An invisible wall built from the tears of those touched
by death
An impossible love as divided as the world around them.
After Addison finds a nearly-dusted vampire in the garbage outside her
building, her ability to stay off the supernatural world’s radar is deader than
the vamp. Almost as dead as she’ll be
if anyone thinks she put him there. Should she finish the job somebody else
screwed up or move him somewhere humans won’t find him? To keep the Heights
hidden, she may have shoved a stake into her own chest. Just when she thinks
life couldn’t possibly get any more dangerous, she finds out who he is.
As vampire king and Prime to all races of supernatural beings in the
North American zone, Rhyse is accustomed to getting what he wants without
asking. But he neither wanted nor asked to be wounded in an ambush, waking up
chained to a bed with a hole in his chest. Unfortunately, he needs help to
discover who tried to kill him. But worse than that, his only ally is his
captor, someone unaware she has the power to destroy their entire world.
As a prophesized war brews in the Heights, Addison and Rhyse must decide
which carries more risk—trusting someone who could destroy you or trusting
someone who could love you?
Excerpt:
Addison stumbled backwards, until the counter stopped her. It was over.
It had been over ever since those chains came off. Ever since she brought him
into her apartment. Into her life.
“I saved you, Rhyse. I could’ve left you outside until the sun came up.”
“I imagine you wish you had.”
“Can you…can you not kill me? Just take some, but not all?”
Rhyse brushed her hair behind her shoulder and curled his fingers around
the nape of her neck, whispering, “Do you trust me that much?”
“I don’t even trust you a little.” She felt the sting of tears. “I don’t
want to be turned. If you drain me, let me die.”
He ran his other hand up her shoulder, to her throat and slowly closed
his fingers around it. One move and her neck would break. “To drain you I would
have to drink from you. And that, my pet, I will not do.”
She didn’t know what he meant but now seemed like a bad time to argue.
“Did you know what you are? How many of you exist?”
She didn’t answer. Partially because speaking required the air he was
cutting off. Then his hands were gone, just like the rest of him.
Was it over?
When one of the women behind the counter moaned, Addison went to make
sure they were alright.
Rhyse was on top of one of them, his fangs obviously burrowed in her
neck. The woman moaned again, her legs wrapping around him. One hand clutched
his shoulder and the other slapped the wall, searching for a hold.
It had to have been shock that
made it impossible to look away. Or run
away. The woman’s moans got louder, then crested, and her body went limp. Not
in a dead way, but in an I-just-had-the-best-orgasm-of-my-life way.
Get out of here.
“Leave and they will die.” His voice stopped her after only two steps. “Stay
and they will wake up from a very pleasant, very erotic dream.”
She grinded her teeth when she heard another moan. He must have moved on
to the other woman. With two to feed from, there was less of a chance he would
drain them, but… “Why should I trust you?”
The woman’s moans stopped and she whined, “No.”
“I do not care if you trust me,” he said. “Only that you obey me.”
“Fuck you.” But she didn’t move. “Are they alive?”
“Of course. It is against the law to kill humans.”
“Then let me go.”
“You are not human, Addison.” His voice came from just over her shoulder.
“I am. I promise. Totally human.”
Somehow he’d missed the fact that seers were human, despite her telling him at least five times.
She heard the shuffling of fabric and looked down to see him wrapping his
already-bloody shirt around the arm she’d cut. He tied a knot with the sleeves
and pulled it tight. There was no part of this that she understood.
She sucked in a breath when he put his hands on her hipbones. Then
another as they slid to her belly and down, pressing her back into him. She
felt his heat and a vibration on her back as he made a sound similar to a cat’s
purr but scarier. Clenching her eyes shut, she waited for death.
“You should thank them.” His voice was all sex. Dangerous, risky, awesome
sex. “They just saved your life.”
They did? “Thank you,” she called out with a shaking voice. “Now that
your belly’s full, how about you back off a little?”
“I should kill you, Addison.”
“I’m going to have to disagree with you about that.”
After a moment he stepped away, sighing as if he just made a really tough
decision and wasn’t sure it was the right one.
“So,” she said, heading for the door, “it seems like you’re feeling better
which is great. I’m really happy for you. Since you don’t need me anymore, I’m
gonna go now. I’ll see you around.”
“Come to me, Addison.” His eyes were back to their original inhumanly
beautiful color. Though he didn’t quite look calm, he looked satisfied.
“No.”
“Come to me or I will snap your neck.”
“Okay.”
“If you had simply brought a human to me, this all could have been
avoided.”
“I was just thinking the same thing.” Total lie—she wasn’t thinking a
goddamn thing besides, “Shiiiiit!”
“You and I have things to discuss, and a few memories to alter along the
way back to your home.”
Damn it on many counts. “Alter or wipe?”
“Alter, of course. Although my strength has returned, wiping that many
minds would still be highly taxing. I prefer to save my power for other
activities.”
Like…? Nah, she didn’t want to know.
He opened the door and gestured for
her to go first. Which he’d probably never done before. Minions opened doors
for him and she doubted chivalry ranked high on his list of valuable traits.
But she went because when you gotta go, you gotta go.
“Did you know?” he asked.
What was it with that question?
“Know what? That your victims come while you feed? Yeah, I heard it happens
occasionally.”
“Always. They always come while
I feed. If it were possible, I would show you.”
“I just heard more proof than I wanted to, thanks.”
“I have no doubt that it would be far more enjoyable to feel you come than to hear her do it.”
Title: Unseen
Author: Lauren Stewart
Series info: The Heights, Volume 1
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Off the Hook Publishing
Date of Publication: May 29, 2014
Author web links:
@ReadLaurenS
ReadLaurens@gmail.com
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