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

by Nichole Wolfe

  She shouldn’t. Really. But she stepped forward, closing the small gap that had remained between them. Pressing her body against his. Wrapping herself around him as she laid her head on his shoulder, the tip of her nose grazing along the column of his neck.

  “Thank you,” she murmured against his skin.

  ***

  Speechless, and more than a little aroused, Charlie slowly wrapped his arms around Nessie. The incident with the lycan had put his protective instincts into high gear, which only made him want to claim her more. The mark of a vampire’s mate offered some protection in itself. Only those with a death wish would dare harm a marked mate. Tales of entire villages slaughtered over the murder of a mate made most reluctant to even make eye contact. He smiled, running his hand through her hair and toying with her ear.

  "That’s what friends are for," he whispered. Friends…yeah. Because that’s definitely where his head was at right now.

  He caught her smile, and wanted to stand there and hold her forever, but they had a lot more distance to put between themselves and their growing list of enemies.

  “We should get going now that the sun has set,” he bit out, hating to have to ruin the moment. Who knew when or if he’d get to enjoy another like it anytime soon.

  Nessie lifted her head, searching for his face. “Of course. You’re right,” she said, nodding.

  He took another moment to enjoy the look on her face as his thumb caressed her cheek. Then, he led her up into the upper cavern. Moonlight filtered into the cave as he set her down, scanning for danger, and finding his eyes continually distracted back to her.

  His keen senses revealed no imminent danger, and so he turned, allowing his eyes to settle on her. His shirt, which was far too thin for this kind of weather, fell just low enough to hide her delectably-rounded rear from sight. Stupid shirts had to ruin everything.

  He watched her, her eyes roaming from his face downward, taking in his naked torso. His cock twitched back to life as he saw the glimmer of lust sweep across her eyes. “Ready?”

  Her gaze snapped back up to his face before she glanced away, and nodded.

  He lifted her into his arms.

  She tried to wriggle from his grasp. "I can still walk, you caveman."

  He smiled, tightening his hold on her. "True, but you need heat or you'll freeze to death. Now, I can think of a multitude of other ways I'd prefer to keep you warm, but that will have to wait until daybreak." Her cheeks flushed at his blatant insinuation, and he tucked her a little closer to him. "Besides, you didn’t mind snuggling up against all this hotness two minutes ago.”

  He set off before she could protest any further, not that that would have changed anything. Without his body heat, she could easily lose a few toes or worse. So, like it or not, he was carrying her. Within a few minutes, Nessie stopped fidgeting and relaxed against him.

  Not long before sunrise, Charlie slowed as he saw the faint glow of firelight in the distance. He stopped, sensing something stirring in the trees. Silently setting Nessie on her feet, he stepped in front of her, shielding her from whomever lurked in the shadows.

  The swoosh of a hand ripped through the silence and Charlie turned in time to see a fist coming at his face. He tried to duck, pushing Nessie out of the way, but his jaw got clipped as he maneuvered around.

  A vampire. And few of his own kind lived alone. Most sought protection in covens that dwelled in the cities. The forests belonged to the lycans. Only poachers, vampires who made a living catching humans to sell into the slave market, made a habit of venturing into the woods. Usually in groups. His eyes flickered behind the stranger, waiting for another to creep out from the darkness.

  Many vampires were too poor to own slaves. The poorest survived on animal blood, while those with better means usually kept bagged blood handy. Only the wealthiest could afford to buy and maintain a blood slave. Which was why poaching had become such a popular profession in recent years.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Charlie struck back at the newcomer. And by the looks of how the two went at it, they were dealing with another vampire. Fan-fucking-tastic.

  Nessie backed away, wanting to flee. The last thing she needed was another monster getting their hands on her. Not like the last few times had worked out so great.

  “Watch! There could be more of them,” Charlie called, grunting as he took another blow to the face.

  There were more?! Oh, joy. She gazed around, not finding any others, but she knew that didn’t mean much. As she twirled looking for more threats, she realized…she didn’t have a fucking clue which way was north.

  When she heard Charlie roar, flying into the trunk of a tree and landing on his ass, she cursed. If he lost this fight…

  Her chest squeezed at the thought. She couldn’t leave him here to die. Besides, she needed his navigation skills….and protection it would seem.

  Turning back towards the two admittedly gorgeous monsters brawling, she sighed. If she lived through this…they were even. No more reason to feel all warm and cozy and grateful for saving her ass. On more than one occasion, but that wasn’t the point.

  She was doing this for her. For her life. For her father. For her freedom. This had nothing to do with him, or any other vampire. And she sure as hell wasn’t going to let them stand in her way now.

  Charging with bare feet through the snow (she was going to regret that later), she leapt onto the stranger’s back. But he flung her off of him like a pesky rodent, turning to stare at her with eyes almost as dark as his black buzzcut.

  “Why haven’t you run from your Master?”

  The question took her (and Charlie from the look on his face) by such surprise, that they both froze.

  “He…he’s not my Master,” she stuttered.

  “Nessie!” Charlie snapped. “Don’t say that. He’ll think you’re fair game!”

  "Is she yours then?" the stranger asked, turning to Charlie.

  Charlie's gaze locked onto the stranger’s as he lowered the fist he was about to throw into the stranger’s face. "Yes," he growled. “She’s mine.”

  The possessive tone he used made her want to swoon…and rip his vocal cords out. She scowled, huffing loudly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

  The stranger frowned, disapproval in the hard lines of his cocoa-colored face. His eyes narrowed on Charlie. "Where are her clothes? Your shirt isn’t sufficient for this kind of weather."

  “A…umm…wolf---man took them," Nessie blurted.

  Anger filtered into the stranger's expression as he looked at Charlie again. "She is your responsibility, and you allow a lycan to..."

  Nessie stepped towards them. "He didn't allow it! He risked his life to save me from that monster!" The stranger’s eyes widened in surprise. And why the hell was she defending Charlie anyway? He’d just staked another fucking claim on her!

  "If you aren’t a poacher, please allow us to pass. I need to get her somewhere safe before sunrise.” Charlie stated.

  The stranger surveyed the two of them for long moments. "Fine. I have some spare clothes the woman can have. She’ll be frozen to death before you get to safety if you leave her dressed like that." He turned, motioning for them to follow. And muttering under his breath about incompetent fledglings who didn’t know how lucky they were.

  Nessie went to follow the stranger, but Charlie scooped her up again.

  “If you keep this up, I’m gonna forget how to walk.”

  Charlie shrugged, “I’m perfectly capable of carrying you for the rest of your life.”

  She gaped at him, speechless. Because the idea of being confined to his arms forever sounded terrifying, and kinda perfect.

  Don’t do it. No, she couldn’t let herself be drawn in again. She’d done that before, being as young and naïve as she’d been it was no wonder. But she’d gotten over her heartbreak, and now was not the time to tear those walls down. He could abandon you in the wilderness just as easily as in a mansion.

  And afte
r the week she’d just experienced, she wasn’t sure which one was worse.

  The stranger offered a thick, wool sweater, leather leggings, and some over-sized boots for her. "You can change in the tent," he said.

  Nessie took the clothes, but eyed the tent.

  “Unless you’d rather change out here in the open that is,” he continued, making Charlie scowl and clench his fist. Apparently, he didn’t like the idea of the stranger seeing her naked. Good, that makes two of us. Climbing inside the tent, she was amazed by how warm it was inside. Must be the super shiny fabric holding all the heat in.

  “She looks like you haven’t fed her in a week. What’s wrong with you?” the stranger snapped loud enough for even her ears to hear. She clenched her teeth. It wasn’t Charlie’s job to feed her. She wasn’t his fucking pet. But that got her thinking…when was the last time she’d eaten? Granted, she’d definitely had more important things on her mind. Like trying not to get eaten herself.

  Charlie growled at the stranger. “We didn’t exactly have time for me to cook dinner.”

  “It’s always the assholes that get lucky,” the stranger muttered.

  She dressed quickly, stepping out from the warm tent and quirking a brow at the two men. “You boys done fighting now?”

  The stranger snorted as he rolled his eyes.

  Charlie nodded stiffly and turned to the stranger. "Thank you for the clothes. I appreciate it."

  “We appreciate it,” Nessie added. “You wouldn’t happen to have any extra tents lying around? Because this one here is toasty warm. What’s this shiny material holding all the heat in, anyway?”

  The stranger pursed his lips, looking away from her for a moment before clearing his throat. “It’s a UV-blocking and microwave lining. It keeps me from burning up during the day.”

  Charlie whistled. “That’s some high-tech stuff.”

  “Yes, it is,” the stranger snipped. "There's an abandoned cabin a few miles north. If you hurry, you can make it there before the sun comes up."

  Nessie nodded, screeching as Charlie swept her up again. “Seriously!”

  “I know, I know. But you heard the man. We have to hurry.”

  “And I’m too slow. Blah. Blah. Blah.” She let her head fall back over his arm, sighing. “Very well. Onward, stallion.”

  Behind them, the stranger barked.

  ***

  The cabin came into view just before dawn, just as the stranger predicted. Charlie set Nessie on her feet before creeping through the door, and finding it exactly as the stranger said - abandoned. They used the last few minutes before dawn to snatch up some firewood, and a few rabbits burrowed underneath the front steps. The cabin seemed a century or so old, and whoever had built it had been smart enough to install a wood-burning fireplace. Oil and gas resources had been depleted decades ago. The cabin also must have once been home to a vampire. There wasn't a single window to allow sunlight to filter inside.

  Charlie set about starting a fire in the mantle while Nessie found some candles in one of the side-table drawers. As soon as he had a flame going, she lit one of the candles and disappeared into another room. He heard a faucet run. The cabin must have run on a well for there to be running water this far into the wilderness.

  Nessie came practically skipping into the room with a large metal bucket as the fire crackled to life.

  "You seem awfully happy about something,” he said.

  She smiled over at him, and his breath hitched in his throat. He had never seen her smile like that. Happiness looked radiant on her, and he made a mental note to aim for smiles like that more often. "There's a bathtub, which I am dying to try out," she chirped.

  Images of her nude body luxuriating beneath warm water had him fighting back an erection. "That sounds nice," he replied, keeping his voice as neutral as possible.

  "Well, if it's anything close to those hot showers at Dina's..." she moaned, and the sound went straight to his groin, pictures of that nude body he was imagining moaning for more sinful reasons. Her eyes sparkled at him. "It's going to be better than nice."

  He smiled back at her even though he really wanted to kiss her senseless…and then some. "In that case, allow me to help." He pulled the small rack from beside the mantle and hooked the pail of water to it, swinging it around to settle above the flames.

  An hour, and several heated buckets, later, Nessie disappeared into the bathroom with her tubful of warm water. His acute hearing zoned in on every rustle of clothing, every slap of the water against her skin.

  ***

  Nessie sighed as the water cocooned her like a warm, gentle blanket. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax in a way she hadn't done since...ever. It was heaven, or as close to heaven as she had ever come to. Freedom had some major perks.

  The creak of the door had her snapping her eyes open. Charlie stood in the doorway, leaning casually against the doorframe as he watched her. His body language was relaxed, but when her eyes settled on his she found them darkening, giving his thoughts away.

  "Not much to do. Do you mind if I sit and talk while you enjoy your bath?" he asked.

  She should say no, especially with the obvious state of arousal emanating from his increasingly-dark eyes. But she found herself nodding, and he stepped into the small room. His gaze flickered down her body beneath the water before he sank down to the floor, his back against the door.

  "How long until you need to feed?" It had been more than a day, and she didn't know how much he had actually ingested in his attack on Jaxon.

  His jaw ticked slightly as his mouth pressed into a hard line. "A few hours, maybe."

  She bit her bottom lip, worrying what would happen when the time came for him to feed again.

  She heard him sigh and she looked over at him, finding his eyes no longer dark, but stormy blue once more. "Don't worry, Nessie. I can survive on animal blood if need be. I will just be considerably weakened."

  His answer brought her the reassurance that he would not feed from her if she did not allow him to. "Animal blood weakens you?"

  He nodded.

  "How much?"

  "I will be no match for other vampires, even those younger than myself."

  So, animal blood would compromise his ability to protect himself…and her, for that matter. "And lycans?"

  "Not if they’re in animal form. In human form, I may stand a chance."

  Severely compromised then. But she pushed that thought aside. "Does animal blood taste different?" she asked, curious. She wondered if it was like the way chicken tasted different than beef.

  Charlie nodded, but didn't offer any explanation. Fine, she'd have to pry it out of him.

  "Better or worse?"

  His eyebrow quirked at her curiosity. "Animal blood is like humans eating rotten food compared to eating a fresh meal."

  Nessie wrinkled her nose in disgust. She certainly wouldn’t want to eat rotten food unless absolutely necessary. "Do all humans taste the same?"

  His mouth twitched into a tiny smile for a moment as he stared at his hands. "Not even close."

  Again, he didn't elaborate, and the question she wanted to ask got lodged in her throat out of embarrassment. She didn't need to know. Really, she didn't. "What do I taste like?"

  His gaze snapped up to hers, studying her for a moment. "Are you sure you want to know?"

  He was afraid she wouldn't like what she heard. She was afraid of that too. Damn her curiosity. "Yes, I'm sure."

  "I’ve tasted countless, hundreds if not thousands. And none of them, not one, holds a candle to you." She watched as his eyes tinted from blue to purple. "It's like wine and whiskey blended to perfection." Her breath quickened as he bit his bottom lip with a fang, his eyes turning deep red. "Additively sweet with a bite that leaves you wanting more."

  That should have disgusted her. But her heart pounded for a different reason. Apparently, she was delicious. And from the looks of him, he wanted another taste.

  “What stopped you f
rom draining me?”

  He was still worrying his lip with his fang, and he really needed to stop. It was making her brain go fuzzy. “I would never hurt you.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, because being chomped on by a full-grown man isn’t painful at all,” she muttered. Okay, so it hadn’t hurt that bad. His little nip back at the mansion was peachy compared to the other vampires. But, still…

  He frowned. “I tried to be as gentle as possible, but I didn’t want to force pleasure on you when you were obviously uncomfortable with the whole thing.”

  “Force pleasure?” she asked, blinking at him “On me? Only vampires get pleasure from feedings.”

  His frown flipped into a smile that matched the smoldering look in his eyes, now a few shades darker. “Not at all. Feedings can be very pleasurable for both giver and receiver.”

  She didn’t believe him. She didn’t. An image of her mother popped into her head, pleasure all over her face as Master fed from her throat. “How?”

  His tongue flicked over the tips of his fang then slid across his lip, his eyes a deep, dark crimson. And her stomach fluttered, heat blooming low in her belly. Gods, why did she find his fangs so attractive? “There’s a gland on the roof of our mouth we can press with our tongue. It shoots a hormone that induces pleasure into the fangs. Then, when we feed, the giver’s pain is blocked out by pleasure.”

  Her jaw fell open, her eyes darting over his face. Silent minutes ticked by as they stared at each other. His gaze flickered to her throat as she swallowed hard.

  “Show me,” she said.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  His eyes jumped back to hers. “What?”

  He saw an array of emotions - determination, curiosity, and…was that lust he saw lingering in the depths of her eyes? He studied her for another moment, sure he’d gotten that last part wrong, but no. It was there.

  The water slushed around as she stood, naked and gorgeous, droplets of water sliding down her skin. He watched, awed and surely black-eyed now, wanting to follow each droplet with his tongue. “I said show me,” she replied, a layer of heat in her voice.