Hot Decadent Rising (Breath of Darkness)

  HOT DECADENT RISING

  CANDICE STAUFFER

  2013 Candice Stauffer

  Copyright © 2013 by Candice Stauffer

  Edited by: Kathy Riehl

  Cover Artist: Kendra Egert

  All rights reserved.

  Names, characters, and events depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

  Published in the United States

  CONTENTS

  Copyright

  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

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Epilogue

  About Candice

  He had definitely met his match in her, a woman as passionate as sin and as hot as Hell’s rampant flames.

  “I’m not going to lie. That was the single most awesome moment of my life. I can’t believe she called you an aggravating as hell, leg humping poodle.” Cain picked up the jerky she’d tossed and took a bite. “You should’ve fetched it.” He took another bite. “But I’m glad you didn’t.”

  “Shut up.” When Eli realized she had been targeted by a thief his natural protective instincts kicked in. He was shocked by the fear he felt when she began to struggle with the man to take the knife. It was only a matter of seconds before he got to her, but it seemed much longer.

  “Do you think you could piss her off and get her to throw some more? It really is tasty stuff. I’d get on my hind legs and beg pretty for another piece.”

  To say he was shocked when she’d tossed the meat and then ordered him to fetch it was a major understatement. He had definitely met his match in her, a woman as passionate as sin and as hot as Hell’s rampant flames. “She called me a leg humping poodle.”

  “Aggravating as hell.”

  Growling, Eli stared at him.

  “What? She said aggravating as hell.”

  Eli walked away from him. He had just reached Kara’s door when she opened it and plowed into him. “Do you see it?”

  From over her head he took a look inside. He didn’t see anything except for a tiny…

  “Spider!” she yelled. “Holy shit! Right there! It’s a spider!” Her nails digging deep into his flesh she gripped his arm. “You see it, right?”

  “It won’t hurt you. It’s more afraid of you than you are of it.”

  As if to prove he’d lied, the spider turned to face them as if staring them down.

  “Oh, oh crap!”

  A few seconds later it raced toward them. Screaming, she did the wildest dance all the way around him to make sure he was between her and the spider as it moved past them. Next, she pushed him to the side and shut the door on his face.

  Literally, the door slammed into his face. He was still standing there staring at the door when she opened it. “Come in. It’s cold out here. Hurry up before that…that hideous thing gets back in here.”

  Against his better judgment, for something just wasn’t right about the smile on her face, he walked inside and shut the door. When he turned to face her she was standing just out of reach with a gun aimed at him.

  “What were you doing outside the door?” She asked.

  Holding up his hands in surrender, he gestured toward the door. “The hideous thing went that way.”

  What reviewers are saying about Candice’s books

  Eternal Breath of Darkness

  4 of 5 stars

  If you love romance novels for the hawt adult scenes, do not worry—there are plenty of those

  I am so glad that I read this book. In fact, I had a very hard time putting it down. The para elements were both familiar (vampire and witch and weres) and new (hot dragon/immortals). The minor characters were amazing. I am so excited this is going to be a series so I can learn more about them. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading the next book when it is released.

  ~ Delphina Zmom Miyares, Delphina Reads Too Much

  5 of 5 Hearts

  Awesome Book!

  OMGosh this book takes you from the pits of a living hell on a journey of love, lust, passion, action-packed fight sequences, not mention very vivid, HOT, and Steamy Sex scenes! I am honored to have been able to Read~n~Review this book! The characters are personable, detailed and so realistic, that I found myself yelling at Caylee for being so stubborn by not making better choices, laughing when she teasingly shows Hayden her naught, and being terrified when her past is revealed or when she comes face to face with a very, lustful and twisted vampire! The world building is consistent, passionate, and spell-binding as Candice Stauffer creates a storyline with a powerful punch to entertain and intrigue the reader with the hope of more to come. I highly recommend this book! This is the first book of her series and what an introduction it is! ~ Wendy Lovetiggi Nielson, Lovetiggi’s Book Reviews

  5/5 stars

  I highly recommend this new series from Candice Stauffer

  I loved this book so much. I was hooked from the start and loved the ride Candice took me on while reading. This book is for adults as the sex scenes are HOT!!! And the lead male Haden is even HOTTER!!! I love the spin Candice puts in this book with the demons. She has them as savers of our world instead of wanting to destroy it and everyone in their path. The characters are flawed but that is what makes them perfect. I was drawn into Caylee and Haden’s world … I love the side characters just as much and cannot wait for their stories to be told. We get just enough about them that leaves you wanting more of this amazing world Candice has written. I highly recommend this new series from Candice Stauffer. She is a Must watch author. ~ Sabrina Ford, Paranormal Reads

  Sweet, Decadent Fire

  What a wonderful short read!

  I loved Candice's first book, so when I saw she had released this vampire tale, I had to buy it immediately. The story flowed beautifully and brought me back to the world of her novel. The beautiful thing about this piece is that you did not need to read her novel to have background for the story. It is a complete work, in and of itself. Also, my favorite character (Mia) from her novel made an appearance which filled my desire to learn more about Mia, as I desperately away the release of her next book, which I believe will feature Mia :). This is a great choice if you want a short vampire read, want to read more from Candice, or want to see if Candice's style is one that you would enjoy. ~ Delphina Zmom Miyares, Delphina Reads Too Much

  Exquisite Breath of Darkness

  Joseph Payne is a two thousand year old warrior. One of his favorite pastimes is facebook. Not his own mind you, he likes messing with profiles of his friends. Six months ago he met Mia Harte. He’s been around her ever since….even though she does all she can to keep him away. He knows she is Lycan and can’t be his mate, but that don’t stop him from loving and
protecting her. Not even though she’s dying and not even when Eli Thomas and his pack come to claim her.

  Mia knows her time is running out on earth and decides to enjoy what is left with Joseph. Together they have vampires and ghouls to fight and a Lycan who says she belongs to him. She even discovers that there is such a thing as a good vampire, unbelievable! Judy~ Just Judy's Jumbles

  ~One~

  AFTER SPENDING NEARLY three hours stuck in a morning rush hour traffic jam, Eli Thomas stopped for gas just a few miles outside Portland, Oregon. Following several failed attempts to use every card in his wallet at the pump, he realized he didn’t have any other choice than to do the last thing he wanted to do. He needed to go inside the station to pay. From the looks of it, the place was jam-packed. He’d rather be trapped on the highway again, watching two bratty kids pick their noses while making rude faces at him through their rear window.

  Just the thought of going inside made him physically sick. He absolutely hated being confined in any building with so many humans gathered all around. Doing so always made him feel claustrophobic, even to the point of getting nauseous. They each had their own unique, truly unpleasant odor. A group of humans equaled a foul stench. Besides that, carelessly tossing out all sorts of unsavory thoughts, humans had traumatized him too many times to count. Yes. Traumatized. He’d never be too proud to admit it to. Humans absolutely freaked him out. They rarely made any attempt to shield their minds. Nothing could be more illogical. Some thoughts should never, for any reason, be shared.

  Removing from his wallet the first card he’d tried, he decided to give it one last shot. “C’mon.” Once again the card was declined. “Damn it.”

  “I’ve heard from a fairly reliable source that doing the same thing over and over again in the same manner and expecting a different outcome is a sure indication of a person being totally batty.”

  “What do you…?” He had every intention of making sure his voice was threatening, as he turned to face the woman who’d snuck up on him. He’d learned over the years that being aggressive was a great way to avoid conversation. He wasn’t the chatty sort of person. Then, he saw her. Something strange began to happen to him. Meeting her deep, dark brown gaze momentarily stole his ability to speak. To think. He actually felt lightheaded.

  “Are you okay?”

  For a moment, he truly wondered if she was making an effort to put him under a spell. Then, he quickly rejected the notion for the simple fact that she was human. She was an inferior being. He found his voice, “What do you want?” He wasn’t mad, not really. He was shocked and quite curious. She shouldn’t have been able to sneak up on him from behind. She sure as hell shouldn’t have been able to touch the back of his shoulder, before he sensed her presence. Well, he hadn’t really sensed it at all. He didn’t know she was there until she’d touched him.

  “From you?” she asked.

  “Yes.” Something else was off about her. She didn’t stink. Why didn’t she smell bad?

  “Hmmm.” Rather than take her time as he was used to women doing, she quickly looked him up and down before meeting his gaze. “Nothing.” Pausing just long enough for him to feel self-conscious, she smirked. “Absolutely, positively nothing. I just wanted to let you know that you’re wasting your time.”

  “What?”

  She inclined her head toward the card in his hand. “None of the card machines have worked on any of these pumps for the past year. If you want gas you’ll need to go inside to pay.”

  Unable to rid his mind from the impression of bright red flashing lights, accompanied by a blaring alarm, time seemed to slow down as he stared at her. Actually, it stopped as something in her eyes compelled him to inch closer to her. It was powerful. A force unlike anything he’d even encountered. It captured him. Entirely. Completely. It wrapped around him like an uncomfortably tight cocoon. It trapped him.

  His mind was racing. Who was she? A witch? What the hell was she doing to him? How was she doing it to him?

  “What’s up with your eyes?” she asked. “They’re glowing. Are they contacts?”

  Shit! Something about her was drawing his wolf to the surface. To no avail he tried to push the beast back. It didn’t make sense. He didn’t know her, but he knew he didn’t like the woman at all. His wolf shouldn’t be aroused by her.

  “No…I mean, yes. They’re contacts,” he lied. It was his only option.

  The longer he stood there staring at her, breathing in her sweet exotic scent, the more havoc she created in him by riling his most primal side, his wolf. Again, he wondered why she, a human, didn’t smell bad to him. He needed to figure it out. First, he needed to get far away from her. He took a step back. Well, actually, he stumbled backward and would have fallen flat on his ass if it hadn’t been for the gas pump behind him.

  “Oops.” She laughed out loud. She covered her mouth as if to hide it, but she continued to laugh for several seconds. Once she stopped, she lowered her hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. No worries. I’m unarmed.” The tone of her voice was just as mocking as the little upward curve of her lopsided grin was provocative.

  A growl, a damned playful growl, rumbled in his chest. His double-crossing wolf was getting off on her making fun of him. “You didn’t scare me.” She was however, making him lose his mind.

  “Don’t worry.” Her lips parted in a full, tantalizing smile that drew his attention to her small, perfectly straight, white teeth. “Your secret is safe with me. I swear I would never dream of telling anyone that girls terrify you.”

  He was about two seconds from showing her something unequivocally fear-provoking. A fire, a ravenous firestorm of raw lust ignited in the pit of his stomach as he imagined the erotic sensation of her teeth biting into his flesh. A sure sign his canines were lengthening, his gums began to ache. Whatever was happening to him it wasn’t normal. It wasn’t good. It was dangerous. She was human. She was off limits.

  “Okay. Okay. You really don’t look well. I’m sorry. I’ll stop teasing you.”

  He raked his hand through his hair. He wasn’t well. He was a wreck. “I’m fine.” His voice was more than a bit too defensive for his liking. It was way too damned defensive. He couldn’t think straight. Judging her behavior and appearance, he certainly wasn’t having the same affect on her. That truly pissed him off. He straightened his shoulders and squared his stance to appear confident and strong. He’d never been so unnerved by anyone. Worse yet, he had no idea why she made him feel so unsettled.

  “Don’t get all grumpy and flustered. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just came over here to ask you a question.” Her gaze briefly shifting to the side, she paused for a moment. Her swallow was audible and, thanks to his supernatural hearing, he heard her heart rate speed up. It was the first signs of her having any anxiety. She was scared. Not of him. Something or someone was intimidating her. She was being hunted. It bothered him. It shouldn’t have mattered to him. But it did.

  He opened his mind to scan the area for a threat, but he felt nothing. “You said you didn’t want anything from me.”

  “I lied.”

  “What’s the question?” Being a hundred and ten percent sure he didn’t want to know the answer, he couldn’t help but wonder why he’d asked.

  “Can you jump me?”

  It was more than just being taken aback by the mischief in her eyes and the erotic images that flashed in his mind. It was as if, the throttle wide open, he’d slammed his Harley into brick wall. He blinked. “What?”

  “Do you have jumper cables?”

  “No,” he answered, and then being a powerful, in control, confident alpha male, he turned from her to make his escape. He was damn lucky she hadn’t needed some form of major engine repair.

  “Wait.” She got in front of him and held her arms out to stop him.

  He pointed at his Harley. “I’m in a hurry. Look for yourself. I don’t have cables.” He stepped to the side to get past her.

  Effectively sto
pping him, she mirrored his movement. “I’ve another question.”

  He wasn’t going to ask. He didn’t want to know. “What?” he asked. Okay. Maybe some small part of him wanted to know.

  Rather than noticing he was a big, bad, intimidating male predator, who was easily able to plow her over, she sighed as she appeared to leisurely study him from head to toe. Truth be told, he sort of liked the feeling of her finally giving him the thorough once over he deserved. But he felt something else, an odd sense of insecurity. What was he worried about? Why the hell wouldn’t she like what she was seeing? He was a good-looking man. Right?

  When her gaze finally parked onto his, she gave him another sexy as hell smile. “My name is Kara. I swear you look familiar. Have we met before?”

  “No.” One two letter word. That was it. Did his voice seriously crack? He shook his head in denial though he knew it was true. He’d heard it.

  She gently placed her hand on his arm. “Are you sure we’ve never met?”

  To prevent his voice from cracking again, he cleared his throat. “Absolutely.” He looked down at her hand on his arm. Her palm was generating unnatural heat and supernatural power. That’s when he realized she was touching him to connect with his mind. She was attempting to read his thoughts to gage whether or not he was telling the truth.

  He blinked. Then, he blinked again. She was physic. A powerful physic. His wolf, wanting to draw closer to her, happily responded to the connection. No wonder she was able to turn him into a blundering idiot.

  Giving her a firm mental shove, not caring that it would cause her an amount of discomfort, he closed his mind to her. Wincing, she moved her hand away from him. She shook her head. He knew she was shocked, though looking at her it wasn’t entirely apparent. She knew how to keep her wits despite the fact his actions caused her head to hurt.

  “You do look familiar,” she prompted. “They aren’t contacts. Your eyes are…I’ve never seen such lovely eyes.”