Corruption of the Heart

By Jessica Manson

Lilith Carson was a normal girl whose parents died suddenly. She moves to a different state with her aunt, and she cuts herself off from everyone. Until one day, when her crush appears beside her in the library. From there, they fall in love, fast and hard.

Lilith finds out that when she turns eighteen, she will transform into a Vampire-Witch hybrid. When a vampire conceives a female, that female already has a mate chosen for her. When Lilith was conceived, there was a mistake. Her world is turned upside down when she must choose between two guys she barely knows.

Lilith has chosen the guy of her dreams and has settled into a life that she thinks is perfect. But nothing is ever as it seems. She will soon face the ultimate betrayal by someone she loves deeply.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 3, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524572792

Jessica Manson

Jessica Manson is a freelance writer who writes dramatic, romance fiction. Born and raised in Mississippi, Manson now lives in Maine with her husband and three children. She spends most of her time reading and writing. When not reading, or writing she can be found in the kitchen inventing recipes. Her love of books is what fuels her soul and drives her follow her dreams.

Book preview

One

L iving in a world with no friends can be very lonely and very hard. I watch people around my school and how they all have friends. I see how they interact with one another, and I long for the same interactions. I long for friendship. I distance myself from everyone around me by burying myself in my studies. When my head isn’t in a book, I plug in my headphones and tune everyone out around me.

My parents died three months ago in a car accident, leaving me to live with an aunt I’ve never met, in Maine. In my life back in Mississippi, I had a ton of friends and would spend most of my time with them, but when my parents died, the pain was too much. I decided to distance myself from everyone to keep my heart protected. And since I didn’t have friends in this new town to help me cope, I found my own way of dealing with things. Distancing myself from any and all people was my form of therapy.

So since I moved to Maine and haven’t tried to make any friends, by keeping to myself, people tend to stay away from me and give me my space. This is why I found it extremely odd when Ambi Oakleaf sat at the lunch table with me and tried to talk to me.

Ambi isn’t one of the popular girls in school, but all the girls envy her even if they never would admit it. She is beautiful, almost goddess-like. She is very tall for a girl, and she is skinny, with legs that seem to just go on for miles. Her skin is caramel colored that seems to glisten when the light hits her just right. Everyone seems to be intimidated by her. Her reputation labels her as a person to be afraid of. It doesn’t help that she is part of a group called the Corrupt Ones. And because of that, everyone stays away from her. The Corrupt Ones are apparently a group of kids that hang out together that supposedly do bad and reckless things, and they are labeled as the bad kids of the school. I don’t understand why they are called that; I have never actually seen them do anything that would make them so corrupt. They tend to stay to themselves. The Corrupt Ones are made up of eight members, including seven guys and one girl.

Surprisingly, one of the guys in the group has always seemed to stick out to me. He seems like he doesn’t belong with the rest of them. His actions seem to present him as being different from the rest. When the others from the group seem to be playing around, he stays focused and detaches himself from the group. I don’t want to say he seems better than the others, but he may not be as bad. It doesn’t help that I have a little crush on him.

Odin is beautiful in an angelic kind of way. He has the same caramel skin color as Ambi, with jet-black hair and a jawline that seems to be carved by an Egyptian god. He is astonishingly handsome. I do my best every day to be as discreet as possible and sneak in as many peeks of him as I can. I think all the other girls in school feel the same way I do, but they will never have the nerve to actually date him. The girls around here care way too much about their image and will never be caught dead with one of the Corrupt Ones.

The girls around this school seem to be more focused on their image than anything else. Even though they all think that all the members of the group are very beautiful, they will never try to date any of them. They won’t even admit that they think they are hot. Every single girl in this school definitely looks at them, but they will never ever touch them.

This school is just like any other school. There isn’t anything special or fancy about it. Nothing stands out except for the billions of different smells radiating from so many students—the different types of perfumes, colognes, soaps, shampoos, and pets. The halls are dimly lit and smell dingy. The cafeteria is small and overcrowded. The only decent area in the school is the library.

How’s it going? Ambi asked me as if we were best friends and we talked every day.

Looking at her, dumbfounded, I replied, Okay, I guess.

Catching the questioning look on my face, she introduced herself. Hi, I’m Ambi Oak—

Cutting her off, I said, I know who you are. I’m just wondering why you are sitting here, talking to me.

Realizing how rude I sounded, I quickly tried to recover by saying, "I mean, I don’t mind if you sit here, but why are you sitting here?"

Well, I came over here today because I noticed that you always sit alone. We— she turned and pointed to the group of guys—have been watching you since you started going to this school, and we noticed that no one ever sits with you. You never even try to talk to anyone. We figured that at first it was because you are new here and that you just needed time to get used to things, she said as she looked at me with wonder. But it has been a few months, and we can’t seem to figure out why you don’t make any friends with anyone. I mean, come on, even the lamest, geekiest kids can make friends, she said as she looked over to the table filled with the geeky kids.

I didn’t know how to respond. I sat there looking at her, pondering over everything she said before the realization of her words sunk in. Once I realized what she said, anger took over.

Wait, y’all have been watching me? Why? Embarrassment took over as I realized that Odin had to have been watching me too.

Doesn’t really matter. Anyways, Lilith, why do you keep to yourself so much?

Seriously? I asked furiously. "You want me to tell you why I keep to myself? Have you ever thought that maybe everyone here is superficial and a waste of my time? This is a waste of my time, and if you will excuse me, I have better things to do than to sit here and be interrogated by you. And who are you anyways? No one, so unless you want to answer me about why y’all have been watching me, I suggest you stay away from me."

Like I said, it doesn’t really matter.

Then leave me alone. I knew I wasn’t going to get any answers from her, so I gathered my things and stormed out of the lunchroom. I headed to the library to find a book to escape into for the remainder of my lunch period. As I made my way to the fiction section of the library, I noticed a shadow in my peripheral vision. I looked to my left to see Odin standing there with his back up against one of the bookshelves, just inches from me, arms crossed and staring at me.

Heat flushed through my body when I noticed his beauty up close as he stood there. He had the most beautiful, shimmering green eyes I had ever seen on anyone. They were almost emerald, and if I allowed myself, I could definitely get lost in them. They were so green they almost glowed. This was the closest I had ever been to him, and for the first time, I noticed his scent. He smelled so good—like soap, sand, and ocean. It was almost rustic, but sweet at the same time.

I realized he was watching me with a smile on his face, and embarrassment washed over me. I could feel my face get hot and turn red. I must have been staring at him like a googly-eyed crazy person. I wanted nothing more than for the floor to open and swallow me up and take me away from this embarrassing moment.

What do you want? I snapped. When embarrassed, I either laugh so hard I can’t breathe or I get really mad, and right now I wasn’t in the mood for laughter.

His eyebrows furrowed with uncertainty before he spoke. I just want to apologize for the way Ambi acted back there. She can be very outspoken and matter-of-factly.

You think? I asked with an attitude I didn’t recognize. Apology not accepted. She told me how y’all have been watching me. And you know what? I think it is just downright creepy. Stay away from me, Odin, and stop watching me. I noticed a look of hurt wash over his face as I was about to storm off to find a place to be alone.

So you know my name? he asked, causing me to turn around.

What? I asked, a little taken aback.

I was just shocked that you know my name.

Of course I know your name. You are in a couple of my classes, and you do have to say ‘Here’ when the teacher calls roll, I snapped.

I was just saying it is nice to know that you actually know my name, he said with a bit of sorrow in his voice before he walked off.

Feeling bad for hurting his feelings, I just wanted to escape, but there wasn’t a single place in the school where I could go and not be bothered. Students filled every inch of this place. I decided the best place to be alone around here would be in the comfort of my own car. It was a 1991 Mercedes. It was silver with black leather interior. It wasn’t much, but it was my parents’ and it was paid for. I decided to keep it when they died. My aunt tried to get me to sell it, but I figured I needed the car more than she needed the money from me selling it.

As I sat alone in my car, questions fled through my mind as I wondered what the Corrupt Ones wanted with me. Why are they talking to me now after all this time? I have been going to this school for almost three months and they just want to talk to me now. And why are they watching me? When are they watching me? At school? Home? Have they been following me? Panic took over, and I needed to calm myself down.

At this moment, I wished I had friends so I could have someone to talk to, someone I could feel safe with. Since I didn’t have any friends, I did the next best thing to get my emotions under control. I reached in the glove compartment and grabbed the razor blade I had hidden. I rolled up my sleeve and pulled the blade across my skin until I felt the pain escape my open flesh. I sat there, watching the blood drip down from my arm, and the calm started to take over.

I sat there in my own little world of ecstasy, debating whether I should go home for the day or stay in this asinine school. As rage built up inside me, I decided I wasn’t going to let Ambi or Odin scare me off like they did everyone else. I heard the bell ring in the distance. I cleaned up the blood dripping from my arm and wrapped it in the bandages I had hidden in the middle console. Once I was all wrapped up, I grabbed my backpack and quickly headed back toward the school. I knew I would see Ambi and Odin in my next few classes, but I wasn’t going to let them get to me. I would just ignore them and focus on my studies; at least that was what I thought.

Everything went fine in my dealing with Ambi. She didn’t try to mess with me at all. Odin, on the other hand, didn’t make it quite that easy for me. He somehow managed to get my algebra partner, Christopher, to switch seats with him. Mr. Ferguson wasn’t in class, and the substitute didn’t realize we had assigned seats.

Why are you sitting here, Odin? I asked, frustrated with him.

I want to talk to you, Lilith.

The substitute had us work on a worksheet, and I tried my best to just ignore Odin but found it very difficult, since every time I looked up, he would be staring at me with a smile on his face. It wasn’t a creepy smile, though. It was more like an apologetic smile, like he was begging for my forgiveness. It was becoming hard for me to concentrate on my worksheet when all I could think about was how close he was to me.

I dreamed of the day when Odin Edgerson would notice me, but not like this. This never happened in my daydreams, or any of my dreams for that matter. Him watching me for almost a whole class period became very awkward. Being fed up with the way he was beginning to make me feel, I finally asked, Odin, could you please stop staring at me?

I’m sorry, Lilith. I’m not trying to be weird, but there is just something about you today that makes it kind of hard to take my eyes off of you.

Oh, you mean like every day before when you never even noticed me, and now all of a sudden today, I can’t get you to leave me alone? Please, Odin. You never even spoke to me before today. Why now? Sometimes I could just smack myself in the face. I have this thing missing in my DNA called a mouth filter, and I tend to say what’s on my mind before thinking about it. And this is one of those moments.

Before he could respond, the bell rang, letting us know school was over for the day. I gathered my things and headed for my car. I fumbled through my backpack, trying to find my keys, when I heard someone shaking them behind me. Aggravation filled me as I turned around and noticed Odin standing there, holding my keys in the air. How did you get those?

You dropped them, he said as I tried to jerk them from his hand, but he was much quicker and taller than me. Before handing me the keys, he said, Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot. I would like to start over with you. Would you like to grab something to eat with me? I will explain everything to you.

Reluctantly, I agreed but suggested we take separate cars. I didn’t trust Odin enough to be in a car, alone with him. I only agreed to join him because I wanted answers. I needed the answers. I needed to know why they had been watching me.

Two

W hen we arrived at the restaurant, I knew I was out of my element. Odin forgot to tell me we were going to a five-star restaurant. I figured we would just end up at a burger joint or something. I was way underdressed in my jeans and hoodie. Stares from all the rich people who thought they were better than me made me feel uncomfortable. I knew I didn’t belong here, not in this restaurant, not with Odin.

I kept asking myself what I was doing here, and I had to keep reassuring myself that I would get the answers I needed, the answers I deserved. I think Odin could sense my discomfort, because he grabbed my hand, sending electric shock waves through my body. He whispered in my ear, his hot breath sending tingles down my spine, causing my knees to go weak.

Don’t worry about any of them. It’s just you and me. He then asked the hostess to give us a private booth.

The table was dimly lit, which made Odin’s once-glowing green eyes seem almost black. Even with the color change, his eyes were still breathtakingly beautiful. I had to concentrate hard on not staring him in the eyes, or I would get lost in them. I noticed Odin clenching his jaw, and for the first time ever, I think he was nervous. Seeing how nervous he seemed to be made my heart soften a little toward him, and I suddenly felt bad for how I treated him earlier today, although I was not going to let my new softened heart cause me to take my guard down. I still had to protect myself and my heart.

Sitting in silence was starting to become very awkward and uncomfortable, so I decided to speak first. So, are you going to start explaining things?

The waitress came to take our drink order, cutting Odin off before he could answer me. Frustration was beginning to set in, and I was thankful when the waiter walked off.

What would you like to know? he asked nonchalantly.

As if you don’t already know, I said, getting more and more aggravated at my time he seemed to be wasting. For starters, you can tell me why y’all have been watching me.

We haven’t been watching you in the creepy stalker way that you think we have, Lilith. We just happened to notice that you keep to yourself a lot. I mean, you don’t even try to make friends. We were just curious as to why.

Did you ever think that maybe I like being alone? That maybe I don’t want any friends?

I don’t believe that for one second. I bet you are the type of girl that would fit in perfect with the jocks and cheerleaders and all of their ra ra ra team spirit.

Well, if you have been watching me like Ambi said you have, then why haven’t you noticed that I am nothing like them? I don’t do team spirit mumbo jumbo. I don’t care if my clothes aren’t name brand, and I don’t need to wear ten pounds of makeup to feel good about myself. I am much more comfortable in my Walmart jeans and thrift store hoodies. His misperception of me annoyed me. Did he really think of me as the superficial type?

Well, there goes my theory of you fitting in with the cool kids, he said as the waitress sat our drinks down and asked for our food order. As I was giving my order to the waitress, I noticed she didn’t take her eyes off Odin. A pang of jealousy washed over me, but I knew she couldn’t help it. His eyes were very enticing, and it would be hard for anyone to look away from him. You couldn’t help but stare. But I still didn’t like the fact that she didn’t even try to hide her gawkiness or the fact that she acted like I wasn’t even sitting there with him.

Before the waitress walked off, I said, "Let me just clear up any theories you have about me. I have good grades, but the geeks aren’t my type of people. I can’t stand how they throw being smart in your face. And I am not going to compete in any math or science fairs. And I don’t wear pocket protectors, so there goes that. I can’t act or sing, so I won’t be joining the drama club anytime soon. I’m not about to hang out with the emos and have to listen to all of them whine about how life is so unfair. I have enough problems of my own. I don’t need to listen to theirs too. And well, I don’t do drugs, so I can’t really hang out with the hippies. So basically, to sum me up, one, I’m not a follower, and two, I don’t really like people. There isn’t a single person in our school that I would want to hang out with. And why hang out with people I don’t like? So I can be fake? No thanks. That’s not who I am. I am my own person, and everyone around here just seems to be clones of each other."

Odin just sat there, staring at me like I had just lost my mind. I had forgotten that the waitress was still standing there, listening to me. Why hadn’t she walked away? It wasn’t like I was talking to her.

What? I snapped at both of them.

The waitress finally got the hint and walked off.

Odin just sat there with a smirk on his face.

What, Odin? I really don’t like you looking at me like that. And I don’t have time for this.

I can’t help it. You are really cute when you rant like that. And well, it just amazes me that you wouldn’t want to hang out with the ‘cool’ kids. Most people would do anything to hang out with people like Tiffany Smith.

Tiffany Smith is the most popular girl in our school. She is the typical blond mean girl that dates only jocks. She only cares about her image. She only hangs out with people of her status, and if you aren’t on her level, as she calls it, she doesn’t waste her time with you. She wouldn’t even look in your direction.

Well, I’m not most people. I am me, and I refuse to let people try and change me or expect me to ‘fit’ in with a group of people that disgust me. If people can’t handle being themselves, then I don’t need those types of people in my life. So to answer your question, that is why I don’t have or want any friends.

We made eye contact with each other, and I could feel myself getting lost in his eyes. To quickly break the trance I could feel myself slipping into, I asked, So what’s the deal with Ambi? She is pretty intense.

She’s not that bad. She tries to act all big and bad, but she’s not. If you got to know her, you would see that she is actually a nice person.

What is she, your girlfriend or something? I asked, feeling a little bit jealous. Despite how she acts, Ambi is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. There is definitely no competition between us. Hands down, she has me beat in that category. The thought of them being together saddened me, and I couldn’t help but wonder what Odin and I were doing here. I was not even in the same league as Ambi, and if they were dating, I definitely didn’t have a chance with him. Not that I ever thought that I had one to begin with.

She isn’t my girlfriend, but we did try dating for a couple of weeks.

What happened? I asked curiously.

It just didn’t feel right. Ambi is more like my sister than my girlfriend. We decided that it would be best if we just stayed friends.

Is it hard?

What?

Being friends with your ex.

No. Like I said, we are just better as friends. And two weeks doesn’t really give someone much time to get too serious in a relationship. We basically just did elementary stuff.

Elementary stuff? I asked, feeling a little embarrassed at the fact that I had no idea what he meant by that.

Yeah, you know, like holding hands, kissing, and basically just hanging out.

So having kissed her, that doesn’t make things weird?

Not really. Not for me anyway. She says it doesn’t bother her either, but to be completely honest, I think she still likes me.

Noticing myself getting distracted from the real reason why we were here, I asked, So when Ambi was talking to me earlier at lunch and I asked her why y’all were watching me, she said it doesn’t matter right now. What did she mean by that?

Intimidation.

Interrupting our conversation, the waitress finally came back with our food. We sat in silence and ate. Once I had enough of my chicken Alfredo, I quickly got back to the topic at hand.

"Why exactly would Ambi want