Redson
VLG – Book Ten
Vampires, Lycans, Gargoyles
By Laurann Dohner
Redson by Laurann Dohner
Rescued as a child by her grandpa, the powerful Vampire Malachi, Emma has been on the run for nearly forty years from a Vamp determined to see them both dead. When he enlists the aid of assassins from the Vampire Council, their luck runs out. Forced to separate, Malachi sends Emma to a trusted VampLycan for protection.
Redson knows trouble when he sees it, and sure enough, the gorgeous, mostly human female seeking shelter immediately disrupts his future plans. His father swore a blood oath to her grandfather, and Red is honor bound to protect her. He’s surprised when his instincts demand so much more—protect…claim…mate.
Their attraction is explosive, but Emma refuses to consider mating while her grandfather is in danger. She needs Red’s help…but is he Malachi’s savior? Or his biggest threat yet?
VLG Series List
Drantos
Kraven
Lorn
Veso
Lavos
Wen
Aveoth
Creed
Glacier
Redson
Redson by Laurann Dohner
Copyright © June 2018
Editor: Kelli Collins
Cover Art: Dar Albert
eBook ISBN: 978-1-944526-90-0
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal, except for the case of brief quotations in reviews and articles.
Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is coincidental.
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Redson - VLG – Book Ten
By Laurann Dohner
Prologue
Thirty-six years in the past
Emma stared in horror at her neighborhood. Someone had dragged a recliner into the street and set it ablaze. A home down the street also had fire shooting out of the top-floor windows. A faint scream sounded from nearby. Her mother cursed softly.
Two men seemed to appear out of nowhere. They had pale skin and wore all black clothing with matching caps. Both reminded Emma of robbers she’d seen in movies on television, minus the masked faces.
Her mother jumped between her and the men.
“Why are you doing this? You’re not allowed to attack us!” Her mother’s voice rose in anger and she reached back, yanking out the long blade that she’d shoved into the waistband of her skirt belt. “We’re under the protection of Master Malachi. Stop this, Eduardo.”
One of the scary men stepped forward. Emma saw his sharp fangs and the blood that covered his cheeks and lower mouth. “We don’t take orders from him anymore. He’s grown soft.”
“This is wrong!” Emma’s mother shouted. “Leave these people alone. Are you trying to bring attention to our kind? You can’t attack humans without facing consequences. You’re killing them!”
“Our kind? You’re nothing like me. These humans are harboring some of you half-breed bastards. They deserve death!” He spat blood on the ground but then a cold smile curved his lips. “You offend me, Kallie. I can imagine why Malachi wants to keep you around, but you’re an abomination I refuse to abide anymore.”
“You think he won’t kill you for this?”
“He made me. I’m the chosen one!” Eduardo snarled. “You’re a birthed mistake. Is that your child lurking behind you?”
Emma’s mother shook her head. “I only babysit her. Stop slaughtering my neighbors. They don’t even know what we are.”
“You should be aware of history.” Eduardo withdrew a sword. “Life isn’t fair, and people die all the time after making the wrong associations. They deserve to be wiped out. I’m going to remove your head and then suck that child dry.”
A roar tore through the night—and another scary man advanced. This one wasn’t dressed like the others and didn’t wear anything to hide his head. He had long white hair, wore jeans and a gray sweater, and he held two long swords in one of his hands. Emma had seen him before. He sometimes showed up late at night after she was supposed to be asleep. Her mother let him inside their home and they’d talk in whispers.
“Eduardo!” His deep, rumbling voice sounded terrifying. “I forbid you to attack them. Cease this nonsense immediately!”
The one threatening her mother spun to face him. “I don’t listen to you any longer. And I don’t trust them being so close to our nest, Malachi. I don’t care who she is to you. They could kill us while we sleep!”
The white-haired man moved fast, grabbing the other man by the throat and throwing him. The body sailed a good fifteen feet until it slammed into a tree. He then attacked the second man. He fisted a blade in each hand, running one long sword through him. The second sword removed his head. It hit the ground and rolled. The body turned into white ash, blowing away in the light wind.
Emma whimpered.
“Run,” the white-haired creature hissed softly, glancing at her mother. “I can’t hold them all back. He brought in another nest. Take the child and I’ll keep them off you.”
“Can’t you stop this?” Her mother lowered her weapon.
“There are too many. Mine are refusing to take orders from me. Eduardo has made them paranoid that you’ll turn on us. I sense at least two dozen unknown Vampires coming from the other nest. Those idiots started a fire on the roads leading in here. Your only way out is through the woods. Run, Kallie. Take the child and go.” Agony twisted his features. “I’m sorry. I thought this could work. I never should have put the nest together. I believed you’d be safer with our protection. Instead, it’s put you both in danger.”
“I’m the one they’re after.” Her mother glanced back, tears streaming down her face. “I love you, Emma. Remember that, baby. You do whatever this man tells you. Always trust him. He’s not evil, and he’ll do anything to protect you.”
“Kallie,” the man took a step closer but her mother darted away.
“I’ll distract them and lead them away. You’re fast enough to outrun them. Get her to safety. She’s what really matters. I love you.” Her mother ran down the street toward a group of men who stepped into sight. “Here I am!”
“No,” the white-haired man hissed. “No!”
More of the black-clad men rushed from the other side of the block to surround her mother. The blond man spun, storming toward Emma. He dropped his weapons and lifted her from the ground. “Hold on, my sweet. Bury your face against my chest.”
Tears blinded Emma. The blond stranger secured her tighter in his arms and sprinted as if their lives depended on it. She glanced to the side once but he moved so fast it made her feel sick.
The screams faded, the darkness complete. Sometimes she felt him jump, a sense of falling, before he’d land. His arms cushioned her from the worst of it.
It seemed forever before he stopped. He bent, setting her on her feet. He then sat, pulling her onto his lap. The sounds of his soft sobs and his chest heaving told her he cried. He rubbed her back.
“It’s nearing dawn and we’re inside a cave. They won’t find us. You’re safe, Emma.”
“Where’
s my mommy?”
He sniffed. “She loves you very much. Do you want to know a secret?”
She wasn’t sure, sensing he was something to fear. Her mommy had warned her about pale-skinned men who might appear in the night. They were the things that could take people away forever. It confused her that her mommy wanted her to trust one of them.
“I’m your grandfather, little one. Your mom was…” He sniffed loudly again. “Is my daughter. She might have made it past them. She was always a good fighter. I trained her. She’ll meet up with us later if she’s able. She knows where I’ll take you. We’re going to travel as soon as the sun goes down, to somewhere safer. Nothing is ever going to happen to you. Never trust a night crawler.”
Fear edged up her spine. She was tired, hungry, and scared. “You’re one of them.”
He rubbed her back again and hugged her closer to his big body. “I’m your grandpa though. I’m the exception. I’d die for you.”
“I want my mommy.”
“I know, baby.” He sniffed again. “I want my daughter too. She’s fast though. She’s a good fighter, and we have to have faith that she was able to get away.”
Emma huddled against him to keep warm and finally slept. She dreamed about her mommy but then the bad men came. She woke to strong arms tightening around her.
“Shush, little one. I’m here. I’ll always be here.” Her grandfather, the night crawler, crooned in the darkness.
Chapter One
The present
“Emma!”
She nearly fell off the ladder from being startled. The dusting rag did hit the floor, her plans to clean the shelves forgotten. “Damn it, Grandpa!” She turned her head but he wasn’t in the room. She closed her eyes, cleared her mind, and concentrated her thoughts. “You shouted?”
“Our enemies are close. I feel them.”
Fear gripped her. “No.”
“Yes. Modern technology is a nightmare. They are coming.”
She opened her eyes and climbed down the ladder, fleeing the library. “Where are you?”
“In my room. Grab your bag.”
“How close are they?”
“Too close. I was distracted and didn’t notice them at first.”
She cut the mental connection, charging up the stairs. Her bedroom was the first door on the left. She dropped to her knees, plunging her arm under the bed until her hand hit her emergency go bag. A groan tore from her as she dragged the heavy thing out and stood, shouldering the strap. The side zipper was already open and she clutched the handgun.
“Grandpa?” She used her voice this time, too frazzled to try to reach him through their family bond as she left her room. “I’m ready.”
Her grandfather stormed out of his bedroom, looking anything but elderly with his shoulder-length white hair, near perfect completion, clear blue eyes, and sporting a tank top and tight jeans. Her friends always hit on him, thinking they were siblings. It never ceased to gross her out.
She did have to admit he was an attractive man for being well over four hundred years old. He would forever appear to be in his mid to late twenties in human years, since he was a Vampire.
“Where’s your bag?” She frowned.
“I sensed them too late. They’re already outside. You need to go. I’ll stay until it’s safe for me to sneak away.”
“No! We stay together.”
The doorbell rang, as if on cue. Emma nearly pulled the trigger just out of terror.
“Easy.” He gripped her shoulders. “Hide your bag inside the escape passage, and you know what we have to do. You’ll be my blood slave until I send you out of the room. We’ve talked about this.”
“I can’t!” Panic struck.
“They have us surrounded.” He cocked his head. “Four are at the door, six more are approaching the house. I sense them on our hill. They are too near the exit for us to make it. But they are young. We can pull this off. They’ll smell you and keep searching the house until you’re found. You need to hide in plain sight.”
“I suck at acting!”
“You do not. I’ve trained you well. You’ve got this.”
That was easy for him to say. He always seemed fearless. He took her bag from her shoulder.
“But―”
“It’s too late. They are here—we’re trapped. I’ll hide the bag. Wait until dawn to flee and I’ll follow you as soon as it’s safe. Don’t make me take over your mind. It sickened you the last time.”
The memory of the killer headache and a day of vomiting calmed her a lot. “I can do it.”
He chuckled. “That’s my girl.”
The doorbell rang again and someone beat on it three times.
She stepped closer and tilted her head to the side. “Do it.”
A grimace marred his features. “I’m sorry.”
“This is an emergency. That’s the rule. We have to make it look good.”
“Damn.” His fangs elongated.
Emma forced her muscles to relax and sealed her lips tight. It would only make his guilt worse if she made a pained noise. The other alternative was for him to lick her neck until the saliva from his tongue numbed the area. She didn’t want either of them to suffer that indignity.
Her grandfather’s fangs hurt as he bit into her. He only created a wound, didn’t drink, and pulled back immediately. He refused to meet her gaze as he licked his thumb, running it over the spot to stop the bleeding.
“They’ll see that. I’ll put your bag away. Get the door before they break it in.”
The injury burned a little but it would take less than an hour for the wound to completely heal. She rushed down the stairs and pushed her hair back to make the bite visible. She paused by the door. One glance upward at the landing assured her that her grandfather had moved out of sight. She slowly counted to four before taking a deep breath.
“Who is it?”
“Open the door!” The female voice surprised her.
“I’m not allowed to do that.” She took a few steps away from the door and moved to the left.
In seconds, someone kicked the door hard enough to break the locks and three Vampires shoved their way inside. They entered the house as if they owned the place.
Emma swallowed down her fear at seeing the deadly trio. The woman was tall and had taken the Gothic-punk look to heart. Her two male companions resembled middle-aged thugs with a thing for holes in their jeans and outdated band T-shirts.
The woman glared at Emma and pointedly stared at her throat. A frowned twisted her lips downward. The fourth one her grandfather had sensed probably hid outside, prepared to pounce if they needed help.
“Where is your master?”
“I’ll never tell!” Emma backed up more.
The woman advanced—but her grandfather cleared his throat loudly from above, halting the enraged Vamp set on changing her mind with pain and agony. It was his way of making a grand entrance.
“You dare invade my home? Who the hell are you? Get away from my blood slave.”
Emma glanced at her grandfather as he gripped the banister, storming down the curved staircase looking every inch the terrifying creature he could be. His fangs were extended, his features harsh with rage, and his voice had dropped to that scary, “you’re in deep shit and I’m pissed” tone he’d never used on her, even when she’d done something seriously wrong.
The sensation of menace radiated from him and even Emma couldn’t ignore it. Chills ran down her spine. Her grandfather exerting his age and strength wasn’t a pleasant experience to be around for a human. It did even worse things to Vampires, judging by the way the three intruders backed up with fearful expressions.
The woman seemed to be in charge, and she dropped to her knees first. Her head bowed, and the two thugs quickly followed her lead.
“I’m sorry,” the woman whispered. “We meant no disrespect.”
“Bullshit,” her grandfather thundered. “You entered my home without permission and threatened my
slave.”
The woman glanced up. “I’m Paula. I serve the Vampire Council.” She paused. “You aren’t known to them, and we were sent to investigate.”
“When did it become law to join?” Her grandfather thundered. “I’m probably older than every member. Next, they’ll want me to support them. My money is my own.”
Paula shook her head and kept low to the ground. “No. We’re looking for rogues.”
“Do I look like one of those heathens? Do you think I broke into this home and killed the owners?” He snorted. “I’m not a savage who puts our kind at risk by breaking human laws or making them investigate murders. Leave.”
She didn’t budge. “We ask for lodging. We’re far from a known nest and seek day shelter.”
Emma didn’t dare glance at her grandfather again. She kept her gaze on the floor but could see everyone from the corner of her eye. A real blood slave wouldn’t feel much curiosity. Their wills would have been too broken to care about anything going on around them except their master’s demands.
“Fine. I don’t want you to have to take refuge with my neighbors. They have those security cameras that are linked to the internet where protection companies can view them. The risk of you being caught are too high. But I’m not allowing you to fuck up my peace. You may stay the day but then you will leave.”
Emma realized her grandfather was trying to protect the people who lived in the homes nearest them by implying he knew them well enough to be familiar with their security measures. It would keep the Vampires from trying to feed off them. The threat of Vampires being filmed in action would assure the humans’ safety. The council would ash any Vampire who made the news by being stupid and exposing the world to their existence.
“More of us are outside.”
“I’m aware.” Her grandfather crossed his arms over his chest. “I sensed you coming for miles. You should really work on your stealth abilities if you’re rogue hunters. If I were one, I’d have fled long before you made it to the door.” He paused. “You may hunt your meal in my woods but avoid other properties. Their cameras really are everywhere. I live here year-round.”