Ember (The Seeker Series Book 1)

by Ditter Kellen

  “I will. And watch out for that janitor. There’s just something about him. Something evil.”

  “Besides his hard-on for you?” Laura winked and strode out of the room, closing the door behind her.

  Left alone with her thoughts and still-parched throat, Ember took several deep breaths and laid her head on the desk. I’ll just rest for a minute.

  She woke with a feeling of trepidation, quickly sitting up and scanning the room. Her gaze landed on a small white envelope resting just inside the door, as if someone had slid it underneath. She snatched up her cell to dial the deputy, and then a thought occurred to her. What if it has something to do with Angel?

  Ember set the phone down and stood. The walls seemed to close in on her. Her face felt hot, and her eyes burned in their sockets. What’s happening to me?

  Inching toward the door on shaky legs, Ember kept the envelope in her sights. Her vision blurred momentarily before sharpening to a clarity so rich and bright it stunned her. Everything looked brilliant in color, in texture. The memory of her biting into Angel the night before floated through her mind. I’m changing. That scared her more than threats of the Seeker.

  The first thing she noticed as she picked up the envelope was her name scrawled across the front in bold letters. She snatched the door open and poked her head out. A coworker Ember knew as Bonnie was just coming from the copy room.

  “Excuse me?”

  The woman stopped, giving her a warm smile. “Hi, Miss Wells.”

  “Hi there. Did you happen to notice anyone in the hall recently?”

  “No one but Stanley, delivering mail. Is everything okay?”

  “Yes. How long ago was he out here?”

  “I’d say about five minutes ago. Can I help you with something?”

  “Thank you. I had a few things I needed him to pick up. No biggie. Have a nice day, Bonnie.”

  “You too, ma’am.”

  Ember shut the door and rushed back to her desk, snatching up the letter opener her father had given her. The envelope separated with the barest touch from the silver blade. With unsteady hands, she slowly squeezed and peered inside.

  “What the hell?” Ember extracted a photo of a young female who looked to be about twenty years of age. A piece of paper lay folded inside. With dread, she pulled it free and carefully opened it. Her breath caught as she read the inscription. Be at the Miller farm off Highway 17 at midnight tomorrow night. Come alone or Donna dies.

  Chapter Eight

  Ember’s legs threatened to fold underneath her. She eased around behind her desk and dropped into her chair. Nausea rolled through her with enough force, she slapped a hand over her mouth in an attempt to hold it back. The photo of the pretty brunette’s smiling face swam in her vision while sorrow and guilt over the girl’s fate gnawed at her insides like a cancer.

  Tears welled up and spilled over, tracking down her cheeks to splash onto the desktop as she studied Donna’s innocent face. Rage pushed aside the pity, tracing through her body like a snake. She welcomed it, soaked it up, feasted on it, and let it consume her. Anything to replace the pain she felt for the innocent face staring back at her.

  Stanley. Ember carefully placed the items inside her skirt pocket and hurried to the hallway in search of the mail guy. Maybe he knew the secret to the envelope’s origin.

  She found him just as he was about to enter the elevator. “Stanley, Wait.”

  He paused but didn’t look at her. Nervousness was evident in his every move. “Miss Wells.” He busied himself with the mail cart, straightening things along the top.

  Ember stopped next to him, pulling the envelope from her pocket as she did so. “Do you know where this came from?”

  He glanced at it and then went back to his previous task of tidying things up. “I d-don’t know,” he stuttered in a timid voice.

  “How could you not know? It doesn’t have an address, which means it wasn’t brought in by the postman.”

  He began shifting his feet back and forth, and Ember wanted to scream.

  “Stanley?” She laid her hand over one of his.

  He stilled and squinted back at her. The rapid blinking of his eyes was a testimony to his anxiety.

  Ember softened her tone. “This is very important. Would you please look at it?” She held the envelope in his line of vision.

  “I haven’t seen it before.”

  “You didn’t slide this under my door?”

  “Oh no. I always hand deliver your mail.” A deep blush stained his cheeks.

  “Did you see anyone in the hall when you came through here?”

  “I saw someone go in the copy room. I think it was Bonnie Mayfield.”

  He was so flustered that Ember took pity on him. “Okay. Thank you, Stanley.”

  With a quick nod, he touched the button to the elevator once again and pushed his cart inside as soon as the doors opened.

  Ember stood there until he disappeared from view. She turned and strode back toward her office with more questions than answers. Someone had placed an envelope underneath her door without being seen. It has to be an employee. But who?

  Ember skipped lunch and logged in to her work account. She hadn’t become lead photojournalist by sitting on her hands and whistling. No, she snooped, and she was damn good at it too. The first employee name she typed in was Alan Boyd. Let’s see what you have been up to.. Out of all of her coworkers, he had the most to gain by terrorizing her.

  Twenty minutes later Ember exited her Alan’s file. No prior convictions or unlawful activity had been present. He’d apparently moved around a lot before hiring on with The Hedger. Eight jobs in four years. No wonder you didn’t get the promotion.

  The next name on her list was the janitor, Frank Sorenson. He had recently relocated from Texas to Lakeland. She was reading through all the boring details of his work history when something caught her eye. Prior arrest. Ember sat up straight and scrolled to the bottom of the page, but found no information as to what he’d been picked up for.

  Red flags went off inside her head. Laura often referred to them as Ember’s Spidey senses. She opened a new browser window to the Texas clerk of courts website and typed in the janitor’s full name. Her breath caught as she read the caption aloud. “Domestic Battery.” According to the report, Frank’s girlfriend had accused him of choking her in a fit of rage, but later recanted the story. The case against him was dropped.

  Ember closed her laptop and rubbed her eyes. Could Frank be the one sending the notes? And if so, why? It made no sense, but she couldn’t ignore her gut feeling. A vision of him staring at her with his dead expression entered her mind. The way he watched her gave her the creeps. The pictures and threats surfacing around the same time he’d hired on with the newspaper had to be more than coincidence.

  She rose from her chair and made her way to the mini-fridge for another bottled water. Twisting the cap off with ease, she paced the room, forcing herself to take small sips. What to do?

  The office phone rang, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She darted over to the desk and snatched it up. “Ember Wells.”

  Silence.

  “Hello?”

  When no answer came, she tried a different tactic. “Okay. Don’t talk, just listen. There are two things that would make a person feel weak enough to torment another—low self-esteem or a small penis. And I think we both know which problem you have, don’t we, Tiny?”

  She didn’t wait for a response, just slammed down the receiver and marched to the bathroom. One look in the mirror above the sink nearly buckled her knees. Her pupils were dilated to the point they covered her corneas. She gripped the rim of the basin and stared at her reflection. They’re just like Angel’s eyes.

  Ember turned on the water and splashed her face more than once with the cool liquid. She couldn’t let Laura see her like this. Her friend would know something was different with just a glance.

  She shut off the water and sat on the toilet seat, dropping her he
ad in her hands. Life as she knew it would never be the same. How had everything changed so fast? According to Angel, she could live a halfway normal existence if she didn’t consume blood. It was a bit late for that. She’d taken it twice, and if she had her way, she would be stuck to his neck like a leech right now.

  Unsure of how long she’d lingered in the bathroom, Ember stood and wandered back to her desk to grab her work paraphernalia. Between Angel and the Seeker dominating her every thought, she might as well leave for the day.

  Once her office was locked up, she retrieved her cell and struck out toward the back entrance of the building while sending a text to Laura. Not feeling well. Make an excuse for me, please? Call you later.

  Ember stopped in front of the elevator and sent a message to the deputy who should still be waiting outside. On my way.

  She half expected someone to jump out at her as the doors opened, but to her relief she’d be riding down alone.

  Bright sunlight pierced her eyes as she emerged from the building. Pain sliced through her skull, relentless and unforgiving. Ember threw a hand up as a shield from the UV rays and squinted her way across the parking lot. A loud click sounded when she pressed the button on the keyless entry as she neared her vehicle.

  Ted pulled up next to her as she opened her door.

  “I’ll follow you.”

  “Thanks. I have to stop by the store on the way home, if you don’t mind.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Ember set her belongings on the passenger seat and took one last look around before sliding behind the wheel. The blessed air-conditioning came on with the ignition, blowing her hair back from her face. She donned her sunglasses and pulled out of the parking lot with the deputy on her tail once again.

  * * * *

  It was just after two in the afternoon when Ember arrived home. Ted followed her up to do a check of her condo, leaving her to wait outside the front door. A minute later, he reappeared, relieved her of the bags she held, and carried them inside.

  “It’s clear. I’ll be patrolling the area. Call me if you need me. I’ll make sure my relief gives you his number at shift change also. And lock this door.”

  “I will. Thanks, Officer.”

  “Please, call me Ted.”

  Ember smiled as he breezed by her and descended the stairs. She stood there until he got in his car before closing and locking the door.

  She put her few groceries away in a hurry, eager to check on Angel, but then she realized she didn’t have a key to get inside his condo. “Damn it.”

  * * * *

  The rest of Ember’s day passed in a blur. She alternated between reading the latest note she assumed was from the Seeker, and staring at the young woman’s picture. She dreaded to think what the girl must be going through at the hands of some psycho bent on torment. She couldn’t let an innocent person suffer, even one she didn’t know. I’ll be there, Donna.

  An idea struck her as she returned the photo and note to the envelope. The instructions said “tomorrow night at midnight.” If she could somehow sneak out to the old Miller place tonight, she might be able to catch the Seeker unaware or at the very least identify him.

  Ember began stripping out of her clothes on her way to the bathroom. A hot shower was exactly what she needed to relieve some of the tension knotted in her shoulders. She turned on the faucet and stepped inside the fiberglass stall. Steam billowed out around her, inviting her to tilt her head back under the spray. A moan of pleasure escaped as the healing water sluiced down her body like the hands of a lover.

  How was she going to get away from Angel long enough to slip out to the Miller place tonight?

  Chapter Nine

  Ember finished her shower and wandered off to the bedroom in search of something comfortable to wear. She shivered with the memory of Angel tearing her sleep shirt from her body the night before. No one had ever controlled her the way the big Bulgarian did. He took without apology and made her like it.

  A pair of white cotton shorts with a matching tank top lay on a chair in the corner of her room. She snatched them up and dressed in record time while running through the different scenarios of what could happen tonight.

  Angel wasn’t going to be easy to fool. She’d have to be careful to keep her feelings contained around him. He’d already proven to be very perceptive when it came to reading her emotions.

  She brushed her hair and padded barefoot to the kitchen to get a drink. She’d been thirsty all day without reprieve, yet no amount of water seemed to quench her thirst.

  Sweat beaded on her upper lip and heat rushed through her body, leaving her lightheaded. She leaned against the counter briefly before taking down a glass and pouring herself some wine. The smooth taste of the Chianti sliding down her throat wrung a moan from her. She had to force herself not to drink too much. She definitely needed a clear head for what she had planned.

  * * * *

  Angel fought his way up from the fog. His internal clock told him it wasn’t time to rise, but he needed to know Ember was safe. She’d left that morning against his orders, and he’d lain there trapped inside himself, unable to move. Frustration had quickly turned to anger as the day dragged on.

  It took sheer determination to stretch his arm out enough to pluck his cell from the nightstand. He forced his eyes open enough to dial Ember’s number. Pick up. Pick up. Pick up. Relief washed through him when her voice came over the line.

  “Hello?”

  “Come.”

  “I’m locked out.”

  “Balcony.”

  “On my way.”

  Angel dropped the phone and slowly swung his legs off the side of the bed. He stood in a daze and staggered over to unlock the glass door. Ember slid it open before he could take a step back. He hissed with the force of the setting sun hitting him square in the face.

  “Oh my God. Angel.” Ember rushed inside, snatching the curtain closed behind her. She took hold of his hand and led him back to the bed. “What can I do? I’m so sorry. Are you hurt?”

  It irked him to appear weak in front of her. He managed to lift his heavy arms to wrap them around her. “I’m fine.” Had it been earlier in the day, the sun would have left blisters on his skin.

  “Lie down.” She gave him a gentle push.

  He fell back on the bed, pulling her down with him. She ended up sprawled on top of his nude form, smiling down into his face like she was innocent of any wrongdoing. He found it hard to stay angry with her looking at him that way.

  There was so much he should reprimand her for. “I missed you.”

  She brushed her lips across his. “I missed you too.”

  He could feel his strength returning with the evening’s approach. “Where were you?”

  “I went to work for a few hours and then came home. I didn’t have a key to get in, so I’ve been waiting on you to wake up.”

  He watched her closely. She was keeping something from him. “Did you see the detective?”

  She dropped her gaze. “Laura and I gave our statements this morning.”

  Jealousy tore through him. The thought of her being anywhere near Clay Harper pissed him off beyond words. The man wanted her. That much Angel was sure of. “Did he touch you?”

  “Of course not. Apparently I’m not his favorite person at the moment.”

  “Don’t bet on it.”

  That won him a look. “Are you jealous?”

  The growled words came out before he could stop them. “You’re mine.”

  “I’m with you, aren’t I?”

  He watched in a daze as she sat up and gripped the hem of her tank top, pulling it over her head. Her perfectly rounded breasts sprang free, begging for his touch. He lifted a hand.

  “Not yet. It’s my turn to make love to you.” She crawled off him and stood.

  He couldn’t look away from her creamy skin or the luscious pink nipples currently needing attention.

  She stepped out of her shorts and climbed back on top
of him, straddling his lap.

  “You’re not wearing panties.” His dick jerked in reaction to that fact.

  “I had you in mind when I dressed. Put your arms above your head.”

  Angel did as she insisted. He couldn’t stop his smile or the anticipation of what she would do next. “You think to dominate me?”

  “That’s the plan, so don’t move.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  His erection took on a life of its own, throbbing in time with his heartbeat.

  She reached up and twisted her hair into some kind of bulky knot. Her breasts rose along with her arms. In his long life, Angel had never seen a sexier image.

  Heat and moisture touched his skin where she rubbed her pussy against him. He wanted to lift her and thrust inside her so deeply she’d forget about every man before him. He realized his thoughts bordered on obsessive, but he couldn’t stop them anymore than he could step out into the sunlight.

  “Your scent drives me insane, Angelo.” The use of his birth name turned him on even more.

  She leaned forward until her lips touched his throat. “I’ve been thinking about your taste all day.”

  Hell yes. He turned his face to the side, giving her access to what he knew she wanted most.

  Her hot tongue bathed his neck in long strokes. “So good.”

  "Don’t tease.” His fangs extended, and if possible, his dick grew even harder.

  He felt her teeth rake across his skin before they sank deep. It took everything he had not to grab on to her. She tortured him with her slick mound pressed against his stomach, her incredible mouth sucking on his neck, and those soft mewling sounds coming from her throat. If there was ever a heaven for someone like him, this was it.

  She broke the suction on his neck and brought her head up. Her lips stained red with his blood had to be the hottest thing imaginable.

  Angel watched in amazement as Ember crawled up his body until her knees rested on his shoulders, her pussy just inches from his mouth. The scent of her desire drifted to his nose, sending a rush of blood to his cock.

  He lifted his gaze to hers. Her pupils were dilated with vampiric desire, driving him insane. He couldn’t stop himself from gripping her ass and jerking her forward against his waiting mouth.