Embrace The Dawning (The Covenant Series Book 1)

by Betty Shreffler

  “That you could hunt other vampires?”

  Adrian’s face contorted. “Not exactly. Before becoming a vampire, I served in the military. I was quite skilled at tracking—animals or people, it didn’t matter. I did well in the military. Had a natural knack for it, you could say. Those skills seemed to carry over into my vampirism. I discovered that even as a vampire, I was stronger, faster, and had a quick mind for combat, more than others. In addition, my tracking skills had become quite honed. I felt as though I had become a bloodhound. The moment I smelled the blood scent of a vampire, it was as if everywhere they went they left behind a DNA marker for me to follow. I didn’t use those skills until the Covenant enlisted me for that purpose. Apparently, I was not the first vampire that the Covenant had seen with these skills. The Covenant found my assets particularly useful and now rely on me to track down rogue vampires.”

  Kayci thought she heard underlying resentment in Adrian’s tone. “You said some vampires like having jobs. Did you choose to work for the Covenant?”

  Adrian frowned. “If I had the choice, I would not work for the Covenant.”

  “Why don’t you have a choice?”

  “The vampire that made me did so without permission from the Covenant. Therefore, I became a complication to their leadership as well as the vampire population. The Covenant does not permit vampires to create vampires as they please, which has its benefits. Vampires could easily become unmanageable if they were allowed to create as many vampires as they wanted. If allowed, vampires would surely become targets of humans, witches, or werewolves. Humans enjoy living a life where witches, werewolves, and vampires are fairy tales, only for entertainment purposes. They don’t want to know that real creatures go bump in the night. Humans don’t want to live their lives in fear. They’d rather be naïve, and I understand that. Witches and werewolves wouldn’t want vampires to become the dominant species, because then they would have to live in fear of vampire tyranny. Right now all species are in balance and the Covenant helps maintain that balance, which is why I am sent out to dispatch of any vampire that threatens that balance.

  “Once the Covenant found out that I existed, they offered me a deal. A deal I managed to receive because I had saved the life of one of the Covenant members. I would be permitted to live as long as I use my skills to do their bidding.”

  Kayci caressed Adrian’s hand in hers. She could see the topic frustrated Adrian.

  “How long do you have to work for them?”

  Adrian raised his eyebrows. “I wish I knew. Unfortunately, the Covenant doesn’t offer any retirement plans.”

  Kayci smiled at Adrian’s attempt to make light of a dour topic, but inside she sympathized. She wondered why he would agree to the deal, and then realized survival motivated him. Honestly, she was glad he had agreed to it, or she never would have met him.

  Adrian caressed Kayci’s hand. She felt the spark between them ignite and wondered if Adrian felt it too.

  “Well, enough about me. I know you have more questions about vampires, so let’s hear them.”

  Kayci pictured the dark-haired female vampire that grabbed her arm in the communal area.

  “What do you think the vampire in the common room wanted to say to me?”

  “That spitfire is Angelica. She likes to go by Angel. With your golden eyes and demeanor, you appear to be a new fledgling. Knowing I work for the Covenant, the others probably assumed I received permission to turn you. She likely wanted to bait you into a vampire ménage à trois or ridicule you for being a virginal vampire because of the way you reacted to the scene on the couch. Either way, I made it clear that you were with me and not here for sport.”

  Kayci nodded in surprise. “Well, all right then. She’s a wild one. I’ll be sure to steer clear of her.”

  Adrian smiled. “She’s not so bad. She’s just trying to show off in front of the others. In a coven, vampires tend to show off for attention and squabble for their position in the pecking order. Angel does a lot of showing off.”

  “There’s so much to learn,” Kayci announced, vexed.

  “You’ll learn it all. I’ll help you,” he assured her.

  Adrian wanted to tell her how good it felt to share so much about vampires with her and how pleased he was that she was like him, but he wasn’t sure she had accepted being part vampire yet or how she felt about it. To him it was better not to say anything, for now.

  “I am impressed with how well you continue to handle everything. Perhaps you were always meant to discover your vampire nature.”

  “Part of me says you’re right. The other part is still trying to wrap my brain around it. Can you explain something else for me?” Kayci asked.

  “Of course.”

  “I’ve heard a couple times now that vampires can drink from humans without hurting them. Even the guy making out with the two vampires seemed strangely calm as the women fed on him. He even seemed to be enjoying himself. How is that possible?”

  “Ah yes, vampire enchantment. It took vampires centuries to hone the skill, but eventually we learned how to use our aura to seduce humans. It puts them into a euphoric state where they don’t feel pain, or much of it. Some humans enjoy being fed on, like the one you saw in the communal area. Vampire junkies we call them. They come to the parties often and keep our existence a secret because they have a fetish for being bitten and don’t want to lose their means of satisfaction.” When he saw her shocked reaction, he added, “It’s strange…but some humans get aroused by the mix of pain and pleasure. Probably why the movies romanticize vampires.”

  Kayci’s dreams of Adrian came rushing back like flood waters rushing through an open dam. She bit her lip and looked away. Her cheeks were warm. She had a feeling that her eyes were golden.

  Adrian caught the change in Kayci’s body language. He genuinely wanted to know her thoughts. The heightened humming of her energy indicated they might be about their last intimate interaction.

  Kayci returned her gaze to Adrian. “Your enchantment doesn’t work on me though, right?” she asked anxiously.

  Adrian found her flushed face, golden eyes, and anticipative gaze appealing.

  “No, my enchantment does not work on you because of your vampirism. Anything you’ve felt has been natural.”

  Kayci noticed the way he emphasized the word natural, as though he was aware she had feelings for him. Damn eyes, Kayci thought. She tried to ignore the sensations, but her heightened emotions were becoming difficult to control.

  “Do you feel the humming sensation between us? I’ve felt it the last few times we’ve come in contact. I wondered if you’ve felt it too.”

  Adrian smiled at the way Kayci avoided saying when they kissed.

  “Yes, I can feel it. I noticed you had some kind of energy emanating off of you the first time I saw you. I thought you were like me at first, but your scent and demeanor were human. I couldn’t figure you out, and it made me all the more curious about you.”

  “What about now? Has my energy, scent, or demeanor changed?”

  Adrian gently and slowly brushed his fingers along the top of Kayci’s hand and wrist. He immediately saw the fine hairs on her arm raising and goose bumps forming.

  Kayci stared at the spot Adrian caressed. The gentle touch of Adrian’s fingers running along her skin may have been simple, but it felt completely tantalizing. Kayci closed her eyes so she could focus entirely on the sensation rushing through her body. She slowly opened her eyes and met his gaze, aroused.

  “Yes, you’ve changed, Kayci.”

  Kayci saw that Adrian’s eyes were transitioning to gold. His voice had lowered and sounded more sensual.

  “Your energy is stronger than before. Your scent is a strange mix of human, vampire, and something else I can’t put my finger on. It’s intriguing. Your demeanor has become more expressive as well as appealing. I don’t think it’s as easy for you to hide what you’re feeling anymore, is it?”

  Kayci stared back at Adrian’s be
autiful bright-gold eyes. Even with his eyes now changed, she still recognized the lust behind his stare. There was no denying she felt the same way. She wanted Adrian to kiss her. Every sensor in her body exploded with desire. Before she could make sense of what was happening, his lips pressed against hers. His hand caressed her neck, and his fingers folded into her hair. Every way he caressed her made her body respond as though fireworks were going off in that area. She eagerly returned the kiss, matching her tongue against his. She nearly pounced on top of him as she leaned more to his side of the couch, enveloping herself in his arms. Kayci reveled in his embrace as his hands began roaming her backside. She found herself once again flicking her tongue across his fangs, enjoying the quick tickle of pain and pleasure it caused.

  Adrian let out a low guttural growl when Kayci’s moaning reached his ears. Her heavy breathing and warming body elevated his arousal. He reached between her legs and delighted in the warmth and wetness developing there. As she moaned beneath his touch, he moved his kisses from her lips to her cheek to her neck. Her intense and rapid heartbeat expanded the vein below his fangs. He licked at the vein, wanting immensely to thrust his teeth into it and taste the very sweetness she had to offer.

  Among her heated and blinding arousal, Kayci thought she felt a tiny prick of pain on her neck. When she opened her eyes, she witnessed Adrian rapidly pulling away from her. She sat on the couch, confused, breathing heavily. She could see that Adrian was just as aroused as she was. She touched the side of her neck. Only a tiny smear of blood showed on her finger. She looked back at Adrian, who appeared miserable and in pain as he desperately tried to control himself.

  Adrian’s fangs slowly disappeared. His eyes gradually transitioned back to their normal green color. As he became composed, he stepped closer to Kayci.

  “I want you to know you’re beautiful, Kayci, and you feel incredible in my arms. Too good, honestly.”

  Kayci’s cheeks grew warm.

  “The issue is that I’m a vampire, and the more aroused I am, the more difficult it becomes to control that side of me. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I don’t think you’ll hurt me, Adrian, and I’m not even sure that you can.”

  She turned her neck toward him so he could see there was no remnant of a bite mark. She had already healed.

  “I truly appreciate your self-control though. Perhaps we can continue to work on it.”

  She flashed him a smile meant to be mischievous and enticing.

  The tension in his body lessened. She was flirting with him! She wasn’t scared or angry. He reached out his hand, hoping she would take it.

  “I want to show you something.”

  Kayci held Adrian’s hand as he led her up a metal stairwell that wound its way up to the rooftop. As they reached the top, she immediately noticed the plethora of bright shining stars scattered amid the black sky. It was gorgeous, and it had been a while since she had seen a sky this decorated. She looked at Adrian inquisitively.

  “I’m sure you’re wondering what we’re doing up here.”

  Kayci grinned.

  “I brought you up here for what we vampires call the Dawning. We’re early, so we’ll have time to talk before other vampires arrive.”

  Adrian unraveled the small throw blanket he had carried tucked in his right arm and set it down on the rooftop. They laid on it and cuddled closely against one another as they stared up at the sky.

  “What is the Dawning?”

  Adrian ran his fingers along her arm, enjoying the warmth of her skin. He smiled to himself when she asked about the Dawning.

  “Unfortunately, our vampirism keeps us living in the dark, unable to enjoy the sun, but we can still get close. Vampires come here just before the sunrise. We stay as long as we can before we feel the temperature change in the air. Before the sunrise breaks the horizon, we leave. Not all of us though. Some stay.”

  “They stay for the sunrise?” Kayci asked.

  “Yes. The sun destroys the demon curse within us. Our bodies turn to ash.”

  “Why would they want to stay and be killed?”

  “Vampires that want to end the curse and see the sun again embrace the Dawning.”

  “What’s after?” Kayci asked softly.

  Adrian continued to watch the sky.

  “No one knows.”

  Adrian felt Kayci stir in his arms. He sensed her antsiness.

  “Why’d you bring me here?”

  “I wanted you to know we have a choice.”

  “You wanted me to know the choice you’ve made. To live as a vampire.”

  “Yes. I’ve chosen to be in this world as a vampire for 149 years. To be honest, I’m fond of being a vampire. I promise you not everything about vampirism is as you’ve experienced. There’s so much more.”

  Kayci pushed herself more closely into his arms as he caressed her side. She really wanted to believe him.

  “Adrian, what makes a vampire want to embrace the Dawning?”

  “Being a vampire means living with the demon’s curse. The demon’s curse keeps us alive. Part of the curse is to be immortal. When you become a vampire, you stay the age that you were when you died as a human. We don’t age. We never get to feel the sun on our faces. We can’t have children, and being a vampire means having to feed on blood to survive. It can be a lonely life for some.

  “We aren’t easy to kill, either, because we heal so quickly. The only way a vampire can die is to either embrace the Dawning, be forced into the sun, burned, beheaded, starved, or drained of blood. Not all humans can handle the transformation, and not all vampires want to live forever. Some want to know what is beyond this world.”

  “It sounds like the curse is punishment. To be banished to the night for eternity, stuck at the age you died as a human, having to feed on blood to survive.”

  “Some vampires do feel that way. They think it was part of the demon’s plan to punish the man that broke their arrangement, but the demon didn’t realize his blood would cause others to turn into vampires.”

  “How is it that I came to exist if vampires can’t have children?”

  “I have heard of a myth that vampires have tried working with witches to bind the demon’s curse, temporarily giving them the opportunity to have children. I’ve never heard of it actually working though, until I met you.”

  “I’m worried that the Covenant will find out about me and want to kill me.”

  Adrian stopped rubbing Kayci’s arm. He kissed her forehead before looking down at her and receiving her full attention. “It’s important for you to know this, and it’s important for you to know I only found out today.”

  Kayci’s chest immediately tightened. She sat up on her elbow and stared at Adrian intently.

  “The Covenant knows you exist.”

  A knot developed in her throat. It felt like her chest was swollen with a soccer-size ball inside. Her throat became dry.

  “Danika saw your eyes when you fought one another and told the Covenant that I have been hiding a half-breed vampire. Tomorrow I’ll be questioned by the Covenant and will also have the chance to explain to them that you’re not a threat.”

  Kayci reached up and touched the moldavite stone to her fingers, hoping it would protect her, as Rosemary said it would. She stared outward in a daze.

  “What if they don’t see things from your point of view?”

  Adrian took her hand away from the stone and kissed it. Kayci returned her gaze to Adrian.

  “I will do everything I can to protect you. I promise you.”

  “What if they want to kill you?”

  Adrian smiled at her. “They won’t. I’m too much of an asset to them.”

  Kayci heard the others coming. She was surprised she could hear them over her deafening heartbeat.

  Adrian glanced in their direction and then back at Kayci. He brought his hand up to her cheek and caressed it before pulling her in for a kiss. He felt her body melt under his lips. He pulled away from her and
then leaned back in for another quick, gentle kiss.

  “It’s time.”

  Adrian took her hand in his. They both stood up, facing the direction the sun would rise. Kayci watched as a large group of vampires spread out on the rooftop, some standing alone, others in pairs. They all looked toward the east, where the sunrise was soon to come. All had their heads raised into the breeze, quietly watching the sky. The sounds had gone from chatter to complete silence.

  Kayci watched as the stars above disappeared one by one, followed by the lightening of the sky from a charcoal gray to a light gray. Slowly, strips of faint blue started to peek through the clouds. A yellowish-white tint highlighted the horizon. She noticed the tiny variation in the air. It had become warmer and dryer. The cool moist breeze was fading. Adrian gently tugged at her hand, letting her know it was time to go. She turned to follow.

  Kayci stopped in her tracks, frozen by the sight in front of her. She had become so mesmerized by the changing sky she hadn’t noticed the vampires had made their way across the rooftop. The sight in front of her mesmerized her. The vampires leapt off the rooftop, coasting into the shadow cast by the building. Their dark silhouettes drifted into the wind like a condor soaring through the sky. The buildings with their gray glass windows, still empty of employees, were a silent witness to the scene. She laughed to herself at how humans were so oblivious to the world around them.

  Moments later all the dark figures in the sky were gone. Kayci could feel the heat of the sunrise on her back. It brought her attention back to her surroundings. She looked around her. Adrian was gone too, but there was still one vampire on the rooftop. As the sun rose and the horizon turned from a yellow-white tint to bursts of yellow orange, Kayci continued to stare as the vampire spread out his arms and embraced the sun before him. Within seconds of the sun appearing above the horizon, the vampire burst into flames. Kayci’s chest tightened as she heard the vampire let out one shrill scream. She couldn’t bring herself to look away. She would be a part of his passing, since no one else could.