call of night: beyond the dark Read online

  Faith was what held they’re family together, faith love and prayer.

  Dana and Christopher may have not known what they needed to look for as they browsed through the house, through every room; Christopher felt it was perhaps a good thing until they found their way into the basement where they found Eve; she was slumped in the chair sleeping.

  “You shouldn’t be here.” Eve spoke quietly as she lifted her head adjusting her eyes to the darkness.

  “Why? What is this place?” Christopher asked slowly approaching her.

  She could barely speak because she was so weak.

  “You must go.” Eve’s only thought was to protect them.

  Call of Night 33

  “We’re not going to just leave you here.” Dana put down her bag and began to try to untie the woman. “Help me, Christopher.” She pleaded for her brother’s help.

  Her wrists had cuts from the rope. She wanted to tell them to leave her there, it would’ve been worse for them if they didn’t. They put her arms around their shoulders; they weren’t going to leave a woman to die.

  It would have been difficult to carry her all the way back to the car, but they had enough food and water in their bags first they needed to get as far away as possible before anyone noticed the woman was missing.

  ***

  Christian didn’t know what upset him more that someone entered the house or that someone took what didn’t belong to them. Their scent filled the house which triggered a fury in the others; he had to explain to them everything. It wasn’t just the intruder’s blood they wanted, Christian couldn’t say he didn’t feel the same way; he just had to get to them first. In wolf form with his speed, time did not exist.

  Christopher quickly stepped on the brake as Christian stood in front of the car; his anger was plain to see.

  “Don’t stop, just drive!” Dana yelled as she looked toward the back seat.

  Eve was staring straight ahead at Christian knowing they would never escape.

  “He’s a shifter.” Eve said calmly.

  “Could you be a little more specific?” Christopher asked as he managed to get out of Christian’s sight and pressed his foot against the accelerator without thinking twice.

  “Wolves, there’s a pack and they won’t be far behind him.”

  Call of Night 34

  Katya never really took the chance to fully enjoy the mansion, she also never had the time alone before to do so. She wasn’t certain when Julius and Xavier would return, Xavier was hunting for his next meal; his brother was discussing business after his late snack. She never used magic in the mansion not when there was a chance the brothers would catch on. Katya had a plan the first night she met Julius, his was to seduce her into darkness without the knowledge of what was already in her heart. Katya couldn’t help but laugh as she opened the book of shadows and read aloud the spell that would keep Julius and Xavier from entering inside the mansion. The rage they would feel would be no concern of hers. When the more sinister evil would come into their town and tear everyone to pieces, she would be safe.

  She only thought of herself, same as she did when she was a child being immortal wouldn’t have made a difference.

  Katya didn’t expect to see her sister again after their last talk, still wasn’t sure why Lily would choose to remain in Thornton Lake she knew there was something Lily was keeping from her. Katya thought for certain the first thing Lily would have done was leave the town get as far from her as she could and the last thing she would have wanted was to see their father.

  It was impossible to resist what they were bound to become once they were bitten, Lily knew that she didn’t like it but she knew. She also knew in the end either way she would have gave in, there was no cure.

  Call of Night 35

  The temptation was incredibly strong; there was a battle bigger than the darkness itself both sisters would have to face, one only Katya would be prepared for. Katya could see Lily in her mind and she could see Micah as well as the look of betrayal in his eyes. It was satisfying to her. Micah was never the vampire Katya thought he would have been. It wasn’t difficult to imagine what kind of mortal he was, although Katya couldn’t blame her sister he was a nice distraction for her of course for Lily it wasn’t enough.

  Lily could hear her thoughts building inside her mind. Who would choose immortality to remain forever hidden? She did choose to embrace it; she could never get her old life back, although it wasn’t much different from her new one except for the constant endless need for human blood.

  Katya enjoyed it; she enjoyed seeing the pain and life slipping away from her prey, turning them was an even bigger thrill.

  It wasn’t all a loss there was beauty all around; Lily didn’t need daylight to appreciate it.

  Alex knew how it was to experience every moment, his thoughts were filled with beautiful images she had never seen before; he had traveled kept the memories locked inside his mind, it fascinated her. Yes, there was reason why she felt drawn to him, the pull she felt toward him was undeniable, inevitable. As a vampire, Lily began to understand destiny a little more.

  She didn’t know love as a mortal and was in no hurry to search for it, she was the type of person to let it come find her even if it took centuries. There was always a perfect person for someone and Alex opened a new door for her.

  Call of Night 36

  Lily didn’t notice Micah had left the motel; it had been his sanctuary for so long, Lily didn’t bother to question if he would return perhaps she should have; it was none of her concern at the time. When Alex touched her it sent a strange and powerful vibe through her, it was addictive, making it harder to even just have the thought of turning him. How could she take everything that he’s known? Would she be able to let him walk away without ever knowing what could have been? Would life as a vampire still be filled with darkness?

  Call of Night 37

  It was a challenge for Sheriff Arnold wearing a smile as the folks in town greet him during their daily routines when inside he was carrying a heavy secret that could cost him their loyalty even though it was to save their lives they would see it as betrayal. If what Peter had said was true, it was more than worth it. It was up to his daughter to determine whether it was fact or a load of bull. He was meeting her for lunch at their favorite diner; she had Sundays off although she was given more. The waitress served Maggie her usual coffee as her father walked in the door and took his seat. She hadn’t slept in days; maybe weeks denying it to him would’ve been impossible.

  “Don’t know why you chose that profession I really don’t.” He knew it wasn’t such a great way to begin their conversation and there was no way to talk her into changing her career not now she had been doing it too long.

  “Because people deserve to have the answers they need just to get through a single day.” Having such compassion and kindness in her heart was something her father was proud she had, but never came easy when dealing with the dead.

  “You’re forgetting about your own health, Maggie. That’s important too.”

  Maggie nodded and took a sip of her coffee. “It’s just been a crazy week.”

  She drifted off for a moment, took her mind to another place.

  Call of Night 38

  He had seen her that way before only once the day they buried her childhood best friend. How was he to explain what he needed to tell her? He knew it wasn’t exactly something she wanted to hear, it wasn’t really something he wanted to know himself. The waitress brought their usual lunch plate even though Maggie wasn’t feeling much like eating.

  “More bodies keep coming in.” She pushed away her plate as she spoke.

  What would she think of him? The question immediately popped into his head. She had seen it for herself, the bodies all the same. It was no serial killer they were looking for. It would take time for either of them to adjust to the new world.

  “Peter Gould came into the department with some interesting information for what’s been happening ar
ound here.” He couldn’t wait anymore; although he didn’t want his daughter to carry all that he had to he didn’t want her to think she was losing her mind.

  “Peter, the man everyone thinks should have been locked away in an insane asylum?” Maggie thought it had to be a joke at first, her father wouldn’t let Peter waste even an hour in his day.

  “Some of what he had said made a little sense.” When he finally said it out loud, he felt relieved.

  Maggie shook her head in disbelief wishing she had taken an aspirin before leaving the house. “You’re falling into his crap.”

  “How many people have disappeared not just in the last year? How many have we found with their lives gone?” The Sheriff was frustrated; to him it had all been his fault when anything went wrong in the town, he should have protected them like he had sworn he would do.

  Call of Night 39

  “What are you getting at dad?”

  With no hesitation he placed a hand written note with bold ink, her eyes widened as she read the one word;

  Vampires.

  Peter Gould had handed him the note just before he left the department. Everything was starting to add up. Maggie wasn’t looking forward to another work week and her nights would become even more restless.

  It would be impossible to walk the streets in the dark and not wonder about the people whose paths she was crossing, how would she tell if they were human at all?

  Walking to her own door made her feel as though she wasn’t alone. Setting her alarm for six thirty in the morning made her wish time would stand still, she always dreaded when the sun came up but always enjoyed her work doing what she could to help others when they lost someone close to them especially when she knew just how they felt.

  Sometimes she wished she was still a kid when her dreams were made up of fairytales and woke up smiling; now it was nightmares and she woke in fear. She never told her father about them and never intended to.

  Call of Night 40

  Occupational hazard when your career becomes overwhelming. The last thing she had ever expected was her ex-boyfriend on that table, a man she had gave five years of her life to. It was at night when her mind took control over her. When she saw him standing there in the shadows, she couldn’t tell if she was awake or dreaming. He looked the way he had when they first met, when she first fell in love with him.

  She placed his hand on his chest as his eyes never left hers.

  “You can’t be here.” She said trying to control her tears.

  She never had the chance to make things right, never had a chance to say goodbye.

  “I wasn’t ready to leave.” Evan’s voice, his touch always left her weak in the knees.

  He kissed her, every inch of her burned with passion. Maggie knew that moment the alarm would go off, he would be gone as much as she had wanted it to be real; he made everything for her seem like there was nothing at all wrong with the world, he made it feel the way it should have been.

  It would have been natural, if he were still alive.

  When he was gone, there was a hole in her heart; though she knew she could see him again and until then it was going to be a long day.

  For once, she looked forward to sleep and her dreams had never been so sweet.

  Call of Night 41

  As she entered the office she wanted more than anything to be in her bed and to snuggle between the warmth of the covers. After everything her father had told her, after she started putting the pieces together she had wished it wasn’t too late to change her career. All the bodies that had been brought in, their bodies drained of blood and the bite marks. They thought they were sadistic killings which would’ve been a little easier to handle, lock up the killer and throw away the key, he’d rot in a jail cell. Vampires were everywhere, killing one may save someone’s life but there would always more. She couldn’t say she agreed with her father by keeping it a secret, was it really going to save them?

  Call of Night 42

  Dana and Christopher too Eve to the hospital and snuck her into a vacant room to check her vitals, she was weak and exhausted which was understandable considering how long she had been in that basement. They might have ditched Christian and the rest of the pack but it wasn’t only a matter of time before they caught up with them. Eve’s health was more important than running away from fear.

  “I don’t get it why would they just keep her there? Shifters aren’t exactly friendly.” Dana wondered aloud as her brother checked Eve’s blood pressure.

  “Not them, just one.” Once Christopher was able to get some fluids in her she was speaking more. They had to know what they were up against and they wouldn’t be able to do it themselves it didn’t matter what or how much magic flowed through their blood.

  They couldn’t read her thoughts not even Christian no matter what connection he had felt with her because she was weak, it would make it that much more difficult for them to find them but not completely.

  It took her awhile to figure out why Christian had taken her and kept her in that dark place, her need for knowledge would get her killed, there were things she wasn’t supposed to know as a mortal. She might have been in the forest for another reason, but if Christian hadn’t gotten to her first she would have been torn to shreds.

  Call of Night 43

  It explained the fury in Christian’s eyes, the stronger Eve became the more the pack would be able to read her and know everything he had been keeping from them that he wasn’t entirely like them, a part of him was still human. His act of kindness for Eve would also get him killed. He couldn’t change the man he was although he wished he could.

  “What are we going to do when they find us?” Dana asked.

  “It wouldn’t be just us we would have to protect, anyone who gets in their way they will kill.” Eve answered for Christopher.

  They would have to return to the home they knew, it was there all the supplies they would need would be at hand and Christopher had already made up his mind no one would go down without a fight for it was there home.

  Call of Night 44

  Frank and George pulled into the driveway of a friend’s cabin; he had been expecting them after he called insisting they come see him it didn’t matter how far out of the way they were, he had something they would want. When they stepped on to the front porch, the door was already open. They could see inside was a complete disaster, shattered glass everywhere and furniture out of place.

  “Ty?!” George called with a feeling he wasn’t going to answer.

  They found him on the kitchen floor, both hoped he was just passed out drunk, but that wasn’t the case; they turned him over on to his back and saw the blood soaked through his shirt and pouring out of his mouth. His death was no accident; someone knew he was expecting company, someone who was working for vampires and did it for more than just money. Ty Ford had been a hunter for nearly his whole life; he knew when danger was coming. It was a surprise to both of them that it would end in such a way.

  They buried him next his wife’s grave in the backyard of the home they shared together near her favorite garden.

  How many people were they going to have to lose? There was no need for Frank to hide his frustration and anger, George felt it too.

  “Evil has no place in this world,” Frank said as George drove back to Thornton Lake.

  It was something they both agreed on.

  Call of Night 45

  Ty and Frank shared something in common, they both lost people they cared about more than anything. Though he wasn’t happy about burying him, he was happy that his death wasn’t caused by an actual vampire. At that thought his daughters entered his mind; he knew he couldn’t let them continue on in the night he needed to gather his strength to do what needed to be done.

  Call of Night 46

  Julius stood in the parking lot staring at the emptiness of what used to be his nightclub. “There’s nothing you can do to bring it back.” Gwen stepped out of the shadows, she knew how he felt. She
had many enemies from the past and the present. Julius wasn’t surprised to see her, he enjoyed her presence a little more than Katya’s; there was more Gwen could give him, she had been a vampire a lot longer. He wanted to give vampires a place where they didn’t need to worry about hunters and they could feed. Gwen had only wished someone done the same in her time when she first became a vampire. Some learn over the years not to look over their shoulders constantly and how to use their senses; luckily for her she didn’t have to go through it alone.

  She thought of him, wondering if she would ever see him again. It was why she stayed in Thornton Lake; it was where he found her, she knew he wouldn’t have forgotten her.

  “I want to find who did this.” His intentions were true, what he planned to do with them on the other hand still remain in question.

  “There won’t be any time for that. You have to prepare yourself, your brother we all have to be prepared or were all dead.” Gwen didn’t think anything would get through to him, she had to try.

  “We’ve been up against worse.” He said, not taking his eyes off Gwen.

  “Nothing like this Julius, my family has been around for centuries not even they could handle what is coming. Not even that witch of yours is powerful enough.” Julius expected the tone of Gwen’s voice to change when she mentioned Katya; it was really nothing new with her. What he didn’t know was that it didn’t have anything to do with jealousy.