Father Mine

Table of Contents

 

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

WITH THANKS TO:

 

 

Kara Cesare, without whom this whole BDB thing couldn't possibly
have gone as far as it has. You are the champion and the cheerleader and
the chess master of everything I do—and I'll stop the gushing there,
otherwise this book will be longer than even Phury's.

Everyone at New American Library, especially:
Claire Zion, Kara Welsh, and Leslie Gelbman, Craig Burke and Jodi Rosoff,
Lindsay Nouis, the great Anthony, and the wonderful Rachel Granfield,
who deals so graciously with my twenty-pound manuscripts.

 

Steve Axelrod, who's the captain of my ship.

Monstrous thanks to The Incomparable Suzanne Brockmann
(I'm getting her a sash with that on it and a sparkly crown), Christine Feehan
(whose obelisk I'm building as we speak) and her amazing family
(Domini, Manda, Denise, and Brian), Sue Grafton, aka Mother Sue,
Linda Francis Lee, Lisa Gardner, and
all
my other writer friends.

Once again a huge thank-you to the best dental teams in the world:
Scott A. Norton, DMD, MSD, and Kelly Eichler, along with Kim and
Rebecca and Crystal; and David B. Fox, DMD, and Vickie Stein.

D.L.B., who's the best metal-studded, ass-kicking baby boy in the whole world. xxx mummy
N.T.M., whose idea this whole
Insider's Guide
was and
who did so much work on it—and whose kind nature is
bested only by his patience and his sense of humor.

Dr. Jessica Andersen—my CP and confidante and sparring partner.
LeElla Scott—you have too many nicknames at this point to list.
So I'll just go with the most important one: Bestie.
And Kaylie's momma—who's still my Idol.

As always to Mom, Boat, and the Boo.

PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF THE BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD

Lover Unbound
Winner of the
Romantic Times
2007 Reviewers' Choice Award
for Best Vampire Romance

 

“The newest in Ward's ferociously popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series bears all the marks of a polished storyteller at home in her world. . . . This fix will give Brotherhood addicts a powerful rush.”—
Publishers Weekly

 

“Loss, sacrifice, and darkness continue to be major themes as one of Ward's most damaged heroes gets his story. Sex and violence make this tale of emotional redemption unusually graphic and powerful. Ward pulls no punches and delivers an extraordinary paranormal drama.”—
Romantic Times
(Top Pick, 4½ stars)

 

 

“[T]hese erotic paranormals are well worth it, and frighteningly addictive. . . . It all works to great, page-turning effect. . . . In just two years, the . . . series [has] earned Ward an Anne Rice-style following, deservedly so.”—
Publishers Weekly

“It's tough to keep raising the bar in a series, but the phenomenal Ward manages to do just that! . . . The world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood continues to grow and become more layered, ramping up the tension, risk and passion. . . . Awesome stuff.”—
Romantic Times
(Top Pick, 4½ stars)

Lover Awakened
Winner of the
Romantic Times
2006 Reviewers' Choice Award
for Best Vampire Romance

 

“Best new series I've read in years! Tautly written, wickedly sexy, and just plain fun.”—Lisa Gardner,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Hide

 

“
Lover Awakened
is utterly absorbing and deliciously erotic. I found myself turning pages faster and faster—and then I wished I hadn't, because there was no more to read! The Brotherhood is the hottest collection of studs in romance, and I can't wait for the next one!” —Angela Knight,
USA Today
bestselling author of
Master of Dragons

“Ward pulls no punches in this dark, dangerous, and at times tragic series. Waiting for successive installments is getting harder and harder.” —
Romantic Times
(Top Pick, 4½ stars)

 

 

“Ward wields a commanding voice perfect for the genre, and readers new to the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood should hold on tight for an intriguing, adrenaline-pumping ride featuring a race of warrior vampires who fill enemies with terror and women with desire. Like any good thrill ride, the pace changes with a tender story of survival and hope and leaves readers begging for more. Fans of L. A. Banks, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Sherrilyn Kenyon will add Ward to their must-read list.”—
Booklist

“[An] extremely intense and emotionally powerful tale. . . . Ward's paranormal world is, among other things, colorful, dangerous, and richly conceived. . . . Intricate plots and believable characters.”—
Romantic Times
(Top Pick, 4½ stars)

 

“It's not easy to find a new twist on the vampire myth, but Ward succeeds beautifully. This dark and compelling world is filled with enticing romance as well as perilous adventure. With myriad possibilities to choose from, the Black Dagger Brotherhood series promises tons of thrills and chills.” —
Romantic Times
(Top Pick, 4½ stars)

“A dynamite new vampire series—delicious, erotic, and thrilling! J. R. Ward has created a wonderful cast of characters, with a sexy, tormented, to-die-for hero. . . . A fabulous treat for romance readers!” —Nicole Jordan,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Touch Me with Fire

 

“J. R. Ward has a great style of writing, and she shines. . . . You will lose yourself in this world; it is different, creative, dark, violent, and flat-out amazing.” —All About Romance

“An awesome, instantly addictive debut novel. It's a midnight whirlwind of dangerous characters and mesmerizing erotic romance. The Black Dagger Brotherhood owns me now. Dark fantasy lovers, you just got served.” —Lynn Viehl, author of
Twilight Fall

New American Library
Published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
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Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)
Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi - 110 017, India
Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632,
New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue,
Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

First published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, October 2008

Copyright © Jessica Bird, 2008

Excerpts from
Dark Lover
copyright © Jessica Bird 2005; excerpts from
Lover Eternal
copyright © Jessica Bird 2006; excerpts from
Lover Awakened
copyright © Jessica Bird 2006;
excerpts from
Lover Revealed
copyright © Jessica Bird 2007; excerpts from
Lover Unbound
copyright © Jessica Bird 2007; excerpts from
Lover Enshrined
copyright © Jessica Bird 2008.
All rights reserved.

REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

 

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Ward, J. R. (Jessica Bird)
The Black Dagger Brotherhood : an insider's guide / J. R. Ward.
p. cm.

eISBN: 9781101393543

1. Ward, J. R. (Jessica Bird). Black dagger brotherhood. 2. Ward, J. R. (Jessica Bird)—
Authorship. 3. Fantasy fiction—Authorship. I. Title.
PS3623.A73227B55 2008
813'.6—dc22 2008023931

 

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

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To the Brothers

ONE

“So, Bella looks good.”

 

At the counter of the Brotherhood's kitchen, Zsadist picked up a knife, squeezed a head of romaine lettuce together, and started drawing the blade through at one-inch intervals. “Yeah, she does.”

He liked Doc Jane. Hell, he owed her. But he had to remind himself of his manners: It would be damn tacky to bite the head off a female who was not only your brother's
shellan
, but who had saved the love of your life from bleeding out on the birth table.

“She's recovered beautifully in the last two months.” Doc Jane watched him from the table across the way, her
Marcus Welby, M.D.,
bag beside her ghostly hand. “And Nalla's thriving. Man, vampire young progress so much faster than human babies. Cognitively, it's like she's nine months old.”

“They're doing great.” He kept slicing, moving his hand down and through, down and through. On the far side of the blade, the leaves sprang free in curly green ribbons like they were clapping at having been liberated.

“And how are you doing with the whole dad thing—”

“Fuck!”

Dropping the knife, he cursed and brought up the hand that had been on the lettuce. The cut was deep, down to the bone, and his blood was red as it welled up and dripped off his skin.