Dark Redemption, a spicy vampire romance, is available for preorder! My latest book in the Shadowsend Vampire Clan series is set to release on July 31, 2023, and I am so excited to share this latest installment of Ash, Rowan, Darrow and Finn’s story with you guys!!
Here’s a spicy snippet to whet your appetites:
The second the icy, bluish liquid—I refused to even think of the stuff as Nikolai’s blood—hit my mouth, I knew I was in serious trouble.
This stuff tasted like every decadent temptation in the world, all rolled into one. This stuff was sweet and rich and sensual, like fine wine and chocolate cake, like pizza and brownies, and by the time I licked the last trace of it off my lips, I felt the magic working.
“Holy gods, I think I’m drunk.” I hiccupped. “On unicorn blood.”
“Ash.” Nikolai murmured reprovingly. “You promised not to say that.”
Euphoria turned my head into a blender of emotions, fire roaring through my veins, while I still tasted frost in my mouth. I caught myself on the edge of the table, the bowl skittering across the tabletop, straight toward Salina. “Sorry. On your blood.” I sat down heavily, my ass hitting the bench hard enough to hurt. “Ow.”
“Ash. Take a breath.” Nikolai hovered an arm’s length away, looking like he wanted to steady me, but knowing he couldn’t. Probably for the best, since it was taking everything I had not to jump his bones right now.
“I’m good.” But I blew out a long, slow breath, the kind you make when you’re wasted and trying to get your bearings. And I very much needed to get my bearings because…holy fuck.
Lust roared inside me like a jet engine, hot enough to burn everything in its path, hot enough to consume me whole. This was agony and pleasure, all rolled into one, and for a long time—I had no idea how long—I curled my hands around the bench and held on, rocking while the needy feeling rose higher and higher, waiting for it to fade away.
But lust only grew sharper. More demanding.
I looked past Nikolai, to the windows, the yawning darkness outside. When had the sun set?
How was it night already?
“Fuck.” But this time, it came out as more of a plea than a curse. Gods help me, I couldn’t take this, couldn’t stand this aching emptiness inside me…
“Salina will watch over you.” Nikolai’s voice broke through the roaring in my head. “She will make sure you drink water. Eat. Sleep.” There was some whispered discussion over my head I couldn’t follow, and then, “No, I’m leaving, I’ll be back in the morning. Not before.”
“Good.” Darkness had fallen in earnest outside, the only light was the guttering fire, the night’s chill creeping in under the door.
Wait. No. That was something else.
The strong scent of ozone burned my eyes, stung my nose, the chill coating everything, and when I lifted my hand, it glittered with frost. Magic coated me, the entire room like winter’s blanket, and Salina stepped back, her hands glowing white, a look of pure determination on her face, her power ripping through the room, turning the air to fog.
My vision blurred, the room turning into a smudge of color and light before I blinked everything back into focus. Nikolai was trapped in the corner, fighting to get free, held in place by something powerful, and invisible.
I was pinned in place by this crushing power. Salina’s power.
“What are you doing, Salina?” Nikolai shouted, his voice echoing, as if he was far away. “This was not what I agreed to.”
“This is for your own good, you’ll see that, someday. If I leave you two to your own devices, this might never happen, and you know Nik, it has to.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“Aisling was meant for you, from the moment you met her.” I tried to stand, tried to open my mouth to protest, but couldn’t do either. Like her magic held me in place, and I couldn’t move.
“He’s been muting himself, whenever he’s around you, Aisling. And that will just not do.” This time, when Salina waved her hands, the fire in my veins exploded in a shower of sparks, my senses drenched with a heady male scent.
All I smelled was Nikolai, spice and cloves and good whiskey. “Please.” I couldn’t hardly feel my legs, couldn’t feel anything except the fire that roared and roared.
This was wrong. This was…I had a mate. I thought dimly. A mate, and Finn and Darrow…
“Fuck.” The word slipped out helplessly between my numb lips, the hazy, out of focus room finally coming back into focus, until all I saw was Nikolai, outlined in white light, like he was the only person left in the world.
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