Loving the Enemy

LOVING THE ENEMY

Amber Sila is a young leopard shifter of impeccable beauty with skin as fare as a vampire's. When she is thrown into the arms of a man she knows she should hate, the fierce attraction and desire coursing through her has Amber doing something she had never before considered, submitting. Nicolai is a vampire prince she should never want to see, let alone feel such lust for. His father killed hers in the battle that ravaged her of home and family but now she strives to keep the man alive and to make him see that she is his destined mate, even if seducing him is her only option.

Nicolai makes the drastic decision to leave the young female that makes his blood boil. Hoping that with his return the searing passion that coursed through him diminishes but finds their passion something he cannot refuse, especially when Amber takes matters into her own hands so he will not be forced to mate another. With a threat looming ahead of them, can the two lovers conquer what is hidden deep in the shadows and secrets unknown to them?

EXCERPT 

Lethal growls reverberated unhindered amidst the large bodies colliding in a bloody mass of anger and confusion. Mixed into the fray were large animals. Shifters who had thought it best to use their natural beast forms against the vampires instead of their humanoid bodies. A magnificent golden leopard dusted in black surged through the air, deadly claws striking down the vampire who was his opponent with a ruthless ripping of the throat. His enemy looked stricken with anger and confusion just before he erupted into the red sparkles that signaled his life had come to an end. He turned gold-green eyes to his next target, to him, the Vampire King.

They battled hard and long until the vampires teeth finally fastened into the leopard's throat ripping through muscle and running his clawed hands mercilessly through soft belly flesh. The leopard shifter gasped and gurgled as his animal form dissolved, leaving a human of incredible stealth and beauty in his place, hair of the deepest black and skin darkly kissed by the light of the sun. The leopard shifter retreated a couple steps, shuttered and fell onto the ground lifeless, his body suddenly enveloped by red. The Vampire King smirked slowly taking in the scent of death and sought out his true objective, the shifter king. He raked his tongue against his sharp protruding fangs. The smell of blood heavy in the air only incited the blood rage that surged within him. Finding his new target the vampire stalked silently towards the arduous black panther who fought gallantly to protect the three shifter females sheltered closely behind him, the shifter's King.

Coal, the Vampire King scoffed as he took in the three slight females. A beautiful woman with hair of raven black and tips frosted with silvery white held a small black haired baby girl and the other young girl grasped terrified against her mother. The teenager's arms were circled around her mother's waist, her face half hidden into the burgundy satin dress. This one captured his interest the longest, her waist length snow colored hair shown like the full moon above, her skin a luminous white. Her face beautiful but frightened as she watched her father fight for their lives through her crystal blue orbs. She was magnificent and beautiful for such a young creature and he wanted her, he suspected she was around seventeen or eighteen. Never had he seen a shifter of these qualities, his thoughts immediately turned to his son. A sudden spark flared within his mind, he knew without a doubt that his son would enjoy the beautiful young woman. She would be Nicolai's maid but first he must extinguish the life of her father, he would take the younger child as well.

Returning his delighted gaze to the black panther, he struck unnoticed. His deadly clawed hands covered in the blood from the leopard he had just slain. It would be a fitting death, he thought as he was almost upon the man who had attempted to hide what was his. The panthers mate turned frightened and angry eyes towards him and suddenly let out the high pitched screech of a distraught female leopard, thoroughly foiling his surprise attack on her husband's life. Shoving her children behind her she shifted in mid-flight and came barreling down on top of him hissing, spitting and growling in the process. His eyes widened in astonishment at her coloration. Her leopard rosettes were ringed and tinged with the color of snow, her paws were totally and extremely white.

Never had he seen such an abnormality within such a creature but had no real time to consider it as she hissed and leaped again crashing into him with such force that he was startled. How could such a small and beautiful woman in human shape be so considerably strong? The thought immediately disturbed him as he slashed her across the face, the blood and pain blinding her for only a moment. A sharp sting suddenly radiated from his shoulder. Confusion and irritation warred within him as he turned to get a look at his new attacker. The eldest of the children, the one who would soon belong to Nicolai, had sunk frail human teeth deep into his shoulder blade. He flung the young woman helplessly away from his stinging body, tossing her unyielding to the hard earth but not with enough perpetual force to damage her. In that slight distraction the young girl had managed to sidetrack him and disorient him long enough from her parents who now stood and ambushed him together. The panther's deep purple eyes raged with hatred that pierced through him as his slender mate gently shoved her older child back into safety, fully chastising the girl. Coal only smirked and with a ferocious snarl they began battle, as a thunderstorm covered the area in rain and light.

The panther attacked swiftly, slashing him fully across the chest wounding him greatly. Glaring at the panther, Coal using his inhuman strength and speed surged forward and wrapped his arms tightly around the neck of the feline. The feline froze in astonishment then using all his strength turned and sank his teeth into the meaty flesh of his thigh. The Vampire King howled in agony and released his captive and was suddenly slammed to the ground by the larger predator above him.

The cats breath reeked of the metallic aroma of blood, his powerful jaws so close to his vulnerable throat. He swiped a large pink tongue across massive fangs and was about to sink them into his throat but in that instant the leopard's eyes glazed over and stepped back in astonishment, blood oozing from a deep wound in his stomach. A smile graced the vampire's cruel lips. He had succeeded in striking the death blow to the cat's most vulnerable area, his belly. The panther looked from his belly to the vampire and opened his mouth in silent fear.

Another feminine scream sheared through the air of battle and everything froze. The woman who protected her children and mate so fiercely slid to her knees. Hand over her mouth in a shocked stupor as the panther turned regretful eyes towards her.

“Now where is that miserable mate of mine?” Coal king demanded as he stared down at the male who shook his head in disgust.

“She is not here!” the leopard spit out, blood seeping from his mouth spotting his white chin in red. Coal scoffed for the second time that night and shoved the mortally injured panther to the ground. His mate was a disgusting shifter who had constantly reminded him of his mistake the five years after she had given birth to a son she wanted absolutely nothing to do with. She had attempted to kill Nicolai when he was only five years old and after she had been foiled in her attempt she disappeared without a trace. Until he had learned that she was here and Silver Water was giving her asylum. The shifters refused to give her to him and had planned to attack him the very next morning, so here he was attacking in a surprise maneuver that had startled the shifters from a celebration of some sorts.

He caught the movement of the panthers mate as she shifted into the curious predator and cautiously stood, pulling her lips up to show her magnificently deadly white teeth. The air around her changed and suddenly electric sparks flew from her abnormally spotted fur. She watched as her mate slumped to the ground still shifted and with another deafening screech she launched herself once again at Coal. He stood immobile watching the woman come towards him, the blood of her mate and husband tainting his fingertips. She was instantly disrupted in her attack as a large lion speared towards her tackling and pinning her to the ground. He growled out a harsh formidable warning to her then turned haunting golden eyes to Coal. He looked down at the man who now lay in a pool of blood, his body gone as he disappeared in a blaze of red. His eyes lit up and with a loud roar of triumph, sank his fangs deeply into the spitting mad female leopard who thrashed furiously and helplessly beneath him.

The Vampire King froze a moment in disgust at the lion and turned slowly to the still frozen battlefield his smile devastating to all shifters who watched, even though he was boiling in rage at the lion. Everyone remained completely motionless as the female breathed her last breath as she too disappeared. He glanced at the two children and watched them cower in fear and turmoil. Coal then released a roar of triumph almost as loud as the lions.

"Shifters, your king is dead! Obey me and you may live in peace with my brethren and from today forth we are united under one kingdom!" the shifters slowly one by one reverted to their humanoid forms and nodded sadly as they glanced at their two dead monarchs, the war was over and the vampires had won, but where the devil was his mate! He ground his teeth as he realized she must have slipped out without his notice, but he would find her, that he promised.

He turned his attention towards the two young girls frozen in fear and signaled for them to be taken alive to his palace. The eldest sister had already received her ability to shift but by the time the youngest would harness her gift she would already be a loyal servant, the older one would be harder to tame but he would let Nicolai take care of that.

***

Amber Sila hissed and fought gallantly as three bear shifters, her own brethren carried her away from the battlefield and securely tied her hands behind her back. Glancing quickly behind her she saw her younger sister Jade being carried by a hawk shifter as the vampires urged towards Black Coal. Never had she set foot on vampire lands, too afraid for her life to even dare at such a young age. She had wanted to reach the age of twenty-one, when the beast inside her would finally be allowed to occupy the battlefield. She had received her wonderful leopard at the age of ten and she had succumbed to the wonders and freedom that she received from it. She had begun training at the age of sixteen when every young shifter learned to fight and battle the vicious vampires, with only three years left she had been awaiting the day that she could fight the vampires herself but that day died with her parent's death.

Her beast seethed in anger now but her five year old sister was the only reason she had submitted to the bears and vampires already. She would never truly submit to anyone other than her true mate and even then there would never be any full control over her. She would never allow it. She had been raised as an alpha female, much like her headstrong mother. They had blackmailed her into cooperation with the life of Jade and she did not wish to lose all of her family in one evening.

Although letting the damned evil beings know she was perfectly pissed was completely reasonable. Her parents lay dead on tarnished and bloodied soil and she vowed to kill the shifter who had murdered her mother. That lion was seriously going to pay, she vowed she would kill him herself if he hadn't already succumbed to death by the time she had trained enough to defeat his sorry ass. No one betrayed their royal family and lived a healthy life afterward and she promised herself the moment she was competent to hold her ground against such an opponent she would destroy the bastard, the way he had her mother. He had served her family as the general of the commanding army but his true intention was nothing but power, the ambitious bastard. She seethed as she glared at the shifters who held her captive. They were almost as despicable as the vampires. Her eyes landed on the lion and she ground her teeth together as she watched him talk to the Vampire King, the man who killed her father. She was not as furious with the vampires as she was towards the lion. Their kingdoms had been at war for years, so it was slightly understandable that they wished to destroy each other but the lion had betrayed everything he stood for and that was the end of it.

Although she was unsure of why King Coal was looking for his mate, and why the vampire believed she had been residing in their home. It was a very rare occurrence when the shifters allowed a vampire inside their palace walls, let alone the Queen. No the woman had been nowhere near the vicinity that she had been aware of, and that just proved to anger her further. There was no need for the death and destruction tonight if the man had just kept a better leash on his mate. Amber winced at her thoughts, and shivered, there was nothing more that she hated than men who thought they owned woman.

Amber gasped softly, her thoughts intercepted as the palace of Black Coal stood erected before her. It was breathtaking! The palace was a dusty gray that spanned about half a mile, the tips of the palace was decorated and spiraled with a beautiful royal purple. Surrounding the palace was the houses and buildings of vampires. They were minuscule and filthy looking compared to the sight behind them. The only thing she felt was needed were the beautiful expanse of trees and forestry. Everything was a dull brown and gray they needed colors from flowers and the different shades of green from the forest. This place was a prison and she felt the intensity electrify the air as all the shifters looked down at the palace they would call home if they were to live and thrive once again in the future.

They headed silently towards the palace and Amber felt herself grow frigid with fear, they had yet to explain what they wanted from her and her baby sister. She had a feeling she knew what they wanted from her at least. She shivered in disgust at the thought of being made a servant. A sex slave would be even more degrading. She absolutely resented this, and the way the bloodsuckers kept glancing at her was definitely disturbing. She knew what they wanted but it was the same reaction coming from the bear shifters that had her spine crawling with dread. A vampire beside her ran his tongue against his sharp elongated fangs, a slow decrepit smile filling his features as his eyes burned dark red with the thought of blood. Oh hell no! She hissed internally, she was not going to be a midnight snack! She growled in warning but he made no attempt towards her as they continued their trek towards the palace.

She seethed silently letting her facial expressions explain her furious emotions, the vampires wouldn't be able to scent that she was frightened but every shifter that was within a certain distance would understand the scent that drenched her at the moment. Their destination began approaching extremely quickly and she wanted to disappear and run as fast as she could to distance herself from this new nightmare. She wanted to cry, to let everything out but she would never give these power-hungry and bloodthirsty betrayers the satisfaction. She had rarely cried in front of her parents for heaven's sake!

They passed through the palace doors and Amber suddenly felt cold again. She thought that the palace would be as bare as the outside without plants but she was wrong. The moment they entered, the room was a deep red and in every corner were different assortments of plants and flowers. Looking to her left her heart stuttered, a garden could be seen through two tall glass doors and never had she seen something so beautiful. Trees everywhere bloomed with blossoms and bushes lined the palace wall. Flowers of every shade decorated the garden but her favorite happened to be a beautiful clear pond that shown clearly with carp, angel fish and gold fish.

Even as she marveled at the beauty she never forgot the reason she was here. Her guards steadily pushing her to continue walking as she paused to examine the rest of the palace. Halls and stairs twisted through the corridors making the place as painful as a maze if one didn't know their way around such a large establishment. The bear shifters stopped at a large wooden door and the vampire who had so plainly announced his hunger for her earlier, grasped her upper arm and led her through the oak door. Amber froze dragging her heels as he forced her to continue into the room. The king spoke silently with another and at their arrival turned and smiled coolly at her. She glared hard and furious at the man before her but the vampire who restrained her forced her down to her knees in a forced bow. The king only smiled and walked over to her. Raising her to her feet his eyes glowed like a hawks as he examined her slowly.

"I was surprised by your tactics on the battlefield sweetheart but why didn't you shift?” his curious question froze her in place. She gulped down the lump of dread and lowered her eyelids in an obvious glare. “Screw you.” she hissed out, her leopard purring in satisfaction. She had always maintained a balance with the creature that resided within her.