Forbidden Love, J.M.Hurley [thriller book recommendations TXT] 📗

of the school parking lot.

“Wait!” Mark called as ran over and jumped into the back seat. “I can’t believe you guys almost left without me!” He said in mock anger as Mystica pulled out and began to drive to her house.

Once they pulled into the driveway Mystica’s foster mother, Anne Marie came running out to greet them. She was a younger woman, in her early 30’s, who gladly took Mystica in after her parents died in a ‘horrible accident’. In reality, they’d been murdered, murdered by monsters.

She added silently in her head, the wolves will pay one day.

“Girls, there you are, how was your day?” she asked and Mark coughed lightly under his breath. “Oh little Marcus, don’t think I forgot about you,” she said as she pulled him into her motherly embrace and messed up his perfectly styled hair. Mark pretended to gasp and they both burst into laughter. “Misty, you came home!” Grace, Anne Marie’s four year old daughter raced towards Mystica with her arms stretched as far as they would go.

“Hey Gracie!” she said as she picked up the young girl and spun her around.

“Hey Mist,” Dakota walked towards them and everyone stopped what they were doing, like they always do,

Mystica thought bitterly.

“Dakota!” Mark and Tori called in unison as they barreled over and gave her sister a group hug.

“Kota taught me how to catch birdies!” Grace cried in excitement and Mystica’s already scowling face, turned darker.

“Did she now?” Mystica said as she shot daggers in Dakota’s direction. Dakota, with her long legs, tan skin, and silky blonde hair was always a people person, getting everyone to like her before they even knew her, she also tended to do things on the risky side, including teaching a four year old vampire how to hunt birds, something usually taught once the children are older.

“That’s great!” Mark cried as her threw an arm around Dakotas slim shoulders.

“Isn’t it? I mean, she has to learn sometime, so why not now?” Dakota replied as she flashed her pearly, white teeth. “Hey sis, mind helping me with my luggage?” Dakota asked politely and Mystica gave a snort of laughter.

“Why because your inhuman strength can’t handle it?” she asked sarcastically, as she picked up a suitcase and followed her sister into the house.

“Nice to see you again,” Dakota said cheerfully as she steered Mystica in the direction of the guest bedroom.

“Can you just stop already?” Mystica demanded as she dropped the luggage onto the floor.

“Stop what, being friendly? You need to stop being selfish, Misty,” she said as she turned to face her sister.

“Selfish?” Mystica’s jaw dropped, “How am I the selfish one?”

“You not the only person who lost your parents, Mystica, we both did! People handle grief differently than others, stop blaming me for how I handled mine.”

Mystica shook her head at her sister, “You didn’t ‘handle your grief’ you hit rock bottom and now you’re to take me down with you well guess what Kota, I’m not going to let you!” she screamed furiously at her sister and Dakota’s angry glare turned into disbelief.

“Rock bottom?” Dakota left out a laugh, “I went way beyond rock bottom, and you want to know why? Because not only did I lose my parents, I lost my best friend, and my fiancée, that’s why Mist. Now, I know that means nothing to you because you lost your

parents and that’s all that matters.” Dakota finished with tears in her eyes as she picked up the luggage into her small arms and kicked her bedroom door open.

“Kota…I’m sorry okay…I forgot about Jeannine and Terrance…” Mystica said as she walked over and put a consoling arm around her weeping sister.

“I j-just m-miss him s-so m-much,” Dakota stuttered through her sobs.

“They’re going to pay someday for what they did Kota, you just wait and see,” Mystica said and Dakota looked up her sister with tear stained eyes.

“What are we going to do Mist? You know they’d just kill us too, they’re just too strong…too violent…” her voice trailed off as she was brought back to the night her parents were murdered, the night she lost Terrance.

“But we can be stronger!” Mystica insisted as she grabbed her sister’s shoulder eagerly, “we just need to recruit more people. Face it Kota, we can beat the wolves, we just haven’t tried yet.”

Dakota looked up at her younger sister with doubt, “I suppose if we had more people…”

“Do it for Terrance. Do it for Jeannine. Or do it for Mom and Dad. Don’t let their lives be lost for nothing!” Mystica cried out and Dakota stood up and gripped her sister’s shoulders fiercely.

“We’re going to avenge them, I won’t let them die for nothing, I just won’t!” Dakota said and rage pulsed through her body, making her eyes turn crimson and her canines extend slightly.

“Glad to have you back sis,” Mystica said as she pulled her sister into a hug.

“I’m glad to be back,” Dakota said as she took a deep breath and her features returned to normal.

“Kota! Misty! Look, look!” Grace called as she came running into the room, her tiny fangs extended out of excitement. In her small hand she held the carcass of a small pigeon and her faced smiled proudly. Tori and Mark soon followed behind her, Mark looking more pale than usual.

“You know Gracie,” he said as he bent down so he could be eye level with her. “The blood packets in the fridge taste exactly the same, and that way you don’t have to kill those poor animals.” Mark said as he cast a worried glance over at me.

“Relax Mark, she’s fine,” I assured him and he gave me a shrug as stood back up.

“I guess I really am the only one who hates my fangs getting all that fur in them,” he said and the group all burst into laughter.

“Hey, what time is it?” Tori asked suddenly and Mark checked his purple wrist watch. “It’s going on 4:30, why?” he asked and Tori’s jaw dropped. “Don’t tell me you guys forgot,” she said as she looked back and forth between Mystica and Mark, they both wore confused expressions. “The welcome back bonfire? I can’t believe you guys forgot!” She exclaimed and Dakota let out a giggle.

“You guys should go have fun, I’ll watch Gracie,” she said as she picked as held her on her slim hip.

Grace let out a giggle and said, “I have fun with Kota, Kota teach me tricks.” She stuck her tiny tongue out at Mark and he let out a fake gasp.

“Now Gracie Maria, you did not just stick your tongue out at me!” he exclaimed and Grace let giggles escape her mouth as she nodded her head at him.

“Shall we head out?” Mark asked as he turned back to Mystica and Tori, both girls gave him eager nods.

“Just let me go get my purse,” Mystica said as she ran over to her room in her in human speeds. She snatched up her purse and was about to run back out when she caught sight of the family photo sitting on her desk. “Don’t worry, they’re going to pay,” Mystica whispered to her parents, and then, she was off.

***

Mystica red convertible sped through the gravel and dirt, causing mud to fly up as it came to a quick stop. “We’re here!” she announced as she put the car in park and dropped the key into her purse.

“Ready to have some fun?” Tori whispered to her friends as she waggled her eyebrows at them. The three friends burst into happy laughter and link their arms together. Someone whistled across the beach as Tori, Mark, and Mystica entered. Mystica blushed, Mark hid his head, and Tori waved and blew kisses. They unlinked their arms and went off in their separate directions. Tori went over and began to talk to the boys who’d whistled, flipping her hair every so often in a flirtatious effort. Mark went over to the drink bar and lectured the bar tender about selling alcohol to minors and Mystica went over and sat on a log, talking about her parent’s death had put her in a bad mood.

“You okay?” A voice asked behind her and Mystica felt a shiver run up and down her back.

“Oh hi Daniel,” she said as she gave him a dorky wave. Did I really just wave at him?

She asked herself as she her cheeks turned rosy.

“You seemed pretty down,” Daniel said as he sat down on the log next to her.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” she replied and he gave her a smile.

“I’m sorry, I’m probably bothering you, and it’s just… I’m new here, you know? And it’s hard to make friends…Sometimes you don’t want to make friends,” he added and Mystica turned to face him, an amazed look on her face.

“Yeah, I totally get what you’re saying,” she said, and she did. When her parents were murdered, her grief consoler urged her to make new friends, ‘try new things’ but she didn’t want to, up until then, she’d never found anyone who’d agreed with her.
“So why did you move here?” she asked as she scooted closer to him.

“My dad travels a lot for…work,” he said and Mystica dropped the subject, taking his hesitation as a sign that he didn’t want to talk about it.

“What about your mom?” she asked and he shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t even know her, and I don’t want to. She gave birth, and then ran. Left my dad and me all alone,” he let out a sigh as he took another sip of the cola in his hand.

“Oh…” Mystica said as she picked at the already chipped, black polish on her fingernails.

“What about you? What’s your story?” he asked and Mystica looked down at her feet.

“It’s pretty gruesome,” she said and Daniel shook his head.

“I’m not forcing you, but if you want to talk about it, I’m pretty sure I can handle it.” Mystica nodded and gave him a half smile, Of course you do, humans think they can handle everything.

She thought silently and was surprised to see Daniel frown at her.

“I’m sorry did I say something?” she asked and his smile returned, but not quite as bright as it was.

“Oh no, it’s nothing,” he said and Mystica gave him another smile.

“My parents were murdered, just about two years ago,” she began as she fidgeted nervously under his gaze.

“That’s terrible,” Daniel whispered under his breath.

“Yeah, it is,” Mystica whispered back and bit her lip; she could feel the tears starting to form. “The worst part is that no one even got punished, no one at all,” she said and she couldn’t hold them back any longer, the tears began to spill over her eyelids and run down her cheeks. Pull it together!

She silently urged herself as her fangs began to give her that unmistakable tugging feeling whenever they were about to extend.

“I’m so

sorry,” Daniel said and as she kept her face in her hands, mostly