Excerpt - Night Breed Immortal Destiny Series Book 2

Chapter One

When she inhaled, the heat scorched the tender flesh of her throat and lungs. Flames leaped at the thick fabric of her skirt. Soon her clothes would catch fire and sear the flesh beneath the fabric. She could already feel the heat, but she refused to cry out. Staring out at the crowd gathered around her, she mentally cursed all that were present. Their bloodthirsty eyes gazed in her direction, waiting for the instant that she would take her last breath.
He stood apart from the crowd, hidden in the shadows. She did not need to see him, she knew who he was. Even now, she could hear his dark whispers promising her immortality, if she would accept his poisonous kiss.
Her skirt caught fire. The flesh of her legs sizzled and blistered - the excruciating pain quickly chasing away her will to live.
“Burn witch … burn!” The crowd chanted over and over.
“May God have mercy on your soul.” The clergyman’s voice was weak, drowned out by the angry - unforgiving crowd.
Gasping for air, Sarah’s eyes flew open. The blankets were tangled around her legs, and for a brief moment she panicked, believing that she was still tied to the wooden stake. She frantically tore away the blankets so that she could examine her legs for burns, but there was no evidence of the blisters that had been there in her nightmare.
Taking a deep breath, she fell back into her pillow and closed her eyes.
It was stress. She had been under too much stress. The last week of spring semester had been hell and now the stress was catching with her.
With that thought in mind, Sarah tried to drift off to sleep. Just as she started to relax, the double windows burst open and a strong wind blew through the room. She sat up and stared in the direction of the windows. The wind tore at the lavender curtains, shredding one panel and nearly pulling it off the curtain rod.
Slipping out from beneath the covers, Sarah went to the window. The full moon was obscured by the storm clouds that had gathered over the sea.
“Saraaah,” a faint voice called out to her from the dark.
Sarah held her breath, waiting to see if she would hear the voice again.
Had it been her imagination?
“Saraaah.” The soft male voice seemed to drift on the wind.
Leaning out the window, she peered into the darkness below but could see no one. Nothing seemed out of place in her aunt’s perfectly manicured gardens. Another burst of wind drove her back from the window.
Pushing against the gale, Sarah forced the window closed. Giving up on sleep she slipped on her robe. Maybe if she did some reading she could relax enough to fall asleep.
Just as she came to the conclusion that she hadn’t really heard anything at all, the windows again few open.
“Saraaah.” The whispering voice seemed to be one with the wind.
Stepping to the window, Sarah was startled when she saw a figure lurking in the shadows. The man stood near the hedge maze, not in full sight, but not exactly hiding. He stared up at her - a strange light burning in his eyes.
He was beautiful, but dark. Even from where she stood at the window she could feel the danger. A sense of foreboding settled around her like a heavy cloak. Sarah’s first thought was that it was her time and the angel of death had come for her. Then she thought that he might be a dark specter - a lost soul searching for the light.
Even before the thought had completely formed, she could feel his amusement at what she was thinking. He was not an angel of any kind, but he was there for her. Sarah’s sixth sense picked this up so strongly that it took her breath away. She tried to back away from the window, but her legs had a will of their own and she could not get them to move.
Then she was no longer seeing the garden. She was seeing his face, staring at her - angry, but he seemed to be pleading with her. She was lying on a bed, wrapped in his arms. He was pleading with her for something - something that she could not bring herself to do. The vision was more like a memory that she just could not completely grasp. For a brief instant, she felt compelled to go to him - to touch him.
As soon as the thought entered her mind, she banished it - slamming the door on it as if the very idea was too terrifying to contemplate. The dark figure bowed to her and then disappeared into the darkness.

* * * *

Darrien walked away.
It would have been easy to rise upon the winds and take her from the window - to steal away her last breath and extract the life force that flowed through her veins, but he couldn’t do it. Not yet.
The sight of her standing at the window was tantalizing. The way the wind blew through her long - auburn hair, and the way her silk nightgown fluttered behind her like the wings of an angel had stirred a desire deep within him. The image was enchanting, enflaming his hunger - his lust for blood, and his lust for something more. He could have taken her then, if not for the intrusion of the memories - memories that he had banished long ago. The pain of those memories was fresh once again, and it brought out the anguish that festered in his soul.
But why?
Why was he thinking of her now?
He had a job to do.
Darrien had discovered a long time ago, that for the vampire, nothing mattered but the moment, at least if you wanted to remain sane.
His thoughts returned to the girl. She had resisted his calling, but she would not hold out for long.

* * * *

Sarah descended the long - spiral staircase to the first floor. The scent of breakfast made her stomach growl. When she entered the kitchen, Aunt Jeanie was standing at the stove, flipping pancakes.
As usual, her aunt was wearing her red hair in a bun on top of her head and a loose fitting black dress. “I hope you’re hungry. I’ve made you a huge breakfast.”
“Thank you auntie.” Sarah kissed her cheek.
Sarah looked around the large kitchen as if she was seeing it for the first time. She had been away at school for most of the year, and the one thing that she’d missed most about home was Aunt Jeanie’s kitchen. The kitchen’s large windows let in an abundance of morning sunshine. During the warmer months, they would often eat breakfast with the windows open so they could enjoy the tangy sea air.
“Have a seat.” Jeanie placed a plate full of pancakes on the table.
Sarah sat down and took a bite. Though the food was delicious, she barely tasted it. Finally Jeanie heaved her heavy frame into the chair across from her.
“What’s on your mind Sarah? You have been playing with your food more than eating it.”
“There was a man … or something … standing in the garden last night.”
Aunt Jeanie drew her brows together. “What do you mean, or something?”
“I don’t think he was human.” Sarah set her fork on her plate. She couldn’t get another bite down until she figured out who or what had called her to her window in the middle of the night.
“I don’t know. He almost didn’t seem real, and his eyes had this … strange light in them, but I don’t think he was a ghost either.”
Aunt Jeanie stared at her, a look of shock spreading across her face. “A light in his eyes you say?”
Sarah nodded. “Whoever he was, there was something dark about him.”
“Hmm, well you stay clear of him.”
“Is he real … or something else?” Sarah asked.
Growing up in Aunt Jeanie’s house, she’d become accustomed to things being a little strange. The Fabre family had practiced witchcraft for centuries, and Aunt Jeanie was no different. Sarah had been able to see spirits since she was a child, but she could usually tell if the person she was seeing was living or dead.
“Oh he’s probably real enough,” Jeanie said, as she got to her feet and started cleaning up breakfast.
“Well?” Sarah wanted her aunt to continue, but it appeared as if Jeanie had said all that she intended to say on the matter.
“The summer solstice is this month.” Jeanie gave her a wink. “Maybe we’ll pick up this conversation after that.”
Sarah leaned back in her chair and folded her arms in front of her. “I’m not so sure I’ll be going.”
“Oh fiddlesticks! Of course you’re going.” Jeanie waved the suggestion away as if it were the most absurd thing she’d ever heard. “You are probably one of the most talented of the Fabre women in generations, why wouldn’t you join us?”
“Maybe I just want normal! I’ve never had normal until I went away to school. Everyone in this town thinks we are freaks. The Sutter Point witches!” Sarah scowled.
“Normal is far too overrated,” Jennie assured her.
Sarah decided it was best to drop the subject for now. Later she would talk with her aunt about moving to Portland permanently. There was time. She still had a couple of years before she’d get her degree.

* * * *

Sarah stood beneath the large - wraparound porch and stared out at the ocean. The sound of the surf crashing against the rocks was soothing and exhilarating at the same time. If she moved away, she would miss waking in the morning and listening to the sea just outside her bedroom window. But could she survive if she didn’t?
Sutter Point was a dark shadow that hovered over her life, but when she’d gone away to Portland to attend the university, that shadow had been lifted. It wasn’t Aunt Jeanie’s fault. Jeanie was the sweetest aunt ever. No, it was because no one knew her in Portland - no one knew of the Fabre witches.
Closing her eyes, Sarah thought of the day that she’d come to live in Sutter Point. Though it was long ago, she could still remember it as if it were yesterday. Her mom’s green eyes - misty with tears, and how she’d knelt down to tell Sarah goodbye.
“I’ll be back soon peanut,” Beth told her, kissing her daughter’s forehead.
Sarah shook her head. “I want to go with you mommy! Don’t leave me!”
“You’ll love your Aunt Jeanie,” Beth assured her. “Jeanie and I … we would have such fun as girls. We would sneak treats in the middle of the night and go sit on the beach. The two of us would spend hours just talking. Jeanie was my best friend … and she’ll be your best friend too.”
“But mom, I just want to stay with you!” Sarah whimpered.
Beth smiled. “I know you do sweetheart. But where I’m going would be much too dangerous for a little girl.”
Her mother had never come back for her. Aunt Jeanie had done her best to ease Sarah’s hurt and anger at being abandoned by her mother, but the pain had never really gone away.
Day after day, Sarah would ask about her mother, but Aunt Jeanie never had any answers for her. She could tell that it was nearly as painful for her aunt as it was for her, so eventually Sarah had quit asking. She loved Aunt Jeanie and didn’t want to cause her grief, but the pain still festered in Sarah.
Why hadn’t her mom come back for her?
Sarah opened her eyes, willing the memory away.
From behind, she heard Aunt Jeanie clearing her throat. Sarah turned to look at her.
“Are you okay honey?” Jeanie asked.
Sarah forced a smile to her lips. “Yes, I’m fine auntie.”
“Well okay.” Jeanie didn’t seem convinced. “Do you feel up to digging some clams for dinner?”
“Sure. I’ll get on it now,” Sarah promised.
Jeanie stared at the sinking sun. “Just hurry. You don’t want to be out after dark.”

Excerpt - Born to Darkness Book 1 Immortal Destiny Series

Chapter One

Through the haze of smoke, Nicole looked at the man that she had been sent to find. Beneath the red and blue lights of the stage, he appeared ethereal - almost dreamlike. His fingers played across the strings of the guitar so fast that her eyes could not detect movement.
The music vibrated through the room. To listen to it was to be pulled into a world of enchantment where reality blended with fantasy. Nicole felt her heart beating faster, as the notes he played filled the small nightclub.
Until that moment he had been looking down as he played, but abruptly he lifted his head to peer out at the crowd. His eyes came to rest on Nicole. His icy - blue eyes locked with hers. As he stared at her, he seemed to look right into her soul. His dark hair fell in waves around his shoulders - glistening beneath the glare of the lights.
His black clothing hugged his muscular frame, leaving little to the imagination. Not that Nicole would let her imagination get away with her. After all, she was here on business. Even as his gaze drew her in and she felt the first prickles of pain behind her eyes, she had to keep reminding herself what Ethan had told her.
Don’t look into his eyes!
Those were his exact words, and precisely what she’d made the mistake of doing.
He stepped up to the microphone, and his deep - smooth voice vibrated in her ears. He sang of passions, darkness and unfulfilled hunger.
Her mouth went dry and she began to shake. She lifted her drink to her lips. Nicole now knew why the infamous Alec Norwood could make women lose their minds.
She hadn’t believed it for a moment. Sure she’d heard of him. Who hadn’t? He was quickly turning the local rock scene on its head. His dark music was like nectar to the troubled soul, and his looks were enough to send a woman’s common sense right out the window.
But you’re not another one of his groupies. You’re here for a reason!
Nicole wouldn’t let herself be put under Alec Norwood’s spell. She struggled to focus on the task at hand.
The rest of the members of Necro were just as dark as he was. The music was perfect, not one of them missing a note or a beat. When the song ended, they went into a slow - haunting melody. Nicole felt the music come over her like a soothing warm blanket.
She suddenly felt tired, as if she’d been drugged. Getting up from the table, she wound her way through the crowd toward the ladies room. Maybe if she could splash some cold water on her face she’d feel better.
* * * *
Alec watched the woman rush away from her table near the stage. She had a strong mind that was able to withstand his probing. He had felt her scrutiny while she watched him, but he had been unable to read her thoughts.
There was something about the woman that pulled at him - stirring feelings that he had not felt in centuries. It was as if he knew her, or had known her in another form - another time.
She was attractive. Dark but innocent, and nothing like the women that followed him around every night. Those women were exotic and beautiful, but their spirits were tarnished. He felt darkness in this woman, but a different kind of darkness. It was the type of darkness that can grow out of despair.
Unlike the rest of the crowd, she was dressed plainly. She wore her dark hair in a simple - down to earth style. The casual jeans and white blouse she was wearing, looked great on her. The woman was dressed nice, but it was obvious that she hadn’t come to Dark Wind to impress anyone.
As simple as her appearance was, it was her eyes that drew him in. Her dark brown eyes were warm - like the sunshine. It was as if she’d captured the sun in her eyes and brought it with her wherever she went.
The warmth of the sun was something that he had not experienced for a long time. To look up and see the essence of that eternal light in her was as stimulating as the scent of the blood that ran through her veins.
She was here specifically to see him, but not for the same reason the rest of the women in the little nightclub.
What could a girl like her want with someone like him?
When the song ended, he glanced at the other members of the band. “I’m going to take a break,” he told them.
They stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. Why would someone with a vampire’s endurance need a break?
* * * *
Feeling better, Nicole left the women’s restroom. She did not notice the figure that lurked in the shadows until it was too late. A hand snaked out from the darkness to grab her. Startled, she let out a yelp.
“Let’s take a walk,” he told her as he led her through the crowd and toward the exit.
At first Nicole was too startled to object. By the time she recovered, she was already outside. It was dark - too dark for Nicole to feel comfortable with someone she didn’t know. The moon was not quite half full so there was not much light. There was a small blue neon sign above the door that depicted a bat with outspread wings, and a single light in the little parking lot.
“Who are you?” he asked, wasting no time getting to the point.
So he had noticed her watching him and wanted to know why.
“Someone sent me here to give you a message,” she told him, fighting the urge to look into his eyes.
She’d found out just how hypnotizing his eyes could be and she sure didn’t want to take the chance of coming under his spell. Not while they were alone and she was vulnerable.
“Now you have my undivided attention,” he told Nicole, stepping a little closer and taking her hand in his. “You’ve had my attention since I first set eyes on you.”
His sweet - spicy scent was distracting. Suddenly her head filled with images of tangled - slippery bodies, moving together in the most erotic of dances. Nicole shook the thought from her head, wondering where it had come from.
“Ethan Lamont said to tell you that it is urgent he sees you as soon as possible,” she explained, her voice cracking from nervousness.
Nicole was startled by the hard glint in Alec Norwood’s eyes. “I told him never to contact me again.” Though his voice was barely a whisper, he radiated danger.
She instinctively took a step back. “I’m just the messenger.”
Abruptly his demeanor changed and he smiled. “And a very attractive one.”
Nicole smiled but said nothing. Determined that she would not fall allover herself for him like so many other women did.
Alec stepped closer, backing her up against the white - cinderblock wall. He was less than an inch away, his lips close to her face. “Who are you?” he asked in low voice.
Nicole resented the intrusion into her personal space. He was too close. Her heart was beating so fast that she thought it would burst from fear, and from the sheer exhilaration of being so near him.
“My name is Nicole. I work for Ethan,” she said. Her voice betrayed nothing that she was feeling.
Alec leaned in even closer - his lips almost touching hers. “Do you like being close to me Nicole?”
Nicole brought up her hands and pushed him away. “You’re too close,” she told him.
“But isn’t this what you want … what you have been thinking about since you sat down to watch me?”
The amusement in his voice was even more irritating than his boldness. “You flatter yourself.”
Alec cocked his head to one side. “Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Tell Ethan that I will meet him in our usual place … in two days.” He bowed mockingly to her and then turned to leave, but stopped and looked back at her. “Don’t hang around out here. It can be very dangerous after dark.”
Then he was gone.
Nicole continued to stare after him, long after he had gone inside. What did he mean by dangerous? Ethan had told her that the people Alec hung with were not the type that she’d want to get to know, but he didn’t exactly say they were dangerous. He’d only told her that it was not a good idea to be at the Dark Wind any longer than was necessary. When she’d tried to get more information out of him, he’d been very evasive.
Something just wasn’t right with all of this.
Something just wasn’t right with Alec Norwood. He was probably the most magnetic - alluring man that she’d ever met, but it was more than that. As soon as she found herself alone with him, she’d felt like a 12-year old that had just been left alone with her first crush. But the feel was far more powerful than that. You would have to times that feeling by a thousand to come close to what Alec Norwood had made her feel when he stepped close to her.

Immortal Destiny Series Update

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. Things have been hectic in my own life, which may result in the release date for the next book in the Immortal Destiny Series being pushed back by a week or two.