Category Archives: Heart of Darkness

My favourite scene from Heart of Darkness

I have the hard task of choosing my favourite scenes from some of my books to share with you this weekend. It might sound like a lot of fun, but sometimes there is more than one scene that I really love in a book and choosing between them can be very tricky. Add to that the fact that I can’t choose a scene that gives something major about the plot away and it becomes doubly tricky!

My next favourite scene is from Heart of Darkness and again it was really difficult to choose between them. It’s a long scene this time, close to 6000 words, but it’s one that I really love and I think it shows Aleksandr in all his beauty.

My Favourite Scene From…
Heart of Darkness

Elise rubbed the sleep from her eyes and hurried down the dim corridor on the second floor. Was Aleksandr alright? The knock on her bedroom door had startled her but not as much as the request of the servant on the other side. The young male vampire had hastily relayed an order to join Aleksandr in his reception room and then quickly left. She couldn’t blame him for being nervous when the sun was up. Or had the trace of fear she had felt in him been because of Aleksandr? She raced down the stairs to the first floor and stopped near the bottom, cautiously peering around the wall to the entrance hall. The shutters were down, blocking out the noonday sun. The sound of footsteps broke the silence, heavy on the hardwood floor below. She glanced down at the immense man dressed head-to-toe in black fatigues. One of the day guards that her family employed. The werewolves had always been more than happy to protect her kind in return for an exorbitant amount of money. He looked up at her, golden eyes sharp and curious. Elise moved on, driven by curiosity herself.

Why was Aleksandr awake and why did he need to see her?

Red spots had stained his bandages. Perhaps he was hurting again, in too much pain to sleep. She hadn’t done a good enough job. He’d said that she had but she didn’t believe him. If she had done her job properly, he wouldn’t have bled again.

Elise cursed herself.

She should have allowed the medical staff to assist him. The thought that he might be in pain because of her twisted her stomach and made her feel sick. It had been foolish of her to try to keep him all to herself, to desire to return the favour and make him better, to look after him as he had her.

She slowed when she reached the double wooden doors to his rooms and then knocked without hesitation.

“Come.” His voice was heavy and quiet through the doors.

Elise opened them, slipped into the room, and closed them silently behind her. The fire was the only light in the dark red room. She moved forwards, wanting to see Aleksandr. He sat shirtless in the leather armchair with its back to her and the door. There were blood canisters and an empty glass on a small round wooden side table next to the armchair. It reassured her that he was feeding well, but she still wanted proof that his injuries were healing and that she hadn’t left him in pain. He had said the bleeding was his fault, and she had seen him grab his brother, but the guilt still lingered inside her, adding to her worry.

It wasn’t only that he was hurt. She feared that he had seen things in her blood.

He didn’t look at her as she came to stand beside him, with the small table between them and the red couch to her left. She smoothed down the loose black jogging bottoms and camisole, her hands shaking as she did so. Perhaps she should have dressed properly before coming to him. She had panicked when the servant had given her the message and had thrown on the first clothes she had found. Now she felt oddly naked around him, exposed even when she wasn’t.

She felt vulnerable without her uniform to protect her. Did she hide behind her duty so much that it had become her shield, her way of keeping people from getting too close to her?

Elise wrapped her arms across her chest. Aleksandr still didn’t look at her.

He stared at the flames, quiet and distant, the air around him heavy as though affected by the weight of his thoughts.

Not wanting to disturb him, she stepped back and turned to leave.

“Stay,” he whispered and she looked at him over her shoulder. He was still staring at the fire.

“What are my orders?” she said, trying to draw a reaction from him. His expression didn’t shift, not even to show the slightest sign of emotion.

“Orders? No orders.” He slowly turned his head and looked up into her eyes. There was such fatigue in his handsome face, and so much weariness in his grey eyes, but she couldn’t fathom his feelings. He was too old for her to read easily. “Sit a while. I need company.”

She didn’t have the heart to protest, not today, not when he looked so tired and lost. She could have considered his words to be an order but he’d made it clear that they weren’t. They were a request, and she granted him it, because he looked as though he genuinely needed the company.

Elise sat in the leather armchair opposite him, her rising nerves churning her stomach. The fire was warm against her legs but she pulled them up, placing her bare feet on the seat of the chair, and wrapped her arms around them. She didn’t want to be too close to the flames. Aleksandr didn’t seem to care about the danger it represented. He was staring into it again, his head propped up on his right hand, his long black trouser-clad legs crossed.

He said nothing.

She took him using his arm as a good sign and took his silence as an opportunity to check the bandage. Someone had placed a new one on him and, judging by how untidy it was, they didn’t have medical knowledge. Had his brother helped him?

Without thinking, she frayed the ends of the strip of bandage around her right wrist, her gaze lingering on Aleksandr’s face. He was undeniably handsome, even when he was thinking so hard that there was a focused edge to his eyes, his dark eyebrows knitted tightly. His mussed dark hair told her that he had slept at some point. Why was it eluding him now?

Elise wanted to ask him what was on his mind so he would feel better for sharing it but it wasn’t her place to behave in such a way, and she feared where it might lead. Instead, she stayed with a safe question but one she wanted an answer to nonetheless.

“Are you in pain, Sir?”

He turned his frown on her and she held his gaze, unafraid of the darkness in his eyes. Her use of a rank for him had annoyed him. She had no right to call him Aleksandr. She had been far too friendly with him recently and had acted out of place. Someone of her rank didn’t belong with him, and they certainly didn’t have the right to act so familiarly around him.

He shook his head, his frown remaining in place. His gaze fell to her wrist and his frown disappeared.

“You worry about it.” He held his hand out to her. Elise placed her feet down on the rug, leaned forwards, and offered her wrist to him. He carefully unpinned the bandage and removed it. She shivered when his thumb grazed the two dark spots on her skin and ached at the memory of how it had felt to have him bite her. “You worried about it in the hall when my brother had arrived, and after in this very room when you came to enquire about my health. You worry too much, dearest Elise.”

Did she? She didn’t think that she did. He had bitten her and she knew that she had done a terrible job of keeping her thoughts and feelings hidden from him.

“I did see things in your blood,” he whispered, his thumb continuing to stroke her wrist, sending shiver after shiver racing up her arm. He looked deep into her eyes. “I saw nothing I can use against you, if that is what you fear.”

“I do not,” Elise lied with ease, not wanting him to see her weakness, and took her hand away from him. What had he seen? She desired to press him into telling her but knew it was pointless. He was already staring at the fire again, his expression becoming heavy once more. “You seem tired, Sir.”

“If there is anyone in this world worthy of calling me Aleksandr, it is you, Elise. I tire of your formality. I am not your commander in these long hours of day where sleep eludes me. I am a selfish man who woke you so I might not face the day alone.”

Elise drew her feet back up onto the chair and hugged her legs. Nothing but a man? He was more than a man, even when it was day, and the hour didn’t change her respect for him, or the fact that he was her commander. He wanted it to though. She could see that in his eyes. He wanted her to treat him as though he was only a man in need of company, something which she could give him. He didn’t want to be a prince or a commander to her. She knew what he wanted, and she was too afraid to give it to him. He couldn’t be her lover.

But he could be a man.

A friend for now at least.

“Why does sleep elude you?” She studied his face as he stared into the flames. They danced in his eyes, turning the grey golden, making him look like one of the werewolves even when she knew he wasn’t. The werewolves didn’t suffer the call of darkness as her kind did, as Aleksandr did.

“I have not had that dream in many years,” he whispered to the fire and pressed his fist against his lips. “It has not shaken me in decades.”

“Dream?” Elise lowered her feet again and leaned forwards, wanting him to see that she was here for him and would listen to anything he had to say if it would help him to find sleep again. He needed to rest and heal.

“Katya’s death.” He kept looking at the fire.

An ache settled in her chest, burning in her heart. Who was Katya? The way Aleksandr had said that name with so much pain but an edge of affection too, a spark of love in his eyes, hurt Elise. She looked away, trying to rearrange her jumbled feelings into some semblance of order. Katya. Who was this woman whom Aleksandr had loved?

She felt his eyes come to settle on her but refused to look at him when she was struggling with her emotions. Aleksandr was a prince, a vampire of the noblest bloodline, and handsome. She was under no illusion that he hadn’t been with many women in his life.

But the thought that he might have loved one of them, that he loved her still, made her want to leave the room, made her want to surrender any foolish hope she had of ever claiming Aleksandr’s heart, and made her want to cry.

“Elise?” he whispered and she blinked away her tears, hiding them from him. She started when his fingers grazed her cheek, a light caress that both warmed and chilled her heart.

Taking a deep breath, she brushed his hand away, switched off her feelings and looked at him.

He sat with his hand outstretched to her, an edge of pain in his stormy eyes. He was still a moment, and then curled the hand she had swept aside into a fist and withdrew into his chair, the hurt in his expression increasing. He had wanted to comfort her and she had pushed him away, even when she had been craving the contact between them and the reassurance.

“You seem to take offence at the sound of my sister’s name,” he said in a quiet voice and Elise felt like a fool. “Do not worry so much. There is room in my dark heart for you both.”

She blushed, her cheeks burning hotter than if the sun had touched her. Room in his heart? Her gaze leapt from the flames to his, wanting to search it for the truth behind those low spoken words, but he looked away from her, staring back into the fire.

“Ekatarina Nemov.” She needed to be sure that they were talking about the same person and that his sister’s death was the reason he was so upset.

“Katya to myself and my brother, Vasiliy.” Aleksandr was quiet a moment and then sighed. “I wish he had not come. He is too much like her. When I see him, I cannot help seeing her too.”

Elise waited for him to continue. She didn’t know the full story behind his sister’s death. Over the centuries it had become legend more than anything else and Aleksandr had begun to slip into legend with it. But he was here now, sitting in front of her, a man so vulnerable and in so much visible pain that she wondered what burden his heart bore because of his sister’s death.

“My sister was younger than me,” he whispered in a broken voice. The golden light of the fire warmed his features but all she could feel in him was cold and hurt. “She was beautiful, kind, kept away from the violence of our species because she was female. She had never killed.”

He looked at her now, his grey eyes open and earnest, as though beseeching her to hear his words and know the truth in them.

“It had been her duty to maintain the peace and be seen as the example for our people to follow… delicate and like a human… not a beast inside. Not like me.”

Elise didn’t think he was a beast. Not yet. She moved forwards, perched on the edge of her seat. She wanted to reach across to him, to take his hand again and hold it, to comfort him.

“I was taught to fight, in case need arose, and had learned to kill. I had the skill to protect my people in war if needed, but I failed to protect her.” Aleksandr looked away again, at the fire, tears lining his eyes. They were gone when he blinked, erased as easily as his emotions. She couldn’t feel his hurt now, couldn’t sense anything from him.

“What happened to her?”

“There was a raid on the palace. I tried to get to her but I was not fast enough. The hunter killed my sister and fled. She was defenceless, Elise. He slaughtered her maids and the guards that protected her. He butchered my sister.” Aleksandr closed his eyes and clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles burned white. A wave of anger washed over Elise and her brow furrowed when she felt the sharp raw pain that laced it. “I could not save my sister and my heart could not rest until I had avenged her.”

“You hunted him.” It wasn’t a question. The answer was in his eyes when they met hers. Violence echoed in their depths. He had looked that way when he had killed the hunters in the city.

“I soaked my hands in blood and left my family so my actions did not taint their ideals or their name.”

In that moment, Elise felt as though she was looking at a different person. Not the Aleksandr she knew but the one that she feared. He was so distant as he looked at her, and as he spoke, and she was afraid that he was seeking his death and that the duty he’d undertaken weighed too heavily on him.

He had bloodied his hands and he was paying the price for it. His need to avenge his sister was turning him into a beast. How many more times could he kill before he succumbed to the darkness within him and devolved into the demon their ancestors had been? How close to the edge of the abyss was he now?

How could so noble a man have lost himself to the dark urges living within them all?

Elise knew of his time as their heir prince and that he had been a good man, one worthy of leading their people into a new era of peace. He had been strong, and had upheld the ideals of his family, preaching pacifism over violence and setting an example. The example he had become now was a cautionary tale to all vampires. Follow the rules of the monarchy or face the future Aleksandr had chosen. How could he do this to himself?

Wasn’t he afraid of what his future held for him?

Aleksandr sighed and looked into the fire again, his gaze distant and thoughtful. She didn’t press him to speak to her because she couldn’t find her voice when she wanted to ask him things that might hurt or anger him. She wanted to know more about his sister and what had driven him to forsake his family and lead a life of danger and darkness. She wanted him to show his eyes to her so she could see the truth in them and see once and for all that he was treading the fine line between humanity and depravity.

She wanted to take his hand and promise him that she would find a way to fix him, to redeem him and stop him from slipping into the endless black within his heart and soul.

It was ridiculous to think she could do such a thing, but she wanted it with all of her heart. She would find a way to save him. He didn’t deserve to become evil, not when he had only been doing something honourable and beautiful in trying to avenge his sister’s needless horrible death.

“What do you think while you look at me with such intent, Elise?” He looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

“Only that it is a noble thing you have done and that your people are grateful that you have chosen to protect us and have put us before even your own safety.”

He scoffed and waved her away. “Noble? Everyone believes me to be that way. I do not think it very noble to choose to bloody my hands, and I am no longer fit for the crown or to lead my people.”

“I still believe you are noble, Aleksandr.”

His eyes widened. Was the disbelief in their grey depths because she had used his name or because of what she had said? She did believe that he was noble. No other man she knew would do such a thing for a blood relative.

“You still think like a prince in your heart,” she said and he frowned now, his eyes darkening with it. “Do not deny it, because I have seen it is true. You say that you hunt with vengeance on your mind but you go after other vampire hunters too, ones not related to the man who killed your sister. That is noble, and you do it with the intention of protecting those weaker than you.”

He looked away from her, as though ashamed to hear her words about him. He deserved praise for what he had done and the sacrifices he made, even if he didn’t think he did. He needed to hear that he helped his people, made their world a safer place to live in and saved many from having to resort to violence.

The monarchy, his family, had chosen their path to saving their people and Aleksandr had chosen his. Both of them did so to protect their kin from the darkness and the hunters.

“You are noble, Aleksandr. I will say it however many times it takes for you to believe it.”

He rubbed his shoulder and she watched his hand, following his fingers and checking to see whether the wounds were aggravating him. He didn’t look as though he was in pain.

She glanced at the blood canister and glass on the side table and then back at him, her gaze catching on his bare stomach and the mark above his right hip. No matter what he thought, he was still worthy of the name of Nemov. He still protected their kind.

“Would you do something for me, Elise… something which would help me?” he whispered and she dragged her eyes up to meet his. He looked uncertain and then held her gaze. “You may say no if you wish.”

She didn’t even know what he was going to ask her so she was hardly going to say no outright. There was a nervous edge to his expression. It was strange to see such a strong person so vulnerable. What did he want to ask that made him look this way?

“Speak,” she said, wanting to hear what it was he had to ask of her.

He hesitated a moment, looking around the room, and then held her gaze again.

“Will you come to me?” He held his left hand out to her and her eyes fell there. “Allow me to hold you… only for a while… I only need to hold you.”

Nerves skittered over her skin and her heart fluttered against her ribs. She couldn’t see how it would help him and she wasn’t sure if she trusted him to only hold her as he’d said. He kept his hand outstretched to her and she stared at it, feeling as though he was reaching for more than just her hand.

He was reaching for her heart and she was afraid that he would take it if she went to him, and she would never feel again when he left her.

Just as he was about to take his hand back, Elise placed hers into it and bravely stood on trembling legs. She swallowed, her throat and mouth dry. It was insane of her to do this, to place herself into his arms, but he needed her and she couldn’t deny him. She wanted to comfort him and ease his pain. She wanted to take away his nightmare and give him peace.

She needed to.

Her heartbeat quickened when he drew her towards him and leaned back into the chair. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and then eyed his lap. The look in Aleksandr’s beautiful grey eyes stilled her heart. There was so much affection in them now and no trace of the pain or the loneliness that had been there before. Seeing the effect she had on him bolstered her courage and she sat on his left thigh, facing the fire, and curled her legs around so her calves rested against his shins. He looked at her as though she was an angel for coming to him, a merciful creature to have given him this moment he so clearly needed with her.

She wasn’t afraid when he placed his left arm around her waist and held her side. It warmed her to feel his hand against her, his thumb lightly brushing her skin through the black camisole.

“No one will disturb us.” He continued to look up at her, into her eyes, so close that she could easily kiss him if she wanted to.

And she did want to.

But this moment wasn’t about such things.

She was here to offer him comfort only, to give him the reassurance he craved and to give him back his strength.

“I just need to hold you for a while, if that is alright with you?” he whispered and Elise nodded.

She swallowed again when he drew her close and rested his head against her chest and her shoulder. His breath was soft against her chest, his arm gentle around her waist. He sighed and she felt him relax, sensed the calm that washed through him and chased away his pain. This close to him, skin-on-skin, it was easier for her to sense his feelings, especially when he was letting her as she knew he was. He had opened his heart to her, allowing her to catch a glimmer of his emotions. He feared his dreams of his sister. The pain he felt was strong, buried deep in his heart, and Elise wanted to make it disappear for him even when she knew that was impossible.

Not even the death of the hunter that he sought or the achievement of his vengeance would erase the hurt Aleksandr felt when he thought about his sister. The way that he had spoken of her, with so much affection and so much pain, made that clear. He would never forgive the hunter’s bloodline for what it had done to her. Elise could understand his feelings, felt a similar way about someone she had lost. That pain would never go away. It would haunt her for the rest of her life and she had to live with it.

He sighed again and his head became heavy against her shoulder. He wasn’t sleeping but it felt as though he might be. He was a dead weight on her chest but Elise didn’t mind. She was only glad that she was making him feel better.

It was strange to be this close to him and not have him try something with her. A fragment of her heart had been convinced that he would attempt to touch her or kiss her. She started to relax too, glad that he wasn’t going to push her into doing anything. She was too weak for him. If he kissed her, she wouldn’t be able to resist him, no matter how much sense told her to. Her heart would always overrule her head.

Aleksandr’s breathing slowed, becoming deep and gentle. She liked the feel of him against her, holding her close and sharing a quiet moment with her.

Elise placed her arms around him and stroked the bandages covering his right shoulder and arm. She placed her hand against his back, trying to sense whether he was healing again now.

“Do not worry so much,” he sighed against her skin and raised his right hand and caught hold of her left. He brought it away from his shoulder and, for a moment, she feared he was going to kiss it but then he held it against his chest, over his heart. “You are disturbing me with it.”

She didn’t mean to. It was difficult to control her emotions when they were in each other’s arms, as though they were lovers. Aleksandr wanted them to be that. She was tempted to probe his feelings for her and see what they were, but resisted and pushed away her worry instead. He would be able to sense her feelings clearly, far more easily than she could sense his. To him, it would be as though he was feeling everything that she was. His age granted him such power over her, one that he would always hold because of the difference in their years. If she lived to be his age, he would still be able to sense things more easily than her. His power would never stop growing stronger.

He sighed when she touched his neck with her right hand and before she could stop herself, she was stroking the soft short hair at the back of his head to soothe him.

The flames mesmerised her along with the feel of his hair beneath her fingers and his arm around her waist. It was quiet and peaceful, and she wasn’t afraid. She felt so incredibly comfortable with him and a part of her wished it wouldn’t end.

It was nice to have such a strong man need her and rely on her. It made her feel strong too.

She liked how he held her, and how he felt against her, and that he genuinely seemed to need her. She ran her fingers through his hair and cradled his head to her, wishing he could find in her arms the sleep that eluded him. She would watch over him and keep the bad dreams away if she could. She would make them stay away forever.

Elise lowered her lips and barely stopped herself from kissing the top of his head. She breathed him in instead, taking his warm scent down into her lungs and holding it there. There was power in his scent, strength that she had sensed the moment they had met. He had let her defeat him then and she wasn’t sure why. She had never thought to ask him and now didn’t seem like the right time.

She sighed, tilted her head to one side, and rested her right cheek on her fingers where they held the top of his head. He moaned softly and held her closer. Elise smiled and stared into the fire, losing track of the minutes as they held each other.

Just as she was beginning to have to fight off the urge to fall asleep, Aleksandr stirred and released her. She blinked several times and focused her drowsy senses.

“I am sorry, I have kept you here all day,” he said in a gravelly voice that betrayed his fatigue.

Elise shrugged and then rubbed her eyes. She looked down at his right hand where it rested over her left knee. It was strange how quickly she had grown used to being so intimate with him. She had been ready to sleep this way, curled up on his lap and in his arms. It had felt like the safest place in the world.

“Thank you.” He reached up and swept the backs of his right fingers across her cheek, a slight frown marring his brow. “You are tired. Sleep. I will take a different guard tonight.”

Those words forced any shred of tiredness from her. “I don’t understand. You said we were off duty tonight. You’re not hunting?”

He nodded. “I must.”

The thought of him going into the city with the other females in his guard tightened her insides.

“I’m not tired,” she said so fast that it was almost one word. “It is my duty to guard you.”

“That will not do. You are tired.” He stroked her face and smiled at her, his grey eyes brightening with it. “You forget I can see straight through you.”

She hadn’t forgotten, just as she hadn’t forgotten that he had seen things in her blood too, things that he wouldn’t tell her about. Did he know her feelings for him and her fears? She wasn’t sure whether she wanted him to know them or not. If he did, would he treat her differently, would he be more careful with the heart that he was stealing from her?

“You are tired too, Sir.” She quickly corrected herself when he glared at her. “Aleksandr.”

“We are far too intimate now for such formal terms.” He smiled, his hand falling to her knee again, a not so subtle reminder that she was still perched on his thigh. His gaze held hers. “Elise.”

She blushed at the way he’d whispered her name, saying it with such force and passion that her mind raced to imagine him speaking it against her skin between kisses and into her ear as he made love with her.

“You must rest. I have told the guard that we are off duty tonight and they are excited because of the ball our master is arranging for your brother and you… you must rest…” Elise placed her hand against his injured shoulder, looked at it and then back into his eyes. “You are not healed yet.”

Aleksandr took hold of her hand, curling his fingers around so their tips grazed her palm. His grip was strong but gentle. The hard look in his eyes softened and he nodded.

“I will rest, but only because you have asked me to.”

It shocked Elise that he would take such a command from her and she couldn’t make out whether he was being genuine and had accepted it to ease her mind, or whether he had done so only to get into her good book and make her surrender to him. She didn’t want it to be the latter. Couldn’t he see that she hated the thought of him making her weak like the other females? She had never been reliant on the males of her species and it wasn’t going to be any different now that Aleksandr was in her heart. She could take care of herself. She didn’t want to change. She didn’t want him to make her into something that she wasn’t and could never be.

“Come,” he said and she stood, leaving the comfort of his lap and quickly distancing herself. The look he gave her said that he’d noticed her change in attitude towards him.

He looked as though he was going to say something about it and then picked up his white shirt where it lay crumpled on the couch. He slipped his arms into it but didn’t bother to do up the buttons.

Elise wasn’t sure what to do. She considered apologising for hitting him before he had left for Budapest, but now wasn’t the right time. It would have to wait, and the longer it did the worse she felt about it.

She would return to the second floor, shower and dress, and think about everything before finding the right point at which to apologise to him. She couldn’t do it now, not when she was wrestling with her desire to kiss him. She couldn’t let that happen again, at least not until she was sure of a few things and could no longer resist the temptation.

Elise went to back towards the door but Aleksandr closed the gap between them and took hold of her shoulder. Her gaze immediately fell to his lips, taking in their sensual curves and she was unable to ignore her growing desire. Who was she kidding? If he tried to kiss her, she would be all over him.

“Get some sleep. The sun is only just setting. There is time before the ball.” His hand slipped from her shoulder.

Elise nodded and her gaze tracked him across the room. He went into his bedroom and closed the door.

Now she was confused. He had held her without trying anything, had shown a side of himself that she was sure no one else saw, and now he had left her in his reception room and had gone to bed alone.

What had happened to the Aleksandr who had pursued her relentlessly, who had let the entire world know that he wanted her, and who had kissed her in this room?

If it hadn’t been for the events of today, she would have been convinced that he didn’t want her anymore. But he did. His desire was unchanged, so what was different?

A quiet voice said that it was what he’d seen in her blood.

Elise stared at the dark wooden double doors, trying to sense him on the other side.

What had he seen?

She had half a mind to knock on the doors and demand to know. It wouldn’t get her anywhere though. He wasn’t going to tell her.

Elise went to the door that led onto the corridor, opened it, and paused. The moment she was dressed, she was going to come back and apologise for hitting him and she was going to find out why he was different.

She had to know.

Because the new Aleksandr had her falling for him faster than ever.

In fact, she was in love with him.

This weekend, Heart of Darkness is available for only $0.99 / £0.99 / EUR 0,99 from Amazon Kindle and from Smashwords (using a code). That’s a $4 saving.

Heart of Darkness
Felicity Heaton
A vampire prince on a four hundred year old mission to avenge his murdered sister…

Aleksandr Nemov won’t stop until the last of the vampire hunter’s progeny is wiped from the Earth. Each kill has stolen a piece of his humanity, pushing him towards the black abyss all vampires hold within their hearts. Now he is teetering on the edge, close to devolving into a beast, and time is running out as he tracks the last hunter to Prague. There he finds a beautiful woman who could be his one chance for salvation, but is it already too late for him?

A vampire guard who will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves…

Elise is dedicated to her duty. It’s the only thing she has left. All that changes when she meets Aleksandr in Prague and her master grants him permission to stay at her bloodline’s mansion. She knows all about Aleksandr but none of it prepares her for how she feels when the legendary prince’s hunt becomes one for her heart. Elise battles him with all of her strength but can she stop herself from falling for the handsome hunter? When he reveals the depth of the corruption in his soul, will she have the strength to face the pain in her past and do whatever it takes to save him?

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Six Sentence Sunday – First kiss from Heart of Darkness – Vampire Romance Novel

My Six Sentence Sunday today is from my previous release, Heart of Darkness, a stand alone and rather epic, action-packed and seriously passionate and intense vampire romance novel.

Please take a moment after reading and comment (comments are nice) to visit the Six Sentence Sunday site to find the other great authors who are participating, or check out the #sixsunday tag on Twitter!

A little setting info for the scene: Elise, the heroine and a vampire guard, was injured protecting Aleksandr, the hero and a vampire prince. She took a crossbow bolt in the back and has come to see if Aleksandr will allow her to return to duty, but he’s more interested in getting a look at her wound again and luring her into surrendering her fight enough that he can finally kiss her. He’s currently standing behind her, having told her that he won’t let her return to duty.

He pressed his lips to her shoulder and then her throat. She trembled again and turned her face towards him.

Aleksandr drew back and looked at her, into her round beguiling eyes that spoke to him of passion and hunger. She held his gaze, her soft breath fanning his face and her body brushing his. She tilted her head towards him and he couldn’t resist the invitation in her eyes as they dropped to his lips.

His mouth claimed hers, his left hand cradling her right cheek, keeping her in place so she couldn’t escape him again.

I hoped you all enjoyed it!

Heart of Darkness
Felicity Heaton
A vampire prince on a four hundred year old mission to avenge his murdered sister…

Aleksandr Nemov won’t stop until the last of the vampire hunter’s progeny is wiped from the Earth. Each kill has stolen a piece of his humanity, pushing him towards the black abyss all vampires hold within their hearts. Now he is teetering on the edge, close to devolving into a beast, and time is running out as he tracks the last hunter to Prague. There he finds a beautiful woman who could be his one chance for salvation, but is it already too late for him?

A vampire guard who will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves…

Elise is dedicated to her duty. It’s the only thing she has left. All that changes when she meets Aleksandr in Prague and her master grants him permission to stay at her bloodline’s mansion. She knows all about Aleksandr but none of it prepares her for how she feels when the legendary prince’s hunt becomes one for her heart. Elise battles him with all of her strength but can she stop herself from falling for the handsome hunter? When he reveals the depth of the corruption in his soul, will she have the strength to face the pain in her past and do whatever it takes to save him?

Available in e-book from:
Author’s website | Amazon Kindle | Amazon Kindle UK | Amazon Kindle Germany | Amazon Kindle France | Apple iBookstore USA | Apple iBookstore UK | Apple iBookstore Australia | Apple iBookstore Canada | Barnes and Noble | Kobo Books | Sony Reader Store | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks

Available in paperback from:
Amazon.com

Posted in Heart of Darkness, Six Sentence Sunday | Comments Off on Six Sentence Sunday – First kiss from Heart of Darkness – Vampire Romance Novel

Vampire romance book trailer and 6 chapter excerpt – Heart of Darkness by Felicity Heaton

I have put together a six chapter excerpt from Heart of Darkness now so I thought I would blog about it and also about the book trailer. This is only the second book trailer I’ve ever made but I really like this one and it has inspired me to make more trailers for my paranormal romance books!

Here’s the book trailer for my vampire romance book, Heart of Darkness.

Here’s a little more about the vampire romance novel and where it’s available, including a link to the six chapter excerpt download in PDF.

Heart of Darkness
Felicity Heaton
A vampire prince on a four hundred year old mission to avenge his murdered sister…

Aleksandr Nemov won’t stop until the last of the vampire hunter’s progeny is wiped from the Earth. Each kill has stolen a piece of his humanity, pushing him towards the black abyss all vampires hold within their hearts. Now he is teetering on the edge, close to devolving into a beast, and time is running out as he tracks the last hunter to Prague. There he finds a beautiful woman who could be his one chance for salvation, but is it already too late for him?

A vampire guard who will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves…

Elise is dedicated to her duty. It’s the only thing she has left. All that changes when she meets Aleksandr in Prague and her master grants him permission to stay at her bloodline’s mansion. She knows all about Aleksandr but none of it prepares her for how she feels when the legendary prince’s hunt becomes one for her heart. Elise battles him with all of her strength but can she stop herself from falling for the handsome hunter? When he reveals the depth of the corruption in his soul, will she have the strength to face the pain in her past and do whatever it takes to save him?


DOWNLOAD THE SIX CHAPTER PDF EXCERPT

Available in e-book from:
Author’s website: http://www.felicityheaton.com/ebooks.php?title=Heart%20of%20Darkness
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle France: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B005WK6E58/
Apple iBookstore USA: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore UK: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore Australia: http://itunes.apple.com/au/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore Canada: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/isbn9781466173286
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-of-darkness-felicity-heaton/1106991833
Sony Reader Store: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/felicity-heaton/heart-of-darkness/_/R-400000000000000534302
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/97624
All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-heartofdarkness-620972-139.html

Available in paperback from:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466452897/

Posted in extended excerpts, Heart of Darkness, paranormal romance, vampire romance | Comments Off on Vampire romance book trailer and 6 chapter excerpt – Heart of Darkness by Felicity Heaton

30 Days of Vampires: Writing vampires with a balance of darkness and light in my paranormal romances

Lori Devoti was kind enough to invite me to her amazing 30 Days of Vampires event and I was clever enough to accept. I’m over at her site today talking about how my love of vampires began, why I love writing them and why I write them the way that I do, always paying homage to the myths of old and always striving for darkness as well as light in my vampire heroes and heroines. I’m also sharing an excerpt fro my latest vampire romance novel, Heart of Darkness too.

You can read the post over at her site, and don’t forget to comment in order to enter the giveaway for an ebook copy of one of my vampire romances!

Read the post and enter the giveaway: http://www.loridevoti.com/30-days-of-vampires-vampires-a-balance-of-darkness-and-light-prize/

Posted in 2011 blog tour, Heart of Darkness, paranormal romance, vampire romance | Comments Off on 30 Days of Vampires: Writing vampires with a balance of darkness and light in my paranormal romances

Sunday Snippets from my paranormal romance books

As I mentioned yesterday in my first Saturday Snippets post, I have rolled what used to be my Daily Dozen into a weekend affair instead as it’s much less time consuming. The same deal applies. I’ll randomly grab around a dozen sentences from between one and three of my books and post them with the covers.

I’m kicking off Sunday Snippets with Heart of Darkness and Her Guardian Angel (Her Angel series #4)! You can grab them both in ebook format for just $3.99 each at Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBookstores, Kobo Books, Sony Reader Store and other retailers.

Click on the book covers to read more about the book, including excerpts.

How about two first kisses?

Aleksandr drew back and looked at her, into her round beguiling eyes that spoke to him of passion and hunger. She held his gaze, her soft breath fanning his face and her body brushing his. She tilted her head towards him and he couldn’t resist the invitation in her eyes as they dropped to his lips.

His mouth claimed hers, his left hand cradling her right cheek, keeping her in place so she couldn’t escape him again. She didn’t respond at first, but then she turned in his arms, pressed her hands to his chest, and kissed him. He closed his eyes, slanted his head, and ran his tongue along her lip. She moaned and opened to him, her own tongue coming out to tangle with his, the taste of her divine.

Her passion overwhelmed him as she stroked her tongue along his and seized control of the kiss. She leaned into him, the length of her soft body pressing against his, and he burned wherever she touched. The feel of her short nails digging into his chest through his shirt, as though she wanted to keep him close to her, thrilled him and enticed him into taking things further. He captured her cheek again with his palm, his fingertips grazing her ear, and she sighed into his mouth, her lips sweeping over his. He slid his hand around to grasp the nape of her neck and deepened the kiss, reclaiming control as he wrapped his other arm around her waist, bringing her into his embrace. She belonged there. His salvation.

She caught him off guard when she broke away and slapped him hard across the cheek.

Marcus stared at her mouth, everything good in him screaming to break away and stop her. He didn’t. He stayed stock still and let it happen.

His first kiss in this lifetime was a tentative sweep of soft lips over his followed by the press of her body into his. The feel of her against him sent a flood of feelings surging through him, setting his blood aflame with desire and the need to clutch her to him and possess her. It overwhelmed him and his restraint, crushing the good part that was still struggling to resist, and while he stopped himself from sliding his arm around her back and pulling the full length of her body flush against his, he couldn’t stop himself from kissing her.

She moaned softly when he responded, grazing his lips against hers in a gentle caress that fanned the flames within him until he burned for her and for more. Her tongue brushed along the seam of his mouth and he brought his to meet it, tangling softly and luring it into his mouth where they danced. He couldn’t remember kissing in his past lifetime but he certainly would have if it had felt like this. Warmth suffused him right down to his bones and every breathy little moan he elicited from Amelia turned the heat up another notch, until he was close to grabbing the nape of her neck and holding her mouth against his.

He breathed hard when she broke away to kneel on the sofa in front of him, her grey eyes wide and hand coming up to cover her mouth.

I hope you enjoyed these Sunday Snippets!

Posted in Heart of Darkness, Her Guardian Angel, paranormal romance, snippets | Comments Off on Sunday Snippets from my paranormal romance books

Paranormal romance novels, colds, and scheduling craziness

My schedule since December began has been rather fouled up in one way or another, or in multiple ways in the case of one week. I managed to claw back a little sanity that week but I have spent the past week stuffed up with a cold that has been gradually driving me crazy (see my emo tweets and facebook posts — you’d think this cold was the end of the world) and slowing me down. Needless to say, progress has been faltering at best.

I have managed to complete the initial read through of Masquerade (Vampires Realm #10) which is due out at the end of January 2012, and have transferred all my amendments from my Amazon Kindle 3 (I love you) to my word document in preparation for this polish phase of editing.

However, I haven’t made much progress other than that and I had wanted this book completed bar a couple of proofing sessions by the end of this coming week. I wanted Christmas off. So sue me. I always plan to have Christmas off and then end up working it. For once I wanted to stick to my guns and read some books that I hadn’t written myself and watch some movies.

I think it’s still possible, but the life of an author is give and take. I may have to do some work in order to hit my deadlines, as well as spend some time promoting my current offers and latest book, Heart of Darkness. Poor Heart of Darkness has been given a bad run of it lately. I’ve neglected it because I’ve been so focused on my paranormal romance books on offer. It’s hard to juggle that many balls and not drop some.

If you are looking for a rather passionate, intense vampire romance book, then you should definitely check out the excerpt of Heart of Darkness and see if it’s for you. You can download samples from Amazon and Barnes and Noble, or read the excerpts here on my blog. It’s been receiving great reviews and a lot of love from readers, and is only $3.99 in ebook.

Now, back to my editing. At worst, I will have to shunt my schedule by a week, pushing Masquerade closer to an early February release date instead. I can’t push it too far as I have my second ear operation in late February and want to have completed my blog tour for Masquerade by then and be underway with preparations for my Covet blog tour so I can rest up after the operation and not have to worry about things. Yes, 2012 is going to be another year full of blog tours but hopefully I’ll handle it better this time. I think I did well with my tours this year considering that I was new to it all, and I’m looking forward to trying out some new things next year.

I do think that I can hit my deadline if I get my head down this week. I have a lot of marketing activity planned for the week though, so I might have to get my concentration up somehow. Hopefully I’ll shift this cold soon and will be able to focus better. At the moment, it’s really bugging me and sniffling is rather distracting, along with the constant headache!

I’m also researching some ideas for giveaways and marketing I want to do next year, and want to formulate my plan for the year so I can start putting it all into action. Should be another crazy year!

I promise I’ll move Heaven and Hell to get Masquerade out on time.

😀

Posted in Heart of Darkness, Masquerade, paranormal romance, vampire romance, Vampires Realm | Comments Off on Paranormal romance novels, colds, and scheduling craziness

Heart of Darkness – Vampire Romance Book Trailer

So, I’ve been meaning to put together a book trailer for my vampire romance novel, Heart of Darkness, for a while now and on Monday I finally decided to sit down and give it a go. This is only the second book trailer that I have made, both of them have been for my vampire romance books and the first was for Prophecy: Child of Light, which I might remake now that I’ve changed the covers.

I had previously spent forever tracking down the perfect music for the book trailer, and gathering a good selection of samples to play with, so at least I had done what I consider to be the hard part. It took me the best part of a day to put together the book trailer, and almost the same again to get it converted into a format for YouTube that didn’t end up with the video out of sync with the music, looking fuzzy or cutting off in weird places. At least I know exactly what to do with that side of things now. If you’re curious about what I used to make it, it was Flash CS3. I’ve done courses in Flash for work, so it was the natural choice for me.

Here’s the book trailer for my vampire romance novel, Heart of Darkness.

Here’s a little more about the book and where it’s available, including an excerpt.

Heart of Darkness
Felicity Heaton
A vampire prince on a four hundred year old mission to avenge his murdered sister…

Aleksandr Nemov won’t stop until the last of the vampire hunter’s progeny is wiped from the Earth. Each kill has stolen a piece of his humanity, pushing him towards the black abyss all vampires hold within their hearts. Now he is teetering on the edge, close to devolving into a beast, and time is running out as he tracks the last hunter to Prague. There he finds a beautiful woman who could be his one chance for salvation, but is it already too late for him?

A vampire guard who will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves…

Elise is dedicated to her duty. It’s the only thing she has left. All that changes when she meets Aleksandr in Prague and her master grants him permission to stay at her bloodline’s mansion. She knows all about Aleksandr but none of it prepares her for how she feels when the legendary prince’s hunt becomes one for her heart. Elise battles him with all of her strength but can she stop herself from falling for the handsome hunter? When he reveals the depth of the corruption in his soul, will she have the strength to face the pain in her past and do whatever it takes to save him?

ebook price: $3.99
paperback price: $9.99
genre: paranormal vampire romance
length: 130000 words
rating: sultry
released: October 2011

Available in e-book from:
Author’s website: http://www.felicityheaton.com/ebooks.php?title=Heart%20of%20Darkness
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005WK6E58/
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-of-darkness-felicity-heaton/1106991833
All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-heartofdarkness-620972-139.html
Sony Reader Store: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/felicity-heaton/heart-of-darkness/_/R-400000000000000534302
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/97624
Amazon Kindle Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle France: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B005WK6E58/
Apple iBookstore USA: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore UK: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore Australia: http://itunes.apple.com/au/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore Canada: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/isbn9781466173286

Available in paperback from:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466452897/

Excerpt
It had been an easy kill.

Aleksandr Nemov stood over the body of the vampire hunter, their blood splattered across his black shirt and saturating the leather and metal vambraces that protected his forearms. It coated his fingers and the curved dagger they gripped, and the sweet scent of it heavily tainted the crisp night air. Strong moonlight caressed his back, throwing his shadow out long in front of him, across the hunter’s corpse.

A female.

She hadn’t been strong enough to fight his kind. Too young and inexperienced to best him. It had been foolish of her to try.

Aleksandr raised his hand and swallowed at the sight of the blood glistening on his fingers. It tempted him to taste it.

He dragged his eyes away and settled them back on the female laying on the grass of the small public space, her blood warming the frozen earth. He hadn’t fought a woman in a long time and hadn’t expected to find a hunter so soon after arriving in Prague.

The fountain nearby bubbled regardless of the frigid temperature, defiant of the frost that caused the grass around it to glitter.

Aleksandr glanced at his bloodied hands again and then closed his eyes against the temptation. He took no thrill in the hunt. Yet he found no calm in its aftermath. There was only the threat of unending darkness that beat within his chest and encroached upon his soul. It bled into his eyes. He could feel the jagged points of black that speared the red. He had too much blood on his hands but he couldn’t give up now, not when he was so close to attaining his vengeance.

With great effort, Aleksandr sheathed his dagger against his left hip and wiped the blood away.

The smell of it still permeated the air, taunting and filling him with the dark urge to feast on the hunter’s remains. He refused to obey the voice within that commanded him. His kind had fought hard against it and no Nemov had turned to the darkness. They were stronger than that, and he would die before it happened to him.

“You… what are you doing here?” A light female voice shattered the darkness within him.

Aleksandr glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She stood with the fountain at her back, the cascade of water providing wings that completed the vision of beauty. Moonlight bathed her skin, turning her round eyes dark and her hair as black as the uniform she wore.

An angel.

The red bled from his eyes, returning his irises to grey, and he straightened to his full height, desiring to look his best even when he looked his worst.

She brought her right hand up to reveal the blade clutched tightly in her fingers, held backwards with the blunt edge tucked against her forearm, ready to slash at him if he made a wrong move.

“I won’t ask you twice.” Her strength surprised him.

Such a beautiful creature.

Before Aleksandr could find his voice, she was gone. He turned, blocked her attack with the metal covering his left vambrace around his forearm, and attempted to disarm her. She dodged his counter-attack with ease and came around behind him. He spun and blocked her again, and this time managed to get a hand on her before she leapt backwards, out of his reach, and bared her fangs.

His heart beat harder.
She attacked again, her cry piercing the silent wintry night, and brought her blade down hard. It was difficult to block it. She was strong and skilled for a female. He strafed left and right to avoid her knife, trying to find an opening that he didn’t really want to take. She was fascinating. Beautiful and deadly. Everything a vampire should be, yet there was something more to her. She turned and brought her leg around in a swift kick. The heel of her black knee-high boot smashed into the side of his head, sending him down.

Aleksandr rolled onto his feet and blocked her again. Why couldn’t he bring himself to fight her? He could barely bring himself to defend.

Her red eyes narrowed on him and she growled, exposing her extended canines again. His cheek throbbed where she’d caught him. He would bear a bruise there before the hour had passed. She lunged at him and he barely avoided her blade. If he survived the fight that was. He ducked when she swung at him and swept his leg around to take hers out. She jumped it and rewarded his effort with another hard kick to the head, sending his brain spinning out of control. The darkness threatened to return, goading him into attacking. He didn’t want to. He would not attack another vampire, especially not a female.

Definitely not her.

She huffed as though disappointed. Was it because he wasn’t fighting or wasn’t falling? Aleksandr kept his arms in front of him, blocking her swift attacks with his vambraces, and staring at her face the whole time. Fascination wasn’t the right word for what she did to him.

The warmth he felt, the intense attraction, the abject desire to look into her eyes forever, even when they only promised him a slow death. It was more than fascination.

He wanted her.

“I do not wish to fight you.” Aleksandr leapt backwards, away from her, and raised his hands.

Her grip on her blade tightened and she attacked.

He left himself open to see what she would do. Her clothing was formal—a black military-style jacket that only reached her waist and tight black trousers coupled with polished riding boots. She looked like a guard. If she were, she surely wouldn’t kill him.

If she weren’t, he was making a terrible mistake.

The moment she neared him, she sheathed the blade, threw herself forwards so her hands pressed into the dirt, twisted and launched herself at him feet first. Had he wanted to defend himself, it would have been impossible. The speed at which she locked her knees around his neck, sending him falling backwards with her momentum, and slammed him into the icy earth knocked the breath from him.

Aleksandr stared at her where she perched on his chest, straddling it with his arms trapped in the crook of her knees and her blade against his throat.

He laid beneath her, sprawled out, his back aching and freezing.

Utterly in love.

She leaned forwards. A single strand of her dark hair had fallen out of the tight bun at the back of her head and grazed her cheek. Her soft breath against his face carried the enticing scent of her blood. Her eyes went from darkness to a lighter colour that the moon stole from him. Beautiful.

Aleksandr swallowed, causing the knife to grate his Adam’s apple through his thick beard. He wished that he had cleaned up now before coming to Prague. She wasn’t exactly catching him at his best.

“You will answer for entering my bloodline’s territory.” She pressed the blade harder against his throat. “I’m taking you in.”

“No need to be rough.” Aleksandr smiled slowly. “Unless you like it that way, of course.”

She was off him in an instant, her weapon still held at the ready.

Clearly, she wasn’t into the rough stuff like so many of his kind. With the thrill of hunting denied them, they had to find excitement elsewhere. Dancing with death through sharing blood was the most intoxicating thing a vampire could do without risking their humanity and many of them did it often. He had never been into that sort of thing.

Aleksandr sat up, grazed his fingers over the silvery scars on his wrist, a reminder of why he was tracking and killing vampire hunters, risking his humanity, and then got to his feet.

The female backed off a step, but remained close enough that she could easily attack him if he tried to leave. He didn’t want to, but if he did, she wouldn’t be able to stop him. A woman was no match for him.

First a female hunter and then a female guard. Prague was a modern progressive city, or the world was changing faster than he realised. He had noticed it for a few years now and had been struggling to adjust ever since. He hadn’t expected the change to happen within vampire society too. The males had always been the ones to take care of the females. His gaze settled on her. Now there were females capable of taking care of themselves. It was both disturbing and intriguing.

Aleksandr went to move but she was in front of him before he could take a step.

“Can I at least gather my belongings?” He motioned towards the coat and bag that waited near the fountain.

She looked at them and her gaze tracked back and settled on the corpse. Her pupils narrowed and then she frowned. Had she only just noticed that he had killed someone? She sniffed and then looked at him, her pale eyes falling to his shirt and then his hands, carefully taking all of him in. He liked the assessing edge to her gaze, and the way it lingered on his body a moment before coming up to meet his. She stared into his eyes, long enough that he felt as though she was renewing the spell she had cast on him, and then nodded.

“I desire an audience with your master.” Aleksandr crossed her path and picked up his long heavy black coat. Her gaze remained on him, intent and focused.

He put his coat on, picked up his black bag and slung it over his shoulder. When he turned to face her, she was looking at the dead hunter again. The way she stared at it, studying it closely, made it clear that she hadn’t seen a fresh kill in a long time.

Or she hadn’t seen anything quite like the butchery that had happened tonight.

Aleksandr clenched his fists and reined in the dark hunger that the memory evoked. He was in control now, not his instincts. The hunt would continue until he had avenged her and had rid the world of her murderer’s progeny.

He would not surrender until then.

For four centuries, he had tracked and killed them, his anger still fresh in his heart, the pain of losing her still raw. He would not surrender until he had killed the last of the hunter’s line and protected his people.

The woman stepped forwards and his attention was back with her. The second his gaze locked with hers, the darkness inside him receded, washed away by the light in her eyes and her beauty. He had thought of nothing but the hunt for four hundred years, had closed himself off to society and focused on his duty, but the woman before him stole his attention away from it so easily. It drifted to the back of his mind with the darkness, unknown to him in this moment while her eyes held his. She wasn’t afraid of him. She had fought him without fear, and with strength and skill that he had never expected to find in a female. She enthralled him.

Looking into her eyes, Aleksandr realised something dreadful. He was too close to the edge. The feelings she evoked in him were ones he had long forgotten existed. It was strange to feel warmed inside by happiness to have met her, desire to make her belong to him, and hunger for the feel of her bare body against his. He had not felt such positive emotions in decades.

He was losing himself.

“Follow me,” the woman said and he did, using her as a distraction from his dark thoughts.

She was young. He placed her at barely over two hundred years old, her appearance somewhat of a human in their mid-twenties. She was at least six inches shorter than him, and slender. Her strength had surprised him because of those facts alone. Young females were often weak and needed protection. She had strong blood in her veins.

Aleksandr ran a hand over his matted long dark hair and then rubbed the several months’ worth of beard on his face. What did he look like? He felt like a mess now, both inside and out. She had definitely caught him at his worst. If he had looked as he had back in his days at court, he was sure she would be looking at him differently.

He was sure that she would recognise him for who he was.

She walked swiftly ahead of him, not once looking back to check if he was still there. She had mastered her senses then. He could feel them fixed on him. How strong were they? He had honed his to perfection through years of training and hunting, but he hadn’t sensed her approach. He had been too lost in the darkness.

His gaze slid down to her small backside and the way it moved as she walked mesmerised him.

He hadn’t really wanted to meet her master, but saying that he did seemed like the easiest way of remaining near to her.

Aleksandr lost track of how long they had been walking. He looked up when he sensed the presence of more vampires. Black wrought iron gates punctuated an endless grey stone wall ahead. Beyond them stood the extensive bleak façade of a mansion. Light emanated from many of the rectangular windows marking the three storeys, at least on the left side. On the right, they were mostly dark hollows. Two male guards at the gate saluted the woman and then eyed him with suspicion as he passed through.

Who was his escort? She was strong, spirited, and these men ranked lower. If she weren’t dressed as a guard, Aleksandr would have placed her as a lady of the bloodline. A female guard. He still couldn’t quite comprehend it.

He followed her up the gravel drive to the house, walking on the left side of the wide expanse of frosty grass that stretched into the distance in both directions. It was a habit of his to mask his footfalls. It had saved his life more than once. The long grey stone front of the mansion was imposing and cold even in the moonlight. The size of it told Aleksandr that this bloodline held the power in the city, or they were the only one resident.

They crossed the large parking area in front of the house, passing a fleet of identical black Mercedes-Benz limousines. This bloodline was definitely doing well for itself. Judging by the fact that the woman had been in the city whilst wearing her uniform, it had to be masquerading as a military school of some sort. Many bloodlines bought privacy from the local government by donating large sums of money and setting up such a front. The humans never questioned them. It had been the easiest way to keep their species secret for many centuries. At least some things hadn’t changed since he had left society.

The moment she entered the house, Aleksandr’s attention was back with her. She hurriedly smoothed her warm chestnut hair back into the tight knot, fixing her appearance. In his opinion, she didn’t need to fix it at all. The slight wanton edge her messy hair gave her was alluring to say the least. His gaze drifted to her throat and he frowned when he spotted her bloodline’s mark on the back of her neck. It was an elaborate black ink crest with a stag incorporated into the design.

Černý.

They passed another pair of male guards and Aleksandr glanced at the back of their necks. The mark was visible above the collar of their short black jackets. A strong bloodline.

He had forgotten who ruled Prague. Perhaps they would be able to help him after all and his coming to their master would prove beneficial in more than one way.

His grey eyes slid back to the woman. She looked over her shoulder at him, her aquamarine eyes briefly fixing on his before she turned away again.

Aleksandr quickened his pace and fell into step beside her. She glanced at him again and then looked forwards. His gaze remained on her as they walked along the elegant gallery at the front of the house, heading towards the lit area he had seen on the left of the building. She had soft features—youthful and graceful. Her oval face, pale skin, and rosy lips set his heart racing again, quick enough that it almost matched a human heart rate. A flicker of a frown wrinkled her brow and her eyes darted to him and then away. He steadied his heart, aware that she could hear the effect she had on him. Her heart was beating at a restful pace, a soothing patter in his mind.

She moved ahead, entering a large red drawing room. The vampires relaxing in it were powerful but none of them were stronger than he was. He carried on without glancing in any of their directions, following his temptress. She turned right in the room, heading towards a guarded set of dark wooden doors. When she reached them, she faced him, her expression stern.

“Wait here,” she said and the guards stationed on either side of the doors opened them for her.

Aleksandr lowered his black holdall from his shoulder. The two dark-haired male guards eyed him. He smiled but it didn’t relieve the tension. It only made it worse. The one on his left cast a glance over him and Aleksandr was thankful that his long coat hid his dagger from view. The female’s voice drifted through the open doors to him and he looked at her. She stood in the middle of a dark green room, the back of a gilt-framed green velvet couch in front of her. A male spoke to her in Czech, his voice a lazy drawl.

Tired of waiting, Aleksandr walked into the room, his knee-high boots heavy on the polished wooden floor. The woman’s blade was at his throat again in the space of a breath. Aleksandr halted and looked at the man her body had shielded from view.

He was young to be leading a bloodline, only in his late twenties in terms of appearance, meaning he was little more than four hundred. He would have been born around the time that Aleksandr had begun his hunt.

The man leaned back into the green couch opposite the one near to Aleksandr and the woman and crossed his long black-clad legs. He smiled without any trace of charm or meaning and preened his short sandy hair back.

“This man desires an audience with you, Master,” the woman said and Aleksandr glanced down into her clear blue eyes. She looked away, towards the leader of her bloodline.

“Then allow him to introduce himself so I may know with whom I speak,” the master said in English.

Aleksandr was familiar with both English and Czech. He had understood everything the master had said to the woman. He wasn’t interested in guests and wanted him gone. His opinion would change once he knew who Aleksandr was. It always did.

Aleksandr’s gaze met the guard’s again, holding it for long minutes. Whenever he set eyes on her, he was struck by her beauty as though it was the first time he had witnessed it. He willingly accepted her blade against his throat because it meant she was near him. Soon she would be this close to him without a weapon. He was sure of it. He would ask for sanctuary and the master would grant it. It would give him time to clean up his appearance and then he would start a new hunt. One for this woman.

His gaze slid across to the master and locked with his hazel one, silently showing the younger vampire that he wasn’t the most powerful in the room by a long shot.

“I am Aleksandr Nemov,” he said in a calm measured tone.

The female’s shock rippled through the knife at his throat, which was gone an instant later. She stepped back.

“You will not mind me requesting proof of that claim,” the master said.

Aleksandr smiled behind his beard. It was to be expected. He had been absent from society so long that many probably thought him dead.

With a flourish, he unsheathed and presented his bloodstained dagger. The curved silver blade caught the warm light of the fireplace to the left of the couches. That same light made the gold handle shine brightly. Only a Nemov carried such a weapon, and it had been given to him at birth, inscribed with his name so those who died by it knew who had taken their life. When the man nodded, he sheathed the blade and took hold of his black shirt above his right hip. He pulled it free of his trousers and revealed the mark he bore there on his pale skin.

The mark of royalty.

The woman’s eyes widened, fixed on the crescent moon on the shield of his bloodline.

Aleksandr lowered his shirt and she slowly raised her eyes to his. She blinked, fumbled with her own knife, and then looked away. The shy sparkle in her blue eyes added to her beauty and his desire for her, momentarily stealing his attention away from the other occupant in the room.

“You will stay a while with my bloodline. It would do us great honour.” The master stood and crossed the room to Aleksandr.

The woman stepped to one side, her eyes still downcast.

The master grinned and held his hand out. “I am Ladislav Černý, and I welcome you to my home. I hope you will be able to enjoy our hospitality for a long time.”

Aleksandr shook his hand. Ladislav was young but wise enough to see a way to gain more power when it was standing in front of him. Being favourable to a royal would grant him more leeway with the law and more privileges in court. It was a shame then that Aleksandr had long since surrendered such authority. No matter how many times he reminded society that he was no longer royalty, it still insisted on treating him that way. In this sort of situation, he usually reminded them that he had given up his title, but this time he couldn’t bring himself to mention it. He wanted to remain here and pursue the woman, and for that reason alone, he would tolerate Ladislav’s mistake.

“We will hold a ball tonight to celebrate,” Ladislav said, his English thickly accented.

This man was no fool. He would serve Aleksandr well. His gaze slid back to the woman. Her eyes were on him again but darted away when his met them. How well would she serve him?

“Then I will need to freshen up.” Aleksandr removed his hand from Ladislav’s grip.

“Any room in the guest wing you desire, and I will arrange whatever you need.” Ladislav motioned to the woman. Her expression blackened for a moment, as though escorting a guest was beneath her, and then she saluted.

Aleksandr picked up his bag and smiled at the woman. She answered it with a frown and then walked out of the room. His smile widened and his gaze raked over her.

She was going to be an interesting hunt.

But he would be the victor.

Available in e-book from:
Author’s website: http://www.felicityheaton.com/ebooks.php?title=Heart%20of%20Darkness
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005WK6E58/
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-of-darkness-felicity-heaton/1106991833
All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-heartofdarkness-620972-139.html
Sony Reader Store: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/felicity-heaton/heart-of-darkness/_/R-400000000000000534302
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/97624
Amazon Kindle Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle France: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B005WK6E58/
Apple iBookstore USA: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore UK: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore Australia: http://itunes.apple.com/au/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore Canada: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/isbn9781466173286

Available in paperback from:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466452897/

Posted in Heart of Darkness, paranormal romance, vampire romance | Comments Off on Heart of Darkness – Vampire Romance Book Trailer

New reviews for my paranormal romance books!

I have some new reviews in for my paranormal romance books. Namely, Her Guardian Angel (Her Angel romance series #4) and Heart of Darkness, my latest vampire romance novel.

Here’s some snippets of the reviews for these paranormal romances and links to the full reviews…

“A story with a dark and lethal mystery laced with betrayal, of Heaven and of Hell. Her Guardian Angel is a full throttle, action packed love story that you will not be able to put down! Felicity Heaton, I hope you are working on the next installment because I am addicted to this series!”

Talina, Night Owl Reviews — 4.75 Star TOP PICK! — Read the full review

“The story explodes with excitement as it took off and I couldn’t read it fast enough. The chemistry between Marcus and Amelia was very empowering and hot. Who would not love an uber sexy Guardian Angel for their very own!”

April, Nocturne Reads — 4 Hoots — Read the full review

“Heart of Darkness is a spine-chilling paranormal performance thrown into a whirlwind of characters and dangerous action that doesn’t let up until the very end!! A plot well thought out, details easily envisaged and romance that would cause any volcano to burst its walls!! Yeah it’s hot!”

Kat, PageFlipperz — 5 Hearts — Read the full review

Posted in Heart of Darkness, Her Guardian Angel, reviews | Comments Off on New reviews for my paranormal romance books!

Daily Dozen – Heart of Darkness – vampire romance book

Your Sunday Daily Dozen this week comes from Heart of Darkness, my latest release and a stand alone vampire romance book.

Aleksandr has just returned from a hunt, injured and bleeding, and in need of urgent medical attention. Elise has chosen to be the one to tend to him, to repay him for the time that he took care of her wound, and is about to bravely offer her blood to him so she can send him into a deep healing sleep and therefore tend to his wounds more easily. Since she has never allowed another vampire to bite her before, she isn’t sure she’ll be able to contain the lust it will undoubtedly stir in her and do her job properly, and she isn’t prepared for how it feels when Aleksandr bites her.

Aleksandr brought her right wrist to his lips, shut his eyes and licked her skin. Another shiver chased through her and her temperature rose, her heart beating quicker with anticipation. His lips closed over her wrist. She gasped when he eased his fangs deep into her and then removed them.

Eyes wide, Elise stared at him, her lips parted and breathing fast. Heat spread up her arm, suffusing every inch of her body in a sharp tingling pleasure that made her want to moan. She reminded herself to focus and keep her mind on the thought of sleep, and to send that message to him through her blood and block all others. It was difficult, nigh on impossible, when he started to drink from her, a soft suckling that sent wave after wave of warmth rippling through her. Warmth that all settled in her abdomen, heating her through and making her ache for Aleksandr.

She wanted more.

She wanted to feel his fangs in her.

She hadn’t wanted his fleeting bite and this soft reverential drinking. She had wanted him to sink his teeth deep into her body and to drink hard, to bring her close to the edge as she knew only he could, to bring her into his arms and into his body, until they were one.

Enjoyed today’s Daily Dozen? Read on for more information about Heart of Darkness.

Heart of Darkness
Felicity Heaton
A vampire prince on a four hundred year old mission to avenge his murdered sister…

Aleksandr Nemov won’t stop until the last of the vampire hunter’s progeny is wiped from the Earth. Each kill has stolen a piece of his humanity, pushing him towards the black abyss all vampires hold within their hearts. Now he is teetering on the edge, close to devolving into a beast, and time is running out as he tracks the last hunter to Prague. There he finds a beautiful woman who could be his one chance for salvation, but is it already too late for him?

A vampire guard who will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves…

Elise is dedicated to her duty. It’s the only thing she has left. All that changes when she meets Aleksandr in Prague and her master grants him permission to stay at her bloodline’s mansion. She knows all about Aleksandr but none of it prepares her for how she feels when the legendary prince’s hunt becomes one for her heart. Elise battles him with all of her strength but can she stop herself from falling for the handsome hunter? When he reveals the depth of the corruption in his soul, will she have the strength to face the pain in her past and do whatever it takes to save him?

Available in e-book from:
Author’s website: http://www.felicityheaton.com/ebooks.php?title=Heart%20of%20Darkness
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005WK6E58/
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-of-darkness-felicity-heaton/1106991833
All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-heartofdarkness-620972-139.html
Sony Reader Store: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/felicity-heaton/heart-of-darkness/_/R-400000000000000534302
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/97624
Amazon Kindle Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle France: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B005WK6E58/
Apple iBookstore USA: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore UK: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore Australia: http://itunes.apple.com/au/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore Canada: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/isbn9781466173286

Available in paperback from:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466452897/

Posted in Daily Dozen, Heart of Darkness, paranormal romance, vampire romance | Comments Off on Daily Dozen – Heart of Darkness – vampire romance book

Heart of Darkness – Vampire romance book – chapter six

Well, this is the final chapter I’ll be posting of Heart of Darkness, my new vampire romance book. Things are coming along between Aleksandr and Elise but there is still a great divide between them. Perhaps it’s time that started to change, but what cost will they pay to set that in motion?

If you’ve missed my previous chapters of this vampire romance book, you can find them all under my Heart of Darkness label. Heart of Darkness is currently available in ebook from Amazon Kindle stores, my website, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBookstores, Smashwords, Sony Reader Store and All Romance eBooks and in paperback from Amazon.com. It will soon be available in ebook at Kobo Books too.

Felicity Heaton
A vampire prince on a four hundred year old mission to avenge his murdered sister…

Aleksandr Nemov won’t stop until the last of the vampire hunter’s progeny is wiped from the Earth. Each kill has stolen a piece of his humanity, pushing him towards the black abyss all vampires hold within their hearts. Now he is teetering on the edge, close to devolving into a beast, and time is running out as he tracks the last hunter to Prague. There he finds a beautiful woman who could be his one chance for salvation, but is it already too late for him?

A vampire guard who will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves…

Elise is dedicated to her duty. It’s the only thing she has left. All that changes when she meets Aleksandr in Prague and her master grants him permission to stay at her bloodline’s mansion. She knows all about Aleksandr but none of it prepares her for how she feels when the legendary prince’s hunt becomes one for her heart. Elise battles him with all of her strength but can she stop herself from falling for the handsome hunter? When he reveals the depth of the corruption in his soul, will she have the strength to face the pain in her past and do whatever it takes to save him?

ebook price: $3.99
paperback price: $9.99 genre: paranormal vampire romance
length: 130000 words
rating: sultry
released: October 2011

Available in e-book from:
Author’s website: http://www.felicityheaton.com/ebooks.php?title=Heart%20of%20Darkness
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005WK6E58/
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-of-darkness-felicity-heaton/1106991833
All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-heartofdarkness-620972-139.html
Sony Reader Store: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/felicity-heaton/heart-of-darkness/_/R-400000000000000534302
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/97624
Amazon Kindle Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B005WK6E58/
Amazon Kindle France: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B005WK6E58/
Apple iBookstore USA: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore UK: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore Australia: http://itunes.apple.com/au/book/isbn9781466173286
Apple iBookstore Canada: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/isbn9781466173286

Available in paperback from:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466452897/

EXCERPT – CHAPTER SIX

The night was quiet and overcast, warmer than the past few days but the wind had picked up. It blew against Elise, tousling the fine strands of her dark hair in her ponytail and causing her to squint. She jammed her hands into the pockets of her waist-length uniform jacket and glared at the cobbled road ahead. They had been walking the streets for almost an hour, touring the areas where hunters usually appeared.

Aleksandr’s plan was flawless. Capture a vampire hunter and get information on the rest. The trouble was, so far they hadn’t found one. There wasn’t even a sign of activity tonight.

Elise wished there was. It would take her mind off her latest irritation.

Aleksandr had chosen female guards.

Walking into his private reception room on the first floor to discover five women from the guard there hadn’t shocked or angered her in the least. What had annoyed her was the sight of him reclining on the couch, eyeing them as though he was planning to sleep his way through them.

That and the fact he had chosen the prettiest women.

Well, he could sleep with them for all she cared but he wasn’t getting into her bed and she wasn’t going anywhere near his.

Elise shifted her focus to her surroundings, taking in the narrow alleyways between the old painted buildings. The niggling feeling in the pit of her stomach didn’t go away. Whenever she looked at the two blonde female guards with them, she wanted to grind her teeth and growl.

Aleksandr looked across at her and Elise schooled her features, hiding the jealousy that was riding her and not giving her a moment’s rest. She was a danger to Aleksandr when she was so preoccupied and she knew better than to lose her focus when out on the hunt.

It was shameful of her to behave such a way.

That thought alone sharpened her focus and pushed out any jealous thoughts. She was a guard and one of the best, and she wasn’t going to ruin her reputation because of something as petty as envy.

“Remain close.” Aleksandr fell into step beside her, as near as he had been during their tour of Prague.

Elise ignored him and the dark anger that bubbled within her. He had been condescending all evening.

Remain close. It was the tenth time he’d said that and whenever she heard it, she wanted to remind him that she was a soldier and could handle a vampire hunter.

“If there is an attack, stay near to me and I will protect you.” The Russian clip to those words annoyed her tonight, adding to her frustration and her desire to tell him where to go.

She bit her tongue and moved on ahead of him, striding to lead the pack and give herself some space.

She hadn’t needed a man to protect her since joining the guard at seventeen, over two hundred years ago, and she certainly wasn’t about to start needing one now. She could take care of herself.

Aleksandr came up beside her. He evidently couldn’t read subliminal messages and she couldn’t tell him outright to leave her alone. She had been wrong to speak to him in such a disrespectful way the other night. She humoured him, allowing him to feel as though he was protecting her only because he was their prince.

Elise reminded herself that he wasn’t a prince. It didn’t stick. He might have renounced his title and broken ties with his family to avoid tarnishing their peaceful name, but the blood that flowed in his veins was still Nemov. He could forsake his family to protect them, but he couldn’t surrender his name so easily, and he couldn’t change the hearts and minds of every vampire in Europe. They all thought of him as royalty.

And all would protect him given the chance.

Elise focused on that, clinging to the thought of doing her duty and protecting him, rather than his closeness and the way he spoke to her so intimately. Her life was nothing compared with his. She would gladly give it in order to ensure his survival during an attack. It would be an honourable death.

She walked on ahead, towards an intersection, scanning the area. It was still quiet.

“Wait.” Aleksandr caught her upper arm, drawing her back and close to him. “We are not alone.”
Elise focused harder but couldn’t sense anything. Was Aleksandr able to sense farther afield than her? He was four times her age and from a stronger bloodline, and had spent half of his years hunting. His senses would be more attuned than hers were.

He signalled to the two female guards. They moved closer, forming a tight group with her and Aleksandr.

Elise’s heartbeat quickened. She kept scouring the area but nothing came back. Finally, two human signatures registered on her senses and her instincts whispered of danger.

Hunters.

A very Russian sounding curse rolled off Aleksandr’s tongue and his grip on her arm increased. He pulled her closer to him and she yanked her arm free. It didn’t matter whether two hunters were coming their way and she was a little afraid, she wasn’t going to let him coddle her. She had fought vampire hunters before, although she had never killed one. Perhaps tonight she would change that and claim the life of one of the hunters coming towards her. Or both.

She moved to one side, forming a square with the others, and placed her hand over the dagger sheathed at her waist, waiting for the hunters to appear in view.

Aleksandr had said that their numbers were decreasing, but the threat they posed was still very real and recounted daily in society’s newspapers. While the humans were weaker, slower and died more easily, they were skilled and had several advantages. As vampire society’s desire to retain their humanity increased, their ability to fight and defend themselves declined. Many young vampires fell at the hands of hunters. Most of them had never reached maturity, had never killed, or hadn’t completed any sort of training. Hunters targeted those who were weak and vulnerable. They were ruthless and were adapting. Several religions and institutions trained specially selected humans for hunting vampires. They used entire lines of certain families—those which showed the best results and had the best genes in terms of reaction speed, strength and intelligence.

But even those humans needed an advantage over her kind.

Weapons.

Without them, all hunters would easily fall in a fight against a vampire.

Modern weaponry had caused an increase in the number of vampires killed by hunters, and each year the humans found ways to improve their arsenal.

She didn’t fear the hunters. She feared the stakes, the rapid-fire crossbows, and the silver bullets.

Aleksandr removed his coat and casually tossed it into the dark doorway of the residential building to their right. The metal on his vambraces reflected the low overhead streetlights as he drew his curved dagger and shifted into a fighting stance.

He looked as though he feared nothing.

Elise drew strength from the sight of him so calm and strong, and assumed a fighting stance too, bracing her feet shoulder-width apart. She took a deep breath, sensing the hunters moving closer and quicker now.

Her group had the advantage in one respect. The hunters wouldn’t be able to sense them.

The vampire hunters appeared in view, heading towards them along the road across the intersection. She drew her dagger and took another deep breath.

Before she could release it, Aleksandr was running at the two men. She struggled to react fast enough to keep up with him. The other two female guards were even slower, splintering their group.

Aleksandr reached the two men before her and dodged the crossbow bolt that flew at him. Elise sidestepped it too and sprinted, using her speed to come around behind the man with the bow. The other man blocked her short blade with his sword before she could penetrate the back of the man’s neck, and she growled at him, exposing her fangs. The sight of Aleksandr going to fight the two hunters alone had brought them out and the red had bled into her eyes quicker than usual.

The hunter with the bow drew a short sword and turned on her. Elise blocked his attacks and searched for an opening. The man was young, no older than mid-thirty, around Aleksandr’s age in terms of appearance, but he was strong and skilled with a blade. How many vampires had this man killed? He would kill no more. Tonight he would find death by her blade.

Aleksandr dragged her to one side when the man struck at her, his short sword a silver streak in the low-lit street. She gasped when she found herself face to face with the other hunter, a man in his early forties. Her blade was before her in an instant, blocking his sword, and she pushed him backwards.

The other two guards reached them and the fight became a mess. Elise did her best to keep to one hunter but the men kept switching on her, not giving her a chance to figure out their abilities or moves. They were clever.

Her breath left her when one of the men kicked her in the stomach and she fell backwards into the wall, grasping it for support and dropping her knife in the process. The younger man attacked again and she dodged his short sword, searching for a chance to get her knife. He didn’t give her one. She ducked and his blade scraped along the wall above her head, showering her with sparks.

Elise dived forwards and rolled onto her feet. The two female guards attacked the young hunter.

She went to assist them but stopped when she saw Aleksandr fighting. She had never seen anything like it. He was vicious, violent, but methodical and efficient in his actions, barely dodging the sword of the man he fought, stepping no further than necessary and gaining ground with each swipe the man made. There was no emotion in his eyes as he stepped around the man, came up behind him, and braced his arm across the man’s chest. The hunter struggled but it was useless.

Aleksandr’s blade moved silently over the man’s throat and blood spilled from the fine line, cascading over Aleksandr’s arm and hand.

As though it wasn’t enough to kill him, Aleksandr turned the blade and stabbed the man through his heart. He withdrew the dagger without any sign of feeling and dropped the body.

She sensed nothing from Aleksandr. No fear or excitement. Nothing. He had dispatched the hunter in a way that avoided awakening their inner darkness and risking losing some of his humanity.

Elise struggled to contain her emotions, even when she knew that it was dangerous for her to feel anything during the hunt. She trembled with fear and couldn’t tamp down her underlying excitement and hunger. She wished she were as strong as Aleksandr and in such perfect control.

Her eyes widened when Aleksandr grabbed the hunter’s body by his throat, lifted him, and turned him to face him. He sneered at the man, revealing long sharp canines, and thrust his blade into the man’s chest again. She balked when he dragged it down, gutting the hunter, and then dropped the dagger to the floor. It clattered on the cobbles, sending a shiver tripping over her skin, and she tried to look away but she couldn’t.

Not when she was looking straight into Aleksandr’s eyes.

They were black.

She swallowed. It was her imagination or the low light that made them look that way. His eyes weren’t black. It wasn’t the darkness within him showing through. He had killed the man without feeling. She had seen it herself. It had been a perfect kill. His soul wasn’t corrupted. It couldn’t be.

He snarled and sank his fangs into the man’s throat, his eyes still fixed on hers as he drank deep of the man’s blood.

In that moment, he was everything humanity had described them as in literature and in legend. He was a beast, something without feeling, only an instinct for blood and death driving him. He was dangerous and he frightened her.

He had been a kind man once, one destined to lead their people and one who had upheld the royal family’s desire to maintain peace and avoid bloodshed.

Aleksandr dropped the body and wiped the back of his hand over his lips, smearing the dark blood across his cheek.

He was no longer the prince her people adored. She could see that now. He was a brutal killer, fiercer than any other vampire, and she both feared him and feared for him.

She was afraid he would tread too close to the darkness within his heart and be lost to it.

Something moved out of the corner of her eye. The remaining hunter had broken free. Her heart galloped and she ran towards Aleksandr when the man raised his crossbow, aiming it at him.

It didn’t matter that Aleksandr was dangerous. She had to protect him.

She threw herself at him, shielding his broad body with her slender one, and screamed when the bolt pierced her left shoulder blade.

Aleksandr caught her around the waist and roared close to her ear.

Elise shuddered, her fingers twitching as the poison entered her system. She groaned and screwed her face up as flames burned her shoulder and a blazing inferno ignited her blood. She was too hot. She pushed Aleksandr back, needing air and to escape his strong grip.

There was a snarl and then he was gone.

The world wavered in her vision but not enough that she didn’t see the horrible sight when she turned to look for Aleksandr. He was attacking the hunter who had shot her, relentless and merciless, tearing into the man with his claws. She had to stop him. He needed information and was ruining any chance of getting it by killing the man.

Elise stumbled forwards, sickening heat chasing over her skin and making her tremble. Her knees threatened to give out but she tripped on, reaching for Aleksandr.

He didn’t stop. Her stomach roiled, bile rising. She pressed her hand to her abdomen and swallowed, wincing when her throat burned. The poison. She had to fight it but she didn’t know how. She shook, tears spilling down her cheeks and her breath hitching in her throat. She didn’t want to die.

Aleksandr tore a long gash in the hunter’s side, growling the whole time.

Why was he doing this? Why had he changed? He was brutal, terrifying in his lust for violence, a prince of darkness incarnate.

“Stop,” Elise whispered, fighting the overwhelming urge to surrender to sleep.

The two other guards came over to her but she pushed them away, forced them to part and let her through to Aleksandr. If his reason for turning so vicious was the attack on her then she had to stop him. She couldn’t let him do this, not because of her. She had chosen to take the bolt but she hadn’t realised this would be the consequence for her actions. Aleksandr was too violent, taking too much pleasure from the kill. It was too dangerous for him to do such a thing.

He ripped the man’s chest open, peeling his ribs back and snarling, and she shook her head. He had to stop or whatever darkness she had seen in his eyes would consume him forever.

She didn’t want that to happen because of her.

“Aleksandr.” She took another laboured step towards him, racked by chills and weakening with each passing second. She couldn’t hold out much longer.

He buried his hands deep in the man’s chest.

Her fingers hovered just short of Aleksandr’s back, fear of disturbing him crawling in her gut along with the poison. Elise took a breath and placed her trembling hand on his shoulder. He turned on her and snarled.

Elise looked into his eyes. He wavered in front of her, darkness blurring the edges of her vision, and she blinked to keep the lure of sleep away. She shook her head in sorrow when he raised his bloodied hands. He licked his fingers, his eyes never leaving hers, black pools of midnight. She feared the darkness in them and the way he had fought. She wouldn’t believe what she had seen. Aleksandr couldn’t be losing himself to the black abyss that lived inside them all.

He stared at her with predator’s eyes as he licked the blood off his fingers and she felt as though it was her blood not the hunter’s that he wanted to taste.

“Aleksandr.”

His expression shifted, a hint of recognition entering his dark eyes. She swallowed again and tried to find the strength to ask him to stop but it failed her and she collapsed as heat blazed through her blood.

When she managed to open her eyes again, Aleksandr was cradling her. His grey eyes shone with so much concern that she almost believed that he felt something for her. She tried to raise her hand but couldn’t move. She shivered, freezing now when only a moment ago she had been on fire.

“There you are,” she murmured and relief over seeing him normal again carried away the last of her strength. She had no reason to fight the poison now. Aleksandr was safe.

The image of him slipped away, drifting into the distance

She hoped his eyes hadn’t been black.

Her prince shouldn’t have to sacrifice himself for his people.

She didn’t want him to.

Available in e-book from:
Author’s website: http://www.felicityheaton.com/ebooks.php?title=Heart%20of%20Darkness
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005WK6E58/
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Available in paperback from:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466452897/

Posted in Heart of Darkness, paranormal romance, vampire romance | Comments Off on Heart of Darkness – Vampire romance book – chapter six