Excerpt 1:

Dusseldorf, Germany—Seventy years ago

Estefan’s stomach flipped like an acrobat in a traveling show. Although this wasn’t the first time he’d encountered a vampire, it was the first time he was alone. His friends Adria and Cardin waited nearby, but anything could happen before they reached him.

The tall blond vampire’s easy-going smile was disarming. Golden flecks in his hazel eyes reflected a calm air. His hand caressed Estefan’s cheek. Nothing like the vicious, blood-crazed creatures Estefan had met before.

Estefan’s mission was clear—albeit a little insane—let the vampire feed from him, transform him. Estefan tried to suppress a shiver of fear.

“You like my touch?” the creature whispered.

With a hard swallow, Estefan nodded. An even more terrifying idea—he wasn’t lying. The gentle touch sent desire combined with terror curling through his body. Torn between warring needs, he’d rather be facing the vampire—demon as Adria called them—with a strong sword. But Adria’s over three hundred years of experience and research spoke of a final cure, able to rid the world of all vampires. Estefan was here to try to become that cure—the Rememdiu.

“My name is Karl.” His thumb brushed Estefan’s lips.

Out of instinct, Estefan kissed the calloused pad. Slow-building need tightened his groin and thickened his cock. If he’d not known Karl’s true nature, Estefan would have been hard and aching at the idea of sex with the tall, muscular man. Then again, fear could be a powerful aphrodisiac, as well.

Karl leaned over. His mouth brushed Estefan’s forehead. “You’re so beautiful.”

Estefan’s chest tightened. Only his first love Renaldo had ever told him that. His first betrayal had been at Renaldo’s hands as well, a small voice reminded him. As Karl’s lips kissed a path down Estefan’s nose, he pushed aside painful memories and concentrated on the present.

The present included allowing Karl to drink from him, transform him.

Kisses fluttered past Estefan’s mouth with teasing touches. Soft lips nibbled at Estefan’s throat. In spite of his increasing fear, Estefan’s cock continued to rise, tightening against the buttons of his trousers. He waited for the painful bite but it didn’t come.

Instead of feeding, Karl pulled away. His eyes almost glowed in the dim light of the dingy room. “I want you.” His fingers found Estefan’s hair. With a tight grip, he held Estefan’s head as their lips met.

Opening to the rough kiss, desire overrode fear. Estefan melted against the hard body. Karl’s thick cock rubbed against Estefan’s stomach through their trousers. Maybe Adria was wrong and Karl wasn’t a vampire.

A warm tongue swept through Estefan’s mouth as one of Karl’s hands gripped his ass.

With a soft moan, Estefan wrapped his arms around Karl. His fingers clutched the soft linen shirt. His heart thumped a wild staccato beat as he flexed his hips against the bulge of Karl’s cock, returning his kiss with enthusiastic fervor.

“Anxious, are we?” Karl chuckled.

“Yes…” In so many ways. If Adria was right, Estefan’s destiny lay in the arms of this creature. Since his fateful encounter with Cardin over fifteen years ago, Estefan hadn’t aged. He still looked the same as he had on that day—barely twenty. As a Watcher, he could possibly live forever—young and healthy. Like the creature making love to him.

Except a Watcher didn’t feed off the blood of humans.

Estefan pulled his thoughts back to the task at hand. The vampire must feed from him, drain him, for the transformation to take place. The warm caresses and passionate kisses weren’t exactly what Estefan expected from the process.

A calloused hand slid down the back of Estefan’s trousers. Hard kneading of his ass teased his anus. Intense desire threatened to overwhelm him.

For the last fifteen years, Cardin had been his only lover. Although Estefan loved him, his feelings were more a deep friendship. A convenient relationship for both of them. They both were destined to never age. No need to explain or worry about leaving someone behind.

The simple newness of Karl’s body against him had Estefan boiling with desire. Letting his guard down was dangerous but only added to his excitement. Need crawled over his skin like a nearby bolt of lightning. Estefan slipped an arm around Karl’s neck, holding him close as he matched his ravenous kisses.

The tall creature tightened his grip on Estefan, almost to the point of pain. Lifted from his feet, Estefan wrapped one leg around Karl’s thigh. His body moved with short, awkward thrusts. The desire to get closer, move with him, against him made Estefan lightheaded.

Pressed onto the small bed, Estefan moaned as Karl’s weight covered him. “Yes…”

“I want inside you…” Karl’s whisper teased Estefan’s ear. His thick cock rubbed through the layers of clothing.

“Oh yes…” Estefan held on when Karl tried to pull away.

A curious look narrowed Karl’s hazel-eyed gaze. “Clothes… Need to remove them.” A slight smile curled his lips.

Estefan released his hold. As a Watcher, his strength surpassed humans, matching the superior force of a vampire. Fear of discovery cleared some of the sexual fog clouding his mind. He needed to be careful.

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Excerpt 2:

Estefan’s sense of their prey was different. Something didn’t feel right.

Cardin led Estefan from the east while Adria and Roger approached from the west. Estefan’s ears strained for a sign of the crazed killer. Noise from traffic on Interstate 55 through Memphis distracted him.

Darkness hid nothing from his sight. To a Watcher, as well as a vampire, night was as bright as day, even on a cloudy one like tonight. Approaching the two-story structure, Estefan could see every detail.

Constructed over a hundred years ago as a hospital, the stately old building was in a serious state of disrepair. Weathered paint peeled from old bricks. The wraparound porch was decrepit and falling apart. Crossing the old wood without alerting the occupant could be difficult. The high metal fence should have kept intruders out. Someone with incredible strength had pulled the chain on the rusted gates into loose links. Even without his sense of the rogue vampire, the torn metal assured him they were close to the killer.

Holding up his left hand, fist clenched, Cardin signaled Estefan to wait. His right hand clutched a samurai sword. The only sure means of killing a vampire was the same as a Watcher—decapitation.

Estefan ducked behind a nearby tree, fingers tight around the hilt of a well-maintained cavalry sword, while Cardin crept across the twenty or so yards of open space.

“Cardin, are you in place?” Roger’s voice whispered in Estefan’s ear.

The earpieces were a new addition to the Watchers’ arsenal. As a former Secret Service agent, Roger had a fondness for gadgets. The small headset and microphone allowed continuous communication with his teammates.

“Almost.” Cardin paused near the porch. After a quick scan up and down the length of the building, he motioned Estefan forward.

Estefan hurried across the yard, stopping a few feet down from Cardin. Crouching in the dark, damp soil, he concentrated on the distracting awareness of the vampire.

The muggy heat of Memphis in August created a sheen of sweat across his face and down his back. In spite of the temperature, a shudder shook Estefan down to his bones. Realization struck him. Tapping the unfamiliar earpiece, he whispered, “There’s two of them.”

“Damn…he’s right,” Adria growled. “We should back off and wait.”

Cardin nodded at Estefan. “Four of us could take one rogue but two?”

If the killer was insane, his madness, fueled by frequent feeding and added adrenaline, would guarantee him incredible strength. As Estefan turned to retrace his steps, a loud crash echoed through the night. The clash of metal on metal and the protesting creak of the old wooden porch sent Cardin running around the corner. Estefan followed on his heels, sword raised.

The two vampires fought, their blades almost invisible flashes of speed. The sword blows sent sparks flying across the worn boards. For a split second, one of them met Estefan’s gaze. The bloodshot eyes were bright with madness. A toothy grin revealed long, sharp canines. The man personified darkness—hair as dark as night and eyes like coal. Dark stains covered the creature’s light-colored shirt. Torn material revealed chiseled muscles.

His insanity fueling his strength, he had the upper hand over his blond opponent. Each blow forced the other back a step.

A shiver of terror tore down Estefan’s spine. Gripping his sword, he edged forward, keeping Cardin’s approach in his peripheral vision. Movement to his right made him glance away from the vicious fight.

Adria raced toward them, her machete raised in defense, with Roger right behind her.

The two vampires turned in their fierce dance, revealing the blond’s familiar face—Estefan’s one-time vampire lover Karl. Tight emotion outran Estefan’s fears.

Wood splintered, shards flying as Karl’s leg crashed through the wooden deck. Trapped, Karl was helpless against a renewed onslaught from his attacker, but his sword kept flashing in his defense.

Without considering the danger, Estefan leapt over the railing then rushed the mad creature.

“Estefan, no!” Adria’s cry couldn’t stop him.

The first blow served up by the crazed creature jolted Estefan’s arm to the bone. After the third, numbness hampered his fingers. Estefan expected the next blow to disarm him. Instead, someone shoved Estefan hard, slamming him against the wall.

Free from his rotten wood trap, Karl’s sword took hit intended for Estefan. “Damn, you—” Karl grunted between strikes. “Die already!” Lifting his leg, he kicked the insane vampire in the stomach.

The dark creature fell backward, off balance.

“Finally!” Karl rushed for the killing blow, but the creature regained his stance.

Leaping over the railing, the rogue vampire raised his sword in one parting blow.

“No!” Cardin’s grief howled in the night against the sound of rushing traffic on I-55.

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Literary Nymphs Reviews

Rating: 4.5 Nymphs

Reviewer: Scandalous Minx

Excerpt of Review:

"Ms. Kersten’s story has action, suspense, and sexual encounters that intertwine basic need, passion, love and devotion. This is a wonderful installment, and I have a feeling she will write, at the very least, one more book. I found the story delightful and look forward to reading more from Shayla Kersten in the near future."

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Bitten By Books

Rating: 4.5 Tombstones

Reviewer: Storm

Excerpt of Review:

"Fighting for Eternity is a sizzling love story filled with adventure, action, friendship and characters you wish lived in your neighborhood. The bonds of loyalty and love help them all to overcome the challenges they face when their world is turned upside down. The author reminds us that our own biases color our perception until it is difficult to know friend from enemy. It has a great storyline, terrific characters, and enough twists to keep you surprised!"

Read the whole review.