S.L. Cokeley

*Newly revised published edition October 2023* Kimberly Burns— a self-sufficient, nineteen-year-old— expects her customary camping trip to be a calming escape from the non-stop demands of college life but the attack from a recently turned vampire changes everything. Aaron Calem has been trying to resist the blood lust raging through his new body, but the unfamiliar voice in his head won’t let him pass up an easy meal. When he’s left with a girl barely clinging to life,he must choose between loyalty to his brothers or his own morality. Aaron and Kimberly both want to return back to their normal lives, but their problems are just beginning when they both realize they go to the same university. When Kimberly is bitten a second time, by an unknown attacker, they must team up to navigate the vampire world together and find the assailant. Soon, they discover that the mysterious past Aaron’s brothers are hiding may hold the key to secrets that could tear apart their own pasts and destroy their future. S.L. Cokeley’s debut novel, This Blood that Binds Us, is the first in a series that explores the true meaning of family, making peace with the past, and finding friendships in unexpected places.

Now that Kimberly’s life is undeniably intertwined with Aaron’s, the future remains unclear. And with the pressures of college life and The Legion hovering over the brothers’ every move, she wonders if she’s bitten off more than she can chew. She wants to remain a part of Aaron’s life, but at what cost? Meanwhile, Aaron is dealing with the consequences of his choice not to drink blood and the presence of his newfound protectors. Though he wants nothing but freedom for him and his brothers, he can’t imagine the thought of leaving Kimberly behind in Blackheart. When The Family shows signs that they may be closer than the brothers realize and The Legion’s loyalty is tested , Aaron and Kimberly must forge their own path to freedom. Will the Calem boys ever be free from The Family? Or will the world they’ve built and the bonds they’ve made go up in flames? With more blood, banter, college adventures, and heart throbbing romance in the second installment of the This Blood that Binds Us series, things get a little darker and a whole lot hotter.