Read Vampire in the Woods (Merlin's Hoods Book 2) for Free Online Page A

then … or at least safely in the afterlife. Not cursed to come back as a blood-sucking devil here in the mortal world.
    But that failed to answer her other question: What was she to do about it? She stood and turned toward the forest, her keen eyes gazing into the stillness and silence of the trees. But no matter how closely she looked, she knew that anything may be hiding in the brush. The vampires were as weak as normal humans during daylight, but that didn’t mean they weren’t out there.
    No, the vampires could be watching her right now, somehow shielded from the daylight, and she would have no idea.
    She whirled around, throwing her senses into the forest beyond, and stilled her breathing. If they were out there, now would be the perfect time to slay them. She just needed the hood to help her find them.
    At the thought, she glanced down at the man that had been her friend. He stared back up at her, his eyes sightless and terrified at their last vision. And as she dropped to the ground to gently press them closed, she realized that she already knew the answer to her question. Yes, she wanted to go home and prepare for the coming battle. Yes, she wanted to warn her girls, and protect them. Be certain that the boys were indoors, where they would be safe. Yes, she needed to find the vampires who had done this.
    But before any of that, she needed to get Rowan home to his wife and children. She knew Joss well, and the woman would be worried beyond belief if he’d been gone for long. Her responsibility was to the people around her, first and foremost, and at the moment that meant taking this man back to his family so that they could care for his body and begin their grieving process.
    She’d barely made the decision when the hood signaled its approval. It sent its power flooding through her veins, liquid fire that brought her to life, and for the first time that day she felt the full strength of the hood in her own body. Without thinking any further, she scooped Rowan’s large body up and tossed it over her shoulder, cringing at the thought that she might hurt him, and then telling herself to stop being ridiculous. He was dead, after all, and though he was much larger than her, she had the power of the hood.
    She hadn’t been there in time to protect him, but no harm would befall him now that he was in her care.
    As she began walking—and then running—through the forest, she let her mind wander. Three vampires, at least, and they were close to her own house. Close to her girls. There was no doubt, now, that the master vampire had come for her, of all the Hoods. Worse, they were willing to use innocent humans as bait. She’d found the first body, but she wasn’t naive enough to think that the vampires wouldn’t kill again, and again, and again, to make sure that they had her attention. In fact, if she guessed right, they would be killing every human they could get their hands on, just for the joy of it.
    She would have to find them, and soon.
    But how? It was daytime yet, and though they could possibly be creeping in the shadows, she rather doubted it. She took a moment to focus on the path, which had become faint in the dying light, and crashed through the underbrush for a few steps, using the hood’s power and strength to keep her on her feet as Rowan’s body shifted on her shoulder. Ducking under a tree and then leaping over a bush brought her sharply back onto the path, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Though she knew the forest like the back of her hand, the path was safer for her now, and a quicker route.
    Then she noticed that the sun had started its descent, and doubled her pace. She needed to be under a roof—with easy access to fire—before night fell. It mattered little whether it was her house or Rowan’s.
    For once the sun went down, the vampires would rise at full strength from their daytime resting spots and seek her out. She considered for a moment whether she should try to find those resting