Bloodbourne

by Sasha Pruett

  Bloodbourne

  By: Sasha Pruett

  ©2017 Sasha Pruett

  Smashwords Edition

  Disclaimers

  Though this book does not contain offensive language or descriptive explicit sexual situations it does contain some violent scenes and is not intended for young or sensitive readers.

  This book is a work of fiction. All persons and events are a figment of my imagination and are not intended to portray or resemble anyone. Any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental. If it does resemble you, you really do have problems don’t you?

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  I give complete credit to the Lord God Almighty of whom I am a humble servant. Without His guidance, love, and grace this book (and all others) would not have been written. On the other hand; all errors, uh-oh's, oopses, and boo-boo's I gladly take credit for.

  Acknowledgements

  A big thank you to Calibre and its creators. Your program has been invaluable during the editing process.

  Dedication

  To my Husband, my Knight, my Rock, my Love

  Other works by Sasha Pruett

  The Costly Obsession Trilogy

  Costly Obsession: Animalize

  Costly Obsession: Decay

  Costly Obsession: Unleashed

  From Darkness

  Afterthoughts

  Kids Zone Children’s Books

  Lullies

  Sleep Sweet

  Mommy’s Lullaby

  Daddy’s Lullaby

  Bunny Feet- Coming Spring 2018

  Table of Contents

  Disclaimer

  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

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Two Months Later

  Sneak Peek- Bloodbourne II: Uprising

  Sneak Peek- Costly Obsession: Animalize

  Bloodbourne

  Bourne- A small stream or brook, especially one that flows intermittently or seasonally

  - a boundary; limit

  - destination; goal

  - realm; domain

  Bloodborne- Carried by the blood, (Typically of a disease or pathogen)

  Bloodbourne- All of the above

  Chapter One

  Friday! The end of another week, thankfully, and Calynn was more than ready for the freedom the weekend had to offer her. Don’t get her wrong, she loved her job working with animals, but six panicky felines and three angry dogs in one afternoon gave her cause to want to put on her workout clothes and take a nice long run through the trails by her home. Alone; with nothing but the pounding of her footfalls, the steady breaths filling her lungs with fresh air, and her thoughts. It was her way to relax, some people had a few drinks, some vegged out in front of the television, Calynn Moore ran. Her apartment was only a few blocks from the animal clinic she worked at and since it was still summer she preferred to walk when the weather cooperated and today was a beauty. It may have been August, but the heat wave had been temporarily broken and every fiber of her being itched to be out in the sun breathing something other than recycled air.

  She should have been paying attention, but her mind was already tracing her path through the forest trails when she nearly ran into him. There, in front of the door to her third-floor apartment he waited, the largest dog she’d ever seen firsthand in her life. Even sitting down it nearly came up to her chin.

  “Well hello there. Where’d you come from?” She’d always had a way with animals and years of working with the furry race had given her an instant ‘in’ with most critters. It cocked its head intently, popping its pink tongue out of its mouth in a friendly gesture.

  It was a massive canine, some kind of wolf hound by the look of it, all scruffy and absolutely adorable. It whimpered at the sound of her voice thudding its huge grey tail on the concrete, while looking up at her with the saddest look in its eyes. Poor thing. It licked her hand and nudged her for a scratch behind its ears. She was such a sucker for animals and this friendly furry beast had her hook, line, and sinker.

  “Okay come on, let’s get you inside and see if we can find out who you belong to.” She said with a sigh of defeat.

  The minute she opened the door the beast sauntered in like he owned the place making himself at home; bounding onto the couch like it was made for him.

  “You know this is only temporary big guy. That’s still my couch.”

  He sneezed and shook his head making her laugh.

  “Alright we’ll argue about that later. Let’s take a look at that collar of yours and see if we can find out who you belong to okay.” She found a number and address, but no name; strange. He was well taken care of that was obvious and he couldn’t have been on his own for too long. He was still well groomed and smelled more like he’d just been to the doggie spa than an animal wondering around the streets.

  “Well I don’t know what to call you, but at least I can contact your family. What do you say? Get you back home tonight?” Calynn picked up her phone and dialed the number when a small voice answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, yeah, my name is Calynn Moore and I think I found your dog on my doorstep today.”

  “Really, you found him!? You found my Boo?”

  “Boo? Is that his name?” The dog cocked his head to the side.

  “Yeah, yeah, he’s big and grey and shaggy and…” The little girl was growing more and more excited by the second.

  “Yes, I found Boo.”

  “Is he okay? He’s not hurt, is he?”

  “No, no don’t worry Boo is fine. He’s making himself comfortable on my sofa right now.”

  “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.” She could practically hear the tears of joy in her small voice.

  “No problem. Do you want your parents to come get him?”

  “I can’t. It’s my fault he got out. I left the gate open and I’m suppos
ed to check it, but I forgot and my parents aren’t home yet. Could… could you bring him? The address is on his tags. I’d come get him, but I’m not supposed to leave the house and if my mom and dad find out that I’d left…” She sounded like she was going to start bawling all over again and Calynn’s heart sank. She checked the address on the tags again and found it was only a couple of miles out of town. It wouldn’t be that far out of her way.

  “No, no it’s okay. I was going to go for a run anyway and there’s plenty of daylight left. I can’t promise I can get there before your parents get home though.”

  “That’s okay, I’ll explain it to them.”

  “Okay, just give me a few minutes and I’ll head out.”

  “Thank you so much Calynn. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

  “No problem. Just sit tight and I’ll bring Boo back.” She hung up and turned to the dog taking up the entire couch.

  “Well Boo, looks like we’re going for a nice long walk.”

  She grabbed a leash she kept around for when she’d bring one of the stray dogs home from the clinic until it found its forever family. Then headed for the walking trails that wound around the town and would cut off a full mile and a half from their trek. Boo was a perfect gentleman and obviously had gone through training. Not once did he pull on the leash or try to chase one of the many squirrels that dashed around the trees and he seemed to know exactly where he was going. They cut through the woods to reach the side road that led out of town and down to the nearly missable paved drive that wound back into the forest.

  “Well, I guess this is it boy. Anything look familiar to you?”

  He wagged his tail and gave a doggie nod, looking longingly up the drive.

  “Okay then. Lead the way.”

  The path soon led to a beautiful rock wall and gate that needed a buzz to enter. The girl must have been waiting for her, because the gate immediately unlocked when she pressed the button.

  “Looks like we’re expected huh? I bet that little girl is on pins and needles waiting for you.” She gave the furry animal another scratch and continued on.

  This was a nice place and she wondered how the dog had found its way off the property to begin with. The girl had said she left the gate open, but Calynn couldn’t imagine she meant the big one she’d just come through. Maybe there’s a back entrance or something somewhere else. She followed the winding white stone path over lush manicured grounds like those she saw in the magazines they kept in the lobby and past a pond with a waterfall and a spouting fountain in the center. Further in she saw an oasis fit for a paradise retreat. An Olympic size swimming pool resembling a tropical lagoon, surrounded by plants and fed by a waterfall, was nestled on the grounds. With a hot tub, colored lights, infinity spa and all the modern bells and whistles; no doubt it was also heated in the winter and cooled in the summer. ‘Must be nice’, she sighed to herself and continued along the path.

  The house was a massive multi-level mansion of glass, metal, concrete and stone that sprawled over more acres than she could see. Yet somehow it managed to blend perfectly into the landscape as if it was always meant to be there. Strange she never knew this place existed. Then again, many wealthy families tended to hide away in their own little corner of the world. Only coming out for social events and business; especially those that think their lives are no one else’s affair. She had to go along with them on that one, she was big on privacy herself.

  As her eyes took in the sprawling manor and grounds she couldn’t help but notice a slender woman dressed in a simple, yet elegant, flowing white dress; perfect for a summers day. Her long, jet black hair gently danced in the breeze as it spilled like ink down the back of the chaise lounge she stretched out on. What looked to be a Bloody Mary dangled in her hand while, what Calynn could only guess to be a couple of servants, stood near-by. The girl’s mother must have made it home already. Hopefully she wasn’t too angry over the whole missing dog situation. People like this usually had purebreds they’d spent a lot of money on and didn’t take kindly to losing such an investment.

  The woman lifted her gaze to take in the stranger walking so freely up to their home with their family pet. She had a welcoming smile on her face as if she had been expected. No doubt her daughter had told her about Boo, but the closer Calynn got to the house, and the woman, the more her skin began to crawl. The hairs all over her body stood on end as her skin prickled with bumps and her heart began to beat hard and loud, thundering in her chest. It was completely irrational, but every fiber in her told her to RUN, and this time she listened; this time she ran.

  The dog took off for its master, trailing the dropped leash behind it, but Calynn wasn’t stopping to watch. Something about this whole situation was wrong. The feeling was so overpowering she couldn’t deny it and at the moment she didn’t care if she looked like a lunatic to some southern socialite. She didn’t understand it, but she wasn’t about to question it and out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn that it didn’t even look like the same dog anymore. Calynn shook her head and focused, leaving that thought to figure out later as she dashed across the lawn for the tree line in the distance. Ignoring the winding path through the grounds to the gate, she made for the road she knew was beyond those trees. There was something about being out of the line of sight of that place that seemed like a good idea and at this point she was going by pure instinct. She heard a female voice yelling in the background and realized she wasn’t alone on that lawn anymore. The trees were still too far away and she was fully exposed on the plush greenery of the manicured lawn. She swerved to the right, to a field of tall grass and wild flowers hoping it would help hide her, but whoever, whatever was chasing her was fast, very fast.

  She wondered if it was that dog. If the owner had mistaken her for a prowler or trespasser and had given the attack command, but no that wasn’t it. There was something about that woman, about those servants that was off. It was crazy she knew, but every instinct in her screamed danger and she wasn’t about to ignore it. The sun was setting fast and she knew she needed to get out of there before it was gone completely. They may not be able to see her as well in the dark, but she had no idea where she was either and the dark was her enemy. No, it was more than that, for some reason she felt as though she were racing against the sunset, racing against time. Suddenly she noticed four figures had caught up to her in the grassy field and she put on extra speed, ignoring the burn in her legs and lungs. She was the fastest runner in her school, way back when, and it had even opened a door for a small track and field scholarship, but the four figures kept pace effortlessly. Sometimes running almost beside her, and other times running past her then off to the side laughing with glee. They were playing with her, whatever these people were, they were hunting her and by the looks of them, their speed, their ability she didn’t stand a chance and they knew it.

  The sun had disappeared behind the tree line leaving her in shadow when she felt a breeze brush past her followed by a sharp sting. A cut had appeared on her arm, trickling fresh blood sliding down her skin, then another, and another. Each preceded by a gust of wind and sadistic laughter. It was over, she had lost. She could continue to run; to try to make it to the safety of the woods beyond, but she doubted there was truly any safety there anyway. This was their land and their territory. No, it was done, she was done. No point giving them any more of a chase. If she was going down anyway she wasn’t going to make it any more fun for them. So she stopped, dead in her tracks, breathing heavily and looking straight ahead. In an instant she was surrounded and she saw for the first time what, whom she had been running from. Four guys ranging in age from mid-twenties to sixteen had boxed her in. All perfectly normal looking, none breathing hard like her, and most with a look of a pack of hungry wolves eager to pounce on dinner. The oldest, at least she thought it was the oldest, appeared to be the alpha of the pack. He stood in front of her and she met his menacing gaze, refusing to back down. They had her, everyone knew it
, but she wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of cowering, crying, or even of asking a simple question. She had a feeling that they’ve done this before; many times. They obviously had the power to make her suffer, but she would defy them in whatever way she could and at the moment, that meant standing tall. Then the world went dark.

  *****

  They had their sacrifice, though this one was not like the others. Devilicus usually brought them less lively prey. Oh well, she was being prepped and purified and by the equinox would make an interesting feast.

  Chapter Two

  Time passed, but Calynn barely noticed, she was a prisoner. She wasn’t chained up or even locked in her room, but that meant nothing. She was missing long gaps in her memory. The moon had been full the night she had been captured, and though it only felt like twenty-four hours since then it was only a sliver now. There was evidence of wounds that were nearly healed and traces of ones that had already healed over. She could wonder around the house as she pleased, no one bothered her and outside of a couple of servants standing guard she saw virtually no one. Sometimes she’d glimpse a form through the massive glass windows that were more like glass walls, out in the shrubbery or the woods in the distance, but before she could blink they’d be gone. She was dressed in a simple, short, ivory satin spaghetti strap night gown with a matching robe. Nothing more, not even socks or slippers for her feet.

  At first, she stayed within the house itself not daring to open a door to the outside world. Positive that in an instant one of servants that was always watching her would alert someone or try to stop her themselves. Plus, there were those dog things that prowled the grounds, they looked nothing like that sweet shaggy beast that had lured her there. They had more skin than fur with an oversized rib cage, sharp protruding spine and eyes that were black as coal. She stared through the window at the one only feet from her and wondered if that was the very one that had brought her here in the first place. Every time she looked out the door or windows it was there watching her, waiting for her to what; try to run? Fat chance on that.