Ravens of the Mist Book 1: Endless Love

Cole

I’ve been cold for centuries. Every part of me—my heart, my body, my skin—frozen. They say when a creature like me finds his true mate, his heart warms. The chill he’s known for so long disappears. Maybe that’s why my kind are so desperate to find their other halves. But until now, I haven’t been so lucky.

What if she was human? That’s a ridiculous thought. It’s never happened before. I don’t know why it even crossed my mind.

I wasn’t always like this. My life changed when I met my sire.

Back then, I was just a Viking warrior, doing my duty. I think it was 1066, in England, when I drew my last human breath.

I was fighting for my life, my body awash in my own blood. I felt a powerful presence beside me.

He knelt on the ground and whispered in my ear.

“You have a choice. If you want to die here today, I’ll let you. But if you want to live, tell me, and I’ll give you eternal life.”

“L-life.” That was my answer.

If I’d known what was coming, I would have chosen death without a second thought.

He turned my head to the side, exposing my throat. I thought dying was the worst thing that could happen to me, but when his fangs pierced my throat, and I felt my blood flow into his mouth, I knew I was wrong.

The pain was unlike anything I’d ever felt.

Everything after that was a blur until I had to drink his blood. That brought me back to reality.

He sliced his wrist, and his blood dripped into my mouth. He kept telling me I had to drink before it was too late for me to be reborn.

I don’t know how much time passed after I drank his blood. But when I woke up, I was buried six feet underground.

I had to claw my way out until I could breathe again. I knew then that the man I once was had died on the battlefield with his comrades, and a new being had emerged from the ground.

I don’t know where my sire is now, maybe France. He found his mate and left me to be with her.

I don’t blame him. I would have done the same thing if I was in his shoes. It’s been so long since I felt warmth inside me.

The next best thing is human blood. Especially when you drink it straight from the source. It’s so warm, it’s like life itself. That’s why we drink so much of it.

But I don’t drink fresh human blood. I have a supplier who gets me blood from the hospital.

It took me years to forget what it feels like to have warm human blood running down my throat.

Hmm, it’s already time for me to go see my supplier at the hospital. I’m running out of time.

If I’m late, I’ll have to go to the butcher’s shop to get some pig’s blood. It’s not my favorite, but I don’t have a choice. I’m on a strict diet.

I’m jumping from one roof to another when I hear someone scream.

“SOMEONE PLEASE…”

When I hear that voice, it’s like my heart starts beating.

This is strange for me since my heart stopped pumping blood after my second birth when the demon took over my body.

I speed up, heading towards the sound. I see two men standing in front of a woman.

Without thinking, I grab the first man closest to me. I drain his life, drinking his blood until the light in his eyes fades completely.

“Fuck, your skin is so soft. Hey, Vick, come taste her skin,” the other bastard says to my mate.

Mate, she’s my mate?

In that moment, I understand what I’m feeling deep in my unbeating heart. A warmth I’ve never felt before wraps around my heart.

“Vick? Vick? Where the hell are you, man?” he says, pulling me from my thoughts.

He steps away from her, looking for his friend.

He dared to touch her. She's MINE!

“Guess more for me, then.”

Bastard!

Seeing him move towards her, I don’t hesitate. In an instant, I’m behind him.

I snap his neck without a second thought and let his body drop to the ground.

I look at my mate. She’s struggling to stand. Her body collapses onto the ground. I move quickly, catching her just in time.

I pick her up in my arms, holding her close.

Having her so close to me, I have no doubt that she’s the one I’ve been searching for.

Now, what do I do with her? I can’t leave her here. It’s too dangerous. My best option is to take her home since I don’t know where she lives.

I’ll figure out my next move once we’re safe.

As I lay her down on the bed, it’s hard for me to let go because I can feel the warmth inside of me. The closer she is, the warmer I feel.

Then I remember what I did earlier. After all my hard work over the years, I managed not to drink from a living, breathing human.

That all went to hell in an instant when I drank from that man.

Damn it!

I was so proud of myself for succeeding. But I did it for a good reason. I shouldn’t be ashamed.

I saved my mate, and if I had to do it all over again, I would. A hundred times if it meant saving her once more.

Now that I’ve tasted fresh, warm human blood and I have her near me, I want to devour her.

I can hear her heart beating so clearly, her blood rushing through the veins in her neck. And what a neck she has. If my mate makes me feel this warm inside, I wonder what her blood would do to me. All I have to do is taste it.

NO! I have to keep my distance. I have to stay away from her.

She’s coming to, slowly sitting up in bed. I’m lurking in the shadows, feeling like a coward.

“You’re awake,” I say, not missing a beat.

She’s scanning the room, trying to find me. I’m still hidden, not ready to face her. Not when I see her as a meal.

“Why am I here?” she asks, catching me off guard.

That’s not what I expected her to say, waking up in a strange place.

“Where else could I have taken you? I don’t know where you live. Now that you’re up, you should probably go.”

It’s better for both of us, even if it feels like a punch to the gut.

“If it’s up to me, I’d stay. I can clean. You could use a housekeeper.”

Her offer takes me by surprise.

She’s looking for me. I decide to step out of the shadows, to ease her fear.

She’s been through enough tonight.

I can’t let her leave. She’s mine.

If she stays here, she’ll be safe from others like me. If anyone comes looking, they’ll see a housekeeper, nothing more.

They won’t know how much she means to me. They won’t dare touch her, not in my territory.

“Alright. You can be my housekeeper. You’ll work off your rent. I’ll provide what you need.”

I exit her room then, not wanting to test my self-control any further.

I still can’t wrap my head around her being human. This has never happened before, a creature like me mated with a human.

I need to figure out how this is even possible.