emerald Isle of Mists (TBA)
