Rebirth: Dream of the Vampire #1 Read online

  REBIRTH

  Dream of the Vampire #1

  Copyright © 2017 Annalise Clark

  All Rights Reserved

  The characters and events in this book are a work of fiction. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One – It Begins

  Chapter Two – Dreams Awaken Sleeping Memories

  Chapter Three – The Hunger

  Chapter Four – The Others

  Chapter Five – Worlds Collide

  Chapter Six – A Vampire Awakens

  Chapter Seven – A Witch’s Favor

  Chapter Eight – Elders Convene

  Chapter Nine – Training a Vampire

  Chapter Ten – Preparing for Battle

  Prologue

  With tear-filled eyes, she typed an email she knew she’d never send. So this is what a broken heart felt like? It felt like someone had reached into her chest and began squeezing her heart as hard as they could.

  My dearest Dimitri,

  I don’t know why you don’t want to speak to me right now. I don’t understand what is happening. More than anything, I don’t understand why you would want to hurt me like this. You know how much this would hurt. You know everything about me. You know my deepest, darkest secrets, my fears, my insecurities. You know that my greatest fear is being abandoned. You know how I have been mistreated, ignored, and abandoned by those who claimed to love me before. Still, you choose to give me the silent treatment.

  For how long? When will this end? Will it ever end? Will you act as if nothing ever happened or will we discuss it? Will we fight?

  I love you with all that I am but I hate this. I despise this feeling. I am sick without you. I am confused. What did I do?

  When will you come back to me? Will you ever come back to me?

  It hurts,

  Mira
  Could you actually die from a broken heart? Was heartsickness a real thing? Everything reminded her of him. While she knew it was better to just let him have his space, allow him to experience whatever this was that he was going through, and wait for him to return to her ready to talk, she couldn’t help but feel angry about the whole thing.

  How dare he treat her this way? She did nothing wrong. She listened to him, loved him unconditionally, supported him always… why would he hurt her like this by shutting her out?

  Everything in her room, her usual sanctuary, was just a painful reminder of him. The necklace he bought her, the stuffed toy, the pictures that held memories of the fun times they had together, the candles he bought in her favorite scents that remind her of him… it was all there. All the beautiful things that made her feel safe and warm and loved, now brought her heartache every time she looked at them.

  She shut off the lights and buried her face in her pillow, vowing not to shed any more tears for him. At least tomorrow was Friday. She had plans with her best friend and hopefully would be able to forget about Dimitri for a while.

  She cried herself to sleep that night and it was restless sleep full of tossing and turning and that recurring dream. The one with the vampire... it didn’t make any sense, but then few things in her life did anymore.

  ***

  Dimitri hated shutting her out like this. She was his one and only. His one true love. His everything. It hurt his heart and soul to hurt her but this was for her own good. It was to protect her. He couldn't go all of these years overseeing her well-being and allow it all to fall apart this close to the big day – the day that things would start to change and Mira would begin to remember who she really was. With a heavy heart, he let out a long sigh and then went back to his planning. She was hurt, but she would be okay. One day soon he would explain why he had done this. He only hoped she would understand.

  He picked up this phone to dial the Elders. They would need to know about this.

  Chapter One – It Begins

  “Seriously, Lori! You know that’s all a load of crap.” Mira gave her best friend a sideways glance.

  “I’m just saying, it’s Friday the 13th and you know nothing good ever happens on a Friday the 13th,” Lori replied with a giggle.

  She knew her friend was only half-joking. While Mira had never once believed in the supernatural, ghosts, or things that go bump in the night, she knew her best friend was a believer. Lori had soaked up these tales since she was a little girl. She loved it. The mystery, the intrigue, the fear… she was the kind of girl who would squeal with delight at scary stories told over a campfire at night.

  It was endearing, if not annoying at times.

  “So what are we going to do tonight?” Please don’t say watch scary movies, Mira thought.

  “Watch horror flicks, duh!”

  Mira groaned but she knew she’d be doing it. She needed something to take her mind off Dimitri anyway. He still hadn't called since their awkward, whatever-that-was event the night before. It wasn't really a fight but then, they never fought. Dimitri never raised his voice to her or said unkind things, yet he had this way about him. When they were getting along fine she always joked that it was because they were soul mates and they could read each other's hearts and minds but truth be told, that worked when they were not getting along either and it could be pretty intense. So when Dimitri was angry, he didn't have to say a word. She could feel it all the way down to her soul.

  She didn’t care for it one bit.

  ***

  “This isn’t even scary.” Trevor complained.

  “You know what’s scary? Trump as President; that’s scary,” Mira quipped as she tossed her long black hair over her shoulder.

  The gang all laughed and Mira knew she was only half-joking but this wasn’t the time to talk politics. She looked around the room at her friends, surprised that she had only known these people for about a year. So much of the past year of her life had seemed to whiz by. It was surreal.

  Mira was adopted. For the past year, she had lived with her aunt and uncle here in Tinton Falls. Her parents died in a car crash that she was also part of, only she didn't remember. She didn't remember her parents, the crash, or anything about her life prior to a year ago. They told her it was amnesia, caused by the head injury she sustained in the crash. She might get some or all of her memories back one day. She might not...

  The docs said it was really a crapshoot. Not exactly what you want to hear. Then again, she wasn't sure she wanted some of those memories back. In a way, it was better not knowing. She felt bad saying it aloud but she didn't miss her parents at all. She knew she should be sad over their deaths but she didn’t know a single thing about them. She had no memories whatsoever. She just didn't feel anything at all when she thought of them, or when she looked at their pictures.

  Her aunt kept telling her the memories would come back. She just had to keep trying. She wasn't so sure she cared either way but she didn't have the heart to say this to anyone. It just doesn't sound like the kind of thing you're supposed to say after your parents die.

  Then again, what are you supposed to say? People just kept saying they were sorry. She said, "Thank you." It was a cycle that had gone on for a year now.

  She broke from her thoughts and looked back at the television screen. Nightmare on Elm Street. How many times had they seen this movie? Lori was a big fan. She tried hard to focus her thoughts on the movie and not on Dimitri or any other drama in her life.

  ***

  After the movie, the guys went home and Lori invited Mira to stay over. Sleepovers were a common thing for the girls, especially after Lori creeped herself out with scary movies. They curled up with leftover snacks from the m
ovie night and her best friend asked her to spill the beans about Dimitri.

  “Well,” Mira began. “I don’t even know how to feel about it. It’s not that he’s a bad guy. You know how good he is to me.”

  “Mhmm.”

  “It’s just that… sometimes it feels like there are these unspoken rules. Like I am not allowed to talk about certain things and when I break those rules, he’s different.”

  “Mad?” Lori is hanging on every word now as she stuffs popcorn in her pert mouth.

  “No, not really. I mean, Dimitri never gets mad. It’s more like… disapproval. Sometimes even disappointment.” Mira has trouble putting words to the things she doesn’t yet understand herself.

  She goes on to tell her best friend about how her boyfriend seems to be keeping secrets. There are so many things he doesn’t want to talk about. Since the accident, Mira could remember so few things about her life before that she yearned for more connection. Dimitri was loving and supportive, more than any girl could ask for. But every now and then, when it seemed she asked the wrong thing, or pried in the wrong way, he clammed up.

  He would get that stoic look on his face. Conversation would just instantly die and he’d sit there unmoving. It was unnerving. When it happened, she’d know she had done or said something wrong, but what it is was as big a mystery as her forgotten memories. His facial expressions and his body language were telling her she’d done something very wrong, but he’d never say what. When she tried to press him on the issue, begging him to just tell her what she’d done so she didn’t do it again, he’d act frustrated with her.

  She couldn’t understand it, and Mira was the type of person who hated not understanding things. Since the accident, she had felt so disconnected. She leaned on Dimitri far more than she probably should but there was something about him… something that seemed familiar to her in ways that nothing else was. He felt safe, and not just because she loved him.

  “So, he doesn’t even explain what the problem is?” Lori interrupted her thoughts.

  “No.”

  She let out a heavy sigh. “He doesn’t tell me what’s wrong. That’s the problem. He doesn’t talk to me at all but I know he’s upset.

  Chapter Two – Dreams Awaken Sleeping Memories

  She didn’t remember who she was. For 16 years he had watched over her, waiting, listening, protecting her… for 16 years he had waited for this day. What’s 16 years for his kind, though? Barely a drop in the bucket.

  Now, things were about to change. Now is when he would finally be able to show her who she really was. One step at a time, however. He couldn't awaken what had been dormant in her for so long without proper preparations. There's no telling how she would react. It could be disastrous for everyone involved.

  He hated giving her the silent treatment the way he had tonight. He knew how much it hurt her. He felt her pain deep in his own soul. He had no choice. She had gotten too close to the truth and it wasn't time yet. She wasn't ready yet.

  ***

  She tossed and turned, finally waking herself. Her long, thick hair stuck to her face and her pajamas were damp from sweat. It was a dream! Another dream.

  Mira had been having these strange dreams for as long as she could remember but recently, they’d been getting worse. What did it mean? What did dreams ever mean? Lori was always trying to interpret them but they were just regurgitated thoughts from the day, right? Just brain soup. Just scattered thoughts, emotions, and memories.

  So why did this feel so real?

  In every dream she saw herself, yet she felt like she was someone else. A person who looked like her, spoke like her, but somehow wasn't her. This wasn't a 16-year-old girl. It was an experienced woman. A wise woman. You could see it in her eyes and also in the way she walked. She carried herself with a confident grace that Mira had not yet learned in her young years.

  This dream woman who looked like her swayed her hips when she walked. She carried her head high and her shoulders upright. She looked ready to take on the world. She was strong, although she didn’t appear so in the physical sense.

  Her long black hair billowed around her thin frame as she turned. Tendrils sometimes fell over her face. Her green eyes pierced with their gaze. What was she looking at? Was she looking at me? Was she trying to tell me something?

  She felt… familiar.

  This didn’t make any sense and yet, it made perfect sense.

  Chapter Three – The Hunger

  Dream sequences reveal her past. Mira still isn't aware of the truth.

  She begins to get her "hunger" more strongly now. Can't control it. Can't stave it off. Is frightened by the urges. Dimitri will need to guide her.

  Chapter Four – The Others

  A villain is introduced. Dimitri tries to protect Mira without revealing the full truth of who she is at this time. Is it too dangerous to keep hiding the truth from her or more dangerous to tell her too much before she is ready?

  Chapter Five – Worlds Collide

  More dreams – now about the feeding. What does the hunger mean? Mira worries she is going crazy. Is it the head injury from the car accident?

  Dimitri is dropping hints and their relationship is closer than ever before but she still doesn't know why she is so drawn to him.

  The new villain tries to harm Lori to get to Mira, who still doesn't have her memories back of who she really is. Dimitri continues to try to protect her while also protecting those closest to her. This task is getting more difficult with each passing day.

  Chapter Six – A Vampire Awakens

  In this dream, she sees her true self.

  She confronts Dimitri and demands the truth.

  He could keep it from her no longer. Dimitri knew it was now time. His true love, Mira, would finally know the truth. His princess would be reunited.

  Chapter Seven – A Witch’s Favor

  She thought that since she now knew the truth of who she was, the crazy dreams would stop. Dimitri seemed to have thought the same. The truth is, no one knows what happens when a vampire has years of her life erased.

  They go to a witch for help. A witch who will later be in her own crossover series that will mention Dimitri and Mira.

  Chapter Eight – Elders Convene

  There was a storm brewing and they all needed Mira to remember who she was quickly. They would need her on their side if they ever hoped to win this war. The Others were seeking revenge. They intended to come out of hiding and they wanted to rule the earth. The Elders simply could not allow things to go back to how they once were.

  For many centuries now, vampires had walked the earth with humans, unseen. They had lived normal lives. They had coexisted. Now, the Others wanted to change all of this. The Elders needed to protect their way of life and Mira was the key.

  Chapter Nine – Training a Vampire

  He can hide things from her for no longer. She now knows and she has the ability to seek his memories for the answers to anything he doesn't reveal. She was always stronger than him and now that she is rediscovering the truth, she will once again be more powerful than he. The real question now is: who's side will she be on?

  Chapter Ten – Preparing for Battle

  It was a lot to take in but she was relieved to know the truth. Those weird dreams had meant something, after all.

  Dimitri was her guide into this new life, her life, the life she was meant to have all along. He filled her with as much knowledge as he could in the short time that they had:

  "We don’t actually do that whole blood-sucking thing, at least not anymore. Vampires have evolved. That went out of need many centuries ago. It’s not really the blood that keeps a human alive anyway, it’s their soul; their essence. It is this essence that vampires feed on. It’s what keeps us young and our bodies fresh and lively. We don’t need blood to do that.

  The only time a vampire would do that now is as a last resort. If someone were, say, blocking their essence, and the vampire was starving, they might take
it the old-fashioned way. Typically, though, we stay away from that archaic practice. It’s messy, it’s dangerous, and it’s just not necessary.

  That thing about mirrors, that’s not true either. Walking in the daylight? Nope. We also don’t sparkle."

  She giggled at that last part. He knew how she had always made fun of the Twilight books and movies for that.

  "So what can we do?" Mira asked.

  Dimitri smiled mischievously. "You mean besides the awesome vamp sex?"

  "Dimitri!"

  With a smile and a wink, he answered her question seriously, "Well, as you know, we can heal quickly. This also means we never get sick. We're also super strong and much faster than humans."

  Now she was living the vampire life, and it was nothing like she would have ever imagined. She was reborn and it felt amazing!

  What would the future hold?

  Only time would tell but for now, they had a war to prepare for.

  What happens next? Find out in Dream of the Vampire Book 2: War

 

 

  Annalise Clark, Rebirth: Dream of the Vampire #1

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