S. L. Baron

A night shattered by unspeakable savagery...A loss so great it calls those who keep to the shadows to action...As Bridget-elder vampire and former assassin to the mother of vampires-celebrates with her soon-to-be fledgling, S bastien, the tranquility of Paris is destroyed by violence. Over a hundred people lie dead... among them, S bastien.Grief-stricken and furious, Bridget vows to return to her former role-using her preternatural powers to bear on those who kill so many innocents. And unexpected help arrives as other vampires-sick of the destruction of their prey and the history they've lived through and built-join her cause. But Bridget and her allies aren't as careful as they thought in their war. As attacks are thwarted worldwide, ordinary humans are discovering a world they never imagined, one hidden in plain sight from them, one both fascinatingly beautiful and terrifying. Can Bridget change the world without endangering her kind? Or will her next war be waged against humans?

Working as a barista at The Purple Bear gives Fiona Albright the quiet life she wants. She loves how she can forget the outside world-and the abusive brother she ran away from-as she serves up coffee to the people of Laurel Springs, West Virginia. Then Gabriel LaCroix comes in with tales of an extraordinary existence he says she's forgotten, one she must remember at all costs: her role as mother of the universe next to his as father. Guiding her through their memories as they sleep, Gabe shows Fiona the lives she's forgotten. Times when she and he created universes and times when they were pulled to them to fix the problems.But the existence she's forgotten comes with a dark duty. Fiona and Gabriel must destroy the universe when people turn against one another. And the people of sleepy Laurel Springs are turning against one another quickly...and bringing the rest of humanity down the same path.Author's note: This is intended for mature audiences, as it contains harsh language and sexual encounters. It also addresses sensitive topics including race, violence, war, religion, suicide, and rape. Some parts are influenced by events that took place in the United States in 2014. The events have been fictionalized but have the potential to make some readers uncomfortable.

One night changes everything... Tragedy leaves Livia Hart a broken shell of herself. Craving escape from her grief and guilt, she heads to Europe, taking the trip she's dreamed about for years. While in London, her prayers are answered when she meets Lucian Llewellyn. Lucian offers her more than just one night of bliss to forget her loss: the gift of immortality, to be reborn as a vampire. Livia enters a world where vampires refuse to mourn their existence. They instead embrace their roles as powerful predators, hiding in plain sight and preying on those who won't be missed. But secrets from Lucian's past threaten Livia's newfound happiness. Can she survive in her new life knowing the truth? Or will the revelations condemn her to an eternity of regret? **Contains mature language and scenes** The vampires in this are more akin to those created by Anne Rice than Stephanie Meyer. They don't deny their roles as predators and many times embrace that nature.