Deadman's Blood (Blood Series Book 5)

Chapter 1

It was late and the house was quiet while Dominic sat at his desk in the library. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small key and unlocked the side drawer. He pulled out an object wrapped in a blue silk handkerchief and set it in front of him. Like a little boy at Christmas, Dominic’s eyes were like saucers as he slowly unwrapped the item.

As if picking up a piece of delicate glass, he held the object in front of him as if he were offering it to an ancient god. He marveled at the workmanship. It appeared to be made of wood that did not irritate his vampire hands.

Vampires are allergic to wood, some types more than others. Some types of wood, however, could be tolerated if they had been treated with a special coating of oils. If needed, such treated wood could even be worn as a talisman, but this wood he held now did not seem to be treated with such a concoction. It is because of this allergy that a stake in the heart would kill a vampire, but being stabbed elsewhere would only render him immobile.

The item was cylindrical in shape, but fluted at each end. With ivy-like tendrils and four distinct animals, it was intricately hand-carved. The first animal was a lion, reared up on his back legs with its front paws thrust forward as if holding itself against an invisible wall. The second was a large bird, maybe an eagle, wings widely extended and claws ready, looking like it was about to grab some unsuspecting prey. The third was a large bear in a leisurely stance on all fours, presumably a Grizzly or Kodiak. The fourth was a wolf standing relaxed, its piercing eyes full of wisdom. All four animals wore crowns, all of them different, but beautifully noble.

What is this? Dominic wondered. He had studied the item every chance he could since his return from the old crone’s altar room far below the Heart Island castle. This was where he had found the item when the Bloodstone Heart, along with Dimitri, had been destroyed.

Dominic was a professor of science but he was fascinated by artifacts relating to his vampiric lineage along with any other supernatural artifacts. He had become known as the go to man for most ancient relics, supernatural or not.

It had been almost a week since their ordeal with Dimitri and his small army of vampires. Dimitri had been rebuilding the Order of the Black Orchids and the power that came with it from the Bloodstone Heart. A young man, Josh, found the Bloodstone Heart in an alley, and in an attempt to retrieve it from Josh, Dimitri kidnapped and nearly killed Melanie, a sweet young woman with psychometry abilities.

Hmmmm. Josh…now there’s something I should be dealing with right now instead of staring at this artifact, Dominic thought.

Josh Brenner, a powerful telepathic, had meandered his way through the lives and hearts of Dominic’s family in recent weeks. Through a series of mishaps and conversations, Dominic suspected that Josh might be his son. Though Dominic was not proud to have stolen a few pieces of hair from the sink in Josh’s bathroom a few weeks before, the DNA results had come back indicating his suspicions had been right.

In the morning, Dominic planned to meet with Anton, his vampire son, to tell him of his findings. Once that was done and depending on how Anton took the news, Dominic would then somehow find the courage to explain things to Josh. Aside from his telepathic abilities, Josh seemed to show no sign of his vampiric blue blood lineage, but as Dominic had explained to his nephew, Devon, several weeks before, sometimes the genes mutate. For example, some children born to werewolves never go through the change, but other attributes are accentuated instead, such as telepathy, heightened sensitivity to smell, or night vision. It’s the same with born vampires, especially if a human parent is involved, such as Josh’s mother, Katerina Jansson.

Dominic’s blue blood family extended back as far as the Ancient Ones who were thought to be the first vampires and still considered royalty to the very old vampires and other supernatural beings. The Larsens had kept their blood untainted through the centuries until Dominic’s sister, Abigail (Abby) Larsen, defied Dominic and the rest of the family, and fell in love with and married Nathaniel Bloomington. Dominic’s nephews, Devon and Blake, were the results of that union. But Abby and Nathaniel were killed when Devon and Blake were young vampire boys, and it was then that Dominic felt he had begrudged his sister and her brave and loyal husband.

For so many years, Dominic ridiculed and fought with his sister and her husband about how she tainted the family’s blood with outsiders; it seemed trivial and shameful now. He was as proud of Abby’s boys as he was of his own son, Anton. And now, with Josh in the picture and all the friends and significant others of the boys, the family was bigger and happier than it had been in years.

Josh and Anton had become close over the previous weeks and Dominic hoped that with this news, the relationship would only become stronger. Blake had felt a strong sense of responsibility toward Josh and Melanie (Lanie) since their stay in California with him and Rowan. Though Blake was a vampire and much older than Josh in human years, they were much the same age, as vampires aged approximately one year for every four human years.

Dominic chuckled as he wrapped the cylindrical artifact in the handkerchief and locked it safely in the drawer.

Abby would be ribbing me something awful about befriending werewolves, let alone letting them stay in the house.

Had it only been a matter of months since Dominic had been horrified by the thought of his family consorting with werewolves? So much had changed. He had to admit he liked Dean Wolfe very much…and Blake’s girlfriend, Rowan, who was also a werewolf. Dominic had a soft spot in his heart for her. Besides, it wasn’t her fault she had been turned to a werewolf some months before, but Dominic felt even if she had been born one, he would have warmed to her eventually, as she had such a good heart.

Her sister, Darby, was now engaged to his nephew, Devon, and she could do no wrong in Dominic’s eyes. To him, she was pure sunshine and sweetness, and he knew his sister, Abby, would have loved having her as a daughter-in-law if she were still alive. Darby, too, was gifted. She and her sister were ancestral witches, but had never been taught or nurtured in that fashion. Now that Darby was more knowledgeable and had befriended another ancestral witch, Sally Keaton, who had been trained by her family in the art of witchcraft, it was possible that Darby would find powers she never knew she had.

A big smile settled on Dominic’s face as he thought on all these loved ones, presently sleeping under his roof in the quiet old house. With palms down, he patted the leather blotter on his desk, stood, and turned off the desk lamp.

Tomorrow I will talk to Anton and then, hopefully, Josh. Like Devon suggested, I shouldn’t let too much time pass—Josh’s acceptance into the family is the first priority, then I’ll show them the artifact.

Feeling content with his plan, he headed to bed.

Chapter 2

After breakfast was cleared and all had gone their separate ways for the day, Dominic ran into Anton in the hall and asked if he could have a word with him in the study.

Umm. Yeah, Dad. No problem. Meet you down there in five minutes. Is everything all right?

Oh, sure. Yeah. Everything is fine, just need to let you in on something and get your opinion on it.

Okay then. Be down in a couple.

Good. Fine. Okay, Dominic said as he went down the stairs.

Anton thought that seemed like a few too many assurances, which made him think maybe things weren’t fine. Clearly, Dominic was preoccupied or nervous about something. If Anton had learned anything about his father, it was that he sometimes painted things to be fine when they might not be—a fatherly protection thing, Anton supposed.

Whatever it was, he’d know in a few minutes. He went back to his room, made a quick business call to the gallery in New York to see if anything needed his attention and then headed downstairs to the study.

He knocked on the door as he opened it to find Dominic at his desk with a manila folder in front of him.

Come in, son. Close the door, would you?

Sure. What’s up? Anton said as he moved toward the chair opposite of his father’s grand desk.

Sit, Anton. There’s something I need to tell you and, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, I’m a bit nervous about your reaction.

Hmmm. That sounds ominous.

Well, Dominic started, it just changes some things and well…

Dad, just say what you have to say, Anton replied.

Of course, you’re right. Dominic cleared his throat and stared at the manila folder on the desk in front of him. He was so nervous. He wasn’t one to talk much about his personal life, especially with his son. He just didn’t know where to start. He fumbled a few starts and then began to stutter.

Anton could see this was really bothering his father, so he said, Dad? What is it?

Hmmm. I guess I just don’t know where to start or how to say this. I’m sorry. I’m just not very good at talking about personal things, Dominic realized.

Okkkaaaay! Why don’t you just start at the beginning?

Right. The beginning, yes. That’s a good place to start. But before I say anything I just want it to be said that I loved your mother very, very much. You know that, right?

Yeah…I mean, you don’t talk about her much, but yeah, I think I know that, Anton said.

Good, Dominic replied.

Does this have something to do with Mom? Anton asked.

Ummmm. No. Not really, I mean, maybe…no, I mean…

Okay, you are freaking me out, Dad. Just tell me already.

Right. That would be best. From the beginning, right? Right! Okay…hmmmm. About twenty-eight to twenty-nine years ago, I filled in for my friend, Professor Scot Hadley at the University of Minnesota. Do you remember Professor Hadley? Real tall guy. Used to come to the house a lot. He’s a professor of Archeology. Very nice guy, Dominic relayed.

No, I don’t remember, or maybe vaguely. Why? Anton asked.

Oh, nothing. I mean, well, I filled in for him for a semester at the university when he took a tumble on a dig site, Dominic said.

Right, Anton said. You were in Minnesota for a couple of months. Yeah, I remember that, not necessarily the guy, though.

Professor Hadley, yes. You don’t remember him? He had sandy blond hair…six-foot-four or more… Really, you don’t remember him? Dominic persisted.

No. I don’t remember him. Is he pertinent to what you have to tell me? Anton asked.

Professor Hadley? Oh no. No. Nothing really to do with him, Dominic answered.

Dad…why are you so nervous? Just spit it out already, Anton urged.

Right. I’m sorry. I just ummm…guess I’m a little embarrassed to have to tell my son the particulars of my, you know, my…

Your WHAT? So far, all you’ve told me about is Professor Hadley, but then you said it had nothing to do with him, Anton said.

Dominic sighed. I’m not doing this very well, am I? Maybe if I just spit it out, it will be easier.

Okay. Whatever is easiest for you, Anton said.

Okay. I had a very brief affair with one of the students while I was in Minnesota, Dominic blurted out.

Almost thirty years ago…you had an affair…so? Anton replied, befuddled.

Dominic dropped his eyes to the desk and mumbled, A child was conceived from that union.

A child? Huh. You mean, somewhere in Minnesota I have a brother or a sister?

A brother, and not in Minnesota, but much, much closer, Dominic explained.

Why didn’t you tell me about this before? Anton asked.

I only just stumbled upon it myself, Dominic answered.

You stumbled on it? You mean you didn’t know? Why? Didn’t the mother contact you?

No. I’m guessing she was rather confused about all of it, Dominic said.

Confused about it? You’re either pregnant or you’re not pregnant. What’s to be confused about? Anton asked.

She was a human woman, Dominic replied.

YOU? And a human woman? After all the garbage you gave me about ‘tainted blood’ and how ‘our blood line has been pure from the beginning’ stuff?

I know. Pretty hypocritical, isn’t it? Dominic admitted.

Uhhhh, yeah! But I still don’t understand why she would be confused, Anton wondered.

A human woman having a born-vampire’s baby would gestate anywhere from eighteen to twenty-four months, and she may not even have known she was pregnant until a year had passed after conceiving, Dominic explained.

Hmmm. So did she contact you? Is that how you found out? Anton inquired.

No. I haven’t spoken to her since I left Minnesota, although I’ve thought of her often. I just….that’s where this gets a little complicated, Dominic said.

THAT is where it gets complicated? It seems pretty complicated already. So how?

Well, the night of the engagement party, uhhh…I was talking to Josh, Dominic said.

Josh. Our Josh. Upstairs Josh? Anton asked.

Yes. And I asked him about his powers and if his parents had any abilities like his, Dominic responded.

He’s adopted; his parents don’t have any supernatural skills, Anton stated.

His adoptive parents don’t… Dominic said.

So his…but his biolo…and you…so you think…

I’m his father, Dominic admitted.

Josh? Your…a brother…Josh…. But how can you be sure? Anton asked.

I ran a DNA test against hair from his comb and mine and the results matched.

So Josh…I have a brother…Josh is my brother. You’re sure? Anton asked.

I am, Dominic confirmed.

Wow! But how? How did you come to the conclusion to take the test?

I told him I would help him find his biological parents if he wanted to; all I needed were names. He told me his mother’s name was Katarina Jansson, his birthdate, and that he was born in Minneapolis. Recognizing her name and figuring out the timeline, well, it was just a fluke. Like I said, I really just kind of stumbled on it, Dominic explained.

So where is his mother? Have you contacted her?

She’s in a clinic near St. Paul. I’ve been looking into her past and it looks like they’ve had her in a psych ward since a bit before she had Josh. I’m not sure she ever even got to see him as they put him up for adoption immediately. I’m trying to see if I can get in to see her. I think an explanation from me and some proper treatment might get her discharged, but I have to find out how much damage they’ve caused over the years by medicating her, Dominic said.

Poor woman. That must have been awful for her. No one believing her all those years. Do you think she can take the news of you being a vampire? Anton wondered.

Time can only tell, but I feel it is the very least I can do. I’ve caused her so much trouble. If only I hadn’t been so pig-headed, I could have known another son all this time. We could have been a family and she wouldn’t have been locked away. And Josh, well, he would have learned early on how to control his abilities. I just can’t believe what a mess I’ve made and never even knew about any of it.

Dad, you can’t take all that guilt. It will eat you alive. If you had known, you would have done the right thing, wouldn’t you?

Yes, Anton. I loved your mother more than anything, but I have to admit I loved Katarina, and I thought if I stayed in her life I’d only complicate it. I stayed away because I thought it was the right thing to do for her and for you, Dominic explained.

Why me? Anton asked.

I didn’t want you to think I loved your mother any less, Dominic said.

Mom died over a hundred years ago and you haven’t been with anyone but Katarina? I had no idea. I thought I had the corner on loneliness. You didn’t have to do that to prove to me you loved Mom. Mom loved you. She wouldn’t have wanted you to be alone for all these years mourning her. A brother, huh. I always wanted a bother, like Devon and Blake. Have you told him yet? Anton asked.

No. I felt I needed to explain things to you first, Dominic said.

Right.

How do you feel about all this? Dominic wondered.

I don’t know… I guess…I wish I had known a long time ago. It would have been nice to grow up together, maybe even been a family. And Josh…well…I think he’s great. Seems, though, we Larsen men carry loneliness around like a badge of honor and Josh is no different. I think that is one of the first things we need to work on as a family, Anton said with a chuckle.

Dominic laughed and nodded. Have any suggestions on how I, or we, should tell him about all this?

Oooooh! Yeah. That’s going to be a bit of a shocker for him, isn’t it?

Do you think I should contact his adoptive parents and let them in on my findings and his lineage? Dominic wondered.

Anton made a face and said, I don’t know, Dad. I think maybe that should be Josh’s decision. It might be nice for him to have a haven to go back to where no one is the wiser, if this whole vampire thing freaks him out, Anton explained.

I suppose you are right, I just would so like to know everything about his childhood and what I missed.

Maybe in time you’ll get that. But for now, it’s not your place. As for how to tell him…I don’t know. If you want me to be there, I’m willing to do that. Just tell him what you’ve told me, just cut out the Professor Hadley stuff; that made things rather confusing. So when do you think you’ll tell him? Anton said.

I think the sooner the better.

I agree.

Maybe this evening after dinner. Will you join me? Dominic asked as he stood behind the desk.

Definitely, Anton answered as he stood and walked toward his father.

Dominic greeted him with open arms. Thank you, Anton. I love you, son.

I love you, too, Dad, Anton replied with a hard pat on his dad’s back.

* * *

That evening as dinner wound down and people were excusing themselves, Dominic asked Josh if he might speak with him.

Josh said, Sure, Dominic. Is everything okay?

Yes, I mean, I hope so. It’s just information has surfaced that involves you, and I would like to talk to you about it.

Puzzled, Josh’s face showed concern, but he agreed to meet Dominic in the study. Dominic made eye contact with Anton.

Ummm. Josh, would it be okay if Anton joined us? It involves him, too.

Of course. No problem, Josh said.

A few minutes later, Anton joined Dominic in the study and closed the door.

You doing okay? he asked his dad.

Nervous. Really nervous. This could go badly in so many ways— A knock on the door interrupted them.

Come in, Josh, Dominic said as Anton sat. A worried-looking Josh entered and closed the door behind him, then crossed the room to a chair next to Anton in front of the ominous desk.

Anton spoke, noticing Josh’s hesitance. Dad, maybe we should sit by the fireplace. No matter how old I am, I’m always a bit intimidated at talking to you behind that huge desk.

Oh! Sure. I never knew that, Anton. Yes. I suppose I can see that. Josh? Would you join us?

Sure, Josh said, feeling a little better and less like a little kid being sent to the principal’s office.

When they were seated, it took a few fumbled starts on Dominic’s part to get things moving.

I asked to talk to you because I’ve found information on your biological parents…well, maybe I should go back a little farther. Do you remember our conversation the night of the engagement party? When I asked about your parents? Dominic asked.

Looking confused, Josh first looked at Anton, then at Dominic and replied, Yes.

You told me that evening about your biological mother, Katarina Jansson, Dominic said.

Yes. And you said you had met her, Josh said.

Yes. I did. The thing is that I knew her quite well. Intimately, you might say. Dominic looked at Anton for support. Anton nodded in encouragement.

Oh, answered Josh, but as if a light went on, he replied, Well, that was well before my time. Are you worried I might not have approved or something? Is that why you are telling me this? I mean, Dominic, I think you are a great guy. It’s kind of nice to think that someone as nice as you looked out for her once…

Josh. It’s a bit more complicated than that.

Oh? How? It’s not like you’re my father or anything, I mean, that was almost two years before I was born, Josh said.

With a heavy sigh, Dominic looked down at his hands and thought for a moment, and while he did this, Josh looked to Anton for answers. Anton, however, didn’t feel it was his place to step in just yet; after all, the bucket of beans had only been half-spilled. When Anton didn’t reply, Josh looked back to Dominic who was now wringing his hands trying to find the words to say.

I’m not sure how to say this without it being a shock, so I suppose I should just say it and then explain afterwards, Dominic admitted.

Oookaaay, Josh said, rather worried. Did you find my mother? Is she okay?

Your mother is fine; in fact, I am looking after her and trying to get her released to a facility here in Connecticut, where I can be closer to her and hopefully watch her recovery personally.

Oh! Okay, Josh said.

I mean if that is okay with you, Josh. You have a say in this, too.

I…I…don’t know. I’m not sure I really care one way or another. I’ve never known her, he admitted.

I know, Josh…and I think that is my fault. It’s also my fault that she has been in the psych ward all these years, Dominic said.

You? How could that be your fault?

Dad…you are getting off the point, Anton interrupted.

Right. I’m sorry. I suppose I’m making this more confusing than it really needs to be. I…Josh…I am your father, Dominic said.

Josh went white and confusion washed over his face as his eyes glazed over. There was nothing but silence in the room for several uncomfortable moments before Dominic continued.

I know this must come as a shock to you; believe me, it was a shock to me, too—however, probably more of a pleasant one for me than for you, I suppose. I do have one regret and that is going behind your back to obtain a hair sample from your brush to have a DNA test done, but I simply had to know if my suspicions were correct. I may have overstepped my boundaries. Dominic watched for a reaction from Josh, but when he got nothing he could read, he looked at Anton.

Anton watched Josh for a moment, even tried to read him, but Josh had recently become very good at shielding himself, so there was nothing to read. Anton said, Josh? Are you okay?

As if Anton’s voice had somehow lifted the fog that had come over Josh, he answered, Yes. I mean…yes, I guess…DNA test? So you’re sure then? You’re my…father?

Yes. I can show you the test if you would like to see it, Dominic offered.

But…no…I believe you…so…how long were you with my moth…Katarina? Josh asked.

Just that fall when I filled in for a professor, Dominic answered.

But that can’t be then…I don’t understand, Josh said.

I’m not surprised. I’ve gone about this badly. I hope you will forgive me someday. See, when a vampire and a human conceive, I mean… Dominic started.

Josh, what Dominic is trying to say is that a pregnancy between a human and a vampire is different than human to human. Like vampire age is about one year to every four human years, the pregnancy kind of splits the difference. Nine months for a human pregnancy multiplied by four is thirty-six months…the average time for a vampire/vampire pregnancy…divided by two for the human parent and you get eighteen months. However, sometimes it can go as long as twenty-four months.

That’s a long time to be pregnant, Josh stated.

It is. Especially when you are alone and you don’t know what is going on, Dominic admitted.

What do you mean?

I mean, no wonder your mother was in psychiatric care. Most likely, Katarina didn’t know she was pregnant until probably the last six months of the pregnancy when she would have started showing. If she hadn’t been with anyone intimately since me, then she would be very confused as to how and when she got pregnant. Most likely, no one would have believed her. If only I had known, I could have explained things to her. Maybe she wouldn’t have been put under psychiatric treatment all these years if she had known I was a vampire, Dominic explained.

So you never loved her then? It was just a fall fling and you never saw her again? Josh asked.

Yes and no. I did love her, but I had been raised with the concept that vampires were not to be involved with humans. My father had always said it would complicate a human’s life and make the blood line impure. I had instilled that in my own son, that was what I knew, and then I met Katarina and all that flew out the window. It took every ounce of willpower to leave her that December. I somehow felt I was being unfaithful to Sophia and Anton, but there has not been a day that has gone by that I haven’t wondered where Katarina was or what life would have been like if I had succumbed. And now…knowing that I could have had a family again…Anton could have grown up with a brother, and you…would have had a different life, too. You would have grown up knowing why you hear others’ thoughts and how to control them.

Yeah…I guess things would have been different. So what does that make me? A vampire? A human? What? Josh wondered.

"It doesn’t change who or what you are, Josh. You are still human; it just explains your telepathic abilities. You may or may not be stronger and faster than the average human, but you are still the caring, quiet young man we’ve all gotten to know and love the past few weeks. For me, now, even more so. I couldn’t be more proud to have you as a son; that is if you could someday think of me as your father.

I envy your adoptive father—all the events I missed over the years as you’ve grown up. I hate, too, that I’m the reason Katarina’s missed out on her son’s life and accomplishments. Maybe neither of you can forgive me for that, but if I had known about the little miracle growing inside her, I would have moved heaven and earth to include you both in my world with Anton. Anton and I have led pretty lonely lives until now. If I hadn’t been so pig-headed with my father’s voice as my conscience, well… ‘What ifs’ don’t mean much to someone put up for adoption and never knowing his parents or why he has the powers he has. I’m grateful you came into the hands of the Brenners. Though they couldn’t help you with the telepathy, they certainly gave you their love and raised you to be a good-hearted soul, Dominic said.

So…what happens now? Josh asked.

"That’s up to you, Josh. With your permission, I would like to get your mother out of treatment, if they haven’t done too much damage with medication after all these years. I’d like to get to know her again and see if there is anything left of what we had. If not, I still want to make sure she is comfortable for the rest of her days. It’s the least I can do for what I’ve put her through.

As for you…I would very much like you to be a Larsen and all that entails. I don’t mean changing your name, that’s totally up to you; I mean being family—blood—to Anton, myself, Blake, and Devon. This is your home now, we—Anton and I, would like to share in your celebrations, your disappointments, and your life. The Brenners are family, too, as far as I am concerned; of course, I’m not sure they will be quite as pleased to have a bunch of vampires to call family, but we’ll make it work. It’s very important to me to have them involved. They’ve bestowed a gift on this family that we Larsens can only try to repay—they took care of you when we didn’t know you existed, Dominic told him.

Wow, Dominic…I just don’t know what to say. I’m sure Mom and D…I mean, the Brenners would love to meet you.

Don’t you stop calling them Mom and Dad. They will always be your parents. I just hope you can look to me and Katarina one day and think of us that way, too, Dominic said.

Thank you, Dominic…I…

Look, Josh, nothing more needs to be said tonight. Anton and I have thrown a lot at you and you probably need to mull things over. Maybe talk to Melanie about how you are feeling about all this, but if you have any questions about anything, don’t hesitate to come to either of us. If you don’t want the rest of the family to know about this for a while, we can do that, too. However you want to handle this is fine with us.

That’s right, little bro…I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to have a brother. The things I have in store for you…camping trips with itching powder…frogs in your underwear drawer… Anton said.

Josh’s face went pale.

I’m kidding, Josh….or am I? Anton laughed.

"Right…well, it’s a lot to digest. It’s weird, all this time I assumed my biological parents didn’t want me—that I was a mistake. Hearing the other side of the story now makes things confusing