consume by melissa darnell - chapter sampler

7/28/2019 Consume by Melissa Darnell - Chapter Sampler

1/16


2/16


3/16

DID YOU PURCHASE THIS BOOK WITHOUT A COVER?If you did, you should be aware it is stolen propertyas it was

reported unsold and destroyed by a retailer.Neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment

for this book.

First Published 2013First Australian Paperback Edition 2013ISBN 978 174356280 2

CONSUME 2013 by Melissa DarnellPhilippine Copyright 2013Australian Copyright 2013

New Zealand Copyright 2013

Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilisation of this work in wholeor in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now knownor hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or inany information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the permission ofthe publisher, Harlequin Enterprises, Locked Bag 7002, Chatswood D.C. N.S.W.,

Australia 2067.

This book is sold subject to the condition that shall not, by way of trade orotherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the priorconsent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it

is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposedon the subsequent purchaser.

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in anyform. This edition is published in arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A..

This is a work of ction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either theproduct of the authors imagination or are used ctitiously, and any resemblanceto actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales isentirely coincidental.

Published byHarlequin TEEN

An imprint of Harlequin Enterprises

Level 4132 Arthur StreetNORTH SYDNEY NSW 2060

AUSTRALIA

and are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its corporateafliates and used by others under licence. Trademarks marked with an areregistered in Australia and in other countries. Contact [email protected] details.

Cover art used by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.. All rights reserved.

Printed and bound in Australia by Grifn Press


4/16

CHAPTER 1

SAVANNAH

I stared at the surrounding forest on Rich Mountain, one

hand braced against the trunk of a leaf less hardwood tree at

my side, my too-quick breaths making puffs of fog in the

afternoon air as the feeble sun edged beneath the winter-

stripped branches of the tree line. The air was smoky, acrid

with the false promise of comfort from the chimney of a

cabin several yards behind me, which I was struggling to

ignore during my few blessed minutes of solitude outside.

It should have been perfect . Tristan and me and a remote

log cabin with a crackling fireplace nestled on a west Ar-kansas mountain in December. No Clann or vampire coun-

cil nearby to bother us. No more rules or secrets to keep

us apart. No more risk of accidentally draining and killing

Tristan with a kiss.

Instead, it was all wrong, and I was staggering under the


5/16

M e l i s s a D a r n e l l8

We werent alone here. My dad had come along, not

for Tristans safety or even my own, but for anyone else

who might come too close and trigger the bloodlust withinTristan. If not for Dads holding him back last night, Tristan

might have slaughtered his own family in the Circle, the

Clanns clearing and primary meeting place in our home-

town woods where so much Clann and vamp blood had been

shed only hours ago.

Just the memory of how Tristan had looked therehis

once soft emerald eyes turned white-silver with need, his

normally full lips stretched thin and baring newly formed

fangs as he snarled with rageforced a shudder to ripple

through my body. Until that moment, Id never seen a vam-

pire lose control to the bloodlust. Now that I had, I wouldnever forget it.

Coming to this isolated cabin hadnt been optional, and

staying here promised to be anything but fun or peaceful.

Wed had to load up Dads car last night and come here im-

mediately after the battle in the Circle just to get Tristan away

from all humans before the bloodlust drove him crazy. Even

stopping for gas had been a nightmare. Thank heavens Jack-

sonville, our East Texas hometown, was only a days drive,

so we hadnt been forced to stop often. Now that Tristan was

a full vampire, his strength was far beyond my own thanks

to his years of playing football and strength training beforebeing turned. The one time we had stopped, Id had to fill

the gas tank so that Dad could hold Tristan inside the car

and away from the humans in the gas station.

And afterward, the new mind connection had made it all

so much worse, allowing Tristan to pick up my every thought


6/16

CONSUME 9

Before I had turned Tristan, the ESP between us had been

a one-way street and I hadnt had to worry about his hearing

my every thought. Because vampires and Clann were natural-born enemies, mental blocks had evolved in both the vamp

and Clann species so that neither side could read the others

minds. But because I was a dhampirborn from a human

mother and a vampire fatherI could read both sides minds

yet was shielded from their reading mine.

Unfortunately now that Tristan was half Clann and half

vampire like me, we suddenly had zero trouble reading each

others every thought. This would have been great if there

had been some sort of off switch to the ability. But for now,

at least, there didnt seem to be one, turning the new abil-

ity into more of a curse. The only way we could block eachothers thoughts was to be in separate rooms. Walls with

closed doors and windows between us thankfully seemed to

cut off our brain waves from each other.

It used to make me feel so alone, this ability to read but

not be read by all the open minds around me. But now that

Tristan had become the one person on this planet who could

read my every thought as soon as it formed, I realized how

spoiled Id become by having the freedom to think anything

I wanted. I had no idea how to discipline the panicked, guilty

chaos inside my head while around him. And because of my

lack of mental self-control, I was hurting him over and over.Which was why, after Tristan had fallen asleep inside the

cabin still hurt and confused by my reaction to him at the

gas station, Id snuck out here to the woods to catch a breath.

And to f inally give in to the thousand and one worries I had

fought so hard not to think when he was awake.


7/16


I wrapped an arm around a nearby tree and leaned against

it, allowing it to hold me up. I was so tired, but my mind

refused to shut off and let me rest.

The cabin door creaked out in warning, and another

chunk of tree bark crumbled under my fingers as I twisted

to look back over my shoulder.

Dad walked over to join me, and my shoulders sagged

under a wave of relief. Id almost forgotten that I wasnt alonein this. Thank God I had Dad to turn to for advice on how

to train a fledgling, because I was completely clueless here.

Come to get some fresh mountain air? he said.

No. Justneeding some space to worry about Tristan.

He can hear my every thought now, whether I want him to

or not. But he doesnt remember anything except the mem-

ories he got from my blood. Hes so lost and confused, and

he doesnt understand why Im freaking out. My voice was

rising. I took a breath and struggled to bring it down to a

murmur so Tristan wouldnt hear us. How are we going to

tell him about everything?Dad had said the biggest danger for all fledglings was in

the first few months after theyd turned, when the human

mind struggled to adjust to the vampire DNA. During this

phase, he said the brain tended to react as if after a concus-

sion, shutting off the memory center and operating solely on

the baser levels of senses and instincts. The memory would

return in time, but it could take several months.

In the meantime, Tristan might be highly emotional and

possibly even irrational sometimes, and it would be hard for

him to concentrate for long periods of time. In addition,


8/16

CONSUME 11

derstanding of why he felt such cravings, and hed have the

speed, strength and reflexes of a full vampire.

We cannot attempt to hasten the recovery of his memo-ries in any way, Dad said. We must be patient and allow

his memories to return to him on their own. Telling him

what he has forgotten will only stress and confuse him still

further. He will never truly believe what he does not remem-

ber himself, and right now he is in much too volatile a state

to handle all the ramif ications of our current situation. You

will have to continue to protect him from your thoughts as

much as you are able to.

Easier said than done.

What if he never remembers it all? What if Im not strong

enough, or smart enough, or we dont train him right or fastenough?

Dad rested a hand on my shoulder. Now you know all

that I have gone through with you. Becoming responsible

for anothers continued existence is the heaviest responsibil-

ity there is. But it does grow easier with time.

Time. How much did we even have? Will the council

try to find us out here?

He shook his head. They trust me to be truthful in my

reports to them by phone. The Clann, however

I frowned in confusion. Tristans mom is leading them

now. Why would they be a problem?We both know how she feels about our kind.

And Nancy Coleman blamed me for turning her only son

into the very thing she feared the most in life.

Okay, so she might hate my guts, I said. But if shed

wanted to take me out, she could have done it last night in


9/16


With such a mixed audience of both Clann and vampire

councilmen present?

Hmm. I saw his point. A chill spread over my skin. Still,shes Tristans mom. She knows he needs me to help train

him now.

Unless she decides you and Tristan are too great a threat

to the Clann after all. Especially now that you have proven

your blood can turn descendants where no other vampires

has been able to before.

My stomach twisted. I took a slow and careful breath. She

wouldnt do that. Not to her own son. She adores Tristan,

no matter what Ive turned him into.

For all our sakes, let us hope you are right. Let us also

hope that she gains control over the Clann quickly before anydescendants can decide to take matters into their own hands

and seek retribution against you for turning their leader.

Tristan was only their leader for about two minutes.

Even still, he was their leader. And now he is cast out and

all but dead to them. You turned him into that which they

fear above all else in this world. It is not likely that they will

forget that fact soon.

I stared at the seemingly endless miles of surrounding

woods now turning to shades of gray in the fast growing

dusk. Even if the Clann comes after us, they cant find us

out here. We didnt leave a trail, and no one knows aboutthis place. Right?

They do not have to know about it. If the Clann is de-

termined to find us, the odds are in their favor that they

will. Do not forget, they have both spells and the Keepers

to aid them.


10/16

CONSUME 13

the Keepers, a group of families also originally from Ireland

who, in the old country, had agreed to have a shapeshifter

spell placed upon them that spanned generations. Once theyshifted into the form of giant black panthers, the Keepers

could read both Clann and vampire minds, including mine

and probably still Tristans, too. My best friends boyfriend,

Ron Abernathy, was one of a long line of Keepers.

Could the Clann force Ron and his family to help them

hunt us?

I swallowed against a growing knot in my throat. We were

buried deep in the woods two states away from the Clanns

Jacksonville headquarters. How would the Keepers scent us

downby following the smell of our car exhaust?

I took every precaution possible during our trip, Dadsaid. And we will stay away from the surrounding towns

to lessen the humans knowledge of our presence here. Nev-

ertheless, we must remain cautious. If you sense any sort of

magic being used, you must let me know at once. They may

try to use a spell to track us down if they become truly de-

termined.

Oh, great. I hadnt thought of that, either.

Like all Clann descendants, I had the ability to feel when

magic was being used nearby. It would hit me as a sensation

of pins and needles stabbing the back of my neck and arms.

But I was still new to using my Clann abilities and, as anoutcast of the Clann since before my birth, I was also com-

pletely self-taught. There was so much I didnt know about

magic. How far away could it be used on someone? Would

I feel that spell if the user was physically far away from me?

Then I remembered who I was talking to and froze.


11/16


my mother and grandmother never teach me how to use

magic. But Id broken that rule and secretly learned how to

anyway. Until last night, Id worked especially hard to keepmy growing Clann abilities a secret from my dad, because

the vampire council could read his every thought.

This was the first time Dad had openly acknowledged he

knew I could use magic.

He must have seen me throwing defensive spells last night

in the Circle. The council members probably had seen it,

too. During the heat of the battle while blocking and re-

turning spells, hiding my new abilities had been the absolute

last thing on my mind.

I didnt know whether to be relieved that my final secret

was out, or even more worried. Has the council said any-thing to you about my newum, skills?

He shook his head, his mouth set in a grim line. I suspect

they are waiting to see how Tristans training turns out first.

It would not be strategically wise of them to risk upsetting

the only two vampires in the world who also have magical

abilities, especially when one of them is currently so unstable

and the treaty with the Clann is in question. But eventually

I do expect them to call both of you in fora discussion.

Great. The last time the council had summoned me to

their headquarters in Paris, theyd kidnapped Tristan and

used him to test my ability to resist the bloodlust for Clannblood, the most powerful temptation to any vamp alive. Id

passed the test, but barely.

I had zero desire to see how a ticked-off, newly turned

Tristan would react to facing the council in their headquar-

ters.


12/16

CONSUME 15

sis at a time. First we had to stabilize Tristan, make it safe

for him to be around others again. Then wed deal with the

council.So about Tristans training, I said. Youve got a plan,

right?

Not exactly.

I turned to stare at him. Youre joking, right? Youre

over three hundred years old. Youve probably trained tons

of f ledglings by now.

You are my only fledgling still alive.

What happened to the ones who came before me?

There was only one. In the first hundred years of my

immortal life, Gowin was busy with his many other f ledg-

lings and I became lonely and disillusioned by my existence.I foolishly attempted to turn a dying friend so that I might

have a companion, someone to speak with about our unique

trials and tribulations.

My heartbeat raced. What happened?

I failed to help him overcome the initial hurdle of the

bloodlust.

So the council?

My fledgling was out of control despite my best efforts,

and ultimately I could not argue with the councils decision

to put him down.

Put him down?Oh. He meant theyd killed his first f ledgling.

And since I was a dhampir instead of a full vamp, my ver-

sion of training probably didnt count toward Dads true track

record as a vamp sire. Which meant Dad didnt know what

he was doing, either.


13/16


not to picture Tristan facing the councils wrath if Dad and

I failed to teach him self-control. Theyre not animals to

be put down. Theyre people.When the council decides to end a f ledglings existence,

believe me, it is not because that fledgling is exhibiting any

higher form of civilized traits. They are animals, driven by

nothing other than the base need to feed. Putting them

down is the only apt way to describe it. It is an act of com-

passion made with the understanding that the person that

fledgling once was can never be brought back in any shape

or form, thus hopefully saving both the f ledglings soul along

with all the souls of the lives they would otherwise take from

this world.

I stared at my dad, sensing both the quick buzzing qual-ity of his emotions in the air between us and hearing his

thoughts. Id never seen him so wound up like this, both

afraid and desperate and ashamed all at the same time.

Ashamed of his previous failure, fearful that we would fail

again and this time it would be my f ledgling who would face

the councils ultimate punishment.

But my dad was a three-hundred-year-old vamp and a

former member of the council. He was supposed to have all

the answers.

What about asking the council for advice? I said.

Even council members occasionally fail with their f ledg-lings. You become a council member for your age and po-

litical skills, not because you know more than everyone else

in the community. Besides, our situation with the council is

already exceedingly tenuous, and I have no desire to further

sway them toward making any hasty decisions. As it is, they


14/16

CONSUME 17

two vamps with magical abilities who might one day rise

up against them. If they believe we are incapable of training

Tristan to control himselfHe didnt have to finish that thought. My imagination

could fill in the gap all too easily.

What about asking for help from other vamps not on

the council? Somebody out theres got to have this training

stuff down by now.

He continued to stare off into the distance, letting silence

answer for him.

So we just have to figure this out on our own? I couldnt

breathe as the enormity of what we were facing crashed over

me.

I am sorry to disappoint you, Savannah, but there is noVampire Training for Dummies guide to assist us, no vampire

f ledgling school to send him to. Every f ledgling is a unique

case, this one more so than ever. I can only try the methods

my sire utilized with me during my initial days as a vamp

while you attempt to keep Tristan calm and guide him to

avoid using his Clann abilities. It is the best that we can do.

So we were alone in this. Pass or fail, it was all up to us and

only us to figure out how to bring an irrational, moody am-

nesiac vamp with magic skills far beyond my own back from

the proverbial ledge. And to do it, we would be using anti-

quated training methods that had already failed my dad once.Worse, those training methods had been passed down from

the very same vampire councilman who had gone rogue,

tried to rip out Tristans heart and caused this entire mess in

the first place.

The cabin door creaked open again, and my heartbeat


15/16


Tristan was awake.

I forced my mind to go blank and the air to fill and leave

my lungs in a steadier rhythm.A second later Tristan was at my other side. I woke up

and no one was around.

Just out getting some fresh air, Dad murmured. It is a

lovely sunset, is it not? A quick peek into his mind revealed

he was thinking about nature.

But Tristan watched only me, frowning, his thoughts

showing he was trying to read my emotions when he couldnt

get anything from my thoughts. Are you okay? Your heart

is racing, and I can smell fear on you, he added silently.

I made myself smile. Everythings f ine. Howd you sleep?

He shrugged. Okay, I guess. I woke up thirsty, though.Dads gaze darted sideways to meet mine. He turned to-

ward us. We should go inside and feed.

But Tristan wasnt listening. Frowning, he raised his chin

several inches and sniffed the air. What is that?

What? I sniffed the air, too, but smelled only the chim-

ney smoke, the dead leaves under our feet, the dirt.And then Tristan was gone. He ran so fast that even my

vamp eyes couldnt follow his movements.

Shocked, I looked at Dad. What the

Deer hunters, Dad growled.

Oh, God. Tristan had scented humans somewhere in the

woods.

We took off after him with only the newly disturbed leaves

to show where he had been.


16/16

Like the

Chapter Sampler?

Click here to find out more >
http://bit.ly/1brdufjhttp://bit.ly/1brdufjhttp://bit.ly/1brdufjhttp://bit.ly/1brdufj

consume by melissa darnell - chapter sampler

Documents