A Field Guide to Vampires (4 page)

Hey!

Bruno MacGregor
(born 1964)

Brown eyes, brown/shaved hair

Noteworthy: Scottish, Drake bodyguard, ex-biker, tattoos; proficient in mixed martial arts, street fighting, gun use, daggers, motorcycles.

(basic; see Paranormal Division guide for more in-depth analysis)

It has come to our attention that other creatures may be using the Violet Hill mountains and forests as their base. Local unsubstantiated lore mentions the following: faery folk, werewolves, witches, zombies, demons. Use discretion.

We need a Vampire Relations Department.

Grade 11

10:30 a.m. Breakfast (optional)

12:30 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. English Literature (2nd semester: History)

2:00 p.m. Math (2nd semester: Art)

3:00 p.m. Science (2nd semester: Independent Study)

4:30 p.m. Major (Paranormal Division, Science and Technology Division, Hunting Division)

5:30 p.m. Study Hall. Gym. Quiet curfew in effect.

6:30 p.m. Dinner

7:30 p.m. League History

8:30 p.m. Archery/Gun Range

9:30 p.m. Vampire History

10:30 p.m. Kickboxing

11:30 p.m. Supernatural Studies (2nd semester: Technology)

1:00 a.m. Curfew, Snack provided in Common Room

1:30 a.m. Lights Out

On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude an anti-vampire league.

This sixteenth birthday isn’t looking so sweet …

Book 1

Kieran Black, an agent of an anti-vampire league searching for his father’s killer, is intent on staking Solange and her entire family.

Luckily she has her own secret weapon–her human best friend Lucy, who is willing to defend Solange’s right to a normal life, whether she’s being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange’s eternal life–Lucy and Solange’s brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black–in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump-start any romance-lover’s heart.

Book 2

Isabeau St. Croix barely survived the French Revolution and now she’s made her way back to the living. She must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who left her for dead the day she turned into a vampire–that’s if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks.

In this second adventure–told from both Logan’s and Isabeau’s perspectives, the clans are gathering for the royal coronation of the next vampire queen–and new alliances are beginning to form. But with a new common enemy, Leander Montmarte–a vicious leader who hopes to force Solange to marry him and usurp the power of the throne for himself–the clans must stand together to preserve the peace he threatens to destroy.

Book 3

Hunter Wild is the youngest in a long line of elite vampire hunters, a legacy that is both a blessing and a curse at the secret Helios-Ra Academy, where she excels at just about everything. Thanks to her friendship with Kieran Black, Hunter receives a special invitation to attend the coronation of Helena Drake, and for the first time, she sees the difference between vampires that must be hunted and vampires that can become friends–or even more.

When students at the academy fall victim to a mysterious illness, Hunter suspects they are under attack from within. She will need someone she can trust to help her save the future of Helios-Ra … help that shockingly comes in the form of Quinn Drake, a drop-dead -gorgeous vampire. Who said senior year would be easy?

Book 4

Violet Hill is under attack by the ruthless
Hel-Blar
vampires, who are determined to take their rightful place alongside the other vampire clans at the Blood Moon gathering. The royal Drakes might be powerful, but their love for a mere human-Lucy-leaves them vulnerable. The
Hel-Blar
’s plan to exploit that weakness goes horribly wrong when they try to kidnap Lucy but take her cousin Christabel by mistake.

Connor Drake immediately heads off in pursuit, willing to put his own life on the line for the girl he has grown to care so much about. Can he save Christabel, the Blood Moon, and his mother’s newly forged vampire alliance?

Book 5

When the vampire tribes convene for the rare Blood Moon ceremonies, Solange’s fight with her feral nature, a mysterious stranger, family secrets, and forbidden magic put all of the Drakes in danger.

And when Nicholas is caught between saving his little sister, Solange, or his girlfriend, Lucy, who will he choose?

from the beginning …

Ruling Passion—includes Hearts at Stake,
Blood Feud, and Out for Blood

Find out more about the Drakes at

www.thedrakechronicles.com

And the passion continues, with three
original e-novellas featuring your favorite
characters from the
Drake Chronicles
…

To know the Drakes is to love them…

Don’t miss where all the spine-tingling
romance began.

PROLOGUE
Lucy

Friday, early evening

Normally I wouldn’t have been caught dead at a field party.

If you’ll pardon the pun.

This was a supreme sacrifice on my part for my best friend, Solange, who was having a really bad day, which was about to turn into a
really
bad week. Her sixteenth birthday was coming up, and we weren’t talking a new car and a pink dress for her sweet sixteen. Not in her family.

This wasn’t much better though.

She was standing in the middle of a field, trying to drink cheap wine and pretend she didn’t want to be anywhere but here. The music was passable but that was about all it had to recommend it. The cars were parked in a wide circle, the sun setting behind the
trees with all the colors of a blood orange pulled into pieces. Practically my entire high school was here; there wasn’t much else to do on one of the last weekends before school started. People danced and flirted in a sea of baseball caps and faded denim. Someone burped loudly.

“This was
such
a bad idea,” I muttered.

Solange smiled softly, abandoning her plastic cup on the hood of someone’s rusted truck.

“It was a nice thought.”

“It was stupid,” I admitted. She just looked so sad lately, I’d hoped a complete change of pace might distract her from all that worrying. Instead it made me want to bare my pitifully human teeth at the rowdies. Someone’s shoe nudged my heel, and when I looked back at it, I was greeted with way too much information about the mating habits of my fellow students. I kicked hard at the boot.

“No one needs to see that,” I said, turning away quickly before more clothing came off. The couple giggled and went deeper into the corn. I stared at Solange. “What the hell was I thinking?”

She half grinned.

“It is rather unlike you.”

Darren, from my math class last year, tripped over his own feet and sprawled in the dirt in front of us before I could answer. His grin was sloppy. He was nice enough usually; in fact, he was the reason I hadn’t entirely flunked out of math. But he was drunk and desperate to fit in.

“Hi, Lucy.” Apparently beer made him lisp. My name came out as “Loothee”—which was marginally better than my real name,
which was Lucky. I had
those
kind of parents, but I’d made everyone at school call me Lucy since the first day of first grade.

“Hi, Darren.”

He blinked at Solange. Even in jeans and a tank top she looked dramatic. It was all that pale skin and those pale eyes. Her black bangs were choppy because she trimmed them herself. The rest was long and hung past her shoulders. Mine was plain old brown and cut in a wedged bob to my chin. My glasses were retro—dark rimmed and vaguely cat’s-eye shaped. I didn’t need them to see the way Darren was drooling over Solange. All guys drooled over her. She was beautiful, end of discussion.

“Who’s your friend? She’s hot.”

“You’ve met her before.” Solange was homeschooled, but I dragged her around when I could. “Sober up, Darren. This isn’t a good look for you.”

“’Kay.” He spat grass out of his mouth.

I slung my arm through hers. “Let’s get out of here. The sun’s starting to set anyway, and maybe we can salvage the rest of the night.”

The wind was soft through the corn, rustling the stalks as we wandered away. The stars were starting to peek out, like animal eyes in the dark. We could still hear the music and the occasional shout of laughter. Twilight was starting to settle like a soft blue veil. We’d walked from my house, which was a half hour away. We’d probably waited too long. We picked up our pace.