Blood Series

Chapter 1

The sunlight slowly crept in through the white lace curtains of Natalie’s bedroom window. It slowly made its way across the bedroom floor to the foot of her bed. Slowly moving up the bed, over her feet warming them in the process. She felt the heat and moved them to the cooler part of the bed sheets. She knew before too long the light would make its appearance to her eyes. Dreading the thought of a blast of light she decided to awake on her own terms.

She stretched out her body preparing it for the long day ahead. After all it was her thirty-fourth birthday, well that and her twins brothers as well. She knew that Nathan would be planning a big party just like he always does and begging her to attend which she always dreads. She crossed her arms over her head at the thought. Her long dark brown hair laid about the pillows as she rolled over and watched the sunlight creep up further along her body.

Finally after what seemed like hours but only minutes she swung her legs off the side of the bed and placed her warm feet on the chill of the wood floor. She sat on the bed in her blue flannel night gown still dreading the day ahead, knowing her brother would be calling in the next hour or two to wish them both a happy birthday. She knew it was wrong of her to think such unhappy thoughts but she couldn’t help it. Their birthday was an unhappy reminder that their parents were no longer with them.

They had only past two years ago in a tragic car accident, during one of the worst snow storms the small town of Willow Creek, Alaska had seen in twenty years. She had always felt it was her fault since they were on their way to her house for dinner even though she told them it was too dangerous for them to make the trip.

She shook the thought out of her head, as she stood up and stretched her body more.

“No not today.” She told herself.

She may be dreading her birthday, but she didn’t want to think of bad memories when there is so much more good memories to think of. She slowly walked into her bathroom and stood in front of the mirror and rubbed her eyes. The soft massage gave them comfort even for the short time she massaged them. She turned on the cold water as she bent down to splash some on her face. She took the white hand towel off the towel rack and patted her face dry. She then reached for her tooth brush.

After her morning wake-up routine, she went back into her bedroom and place her feet into her sheep skin slippers. Grabbed her white rob from the back of her oak wood door and wrapped the warmth around her. It was always slightly cold in the morning in her house. After all she did live in Alaska and it was winter. She opened the door and breathed in the coffee smell deeply. Her coffee pot was already brewing that hot liquid that she so desperately needed.

The wood floor creaked beneath her feet as she made her way to the kitchen. She opened the cabinet door and pulled out her favorite mug that said ‘I hate mornings’ with a cartoon character of woman with wild hair. The only reason why she had bought the mug was because it reminded her of how she was in the mornings without her coffee. She poured the hot liquid into her cup, placed the coffee pot back and took the hot mug into her hand. Cupping the mug with both hands as she gently blew on the liquid to cool her first sip.

After she had swallowed she sighed. Just what I needed she thought. She walked into the living room and looked out the window and saw that the paperboy didn’t throw the paper up by the door, no he through it in the snow. Great now I will have to wait for the damn thing to dry before I can read it. She thought as she bit the inside of her cheek. She placed her mug on the inn table and tightened her rob tight as she prepared to walk outside to get the paper.

She took off her slippers and placed her snow boots onto her warm feet chilling them. Before she went outside the chill of the boots reminder her to turn the furnace up. She opened the door and the crunch of the snow beneath her feet as she rushed to get the paper and back inside. She placed her slippers back onto her feet and placed the paper next to the vent so that it could dry faster.

Afterwards she went back to living and sat down in her brown suede recliner. Took her mug from the inn table and took another sip. She picked up the remote and click the TV on to the local news.

“Gas prices are on the rise once again.” The news caster spoke. “By the summer it is said that the price could reach three dollars.”

Wonderful, just what I need on a waitress’s wage.

The news was nothing new; just more information about the small town Haper’s Grocery was celebrating its fiftieth anniversary and in doing so they were having a raffle. Summit’s car lot was doing their annual Christmas giveaway for a new car and Jones’ grocery was broken into last night, but the local police said it looked like school kids were to blame since all that seemed to be missing was alcohol.

After the news the Price is Right game show came on. It was now nine o’clock and Natalie thought that she should get dressed and make her way down to the small square and to the Polar Tavern to pick up her pay check. She did after all have some errands to run this morning, and pick up Nathan’s birthday present from the hardware store. He had been looking at new saw since his old one busted. Natalie thought that that would be the perfect gift for him. She just hopes that no one else in the small town would get him one too, since everyone knew. Nathan loved to work with his hands and was always remodeling something either in his own house or other’s.

The coffee was starting to kick in so to speak as she got up from the chair and made her way to her bedroom to get dressed. She opened the white French doors in her beige colored room. She pulled out her blue jeans and a warm red sweater from the hangers. She slide her legs into each pant leg and pulled the sweater over her head. She pulled out some wool socks from her old brown dresser, and slid them onto each foot. She decided to keep her hair down today due to the cold, she took her brush from her vanity and brushed her hair. With her hair brushed and free from any tangles, she walked across the wood floor back to the front door. But on her black snow boots and her black Columbia jacket.

She was not looking forward to getting into her trail blazer and waiting for it to warm up. She really needed to invest in one of those remotes that starts the car beforehand. Mike’s garage installs them, she thought, maybe I’ll stop by there and see how much they are. Mike…he was a nice looking man, hair the color of coal, black and nicely cut. Dark brown eyes that reminded her of chocolate. Nicely built but not too muscular. He was polite and kind to her and never made any advances even though it was clear that he liked her. He always was a little clumsy when Natalie was around. Which she found sweet and cute.

Before she opened the door, she put on her cotton hat and made sure her ears were covered, along with her beige purse. She opened the door and made sure to lock it once outside. She unlocked her truck and quickly climbed in. she started it up but didn’t immediately turn on the heat, knowing that it would just push out the cold air making her even colder than she already was. She put the truck in reverse and slowly pushed down on the gas. The tires spun somewhat in the snow a bit, but did pull out of the driveway. She put the truck in drive and slowly pushed down on the gas and headed off to the Polar Tavern.

Her cell phone began to ring in her purse, but she did not pick it up. There was no way she was going to answer the phone while she was driving in the weather, with the roads still having just a slight dusting of snow covering them. Besides she knew it was Nathan calling, he always had bad timing. She would call him back once she was safely parked in the parking lot of the tavern. The speed limit down the road was usually forty-five mph; however Natalie was only doing twenty-five. She passed the Johnson’s house. Mr. Johnson was outside salting his sidewalk and walkway. He waved at Natalie and she waved back. They were a nice old couple, been married for fifty years. Deep down Natalie admired them.

She once was engaged when she was twenty-two, but that ended after two years when she found out that her fiancé Jeff and an affair with Lori one of her friends from work. Jeff and Lori ended up marrying and moved to Anchorage. This was a good thing. She didn’t think she would be able to survive if they had stayed here. She’s had dates since then but nothing too serious, you could say she just hasn’t meet the right person yet. Which of course it is kinda hard when you already know everyone in town.

She got tired of just hearing the engine of the truck and decided to turn on the radio. She took her eyes off the road for a few seconds as she searched for song. When she looked up again, there was a man crossing the road. Her eyes went wide with fear, she slammed on the brakes. They locked up and yet she wasn’t stopping. She was sliding right towards him. The man saw her yet he didn’t move. She thought that was strange and feared that she would hit him.

“MOVE!” she shouted. “MOVE!”

She was waving her arm at him to move. Yet there he stood. Did this man have a death wish, damn it move. She thought. The truck was beginning to slow, but she still believed that it would not stop in time. As the truck got closer she closed her eyes. She didn’t want to see the man get hit. Her eyes tight, heart racing, she braced for the impact. Her arms stiff her hands tight on the wheel and her foot still on the brake. The truck stopped with a jerk.

OH MY GOD I hit him. She slowly opened her eyes excepting to see his body lying on the hood of her truck or knocked several feet in front of her truck on the snowy ground. As her eyes came into focus, nobody on the hood, no body lying on the ground. No, there he stood just inches from her truck. Long black trench coat, covering his body. Short brown hair closely cut to his head, big brown eyes, and square jaw and sexy has all hell lips that smiled at her.

Her heart was still racing but this time she wasn’t sure if it was from almost killing this man or the way he looked at her. He tapped the hood of her truck and kept eye contact with her as he walked off the road.

Gabriel began to walk across the road when he heard the brakes of the truck. He stopped and watched this woman in the truck panic. He knew that he should move to ease her worry, but there was something about her that made him stay still. Her eyes bright as emeralds and her long and brown, soft features even though they were in panic mode. It seemed that it was just a few seconds ago he was thinking of Clair his mate for almost century that had left him for another. And here he is about to be hit thinking how beautiful this woman is.

It’s not that he didn’t love Clair he did, but he knew that she was longing to be with another. Clair stopped loving him for some time and so did he. They were just not the same couple anymore after being with each other for so long and seeing the things that have seen. Clair changed. She succumbed to her wild, animal side. Gabriel was done with that part of his life and wanted a normal life. Well as normal as a vampire could get anyhow.

Now seeing this woman, made him feel normal even if it was just for a short time. He saw that her eyes closed tightly and her arms stiff. She was bracing for the impact. He knew that the truck couldn’t kill him, but she didn’t know that. Gabriel thought this amusing. As the truck slid closer to him, he put his hand out and waited for the truck to come into contact with him. He planted his feet firmly and stopped the truck with a slight jerk.

She’ll just think it was a natural stop he thought. He took his hand off the truck and waited for her to open her eyes. He tilted his head to the left in amusement as he saw her eyes begin to open. He smiled at her when she saw that he was unharmed. He straighten his head and looked deeply into those bright green eyes and had thought for the slight second that his heart started to beat. He never had that feeling for another in the century’s his been alive.

He tapped the hood of the woman’s truck and moved out of her while keeping his locked on hers. He made his way over to the safety of the sidewalk and motioned for her to carry one.

Natalie rolled down the window “I’m so sorry” she said to him. Her heart still racing and her body now shaking from all the adrenaline rushing through her veins.

“No worries miss.” He replied back to her, wishing that he could steal a kiss from those soft rose lips.

“Are you okay?” Natalie asked him.

“I’m quite fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“The question is are you?” Gabriel asked. Noticing her body shaking and the rush of blood he could hear pulsing through her veins. The animal inside of him wanted the taste of her blood, but if doing that he would be taking a sip from the devil’s cup. That was something he wasn’t willing to do.

“I’m fine…” Natalie replied

He gave her a stern look, he didn’t believe her and she knew that he didn’t just by his look.

“Honestly I’m fine and again I’m so sorry.” She said to him.

“That’s quite alright Miss.”

He watched as she rolled up the window and drove off. He may have just watched the love of his life leave his sight. Then again he thought it was silly that he could possibly be in love with a mortal. No vampire has ever loved a mortal; it was forbidden in his world. But right now he didn’t care; he wanted to know more about her and wanted to see her again.

Pages

Book Trailer

Slow Progress

Love, Blood & Peril

Another Day

Summary