Midnight Moon (Love and Blood Series Book 1) Read online

  Love and Blood Series

  Midnight Moon

  By: Raven K. Asher

  The Love and Blood Series

  “Midnight Moon” Book 1

  Text copyright © 2018 Raven K. Asher

  This publication is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws, and all rights are reserved, including resale rights: you are not allowed to give, copy, scan, distribute or sell this book to anyone else.

  Any trademarks, service marks, product names or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if we use one of these terms.

  Any people or places are strictly fictional and not based on anything else, fictional or non-fictional

  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  1-The Beginning of the End

  2-Left for Dead

  3-The Change

  4-Darkwell

  5-Reunited

  6-A Night Out

  7-That Escalated

  8-Don’t Push Me

  9-Whiplash

  10-The Next Night

  11-Losing Control

  12-Hooked

  13-Duck and Dodge

  14- Disaster Strikes

  15-Divided

  16-Major Changes

  17-Unexpected Visitor

  18-The Aftermath

  19-Going Back

  20-The Diner

  21-No Father of Mine

  22-Kill Me Now

  23-Reality

  Other Books by: Raven K. Asher

  About the Author

  Sneak Peek

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  “Under the midnight moon my soul was trapped forever. In the darkness it searches; longing for the rays of sunlight that it will never feel again.” - R. K. Asher

  1-The Beginning of the End

  “Ava, what time are you coming home?” Mom asks as I walk into the kitchen where she was eating dinner with Dad at the small glass table near the window.

  “I’ll be home before it gets dark,” I answer while tying my hair back into a ponytail. “Mr. Anderson will make sure I leave in time.”

  “I wish you wouldn’t take all these extra shifts.” Dad sighs.

  “This is the last one,” I promise him.

  Hopefully, after this shift, I would have more than enough money saved up to put a down payment on the new car that I had my eyes on for the past few months.

  “Remember, tonight is a full moon. The vampires won’t be the only things roaming around tonight.” Mom stresses.

  For the past three years, everyone had been living in fear.

  Our lives had changed in the blink of an eye when the unnatural had become a reality. Vampires, werewolves, witches, and every creature in-between were real.

  The days of feeling safe were long gone. Every second spent outside the protective walls of our homes were continuously spent looking over our shoulders.

  No one was safe.

  To make things worse, a war between the unnatural creatures and humans was looming in the distance.

  “I haven’t forgotten, Mom,” I reply as I grab my keys and apron from the counter.

  “Do you have your silver?” Dad asks as I turn towards the door.

  I turn towards him and then hold up my necklace. “I’ve got it, Dad.”

  He nods and then sighs. “Be careful, Sweetheart.”

  “I will be, Dad,” I promise.

  “We love you, Hunnie.” Mom states from her spot at the table.

  “I love you guys too,” I reply before turning to leave.

  I give them my best smile before I open the door and then walk outside and down the short sidewalk to where my older car was parked along the street.

  “You weren’t seriously going to leave without telling me, were you?” Jake laughs out abruptly as he jogs down the sidewalk.

  He was my neighbor and boyfriend.

  “I knew you’d come,” I reply with a bright smile.

  Stopping in front of me, he reaches out to grab my hips in his hands. He then pulls me close before pressing his lips firmly against mine.

  “Are you going to come over after work?” He asks while pulling back slightly.

  “I am,” I answer with a nod.

  “Will you stay the night with me?” He pushes.

  “I don’t know if my parents would like that again. They were upset the last time I decided to spend the night.” I huff out.

  “This time you can warn them. The only reason that they were upset last time is because they woke up and you weren’t home. You scared them.” Jake replies.

  “I’ll talk to my mom when I get home, okay.” I give in. “I make no promises though.”

  “That’s all I’m asking.” He replies before leaning in to kiss me again.

  He sighs while pulling away. “Do you want me to pick you up after your shift?”

  “I’ll be fine.” I insist.

  “If it gets dark…” He trails off.

  “I’ll call you so you can rescue me.” I laugh.

  He grins. “I’ll always rescue you, Babe.”

  My phone suddenly chirps with a message, and I groan while rolling my eyes. Mr. Anderson was more than likely wondering where I was since I was supposed to be at work by now.

  “I have to go.” I breathe out.

  Jake nods in understanding and then kisses me once more before he releases me.

  I reluctantly climb into my car and then place the key in the ignition. I close my eyes and silently beg for it to start before I turn the key. When the engine roars to life, I smile triumphantly while clapping my hands together.

  My car was pretty reliable, but it was moody some days primarily when it was humid. Those days seemed to set it off to the point where it would take multiple tries to get it to start.

  As I pull away from the curb and drive down the road, Jake watches me from his spot on the sidewalk.

  He always watched me when I left.

  The second I turn down the next street he disappears from my view.

  My heart picks up speed as I continue to drive. I don’t know what it was, but something felt off. There seemed to be a strange heaviness in the air that hadn’t been there before.

  Instead of allowing it to bother me I shrug it off. It wasn’t an uncommon feeling these days and most times it was just false alarms or my overactive imagination.

  My anxiety was something that I could have done without these days.

  Every little thing set me spiraling. Every strange look, every sound, and the coming darkness of night had my heart racing. If I live to be thirty without having a heart-attack, I would be lucky.

  After a fifteen minute drive, I arrive at the local diner where I worked. I pull into the parking lot at the back and shut the car's engine off before I rush to exit my vehicle. Once I'm out I run towards the back door of the building.

  “It’s about time, Ava.” Mr. Anderson breathes out as I walk into his office while tying my apron around my waist.

  “I’m sorry. My mom and dad stopped me before I left.” I explain.

  “How are they?” He questions while looking up from the stack of papers on his desk.

  “They’re fine. They’d rather me not work so close to dark though.” I reply honestly.

  “You won’t have to stay that late." He insists. "I only need you to cover for Evette. She wasn’t feeling well earlier, so I sent her home.”

  “Was she alright? It wasn’t the baby, was it?” I question worried.

/>   “She’s fine. It’s just a touch of morning sickness.” Mr. Anderson reassures.

  He then stands and claps his hands together. “I have to leave for the night, but Jessie will be here if you need anything. He’ll be closing tonight.”

  “Oh, okay.” I sigh.

  I really didn’t like relying on Jessie. He didn’t like me, and I really didn’t like him. He had pushed me into some very uncomfortable positions since I had started working for Mr. Anderson.

  “He’s not going to be a problem, Ava. If he values his job, he will behave himself.” Mr. Anderson states. “I’ve already spoken to him but if he tries anything call me.”

  I nod and then walk out of his office with him.

  Within seconds a familiar face rushes to greet me.

  “Oh, thank god you’re here, Ava.” Mary, one of the waitresses, exclaims as she grabs my hand. “I need your help. The place is packed, and I can’t keep up with Evette’s tables.”

  I nod and then pull out my pen and pad as I move towards my first table of the night.

  In a matter of minutes, I get swept away in the madness that I had become used to while working in a diner.

  It was a madness that I secretly enjoyed though.

  ****

  “Ava, I need you to stay a little longer.” Mary pleads as she steps up next to me by the side counter where we collected our orders from the cooks.

  The diner hadn’t emptied, and she was desperate since no other waitresses were working at the moment.

  It was just the two of us.

  “It’s going to be dark soon,” I stress.

  “Nothing is going to happen to you.” She insists confidently. “No one has been attacked in this town for at least six months, and the last vampire was run out of town.”

  She was right; if I stayed more than likely nothing would happen to me.

  “Fine, I’ll stay for a little bit longer.” I give in with a dramatic sigh.

  It was honestly the last thing I wanted to do, but I didn’t want to leave her all alone either. I owed her for all of the times that she had helped me out.

  “Thank you.” She exclaims before she rushes off to take another order.

  I sigh and then move to the back to text my parents and Jake.

  Once I’ve sent my messages, I return to the front.

  I pause in place as a stranger walks through the door. He stops and then glances around the diner before turning his attention towards me.

  My hands shake at my sides as his eyes darken slightly.

  He was obviously not human, but he definitely wasn’t a vampire since it was still light outside.

  Since it was against the law to turn him away, I force myself to move forward with a friendly smile.

  “Can I help you?” I ask.

  “I’d like a table.” He answers.

  “Follow me,” I instruct while waving for him to follow me as I turn to lead him through the diner to a secluded corner where he would be more comfortable and where he also wouldn’t draw attention towards himself.

  “You can sit here,” I announce as I wave my hand towards the table.

  Once he sits, I hand him a menu before I pull out my pad of paper and a pen from my apron to take his order.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” I question.

  “I’d like water, thank you.” He replies before studying the menu. “I’d also like a hamburger with a side of home fries.”

  I nod while writing down his order. Once I'm done I look at him in question. “Would that be all?”

  “Yes, that’s all.” He replies with a smile as he hands the menu back to me.

  I take it and then walk away without saying another word.

  “Who’s the tall dark and handsome guy you just sat back there?” Mary gushes.

  I shrug. “I don’t know, but I don’t think he’s human.”

  “Oh…” She breathes out as her eyes light up.

  Mary took an interest in the creatures of the night. She wasn’t afraid of them at all. She would usually get excited when one would come in for dinner.

  Without warning she snatches the paper with his order from my hand. “I’ll take care of him for you.”

  I laugh and watch her walk off towards the kitchen.

  Part of me was relieved that I wouldn’t have to face the guy anymore, but another part of me was disappointed that I wouldn’t see him again.

  To be honest, there was a part of me that wanted to meet a vampire or a werewolf. At least I wanted to meet one of the nice ones that were out there, not one of the ones that terrorized people.

  For the most part, he had seemed friendly enough.

  I sigh softly and then glance back at his table one last time before moving on.

  ****

  Before I know it, the clock hits midnight.

  The crowd had finally cleared out, and we were finally in the process of closing up for the night.

  “Do you want me to ride home with you, Ava?” Jessie questions as he suddenly appears beside me.

  “I’ll be fine. I’ve already told Jake, and he’s going to be waiting for me at home.” I answer.

  He nods and then looks at Mary.

  She laughs while pointing her finger at him. “Don’t even think about it, Jessie. I definitely don’t need you riding home with me.”

  He walks off with a huff while Mary and I chuckle in amusement.

  “That boy needs to stop.” Mary laughs. “He’s creepy.”

  I nod in agreement. “Yeah, he is.”

  After a few minutes, Mary and I walk to the back door with Jessie and a few of the cooks that had stayed behind to clean up.

  “Is everyone ready?” Jessie questions as he glances back at us.

  Everyone nods, and he opens the back door.

  We rush through the door and to our cars. I hurry to get into my car while the others do the same.

  The one thing that these creatures had done was bring people together to watch each other’s backs.

  Once everyone is safely in their cars, we take turns leaving the parking lot.

  I, unfortunately, end up being the last car to leave.

  My heart gets lodged in my throat as I turn down the dark road that would take me home. It was the fastest way to go, but it took me through a small forest that separated one side of the town from the other.

  As I reach the trees, the car chugs and threatens to stop while the lights flash and then grow dim.

  I curse and silently plead for it to behave itself. The last thing I wanted was to be stranded here of all places.

  My luck only gets worse as it chugs again and then stalls. Thankfully, I manage to pull off to the side of the road before it comes to a complete stop.

  Whimpering softly, I lock my doors and then reach into my pocket to grab my phone. I pull it out and curse my luck again. The screen was black. It was dead which meant I had no way to contact anyone.

  Suddenly, a loud howl cuts through the silence of the night.

  I shiver with fear as I glance around at the darkness surrounding me.

  “This cannot possibly get worse,” I mutter as I stare out the windshield.

  After a few moments, a set of headlights light up my car before they pull in behind me. I glance back nervously as someone exits the vehicle.

  My heart hammers in my chest as they walk up to my window and then knock on it.

  I roll it down a little bit, just enough so that we could hear each other clearly.

  “Do you need help?” A young man with shaggy brown hair and an easy grin asks.

  “My car won’t start and my phone is dead. If you could let me use your phone to make a call that’s all I’d need.” I reply.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t have a phone.” He answers.

  “I could give you a ride home if you’d like.” He then insists. “A pretty girl like you shouldn’t be out here all alone.”

  “I’d rather not leave my car,” I reply.

  He nods and then
glances down the road absently before turning his attention back towards me.

  “You could have made this easy for me.” He bites out abruptly as his eyes turn crimson red.

  I rush to close my window, but before I can get it up, he smashes his hand through the glass. I scream in terror as he reaches inside for me.

  Somehow, someway, I manage to slip out of my seatbelt before I exit the other side of the car.

  Tears fill my eyes as I begin running as fast as my feet could carry me. It was useless though. It was nearly impossible to run from creatures like him.

  And as the vampire appears in front of me, I skid to a stop.

  “Don’t be like that. I just want a taste. I won’t hurt you.” He promises.

  “Yeah, like I’m going to believe that. You just punched out my window.” I snort while stepping back away from him as he moves forward.

  “You ticked me off.” He growls out before a cruel smirk crosses his lips as he stalks closer. “Just one bite and this will be all over. You can go home and pretend it never happened.”

  “No,” I reply weakly.

  “Too bad…” He replies before he suddenly grabs me in his arms.

  A strangled scream falls from my lips seconds later as he bites into my neck savagely.

  2-Left for Dead

  The world around me blurs as the vampire holding onto me kneels down to the ground as my legs give out from under me.

  My heartbeat slows as he continues to drink my blood.

  Just before I pass out, he pulls away.

  “Damn you taste too good.” He groans.

  I barely register him as he bites into his own wrist before placing it into my mouth. His blood drips over my tongue and then down my throat as I stare up at him helplessly.

  His red eyes stare into mine as he speaks again. “I’m going to make you mine.”

  Fear engulfs me as reality strikes. He was turning me.

  Tears spill down my cheeks as I whimper softly.

  Without warning, he’s suddenly ripped away from me. My body hits the ground as a loud snarl cuts through the night air nearby.