Yearn For Blood (Blood Origins Book 1) Read online

  Yearn for

  Blood Origin Series

  Book 1

  Tiffany Heiser

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons or events is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2018 by Tiffany Heiser Published by Wil ow Moon Publishing 108

  Saint Thomas Road Lancaster, PA 17601 wil ow-moon-publishing.com

  Al rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by many means except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

  Cataloging Data Heiser, Tiffany (1984- ) Yearn for Blood/Tiffany Heiser–

  2ndU.S. Edition

  Summary: Rena's world takes a turn into the supernatural when she finds out Cryder is not human and is destined to be with her. His destiny is irrevocably linked to Rena's. She’s forced to jump into this supernatural world without the time to consider the possibilities of this new world with vampires, because it looks like Cryder has brought more than his mysterious demeanor, but a rogue vampire hell-bent on taking her blood for his own. There’s nowhere to run, so Rena must learn to fight back and become the true person she was meant to be.

  149 pages; 216 x 140 mm Hardcover ISBN-13: 978-1-9482563-08

  1.YoungAdult/Fiction/Romance/Paranormal.2.YoungAdult/Fiction/Roman ce/Vampires 3. Young Adult/Fiction/Romance/General Yearn for Blood.

  Heiser, Tiffany Printed in the United States on acid free paper Typeset: Sabon NextLT Edited by Kat Helgeson Design by Jodi Stapler

  This is dedicated to my Grandma Meme, for reading and being a big fan from the beginning; For giving the best compliment... not being a reader yourself, and yet staying up late to finish my book.

  And for being in love with my writing, I thank you.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  I'd like to thank my family and friends, those that took time to

  read what I wrote and to continue to push me. For those that

  have been walking with me through the process and stayed on

  the phone to listen to ideas, or long-winded ramblings; I adore

  and appreciate each one of you and give my many thanks for

  the support and love.

  CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Pg 7

  Chapter One

  Pg 13

  Chapter Two

  Pg 18

  Chapter Three

  Pg 28

  Chapter Four

  Pg 37

  Chapter Five

  Pg 47

  Chapter Six

  Pg 56

  Chapter Seven

  Pg 65

  Chapter Eight

  Pg 75

  Chapter Nine

  Pg 84

  Chapter Ten

  Pg 92

  Chapter Eleven

  Pg 101

  Chapter Twelve

  Pg 109

  Chapter Thirteen

  Pg 119

  Chapter Fourteen

  Pg 129

  Chapter Fifteen

  Pg 138

  BLOOD ORIGINS- BOOK ONE

  Prologue

  MY MIND WAS THE FIRST THING TO WAKE AND

  never in my life had I been so afraid. I was awake, or at least I thought I was, so why did every part of me feel so strange, so

  disconnected? I tried to move but all my limbs were

  unresponsive. My toes wouldn’t wiggle; my legs wouldn’t shift;

  my head wouldn’t turn. I was lost in my mind—trapped within

  my own body.

  I stupidly cried out for help, as if there were someone in

  my consciousness who could hear and save me. As if I wasn’t

  completely alone. Over and over again, I screamed, but when no

  one answered, I forced myself to calm down and push the fear

  that threatened to drown me to a tolerable level. Think. What

  was happening to me? I was awake. I had to be awake because I

  was thinking coherent thoughts and then it finally dawned

  upon me: sleep paralysis.

  I remembered looking into the subject after Cecile had

  mentioned it one day, and it was the most logical answer. I was

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  Yearn for Blood

  awake and aware, but I couldn’t physically move, and the only

  way to remedy sleep paralysis was, much to my dismay, to wait.

  It felt like an eternity as I waited anxiously with my thoughts,

  but sure enough, my senses slowly began to return. It started

  off with a dull and insistent ringing in my ears—annoying

  under usual circumstances, but right now a relief. Then, I

  could feel. My fingers twitched against a soft but unfamiliar

  material underneath my hands, followed by my forehead. I

  immediately tried to open my eyes. They felt like heavy

  curtains; however, my persistence paid off, and the tiny

  muscles around my eyes finally engaged in lifting them. I

  could’ve laughed, I was so happy for this freedom.

  But then my awareness shifted to a deep ache lurking

  somewhere inside my body, and it hit me: something was

  wrong.

  My eyes finally fluttered open, and darkness greeted me

  like an old friend. For a moment, I stared dumbly at it, not

  understanding why I had woken up to darkness again panic I’d

  managed to push down earlier rose within me like the tide.

  What’s wrong with me? Where am I? With my sight taken away,

  my other senses were heightened, and they focused on

  whatever stimulant they could get, which so happened to be

  the ringing in my ears. It grew louder and louder like a busy

  hive of bees and only when I finally started to think that it was annoying, did I notice another sound.

  BLOOD ORIGINS- BOOK ONE

  A faint beeping disturbed the monotonous ringing, and

  my attention latched on to it. The sound was steady and louder

  in one ear than the other, so I instinctively turned towards it,

  with some difficulty. My neck felt stiff as I rolled my head

  heavily towards the noise, and, much to my relief, saw the

  blurry outline of a small green light. I wasn’t blind. I squinted at the tiny orb, trying to figure out what it was, but my eyes

  were slow to adjust, and I eventually settled on just listening to the beeping. It was steady and reassuring, a reminder that I was

  alive.

  But then I realized it was my heartbeat I was listening

  to, and like a freight train, reality hit me.

  My breath hitched as a deep and painful ache flared

  through my body like wildfire, and I clutched at the soft sheets

  underneath my hands. I wanted to scream, but my mouth was

  so dry that my tongue stuck to the roof. I ground my teeth

  tightly together and fought to control my sudden pain. Once I

  managed to, I sucked in a breath and registered the scent of

  latex and harsh cleaning chemicals, which overwhelmed me

  and made my stomach lurch. I forced myself to keep breathing

  the nauseating scent in, not wanting to pass out and become

  trapped in my mind again.

  When my pain was more manageable, I tried to sit up.

  But a sharp twinge of pain shot up my arm, and I immediately

  plopped back down onto my back. Lifting my arm, I blindly

  groped the crook of my elbow, w
here what felt like wires were

  taped to my skin. I tugged at them experientially and winced

  when they refused to budge, then slid my hand farther down

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  Yearn for Blood

  my arm. I fumbled with my other hand and felt a clip on my

  finger that had to be the heart monitor.

  Hospital. I’m in a hospital. But why? How did I end up

  here? I couldn’t remember anything.

  “M-mom?” I croaked dryly, my voice so low and

  scratchy that I wasn’t sure anyone would be able to hear me,

  even if there was someone nearby. No answer.

  “Mom?” I tried again. When there was still only silence,

  panic seized me again. I can’t breathe. I tugged at the flimsy

  gown I wore; it was choking me. My mind barely registered the

  way the heart monitor’s beeping increased, but what my mind

  did register in vivid detail was the door opening and the room

  suddenly flooding with light. It burned my eyes, and I cried

  out in a mixture of fear and pain, raising my arms to block it.

  “Shhh, shhh.. ” A soft voice cooed urgently at me, and I

  felt hands rubbing my arm and shoulder. “It’s going to be

  alright, sweetie. You’re safe. You’re at the hospital, and we’re

  going to take care of you.”

  I peeked through my arms at the woman suddenly at

  my side, and my eyes were instantly drawn to the pink polka

  dot scrubs she wore – a nurse. I allowed her to settle me back

  into bed and watched as she adjusted a knob on one of the

  machines connected to my arm. When she started to move

  away, I quickly reached out and snatched her by the hand.

  “Where’s my mom? Please, I want my mom.”

  Her hand tightened around mine, and she took a

  moment to tuck a lock of curly dark hair behind her ear before

  her warm brown eyes looked into mine. “It’s going to be

  BLOOD ORIGINS- BOOK ONE

  alright, sweetie.” she repeated. “The doctor will be in soon, and he’ll be able to explain everything to you.”

  I shook my head, not satisfied by her answer, “Please!

  Tell me now! Can you tell me anything? I don’t even know

  why I’m here!”

  The nurse pursed her lips and looked at me hesitantly.

  It was obvious that she was conflicted and wanted to help me.

  “You were in an accident… A few scrapes and bruises, you

  were very lucky. You’ve been here since then, asleep. We put in

  a saline drip to make sure you didn’t dehydrate. Everything

  else will have to come from the doctor.” She paused, looking

  down at me. “I’m so sorry, sweetie.”

  I stared at her, trying to remember the accident, but I

  came up blank. I looked away from the nurse and gnawed

  anxiously at my bottom lip. “My parents…?” I unintentionally

  whimpered as my lips quivered. Hot tears slipped from my

  eyes and slid down my cheeks. “Can you tell me anything

  about my parents? A-are they okay?”

  The nurse’s hold on my hand tightened, and she refused

  to meet my eyes. Her lips parted for a moment, and then she

  closed them again. When the words finally escaped her, the

  low, solemn tone she spoke in answered my question even

  though her words didn’t. “Let me go get the doctor now. I’m

  not allowed to say anything else. I’m so sorry.” With that, she

  walked out of the room.

  The door closed behind her with a quiet click, leaving

  me alone with thoughts of denial running wild in my mind.

  She’s wrong…nothing happened…everything’s fine… But a dam

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  Yearn for Blood

  inside me had broken, and tears flowed from my eyes like a

  rushing river. When the doctor walked in, I tried to compose

  myself and be brave. I rubbed my eyes vigorously, trying to

  wipe the tears away, but they wouldn’t stop.

  The concerned looks on the nurse’s and doctor’s face

  reaffirmed what I had concluded, and I tried to listen to what

  he had to say, but the world around me had become a

  disembodied blur. I had lost everything. I had lost everyone.

  How I had survived the accident was beyond me, and I should

  have been thankful that I was still alive, but I wasn’t.

  I was only grateful that I wasn’t awake to see my parents

  die.

  BLOOD ORIGINS- BOOK ONE

  Chapter One

  MAKING MY WAY DOWNSTAIRS AFTER GROGGILY

  finishing up my morning routine, the sweet aroma of French toast

  filled my nose and called me into the kitchen. I was greeted by the familiar sight of a short woman with thinning blonde hair by the

  stove. My stomach must have growled louder than I thought it did as I watched Mrs. Danvers flip an egg-y slice, because she turned and smiled at me with one of the only two bright smiles I could tolerate so early in the morning.

  “Morning, sour puss!” she teased me with the morning nickname

  she had given me since I was little. “French toast?”

  I nodded my head as I pulled a seat out from the counter.

  Besides Cecile, Mrs. Danvers knew that I was a borderline

  insufferable grouch in the mornings without food or caffeine in

  my system, and she knew just how to take care of me. Minutes after I had settled in, she set a plate of freshly made French toast sprinkled with powdered sugar in front of me and poured me a cup of coffee. I would have kissed Cecile’s mom for being the most valuable player in the world, but food and coffee took precedence in my life. I

  mumbled a quick “Thank you” to Mrs. Danvers before I seized the

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  Yearn for Blood

  syrup dispenser and resisted the urge to cradle it in my hands when I discovered that it was warm. Even after so many years, I was still amazed by the level of effort she put into her cooking, and I greedily poured the syrup over my plate before exchanging it for the vanilla creamer.

  I was four bites into my breakfast when I heard a flurry of

  steps down the stairs and turned just in time to see Cecile rush into the kitchen. On a scale of one to ten, Cecile was a solid nine, and I was a four on a good day. Her blonde hair was always straightened to perfection, and her make-up was so flawless that I wasn’t entirely convinced that she didn’t have a professional locked away in her

  room. Compared to me, Cecile always looked like she had just

  stepped out of a fashion magazine. Whereas I had thrown on an old t-shirt and jeans, with just enough eyeliner to give off the appearance of having my life together. I couldn’t help feeling a little self-conscious. There had always been a noticeable difference between us, and puberty had been kinder to her than me, but our friendship had always been strong, even after boys started entering the picture.

  “We’re having French toast,” I informed her after swallowing

  a mouthful and pulled out the seat next to me.

  Cecile shot me a smile, the only other bright smile I could

  tolerate in the morning, as she strolled over to Mrs. Danvers and planted a kiss on her mom’s chubby cheek. “I know! I could smell it from upstairs. Mom was a tease all morning, so I had to rush to

  make sure I had time to get some.”

  I quirked an eyebrow at her and gestured to all of her with

  my fork, “That’s rushing?”

  She laughed as she poured herself a cup of coffee and

  plopped down next to me. “You know me. I could have taken more

  time
finishing up---Mom, not too much!”

  I smiled at Cecile’s outburst, feeling more human now that

  BLOOD ORIGINS- BOOK ONE

  there was food and caffeine in me, and watched as she tried to

  convince her mom to not put too many slices of French toast on her plate. This was every day in the Danvers’ Household, and I loved it.

  Our parents were friends before Cecile and I were even born, so I supposed that it was only natural that we would grow up together to be like sisters. I couldn’t imagine a life without Cecile, and I owed her and her parents everything. After my parents died two years ago, they were the only things that kept me going. They took me under

  their wings and opened their home and hearts to me; they gave me

  space when I needed it and affection when I craved it. I was family to them, and they were family to me.

  I was the first to finish my food, and I took my dishes to the

  sink to wash them despite Mrs. Danvers’ protests. Compared to

  everything else that the Danvers had done for me, washing the dishes was a little thing but one of the few ways I could show how much I appreciated them. When I finished, I grabbed my bag and waited by the door for Cecile to say goodbye to her mom. I tried not to feel too envious as I watched the two from the corner of my eye exchange

  hugs and kisses, but I would have been lying if I said I wasn’t just a bit jealous.

  “Ready to go?” I asked Cecile with a small smile as I grabbed

  my bag and opened the front door. I waited for a moment to let her walk out first and just as I was about to wave good-bye to Mrs.

  Danvers, she called out to me. The moment I turned to look at her, I was engulfed in a warm embrace scented with cinnamon. A smile

  crossed my face. For someone so short, Mrs. Danvers was a fast lady.

  I returned the hug and smiled even wider when she placed a kiss