Blood at Stake (Warriors of the Krieger Book 2)
Read Blood at Stake (Warriors of the Krieger Book 2) Online
Authors: Theresa Hissong
Tags: #vampires, #vampire, #paranormal romance, #paranormal, #warriors, #paranormal and supernatural
Warriors of the Krieger
Book 2
Theresa Hissong
Published by Theresa Hissong at Smashwords.com
Copyright 2015 Theresa Hissong
Smashwords Edition,
License Notes
This eBook is
licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be
re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share
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respecting the hard work of this author.
Disclaimer:
This book is a work of fiction. Any
resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.
The names of people, places, and/or things are all created from the
author’s mind and are only used for entertainment.
Due to the content, this book is recommended
for adults 18 years and older.
Cover Design:
Custom eBook Covers
Editing by:
Anita Nichols
Formatted by:
Wayne Hissong
For more information or how to contact
Theresa Hissong, please visit:
http://authortheresahissong.com
www.facebook.com/authortheresahissong
Other books by Theresa Hissong:
A Glory Days Production:
Sing To Me
Save Me
Deliver Me
A Glory Days Awakening:
Wait For Me
Take Me
Accept Me
A Glory Days Reunion:
Understand Me
Beg Me
Break Me
A Glory Days Finale:
Need Me
Burn Me
Finish Me
Warriors of the Krieger:
Blood & Roses
Memphis S.W.A.T
It Takes Two
Fully Loaded
Dedication:
Kelly Prescott
Here’s to forever friendships…
There are so many things that were left
unsaid…things left for us to do together, but I am thankful that
the last time I saw you, I was able to hug you and tell you that I
loved you.
Until we meet again…
1981-2013
Contents
Glossary of terms:
Krieger
: The name comes from the
German word meaning ‘warrior’. The
Krieger
took this name
for the warriors who became the defenders of their race. Their job
is to police other vampires and to enforce laws of their kind and
that of the humans.
Nachtmann
: The name comes from
Nacht
meaning Night and
mann
meaning Man. These
humans have dedicated their lives to protect a vampire during the
day, which in turn would be the vampire’s night. They are highly
trained and paid very well to be a trusted guard of the vampire
race.
Joining
: Once a vampire mates, they
mate for life. The Joining is the official ceremony to complete the
bonding between vampires. Usually this ceremony is done in front of
a member of the Queen’s court. Occasionally, in a special
circumstance, the Queen herself will officiate the Joining.
Born Blood
: A vampire who is born to
two natural born vampires. Most were destroyed in the 1700’s when
the church deemed them abominations unto God.
Turned Blood
: A human who has been
changed by a blood exchange with a vampire. The human must be
drained just to the point of death. The vampire must give their
blood unto the human. Once the human drinks the tainted blood,
he/she will rise within a few nights as a creature of the
night.
Vatakas:
A vampire with the ability
to shift into a creature who seeks vengeance against those who have
harm their mates. It is said that they will tear their enemies to
pieces and dance on their flesh. There is nothing that can be done
to stop the Vatakas once its sights are set on saving their
mate.
Other:
A demon sent to Earth to cause
havoc and destruction. They use black magic and can only be killed
by severing their heads.
I was once told that I was special. How was I
to know that it meant more than a simple statement from someone I
loved dearly?
~
Lydia
Chapter 1
Lydia
Security was tight tonight for the
Krieger
wedding of the century. Men were posted on a catwalk
that ran the top of the brick wall that surrounded the
Krieger
mansion. At least I wouldn’t need to worry about my
child’s safety.
Charity wasn’t my biological child, but our
relationship was damn near close to that. You see, I found her a
very long time ago laying in a pile of dead leaves and her own
blood. I couldn’t let that young woman die there, so I did
something I said I’d never do. I changed her into a creature of the
night. I took away her sun. I turned her into a vampire.
Thankfully, she was more happy that she was
alive than dead. Over time, we had become as close as sisters, best
friends for eternity. Recently, the town we lived in, Port Royal,
was overrun with Lycans, and they had attacked many humans and
vampires in the area. Fortunately, we were able to save them with a
potion from a local witch. During those horrible few weeks, my
Charity had found her mate. He was man she’d dreamt of when she was
human.
Dragus was a warrior of the highest esteem
and also the head
Krieger
for Port Royal. He’s a perfect
match for her, and for that, I was happy. They truly deserved each
other. The
Joining
ceremony was everything she’d hoped for
in a wedding. “A fairytale in the making” was what I’d heard from
most of the crowd here tonight.
“May I have this dance?” I looked up at the
warrior who’d stopped next to my chair. Rowland must’ve noticed me
staring after Ashby, the warrior I’d been lusting over the past
several months, and came to my rescue.
“Sure, Rowland,” I nodded, casting a quick
glance around, looking for the man who’d sat at our table during
the reception, but hadn’t stayed long. I was saddened that he
quickly returned to his post without even a backwards glance in my
direction.
“I’m sorry he had to work tonight,” Rowland
said, clasping my small hand in one of his as he guided me onto the
dance floor.
“It’s okay,” I sighed, placing my other hand
on the top of his massive shoulder. “It wasn’t a date.”
“No, it wasn’t, but he should’ve asked you
to dance at least once,” he frowned, the scar in his lip pulling
his bottom lip at an odd angle. “I would’ve covered for him.”
“That’s very sweet of you, Rowland,” I
smiled, patting the top of his arm. “I’m fine, really. I think I’m
going to head out anyway.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, twirling me around
and capturing my waist with his large hand, dipping me so far back
that I laughed loudly at his antics. The big ass
Krieger
was
trying to make my night better, and I appreciated him for
trying.
“Yes,” I smiled. “Thank you for the dance,
Rowland. You are a good friend.”
“You are very welcome,” he said, looking
over my shoulder. A mischievous glimmer in his gaze had me trying
to turn my head in the direction of his gaze, but he pulled me
close and continued to dance.
“What?” I began, but my question died on my
lips as Rowland twirled me away from his body, just the tips of our
fingers left touching, before he curled his hand into mine to pull
me back into his arms. During my unexpected dance move, I noticed
Ashby standing at the corner of the room, blood filled his eyes and
his hands were clenched tight at his sides. An angry tick worked
his jaw.
“He is an idiot,” Rowland whispered.
“He has a job to do,” I sighed. “Thank you
Rowland, but I’m ready to go home.”
“Okay,” he said, stopping his dance to bow
at the waist. “Thank you for the dance, Ms. Duncan.”
“Thank you,
Krieger
,” I curtsied,
giggling when he winked.
I quickly gathered my things as Rowland
excused himself to go speak to two other warriors who were here
from a town not far from Port Royal. It was early in the morning
when the mating ceremony for Charity and Dragus ended, so I made my
way to the front of the mansion in preparation to leave.
As I walked toward my car, I noticed the
guards scattered across the front lawn. The men were posted all
throughout the grounds. Some were dressed in standard warrior
clothing, black cargo pants and a black cotton shirt, others in
tuxedos to blend in with the mass of people gathered for the
occasion.
I wouldn’t say that I was jealous, but it
did sadden me that I was walking out of these gates alone. Who
doesn’t get a little depressed when you go to a wedding without a
date? Ashby and I sat at a table together during the reception, but
by no means was this a date. We talked, maybe even flirted a
little, but as with the life of a
Krieger
, he was on duty
and in charge of the security for tonight’s event. So our time
together was short lived, and I was a little miffed that he didn’t
even ask me to dance. I’d spent most of the evening stealing
glimpses of him as he worked.
The warrior Ashby was complete male
perfection. Short blonde hair highlighted his sharp features. His
pale, ivory skin was toned…muscular. Many times in the past, I’d
stared at him when he wasn’t looking, trying to figure out if his
skin felt as smooth as it looked. His hands told a story of
hardship from the thickness and strength that radiated off of them.
They’re large and everything he handled was with skill. I often
wondered how they would handle me. There was something about that
warrior that had me feeling drawn to him in some weird way. Even
the dragon tattoo on his neck called to me as if it saw something
deep inside my soul and wanted to protect me.
Every warrior was given the mark of a
Krieger
when they were chosen to protect our race. The
tattoo of a dragon was placed upon their necks by our queen. She
oversaw and approved every warrior that ever lived. When she’d
marked Charity’s guard at the wedding, I was stunned at her
abilities. With just the press of her hand, a dragon tattoo
appeared on Adam’s neck, officially boosting him into the ranks of
a warrior.
I shook myself out of my thoughts and walked
toward my car. With a sigh, I tapped the button to release the
locks. When I reached for the door, a hand slipped past me and
grabbed the handle before I could do it myself.
“Ms. Duncan,” Rowland nodded while opening
my door. I saw his eyes flicker to the front of the mansion, and I
knew he was only doing this to get under Ashby’s skin. “I hope that
you had a nice time.” Bless him. He was a soft hearted man, even
though he had a scar that ran from the bottom of his ear and under
his chin that came up through his lip. He looked menacing, but
nothing else about the warrior would cause you to be afraid of
him.
His
Krieger
tattoo, on the same side
of the scar, was placed on top, hiding most of the damage that
obviously happened to him as a human. He kept his light red hair
loose, and it hung right at his chin. The vampire was stunning
despite his obvious deformity. His eyes were different from
anything I’d ever seen. They were a stunning crystal blue, but the
rims were black as coal and seemed to thicken depending on his
mood. Right now the trim was thinner, more normal.
“Thank you, Rowland. It was a lovely
ceremony.” I tossed my purse on the passenger seat and climbed in,
“Have a good night,
Krieger
.” With a wink, he closed my door
and nodded politely. As I drove away, I looked in the rearview
mirror and saw Ashby on the porch to the mansion. He was standing
there at attention, and boy did he look mad.