Jonathan's Bite of the Apple by Dana Littlejohn Read online

  The Dioni Chronicles:

  Jonathan’s Bite of the

  Apple

  By

  Dana Littlejohn

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  The Dioni Chronicles:Jonathan’s Bite of the Apple by Dana Littlejohn

  Red Rose Publishing

  Copyright© 2007 Dana Littlejohn

  ISBN: 978-1-60435-097-5

  ISBN: 1-60435-097-0

  Cover Artist: Kato Rain

  Editor: Terri Morris

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. Due to copyright laws you can not trade, sell or give any ebooks away.

  Red Rose Publishing

  www.redrosepublishing.com

  Forestport, NY 13338

  The Dioni Chronicles:

  Jonathan’s Bite of the

  Apple

  By

  Dana Littlejohn

  Prologue

  The Dioni Vampire Clan is the only vampire clan that was left of the ancient vampire race. During the war with the werewolves, Nikolas Dioni took a flag of truce to the leader of their clan Isaac Miles. While they spoke they realized that the war between their people had gone on for so long that no one alive knew what the war was about.

  Both species had suffered great losses and were dangerously close to extinction from the loss of all of the females of both tribes. They had to turn to mankind to rebuild their races now. Nikolas and Isaac decided that a truce between their people must take place. They needed a fresh start, without fear of one another and time rebuild their races. They entered into a blood oath to be brothers from that day forward, making it a part of their pack rules of existence. After that meeting, they went their separate ways in search of their people who had been scattered across the globe during the war.

  The Dioni Clan meets in the Mojave Desert every turn of the season to reconnect with newly found members of their clan, exchange information among themselves, and to celebrate. This night’s celebration was for Jonathan Destori. He had spent the last few centuries with his clan brother Mikhail moving about the western Caribbean and the Florida area. Mikhail was granted the privilege of a wife a few years back. Tonight his people celebrated him, for he was receiving that same privilege. It was his turn to receive a wife of his own blood. Everyone was celebrating his good fortune, renewing old ties and enjoying the reunion, but he found himself standing off to the side of all the festivities.

  “Jonathan, why are you sulking?” Richard asked coming toward him. “This isn’t just a reunion for our people, this is a celebration. You are a strong warrior, a gifted fighter, and you deserve this honor, a wife of your very own. I’m excited for you. You should be happy.”

  Jonathan smiled. “I am happy, Richard. I have been with Mikhail and Christina these last few years, since he’s chosen her to wife. I have seen the change in him and how happy he is with her. It has given me something to look forward to,” he added with a sly smile.

  Richard chuckled. “I’m sure it has. All who have taken a wife have changed.”

  “He has allowed me to join in their love making a few times and I have tasted her sweetness.”

  “Ahh, and how was it?”

  He smiled again. “It was nothing short of amazing, nothing like sex with a human.”

  “Yes, now times that by ten and you still will fall short of how wondrous it will be to mate with a woman of your own blood,” he said excitedly and chuckled. “Now tell me, what thoughts have taken you away from your own celebration?”

  “Well, Richard, I fear that I will not find a woman that will make me happy for an eternity. My sexual practices and the things that bring me pleasure are sure to frighten a woman of this century.” He chuckled. “If it weren‘t for the blood wine wiping out the things I do to them when I feed, I‘d never mate.”

  Richard chuckled, too. “Perhaps a change of venue is in order, Jonathan. Would you consider looking for a mate in my city?”

  “New York? You think I’ll be able to find a woman with sexual appetites like my own in your city?”

  Richard chuckled again and patted Jonathan on the back. “I have learned many things living in the New York area these last few centuries, my brother, but the one thing I know is whatever you’re looking for, no matter what it is, chances are you can find it in New York City.”

  Chapter One

  Eight months has passed since Jonathan had arrived in New York City. He has seen much of the city and found it fascinating, but he has had no real opportunities to meet anyone. Richard usually brought him women to feed off or he would approach a single person walking alone in the park and make contact with them long enough to feed, but his frustrations were beginning to build. He had a full turn of the seasons to present his wife to his clan and he hasn’t met anyone. He was already on the down side of the rotation and he was growing impatient. He chuckled at his himself. There was a time when he was perfectly satisfied with feeding and mating with different women, but now that he knew what lie before him and had a small sample of what could be his, he wanted it more.

  He stood in the window of Richard’s penthouse apartment that overlooked Central Park. This was always his favorite time of the year because the nights were longer, but he was starting to like New York at this time of the year. The smells of this city in autumn was to his liking. He took a deep breath to decipher what scents lingered this night’s air…a chill that hinted at winter’s approach, the roasting chestnuts on the streets below and the dying foliage that blew around the city‘s streets. He smiled.

  He was alone again. Richard had gone out to return the women they had just fed from to where they belonged. New York was alive and lit up every night. He could see a few people taking advantage of the cool evening walking through the park enjoying the changing foliage. He saw a couple here, roller skaters there and a female jogging with a man skulking behind trees behind her. He focused in on them and smiled again. He had never seen a human hunt another human.

  “Hmm, this should be interesting,” he murmured to himself and went down to investigate.

  The woman jogged along, then suddenly stumbled on her shoe string. Kneeling down she tied her shoe then stood to continue jogging, but someone grabbed her from behind and began dragging her off to some near by brush. She attempted to scream but her assailant covered her mouth. As the person pulled her across the grass he adjusted his arms to get a better grip on his victim and in turn loosened his grip around her neck. The woman grabbed him by his forearm and flipped him over onto his back. The man lay on the ground stunned by the turn of events. He gathered himself quickly and attempted to charge her, but she squatted down into a wrestler’s position and flipped him over her back. He landed on his back again, staring at the stars. Stunned again, the man changed his mind about his victim and scrambled off the ground to run away.

  The woman grabbed what looked like a rope off the ground and whipped it out to capture him around the arm and yank him back towards her. This time the woman didn’t wait for him to charge her, she screamed a charging roar and landed on top of the man with her elbow in his chest. She rose quickly to her feet and kicked him several times, as he scrambled off the ground again and tried to run away, but before she grabbed him by the head and head butted him. He fell to the ground unconscious. She grabbed hi
s foot dragging him to a nearby bench where she hog tied him with the whip.

  Jonathan stood behind a tree watching in amazement, fascinated by the whole turn of events. He watched the woman pulled out her cell phone and tightened the whip around his limbs as she finished her phone call. He stepped out from behind the tree clapping his hands.

  She looked up at him and rested her foot on the man’s chest reaching behind her cautiously. “Can I help you?”

  “I just wanted to applaud you on that wonderful display of events. I’m sure it didn’t go the way he planned it, but it was a pleasure to watch. You are indeed a warrior to be reckoned with.”

  She eased her hand back to her side and smiled. “Thank you. Do you always walk the park at night looking for people to get mugged so you can watch?”

  He chuckled and stepped closer to her. “No, do you always plan to beat up on men?”

  “I didn’t plan on anything. If you were watching like you said, you would have noticed that he attacked me. I was defending myself,” she said with a huff.

  “Oh, yes, I saw that. You defended yourself very well, but I find it hard to believe you didn’t plan anything when you carry a whip while jogging,” he explained with a teasing grin.

  She looked down at the whip then back to him and twisted her lips. “Whatever. You’d be surprised at what you see people carry around this city. I carry my whip everywhere I go. It‘s a part of who I am now.”

  “Really? Why is that?”

  “Because there was a time that I didn’t and some fool grabbed me and almost killed me for the thirty-eight dollars I had in my pocketbook. So, now if some fool jumps on me I’m ready, but maybe if they see the whip they’ll change their minds in the first place,” she paused to kick the man on the ground again. “Unlike this idiot.”

  “I see. So, tell me this, since we’re talking, why are you jogging by yourself in Central Park at night anyway? I hear it’s dangerous to do so. Where is your protector, your man?”

  Her laugh wasn’t harsh, but it was laced with surprise and shock. “My man? I don’t have a man and I don’t need a protector. Besides I haven’t met a man that can handle all of this.” She stood and turned around, spinning the man in a circle as she did so.

  Jonathan watched her. She was indeed different than the women he usually came in contact with. She was the same coloring his brother, Mikhail, dark and mysterious, as tall as he was, taller and much wider than the women he was interested in with large breast and big hips that her jogging suit couldn‘t hide.

  “A lot of the men I come across can’t get with this. I‘m a full size woman, I need a grown man that knows what he‘s doing to come my way.”

  “Hmm, what about when it’s time for love? Surely that’s more fun with two…maybe three.”

  She laughed again, this time it was full of humor. “I know plenty of places to go for that.” She looked around hearing the sirens.

  “Really? I’d like to see a few of those places.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “You would, huh? Why would I take you to a place like that? You look too straight-laced for that.”

  He smiled. “I can assure you that I can be very flexible in what I do.”

  “Uh-huh, and why should I trust you? You are just a stranger, you know.”

  “Would I dare to do something to a warrior like you? I’ve seen you in action,” he said in a teasing tone.

  She chuckled. “Yeah, well, you better not or you’ll end up like this guy.”

  He chuckled and threw his hands up. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Now, shall we meet and discuss it?”

  She looked around. “You trying to get out of here before the cops show up?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Why? You got warrants?”

  “No warrants. I promise.”

  She wrapped the whip around the bench.

  “Hey! You gonna just leave me here?” the man said waking up.

  She kicked him again. “Shut up.” She walked over to Jonathan and stood before him. “You’re cute up close. You’re not from around here are you?”

  “No, I’m from Miami.”

  “Miami? Hmm, I would have thought California with this platinum blond hair and blue eyes,” she said and flicked his ponytail. “What about if we meet for lunch tomorrow and talk about it?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t do lunch.”

  “No lunch, huh? Ok, what about breakfast? I don’t mind getting up early.”

  He shook his head again. “I don’t do breakfast, either.”

  “So, no breakfast or lunch, huh? What are you a vampire or something? You only come out at night?” she asked with a chuckle.

  He smile was genuine. “You have no idea.”

  She shrugged. “Ok, I can get with that. I’m more of a night person myself. Let’s make it dinner at Madam Caroline’s on 5th avenue

  at 9:00 and we’ll talk. So, what’s your name?”

  “Jonathan. Jonathan Destori.”

  She smiled and extended her hand. “Nice to meet you, Johnny. My name is Kenya Baxter. Maybe if you’re a good boy I’ll take you to one of my spots and let you see what happens.”

  He shook her hand, but didn‘t comment on her name change for him. “Good? It sounds to me more like you would prefer a bad boy,” he said with a sly grin.

  She smiled as the sirens came closer and closer. “You have no idea,” she said with a wink as she used his words. She looked over her shoulder at the approaching cars and turned back to Jonathan to find him gone.

  “What the -- Damn, he really didn’t want to see the cops.” She shrugged and walked to the closest police officer.

  Jonathan watched her with the police and thought about what just happened as a smile touched his lips. This night didn’t turn out too bad after all.

  Chapter Two

  Jonathan looked forward to his rendezvous with his new friend Kenya; she would be his doorway to possibilities in this new city of his. She was friendly enough with a pretty face, but she wasn’t his type so it would remain a friendship. They seemed to already have that understanding which was good. He made sure that he’d fed early in case he was out too late with Kenya. Excited at the possibilities he moved with the celerity of his kind and arrived at Madam Carolina’s just minutes after nine o’clock. He spotted someone waving at him as he entered the restaurant.

  His keen vision told him it was Kenya, but he almost didn‘t recognize her.

  She looked different than she did the first time he saw her. Her hair was pulled into a loose short ponytail then, but now it was full of loose, bouncy curls. The makeup she wore tonight made her features stand out beautifully and her lips appeared fuller and sensual. She stood as he neared her. She wore a long denim skirt that fit her nicely with a crisp white button down blouse that opened to show impressive cleavage. He smiled when he reached the table.

  “Well, look at you looking all sexy in all this black,” she said with a playful smack on his arm. “It’s a good thing I’m not into skinny blondes or I might make a pass at you.” She chuckled.

  He opened his jacket and looked down at himself. “Skinny? I’m not skinny...am I?”

  She chuckled again and winked at him. “Just a little.” She bent down and picked up a duffle bag from under the table. “Are you ready?”

  “Ready? I thought we were eating here.”

  “Uh-uh, I just wanted to make sure you were coming. I‘m gonna show you what really goes on in New York City after dark.”

  “Oh.” He followed her out the restaurant watching her voluptuous body walk pass him and remembered what she said: no man she knew could handle all of this. “You look different tonight, lovely, in fact.”

  She flagged down a cab for them then looked over her shoulder at him. “You sound surprised. Did you think I wore sweats and a ponytail all the time?”

  He had no answer for that. He didn’t know what he thought.

  They got in the cab and took it to forty-third and Broadway
to Club Rapture. She dug in her duffle bag for an ID card that she showed it to the man behind the window.

  “He’s with me tonight.” She turned to Jonathan. “I know you brought some money with you. Its twenty-five dollars to get in and I ain’t spotting you. We ain’t close like that yet. Being cute won‘t help you in this city if you‘re broke.”

  He chuckled and pulled out enough money to cover both of them then accepted the red band the man put on his wrist. He followed her inside where they went through three doorways guarded by three different guards that patted them down before finally opened the doors to the club.

  The doors swished open and the music washed over them almost pushing them backwards. The only source of light came from black lights all across the ceiling and the blinking strobe lights over the huge dance floor. They stood in the door way taking in the sights and sounds, the people jumping up and down to the loud house music that vibrated the very air around them and the screaming from all around.

  A giant purple neon ‘Club Rapture’ hung from the ceiling, and from the C and the E two women swung on makeshift swings. The one on the C wore a red string bikini and the other wore an orange nylon dress with glowing white panties and no bra.The dress code was as different as the people. Some were wearing jeans and tee shirts, others wore just underwear and there were several variations in between.

  “So, have you seen enough?” she asked. She continued without waiting for his answer. “Good. I need a drink.” She took his hand and dragged him through the crowd of people to the bar.

  “Give me a Rough Rider. You want one Johnny?”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s a drink they serve here, kind of their specialty of the house.”

  He shrugged. “Sure, why not.”

  She giggled. “You’re just going to be down for whatever tonight, huh?”