Kidnapped

  KIDNAPPED

  Jade James

  www.loose-id.com

  Warning

  This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Loose Id® e-books are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

  Kidnapped

  Jade James

  This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Published by

  Loose Id LLC

  1802 N Carson Street, Suite 212-2924

  Carson City NV 89701-1215

  www.loose-id.com

  Copyright © August 2008 by Jade James

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including, but not limited to printing, photocopying, faxing, or emailing without prior written permission from Loose Id LLC.

  ISBN 978-1-59632-746-7

  Available in Adobe PDF, HTML, MobiPocket, and MS Reader

  Printed in the United States of America

  Editor: Heather Hollis

  Cover Artist: Christine Clavell

  Dedication

  To Heather, for being such a talented editor. Many thanks.

  Prologue

  Sierra Rand left the school and walked over to the parking lot. The night was dark and hot, but the draining heat did nothing to calm the cold anger that curled deep in the pit of her stomach. And underneath that was a thread of despair and the urge to just cry and let the tears wash her pain away. If only life were that easy. But she highly doubted that a crying fit would help her.

  From what she’d learned so far from her professor, Sin Carter, a five-hundred-year-old vampire by the name of Van Merck was the current leader of the Vampirism Covenant in the Eastern Region. The Covenant’s intention was to form unity between vampires and humans. Van worked closely with the government, and there were several branches of the Covenant throughout the planet’s nations. Professor Carter seemed to think Van Merck was fair. But Sierra had to wonder if her instructor had formed that opinion because she knew him personally, or because she’d learned about him through textbooks and lectures.

  In either case, Sierra thought that some of the vampires appeared to want to live in harmony and were making great efforts to succeed. But, like everyone else, the vampires faced challenges. United Against Paranormals, for example, was a group that contained a mixture of humans, from politicians to scientists to simple residents of Earth, whose sole objective was to get rid of all vampires, in any which way they could. That included committing atrocious crimes against them and the humans who supported them.

  Sierra had no problem with Professor Carter stating her facts or her point of view. But her disagreement stemmed from the fact that women over the age of eighteen were required to register their information into a government database, and then submit themselves to a series of personal and sexual questions, as well as physical, medical, and genetic testing. The government gave the process an accuracy rate of 99 percent. And it was all for the sake of matching two vampires with one woman, to mate. Whenever there was a compatible match between a female and two vampires, a secluded meeting at Fantasy House was scheduled. Sierra found the whole idea of selecting women for vampires to breed with to be barbaric in nature. Professor Carter claimed the choice was ultimately that of the females. But the whole idea of a program built for breeding purposes angered and sickened her at the same time. Sierra had been forced to enter her information into the database, but what would happen if her name ever came up as a possibility for a match? She shuddered at the thought as she walked across the empty parking spaces toward her car.

  Sierra had to concede that maybe some of Professor Carter’s facts and opinions were right. Her instructor had provided videotapes of women who had been matched and claimed they were happy. Others even appeared pregnant, and a few of the women already had children with them. Some had elected to go through the vampire change, while others stated that they needed more time for such a life-altering decision.

  And to provide another point of view, Professor Carter had shown videotapes of women who’d decided that the pairing was not right for them. They had calmly gone to their secluded meetings, but after discovering that the spark of sexual chemistry wasn’t there, the relationships were dissolved on the spot. Professor Carter had stated that selected women were always cared for and protected. Supposedly, no one was ever harmed. The women who were not successfully matched ‑‑ who felt no attraction and who had declined to go through with the mating ‑‑ were given a two-year reprieve from the selection process. After the two years were up, the women who were still single were retested, and their information was placed back into the database.

  Sierra also knew that vampires emanated a spicy, cinnamon-like aroma, and this was how they knew without a doubt that the person before them was a suitable mate. But Professor Carter had stated that they were still not required to have sex. Even though the scent had an arousing effect on the human the vampires were attracted to, it wasn’t an overpowering desire that made a person become mindless with pleasure, without the will to say no if they chose not to have intercourse. The aroma stimulated the person’s senses, but their mind and willpower remained intact.

  Sierra’s point was why not let the women who wanted to choose to register? As it was now, those who did not register, and were caught, were detained for two months by the Covenant. They were forced to listen to ten hours a day of lectures on vampires: from their origins to why the database had been created.

  Sierra shook her head angrily at herself as she fished in her pocket for her car keys while she walked. Even though she considered her own views valid, she was angry with herself for letting her emotions get the best of her. She could’ve stated her opinions in class without involving her feelings. She’d truly had every intention of being composed when she’d asked her questions about vampires. But now probably everyone in that classroom thought she was a lunatic, challenging the teacher with angry rebuttals or stubborn questions every chance she’d gotten.

  She was far from crazy, but drawing attention to herself like that wasn’t something she needed right now. Not after what she’d been through lately. She wasn’t some freshman straight out of high school, required to take the class her first year in college. Instead, she had chosen to sign up for it, to learn more about the vampires who were making such a huge impression on society.

  Maybe she wasn’t ready for that. Not yet. But it was better than sitting at home, and her work as a freelance accountant wasn’t something that filled her entire days. Still, making an effort to learn about vampires was proving to be too damn hard. Trusting them would be even worse. If anyone knew about how she had found her parents murdered, no one would blame her for her difficulty with the topic.

  Still, she needed to try. Even with her history, Sierra knew she needed to make an effort anyway. She couldn’t be racist and close her mind off to every vampire. That would be unfair and cruel. It wasn’t that she hated vampires. No. She just hated the one who had changed her life forever.

  But she wasn’t going to think about that right now, however, or anytime soon. She needed to get home and ready herself for work.

  Sierra reached her car and pushed the key into the lock, turning it and opening the door. A sense of foreboding washed over her, as if she was being watched. Th
e night was a little too silent, she realized, and she could swear she felt a pair of eyes on her. She swallowed tightly and swept her gaze around the parking lot, shifting her body quickly, trying to catch a glimpse of the source of her apprehension. She saw nothing. But she felt something that made her nervous, and she wasn’t going to wait around any longer.

  She slid into the driver’s seat, threw her purse in the passenger’s side, and started her car, missing the vampire who watched her from the roof of the school.

  * * * * *

  The door to his bedroom pushed open. Van Merck’s gaze drifted from the ceiling to the sexy vampire who entered.

  “Did she arrive home safely?” Van asked, pushing aside the tangled silk bedsheets.

  His cock became instantly hard at the sight of Roman Trance stripping off his clothes. His partner’s body was lean, but muscled, honed from years of mercenary work. Van could only stare at and admire his attractive physique.

  Roman walked to Van’s bed, his own cock jutting out. “Yes. I watched her from the rooftop and then followed her home.” Roman climbed onto the king-size bed, positioning himself between Van’s legs.

  Van helped by spreading his thighs, making room for Roman.

  “For a second, I thought she had spotted me, by the way she lingered at her car. And then again, at her home. It was as if she knew someone was there,” Roman stated, fisting Van’s cock and stroking the length. “I just hope I didn’t scare her.”

  Van gritted his teeth against the urge to come. “We are trying to protect her. The time for the announcement comes soon, and then she will know who we are.”

  Roman nodded and lowered his head, stopping just inches from Van’s cock. Heat radiated from Roman’s hand, sending a wave of ecstasy through Van. His lover’s hot breath slid over his cock, firing up his blood.

  Van reached over and grabbed the lube from the nightstand. Gathering his strength, he pushed at Roman’s shoulders as he got to his knees. He maneuvered Roman, positioning him flat on his back.

  Van needed him right at that moment, needed the connection only their bond would allow. “I want you,” he growled as he rubbed the lube onto his cock. The liquid had a cool bite to it, but on his hard, hot flesh it felt tingly, heightening his arousal.

  He positioned his cock against Roman’s ass, pushing slowly as the head popped in. The tightness enclosed Van like a velvet glove, and Roman groaned. The pleasure had Van’s body tightening against the urge to come. This was the connection they shared, the point where they could express their feelings freely and seal their bond with a blood kiss.

  Still, there was a hollow part in both of their hearts, and just as Van felt that miniscule part filled with blackness, Roman felt it too. But now they’d found their third. And they would stop at nothing to make Sierra theirs forever.

  Chapter One

  Sierra stared out the window in her bedroom with a mixture of desolation and wariness. The feeling of being watched last night had had her rushing to the comfort and privacy of her home. But as she’d gotten out of her car, on the verge of opening her front door, the feeling had intensified. And that had led her to believe that whoever it was who’d watched from the school had also followed her home.

  She had spent the weekend in familiar surroundings, taking comfort in the presence of her brother, Alex, when he was able to be at home. He worked the night shift at the local police precinct, and Sierra appreciated every second she could spend with her brother during the day.

  Staying at home had been peaceful, but she couldn’t hide there forever. She would have to step out into the real world again soon, and that meant possibly confronting whoever it was that had made her so terrified. But then again, it could’ve just been a one-time thing. She pushed that thought away. Thinking like that would be stupid. No one followed a person just once ‑‑ or in her case, just twice ‑‑ and she sure didn’t believe in coincidences.

  But whom could she trust? She had attempted to call Professor Carter at home, but Sierra had only gotten her answering machine, with a message indicating that she would be away for the weekend at Fantasy House. That meant that her instructor had been matched to a set of vampires. She sincerely hoped it all worked out for Professor Carter. Just because she had her own misgivings didn’t mean her teacher didn’t deserve to be happy.

  Still, someone was stalking her for a reason. She needed to find out who and why she was suddenly their focus of attention, before they caught her.

  Her doorbell rang twice in close succession, snapping her out of her thoughts. She walked out of her bedroom, headed to the foyer, and peered through the peephole. “Who is it?”

  “Special delivery for Ms. Sierra Rand.”

  She watched the delivery guy warily, assessing him to be in his early twenties. “Who’s it from?”

  “It doesn’t say.”

  Sierra unlocked the deadbolt, but kept the chain on, and cracked the door open about three inches. The man slipped a thick padded mailer through the opening. She grabbed it, and was surprised to find him walking away. “You don’t need my signature?” she called.

  He turned and shrugged. “My instructions were to deliver this right to your hands. I’ve done that. There’s nothing else required. Have a nice day,” he called back.

  Sierra closed the door and put the locks in place. She walked back to her bedroom and opened the mailer to find a small, elegant, mocha-colored velvet box. She opened it and stared at the envelope inside, then froze in shock as her body began to tremble. Welcome to Fantasy Island were the words scripted on the front.

  No!

  Sierra put her hand on the dresser in an attempt to steady herself as her vision dimmed with angry tears. Her fingers tightened around the ivory invitation she’d just received. She inhaled deeply in an attempt to control her tremulous emotions, but the effort did no good. Reality came crashing down on her in waves, and she felt helpless knowing she could not stop the inevitable.

  Memories of her past threatened to consume her. She closed her eyes as a recollection of her parents came to mind. She had left them, eager to run an errand for her high school newspaper office. And in that one hour, her life had irrevocably changed. She had found her parents drained of life, their bodies still warm.

  With great effort, Sierra managed to push the memory back. She could not concentrate on that part of her past. Not now.

  This couldn’t be happening. Not when she had a stalker to deal with. Twice, she’d caught glimpses of the man who had followed her. Who knew if there were other times he’d tracked her and she hadn’t noticed? He’d never made a move toward her yet, and he’d always kept to the shadows, as if he were content to just watch her. But she would have to worry about that later.

  Her gaze dropped down to the invitation again. The scripted words hadn’t changed. She opened the envelope with trembling hands and hitched a breath. A match had been found for her. Two vampires by the names of Van Merck and Roman Trance. And the thought of being face to face with the leader of the Vampirism Covenant sent shivers throughout her body. They were scheduled to meet with her in one night.

  It didn’t matter if she had any objections. Nor did it matter that she had never wanted to register her information in the database. All females over the age of eighteen were required to register, and she had done exactly that over three years ago. With each year that passed, Sierra had hoped it meant that she would never be selected as a mate. But the invitation now crumpled in her hand stated differently.

  These vampires were supposedly her ideal mates in every way ‑‑ physically, emotionally, and sexually. According to government and Covenant regulations, she had to at least meet with them. But Professor Carter had also reiterated the idea that the female did not have to submit to the vampires sexually. They could use the time at Fantasy House to get to know one another, without sex. But she wasn’t going to take a chance.

  Fuck the rules.

  She wasn’t going to give in that easily. She wouldn’t provide th
em with a chance to destroy her. She dropped the wrinkled invitation heedlessly onto the beige-carpeted floor.

  The urge to run was overwhelming. She forcefully tamped down the yearning. She had to write her brother a letter. Alex was at work, and she wouldn’t dare call him with her decision. With his overprotective ways, he would suggest a confrontation between him and the two vampires. Sierra couldn’t handle that. It could end up badly for her brother. He was only human.

  But she wouldn’t leave her only relative without telling him what was going to happen.

  Sierra walked over to her writing desk and pulled out her chair. She opened the top drawer and dragged out a notepad and pencil. She sat down and tried to get a hold on her scattered thoughts.

  Alex,

  I will be going away for a while. I do not know how long I will be gone. There are life-changing events that have recently occurred, and I must reevaluate the circumstances surrounding them. I apologize for being so vague, but the less you know, the better. I will contact you as soon as I’m able to.

  With Love,

  Sierra

  She ripped the note from the pad and folded it. She would tape the letter to his bedroom door and leave before he got home.

  Chapter Two

  Van watched as Roman entered his living chambers. His partner’s lips were pressed into a frown and the sight had him worried. His gut tightened, and he had to relax his hand so he wouldn’t crush the picture he was holding. He wasn’t about to get any good news. “Where is she?”

  “She’s gone.”

  He arched a brow and fisted his free hand, tamping down the sudden dread that overcame him. “Gone? I sent you to make sure she was fine. How in the hell could she be gone?”

  Roman crossed his arms over his broad chest. “And I did just that. I’ve been following her for a couple of days, leaving you free to tend to Covenant business. But she must’ve disappeared during the day. I would have never expected her to leave us, Van.”