Book Description: Aleesia’s keeping a secret from her boyfriend, the general of the human army. To make matters worse, she catches the eye of the Prince of Delvin, a dangerous Cat Demon, nicknamed the “Bloodlust Prince” by his human foes. He wants to take her as his bride and won’t take “no” for an answer. Both men despise each other, but both seem to love her. But which one’s telling the truth? Or are they BOTH playing her?
Excerpt from Bloodlust Prince: Trouble on the Mountain: Meeting the Bloodlust Prince
Ghant’s Mountain
Feeling the wind in his face, Andrew smiled as it tousled his blond hair. He loved being in the field and getting away from the stress at the base. There were no cell phone towers, and no annoying calls from the office.
This job wasn’t easy, but he loved the adventure. Here there were real dangers—bears, mountain lions, and the occasional hostile demon. He loved fighting demons. It not only tested his strength in battle, but it made for a good headline in the papers.
It grew dark, and Andrew and his soldiers readied to head back and turn patrols over to the night guards. But fate wouldn’t let them just yet. As they were about to pack it in, a call came in over the radio. A few demons caused a disturbance near the peak of Ghant’s Mountain, a frequent hangout for hunters and tourists.
The witnesses claimed demons preyed on tourists and set up camp near a cave a jog off the main path. People claimed Prince Auron, the most dangerous of all the demons, traveled with the group. His image struck fear in the community, and whenever he was spotted, panic would ensue. Andrew knew anything involving Auron would be trouble. The prince loathed humans.
Andrew and his men followed the path up the mountain until the glowing light of a fire welcomed them. Around it sat the group of demons, but they didn’t seem to cause any trouble. Auron was there. His black cat ears perked up through his dark curls, his nose twitching as he followed Andrew’s movements.
Auron greeted Andrew with an icy glare. The fire lit his face, making his large, blue eyes sparkle. Though Auron was taller than a normal human, from a distance he resembled one. Until his tail peeked out from behind him, like it did now.
Andrew knew getting Auron to leave wouldn’t be a simple task. He didn’t want to deal with this, and the prince caused him to miss his plane home.
Andrew ran his gloved fingers through his dusty, blond hair and forced a sigh. He dismounted his horse and his boots tossed up a small cloud of dust when they hit the ground. His hand rested on the shotgun hanging on his back. He glanced at the muddied jeep parked near the path and wondered how the demons drove it up here. Instead of contemplating it any further, he shifted his attention to Auron.
Andrew observed his men, who hadn’t dismounted their horses. They stared wide-eyed at the prince and their hands tightened on the reins as if they prepared for a hasty retreat.
Auron whispered something into his companion’s ear. A Rabbian, the demon had tall white ears like a rabbit, his facial features human except for his flat nose. The demons shared a laugh. The rabbit man cooked on a small camp stove and stirred the contents in a pot.
“Excuse me, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but—” Andrew approached Auron and put his hands up in surrender. Andrew acted like a principle disciplining a group of boys he caught cutting class and not addressing a royal.
Andrew spoke in an arrogant tone. “You’re trespassing on private property, and I must ask you to leave. Also, that jeep is—” Andrew tried to lecture them about having a vehicle on a footpath, but Auron cut him off.
“Okay.” Auron kicked rocks at his feet in anger. “You asked.” His ice-blue eyes seemed to glow in the darkness, the black war paint around them stressing their unique color. “Now get back on your little horsey there and return to the city.” He gestured to Andrew’s soldiers, his fangs kissing his bottom lip as he spoke.
“It’s dangerous out here at night, so you ladies better leave before the real monsters come out.” Auron crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. He didn’t comply, and Andrew knew his calm mood would turn deadly if Andrew didn’t tread with caution.
“Come on now. You know the rules. No camping or vehicles on the path. It’s a safety issue.” Andrew held his ground as he pointed a thick-gloved finger toward their fire. “Put that out, and be on your way. We don’t need any trouble here tonight. I’m only—”
“Trouble?” Auron growled as he took a step closer to Andrew. His lip curled to flash his fangs as he picked a fight. “Who’s causing trouble? We’re just stopping to have supper after a long day of hunting on the mountain. Is there something wrong with that? As I recall, there’s no rules against it.”
“You’re demons. You can’t be here.” Andrew glared at them. “This side of the mountain is off limits to your kind. If you wish to hunt, do it on the other side. Now, pack up your things, and be on your way.”
“No.” Auron stood his ground. “You should thank us.” He circled Andrew and his tail swung behind him. “We just exterminated the monsters that prey on tourists. We did your kind a favor, and how you treat us is an outrage. I am the Prince of Delvin, and you need to speak to me with respect. How dare you treat me and my people like this? We’re not monsters!”
“Guys, I think I might need some help here.” Andrew turned toward his men and motioned for them to come forward. But they didn’t listen and stayed put.
Wrinkling his nose, Auron bared his fangs, his dark brow lowering over his light eyes. His hands went up as if he would attack, his fingers curling as a deep growl escaped his lips. He leapt at them. “Boo!”
This terrified the soldiers, and they fled. Auron held his stomach as he laughed.
“Damn it.” Running his fingers through his hair, Andrew stared in the direction his men had fled. He let out a defeated sigh and turned to Auron. “Are these the cowards joining the ranks today?” Putting his hands up in the air, Andrew scowled. “Ridiculous.”
“You humans are so weird.” Scratching his head, Auron studied Andrew’s jacket, and the metals adorning it. Stitched on his shoulder and chest was Andrew’s last name, Silverton. “You’re that new general, what’s his name?” Glancing at the Rabbian, Auron motioned for him to fill it in.
“Andrew Silverton.” The Rabbian sounded happy as he poked at the fire. His long, slender rabbit ears stood straight, his messy hair covering his eyes.
“That’s it.” There was now a more friendly tone to Auron’s voice. “So that’s who you are. I should’ve known by your cocky attitude you thought you were somebody.”
“I am somebody. I’m the General of Sargon.” He narrowed his eyes on Auron’s devious grin. “And I am the authority here in Sargon. When you’re in Delvin, then you can do what you want, but for now, you play under my rules.”
“I heard you’re a Council favorite.” Auron grabbed a stick near him and studied it. His nose twitched as he rotated it in his hand. Turning to Andrew, Auron dropped his hand to his side. “You may even make councilman someday. My father and I have talked a lot about you lately, so it’s lucky we ran into each other like this.”
“I’m glad you respect my authority.” Andrew found it hard to relax with demon company, especially a vicious Cat Demon like Auron. Andrew’s stance was rigid, his expression still that of an angry principle. “As for being councilman, I have no desire for that. I’m good at leading my troops, but I’m not good with that political stuff. I plan on being general for a long time. Leave all that brainy stuff for the guys in government.”
“I see.” Auron put a curious finger to his lips as his eyes narrowed on Andrew. He tapped his finger on his bottom lip. His fingernails were a deep black and grown out longer than a normal man’s. “So, you’re just an idiot who can flex his muscles.”
“I’m not an idiot.” Trying to brush off Auron’s last comment, Andrew changed the subject before a fight ensued. “Now, let’s come to an agreement here. I’ll let you stay here for tonight, and as long as you behave yourselves and don’t cause any trouble—”
“Have a seat, General.” Pointing with the stick to a log near the Rabbian, Auron motioned for Andrew to sit. When he didn’t, Auron grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him toward it. Auron was stronger than a human and almost brought Andrew to his knees. “I want to talk to you for a bit longer. I’d like to find out more about the new General of Sargon.”
“You want to talk?” Andrew tried to keep his tough guy persona and not let Auron’s bully attitude get to him. He wasn’t sure what Auron was up to, but from the cross expression on Auron’s face, his invite didn’t seem like a friendly one. “If that’s what you wish, your majesty.” Andrew sat with reluctance. The log was uncomfortable, so he supported most of his weight on his knees and feet.
Sitting down next to Andrew, Auron slapped him on the back. “Tell me about yourself. How do you feel about the demon community?”
“I think you’re fine. You’re just like us—there are some good eggs and some bad eggs. I have a lot of demon friends that I met since they have stationed me on the base.” Rubbing his back where Auron slapped him, Andrew tried to choose his words with caution. Without an army of men to back him up, there was no way Andrew could fight Auron on his own if he angered him.
“So, you aren’t prejudiced against us?” Auron narrowed his eyes on Andrew. He pressed his black cat ears against his head and they disappeared in his dark hair.
“What are you going to do about the demon hunters? They’re making us look like monsters. They’re coming onto my land and killing my people for no reason. Women, children, innocents who have no way of protecting themselves. This has to stop.”
Auron motioned in the direction Andrew’s men ran off. “Look at your men. They ran off like little girls. It’s ridiculous how you humans see us. We’re not monsters. We’re people just like you.”
“I wouldn’t worry about demon hunters. The Council has been looking into that problem, and I’m sure they will find a solution.” Gazing into the fire, Andrew spouted a few bogus lines. He hoped Auron would buy them and end this conversation. “But even then, you can’t stop all of them. They’ll continue to hunt you behind the government’s back.”
“You don’t like us, either do you?” Never taking his eyes off Andrew, Auron’s glare was unrelenting. His nails dug into the surface of the log near his hips.
“I don’t hate demons.” Andrew pulled out his cell phone. “See here?” He held it out to Auron. “This is my girl, Aleesia. She’s a demon, too.” He wore a shy smile that showed his love for her. “She doesn’t know I know it, though. She and her family are masquerading as humans. Isn’t she beau—”
Auron ripped the phone from Andrew’s hand. “She’s an assimilator. The ones your people’s persecution forced into hiding.” Auron gritted his teeth. He studied the picture, but it was hard to see under the glow of the fire. “What kind of demon is she? I can’t tell from this picture.”
“I’m not sure. She’s got big ears.” Andrew chuckled and pretended to put bunny ears on his head. He wiggled them in play before letting them rest on his knees. “And a fluffy tail. I only saw them once, so I can’t remember much about what they looked like. Oh, but she’s just as beautiful in her—”
“If she has big ears, she’s a Rabbian like Greg.” Auron handed the phone back. “How long have you been with her?”
“About four months.” Andrew glanced at the photo before putting his cell back in his pocket. “I’m hoping for forever, though.”
“Humans can’t marry demons.” Auron’s brow lowered and slit his eyes as a growl escaped Auron’s throat. “That’s disgusting.” His evil eyes made the general cringe, but Andrew did a good job hiding it. “You can’t mix your blood with ours. Such a union is vile, and—”
“I know about all that.” Standing up, Andrew put his hands up in surrender. “Demons don’t marry humans. I get it.” He glanced over at the fire, and back at Auron. “I have some things to do before I head back to base. I wish I could stay and speak with you more, but I must be off.”
Andrew didn’t want to open an argument on intermarriage between humans and demons. He needed to end this conversation before it went that far. To a demon, it was disgraceful for their kind to marry a human. But in the human world, though looked down upon, the practice became more and more common.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Auron grabbed the back of Andrew’s jacket. Taking hold of Andrew’s shoulders, Auron spun him with a rough hand. Speaking through gritted teeth, Auron got in Andrew’s face. “I didn’t say you could leave.”
The Rabbian let out a small chuckle. “You’re the guest of honor. The fun’s just beginning, General.”
H.N. Sieverding 