In my book, Vampires Rule, seventeen-year-old Jack gets a second chance to live a normal life. But what’s normal about a hunter-girlfriend, a brother who wants to stake him just to be on the safe side, and a homicidal werewolf building an army to destroy the world?
Below, you can read an excerpt from Vampires Rule. I chose a scene that takes place between Jack and Silver (the hunter) after he wakes up to discover he is no longer a vampire. This happens in the third chapter after Jack tries to save Silver from a werewolf and almost gets himself killed. Hope you enjoy it.
The next time Jack woke it was morning, and his hand felt oddly warm. A nagging voice deep in the recesses of his mind slowly connected the dots. He had experienced this soothing heat before, but it had been so long ago he couldn’t pinpoint the source. Whatever it was, it was bad.
Jack cracked his eyes a slit. His hand rested comfortably on the pillow beside his head. Light streamed through the open curtains and rested on his unprotected skin. His eyes widened as the truth dawned on him.
With a yelp, he jerked his hand out of the light and dove under the covers. Sunlight and vampires did not mix. Any second now he would burst into flames, and it would all be over. Where was he anyway? He searched his recent memories.
An amused voice spoke from the doorway.
“It’s okay,” Silver said. “You’re fine. I opened the curtains this morning, but I watched your skin carefully for any signs of burning. The sunlight can’t hurt you anymore.”
He struggled to breathe through the suffocating covers and mumbled, “What are you talking about?”
“You’re not a vampire.”
“What?” Oh yeah, she’d lost her mind. Or maybe this was a trick to get him to commit suicide. She was the enemy after all, albeit a beautiful one.
She yanked the covers off the bed and him with one quick sliding motion like a magician revealing his final trick. Silver was fully dressed, hair combed, and eyes sparkling. She flashed him a quick grin. “You don’t need to hide from the sun. You are no more a vampire than I am. See?” She motioned to the window.
“You aren’t catching fire or exploding. Isn’t that enough evidence for you?”
He crawled to the edge of the mattress in wonder and stared at the beauty known as dawn. Tears blurred his vision for a moment. Incredible. It had been too long since he’d seen golden sunlight. He’d forgotten how breathtaking a sunrise could be. Logic argued with his physical senses. He pushed his fingers beneath his upper lip, felt the gums. No telltale bumps beneath the skin. He jumped off the bed and grabbed Silver, pressed his face against her throat as he tried to smell her blood. Nothing.
She giggled.
He released her and went to the window. Before he had the chance to change his mind, he thrust the glass pane up and stuck his hand outside. The most amazing warmth caressed his skin. A cool breeze wafted inside, stirring the hair against his neck. His eyes closed, and he savored the sweet moment. He ducked his head and leaned out the window. It didn’t hurt. It didn’t burn.
“I can’t believe it.” The words floated out with his pent-up breath. “I must be dreaming.”
Hard knuckles rapped on the bedroom door. Jack jumped and hit his head on the window sill. Pain shot through his skull. No, this wasn’t a dream. Definitely not. His hand went to the back of his head, and he absently checked for blood. Since he wasn’t alone, he bit his tongue instead of cursing.
“Silver, are you up yet?” The deep, masculine voice penetrated the closed door.
She turned panicked eyes to Jack and whispered. “It’s my dad. He can’t find you here. He’ll drive a stake through your heart.”
“I’m not a vampire anymore. Remember?”
“Trust me, that won’t matter. In fact it might make things worse.” She looked at him like he was dumber than dirt. “You’re a boy, and you’re in my bedroom. He’s going to kill you.”
~ * ~
Vampires Rule can be purchased here: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/54214
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YZB8XU
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