Ritual of Blood: Her Wicked Vampires, #2

By Amelia Shaw and Angela Edgehart

After the Tournament of Blood, I've earned my coveted position within the ranks of the Slayers… but the cost was steep. Too steep. I am now one of the very creatures I swore vengeance against.

Awakening on the other side of death, I discover that I've been turned—I've become a vampire. If any hope remains to avenge the only mother I've ever known, I'm going to have to learn to control the monster inside of me and fast. Mercifully, I have Blake and Noah by my side to help me navigate this new phase of my undead life.

I soon realize that the romantic bond I assumed was one of soul mates, is in fact far deeper. The three of us are destined to be blood mates; mates for all eternity. But monsters like me don't get happily ever afters…

It's not long before Gabe and his Slayers expect Blake and I to come through and help them take down a rival vampire gang, Crimson Thirst. And while my goal aligns with theirs, I know I can't trust Gabe. He's like a blood-sucking puppeteer lurking behind the stage, forever pulling strings.

But when Gabe senses my reluctance, he sinks to new lows and uses one of my mates against me. He forces my hand and I have no choice. If I want to see Noah again, I must dance to Gabe's tune. At least I'll finally get my revenge… even if it means allowing the monster within to consume the very last of my humanity.

Sink your fangs into this seductive, thrilling, and action-packed paranormal romance NOW!

#whychoose steamy paranormal romance.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harley Romance Publishing
• Release date: Dec 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223529682

Book preview

TWO

BLAKE

I watched her leave, frustration clawing at me. We should go after her.

Noah just sighed loudly. She won’t listen. You know that. She won’t be even half sane until after she’s fed.

I groaned this time. But we can’t let her make that sort of mistake. You know how much Lexi hated vampires. She’s going to loathe herself so much worse if she hurts someone.

Hurting someone was really my lesser concern. Lexi killing someone was much more likely, not to mention the fact that she may expose herself, and Crimson Thirst might come after her. I couldn’t lose her. Not again.

I stared at Noah, and I could see the light of understanding dawning in his eyes. Yeah. Okay. Where should we start?

Her apartment maybe? I suggested, grabbing my keys. Noah turned around and we ran out the door and jumped in my car. As I turned the key in the ignition, my stomach twisted tightly. I remember those first hunger pangs. Don’t you?

Noah nodded as I planted my foot on the accelerator, and we took off down the street. Hell, yes. And controlling the hunger was the worst.

I sighed. Yeah, I’d forgotten about that.

Baby vampires had no control over their hunger, and their appetites were extreme. Even if Lexie drained a full-size man or two, she’d still feel like she was dying of thirst.

We turned right and headed towards Lexi’s old apartment. Then Noah asked the question that had been turning around in my head since the moment Lexi opened her eyes once more. Hey… how do think it happened?

I glanced over at him, then focused back on the road. You mean, how the fuck is she a vampire?

Noah chuckled. Yeah. Exactly.

That’s something I’d like to know. There were only a few ways to become a vamp, and as far as I knew, Lexi didn’t check any of the boxes.

I never bit her, did you? Noah asked.

Hell, no, I said. She all but declared that she’d drive a stake through any vamp that came near her, so I wasn’t giving us away. I drummed my thumbs against the steering wheel. There was a bit of time where we weren’t with her though… after she’d found the truth out before her last fight.

Do you think she was bitten then?

I thought about it for a minute then shook my head. No. I didn’t see any marks on her. Not that I’d fully inspected every inch of her body. I did check the usual locations, however.

So, if she wasn’t bitten, maybe someone slipped her some vamp blood? Noah asked, though he sounded as uncertain as I was.

I inhaled sharply, taking a moment to think. It’s possible, I suppose. Like… when she was held captive, maybe?

That was weeks ago. Any vamp blood would be out of her system by now.

We lapsed into silence. I didn’t have the answer and neither did Noah, by the sounds of it. So, what was the answer? She’d clearly been turned, but by who? And why?

I saw the bastard who killed her. He was a vamp. But he hadn’t bitten her. It didn’t add up.

I was completely lost in my thoughts when Noah called out, Is that her place? Up ahead.

I slowed the car down, grateful he’d said something when he did.

Yeah. Thanks. I pulled over and hopped out. We should have gone after her straight away. How the hell are we going to find her now?

She’ll go somewhere familiar.

Familiar, I repeated. Although, most of her memories are gone.

But I knew what he meant. When I’d first been turned, I didn’t have any memories and yet I’d been able to find my way home, almost like part of my brain still had the maps, I just couldn’t access them.

Let’s just go up and see if she’s been here, Noah said, staring up at the high-rise building. We need to get her a blood bag as soon as possible.

We were heading for the front door of Ana’s apartment building when a familiar scent teased my nostrils.

I stopped, grabbing for Noah’s arm, halting his progress. I think she’s nearby.

How— Noah scented the air and turned around. This way.

He took off down the road, then turned left into an alley.

At first, all I saw was a dumpster and some trash tossed on the ground around it, but her scent was strong here.

A feral growl farther down grabbed my attention. If I didn’t know any better, I’d have guessed it came from a wild animal.

Noah heard it too. That was our girl.

Careful not to spook her, we crept past the dumpster.

There she is! I pointed ahead of us, where Lexi had a man pinned to the ground. He wasn’t moving, but I could hear his pulse.

Her fangs were bared, and she was in thrall, completely oblivious to us.

Shit!

Lexi! I called out to her.

Stop! Noah shouted and bolted toward her.

THREE

LEXI

My heart beat slow and heavy, pushing sludge through my veins. My conscious brain was no longer ruling me. Instinct had taken over. All I knew was the pain of my thirst and the dry sensation in my throat. It was as though I was turning to dust from the inside out. Every sound was magnified a thousand times over. The crickets scraping their wings together… the blaring sirens in the distance… I could hear everything clear as a bell. It was enough to drive anyone mad.

The pulse of the man lying on the pavement beneath me drew my attention away from the noise. It soothed, like a gentle stream one imagines while meditating.

His eyes were closed. He must have hit his head when I’d accidentally knocked him down. Rage bubbled deep in my core at the memory of his catcall as I’d walked down the quiet street. Proof he thought I was just some piece of meat. He had to be in his fifties, if I were to guess. Not that it mattered.

I could smell his blood somehow. The scent reminded me of expensive wine and decadent chocolate, except better.

My gums ached, but it was a welcome type of ache. Like when you’re waiting for a good fuck and your lover is taking his time in getting you ready. Teasing you before he gives you what you want.

I ran my tongue across my top teeth, saliva pooling in the bottom of my mouth.

The ache turned into a piercing pain, and then something sharp jabbed against my tongue. Fangs, I realized. Two new, sharp teeth had punctured my gums. The flavor of my own blood made me close my eyes and moan. I’d never tasted anything better.

That was the moment the man’s pulse took control of me. It begged me to let his blood flow.

Somehow, this just felt so easy. I lowered my mouth to his neck and pressed my lips against his flesh.

My fangs were seconds from opening up his artery, and I knew that the ache inside me would be satisfied.

But a pair of strong hands wrapped around my shoulders and ripped me away from my prey.

I growled at whoever had stopped me, baring my fangs. I’d been so close! How dare they stop me!

The man’s pulse continued to fill my ears, louder than my thoughts. I tried to turn to bite him again. This time, I was spun around and forced to the ground onto my back.

Lexi, stop it! You don’t want to do this, the intruder said.

Struggling to break free, I bucked my hips and kicked my feet.

The man I’d been about to bite groaned beside me, gaining consciousness. If I didn’t act soon, he was going to get away.

Let. Me. Go! I bit out through clenched teeth as I continued to fight against strong arms. I need blood!

My captor sat on me, his jade-green eyes searching mine as though he could find who I used to be. I knew those eyes. They were beautifully mesmerizing. I could imagine myself becoming lost in them.

We can get you blood, he said.

I almost didn’t hear him. Then, something inside my mind clicked, and I stopped fighting. My fangs retracted. Blake?

He smiled. There she is.

He’s waking up, another voice warned from behind Blake. It didn’t take me long to piece together that it was Noah. Let’s get out of here.

Blake stood then pulled me up.

Weak and tired from the whole ordeal, I let them help me to the car. I stayed silent as we drove back toward the house, without even the energy to speak. The last few days were still a blur, but I remembered staying with the guys now. The bond we shared. How could I forget?

Another wave of thirst hit me. I opened my window to let the fresh, cool air blow against my face. How long did I have left? Surely, I was about to disintegrate. Panic clutched the back of my neck in an icy grip.

I’m going to die, I rasped in a thin voice.

Blake clenched his hands on the steering wheel and the car accelerated faster. We’re almost there. Hang on.

We should’ve let her feed, Noah admonished from the backseat.

No. Blake shook his head. We should have brought the blood bags with us.

Why didn’t we? he questioned.

I wasn’t thinking straight.

A part of me was grateful they’d stopped me, but a larger, feral part wished they hadn’t.

By the time we pulled into the garage, I was losing my grip on reality again. It took everything inside me not to run away when Noah opened the car door to let me out. How dare they stop me.

But the promise of blood—and my weakening state—kept me subdued.

As we entered the house, my hearing intensified again. The staccato drips of the kitchen faucet. The creaking floorboards groaning beneath my feet. I gripped the sides of my head and ground my teeth together.

Noah glanced sideways at me. You’ll get used to it after a while. He switched on a lamp in the living room as we walked in, and it was like the sun had entered the building.

I squinted and waved my hand at the light. Off.

You’ll learn to tone down your senses, Blake added. He flicked the lamp off—thank God—and lit a candle instead. For some strange reason, the flame didn’t bother me as much.

I stared at the sofa, noticing the blood on it—my blood. There was a lot. My hand drifted to the hole in my shirt. How long had I been there before I’d awakened?

Blake guided me to the loveseat instead. I’ll wait here with her while you go get it, he said to Noah.

Noah watched us for a moment and then nodded. Right.

I wished I knew what he was thinking. Blake was obviously worried but trying to be strong. Noah was harder to read.

My eyes started to close as his footsteps faded from the room until Blake gently grabbed me by the chin. Hey, listen. I’m sorry. Okay?

F-for what?

Everything that’s happened.

I didn’t quite know what that meant. Before I had time to ask, Noah returned with a bag of blood.

A memory hit me at the sight of him holding the sack that looked like it belonged to a hospital. An image of me opening the mini fridge downstairs and finding bags just like it. I’d been so angry. Recalling that moment now re-opened that fresh wound of betrayal. The part of me that used to be human wanted to say