The Dark Ones
Rachel Van Dyken
To touch a Dark One is death.
To talk to an immortal is suicide.
Yet, I've been marked by both.
A Vampire.
And the King of the immortals.
My life is no longer my own.
And now I know the truth, my life was never mine to begin
with.
with.
It was theirs.
It's always been theirs.
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EXCERPT
I didn't open my eyes.
"No staying in bed all day?"
"No staying in bed all day?"
"About
that…" Ethan sighed. "The good news is it will feel like we've been
in bed for days when really it could have been mere hours."
that…" Ethan sighed. "The good news is it will feel like we've been
in bed for days when really it could have been mere hours."
"Hmm?" I
perked up. "Well, that's a nice trick."
perked up. "Well, that's a nice trick."
"I'm full of
them." His eyes sparkled. "Care to know more?"
them." His eyes sparkled. "Care to know more?"
"Yes," I
whispered, my mouth finding his.
whispered, my mouth finding his.
With a groan, he
pushed me back against the mattress and loomed over me, his naked body
glorious-looking against the sunlight streaming through the window.
"Perhaps we'll stay a bit longer."
pushed me back against the mattress and loomed over me, his naked body
glorious-looking against the sunlight streaming through the window.
"Perhaps we'll stay a bit longer."
"Yes." I
nodded my head eagerly. "I'm your mate, after all. Don't you want me to be
pleased?"
nodded my head eagerly. "I'm your mate, after all. Don't you want me to be
pleased?"
"You were pleased
at least four times last night, possibly five, if we count the time I—"
at least four times last night, possibly five, if we count the time I—"
"Shh." I put
my hands over his mouth.
my hands over his mouth.
He smirked.
"Afraid the dust will hear?"
"Afraid the dust will hear?"
I rolled my eyes.
"Ethan!"
Alex's voice boomed on the other side of the door. "Feed her!"
Alex's voice boomed on the other side of the door. "Feed her!"
"Ignore
him," Ethan hissed.
him," Ethan hissed.
The knock got louder.
"For the love of God, she's human. Give her food."
"For the love of God, she's human. Give her food."
"He's a siren. He
knows nothing." Ethan continued kissing me.
knows nothing." Ethan continued kissing me.
"Mason will break
down the door if he has to." Fighting broke out in the hall. "Ethan,
I can smell the sex from here. One immortal to another, feed her before you
can't feed from her anymore."
down the door if he has to." Fighting broke out in the hall. "Ethan,
I can smell the sex from here. One immortal to another, feed her before you
can't feed from her anymore."
Ethan growled and
pulled back from me. "They have no manners."
pulled back from me. "They have no manners."
I was half-tempted to
cover my face with my hands. Had they heard us? Of course they'd heard us, and
they knew, and they could… Yeah, I wanted to crawl under the bed and hide for a
few days. Instead, Ethan pounced from the bed, put on a pair of jeans, and
jerked open the door while I tried to hide beneath the covers.
cover my face with my hands. Had they heard us? Of course they'd heard us, and
they knew, and they could… Yeah, I wanted to crawl under the bed and hide for a
few days. Instead, Ethan pounced from the bed, put on a pair of jeans, and
jerked open the door while I tried to hide beneath the covers.
Alex peered over
Ethan's shoulder and waved.
Ethan's shoulder and waved.
I had no choice but to
wave back and hope that I wasn't as red as I felt.
wave back and hope that I wasn't as red as I felt.
"She's
alive." Alex held up his hand for a high five. "No? Not funny? Too
soon?"
alive." Alex held up his hand for a high five. "No? Not funny? Too
soon?"
"Horrible
joke," Mason said next to him. "I made eggs. She's going to need
food. Make her eat everything on the plate and—"
joke," Mason said next to him. "I made eggs. She's going to need
food. Make her eat everything on the plate and—"
He was still talking
when Ethan slammed the door in his face and brought a giant plate of food over
to me.
when Ethan slammed the door in his face and brought a giant plate of food over
to me.
"Forgive
them." Ethan scowled. "There aren't typically secrets between us, and
they're just concerned for you."
them." Ethan scowled. "There aren't typically secrets between us, and
they're just concerned for you."
I pointed at the eggs,
ten slices of bacon, and toast. "Clearly, they don't want me to
starve."
ten slices of bacon, and toast. "Clearly, they don't want me to
starve."
"Wolves."
Ethan looked heavenward. "He should be more concerned with his own diet,
the ass."
Ethan looked heavenward. "He should be more concerned with his own diet,
the ass."
"It does smell
good." I moved up the bed so I could lean against the headboard. "Do
you eat?"
good." I moved up the bed so I could lean against the headboard. "Do
you eat?"
Ethan's lips curved
into a predatory smile. "I ate several times last night. Care for me to
refresh your memory?"
into a predatory smile. "I ate several times last night. Care for me to
refresh your memory?"
My cheeks burned.
"So tempting."
He reached for a piece of bacon and held it to his lips, taking a small bite
that had my entire body clenching to keep from reaching out and attacking him.
"And yes, I can eat. I typically do eat but haven't been because when we
drink, we don't need normal food."
He reached for a piece of bacon and held it to his lips, taking a small bite
that had my entire body clenching to keep from reaching out and attacking him.
"And yes, I can eat. I typically do eat but haven't been because when we
drink, we don't need normal food."
"But before
me…" I grabbed a piece of toast. "You were eating normal food."
me…" I grabbed a piece of toast. "You were eating normal food."
"I like you
better." He winked. "But yes, I was."
better." He winked. "But yes, I was."
"Good to know I'm
better than bacon."
better than bacon."
"Your
taste…" His eyes brightened. "…is unlike anything I've ever
had."
taste…" His eyes brightened. "…is unlike anything I've ever
had."
"Hmm…" I
licked my lips.
licked my lips.
"Stop it,"
he hissed and looked away. "Damn, I can't watch you eat. I'm going to
shower while you eat your entire plate as per Mason's orders, and then I'll
contemplate letting you leave this room so you can go to the bookstore."
he hissed and looked away. "Damn, I can't watch you eat. I'm going to
shower while you eat your entire plate as per Mason's orders, and then I'll
contemplate letting you leave this room so you can go to the bookstore."
"Ah!" I almost
knocked over the food. "My job! Am I late? Will I get fired?"
knocked over the food. "My job! Am I late? Will I get fired?"
Ethan burst out
laughing. "It's eight in the morning. He's expecting you when I drop you
off. No sooner, no later. You won't get fired. He wouldn't dream of it, and you
really are adorable."
laughing. "It's eight in the morning. He's expecting you when I drop you
off. No sooner, no later. You won't get fired. He wouldn't dream of it, and you
really are adorable."
"And hot." I
sighed.
sighed.
"That too."
"No, I mean hot,
as in, it's scorching in here."
as in, it's scorching in here."
Ethan winced.
"You may be that way for a few days."
"You may be that way for a few days."
"Hot?"
He nodded.
"Why?"
"Too much vampire
blood makes you overheat a bit." He shrugged. "It won't turn you—
You're very much human, like I've said before, but sometimes the vampire blood
causes a type of burn to take over in your bloodstream, not painful, just not
exactly pleasant if it's a hundred degrees outside."
blood makes you overheat a bit." He shrugged. "It won't turn you—
You're very much human, like I've said before, but sometimes the vampire blood
causes a type of burn to take over in your bloodstream, not painful, just not
exactly pleasant if it's a hundred degrees outside."
"Good thing it's
Seattle." I bit into the toast.
Seattle." I bit into the toast.
"Yes, well, I
imagine at this point, raindrops would simply turn to vapor if they landed on
your skin."
imagine at this point, raindrops would simply turn to vapor if they landed on
your skin."
I smiled.
"Shower." He
nodded. "I'm going to turn around now and walk away."
nodded. "I'm going to turn around now and walk away."
"Narrating?"
"Apparently,
that's what I do when I can think of nothing more than ripping that sheet from
your body, slamming you into the nearest wall, and possessing you all over
again."
that's what I do when I can think of nothing more than ripping that sheet from
your body, slamming you into the nearest wall, and possessing you all over
again."
I dropped the toast.
He growled, taking two
steps toward me, then swore and turned back around.
steps toward me, then swore and turned back around.
"Have a good
shower!" I called.
shower!" I called.
Another growl was his
answer, and then his jeans went flying. I wasn't laughing anymore.
answer, and then his jeans went flying. I wasn't laughing anymore.
Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!
Want to be kept up to date on new releases? Text MAFIA to 66866!
You can connect with her on Facebook www.facebook.com/rachelvandyken or join her fan group Rachel's New Rockin Readers. Her website is www.rachelvandykenauthor.com
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!
Want to be kept up to date on new releases? Text MAFIA to 66866!
You can connect with her on Facebook www.facebook.com/rachelvandyken or join her fan group Rachel's New Rockin Readers. Her website is www.rachelvandykenauthor.com
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