Along For The Ride (Vamp Tales (A Short Story Series) Book 1) Read online

  Alpha Reader/Editor:

  Danielle Romo

  Beta Reader/Editors:

  Benjamin Phillips

  Lynn Sheridan

  Diane Velasquez

  Along For The Ride

  Vamp Tales Book One

  Copyright © 2017 Melony Paradise

  www.melonyparadise.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s 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 publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.

  Be sure to check out my other series, Discordant Earth.

  Broken is available for purchase at Amazon.com

  New Enemies is available for purchase at Amazon.com

  Descriptions (Blurbs) can be found in the back of this book…

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Vamp Tales Book Two Sneak Peek

  Connect with the Author

  Broken

  New Enemies

  Other Books by Melony Paradise

  Chapter 1

  Glowing eyes stared at me, blinking when I did, sitting in the same recliner I sat in. A blurry image reflected in the flat-screen television, which had been shut off, no longer playing the DVD of my favorite stake-wielding cheerleader. I didn’t remember turning it off.

  “Is that really my reflection?” Gaping at the fuzzy image of a stranger in the black screen, I turned my head side to side.

  “Ow!” I touched the side of my neck, my fingers grazing two small, crusty scabs in the center of what felt like a bad hickey. “Was I bit by a fucking vampire? Seriously?”

  A sweet, coppery taste sat on the back of my tongue, and I gasped. Does this mean I’m a vampire?

  “Oh, my g—” Bile raced up my throat, burning as I coughed and retched, unable to take a full breath through the tightness.

  “Well, can’t say that anymore.” After all the paranormal fantasy books I’ve read, all the dreams of what it would be like to become a sexy bloodsucker or shapeshifter, I never believed it could actually happen!

  I touched my face, running my fingers over the sharp cheekbones and defined chin line. Thick, wavy black hair felt silky against my skin, no longer the frizzy mess I struggled with daily.

  “Oh, my g—” My throat slammed shut, faster than a peanut allergy-induced reaction. The word felt like a chunk of wadded-up bread lodged in my windpipe. My hands flailed as I fought for breath, knocking my cell phone to the floor. I picked it up and checked for messages, gasping as I read the date. How the fuck did I lose a whole day? A rush of memories flooded my mind.

  I don’t know why I did it. I never answered my door at night, unless I ordered a food delivery. Maybe it was because I’d watched that same episode, same scene, countless times already. Seriously, who doesn’t love watching the slayer give in to her dark desires, being fucked from behind by the bleach-blond baddie with the sexy British accent?

  I’d gotten out of my recliner, and tiptoed to the living room window to peek around the edge of the flimsy blinds, hoping whoever knocked on my door wouldn’t see me. I hated surprise visitors, or any visitors actually. Being an introvert with a social anxiety disorder, I pretty much hated any kind of surprises. I preferred ample time—days, really—to prepare for unavoidable socializing.

  When I glimpsed with one eye through the quarter-inch gap, my heart skipped a beat. I jumped, my pulse racing, startled to find someone staring back at me. I must’ve left the porch light on when I got home from work earlier, as it now illuminated a face hovering less than an inch from the glass.

  One side of a woman’s face was visible under the light, while shadows hid the other side, yet both eyes shined bright, drawing my focus. Thick, luscious lashes fringed those glowing orbs and large, dilated pupils. A hint of violet rimmed the infinite black holes that sucked me in, instantly blinding me to the rest of the face.

  I stared, unable to look away. Who is this person, and why is she staring at me? Why can’t I look away? Who knocks on someone’s door at this time of— A strange slithering sensation reached through our visual connection, creeping into my mind. I should answer the door.

  I shook myself, blinking, confused by how relaxed I felt. Turning away from the picture window, I shuffled through the living room and into the foyer. Without hesitation, I unlocked and opened the door. What am I doing? Why am I opening the door? Why can’t I stop myself? Why am I not having a panic attack right now?

  There on my ‘Unwelcome’ mat stood a vision of my bi-curious wet-dreams.

  Long, leather-clad legs and a tiny, hourglass waist spurred a twinge of envy. My breath hitched as my vision fell upon ivory mounds of flesh encased in a tight-fitting, crimson blouse under an elegant, black leather jacket. The open collar framed a delicate clavicle that drew my eyes up a long, thin neck to find a face so perfect a plastic surgeon would weep.

  Plump lips with matte crimson lipstick gave a small, knowing smile. Concave cheeks held just enough shadow to highlight a jawline that led the eye to dainty ears, barely visible under flowing, raven hair.

  When my eyes reached the top of her cheekbone, a force yanked them up to lock with those bottomless pupils again. A heaviness filled me, weighing on my shoulders like hundreds of gallons of water. My already overweight body began to wilt under the burden of her stare.

  The edges of my vision became fuzzy as blackness closed in, a wave of darkness flooding my mind, my consciousness sinking into an inky abyss. My knees gave out, dropping me to the floor as my shrinking vision remained locked with hers. I sank back onto my haunches as if a rope lowered me backward, my hand dropping to the hardwood floor. The mysterious woman watched, unmoving.

  “Invite me in,” she said, her voice smooth as melted chocolate.

  Pressure prodded inside my head, something taking hold and controlling my wild thoughts, a protest sitting in the back of my throat, unable to escape. I couldn’t feel my body, yet somehow my eyes still watched the woman, as my lips moved of their own volition.

  “Please, come in.” The last thing I saw was her knee-high stiletto boot stepping over the threshold as a final thought of envy and desire flitted through my sinking mind.

  Chapter 2

  I sat in my recliner, darkness fading from my sight as the television came into focus. The reflection in the black screen displayed a person I hadn’t seen since high school. How did I get here? I was at the front door, and… Oh, g—

  Pain raced through my head. Huh. I can’t even think the word. Isn’t that something. Whatever. Why was I at the door? Someone was there… Hell, I can’t remember.

  “Oh, I can think the word ‘hell’—hey! I can say it, too, apparently. I can’t say or think the word g—” I choked on a lump of nothing, unable to suck in precious oxygen. Wait, I’m breathing. That’s good, isn’t it? If I can see my reflection, then I can’t possibly be a vampire, right?

  Red washed over my sight, coloring the room shades of crimson as if tinted glass covered my eyes. My stomach heaved and clenched as an intense wave of nausea fl
ooded my senses.

  I’d been a fat girl for years. Social anxiety had taken over my life after my divorce and my parents’ deaths. Emotional eating, mindless eating, and boredom eating had all caught up to me, layering my body with a thick insulation that required the use of air-conditioning year-round.

  Nausea and I were not strangers. Whenever I tried to diet out of shame, nausea became a constant annoyance, but this—this felt like a punch in the gut as if I hadn’t eaten anything in months. A loud growling sound filled the silence of my modest living room, and I realized it came from my belly. My insides felt hollowed out as if my entire body were my stomach and it demanded to be filled.

  This hunger, a kind I had never known could be so terrible, filled my very soul. My fingernails dug into the cushioned arms of my chair, sometimes-bed. It gnawed at me, whispered in my ear, screaming when I took too long to consider how different this felt from normal hunger.

  “You’re awake,” a sweet, melodic voice floated from the entryway, soothing my raging hunger enough for me to focus.

  “Oh, shit!” With a jump and a squeak, I spun around in my recliner with lightning speed, my vision blurring for a moment. A pang of fear sliced through my heart at the sight of someone standing a few feet away in my foyer. Peeking over the back of my seat, I blinked several times, seriously questioning my own eyesight. Is there a succubus staring at me, or am I imagining things?

  “Um, who are you?” I glanced down at myself. “And what the hell happened to me?”

  A loud gasp flew from my lips as I took in the sight of my body swimming in the plus-sized clothing I hated so much.

  “You’ve changed. I apologize.” The stunning vixen sighed as if this outrageous situation bored her. “My inner demon got the best of me.”

  My eyes flew up to stare at the gorgeous woman standing less than ten feet away. Something in my mind screamed, but the dark beauty held my unwavering attention, even as the crimson tint faded in and out, the angry hunger gnawing at my mind.

  “Who are you?” I tried to put more force behind my question, but something held me back.

  “My name is Katherine Price. Tell me your name.”

  A pressure gently squeezed my brain, invisible fingers poking around my skull as my lips moved against my will. “Mercedes Reyes. I go by Mercy.”

  “Well, Mercy, you may call me Kat. I will release my control if you promise to behave. Yes?”

  “Yes, please.” The pressure eased, and I shook my head to clear the eerie feeling of a hand gripping my brain. “What’s going on? What did you do to me?”

  “I’ve made you a vampire,” Kat said, swaggering into the living room on her stiletto heels. “I’m profoundly sorry for taking your life. I didn’t intend for it to happen, but I was cornered and hungry.”

  “I would’ve cooked you something if you’d just asked.”

  “You know that isn’t the hunger I’m talking about. I’ve pushed your hunger away enough for you to stay coherent, but it’ll come back soon, with a vengeance.”

  “So, I’m a vampire?” Is it possible? The hunger, the physical changes, the way she seems to control me… It’s like I’m in one of my favorite shows. But, am I a good vampire or a bad one? “The reflection I saw was real? Wait! How can I see my reflection? And this hunger? Unbelievable!”

  “Not everything you see in movies is accurate. Thankfully, we can see our reflections and our bodies become their best versions. The downside is we’re plagued by the hunger, and unable to interact with religious objects, words, locations, you get the idea.”

  To avoid looking at my— Killer? Did she murder me? —I stood and began pacing. I ran my sweaty palms up and down my thighs, my eyes unfocused as I digested this information.

  “Yeah, I noticed I couldn’t say, uh, the g-word.” I stopped and cocked my head, squinting at Kat. “Why were you cornered, and why am I so calm?”

  “You’re calm because I’m keeping you that way. Otherwise, the hunger would have you terrorizing your neighbors. I came here to hide from the hunters. They’re getting better at keeping up with my fading, and sunrise was coming. Yours was the only house with lights on.”

  “I’m dead because I stayed up too late? Just my fucking luck.” I dropped back down into my recliner and stared at my reflection, still shocked at the changes. “What’s fading?”

  “One of my abilities is to travel at great speed for a distance within my line of sight. I appear to fade away when I do it.”

  “Is that something I can do now?” I asked, staring at my wide-eyed reflection.

  “I don’t know. Your abilities won’t happen right away. For now, you have to learn to control the hunger and adapt to your new life with me.”

  I jumped to my feet to face Kat, glaring at her and her dark beauty. “What the hell do you mean I have to go with you?”

  “You can’t stay here.” She leaned against the wall, her legs crossed at the ankle, and her arms crossed under her breasts.

  “Why the fuck not?” I snarled, red tinting the edges of my vision. Who the hell is she to force me out of my home?

  “I can’t stay here because the hunters will eventually search this neighborhood, and you can’t stay here because you must be with me,” she said. “You’re my fledgling now, we’re connected. It will be years before you can be more than a few yards away from me.”

  “That’s insane!” I took two steps toward Kat, but she flicked a finger my way, halting my progress. “I have a life, sort of, and a job. My friend, Mandy, needs me. She’s dying, uh, hey, you could—”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “But—”

  “No!” Kat snapped, her violet eyes flashing red. “I didn’t intend for you to happen, and I definitely don’t intend to take on another fledgling to drag around with me as I try to find my sire.”

  “Is that what you are to me, my sire?” I snorted. “Kind of clichéd, don’t you think?”

  “Some things are based on truth.” Kat shrugged. “The sire bond has been around for millennia, so it’s only natural the term would stick.”

  “Who are the hunters and why are they after you?” I asked, pushing against the invisible force holding me in place. “Hey, wait. You said it was almost sunrise when you came, but it’s almost dark now. How long was I out?”

  “You slept when I did, of course,” she said, inspecting her nails. “You’re a vampire now. Sunlight can harm you, especially while you’re a fledgling, so we need to get moving. The hunters were only a few miles behind me when I came here to hide.” She straightened, lifting her nose as if scenting the air.

  “Well, I have to change my clothes.” I glanced down at myself, plucking at my baggy, black T-shirt. “I’m not even sure I have anything to fit this new me. What am I now, a size six maybe?”

  “Change quickly,” Kat said, waving her arm towards the dark hallway behind her, “we must leave soon. It’s nearly sundown. Fortunately, the hunters need to hide from the public almost as much as we do.”

  Chapter 3

  Reaching into the deepest recesses of my closet, I grabbed a handful of hangers filled with clothes I’d been saving for the day I lost all the excess weight, clothes that had been hanging in the shadows for more than ten years.

  At the age of thirty-two, I’d accepted my fate as a plus-sized woman. Who’d have thought vampirism would be the miracle diet to put me back in my skinny clothes overnight?

  Slipping into a pair of black jeans, a lilac blouse, a black brocade corset, and a pair of black ankle boots, I took two seconds to admire my new form, then grabbed a small duffel bag and stuffed it full of clothes and toiletries. Rushing back out to Kat, I reached for my jacket, pausing when I realized none of my jackets would fit.

  “Do I need a jacket?” I glanced over my shoulder to where she brooded in the shadowy entryway. “It’s almost winter…”

  “No, the temperature won’t affect you as it did before,” she said, shaking her head as she crept into the light from the l
iving room. “Why do you have that bag? We must travel light, I can’t fade you and luggage.”

  “But, I need extra clothes—”

  “No, you don’t. We’ll get what’s needed as we go. When I find my sire, we’ll be safe enough to acquire extra clothes.”

  “Fine, but where is your sire?”

  “He’s in hiding, that’s why I’m searching.” Kat sneered, her eyebrows raised as if to say ‘duh.’

  “Well, do you at least have some idea where we’re going?”

  “I do.”

  I inhaled deeply, reining in my frustration, and dropped my bag at the door, slipping the keys into my pocket.

  “Fine. I just need to get my phone—”

  “Leave it. They might be able to track it.”

  I scowled. “But, they don’t even know you came here.”

  “Doesn’t matter. If they figure out I came to your house, they’ll know to track your phone.”

  “Okay… Should we take my car? You can drive if you don’t want to tell me where we’re going.”

  “No, I’ll fade us,” she said, giving a decisive shake of her head. “It’s the safest way to travel. If we need to take cover, a car would be too difficult to hide from the hunters.”

  “You still haven’t told me who the hunters are.”

  “I’ll explain when we stop to sleep, but for now, we must put some distance behind us and find someone to feed us.”

  “Uh, how do we do that?” I asked, my heart jumping to my throat. “I don’t want to kill anyone.”

  “There are willing donors, but we’re going to have to take the long way to get there, so the hunters can’t follow us.”

  “Um, well, I guess I’m ready then.”

  We stepped out onto my small, covered porch as I locked the door behind us, peering one last time into my beloved sanctuary.