Eternal Beast: Mark of the Vampire, page 1
Praise for Laura Wright
and the Mark of the Vampire Series
Eternal Beast
“Absorbing and edgy, darkly seductive—everything vampire romance should be! [A]n enthralling read, set in a rich world of blood wars and intrigue, complex characters and scorching sensuality. Laura Wright turns up the heat and takes you on a wild ride. I can’t wait to see what’s next!”
—New York Times bestselling author Lara Adrian
Eternal Captive
“Riveting…. There are plenty more stories to be told in this fascinating universe.”
—Romantic Times
“Excellent…. Continues to expound on [the] vampire genetics that make the Wright mythos the right stuff. Action-packed, with a powerful psychological obsession as its key base, [and] fans will relish this superb tale and series while hoping for future visits to the world of Laura Wright.”
—The Merry Genre Go Round Reviews
“Sensual and compelling…. With action to spare and sensuality scorching nearly every page, Wright has created a fantastic paranormal series!”
—Reader to Reader Reviews
“An action-packed read filled with intense scenes of intimacy and mysterious reveals that slowly add to the backgrounds of the myriad characters that people this world…enough twists that leave one anxious for the next in the series.”
—Night Owl Reviews
“The story was very sexy…. The emotional strength of the story elevated this above other paranormals I’ve read of late.”
—Dear Author…
Eternal Kiss
“Complex and riveting.”
—Romantic Times (4 stars)
“A super urban romantic fantasy due to the powerful Wright mythos that makes the realm of the Eternal Order seem genuine.…This author clearly has the Wright stuff with the complicated world of the Roman vampire brothers.”
—The Merry Genre Go Round Reviews
“I fell in love with book one in this series, but this second addition moved me from innocent love to full-blown love addiction…. [I] could not put it down.”
—Shameless Romance Reviews (5 stars)
“The romance is rich in emotion and the plot infuses dangers and nail-biting action. The journey was so exciting! It was rife with chills and thrills, and altogether it never failed to keep my attention…. [This] was a great ride where a sweep-you-off-your-feet romance ignites within a high-risk plot. Laura Wright has found her niche in the paranormal romance genre with her larger-than-life Roman brothers!”
—Leontine’s Book Realm
Eternal Hunger
“Dark, delicious, and sinfully good, Eternal Hunger is a stunning start to what promises to be an addictive new series. I can’t wait for more from Laura Wright.”
—New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh
“Action, passion, and dark suspense launch a riveting new series. Laura Wright knows how to lure you in and hold you captive until the last page.”
—New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione
“Dark, sexy vampires with an urban bite make Eternal Hunger a must read.”
—Jessica Andersen
“Paranormal fans with a penchant for vamps will find Eternal Hunger a must read, but be warned, you will quickly become hooked!”
—The Romance Readers Connection (4½ stars)
“Deliciously dark while making you believe in the concept of soul mates.”
—Fresh Fiction
“An exhilarating vampire romance…dark, passionate, and utterly intoxicating!”
—Reader to Reader Reviews
“In a field brimming with rehashes of the same theme, Wright has managed to create a sound, believable vampire culture with plenty of tension and interesting plot points. The pacing is smooth, with well-developed characters, and the satisfying conclusion leaves ample room for more from this strong new series.”
—Monsters and Critics
“A bold new voice in vampire romance.”
—Romantic Times (4 stars)
“Wright does an incredible job of wrapping everything up in a deeply satisfying conclusion while enticing readers to continue on. I know I’m looking forward to the next in the Mark of the Vampire series.”
—Sacramento Book Review
“Wright has taken a common theme and transformed it into her own creation, a unique and intriguing world that stands out from the pack. A captivating take, Eternal Hunger is certain to make it onto your list of favorite books and will leave you thirsty for more.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“If you like testosterone-heavy man candy and sex scenes hot enough to curl your toes, you are going to kick yourself for not reading Eternal Hunger!”
—Bitten by Books
“In Eternal Hunger classic paranormal romance elements mesh with a fresh and exciting plot and characters…. [Wright] sure made an unforgettable impression with her storytelling.”
—Leontine’s Book Realm
“Just when it seems every possible vampire twist has been turned, Wright launches a powerful series with a rich mythology, page-turning tension, and blistering sensuality.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Also by Laura Wright
The Mark of the Vampire Series
Eternal Captive
Eternal Blood
(A Penguin e-Special)
Eternal Kiss
Eternal Hunger
ETERNAL
BEAST
MARK OF THE VAMPIRE
LAURA WRIGHT
A SIGNET ECLIPSE BOOK
SIGNET ECLIPSE
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, August 2012
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Copyright © Laura Wright, 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
ISBN: 978-1-101-59259-5
SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Printed in the United States of America
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
ALWAYS LEARNING
PEARSON
For one amazing D, from the other…
Table of Contents
Glossary
The Impure
The Beast
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Epilogue
Eternal Demon
GLOSSARY
Balas—Vampire child.
The Breeding Male—A paven of purest blood whose genetic code and structure has been altered by the Eternal Order. He has the ability to impregnate at will and decide the sex of the balas. He is brought in by Pureblood families and/or to repopulate one sex or the other in times of dire necessity. He is uncontrollable, near to an animal, and must be caged.
Credenti—A vampire community, ruled and protected by the Eternal Order. Both Purebloods and Impures live here. There are many all over the world, masked by the Order so that human
Duro—Tender word for “brother.”
Eternal Order—The ten Pureblood vampires who have passed on to the middle world, yet make the laws, punish the lawbreakers, and govern every vampire credenti on Earth.
Eyes—The New York City street rats who run the sales of drugs, blood, and body to both human and vampire.
Gemino—Twin.
Gravo—Poisoned vampire blood.
Imiti—An imitation vampire, one who can take on the characteristics of a vampire if he or she drinks blood regularly.
Impurebloods—Any combination of human and vampire. They have no powers, no heartbeat, and can live in the sun. They only have fangs when blood is consumed. Males are blood castrated, their sex drive removed through the blood by the Order. Females are blood sterilized and the inside of their thighs are branded with I’s.
Meta—The transition every Pureblood female makes into adulthood. Happens at fifty years of age. Though the female can still remain in sunlight, she needs and craves the blood and body of her true mate.
Mondrar—Vampire prison.
Morpho—The transition every Pureblood paven makes into adulthood. Happens at three hundred years of age. This state of being is as powerful as a paven can get. He is sunlight intolerant, and the need to find his true mate becomes impossible to deny.
Mutore—A Pureblood vampire shape-shifter. A Beast. A child of the Breeding Male gone wrong. Is considered less than trash, and a bad omen on the breed. Is usually killed right after birth when they shift for the first time.
Paleo—The Order’s secret location where Impures are blood castrated.
Paven—A vampire male of pure blood.
Pureblood—Pure vampire. Powerful, no heartbeat, will go through morpho and meta and find their Pureblood true mate.
Puritita—One who is chaste.
Sacro—Dirty.
Similis—The Impure guards of Mondrar.
Swell—Vampire pregnancy.
Tegga—Nursemaid/nanny/governess.
True Mate—The one each Pureblood veana and paven is destined for. Each shares an identical or complementary mark somewhere on their skin.
Veana—A vampire female of pure blood.
Veracou—The mating ceremony between two Pureblood vampires.
Virgini—Virgin.
Witte—Animal.
The Impure
The private hospital located deep in the Maine woods was scented of antiseptic and bodily decay, despite the lack of patients residing in it.
Gray Donohue moved down the brightly lit hallway, his gaze ripping right and left as he took in each empty room, each perfectly made-up bed. Gray despised hospitals. And shit, after spending most of his life in them, nearly comatose and habitually restrained “for his own protection,” it was little wonder. But this was no long-term stay he was walking into. This was just a visit—a quick trip down memory lane that would end in a very satisfying prize.
Gray spotted a maintenance worker exiting one of the rooms up ahead. Battling with an ancient mop bucket and wringer, the balding, middle-aged male came to a screeching halt when he saw Gray, his pale, watery eyes going wide, his mind kicking up a curse and a query.
“Oh, shit. What’s this guy doing in here?”
Without another glance, Gray moved on, down the hall and toward his true goal.
But the foolish human decided to run after him.
“I’m sorry, sir,” the man said, his heavy breathing suggesting his unease. “You can’t go any farther. The hallway up ahead is being cleaned.”
Gray didn’t slow.
“Sir! Please!”
In the back of his mind, Gray heard the male’s rapid-fire plans to call security. With a quick turn, he snatched him up and squeezed just enough breath from his wriggling body to knock him out. Then, after depositing him in one of the many empty rooms, Gray continued on. There was nothing, no one who would stop him from getting what he needed.
After rounding one corner, then another, he headed straight for the door at the end of the hall. Room 482. He hoped his spies were right about this one. After three false starts at three other care facilities over the past five months, his patience had grown thin.
As expected, a guard stood before the door. The male was tall, dark, and massive. In fact, he looked a hell of a lot like the Impure warrior Vincent, one of Gray’s partners in the Resistance—the rogue band of four who were hell-bent on bringing equality to the Eternal Breed—but Gray was willing to bet this male carried no in-mouth bloodsucking hardware and was all human.
As Gray approached, the guard narrowed his black eyes and put up a meaty hand. “What do you think you’re doing, asshole?” his mind growled. But aloud, he spoke in a calm voice. “Don’t know how you got in here, but do yourself a favor and turn back around and walk out again.”
Gray had no doubt that in a few minutes there would be more robo cops just like this one to contend with. He’d better be quick. Get in, take what he needed, and get out. Loss of life was always possible on these missions, but he didn’t like it, didn’t have a taste for it like the second male warrior in the Resistance, Rio. That ex-military Impure loved nothing better than to extinguish a heartbeat.
Gray was nearly to the door when the security guard pulled his gun. “Okay, buddy, I warned you. Take another step and you’ll be on your—”
Before the man finished his threat, Gray reached out, snatched the gun, flipped it, and slammed the butt into the guard’s head. Then, without missing a beat, he moved past him and opened the door.
No, he didn’t have a taste for violence, but anyone guarding his prize was part of the Order’s campaign to blood castrate Impures—and that was something Gray would kill for.
The room was large, achingly white and cold—as though the male lying on the hospital bed against the wall needed to be kept fresh. To Gray, the big bad senator from Maine looked anything but big and bad. His eyes were closed, his wrinkles deep-set, and his skin was frog-belly white. He was stretched out on the bed, his limbs locked in place by straps Gray remembered all too well. His muscles twitched beneath his skin as he moved to the side of the bed.
Get in, get out, Impure, Gray reminded himself as he stood over the male and whispered a terse, “Open your eyes, Senator.”
The man didn’t move, didn’t even flinch—but his mind came alive in a fit of alarm.
“Just lie still. Don’t move. He’ll go away.”
A touch of a grin hit Gray’s mouth. When Alexander Roman had unclogged his muddled brain so many months ago and left him with not only the knowledge that he was half vampire but with the gift of hearing the thoughts of others, he hadn’t been all that thrilled. In fact, the onslaught of voices had nearly driven him mad. But in moments like this, he felt a deep surge of pleasure for his mental abilities.
He leaned down and whispered, “I’m not going anywhere, Senator. Not yet.”
“Oh God.”
The male’s lids flickered.
“All the way open now,” Gray instructed with deadly calm. “Or I cut the lids off with this very dull knife at my back. I suppose I should’ve sharpened it before coming. But what fun would that be, right?”
A gasp shot from the senator’s throat, and his eyes opened and bulged like a fish. He stared up into Gray’s face with undisguised terror.
“You’ve been very difficult to find, Senator,” Gray said. “Even your wife has no idea where you are.”
The male’s lip quivered.
“They swore no one would find me.”
Gray narrowed his eyes. “Who?”
The man’s eyes widened further.
“Who swore no one would find you?” Gray repeated, moving another inch closer to the male’s face.
Gray could sense the man’s heart jumping, beating rapidly in his chest as his mind screamed the impossible truth. “He heard me. Heard my thoughts.”
“Was it the Order?” Gray continued, undaunted.
“The Order. The vampires.”
A growl of pleasure, of potential gain escaped Gray’s throat. The lawmakers, the overlords, the elitist rulers of the Eternal Breed had indeed cloistered and used this human. “I want to know how you’ve been communicating with them. How do you call them? How do you receive their messages?”
The senator shook his head against the onslaught of questions.
Gray growled low in his throat. “You think they are something to fear? Then you don’t understand what stands before you, human.”
