Singed (The White Rose Vampire Series) book 2

Chapter One

Hello, Lovelies 

Thank you so much for reading.   I hope you enjoy this story.  I really do appreciate all of you.  If you do enjoy it, consider voting.  Comments are appreciated and if you have any questions, comment or send me a message.  

-XXXX Amanda

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I glanced at the clock on the wall as a yawn broke through my lips, causing my eyes to blur with tears. I rubbed my hand over my forehead fighting a headache as I glanced around me at the walls lined with bookshelves filled with leather-bound books which perfumed the room in the pleasant scent I always associated with school and libraries.

It was three in the morning and though I had given up the prospect of college for the moment, I had once studied much later than this. The exhaustion that had crept into my body had much more to do with stress than the need for sleep.

I sighed as I opened yet another book, shivering with the silence within the personal library of the home where I now lived, The White Rose Manor. The book in front of me was much newer and had been part of my parent's search for the descendants of my great grandmother's coven before they died. It was one of the only ones left after their deaths, given to me and kept in a backpack the night their lives were taken.

I frowned as I opened it, finding words written in my mother's perfect script. I touched the beautifully constructed letters needing that connection to her, sighing as the ache caused by the fact I would never see her again settled in my heart. A teardrop fell from my hazel eyes onto the paper in front of me and I hurriedly wiped my cheeks. I was never one to cry and I wouldn't start now. If I did, I feared I would never stop.

I took a deep breath and began to read, a frown marring my brow as I took in the names before me, realizing that it was a family tree for my best friend, Lanie. My mouth dropped open as my eyes roamed over the names of her parents and her grandmother, Lavinia Tulane before landing on the witch who started the curse, Lanie's great grandmother, Clementine. I turned the page finding my family tree leading from me to my great grandmother, Mary Mcleod before turning the pages finding the family trees of two other witches we had found and who now lived with us in the manor, Bethany and Cally. Turning the page once more, I found one final tree but this one made my heart leap as I took in the name of Mary Mcleod. Next to it was the name of her sister, Anna Beth Johnson. My eyes rose along the line to take in the girl's name at the top, Daniella Blackfoot.

I raised a brow, taking in the tree once more, my soul reaching for that familiar feeling I never thought to have again, "I have a cousin?"

I shook my head as my heart thrummed pulling the book against my chest and stood, desperate to find Daniella Blackfoot but this time it was more than finding another witch for our coven. Daniella was a connection to my mother...To my past. She was a connection to family.

I rushed out of the library to summon the others, determined to find her before the psychos who wanted us dead reached her and took her life.

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I glanced around the table at the witches and vampires who were part of my new family and would hopefully be part of Daniella's trying not to feel my heart sink when I saw that Jonathon was absent from the group. I opened the book on the table so the others could see what I had found.

"My parents didn't tell me they had some of the family trees mapped out," I said, peering down at the book while tucking my dark brown hair behind my ear, "But they have Lanie's and mine as well as Cally and Bethany's and one other," I turned to the page where Daniella Blackfoot's family tree was written, "My great grandmother, Mary had a sister, Anna Beth. Her granddaughter, my cousin is the only other descendant my parents knew about."

"So, you know her name?" Lanie asked, her blue eyes widening as she gripped, her soulmate, Bastian's hand.  I swallowed over the bitter jealousy threatening to overtake me.  Instead, shame flowed through me.  Lanie had lost her parents before mine had perished leaving her alone but she had claimed her mate in Bastian and their affection toward each other reminded me that I hadn't claimed mine.  The fact that Jonathon wouldn't even step into my presence was making me insane but I refused to take it out on my friend's happiness.

Instead, I forced a smile and nodded, "Daniella Blackfoot."

"Dani?" Bethany said, her blue eyes settling on me as I jerked my head toward her.

"Do you know her?" I asked, excitement fluttering to life inside my chest.

Bethany nodded, "She doesn't go to the college," she said, a frown settling over her face, "She couldn't afford it. She works at the hotel. She's been working there since her mother died of cancer two years ago."

"How do you know her?" I asked, taking in Bethany's face surprised she had been the one to have recognized her name. Though Lanie and I had known Bethany before she arrived at the manor, Bethany hadn't been the most sociable person.

She shrugged her delicate shoulders, "I worked at the hotel for a few months during the summer," she said, giving a sad smile, "I didn't have anywhere to go during those months with no family so I worked there as well as lived there. Dani lives there too."

I bit my bottom lip before moving my gaze to Dimitri and winced. I tried to fight the fear that always invaded me while in his presence as I remembered when he had become feral and had almost attacked me and Lanie.

He gave me a sad smile and I took a deep breath, trying to remember he was better. Still, my voice shook when I spoke, "Dimitri, you got Lanie to move in under the guise of offering her a job," I said, shifting, "Maybe you could do the same for Dani?"

Dimitri nodded, "But someone would have to meet her about the job.  I don't have anyone at the hotel to offer it like I did at the school."

I straightened, "I'll do it," I said, knowing that someone would protest me leaving the safety of the manor but the voice who spoke did not belong to one of those sitting at the table.

"The hell you will," I turned to meet the angry emerald green eyes of the vampire who held my heart in his hands, crushing it with his absence a little more every day. Now, he was here trying to prevent me from protecting not only a fellow witch but the only blood family member I had left.

"Jonathon, maybe we can discuss this further before everyone becomes upset," Bastian said, slowly.

I straightened gathering my book and stood, ignoring Jonathon as he had been ignoring me for the past two weeks. I glanced around the table once more as I made my way toward the door leading out of the dining room.

Before anyone could protest further, I said, "I'll do it tomorrow."

Then, I exited the room fighting the emotions rolling through me after seeing Jonathon and made my way to my bedroom determined to leave the manor no matter who tried to stop me. Unfortunately, I realized someone was going to try.