Dahlia (Blood Crave Series)

by Christina Channelle

  Dahlia looked down at her clothes and, sure enough, she was wearing a pair of her oldest jeans and a jean jacket over a green t-shirt that had a four-leaf clover on the front. It sure wasn’t her lucky day.

  Or week for that matter.

  She glanced back toward the soccer game. She remained silent for a moment then murmured without taking her eyes off the field. “I don’t know what my parents were thinking having never met them.”

  She had never said that out loud before. Why the sudden need to be so candid toward someone she barely knew was beyond her. Perhaps it was because she felt like there was some sort of connection between them. The fact that Dahlia heard Ava’s thoughts in her mind and her mentioning of the wolf, or that zap of energy when they first shook hands. The way she sat there as if she were really listening to her and not just passing time.

  Whatever it was, Dahlia held her breath as she waited for Ava’s response.

  She felt the weight of a hand on her shoulder and she looked up to see Ava staring down, her lips pursed in compassion. She didn’t see any pity there, and for that, she was grateful.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Although her sunglasses were too dark to see, Dahlia imagined Ava was looking at her with raised brows.

  Dahlia was quiet for a moment. Then, “You know, no one’s ever asked me that directly. I guess after all these years, all anyone had wanted to do was brush it under the rug. Or I just never felt really comfortable discussing it.”

  Crossing her legs, she pulled down the sleeves of her jacket as she felt the wind pick up speed once more, as if encouraging her on.

  “I was sent to a group home when I was five. The funny thing is that I don’t remember anything before that. Isn’t that strange to have your earliest memory when you’re five?”

  Ava scratched the top of her dark head, nodding her head in agreement as her hair brushed against her shoulders. “That is mighty strange. I remember bits and pieces of myself as a toddler.”

  “Yeah, right?” Dahlia shook her head in frustration. “Anyway, the people at the home and social workers blamed it on having some sort of traumatic experience when I was young and I basically blocked it from my memory.” She paused for a moment, knowing what she’d say next would shock Ava.

  “I was found as a child wrapped in a blanket in the middle of a busy street corner.”

  “You’re shitting me?” Ava had a stunned expression on her face.

  “Nope,” Dahlia chuckled at Ava’s reaction. “At least the people who abandoned me wanted me found. I was perfectly fine with no bumps or bruises. I was apparently sleeping peacefully on the ground but with no memory intact, only a note with my name written on it.” Dahlia stayed quiet after that. She didn’t bother mentioning the scars on her back.

  She wasn’t ready for anyone to know.

  Ava continued to stare at Dahlia, as if trying to figure her out. Dahlia smiled in return then casually shrugged as if the words coming out of her mouth weren’t significant. “I wasn’t adopted and stayed in a home, then in and out of foster care until I started living with the Cahill’s. And the last name’s Winters because they found me in the dead of winter. Quite original, huh? Anyhow, that’s the story of my life.” She ended in a rush, wanting to finish talking about it.

  She felt very uncomfortable.

  “Wow.” Ava was rendered silent, her red lips slightly opened in awe. It seemed to Dahlia it was a position she wasn’t used to being in.

  “That’s a crazy story, D. I’m surprised you had the guts to tell me,” Ava said as she gave her a glance out from the corner of her sunglasses. “From afar, you seem like the timid and shy type with your innocent face. But you’re really the brooding type with the mysterious past.”

  Dahlia laughed at Ava’s lighter comment. “Well, no one’s really taken the time to get to know me until now.” As she spoke, she briefly drifted back to her empty past and the smile on her face suddenly faltered by what she saw.

  Every time she thought back to her life before the orphanage, it always appeared blank. There was no sense of emotion or connection to anything—just nothingness. But as she continued to focus on her past, Dahlia felt a sense of unease fill her body because she finally, for the first time ever, saw something.

  Something she had seen in her dreams the night before.

  The feeling gripped her heart tightly, leaving her shaken. She looked around the soccer field but couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Perhaps the wind just blew a little stronger. Giving herself a mental shake, she looked back over at Ava who had a big smile on her face and didn’t register Dahlia’s current state of agitation.

  “I’m guessing we’re going to be great friends then.”

  She focused on Ava’s confidant words then raised one eyebrow as she stared over at her in skepticism, the feeling of panic slowly passing as she listened to her voice. “Oh, really?” she asked doubtfully. Was this really the same girl that had rubbed her the wrong way?

  Ava shrugged in agreement, albeit a nonchalant one, then pouted ruby red lips. “Yeah. I feel like we have more in common than you think, D.”

  Dahlia slowly grinned in return, shocked at the notion that she may actually have a friend. Sam didn’t count practically being family. Ava did seem a bit eccentric, but then again so was she. Perhaps the similarity might work. From what she could see, Ava had no clue what transpired between them in the cafetorium. She acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

  To be on the safe side, Dahlia opened her mouth to question her about what she meant by the wolf comment. It was just too coincidental. Sadly, the soccer game finished and she saw Sam jog over in his gym clothes, waving, before she could say anything.

  “What’s up, Winters?” His eyes zeroed in on the laptop placed on her thighs. “Typing again! Isn’t there anything else you like doing that doesn’t include typing or eating?”

  Dahlia mockingly gave him the finger. “Hey, Sam. This is—”

  She was just about to introduce Sam to Ava, but as she looked up, Ava was gone. Dahlia looked around the field, searching for her, but it was as if she had vanished into thin air.

  “This is what?” Sam’s expression was one of puzzlement as he eyed her questionably.

  She shook her head replying, “Never mind. Guess I have a lot of things on my mind.” She was a little perplexed that Ava would just leave like that. Maybe she didn’t like strangers? No, that definitely wasn’t the reason.

  It was like Ava and Green Eyes were eerily similar.

  Dahlia tried to change the subject and ignored the sirens going off in her head as she directed the conversation back toward Sam. “So what’s going on? Great game out there.”

  Sam looked back toward the field then pointedly glanced down at the laptop resting on her thighs. “Yeah, like you were even watching. Look, I can’t take you home today. Unless you want to wait for me, that is. I flunked the Physics test and Avery wants me to do a re-take after school. It’s probably going to take awhile, so you should probably just head on home.”

  “You’re already having tests?” Dahlia was grateful that she wasn’t in his class. “And you’re re-taking it? What makes you so lucky?”

  “Why, my certain charms, of course.” Sam grinned goofily. “Might I also add that it pays to be the best player on the soccer team. My reputation precedes me.”

  She rolled her eyes back at Sam. “Gee, aren’t you ever so lucky?” She shrugged in indifference. “But, yeah. Don’t worry about it. I’m in the mood for a walk, anyhow.”

  As they said their goodbyes, he jogged back over to the field and she stood up, heading for the school doors.

  She wondered again where Ava had gone. Now that she was alone, her mind drifted back to that strange feeling she felt when she had been talking to her. For some reason when Dah
lia was remembering her past, the face of the man that she saw in her dreams the night before popped up in her mind. It was only for a brief moment but that face was the exact same, with midnight black hair, pitch-black eyes, and skin as pale as any person she’d ever seen before.

  Don’t forget Ava’s vanishing act that was similar to Green Eyes.

  Dahlia looked around then quickened her steps toward the school. Everything happening in her life was way too peculiar. One way or another she needed to find answers. Because if Green Eyes was telling the truth, then her life really was in danger.

  And she didn’t know what to do about it.

  Chapter 9

  Headphones in ears, Dahlia listened to her MP3 player as she walked home from school. There was construction being done in the park so she couldn’t go her normal route. She didn’t mind the slight delay and felt a longer walk might calm her convoluted thoughts.

  She wanted to forget everything that was going on. Every day became more complicated than the previous—as if taking a step into high school had created some dark imbalance in her life. Dahlia wanted things to go back to normal, at least her normal, so she decided the only way for that to happen would be to pretend that none of this weirdness was going on.

  Because in her life, denial always seemed to work for her.

  Twenty minutes into the walk, she found herself strolling alongside the forest she and Sam passed by everyday driving to and from school. She had never actually been inside since she’d been in Cedar Oaks, amidst all the talk about how it was unsafe. But Dahlia paused as she looked at the foreboding trees, wondering if perhaps a venture into the mysterious forest should be in order.

  She always did have a fascination with them.

  Rolling her eyes at the idiotic thought of actually going into the woods, especially in the evening when it was so dark and with her current track record, Dahlia focused on the soft rock melody vibrating through her ears instead. Of course, it was impossible to hear anything with the music cranked up so loud but she could have sworn she heard a loud crash deep within the forest. Stopping suddenly, she slowly took one earplug away from her ear and, turning the volume of the music down with the tip of her finger, waited silently.

  It was quiet.

  Almost too quiet, no sound of the whistling wind or birds chirping.

  Nothing.

  Not even the sound of cars ruined the stillness of the night. In all actuality, Dahlia hadn’t seen one car pass by since she started walking on the main road. All she heard was her own breathing that seemed amplified by all the quiet.

  Against all better judgment, she slowly inched herself toward the uneven ground blanketed by fallen leaves and broken branches, the ground beneath crunching against her running shoes. Tilting her head to the side, she stilled again as she waited for anything that would seem out of the ordinary.

  As soon as that notion came to mind, Dahlia thought she saw a movement from the corner of her eyes. Turning quickly to the direction of it, she was frustrated when she saw nothing. Not knowing if it was curiosity or stupidity, she dropped her heavy backpack onto the ground as she heard it make a thud. Kneeling, she ruffled through the side compartment until she found her phone and tucked it away into her pant pocket. Wrapping her headphones around her MP3 player, she placed it in the same spot that her phone had just been. Then with a determined look on her face, Dahlia pulled the backpack onto her back and slowly stood up as she made her way deeper into the woods.

  She always remembered the wolf from her dreams whenever she was in a place such as this. It seemed being alone in the woods was now interrupted by the presence of a mysterious green-eyed man on her mind. She thought about his warnings from that previous night but she had to believe, again for her own sanity, that what he had said was nothing more than the ramblings of a crazy man.

  Walking deeper into the forest, she couldn’t help but wonder if maybe there was some accuracy to Green Eyes’ words. Something about him made her feel as if he were really telling the truth, no matter how dangerous and foreboding he seemed at first glance. There was also this invisible pull toward him, something that made Dahlia want to see him again.

  I wish I could see him now.

  As that thought escaped from her mind, a noise was heard a few feet away, almost like a loud gust of wind. Startled by the sound, she braced herself behind the largest tree closest to her, holding her breath in anticipation as she grasped the roughly textured bark. Slowly peering behind the tree, Dahlia listened and watched quietly in awe at what she saw. It was the guy from the party, the one invading her mind with thoughts of him.

  It was as if she had magically summoned him with her will.

  Green Eyes stood next to another man, both deep in discussion in front of a small cabin. It was strange, the location of a cabin in the middle of the woods, almost tucked away, hidden in the depths of the forest. Dahlia narrowed her eyes as she focused her gaze on the two, both almost ethereal in their presence.

  Ethereal?

  Dahlia snapped out of her weird thoughts.

  “Did anyone follow you here?” voiced the unknown blond, his countless piercings glittering in the night against his olive-toned skin.

  Green Eyes gave a dry look, as if almost bored. He retorted back curtly, “Are you kidding me? No one sees me—no one ever sees me if I choose to.”

  The other guy grinned, almost mockingly, “Yeah, I know that. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t losing your touch. You seem a little, how should I say this?” He paused, as if deep in thought. “Out of it lately.”

  Green Eyes paused, a frown forming on his face. “Out of it?”

  “You know exactly what I mean. The girl. Dahlia.”

  At the mention of her name, she took a step back, stepping on a twig in the process that snapped loudly in half as she flinched at the sound.

  Crap.

  The noise did not go unnoticed.

  “What was that?” Eyes quickly scanning the area, the other man seemed to be so aware, as if he were calling on some extra senses.

  Bracing back against the tree, Dahlia shut her eyes tightly, hoping she would go unseen as she rested her head on the bark. She wasn’t able to see them anymore but she still clearly heard their voices.

  Green Eyes spoke calmly, almost too calmly. “It was nothing, probably just a squirrel or something. If I’m a little out of it then you’re the fidgety one. Relax, Maddox.”

  “Fidgety?” The young man’s voice, Maddox, changed in slight indignation at the comment. “You know the situation we’re in. We need to do what we were told to do and that’s it, you know? Just like you told me. You having this little infatuation on the girl is a predicament I’d rather not be in, thank you very much. I’ve noticed the way you look at her. There’s nothing wrong with having a little fun, just like I said. But this wasn’t what I had in mind, if you know what I mean.”

  “What exactly do you mean?” Green Eyes’ voice carried a dangerous undertone to it, his voice slow and threatening as he said those five simple words.

  Dahlia’s own heart sped up at the roughness of his voice, holding her breath as she waited for the response. From his tone, she knew Maddox had to be careful on how he answered. She really didn’t want to be him right now. She could only imagine the look on Green Eyes’ face with that voice.

  Oh boy.

  Maddox must have heard the message clearly because he shifted tactics as he gave a small, nervous, laugh. “Nothing. I’m just saying that I’d rather have this over with sooner than later. And I’m pretty sure other people would agree with me.”

  “Fine,” Green Eyes said gruffly, his voice short as if he were done with the entire conversation.

  But Maddox wasn’t finished. “We can’t, like, screw any of this up. If we do, we’re both dead.”

  Ther
e was a pregnant pause for a moment before Green Eyes answered. “I know.” And with that, the conversation was over.

  Silence.

  It seemed to go on forever, the silence. Dahlia wondered why they were no longer talking. She slowly peered over the tree and was surprised to find no one there, not Green Eyes or Maddox. Even the mysterious cabin looked vacant, appearing dark and unwelcoming. Stepping out from the shadows, she just stood there, perplexed. The two were really gone—vanished. As if they had simply just disappeared out of sight.

  It was something that was beginning to be a recurring theme in her life as of late.

  This does not make any sense. Why does this keep happening to me? Do I have to register myself into a psychiatric ward?

  Spooked, Dahlia shook her head as she tried making her way back to the clearing, desperately needing to leave the forest. But she was finding it difficult, every direction she went looking the same. Her brain filled with thoughts of what just transpired.

  Why was everyone disappearing right in front of her?

  As she continued to walk in circles, she stopped abruptly as her foot caught against something, causing her to stagger back. Regaining her step, she took her phone from her pocket and flipped it open so she could see more clearly with her flashlight app. She saw a branch that her foot had caught against but literally, inches away, Dahlia noticed a sudden drop in the ground. Pointing the phone downwards, she realized she stood on a very steep hill.

  A few more steps and she would have found herself at the bottom of said hill.

  She took a deep breath in relief and paused a moment longer to look down but didn’t observe anything strange. Dahlia found it a bit reckless that the place wasn’t closed off, considering how dangerous. She shook her head over the fact then tucked her phone away, stepping back before turning around.