Read Chapter 1

Not a soul had entered the old convenience store where I worked the evening shift in over two hours. I didn’t mind as it gave me time to dream about Sam Sheridan, the only man to notice me. His dark brown eyes held secrets, but that just made him mysterious. For some reason, he wanted me—a nobody without a family, too skinny and flat to fill out a pair of jeans, and too boring to attract attention—until Sam.

Perhaps it was just self-preservation that held me back and kept my spine tingling in caution. If I give him my virginity, I will be forever different, and I know he’s not the type to stay. No one ever was really, but it was especially true of Sam. So here I am at a standstill, unsure.

What would it be like, to be with him?

Part of me knew that I should keep my shields up and reject the experience he offered.

He intrigued me and nothing else in this small town ever had. Was that enough to ignore the warning shots my brain kept sending me?

The old shop had yellowed linoleum on the floor probably original from 1950 and the overhead tube lights flickered. I glanced through the front window and met Sam’s black-as-midnight gaze and my cheeks burned.

He walked into the store. I stood taller and ignored how my skin crawled and made me want to run away.

“Will you come with me tonight?”

No one had ever wanted me like he clearly did. I felt it in the base of soul with every sweet whisper he’d ever said. I swallowed and shook my head. "I can’t, Sam."

He lifted my hand from the counter and held it to his beautiful, intoxicating lips, kissing the back. "If you love me, Hazel Smithson, you’ll come with me tonight. I can’t wait anymore."

Maybe it was the full moon. Maybe it was because I’d spent the last hour crying about how my current guardians just sent me to work and didn’t care about me except on payday. Maybe, I was being overdramatic right now as normally I liked them.

So, yeah, my biological parents ditched me as a baby and now it is ingrained in my psyche to wait for the other shoe to drop—to trust in nothing or nobody. My current guardians, Laura and Paul, are my fourth set of “parents” but at least they let me stay even after I’d turned eighteen. I had expected them to kick me out, but they encouraged me to go to college.

When I look at Sam, I see unbridled desire, but I also see my own fears. Eventually he’ll hurt me or leave me. Everyone always does. I freed my hand but leaned over the counter to brush his face with my fingers. His skin is smooth as if he’d just shaved.

If I said yes, how long until he realized he wanted someone else? The thought wouldn’t leave my mind. Sam dared me to take a risk but that’s not my style. I surprised myself and said, "Let me cash my last paycheck Friday morning. Then I’ll go with you."

He pressed his lips to my skin again and goosebumps grew. "That’s two needless days, my love. Why wait? I can pay for whatever you need."

Trust wasn’t easy and if he ditched me on the side of the road, I’d be penniless. My heart raced, and I hoped I was just being panicky. I glanced down at the counter. "Sam, you’re easy to love, but I’m scared. I might not have great parents, but they’ve been steady for these six years and gave me their last name. I owe them."

He reached past my elbow and held my upper arm, stroking me as he sent a gentle wave of caring through my body. I wanted so much to believe in him.

"What’s holding you here? It’s not like your guardians see the real you, and they take everything from you. When you come with me, you’ll be free of them."

The Smithsons provided me with room and board for twenty-five percent of my paycheck while I studied for my part-time college classes. If I up and left, no, ran away, I’d give up on my shot at a degree in psychology. Which might not be worth much. In this dirt-infested backward town, no one had a college degree and no one cared about diplomas, except the Smithsons and my old teachers.

Sam had some sort of magical pull on me. I bit my lip and met his gaze. I really wanted to go, but I took a cautious breath. "I don’t know."

The front door opened. I tugged my hand back as Tom walked in—he had the midnight to morning shift which meant it was quitting time. I immediately went to my register and counted out my till.

Sam slipped into the shadows, giving me glimpses of his sexy, dangerous smile. He should be named trouble with a capital T, and not just Sam. Yet, he waited for me.

Tom, a balding, middle-aged man with thick glasses, prepared his register and I counted out mine. I glanced over at Sam. Soon the simplicity of my existence might change. If I went with Sam to his house near Orlando, I’d finally know what having a boyfriend was like. I wished he lived closer to the ocean—I’ve always felt more at home with waves and fishes than anywhere else.

This might be better than having parents. We’d be equals, right?

Finally done with my numbers and receipts, I put everything away and walked to the front door. I met Sam’s black eyes while I stood beside him and waved good-bye to Tom.

Outside, the still, night air chilled my skin, yet when I stared up at Sam, I’d never felt so alive. Was he my future? Tonight, he didn’t want to take no for an answer. I lifted my chin and sucked in a deep breath. I didn’t want to say no anymore.

We walked in silence down the deserted, one-stoplight main street of Lulo, Florida—two hours north of Orlando.

We neared his shiny new silver Jaguar that cost more than all four years of tuition for me and he pushed his hands in his pockets. "How do you feel?"

I trembled beneath the moonlight. He hugged me, and somehow his comforting arms made me weak. This couldn’t be the weak-at-the-knees feeling women described—I was too cold. As I stepped back, I said, "With you, right now, safe."

I said that to convince myself, but it felt wrong.

We got into the car. "I’ll get you fired up when we get to my place." Sam reversed from the parking spot, then drove toward the main road.

I should go home and forget Sam. I had long term plans to stay in school and study psychology to figure people out, at least I think so. So I looked away. "It’s getting late."

"Do we need to stop by your house for anything?" He drove smoothly down the street. I swallowed and tried to breathe though he massaged my shoulder, his other hand on the wheel. "Or we can just go straight home and let me get you anything you need—we can shop tomorrow and I will buy you whatever you want. All you have to do is say yes."

Everyone else by age twenty had sexual experiences. I was the only one still a virgin. If I went with Sam, I had a chance to be normal. I ignored the fast beat of my heart. "Your place, Sam."

"You won’t regret this."

Sam had been good to me these past two months since we met in line at the local movie theater. I sank down into his passenger seat and the smell of new leather seats.

The car accelerated, and the panic rose higher in my chest, well past my breasts. Instinctively I reached for the handle to get out, despite that we were moving, but then Sam leaned over and kissed me.

His kiss was the most erotic sensation I’d ever had, bringing with it desire as well as fear. My heart thundered that we might crash on the road. Every time his lips touched mine I knew he wanted me in a carnal way. I wanted to run and yet stay in place. I blamed my inexperience for the confusing emotions.

His kiss went lower, to my neck, where he nuzzled against the vein at my throat. Suddenly, there was a pinch.

I grunted in shock, my body tensing, ready to fight, but my eyes rolled backwards and I lost consciousness.

I probably should have jumped out of the car.

The moon was still in the sky when I woke some time later as the car came to a stop in front of an old mansion. Sam took the keys out of the engine and palmed them out of sight. I had no idea how much time had passed. "What happened?"

Sam stared at me with such a gleam in his thoughtful gaze that I felt my cheeks burning before he ever said, "You fell asleep in my car."

"I don’t do that." I reached for the inside handle of the car. Trust issues—and yet, I’d dozed. Maybe part of me believed Sam might be the real deal.

This time it opened easily, and I rose from the sports car, glancing up and down the unlit street. Not a single house was visible.

Sam stepped onto the curb and pointed toward his door, which was painted black with a gold handle. "We’re here."

His home was an old Victorian mansion with no neighbors, but set close enough to Orlando where the drive would be fast, especially in his Jag. I rubbed my arms and hoped the coldness in my body dissipated as I stared up. "The windows are tinted. It seems so dark." And pretty isolated.

"Please, come in." He opened the front door.

Again, the urge to fly away hit me—as if I could! My head ached, and I heard a man’s deep voice grumbling inside my mind. I massaged my temples and walked inside Sam’s house. I felt a strong chill the moment I crossed over the threshold and looked back. "Strange."

Sam closed the door and the stranger’s voice in my head shouted run. My fears never sounded so strong or forceful.

"Maybe I shouldn’t have come here."

The entire house was dark. Dead, cold air seemed to breathe in the halls and it didn’t feel like air conditioning though it must be, despite the humidity outside. He took my trembling hand and led me toward black double doors, opened, and a long dark wood dining room table. Four flickering candelabras were centered in the middle and a chandelier with unlit candles hung from the high ceiling. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really." I pulled my hand back.

Adrenaline rushed in my veins and my spine tingled. If he kissed me right now, I didn’t know how I’d react. Finding out what sex might be like seemed stupid because I’d never be comfortable here with Sam.

Sam waved toward a wooden chair. "Please join me then, as I’m famished."

My knees wobbled like they’d give out if I didn’t run or sit. I grabbed the back of the chair and quickly met his mysterious gaze. For months he’d filled my dreams, and often it felt like an invasion. If I remembered that instead of this numbing coldness, everything would be fine. I tugged the chair back and sat down. "Okay, I guess I’ll have some wine."

He left the room but returned with a bottle and a goblet that he placed in front of me, filling my glass. "That’s my good girl, always willing to accommodate."

I sipped the red wine that tasted sweeter than anything I’d ever had, and the numbness dissipated.

Suddenly the closed dining room doors rattled and I spilled a little of the wine on the table as I set it down. My stomach went into knots but I stood tall. A white-faced blonde woman carrying a baby dressed in white lace, like a baptism outfit, joined us. I glanced at Sam in shock. Oh wow. I knew there was something to not trust but this was too much. Was this his wife and child? And if so, why had he brought me here? "Who is this?"

Sam placed his hand on my lower back. "This is Claire and her son, Felix."

Her son, not his. I stepped away from him and crossed my arms. There was no way I was into sharing a man, or was this open about sex. It wasn’t completely selfish to want one man who only wanted me. My mind screamed to run, but instead I glared at the ghostly pale woman with bright red lips, holding a baby close to her chest. "Do they live here?"

Sam gave me a sideways glance like he wanted to read my thoughts, which was impossible. I planted my feet against the hardwood floor. He gestured toward the woman. "I have a small coven. I asked Claire to bring Felix."

He crossed the room in two strides and took the baby from Claire’s arms. She sent me a predatory glare. My heart fluttered as I stepped back. "Coven? What do you mean?"

Sam waved for her to leave the room and the blonde simply left without argument. He then handed the baby to me. "It’s not about Claire. It’s Felix. Will you hold him?"

For a second my arms stayed glued to my side, but then I took Felix. He also had black-as-night eyes, even in the candlelight. I held him closer to my heart. He was so tiny with no hair under that white bonnet and he didn’t cry. Something seemed off about him. "He’s so cold and small."

The doors closed. The little one wiggled in my arms but was so silent it worried me. His head needed to be supported. I tried to soothe him. "What do you mean coven, Sam?"

Sam petted the back of Felix’s head. "I need your help with Felix."

This baby, cold and pale, wasn’t my enemy. I’ve never been around any baby, but even I knew this wasn’t normal. A candle blew out on the table as I shifted him to my other arm. "How do you know Claire?"

Sam ignored the candle. "She and I and many of… my roommates have been like a family for centuries."

This was all wrong. I hugged the baby closer. "Centuries? Sam, I think I should go."

I tried to hand him the baby, but he put his palms up. "Felix needs your help. You see how helpless and weak he is."

"Yes." The word trembled from my mouth. Perhaps I was overreacting. This boy was innocent. I held him to my chest to warm him.

Sam straightened, blocking the exit. Ice grew around my heart as I knew I shouldn’t be here. "Claire has refused to put Felix out of his misery—she hopes you can cure him."

Orlando had hospitals equipped to save lives. I shook my head and tried to hand him back again. "I’m not a doctor. I can’t cure a sick infant."

Sam delicately picked up my wrist. "Please, do as I say and try."

One minute to help a baby wasn’t much. If I ran right now, I’d feel guilty later. I took a deep breath and let the air fill my lungs. "Very well. How can I help?"

He moved my wrist toward the baby’s lips. "Give him your wrist."

Right before my skin touched the baby’s mouth, Sam swiped my wrist with a sharp fingernail. It started to bleed. "Ouch! That hurt, Sam."

The baby suckled the cut. "Let your blood touch his lips," Sam instructed.

Felix’s heart beat against the white gown and when he opened his eyes the black had turned crystal blue. I lifted him and he cried. My body shook as I held him tighter now. My blood was his cure? Crazy. "He’s getting warmer—how did I do this?"

Sam walked closer to me, but I stepped back, clutching Felix to my chest. "So,” he said, “you are as I thought when I tasted you the first time."

Tasted me? I ran around the dining room table to get to the doors. I needed to leave, now. My entire body trembled with fear but I couldn’t give the baby back. Sam jumped in front of me and I shook my head. The baby mewled like a kitten, sparking my urge to protect him. I cradled him in my arms and held him close. "I’m what? Felix is crying. I think he’s hungry."

Sam swiped the air as if erasing my words. "He’s human now. His mother can no longer feed him, only you can."

More of my blood? Humans don’t drink blood, and I don’t want to be a vampire. If I left Felix here, I feared these monsters might kill him. Somehow, I needed to pass Sam and run out of this house, right now. "I’m not a mother. I’ve never even babysat before."

"Then he’ll die." Sam spoke like he didn’t care.

I held the crying baby to my shoulder and gingerly stepped around Sam. "You’re scaring me. I’m going to leave now. I’ll figure out how to take care of Felix."

"I can’t let you leave, Hazel." Sam followed me to the dining room doors.

I flung them open and saw Claire standing there in wait. She looked at Felix and I swear she smiled before she nodded at me.

I had a sense Claire didn’t want the baby back. She didn’t make a move toward me and I walked right to the front door. "Well, I can’t stay." I pulled at the gold knob but the door didn’t budge. I turned. Claire clutched Sam’s arm. I shouted, "Open the door."

"You came here willingly." Sam didn’t move.

Again, I pulled on the door, and all it did was rattle. "I’m not willing now. Open the door."

Sam walked toward me and fear paralyzed my spine. "I told you, I can’t let you go."

He was going to kill me. Tears welled in my eyes and I hugged the baby though my shoulders slumped. "Why not, Sam? You said you loved me. Open the door."

Sam brushed his frigid hand against my cheek. "You’re who we’re all searching for, you are the one. I found you. Now I can’t let you go."

"Stop!" Claire yanked Sam back.

I met her gaze and then rushed toward the door. This time it opened and I ran outside.

The air was warm as fire, but I raced down the street with Felix in my arm. All I knew was that Sam was strong and fast and I needed to get as far from him as possible. Now.