Blood Submission (Deathless Night Series Book 5) Read online

  Blood Submission

  Deathless Night Series #5

  L.E. WIlson

  Copyright © 2017 by Everblood Publishing

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons – living or dead – is purely coincidental.

  [email protected]

  eBook Edition

  Publication Date: April 4, 2017

  Cover Design: Wicked Smart Designs

  Editing: Jinxie Gervasio @ jinxiesworld.com

  ISBN: 978-1-945499-02-9

  This one is for you, Tania, my Australian friend.

  Thank you for waiting (not) so patiently. It’s readers like you that keep me writing and improving. Can’t wait to hear what you think!

  Much love.

  Contents

  Books by L.E. Wilson

  Thank you for purchasing this eBook!

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Newsletter Sign Up

  Books by L.E. Wilson

  Deathless Night Series (The Vampires)

  Blood Hunger - Will Nikulas release Emma to live her human life, giving up his own in the process?

  Blood Vengeance- One bound by chains and one bound by love, Luukas and Keira are forced into a nightmare, with no end in sight.

  Blood Obsession- Sacrifices must be made for the greater good.

  Blood Betrayal- Christian and Ryan must make a choice. And they’d better make the correct one. For unbeknownst to them, both of their lives depend on it.

  Blood Submission- Her blood saves his life. Her embrace slays his soul.

  Blood Magick- Coming Fall 2018*

  The Kincaid Werewolves (The Werewolves)

  To Covet The Fae- With the toss of a coin, Brock and Heather are thrown into a game of Survivor meets Alice in Wonderland. To win the game, and the girl, Brock has five days to find Heather and return them to where he started. Yet the real games begin when they come back.

  Fae Encounter-He always played by the rules. Until she broke them. -Coming January 2017

  Games of the Fae-Coming Spring 2018*

  Fae Betrayal-Coming Spring 2019*

  Defenders of the Fae-Coming Fall 2019*

  *(Dates are approximations of release dates)

  Thank you for purchasing this eBook!

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. Do not download this eBook without legally purchasing it. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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  Chapter 1

  Dante’s hand was on fire. Literally.

  Instinctive self-preservation was the only thing that saved it from incinerating in the mid-day sun. As he pulled his hand inch by slow inch down into the grave he’d dug, the desert sand caved in on itself, dousing the flames.

  His breaths were soft and shallow, so much so that a human would not have been able to survive the lack of oxygen. He didn’t really need to breathe. It was more a habit than anything else, even after hundreds of years. The hot, dry air did little but burn the inside of his lungs, yet he continued the struggle.

  He lay absolutely still in his grave. So still, in fact, that he could feel the movement of a creature slithering across the sand above him, tracking it with his heightened senses and by the vibrations in the fine grains. Arresting his breath, lest the serpent sense the predator lying in wait just beneath the desert floor, he forced himself to be patient. If he struck prematurely, before it got close enough to his hand, it would get away. Dante had learned this the hard way.

  But this time his skill was dead on. The snake had no time to defend itself or escape before it was pulled down into the grave with him. His fangs—larger than the serpent’s own—sliced effortlessly through its protective scales. When he finished draining it of its lifeblood, he pushed the corpse away to join the pile of partially decayed reptiles above and let the burning sand settle over him again.

  Dante had no sense of time as he waited to heal. He had no idea how long he’d been there, buried under the hot sand to protect him from the sun by day and insulate him from the freezing cold at night. How long he’d lain in the grave he’d dug for himself with bloodied broken fingers. After he’d jumped from the plane, he’d landed in a heap of shattered bones and lacerated skin, the pain such that he’d never felt before. Not even when he was a young, cocky vampire that had been put in his place more than once.

  What he did know was that his bones were nearly healed now, in spite of the meager offerings from the desert. And that he’d been damn lucky the sun had already descended below the horizon, or he would have burned to ash before he’d been able to burrow into the sand.

  And he was ravenous for more blood.

  Hours, or years, later—he honestly didn’t know or care which—he felt the heat of the sun begin to wane. The sand that protected him cooled as quickly as it heated. In the distance, he heard a yip, followed by a howl. Threads of the coyote’s voice still hung in the night air when it was joined by others, together forming an eerie, beautiful song.

  Dante worked his arm up through the heavy sand, cautiously breaking a few fingers through the surface. He waited a few seconds, and when he felt nothing but a cool breeze caressing his desiccated skin, he pulled his arm back in to his body and clawed at the grains in earnest.

  It seemed a losing battle at first, for with every handful of sand he moved, more fell into the pocket of air he’d just created. But over time he made his way to the surface, unearthing himself like something out of a human’s nightmare with a little help from the night winds.

  The effort exhausted him.

  Once free of the heavy weight, he collapsed face first onto the sand and rolled over onto his back. He gathered his energy as he ran his tongue over lips, cracked and dry with thirst. He couldn’t even swallow.

  Squinting his eyes against the brightness of the moon, he let his head fall to the side. All he saw was sand, sand, and more fucking sand. T
urning the other way he saw much of the same. Wait, no. There were a few patches of creosote, and just beyond it some type of round cactus.

  Neither of which would ease his particular type of thirst.

  Dante studied the bursts of light above him. It had been a long time since he recalled seeing so many stars in one place before. As his eyes followed a particularly fascinating constellation spanning across the never-ending expanse of blackness, they were drawn down to a portion of the night that was brighter, more illuminated than the rest. Only one thing lit up the night sky like that.

  A city.

  And where there was a city, there were humans. And humans were full of blood. Much more than the scaly creatures he’d been surviving on up until now.

  Dante burst to his feet in a flash of movement that belied his exhaustion of just a few moments ago. The thirst burned his insides like the sun burned his skin, and his fangs shot down, readying to feed. Pure vampire instinct took over, and Dante became the predator he had been reborn to be.

  Chapter 2

  Laney Moss took her water bottle from the side pocket of her backpack. Unscrewing the cap, she took a long swig of the tepid liquid, wrinkling her nose at the metallic taste. Her white tank top was sticking to the trail of sweat running down the middle of her back, but she could already feel the first drafts of cooler air that would come with nightfall. Eyeing the setting sun, she stuck the bottle back in its designated pocket and set out again.

  Maybe not such a great idea to start a hike so late in the day, but nature had called. And after the hectic week she’d had, she’d answered with enthusiasm. So here she was, about thirty minutes south of her apartment in Vegas, hiking through the upper portion of the Mojave Desert.

  She saw a distance marker on the trail and squinted at the sinking sun again. If she kept up a good pace, she should be able to reach her car before it completely set. But first, she took just a moment to admire the breathtaking pink and orange hues of dusk streaking the blue sky. Following the reach of the sun with her eyes, she watched as the last lingering rays touched the cactus and other foliage, and tinted the sand with gold, like a painting come to life. Sighing with pleasure at the wonder of Mother Nature, Laney resumed her hike.

  She was about a mile from her car when the temperature took a swift dive. The sun had dipped below the horizon, but she could still see well enough. However, she was an experienced hiker, and she knew that when full darkness came, it would be fast and sudden. Which was why she was well supplied with a flashlight, a headlamp, and pepper spray to ward off any nighttime critters that might get too curious.

  Stepping off the trail, she took off her pack and set it on an outcropping of red rocks so she could find her gray pullover hoodie. Pulling it out of her pack, she gave it a good shake to make sure nothing had crawled in there during her last break. Sticking one arm into a sleeve, Laney froze, listening.

  She thought she’d heard something behind her. Perhaps she’d surprised an animal coming out of its burrow after sleeping the day away. Moving only her eyes, Laney looked from side to side, and then cautiously turned her head to look behind her. She could’ve sworn…but no, there wasn’t anything there. It was probably nothing more than a shifting of the sand, either from the wind or a reptile, but it was enough to set her on high alert.

  Still watchful and keeping an eye out for anything that moved, she stuck her other arm through its sleeve and tugged her hoodie down over her tank top. Taking her pepper spray out of the front pocket of her cargo shorts, she slung her pack onto her back and started walking again, holding the small can at the ready. It was probably nothing, but it was always better to be prepared.

  She’d been walking about ten minutes when she thought she heard footsteps on the packed mixture of dirt and sand on the trail behind her. Laney glanced back nervously over one shoulder. She didn’t see anything, but it was almost full dark now. However, she didn’t want to stop to pull out her flashlight. Dammit. Why hadn’t she gotten it out when she’d stopped earlier?

  Keeping up a brisk pace, she shrugged her pack off her shoulders and started digging around for her flashlight, glancing back every few seconds to make sure she wasn’t about to become dinner for one of the coyote that frequented the area. She’d heard them singing to the rising moon just a little while before. It sounded like they were quite a ways away, but she was well aware of how distance could be deceiving in the desert.

  Her hand came in contact with the cold steel of her heavy-duty flashlight just as she tripped and stumbled over a displaced rock on the path. With a soft curse, she regained her footing and picked up her flashlight from where she’d dropped it.

  A feral growl directly behind her lifted the hair on the back of her neck and froze the blood in her veins a moment before the adrenaline kicked in. Switching on her flashlight, she spun around, swinging the beam from side to side. At the same time, she dropped her pack and lifted her pepper spray in front of her. The light flicked past and then landed on something. Laney blinked hard, her mind unable to comprehend what it was she was looking at.

  The thing moved, covering the fifty feet or so between them so fast she had no time to open her mouth to scream. It towered over her in the split second before it attacked, and she caught a flash of crepe-like skin covering a hairless head, long fangs, and red glowing eyes.

  The scream tore from her throat as it fell on her. Thin limbs with abnormal strength wrapped around her, cushioning her from the impact as they landed on sand still warm from the sun. With a surge of courage she didn’t know she possessed, she swung her heavy flashlight at the back of its head. It landed with a solid thunk, but didn’t phase the creature at all. Her eyes widened and she screamed again as it wrapped one hand in her hair, yanked her head to the side, and sank those long fangs into the side of her throat. Pain lanced through her, and she began to fight in earnest. But no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t get—whatever the hell it was—to release its grip.

  And then it began to drink.

  Holy shit. This thing wasn’t trying to eat her. It was draining her blood. Instantly, she knew what it was: Vampire.

  Laney knew that vampires weren’t just in bad horror flicks. They actually existed. Her father had told her about them before he’d died. She’d even seen one once, years ago, when she was up north on a business trip. A few of her co-workers had invited her out for dinner and drinks after their late meeting, but she’d left the meal earlier than everyone else because she’d wanted to get back to her room and watch a movie while she went through her notes.

  Being unfamiliar with the city, she’d taken a wrong turn while walking back to the hotel and she’d stumbled across a scene that was now forever seared in her brain.

  A man—a very handsome man—had a woman pressed up against the side of an old bookstore that was already closed for the night. His face was buried in the curve between her head and shoulder, and he was kissing her. One of his legs was wedged between her thighs and the woman was humping it shamelessly while making little sex noises. It had been so erotic: the way he’d held her captive against the wall; the way she’d clutched at his shoulders.

  Laney had watched, completely transfixed by the sight of them. In spite of herself, her body had begun to burn and her breathing came in pants. The woman had opened her eyes and looked straight at her, her eyes glazed and her mouth slack with passion. And still Laney watched, desire clenching low in her belly as the woman smiled, closed her eyes again, and orgasmed almost violently in his arms.

  As the woman spontaneously combusted, the man lifted his head and leaned his head back, looking up toward the sky. Laney had been shocked to see blood dripping from sharp, pointed teeth. It ran down his chin and landed on the woman’s bared breasts.

  Laney’s desire had gone cold, and she’d gasped out loud before she could stop herself. The man’s head had whipped around, following the sound. And when he’d spotted her watching, he’d smiled. Spinning away, Laney had ran back the way she ha
d come, his laughter echoing between the buildings around her.

  She’d never told anyone about that night, knowing they’d all think she was nuts or had had too much to drink, or both. And the one person she could’ve told was gone now.

  The thing gave her hair a sharp tug and Laney cried out. She didn’t realize she was crying until she felt the tears running down her temples. It groaned with pleasure at the sounds of her distress and sucked harder. She was beginning to feel lightheaded, and knew that if she didn’t do something, this thing was going to kill her.

  Gathering every ounce of strength she had left, she managed to free her arm from where it was lodged between their bodies. Aiming the pepper spray at its face, she lifted her chin, squeezed her eyes closed, and pressed down on the depressor. For a moment, she was scared shitless that it wasn’t going to have any affect on the creature, even though the side of her face and neck was burning like fire. She continued to spray, emptying the entire can into its face and mouth until, finally, it detached from her throat with a roar of rage. Rolling off her, it clawed at its skin as it screamed.

  Laney scrambled to her feet. Clutching her pack to her chest, she left the thing writhing on the ground and staggered away. She didn’t look back. She didn’t want to see it. Tears from the pepper spray blurred her vision, and her hands were shaking so badly that the beam of her flashlight jerked around sporadically on the path. She tripped more than once before she finally reached her car, but each time she staggered back to her feet and kept going. Unzipping her pocket, she dug for her keys, terrified that they had somehow fallen out. But no, they were still there. It took her three tries to hit the button that would unlock her car.