Amy Patrick - Crimson Storm

Abigail Byler is a resolute pacifist. And a vampire.

Believing she can never be with the guy she loves and knowing she doesnt fit in at the Crimson Court, Abbi has left the hills and caverns of Virginia for California and the Human-Vampire Coalition where she hopes to make the best of the unexpected turn her life has taken.

Thats easier said than done when her heart still longs for her first love, Reeceand when tensions between humans and vampires in America are rapidly increasing.

The last thing Abbi intends to do is return to the Bastionits too dangerous for her therein every way. But when her life takes another shocking twist, she may have no other choice than to make the perilous cross-country journey and face the vampire who turned herand the one she still loves.

This time, though, she wont be alone. And the vampire queen of the Crimson Court is not going to like it when she finds out whos coming to dinner.

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Hidden Heir

M y brothers and I darted from the shadow of one historic building to the next in Charlottesvilles deserted open-air downtown mall, tracking the rogue vampire.

Shed hit the University of Virginia campus hard, slaughtering four students in one dorm before escaping into the night.

We werent sure if she was a student herself. All we knew was what wed heard on the police scannera young white female had been seen running from the dorm, covered in blood, and judging from the victims wounds, they suspected the perpetrator had been a vampire.

Not good.

My fellow Bloodbound soldiers and I loaded up into a dark, nondescript van and speeded for the city that was far too close to the Bastion for comfort. We needed to neutralize the rogue quickly before she could call any more attention to herselfor to us.

Her trail had been easy to follow. She was a newbie for sure and had most likely not been educated at the Bastion. If she had been, shed know how to feed on humans without killing them, or at least without making such a public mess of it.

My guess was that she was a student and had been attempting to feed on animals instead of drinking human blood after being turned. That was a sure path to crazy-town and incidents like this one.

I should know.

There. Just to your north, I whispered into my comm, alerting Kannon, who was closest to the rogues location. Shell come out of the alley in about two seconds.

Affirmative, my friend said. This sorority girl has just been to her last human kegger.

Sure enough, the hint of movement Id spotted in the dark alley was our target. The instant she stepped from between the buildings onto the main brick-lined thoroughfare of the pedestrian shopping area, Kannon tackled her and strapped her arms.

Whoa, shes got some kick to her, I heard him say into his comm as I jogged toward his location with two other Bloodbound flanking me. She must have really gorged herself on blood.

We arrived just as Kannon flipped the girl over. Her eyes were wild, her blood-stained teeth gnashing as she struggled against the restraints.

My guess about her identity had been correct based on her attirea dirty frat party t-shirt and a pair of tiny athletic shorts. She wore a pair of small diamond studs in her ears. Her feet were bare. The toenails were painted, as were her fingernails, so her animal-blood-induced delirium was probably a recent development.

Hold still, Kannon ordered, attempting to strap her ankles.

Kneeling, I held her legs so he could complete the job. Were not going to hurt you. Well get you some help. Dont be afraid.

Unable to kick now and most likely unable to understand me, the rogue bucked her body and screamed. She followed that up with a powerful head butt to my ribcage.

I glanced back over my shoulder to the pair of Bloodbound standing behind mestaring at their phones. A little help here guys? I mean, I heal fast, but cracked ribs still hurt like hell.

Sorry, said Michael, the younger of the two. I was checking my feeds. Reception at the Bastion sucks.

He squatted and pressed down on the girls shoulders while the other soldier, Rick, sneered. Why do you waste your time on that garbage? I was checking my stock portfolio.

He drew a roll of black duct tape from his pack and placed a strip over the rogues mouth so she couldnt use her teeth as weapons against us. Her bite wouldnt kill us, but it would leave evidence of vampire blood here in the mall, and I really didnt feel like spending the rest of the evening scrubbing the brick walkway.

Completely immobilized now, the female vampire finally gave up the struggle. Kannon let out a loud breath then looked over at me and laughed.

Well, that was easy.

My laughter joined his. Please tell me I wasnt this bad.

Worse, he responded with a good-natured grin.

Kannon and his team had hunted me down and captured me in an operation much like this oneonly Id spent several weeks on the run after turning instead of a few days.

And Id done far more damage.

The memories haunted me. How had Abbi managed to stand being around me? I was little better than a rabid animal when theyd dragged me to the Bastion and thrown me in a medical holding cell where Id refused treatment, refused to even speak to her.

And still shed returned each day, spending hours on end talking to me, reading to me. Her sweet voice had reached inside my muddled brain and latched onto my last remaining shred of sanity like a lifeline.

She might have been the only person on earth who could have pulled me back from that abyss. It was a good thing there had been bars between us because my body and soul had responded to her so powerfully Id wanted to grab her and drag her off to the caverns remotest corner where I could keep her all to myself forever.

Id actually been a little afraid for her to be around me. But her quiet courage seemed to know no bounds. Neither did her sweetness. She was hands down the bravest, kindest, most beautiful person who ever lived, and I loved her beyond reason.

And there it was, the sweet pain that wrapped itself around my heart and squeezed like a boa constrictor anytime I let myself think of her. Which was far too often.