Guest Author Brannan Black

Viking Seduction 1: Blood Slave by Brannan Black
Paranormal Romance of the hot and sexy kind
Art by Renee George


It's the twenty-first century. Who keeps slaves anymore? Other than really, really old vampires...
Kierra's been trying to get Dekker's attention since they first met. His Nordic good looks and old world charm send shivers of
heat straight through her every time she sees him.

An invitation to a vampire-themed rave seems like just the thing to help him see her as more than a friend -- until she discovers it's not
just a theme. And now she's tangled up in a world she thought only existed in romance novels -- only these vampires are far from hunky
knights in shining armor.
Available at Changeling Press


Excerpt
I saw Nate's big 4x4 headed around front. Not wanting to have to fight my way in, I squeezed between a couple buildings and slipped down the alley behind the warehouse. Shutting the bike off, I rolled into the shadows.
Muffled curses and a woman's scream reached my sensitive ears. Son of a bitch. Kierra!
Ferine's muffled voiced goaded me. "Go ahead, fresh blood. No one who can hear you will care." I clenched my jaw, listening to his sickening whine. "You're my gift to the gathering tonight. Come on, mustn't keep them waiting."
I hurried around to the back door and twisted the handle. Locked. A harder twist did nothing to budge it. Damn them, they'd beefed up their security.
A rusting pile of old pipe lay nearby. Perfect. I swung once against the doorknob. Both pipe and knob shattered in a spray of metal. I kicked the door open with what was left of the pipe in hand, ready to strike, but no one guarded the back door, which led to a crowded storeroom. Guess I should be glad he was so damn cocky.
Earsplitting techno music covered any sounds I made. I tossed the pipe aside and tested the inner door. Locked, but nothing special. One good twist and it broke. I stalked down an empty hall toward the central room. It paid to know the layout of your rival's hangouts. Hallways split off, leading to offices, safe rooms and stairs down to where they kept their human cattle. But I figured Ferine would still be up front where he could show off.
By the time I reached the main room, I could hardly hear myself, much less anyone else over the loud music. Pausing in the shadows of the hall, I closed my eyes to sniff. There, a faint scent of fear. Had to be her.
The crowd in the main room didn't pay any attention to me. The vamps were too busy feeding and screwing, and the mortals getting off being drained. Idiot bite junkies.
Still I stuck to the edges of the crowd, looking over bobbing heads for any sign of Ferine and Kierra. Her scream came from an alcove to my right. I shoved a few bodies out of my way, not caring what or who they were.
Bursting in, I saw Ferine had her pinned to the blanket-strewn platform at the back of the room. I grabbed his collar and shoulder and spun him into the wall. I spared only a glance at Kierra to make sure he hadn't bitten her yet.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing with my claim?" I lunged, pinning Ferine to the wall with my forearm. He could almost look me in eye, being just shy of my six foot one, but he'd never carried much muscle on his slight frame. Me, well, I used to be a Viking. Nuff said.
Ferine bared his fangs at me. "Fuck off, book boy. She's not marked, means she's fair game. And since I brought her here, she's mine first. Get in line."
I shoved harder, driving breath from the other man. I wanted to remind him just how much stronger I am. "You know damn good and well I've been seeing her for over three months."
"Three months and not a mark on her. Fair game," Ferine spat back. "Get off me, prick." He struggled, trying to dislodge me. I hissed a warning through my fangs.
The crowd parted to allow Adriana through. She looked like she belonged in a corporate boardroom with her grey silk suit and carefully coifed blond hair. Her perfect lips drew together in a little moue of discontent.
"You summon me, Dekker, and then don't even have the courtesy to greet me?" Her voice slid from her lips like warm honey, sweet and hypnotic.
I stepped back, letting Ferine go, and offered her a slight nod of respect. "Forgive me, Lady Adriana, I was indeed rude. But had I waited, the matter would have gotten out of hand."
I glanced over at Kierra, who'd plastered herself in the back corner, as far from us as she could get. Her amber eyes looked like saucers, and the pallor of fear gave her normally tan face a sallow look.
"I see. So this is the mortal in question?" She looked Kierra over with a slow languid gaze. "Not my type, but comely. I am surprised, Dekker. Didn't think she'd be your type either. At least not for a blood slave."
Ferine swaggered closer. "He's no right to her. She's not marked and I brought her here."
I turned to Kierra, trying to keep my anger under wraps. She'd crawled as far back on the platform as she could get. The red and black corset barely covered her ample breasts, especially with her chest heaving in near panic. Her honey gold hair swept around to one side and spilled down her chest. A few strands had come loose in her fight with Ferine. She managed to get most of her long, shapely legs under the short black pixy skirt. Damn, she looked good. I felt my cock growing hard despite the situation.
"Where's that choker I gave you? Your message said you'd be wearing it."
Her hand flew to her neck. "I, I don't know. I had it. What the hell is going on here?"
I couldn't spare the time to respond to her right now. And the others might take it as a sign of weakness. I knew Ferine would.
"Well, without it, there's no proof he's claimed her. And I brought her. Mine." Ferine crossed his arms defiantly across his chest and arched an arrogant brow at me.
I let a wicked grin stretch my face. “Oh, there is. The smith made the choker with my essence and protection spells specifically for her, you can ask him. And here’s proof you intended to poach my claim.” I whipped out my cell phone, dialed my voice mail and put it on speaker.
Kierra’s voice echoed clearly from it. “Hi, Dek. It’s Kierra. Ah, your note said not to call ’til I got there, but I wanted to let you know I’m coming. A rave, sounds like fun! Debbie’s helping me find an outfit that will go with that choker you gave me. Wish you were coming to get me, I’m a bit nervous about getting in some strange guy’s car. Maybe I can talk Debbie into coming too. Hope that would be OK. Well, anyway, looking forward to seeing you. Call me. Bye.”
I stared hard at Ferine. “Especially interesting since I didn’t leave her a note inviting her here. Pet, why’d you get in Ferine’s car?”
“The note said your friend, Ferine, would pick me up.” Her brows drew down in some confusion, as if she didn’t understand why she’d done that.
“Let me guess, you felt nervous until he touched you? Maybe took your hand and then everything seemed just fine?” She nodded, still with that confused look on her face.
I crossed my arms over my chest and glared triumphantly at Ferine. “Had to vamp her, did you?” Maybe she wasn’t as clueless as I’d feared.
All eyes turned to Ferine. He scowled and hissed angrily. “So you gave her a necklace. Doesn’t make it your claim. And who cares if I did use a little vamp persuasion on her? We do it all the time.”
Adriana’s eyes narrowed and her voice chilled the room. “Ferine, you’ve broken more than one rule here. Knowing how you and Dekker feel about each other, I’ve no doubt you intended to poach his claim. Worse, you brought an unwilling and unknowing into our world. This endangers us all. I think your little parties are over. I hear of another one, and I always do, you’ll regret it.”
“Unknowing? She works at the Slivered Moon. Unwilling? Look at how she’s dressed. I’d say she’s looking for something,” Ferine countered.
We all looked at her and she drew even farther into the corner. I had to admit, she looked a lot like a goth hooker in that dress. A really hot goth hooker. We all stared at her, waiting for an explanation.
It took her several tries to clear her throat and choke out an answer. “The note said to dress for a rave, and, well, Debbie thought this would look good…”
Adriana smiled knowingly. “I suspect you wanted to dress for someone in particular?” Her smooth voice flowed out in an almost visible mist and she locked her clear blue eyes on Kierra. I could see Kierra’s eyes soften. Adriana had amazing powers, better than any truth drug known.
“I-I wanted Dekker to see me, you know, like a woman. Not just a friend.” Her sudden blush and panicked confusion showed she still retained some of herself, even under Adriana’s power.
“And were you aware of vampires before tonight?” That honeyed voice gave her no choice but to answer.
“We get wannabes in the store all the time. But I’ve never seen any as sick and delusional as these.” Her eyes flew wide like she couldn’t believe what she’d just said.
Adriana smiled at me, then turned to Ferine. “Ruling stands.”
I gave Ferine a satisfied smirk.
“Don’t get too cocky, Dekker. Dallying with mortals is dangerous, especially for someone already so tied to their world. You’ve a choice to make. Mark your claim on her right now, or she’s community property. There is no way she’s leaving here unclaimed. Understood?”
Son of a bitch. I’d meant to protect her, not claim her. Although my aching fangs and hard as stone cock had other ideas. I had no choice but to nod my agreement.
“Good. And Dekker, she needs to understand her place before she’s allowed out, and then on a very short leash.” Adriana’s cold grey eyes stared hard into mine.
Maybe I could fake it? Say I would once I got home then make sure she got the hell out of Dodge? I nodded again.
Adriana’s slight smile and cocked brow sent my heart sinking. “Well, what are you waiting for? Claim her now or be done with it.”

Brannan Black
Soul Bound "The werewolf is looking for fun, the vampire is looking for dinner. They find an ancient immortal lost in a new world."
Blood Slave "It's the twenty-first century. Who keeps slaves anymore? Other than really, really old vampires..."
The Wild One, Eireann's Tale "Enslaved but not cowed, Eireann would rather die than submit to the Northman determined to tame her."
EpicRomances.com 
Blog: BrannansFantasies
Friend me on face book, Brannan Black