Resisting the Wicked

By Wendi Zwaduk

Can two Fae find the love they deserve and resist the wicked or will they become engulfed in the darkness forever?

Darkness has fallen, but it's not the end of the world. Vampires are dangerous and the Fae are targets.

Sabra thought she'd finally run away from the vampires when she opted to hide at St. Elmo's. No one would use her again. She's not safe, but being a Fae, she has few options. She wants to be loved and cherished. Impossible, right?

Alyx Stevens is determined to change her mind. He knew from the moment he saw her in a vision that she was the Fae to save him. First, he had to find her. Now, he has to convince her to trust him. She's scared, but one kiss proves she's more than a conquest. She's the woman he could love. But Sabra's made enemies, and actions from her past could threaten her future...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
• Release date: Apr 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9781839433788

Wendi Zwaduk

Wendi Zwaduk is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to BDSM and LGBTQ themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been the runner up in the Kink Category at Love Romances Café as well as nominated at the LRC for best contemporary, best ménage and best anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com and the former AllRomance Ebooks. She also writes under the name of Megan Slayer. When she’s not writing, she spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice.

Book preview

Author

Totally Bound Publishing books by Wendi Zwaduk

Single Books

Learning How to Bend

Must Be Doing Something Right

My Immortal

You’ll Think of Me

Tangled Up

Careless Whisper

Please Remember Me

What Might Have Been

Ever Fallen In Love

Someone Like You

Love Remembers

When You’re With Me

Sunshine of Your Love

Firelit Magic

Her Man

My Favorite Mistake

Silk and Decadence

Bound by Desire

Love Lessons

Drawn Together

Written Together

Together Again

Dancing Together

The Refuge

Running with the Wicked

Clandestine Classics

The Phantom of the Opera

Anthologies

Treble: Savin’ Me

Switch: Still the One

Bound to the Billionaire: Play to Him

Whip It Up: Honey and Decadence

Lasso Lovin’: Tying One On

Wild After Dark: Taken In

Boots, Chaps and Cowboy Hats: Between Us

Three’s a Charm: A Sinful Tune

Sensory Limits: Just You and Me

Seasonal Collections

Heart Attack: Over My Head

Haunted By You: Miss Me Baby

Wanton Witches: Candlelit Magic

Jolly Rogered: Ruined by the Pirate

The Refuge

RESISTING

THE WICKED

WENDI ZWADUK

Resisting the Wicked

ISBN # 978-1-83943-378-8

©Copyright Wendi Zwaduk 2020

Cover Art by Cherith Vaughan ©Copyright April 2020

Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

Totally Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

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The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2020 by Totally Bound Publishing, United Kingdom.

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Totally Bound Publishing is an imprint of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

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Book two in The Refuge series

Can two Fae find the love they deserve and resist the wicked or will they become engulfed in the darkness forever?

Darkness has fallen, but it’s not the end of the world. Vampires are dangerous and the Fae are targets.

Sabra thought she’d finally run away from the vampires when she opted to hide at St. Elmo’s. No one would use her again. She’s not safe, but being a Fae, she has few options. She wants to be loved and cherished. Impossible, right?

Alyx Stevens is determined to change her mind. He knew from the moment he saw her in a vision that she was the Fae to save him. First, he had to find her. Now, he has to convince her to trust him. She’s scared, but one kiss proves she’s more than a conquest. She’s the woman he could love. But Sabra’s made enemies, and actions from her past could threaten her future…

Dedication

For RB

For JPZ

For the Lucky Ducks

Chapter One

Sabra stayed in the shadows. Not hard since the world had been plunged into darkness for the last five years. The Refuge had stopped smoldering, but her home in the building was gone. She had nowhere to go. Did that mean the vampires would leave her alone? Or would they come back even angrier?

She shivered. Ever since the vampires had extinguished the light, the world had changed. Sure, the warmth of the sun had gone, but the harmony of the planet had vanished, too. Some people cared about each other, but the vampires existed only to force everyone else into servitude. She didn’t want to serve anyone. Didn’t want to rule, either. She simply wanted to exist.

She ducked through a nearby building and into the alley on the back side. At any other time, the vampires cared whether or not the humans roamed the streets. Not while the Refuge had burned. The vampire frenzy would start up soon enough. They’d want to be fed and would hunt anything that moved.

Did she have enough time to move across the block to St. Elmo’s Parish? She wasn’t sure why the bland brown structure had been called St. Elmo’s—it wasn’t a church or anywhere anyone worshiped.

But if someone needed a place to stay, then they went to the Refuge or St. Elmo’s. Anything was better than being on the streets for another endless night. She kept the scarf over her head and headed to the house of solace.

If she had her magic, she could spirit herself. She held the coat around her body. The urge to flick her fingers to try to produce a spark was there, but the magic had grown weak. Ever since the vampires had feasted on her, she’d lost her faerie magic.

She hurried across the block to the nondescript brown building. The neon sign lit up the darkness around the structure. To anyone passing by, the neon looked like something in front of a bar. Maybe that was why the vampires tended to leave St. Elmo’s alone. When she reached the door, Niall, one of the doormen, waved. Come along. You’re welcome.

Thank you. She slipped through the doorway and into the foyer. She could breathe again. She passed into the main room, then up to the second floor. A group sat in the largest room in mid-discussion. Malachi, the wolf shifter who ran the parish, led the group.

We can’t let the vampires govern the world, Malachi said. It’s not right.

Vampires being in charge of everything might not be right, but it’s the rule of the land, a man she didn’t know said.

She shuddered and kept going. Vampires. The humans thought they were so great. They were considered scary, but hauntingly beautiful. Right. They’d been venerated. Jesus. The vampires had used their magnetism to convince the humans to hand over control. How beautiful were they now? The Fae King was dead, the humans were food and shifters were banned. If there were any Fae left, she didn’t know and hadn’t seen them. But everyone had initially claimed they were living their best life with the vampires in charge?

She removed her scarf and made her way to the bedrooms. Most were full, but sometimes she’d luck out. Maybe she’d even snag a few hours of sleep—if she found an empty room. She knocked on the door. Hello? She knocked again. Hello?

It’s empty. A girl with fiery red hair smiled, but never met her eyes. She ducked into another room.

Thanks, Sabra called. She turned the handle. When she entered the room, she flicked her fingers. A spark shot off her fingertips. Her heart leapt. She’d created some magic. Even if it had lasted only a moment, she’d done it. Glitter remained on her fingertips, but the more she tried to recreate the magic, nothing happened. Hope blossomed in her heart. The magic might not be dead.

She collapsed on the mattress. Part of her wanted to fiddle with the magic again and attempt to stretch her wings. The rest of her gave in to the bone-deep weariness. She needed to sleep. The vampires had used too much of her blood and if she didn’t recharge, she’d die.

* * * *

She woke, but she had no idea how much time had passed. Someone knocked on the door. She sat up, thankful she’d remained clothed instead of stripping to her underwear to sleep.

Hello? Niall called. Is this room empty?

No. Sabra scrambled off the mattress. I’m in here. She opened the door. Niall and another man stood outside.

I’m sorry, Niall said. I thought it was empty. The rest are full.

I didn’t put the marker on the door, she said. Do we need to double up? She swept her gaze over the new guy. He wasn’t a vampire or a shifter. Human? She wasn’t sure. His steely gray eyes shimmered. His brown hair hung over his forehead and he needed a shave. He could use a haircut and some food. His cheeks were sunken and dark circles amplified his eyes. He reminded her of a guy from the covers of her old romance novels. She chuckled. She hadn’t thought about those books since the darkness had come.

Sabra, honey, this is Alyx. Niall gestured to Alyx. She’ll help you. She’ll know what you need.

Wait. What? Sabra held on to the door frame. I’m sorry. I’m not a lady of the endless evening.

Never said you were. Niall stared at her. You’re Fae, aren’t you?

Hush. She wasn’t advertising that fact. So?

Alyx can’t remember who he is. He was gashed in the head by debris from the Refuge building collapse. He nudged Alyx into the room. You can use your powers to fix his mind. I’ve bandaged his body.

I don’t have my magic. She sighed as Niall left them alone in the room. She gestured to the mattress. Sit. She turned her attention to the door. She doubted Niall was still in