Dahlia (Blood Crave Series)

by Christina Channelle

  Ava smiled cheekily. “You like my acting skills, huh?” Then she pursed her lips together, raising an eyebrow as if deep in thought. “But I suppose you deserve to know the whole truth.”

  She chuckled then hit Dahlia lightly on the back as she looked over at Greyson who was still frozen in spot, glaring as he watched helplessly.

  “You see, I remember watching you that day in the forest.”

  Dahlia took a quick intake of breath, her mind instantly flashing back to when she was a child, alone with a lone wolf. What once thought of as merely a dream, in all actuality, was her reality.

  “No one else knew I was there but I saw you. You loving,” Ava swallowed as she paused. “No, relishing, in the scent of blood. I knew you wanted to taste it. After all, you are a bloodsucking vampire. And as I stared at this little girl, I wanted to have my Raven snap your throat. I hated that my father wanted you so bad.”

  “Merrick,” Dahlia whispered. She knew Ava was referring to her wolf when she spoke of Raven.

  “Yes. You see, I never knew then about your blood being the key to his release. I only did what he told me to do which was to watch over my…” Ava paused as she got a look of disdain on her face.

  Dahlia didn’t wait for Ava to continue. “Sister.”

  Ava smirked back. “Half-sister.”

  She whispered as she continued, “See, we had to get the scent of you. All Merrick showed me in his vision was the orphanage. How am I supposed to figure out which one of the rug rats running around was you? I had my Raven sniff you out. You know, since we’re related and all and you have that vampire blood running through your veins.

  “And we kept an eye on you. Every time you went to a foster home, we knew you’d always come back. We just had to wait until you matured enough—during the time when the power of the lapsus is the strongest, the anniversary of our existence. When your blood is the strongest. But you didn’t come back, so we had Greyson and Maddox find you and everything fell into place once again.” Ava then sneered as she looked over at Greyson.

  “But Greyson had to go and fall in love. Although it’s not quite our anniversary, give or take a few days, it’s close enough. I’ve frankly had enough of all this waiting. It’s time to take action.”

  A new voice in the room caused everyone to turn around as Maddox strolled into the large room. He looked at Dahlia in disgust then turned to Greyson. “We had a plan, man. If we did what was required of us, we’d be free.”

  Greyson looked over at Maddox as he struggled to speak. “Maddox…”

  Maddox continued to rant on. “If we had it your way, I’d never be free from this connection I have with Merrick. All I wanted was to finally live my life without the responsibilities of my ancestors. Why couldn’t you have just given him what he wanted? It’s his right, isn’t it?”

  “Enough, Maddox,” Ava interjected as she pushed him aside and knelt next to Dahlia. “We have to get on with it.” Dahlia saw her withdrew a large, sharp knife.

  She took an intake of breath, trying to stall some time. “Just tell me. Where’s Sam?”

  Ava looked down with a perplexed expression on her face. “Sam? Who’s Sam?”

  “Please.” Dahlia begged, knowing deep down inside of her that Ava must have something to do with his disappearance. She truly felt that Meg didn’t want anyone else hurt besides her.

  For the first time, Dahlia saw Ava hesitate. “Oh, Sam. Sam’s someone you don’t have to worry about anymore. He’s no longer in this…realm.”

  Dahlia’s voice stuck in her throat at the thought of Sam. No. “Is he dead?” she finally cried out. “What did he ever do to you?”

  “It was nothing personal. He was in the way, being so suspicious. His thoughts entirely focused on you. So were his parents, in fact. I probably could have just wiped their memories but,” she gave a shrug. “I figured the less people that cared about you, the better. It’s unfortunate of their dismissal but you understand, don’t you? This is all for the greater good of the lapsus. You should be privileged that you’re even a part of this.”

  Ava knelt before Dahlia with the large knife in her hand. She pressed the tip of the blade against Dahlia’s throat lightly. Dahlia braced herself, but Ava withdrew as she snickered.

  “I’m not going to cut your throat, silly.” She grabbed onto Dahlia’s hand. “Just your hand.”

  Greyson was about to speak but Ava drew a hand toward him, shutting him up instantly. Dahlia watched her close her eyes as she began to chant words lightly under her breath, the knife in her hand suddenly glow along with the candles surrounding them. Ava’s eyes opened once more as she whispered, “Happy Anniversary, Dahlia,” then pressed the knife deeply into Dahlia’s hand, causing a diagonal cut across her palm.

  She winced in pain as she felt a searing heat move through her body. She looked up widely at Ava, stunned. “What are you doing to me?”

  “Just making your blood more potent. We have to make sure it does its job in releasing Merrick.” Ava stopped talking as she looked up toward Maddox and motioned him toward them.

  “Come here.”

  Maddox approached them as he withdrew a rather large vile. He knelt next to both of them and forcefully grabbed Dahlia’s arm. Positioning the vile under her wound, he watched as the blood flowed into the opening. Dahlia, lying on the ground, looked up at Ava, still silently pleading. She finally managed to catch Ava’s eye as they stared at one another for a moment, both unable to look away.

  I thought you were my friend.

  Ava glanced away sharply by hearing Dahlia’s words in her mind then wrapped her arms around herself as if she suddenly felt cold. It was the first time that Dahlia saw Ava look unsure of herself.

  She saw Ava eyeing Maddox out of the corner of her eye. “How much blood do we need to take, anyhow?”

  “I don’t know.” He still held the vile to Dahlia’s bloody palm as he shrugged, piercings glittering on his ears and face. He licked his lips sinfully. “Why don’t we just bleed her dry to be on the safe side?”

  Ava stood up as she began to pace back and forth. “I can’t believe we’re doing this in the freaking gymnasium.” She continued to mumble to herself as if trying to take the entire situation off her mind.

  “Didn’t you tell me it was a cafetorium?” Maddox asked with a laugh.

  Dahlia.

  Dahlia’s eyes flickered over to Greyson who remained fixed in place. Her eyes glanced to where Maddox was, but he and Ava were talking, completely oblivious that Greyson had connected to her.

  Yes?

  Dahlia, I need you to listen carefully. Remember your affinity with wind. Just like that time with the water. Ava may be strong, but so are you. I see what happened to you earlier with your friends. You can call on the power of wind, just like how Ava did. You can push her with your mind using wind.

  How? She didn’t think she had it in her. It seemed like too much power and she was exhausted.

  I know you’re tired, honey, but I need you to concentrate. Focus on nothing else but the element of wind. Use the fact that it calms you, empowers you, and focus it on Ava. Nothing but Ava. Then release it. Don’t worry about Maddox—I’ll take care of him.

  Dahlia gave a small nod, letting him know she heard him. She looked one final time at Greyson then closed her eyes and focused on nothing else but the wind. She centered all of her energy right in front of her as she felt something build in the middle of her chest.

  Opening her eyes, she released it directly upon Ava.

  Hazel eyes shining, the force released from Dahlia took Ava by surprise as it slammed her roughly against the wall, a crack forming on its surface. The newly released power also caused the roof of the building to blow away, a raging storm brewing around them. Surprised, Ava’s hold over Greyson dissipated as he lu
nged his body toward Maddox, who was reaching for Dahlia’s throat. Greyson tackled his former friend as they wrestled on the ground, both unrelenting. Dahlia gingerly stood up, hands still tied, as she continued to hold Ava against the wall with the force of wind, Ava struggling against the power.

  Livid and dripping wet from the storm, Ava screamed out at Dahlia, amber eyes blinding. “You want to die?” She swiftly raised her hands as Dahlia’s power evaporated in mid-air. Eyes wide, Dahlia could only stare as Ava ran toward her with the already bloodied knife, aiming it directly at her heart. There was no time to move and as she closed her eyes against the assault, waiting for the impact.

  Instead all she heard was a grunt of pain.

  Greyson!

  Dahlia quickly flung open her eyes, praying she was wrong. What greeted her was Greyson holding Maddox by the collar in front of her, shock on both their faces as a knife embedded deeply into Maddox’s back. Stunned by the impact, Maddox sunk to his knees, staring forward with a glazed expression. Greyson sank down with him, tears in his eyes as he looked at his fallen comrade.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Greyson didn’t know if Maddox registered the words but he frantically grasped Greyson’s hand tightly as his eyes dimmed down into nothingness before crumbling to the floor.

  Greyson remained kneeling over Maddox, staring at his empty eyes, his own face blank. Blinking slowly, he looked up to see that Ava had fled in the chaos of things. Looking once more at Maddox, Greyson reached down to close his former friend’s eyes then stood up as he walked over to Dahlia.

  She couldn’t stop crying. It was the sight of another dead body so soon. The fact that Sam and his parents were dead. Her own self almost dying, again.

  She couldn’t handle it all and simply broke down.

  Greyson looked at her, defeated, as he watched her sink to the ground in a melted heap, her sobs racking her entire body. The pounding storm raged on around them from the unopened ceiling, the two drenched in water. Greyson stared up at the sky, cursing, and then reached down as he laid a hand on her back, making his presence known.

  “Dahlia.”

  Whether she heard or just chose to ignore him, she continued to sob. For the first time Greyson could ever remember, he felt true heartache. Shaking the feeling away, he clenched his jaw and focused on what was important, which was Dahlia.

  He had a new mission now and damn the consequences.

  Cradling her in his arms, he easily picked her up, her body feather-light. The feeling of her in his arms was unbearable with her being in so much pain but he continued on, the rain beating down on his back as he quickly flashed them both to the safety of her bedroom.

  Releasing her, he settled her onto her feet then walked over to the bathroom to grab a towel. He came back to stand in front of her, timidly wiping her dry. Starting with her face, then neck, and finally ending as he towel-dried her hair. Tossing the towel away, he gingerly unbounded the tape still wrapped around her wrists, drawing them toward his lips as he gently kissed them where her skin was blemished. Dahlia continued to shed tears where she stood, now quietly, but still just as effective. Her evident pain pierced Greyson’s soul so he did the only thing he could do to calm her down.

  Locking his gaze with her eyes, he suggested a thought into her mind, something he could easily do since she was physically and emotionally exhausted.

  Sleep.

  Before she crumpled to the ground, he caught her effortlessly and laid her on the bed. Stroking the palm of her hand, he was relieved the cut and wrists already healed. Her breathing was deep as he sat next to her, watching quietly. He wondered if he was doing the right thing, bringing her into this life.

  Knew that it wasn’t.

  But Greyson was selfish and having to deal with Dahlia’s blood being spilled theoretically got him off the hook. He no longer had any ties to Merrick, the burden of it lifted away from his soul. The only thing he was concerned about was making sure Dahlia was always protected. That Merrick or Ava would never lay a finger on her again.

  That would mean leaving.

  Greyson knew he had to go back to the cabin, but before he left, he hastily scribbled on a pad of paper he found on her dresser and placed the slip of paper next to Dahlia’s pillow. He stroked her still damp hair before he stood up to go. Before he did, however, he whispered one last thing.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Chapter 24

  Dahlia slept half the day away before she woke up. It took her a moment for her to recognize where she was and the entire day rushed back to her as she winced in anguish. Spotting the note next to her pillow, she felt a moment of fear, not wanting to read it. With everyone gone, Greyson was all she had left. She couldn’t stomach the thought of him leaving her all alone.

  A goodbye in just a single note.

  Still gazing at the single piece of paper warily, she finally reached for it as her eyes landed on the words.

  I’m sorry for bringing you into this but I can’t let you go. You know where I’ll be waiting.

  Dahlia immediately got up quickly from her bed as she scrambled to pack, almost on autopilot. Flinging her closet door open, she reached for her duffel bag, throwing in as much of her stuff as she could possibly fill, from toiletries to her laptop. Struggling to close the zipper, Dahlia managed to shut it before slinging the heavy bag over her shoulder, walking toward the bedroom door. She paused as she saw her reflection in her dresser mirror, her hair disheveled from recent events as it covered her face.

  She hated what she saw. Her reflection reminded her of everything from the past. It reminded her of that feeling of inferiority at being different from everyone else and of constantly hiding. It reminded her of Sam, Deb and Glen—people she had known for such a short time, but had started to think of as family.

  People who were now gone.

  Settling down her bag, Dahlia walked back into the bathroom and opened a drawer, locating a pair of scissors. She looked again at herself in the mirror and thought of how Sam and Greyson always commented about her hiding behind her hair.

  Without a moment’s hesitation, Dahlia grabbed the ends of her hair and snipped a large chunk of it off. The first cut alarmed her, but then she took another snip and didn’t stop until a huge pile of hair littered the ground. She glimpsed back into the mirror, meeting her reflection head on, as she truly saw herself for the first time. Although jagged edges, her hair was now chin length, and hazel eyes seemed even larger.

  She seemed more mature—ready to take things head on.

  Dropping the scissors roughly into the sink, it clattered against the surface. Dahlia walked over to her bag, swung it over her upper back and looked around her room one final time. As she walked down the stairs, Dahlia’s eyes wandered to Sam’s room but she instantly turned away in pain, unable to forgive herself. She indirectly caused the deaths of her foster family.

  Giving one final glance back at the house, Dahlia sighed then walked toward Sam’s car as she opened the door and sat in the passenger seat. Sam’s seat. She didn’t want to drive Meg’s BMW, wanting to share a final moment with him. The key still in the ignition, Dahlia started the engine as she put the car in reverse and exited out of the driveway.

  Then she drove off as she started her journey toward Greyson.

  Once she got close to the forest, Dahlia put the car in park as she stepped out of the vehicle, not even bothering to close the door shut. She sighed, knowing the way things left back at home would be suspicious. But she didn’t care what the authorities would think when they uncovered the bodies, the abandoned cars, destroyed properties, the increasing number of missing people unreported in Cedar Oaks.

  She doubted they’d be able to solve anything, being human.

  Grabbing her bag, Dahlia walked the path toward the cabin and walked straight passed it
as she felt the house was empty. She paused then, hearing a noise from behind. Turning around, she was surprised to see the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. It was a medium-sized wildcat, very muscular in form, green eyes rooting her in her spot. It was green eyes she had definitely seen before. The animal was golden in color with black spots that sprinkled its fur and long whiskers on its face.

  “Gordon,” she whispered in surprise, her lips curving into a smile.

  Greyson’s Familiar.

  He seemed to have heard her because he stared at her with his human-like eyes then seemed to nod in acknowledgment before sprinting off.

  Dahlia grinned widely to herself as she continued to walk, making her way up the steep hills and fallen trees. As she reached a bluff, she paused and waited in anticipation.

  She knew he was there before he even said a word. Turning around, Dahlia saw him a few feet away, looking strong and formidable. She smiled faintly. “Hi.”

  “Hi.” Greyson approached her hesitantly, giving her a deep look. He noticed her change in appearance, her hair no longer than chin length, but didn’t comment on it.

  She tucked her short strands behind her ear as she eyed him squarely on. “Since you came into my life, there’s been nothing but chaos. I should hate you for that.”

  He remained quiet, not moving a muscle.

  She walked closer until they were practically touching, feeling the heat radiating off him in waves. Swallowing nervously, she rested her palms against his chest as she tilted her head. “For some reason, I don’t. I don’t think I can. You finally showed me who I am. I feel my powers getting stronger.” She then thought back to the friends who had betrayed her and the fact that Sam was no longer alive.