A Moonlit Night
The Complete Saga
By Adrianna White
Published by Adrianna White at Smashwords
Copyright 2012 Adrianna White
All right reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form without the prior written permission from the author.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Written in Canada.
A Note from the Author
A moonlit night has been a project of passion for me. It was the first story that I ever wrote, and will always remain the story that I’m most proud of. I’ve loved paranormal fiction, primarily vampires and the notion of eternal love, for longer than I can remember and knew that I always wanted to craft a story of my own if I ever took the plunge into writing fiction. As such, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Thank you, Adrianna
A Moonlit Night – The Complete Saga
Contents
A Moonlit Night
The Awakening
The Vampire Hunter
Council of Elders
House Franson
The Beast Within
A Woman Scorned
Temple of Prometheus
A Moonlit Night
Prologue
“Faster!” shouted a woman, looking out the passenger window of a speeding vehicle. “I can’t see anyone, but they’re out there!”
The car sped through the forest, winding down a long dirt road. It was pouring, turning dirt to mud as the vehicle swerved all over the mucky road.
“I’m trying, damn it!” the man driving the vehicle yelled, as he desperately tried to maintain control of the sedan. “Amanda, if I go any faster, we’re both going to be dead.”
Amanda turned to him, and with a look of regret, she said, “And if we go any slower, we’re both going to be dead.”
The car squealed, spewing mud and stones everywhere, as he pushed the car harder.
She looked outside the car, her eyes darting through the trees as she watched the dark figures stalk them from high above. They were fast and easily managed to overtake the speeding car.
“They’re upon us!” screamed Amanda, pointing out the window. “Jason, look out—!”
A silhouette dropped to the ground in front of them, and Jason swerved to avoid him. The car veered off the road, and went sliding down a small hill.
He desperately tried to evade the trees as the car plummeted downwards. The car crashed into a large oak tree, and the couple smashed violently into the dashboard.
The only sound Jason could hear was the pouring rain hitting the roof of the vehicle as he slowly opened his eyes. He looked over to his wife, and asked, “Honey, are you okay?”
Amanda groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Her forehead had been sliced open, and the blood streamed down her nose, and then down onto her cotton shirt.
“I—I think I’ll be okay,” said Amanda, applying pressure to the wound. “We need to get out of here.”
Jason tried to open the car door, but it was pinned against a large rock, and wouldn’t budge. He Smacked frantically on the car door, he screamed, “Damn it! Damn it to hell! They’ll be here soon—!”
“We already are,” hissed one of the dark figures, approaching from the darkness. “Come now…did you really think you could run from us?”
The shrouded man lunged at the car, smashing through the windshield with his bare hands. One by one, several more dark figures dropped from the trees, and surrounded the crashed vehicle.
“Stay back!” warned Amanda, her hands trembling in fear. “Come any closer... and it’ll be the last thing you do!”
Chapter One
Emily Johansson pushed her way through the crowd of people, with the aroma of sweat and alcohol filling the air as she headed towards her table. This wasn’t Emily’s scene, she thought, but her friends had invited her out, a celebration of recent good news, and she wasn’t going to ruin their night with her incessant prattling.
Several men tried to beckon her with their eyes, as Emily ran her fingers through her long black hair. She smiled, brushed off their advances and approached her friends.
“Oh, c’mon now, sis,” her brother complained as he waved a shot of alcohol in her face. “One drink isn’t going to kill you. You’re the first Johansson to ever go to College. You can’t hold out on me now.”
Steven Johansson was a couple years older than Emily, with short blonde hair and a matching trimmed beard. He liked to think himself a tough guy, built like a truck and almost always in the weight room, but Steven was one of the good ones at heart. He always looked after his sister, even when she didn’t want any part of being looked after. They fought, as any siblings do, but as the last in the Johansson family they would do just about anything for one another.
“You worked your butt off at night school, Emily,” continued Steven, still holding the shot glass of vodka in her face. “You owe yourself this.”
“Yeah, Emily,” said another one of her friends at the table. “We’ve been friends our entire lives. And now you’re leaving me for the big city? What, Georgetown isn’t big enough for you? Screw you, you owe me this. Let loose, bitch…just this once.”
Julia Hendrickson had known Emily since kindergarten, and the two had quickly become best of friends. She had long golden blonde locks that curled down her shoulders, and a smile that could light up a room.
While Emily saw herself as sedate and sheltered, Julia was passionate and popular with everyone she met. The two couldn’t have been more different. At least, that’s what Emily believed, but the truth was that they were more similar than she would ever know.
Julia’s high school sweetheart, Tyler Aucoin, was also with them. He was a handsome man, and the only man that a woman like Julia could have on her shoulder. He moved from Mississippi a few years ago, of Cajun descent, with rich auburn hair and intoxicating accent that made him just as desirable as the woman he loved. The perfect match, if there ever was one.
“Jules, if she doesn’t want to drink… don’t make her drink,” said Tyler, reaching for the shot of alcohol in Emily’s face. “That just means more for me—.”
“You’re such a lush,” said Julia, grabbing the shot from Tyler’s hands. “This is for Emily.”
Julia handed Emily the shot back, and they all waited impatiently for Emily to pound it back.
Emily starred down at the shot glass, swirling the drink around. What the hell, she thought, you only live once. The vodka burned her throat as Emily slammed the glass down on the table. This was met by a round of cheers from her friends.
“There,” Emily said. “Now let’s go dance—.”
Emily stumbled for a moment and clutched her head in agony. Her head pounded, and she could’ve sworn she heard screeching animals circle around her, their piercing cries screaming out to her from beyond. While she couldn’t understand what they were saying, she somehow felt like they were speaking to her; calling to her from the far reaches of her mind.
“Whoa there, are you okay?” asked Steven as he steadied his sister. “I guess we know why you’re not a big drinker.”
Emily’s pain slowly subsided, and she regained her composure. Whatever just happened, Emily wasn’t going to let it ruin her night. What she didn’t know, however, was that the headache wasn’t a result of the alcohol, and the voices in her head were very real.
As Emily lifted her head, she caught
a glimpse of a dark figure, staring intently at her from across the room. He was a good-looking man, she thought, clean-shaven with short wavy black hair. She was instantly attracted to the man, as she followed the lines of his chiseled cheekbones with her eyes. He was mysterious, and not someone Emily usually found herself attracted to. Yet, she could not seem to look away.
“Emily!” yelled Julia. “Emily! What’s wrong?”
Pulling Emily out of her trance, Julia grabbed her by the hand, leading Emily towards the dance floor. Emily looked backwards, hoping to catch one more glimpse of her mysterious stranger, but he was nowhere to be seen.
The dance floor was packed tight, and everywhere Emily turned, she rubbed up against some greasy, obnoxious lowlife. This wasn’t her scene, she thought, as she danced with Julia. She wasn’t a party girl like all her friends.
“You know, I think I’m going to get some fresh air!” Emily shouted over the loud, thumping music.
“What?” Julia asked.
“I’m going to get some fresh air!” Emily shouted again.
“What?” Julia asked, pointing to her ear, indicating that she still couldn’t hear anything.
“Forget it!” shouted Emily, as she turned to walk away.
“What?” Julia asked, and pointed to her ear for a second time.
Emily left Julia on the dance floor, as Tyler and Steven arrived. Emily pointed to the exit, letting them know she would be right back. She just needed to clear her head. That’s what she thought.
Emily made her way to the backdoor, and exited to the alleyway behind the bar.
It was quiet, and neither a smoker, nor drunk lined the alley. It was rather peaceful, actually; a place to be alone with her thoughts.
Emily looked upon the moonlit night, and wondered what her new life would be like. Would she be happy in Charleston? Would she find love?
“What do we have here?” a man asked from behind Emily. “It’s such an ugly place for such a pretty girl, wouldn’t you agree?”
Emily spun around to see a man standing in the middle of the alleyway. It didn’t make any sense to Emily; she had been alone just a moment ago; how did he get here? Where did he come from?
The man was as rough as he was dirty. He had long, scraggly hair, and wore tattered clothes. He looked like an addict, Emily thought, with blood red eyes that pierced through Emily’s soul. She was officially frightened now.
“You’re right, Jacob,” said another man, once again from behind Emily. “She looks delicious.”
Emily once again spun around, only this time she was struck in the face. She hit the floor, dazed and bewildered. Blood streamed down Emily’s chin from a gushing cut on her lip.
The other attacker was a disgusting mess of a man, out of shape and nearing morbidly obese in size. He had slicked black hair, and a bushy beard. Clearly he couldn’t get laid inside, and Emily feared that he was going to try his luck outside. He, too, had the same blood red eyes as Jacob. Whatever drugs they were on, Emily wasn’t carrying.
“It’s a pity, George,” said Jacob, walking towards Emily. “She would have made a fine dessert.”
“W—what do you want?” asked Emily, as Jacob lifted her off the ground. “I don’t have any drugs.”
“Honey, you don’t have the drugs we’re looking for,” smirked Jacob, lifting Emily up by the neck. “No, you’re exactly what we’ve been looking for.”
Chapter Two
Emily was beaten and afraid. She tried to scream out, but Jacob’s filthy hands were wrapped firmly around her throat.
“What’s that?” George asked as he licked his lips. “I think she’s trying to cry out for help, Jacob.”
“You know, I think you’re right,” said Jacob, loosening his grip just a little. “Well girl, what have you to say for yourself?”
“I—I don’t know why you are doing this!” Emily cried. “Please don’t hurt me.”
“Oh, we’re going to hurt you all right,” George replied. “And we’re going to have fun doing it—.”
Suddenly, George’s large, bulbous body was sent crashing into the wall. The mysterious stranger from the bar had arrived.
“What the hell?” Jacob asked, turning his head. “And who the fuck would you be?”
Jacob released Emily, who tumbled to the floor, exhausted and out of breath. Jacob turned towards the mysterious man, and took a defensive position between his victim and himself. Clenching his fists, Jacob made sure the man knew he wasn’t going to back down.
“You don’t know who you are screwing with, buddy,” said Jacob, marching towards the mysterious man. “I’m going to mess you up.”
Jacob threw a fist at the stranger, which he easily avoided. The mysterious man moved deftly, and sent Jacob soaring into the wall with a swift palm of the sternum.
Emily could barely believe her eyes, as the man moved with super-human speed. Unable to comprehend any of this, Emily thought she was more injured then she previously believed; flush in the face and feeling much too faint.
George had managed to pick himself up, and he lumbered towards the stranger. Something must have startled him, however, as he quickly changed his mind, and began to run in the opposite direction.
“Hey, wait for me!” shouted Jacob, stumbling to his feet. “You fucking coward, wait for me!”
With no thoughts of revenge, the stranger knelt down beside Emily and lifted her head from the pavement. Looking into her eyes, he said, “You are safe now; those men will bother you no more.”
“Who are you?” Emily asked, still in shock and unsure of what she just witnessed.
“My name is Alexander Franson,” said the man. “But you may call me Xander.”
“T—thank you, Xander,” said Emily, beginning to lose consciousness. “Did you pick your moves up at a self defense seminar, too?”
Emily’s eyes rolled back in her head as she drifted away.
Xander took a moment to look over Emily. She was a beautiful creature, soft and innocent. She smelled divine, Xander thought, as he laid Emily down on the pavement. He wished to sample of her blood, which he knew would be the sweetest touch he had ever tasted, but he held true and fought the urges that threatened to wrest control away from him. He could hear some people coming. He had to get out of there.
The bar’s backdoor exit opened, and Emily’s friends poured outside, sending the loud music out into the alleyway.
“Where are you, Emily?” asked Steven, searching for his sister.
“Are you here?” Julia inquired, walking down the alleyway. “Oh my god, look over here!”
Julia rushed towards Emily, and kneeled down beside her.
“What the hell?” Tyler asked. “How could this have happened?”
Steven grabbed hold of Emily, trying to rock her back into consciousness. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he clutched his sister.
“You’re all I have left, you can’t leave me now,” Steven pleaded. “You just can’t.”
“Uh—Steven?” asked Emily, slowly coming back to her senses.
“Emily, you’re going to be okay,” said Steven, overcome with joy. “Thank god, you’re going to be alright.”
“What happened to you?” questioned Julia, looking around the alley.
“I was… saved,” whispered Emily, once again losing consciousness. “Don’t take me to a hospital, please. I… I don’t know what to say to them… please… no… no hospitals.”
“Damn it, she’s gone again,” muttered Julia, checking over Emily’s wounds. “Looks like a nasty bruise to the head, but other than that, I think she’s okay. We should take her to the hospital, anyway.”
“Not a chance,” replied Steven, “She’s got no insurance and the tuition fees are kicking her ass hard enough. I hate it too, but if that’s what she wants… that’s what she gets. Though, if she’s still in the thick of it by tomorrow, I’ll take her there kicking and screaming if I have to.”
“I’m going to see if I can find anyone,” said Ty
ler, rushing down the alley. “I’ll be back in a minute!”
The attackers would be nowhere to be found, but far above the streets, another dark silhouette stood on the rooftops, watching them. However, unlike Emily’s new savior, this man wasn’t interested in her safety. No, this man had much more sinister plans in store for Emily.
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