Forever Black (Nightwalkers 2) by H.N. Sieverding Read Free Book Online Page B

me."
    "What?"
    "Do you know what it…feels like…to…" She wiped at
her eyes several times as she gazed upward in an attempt to stop more tears
from flowing.
    "To what?" Caleb pulled over, the action catching
her off guard. He now gave her his full attention. Wrapping one of his arms
around her shoulders, he rubbed it briskly.
    "I don't wanna talk about
him." Ashleigh leaned over and laid her head on Caleb's shoulder.
    "Babe…" Caleb's voice was soft and filled with
kindness. "I want to know. If you keep this kind of stuff from me, how can
I help? I want to help. Just tell me what happened to him."
    Ashleigh took a deep breath. "My mom… She lived in
Kingston, and me and my dad lived in Grand Lake. She was going to be a lawyer,
just like my dad." She sniffled, her voice growing stronger. "That's
where they met—at Kingsford. My dad was a professor there. But then, she got
pregnant and couldn't take care of me because she was a full-time student, so
my dad…he went home and got a nice job at a local firm."
    Ashleigh paused, snuggling deeper into Caleb's shirt.
"He got everything ready for her. We bought a nice house in the country.
And Dad bought me a pony, and there was a big tree in the yard. I would spend
hours out there writing my stories." She let out a tearful laugh.
"Though, they were mostly comics back then. It was supposed to be perfect,
but…"
    "She didn't come home?"
    "She said she was leaving him and had been cheating on
Dad with her boss, and that I wasn't his." Ashleigh closed her eyes.
"And Dad…he couldn't…he couldn't take it. He loved her so much." Her
voice was whiney and wet as she sobbed, "Oh, Caleb! It was horrible!
Horrible!"
    "What happened?"
    She sniffled and choked back her tears. "I found him,
Caleb." She turned her cheek and buried her face in his chest. Her next
words were muffled. "He was…all full of blood…and his head…it was…gone.
She killed him…" Her voice grew soft as her sobbing words meshed together.
"She killed him, Caleb. My dad…she killed him."
    " Shhh …" Caleb rubbed her
back. "Oh, babe. That must've been a terrible thing to see. I'm so sorry.
She worked with Anthony Vessling , right?"
    "Yeah, she was his personal assistant." Ashleigh looked up. She took a few deep breaths before
speaking. "So, he's a vampire too then, huh?"
    "Yeah." Caleb sighed as he brought her into a
tighter embrace. "He runs the Council."
    "So…" She sniffled again as she wiped her tears.
"How can I be his daughter if he's a vampire? I'd be one too, and I wasn't
until I met you."
    "Well, you could've been a common vampire and didn't
know it. They drink blood by choice, not need. But to tell you the truth…"
Caleb narrowed his eyes on the window, a very confused expression on his face.
"I think the whole thing's impossible. You know the rules—vampires only
produce male children. There's no way he can be your father."
    "Ben thinks so." Ashleigh sat up, her voice
stronger. "So, what do we do now?"
    "Talk to a Councilman." Caleb pulled away from the
curb and got back onto the road. "My dad should know more about this.
We'll ask him." He took out his phone and called his father.
    Lucas answered, "Hello?"
    "Hey, Dad." Caleb ran a tense hand through his
hair. "I have a little problem I need your help with."
    "Caleb! Are you in trouble again? What did—?"
    "Please…" Caleb let out an annoyed sigh as he
closed his eyes. He slapped the steering wheel as he tried not to raise his
voice. "Stop all the bullshit. I don't have time to get into another
argument with you." Then, his voice lowered. "I need you."
    "Need me?" His father chuckled. "That's
something I've never heard from your mouth."
    "What do you know about Master Vessling having a daughter?" Caleb glanced briefly at Ashleigh. She was busy
texting someone. From the small picture on the screen, he knew it was Natalie.
    "What? He doesn't have any children…you know that,
Caleb."
    "We were at the Harper's today, and Ben and Marion
claimed