paranormal vampire romance book

WARNING
Some of the books on this site contain material of a sexual nature or graphic violence and are only suitable for adults. By reading the excerpt below you release me as the author of any responsibility.

It was too quiet.

The expansive mansion was silent and there had been no guards at the gate or patrolling the grounds. Valentine looked around him at the empty entrance hall, its grandeur lost on him as he tried to figure out what had happened whilst he was out hunting.

Where was everyone?

There was no sign of a fight. No blood or broken furniture. The only other vampire family in the area were the Caelestis, his mate’s bloodline. Prophecy’s kin wouldn’t have attacked the Aurorea, his own bloodline. They had been enjoying a long period of peace for the first time since successfully joining the two houses. The vampire hunters couldn’t have rid his entire house of his kin. There would have been evidence.

Valentine walked forwards, the heels of his polished black knee-high boots clicking on the stone floor. The silence unnerved him. The house felt desolate and cold. When he reached the grand staircase that led to the upper floors, he searched the mansion ahead of him with his senses.

One signature came back to him.

And it was familiar.

He followed her scent and her signature through the maze of painting adorned halls to the back of the building. The double wooden doors of the ballroom ahead were closed and he strode towards them, his senses fixed on the person inside.

Valentine opened the doors. Darkness greeted him and then the lights burst into life in the chandeliers above, blinding him enough that he raised an arm to protect his sensitive eyes.

“Happy Death Day!” Prophecy’s voice rang out around the room.

Valentine lowered his arm and looked at her in abject confusion. It wasn’t only the fact that he had expected her to have somehow shielded the presence of the rest of his family with his magic and had instead found her standing alone in the middle of the large ballroom that had him frowning.

“It is not my death day,” he said and stepped forwards into the room, looking around in case he had missed something and the rest of his bloodline were really hidden and waiting to leap out at him.

There was no one.

“It took a while to get the exact day out of Cornelius,” Prophecy said and moved towards him, stealing his attention again. She was smiling, her dark eyes shining with it, bright and round. She was happy for some reason. He could sense her feelings through the bond their mating had created between them. It had been a while since he had felt her so relaxed and peaceful. Her smile widened. “I know that look. You’re wondering where everyone else is. Well, I’ve sent them out for a few hours.”

“Out?” Valentine said, still frowning, and glanced around again. His senses said that she wasn’t lying. They really were alone in the house. He looked back at her. “I do not think that wise.”

“I wanted to be alone with you so we could celebrate.” The hint of wickedness that laced her feelings made his frown disappear and lessened his concern about the entire bloodline being away from the mansion. He looked at her properly now, seeing the elaborate way she had twirled her blood-red hair up and pinned it at the back of her head. The contrast between the red strands that had fallen down to graze her moon-white skin was divine and stirred hunger in him. It drew his attention to her throat and the marks there. His marks. His mate.

He raised a single black eyebrow and lowered his green gaze further, to the plum-coloured corseted dress that she wore. It was the same as the one she had chosen to wear in St. Petersburg at the Creator’s Day masquerade. She had looked beautiful that night and he had realised his feelings for her. Now, he felt as though he was back there, seeing the truth of his emotions for the first time. He loved her. He loved her deeper than anyone had loved before him. It surged through him stronger than a spring tide and swept him away.

“What did you have in mind?” he said and moved closer to her, intent on touching her and slaking his thirst for her blood and her love. They had only seen each other last night, had slept in each other’s arms all day, but he was still burning for her.

Prophecy smiled, her beautiful red lips teasing him. He wanted to see them red with blood not lipstick. His blood. He wanted her to feed from him. It had been weeks since she had taken his blood. He thrilled at the thought, heat skittering over his cool skin.

His eyes roamed over her neck, the marks tugging another smile from him, and then fell to her chest. The star over her heart was dark against her skin and he wanted to reach out and touch it, to see the magic react to him the way it always did, winding itself around his fingers in red ribbons that tickled. The dress gave her a modest cleavage and her snowy skin bore his marks there too. It felt as though there wasn’t a place he hadn’t bitten her these days. He would have to start from the top again.

He was glad that she had sent everyone away now, especially when his mind rushed forwards to imagine the possibilities. He was doubly thankful that Venturi was hundreds of miles away on business. He had her all to himself. His love. His mate. His Prophecy.

“You look beautiful tonight,” he husked and she lowered her gaze, her teeth sinking into her lower lip and teasing both it and him.

Valentine loved the reaction, the way he could make her blush without blushing. It wasn’t possible for her to colour like a human, but she could react just the same.

He reached out and swept the backs of his fingers down her cheek, and then under her jaw. She followed his command and raised her head, her brown eyes slowly coming back to meet his.

“So?” he whispered and she blinked slowly, holding his gaze.