Enraptured: Immortal Chronicles Book IV Read online

  Enraptured

  Immortal Chronicles Book IV

  Samantha Britt

  Enraptured: Immortal Chronicles Book IV

  Copyright © 2018 Samantha Britt

  Cover art by Ampersand Book Covers

  ASIN: B078BPQ8JZ

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction.

  Any resemblance between actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental or used fictitiously.

  Dan and Bailey,

  You both lost me to hours of writing, but your support never faltered. I love you both to the moon and back.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Acknowledgments

  Also by Samantha Britt

  About the Author

  1

  Des

  The day was bright, and the springtime sun poured warm rays down onto Des’ back. Sitting on the ground near the edge of his family’s pond, his clear green eyes observed the reflective surface with little interest. As was always the case the past couple of months, his thoughts were focused entirely on Darcie. He placed his heavy head on his forearms, propped on top of his bent knees.

  It had been two days since Darcie was taken from the stronghold in Florida, and the undeniable rage still lingered when he thought about Henry betraying The Alliance. Des had trusted the warlock immensely. He despised himself for being so blind to the traitor’s true motives. He should have at least sensed something was wrong.

  How could he have let one of Adir’s supporters so close to Darcie? He would make the pathetic man pay as soon as he found him and knew Darcie was safe.

  Though Des had not heard from Alexander, he felt sure the vampire was successful in rescuing Darcie. Gregory, the king’s second in command, had returned to the Grecian mansion after he escaped from Adir’s stronghold. He revealed how an Elder released him, vowing to do the same for Darcie. The odds of success were in their favor with an Elder’s help, especially when you considered the vampire undertaking the rescue mission.

  There might be many unknowns for Des, but Alexander’s resolve was not one of them. The king would not fail. He cared for Darcie almost as much as Des did.

  That acknowledgement was the only thing keeping Des from racing to join them–from running around the world until he saw Darcie and assured himself she was unharmed.

  Despite his instinct to do just that, Des knew such an action would only cause unwanted attention and suspicion. After the incident with Henry, Des wasn’t sure who he could trust anymore. He needed to be even more careful regarding his involvement with Darcie… if that was even possible.

  Absentmindedly, his hands turned over the plastic keychain clutched in his grasp. Darcie had left behind the souvenir of the Parthenon; Des guessed it must have fallen off of her key ring at some point. Glancing down, he took in the image of the ancient building, and his mind traveled back to the day he’d first met the girl whose existence had changed everything…

  * * *

  The day began like any other. Eshe and Lome were in the midst of some argument, and Bella and Thane were preoccupied with some matrimonious task.

  Most days, the routine of the family was something Des never thought twice about. Tension always existed between Lome and Eshe, but both his brother and sister-in-law found ways to resolve their disagreements, even if the solution was only temporary.

  And Bella was always full of life, eager to jump into whatever task tickled her fancy. Thane, the ever-obliging husband, never hesitated to go along with her wishes.

  It was a normal day, and usually, Des was more than content to live on the periphery of the couples’ lives.

  That day, however, something was different.

  Des couldn’t explain it, but he felt restless ever since he’d awoken to the autumn sun casting light into his windows. There was an unease around his chest, and going about his day as if nothing was wrong did not alleviate it.

  Des was sitting in Thane’s study, observing Bella as she flitted around, holding various fabrics up against her husband’s chest for a new sports coat when he realized he could not take anymore. He stood from the leather chair and closed the book he’d been failing to read.

  “I’m going to take a trip.”

  Both Thane and Bella stopped moving and turned to him with curious glances.

  “Where to?” his sister-in-law questioned as she tilted her head. Though she tried to look passively interested in his response, Des could see the thoughts racing behind her large, brown-eyed stare. Bella had always been sharp. She did not miss the fact that a spontaneous trip was out of his character.

  Des shrugged. “I don’t know. Crete… Athens. I just need to get out of the house.”

  Instantly, Bella’s expression softened. “Of course. That sounds lovely. With the tourist season coming to an end, the cities should not be too crowded.”

  Des hadn’t thought about that, but he nodded his head in agreement. “Exactly. It would be nice to walk around the city–to see how much everything has changed.”

  Thane grunted his approval. “That would be an entertaining diversion. Perhaps we should join you?”

  “My love,” Bella quickly interrupted. “I need you to stay put and finish your fitting. I want to get your new wardrobe ordered before this evening. Otherwise, you won’t have anything appropriate for this winter’s ball.”

  Thane did not argue. “Of course, my dear. I apologize.” He looked back at his brother. “If I finish with my fitting and you are still about, do you mind if I join you?”

  Des could not deny him, not without Thane knowing the depths of his unease. “I have no objections.”

  “Splendid,” Thane said. “I hope to meet you on the streets of Athens. Perhaps we can dine at that little restaurant off of the plaza? The one we visited all the time.”

  Des dipped his chin down, agreeing to the suggestion. “I’ll be off, then.” He turned to leave and managed to catch Bella’s regretful look. His eyes offered reassurance. It was not her fault that Thane wanted to join him on the outing.

  Whereas Bella was often attuned to other’s feelings, not even Thane’s thousands of years on Earth provided enough experience to master the skill.

  After ensuring Argos was fed breakfast, Des stepped outside of the mansion and envisioned the National Garden in the heart of Athens. Once the image was fixed in his mind, he transported himself to the green oasis.

  Immediately, a warm breeze brushed against his face. The tall palm-tree fronds rustled and the sound of multiple conversations assaulted his ears. The scene was loude
r and livelier than the sparsely populated mansion. Sometimes, Des forgot how noisy the rest of the world could be.

  Eager for a respite from the sounds, Des followed the familiar path past the duck pond and the statue honoring Lord Byron until he arrived at the quaint café adjacent to the children’s library. Ignoring the curious glances of a table of young women on the patio, Des sat himself with his back facing the majority of the café. He let his gaze wander out and take in the scenery and people exploring the park. When a waiter ventured towards him and asked for his order, Des requested a medium-roast coffee before returning his attention to the life surrounding him. He had to put extra effort into ignoring the feminine whispers behind him.

  It wasn’t that Des did not appreciate the admiration of women. In fact, he and Lome often discussed how ego-boosting it was to hear women react to their physical appearances so favorably. Sometimes, one or both of the brothers would venture into conversation with the admiring females. On a few occasions, Des might’ve even been guilty of engaging in flirtation with the unsuspecting women. They had no idea that the subject of their admiration was an immortal being, and sometimes Des simply enjoyed the normalcy of the interactions. It was nice to feel like a normal man receiving attention from normal women.

  But today was not that kind of day. Des knew that no amount of harmless flirtation would be able to distract him from the troublesome feeling inside his chest. It was a distracting ache which only seemed to grow more as the seconds passed.

  So, he chose to ignore the not-so-subtle giggles and murmurs behind him. Instead, he attuned his hearing to the many people strolling past the café.

  Numerous family groups passed by, discussing their plans for touring various locations the remainder of the day. A couple debated the merits of an unfamiliar restaurant for their dinner reservation. Des had to cover his mouth to conceal his smile when he heard a younger child whining about how boring the garden tour was. Des could not blame him. Even as an adult, he did not find the sights within the park too appealing. He would much prefer a trip to a museum or an ancient temple, but he hoped the outdoor atmosphere would prove a relief to his unease.

  Des continued to observe the tourists, and was in the middle of eavesdropping on a couple’s argument when he saw her.

  At first, Des merely glanced at the slender blonde who walked into his line of sight. But as soon as he turned away, his eyes immediately snapped back towards her.

  The stranger was young; that much was obvious from her flawless skin and youthful glow. Her long legs were tan and toned in athletic shorts and tennis shoes, and her golden locks were contained in a high ponytail on the crown of her head.

  In addition to all of that, Des could see she appeared preoccupied. The beauty stared intently at the official National Garden map in her hands before glancing up at the nearest park sign to determine her location. Des watched her lips purse into a pout, and he inhaled a sharp breath. His heart threatened to beat itself right out of his chest.

  It cannot be.

  He froze in the patio chair while his gaze lingered on the stranger walking across the ornately decorated stone plaza. It had been two centuries since Des encountered one of his soulmates, but the pull was undeniable. No matter how much time had passed since they met one another, the deep attraction was still there. It was always there.

  Even after all this time.

  Shaking his head, Des willed himself to get his thoughts and emotions together. He knew it was not a coincidence that he ran into his soulmate. Throughout the centuries, every encounter was preordained and arranged by The Creator.

  At first, Des praised the endless second chances to reconnect with his long-lost love. Though time passed and she inhabited a different body, the woman inside was always kindhearted and loving. Des cherished each time he met and fell in love with his soulmate.

  But that did not wash away the horrific guilt and debilitating sorrow he still carried with him. After numerous tragedies resulting in the untimely deaths of his beloved soulmate, Des decided he had enough. Solidifying his and his brothers’ places as the strongest immortals on The Council was not enough motivation to risk the impending lives of his reincarnated soulmate. Des believed himself to be cursed and strove to avoid meeting another one of his soulmates. It had seemed to be working… until that moment.

  Now that he saw her, Des understood the cause of his unease that morning. Even though his head did not know she was near, his soul did. And his soul dearly wanted to meet its other half.

  Des’ heart continued to pound against his ribs as he watched the young woman maneuver gracefully through the crowd. He heard her melodic voice murmur apologies when she bumped into someone.

  She’s American, he realized as he listened to her accented English. He watched her smile kindly at a man as he lifted his hat in acknowledgment. Her smile was breathtaking.

  The woman neared the edge of the plaza and was steps away from disappearing down the path towards the inner gardens. Without thought, Des stood from his chair, sending a screeching noise across the patio. He barely registered the dismayed grumblings behind him.

  Reaching into his back pocket, he withdrew his wallet and threw a large bill down on the table before exiting the café. He didn’t even pick up his coffee. The thought hadn’t crossed his mind. All he cared about was making sure he did not lose sight of the young woman.

  Despite Des’ desire to avoid encountering his soulmate, he could not convince himself his actions were unwise. His past was littered with too many tragic deaths of innocent young women whose only crime had been being his destined soulmate. He had vowed to never pursue meeting another companion, but now that she was in front of him, he simply could not resist.

  I’ll just give myself one day. I don’t even need to speak with her. I just want to see her.

  Winding through the plaza, Des made it to the other side in record time. He looked down the path the woman had taken, but he could not see her. Des picked up his pace. He wished he could transport to the other end of the path, but he could not risk it with so many humans strolling around the park.

  Finally, he reached the end of the pathway which opened up to a roped-off area. The semi-isolated lawn hosted a variety of antiquities for visitors to observe. The young woman stood on the far side of the ropes examining a deteriorating column.

  Before he could second guess himself, Des walked around the area until he stood two feet behind her. Just as he opened his mouth to address her, a gust of air blew back her pony tail. He inhaled sharply as he was hit with the smell of her shampoo. Des closed his eyes and willed himself to gain control of his reactions.

  You can do this. Do not let every detail affect you. Speak with her so you can be done with it and leave her be.

  The internal dialogue continued for another moment until Des was convinced he could interact with his soulmate in a normal fashion. The last thing he wanted was to appear odd.

  Exhaling, he parted his eyelids and was greeted with two wide blue eyes examining his expression.

  The moment she realized his eyes were open, the stranger’s cheeks turned pink. Des thought the reaction was adorable.

  “Are you alright?” she asked. Her voice cracked slightly.

  When he didn’t say anything immediately, she added, “You were standing so still. You looked sick.”

  Des’ lips twitched. He could tell she was uneasy, but she did not let that stop her from speaking boldly.

  Definitely an American.

  “Slight headache. Nothing serious.” Des watched her react to the sound of his voice. He knew what she must be feeling. He, too, experienced the strange recognition and increase of his heart rate when he heard her speak. Whereas he knew it was a result of their souls’ connection, she had no idea why she had such a strong reaction to him.

  “Well… that’s good.” She shifted her stance and glanced over his shoulder, ready to escape.

  “I detect an accent,” he said quickly. “Are you from America?�
�

  Her gaze returned to him, threatening to hold him in place for eternity. “Yes. And you? Where are you from?”

  Des grinned. “Here. Greece.”

  “Oh!” Her face illuminated. “You’re a local? Thank goodness. Maybe you could help me read this map?” She held out the folded paper in demonstration. “I can’t make any sense of where I am, and I need to get back to the main entrance to walk to the Parthenon.”

  Des took the offered map and refused to react to the sensation of her fingers brushing against his. “Of course.”

  He pretended to examine the map. In truth, he’d visited Athens so much throughout the years, he knew the way to the Parthenon off the top of his head. But he needed time. While he pretended to look, he tried to come up with something else to say. He did not want to let the young woman go on her way without learning more about her.

  Reaching a potential solution, Des lifted his gaze. He was pleased to note her eyes were trailing over his body, taking in his appearance. Surprisingly, he felt a tad bit insecure. He knew he was good looking; he and his brothers were never short of female attention in their long lives, but this woman wasn’t just anyone. She was the one. His base instinct yearned for her approval.

  After another moment, she noticed his attention. She smiled sheepishly. “Any idea?”

  “Yes, but I have a proposal.”