Category Archives: About my Romance Books

Interview with Julian from Love Immortal

Posted on 8th April 2012 by Felicity Heaton

*claps hands* I have my joint number 2 favourite hero with my here today for an interview. Julian from Love Immortal holds the 2nd spot with Aleksandr from Heart of Darkness… two very sexy heroes indeed.

Julian, for those not familiar with him, is the sinfully gorgeous, dark haired and icy-blue eyed immortal protector of Lauren, the latest reincarnation of a goddess he once worshipped. He also commanded her army of Arcadian soldiers in their fight against Lycaon, the vicious original werewolf who was cursed by Zeus for tricking him into eating human flesh. Julian is drop dead handsome and with a beautiful soul to match his exterior. Heâ€™s skilled with his silver katana, has preternatural strength, speed, sight, hearing and senses, and is a very determined yet sensitive man. Heâ€™s also one of the ancestors, along with Lauren, of what we think of as vampires. Just donâ€™t let him hear you say that!

REMEMBER: If you want Julian to answer your question, leave it in a comment on the post and I’ll pass it on to him and he’ll answer it for you.

FH: I have Julian here with me today to talk about his book, Love Immortal. Firstly, can you tell us a little about yourself?

Julian: If necessary. I was born three thousand years ago in Arcadia, what you would think of as Greece these days, and died there. My goddess, Illia, gave me life immortal and Zeus allowed me to pass over, charging me with the duty of giving Illiaâ€™s reincarnations my blood in order to awaken them. I am also her protector. Illiaâ€™s blood has gifted me with preternatural strength and abilities, but because of it I also share her need for blood as sustenance. Upon my rebirth as her immortal protector, my thirst for blood awakened and I have not been able to eat or drink anything else since. It is a small price to pay for being able to continue to my duty as her commander.

FH: Can you tell us about what happened in your story?

Julian: My story has been flowing for the past three thousand years, broken into chapters that encompassed the lives of each of Illiaâ€™s incarnations. The one you chose to write about was the final chapter, in which Lauren was born as the next incarnation and our paths crossed. From the moment I met her, I feared her fate would be the same as all of her predecessors and that she would fall to Lycaonâ€™s blade, the first werewolf and the man she was charged with the duty of defeating. Lycaon had killed all those that had come before her, even Illia, and had continued with his plan to gain revenge on Zeus and Olympus for the curse they had placed on him. For the first time in forever, I hoped that Lycaon would fall and I vowed to do all in my power to ensure that Lauren survived.

FH: In Love Immortal, you meet Lauren, who is the latest reincarnation of the goddess Illia. How did you meet and how did you feel about her initially?

Julian: Lauren is unlike any of the previous incarnations of my lost goddess. She is so much warmer and more compassionate than all of them, even Illia herself. Lauren made me realise that I had long been dead inside and breathed life back into me little by little, until I slowly realised my feelings for her. I had been through so much pain because of her predecessors that it was difficult for me to bring myself to trust her even when I wanted to with all of my heart. I couldnâ€™t take my eyes off her from the moment I set them on her, and I knew I had to find a way to make her mine, even risking my heart to achieve that.

FH: Your relationship with Lauren is complicated because of your role as her protector and the things that have happened in your past. Was it difficult at first?

Julian: It was very difficult. It took a lot for me to come to trust her and convince myself that she was worth the fight, and that she was different to the others and I wasnâ€™t imagining the feelings that she showed towards me. I think I frustrated her immensely at first. In fact, I know that I did. Sometimes she mentions what a pain I was and how hard I made her work. I had not realised that I had made things so difficult for her. I had only thought of guarding my heart against her because of the things that had happened to me in my past and the pain I had been through. I couldnâ€™t bear the thought of Lauren putting me through such pain too. It would have been the end of me.

FH: But it wasnâ€™t, and things turned out well for you in the end. How has life been since the events that happened and brought you together?

Julian: It has been busy. We had a short period of rest together to recuperate from the battle and then went straight back to work. Lauren is very enthusiastic about her work and what she sees as her duty. We have trained hard together too, so I know that she is ready to face whatever demons may come our way. At the moment, we are working closely with Duke and are also in contact with Morgan about his werewolf problem. Lauren says that we cannot delay much longer but I have little desire to set foot in Paris again, or see that vampire. I am certain he will try to gain Laurenâ€™s affection somehow and that is something I cannot allow, and if it came to blows I know that Lauren would be angry with me. I cannot help myself when I feel someone is trying to take her from me. She is mine and I love her with all of my heart and my soul. I live for her. I would die for her.

FH: You old romantic! I think itâ€™s beautiful that youâ€™re so possessive of her now that you have her. I have one more question for you and itâ€™s something youâ€™ll need to think about. Describe yourself in one word.

Julian: Steadfast.

FH: I would have gone with gorgeous. *smiles* Thank you for meeting with me today and chatting. Is there anything else that youâ€™d like to add?

Julian: Only my thanks to you for penning the tale of our love and victory, and that I hope we can work together again in the future. Lauren has mentioned that you have had several requests for more of our tales. I am sure there is something we can do to satisfy those readers of yours. Another epic quest perhaps. Do you think they would enjoy reading it?

FH: I do. I canâ€™t wait to hear it. Thank you again for being here today, and say hi to Lauren and the gang for me. *watches his tight backside as he walks away* yum.

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

Love Immortal
Felicity Heaton
Rescued from werewolves by the most breathtaking man she’s ever seen, Lauren is dragged into the fight of her life and a dark world she never knew existed. There, she discovers that she’s the latest reincarnation of a goddess and must drink the blood of her immortal protector, Julian, in order to reawaken and continue her three thousand year old mission to defeat Lycaon, the original werewolf.

With the help of Julian and an organisation of people with supernatural abilities, Lauren fights for her life, their future and the fate of mankind against Lycaon and his deadly army, but can she succeed when Lycaon has killed all of her predecessors?

Can she crack the armour around Julian’s heart and seize her happily forever after with him? And can Julian bring himself to trust Lauren with the fragments of his heart after everything he’s been through?

Only $0.99 from:

Amazon Kindle Stores:
US / World | UK | Germany
France | Italy | Spain

Smashwords:
Smashwords (use code: XA94L)

REMEMBER: If you want Julian to answer your question, leave it in a comment on the post and I’ll pass it on to him and he’ll answer it for you.

Posted in character interviews, Love Immortal | Comments Off

My favourite scene from Ascension

Posted on 8th April 2012 by Felicity Heaton

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 Ascension, which is a romance between a half-demon hero and a powerful witch heroine.

Taig, the hero, has a hard time accepting his demonic side and nothing shows how vulnerable he is beneath his brash exterior than this chapter, and that’s why I just had to choose it as my favourite scene. It says so much about both Taig and Lealandra.

My Favourite Scene From…

Ascension

Taig pulled the car to a halt just down the road and turned off the engine. It was unmistakably the Upper East Side.

â€œWe can walk from here.â€ He exited the car.

Lealandra followed, confused as to why he had brought her to such an affluent neighbourhood. She had thought he was taking her to his place. They walked for a while, passing beautiful apartment buildings and high-end expensive stores. When he turned and walked into a tall building, she paused on the pavement. The old sandstone faÃ§ade was as graceful and stunning as those they had passed, exuding class and a high rental price tag with its elegant canopied walkway that extended out to the road. She stared at the uniformed man stood holding the highly polished glass door open. Taig lived here now?

Taig came back out, her bag in his left hand. Her raised eyebrows didnâ€™t fall even when she looked at him. They stayed there in silent question.

He shrugged. â€œI fancied a change.â€

A change? She followed him in when he turned around and glanced at the doorman as she passed him. This was more than a change. Taigâ€™s old apartment had demons for neighbours and rats in the garbage, and the only doorman had been the superintendant, a demon who had over-indulged in food to the extent that he barely fit in his human skin and liked nothing more than sitting on the steps terrorizing the local women with failed amorous advances. This was a whole new world for Taig. She studied the bright cream corridors with their perfectly polished brass and mirrors, and the polite staff that stopped cleaning as she approached and smiled at her as she passed. This was a very human world.

The only demon in the vicinity was Taig.

Had things gotten that bad since she had left him? Her shoulders slumped. Was she the reason he had moved? She hadnâ€™t left him because he was a demon. Only afterwards had she considered what kind of effect her leaving might have had on him. She had convinced herself that it wouldnâ€™t have pushed the wrong buttons. Obviously it had and in a major way.

Taig looked back at her. A hint of nerves touched his eyes for some reason and she smiled, hoping to alleviate whatever was playing on his mind. When he turned away again, her smile faded. She stared at his broad shoulders and the back of his head. This wasnâ€™t his world. He didnâ€™t belong here. A couple exited an apartment ahead, waving farewell to someone standing in the door. Lealandra guessed from their outfits that the party they had attended well into the early hours of morning wasnâ€™t the sort that would wake the neighbours and have the police banging down the door. The man wore a fine suit and the woman carried off a sparkling plum-coloured cocktail dress to perfection. Their laughter died when they spotted Taig and her. Lealandraâ€™s eyes met the womanâ€™s as they passed. Disgust shone in them.

This was their world, a human world of rules and societal structure, one in which Taig would never fit. He was the opposite of these people. Money and finery werenâ€™t things that he lived for. He was fooling himself by being here. Did he think that by standing in this world, surrounded by this kind of human, he would become one of them? They would never accept him.

Not if they knew the real him.

He stopped at a wide mahogany door, opened it and walked in, leaving it open for her. She peered in to see him slinging her black holdall onto an equally black couch in a large living room. He came back and turned into the room to her right.

Lealandra frowned when she stepped through the doorway and something tugged at her power. She turned and closed the door, and then froze when she saw the wooden doorframe.

Cuneiform-like symbols covered the wood, scratched deep into it. She couldnâ€™t understand them, just as Taig didnâ€™t understand the ancient language of witches, but they radiated power in waves so strong that she felt sick and her magic retreated. She looked at Taig where he stood in the brightly lit kitchen, rummaging through a massive dark red refrigerator.

â€œI take it you donâ€™t invite the neighbours in.â€ Markings like the ones on his doorframe would make humans question his sanity.

He didnâ€™t answer her. He kept his head in the refrigerator.

When he straightened at last, he was holding two dark brown bottles of beer in his right hand, their necks wedged between his fingers.

â€œDrink?â€ He grinned and waggled the bottles.

He was ignoring her. She nodded and he opened the beers and handed one to her. She swigged it and walked further into the apartment.

It was sparsely furnished and the refrigerator provided the only colour. Everything else was either black or white. The pale walls caused the already huge apartment to appear massive. The kitchen cupboards were shiny and black, matching the polished granite work surfaces below them and on the long counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. A flat screen television that had to be over fifty inches took up a large portion of the wall to her right at the end of the living area, and a large black couch faced it, devoid of pillows and as lifeless as the empty black coffee table and the rest of the apartment.

She walked towards the couch, her footsteps loud on the wooden floor.

It looked like a showroom for expensive designer furniture and minimalist living. Not the Taig that she knew. It didnâ€™t suit him.

A closer look at the black door to the right of the television revealed that there were also markings on that doorframe. She turned to the two huge windows on her left, opposite the kitchen. The black blinds were up. Symbols covered the wooden window frames and sills.

Taig might have moved into human territory to feel more like them but his protective instincts had gone haywire because of it. Surrounded by demons, he hadnâ€™t needed to defend himself to this extent. The other demons he had lived with would have alerted everyone if they had sensed something wrong. Out here, in this human world, Taig was alone.

And it showed.

Lealandra took another swig of the beer and stared out of the windows at the myriad of buildings that crowded the scenery. She couldnâ€™t see Central Park but it was there somewhere. They were facing west. Taig always liked his apartments to face west. It was a demon thing. He had never been able to explain it rationally but she suspected it had something to do with the setting sun and the onset of night.

Night was on its way out right now. The sky was slowly lightening. She looked around the apartment for a clock but found none. No pictures or anything personal adorned the walls and table in front of her. Nothing that made it feel lived in, like a home. She wrapped one arm about herself and frowned. The whole place felt cold and lifeless. Was that how he felt inside? Was this void a physical representation of what Taig held within him?

She didnâ€™t like it. It wasnâ€™t Taig, no matter how much he believed it was.

He moved out of the kitchen, leaned his broad frame against the counter next to the square white column at the corner nearest the front door, and swigged his beer. The messy black spikes of his hair threatened to cover his equally dark eyes. He had them glued on her and they sparkled under the white ceiling spotlights.

What had happened to the man she had fallen for all those years ago?

Lealandra took a step towards him but he walked away, disappearing into the room beside the television. She rocked back on her heels when she caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. It was odd and as out of place as Taig was in this stark environment, but it gave her hope. She walked over to the long black side cupboard that lined the back wall of the apartment and stared at it.

A picture.

It sat alone on the expansive low cupboard, right in the middle of it, as though on display. The only sign of life. A glimmer of the Taig she used to know.

The picture was no bigger than six inches tall and framed with silver. She lowered her beer to her side and studied the photograph it contained.

A dark haired and dark eyed very handsome man was smiling up at her. In his arms, a lighter haired pretty woman stood with her back against his chest. He had his arms looped under hers and his fingers tangled with hers over her stomach. Her pregnant stomach. It was large and round, stretching the seams of the flowing white top the woman wore. She looked happy enough to burst. They both did. They radiated love so strongly that Lealandra felt a hint of envy. Her gaze fell to their hands, clasped together over their future baby.

Taig.

It was such a human picture and a very human thing for him to have. It sent a chill through her, made her smile but want to cry at the same time for the things he had lost. His parents. She was sure if they had still been alive, he would have grown up differently. He would have seen his demonic power as a gift rather than a curse.

She reached out to touch it.

â€œDonâ€™t!â€ Taigâ€™s voice made her jump, the harshness and volume of it startling in the quiet room.

Lealandra withdrew her hand and then held it out a little again, fingers hovering just above the intricate markings engraved on the silver picture frame. It exuded power more potent than that protecting the doors and the windows. She closed her eyes and tried to understand it, tried to decipher what it would do if she dared to touch it. It was marked so only he could take hold of it. Her eyes opened and she stared at the photograph of his parents as her power deciphered his. It would kill anyone other than him.

He was protecting the picture more than his apartment.

Lealandra looked over her shoulder at him. He stood halfway between the bedroom door and her, shirtless and perfect, as beautiful as she remembered him. Bronzed skin stretched taut over the powerful muscles of his torso, the sight of them rekindling the desire he had stirred with his kiss in the bar. Her gaze wandered upwards, over hard pectorals and strong collarbones to the tense corded muscles of his neck, and then to his face. All sense of desire fell away when she saw his lost look and the way he was staring at the picture.

Her heart went out to him.

Taig turned away and pulled a black t-shirt on over his head, and her eyes betrayed her. They dropped to his back, watching the delightful way his muscles shifted with his movements. The mark on his left shoulder blade was barely visible, a shade or two darker than his skin. His lineage. A symbol so intricate and beautiful that it outshone any witchâ€™s mark. She had traced it with her fingers in the past, following the swirling lines and trying to distinguish their path. The whole symbol looked almost like a heart. Taig didnâ€™t see it, but then he never had liked to talk about his mark.

He never liked to talk about himself at all. He hadnâ€™t told her much about his parents, only that his mother was human and his father was a powerful demon, and that they had disappeared when he was thirteen and he believed they were dead.

She couldnâ€™t imagine how hard it had been for him to lose his parents when he was only a teenager, how hard it must have been for him to live not knowing what had happened to them, and how difficult growing up alone had been. He had gone from a world full of love to one completely devoid of it.

Taig walked away, back into the bedroom, and reappeared a few moments later with a pillow and a blanket.

â€œYou take the room. Iâ€™ll sleep out here.â€ He flung the pillow down at one end of the black couch.

His prickly demeanour was a warning not to argue and that he wanted to be alone. Lealandra took another look at the photograph, at the happy family, and then grabbed her bag off the couch and went into his bedroom. It was as void of life as his living room and kitchen, with a solitary large double bed standing against a black wall, and two small side cupboards. The wardrobes were built-in, white to match the rest of the walls, and the black blinds on the two windows were down, blocking out the morning light. She opened them and idly traced her fingers over the markings on the frames as she stared out at the dawn.

She took a deep breath and sighed.

This room smelt like Taig.

It smelt of spices and warmth.

It comforted her.

Lealandra set the beer bottle down on the side cupboard and sat on the bed. Her dark red coat blended into his bedcovers. She ran her hands outwards, feeling the lingering presence of him in the room and on the bedclothes. At least she would feel safe while she slept, imagining him wrapped around her, holding her close. She shut her eyes and fell back onto the bed. She wanted to ask him to hold her but that would only lead to trouble and she still wasnâ€™t sure what Taig wanted from her or if he still had feelings for her.

Her focus shifted to him.

Was he lying in the living room wondering what she was thinking, just as she wanted to know what was going on in his mind?

Rolling away so her back was to him, she frowned when she noticed the slim black phone beside his bed.

Matthew.

She picked up the phone and dialled his number. It was early enough in the morning that he might already be awake. If he wasnâ€™t, then she hoped it waked him. She had to speak to him. The call connected and she listened to it ringing at the other end.

â€œHello.â€ The sound of Matthewâ€™s sleepy voice swept her back to her old life and a time when magic had been all about having fun.

Now it was anything but that. It was dangerous and she was forever on the verge of losing control to it. She longed to go back to those happier times and then her senses shifted to Taig and she didnâ€™t want to go back after all. Even though her magic was more powerful now and life was difficult, no longer carefree and full of laughter, she wouldnâ€™t sacrifice it and her tentative relationship with Taig in order to return to her old life.

â€œItâ€™s Lea.â€ She swallowed and didnâ€™t give him a chance to say anything. â€œI know my coven have contacted you. Donâ€™t come to New York, Matthew. Itâ€™s too dangerous and I… I donâ€™t want to see you hurt too.â€

He yawned and she heard material rustling as he moved.

â€œLea, whatâ€™s wrong? This Gregori calls me out of the blue and says that youâ€™re in trouble and need a new Counter-Balance, and now youâ€™re calling me to tell me to keep away? Iâ€™m coming to see you. Just tell me where you are.â€

â€œNo.â€ Her heart beat faster at the thought of him trying to find her. She didnâ€™t want him anywhere near the city. â€œI mean it, Matthew, stay away. Iâ€™ll be fine. I have all the protection I need, but I might lose that if you come here. I canâ€™t guarantee your safety. Once Iâ€™ve made it through this, Iâ€™ll come to see you and everyone, I promise.â€

â€œDoes your protection have a name?â€ There was a smile in Matthewâ€™s voice. She smiled too. When she had left Taig, she had spent a few days with her old coven before leaving for her new one. Matthew had been her shoulder to cry on. He had held her together, spending almost a day listening to her and letting her cry all she wanted and not saying a word out of place. Without him, she would have fallen apart completely.

â€œI think you know his name.â€

â€œI also know that Iâ€™m not needed then. I wonâ€™t come… but if you do need me, you only have to call, okay?â€

â€œOkay.â€ She nodded and held the phone for a moment. â€œDonâ€™t tell Gregori. Just… go abroad for a while or something.â€

â€œYouâ€™re that worried? You donâ€™t need to answer that. I can almost see your frown from here.â€ He laughed and then sighed. â€œIâ€™ve always wanted to visit Europe. Maybe our coven will go out of town for a while. How does a month sound?â€

â€œPerfect… thank you.â€

â€œNo, thank you. I might have walked into a war and the last person I want to fight with is you. Call me if you need me and Iâ€™ll be right there. Stay safe, yes?â€ The concern in his tone touched her and she held the phone tighter, wishing she could see Matthew and hug him instead. He would be a powerful ally in her time of need, and could help her survive her ascension, but she couldnâ€™t risk him. It was better that he stayed away until everything blew over.

â€œYou too.â€ She ended the call before she faltered and asked him to come to her, and her attention moved back to Taig.

The impulse to go to him was strong and almost impossible to resist. She wanted to talk to him, to unlock his secrets and ease his pain. It laced his aura, a physical thing that she could sense as if it were her own.

Her brow furrowed and she stared at the wall, not seeing it. Just feeling him.

Lealandra knew that he didnâ€™t like himself and that his part-demon part-human status left him feeling as though he had nowhere to belong. If she could find her voice, she would tell him that he did belong somewhereâ€”he belonged here on Earth, with her.

But she couldnâ€™t.

Countless times, she had planned to tell him that and every time she had failed. No matter how often she had practiced it in mirrors or recited it to herself while she showered, whenever it came time to say it to his face, the words fled her lips and her voice died.

She lay on the bed, not brave or strong enough to face him and make him believe her.

He would argue against it and she would crumble.

She had to find the right moment, the precise point when Taig would actually believe her, and then she would try to tell him. All she could do right now was let him know that he wasnâ€™t alone in the world and that her feelings for him hadnâ€™t changed. If he wanted her, all he had to do was come and claim her, to make her see that he still felt something for her too and the games he was playing were only because he had been hurt.

Lealandra stood and removed her coat, folding it neatly and placing it on one of the side tables. She pulled her boots off and then began to unlace her corset but stopped. It had to be now. This was the perfect moment for giving him at least a sign that she still loved him.

Her footsteps were silent on the beech wood floorboards. She crossed the room to the door and hesitated on the threshold.

Taig lay on his back on the couch, bare chest exposed and one arm under his head and the pillow. His other hand rested on his stomach. The slow rise and fall of it said that he was asleep. Well, at least one of them was relaxed enough to sleep. Clearly, thoughts of her hadnâ€™t been playing on his mind and keeping him awake after all. She crept into the room. The light was low with the black blinds down and she knocked the coffee table. Taigâ€™s empty beer bottle wobbled at the corner nearest him, threatening to fall and spoil the moment, and then stilled again. She edged around the table and eased to her knees at his head.

Her fingers trembled as she brought her hand up and swept the long strands of black hair from his face, clearing his eyes. He really was beautiful when he wasnâ€™t shooting his mouth off or trying to make her angry. She ran her fingers over his brow, following the line of his dark eyebrows, and then trailed them slowly down over the contours of his cheekbones and jaw.

He frowned and turned his face towards her before opening his eyes. Their black depths met hers and she smiled.

Confusion filled his eyes.

Lealandra leaned towards him, closed her eyes, and brushed her lips against his. It took him a moment to respond and butterflies danced in her stomach and chest when he kept the kiss light. His tongue traced her lips and hers came to meet it, softly tangling with his and luring it into her mouth. He tasted of beer but she didnâ€™t mind. She was sure that she did too. She dropped her hand to his neck and leaned in closer, wanting more, and then reminded herself that this wasnâ€™t supposed to go anywhere, not tonight, and if she kept going, it would do just that.

After one final brush of her lips over his, she pulled back.

Taig stared at her, eyes wide and lips parted.

â€œThatâ€™s how I kiss goodnight,â€ she whispered and rose to her feet.

His gaze tracked her across the room. She trembled inside, wondering if her goodnight kiss had been a wise idea and whether Taig would come to her.

She fell flat on her front on the bed and sighed.

It had been a stupid idea.

She touched her lips.

It had been nice though.

She focused on Taig and realised that he was doing the same, using his power to sense her.

The ball was in his court now.

Remember you can download Ascension for FREE today on Amazon Kindle!

Ascension
Felicity Heaton
A witch on the verge of achieving phenomenal power, Lealandra must turn to her half-breed demon ex-lover Taig for protection from the dark force that is after her and also from her own magic.

With her Counter-Balance dead and her coven against her, Taigâ€™s blood and power is the only thing that can help her control her magic and survive the ascension and gain the strength to defeat her enemy.

Old feelings come flooding back as Taig allows her into his world and Lealandra finds herself fighting not only for survival but to win his broken heart again and heal the pain in their past. Can he forgive her for walking out on him all those years ago and will he ever believe her when she tells him that heâ€™s not a monster but the man that she loves?

genre: paranormal romance
length: 91000 words

Posted in Ascension, demons, paranormal romance | Comments Off

My favourite scene from Forbidden Blood

Posted on 7th April 2012 by Felicity Heaton

My next favourite scene is from Forbidden Blood and I had a hard time choosing this one again. I have other scenes in this book that I really love but I can’t share those as they give too much about the book away!

I’m a sucker for dance scenes and this is one I just had to post. This one needs a little scene setting though. Amber, the heroine, is a Source Blood (a human with very powerful blood that can turn a vampire into something god-like) and was saved from a vampire by Kearn, who is also a vampire and a Venator. Venators hunt vampires who break the law by attempting to use Source Blood. He’s been on the trail of the Source Blood abuser for years and Amber is the perfect bait. The game between Kearn and his enemy heats up when the vampire says he might be at a masquerade ball held by Duke Montagu. Kearn doesn’t want to show his face in society but must go there with Amber, and she gets her first glimpse at the world of vampires, and draws the attention of the host. Duke Montagu threatens to have them removed from the premises unless Amber dances with him and she reluctantly agrees, and when Kearn offers to teach her the waltz by using the remnants of her blood in his to control her so she impresses the duke, she can’t resist the chance to be in his arms.

My Favourite Scene From…

Forbidden Blood

Amber looked around her to see what everyone else on the dance floor was doing. The ladies curtseyed to their partners so she did too, going low enough that she would make the right impression on Kearn and the watching vampires, but not so low that she wouldnâ€™t be able to get back up. She rose again and the ladies stepped forwards into their partnersâ€™ waiting arms.

She went to touch Kearnâ€™s arm and take his hand.

Kearn stepped back.

â€œThe first thing you need to know is never touch me or anyone above your rank.â€ His voice was stern again. She had committed a faux pas by grabbing the duke. Everyone here was probably above her. â€œYou must allow your partner to place your hands.â€

Kearn gently placed her right hand on his shoulder and held her left, their palms pressing together. His hand was warm and his fingers curled tightly around hers. Both of his hands were steady. Hers shook like crazy.

She swallowed to ease the dryness in her throat but it didnâ€™t help.

â€œI need a drink,â€ she whispered and Kearnâ€™s gaze slid to her neck and then back to her eyes. A shiver tripped through her at the flash of red in his irises.

She jumped when his left hand settled against her waist and then they were moving. The tempo of the orchestra was slower than before. It was a triumphant sounding piece, with rising strings and deep brass. The choir sung beautifully but she didnâ€™t hear it. She was lost in Kearnâ€™s eyes and the way he was holding her, moving with her. They turned in slow circles and it didnâ€™t feel as though he was moving her feet for her. She felt in control.

â€œSee,â€ he whispered and smiled into her eyes, â€œnothing to it.â€

She smiled and his look turned serious, his head tilting to one side. His eyes dropped to her mouth, briefly enough that she might have missed it had she not been watching him so closely. Did he want to kiss her? She swallowed again. She wanted to kiss him.

â€œTell me about your brother,â€ he said.

She stumbled slightly. â€œI donâ€™t think this is the time for conversation. I need to concentrate.â€

â€œNo, you do not. You will only make it more difficult for me. I can concentrate for both of us.â€

Amber tried to think of what to tell him. It was hard not to focus on her feet when she knew she was dancing.

â€œHeâ€™s around your height and build, funny and smart, looks like a male version of me and lives in Paris,â€ she said and no longer noticed the way the vampires stared, the couples glancing their way as they passed, or even the duke. The music and Kearn filled her world. He was so handsome, looking at her with warmth in his eyes and no trace of loneliness. She felt as though she had helped erase his hurt after all. â€œHeâ€™s always trying to get me to move to France and it must have finally worked because Iâ€™m going to Paris soon.â€

Kearn frowned. â€œYou are leaving England?â€

She nodded. â€œIâ€™m moving there for work.â€

The warmth in Kearnâ€™s eyes dissipated, leaving ice in its wake. He turned his face away, looking in the direction that they were moving with the music, and her feelings shifted. The excitement and happiness she had felt on mentioning her move to Paris gradually changed into something darker.

Anger?

That feeling winked out of existence and she stumbled, barely keeping herself standing as she turned with Kearn again.

Cold swept through her.

He had shut her out, relinquishing control of her and leaving her in the dark about his feelings. Why?

Amber focused hard, biting her lip and tripping her way through the steps. This wasnâ€™t good. She panicked, the feeling blasting through her so quickly that her temperature shot up and her heart skipped. She caught her foot on Kearnâ€™s boot and her eyes leapt to his, her apology balancing on her lips.

It fell away when her feet suddenly knew the way and her legs no longer shook. Was he controlling her again? The anger she had felt before he had surrendered control of her wasnâ€™t there anymore. She searched his eyes for it and found nothing. The desire to question him burned in her heart but she couldnâ€™t find the courage to go through with it. What was she going to ask him?

Was he angry because she was leaving England? Didnâ€™t he want her to go to Paris? Did he want her to stay?

Did he want her?

Amber glanced down at the bright silver buttons on the breast of his black jacket, focusing on herself instead of him, studying her own feelings. What did she want? The thought of Paris had excited her before she had met him, but now her move felt like something to fear rather than look forward to. Her eyes roamed up over his chest and neck to his face, lingering on his sensual mouth. Fire skittered over her skin at the memory of their kiss. The thought of kissing him again excited her, sent her blood rushing and her mind leaping forward to imagine how everything would unfold from even the gentlest of caresses.

She forced her eyes onwards, until they met his. There had to be something that she could say to break the ice between them again.

â€œIâ€™m not really sure Iâ€™ll like it in Paris,â€ she whispered, looking deep into his eyes. She had loved the thought of it just a few days ago but meeting Kearn had changed her whole world, knocking it off kilter, and now she wasnâ€™t sure of anything. She shrugged. â€œIâ€™m not even any good at French.â€

Kearn leaned over and her eyes widened when his cheek brushed hers, heating hers through. He whispered in French into her ear, his breath tickling her neck, and continued to turn with her. Her eyelids fell to half-mast and she melted into him, savouring the feel of him against her and the relief that blossomed deep in her heart as she realised he was no longer angry with her. Only warm feelings danced inside her now, and a part of them were his. He drew back again and she shook some sense into herself, enough to look him in the eye.

â€œWhat did you say?â€

He just smiled.

She wanted to know. Whatever it had been, it had sounded distinctly romantic.

The choir began to sing again, slower now but rising with the music, sweeping over the room and carrying her along. Their words sounded as beautiful as Kearnâ€™s had and she listened to them.

â€œIs that Latin?â€ She turned with Kearn. They had moved closer together. His chest brushed hers as they spun to the music, galloping around the room. It was still hard for her not to think about the steps. Whenever she stopped speaking, her focus went back to her feet. She used Kearn as a distraction, keeping her eyes on his face, and floated along in his arms.

He nodded.

â€œDo you understand it?â€ What other languages did he know? He was over three hundred years old. He had probably learnt many languages and studied all sorts of things in his years.

He nodded again and looked ahead of them.

â€œWhat are they saying?â€

â€œYou do not want to know.â€

Amber gasped when they collided with another couple. The sandy haired man glared at her. Marquess Pendragon. Had he bumped them on purpose? Amber didnâ€™t recognise the woman in his arms.

â€œIgnore them,â€ Kearn said and she focused on him again, only this time the world didnâ€™t melt away. She was aware of everyone staring and the intent behind their glares. She could sense they wanted to harm her.

No, not her. She stared into Kearnâ€™s eyes. These were his feelings again.

The tempo of the music increased. Her legs were growing tired but she kept going, determined to finish the dance.

â€œYou must curtsey to the duke and allow him to place your hands. Do not speak unless spoken to and do not look him in the eye. Keep your gaze on his chest.â€ The warmth was gone from Kearnâ€™s face and voice, but at least he wasnâ€™t shutting her out again.

â€œWhy?â€

Kearn turned with her and she caught a glimpse of the duke. He was still watching her.

â€œBecause regardless of what he said to you, you are beneath him, just as I am.â€

Amber wanted to ask why he was beneath the duke but the hurt was back in his eyes. Would he really tell her later or had he been using it as an excuse to keep her quiet on the subject so she would forget about it? She would never forget the way the people had treated him tonight.

â€œRemain polite at all times and maintain the proper distance between you and him.â€

Kearnâ€™s hand slid around her back and he drew her closer to him, until their chests were against each other the whole time they danced. That wasnâ€™t proper distance, but she didnâ€™t care. It felt too good to be this close to him, in his arms. It didnâ€™t matter that her feet were tired and her legs ached. She wanted to keep dancing so she could remain like this with him.

Her eyes met his just as he was about to speak and his mouth closed. He stared down into her eyes, warmth resurfacing in his. She was glad the loneliness was gone again. They shone now, and deep contentment filled her. It wasnâ€™t only her feelings.

Kearn raised his left hand and trailed his fingertips down her bare arm and then over her long black satin glove. The touch was light and sensual, teasing her and stealing her breath. Her lips parted and her gaze fell to his mouth. His parted too, an invite to a kiss that she wanted to take more than anything. The world disappeared again and she was drifting with him with nothing but the sound of her heart beating and the light strings of the orchestra filling her ears.

She raised her gaze to his. Red tinted the edges of his irises. What was he thinking to make them look like that?

The dance ended.

He took her hand from his shoulder, raised it to his lips, bowed low and pressed a kiss to it.

Amber smiled, warm all over, and then realised that she wasnâ€™t the only one looking at him. Half of the room had stopped to stare again and were whispering to each other. Her gaze stopped on Kyran. He stood a few metres away, blue eyes narrowed behind his black mask. The woman in his arms looked disgusted.

Kearn rose, turned Amberâ€™s hand in his, and led her from the dance floor. Either he was oblivious to the dirty looks they were receiving or he didnâ€™t care. They stopped in the spot where they had been before, near the wall and away from everyone.

â€œYou danced well.â€ He smiled.

Amber smiled too and touched the spot on her glove that Kearn had kissed. Was the kiss why everyone looked so shocked? She had wanted far more than such a tame moment of intimacy. She had considered kissing him on the mouth.

â€œThat was quite a spectacle.â€ Venom dripped from the male voice.

Amber looked up to see Kyran stood beside Kearn, glaring at him. Kearnâ€™s expression was void of emotion as he stared back. The tension between them was palpable. Kyranâ€™s red eyes darted to her and his lips compressed. None of the usual kindness and charm touched his face now.

â€œA Noble lowering himself to a human.â€ Pure disgust tainted his expression and his tone. She had been wrong. The kiss hadnâ€™t shocked everyone. It was the fact that Kearn had bowed to her. Kyran smirked. â€œDo not expect such behaviour from Duke Montagu.â€

She wasnâ€™t sure how to react or what to say.

Kyran snorted in her direction and then grabbed Kearnâ€™s upper arm.

â€œExcuse me, I must speak with my little brother before he ridicules the entire family.â€ He turned on his heel and dragged Kearn away.

Kearn didnâ€™t seem to care that he was in for an earful. He looked back over his shoulder at her.

â€œDo not move from that spot. I will not be long. I will bring you a drink.â€ He actually smiled.

Amberâ€™s eyebrows rose. She stood rooted to the spot, watching the brothers. Kyran jerked to a halt and shoved Kearn out in front of him, pushing him back towards the wall near the corner of the room. She was too far away to hear them but their thunderous expressions said they were arguing. Kearn threw Kyranâ€™s hand from his arm and stepped up to him. She wanted to know what they were saying.

â€œThat was quite a dance.â€

Amber turned quickly to face the owner of the female voice.

A short dark haired young woman and two other women, both of them closer to Amberâ€™s height, stood before her. They were all wearing black empire-line dresses with a lot of cleavage on show, and a lot of make-up in sombre tones. They looked like death, ashen and dull.

Amber smiled politely. Kearn had told her that there would be other humans at the ball and they might be unmasked. These women were going through the transition from human to vampire. If she were bitten, would she look this bad when changing?

Heat touched her cheeks when she thought about Kearn biting her. She had dreamt of it today while sleeping in his bed and had tossed and turned so much that Kearn had woken her by knocking hard on the door and asking whether something was wrong. She had blushed ten shades of red then and hadnâ€™t been able to tell him the truth. Instead, she had said it was nothing and had hurried into the shower. He had gone out and when he had come back, he had given her the dress.

She felt incredibly sexy in it.

Especially when he told her that she looked beautiful.

â€œHe is quite the catch.â€ The blonde woman in the group looked past Amber.

Amber followed her gaze. Kearn was still arguing with Kyran. The other vampires nearby had moved away and were warily watching them. What were they arguing about? It couldnâ€™t just be about her. Was it about their family name too?

â€œAnd so subservient.â€

She looked back at the three women. They all smiled at her. She didnâ€™t think that Kearn was subservient but she smiled anyway.

â€œTo think a Noble would behave such a way.â€ The short dark haired one cast a wistful look in Kearnâ€™s direction and then her brown eyes found Amberâ€™s again. â€œI have never seen anything like it.â€

The third woman, a brunette with a bob, stepped forwards and looked Amber over. â€œHow far along are you?â€

Amber glanced down at her stomach. She looked pregnant?

â€œI thought the dress was quite flattering.â€ She skimmed her hands down her sides. Kearn definitely liked it, and sheâ€™d had a duke and Kyran call her beautiful too.

All three women laughed.

â€œIn your turning.â€ The brunette smiled. â€œYou must be far along for a Noble to behave in such a way. It shocked the crowd something terrible.â€

Amber hadnâ€™t failed to notice that.

The blonde twisted her hair around her fingers. â€œIâ€™ve almost completed my transition but my Lesser Noble wonâ€™t even dance with me.â€

Kearn had also warned Amber that humans going through the transition never danced. Most Nobles and Lesser Nobles didnâ€™t associate with them until they had fully turned. It seemed strange that they went to the trouble of courting a human to convince them to become a vampire and then discarded them during their transition. It was almost cruel. Kearn hadnâ€™t said what happened when they had finished becoming a vampire.

â€œSo how far along are you?â€ the brunette prompted.

Amber smiled politely. â€œIâ€™m not a vampire.â€

They all laughed again.

â€œNo.â€ The blonde took Amberâ€™s black gloved hand and patted it. â€œYouâ€™re what my Lesser Noble refers to as a chrysalisâ€”the transition from disgusting worm to beautiful butterflyâ€”and you must be close to spreading your wings.â€

Amberâ€™s smile faltered at the corners. â€œIâ€™m afraid youâ€™re all quite mistaken. Iâ€™m the caterpillar.â€

They gasped and backed off a step. The blonde woman dropped her hand and wiped hers on her dress, glaring at her as though she had been the one to take hold of her.

â€œA human.â€ The dark haired one sneered and flicked her long locks behind her shoulder, revealing a set of scars on her neck.

The three women turned their backs on her, looped their arms together, and moved off as one, disappearing into the black-clad crowd.

Heat burned through Amber, a remnant of her dream. Kearn had bitten her neck. She had worn marks just like that woman. If she did in reality, would Kearn treat her differently? Was he merely courting her with the intention of sending her through the transition and then discarding her until she had become like him?

No. He wanted to protect her, even from himself. He had slipped tonight and allowed a glimmer of his feelings to shine through, but she was sure that he wasnâ€™t out to make her into a vampire.

She turned to look for Kearn and found Duke Montagu standing before her. Instinct whispered that it was dangerous for her to be alone with him. He frowned over her head towards the women and then at her, his red eyes intent and cold behind his black mask. He was over one thousand years old. How powerful did that make him?

â€œI hope they have not upset you,â€ he said with charm and grace. â€œIf they have, I will see to it that the young Venator is punished.â€

Amberâ€™s eyes darted towards Kearn. He stood a few metres behind the duke, a glass of champagne in his hand. His eyes were wide. Stunned? She couldnâ€™t feel anything of the sort. He could definitely control the connection between them and had shut her out again.

â€œI was not offended.â€ She smiled, not wanting him to punish Kearn for what he had done. It was an honour to have such a noble man lower himself to her regardless of the rules.

There wasnâ€™t a trace of cruelty in the dukeâ€™s smile this time. His red eyes held hers.

â€œJealousy is such an ugly thing.â€ His eyes narrowed as his smile widened. â€œThe presence of such a beautiful creature will always upset those desiring to attain beauty beyond their grasp.â€

Amber wished that Kearn had been the one to say those words. If he had been standing before her, telling her again how beautiful she was, she would have kissed him. She wouldnâ€™t have cared if they had thrown them out for it either.

She glanced past the duke to Kearn. He no longer looked stunned. The warm edge to his eyes told her that he believed the dukeâ€™s words and what he had told her earlier. When he looked at her like that, with a shine to his green eyes and a smile starting to tease at his lips, she felt as beautiful as he painted her to be.

She blushed and looked back at the duke. He stared in the direction of the three women.

â€œThey had hoped to believe you almost a vampire, desiring that they would become as beautiful as you on their transition, and that their master would show them such attention.â€ His gaze dropped to her and a serious look replaced his smile. â€œThey are still foolish enough to believe it will happen. What they will find when they join us is nothing more than they have nowâ€”empty vanity and a male who will move on to a new female.â€

The women had been nasty to her once they had realised that she was human but she felt sorry for them. They only wanted their vampire to love them. They were alike in that respect. She barely knew Kearn but she was falling for him, and she wanted him to fall for her too. She had come here tonight with the intention of keeping his attention on her, desiring him to be as lost in her as she felt in him. Regardless of their differences and the fact they walked in two different worlds, she wanted to be with him.

â€œBut you,â€ Duke Montagu said. â€œIf you changed, you would attain that beauty and the heart of your Noble. You would rule absolute.â€

A shiver danced through her and her gaze roamed to Kearn. Would she really win his heart that way?

No trace of denial touched Kearnâ€™s features. His eyes were open, allowing her to read his feelings in them, but she couldnâ€™t decipher them and she desperately wanted to.

â€œI said a Noble.â€ Duke Montaguâ€™s tone was darker, commanding, and her gaze snapped back to him. â€œNot a Venator. Such a creature is unworthy of you. I spoke of someone like myself.â€

In the corner of her vision, Kearnâ€™s eyes turned vivid red.

Duke Montagu raised an eyebrow and his gaze slid to the side, towards Kearn, but he didnâ€™t turn to face him.

â€œYou dare to threaten me, Venator?â€ The dukeâ€™s voice was pure ice. His red eyes narrowed behind his mask.

Kearnâ€™s irises melted back to green and he lowered his head.

Duke Montagu held his hand out to one side, towards the dance floor.

The music stopped.

The crowd parted and left the large dance floor bare.

â€œAllow me to show you how a true Noble behaves.â€

Amber looked at Kearn.

He cast his gaze to one side. She could feel hurt inside her, a dull ache in her chest, that wasnâ€™t just hers.

She followed Duke Montagu onto the dance floor, her heart too heavy to care whether she made a fool of herself. When she stopped opposite the duke in the middle of the dance floor, she glanced back at Kearn.

He was watching her now.

She wanted to go to him and tell him that he was worthy of her.

She didnâ€™t want the duke or anyone else for that matter.

She only wanted him.

Remember you can download Forbidden Blood for FREE today on Amazon Kindle!

Forbidden Blood
Felicity Heaton
In a dark world where vampires exist and where Source Blood, a rare human blood type, can bestow godlike powers upon them, the vampire Venators of the Sovereignty fight to protect the humans by banishing those who drink it to the endless dark.

Exiled from his family and with only his duty to sustain him, Kearn has been on the trail of an elusive Source Blood abuser for three years. When he saves a beautiful human female from the vampireâ€™s grasp, it turns out sheâ€™s the lead heâ€™s been waiting for. Amber is a Source Blood and the perfect bait, but for who?

As they race to catch the vampire and survive the cruel games he plays, Amber is pulled deeper into Kearnâ€™s world and discovers the painful secrets he hides behind his handsome but emotionless exteriorâ€”hurt that she has the power to heal if she is brave enough.

Forbidden Blood is book one in the Vampire Venators series and a dark, sensual tale of betrayal, revenge and a love that knows no bounds.

FREE on Amazon Kindle this weekend!

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My favourite scene from Her Dark Angel

Posted on 7th April 2012 by Felicity Heaton

My next favourite scene is from Her Dark Angel and this time it wasn’t difficult for me to choose it… it was difficult to know when to stop!

My Favourite Scene From…

Her Dark Angel

Apollyon perfected his image, smoothing his long black hair back into his neat ponytail and tightening the knot of his blue tie. Serenity walked beside him through the dark streets. Her plan was simple, yet likely to be effective. He glanced across at her, taking in how different she looked in her short black sleeveless dress that hugged her breasts and flared out from the waist, and the black high heels. She had tied her blonde hair up into a loose chignon. Dark kohl lined her eyes and her lips were stained red, adding to her allure.

It had been difficult not to look at her before, but now it was impossible. She drew his eyes to her and he didnâ€™t want to look away. He wanted to stare at her forever.

He reminded himself that it was alright now. He was supposed to look at her, to be attentive and charming, to be romantic with her.

â€œHeâ€™ll be here.â€ The tremble in her voice betrayed the nerves he could easily feel in her.

Was she having second thoughts? Her form of revenge was far more gentle and lenient than his. He could happily cast her unfaithful lover into the bottomless pit to suffer there with the Devil and the other sinners.

Her heartbeat quickened. He looked ahead, following her gaze, and saw the neon sign. She had mentioned the club to him. It was one she had frequented with the man called Edward. Apollyon had yet to get a description of his target but she would do better and point him out if the man was in the club.

â€œI shouldnâ€™t be asking you to do this.â€ Serenity stopped and turned to face him. â€œItâ€™s really not right.â€

â€œYou are only asking me to pretend that I am your new lover. It will be an easy charade, and it will not contravene any law of the contract that lies between us.â€ He smiled at her and she nodded. Nothing could contravene the laws of their contract. He hadnâ€™t invited her to create any or made any of his own. Whatever she desired of him, she would have.

Sin or no sin involved.

And he was fine with that.

Serenity moved closer to him. He had forgotten how good females smelt. Her light perfume teased his senses with its floral notes, and lured him to her as much as her appearance. She had never looked this beautiful in the pool.

She went to move away but he caught her wrist and she stopped.

â€œYou are nervous.â€ He grazed his fingertips over her skin, enjoying the silky warm feel of her. Whenever he touched her, he didnâ€™t want to let her go. He wanted to run his hands over every inch of her and feel the subtle differences across her body, studying her and memorising every supple plane and curve.

â€œYou would be too if you were about to walk into a club with an angel on your arm.â€ There was a hint of a joke about her tone but he knew that she was being serious. His appearance to her disconcerted her.

â€œI do not look like an angel to them.â€ He took hold of her shoulders and turned her to face the dark window of the shop behind her.

Her eyes widened. Whatever ability she had, she evidently couldnâ€™t see through an illusion he cast on something else. He was projecting his image onto his reflection, so she would see what other mortals did when they looked at him.

â€œYou look like that?â€

He nodded and leaned forwards until his chest was close to her shoulders, and looked down at her face.

â€œDoes my reflection satisfy you?â€

She looked at him over her shoulder, her face close to his. â€œI think I prefer to see you as you are.â€

The honesty in those words touched his heart. His gaze fell to her lips and he stepped back, away from the temptation they presented.

â€œYou have taste though,â€ she said and he looked back at her. â€œIn suits and in armour.â€

Apollyon smiled. â€œIf you are satisfied, then let us begin your revenge.â€

He held his hand out to her, only meaning for her to take it as a hint to go to the club rather than for her to hold it but she slipped hers into it. Her hand was small in his, delicate. He held it and walked with her to the club, trying to remember if he had ever held someoneâ€™s hand before. If he had, it was too long ago to recall and it couldnâ€™t have felt this good. He wouldnâ€™t have forgotten it if it had.

The man on the door stepped aside the moment they neared. Serenity looked at him. He shrugged. Some mortals were easier to use compulsion on than others. The bouncer had been an easy target. A message sent straight into the manâ€™s head saying that he wanted to let the beautiful woman pass had been enough to make him lift the red velvet rope for them.

Apollyon led her down into the dark interior of the basement club and then she moved in front of him when they reached the crowded space at the foot of the stairs. Blue neon lit the black bar, white spotlights casting pale light over the bartenders and the patrons gathered there.

Serenity walked further into the club and Apollyon put his surroundings to memory. The dance floor was small and busy with mortals performing what he could only interpret as clothed sex. Blue strobes and lasers made their movements stuttered and broken. Clusters of tall round black tables surrounded by stools lined the edges of the room. Most of them were full. The music was too loud, a fast and hard beat that made him miss the relative peace of Hell.

Serenity stopped again and he bumped into the back of her. The feel of her warm body against his stirred him as badly as the coffee had done and he backed off a step so she wouldnâ€™t notice. She looked over her shoulder at him and motioned with her eyes towards the dance floor.

If she expected him to be able to pick out Edward from a crowd, she was overestimating his abilities.

She took hold of his arm and he felt her fingers against his skin rather than the jacket of his suit. She could reach through his glamour too. He burned where she touched, growing hungry for more, for her to touch other parts of him.

He was starting to see why his fellow warriors had pledged themselves to mortal women.

She tiptoed, her breasts pressing against his arm and his chest, and he lowered his ear to her mouth when he finally clawed back enough sense to realise that she wanted to say something to him.

â€œThe mousy haired man, white shirt, exposing far too much chest,â€ she shouted into his ear and he grimaced. He should have told her that he had sensitive hearing.

He looked for his target, gaze scanning the dancers, and zeroed in when he spotted him. He was showing far too much chest, his white shirt had at least the top three buttons undone, and he was dancing with a slender dark-haired woman in a revealing tight pale dress.

â€œIs that the female he betrayed you with?â€ He frowned. The woman was nothing compared with Serenity. His gaze shifted to her and she shook her head.

What sort of womaniser had Serenity been involved with? The thought of her with such a man made him desire to change plans and send the man to Hell after all.

â€œDo you want a drink?â€ she shouted over the noise of the music.

Apollyon shook his head. â€œI do not think alcohol would be wise. I have not tasted it before and I am not sure whether it is still forbidden.â€

Serenity looked past him to the bar. â€œWell, I need a drink.â€

â€œThen a drink you will have.â€ He released her hand. â€œI will be just a moment.â€

He heard her gasp when he disappeared. A woman looked right at him when he appeared in a space next to her, accidently knocking against her, and he smiled his apology. The anger that had been in her dark eyes disappeared in an instant.

â€œCan I buy you a drink, Handsome?â€ She fluttered her long lashes at him and smiled.

He had never been in the game but he knew when a woman was flirting. He looked over towards Serenity where she stood by the dance floor, staring over the heads of the crowd at him, the shock still on her face.

â€œI am here with someone.â€ He sensed the womanâ€™s gaze leave him.

She snorted. â€œReally, you ought to trade up.â€

Was she insinuating that Serenity wasnâ€™t good enough for him and that perhaps she was?

He laughed. He had never heard something so ridiculous. Why would he want to leave Serenity for the woman before him? Serenity was kind, warm, he looked back at her and his smile slowly fell as it began to dawn on him, and beautiful.

She really was beautiful.

And he wanted her.

He had never wanted a mortal woman before.

But he wanted her.

He flagged down the bartender and compelled him to make the same brightly coloured drink as the flirtatious woman had in front of her. The man made it and slid it across the bar to him. Apollyon took it and left, disappearing and reappearing beside Serenity.

She gasped again and then smiled when he held the drink out to her.

â€œI am not sure what it is.â€

â€œDid your new friend recommend it?â€ She was still smiling but there was something different about her.

Something darker that came with a strong sense of power.

Jealous?

â€œShe recommended something else and I refused.â€ He offered the drink again and Serenity took it this time, moved the small black straws around and then sucked on them.

Apollyon stared at her mouth, mesmerised as she removed the straws and licked her lips.

â€œGood?â€ he said and she nodded.

The power that had radiated from her disappeared and she smiled. He had never dealt with a witch before. Could she curse him? He wasnâ€™t sure if his own powers would stand against hers and he didnâ€™t want to find out.

The table nearest them became free and he placed his hand against her elbow, guiding her over to it. She slid into the tall black stool and placed her drink down on the round black table. Apollyon sat opposite her, watching her sip her drink and waiting.

The music continued to pound but soon changed to a new song. Some of the dancers left the floor and walked past them towards the bar. Apollyon reached across the table and placed his hand over Serenityâ€™s when Edward walked past.

He smiled at Serenity when he felt Edwardâ€™s gaze light on them and then he moved on. Her eyes widened and then she looked at Apollyon.

â€œDid he see?â€ She leaned towards him, affording him a glorious view down her black dress to her breasts.

Was she trying to tempt him?

â€œHe saw.â€ Apollyon looked over his shoulder, tracking Edwardâ€™s progress across the room.

Edward was shorter than him, and his build was slighter. He seemed plain in the face but it was difficult to tell in such poor light. He must have some good qualities to draw Serenity to him and make her care for him. Right now though, Apollyon couldnâ€™t see anything good in him. He saw only a sinner, a man to be punished and made to suffer, just as his mistress desired.

Edward reached the bar and looked back at him.

No, at them. He was looking at them. He would have seen that Serenity was with him and that they were more than just friends.

Serenity sipped her drink again and Apollyon grazed his thumb lightly over the back of her hand, staring at them. She didnâ€™t seem to mind him touching her, or was it all part of the act? His blue gaze rose to her face, studying her as she sucked on the two small black straws. Her blonde hair shone blue in the lights. The colour of them washed out her skin and made her make-up even darker.

She looked up from her drink and released the straws. Her smile teased him, curving her dark lips and tempting him to take this charade further just to see how she would react.

â€œWhat sort of spells can you cast?â€ he said over the noise of the music.

She slowly stirred her drink with the straws, staring into his eyes the whole time. Did she have to think that hard about it? Could she cast spells on men that made them her willing slave? If she could, he would swear that she had cast one on him.

â€œMy mother told me only to do magic that benefitted others, and I had until today.â€ She lifted the glass to her lips, pushed the straws aside, and took a long gulp of the drink. She set the empty glass down. â€œIâ€™ve done minor curses for people, spells to aid maternity and conception, and love spells of course.â€

Love spells.

Perhaps she had cast that spell on him.

She had never used magic to benefit herself before today.

He had seen enough of the world to know that she was unusual in that respect. Her warmth, her selflessness and kindness, spoke to his heart, making her more beautiful. She thought only of helping others when most who possessed her powers would use them to profit from other humans. Power was a drug to mortals. He had seen the effect it had on them. Another person with her abilities would have used it to make them rich, important and popular, lured in by the promises of false happiness it gave, addicted to it.

Serenity seemed immune to it, and when she had finally succumbed to using it for herself, it had been to heal the pain in her heart and have vengeance. The hurt her ex-lover had caused her had driven her to use her power.

And Apollyon had heard her call and responded.

Perhaps he was the result of her spell after all. Her magic could have amplified her voice and he could have heard it because his focus had been on her at the time.

â€œYou are never tempted to use them?â€

She shook her head and then glanced away. â€œPerhaps sometimes.â€

Sometimes.

Her gaze snuck back to him, meeting his, and her cheeks darkened. It would have been impossible to see it if he hadnâ€™t been watching for it. She had considered a spell. On who? On Edward or on him? Revenge or love?

Serenityâ€™s other hand settled over their joined ones. It was cold from holding the glass but soon warmed on contact with his skin. She turned the hand beneath his, trapping his between hers.

â€œDo you think we should dance?â€ There was a nervous edge to her expression and her gaze flickered past him, over his shoulder.

â€œIs he still watching?â€ Apollyon could already feel the manâ€™s gaze on his back.

She nodded.

â€œThen we should definitely dance.â€

She hesitated. â€œIs it okay to dance… to do any of this?â€

How many times was she going to ask him the same question? His answer wasnâ€™t going to change. Whatever she wanted, he would do it.

Apollyon took hold of her hand, stood and walked around the table to her. His smile seemed to give her the answer that she was looking for, bringing another dark blush to her cheeks, and she slipped from her stool and followed his lead towards the dance floor.

The music was heavier now, harder, and slower. The people on the dance floor were bordering on clothed sex again and, for a moment, he wondered if it really was a good idea. He wasnâ€™t sure where a dance would lead, but the look in Serenityâ€™s eyes said that wherever it took them, it wasnâ€™t pretend.

He pulled her into his arms, so her hands were against his chest, and stood there with her, looking down into her wide eyes. Her pupils dilated, darkening her irises, full of passion and hunger that he could feel beating in her heart.

Whenever she let go of her nerves and of the fact that he was an angel, she was more confident, sensual in her movements and almost flirtatious in her air around him. He wanted her like that now, and not because it would make Edward jealous to see it.

Apollyon slid his hands down to her waist from her ribs, and over her hips. She felt too good beneath his touch. Her eyelids slipped to half-mast and her palms pressed against his chest, not on his suit but on his armour. Did she like the feel of his hands on her?

He tightened his grip on her hips and drew her against him, starting to move slowly to the heavy beat. Her hands slid up over his breastplate and then over his collarbones towards his neck. He shivered when she lightly swept her fingers across his shoulders, and stepped into him, her body moving against his. Each time they brushed, each step that had them rubbing against each other, drove him a little farther towards the edge of control.

Serenity slipped her hands around the back of his head, twirled the dark hair of his ponytail around her slender fingers, and then settled them against the nape of his neck. He shifted his hands, easing them around her back, until they met in the small of it, feeling the way her hips moved as she danced with him. Her leg slid between his and his between hers, and her eyes half-closed again when he brushed the apex of her thighs. He groaned and moved closer to her, eager to feel the whole of her body against his, his thoughts diving down routes they hadnâ€™t traversed in a long time. How good would she look naked? He wanted to explore every supple inch of her with his mouth and hands, wanted to worship her body until she cried his name and collapsed into his arms.

Apollyon stepped back a little, unable to bear the torture and needing a moment to breathe. He was too close to letting go.

Serenity stared into his eyes, hers full of invite, asking him to give in to her. He would do so willingly if he could be sure that this wasnâ€™t an act. It was a charade, nothing more than pretend so they would make Edward jealous. That was all it was.

So why did it feel so good to have her in his arms?

She ran her hands down over his biceps, slowly, her gaze following her right hand as it traced the curves of his muscles, and her heart beating faster, as though exploring his body excited her. Her eyes darkened and he could feel the hunger in her, could sense the growing need.

Why did his body burn wherever she touched?

His gaze flickered to her mouth.

And why couldnâ€™t he keep his eyes off her cherry red lips and his mind off how good it would feel to dip his head and kiss her?

It had been a long time since he had desired a woman, but he knew it had never felt like thisâ€”so strong and irresistible. He loved how she moved against him, her body brushing his, teasing him into submission, sending shiver after shiver over his skin and sending his temperature soaring. He loved the way she looked into his eyes and smiled at him, so full of honest emotions and desire. It didnâ€™t feel like an act.

It felt so real and he was sure that she would welcome a kiss from him.

It couldnâ€™t be the glamour because it didnâ€™t work on her. She had to be attracted to him.

She smiled up at him, her hands resting lightly by his elbows, burning him with her touch. He wanted to feel her hands on his chest but this time without his armour in the way. He needed her to touch him, to feel what she did to him and how hard she made his heart beat.

He moved against her, satisfying himself as much as he could in public and without overstepping the mark. She didnâ€™t seem to care. Her eyes slipped shut again when he ran his hands down to her backside and he groaned under his breath at the way the twin peachy globes moved beneath his fingers. He slid his hands lower, until he cupped her bottom, and drew her against him, so her hips were close to his.

He wanted her.

Her wide eyes met his, pupils swallowing her irises, and her lips parted.

He wanted to kiss her.

It couldnâ€™t be pretend.

He wanted to wrap her in his arms and his wings and never let her go.

What had she done to him?

What spell had she cast to make him like this?

Her fingertips caressed his arms, working back up to his shoulders, and she traced the line of the leather straps that held his armour in place. She toyed with the buckles, making his body tremble with the thought that he might get his wish and she might remove his breastplate and touch his bare chest.

He wanted that so much.

Her chest rose and fell with her hard breathing, luring his eyes there. Deep hunger bolted through him at the sight of her breasts pressing against her small black dress. He lost track of what they were doing, until they were only holding each other, staring into each otherâ€™s eyes, both of their hearts racing.

His gaze drifted back to her mouth and he couldnâ€™t fight the temptation.

Apollyon lowered his head towards hers, wrapped her in his arms, and tilted his head to kiss her.

She giggled.

He pulled back, frowning. She laughed then and wriggled against him. He groaned when her hip pressed against his aching erection.

She was beautiful when she laughed though. She brushed her shoulder and then down her arm, and he realised that it was his wings. He lifted one and swept the black feathers over her shoulder. She laughed in his arms, genuine and full of happiness.

She seemed to have forgotten her heartache.

They both seemed to have forgotten this was make believe.

If you want to read a little more about Apollyon and Serenity, and how that revenge turns out rather sweet for them both, Her Dark Angel is just $0.99 this weekend.

Her Dark Angel
Felicity Heaton
An angel without a mission, Apollyon lives trapped in Hell guarding the bottomless pit. Surrounded by endless darkness, he longs to fly free on Earth once more but his master hasnâ€™t called him in centuries. When the call finally comes, itâ€™s to serve a new master, a beautiful woman he has often watched over, a woman who has always captivated him.

Serenity is shocked when a gorgeous black-winged angel shows up in her city of Paris claiming that she called him when she was only casting a simple vengeance spell. Heâ€™s no other than the angel of death! When Apollyon offers to obey her and help her have revenge on her cheating ex-boyfriend, she canâ€™t resist the temptation, but can she resist him? Can an angel as dark as Apollyon ever fall for a mortal woman like her?

Dark, passionate and erotic, Her Dark Angel is a tale of intense desire and deepest forbidden love guaranteed to get your heart racing.

Posted in angel romance, Her Dark Angel, paranormal romance | Comments Off

Three FREE Paranormal Romance Ebooks on Amazon Kindle

Posted on 7th April 2012 by Felicity Heaton

I have a further three fantastic free paranormal romance ebooks for Amazon Kindle users to grab this weekend. The novels are free on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th April only, so be sure to download your copies asap, and don’t forget to tell all your friends so they can get themselves a copy of each book too.

Here are the free ebooks that I’m offering on Amazon Kindle.

Forbidden Blood is a dark, sensual tale of betrayal, revenge and a love that knows no bounds.

genre: paranormal vampire romance
length: 126000 words

genre: paranormal romance
length: 91000 words

In Heat: Mating Call
Felicity Heaton
The English winter weather has no chance of cooling Kim down when her dreams of Erik return, and this time theyâ€™re hotter than ever! Having spent the past two years waiting to be in heat again so she can mate with her black panther shape-shifter lover, Erik Blackwell, Kim is excited about the prospect that sheâ€™s ready at last. But thereâ€™s one thing that she isnâ€™t ready for…

The handsome white tiger shape-shifter that walks into their visions and then into their life, proclaiming himself to be her potential mate too!

Torn between two lovers and unable to stop herself from joining in the carnal pleasures in their visions, will Kim be able to resist the lure of Kristian in real life? Will Erik believe everything that happens or will he see past the lies to the truth and fight for the woman he loves?

genre: paranormal shape-shifter romance
length: 63000 words

Don’t forget to grab your free copies of my other paranormal romance books too…

Vampire for Christmas
Felicity Heaton
It was one last mission. Shannon, a demon hunter with the agency, is looking forward to leaving behind the small town and the vampire sheâ€™s been stuck with for the past two years. Things are getting complicated fast and she wants out. A fresh start, free of her vampire partner, awaits her if she can survive their final mission and the lonely Christmas holidays.

It was one last mission. Rafe, a vampire doing time with the agency, watches it approach with dread weighing heavily in his stomach. Two years of working with Shannon has been difficult, especially since he started falling for her, but he doesnâ€™t want their partnership to end. He has barely a few days to make her face her feelings and stop her from leaving, and he intends to do just that.

When a slimy demon threatens the season of peace and goodwill, itâ€™s the chance Rafe has been waiting for and the moment Shannon secretly fears. Rafeâ€™s determination to prise open her heart and her own resolve to keep it closed clash as violently as they do with the demon, and threatens to end as messily.

Can Rafe make Shannon see that his love for her is real and that she feels something for him too? Can Shannon face her fears and her past, and stop herself from running away from both? Will a wish on a star bring her what her heart truly desiresâ€”a vampire for Christmas?

Available as a FREE direct download:
.mobi | .epub | .pdf

Or get the FREE ebook from:
Amazon Kindle Stores:
UK only

Apple Stores:
iBookstore US | iBookstore UK | iBookstore Australia | iBookstore Canada

Other Retailers:
Barnes and Noble | Sony Reader Store | Smashwords

Reunion
F E Heaton
The Law Keeper for the Venia bloodline, Marise doesnâ€™t want to return home but duty dictates that she must investigate the attempt on her lordâ€™s life by another vampire.

When she sets eyes on her lord, Marise realises that she might have been called for another reason and that the attack on her lord might not have been by a vampire after all. Her only source of information is a guard who was mortally wounded during the attack, a guard who turns out to be the man who broke her heart fifty years ago.

The sight of Jascha so close to death triggers a battle in Mariseâ€™s heart that will see her struggle to turn her back on him and her family again, and maintain her sense of duty. Is fifty years enough to forgive the one you love for breaking your heart? Will Marise finally confess to everything sheâ€™s held inside and kept hidden from him? And can Jascha convince Marise to listen to what he has to say and make her love him again?

Available as a FREE direct download:
.mobi | .pdf

Or get the FREE ebook from:
Amazon Kindle Stores:
US / World | UK

Apple Stores:
iBookstore US | iBookstore UK | iBookstore Australia | iBookstore Canada

Other Retailers:
Barnes and Noble | Sony Reader Store | Smashwords

Posted in Amazon Kindle, Apple iBookstore, Ascension, Barnes and Noble Nook, forbidden blood, free stories, paranormal romance, shapeshifter romance, urban fantasy, vampire romance | Comments Off

My favourite scene from Heart of Darkness

Posted on 6th April 2012 by Felicity Heaton

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 couldnâ€™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 hadnâ€™t done a good enough job. Heâ€™d said that she had but she didnâ€™t believe him. If she had done her job properly, he wouldnâ€™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.

â€œCome.â€ 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 hadnâ€™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 wasnâ€™t only that he was hurt. She feared that he had seen things in her blood.

He didnâ€™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 wasnâ€™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 didnâ€™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.

â€œStay,â€ he whispered and she looked at him over her shoulder. He was still staring at the fire.

â€œWhat are my orders?â€ she said, trying to draw a reaction from him. His expression didnâ€™t shift, not even to show the slightest sign of emotion.

â€œOrders? No orders.â€ 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 couldnâ€™t fathom his feelings. He was too old for her to read easily. â€œSit a while. I need company.â€

She didnâ€™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 heâ€™d made it clear that they werenâ€™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 didnâ€™t want to be too close to the flames. Aleksandr didnâ€™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 didnâ€™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 Aleksandrâ€™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 wasnâ€™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.

â€œAre you in pain, Sir?â€

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 didnâ€™t belong with him, and they certainly didnâ€™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.

â€œYou worry about it.â€ 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. â€œYou 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.â€

Did she? She didnâ€™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.

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

â€œI do not,â€ 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. â€œYou seem tired, Sir.â€

â€œIf 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.â€

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 didnâ€™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 didnâ€™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 couldnâ€™t be her lover.

But he could be a man.

A friend for now at least.

â€œWhy does sleep elude you?â€ 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 wasnâ€™t. The werewolves didnâ€™t suffer the call of darkness as her kind did, as Aleksandr did.

â€œI have not had that dream in many years,â€ he whispered to the fire and pressed his fist against his lips. â€œIt has not shaken me in decades.â€

â€œDream?â€ 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.

â€œKatyaâ€™s death.â€ 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 hadnâ€™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 Aleksandrâ€™s heart, and made her want to cry.

â€œElise?â€ 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.

â€œYou seem to take offence at the sound of my sisterâ€™s name,â€ he said in a quiet voice and Elise felt like a fool. â€œDo not worry so much. There is room in my dark heart for you both.â€

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.

â€œEkatarina Nemov.â€ She needed to be sure that they were talking about the same person and that his sisterâ€™s death was the reason he was so upset.

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

Elise waited for him to continue. She didnâ€™t know the full story behind his sisterâ€™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 sisterâ€™s death.

â€œMy sister was younger than me,â€ 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. â€œShe was beautiful, kind, kept away from the violence of our species because she was female. She had never killed.â€

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.

â€œIt 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.â€

Elise didnâ€™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.

â€œI 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.â€ Aleksandr looked away again, at the fire, tears lining his eyes. They were gone when he blinked, erased as easily as his emotions. She couldnâ€™t feel his hurt now, couldnâ€™t sense anything from him.

â€œWhat happened to her?â€

â€œThere 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.â€ 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. â€œI could not save my sister and my heart could not rest until I had avenged her.â€

â€œYou hunted him.â€ It wasnâ€™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.

â€œI soaked my hands in blood and left my family so my actions did not taint their ideals or their name.â€

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 heâ€™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?

Wasnâ€™t he afraid of what his future held for him?

Aleksandr sighed and looked into the fire again, his gaze distant and thoughtful. She didnâ€™t press him to speak to her because she couldnâ€™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 didnâ€™t deserve to become evil, not when he had only been doing something honourable and beautiful in trying to avenge his sisterâ€™s needless horrible death.

â€œWhat do you think while you look at me with such intent, Elise?â€ He looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

â€œOnly 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.â€

He scoffed and waved her away. â€œNoble? 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.â€

â€œI still believe you are noble, Aleksandr.â€

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.

â€œYou still think like a prince in your heart,â€ she said and he frowned now, his eyes darkening with it. â€œDo 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.â€

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 didnâ€™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.

â€œYou are noble, Aleksandr. I will say it however many times it takes for you to believe it.â€

He rubbed his shoulder and she watched his hand, following his fingers and checking to see whether the wounds were aggravating him. He didnâ€™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.

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

She didnâ€™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?

â€œSpeak,â€ 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.

â€œWill you come to me?â€ He held his left hand out to her and her eyes fell there. â€œAllow me to hold you… only for a while… I only need to hold you.â€

Nerves skittered over her skin and her heart fluttered against her ribs. She couldnâ€™t see how it would help him and she wasnâ€™t sure if she trusted him to only hold her as heâ€™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 couldnâ€™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 Aleksandrâ€™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 wasnâ€™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.

â€œNo one will disturb us.â€ 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 wasnâ€™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.

â€œI just need to hold you for a while, if that is alright with you?â€ 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 hunterâ€™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 wasnâ€™t sleeping but it felt as though he might be. He was a dead weight on her chest but Elise didnâ€™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 wasnâ€™t going to push her into doing anything. She was too weak for him. If he kissed her, she wouldnâ€™t be able to resist him, no matter how much sense told her to. Her heart would always overrule her head.

Aleksandrâ€™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.

â€œDo not worry so much,â€ 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. â€œYou are disturbing me with it.â€

She didnâ€™t mean to. It was difficult to control her emotions when they were in each otherâ€™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 wasnâ€™t afraid. She felt so incredibly comfortable with him and a part of her wished it wouldnâ€™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 wasnâ€™t sure why. She had never thought to ask him and now didnâ€™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.

â€œI am sorry, I have kept you here all day,â€ 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.

â€œThank you.â€ He reached up and swept the backs of his right fingers across her cheek, a slight frown marring his brow. â€œYou are tired. Sleep. I will take a different guard tonight.â€

Those words forced any shred of tiredness from her. â€œI donâ€™t understand. You said we were off duty tonight. Youâ€™re not hunting?â€

He nodded. â€œI must.â€

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

â€œIâ€™m not tired,â€ she said so fast that it was almost one word. â€œIt is my duty to guard you.â€

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

She hadnâ€™t forgotten, just as she hadnâ€™t forgotten that he had seen things in her blood too, things that he wouldnâ€™t tell her about. Did he know her feelings for him and her fears? She wasnâ€™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?

â€œYou are tired too, Sir.â€ She quickly corrected herself when he glared at her. â€œAleksandr.â€

â€œWe are far too intimate now for such formal terms.â€ 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. â€œElise.â€

She blushed at the way heâ€™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.

â€œYou 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…â€ Elise placed her hand against his injured shoulder, looked at it and then back into his eyes. â€œYou are not healed yet.â€

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.

â€œI will rest, but only because you have asked me to.â€

It shocked Elise that he would take such a command from her and she couldnâ€™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 didnâ€™t want it to be the latter. Couldnâ€™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 wasnâ€™t going to be any different now that Aleksandr was in her heart. She could take care of herself. She didnâ€™t want to change. She didnâ€™t want him to make her into something that she wasnâ€™t and could never be.

â€œCome,â€ he said and she stood, leaving the comfort of his lap and quickly distancing herself. The look he gave her said that heâ€™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 didnâ€™t bother to do up the buttons.

Elise wasnâ€™t sure what to do. She considered apologising for hitting him before he had left for Budapest, but now wasnâ€™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 couldnâ€™t do it now, not when she was wrestling with her desire to kiss him. She couldnâ€™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.

â€œGet some sleep. The sun is only just setting. There is time before the ball.â€ 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 hadnâ€™t been for the events of today, she would have been convinced that he didnâ€™t want her anymore. But he did. His desire was unchanged, so what was different?

A quiet voice said that it was what heâ€™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 wouldnâ€™t get her anywhere though. He wasnâ€™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 / Â£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 wonâ€™t stop until the last of the vampire hunterâ€™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. Itâ€™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 bloodlineâ€™s mansion. She knows all about Aleksandr but none of it prepares her for how she feels when the legendary princeâ€™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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Posted in Heart of Darkness, paranormal romance, vampire romance | Comments Off

My favourite scene from Love Immortal

Posted on 6th April 2012 by Felicity Heaton

My first favourite scene is from a book that provides a perfect example of that. Love Immortal has many scenes that I really love and would like to share with you, but I had to pick just the one from this epic vampire romance novel, so here it is…

My Favourite Scene From…

Love Immortal

Lauren paused when she heard the door close. Hot water bounced of her hands where they were frozen against her head, halfway through rinsing the shampoo out of her hair. She focused and was surprised when she could feel there was someone in her bedroom. It was similar to how she had felt the night that Julian had saved herâ€”an indescribable sensation in the pit of her stomach. That time it had said she was in danger. This time it was the opposite. A strange aura of calm washed over her.

Julian.

The bathroom door was open. She hadnâ€™t been expecting company, but she wasnâ€™t about to leave the shower now that company had walked in uninvited. It seemed like forever since sheâ€™d had a shower and the hot water running over her body felt too good to give up. She was willing to risk something happening. She didnâ€™t have a perfect figure like Astra, or come anywhere close to her in the beauty stakes, but she wasnâ€™t ashamed of her figure either. Although some bits needed work in the toning department, she was still the average weight for her five feet seven inch frame. Would Julian think she had an attractive body if he caught a glimpse?

A butterfly didnâ€™t jig in her stomach, a whole army of them rushed around, sending it spinning like a hurricane. It wouldnâ€™t settle, not when her thoughts were fixed on their current favourite topicâ€”Julian.

Heâ€™d been a perfect gentleman so far and didnâ€™t seem the type who would take advantage of a situation like this, even if she did want him to.

â€œHow long have you known these Ghosts?â€ Lauren hollered over the noise of the shower.

Silence. She listened for a while and started to wonder if she had been wrong about him being in her room.

â€œFive years.â€ His voice was so clear and loud that she jumped.

He was in the bathroom.

Her heart started at a canter and rapidly increased to a gallop. She breathed deep to slow it again, knowing that Julian could hear it. He didnâ€™t mention the change in it this time.

Lauren stared at the white shower curtain. Where in the room was he? She shook her head. Her heart was never going to settle if she thought about him. Leaning back, she tilted her head under the water. The hot beat of it against her hair quickly stole her attention away from Julian. It was exquisite, easing all of the tension from her body and re-invigorating her.

She let out a long low groaning sigh of satisfaction.

Her cheeks burned with the blush that covered every naked inch of her. Her attention shifted back to Julian. Suddenly, she was very aware of the fact that she was nude and alone with him. Her mind leapt forwards, imagining the possibilities. Passionate, hot images of him in the shower with her, their naked bodies entwined and his lips on her throat, sent fire sweeping through her body and her heart pounded out a rapid rhythm.

She really needed to get a life. Julian had barely looked at her, let alone shown much interest. The small more courageous part of her said that he might show a little interest if she accidentally on purpose tugged the shower curtain aside enough to flash him, or fell in the bath so heâ€™d come to check on her.

Lauren ignored it.

â€œCan you hand me a towel?â€ She squeezed the water out of her hair with one hand and turned the shower off with the other.

A white fluffy towel greeted her when she turned around, Julianâ€™s arm sticking through the gap between the shower curtain and the tiles. Lauren went to take it from him and then froze when she saw the scars on his wrist.

An incredible urge to bite him rushed through her, sweeping up from below and engulfing her. It was exhilarating.

She snatched the towel and wrapped it around herself. It was wrong. She didnâ€™t want to think about the blood-drinking aspect of the awakening. She wasnâ€™t sure how she was going to take to it. The thought repulsed her. Her body said different. The sudden desire to bite Julian had left it warm in all the good places. She tucked the end of the towel in, making a fuss of it to distract her from such disturbing thoughts, and then pulled the curtain aside. Julian looked up, most of his face still hidden beneath his coat collar. He was so close to her.

Fire flickered in his blue eyes. A hunger that both confused and pleased her. When he looked at her like that, she felt beautiful. She just didnâ€™t know what he felt.

Lauren stepped out of the bath and walked over to the sink. She grabbed another towel and rubbed her near shoulder-length red hair. Julian stood behind her, reflected in the cabinet mirror. Not a vampire then. In all the stories sheâ€™d read, vampires didnâ€™t have reflections. She looked at him, meeting his gaze in the mirror and studying his face. She longed to see what he looked like. His eyes were stunning under the bright light of the white bathroom, so pale and icy but holding such incredible warmth. He looked away towards the bath. The long black strands of his hair obscured his eyes but she didnâ€™t miss the way they narrowed and his pupils widened. She swallowed. Had he sensed the way sheâ€™d reacted to the sight of his marks? Heâ€™d said that he could sense her. Could he detect such things? Did he know that she wanted to bite him, and that just the thought of it bordered on arousing?

He stepped to one side when she turned around and she walked past him into her bedroom. She picked up her backpack from the white armchair in the corner, determined to distract herself from thoughts of biting Julian and acting on her desires, and placed it down on the bed. Heat touched her cheeks as she pulled a fresh pair of knickers out of her bag and thought about the fact that Julian had packed them for her. Heâ€™d touched her underwear. She cleared her throat and quickly pulled some clothes out and set them down on the blue bedcover. They were all of her favourites. She was glad of that. They made everything feel a little more normal.

Lauren sat on the bed beside them. When she had gone through her bag this morning, sheâ€™d found her mobile phone. Sheâ€™d checked it then and again this evening. It was dead. She glanced at Julian where he stood by the bathroom door and then looked at the three sets of drawn blue curtains to her left. She wanted to ask Julian if she could call her friends to let them know that she was safe, but already knew what his answer would be. He would tell her that it might place both herself and her friends in danger, and a part of her knew that he was right, but she needed to contact them. They would be worried about her by now. She worked with one of her friends, Vicky, pushing paper in an office, and was sure that when she hadnâ€™t shown up for work, Vicky would have tried to call her.

â€œSomething is troubling you.â€ The sound of his voice still sent a shiver of delight through her. Was it a Greek accent? It had probably changed throughout the ages but he still sounded foreign to her. Exotic.

â€œYou said that you were a commander of some men.â€ It seemed like a better topic of conversation than her friends. She would find a way to check on them and let them know that she was alright.

â€œArcadians,â€ he said and moved across the room. He stopped a few feet short of her, tall and towering, menacing in a way but not one that frightened her. She liked his presence, the way she could sense him when he was near to her, and the way that made her feel. His strength, his power, radiated through her. It wasnâ€™t just comforting or calming. It was more than that. It stirred desire in her. Everything about him was alluring. Everything about him said that he wouldnâ€™t hurt her.

He would protect her, just as heâ€™d promised. Her knight in shining armour.

â€œMy protectors.â€ Her eyes met his. The fire in them grew stronger. He narrowed them on her and she swore they had fallen lower, towards her towel, for just a brief second. She stood and the action put her close to him, to within a foot. Heat spread through her along with a desire to lick her lips.

Her fingers twitched again, desperate to lower his collar. She was strong enough to do this. She stepped past him instead and when she turned back around, Julian was sitting on the edge of the bed, his sword lying beside his hip. She crossed the room to the three tall windows and opened the middle set of curtains a crack. It was still dark out but it was heading towards dawn. Where had Julian gone tonight? She glanced at him and then went to the armchair and dragged it across the room so it was facing him. She sat in it and stared at him.

â€œIllia was given two hundred men, her army. Arcadians have always worshipped Zeus, and my men and I have always worshipped Selene. It was an honour to be chosen by Zeus and Selene to protect Illia. I was honoured to serve my goddess, Selene.â€ Julian paused and glanced at the window and then back at her. The fire in his eyes had faded but reignited again while he looked at her, his gaze boring into hers. â€œKnow that they fought and died for you, just as I died for you, and continue to fight for you. We lived to serve you.â€

Lauren swallowed hard, trying to keep her emotions in check. It was strange to hear someone say that they had died for her. It made her heart flutter. She reminded herself that Julian had died for Illia. He hadnâ€™t died for anyone else since then. Would he go that far for anyone other than Illia herself? Would he die to protect her?

â€œAnd I was your commander?â€ she said with a quiver in her voice.

â€œYou are my commander.â€

She swallowed again.

Julian frowned at her, his gaze dropping to her chest the same way it had done in the hall when they had first come to Ghost, and then rising to her face again. He was listening to her heartbeat. It was off the scale at the thought that he might die to protect her, and at the thought of having to be his commander.

Whoever sheâ€™d been back then, she wasnâ€™t that person now. Her entire body felt tight at the thought of having to make decisions that could get someone killedâ€”that could get Julian killed.

â€œI donâ€™t want to be,â€ she admitted and felt better for it but worse at the same time. There was a glimmer of something horribly like disappointment in Julianâ€™s eyes. It faded an instant later, erased like all his other emotions were when they began to show. â€œIâ€™m not strong enough.â€

Meeting Julian and the others had made her painfully aware of that. She couldnâ€™t compare to any of them. Even Piper, who feared monsters, desired to go into battle because of her faith in her fellow Ghosts and her sense of duty.

She was braver than Lauren.

Julian leaned forwards, his elbows coming to rest on his knees. She could see down his collar. The light was dull but she could see enough to tell that he was good looking. Her gaze darted to the lamp beside her bed. If she could just turn that on, she would see him properly at last. She would see that her instinct about him had been right.

He was more handsome than anyone sheâ€™d ever met.

Her heart skipped.

A soft look entered his eyes, his expression earnest and open.

â€œI am your guardian, Lauren,â€ Julian said in such a calm and gentle tone that the tight feeling inside her began to melt away. She liked how he said her name, pronouncing it slowly and carefully as though he was savouring it. â€œI would bleed myself dry if you willed it. I am yours to command. It is not a matter of strength, but if you believe it is, then use mine until you find your own.â€

Her heart thudded now, hard and heavy against her ribs. God, could this man be any more wonderful? All of her tension melted and her bones began to follow it. Warmth glowed inside her, happiness that this man believed in her even though he barely knew her. He believed that she was strong and she could feel the truth in his words. He would do everything he said. He would lend her his strength, and he would bleed himself dry for her.

â€œWould you really do that? Bleed yourself dry?â€ she said, captivated by the romantic notion of him doing anything for her, even risking his life. She wanted to hear him say it again.

His pale eyes narrowed slightly and she couldnâ€™t take hers away from them. There was something about his eyes. She could look into them for forever. The world could end and she wouldnâ€™t care if he were looking at her as he was now.

â€œIf you desired it,â€ Julian husked. Tingles chased down her back, spreading through her. â€œMy blood is yours. If you needed it all, you would have it.â€

Even when he talked about blood, she felt intensely drawn to him, willing to do whatever he asked if he could promise her eternity with him. It was crazy. Insane. She didnâ€™t know enough about him to be dreaming that kind of future. Perhaps sheâ€™d been alone too long. But then, a man had never looked at her the way that Julian did.

With love.

With intense passion.

With need that said he might die without her.

If he kept looking at her like that, she would go through with the awakening just so he would continue.

â€œHow much blood do I normally needâ€¦ to awaken?â€

â€œEnough that I am too weak to protect you. Should Lycaon attack, we will be vulnerable.â€

Those words sent an unpleasant shiver through her and made her realise that she didnâ€™t like the idea of Julian bleeding himself dry for her after all. She didnâ€™t want him to die. She wanted him to live. Even the thought of her awakening weakening him left her cold. Had he learned from experience that they were vulnerable during her awakening?

â€œIs that why weâ€™re here?â€ Lauren leaned forwards a little, her eyes still locked on his, searching them for answers.

He nodded. â€œIt is. The Ghosts will protect us. They do not fully understand the situation, but they will not fail us should there be an attack.â€

â€œWould you fight?â€ That question made her stomach turn.

He nodded again, solemn and slow.

â€œWhy?â€ She sat back in the armchair, horrified by the thought that he would risk his life for her by fighting when he was weak.

â€œBecause my duty is to protect you.â€

Lauren didnâ€™t have a response to that. He really did believe in his duty, and heâ€™d carried it out for millennia. He knew his purpose in life and he was sticking to it. She knew hers and couldnâ€™t decide whether to embrace it or bury her head in the sand.

It wouldnâ€™t get her anywhere if she did that though. Burying your head in the sand didnâ€™t stop death.

Julian was still looking at her with a soft tenderness in his eyes. How far would he go for his duty? She tried to think of a way to test him, to plumb the depths of his dedication to her.

â€œWould you do anything I asked?â€ Lauren said cautiously, looking deep into his eyes to check if he was telling the truth when he answered.

He nodded again. The look in his eyes hardened for a moment and a shadow of pain crossed them. Lauren leaned forwards again. What had he been thinking? She hated seeing hurt in his eyes. When heâ€™d left her room this morning looking so sad, it had torn her apart inside with worry. Something terrible had happened to him in his past. It had to have to make him look at her as though he was dying inside.

â€œEven kill Lycaon?â€ she said.

â€œIf I could.â€ His voice was low and as cautious as hers had been.

â€œIf?â€

He took a deep breath and sighed. â€œIt is forbidden. The death of Lycaon is your duty and yours alone to carry out. I cannot interfere in that battle, just as Lycaon cannot interfere with my existence. When Illia died, Zeus realised his mistake. Zeus did what he could to help you. He made me immortal as you wished, and he made me invulnerable to the threat of Lycaon, but he could not change your curse to make you invulnerable to Lycaonâ€™s blade. He could only ensure that you would be reborn and that I would be there to awaken you.â€ Julian leaned closer, his eyes on hers, and then cast them downwards at the floor. â€œIf I could spare you from the horrors of battle, I would.â€

There was an edge to his voice. Lauren could read between the lines. He wanted to protect her and it seemed duty didnâ€™t have anything to do with it.

Lauren stared out at the night through the crack in the curtains of the middle window. The sky was growing light in the distance above the building opposite. The air in the room was heavy, hard to breathe, thick like tar in her lungs. She didnâ€™t know what to say. Did Julian want to protect her for another reason? Was that reason anything to do with the way he looked at her sometimes?

Did it have anything to do with her, or was there more to her reincarnation than she knew?

â€œAm I always the same when you meet me?â€ she said slowly, unsure of whether she wanted to know the answer to that question.

â€œYour instincts sometimes carry on,â€ he said in a distant tone. She continued to stare out of the window. â€œThere is a reason you are drawn to swords and combat.â€

â€œA shinai is very different to a real swordâ€¦ but when Iâ€™m facing my opponent in kendo, when Iâ€™m fighting, I feel a strange kind of peace, as though everything is right in the world. Is that my instincts too?â€ She glanced at his katana where it rested on the bed beside him. Sheâ€™d never held one before. How was she supposed to fight with a sword when she was used to nothing more than a glorified bamboo stick?

â€œPerhaps. The principle of combat is the same in real life as it is in kendo, and I will train you.â€

Her gaze darted to him long enough to see he was looking at the sword now, and then went back to the window and the beginning of dawn.

â€œI will see to it that you can fight, Lauren. Do not fear.â€

The niggling feeling of doubt and fear in her stomach disappeared. She was sure that he would keep his word and teach her how to fight. She just wasnâ€™t sure how good she would be at it. She was only at second grade level in kendo.

She pushed away her worries and watched the sky. The dawn was fast becoming beautiful, as peaceful as she felt inside. Pink traced the sky. Gold lined the scattered clouds.

â€œDo I always look the same?â€ It was the question sheâ€™d originally wanted to ask and the one that she feared the most.

â€œYes.â€ His eyes were on her now. She could feel them. A blush touched her cheeks and she was glad that the low light would hide it from him.

â€œSound the same?â€

â€œYes, but the language is often different.â€

Lauren looked at him, her heart on the verge of falling into her stomach. It had risen so high, so far into her throat that the drop was dizzying, like plummeting down a rollercoaster.

Julian had mentioned that Illia had changed him. She had desired him to live. In her heart, Lauren knew what that meant. Illia had loved Julian.

Had Julian loved Illia?

Lauren was just a carbon copy, a replication of the original that heâ€™d loved.

Her heart hit her feet. She frowned at the sky, trying to pretend that she found it interesting even though it had lost all its colour and warmth the moment sheâ€™d realised that all the looks Julian had given her were really about Illia.

She tried to say something but the words stuck in her throat. She coughed to clear it and then breathed deep in an attempt to steady herself so he wouldnâ€™t hear the hurt in her voice when she spoke.

â€œWill I remember my past lives when I awaken?â€ Her voice was still tight. She feared that he would notice her change in feelingâ€”her hurt. If he did, he didnâ€™t mention it.

â€œI do not know.â€ His gaze was still on her. She could feel it and she wished she couldnâ€™t. She wanted to make him leave. She ached for her old lifeâ€”for the time when sheâ€™d been normal, not some reincarnated demi-goddess. â€œSometimes you remember little things.â€

Lauren stared into the distance, hoping that she remembered nothing this time. The thought that she was continually reincarnated had begun to feel comforting but now it choked her. It made her feel small and insignificant. To Julian, she was just another Illia. It was probably instinct making her fall for him, not her real feelings.

She was such a fool.

Sheâ€™d been an idiot to think that someone like Julian would really look at her that way. When he looked at her, he was looking at Illia. Well, whatever he believed, she wasnâ€™t Illia. She didnâ€™t know who that woman was, but she was sure that Illia had been strong and brave and everything that Lauren wasnâ€™t.

Lauren wanted to laugh at herself but her gut twisted when she thought about Illia. She pressed her hand to it, surprised by the violent feeling. Jealousy had never hurt like this before.

Gentle fingertips against her jaw made her start. Heat danced around the spots they touched. Julian slowly brought her head around so she was facing him. Her gaze dropped to her bare feet. She couldnâ€™t look at him now. If he saw her feelings, she didnâ€™t know what she would do. Right now, she felt vulnerable and weaker than ever, and one wrong look from him could break her.

His fingers brushed through the strands of her wet hair, his caress tender and soft, very careful.

â€œYou seem so different this time,â€ he whispered and her heart started at a pace, lodging itself in her throat and trembling. â€œYour hairâ€¦â€

â€œItâ€™s dyed,â€ she said, eyes shooting to his.

â€œI know.â€ There was a faint hint of a smile in his shadowed face. Her insides flipped. What he said next made them jig and her head spin. â€œIt suits you. It brings out warmth in you that I have never seen before.â€

Her eyes widened. Warmth that heâ€™d never seen before? Were all her predecessors cold? Even Illia?

â€œI understand that this is difficult for you, Lauren. Each time you are so different, you react so differently, but it is always hard for you to come to terms with what is happening.â€ His fingers paused in her hair, resting gently against her scalp. His palm brushed her cheek and she was tempted to lean into it. â€œI should have reached you sooner. I am sorry that I took so longâ€¦ and that because of me you have less time to make your decision.â€

There was such an earnest look in the depths of his pale blue eyes, tinted with regret, that Lauren found herself reaching up and covering his hand with hers, wanting to comfort him. Her fingers closed over his, pressing into his palm. His hand was so warm.

â€œHow did you find me?â€

â€œI told you. I can sense things. That sense is strongest when it comes to you. It guides me to you.â€ He paused and drew a deep breath. This time, he didnâ€™t sigh. The hurt was back in his eyes. â€œI normally find you faster, but I wasâ€¦ delayed.â€

Lauren knew better than to probe into that answer. Whatever the delay had been, it had pained him. As much as she wanted to know, she couldnâ€™t ask. After the way heâ€™d looked at her this evening, she never wanted to hurt him.

Because he already held a world of pain in his eyes.

His hand left hers and she sat back, again becoming aware that she was only wearing a towel, only now she didnâ€™t care.

Lauren stared deep into Julianâ€™s eyes, mesmerised by every dark fleck against palest blue. A sense of calm filled her, as though sheâ€™d found a haven in a storm and knew that she was safe at last. The things heâ€™d told her lost their frightening edge. Everything seemed strangely normal.

Everything felt fine again.

Julian was immortalâ€”a vampire of sorts. Sheâ€™d lived thirty lifetimes and was on a mission to stop the king of werewolves before he managed to get revenge on the ancient Greek gods. Soon her latent abilities would awaken and she would become immortal again. Perfectly normal. Completely insane.

When she looked into Julianâ€™s eyes, the world was right again. When she looked into his eyes, strength surged through her and she was ready to take on Lycaon and defeat him at last.

It felt so warm and quiet here with him, drifting through her life one breath at a time, one heartbeat after another.

Lauren frowned.

â€œIs the hypnotism thing a power of yours too?â€ It had to be a power. He hadnâ€™t told her all of his abilities yet and she was sure that this was one of them.

â€œHypnotism?â€ His left eyebrow rose and then they both knitted into a frown.

â€œYeah. You did it the night we met and youâ€™re doing it now. When I look into your eyesâ€”â€ She cut herself off when it struck her that he wasnâ€™t hypnotising her. There was another possibility. She really did like him. First, the instant attraction, then the jealousy and now she turned into a daydreaming little girl whenever he looked into her eyes. She might as well just melt into a puddle around him. It was fortunate that she could speak or look at him at all without falling apart. Lauren chided herself. She was stronger than this. No man was about to reduce her to a quivering wreck. â€œForget I said anything.â€

The ardent way he looked at her sent a blush blazing across her cheeks. Standing, she turned away and walked into the bathroom, taking her clothes with her.

She stopped in front of the mirror and looked in the reflection at Julian. Her stomach flipped. He was watching her, his gaze drifting down her back towards her legs.

Was she really different to Illia? Warmer? If anyone would know, it would be Julian.

When Julian looked at her, did he see her or did he see Illia?

She hoped that he saw her.

Because when she looked at Julian, she saw a man who was stealing her heart piece by piece.

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

Only $0.99 from:

Amazon Kindle Stores:
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Interview with a demonic angel – Veiron

Posted on 6th April 2012 by Felicity Heaton

Over the course of my Birthday Bash weekend, I’m sitting down with some of my favourite heroes from my books to pick their brains about their stories and to get them talking about themselves. They will also be answering reader questions too!

If you want a hero to answer your question, leave it in a comment on the post and I’ll pass it on to the vampire / angel / demon / etc in question and he’ll answer it for you.

First of my interviews this weekend is with Veiron.

If you’re new to the Her Angel series or you haven’t read the latest book in the series, Her Guardian Angel, then you probably don’t know who Veiron is. I’ll paint you a pretty visual picture of this Hell’s angel. For starters, he’s a major character in Her Guardian Angel and also the hero of the next novel in the series, Her Demonic Angel.

Veiron was originally an angel of Heaven, but in the course of his current life he fell and pledged himself to the Devil instead. This caused part of his appearance to change. Veiron now has crimson feathered wings that match his long scarlet hair, and the red that can emerge in his dark eyes at times. He’s six-feet-plus of otherworldly beauty and often appears wearing his obsidian and crimson armour. At times when he loses his cool, his true appearance comes to the fore and his skin turns black, his eyes burn red and his teeth sharpen, and the feathers fall off his wings to reveal the dragon-like ones beneath. Veiron is dangerous, and has a vicious streak ten miles wide, but he’s also fiercely protective of those he cares about and would die to protect someone he loved.

Veiron’s book in the Her Angel series will be out in September 2012.

FH: I have Veiron here with me today. Firstly, can you tell us a little about yourself?

VEIRON: Charming. Gorgeous. Deadly. That’s me. (shrugs his broad shoulders) But I suppose you want more information than that. Why do I get the feeling this interview is going to leave me with a bitter taste in my mouth?

FH: You didn’t have to agree to it. Now, tell the lovely readers about yourself, or the bitterness you’ll be tasting in your mouth will be your blood after I sock you one.

VEIRON: (glowers) Are you threatening me, mortal female? I find it highly unlikely that you would hit me. You need me after all. You wouldn’t want to upset me. I’ll play along though because I do find you amusing. I was an angel. That’s what you want me to say, isn’t it? Shall I outline my fall from grace and every sordid thing I have done since? I was an angel… and yes, I fell. Worse than that, I pledged allegiance to the Devil and became one of his angels. Angels can fall and redeem themselves, but if they change sides and join with the Devil, there is no turning back until death claims them and they are reborn. When I die, I will return to Heaven. For me, that is not a comfort. I no longer do the Devil’s bidding. I have grown tired of him and the whole game between Heaven and Hell. I refuse to play anymore. I want to live a quiet life now and enjoy it. It is more difficult than you would think when you’re high on the hit list of both sides. (sighs) I won’t stop fighting for my freedom though, and I will have my vengeance.

FH: That was more of a moody statement of intent rather than talking about yourself, Veiron. You said you would play nice with me today. Now, answer my next question nicely. Your story is next in the series, but you had a role to play in the latest book too, Her Guardian Angel. Can you tell us about what happened in that story?

VEIRON: (huffs) Stage one of my revenge was successfully put into action. I have been through hell, no pun intended, with this eternal game between the two realms. Now I have finally given up going along with the Devil’s desires and have taken a stand with the help of Marcus, the hero in that particular story. Amelia is safe for now but who is to say how long this peace can last? There are already pawns in motion and plans unfolding. I won’t go down without a fight though. I won’t go back. Never again. We made a stand and no matter what happens, I’ll continue with what I’ve started.

FH: You’ve been through a lot in the past two thousand years, and have plenty of reason to be angry with a lot of people. Did it feel good to get your own back a little?

VEIRON: Insanely good. (grins) It is difficult to ignore the Devil. He holds sway over his minions as Heaven holds sway over the angels. Sometimes I find it hard to go against his orders but his power over me is weakening. He’s less than pleased with what I did but he’ll have to catch me if he wants to punish me, and since he can’t leave Hell, well… I guess he’s pretty *bleeped*. Did you just censor me?

FH: Yes. Not everyone wants to hear such foul language. I know you’re a Hell’s angel, but try to keep it clean. Can you give us any sneak peeks into your book in the Her Angel series?

VEIRON: Well, *bleep* me, I never knew you were such a prude about this sort of *bleeping* thing. Stop that.

FH: No! Now, answer my question.

VEIRON: *bleep* Hey! I didn’t even swear then. I said ‘fine’!

FH: Sorry. I was anticipating a rude word.

VEIRON: (huffs and shakes head) You have no faith in me. All Hell is breaking loose in my story. It’s pandemonium. The wheels were set in motion far quicker than any of us anticipated and we certainly didn’t expect that Erin would turn out to be a target. When Marcus and Amelia asked me to go to Hell, I knew it was important. They wouldn’t ask me to risk my neck going back down there if it wasn’t. I also knew that Marcus would never allow Amelia to head into Hell. It’s too dangerous for her. If she dies… well, we just have to keep her alive at all costs. I went because I knew the land well and could move around relatively undetected and with only minor problems as long as I stayed away from the Devil. I certainly wasn’t expecting to find such a beautiful and fiery woman as the object of my rescue mission.

FH: Your leading lady, Erin, goes through a lot in the story and is caught up in the same vicious game as you are. How did you feel when you met her, and when you realised that she was another pawn on the chessboard?

VEIRON: Erin is… well… she’s amazing. She’s beautiful, feisty, and really strong. She has to be. When I met her, I wasn’t sure how to feel. I knew she was different to anyone I’ve met before and I wasn’t blind or dumb enough not to notice that I couldn’t keep my eyes off her during our journey out of Hell. When we made it out and she was safe, and I realised that it wasn’t over, I was madder than hell. Erin is more than just another pawn. She’s so much more important than that, both to me and to the game between Heaven and Hell. I won’t let them have her though. I’ll protect her, no matter what it takes or the cost.

FH: That’s very romantic and very like you. You were involved with Taylor, who is now Einar’s woman, and you met her again in Her Guardian Angel, and in your story too. Was it difficult for you, especially in your story?

VEIRON: Yes. It was a nightmare. I was happy for her when I realised that she had found someone who could love her and give her everything that she wanted and needed in life. Einar is a good man and he takes care of her. I was no good for her. We were no good for each other. Being apart from her really hurt at first, but my duty meant a lot more to me back then and she didn’t want to be in Hell all the time, so it was never going to work. She was very understanding when I showed up on her doorstep with Erin, but I know it must have hurt her. I don’t think Einar was impressed, but at least he didn’t turn us away. Erin needed help and Einar was the safest person I could think of at the time.

FH: I’ll ask some fun questions now to brighten the mood and stop you from giving too much away. Describe yourself in one word?

VEIRON: Dashing. (grins)

FH: You would say that. I would have gone with evil, annoying, egotistical, vicious… anyway. What’s your favourite colour?

VEIRON: Red.

FH: Speaking of red. Is your scarlet hair colour natural?

VEIRON: Of course. I don’t dye it to match my wings and eyes if that’s what you’re thinking! The carpet matches the curtains.

FH: Thank you for that outburst of TMI. Weapon of choice?

VEIRON: Swords. It should be spears, but… I went off them after falling. I like swords… but my demonic weapon is a double-ended spear.

FH: Caffeine has rather stimulating effects on angels. You’re fallen and have gone over to the other side. Since you changed biologically, did it also change this about you?

VEIRON: What sort of question is that? That wasn’t a fun question, and you said I was doing the whole too much information thing and then ask that! I don’t really think it’s any of your business whether caffeine still has me rock hard in two seconds flat.

FH: So it does! (grins when he blushes so red he matches his hair) It’s good to hear that not everything changed about you when you switched sides.

VEIRON: *bleep* off. (grumbles) And stop saying I switched sides. It’s not as though I had much *bleeping* choice. It’s their fault that it happened and I will make them pay for it. They’ll pay for every time they *bleeped* me or someone I love, and I will bathe Hell in a river of blood before I’m through. And stop censoring me! You’re doing it on purpose now. I’m pretty certain some of what I said wasn’t a swear word. It was. You ‘bleeped’ when I said ‘wronged’. Oh, that’s low. Now it reads as though they were screwing me and those I love. Honestly. I said they’ll pay for every time they wronged me or someone I love… ah, so you didn’t bleep that one then, huh?

FH: (smiles) You love me really. Thank you for meeting with me today and chatting. Is there anything else that you’d like to add?

VEIRON: I really hope you’re not censoring every time I swear in my book, because that *bleep* will get pretty boring pretty quickly. Hah… man, you’re funny… Uh, Erin and Taylor said I had to be polite and tell you that it was lovely being interviewed by you and I had a great time. So, yeah, thanks and all that. Now can I go?

FH: It’s a little late for being polite but yes, you can go now. Thanks for the interview. After the trouble you’ve caused me in your book, I’m not surprised you couldn’t help stirring up trouble in your interview too! Sometimes I pity Erin…

Remember: If you want a hero to answer your question, leave it in a comment on the post and I’ll pass it on to the vampire / angel / demon / etc in question and he’ll answer it for you!

Posted in character interviews, Her Demonic Angel | Comments Off

Free Paranormal Romance Book – Vampire for Christmas!

Posted on 6th April 2012 by Felicity Heaton

I know it isn’t Christmas but it’s certainly cold enough here in the UK to be the start of winter all over again! I’ve just made Vampire for Christmas FREE on various retailers so you can grab a copy of this vampire romance novella for absolutely nothing right now.

Available as a FREE direct download:
.mobi | .epub | .pdf

Or get the FREE ebook from:
Amazon Kindle Stores:
UK only

Apple Stores:
iBookstore US | iBookstore UK | iBookstore Australia | iBookstore Canada

Other Retailers:
Barnes and Noble | Sony Reader Store | Smashwords

EXCERPT

His favourite prey.

Rafe stood on the lawn, his dark eyes following her from room to room in her large house. Shannon disappeared from view on the top floor only to reappear in the living room. He couldnâ€™t see much through the open curtains but his senses made up for what he lacked in vision. He tracked her with them, focusing until the dark world around him drifted into the distance and there was only her.

She was muttering.

A smile tugged at his lips.

How many times had he told her not to mutter?

She reappeared and stood in the middle of the living room, tying her long fair hair up into a ponytail, her gaze on the television. The twinkling lights hanging around the room cast a myriad of colours, turning the scene from warm to cold and back again. She looked pale tonight. Had she been getting enough sleep? They had last worked together two weeks ago and she hadnâ€™t seemed herself. He had tried to ask her what was wrong, but had failed to find his voice, instead leaving her to mull over whatever was bothering her in silence.

Rafe had killed the vampire that night. She hadnâ€™t even noticed it. Heâ€™d had to report it to the agency. In a toss up between her being angry with him for telling her superiors about her dangerous lack of concentration and her being safe, the latter would always win with him.

She smiled.

His chest ached.

He hadnâ€™t seen her smile in a long time. He stood in silence, unmoving, absorbing this rare beauty before him. She was a goddess when she smiled, and it always tugged at his insides, luring him to her. She turned towards the window and her smile slowly faded, her expression turning distant.

What was she thinking in there?

She couldnâ€™t see him. Human eyes werenâ€™t sharp enough to pick him out in the shadows of the tall trees on her lawn. The lights in the room would steal what little night-vision she had. He could observe her from the darkness without fear, could watch her and think over the things that plagued him every night.

The feelings.

During the day, Rafe could almost pretend they didnâ€™t exist. The sun stole the world from him and his emotions with it, leaving him in a deathly slumber. At night, when he came to her, when he saw her again, everything returned, and each time it came back stronger.

He knew that Shannon didnâ€™t like working with him, and the past two years had been difficult for them both at times, especially at the start, but it didnâ€™t stop him from feeling something for her. They had been through so much together, so many fights for their lives, so many long nights passed in quiet company when no demons showed up, and so many long conversations when her guard slipped. When they had first been assigned to each other, he had wanted out of the deal straight away, but now he almost looked forward to the times they were required to work together.

His dead heart called him a liar.

He didnâ€™t almost look forward to it at all. He waited for it. Yearned, in fact.

Rafe sighed and leaned back against the broad rough trunk of the pine tree.

It was no use anyway.

Come the New Year, the agency would separate them and relocate them at opposite ends of the country.

He stared at her. She swept a few rogue strands of golden hair back, tucking them into her messy ponytail, and laughed at something. The light from the television flickered across her face. Rafe smiled at the same time as she did. The sight of her chased the winter chill from his body.

He was going to miss her.

His little vampire hunter.

He had never wanted a partner, but she had changed that. Now, he didnâ€™t want any partner except her.

Shannon smiled again and zipped up her red jumper, until the tall collar of it covered her neck. She pushed shorter lengths of her hair behind her ears and then looked out of the window again, and he felt as though she was looking right at him. She was so beautiful when she was unaware of him. Naturally so too. No trace of make-up touched her oval face. No kohl to highlight the depths of her green eyes, or lipstick to enhance the sensual swell of her coral lips. Everything about her was natural, right down to her curvy shape. He had tended to her wounds a few times before, each time battling his desire as he swept his fingers over her soft skin and laid eyes on the toned body she hid beneath her clothes. She trembled for him sometimes and refused to look at him whenever she did, and he was convinced that her shivers werenâ€™t born of fear. He was convinced that part of her was attracted to him too. Her gaze shifted and settled on something partially obscured by the pale curtains.

He frowned and tried to make out what it was.

Ragged dark shape that tapered upwards. Shiny coloured lights. Glittering orbs. Tufted strings of foil.

A Christmas tree.

It surprised him that she celebrated the occasion. He had thought she would be indifferent to such human things since she was a demon hunter, but there she was, standing in a room bathed in twinkling lights, tinsel and festive trimmings. The entire street was alive with flashing reindeers, singing Santas, and fake snow on roofs. No decoration touched the outside of her two storey home, but it was different on the inside.

Rafe studied her as she adjusted a bauble on the tree. He might have been talking about her. The exterior she showed to him and others was different to how she was on the inside. He knew that best at times like these when he was watching her from the shadows. This was the real her, the one she hid beneath her armour and would never let him see. This was his only way of seeing the side of her that he wished she would show to him, and he couldnâ€™t help himself.

He told himself that it wasnâ€™t stalking. It was observing. It was hunting. It was having the chance to see the woman he wanted her to be around him and taking it.

Shannon moved away from the tree, towards the back of the house, her hips swaying in her snug blue jeans. His gaze slipped to her backside and he growled, desire spearing him in the gut. He loved the way she walked even when she thought no one was watching. There was something sexy about it, alluring. He cocked his head to one side and fought the urge that rose inside him.

It was useless.

She would never be his.

She had looked at him differently sometimes, almost as if he was human, but those moments rarely lasted. The barriers were swift to come back up, protecting her heart before he could reach out and capture it. During their past few hunts, he had struggled with the right words, trying to form them into a semblance of order and put his feelings in a way that she wouldnâ€™t reject outright, in a way that would make her see that his emotions were real and that he would never harm her. He had never found the perfect moment though, or the perfect words.

And time was running out.

The ticking clock made him reckless. It didnâ€™t matter anymore if she rejected him. He couldnâ€™t let the chance slip through his fingers again. It was now or never.

This was their last mission together.

He wouldnâ€™t leave without trying to make her see what he felt for her.

Shannon came out of the back room, her jacket in her left hand, and stopped in front of the Christmas tree again. She touched the same bauble she had before but this time her expression changed, turning troubled and distant. What was on her mind? Rafe had seen that look before, normally when she was lost in her thoughts, like the time he had reported to her superiors. They had told him not to worry about it and that they would speak with her. He wanted to be the one to speak to her about it. He wanted to know why she had joined the agency. She was young, barely over thirty, and she had never mentioned her family. Did her reason for hunting demons have something to do with them? Did it have anything to do with vampires?

He only hunted his own kind because the agency had him by the balls on several murder cases. He was a vampire. All of his species were susceptible to temptation and he was far from saintly. He had fought his addiction though and had come out the other side a better vampire for it. A stronger vampire because of it. He didnâ€™t kill anymore. He could control that side of him now, and maybe it was time he made the agency realise that and made them let him go.

Rafe shook his head at the way he sounded. Childish. Petulant. Everything that a vampire his age shouldnâ€™t be. And why? Because he didnâ€™t want to leave her. He didnâ€™t want to be reassigned to someone else, or sent off to work alone. He wanted to stay here, with Shannon, where he belonged.

She tugged her short black wool jacket on and Rafe knew it was time to make a move. She was expecting him and he had never been late before.

He moved further back into the shadows on her front garden when she approached the window. She didnâ€™t see him. She closed the curtains, hiding her from view, and he resorted to tracking her with his senses again.

A car passed along the street behind him. The sound of carol singers drifted on the chill breeze. Rafe looked up at the crisp night sky and the twinkling stars. Christmas. He couldnâ€™t remember if he had ever celebrated it.

He had forgotten so much about his former life on becoming a vampire.

His gaze dropped and stuck on something on her porch.

Mistletoe.

Rafe raised an eyebrow and then smiled as he left his hiding place and walked towards the front door.

Some traditions he definitely remembered from his life as a human.

* * * *

There was a knock at the door. Shannon knew from the impatient clip it had who would be waiting on the porch, and she took her time because of it. It wouldnâ€™t look good if she rushed to answer it. The last time she had opened the door within a minute, because she had been passing it at the time, Rafe had teased her the whole night about how she had been waiting for him on the other side, desperate to go out with him again, and how attracted to him she was.

Total crap of course.

She wouldnâ€™t be attracted to him if he was the last man on Earth. Shannon smiled to herself. He wasnâ€™t even a man. She would have to be down to the last vampire too before she would ever consider him in that way.

Shannon slipped a stake into the inside pocket of her thick black wool jacket and another into the back pocket of her dark jeans. It was always a good idea to be well armed when out on a hunt. She wasnâ€™t about to let the holiday season lure her into a false sense of security. Wretched demonkind didnâ€™t celebrate the occasion, and some of her busiest times had been over the Christmas period. Besides, the stakes werenâ€™t just for use on the bad vampires. Sometimes she considered using them on the apparently good vampires too.

Shannon opened the door.

Rafe stood on the other side, six feet plus of dark handsome devil perfectly capable of pushing every right button in a woman.

At least, every woman except her.

The left side of his sensual mouth tugged into a half smile that revealed the tip of a canine and his deep brown eyes slid up towards the porch ceiling. Her eyes followed out of curiosity.

Mistletoe.

Her gaze snapped back to him. He had to be kidding. He stared at her, dark eyes locked on hers in a silent challenge, and rocked expectantly on his heels. He clasped his hands behind his bottom, the action dragging his long black coat back too, revealing the athletic physique that his dark shirt failed to hide.

Shannon stepped backwards into the safety of her house.

Rafe frowned.

She could almost hear what he was thinking, could read it in his eyes. She didnâ€™t care if he thought she was rude because she had never invited him into her home. She had neglected to do so for good reason. It was handy at times like these when he was making her heart jitter and pulse race.

She was not going to kiss him.

There were a million reasons why, but she settled on the safety aspect because her heart couldnâ€™t overrule that one.

If she abided by tradition and kissed him, she would be placing herself firmly within his grasp, and that was a place she didnâ€™t want to be. What would start as a harmless festive kiss would end as a bloodbath with his fangs in her throat. Just the thought of it happening shook her deep inside, dredging up memories best left forgotten and pain she had fought to erase. She would never let anything like that happen again.

Never.

Rafe continued to stare, his dark gaze cool but demanding.

Sometimes, Shannon wished the agency hadnâ€™t paired them together. She had never wanted to work with one of natureâ€™s freaks. She just wanted to kill them and get revenge for what they had done to her and her family.

â€œNever going to happen.â€ Shannon pushed past him, slammed the door behind her, and locked it. She didnâ€™t break her stride. Before he could respond, she was at the end of her garden path and walking towards the centre of town.

She didnâ€™t hear him move. One moment he wasnâ€™t there, and the next he was keeping pace beside her.Â Her heart leapt at his sudden appearance.

â€œI told you not to do that.â€ She drew her hand away from her back pocket. It had jumped to the stake on instinct. One of these days, he was going to surprise her and she was going to give him a nasty surprise of her own.

â€œNo need for that.â€ He appeared on the other side of her, his hand slipping over hers and easing it away from the stake. He smiled at her, his cool fingers lingering against hers. â€œThere is a no staking your partner policy at the agency, remember?â€

Shannon snatched her hand back and wished she didnâ€™t remember. It was the only thing stopping her from killing him. A quiet voice at the back of her mind whispered that it wasnâ€™t the only reason she couldnâ€™t bring herself to stake him. She shooed it away.

â€œSo, where are we heading?â€ Rafeâ€™s deep voice swept around her, bathing her in warmth she tried to deny, and she kept her gaze fixed ahead. If she pretended he wasnâ€™t there, she might just make it through the next few hours, and then she was home free. It was one last mission.

For some reason, that caused a dull ache to settle inside her.

She had thought she would be happy. She should be happy. No more working with the enemy. They were reassigning her to warmer climes and a partner-free role. She had proven herself worthy of working alone, just as she had wanted from the start of her career with the agency, and she was finally getting that wish.

So why wasnâ€™t she happy?

â€œTown,â€ Shannon said distractedly, frowning at the pavement and trying to piece together an answer to her own question. There had to be a reason and it couldnâ€™t be the vampire walking beside her. She had grown used to him. Thatâ€™s all it was. He had become a sort of friend. The only person she actually spoke to apart from her handler and a few people at the agency, and she had never told them a thing about herself. She had never talked them, not as she had to Rafe. Shannon cursed herself. She should have kept her distance and not gotten involved, just as she had planned, but two years was too long to work with someone without saying anything to them.

Rafe had slipped in unnoticed, had passed the first of her defences and somehow got her talking one night, and since then, she couldnâ€™t stop her mouth sometimes. Sometimes it all became too much and she had to speak to someone, and he was always there, willing to listen to her silly troubles and doubts about her ability to hunt, her skill, and her future with the agency.

And he always reassured her, and made her feel better.

â€œAnywhere particular in town?â€ Rafe said and her attention snapped back to him. She stared up at him, still half lost in her thoughts, and found herself looking straight into his eyes. Windows to the soul. Rafeâ€™s hid nothing from her. They betrayed everything that he was feeling, and sometimes it frightened her.

Not when he was showing his vampire side. His pale eyes didnâ€™t scare her or the malice that she saw in them, the hunger for violence and bloodshed. It was this side of him that scared her. The gentle side. The one who looked at her with warmth and undeniable affection.

â€œAre you feeling alright?â€ He cocked his head to one side, his gaze holding hers, sparkling with tender concern.

Shannon forced her eyes down to the pavement and studied the cracks as she walked, unable to bring her voice above a whisper.

â€œIâ€™m fine.â€

There was a long pause, full of expectation and unspoken things.

Sometimes, when this feeling washed over her, she had a sense that he wanted to say something to her. He never had though, and she often found herself wondering what it was he couldnâ€™t put a voice to.

â€œSo, where are we going? Into town, or beyond town… perhaps you called me all the way out here on a freezing cold night just to make me go gift shopping with you. If that is the case, I have to say it is in poor taste, as I am a vampire… I do not celebrate Christmas as you do.â€

â€œI donâ€™t.â€ Shannon wished she could take those two words back. They were going to cause questions that she didnâ€™t want to answer. She glanced at Rafe, briefly making eye contact, and then looked away to her right, her gaze eating the streetlamp lit grass and shrubs that she walked past. He sighed but said nothing. She waited a moment longer, afraid that he might just be building up to it, and then released the breath she had been holding. â€œThe report states that there was a demon sighting in the local cemetery just outside the town centre.â€

â€œCemetery?â€ Rafe sounded positively disgusted.

She glanced at him again. He looked it too. He seemed to take it as a personal affront whenever they had to hunt demons in places like old churches, cemeteries and disused factories.

â€œSome demons have no taste.â€

Shannon smiled. â€œSpeak for yourself.â€

He frowned at her but it didnâ€™t stick. It melted into a smile that threatened to steal her breath and she averted her gaze again. What was she doing? Her heart skittered about in her throat and she knew he would be listening to it, and he would know that he was affecting her. She could do this.

It was just one more mission.

And then she would be able to escape these feelings.

She was not going to fall for him.

He was a vampire. She was a hunter.

Her gaze snuck back to him, studying his noble profile, and her heart thudded hard against her chest.

There was no love more forbidden than this.

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Cover Reveal: Her Demonic Angel

Posted on 31st March 2012 by Felicity Heaton

I revealed the cover for HER DEMONIC ANGEL in my March newsletter so I thought that since a month had passed I would share it with everyone know. I’d love to know whether this cover has you excited about the fifth book in my popular angel romance series or not.

The hero for Her Demonic Angel is Veiron. He was in Her Guardian Angel too and he’s a Hell’s angel… hence all that fire on the cover!