The Progeny (The Progeny Series) Read Free Page A

never reside in such a tempting shell.
    The things he’d do to her, if given a chance , might finally push him over the edge. J’ai besoin d’aide, I need help! Closing his eyes and clenching his fists, he tried to think about something other than how her blood and body made him feel. It was no use; he'd reached the point of no return. Opening his eyes, he glowered at the image in the mirror.
    The monster was emerging.
    Blood red eyes glimmered against the low light like cursed rubies. Fangs protruded from his anguished mouth. He punched the mirror, splintering his reflection into dozens of red-eyed fiends. The likeness represented the many facets of his broken existence.
    He channeled Quinn , hoping he would hurry, but if his brother chose to ignore him, Ascher understood. He’d nearly dismembered Quinn when the smell of a baby’s blood had thrust him into sudden thirst last summer. Ascher was eighty-seven, but his family still considered him young. Learning to control his urges was an essential part of keeping his secret.
    Quinn rushed into the room. “Ash, man, try to calm down.” He popped the top of a bag of synthetic blood and tossed it to him. Artificial blood and bank donations supplemented their liquid diets. “I know it isn’t ‘fresh from the tap,’ but it’ll have to do for now.”
    While Ascher hated feeding on humans, there was something vital and erotic about the sluggish pulse a carotid gave as it gushed its sweet offering. The lines between sexuality, sensuality and the intense pangs of thirst tended to blur duri ng feeding. Concentration was of the utmost importance. It simply wasn’t a time for lost control.
    Ascher gulped his 'snack’ and watched as the mirror reflected red eyes returning to their pale blue shade. “Thanks for coming down, bro.”
    Quinn remained a good distance away. “She got to you, didn’t she?”
    “I was helping her to get familiar with the bar set-up , when I lost it.”
    “She’s beautiful, delicious and her scent is everywhere. Tristan took Kara home because she couldn’t handle it. I drank four bottles of synthetic and took a long walk to rid my body of her.”
    Ascher nodded, he knew how hard it was for his brother , Tristan, to care for his wife. Kara, after all, was a newly born vampire who had little self-control over the urge for blood, as of yet.
    “Gabe was channeling the new girl earlier,” Quinn added, watching Ascher closely.
    Curious, As cher stilled. “He was?”
    “ Yeah, he has some preoccupation with her.”
    “She’s different, Quinn. There’s more to her than just a pretty face. Storms brew in her eyes.”
    “Watch it!” Quinn took a cautious step backward. “She’s important to Gabe. I’ll go back out if you can’t control yourself.”
    The burn in Ascher’s throat was minimal, but the primal urges remained. He couldn’t smell her again, without exposing himself or satiating his sexual urges. “That might be best. I think I’ll hang out in my office until the party.”

Two ~ Contemplation
     
    The lack of customers sent Shauna’s mind into a tailspin. Her thoughts wandered most of the t ime over inconsequential things that made her wonder if she had undiagnosed A.D.D. Today, her thoughts centered on her imperfect childhood. Coming from a long line of Catholic parishioners, she and her sister, Katy, half-heartedly attended mass. Father always told them, “If you live in my home, you will worship God.”
    Catholic school was also a part of growing up as a McCutchin, and Shauna had hated it. She’d done things that landed her in trouble, just to spite her parents for exposing her to such torture. Sister Mary Margaret had been the worst of all the sisters. Excessively critical and strict, she used any deviation from her instructions as an excuse to give Shauna a good whack with the ruler.
    Sh auna’s absence at home was difficult for her sister, but she was coping. Katy’s bubbly, energetic personality masked the pain