Title: Blood Oath
Book Two in the Seeker Chronicles
Author: Maggie Mundy
Email: maggiemundy@bigpond.com
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Excerpt Heat Level: 1
Book Heat Level: 4
Book Two in The Seeker
Chronicles. Blood Oath is a sequel to Blood Scent. We discover more about the
Rogue, Seeker world in Australia. This is the story of Cassie and Matt, based
in Tasmania. Matt kills a rogue vampire who wanted Cassie. This sets up a
course of events where the rogue’s twin has sworn in a blood oath to avenge his
brother’s death. Throw in a bunch of vampire hunters as well and you have
trouble. Things become even more complicated when Cassie’s sister is kidnapped
as bait. The only option may be that Cassie will have to give up her own life
to save them all.
EXCERPT
The dark
haired vampire came at her attacker and had him in the same position he had
been himself a moment ago. "You'll not do that to any female under my
protection, Rogue."
What the heck
did he mean by that? She didn't know these guys, let alone know she was under
someone's protection.
The blonde
vampire sneered, "Kill me if you dare, but your problems will only just
start at that moment. Look at my hand. I've a scar that won't heal. It's from a
blood oath. My twin has drunk from me. He'll come and kill you and make her
death slow and painful. He doesn't want a mate, he just likes to kill. She'd be
better off with me, so why don't you go and leave us alone?"
Cassie
wasn't going to stay around and listen to any more talk of people or vampires
killing her, or trading her for the less nasty one. She grabbed her bag and
tried to stand, but her leg gave out as the pain shot up into her hip, causing
her to almost black out. Using the wall to support her, she hobbled pass the
vampires as the one underneath brought up his talon into the chest of the dark
haired one. She kept shaking her head as if that action would make this whole
experience disappear. It didn't work.
The dark
haired one on top brought his hand down so quickly she didn't see his arm move,
but he had sliced across the other one's throat. There was a tiny trickle of
blood along the incision and then a drip flowed from the corner of the blonde
vampire's mouth. His eyes opened wide in realization, he was dead if vampires
could die. Then his head rolled to the side, perfectly separated from the body
as if a guillotine had done the work. At that point, the only thing holding her
upright was the wall behind her. Cassie didn't want to see any of this anymore.
She shuffled along till she got through the front door and out of the shack.
Cassie made
it as far as the bottom of the porch steps before she turned and threw up on
the nearest bush. The smell of the regurgitated wine and the sight she had just
seen were too much, even for a hardened theatre nurse. They might be vampires,
but this was someone being killed before her eyes. She grabbed the railing on
the steps to steady herself. Her head cleared as she breathed in the cold night
air. Then the pain in her leg hit again as if it was on fire. She stumbled to
her car. Her hands shook as she tried to put the keys in the door. She stopped
before she opened the car and leaned forward, resting her forehead against the
car roof. The dark haired vampire had saved her life, and the other one said
there was another bad guy coming after her. If that was true, the only person
who had a chance of stopping him was lying on the floor bleeding to death in
Nan's shack. He wasn't a person, she told herself; he was a fucking vampire.
This was insane, but she knew she was going back.
Each step
sent fresh pain shooting up her leg as she hobbled back into the shack. Her
hand went to her mouth to stop any more vomit as she saw the decapitated
vampire with his grimacing face and fangs. The dark haired one had dragged
himself over and was leaning against the wall. She limped to the kitchen and
grabbed a t towel. She hesitated for an moment then made her way across and
pressed it against his chest. The front of his shirt was soaked in blood, and
his neck had a gash from his ear to his collarbone. She was used to blood
working in the operating room, but what the hell could she do here? She grabbed
her scarf from her bag and held it against his neck, but the blood soaked
through and covered her hands. There was no phone coverage out here and by the
time she would have gotten to the nearest town, he would be dead. It seemed a
strange thing for a vampire to die of blood loss, but she was watching it
happen as he became paler in front of her. She reached for his wrist and felt
his pulse. He had a beating heart, so he definitely wasn't the undead. He
opened his eyes and took her hand in his. His touch was so cold and his fingers
almost blue. She should be pulling away, but something stopped her. He gazed at
her with beautiful green eyes and smiled. A smile that showed no trace of the
fangs she had seen earlier.
"You
should leave. He's gone now. Go and get help for yourself," he pleaded
with her. His voice raspy as if every word was a struggle.
She looked
to the door and then back at the injured man before her. As she pressed against
his wounds and his blood continued to soak through, she knew what she needed to
do.
"Are
you dying?" She didn't know if this guy was the same as any other human.
He nodded in reply.
Every part
of her knew this was ridiculous, but as far as she was concerned, it was her
only course of action. He had saved her and she had the ability to do the same
for him. Rolling up her sleeve, she took a deep breath and swallowed as she
showed him her forearm.
"Why
are you doing this?" He went to lift his hand and touch her cheek, but
stopped.
"From
what your friend here said, he has a brother who wants me dead. You look like
you could save me. If I give you blood, will it heal you?" She wasn't sure
she wanted to know the answer.
He nodded
again. That settled it.
"Take
it before I change my mind." She kept telling herself it was just like
donating blood and he wouldn't kill her if he had just saved her.
The thought
changed to panic as her stomach turned over. His hands took hold of her arm and
moved it closer to his face. She glanced away, but was drawn back to see what
was really happening. Was she really offering a vampire her blood? His lips
drew back and there was a popping sound as his incisors lengthened. Her whole
body stiffened, but, fascinated, she didn't draw away. His lips were cool
against her skin as she waited. He moved his lips gently back and forth across
her forearm in an almost sensuous way that made her breath catch. There was a
slight sting, but nothing worse than when someone took blood with a needle.
Closing her eyes, her mind drifted as the room faded from existence for her.
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