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  THE TOMB OF

  BLOOD

  CREATURES OF DARKNESS: BOOK TWO

  BY BRITNEY JACKSON

  THE TOMB OF BLOOD

  Copyright © 2017 by Britney Jackson

  All rights reserved.

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Published by Noctem Publishing

  First Edition, May 2017

  www.britneyjackson.com

  THE TOMB OF BLOOD

  by Britney Jackson

  SUMMARY

  Rose Foster is just starting to adjust to her new life as a vampire when a series of highly publicized murders throws the world into chaos. Rose, Kallias, and Erik must intervene if they want to prevent the imminent war between vampires and humans.

  But when they realize that the woman behind these murders is Alana—a vampire they believed to be long dead—intervening becomes complicated. Alana is as powerful as she is seductive. She is a master of manipulation and the queen of mind games. She craves vengeance, and she doesn’t care if she has to tear the world apart to get it. And now, she has an army.

  Outnumbered and overpowered, Rose, Kallias, and Erik turn to the only person who might be able to help: a cunning and skilled warrior by the name of Kara Unnarsdóttir. Kara is the second-in-command of the largest vampire colony in the world—the Tomb of Blood—and she offers to help them infiltrate the Tomb of Blood and form an alliance with Aaron, the most ancient vampire known to exist. There’s just one problem: Kara is Alana’s lover, and Aaron is the last person in the world that should ever be trusted. No one knows who will betray whom, only that betrayal is inevitable.

  In this second installment of the Creatures of Darkness series, Rose will unravel more of the mystery behind what it means to be the Eklektos.

  CREATURES OF DARKNESS

  Series

  Book One: THE STONE OF THE EKLEKTOS

  Book Two: THE TOMB OF BLOOD

  Book Three: THE ASSASSINS OF LIGHT (Coming Soon)

  Book Four: THE REIGN OF DARKNESS (Coming Soon)

  Find out more at:

  britneyjackson.com

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Nothing Says Romance Like a Fresh Corpse

  The Fanged Serial Killer

  The Plan

  Reckless Endangerment

  The Woman from the Dreams

  The Return of Alana

  Kara Unnarsdóttir

  The Tomb of Blood

  New Friends…And Enemies

  Trust

  Love Letters and Corpses

  Powerless

  Mostly Gray

  Breaking the Rules

  Aaron’s Request

  The Beginnings of War

  Frankenstein’s Monster

  More Than Infatuation

  Deception and Manipulation

  A Message from Kara

  The Weird Advice

  Negotiating with a Sociopath

  A Taste of Darkness

  Surrender to the Darkness

  The Battle Begins

  The Only Way

  DEDICATION

  This book is dedicated to the people who have encouraged me.

  To the friends and teachers who liked my work and encouraged me to keep writing.

  To the people who read my first book and told me how much they liked it.

  You give me the confidence I need to keep writing.

  You help me believe in myself when I don’t have the strength to do it on my own.

  Thank you.

  “I am the master of my fate.

  I am the captain of my soul.”

  —William Ernest Henley

  Nothing Says Romance Like a Fresh Corpse

  716 A.D. in Northern Europe…

  “Alana,” Kara murmured in their native tongue. “Baby, wake up.”

  Alana awoke to her lover’s voice, low and lilting, in her ear. She blinked in the darkness, watching as the light from the fire danced along the rock walls of the cave. Choking back a sob, she snuggled closer to Kara and buried her face in the bend of Kara’s arm as warm, wet tears began to stream down her face.

  Kara held Alana securely in her arms, their bodies curled together, her front pressed against Alana’s back. Kara lifted her hand and gently swept Alana’s pale blonde hair aside so that she could place a kiss against the side of Alana’s forehead. “Another nightmare?” she asked, her lips against Alana’s skin.

  Alana nodded. “How did you know?” she whispered.

  Kara sighed sadly, “I always know, Alana.”

  “I thought,” Alana sobbed, her voice barely audible, even in the quiet, empty cave, “that I was back there. In the barn.” She cried harder. “Chained up.”

  Kara pressed her face in the curve of Alana’s neck, her arms looped tightly around Alana’s waist. “Shh…it’s okay,” she whispered soothingly against Alana’s skin. “It was just a dream. No one will ever hurt you like that again.”

  “I know. I won’t let them,” Alana said. She turned in Kara’s arms until they were face-to-face, and then, she tilted her face up, her lips meeting Kara’s lips in a slow, tear-soaked kiss. “Honestly, I’d rather not talk about the dream,” she said, her lips still brushing against Kara’s lips. “I’d rather you distract me.”

  Kara opened her eyes, pinning Alana with her piercing, blue gaze. “Oh?” she said, her voice dropping lower, becoming breathier. She moved her hands to rest on the curves of Alana’s hips. “And how do you want me to do that?”

  A seductive smile curved at the edges of Alana’s lips. She lifted her hand and dragged her fingernail over Kara’s bottom lip. “I’m sure you can guess.”

  Kara chuckled, playfully nipping at Alana’s fingertip. Alana giggled at her, and Kara couldn’t help but smile at the cute, bubbly sound of Alana’s laugh. Kara pushed Alana onto her back and climbed on top of her. Straddling Alana’s hips, Kara dragged Alana’s undergarment—a sheer, white gown—over her head and tossed it aside. She pressed her hands against the rock floor beneath them and leaned forward, holding herself over Alana. Her brownish-blonde hair fell forward, around them, as she captured Alana’s lips in a long, slow kiss. She moaned softly at how soft and warm Alana’s bare skin felt beneath her own.

  Kara trailed soft kisses from Alana’s lips down to her neck. She lingered there for a moment, inhaling the sweet, powerful scent of Alana’s blood, her stomach burning and twisting with hunger. She desperately needed to feed, but she continued her descent down Alana’s body anyway, delivering warm, wet kisses to Alana’s skin—to her collarbone, breasts, stomach, the curve of her hips.

  “Kara,” Alana gasped, squirming under Kara’s sweet, torturous kisses. Her blood thrummed with energy—a sign of nightfall. “The sun is setting.”

  Kara looked up at Alana. “So?”

  Alana moaned lowly as Kara kissed the inside of her thighs. “So,” she managed to say before moaning again, “we don’t have time. We have to leave.”

  “Or,” Kara said, moving to kiss Alana’s left breast, “we could…” She moved to the other breast and delivered another kiss before adding, “just stay.”

  “Appealing offer,” Alana said, “especially when you frame it like that.”

  Kara looked up at Alana, sensing that she wasn’t finished. “But?”

  “But,” Alana sighed, smiling apologetically at her, “I ha
ve a date.”

  Kara groaned in frustration and rolled off of her. “With that guy?”

  Alana stood, gathering her clothes from the floor of the cave. “His name is Erik,” she said as she slipped into her undergarment, “and yes, it is with him.”

  Kara watched as Alana dressed. “You’ve been seeing him a lot lately.”

  Alana glanced at Kara, an amused smile tugging at her lips. “Jealous?”

  Kara grunted at that, throwing her arm over her face. “I’m not the jealous sort. You know that,” she muttered. “I just think it’s unusual for you.”

  Alana stepped into a heavy, pale blue dress. “He says he loves me.”

  “He doesn’t even know you,” Kara said tiredly.

  Alana bristled at that. “I’ve spent the last three nights with him.”

  Kara uncovered her eyes and raised an eyebrow. “You think three nights is enough? It took me a decade to realize how much of a heartless bitch you are.”

  Alana’s dark blue eyes flashed with anger. “Excuse me?” she growled.

  “I’m sorry. Was that too harsh for you, princess?” Kara taunted.

  “Don’t you dare mock me, Kara,” Alana snarled.

  Kara sat up suddenly. “Or what?” she challenged. She smiled bitterly, defiantly. “What could you possibly do to me that you haven’t already done?”

  Alana’s lips curled into an unflattering scowl. “Why must you be this way?” she said between clenched teeth. “You’re always so angry, so…bitter.”

  Kara shrugged. “A hundred years of you can make someone resentful.”

  “Hmph!” Alana said, spinning away from Kara. She tilted her head back, her long, pale blonde hair cascading down her back. She smiled. “Erik adores me.”

  “He doesn’t even know what you are,” Kara sighed.

  Alana dragged her tongue across her fangs thoughtfully. “He might, after tonight,” she said elusively. She glanced back at Kara. “Lace up my dress.”

  Kara rose to her feet gracefully, stepping over the bedding to stand behind Alana. She leaned forward, her warm breath falling against Alana’s neck as she laced up the dress, purposely dragging her fingertips along Alana’s spine.

  Alana moaned, tilting her head back against Kara’s shoulder, their lips nearly touching. “I think,” she whispered, smiling playfully, “that you’re jealous.”

  “I think you want me to be jealous,” Kara countered.

  “Now, why would I want that?” Alana asked, feigning innocence.

  “Because you’re manipulative,” Kara growled, “and cruel.”

  Alana stepped away from Kara, her dress swaying around her feet. She turned back toward Kara. “I am not cruel,” she argued. “I care greatly for you.”

  “Mm,” Kara grunted skeptically, crossing her arms.

  “Which is why I know that you’re hungry,” Alana added.

  “You know I’m hungry because you can feel my hunger,” Kara said tiredly, rolling her eyes. “We share a blood bond. You feel everything I feel.”

  “Well, yes,” Alana agreed, “and I’m concerned. Why haven’t you fed?”

  Kara lifted her eyebrows in disbelief. “Because of you,” she snapped. She ran her hands through her long, brownish-blonde hair, growling in frustration. “Let’s see,” she began, listing the reasons on her fingers. “I would have fed on Odin’s Day, but you killed my girlfriend. Then, on Thor’s Day…”

  “I killed her because you were too attached to her,” Alana interrupted.

  Kara glared murderously at her, but aside from that, she didn’t respond to Alana’s comment. “Then, I would have fed on Thor’s Day,” she continued, “but instead, I had to clean up your mess after you massacred an entire village.”

  “I couldn’t clean it up myself,” Alana said. “I would’ve ruined my dress.”

  Kara sighed at that, clearly used to hearing that excuse. “And I couldn’t feed from anyone on Frigg’s Day because you commanded me to stay here.”

  Alana shrugged her thin, delicate shoulders. “I was angry at you.”

  “Because Odin forbid I have an opinion different from yours,” Kara said.

  Alana scowled. “There’s no need to get snarky,” she chided. She slipped on her shoes. “I need to go. Erik is waiting. Find someone to feed from tonight.”

  —

  Later that night, Kara found herself in a small shack at the base of the mountains with her next meal. Or so she hoped. Her stomach felt as if it would split open from the hunger pains if she didn’t feed from someone soon.

  Sigrid—a young, curvy woman with curly, red hair—set a loaf of bread on the small, square table in the corner and dusted her hands off on her long, heavy, green dress. She turned toward Kara. “Do you like bread?” she offered.

  Kara pushed away from the wall and prowled toward the human, a playful smile curving at her lips. Sigrid gasped in surprise as Kara pressed her against the wall. “I prefer sweet things,” Kara said with a flirty smile, “like you.”

  Sigrid giggled, “You’re so…bold.”

  Kara watched her curiously. “Does that offend you, my lady?”

  Sigrid blushed. She stared into Kara’s cornflower-blue eyes, enthralled by her beauty, as humans often were in the presence of a vampire. “I should say yes,” she said hesitantly, her blush deepening, “but it doesn’t. I actually…like it.”

  A wolfish grin curved at the edges of Kara’s lips. She leaned in close, so close that their lips almost touched. “Hmm,” she murmured, her icy blue eyes sparkling mischievously. She lifted her hand and trailed her finger along Sigrid’s jaw, tilting Sigrid’s face up toward hers. “Then, maybe you will like this, too.”

  Kara kissed her, slowly at first, sensually. The kiss felt like a question, as if Kara were asking for permission, as if she were checking to see if the human wanted it as much as she did. Sigrid blinked, surprised by the kiss, but the warmth of Kara’s lips melted away any hesitation she might have felt, until all that was left was desire—intense, overwhelming desire. She melted against her, wrapping her arms around Kara’s neck, her lips needful and desperate against Kara’s.

  Kara slid her hands down to the woman’s hips, pulling her away from the wall, moving toward the bed. Sigrid tasted like mead and cranberries—sweet and warm. As Kara backed the woman toward the bed, she moved her lips down Sigrid’s jaw and neck—kissing, licking, sucking, devouring her hungrily. Kara felt Sigrid’s blood pulsing through the artery in her neck, just beneath Kara’s lips, and the painful, overwhelming urge to feed surged through Kara’s body.

  “You’re so beautiful,” Sigrid said, moaning. “How are you so beautiful?”

  Kara pulled back, still in control of her hunger. Somewhat. “So are you.”

  Sigrid blushed and shook her head. “Not really. No one thinks so.”

  Kara kissed her again. “I do,” she whispered against the woman’s lips.

  Sigrid smiled and kissed Kara again, threading her fingers in Kara’s hair.

  Kara moved her lips to the woman’s ear. “Turn around,” she whispered, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. “Let’s get you out of that dress.”

  The woman shuddered as Kara’s warm breath fell against her ear. She swallowed nervously and turned around, facing the bed, as Kara began to unlace the back of her dress. “You know,” she said breathlessly, shivering at Kara’s soft, gentle touch. “I have never seen a woman in trousers. Before you, I mean.”

  “I’m a warrior,” Kara explained, her lips near Sigrid’s ear, her warm breath falling against Sigrid’s skin. She continued to unlace the heavy, pale green dress. “You can’t very well wear dresses underneath a set of armor, now can you?”

  Sigrid shuddered, her body temperature climbing steadily, as Kara’s breath fell against her ear, as Kara’s fingertips brushed against her spine. “You have armor?” she asked, moaning softly as Kara leaned in and kissed her neck.

  “Not with me,” Kara murmured, kissing Sigrid’s neck a
gain, “but yes.”

  “You’re a Viking, aren’t you?” Sigrid said. “I recognize your accent.”

  “Yes,” Kara said as she finished unlacing the woman’s dress, allowing it to drop to the floor, leaving the woman only in a sheer, white undergarment.

  “Have you done this before?” Sigrid asked nervously. “With a woman?”

  Kara wrapped her arms around the woman’s waist, pulling the woman’s soft, curvy body back against her. “I’ve only ever done this with women,” she said as she kissed and sucked at the woman’s neck, causing her to moan softly.

  “I…I always thought I was the only one,” Sigrid stammered, gasping as Kara pulled the undergarment off, leaving her skin bare, “who felt like this.”

  Kara turned Sigrid around to face her. “You’re not. I promise.”

  “Are you sure you’re not hungry?” Sigrid asked breathlessly as Kara gently pushed her onto the bed and climbed over her. “The bread will get cold.”

  Kara straddled her hips and smiled at her. “I am hungry.”

  “Oh?” Sigrid asked, somewhat disappointed. “Okay, well, I have the loaf of bread, and I also have a few baskets of cranberries. What do you want to eat?”

  Kara grinned mischievously. She leaned forward, her fully-clothed body pressing against Sigrid’s bare skin. “You,” she said, her lips against Sigrid’s ear.

  “W-what? What does that mean?” Sigrid sputtered, her words trailing off as Kara began to trail kisses along the curve of her jaw and neck. She moaned when Kara’s mouth, warm and wet, found the most sensitive spot on her neck.

  Kara grazed her fangs against Sigrid’s neck, smiling as she heard Sigrid gasp. Sigrid’s blood smelled so appealing that she almost sank her fangs into the human’s neck, but she pulled back, determined to fully enjoy the night. Kara began to crawl down the human’s body, showering kisses all over the woman’s soft, freckled skin. Sigrid’s curly, carrot-orange hair hung over her breasts, partially shielding them from Kara’s sight, but Kara swept it aside, bending to press her lips to each breast. Sigrid gasped at that, and Kara continued lower.