Forever Stained Red
Odette Michael
Copyright © 2020 Odette Michael
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronical, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission from the author.
Cover design by: Sevahc
For my mother, who believed in me the most.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1 The Monster Unleashed
Chapter 2 Dehydration
Chapter 3 Alien Blood
Chapter 4 Guardian Angel
Chapter 5 An Offer Refused
Chapter 6 Renewed Vengeance
Chapter 7 Kiss Of Blood
Chapter 8 Betrayed
Chapter 9 Joining
Chapter 10 And I Ached
Chapter 11 Blood Frenzy
Chapter 12 In Blood And Wings
Chapter 13 Irony
Chapter 14 The Only One
Acknowledgements
About The Author
Books By This Author
Chapter 1 The Monster Unleashed
It took every ounce of control for Gabriel Arundel to contain his rage.
His fingers tightened on the straps of the backpack slung over his shoulders. The few people he walked by in Lystelle Park had no idea how lucky they were to not have their throats torn open. They eyed him warily, this black-clothed shadow who wore sunglasses in the dark of night.
If only he could rip into their necks and drain them dry. Maybe then he could forget his pain.
But if he resorted to who he used to be, if he tried to drown his sorrow in blood once again, what would Kara think? Would she forgive him? Would her hatred once again overshadow her love?
Was she still alive?
Not too long after Elias had taken her, their blood connection had disappeared completely. Gabriel had panicked to the point of hysteria, unable to move because he had lost so much blood. The blood frenzy had nearly been upon him, the truest nature of every vampire, the inner demon that lurked and waited to devour any in its path.
Thomas and Inola had come to him. They had been nearly killed themselves, and had Gabriel not been so consumed with his reunion with Kara, he would have heard their struggle. But they had killed their attackers—vampires working for Elias that had owed him their lives—and had reassured Gabriel that Kara was still alive.
Because even without a blood connection, you could feel it when your Eternal died after you blood shared. You could feel a piece of your soul gone.
One of Gabriel’s hands went to his heart. It was hard to tell amidst the storm of emotions cascading inside of him, but he still felt whole. At least, he believed he did. The other possibility was unthinkable.
He would know if Kara was dead. He would know. He had to keep that belief alive, or it would be impossible to keep moving forward.
Then he saw her. Emma sat on a park bench, her blonde hair perfect, her lips stained red with either blood or lipstick. She took off her sunglasses and stood up warily when she saw him.
Gabriel could barely contain himself. He couldn’t believe he’d once thought that Emma’s sly eyes were beautiful, or that she’d held the key to helping him come alive again.
Just seeing her made the world turn crimson. Had he been a younger vampire unaccustomed to the intense emotions, he would have killed her on the spot.
“Gabriel, thank you for meeting me to give me a chance to explain,” Emma said softly.
He nodded once. Contain it. Wait.
Emma held out her slender hands. “I know you are having a hard time right now, but I did this for you. I did this for us.”
Gabriel was stone.
Her brown eyes glistened. “She may or may not be your Eternal, but I am your love. I love you!”
Gabriel did not reply.
“She just wasn’t good for you. She made you turn your back on who you really are.”
A smile actually fell on Gabriel’s lips. Judging by the look on Emma’s face, it was not a reassuring one.
“So you know me, Emma? You know who I truly am?”
She nodded. “Yes. Yes, my love.”
“Strange. Because to me, it seemed like Kara was the one who helped me find myself again. She was able to do so without even trying.”
“She’s confused you, Gabriel. Now we can start over, just you and me.”
Gabriel’s hands went into fists. Searing anger coiled inside every single cell, and he was ready to burst.
“You really are stupid and blind, Emma, and Elias saw that and used you. Did he really fuel your madness to this degree?”
“Not madness, Gabriel. It is love! I refuse to believe you feel so little for me. . . . We have been intimate for decades!”
Tremors ran down his body. “And did I not warn you that I would not form an attachment to you? You said you were fine with our arrangement. I made it very clear to you, over and over again, that you and I were not together and never would be. You always said you understood.”
“I lied! I came to love you. How could you not see it?”
“I will not deny I cared for your well-being, enough that I was hoping you would be smart enough to stay out of all of this. And if I didn’t despise you as much as I do now, I might have pitied you,” Gabriel seethed, throwing the backpack at Emma’s feet.
She stepped back. “What’s inside that?”
His smile twisted. “Felicity’s head. I was hoping it would stay intact instead of turning to ash, but you will just have to take my word for it.”
Emma’s eyes widened. She turned and blurred into the night, and being older than Gabriel, was faster.
But it didn’t matter. Rage fueled his muscles, and he ran faster than he ever had before. He tackled Emma, pinning her to the ground.
“Where is she?” Gabriel asked, his voice laced with venom.
“Gabriel, she is
