Shadow Touched: A Paranormal Vampire Romance (A Touch of Vampire Book 1) by Becky Moynihan (great reads TXT) 📕

My left shoe fell off, then the other. Rocks and pinecones dug into my bare feet, but I didn’t slow, keeping my eyes glued to the path.

Then I heard a scream.

Peyton!

I looked back, and my foot caught on a protruding root. Lurching forward, I braced for the fall. Pain jarred my bones as I hit the ground. I rolled several feet before coming to a stop.

Another scream lit up the night.

“Peyton!” Ignoring my aching body, I frantically searched for her. My eyes caught on the bright, flailing beam from the phone still gripped in her hand. Beyond the light was Peyton’s terrified face as something dragged her feet-first off the trail.

I couldn’t see what that something was, but the dark shape was huge.

Warmth trickled down my scraped knees when I picked myself off the ground and stumbled toward Peyton. “Hey!” I shouted at the hunched form, hoping to startle it. “Let her go!” Only a bear would be strong enough to drag a human that fast, but the thing looked grizzly-sized.

When the animal didn’t slow, I found a sizable stick and raced after it. I was a few yards away when the thing finally dropped Peyton, lifting its enormous head to pin me with a stare. Glowing yellow eyes flashed and it released a warning growl. I raised my stick and yelled loudly, refusing to leave Peyton.

Without warning, it charged toward me.

I swung the stick far too late.

A force like a battering ram slammed into me. I soared through the air, back, back, back. My head struck the tree first, then my spine. I crumpled to the ground.

Unable to move or draw air, I helplessly listened to Peyton scream again. I’m sorry, I wanted to say but couldn’t. I’m sorry for recklessly wandering off and putting you in danger. Aunt Tess had told me not to go into the woods, had warned me that something was in them. And now that something was going to eat me and my friend.

No. No. I was going to get us out of this mess. If I could just get my body to move, to breathe.

Before I could do either, a sharp whoosh, followed by a pain-filled yelp, interrupted Peyton’s screams.

Then I was moving. But instead of being dragged across the ground, my body was lifted by a pair of strong arms. Wind blasted me in a powerful rush, sucking the little air I had from my lungs. The arms tightened, pulling me closer to a hard chest. The world streaked by in a dizzying blur, and I squeezed my eyes shut, praying I wouldn’t throw up.

Less than a minute later, we stopped.

The world tilted again, but at a much slower pace as my body was lowered onto something soft. I moaned, my skull throbbing in agony. When I tried to lift my head and clear my blurred vision, something cold and leathery touched my cheek.

“Don’t move,” said a deep voice curtly. I stilled, because there was something oddly familiar about his voice. A hand slid down my arm, then the other.

“Peyton,” I managed to rasp. “Sh-she needs help.”

No reply. The hands continued their course—searching for injury? When they reached my legs, my rescuer inhaled a sharp hiss. I squinted at the shadowy form hovering above me, the features completely cloaked in darkness. Except . . . there. A flash of red. Or maybe I imagined it. Either way, my heart sped up.

“You’re bleeding,” the dark stranger said, almost breathlessly. “Did you get scratched? Bitten?” Before I could answer, the grip on my thigh tightened. What felt like sharpened nails dug into my skin. Startled, I gasped.

In a blur of movement, the grip vanished. And so did he.

Still reeling from the blow to my head, I remained where I was, replaying the sound of his voice. He had almost sounded like . . .

Shadow Man.

I couldn’t be sure—everything had happened so fast—but if it was, what did that mean?

It means he followed you all the way from South Carolina, idiot, I inwardly thought. Goosebumps erupted over my skin at the possibility, but I quickly dismissed the notion. If I started to believe it was him, then I’d get jumpy again and Aunt Tess would notice. I hated pretending, but I hated paranoia even more. It didn’t make sense that a red-eyed man cloaked in shadows would follow me across the country.

Unless he’s a stalker serial killer.

Freaking fates, my mind needed to shut up now.

By the time my hazy vision cleared, the mystery man was long gone. Groaning, I sat up, relieved to find myself on the lakehouse’s front porch swing. I slowly stood, grabbing onto a swing chain when I swayed. I managed to make it halfway down the stairs when I heard a scuffling noise from the gravel road.

My body coiled with renewed fear. I flicked my eyes to the SUV, wondering if I could make it to my phone in time before—

The noise became pounding feet. “Kenna!”

Recognizing the voice, I sat down hard on the steps, faint with relief. The sight of Isla and Hailey almost brought tears to my eyes. They were unscathed, and by the looks of it, completely oblivious as to what had just happened. I held up a hand before they could start asking questions. “Did Peyton make it back?”

“I thought she was with you,” Isla said, her smile slipping.

“She was.” I rubbed my temples and swore. “I’d show you where I last saw her, but I hit my head pretty hard. I’d probably pass out halfway there. You need to call your dad, Isla.”

“What?” she practically shrieked. “You do not want my dad here, unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

“It’s necessary,” I said, trying to stay calm. “Please call him.”

She squeezed her eyes shut. After a moment, she heaved a sigh and tapped her phone screen. “What should I tell him?” she asked while the phone rang.

“Tell him a wild animal attacked us in the woods. And tell him that I think it still has Peyton.”

Quiet until now, Hailey