The Vampire’s Second Chance: The Knights of Aradia, #2

By Avery Gale

As a pureblood vampire, Miguel Valante has lived a hundred human lifetimes with one lingering regret.  Underestimating the threat to Sophia's safety was the biggest mistake of his life.

 

When he's given a second chance, Miguel vows to keep his destined mate safe.  Battling powerful magical forces determined to eliminate her bloodline once and for all is more difficult than he imagined.  A Rocky Mountain blizzard, wild witches dressed like clown school dropouts, a wizard who views zaniness as entertainment, and a sister determined to max out his credit card bring the humor Avery Gale readers have come to expect.    

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Sophie Bishop's life has taken one bizarre turn after another.  Her grandmother's dying wish sends Sophie to Colorado for Opal Stone's guidance.  Trusting Opal and braving a blizzard change Sophie's life so quickly that it's barely recognizable twenty-four hours later.  

 

Fast-paced action, unexpected twists, steamy romance, and characters readers know and love will make this book an instant favorite among Avery Gale readers.  

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Avery Gale
• Release date: Nov 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781944472986

Avery Gale

Writing is an escape from normal - which bores me to distraction. I'm sure my family would assure you I haven't even been in normal's neighborhood in years so I probably don't have a real solid grasp of the concept.I like writing characters that are flawed, but loveable. And I like creating strong women who aren't afraid to speak their minds to the men in their lives.I also love hearing from readers! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and [e-mail] are the best ways to get in touch with me. Let me know what you like and which characters you think should get their own stories!- Avery Gale -

Book preview

Chapter One

Eight Hundred (give or take a few decades) Years Ago

Miguel Valante pulled his cloak tight around his shoulders and shuddered. He hated being cold, and even though the early summer planting had officially started, the nights had been uncharacteristically cool. He wasn’t supposed to be on watch until daybreak, but he’d grown tired of tossing and turning in a bed that could easily be mistaken for a slab of granite. His kind didn’t require much sleep—a few hours every few days was more than enough. Most of the time, sleep eluded him, and he lay awake, staring at the ceiling. Humans dreamt of immortality, but they had no understanding of the concept. They didn’t understand how tedious life became when it stretched endlessly into the future.

Letting his horse set a slow, measured pace, Miguel left the castle his family had built a hundred years before and wandered into the night. His father had been gone for months, but Miguel could feel his magic moving closer. Most of the wealthy families who’d backed the Templars lost everything, but members of the magical community were amassing vast stores of gold right under the church’s nose.

The magical community knew the Knights’ fight against the church was doomed from the beginning, but the Templars refused to listen. Miguel admired his father’s efforts—he’d tried valiantly to warn the founding members of the Knights. When it became clear the noble Knights were intent on self-destruction, the elder Valante insisted the riches at stake were too great to ignore, and Miguel agreed. By the end of the Knights’ campaign to turn the church on its ear, unimaginable stores of gold had been well hidden, waiting for forward-thinking individuals like Miguel’s father to whisk them away.

Why should the Pope reap all the rewards of war?

Miguel shook his head in disgust. When church leaders were more interested in acquiring riches than spreading the word they professed to follow, the door was left wide open for magicals. Not everyone in the collective group known as the magical community understood the long-term value of steering clear of skirmishes between mortals. Manipulating human events was easy enough, but it was dangerous to dabble in the affairs of those who see the world differently than you do.

Riding through the outer gates, Miguel nodded to the keeper. The man was enormous and built as solidly as a wall of stone. It was a good thing he had the heart of a lamb rather than a lion. Miguel shuddered when he thought about how dangerous the younger man could be if he ever became enraged. The iron gate rattled closed behind him, securing the castle’s primary entrance against intruders. Clouds drifting in slow motion across the sky plunged the area into inky blackness. The lack of light wasn’t an issue for him; in fact, it was a considerable advantage in encounters with non-magicals.

Looking ahead, Miguel noted a lone figure stepping carefully along the edge of the cobblestone path. What on Earth was anyone doing outside at this hour? As he approached, he could see strands of long hair the color of sun-bleached straw plaited in a thick braid between narrow shoulders. The braid had escaped her cloak, wrapping around her head before reaching her waist. Miguel smiled to himself when his mind flashed to how the silky rope would feel wrapped around his hand as he drove himself deep inside her hot, clenching sheath. For the first time in decades, he was thinking of something other than draining the lifeblood from a woman who had the misfortune to cross his path.

Hearing the clap of horse hooves against the cobblestones, the woman tried to slip into the shadows along the side of the road. Tapping his heels against his horse’s flanks, Miguel picked up the pace, knowing she was already tuned into the danger lurking behind her. A split second before she tried to run, he called out to her. Compelling her to halt was easy. She stopped in her tracks, but the scent of her fear filled the air.

Turn to me. Miguel was surprised by her moment of hesitation. He’d never met a mortal who could resist his effort to compel them, no matter how much they wanted to. When she turned, Miguel knew she was going to belong to him. She wasn’t his mate, but she would be a wonderful distraction. Her heart-shaped face was highlighted with high cheekbones and flawless ivory skin. Her nose was small and slightly turned up at the end. Every aspect of her appearance was more beautiful than the last, but it was her eyes that made his breath hitch. It was dark, but his enhanced vision let him see the midnight blue ring narrow as her pupils dilated. He’d never seen anyone with eyes as large and luminous.

Miguel didn’t stop his steed until he was close enough to reach out and brush the backs of his fingers along the chilled skin of her cheek. The first rays of morning sun fell over them, highlighting the pounding pulse at the base of her neck as it kicked up several notches. Golden light made her entire face look as though it was illuminated from the inside. A strange ache clenched his chest when the realization she wouldn’t belong to him for all eternity filled his mind. The knowledge she wouldn’t be his forever did nothing to lessen her beauty. A surge of possessiveness moved over him like a crashing wave.

Why are you out alone at this hour? Who is responsible for you?

I am responsible for myself, sir. To answer your inquiry about why I’m out at this hour—you’ll have to take that up with the local Vicar. He insists his creature comforts are attended to before dawn. He will be angry that I’m late.

Creature comforts? Miguel could feel his anger boiling beneath the surface. Stories about the Vicar circulated every few months, but he’d never spoken to anyone willing to give him a firsthand account.

The Vicar is no longer your concern. Miguel struggled to hold back his smile when she stared at him, blinking several times, trying to discern his meaning.

I’m confused. What do you mean? If I don’t work, I won’t earn the coins I need to pay for my room. It isn’t much, but it keeps me from sleeping in the gutter. I have no desire to be homeless.

Miguel’s amusement evaporated, knowing why she was worried about keeping the job he doubted anyone else wanted. He extended his hand in an unspoken demand to let him pull her up in front of him. She took a deep breath before placing her small hand in his much larger one. He didn’t bother masking the magical power of his touch and knew she’d felt the pulse of unfiltered energy when she gasped.

What is your name?

Sophia. When he raised a brow at the use of only one name, she shrugged. It is the only name I was allowed to use at the orphanage. Her response was little more than a breath of air… the whispered words impossible for anyone other than a magical to hear. Sophia slumped against him when she noted the direction they were headed.

I want to speak to the Vicar before we pick up your belongings. Miguel hadn’t lied. He intended to find out how many other women had been forced to cater to the old man’s creature comforts. The small church was a part of his family’s extensive estate, so they were responsible for the action of the clergy. An hour later, the Vicar had been dealt with—the man would no longer require Sophia’s or anyone else’s assistance with his creature comforts.

Sophia reluctantly directed him to her small room at the back of a nearby pub. Standing in the small space, Miguel felt his heart painfully squeeze in his chest. For the first time in his life, Miguel understood how fortunate he was to have been born into wealth. Sophia stood in front of him, a small satchel clutched tightly against her breasts. When she assured him it held all her worldly possessions, it had taken him several seconds to curb his anger enough to nod his understanding.

He’d spoken to the pub owner while she’d gathered her meager belongings. The elderly man spoke kindly about Sophia. He’d given Miguel the impression he considered her a daughter rather than a renter.

She’s a lovely girl, Mr. Valante. Sophia has helped me every day since I was injured. She refuses to let me pay her more than a few meals and insists it is her responsibility to pay for her room. I’m thrilled she will have a nicer place to lay her head each night, but I’m not sure she is ready for everything ahead of her.

It was apparent the man knew whom he was speaking to, and Miguel was humbled by how politely he stated his fears for Sophia’s safety and happiness.

She will be well cared for, sir. You have my word. Thank you for taking care of Sophia and for your concern about her future. I assure you I will do everything in my power to protect her from harm as long as I draw breath.

The man nodded, seeming satisfied with his assurance.

Miguel would make certain the elderly man had all the help he needed from this time forward. When Sophia joined them, he’d been shocked to see her carrying a single bag. Sophia didn’t notice Miguel’s frown as she rushed to reassure her landlord she would return to help as soon as she could. Miguel wouldn’t take issue with her returning to visit, but she would no longer be working for anyone but him.

Am I to work for your family, sir? What duties will I be given? Is there a small room for me inside the castle? Her nervous chatter broke through the fantasy fogging his mind. Miguel pulled her closer, holding the reins with one hand while snaking the other beneath her tattered cloak. Cupping her bound breast, he squeezed hard enough to make her gasp.

You belong to me now, my pretty, precious pet. Do everything I command of you, and I will reward you by granting your deepest desires. Disobey me, and you’ll be punished. She squirmed against him but made no effort to escape. Are your undergarments wet, pet? Are you thinking about how it will feel to have my cock push through your maidenhood? Her entire body stiffened, and he hoped she hadn’t noted his smile when he leaned forward to press his lips against the sensitive skin below her ear. Her pulse pounded, the rapid beat pushing her scent deeper into his soul.

I’m un… well, I have never…

I know you are untouched, pet. Now wasn’t the time to tell her he was one of the few of his kind who could discern subtle differences and shifts in a mortal’s scent. From the moment a woman was destined for motherhood, her scent became muskier. Illness and inebriation were also distinctive. Miguel had shifter friends who agreed—slight changes in human bodies were easily detected, but they marveled at his ability to determine virginity. His family teased him about being kidnapped by a faction in the east where untouched women were sold and resold to anyone foolish enough to believe the sworn words of a translator. Miguel wouldn’t help the sex traders sell women—ever. He often wondered if mankind would ever see the light and protect their own. Sadly, he didn’t hold out much hope.

The trip back to the castle passed in silence. Miguel struggled to hold back his desire as Sophia seemed lost in her own thoughts. It would be easy for him to tap into her thoughts, but he was trying to give her some small measure of privacy. Before long, he would be able to hear her, no matter the distance between them.

If the gatekeeper was surprised to see him return with a woman, he masked it well. Leading Sophia to his quarters, Miguel was surprised to feel lightning arcing between their hands. Each time he touched her, the spark became stronger. He didn’t understand what sort of magic was hidden inside the petite woman staring at him with wide eyes, but it was powerful and coursing just beneath the surface.

Shoving open the heavy wooden door to his quarters, Miguel stepped aside and motioned for her to enter. She took a step forward and gasped. One thing he loved about the castle was how rapidly news traveled. His chambermaids had already set the candles aflame, ensuring the entrance was washed in an inviting golden glow.

Your room is beautiful. The simple statement was whispered in a voice filled with genuine admiration. He smiled to himself. If she was impressed by the entrance, she’d be thrilled with the real living space. It had taken him decades to decorate the rooms. Bringing back priceless treasures from his travels, he’d filled the cavernous spaces with silk window coverings, brocade pillows, and Persian rugs. Miguel pressed his palm against Sophia’s lower back, urging her into the main sitting room.

Oh, my. There’s more? Your home is remarkable. Will I be the only one cleaning? Am I to start today? I hope there is someone to show me how you like things done. Perhaps there’s a small room where I can leave my belongings?

He knew her nervous chatter was a reflection of her discomfort rather than genuine curiosity. Turning her until they faced one another, Miguel looked down