He was gasping as if heâd been racing against time itself. The sleek muscles of his chest were glistening, and his long hair hung dripping over his shoulders. At the back of her mind, past the fear and desperation that jerked every nerve ending she possessed, Alexandra realized that he had probably flown through a thunderstorm.
His glare went straight to her, then to the scattered items of the chest on the floor. âHow did you get in here?â he growled.
Sheâd been right! Marius was harboring the creature. Slowly she stood, the sound of her heart drumming in her ears.
He extended a hand. âI will not harm you. Please, you must come with me.â
Alexandraâs attention drifted to the blood-stained bandage on his arm. And the leather tie that held it in place.
âMarius?â she whispered.
Dear Reader,
Heiress to a Curse is the first novel in the HEARTS of STONE series. My inspiration for this book came from two directions. One, my love for romance and for dark and dangerous alpha males. *Winks*. And two, my desire to be original. It seems everyone is trying to write the next great vampire novel. Although I have nothing against vampires, I just needed to think outside of the box.
Iâve found there are so many other creatures that one can make, shall we say, alluring. I chose gargoyles because Iâve always been fascinated by the ancient stone statues that sit quietly, monitoring our mundane routines from their vantage points. From this idea I was able to fashion the Drakon clan.
While writing this story I took every opportunity to visit places that would keep me in the right frame of mind. I wanted the scenes and characters to leap from the pages and tamper with the senses and emotions of readers. One of my most memorable experiences was visiting a haunted site in Michigan called the Paulding Light. Thereâs nothing like creeping through a dark and misty forest at 1 am on a cold September morning to get my creative juices flowing. I didnât see any ghosts that night, but I did gain a wealth of inspiration.
Please enjoy Marius and Alexandraâs love story. I hope these characters bring you as much excitement as they did me.
Happy reading!
Zandria Munson
ZANDRIA MUNSON was born and raised in the Bahamas on a beautiful island called New Providence. Her early education was enhanced with history and folklore lessons on pirates, mermaids, the Lost City of Atlantis and other fanciful topics. As a child she spent lazy summer days slipping in and out of her imagination. She started writing at thirteen.
Zandria attended the College of the Bahamas, where she obtained her degrees in nursing. Along with her passion for storytelling, she harbors a driving need to help others. She presently lives in Texas with her husband Christopher and kitties Munchkin and Chloe.
For my wonderful husband
and my pooh, Christopher.
16th Century, Romania
Lord Victor Drakon stood at the foot of his wide, four-poster bed as he watched his wife in repose. Her tall and elegant frame was entwined with the many furs that covered the bed, while the lovely wealth of her hair lay splayed about her face. She was beautiful and equally as gentle hearted and he loved her dearly. From the moment heâd first spied her picking flowers on his land, heâd loved her. She held no title and she wasnât of noble birth, but she was pure and her love was sincere.
Heâd gone against propriety, against his familyâs wishes, and severed his betrothal to Lady Vivian Dan cescu to claim this woman as his own. She was his heart, his life and his love.
Moving closer, he gazed upon her face, bathed in the flickering glow from the hearth. She sighed then, her soft breath fanning the stray tendrils that had fallen near her lips.
He leaned over her and gently drew away the black curls. âMy sweet Amelia,â he breathed.
A sudden knock sounded at the door. It was his messenger, no doubt. Heâd been waiting for news of Lady Vivian. After learning of his covert marriage to Amelia, the lady had been consumed by rage, hacking off her hair and publicly cursing the day of his birth.
He, however, didnât hold himself accountable for her ill feelings, for heâd tried desperately to reason with her. Theyâd been forced into their betrothal as childrenâa union that was to join the wealth of two powerful houses. There was no love between them and thus, heâd offered her freedom. Heâd proposed a sizable fare to appease her wounded pride, but she was a greedy and self-righteous woman; it was his lands she desired. And so, heâd been left with no choice but to summon the chancellor during the silence of the early morning to perform the ceremony that would join him and his beloved Amelia.
He quickly donned his cloak and opened the door. His manservant stood on the other side, panting and covered in soot. âThe Lady Vivian, my lord, she is dead,â the man informed him.
âWhat do you mean, dead? Surely you jest!â