Sunset Rising (Sunset Vampire Series, Book 5)
Sunset Rising
Book #5 in the Sunset Vampire Series
by
Jaz Primo
RUTHERFORD LITERARY GROUP
http://www.rutherfordliterary.com
* * * * * * *
Novels by Jaz Primo
The Logan Bringer Urban Fantasy Series
Bringer of Fire
Bringer Unleashed
Bringer’s Law**
** Additional Titles Forthcoming
* * *
Gwen Reaper
(A Young Adult Paranormal Romance)
Winner of the Paranormal Romance Guild’s Reviewer’s Gotcha Choice Award
for Best Young Adult Novel of 2012!
* * *
The Sunset Vampire Series
Sunrise at Sunset: Revamped
A Bloody London Sunset
Summit at Sunset
Wicked Sunset
Sunset Rising
Sunset Burning **
** Additional Titles Forthcoming
* * *
All titles published by Rutherford Literary Group
Sunset Rising
Published by Rutherford Literary Group at Smashwords
Copyright 2015 by John Primo
ISBN 978-0988569041
Cover art by Sharon Legg,
Sharon Legg Digital Art
Edited by Laura Matheson
eBook conversion provided by Smackwords.
Rutherford Literary Group
1205 S. Air Depot, Ste #135
Midwestern City, Oklahoma 73110-4807
http://www.rutherfordliterary.com
All Rights Reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content. Any trademarks mentioned herein are not authorized by the trademark owners and do not in any way mean the work is sponsored by or associated with the trademark owners. Any trademarks used are specifically in a descriptive capacity.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to devoted loved ones – my family, friends, and supporters – who’ve steadfastly encouraged me through challenging times while this novel was being written. Without you, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My heartfelt thanks to Tabby, the newest member of my family, who injects her youthful exuberance into both my life and my writing process, often with equal parts mirth and aggravation. My sincere thanks to my loved ones for supporting me through occasionally turbulent emotional events while this book was written. As always, a huge thank you to my dedicated publicist, Vicki Rose Stewart, for her continued support and encouragement.
Thank you to my editor, Laura Matheson, for her marvelous editing and mentoring skills. You were a joy to work with on this gotcha project. Special thanks to my covert artist, Sharon Legg, for sharing her talented artwork and permitting me to grace my novel covers with such beautiful imagery. As always, I give a hearty thank you to my graphics and font wizard, Brandon, for continued support and assistance.
Finally, a huge thank you and a big hug to my dedicated readers for your continued support, encouragement, and promotional assistance. Certainly, my unique collection of Sunset Vampire characters and storylines thrives under your energetic, grass-roots-level advocacy to others in the world. Thanks so much for all you do!
Sunset Rising
Table of Contents
Title Page
Jaz Primo Novels
Copyrights Page
Dedication
Acknowledgements
PART I – NEW HAVEN
Chapter 1: Caleb
Chapter 2: Katrina
Chapter 3: Caleb
Chapter 4: Katrina
Chapter 5: Caleb
Chapter 6: Caleb
Chapter 7: Katrina
Chapter 8: Caleb
Chapter 9: Caleb
Chapter 10: Caleb
PART II – THE OPEN ROAD
Chapter 11: Caleb
Chapter 12: Caleb
Chapter 13: Caleb
Chapter 14: Caleb
Chapter 15: Caleb
Chapter 16: Caleb
PART III – NEW REALITIES
Chapter 17: Caleb
Chapter 18: Caleb
Chapter 19: Caleb
Chapter 20: Katrina
Chapter 21: Caleb
Chapter 22: Caleb
Chapter 23: Caleb
Chapter 24: Caleb
Chapter 25: Caleb
Chapter 26: Caleb
About the Author
Novel Promo – Gwen Reaper
Novel Promo – Sunrise at Sunset: Revamped
Novel Promo – A Bloody London Sunset
Novel Promo – Summit at Sunset
Novel Promo – Wicked Sunset
Novel Promo – Bringer of Fire
* * *
PART I
NEW HAVEN
* * *
Chapter 1
Caleb
Imagining killing people versus actually killing people are completely different experiences. The former questions your sense of innocence while the latter questions your humanity.
Contemplating either was abhorrent to me.
Yet, I’d recently partaken in each.
Grasping the repercussions of either was vast; certainly too much for me to process during the moments in which each had occurred.
In the fog that followed my recent experiences, I felt too overwhelmed to confront those realities.
As such, sleep was my preferred form of escapism.
In the space between restless dreams and consciousness is a timeless place of endless possibilities; a place I felt satisfied to dwell.
Unfortunately, my visit there felt far too short lived.
The moment my eyes opened, a host of unsettling thoughts and memories washed over me.
It took a few seconds to get my bearings as moonlight streamed in through the open blinds.
I lay alone in my bed, feeling slightly unnerved.
My last memory before falling asleep was of Kat curled around me.
I had felt safe then. And loved.
After a moment, my feelings of numbness, confusion, and bewilderment from Friday night resurfaced anew.
Accompanying them was a stark reminder that I’d killed two people.
While I felt anxious over that, strangely enough, I was devoid of either guilt or regret.
Despite the taint of death, I realized that it was nothing personal. It had been a matter of either living or dying; a simple choice, really.
It had been an exercise in survival, and I had prevailed. In the end, that was what mattered.
Memories from Friday night flashed through my mind in a series of disjointed images.
My walk home from the convenience store.
The two mysterious men who assaulted me; the ones who’d been stalking me around the city and campus, though I had no idea why.
I vividly recalled my surprise and feelings of panic at their strength and speed.
The memories of my desperate attempts to defend myself felt like permanent scars in my mind. My action
s had culminated in two separate, and very awkward, acts with the combat knives that Kat had given to me.
In the end, there had been two deaths, and thankfully, neither of them was mine.
But that had been Friday night. I scarcely recalled anything from Saturday night. I’d only briefly talked to Kat and Alton and then slept again.
Though uncertain of the time or day, my visit with them must’ve been only a few hours ago because I still felt tired and sore. My entire body ached as I stretched my arms and then strained to read the display on my wristwatch.
Damn! Sunday evening! I slept through the entire day.
I groaned, rubbing at my eyelids with my rough fingertips. Even the joints in my fingers ached.
After pausing to listen for the sounds of voices downstairs, but hearing only silence, I slowly sat up and rolled out of bed, ignoring the pain from my protesting muscles and joints.
I’d gotten the hell beat out of me Friday night.
It had all happened so fast, and I’d felt so ill-equipped to handle things.
Fortunately, I had handled things in the end…somehow.
Following a quick hot shower, I put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and quietly exited my bedroom.
As I stood at the top of the stairs, I heard the subdued conversation of familiar voices downstairs, but I couldn’t understand what anyone was saying.
As I slowly descended to the first floor, the voices fell silent and multiple sets of eyes targeted me.
They were the four most important and beloved people in my life.
Actually, more accurately, they were vampires; not that I cared in the least. They were like family to me.
While I was relieved to see them, their intense expressions spoke volumes; concern that radiated toward me in veritable waves.
Still, who could blame them? Upon being attacked the other night, I didn’t know if I’d ever see them again.
My beautiful mate, truly the love of my life, Katrina, stared at me from her seat on the couch. I could almost feel the pain reflected in her emerald eyes.
Alton Rutherford, my quasi-uncle for all intents and purposes nowadays, nodded back at me as he sat in one of the recliners, confidently poised like a king upon his throne.
Honestly, as one of the most powerful vampires in the world, perhaps the title truly suited him.
My surrogate vampire, Paige Turner, a sassy hellion who always had something snarky to say, was oddly silent at the moment. She leaned against the breakfast counter next to where her beau, Dr. Ethan Reynolds, sat on one of the barstools.
Ethan was one of the kindest and most sincere vampires I’d ever met, and he had the best of bedside manners for any physician, either human or vampire.
“Hey,” I said, nervously slipping my hands into the front pockets of my jeans. “Grim faces. You’d think somebody died.”
Kat frowned at me.
“All right,” Paige said. “You guys all harped on me to be on my best behavior. Just remember that funny boy here was the one who weighed in with the quips.”
I made a half-hearted attempt at a grin, but I just wasn’t feeling it.
I’m a bonafide killer now. Just like the vampires in my life.
There were no briefcase bombs this time, as had occurred at the Slovene conference; the latest violence and deaths had all been up close and personal.
My gaze shifted back to Kat.
She quietly rose from her seat and held her arms open to me, her expression full of strength and compassion.
I walked into her embrace, my arms encircling her hips. She hugged me against her warm body, conveying an immediate sense of comfort that permeated through me.
It felt amazing to hold her in my arms, much less be held by her in return.
She kissed the top of my head. “Feeling better, my love?”
“Yeah, I’m okay,” I replied.
Okay would have to do; better was going to take time.
It was a nice start, merely standing there in her arms, safe and loved. I breathed in, reveling in her cherry blossom fragrance.
She pulled away from me slightly to look me in the eyes. “We’re here for you. You’re safe, and everything’s going to be fine now.”
An aura of reassurance washed over me; the tone of resolve in her voice sounded convincing.
I almost believed her.
“Sure,” I said.
She held my face between her warm palms and kissed me on the lips. I pulled her body against mine.
During my confrontation Friday evening, I doubted such a simple act would’ve been possible for me again.
I’d expected the worst.
Thankfully, I’d been mistaken.
Kat stepped aside to let Paige and Alton greet me in turn with an embrace and kind words of encouragement.
Ethan shook my hand and warmly clasped me on the shoulder. “You’re looking much better this evening.”
If I was truly better, it was due in large part to their supportive presence, which was precisely what I needed at that moment.
Paige cleared her throat and I turned to look into her blue eyes.
She smiled and held up a can of Coca-Cola. “I bet my boy’s thirsty.”
I grinned and accepted the soda from her. “And maybe a little hungry.”
“Yes, of course, you should eat,” Alton said. “But let’s have a little chat about Friday evening first, shall we? I’d like to listen to your recollections of the event.”
Kat practically growled with displeasure. “It can wait.”
“No,” I said. “I’d rather talk things out now and be done with it.”
As if I’ll ever be able to put what happened Friday night out of my mind.
It felt as if it would haunt me forever.
Kat sighed, took me by the hand, and led me over to the couch to sit down. Alton returned to his spot on the recliner.
Ethan took a seat in the opposite recliner. Paige popped onto his lap and affectionately draped her arms around his neck.
“Cute. Are you his mannequin now?” Kat asked.
“Oh, can it, Warrior Princess,” Paige said.
I almost laughed at that.
Kat arched one of her eyebrows at me, so I quickly took a swig of Coke. As if I were suffering a penance, the cold fizzy liquid burned a path down my throat.
Alton stared at me. “Please, you may proceed when ready.”
I took a deep breath while gathering my thoughts.
“I had just left the store,” I said. “Roman needed cough drops.”
Then I stopped.
Roman.
“Where’s Roman?” I asked with a frown.
“Upstairs sleeping off the remainder of his illness,” Ethan said. “He’s fine. The vampire blood Paige injected in him on Friday should finish clearing the virus out of his system within the next twenty-four hours or so.”
“Roman will be fine,” Kat said. “Now, you were saying?”
I took another deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, I’d just left the store…”
It was much easier to recount what happened once I started. The story practically poured out of me like water through a floodgate.
Only it hadn’t been a story, unlike some sensationalized thriller novel or movie; it had been real.
Throughout my ensuing narrative, the entire experience replayed in my mind like a bad movie. I rose from the couch and paced around the room, then sat down again.
Overall, it was easier to recount my experience than I had expected, though no less emotional in memory.
At least until I got to the combat portion of the event. At that point, I struggled to describe the disjointed images from my fight. I closed my eyes and rubbed my damp palms against my jeans as I wrestled with my memories.
I concentrated so hard, I practically forgot that anyone was there in the room with me.
I massaged my forehead with my fingertips.
“I’d thought I was prepared for a fight with someone. Maybe even
two people,” I said, turning to stare at the nearby television, which had been muted. “But nothing had prepared me for anybody like…them.”
When nobody said anything, I blinked. I looked at Alton and focused my attention upon him.
“There was something wrong about the two of them,” I said. “Something not quite normal. Something was off about them.”
“Caleb, the mind can create illusions under stressful circumstances,” Ethan said.
“No,” I insisted, rising from my seat. “They weren’t normal people.”
I scanned the faces around me. Everyone was frowning.
“Look, I’m serious. I wasn’t imagining it,” I said.
“My love, nobody’s implying that,” Kat said.
“What do you mean by not normal?” Alton asked. “Describe what you mean by that in more detail.”
I stood and quietly focused my thoughts while slowly pacing the room, carefully formulating words in my mind before saying anything further.
Then a sober realization struck me.
“They were like me when I was turning, just like back at the estate after you had injected the vampire blood near my brain,” I said. “Only they were faster and stronger…as if they were more stable than I had been.”
“Yeah, I thought their bodies looked somewhat feverish,” Paige mumbled. “But the lightning flashes were distorting everything, and besides, I was in a hurry to handle things.”
“Feverish?” Alton asked.