Discovered

Ali Whippe

Description

What would you give to be human again?

With her succubus powers, Amberleigh Miller fits right into the world of supernatural creatures who hide in plain sight among the humans. Her passion for new partners makes her a desirable companion in the city, but her true value in this world is her other, more hidden ability: she is a Holder, capable of borrowing a fellow creature’s powers for a time, rendering them completely human.

Though she should know better than to Hold for a vampire again, Amberleigh assures herself she can handle the bloodlust this time, especially given the amount he agrees to pay—just enough to buy that dream home on the beach she’s been eyeing. Besides, she’s more experienced now; she can manage a few days as a vampire without too much trouble.

But when her all-too-human client runs into trouble of his own, this succubus finds that she may have agreed to Hold way more than she can handle.

Sujets

• Fantastique
• Romance fantastique
• Bit-Lit
• Science Fiction
• Nueva York
• Horror
• Erotica
• Central Park
• Fiction
• Paranormal
• Fantasy
• New York

Informations

• Publié par: 4 Horsemen Publications, Inc.
• Date de parution: 04 juin 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781644506042
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Table o f 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





Di scovered
Copyright © 2022 Ali Whippe. All rights re served.


4 Horsemen Publication s, Inc.
1497 Main St. S uite 169
Dunedin, FL 34698
4horsemenpublicat ions.com
info@4horsemenpublicat ions.com
Cover by Valeri e Willis
Typesetting by Aut umn Skye
Edited by Sie nna Skye
All rights to the work within are reserved to the author and publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 International Copyright Act, without prior written permission except in brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Please contact either the Publisher or Author to gain per mission.
This book is meant as a reference guide. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. All brands, quotes, and cited work respectfully belong to the original rights holders and bear no affiliation to the authors or pu blisher.
Library of Congress Control Number: 20 22936705
Paperback ISBN-13: 978-1-644 50-603-5
Audiobook ISBN-13: 978-1-644 50-602-8
Ebook ISBN-13: 978-1-644 50-604-2


De dication:
For Valer ie Willis…
Thanks for letting me enjoy some time with Tony!


Chapter 1
Dinner and a review of the rules
“A few reminders,” Amberleigh tells the vampire sitting across from her, “before we get started tonight.” They have eaten a lovely dinner, enjoyed a luscious dessert, indulged in a respectable amount of wine, and settled the no doubt enormous bill. The time has come to discuss business.
Lucard gives her a long look with his deep green eyes, the vampire pushing her with his power, insisting she move forward without the bother of such details. Amberleigh feels the compulsion spill off him like a cloud, the force of his desire warring with her free will. Her succubus power perks up at the possibility of so much energy, but she pushes it back down easily. This is not her first time dealing with vampires—hence, t he rules.
She gives her dinner companion a hard kick under the table, the tip of her heel doing more damage to his perfectly ironed pant leg than to his actual body and offers a wide smile. “Stop,” she orders, “or the entire deal is off.”
“You are so serious.” Lucard frowns, rolling his eyes and running a pale hand through his shaggy brown hair. He’s dressed like any wealthy man taking a date out to a fancy restaurant: white button-down shirt, thin black tie, dark suit jacket, clearly tailored for his swimmer’s physique. Amberleigh hasn’t seen him naked yet, but she knows the type. His underwear, if he wears any, probably has a designer label, and if he is like the other vampires she’s worked with, he’s probably wearing a corset to keep his waistline tight. Some vampires never really let go of the fashion trends popular when they were alive—and Lucard strikes her as particula rly vain.
This isn’t a problem for Amberleigh. She doesn’t mind vanity. She also doesn’t mind the copious amount of money he has agreed to pay her in exchange for her services tonight. But she does mind his attitude right now, the pompous way he just tried to c harm her.
I can’t wait for him to spend some time as a human , she thinks, smiling brightly at him. It will do him some good. Maybe someone will hurt him just a little, remind him of what it’s like to be p owerless.
Lucard returns her smile with a charm that isn’t entirely due to his supernatural abilities, the look making his handsome face practically glow, and she recants. I don’t mean that. I don’t wish him ill. He’s just … a vampire who doesn’t know how to live without his powers. That’s why he found me.
“Now,” she says, beginning her reminder speech again, “the rules , Lucard.”
“Rules,” he scoffs, the century he spent in France obvious in the sound. “They are meant to b e broken.”
Amberleigh laughs. “Says the vampire planning to be human for the next three days. Are you sure you know what you’re gett ing into?”
“I’m sure I can survive a mere few days,” Lucard says flippantly. “Being human isn’t all that d ifficult.”
“No?” she prompts, leaning forward to peer at him. “Then why do you need me?”
He narrows his eyes at her, and she feels that push of power again, dangerously close, but he restrains himself this time, not imposing his will upon her. She could use her own powers of seduction to distract and calm him, but she doesn’t, waiting instead to see what he will do next. She wonders how much control he has over his abilities—a hint of what she can expect from tonight. He leans in closer, that handsome mouth curling as he speaks the warning. “Watch yourself, little Holder, lest your abilities make you careless with yo ur words.”
“We’re still having this conversation because I am not careless,” she reminds him, pushing back just as hard. “Now, again, tell me t he rules.”
Lucard sighs but holds his hand out, lifting a finger for each point. His nails are perfectly manicured. Amberleigh studies his hands, wondering how they will feel on her skin, before rallying and returning to the conversation. He’s only humoring her, but she still needs him to say it, to assure herself that this time will be d ifferent.
Everything will work out fine.
“The payment is delivered up front and is non-refundable, regardless of the experience I have. The contract begins when we leave here,” he pauses, licking his lips, “with a kiss and expires in 72 hours when we meet at your apartment, and I reclaim my powers.” This time, there is no mistaking the heat in his eyes as he pauses, then adds, “With the best sex of yo ur life.”
Amberleigh rolls her eyes, like she hasn’t heard that one before, but nods, gesturing for him to continue. When he doesn’t speak, she says, “And the fi nal rule?”
“You don’t need to worry about it,” he insists. “I have no plans to die tomorrow.”
“Well, I have no plans to spend the rest of my nights as a vampire,” she snaps, “so show up on time to take it back, or we will have a problem.”
“No problem,” he assures her, then narrows his gaze, cocking his head to the side as he examines her. “Why are you do ing this?”
“Because you’re paying me a lot of money,” she replies, thinking of the house she has seen online, the small porch and the open ocean under the sun halfway across t he world.
He shakes his head. “Yes, but why now?” He looks around the restaurant, nodding at the tasteful seasonal decorations, the red pillar candle in the center of table, the poinsettias in the corner of the room, the tree in the distant lobby. “You need a distraction for the holiday? Feeling sentimental, little succubus?”
Amberleigh laughs, shaking her head. “I need another house for the holiday,” she answers honestly, “a little gift for myself, and your proposal arrived at the perf ect time.”
“You are leaving the city?” Lucard asks. He sounds genuinely offended at the prospect.
“Oh god no,” she says quickly. “But I found the perfect little place on the Med, and I need it in my life. Helping you out right now gets me another vacation home.” She sees the interest in his eyes, but the vampire does not ask about her properties. He probably already knows about most of them, definitely the penthouse in the city and the cottage upstate. She keeps several residences, using the ones that correspond to the creature in question.
Vampires love the city, so they are easy enough to please—and Amberleigh loves having a doorman. Werewolves need open space and no neighbors, so her property outside the city suits those encounters. She has an indoor pool at the house out in Long Island, so the water fae can choose their pleasure, the converted boarding school in Millbrook for the witches who appreciate dramatic flair and access to ley lines, and the small house in Brooklyn for those who don’t want to be spotted in Manhattan. She thinks her walk-up in Midtown might still be her own secret, but she doesn’t mind too much if it isn’t. The creatures won’t try to harm her—she provides a valuable service to the community. Also, she can disarm them with a kiss, so it’s not like she’s helpless.
She watches the vampire across the table, imagining what her night with him will be like. Definitely worth the money—and the intrusion into her personal life. Lucard wouldn’t have contracted her without looking into all aspects of her life as well as relying on her reviews in the supernatural community. He steeples his hands below his chin, narrowing his gaze. “Do you not have loved ones that you want to see for the holiday?”
Amberleigh ignores the probing nature of the question, letting the vampire pry deeper into her personal life. No doubt he already knows that her brother Benjamin works as a consultant to the wealthy on Wall Street, that their parents died in a car accident three years ago, that she’s been working as a Holder since she wa s twenty.
“Because all humans care about Christmas? Maybe I’m Jewish.” She raises an eyebrow. “I can ask you the same: do you want to be human on Christmas for nostalgia or are you meeting someone’s family tomorrow and want to avoid eating their adorable nephew?”
She cocks her head, sizing up what she already knows about him: Lucard de Monteban has been a vampire since 1748, originally from Eastern Europe, and after spending a century and a half on the continent, he emigrated to