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Category: Erotica/Paranormal Erotica/Romance
Description: In the Aeon Empire bloodline rules everything? Radek, alpha of the packs whose ancestors were conquered by the vampyres, vows that the enslavement of his kin will not be without payback. As he leads his pack out from Aeon, he plans to plunder the vampyre king's most prized possession, his only daughter and heir, Vita. Vita harbors deep feelings for the outcast wolf prince. When Radek kidnaps her, Vita is a more than willing participant -- she longs for a taste of the forbidden. Neither of them anticipates the uncontrollable fire that will burn between them once their passion is unleashed. Primal instinct draws them to each other's arms. When they are torn apart, will instinct reunite forbidden love? Enter the world of Aeon at www.lycanwars.com.
eBook Publisher: Changeling Press LLC, 2009 2009
eBookwise Release Date: July 2010

24 Reader Ratings:

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Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [76 KB]
Words: 16044
Reading time: 45-64 min.

Radek Nikolaev wanted to hate her. The precious Aeon's daughter, delight of the Seven Houses. Heir of the Empire. His number one enemy. Despite who she really was, Radek couldn't bring out the deep-seated anger for what her ancestors had done to his kin. He didn't know why he couldn't hate her, considering all vampyres were the same. They were cunning, treacherous creatures that had enslaved the Lycans for more than three centuries, cheated them out of their birthland, and forced them into being mere thralls. All except her. She was different. Vita Serova Petrienko. The woman Radek had just kidnapped.

She sat on the edge of the bed, arms folded on her lap, her expression calm and serene, apparently unperturbed by the fact that her fate lay in Radek's hands. He could kill her at his whim. He had the right to do so since she was his prisoner, his leverage to get out of Aeon. But she didn't seem frightened of him or by the whole ordeal. When Radek secretly studied her through the crack of the door, the princess looked excited, as if this whole experience were nothing but a game.

Well, I'll be damned.

Radek stormed in and slammed the door closed. The noise startled her. Her eyes cut to him, widening. His breath caught in his throat. He still couldn't get over admiring how beautiful she was. Her eyes were pale blue, surrounded by thin rings of red; the true mark of a royal-born vampyre. Her nose was pert, complementing her high cheekbones and ruby lips. With pale skin and flaming hair, she looked as if she was forever bathed in the Sun God's blessing. She smiled. Radek cursed in silence. Why was she smiling? She was supposed to be scared out of her wits. Being held captive by their lowly thralls was every royal-born vampyre's nightmare.

"Are you hungry, Princess?" Vita shook her delicate head. Radek stooped over her, planting both hands on the side of her knees, his face only a hairsbreadth away as he wanted to assert his dominance over her. "Why the smile? Aren't you afraid of me?"

She blinked. Her lush dark lashes swept down and up like a dancer's fan. "Should I be?"

"I can kill you."

"Why don't you?"

"You haven't served my purpose yet."

"That is to be expected." Her voice was cool with confidence. "But I don't think you'll hurt me."

Radek narrowed his eyes. "How can you be so sure?"

"It's not your nature to hurt the innocent. You have a good heart, wolf prince."

Wolf prince. The words rolled out of her mouth without a shred of mockery, unlike the way her father spoke to him. The way she said it was as if she was wholeheartedly acknowledging his birthright. He was the prince from Evona, a conquered empire, leader of the pack, noble by birth, an outcast in a foreign land. Radek wished he were able to hate her. "You don't know me."

"I've known you since I was a little girl, don't you remember? You used to bring me flowers from the Hollow."

Radek remembered that. When she was little, Vita used to sneak away from her governess to play in the Hollow with the thralls' children. He was only a few years older than she, and quite taken with the vampyre princess. He thought she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. And she still was.

"You're the most kind-hearted boy I know."

"Times have changed, Princess."

"A kind heart stays true forever." Vita's eyes brightened. "You're planning to cross the Urul Bridge. Are you going to take me with your pack?"

"Why would you think I'd bring you with me?"

"Isn't that the reason you took me?"

"As leverage, but not as a burden."

Her cheeks flushed. Radek could swear he saw disappointment in her eyes as she spoke. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. To talk to you. Just us."

"Why?"

Her pretty mouth opened and closed. "My father betrothed me to Semyon Dasic."

"So I heard. Congratulations."

"I hate him."

"You think I will make your problem go away?"

"I love you."

Radek froze, thinking he had misheard her for a second. "I beg your pardon?"

"You promised to make me yours. Do you not remember your own promise?"

He cringed. The memory of the past started coming back at him. When they were little he used to bring her flowers. He had made a ringlet from the tiny Snow Daisies and pretended that he wed her every time Vita sneaked out to play in the Hollow. He promised her when they had grown up, he would take her as his wife and they'd live happily ever after. The innocence of child play. They had never spoken since Vita's last mischievous excursion to the Hollow. He wouldn't have guessed after all these years, she still remembered.

She watched him with her big doe eyes, twisting her fingers until her knuckles turned white. "I thought you had the same feeling too."

He straightened his posture. "You're Aeon's heir. I'm a thrall. I don't daydream with such thoughts."

"But when we were little, you always..."

"When we were little, Vita. That was a long time ago," he snapped. When the king found out that Vita had been sneaking off to the Hollow, he executed Vita's governess and confined the princess within the castle walls. Radek caught a glimpse of her occasionally when he had to work in the castle's trench.

She looked away. "Why do you hate me so much? I never harbor ill feelings about you and your kin."

Radek didn't know what to say to her. He had heard Vita had never mistreated his kin. Never raised her voice. She was always kind to everyone, even to the human slaves. She was a true delight of the Seven Houses who everyone adored.

Vita rose from the bed and settled herself right in front of him, demanding his full attention. She was a delicate woman, a fragile flower compared to him, but her petulance amused him. "I don't want to marry Semyon. I'd rather you kill me."

Radek's lips twitched. "Maybe you'll get your wish."

Her gaze lowered. "To die by your hands would be a pleasure rather than have to surrender myself to Semyon."

"He's your father's protege."

"He's not you."