Day 3

Eternal Embrace

CONTEST: This is day two of excerpt posting in celebration of Eternal Embrace's upcoming release June 9th. Please stop by each day to read a new excerpt and make sure to leave at least one post one day this week. Along with your post please leave your email address so you can be entered for a chance to win. I'll be drawing 2 winners.

That's right...I said 2 winners!

Each winner will get a free download of Eternal Embrace and 1 of those winners will get an added bonus of a $10 Barnes & Noble gift card.

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EXCERPT:

Everything seemed to slow as her gaze fell on a dark figure in the corner, her eyes widening with recognition. Her heart pounded a wild frenzy in her chest, and heat seemed to suffuse her skin. He was here. His black stare seemed to devour her, to caress her with its intensity. Warmth seeped into her body, and she returned his look, taking all of him in. Seeing him made her realize that despite everything she’d missed him unbearably.

Dimitri, what are you doing here?

I came to see you, Cassandra.

He seemed to savor each syllable of her name, and she shivered at the sound of his voice in her head. She wanted to forget everything and run into his arms, let him kiss all her hurts away, but she didn’t. He was still a vampire. One of the undead. And she remained angry with him for what he had done to her.

She looked at him; the pain in his eyes seemed all-consuming.

I could never hurt you, Cassandra.

“But you did.” Her words were softly spoken, hanging in the air between them. He bowed his head, and slipped back into the shadows and disappeared into the crowded room. She wanted to call him back but didn’t. Why had he come? Why did she feel she would never be able to move on?

God help her. Though she knew what he was, she still loved him. The room became too hot and closed in. She rushed toward the door and raced outside, letting the chilly air enfold her. She rubbed her hands over her bare arms and watched the mist her breath formed.

Was she fighting a losing battle to try and stay away from him, when every part of her being needed him so desperately? Had she made a mistake in sending him away from her? She knew deep down that he would never truly hurt her, that he cared deeply for her as she did him, but the shock of the previous events occurring all at once had been too much. Learning that he had drunk from her, then forced her to forget had made her feel angry and betrayed, so she’d reacted from fear. Now she was absolutely miserable without him.

There was a sound behind her. She turned to see who had joined her, shrieking when a big burly man with curly blond hair grabbed her roughly, a blade in his hand. Another man just as big but with a tattoo of a spider on his cheek also appeared carrying a knife. Before she could gather her wits, Dimitri materialized from nowhere. He grabbed the man holding her, who released her in his surprise, and threw him across the yard. The other man charged him, yelling as he hit Dimitri, and both men went tumbling to the ground.

Amazingly, the first man seemed unfazed by the fact that he had just been thrown with force and came after Cassie again. The metal in his hand glinted menacingly under the moonlight and the bulb from the building’s entrance.

Dimitri tossed Spider Tattoo off him and sprang to his feet, rushing toward her. “Go back inside. Hide, but do not leave.”

Cassie shook her head, “No I won’t leave you.”

At that moment, Blondie came at them, swinging the blade. Dimitri shoved her away and took the blow in his side, even as he threw an upper cut at his opponent, sending the man flying again. Spider Tattoo attacked once more, but Dimitri was able to get his hands around the man’s neck. Cassie heard bones crunching beneath his fingers, and she cringed as the man slumped, his face contorted.

She cried out as Blondie tried to ambush Dimitri from behind. Cassie watched in horror as the man’s blade nicked Dimitri in the corner of his eye. When she saw his skin bleed and burn, she knew the blades were silver. Desperate to help, she quickly glanced around and broke a large branch off a nearby tree before approaching both men.

Dimitri yelled at her, his accent thick. “Stay back!”

Cassie screamed as the assailant brought the knife down and sank it into Dimitri’s right shoulder, then pulled it out to plunge it into Dimitri’s chest. But Dimitri grabbed the man’s hand and flipped him onto his back, straddling the man. He pushed the blade into Blondie’s heart. Blondie convulsed and shook on the ground, before he went still.

Dimitri rose shakily to his feet, not meeting her terrified gaze, before he fell forward.
Cassie cried out and rushed to him, dropping to her knees at his side, terrified and at the same time concerned for his injuries.

“We have to get out of here.” He whispered, still not looking at her.

Cassie gently stroked his jaw, trying to bring his face around, but he jerked away from her touch. “Why won’t you look at me?”

“I am a monster, Cassandra.” There was such anguish in his voice that her heart broke all over again.

“Look at me, Dimitri.” He did not move, and she gripped his arm, noticing for the first time that his nails were long like talons and appeared razor sharp. “Please.”

Taking a deep breath, he did as she asked. His eyes glowed an eerie red like hell’s own fury, and he curled his lips back, baring his fangs. He looked ferocious, but to her amazement, and no doubt his, she was not afraid. Cassie cupped his face tenderly and ran her fingers along his jaw, over his eyes and lips and through his hair, calming and soothing him. “Dimitri, just breathe.”