Raptured by Eternity

RAPTURED BY ETERNITY Blood Oath #6 J.A. CARTER Raptured by Eternity Published by J.A. Carter Copyright © 2023 by J.A. Carter www.authorjacarter.com Cover Design: Keylin Rivers All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. TABLE OF CONTENTS Newsletter Sign-Up Also by J.A. Carter Blurb 1. Calla 2. Atlas 3. Calla 4. Gabriel 5. Calla 6. Calla 7. Calla 8. Atlas 9. Calla 10. Kade 11. Lex 12. Calla 13. Calla 14. Calla 15. Calla 16. Gabriel 17. Calla 18. Calla 19. Atlas 20. Calla 21. Atlas 22. Calla Epilogue Acknowledgments About the Author NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP Join my mailing list at https://www.authorjacarter.com/newsletter-sign-up to be the first to know about new books and get access to reader exclusives! ALSO BY J.A. CARTER Blood Oath Series Bound in Crimson Tempted by Fire Entangled in Scarlet Fated in Ruby Unraveled by Desire Raptured by Eternity BLURB Everything we’ve been through comes down to this. Against all odds, Calla is adjusting to her new life alongside the vampires who brought her into the supernatural world. As they work to bring longtime enemies together, to forge a better future for vampires and humans alike, they must find a way to mend the rifts created long before Calla even existed. But the rocky relationship between the vampires and those who hunt them isn’t the only threat. An ancient dynasty of vampires close to them is hellbent on destroying their peace and the life Calla has built with her mates. And she will do whatever it takes to make it last forever, because if she fails, they’ll lose everything they’ve worked for, their hearts, and even their lives. To the readers who gave this series a chance. You have my eternal gratitude. 1 CALLA I’ve already died once this month. I really don’t want to do it again. Everything is moving in slow motion around me. Voices are muffled and the music of battle is distorted as fire licks through my chest, searing me to the marrow with white-hot pain. My heart pounds violently, screaming at me as if I didn’t already know I’m in real danger of not making it out of this alive. Darkness creeps along the edges of my vision, threatening to pull me under, and I’m so tired and cold, I can’t fight it much longer. “You… missed,” I croak, barely clinging to consciousness as a chill from the damp ground seeps into my bones, wracking me with violent shivers. “I know,” she cries, tears soaking her cheeks. Her expression is twisted into a mix of anguish and shock as she continues to stare at me, her face getting blurrier by the second. The last darkened, distorted image I see is of a tattooed arm covered with vines and thorns and roses hauling Brighton off me before the darkness swallows me whole. 2 ATLAS The stench of blood burns my nostrils. My gums throb despite my fangs already being extended to their full length, and my pulse is a wicked, uncontrollable jackhammer beneath my heated skin. Two words make me nearly fall to my knees. You missed. Relief floods through me at a dizzying pace, and I grit my teeth against the sensation, charging forward in a blur. Pain ebbs through me, mirroring only faintly what Calla is experiencing. It pushes me to move faster, desperate to take that agony away. Lex beats me to her, grabbing Brighton around the waist and hauling her away from Calla. I drop to Calla’s side, cupping her cheeks in my hands. “Keep your eyes open,” I demand, shifting my attention to the dagger sticking out of her chest. The slight tremor in my voice makes me grit my teeth. She’s going to be fine. “I’m going to pull this out now,” I tell her. “You can’t heal with the white ash in your system.” Kade growls from somewhere behind me moments before two more hunter bodies hit the ground with lifeless thuds. I spare him a glance and find blood dripping from his mouth and covering the front of his shirt. His eyes are blazing with rage as they flit between the hunters and where Calla is on the ground. Gabriel is fighting his own group of hunters, though they seem more scared than determined to kill him. Fucking hell, how young are they? I shake my head and grip the dagger, pulling it from Calla’s chest in one swift movement. She tenses, sucking in a breath, but even that is subdued. We need to get her out of here and fed so she’ll heal. “Gabe,” I holler, and he’s at my side instantly, covering me as I scoop Calla up, cradling her against my chest. She groans uncomfortably, her brows scrunching together and her eyelids fluttering. “I know,” I murmur to her, “just hang on.” “Bri…” she whispers. “Lex is taking care of her.” Her eyes fly open, fear darkening her silver irises. “N-no.” I frown at her, walking along the tree line to avoid what’s left of the fight. Many of the hunters are dead or have fled—including Scott. Fuck. “He won’t hurt her.” Not yet. There isn’t time now to deliver the level of pain that human deserves for nearly killing what’s ours. Calla relaxes in my arms, her eyes falling shut once more, as if that moment of