Free Blood Haze by LR Potter Page A

well, today had been different. While
he’d felt things he’d expected to feel: like the desire to ravish her
delectable body; and the desire to taste her scorching-hot blood; what he
hadn’t expected was to feel emotions like tenderness and pain for her loss. She
touched him on a level he’d not felt in many, many years.
    Reaching
into his pocket, he pulled out a small heart-shaped locket on an old, thin
chain. Flipping open the aged locket, he stared at the photograph of a young
woman, Celeste Lennox Rogan. At the time of the photo, she’d just turned
twenty. She’d had black hair and eyes the color of sea-glass. She’d been the
most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He’d just turned twenty-five and had not
yet reached the age of continuum, meaning the age natural-born vampires stop
aging, thirty-three.
    His
vampiral parents had warned him continuously about mingling outside their race,
especially with humans. And he’d not intended to become involved with her. He
met her during the time of the Blood Haze. She’d been invited to the party as
were all the people from the nearby town. She’d been a free-spirit and fun.
She’d thought life was a huge adventure and wanted to live it to its fullest.
He’d drunk from her that night and couldn’t seem to get enough of her. He’d
even refused to share her with the others. She’d been hazed as were all the
others, but he’d gone back for her the next night. As a result of the hazing, she’d
not remembered him, of course, but he’d known where she’d be, because she’d
told him.
    He’d
followed her around town for the entire summer. They’d done all the usual
things couple do: they’d gone to the movies; taken walks through the park; had
gone to dinner; and had made long, slow love to each other. He’d fallen in love
with her. His family had railed against him, but he’d remained steadfast. He
wanted her at any and all costs.
    They’d
married late in the fall, at an old mountain lodge. She’d been sweet, kind, and
a dreadful romantic… and he’d never told her what he was. He’d drunk from her
when he had to, then hazed her so she was none the wiser. Everything was
wonderful. They traveled the world and he’d shown her things that satisfied her
adventuresome soul. Things were wonderful until she’d gotten pregnant.
    While
she’d been ecstatic at what she thought would be a new life, he lived in agony
because he’d known it would certainly mean her death. A human could not
withstand the birthing of a vampire hybrid. He’d demanded she abort the baby,
but she’d refused. He’d threatened to leave her if she didn’t get rid of the
baby, but she’d again refused. That he’d hurt her had been obvious.
    So
in the end, he’d decided to go against his family’s wishes once more and he’d told
her what he was... what they were. She’d not been able to endure it. Had called
him a monster once she’d really understood what he was… what he did. He’d come
home - to the house once previously built with love- to find her dead. She’d
crawled into their huge tub and slit her wrist, taking both her, and the baby,
away from him as she allowed her life’s blood to drain away. He’d realized the
poetic justice in what she’d done. His beautiful girl had been unable to face
living with a monster. So, she’d taken away everything she’d thought he’d
wanted – their child and her blood.
    But
she’d been wrong, he’d only wanted her. And he’d sworn on that agonizing day,
when he’d been filled with such rage and heartache that he’d never again become
involved with another human. The cost was just too great. Ever since then, he
used humans for his own pleasures, then gladly walked away… until Arabella. But
he could still get out unscathed, and that was exactly what he intended to do.
Which was why, he was currently sitting in a seedy bar, instead of driving back
to the hospital. This was better for the both of them.
    He
lifted gin-soaked