Crimson: Secrets and Lies of a Living Vampire (Shades of Red Book 1)

by T L Christianson

  My pulse slowed, and relief began to inundate my body.

  As a real vampire, a Moroi, I wasn’t undead like the myths. I was alive, unaged and in perfect physical condition. I have a pulse and body heat too, which makes it incredibly difficult for a human to identify us.

  Absentmindedly, I stroked his dark hair as I drank, vaguely aware of time passing, knowing I should stop, but unable to obey that little voice in the back of my mind.

  The runner’s body slumped against me. Too much of his blood had passed my lips, gulp after lovely gulp, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t care. Drinking live was the best high I’d ever had. More and more, and more, unable to let this feeling of ecstasy stop…

  Suddenly, I was yanked off my feet.

  I gasped, and the warm liquid ran out of the corner of my mouth and down my chin.

  Blinking, I tried to free myself from my stupor.

  When my eyes focused, I yelled out, “What the hell?”

  In front of me stood a Viking god with his hands on his hips and an exasperated expression. Losing myself in his eyes, I couldn’t stop staring. He had striking heterochromia; one eye was pale blue and the other a dark reddish-brown.

  The black Chronos uniform suggested that he must’ve been assigned to “guard” me… I laughed in my inebriation. Yeah, guard me, my ass, this was more of a babysitting gig for the poor schmuck.

  My previous guard quit last week. It was a surprise to have been assigned someone so quickly.

  “You are Dr. Shepard? I can see we have a lot of work to do. You almost killed him.” When he spoke, an accent lilted his words and sent chills up my spine.

  He motioned to his mouth. “You have some on your…”

  "I know," I told him, irritation in my voice.

  I didn’t want his interference, but he had prevented me from killing again. I wasn’t sure whether to be angry or relieved.

  "I’m working on controlling it,” I told him, wiping the dribble from my chin with the sleeve of my shirt.

  Sitting on the sidewalk, I rested my head on my knees, the warm sensation draining away.

  I'd been struggling with this problem for precisely six years today.

  The Viking folded his arms and stood there watching me, feet apart, planted on the concrete.

  He reached down and pulled me up. "Get up. You'll live."

  I favored his stoic, no-nonsense approach to my problem. Any sympathy would have made me feel weak and awkward.

  As we wandered the streets back to my house, I thought about the runner I'd attacked tonight. If it hadn't been for the Viking, that man would've died. His life would’ve been over, and it would have been my fault.

  Again.

  My voice broke the still silence of the night, "What’s your name, Viking?”

  He laughed at my nickname and looked over at me, his mouth quirked up at the corners. “Karsten Ingvar, but you can call me Sten.”

  Our pace slowed to a stop, and I put my hand out for his. “Nice to meet you, Sten. Sten?”

  “Yeah, Sten. Nice to meet you as well.” His warm hand enclosed my own for this second time, the sizzling, warming sensation of his proximity making me a little dizzy.

  All humor fled his countenance as he dropped my hand, apparently recalling his duty.

  Without his skin touching mine, a strange empty sensation pricked at me.

  Looking out into the night, Sten motioned that we should keep walking.

  “Are you new? I’ve never seen you at headquarters." I asked, sliding him a sideways glance as his long strides ate up the sidewalk.

  “Yeah, Mr. Vatia hired me last week. I flew in and got settled… It’s a good thing I started tonight…” His gaze flicked to me. “Unless you’re in the habit of doing that every night.” He gestured in the direction we’d come from.

  I sighed out a silent laugh. “No, thank goodness. No.”

  After several minutes went by, the silence weighed heavy on me. “Where are you from?”

  “Denmark, but I’ve lived all over Europe. This is my first time living here in the States.”

  “Oh.”

  “Are you from…New York?”

  “Born and raised,” I told him. “Except now I live here, in New Jersey…for my lab…that’s here…It’s cheaper real estate and Chronos Corp focuses mainly on pharmacology, and I’m a virologist, but they fund my research.” A blush spread up my neck. Why was I rambling so much? “So, did you know what you’d be in for when you flew all this way? It’s not exactly the dream job.”

  His chest rumbled in silent mirth. “Yes. I’m what you call a specialist. I train new Moroi, usually soldiers but now I’m here to help you.”

  I almost slapped myself. Mr. Vatia hired him? Aurev Vatia did not hire soldiers personally. I’d become a special case.

  Was I really that bad?

  My lips twisted, “Do you think you can help me? How long will it take?”

  He nodded, "It's different for everyone. For some people, they don't suffer from thirst. For others, they will always struggle but can learn control."

  I hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

  Waiting at a corner for a car to pass, I surreptitiously studied this new mysterious stranger in my life.

  An image of the last person I killed flashed across my vision.

  I needed to get ahold of myself.

  Tears stung the backs of my eyes; I blinked them away.

  My Viking just stood there, piercing a hole through my soul with his strange eyes.

  Finally, he spoke. "Stop," he cradled my face in his hands. “I’m not just a guard to keep you in check–I’ve trained hundreds of soldiers. Now, I’m here to help you."

  I studied his face. I couldn’t help flicking my gaze between his different colored irises. His kind eyes were steady, and the corner of his lips quirked up into a sympathetic smile.

  "I know. I’m just so relieved.” I whispered into the charged space between us.

  Licking my lips, my mouth was suddenly dry.

  The way he looked at me made me feel naked, even in the darkness of night. My Viking was straight out of my wildest dreams. Foreign, rugged and painfully handsome, he took my breath away.

  When his fingers unthreaded from my hair and around my face, I noticed his pulse jumped.

  Chemistry flew between us and maybe a few sparks, but I couldn't go there.

  I laughed and ran my fingers under my eyes. This was Aurev’s perverse sense of humor to dangle a man I couldn’t have in my face.

  In my house.

  Wherever I went.

  But, I needed this damn hunger to end. A day without worrying and staying away from humans seemed impossible. Karsten was my lifeline, and I couldn’t screw this up.

  “Is this my last chance?” I wondered aloud.

  My Viking’s mouth curved up at the corner. “No, min lille heks, no. However, when I leave, you will be in control of yourself.”

  Chapter 2

  A few days later I sat in my car, air conditioning on full blast. I’d needed to drive up into the city–talk about a major pain in the ass. As I turned onto the Staten Island Expressway, my phone rang.

  The call was from Chronos Corp headquarters.

  Jabbing the button on my steering wheel I yelled out, “Dr. Shepard here.”

  “Hi, this is Ms. Smith.” Aurev’s assistant’s voice broadcast from the car speakers.

  I had to brake suddenly in traffic, and Karsten’s hand reached out to grab my phone as it flew into my lap from the cup holder.

  When his fingers grazed my thigh, the blood left my brain. Images of my Viking standing on the prow of a boat, shirt unbuttoned and whipping in the wind flooded my thoughts.

  Ms. Smith’s words penetrated my daydream, “Are you listening, Sarah? You’re too quiet this morning.”

  I protested, “I was thinking.” Replaying her words in my mind, I stammered, “Owen’s been turned?”

  Talk about a bucket of ice water. Owen, my Moroi-hating ex-hu
sband also worked for Chronos at his home lab in Colorado. Things between us were… complicated to say the least.

  “A team’s being assembled to fly out and assist his new project. Aurev wants you on this, he says it’s time you went back.”

  My boss, ancient micro-manager, Aurev, wanted me to fly out to my ex’s lab, located in his house?

  ”Aurev wants me to go? Why can’t Owen–Dr. Bennett just bring his work to the Manhattan lab?” I asked.

  “Dr. Bennett’s fiancé has contracted OVC.”

  Fiancé? He was engaged? I mean, I didn’t want him back, and I’m the one who left, for good reason. But the fact that he was engaged made my heart feel funny.

  His fiancé had the Moroi plague? Almost every vampire who contracted it died. It affected our immune systems terribly while passing as the flu in humans.

  Had he really had some type of breakthrough or was this a desperate attempt to save his new lover?

  There was no way I could turn this down if Owen really had come up with something different than our usual antivirals and IV fluid regiment.

  “Are my kids okay? Where are they?” I asked.

  “I’ve been told that they’re being taken care of, away from the estate.” She paused. “Should I tell Aurev you’re going?”

  “Crap. Okay, yes. I’m actually headed into the city right now. When is the team leaving?”

  “Six-o-clock tonight.”

  I slouched in my seat. “Okay.” As an afterthought, I asked, “Who’s on the team?”

  “Dr. Peters, Dr. Khatri, nurse Savage and the tech, Daniels.” All worked in the Manhattan lab where I occasionally worked when not in my lab in Trenton, New Jersey.

  “Sounds good. Thank you.” I sighed and ended the call.

  I hadn’t been back to Colorado since I’d been turned.

  Sucking in an unsteady breath, I pictured my old house, my old lab. It sat on a large estate outside of Durango, nestled in a meadow and surrounded by mountains.

  When I’d left, it had been a house full of humans, and the last place I could be with my problem.

  Dreading the conversation I’d have to have with my ex, I figured I’d get it out of the way.

  The ringtone sounded, and I held my breath. When the call went to voicemail, I hung up.

  There was no way I could tell him I was coming for a visit in a message.

  Karsten and I shared a wary glance.

  “You have kids?” He asked.

  Giving him a tight smile, “Yep, and Dr. Bennett is my ex.”

  The Viking frowned sarcastically, “This should be interesting.”

  “Because my pain amuses you?” I tried to keep a straight face, but the corners of my mouth curved up anyway.

  “A little,” he said honestly, “but mostly because I want to know more about you.”

  ***

  Chapter 3

  Standing in Times Square in New York, I scanned the pedestrians. Forest made extra money from tourists by dressing up.

  “What does this private detective look like?” Karsten asked.

  “He’ll be in costume, said he’d be the one in pink…so my guess is he's in drag.”

  “Drag?”

  “You’ll see. Forest is hard to explain.” I gave the Viking a sassy smirk, looking up at him through my lashes. He merely shook his head at me.

  There were two people dressed all in pink. A short Asian teenager, and a very tall drag queen in platform heels.

  I pursed my lips and watched as the queen smiled for pictures and collected her money.

  Our eyes met, and she began to make her way toward me.

  “Doc Shepard!” She held her hand out as if to be kissed. I shook it and followed her across the street and into the McDonald’s on the corner.

  “Forest, how’ve you been?” We walked to the upper level and sat next to the window.

  Hand on hip, she gave me a coy smile and blinked her lashes, “girl, wouldn’t you like to know.” The blond wig contrasted with her mocha skin.

  My phone buzzed, and I pulled it out of my purse. It was Owen. Reading his name and thinking of the visit put me on edge and Forest playing games with me didn’t help.

  I tried to keep the irritation out of my voice, but I didn’t manage as well as I’d have liked. “Do you have the info or what?”

  “Damn girl, what’s got your thong in a twist?” Forest frowned and creased her brow disarming me. Her soft voice and sympathetic expression took the wind out of my sails.

  “Aurev is sending me back to Durango, to my old lab in Owen’s house.”

  Her lips in a duck pout, she replied, “What kind of mess is he tryin’ to start?”

  Shaking my head, I took a shaky breath before speaking. “No, it’s fine.”

  After a quiet moment, Forest scratched her shaved neck. “Elephant in the room, are you going to see the kids?”

  I shook my head. “No.” I still can’t be around them. I eyed the dining room, “It’s hard enough to be around people."

  “Damn, that’s cold, girl.”

  “It’s fine,” I muttered, looking at the floor and biting my trembling lip. So close, but I’d be unable to watch my children play, feel their silky hair beneath my fingertips or kiss them.

  Maybe I can catch a glimpse from far away.

  “What? They be thinkin’ you is Bella-fucking-Swan or some bullshit?”

  Turning my locket over and over in my hand, my mind went back to that day. I’d given birth to my second child, but I’d lost a lot of blood.

  Hazel had turned to me, “This would be the ideal time to turn you… or you’ll need a transfusion.”

  Our gazes had met, and I knew what I wanted. I’d only been waiting so that I could have my own natural children.

  “Turn me.”

  Those two words altered my life in ways I couldn’t comprehend.

  And unlike that fictional movie, my vampire thirst overpowered any shred of self-control. I held my newborn baby, and all I could see was the blood.

  I’d bit into his little thigh. Shame washed through me just thinking of it. It had taken both Owen and Hazel to pry him away.

  The look my ex gave me burned into my brain–disgust, fear, and anger.

  I hadn’t been strong enough to resist human blood then, and I still wasn’t.

  When I didn’t say anything, Forest spoke up. “Who’s that hunka he-man you got followin’ you around?” Her long sparkly fingernail pointed to Karsten who sat reading a newspaper across the room.”

  Forest’s comment made the corner of my mouth twitch upward. “Oh, my Viking?”

  She laughed, “Mmmm mmmm! Damn girl, if only I had a babysitter that fine.”

  “He’s off limits.”

  “Huh, that right?” The slight smile on Sten’s lips told me he could hear us.

  “Yeah, Aurev hired him to,” I used air quotes, “Tame my thirst.”

  Forest burst out laughing with a loud hoot. Heads turned our way but quickly turned away again.

  When her outburst died down, the P.I.’s face grew serious. “Well, shit girl. Maybe you’ll be able to see them kids you is always worrying ‘bout.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe.”

  Turning her head, she grinned broadly at a middle-aged man who sat gawking and pulling his children away.

  Looking at her watch, Forest pursed her lips. “You ready to do this? Do you have my money?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Did you really find him?”

  “Puh-leeze girl. You know I did. Crazy mof. I shoulda axed for more money.” I knew she could have, and I would’ve paid it too.

  Forest pouted, then pulled a manila envelope out of her matching pink faux fur purse. Eyes darting between me and the package, she gauged my reaction.

  I opened the tab at the top and slid out a blurry photo, reading the numbers written at the bottom.

  The picture was taken from a distance with a telephoto lens. Standing near a limestone outcrop surrounded by trees, was an older
man and a young dark-haired girl.

  “What’s this? I don’t even know what this means.” I shifted, ready to leave; I had to be at Chronos soon.

  Her masculine hand snaked out and gripped my wrist. “Honey, wait a minute. I gots more.”

  “Okay.”

  “Listen.” She leaned back in the chair and looked out the window into the whirling mass of people below. “Honey, I risked my life to find that killer for you. Most people who find him end up dead or worse. They say he experiments on humans and Moroi.” The queen pointed to the envelope I held. “Moroi turn up missing if he in town. He the devil his self.”

  Her words sent a chill up my spine. It made sense that he experimented on living Moroi–we were almost impossible to study after death because of rapid decomposition. This killer, the Butcher, had created a plague that killed vampires. Whatever he knew, whatever notes he kept, were invaluable. If we had any hope to expedite a cure, this would be it.

  She tapped the table with her long artificial nails. “You go lookin’ for him, you gonna find yo’self dead.”

  “Maybe,” I said, but I had to try. Too many Moroi were dying, and our research was moving too slow to stop it.

  “I think you should let one of the other clans take him out.”

  Forest and some Moroi believed that as living vampires, we were magical and no explanation or science could make sense of our inner workings.

  But that was a myth.

  At Chronos, our research was taking amazing strides into the field of Moroi physiology and pharmacology.

  “This guy, this scientist, the infamous Butcher knows more than anyone about Moroi physiology and disease. I mean, his research is completely immoral but why not take something good from what he’s learned?” I asked the queen.

  She didn’t say anything, and I figured we’d go back to our agreement to disagree on the subject.

  “What does this picture mean? What am I supposed to do with this?” I asked. “How is this worth five grand?”

  She tapped the pictures with her long sparkly fingernails. “I took this picture in Arkansas, with my phone. The GPS coordinates are on the bottom. This is where they were. It was taken yesterday.”

  I looked into her blue contact lens covered eyes and nodded. Pulling the bundle of cash from my bag, I placed it in her hand.