The Van Wilden Chronicles Box Set Books 1-3 Read online

  While trying to get a ‘read’ on her, his breath caught in his throat. “Is the daughter human?” He kept his voice low so only Alastor and Ava could hear, although he couldn’t count on the vampires not hearing him. The girl’s long, chocolate-brown hair was pushed back from her face by a pale-blue headband. She wore a white, buttoned blouse and pale blue skirt matching her ballerina slippers and headband. Why couldn’t he sense her, or rather, why could he sense her so well? She made Gareth question his instincts. The parents were obviously vampires, but Gareth could hear the girl’s heartbeat and smell her blood flowing through her veins. He breathed deeply—her blood was different than any human he’d encountered, more intoxicating than usual, magnificently so. He started to squirm on his seat.

  Alastor kept his voice low as well, “She’s only a young lass, maybe eighteen? How’d they have a daughter at all?”

  “Maybe the mother had the daughter while she was still human, but it still doesn’t explain the father,” Ava continued, “The girl’s straight nose and the size of her forehead are similar to her mother. Her brown eyes, though, are the same as Van Wilden’s.”

  Ava was right. Oscar and the girl had the same rich, dark brown eyes. They also have the same shaped face, the same mannerisms. There was no doubt in Gareth’s mind she was related to Oscar and his wife. As far as he knew, vampires were not very paternal, though. Why would they still have the human child with them?

  “He’s clearly the father. But how? Vampires can’t procreate,” Ava mumbled. Her tone was bitter. She had often worried about the fact she wouldn’t be able to have children with Alastor.

  Alastor shifted uncomfortably on his chair.

  “And how do they all have a tan?” Gareth whispered, trying to change the subject. “Well, the daughter’s skin is dark, the parents not so much,” Gareth added on second thought.

  Alastor shot him a glance, “Aye. Thanks,” he mouthed.

  Gareth nodded.

  “Supposedly, they just moved to America from Australia,” Ava contributed, obviously oblivious to the calculated distraction.

  The Van Wildens intrigued Gareth. For the two vampires on the stage to have a daughter, it seemed unheard of. How could they have a daughter, let alone a human one? Gareth needed to learn more about this mysterious family, specifically the girl. Though not for the same reasons Alastor had been drawn to Ava.

  Gareth had never really understood Alastor’s attraction to Ava. Gareth’s attitude, like most other vampires, was that humans were beneath them, intellectually, and on the food chain. Van Wilden’s daughter was very attractive, but Gareth didn’t want to dwell on her looks any longer. From his perspective, women just used their looks to get what they wanted, and the last thing he needed was some species-confused girl pushing him around. Gareth tuned back into the speech from the would-be politician.

  “I also promise once I’m mayor, I’ll do something about the bear attacks on hunters in the nearby forests surrounding the town. The developers have been restricted in a lot of ways due to the abundant bear population in the hills.”

  The local environmentalists began protesting, but Gareth tuned them out. Ava had been reporting on the grizzly bear attacks. It was the story she hoped would launch her big-city newspaper career. But she had ended up withholding many details from her stories to protect Gareth and Alastor. She always left out crucial details about the victims’ bodies all being drained of blood. She didn’t want people to start putting the pieces together and begin blaming vampires instead of bears. The local rangers had reported it as bear attacks, and Ava wasn’t about to steer the story in any other direction. The amount of blood on the ground where the dead bodies were found had made the conclusions seem plausible. When Ava told Alastor and Gareth what the coroner had reported on the condition of the bodies, they quickly deduced it had been newly-turned vampires making the attacks.

  So, to protect Alastor and Gareth, Ava continued reporting it was the grizzlies’ doing, and they were savage creatures attacking humans for some unknown reason. Unfortunately, these articles drove more hunters into the forests to eradicate the savage beasts and protect their fellow hunters. Thus, more hunters meant more vampire attacks. Some parts of the forest were so deep and dark in the early hours of the morning, where no sunlight could get through, making attacks possible at all times of the day and night. Needless to say, the bodies were usually found in these parts.

  “Isn’t it interesting how this vampire family arrived around the time the vampire attacks started?” Gareth crossed his arms over his chest, staring long and hard at the family on stage.

  “Ye think they’re responsible for the attacks?” Alastor asked.

  Gareth wasn’t sure if the Van Wildens were connected to the attacks, but he would be looking into this more.

  Chapter Three

  When Morgana found out the mission’s cover required a family, she didn’t realize how much of a hindrance it would be to her normal routine. She was itching to get out there, scout the area, and find out who the targets were. But this? Pretending to be the daughter of a politician was as boring as it could get. She tried to look interested in her father’s speech, but she spent the entire time fighting the urge not to yawn. Instead, she picked at an imaginary loose thread on her skirt.

  “Stop fidgeting.” Her mother pressed a hand over hers, talking through clenched teeth, so only she could hear.

  “This wasn’t the type of mission I had in mind,” she hissed out of the corner of her mouth.

  Vivienne leaned into her, “At least you don’t have to wear a skirt and jacket.”

  Morgana bit back the laugh threatening to erupt.

  “Did you sense the vampires in the crowd?”

  Morgana lifted her head slightly doing a quick scan of the audience. When they were approaching the stage, she had sensed there were other vampires in the crowd. She focused on sensing their location. Her eyes widening when she found two males.

  “Daywalkers?” She spoke through clenched teeth, forcing a fake smile.

  Her mother nodded ever so slightly in agreement, appearing as if she was nodding in support of her husband’s speech.

  “The two in the crowd seem civilized,” Vivienne said through pursed lips, still maintaining a rigid smile.

  “I’ll find out more about them. They could be the ones behind all the attacks,” Morgana whispered.

  Oscar continued addressing the crowd, but obviously having heard their conversation, shifted his feet toward Gareth and Alastor’s direction in the crowd, tapping his right foot.

  Morgana noticed the dark-haired Daywalker first. His large body was hunched over in his chair, his eyes boring into her with distrust. She had zero interest in responding and shifted her gaze to the red-headed Daywalker sitting next to him, his arm draped casually around the shoulders of a pretty, young blonde. At first, Morgana was suspicious of the coupling—a pet, she wondered. But it quickly became obvious from the mutually adoring glances they gave each other every now and then, they were in love.

  Morgana felt a twinge of jealousy. Even the way her parents still looked at each other was difficult to deal with sometimes. She often thought it would be nice to have someone in her life, to find love one day. She squashed the feeling deep down. Love isn’t part of the mission. She had a job to do, and that was all. She turned her attention back to her father’s speech. He was talking about the ‘bear attacks’ now. Morgana had to fight the urge to snort-laugh. He was promising to stop them. No, not him. Her. She would be the one to stop the vampires running rampant in the woods.

  No one else.

  Her parents were just here for the cover.

  Morgana smiled, doing her duty as the perfect daughter of the candidate for mayor. Her mother stiffened beside her.

  Another vampire had arrived.

  He sauntered up the middle aisle toward the stage. He was dressed in old-fashioned attire consisting of a white, long-sleeved billowy shirt with a black vest buttoned over black pants
. A small, round gold earring pierced his left ear. The newcomer was tall and lanky with jet-black hair tied back in a short ponytail.

  The other residents gave him weird looks. But when he looked back at them, they quickly turned away. She couldn’t blame them. His eyes were pale gray. They looked unnatural. Evil. He was a Night Dweller.

  When he reached the row where the Daywalkers sat, he nodded, acknowledging their presence.

  Morgana went on high alert. Were the Daywalkers in league with the Night Dweller?

  “May I help you, young man?” Oscar asked. His voice was steady, but Morgana could hear the underlying tone of warning.

  The vampire stopped in front of the stage. “I’m just curious to hear how you’re going to stop the bear attacks.”

  His accent sounded familiar. Morgana tilted her head. It was barely there, muddled over time as one does when trying to blend into a new country. Hell, they were putting on American accents themselves, but she detected his foreign origin. She had grown up listening to a similar accent—one quite distinguishable and difficult to change. Hence, the flicker of recognition in Oscar’s eyes.

  This vampire was from the old country where the Primus Vampyr had originated. The Primus is an ancient species, different from humans biologically, yet so very alike in appearance. The obvious difference, they feed off the humans—not their flesh but their blood. However, this vampire was certainly not like any Primus she’d ever known. And she knew every Primus in existence. No, he was definitely a Night Dweller.

  It would also explain his attire, Morgana thought. To everyone else, he looked as if he was still wearing his Halloween costume, or on his way to a renaissance fair. Clearly, the same clothes from the era when he was turned. If Morgana weren’t playing a role, she would have rolled her eyes and laughed.

  This vampire’s cold stare would have withered most men. Indeed, the humans surrounding him were shirking. Only the two Daywalkers seemed unfazed. But Oscar Van Wilden was no ordinary man. Nor an ordinary vampire either. He arched his back, leaned over the podium toward the stranger, and stared him down. “We can’t keep venturing into the bears’ habitat. I’m against the destruction of the local bear habitats in the area. It’s no wonder the bears are retaliating. I’ll be petitioning for the forest to become a restricted area, so no one can wander into the bears’ paths during feeding times, thus saving both human and bear lives.”

  Cries of outrage from the hunters in the crowd could be heard, but Oscar held up his hand to silence them.

  The vampire held Oscar’s gaze, but Morgana could smell the tremor of fear from him. A flicker of recognition entered his gray eyes, and he nodded his head. “Very well. I look forward to seeing you enact that policy once you’re in office.” The vampire kept his voice level, but he narrowed his eyes at the three of them.

  Oscar smiled, triumphant. He glanced around the crowd. “Any more questions?” he asked cheerfully.

  The lanky vampire shrank back, throwing one last look of contempt toward them before he left.

  Morgana had a sinking feeling in her gut. This vampire knew who they were and why they had come.

  Chapter Four

  After the campaign rally, Gareth hovered near the stage while Oscar talked to some of the locals. He wanted to find out about the Van Wilden’s plans for the evening.

  “What do you think of my restaurant, Old Oak Steakhouse?” asked Dax Redner, the owner of said establishment.

  “My family and I will be dining there later tonight. We want to get a real feel for the delicacies in the town I’ll soon be mayor of,” Oscar said warmly, and squeezed Dax’s shoulder.

  Later that evening, Gareth walked through the large wooden double doors of the local restaurant—a homely establishment with high-backed booths lining the walls. Wooden tables and chairs made from red oak filled the remaining space in carefully planned rows, perfectly aligned with custom stained-glass light fixtures. The dim lights emitted a warm, inviting glow. In keeping with the town’s oak theme, the bar top was made from solid oak with a thick gloss varnish. Gareth sat near the end of the bar, perfectly positioned for a clear view of the Van Wildens while they dined.

  He lounged against the bar, watching the Van Wildens order their meals from the waitress who invested far too much time laughing at Oscar’s dry jokes. In what Gareth viewed as a desperate attempt to appear humanlike, the Van Wildens ordered a three-course meal, including dessert. Gareth found the show amusing but still could not sense enough to figure out what they were up to.

  “Ye spying on the new vampire family?” Alastor asked, pulling out a wooden stool next to Gareth, motioning for the bartender to take his drink order.

  “Just trying to figure them out,” Gareth replied. He pointed his empty glass toward them. “Haven’t come up with anything that makes sense.”

  “Aye me, too. But the girl, I’m telling ye, she ain’t no human. I sensed something different about her. Her heart beats like a human, she smells like a human, but there’s more to her than meets the eye.” Alastor took a sip of his bourbon shot. “It’ll be interesting to find out about this Oscar Van Wilden and his daughter.”

  Ava walked up to the bar. “Are you talking about the Van Wildens again?” she asked.

  Alastor planted a kiss on her cheek.

  “What else do you know about them?” Gareth asked, his eyes still glued to their table. The bartender had refilled his drink at Alastor’s request, and Gareth took a sip. Being a budding investigative journalist meant Ava was a good source of information about anything that went on in this town.

  “I briefly chatted with the daughter after the rally in hopes of scheduling an interview with her father.” Ava took her notebook out of her handbag and skimmed her notes. “Her name is Morgana. The whole family moved back to the States from Australia, where they had lived for about five years. Mr. Van Wilden came back to America to further his political career. He worked in politics in Australia but couldn’t really get anywhere because of his American citizenship, so they moved back here. Morgana is taking a year off college to work as an intern on her father’s campaign.”

  “Did ye really get all those details from just chatting with her?” Alastor asked.

  Ava nodded, “She pretty much just laid it all out on the table for me.” Ava closed her notebook, returning it to her bag.

  “Too easy.” Gareth turned to order himself another drink. “You should try to find out more from her. Invite her around to your apartment for dinner. We’ll be able to question her more. Maybe—”

  “Good idea.” Alastor rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful. “Let’s start by trying to figure out if she’s a vampire or not.”

  ***

  Over at the Van Wilden’s table during what would appear to most onlookers as a moment of awkward family silence, Morgana and her parents listened carefully to the Daywalkers’ conversation. So, they had suspected she was more than human. It wouldn’t have been long until they had figured out her true nature, anyway. Her plan was already forming. Due to their interest in her, getting information from the Daywalkers would be easy. She would spy on them first, especially the dark-haired vampire in the tight white t-shirt stretched across his muscular frame. He was the one most interested in her anyway. Their eyes had been transfixed in a distrustful gridlock on more than one occasion already. She suspected he sensed more than he was letting on to his friends. His face softened whenever he spoke to his friends, and Morgana couldn’t help noticing how attractive he was. Might make spying on them more interesting, she thought. Always makes the job easier when you have a good-looking target.

  “Well, my dears,” said Oscar with gusto, “How do you think the campaign rally went?” It was code for what did you scout out?

  “Some interesting people came out to support you.” Morgana nodded toward the Daywalkers.

  “Yes,” Vivienne began softly, “I also noticed one of the Daywalkers in the crowd particularly liked the look of you, Morgana,” she said this slyly, her gaze
shifting to the good-looking vampire.

  Morgana snort-laughed. This was a great example of why she preferred solo missions. Her mother was constantly on the lookout for a nice vampire for Morgana to settle down with. Vivienne may be a vampire, but she’d kept a lot of her human traits and seventeenth-century ideals.

  “I just want you to find love like your father and I have. Is that so wrong?” Vivienne gazed adoringly at Oscar. “You don’t want to spend the rest of your life alone.”

  “Yes, Vivienne.” Morgana pursed her lips.

  Oscar chuckled. He knew to stay out of the conversation when his wife started pushing Morgana to find a mate. Morgana shot him a murderous look. Traitor. Oscar laughed again, but this time, Morgana couldn’t hold back a bit of an uncomfortable laugh herself. With the thought of a mate in her mind, she found herself glancing back at the Daywalker.

  He glared at them. She huffed, turning back to her dinner.

  The steaks were quite tender and fresh at the Old Oak Steakhouse. They had ordered their steaks bleu. The Van Wildens all had a good laugh at the look of disgust on the waitress’ face. A private joke they told her—more or less meaning they didn’t mind their steaks being bloody at all.

  Throughout the meal, Morgana snuck moments to glance at the Daywalker who was still sitting at the bar. She wasn’t quite sure why she felt so compelled to keep tabs on him and justified it as being her job. His back was turned to her now, sitting at the bar drinking with the other Daywalker and his girlfriend. They were laughing and chatting about a recent event in town that had apparently been hilarious. They all seemed to get along quite well.

  The Van Wildens, having finished their meal, arose from the table to return home. Oscar paid the bill on the way out, leaving a generous tip for the wait staff after having made her so uncomfortable.

  The day was getting long. Morgana yawned trying to fight off her tiredness. Her parents would also need some blood soon to digest their meal. Morgana was starting to crave some blood herself. One good thing about staying with her parents, the blood fridge was always regularly stocked from the local blood bank owned by The Council.