The Beloved

R. L. Marcelain

Description

In 1860s London, Hunter’s wife is murdered, and he becomes a vampire obsessed with revenge, but his long journey of immortality has only just begun and may have widespread ramifications.
In the 1860s, Hunter Eldridge is a military veteran with a tumultuous homelife and a fraught relationship with his father. When he returns to London, Hunter reluctantly visits the family bookstore, dreading an encounter with his loathsome father. Upon entering he sets eyes on the enchanting Eliza Carlisle. They fall deeply in love—soul mates to the core—and spend fifteen years happily married before tragedy strikes.
On Hunter’s birthday, after enjoying a wonderful night with family, he and Eliza are out for a leisurely stroll when a horrific creature of the night attacks them. Eliza is murdered, while Hunter is transformed into a vampire. In this new state, he finds a mentor in his father’s peculiar business partner Garret Wilkins. Hunter also eyes a suspect in his tragic attack and vows revenge.
Over the next century, Hunter must rebuild his life as an immortal. He is lucky enough to find love again after years of loneliness and despair. Endless time allows him to unravel the mystery of reincarnation, while struggling with a darker side of himself. In Hunter’s continued thirst for vengeance, he realizes death is only the beginning as he reveals a small piece of a bigger event that is about to grip the country.

Sujets

• Love
• Love (disambiguation)
• London
• Fiction
• reincarnation

Informations

• Publié par: Archway Publishing
• Date de parution: 15 décembre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665735292
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE BELOVED
 
 
 
 
 
R. L. MARCELAIN
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
Copyright © 2023 R. L. Marcelain.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
 
 
Archway Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.archwaypublishing.com
844-669-3957
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
 
ISBN: 978-1-6657-3530-8 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-3529-2 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022923156
 
 
 
Archway Publishing rev. date: 12/13/2022
CONTENTS
Prologue
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
Epilogue
Special Thanks
 
 
 
 
 
 
True love is a rare gem, real blessed are those find it. Not many are in pleasure o f it.
Uda ya N.
PROLOGUE
Life can be so unpredictable. Humanity, I have realized, can be so blinding. A person never considers when something might happen, how one event can change their eternity or destiny. Never in my existence did I believe that life could end as it did. Shocking was the truth. The horror of that night and by whose hand death came. Though I have not seen that blood-sucking parasite in many decades, I still remember the pain and tragedy she caused. Losing my first love and my soul the same night felt like my heart was being crushed under a thousand pounds.
Everything we ever had died that night. My rebirth through fire and blood did nothing to quench the pain of losing not only my soul but also my love, my life, my entire world at that same moment. It became a never-ending agony for years. There was once a time where I thought that I had found it. I realize now that it was not meant to be. As lovely as she was, and as happy as I thought I felt now, it was not true everlasting love. So many secrets she kept to herself, so many hidden truths that she took to her grave. It took my stepdaughter coming of age and into her power for the truth to be revealed of who she truly was. Many decades have passed since that moment in my life, and here I am, alone again. I decided to concentrate on my birthright, and my company endeavors, with the hope of finding peace in my heart again.
It is the year 2008. It’s been well over a century since the fates changed my life in ways I never thought possible. There are moments like today when I look back on my human life. The world continues to evolve and advance in frightening ways. I miss the simpler times during my human life. It was so pleasant and full of love. Now everything felt complicated. Sometimes I just want to have a break from it all. I want to find a way to go back into the past. So many what-ifs. What if my wife and I had never stayed in England? What if we’d never settled down in London? Would she be alive? Would my life not have changed? She desperately wanted to travel, and I never gave her the opportunity. I was so preoccupied with my own success as a business owner that I never made time for her dreams. Some days it still eats at me. I can never correct my mistakes. I live every day with that shame and guilt. The only solace I could give her spirit was taking her with me when I relocated to America.
When I relocated to Ithaca, New York, I bought a country estate and buried her under an oak tree, fulfilling her dreams in one manner. I no longer live there. However, I still visit the property occasion. It is days like this when I feel a sense of peace. I feel Eliza’s spirit with me, I feel a gentle hand caresses my cheek, and a light breeze moves through my hair. I wish I could dream so I could see her once again.
The years evolve, and society changes. With this so does my stature in the public eye. My name, Hunter Eldridge, in the last several decades has grown to celebrity status, and I was surprised to be named most eligible billionaire bachelor by People magazine.” I’m deeply moved that the magazine even took notice of me. Being in the spotlight does have its strain, the damned paparazzi are very annoying, but I am happy about my accomplishments. The small store that my father left me has exploded into a corporate chain. The bonus was a partnership with Starbucks in most of my stores. Ten years ago, I was blessed to open a publishing house as well. E. H. Publishing has had success with multiple top-selling books and won numerous awards.
I’m grateful for my success and the benefits packages that accompany it, but were I being honest with myself, I’d admit that I feel empty. It has been several decades since I felt a woman’s embrace. I pray that I will one day feel that heavenly touch, if God wills it. I stare out the balcony of my penthouse, gazing at the view of the Chicago skyline. As I’m nearly finished with my mug of coffee, the alarm on my iPhone 8 beeps, letting me know the time currently is nine in the morning.
“Time to head to the office,” I said to myself. I stand from my reclining sofa and make my way back inside. “Good morning, Mrs. Fuentes,” I greet my housekeeper.
“Good morning, Mr. Eldridge, how are you this morning?”
“I am doing well. How is the family? I hope your daughter is feeling better.”
She smiles and updates me about her daughter’s surgery as I sit at the counter waiting for her to finish making the coffee. Once finished, she sets the mug down in front of me. Dark roast coffee with caramel creamer and six spoonfuls of sugar, just how I like it. I thank her for the beverage, and she informs me that she is going to start the laundry as she walks out of the room. Once I am finished, I enter my en suite bathroom. The room, I reconstructed as a wet room. There is a glass wall that separates the shower from the bathtub. The bathtub is rectangular, resembling a miniature pool, with steps on either side for easy access. There are heating jets that can be remotely turned on.
Someday I hope to share that tub with a special woman. I shake those thoughts out of my head as I strip down and step into my shower. The back wall is paved in stones, with a waterfall-style shower head pouring from it. I stand under the water, trying to push the depressing thoughts from my mind. I do everything I know of to relax myself under the stream of water. This may be my birthday, in more ways than one, but I will not let my mind become crowded with grief and loss. I need to keep looking forward.
Once I’m finished with my ablutions, I dress in my favorite cream-colored shirt, paired with charcoal pants and suit coat, finished with a power tie. I gather my business bags and documents together, and I quickly stop by my private office connected to my bedroom. I open my private fridge and grab a bottle of O negative. After I securely stash it in my office bag, I say a farewell to my staff and head to the lower parking garage. I quickly locate my Audio R8 Spyder. I love this car. Silly, I know, but I feel like Tony Stark driving it. I pull out of the underground parking spot, using the remote control to lower the roof of the car.
Something happens that I don’t expect. As I pull up to the stoplight, the most addictive scent instantly steals my senses. I grip the steering wheel a bit tighter and try to ignore it. However, the moment I start to drive again, it grows stronger. This succulent perfume shakes me and makes my mouth water, pushing my physical urges into overdrive.
“What is that amazing smell?” I snarl. The beast inside of me wants to capture the owner of the heavenly scent. I take another deep breath to inhale cinnamon and vanilla. I lower the top to my car and adjust the tinted windows so no human can see me punch my steering column. I do my best to mentally fight off the urges I feel. This scent is sweetness, so sweet and pure it stirs my senses to a frenzy. I have not smelled anything so appealing.
As the aroma dominates my senses, the smell brings recognition, like a fragrance I know so well from a time long ago. Reminiscent of an era long gone. During a time of love and eternal bliss with my precious gem. Memories come to my mind. Eliza! Good God, this is Eliza’s scent. It can’t be. Could she be alive? Could she have been transformed as I? No. It can’t be. I cannot lose myself to hope. I feel her spiritual presence with me, yet the mind is powerful and can play tricks. This person! This cannot be just a coincidence. I must find this person. I need to know for sure. I drive a little further until I am able to find a parking spot. Once, I park my Audi R8, I run from the car, making sure no one is around to notice. I decide to follow the trail. I run throughout the entire city of Chicago. I’m thankful in the moment to be a vampire. We have the ability to run incredibly fast. Humans wouldn’t notice. They’d think that a strong gust of wind blew past them. It’s funny how humanity portrays us in movies and shows. Honestly, the Flash would be a perfect vampire. Yeah, we can run that fast. Humans can’t track our speed.
The overwhelmin