Blood Lust

by T. Lynne Tolles

  Blood Lust (Book 3 in Blood Series)

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  T. Lynne Tolles

  Troll Publishing

  Copyright © 2010 T. Lynne Tolles

  Version 3.0SW September 4, 2011

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN 978-1-452458-6-0

  Smashwords Edition, License 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. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Publisher’s Note:

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and events are the work of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, locals or events is coincidental.

  T. Lynne Tolles

  Dedication

  To Pete, my husband and best friend in the world. I love you!

  Chapter 1

  Before everyone could begin eating the festive dinner, Devon Bloomington stood up with his glass of wine and said, “I’d like to make a toast.” Everyone reached for their wine glasses.

  “Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for family, friends and loved ones. I want to say that I am thankful for each and every one of you in this room. You’ve all become like family to my brother Blake and me. May we always have each other to call family!”

  Those gathered at the table raised their glasses and clinked them together. “To family,” said Blake and they repeated, “To family.” They all sipped their wine, set their glasses down, and started to dig in.

  Laughing and talking ensued and all seemed perfect, when the doorbell rang. Devon and his girlfriend, Darby, looked questioningly at each other. Devon wiped his mouth, kissed Darby, and said, “I’ll get it. You stay and enjoy.” He set his napkin down next to his plate and headed for the door. He was about to open the door when, again, the doorbell rang. He opened it to find a tall, elegantly dressed man with brown eyes and brown hair. It was his and Blake’s Uncle Dominic.

  “Dominic! What a pleasant surprise. Come in.” Devon, although welcoming, was truly floored at seeing his uncle. In all Devon’s life, he had never known him to travel away from Connecticut.

  Distinguished, Dominic was dressed in a black hat, overcoat, red scarf (perhaps for some festive color) and gloves. It was a little overkill for the fifty-eight degree Thanksgiving weather, Devon thought, but the man was meticulously groomed, nonetheless. Devon made his introduction as he helped Dominic with his coat, hat, scarf and gloves.

  There was definitely some family resemblance to Devon and Blake, Darby thought, and now closer, she could see that his eyes were a warm brown. His hair was slicked back and he sported a bushy mustache. He was at least as tall as Blake, so now Darby knew where Blake had gotten his height. Dominic didn’t smile, but Darby felt if he did, he might have the kind of smile that lit up a room, like that of his nephews. Darby had a feeling, though, that she wouldn’t be seeing his smile anytime soon.

  “This is Darby O’Rielly,” Devon said as he pointed to her near the end of the table. Devon didn’t tell his uncle that she and her sister, Rowan, had come from a long line of ancestral witches. Devon had only met the beautiful blonde woman a few months previously, but he had fallen madly in love with her almost at first sight. He continued around the table.

  “Her sister, Rowan,” Devon said pointing to her. A tiny, strawberry blonde woman with Caribbean blue eyes smiled and nodded. A few months before, a horrible man named Terrence Paine had kidnapped her and injected her with werewolf blood in an attempt to kill her, thinking that she’d been turned into a vampire by her boyfriend, Blake. The werewolf blood would have battled the vampire blood, leaving Rowan dead. However, Blake had not turned her and the werewolf blood had changed her to a werewolf. Devon continued around the table

  “You know Blake, of course,” he said, gesturing to his brother.

  Blake looked up at his uncle in acknowledgement of the introductions to find him glaring at his hand holding Rowan’s. Blake knew why and immediately let go of her hand. As a young man, Dominic had seen a couple being mutilated and killed by a werewolf. Blake knew his uncle could sense Rowan’s mind and her inner werewolf, as he and his uncle were adept at telepathy and mind control.

  Ignoring the telepathic communication between Dominic and Blake, Devon continued, “and this is Sally Keaton.” Sally, like Rowan and Darby, was from a long line of witches. She and her sister, Rachel, were powerful witches, indeed. Rachel and Sally had come to Oljone, California to cast an ancient spell that was written by one of their ancestors in an attempt to receive more power – very evil power. The spell included kidnapping thirteen girls to invoke the powers of the Blood Moon. Sally had gone along with her sister’s ranting, until the showdown with Darby, Rowan, Blake, Devon, and Dean Wolfe back in October when her sister had turned on her and almost killed her. Darby had bound both sisters’ powers until they could show they were sorry for what they had done. Sally became the guardian angel to all thirteen women that she and her sister had kidnapped. In doing so, she had recently earned her powers back.

  “And this is Dean Wolfe,” Devon continued. Dean, a werewolf, was the brother of Benjamin Wolfe, whose blood had been injected into Rowan by Terrence Paine. In an attempt to learn all they could about werewolves, uncertain as to Rowan’s fate after the werewolf blood injections, Darby and Blake had gone to Colorado seeking Dean. Rowan had spent her first full moon as a werewolf with Dean, learning about her new abilities. Devon had joined them one night and had found that werewolves and vampires were much alike. They both had telepathic abilities, speed, and strength, and both species were often blamed for those of their breed that lost control and killed humans. The folklore behind both species was similar too, making Devon wonder if maybe once the two species had been related.

  Dean had grown up hating vampires. Blake had grown up with Dominic’s slanted opinions of werewolves. Blake had left Rowan just before she had experienced her first full moon, in confusion and misguided expectations of her change. In an attempt to win her back, Blake had gone to Colorado to learn all he could from Dean about werewolves. In doing so, they had become very good friends.

  Finishing up his introductions, Devon said, “Dean and Sally are two very dear friends of ours; this is our uncle, Dominic Larson,” Devon said.

  “Darby, Rowan,” Dominic said and paused for a brief moment. “Blake, Sally and…” He paused again as a disgusted look came over his face. “Dean. Sorry to have interrupted your festivities.”

  Making a wide berth around Rowan, Dominic offered a bottle of very expensive champagne to Darby. “I would like to borrow my nephews, just for a moment, if you don’t mind. I’ve something I must speak to them about immediately.”

  “Well, sit down, Mr. Larson, and join us,” Darby said as she jumped out of her chair. “Let me get you a place setting and a chair.”

  Dominic
smiled at her gesture and said, “I’m sorry, Miss, this is a private family matter and I just couldn’t possibly stay. You understand, don’t you?” He said this dismissively as if speaking to a servant; polite, but not sincere.

  Darby could see that Devon was irritated by his uncle’s rude behavior and was about to say something, when Blake jumped out of his chair and said, “Sure, Dominic.” Grabbing his uncle’s coat and other items, he continued, “they understand.” He glanced at the others at the table and gave Devon an imploring look, all the while helping his uncle with his coat. “We’ll speak in the front yard, Dominic. Go back to your meal, enjoy! We’ll only be a minute,” Blake said rather apologetically to Darby who was still standing, stunned, in front of her seat.

  Darby looked at the rest of the people at the table and said, “I’ll go get some champagne flutes, to enjoy our lovely gift.” She excused herself as Devon and Blake led Dominic to the front yard.

  They were almost to the black limousine, when Dominic turned to the boys and began to speak. “I’m in need of your help, boys. Anton is terribly sick and I would like you both to come to Connecticut with me, to help me determine what it is that is ailing him.”

  “I’m very sorry Anton is sick, but that does not excuse your…” Devon started.

  “What Devon is trying to say, Dominic,” Blake interrupted, “is that we are not boys any longer. We have lives here; jobs, commitments, significant others. We can’t just up and leave.”

  “Yes, I can see you’ve hooked up with a lively bunch of hooligans. Eating at a table with witches and werewolf swine. How could you? So what, you with your Darby girl, and you with the werewolf crossbreed creature? Both witches, I presume?”

  “Yes. I am with Rowan, but you don’t understand, Dominic,” Blake said.

  Dominic’s eyes grew large. “How despicable, boy! Didn’t I teach you anything? Didn’t you listen to a word I told you? Your mother must be turning in her grave in shame. We are a family of noble vampire blood. What a disgrace to your heritage. Vile. Disgusting!”

  “That’s enough, Dominic. You are wrong about werewolves, like many are wrong about vampires. You are mistaken…” Devon defended.

  “How dare you? I am a professor of science. I most definitely am not mistaken. I saw, with my own two eyes, the horrific act of a werewolf. They are animals, not people.”

  “You’re wrong, Dominic, very wrong. These are good and decent people. They’ve risked their lives for us on numerous occasions…” Blake tried to explain.

  “Don’t bother explaining, Blake. He won’t change his mind. He has his view, and that is the only view he’ll ever see,” Devon said.

  “I see your manners have been severely degraded by the company you keep. I demand you come to Connecticut immediately. Maybe you’ll find your manners there and remember your place in society.”

  “I’m not leaving. Not for you and most definitely not for Anton,” Devon said.

  “Oh, grow up, boy. That was ages ago. Let bygones be bygones already. I won’t take no for an answer. You will both march in there, pack your things, and come home.”

  “Connecticut is not our home. This is our home, Oljone, California. Right here, with a bunch of great friends that are waiting for us to continue our Thanksgiving feast,” Devon said as he turned and headed back to the house.

  “Wait, Devon,” Blake said. Devon stopped and slowly turned around. “Dominic, won’t you please join us for dinner. Get to know these people. They are like family to us.”

  Devon said, “Don’t bother wasting your breath, Blake. He’s already made up his mind about them.”

  “It’s Thanksgiving. You said yourself, Devon, that Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for family, friends and loved ones. Dominic and Anton are our only blood relatives.”

  “Fine. You’re right, Blake, I did say that. Dominic, would you please join us for dinner?”

  “Thank you for the offer but no. I can’t. No, I won’t sit at a table with two werewolves. I am staying at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco. Here are your tickets. We are leaving at 10:50 A.M. tomorrow. I expect to see you on the plane.” He handed each of them a first class ticket.

  “Whoa, wait a minute. I can’t go, Dominic. I have to work. I have a project due, deadlines, I just can’t up and leave,” Blake insisted.

  “Fine, you will join us when you are done with your commitments.”

  “I’m not going either, Dominic. This is my home, here with Darby. There is no love lost between Anton and me. I’m sure he doesn’t want to see me any more than I want to see him. I’m sorry he’s sick, but for God’s sake, he’s a vampire, he’ll heal. I’m sure he will be fine.”

  “No, Devon. He won’t. He is rapidly declining. You must help me. I demand that you help me.”

  “You demand that I help you? There’s nothing I can do for him. I’m not a doctor; you are. I’m a software engineer. So’s Blake. What could we possibly do for him?”

  “You’re his family. You can be his family. Maybe he will confide in you.”

  “What makes you think if he hasn’t confided in you, that he would do such a thing with me or Blake?”

  “Because…you are his age. You speak his language. You’re more understanding, like your mother was.”

  “Not where he’s concerned,” Devon muttered under his breath.

  “You must do this!” Dominic was yelling and turning red in the face, pounding a fist into his other hand and tears were welling up in his ferociously angry eyes.

  Blake said, “Hang on, now. You both need to cool off a bit. Dominic, you’re going to blow a gasket. Relax. Devon, if Darby went with you to Connecticut, would you be willing to go and at least talk to Anton? See if maybe he would confide in you? You never know. And if he’s really that sick, don’t you think one of us should be there? We’re family, after all.”

  “If Darby were politely invited to come, and treated appropriately, yes, I may consider going to Connecticut,” Devon said.

  “Dominic, would you be willing to accept Darby as a guest in your home, treating her as such, for Devon?”

  He mulled this over, taking longer than Devon would have liked, but he reluctantly agreed.

  “As long as her mutant sister does not come. Yes, I would accept her as a guest in my home providing she behaved in a proper manner.”

  “What the he…” Devon started. Blake could see he was about to blow his top and interrupted.

  “See, I knew this could be worked out. Now, would you at least join us for a glass of champagne and invite Darby properly, Dominic?”

  Dominic grumbled something inaudible and nodded his head. They walked back up the porch stairs and opened the door to an absolutely quiet room of guests sitting at the table, not eating.

  Darby had brought out seven glasses and all but one was filled. Blake picked up the glass, filled it, and handed it to his unhappy looking uncle. Blake grabbed his glass and raised it as he had done earlier. Everyone else followed along, grabbing their glasses and holding them in the air. Blake said, “To family!” They all repeated, “To family,” albeit a little less enthusiastically.

  Dominic downed is glass and said, “Miss Darby, I would like to invite you as a guest to accompany my nephew Devon to my home in Connecticut. I would be most honored if you would oblige me this request.”

  Shocked and surprised, Darby answered, “I’d be delighted. Thank you, Mr. Larsen.”

  Feeling he had fulfilled his obligatory duty, he spun on his heels and was out the door before anyone could say a word.

  Chapter 2

  The limousine outside sped away as they began eating again. Devon was silent through the rest of dinner. Blake tried to make up for it with conversation and joking, but the mood had drastically changed and did not recover from the brief introduction of Mr. Dominic Larsen.

  Darby felt that somehow his visit had changed everything forever. It was a feeling that made her shiver to her bones. Devon’s demeanor had altered and everyone h
ad noticed. It was as if the wind had suddenly changed direction.

  Eventually the evening was over and the dishes were washed and put away. Darby decided to start packing. She went to the garage to get her suitcase, dusting it off as she brought it into the house, and set it on the chair in the bedroom. She started a load of laundry, hoping to give Devon options for what to pack. He didn’t speak a word to her the rest of the night and she felt that she had done something wrong. Should she not have accepted Dominic’s request? Had she somehow overstepped her bounds with Devon? She didn’t know, and he didn’t say. Why wouldn’t he talk to her about this trip they were taking? Why was she invited, if he didn’t want her to go? Confusion surrounded her and her mind raced. She felt so very alone in a house full of people.

  When it was time to go to sleep, he got into bed and turned away from Darby, turning off his light wordlessly. The silence was killing her. She finally whispered, “Devon, have I done something to upset you? Should I have not accepted your uncle’s invitation? Did you want to make this trip without me?”

  “No. You’re the only reason I’m going.”

  “I don’t understand. Why do you seem so angry?”

  “It’s nothing you’ve done. Everything is just fine. Don’t worry about it. Get some sleep. We have a long day on the plane tomorrow.”

  “But don’t you think we should talk about this? I don’t even know why we are going. Is something wrong?”

  “I really am tired, Darby. Can we talk about this some other time, please?”

  “Sure, if that’s what you want, sure. I love you. Sleep well.”

  There was only silence from the other side of the bed, until Harry jumped up between them and started purring as Darby stroked him. She lay there in the dark, wanting so much to hold Devon and ease his . . . whatever it was that was bothering him. Hot tears rolled across her nose and dripped on her pillow as she stared at his back in the dark. Sometimes the loneliest place in the world is lying next to the one you love. They had been through so much since they’d met in June, but in one visit from Mr. Larsen, all that seemed to have been erased in a single swipe.