The Nememiah Chronicles Collection - Books 1-3

Book summary

This novel collection, containing the first three books in D.S. Williams’s ‘The Nememiah Chronicles’, introduces readers to Charlotte Duncan: a woman seeking solace in the small town of Puckhaber Falls. As she discovers supernatural secrets, faces daunting rescues, and grapples with her heart's dual affections towards a vampire and a werewolf, Charlotte becomes central to ominous plans of the Drâghici Consiliului. Throughout these adventures, love, danger, and secrets entwine.

Excerpt from The Nememiah Chronicles Collection - Books 1-3

The forest was green and lush. With a canopy of massive old trees overhead and thick moss underfoot, it created the illusion that I was the only person on earth. I'd been wandering through the woods for an hour or so, enjoying the peace and solitude the surroundings provided. The area encircling Puckhaber Falls was magnificent, with old growth forests which had covered this area of the country for hundreds of years.

Over the past three weeks, I'd spent a little time each day enjoying the wilderness. Since being released from hospital, I was going from strength to strength in gathering friends I'd had no intention of making. The thought had initially filled me with horror, and I'd considered packing up and moving on at the end of the month's lease, returning to anonymity somewhere else. Only one thing had stopped me.

Lucas Tine.

The crazy thing being, he was the one person I hadn't seen in the past three weeks. I'd naively thought he might come and visit again, but I'd been discharged the following morning. I'd managed to drive home despite the throbbing headache, determined to remain self-sufficient. I’d rather deal with the headache than consider staying at Maude's – the idea of accepting her offer was more than I could tolerate. Although she meant well and wanted to lend a hand, I didn't want any help.

True to his word, Lucas had paid the medical bills – when I checked out of hospital, the receptionist told me there was nothing to pay and I was grateful for his generosity. I'd wanted to thank him personally, but he'd disappeared off the face of the planet.

Casual enquiries with Lonnie yielded some information. Lucas Tine was about twenty-eight years old and she thought he worked in Billings. Rumors suggested he was a lawyer, but like most things with Lucas Tine, details were remarkably sketchy. Lonnie wasn't aware of any family; he lived outside of town and only came in to pick up supplies. He didn't socialize, wasn't married, but apparently didn't date. According to Lonnie, every woman in town thought he was hot and had tried unsuccessfully at one stage or another, to get him to go out on a date. He steadfastly and politely refused every single offer.

I repeatedly questioned why I was interested in knowing anything about him. My plans had been prepared and didn't include a time beyond the next month or two, yet he invaded my thoughts, day and night. While painting, I would catch myself musing over our brief conversations, replaying every millisecond as I attempted to solve the puzzle of how he'd known my name, what clue he'd had to my visitors' arrival. Strolling through the woods, I found myself remembering the addictive aroma he'd exuded. It was nothing I'd ever smelt before; heady, intoxicating and I couldn't recall anything which compared. During brief snatches of sleep, he invaded my mind and the dreams were so vivid, so breathtakingly realistic that I woke from them disorientated and unsettled by his complete invasion of my thoughts. Where my sleep was normally troubled by nightmares, it was now filled with a man who’d completely overwhelmed my senses and occupied more of my thoughts than should be feasible after only two brief meetings. I resented his intrusion on my thoughts, willed myself daily to discontinue what was bordering on an unhealthy obsession. What the hell was wrong with me?

I continued my silent trek through the woods in deep thought. I heard water crashing down onto rocks somewhere nearby and altered my route impulsively towards the sound.

I knew I hadn't told him my name. I knew he'd been driving much faster than twenty miles an hour. How had he stopped the car so quickly if he had been driving faster? How had he known my visitors were coming before there'd been any evidence of them? The questions had gone around and around in my head and I still didn't have any answers. I'd mentioned my concerns to Lonnie, hoping for some insight, but she'd grinned like a fool and said the only thing she concentrated on when she saw Lucas was keeping her legs from turning to jelly. Which I could understand. I'd only met him twice and both times, I'd been suffering from a reasonably severe head injury. Yet I could clearly visualize him, remembering the pale skin, the strong jawline, and chestnut brown hair that only served to accentuate the amazing color of his eyes. His face, his sculpted body – everything about him was ideal.

Most bizarrely of all, when I'd mentioned the remarkable aspects of Lucas's eyes to Lonnie she'd been nonplussed, reassuring me his eyes were a standard, everyday blue. How could she not have seen how unusual they were? I'd never seen anybody with eyes that darker shade of blue before. Regardless of the color, nobody could possibly miss those streaks of silver, which seemed to dance in his irises.

It was easy to see why all the women in town lusted after him. What I couldn't understand was why he wasn't interested in any of them. I'd met several of Lonnie's friends (against my better judgment, as I was still desperately trying to avoid relationships of any kind) and they ranged from averagely pretty through to flat-out beautiful. Lonnie's silly remark about him being gay had been dismissed out of hand, surely, it was some snide remark, made by a person with a jealous nature, and not based in fact. Of course, what did I know? I'd never had a relationship with a man in my life.

And that led to another thought, one that nagged at me incessantly and reduced an already wretched sleeping pattern to continuous insomnia in recent days. How could I care when my heart was no longer capable of caring for anyone? What was the point? My path was laid out, my decision made and mooning over a man was stupid. It was ridiculous to obsess like this about Lucas Tine – if he wasn't interested in the prettiest girls in Puckhaber Falls, he certainly wasn't going to be interested in me.

The sound of rushing water increased in volume and between two ancient firs a fine mist rose over the water, creating a mini rainbow in the dappled sunlight. I slowed down, cautiously picking a safe route towards the river's edge. The water was crystal clear – every rock, every pebble was visible on the sandy riverbed, and the flow of water was smooth and languorous. Thick foliage drooped along the steep banks, trailing into the water. It was a joyous montage of reds and yellows as the trees turned in the cool autumn weather, preparing for winter ahead. There was a steep plunge in the direction of the falls and the water flowed and eddied as the river sped towards the drop. It must have been forty feet from the top of the falls to the river below, the water rushing down the sheer drop and crashing onto the heavy boulders at the base. I stepped steadily closer, my breathing calm as I watched the water roaring across the edge.

This was where I would end my life.

It would be easy this way, quick and leaving no room for uncertainty. One single step and I'd be beyond failing, as I'd done so many times before. It was isolated; nobody was likely to discover my remains and that would solve one issue which had stopped me in the past – the prospect of someone finding me. I wanted nobody in that situation, forced to deal with the trauma of coming across a dead body.

And it would be fast, taking only a few seconds to hit the boulders below. If the fall didn't kill me, death would come swiftly in the icy water. I picked up a small branch and threw it into the water experimentally, watching it spin and twirl towards the edge of the waterfall before plummeting to the rocks below, vanishing under swirling foam and mist.

Satisfied with my plan, I smiled grimly. I was calm and confident, totally at peace with my decision.

Almost intuitively, I took a small step forward, out onto the slimy, moss-covered boulders at the lip of the waterfall. And another. My teeth started to chatter. Only two more steps and my life would be over, two more steps would lead to a serenity that had been missing from my life for so long.

I took one tiny step, mesmerized by the water thundering down the cliff. I was vaguely aware of being wet, the spray wafting up from the falls and landing in fine droplets on my face, running down my neck.

Just one more step.

I lifted my foot, but something hooked firmly around my waist in the same second, snatching me backwards from the falls. I lost my footing on the slippery rocks and tumbled backwards, plunging headfirst into the freezing river. The shockingly cold water took my breath away and I swallowed a large mouthful, my throat and lungs burning. It felt like a thousand needles plunged into my skin as I struggled underwater. Before I had a chance to panic, I was wrenched upwards and found myself facing an infuriated Lucas Tine.

“Are you trying to kill yourself?” he demanded, his eyebrows furrowed together while he glared at me with undisguised fury. His shoulders were stiff with tension, his hands gripped firmly around my upper arms.

Though distracted by the abrupt dunking, I saw the flare of silver in his dark blue eyes, pulsating with energy as he continued to stare down at me. He was waiting for a response and I cowered beneath his angry gaze, feeling like a complete and utter fool. I was soaked through – my jeans, sweater, and the heavy coat I'd been wearing were all wringing wet, and my teeth chattered incessantly. Even if I wasn't freezing, I couldn't answer – what was I going to say? How could I tell this stranger that his guess was correct, and he'd just stopped me from achieving my desire? I did the only possible thing in the ridiculous circumstances. I burst into tears.

Lucas stared in disbelief for a moment before I heard him sigh, then take a deep breath, his stiff shoulders slumping. “You crazy girl,” he muttered. He glanced around; apparently hoping someone would magically come along and help him with the blubbering mess he'd rescued. Emotions flickered clearly across his expression, suggesting he was making up his mind what to do next. He was as wet as I was but showed no physical effects from the cold. Which seemed peculiar, even in my currently frozen and distraught state. He should be frozen, should be shivering as I was. Even as I stood in the middle of the river, up to my thighs in water, I could feel my toes swiftly going numb inside my sneakers.

It seemed Lucas made up his mind, because without warning he scooped me into his arms and strode towards the edge of the river. He managed to climb up onto the bank with minimal effort, even with the added weight of carrying me. Once on the riverbank, he turned northwards and began to run, cradling me against him. I nestled against his shoulder, shaking uncontrollably and rapidly losing sensation throughout my body. I couldn't speak if I wanted to, focusing instead on trying to understand how any man could carry someone the way Lucas was holding me, and run. Not only was he running, but his movements were fluid, suggesting he wasn't putting in any effort. No human could do this – surely, it was impossible?

I couldn't guess how far he ran or where we were headed, but from the limited amount of sky visible over the river, it was rapidly growing dark. Lucas's pace remained steady and I tried to estimate how far we'd come. Three miles? Four? He was the most extraordinarily fit man I'd ever met. He hadn't broken a sweat and his breathing remained as steady as if he were strolling down a street. There was something very weird going on; what he was doing just wasn't possible. 'You just tried to kill yourself,' my head reminded me. 'That's probably given him an exceptional adrenaline boost'. Despite my chilled condition, I knew it wasn't adrenaline giving Lucas these – unbelievable abilities. There was something else going on, entirely. But what?

It was pitch black by the time Lucas's pace slowed and I opened my eyes, glancing around to try to establish where we were. My entire body was freezing and where areas rested against Lucas, they seemed even colder. Everything seemed to be back to front, tipped on its head and I shivered wildly. I was beyond caring about where he was taking me; if it didn't involve getting warmer, I was going to freeze to death.

He'd slowed near a vast house, constructed right on the riverfront. Built of rough-hewn blocks of gray granite, it comprised two stories with gracefully arched windows and white wooden shutters. The porch lights were on, welcoming in the freezing night air.

“Wh— whe— where a—are… w—w—we?” I stuttered.

“My home,” Lucas growled. His voice was filled with irritation and I cringed, knowing it was my fault he was so furious. Had he guessed what I was doing at the falls? It was highly likely – what other idiot would be standing at the edge of a waterfall and stepping closer?

He pushed open the front door and strode purposefully through the house, walking down a hallway to a large bathroom. Only then did he carefully drop me onto the floor, leaning my shivering form against the vanity to ensure I wasn't going to fall. He turned on a shower on the opposite wall, avoiding my gaze and holding his hand under the water as he waited for it to heat up. When steam was wafting towards the ceiling, he beckoned me with a curl of his finger. “Get in.”

I stared up at him in disbelief, my teeth chattering. “With you in here?”

He flashed a grim smile. “Leave your clothes on. If you can promise not to get into any more trouble, I'll get you some dry clothes.”