Chapter One
It wasn’t every day you discovered a vampire in a humpy-bumpy embrace with a trollop.
Only Camilla Cheston-Mariot was no ordinary trollop.
And Seth Anderson was no ordinary vampire.
Seth stood tall and broad, sexy and stylish, illegally handsome with silver eyes that nose-dived into any cleavage.
He was also Ivy’s fiancé.
Ivy gasped at the sight before her. Seth lay belly down on top of Camilla, his trousers gathered about his ankles, his pale behind exposed for the world to see.
Camilla’s unbuttoned dress revealed the edges of her gaudy bra. It rested high about her thighs, showing off her long legs, and knickers that lay hooked about one ankle.
One ankle, for heaven’s sake.
A peculiar set of emotions raced through Ivy. Pain, betrayal, shame and humiliation mingled into one, creating a whirlwind of disgust that twisted her insides.
If she made a noise, she did not hear it, but Seth did. He flew off the bed and yanked up his trousers. He zipped his fly and ran his hands through his blond hair in what appeared to be anguished torment. In truth, he did look a bit humble, for a complete and utter dirt-ball.
“Ivy, please, let me explain. It’s not what it looks like.” A single drop of blood seeped over his lip.
Ivy recoiled at the sight. Lies! Snatching the lamp off the nightstand, she hurled it across the room at him.
Seth dodged the missile with ease and made impatient calm down movements with his hands. “Do you know who Camilla is?”
“Of course I know who she is.” Numbskull.
Camilla Cheston-Mariot was the princess of the catwalk. To her credit, the tart could wear a bin-liner and still look good, only Ivy wasn’t in a credit-giving mood, but rather, a life-taking one.
Ivy stared at the messy array of bed linen. Anger scorched her veins. She’d have to burn the lot, bring in the fumigators to cleanse the room, and hire a professional stake man to take Seth Anderson down.
She seized the crumpled bed linen in both hands, yanking with all her might. Camilla let out a yelp and flipped over the edge of the bed. The woman’s pink lacy knickers freed themselves from her ankle and sailed through the air.
Seth morphed to Camilla’s side. His eyes tuned azure. Not a good sign. “What the hell are you doing?”
Like all witch’s, Ivy had a cauldron filled with faults, but playing the victim would never be one of them. She clamped her jaw tight and fixed him with her best ultra-aggressive look. “Getting even.”
She grabbed an ashtray and hurled it, Frisbee-fashion, at him. It ripped through the air and clonked him hard on the bridge of the nose.
Ivy hadn’t been the school toad-throwing champion for nothing. And, Lord help her, Seth was very proud of his £3.500 nose job.
He let out a startled cry, reeled backwards and smashed into a cabinet. The wood shattered on impact, sending a dozen stakes flying across the room., every one of them missing the cheating bastard.
Seth grabbed his face and looked in amazement at the blood on his hands. Clearly, no one had ever socked him on the nose before.
A curtain of anger dropped over his face. Two sharp fangs slid from between his lips, the tips of each one glistening with menace.
Ivy sucked in her breath. One thought screamed through her mind, so abhorrent she fought it. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, shaking her head slowly as the realisation hit her. He meant to kill her.
Seth pulled one clawed fist back. Somewhere behind him Camilla screamed.
“Goodbye to bad rubbish,” Ivy spat.
She closed her eyes and whooshed out of the house and into the cold night’s pouring rain. She landed with a hefty thud against her car. Hands shaking, she rummaged within her bag for her keys, producing them just in time to see a blur of colour race passed her.
Seth came to an abrupt halt, leaving skid marks in the gravel under his feet. Even now she marvelled at his remarkable speed.
His long, sharp teeth glistened. Furious intent burned in his blazing eyes. “A witch can’t outrun a vampire,” he mocked. His gaze raked over her body, his top lip twisted into a grimace. In a voice heavy with sarcasm, he remarked, “Especially such a chunky one.”
Ivy lifted her chin high and folded her arms across her ample chest. Through the driving rain she caught sight of Camilla at the bedroom window, a phone held to the woman’s ear. She had the sense to call the authorities. Of course, that did not negate that Camilla was still a bitch.
“She’s calling Sheriff Bogmire. You know their rules. If the Elders learn about us,” Ivy threatened. She took several steps backward.
Rare breeds of immortal, witches were highly sought by the vampire clan who craved their magic to enforce their power over the land. Such was the price on the witches head, the vampire clan had ruled that all her kind were to be handed over to the Elders. To be discovered disobeying such a law would mean certain death for Seth.
Seth followed her line of sight. He looked at Camilla, a scowl spreading over his face. He had to let her go for now, although he moved to keep her in sight.
He wiped blood off his chin onto his trousers. His thin lips turned upward, forming a cold smile. “If I dispatch the two of you, then the Elders will never know the truth.”
Her breath hitched in her throat. She glanced beyond Seth’s narrow shoulder to the path that led to her home.
He nodded, apparently aware of her thoughts. “Only way you’re leaving is past me,” he sneered. “And I’m not letting you go.”
His speed and agility made a mockery of hers. There was no way she could get around him. Ivy took a step backwards, squeezed her eyes shut and tried to whoosh a second time, but the rain dampened her spirits, rendering her powers useless. The only alternative lay to her right. She looked from Seth to the line of ancient oak trees that stood like Sentinels at the edge of the great forest.
Seth laughed, incredulous. “In the forest? You’d never dare.”
True. On the whole, witches loved nothing better than to frolic in the woodland at night. It was their home, their solace, their very nature, but that didn’t mean they were utterly stupid. This was no ordinary forest and, under normal circumstances, she’d never risk entering the woods during a full moon. But clearly these were anything but normal circumstances.
She looked back to Seth and the pathway that would take her back to her father.
In a low tone, she said, “Seth, you need to get out of my way.”
Seth apparently thought otherwise and made a grab for her.
She sidestepped him and ran. Too quick, he leapt upon her back, his nails digging painfully into her shoulders, his teeth scraping against the ivory skin on her neck.
Bent over by his weight, Ivy stamped down hard on Seth’s toe – just as she’d been taught. When Seth eased his grip, she balled her hand into a fist, raised her elbowed high and slammed it back hard, hitting him in the groin. Seth released his hold, groaned and turned silent. Free from the scalding pain his nails caused, she pushed him off her. Ivy turned to see his face crease and his eyes boggle. Not content, she gave him a hefty thrust under his chin with her upturned palm. He fell to his knees with his hands thrust between his legs.
There, that’s better. No one threatened Ivy Tangle and got away with it.
She looked back to the path that led her to her father. Distracted for a second, she did not see Seth’s clawed hand as it slashed through the air towards her. Sudden, blinding white-hot pain ripped through her thigh.
Ivy flinched and staggered backwards, her hands desperately clasping her leg and the fresh blood that seeped into the material of her skirt.
She looked to Seth. The scent of her blood caused his pupils to turn a menacing violet. His screwed up face quickly resembled a gargoyle.
Ivy bolted for the cover of the trees.
“I’m going to rip your goddamned heart out!” Seth yelled after her. “You’re dead if you go in there!”
Posts
