Unbound, p.1
Unbound, page 1
part #1 of Forbidden Bond Series
Unbound
The Forbidden Bond Series
By
Cat Miller
Copyright © 2012 Cat Miller
Kindle Edition
All rights reserved. Except for use in any reviews, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form is forbidden without expressed written permission from this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are either 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.
Cover art by:
Regina Wamba
www.MaeIDesign.com
ISBN:10 1475247435
ISBN-13: 978-1475247435
What people are saying about Unbound
Unbound is not a book you set aside early; there is never a dull moment, a useless scene, or a single plot-blah. --Bonnie Bernard, Author of The Midnight Hunter Trilogy
Cat Miller went against the grain on this one and knocked it out of the park! --Tyra Coil, Book Snobs
This amazing book grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go until the end. --Sabrina Ford, Paranormal Reads
Cat Miller put an amazing spin to the typical vampire story. I would definitely recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5 stars. --Mary Hensley, A Page Away
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Mia sorella, Debbie Pillitteri, because she told me this day would come.
Thanks to Kathy Ambrose for teaching a new dog some old tricks.
As always, I send love to my family. Thank you JR, Danielle, and Samantha for putting up with me while I pursue a dream.
PROLOGUE~
Griffin sat in a rocking chair holding his newborn daughter. She is just hours old. He laughed quietly to himself, trying not to wake her mother, Tessa. He pulled off the little knit cap on her tiny head to stroke her hair. He had always hated the white streaks in his dark brown hair. His mother had always called them birthmarks. His father told him they were very rare and believed to be a sign of great power among their kind. So, when Griffin’s daughter emerged into the world with a head full of dark hair with little white streaks, his heart swelled with pride. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Her name would be Soleil. This means sun. He chose the name because surely the world would revolve around this perfect child. Just then, his pride and joy looked up at him with the palest blue eyes that resembled the lightest of aqua marine jewels. Tessa had smiled and teased him earlier, saying they were the color of Windex. She thought it was funny. Griffin did not. The baby had Tessa’s eyes and staring into them took him back in time to the night he found her walking down a dark, abandoned street.
She was a petite girl with dark blonde hair hanging in loose waves down her back, almost to her waist. She was wearing a dark jacket that was too light for the season and a snug pair of jeans. The sway of her hips drew his eyes to her feminine curves. As he got closer to his prey, he could feel her warmth and the blood pulsing through her body urging him to feed. It made his mouth water and his pulse quicken. She turned down a dark alley as he stalked her quietly. Could she make this any easier? Hard to believe no one ever told the little thing to stay away from dark alleys at night. As he turned the corner, Griffin knew he would catch her before she reached the end of the alley. He was surprised to find her standing there among the empty bottles and trash blowing in the wind with both her hands on her hips, smiling. She could see the shock on his face and he believed that it amused her greatly. The streetlight closest to the alley had shown on her face, illuminating those pale blue eyes. They were so clear it was as if she could see straight into his soul without all the color of normal eyes to block her view. He felt naked in her stunning gaze. Being a vampire meant he was a natural hunter, aware of his surroundings at all times, ready for anything at all times. However, at that moment everything faded into the background. A bomb could have dropped at his feet and he would not have noticed the blast.
“I was wondering when you were going to show up,” Tessa chimed.
Confused, he searched the vacant street behind him. Scanning and listening for witnesses, he wondered why he felt so off guard. “Are you waiting for someone to meet you?”
“No. I have been waiting for you. You are the man of my dreams, so to speak. Would you like to walk with me?” She cocked her head to the side in a most endearing way, as if they had spoken a thousand times before and she knew just how to lure him away. “I promise I won’t bite,” she joked as she started down the alley, turning her back to him.
He could overtake her at any time but the need to be closer to her was stronger than the hunger for her blood. He was curious. What was wrong with him? Humans had never drawn him this way before. His family taught him from birth they were cattle to be maintained and respected for the gift they give but nothing more. Moreover, how could she possibly have been waiting for him? She must think he is someone else, he thought to himself. That sent an odd wave of jealousy over him. It didn’t matter. Why should he care if she were expecting to meet a human male?
She strolled down the alley without a care and he began to follow as if he were the tide being pulled by her gravity. He felt a sudden surge of anger at her arrogance. She could not lead him, Griffin Vaughn, around by the nose like some weak human male. He caught up with her in less than a heartbeat and spun her around by her arm so she could see her predator’s true face. His fangs extended and his dark blue irises were solid black. He felt she needed to develop some respect for the danger he displayed. He would be sure she never acted so foolishly again.
“I don’t think I’m the male you were waiting for, little one,” he hissed into her face.
“Of course you are. You just don’t know it yet.” Her voice wobbled.
“You have no idea what you’re dealing with, little one. I’m not one of your timid males.” The growl came from deep in his throat.
Why had he done that? He really didn’t want to scare her away and he knew better than to expose himself to a human. They enthralled their donors and sent them on their way with no memory of the feeding, but she had him so twisted in the space of a minute he had exposed himself. Tessa put both of her fists against his abdomen and pushed with all her might to put space between the two of them. It didn’t move Griffin at all but the motion forced Tessa back against the cold brick wall behind her.
“I’m not afraid of you! If you wanted to hurt me I’d be dead by now or at least unconscious from blood loss,” she stuttered.
He stepped in closer so they were chest to chest and she had to crane her neck up to look into his black eyes. The fangs he now had on display for her to admire and fear were just inches from her face.
“Are you quite sure about that, little one?” he hissed.
He could hear her suck wind between her glossy bow shaped lips and her heart sped at his touch. She composed herself instantly and she laid her head back turning her face to the side in order to bare her neck. Her hair fell down her chest from her shoulder. The smell of vanilla wafted up to him. She was calling his bluff. Now his mouth watered for an entirely different reason.
“Do it then.” There was uncertainty mixed with the challenge in her eyes. “I don’t have all night to hang out in a dark alley with you,” she said, facing the direction they had come from. Her breath suddenly sounded too rapid.
She stayed very still for several moments, her neck splayed out before him in what felt like a dare as he looked down on her in wonder. Humans aren’t supposed to know about vampires but her lack of shock and current behavior led him to believe she was aware.
“I didn’t think so, tough guy,” she whispered as he allowed her to push him away. The smug glare she tossed him made his body quicken. So arrogant. So beautiful.
There was a noise on the street. The humans were beginning to filter out of the various watering holes and nightclubs in the area. She stepped around him and began to walk again, expecting him to follow. He did so without pause.
Tessa’s weak voice pulled him out of his revelry and back to the present.
“You know if you don’t put her down she’ll be the most spoiled child either of our worlds has ever known?” Tessa teased.
Her weakness concerned him. It was a long hard labor for her after nine months of the baby draining her of the blood she also needed to survive. Vampire women would have fed more frequently but Tessa didn’t have that option. He had arranged for regular transfusions but it still hadn’t been enough. She suffered it all with a smile and joyful expectation of their coming child and he could do nothing but comfort and try to support her. There’s no such thing as pain medication when you have a secret home birth. He was so worried about how her body would deal with it all. Delivering and carrying a vampire baby is very different from a human child. She had spent the last three months in bed. Griffin had never known of a vampire siring a child with a human but from the research he had done in preparation for the event he learned that the mothers didn’t fare well. He found that they usually died in childbirth and the babies didn’t do much better. In the records he reviewed at the council hall library there had been no known surviving births.
“I fully intend to ensure that is the case anyway,” he whispered, as the baby was now asleep.
“I love you, Griffin,” Tessa told him.
“I will love you always. Why do you sound so sad? Are you in pain? Can I get you anything?” Griffin’s heart ached at her weakened state and his inability to do anything for her. If
“No. I’m fine, but I had a terrible dream. I’m afraid this time of joy is about to end for us. We are about to be separated.” She shivered and winced with the pain the moment caused her battered body. Tessa was what humans called a psychic. She dreamt of things yet to come and regularly had feelings about people or things that proved amazingly insightful. She usually knew when he needed to leave to meet his parents before suspicions arose. She knew little things like when the phone was about to ring and big things like when he was about to leave her for a time. This prediction was the last thing Griffin wanted to hear. He would not leave his family. The thought nearly broke him. He watched a single tear slide down Tessa’s too pale cheek.
Just then, the door flew open and Griffin jumped to his feet, turning so fast to shield their child, Tessa didn’t even see him move. It was Mason, Griffin’s lifelong best friend. He was the only person who knew about Tessa and their situation. He had helped hide Tessa and had procured a mid-wife with knowledge of both human and vampire births to assist with the delivery.
“We have a problem. Griffin, you need to come with me now or they will come looking for you,” Mason spoke so fast Tessa didn’t catch it all.
“Who will come looking for him?” Tessa demanded.
“The Council,” Mason replied. “I’m afraid they may know.”
“That’s not possible! We’ve been very careful!” Griffin argued.
“I’m afraid the mid-wife has broken her vow of silence. It seems there’s more money to be made by talking to the right people. We have to leave now, Griffin,” Mason growled. “We will deal with her treachery later.”
With a stunned expression, Griffin handed the baby to Tessa after kissing her tiny forehead and gently brushing his hand over the white streaks in her hair. Then he brushed his lips over Tessa’s and he promised, “I will be back as soon as I can. I love you both more than my own life.” He kissed her sweetly one more time and ran out the door, eyes glistening.
Mason looked intently at Tessa as he dropped the small duffle bag he had carried in with him onto the end of her bed. He stepped forward and bent to kiss the sleeping babe on the head.
“I’m so very sorry about this Tessa. I hope this will help. It’s the very least I can do for you and my godchild. Please open it quickly and leave as soon as possible. There will be a car waiting for you outside.” He left closing the door softly.
Tessa opened the bag and retrieved a letter placed on top of the stacks of cash and a gun. Still in shock, she opened the letter and as she read it, began to cry.
Several months later…
Griffin was at his parent's home after returning with them from a Council meeting. His father, Lloyd, a tall and attractive middle aged looking vampire with the same dark hair and steely blue eyes as Griffin, entered the room to see Griffin staring sadly out the window onto the perfectly manicured lawn, still somehow green even in the winter. His mother would have it no other way.
“Griffin my boy, it’s really past time for you to stop bereaving the loss of your little fling,” Lloyd scoffed.
Griffin interrupted. “Father I don’t want to have this conversation with you again. You’ve made your feelings abundantly clear.”
Lloyd shook his head in disgust and decided it was high time the boy faced reality. “I have been avoiding telling you this in hopes you would move on willingly but it seems you will not until you know the truth.” Lloyd paused. “Your mother began to search, against my wishes, after we were made aware of your indiscretions and you returned without the child as we had requested. She is very resourceful when she wants something,” Lloyd huffed.
“I bet she is. She learned from the best,” Griffin replied sarcastically.
In a flash, Lloyd crossed the room and dug his nails into Griffin’s deep into shoulder. Griffin went to his knees with a yelp of pain.
“Listen to me boy! I have had enough of your disrespect! I am your father and a leader of our race! You would be wise to remember that and act accordingly!” Then he released Griffin and helped him to his feet. “It is time for you to take your rightful position on the Council and you are not nearly ready. My patience grows thin, Griffin.”
Griffin’s mother, Adele, entered the room through the French doors that led out to the garden and the hot house carrying a basket of fresh cut flowers. Adele was a tall, statuesque woman with golden blond hair in a tidy twist at her neck and warm caramel brown eyes. Her heels showed no signs of dirt in spite of her romp through the garden. She always moved as if she were floating rather than walking.
Adele realized quickly she had happened upon a disagreement. “What seems to be the problem here, darlings?”
She put down the flowers and removed her gardening gloves. As she moved closer, she could see the holes and fresh blood on Griffin’s shirt. The wounds were already healing. Her eyes widened as she looked to her husband. Griffin would not allow anyone but his father to attack him without retaliation, and she knew it.
“Adele, love, your timing is perfect. I was just about to inform Griffin of the result of your search.” He purred to her knowing she would be displeased with him for ruining her son’s tailored shirt.
“Everything is fine, Mother. We were just doing a little male bonding. Why don’t you come tell me about this big secret you and Father have been keeping?” he insisted.
“Well, darling,” she stuttered, the uncharacteristic stumbling sending a chill over Griffin. “Give me a moment to go gather the information I’ve been collecting.” She left the room quickly and Griffin looked at his father with questioning eyes.
“I think it’s best if we wait for your mother to return. Otherwise I’m sure you won’t see the truth.”
Adele returned carrying a large brown envelope and wearing a solemn look on her perfect face. She sat in the chair closest to Griffin and beckoned him to sit across from her. He did and his father followed. Lloyd stood beside Griffin with a comforting hand on the shoulder he had sunk his talons into just moments ago. It was unsettling to Griffin. His parents were not the comforting type. This wasn’t a good sign.
Adele began, “The day we found out about your little secret and you did not retrieve the child as requested I began to search for her. I couldn’t very well have the child raised by your human pet.”
“Mother, please!” Griffin shouted. He’d had enough of their prejudices.
“Hush son and listen to me! This will be hard enough without your interruptions,” Adele barked. She continued without pause. “The girl called a cab to carry her to the human hospital. When the driver was questioned he revealed that he was uncomfortable driving the girl, given she had no car seat for the child. She pleaded with him saying she couldn’t get the child to nurse. The driver noted the pale and generally weak condition of the girl and thought better of leaving her behind. He helped the girl into the ER and left.”
Now Adele paused, measuring Griffin, she continued while handing him a stack of papers. “I acquired documentation from a source at the human hospital. Apparently, the girl was hemorrhaging. The delivery had taken the ultimate toll on her body. She succumbed to the injuries she received during birth and died in the ER.”
Adele handed Griffin a death certificate for Tessa Lynn Taylor. Tears began to stream down his angry face and he did not attempt to wipe them away. Adele began again. “The child lived two more days before she also lost her battle. The cause of death is listed as failure to thrive.” She then handed Griffin the birth and death certificates for Soleil Taylor. The documents both listed the father as unknown.
“It’s really too bad we didn’t find the child sooner. The idiots at the human hospital had no idea she needed blood to survive. The girl’s parents died years ago and she had no other family besides an older stepsister. By the time the authorities were able to locate the stepsister, the bodies had been cremated as per hospital policy in cases of unclaimed persons. The sister collected the ashes and had them buried in her father’s family plot.”
