The Night Watch: Blood Red Series, #2

By W.J. May

What if courage was your only option?

Having been forced into a new world, Kallie find herself surrounded by vampires. With her father being the victim of continued brutal attacks by his own kind, she's desperate for help.

Liam, the city's top detective, and a Blue Blood refuses, the situation officially out of his hands and not his problem.

A Red Blood vampire, Caleb, steps up and has sworn to protect her, but is ineffective at stopping the violence of his people.

When the raging feud between the Red Bloods and Blue Bloods spills into her home, Kallie is forced in the middle of it. Torn between love and family loyalty, she must find the courage to fight what she fears the most and risk everything, even if it means losing herself in the process.

Blood Red Series

Courage Runs Red

Night Watch

Marked by Courage

Forever Night

The Other Side of Fear

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dark Shadow Publishing
• Release date: Jul 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781513002002

W.J. May

About W.J. May Welcome to USA TODAY BESTSELLING author W.J. May's Page! SIGN UP for W.J. May's Newsletter to find out about new releases, updates, cover reveals and even freebies! http://eepurl.com/97aYf   Website: http://www.wjmaybooks.com Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-WJ-May-FAN-PAGE/141170442608149?ref=hl *Please feel free to connect with me and share your comments. I love connecting with my readers.* W.J. May grew up in the fruit belt of Ontario. Crazy-happy childhood, she always has had a vivid imagination and loads of energy. After her father passed away in 2008, from a six-year battle with cancer (which she still believes he won the fight against), she began to write again. A passion she'd loved for years, but realized life was too short to keep putting it off. She is a writer of Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction and where ever else her little muses take her.

Book preview

Have You Read the C.o.K Series?

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The Chronicles of Kerrigan

Book I - Rae of Hope is FREE!

BOOK TRAILER:

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How hard do you have to shake the family tree to find the truth about the past?

Fifteen year-old Rae Kerrigan never really knew her family's history. Her mother and father died when she was young and it is only when she accepts a scholarship to the prestigious Guilder Boarding School in England that a mysterious family secret is revealed.

Will the sins of the father be the sins of the daughter?

As Rae struggles with new friends, a new school and a star-struck forbidden love, she must also face the ultimate challenge: receive a tattoo on her sixteenth birthday with specific powers that may bind her to an unspeakable darkness. It's up to Rae to undo the dark evil in her family's past and have a ray of hope for her future.

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Blood Red Series:

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Courage Runs Red – Book 1

Night Watch – Book 2

Marked by Courage – Book 3

Forever Night – Book 4

The Other Side of Fear – Book 5

The Night Watch Blurb:

WHAT IF COURAGE WAS your only option?

Having been forced into a new world, Kallie find herself surrounded by vampires. With her father being the victim of continued brutal attacks by his own kind, she's desperate for help.

Liam, the city's top detective, and a Blue Blood, refuses. The situation officially out of his hands and not his problem.

A Red Blood vampire, Caleb, steps up and has sworn to protect her, but is ineffective at stopping the violence of his people.

When the raging feud between the Red Bloods and Blue Bloods spills into her home, Kallie is forced into the middle of it. Torn between love and family loyalty, she must find the courage to fight what she fears the most and risk everything, even if it means losing herself in the process.

Contents

Have You Read the C.o.K Series?

Find W.J. May

Blood Red Series:

The Night Watch Blurb:

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Marked by Courage

Blood Red Series:

Mending Magic Series

Find W.J. May

More books by W.J. May

Prologue

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IT WAS TOO MUCH TO take in.

Kallie’s father lay unconscious. This wasn’t the outcome she’d hoped for. His discussion with Liam had not gone anywhere, and now her dreams lay in shambles. She bit back a sob as she turned away from the scene. What good was it to try to do anything when it seemed that Red Bloods and Blue Bloods had no control over their inherent desire to kill each other?

She fought the urge to fall to her knees, wavering on her feet as she struggled to keep the fear at bay, to hold onto the anger instead. No, she wasn’t going to her father, he was a vampire. He would be fine. Wasn’t some of this at least his fault at least? Maybe her father turning into one of the mindless beasts like the rest of his vampire clan after all. Maybe he deserved this. Maybe they all did.

She glanced to Caleb, her words coming out as a soft growl. Why would you care if I lived or died that night?

She didn’t know him enough to know if he were a friend or foe right now. He’d shown up in the middle of the confrontation that she’d engineered between Red Blood and Blue Blood vampires, thinking to somehow save her family from the disaster that had brought them here. But in the end the whole thing had been Liam’s fault, hadn’t it? He had been there the night of the accident. He was there. But then Liam had also there. Right now she didn’t know which one of them caused the accident. Who had turned her father, making him the monster he was now? And why had he not turned her too? Just what the hell had happened that night?

Give me this much. Tell me the truth at least. Don’t let this night end in only more questions.

I do care. I have cared a long time. Caleb’s eyes burned nearly red, the passion in his voice searing her. More than you’ll ever know.

For a moment her breath caught in her throat. She stared at him, no idea how to respond. Instead she wrapped her arms around her body, willing herself to stop shaking. To regain control. He took that as rejection. She could see it in his eyes, in the way he drew himself up proudly as though to somehow deny her refusal of his affection as he turned to stalk toward Liam.

Liam.

Had she been starting to love him? He’d betrayed her. It was perhaps that that hurt the most. Liam lay slumped against the large oak tree, broken branches littering the ground around him. Whether the tree could survive the blow was questionable. That Liam would...that she never doubted. While the hit he took would have killed a human, he was far from that. He had said he had come to help her, to protect her as best he could. He had betrayed her, yes, but he had done so at his own detriment.

Her heart stopped when she realized where Caleb was going. What he would do.

Vampires could die after all.

No! No, Caleb. Leave him alone. He isn’t the villain here!

She wasn’t altogether sure that was true, but she hobbled toward Caleb all the same. He turned, pinning her with a hard stare. Her ankle screamed in protest as she stumbled to a halt. An impasse, broken only by the wind that whirled suddenly around them, throwing leaves and debris in the air. A branch struck her a glancing blow and she reeled, having difficulty in keeping her feet. Were the heavens aware of all that the earth held? Did they protest as well? She glanced up to see one hell of a storm rolling in.

You’re a fool, Kallie. Do you have no idea who this is? Caleb shouted against the wind, his voice nearly lost in the gale. He’s a Blue Blood! They are set on destroying us because we are nothing but savage beasts. I’m a Red Blood, so is your father. Who is the villain here? You tell me! His voice wavered, losing strength, ending on a pleading note.

Something moved behind him, Liam.

Kallie kept her gaze locked on Caleb, needing to let her handsome cop get away. He had done nothing wrong but take her father’s attack.

An attack he provoked...

She ignored that, talking desperately to keep Caleb distracted. Speaking with more truth than she intended. I don’t know. I’m confused. All I know is that I’m not going to let you destroy him.

Yes, I am.

Liam stood at the edge of the woods, Kallie’s eyes shifting to him accidently. She wanted to scream for him to run, but couldn’t force the words from her throat. So what is he was there the night of the accident, they all were. Maybe they were all to blame.

Her father groaned. She turned to see him roll onto his side as be began to vomit blood.

Maybe he wasn’t going to be all right after all. Please no, Kallie stumbled to his side. She hit her knees and let out a pinched scream, her ankle sending a wave of pain up her leg. No time to worry about that now. She brushed the hair back from her father’s forehead. Searching for the extent of his injuries. Needing to know he was going to be ok.

Stay with your father. I have to... Caleb’s voice faded. Kallie looked up in time to see the handsome blond boy streak toward the forest. Liam was nowhere in sight. Caleb would be able to track him. How bad was he hurt?

She stood unsteadily. Screaming after him, though she had no idea whether he would hear her or now. Caleb. Please. Just this once. I need to find out the truth before you hurt the only person who’s been helping me.

It was no use. He was gone.

She moaned and sank down next to her father. He retched weakly. She tipped him up onto his side, praying he wouldn’t choke, then distracted by the thought that a vampire could. I need to get him inside, she said helplessly, with no idea how she was going to get him up the stairs and into the house.

Strong hands pressed into her shoulders. It was she who was lifted. Caleb reached down and picked her up, his forearm under her legs. I’ll get you both in the house. But I’m warning you, Kallie. I’m going after him. I don’t care who you think Liam is. He’s not one of us and therefore he’s the enemy. We have to protect ourselves, and you bringing him here was ignorant, not to mention dangerous as hell.

She jerked, struggling to get free, almost landing on the ground below. I don’t need your help, she shouted, but he only held her harder. He righted himself and growled at her, the beautiful expression on his face fearsome and yet somehow breathtaking. He was majestic up close, his skin pristine, his eyes so full of light.

I think you do, he murmured and turned toward the back door, crossing the lawn with long strides.

She wrapped her arms around herself and huffed at him, furious. Helpless. He ignored her, a smirk tugging at his lip.

I’m not a child, so stop treating me like one.

No, you’re not. You’re a human with very little knowledge of our kind. What you did was out of ignorance. Your father could’ve been killed. It’s my job to protect you. But I can’t protect everyone around you and still vie for your safety.

Whatever, she gritted out through clenched teeth. His tone was grating her nerves. The last thing she needed was a know-it-all vampire full of ‘I told you so’s. I asked for his help and he offered it.

He kicked open the door and strode through the house with the calm assurance of one who cared little of what she thought. He leaned over, putting her on the couch. The closeness of their position caused her stomach to contract. Confused, she pushed him back, and he smiled.

I like it too. He turned and straightened, looking down at her with way too much irritating self-confidence.

I don’t like anything... you misunderstand because you’re ignorant. She smirked, proud of her comeback.

Keep telling yourself that, pretty girl. When you’re convinced let me know and I’ll not bother you again. He laughed, and she settled on the couch, her leg raised, hating the fact that he was right.

Caleb’s cool hand pressed against the swelling on her leg. This’ll be fine by morning. He kissed her ankle and winked at her before disappearing out the door.

Kallie heard him carry her father downstairs before the back door clicked shut a second time. He did not come in again.

Why did that disappoint her?

Angry and frustrated she buried her face in the throw pillows, shifting awkwardly and wincing when her ankle protested. She blinked back tears, hating how everything had gone so quickly from so right to so wrong.

She had no clue who the villain was anymore. Either way, one of the two men in her life was guilty as charged and the other was what exactly? Her protector? Which one could she trust until she figured everything out?

In the end, it was simple, really.

Neither.

Chapter 1

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THE WIND OUTSIDE BLEW ferociously. It was almost as if Mother Nature understood Kallie’s fury. The twisted branches of the tree outside clawed and scratched against her bedroom window. She wanted to be that tree, whipping around in anger at the horrifying events that had unfolded earlier in the evening. The one she had chosen to trust had abandoned her. Granted, Caleb had been in hot pursuit but she had no doubt Liam had been able to escape from his clutches. That he had chosen not to return only added to irritation. What manner of man was he anyway?

But then again, he wasn’t a man now, was he? 

No, Liam’s a vampire.

It seemed she was surrounded by vampires these days, and none of them acted the way they did in movies, or the books she’d read under the covers with a flashlight when she was younger. No, they weren’t the romanticized creatures she had envisioned. Kallie would have given anything for a smoldering hot, broody, vamp who just wanted to be ‘understood’. However, that was fantasy, not her reality.

But they weren’t exactly the horrific beings of old black and white flicks her grandparents grew up on either. These vampires fit somewhere between both worlds. These were more...calculated. They didn’t consist of a simple suck and feed. No, these vamps knew exactly what they wanted. They would seize and claim what they wanted, subjecting innocents to their unholy crusade.

At least that’s how everything seemed now.

The whole thing had gone from a headache into a migraine. Right now, Kallie wished she could shut off her brain as easily as one would turn off the television. She no longer wanted to see images of red glowing eyes or her badly beaten father popping into her head every time she tried to sleep. She couldn’t even enjoy the memory of Liam’s lips pressed against hers, because the more she thought about it, the more she feared Liam was the true enemy.

He had to be.

Perhaps it was better he hadn’t showed up to check on her after all.

If he truly wanted to safeguard her, then what the hell happened tonight?

Enter boy number two. Kallie rolled her eyes at the inner dialogue in her head. Of course there was Caleb. He swore he was there to protect her, much like Liam had, but could she trust him any more than his predecessor? Kallie rolled over carefully in her bed, trying not to jostle her ankle and wishing sleep would just take over. Knowing her luck, if she ever did fall asleep she’d probably dream of vampires. Incredibly sexy, ruthless, terrifying vampires.

The stuff of nightmares, not dreams.

How was it that both boys could capture her attention so thoroughly and then just...take off?  Somehow it felt cowardly that Liam had fled, though in truth could she blame him? He’d been knocked out by the other vampire who had stated very loudly that he intended to kill him. Still, she never pictured Liam as the run-away type. Then Caleb left on ‘fight-night’ as she now called it, in his swagger-cool style and never returned for all his promises to watch over her. Fine bodyguard he made.  Except he dropped a load of unanswered questions before he took off.

The problem was, Kallie knew she was being completely and utterly unfair regarding both of them. But she wanted to be unfair and stupid right now. She was tired of things blowing up whenever she tried