Coldstorm (Heart of a Vampire, Book 7) Read Online Free
Author: Amber Kallyn
knew all the clan vampires.
This wasn't one of them. And if there were visitors for his King, he'd have been told. Which meant this might be one of the Rogues. His entire clan was hunting those damned Arcaine.
The luck to have one walk in here.
He careened down the last hall and around the final corner.
Magic crashed against him like a brick wall, freezing him in midstep.
Across the wide lobby, by the blood bank's glass doors, stood a tiny woman. Long raven hair, so black it had a glossy nearly blue shimmer, fell in a thick braid down her back. Dusty skin spoke of exotic blood.
The thick magic tightened like a noose around Matt's throat, his chest, his limbs. Magic that he couldn't place, other than the hint of a stranger. And vampire.
As if sensing him, the woman glanced back over her shoulder. Above a pert nose and bow-shaped lips twisted in a scowl, her eyes were a smoky blue.
Something inside Matt stirred when he met her gaze.
Desire. And...
A hint of fear?
Perhaps, though it made no sense.
She was just a tiny thing.
In an instant the overpowering magic fled.
Straining as he had been, Matt stumbled forward a few steps.
With a soft gasp, the woman turned to face him fully. The magic must not have been coming from her. She didn't seem all that strong. If he'd have to guess, she was maybe a decade old as a vampire, and that would be stretching it.
Exactly like reports about some of the Rogues hanging around.
Instinct rose. Matt growled harshly.
Stranger or Rogue, it didn't matter. She had no right to be in his clan's territory. But he'd solve that. An interrogation by his King would ferret out any secrets.
In less than a breath, he flashed across the wide lobby.
Her eyes widened imperceptibly, a ring of red bleeding around gray-blue irises.
Matt grabbed her shoulders. Slammed her back against the nearest wall. Before she could react, he shoved his power over her, a special type of sedative-like magic he'd perfected during long centuries.
The woman's eyes slid closed. She slumped forward against his hold.
Hefting her over his shoulder, Matt spun on his heel and left the hospital.
CHAPTER TWO
O utside in the long parking lot, Matt ignored the one wandering ghost to search the night for any additional threats.
He laid the Rogue on the back bench seat of his SUV and looked her over. She wouldn't wake any time soon. There was no need to use something as crude as ropes on this small woman, enemy or not.
Only after he moved her legs a bit more comfortably, found himself noticing how her hair glinted black-blue in the moonlight, how compelling her soft features, did he realize the gentle way he was treating his prisoner.
Shaking his head, he assured himself he'd get some sleep and soon. He drove west out of town to his clan's Scottish castle, hidden by a supernatural forest and a good deal of witchery.
Getting through all the recently increased security along their private road was a hassle. What had been a ten minute drive now took over twenty. Finally, cleared past each of the gated checkpoints, past the cameras and hidden sentries tracking his progress, Matt exited the trees into the enormous clearing around the fortress.
Stone towered above his vehicle, blocking out the mountainous horizon. Matt followed the wide circular driveway, around a grassy area with a flowing fountain, then stopped in the deep dark blanketing a parking area off to the side.
Picking the Rogue up from the back seat, Matt strode to the wide stone stairs leading up to immense double doors of thick wood. When he reached them, he realized he was cradling the woman to his chest. His hands and arms were full of warm soft curves.
A door swung open.
One of the younger castle guards, Leo Bjarnesen, waited on the other side. He looked at them, stepping back to let Matt walk in. "Security said you were on your way. King's heading down now. He'll meet you in his usual chambers. Who's she?"
Shaking his head, Matt hurried across the
This wasn't one of them. And if there were visitors for his King, he'd have been told. Which meant this might be one of the Rogues. His entire clan was hunting those damned Arcaine.
The luck to have one walk in here.
He careened down the last hall and around the final corner.
Magic crashed against him like a brick wall, freezing him in midstep.
Across the wide lobby, by the blood bank's glass doors, stood a tiny woman. Long raven hair, so black it had a glossy nearly blue shimmer, fell in a thick braid down her back. Dusty skin spoke of exotic blood.
The thick magic tightened like a noose around Matt's throat, his chest, his limbs. Magic that he couldn't place, other than the hint of a stranger. And vampire.
As if sensing him, the woman glanced back over her shoulder. Above a pert nose and bow-shaped lips twisted in a scowl, her eyes were a smoky blue.
Something inside Matt stirred when he met her gaze.
Desire. And...
A hint of fear?
Perhaps, though it made no sense.
She was just a tiny thing.
In an instant the overpowering magic fled.
Straining as he had been, Matt stumbled forward a few steps.
With a soft gasp, the woman turned to face him fully. The magic must not have been coming from her. She didn't seem all that strong. If he'd have to guess, she was maybe a decade old as a vampire, and that would be stretching it.
Exactly like reports about some of the Rogues hanging around.
Instinct rose. Matt growled harshly.
Stranger or Rogue, it didn't matter. She had no right to be in his clan's territory. But he'd solve that. An interrogation by his King would ferret out any secrets.
In less than a breath, he flashed across the wide lobby.
Her eyes widened imperceptibly, a ring of red bleeding around gray-blue irises.
Matt grabbed her shoulders. Slammed her back against the nearest wall. Before she could react, he shoved his power over her, a special type of sedative-like magic he'd perfected during long centuries.
The woman's eyes slid closed. She slumped forward against his hold.
Hefting her over his shoulder, Matt spun on his heel and left the hospital.
CHAPTER TWO
O utside in the long parking lot, Matt ignored the one wandering ghost to search the night for any additional threats.
He laid the Rogue on the back bench seat of his SUV and looked her over. She wouldn't wake any time soon. There was no need to use something as crude as ropes on this small woman, enemy or not.
Only after he moved her legs a bit more comfortably, found himself noticing how her hair glinted black-blue in the moonlight, how compelling her soft features, did he realize the gentle way he was treating his prisoner.
Shaking his head, he assured himself he'd get some sleep and soon. He drove west out of town to his clan's Scottish castle, hidden by a supernatural forest and a good deal of witchery.
Getting through all the recently increased security along their private road was a hassle. What had been a ten minute drive now took over twenty. Finally, cleared past each of the gated checkpoints, past the cameras and hidden sentries tracking his progress, Matt exited the trees into the enormous clearing around the fortress.
Stone towered above his vehicle, blocking out the mountainous horizon. Matt followed the wide circular driveway, around a grassy area with a flowing fountain, then stopped in the deep dark blanketing a parking area off to the side.
Picking the Rogue up from the back seat, Matt strode to the wide stone stairs leading up to immense double doors of thick wood. When he reached them, he realized he was cradling the woman to his chest. His hands and arms were full of warm soft curves.
A door swung open.
One of the younger castle guards, Leo Bjarnesen, waited on the other side. He looked at them, stepping back to let Matt walk in. "Security said you were on your way. King's heading down now. He'll meet you in his usual chambers. Who's she?"
Shaking his head, Matt hurried across the
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