The Sanctuary (Union Cross Park Series Book 1) Read online

  She turns around and looks up at me with shining green eyes and smiles sweetly. I do not return her smile and opt to ignore her. She is not worth my time or effort at this point. She leaves with a frown and I turn toward the man behind the counter.

  He watches me with careful eyes as his hand reaches for something on a lower shelf next to him. I hear his hand grasp the metal handle of a handgun. The security bars on the store windows, tell me what kind of humans he’s used to dealing with.

  “I don’t want any trouble,” he says with fear seeping through his tough exterior. He places the gun on the counter with his hand still grasping the handle. “Understand boy?”

  My lips contort into a sneer as I approach the man at lightning speed. He never has the chance to lift the gun from the counter before I sink my teeth into his juggler.

  I drink deeply, allowing the blood to sate my thirst. Upon finishing, I seal his wound then compel him to forget and to close his shop for the night.

  Over the years, I have been here at least twenty times, and he has never pulled a gun on me before. Maybe he is registering that I am a danger, or the compulsion is not enough for him anymore. Can humans become immune to compulsion?

  I will have to be careful with him next time. Maybe even kill him. He can be my next homicide victim that I let the police find, unlike the buried addict in the nearby field. I smile as I leave the convenient store and return to the roof of my home.

  Tonight is quiet, but not unusual. Its midnight and the humans are asleep. I look out over the park and watch an occasional car drive down Wallburg Road off to my right. Another car comes, but as I watch, it slows to a crawl approaching the park’s locked gate. Then the black car drives onto the grass, following the thick metal cable that loops through steel posts surrounding the park, working as its barrier. After a moment, the car comes to a stop. The engine turns off and the headlights go dark.

  I glare in morbid curiosity as a female gets out of the black car and slings a brown satchel over her shoulder. Her straight, elbow length, light brown hair hangs to her lower back as it blows in the gentle breeze.

  The soft warm gust carries her scent to me. Breathing in her aroma, my nostrils instantly flare, my eyes widen as my mouth waters, and my body tenses. A growl slipping through my lips…

  I want her…

  Chapter 5

  Her scent draws me in like a moth to a flame. I clutch the rail along the edge of the roof, keeping myself in place as I watch this tall, lean female step over the parks barrier.

  “You’re mine!” I hiss silently under my breath.

  I jump down from my roost, keeping to the shadows along my way, heading to the largest oak tree at the edge of the walking path. I stay on the lower branches watching… waiting…

  I watch as she follows the gravel walking path, heading in my direction. The wind blows again and my urge to attack becomes overwhelming. My self-control has never been stellar… For the time being, I swallow back the urge as my eyes are locked on this female.

  Her movements are fluid… dare I say graceful? Her body beckons to me… teasing me in its seductive saunter.

  The blood red t-shirt she wears only makes things worse, and the way her skinny jeans cling to her slender legs, causes me to growl in agony. Resisting becomes harder the closer she approaches. I sink my fingers into the branch of the tree, causing the wood to groan in protest as I force myself to remain in position. She has my full attention and yet, a yearning curiosity builds within me.

  I glare as she slowly meanders closer; unaware of the extreme danger she’s in. As she walks, she’s looking around as if she’s never been here before. She’s looking in all directions and even pirouettes on her feet to take everything in.

  The park lights, illuminate the entire area in a subtle glow, just enough for a human to see the shadows of the trees across the park.

  She comes to one of the mid-size trees along the path and stops in her tracks. Walking over to the slightly twisted trunk of the tree, she places her hand on the rough bark. She shocks me by looking up into the trees thick branches and seems to study them with open curiosity.

  I find my own curiosity about this female peeking and to find myself so intrigued, surprises me. The wind blows again sending the shocking reminder that she is my prey… My fangs extend against my will in anticipation.

  She backs away from the tree with a brilliant smile on her face and continues her saunter in my direction. Stopping just mere feet from the branches I’m perched on, she places her bag on the metal bench that’s mounted next to the walking path below me, completely unaware of my presence. She hunches over slightly with her back toward me, as she rummages through the bag, pulling out what looks to be a sketchbook and several pencils. She hugs it to her chest as she turns around and sits on the bench. I notice her eyes are closed as she faces out to the center of the park, toward the basketball court. She takes a deep breath and opens her eyes.

  Her eyes… I’m immediately drawn into them. The stunning pale blue eyes with green speckles have my full attention. My thirst ebbs as I watch this insignificant creature continue to elevate my interest… my curiosity.

  She places the sketchbook in her lap and starts drawing. I don’t pay attention to what she scribbles as I continue to study her face. Her striking eyes are surrounded by thick, long lashes. Her nose is flawlessly straight and sized to fit her features perfectly. The small freckle by her eye only accentuates her flawless, creamy, pale soft skin; a mild comparison to my own naturally tanned skin. Her pointed chin and smooth jaw lines maneuver around as she consistently chews the inside of her cheeks in thought… or frustration? Her plump, pink bottom lip is repeatedly pulled into her mouth as she allows her straight white teeth to rake over it several times before a realization flashes in her eyes. She looks down, and vigorously scribbles on the pad of paper, breaking the trance she held on me.

  Chapter 6

  Releasing the tree, freeing it from my deadly grip, I sit back on the branch as I watch this human in fascination. I watch every move, every flash of her eye and every stroke of her pencil. I cannot see what she is drawing from my position in the tree as I will have to move to get a better view.

  I don’t remember the last time a mere human held my attention… unknowingly that is.

  As soon as I watched her step over the barrier, I was ready to drain her dry, take every last drop, make her heart stop beating with satisfaction.

  Now, I don’t know what to expect of myself. I am intrigued by her and I don’t know if that should surprise me, or irritate me. In my two-hundred years… this has never happened.

  After an hour of watching her, I notice her hand falters and her eyes repeatedly close. Within the next ten minutes, her head drops, the pencil in her hand falls to the ground, and her breathing becomes rhythmic. She has fallen asleep.

  My head cocks to the side as I listen to her heartbeat as it slows slightly, and a light snore rolls over her lips.

  I leap down silently from my perch and land only feet away from her. Walking behind her, I pick up a long strand of light brown hair between my fingers, bringing it to my nose. I easily smelled the strawberry shampoo from my perch in the tree, but I need the confirmation… or maybe I want to be closer to her…?

  I let go of the soft strand and it falls back into perfect uniformity with the rest of her hair.

  Another scent grabs my attention and I follow it. The sweet odor of berries caresses her skin, flawlessly accentuating the aroma of her un-tainted blood. Her juggler only inches from my extending fangs. I draw in the deep satisfying fragrance that belongs to her, taking it all in at once. It sends waves of electricity shooting through my body. I again become overwhelmed to drain her. I clench my jaw and close my eyes. It’s not the time for that yet…

  I jump back away from her alluring scent and head for her car. I want to know more about this human…

  Upon reaching her car, I am first surprised by the license plate. She isn’t a local. She’s f
rom New York… not North Carolina… My curiosity peaks again.

  Reaching for the door handle, I realize she doesn’t lock her doors.

  “Stupid humans have no sense of safety,” I growl into the air.

  Opening her door, the immediate wave of her aroma slaps me in the face, but another odor combines with it… tainting it. A tree air freshener hangs from her rearview mirror. I quickly rip it from its place and throw it across the street. She does not need such a thing covering up her enchanting fragrance.

  Pilfering through her car, I notice she keeps it clean… mostly. Some wadded papers are scattered across the back seat and a small green carry-on bag sits on the floor. Unzipping it, I’m not sure what to expect other than human type items… and not surprising, that’s exactly what I find. Mostly, toiletries fill the bag, just thrown about with no rhyme or reason.

  I look in the glove box and find the car's registration with her name…

  Alexandria G. Kent.

  The registration was renewed a few months ago, but I notice the inspection sticker is two years overdue… Odd…

  I shift around some papers and pause when I see something gleam in the faded glow of the streetlight…

  Chapter 7

  I pull the .357 Magnum handgun from the glove box in shock. Holding it firmly, I soon realize the gun is fully loaded and ready to fire as the safety isn’t even engaged. There is an extra magazine in the glove box with a full box of ammunition.

  “Who the hell is this chick?” I mumble aloud in surprise.

  Placing the gun back in the glove box after engaging the safety, I then open the trunk. Finding nothing that grabs my attention amongst her luggage, I start walking back to the sleeping female. Thoughts swirl in my mind and I only become more curious. I still have no answers, but at least I have her name.

  Upon returning, I find her in the same position I had left her in. I take the chance to look at the drawing she was working on before she fell asleep and see the branches of a tree clash across the paper. The leaves overlap one another perfectly and I realize this is the tree she touched upon her arrival. It’s extremely detailed and quite beautiful.

  I stand in front of her, looking at her sleeping form. She looks peaceful, vulnerable, and… delectable. Her scent catches me and I know I cannot hold back again. I desired her blood the moment she crossed the line, and I am determined to have a taste.

  I walk behind the sleeping beauty, pulling in her tantalizing fragrance. My fangs extend once again and my body shivers with anticipation. Silently and carefully I pull her hair back from her neck, exposing the pulsing vein under her skin. Inching closer, absorbing her smell, drawing her in, I touch my nose to her warm flesh, dragging it up to her ear and back down again, savoring the scent. I press my lips to her neck about to pierce her soft flesh.

  “Please… don’t.” I hear her soft voice tremble with fear. Her heart races and her body stiffens.

  I freeze in my movements, her voice is music to my ears. She doesn’t scream, doesn’t pull away as I keep my lips pressed against her neck, deciding her fate. After a moment I make a decision. I lick her skin causing her to shiver, savoring the flavor as it dances on my tongue as I can only imagine what her blood tastes like. I back away from her, into the shadow of the tree and watch.

  She remains seated, unmoving. I tip my head to the side in curiosity at her calm demeanor.

  She makes slow movements and places her items back in her bag. Her heart gives away her fear, but her exterior is calm… almost. I can see her hands tremble and the hairs on her arms rise in goosebumps.

  I round the tree and see the tears streaming down her cheeks. It sends a pain through my cold heart, and I grab at my chest. What the hell was that?

  I growl aloud in agitation. I’m allowing this mere human to mess with my head, allowing her to tell me not to drink from her. I’m allowing her too much freedom!

  I glare at her and growl again. She suddenly sits down and puts her head on her knees covering her neck with her hands, allowing sobs to break through her calm demeanor. Her body is shaking with fear.

  “Please,” she cries. “I… I don’t want to die…”

  I growl again as I walk forward in her direction. She must have seen my approach as she curls herself tighter, twisting herself away from me.

  “I’ll leave. I won’t say anything… Please,” she begs in her soft tone.

  I laugh darkly causing her body to tremble and a hard sob to break free from her chest.

  Leaning close to her ear, I murmur, “Run…” in a deadly tone.

  Chapter 8

  She doesn’t move, and I growl again in anger.

  “Please…” she cries in broken sobs.

  I grab her roughly by the arm, allowing my nails to sink slightly into her flesh, causing small puncture wounds. She cries out as I lift her onto her feet with sheer terror covering her features. Her five-foot-ten frame is a sharp contrast to my six-foot-six stature. I absorb the fear on her face and smile menacingly.

  I look into her eyes, commanding her to obey my words, “Run.”

  She twists her face away from me. “No,” she whispers.

  My eyes squint in question as to what she said. No one has ever refused my compulsion.

  I grab her face roughly and spin her face to meet my gaze once again. I stare into her pale blue eyes, drawing her into my own, making the connection. “Go to your car, get into the driver’s side door and pull out your gun. Then put it to your head, but do not pull the trigger…” I purr sadistically.

  I release her from the compulsion and watch as she grabs her bag and walks to her car. I follow not far behind her and wait until she gets into her car as she was told. She tosses the bag into the back seat carelessly. I then stare in shock as she turns the ignition key, starting her car. She puts it into gear and speeds off.

  “Damn it!” I growl.

  It only takes me a few seconds to catch up to her and land on the roof of her car. She swerves slightly, but otherwise keeps driving, 60… 70… 80 miles an hour. Before she can wreck the damn car, I lean over to the passenger side of the windshield and smash it with my fist, shattering it instantly. She screams out in horror and nearly wrecks the car as she drives off the edge of the road before jerking it back onto the pavement. She suddenly slams the breaks on trying to throw me off the roof, and nearly succeeds, except I clutch onto the dash of the car through the open window. Lying across the hood of the car, she speeds up again, swerving side to side, trying to throw me. I have a death grip on the dash and manage to maneuver myself through the windshield and into the passenger seat.

  She screams and jerks the wheel causing us to go into a nearby field at a hundred miles an hour. I promptly shift myself over her leg to press the brake pedal and the car comes to a screeching halt, leaving deep tire tracks in the dirt. My body, partially over hers, keeps her from flying out of the windshield, but isn’t enough to keep her from grabbing the door handle and jumping out of the car. She’s surprising agile and fast for a human. She instantly takes off toward the nearby house, screaming like a lunatic.

  I sigh sarcastically. “More work than what she’s worth,” I grumble as I position myself into the driver’s seat. No one is home at the house she’s heading for, so I’ll let her exhaust herself. No other homes are nearby, so no one will hear her screams.

  I drive the car back to the road and park in the grass, not far from the house. I get out and lean against the car watching this stupid human as she bangs on the door and peers in the dark windows. She’s gone around the outside several times in a panic. I shake my head. She’ll get tired, eventually.

  Then I think… why am I toying with this human? Why haven’t I killed her yet? Maybe my fascination is keeping her alive. But I’ll get bored… I always do. It’s just a matter of time…

  Chapter 9

  This human has drawn my attention from the moment she stepped out of her car. I watch and wait, holding back my nature to rip her throat open and drink
her dry. I’ve never had a good track record of holding myself back or even finding a reason to hold back with any human. She… Alexandria… is the first. As I watch her, I find myself unable to turn away. Annoyance floods my mind. Why don’t I finish her off and bury her with the others? Why keep playing with her? Why is she holding my attention? Why do I find her so incredibly fascinating?

  My mind wanders back to the reason I’m standing here, leaning against a car with my arms crossed, watching this human try to find safety in an empty house. She can’t be compelled… the two times I tried, neither of them took hold. Even when I thought I had a good connection the last time, it didn’t work. This brings me to what am I going to do with her? I can’t compel her to forget… I can kill her, but for some reason, the thought of killing her is making me nauseated.

  Twenty years is the longest I’ve ever stayed in one place, and I quite like my home. I am not willing to release her to the world to expose me.

  With a sigh, I realize what needs to be done.

  I let her finish tiring herself out as she finally sits on the front steps with her head in her hands. Tears flow down her face and drip to the ground, soaking the chipping blue paint on the steps. Resisting the sudden urge to wipe her tears, I stand in front of her and grab her wrist, yanking her to her feet not saying a word.

  She fights against me, trying to pinch my rock hard skin and kick at my legs, back, and waist. She’s certainly a feisty one.

  I drag her to the car as she cries and pleads for her life and shove her in the passenger side seat. Before she can escape again, I’m in the driver’s seat, starting the car. I shift it into gear and head back to the park. Halfway back, she grabs the gun from the glove box and points it at my head with shaking hands and determination on her face.