Never Give Up on Love (The Soul Mate Tree Book 7)

by Maggie Mundy

  Vincent needed to find her . . . or kill Henry so she would be safe.

  Chapter 1

  Bath

  Present Day

  Adele Carey bent her head from side to side. It did little to ease the ache between her shoulder blades. Hell, who would have thought being a photographer would be harder than being a vampire hunter? She didn’t want to give either job up. Shut up and suffer on, woman.

  Photo shoots were fun, but getting in the right position for the perfect shot could be a killer on the body. Adele wriggled in her damp jeans. Her numb butt would never feel anything again. Well, she didn’t have much of a sex life, so it would be no loss.

  She stopped for a moment and glanced up. Longleat House made her smile, with its wonderful architecture and amazing grounds. There was so much history here. The eccentric Lord Bath would even come out sometimes and watch her work. For what the estate charged, she was tempted to get him in the picture.

  Her business was doing well, but being born rich would’ve helped. If the gossip was true, Lord Bath and the family were not getting on well despite the money. Adele covered her bills, but there was never much money left over. Plenty worse off than me, though.

  The models worked hard, dealing with whatever she asked of them. There were some great shots here, so the magazine should be happy. The clothes were all ridiculously expensive, but someone would buy them. There was no way she could spend hundreds of pounds on a T-shirt or a pair of jeans. Boots, now they were a different matter.

  The models were waiting for her to give instructions. “I’ll get my cameras set up in the ballroom while you change. Then we can do the last shoot.”

  Her two assistants moved the equipment as Carla came over with a clipboard. Her cousin kept everything flowing well so Adele could concentrate on the shoot.

  “We’re running on schedule.” Carla flicked her pen as she always did in organizational mode. “I’ve had two phone calls from the magazine already, asking if you can get the shots to them earlier. Honestly, we haven’t finished yet.”

  “It’s fine. I’ve dealt with them before, and it’s just their way. They know I’m good for it.” Adele’s phone pinged. The tone indicated the message was about her after-hours occupation.

  As a vampire hunter.

  The last month had been too quiet. The calm before the storm. Something was brewing. As Adele walked back to the house, Carla kept peeking at the phone.

  “So what’s up? I heard the tone. Can I come this time?”

  At twenty-two, Carla’s enthusiasm could get in the way of her common sense. She needed to complete her training before going out on an active mission. The Wiccan Council had lost someone before by putting them out on the field too soon. They weren’t going to make the same mistake twice.

  “It’s an alert, and no. When you pass your final test with Hubert, next month, then maybe.” Carla’s shoulders slumped. Adele could cope with her cousin being disappointed, but no way would she lose a family member.

  “Seriously. Who has to do a test about killing vamps with someone called Hubert? It’s the silliest name I’ve ever heard of. I always giggle when he talks to me, then he shakes his head in disapproval. I’ll never pass.” Carla pulled a pouty face.

  “He may be a disgruntled old goat, but what he’s teaching will save your life. Believe me. I know from experience.”

  Carla peeked at one of the male models and winked. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve been chatting up Xavier. His eyes are so dreamy. If his package is real and not stuffing, I may be on to a good night anyway.”

  Envying the way Carla enjoyed life, Adele couldn’t remember when her own nether regions had been stimulated by anything that didn’t have a battery. Hell, it was so long ago, it dimmed into the distant past. She bit her bottom lip, deep in thought. Six months ago, with Ben.

  Intimacy with an old friend? Not so great. The fact that her phone went off and she’d left as soon as they were finished hadn’t helped.

  Now she looked awkwardly at Ben whenever they were at the same parties.

  Carla called her name and brought her back to reality. She needed to refocus on work.

  The rest of the photo session went well. Thankfully she only had to reprimand Carla twice for drawing the attention of Xavier away from the camera. Win. Brilliant assistants like Carla were few and far between. When she required something quickly, Carla anticipated her needs. Well, apart from finding a sex god for me.

  An hour later, she had a wrap. Adele climbed in her van and headed home. Her apartment was her luxury, located in one of the city’s upcoming areas, even if her mortgage would take forever to pay off. There were lots of local pubs and restaurants nearby, and she loved it.

  Tonight, she’d be heading out to the countryside. Her uncle would arrive soon to brief her about their operation. Adele’s stomach grumbled. She needed to eat something, otherwise she’d never cope with what was ahead.

  After dressing in brown leathers and combat boots, Adele grabbed a coffee and gulped it down, then shoved some pasta in her mouth. She always filled up on carbs before a fight or she would get the shakes. The caffeine kept her pepped up. A few minutes later the intercom went off and she buzzed her uncle through, then let him in at the knock on her door.

  Uncle Jake was tall, a redhead like her which seemed a trait of the Carey clan. In his usual gray leathers, he had this warrior-of-old feel about him. Jake said the leathers helped him blend in, which worked despite his shock of red hair. The two of them melded solidly as a team. Hunters always went in twos; in case one got hurt, the other could call for backup. Her stomach turned over. She hoped it never happened.

  “So where are we going?” Adele asked, and then crammed the last piece of pasta in her mouth. She needed to learn to cook something more exciting, or she could marry a chef. Marriage meant the end of her fighting days though, and she wasn’t prepared to give it up yet.

  “We’re heading to Hampton. Small village. Seems there’s been some strange activity there for the past two nights. The police records state two young girls thought someone did a prank and dressed up as Dracula, false teeth and all. Considering it’s not Halloween, I think we need to take a look.” Jake was already striding toward the door.

  “Let’s hope it’s just two young girls with crazy imaginations.”

  Adele grabbed her backpack and followed. The pack held her stakes, and she loved the feeling of the weight of them against her back. She might be a witch, but they reassured her as a human.

  It took forty-five minutes to reach Hampton, a small community of about fifty houses. These days most dwellings belonged to trendy young people who renovated them. The people were not locals and came from Bath or further afield. The same scenario was happening in most counties around the U.K., the old country town way of life didn’t exist much anymore. It was a pity, but she had other things on her mind.

  It was getting dark when Adele and Jake stopped their van opposite The Crow’s Nest, a public house. She had a good view down the main street. It looked quiet, like nothing much happened here. Besides the public house, she saw a church, a post office, and lots of thatched cottages.

  Two hours later, Adele wished for some matchsticks to hold her eyes open. She shook her head to stay awake and touched Jake’s arm.

  “I need some fresh air. Gonna take a walk around the old church. Graveyards are always fun. I’ll do one end of the village, and you do the other. Meet back here in five.” Adele jumped out of the van and stretched.

  “You’re sick. One day you’ll meet a ghost and come squealing for help, and I’ll say, ‘I told you so.’”

  “Jake, I never squeal for help from anyone. If I meet a ghost, I’ll get it to pose for me and make a million selling the picture.”

  “I’ll join you in the Bahamas and the bright sunlight with your mi
llions.” He snickered. “Make mine a rum and coke.”

  Adele headed toward the far end of the village, staying to the shadows. No one jumped out to say boo, which was just as well, as she would have told them to get lost.

  The street lighting spread a glow no more than a few feet in front of her. Several stragglers were on their way home from the public house, wobbling down the street supporting each other and singing out of tune.

  Adele crossed to the churchyard. Jake was right that she found these places fascinating, with their tombstones telling stories of the past. She often went to the graveyard in small towns when she traveled. The stones revealed more about the community than the tourist brochures. Maybe she would come back in daylight and discover forgotten folk on graves no longer tended to.

  The church loomed like a dark sentinel into the moonlit sky. Adele shivered, noticing an eerie light coming from the far side of the building. Her curiosity got the better of her. She’d still make it back to Jake on time. If she didn’t, she’d never hear the end of it.

  Adele tiptoed on the grass, not making a sound. It seemed important not to walk on the graves. A shiver went through her body, but her training kicked in to calm her. Her hand went to the blade at her belt.

  Sneaking around the corner of the church, she found a scene she wasn’t expecting.

  Well, what do you know?

  A beautiful tree glowed with fairy lights. It wasn’t Christmas, so someone must have forgotten to take them down, or left them on a timer. The frivolity seemed out of place amongst the graves. Could ghosts be happy? After all, they were dead.

  It would be nice for ghosts to rise and find this. She grinned at the idea of ghosts singing Christmas carols out of tune as they danced around the tree.

  Adele turned back to the front of the church, but didn’t get very far. An invisible wall stopped her progress. What the hell? She glanced back at the tree as if it were calling her.

  Get a grip. Reaching back, she grabbed a stake from her bag. Her body tingled with adrenaline. Adele’s training made her wary when things seemed abnormal. She clipped another stake onto her belt, just in case, as she edged closer.

  A man sat at the base of the tree. She peered at him but couldn’t make out his face.

  He groaned as if in pain, and the lights around the tree intensified. Logically, it was just a power surge, or maybe the poor guy was being electrocuted by fairy lights. She struggled to remember her first aid. She would need to find the power source and turn it off.

  “Are you hurt?” she called. The man didn’t react. Then the branches came down and covered him. Okay, this is officially weird now.

  Jake would laugh at her reaction. She moved the branches aside, but the guy was gone. You’re losing the plot, big time. Maybe she imagined him. As she moved away from the tree, she heard a whisper.

  “Trust, Adele. He’ll find you when you need him.”

  The lights blinked out, and the graveyard plunged into darkness. Adele didn’t have time to contemplate whether she had conjured up the whole event, because a scream echoed out from the far end of the village.

  Adele set off in the direction she thought the yell came from. Jake ran down the main street in front of her. Had her distraction in the graveyard cost them someone’s life?

  People around the village came out of their houses and stood at their garden gates.

  “Call the police,” Adele shouted to an elderly lady in a dressing gown.

  At the end of the village, Jake rushed down a small alleyway that made a winding descent to a little stream. Adele nearly fell head first as she slipped on the loose gravel and wet foliage. She stopped next to Jake and surveyed their surroundings, listening hard. There wasn’t even the sound of a twig snapping or a crunch of dirt underfoot. The wind whistled eerily through the trees.

  “Help,” someone yelled. It sounded female, which was usually the case. Adele found most Rogue vampires were male. She shone her torch into the undergrowth, picking up a flash of light-colored material in the dark. The branches scratched her face as she ran toward the male who pinned a young woman against a tree.

  Adele charged. Grabbing a dagger from her belt, she slashed across the creature’s right arm. He let go of the woman and spun around to attack.

  “Run,” Adele shouted, and hoped the young woman hadn’t been hurt too much to get away.

  As the victim scrambled back toward the alleyway and the village, Adele readied herself for the fight. Now it was up to her and Jake to rid the world of this monster.

  The vampire stood in a relaxed manner, his arms folded, rolling his eyes with a smirk. The stench of his breath made Adele’s stomach turn, reminding her of putrid blood left out the back of a butcher shop to heat up in the sun. The bloodsucker believed he could defeat them. This overconfidence was the downfall of most rogues.

  He pounced with incredible speed. Adele blocked his attack with her arm as he lunged at her neck. She attempted another swipe at him with her dagger, but he somersaulted over her head. He landed in front of Jake and thumped him on the chin. The force of the blow sent her fellow comrade back five feet, slapping him up against a tree.

  This creature was stronger than many others they’d dealt with.

  Jake rubbed his winded chest. She’d be on her own for a moment.

  The brute pivoted and went for her throat. In the dim light of the moon, she glimpsed his fangs coming for her. This time, she didn’t miss and slashed across his chest.

  The creature hissed and punched her face. Adele’s head reeled as she collapsed backward on the ground. The vampire flew through the air to land on top of her. If she didn’t think fast, she’d be dead.

  She grabbed the stake from her belt.

  His weight pinned her to the ground. Adele sucked in a breath as his teeth grazed her neck. The bite stung like acid eating at her flesh, but she smiled through the pain. The gurgling from his throat indicated he was drowning in his own blood.

  Adele shoved the bloodsucker off to see the stake protruding from his chest. “That was too close for comfort,” she muttered, rubbing her abdomen where the blunt end of the stake had rammed against her, probably leaving a bruise.

  Then the rogue grabbed the tree, struggling to stand, teetering from side to side. What the hell? The bastard should be dead already.

  Jake offered his hand and tugged her to her feet.

  “Do you want to do the honors?” he asked, as he pulled his sword from the strap on his back.

  “No. You do it. My right arm’s dead from the earlier blow.”

  Jake turned and slashed with his sword. It sliced through the vampire’s neck in one fell swoop. The head thudded on the ground. It always amazed Adele how little these bloodsuckers bled, considering what they lived on. The body and head turned to dust, the wind blowing its remains away, the stake disappearing too. Even the blood on her blade was gone, as if she’d never stabbed him.

  Adele hid her dagger in her belt and followed Jake back up the lane to the street. Her body protested each step as if she had been in a heavyweight fight.

  Curious villagers stood in the street, surrounding the victim, who now had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. A patrol car had pulled up, and two policemen approached the young woman.

  Jake handed Adele a scarf. “You’re bleeding from your neck. Cover it, before they notice.”

  Adele draped the scarf around her neck and headed over to see the victim. The policemen looked Adele up and down.

  “Nice leathers,” he noted with a grin. “This young woman says you found the perpetrator attacking her.”

  “Yep, he ran off through the creek. We went after him, but he was gone. Suppose he knew the area. At least she’s safe. That’s the main thing.”

  Half an hour later people wandered back to their homes, an
d the local doctor came to check on the victim. The policemen strolled over to Adele while she and Jake waited by the van.

  “You can go, but we might have more questions. If we do, we’ll call.” The policeman winked at her.

  Adele smiled at the cute cop. No way would she get involved with the police. Pity, as it might have led to sex and he had a nice butt.

  Oh well, her body ached too much anyway.

  ~ ~ ~

  Thankfully the pain eased a bit on the drive back to her flat. In the bathroom, Adele removed the scarf to check the damage. The four-inch gash stung like hell but wasn’t too deep and had stopped bleeding. What the fuck do those guys have on their teeth? It’d heal, and wouldn’t need stitches—thank goodness—or she might look like Frankenstein. Jake had the equipment, but was no plastic surgeon.

  There was always the option of wearing fancy scarves for the next week. It would give her an excuse to buy a new one. She couldn’t be so careless in the future, though. Adele cleaned the vampire’s saliva from the wound and put Betadine on it so it wouldn’t get infected.

  Jake poured them both a brandy when she came out from the bathroom. She took a gulp and let the liquor’s burn warm her insides, sighing as her body relaxed.

  She wasn’t usually so tense. Alert, yes; tense, no. Jake crossed to her and tipped her chin up so he could examine the wound. He wouldn’t let her live this one down in a hurry.

  He tut-tutted. “Not like you to let one get so close. By the way, where were you when the woman screamed? You seemed a bit distracted at first.”

  Adele took another gulp of brandy. It would help with the pain from her neck and delay the conversation. In fact, a few more and she would feel nothing.

  Unwilling to be a liability, she chose her words carefully. “I was in the graveyard and saw this tree decorated with glowing Christmas lights. Then I heard the scream.” He didn’t need to know about the vision and the voices until she understood it herself.