Moonshade (Vampire Conclave: Book 1)

by S. J. West

  Julian hands me back my shoes, and I tell him, “Thank you.”

  Daniel stands straight when he hears me speak and turns around to face us. I notice he’s holding a large Tupperware container with what looks like some sort of yellow cake, strawberries, and whipped cream concoction inside it.

  “How was the Dancing Rabbit?” he asks, closing the fridge and walking over to a drawer in the island where the silverware is kept.

  “The food was excellent. We had a good time,” I answer, feeling shy all of a sudden. It isn’t as if it was a real date. I shouldn’t feel like a teenager who has just gone out with the most gorgeous guy in school, but that’s the emotion I’m experiencing. I feel flush with hope and excitement, wondering where my relationship with Julian might go after tonight. I try to quell my romantic notions and stop them from running rampant through my mind like the bulls in Pamplona, unstoppable and erratic.

  “I should leave the two of you alone,” Julian says. “I have something I need to take care of before I come to your room tonight, Sarah. I won’t be gone long,” he promises.

  “I’ll be waiting,” I reply, deciding not to ask him where he’s going. It’s none of my business anyway.

  Julian looks over at Daniel and says rather pleasantly, “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

  He walks back outside and closes the door behind him.

  “Well that was interesting,” Daniel says, continuing to stare out the door as Julian walks away.

  “What was interesting?” I ask.

  “They rarely let people see them with their wings out,” he informs me.

  “He let me watch how they’re formed,” I reveal.

  Daniel whistles, clearly impressed. “That’s really special, Sarah. I’m not sure Adrian has ever let someone watch him do that. Julian must really trust you.”

  I don’t say anything, but I hope Daniel is right. I want Julian to trust me more than he’s ever trusted anyone in his life.

  “Are you too full to help me eat this?” Daniel holds up the Tupperware bowl in his hand.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever feel full again,” I confess, wondering how true my statement really is.

  Daniel grabs two spoons from the silverware drawer.

  “Come on then,” he tilts his head toward the living room. “They’re playing a Doctor Who marathon on TV. I just came in here to get a snack in between shows.”

  “A fellow Whovian I see.” I take the spoon Daniel offers me while we walk down the hallway to the living room. “I knew you and I were kindred spirits.”

  Daniel and I sit in front of the 4K TV hanging above the mantel in the living room. We begin to watch David Tennant and Piper Laurie run through a corridor of a space ship being chased by a dalek. It seems like the Doctor and his companions are always running away from something. Halfway through the episode, I begin to wish I had thought to change clothes before getting caught up in the show. I catch Daniel glancing over at my breasts more than once. After the tenth time, I grab the throw blanket lying across one of the wingback chairs and cover myself with it, pretending I feel cold. I soon learn that was an even bigger mistake.

  Being the gentleman that he is, Daniel scoots closer to me and gingerly places his arm across my shoulders, saying he has plenty of body heat to share. Unfortunately, his feelings betray him. He wants to do something, but he isn’t sure if he should. I feel his hand start to rub the ball of my shoulder, as if he’s testing the waters to see how I’ll react.

  He seems to be working up the courage to do something. I can feel it. I know I need to stop any romantic notions he might be having before he acts on them and ends up embarrassing us both. But how can I do that without seeming too obvious? I definitely don’t want to hurt his feelings. He’s such a sweet guy. He just made the unwise decision of picking me to start a relationship with.

  “Sarah…” Julian calls to me from the entryway of the living room, taking in the scene of Daniel and me sitting so close together on the couch. I thought he would be mad at the intimate picture we present, but he looks amused by my predicament. “Are you ready?”

  I feel a wave of relief wash over me and quickly stand up. I toss the throw blanket I was using to aid my modesty back onto the chair I originally plucked it from.

  “I guess I’ll see you in the morning before we leave,” Daniel says, clearly disappointed by my sudden departure.

  “Ok, see you in the morning.” I probably sound a little rude, but I don’t really care. I just want to get out of the room and away from Daniel’s romantic intentions as fast as I can.

  Julian turns away from Daniel to follow me up the stairs at a short distance.

  “I hope I didn’t interrupt anything,” he says in a low voice so Daniel can’t hear. “The two of you looked awfully cozy together.”

  I can almost swear Julian is mocking me. I glance at him over my shoulder and see that he’s smiling like he’s holding in a laugh.

  “No, you didn’t interrupt anything,” I say, continuing to make my way up the stairs. “Though your timing couldn’t have been more perfect,” I mumble under my breath but, of course, he still hears me and chuckles softly.

  When I reach the door to my bedroom, Julian says, “Let me know when you’re ready. I’ll be waiting out here.”

  I nod, letting him know I understand and appreciate the privacy. I go into my bedroom and find a white nightgown on my bed. I stare at it for a moment in complete bewilderment, wondering why Helen would set out something that’s so sexy for me to wear. Did she believe I would be inviting Daniel to share my bed that evening? Surely not. Then why would she leave me something with a neckline that practically plunges to my waist, and material so thin I’m sure you can see straight through it? It’s a beautiful garment, but I simply can’t wear it in front of Julian.

  I pick the nightgown up and hang it in the wardrobe. I don a T-shirt and a pair of shorts to wear before opening my bedroom door to invite Julian inside.

  “I’m ready,” I tell him.

  He strolls into the room, looking at my ensemble with raised eyebrows.

  “Didn’t you like the nightgown?” he asks me.

  I close the door behind him before answering, “I wasn’t about to wear that in front of you. I don’t know what Helen was thinking by leaving it out for me.”

  “She didn’t leave it out,” Julian tells me. “I did.”

  Well, that certainly puts a new twist on things.

  “Did you set out my pajamas last night, too?” I have to ask.

  “No, that was all Helen,” he replies, sounding disappointed in her choice of evening wear for me. “I thought you might like something more feminine than a T-shirt and flannel bottoms.” He eyes me up and down. “Apparently, she was right and I was wrong.”

  I clear my throat and walk over to the bed. For once, I’m completely speechless. Anything I say could be taken the wrong way, and I don’t want to run the risk of ruining the dynamic between Julian and me right now. Our relationship is fragile, and I don’t want to erase the progress we’ve made tonight.

  When I pull back the covers on the bed, I notice that the sheets have been changed because they’re no longer spotted with blood. I feel bad that Helen had to go through all the trouble of putting new sheets on because of my impromptu feeding of Julian the night before.

  “Do you have another one of those mats?” I ask him. “Like the one we used the first time?”

  Julian walks over to the nightstand I’m standing in front of and pulls out the top drawer.

  “Helen will always keep a clean one in here for us,” he states, pulling out a black quilted mat. He lays it on the pillow in front of me and walks around to the other side of the bed before slipping his shirt off.

  “Mind if I ask where your wings went?”

  “The bones collapse and go back inside my body,” he tells me. “When that happens, the skin is sloughed off. I didn’t think you would want to see that.”

  I don’t openly admit it
, but he’s dead right about that.

  Julian tosses his shirt onto the chair beside the window and looks over at me expectantly.

  “Would you like me to turn the lights off?” he inquires.

  “Yes, please,” I say.

  As Julian walks over to flip the light switch by the door, I lie down on the bed and await his return. My mind drifts back to the previous night when I practically begged him to drink from me. I’m not sure how I found the nerve to act so brazen. I wish I could channel that side of myself whenever I wanted because I begin to feel nervous.

  Julian’s hand is on the light switch, but he doesn’t turn the overhead light off. Instead, he turns around to face me.

  “Would you like for me to read to you before we do this?” he asks. “It might calm your nerves a little.”

  “That would be great,” I say in relief. I didn’t realize my anxiousness was showing that much.

  “I’ll be right back,” he tells me, opening the door.

  I listen as he walks down the hallway and enters his room. It only takes him a couple of minutes before he’s back in my bedroom and closing the door behind him. He walks over to the nightstand on his side of the bed and turns on the lamp there. Then he walks over to the light switch to turn off the overhead light before climbing into bed with me. I lay on my side to face him as he opens the book to the first page.

  “What are you going to read?” I ask, not seeing a title on the front of the hardcover book he’s holding.

  “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” he answers.

  I look up at his face and see him grinning as he finds the first page of the story.

  “You think you’re funny, don’t ya?” I ask him, unable to stop a grin of my own from appearing on my face.

  “I’ve been known to be amusing on occasion,” he admits. “But don’t get used to it. I am a vampire after all, and we’re notoriously moody creatures.”

  “I’m a woman. I understand mood swings all too well.”

  Julian clears his throat and begins to read to me.

  Honestly, I could listen to Julian read the phonebook and find it interesting. His accent is so unique that I’m still having a hard time placing it. It sounds mostly British, but I know Julian is originally from Hungary.

  While he turns a page, I interrupt his reading by asking, “What kind of accent do you have? I can’t quite tell what nationality it is.”

  Julian looks over at me and says, “Well, I was raised in Hungary, but I’ve also lived in England and France for most of my life. It seems difficult to live anywhere and not pick up certain inflections of each culture’s dialect. Why? Does it bother you?”

  “Oh no,” I’m quick to say. “I like it. I’ve just never heard one like yours before. Please, keep reading. I love the sound of your voice.”

  Julian grins and does exactly what I tell him to do.

  After a while, I become drowsy and end up falling asleep before Julian is able to feed. Sometime during the night, I wake up. I’m still lying on my side. When I open my eyes, I see that Julian remained in bed with me. He’s on his side, too, facing me with his eyes closed. I assume he’s taking his required two hours of nightly rest. The room is dark now, with only the light from the streetlamps outside illuminating his face. I lie still and just watch him.

  How can a man be so beautiful? I mean, I’ve found men attractive before, but not like Julian. Did he always look like this or did becoming a vampire transform him in some way? Even Adrian is gorgeous, though it irks me to no end to admit that about him. The problem with Adrian is the fact that he knows he’s good-looking and tries to use it to his advantage. That sort of narcissism instantly makes him unattractive to me.

  Without really thinking about it, I reach out and begin to trace the side of Julian’s face with the tips of my fingers. I start at his temple and slowly work my way down across his high cheekbone to the tip of his chin. I begin to pull my hand away, but I only get as far as lifting it from his face before he grabs my hand. With his eyes still closed and without saying a word, he gently places my hand back on his face. I don’t need him to say what he wants. His gesture said it for him.

  I begin to caress his face again, but this time when I reach his chin I let my fingers venture up to his plump lips, allowing myself the pleasure of tracing their fullness. My heart begins to race as I imagine myself leaning over and pressing my own lips against his. Would he pull away or welcome the intimacy? I’m not sure. I get the impression there’s an unwritten rule when it comes to what the relationship between a vampire and his companion should be. I don’t think we’re supposed to fall in love, but a part of my heart is yearning to make that leap of faith with Julian. Yet, I’m positive there’s no way I can tell him how I’m feeling. If he knew, I feel sure he would place a wall between us that no amount of time would be able to tear down.

  When I pull my hand away a second time, Julian doesn’t try to stop me. Instead, he opens his eyes to look in mine, and we simply stare at one another for a long while. I wish I could tell what he’s feeling as he looks at me, but his face remains as impassive as ever and holds no clue to his true thoughts.

  Finally, I whisper, “Are you hungry?”

  Julian’s gaze slowly sweeps the length of me. I begin to wonder what precisely he might be hungry for. When he meets my gaze again, he simply says, “Yes.”

  I roll over onto my back and expose my neck, breathlessly waiting for him to come closer. He slides over to me underneath the covers and leans his head down towards my neck. I feel the first tentative touch of his lips against my flesh and close my eyes, expecting to feel his bite next. Instead of feeling his teeth pierce my skin, I feel his lips make a slow trail of small, delightful kisses around the base of my neck, causing me to lose my breath and tingle from head to toe from the pleasurable feel. I part my lips just enough to drawn in a quick and much-needed breath. I’m not completely sure what Julian’s intentions are, but in that moment, I really don’t care. All I know is that the warm, wet feel of his mouth as it travels across my skin is intoxicating, and I don’t want him to stop.

  Once Julian kisses his way to the other side of my neck, I feel him dip a little lower and kiss his way back across my chest, just above my breasts. Now I wish I had worn the nightgown he laid out for me because it would have given him easy access to other parts of my body that are screaming to be touched by him. Perhaps that was his intention all along and I royally botched it up by being modest.

  Julian slides his mouth back up to the base of my neck again to his usual spot, and bites me quickly in order to draw out the blood he needs to survive. The thought that I’m able to keep him strong makes me feel proud to be his companion and, given more time with one another, maybe we can become even more.

  I end up falling back to sleep while Julian feeds. It’s unintentional, but tiredness overtakes me and I drift off before I can stop myself.

  The next morning, I wake up early so I don’t miss Daniel’s departure. When I make it downstairs to the kitchen, Helen is busy scrambling some eggs while Daniel keeps a watchful eye on the bacon frying in the cast iron skillet.

  “Good morning,” I say to them, coming to stand closer to the pair and breathing in the intoxicating aromas of eggs and bacon cooking.

  “Did you sleep well?” Daniel asks me as he scoops up the bacon with his spatula and places the crispy strips on a plate with paper towels to soak up the excess grease.

  “Yes, did you?”

  “Not really,” Daniel admits. “Adrian didn’t come back here last night.”

  “Is he all right?”

  “Yes, he’s fine. He’s on his way back now. He said he would be here within the hour.”

  “Sarah, would you be a dear and pull the biscuits out of the oven for me, please?” Helen asks.

  I grab the red silicone oven mitt on the counter by the stove and pull out the large tray of biscuits from the oven, depositing them into a breadbasket on the kitchen table.

  Once the e
ggs and bacon are also brought to the table, Daniel and I make a game out of seeing who can finish eating breakfast first. He wins again, of course.

  “So, what is my prize for winning this time?” he asks as we help Helen clean the dishes.

  I shrug. “I don’t know. What is it that you want?”

  “Hmm, can I have a raincheck? I don’t believe it’s the right time to ask for what I really want.”

  I notice one of Helen’s eyebrows arch after hearing Daniel’s mysterious choice of words.

  “Sure,” I say, not seeing any harm in a raincheck, “just let me know when you decide.”

  I don’t think Daniel could have smiled any bigger. “Great.”

  Daniel excuses himself from our company, telling us that Adrian is close by and that he needs to pack up his belongings. Just as Daniel walks back downstairs with his suitcase, Adrian strolls through the front door.

  “Ah, good, Daniel, you’re ready to leave,” Adrian says, closing the door behind him. “I trust they treated you well while I was away?”

  “Of course they did. You know you don’t even have to ask that,” Daniel tells him, clearly irritated by Adrian’s insinuation.

  Julian appears at the top of the stairs and walks down to join us. It’s the first time I’ve seen him all morning. He’s wearing a white Henley with grey piping at the neck and sleeves and a pair of dark-wash denim jeans.

  Adrian looks up at Julian and smirks for some reason.

  “I suppose I’ll be seeing you again tonight?” Adrian asks him.

  “Do I have a choice?” Julian responds, sounding irritated by Adrian’s question.

  “I suppose not, unless you purposely want to make your sister unhappy with you. And for goodness’ sakes’ and my sanity on this visit, don’t piss her off any more than you have to, Julian.”

  “We’ll be there,” Julian pledges, clearly wanting to drop the subject.

  I can only assume Julian is including me in this ‘we’, even though I don’t have a clue what the two of them are talking about.

  Adrian looks at me and bows at the waist.

  “I will see you this evening, dear Sarah. Try to ensure Julian makes it on time. He’s notorious for being late to our little soirées.”