Dark Wine, YA Version (The Two Vampires, Book 1)

By M.D. Bowden

Romantic, compelling and brimming with sexual tension, 'Dark Wine' will imprint on your mind and leave you with a thirst for more.

Sarah lives in a small Canadian town with her two daughters. When her husband disappears the same night she meets a beautiful and charismatic man her world is thrown into turmoil. What has happened to Jo? Who is this sexy mysterious man? As Sarah tries to answer these questions her life takes a dangerous turn...

'The Two Vampires' series:
Dark Wine, YA Version
Dark Blood, YA Version
Dark Love, YA Version
Dark Moors, YA Version

Contains romantic scenes, passion, and moderate violence; aimed at readers of 14+ years.

EXTRACT

Jo came awake slowly. He was faced with dappled green and brown light and he was confused. His throat hurt and his head felt fuzzy. He was very, very thirsty. Where on Earth was he? What was going on? In his sleepy haze he thought back to the previous night. He had been going to see his sister. He remembered leaving the house, then some weird visions; vampires and bats and the quarry. He remembered the bat turning into a man. A VAMPIRE.
The vampire had snapped his neck. Oh God. He gasped and sat up straight, opening his eyes as he did. He was alone in the woods. He had no idea where or how he'd gotten there. Oh, my throat. He really needed a drink. Looking about he saw trees in every direction. It was daytime but only a little light shone through the branches, even though many leaves littered the forest floor. It must be early morning. He wasn't cold but his eyes hurt, especially when he looked at the light. His skin felt itchy. He needed something. Water. He listened hard and thought he heard trickling nearby. Jo pushed himself to his feet, stumbling, searching for water.
After about two-hundred meters he found a small stream and scooped up some water to drink. He sucked it up but it tasted cold and foul. It didn't quench his thirst at all.
He turned, seeing someone approaching; a dark man dragging a mute girl by his side. The man looked familiar. Then, with a jolt Jo realised it was the man by his car last night. The man who had snapped his neck. The man who must have killed him.
However, he felt no anger towards him, he actually felt strangely attracted. Jo rose and walked towards him. His hair was long, for a man, and his eyes were black. He was tall, probably 6'4'', with a lean frame. The girl with him looked small and fragile, with red hair and a dainty neck. It looked exquisite. He could see thin veins exposed as the vampire pulled her head to the side.
Jo walked forward fascinated, he reached out his hand and stroked her neck, and then he was overtaken by desire to quench his thirst. He grabbed her round the waist, yanked aside her head by the hair and felt his teeth lengthening as he sank them into her fine neck. And he drank. Drank for his life. Or his death.
The girl's warm blood flowed from her veins down his throat giving him life. He could feel its power rushing into him. Rejuvenating his cells, making his heart race and his senses come alive. His sense of smell came into focus and he breathed in the smell of the girl's blood as he took her life, then released her and she fell to the floor. Slumped, dead, pathetic and used.
Wiping his mouth he staggered back and leant against a tree, new sensations overwhelming him. He could feel every inch of his body come into acute awareness. He could feel the redheaded girl's blood traveling to the extremities of his body, rushing through his veins to his internal organs, his brain and even his toes. As it reached his soles he could feel the earth beneath his shoes and his connection to the ground and the trees...

• Language: English
• Publisher: M.D. Bowden
• Release date: Jul 28, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301077151

M.D. Bowden

M.D. BOWDEN lives in England with her partner and two young children. She enjoys spending time with her family, in the sea, on the cliffs, and reading as much fantasy as she can get her hands on.

Book preview

What Others are Saying about Dark Wine

I was captivated throughout the entire book . . . This is a purchase you won’t regret. Pianogirl05 (amazon.com review)

I loved the setting and character development, it was a great first book to set the scene for following sequels. crystal higgs (amazon.com review)

Had me hooked straight away!! Romance, action, supernatural all in one :) love it!!! Emma (amazon.co.uk review)

BY M.D. BOWDEN

The Two Vampires:

Dark Wine

Dark Blood

Dark Love

Dark Moors

Dark Flame – A Short Story

Gateway to Faerie:

Gateway to Faerie

Bell Stone: Gateway to Faerie II

THE TWO VAMPIRES

Dark Wine, YA Version

Smashwords Edition

Published by M.D. Bowden

Copyright M.D. Bowden 2013

All rights reserved

Smashwords Edition, License Notes: This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All characters in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What Others are Saying about Dark Wine

BY M.D. BOWDEN

Copyright

DEDICATION

Dark Wine

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

THE END

For other books by M.D. BOWDEN keep on turning . . .

AUTHOR BIO

DEDICATION

To my partner and children for putting up with hours spent writing!

Also to all the writers who have inspired me.

The Two Vampires

Dark Wine

Young Adult Version

♥

CHAPTER 1

Jo stepped out of his house.  He found himself momentarily dazzled by a bright violet sky as the sun appeared from behind fuzzy clouds.  Glimpsing a flash of dark, he turned towards it, his heart racing.  He was met by a searing pain as fangs sank into his exposed neck. 

Jo passed out. 

When he awoke he found himself lying on his living room floor, on the pink spotted rug Sarah had bought for his girls.  The curtains were drawn; a little light peeked through casting shadows across the room.  Jo’s head spun as he pulled himself up onto the black leather sofa and reached for the reading light.  He wasn’t scared, he was confused – what the hell just happened?  As he clicked the light switch the room illuminated.  Nothing looked odd; it was the same room he and his family had lived in for five years.  Toys over flowed from the toy box, books and DVDs were crammed onto bookshelves. 

Looking towards the clock he saw it was seven, time to go to his sisters.  She had called earlier and invited him over for dinner, and Jo had agreed this time, as he wasn’t meeting anyone more appealing after work, and his wife and kids were out visiting the parents in law. 

Jo reached for his neck, feeling the skin, searching for damage.  It felt fine.  Tentatively standing up, he walked across the room to the large ornate mirror above the fireplace.  His neck looked completely normal.  No bite marks – just the first traces of stubble around his jaw.  Jo inspected his appearance more closely.  He did look a little haggard.  His short, dark hair was messy, probably from lying on the floor in a heap.  His eyes, normally deep brown and clear, looked bloodshot and were shadowed.  He took a deep breath and put his fingers on the mantel piece as he looked into tired eyes and studied his memories. 

He remembered bright light dazzling him.  The sun must have been about to set behind the scruffy conifers lining the horizon.  He remembered seeing movement.  Something undefined had approached him, it had been incredible, so fast.  He hadn’t even seen what it was, but he had felt two sharp points pierce his neck.  And, at the time, he had known they were fangs.  Vampire fangs. But, seriously, vampire fangs? What on earth had happened to cause him to have such a stupid delusion? 

But, he thought, allowing himself to be swept up in his stupidity, if he’d stepped out of the front door and been bitten by a vampire, what had he been doing lying on the living room floor?  Why was he OK, or pretty much OK?  Why were there no bite marks?  More to the point, why was he not dead? 

He continued to peer at himself in the mirror.  Did I get bitten by a vampire?  And if I did, how did I end up unconscious on the floor?  Is it possible the vampire bit me, then healed me?  

But . . . why would a vampire do this, and why wouldn’t it take away his memory of the bite?  If he had been healed by vampire blood it would mean that, if he died now, he himself would turn into a vampire.  He shuddered.  He felt a sickening feeling creeping up his body, into his throat. 

Of course, there was no reason for him to die now.  It seemed pretty unlikely.  He would probably be fine.  But then, if he had been bitten by a vampire, and been healed, could he unknowingly be part of some bigger plan?  What if the vampire planned for him to die?  Shit, what if he was already dead? 

Jo’s breathing quickened, and then he paused, taking a deep breath and gathering his thoughts. What the hell was wrong with him?  He was getting ridiculously carried away. 

Taking another deep breath he tried to pull himself together.  OK, think logically, he told himself.  It’s ridiculous to think that I was bitten by a vampire.  I wasn’t.  Vampires DO NOT EXIST. There must be another explanation. 

I was on the living room floor.  I remember I was going to my sisters, in fact, she’s going to be pretty annoyed when I’m late, which I definitely am thanks to whatever craziness is going on in my mind. I must have passed out, I was pretty knackered out – maybe I just quickly lay down and zonked out, then had a vivid dream, inspired by the onslaught of horror movies that have recently been on the TV. Weird I don’t remember lying down, but hey, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve forgotten falling asleep. He smirked, thinking of a woman from work and his escapades with her, all while Sarah thought he was being the good husband. What a fool Sarah was, he thought, then laughed. Sometimes Jo had been so knackered out after such occasions he had actually fallen asleep at his desk the following day.

Jo refocused on his face in the mirror. He was still looking pasty and drawn out, but it must just be tiredness.

There is nothing seriously wrong, he thought. Nothing wrong at all. I did not get bitten by a vampire, and I am seriously late – I had better get going. Suddenly, the thought of going outside made his pulse quicken.  What if there really was a vampire out there? 

God, he was becoming completely and utterly deluded. Insane.  Taking a deep breath, he strode out of the room, down the dimly lit hall, into the white bathroom.  He splashed his face with ice cold water and dried himself on a soft white towel from the rack.  He took yet another deep breath, preparing himself for action.

Jo grabbed his jacket and put on a scarf; not much protection from vampires, but it would protect him from the cold at least, he thought wryly.  He picked his keys off the hook and headed for the door.  

***

Sarah pulled up at her parents’ house.  The large, detached timber structure radiated warmth in the early evening light.  Bea and Megan were chattering in the back.

‘Me out first.’

‘No.  Me out first,’ they argued.

Megan, the oldest, undid her own straps and pushed out first, as soon as Sarah opened the door.  They owned a typical minivan.  Lots of space, lots of mess.  Sarah stuck her foot in the foot well