Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1), page 1
Dear Reader:
As I sit here writing this, I’m in the middle of drafting The King—which is about Beth and Wrath and their issues over whether to have a child. Well, it’s about a lot more than that—but that’s the crux for the pair of them. And this new chapter in their relationship makes me think about happy endings and how they really work.
Dark Lover came out almost ten years ago, and as I began to draft the manuscript, I took all the rules off the table. Whatever I saw, I was going to write, and if the work didn’t sell to a publisher, at least I had gotten to put it on the page once. Writing it was a wild ride compared to the contemporary romances I’d been working on, and all I can say was, I was so thrilled to have had the chance to tell that story. It certainly changed my life—as well as theirs, of course!
Naturally, at the end, Beth has her vampire male, and Wrath has his Queen, and everything and everyone is a-okay. (At least until the beginning of Rhage’s book, and then Z’s . . . and you get the drift.) And in a lot of romances, that’s it. The couple goes off into the sunset and lives, well, happily ever after.
(P.S. that’s an awesome thing. Part of the reason why I write the books I do is because I need an ending that has a positive slant to it.)
Back in the early days of the series, I didn’t have a notion one way or another about what anybody’s future was going to be: nuanced or Never Land? One-note happy or multidimensional real? But in Rehv’s book, I saw Wrath dealing with going completely blind and realized . . . there was a new storm brewing for him and Beth with this kid issue. Things progressed even further when the Band of Bastards arrived from the Old Country and Xcor decided he wanted to be on the throne at all costs.
Bottom line: When Beth decides she wants a child, and Wrath is confronted with all the things about being king that he hates . . . it’s a perfect storm that puts them at odds. Any young of his is going to end up right where he is: penned in on all sides by a legacy he didn’t choose and, nonetheless, can’t get out of. Meanwhile, Beth loves her mate, but she has a compelling desire for a child—one that gets stronger every time she sits with Layla, who is pregnant, or sees Z and Bella’s Nalla.
They say the basis of storytelling is conflict, and I have to say, I agree. In Dark Lover, the conflict is set right off the bat: Girl meets Guy, finds out he’s a vampire, finds out she’s a vampire. He’s a loner who doesn’t want to be tied to anything, but can’t fight the attraction. She’s fallen into a rabbit hole and doesn’t know who or what to trust—and can’t fight the attraction.
Hardly a recipe for true love, and that’s the point. Watching them triumph over all of that made for a great story—and again, several years later, as I saw certain elements in the BDB world converging, I knew it was time to spotlight them again.
I don’t think the crisis they face about children and the throne calls into question their happily ever after. Not any more than the trials and tribulations of any “real life” marriage do. Two people can be totally in love and committed to each other, and still find themselves at odds over a make-or-break like whether or not to procreate.
There are two things that make this conflict so strong: 1) Neither of them is wrong in their diametrically opposed views; and 2) The stakes for their union are dire.
I’m only halfway through the drafting at this point, but, you know, I’ve outlined everything so I’m well aware of what the outcome is going to be.
And it shouldn’t surprise you.
Love, of course, conquers all.
The question is whether they end up with a bambino at the end—and that is a keeeeeeeeeeep readdddddddddddddding!
In closing, as I look back on the last decade, I think I’ve been inordinately lucky. The Brothers are the best writing gig I could have imagined for myself, and there’s more to come, God willing! Thank you for all your support of the Brothers (and the Angels,) and for letting me do the job I love for a living.
Wishing you very happy reading,
J. R. Ward
October 16, 2013
“J. R. Ward’s unique band of brothers is to die for. I love this series!”
—New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann
“Utterly absorbing and deliciously erotic. . . . The Brotherhood is the hottest collection of studs in romance. I can’t wait for the next one!”
—New York Times bestselling author Angela Knight
Lover at Last
“Lover at Last is monumental. I loved it. It was emotional, sensual, and full of new twists and turns. This might be one that I reread over and over and have a satisfied, content feeling every time I turn that last page.” —Under the Covers
Lover Reborn
“J. R. Ward’s urban fantasy romance series is so popular I don’t think there’s a reader today who hasn’t at least heard of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. . . . I loved Lover Reborn. You won’t be able to put [it] down.” —USA Today
Lover Unleashed
“It pulls the reader in and will grip your heart. . . . J. R. Ward has created a world that I love . . . along with characters I can’t get enough of.” —Night Owl Reviews
Lover Mine
“A powerful romantic urban fantasy that lives up to the Black Dagger Brotherhood saga.” —Midwest Book Review
Lover Avenged
“The fast pace and cliff-hanger ending will have fans wishing they could start the next book right away.”
—Publishers Weekly
Lover Enshrined
“Ward has outdone herself with this latest Brotherhood novel.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Lover Unbound
“Will give Brotherhood addicts a powerful rush.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Graphic and powerful.”
—Romantic Times (top pick, 4½ stars)
Lover Revealed
“Frighteningly addictive.”
—Publishers Weekly
“It’s tough to keep raising the bar in a series, but the phenomenal Ward manages to do just that . . . awesome stuff.”
—Romantic Times (top pick, 4½ stars)
Lover Awakened
“Best new series I’ve read in years! Tautly written, wickedly sexy, and just plain fun.”
—New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner
“I found myself turning pages faster and faster—and then I wished I hadn’t, because there was no more to read!”
—New York Times bestselling author Angela Knight
“A raw, gritty tour de force.”
—Booklist (starred review)
Lover Eternal
“Hold on tight for an intriguing, adrenaline-pumping ride.”
—Booklist
“Ward’s paranormal world is, among other things, colorful, dangerous, and richly conceived.”
—Romantic Times
Dark Lover
“A dynamite new Vampire series—delicious, erotic, and thrilling! J. R. Ward has created a wonderful cast of characters, with a sexy, tormented, to-die-for hero . . . a fabulous treat for romance readers!”
—New York Times bestselling author Nicole Jordan
“J. R. Ward has a great style of writing and she shines. . . . You will lose yourself in this world; it is different, creative, dark, violent, and flat-out amazing.”
—All About Romance
“Awesome . . . a midnight whirlwind of dangerous characters and mesmerizing erotic romance. Dark fantasy lovers, you just got served.”
—New York Times bestselling author Lynn Viehl
“J. R. Ward takes you deep into her intense, dark world of vampires and holds you captive until her last breathless word . . . sure to satisfy lovers of vampire romance everywhere.”
—Affaire de Coeur (reviewer pick, 5 stars)
“It’s not easy to find a new twist on the vampire myth, but Ward succeeds beautifully. This dark and compelling world is filled with enticing romance as well as perilous adventure. The Black Dagger Brotherhood series promises tons of thrills and chills.”
—Romantic Times (top pick)
The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider’s Guide
“This eclectic companion is a font of information about the Brotherhood heroes and includes everything from personal data, interviews, and deleted scenes to a new novella, Father Mine, featuring Zsadist and Bella.”
—Library Journal
By J. R. Ward
The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series
Dark Lover
Lover Eternal
Lover Awakened
Lover Revealed
Lover Unbound
Lover Enshrined
The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider’s Guide
Lover Avenged
Lover Mine
Lover Unleashed
Lover Reborn
Lover at Last
Novels of the Fallen Angels
Covet
Crave
Envy
Rapture
Possession
Dark Lover
A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood
J. R. Ward
A SIGNET BOOK
SIGNET
Published by the Penguin
Penguin Group (USA) LLC, 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014
USA | Canada | UK | Ireland | Australia | New Zealand | India | South Africa |China
penguin.com
A Penguin Random House Company
Published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) LLC. Previously published in a Signet Eclipse edition.
Copyright © Jessica Bird, 2005
Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.
REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA
ISBN 978-1-101-12843-5
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Version_5
Dedicated to:
You, with awe and love.
Thank you for coming and finding me.
And for showing me the way.
It was the ride of a lifetime,
the best I’ve ever had.
Acknowledgments
Thank you so very much: Karen Solem, Kara Cesare, Claire Zion, Kara Welsh, Rose Hilliard.
To my Executive Committee: Sue Grafton, Dr. Jessica Andersen, Betsey Vaughan. Burning up the Internet, the phone lines, and the Hutchins and Seneca Park ring-arounds with you has kept me focused, sane, and smiling.
With love to my family.
Glossary of Terms and Proper Nouns
Black Dagger Brotherhood (pr. n.) Highly trained vampire warriors who protect their species against the Lessening Society. As a result of selective breeding within the race, brothers possess immense physical and mental strength as well as rapid healing capabilities. They are not siblings for the most part, and are inducted into the brotherhood upon nomination by the brothers. Aggressive, self-reliant, and secretive by nature, they exist apart from civilians, having little contact with members of the other classes except when they need to feed. They are the subjects of legend and the objects of reverence within the vampire world. They may be killed only by the most serious of wounds, e.g., a gunshot or stab to the heart, etc.
blood slave (n.) Male or female vampire who has been subjugated to serve the blood needs of another. The practice of keeping blood slaves has largely been discontinued, though it has not been outlawed.
the Chosen (n.) Female vampires who have been bred to serve the Scribe Virgin. They are considered members of the aristocracy, though they are spiritually rather than temporally focused. They have little or no interaction with males, but can be mated to warriors at the Scribe Virgin’s direction to propagate their class. They have the ability to prognosticate. In the past, they were used to meet the blood needs of unmated members of the brotherhood, but that practice has been abandoned by the brothers.
doggen (n.) Member of the servant class within the vampire world. Doggens have old, conservative traditions about service to their superiors, following a formal code of dress and behavior. They are able to go out during the day, but they age relatively quickly. Life expectancy is approximately five hundred years.
the Fade (pr. n.) Nontemporal realm where the dead reunite with their loved ones and pass eternity.
First Family (pr. n.) The king and queen of the vampires, and any children they may have.
hellren (n.) Male vampire who has been mated to a female. Males may take more than one female as mate.
leelan (n.) A term of endearment loosely translated as “dearest one.”
Lessening Society (pr. n.) Order of slayers convened by the Omega for the purpose of eradicating the vampire species.
lesser (n.) De-souled human who targets vampires for extermination as a member of the Lessening Society. Lessers must be stabbed through the chest in order to be killed; otherwise they are ageless. They do not eat or drink and are impotent. Over time, their hair, skin, and irises lose pigmentation until they are blond, blushless, and pale-eyed. They smell like baby powder. Inducted into the society by the Omega, they retain a ceramic jar thereafter into which their heart was placed after it was removed.
needing period (n.) Female vampire’s time of fertility, generally lasting for two days and accompanied by intense sexual cravings. Occurs approximately five years after a female’s transition and then once a decade thereafter. All males respond to some degree if they are around a female in her need. It can be a dangerous time, with conflicts and fights breaking out between competing males, particularly if the female is not mated.
the Omega (pr. n.) Malevolent, mystical figure who has targeted the vampires for extinction out of resentment directed toward the Scribe Virgin. Exists in a nontemporal realm and has extensive powers, though not the power of creation.
princeps (n.) Highest level of the vampire aristocracy, second only to members of the First Family or the Scribe Virgin’s Chosen. Must be born to the title; it may not be conferred.
pyrocant (n.) Refers to a critical weakness in an individual. The weakness can be internal, such as an addiction, or external, such as a lover.
rythe (n.) Ritual manner of assuaging honor granted by one who has offended another. If accepted, the offended chooses a weapon and strikes the offender who presents him or herself without defenses.
the Scribe Virgin (pr. n.) Mystical force who is counselor to the king as well as the keeper of vampire archives and the dispenser of privileges. Exists in a nontemporal realm and has extensive powers. Capable of a single act of creation, which she expended to bring the vampires into existence.
shellan (n.) Female vampire who has been mated to a male. Females generally do not take more than one mate due to the highly territorial nature of bonded males.
the Tomb (pr. n.) Sacred vault of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Used as a ceremonial site as well as a storage facility for the jars of lessers. Ceremonies performed there include inductions, funerals, and disciplinary actions against brothers. No one may enter except for members of the brotherhood, the Scribe Virgin, or candidates for induction.
transition (n.) Critical moment in a vampire’s life when he or she transforms into an adult. Thereafter, they must drink the blood of the opposite sex to survive and are unable to withstand sunlight. Occurs generally in the mid-twenties. Some vampires do not survive their transitions, males in particular. Prior to their transitions, vampires are physically weak, sexually unaware and unresponsive, and unable to dematerialize.
vampire (n.) Member of a species separate from that of Homo sapiens. Vampires must drink the blood of the opposite sex to survive. Human blood will keep them alive, though the strength does not last long. Following their transitions, which occur in their mid-twenties, they are unable to go out into sunlight and must feed from the vein regularly. Vampires may not “convert” humans through a bite or transfer of blood, though they are in rare cases able to breed with the other species. Vampires can dematerialize at will, though they must be able to calm themselves and concentrate to do so and may not carry anything heavy with them. They are able to strip the memories of humans, provided such memories are short-term. Some vampires are able to read minds. Life expectancy is upwards of a thousand years, or in some cases, even longer.
CONTENTS
Letter to Readers
Praise
Also by Author
