Forbidden (Fallen Series Book 2) Read online

  Copyright 2012 Micalea Smeltzer

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Chapter One: B-Day

  Chapter Two: Surprise

  Chapter Three: Bloodlust

  Chapter Four: Goodbye to you and you

  Chapter Five: Meeting

  Chapter Six: The Coven

  Chapter Seven: Isaac

  Chapter Eight: Graduation

  Chapter Nine: Run

  Chapter Ten: Hate

  Chapter Eleven: Destination

  Chapter Twelve: Desire

  Chapter Thirteen: A taste of the Forbidden Fruit

  Chapter Fourteen: Broken

  Chapter Fifteen: Desperation

  Chapter Sixteen: Mind Games

  Chapter Seventeen: Gabriel

  Chapter Eighteen: Lightning Strikes

  Chapter Nineteen: After Shock

  Chapter Twenty: Fright Night

  Chapter Twenty-one: Question

  Chapter Twenty-two: Come Together

  Chapter Twenty-three: Battle

  Chapter Twenty-four: Grim

  Chapter Twenty-five: Coping

  Chapter Twenty-six: Moving On

  Chapter Twenty-seven: Waking

  Epilogue: Heaven

  Dedication

  To my amazingly supportive family.

  I don’t know what I would do without you.

  Love you.

  Sleepwalker:

  I saw a picture of you

  Hanging in an empty hallway

  I heard a voice that I knew

  And I couldn't walk away

  It took me back to the end

  Of everything

  I taste it all I taste it all

  The tears again

  Outside the rain's fallin' down

  There's not a drop that hits me

  Scream at the sky but no sound

  Is leavin' my lips

  It's like I can't even feel

  After the way you touched me

  I'm not asleep but I'm not awake

  After the way you loved me

  I can't turn this around

  I keep running into walls that I can't break down

  I said I just wander around

  With my eyes wide shut because of you

  I'm a sleepwalker walker walker

  I'm a sleepwalker walker walker

  Prologue

  Fury ran through my body. How could this be happening again? I looked down at the war raging below me. A shiver ran down my spine as if I was outside fighting. People disappeared, fire sparkled in the night, shields came from nowhere, water doused, patience was being tested, inventive tactics were being thought up, temptation was stirring, enchantment was trying to seduce, even for a moment, and a moment was all we needed to decide our fate.

  A moment was all it took for me to watch him die.

  Chapter One: B-day

  I stirred restlessly under the covers. I didn’t want to wake up; I wanted to stay submerged in the dream world where nothing could hurt me.

  There was a light knock on my door. I jumped at the sound. I was very easy to scare these days. It probably had something to do with being kidnapped and watching my dad’s head being ripped off; but I’m just guessing.

  I sat up and smiled at the love of my life as he opened the door. A smile plastered on his face.

  “Happy Birthday, principessa,” Jonathon, my vampire soul mate who was nearly seven hundred years old, said.

  It was March seventh and today I was eighteen years old.

  “Please tell me you didn’t get me anything,” I saw him start to protest. “And if you did I hope it wasn’t expensive.” Jonathon loved to shower me in lavish gifts. He’d already gotten me a car, a laptop, and even paid for my mother’s astronomical hospital bill, and my father’s funeral. I still remembered the day I got the bill for the hospital.

  * * *

  I was sitting at my desk when Jonathon brought up my mail. I flipped through it quickly, a letter from my brothers, more condolences, and a thick envelope from an Italian hospital. It took me a moment to figure out why they were sending it, it had been so long since my mom had been in the hospital and I was still in a fog from my father’s murder. But then it clicked in my head and I ripped it open, dreading what I would find and how I would pay it. After all, I was technically an orphan and still had no job and no access to my parent’s banking account. The price was so high I was shocked. I began to sweat with worry. How on earth would I pay this? But then I read the balance due. I had been reading the total; not what I owed. It showed that I didn’t owe anything. PAID IN FULL it said in bold letters. For a moment I was confused.

  Jonathon; my mind concluded. He was always looking after me. Even paying for my father’s funeral when I had told him I’d figure it out.

  “Jonathon,” I called, knowing that wherever he was he’d hear me clearly.

  “Yes,” he said standing behind me a moment later scaring the bejesus out of me.

  “What is this?” I said holding up the bill.

  “A hospital bill,” He said stating the obvious just to spite me.

  “Really, I thought it was a gas receipt. What is this?” I said sarcastically this time pointing at the zero amount due for emphasis.

  “A paid hospital bill.”

  “Did you do this?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why? I could have figured out a way to pay it,” I said running my hands through my hair in frustration.

  “Really?” he asked quirking an elegant blond eyebrow at me. Gosh, he was too beautiful. Every part of him was sculpted like an artist’s masterpiece.

  “No,” I said ashamed, biting my lip, my face coloring red.

  “Why don’t you want me to take care of you?” He asked looking upset.

  “I don’t want you to think I’m dependent on you.”

  “I don’t think that,” he said shocked. “I think you’re a smart, beautiful, independent young woman that I like to take care of. You are much too young to be figuring out how to pay for a hospital bill. Especially when I lied to you and it wasn’t even your mother in the bed.”

  Jonathon and his uncle had turned my dying mother into a vampire and had another vampire, name Morgina, pose as my mom.

  “That’s good to know,” I said breathing a sigh of relief. He chuckled and that was the end of the conversation.

  * * *

  I know I should be happy that I have a guy that wants to spend money on me and take care of me but I’ve never been dependent on anyone and to have someone picking up the crumbling pieces of my life is disorientating. But I appreciate everything he and his family do for me. They’ve taken me under their wing and I will forever be grateful for that.

  He stretched out on my bed and I tried to tame the tangled mess that was my hair. But he didn’t seem to notice its poufyness. In fact, he twisted one curl around his finger and gently stroked it.

  I tried to mentally prepare myself for whatever was coming.

  He looked at me and studied my face.

  “First, we are throwing you a party,” He said calmly. I groaned and wrinkled my nose. There was nothing wrong with birthday parties but I figured knowing the Pulmers they would turn it into an extravaganza. “Before you completely spurn
the party let me continue. Amelia and Diana have worked really hard on this so please don’t complain. I tried to tell them not to throw you a party but they wouldn’t listen. They think because they love parties so much everyone else should too. Secondly, this is your present,” He said handing me a large wrapped object that I hadn’t noticed. Oh, lord. I gulped and looked at the package in terror. Could it be any bigger?

  I unwrapped it slowly; worried about what I’d find.

  But instead I was pleasantly surprised. It was a painting. One he’d done just for me. I was shocked at how beautiful it was.

  The painting was of me and him. It was so realistic it was shocking. But the colors were subdued and shrouded in purple, my favorite color. I was standing to the front and my face was looking to the side. Spreading out of my back and beautifully across the canvas was a pair of ivory angel’s wings. In the painting Jonathon stood behind me with his arms wrapped around me his face leaning into mine, close to my ear, as if we were sharing in a whispered conversation.

  “Jonathon, this… this is amazing. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. Thank you. I don’t know what else to say. It’s just so perfect. I love it.” I said, rambling while I continued to gawk at the painting.

  “I’m so glad you like it. I was worried,” he said and I immediately felt ashamed of my behavior. I did not deserve this perfect man as my soul mate. I wasn’t good enough for him.

  “It’s perfect.” I said kissing him. “This means so much to me.”

  “Read the card,” He said handing me the card that had fallen out of the wrappings.

  I noticed he had hand painted the card, typical Jonathon, he always wanted to make everything personal and I found it to be so sweet. On the card he had painted a peacock feather. I love peacocks.

  I opened the card and began to read silently to myself.

  To my dearest Kylie on your birthday.

  I know it isn’t much but I hope it means a lot to you.

  You are my angel and I’ll always be there for you, by your side.

  I love you.

  -Jonathon

  “Thank you,” I said, snuggling up against his side. His body was cold and I wrapped myself tighter in the bed covers.

  “I want you to know that I’ll never leave you. Not again. No matter what. Not even if I think it’s necessary. I won’t put you or me through that again,” he said and his voice was choked with tears that he couldn’t shed.

  “Promise?” I asked fingering the fabric of his t-shirt so I wouldn’t have to look into his silver eyes.

  “I promessa,” he said and kissed the top of my head. “Oh and there’s one other thing I got you but it’s a surprise. You’ll have to wait till tonight to see what it is.”

  “You know I hate surprises,” I said tracing his jaw.

  “Trust me you’ll like this surprise,” he grinned from ear to ear. I could picture him as small boy when he smiled like that. A small boy with floppy blond hair.

  “I hope you’re right because otherwise you’re in big trouble,” I said narrowing my eyes and trying to look menacing but really I was trying not to laugh.

  “Ooh, is the big bad Kylie going to punish the big scary vampire,” Jonathon said jokingly, elongating his incisors. He playfully, but lightly, bit my hand.

  “Oh, you’re so frightening.” I said feigning fright.

  He pulled me into the contours of his body and kissed me. It was at times like these that I forgot that he was a vampire. He and his family were so normal; so human.

  He pulled away. “Get showered and ready. The others have a surprise for you downstairs. I can promise you it is nothing lavish and that you will enjoy it.”

  “Ai ai, captain.” I said, saluting him as I got out of the bed and headed for the bathroom.

  His chuckle followed me.

  I did everything as slowly as possible hoping to avoid the torture that no doubt waited downstairs.

  What on earth could they have planned? I gulped. It was probably best not to guess.

  But finally I ran out of reasons to stay in my room and I headed downstairs.

  I heard a lot of commotion coming from the kitchen so I headed that way. I was shocked at what I found.

  The whole family, Jonathon, Patrick, Diana, Amelia, Mason, Danny, and Joseph stood at the kitchen island surrounded by a breakfast fit for a king. Or I guess in my case a Queen.

  “You guys,” I began touched. “This means a lot to me.” I finished.

  Here I was living in a house full of vampires that didn’t eat human food and they had taken the time to cook me breakfast on my birthday. It was a touching gesture.

  “We thought we would surprise you. Just because we’re vampires doesn’t mean we can’t cook,” Amelia said coming over and hugging me. She was cold and hard but the hug still felt like a mother’s embrace. She kissed me on the cheek and said, “Happy Birthday.”

  “Happy Birthday,” they all said, Joseph came over with a stack of pancakes with eighteen candles in them. Jonathon stopped him and a spark of purple-blue fire sprouted from his index finger and he lit them.

  I looked around at them. All of them smiling at me. They were my family. I had never felt so loved before… not even from my parents and my brothers. I wasn’t saying that my real family didn’t love me only that this… the way the Pulmer’s felt towards me… it was a different kind of love. I even felt it from Danny and Mason even though Mason still loved to pick on me. But I was getting used to his playful banter and now I usually joined right in with him.

  They began to sing happy birthday to me in Italian, “Buon compleanno a te, buon compleanno a te, buon compleanno cara Kylie, buon compleanno a te.” They finished.

  “Blow out the candles,” said Diana.

  “Make a wish,” said Jonathon.

  And I did.

  They all clapped and Joseph took out the candles from the pancakes.

  “Thanks you guys. It really means a lot to me that you would do this.”

  “We’re just so happy to have you in our family,” said Patrick hugging me. Just like with Amelia he was cold and hard but his hug felt like a father’s hug.

  I smiled at all of them. They were all so kind to me. They all treated me like family and it meant so much to me. Here I am turning eighteen and my mom isn’t here, my dad is dead, and my brothers are away. The Pulmer’s are the only family I have.

  “I better sit down and dig in. I don’t know how you guys think I’m going to eat all this food,” I said jokingly.

  “Don’t worry we’ll help you,” said Danny and Mason in unison, doing that freaky twin thing.

  “Unlike these losers we’re part human and can eat food,” Mason said picking up a pancake and stuffing the whole thing in his mouth.

  “That’s gross,” I said as he smiled showing me a half chewed pancake. I smacked him on the shoulder and said, “You’re such a boy.”

  Ever since Selena kidnapped me I had become closer with all the Pulmers but the most improved relationship was between me and Mason. He and I had developed a brother and sister relationship. We joked and laughed all the time. I felt like I had one of my own brothers back.

  I ate as much of the breakfast as I could; I didn’t want to offend anyone. Danny and Mason ate most of it which helped. I was amazed at how delicious it all was.

  “This is absolutely delicious, you guys,” I said taking the last bite of my meal. We were all seated at the dining room table; it was the only table that would seat us all.

  “I’m glad you like it dear. We’re all a little rusty with cooking,” said Amelia.

  I stood up to gather the dirty dishes to wash.

  “Sit down dear. I’ll take care of this,” said Amelia taking the dishes from me. I felt like a princess. “It’s nice to pretend to be domestic for a change,” she said.

  “I’ll join you,” said Patrick gathering up the other plates and kissing his wife lovingly on the cheek.

  “Are you ready to go?” Jonathon asked.<
br />
  “That depends. Where are we going?” I asked. He nuzzled his face against my neck, his cool breath tickling it.

  “Some place special,” he said by way of an answer.

  “Well, how can I turn that down?” I said as I stood up from the table, Jonathon’s hand already grasped in mine.

  I turned to the family. “Thank you so much. The breakfast was amazing. I’m glad I could spend my birthday with you.”

  “Oh, Kylie you are so welcome. We’re just happy to have you as part of our family. You two have fun. Jonathon be sure to have her back by seven o’ clock.” Amelia said.

  “Yes ma’am,” said Jonathon. “I won’t forget.”

  We waved goodbye and left.

  “You remembered.” I said turning to him as I saw the motorcycle I had fallen in love with parked on the driveway. It was just as perfect as the first time I saw it. Deep purple with orange, red, and yellow flames.

  He handed me a helmet and I was able to snap it into place on my own this time. I was getting used to Patrick’s strange contraptions.

  Jonathon got on the back of the bike. He looked like a model in his gray t-shirt and leather jacket. He revved the engine and I climbed on with a huge smile. Maybe today wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  We took off flying. The speed was exhilarating. Nothing compared to it. My long hair whipped behind me. The sun warmed my skin.

  Life can’t get any better than this.

  The city flew by us the crumbling buildings and ivy turning into a blur. The chaos of the city was quickly behind us and we were on an old dirt road surrounded by trees and grass and farms. We turned onto an unmarked road almost completely hidden by flowers and shrubs. The sound of running water sounded nearby.

  He slowed the bike to a stop. I got off slowly fearing I may fall. I unsnapped the helmet and handed it to Jonathon.

  “This place is so beautiful,” I said while looking around at the garden. Katherine’s garden.

  I couldn’t believe how alive the flowers were so vibrant and full of life at this time of year. I would think at this time of year they would have shriveled up dead. But that was the magic of Katherine’s garden.

  I couldn’t help but remember back to the first time I came here, the only time besides now.