First Kiss of Freedom: A Vampire Shifter Hybrid Romance (The Whitemoon Warriors Series Book 1)

by Nichole Wolfe

  A loud huff came from inside the bathroom before the door flew open. "I'm fine. It's a shower, not a swimming pool. Good grief, I'm not a toddler." Nessie stood in the doorway giving him a droll look. Her arms crossed tightly under her breasts, pushing them up in the most delectable way. Don’t stare.

  But seeing her in nothing but a towel almost knocked him right on his ass. He was once again reminded of the years that had passed in his absence. And the years had been very kind to the scrawny little girl he’d once known. With the ill-fitting clothes of slavery gone, her curves were suddenly not-so-subtle. And his fingers itched to run over every single one of them. He clenched them, and took a breath to calm himself. Instead, Nessie’s scent filled his lungs, stealing his breath away. The layers of grime from Lockdown had been washed away and he caught the untainted scent of her for the first time. His fangs lengthened of their own accord in response.

  He cursed, turning his head away and smashing a hand over his mouth. As if he needed another reason to want her.

  “Are those clothes for me?” Nessie’s voice chirped behind him, making him risk a peek. Her big, round eyes sparkled as she stared at the several outfits Dina had laid out for her to choose from. When her mouth opened, curving in delight, he took a step back to stop himself from taking her gorgeous mouth with his own. It’s the clothes making her smile, not you. Damn, he wished he could make her face light up that way.

  Clearing his throat, he stepped toward the door. “I’ll leave you to dress, then.”

  He hurried out, finding Dina fluttering around the kitchen, fumbling with pots and pans. She turned to put a large pot on the stove, smiling that mega-watt smile she gave to everyone. “Did she like them?” she asked, hope shining from her baby blues.

  He chuckled at her. “Well, from the drool dripping from her mouth…”

  She squealed, her smile widening (if that was possible). “Oh, goody. I do hope they fit. Those rags Jacques made her wear did her no justice.”

  You’re telling me. An image of Nessie in that scrap of a towel had him clenching his fists again. Though, he was glad Jacques had kept her beauty so well hidden. He’d seen mated males slaughter another just for staring too long. Hopefully, they didn’t come across any other males, or he might be forced to pluck some eyeballs. Shit, this was bad. He had always had a nasty penchant for violence. Brawling in school, volunteering for war, developing an unhealthy obsession for vengeance. Now, being mated with a humble beauty that would undoubtedly draw the gazes of any free male. Fate just loved testing his limits, didn’t she?

  Dina’s second squeal pulled him from his thoughts. “Oh, you look great in that!”

  Charlie turned and raised his eyebrows in surprise. She’d chosen a pair of jeans that hugged every long inch of her legs, and a green sweater that fell off one shoulder, just begging for a slow caress down that smooth curve of her neck. With his fangs. Mouth. Hands. Shit, nothing! Nothing! Get control of yourself.

  “Did you enjoy your shower?” Dina asked, beaming.

  Nessie smiled back. "Immensely. Thank you."

  James' head poked through the doorway. "Dina, your father just called. He's coming for a visit tonight." They both frowned...and he knew why.

  Dina's started shoving the pots and pans back into the cupboards. "How long until sundown?"

  James check his watch. "About an hour."

  “Fudge,” Dina snapped. The closest she would ever get to an actual profanity. Bless her sweet heart. “This changes things.” Dina caught Nessie off guard, squeezing her hand. "Nessie, I am so sorry about this."

  Nessie raised an eyebrow. "I'm confused. What is so bad about your father coming?"

  Dina sighed. "My father isn’t quite as, ummm, sympathetic to the human plight as we are. He and Jacques are business partners. And if he realizes what you and Charlie are doing..."

  Dina didn’t need to finish. Charlie watched as Nessie’s breath hitched, coming in shallow bursts. She pulled her hand from Dina's as she tried to retreat from the room. Turning to flee, her body smashed into his chest. He reached for her on instinct, the need to comfort her rushing through him.

  “Don’t touch me!” Tears welled in her eyes as she shoved his hands away. Her eyes darted around the room, landing on James, who blocked the other exit from the kitchen. He recognized the primal survival mode as she sought a way out. Panic setting in as each route was barred from her. She glared up at him as he touched her arm. Yanking it from his grasp, she reared back. He understood the need to pound something when anger-fueled adrenaline drove your actions. So, she might as well get it out and over with. Because he was not letting her get away. The blow to his cheekbone sent ripples of pain through his face, making him stumble. What the fuck was that? When he recovered a moment later, he spotted her tackling James to the ground. Successfully. What in the gods’ names was going on here? His left cheek still throbbed as he ran after Nessie dashing for the front door. If she made it, she’d be gone. And he wouldn’t be able to go after her in the daylight. Son of a bitch. What had Fate saddled him with?

  When she reached her hand out to grab the doorknob, he made a leap for her. Don’t open the door, damn you! He managed to snag her ankle. As her body made a nasty thud against the hardwood floor, he winced. Until her foot smashed into his bad cheek, making him call her a particularly nasty name.

  "Holy shit, she's strong," James muttered as he grabbed her other ankle. "Are you sure she's human?"

  "She smells human," Charlie replied as the both of them dragged her back and planted her on the sofa. His eyes found hers for a moment...so much contempt.

  "You drank my blood, you moron. You know I'm human. Maybe you guys aren’t as macho as you seem to think. Misogynistic assholes," she muttered as she averted her gaze and crossed her arms over her chest. "So, what? Am I a prisoner again?"

  Charlie knelt down in front of her, but she refused to look at him. "It would be foolish of you to run now with sunset less than an hour away. You know that, Ness."

  She glared at him. "I'll take that as a yes."

  He sighed, dropping his head. "If it keeps you alive, then yes. I can’t let him get you. He’ll kill you. And this time he won’t wait until dawn."

  "So what do I do then? Hide?"

  Dina finally chimed in. "Unfortunately, it's not that easy. My father is very old and will smell you no matter where in the house you hide."

  "So, what do I do?"

  Dina paused, looking to Charlie for support. He let out a long breath, locking gazes with Nessie. “Act.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Nessie stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, bristling at the thought of the upcoming evening. Her clothes had been swapped out for another ill-fitting knee-length skirt, and baggy, stained t-shirt that was once James'. She was a slave once more, at least for the night. She took deep breaths, trying to remind herself that if she played her part, she would never have to do this again.

  The door opened behind her and Charlie walked in, dressed in one of James’ casual suits. She turned to him, her hands going to her hips. "I'm never going to pull this off. We both know I can't act. Even when I actually was a slave, I played the part terribly."

  The corner of Charlie's mouth kicked up in a small grin.

  "See, you smirk because it's true." She turned back to the mirror, whipping her hair into a ponytail. But it still looked way too clean.

  Charlie came up behind her, looking down at her through the mirror. "If you're trying to look less attractive, you are failing miserably."

  Her eyes found his, and she saw her cheeks blush as she met his gaze. He found her attractive? She swallowed a mouthful of stutters before they could leave her mouth. Nope, nope. Not going there, remember? She glanced in the mirror again and sighed. "I look way too clean to be a slave."

  "Here, let me try to help," Charlie muttered, sliding his fingers through her hair. Tendrils of pleasure wove through her at the small touch, knotting her stomach and flushing her with heat
. “There. Now, you at least look like you’ve done some work today rather than lounged around in the shower.”

  He winked at her, and she rolled her eyes at him, ignoring the tingles that his touch provoked. Dammit, what was wrong with her?

  Glancing back in the mirror, she saw he had tousled her hair, making several pieces come loose and fall around her face.

  He leaned down, his eyes hooded as he whispered in her ear, “Now, all we need to do is get you sweaty.”

  She gaped at him. Was he suggesting…? Clearing her throat, she muttered, “I'd better get out there and...fluff the pillows or something useless like that." Besides she needed to get away from him before she did something really stupid. Like actually enjoy his company. You’re not ten years old anymore, and you gave up on that crush a long time ago. When he left you. And didn’t come back. Not like he can’t easily disappear again. He’s sure as shit fast enough.

  Charlie chuckled as he turned to the side to let her pass.

  In the kitchen, Dina was a ragged mess. Nessie never thought a vampire could even be clumsy, but she was pulling it off brilliantly. She muttered to herself as she reached into a cupboard and lowered a stack of bowls onto the counter, making them clatter loudly.

  Catching sight of Nessie, she gave her a quick smile. "Oh, good. Nessie, could you grab some blood bags from the fridge and put them on the stove to heat?"

  She paused for a moment. "Ummm, yeah, sure." She went to the fridge and grabbed a few bags full of dark red liquid from the shelves. That seemed to be all that the fridge contained anyway, so no way was she grabbing the wrong thing. Having had years of experience, she knew her way around the kitchen and soon had a pot on the stove. She held her breath as she squeezed the contents of each bag into the large pot and turned the stove on low.

  She glanced over at Dina, who was still gathering utensils and some wine glasses. "Have to say, I've had a lot of experience cooking, but first time I've ever cooked blood before.

  Dina looked at her, her eyes wide with shock a second before she tittered. "Oh, of course. I'm sorry. I can do that if you'd like." She moved to take Nessie's place.

  Nessie put her hand up. "No, no. It's fine. I’ve had to deal with plenty of blood, too."

  Dina’s hand covered her mouth as her eyes turned sad. "Oh, my. I didn't even think of that. Really, I'm sincerely sorry."

  Nessie smiled at her apology. For a vampire, she seemed very emotional. Odd. Nessie had always thought that vampires lacked emotions. Or at least had muted emotions. If not for the whole being a vampire thing, they might be friends.

  She cleared her throat. "So, how exactly do you cook blood, anyway? Is it like soup? Do you have to stir it?"

  Dina giggled. "No, not quite. Just keep it to a low simmer. The goal is to warm it to body temperature."

  Her smile faded a bit as she was reminded that even a vampire as nice as Dina still drank human blood. She looked back down at the pot. "Of course. That would make sense."

  "Well, if you think you can handle that, then I'm going to go set the table awhile," Dina chirped and skipped out the room.

  A moment later, Dina returned with James pushing her back into the kitchen. "Have you gone daft, Dina? Your father is here. It's HER job to set the table."

  Nessie's jaw clenched as she realized he was talking about her. She glanced up at the couple, seeing James mouth an apology for his rudeness. Oh, right. She was playing slave for the night. Best hop to it then.

  She grabbed the dishware from Dina and headed for the dining room.

  Doing her best to keep her eyes averted, she entered the room where Charlie and a tall, thin man whom she assumed must be Dina’s father sat. She remained silent, setting the table around them.

  "So, this is yer slave, Charlie?" She heard Dina's father ask in a heavy accent. Her body tensed, but she continued to work around them.

  "Yes, this is her.”

  A hand grazed her rear, and the wine glass she grasped shattered. Her gaze darted to Charlie.

  Charlie stood. "Viktor, I must insist you not touch her inappropriately. She is mine. I'm sure you understand." Her eyes widened in shock at his insinuation. If not for the creepy old bat trying to feel her up, she might have smacked him.

  The hand left. "Of course, me boy.” Viktor’s goatee twitched as his lips curved into a smirk. “I don't blame ye fer that. Fer a human, she is an exquisite specimen."

  "Nessie, please get this cleaned up," Charlie commanded.

  Nodding, she gathered the broken shards and hurried from the room before she broke something else. This was going to be harder than she thought.

  To her surprise, the remainder of the evening passed relatively uneventful. She kept her mouth shut and did what she was told like a good little slave, and Viktor kept his grimy hands off of her. Thanks to Charlie’s claim on her. The fact that she was forced to rely on one man staking a claim on her to prevent another one from harassing her had her wanting to sock someone in the throat. Preferably a male someone. She almost wished she wasn’t human so she could protect her own ass. Almost.

  Instead, she gathered the dishes from the table, catching Charlie whispering to Dina. Dina blushed and turned to look at her. "Nessie, you can leave those in the sink and do them later. Charlie would like you to join him in his guest room while he, ummm, rests.”

  Viktor snickered as his dark, beady eyes roamed her body and a chill ran down her spine. She forced herself to keep her face neutral and nodded.

  Charlie followed her into the kitchen. No sooner had she gotten the dishes into the sink when he took her hand, led her back through the dining room, and down the hallway before nudging her into the room and closing the door behind them.

  She turned, her face coming just inches from Charlie's chest. She inhaled sharply and took a quick step back. His gaze bore into her as his finger came up to rest on his lips. Shhhhh...

  Message received. She kept quiet as Charlie pointed to the bathroom door and allowed him to usher her into the bathroom, closing them both inside.

  Charlie turned the shower on full-blast and smirked at her. "That should help convince them without having to act it out."

  Her cheeks heated at the vivid picture his words had evoked. And the bright fluorescent lights of the bathroom would do nothing in hiding it, especially with her pale complexion. Charlie's mouth twitched its way into a full-blown smug son-of-a-bitch grin. No doubt he’d spotted her rosy cheeks. She crossed her arms and huffed. "Shut it, you."

  He raised his arms in surrender. "I didn't say anything."

  She turned to the mirror, yanking the band out of her hair and snatching up a brush. "Yeah, well, your face did all the talking."

  She caught sight of him laughing in the corner of the mirror, and for a fleeting moment, he was knock-your-socks-off gorgeous. His face lit up all the way to his eyes, and she was reminded of the Charlie she knew as a child. The one she’d crushed on in the worst way. His eyes lifted and she knew he caught her staring at him. And for some unknown reason, she didn’t look away. His laughter slowly faded as his gaze locked onto hers. His eyes shifted from their normal stormy blue to deep, dark gray until his pupils disappeared into blackness.

  Turning from the mirror to face him, her gaze found his again. She tilted her head, curious. "I've never seen your eyes go black before." Her voice was little more than whisper. She didn't want to risk any superhuman ears to overhear.

  He nodded, slow and deliberate, his eyes roaming her face. He took a small step closer as his eyes returned to hers. "It's a vampire thing."

  "Oh," she muttered simply because her mouth wouldn't form any other intelligent reply. Was it getting hot in this bathroom? Must be the steam from the shower.

  Another step. She licked her suddenly dry lips, and his gaze darted to her mouth. The room heated another ten degrees as she tried to clear her throat and failed. "Ummm," she mumbled. "What kind of vampire thing exactly?"

  Her stomach knotted as he came within arm's length of
her. He lifted his gaze to hers, his eyes seeming even blacker than before. "It's a sign of arousal."

  The breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding rushed out as his words finally made sense of the strange sensations plaguing her since his return. She may be innocent, but she had read an entire library of books on almost every subject imaginable and the meaning of that simple word hit her like a ton of bricks. The room shrank as his black gaze drilled into her and he took another step.

  She tried to back away, but her ass hit the counter's edge and she gripped it. She was trapped. Stuck in this infernal bathroom with the very vampire who once drank from her wrist on the white sofa now stained with her father's blood. Stuck in this house full of the very creatures that robbed her of freedom, happiness, and the only person she had ever loved. Her breathing shifted, coming in short bursts as the panic sank in. She could try to make a run for it, but, in a houseful of superfast vampires, she knew she wouldn't get far.

  Suddenly, Charlie took several steps back, coming to rest on the opposite wall. She watched in silence as his eyes slowly regained their stormy blue color. "I'm sorry, Nessie," he whispered, his gaze shifting away as if ashamed. He looked at her again moments later, his eyes sad and full of regret. "I would never hurt you."

  She stared at him, taking in his words, the sadness on his face, the regret so plainly written there. What he regretted, she wasn't sure. Revealing to her so openly his attraction to her? Having been one of her oppressors as a slave? The thought angered her. Anger at him for daring to be attracted to her. To think of her in the same disgusting way Master had used her mother. Anger at herself for being unable to control the physical reactions her body had to his presence. Her jaw clenched and she narrowed her gaze on him. "You did that the day you left ten years ago." His eyes widened before she turned away from him and resumed brushing her hair, refusing to look at him.