Blood Rose (Blood Books Book 1) (16 page)

His lips formed into the curve of a sideways grin. I was sure the smile plastered on his face was his go-to look. It probably melted the hearts of girls all across the globe, but to me, that grin spoke of an unknowable power—and of knowledge. In the end, I knew we’d pay for the knowledge he held over us, but right now, I couldn’t think of that.

“You’re feisty. I like that in a girl,” he said, leaning forward. His nose touched mine, and his eyes fell to my lips.

I could practically hear Jasik tense from behind me as I took several steps back. Sebastian walked forward but stopped short of reaching me. Instead, he pulled a long-stem white rose from one of Amicia’s vases. He brought his wrist to his mouth and tore through skin. Without averting his gaze, he dipped the tip of the flower into the wound. He slowly but confidently walked toward me and held the blood rose just below my nose. A crimson line dripped down the curve of the delicate flower before collecting at the base and sliding down the stem. I met his eyes.

“Have a taste, then.”

My fangs instinctively lowered, my tongue tracing the bottoms of my teeth. His gaze lowered, where he watched my tongue slide across my inner lip.

I didn’t know what I’d feel once I tasted his blood, but I knew it wouldn’t be anything good.

Writing is a team sport. I devoted a seemingly endless number of hours to writing this book, and I couldn’t have done so without a select group of individuals.
Blood Rose
is dedicated to my team of friends and family who’ve helped me get this book to print, especially the following: my husband, Pete, and my mom, Lori; my assistant, Danielle from Author’s Pal; my amazing editor, Tara from Narrative Ink Editing LLC; my graphic designer, Robin from Wicked by Design; my book formatter, Nadège from Inkstain Interior Book Designing; my Xuni.com team, Maddee, Jen, and Ryan; my writing buddies, Patricia France and Shawna Borman; and my undergraduate and graduate school mentors, Nancy Holder, David Anthony Durham, Theodora Goss, Dean Karpowicz, Carole Vopat, and Nick Tryling.

But most importantly, I want to thank you. Thank you for giving me and my books a chance, and I can’t wait to take this writing journey with you.

Danielle Rose is a writer of fiction and travel, as well as the owner of Narrative Ink Editing LLC. Danielle currently resides in the Midwest, where she spends her days at a local coffee shop planning her next vacation or plotting her next novel.

Danielle holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine's Stonecoast program. In addition to her Master of Fine Arts, she also holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and certification in professional writing from the University of Wisconsin—Parkside.

When not writing, traveling, or writing about traveling, Danielle enjoys being outdoors, cheering for her favorite football team (Go Packers!), and spending time with her husband and their furbabies: two dogs and a cat.

Visit Danielle online:
www.Danielle-Rose.com
.