bewitching Alice part 3 (ebook short)

Mine to protect. Mine to claim. Mine to keep.

When their world is threatened, six vampires solicit the help of a family of reluctant witches to break the curse that's been cast on them and stop the jealous designs of an outcast coven member.

Compelled to protect, forbidden to love, the vampires discover with one taste of their blood that they're bound to their witches by more than their shared cause.

 They're bound by fate. 

The Deathless Night series is a spicy, adult paranormal romance full of action and suspense, and maybe even a few Scottish werewolf shifters. It also features damaged, possessive, protective heroes and the strong heroines who steal their heart.

Get it today and get ready to sink your teeth into your next favorite PNR read

1947

Somewhere in the Cascade Mountains

East of Seattle, WA

Alice stood in the corner sipping her champagne. With her back to the crowded room, she watched as the candle sconces on the wall reflected the heavy rain spattering the glass, creating sparkling rivulets. It seemed the elements were not in agreement with the celebration going on inside the large house. Of course, Mother Nature rarely did agree with her uncle’s antics.

She shivered as the icy bubbles slid down the back of her throat, her black slip of a dress doing little to keep her warm. It was cold by the window, but her uncle and his cronies were crowding around the fire, and Alice preferred to keep her distance. And being that this was the one glass of alcohol she would allow herself, she was determined to enjoy it. Any more champagne and she’d be on the table turning the men into toads. 

And maybe her young step-cousin, Betsy.

Of course, that would really put a damper on the celebration. And her Aunt Marie—the High Priestess of their coven—would be upset with her for practicing magic in public. Again.

The party being thrown by her family was to celebrate the success of the latest shipping venture her Uncle Tom had thrown her aunt’s money into—as a silent investor, of course. One of the conditions of his being allowed to venture into the market was that he wouldn’t call attention to the family or their small colony of homes nestled in the mountains. Now that the war was over, the shipping industry was booming, with Seattle being one of the main international ports. Her uncle’s new company brought furs and gold from Alaska, oranges and wine from California, and rare metals from Russia, just to name a few.

Alice rolled her eyes as his raucous laughter drowned out the other guests, followed by her aunt’s high-pitched cackling. Aunt Marie fawned over the man. Why? Alice couldn’t have said. Though he was pleasant to look upon with his greying blond hair and blue eyes, he was a pompous ass, and his “charming” personality only got worse with every dollar he made. Of course, the only reason he was so successful was because of his wife, and her ability to tap into the future. It enabled him to take what other men would consider to be risky business ventures. But they weren’t a risk for her uncle, for he knew beforehand how it was going to turn out. Though he did, on occasion, make a bad investment to allay suspicion and continue the ruse of being a legitimate businessman. 

Tipping up her glass, she finished her champagne and left the window to make her way through the small throngs of people crowding the main room. Her aunt and uncle had invited the entire coven to help them celebrate, along with the owner of the shipping company and a few of his most trusted employees. All in all, around thirty people, and all dressed to the nines for this rare occasion of visitors. 

But the custom-built home was large enough to accommodate them all easily. The earth tones of the stone exterior blended effortlessly with the surrounding mountainside, and the built-in skylights brightened the open space whenever the sun broke through the endless Pacific Northwest clouds. Inside the raised, main living level, the wood accents and stained glass strips on the windows complemented the views of towering pine trees, smaller saplings, and sword ferns. Deer and other animals roamed freely. It was like living in that new animated film from a few years ago. The one with the dwarfs. Only none of the creatures cleaned her house for her. They just ate her herb garden.

Alice stepped carefully down the stairs in her new, continental heels as she left the party behind her and made her way down the hall to the kitchen. The voices and music dulled to a dim roar as she closed the swinging door and rinsed her glass out at the sink. Opening the new, modern refrigerator—a convenience she had yet to purchase for her own home—she pulled out a bottle of ginger ale. If no one looked closely, they would assume she was still drinking. It was a trick done to fool humans by responsible witches everywhere, so as not to bring attention to themselves by not enjoying the festivities, yet a good way to avoid overindulgence and accidental spells. If anyone did say something, she’d just discreetly zap them until they left her alone.

The side kitchen door suddenly swung open behind her and crashed into the wall, followed by an icy gust of rain that blew in to form a puddle on the linoleum floor. Alice closed the refrigerator door and turned to glare at whoever it was, wrapping her arms around herself against the cold wind. A gentleman stood just outside.

A very handsome gentleman. 

He raised his head, wide blue eyes landing first on her new shoes—standing in the puddle he had caused—before slowly making their way up to her face. When they reached her eyes, his casual smile belied the raw hunger reflected in his own. She shifted uncomfortably against the counter, watching him in bemusement. 

“I’m so sorry, ma’am.” His voice was pleasantly masculine. “I didn’t realize you were standing there.” He made no move to come in out of the rain, standing awkwardly just on the other side of the threshold.

Snapping herself out of it, she remembered her manners. “Please, come in. And shut the door. Your letting the rain in, and animals prowl around out there at night, you know. Large, furry ones with teeth.”

Closing the door firmly behind him, he stomped the water and mud from his shoes and took off his hat and trench coat, laying it neatly over his arm, then smoothed his damp hair back off his forehead. He smiled, all white teeth and twinkling eyes as he introduced himself. “I’m Victor Palermo. I work with Mr. Bains.” Wiping one palm on his trouser leg, he stuck it out for her to shake.

Ah. So, he worked for the shipping company. “Alice Moss.” She took his large palm in her smaller one, barely hiding the sudden shock she felt at the contact. Images flashed through her mind: images of blood, of women and men, of fear, and of violence. Her eyes flew to his, startled by what she had just discovered about their guest. He gazed back at her, unaffected. Pulling her hand away, she attempted to cover her surprise by chattering like an idiot. “My uncle is the one that invested in Mr. Bains’s company. Privately, of course. We’re a private family.” 

His blue eyes danced as he observed her discomfort, but he managed to keep his expression serious. “I can understand the need for privacy.”

Yes, she would believe that he did. For this gentleman was no ordinary man. Alice took a step back, creating some much-needed space between them, and indicated the way to the main room. “Everyone is inside. Would you like to join us? You can leave your coat on the hook there.”

“I would love to, Alice. Thank you.” Hanging his coat, he held out his arm for her to take. “May I?”

Alice hesitated only briefly before laying her hand in the crook of his arm. “Thank you,” she murmured. This time she was prepared, and she blocked the images of his memories before they could insert themselves into her mind as he escorted her down the hall. 

“Is this your home?” 

Though it was the polite thing to say, Alice knew he hadn’t even glanced at her aunt’s beautiful house. She could feel the heat of his stare on her profile, her bare shoulder, the top of her breasts exposed by the dip of the soft material of her dress. “No. I live just down the road.” She didn’t give him any other details, and he didn’t ask, for by then they had entered the main room, and any conversation they may have had was drowned out by the raucous dancing happening in the middle of the room. 

Alice pointed toward the fireplace with her champagne glass, and Victor bent his head close to her mouth to hear her. The clean scent of his skin washed over her, and it took her a moment to find her voice. “Mr. Bains is over there, drinking with my uncle.” Smiling her thanks, she removed her hand from his arm and went to join some of the other single ladies who were watching the couples dancing. The blow-off was more than clear. She didn’t look back to see if he was still watching her. She didn’t need to. The little hairs standing up on the back of her neck told her that he was. But she couldn’t keep herself from glancing his way just once as she stood on the side of the makeshift dance floor, sipping her ginger ale. 

Victor Palermo stood right where she had left him, his blue eyes as bright as a mid-summer sky. His smile was something of a challenge as he tipped his head, and walked away to join his boss and her uncle. 

Alice noticed that he did not offer his hand to her aunt or any of the other witches in the vicinity. Eyes narrowed in thought, she turned back to watch the dancing.

What readers are saying:

★★★★★ - " the perfect blend of humor and dark intensity for me.   I can't wait to read Aiden's book! He's my favorite character. Which is a little disturbing since he has a severed head collection. But he likes marshmallows. A man after my own heart." - A Vampire Bewitched Reader

★★★★★ -  "Thoroughly enjoyed every word. The plot, pace and character development were well thought out and written. "Buff and fangy" indeed! It keeps you enchanted from start to finish. HOT, HOT, HOT sex, a feisty leading lady and the HEA we all need. Will definitely recommend this series. - A Vampire Bewitched Reader

★★★★★ - "I truly enjoyed reading this story, it's one of the Best vampire stories that I've read 😃. Fantastic characters, great setup for a new series and a addicting storyline 😊. Thanks L.E., I'm so looking forward to reading more 🤓. - A Vampire Bewitched Reader