Dark Thirst
by Sara Reinke
Published: July 2007
Publisher: Zebra Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 1-4201-0053-X
Reviewer: Sandra Marlow





Brandon wanted nothing more than to be away from his family, especially his grandfather and his oldest brother, but this home of vampires, The Brethren, controlled their own and no one ever left alive. When he was only four years old, he had been beaten within an inch of his life, his throat slit when he happened upon burglars in the library of the great house. As he lay on the floor thinking he would die, his father and uncle began to wreak havoc on the fleeing criminals, turning into monsters before his eyes and killing every last one of them. Brandon had always wished he'd never seen his father in that state, and vowed to himself he would never become like his adored sire. Now deaf and mute because of his injuries, his family only tolerated his weaknesses, his refusal to go through the bloodletting ritual, his first kill. Having his escape foiled once before, Brandon has now successfully made his way to Jackson Jones' home, his former tutor, his only friend who had promised to help Brandon whenever he needed it. This time Brandon needed help.

Lina Jones didn't like taking time out of her day to water her brother's plants, but when Jackson stayed with their ill mother in Florida while Lina had to be back in San Francisco for her job as a police officer, she really couldn't complain too much about his hobby. This day, however, she would find something more than plants in Jackson's apartment. The naked intruder acted like he couldn't hear her when she yelled her commands at him, and she couldn't believe she was actually admiring the man's body, still dripping wet from the shower he had just finished. He certainly was something to look at. Suddenly he caught a glimpse of her and reacted faster than she'd ever seen anyone move. He had her clamped down on the bed with his big body, with her fighting him every step of the way, when she finally saw his face and recognized him. Brandon Noble. He definitely was no longer the sixteen-year-old she remembered.

She was still as beautiful as she was five years ago when she had visited her brother in Kentucky and they all had played basketball together. It was during the time he was to have gone through the killing ritual, but when his brother had tormented Brandon by suggesting he bleed Lina dry, he knew he had to get her and Jackson off the farm for the night. He had saved them both from a vicious death, but he had plunged his own life into a living hell. Now here he was again putting Lina in danger. Brandon knew The Brethren were looking for him. He had to get away from her before he was found, but there was something that drew him to her, something he so desperately needed. As long as he took his medication to keep the bloodlust at bay, and knowing it would still be a while before his family caught up with him, he was determined to enjoy his time with Lina, a time he knew he'll never have again.

Having gone through the fight of their lives when Brandon's brother and sister found them in Jackson's apartment, Brandon can't believe Lina still wants to be with him now that she knows what he is. She was willing to help him cut the familial ties once and for all, but he knows that won't ever happen. He will probably end up dead and he will not let that be her fate too. Leaving her was even harder than escaping his grandfather, but in the end, Brandon knew it was the best thing for her. Lina was determined to find that monster who tried to kill them and talk some sense into him, make a bargain, if need be, to leave Brandon alone, let him live the life he wants, a life with her. But when she walked into the scumbag's temporary lair, she suddenly realized she made a huge mistake and now Brandon will be the one to pay with his life.

Sara Reinke's Dark Thirst gives a whole new meaning to family with these hard-hearted and vindictive blood-thirsty relatives. There is no long-term sympathy or understanding for a young boy who now lives with the consequences of a brutal attack; his grandfather and brother constantly tell him he is weak and worthless; his father wishes his son had died all those years ago. But this hero has spirit and determination. Brandon takes his life into his own hands, finds a sliver of happiness, and prepares to fight for his future. Lina is a take-charge woman who realizes what she's found in Brandon, his heritage be damned. She fights alongside her man and has no doubt they will win. The cruelty Brandon suffers at the hands of his family is unbelievable, but we soon realize that once he is free of the monsters he abhors, the pain of that cruelty will have been worth it to have his independence and the love of his life with him at every turn. I love a good triumph story, and Ms. Reinke certainly delivers one within the pages of Dark Thirst.

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