Descended by Blood

by Angeline Kace

  Descended by Blood

  A Vampire Born Trilogy, Book 1

  Angeline Kace

  Descended by Blood

  A Vampire Born Trilogy, Book 1

  Angeline Kace

  Brooke Keller’s a high school junior who never spent much time living in one place. She’s finally in a town long enough to almost snag the boy of her dreams, until her life is threatened by a fanged man in his attempt to kidnap her. Brooke begins a dangerous journey to find out who is after her and how to stop them. Thrown into a world with powerful and prejudiced vampires, Brooke must tap into the side of herself that she never knew existed, at the risk of losing her life in order to save it.

  Descended by Blood

  By Angeline Kace

  Cover design by Robin Ludwig Design

  Kindle Edition: August 2011

  Copyright © 2011 Angeline Kace

  All Rights Reserved. No Part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information please visit www.angelinekace.com

  --

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  --

  Kindle Edition Licence Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book is available in print at most online retailers.

  DEDICATION

  For Brandon,

  It was never a question if soul mates were real,

  It was if I would find him.

  Table of Contents

  1 - Predator vs. Predator

  2 - Dimples Are Cute

  3 - Coward

  4 - Not Fair

  5 - He's Following Me

  6 - He Was There

  7 - He Tarnished It

  8 - His Mouth Was Warm

  9 - Catalyst

  10 - I’m Mirko

  11 - You'll Have to Earn It

  12 - Run

  13 - We Came Here Together

  14 - I’ll Kill ’Em

  15 - Training, Not Fanging

  16 - I’d Rather Die

  17 - I Felt That

  18 - The Man of Your Dreams

  19 - The Fight of Your Life

  20 - Until I’m Dead

  21 - Taste Your Temptation

  22 - Your Body Will Require Blood

  23 - A Lair within a Lair

  24 - I Don’t Give Second Chances

  25 - I Intend to Keep You

  26 - Enjoy the Little Things

  27 - I’ll Go

  28 - I’ll Kill You for This

  29 - Let. Me. Go.

  30 - Resistance Ends Now

  31 - This Is for Lijepa

  32 - What is It?

  Teaser Chapter

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  1

  Predator vs. Predator

  My sneakers crunched against dead leaves, smashing twigs and gravel into the moist soil. Rain pelted these hills earlier today and whiffs of moss, decaying trees, and other earthly aromas filled my nose.

  My best friend, Kaitlynn, would be meeting me here soon for a hike through one of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s vibrant trails. The beginnings of fall had started appearing around Buena Vista, Virginia, and my favorite feature about this little settlement lay in the transformation of its trees. The colors splashed the canvas of this town with more brilliance than I had ever witnessed anywhere else. And I’d witnessed many places.

  I’d lived in seven different states since the first grade. My mom always thought a better job was around the corner—“I promise this place will be better, Brooke, trust me”—but I often felt she was restless. She finally gave in to my Uncle Garwin’s requests that we move closer to him, the only remaining family we had left. I’m glad she did because she’s been able to stay here, in tiny Buena Vista, for two years, earning me the luxury of beholding another season of plant life dying gracefully.

  My Mazda chirped when I triggered the alarm. I pulled my long, dark hair up into a tight ponytail, and heard the grind and chomping of tires against the rocks leading up to the trail. Kaitlynn swung her yellow Jeep into the parking spot right next to mine.

  “Ready to get our Steve Irwin on?” Kaitlynn asked, bouncing over to me.

  I laughed. “We’re not wrestling any crocodiles. We’re only strolling through the forest to look at the pretty leaves.”

  “Let’s call it the jungle. It sounds cooler if we act like we’re about to do something incredibly dangerous. Crikey!” she yelled in a bad Australian accent.

  It had become our Sunday routine to come up here for a hike before the chilled air grew too biting. Buena Vista had started to get bitter in the mornings and evenings, and the fog began rolling in before the sun rose. Even the rainstorms had been materializing more frequently, hence the moisture left beaded on the tops of leaves today.

  I steered Kaitlynn onto my favorite trailhead. I preferred this trail to those closer to town as fewer hikers bothered to venture this far. Plants weren’t trampled, and you could still spot squirrels and the occasional deer close by.

  “So, guess what?” I asked Kaitlynn, holding in my excitement. It tingled along my arms, and I thought it would seep out through my pores. “We’re going out.”

  “Oh, no way? You finally asked him?” Kaitlynn stared at me in surprise.

  “Well, not exactly. Jaren messaged me on Facebook last night and asked me. But the point is, we’re going out on Tuesday!”

  I’d crushed on Jaren since my mom and I moved here. Even after two years, my breath still caught in my throat whenever our eyes met.

  Jaren and his ex-girlfriend had broken up over the summer, and Kaitlynn kept prodding me to ask him out before someone else took him off the market again. I feared the rejection, and asking him out for real seemed like such a huge step beyond my flirting with him in class.

  “So, you have to tell me how he asked you out.” Kaitlynn relished the details.

  “Well, he started chatting with me, and I told him how I was excited to see the meteor shower on Tuesday. He asked me about it, and then hinted at which lucky guy was taking me up to watch it.”

  “Nuh-uh?” Kaitlynn laughed. “He’s such a brown-noser. But it’s cute because he said it to you. Continue,” she said, waving her hand.

  We rounded a hill, following the trail through a field of trees. “I know! I laughed, too, when he asked ‘which lucky guy’ was taking me. But when I told him I didn’t have anyone that I was going with…,” I gave her a pointed look. She’d gone with me on the past two, so I gave her a pass on this one. I knew she appreciated the reprieve from sitting out in the cold watching rocks fly incredibly far away at who knows what speeds across the sky. “He asked me if he could take me.”

  “See! I told you he wanted you.”

  My cheeks heated. “I wouldn’t go that far. Maybe he wants to see how big of a fool I can make of myself.”

  A twig snapped, and I jerked my head to the right. I caught the glint from the eyes of a mountain lion creeping toward us, his ears pulled back, teeth bared.

  I froze, hoping we weren’t the prey he stalked.

  Kaitlynn shrieked. She grabbed my arm and tried pulling me with her as she ran back to the cars.

  The lion rose from his crouch and s
tarted charging down the mountain straight for us.

  We didn’t have enough time for both of us to make it out of there alive, and the lion sped up at the site of Kaitlynn running away.

  I planted my feet. Something clicked inside of me; heat coursed through my veins. My vision intensified, and I could distinguish the areas of down between the lion’s coarse fur as his muscles flexed and stretched.

  I’d heard before that you shouldn’t look a wild animal directly in its eyes, but my instinct screamed for me to not turn my back on my attacker. I listened to my gut and looked the mountain lion square into his charging eyes.

  The lion and I connected on an intellectual level: predator versus predator. Only I knew, and I deemed the lion knew, as well, that I outranked him as the more fearsome predator. How I recognized this, or how I knew the lion realized this, I couldn’t fathom. I had never been hunting before, so this instinct didn’t come from a belief that man ruled supreme on the food chain. And this moment felt different somehow. It wasn’t man versus beast; it was beast versus beast.

  “Stop!” I commanded.

  The lion skidded to a halt four feet in front of me, his back fixed in its pre-lunge arch. He stared into my eyes, his ears perked back, fangs exposed in a snarl and hackles raised, but he didn’t move a centimeter closer.

  I towered over him. My pulse pounded at the sides of my neck; my shoulders rose and fell with my deep breaths. My gaze pierced him, welding his toes and the pads of his feet into the ground. Somehow, I had been able to force my command over him, and when I told him to stop, I never considered that he would deny my order.

  The nerves along my scalp tingled with the sensation that the lion hungered to attack me, but he couldn’t. The only thing holding him back from pouncing me was my decree that he shouldn’t. My beast had prevailed as the most dominant between us.

  Panic filled my lungs at the realization that something stirred within me and it caused me to look at myself as a beast. I yearned for the retreat that Kaitlynn had made. I yelled, “Leave!” before the lion could translate my hesitance and continue his attack.

  He hissed, spun around, and ran up the side of the hill, tail flogging behind him. I studied his movements, hoping that he wouldn’t change his mind and come back.

  Kaitlynn rushed up behind me. “Brooke, let’s go!” she pleaded, voice shaking.

  I stood there, to make absolutely sure. We had some distance to run before we’d get back to our vehicles, and I wasn’t going to take any chances on being stuck in that lion’s jaws.

  The creature was almost out of the small clearing and about to enter into the thick forest when a man stepped out from between two spruce trees. Like a housecat, the lion rubbed his fawn pelt against the man’s leg and purred. My hypersensitive hearing digested the happy rumble cascading down the hill. Over the purring, I heard the trill of crickets and further out, the crunch of leaves underneath small feet. How was that possible?

  The man loomed, barely outside the shadows, in a dark trench coat, smiling. His malignant stare reached my eyes, and his smirk grew by spades.

  Kaitlynn yanked on my sleeve. “Brooke, please,” she begged, “can we get out of here? Now?”

  I remained, eyes locked on this man who I was sure had sent that mountain lion to attack us. The way he pulled the corner of his lip up in a sneer suggested that he found pleasure in the way things ended with the lion. And it wasn’t because we were safe; it had to do with something else about the situation. But I couldn’t figure out what it was.

  “Come on!” Kaitlynn released me. “It’s gone. I’m leaving.” Her sneakers thumped along the trail away from me, jerking me out of my trance. I watched her go, and then looked back to the man and the lion just as they turned into the shadow of the treeline. His long jacket snapped with his movement as they disappeared from view.

  I trembled, recalling the leer on his face. Nothing about this situation made sense. My blood began to cool, and I spun around to follow after Kaitlynn.

  “Kaitlynn! Wait.” I reached her quickly.

  “Let’s just get out of here,” she said, refusing to slow down.

  “That guy sent the mountain lion after us.”

  “What guy?” Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

  “You didn’t see that guy at the top of the hill? Standing by the trees? The lion stroked up against his leg like a domesticated cat.”

  “I didn’t see any guy. As soon as that mountain lion showed up, I was out of there,” Kaitlynn said, picking up speed. “It could explain why there was a mountain lion in Virginia, though.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We don’t have mountain lions in Virginia. It must have been his pet or something. Maybe he called it back, and that’s why it ran off.”

  “No,” I said, puzzled, “it was a wild mountain lion. It was definitely feral, and he sent it after us. But why?”

  Kaitlynn laughed nervously. “Yeah, that sure explains why a wild cat stopped midattack. My explanation makes more sense.”

  When the cars were in sight, Kaitlynn slowed and came toward me with her arms out for a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I’ll call you later tonight.” She turned toward her Jeep.

  As she pulled away, rocks and debris flew up from the tires.

  I sat down in the driver’s seat of my car, but before I closed the door, I heard a guttural growl from the distance. I suspected it was the mountain lion.

  A shiver ran up my spine, causing my shoulders to spasm and my head to jerk. I escaped as fast as my old Mazda’s four-cylinder engine could carry me.

  2

  Dimples Are Cute

  “Are you cold?” Jaren asked, sitting on the blanket next to me. We’d come up to this peak to watch the meteor shower.

  “Very,” I exaggerated. I’d waited two years to get this close to him, and we were finally on a real date. Jaren slid toward me and threw his blanket over my lap.

  I smiled and kept my eyes on the stars overhead. I loved meteor showers because the stars came alive. They reminded me of little light creatures chasing each other across the dark sky.

  I’d never realized until we’d moved here that the beauty of living in a small town could be found in the stars. Big cities try to produce their own stars with skyscrapers and street lamps, but it doesn’t create the same splendor. Plus, the burning exhaust can’t compete with the fragrance of pine or the scent of moist soil after an early morning drizzle.

  I struggled when we’d first moved here. Starting a new school was harder this time than it had been in the past. Fortunately, there were some remarkable people in Buena Vista. Like Kaitlynn and Jaren.

  “So, tell me something else about yourself,” Jaren said. “I know about your fixation with the sky.”

  I glanced at him and laughed. “A fixation is what you call an interest? Man, I bet you’re so popular with all the ladies back in town,” I mocked.

  Jaren flashed me his white teeth in a wide grin. His singular dimple depressed further into his cheek, and my pulse surged. He looked at me with eyes as clear and blue as Caribbean waters, and his messy blond hair shimmered in the star’s light. Redrock County High touted him as its star lacrosse player, and the intense sport had given him muscles along his neck that flexed when he laughed, as though he’d been carved by a sculptor.

  “No, but seriously,” Jaren said, relaxing his smile, “tell me something about Brooke Keller that no one knows.”

  “Well, what else is there to tell? We live in a small town. You already know everything.” I thought for a moment about what to tell him. “I don’t know…my favorite band at the moment is Florence + the Machine, and I think guys with dimples are cute.” I’d gathered all my bravery for that revelation, and I still flushed as the words fell from my lips.

  Jaren laughed. He pulled me into one of those tight-squeeze hugs for a second. Warmth spread up my arms and down my spine, wafting into my stomach and spurring the butterflies to flutter.

  “What about
you?” I asked.

  “Well, I grew up in D.C. and went to a fancy private school. That’s where I learned to play lacrosse. They had the best coach east of the Mississippi, and I lived an ideal life until the divorce, seven years ago. Now, it’s just my dad and me, but most days it’s just me.” The twinkle in Jaren’s eye took on a distant cloud. I wondered why he told me this if the subject remained raw for him.

  “You’re lucky to have known both of your parents. I’ve never met my dad.” Maybe Jaren wanted me to see a deeper part of him than he’d shown me the past few weeks. I appreciated that, so I thought I should reveal more than the superficial, as well. “We moved around most of my life and my mom’s not even in the military. There’s always been a higher-paying job, a better school, or a safer place to live. It’s weird, though, because she’s never let herself get close to any of the guys she’s dated, either.” I’ve often wondered if she was running from a creepy ex-boyfriend or something, but she always assured me that she wasn’t.

  We sat in silence, Jaren holding my hand. The wind blew a cold breeze across my face and sent a loose strand of hair trembling along my jaw, tickling my cheek. The shooting stars became sporadic, and I wondered when Jaren would suggest we leave. I didn’t want to go home yet. Being close to Jaren excited and soothed me at the same time.

  “Your mom adores you,” Jaren said, “that much is clear. At least you have someone who loves you no matter where you move.” He faced me, and I was captivated with his beauty. But it was more than merely his genetic appearance. He had depth in his eyes, and his emotions flickered on his face as he felt them.

  The moment would’ve been perfect for Jaren to kiss me, but it shattered when he spoke. “I’d better get you back to your mom, or she won’t let me take you out again.”

  Neither of us moved to get up.

  “Really?” I asked, excitement causing my tone to rise.

  “Sure,” Jaren said. “Now that we’ve shared our deepest and darkest secrets, we at least owe each other another date, right?”

  “Right,” I said, happier about the second date than I was before this one. “So, what are you doing tomorrow after school?” I feared if I didn’t make the plans now, he might change his mind later.