The Gifted and The Damned
(The Vampire Wars Series, Book #1)
by Dana Michelle Burnett
Blurb:
Seduction was her gift…He was her weakness…
In the small town of Corydon Indiana, witches, seers, and shape shifters live hidden from the everyday world in plain sight. They live under the constant memory of the trials of Salem and live by a code of secrecy.
Ruby Malone, the only siren ever born to her family of witches, held the hearts of many men in the palm of her hand, making her the talk of the supernatural community, but there was only one man that she wanted. Making seer Archer Wallace hers was the only thing Ruby cared about until a war between the gifted and the vampires turned her world upside down.
Suddenly, the world that Ruby knows is gone. Archer is off fighting in the war and Poe Corvus, a rebellious shape shifter with a past, tempts her to be the siren she was born to be.
Release Date:
April 7th 2015
Excerpt
I saw her
coming in my mind’s eye even before I answered the knock at the door. I opened
it slowly and there she was…My curse, my temptation, the woman I could never
forget. Ruby stood in the yellow glow of the porch light holding a large
cardboard box.
coming in my mind’s eye even before I answered the knock at the door. I opened
it slowly and there she was…My curse, my temptation, the woman I could never
forget. Ruby stood in the yellow glow of the porch light holding a large
cardboard box.
“Dad
noticed last night that some of your window panes were broken,” she said as she
hoisted the box a little higher. “I thought I’d bring you some magazines and
newspapers to fix them.”
noticed last night that some of your window panes were broken,” she said as she
hoisted the box a little higher. “I thought I’d bring you some magazines and
newspapers to fix them.”
I stared
at her, drinking in the way the light caught in her eyes and how I could see
the peaks of her nipples through her worn t-shirt. She shifted the box again
before I snapped out of my fantasy and took the box from her.
at her, drinking in the way the light caught in her eyes and how I could see
the peaks of her nipples through her worn t-shirt. She shifted the box again
before I snapped out of my fantasy and took the box from her.
“Sorry,” I
mumbled as I took the box and stepped aside. “Come on in. I’m sorry, but Melina
wasn’t feeling well. She went on up to bed. I know she’d love to see you, she
always looks forward to your visits.”
mumbled as I took the box and stepped aside. “Come on in. I’m sorry, but Melina
wasn’t feeling well. She went on up to bed. I know she’d love to see you, she
always looks forward to your visits.”
I was
rambling and I knew it. Why was this so hard? It was just Ruby. It shouldn’t be
this hard.
rambling and I knew it. Why was this so hard? It was just Ruby. It shouldn’t be
this hard.
I watched
as she walked around the near empty living room. I saw her looking around, but
I was too distracted by the sway of her hips to care about my blatant poverty.
She was beautiful in a strong, earthy way that made me forget everything else.
as she walked around the near empty living room. I saw her looking around, but
I was too distracted by the sway of her hips to care about my blatant poverty.
She was beautiful in a strong, earthy way that made me forget everything else.
“Everything
looks so different,” she said as she looked back at me with those green eyes
that pierced me right in the gut. I had a sudden vision of her naked body under
mine, our limbs entwined.
looks so different,” she said as she looked back at me with those green eyes
that pierced me right in the gut. I had a sudden vision of her naked body under
mine, our limbs entwined.
I
immediately blushed and looked away, clearing my throat before I could answer
her. “Yeah, there wasn’t much left after the war. The whole place was pretty
much trashed.”
immediately blushed and looked away, clearing my throat before I could answer
her. “Yeah, there wasn’t much left after the war. The whole place was pretty
much trashed.”
She
stepped closer, trailing her fingers across the scuffed wainscoting, “It still
feels the same though.”
stepped closer, trailing her fingers across the scuffed wainscoting, “It still
feels the same though.”
“Not to
me.” I dared to meet her eyes, but there came another flash of our naked bodies
on the floor.
me.” I dared to meet her eyes, but there came another flash of our naked bodies
on the floor.
“It
doesn’t really feel the same to me either,” she said with a teasing smile. “I
was just being nice.”
doesn’t really feel the same to me either,” she said with a teasing smile. “I
was just being nice.”
I nodded.
“Yeah, everyone is always trying to be nice. I’m sick of it actually. Doesn’t
it make you mad…The way everything has changed?”
“Yeah, everyone is always trying to be nice. I’m sick of it actually. Doesn’t
it make you mad…The way everything has changed?”
Ruby shrugged,
“It doesn’t do any good to be angry. I just try not to think about it.”
“It doesn’t do any good to be angry. I just try not to think about it.”
“I don’t
see how you can do it. All I can do is think about it.”
see how you can do it. All I can do is think about it.”
Ruby
crossed her arms under her breasts and shrugged, “If you think about it too
much it will drive you crazy.”
crossed her arms under her breasts and shrugged, “If you think about it too
much it will drive you crazy.”
I looked
up at the ceiling to keep from staring at her delicious cleavage, “I feel like
I’m already there.”
up at the ceiling to keep from staring at her delicious cleavage, “I feel like
I’m already there.”
“Poor,
Archer.” Ruby said teasingly as she reached out and stroked my hair.
Archer.” Ruby said teasingly as she reached out and stroked my hair.
I looked
back down at her and my breath caught. I loved the way she looked at me, the
way her green eyes tilted up. I looked from those feline eyes to those soft
full lips that were always mine for the taking.
back down at her and my breath caught. I loved the way she looked at me, the
way her green eyes tilted up. I looked from those feline eyes to those soft
full lips that were always mine for the taking.
Suddenly,
I had her in my arms. I couldn’t stop myself. I was kissing her and pulling her
closer, crushing her against the hardness in my jeans.
I had her in my arms. I couldn’t stop myself. I was kissing her and pulling her
closer, crushing her against the hardness in my jeans.
Her skin
was sweet as I licked at her neck. Her moans vibrated against my lips. She
clung to me, pushing her full breasts against my chest.
was sweet as I licked at her neck. Her moans vibrated against my lips. She
clung to me, pushing her full breasts against my chest.
“I’ve
waited for this,” Ruby muttered between kisses. “I’ve dreamed about it every
night.”
waited for this,” Ruby muttered between kisses. “I’ve dreamed about it every
night.”
I covered
her lips with mine, tasting her tongue as my hand slid up her side until I
cupped the weight of her breast, my thumb stroking her erect nipple through her
shirt. I could feel her shudder under my touch.
her lips with mine, tasting her tongue as my hand slid up her side until I
cupped the weight of her breast, my thumb stroking her erect nipple through her
shirt. I could feel her shudder under my touch.
No bra…She knows how to drive me wild…
She was
pulling me to the couch, pushing me down so that I was sitting there as she
peeled off her shirt and slid out of her own jeans. Naked she straddled me.
pulling me to the couch, pushing me down so that I was sitting there as she
peeled off her shirt and slid out of her own jeans. Naked she straddled me.
There it
was, another vision of us, her crying out as I thrust into her and me kissing her
bouncing breasts. Her lips against my ear brought me back to the present.
was, another vision of us, her crying out as I thrust into her and me kissing her
bouncing breasts. Her lips against my ear brought me back to the present.
“Do you
want me Archer?” She whispered, “Do you want to touch me?”
want me Archer?” She whispered, “Do you want to touch me?”
Ruby
reached out and took my hand. She held it up to her lips, her delicious pink
tongue darting out to lick each individual digit. I held my breath as she then
guided my hand between her legs and slid two of my fingers up inside of her.
reached out and took my hand. She held it up to her lips, her delicious pink
tongue darting out to lick each individual digit. I held my breath as she then
guided my hand between her legs and slid two of my fingers up inside of her.
You drive me crazy…
She rocked
against my hand, arching her back and moaning. I suckled at her pink nipples as
she burst apart again and again.
against my hand, arching her back and moaning. I suckled at her pink nipples as
she burst apart again and again.
“You’re
mine Archer.” She gasped between spasms, “You’ll always be mine.”
mine Archer.” She gasped between spasms, “You’ll always be mine.”
I didn’t
argue. I kissed her again and then watched as she surrendered to me again. All
I could think of was impaling her wetness.
argue. I kissed her again and then watched as she surrendered to me again. All
I could think of was impaling her wetness.
Oh God…Oh God…
Ruby
pulled at my shirt, pulling it over my head and then kissing me long and hard,
her tongue darting about in my mouth. She knew how to drive a man to the edge,
to take me right to the brink and then pull back.
pulled at my shirt, pulling it over my head and then kissing me long and hard,
her tongue darting about in my mouth. She knew how to drive a man to the edge,
to take me right to the brink and then pull back.
She was so
beautiful, so willing… And so naked. She rubbed her steamy mound against me.
I ached with longing, actual physical pain, with wanting her. She pulled me
down into the floor, forcing me on top of her.
beautiful, so willing… And so naked. She rubbed her steamy mound against me.
I ached with longing, actual physical pain, with wanting her. She pulled me
down into the floor, forcing me on top of her.
“Tell me
you love me,” she said as she pulled at my pants. “Tell me you love me and I’ll
make every fantasy you ever had come true.”
you love me,” she said as she pulled at my pants. “Tell me you love me and I’ll
make every fantasy you ever had come true.”
Another
vision assaulted me. I could see us making love, I could feel our bodies
touching, and then I saw the pale figure appear in the doorway.
vision assaulted me. I could see us making love, I could feel our bodies
touching, and then I saw the pale figure appear in the doorway.
Melina…
I stopped,
panting and swollen. I pushed up on my arms and looked down at her, “Ruby I—“
panting and swollen. I pushed up on my arms and looked down at her, “Ruby I—“
“I know
that you love me.” She wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me back down
on top of her. “I know that you do.”
that you love me.” She wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me back down
on top of her. “I know that you do.”
“Yes, I
love you.” I choked out as I untangled from her embrace and rolled off her.
“But I can’t do this to Melina.”
love you.” I choked out as I untangled from her embrace and rolled off her.
“But I can’t do this to Melina.”
“You bring
her up now?”
her up now?”
“Ruby…I…”
She sat up
and pulled on her clothes quickly, “Damn it Archer…Why can’t you just make up
your mind what you want. Me or her.”
and pulled on her clothes quickly, “Damn it Archer…Why can’t you just make up
your mind what you want. Me or her.”
“I did
make my mind up because I married her.”
make my mind up because I married her.”
“You are
such a bastard.”
such a bastard.”
I
hated myself for giving in so easily to my desires. I reached out to her, but
she pulled away. Before I could even get to my feet, she was out the door and
hurrying down the sidewalk.
About The Author
Dana Michelle Burnett spent most of her life writing short stories and sharing them with family and friends. Over the years, her work was published in numerous commercial and literary magazines including Just Labs, Mindprints: A Literary Journal, Foliate Oak, and many more. Her short story John Lennon and the Chicken Holocaust was include in The Best of Foliate Oak 2006.
Dana Michelle’s Spiritus Series introduced the idea of a ghostly romance and became a Kindle bestselling series. Her Gypsy Fairy Tale Series combined the magic of the Tuatha De Danann and the Irish Travellers and the first book in the series,Once, was included in the Faery Realms Multi-Author Box Set. With this new series, Dana Michelle dives into the trials and tribulations surrounded the paranormal gifted during a war with vampires.
She’s an avid reader of anything dark and romantic. Dana Michelle lives in Southern Indiana with her dancing diva daughter and an assortment of pets.
Dana Michelle loves connecting with her readers.
You can find Dana at
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Thanks for sharing the cover!