I screamed, praying it was both in this nightmare and in reality so that I would wake. His low rumble of a laugh echoed through the room. I shifted, thrashing in an effort to get away from him, but he gripped my shoulders, forcing me to be still. I screamed even louder and swung my arms about. There was no way I would go down without a damn fight. If he knew anything about me, he needed to know that.
“Kenna! Kenna! Wake up!” Bree’s alarmed voice pierced through my consciousness.
My eyes fluttered open, and I bolted upright in bed. I was awake, I was alive, and the wraith was gone. Somewhat.
“Oh my God, I was about to slap you or something.” She flopped down on my bed. “What were you dreaming about this time?”
Tucking a strand of sweat-dampened hair behind my ear, I avoided Bree’s stare. I knew she was wondering what the hell was wrong with me. Time. I needed time to create a fabricated lie about what that something was, because there was no way I could tell her the truth.
“What’s going on with you, Kenna?” Her voice was soft and concerned, but I could tell she was still exhausted from her fun earlier. “This is the second time I’ve woken you from some insane nightmare since I’ve been here.”
I smoothed a hand over my forehead, wiping away the tiny droplets of sweat that had congregated there. “I don’t know.” My teeth chewed my bottom lip as I tried to think of something to add, something more believable, because I knew that wouldn’t suffice. Not for Bree. “I’ve just been under a lot of stress lately.”
This was the truth, and what I’d learned when it came to lying to Bree over the years was that you had a better chance of her believing whatever fib you were dishing out if there was a small semblance of truth embedded in it. Saying I was stressed was an understatement, so it should work.
“About what?” She shifted into a sitting position and tucked her feet underneath her. I knew the move was so she could better see my expression, so she could read me.
“A lot of things.” I ran a hand through my hair, refusing to meet her stare.
“No. Don’t even. You had better tell me what’s really bothering you. Do not give me some lame excuse you’d give just anyone,” she demanded.
Without thinking it through, I said the first thing that came to mind. “Fine, you’re right. It’s Randal’s ex. She’s been stalking me.”
I wanted to bite my tongue off the second the words left my mouth. While there could be some truth to them, because Natalia had paid me a visit while I was at work and she did interrupt our dinner date the night the wraith infected me, I couldn’t really call her a stalker. Could I? I had wondered if the shadowy figure looming in the parking lot and a few other places had been her, but I didn’t have proof.
“What! Why am I just now hearing about this?” Bree’s eyes widened until she resembled one of those weird anime cartoon characters with the freakishly big eyes. “Is it like that movie Fatal Attraction? Has she tried to kill you or something? Is that why you’re having such horrible nightmares?”
Jesus, leave it to Bree to take it into worst-case scenario territory. “No. Nothing like that.” Thank God. I probably would be dead by now if that were the case, considering she was a vampire. “She’s just been showing up at my work and making appearances on our dates.”
My reason sounded stupid. Nothing about what I’d said was validation for the type of dreams she’d been waking me from. By the look on Bree’s face, she knew it too.
“Okay…” She dragged the word out. “Has she done something else you’re not telling me? That doesn’t seem like something that would give you, of all people, nightmares. I’m sorry, but you’re definitely one of those people who doesn’t scare easily. You’re tough, Kenna.” There was softness in her words, a kindness that nearly broke me.
I wanted nothing more than to tell my best friend exactly what was happening, but I couldn’t. It wasn’t that I was scared she wouldn’t believe me, because when I thought about it hard enough, I knew she would. Bree was always into believing supernatural crap existed. Her philosophy on it was that no one harbored that good of an imagination, so eventually somewhere along the line someone had to either be a vampire, werewolf, witch, etc., and tell someone about what it was like for the stories to get started.
Nope. Believing me wasn’t the problem.
What I feared most was that Bree would be upset and hurt I had kept this huge secret from her for so long. That was what kept the truth at bay, and her staring at me with swirls of disbelief and tendrils of sympathy dancing through her eyes.
“Maybe it’s because I’ve never had to deal with something like this before.” It was a crap answer if I ever heard one, but it was the only one I could think to give.
Chapter 15
“This shop looks like it might have some cute dresses.” Bree gripped the handle to Sassy and Classy. “We should check it out.”
I sipped on my chai latté and followed her through the door. “Sure, anything has got to be better than the last place.” Hips, the last shop we had been to, had not been a place for me. While there had been some cute outfits—if you were into the skintight, I-can’t-breathe-but-I-look-fabulous look—there wasn’t anything in my comfort zone. I loved Bree and wanted her to be happy on her special day, but I still had lines I wasn’t willing to cross, and I damn sure had made them known in that place when she’d gotten all googly-eyed over a crushed velvet number.
After our awkward moment last night, we woke up this morning and made chocolate chip pancakes together, before heading to the strip of shops in search of a bridesmaid dress for me.
I hadn’t complained about going shopping, because it was something to get us out of my place and away from the uncomfortable silence we kept finding ourselves in. However, that didn’t mean I was one hundred percent enjoying myself. Shopping wasn’t my thing, and I was also still struggling to come up with a reason for Bree to head back home.
“Oh my God, look at this one!” Bree dashed across the carpeted floor toward a pale pink dress on display in the center of the room. “It’s stunning!”
“Yeah, that one is nice.” I couldn’t argue with her. There weren’t gaudy bows or weird sequin stripes running the length of the dress. It was classily chic. Pale pink fabric with a few gems sewn in beneath the bustline. “I wouldn’t be opposed to wearing it, as long as the price is right.”
Bree flipped the tag to see the price before I could. While she knew that I loved her, she also knew that I had a budget of eighty bucks, regardless of how great the dress might look on me. I was thankful she understood my money dilemma and didn’t push the issue.
“It’s in your budget…if you raised it by about a hundred dollars.” She frowned. “Damn it, shades of pink would have been such a great scheme to work with.”
“We can still stick with the color, if you want.” I glanced around at the racks of dresses lining the walls. “This can’t be the only pink dress in the entire store.”
“You’re right.” She started toward the rack closest to her.
I followed her, sipping on my chai latté and hoping the liquid sugar would give my limbs the energy they needed to continue to support me. Dog tired could definitely be used to describe me. The restless bouts of sleep I had the last few nights because of the nightmares were taking a toll on me.
My cell chimed with a new text from in my coat pocket. It was Randal, at one o’clock in the afternoon. Apparently, he wasn’t sleeping well either.
I merely wanted to check in and see how you are feeling.
A fluttering sensation slipped through my stomach once I read the text.
Thanks, but I’m okay. ~ Kenna
I wasn’t, but was this really the time to list out all the fears growing inside of me? I chewed the inside of my cheek as I reread my response to him. Did it sound bitchy? This was one thing I hated about texting. You could never tell a person’s tone, which made it hard to judge the way a person meant for something to sound.
“Who are yo
u texting? Is that Randal?” Bree had sneaked up behind me. “Does he want to meet us for a late lunch or coffee somewhere? Like I said before, I don’t want to keep the two of you apart just because I’m here for a visit. Besides, I think he’s a great guy.”
Crap. Now I needed a reason for why my vampire boyfriend couldn’t meet us for something as simple as lunch. “You’re not keeping us apart. And thanks, I think he’s a pretty decent guy too.” I searched my mind for an excuse for why Randal couldn’t meet us someplace that wouldn’t seem lame or unbelievable to Bree.
“I can tell.” She flashed me a goofy grin. “Now why don’t you send him a quick text about lunch? I’m starved.”
“He’s probably busy doing paperwork for the club or something.” My voice didn’t sound as confident as I would have liked. Risking a glance at Bree, I noticed a skeptical gleam in her eyes I had hoped not to see. “I think it would be great if just the two of us had lunch together someplace.”
“Okay, sure.” Something a few racks over seemed to catch her eye. “That sounds good.”
I shifted my attention back to my conversation with Randal; he had yet to say anything. After pocketing my cell, I browsed through the dresses on the rack closest to me. My cell chimed again. It was another text from Randal.
Is Bree still in town?
I sighed, wishing he would lay off. This wasn’t an easy situation. Bree would be hurt and so would our friendship if I flat-out asked her to leave. What should I tell him, Yes, she is? I haven’t had the heart to run her off yet.
Yes. I haven’t figured out how to send her home without hurting her or seeming crazy. ~ Kenna
My stomach grumbled. I finished off my chai tea, hoping to tide myself over a little while longer. Bree wasn’t the only one who was starved; pancakes only took a person so far.
I know this must be difficult for you, but it is essential you send her home. I would prefer to leave tonight for Avalon Bay.
I clenched my teeth together. While I knew he was right, I didn’t enjoy being pestered about it.
A familiar sickness sloshed through my stomach, causing my mind to jump to the previous nightmare I’d had. Suddenly, I was reminded of how the wraith had made me feel hungry.
I know. I’ll figure something out, but I can’t promise it will be by tonight. ~ Kenna
I slipped my phone into my coat pocket, done with the conversation for the time being, and searched the shop for where Bree had disappeared to. She was near the back of the boutique.
“How about this one?” Bree surprised me by holding up a red dress with a shimmering quality to it as I continued toward her. “It would look great on you. You have to try it on.”
I took the dress from her as she talked about red being a great color for the wedding palette, and couldn’t help but think about the irony of her color choice. It was practically the same shade as my succubus aura.
“Where’s the fitting room?”
“Over there.” Bree pointed behind me. “And I want to see this one, so you have to come out.”
“Okay.” I draped the dress over my arm and headed to the fitting room.
Once I had the dress on, I took a moment to stare at my reflection in the full-length mirror. The tiny dots of silver that tarnished my aura seemed larger than they had been earlier. Fear flowed like ice through my veins, or maybe it was the wraith. I couldn’t tell at this point.
“Well,” Bree shouted through the curtain, crumbling the moment I had been trapped in. “Does it fit?”
“Yeah, it does.” I ripped my eyes away from my reflection and stepped through the curtain doorway so she could see.
“Oh my God, Kenna, you look stunning!” Bree shouted. “Red is definitely your color.”
She had no idea how right she was.
“Thanks.” I smoothed my hands along my sides. “It fits nicely too.”
The dress seemed to squeeze me in all the right places before it fell to the floor in ripples of silken fabric that pooled around my bare feet. The waist wasn’t too tight, the bust not too loose, and everything about the dress was perfect, even the price. At sixty bucks, it was a steal. I was about to say so when Bree’s cell went off.
“Hello?” There was a slight edge to her tone, like she wasn’t sure whom the number was from. “What? No, I’m not in town at the moment. Neither of us are. My fiancé is away on a business trip, and I’m visiting a friend in North Carolina. Is it bad?” Her voice raised an octave or two, and I knew something was wrong.
I listened to her one-sided conversation, wondering what could have happened. The way Bree’s eyes seemed to bounce from one place to another, never settling on mine, never remaining still for long, unnerved me.
“What’s wrong?” The words rushed out of my mouth the second she hung up.
Bree’s hand flew to her mouth. “My house was broken into.” The hand that clutched her cell trembled. “That was the security company calling to let me know the alarm for the house went off a few minutes ago. When Kellen and I didn’t respond to the text the company sent, they had someone swing by the house. They found evidence of a break in.” She tapped on her phone and sighed. “I didn’t hear the text. Damn it!”
“Holy crap.” I didn’t know what to say. While I was in shock her house had been broken into, a tiny piece of me was relieved by the news. At least now I wouldn’t have to come up with some off-the-wall reason for why she couldn’t stay another night with me. Wow, I was probably going to hell for that thought. “Did they tell you how bad it was? Is stuff broken, or did they clean you out?” My mind was all over the place, which made my tone seem off. I was glad Bree was in too much shock to harp on me for being insensitive.
“I don’t know. They wouldn’t say. I think I need to call Kellen.” She was scrolling through her phone, searching for his number, as she headed out of the shop before I could utter another word.
After I quickly changed out of the dress and paid for it, I exited the shop. I found Bree leaning against the rugged brick of the building, talking on her cell.
“I don’t know why someone would do this,” she muttered. “Okay, yeah. Love you too. Bye.” Tears pooled in her eyes as she hung up.
“Are you okay?” Such a stupid question. “What did he say?”
While this was an answer to my prayers, it still wasn’t a good situation to be in. My best friend’s house had been broken into. That was scary.
“I’m okay. I guess.” She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. She was lying. Anyone could see how shaken she was. “I planned on leaving in another two days, but I need to move my flight up to sometime this evening now. Kellen is going to see if he can get a flight out tonight as well. The police want us to go through everything as soon as possible so we can make a list of things missing.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay another night and see if you can catch one tomorrow morning?” I had to offer. I hated seeing her this way.
“No.” She shook her head. “The sooner we can get this over with the better.”
“Okay, well um...” I held up the white garment bag in my arms and smiled. “I bought the dress. Looks like deep red is your theme color for the wedding.”
Bree sniffled and flashed me a grin. “Good. One thing off my to-do list.”
“I figured that would make you smile.” I looped my arm through hers. “Let’s head back to my place and see if we can book you that flight while ordering some delivery from somewhere.”
Chapter 16
I curled up with a blanket and my laptop a few minutes after saying my goodbyes to Bree. We had managed to book her a redeye flight. She wouldn’t get home until late, but it put her and Kellen arriving at the airport roughly thirty minutes apart.
I reached for my cell and shot Randal a text, letting him know what had happened and that we could leave tomorrow night for Avalon Bay. I hoped that it didn’t screw up the reservations he had mentioned already making for us. He didn’t respond right away, so I shifted my attentio
n back to my laptop.
Focus. I needed to focus on putting the final touches on the logo I had been creating. Once I tweaked the size of the typewriter once more, I leaned back and stared at the image. It wasn’t going to get any better than it already was. Satisfied with the mock-up, I emailed it to my client. A yawn pushed past my lips.
I sat up straighter, and reached for my soda. Ignoring the lull of sleep calling to me, I opened the file with unfinished covers on my desktop and began skimming through them. My tastes had become quite dark lately, but that seemed to be what authors were looking for. Sexy paranormal romance was where it was at apparently.
While I wasn’t so sure about the sexy part, the dark paranormal aspect was a creative path I was happy to venture down. It seemed fitting with my current life situation.
My stomach gargled with hunger, and I popped another chip into my mouth. It did nothing to curb the hunger I had fallen prey to. It wasn’t of the human kind, but of the succubus variety. Licking the salt off my bottom lip, I attempted to darken the hair of the female model in the cover I was working on. Another hollow ache shifted through my midsection, and I knew my need to feed was becoming dire.
A knock sounded at my front door, sending my heart into overdrive. It was nearly after one in the morning, and I wasn’t expecting anyone. When a second knock met my ears, I set my laptop on the couch and started toward the door. My steps were silent as I neared it. I peeked through the peephole and was surprised to see Randal.
Once I had unlocked the door, I pulled it open. “Hey. What are you doing here?”
“Hello. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” While Randal was a gentleman by nature, it seemed that still didn’t stop him from grazing his eyes over me, taking in my outfit. I could feel the heat of embarrassment coloring my cheeks as he continued to take in my pajamas, which consisted of a pale pink tank top and a pair of pink and white flannel pants. “I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
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