Ashes & Dust (Bloodlust Book 1)

by J. M. Adele

  “I’ll drive. But I’m going alone.”

  “You don’t want me to come with you?”

  “No. If there are any newborns, they’re going to be unstable and might want to suck on your bland blood, but thank you.”

  Lanie rolled her eyes. “Ha, you need to work on your insults. I want to check something else out, anyway.”

  “What?”

  “I’ll let you know if I need to. It could be nothing.” She swiveled her chair side to side, running her tongue along her teeth. “Be safe. Maybe you should take dad’s gun.”

  “Why would I need a gun when I have fangs and superpowers?”

  Lanie’s eyes crinkled as she smiled wide. “True. Then, be badass.”

  “Done.”

  _____

  Picking her way around the rocky outcrops, the feeling of déjà vu swamped her. Shiloh had done this before, but had barely been able to walk. Overhead powerlines crossed the landscape, and the railroad cut tunnels into the hills.

  She stayed off the walking trails where hikers unknowingly risked their lives from things far worse than a broken neck. Following her instincts, she passed the piles of abandoned boulders from the old quarry and made her way to some hills beyond. Hiking to the top, she had a panoramic view of the valley below under a clear blue sky. From this distance, it didn’t look that different from the rest of the quarry. But she could just see disturbances in the earth. Depressions that looked freshly dug out, the soil still dark with moisture, and patches bulging with piles of dirt. Scattered haphazardly between the brush and rocks, it was a mass grave and an earthly womb in one.

  Shiloh sat on a rock, buffeted by the return of her memories. She’d crawled on her hands and knees up this hill, trying to figure out where she was. Weak from her ordeal and a lack of sustenance, she’d wished for death, but had eventually felt the tug towards home and followed it.

  To Seth.

  Why had she wanted to see him so badly?

  I was thirsty.

  Awareness that she wasn’t alone had her turning to find Devlin standing a few feet behind her.

  “I knew you’d come back to see it.”

  Springing to her feet, she braced her stance, ready to fight. “How did you know I was here?”

  “I saw you talking to Sienna. The cop. Her tongue loosens when she’s off her face. It usually makes for informative entertainment.” He pulled a smoke out of his pocket, lighting up. “Vampire sires always bury their victims where they were born. If you go on to kill, you’ll bring ’em here to be reborn. Unless you want them to die.”

  “But vampires are made by being bitten.”

  “Yes, but if the body isn’t drained and buried, it will die without transformation. A vampire has to dig itself out and find its sire for its first feed.”

  Her phone rang in her pocket.

  Lanie.

  She pulled it out, answering the call. “Are you okay?”

  “Shi, I just found Seth’s picture in a missing person’s report from two years ago, but that’s not his name.”

  Her eyes shot up to Devlin’s penetrating gaze. He stood still, his hair blowing in the breeze as he waited for her to piece it all together.

  Eighteen months ago, Seth had moved in across the street.

  Why hadn’t she ever met his father?

  Vampires needed to dig themselves out and feed from their sire.

  Seth hadn’t been buried. Not by her.

  He’d already been turned.

  She didn’t want to believe it. Briefly clamping her eyes shut she took a mental detour, the thought too heinous to entertain. Still holding the phone, she watched Devlin take another drag of his cigarette. Her number one suspect was staring her in the face. “Where were you reborn?” she demanded.

  “I wasn’t.”

  Not reborn? Was he not a vampire?

  Her grip on the phone tightened as she swallowed against a cramping throat.

  No. Oh, God, no.

  “Where was Seth reborn?” She could hear Lanie questioning what was going on as she waited for Devlin’s reply.

  “Here.” He rumbled, gaze locked on hers.

  Shiloh’s eyes shot towards home as she shouted into the phone, “Lanie, get out of there. Seth is the one who took me.”

  There was dead silence on the other end of the line. She pulled it away from her ear to check if the call was still connected.

  It wasn’t.

  _____

  To be continued . . .

  Coming Home Series

  Shattered Home (available in eBook)

  Remembering Home

  Finding Home

  Leaving Home (TBA)

  Coming Home (TBA)

  Sensing Series

  Sensing You

  Convincing You (Coming 2019)

  Indulging You (TBA)

  Bloodlust Series

  Ashes and Dust

  Ember and Flame

  Read on for a sneak peek at Ember and Flame, coming soon.

  Polo

  Shiloh leapt over the terrain, her ribcage surging for air. Devlin followed closely. Abandoning the car at the quarry, she hit the road, speeding faster than a blink on the smooth surface. She thought of her time with Seth. The declarations of love. The tender caresses. The stolen moments before dawn.

  All lies.

  He’d been grooming her, and she’d invited him in.

  But why? Why had it taken so long for him to bite?

  She battled the need to hurl boulders at the earth until a crater formed, a small-scale example of the destruction inside her ribcage.

  That had been his voice at the pool before she’d been attacked.

  Marco?

  Marco?

  Marco?

  Oh, God. What had he done to Lanie?

  They reached the house, finding Lanie’s window open. Devlin jumped through first. “She’s not here.”

  Her mood darkened further, lashing out at the nearest target. “Why are you here? I don’t need your help.”

  He ignored her, reaching for the cell phone discarded on the bed.

  “Don’t touch anything.”

  The laptop was still open on the desk, its screen lighting up when she tapped the mousepad. Seth’s face stared back at her with the details of his description and where and when he’d last been seen. Nearly two years ago, he’d gone missing from downtown LA. And his real name was Jax.

  The closet door was ajar, but that wasn’t unusual. Creased with the indent where Lanie must’ve sat during their phone conversation, the bed was otherwise neat. Nothing around the room looked amiss—apart from the gaping window. Lanie didn’t like it open.

  Seth—no, Jax must’ve jumped in and snatched her. Lanie wouldn’t have even had a chance to scream.

  Shiloh sank onto the mattress, her bleak stare aimed out the window to the house across the street. He wouldn’t have taken her sister there. Too obvious.

  “Do ya still feel the pull towards him?”

  Her eyes snapped to Devlin’s. Of course! She’d been so worried about her sister and focused on getting to her that she hadn’t thought of the connection she had to Seth. They’d always find each other. He wouldn’t be able to go far.

  Tuning into her senses, she tested the elastic membrane, feeling it stretch. “It’s weakened.”

  “Follow it before it vanishes.”

  Diving out the window, she tumbled on the grass, springing up to speed off.

  “Why is it fading?”

  Devlin met her stride for stride. “You’ve been fighting against his bind since …” His eyebrows dipped as he clamped his mouth shut. “He could be diluting your blood by feeding from another. Or he could break the bond altogether by finding a new mate. The only unbreakable bond is between true mates.”

  “And we weren’t true mates.”

  “Nope.”

  Thank God. Sadness tainted her relief. She’d loved him with everything she’d had.

  What a fool.

 
Shiloh and Devlin wove through the streets of L.A. coming to a halt in an alley off South San Pedro Street, Skid Row. Rubbish scattered on the pavement as a cat jumped in fright, hissing at them.

  The membrane pulled her another few yards down the street to a six-story brick building. Roller doors covered the windows along the width of the first floor, spray-painted in street art. The pattern was broken in the center by a set of double glass doors, sheltered under a portico. Craning her neck, Shiloh scanned the rows of awning windows, pinpointing where Seth was.

  “They’re in here. Third floor, back of the building.”

  “He’ll know you’re here.”

  “No point being quiet, then.”

  “We don’t want her hurt. And we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves.”

  Shiloh’s shoulders bunched as her gums ached. She wanted to rip out Seth’s throat just like he’d done to her. “How do I kill a vampire?”

  “With a mortal wound. But you’ve gotta catch him first.”

  Going back to the alley for some cover, she bent at the knees and pushed off the ground, aiming for the fire escape. She rattled the window before being pushed aside as Devlin sent his elbow through the glass.

  “I thought we weren’t drawing attention to ourselves.” Shiloh narrowed her eyes.

  “Just get inside.”

  Crunching over the broken glass, she led the way through the rooms strewn with broken office furniture and discarded equipment. Coming to a door, Devlin stepped in front, pushing it open.

  Shiloh’s lungs seized, trapping her breath. Lanie was perched on Seth’s lap, her head lolling to the side and her face swollen with bruises and cuts. One arm was strapped around her waist, and his other aimed a gun in their direction.

  A couple of feet to the side, a woman’s body lay twitching on the floor, blood seeping from a gaping wound in her neck.

  “Polo, you blood-sucking bastard,” Shiloh spat, ready to lunge.

  “If you come any closer I’ll kill her.” Opening his jaw wide, Seth tilted his fangs towards her sister’s exposed neck. “Even if you bury her, I won’t feed her. She’ll die.”

  “What do you want?”

  Seth’s fiery gaze turned on Devlin. “You know what I want.”

  “You can’t have her.”

  “Neither can you.” A chilling cackle burst from Seth’s throat before he turned the gun in a blur, blasting a hole in the head of his twitching victim. The silencer muted the sound, but the vibrations still shattered through Shiloh’s body. Pointing the barrel between her eyes, he continued, “Pity your sister’s a bitch or I would’ve chosen her first.”

  Devlin took a step closer, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. “You didn’t choose her because she’s too young. You’re stalling. You know ya can’t turn her.”

  What the hell is he doing? Idiot.

  Seth switched his aim to Devlin. “Too young to bond, not too young to die.”

  “Ain’t no way you’ll kill her. You need her.” Devlin peppered smoke rings at Seth’s face as he moved in closer.

  Lanie moaned, her head moving an inch before flopping back down. Seth reacted by cracking the butt of the gun on the side of her head, and Devlin lunged. In a blinding move, he’d ripped Lanie from Seth’s arms and shoved her towards Shiloh. She dove to catch her, eyes half on Devlin holding out a clawed hand. Seth’s body was thrown into the wall behind him without Devlin ever making contact. Plastered halfway up the exposed brick like a squished bug, Seth gripped the gun, aiming at Devlin, and pulled the trigger. He stumbled back with a shout, grabbing at his chest where blood spilled down his shirt as Seth dropped to the ground in a heap.

  Shiloh’s eyes popped, struggling to keep up with what was happening. Adjusting her sister in her arms, she spun and tore out of the building. She needed to get Lanie to safety.

  Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God.

  Sprinting to the nearest hospital, she prayed for Devlin to be okay. Whatever he was, he wasn’t human. The way he’d thrown Seth against the wall without even touching him . . . he was powerful. Formidable. Scary as hell. If anyone could end Seth it would be Devlin. She couldn’t worry about him. Her priority was Lanie. And looking at her sister’s disfigured face she cursed herself for not running faster.

  The tug towards Seth still pulled her back and slowed her pace.

  The bastard was still alive.

  _____

  “I knew that boy was no good.” Her dad whacked the indicator so hard she thought he might rip it off.

  You have no idea. Shiloh leaned her head on her palm, watching the suburban scenery whisk by as they drove home. “You never told me.”

  He grunted and turned into their driveway. “I don’t want to leave you here on your own with him still on the loose, but I need to get some things for your mother and sister. Mom won’t leave her side, and I’m tempted to handcuff you to me so you can’t go anywhere either.”

  “Dad, I’m tired. I’ll be fine. You’ll only be an hour or so, anyway. I promise to be good.” It wasn’t a promise she was planning to keep. As soon as he left, she was going back to find Devlin.

  “I’m putting the bars back on.”

  “Okay. If that makes you feel better.” Won’t stop me.

  Or Seth. Jax. Whoever the hell he is.

  “I’d rather brick up the window. Even better—we’re moving to a remote island.”

  She almost smiled. “You can’t lock me up like a prisoner. I’m not the criminal here.”

  Setting free a sigh, he turned off the engine and gripped the wheel. Bowing his head, his shoulders started to shake as tears dripped into his lap.

  Her heart sank in her chest. “Aw, Dad.” Unbuckling her seatbelt, Shiloh leaned over the gear shift, wrapping her arms around his neck.

  “I can’t go through that again, Shi.”

  She rested her forehead on his shoulder, cursing the day she’d set eyes on the devil.

  Detective Carter had come to the hospital to get her statement, while Lanie lay in an induced coma due to swelling on the brain. Shiloh hadn’t told Carter about Devlin, wanting to keep that off the record. But not knowing if he was okay, maybe she should have.

  “Let’s get inside.” Her dad lifted his head, swiping his tears on his shirt.

  “Okay.”

  After she gave her dad another hug and assured him for the fiftieth time that she’d be okay, he finally left. She dashed up the stairs, swinging her bedroom door wide.

  Devlin. Sprawled across her bed, he was playing with one of her trophies. He looked one hundred percent intact, although she’d witnessed the bullet hitting him in the shoulder. If he’d been fed, he was probably already healed. Who knew what he was hiding under his clothes and inside his skull. She didn’t want to know.

  Liar.

  The potent smell of his blood permeated the air and awoke her hunger, but she fought against it. She’d be damned if she let the beast inside her rule over her will. That only led to misery and vulnerability at the hands of predators far more dangerous than her. Devlin had been hurt, blood staining his shirt. That was the only reason the lure was stronger, more intoxicating.

  Delicious.

  She cleared her throat and jammed her hands on her hips. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” His eyes flickered with red, a clear sign he was lying, but if that’s how he wanted to play it she was willing to move on. She had a million questions that needed answers.

  “Good. Then, start talking.”

  I originally wrote this for the Essentially Australian Romance Anthology, dedicated to Aussie authors showcasing what we’re all about. Obviously, I had to be a part of it. Sadly, the anthology is no longer available. Thank you to Melissa Bell and J. Thiele for organizing that fantastic collaboration. And thank you to the participating authors. It was a blast.

  This little novella has turned into something more than I ever thought it could be. I’m so glad I decided to stretch myself and get a little freaky - er. To my reader
group, my Gems, thank you for coming along on the journey with me. Your input has been invaluable. I’d be lost without you. Sorry for being a pest! Special thanks to those of you who volunteered to be beta readers, or ARC readers. Mwah xx!

  Lauren Clark . . . wonderful Lauren. What a brilliant editor you are. Thanks for pushing me to be better and go deeper. It’s just what I needed. That, and a swift kick up the butt. Challenge accepted for the next one!

  Fiona, from Fiona Dreaming and Proof Reading, thank you for slotting this in with very little notice, and for doing a fantastic job.

  Huge thanks to the book bloggers who share their love of reading with the world and help authors spread the word about our labors of love. You are awesome. I know how much work you put in. I see you. Thank you!

  My wonderful family and friends have been so supportive of all my efforts and my fanciful dream chasing. I am truly blessed to have you all in my life.

  My gorgeous guys . . . you are everything. Never, ever, EVER read this. EEEEVVVVVEEEERRRRR. Love you to bits times three.

  To all of you reading this right now, thank you for giving this story a chance. I hope you enjoyed it. I wrote it for you. :) Let me know what you think, please consider leaving a review.

  Former nurse, reluctant romantic, chocolate lover and serious reading addict, J.M. Adele is the author of paranormal and contemporary romance, and romantic suspense. After years of indulging in her addiction to reading, her own characters started to tell their stories. They were relentless, forcing her to put pen to paper and release them into the world.

  On most days you can find her juggling motherhood with authorhood while carrying a book in one hand. When everyone else drifts off to dreamland, she escapes into the worlds conjured by the characters in her head.

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