Fallen Tears: A Blood Crave Novella (Blood Crave Series) Read Free

vampires existed, you’d fit the part perfectly,” she mumbled under her breath. She eyed him warily from his shoulder-length black hair to his pale complexion, which almost seemed to glow in the dark. He totally looked like the dark, brooding vampire type.
    “I beg your pardon?” He stared at her blankly as if confused by what she had just said.
    Rowan ignored his question, pressing even further. “If you’re a vampire then are you going to drink my blood?” She spoke calmly, as if she weren’t afraid of the prospect of death, although her eyes were wide in apprehension.
    He just said he didn’t eat humans.
    Tilting his head back at her, he frowned slightly. “I wouldn’t do that to a child.”
    “Hey now,” she retorted back, annoyed. Feathers slightly ruffled, she gave a pout. “I’m twelve years old, almost thirteen. I am not a child.”
    He stared down at her for a moment, making Rowan suddenly feel uncomfortable. She awkwardly crossed her arms over her flat chest as she looked up at him, defiantly. “I may be small for my age right now, but I just haven’t hit my growth spurt yet.”
    Rowan really hated the fact that she still looked like a ten-year-old.
    “My apologies.” He raised his eyebrows, eyes slightly smiling. “I wouldn’t do that to a twelve-year-old. Is that better?”
    She sighed loudly, but had to admit she enjoyed the fact that he found her entertaining. She tried asking another question. “Then why are you here if you’re not going to hurt me?”
    Standing in front of her, he slowly raised a hand to the top of her head and patted it gently, his face serious. At first, Rowan was caught off guard at the cool contact of his hand against her. But she soon relaxed as she welcomed his touch, which almost seemed to have a familiarity to it.
    Like family.
    “Your heart cried out to me, Rowan. It reminded me of a time in my past and I had to come and stop your heart from crying.”
    Those words were profound to her. She couldn’t speak, but it was unnecessary. He heard every thought and every pain she’d felt since her dad died, leaving her all alone.
    The only thing she could do was rest her head against his chest as she stepped forward. Wrapping her small arms around his waist, she cried, finally releasing the anguish she kept buried deep inside for so long. He stood there silently, touching her head lightly as she sobbed. He waited to speak until she had cried out all the tears and just simply whimpered against him.
    “Are you okay?” His voice was low above her head but she heard a trace of concern.
    Embarrassed, Rowan withdrew her arms from around him and stepped back as she bowed her head. “Sorry.” Sniffing loudly, she wiped the remaining tears from her eyes using the back of both hands.
    “No need to apologize. I realize words can be a powerful way of expressing oneself. I truly didn’t mean to make you cry. It appears I still have a lot to learn.” He grinned faintly as if remembering something. Then he spoke again, almost in a whisper.
    “After all this time.”
    Rowan was quiet, thinking about what he had just said.
    He seemed sad, too.
    “I can teach you!” she exclaimed, the words rushing out of her mouth before she could even think.
    He raised an eyebrow at her sudden outburst, curious.
    She went on. “You know, things that you need to learn. I’m really smart! I used to get As in everything before … before …” Her words then trailed off softly as she remembered her past.
    “Before your father died.” He filled in the words she was struggling to say.
    “Yeah,” she answered softly. But then all of a sudden, she felt strange. For some reason, his words echoed over and over in her head as the world began to spin, her mind foggy. Looking up, she watched as his mouth moved, but was unable to understand him at all.
    It was blocked out by the sudden ringing in her ears.
    Blinking slowly up at him, she found his face to be hard and unsmiling. Then it all