*Gwen’s POV*I rolled over and stretched my arm across the bed, only to feel emptiness beside me. I opened my eyes and didn't see Darick beside me. The candles were blown out, and the window was slightly cracked, letting in a mild cool breeze.I grabbed a pair of clothes from the Old Navy bag that Isabella had given me and pulled out a few outfits to choose from. I was leaning toward the red knit sweater with the black and red cat paw print leggings. Isabella had good taste in fashion.I walked to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, trying not to smile as I thought about my encounter with Darick last night. Shit! I was glowing and wondered if everyone would know what happened. What would they think? I spat the toothpaste in the sink and rinsed my mouth out.Why should I care about what his crew would think? Besides, Darick was the leader, and he would make sure no one said anything about it.I turned on the hot water and stepped into the shower. I could still fe
*Darick’s POV*"How so?" Gwen asked, curiosity in her eyes.Honestly, I never thought I’d tell this story to anyone, let alone a human. But here I was, spilling out my past, willingly and passionately. With Gwen, it felt so easy—and part of that scared me more than anything else.I sighed, looking at the photo of Edward in her hands. "I was in school one day when a fight broke out during lunch. I knew the kid getting beat and jumped in to save him. During a tussle with the boy who was beating my friend, he bit me. The pain was so intense it felt like fire surging throughout my body. I didn't think anything of it until I started experiencing strange things." "What kind of strange things?" Gwen asked, interest burning in her eyes. "It's hard to explain,” I stated. “But I could go without sleep for days, and I began craving blood. I would also have these very vivid dreams. I told my parents and my father decided to send me to live with my grandparents.
*Chelsea's POV*Dammit! I spilled my coffee on the stacks of paperwork covering my kitchen table. My eyes had bags under them as I worked tirelessly day and night trying to find Gwen. I managed to piece together different clues about where she could be, but kept running into dead ends. I had called the police, hospitals, and even tow truck companies to see if her car had been found since it wasn’t at her apartment.I feared the worst with each passing day, especially knowing that time was of the essence in missing person cases. I had talked to former employers and even put out flyers, but no one had seen or heard from her. Surely she would have told me had she left the country or gone on some wild news chase. I couldn't understand why she hadn't called, which scared me.I scanned the coffee-stained papers hoping to find additional clues.The Blood Kings was Gwen's last note I found in her apartment. I had completed the research on the Blood Brothers, but found
*Amon’s POV*"I want to know everything about your friend," I stated. I pulled a wooden stool in front of Chelsea and sat down, my eyes locked on her. When she didn’t answer me, I inched closer, feeling joy out of watching her squirm."Oh, sweet, Chelsea. You shouldn't be so trusting of people. I could smell your gullible scent from a mile away.” "W-Who are you?" she murmured, blinking back tears."Who I am is of no importance to you. I'm asking the questions, not you," I replied, gritting my teeth. Fucking journalists. "Y-You can't keep me here. My family will come looking for me." Her voice was soft, like that of an innocent child. I laughed. "Please, no one will come looking for you. They haven’t come for Gwen yet. Well, no one but you. Tell me about her, and I may let you go." "Why would I tell you?" she replied, her lip quivering slightly. "Because if you don't, you won't have to worry about your family looking for you. I'll
*Gwen’s POV*Upon seeing the news, Isabella had invited me to her room after Darick's outburst. I was glad Darick had calmed down. I'd seen him mad before, but never in the manner he was when Viktor showed him the news about the dead college girls. I was almost scared to be around him after he punched a hole into the wall. I wanted to know his plans, but I wasn't sure if he would tell me. "Gwen? Gwen, are you okay? You look as if you're lost in your thoughts." Isabella’s voice broke my internal dialogue, bringing me back to reality.I sighed. "I'm okay. I'm just worried about Darick. I’ve never seen him so mad." Isabella patted my shoulder gently. "Darick has worked hard to make sure the vampires don't draw attention to themselves. It's a good sign that right now, most people don't believe in vampires and will only see this as a sick cult ritual." Just then, a knock on the door interrupted our conversation. "Come in, Viktor!" Isabella shout
*Gwen’s POV*I rolled over and yawned, basking in the glow of another morning waking up in Darick's bed. I was starting to feel like I could get used to this. I yawned and rubbed my eyes, then reached over only to feel the cool pillow beside me. My eyes slowly opened, noticing his side was empty.Where was he?I pulled the covers back and climbed out of bed. I checked the bathroom, but he wasn't there. Maybe he was cooking breakfast for me again. The thought of pancakes again made my stomach growl in response. I grabbed my clothes and set them on the bed.'Maybe he'll be back by the time I get out of the shower,' I thought to myself as I grabbed my toothbrush.There was a lot I wanted to talk with him about, especially after last night. I needed to know what he was thinking before we take anything further.First, the standard questions came. What did this mean for us? Were there feelings on his part? Were we a couple or just friends with benefits?Then, more pointed questions
*Darick’s POV*I shouldn't have been so cold and callous to Gwen. She didn't deserve to be treated like a one-night stand. However, ending whatever we had was for the best. I would never be able to give myself to her entirely, and despite my heart telling me there was a way, I knew deep down there wasn’t. Not one that we’d both benefit from. I couldn’t leave my men without a responsible leader. Kindred and vampires worldwide depended on me to take back the territory that belonged to the Blood Brothers for thousands of years. I should have never let my guard down. Having sex with Gwen was a distraction. Ever since she arrived, I’d barely made any moves—any plans. Hell, Amon had entered our home, and I hadn’t even made a move. Who the hell was I lately?My plans to take back our territory started to fall apart from the day she broke into my home, and I knew it. Why did she have to break into my fucking house?And to make matters worse, why did I even put that blood oath on her i
*Gwen’s POV*'I have to do something to keep my mind off Darick,' I thought to myself as I tossed and turned in the bed. I had only slept in the bed with Darick for a few nights, but waking up in a different room was weird. I had grown accustomed to being in Darick's room and having him by my side. I pushed the covers off and walked to the bathroom. Oh, God. I looked like I had transformed from Goldy Locks to Goldy Monster as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Dark circles encamped around my eyes, and I had bags big enough to fill sacks of water. But despite it all, I had no motivation to enhance my appearance. Maybe if I looked ugly enough, it would keep Darick away. I never wanted to see him again. Sadly, I had to accept the reality that not seeing him, however, wasn’t even an option. Maybe we could live in the same house and avoid each other. I knew couples who lived together but in separate areas of the house, and I was used to maneuvering l