J. R. Ward - Crave

Table of Contents

Praise for the Novels of J. R. Ward

Now heres a band of brothers who knows how to show a girl a good time.

Lisa Gardner

Lover Enshrined

Terrific... explosive... exciting.... Ward has outdone herself.

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Lover Unbound

The newest in Wards ferociously popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series bears all the marks of a polished story-teller completely at home in her world.... This fix will give Brotherhood addicts a powerful rush.

Publishers Weekly

Lover Revealed

These erotic paranormals are well worth it, and frighteningly addictive.... It all works to great, page-turning effect.... In just two years, the... series [has] earned Ward an Anne Rice-style following, deservedly so.

Publishers Weekly

Lover Awakened

Best new series Ive read in years! Tautly written, wickedly sexy, and just plain fun.

Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author of Hide

Utterly absorbing and deliciously erotic. I found myself turning pages faster and fasterand then I wished I hadnt, because there was no more to read.... The hottest collection of studs in romance, and I cant wait for the next one!

Angela Knight, USA Today bestselling author of Master of Dragons

Lover Eternal

Ward wields a commanding voice perfect for the genre.... Hold on tight for an intriguing, adrenaline-pumping ride... leaves readers begging for more. Fans of L. A. Banks, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Sherrilyn Kenyon will add Ward to their must-read list.

Booklist

[An] extremely intense and emotionally powerful tale.... Wards paranormal world is, among other things, colorful, dangerous, and richly conceived... intricate plots and believable characters.

Romantic Times (top pick)

Dark Lover

Its not easy to find a new twist on the vampire myth, but Ward succeeds beautifully. This dark and compelling world is filled with enticing romance as well as perilous adventure. With myriad possibilities to choose from, the Black Dagger Brotherhood series promises tons of thrills and chills.

Romantic Times (top pick)

A dynamite new Vampire seriesdelicious, erotic, and thrilling! J. R. Ward has created a wonderful cast of characters, with a sexy, tormented, to-die-for hero... a fabulous treat for romance readers!

Nicole Jordan, New York Times bestselling author of Touch Me with Fire

J. R. Ward has a great style of writing and she shines.... You will lose yourself in this world; it is different, creative, dark, violent, and flat-out amazing.

All About Romance

An awesome, instantly addictive debut novel. Its a midnight whirlwind of dangerous characters and mesmerizing erotic romance. The Black Dagger Brotherhood owns me now. Dark fantasy lovers, you just got served.

Lynn Viehl, New York Times bestselling author of Shadowlight

BY J. R. WARD

NOVELS OF THE FALLEN ANGELS

Covet

NOVELS OF THE BLACK DAGGER
BROTHERHOOD

Dark Lover

Lover Eternal

Lover Awakened

Lover Revealed

Lover Unbound

Lover Enshrined

Lover Avenged

Lover Mine

The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insiders Guide

SIGNET

Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

First published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, October 2010

eISBN : 978-1-101-44372-9

Copyright Jessica Bird, 2010

All rights reserved

Author photo by Jan Cobb

REGISTERED TRADEMARKMARCA REGISTRADA

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

PUBLISHERS NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the authors rights is appreciated.

For Judith Peoples, PhD,
and all her good works
she is proof positive that angels can have GREAT shoes
while their feet touch the ground.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To Kara Welsh, for everything!
And with thanks to Leslie Gelbman and Claire Zion
and everyone at NAL who are so amazing.

Thank you to Steve Axelrod, my voice of reason.

With huge props and thanks to Team Waud: D, LeElla, and Nath, without whom none of this would be possiblewhat would I do without you? And with a shout-out to Jac (and his Gabe!): My kitchen is your kitchen. No, really. Please. Dont make me beg.

Thank you also to Ann, Lu, and Opalthe most incredible line tamers Ive ever seen! And KenIm trainable, see? I really amyou can send back the Gorilla Glue. Also to Cheryle, who I take orders from because Im no fool.

With big hugs to all the mods on the boardsIm so grateful for everything you do out of the kindness of your hearts.

Tremendous thanks to my C.P., Jessica Andersen, who has been endlessly supportive and smart and lovely and brilliantly funny for all these years. I still wish I were in your top five. *sigh*

And, of course, with thanks to Mother Sue (Grafton).

As always with love to my mother and my husband and my family and the better half of WriterDog.

Prologue

The desert, far from Caldwell, NY, or Boston, MA, or... sanity.

S ome two years after the fact, when Jim Heron was no longer in special ops, he would reflect that Isaac Rothe, Matthias the Fucker, and he, himself, had all changed their lives the night that bomb went off in the sand.