Royal House of Shadows: Part 3 of 12
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Gena Showalter
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His heart, his queen. When she wakes up in her own bed in Oklahoma, Jane fears the worst — that she will never see Nicolai again. His blood has given her new powers, but she'll have to learn to control them if she's going to rejoin him in Delfina and help in his quest. Rumor has it that Nicolai's sister is among the berserkers, but that can't be possible. The berserkers died out long ago…
Chapter 1
Jane Parker’s life has been turned upside down and inside out—all because of vampire Nicolai, the crown prince of Elden. Although she’s reluctant to admit it, this has been the best time of Jane’s life...even though they are on the run, hiding. Right now Nicolai needs to recover his strength, along with his memories of his first meetings with Jane, if he plans to defeat Princess Laila and then kill the Blood Sorcerer who murdered his family—this is not the time to be unconscious! Someone is approaching and Jane needs Nicolai awake and ready for battle. The clock is ticking, and an enemy is closing in...
“Nicolai. Nicolai, you have to snap out of it.” Jane’s voice, louder than the one in his mind, frantic and fearful. “Someone’s coming! Nicolai, please. Wake up.”
Please.
Nicolai tried to open his eyes, but the past had a powerful hold on him. He’d hurt Jane so much. And, as she had feared, he would lose her again. The spell he’d used had not disrupted the very first spell cast on her—the vampire curse that would force her to lose her lover.
Nothing could disrupt that particular spell. No exceptions here. Nothing Nicolai had tried had brought her back to him...until he’d worked with the first.
He’d brought Jane here by binding her body to his, on the condition that she leave him if she fell in love with him, breaking her heart, as the spell-casting vampire had wanted.
Nicolai could keep her, as long as he prevented her from loving him.
“Nicolai.”
The present beckoned. He fought the past’s hold...heard footsteps. A lot of them. Booted. Spears scraped against the ground. Power saturated the air.
Laila, definitely. With her army? Probably.
His eyelids popped open as different emotions warred for dominance. Fury, elation, anticipation, hatred, anxiety. Nicolai wanted to attack, to kill, but that would place Jane in jeopardy, and that he wouldn’t do. Ever.
He jolted upright, a blur of motion. Jane had already pulled on her robe, was ready to go.
“Come.” He grabbed her arm, and jerked her away from their camp.
