Renewed: House of Shadows Book 3

by Michelle Areaux

  “It has been torture knowing that you are locked away down here and that we can’t finally be together,” he said.

  His words comforted me, but I couldn’t help but let my thoughts worry for us.

  “Why do you look so upset?” he asked.

  “Donovan, now that I am a Vampire, does that change things between us?” I ask.

  Shaking his head, Donovan’s lips curl into a smile. “Are you serious? It changes everything,” he beams.

  I look at him with a startled expression. I didn’t expect him to be so pleased about the prospect of our relationship ending. Why though, I wasn’t sure. I mean, I had been tricked by Zane. It would only be fitting for Donovan to hurt me, too.

  “Wow, that wasn’t what I had expected,” I say, looking away so he doesn’t see the tears form in my eyes.

  Squeezing my hand, Donovan forces me to look at him again. “You have it all wrong, Audrey. With your being a Vampire now, we can be together. Really be together,” he begins.

  “Oh,” I say, now feeling foolish for my reaction.

  Leaning in, Donovan places a soft kiss to my lips. “You are all that matters. Every rule, I have broken for you. You are still the only exception I will ever make. Lines may be blurred right now, but when it comes to you and me, nothing is going to change. My love for you is forever now.”

  If my heart were still alive, it would be rapidly beating in my chest right now. Happiness fills me with his words.

  “Really?” I ask.

  “Of course. I can now hold you in my arms, take your hand in public, and not have to worry about someone taking you from me. If I am being honest, I wish this would have happened to you sooner,” Donovan states.

  “There are a few things I would want to remove; but yes, I would love to have made you mine sooner,” I agree, watching our fingers intertwined.

  Donovan goes to kiss me again, but a sharp pain causes me to jerk in the bed. Donovan stares down at me with dark eyes and I can tell he knows exactly what is happening to me.

  I scream as fire moves through my body. I’m shaking and lashing around in the bed; my screams so loud, I’m afraid I may go deaf.

  “Donovan, help me,” I plead.

  Laying a whisper to my pillow, Donovan moves away from me.“I can’t. This is the last part of the change. The venom is working now. It will only be a matter of time now,” he says, before I hear him screaming for his dad and Eden.

  The last thing I remember is white hot searing pain and praying for death.

  ***

  “Is it over?” a voice asks, but it feels like they are screaming next to my ear.

  Slowly, my eyes shoot open and my vision has never been clearer.

  Colors are more vibrant, lights pulsating in my vision as everything seems to be now standing out, as if a mask was removed from my eyes.

  “What?” I ask, my voice no longer groggy and rough.

  I hear more commotion outside of the door and suddenly, the room becomes filled with Dean Sullivan and a few more professors.

  “It’s passed, it is all over now,” Donovan says, as he falls to his knees beside my bed. He goes to undo the restraints holding me down, but the Dean stops him.

  “Hold on, we must be certain before releasing her,” he warns.

  “Dad, I can see it in her eyes that the transformation is complete,” Eden argues, her eyes staring at me.

  I go to speak, but I see the Dean watching me carefully. He is assessing me for himself, to see if I am truly finished with the horrific transformation from human to Vampire.

  Leaning down, the Dean places a hand on mine. Acting on instinct, my hand flinches so fast, I barely register the movement myself.

  A wide smile appears over his face, he seems pleased by my reaction. “So it appears Audrey, you have survived through the transformation,” he beams.

  “Wait, did you just say, survived?” I ask.

  Hold on, no one mentioned to me that there was a possibility that I may not survive this.

  “No one told you,” he asks me, anger now showcasing his features.

  Swiftly, he turns to eye his children, who are now looking down like scolded children.

  “I was going to tell her, but I didn’t want her to worry,” Eden begins.

  “Dad, we almost lost her once. How could I tell her that she may not make it again?” Donovan pleads with his father.

  I want to be angry at them both for withholding this information from me, but I’m not. Would I have even understood? To be honest, I probably would have begged for death at some point.

  “Audrey, please let me apologize for this withheld information. First, the transformation from human to Vampire is very dangerous. As you are now well aware, it is a painful and long process. Many people are simply not strong enough to live through the pain. Others will beg and plead to end their lives before the process has time to complete. You, however, held up strong and have made it,” he says, his voice filled with pride.

  To think, I had been through so much, and yet, I still came out victorious.

  “May I?” Donovan asks his father, as he holds onto the chains latched to the concrete walls.

  The Dean simply nods and I watch as he releases my chains, and for the first time in a very long time, I am free.

  Chapter 4

  ______________________________________________________________________

  Stepping outside, I almost find it surreal how clearly I can see through the darkness.

  As a newly transitioned Vampire, I have to move to a small cabin in the woods, near a lake that borders the property. Eden will stay with me and Donovan will teach me how to hunt.

  “So, how long do you think I will have to be outcast like this?” I ask Eden, as she walks beside me.

  “You are not an outcast,” she argues, but we both know that I am.

  The Dean wasn’t sure how he was going to explain this to the other Vampires, but we all agreed it would be best for him to tell everyone and then I can rejoin the school once I have my hunger and cravings under control.

  My body instinctively craved human blood, so it would take time for me to adjust to synthetic blood and animal blood.

  “You know what our dad said,” Donovan begins, taking my hand as we all walk through the forest. “Most of the students will be happy that you are no longer human. It takes pressure off of them; but at the same time, they will want to know everything that went down with Zane. We are still developing a plan for that,” Donovan says, his anger and hatred for Zane coming out in waves.

  I don’t think it is possible for anyone else to hate Zane as much as I do. He took away my life and humanity. He also took away my starring role in A Midsummer’s Night Dream play. A role that I literally almost died to get. Now, it was all for nothing.

  A sound echoed beside me; and as I turned, it was like I could already smell the blood of the creature lurking in the night.

  “Your hunger is speaking to you now,” Donovan said, leaning over as I crouched down to the grass.

  I could sense that the animal was near; its heartbeat was beating loudly and I could hear it like a drum. The scent of the fresh blood had my mouth watering.

  I heard a twig snap and I jerked my head to the left. “It must be a rabbit,” I said.

  Then, without thinking, I took off running. My legs were moving so fast, it was like I was floating on air. I couldn’t tell you how I knew where to go, but I knew exactly where that rabbit was running.

  Spotting my prey, I jumped and grabbed it and held up the now lifeless animal. I had snapped its neck when I reached for it, but to me, that was probably best. I hadn’t taken into account the act of killing the animal. All I knew was that I needed blood-- now. Donovan and Eden were close behind me, watching me as I held up the animal like a prize.

  “Go ahead, feast,” Eden said, a smile of approval on her face.

  “Do you want to share?” I offered, but secretly, I hoped they turned down my offer.

&n
bsp; “No, this is your first feeding. You need to enjoy it,” Donovan said.

  With an audience, I bit down into the rabbit and savored the warm blood. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced in my life before. Somehow, the blood was providing me energy and I could feel my body growing stronger with every ounce that I drank.

  Once the animal was completely drained, I slowly placed it onto the ground.

  “How do you feel?” Donovan asked.

  Both he and Eden had been silent during my feeding. It was kind of strange, but helpful all the same.

  “I feel incredible,” I reply. “What’s next?” I ask.

  So much energy was coursing through me, I felt like I could move mountains.

  “For now, you need to rest. Let’s get you situated in the cabin, and tomorrow, we can practice survival skills,” Donovan stated.

  “Rest?” I almost yelled. “I was held captive in bed for days. Why would I need to rest?” I ask.

  “Audrey, your body is adjusting to being a Vampire. You need time to heal and regain strength it took to hunt tonight,” Eden said.

  I knew they were right, but it was hard for me to want to go back and lay down after everything I had already been through.

  “Fine, but I want to spend more time out tomorrow,” I pouted.

  Eden and Donovan both threw their arms around my shoulders as we all began walking toward the cabin. I could see the high peaks of the academy in the distance, the bright lights that lit up the surrounding area beckoning to me.

  ***

  When we entered the cabin, I was pleasantly surprised. I should have known it would be lavish just like the House of Shadows, but the wood cabin made me think small. This definitely wasn’t small. Inside, there was a large kitchen with marble countertops and black appliances. A huge living area had exposed beams overhead. There were four bedrooms, all equipped with massive bathrooms and televisions.

  “We will stay here until my dad says it is safe for us to return,” Eden says, watching me as I take in my new home.

  Turning to her, I could see the worry etched across her features. “What about my dad? Can I still call him? What about Zane?”

  I had so many questions and I knew there weren’t really a lot of answers right now.

  Sighing, Donovan took my hand. “Audrey, we will get your phone so you can call your dad. As for Zane, if he takes a step on this property, I will personally kill him,” Donovan seethed.

  His golden eyes became black as coal and it almost frightened me to see the transition.

  “Donovan, I won’t let you get hurt or do something awful because of me,” I argued.

  “Guys, we don’t have to talk about any of that now. Zane is gone. We have guards stationed outside of the cabin. Audrey,” Eden said, moving closer to where Donovan and I were standing near the large, stone fireplace. “Zane won’t be able to hurt you anymore. You are no longer human.”

  While her words were meant to reassure me, they caused even more fears and insecurities to grow inside of me.

  No, I wasn’t a human anymore. But, as I was quickly learning, even Vampires can cease to exist.

  Chapter 5

  ______________________________________________________________________

  Sometimes, life has a funny way of working itself out. Like for instance, my current situation. I had gone from a scared girl surrounded by Vampires, to a pawn in a grand scheme to take down an entire Academy, and then died.

  Upon my death, I was given a new chance at life-- an opportunity to rebuild myself as someone new and improved.

  While I wasn’t thrilled with being exiled to a swanky cabin in the woods, I was keeping a positive attitude knowing that it was only temporary.

  “Are you ready?”

  I heard Eden’s voice calling from the living room. I had just enjoyed a nice, relaxing bubble bath.

  “Good morning to you, too,” I said, rolling my eyes as I watched Eden glare daggers at me.

  “You know it is extremely important that you begin your training,” Eden said, her hands resting on her hips.

  “Ok, what has you in such a bad mood?” I asked.

  “Well, to begin, my brother is outside and ready to help you train. The quicker we get you trained, the faster you get to move back home to the House of Shadows,” she said, some of her sass diminishing.

  I knew Eden only had my best interest at heart, so I rolled with whatever she threw my way. Because, she was right; all I wanted was to get back to the House of Shadows and be with Donovan. Everything else was just a formality.

  “Alright, let’s get this started,” I agreed.

  Together, Eden and I made our way outside where Donovan was waiting for us. He looked adorable in a pair of black Nike shorts, a white t-shirt, and matching shoes.

  I walked up to him and gave him a quick kiss. It was nice to be able to hold his hand and kiss him out in the open now. No longer would we have to hide our feelings because of Zane or the pesky idea that I was a human. Both of those ideas were long gone.

  “Ok lovebirds, we are here to train,” Eden reminded us.

  Both Donovan and I chuckled as we separated.

  “What’s first, coach?” I asked, slapping my hands like I knew what I was doing. Thankfully, I had dressed in a pair of black running shorts and a tank top. I was ready as ever to be trained.

  “We need to ensure you can utilize your full speed if needed,” Donovan began, growing serious. “If you are in danger, you need to be able to move fast and jump high. When hunting, you will have to track and catch your prey, this requires agility and speed,” he finished.

  “Ok, so what do you want me to do?” I asked.

  “Let’s work on running, all three of us can race,” Donovan suggested.

  The three of us lined up by the front porch of the cabin. I knew they were going to dust me since I was so new to all of this, but I was ready to try. I never minded a little competition.

  “Ready. Set. Go,” Eden shouted.

  Before I could place one foot in front of the other, Eden and Donovan were gone in a flash. Pushing myself forward, I hurried to catch up with them. My legs were moving so fast, that when I looked down, all I saw was a flesh colored blur. I could feel my adrenaline spike as I continued to race forward. The wind swept through my hair and never in my life had I felt more free. It was exhilarating to run this fast, knowing that I could outrun any human or predator who may want to harm me.

  I could hear the world around me: leaves rustling in the trees, the ground shaking under our feet as a thunderous roar echoed around me, and birds chirping ahead.

  I was so lost in thought, that I barely noticed that Donovan and Eden had stopped by the lake. Slowing my speed, I turned and made my way over to them.

  Stopping, I stood beside them as we all caught our breath. I figured I would be more winded than this, but I guess being a Vampire gave you the ability to run without getting too tired.

  The cool air from the lake felt good against my skin. Wow, this place was really beautiful.

  I don’t know why I had never been out here before, but this was a tranquil spot that I knew now and I would venture to more often.

  The morning golden sun was glistening off the blue water, casting diamonds to dance along the surface. The tall grass that lined the lake swayed in the slight wind and I could just imagine laying out here in the evenings, or having a nice picnic with Donovan.

  “Audrey, you did great,” Eden said, breaking my trance.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “Each time that you run, your abilities will improve. But for now, you did fantastic. We will race each morning so that you continue to build your stamina,” Donovan instructed. He was in pure coach mode and it was so cute. I almost didn’t mind doing all of this training if it meant that I got to spend time looking at Donovan.

  “Next, we will work on your senses. As a Vampire, you must learn how to use the nature around you. When hunting, you will have to listen for every
crack and sound the forest makes. You will even begin to hear the heartbeats of the animals and sense the blood coursing through their veins. The scent of the blood will drive you as you hunt. You did fantastic already, but we need to make sure that when you hunt alone, you can do all of this,” Donovan finished.

  “When I hunted that rabbit, I swear, I could hear its heartbeat,” I said.

  “That’s great, but I was talking about something bigger than a rabbit,” Donovan began. “A rabbit won’t suffice to feed you. It makes a nice snack, but won’t be what your body needs,” Eden added.

  “You mean like a deer or something?” I asked, watching them both.

  A knowing smile spread over Eden’s face. “Bears are fun, too,” she quipped.

  The thought of hurting a deer made me feel guilty at first, but then the idea of all of that fresh blood, had me rethinking that guilt.

  “Looks like you have two great instructors,” a voice sounded from behind us.

  We all three turned around to see the Dean standing behind us. I hadn’t even heard him.

  “Man, I need to work on my hearing,” I said.

  “No, he probably just flew in,” Donovan said, laughing a bit.

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  The Dean smiled and stepped forward. “When you grow to have as much experience as we do, you will learn that you can travel in seconds. I only just arrived. You wouldn’t have heard me until it was too late,” he said.

  I gulped down my fear at that statement. This is why Donovan was so serious about my training. I had to focus more or I could wind up really getting hurt by another Vampire. You just never know when danger is lurking around the corner.

  “Well, I didn’t come out here to scare you,” The Dean said, seeing my unease. “I have news and I think it is important that we all return to the House of Shadows at once,” he stated firmly.

  “Wait, Audrey hasn’t had enough training to go back to the school yet?” Eden began to argue, but her dad held up his hand, stopping her.

  “As much as I agree with you, I have to tell you something. Zane was spotted traveling through Europe. A few of my old friends called earlier. It appears Zane is recruiting newly turned Vampires to join him.” The Dean stopped and looked at all three of us carefully.