Blood at Dusk: A Dark Vampire Paranormal Romance Novel (The SoulBlood Series Book 1)

by Brenna Harlow

  "If he's near the town, then we need to go that way." Kora points left. "I've never traveled this direction." Her voice is soft.

  "Do not fear. We will find a new burrow. Until then, Brone is lending a helping hand. He will vow to protect you. Isn't that right, Brone?"

  I look over my shoulder, into the eyes of the bewildered dhampir. "I am not a warrior." He licks his bottom lip, shifting from foot to foot.

  "Yes, well you are now a warrior in training. It will be good for you." I slap my hand on one of his shoulders. "One day, you will have a mate of your own to protect, and this land is savage."

  Brone's brows furrow together, but he nods his head. "Very well."

  We continue walking, turning left onto the man-made stone road. Kora begins to shiver and wraps her arms around her chest. White flakes of dust fall from the sky, one landing softly against her hair. "Halt. There is something strange happening." I place a hand in front of my mate, stopping her in her tracks.

  White dust continues to fall, and when it lands on my mate’s cheek, it melts into water. A delightful giggle slips from her lips.

  "Aldeon, it's snow!" She opens her mouth just as a flake falls, and it disappears as it touches her tongue.

  "Snow?" I lift my palm as the white dust continues to fall.

  "It's unlike anything I've ever seen before," Brone says, bending his head down to study his hand.

  Kora's giggles quieten. "Well, shit. It's snowing."

  "Does this displease you?" I rub the moisture across my skin, mesmerized.

  "I haven't seen snow this far south in two years. Let's just hope it doesn't stick. Snow equates to freezing temperatures, and we don't have anywhere to start a fire."

  "I will keep you warm."

  She rolls her eyes. "We don't have time for you to be mesmerized by the snow right now."

  I lace my fingers with hers. "She’s right. Come along, Brone. We don't have all day."

  Brone studies his hands for a moment longer before slinging his sack over his shoulder. Minutes turn into hours, and Kora’s pace slows. The snow builds up on the ground and the trees, casting everything in a dreary white aura.

  But still my mate shivers. Her lips turn blue and she blows on her hands frequently.

  "We have to find shelter." I hug her form to my chest, and she buries her face against me.

  "Look, ahead. I see color." Brone points, and I follow his slender finger. He is right, further up the road are colors. Blue, black, red. Objects lifted off of the ground by black rounded circles.

  "I have seen this before." The red object on the side of the road, the signal Kora pointed out when we were close to her scavenging store.

  "It's a road jam," Kora says, rubbing her red nose on the back of her shirt sleeve.

  "We will stop there and warm you. It’ll take time for the dhampirs to catch up with us." If they have found her cave, maybe they linger there, searching for clues as to where we have gone.

  "I don't know. What about the bodies?" A shudder runs down Kora's spine.

  "Bodies?" We are getting closer now, but I cannot see through the windshield of the mobile dwellings. Snow is layered on top in a fine dusting.

  "Where there are cars, there are bodies." Kora squeezes my arm tightly, clinging to me for warmth.

  "Brone. Could you run ahead and check for corpses? Remove them if possible?"

  Brone tosses his sack down to the ground. "Yes. Wait here."

  The young dhampir runs ahead at a blinding speed. He is fast, maybe quicker than me. That could be used to our advantage. Brone rips open doors, pulling out shriveled carcasses and tossing them into the woodlands.

  "Is it over?" Kora's voice is muffled against my chest.

  "It is done," I say, as the last body is tossed. Brone dusts his hands off and waves to us. "Come, let's get you warm."

  Kora

  The flames lick at my palms as I hold them over the fire. My fingers are still numb, and my nose has been running for hours. I sniffle again, wiping my sleeve across my face.

  "Here, eat." Aldeon shoves a can of heated beans in my face, and I take it, cupping the tip of the container so I don't burn myself on the hot bottom.

  "Do all humans eat mush from containers?" Brone asks, watching me from over the fire with raised brows.

  "No." I say.

  At the same time, Aldeon says, "Yes."

  I roll my eyes. "Aldeon still doesn't know much about humans, it seems."

  "May I try it?" Brone scrunches his nose.

  "Why do you want to try it? Looks like you're already turned off by the idea." I shove a spoonful of the beans into my mouth, and it heats me all the way down as I swallow.

  "I want to document the taste. How are these creatures harvested?" I offer my can to Brone, and he takes it, sniffing its contents.

  "They aren't creatures. Beans come from a plant."

  Brone's eyes widen. "This is like medicine? Tinctures of chunky nectar?"

  "Um, no. Not exactly."

  He scoops the beans onto the spoon, and quickly shoves it into his mouth. His throat constricts, and he gags. Brone turns and spits the beans out on the hard pavement. Ick.

  "I'll take that back now, thank you very much." I grab the can, suddenly not as hungry as I was before.

  "You are foolish, Brone. We are not here for experiments. Try the human food when we arrive somewhere safe." Aldeon shakes snow off of his pack and shoves it into the front seat of the empty car we've set up camp beside.

  I decided it'd be best if we made our way to the middle of the road block. The cars are all connected from the collision, but right in the center of the road is a clearing, and one single black sports car. Its front is connected to a half burnt van, but otherwise, it's clean. It doesn't smell as bad as the other vehicles, either.

  The fire is burning high, thawing parts of myself that I thought might be frozen forever. Already, inches of ice and fluffy white flakes cover the ground, and it isn't melting.

  "You can rest in here while Brone and I keep watch." I glance over my shoulder, where Aldeon is unfolding my blanket and pillow in the back seat of the car.

  "Are you sure we'll be okay for a while?"

  "Brone and I will stay alert. We will listen," He points to his temple. And if we hear them coming, I will gather you and run.

  My stomach lurches at the memory of the last time that happened. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

  Aldeon’s arms love over the seats of the car as he prepares my bed. I place my hand over my heart, feeling it thump against my chest as his hair slides across his shoulder and hangs just above the back seat. I want to remember this.

  All the amazing things Aldeon has done for me could be stripped away without a moment's notice. No more kisses, no more caresses, no more making love beside the fire. If these vampires catch up to us, that'll be it. I'll be gone, just like Cece.

  "I love you, Aldeon."

  He stills before looking over his shoulder. His eyes are heated, mirroring my emotions. "Come." He opens his arms, beckoning me.

  I climb into the back seat and relax against his chest. For the first time today, everything slows down. I can breathe, relax. I look up into the eyes of my vampire, the one who changed everything. "Where do you think we'll go from here?"

  Aldeon exhales, and his chest dips. "I don't know. Another burrow? Maybe a building that runs underground?"

  My hands trace up his chest, coming to a stop as I tap him once on the chin. "I'll look out for any houses with basements. I stayed in a basement for a little while before the cave. It worked for a few months."

  The memories I have from that time are bittersweet. Fear gets the best of people when the situations are as tough as they were for us. I wish I could take back all of the petty arguments. My throat bobs as I swallow, forcing the pain back down.

  "A basement. I will remember this. We'll find something tomorrow."

  I breathe in the scent of pine trees on Aldeon’s shirt. "I don't know that we'
ll find anything. Maybe a lone house, but there aren't any guarantees that it'll have a basement. This road leads out of town, away from civilization."

  I rub my sweating palms on my shirt. I have to stay strong. I inhale in through my nose, out through my mouth.

  "Hey," Aldeon hugs me closer to his chest. "It's just a bump in the road. After this, we'll settle down somewhere safe. There is still much to learn from one another, much to share." He kisses the area of skin between my brows.

  "You're right." I lean my forehead against his, breathing in the warm air between us. "Everything is going to be okay. It has to be."

  Aldeon rubs circles on my back. "It will be. You'll see."

  Aldeon

  I smooth Kora’s hair away from her face as she sleeps before exiting the car. I don't trust Brone to know the telltale signs of an attack beforehand, so I need to remain alert.

  The sky has darkened completely as the snow continues to fall. The area around our fire is wet with melted ice, but the heat is enough to keep my mate warm for the night.

  "Can I ask you a question?" Brone watches me as I stretch my limbs. They are stiff from being cramped in the back of the car with my mate.

  "As long as it isn't about my mating, then yes."

  Brone cackles. "No, not mating. It is of this place, and our people." His smirk is replaced by a scowl. "I've watched your female, and I know that she is similar to dhampir. It is wrong for us to stand by as they continue to feed from her people, is it not? Why has she forgiven you?"

  I crouch down beside the fire, listening to the wind as it whistles through the bare trees in the nearby forest. Somewhere in the distance, a creature hoots.

  "We cannot fix this, and she has not forgiven me. Not completely. I've tried to explain the madness to her." I pause, trying to find the words. "Many people she loved died. Nothing will heal that wound, but she has hope for the future. She does care for me, but she also wants protection."

  Brone looks up at the clouded sky. "And are there more like her? Others who require protection?"

  "There must be." I rub my hands together, heating them by the fire. "But my focus must remain on my mate. I am only one male, and there are many maddened dhampirs. If it came between her and another, I would save her."

  Brone opens his mouth to speak, but I hold up my hand, silencing him. Thud, thud, thud, thud. The sound is quiet, growing nearer by the second. "Footsteps."

  Brone pales. "They will want her blood."

  I hold my finger to my lips. Only one set of feet slap against the pavement. "We can take care of it without waking Kora."

  "Are you certain?" Brone stands, rubbing his palms against his worn pants.

  I nod silently. "Come. Remain stealthy. They do not listen to warnings, so be prepared to fight."

  Brone's face hardens, and in that moment, I know he is serious about protecting the humans. He values their lives, even though he hasn't shared a connection with one.

  And yet, he is willing to fight for what he knows is right. His morality is clear, unfogged.

  I gesture with my hands, and we circle around the cars. The footsteps grow louder, piercing into the night. "Be ready."

  And then she is visible under the glow of the moon, breaking free of the shadows at full speed. Brone exhales before mocking my pose, preparing for the fight ahead.

  The dhampir waves her hands, using her nails like claws against the windy air. Her matted red hair whips around her face as she runs, and mud covers her bloodied white dress.

  "Okay, circle behind her. I'll keep her busy while you remove her head."

  Brone's eyes snap to mine. "Do I have to remove it?"

  I grit my teeth. Already my fangs ache, preparing for battle and blood. "Yes, it must be you. You need to be prepared for whatever battles may come."

  Brone swallows, his neck bobbing with the motion.

  "Now," I say, as I rush the dhampir.

  Her eyes see through me as her nostrils flare, surely taking in the scent of my sleeping mate. You can not have her. She is a foot away when I strike, halting her acceleration. She snaps her teeth, biting at nothing but air. She backs away one step.

  Brone approaches slowly from behind, his eyes wide with unfocused panic.

  Do it.

  He closes in on the female just as I strike again, this time landing a blow to her stomach. She shrieks, not sounding dhampir at all. She is changed, unhinged, maddened. Only more bloodshed can lead to her salvation, and I will not sacrifice my mate. Humans deserve to live just as much as we do.

  Suddenly, Brone's eyes harden. He grips the female’s neck as she lets out another ear spitting cry, and he yanks. With a wet sounding pop, her head comes free from her body.

  Brone heaves as blood spills from her open wound down his hands and arms, trailing crimson liquid onto the white snow below. He drops her head, wiping his palms over his shirt and pants frantically.

  I place my hand on his shoulder. "Shh, it is alright. You did the right thing."

  "Do you really think so?" His voice breaks.

  "It is the only way to protect her."

  Tense silence cuts through the air between us, but finally Brone nods. "You’re right. Our people cannot be saved. Not without wiping out another species in the process."

  I pat him once on the shoulder, halting as a violent cry pierces the night behind us. Thump, thump, thump. A stampede of feet slap against the earth, not far behind us.

  "Kora." I turn, running to my mate. I rip the car door open and pull her into my arms. "Brone, her food! Grab what bags you can and keep up." Kora's eyelids flutter open, and she struggles in my grasp.

  "Aldeon? What's going on." She places one hand against my chest.

  She searches my face, finding her answer there. "Hang on. You won't like this much."

  She squeezes her eyes close as I begin to run, leaping across cars and over debris. Kora moans against my chest, but I push myself faster as Brone trails behind. I cannot let them have her.

  My footsteps come to a halt as someone new pushes into my mind. Someone distant, yet near at the same time.

  I offer you and your mate refuge. I suggest you hurry, before they catch up.

  Kora

  Aldeon slows his pace long enough for me to look over his shoulder. The fire burns in the distance, glowing bright as shapes bounce from car to car. They move so fast, blurring, with one form standing out against the others.

  He stands atop the burnt bus near our fire, his arms spread wide. His long coat flaps in the breeze, and his eyes shine crimson in the dark. I fold against Aldeon’s chest, squeezing my eyes closed. I'm going to die.

  You will not die tonight. I have found refuge. Aldeon’s arms tighten around my shoulders.

  Wait, what? Refuge? Aldeon’s running faster again, and I lean into his chest so that I can breathe. The wind and snow batter my back, but the worst part is the noise.

  Inhuman cries rip through the air, invading the night. My stomach clenches. Feet pound against the ground, as deafening as the whistling wind. I can't imagine there are less than twenty of them. Maybe even thirty, or forty, or... My stomach groans again, and I suppress a gag.

  Think about something else, think about something else. The caves. The stalactites. The sound of mom's voice as she sang those God awful Janis Joplin songs. Cece's smile as she helped me pick out my prom dress. Aldeon's lips on mine.

  I exhale, letting go of my fear. Everything will be okay. Even if I die tonight, at least I’ve lived through all of those memories. At least I've lived at all.

  I open my eyes as the sound of a metal fence rattles. Aldeon flings a gate aside, moving with decisive actions. How does he know where the hell he's going? I dig into his mind, poking with my new ability.

  Are you here? A voice I don't recognize booms within Aldeon's mind. My chest tightens.

  "Aldeon, I don't know about this. You can't trust him."

  Brone's voice floats from over Aldeon's shoulder. "She is right. This could be a tr
ap."

  Aldeon's hands dig into my skin. "We have no other choice. It’s this, or Kora dies tonight. They’ll follow us around the world and back. We need safety, and he claims to have it."

  My mouth opens and snaps back shut again. He's right. I can either die now, or maybe die a little later after this new opponent has played his games. Maybe it's not a trick at all, and he's another one of the good ones, like Brone. "Okay." I nod my head. We can do this.

  Aldeon sets me down as we approach a small building. The exterior is no larger than a shed, but it's made entirely of concrete. The door is metal and chipping white paint flakes from its edges.

  The shrieks grow louder behind us, and I turn as Aldeon begins to bang on the door. The one who was on top of the bus walks through the metal gates just behind us. A huge slab of pavement separates us, but he’s close enough for me to see the glint of his fangs.

  "Aldeon, we have to hurry." I grab his arm, tugging. I can’t catch my breath, no matter how hard I try. My chest heaves with each step that the vampire takes as he closes in.

  Brone crouches in front of me, taking a defensive stance. I'm sandwiched between him and Aldeon as the sounds of the stampede grow louder. I cover my ears, squeezing my eyes closed tight.

  I’m not going to make it. A calm settles over me, and I drop my hands to my side.

  The metal doors scrape open behind us, and Aldeon yanks me backwards, across the threshold. The vampire’s eyes narrow just as Brone slips inside, slamming the door closed.

  Bang!

  The door dents inward, and I hear the vampire’s guttural growl on the other side as he rams it again. Someone twists a round vault lock into place, sliding two deadbolts shut after. He turns, smiling wide.

  Another vampire, this one sporting the same sable eyes as Aldeon and Brone. His dark hair flips around the edges of his ears, covering his forehead. Other than the fangs peeking from his lips, he looks normal. His clothes are modern, and he's clean.

  "Welcome to our home," the vampire says, spreading his arms wide.