Midnight Surrender: A Paranormal Romance Anthology

by Abel, Charlotte

  “Margery could bite you and make you stay.” The suggestion came from the voice of a child, the voice of a child who should have been dead long ago. The silence of the gathered people was heightened by the rush of the wind that came slicing through the trees.

  “Biting will not make them stay, will it?” said Cam quietly, almost ominously.

  Caroline could not see his face but when Cam spoke both Margery and Sheridan seemed to back off. Caroline glanced around at the others who were gathered, suddenly aware that she had been in a significant amount of danger. She became aware of the presence of her Uncle Wyatt.

  “Time to go. Aunt Carol will be wondering where we are,” said Uncle Wyatt. For the first time Caroline noticed the leather belt that Uncle Wyatt wore low on his hips. In it, there were several wooden stakes and a pouch with a flap. Her eyes met his and he jerked his head, indicating that she should walk in front of him. As she stepped around Uncle Wyatt and stood in the flickering shadows cast by a low burning tiki torch, he said, “Walk Caroline to the truck, Camden. I’ll be right there.”

  “But sir…” Cam started forward and Caroline saw that he had a banner of sorts slung over his shoulder and crossing his torso that had several wooden stakes and pouches.

  “We’re staying, Uncle Wyatt,” Caroline interrupted. The eerie glow of the eyes of the surrounding people, seemed closer all of a sudden.

  “Caroline,” said Uncle Wyatt, “it is you they are after. Start walking toward the truck in front of Camden, little one. Just walk.”

  Understanding the reason he was asking her to go, Caroline turned and began walking down the path. Cam walked just behind her, his footsteps overshadowed by the sound of other footsteps, many footsteps. Evidently Uncle Wyatt had some experience with this sort of thing and Caroline wondered if she was going to wake up from this very strange dream soon.

  “Wyatt!” The scream had all three of them turning back around to see that they were being followed by at least seven people.

  “Do you really want to take us on?” asked Uncle Wyatt, his voice low, deadly.

  Sheridan rushed forward, her hands like claws ready to attack Uncle Wyatt, an unearthly cry heralding her approach. Wyatt moved so quickly that he was a blur and in the next instance had Sheridan by the neck, a stake in his hand as though ready to thrust it into her chest. Margery was there in an instant, her fangs bared as though ready to attack.

  “Release her!” she shrieked. “We will keep to the pact if you do not harm Sheridan.”

  Uncle Wyatt seemed to come to his senses and spoke through clenched teeth.

  “I will honor the pact if you will, Margaret. Keep your little blood bitch away from my family.”

  Margery stepped forward and took Sheridan from him, the teenager hissing and twisting in the hands of her maker.

  Caroline stood between Uncle Wyatt and Cam, watching the coven of vampires walk away, eventually fading into the shadows once more.

  -oOo-

  As they walked down the now deserted path that led to the truck, Cam reached down and took Caroline’s hand. Uncle Wyatt took them both back to the farm and asked if they would like to sit and watch the storm roll in. Cam sat next to Caroline on the porch swing, resting his arm along the back of the swing. When she smiled up at him, he leaned down to kiss her.

  “What was that all about back there?” asked Caroline, when he pulled back from her.

  “You just disappeared with Sheridan. When I looked for you, there were several people telling that you had left, so I went over to your Uncle Wyatt’s house.” He brushed her hair back from her face, eyes serious as he spoke. “I had no desire to be at the bonfire unless you were there. You were the only reason I went at all.” He leaned in to kiss her again, his tongue skimming the line of her lips. “Not only had your uncle not come back to get you but he seemed really worried that I couldn’t find you. Then he just said something about needing an apprentice and grabbed my arm to drag me with him into that shed out behind the barn. Talk about amazing, that room is filled with some pretty weird stuff but I didn’t get a chance to look too hard because he was moving around gathering things and shoving them into that leather holder.” Her eyes followed the movement of Cam’s head as he nodded in the direction of the things he had removed. “I had always heard the rumors about vampires and protectors but like most of the people around here, I was pretty skeptical. He explained all this stuff very briefly on the way back to the bonfire. I could see that he was afraid for you and I started to feel frantic too.”

  “That all seems like something out of a crazy nightmare, doesn’t it?” she said. “Do you think I was a target all summer, from the start?”

  “I don’t know about that. I do know I could go on kissing you forever,” he said as he ghosted his lips over hers. “You are so delicious. My addiction,” he said, his lips touching hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck to bring her body flush with his and he groaned, turning his head to take the kiss deeper. When he pulled back, his eyes darted up to the doorway.

  At that moment, her aunt and uncle entered the screen porch carrying trays of snacks and drinks. Aunt Carol dismissed the way Cam’s eyes seemed to glow for a moment.

  -oOo-

  Standing in the drive next to her mother’s car, Caroline looked into Cam’s eyes. She felt a piercing sense of loneliness at the thought of leaving him. A buzzing sound filled her ear followed by the sting of a mosquito on her neck. Caroline could feel a trickle of blood down her skin and pulled a tissue from her bag but Cam stopped her.

  “No, baby,” he said. “Allow me.”

  He pressed his lips to her neck, and his tongue lapped at her blood.

  “You must have sweet blood, Caroline,” said Aunt Carol. “Mosquitoes and teenaged boys can’t get enough.”

  “I’ve been told it is an addiction,” said Caroline with a smile.

  Kelly D. Cooper is the mother of two little southern beauties. She lives with her family in South Carolina where she spends her time weaving tales of romance, suspense and mystery. "Dance by Moonlight" is her first story, but she hopes to put more out soon.

  Learn more about Kelly at: kellydcooper.wordpress.com

  Visit her on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/southerneccentrickellydcooper