Holding Hope Word Doc NC

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A Secret Cravings Publishing Book

Erotic Romance

Holding Hope

Copyright © 2013 Paloma Beck

First E-book Publication: May
2013

Cover design by
Dawné
Dominique

All cover art and logo copyright
© 2013 by Secret Cravings Publishing

ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED:
This literary work may not be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or
photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written
permission.

All
characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual
persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER

Secret
Cravings Publishing

www.secretcravingspublishing.com

Dedication

For
my Editors who have worked with me on the Seven Sin Sisters series.
Elysia
and Kyle have made my stories better, my characters
stronger and my words smoother. I definitely couldn’t have done this without
you.

The Cravings e-book Club

The Cravings Paranormal e-book Club

Have you heard about the newest idea in
ebooks
,
the
ebook
club? Secret Cravings Publishing has
started two
ebook
clubs and we invite you to become a
member of either The Cravings e-book Club or the Cravings Paranormal e-book
Club. Join now and get two books absolutely free!

As a member, you will receive
Taming
The
Cougar*
by Sandy Sullivan and
Hunting Jaguar**
by D.
McEntire
FREE, just for joining!

You’ll also receive
4
BRAND-NEW EBOOKS
, specially selected by our Editorial Director, every month
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One of
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*
Taming the Cougar
,
a western, erotic romance:

Marla isn't looking for love or anything
else from a man.
 Can Marla put aside her distrust
of men for a younger man? Can Chris convince her he's not like other guys?

*
Hunting
Jaguar
, paranormal erotic romance:

Rachel Hayes' father set out to prove the existence of the
Miloni
temple and the Jaguar people.
Tumi
is a descendant of the
Miloni
race and is sworn to
protect their secret with his life. Will he be forced to uphold his vow at the
cost of his heart and Rachel's life?

As
a member of the Cravings Club, you’ll receive 4 books in a variety of genres
every month. We will try to match your books to your
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however, if you’re a major paranormal fan, I suggest you join the Cravings
Paranormal Club. Everything is the same, 4 books every month for $9.99 except
that 3 of your 4 books will be paranormal. The remaining book will be of a
different genre.

As a club member, you will also receive:

• our monthly newsletter
  
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To
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)
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ooks will be shipped within 1 day after
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We
hope our Secret Cravings books will delight you each and every month.

                                                                                                                       
Best
wishes,

                                   
                                                                                   
Beth
Walker

HOLDING HOPE

Paloma Beck

Copyright
© 2013

Prologue

During the Italian Wars in
the early 1500s, the Duchy of Milan and the Kingdom of Naples fought for power
and territory. Citizens living in the Italian peninsula then didn’t know where
to turn for alliances. Betrayals belied life. They were so divided that in the
mid-1500s when King Henry of France declared war against King Charles of Italy,
the Italians stood no chance of victory. Among them were scientists developing
amazing –albeit unethical– chemicals to enhance men and create ultimate
soldiers.

These soldiers became more
than the scientists anticipated. To protect them, the soldiers his much of
their strength and concealed their unanticipated need for blood as sustenance
as best they could by utilizing the blood of those they killed in battle. The
breeds served until finally near the 1600s when, with much thanks to Spanish
and English aid,
King
Henry was forced to accept the Peace of
Cateau-Cambresis
and renounce any further claims to Italy.

But that did not end the
power of these warriors, now known as the Valendite Breed, named for the war in
which they were created. Empowered with the role of preserving peace for their
country, the Valendite breed warriors stayed inconspicuous, fearful of those
who might be frightened or threatened by their gifts. They learned to drink
from one another, a blood exchange that left them unfulfilled and empty. Their
accomplishments in the war hidden, buried to protect their identity, they lived
as simple men. Until over the years, and despite their propensity to live
elongated lives, these men and their families were able to hide once again
among the average men.

After the Valendite breeds
assimilated back into life on the hillsides of Italy, very few of their wives
were able to conceive. The breeds were not thriving. The men assembled and
brought their women to the steps of Rome, to the place most known for prayer
and sanctity, to ask for God’s intervention in their lives. Pleading, one woman
by the name of Magdalena offered any sacrifice that might be asked of them in
exchange for fertility.

Her plea was granted. Though
reports of the event were never accurately transcribed, breed historians agree
on a few basic events. Each woman present that day – seven in total – were
filled by one of the seven deadly sins, this act in exchange for the honor of
bearing breed children, continuing the race and nourishing their breed mates.

All was well for the breeds
then. Their race flourished until the time of another generation in the late
1800s. The women became unhappy in their role, seeking independence from the
bonds that held them to the breeds. For without their mates, the women could
survive; it was only the breed mate who suffered from separation. Some began
leaving, traveling to other countries.

A terrible storm struck over their
lands on the day of
Samhain
1804. Terribly
superstitious, the women converged in the town’s large cathedral to pray. The
strongest winds ever seen before or since tore down the stone structure,
killing those women trapped inside. After the storm ended, though, very few
women –only those not making it to the cathedral- remained alive.