Evolvement a vampire rom.., p.1
Evolvement: A Vampire Romance Series, page 1
Evolvement
Book 3
By S. L. Baker
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed are of the authors imagination or used fictitiously.
Evolvement. Copyright © 2021 by S. L. Baker. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States
Dedication
To all my fans of the first two book who are excited to see what is next in store for the two main characters. I thank you all for sticking with me through it all and much more adventure is yet to come.
Table of Contents
Evolvement
Copyright
Dedication
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Rise to Power Blurb
A Vampire Romance Series
About the Author
Other Works
Annalise’s Legacy
Contact Me
Chapter One
My life until now has been a living hell. In a matter of four months, my life had been turned upside down. Let me recap my journey until now.
At the beginning of the four months, girls were disappearing from the club called Black Light, which is owned and operated by Elric Reyes. Being me, I decided to investigate, which got me and my friends on the radar of this unknown world of vampires. In turn, has started all these problems.
First, my friend Jamie was taken and attacked, she was hospitalized but she was fine. Elric choosing me and my friends over his people. This caused vampires from his coven to split and form a group to attack the others and me one at a time. Just before graduation, my friend Andrew was kidnapped by a sadistic vampire, which we managed to find with Elric’s help. He later fell into a coma. Then the day after graduation Jamie and her father were brutally murdered out of revenge. Andrew then died from his injuries just after graduation.
Amongst all that going on, I managed to fall for Elric, which was started due to a pull called the Awakening. Meaning we are meant to be soul mates. We did fall in love and I helped him eradicate those vampires who were trying to kill us as well. My father and a bunch of other hunters weeded out many of the hidden vampires that were on a list that Elric had shown me. Where Elric took care of some of the others.
Elric and I managed to capture one of the vampires named Vincent, the one who was responsible for Jamie and her father’s death. He was made to suffer in a silver-lined coffin buried behind Elric’s house.
I also helped get his leader status back. Elric called a meeting of those vampires that were left. Meeting with a room full of vampires had me on edge but we managed to come up with an agreement. No more killing in exchange for a proper place to live. This brings me to where I am now.
I am in a van with all of my belongings in the back heading on a four-plus hour journey to the University of Mississippi, to study law. We are heading to our apartment. Yes, Elric and I are moving in together after a short time of knowing each other, though it feels so right. I can’t wait to finally be able to see him without anyone getting in the way. No more hiding our relationship from my father.
I'm just feeling bad right now that I had to say goodbye to my dad and that Elric had to compel him to believe he dropped me off at school, but I had to protect him. I mean we were hunters, so I know he can protect himself if something were to occur while I am gone. I walked away from that when I left the house to go to college. I can't be a hunter when I am deeply involved with the creature I was trained to hunt.
We are two hours into the ride and I have yet to stop staring out the window and I yet to even speak. I hope I made the right choice here. I mean college gives me free rein to be with Elric without sneaking around anymore, which is great. It also gives me the chance to do something with myself.
This is all new to me, leaving the comfort of what is familiar and safe, so to speak.
What will these next four years have in store for me? I mean I don’t even have to go, Elric told me that I will be set for life without even stepping foot in a job. However, that is just too much time on my hands; I would go crazy doing nothing. I'm going to give myself time in school and see where I go from there. If things get to be too much I can reevaluate the situation.
I finally turn to Elric, who has been looking at me periodically these past few hours with worry. He always seems to worry so much about me.
“Do you think I am making the right choice here?” I ask with the sincerest worry and intentions.
“I think you should do what you wish to do Cordelia. You should get the best out of life. If you start school and decide it is not for you then we will face that then, until then I will help you in any way I can.” He looks at me then turns back to the road and continues.
I cannot believe how supportive he has been and allowing me to carve my own path. He does not get jealous, he does not get clingy, he does not even try and persuade me to change my mind and just stay with him.
“We will both be busy. I have to reform the coven and oversee that the laws and rules are being followed and you will have your studies.”
“Right, plus I promised the others that I will help them assimilate into society. Which I plan on following through with. I figured we can call a meeting one day a week, on the weekends, and I can go over things with them. I want them to be able to blend as much as possible. This will help them be more self-reliant and they will no longer need to hide.”
“That is a wonderful idea. I have been trying to that for years, but they were never interested. I think they are following through with it because they are very curious about you, and maybe they are also tired of living in the shadows.”
“I can understand that. It could not have been easy for them to live in those situations. If I were them I would have been ruthless too. I think they just didn’t know where to start with changing. I mean you get so used to a way of living and change seems daunting.”
“You are a very compassionate woman, for even us who do not deserve it. For that, I am grateful. We will be at our place in a few hours are you hungry we can stop and get something to eat then continue the trip?”
“I could eat something. Sure let’s do that. Should I call Jaquelin and have her join us?”
“If you wish my love.”
I call Jaquelin and she picks up on the second ring.
“It’s me, we’re thinking of stopping for something to eat, would you like to join us?”
“I would love to but I have not fed in a few days, I would end up sick if I ate now. I will just keep going. I will probably make it there before you so I will park your car in your designated spot. I hope that is ok?”
“Of course I wish to thank you for coming and helping with this. You and I will have to go to lunch soon, just us two. Sound good?”
“Really? You want to hang out with me?”
“Of course I do. Keep us informed on your progress, and I can't believe I am going to say this but get something to eat, please. In no way do I want you guys to suffer, just as long as no one else does.”
“You are not what I expected. When I found out you were a hunter I thought you would hate us all and take us all out, but it seems you are so different than the closed-minded hunters I have come across in the past. Especially with your bloodline and history. I appreciate it.”
“That’s good, I guess. We will talk to you in a little while. Take care, ok?”
“I will thank you.” We hang up.
“She hasn’t fed in a few days so she will not be joining us; she’s going to continue towards home. Home, that sounds so weird. I'm so used to home being back in Baton Rouge. This will take some time getting used to a change of address let alone state.”
“Yeah that sounds like her; she is so dead set on following rules that she harms herself in the process. Then she ends up giving in and causes problems. I am going to have to have a talk with her. She needs to know that it is ok to feed daily and not hurt anyone in the process.” He states as he shakes his head in confusion and a bit of agitation. I guess he cannot seem to understand how she operates and the choice she is making by not feeding. I do not understand myself, why put yourself through the turmoil and pain?
“Anyway I see an exit coming up; maybe they will have a place to eat just off the exit.”
“Possible. Does she really starve herself?” He nods.
“Why?” I ask.
“When I found in her 1853 she was dying, she had just given birth and was hemorrhaging badly, which is what drew me to her, the smell of her blood. Her baby had died but I gave her a choice to come with me and live forever or to die there alone and in pain. She chose me.” I sit there with my mouth hanging open wondering how someone can live through such a huge loss at such a young age. To go through the feeling of bleeding to death and being faced with a decision of eternal life or death, I wonder what choice I would have chosen at that time.
“Since then she has not wanted to cause pain to anyone and the more she fights feeding the more hungry she gets, when she finally caves she ends up killing multiple people and when she does she hates herself even more. The cycle continues.”
“That is so sad. I can't imagine being sixteen about to give birth and being alone. She must have been so scared. I know back then the mortality rate was a lot higher than it is today for both mother and child. I wonder if it has something to do with the age she was when she was changed.”
“So much has changed in the medical field since I was born. To see the centuries pass and the different ways of doing things as time passed. I saw what the plague has done and in 1918, the influenza virus whipped out thousands if not more people. Though things have changed drastically since then.”
“I can imagine. She seems fine to me, but then again I don’t know her. I am hoping to get to know her better though. She is important to you, so therefore I will do what I can to have her be part of my life as well.”
“I appreciate that. She seems to like you,” he says as we pull into a roadside restaurant.
I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that I am so close to her age as far as the mental and physical look that is. She is hundreds of years old stuck in a sixteen-year-old girl's body. That has got to be awkward being around all of the other vampires who were turned when they were older and more mature than her.
We exit the van and enter the silver trailer-looking place. A waitress meets us at the door and seats us in a booth overlooking the main road. We are handed menus and we look them over. It seems to be similar foods from Louisiana so that is a plus.
We give our orders and I excuse myself to head to the restroom. I check my hair and wash my face then I head back to the table. Elric’s back is to me and I see that he is on the phone. I still proceed to the table and he hangs up the phone.
“Anything I need to know about?” I ask.
“That was Enrique he is just checking in with me. He likes to let me know that I did not make a mistake letting him live.”
“That’s kind of endearing. That he’s that grateful to being here still. I mean he never seemed to do anything towards us, other than when you confronted him and Vincent.”
“That is why I let him live. I did not want a relatively ‘innocent’ coven member to die for no good reason. I also did not want to lose another one of my people. I hate killing my own kind if I can help it.”
“Plus it gave you some brownie points in getting the coven back. There are eight now, correct?”
“Yes and that is enough for now. Maybe way down the way that may change. For right now I just want to focus on making you happy and keep everyone safe.”
“Speaking of safe. I'm wondering how Daniel is doing. He disappeared from home after Andrew’s funeral. I asked around and no one has heard from him. He has cut ties completely from everyone. I'm afraid that the next time I hear anything from or about him is that he is in major trouble or dead.”
I sit back in the booth and look into space at nothing in particular. I cannot help but feel responsible for his disappearance, he blames me for everything that has happened to our friends and then he just disappears on everyone. It makes me worry and feel guilty over this. As I am lost in thought I realize that Elric is talking, I shake my head and ask, “What? Sorry got lost there for a moment.”
“I said I know you are worried about him. I am sorry he will not respond to you. He knows how to get ahold of you. Maybe he just needs to unwind and get away for a while.”
We sit here and chitchat while we eat. He picks up the check and I hit the restroom before we go.
He meets me at the door, holds it open for me, walks me to the passenger side door, and gives me a sweet kiss as he lifts me up into the seat.
I still can't believe he is mine now. After fighting him and how I felt for months, it’s so nice to be able to let my guard down with him. I know in my life he would never hurt me and that he would fight his own people to protect me. He has proven that already.
We head back onto the road. I watch as he turns us around to head to the on exit for the direction we need to go on I-55 North.
“Is there any way we can get there a little quicker? I kind of want to get going on unpacking something’s in our place,” I say with a smile at the words ‘our place’. He looks at me from his peripheral vision and a huge smile reaches his eyes. Without a word, he steps on the gas pedal. I smile back at him.
“Hell if we get stopped compulsion works to get out of it.”
“Ahh, so it does have other benefits. The one thing it won’t get you out of is an argument with me,” I laugh. “My mind is broken to that trick,” I say still laughing. He joins me in the laughter.
Twenty minutes later he says, “We are almost there.” He points to exit 221 to get onto MS-333. “At this rate, we will be there in no time”
I sit up in my seat and I become giddy. All my troubles melt away for the time being and I'm in pure ecstasy. I could not be happier at this moment.
I look around out the windows and watch as the mile markers pass, turn after turn I watch the building and houses pass. He slows down coming up to a tall building with balconies and sliding doors. I see my car.
“We are home love.” He picks up his phone, calls Enrique, and asks him to gather three others who are willing to help us move my stuff in.
Chapter Two
About five minutes pass and we are in the back of the van pulling boxes towards the edge to be picked up and taken. I hear a few people coming towards us before I see them and it seems they all came out. All eight of them line up to take a few boxes and head inside with them. I feel great warmth by their gesture.
By the time, the eighth one left there are two boxes left and Elric grabs them, puts them on the curb, and closes the van. I go to pick up one of them and he stops me and grabs both of them. I walk by his side as we walk into the building.
“Good evening Mr. Reyes. Welcome back,” the guy at the front desk says. “This must be Cordelia, nice to meet you.” He reaches out his hand and I shake it. “If you guys ever need anything please let me know.”
“Will do Michael, thank you.”
“He seems very friendly and seems to respect you. What did you do?” I ask.
“Nothing. I just bought the building.”
“You what?” I am in complete shock as he states this as though he tells me he bought a burger from some fast food place down the way. He thinks nothing of it when he buys whole apartment complexes and he never told he did until just then. All I can think is ‘What the hell?’
“I bought the building. Do not worry I did not evict the current tenants, they will be a means of paying the bills here as well as making sure the others of my coven are able to afford what they need.”
“Now that is the smartest thing I have ever heard. So you own this whole building?”
“You do to once you sign the papers upstairs.”
“Wait why me?”
“You are with me and I want the money to also feel like yours.”
“You never fail to surprise me, you know that?” Again, I am caught off guard. Now he wants me to be a co-owner of the complex. What is next, a castle? I better not bring that up he just might do it. I laugh to myself. He looks at me questioningly as I do but says nothing until we start moving again.
“I will never stop trying either. Now let us get upstairs and get you unpacked,” he says as we enter the elevator.
When we get up to the penthouse, Enrique is there and hands me a set of keys.
“Why are there so many keys?” I ask while looking down at the keyring in my hands and sifting through the four keys.
“There is one for the front door of the building, the basement, the elevator to get to this floor, and to the penthouse itself,” Enrique informs me.
“So no one can get to this floor without the key.”
“That is correct Miss St. James.”
“Does anyone else have a key?”
“Just you and master that I know of miss.”
“I am going to talk to him about you all calling him that, it is so ancient. Today to show reverence towards someone it’s Mr. and their last name and never using their first name. Does that make sense?”
