Savage Breath of Darkness Read online

  SAVAGE BREATH OF DARKNESS

  By: Candice Stauffer

  Copyright Page

  SAVAGE BREATH OF DARKNESS

  By: Candice Stauffer

  http://www.candicestaufferparanormalromanceauthor.com/

  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.

  Copyright © 2018 by Candice Stauffer

  Published in the United States of America

  October 2018

  CONTENTS

  Copyright Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

  Coming soon

  EVERLASTING FLAME

  BREATH OF DARKNESS

  Here’s a free excerpt of the first book in this series:

  Eternal Breath of Darkness

  About the author

  1

  The nauseating stench of death tainted the air. The instant Emily spotted a young pregnant woman walk across the street into the parking lot of an abandoned building, she knew the woman was in serious trouble. Dread had latched onto the woman. Its cruel icy grip laced her blood with fear induced adrenaline that caused her heart to race wildly.

  While the woman knew she was being led to her death, she couldn’t stop walking. A powerful compulsion forced her to keep moving. Emily’s first urge was to run to her, to protect her and her unborn child, but doing so would be a mistake. She knew better than to rush into a battle without gaining as much knowledge about her enemy as possible.

  She crouched down, making herself as small and as undetectable as possible. Remaining completely still and silent, hardly even breathing, she expanded her mind and concentrated on locating the malevolent being controlling the woman. A faint chirping echoed in her mind. Her vision blurred. At once, she felt dizzy and nauseous. The volume of the chirping increased as she watched the murky mass of a pitch-black vapor creep toward the woman.

  “Son of a bitch.” She couldn’t wait. She needed to get to the woman before the vapor swallowed her up.

  Feeling another threat from behind, she stood and turned. She scanned the entire area. She knew the corrupt vampire was nearby, she couldn’t pin down its exact location. She felt his incessant thirst for blood. She felt his desire to torture, to slaughter the woman and her unborn child. He wasn’t merely evil. The damn thing embodied every possible manner of evil. She’d never encountered a darker, a crueler, a more powerful being.

  No. What the fuck was wrong with her. Those were not her thoughts or her observations. Corrupt vampires weren’t super powerful beings. They were maggots. She rubbed her throbbing temples, struggling to figure out what was happening. She shook her head. “Damn it.” Her vision darkened and blurred. She opened and closed her eyes a few times, attempting to refocus them.

  Rather than locate the corrupt vampire, she’d inadvertently allowed it to identify and locate her. She’d allowed the fucker to mess with her head and prevent her from helping the woman. The instant she tried to push him from her mind, a sharp pain pierced her skull directly between her eyes.

  “Fuck,” she hissed, between clenched teeth.

  The more she struggled to break her mind free, the more her pain increased. It reached the point of being so intense that she felt as if her skull could explode at any second. Using supernatural speed, she sprinted toward the woman. She placed herself in the woman’s path to stop her. The woman kept walking right into her, forcing Emily to grab her arms.

  Careful to use just enough supernatural strength to prevent her from moving, Emily focused on the woman and touched her mind. “I know you’re confused and scared right now, but you need to fight him. You need to resist him. Your fear is the only real power he has over you. You’re not alone. We are in this together. I will not leave you. I swear I will not allow him to hurt you or your baby.”

  “He’s a…” the woman trailed off, turning her head to the right as if looking for something.

  Turning in a complete circle, Emily took a slow, thorough look around and reached for Zack Savage. Seeing nothing, she took the woman’s hand and started to walk. She felt Zack’s presence in her mind thoroughly assessing the situation. His immense power surrounded her, filled her. He took control right away. He freed her mind from the vampire’s grip within seconds. The pain ceased as quickly as it had started. She knew he was miles away, but she felt him with her, his arms holding her and his body sheltering her as he closed the distance between them.

  “I’m Emily. What’s your name?”

  “Anne.”

  “Do you live around here?”

  “I live and work at the huge hotel in the middle of the city. I am sorry. My head is completely screwed up. It feels strange. It feels as if I’ve been drugged. I can’t remember the name of the hotel.”

  “Do you work for Joseph Payne?”

  “Yes. He owns the hotel. Do you know him?”

  “Yes. We’ll get you to the hotel.”

  “We?”

  “My mate.”

  “Your mate?”

  “My boyfriend.”

  The vampire’s image solidified twenty feet in front of them. He glanced at Anne and then he stared at Emily. He tilted his head to the side and drew his lips back in a snarl that revealed his serrated teeth and razor-sharp incisors. “You are trespassing.”

  Keep your eyes on him, Emily. I am coming to you.

  I have a woman with me, Zack. She’s pregnant.

  I know. You’re both safe. I have you. Just keep your eyes on the vampire for me.

  “Trespassing?” Emily tilted her head to the side, keeping her gaze locked onto his. “This is city property, isn’t it?”

  He moved with blurring speed and stopped directly in front of them. “The woman belongs to me.” A muscle clenched and unclenched in his jaw. He smiled at her, but there was no humor, no pleasantness in it. He took a deep breath and released it slowly with a hiss. “Leave her and go.”

  His rancid breath caused her stomach to twist. “Damn. What the hell is your problem? Back the fuck up.” She fiend a gagging sound. “Your breath reeks.”

  The vampire leaned closer and took a deep breath from his nostrils as if scenting them. “You’re going to die, little bitch.”

  The ground shook beneath the vampire. He attempted to grab Anne, but he stumbled back as if something had shoved him. Lightning raced across the sky, followed by thunder. Lifting his head to study the sky, he clenched his jaw, drawing his lips back in a menacing snarl.

  “You’re thinking you made a big oops, right? Any vampire with the tiniest fraction of a working brain knows better than to threaten or fuck with a demon’s mate. It’s a bad idea.” She laughed. “As a matter of fact, I’m starting to get the feeling something terrible is about to happen to you.”

  The vampire didn’t respond or move.
Realizing Zack had immobilized him, she laughed. You froze him, didn’t you?

  I did.

  Isn’t it cheating if he’s unable to move when you show up to kill him?

  If so I am not the only one breaking rules.

  What are you talking about?

  You agreed to never hunt corrupt vampires without me?

  You strongly suggested that I invite you to tag along, but I never agreed to do it.

  Now that I’ve given it some thought, I clearly remember commanding you to invite me.

  You know better than to command me to do anything,

  Zack dropped from the sky and landed in a crouch hard enough for the impact to crumble the asphalt beneath him.

  Understandably startled by the sudden sight of him, Anne gasped.

  “It’s okay.” Emily gave Anne’s hand a little squeeze and then released it. “He’s here to help us.”

  Rather than focus on the vampire, Zack’s gaze remained on hers as he stood upright. He rolled his neck and shoulders. The sight of him took her breath away. He was so damn handsome. So incredible. So powerful. He was well over six feet tall with broad shoulders, and his chest and abdomen muscles were ripped to perfection. His entire body was ripped to masculine perfection. She would never grow tired of looking at him, studying him. She loved the way his muscles bunched and rippled every time he moved.

  “Holy shit.” Anne moved closer to Emily. “He’s your boyfriend.”

  “Yes.”

  “He looks scary as hell.”

  “Really?” Emily laughed softly. It was true. He looked as fiercely savage as he looked sexy. His body was absolutely fucking perfect. He was all male. All sexy. All hers. Attempting to appear as casual as possible, she shrugged her shoulders. “I never noticed.”

  “Liar.” She nudged her. “You’d better make sure he knows I’m not a threat to you.”

  “He knows.”

  His black leathery wings slowly faded until they disappeared as he approached them. “How would you suggest your mate go about persuading you to grant his desire to join you on your vampire hunting expeditions?”

  “Very funny. You know damn well I didn’t plan to hunt or pick a fight with a vampire tonight.” She looked at Anne. “Anne this is Zack, my boyfriend. Zack this is Anne.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Anne. Joseph should be here any minute to take you back to the hotel.”

  “You already contacted Mr. Payne?” She shook her head. “Never mind. I don’t want to…thank you, Zack. It’s nice to meet you.” She laughed. “I am very thankful you’re Emily’s boyfriend.” She looked at Emily. “Thanks for saving us, Emily.” She placed her hand on her belly. “I really thought he would kill us.”

  Joseph pulled his car into the parking lot. He got out and walked over to them. “Is everyone okay?”

  “Everyone is fine,” Zack replied.

  Joseph looked at Anne. “How did you end up in this part of the city?”

  “I got off at the wrong bus stop. I thought I was close enough to the hotel to walk.”

  He nodded. “I’ve done that a few times. You have my number, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “In the future, I want you to call me if you need help. I definitely want you to call me if you accidently get off at the wrong bus stop. All right?”

  “I will. Thank you, Mr. Payne.”

  “You’re welcome. And Joseph is fine.”

  “Got it.”

  “Let’s get you home.”

  “Sounds good.” She faced Emily. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  ****

  Zack moved closer to Emily, forcing her to tip her head back to look up at him. “You’re in big trouble.”

  “By who?” She laughed softly. “You?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Why?”

  “Why are you here?”

  “Do you want me to leave?”

  She definitely wasn’t a woman prone to give up her secrets without a fight. He absolutely adored her strength, and her defiant nature. “No. I want you to tell me what you’re doing in this part of the city.”

  She shrugged. “I just went for a walk.”

  Unwilling to allow her to get away with lying to him, he lifted an eyebrow and remained silent for several seconds.

  She stared at him as if to wait him out. “Fine.” She let her breath out slowly, watching him for a few more seconds. “I was trying to find a notebook I left in the Shanghai Tunnels a few days ago.”

  He held his hand out and conjured up her notebook. “Your notes and maps?”

  Frowning, she grabbed the notebook and tried to pull it from his hand. “You know about my maps?”

  He used her grip on the notebook and her determination to take it from him to drag her close. She owned his heart, his soul, and his body. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. She was everything to him. He wanted her. He needed her so damn much. Now. Desperately. Everything inside him loved her, craved her, ached for her. “You’re not shocked, are you?”

  “I never told you about them.”

  He gave her a playful smile and winked. “While your shields are quite impressive, they are no match for my desire to know you’re safe at all times.”

  “You know I want to kick your ass, right?”

  “That’s fine.” Tracing her lips with his finger, he sighed softly. “First, if you don’t mind, I would like to deal with the vampire.”

  She shrugged. “Go for it.”

  He turned away from her to face the vampire. “My mate claims it’s poor sportsmanship to prevent you from moving when I kill you.”

  “I said it’s cheating.”

  Sighing, he waved his hand. “Since I do not want my mate to view me as a cheater, you’re free to defend yourself.” Knowing the vampire would flee rather than fight, he used a compulsion, making his words a powerful command he couldn’t defy.

  The vampire tried to take a step back and shift away. His eyes widened, an obvious sign of horror gripping him when he realized Zack had so quickly and easily prevented him from shifting to safety.

  “That’s right. You’re allowed to move to defend yourself, but you’re not allowed to run away.”

  The vampire stumbled and fell. Then, rising to his feet, he made a hissing sound.

  “It’s getting late.” Emily yawned. “Are you planning to play with him or kill him?”

  Zack glanced over his shoulder at her. “I plan to kill him and spend the rest of the evening playing with you.”

  The vampire lunged at Zack. Catching it in midair, Zack spun it around and snapped its neck. He tossed it several feet away from him. Its body contorted and convulsed for a few seconds and then went completely still. He waved his hand and conjure up a ball of fire and threw it at the vampire. It went up in flames. Within seconds every trace of it was gone. No bones. No flesh. No ash.

  Zack turned and met Emily’s gaze. “He moved.”

  She nodded. “I noticed.”

  “I want to talk to you about exploring and mapping the tunnels.”

  “What about it?”

  “I don’t want you to do it without me.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s dangerous.”

  “Not for me. Most tainted vampires don’t want anything to do with me. They certainly don’t want my blood. They want human blood. They need the adrenaline fear produces in human blood. It rejuvenates them. It strengthens them,”

  “You have ancient demon blood flowing in your veins, Emily.” Frowning, he placed his hands on her shoulders and used his thumbs to force her chin up. “It’s much more powerful than human blood. It is much more desirable to tainted vampires than human blood. It makes you much more desirable to them.”

  ****

  He looked annoyed. No. He looked angry. She opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed it rather than risk saying anything to make herself look dumber. She didn’t know how to respond to him.

  “Yo
u’ll let me tag along when you explore and map the tunnels?”

  “Of course. I feel so stupid right now.” She knew he was mad at her. She understood why. She was mad at herself.

  He took her hand in his. “I don’t want you to feel stupid.” He gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. He loved her. She held her breath and stared up at him. He truly loved her. “You’re new to many of these things. It takes time to learn.” He opened his arms. “Come here.” Drawn to him, needing to feel the heat of his body against hers, she moved closer to him. “Don’t be discouraged. Time is a great teacher, Emily.” He wrapped his arms around her and held her. “It’s better to learn from our experiences than to beat ourselves up over our lack of knowledge. I promise you will learn more and more every day for the rest of your life.”

  Resting her head against his chest, she listened to the strong, steady sound of his heart beating for several seconds. Then, tipping her head back, she looked up at him. “Don’t pretend you’re not angry.”

  “I am not pretending. It’s true. I am mad. As a matter of fact, at this moment, I am furious at the vampire. Unfortunately, I can’t take it out on him anymore.” His body hot and hard against hers, drove her wild. She felt his desire for her. It filled her and smoldered deep inside her. “I’ve already killed him.”

  She tipped her head back further and gave him her sweetest, most angelic smile. “You could bring him back to life and kill him again. I wouldn’t object to you doing it a little slower.”

  “As tempting as doing so sounds, I think it would be better to just let him stay dead.”

  “Thank you for showing up and saving my ass, Zack.”

  “You don’t need to thank me.” He bent his head and trailed fiery kisses from her ear, along her jaw and to the corner of her mouth. He stopped. He breathed with her for a few seconds. “I’ll always come for you, Emily.”

  The warmth of his breath, the rousing heat of it across her lips, caused her heart to race. “I know.”

  He kissed her, his lips hungrily finding hers, his tongue delving deep, making love with hers, heightening her desire, intensifying the constant ache between her legs. She’d wanted him, needed him for so long. He drew her bottom lip into his mouth and sucked on it. The kiss went on and on. It was a mind blowing, drugging kiss that intensified when he caught her waist and lifted her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his body.