Love's Challenge (Pearl Vampire Chronicles #5) Read online

  “Missing? What do you mean she’s gone missing? Someone’s stolen her statue?”

  “Well, hopefully that’s all it is, but it could be worse, Matthew. Much worse.”

  “Worse? How could it be worse?”

  “She’s awake, isn’t she Bahiti? She’s decided it’s time to wake up,” I whispered.

  “What does that mean, Bahiti? What does she want?” Matt said

  “We have to wait until she tells us what she wants. But it probably means we’re all in grave danger. Her last rule lasted over one thousand years and it was the most bloody and violent time in our history. Our numbers dwindled to almost nothing, not to mention the loss of human life was catastrophic.”

  “Okay, Bahiti. Thanks for filling us in. We’ll be home in a few days. Can you make sure everyone else is there too, please? Thanks. Bye.” He hung up his phone and tucked it back into his holster as Carlos walked back in looking dejected. “I’m sorry, Sarah. There’s nobody around for hundreds of miles. And they’re all traveling right now. Apparently Texas isn’t the hotspot for vampires these days,” he said then he noticed the looks on our faces. “What? I tried. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not that, Carlos,” I said as I went to grab another dress from the closet. I had just realized that I was still standing there in just my underwear. “It’s Sekhmet. She’s gone.”

  “Gone as in somebody took her? Or gone as in she’s awake?” he whispered as he sank down onto the stairs behind him.

  “We don’t know yet,” I said.

  “Jesus,” he whispered. “What now?”

  “Now?” I said as I glanced outside. “Now, it’s too late to change our flights now. But that’s good. We’ll leave everything as is, but change the flights to different destinations so that reporter can’t track us. We’ll have the limo drop us at a rental car place. We’ll drive south into Mexico, hunt there, then back north into New Mexico. Then we’ll fly home from there.”

  Both their heads whipped around and they stared at me with their mouths open. “Did you just say you’re going to hunt?” Matt whispered.

  “Look. That blood got me all messed up. We’re going to be on the road for a few days. And we all need to feed a lot to be ready for her. We’ll go find some nasty, cruel drug cartel types or something.”

  Carlos was grinning from ear to ear. “Sweet,” he mumbled then he shivered. I frowned at him, but didn’t have time to ask.

  I gripped their hands tight as we walked up the dock and climbed into the waiting limo. The limo dropped us at the rental car agency. We climbed into the car, turned off the headlights, and lost the reporter within a few blocks then I pointed the car south and headed for the border.

  Once again we were heading into the face of the unknown. Once again we could be facing danger. Once again we had no idea what we were doing or how we would get through it. But, once again, I smiled. Because I wasn’t afraid. We were all together, the three of us. My triangle. My loves. And we were exactly where we were supposed to be.

  The End

  Sneak Peak of:

  Sekhmet’s Tomb

  The Pearl Vampire Chronicles, #6

  Prologue

  I looked at all the worried faces and tried to smile. I walked over to each one, beginning with Bahiti. I hugged her, “Please be safe,” she whispered into my ear.

  “Watch over him Bahiti. Don’t let him give up. Please,” I whispered as I glanced at Matt.

  She nodded as I moved next to Aquila. “Thank you for rescuing me, female,” he said then he smiled sadly. I took his hand in mine and stood on my tiptoes. He bent down so I could kiss his cheek.

  “I will keep him safe. I promise,” I whispered.

  A small tear escaped his eye as he nodded at me, “I know you will, Sarah.”

  I smiled at the first time that he had actually said my name. I moved next to Stacy and hugged her tight. “Thank you so much for everything, Sarah.”

  I put my hands on her cheeks. “Show him how to be happy again, Stacy,” I said as I glanced at Carlos, who turned away and leaned his head against the back wall. “He’s going to do everything he can to die, but don’t let him succeed. Heal him, for me.” She nodded and cried out as she pulled me tight into her arms again.

  Suddenly Carlos cried out, making us all jump, “No! No, goddamn it. You are not saying goodbye to us. You aren’t going in there. We can stop her. We can fight her.” He started to move toward the door, but Aquila stepped in front of it and blocked his way. “Get out of my way, you son of a bitch, or I’ll kick your ass.” Aquila raised his eyebrow at him and gave him a ‘you really think you can kick my ass?’ look.

  I smiled at Aquila and placed my hand on Carlos’ shoulder. “Carlos, my love,” I whispered. He hung his head and I saw the sobs begin in his chest. He spun around and wrapped me tight in his arms, burying his face in my neck. He began frantically kissing my neck, my ear, my cheek then his hands cradled my face as his lips crushed down on mine. Time stood still as the love poured out of him into me.

  He finally pulled away and whispered, “Don’t say goodbye to me, Sarah.”

  My hand rested on his bruised cheek as I stared into his eyes. Finally I nodded and whispered, “I love you so much.”

  “I love you too, Sarah, forever,” he said then he quickly turned away and punched the back wall before he sank to the floor next to it. I wanted to go to him. I wanted to reach for him. I wanted to comfort him. But there wasn’t time. I turned to Matt and my heart nearly broke. He was smiling at me. He was beaming. Just like he did the first time he smiled at me. I pulled him into my arms and held him tight. “I love you more than ever, Matt. Thank you for saving me,” I whispered.

  He cradled my face in his hands. “I love you too, Sarah. But I didn’t save you. You saved me. You saved all of us. And this isn’t goodbye. We will see each other again. I promise.” Then his lips came down as he gave me one of those kisses. When he finally pulled away, I felt stronger than I ever had.

  “Carlos?” I whispered then I waited for him to finally look up. He got up and I wrapped my arms around both of them. “I am so lucky to have both of you. Promise me you won’t do anything stupid. Because if, no, when, I make it out of this, if you both aren’t here waiting for me then I’m going to be really, really pissed. And you really don’t want to have to face that. So, promise me, okay?”

  Matt smiled and nodded at me. “Of course I promise, my love.” I turned and looked at Carlos, who hesitated. I glared at him.

  “Okay, okay, I promise. How could I not? Besides, how could I do anything stupid when I’m just going to be waiting right here for you? I’m not going anywhere until I see you again, Sarah. So don’t take too long, ‘cause you wouldn’t like me when I’m starving.”

  “We,” Matt said and we both looked at him. “We are going to be waiting right here for you, Sarah. For as long as it takes. Until we are all together again. Forever,” he said. I didn’t have time to argue with them now. I kissed them both one more time, drawing strength from their love. Then I quickly turned around. I couldn’t look at them anymore.

  I took Jason’s worried hand in mine and smiled at him, “You ready?” I said.

  He took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes. I am ready, Sar, mmm, Mother.”

  Aquila stepped to the side and pulled the door open. We both stepped inside and bowed our heads. I resisted the strong urge to turn around or cry out as I heard the door close and seal shut behind us, it was gone. We were locked in. We were her prisoners. I felt little flickers of Matt and Carlos trying to link with me, but something about this room made that impossible, and that made me feel utterly alone. Jason and I waited. We waited for Sekhmet to invite us in and tell us why she had summoned us and what our challenge was.

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgements

  Love’s Challenge

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations and events portrayed in this novel a...

  Prologue
/>   Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Sneak Peak of:

  Prologue