Blood Kisses (Nightwalkers Book 1)

by Sieverding, H. N.

  "Me too."

  "Did you get number two?" Charlotte began massaging Ashleigh’s scalp, her dark skin covered in soft white bubbles.

  "I have that one too." Ashleigh laughed as she gazed up at the ceiling. "It was the first book to—"

  "No, honey, I wasn’t talking about books." Running the water over Ashleigh’s hair, Charlotte began rinsing out the suds.

  "Oh." Ashleigh’s voice lowered a little, some of her happiness draining. "Then what were you talking about?"

  "Caleb." Charlotte chuckled as she washed the rest of the soap out while admiring Ashleigh’s long hair. "He told us he was going to do it."

  "Are you—?" Ashleigh sat up when Charlotte tapped on her shoulder, wrapping a towel around her head and rubbing at her wet hair. Ashleigh wasn’t sure if she should mention anything about vampires, so she didn’t know how to ask Charlotte about it without giving away Caleb’s secret.

  "I am." Charlotte laughed again. "Let’s go over here." She walked Ashleigh over to a styling chair. Her voice was a little muffled as she grabbed a case near her and opened it. She took out her scissors and started to cut Ashleigh’s hair.

  "You are?" Ashleigh watched Charlotte’s reflection in the mirror, her eyes following the path of the scissors. She didn’t want her hair cut, but it looked like Charlotte would’ve done it, even if she refused.

  "Yep. I’m only your common vampire though. Not like Caleb. He’s an Elder."

  "Yeah." Ashleigh looked down at the cape that covered her fingers, a small frown filling her face. "So you have a choice whether you want to do it or not."

  "Yeah, but don’t be sad about it, honey. There’s just one more, and after that, everything will be fine. I wish I could be in your shoes. Caleb hasn't taken interest in any girl this much, and deciding to make you completely his, that's awesome. You're a lucky girl."

  "I don’t know if I really want to be a vampire." Ashleigh gazed into the mirror, watching Charlotte cut away at her hair.

  "I’ll help you. It’s not like we expect you to like it at first. I hated it, but now I’m okay with it." Her eyes were focused on Ashleigh’s hair as she spoke. "The vampire part of being with Caleb won’t be hard. It’s all this paparazzi and fan stuff that gets to you."

  "I’m not ready for that, either."

  "That’s why I’m helping you. Tonight, you’ll go to your first fancy party with a bunch of celebrities, and all the girls will be looking at you to see who you’re wearing. All that fun, shallow stuff."

  "That doesn’t sound fun."

  "Don’t expect to spend a lot of time with Caleb, either, because everyone else will want to." Charlotte laughed. "So, you and I will get to know each other well. Do you drink?"

  "Not really." Ashleigh made a sour face as she looked at her reflection, the hard truth of being the girlfriend of a famous rock star setting in.

  Chapter Eight

  Ashleigh was now at the after party with Charlotte, but spent most of her time standing around sipping drinks. She was feeling a little tipsy after a few of them, and had only seen Caleb from afar. Armageddon had taken home two awards, so the press, as well as everyone else, wanted to speak with them. From the side lines, she saw him pose for a million pictures with his band mates, all of them dressed up perfectly.

  She didn’t get to walk in on the red carpet with him, even though she was dolled up like all the other celebrities. He had to be there earlier to practice, so didn’t arrive with everyone else. Instead, she walked in with Charlotte, who kept a close eye on her.

  Charlotte was trying very hard to include Ashleigh in any way she could, but there were a lot of times Charlotte’s party girl personality took over, and she left Ashleigh to strut her stuff out on the dance floor. Right now, Charlotte was drunk, and although Ashleigh could feel a buzz, she knew better than to get drunk at this award party and make a fool of herself. Charlotte was dancing with other men there and seemed to know everyone, or at least pretended like she did.

  There were many chances for Ashleigh to go over and speak with Caleb, but the large crowd gathered around him made her hesitant. This lifestyle would take a lot of getting used to for a private person like Ashleigh. This kind of attention wasn’t her, and she hated every second of it.

  Now, sitting on the sidelines, she watched Caleb converse with a young couple. The other man was taller and stockier but equally handsome. Caleb was wearing a very casual dress—designer jeans, T-shirt, and sports coat. This other man was dressed in a very expensive suit. But Ashleigh’s eyes didn’t linger on him, instead, she studied the woman with him, who was greeting Caleb.

  It was the sexy woman from the video. The sight of her made Ashleigh’s blood boil, a deep anger rising in her chest, making her breath quicken. This was the woman who had tried to steal her identity, the woman who claimed to have written Nightwalkers.

  Caleb shook her hand, a giant smile on his face. They were laughing about something, the woman blending in well with the others. He was supposed to be on Ashleigh’s side, and he was talking to this woman—who was tarnishing her name—like they were old friends.

  This was it for Ashleigh. She was in a sour mood as it was because she felt very out place here, and on top of that, she had seen way too many women hugging Caleb or giving him kisses. It was not a good day, and the drinks in her were making her a little more emotional than normal.

  She quickly drank what was in her glass and headed for the exit. She had come with Charlotte and had been dropped off by Robert at the party, so she didn’t have a car. But that didn’t stop her from making a retreat and calling someone she never would if she were sober.

  Dialing his number, Ashleigh went out into the hallway where there were less people, standing up against the wall as she waited for him to pick up.

  "How’s the red carpet?" Spencer’s words were snippy and rude.

  "I hate it."

  "Awww…."

  "Victoria is here."

  "I told ya." Spencer snickered. "She’s with Master Bristol, right? And I bet Master Mason is all over her. No offense, Ashleigh, but she does pass for Victoria more than you do."

  "Did you follow me here? Because if you did, I need a ride home." She walked over to an empty couch near her and sat down. It was covered in red fabric, and although it was soft, it wasn’t comfortable.

  "Actually, no." Spencer sighed. "But maybe I should’ve. I could’ve charged you a night in my hotel room as cab fare."

  "Ha, ha, ha. Funny." Ashleigh laughed sarcastically, a very sour note to her voice. "Who’s Master Bristol?"

  "Didn’t you see him? Big, snobbish, rude guy? That’s Master Bristol. He’s the one that brought her as his date. He’s owns a record company. That’s why he’s there. I heard he tried to buy New Castle Publishing just because he wanted to find you, but the owners wouldn’t because it’s a family business."

  "Great." Letting out an annoyed sigh, Ashleigh checked out her very nice heels, not a scuff or mark on them. "I feel so flattered that people want to stalk me."

  "Caleb is the same way. He doesn’t love Ashleigh Brown. He loves Victoria."

  At those words, Ashleigh’s face slipped into a deep frown, her insecure thoughts taking over and getting the best of her. "You’re probably right."

  "Sorry you’re gonna get dumped tonight."

  "Thanks, Spencer, that’s makes me feel a million times better." She glared at the space in front of her.

  "Glad to help. So, now maybe you’ll give me a chance."

  "No way." Standing up, Ashleigh started to walk down the hallway. "I’m done with all this mess, and I’ve decided that I’m killing off all the vampires in my next novel. I’m switching to demons or werewolves or something. I’ve had it with you and your kind." She quickly hung up her phone, heading toward the coat check in.

  "Ashleigh!" Charlotte ran up behind her. "What are you doing out here? I’ve been looking for you all over. You haven’t said hi to Caleb since we got here." She grabbed Ashleigh’s hand, a
nd as much as Ashleigh wanted to resist, she couldn’t. "Come on, I’ll part the crowd for you, and we can go and say hi. You have to congratulate him on his win!"

  "Okay."

  Charlotte had a big smile on her face as she pulled Ashleigh back into the main party room. She walked toward Caleb, who was still talking to Master Bristol and the fake Victoria. "Caleb!" Waving her hand, Charlotte shoved past the people standing around him. "Congrats on your win, honey." She gave him a hug, leaving Ashleigh standing next to her.

  Ashleigh waited for her to pull away from him then went up and hugged him too. "Congratulations, Caleb." Her hug was more limp than usual, and when she went to pull away, Caleb’s arms tightened around her.

  "Thanks." He gave her a small kiss then whispered into her ear. "I missed you. Why didn't get your cute ass over here and hang on me all night?"

  "I'm sorry. I thought you were busy—all those people talking to you and everything." She felt strange being in his arms here and could feel everyone’s eyes on her. "You’re a popular guy."

  Caleb smiled as he pulled her close for another hug, whispering in her ear. "Ready to go celebrate?"

  Ashleigh laughed but quickly closed her eyes when she saw a few flashes of light in her face as photographers took their picture.

  "Get ready for your close up, babe." Caleb pulled away and then motioned for her to smile at the cameras.

  "Okay." The thought of her photo in a paper or magazine made her sick.

  "My friend’s having a private party after this." Caleb’s voice was soft in her ear as he leaned closer to her. "He’s got an apartment in The French Towers." He slowly looped his arm in hers and escorted her toward the exit, Master Bristol and the fake Victoria following behind.

  "If she’s going, I’m not." Ashleigh spoke with a very fake smile on her face, trying to keep up a happy mood for the cameras now taking her picture.

  "Just let her ride it out. Aiden will take care of her when he finds out, anyway." Caleb waved to the photographers, Master Bristol and the others getting ahead of them. Everyone wanted to get a picture of Caleb, especially now that a new girl hung on his arm.

  It took several minutes to get outside, and once they reached the red carpet at the entrance, they were bombarded with the press. Caleb didn’t stop for them, instead, he yanked on Ashleigh’s arm and pulled her as quick as he could to the limo waiting at the end of it. They hopped in the car, their eyes still seeing spots from all the camera flashes.

  Charlotte was talking to Victoria excitedly about “her” books. Ashleigh’s body melted into Caleb’s when he wrapped his arm around her, her own arm going quickly around his waist.

  Aiden studied Ashleigh, a very suspicious, nasty look in his eyes. "And who’s the new girl, Caleb? I have never seen her before."

  "Her name’s Ashleigh." Caleb squeezed her before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

  "Hey, maybe you two know each other." Charlotte’s voice was loud, one of her hands resting on Victoria’s. "Ashleigh is an editor at New Castle. She said she edited your latest book, Victoria."

  "Really?" Aiden’s eyebrows raised at her words, his eyes burning into Ashleigh’s and making her not want to gaze anywhere in his direction. "An editor?"

  "I’m sorry, dear, I don’t recognize you." Victoria cackled, her fingernails perfectly manicured. She was prettier than Ashleigh, and much more slender. Ashleigh found Victoria’s good looks very intimidating, and even though she knew Victoria’s lies would catch up with her someday, she still hated the woman. "Once my manuscript leaves my hands, I have no idea who looks at it."

  "Well, first of all, Hannah would look at it." From her slight laying position on Caleb, Ashleigh’s voice was surprisingly light.

  "I was speaking of my editors, sweetheart." Victoria laughed, one of her hands resting on Aiden’s knee. She was in a great mood, and her smooth voice was intoxicating. "Of course I know Hannah."

  Ashleigh glared at Victoria as she spoke. "You only have one editor." Victoria tried not to glare back, but there was a small waver in her smile. "And I know you've had the same one for all your books."

  Caleb leaned over and kissed Ashleigh's cheek. He spoke softly in her ear. "Just drop it, babe. Ignore her."

  "An editor, that’s an interesting change for you, Caleb." Aiden smirked, an evil presence in his eyes that wasn’t found in Caleb’s. "I thought you only dated celebrities. Why the downgrade?"

  "Upgrade. And it just kinda happened. Like fate." Caleb chuckled. He looked over at Ashleigh’s sour face, a loving expression in his eyes. "And I’m glad because I’ve never been more in love."

  “Aww….me too.” Ashleigh’s face filled with a tender smile as she gave him a kiss, both of them gazing at each other as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her voice was soft as she spoke a line from the next Nightwalkers manuscript. Caleb had loved the excerpt when he read it. "‘Blinded by the light of your loving words, I shall never fear the dark’."

  Their noses touched as Caleb gave a very devilish grin. "‘Or the intense yearning in my chest that calls only for you. The yearning that can only be fulfilled by the hand of the devil’." They both laughed, the others in the car regarding them strangely.

  "I didn’t know you were such a poet, Caleb." Aiden’s eyes narrowed.

  "I’m not." Caleb laughed, giving Ashleigh a brief kiss, then pulling away and cuddling her instead.

  After that, Victoria went on about her latest book and all the sales it was getting. It didn’t take long to get to the apartment, Ashleigh feeling a little dizzy when she got up from the short ride. All the drinks she had at the party were catching up with her. She hung on Caleb when they entered. They took the elevator to one of the top floors, Caleb and Ashleigh walking toward the back of the group.

  It was a very nice building, the hallways wide and well-furnished. Bellhops and door men could be found everywhere. There were a lot of people inside, most of them young. The music was loud and inside the apartment was beautiful. Priceless artwork covered the walls, a few statues greeting them near the large, open entryway.

  Caleb led Ashleigh over to the couch, letting her sit down as he got some drinks. More drinks. Something Ashleigh didn’t want. He was carrying a case of beer when he came back, setting it on floor next to the couch. He took two out, handing one to Ashleigh as he sat beside her.

  He wrapped his arm around her, leaning closer to her ear. "We’re kinda splurging tonight cause of my wins. So, since you're not used to these kind of parties, you might want to drink a lot of that." He had a very cocky expression on his handsome face, his hair and eye makeup still perfect after the long night of partying. "It’ll help." He kissed her cheek. "This won’t be any worse than anything you write in your books."

  Ashleigh scanned his smiling face. She knew something bad was going to happen, and even though she was already feeling drunk, she took a long sip from her beer.

  Caleb chuckled when he saw her expression, playfully patting her leg. "Stay here." He stood up and walked over to Aiden, Ashleigh watching his every move.

  Caleb spoke with him for a while, both of them laughing and joking. Then, a woman brushed Caleb’s shoulders, and the small action ignited a very heated, unnecessary one in Caleb. He grabbed her arm and yanked her forcefully back.

  Slamming her into a nearby wall, he pinned her there. Ashleigh quickly found herself not knowing where to look because once Caleb ignited the violence, the others joined in. Aiden grabbed another person, but he sank his fangs into them immediately. The man he held screamed out in pain as Aiden sucked.

  Caleb’s head was hiding in the woman’s neck. A look of great terror was on her face as she tried to push him away but couldn’t move. He had paralyzed her with his magical gaze. Ashleigh stared into her terrified eyes, unable to look away. It was just like back in the diner. Her gentle Caleb was just like Spencer. A murderer. She looked away, the thought making her want to cry.

  People were running around screaming now, but the music was so lo
ud no one outside the apartment could hear it. The vampires’ moods turned playful, the energy they got from their first feeding making them more jumpy and quick. They ran around the room, taking a taste from many of the guests, this feeding ritual becoming more of a game than killing for survival.

  She could hear their laughter as they chased the party guests, her eyes trying to follow Caleb. He was leaping over furniture like a gazelle, his movements smooth and very inhuman. He jumped over the couch in his pursuit of a pretty blonde. Ashleigh bent over and held her head near her knees when she heard him approaching from behind.

  After a few minutes of this game of torture, Ashleigh turned to Victoria and Charlotte, who were watching the chase and laughing hysterically. Aiden fell into a nearby potted tree when Caleb shoved him to the side on his way back over to the girls. Aiden sent him an angry look, but Caleb just laughed and didn’t look back. Ashleigh wasn’t watching Caleb, though, she was looking at the woman that Sam was bringing over to Charlotte.

  She heard Charlotte giggle when the woman bent down on the floor in front of her, her flirty gaze focused entirely on Sam. Sam bent down and bit the woman’s neck, and after the blood was flowing, he said something to Charlotte then motioned for her to drink. Charlotte leaned forward and pinched his cheeks playfully before sucking on the woman’s neck.

  Victoria looked on, watching Sam like he had just brought Charlotte an ice cream cone in the park, not a person. She motioned with her hands as she said something, a giant smile on her face.

  Jumping over the back of the couch, Caleb landed in a perfect sitting position next to Ashleigh. His quick appearance made her startle, her hands holding tighter to the bottle in her lap. Caleb’s lips were covered in blood, his hand held out in front of him as he commanded the woman he had captured. She slowly walked around the couch and stood before them.

  "This is for you." Caleb gave a sinister chuckle, his stare focused entirely on Ashleigh. He could see the great fear in her eyes, but that didn’t make him take pity on her. "I can make her do whatever I want." He took the half full bottle out of Ashleigh’s hands and set in back in the case. "I can make her dance."