J R Ward: Dark Lover
Dark Lover
A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood
By
J.R. Ward
Epilogue
A dangerous passion...
Wrath walked into the hall, feeling particularly ferocious. Man, Beth had better be alive and well. Or God help
whoever had hurt her.
And if she'd decided to avoid him? That didn't matter. Her body was about to need something only he could
provide her. So sooner or later she would come around. Or she would die.
He thought of the soft skin of her neck. Felt the sensation of his tongue stroking over the vein that ran up from
her heart.
His fangs elongated as if she were before him. As if he could sink his teeth into her and drink.
Wrath closed his eyes as his body began to shake. His stomach, full with food, turned into a bottomless, achy
pit.
He tried to remember the last time he'd fed. It has been a while, but surely not that long ago?
He forced himself to calm down. Get control. It was like trying to slow down a train with a hand brake, but
eventually a cooling stream of sanity replaced the whacked-out, blood-lust spins.
As he came back to reality he felt uneasy, his instincts crying out for airtime.
That female was dangerous to him. If she could affect him like this without even being in the damn room, she
might just be his pyrocant...
Praise for Dark Lover
"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 If Angels Burn
"J. R. Ward has created a wonderful cast of characters, with a sexy, tormented, to-die-for hero and the spirited
woman who proves his soul mate. What a fabulous treat for romance readers!"
-Nicole Jordan, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked Fantasy
Title Page
SIGNET ECLIPSE
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Published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York,
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R ORL, England
First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA)
Inc.
First Printing, September 2005
Copyright © Jessica Bird, 2005 All rights reserved
SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. //br//
Printed in the United States of America
PUBLISHER'S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's
imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business
establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and
does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
Dedicated to:
You, with awe and love.
Thank you for coming and finding me.
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And for showing me the way.
It was the ride of a lifetime, the best I've ever had.
Acknowledgments
Thank you so very much: Karen Solem, Kara Cesare, Claire Zion, Kara Welsh, Rose Hilliard.
To my Executive Committee: Sue Grafton, Dr. Jessica Andersen, Betsey Vaughan. Burning up the Internet,
the phone lines, and the Hutchins and Seneca Park ring-arounds with you has kept me focused, sane, and
smiling.
With love to my family.
Glossary of Terms and Proper Nouns
Black Dagger Brotherhood (pr. n.) Highly trained vampire warriors who protect their species against the
Lessening Society. As a result of selective breeding within the race, brothers possess immense physical and
mental strength as well as rapid healing capabilities. They are not siblings for the most part, and are inducted
into the brotherhood upon nomination by the brothers. Aggressive, self-reliant, and secretive by nature, they
exist apart from civilians, having little contact with members of the other classes except when they need to
feed. They are the subjects of legend and the objects of reverence within the vampire world. They may be
killed only by the most serious of wounds, e.g., a gunshot or stab to the heart, etc.
blood slave (n.) Male or female vampire who has been subjugated to serve the blood needs of another. The
practice of keeping blood slaves has largely been discontinued, though it has not been outlawed.
the Chosen (n.) Female vampires who have been bred to serve the Scribe Virgin. They are considered
members of the aristocracy, though they are spiritually rather than temporally focused. They have little or no
interaction with males, but can be mated to warriors at the Scribe Virgin's direction to propagate their class.
They have the ability to prognosticate. In the past, they were used to meet the blood needs of unmated
members of the brotherhood, but that practice has been abandoned by the brothers.
doggen (n.) Member of the servant class within the vampire world. Doggens have old, conservative traditions
about service to their superiors, following a formal code of dress and behavior. They are able to go out during
the day, but they age relatively quickly. Life expectancy is approximately five hundred years.
the Fade (pr. n.) Nontemporal realm where the dead reunite with their loved ones and pass eternity.
First Family (pr. n.) The king and queen of the vampires, and any children they may have.
hellren (n.) Male vampire who has been mated to a female. Males may take more than one female as mate.
leelan (n.) A term of endearment loosely translated as "dearest one."
Lessening Society (pr. n.) Order of slayers convened by the Omega for the purpose of eradicating the vampire
species.
lesser (n.) De-souled human who targets vampires for extermination as a member of the Lessening Society.
Lessers must be stabbed through the chest in order to be killed; otherwise they are ageless. They do not eat or
drink and are impotent. Over time, their hair, skin, and irises lose pigmentation until they are blond, blushless,
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and pale-eyed. They smell like baby powder. Inducted into the society by the Omega, they retain a ceramic jar
thereafter into which their heart was placed after it was removed.
needing period (n.) Female vampire's time of fertility, generally lasting for two days and accompanied by
intense sexual cravings. Occurs approximately five years after a female's transition and then once a decade
thereafter. All males respond to some degree if they are around a female in her need. It can be a dangerous
time, with conflicts and fights breaking out between competing males, particularly if the female is not mated.
the Omega (pr. n.) Malevolent, mystical figure who has targeted the vampires for extinction out of resentment
directed toward the Scribe Virgin. Exists in a nontemporal realm and has extensive powers, though not the
power of creation.
princeps (n.) Highest level of the vampire aristocracy, second only to members of the First Family or the
Scribe Virgin's Chosen. Must be born to the title; it may not be conferred.
pyrocant (n.) Refers to a critical weakness in an individual. The weakness can be internal, such as an
addiction, or external, such as a lover.
rythe (n.) Ritual manner of assuaging honor granted by one who has offended another. If accepted, the
offended chooses a weapon and strikes the offender who presents him or herself without defenses.
the Scribe Virgin (pr. n.) Mystical force who is counselor to the king as well as the keeper of vampire archives
and the dispenser of privileges. Exists in a nontemporal realm and has extensive powers. Capable of a single
act of creation, which she expended to bring the vampires into existence.
shellan (n.) Female vampire who has been mated to a male. Females generally do not take more than one mate
due to the highly territorial nature of bonded males.
the Tomb (pr. n.) Sacred vault of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Used as a ceremonial site as well as a storage
facility for the jars of lessers. Ceremonies performed there include inductions, funerals, and disciplinary
actions against brothers. No one may enter except for members of the brotherhood, the Scribe Virgin, or
candidates for induction.
transition (n.) Critical moment in a vampire's life when he or she transforms into an adult. Thereafter, they
must drink the blood of the opposite sex to survive and are unable to withstand sunlight. Occurs generally in
the mid-twenties. Some vampires do not survive their transitions, males in particular. Prior to their transitions,
vampires are physically weak, sexually unaware and unresponsive, and unable to de-materialize.
vampire (n.) Member of a species separate from that of Homo sapiens. Vampires must drink the blood of the
opposite sex to survive. Human blood will keep them alive, though the strength does not last long. Following
their transitions, which occur in their mid-twenties, they are unable to go out into sunlight and must feed from
the vein regularly. Vampires may not "convert" humans through a bite or transfer of blood, though they are in
rare cases able to breed with the other species. Vampires can dematerialize at will, though they must be able to
calm themselves and concentrate to do so and may not carry anything heavy with them. They are able to strip
the memories of humans, provided such memories are short-term. Some vampires are able to read minds. Life
expectancy is upwards of a thousand years, or in some cases, even longer.
Chapter One
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Darius looked around the club, taking in the teeming, half-naked bodies on the dance floor. Screamer's was
packed tonight, full of women wearing leather and men who looked like they had advanced degrees in violent
crime.
Darius and his companion fit right in.
Except they actually were killers.
"So you're really going to do this?" Tohrment asked him.
Darius glanced across the shallow table. The other vampire's eyes met his own. "Yeah. I am."
Tohrment nursed his Scotch and smiled grimly. Only the very tips of his fangs showed. "You're crazy, D."
"You should know."
Tohrment tilted his glass in deference. "But you're raising the bar. You want to take an innocent girl, who has
no idea what the hell she's getting into, and put her transition in the hands of someone like Wrath. That's
whacked."
"He isn't evil. In spite of the way he looks." Darius finished his beer. "And show a little respect."
"I respect the hell out of him. But it's a bad idea."
"I need him."
"You sure about that?"
A woman wearing a micromini, thigh-high boots, and a bustier made of chains trolled by their table. Her eyes
glittered from behind two pounds of mascara, and she worked her walk as if her hips were double-jointed.
Darius gave her a pass. Sex was not on his mind tonight.
"She's my daughter, Tohr."
"She's a half-breed, D. And you know how he feels about humans." Tohrment shook his head. "My
great-great-grandmother was one, and you don't see me yakking that up around him."
Darius lifted his hand to catch their waitress's eye and pointed at his empty bottle and Tohrment's nearly dry
glass. "I'm not going to let another one of my children die. Not if there's a possibility I can save her. And
anyway, there's no telling whether she'll even go through the change. She could end up living a happy life,
never knowing about my side. It's happened before."
And he hoped his daughter would be spared. Because if she went through her transition, if she came out alive
on the other side as a vampire, she was going to be hunted as they all were.
"Darius, if he does it at all, he'll do it because he owes you. Not because he wants to."
"I'll take him any way I can get him."
"But what are you giving her? He's about as nurturing as a sawed-off, and that first time can be rough, even if
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you've been prepared. Which she hasn't."
"I'm going to talk to her."
"And how's that going to go? You're just going to walk up to her and say, 'Hey, I know you've never seen me
before, but I'm your dad. Oh, and guess what? You've won the evolutionary lottery: You're a vampire. Let's go
to Disneyland!' "
"I hate you right now."
Tohrment leaned forward, his thick shoulders shifting under black leather. "You know I got your back. I'm just
thinking you should reconsider." There was a heavy pause. "Maybe I could do it."
Darius shot him a dry look. "You want to try and get back into your house after the fact? Wellsie will stake
you through the heart and leave you for the sun, my friend."
Tohrment winced. "Good point."
"And then she'll come looking for me."
Both males shuddered.
"Besides..." Darius leaned back as the waitress put their drinks down. He waited until she left, even though
hard-core rap was pumping all around them. "Besides, we're living in dangerous times. If something happens
to me-"
"I'll take care of her."
Darius clapped his friend on the shoulder. "I know you will."
"But Wrath is better." There was no jealousy in the remark. It was a statement of fact.
"There's no one like him."
"And thank God for that," Tohrment said with a half smile.
Their band of brothers, a tight circle of strong-backed warriors who traded information and fought together,
were of the same opinion. Wrath was off the chain when it came to the business of vengeance, and he hunted
their enemies with a single-minded purpose that bordered on the insane. He was the last of his line, the only
purebred vampire left on the planet, and though his race revered him as its king, he despised his status.
It was almost tragic that he was the best bet Darius's half-breed daughter had of surviving. Wrath's blood, so
strong, so untainted, would increase the chances of her getting through the transition if it hit her. But
Tohrment wasn't off the mark. It was like turning a virgin over to a thug.
With a sudden rush, the crowd shifted, people backing into each other. They were making way for someone.
Or something.
"Shit. Here he comes," Tohrment muttered. He tossed back his Scotch, swallowing it whole. "No offense, but
I'm outtie. This is not a conversation I need to be a part of."
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Darius watched the sea of humans split as they steered clear of an imposing, dark shadow that towered over
them. The flight response was a good survival reflex.
Wrath was six feet, six inches of pure terror dressed in leather. His hair was long and black, falling straight
from a widow's peak. Wraparound sunglasses hid eyes that no one had ever seen revealed. Shoulders were
twice the size of most males'. With a face that was both aristocratic and brutal, he looked like the king he was
by birthright and the solider he'd become by destiny.
And that wave of menace rolling ahead of him was one hell of a calling card.
As the cool haired hit Darius, he tilted his fresh beer back and drank deeply.
He hoped to God he was doing the right thing.
Beth Randall looked up as her editor leaned his hip on her desk. His eyes went straight to the vee of her shirt.
"Working late again," he murmured.
"Hey, Dick."
Shouldn't you be getting home to your wife and two kids? she mentally added.
"What are you doing?"
"Editing a piece for Tony."
"You know, there are other ways of impressing me."
Yeah, she could just imagine.
"Did you read my e-mail, Dick? I went down to the police station this afternoon and talked with José and
Ricky. They swear a gun dealer's moved into town. They've found two modified Magnums on drug dealers."
Dick reached out to pat her shoulder, stroking it as he took his hand back. "You just keep working the blotter.
Let the big boys worry about the violent crimes. We wouldn't want anything to happen to that pretty face of
yours."
He smiled, eyes growing hooded as his gaze lingered on her lips.
That stare routine had gotten old three years ago, she thought. Right after she'd started working for him.
A paper bag. What she needed was a paper bag to pull over her head whenever she talked with him. Maybe
with a picture of Mrs. Dick taped to the front.
...
jessab