Vampire in Denial Read Online Free Page B
Author: Dale Mayer
Tags: Romance, Literature & Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, YA), vampire, paranormal romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, New Adult & College, Teen & Young Adult, Paranormal & Urban, Paranormal & Fantasy, Family Blood Ties, Adult crossover, Dale Mayer
honest here."
Her mom's gasp filled the small room. "That's so not true, Tessa." She bent and gave her a quick hug. "You're beautiful and you're unique. You are not alone in this."
"Really. I'm not the same as you, and I'm not the same as my friends. I'm stuck somewhere in the middle and don't fit in either world. Sometimes I feel so alone." Tessa thought it must have been the blow to her head that caused this maudlin fit. It so wasn't normal for her.
"Oh, honey. I had no idea you felt that way."
"How could I not? I don't even live the same part of the day as the rest of you do. David and Seth go to vampire schools at night while I'm asleep and I go to school most of the time when you're all asleep. Mom, do you have any idea how separated I feel?"
"Oh, honey. I'm so sorry. I never knew."
Just as her mother crouched down to give Tessa a big hug, a heavy pounding sounded on the door. Her father called out for her mother, "Rhia, come on. Council has called an emergency meeting."
"Can I come?" Tessa hopped to her feet and raced behind her parents who were already heading for the living room.
"No, you can't," her father yelled over his shoulder. "And you should know better than to ask."
"Serus," her mother chided. "There's no need to speak to her like that."
"She's never yet been allowed, and she certainly can't come tonight. You know as well as I do that she may never be allowed." Even he cringed at Tessa's shocked gasp. He didn't back down though.
"Sorry, Tessa, but that's the way it is. That's not exactly news; we've discussed this before."
"No," said Tessa, bitterness coloring her voice. "You said when I was older I'd probably be allowed. But what you really meant is when, and if, I matured to be more like a vampire and less like a human, then I'd be allowed. Right?"
A hunted look came over his face. "I don't make the rules. They've been in effect for hundreds of years. Of course I'd love for you to be included, but the way things are now with the Council, well, they aren't going to change any time soon."
"So, I'm not part of the vampire world at all?" Resentment sharpened her voice more than she'd expected.
Seth placed a warning hand on her shoulder. "This isn't the best time, Tessa."
"Then when is?" she cried. "It's my friend who's been taken."
"And he wouldn't have been if you were a proper vampire," snapped her father.
Dead silence filled the room.
Tessa gasped. Tears filled her eyes as a world of hurt filled her heart. She raced from the room.
Her father's groan of dismay chased her. She no longer cared what he thought. The words had been said. They could never be unsaid, and they would never be forgotten.
Jared's kidnapping was her fault.
***
An hour later, Tessa stared in the mirror, her blow dryer still in her hand. The dye job was crude but effective. Her short-lived white locks, a sign of rebellion, were gone. She couldn't afford to be recognized now. She'd left two defined locks surrounding her face in pure white. Dramatic? Yes. And hopefully effective. To find Jared, she would have to hunt her own kind, blend into the vampire world.
That meant she would be a vampire – at least as much as she could. She'd accent her vampire traits and make herself into something she was not. Vampire females were haughty, arrogant and sexy with knockout bodies, tight-fitting clothes and witchy looks.
Her father's words had rooted themselves at the base of her spine. Her determination to find Jared had stiffened it. She might not be the same as the rest of her family. She might never be included in their Vampire Council, but she knew right from wrong, and she knew about friends. That they were human didn't matter. They'd been there for her – even when her family hadn't.
Friends mattered to her. Human friends mattered. Jared mattered.
She wasn't going to stand by and do nothing. If she had to save
Her mom's gasp filled the small room. "That's so not true, Tessa." She bent and gave her a quick hug. "You're beautiful and you're unique. You are not alone in this."
"Really. I'm not the same as you, and I'm not the same as my friends. I'm stuck somewhere in the middle and don't fit in either world. Sometimes I feel so alone." Tessa thought it must have been the blow to her head that caused this maudlin fit. It so wasn't normal for her.
"Oh, honey. I had no idea you felt that way."
"How could I not? I don't even live the same part of the day as the rest of you do. David and Seth go to vampire schools at night while I'm asleep and I go to school most of the time when you're all asleep. Mom, do you have any idea how separated I feel?"
"Oh, honey. I'm so sorry. I never knew."
Just as her mother crouched down to give Tessa a big hug, a heavy pounding sounded on the door. Her father called out for her mother, "Rhia, come on. Council has called an emergency meeting."
"Can I come?" Tessa hopped to her feet and raced behind her parents who were already heading for the living room.
"No, you can't," her father yelled over his shoulder. "And you should know better than to ask."
"Serus," her mother chided. "There's no need to speak to her like that."
"She's never yet been allowed, and she certainly can't come tonight. You know as well as I do that she may never be allowed." Even he cringed at Tessa's shocked gasp. He didn't back down though.
"Sorry, Tessa, but that's the way it is. That's not exactly news; we've discussed this before."
"No," said Tessa, bitterness coloring her voice. "You said when I was older I'd probably be allowed. But what you really meant is when, and if, I matured to be more like a vampire and less like a human, then I'd be allowed. Right?"
A hunted look came over his face. "I don't make the rules. They've been in effect for hundreds of years. Of course I'd love for you to be included, but the way things are now with the Council, well, they aren't going to change any time soon."
"So, I'm not part of the vampire world at all?" Resentment sharpened her voice more than she'd expected.
Seth placed a warning hand on her shoulder. "This isn't the best time, Tessa."
"Then when is?" she cried. "It's my friend who's been taken."
"And he wouldn't have been if you were a proper vampire," snapped her father.
Dead silence filled the room.
Tessa gasped. Tears filled her eyes as a world of hurt filled her heart. She raced from the room.
Her father's groan of dismay chased her. She no longer cared what he thought. The words had been said. They could never be unsaid, and they would never be forgotten.
Jared's kidnapping was her fault.
***
An hour later, Tessa stared in the mirror, her blow dryer still in her hand. The dye job was crude but effective. Her short-lived white locks, a sign of rebellion, were gone. She couldn't afford to be recognized now. She'd left two defined locks surrounding her face in pure white. Dramatic? Yes. And hopefully effective. To find Jared, she would have to hunt her own kind, blend into the vampire world.
That meant she would be a vampire – at least as much as she could. She'd accent her vampire traits and make herself into something she was not. Vampire females were haughty, arrogant and sexy with knockout bodies, tight-fitting clothes and witchy looks.
Her father's words had rooted themselves at the base of her spine. Her determination to find Jared had stiffened it. She might not be the same as the rest of her family. She might never be included in their Vampire Council, but she knew right from wrong, and she knew about friends. That they were human didn't matter. They'd been there for her – even when her family hadn't.
Friends mattered to her. Human friends mattered. Jared mattered.
She wasn't going to stand by and do nothing. If she had to save
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