Arielle Immortal Resolve (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 8)

Arielle Immortal Resolve

The Immortal

Rapture Series

Volume 8

Lilian Roberts

Booktrope Editions

Seattle, WA 2015

COPYRIGHT 2015 LILIAN ROBERTS

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

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Cover Design by Shari Ryan

Edited by Wendy Garfinkle

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to similarly named places or to persons living or deceased is unintentional.

PRINT ISBN 978-1-5137-0589-7

EPUB ISBN 978-1-5137-0640-5

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015918638

 Contents

I would like to thank the people that supported my efforts to get through the last book in the Immortal Rapture series.

Thank you to my family for their continued patience and encouragement. They never stopped believing in me and my ideas.

Thank you to my Booktrope editor Wendy Garfinkle who accepted my manuscript during her busy schedule and finished promptly so I can meet my next publication date.

Thank you to my wonderful proofreader, Lydia Johnson and cover designer, Shari Ryan.

Thanks to my Book manager Sarka-Jonae Miller for her tireless support and for taking a manuscript of more than 80,000 words and crafting a brief synopsis that would give the readers a vivid peek into the story.

And finally, sincere thanks to all the friends and fans for who enthusiastically supported me, motivating me to get the series completed.

To the Booktrope friends who provided superb edits, proofreading, and cover design. Their research and support helped me achieve a successful series with strong, believable, and likable characters. I love you all!

Chapter 1

SEBASTIAN PULLED ARIELLE
into his arms, gave her a soft peck on the lips, and whispered in her ear, “I’ll be right back baby, miss me…” Following Annabel’s scent, he darted toward the corner of the country club.

Sebastian tracked Annabel carefully, trying to remain calm while anger and loathing filled his lungs. Tonight he was determined to kill her; he was committed to ending this part of his life and ridding Arielle of Annabel’s relentless terror. He was willing to die if that’s what it took to make sure Arielle was safe. He was responsible for pulling her into this frightening world of immortality. He was responsible for making her live in constant fear of a crazy immortal woman’s unwavering desire to kill her for vengeance. Sebastian was ready to end it all, one way or another.

The skies were clear and the moon illuminated the night. Sebastian made his way across several miles of the club grounds at an inconceivable speed and when he reached the end of the property line his sharp immortal eyes caught a glimpse of two people in the distance. One of them was Annabel. The other was a man, but Sebastian couldn’t see his face. His sense of smell became stronger as he drew closer to them; his nostrils filled with their immortal scent. They ran next to each other and paused for a moment, looking back, scanning the darkness. Sebastian crouched behind the wall that surrounded the property line and watched them intently. They seemed to be satisfied that they weren’t being followed as they turned their heads and started to run at a slower pace.

They ran for quite a long time through the dark streets of Brighton and Sebastian followed at a safe distance, guzzling fresh air to help his thoughts remain on the right path. He wanted desperately to end this tonight; he didn’t want her to slip away like she did back at the cemetery in St Jean De Luz. Suddenly they stopped and remained motionless. They'd reached the edge of a park that stretched for a couple of miles ahead and ended in a large square surrounded by beautiful homes. They scanned their surroundings again and then crossed the manicured lawns of the park toward the square in slow strides. When they arrived at the other side of the park, they stopped again, and seemed to carry on a short dialogue. Then the man turned and darted in the opposite direction. Sebastian never had a chance to get a good look at him, but he wasn’t interested in the guy right now. Annabel was poised to step into the square when suddenly she paused at the curb and looked back, gaze piercing through the dark.

Sebastian held his breath, consumed by the uneasy feeling that Annabel knew she was being followed. He hid behind a large tree trunk on the other side of the park with teeth gritted, filled with resentment and loathing for this woman who had created total chaos in his life.

He waited patiently, in high hopes that tonight this part of Arielle’s nightmare would be over. He wasn’t going to let his anger guide his actions this time around. He needed to find out who she was working with and what they were plotting.

Annabel stood motionless for a moment, as if contemplating whether to move forward or abort reaching her destination. Sebastian took a long breath of relief when he saw her finally cross the square, take a little side street for a couple of blocks, and stop in front of a small house.

She again scanned the area around her carefully before she reached up and pressed the button at the gate twice. The lights came on and Sebastian’s immortal hearing picked up a young female voice on the intercom asking the person’s name. Annabel gave her name and immediately a tall, young girl came running out the door and across the garden, taking the padlock off the gate. Sebastian could hear their conversation while they were still outside.

“Are they here yet?” Annabel asked.

“No, not just yet, but I’m sure they’ll be here shortly. They wouldn’t break an agreement with you; they know better than that,” the young girl replied, chuckling.

“Jane, I'll have to run out again for a short time. If I’m not back when they arrive, tell them to wait for me.”

Together they walked up the few steps and crossed the threshold, shutting the door behind them. Sebastian moved swiftly and soundlessly across the cobblestoned square, reaching the corner of the dark street in a few strides. The street sign displayed the name York Street.

The house that Annabel had entered looked a bit run down and tall hedges surrounded the walls, preventing access or a view from the outside. Sebastian looked at the large metal chain and padlock that held the iron gate secure and chuckled under his breath. His immortal strength could crush the deadbolt to soft powder, but he chose to hurdle the tall fence and move quietly. He pushed carefully through the hedges and stood behind them, avoiding any unnecessary racket.

The night sky was dark and thick shadows surrounded the house. He stood in that darkness behind the hedges, right by a huge window that would give him a perfect view of the front room. The room was dark, so he waited patiently. Suddenly the light came on and his breath rushed through his lungs so fast that it made him a bit lightheaded.