by Storm Savage
A gorgeous man—a cursed hybrid—heaven sent and hell bound. Only one choice can save them.
Talon is possibly the only hybrid of his kind—half vampire, half eagle shifter. Bitten and killed by a vampire when he was a shifter, Talon has been in holding for a long time, condemned by both realms. When he meets the man who dropped the veil between worlds, Talon struggles to do the right thing. He must resist his thirst for blood long enough to redeem his shifter form.
When Kohl unearths a rare artifact on an excavation, he is consumed by nightmares that lead him to dangerous places. Drawn by a mystical force, he cannot stop himself from wanting the gorgeous man in his dreams. Talon’s allure is both thrilling and terrifying.
Can Talon win Kohl’s love before bloodlust seals his fate?
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
My Immortal
Copyright © 2013 Storm Savage
ISBN: 978-1-77111-725-8
Cover art by Martine Jardin
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by eXtasy Books
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My Immortal
Perfect Strangers 2
By
Storm Savage
For my boys—the loves of my life. Never was there a braver heart, a brighter spirit, or a more loyal friend. I think of you every day, miss you every minute, and feel your spirit hanging around. Until we meet again…
Chapter One
Talon spread his wings and took flight. Out of sheer curiosity, he’d crossed into forbidden territory to check out the castle on the bluff, but did not expect to encounter danger during the light of day. Panic engulfed him as the winged creature closed in from behind. In his eagle form, Talon had always been faster than any predator, yet this beast had supernatural speed as if unleashed from hell. He glanced back to see the monster spread its lips to reveal long fangs. Talon knew then what was chasing him.
A vampire! He’d been warned of them, known they lurked in the caverns beneath the bluff that overlooked a great river, but he had never seen one. He dove between the rocks, tilting his wings sideways to fly through a narrow ravine in an attempt to lose the beast bearing down on him. Talon thought that once the creature had seen him shift from human to eagle, that it would’ve lost interest and moved on to a tastier meal. Not so.
He fled for his life. The maneuver through the ravine didn’t slow the beast’s pace. It swooped overhead now, somehow gaining an edge though Talon was flying as fast as he could go. A shadow fell over him as the vampire dropped down. Talon flailed in frantic attempt to escape. Powerful hands grabbed his long wings, pulling them down, curling them around his feathered body. Whether he shifted back to human now did not matter. Hope faded.
Suddenly, a sharp sting pierced his neck. He grew weaker by the minute until—blackness.
One hundred years later.
Kohl knelt at the excavation site, meticulously sweeping dirt away from rocks and shale the drilling crew had unearthed the day before. Breaks such as these were an archaeologist’s dream. Alaric, his longtime friend and owner of a drilling company, had phoned him just after midnight, telling him to hightail it up to the site before treasure seeking vultures swept onto the scene at dawn.
“You look pretty intense there.” Alaric approached from behind. “You’ve been searching all night. Did you find anything?”
“I think so.” Kohl hunched over the wide hole in the ground, the light attached to his forehead jiggling as he nodded.
“Ya know, as much as you love digging in the dirt, you could have stayed on my crew. The pay is top dollar.”
“I’ve no complaints about the pay, mate. I’m just not cut out for those round-the-clock shifts and all the travel. Besides, I couldn’t see wasting four years of college.”
“Well, at least we ended up on the same side of the fence, we both love digging.” Alaric laughed. “Speaking of digging, you should pick up the pace before anyone shows up here.”
“Just need a few more minutes.”
“Better make it quick. I got a call from the museum that their team of experts is on the way and my drilling crew will be back onsite real soon. Apparently this area used to be inhabited by mythical creatures.” Alaric pointed to a grassy area several feet away. “According to ancient maps, that huge flat area had a castle on it a century ago. We were not permitted to drill there. Historians already secured permits from the government to explore the grounds.”
Kohl glanced at the vacant lot, now overgrown with tall weeds and thick grass. “Hm. I can imagine the treasures buried there. But thanks for getting me in. I’ll be happy to find a relic of any kind to study.”
“No problem. As soon as I heard the buzz about this place, I thought of you. I had to call in favors with politicians just to drill here. Those historical nuts are a tenacious lot. You better make it quick though. I’ll receive a hefty fine if they discover I let an outsider into the area.”
As the dirt fell away, a streak of early morning light glinted off the object of his attention. Ever so carefully, he dug around the find until it was completely freed from the rocky ground.
“What the hell is that?” Alaric asked as Kohl lifted a chain and pendant from the hole.
Kohl stared in wonder. “My lucky day.” Quickly and using extreme care, he slid it into a new plastic bag, zipped it shut then stood up. “Thanks, man, I owe you one. I better take off before the museum team arrives.”
“Hey, good luck with that,” Alaric called after him. “Meet me for a beer later and tell me what it is.”
“You got it.” Kohl muttered, tucking the baggie into the inner pocket of his leather trench coat. He quickly tossed his gear into a duffle bag, hopped on a dirt bike then headed down the bumpy dirt road toward the highway where he’d parked his truck. Not wasting time, he lifted the dirt bike into the bed, jumped behind the wheel and took off.
He snickered as the excavation team from the museum passed him on their way to the site. They didn’t know him but he recognized the insignias on the vehicles. They may as well wave red flags going in. He chuckled again, thinking about how they’d bustle around the site securing their area, watching each other with furtive glances while hoping for a rare find. Good luck greenhorns. He smirked to himself, knowing he’d combed the area all night with a high tech metal detector until receiving a signal. Without even knowing the value of his find, he had a feeling nobody on the incoming team would uncover anything more fascinating than the amulet in his coat pocket.
By the time he reached his house, morning sun had dimmed behind thickening clouds. He turned up the air conditioning once inside to fend off the summer Texas heat. July was usually a scorcher. Kohl was very relieved and grateful that his best friend had snuck him into the drilling site in the cool of the night, thus avoiding the sweltering heat and the competition. He reminded himself to buy Alaric not just a bottle,
but a full case of fine whiskey to thank him.
After dropping his duffle on the floor, Kohl went straight to his lab to examine and clean the relic he’d found. His heart pounded with excitement. As the grime fell away, the pendant and the attached chain began to shine. He stared at the gold chain and fiery red jewel set in a very antique setting, the likes of which he’d never seen. Using magnifying tools, he studied the piece with utmost precision. Etched deep inside the red stone was a fossil-like image of an eagle.
Wow, this is incredible. The amulet captivated him, so much so, that he hadn’t even given much thought to the raging storm outside. An alert on his cell phone drew him from his intense scrutiny. Tornado warning. Shit. He grabbed the amulet and his phone, then headed to the basement. Outside, the wind roared and hail pelted the house in deafening fury. The sound of shingles and boards coming loose added to the unsettling clamor of the storm, as if someone or something was trying to get inside.
An icy chill trickled up his spine. He shook it off.
After taking shelter downstairs for almost an hour, Kohl crept up the flight of wooden steps to his main floor. The walls and interior looked intact. Cautiously he opened the door and peered around. Though the ground was littered with debris, the neighboring houses appeared unharmed. He breathed a sigh of relief. The ringtone on his phone signaled an incoming call. He glanced at the caller ID.
“Hey, Alaric, are you okay? Did you get out of the storm?” He was relieved to hear his friend’s voice.
“Yeah, I was calling to ask you the same thing. That bugger ripped through here like a devil, destroyed the entire drilling site.”
“Anyone get hurt?”
“No, thank God. We heard the sirens and ran down into the ravine by the river basin. Everything at the site is gone though. Billion dollar equipment chewed into scrap metal.” Alaric sighed into the phone. “Police roped off the area until further notice. Looks like I’ll be taking a vacation until the insurance claim is settled.”
“Damn, I’m sorry to hear that, but at least nobody was hurt. Did the excavation team get out okay?”
“Yep…” Alaric said in his Texas drawl. “They were the first ones down the hill. Just left their gear and ran like rabbits.”
“No finds?”
“Nope, and they’re already growling at the mayor to let them back in but he said no way. Not until the threat of gas leaks or other hazards has been eliminated. You got real lucky, my friend, coming in when you did.”
“Told you it was my lucky day,” Kohl said with a little chuckle. “Hey, there’s a case of Wild Turkey coming your way.”
“Oh I’m hearing that.” Alaric laughed.
“How about swinging on by tonight? I’ll find an open liquor store and we can kick back, give cleanup crews space to work.”
“Sounds good. I’ll grab a couple steaks on the way in.”
Kohl smiled while ending the call, relieved that nobody was hurt and looking forward to a night with his buddy. They didn’t spend much time together these days, with Alaric traveling around the country and offshore with his drilling crew. Once Kohl landed a solid position teaching history at the local high school, he’d left Alaric’s crew. He’d always be grateful to his friend for the work that helped him get by during the job-hunting phase of his career.
With imminent threats behind for now, he went back into the lab and resumed analyzing the relic. What he found—or in this case, didn’t find—shocked him. The eagle image engrained deep within the stone had vanished.
What the hell? He used every power of magnification in his lab to study the pendant again. Where did it go? He examined the item from every angle, yet the tiny fossil had mysteriously disappeared.
Standing on a jagged cliff overlooking a massive river, Kohl wondered how he got here. He could see for miles in every direction. The view was nothing less than exhilarating. Alone with nature, he felt tranquil and light, as if floating. A man came into view. Kohl tilted his head and squinted for a better look. His cock hardened at the sight of this man, which puzzled him, as he’d never been attracted to a man before.
He watched as the man drew closer, coming toward him through a mystical haze. He looked about the same age, mid to late twenties perhaps, with coal black hair falling around his gorgeous face. The black strands looked wet, recklessly strewn over smoldering black eyes. His face was perfection and his body even better—tanned and sculpted muscles that made Kohl’s mouth water for a taste, and abs to be envied.
The man drifted closer. His masculine but peculiar scent filled Kohl’s nostrils, making them flare with arousal. He didn’t understand the powerful allure this hot young man had cast over him. They were close enough to touch each other. Kohl reached out and fingered the hard nipples, utterly intrigued by the nipple piercings. Goosebumps erupted on the man’s skin at Kohl’s touch. His sensual mouth curved into a delicious grin, revealing beautiful straight white teeth. The urge to claim that mouth, sweep his tongue through it, beckoned to Kohl. His cock grew painfully hard.
“What is your name?” he finally asked the man.
“Talon. Come with me.”
Kohl took a step forward. Suddenly he was falling—falling—into nowhere. He gasped for breath, terrified. Strong hands reached out and caught him. Hot breath wisped his neck. Sharp teeth toyed at the skin below his jaw. Shivers of excitement raced through Kohl as Talon held him from behind, his erection pressed firmly against Kohl’s ass. He wanted this man and it terrified and thrilled him just the same. Without warning, Kohl ejaculated, spilling his emission. Semen slid down the length of his shaft, bathing it in warmth.
“Kohl!” a man’s voice shouted. “What the hell are you doing?”
A different pair of hands grabbed him, pulling him back. Instantly Talon disappeared. Heaviness clung to Kohl’s eyes as he struggled to open them. He looked down and saw that he was standing on the roof of his house.
“Are you trying to kill yourself, man?” Alaric shouted, dragging him through the bedroom window.
“Huh?” He looked around groggily. “What—what time is it?”
“Almost midnight. Damn, you scared the shit out of me.” Alaric shook his head. “I didn’t know you walked in your sleep?”
“Oh…uh…I came up to catch a little shuteye while waiting for you…I had the strangest dream…” He felt disoriented and repeated the man’s name. “Talon…his name was Talon.”
Alaric’s face paled with a somber expression but he quickly recovered. “You were about to step off the roof. Good thing I got here when I did. Are you okay, buddy?”
Kohl rubbed his head. “Yeah…just slept really hard.” His hand went to his crotch. “Uh, let me grab a shower and I’ll be right down.”
“Sure,” Alaric muttered with a quizzical look. “I’ll toss the steaks on the grill. Sorry I was late. I got called back to the site by the claims adjuster.”
“No problem. I was beat.”
Sounds of Alaric rustling about in the kitchen floated upstairs as Kohl undressed and prepared to shower. He’d had plenty of wet dreams in the past, but never about a man. He tried pulling Talon’s face into view but couldn’t. Do I know a Talon? Have we met in passing? Who was that man in my dream and why did I go out on the roof? Still too foggy to sort the peculiar dream, he mentally filed it away under too much excitement in one day and headed for the shower.
“I had a really weird dream,” Kohl said over drinks, as he and Alaric relaxed in the living room.
“Yeah, you muttered something about a dream. Probably from digging in the dirt all night, I can only imagine what thoughts run amok in an archaeologist’s mind while studying ancient ruins.”
“We do tend to let our imaginations run wild.” Kohl laughed. “We’re always hoping for that rarest find that will shock the world or explain an old myth.”
“You won’t catch me digging up graves or searching for dead bones, no thanks. That stuff gives me the spooks.”
“I had no idea you were supe
rstitious.” Kohl knocked back a shot of whiskey, relishing the heat running down his throat.
“Eh.” Alaric shrugged. “Maybe a little. I’ve heard enough tales to make me leery of disturbing what’s been buried. I say let the past stay buried.”
“I’ve always been fascinated with history and culture. What I found today is the most intriguing artifact I’ve ever come across.” His thoughts went to the pendant and the vanishing eagle fossil. “Odd…after that tornado whipped through, the amulet changed.”
Alaric’s brows shot up. “Changed? How?”
“I took photos at each stage of the cleanup process.” Kohl walked to his lab and retrieved his laptop. “Check out these images. I took these before the storm.”
Alaric studied the photos closely. “Interesting. What’s that thing inside the stone?”
“My guess is some sort of fossil.”
“What about these pictures?” Alaric pointed to the images taken after the storm. “They look different…the fossil isn’t there.”
“You see it, too?” Kohl’s voice hitched a notch.
“Yeah, and the stone looks…brighter?”
“Exactly. I spent the whole day studying this thing. I can’t figure it out.”
“Have you done a search on it?”
Kohl shook his head. “Didn’t have time.”
They sat on the sofa, staring at the images.
“This relic might put you in the books,” Alaric stated. “Why don’t you type in a few keywords and see what comes up?”
“You won’t get spooked?” Kohl teased with a snicker, receiving a hard nudge in return.
“I’m not a pussy. I can handle some research as long as I don’t have to touch the thing. My grandmother was into all kind of voodoo, always gave me the creeps. She was a strange woman.”
