Watched- A Dark Vampire Romance from The Broken Immortals (Book 7.5)

Watched

Book 7.5 of The Broken Immortals Series

Jessica White

Copyright © 2022 by Jessica White

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Thanks to Decelis, Germancreative, and Artscandare for all your help making this series come to life!

Contents

Content Warning

1. The Scent

2. My New Neighbor

3. The Watcher

4. Pictures

5. Rare Things

6. Coffee Talk

7. The Thirst

8. Today's Last Customer

9. The Butterfly

10. Burn Down the World

11. My Job

12. No Discussion

13. Sweaty and Breathless

14. Roses

15. The Balcony

16. The Faceless Man

17. One

18. The Story of my Life

19. Until Time Is No More

20. Life and Death Partners

21. A Little Problem

22. The Question

23. The Bridge

24. A New Woman

25. The Spell

26. The Bounty

27. Another World

28. The Coup

29. Cause for Celebration

30. A Proper Wedding

31. The Last Dance

32. The Firebreather

33. My Doom

34. The Portal

Content Warning

The Broken Immortals series is a very, very dark story.

This series is a work of fiction based on the lives of magical individuals that are in no way human and should not be judged by human norms. They are an entirely different species, animals, from another world with their own communities, morals, values, and traditions.

If you have any sensitivities about cursing, partner violence, stalking, gender roles, sexual taboos, patriarchal ideals, or any other type of trigger, this story is probably not for you.

But if you can handle all that-enjoy! I’m thrilled you are on this adventure with me.

The Scent

Karl

The thick smoke of his cigar sent a cloud between us, and I swatted the foggy air away as he pushed the yellow envelope toward me. At your leisure, of course, Mr. Varon. Flashing gray eyes like polished steel cut through the vanilla-scented pillar of pollution he puffed from his nose as they narrowed at me. No need to rush to erase this particular mark.

My thumb’s edge slid down the center of my tongue, and I dug my fingernail under the package flap to peek at the giant white-haired warlock’s latest vermin in need of extermination.

Like book pages flipping before my eyes, I scanned my gods’ current hit list in my mind for permission. One face among many unfortunate souls to choose from, the man Billy wished to hire my services for, stared back at me. This should be no problem at all. I dropped the photograph back inside again and gave him a nod. The matter will have my immediate attention.

Every movement I made as I rose from my seat was matched by my enormous old friend until his hand came across his desk to finalize the deal. I’m looking forward to doing business with you again, Karl. Spread out over my entire back, his hand urged me away as he escorted me from his office. Welcome to Savannah, by the way. That stinking stick of tobacco went between his teeth as his hand swept away to show me everything under his dominion now. Please, make yourself at home here.

Fuzzy bits of dust floated in the dim light filtering through the dark curtains in the lobby, shutting out the human world rushing by outside these enchanted walls of the Order. Yes, I will do that. Thank you. The door handle disappeared in his fist, and as soon as the heavy slab of wood broke its seal to open, a freight train crashed into my chest.

Though my cold heart beat steadily for centuries now, its rhythm struggled to keep a healthy pace as I gasped for air to calm the flutter.

The wind, perfumed in her delicate jasmine, moved over me. Instantly, I was taken back to my most cherished long-ago memory of the day I first laid eyes on her. My fiery-haired beloved.

All the world stood still as I came to realize who awaited me somewhere in this city, and the little voice in my head screamed out to move.

With a wave of the back of my hand over my shoulder, I stepped over the threshold into the balmy spring evening to hunt down the most beautiful creature to ever breathe. The breeze crossing my face wore her essence and beckoned me to come be at her side, as I was meant to. When the job is through, I will return. Have no worries.

Old red-brick streets lined the path to the aroma of summer flowers growing thicker to choke me. The twitching muscles of my throat spasmed even harder when I tried to swallow away the thumping in my ears. A heat like molten lava surged through my veins when I rounded the street corner until itchy tickles charged through my every nerve, commanding my feet to go no further.

The edge of the cliff where a man realizes his life will change forever is where my toes teetered until fate’s helping hand gave me a push. Whether or not I was ready for her. After all these years of wondering what happened to her, she was just on the other side of the antique wavy bookshop window. Ida.

At the little counter across from me, she slid her fingers through her bangs as she flipped to the next page of the book she wasted her time with.

Like the day we were brought together all those years ago, as soon as she caught a whiff of me standing out on the sidewalk, her piercing green eyes landed on me.

A thousand times in my head, I imagined our reunion. Though, not once did I ever picture it like this.

The cast-iron handle clicked as I shoved the latch down with my thumb until the glare from the gold band on her ring finger flickered to stop me in my tracks. From the devastation on her face when she curled her hand around the other to hide her shame, I knew she understood precisely who stood before her.

I would not allow this to be our beginning, though.

The bit of magic flowing through me multiplied with only her scent, stoking the flames of my soul. My fingertips gathered all her power as I pressed them into the glass separating us, and I said goodbye to her for now. Not yet, meine Liebe.

Those soft dark eyebrows pulled together to make her forehead wrinkle as that lightbulb in her head dimmed again. A nervous flush rose on her cheeks as she gave me a quick smile and returned to her reading. Heaviness filled my chest again as I backed away and pressed my fingers to my lips. Soon.

All the city’s dwellers were a blur on the edges of my vision while I rushed down the street, and I tossed back the Order’s door to find Billy checking over his newest shipment of wine. A too-thick eyebrow arched up at me. You are an efficient one. Aren’t you?

My palm covered the ache in my center as my other hand pointed back at the cruel world. Please, tell me everything about Ida Markle.

Both his hands glided against each other to shake off the dust from his priceless collection of reds as his eyes squinted at me. Ida Markle? The right shoulder of his long, silky white tunic jerked at me as the side of his mouth twitched. Should that name be familiar to me?

A hiss moved through my teeth while the door shut to cover us both in darkness. Sybil’s daughter. Possibly this world’s most potent witch stood not ten feet away, but I’d not be kept from what belonged to me one moment longer. The dagger that rested against my back came between us, and I glared at him from the other end of the blade. Don’t act as if you don’t understand exactly who I mean.

That mammoth nose on his face flared at me when he sighed. Are you here to kill her?

All the breath in my body left me as I growled at this sudden standoffishness and shook my head. Of course not. My finger left my knife to wag at him. But you must tell me all that’s happened since she came here. Every detail.

Though these witches were the most treacherous sort, I was even deadlier. And when he realized I’d not be leaving without the answers I sought, he tipped his ear toward his office door. Alright, but you didn’t hear any of this from me.

My New Neighbor

Ida

Astring of beeps screeched at me from the timer on the oven, and a burst of steam made me back away when the door opened. I can’t believe he’s been here all this time, and I’m only finding out about him now.

As much as anyone, I understood how challenging moving to a different country can be, and I hoped my little gift would make adjusting to this new way of life a bit easier. The man must think we are so terribly rude. For a week now, my mysterious neighbor had been living beside us, and only this morning did my husband think to tell me as I made him breakfast. And you said he was German as well?

Like he did each morning for the last ten years, Marty flipped to the sports page of the newspaper and slid his finger through the handle of his coffee cup. No. What I said was the realtor told me he was here from Germany on business. A long breath of air blew over the steaming liquid as his forehead wrinkled. Mister Varon, I think she called him.

The muffin pan came to the stovetop to settle, and my mind wandered back through the disjointed memories of my childhood. Varon? Clouded images sat just beyond my reach, and no matter how I blinked my eyes, they never sharpened to reveal the truth. Why is this name so familiar to me?

Under his breath, he laughed at me as he folded the paper and pushed the coffee away for me to clear. Because you’re both from the same general area of Europe. Of course, it sounds right to you.

The handbasket full of treats I’d prepared to welcome this stranger slid toward me, and I laid two of the cooling muffins on top. Yes, I suppose you’re right. My palms itched to warn me my day was only beginning to become interesting, and I rubbed them against each other as I squinted my eyes at him. Don’t you think another German moving here to our little neighborhood is strange? Right next door, no less?

Still tucked into his fuzzy black robe, he shrugged his shoulder at