Forbidden Read online

  A startling bubble gum pink Mohawk filled her vision. Roseline blinked, unsure if she was still dreaming. “Rise and shine.”

  “Oh no,” Roseline groaned, glancing at her surroundings. How could she have forgotten the past two days? The flights had been tediously long. Things hadn’t gotten much better when her plane touched down in Chicago. She’d had to fight through customs and immigration, butterflies swarming in her stomach as she’d waited for the guard to succumb to her charms long enough to make him forget that her passport didn’t look entirely legit.

  It was a botch job and she knew it. Fane had always taken care of her details before. She’d had to make all of the arrangements on her own this time. But luck had been on her side. The young, pimple faced immigration agent had easily been swayed by her batting eye lashes and low cut shirt. When Roseline turned on her charm, no guy could resist her. Sometimes being an Immortal did have its up sides!

  And now, Roseline found herself sitting in a modern teenager’s hell. Fifth period science! The tweed loving science teacher glared at bubble gum girl, who was teetering precariously on a dented metal lab stool.

  Under different circumstances, Roseline would have found the girl rather amusing. Her hair wasn’t the only startling thing about her appearance. The girl’s eyes were rimmed with dark black make-up giving her a rabid raccoon look. Not to mention the black nail polish, spiked neck collar and matching leather bracelet. She sure knew how to make a statement!

  “You ok?” the girl asked as soon as the teacher shifted his attention away. He’d instantly leapt back into his discussion on why science was vital to his student’s lives. Like anyone cared!

  “Yeah, sorry. I’m not normally so rude when I first wake. Rough dream,” Roseline responded, gingerly rubbing her sore neck. The pain of Vladimir’s fists had already healed, but sleeping on the lumpy second hand mattress she’d picked up the day before had really done her in.

  The girl glanced at her from the corner of her eye. “No offense or anything, but you look pretty rough.”

  Roseline laughed softly, tasting the bitterness swelling her mouth. She hadn’t expected to struggle with homesickness. Especially since she’d been Vladimir’s punching bag for the past three centuries, but she really missed Fane and Romania. This place didn’t feel right. The smells were all wrong. Instead of clean mountain air, her nose was inundated by car fumes and smelly people on the subway.

  “So…I’m Sadie by the way. Sadie Hughes.”

  Roseline nodded and turned her attention away. She wasn’t there to make friends, to have a sleepover or giggle about the hottest guy in school. All Roseline wanted was to be left alone. To hide in the shadows and pretend like everything was ok.

  Sadie frowned. “Not gonna tell me your name?”

  With a sigh, Roseline turned towards Sadie. “Look. I’m sure you’re a really nice girl and all, but I’m not here to be BFF’s with anyone. I’m just here for the class. Ok?”

  She thought her straight to the point dialogue would sway Sadie, but she was wrong. Apparently the girl couldn’t take a hint…or just refused to. “That’s cool. I’m a bit of a loner myself. But at least I have a name,” she said pointedly, fixing her gaze on Roseline.

  Roseline couldn’t help but allow her lip to twitch up into a smile. The girl had spunk. She liked that. “My name’s Rose Danbry.”

  Sadie’s grin was infectious. “See. That wasn’t so hard.” But her smile quickly faded as Mr. Robert’s lurched down the isle.

  “Miss Hughes. Care to share with the class?” His tweed arms swept back to encompass the entire student body, who unfortunately decided to stare back at them with wide eyed interest. Typical!

  Rolling her eyes, Sadie shook her head and leaned her stool back across the isle to her own table. She blew a large pink bubble, the loud pop made Mr. Roberts jump. She collected the remnants of the gum with her tongue as he snickered in disgust.

  Shoving his inch thick plastic rimmed glasses back up his nose, Mr. Robert’s turned and opened his mouth to reprimand Roseline but instead choked on his tongue. His eyes traveled down Roseline’s silky tresses that curled appealingly around her waist, the low cut v-neck shirt that hinted at the perfection that lay beneath the thin material, and the short skirt and matching heels that accentuated her shapely legs. Roseline’s aqua eyes narrowed with disgust as she heard his heart stutter, pumping blood frantically to keep up with his degrading thoughts. His face flushed and a slight sheen stood out on his forehead as he cleared his throat.

  “Miss. Danbry.” He nodded down at her before scurrying back to the front of the room.

  “Gross!” Sadie exclaimed as Mr. Roberts struggled to keep his eyes from flitting back towards Roseline.

  Roseline nodded in agreement. Sadie’s one word summed it up. “Pervert.”

  One of the things Roseline hated most about being Immortal was the way human men reacted to her. It was quite pathetic when you thought about it. Roseline’s perfectly lush rosy lips, heart shaped face, curvy figure and musical voice called to humans like mythical sirens enticing sailors to their deaths.

  Not to mention the fact that she could hear their hearts pounding in their chests, smell their sweat glands as they released their musty scent and feel the warmth radiating off of them like a solar flare. But that was the price she paid for choosing to live among the humans. It was the only way to start a new life. She would just have to endure the awkward stares.

  Apparently her new acquaintance agreed with Roseline’s assessment of their teacher because she didn’t press the issue further. Instead she turned her attention to her nails, scratching the black polish off for the remainder of class. Roseline settled in, determined to refuse eye contact with every male in the room while she suffered through the next hour of class.

  Her thoughts drifted to the day before. Registration day. She’d enrolled at RosewoodPrep school for one reason only. It was the best school in all of Chicago. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d stepped foot in a school building and this one had been a pleasant surprise.

  Large red brick buildings, draped with ivy, were surrounded by manicured lawns that sprawled across The Hill. A long private drive wound up towards the school. Ornate wrought iron gates allowed access to students and faculty, but were locked each night to keep hooligans off school grounds.

  It was a school for the rich. That much was obvious from first glance, despite its claim to be open to all who wanted an upstanding education. What a load of crap! That just meant it was only open to kids that had parents with deep pockets.

  Of course that wasn’t an issue for Roseline. She’d smuggled her sizeable bank funds months ago. Money would certainly not be an issue for her so registering for school had been a breeze. Especially when she paid for the entire year’s tuition in cash. The need to review her manuscripts from Romania seemed to completely slip the head master’s mind as he eagerly wrote out her payment receipt.

  Shaken from her thoughts, Roseline rose to her feet as the final bell of the day rang. Chairs screeched across the hard wood floors, a grating sound on her sensitive ears. “Need me to help you find your car?”

  Roseline shook her head, smiling kindly, but hoping the girl would learn to take a hint. “No thanks. I can find my own way. I don’t live too far from here so I’m just gonna walk.”

  Sadie’s mouth dropped open as she stared in disbelief. “Are you nuts? Didn’t you notice the insane weather we’re having? It’s barely above freezing out there and your wearing a freaking tank top!”

  Glancing down at her clothes, Roseline stifled a groan. In her rush to buy clothes at the airport, she’d forgotten to pay attention to the weather. Her designer top and thigh high skirt really made her stand out among the parkas and hoodies.

  “Yeah I guess you’re right,” Roseline conceded. “I haven’t had time to go shopping yet.”

  Looping her arm through Roseline’s, Sadie steered her out into the bustling hallway. “Come on. I gotta get a
ride with my brother. We can give you a lift on our way.”

  “No. I’ll be fine. I wouldn’t want to impose.” Roseline easily could’ve lost Sadie in the crowd, but at the risk of creating a scene, she allowed herself to be pulled along. What was with this girl?

  “Do you always talk so funny?” Sadie asked, raising her voice to be heard over the laughter. Everywhere Roseline looked students poured from classrooms, all eager to get the heck out of dodge.

  “Of course,” Roseline responded tersely. “Is there a problem?”

  Sadie smiled back over her shoulder. “No. I’ve just never heard your accent before. Where’d you say you were from?”

  “Romania.”

  Sadie paused to shove a freshman out of her way before she responded. “Wow. That’s cool. I’ve been begging my parents to let me out of the country but they keep planning all of these lame trips to historical sites. Like I’m gonna care about that crap!” She slipped through a tiny opening between two chess club members, disappearing completely.

  Just as she ducked to follow, a low woof whistle called out. Roseline turned a withering glance on a group of letterman’s jacket jocks. “Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?” one of the guys called. His team mates patted him proudly on the back.

  Roseline sauntered towards them, smirking as their faces lit up. “Has that pathetic line every actually worked for you?” The freckle faced jock blanched, glancing nervously at his friends. “Honestly, it’s so rude how you American’s think you can treat a lady like a piece of meat.”

  A tall peroxide blond boy with muscular arms and the hint of a goatee stepped forward. “So you think you’re high and mighty just because you’re gorgeous?” he snorted, eyeing her up.

  Roseline didn’t flinch under his disgusting appraisal. Instead she turned and headed back towards Sadie. The instant his hand touched her backside; Roseline whirled and shoved the offending hand away. “Touch me again and I promise you’ll regret it.”

  The senior glared but his hand didn’t try to repeat its action. Roseline nodded, glaring at the silent groupies. She tossed her hair back over her shoulder and rushed to meet Sadie, who stood wide eyed by the far wall. “What the heck was that all about?”

  “Nothing,” Roseline snapped, not waiting for Sadie to catch up to her. “Just some stupid guys thinking they can pick on the new girl.”

  “Yeah, but you just totally put Oliver in his place. That was awesome!” she cried. A huge grin spread across Sadie’s face, her deep red lipstick glistening under the bright hall lights. “I’ve wanted to teach that prick a lesson for years but never had the guts.”

  Roseline’s eye brow rose as she allowed Sadie to lead the way. “Sounds like someone’s carrying a grudge.”

  Sadie shrugged. “We used to date…” she trailed off as she stopped in front of her locker. She spun the dial with more force than was necessary. The lock clicked but the door didn’t open. Sadie slammed her fist against the metal but nothing happened.

  “Here, let me try,” Roseline offered, tapping the door with the palm of her hand. It instantly flew open, spilling various magazines all over the floor. “Oh, sorry about that.”

  “No biggie,” Sadie called as she stooped to pick up the pile.

  Roseline moved to help but her back went ram rod straight. A faint scent caught her off guard. She turned, nostrils flaring as she breathed deep. Something was on the air, sweet and delicious. Roseline shook her head, willing her lungs to stop moving as she fought to resist the scent.

  It wasn’t like her to be drawn to blood. She didn’t want to be the monster that Vladimir had fought so hard to bring out in her. But this scent…it was the sweetest aroma she’d ever smelled before. A hint of spring rain and freshly mown grass, two of Roseline’s favorite things.

  “So Oliver,” Sadie began, grunting as she managed to yank her bag out while holding the magazine mountain at bay. “We dated back in freshman year…before the fall.”

  “Fall of what?” Roseline asked, blinking as she forced herself to focus on Sadie’s words.

  “The tragic fall of Sadie Hughes.” Sadie swung her green canvas satchel over her shoulder. It was covered in patches, each one supporting a different cause or rock band. By the looks of it, Sadie had tried awfully hard to make the bag look worn, but Roseline’s keen eye noticed the scissor cuts, the places she’d rubbed the material with a Brillo pad, and evidence of its ample washes to give it that much desired faded look. How odd.

  “So what happened?” Roseline asked, unable to restrain her curiosity. She didn’t want to get involved with any of the students but there was something unique about Sadie.

  Sadie grimaced. “It’s a long story. Basically I was in there; right at the top of the popular crowd, but Claire Scofield decided she wanted my boyfriend.”

  “Oliver?”

  “Yep, but the stupid thing is she only wanted him because I had him. The guy is cute but he’s a complete loser. She figured that out pretty quick and dumped his butt on the curb. But my reputation was damaged beyond repair.” Sadie sighed, ducking back into the inner fast lane.

  Roseline stuck with her, careful to keep her head down as she moved through the crowd. She allowed herself to be jostled around, bouncing from person to person instead of clearing a wide path. How annoying it was to pretend to be human!

  She was about to question Sadie further when she had to throw on the brakes as Sadie came to a sudden stop. Only Roseline’s superior reflexes saved her from bowling her new acquaintance over.

  “Will,” Sadie groaned, thumping a crouched boy on the shoulder. “Not again!”

  Roseline glanced around Sadie, curious to see what had caused her new friend to sound so put out. She couldn’t help but giggle as the sandy blond boy stood up, his shirt stained with spaghetti sauce. “Who was it this time?”

  William’s grin was wide and genuine; as if he could care less that he’d worn a filthy shirt since lunch time. “It was just Conner and Oliver. You know how those guys get close to a big game.”

  Sadie nodded, looking less than pleased. “But do they always have to pick on you?”

  William shrugged, stuffing his Physics book into his bag. “It’s just for a laugh. You know I don’t mind.”

  “Sounds like bullying to me,” Roseline muttered. Two sets of eyes turned towards her. She blushed as one set widened in pleasant surprise.

  “You’ve been holding out on me I see,” William huffed, elbowing Sadie in the ribs as he sidled up to Roseline, offering his hand. “William Hughes. My friends just call me Will.”

  Roseline smiled, shaking his hand politely but she felt a bit silly at the formality of it all. “What a tragedy. William is such a lovely name. You shouldn’t shorten it.”

  Sadie rolled her eyes dramatically as William flushed with pride. “Oh great. Now you’ve done it. The dork won’t go by Will now for a month!”

  “I assure you I meant no disrespect.” Roseline glanced between the siblings, wondering if she’d just offended the only two people she’d really spoken to since arriving in Chicago.

  Sadie and her brother burst into a giggling fit. “She’s something huh? Found her sleeping in fifth period.”

  “Lucky you,” William grinned, his voice low and husky as his eyes trailed over Roseline’s outfit. She blushed furiously and glanced away, wishing she could find a way to stop attracting guys. She was pretty sure enticing a girl’s brother was totally off limits within the first hour of meeting her!

  Not that William wasn’t cute. He had that brushed over hair look that drifted down into his eyes, a nice tan that spoke of hours spent at the pool and an appealing manner that Roseline instantly liked. The lines at the corners of his lips told her all she needed to know. William liked to have a good time.

  “Oh not you too,” Sadie groaned, pulling her brother away from Roseline. “I’m starting to think I should be jealous of you Rose. You sure do have a way with guys.”

  Her responding laugh appeared inno
cent enough, but Roseline worked hard to mask her distress. Sadie was right. She’d already attracted far too much attention on her first day of school. Maybe she should let Sadie give her a makeover. No, on second thought, Sadie did everything she possibly could to stand out. Roseline needed to blend in.

  But no matter how much she might try to change her appearance, it would do little to help. Hormones naturally seeped from her skin. It was a scent that drew in even the hard core humans, like the prey fawning over its predator. It really was sick when you thought about it. They’d never even know the attack was coming until it was too late.

  Roseline shivered and glanced away. She refused to think like that. To let the sinful desires of her heart take control. Deep down she knew she was the monster Vladimir had created her to be, but she fought it, with every ounce of her being. Roseline would never be a killer!

  “So Romeo, are you gonna offer your coat to the lady or just stand there and drool all over her?”

  William smiled sheepishly and grabbed his black leather jacket from his locker. “Sorry about that,” he muttered, blushing as he turned away.

  “For being a doofus or slobbering all over her?” Sadie retorted, planting her hands firmly on her hips. In that pose she looked like a little kid who’d just been told it was bedtime during their favorite show.

  Roseline saved him from answering. “Won’t you be cold?” She hated taking away William’s coat when she would be perfectly happy in the freezing afternoon air. Her skin, naturally warmer than a human’s, delighted in cold weather. The harsh winters back in Romania were blissful for Immortals.

  “I’ll be fine,” he solemnly assured Roseline before heading towards the exit. She quickly followed the siblings, remembering to huddle into the warm layers of the coat as soon as the arctic winds whipped around her. Roseline effortlessly maneuvered the icy front steps but stayed close to Sadie just in case her feet decided to take the fast way down.

  Logic told Roseline that she shouldn’t care one way or another about Sadie and her brother. They were mere mortals. As an Immortal, Roseline ranked far above them on the power scale…but then again Roseline had never really been one to care about hierarchy. Sadie had touched a nerve with Roseline, and already she found her defenses weakening.