Blood Twist (The Erris Coven Series)

2



BRADEN





Braden sat alone on his bed. His solitary existence was never easy, but lately, being lonesome was almost insufferable. As much as he craved the comfort of companionship, it would only make what he had to do even more difficult.

As he looked around his organized room, he questioned what it said about his life. He had possessions, but it was just “stuff.” He never truly created anything or made an impact on the world. His identity had been so preoccupied in preparing his cousins to protect the coven, that he missed out on going to college, rebuilding his family’s old place, or falling in love. Now it was too late to do any of those things.

Dedicating his life to his coven wasn’t a mistake. As the oldest of his four cousins, it was only natural for him to step-up and guide them as they became loyal protectors of the family. They couldn’t let outsiders know of their existence. It required a balance of fitting in with the townspeople, without drawing attention to themselves or their abilities.

Torin just completed the final phase of the change. Because he resisted the temptation to drink human blood, his closest friend had become a formidable damphyr. If either of them had failed, they would have become full vampires like the draugar that inflicted their damage on his lineage centuries ago. Both would have found themselves cursed to an existence without the purification of sunlight.

I would rather die.

Torin never did embrace what they were. From the time he was a child, he wanted to escape his fate, until he found Lexie. Like their ancestors before him, he dreamed of the petite brunette first.

Braden was happy for his cousin. Lexie was gentle and patient – two elements Torin needed in his life. He didn’t begrudge him his happiness; his cousin’s devotion to Lexie made him a stronger man. Nothing demonstrated that clearer when he battled his blood thirst in order to save Lexie’s life.

Braden’s shoulders slumped with regret. He had hoped he could stay long enough to see Cian and Teagan through their final phase of the change, but his time was borrowed and it was running out. They were both so close to evolving. He could see their increase in speed and agility daily.

Cian was going to make a fierce opponent to anyone that threatened him or the ones he loved. Just wrestling on the lawn last weekend, his dark haired cousin surprised him. Although a good twenty pounds leaner, Cian could almost hold his own, despite Braden’s advantage. He regretted being so hard on him over the last year. The last thing he wanted was for his cousin to live an eternity, only to remember Braden as being a jerk.

Teagan, on the other hand, was probably the one he should have been toughest on. The redhead was the baby of the family and had the luxury of using his natural charm to get his way. Braden shook his head in disbelief. Teagan built himself quite a reputation over the years. Chicks were helpless to resist him.

The youngest damphyr would need to take the change seriously. When the stationary vampire heart awakens, blood thirst is all you can feel. It requires determination and discipline to fight it off and gain control. Teagan had always been impulsive – Braden only hoped he wouldn’t be when it was his time to turn.

With his heightened senses he could smell an abundance of food being set up on the patio. The families were preparing a shared meal, but he doubted he could eat. The scent of cooked food was unappealing – however, he normally enjoyed fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables. He needed living blood to survive, but raw foods were still pleasurable. Although he knew Teagan’s mom, Aileen, would see to it that all of his favorite snacks were a part of the spread, Braden had too much on his mind to consider dining.

Floating in from outside, a delicate perfume smelling of brown sugar and vanilla mingled with the other familiar scents. Instantly, he knew it belonged to Lexie’s friend, Liz. It amazed him how close the two girls were, considering they were polar opposites. Where Lexie was soft spoken and delicate, Liz was direct and forceful.

He chuckled recalling how well Liz handled herself when he charged into the basement ready to take on the shifters. He had expected to find the Serovs feasting on Lexie’s family. Instead, there was a beautiful stranger with a loud mouth giving him hell for making her jump. If he had more time, Braden would have enjoyed getting to know the spitfire better. If Lexie loved her, she must have some remarkable qualities. Just the way the girl smiled was enough to make him interested.

I guess I’ll never know.

Braden stood and walked to his window. The view from his bedroom looked out on Teagan’s family home. He and his mother had lived on their property in a small guest house for years. Brigid no longer ventured out to socialize with the others. It wasn’t that she didn’t love them, because she did.

They understand…

After Braden’s father passed away twelve years ago, the magic that bound Brigid to Lachlan dissolved. Her once shiny flaxen hair had paled to an almost white. Delicate lines were beginning to appear across her brow and around her mouth, but Braden still found his mother lovely.

The truth was, without the magic of the bond, Brigid was growing older. As soon as his father passed, she began aging at a normal rate. Seeing the others full of youthful energy with their fate-partners had become too painful for her to endure. So, as a matter of emotional survival, she lived a quiet existence in her rooms as she waited to be reunited with Lachlan in the afterlife.

Braden hated leaving his mother like this, she needed him desperately. He was all she had left of Lachlan, other than the memories. But, even she didn’t know the secret he kept tightly to himself for the last eight years. Never would he have allowed her to be troubled with such a burden, especially in her fragile state. Besides, if he confided in her, Brigid would have begged the coven to intervene. More lives would be lost.

He had to face his death alone.