Dahlia (Blood Crave Series) Read online

  So she tried to forget the whole thing. She actually managed to convince herself that it had been nothing more than her overactive imagination, one again, playing tricks on her. Just like the night when she thought she was being followed, her name whispered in the wind. It wasn’t plausible.

  All of this was just a coincidence, albeit weird, but a coincidence nonetheless.

  She even attempted to quiet her crazy thoughts by seeking out the girl and getting her to explain. There was no such luck, however, as she seemed to have disappeared without a trace. Yet another strange oddity, considering she thought they were both in the same class.

  To take her mind off all this...nuttiness...she convinced herself that attending Meg’s party was imperative and the perfect thing to do in a time like this.

  She definitely needed to get out.

  On any other day, she would be writing on her laptop or reading a book found on her nightstand. Since it had been a nice day outside, perhaps a walk to the mall to see the puppies at the pet store would have filled the next few hours.

  Instead, she was coerced—although easily coerced—into attending the party with Sam.

  So there she was, the room crowded with sweaty bodies dancing to the rhythm of the music as it pulsated throughout the room. Dahlia sat on a two-seater couch.

  Alone.

  She downed a glass of punch as she searched the crowd for a way out, cursing Sam for bringing up the party in the first place and herself for giving in so easily. She breathed deeply, trying to convince herself that this was, in fact, a good thing. That she needed a drink and a dance here and there to forget the strangeness that was her life.

  But the fact that Sam had ditched her as soon as they arrived burned her. Why was he always doing that? She looked around, not seeing him or his friends anywhere. Even the host herself was missing in action. Every face she saw was a complete stranger to her, a position she really didn’t care to be in.

  Dahlia was also stuck here since Sam drove and was, at the moment, not answering his phone. It wasn’t as if she could walk home, even if she wanted to. Cedar Oaks may be small, and the majority of everything walking distance, but Meg Young happened to live on the outskirts of town. She lived in this grand, Victorian-style house with a ton of grass space and no neighbors to see for miles. Dahlia wouldn’t know which way was right if she decided to venture out on her own, especially since she really didn’t know where she was. Not realizing the need for a taxi, her wallet currently sat on top of her nightstand.

  It was definitely not a smart move on her part.

  She felt sitting on the couch until it was time to leave would be her best bet. She’d eventually spot Sam and demand he take her home, or give her the car keys so he could stay and party.

  Still, there was no sign of him. The only familiar face she found was a guy from Health class staring across the room at her, drunkenly. She thought his name was Larry Epstein or something along those lines. Dahlia wanted nothing more than to get up and run from those leering eyes as fast as possible. She remembered the way he had looked at her when she held the banana in her hand.

  Eww.

  She inwardly shuddered then, spying a glass door to her left, saw her chance to escape. Getting up from the couch, she maneuvered her way through all the swaying bodies as she approached it. Exiting out through the sliding glass doors, Dahlia breathed a sigh of relief when she was finally outside, away from all the noise and gross Larry Epstein.

  She closed the door behind her, muffling the sounds from inside. Turning around, she became aware of her surroundings as her eyes adjusted to the night. The cool breeze caressed her bare skin, and she quickly rubbed both arms to keep warm.

  There was a lot of shrubbery. They were high so they enveloped Dahlia with their presence. Looking around, she noticed a small pathway where the shrubbery ended that seemed to lead somewhere off into the distance. Curious and wanting to get away at any rate, she took a few timid steps toward the opening, wondering where it would lead.

  All of a sudden, she felt a gust of wind that sent chills up her spine and caused her hair to stand on end. She hugged herself, cursing her thin white t-shirt that she wore with black skinny jeans.

  For some reason, her body was warning her, just like that night in the park when she thought eyes were watching. There was no logical explanation why, but her body wanted to turn and run back toward the house. It seemed to know that whatever was out there, deep within the darkness, was something sinister.

  Hunting her.

  Knowing these thoughts were foolish, she shook her head and continued walking toward the opening. The night seemed to have gotten darker, if even possible. The pathway, gradually smaller, until there was nothing left to call a pathway. There was nothing but dirt and gravel.

  It was silent, Dahlia too far out to hear the excitement of the party. The only sound heard was of her own open-mouthed breathing, which quickened, as if to match the rapid beating of her heart. Being out here, the place seemed somewhat familiar, reminding her of a time long ago when she was alone like this in a forest.

  Except then she had a wolf as company.

  “Tonight you can have me as a substitute,” a husky voice rumbled next to her ear, blowing hot air against her skin. She felt a hard, warm body press firmly against her back, causing her to stiffen. The voice vibrated against her, sending shivers throughout her entire body and Dahlia could have sworn the voice was also coming from within her. But that couldn’t be possible.

  Not again.

  Turning around, at first all Dahlia saw was darkness. Then after a few seconds, she became aware of a figure.

  A very large figure.

  He stepped back to give her more space and she was able to see more of his form. He towered over her, almost a foot taller than her five foot four inches frame. Looking up, she locked gazes with his eyes and couldn’t blink, let alone glance away.

  In the dark, there was no way she should be able to see his eyes so clearly. But standing across from him, she saw that they were green. They were unique, almost like the leaves in the forest.

  Dark and earthy with a blinding light behind it.

  His eyes held hers in place and she just stood there captivated by him. Then shaking her head, she gave a few quick successive blinks, as if awakening from a trance.

  It’s like staring at a large jungle cat, she thought, cautiously taking a step back from him.

  From what she could see, his entrancing green eyes were held in a strong face, almost proud. In the night, Dahlia was unable to see whether his skin was the color of caramel or mocha or somewhere in between. His hair was short and dark, a glitter in the night revealing a small earring in his left ear. He was wearing all dark clothing, making it easy for him to blend into the night.

  Although Dahlia couldn’t see him clearly, she had the distinct feeling that she knew him from somewhere. His eyes reminded her of the vision she had when she was out with Sam. Something about his presence felt recognizable so she couldn’t help but ask him bluntly, “Why do you seem so familiar?”

  She saw that he looked startled by her question but it quickly disappeared as he ignored her and replied smoothly, “Didn’t people ever tell you not to wander off alone?”

  Dahlia’s mind flashed back to her affinity for defiance all her life. “I’m not like most people.”

  “You could scream and no one would hear you,” he said almost nonchalantly. He spoke so low that she had to focus on his words.

  Dahlia licked suddenly dry lips. She felt like he wasn’t being serious, a hint of lightness heard in his tone. She frowned as she responded back, “And do you know that from experience?”

  He chuckled at her question, at her attempt not to appear scared by him, even though he knew better. Then he stared closely at her, his eyes taking on an almost d
angerous glint to them as his face turned serious. “You could say that.”

  She cleared her throat, as if to shake away the feeling of wariness. “So...are you here for the party? Um, it’s right up that path.” She motioned back toward the house with her hand.

  He looked older to be at a high school party, maybe nineteen or twenty. She glanced away from his stare, unable to look into his eyes again. She knew she wouldn’t be able to articulate proper sentences in his presence if she did, his attention on her making her feel rather self-conscious and out of breath.

  It was definitely different from the way Sam looked at her.

  Instead, she decided to focus her gaze directly in front of her. This happened to land on his chest—his rather exceptionally large chest. She gulped, slowly murmuring, “You can’t miss it.”

  He smirked at her comment, white teeth gleaming in the night. “What makes you think I’m here for the party, Dahlia?”

  She froze, her face instantly paling at the sound of her name on his lips. She knew that throughout their brief conversation she had never once uttered her name—not once. As she stared over at him in alarm, she felt the quiver in the pit of her stomach grow and knew she was in trouble.

  Deep trouble.

  Chapter 7

  Dahlia turned to run to the house but her body suddenly jerked back by the large figure blocking her path. How he got behind her, she didn’t know, but he instantly enveloped her in his strong arms.

  “Now, darling. Where do you think you’re going?” His breath tickled her throat as he bent his head closer to her, causing Dahlia to shiver involuntarily in response.

  She squeezed her eyes tight and took a quick inhalation of breath, shaking her head. She was angry with herself for wanting to be in his arms instead of trying to break free, like any sane person would. Squirming, she tried getting out from his grasp but his hold on her shoulders was unrelenting.

  Dahlia realized she was going nowhere fast so she stopped struggling. Still refusing to look him in the eyes, she pleaded. “Please, I have no money or anything. Don’t hurt me.”

  Even in the dark night, she could see his grin out of the corner of her eyes. That look terrified her even more as he answered calmly, “Why would I want to hurt you, Dahlia?”

  Slightly angry that this guy, this person, was getting under her skin by the way he said her name and by the way he looked at her as if he knew her, she forgot to be scared for a moment. She glanced at him directly as she retorted without thinking, “Stop saying my name like you know me, and tell me what it is you want so you’ll leave me the hell alone.”

  He looked taken aback, blinking rapidly a few times. Then giving an equally direct stare, he grinned again. “I like you. I knew you’d be a fighter, baby doll. There’s something feisty underneath all that ‘poor me’ attitude. Isn’t there?”

  Suddenly letting Dahlia go, her former capturer took a step back then leaned himself against a massive rock that was off in the corner. Folding hands together, he sighed then stared up into the sky as if looking for answers. Dahlia scowled at the endearing term he just called her then wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling chilly again. She rubbed her skin as she tried to bring warmth back to her body, goose bumps beginning to form. Damn it, but it was like her body missed the warmth he emitted from being so close to her.

  And who did he think he was, calling her baby doll?

  For a few minutes there was complete silence, the only thing heard was Dahlia’s deep breaths as she evaluated her next move. If I ran with everything I have, I just might make it back to the house.

  “I don’t think so.”

  Looking back at him, she saw that he still stared up into the sky, as if meditating, and hadn’t just spoken aloud. He looked almost like a sculpture made out of stone.

  “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  He finally turned to her, again stunning her with those beautiful green eyes of his. “All I have for you today is a message. And then you can go back to your little party that I see you’ve been enjoying so much.”

  Dahlia glared back at him, hating him for being so patronizing.

  He ignored her look and continued with his speech. “Have you ever wondered…?” he paused slightly as if assessing his words, “…where you’re really from? Why you feel like you’re different from others?”

  He got up suddenly, walking so close to her again that Dahlia could almost feel the essence of him. He quickly grabbed her left wrist and placed her palm firmly against her chest, feeling the quickened gallop of her own heartbeat through her shirt.

  “There’s this constant pressure, right here, in your soul and you’ve been searching for some sort of release. Am I right?” He emphasized by pressing more firmly with his own larger hand on top of hers.

  She couldn’t look away from his eyes. So intoxicating, she was scared and intrigued all at the same time. She wondered how this stranger knew her own thoughts.

  “Dahlia,” he whispered against her ear as she shivered in response. “You’ve got all these questions running through that pretty, little head of yours. Like how I know your name, how come I know your thoughts, know you so well.”

  He had gotten even closer as he spoke, only centimeters away as she felt his breath caress her skin, looking down at her steadily.

  Dahlia trembled as she stared helplessly up at him. She felt she was in a dream, unable to move, entranced by his presence. All of a sudden, he wrapped his arms around her, reaching up to gently cup the back of her neck in his grasp. He then, unhurriedly, ran his hand down her entire back, ending at the base of her spine, Dahlia feeling every stroke of his fingers against her. It set off a huge reaction that caused a quiver to run throughout her entire body.

  What?

  He touched a place that no one had before, right over something that she had kept hidden for all these years.

  How could he possibly know about that?

  “I know a lot more than you think. I know you, Dahlia. You’re unique, a little diamond in the rough. You don’t belong with these people,” he commented as he gestured his head back toward the direction of the house. Dahlia focused on his mouth as he spoke those words, every word sounding like a caress.

  “You belong with us.”

  Her gaze continued to center around his soft-looking mouth and for a fleeting moment, the oddest thought came to her mind.

  I wonder what his blood would taste like.

  All of a sudden, he quickly broke away from any contact they had, as if she were suddenly contagious, and took a few steps back. Dahlia, stunned at what she had just been thinking and feeling, felt both confused and embarrassed at the entire situation.

  They must have spiked something in the punch.

  Bewilderment, speculation and fear shone from her eyes as she tried to grasp what he had just said and the feelings that risen from her at their brief contact.

  The strangest thing was that as she scrutinized him, she thought she saw those same emotions lurking in his eyes. As soon as those thoughts sprung from her mind, though, the look quickly disappeared. She was left gaping up into a face that looked both dark and cold.

  He walked back toward the huge rock and sat back down, abruptly. “Dahlia, just know that there are things in this world that you don’t have a clue exist. And one of these things has a key interest in you.”

  “What kind of interest?” she asked tensely, eyes wide.

  She knew she shouldn’t believe in any of this. What he was saying was most likely thoughts of a raving lunatic and she didn’t want to join the club. Instead of asking questions, she should be figuring out a way to get away.

  But how did he know my name?

  His eyes glowed as he looked directly into her face. “Don’t worry—I don’t want to harm you. That isn’t my inten
t.”

  Dahlia tried to calm down, to get her breathing controlled, but it quickened slightly when he continued. Although his words were calming, the expression in his eyes was contradictory.

  He spoke again, almost as an afterthought. “At least not yet.”

  “What?” Dahlia was so shocked she mouthed the words more than spoke them.

  “But there are others that want you dead.” Green eyes piercing hazel ones, he continued to speak as if she hadn’t said a word. “Just know that not everyone and everything is to be trusted. You’re a very powerful girl, Dahlia. And there are people who don’t want that power around.”

  “What powers? What are you talking about?” She feigned innocence as if she had no idea what he was referring to.

  He completely ignored her as he raised himself from the rock then headed away from her. As he walked away, Dahlia had to ask one last question, hoping he’d answer something, anything. “And just who are you?”

  He paused at that, and she saw him tilt his head slightly to the right, shoulders tight. Facing away from her, he finally responded. “That’s not important. Just heed my warning and be careful. You’ll never know what’s hiding in the bushes.” With that, he vanished right before her eyes.

  Alone, she blinked a couple of times not quite believing what she saw or heard.

  That did not just happen. That was definitely all in my head. There is no way in hell that guy just vanished into thin air.

  Echoing my thoughts from days before.

  Dahlia shook her head, feeling slightly lightheaded. She turned around as she stumbled back toward the house and the blaring noise of the party. There was only one explanation.

  She really was going out of her freaking mind.

  “I’m just not getting enough sleep because of these dreams keeping me awake. I should probably eat more, too. I just need to go home, eat a huge meal with tons of vitamins and minerals. Then I’ll take a nice, warm bath and get a ton of sleep and everything will be fine.” She frowned as she mumbled to herself.