book (11 page)

“
Clotilde, you’re not the only one in the family who’s been dabbling around in some pretty strange stuff.” He folded his hands before her. “A few months ago, I started getting voices in my head.”

“
Oh no, not again.” Clotilde buried her head in her hands. “Do we need to renew the prescription on your meds?”

“
Not that type of voice.” Karl smiled, but only briefly. “This voice was soft and soothing. She promised to help me help you. To get you away from the people who are ruining your life.” He looked at her with cold eyes. “But in order to do that, she told me I had to infiltrate your group. To give her information about your corruptors.”

“
Oh my God,” Clotilde froze, putting together the pieces of the puzzle. “You’ve been talking to Scarlet.”

“
No, not Scarlet. Her name is Ruby” Karl beamed, obviously enthused by this new woman's voice. “She’s stopping by this evening to talk some sense into you….”

“
Well the wait is over, Folks. I’m right here. And your sis had it right, sucker. My name is Scarlet.”

Clotilde’s eyes flew wide with terror as she bore witness to a nightmare.

Jumping forth from the bushes before them, a transformed Scarlet grabbed hold of Karl’s shoulders and sunk her teeth in his neck. This hideous creature had coal black eyes, wild hair and sharp fangs.

“
No!” Clotilde shrieked, watching the color drain from her brother’s face as he collapsed to the ground. His blood rushing free from an open bite in his neck.

“
Oh, that was just an appetizer.” Scarlet surged forward, blood dripping from her smiling lips as she grabbed for Clotilde. “You’re next pretty one.”

“
Um sorry, I’m afraid you’re next, nutty one.”

Clotilde sighed with relief as she saw Clearview Police Chief Jess Green tackle the rogue vampire, holding a gun to her head and wrapping her arm around her waist.

“
Sorry to tell you Chief,” Scarlet seethed, “but you can’t shoot a vampire.”

Turning in Jess’s arms, Scarlet flung herself against her tackler and knocked her to the ground. She cupped Jess’s throat in her hands, baring her fangs as she descended on the stunned police chief.

“
I’ll see you in hell Green.” She went straight for Jess’s throat.

Springing into action, Hathen reached beneath his waistband to withdraw a short, sharp stake. He plunged it deep into the back of Jess’s raging attacker.

Arms falling to her sides, Scarlet collapsed on top of Jess with an agonized howl. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and fangs receded in her mouth.

Assuming control of the situation, Jess rolled the dying vamp off of her and onto the ground. She pulled the stake from her back, watching with no small degree of horror as the life drained from Scarlet's eyes.

“
I had to do it.” Hathen raced to her side, watching as Scarlet’s features relaxed to reflect the serenity of death. “She was going to kill you.”

Hathen, Jess and Clotilde watched with sad eyes as the demon that plagued their lives morphed to assume the form of a beautiful, calm faced young girl; one who wore an eerie smile in the face of her own demise.

“
I had to do it,” Hathen repeated, this time on a sob that shook his entire being.

Rising from her place on the ground, Jess rushed without a word to the side of Karl, Clotilde’s fallen brother. A man who now sat upward on the ground, covering his neck with his hand.

“
Well for a vampire, she didn’t have all that great of a bite,” he whined, before adding with a shaky voice, “I’m betting this is nothing more than a flesh wound.”

Jess grinned as she watched a relieved Clotilde fall to the ground beside her brother. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“
We’ll take you to the hospital and get you checked out,” she kissed his cheek, “just to make sure.”

A nodding Karl gathered his sister in a warm, brotherly hug.

“
I’m so sorry Sis.” He ran his hands through her pure gold hair. “This is all my fault.”

“
This is Scarlet’s fault,” Jess corrected, turning to a sobbing Hathen. “We did what we had to do.”

Jess watched off Clotilde and Karl, before turning her attention on their leader. Sweeping her lover’s body up in an all-consuming hug, she cradled an emotional Hathen as he struggled to collect himself.

“
I’ve never killed anyone,” he looked into her eyes.

“
You were saving my life,” Jess reminded him, rubbing a soothing hand through his long blond hair.

“
Just as you saved my den when you took that creature into custody.” Hathen planted a hot, fierce kiss on Jess’s moist and welcoming lips. “I am your keeper, Jess Green, just as you are mine.”

“
I love you Hathen.” Jess leaned forward, losing herself in his embrace.

“
I love you too, Jess.” Hathen held Jess closer than close, basking in the rays of the moon above as they christened their newfound love.

The End... For Now.

****

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