Full Moon (12 page)

COURAGE RUNS RED

Book
Blurb:

What if
courage was your only option?

When Kallie
lands a college interview with the city’s new hot-shot police
officer, she has no idea everything in her life is about to change.
The detective is young, handsome and seems to have an unnatural
ability to stop the increasing local crime rate. Detective Liam’s
particular interest in Kallie sends her heart and head stumbling
over each other.

When a raging
blood feud between vampires spills into her home, Kallie gets
caught in the middle. Torn between love and family loyalty she must
find the courage to fight what she fears the most and possibly risk
everything, even if it means dying for those she loves.

by
Chrissy Peebles

Copyright © 2013 by Chrissy Peebles

Editor
: Autumn J. Conley

All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a
retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means
(electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise)
without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner
and the above publisher of this book. This is a work of fiction.
Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either
the product of the author’s imagination or are used
fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status
and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of
fiction, which have been used without permission. The
publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated
with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

A huge thanks to Autumn Conley, my
editor.

Visit the Author’s Blog
at:
http://chrissypeebles.blogspot.com/

Connect with the Author on
Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=vb.351121651567296&type=2#!/pages/Chrissy-Peebles/351121651567296

His precious touch could prove
deadly…
 
When
Taylor Sparks moves from New York City to Big Bear Lake,
California; her life is forever changed when she meets a hot guy
with winter-blue eyes named Jesse. Their attraction is instant, the
chemistry undeniable. But sadly, things aren't adding up. Taylor
wonders what her 'crush' is hiding. When her new friend, Fred tells
her his suspicions about Jesse being a paranormal creature, Taylor
laughs. But when Fred turns up dead, she believes every warning he
ever told her. 
Taylor
is shocked to learn that Big Bear Lake isn't just glittering lakes,
towering pines, and breathtaking mountains...there's more...way
more than meets the eye. 
Will
Taylor dive into a paranormal world she knows nothing about? To be
with the one her heart can’t live without? 

The Crush Saga Book
Trailer:
http://youtu.be/4eMF8KXEUc4

Chapter 1

Big Bear Lake, California is located in a
lush green valley, surrounded by mountains and the towering pines,
sparkling streams, wildlife, and hidden lakes of the San Bernardino
National Forest. We’d just moved into a cute, two-story brick house
along the south shore of Big Bear Lake, a beautiful, quaint little
home left to us by my grandmother when she’d passed away. She’d
spent her whole life in the house and had loved it, so my parents
thought it would be fantastic to dump our city life and move out to
the smog-free middle of nowhere, where we could get lost in the
peace and quiet tranquility. It wasn’t the easiest place to get to,
and only three roads led in and out of the valley.

My parents loved the solitude because they
were writers. My father wrote mystery thrillers, and Mom penned
romance novels. They hated the hustle, bustle, and noise of the
city and were sure they’d be better able to concentrate out in the
peaceful wilderness. “It’ll be a fresh start for all of us,” my
mother assured me just after my bad breakup with my boyfriend, “a
very healthy experience all around.”

I wasn’t sure, though, if I could so easily
adjust to the simple life after living in New York City, but once
we got there, I loved the place. It was a far cry different, going
from honking taxicabs and towering buildings to honking geese and
towering trees, but I knew my mother was right; it would be the
perfect spot to forget about my depressing love life.

I had two brothers and one sister, but they
had already moved out of the house, so now I was virtually an only
child, with the two most wonderful parents. We were a loving,
close-knit family, and I couldn’t have been more thankful for
that.

It was only June when we moved in, so I had
almost the whole summer to get used to California and my new home
before school started. I carried in the last heavy box to my
cluttered room; everything was a mess. I bit my lip hard as I
looked around at all the boxes and bags, knowing there was no way
I’d get everything unpacked and put in its place in one night.

My mother pushed through the maze of boxes,
toppling them everywhere. “Pizza’s here.”

It was past lunchtime, and my stomach
rumbled. My German shepherd pranced around in a circle and
barked.

“Mom,” I said, “Max needs to be walked
first.”

She brushed her hair behind her ear and
smiled. “Go ahead and take him out, then, but don’t wander off too
far.”

I kissed her cheek. “Of course not.”

She pointed to my eyes. “What’s with the
dark circles?”

“Uh…I’m sure it’s just makeup, or maybe just
because I’ve been getting absolutely no sleep?”

“It’s your makeup,” she said, smiling. “You
look like a raccoon.”

“See? I’ll fit right in with the wildlife
out here.”

My mom laughed. “Well, maybe the raccoons
can adopt you. They’re nocturnal too.”

“I just can’t sleep at night. I can’t help
it.”

She wrapped her arm around me. “Is this
about the breakup with Sean? Honey, it’s been six months. Remember
what we talked about? We’re here for a new beginning, a fresh
start.”

“I know,” I said, wincing because the whole
thing still hurt.

Sean had dumped me out of the blue, and
getting dumped sucked, no matter the reason. I had given him my
heart, and he had trampled all over it. The breakup absolutely
blinded me, and I didn’t see it coming when he called me and said,
“Taylor, this just isn’t working for me anymore.”

I knew it was time for me to move on with my
life, with whatever grace and dignity I could muster. We’d both
made mistakes in the relationship, and neither one of us were
perfect by a long run. Still, I refused to let that relationship
define who I was. Just because we didn’t work out and clearly
weren’t meant for each other, that didn’t mean things wouldn’t work
out with someone else in the future. My friends set me up on stupid
dates that never worked out, and I wondered if I’d ever find the
“spark” again. For the time being, I decided I was done with guys.
I was just going to enjoy my fresh start and focus on my passion,
painting. The yard was overrun with weeds and vegetation, but my
dad had hired someone to fix it up, and when he was finished, it
would be the perfect place for me to pursue my art.

I threw my black, curly hair into a messy
ponytail, then slid my feet into my white tennis shoes. I wore a
white t-shirt and my favorite pair of skinny jeans that hugged my
curves so tight they felt like a second skin. I’d washed them so
many times that they were faded and super soft, form-fitting in all
the right places. The right knee had a large rip in it, but that
only gave them originality. Silver and leather bracelets dangled
from each of my wrists, and silver rings adorned my fingers. I
looked into the mirror and wiped the smeared eyeliner from
underneath my brown eyes, then headed outside.

It was so beautiful there. Our yard was
surrounded by towering trees that stretched high into the sky. The
birds chirped, the sun shone on my face, and a cool breeze ruffled
my hair. I loved my back yard woods. Inhaling the clean air, I
smiled.
I’m
really going to enjoy my fresh start here…and so is Max,
I thought as the dog explored
the back yard, fascinated and intrigued by all the new smells and
sounds.

Suddenly, Max’s ears shot back, as if he had
noticed an animal in the woods. Peering closer, I glimpsed a
whitetail deer sipping from a puddle. My heart melted at the sight
of the adorable animal. Max’s bark scared it almost to death, and
the poor animal darted off into the vegetation. He wasn’t used to
all that natural wildlife, but I knew he was going to love it there
as much as I was, if not more. He barked fiercely, then suddenly
bolted through the trees, deeper into the woods, and I guessed he
was chasing the deer. I decided then and there that I’d have to
keep him on a leash.

“Max!” I yelled. “Come back!”

He didn’t listen.

I glanced back at the house, wondering if I
should get my parents for help. The woods and its inhabitants
scared me, but I debated on what I should do. Finally, I decided to
just go a little ways into the woods, but I did—if only for a brief
second—wonder what the chances were that I’d run into a bear.

I stepped through the vegetation and took a
tentative step. Glancing around, I didn’t see Max, so I called for
him a few times, only to get no response. When I heard a bark in
the distance, I took off through the woods that surrounded our
property. I pushed aside some green vegetation and glanced ahead
and could finally see my beloved and ornery pet. “Max!” I shouted.
“Come back!”

He gave me the dog version of the
I-see-you-but-I-don’t-care look, then started sniffing the
ground.

As I walked toward where he was, I seriously
considered obedience classes. A thorn grazed my skin, and I bit my
lip to stave off the pain. I swore I’d never let that cantankerous
canine off the leash again.

I stumbled left and tripped over a pile of
termite-ridden, moss-covered, rotting logs, then burst through more
towering ferns. Max disappeared into the thick vegetation once
again. I couldn’t see him anywhere, but I could still hear him
barking. Panting, I spun in a slow circle. I was afraid if I went
in any deeper, I’d get lost, but I couldn’t just desert my best
friend.

The
snap
of
a twig behind me, followed by the unmistakable
crunch
of dried leaves, halted me mid step, and I
strained to listen.
Was that...Max?

The
snap
of
another twig drifted through the forest.

I peered around the trees and high grass.
“Max?” I yelled. “C’mere, boy.”

Silence.

I swept an uneasy glance around the trees,
my senses on full alert, and I whistled. “Here, Max! C’mon, boy.
Let’s go home.”

The singing of crickets and chirping of
birds was my only reply.

I jumped, startled, as a sudden flash of tan
glinted to my left. I flinched. For a split second, I saw
amber-colored eyes in the foliage. Panic struck me; I was sure it
was some kind of wild animal. I worried that Max might have been
attacked, and I knew one bite to the throat might prove fatal. I
grabbed a long, sturdy stick. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but I’d
be able to poke those yellow eyes out if their owner came after
me.

A menacing growl broke the silence. My heart
thudded against my ribcage, and a shiver swept over my skin.
Running after Max had been a dumb idea. My dad had warned me about
black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, and bobcats. He hadn’t said
anything about tigers, but it was still quite the oh-my
situation.

Whatever the creature was that I’d seen, it
had already seen me, so I knew there was no use hiding. I had to
call for Max again, as I couldn’t possibly leave until I knew he
was okay. “Max!” I yelled, pointing the stick at the eyes peering
out from the vegetation, ready to fight with every ounce of
strength I had.

Finally, Max burst through the thick plants,
and I clutched my heart and let out a sigh of relief when I saw
that he was unharmed. He immediately took a protective stance in
front of me and starting growling and barking at whatever was in
those ferns. Given the fight-or-flight choice, I was sure the best
course of action was to slowly sneak backward and get the heck
outta there.

When the ferns parted, I gasped. I was face
to face with a mountain lion, and when it let out its bloodcurdling
signature roar, my heart began to pound in my chest like a high
school marching band.