Vampire in Denial (24 page)

Hadn’t her mom said she come in to lie down? Tessa had already proven she didn’t take orders well. Puzzled, he walked down the center aisle. At the end of the room he turned around and walked back. As he approached Jared again, he frowned. One bed had a blanket tossed to the floor. A series of indents showed on the sheets of the still-made bed.

Just then, Rhia came in.

"Where did you say Tessa was?" Cody asked her, an inkling of worry attaching itself to his spine.

"In here." She stopped, put her hands on her hips, frowned and looked around. "She was right there on that bed beside you. I saw her just a moment ago. She didn't go past me. We've been standing here at the doorway the whole time."

Cody pointed to the blanket on the floor. "Was this here before?"

She shook her head slowly. "No." She hurried over. "She was lying here with the blanket pulled up to her shoulders." She walked to the front of the bed. "Where is she?"

Bending down, Cody picked up a plastic tip. Like the kind that protected the end of a needle. Worry turned to fear. "Look what I found."

Rhia stared at it uncomprehendingly. Then her eyes widened, fear turning them to dark obsidian. "Please no."

Cody stared at the piece of plastic, unable to look away. Just the thought of a needle being used on Tessa made his heart pound in fear. Who knew what they'd do to her?

"Dear God, I hope not," he whispered. He spun around. At the back was a door. They'd checked it earlier. He thought it was just a supply cupboard. But it was the only other way for Tessa to have left this room…willingly, or not. He raced toward it, calling over his shoulder, "Go get the others."

"Oh, my God!" Rhia raced out to get help.

***

Tessa opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the tube in her arm. She frowned, blinked several times to clear her vision and then reached for the tubing. Her hand touched the needle taped to her wrist – her eyes widened in comprehension. She tried to close her fingers around the needle, to pull it free. Her fingers didn't want to work.

Drugs dripped steadily into her arm. Pulling at her, drawing her down, deeper and deeper.

Oh, dear God, no!

She screamed – endlessly – soundlessly – in her mind.

Drawing is her world...but when her new pencil comes alive, it's his world too.
Her...Storey Dalton is seventeen and now boyfriendless after being dumped via Facebook. Drawing is her escape. It's like as soon as she gets down one image, a dozen more are pressing in on her. Then she realizes her pictures are almost drawing themselves...or is it that her new pencil is alive?
Him...Eric Jordan is a new Ranger and the only son of the Councilman to his world. He's crossed the veil between dimensions to retrieve a lost stylus. But Storey is already experimenting with her new pencil and what her drawings can do - like open portals.
It ...The stylus is a soul-bound intelligence from Eric's dimension on Earth and uses Storey's unsuspecting mind to seek its way home, giving her an unbelievable power. She unwittingly opens a third dimension, one that held a dangerous predatory species banished from Eric's world centuries ago, releasing these animals into both dimensions.
Them...Once in Eric's homeland, Storey is blamed for the calamity and sentenced to death. When she escapes, Eric is ordered to bring her back or face that same death penalty. With nothing to lose, can they work together across dimensions to save both their worlds?

Dale Mayer is a prolific multi-published writer. She's best known for her Psychic Visions series. Besides her romantic suspense/thrillers, Dale also writes paranormal romance and crossover young adult books in several different genres. To go with her fiction, she also writes nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system. She has recently published her Career Essentials Series. All her books are available in digital and print formats.

Family Blood Ties Series

Vampire in Denial

Vampire in Distress

Vampire in Design 

Book 4 (fall of 2013)

Design Series

Dangerous Designs

Deadly Design

Darkest Designs (fall 2013)

Standalone Titles

In Cassie's Corner

Gem Stone Mystery

Psychic Vision Series:

Tuesday's Child

Hide'n Go Seek,

Maddy's Floor

Garden of Sorrow

Knock, Knock...

Second Chances...at Love 

Second Chances

Book 2 (Winter 2013/2014)

Death Series

Touched by Death

Haunted by Death (late summer 2013)

Other Adult books:

It's a Dog's Life

Riana's Revenge - fantasy short story

Sian's Solution - short story from the Family Blood Ties series

Dale's Website –
www.dalemayer.com

Twitter –
http://twitter.com/#!/DaleMayer

Facebook –
http://www.facebook.com/DaleMayer.author