Raven

By Dawn Gray

Ariana Breckham had always known her life was a little odd. Haunted by bloody secrets from her past, and frustrated by missing pieces of her childhood, Ariana is content to stick to a select group of friends and avoid crowds at all costs, until an unexpected encounter with Michael Raven threatened to change every aspect of her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dawn Gray
• Release date: Dec 26, 2010
• ISBN: 9781458164193

Dawn Gray

I grew up in Vermont and for years have been occupied with my own worlds and creating my own characters. The entire seven book Vampire Legacy series is published and available here, based largely in New London/Waterford, CT these books follow a clan of vampires through their history with mortals. S.P.I.R.I.T has evolved to a three book series so far, and Raven and Before the Moon Rise are also stand-alone novels.The Arcane follows the adventure of a traveler on a road trip from hell and The Pack trilogy is just the beginning of a wild new ride for the Summerford children, members of the largest Pack in Massachusetts.

Book preview

Raven

Dawn Gray

Copyright 2010 Dawn Gray

Smashwords Edition

This book is dedicated to my family, for without them I would be lost. You mean the world to me and you will never know the love and appreciation I have for everything you have done for my children and me!

For all of my friends who stuck by and didn’t laugh at my dreams

For Sarah, my advisor, thank you so much, Sweetheart!

For Lea, my editor…look, we finally finished it!

For my children, to whom I pass on the legacy of reading, writing and following your dreams, I love you!

To M., you will always be in my heart!

Chapter One

Ariana Breckham's blue eyes scanned the small office space, taking in all of the little oddities that made up its owner, Leanne Cummings, and she shook her long, black hair out of the way as she studied the way that the woman worked. The office looked as if it were an occult shop, filled with rare items and Old World paraphernalia.

Books lined the shelves that covered two entire walls of the office, ranging in titles from The Black Grimoire to How to Raise the Dead in Ten Days or Less. Stones of various shapes, sizes and colors covered the desktop and filing cabinets while candles burned in their heat-resistant holders upon windowsills and in hand-made sconces. Piles of discarded photographs filled a small corner of the office, along with cardboard crates of old case files. Needless to say, her friend’s office was no more than an organized mess.

Bored, and anxious to go to lunch, Ariana paced the room; impatiently waiting for Leanne to return from a call that she had taken in the adjacent office. She looked over the oddly titled selection of books, and then turned to the small containers that held some of Leanne’s more precious stones. While searching for her favorite colored stone, she spotted a stack of black and white photographs sitting on the seat behind the desk.

Normally, she would have ignored the photos, since Leanne had them scattered all over the office, but the man in the top picture of this particular stack caught her attention. His eyes were familiar to her, and as she thought more about them, a memory from three nights before flashed through her mind, of a man reaching out to touch her face, whispering that she would be safe with him. Her memories faded back to those three days prior, where she had an encounter that changed just how she looked at her delicate little world.

* * * * *

I don’t feel right being here, if it weren’t for Leanne asking me for help, I would have stayed home. Ariana sighed, looking up at the three-story, black building that stood before her, and crossed her arms over her chest. The only sign that it held any kind of life was the red, neon raven on both doors and the large man, dressed in a suit that stood at the entrance. This is not a good thing.

I thought you didn’t believe in signs. Richard spoke up, as he loaded his camera, glancing at the black, mid-drift shirt she wore that emphasized her round breasts, and tucked in waist, and then tucked it into the pocket of his coat.

Yeah, well, hang around Leanne a little while longer and you’ll start to believe in a lot of stuff you didn’t before, Ariana sighed as the two of them stepped closer to the building. Chills climbed up her spine, stopping just short of her hairline and lingered there as she stopped just inside the doorway. Bad vibes, very, very bad vibes.

Music thumped in her and the high-pitch voice of a female lead vocalist pierced threw her. She recognized the rhythm and the words from radio, knowing it was one of the local bands from the area, and she smiled as the singer growled into the microphone. She kept in time with her foot as the song played on, and from where Ariana stood, she could see the dance floor, fifteen feet below her, spanning out over the entire inner width and length of the building. A small stage, occupied by the band members and their instruments, stood opposite of the door with twelve large screens, showing all different angles of the floor. The wave of bodies was almost hypnotic, but Richard’s hand, as it rested on her shoulder snapped her out of it.

Come on, let’s go get a drink, he offered and moved away, leading her towards the bar, which sat just around the corner from where they had walked in.

Ariana shook her head, not believing her luck. This wasn’t her scene, she had never been to a nightclub before, and the thought of running into its owner, the infamous Michael Raven made her uneasy.

So, what do you know about the owner? Richard asked.

Nothing, Ariana replied, taking the drink that he held out to her.

Let me give you some info on him, Richard sighed, he’s dark.

That’s obvious. She looked around at what little lights there were in the building.

He’s very popular among young kids, mostly the ones that are of legal age to drink. He carries some potent stuff behind that bar. He watched her sit down at the bar and nod, as if she weren’t listening at all. They say that he’s a vampire, but instead of blood and energy, he lives off of sucking the money out of kids.

Gee, kind of sounds like my boss. Ariana rolled her eyes. So, what’s the big deal?

No one has ever seen him. She looked over at him quickly, and watched him nod. Yeah, the guy’s shrouded in mystery. Apparently, he sends other people to seal deals and he hasn’t been seen in public. At least, not that anyone knows about.

Well, since you don’t know what he looks like, what are we doing here? She asked, and watched as Richard laughed.

Are you kidding? This place opened last week and look at it. It’s one of the hottest nightspots for teens and college kids since the Megaplex opened down the street. People wonder where their kids sneak off to, and this is the place. Richard spotted himself on the large view screen, and elbowed Ariana. If you don’t want your presence here to be known, you'd better turn away.

Ariana looked over to where he was looking and spotted herself upon the screen. Embarrassed, she turned away, hiding her face, but the camera lingered on her for a very long time before turning back to the rest of the people in the building.

Is it gone? She inquired, making Richard laugh.

He giggled, still getting his kicks off from seeing her suffer.

Where the hell is the bathrooms? she snapped, but watched as he pointed across the floor to the doors next to the stage.

Rolling her eyes, Ariana stood and walked down the stairway, squeezing her petite frame between the pressing weight of bodies towards the crowd at the bottom. Normally, she wouldn’t have thought about the eyes she felt on her, but the overwhelming feeling of being watched made her scan the dance floor, hoping to find whom they were attached too.

In the midst of the crowd, dressed all in black, stood a young man staring up at her, his face had a look of innocence to it, but his dark eyes stared at her, unwaveringly, which made her feel uneasy. Yet in the same instance, she felt as if she knew him from somewhere, and was almost comfortable with his attention. Electricity arched through her, from the tips of her fingers down to her toes, building an unfamiliar heat in her womb, and she reached up as she felt a light touch on her hair. Oddly enough, all of this came to her as she stared at the young man.

Excuse me, someone spoke up, knocking into her, which broke her concentration on him, making her take a deep breath as she felt the heat rush to her cheeks. She glanced up at the girl, then shook her head and began to make her way down the stairs once again.

When Ariana looked back at where he had been, she found that he no longer stood there. Shaking her head at the whole experience, she continued towards the bathrooms, where she snuck in and hid in one of the many stalls that were there. Once behind closed doors, Ariana closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She began to wonder how one man, from just his eyes, could make her feel that way.

Crowds made her uneasy and Richard knew it, but she had agreed to come to the club with him anyway. It wasn’t as if he had dragged her there at gunpoint and she was glad to be out of her house. However, she couldn’t shake the image of the man in the crowd. In her gut, she felt she knew all about him, but she also knew that they had never met before. Ariana would have remembered those eyes.

Voices filled the women's room, and Ariana picked up her feet when she noticed someone peeking underneath the other stall doors. After getting the all clear signal, one of the girls at the wash table started to talk.

I’m telling you that Michael Raven was on the dance floor. That had to be him, she said energetically.

Big deal, there were a lot of guys on the dance floor. And what makes this guy so special? one of her not-so-enthusiastic friend questioned.

You’re joking, right? she laughed in response. Raven is only the most sought after man in the North-East this year.

Too bad no one knows what he looks like, a deeper voice spoke up, chuckling at the other. Ariana shook her head. 'What was so special about this guy anyway?' Her question was immediately answered.

They say he has eyes that can see right though you and a kiss that makes you melt into him, and let him do whatever he wants to you. She swooned, making her friends laugh.

Yeah, and when he’s done kissing you, apparently he eats you 'cause no one’s ever come back to tell you what he looks like, the sarcastic one spoke up again. Face it, Raven is probably some old guy with a cane and a package that doesn’t work, just getting his jollies off from seeing young girls dance around in almost nothing.

What about that girl on the stairs, the one that just stopped dead in front of you? a meek little voice added.

Oh, her, don’t worry; he wouldn’t look at her to save her life. Trust me, I think I know what he’s looking for in a woman and she’s not it. Ariana could just imagine this girl tossing her hair as they do in the commercials.

Again, the sarcastic one jumped in with her own comment. That guy on the floor obviously thought otherwise.

Oh please, couldn’t you tell? He was looking at me. There went the hair again, and a holier-than-thou roll of the eyes. Ariana shook her head, begging inwardly that they would leave so that she could get out of her uncomfortable position on the open-seated toilet. You know what, I think I might go and find him, just to prove that I’m right.

Fine, let’s go, the vocal one sighed. I didn’t come here to hide in the bathroom.

Once the room cleared out, Ariana snuck out of the stall and jumped at the sight of her reflection in the mirror. She needed to go home. By the time she reached the dance floor, Ariana had decided that was exactly what she was going to do, but finding Richard in this place was going to be the biggest challenge. She knew that he didn’t stay at the table, because she could see it from where she stood and he wasn’t there, but the dimness of the lights made it hard to recognize anyone, except the beefy man walking towards her.

Ariana looked away as the bad feelings in her stomach grew stronger. A thick hand rested on her shoulder, making her look up quickly. He stank of sweat and alcohol and his shirt was drenched from around his neck down to the hem. Ariana shook, not with fear, but disgust and she stepped away.

Hey, sweet thing, want to dance? he asked, as Ariana looked for an escape.

No, thank you, she mumbled. He grabbed her around the waist, pulling her towards him. Ariana placed her hands against him, pushing away. I said NO!

Oh, come on, it will be fun. Again, he pulled her to him and for the second time, Ariana fought. The big man started swaying to the music taking her with him and no matter how hard she pushed at him, he wouldn’t let go.

She said 'no', a voice spoke up. Ariana stopped fighting, as if she instantly knew who it was. With the voice came the image of those dark eyes, and slowly she turned to look at the man that stood behind her. Her heart skipped a beat, for she could see that up close his eyes were a reddish brown, but as he stared up at the big brute with a look of absolute power, they appeared to be molten red. I suggest you let her go.

What are you going to do about it if I don’t, Shorty? That was when Ariana noticed that he was only a few inches taller then her, but she was never good at judging height. He smiled up at the meathead, confidently, then reached out and grabbed his wrist. Ariana heard the distinct snap of a bone, and she jumped, as the big man dropped to his knees. Her ‘hero’ turned towards her and held out the same hand he had just used to break the big man’s wrist.

Come on, he whispered caringly, sending a chill with a rush of heat through her body. But Ariana shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest as she met his eyes. I know that you don’t trust me, but know this, you’re safer with me than you are out here in the open.

After a moment of looking around, Ariana placed her hand in his. Instantly, she felt their connection and found him staring at her. She wanted to pull her hand away, wanted to get away from the lustful feelings that were so unusual for her, but the look he gave her, as if this sort of thing had never happened to him before, brought down the desire to run. She shook her head, clearing it of the onslaught of feelings and emotions, and let him guide her off the floor to a small room filled with empty tables and chairs. The small room was quiet, and she looked around at the intimate little setting, imagining it somewhere in Paris. What was it, a coffee nook? In the middle of a club?

We cater to all different social circles, he answered, as if reading her mind. Ariana stared at him and smiled. What are you doing here anyway?

Excuse me? she questioned, following his every move with her eyes.

You look very out of place and uncomfortable. What are you doing in a place that makes you so uneasy? He asked, pulling out a chair for her. Ariana watched as he sat down across from her, and placed his hands on the table where she could see them. Do I make you nervous?

No, actually, I feel really comfortable around you at this moment, Ariana replied truthfully, feeling as if he would know when she was lying. This is going to sound strange, but I feel as if I know you from somewhere.

I know for certain that we’ve never met, he replied, and Ariana shook her head, knowing that she would have remembered how it felt to touch him if they had. Maybe on the dance floor?

No, I felt it when I saw you out there too. She stopped, suddenly realizing what she had said, and leaned forward in her chair. Why were you staring at me?

Truthfully, I spotted you and wondered the same thing. He smiled, the very tips of his fingers brushed against the hand she had absently placed on the table beside his. A jolt passed through her, making her draw a sharp breath, and she looked up quickly into his eyes. The smile didn’t fade from his lips but the confusion of this strange reaction seemed to reach his eyes.

You wondered if you knew me, or why was I staring? she inquired.

Both. He sat forward and looked into her eyes. She could feel the desire rising from him, see the hunger in those passionate eyes, but she couldn’t seem to place one or the other. The hunger in him seemed to be almost primal, as if he were an animal stalking his prey, but the passion seemed even more consuming and she wanted to drown in that lust. Maybe it’s best that you don’t know; my life is not the safest one.

By the way, Ariana whispered, leaning more towards him, never breaking eye contact. What is your name?

Raven, he replied, sitting back. He expected the smile to fade from her face, but it only got bigger. Michael Raven.

Nice to meet you, Michael. My name is Ariana. She giggled girlishly, looked around the room, and then stared directly at him. You’re not going to eat me now, are you?

What? He laughed, relaxing, and Ariana watched his eyes lighten. The laughter from him melted her and the want pooled between her legs, make her cross them to control it.

Sorry, the girls in the bathroom said that you must eat the girls that you’re with because no one supposedly has ever seen you. Michael shook his head, trying to hide his amusement.

Maybe I just have one of those faces that you tend to forget.

She couldn’t help but be amazed by his smile. I doubt that. Ariana looked up at the waitress that suddenly stood by their table, then back at the handsome man across from her.

Would you care for something? Michael offered. Ariana shook her head and he smiled, looking up at the woman. A Bloody Mary, light on the Mary. The woman nodded and walked quickly away, leaving them to their conversation. You’re staring again.

I just can’t get over that feeling.

Of wanting to be eaten or that you know me from somewhere? He smiled at her, shifting in his chair as he did, and Ariana jumped, thinking of his lips against her skin, running lower down across her navel… She exhaled quietly and shook her head as she watched the desire rise in his eyes again.

Quick, change the subject, you fool, or you’re going to do something stupid! She smiled. So, you like your drinks bloody?

Does that make you uneasy?

She shook her head and watched his fingers inch closer to hers. Can you read my mind? Ariana countered, trying to focus.

Would you like me to try? he inquired.

Do you always counter with a question?

Michael sat forward suddenly and placed his hand on hers,