Dahlia (Blood Crave Series)

by Christina Channelle

  “Thanks, but no thanks.” Dahlia shook her head, baffled, while rolling her eyes. “That’s not typically my scene. You know—loud noises, huge crowd. You, of all people, should know that by now.”

  Raising a brow, Sam sighed. “Look, I know you’re anti-social. You hate people—blah, blah, blah.” He reached over and picked up a pencil that was on her nightstand and pointed it straight at her. “I actually wanted to drive a stake through your heart when you first came here, all silent and moody. But you’re not so bad after all.”

  “Gee, thanks,” she retorted dryly at his poor attempt of a compliment. She hadn’t realized she could drive someone to commit murder.

  Sam just smiled. “Seriously though, you really need to get out. Spending your time indoors is really not good for your physical and mental health—”

  “Why, thank you, Dr. Cahill,” she interrupted, muttering sarcastically under her breath. His earlier comment still ticked her off.

  “—and anyhow, what are you going to be doing Saturday? Typing on your computer for the eighth hundredth time?” Sam implored as he continued with his speech, totally ignoring her backhanded comment.

  She looked over at him and gave her head a scratch as if deep in thought.

  “Well, now that you mention it—”

  “I’m being serious, Winters.” He ignored her smirk as he ranted on, eyes wide. She bit the inside of her lip to prevent herself from laughing in his face by his suggestion. “Live a little. You only have one life, right? You need to start living it to the fullest and that includes attending high school parties. What’s the worst that could happen, huh?”

  He paused, tilting his head to the side and grinned, pencil dangling between his fingers.

  “Yeah. Sure, Sam.” She rolled her eyes once more, showing her indifference, but she had to be honest with herself. Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to go to a party...it might even be fun. As she lost the smile on her face, she pondered on the idea, almost brooding. She hated where her thoughts wandered.

  Damn it, but she was having a change of heart.

  It would be a good idea to have a little enjoyment in her life, meet a few new people. After all, this would be her first time officially attending high school.

  Dahlia had been home-schooled during her entire stay at the orphanage, and her last set of foster parents happened to be in junior high. Therefore, high school would be an entirely new experience for her. When she first started staying with the Cahill’s, she also chose to be home-schooled. She thought it would be pointless to enter during the end of the semester and had wanted to start fresh in the new school year as a senior. She only knew Sam.

  Unfortunately.

  She rubbed her shoulders to ease the tension that started to develop in her muscles, still contemplating. Although she tried to keep the memories of her past buried, it was difficult to forget. Years spent living in an orphanage with kids that stayed away and taunted her from afar still made her weary of other people.

  However, that was what happened when a little girl walked into a room covered in blood and with no reasonable explanation why. Although nowadays, living with the Cahill’s had given Dahlia some sense of normalcy. Like her past was nothing more than a figment of her imagination.

  Because that was exactly what it was—all in her head.

  Snapping back to the present, she recalled what Sam had just said and lightly struck her knuckles against the wooden desk a couple times. She really hoped he hadn’t just jinxed her.

  What’s the worst that could happen?

  Her ever-changing hazel eyes stared out the window as she noticed the wind’s tempo increase considerably. A tree branch banged noisily against the glass pane as she murmured without looking back at him.

  “I sure hope you’re right, Sam. ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ Those always seem to be the famous last words.”

  ***

  Only three miles away from Dahlia and Sam, another pair was engaged in a conversation of their own in a cabin deep within the woods.

  “So it’s really her, right?” The voice boomed across the room, his excitement apparent, as if tickling his throat.

  Greyson, not tearing green eyes away from the screen from where he sat, only had to utter one word in response.

  “Yes.”

  Ecstatic, Maddox came up from behind and roughly slapped Greyson’s shoulder, giving a huge, toothy smile. “Great, man. Now we’re off the hook, right? I mean, Merrick doesn’t need us anymore. We can, like, vamanos the hell out of here.”

  Greyson, still staring at the laptop, briefly closed his eyes as his long lashes rested on his cheeks, casting a slight shadow. He waited a moment to answer, relishing in the silence. He had put up with Maddox’s questions for so long. His constant talking is what, according to others, made Greyson compensate by talking as little as possible.

  Or at the very least, he tried.

  Opening his eyes, he took a deep breath and turned around to face his blond-haired companion with raised brows, crossing arms over his broad chest. Over the years, Maddox developed an affinity for piercings and, as a result, had various ones displayed across his features. Three in each bottom earlobe, one perched high on his left, one in his right tragus and to top it off, one in both his left nostril and chin.

  Who knew how many more he had hidden underneath his clothes.

  Greyson internally shuddered, trying not to visualize the image, as he looked back at Maddox. He had this stupid grin on his face that showed just too many teeth. Looking at him, you would never know that inside, lurking in the depths of his soul, lived a killer.

  It lived inside Greyson as well.

  “Maddox, you know very well it’s not over. Be patient.” His voice was almost reprimanding with its tone.

  Turning back to the laptop, his eyes roamed the picture of the girl on the screen. She was pretty. She would probably be a beauty but that notion quickly disappeared from the bitter expression etched on her face. Brown hair fell in waves around her heart-shaped face which was unsmiling, plump lips forming an almost scowl. Her eyes were what drew him in, though. Large, hazel eyes stared up at him defiantly from the screen, as if daring him in a way.

  She would be a fighter, this one.

  It had taken awhile for both Greyson and Maddox to find the town in which she currently resided in since she disappeared from Fallon all those years ago—shortly after she was born. A protection spell placed on her made her difficult to track. They eventually found her at an orphanage five years later and quietly kept watch, watching her grow into the woman she was now.

  She was still only a girl, really.

  Both Greyson and Maddox followed her from foster home to foster home, keeping surveillance, until they decided to stop. There was no point since she always managed to find her way back to the orphanage. That had been a missed calculation on their part, however.

  They waited as a month turned into two, then three and so forth, and still she hadn’t returned. She had finally left the orphanage for good, so it seemed.

  They easily discovered she had moved to the small town of Cedar Oaks, living with two parents and a son. It would be just as simple to take her from her home, where she probably peacefully dreamt.

  Greyson’s gaze briefly flickered back to the screen as he wondered if she also frowned in her sleep.

  At the thought, he himself scowled, blinking a couple of times. Shaking his head, he wondered where that thought had come from. He rubbed his head, running a hand through his short, dark hair in frustration. Now was not the time to lose sight on what was important, and that was getting the girl. But it wasn’t time yet. Both he and Maddox had to be patient enough for things to work out exactly as planned.

  Exactly as Merrick planned all these years.

  He laughe
d humorlessly from where he sat as he thought of the violet-eyed devil known as Merrick. Currently locked up, he still managed to move pieces on his own cleverly designed chessboard. Greyson’s own piercing green eyes, which made such a stark contrast against his deep golden-toned skin, continued to stare at the girl on the screen.

  She was the first move.

  It was awhile before he spoke again, finally answering Maddox’s question.

  “The devil doesn’t let go that easily.”

  Maddox came up closer to Greyson, also peering at the image on the screen as he gave it a light tap with his index finger. “I know that. But I thought since we found her and all, he’d like, release us, especially since it’s almost time.”

  “Not so simple.” Looking at the screen one last time, Greyson closed the laptop shut and got up from his seat, grabbing his jacket. He already memorized every detail of her face.

  It really hadn’t changed much over the years.

  “The orphanage was protection for her. The others knew we’d be watching and they wouldn’t dare risk the lives of all those children, even human. Now in this unknown town, she’s unaware of her potential and the consequences it involves. If we’ve found her this quickly, the others will too. Of course, if they haven’t already. We have to make sure everything goes according to plan and they don’t screw it up.” Greyson gave his thick brow a swipe with his fingers at the thought. They could not allow anyone to interfere.

  It was a matter of life or death.

  Resting his brown leather jacket over his shoulder, he walked toward the front door of the cabin. As he placed his hand on the doorknob, he looked back at Maddox, gesturing for him to follow with the tilt of his head.

  “Come on.”

  Greyson opened the door, his nose raised to the skies as he breathed in the fresh, cool air around him. Almost like in response, a bellow answered in return from deep within the forest. He grinned sinfully at the sound, eyes twinkling in amusement as he spoke again.

  “We’ve got some hunting to do.”

  It was indeed true. Their capability to pursue her for so many years was an innate drive that both Greyson and Maddox possessed. It had nothing to do with free will—something that Merrick knew all too well.

  They were, after all, lapsus.

  Chapter 2

  The first day of senior year had Dahlia both dreading and anticipating it at the same time. She felt the anticipation because the start of school meant that she’d truly be on her own in less than a year. She would finally be able to break away from the confinements that she’d felt all her life, and have no one to rely on but herself. But the dread crept inside her mind because, well, it was her first experience being in an actual high school.

  She didn’t know what to expect.

  Dahlia wished she were still on summer vacation. Although being stuck on a boat with the Cahill’s did have its drawbacks—yes, they were that rich—it definitely beat seeing the typical, cliché high school drama five days out of the week.

  It was something she wanted no part of.

  She roughly ran her fingers through her hair and sighed, frowning slightly as she bit the inside of her bottom lip. She’d been having various dreams as of late and not getting much sleep, her current state of fatigue apparent as she suddenly yawned widely. The dreams alternated between being vague one moment then so clear the next, as if reliving a memory. But no matter what, they left her with this weird sense of unease and frankly, she was sick and tired of it.

  She also had a creepy feeling of someone else being in the dream with her.

  Dahlia gave her head a shake as she glanced over at Sam. She was getting a ride to school in his old, red Mustang. He actually refused a brand new luxury car from Glen and Deb because according to him, he “liked the personality of the old soul.”

  Sinking comfortably into the worn-out leather seat, she turned her head to stare out the window, watching the scenery pass by. She was quiet, caught up in her surroundings of mass trees, the red and orange leaves marking autumn. She became lost in the view and of old memories of snow-covered leaves, so she didn’t notice Sam studying her from the driver’s seat, quickly stealing glances her way as he drove.

  To Sam, Dahlia Winters was definitely a tough one to crack—an anomaly, really. He knew she must have gone through a lot in foster care, and that it took time. But he felt the six months she had been living with his family should be enough for her to fully open up to them.

  At least him.

  Sam was never one to call shy so he thought his personality would draw her out. He was dead wrong. Although she finally talked, she was still extremely quiet and had a tendency to spend all her free time on her stupid laptop. He saw the few times when her feisty character came through in their conversations and he wanted to see more of that. It was why he always messed with her.

  He wondered what she must have gone through in the past. She never mentioned it nor wanted to discuss it with him or his parents when they brought it up, instantly shutting down.

  Hands gripping the steering wheel, Sam peeked back at Dahlia. Head bent, all he saw was a crown of brown hair covering her face. She did that a lot, covered her face, and he had no clue why. She was a good-looking girl and he didn’t understand why she always wanted to hide.

  Her complexion was flawless and her round, hazel eyes were very expressive. They would sometimes change to green or blue depending on her mood, which would tend to fall on the foul side. If Sam had to guess, she would be very bad at playing poker.

  Although the dynamic in their household had changed since she arrived, Sam always enjoyed seeing her face. Maybe it was because she hid away from people. But when he got the chance to see her fully…well, it wasn’t something he wanted to miss.

  Now if only he could get her to smile.

  “Sam?”

  “Huh?” He looked over at Dahlia as she gave him a perplexed look, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

  “I’ve been calling you for ages. I didn’t know you were so focused while driving,” she retorted. “What were you thinking about?”

  Sam ignored her curious look and shrugged as he focused his eyes back on the road. A huge grin grew on his face, his dimples sinking even deeper. There was no way in hell he would let Dahlia know that he had been thinking so intently about her.

  So all he did was give another shrug in response and answered playfully. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  Dahlia continued to stare at him in stoned silence as a small frown formed on her lips. Sometimes she wished she had the power to read minds because she swore Sam was hiding something from her. Or maybe her paranoia was getting the best of her. She made a face back at him, brushing him off. Then, turning her head to stare out the window again, she looked at the huge backdrop of large, foreboding trees, which made up the vast wooded area. It always reminded her of the orphanage she left behind whenever she passed by.

  This, of course, inadvertently made her think of memories she didn’t want to, no, refused to think about. So her mind wandered off instead to thoughts of the parents that abandoned her.

  She felt a pang in her chest and immediately closed her eyes against the view. She wondered then what they must have been like. If she took after them in her looks, or even mannerisms.

  If they knew that I was different and that was why they had gotten rid of me, her mind whispered evilly.

  Dahlia shook her head, her mood getting low. She knew she had to learn to leave that all behind. By constantly dwelling on the past, she had failed to form bonds and friendships and it was becoming a hindrance to her.

  She smiled suddenly at the thought then rolled her eyes at herself, realizing she was echoing the words of her former social worker.

  But it was true.

  She glanced over at Sam again, thinking
of his earlier suggestion. He was right. A party would lighten up her mood. Screw her stupid dreams that wanted to relive her past. It was definitely time to try being a little more positive.

  At the small smile that erupted on Dahlia’s face, Sam stared at her in disbelief as he pulled into a parking spot at the school. Putting the gear in park, he turned off the car and asked suspiciously, “What are you smiling about?”

  She grinned even wider as she mirrored what he had said earlier, hoping he’d feed into the paranoia.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  She glanced away from his baffled face to stare out the window, seeing the old high school building with washed-out pink and red bricks intermingled together. Dahlia had been there a few weeks prior for registration. She’d gotten the photo for her ID card taken and class schedule, making sure she hadn’t enrolled in courses such as gym or drama since they definitely weren’t her scene. She couldn’t act to save her life and gym—well, there was no way she was getting into a swimsuit as it showed an excessive amount of skin.

  The school had been calm then, only a few students here and there registering for class, but seeing the busyness and chaos of all the students frankly made her sick with dread. The queasy feeling in her stomach got even worse and, with a look of distress, she glanced over at Sam grimly.

  He sighed as he took in her worried face. Hand reaching her shoulder, he squeezed her gently in reassurance.

  “It’s okay, you know.” Staring straight into her eyes, he managed to calm her with a simple look, instead of freaking her out as he normally did. Her stomach wasn’t doing as high of somersaults anymore. Sam noticed her slight change in mood and winked, shrugging nonchalantly. “It’s just school.”