A Scanguards Novella

Jake Stone arrives on a secluded island, drawn by whispers of a magical spring—his desperate, singular hope. As a vampire, he craves just one thing: mortality. Eons of unfulfilling, lonely existence have left him weary, yearning for the simple release of an end.

But the island holds another soul on the brink: Claire Culver. Her journey to this mystical place is a final, desperate gamble, a plea for a miracle to cure a terminal illness. For Claire, this Christmas might be her last.

As their paths collide, two desperate wishes hang in the balance. Will the spring grant Claire the miracle she so desperately needs, or will this holiday season mark her final farewell? And can Jake, in his pursuit of mortality, find a reason to truly live again, even as a forbidden connection sparks between them?

Where does this novella fit into the Scanguards timeline?
It takes place several years before Samson’s story kicks off the Scanguards Vampires series in San Francisco with Samson’s Lovely Mortal. Jake is first mentioned in Quinn’s Undying Rose. Well-loved Scanguards characters—Gabriel, Zane, and Amaury—will make an appearance in this short novella.

Previously published as part of an anthology
This is a longer version of Mortal Wish, which first appeared in the anthology “Summer on Seeker’s Island” in 2013. Some character names, settings, and events have been changed, and several chapters have been added to this new 2015 version. This short novella of approximately 60 pages is over 50% longer than the 2013 anthology version.

Play a sample of the audiobook! Narrated by Eric G Dove