"I've
abandoned all my principles for you... Broken laws I held to so firm for
centuries, did things I never thought myself capable of..." He kissed her
as he whispered. "Was it worth it?" His tears wet her lips. "I
don't remember."~David
Helena K. Sharpe was raised by a man who had sympathy for supernatural creatures, for the vampires his bloodline hunted for centuries. She was too young to understand how he tried to help them, but she knew it was important. Her father made her promise never to hunt them and she would do anything to keep that promise.
Until he is murdered by the very things he dedicated so much of his life to.
Orphaned and alone, Helena takes to the street, afraid for whatever's left of her life. Without her family, she doesn't know how--or even if--she can go on. Until a vagrant takes her under his wing and gives her a purpose. Revenge.
For six years she learns about the monsters, studies their habits, until, at 15 years old, she feels she's ready to find the ones responsible for her parent's death. All she has to do is become one of them. She's cute, young, innocent...
They'll never see her coming.
Helena K. Sharpe was raised by a man who had sympathy for supernatural creatures, for the vampires his bloodline hunted for centuries. She was too young to understand how he tried to help them, but she knew it was important. Her father made her promise never to hunt them and she would do anything to keep that promise.
Until he is murdered by the very things he dedicated so much of his life to.
Orphaned and alone, Helena takes to the street, afraid for whatever's left of her life. Without her family, she doesn't know how--or even if--she can go on. Until a vagrant takes her under his wing and gives her a purpose. Revenge.
For six years she learns about the monsters, studies their habits, until, at 15 years old, she feels she's ready to find the ones responsible for her parent's death. All she has to do is become one of them. She's cute, young, innocent...
They'll never see her coming.
Arm around her waist, hand curved
behind her neck, Charlie pulled her against him. “I’ll make it quick. This will
help with the pain.”
Her head fell back and he lowered his
mouth to her throat. A light press and the sharp edge of his fangs cut her
skin. Saliva seeped into the wound, burning around and inside like an injection
of acid. She whimpered and stiffened. Charlie shifted and bit down deeper.
Body growing numb, pain receded and
the slight pull became pleasant. Her fingers found their way into his hair and
the texture seemed to flow from her calloused fingertips to fill her hands,
drape around her arms and finally cover every inch of her flesh. In some part
of her mind she knew his hair hadn’t changed, but every nerve carried the
sensation of it, as though keyed to focus on the luscious feeling from without
than the life being drained from within.
In the distance, a faint scuffing
sound pulled her lazily from the soothing pleasure. She spotted a little head,
peeking out of an alley. Cold washed over her, waking her fully. She mouthed
the word ‘Run’. Charlie’s mouth left her neck as he followed her gaze.
His attention shifting to her little
brother brought memories to play; mother bent over daddy’s ravaged body, a
hushed sound in the backyard, soft footsteps on the thick grass that framed the
in-ground pool. She could still see the water, clean and clear, glowing from
the aqua lamps that shifted colors from tranquil blues to serene greens. The
approaching figures showed in the reflection of the water, but nowhere else.
Still, they could feel the predators closing in. Mother had screamed, ‘Get
Toby! Keep him safe!’ and stifling sobs
with her hands, Helena had run to the nursery and taken Toby from his crib. He
was too heavy to carry and too small to keep up and She almost abandoned him
twice on the way to the neighbor’s house. The names she’d called the frightened
two year old in an attempt to get him to move faster still disgusted her, but
she’d gotten him to safety. The neighbors had met them on their lawn and rushed
them into the house, the wife calling the cops, the husband manning the
barricaded door with his gun.
The cops came and took her and Toby
to the hospital, and after hours of questions, left her to the doctors. Who
left her alone to rest.
She’d considered sneaking out of her
room to find her brother, but the feeling of being watched overcame the urge
and lured her to the window. She’d snapped the curtain aside and seen the
creature, retreating into the well-lit courtyard, weaving through the night
staff smokers who didn’t seem to see him. She couldn’t say for sure it had been
Charlie that night, but she blamed him for putting her there, blamed him for
the doctors trying to drug her when she told the story of the invisible people,
and blamed him for leaving her no choice but to escape the hospital without
Toby.
With Charlie distracted, she could
escape again. But she wouldn’t. This time, she would do as her mother had
asked. She would keep Toby safe.
Energy surged through her. Axel
reached out and she twisted away. Charlie grabbed her arm before she could
fall. She clenched her fist and swung it up toward his face with all the
strength she had left. Her knuckles hit his mouth and a fang slit through his
bottom lip.
For a while, he just stared at her.
Droplets of blood plopped from his chin onto her lips. Spilled into her mouth,
coppery and thick, sweet and tempting her to lick it all to save herself. She
swallowed, sure she needed more, but she was afraid if she moved he’d snap her
in two.
He laughed, making her jump as he
used the back of his hand to swipe the rest of the blood from the already
healing gash. “Like I said. Cute.”
Axel reached for her again and she
let her weight drop. Charlie wouldn’t let her go. She didn’t have the strength
to pull away so she screamed. All wrong. Toby’s presence had thrown her off.
Her plans had failed. She was going to die.
The cold tip of Charlie’s nose
skimmed the edge of her ear as he whispered. “Don’t give up so easy, kid. The
cavalry has arrived.”
Natasha
Rogue
Natasha Rogue is a
Canadian author who’s been writing for most of her life. After penning novels
behind math textbooks all through high school, she attended Dawson College in
Creative Arts with dreams of becoming a screenwriter. The best teacher she ever
had took her aside and told her to go back where she belonged. To her roots
with the books she loved to write.
Eternal Neverland (Steps Before the
Fall) was one of her first complete novels. There are seven books in draft form
completed in the series, but they gathered dust until experience and contacts
with the right editors and crit partners gave them what they needed to be
shared. However, A Breed Apart: The Token, was released through a small press
in 2012. The book will be rereleased shortly.
You may find Natasha at several
signings throughout the year as she writes multiple genres. Don’t worry, she
doesn’t bite. But she will happily chat with you about the hotties who do. And
shamelessly admit to liking Charlie way more than she should.
Connect with Natasha
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