Blood at Dusk: A Dark Vampire Paranormal Romance Novel (The SoulBlood Series Book 1)

by Brenna Harlow

  "Come, we must go. The sun is already high in the sky."

  "Is it?" Had I really slept so long?

  Aldeon crosses the room and grabs the candle from the sink, blowing out it’s flame. "Yes."

  I suck in a breath and pull the bathroom door open. The bright light cascading in from the window of the store's entrance blinds me. I blink one, two times, and then my eyes adjust. I weave my way back down the shopping lane and then make my way to the sporting department. Aldeon is hot on my feet.

  "I bet we can find another bag in the camping section. That way we can carry more supplies."

  "That sounds like a very good plan, Kora. You are very intelligent."

  I ignore the rising heat in my cheeks as I march through the store. He thinks I'm smart.

  Once we make it to the camping section, we find another bag, stuff it full of anything useful, and move on. Aldeon is all business, and I find myself wondering what he thinks about last night.

  "Is everything well, Kora?" Aldeon's hair slides down his shoulder as he places one hand on my arm, leveling his head with mine. His deep eyes suck me in, filling me with desire.

  He asked you a question, stupid. "Um, yeah. I'm totally fine." I shrug. Really, my mind is hyper focused on my shoulder, where his hand rests. Tingles work their way down my arm, and I wiggle my fingertips.

  Get yourself together, Kora. I don't have time to daydream about how muscled Aldeon's arms are or how hard his cock was underneath me last night.

  I clear my throat and toss my new bag over my shoulder. "Yeah, we should get going."

  Aldeon holds up a finger. "One more thing. Stay here."

  I watch as he turns and zooms away, faster than my eyes can follow. My vampire seems pretty fucking badass, if I do say so myself.

  My vampire. I swallow thickly. Things are moving so fast... but I don't know that I particularly care. Not when he's near, and I'm free from the chains once harbored over me.

  "Close your eyes." Aldeon's voice comes from the other side of a shelf, and I narrow my eyes. "Just do as I say. I have a surprise for you."

  I place both hands on my hips, but close my eyes. I bounce slightly on the back of my heels. Another gift?

  "Open."

  I do as he says, blinking rapidly. His face is right in front of mine, and I inhale. His lips part. I lean forward, ready to accept his kiss, but then he raises his hands.

  White and fluffy. The most pristine of its kind. "A pillow!" I snatch it from his hands and squeeze it to my chest. It's covered in a clear layer of plastic, but I don't even care. Tears well in my eyes. "Aldeon, thank you so much." I am not going to cry. I'm not.

  "Here, let me put it away for you." Aldeon takes the pillow from my hands and circles around to my backside.

  "Where did you find it?" He couldn't have been gone for longer than a minute, and I remember searching the home goods section last night. The pillows there were shredded homes for the rodents.

  "There's a room in the back of the store filled with boxes. I found the ones that smelled of fresh fabrics." Aldeon stuffs the pillow in between my backpack straps and my back, before leaning over my shoulder and placing a quick kiss on my cheek.

  My hand goes up to cup my face, and it warms under my touch. "Should we go look for more candles back there? Or medicine?"

  Aldeon's face hardens. "No. It's not... pleasant behind those doors."

  My brows furrow. "Not pleasant?"

  Aldeon shakes his head and grabs my hand, guiding me toward the front of the shop and the glass doors. "Too much death."

  A shiver creeps up my spine, and I shudder.

  As we near the double-paned windows, my steps slow. I wipe the back of my hand across my brow, and it comes back slick with sweat. The distant trees sway as the wind blows outside. The sun is high in the sky, shining its rays on the cars that sit stagnant in the parking lot.

  A warm hand slips into mine and squeezes. "All is well, Kora. I will get you back safe and sound. You have my word."

  "And what if we see another one of them?" My breath catches. Dammit, I thought I was over this. Now that Aldeon is here, there's nothing to worry about. But still my chest constricts. My head feels light, and my palms begin to sweat.

  "Kora, do you trust me?" Aldeon moves in front of me, blocking my view of the outdoors.

  I nod my head. I'm a grown woman who can make her own decisions, even if those decisions mean trusting in a vampire. He's different.

  "Then know that I do not break vows. And I am vowing at this moment to keep you safe. Now, come." He twists in one fluid motion and pushes the door aside, pulling me into the outdoors.

  The wind batters my face as I exit, but Aldeon tugs me forward. We zoom through the parking lot, so fast I can barely keep up.

  "Hey, what's the rush?" I tug my hand free, and Aldeon’s steps slow. Our feet crunch against glass as we make our way onto the road.

  "I want to take you somewhere special. A detour." Aldeon's eyes scan the forest as he speaks.

  "A detour? I don't know about that." I cross my arms over my chest.

  "The cabin. I want to show it to you." His eyes meet mine, and I swallow. Heat flares in my stomach as his eyes trail over my face and down to my feet. Fuck, is he trying to seduce me into submission?

  "Is it safe? Are we going to get stuck there when the sun goes down?" I bite my lower lip. I can't believe I'm even considering the idea. My cave is the safest place to be right now. Aldeon can protect me, but for how long?

  "Not if we move quickly." Aldeon fangs glint against the high sun as he smiles. One moment, I'm standing beside him, and the next, I'm being scooped up and pulled against his chest, and then he's running.

  "Fuck! Aldeon!" I beat against his chest with a closed fist. The world zooms by, and I can barely catch my breath.

  "Put your face against me. We'll move faster this way."

  Shit, shit, shit, shit. My knuckles turn white as I grip the side of his shirt. I shove my head against his chest so I can catch my breath. His scent calms me, but barely. I'm jostled with every step, and my stomach lurches. I don't know how much more I can handle before the contents of my stomach are emptied all over both of us.

  Just when I'm about to tell him this, we stop. Aldeon sets me onto my feet, and the world starts to spin. I grip his arm. "If you ever do that again," I inhale deeply, trying to calm the waves of nausea, "I'll beat your ass, vampire or not."

  Aldeon’s laugh echoes around us, and I focus on his face while the world slows. When my vision is back to normal, I survey my surroundings.

  Lush green vines cover the forest floor, even though the rest of the woodland is dead from the cool weather. A few feet ahead, a curt cabin leans lopsided with faded green shuttered windows and an old screen door swaying in the breeze. Wind chimes hang from the porch, and garden signs are staked into the ground on either side of the antiquated wooden steps. It reminds me of a home that would have been owned by an old couple, living out their retirement in peace.

  "How did you find this place?"

  Aldeon takes a lock of my hair and tucks it behind my ear. "I was watching your cave from the treetops. This is just within the forest, hidden behind the thickets."

  Birds chirp from the branch of a gigantic maple tree in front of the cabin, and a sparrow ruffles its feathers in a bird bath below. The yard is unkempt, but I imagine it was a garden before the apocalypse.

  I point to the tree leaning against the side of the roof. "Is it safe? That definitely looks like a hazard."

  Aldeon shrugs his shoulders. "I've been inside. If the wood even creaks, I'll pull you out."

  I've not been inside a real house in a long, long time. There are things inside buildings like these that you can't find inside of department stores, like firearms and prescription medications. The benefits outway the risk.

  "Alright, lead the way."

  Aldeon

  Mildew and rot wafts to my nose as we enter the door, and Kora's face wrinkles.


  "Ugh. What's that smell?"

  A surge of unease tightens my stomach. I've forgotten about the man with the hole in his head.

  "Apologies. I've forgotten about the corpse."

  Kora clutches her hands to her chest, and her mouth gapes. "Aldeon. What have you done?"

  I cock my head to the side. Understanding comes a moment later, when the fear registers. "No, you are mistaken. I did not kill him. He was already dead."

  "He?" Kora cups her neck.

  "An old human with a hole in his head."

  "Oh." Kora's eyes skim the room, but her previous enthusiasm has extinguished. I shouldn’t have forgotten about the body. Aldeon, you are a fool.

  Long lost human trinkets litter the floor. The despair she felt last night can be healed, and maybe these things will help. And if they don’t, then I'll try something else.

  "Here, take a seat. I'll create a fire."

  I lead my mate to the torn chair, and she sags into the spongy material. After she's settled, I busy myself. Wood is stacked neatly beside the smokestack, having never been burned by its previous owner. Now, it’ll be put to use, to heat my mate and soothe her worries.

  "Lighter?" I call over one shoulder, and Kora gets to her feet. She pulls out the red flame maker and grabs a stack of parchment from a spilled box, lighting them on fire. Soon, the wood is ablaze, casting an orange glow over the angelic face of my Kora.

  "What is it you longed to do before all of this?" I gesture to the room around us.

  Kora folds her knees underneath her. "Hm," she says, raking one hand through her white hair. "Well, I was going to college to be a vet, but I didn't really know what or who I was gonna be after school. I was just following in Cece's lead, you know? College, parties, boys." Kora smiles, but anguish lies below its surface.

  "What is college?" I place my hand on her knee in comfort.

  "Oh, college? You've never heard of college? School?" Her brows knit together.

  "School. Where the Scholars teach kits." I nod my head, understanding. Kora must be talking about her early years, when she was a babe.

  "Kit? No. College. Where you go after you're done with primary studies. It's like... an advancement of learning, where you go to master specific skills." Kora's fingers trace over my hand.

  "And parties? What were they like?"

  Kora rolls her eyes. "Oh, you know, the usual. Lots of drinking, plenty of girls dancing on tables, music so loud you can't even hear yourself talk." She laughs. "I never went unless Cece dragged me out of the dorm house. She thrived off that kind of chaos. And the boys, oh God. She had so many boyfriends."

  Heat rises to my chest. "Did you have any boyfriends?"

  Her cheeks redden. "A few. I mean, not all at once though. Just a few flings is all."

  I grit my fangs against my lower teeth. "And were these boys interesting?"

  Kora clears her throat. "Not really. If you're trying to ask if I'm a virgin, the answer is a hard no." Her cheeks burn a brighter shade of pink, and she looks away, into the flames.

  "I do not want to cause you unease, love. I've never lain with another, but that doesn't mean you are wrong to have done so." My selfish thoughts have soured in the wake of her embarrassment. I should not be jealous of men who were slain by my own people.

  "Wait, you're a virgin?" Kora's head snaps up.

  "Yes, virgin. Dhampirs do not lay with anyone but their fated." Why spill my seed inside of a female who brings me no pleasure? It is something I’ve never wanted.

  "Wow, that must suck." Kora blows out a lung full of air.

  "I have waited many moons for you, it's true." I twist a lock of her fine hair in between my fingers.

  Kora pales. "Wait, how old are you?"

  I tsk, letting her hair fall back to her shoulders. "It is rude to ask a dhampir's age," I tease.

  Kora reddens again. Her skin is one of the most tantalizing aspects of her beauty. White, and then red, flushed pink, and then sun kissed. "Oh, sorry."

  "I'm only joking. I am many years. While I was... maddened, I lost count. Before then, I remember one hundred and ten turns of the wheel."

  "A hundred and ten years old?" Kora's mouth falls open.

  "Well, more now. I don't know how many years were lost to the darkness."

  Kora gapes. "But you look twenty-five. Thirty at most."

  I shrug my shoulders. "Dhampirs age differently than humans. Even the oldest of Elders barely wrinkled, and he was over three thousand turns of the wheel."

  "Three thousand years..." Kora stares into the fire, stunned.

  "And how old are you?" I squeeze her knee gently, bringing her attention back to the present time. I don't want her to dwell on my age. We are both near the same maturity, taken into account the difference in our species. In Azure, I had only just begun to live.

  "Twenty-four." Her shoulder brushes against mine as she turns to face me.

  "And yet you’ve experienced much in your short lifetime. Tell me, Kora, do you find me as attractive as the men you’ve mated with before?" I thread my fingers through hers and lean in closer to her face. Her eyes close as she relaxes into my touch. Her lips part, and a sigh slips from between them.

  “Yes,” she whispers.

  My nose brushes against hers. “Would you have chosen me if I were at those parties?” I whisper, inches from her lips.

  And then her mouth is on mine, and I part my lips for her. Her tongue creeps inside, gliding between my fangs. She moans, and I swallow it greedily. Mine. All of her is mine. Her lips, her hair, her hands, this kiss. Mine.

  I need more.

  I wrap my hands around her neck and pull her firmly against me. Kora wraps her legs around my hips, straddling my lap. If she notices the hardness of my cock inside my pants, she doesn’t care. She bites at my lower lip, tugging as she pulls away, and I growl.

  "You are testing my strengths, mate." I grip her neck tightly, holding her to my forehead. The intensity of her eyes consume my soul until it combusts in a searing blue flame.

  "I don't care. I want you, Aldeon." Kora moves her hips over me, and I am lost again. I pull her lips to mine, not caring that I'm dangerously close to losing control.

  Kora's fingers thread into my hair, and this time it is her who tugs for control. I give it to her freely. Her mind is leaking thoughts of pleasure and power like a dense fog, seeping in through my shield. She feels powerful atop me. Her lust makes my control slip a notch further.

  My hands move from her neck down to her breasts, and she shoves me back onto the wooden floor. The clouds clear just long enough for me to place my hand over her heart, preventing her from advancing once more.

  "Kora, wait. Wait." My breath is ragged. "We need to wait. You're not ready for the binding."

  "Oh, I'm ready. Bind me however you like." A dark glint shines in my seductress’ eyes, and my cock pulses.

  "No, wait. We will bind. Become one." It pains me to stop, but it's the honorable thing to do.

  "Aldeon, have you not been listening? I want this. I don't care if you have to bind us, or tie me to you with a rope. I don't care. I like you, a lot. I want to be with you, no matter how fucked up that is. You're the absolute worst and best thing that's ever happened to me. I'm saying yes." The vehemence in her voice rises as she pushes against my chest with all of her might. Her eyes are shiny, despite her words.

  "But you are near tears. I don’t want to bend you to my will. I want to bring you happiness."

  Kora laughs, and a single tear falls to her cheek. I smear it against her skin with my finger. "These are happy tears. I was alone until you showed up, like my knight in shining armor. You've killed for me, brought me gifts, and wiggled your wormy way into my heart. I don't know why I love you. Maybe it's the damn soul bond you keep talking about."

  A smile tugs at my lips as I rub my hands over her arms. "So you really wish to be with me, to stand by my side for the rest of time? You love me?"

  Kora rolls off my waist, splaying out on
the floor beside me. "Yes, dumbass. I love you."

  Kora

  It's true. I love him. Slimy bastard.

  I have no idea when it happened. Last night in the cramped bathroom? Beside the fire in my cavern? Before then? One week with this vampire and I'm already throwing the L-word around like it's parade candy.

  Aldeon is still lying on the floor beside me, with a grin on his face.

  "Well, other than to seduce me, why did you bring me here?" I gesture around at the cabin. Papers litter the ground and cardboard boxes line the walls. The place reeks, but it reminds me of grandma's house, or the nice neighbor from two doors down. It's homey, despite the rotten furniture and leaning walls.

  "Because you missed things from your past, and this place is filled with them."

  Hm, that it is. Deer antlers are mounted on the wall, and there's a wooden desk in the far corner with an old laptop on top. A bookshelf filled with books sits on the opposite wall, and knickknacks line the fireplace mantel. But all of this stuff belonged to someone once, and it feels wrong to take it.

  "Nothing here I particularly want, unless there's a gun or medicine hidden under the floorboards." And from the looks of them, there very well might be. Some of the old wooden planks are lifted from the floor, and if I had a screwdriver, I bet I could pop them right out.

  "A gun? Hm." Aldeon jumps to his feet with superhuman speed.

  I place my hand over my chest. "Cool it with the vampy shit. Or at least give me a warning next time."

  Aldeon just waves his hand in dismissal, too engrossed with the closed door on the other side of the room.

  "Is that where the dead guy is?"

  Aldeon strokes his chin. "Yes. Perhaps you should wait outside."

  Outside? Where a vampire could find me and drain me dry? "I can handle it. I've seen dead people before."

  Aldeon turns and strokes his chin. "You're certain?"

  "Yep. I can hang." I place my fingers over my nose, just in case.

  The door groans as it’s opened, and a chill creeps down my spine. I can't see much over Aldeon's broad shoulders, and I decide I don't want to. The dead man deserves more than my disgust.