Blood Secret: Soul Guardians, #1.5

By L.J. Langdon

A wolf on the hunt. A woman on the run. And a secret heritage that threatens them both.

 

As a Soul Guardian, Kristof is sworn to protect mankind from evil Blood Demons and their tainted medallions. When his best friend Ferdie is killed by a Blood Demon intent on stealing back a medallion, Kristof vows to get it back—even if it means hunting down every Blood Demon in Salzburg. But when he runs into Emma, a beautiful woman who his senses tell him is a Blood Demon, the wolf in him refuses to kill her.

 

Emma sees things that don't exist. Plagued by voices in her head, and a controlling father who tells her she's crazy, Emma must fight to claim her sanity and independence. But what do you do when you're attracted to the enemy, a man who reveals a truth much worse than insanity?

 

Together, and on the run, Emma and Kristof must learn the truth behind her dark heritage and recover the missing medallion as they fight to understand the forbidden bond they share.

 

But time is running out for the hunter and the hunted …

• Language: English
• Publisher: L.J. Langdon
• Release date: Dec 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9780645052909

Book preview

Chapter 1

Kristof

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The hairs on the back of my neck raised as the faint scent of sulfur drifted along the breeze. I pushed away from the shadows of an old sandstone wall and lifted my head to draw the scent deeper into my lungs. The familiar smell bit at the back of my sinuses like a rabid wasp and my lips drew up into a smile.

Blood Demon.

Patience was about to be rewarded.

I took off in the direction of the scent. The transformation into my wolf self was like water flowing down a forest stream. One second I was man, then next, wolf. The world snapped into clarity as the night vision of my wolf took over. I scanned the laneway. The moonlight kissed the aged stone buildings, illuminating them in an ethereal glow that emphasized the deep shadows below. The night aromas took on a sharper edge. Piss and rubbish from the alley filled my nostrils, but under it all was the subtle scent of my prey, and my canine nose pinpointed the direction I needed to go.

Adrenaline heated my veins.

The hunt was on.

As a twenty-two-year-old Soul Guardian, I was created for this, for hunting down and killing Blood Demons. And I’d always loved my duty, but ever since my best friend Ferdie’s death, it was all I lived for.

I raced through the streets of Salzburg’s Old Town, anticipation snapping at my heels and spurring me on.

As I streaked past crowds and weaved my way through laneways, the cool evening air caressed my fur like a welcome lover. The humans who saw me in wolf form saw a big dog. It was like the angelic magic that created me offered a small amount of protection, and it caused their human brains to misfire … or something. I don’t know. I never really contemplated the how. Though I did have moments when my ego had me wondering how anyone could mistake me for a mere dog.

Not that it mattered what humans thought. Since Ferdie’s death, I always hunted as my wolf self. Always. We could kill in both forms, but the wolf allowed me to immerse myself in my canine instincts and focus on the hunt instead of the grief and anger consuming me.

Blood Demons had broken into our home and killed Ferdie while he was protecting my brother Aric. Worse, they’d stolen a medallion that gave them more power than any Blood Demon had ever had before. Powers we’d never seen.

I had to get the medallion back to protect the balance of free will. It was all I could think about.

I skidded to a stop at the corner of an old stone building. The stench of sulfur hit my nose so hard my eyes watered. The Blood Demon was around the corner. Any second it should appear. I just had to wait.

My mouth watered at the thought of sinking my teeth into its flesh and tearing its throat out; my paws, standing in its dust, was the only acceptable end for this hunt.

I licked my lips and waited.

It didn’t appear.

I tilted my head to the side, curious. That didn’t make sense.

From the speed it was traveling, I could tell it was in a rush, and now it stopped?

It shouldn’t have detected me. And even if it had, it would have at least retreated or attacked. Not just stopped.

Stalking forward, I hunkered down low and peered around the corner.

There was no Blood Demon.

Instead, at the other end of the lane was the curvaceous backside of a tiny blonde woman. Bent over, she was shoving books and other bits and pieces into what looked like a backpack. She muttered to herself, using words I’m sure no mother would approve.

The stench of sulfur came from her.

The coat hairs on my back lifted and my ears flattened against my skull. I closed my eyes and drew in her scent. My nose said, Blood Demon.

I opened my eyes.

Still a woman.

This wasn’t possible.

She stood and pulled at the belt of her heavy coat. The belt defined her small waist and the feminine curves that lay beneath. She was heading my way in a hurry.

I shifted my weight back onto my hind legs, fully intending to take her down, but as I launched myself around the corner, my wolf retreated inside me without warning, and my human self stumbled into her.

I reached out to stop us from falling. My fingers bit into her delicate shoulders, and I used the momentum of our collision to turn us around so I could lean in and scan her with my magic. A golden hum vibrated back at me through my power. She had a soul, but she smelled like a Blood Demon. I staggered back as I tried to process everything I’d sensed.

The momentum of our dance caused her bag to go flying. The contents once again spread out over the cobblestones.

What the bloody hell? More profanities followed as she bent to gather her belongings. Her swearing didn’t fit with her posh little English accent.

I rubbed the whiskers on my chin as my mind raced for an explanation.

What are you looking at? Her voice was a little shrill when she addressed me.

Her angry gaze hit me deep within my soul, and my wolf whined, confused by her anger toward us.

I couldn’t answer. I couldn’t attack. My wolf refused to hunt, and I was left stranded, standing there, muted by confusion.

She shook her head and resumed the task of collecting her belongings, her movements jerky. She was pretty worked up.

My gaze wandered over her delicate hands as she grabbed for her belongings. Her blonde hair was cut short at the back, exposing her slender white neck. The pixie cut suited her delicate, curvy features.

She damn well didn’t look like a Blood Demon.

Blood Demons had three forms. Two they used to hunt at night—the first nothing more than a black shadow lurking in reflections and hiding in darkened corners, and the other more substantial, so they could perform a blood exchange. During the day, they took on a human-like appearance. Still, real humans naturally averted their gaze away from a Blood Demon, feeling uncomfortable. They saw a homeless drunk or drug addict sitting in the recesses of the streets.

You could at least help me, she railed.

I could … I paused, my wolf unable to resist baiting her. If you asked me nicely.

What? She sat back on her heels to look at me. You caused this. She indicated the mess of belongings surrounding her.

My wolf refused to allow me to hunt but obviously had no problem baiting her. It was like he wanted to play. She was just so feisty.

I believe you walked into me, not the other way around, I responded in a deadpan tone.

You came from nowhere!

Hmm, perhaps you’re right. I pretended to consider the matter for a moment, then squatted down beside her to help collect her many pens. She had a lot of pens. How many pens does one human need?

Blood Demons didn’t use pens.

I breathed her in, but the sulfur was replaced with a soft floral scent that reminded me of a fresh spring field. My wolf wanted to roll in it.

Was Zur Hölle? My wolf had never gone against me before.

What was she? Was she a new type of Blood Demon? One with a different medallion? Was this a magic that broke down a Soul Guardian’s natural defenses against a Blood Demon’s powers? I shook my head and tried to break away from the spell she’d cast over me. If my wolf wouldn’t hunt, then I needed to change tactics.

So, what’s got you in such a hurry? I kept my tone casual and gave her my most charming smile, the one that all women, and even a few men, couldn’t resist.

She gaped at me, then shook her head. I’m sorry, I don’t have time for chit chat.

She finished collecting her belongings and started to leave.

Wait. I stood and grasped her arm. A shock of longing went through me.

This had to be magic. Dark magic.

I dropped her arm and stepped back.

What caused her to smell like a Blood Demon one moment and then appear completely human the next? If Soul Guardians were ever going to restore the balance of free will, I had to ensure she wasn’t connected to the creation of the medallions, or worse, that she wasn’t a new type of Blood Demon.

I stepped in her way.

Look, I’m sorry. I think I made a bad first impression. Can I help you …?

I don’t need your help, she snapped at me.

My ‘charming smile’ hadn’t worked, so I gave her my ‘cute sad puppy’ look, a look that was surprisingly more effective in human form than when I was wolf.

Look, pretty boy. I don’t have time for this. Move. I’m already late, and if I am any later, my father is going to have a fit.

I didn’t get a chance to respond. She shoved me out of the way and dashed around the corner, the scent of Blood Demon trailing along behind her, growing stronger with each step she took away from me.

I had to follow her, but this time the hunt would be in