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  Vows of a Vampire

  ISBN # 978-1-906328-95-5

  ©Copyright Ann Cory 2008

  Cover Art by Anne Cain ©Copyright January 2008

  Edited by Michele Paulin

  Total-e-bound books

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-e-bound eBooks.

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  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2008 by Total-e-bound eBooks 1 The Corner,

  Faldingworth Road

  , Spridlington, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, LN8 2DE, UK.

  Warning:

  Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has been rated Total-e-burning.

  VOWS OF A VAMPIRE

  Ann Cory

  Dedication

  For the readers who love a vampire hero

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmark mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Buick Skylark: General Motors Corporation

  Prologue

  “Come closer, I can hardly see you.”

  Varick fought back the tears. It pained him to see the most important person in his life lay in front of him, weak and unable to stop the shadow of the beyond from taking him. This was his great mentor, the one who had helped raise him in the coven. Where his father had failed, Dante had risen above and prepared him for a future.

  “I am here.” Varick’s lips trembled as he spoke. He wasn’t ready for this. No one was. It would be the ruination of all balance within the coven.

  He sat in the chair beside the bed and did his best to smile.

  Dante looked at him, his eyes filmy. “Good. It is you I summoned beside me in my final hours. We have quite a history, you and I.”

  The thought of the time they’d spent together brought a faint smile to his lips. “Yes, we do, and I am thankful for every moment of it.”

  “As am I. Don’t lose sight of your destined path. One day you will be the leader and all eyes will fall on you. Until then, you must remember what I need you to do. It is imperative that you watch over Laura’s daughter for me. She’s all I have left of the woman I will forever love.”

  Varick took hold of his trusted friend’s hand and stroked the pasty, dry flesh. “You can count on me. I won’t let you down. You’ve prepared me for years.”

  He watched Dante’s pupils lose the last of their light.

  “I promised to always look after her. Imagine me, an immortal, unable to keep my promise for an eternity. I deserve this torturous end.”

  Varick hated to hear the defeated sound in Dante’s voice. “Please, don’t say such things. Don’t push the disease further. Let go of your anger.”

  Hardly able to breathe, Dante’s words came out uneven. “The disease has already taken hold of me. There’s no escape. I can only hope that one day I will find Laura in the Netherworld. She was everything to me.”

  “I know, Dante, I know. If there is a way for the two of you to reunite, then I pray it is so. Is there anything I can do for you, to make you more comfortable?”

  Dante’s eyelids fluttered and then closed. “What I need, you cannot give me. I wish to touch Laura, one last time, and smell the apple blossom scent of her hair. I never wanted to let her down. She gave her life for me and this is how I repay her.”

  Varick couldn’t bear to listen any longer. “Stop. You aren’t letting her down. I will make sure no harm comes to her daughter. I make this promise as strongly as the promise you made to Laura. Please, Dante, trust me to do the right thing. I don’t want you to pass on with the belief I won’t succeed. I’ve never failed in my life, and I have you to thank.”

  “You mustn’t listen to my mutterings. I thought I had all the time in the world. I wanted to love her like a daughter.”

  “You had no way of knowing the outcome.”

  Dante’s hand twitched and he let out a gasp. “It is time for me to part. I trust you. I trust you to…”

  Varick turned his head and stared at the stone floor. “I promise, my friend. I will do everything in my power to keep her safe.”

  With a final breath, Dante shuddered and lay still. Shrouded in grief, Varick struggled to his feet, a heaviness in his heart. The rest of the coven would want to pay their last respects. He wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt. Laura’s daughter would become his ultimate focus. Night and day he would watch over her. The promises of two souls rested solely in his hands.

  Chapter One

  Varick sat in the study, the fire blazing, illuminating a wall of old books. It had been ages since he’d read anything, his mind always filled with too much inner dialogue. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken the time to relax.

  A quiet knock at the door snared his attention.

  “Yes? Come in.”

  The door swung open, and a billow of floral perfume rushed through the room, nearly choking him. There was no mistaking who it belonged to.

  Melenge stepped inside, her dark body scantily clad in a short, sheer dress. Her smooth skin reminded him of chocolate silk. Long as he could remember, she’d tried her best to seduce him. She claimed a taste from him would make her feel like a queen. While flattered, his loyalty lay with another, and he wouldn’t betray her.

  Hips swaying, Melange approached stealthily, sliding what little clothing she wore off her flawless figure, and stood before him. Eyes averted, he took a deep breath in. At any sign of arousal, his cock would be between her lips, deep-throated.

  “Look at me, Varick.” Her breathy voice drifted around him.

  To appease her, he bypassed her nakedness and stared into her eyes. Hauntingly violet.

  “Evening, Melenge. Restless?”

  “Only for you.” Never one for subtleties, she looked him over and locked on his groin. “Maybe you didn’t hear, but I’m your prize tonight.”

  He smirked. “I’ve won nothing. You know very well I won’t fall for your charms, tempting as they are.”

  Melenge knelt in front of him, the glow from the fire highlighting her cheekbones. “Don’t you think me beautiful?”

  What an understatement. “You know you’re the most beautiful vampire I’ve ever seen.”

  Her bottom lip stuck out. “Then why don’t you let me have my way with you?”

  A sigh escaped his throat. No matter how many times he’d explained, she refused to listen. “Because my heart belongs to another. It is the way of things.”

  She dragged a long blood-red fingernail along the top of his pant leg and stopped half an inch from his cock. “I can make you forget her in a heartbeat.”

  Damn she tested him tonight. “I’m certain you can, but I’ll have to decline your tempting offer.”

  Her supple lips deepened into a frown. “I’ve only wanted two men in my life and haven’t had either one. You, of course, and Dante. The way you both keep a woman hanging on, it’s tort
ure.”

  Varick gently slid her hand off his leg. “There are plenty of healthy sexual appetites here in the coven. My brothers are a horny lot. I trust your desires can be sated by one or more of them.”

  A faint hiss resounded from her throat. “Of course I can have them, but they give themselves to me willingly. I crave a challenge. It’s what makes my pussy wet.”

  He stood and gestured toward the door. “You won’t find me taking the bait tonight or any other night. Please, enjoy yourself with one of my brothers.”

  Melenge retrieved her dress and met him at the doorway. “Very well, but don’t think I’ll stop trying.” She cast him a smouldering glance and made a point to graze her palm along his cock on her way out.

  Varick knew she wouldn’t give up. Not while she viewed him as a conquest. It took a strong man to tell her no, but he would continue to. He reserved his passion for one woman only. Someday he hoped to know the soft touch of her skin. Aubrey. The thought of his lips pressed against hers, tasting her sweet, moist mouth, sent shivers along his body. She’d managed to capture his affections without her knowledge. During the day he’d observed her graceful cat-like moves, but it was at night when he suffered most. He envied the blankets that embraced and cradled her body. He even envied the nightgown she wore, the way it lay against her breasts and outlined her nipples. His lips ached to wrap around each tight nub as she writhed beneath him. To explore her body and all its textures and tastes. Until then he’d keep up the watch as he vowed, and admire her from afar.

  Aubrey sprinted along the slick street toward her car. The sound of her high heels crunching on pavement helped drown out Gil’s voice.

  “Wait, I can explain.”

  She looked over her shoulder and caught a brief glimpse of his silhouette in the doorway, a white silk shirt slung around his lower abdomen, his hand out in an innocent gesture. Did he think her stupid? Any hint of virtue had been destroyed in a single moment. Eleven torrid months together and this was how it would end. Wasted time she could never get back.

  “Can we at least discuss this?” His reverberated words were empty and meaningless.

  “Fuck off,” she screamed while fishing the car keys from her purse. They were the only two words she could manage.

  Aubrey unlocked the door of her Buick Skylark and opened it part way. Her eyes locked on the fuzzy stuffed bat she kept on the dashboard, a gift from Gil on their six month anniversary. It had been a romantic evening. Dinner on the veranda of their favourite restaurant, candlelight, soft violin music playing in the background. She’d had her fill of sumptuous beef tenderloin slathered in a port sauce, garlic and parsley mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. He’d fed her bites of decadent French vanilla Crème Brulee in between telling her how much she meant to him. More surprise followed with an invitation to dance, the hauntingly beautiful Unchained Melody playing, and oh, the passionate sex until morning. He’d made love to her body with an attention she never expected. The bat had been a souvenir from the hotel where they’d stayed to attend the Halloween Ball also taking place there. They’d never made it down but instead sat in the hot tub talking about their future.

  A future now over. Aubrey grabbed the stuffed animal and pressed it close to her chest. Why did men always ruin things when she started to get comfortable? It was as if they’d read her mind and would do anything to take away her security. She looked into the bat’s eyes and shook her head. Any reminder of Gil would be too painful, even the cute ones. Aubrey kissed its cherubic face and tossed it to the ground.

  She slid onto the plush leather exterior, slammed the door and started up the car. Her hands shook as she fumbled for the windshield wiper switch. A layer of raindrops swished to the side, and she pulled away from the house, refusing to give Gil another look.

  Darkness enveloped the slick road. Aubrey drove slowly through the neighbourhood despite the adrenaline rushing through her veins. The last thing she needed was to get into a wreck.

  What a blind fool she’d been. Late-night meetings, his toned-down public displays of affection, and the so-called business calls after midnight. All the goddamn signs she should have seen. Naïve little Aubrey struck out again. Same song and dance, different dance partner.

  “Bastard,” she shouted inside the car. For five minutes, she spouted one obscenity after another until her voice gurgled from an onslaught of tears. The words wouldn’t change Gil’s selfishness, but they did help her feel better.

  In their time together Aubrey never once questioned his loyalty. She knew the rules of dating. Don’t act jealous, give the guy space, allow for nights of male bonding, don’t try and change them, and be accommodating in every way possible. Short tight skirts, cleavage baring tops, and flimsy lingerie were all plusses, too. From her mental checklist, she ticked each rule off. Where had she gone wrong?

  Aubrey glimpsed at her appearance in the rear view mirror. Her looks weren’t plain Jane. Men frequently complimented her and did double takes when she walked by. She flaunted her assets in sleek designer clothes that showed enough to spark interest, but not in poor taste. Her long, raven mane hung straight to the rise of her bottom, and she worked hard to keep a slim, size six figure. While she didn’t consider herself gorgeous, she was hardly just another pretty face. She didn’t have a problem attracting men, but for some reason she couldn’t keep them.

  The car sped up and she watched the white lines of the road flash by. Aubrey repeatedly replayed the scene she’d witnessed. How could Gil stand there doe-eyed and say nothing, with the paper-thin blonde in his arms, bare-naked. No apology, no last minute pathetic excuses, only her pride on the line. She couldn’t help think he’d planned it. He wasn’t mature enough to end it like a real man, so he’d taken the cheap way out. It made perfect sense to her crushed ego.

  The rain started and made the road difficult to see. Bright headlights from oncoming traffic burned her eyes and the car started to careen out of control. As if watching a movie she felt helpless to do anything, overcome with panic and fear. A tinny taste rose from her stomach as she swallowed.

  Her breath hitched, lungs tight as she realised the car was going over the edge and she would die.

  Chapter Two

  Varick roamed the mansion, his mind preoccupied. He paused in front of the Grievance Hall and laid his head against the gilded door. If only his mentor were still alive. There’d be peace among his brothers. There’d be peace within himself. With a heavy heart he pushed open the door and entered. He knelt beside Dante’s tomb and traced the letters of his name, etched in gold.

  Ten years to the day and time hadn’t lessened his pain or eased the empty void. The coven—his coven—had become unsettled and no longer united. He didn’t know how to mend the situation. Each passing day only made him feel more like a failure. The great leader was gone, and he was a sorry substitute. Others looked down on him and he saw the disappointment in their eyes.

  Unable to stay longer, Varick rose from his knees. A sudden violent wave of panic rocketed through his being, nearly toppling him. He reached out toward the wall to steady himself. Bile crept into his throat. He’d never experienced such a powerful force before. It took him only a minute to understand.

  Aubrey’s life was in danger.

  Varick fled into the night, a dark cape wrapped around his body. The image in his mind startled him. She was going to crash. Through his mind’s eye he watched the scene, as it would happen if he didn’t reach her in time. Her car headed over a cliff, crashing at the bottom of the jagged embankment. She would die on impact.

  He soared with fierce momentum. Even a second too late would be disastrous. His energy was low from a lack of sustenance and rest, and he cursed himself. Of all the times to be weak. Besides his solemn promise to Dante, inside he knew another reason for his concern, one that Varick wished didn’t exist. Over the years, the extent of his feelings for Aubrey had grown. She’d become a part of him and it was her life that fuelled him through his pain and despair
.

  From the jet-black sky he watched her car skid over the lines. Varick descended and caught the front end of her car before it tipped. He forced the vehicle back onto the road and mentally steered it himself using his powers until she was off the freeway.

  His pulse pounded. He’d almost lost the one thing left in the world that was precious and dear to his heart. He’d been waiting for the right time to make his presence known. That time was now.

  Aubrey’s heart thumped loudly as her car spun around and ended up on a different road. A dark cloud covered her windshield and for a moment, time stopped. She’d held her breath, unable to explain or understand what happened. The car somehow steered itself and continued on until she came to a stoplight at an unfamiliar intersection. She tried to read the street names on the poorly lit signs. Carson and Blowfish. Where the hell was she? There weren’t any other cars and the town looked deserted. She waited while the red light flashed, still trying to catch her breath.

  Several minutes passed and the light continued to flash. Things eerily changed around her. Shadows moved along the sidewalks, but she couldn’t make out who or what they were. An unsafe feeling crept up her back.

  She cursed herself for not paying attention to where she was going, and tapped her thumbs along the steering wheel. Come on. Hurry up. The rhythm of her heartbeat matched the hypnotic flashing red light. On. Off. On. Off. A cool, relaxed calm rose from her feet until her anger at Gil dissipated. The weight on her shoulders melted away. Aubrey was vaguely aware of the shadows crowding around her car. She sensed it, but she couldn’t shift her gaze from the stoplight.