Darkest Need: A Dark Ones Novella <— RACHEL VAN DYKEN’S LATEST!! SHE WALKS INTO HIS BAR BRUISED & BATTERED… and this one sounds right up my alley!!! And the author (as well as her publisher, 1,001 Dark Nights Press) are sponsoring today’s newsletter!!! Plus we have a really funny tidbit about the author and the worst thing she’s ever eaten (<—tee heeee!!) + a nice long teaser & a video.
The author says:
𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐛𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬?
I am so excited to let you know that 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 is now LIVE!
I loved writing Tarek’s story—he’s been patiently waiting for me to tell it! And this is the firat time that I wrote about a succubus!
Hope you enjoy Tarek & Lilith!
☆𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲: https://read.rachvd.com/darkest-need
From #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken comes a new story in The Dark Ones Saga…
I see everything. I feel everything.
I watch people fall in love. I watch them burn with hate, anger, rage, and I see the cycle repeat over and over again. I take it on every night I work at Timber, aka Anubis’s bar in downtown Seattle, and then I help the rest of the immortals keep the very intense balance between Heaven and Earth.I see everyone’s future but mine, and when I try to look, all I see is darkness, despair, need…
Until she walks into my bar with bruises on her face, getting pulled by one of the lesser demons. I do what any good bartender would do… I beat him within an inch of his life and turn my eyes to her.
By then, it’s too late.
She already has me in her grasp.
A succubus that has no other plan than to suck me clean of every inch of power that’s been bestowed on me by the Heavens.I never thought my future involved getting kidnapped and tied up or that I’d die by way of sex—then again, maybe that’s for the best. Dying at the hands of my enemy rather than being one more burden to my already mated friends.
After all, giving into one last need before death, while selfish, may be exactly what my darkness means.
My need is great.
And she’s about to find out just how much.**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**
READY TO LAUGH (or gag 🤢) WITH THE AUTHOR?
Q: What’s the worst thing you’ve eaten out of politeness?
A: PIG EAR! I had to all-caps this. I was with a rep from a vendor. They were taking us out for dinner down south, and I was like…huh, I’ll try—oh, heck no. And then I did, and all I remember is just…fat draining down my throat. Slowly.
Sidenote from Maryse: *gag* that sounds hideous!!!! Actually, I eat chicharonnes *crunchy and fluffy*) and love them and even fried pork belly (some pieces are too fatty for me but if I get a good meaty one – YUMMMMM) but none of them have that fat draining down my throat feel to them.
But I HAVE eaten something that gave me that feeling (I can’t remember what…) and it’s just ugggghhhhh *shudder* no.
And now… a teaser that she posted on her Facebook page:
Darkest Need, the next standalone in The Dark Ones Series is out October 10! Check out this teaser ❤
The Dark Ones, if you missed it, has been re-optioned for TV post writers strike…and yours truly helped with the pilot, have I mentioned the team is incredible? You can start HERE, click below, even if you haven’t read the series and you will love it, I promise 😉
The Egyptian god reaches out and touches my cheek, tilting his head curiously. “So, you’re her. Interesting. And here I thought this week would be boring. Sucked a little werewolf, did you now?”
“I was hurt.” I try not to stumble over my words as I hold on to the werewolf. “I didn’t know who he was, or that you were here, or that the King of the Immortals was…here.”
I’ve never been more terrified in my entire existence. I think. How old am I again?
He lifts my chin with his thumb. “I think I’ll enjoy this.”
I close my eyes in dread. He’s seconds away from killing me.
“Cassius,” he barks. “Take care of the trash. We don’t allow vampires who feed on innocents in my club, and I would really hate to spread blood everywhere before dinner. I’ll escort him to…” He walks up to the vampire, who suddenly stumbles back. “Where he belongs.”
Cassius smirks from behind the vampire. “And you do know where you belong when you harm any of the immortals here—or humans, for that matter.”
“Look, man…” The guy spreads his hands wide. He’s shaking. “I don’t want any trouble. Had I known she was under the council’s immortal protection, I wouldn’t have—”
“Should have never,” Timber—or his god name, Anubis—answers.
“Not even once,” Cassius agrees. “We have rules here in Seattle, in this club, and you know, just in general. Right, Prince Tarek?”
So that’s why. Makes sense. He’s one of them. I was right. He’s most likely on the council, and if he’s a prince, then he’s second to only the King of the Werewolves , which means he’s old.
Tarek just grins. “Guys, you know I had this.”
“Why does everyone have fun without me?” A voice sounds as someone kicks the door open, revealing basically the most gorgeous man alive—a male siren. Oh, perfect. I now have most of the Immortal Council in front of me. He’s been known to seduce anything that breathes. Bet he tastes good, too. He’s married, though, and has the blood of a god in him—Ra, to be specific. Apparently, none of the Egyptian gods actually died, they just started an immortal race.
There are too many powerful people here to count. Sirens. Werewolves. Angels. Gods—
And they just keep coming.Literally.
“What does it take to get a good drink around here?” The door opens again, revealing…wow. Yeah, basically the King of the Vampires. Long, jet-black hair, green eyes, leather jacket with a bloody shirt beneath it, and married with twins and another on the way.
All of it checks out.
I am in actual Immortal Hell.
Cassius. Mason. Tarek. Timber. Ethan. And our resident siren, Alex. Not to mention Stephanie and a few others. The Immortal Council, the ones in charge of making sure humans across the world are protected. The ones who work for the Creator. The ones who’ve protected our entire species from the fallen.
The only stories I know are the ones I’ve picked up from people who took pity on me after my parents’ deaths.
But they’re legends.I feel like I’m about to pass out.
Ethan sighs. “And one of my own. Unbelievable. You know, you just want one night out without responsibility.”
Alex grins. “Yes, because being a parent is so hard.”“Damn.” Mason chuckles under his breath. “Timber’s bar may never be the same after that comment.”
Ethan lunges. Alex grins, and Cassius just rolls his eyes as if he’s been dealing with toddlers—aka the Immortal Council—for longer than he can remember. He slowly whispers, “Stop.”
The entire room freezes, except for our little get-together. Everyone is literally frozen in time, save for the tiny pieces of dust in the air that slowly fall all around us.
“Alex, I swear. If you don’t stop pestering him, I will make you ash.”
Alex grins. “I live for it.”
“And yet you might die from it,” Cassius growls and spreads his arms wide, feathers shooting from his back to form giant, purple and blue wings. I stumble backward. He plucks a feather and very slowly brings it to the vampire’s neck. “We don’t harm others unless they truly deserve Hell. Do you understand?”
His pulse races; I can sense it with how my mouth waters. Tarek slowly pulls me to his side and keeps me there as if he knows I’m tempted to get my revenge and drink all the vampire’s energy but am too terrified to get close to Cassius to do so.
“I think we should let her,” Tarek says. “Let her take what he stole.”
Cassius nods his head. “And the rest of you?”
“If it makes it go faster,” Ethan grumbles. “You, Alex?”
“Blood.” Alex sighs. “So messy. Plus, Mason’s already behind the bar pouring drinks because we’re taking too long, bro.” He looks at Tarek. “Don’t you work here?”
Timber sighs. “I’ll go help. You guys deal with this. Don’t make a mess, and let me know when I need to guide him to the Underworld. Haven’t been in a few months. Kind of miss—” He stops talking. “My brother.” And now, this is where I faint as Horus, God of the Sky , just nonchalantly walks into the bar with his bleach-blond hair, gorgeous, chiseled face, ripped jeans, and no shirt.
Timber points at the sign. “No shirt, no service.”
Horus walks over to one of the frozen dancing humans, grabs the guy’s shirt from him, and puts it on. “Better?”
“Animal.” Timber laughs.
Horus just shrugs. “What sort of party am I missing? I thought it was weekly guys’ night. I’ve been busy, and that vampire looks ready to shit his pants. You good, bro?”
The vampire who attacked me actually starts peeing himself. I almost laugh, except I’m also terrified. I can’t look away from the tattoo on Horus’s face that tells everyone in existence just how powerful he is, what he is, and what he’s capable of.
“I think…” Cassius locks eyes with me. “I say we let her have some fun, take back what was stolen, and go have a drink.”
“Yup.” The rest of them walk by.All but Horus, who stops by my side and leans down at least a foot and a half away. “Break his heart, and I’ll break you.”