Hunger (Vampire Beloved Book Six)

By R.E. Butler

Jude Devoe has been an outsider her entire life. As a hybrid, latent shifter, she has one foot in two vastly different worlds. The world of her wizard father and the world of her falcon mother. Because she can’t fully shift, she focuses on magic and taking care of Lahn, her wizard brother. Ever since the leaders of their nest killed their parents, Lahn’s been driven by revenge. His need for vengeance sends them to Cleveland to take out the vampire coven on the behest of the anti-vampire church leader. Jude will do anything to keep her brother safe but going after innocents is a step too far.

Vampire Temple has been around a couple hundred years, but he’s never felt anything like the draw to an elusive female he saw in a video. He has no idea what she really looks like, only that her people have branded her an outcast and she is working for the anti-vampire church. When he scents something amazing outside the club one night, he knows it’s her, and he follows his instincts to locate her. He finds her hiding out with her wizard brother after planning a devastating blow to the coven.

Can Temple get past her connection to the church, or will he always wonder where her loyalties lie? Will they both come out on the other side alive when her brother interferes in their relationship in a dangerous way?

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.E. Butler
• Release date: Jan 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005027711

R.E. Butler

A Midwesterner by birth, R.E. spent much of her childhood rewriting her favorite books to include herself as the main character. Later, she graduated on to writing her own books after "retiring" from her day job as a secretary to become a stay-at-home mom.When not playing with her kids, wrestling her dogs out the door, or cooking dinner for her family, you'll find her typing furiously and growling obscenities to the characters on the screen.Her best-selling series Wiccan-Were-Bear, The Necklace Chronicles, Hyena Heat, Wilde Creek, Were-Zoo, Arctic Shifters, Norlanian Brides, Saber Chronicles, and Ashland Pride are available now.

Book preview

Hunger

Vampire Beloved

Book Six

By R. E. Butler

Table of Contents

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

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Excerpt from Forbidden

Other Books by R. E. Butler

About the Author

Copyright

Chapter One

Temple tried to focus on the order to purchase several computers for the office, but he couldn’t think straight. Every time he tried to concentrate on work, his mind demanded he open the video file and watch it. Just to get a glimpse of her.

He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms and groaned, leaning back in the chair.

Why the hell couldn’t he stop thinking about her?

He resisted the urge to open the file for about two seconds, and then he grumbled at himself as he clicked the mouse on the screen and opened it.

The file was from several months earlier, and was from one of the many security cameras on and around the Cleveland vampire coven’s offices in Fang, a nightclub that catered to their kind. Temple was part of master vampire Mishka’s inner circle known as the family and worked in the offices as the head of technology. Which meant he got to spend all day looking for gadgets and electronics and then setting them up for whoever needed them. Which he loved.

But right now, his job was the last thing on his mind.

Using the forward button, he skimmed through the video to the part where a winged female dropped a large human male with a rifle onto the rooftop of the building across the street from the club. The male was supposed to kill Avery, Traz’s mate. Dragon shifters who worked with the coven killed the assassin and no one else had been injured.

While that was all interesting in and of itself, the only thing Temple cared about was the female in the video. He wished it had been daytime so he could see her more clearly, then he could use facial recognition software he’d been granted access to by the state police to figure out who she is. But because it was night and she was mostly out of frame, the only thing he knew for certain was that she was a falcon shifter and had been branded as an outcast by her people.

There was a brand on her right wrist called an exile cuff, which was used by falcon nests to declare someone had committed an act of treason against a nest’s ruling family.

Are you watching that video again? Ven, a fellow family member, said as he walked into Temple’s office.

Temple hit the button to pause the video and turned to face his friend. Ven and Temple had both been vampires for a long time. Temple was turned two hundred and sixty years ago when he was twenty-four. Ven had been turned almost three hundred years ago. They’d both been part of Mishka’s coven for over a hundred years. Ven was one of Temple’s closest friends.

But he didn’t think his friend would understand what he was doing, because he wasn’t sure he really understood it himself.

Blowing out a breath, Temple said, I can’t help it.

You’re obsessed. Like when Harmony made us all binge watch that show about the vampire slayer because she thought the one blond vampire male was cute.

Temple chuckled. Harmony had loved sharing the show with the family, and the females had enjoyed it, mainly because of the attractive actors. The males hadn’t cared for it, mostly finding it ridiculous but with decent fight scenes.

He wanted to protest that he wasn’t obsessed with the female he could only see a part of on the screen. He could see her exile cuff. Part of her arm. And one reddish-brown wing.

Of all the superpowers that were to be had, Temple appreciated the enhanced speed and strength that being a vampire gave him. But he’d always wanted to fly. That had seemed like one of those powers that was very handy. Running late for an appointment? Just flap your wings and avoid rush hour traffic by flying over it.

I can’t stop thinking about her.

What’s got you so twisted up?

I have no idea, he said, but part of him didn’t dare to voice the reason he thought he couldn’t stop thinking about the mysterious female—that she was his truemate. It seemed the highest level of ridiculousness to think such a thing. How could he possibly know that from a video? Hell, he’d never seen her face. But here he was, dreaming about her and wondering who she was.

And how the devil he’d find her.

Have you talked to Arissa?

About what?

Doing something magical to find her, like a seeking spell.

For the first time since he’d seen the female in the video, Temple actually felt the smallest modicum of hope bloom in his chest.

Rising to his feet, Temple grabbed his laptop and said, I haven’t, but I’m going to right now.

Ven moved out of the way as Temple hurried past him. You’re welcome, he called.

If this works, I’ll buy you a small island.

I’m going to hold you to that, Ven said with a chuckle.

He found Arissa at the reception desk with a large book opened to a page with writing in a language he didn’t recognize. Hey, he said.

Hey yourself. The pretty redheaded wiccan folded her hands over the book and smiled up at him. What can I do for you?

I was wondering if you could search for someone with a spell.

Her brow arched. I...suppose. It would depend.

On what?

Well, mainly, it would depend on why you wanted me to search for someone. And then I’d need to know as much information on the person as possible so I could do a location spell.

He opened the laptop and started the video. That female, he said, pausing at the point where she dropped the human male onto the roof.

Arissa looked at the screen and then at him for a long moment. She settled back in the chair. You want me to find her? Why?

He hesitated for a heartbeat. Did he tell her the whole truth or just a portion? He knew from what her beloved mate Brone had told them over the years that one of the things Arissa loathed was lying.

I believe this female might be my truemate. I’m...I can’t stop thinking about her. I think we’re meant to know each other, but I don’t know how to find her.

Her eyes went wide. Oh! You know Mishka asked if I could find her and I said no.

But? Temple asked hopefully.

I couldn’t because the reason he wanted her found was so he could interrogate her about her dealings with The First Church of Humanity. It goes against my wiccan nature to find someone to bring them harm. I know Mishka wouldn’t outright harm her, but there’s no way he could guarantee her safety if we tracked her with the intention of capturing her.

This is different, he said. While Temple did want to know what the hell she was doing working with the coven’s enemy, he mostly just wanted to find her and talk to her. Find out if she was really meant to be his, or if he’d gone off the deep end and was headed for a nice relaxing stay in Club Looney Bin.

I need Brone and my wiccan bag. We can go over to the building’s rooftop.

Why do we need to go there?

Because that’s where whatever powerful magic she was using cloaked her once she dropped the assassin on the roof. Before she was cloaked, I should be able to figure out something about her. Maybe enough to get a bead on where she is. If I can get enough information, then we could perhaps enlist Cassara to help find her. Or Darien.

Cassara, a former fae who lived with the bear den, helped track lost and missing people of any species. She helped the coven find Merrix’s beloved mate Aeryn when she was kidnapped by the church leader’s crazy brother, Sean. He’d planned to kill Aeryn live on social media to warn humans away from the coven. Darien was a fallen angel who worked for Mishka and located artifacts for his collection. He could find anything, anywhere, but he didn’t normally track people.

When can we do it?

Right now. She picked up the desk phone and called Brone, who appeared a few minutes later with a brown leather satchel decorated with beads and embroidered flowers. She kissed Brone. Thanks, beloved. Let’s go.

Brone looked at Temple and said, She does this because you are family to her as you are to me. But if she’s in any danger at all because of this female, I will not forget.

I understand. Brone was over a thousand years old. He didn’t threaten, he promised.

They left the club and headed out into the hot summer night. Temple’s nerves were raw and his head was spinning. He couldn’t wait to see what Arissa could do.

Chapter Two

The building belonged to the coven, as did most of the buildings on the street. Mishka had bought as many as he could, but most of them stood empty. The club, the apartment complex, the restaurant, and a hotel that was being turned into a luxury apartment complex were near each other on the same block, and a few blocks down was the coven’s finance office. The other buildings were boarded up and covered with security devices from the ground up.

No one had known that the assassin was dropped onto the roof. The building’s security only alerted the coven if someone tried to get to the roof from inside or tried to climb up from the outside. Being dropped onto the roof by a falcon hadn’t set off any alarms. It would now, however. After the incident, Brone, who was head of coven security, added motion sensors to the roof of every coven-owned building.

Temple, Brone, and Arissa crossed the street and entered the building. It had at one time been the corporate office for an investment company, and at their last family meeting, Mishka had toyed with the idea of turning it into a coven-only bank. Temple thought it was a great idea. While he didn’t need a place to live—he lived under the club in a private chamber along with the other members of the family—there were vampires who didn’t want to stay in the club’s living area or the apartment complex, and most human-run banks were not open after sunset, which made banking a troublesome endeavor, even with the online options.

Once they reached the roof, Temple inhaled the night air. He walked to the edge of the roof and looked over, the three-story building giving him a dizzying view of the sidewalk and street below.

His female had been here. Carrying an asshole determined to snuff out an innocent.

He’d have words with her about her choice of friends once he found her. But he’d forgive her because maybe she just didn’t know how terrible the church was.

He sure as hell hoped she wasn’t someone who hated vampires.

But, if she did, he’d change her mind.

Arissa said his name and he turned to face them. Sorry, what?

I said I’m ready. Come over here.

He joined them.

Brone was a few steps away, his arms folded and his gaze roaming the roof and surrounding building. He didn’t ever take Arissa’s safety for granted.

I’m going to try a location spell, Arissa said. Normally the spell needs something belonging to the person you’re trying to locate, like an article of clothing or an object he or she touched. But we don’t have that, and she didn’t actually land, so I can’t use the roof as the object she touched either. So I’m not making any promises because this could be a futile endeavor.

I understand, Temple said. I appreciate the effort.

You bet.

Temple took a step back at her urging and watched as she performed the spell. She was speaking in what he’d come to know as the ancient wiccan language. On the ground in front of her were several different colored candles which she lit one by one with a flick of her finger. As she spoke the spell, a red circle appeared on the roof around her and the candles that looked like a strip of neon lights. It grew brighter until Temple had to shield his eyes from the glare.

And then it suddenly went out, along with the candles.

Well, crap, Arissa said.

He blinked his eyes to clear the spots and looked at her. She had her hands on her hips and looked annoyed. Even though he knew the answer, he still asked the question. It didn’t work?

No, she said, shaking her head. She didn’t touch anything up here. I was hoping I might be able to pick up a trace of her somehow because she clearly used magic to cloak the assassin once she dropped him on the roof.

Has it been too long? Brone asked.

Magic doesn’t wash off in the rain, she said. Traces of it can linger for months depending on the strength of the person casting the spell. We know a wizard is working for the church, so we can assume that the wizard is the one who cloaked the assassin. But I should still be able to find something lingering that might point us in the right direction. Unless...

Unless what? Temple asked.

Unless the wizard’s dark magic is designed to eliminate traces of itself. She frowned.

That sounds like a bad thing, Temple said.

It would be. It would mean that the wizard is unbelievably powerful. Black-magic wielders who have that much power are more than dangerous, they’re downright deadly. I’m sorry, Temple. I wanted it to work. I just need something she touched, and since the assassin was cremated by his family when his remains were picked up, I can’t even try to track her by his body.

Temple’s shoulders drooped and he stifled the disappointed sigh that wanted to escape. Thanks for trying, he said. He looked around the roof. Someone checked the roof for things that she or the assassin might have left behind?

Of course, Brone said. There was nothing left behind by either of them.

You can still look if you’d like, Arissa said. We’ll help.

Beloved, Brone said, his voice low.

If you were looking for me, wouldn’t you want to try everything? Even if it had been done before?

Brone let out a low snarl and then nodded curtly. We will help.

For the next hour, Temple, Brone, and Arissa checked every inch of the rooftop. He hoped they might find a feather at the least, but he’d have taken anything if it meant he might be able to locate her. When their search was unsuccessful and the night was drawing to a close, they left the roof and headed back down to the street.

Thank you so much for trying, Temple said.

I wish we could’ve found something of hers, Arissa said. I hate that you’re miserable.

I hate it too, he said with a wry smile.

They reached the coven offices. Angie, the wolf shifter beloved of family members Rage and Vex, was sitting at the reception desk. Any luck? Angie asked.

Arissa shook her head.

Aw, that sucks, Angie said. But I honestly believe that if she’s really your truemate then you two will cross paths again. Fate wouldn’t be that cruel.

Temple actually thought fate was a cruel bitch who didn’t care who she screwed over, but he didn’t voice his opinion. Brone had waited a thousand years for Arissa. He’d been born a millennia before she was, which meant if he’d stayed human, they never would have met. For all Temple knew, his female had left the country after she’d dropped off the assassin. Because she was a shifter, she had long-life, aging one body year for every twelve that passed, but that didn’t make her immortal like him. She might age slowly, but she was still vulnerable and that made him want to find her all the more. He could share his immortality with her when they became mates in truth, and she’d stop aging. She’d be very hard to kill, their lives tied together forever.

He wanted that.