MIDNIGHT CONQUEST: Book 1 of the Bonded By Blood Vampire Chronicles by Arial Burnz

cadence; his blood chorused through his body, heating his skin. Breathing deep the warmth caressing Broderick’s face and nostrils, he welcomed the Hunger that rose inside him, and a familiar sting tickled over his gums as his incisors extended. His body trembled with the desire for blood. Broderick snarled at the man, all too willing to appease the Hunger within. Smiling in satisfaction, he exposed his fangs for the man to see.
    The coward widened his eyes and pushed and kicked at Broderick, trying to escape, his bloodcurdling cries vibrating through the alley. But as soon as his cries began, Broderick threw the man against the wall, silencing him. Groaning from the impact, he squirmed in agony on the alley floor. Broderick set the man on his feet, his victim now more compliant, and grabbed his face, forcing him to gaze into his eyes. Turning his face to the side, Broderick sank his fangs into the man’s throat.
    Feeding from his victims allowed him full access to the memories of their lives. Once Broderick fed from someone, they held no secrets. He learned everything about them up to the time of the feeding…and at times like these, he wished he could block some of the experiences. What horrific images Broderick witnessed! Though this man had been victimized as a child, he grew to thrive on molesting and abusing children of all ages and both sexes. And worst of all, he lorded over a small chain of children from the larger town of Strathbogie, selling their bodies for profit to demented men and women of the court, noble ranks who thrilled in the pleasure of knowing the body of a child. This child in the alley tonight was one of the few of the new chain he’d started in Stewart Glen.
    Broderick filled this man’s mind with terrifying images of hell, demons, and eternal torture—the kind of torture and abuse this man gave to these children. Broderick wanted to drain this man of the blood left in his body. And yet, before Broderick could claim his life, he reined in the Hunger and forced himself to stop, dropping the man to the dirt. Broderick drained the man of more than he should, and he guessed the recovery would be longer than usual, but he stopped feeding in time. The point of no return had not yet been reached. If the man feared his possible future, as Broderick hoped he would, he would hide away for a while to nurse himself back to health. He would live. Broderick snorted. If luck were any influence, the man wouldn’t be able to live with his sins and take his own life. Though Broderick thought the death of this man would be justice, he had no right to end his pitiful existence.
    Turning to the lad, Broderick stepped toward him, but he crouched further into the corner. “I know this terrified you. Please believe me when I say I’m not going to hurt you.”
    The lad remained in his place.
    Broderick tried for a second time, but no attempts to win the lad over prevailed. He couldn’t leave the child with such horrific memories, though. Like a snake striking, Broderick snatched the lad from the shadows and held him in his arms. Before the boy could realize what happened and cry out, he pressed his palm against the lad’s forehead and closed his eyes. With careful concentration, he lulled the child into a deep sleep.
    “Remember nothing, laddy,” Broderick whispered, wiping the experience from his mind.
    Easing the child’s limp form to the ground of the alleyway, Broderick assessed his wounds. Taking his dagger from his sporran, Broderick sliced his palm open and applied his immortal blood to the child’s sores like a liniment. In moments, the wounds healed as if they’d never been there. Broderick’s cut healed with the same speed, and he reopened the lesion more than once to continue to administer to the injuries. Once finished, Broderick put the lad back into the corner with a gentle hand, curling him up into a decent sleeping position, and then placed a few billon pennies in his pocket. The lad would