Anna Hackett - Hunter's Surrender

Vampire hunter Rand Wilder hated vampires—even if they were as beautiful and alluring as vampire princess Dominique Valois. For years he fought the beings who had killed his father, resisting their dangerous sensuality. Yet even Rand was tempted by the intoxicating Dominique and her shocking offer: to hurt the vampire court by taking her virginity…

A desperate need to ruin her reputation had forced Dominique to seek out the hunter known as The Darkness. But she hadn’t expected Rand to be so captivating and compassionate… Soon a very different sort of need drove her desire to take Rand to her bed. And with Dominique’s survival depending on it, she would have to use all her skills of seduction to make this strong hunter surrender to passion…

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Don’t miss the other spooky and sensual NOCTURNE BITES, available at www.millsandboon.co.uk and wherever eBooks are sold. Titles include:

A Vampire’s Mistress by Theresa Meyers

Vampire’s Tango by Michele Hauf

Her Dark Lord by Mel Teshco

Time Jumper by Connie Hall

The Prophecy by Nina Croft

Lured by Lori Devoti

Moon Marked by Linda Thomas-Sundstrom

His Magic Touch by Cynthia Cooke

The Bewitching Hour by Vivi Anna

The Vampire’s Desire by Alexis Morgan

Moon Shadow by Jenna Kernan

The Secret Vampire Society by Lisa Childs

Looking for more paranormal romance? The sizzling and spine-chilling books of Silhouette Nocturne are available at www.millsandboon.co.uk or your local bookstore.

Interested in writing for Nocturne Bites? Send your submission to NocturneBites@Harlequin.ca

“He’s here somewhere. Find him!”

Rand Wilder stood silent in the desert darkness. Despite the moonless night, his enhanced vision allowed him to see the six vampires hunting for him.

The thump of music from the run-down highway bar nearby sounded like a heartbeat in the night. The lights of Las Vegas shimmered in the distance. The warm desert air brushed over him.

As did the vampires’ energies, prickling over his skin and pulsing under his heart.

Anaharta. Vampires ruled by the heart chakra. And ones who’d let their energy course out of alignment.

Unbalanced vampires were Rand’s favorite prey.

“Come out, come out.” The tallest vampire spun in a slow circle. “We know you’re here, hunter.”

One of the vampires came closer, his feet kicking up the coarse desert sand. Rand’s hand tightened on his stake—a shaft of pure titanium. The vampire’s jagged energy was evident in the creature’s jerky movements.

Come on, just another inch. Rand waited. His career as a vampire hunter had taught him patience. Against unbalanced rogues, it was his greatest weapon.

The vampire paused, lifting his pretty face to the star-scattered sky. It seemed a cosmic joke that such powerful, vicious beings were so beautiful. No doubt the Indian vampire goddess Kali had laughed when she’d created the first of her children thousands of years ago.

Vampires were ruled by the energy coursing through their chakras—energy they got from blood. Over time it improved their skin, trimmed their bodies and smoothed out their features.

But it didn’t hide their rotten insides.

Dark memories of his father’s blood running like a river across the floor twisted through Rand. A man who’d dedicated his life to protecting the innocent hadn’t deserved to be tortured to death.

Rand tried to recall his father’s deep voice and booming laugh, but the sounds were lost to him. His heart thumped hard against his ribs. Time, and the blood of all the vampires he’d killed, had dulled his memories.

Now he knew only rage and death.

The vampire inched closer, unaware his executioner stood within a breath of him. Rand thrust out his arm.

The stake sank into the vamp’s heart, the executed seeing no more than a blur of shadow. He didn’t make a sound as he crumpled to the sand.

Using his speed, Rand attacked the two closest vampires. They, too, died in silence.

“What the hell?”

“Alban and Jago are down!”

“Where is he?”

The frenzy of panicked voices echoed through the dark. Again Rand waited.

“It’s The Darkness,” one of the vampires moaned.

It was the name the vampire community had given Rand many years ago. The darkness hid him, was a part of him, one of his many hunter skills. He came from it when the vampires least expected him. It also filled his soul.

Long nights in the darkness had taught him that to fight the monsters, he had to become the monster.

But killing when he couldn’t be seen was hardly a challenge. He wanted the fight to be personal. He wanted to see their fear, smell their terror, hear their ragged heartbeats…and if he got too close…well, it wasn’t like there was anyone who’d miss him.

He strode forward, coming out of the dark like the predator he was.

“So, finally I meet The Darkness.” The tall vampire stood flanked by his two remaining followers. His voice was composed, but his fear stained the air.

Rand didn’t say anything. He didn’t talk to those he executed.

The air between them hung heavy, tension thickening like building thunderclouds.

The vampires attacked.

For Rand, time slowed. He heard every solid beat of his heart. Felt the touch of cool steel in his hand. Sensed the spike of pranic energy from the vampires.

He blocked the strike from the first vampire with a forearm. Took down the second with a smooth thrust of the stake. A hard kick sent the tall leader tumbling back into the sand.

Spinning, Rand moved lightning fast until he was face-to-face with the first vampire.

“No, please—”

His father had begged for mercy. But no one had listened. That long-ago vampire had forced a teenaged Rand to watch as he’d ripped Brody Wilder apart.

Rand stabbed the stake through the vamp’s chakra and didn’t wait to watch him fall.

“Just you and me, vishuddha ,” the tall vampire said.

Rand straightened and eyed his final foe. The vampire had used the formal name for Rand’s kind. He was a descendant of a pure-blood vishuddha, the rare child resulting from the union of vampire and human.

Gifted with enhanced strength and senses, and a much longer life than humans, vishuddha made the perfect hunters of vampires.

He was doing what he’d been born to do.

They flew at each other and went crashing to the ground. At six foot five, Rand was bigger, but the vampire was strong. They wrestled and Rand felt the scrape of sharp fangs on his cheek.

“I’ll take your blood, Darkness. And I’ll make it hurt.”

Fangs ripped at the side of Rand’s neck and he felt his flesh tear. For a second, he relished the pain. Then he thrust a fist at the vampire’s head.

Rand had never let a vampire feed from him and he wasn’t starting now.