CHAPTER NINE
Several hours later, Charlie sat in the chair in the corner of the room pretending to read a book. He couldn’t keep himself from glancing at Nessie as she tossed in the large bed. He’d, of course, had to argue with her about taking advantage of getting at least one good night’s sleep in a proper bed. The woman didn’t know how to not argue with him. A huffy “fine” was the only word she’d spoken to him since being locked in the bathroom together.
He’d practically kicked himself in the mouth for what happened. Nessie wanted nothing to do with him. And now...well, now he knew why. He was her friend. And he left her. Alone and unprotected in the service of a monster. But he’d had little choice. Jacques had told him to leave, so he did. Always the obedient servant in the eyes of his Maker. No matter the cost.
Philadelphia, 1872
This was it. No going back now.
“I do hope you don’t disappoint me, boy,” the monster muttered from behind him.
“I will not, Master,” Charlie said, loud and clear for all to hear. He pressed his palms against the stone wall, gulping down a lump in his throat. Show no fear. “A painful death rears a stronger immortal, so I shall welcome the pain with open arms.”
He heard grunts of approval from the others that had gathered for the ritual.
“That’s my boy,” Jacques praised, his sneering face coming into view. “Stay conscious for as long as you can. Only then will I decide if you are worthy.”
Charlie nodded. “Of course, Master.”
Jacques disappeared behind him again. A moment later, Charlie gritted his teeth as pain licked across his back. Fuck, that hurt. When the second lash came down, he hissed to keep from screaming. The third made him gasp. And the fourth almost buckled his knees.
He lifted his palms from the wall, ready to run from the agony that had just begun. The war was nothing compared to the cruelty of this monster. But as he turned his head, catching a glimpse of the arrogant smirk on Jacques’ face, he stopped himself.
No. You will not give in. Push past the pain.
He set his jaw, planting his hands on the stone every bit as cold as his heart. Cold as the day that monster drained his parents dry and took all he had in the world.
The lashes came down harder, but he refused to close his eyes, scraping his palms on the ridged edges of the stones. He needed this. He had to prove himself worthy. Otherwise, the last five years would have been for naught.
Only after his back was raw and oozing buckets did the lashes end. He lifted his weary head to stare into the monster’s eyes. And the crazy son of a bitch was beaming at him.
“You have the strength of one worthy of the gift.” Jacques sliced his own wrist with the dagger, and held it up for the crowd. “Tonight, we welcome a true warrior into our coven!”
The crowd cheered, a hazy roar heard through a mind fogged by pain.
“Drink, my son. And be reborn in a body worthy of your superiority.”
Charlie didn’t hesitate, opening his mouth to let the tainted blood drip onto his tongue, swallowing greedily. Jacques was pleased, which made his stomach clench, disgusted with himself.
The crowd settled down as Jacques stepped away from him. When the lashes began again, Charlie sighed. It was almost over now.
His heart, or what was left of it, ached at the thought of what he would become.
It’s necessary, his mind argued, beating his heart into submission. To kill a monster...you must become a monster.
Yes, always the obedient servant…until he’d tasted a certain woman that kept rustling the sheets on the bed.
The clock on the bedside stand read 5:30 p.m. Dusk was an hour away, and he could tell from Nessie’s breathing and heart rate that she hadn’t slept a wink. Suddenly, she turned over, her bright eyes seeming to focus on him in the dark. After long moments of staring at each other, she narrowed her gaze. “Why did we have to stay in the bathroom so damn long?”
His eyebrows rose at the surprising question, and he couldn’t quite stop himself from smirking for a moment. He took a breath, straightening his face before responding. “Vampires are known for their...stamina.”
He watched as comprehension broke across her face and she turned away, gazing at the ceiling. “Oh,” she muttered and let out a long breath. “Well, that explains a boatload, doesn’t it?” He heard her gag at the thought.
Pursing his lips, he snapped the book shut. Not being interested in a relationship with him was one thing… “Is it so horrid a thought you need to gag?”
She didn’t bother looking at him as she shrugged. “I never understood why Mother had to stay in Master’s bedroom for so long. She never came back until close to dawn most nights. Now I know why.” Then, she looked over at him. “And yeah, that particular thought makes me want to vomit.”
“Ah, I see.” So it was Jacques she found repulsive, not him. What a relief. “Well, some humans find vampires very attractive,” he coaxed.
Her eyes narrowed as she pursed her lips. “And some vampires take advantage of their slaves, who have no fucking say in the matter.”
Okay, then. Not ready to own up to the attraction, obviously. He cleared his throat. “That’s the unfortunate truth in some cases, but not all. Just saying.” He stuck his nose back into his book.
“I get why a vampire would be attracted to a human. Free blood source and all. But why would a human possibly want to be with a vampire?”
Charlie sighed, shaking his head. Her narrow-minded approach to the situation reinforced his fear that he’d never get her to accept him as a valid choice as a mate. Destined or not. And being a non-vampire, she had much less at stake by not accepting. This was more than an uphill battle. It was Mt. Fucking Everest.
He glanced up from his book to retort, his words catching in his throat. She’d rolled onto her stomach to face him, her waves of honey-colored hair falling over one shoulder, and the oversized collar of her sweater gaping open. Revealing the creamy mounds of perfection his mind had been imagining since the towel incident. Her breasts pressed into the mattress, hiding her nipples from sight. Dammit.
Her eyes turned wary, and he knew his had gone black again. Like he could help it with all that cleavage calling to him. “Nessie, your shirt.” His voice croaked as he forced his eyes closed and worried his bottom lip with a fang. Control. Get yourself under control. And then, the unthinkable happened. The sweet scent of her body wafted over him, no doubt darkening his eyes further and making his entire body tense. He snapped his gaze back to her, where she stared at him with wide eyes and that pretty mouth open in surprise. Practically begging him to latch onto her lips and surprise her even more. Her skin was wondrously flushed as she sat with her sweater inching down her shoulder.
He bolted up from the chair as he struggled to keep control of his rising need. Too soon. Way too soon. Because she was definitely not ready for what his body wanted to dish out. He shoved a hand through his hair, pacing, which only brought him closer to her. And all that sweet goodness beckoning him to touch. Caress. Lick. Bite. “Sweet gods, Nessie. I can smell you from here.”
He peeked at her, finding her tilting her head in confusion. Still looking good enough to eat. Literally. He had to get away from her before he did something unspeakable. Cursing, he darted into the bathroom and shut the door.
When he emerged thirty minutes later, Nessie was bundled inside the comforter, peeking out at him as he returned to the chair. He picked the book up to at least pretend to read again.
“What could you even smell? I just showered. I can’t smell worse than I had this morning.”
The woman just couldn’t help herself. Too inquisitive for her own good. “I have a strong feeling you’d rather not know. You won’t like the answer.”
He heard her huff inside her bundle of blankets. Where she remained. For about thirty seconds. Too impatient for her own good, too. Throwing the blankets off her, she crossed her arms. “Tell me anyway.”
C
huckling, he hid his face further inside the book. “Curiosity killed the cat, Vanessa.”
He saw her bristle at the name, knowing she’d always hated it. He feared it was because her mother always called her by her full name. She’d always preferred her father’s pet name.
“Good thing I’m not a cat then,” she growled.
“If you insist,” he sighed.
“I do insist.”
He lowered the book, and there she was. Giving him that classic Nessie stare that meant she wasn’t backing down. He stared back just as hard, just as intense. Probably more intense since she was driving him crazy. “It was your arousal,” he whispered just loud enough for her to hear. “I could smell that you wanted me.” And now they both knew it.
CHAPTER TEN
Nessie hadn't looked at Charlie for the last half hour. Dusk had fallen fifteen minutes ago, but she refused to turn and climb out from under the safety of the comforter. What was wrong with her? She hated vampires. Every last bloodsucking one of them. So why in the gods’ names had she reacted to Charlie that way? He’d bitten his lip...with his fang. She should’ve been disgusted by the act, right? Apparently not. But Logan’s fangs? Gag. Master’s fangs? Double gag, choke, vomit. Charlie’s fangs? Turn on? That made no sense.
"Nessie, you have to come out of there eventually." Charlie muttered. Groaning, she reluctantly threw the covers off of her. She could feel Charlie's gaze drilling into her as she walked straight toward the bathroom. Charlie stepped in front of her. "You can't keep ignoring me. We need to work together if we want to get out of here."
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Why are you helping me, anyway? What do you care?” When they’d escaped two nights earlier, she didn’t have time to question his motives. He was offering her a way out, and she was taking it. Simple as that. But now the situation felt more complicated. And now she wanted to know what his plan was...and how she fit into it.
Glancing at the floor, he stepped back and shuffled his feet. The long silence that stretched put her on edge, like he didn’t want to answer her.
Screw that. She needed to know. She tapped her foot impatiently. “Well?”
He lifted his head, throwing his hands in the air. “What do you want me to say, Ness? We were friends once. Jacques killed your father half out of spite for your stunt in the courtyard. And because your father threatened to kill him. He does not take kindly to threats in any form. And then you go and attack him. I mean, I get why you did it, but you sealed your own death warrant. No way was Jacques going to let you live after that. If I hadn’t gotten you out of there, you would have been dead before breakfast. And I...I couldn’t let that happen.”
Nessie retreated, falling back onto the bed as waves of guilt swept through her. Charlie’s words confirmed her suspicions. She had caused her father’s death. If she would have just given Master those damn tears he’d wanted, he would've left her father out of it. “You should’ve left me in that dungeon,” she murmured, curling into a tight ball. “I deserved it.” It should’ve been me lying in a pool of blood.
She felt the mattress sink with Charlie’s weight next to her. “I couldn’t do that, Ness.”
“Why not? Because we were friends once upon a time?” She didn’t bother trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. “That didn’t matter when you left.”
“I’d like to think we could be friends again.”
“Well, we can’t!” she screamed, burying her tears in her rage. Now, all of a sudden, he wanted to protect her? What about ten years ago, you bastard!
“Why not?” he yelled back, his brows furrowing in anger as he jumped up from the mattress.
“My, my, quite the lovers’ spat I’ve walked in on. What fun. I do love a good bit of drama.”
Before Nessie could bolt up in the bed, Charlie’s big body was planted in front of her. She heard him mutter “Kat” as she maneuvered to see around him. Sure enough, there stood the dark-haired beauty dressed in red, her matching red lips tilted in a half-grin. But her dark eyes narrowed as they landed on Nessie.
Nessie’s eyes darted to the window, the quickest way out of the room. They also happened to be on the second floor.
Kat stepped into the room, her attention back on Charlie for the moment. “When Vik called to ask why my beloved Charles had left me for a human, I have to admit I was a little hurt. And I had to come see for myself.”
“Does Jacques know?” Charlie snapped.
Kat’s face hardened. The fake smile vanishing from her striking features. “Not yet. He seems to think perhaps you’re toying with the girl,” she sneered, flashing an evil eye towards Nessie. “We both know how Jacques likes his games. And you are his favorite student.” Darting forward, she got in Charlie’s face. “But from what I just witnessed…” She wagged her finger. “Tisk, tisk. Charlie has been a very bad boy.”
Kat struck like lightning, her claws catching Nessie across the face and making her stumble back. Charlie caught her by the back the head, dragging her away from Nessie by her hair. He bared his fangs, growling in Kat’s face. “You will not touch her again, or it will be the last thing you ever do.”
Screaming and clawing at his face, Kat spat obscenities at him. She did not take rejection well. Nessie ran around them and flew out the doorway because if Kat was here, that was her que to leave.
“Goin’ somewhere, dearie?”
Nessie screeched to a halt as Viktor stood sneering at her, his beady, red eyes drilling into her. Damn it to hell, these fucking vampires were everywhere! Guess she’d have to resort to her first exit plan. Turning on her heel, she sped back into the bedroom where Charlie was still struggling with Kat. Good gods, why hadn’t he killed her yet?
Charlie caught sight of her as she flew by him. “What are you…?”
She heard him curse a second before she crashed through the window, the shards of glass nicking and slicing her skin. She braced herself. Falling from a second-story window wasn’t going to tickle. But she found herself rolling on impact and back on her feet, dashing away from the house. Apparently, she had skills she didn’t even know about. A soft thud behind her had her pushing her feet faster.
"Agile lil’ thing, aren't ye," Viktor muttered as he twisted his fist in her hair and yanked her back. That was gonna leave a bald spot. She winced at the pain, but it faded into obscurity as his fangs sank into the meat of her shoulder, like an animal tearing through her flesh. She would have taken a thousand lashes in its place. Tears stung her eyes and trickled down her face. She clenched her jaw in agony as she tried not to scream.
Her arms came up, thumbs finding his eyes and pressing inward with every ounce of strength she could muster through the agony. A gurgled roar escaped his mouth as he released her, his grasp loosening enough for her to turn her head. Blood dripped from his eyes as he clenched them shut, releasing her to cover his face. Behind him, she spotted James running from the house towards them.
Without hesitation, she bolted. And she didn't look back.
***
This is such fucking insanity, Charlie thought as he grappled with Kat. His crazy ex-girlfriend was clawing his face up while his mate (who didn’t even fucking know it yet) was being chased down by a thousand-year-old monster.
“Kat, stop! You’re being ridiculous. It’s been over ten years. Why do you care who I’m with now?”
“Why do I care? Are you shitting me!” she screamed, flailing in his arms.
“Would you stop clawing at me?!” He grabbed both her arms, pinning them to her sides and glowering at her. “I don’t want to hurt you, Kat.”
She slouched in his arms, her mouth turning into a giant pout. “Oh, now you don’t want to hurt me!"
He let out a sigh of exasperation, rolling his eyes. “I meant physically.”
“This is all her fault, isn’t it? I’m going to kill her for this!”
Once again, he bared his fangs. “Do not threaten her,” he snarled.
Furious determinatio
n flared in her eyes as she stared at him. “I will drain that human bitch dry.”
Steeling himself against the flood of violent impulses coursing through him, commanding him to slaughter the threat like a rabid dog, he yanked the silver dagger out of his boot. The one he’d bought centuries ago with every last penny his parents had left him. Flipping her onto the ground, he slammed the blade into her chest, missing her heart by mere inches and drawing a hiss from her.
He leaned down, catching sight of the silver webbing rippling out from where the blade was planted. “This is your final warning, Katherine. If I catch sight of you near Nessie again, I won’t miss your heart next time.”
Kat glared up at him, tears sliding down her cheek. The silver would be causing agonizing pain that radiated from the point of impact. And the longer he kept the blade lodged in her flesh, the more widespread the pain would become. Eventually, it would completely immobilize her.
“Why?” she stuttered. “I thought you loved me?”
His gaze softened and he glanced away to compose himself. He couldn’t afford to cave to his emotions right now. He took a breath. “I’ve never loved you, Kat” he muttered, looking back at her and feeling a twinge of guilt as the webs of silver crept up her face. “And I never will.”
Her eyes blazed beneath more tears, but this time she couldn’t claw at him. Only shed more tears. “Then, you might as well have slammed that dagger home, you bastard.”
“You never loved me, either.”
“Don’t tell me how I feel,” she whispered, her voice giving way to the pain. She turned her face away, wincing as the webs of silver nearly reached her eyes.
His gut churned as more guilt swamped him. He yanked the dagger out of her chest, and she whimpered with the movement. “Fine. Goodbye, Katherine.”
“Fuck you.”
Well, that was the problem, now wasn’t it? If he’d just kept his dick to himself a decade ago…
First Kiss of Freedom: A Vampire Shifter Hybrid Romance (The Whitemoon Warriors Series Book 1) Page 6
