Craving-Treachery

By Claudy Conn

Vanessa is a human. Danny is a vampire. They are in love. They have one huge problem—he will always stay young and live on. She will age and die.
He has never tasted human blood, but craves it. Danny doesn’t want that for her. All Vanessa wants is for him to turn her.
And then, just after Rae and Hawkeye go off on their honeymoon, war between the Ancient vampires and the Wellsly Pack breaks out and draws them in.
There is something going on with Vanessa as she approaches her twenty-fifth birthday, something she doesn’t understand. She puts down her ‘feelings’ as a sixth sense, but it is more—so much more. There is a mystery that surrounds her but she hasn’t a clue just what the answers to her questions could be.
And every step she takes, brings her closer to a threat they aren’t even aware exists!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Claudy Conn
• Release date: Sep 25, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463976623

Claudy Conn

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Claudy Conn is a multi published author who got her start with her bestselling historical/regency romances.She tells us that she fell in love with the fantasy/paranormal genre and created a world of paranormal.She hopes you will read and enjoy and join her on her facebook where she loves to interact with her readers.page.http://www.facebook.com/pages/Claudy-Conn-Paranormal-Romance-Author/135826686471445

Book preview

Contents

Copyright

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Sneak Peek

About Claudy

Copyright Page

Craving—Treachery

By Claudy Conn

http://www.claudyconn.com

Copyright © 2019 by Claudy Conn at Smashwords

Edited by: Alicia Carmical

Cover Artist: Dawn Sullivan

All rights reserved

Published in the United States of America

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Names, characters, and events depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

~ One ~

I STEPPED AWAY FROM THE revelers because no matter what I did, I felt out of place. I was out of place. I’m human…they aren’t.

I stared at a group of female shifters who had just looked my way and sneered before they turned back to one another and laughed.

I had an urge to pick a fight, but stopped myself. For one thing…they could beat the shit out of me, and for another, what was the point.

One of them, a pretty brunette, turned away from the group and gave me a warm almost apologetic smile. Well, that was something.

Everyone here…almost everyone, was a wolf in their human skin, dressed to the nines, and celebrating the wedding of Rae and Hawkeye.

Actually, I was the only one who was all human, in human skin. The notion made me giggle, and as I was standing around, all by myself, I clapped a hand over my mouth to stop the flow of nervous laughter. Yep, I had had one glass of wine too much.

I had hoped, since we had been here with the Wellsly Pack for a couple of days, the wolves would have been friendlier to me, but instead, they were suspicious.

Ah well, I turned away and saw Danny, my gorgeous vampire boyfriend, laughing with one of the male shifters. He fit in with the wolves better than I did, which was odd, as wolf shifters don’t really like vampires.

I know the Wellsly wolves’ suspicions come from self-preservation. They didn’t know me, and were no doubt worried I might give them away to other humans. After all, I knew their secrets. But hey, who was I gonna tell? No one would believe me. That thought made me laugh out loud, and this time, I didn’t clamp a hand over my mouth. The brunette female shifter wolf in an outstanding gown of gold turned, and gave me a warm, encouraging smile.

I liked her. I smiled back at her and raised my empty glass of wine.

Damn, it was empty. I should fill it.

Here is the thing. I don’t want to be human, and it was sad, really sad, that I still was. I mean, I have put a great deal of effort into trying to get my Danny to turn me, but without any luck thus far.

We, Danny and I, had enjoyed a few days roaming around the abbey, and I had used that time to nag him…just a little, no, who am I kidding, I nagged him a whole lot, but to no avail.

Nothing I said, nothing I did, had worked. I was presently at my wits’ end.

I looked back for Danny, hoping he would come over and relieve my loneliness, but he had moved off with two male wolves and I couldn’t catch his eye.

That annoyed me, and I was now thinking about just taking the jeep to head back to our cottage without him.

I also wanted, immaturely maybe, to stick my tongue out at him and most of the wolf shifters. Then I would vanish into the night. Ah me, would that I could, but it was Rae and Hawkeye’s wedding reception and I couldn’t do that.

A soft touch to my arm made me turn, and thankfully, there was my dear friend.

"Rae…oh, Rae," I said, and leaned in to her.

I could hear the hum of whispers, and as Rae put an arm about my waist, she laughed and said, Hi, Red, how ya doing? She yanked playfully on one of my long, red curls.

"You don’t want to know. This is your wedding day, so all is good."

That bad, huh? she said, and took my empty glass and put it down on a nearby table. I think you don’t need any more of this. She eyed the group of females who had been giving me the ‘evil eye’ and wagged a finger at them and called out, "Cut the crap, Vanessa is my good friend and a guest here."

They all inclined their heads. She was their alpha. Not a wolf, not a shifter, but the alpha’s mate, and probably the most powerful and magical woman in the room. She is a Daoine Fae princess, and if that wasn’t enough, she was also a vampire slayer, a magical gift inherited from her late mother.

I could tell Rae was about to give me a pep talk. I so did not want a pep talk. I was in the mood to wallow in my unhappiness. Unhappiness basically because of Danny.

I want to be a vampire. I have been begging Danny, nonstop, to turn me. There it is, short and sweet. I beg, he refuses. In a few weeks, I will be twenty-five.

Vanie? Rae called me to order. Don’t let those bitches get to you. They treated me the same way at first. I let time show them the error of their ways.

I laughed. I also know the pack adores her. How could they not? I wish I could have just a tenth of the power Rae has on hand.

I want to be strong enough to defend myself. I don’t want Danny forever looking after me like I am some delicate doll, and that is what I am…in a room full of paranormals.

Was that so wrong? How can I continue to share a vampire’s life if I’m not able to withstand all that he is? How can I withstand any of this world as a human? Sooner or later, something would have to give, and that something was gonna be me. Not liking that.

If he turns me, if I become a vampire, I will be a force to reckon with. My aging would stop. I wouldn’t lose Danny when I turn old and wrinkled. I would be able to live forever with him, and that was all I wanted. I sighed and told her, Easier for you, Rae. You are a princess, and today, you are a princess bride.

Princess Bride, she said, and laughed. I love that movie. She nudged my shoulder. Come on, Vanie, what is it? You don’t care about being snubbed by those idiot wolves. I know there is more. You look just about to go over the edge. Rae, ever direct, gave me an encouraging smile.

I put up a finger and smoothed my friend’s brows. "You are a bride today. No frowns allowed, no worrying about anything except when you are going to get out of here and escape with your wolf for your honeymoon."

Rae laughed, then looked toward Danny.

My Danny and Rae are best friends, almost brother and sister. They think of each other that way—as family. Yeah, she is a slayer, he is a vamp. Weird, but there ya go, life has its strange twists. The two have fought shoulder to shoulder through a great many battles against rogue vamps and others during the last couple of years.

Danny may be a vamp, but he is not the usual kind. He is special because he doesn’t consume human blood.

I watched my vampire as he stood laughing with Hawkeye, the groom, and a couple of the shifter wolves, all picking at their ties and obviously itching to take off their formal wear.

Danny is having a great time. Why aren’t you? Rae persisted.

"You know why, Rae. He won’t turn me, and here…I feel it even more than usual. I am the only human with a paranormal mate in a house full to the top with paranormals all looking at me like I am a freak, and I am…here, I am a freak."

"Van, I don’t think you have thought this out. Is being a vampire something you really want? You will be dependent on drinking blood to survive and all that goes with it. If the bloodlust takes control of you, think what you might do. You might even kill, and that would destroy who you are."

"Not if Danny trains me…watches out for me…stops me. Not if… I stopped as I saw a gorgeous hunk of a shifter walking toward us and Rae leaned in to whisper, He is new. His name is Clive Borders. I saw him eyeing you before, so no doubt about it, he will ask you to dance. Dance with him to be polite, but don’t trust him. I can’t say why, but I just don’t like him. She shrugged. To be fair, it might be because I sense he is a player…forever breaking hearts, and I don’t like that sort of… she laughed, wolf."

Why…how is he here?

He just showed up one day. Wants to join Hawk’s wolf pack. He is on probation while Hawk…or rather, now Shane checks him out.

Clive Borders was tall, blond, and damn good-looking. He arrived, inclined his head, and gave Rae a grin before turning to me to ask, Would you like to dance?

I looked at Rae, who had an odd expression on her face. She had told me he would ask me to dance. She had said, ‘don’t trust him’, but where was the harm in a dance?

Besides, Danny seemed to be purposely avoiding me, which was partially my fault, but annoying all the same. I had made the mistake of trying to flirt him up, and cajole him into agreeing to turn me. He had gotten angry and walked off.

At this point, I was angry and ready to ignore my vampire and dance with a blond hunk of a wolf. It was time he noticed me. He hadn’t cared that I was all alone. So maybe he would care that I no longer was…alone?

Yes…thanks, I said, and gave him a warm smile.

I could see Rae watching us and I could tell she was just a bit concerned. Well, she was smart enough to know Danny had left me to fend for myself, and the end result was that a wolf had moved in. After all…Danny and I may be in love, but he had not bonded with me. He hadn’t tasted my blood, marked me as his, sooo?

Clive was polite and put me at ease with light conversation, and I didn’t take him as a player. He seemed like a nice guy, and as the newcomer, also looking for some company.

He made me laugh with a couple of real funny anecdotes and I found him charming. When the dance was over, Clive walked me back to Rae, who had stood protectively watching us, but Hawk marched up at that moment and nudged his bride.

"Baby…want to