Eternal Captive: Mark of the Vampire by Wright Laura

Author:Wright, Laura [Wright, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781101575109
Publisher: Penguin Group
Published: 2012-02-06T16:00:00+00:00

18

Inside his private quarters at the laboratory, Cruen had gathered his adopted children to him. The four mutore he had paid the London flesh seller barely a farthing for nearly two hundred years ago stood shoulder to shoulder before him, no longer terrified balas, but grown paven, each hovering between their moderately attractive vampire form and their horrifying beastly one. It was how they felt most comfortable. But today, Cruen cared not for their comfort. He was in a foul mood, his anger so fierce, the energy of it filled the room.

“The female is ripe in three days,” he said, his eyes narrowing on Erion, the one he trusted above all the others. “And I have no male for her to lie beneath.”

Erion nodded, his black hair falling in unkempt waves around his scarred lion face. “They have been moved by the Order. They remain under their protection. It is intense and heavy magic. It is taking time to defuse that magic, locate their whereabouts.”

“But you will.”

“Of course, Cruen.”

Cruen tried not to show his distaste for being called by his name rather than “Father,” but he allowed his lip to curl a fraction.

“We did not expect the Order to champion this cause,” Erion said, his gaze shifting momentarily to Lycos, the wolflike Beast with a heavy head of streaked blond hair who stood beside him, before returning to look at Cruen. “It is unfortunate that they learned of it before we could get control of the Breeding Male and the veana.”

The quick glance at his brother wasn’t lost on Cruen, and he lifted his brow. “I wonder, my son, if it is possible that you have developed sympathy toward the Roman brothers?”

“Never!” Erion returned with a charged snarl.

Around Erion, his brothers, Lycos and Phane, agreed with this in their low, growling way—while the third, Helo, remained silent.

“I can see how this would happen,” Cruen continued thoughtfully as he walked toward them, stopping directly in front of Erion, like an army drill sergeant challenging his cadet. “Though they were born the perfect Pureblood vampire from the same Breeding Male’s seed, and you were considered trash to all but me, they are in fact your blood.”

Erion’s jaw worked, and Cruen saw the Beast’s fury flash in and out of his diamond eyes. “My one true family is here.”

Feeling smug with the predicted reaction, a grin tipped Cruen’s mouth. “As is your loyalty, I hope.”

“Always, Cruen.” But the words didn’t hold the same passion as the ones he’d used in defense of his feelings regarding the Romans.

Interesting, Cruen mused as he left Erion and began to walk in a circle around the foursome. Interesting, and worrisome. The ancient and the keeper of all dark magic in their breed always suspected anyone and everyone he came in contact with. And yet with his “children” he had never felt even the smallest fragment of cause to suspect their devotion.

After all, they owed them everything.

A home, blood, warmth, a decent place to sleep—and a master—a father—who never looked upon them as an abomination to their breed.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.