Darling Fiend: Dark Blood Clan, page 1
Copyright © 2022 T. Rae
ISBN:979-8-9862440-3-7
Widow’s Moon Publishing
All rights reserved.
Editing and Proofreading by Brian Hawkins and Risa Blaine
Cover Design by Rebecca Ira
Formatting and Chapter Design by Onyxluna
This is a work of fiction. All Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either a product of the author’s twisted imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without approval from the author. Doing so would break copyright and licensing laws.
No part of this book may be uploaded without the permission of the publisher and author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is originally published.
The publisher and author acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks, and word marks mentioned in this book.
Author’s Notes
As a new author, your rating and review means the world. If you enjoyed this book, please consider supporting it by leaving your thoughts in a review. If it wasn’t to your liking, please feel free to toss it in the bin and never think of it again.
Trigger Warnings
This book may contain triggers for some readers. If you aren’t comfortable reading profanity, are not inclusive of all individuals, and do not like explicit/graphic situations with gore and disturbing content, this book may not be for you. This includes blood play, dominance, kink play, choking, dubcon, and SA.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my husband and daughter. You’re always there to push me forward, even when the path seems impossible.
Playlist
I Am Stretched On Your Grave—Dead Can Dance
Written in Blood –She Wants Revenge
Forever — Apoptygma Bezerek
Suck It Up — Die Warzau
Maniacal — Front Line Assembly
GodLike—KMFDM
Jasmine and Rose—Clan of Xymox
The Blood—The Cure
New York—Microchip Leauge
And This Is What The Devil Does—My Life With the Thrill Kill Cult
It’s No Good—Depeche Mode
Just Like Heaven — The Cure
The Hand That Feeds -Nine Inch Nails
Wake up; Time to die—Pop Will Eat Itself (PWEI)
Chrome –VNV Nation
Floorshow—The Sisters Of Mercy
I Give To You — Nitzer Ebb
Christian Says — Tones On Tails
Evaine jolted awake, gasping as electricity coursed through her, every nerve vibrating with a crackling energy that made her feel like she was on fire. Struggling for air, her chest ached, and her vision blurred as pain stabbed her skull. Her body shook with the trauma of transformation, shivering with the unrelenting iciness that now pumped through her veins.
A loud wail pierced the tuned drums of her sensitive ears, forcing her to cover them. Her throat was raw, her voice hoarse. It took a couple of ticks before she realized she was the one screaming and snapped her mouth shut.
The silence was a welcome reprieve as she wrapped her arms around her body in a futile attempt to stop the shivering. Weighted lids protested as she fought to keep her eyes open, the brightness of the dim room making them flutter as memories slammed into her like a torrent of suffering.
Everything that no longer existed bombarded her: childhood, family vacations, picnics in Central Park spent playing on the swings. The first night she met Gage, the last time she saw him alive, the smile curling his full lips as he said goodbye.
Bitter, raw emotions tore a wound in her heart that would never heal. It made her stomach roil and her breath catch as she pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. Agony rendered her helpless against the onslaught of vivid memories of Tristan using his influence to feed from her, revealing the truth of what and who he was. His smooth, icy lips as they stole a kiss she didn’t give freely.
Abraded wounds oozed keen-edged anguish, her chest aching with a deep kerf as Julien’s influence washed away, the barrier he’d put in place going with it, allowing a hollowed emptiness to settle in its place. Tears streamed down her cheeks, paying homage to everything so cruelly taken, a life torn asunder and left burning around her feet.
But the sadness didn’t last long, anger crystallizing her frigid innards, the need for revenge fueling rage. Nothing would replace her loss, but knowing Tristan was dead would make the pain more tolerable.
One less monster in this world.
When the next wave of agony strangled her, it brought visions of Julien biting her and Tristan snapping her neck; her trembling hand automatically grazing the curve as she tested her range of motion and found only two small spots left by Julien’s fangs. They were tender to the touch, a small price for still breathing.
Immortality has its perks.
As Evaine’s body normalized, the chill chattered her teeth, her hammering heart slowing to something more akin to beating, her breath coming in controlled puffs like she had to learn to breathe again.
Every limb trembled, and her knees buckled when she slipped off the bed.
It took effort to get her feet to cooperate, but she finally managed, snatching the blanket and wrapping it around her shoulders before she tentatively padded toward the dresser.
Her breath caught as she stared at her reflection.
Fire-engine red curls framed her face, full and silky, the rich crimson shimmering in the low light. Colors were vivid and complex, her emerald eyes glimmering with facets of green that she’d never noticed. A thin black band circled the outer edge of her irises, making her look otherworldly — monstrous.
At the corners, her lips held a faint blue. Her skin was smooth, flawless, alabaster, and cold to the touch. Her nails, longer and sharper, made for tearing and ripping, the exposed beds tinted the same light blue as her lips, then darkened to purple at the cuticle.
When she pulled up her lip, her straight teeth were a radiant white, fangs extending, razor-sharp, with ragged points slicing her tongue as she ran it over the tips. Coppery blood filled her mouth, and she instinctively sucked it from the wound, the taste of pennies and something sweet and fruity making her stomach pang with hunger.
Ravenous and driven by the instinct to feed, she padded to the door, saliva pooling at the thought of a meal.
Her keen ears caught a soft mumbled whimper that sounded like Jacob, the pain-laced groan forcing hunger away as concern took the driver’s seat.
Another, louder moan had her reaching for the knob and stepping inside his room, her need to feed forgotten.
Even in the dark, his shape was plain in the bed, curled on his side, his breathing ragged and heavy. Her stomach lurched, guilt twisting it in painful knots.
He’s doing this for me.
“Jay? Are you okay?”
Evaine hurried to his side but stopped dead when she realized he wasn’t alone.
A tiny figure sat on the floor, back against the bed, pink pigtails bobbing in time with her soft humming.
In a blink, Evaine was staring at the girl, who sat with her legs crossed, her ruffled pink and black dress piled around her. “Skye?”
A wide smile curled her full lips. “Oh, Evie! You’re awake! I didn’t notice.”
Something akin to jealousy snaked through Evaine, choking out the guilt. “What are you doing in here?”
Unfazed by the sharpness of her tone, Skye squeezed Jacob’s limp hand. “Keeping him company, Silly.”
As if on cue, he groaned and mumbled Evaine’s name.
A frown curled down the corners of Skye’s mouth as she wiped the sweat from his damp, contorted face, her bottom lip pushing out in a pout, big, inky eyes flicking up. “He keeps calling your name.”
Evaine didn’t understand the tinge of jealousy in her tone as she sat on the edge of the mattress and ran her hand over his mussed hair. Unsure what else to say, she asked, “Is he in pain?”
“His body is still working through the change, but he’s mostly unconscious now, so he’s past the worst. You should’ve heard him screaming earlier. It was marvelous.” Skye’s tone was tainted with a weird mixture of insanity and whimsy. When Evaine glared, she let go of Jacob’s hand and pushed to her feet with a huff. “Don’t be such a sourpuss. He’s gonna be fine! Better, even!”
Evaine gripped Jacob’s hand, eyeing him with concern. “I hope you’re right.”
“I’m always right!” Skye chirped, fidgeting with the ruffles of her dress.
“Thank you for taking such good care of Jacob, Skye. He means everything to me.”
“No problem!” A grin spread across her youthful face as she bounced in place. “I’m so excited to have you two as part of our family.” Her sing-song voice made Evaine smile. Despite the oddness of the girl, she seemed genuine.
“Me too,” Evaine said, which was only half a lie.
There was something both disarming and concerning about the way Skye stared, those black eyes watching everything with sharp scrutiny before she wrapped her arms around Evaine’s neck.
Instinct made Evaine’s body tense as the lithe girl squeezed, but before she could shrug Skye off, she dropped her arms and stepped back. “I’ll leave you to him.” There was a quick wave before she skipped toward the door, her skirt bouncing every which way. “See you soon!” she said over her shoulder before shutting it with a soft click.
Evaine exhaled a thready sigh and pulled the blanket around her trembling body, unable to warm. “I need you to wake up, you jerk, cause I’m not staying here all alone with the crazies.”
He groaned but didn’t open his eyes, instead curling into a ball and whimpering, sweat beading his forehead as his body struggled through the change.
Worry and guilt flooded her, shoving her hunger aside as she watched him suffer.
“You’re gonna be okay, Jay; everything’s gonna be okay. Just get through this, and I promise.” She kissed his damp face, brushing away the matted hair as he groaned. His distress brought back the vivid memory of Tristan snapping her neck. The pain had been excruciating but fleeting. And it made her wonder if he had indeed done her ‘a kindness’ by killing her. She had no memory of her change, but she was sure Jacob would, considering the pain.
Each minute that ticked by ratcheted up the growing need gnawing at her. She fought it with every fiber, unwilling to leave Jacob’s side. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling the blanket over them. Soft touches and shushed words were all she could offer, but she gave them willingly, ignoring the urge tugging at the edge of her mind that demanded she feed.
“Not until you’re awake,” she mumbled.
Time dragged at a painful pace, his suffering a hard pill to swallow.
Cold seeped in as she curled into Jacob. She missed the warmth more than anything. Craving Gage’s ticked-up body heat as her teeth chattered, she wrapped the blanket around her neck and pulled it tight.
In utter silence, she could hear the noise from the street, like the window was wide open—the voices, the engines of cars blocks away, of birds flapping their wings overhead. Every sense heightened to help her become the predator she’d need to be to survive in her new form.
Without warning, Jacob’s body bowed off the mattress. A sharp scream pierced her tuned eardrums as he convulsed like he was being electrocuted, jolting her from her reverie. Anxiety flooded her as she comforted her best friend, relief washing over her when she heard footsteps at the end of the hall. Grateful for the help, she sat up and pinned her gaze on the door as Raven walked in.
His stormy eyes locked with hers. He cocked his head and raised a well-groomed eyebrow. “How long have you been awake?”
The edge of annoyance in his tone made Evaine’s eyes narrow. “I don’t know. An hour, maybe. Why?”
“How do you feel?” He crossed to her, cupping her face as he used his thumb to pull her eyelid back and then her lip.
Evaine shrugged. “Fine!” This wasn’t exactly true, considering the cold eating at her insides, but she was too stubborn to tell him.
“You’ve completed the change.” His matter-of-fact manner made her think he’d doubted it.
“And?” Evaine shrugged off his touch, unappreciative of being inspected like yesterday’s lunch.
“And nothing,” Raven snapped back.
The look on his face when he crossed his arms over his broad chest kicked up her tension, making her fold her own before asking, “What’s your problem?”
“I should have a connection with you.” When she stared up blankly, he sighed. “Vampires use their minds to communicate with their clan. Fledglings are an open book when they rise, so I should be able to sense the connection and communicate with you, but I can’t.”
“So, you do read minds?” It felt nice to be right about something. “I thought you might.”
“Reading human minds is simple because they are weak and underdeveloped, but few of us can read the minds of other vampires. That’s different and rare, though I’ve heard of one or two who’ve had it. What I’m talking about, little fledgling, is the ability to communicate through thought with your clan and sire.”
“Like Telepathy?”
“Exactly.”
“Cool.” Evaine had a million questions, but when Jacob groaned, her focus shifted. “Skye said he’s past the worse, but it seems like he’s suffering.”
Raven cocked his head. “When was Skye here?”
“She was here when I found him.”
“Odd.”
“To say the least,” Evaine whispered under her breath.
When Jacob curled into a ball and cursed, Raven’s brow furrowed. “There’s no doubt the change is painful.” His tone was nonchalant, uncaring.
“So, that’s a yes? He’s still in pain?” Evaine gripped Jacob’s hand tighter.
“Aren’t you a perceptive little thing?” Sarcasm dripped as he eyed her.
Anger bubbled as she snapped her head up and narrowed her eyes. “Aren’t you an asshole?”
Looming and predatory, Raven invaded her space, sharply narrowed eyes locking with hers as she jerked back.
His fangs glistened, his breath cool on her face. “You should be careful how you talk to your betters. I’m not as easily won over as our sire. You’re a passing fancy and will be gone soon enough. But don’t think I’ll put up with your shit while you’re here.”
The harshness made Evaine flinch, despite her efforts to hold his heated glare, her dislike turning into hate. “Wow! Now I understand why you’re not allowed to talk! You’re not just an asshole; you’re a fucking asshole!” she spat in his smug face, her fangs aching to tear flesh. Uncontrollable rage skimmed through her, hands shaking with the unyielding tension. She shoved to her unsteady feet before she thought better, hissing like an animal as she stepped into him.
Raven cocked an eyebrow and smirked, “Sit down, fledgling,” his large hand on her shoulder, “Now!” shoving her down hard enough that she bounced, the bedsprings squeaking their disapproval.
Evaine gripped his wrist, pulling his hand off her shoulder with little effort.
Surprise skittered across his face as she tossed it away, like the nuisance he was becoming.
“Don’t touch me again,” she growled and relished how his jaw ticked.
“Don’t get too big for your britches, little fledgling. Strength isn’t everything.”
“I’m not afraid of you.” Evaine ground between her teeth.
His gaze darkened. “You should be.” Fangs flashed as he grinned in a way that made her stomach flutter, a dare written across his attractive face as he pinned her with his glare.
Frost washed over her as she reined in her frayed emotions. The edges of her mind felt fuzzy, like she’d just awoken, her limbs weighted as she held his stormy eyes.
A couple of tense ticks passed before Jacob groaned again.
Raven touched his face, brushing a stray hair away with his long fingers. “He’ll be fine, but the change will take longer with his body weight and muscle mass. The venom requires more time to work through his system. He’ll probably be awake in about an hour.” He paused, cocking his head. “In the meantime, Julien wants to see you in the library.”
Leaving Jacob alone with Raven was the last thing Evaine wanted to do but reluctantly kissed his forehead. “I’ll see you soon, Jay.” She flicked her gaze to meet Raven’s before pushing to her feet, her legs protesting against the movement. Her muscles felt stiff and tight, but she ignored them. “Take good care of him while I’m gone.”
“He’s part of my clan now,” Raven spat as if that were a given before she walked out.
When Evaine found Julien, a slight frown skittered across his face as he set his book on his lap. “When did you awake, Ma Petite Rousse?”
“About an hour ago.” His scrutiny made her fidget with the hem of her long black Misfits T-shirt, her body trembling as a chill scurried down her spine.
His gaze narrowed before he pushed from his chair. “Are you cold, Ma Petite?”
She nodded.
Julien closed the distance, his arms wrapping around her, his lips brushing her forehead. “This can happen sometimes. It is an effect of the transformation. We need to get you fed before you go into shock.”
Evaine leaned into him, gripping the front of his shirt as her teeth chattered.
Scooping her in his arms, he carried her to the sofa as her eyes fluttered shut and her head lolled against his chest. He was speaking, but none of it made sense. There was only the soft fabric of his shirt, rubbing the rose of her cheek and his rigid lines as he settled her in his lap.
