Kismet

Kismet

by K. Winters

Copyright: 2018 K. Winters

All rights reserved.

ISBN-13: 978-0-9998509-3-0

ISBN-10: 0-9998509-3-8

Published in 2018 by Buckhorn Publishing

Norfolk, Virginia

www.bedpage.com

Copyright © 2018 K. Winters - All rights reserved. 



All the places and characters in this book have no existence outside of the imagination of the author and have no relationship whatsoever to anyone or any place bearing the same name or names. All incidents are fiction and the resemblance to any person, place, or thing is purely coincidental.

The first electronic edition of this story was partially released in 2016 as Kismet and published in part at Literotica.com

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Acknowledgements:

I would like to acknowledge the work of my editor and advisor, Alex Hazlett, without whom this novel would not have been possible.

Table of Contents:

Reunion

Closer

Bloodlust

Home

Baynor

Graduation

Coming Home

The Wedding

About the Author

=REUNION=

The bass thump of the music reverberated through the exterior walls of the club and spilled out onto the street; inside a mass of young writhing bodies danced to the beat of the music unaware of a man lurking with malevolent intent. He stood near the corner of the bar and watched all the women dance.

Zoe Bertrand, a dhampir, walked into the club and immediately sensed his twisted thoughts of rape and sodomy; they disgusted her. He was exactly why she was on the hunt, a perverted bastard whose sole purpose seemed to be to destroy a young girl’s body and soul.

She moved closer to him and easily took control of him, subjugating his will . Now a captive of her powerful mind, she led him through the maze of students waiting down a hallway for a chance to dash into a restroom. Beyond the restrooms, a door led to the alley behind the bar. There she would take those twisted desires and bundle them up so that he could never access them again. He would share his blood with her in the process, a little tit for tat.

She pulled him behind a stack of boxes piled next to a dumpster. The alley was lined with trashcans and garbage and the boxes that afforded her easy shelter from the casual observer. Then it started to sprinkle. Crap. She just arrived in this city, what else could happen?

As she settled against her prey her arm jostled one of the boxes and knocked it over. Suddenly, Zoe felt a presence, someone watched from the alley entrance. Perhaps the falling boxes startled them. It was a man, maybe her age, or older, she couldn't tell. He was silhouetted by the streetlights behind him.   He couldn't have been there long; she was only out here for a few minutes. She reached out with her mind but something prevented her from sensing his emotions.  This confused her. Reading emotions and controlling the minds of humans was usually child’s play.

She had to know what he'd seen. She licked her bite marks on the young man's neck to heal them quickly. The benefit of dhampir saliva was its ability to heal without a trace. She was in a hurry now, but she couldn't afford to be careless.

She had to find the one who watched her before he got away, to wipe the image of what she did from his mind. If she couldn't blank his mind her only other recourse would be to silence him. She didn't want to, she hated doing that, but her safety was paramount.

Her bite wounds nearly healed, she let her prey drop to the ground to sleep it off. She raced to the entrance of the alley. There was no sign of her observer. She tried to feel his presence with her mind. Nothing, he was gone. Frustrated, she continued to search for him; she couldn't give up, not now, not when she was so close to finding her Uncle Emil and her new home.

The rain stopped for a moment; good, a reprieve, at least for the moment as several drops of rain fell on the sidewalk followed by several more. Then, as if the heavens opened up, the rain fell like it was poured from a bucket. She looked around as the rain drenched her clothes finding very little shelter as it pelted her. All the stores along both sides of the street were closed. Then a place beckoned. She raced across the street, at human speed, heading for the one store that still flickered an open sign, a coffee house.

Zoe walked up to a window that looked out onto the street and peered in through the glass.  From where she stood the store looked nearly empty, which was a good thing. She didn't like crowds.

The rain continued to pour. No one seemed to notice her standing there. It looked inviting, dry, and a place to get out of the rain.  She had no other choice. She would resume her search after the rain stopped. A young man emerged from a back room. He walked to the cash register then he glanced up to a customer with a wry smile. It was him! The one she'd been looking for.

Once again, she felt the wall of fog resisting her probing of his mind. It was him, she was sure of it. The young man nodded and then turned and stood refilling a cappuccino. She moved quickly around to the glass doors as several students walked out and huddled beneath their umbrellas. Then they scurried off in several directions.

She walked inside to see a few more couples sitting around the room sipping coffee while soft jazz played in the background. It was a room filled with dark wood paneling and comfortable chairs. There was a counter that ran along one side of the room. It housed several coffee making machines, some snacks, a display case with pastries and an espresso machine. The luxurious aroma of fresh brewed coffee, cinnamon, and scalded milk filled the air.

At the back of the store, flames danced along the log of a fireplace. Nearby, several students sat in overstuffed chairs and a sofa.

Zoe walked to the counter and stood behind a young woman who asked for a cup of hot tea. The young man filled her cup with hot water and handed her a packet of tea. She turned and smiled briefly at Zoe, then she moved quickly to the huddle of students arguing about some of the classes they were required to take in the back corner.

Zoe turned to him, she held his gaze intently. He looked vaguely familiar, but from where? A strange sense of déjà vu settled on her mind, but she was unable to place him in her memory.

Taller than she thought from her brief encounter at the alley entrance, his build was agile without being too athletic. Curls from his sandy blonde hair fell across his eyebrows and helped to shape a masculine but not rugged face. He seemed to have a gentle smile, as if the world was one big amusement for him.

His soft grey eyes settled on her and that sense of déjà vu returned even stronger. Who was this guy? Had she known him before? It still eluded her.

How about a cup of coffee? His eyes sparkled brightly. For you it's on the house.

She continued to stare at him, trying to scan his mind, looking for what he knew. Why did he offer a cup of coffee on the house?

He seemed to ignore her probing. It'll keep you warm on a damp night like tonight. Do you like cream or do you want it black?

She hesitated a moment then smiled coyly and whispered. Black.

He nodded and took a mug off the shelf then filled it with the black liquid. Thank you, she murmured as she wove through several chairs and tables to sit in a seat near a window. It was across from the counter where she could keep an eye on him. He wasn't going to disappear this time, not twice in one night, she was certain of that.

He seemed so calm, so composed, as if he never suspected that he was being stalked. And yet, she suspected that he already knew why she was there.

How could he act so calmly? Did he know who she was? Maybe he didn't see anything after all. She needed to be certain; after all, her life depended on it. The relationship between dhampir and human was tenuous at best. One on one, a human is no match for a dhampir. But fear could turn humans into a mob and a mob could easily kill a dhampir.

The young man disappeared briefly into the back room. Startled, she stood up and took a step towards the counter. Then she spotted him working at a back counter. She relaxed and sat back down as she checked the clock on the wall. It was getting late, nearly midnight. It was time that they all went home, except, of course, for the man she came here to meet.  

She turned to the window. Her reflection displayed her glowing eyes; they were brilliant blue. Her powerful mind projected her thoughts to all the customers in the room. It's late. It's time to go home. You're getting sleepy.

Suddenly, as if orchestrated by some unseen hand, all the students in the store stood up. They made simple excuses about the time and having an early class. Then, one by one, they walked out of the coffee house and into the rain.

Tristan Walker returned to the front counter to find his store empty except for a raven-haired woman with shimmering blue eyes sitting by the window. She was looking over her shoulder and watching him intently. It had been ages since he played with her in the gardens surrounding Northport School. He was with his parents who wanted him to attend high school there. She’d grown from a little girl into a rather stunning beauty. Tall and graceful, her long black hair framed a youthful face with a pouty smile that graced her chin and led the observer up to dwell on her mesmerizing eyes, which were framed by gently arching eyebrows. Her eyes were radiant blue, even when they weren’t glowing, which they hinted at now that she’d shooed away all his customers with her powerful mind.

He felt her try to probe his mind again. He smiled at her, but that seemed to agitate her further. He picked up a bar towel and began to wipe down the counter. She probed again, each time she was met with an impenetrable wall of fog. The store was empty so it didn’t matter if he teased her a little. He fought back presenting a broad grin.

Finally, totally frustrated, she stood up and flung her coffee cup at him. Why can't I control your mind?

Unexpectedly, the cup became suspended in mid-air, absolutely motionless. The remaining coffee spilled out of the rim of the cup but hovered as if time had stopped, though it hadn’t, the clock on the wall nearby continued to tick. Because I won't let you, he replied nonchalantly.

She stood spellbound as he walked over and, holding a bar towel beneath it to catch the liquid once he released it, retrieved the cup. It dropped like a rock into the towel and he returned behind the counter to casually drop the cup and towel into a tray filled with dirty dishes. He turned and continued wiping the side of a coffee urn.

Zoe took a step closer to the counter. How can you do that?  Do you know what I am?

He dropped the rag on the counter. Yes, a vampire, or to be more precise, a dhampir.

Her eyes grew large. How do you know that?

Because I can sense who you are.  He projected his thought to her.

She fell back into a nearby seat. The edges of her eyes began to glow blue again as she stood up. How did you do that?

He shrugged as he took a second bar towel and started to wipe the glass on the display case.  It's a gift, I guess.  It doesn't happen with everybody but I find it curious that it does with you. Perhaps it’s your dhampir abilities that help. I studied about you in school, well not you exactly, just your type. He pushed the towel aside and leaned his hands against the counter. I remember Dr. McNamara’s description of the dhampir like it was yesterday. He had a way with words, very eloquent. ‘Born of a vampire and a human, he recited it as if still in McNamara’s classroom. They share many of the same abilities, including incredible speed and strength, yet they live a finite life. I liked Dr. McNamara, he was a stodgy little man but he had an amazing mind."

She stood glaring at him. He felt her try to read his mind, and again, she was met with a wall of fog.

He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the counter to cradle his chin in his palms. It was a very special school. They even taught us how to shield our minds.

Humph. They obviously taught you well. What's your name? She turned, feigning indifference, and sat.

Tristan. Yours?

Zoe.

He stood up and returned to polishing the glass case. Hmm, pretty name, I like that.

She ignored the obvious compliment. You saw what I did tonight?

Not really, but I can guess. You bit that guy didn't you? He