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Shifters Hallows Eve

Page 60

by Lori King


  Thank you for reading my stories!!!

  XOXO Julia

  Also by Julia Mills

  * * *

  The Dragon Guard Series

  Her Dragon to Slay, Dragon Guard #1

  Her Dragon’s Fire, Dragon Guard #2

  Haunted by Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #3

  For the Love of Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #4

  Saved by Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #5

  Only for Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #6

  Fighting for Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #7

  Her Dragon’s Heart, Dragon Guard #8

  Her Dragon’s Soul, Dragon Guard #9

  The Fate of Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #10

  Her Dragon’s No Angel, Dragon Guard #11

  Her Dragon, His Demon, Dragon Guard #12

  Resurrecting Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #13

  The Scars of Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #14

  Her Mad Dragon, Dragon Guard #15

  Her Love, Her Dragon: The Saga Begins, A Dragon Guard Prequel

  * * *

  The ‘Not-Quite’ Love Story Series

  Vidalia: A ‘Not-Quite Vampire Love Story

  Phoebe” A ‘Not-Quite’ Phoenix Love Story

  Zoey: A ‘Not-Quite’ Zombie Love Story

  Jax: A ‘Not-Quite’ Puma Love Story

  * * *

  Kings of the Blood

  VIKTOR: Heart of Her King ~ Kings of the Blood ~ Book 1

  ROMAN: Fury of Her King ~ Kings of the Blood ~ Book 2

  Dark Lovers by Elle Boon

  Iron Wolves Crossover Book 4.5

  Raina wanted what every female did…The only daughter of the vampire king, and a shifter, she had everything, until Satan kidnapped her to be his consort.

  Creed was equal parts good and bad…The son of Satan and an angel, he lives a life filled with death and battle, excelling at each. Until he found his Chosen in his father’s chamber.

  What would you do to save those you love? Creed will give up his soul in order to save Raina. She realizes he’s her other half and can’t live without him. Will they both be willing to sacrifice for the other?

  I’d like to thank all the ladies in this boxset for allowing me to be part of this project. I hope you readers enjoy these amazing stories, and look forward to giving y’all more from the Iron Wolves, and a whole new world. Stay tuned, the Fey Queen has just begun.

  Love y’all so hard,

  Elle Boon

  1

  Raina woke with a start. Darkness surrounded her, causing her heart to pound with dread. Never had she been unable to see in the dark with her vampire and shifter heritage; nighttime was her friend. She pulled the soft comforter up with shaking hands, listening to the quietness of the room. “It was just a dream,” she whispered, but it had seemed too real. Flicking the lamp on, she shrieked as a tall, imposing figure jumped on top of her.

  “Hush, little girl. We don’t want to wake the entire castle, now, do we?” Black eyes flashed red, the raspy tone of his voice sent a shiver of fear down her spine.

  “What do you want? How did you get in here?” Her father was the Vampire King, and she knew without a doubt he hadn’t let this being into their home.

  A snake-like tongue came out of the being’s mouth. She froze, hoping he didn’t plan to touch her with it.

  “If you come with me and don’t say a word or make a sound, I will make sure nothing happens to your precious family. However, if you put up a fight, I’ll become worse than the beast under your bed you’ve always feared,” he hissed the words.

  She tried to control her alarm at his knowledge of her and her family, and even more of her dreams, or more aptly, nightmares. “Where are you taking me?”

  Fingers tipped with blade-like talons gripped around her throat, cutting off her oxygen and slicing into her skin at the same time. “Master wants you. I was sent to bring you to him. By the way,” he paused. “This might hurt a little.”

  Pain exploded through every fiber of her, from her head to her toes. Fire burned through her veins like lava flowing out of a recently erupted volcano. Before she could wish for death, which she’d never thought she’d do, darkness consumed her once again. Her last images before losing consciousness were of her parents and twin brothers Damien and Lucas. How she wished she could hold them one last time. If she could have reached out to them, she knew they’d have saved her. The mental block the demon had surrounded her with kept her from all those she loved. Now, with her life flashing before her eyes, she hoped they knew how much she loved them, and that they were safe.

  The next time she woke, Raina was sure she was dead, only the oppressive heat couldn’t be where her next life would begin; she wasn’t meant to go to hell. Sitting up, the room spun as her stomach lurched. “Oh, god, I’m going to be sick,” she groaned.

  “I wouldn’t advise that. Master doesn’t like his chosen to be flawed.”

  Hearing the grating voice let her know she wasn’t dead. That at least gave her hope. She blinked her eyes open, taking in the surroundings, and wished she hadn’t. Red rock walls with black furniture everywhere. Sweat poured down her face and body, soaking her nightgown to her skin. Oh, shit; she realized with a start all she wore was a tiny slip of satin.

  The beast who stole her from her bed raised his brows. “You’ll be wearing a lot less when Master gets here.”

  “Why?” Hating the quiver in her voice, she swallowed the lump in her throat.

  “He has plans for you.” His red gaze looked her up and down. “I’ve no clue why. You look too human for my tastes.” And she hated the way he made his words sound like a snake was hissing. Thank fuck she looked too human for his tastes. The black horns on top of his head along with the green tint to his skin made her skin crawl. Again, she caught the hatred in his gaze, and thought he was reading her mind.

  Her brothers had tried to ingrain in her the need to keep her mind protected from intrusions, but she never had a reason to be so on guard. Now she pushed him out with ease, making sure nothing and no one could read what she didn’t want them to.

  After her mind was secure, she moderated her body temperature, instantly cooling her overheated flesh. Instinctively, she reached out on the familial path, trying to reach her father or brothers. The ability was blocked, sending her to the black ground, blood oozed out of her nose from the agony of trying. Dry heaves wracked her frame.

  “I told you not to make a sound or try to reach out to your family. Did I not?” Black talons lifted her chin.

  “You didn’t say I couldn’t once we were here,” she gasped. On her hands and knees, Raina was sure the monster squatting down to her level was getting a hell of a show through the gap at the top of her gown, but she couldn’t gather the energy to pull herself up.

  He shook his head, the horns growing straight instead of curving. “Nobody disobeys me.” He pinched her chin between his fingers.

  She tried not to flinch at the new pain shooting through her. Didn’t he say his Master didn’t want her damaged?

  “Please let me go. I won’t tell a soul.” The scent of her fear and blood flooded her senses.

  She was lifted up with seeming ease, one hand wrapped around her throat, the other pulled back in a fist ready to pummel her. “The only souls to tell, don’t care.”

  The sound of a door opening had the beast dropping her to the ground; only her fast reflexes kept her from injury.

  “Yo, Yomy, what you got there?”

  “None of your business, Creed. Leave before Master gets here.”

  Creed. Raina tried to see who the owner of the delicious voice was. She rolled the name around in her head as her wolf raised its head and wanted to howl. She felt her canines drop, and wanted to push the being named Yomy out of her way to get to the newcomer. What kind of name is that anyway? Yo and my put together.

  “You silly boy. Why don’t you run along like the good puppy you are, and leave this morsel for me to handle?” The deep baritone suggested he was more th
an happy to make Yomy do as he said.

  The demon stood in front of Raina, blocking her view. “My job is not complete.”

  A tall, dark-haired man came into view. His black slacks and black top made him look like a debonair businessman. He had to be at least six and a half feet tall. Surely he couldn’t be human, especially since she was sure they were no longer on Earth.

  Her wolf didn’t care what he was, the hussy. Raina stood on her bare feet, trying to control her inner beast.

  Creed flicked his fingers. “Go now, and I will not hurt you. Much,” he growled.

  Oh, yeah, her wolf liked the sound of his voice.

  “Just because you are the Master’s bastard son doesn’t give you any right to order me around.”

  Shit, she ordered her wolf to calm down. No way in hell was she wanting a deranged kidnapper’s son.

  “Yomy, Yomy, do you never learn? I am more than just his bastard. I am the bastard.”

  One minute the demon who’d stolen her away was in front of her; the next, he was flying across the room. Raina jumped back until the scorching wall held her up, staying as far away from the battling duo as possible. Shit! She’d watched her brothers and her father’s elite soldiers fight from afar, but nothing had prepared her for the battle in front of her. Neither seemed to care that she watched them try to kill each other, and that was exactly what they were trying to do. Right before her eyes, the man named Creed grew even larger. His smooth tan skin became a startling red. Horns similar to the ones on top of Yomy’s head grew from his own, only larger and sharper-looking. The black things gleamed in the overhead light as he became what she’d envisioned the devil himself would look like, only he still appeared a beautiful man. Her wolf still wanted him.

  Blood splattered the walls from the many gashes inflicted by Creed, yet he appeared to be playing with the other demon. Raina eased toward the door she’d seen, hoping she’d find a way out. If she got away from Yomy and his blocks, maybe she could contact her dad or brothers. She didn’t think she’d survive whatever Master, or the one named Creed, had planned for her. Scratch that – she knew she wouldn’t survive. That was probably their intention.

  The door opened to a dark hall, the stench of decaying flesh hitting her when she stepped out. Quietly, she shut the door and looked at three tunnels. Each one was pitch black, but with her enhanced vision, she was able to see beings lurking down all of them. With no other recourse, she opened her mind, praying she could connect with her family. A sense of loss threatened to swamp her until she felt a light touch on the familial path, one she’d feared her ability to connect with again had been severed until that moment.

  “Who is this?”

  Tears blinded her for a moment at the deep baritone of her father, his anger seeping through to her.

  “I asked who this was. If you don’t answer me, I will make you wish you’d not disturbed me and my family.”

  The authority in his demand made her blink. Did they not know she was missing? Couldn’t he tell it was her? “This is Raina, Daddy.”

  Proud she didn’t come across as breathless as she’d felt, she waited for him to respond.

  “Bullshit. Who the fuck is this?” An image of her father and his flashing black eyes popped into her mind. Anger burned into her brain along with the pain of his invasion.

  “Stop it,” she cried out, her hands reached blindly for the walls. She was a hybrid and didn’t need blood on a regular basis, but the loss of her own blood was making her weak. From the new assault delivered into her head, she felt more of her precious life’s blood pouring out of her nose and ears. Damn, maybe she shouldn’t have shored up her walls so tightly.

  “Raina? It truly is you,” he said, worry etched every syllable.

  Strong arms wrapped around her. “Where do you think you are going, princess?”

  She turned her head, meeting the black eyes of the monster she’d ran from, only now he was back to the devastating image of the man named Creed. “Please, just leave me alone. I want my mom,” she whimpered.

  “Who is with you? Look at them. Let me see through your eyes.”

  “I can’t. So tired.” She tried to look at the man who now cradled her against his massive chest, marveling at the fact he wasn’t covered in blood and gore. She wanted to do as her father demanded in her head, his voice rising until she was sure he’d pierce her eardrum, and she truly did want to obey. “Tell him I can’t. Too tired.”

  2

  Creed held his woman, awed at the tiny thing in his arms. Her mumbled words made absolutely no sense to him. However, he knew he would protect her with his life. First order of business would be getting her the fuck out of Hell, and away from his bastard father. What the prick wanted with the sweet little thing who called to him, he had no clue, but she was his.

  He navigated the tunnels, kicking the souls of the damned out of his way as he went. Their cries for help didn’t faze him. The only reason they were in Hell to begin with, had to mean they were the scum of the earth and deserved to be there. Some worse than others, some not as bad, but all deserved to be where they were. He wasn’t their judge or jury, but he did consider himself the executioner in some cases. Luckily he was able to traverse to Earth, unlike his bastard father, thanks to his mother’s blood running through his veins. Creed shook himself before he shifted to his demon form. He didn’t want to scare his woman any more than she already was.

  Damn, she was smaller than he’d pictured his mate being. However, she wasn’t human. He inhaled, trying to figure out what she was exactly, getting a hint of vampire and wolf. A smile lit his face. His mother would love his Chosen.

  A rumble shook the entire cavern. In a burst of speed, Creed raced toward the entrance that would get him to Earth the fastest. The one place he knew they’d be safest. There, he’d find out why this woman was picked from the millions of others to be consort of the devil himself. The miles of twists and turns were filled with the pitiful beings who thought they could crawl out. He used his powers to keep them at bay, the scent of burning flesh so familiar he hated it. Another reason he and Satan didn’t get along, he presumed. While Creed was okay with killing those who deserved it, he didn’t prey on the weak. Nor did he spend much time in his father’s realm.

  The woman in his arms stirred; the smell of her apple and cinnamon scent mixed with the smell of her blood had him hard as nails. “I’m a damn pervert to want an unconscious, bleeding, half-breed woman. What’s the saying? Like father, like son?” He growled the question into the darkened tunnels.

  “Are you talking to yourself?”

  Creed nearly dropped his precious cargo at the whispered words. “Damn it, woman. You shouldn’t scare a being like that,” he said breathlessly.

  He, the bastard son of the Devil himself was winded, and not from running. He could flash from one place to the next, but down here, he wasn’t top dog. Not yet. Hopefully, not ever.

  She tugged on his hair, the slight sting making him come to a stop. “Where are we going?” Her piercing blue eyes blinked up at him.

  “I’m taking you to my home.” He did his best to keep his eyes from turning red with need.

  “I want to go to my home. My parents must be worried. My family are very important.” Her body became rigid in his arms.

  He wouldn’t allow her to leave him until…well, ever, but he wouldn’t inform her of that. Women, no matter what breed, tended to get all wigged out when they were told such things, or so he was told. No, he’d hold that info back until he wooed her. Creed had never felt the need or urge to do such for any female until now. However, he had no doubt she would fall in line with him and his plans. Once he had some plans other than escaping Hell, that is.

  The mental call the big bastard was sending out was grating on his ever last nerve, causing him to almost miss the invisible exit only a select few could access. Waving his hand around the perimeter, the usual glow that activated his signature didn’t light up. “Mother of Light, give me
the key,” he muttered. With those words, his access was accepted, and he and his female were out the door, landing in the middle of a forest.

  Creed glanced up at the glittering sky. “Looks like we ain’t in Kansas anymore, princess.”

  “My brothers live in Kansas City. If you could just take me there.”

  If her words weren’t said with such longing, he’d have laughed.

  “Ah, baby, I promise you will love where we are going.” His home was a veritable fortress where none of the bastard’s minions could reach them. Of course, getting them there was going to take some doing, since he seemed to have been zapped with some sort of spell.

  He rubbed his temple at the pounding that continued even though they were no longer within the realm of his father.

  “You’re bleeding,” his woman said. That was when he realized he didn’t know her name.

  “What’s your name, sweetness?”

  Fingers that had been twisting in his hair, tugged without answering. “Listen here, buddy, I appreciate you getting me out of that…dungeon, but you need to take me home. My father will be grateful, but if you continue to hold me against my will, you will be sorry.”

  He laughed, even though he knew it wasn’t the smartest thing to do. Hell, many had said he’d been dropped on his head at birth. But hearing the beauty call Hell a dungeon was too damn funny. That was one mistake, the next was letting her slide out of his arms. He hadn’t counted on the fact she was a supernatural being with powers, and damn it, he thought he could handle the tiny slip of a woman. When she shifted into her wolven form, he stared in awe at the beauty of her other form. Maybe he shouldn’t have stared so long, then he wouldn’t have missed the quick shift in her stance. Damn it, the woman, or now wolf, was faster and bigger than normal wolves.

  Taking off after the wolf, he flashed in front of her. It took him a whole minute to catch up, and by then he wasn’t sure who was more surprised by his appearance, her, or the being who appeared out of thin air. Creed quickly tackled the little wolf, then shifted her behind him, letting his demon form come to the front. “Leave now and you will live to see another day.”

 

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