A New World
A Vampire’s Obsession: Book 3
Stephanie Rylai
Copyright © 2016
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents used are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Sign up to my mailing list and get a bonus FREE eBook!
Click here to join my mailing list (or enter http://eepurl.com/ceaBvX into your web browser) and be notified of all new releases and special discount promotions, as well as have the opportunity to participate in various free giveaways! As a token of my appreciation for reading my books, you will also receive a free eBook sent straight to your email address immediately after signing up!
BOOKS IN THIS SERIES:
A Vampire’s Obsession
Life In Between (Prequel): http://eepurl.com/ceaBvX (free)
Book 1: Gabriel’s Secret: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LQMZR30
Book 2: A Forbidden Temptation: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LYK0YRT
Book 3: A New World: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LWPZHBX
Book 4: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M30MP38
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Prequel (“Life In Between”)
About The Author
Connect With Me
CHAPTER ONE
Olivia rode in the back of the taxi with Gabriel, holding his hand as she gazed out the window. She couldn’t believe they were actually going through with it. A month had blurred by since her release from the hospital, Gabriel completely consumed by making arrangements for the shaman to come to the country. Things with the nest had settled a bit since his confrontation with Ethel—though the tension was growing thick again as the days ticked closer to the two-month deadline. The pressure was mounting and a sense of dread clouded Olivia. If they didn’t succeed in getting pregnant that weekend, they would never have another opportunity to have children.
Gabriel had made reservations at a resort across town so that they wouldn’t be bothered by anyone. They arrived at the resort just before dawn. Olivia was exhausted, not being able to sleep at all that night due to nerves about that day.
Gabriel stepped out of the car and held a hand out for Olivia. Taking his hand, she exited the car and looked up at the hotel. Jesus, it was called a resort for a reason. It was giant and luxurious. He paid the driver and grabbed their bag before heading inside. Gabriel led the way to the reception desk. Meanwhile, Olivia’s eyes wandered around the lobby in awe. Everything was marble with golden accents, and the lobby was extremely spacious with impossibly high ceilings. She held to his arm as she stared around in bewilderment. She didn’t even know places like that existed in their city.
The man at the counter gave him two room keys and then they turned and headed towards the elevator. They stepped inside, the metal doors closing behind them. Olivia found herself staring at their reflection in the metal as Gabriel checked his phone. It was still surreal to her what they were doing there, and just how clinical it all was. After their decision to try the shaman, they had been so amped up they had actually wanted to try it weeks ago but had to wait for Olivia to be ovulating—which included sharing some very awkward and embarrassing information with Gabriel and the shaman.
As Olivia stood there staring at their reflection, she realized that if it worked soon it wouldn’t just be the two of them—but three. It was nerve-wracking, and several times Olivia had grown too anxious about it and nearly backed out. But, she trusted Gabriel with her life and it was their only chance at having a family so she knew she had to take it. Gabriel had waited thousands of years for it, literally. Olivia wasn’t about to mess it up for him.
The two reached their floor and walked down the long hallway to their room. Stepping into the suite, once again Olivia’s mouth dropped. Every feature was so elegant and luxurious with soft lighting, fine art, and exquisite furnishings.
“Jesus, Gabriel… How much did you spend on this weekend?” she muttered as she gazed around.
He had also booked a room for the shaman, paying for both his travel expenses and services.
“It doesn’t matter. It’ll be worth every penny,” he said as he walked to the bed and sat their bag down. “He should be here in about an hour, and the process will start immediately.”
Olivia gave him a nod as she moved about the room to take it in.
“Are you nervous?” he asked, watching as she moved about.
“Well, aren’t you?” she questioned.
Gabriel shrugged, “Of course…but I know this will work babe,” he muttered.
Olivia’s fingertips brushed against a bronze bust that was on display on an end table,
“Gabriel?” she called to him, her eyes fixated on the bust.
“Yeah?”
Olivia nibbled at her lip nervously, “What if… what if it doesn’t work? Or what if it works, but something’s wrong with me? Or I just don’t get pregnant? I read that even in ideal conditions, there is only a thirty percent chance of getting pregnant. And there’s nothing exactly ideal about this situation. And—”
At that moment, a hand appeared on her shoulders, turning her to look at him. His gray eyes stared down into her eyes.
“You’re thinking way too much,” he told her, pulling her into him.
“There’s nothing saying today has to work. It would be nice, but it isn’t a necessity. As long as I have you, then I have all I need.”
He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead.
“Don’t stress about it, okay? This is us trying. So even if it doesn’t work, at least we know we tried. We won’t have to live for eternity thinking what if.”
She nodded but her stomach was still churning. It was immense pressure on both of them; pressure on Gabriel to take the fertility treatment well and pressure on her to actually get pregnant. Honestly, she didn’t know which pressure was greater. It was overwhelming. His hands glided to her back and rubbed up and down her spine.
“I know it’s a lot to take in… I’m scared too,” he breathed to her.
Her eyes looked up to him, her fingers combing through his thick black beard. Six months into their relationship, they were trying to have a baby… It just felt so weird to her. Growing up, her parents had always judged people like that; saying that they were reckless and careless. But that was when it was an accident. Her parents would have to think this was an accident as well, so would Emily. None of them would understand the bond and love Gabriel and Olivia shared. It was so intense and overpowering that it was hard for her to think of anything else sometimes. He was her soulmate. Even if things were moving ridiculously fast, she knew in her gut and in her heart that it was the right move.
Olivia studied his face, actually feeling comforted by the fact he was scared to
o. She didn’t think he would be the type to get scared about things like that. As she examined him, a lighter thought came to mind causing a smile to stretch across her face.
“I wonder what our kid would even look like…” she pondered aloud.
Gabriel grinned at that as well, running the back of his hand down the side of her face,
“Well, hopefully as beautiful as their mother.”
“Or as handsome as their father,” she smiled.
He gave a breathy chuckle and kissed her forehead before peeling away.
“Well, be ready. We will be going to his room as soon as he calls us.”
“His room?” she questioned.
He nodded, “He’s going to have a set up for us in his room. We’ll do the treatment there, and then once it is done, we’ll come back here to have our privacy.”
Olivia nodded, “Oh, okay. I guess that makes sense.”
She walked over to the bed and sat down, unsure of what to do during the waiting time. All she could think about was all the possible scenarios that could play out by the end of the day.
CHAPTER TWO
Gabriel and Olivia approached the door to the shaman’s room, Gabriel extending a hand and knocking on the door. Her mind was still racing, wondering what exactly they were getting themselves into. After a couple of moments, the door opened and standing in front of them was a dark-skinned man who looked to be just a few years older than Gabriel.
He gave them a kind smile, “Gabriel?” he questioned.
Gabriel gave a nod and shook his hand.
“I’m Kahlil. Please, come in,” the man said with a thick, distinct accent, “make yourselves comfortable.”
The couple walked into the room, looking around the luxurious room. It was the same as theirs, except for the items Kahlil had placed in it. There were three chairs set at the foot of the bed, with a few bulky medical machines to the side. Her grip tightened on Gabriel’s hand at the sight, nervous for him. What if the process somehow killed him?
Kahlil glanced at them, “I know you two both must be anxious about this, so we may as well get right to it.”
He walked them to the chairs and gestured for them to sit.
“So how does this process work?” Olivia asked.
Kahlil looked to her and then to his equipment, “I’ve been studying vampires nearly my entire life. The life of the vampire is very different in Africa. They are real monsters. Physiologically, they are the same as Gabriel. But, because of the way of life in Africa, they take to savage hunting at night time. Packs of vampires would form and kill villages in a single night. I was in one of those villages they slaughtered but managed to hide my scent by rubbing a dead person’s blood all over me. Ever since I have sworn my life to understanding vampires and trying to find a cure.”
Olivia was surprised for a moment. She had simply asked about the procedure but the man decided to give her a full backstory on his professional life. Olivia felt worried for a moment. This man had his village attacked by vampires in the past. Wouldn’t he still hold a grudge against vampires?
The man continued, “So, I began studying the dead bodies I found and realized that vampires truly are just men affected by a strange, supernatural disease. And if you can cleanse the body of the illness, then you can restore the person to who they once were. Unfortunately, the venom which makes them vampires is much more potent than what I anticipated. So I haven’t been able to find an exact cure yet, but I have found the beginning of the solution.”
Kahlil paced over to the machine, “We have to first clean his blood, sort of like dialysis.”
He reached into a suitcase on the bed and picked out a bag of medicine and hung it on the IV stand, “I will give him this medicine which will help fight off the venom for about eight hours. It will then wear off, and he will essentially be a newborn vampire again. I have to warn you, this is a very painful and invasive process. However, it should make Gabriel fertile during his time of being human.”
Olivia looked to Gabriel, whose face was stoic and stern.
“Are you sure about this, Gabe?” she asked him, placing a hand on his forearm.
His steel eyes fell on her and gave a single nod, “It’s worth it. I’m ready.”
“Excellent. We will start the process now then,” Kahlil announced.
Kahlil began to hook Gabriel onto the dialysis machine, placing needles into his veins.
“This process will take a few hours, then the medicine will take a few more to work throughout his body,” he informed them.
“It will take about eight hours total.” He glanced to the time, “So you should be human by around four o’clock this afternoon. Are you ready to begin?”
Gabriel gave him a nod and the man turned the machine on. It gave a strange whoosh noise, followed by some mechanical sounds before it started to draw his blood out. She could see some discomfort in Gabriel’s eyes, but he was calm.
The next four hours dragged by, but finally, around noon, the first part was done.
Kahlil stood from the dining table where he was eating his lunch and walked over, “Now, this is the part that will hurt a bit…” he warned as he unhooked Gabriel from the dialysis machine and placed him on an IV.
“I’m going to give you some space, and Olivia, I suggest you do the same.”
“I’m fine,” Olivia assured him, still holding Gabriel’s hand.
She hadn’t moved from her spot since that morning. He had tried to tell her to go rest or eat something, but she didn’t want to leave Gabriel’s side. She wanted to be with him through the entire process, not wanting to risk missing something.
Kahlil started the IV drip and then walked back to the table. Olivia watched as it traveled down the tube and made its way into Gabriel’s vein.
“How does that feel?” she asked him softly.
Gabriel was flexing his arm the IV was hooked to, “Stings a bit, not gonna lie,” he muttered, “But it’s bearable.”
Her hand ran across the back of his hand in a comforting manner, not wanting him to go through it alone.
He seemed to be fine at first, but slowly, the burly man began to twitch and flinch more and more. His eyes shut as he tried to fight through the discomfort, his muscles flexing. He then began to curse under his breath every so often, his jaw clenching.
“You’re doing so well,” she purred to him, still rubbing his hand.
But just as the words left her lips, Gabriel doubled over in pain, screaming loudly in pain.
“Jesus fucking Christ!” he yelled, ripping his arm away from Olivia to grab his head.
She could see all of the veins over his body starting to bulge from the skin. Olivia had no idea what to do or how to comfort him. Hesitantly, he reached over and rubbed his back.
“Please don’t touch me right now,” he said through gritted teeth.
Olivia withdrew her hand quickly, a deep frown coming to her face.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, “Is there anything I can do?”
He shook his head no.
“What does it feel like?” she asked him.
He let out a small, bitter laugh, “It feels like my insides are being scorched and torn apart all at once.”
Her eyes went to Kahlil in a panic, wondering if it was supposed to be as intense as he was feeling.
“The venom is in every cell in his body. The medicine works through every part of him to cleanse him of the disease,” Kahlil explained. “It’s a very painful process because it is essentially ripping a segment out of his DNA.”
Gabriel was panting, sweat breaking out over his skin. Her eyes went to the IV bag—it wasn’t even a fourth of the way through.
Things only got worse for Gabriel. The pain never eased, not even for a moment. He was on the floor at that point, unable to keep himself in the chair. His body convulsed from the pain as it came in horrible waves. The man was completely inconsolable. As the process went on, tears beaded down his face.
“I
can’t do this,” he managed to get out in a hoarse voice.
Olivia was kneeled on the floor next to him, being as close as she could to him. Never had she seen anyone in that much pain.
“You don’t have to do this, Gabe. Like you said, we just need each other,” she tried to comfort him.
Her eyes went to Kahlil, “Can we stop the process?”
Kahlil gave a nod, and he stood from his place across the room and walked over to them.
“No,” Gabriel snapped. “We’re doing this. I’m doing this. We’ve come so far.”
“But Gabriel…”
“I said I’m doing this,” he snapped at her, his eyes finding hers. “I’m not letting you down. I’ve seen what the heartache can do to someone after so many years. You deserve this and so do I.”
Olivia’s own eyes were teary, completely amazed at his resilience and willingness to put himself through such torture just to make sure she didn’t experience a sadness she hadn’t even known yet.
“I just want you to be okay…” she said.
“I’ll be fine,” he muttered, his eyes closing tightly.
She nibbled her lip and looked at the time, “You only have an hour and a half left,” she informed him, “You’re over half way through.”
He gave her a brisk nod before another wave of pain crashed over him. Gabriel started screaming as he wreathed in pain. Olivia wanted to weep; she hated seeing him in so much pain. She wanted to beg Kahlil to stop the treatment and to tell Gabriel they were never trying it again—but he said he wanted to continue. Her only fear was that it would all be for nothing.
As time ticked on, Gabriel began to vomit uncontrollably. With vampires never eating, he threw up a white foam mixed with blood. Kahlil informed them this signified the last portion of the transformation. At this point, Gabriel let Olivia hold him as he shook and vomited, finding any comfort he could during the horrific process. The man was completely drenched in sweat as his body seemed to turn on itself. He wept from the pain and groaned at the burning sensation the toxic bile left in his throat. It had to have been the worst day of Olivia’s life, seeing the love of her life in constant agony.
A New World: A Vampire's Obsession: Book 3 Page 1