Entrelacen

by Morales, Dani

To Rachel Walter and Christina Pryor, I want to thank you both for being there each day dealing with my second guessing and constant sharing of teasers. You’ve both provided me with a great deal of support and I couldn’t be more grateful.

  To Heather King, if not for you none of this would have been possible. You are the one who convinced me to step out of my comfort zone and try something I’ve always dreamed about. You dealt with the hundreds of emails asking “is this ok?” and never complained. Late night chats about this book and so many others. So thank you for being you and for making me see dreams can come true.

  But the two most important thanks I need to give out is to a few authors and you. Thank you Tiffany King for writing about issues that truly impact lives today, you are one of the reasons why I decided to write Entrelacen. You inspired me in ways that I didn’t even know were possible. Thank you M. Leighton for being so amazing and taking the time to actually hold conversations with me. For making me fall in love with reading all over again. To Danielle Sibarium for always being supportive and willing to help me in any way you can. That truly means more to me than you know. That leaves you. The one taking the time to read this right now. Thank you, reader, for taking the chance on me and reading about something close to my heart. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

  Thank you.

  About the Author

  Dani Morales is a native Texan currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada with her three boys and her mother. She adopted the boys in December of 2011 and loves spending every minute playing with them. On her spare time you can find a book in her hand or sitting in front of the computer typing out stories that run rampant in her mind.

  If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review, however short. Telling other’s you enjoyed the book is also greatly appreciated.

  http://www.danimoralesauthor.blogspot.com/ https://twitter.com/danilove413

  http://www.facebook.com/DaniMoralesAuthor

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  Here is an exclusive excerpt from Rachel Walter’s The Soul Mate Series, the first book True Connection. This book is set to release the Summer of 2013. Enjoy and be on the lookout!

  True Connection

  Jazzy Williams is not your average coffee-loving teen. She's struggling with her grief, her famous uncle’s fans, an overprotective big brother, and a depressed mother, all while trying to make friends at her new school. In the first week, she meets a gorgeous green-eyed hottie who turns out to be more than just some high school crush

  -- he's more than human. And she unknowingly enrages a dangerous breed of immortal who wants her soul and life as payment. With the help of supernatural friends and protectors, Jazzy thinks she's safe until what remains of her family is put in danger. Does Jazzy have what it takes to save her family, life, soul, and soul mate, or will all be lost?

  Chapter 1 Starting Over Two months, four days and twelve hours ago my life was perfect, whole. But now? Now it’s shattered and missing some important pieces.

  These are the thoughts running through my mind as I look at my alarm clock. I’m awake ten minutes before its set to go off. It was set for two hours before school starts anyway. My new school.

  It’s April, and my brother and I had to move to Lupiterra with our uncle. Nine weeks away from the end of the year. But this isn’t just any school, though. This is Lupiterra High School, our old school’s rival.

  At our old school, Penn Wood, I was on the volleyball team and my brother was on the football team.

  We used to be the Warriors.

  Now we’ll be the Trojans.

  At Penn Wood, Lupiterra is known as Birth Control High or Condomville.

  I roll my eyes as I get out of bed.

  A rhythmic tapping on my door lets me know my uncle is done in the shower and if I want to beat my brother, I should probably hustle.

  I grab undies and bra from my dresser drawer before reaching in my closet for my sister’s favorite band tee and some skinny jeans. Then I run to the bathroom.

  After blow drying my hair, I check over my appearance in the mirror and tuck the front of my shirt into my jeans. Checking my hair once more, I run my fingers through and pull it up. “Looks like a damn blonde rat’s nest,” I growl and leave it down.

  As I look over my face, I sigh at the bags under my eyes. Grabbing my foundation, I apply enough to hide the bags then put the rest of my make-up away and leave the bathroom.

  “Mornin’,” my brother Henry mumbles as he sneaks past me to get in the bathroom.

  I go back into my room and grab my schoolbag, iPod and phone. Before leaving my room again, I pause at last year’s family photo on my desk.

  My family was whole then.

  The doorbell pulls me from my thoughts, and I glance atthe clock. That would be my cousin Alex’s nanny, Miss Jaynie.

  I run down the steps to let her in. She’s in her forties, has the most amazing southern twang and makes the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had.

  I smile as I open the door.

  “Mornin’, Sugar!” she grins and kisses my cheek.

  “Good morning.” I smile and follow her into the kitchen.

  The smell of coffee brewing makes my mouth water and Leland, my NHL superstar uncle, hands me my favorite cup. I grin at him.

  Leland had this girlfriend almost two years ago, “Psycho Sammy” – she hated my mom, and no one knew why. She ended up telling Leland that he and his sister were “freaks of nature” and siblings shouldn’t be that close, twins or not. After she left my uncle we thought we’d never see her again. Turns out, Leland got her pregnant. After she had Alex, she dropped him off, and we haven’t seen her since. Leland said he saw her a few times for legal things, but she never asked about her child.

  “Are you excited for today?” Miss Jaynie asks. I snort.

  “She and Henry have some not-so-nice things to say about this school,” Leland says, shooting me a look.

  “Yea, well…” I shrug.

  Miss Jaynie laughs, but doesn’t say a word.

  Henry comes running into the kitchen and grabs an apple.

  “You ready?”

  “I guess.” I shrug and we say our goodbyes.

  “I’m sure you’ll have a great day!” Miss Jaynie winks. I smile and close the front door.

  We walk to Henry’s Dodge Charger in silence but as soon as we get in, he starts talking.

  “Jazzy, if today sucks - well we know it will, but if it’s too much for you -find me and we’ll leave.” He says.

  “I know. I love you, too.” I grin, and he laughs as he backs out of the drive. The song that comes on the radio reminds me of “Psycho Sammy.” “Hey, bud?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “Do you think we’re weird?” I ask, fiddling with a loose string on the strap of my bag.

  “Well, I’m not sure what you mean, but you know you’re strange and you know I’m awesome. Does that help?”

  “That doesn’t really help at all,” I deadpan. “Fine, what do you mean then?” He gives me a sideways glance and raises a brow.

  “Well, you remember Psycho Sammy? She said Mom and Leland were weird and…”

  He interrupts me. “We’re not discussing that crazy lady again. Why are you thinking about her anyway?”

  I suddenly feel stupid for even thinking about it and bringing it up. I never thought we were weird, but we’re going to Lupiterra now, where no one knows the real us. They only know the Williams’ on the field and on the court.

  “I was just thinking you and I are a lot like Mom and Leland.” I shrug. “We’re always together, run with the same circle of friends... You know when I’m about to freak and I know you. We have the same relationship Mom and Leland do. You know the ‘ungenetic twins’ thing. Is it weird that we’re like this?” I hold my breath waiting for his answer as he drives.

  He finally speaks after what felt like hours.

  “Sophie always said we were freaks. She couldn’t figure out why we finish
ed each other’s sentences and never really fought. Well, nowhere near as bad as you and her or me and her.” I nod slightly, remembering how our sister used to tease us. Remembering her.

  ‘Please Sophie, make it. You’re strong, just hang on. They’ve got you now.’Memories from that night begin to swim in my mind, as if it were happening all over again.

  I pinch my leg to clear my head and refocus on Henry.

  “I don’t know why we’re the waywe’re, but I don’t want to change it.” He smiles at me quickly. “I think that if Mom and Dad wouldn’t have adopted me, I would’ve found you somehow, a hockey game, maybe.” He grins. “But you’d still be my best friend.” He shrugs. “When we find the person we fall in love with, they’ren’t gonna act like Sammy. They’ll be more like Dad, and be okay with it. Accept the fact that we’re siblings, and we’re very close, ‘freaky close’ even. But no, I don’t think we’re weird. This is our normal. Who cares what anyone else thinks?” He shoves my arm with his elbow and grins. I shake away memories of Dad putting his hands on our shoulders to keep us in our seats at our uncle’s hockey games. We’d be so into the game that we would argue with the refs and other players.

  I can’t think about them right now.

  “You know what, Stud?” I hold in my laughter from using the nickname. “For a teenage boy, you are rather wise sometimes.” I smile and wink. “You can also be kind of girly.”

  “Shut up, Beautiful.” He laughs.

  A little more than two years ago, Henry and I were fighting over something. We were being incredibly mean and calling each other nasty names. Mom got the shits of it and told us to complement each other and then we had to hug on the couch for half an hour as punishment.

  We just stared at each other for a long time. I couldn’t think of anything nice - I was still mad at him. He finally said, “You’re a beautiful sister.” Not to be outdone, Iresponded with, “You’re a studly brother,” and the three of us laughed through our punishment. Since then, I’m Beautiful and he is Stud.

  He drives through the student lot and finds an empty spot.

  Great we’re now on birth control premises.

  After checking in at the main office, Henry and I part ways.

  The halls are plastered with pep-squad

  paraphernalia, posters reading “We’re The Trojans!”, “Mighty Mighty Trojans!” and the like. I would love to stop by the drug store, spend a good chunk of change on that brand of birth control, and glue them to the posters. But I won’t mess up my education and get into trouble for a stupid prank.

  Besides, what’s high school without ‘peppy’ posters and school spirit?

  With a sigh, I walk into my first class of the day. First and second hour are fairly boring, and I get loaded with work because my old school and this school don’t follow the same curriculum. My favorite class is up next: Acrylics. I talk to the teacher, Mr. Becker, first and he says that everyone is finishing up the last project but I can get started on the next one.

  My seat is between a jock type guy and a goth girl. I glance at what they’re working on as I set up my canvas. The girl is painting a rose bush, and the guy is painting something that looks diseased.

  The next assignment is landscape. I tap my pencil to my chin. I could do a beach, a forest… I’ll do the lake behind my uncle’s! It’s beautiful back there, and I can do it from memory.

  Class is about halfway over when I hear the girl say, “Hey, that’s the back of my house, but the roof has more of a slope to the right from that angle.” I still my hand and look at what I’ve drawn so far: trees on the other side of the lake and the backs of four houses. She’s right the third house to the left, the roof needs adjusting. “Hi, my name is Delilah, but don’t call me that. I’m not a valley girl. Call me Skeeter.” She smiles. “You’re the new girl, Jasmine, right?”

  “It’s Jaz. Nice to meet you.” I smile at her and I go back to working on my sketch. Maybe I came off as rude because she makes an annoyed noise. Jock Boy starts chuckling.

  “Don’t let Skeeter get to ya, Jaz. She doesn’t understand people when they’re in a creative zone,” he says when I glance his way.

  Okay then. Jock-boy looks like he forgot his ‘creative zone’ at home, but who am I to judge?

  “At least I have a creative bone in my body to get it into a zone, Derik. Your lilies look like they have the flu,” Skeeter says. This actually makes me laugh, outside of my head. I think Skeeter and I’ll be great friends.

  The silence in the room ceases to exist when Jock Boy, aka: Derik, says, “Do you know that from how you’re drawing that, it looks like you’re looking from Leland Jefferies’ backyard?”

  I inwardly groan. Why didn’t I just do a beach or a river? Ishould’ve known someone would recognize this. Skeeter figured it out earlier, too.

  “Do you know who Leland Jefferies is?” One of Derik’s friends yell from across the room.

  “He plays for the NHL! Oh, that’s hockey, sweetheart.” Derik explains.

  I roll my eyes. What an idiot!

  I put my canvas and pencil away. Having heard Derik, several of his friends come over and start talking to him about my uncle and his stats. Apparently they know he has a twin sister and say she’s a “hottie”. But thank goodness they don’t remember his nieces and nephew. “So, how did you get to see where Leland Jefferies lives if you’re the new girl?” one of Derik’s buddies asks. I ignore them and go talk to Mr. Becker, who allows me to leave early to run to the nurse. Of course, I’m not actually going to the nurse. I just need to escape. I notice everyone staring at me as I grab my bag and head for the door with a flame-red face.

  I’m about half way down the hall when I hear footsteps behind me. When I look over my shoulder, no one is there. Maybe I just hear the echo of my own footsteps. But the whole way to the locker room I can feel eyes on my back and hear footsteps behind me. I just need to get through this next hour and I’ll have a whole sane hour with my brother.

  After gym I go to the cafeteria hallway and find a bunch of people standing around. I search the sea of faces for my brother. He’s surrounded by a bunch of girls. Go figure, new school equals new ‘fan club.’

  Someone grabs my arm and halts my progress towards my brother, and I let out a very girly scream. It’s Derik. I put an annoyed mask on my face, look at his hand and back up to his face, hoping he’ll get the message to let go. But luck is not on my side today, and he pulls me close to him.

  “Sweetheart,” I cringe at him using a term of endearment in reference to me. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you in art. Would you allow me to make it up to you?” He smiles, puts his other arm around my shoulders and moves his other hand from my arm down to my hands.

  “How exactly are you planning on doing that?” I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

  “I’m about to make you very happy,” he says with a smug look on his face.

  “By letting go of me, right?”

  “No, I’m gonna let you sit with me at lunch. You can be my new girl. You’re so beautiful. You deserve to sit with me, the starquarterback. We’d be a power couple.” He squeezes me closer to him, letting his hand roam a bit. I roll my eyes this time. “No thanks, but I’d be forever grateful if you removed your hands,” I snap.

  He shoves me away from him.

  “Do you know…” he says through his teeth. He pauses then restarts. “You had your chance. Now you get to choose from all the parasites, losers, and players that are around here. I bet you’ll be going after the new guy now, too. I know his type. Just look at him.” He points to Henry. “All those girls think he’s perfect, but he wouldn’t know how to treat a girl unless she was wrapped in pig skin. Go on sweetheart, beg me. I’ll save you the heartache and you can sit with me.” He finishes his speech with a look, like he actually expects me to drop to my knees and beg.

  Looking around, we now have an audience, so whatever I say won’t go unnoticed.

  I fake smile. “Derik, you’re not God
, and I really do feel bad for anyone who chooses to listen to the verbal diarrhea you spout off. You know nothing about me or the ‘new player.’The only begging that will be heard will be from you, if you ever choose to touch me again. Are we clear?”

  I can hear a few gasps and snickers as I turn to leave, but slam right into Henry’s chest. Seeing the anger on his face, I’d guess he heard me.

  This should be interesting.

  “Is there a problem here, Jazzy?” Henry asks me as he stares Derik down.

  “Don’t think so anymore. I may have taken care of this one on my own, but you’re more than welcome to check for yourself.” I smile as he gives Derik a glare that would make the devil duck for cover. Derik backs away and goes into the cafeteria.

  “Come on, let’s go get lunch.” Henry puts his arm over my shoulder and leads me out to his car. On the way out, I notice his little ‘fan club’ giving me the stink eye. We get out to the car, and Henry grabs my arm and starts inspecting it.

  “Henry, I’m fine. He was just being an ass.” I pull my arm away.

  “If he touches you again Jazzy, let me know. I’m talking a bump in the hall, a tap on the shoulder, I don’t care. I don’t like him. Stay away from him.”

  “No worries, brother dear. I only have one class with him so far, so outside of that I can’t imagine spending any real time with him.” I smile. “Oh I do know something that will make you happy, though,” I say as he drives down the road to the McDonald’s.

  He laughs a little. “What’s that look all about? You’re not going ‘Evil Twin’ on me, are ya?”

  “I just happen to know that Derik is on the football team. That’s all,” I say around a fake yawn.

  “I hope he goes to the early training camp.” He’s grinning like a hyena. I wish I could see what he does to him.

  At least this school is closer to civilization than our old school. The break there wasn’t long enough to try and get food outside of the cafeteria.

  We finish our lunch from McDonald’s and head back inside for our last two classes. The whole way to my math class, I feel the strange sensation that I’m being stalked. I shake off the feeling. It’s probably just Derik following me, anyway.