The Lockwood Chronicles Episode 8: Blood Bonds

By Katrina LaFond

"Lots of action and some things I didn't expect and the ending OMG!!!! .... I absolutely love this series and need more.” Independent reviewer for Paranormal Romance & Authors That Rock

Madeline & Alexander--One brother revealed

A tragedy brings them back to Madeline’s hometown in Illinois, where Madeline is shocked to meet Seth, the brother she never knew she had. She wants to get to know him, but Alexander senses something malevolent there. Is Seth what he appears to be? Or does he have secrets and plots of his own? The birth of Madeline and Alexander’s baby just might reveal the truth.

Lucian & Elisabeth--One brother redeemed

Elisabeth’s brother, Andrew, comes out of the shadows, rescuing a battered woman while trying to atone for his past. His reemergence brings Lucian and Elisabeth back from France. Elisabeth wants to forgive her brother and forge a future as a family, but Lucian can’t seem to get past what Andrew has done to Elisabeth. Will Andrew have to make the ultimate sacrifice to prove himself?
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Blood Bonds is the eighth episode in The Lockwood Chronicles series. It contains adult situations and some violence and is recommended for readers over 18 years of age.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Katrina LaFond
• Release date: Aug 7, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311617545

Katrina LaFond

Writing is the ultimate escape from reality. You can read or watch a movie, but you're not truly immersed in another world like you are when you're creating one. When I'm not writing, I'm wishing I was and when I'm writing I'm living another life. There's some of me in every female character who lets me write her story--some more than others, but I'll never tell which ones. In my other lives I'm a sexy vampire, a powerful witch, an independent werewolf or a seductive human. I can be anyone and anything I want, and who wouldn't want to do that? My genre of preference is fantasy romance. I became infatuated with vampires in high school when I read a book about a girl, who'd recently been turned, who allowed herself to die in the first rays of dawn rather than feed on the boy with whom she'd fallen in love. I remember that part vividly because I thought it was the most beautiful depiction of unconditional and unrequited love that I'd ever read. I promptly devoured every book with vampires in it that I could get my hands on (in my age range, of course). At the time I wasn’t interested in romance novels, and eventually I ran out of teen vampire stories, so I tried my hand at writing one. Over the years, my characters and stories have matured with me. At first, the only characters I met were vampires, but eventually, other characters came to me, and I discovered I had a thing for tall, dark and handsome aliens as well. I spend so much time with my characters that they become real to me, and all my friends and family have gotten used to me talking about them that way. Thankfully, if they think I’m crazy, they keep it to themselves. I’ve also been very lucky in love. For 26 years, I’ve been with the same wonderful man who is very tolerant of the fact that I fall in love with the leading men in my books.

Book preview

The Lockwood Chronicles

Episode 8: Blood Bonds

by Katrina LaFond

copyright 2015 Katrina LaFond

Smashwords Edition

Edited by: Laurie Williams

Cover by Abstractionz

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Table of Contents

Beginning of Book

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London, England—Alexander Lockwood shuffled some papers around on his desk, gazing at them blankly. He was trying to concentrate, but all he could focus on was the woman moving around on the second floor, almost directly above him. He could hear her breathing, and feel her heart beating as though it was in his own body. He tracked her movements as she worked by the light touch of her footsteps and the rustling of her clothing. Beneath it all, as exhilarating as it was terrifying, he could hear the steady flutter of the baby’s heartbeat. Madeline was nearing the birth of their baby, and he caught himself smiling. In all his nearly thousand years as a vampire, he’d never expected to be a father, never thought he’d be anxiously awaiting the birth of his child.

The shrill ringing of the telephone jarred him out of his thoughts and he glared at it before snatching up the receiver. His greeting was gruff and full of irritation.

For a moment, the caller was silent. Alexander Lockwood? he ventured.

Speaking.

I’m not sure if you remember me. This is Grant Summers.

Alexander remembered the priest vividly from their meeting years ago. He wasn’t a priest anymore, but Alexander would always think of him that way. Grant had been instrumental in helping the Kaupps kidnap and torture Alexander, slipping him the drug that rendered the vampire helpless. Unfortunately, the drug had also found its way to an unintended victim: Madeline’s mother, Sharon, and had nearly killed her. Alexander had never forgiven the priest, and he was certain that Madeline never had either, even though she’d put on a good show in front of her mother, shielding her from the truth.

What do you want? Alexander demanded.

I’m afraid I have some bad news, Grant began. He was silent for a long moment, then as when he went on his voice was thin and sad. Madeline's mother died this morning.

Alexander's heart skipped a beat. What? How?

It looks like a heart attack, Grant explained.

You don’t sound like you believe that.

I don’t think I do. Madeline’s mother was as healthy as a horse, like Madeline herself. There’s no way she could just have a heart attack out of the blue like that. But there are no marks on her, no obvious drugs in her system, and no signs of violence, so no one will listen to me.

Alexander took a deep breath. Don’t do anything until we get there, he said.

Of course, Grant said softly. What are you going to tell Madeline?

The truth, Alexander told him simply. What else is there?

After he hung up the phone, Alexander hesitated to go to Madeline. How was he supposed to tell her? Nothing could ever soften this blow and, with her so close to the baby’s birth, the last thing he wanted was to upset her. Realizing there was nothing he could do to delay, no way that he could keep such news from her, he pushed out of the chair and went up the stairs to the nursery. He stopped at the door and watched her fuss, smiling sadly at the joy in her eyes, the lullaby she was humming softly under her breath, slightly off key. Every now and then, she stopped and rested a gentle hand on the swell of her belly. She fairly glowed with happiness.

Of course, Madeline knew he was there the moment he stopped on the threshold. She turned to him and had to catch her breath at the sight of him, casually leaning on the doorjamb, his spun gold hair loose around his face, barely touching the tops of his shoulders, his glacier-blue eyes watching her with such love, so much care. But she could also tell that there was something wrong there in the icy depths of his gaze. She frowned. What’s happened?

Sit down, love, he told her, taking her hand and leading her to the rocking chair in the corner of the room.

She eased her pregnant body into the chair, and became even more alarmed when Alexander went to one knee in front of her and took her hands. I heard the phone ring, she told him, her voice shaking. What’s wrong? When he hesitated a beat longer, her fingers tightened on his hands. Alexander! Tell me.

Alexander averted his gaze for a moment before meeting her eyes again. There’s no easy way to say this, he admitted, so I’ll just come out with it. It’s your mother. She died this morning. It looks like a heart attack.

Madeline stopped breathing and the color drained from her face. Her throat seized up, nearly choking her with the sobs that wouldn’t come. She shook her head in denial, silently demanding that Alexander take it back, that he tell her it was a very sick joke. This couldn’t possibly be true! Her mother was too young, too vital, too damned healthy.

Madeline, breathe, Alexander encouraged softly. He gave her a gentle shake. Come on baby, breathe, cry, scream. I’m right here.

Something broke in Madeline and she let out a wail of pure pain and heartache. Tears flowed down her cheeks, but her eyes blazed with anger. She pushed Alexander away and went into the hallway, fleeing the nursery with its happy decorations, the cheery colors, the blissful bunnies dancing along the chair rail on the wall. Finally, she found her voice again. No! she cried. It’s not possible. It’s a lie! She can’t be dead, not when I need her the most! She whirled on Alexander, who’d followed her into the hallway. How am I supposed to have a baby without my mother? she demanded.

Alexander remained silent but stayed within arm’s reach, just in case. Madeline snatched a vase of flowers off the hall table and hurled it against the wall. It shattered into a million pieces, spraying the hallway with water and pieces of porcelain. One of the shards flew back and sliced a neat cut across her cheek, but she didn’t notice. Alexander ducked when the vase impacted the plaster, then darted forward, catching Madeline when her knees buckled and she sagged against the opposite wall. He went to the floor with her and held her while her body shook with sobs, her hands twisting in his shirt absently.

When her crying finally abated to shaky hiccups, Alexander pushed her ebony hair gently from her face and she looked up at him blearily. I’ll make all the arrangements and take care of everything, he promised. We’ll be in Illinois in a few hours.

Madeline nodded. Thank you, she rasped.

* * * *

France—Lucian knew immediately when Elisabeth left the bedroom. He could feel her moving through the old castle, wandering through the cold stone halls, the same halls that his family had once traversed. Before he even realized what he was doing he found himself going to her, unable to resist her attraction, the pull of her need for him, as powerful as his own need for her. He didn’t have to search for her, his body instinctively knew where she was, standing outside on the ramparts, looking out over the land that he owned, the deep indigo blue of the darkening sky reflected in the sapphire depths of her eyes. She looked lost and lonely standing there, her slim body wrapped with a thick blanket she’d carried from the bedroom. He watched her for a few minutes, wondering what she was thinking, wondering if he should interrupt her.

I know you’re there, you know, Elisabeth said, never taking her gaze from the sunset. I can feel when you’re near.

I figured, Lucian answered softly. Do you want to be alone?

Elisabeth turned to him then and her heart thumped. He looked amazing with the rose of the sunset on his face, in his ocean eyes, putting fiery highlights in his raven hair. His shirt was open, thrown on earlier when he’d risen from bed, offering her a tantalizing view of his smooth, sculpted chest and abdomen. For a moment she allowed herself to drink in his beauty, to feel the vast power he kept so carefully under control within him, until she could stand the distance between them no longer and she went to him, standing so close their bodies nearly touched. I would never send you away, she whispered, tilting her head back to look up at him.

Do you want to leave the castle? he asked. You’re recovered now. We could go back to London if you want.

Elisabeth barely heard what he was saying. All she seemed to want in that moment was his touch, his strong arms around her crushing her to his chest, his lips on hers. She wanted to run her fingers through his silky hair, to feel his hands on her body. She needed him. She craved him. She wondered sometimes if she really was in love with him, or if she was she simply addicted