WANTING THE VAMPIRE

  Without warning Locke was at her side, his arm wrapping around her waist to pull her tight against his body. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

  She tilted back her head, telling herself to be annoyed. He didn’t have the right to manhandle her. If she desired a male to touch her, then she would ask him.

  “Is that a promise or a warning?”

  He lowered his head until they were nose to nose. “What do you want it to be?”

  What she wanted was to throw him on the ground and strip off his clothes. She knew it. He probably knew it. But she wasn’t going to admit the truth. Not until she was ready.

  Which might be never.

  He was, after all, threatening to kill her, she reminded herself.

  “Do you seduce every nymph who crosses your path?” she demanded.

  “Jealous?”

  “Discerning.”

  He used the tip of his fang to outline her lips. “Discerning?”

  The sensation of the sharp tip pressing against her skin was oddly erotic. Almost as erotic as the jolts of pleasure that darted through her…

  Books by Alexandra Ivy

  Guardians of Eternity

  WHEN DARKNESS COMES

  EMBRACE THE DARNKESS

  DARKNESS EVERLASTING

  DARKNESS REVEALED

  DARKNESS UNLEASHED

  BEYOND THE DARKNESS

  DEVOURED BY DARKNESS

  BOUND BY DARKNESS

  FEAR THE DARKNESS

  DARKNESS AVENGED

  HUNT THE DARKNESS

  WHEN DARKNESS ENDS

  DARKNESS RETURNS

  BEWARE THE DARKNESS

  CONQUER THE DARKNESS

  SHADES OF DARKNESS

  DARKNESS BETRAYED

  BEWITCH THE DARKNESS

  The Immortal Rogues

  MY LORD VAMPIRE

  MY LORD ETERNITY

  MY LORD IMMORTALITY

  The Sentinels

  BORN IN BLOOD

  BLOOD ASSASSIN

  BLOOD LUST

  Ares Security

  KILL WITHOUT MERCY

  KILL WITHOUT SHAME

  Historical Romance

  SOME LIKE IT WICKED

  SOME LIKE IT SINFUL

  SOME LIKE IT BRAZEN

  Romantic Suspense

  PRETEND YOU’RE SAFE

  WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?

  YOU WILL SUFFER

  THE INTENDED VICTIM

  DON’T LOOK

  FACELESS

  And don’t miss these Guardians of Eternity novellas

  TAKEN BY DARKNESS in YOURS FOR ETERNITY

  DARKNESS ETERNAL in SUPERNATURAL

  WHERE DARKNESS LIVES in THE REAL WEREWIVES OF VAMPIRE COUNTY

  LEVET (ebook only)

  A VERY LEVET CHRISTMAS (ebook only)

  And don’t miss these Sentinel novellas

  OUT OF CONTROL

  ON THE HUNT

  Published by Kensington Publishing Corp.

  Table of Contents

  Books by Alexandra Ivy

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Bewitch the Darkness

  Alexandra Ivy

  LYRICAL PRESS

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  www.kensingtonbooks.com

  To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  LYRICAL PRESS BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  119 West 40th Street

  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2021 by Debbie Raleigh

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  All Kensington titles, imprints, and distributed lines are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotion, premiums, fund-raising, educational, or institutional use.

  Special book excerpts or customized printings can also be created to fit specific needs. For details, write or phone the office of the Kensington Sales Manager: Kensington Publishing Corp., 119 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018. Attn. Sales Department. Phone: 1-800-221-2647.

  Lyrical Press and Lyrical Press logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

  First Electronic Edition: November 2021

  ISBN: 978-1-5161-1096-4 (ebook)

  First Print Edition: November 2021

  ISBN: 978-1-5161-1099-5

  Printed in the United States of America

  Dedication

  To my fabulous readers. Thanks for taking this crazy ride with me!

  Much love,

  Alex

  Chapter 1

  Locke didn’t encourage visitors. Just the opposite. He’d gone to a lot of trouble to promote his reputation as a churlish hermit who regularly feasted on the hearts of intruders.

  And if his surly temperament wasn’t enough to drive away unwanted guests, he’d chosen to settle in the remote mountains of Iceland. The landscape was stunningly beautiful, but it was a combination of jagged glaciers with sheer cliffs that plummeted to the distant bay below. Up here there were no prying human eyes and, best of all, the pesky sun barely bothered to make an appearance during the long winter nights.

  Impervious to the brutal chill of the early December air, Locke poured himself a glass of the aged cognac that he imported from France and stepped onto a narrow ledge to savor the star-spattered sky that spread above him. It didn’t matter how many nights he spent admiring the view, it always amazed him.

  Taking a sip, Locke barely noticed when the ground shook beneath his feet. It was a common occurrence. You couldn’t reside above a boiling pit of molten lava and not have a few tremors.

  It wasn’t until the thunderous power sent the nearby ice sprites dashing for the protection of their nests that Locke reluctantly turned to view the massive male who was stepping out of a portal.

  Styx, the current Anasso, the official name for the King of Vampires, was an impressive sight. In his human life he’d been a proud Aztec warrior who stood at six-foot-five with skin kissed by the sun and angular features. His glossy black hair was pulled into a braid that hung past his waist and he was wearing black leather pants, thigh-high boots, and a black silk shirt.

  It was his sheer presence, however, that made the earth shake and the local wildlife flee in terror. Oh, and the big-ass sword strapped across his back.

  Easily loping down the jagged rocks, he halted directly in front of Locke.

  “Hello, brother.”

  Locke arched a brow. “You again?”

  Styx smiled. Until a few years ago, the males had been fellow Ravens, the personal guards to the previous Anasso. But after that Anasso had gone batshit crazy, forcing Styx to kill him and take the throne, Locke had retreated to this remote lair. It offered him the privacy he craved, as well as allowing him to concentrate on the one reason he still existed.

  “Just like a bad penny.”

  “I was thinking more like a pain in the ass.”

  “That too,” Styx agreed.

  Locke instinctively reached up to touch the star-shaped burn on the side of his neck. It was the only blemish that marred his traditional vampire beauty. Or at least that’s what he was told by his various lovers. He had no reflection, so he had only their descriptions that his eyes were a pale blue and rimmed with gold. And that his strong Viking features were perfectly carved. He did know that he kept his dark blond hair chopped to brush his broad shoulders and that his hard body was currently protected from the elements with a leather jacket, jeans, and heavy black boots.

  “What do you want?” he demanded in his usual blunt manner.

  Good manners were for creatures who cared what others thought about them. He didn’t give a shit.

  “I thought I’d let you know that Ian is dead.”

  Ian had been a Raven as well. Only his allegiance to the previous king had gone beyond loyalty, to blind devotion. The obsessive male had been unable to accept the death of his beloved Anasso and had been plotting his revenge.

  “I’ve heard that one bef
ore,” he said in dry tones. There’d been rumors of Ian’s death months ago.

  “This time there’s no doubt. I personally chopped off his head,” Styx assured him.

  “Did you come here for a pat on the back?”

  Styx leaned forward. “Do you want to?”

  “Hell no.”

  Styx folded his arms over his chest, regarding Locke with an expression that was impossible to read. “I’m just keeping you in the loop.”

  “We have a loop?”

  Styx shrugged. “A loose loop.”

  “Mmm.” Locke wasn’t impressed. “How did I get in the loop and how do I get out?”

  “Once a Raven, always a Raven.”

  Locke frowned. At one time this male had been a brother to him, but since Styx had taken the throne they hadn’t seen one another. Probably because Locke never left this isolated area. And then Styx had shown up a few weeks ago asking him questions about the other Ravens.

  “Fine. Ian is dead. I’ve been looped.”

  “Don’t you want to know why I killed him?”

  “Not particularly.”

  “What do you care about, Locke?” Styx demanded.

  “My privacy.” Locke pointedly glanced around the bleak, gloriously empty landscape. “Which you are currently ruining.”

  “Get used to it.”

  Locke perched his glass on a flat rock before fully turning to study the male. He recognized that edge in Styx’s tone. He was about to dig in his size sixteen boots and nothing could change his stubborn mind. The question was what he was going to be stubborn about.

  “Get used to what?”

  “Since taking the throne I’ve been dealing with one disaster after another.”

  “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown,” Locke quoted.

  Styx ignored Locke’s deliberately mocking tone. “Something like that. Unfortunately, I’ve let things slip through the cracks.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Like you.”

  Uh oh. Locke didn’t like the direction this conversation was veering. “I didn’t slip through the crack. I walked out of the Anasso’s lair and never looked back.”

  “You never said why you left.”

  “It was time.”

  “Time for what?”

  “None of your damned business,” Locke snapped.

  The male frowned, almost as if he was hurt by Locke’s sharp rebuke. Something perilously close to regret touched Locke’s heart before he was sternly dismissing the stupid thought.

  Of course Styx wasn’t hurt. The Anasso wasn’t a touchy-feely sort of vampire. Thank the goddess.

  “I want you to come stay with me and Darcy in Chicago,” Styx abruptly announced.

  It was Locke’s turn to frown. “Why would I stay in Chicago? Are you in danger?”

  “No, I simply want you to meet my new mate. And you could spend time with the Ravens. I have some recent additions who could use your training.”

  Locke shook his head. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

  “Locke, it isn’t healthy for you to spend so much time isolated from others.”

  Okay. Maybe the male was more touchy-feely than Locke had suspected. Or maybe he was just a bigger pain in the ass. The two were the same thing as far as Locke was concerned.

  “I like being isolated.”

  Styx tightened his jaw. “It’s time to rejoin the world.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  “No.”

  Styx stepped forward, his power sending tiny rocks cascading down the side of the mountain.

  “Right now it’s an invitation, amigo,” he drawled. “That can change.”

  “Invitation declined.” Locke released a trickle of his own magic. Tingles that were just short of painful crawled through the air like an electric current.

  Styx narrowed his eyes. “Are you challenging me?”

  Locke ground his fangs together. He could be as stubborn as the Anasso, but he wasn’t suicidal. Only an idiot would directly challenge this male.

  A soon-to-be-dead idiot.

  “Shit, Styx,” he muttered. “What crawled up your ass?”

  Styx held his gaze. “I’m worried about you.”

  Locke had walked away from the Anasso’s caverns almost fifteen years ago. Why the hell would Styx be worried now?

  “Don’t be. I’m fine.”

  “I—” Styx’s protest was cut short by a loud buzzing sound. He glanced toward Locke with a frown. “What’s that?”

  Locke shook his head in genuine confusion. “I have no idea.”

  “Let’s check it out.”

  Styx turned and bounded up the steep cliff with a speed and grace that no creature but a vampire could achieve. Locke was rapidly following behind, not entirely unhappy to have a formidable warrior with him as they rushed through the narrow crack that opened into the inner cave. The buzzing was louder in here. And annoyingly shrill.

  Locke took the lead as Styx wisely stepped aside. No vampire left their lair unprotected and Locke was no exception. Anyone trying to force their way inside would be fried to a crisp.

  Laying his hand on the rock wall to remove the web of illusion he’d paid the local ice sprites to create, he led Styx down a narrow path that zigzagged to the very center of the mountain. At last they reached a vast cavern that Locke called home.

  It was barren and cold and his few possessions were tossed in a pile near the exit, in case he needed to make a quick getaway. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about his surroundings. He enjoyed his comforts like any other vampire. But this wasn’t truly his home. It was just a place to stay until he’d completed his goal.

  Then he would move on.

  “Damn.” Styx winced as the buzzing became a shrill screech, as if someone had set off a fire alarm. “Can you turn that off?”

  “I would if I knew what…” Realization hit with the force of a sledgehammer. “Oh, hell,” he muttered, rushing into one of the side caves that wasn’t much bigger than a closet.

  In the center of the floor was a granite pedestal and on the top of the flat surface was a delicate gold necklace that was surrounded by a halo of light.

  Crap. He’d waited centuries and it had to happen now?

  “Um.” Styx halted beside him, staring at the pedestal in confusion. “Your necklace is glowing.”

  Locke glared at his companion. “It’s not my necklace.”

  “Hey, I’m not judging.”

  “Argh.” Locke clenched his hands, frustration vibrating through him. “Will you just go away?”

  Styx paused, no doubt sensing the urgency that thundered through Locke. Then he reached out to lay a hand on Locke’s shoulder, his face set in somber lines.

  “Whatever drove you away from the Ravens, you know you can trust me, don’t you?”

  Locke glanced away. He wanted to blow off the male’s words. This necklace and what it represented was private, something he didn’t want to share with anyone. But he’d been too close to Styx for too long. The older male had not only accepted him into the clan, but he’d been the one Raven who Locke instinctively had known would always have his back.

  Besides, he could use a little perspective.

  “Yeah, I trust you,” he warily conceded.

  “Then let me help.”

  Locke moved to touch the necklace, thankfully cutting off the shrill alarm. At the same time, he considered his words. He hadn’t lied when he said that he trusted Styx. The male would lay down his life to protect his brothers. But it was difficult to force himself to share the events that had nearly destroyed his life.

  “Do you remember when I traveled to Greece to deal with the vampire challenging Leonidas?”

  Styx tilted his head to the side, as if searching his mind. “Vaguely,” he finally conceded. “It had something to do with a witch, didn’t it?”

  Locke nodded, his mind filled with visions of rolling hills dotted with olive trees that swept toward rocky beaches and the bitter pine scent of juniper. When he’d arrived in the area that had once been Thebes, he’d discovered Leonidas battling a ruthless band of rebels who were willing to cheat to gain control of the wealthy clan.

  “Black magic,” he said. “The vampire was accused of using a spellbound weapon to earn the right to challenge the clan chief.”

  Styx grimaced. Vampires were unable to sense or protect themselves against magic. Which no doubt explained their violent aversion to anyone using it in their presence.