Hunting Death

By April Cronin

Madison has never felt quite like herself living in her mother’s world, and after discovering that her childhood was one big lie after another, she’s determined to make things right, starting with granting her biological father’s dying request that she lives at the mysterious sanctuary he left behind.

Blown away by the detailed habitats of her father’s facility, Madison soon discovers that not everything is as it appears and that her family’s secrets may be deeper than she ever imagined.

After the death of his dear friend and colleague, Keith knows that, more important than his job on the ranch, is his task of protecting Madison, and it won’t be an easy one. With countless enemies lurking around every corner, the most dangerous of all being himself, Keith must conquer his lust, and the memories of a past life shared together, in order to help Madison fulfill her destiny.

If you like vampires, werewolves, and the occult, then this is the book for you! A NEW kind of paranormal experience with characters you'll love and some you'll love to hate! This isn't Twilight folks(it's better!), it's a vampire series for an older generation. You won't find any high school drama here!

Get ready for some hot hook-ups, grisly murders, and more! With vampires, lycans, witches, ghosts, and hybrids, the gang's all here!

It's a blood-sucking good time!

• Language: English
• Publisher: April Cronin
• Release date: May 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463168950

April Cronin

At just 30 years old, I have lived a pretty full life already. My adolescence was anything but ordinary and though I have been through some things that I would not wish on anyone, I definitely feel like I have come out a much better person than I could have been. I went pretty wild in my youth, did some things that I am not so proud of, and others so fun I would do them all over again if I had the chance. Everything has shaped me into the person I am today, and for that, I would not change a thing, even the bad stuff. I will be honest, I never dreamt of being a writer, I wanted to be in Law enforcement, but the birth of my oldest son changed everything for me, and I had to rethink my entire future. Hardships forced me to take jobs I did not want, and the birth of my second child led me down the path of stay at home mom. If it were not for the books I read on a daily basis, I would probably have gone insane by now. I love my children, but a little adult interaction goes a long way. But I had a dream one night, and it bothered me, it bothered me so much I decided I just had to write it down. And once those floodgates opened...well... the rest is, as they say, history. I hope everyone will enjoy the characters I have created and will continue to create, they mean a lot to me, mostly, they keep me sane, and I have tried very hard to make them as real as possible as well as believably flawed. I love getting to know new people and encourage everyone to reach out to me! I am VERY responsive!

Book preview

Prologue

Two weeks earlier;

Robert had been out of sorts lately, more so than usual, everyone saw it, and Keith sensed it. Robert attempted to act normal, but he didn’t fool Keith who could hear the erratic way Robert’s heart beat when they talked.

Something definitely seemed wrong, he only wished Robert would confide in him. Instead, Robert spent more time away from home, more time with Al. Which shouldn’t have been so concerning, they both enjoyed a good game of golf, and Lord knew that man needed a break from the ranch, he’d literally work himself to death if given half the chance, but that wasn’t it.

Even though Keith hadn’t meant to, not at first, he’d followed him the other day. Robert headed straight to Al’s office and stayed there for a while. And, because he wasn’t much of a sleuth, after a couple of hours waiting out front in the parking lot, Keith finally left. While the visit shouldn’t have been such a big deal, considering they’d been friends for a long time, it bothered him when he’d asked Robert about his day the next afternoon over lunch, and Robert lied.

He said he’d spent the day at a local shelter, helping out like he often had in the past. It didn’t make any sense to Keith. What reason did he have to lie to him? They told each other everything; they were probably closer than most brothers.

It worried him. Just as the headaches did, and the dozens of other little tics he’d noticed lately. Like how he’d shake out his legs, or squeeze his eyes shut the way a person would when experiencing pain or having trouble seeing. He assumed nobody noticed, but not much got by Keith.

With the recent accusations being thrown around by the police, everyone on the ranch appeared to be on edge lately, and Keith had his plate full, no doubt about that, but he still recognized minute differences when it came to Robert.

Of course, his insistence that his dear friend saw a doctor fell on deaf ears. Keith had done a little research, wanting to match the symptoms and figure it out for himself, but without hearing it all from Robert, he really didn’t have much to go on, a number of things might have been going on ranging from harmless to severe and even life-threatening.

In addition to seeing Al more frequently, Robert also spent a lot of time shut up in his office with the laptop lately, they hadn’t had dinner together in almost a week. All the secrecy bothered him. Keith planned to catch up with him tonight and attempt to shake some information out of him. Hell, he’d get physical and literally shake him if he had to.

Keith finished with the ultrasound of the pregnant dog Robert had brought in the other day and put her in the temporary kennel they’d made for her in the clinic. It wouldn’t be long before she gave birth, a couple weeks at best, and they wanted her to be comfortable, after which he fed her and closed up for the night.

Nearly to his truck; he had a date tonight with a hot real estate agent, he heard something strange. Like a low pitched gurgling noise accompanied by what sounded like a hoarse whisper.

Tom and Nicole had stopped off earlier to check in with him before leaving, so there shouldn’t have been anyone but him and Robert left on this part of the property, and as the sun made its descent dipping below the horizon, even Robert should have been tucked away inside the house for the night.

He heard the commotion coming from over near the wolf enclosure, and fearing that one of the wolves may have been in trouble, or that a wild animal had stumbled into their habitat, Keith hurried in the direction of the barn. The closer he got, the quicker he realized that it sounded human and not animal, sending him into near hysteria.

He prayed it wouldn’t turn out to be another incident like the one last year, especially since none of the wolves had ever shown an ounce of aggression, but accidents did happen. Keith ran as fast as possible, afraid of what he might find.

Nothing would have prepared him for what he saw though.

Robert lay on the ground, flopping like a fish, trying to right himself, his face askew, his cheeks flush, and his mouth lopsided. His eyes seemed unable to focus. Vomit covered the ground in front of him.

A stroke.

It had to be a stroke!

Keith scrambled to reach him, sliding into the dirt and lifting Robert into his arms, he carried him quickly into the animal clinic as Robert moaned, grasping at his head.

"My head… my head…" he murmured incoherently.

Keith held onto him with one hand, digging frantically in his pockets for the keys to the clinic, listening to Robert, he started running through the list of symptoms in his head, wondering if Robert had suffered from a ruptured aneurysm, the cerebral bleeding would have easily caused a stroke.

He had no idea how long Robert had been out there, lying, seizing in the dirt, but with a hemorrhagic stroke, time was of the essence. Crashing through the door of the clinic, Keith laid Robert gently on top of one of the tables, whipping out his cell phone and dialing 911.

They had a dog with a blood clot once, probably still had some medication around somewhere, but he didn’t want to risk injecting him with a blood thinner and it making the bleeding worse. An aneurysm requires surgery. Keith had never performed brain surgery, and he definitely hadn’t operated on a human before. His best, really, his only option, required getting Robert to the hospital as quickly as possible.

Robert began to sputter again, doing his damnedest to sit upright as his body continued to betray him. Keith realized he wanted to say something, so he leaned down, taking Robert’s head in his arms.

"Help…" He moaned, the word barely louder than a whisper of air.

"The ambulance is on its way," Keith replied, doing everything possible to keep him comfortable, cursing himself for not being able to do more.

"Help…" He breathed again.

"I can save you, Robert. If you want me to, I can do it. I can save you."

Robert seemed to shake his head vehemently though it may have been a spasm. He coughed, choking on his saliva, desperate to be heard. Keith lifted his head higher, he took a deep breath, he tried to concentrate.

"The angels… Robert said a little more clearly. His words still partially slurred, his voice shaky. They can’t… they can’t…"

"They can’t what? What can’t the angels do? What are you trying to say, Robert?"

"Promise me… the angels… you won’t let them… promise me…"

Keith heard the sirens wailing in the distance, Robert became more frantic as they drew closer to the ranch, he coughed and gagged. Keith realized that whatever he wanted to tell him had to be right there on the tip of his tongue, it probably made perfect sense to him, but the few broken fragments he’d been able to understand didn’t strike a chord with Keith.

"The cure… He spat, saliva dribbled out of the corner of his mouth as he attempted to speak. The angels can’t have the cure."

"What cure Robert? What angels? Please, I don’t understand! Help me understand!"

Time was running out, footsteps sounded on the pavement, he heard the slamming of a door, then one of the paramedics rolled a stretcher into the clinic, the other right behind him. Together they lifted Robert onto it, the old man jerked and shoved at them, his eyes wild as he pinned Keith with a pleading glare.

"Madison…" He raged, that single word coming across clearer than anything he’d said yet.

One of the paramedics started to strap down his legs while the other fought to restrain his upper body, Keith did little more than look on in horror, watching as his best friend fought to get free. Likely confused, he didn’t understand that they only wanted to help him. Keith willed him to relax, he begged him to calm down, tortured seeing him like this.

And all at once, he stopped.

With a last jerk of his body, Robert collapsed on the gurney. His eyes seem to roll into the back of his head, one of the paramedics swore, the other dropped the duffel bag he carried and began rifling through it.

In his panic, Keith leaned over him, pushing a medic out of the way and beginning to administer CPR as the other paramedic came up with a compression mask and attempted to pump oxygen into his lungs.

"No! Keith shouted, don’t you die on me, Robert! Don’t you dare die on me this way!"

The medic he’d pushed out of the way rushed back from the ambulance with a defibrillator, ordering Keith to step aside, but like a madman, he wouldn’t give up, not now, he shoved the man backward, barely noticing when he crashed to the ground.

Keith had to save him, he had to save his friend.

Hours later, Keith sat on the porch steps, nursing a bottle of Jack Daniels, wishing himself into a drunken stupor, and ready to sell his soul to the devil if that would bring Robert back when Al pulled up in his Mercedes.

The two said nothing for a time, Al sat down next to him, a man he would have normally characterized as strong and intimidating, looked completely rumpled and defeated. They’d both lost their best friend tonight.

"Did Robert say anything to you, Al?" Keith finally asked.

Al remained silent another moment, he reached out and grabbed the near-empty bottle from Keith, taking the last swig and dropping it at their feet with the other bottles scattered in front of them. Al pondered his answer a moment longer.

"I’m fairly sure he understood the seriousness of his condition. He came to me a couple of weeks ago wanting to get his affairs in order." He replied solemnly.

"I begged him to see a doctor."

Al nodded. So did I. He told me once, that sometimes a man just knows when it’s his time to go.

"That’s horse shit!" Keith erupted, kicking a bottle in front of him and sending it shattering down the driveway.

Al flinched, he’d known Keith almost as long as he’d known Robert, and he’d never seen the man lose his composure, it unnerved him.

"Did he leave any kind of note for me?"

"No."

Keith stood abruptly, shaking his head as he let out a string of curses, pacing the length of the porch.

"Robert told me this morning that he wanted to write you a letter, and that he’d give it to me when he finished it, he wrote one for Madison."

Madison.

Keith buried his face in his hands as he remembered the way Robert so desperately said his daughter’s name.

‘Promise me you’ll protect my daughter.’ He’d said during a conversation they’d had last week. Keith hadn’t understood at the time, the request seemed a little out of place. Which meant he knew. He knew, and yet, probably because of everything going on, because of all the stress Keith already faced, he hadn’t told him.

"Damn it," Keith swore, storming into the house and leaving Al behind.

Keith ran up to Robert’s office, hell-bent on tearing the place apart, he opened every drawer, he checked the closet, everywhere. Frustrated, he rummaged through his bedroom. Nothing, absolutely nothing. Ready to give up, Keith decided to check one more place.

He found Robert’s laptop right where he always left it, he typed in the password and pulled up the history log. Robert had been quite busy these past few weeks. He’d searched all kinds of medical sites, researching aneurysms, symptoms, treatment, and prognosis, so he’d obviously understood the risks.

He knew that he could be saved.

Why hadn’t he gone to see a damn doctor?

Keith found a couple of word documents Robert had recently been working on, the first to his daughter, he read it with tears in his eyes. He couldn’t help it. Keith understood how much Robert loved his daughter, how much he wanted her to be a part of his life.

He found a second letter addressed to him, but only about a paragraph long, like perhaps he had trouble writing it. He probably had no idea how to tell his best friend that he basically wanted to commit suicide.

The letter started off with an apology after which Robert pleaded his case. It read like a cop-out. Keith had a hard time picturing Robert as a coward, which only served to fuel his rage. Why had Robert been so selfish?

Robert asked Keith to remember everything they’d talked about, and his promise, his promise to take care of Madison, ‘She’s the one,’ he wrote. And nothing else. Either he didn’t have time to finish, or he’d still been searching for the right words.

But he didn’t even get a goodbye.

Robert’s final words haunted him though, she’s the one.

The one? What the hell did that even mean?

Chapter 1

A Trip to the Zoo

Madison slipped the nipple of the bottle into the scruffy little black cub's mouth, and he suckled hungrily. She laughed as he pawed at her hands and growled, easily her favorite part of the job.

Hungry little devil aren’t you? She asked the young hyena cub, who squirmed and wiggled in her grasp.

The pup gulped down the rest of the supplement and began biting the rubber nipple, pulling on it and growling more fiercely, before abandoning it altogether to nip and snap at Madison’s fingers. Chuckling, she stood, and stepped over the siding of the holding pen.

As much as she enjoyed playing with the cub, the runt of the litter that needed a bit more than mamma provided, she needed to finish her morning rounds.

She had a pregnant New Guinea Singing Dog due for an ultrasound, and she needed to check on the rest of the hyena clan as well. She also had a public appearance scheduled with Koda, the resident gray wolf, and his companion Kona.

Today would be a busy day indeed.

Hey Madison? One of her coworkers called out when she’d finished washing the bottle and placing it on the drying rack.

Yeah?

There’s someone here to see you.

Madison cocked a brow, not often she got visitors at work, in fact, it never happened. Can you have them wait in my office? I need to finish up here.

He already is, the woman replied.

Oh, okay. Thanks, Barb.

Madison finished filling out her charts for the hyena pup and took another look around the room to make sure she had everything back in order before heading to her office.

Though not much of an office, more of a supply closet really, it was an office all the same, and even better, it belonged to her. She had enough space in there for a small desk, an extra chair for visitors, and a bookshelf. She’d been with the San Diego Zoo for three years now, and barring any major medical procedures, worked as a zookeeper specializing in Canine care.

Still saving up for a place of her own, she rented a small apartment close to work for now, but once she had a house with a yard, going down to the local shelter and adopting a dog or two would be first on her list. She wanted to be surrounded by canines all day long.

Her apartment much like her office would be described as small and cramped. But it allowed her to save quite a bit of money, and one day soon she’d be able to afford a house to call home.

Heading down the hall towards her office, Madison let herself daydream about the future, about the prospect of buying a house, finally settling down, and filling it with love, which made her smile. She didn’t give much thought to who might be waiting for her in her office.

She did a lot of community outreach, a big part of that being the animal ambassador program, so it might have had something to do with that. A school wanting a zoologist to come and speak to the kids, or a field trip that includes an animal encounter. Those sorts of things were requested all the time.

The tall Italian looking fellow in the posh suit that waited for in her office, however, surprised her.

With a perplexed look on her face, Madison extended a hand to the gentleman when he turned towards her from the bookcase where he’d obviously been examining her collection of books. A collection that ranged from books on veterinary medicine and zoology to romance and science fiction. Madison spent a lot of time at work, most of that tending to animals due to give birth, so having a variety of things to read often helped in passing the time.

Hello, I’m Madison, and you are? She asked, warning bells going off in her head as the man’s eyes roamed her body from head to toe, taking stock of her khaki shorts and tank top with an odd smile.

Forgive me, he apologized, his voice heavily accented. He sounded like he came from New York. My name is Alfred Demello, but you may call me Al. And you are Ms. Adams?

Yes, sir.

He held up a hand, smiling sleekly. Please, call me Al.

Alright, she agreed, motioning for him to sit in the chair in front of her desk as she made her way around it and took her own seat. Al, what can I do for you?

Al opened a briefcase in his lap, shuffling through the contents before pulling out a small stack of papers, and closing the briefcase, laying them on top. It's not so much what you can do for me Ms. Adams, but what I can do for you. He said with another of those smiles that really gave her the creeps.

Pardon?

I'm a lawyer, Ms. Adams.

Ah, a lawyer, well that explains it. Of course, that left her wondering if she might have been in some kind of trouble. The Zoo had been sued in the past, a common occurrence actually, but lawsuits rarely include individual employees. She supposed if it had something to do with the animal ambassador program that it might make sense, but no incidents came to mind right offhand.

I’m here to talk to you about your father’s estate.

My father’s what? She blurted, even more confused.

Estate. I’m an estate lawyer for Mr. Robert Melton. Are you unaware of Mr. Melton’s passing?

Mr. Melton. Her father. Her biological father. Aware of his passing? No. Hell, she’d only known he’d even existed for the last decade. She’d never met the man, for that matter, she’d never had any communication with him at all, so how did anyone, especially a man she’d never met, expect her to know that a virtual stranger had died?

When did he die? she heard herself asking.

About two weeks ago. He had a stroke. Al said, filling her in on the details.

With a sad smile that softened his hard features, Al explained how he’d known Robert, her father, who he described as a very stubborn man, for many years. He called him his long-standing golf partner and said he managed all of his estate or legal matters for over a decade. But Robert, who hadn’t seemed himself for the past six months or so suddenly became determined to get his affairs in order.

Sadly, two weeks ago, he suffered an aneurysm that led to a stroke, one of his employees found him too late I’m afraid. Al finished, pulling himself together again.

Despite this man being a complete stranger, and knowing she didn’t owe him anything, Madison found herself defending her lack of a relationship with her father anyways. I've never met my father. She told him candidly. My stepfather adopted me when I turned four, he’s the only dad I’ve ever known. So you’ll have to forgive me if I don’t seem more upset about the news. It’s hard to miss someone you’ve never met.

I'm aware of the dynamics involved in the situation, Ms. Adams. Your father told me everything.

Madison scoffed, a little offended by his remark. And what exactly is that supposed to mean? She nearly demanded.

Al chuckled. Simply that I am aware of the dynamics, Ms. Adams. Now, shall we get down to business?

Madison shrugged.

The lawyer handed part of the paperwork over to her, a second copy still lay in his lap. Madison accepted it gingerly, afraid it might bite her.

If you’ll turn to page three, we can try to get through this as quickly as possible so that you can get on with your day.

With the papers in her lap, Madison ran her hand over the cover sheet. ‘The Last Will and Testament of Robert W. Melton.’ She wondered what the ‘W’ stood for. And as she flipped through the first couple of pages, she wondered, not for the first time, what her father looked like, and what kind of man he might have been.

Because what kind of man would sign away the rights to their own child? Madison squeezed her eyes shut, blocking out the pain and the moisture. She didn’t want to deal with any of this. She’d been down that road many times, and nothing good ever came of it, always best to let it go. For whatever reason, her father hadn’t wanted her, but it didn’t matter, because Rick had, and she loved Rick, who continued to be a wonderful father. Her father. Biologically or not, it didn’t matter.

Your father had a sizable estate, Ms. Adams, and he’s left half of all his liquid assets to you, as well as a share in the company stock.

Madison’s head shot up, Say that again?

Al smiled and nodded. Mr. Melton was a very wealthy man.

I gathered that. Look, Al, not to seem greedy or anything, but you said I only get half? Did Mr. Melton, er, my father, did he have another child? Do I have a sibling? She asked with hope.

Madison had always wanted a brother or sister. Her mother refused to have any more children, afraid they would get sick like she had. A fear her mother had never been able to get past, despite how much Rick wanted a child of his own. While her childhood had been anything but lonely, filled with love, in fact, she’d always longed for a little sister.

No ma’am, you are Mr. Melton’s only offspring. In fact, aside from a sister in Pittsburgh, you’re his last remaining heir.

I have an aunt? She asked, more to herself than anything, and smiling slightly when he nodded.

Her mother didn’t have any siblings, and Rick, her stepfather, though he had both a brother and a sister, Madison didn’t consider herself close to either of them. One lived in Europe, and the other in Florida, neither of them caring much to keep in touch over the years.

Shall we get back to the matter at hand? Al asked, breaking into her thoughts.

Oh, yes, sorry.

Now, as I said, you are entitled to half of his liquid assets, as well as his share in the Bank of Lancaster. Madison nodded while he continued.

She tried to take it all in as she followed along, reading over bits and pieces of the will herself, her father owned a one-eighth share in a very profitable private credit union, his sister, her aunt, owning two-eighths of the same bank, and the other five belonging to who she assumed would probably be business partners or distant relatives.

You also get a one-half ownership in the not-for-profit sanctuary your father ran in Lancaster, the other half belonging to…

Wait. Madison interrupted. What kind of sanctuary?

Dogs. It’s all there in the will. He said rather gruffly, clearly annoyed with all the interruptions. Listen, Ms. Adams, while I understand that this is all very sudden, and quite confusing, I have a flight to catch, my granddaughter is expecting. So I’m going to ask, very politely, that you allow me to finish and save whatever questions you might have for afterward.

Gulping, and feeling slightly guilty for reasons she didn’t comprehend, Madison nodded and smiled weakly.

Great. Your father basically left you half of everything, along with his stock in the bank, the other half he put into a trust to see to the care and management of the facility he left behind. A Mr. Keith Walker, the on-site veterinarian, is listed as the trustee. Now, as you look over the documents before you, I ask that you please keep in mind that the sanctuary meant the world to your father, call it his life’s work.

The lawyer gave her a minute to consider everything he’d told her, before continuing, as he had admitted, it might be a little confusing, and definitely, a lot to take in.

There is, however, one stipulation in your father’s will. He pointed out, looking her dead in the eyes as he did so probably trying to gauge her reaction. Madison didn’t speak, but rather implored him with her gaze, her brows rising. Your father requested, that in order to receive your share of his estate, that you reside at the ranch in Lancaster for one full year.

Her brows furrowed, I’m sorry, what?

As I said, the sanctuary meant everything to your father, and he had hoped that you might consider continuing his legacy. He decided that perhaps if you lived there for some time, and had a hand in running the place, you would want to stay there permanently.

I’d never even met the man, and he wants to control my future? She spat, completely taken aback by the request. And what if I say no?

He nodded, turning towards the back of the will, If you’ll turn to page ten, you’ll see the stipulations fully outlined. You have thirty days to make a decision, but if you choose not to accept the requirements of this agreement, your share of his liquid assets would be turned over to the trust he set up for the facility, and his stock in the company would go to his sister. Now, when your aunt, I mean, when Miss Melton, passes away, though to be fair, she’s only fifty, if she so chooses to turn over her remaining stock in the company to you, that would be her choice.

Madison sat back in her chair and let out a huff of air. She read along in her copy of the will as he spoke, everything pretty much word for word what he’d said.

I have thirty days to make a decision you said?

That’s right.

And I call the number on the second page?

Al opened his briefcase and put the will back inside, letting it click shut. Considering the look on her face he realized that she’d heard all she needed to hear. That is correct, Ms. Adams. If you have no further questions for me…

She looked up at him, a little dazed, speaking automatically. No, you can go. I’ll be in touch. Thank you.

With a curt nod, he got up to leave her to her thoughts.

Congratulations on the baby. She said to his back, her tone still monosyllabic.

He turned at the door, that sleek oily lawyer’s smile on his face, Thank you.

Chapter 2

The Sins of the Mother

Madison sat in her office for another half hour, the first fifteen minutes with a blank stare on her face as she looked at the closed door the lawyer had left through, and the next fifteen reading through the will again.

Afterward, she called her supervisor and explained about her ‘visitor’ before asking to go home for the rest of the day. Given the circumstances, and the fact that she hadn’t taken a single day off in the three years that she’d worked there, her boss seemed more than willing to oblige, telling her to take the entire weekend if she needed it.

A whole weekend. Hell, if she