The Pledge — Jackie Ivie

THE PLEDGE, Mega Pack 2. TEN stories.

Association in the Vampire Assassin League isn't for everyone. VAL members are unemotional. Non-judgmental. Fit. Accurate with preferred weapons. Dependable. They possess excellent communication skills...

And they're vampires.

Every recruit gets told the truth. They receive immortality, but that doesn't equal eternal life. It's more like never-ending non-life. Unrelenting existence. An endless span of time. An existence of sameness.

There is one thing that might change this un-death. Mating. If they find the one created especially for them, they can expect reanimation. Cells will regenerate. Blood flows again. The heart starts beating. And passions ignite.

But they have to be very lucky.

The Vampire Assassin League is a series of stories about the lucky ones.

Mega Pack #2 contains 11-20:

#11 - WHY THESE TWO. Darryl hasn't much left to lose. A disabling wound sent him to early retirement and bitterness. He's an expert with knives, but he's never seen anything like Reika. Somebody is going to lose.

#12 - CANNOT UNITE. Jeannette is psychic. She sees things she'd rather not. Things like a gorgeous, scarred man...one with her in his sights. And trouble all around him.

#13 - LET THEM SPEAK. Devereaux is a Cajun vampire. Well-equipped for prowling the streets of New Orleans at night. Hunting. Feeding. And then the impossible happens.

#14 - NOW OR FOREVER. Len's the smart-mouthed covert operative for the league. He's seen vampirism first-hand. Doesn't want anything to do with it. Until he meets his match...an ancient vampire with some killer moves and even worse curves.

#15 - HOLD THEIR PEACE. Darcy's on vacation at an archeological site. Relic theft and murder shouldn't be on the agenda. But it's her lucky night. An avenging angel guy drops right out the sky. Her vacation just got a lot wilder, and a whole lot hotter.

#16 - DO YOU TAKE. Lucien is VAL's alchemist. A victim of the Inquisition. A follower of the dark arts. He hides from the world down in his secret laboratory. The last thing he's looking for is a mate.

#17 - THIS VAMPIRE AS. Wystan Ryn de Crecy was a knight of the realm. Steeped in valor. Chivalry. Heraldry. He knows very little about women, and likes it that way. Women are trouble. They cause trouble. And they hound him. The last thing he wants is...Rachel.

#18 - A FOREVER MATE. Sebastian Cole's afterlife is a bitter reminder. Of what he lost. And how he failed. Every night is the same. He really detests Paris. The last thing he wants is to go into the Catacombs.

#19 - TO HAVE. Prince Daron was a prince. Used to being feted. Served. He's created all the Persian palaces underground, complete with harems. After more than two millennia, his mate has appeared. And she seems angry. He just doesn't know why.

#20 - AND TO HOLD. Ruxanna is vampiric and voluptuous. And vengeful. Men are the enemy. That's why she runs a bordello. She doesn't hunt them. They come to her. And they even pay for the privilege.