Morgan Rice - Betrothed

Caitlin dropped her weapon and ran to Scarlet's side.

She gave her a huge hug, and held her, as she was crying and shaking. She leaned back and brushed the hair out of her face, and kissed her all over her forehead. Her welts look much worse than before, and she could feel her burning up.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," Caitlin said. "I'm so sorry mommy left you.”

Scarlet hugged her again, holding her tight, crying.

"It hurts so bad, mommy. Please, make it go away.”

Caitlin's heart was breaking.

"I will," Caitlin said. "It's all going to be okay. I promise.”

Caitlin ran around the other side of the bed, to Caleb’s side, and knelt there, holding his hand in both of hers as she leaned in close and whispered in his ear.

"Caleb," she said.

Nothing.

She squeezed him harder, with both of her hands, and could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks. She could sense that he was still alive, but barely.

"Caleb, please," she wept. "Open your eyes. Just one last time.”

Slowly, very slowly, Caleb's eyelids fluttered just the tiniest bit.

"I love you Caleb, "she said. "I want you to know that. I will always love you. And I will always be your wife."

Caleb seemed to stir. He opened his eyes just the tiniest bit more, and Caitlin slid one hand beneath the back of his head. She gently lifted his head, and with her other hand, reached over, and took out the vial of Violet’s blood.

"Caleb, I need you to do one last thing for me," she said. "You must drink this. Can you do that?”

He didn’t respond.

"Caleb. Please. Do this for me. Just this one last thing. Please .”

He looked at her, his eyelids fluttering, and seemed to nod just the tiniest bit.

Caitlin took a deep breath, reached over, unstopped the vial, and held it to his lips. She lifted his head a bit more, and forced his lips open. And then, she suddenly emptied the entire vial into his throat, closing his mouth, forcing his head back.

Caleb coughed and gagged as the blood went down the back of his throat. He was coughing and coughing, trying to catch his breath.

It did something to him, clearly, because, for just a moment, his eyes opened wide.

"And now, feed on me," she said, crying.

Caleb slowly shook his head.

"I can't," he whispered. "It could kill you."

Caitlin shook her head firmly.

"No. It's okay. I promise. Everything will be okay.”

Caleb shook his head again and again, as his eyes began to close.

Caitlin shook him by the shoulders.

"Caleb, please, listen to me. You have to do this. Not just for me. But for Scarlet. Listen to me. I have the key. You have to try this. It might work. It might just send us all back.”

Caleb shook his head, again and again.

"Mommy?" came the voice from across the bed. "I'm scared. I'm seeing things.”

Caitlin jumped up onto the bed, between the two, and dragged Caleb over, next to Scarlet. She reached over and grabbed Scarlet’s hand with one hand, and grabbed Caleb's hand with the other.

“I hereby lay thee down to rest,” Caitlin said aloud, initiating the funeral ritual herself. “Caitlin, Caleb, and Scarlet, to resurrect another day, in God’s ultimate grace.”

She repeated it a second time. As she did, Caleb's eyes fluttered. She held the two of them even tighter, and then leaned over, putting her exposed throat right before Caleb’s lips.

She then slipped one hand beneath his head and lifted it, forcing his teeth towards her throat.

She repeated it a third time.

As she did, Caleb's eyes opened wide, and Scarlet clutched her firmly. She squeezed the back of Caleb’s head, pushing him closer and closer towards her throat, urging him.

"Caleb, please!” she pleaded. “Feed on me. I demand it!"

And then finally, as she began to feel her world spin, becoming lighter, her father’s key heating up in her pocket, she saw Caleb open his lips wide. She felt his fangs protract, and with his very last bit of energy, he suddenly leaned forward, plunging his long teeth deep into her throat.

She let out a little cry, as she felt the pain of the teeth puncturing, entering her throat.

As his teeth sank deeper and deeper, Caitlin felt the room spinning, felt her world turning white. She started to lose sense of her body, and she could have sworn that she saw Jade, standing over them all, watching, smiling.

Her world slowly, inevitably, turned white, and all she could think of, as she held them all tight, was that, finally, she was betrothed.

VOWED

(Book #7 in the Vampire Journals)

In VOWED (Book #7 of the Vampire Journals), Caitlin and Caleb find themselves in medieval Scotland, in 1350, a time of knights and shining armor, of castles and warriors, of the quest for the Holy Grail said to contain the key to true vampire immortality. Landing on the shores of the ancient Isle of Skye, a remote island off the Western coast of Scotland where only the most elite warriors live and train, they are ecstatic to reunite with Sam and Polly, Scarlet and Ruth, a human king and his warriors, and with all of Aiden’s coven.

Before they can continue their mission for the fourth and final key, the time has come for Caleb and Caitlin to wed. Against the most amazing backdrop Caitlin could ever hope for, an elaborate vampire wedding is planned, including all of the ancient rituals and ceremonies that accompany it. It is the wedding of a lifetime, meticulously planned by Polly and the others, and Caitlin and Caleb are happier than they’ve ever been.

Simultaneously, Sam and Polly, to their own surprise, are each falling deeply in love with one another. As their relationship accelerates, Sam surprises Polly with a vow of his own. And Polly surprises him with her own shocking news.

But all is not well beneath the surface. Blake has appeared again, and his deep love for Caitlin might just threaten her union, on the day before her wedding. Sera has appeared again, too, and vows to break apart what she cannot have.

Scarlet, too, finds herself in danger, as the source of her deep powers are revealed – along with the revelation of who are her true parents.

Worst of all, Kyle has landed back in time, and has tracked down his old protégé, Rynd, to force him to use his shapeshifting skill to trick and kill Caitlin and her people. As they fall into his elaborate trap, Caitlin and the others find themselves in deeper danger than ever before. It will be a race to find the final key, before everyone Caitlin holds dear is wiped out for good. This time, she will have to make the hardest choices and sacrifices of her life.