Dark Love
Authors: M. D. Bowden
Tags: #Vampires, #vampire, #Erotica, #Suspense, #paranormal romance, #Fantasy, #Magic, #Sex, #England, #Canada, #Witches, #vampire romance, #vampire love, #vampire erotica, #vampire fiction, #gothic romance, #adult vampire romance
“This is another great
book in this series. The author does a good job getting you lost in
the characters within the book . . . I look forward to reading the
next release.”
Pianogirl05
(amazon.com review)
“It was a good read. A
different slant on vampire lore. Would recommend to anyone that
likes vampire stories. I will be reading more by this author very
soon.”
Kookie
(amazon.com review)
“I highly recommend
this book and series!”
T. Clark “kellz”
(amazon.com
review)
The Two Vampires:
Dark Wine, YA
Version
Dark Blood, YA
Version
Dark Love, YA
Version
Dark Moors, YA
Version
Dark Wine & Dark
Blood, YA Version
The Two Vampires, Adult
Versions:
Dark Wine, #1
Dark Blood, #2
Dark Love, #3
Dark Moors, #4
Dark Wine & Dark
Blood, #1 & #2
Non-fiction:
What’s It
Really
Like? Pregnancy & Birth
Dark Love
Formerly called ‘The
Moors – Part 1’
Smashwords Edition
Published by M.D.
Bowden
Copyright M.D. Bowden
2013
All rights reserved
Smashwords Edition,
License Notes: Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although
this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the
author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for
commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book,
please encourage your friends to download their own copy at
Smashwords.com, where they can also discover other works by this
author. Thank you for your support.
All characters in this
work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or
dead, is entirely coincidental.
CONTENTS
What Others are
Saying about Dark Love
For other books by
M.D. BOWDEN keep on turning . . .
To my partner and
children for putting up with hours spent writing!
Also to all the writers
who have inspired me.
THE TWO VAMPIRES
♥
A tall
man
paced back and forth, waiting for the time to come when the
full moon would cast its light on the stone circle before him. His
victims were tied and gagged and ready for the sacrifice when he
would slice open their necks and let their blood perform its magic.
It was the first step needed to resurrect Nathaniel; an old vampire
who had been entombed two hundred years before.
He thought back
to the reports he had found buried in his attic, not wanting to
miss a detail and perform the ritual wrong – so much depended on
it. The reports had explained it all; how a coven of witches had
stood against the powerful vampire who had been terrorizing their
town. They had stripped him of his power, and then buried him in
the earth beneath this very circle of stones. The reports detailed
how to bring him back, for the blood of an old vampire was rich and
magical – if he could only get hold of some. . . .
At that point
the clouds shifted and the full moon shone down, casting shadows
across the circle, across the four people who he had brought to
slaughter. He sneered as he saw their fear. He could smell it and
it made him sick.
He stepped
between the stones, walking over the hummocky ground to the center
of the circle. He had to be quick and perform the ritual before the
moon became obscured by cloud once more – he eyed the sky warily
before closing his eyes and tapping into his power, the power that
was in his blood as a born sorcerer. Flames sprung up around the
circle and he stepped towards his first sacrifice. He knelt by the
side of the young man and took out a small knife, cutting the cord
that bound him to the stone. He left his hands bound. Under duress
the sorcerer led him to the center and pushed him down. The man was
too fearful to even struggle, and the sorcerer caught a whiff of
urine. He brought the knife to the man’s throat and pierced it
gently, before swiping across and letting his blood spill.
‘Fire, Moor,
Blood and Death – Feed and Awaken,’ he chanted beneath his
breath.
He watched as
the body before him stilled and blood soaked into the earth.
Strangled,
panicked breaths emanated from the remaining three sacrifices.
The sorcerer
stood and approached the second, then the third, then the fourth –
and repeated the ritual on each.
As he muttered
the incantation for the final time he sat down in the center of the
circle and leant against the pile of bodies behind him. Their
hearts were still, their blood seeping through the ground to the
entombed body below.
Now all he had
to do was wait until their bodies were empty, until they had no
more blood to give. Then he would dispose of them, and choose four
more victims, for he would need to perform the same ritual at the
next full moon to complete the awakening ceremony.
Nathaniel would
rise and he would demand his price; his blood.
He would find
immortality.
Sarah felt
a
spasm race over her body. Her eyes jerked open as she took a
big gulp of fresh air. She looked around and saw conifers in every
direction. The light was fading.
What the hell
was she doing; sleeping in the forest? Who was looking after Megan
and Bea? And
why
the hell was her throat burning like
mad?
Ugh, she was so
thirsty. She needed to drink badly, her throat hurt - it was
parched.
She focused her
attention on her ears and listened out for water.
Nothing.
Then she heard
a pounding heart. It was rhythmic and alluring.
She felt like
she was slipping into a trance.
Sarah jumped to
her feet. She started to move towards the sound - without even
realizing what she was doing: Stalking her prey.
She spotted a
young deer ahead. Its nose was rummaging through the leaves,
looking for food. She was beautiful; her fur was a rich coppery
red. Sarah watched the deer and located its pulse at its neck. She
watched it entranced; beating steadily.
Sarah’s thirst
drew her out from behind a tree. The deer raised its head and
looked directly at her with wide startled eyes. Sarah looked back,
one second of connection, before it turned and ran.
Sarah acted on
instinct; she bolted forward. She did not know why, but she could
not let the deer escape.
She knew one
thing: If she could only reach that deer, have it for herself - it
would sooth her thirst. It would make her feel better.
She needed the
deer.
Sarah sprang,
landing on its back. It crippled beneath her, unable to support her
weight.
Her eyes were
again drawn to the pulse at the neck. She admired the smooth
expanse of silky fur before her, while she held on tight to stop
herself falling away, to stop the deer breaking free. Her teeth
felt strange. They ached. They longed to pierce the neck before
her.
Her mouth
opened as her head moved slowly forwards, entranced. She held the
struggling deer very still and tentatively grazed the neck with her
teeth. A faint line of blood appeared. She furrowed her forehead in
confusion; were her teeth that sharp?
Then she smelt
the blood. It was divine, intoxicating.
Her head shot
forward, teeth piercing through the fur and skin, entering an
artery. Blood shot down her throat. Ahh - soothing, heavenly,
intoxicating liquid. It was quenching her thirst, fuelling her body
with power, with energy.
Sarah drank for
her life, gulping the coppery formula, draining the vessel she
held.
It ceased its
struggle as its heart stopped its beautiful, speedy rhythm.
Sarah withdrew
her teeth, and felt them change in her mouth. It felt like they
were shrinking.
Strange - what
was she doing on top of a deer? A lifeless deer at that.
She stroked her
fingers down the back of its neck, feeling its soft, young fur. It
still felt warm; it couldn’t have been dead for long.
Her mouth felt
wet. She brought a hand up and wiped her face. As she pulled her
hand away she saw red glinting on her skin. Blood. What the hell?
Why was there blood on her face?
She staggered
to her feet, moving away from the deer, looking urgently about.
Looking for some clue to her state of mind, to her actions.
She saw a tall
man approaching. He was very attractive. And he looked
familiar.
Daniel.
Panic shot
through her. What would he think? What had she done?
She turned away
from him, tears running down her cheeks. She took a deep breath and
sprinted away - her speed increasing as she moved with accuracy,
avoiding trunks and branches in her way.
She could hear
Daniel in pursuit.
***
Daniel had had
to leave Sarah on her own. He didn’t know how long it would be
before she would awaken. Until she would be a vampire, like
him.
It was his
fault too, if he hadn’t bitten her; if they hadn’t shared blood -
this couldn’t have happened.
But then she’d
be dead, he thought bitterly. At least this way she would live.
Forever. They could always be together.
It wasn’t like
it hadn’t crossed his mind before, right?
Then why was he
so bothered now - he should be rejoicing at her becoming a
vampire.
It wasn’t hard
to work out why he wasn’t though. This wasn’t her choice. She
didn’t tell him she wanted to be with him forever. She didn’t ask
to be turned into a vampire.
In fact, she
had specifically said she didn’t want to be.
She has
children, for God’s sake. There’s no way she’ll be able to go home.
She won’t be able to look after them now. It would be a long time
until she’d develop strong enough control. Years.
Daniel hadn’t
succeeded in saving her. He felt awful. He should have managed to
save her. She was his to save. He loved her. Would she be the same
now? Would he feel the same way? And what would she think of him?
Would she still love him? Or would she blame him, hate him for not
protecting her? Resent him for the change in her life. For her
death.
Daniel focused
back on the job at hand. He pushed a metal spade deep into the
earth; he removed a large chunk, shoveling it into a pile next to
the hole.
He was digging
a grave for the bodies Sebastian had possessed. The body of the
girl who had just died, who Daniel had had to kill to destroy
Sebastian. The body of the young man Sarah had killed - he was also
only a teenager. Now he was a corpse - stiff and lifeless. His neck
was skewed from the break and his chest was caked with dried
blood.
Daniel had
taken the bodies from Sarah’s home before her parents had a chance
to discover them. They would be there by now, looking after Sarah’s
children. They had no idea they would be looking after them for
good.
His heart ached
for Sarah. She was going to miss her kids a phenomenal amount. The
problem was; she was also going to lust after their blood. That was
why he was going to have to keep her away from them. He hoped so
much that she would understand. That he wouldn’t have to fight
her.