Whispers at Moonrise (28 page)

She felt her heart race. His touch hadn’t been meant to be intimate, but it felt that way.

“You mesmerized me from the moment I first saw you when we were kids. I didn’t know what you were, and yes, I hoped you were werewolf, but it didn’t matter. You ensnared me.”

The dampness of her tears spilled out on her cheeks. Suddenly, the soft verdant scent filled her nose. She knew it was both Lucas’s natural scent and that of the woods.

“I’m still ensnared.” He wiped a tear from her cheek. “I don’t care if you’re part witch and part vampire.”

“I’m not just that,” she said.

He looked a bit confused. “Okay. Then what are you?”

She smiled through her tears. “I’m a chameleon. Which means I have a little of everything in me.” She recalled what her grandfather had told her about not telling anyone. But Lucas wasn’t just anyone.

“Even werewolf?” he asked.

She nodded. “I just don’t yet know how to control the shifts from one thing to another.” She sighed. “Does that make me even more of a freak?”

“It makes you freaking amazing,” he said. “Even when you’re a vampire.” He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. The kiss tasted of innocence. And odd as it was, she suddenly remembered him kissing her like this before, but way before. Like before she’d ever come to Shadow Falls. She touched his cheek, and when he pulled back, she asked, “Did you ever … climb into my window when you lived beside me?”

He looked guilty, but not much. “Just once. I swear, you left the window open. And I didn’t … I just—”

“Kissed me?” she asked. The idea didn’t make her angry; it made her feel cherished.

“You were … my first kiss,” he said.

She grinned, and then his mouth lowered to hers again. She barely felt the warmth from his lips when he pulled back. “But I’m still pissed at you for throwing that net on me.” He exhaled. “Not that I can stay mad at you.”

He kissed her again. Only this kiss wasn’t so innocent. Not that she complained. He tasted like passion, like raw, sweet passion. His weight came against her in all the right places and she felt differences in what made him male and her female. His vibration, his humming seduction, entered her every place his hard body now touched hers.

She met his kiss with desperation, wanting to feel it, wanting to savor how he made her feel. His hand resting at her waist, warm against her naked skin, slipped farther under her shirt, and his palm cupped her breast. She moaned with the sweetness of his touch and ached for more.

His kiss moved from her lips to her neck. The feel of his warm kisses made her feel liquid inside. Need, want, desire, she felt it all.

When his hand moved to her back to unhook her bra, she rose up to make it easier. When his hand came back around to her bare breast, she trembled with the pleasure.

He slipped the tank top over her head, discarding the bra at the same time, and his eyes shifted downward to what he’d uncovered. She’d thought she’d feel embarrassed. But it wasn’t embarrassment stirring inside her. She felt …

“You’re so beautiful,” he said hoarsely.

That was it. That’s how he made her feel. Beautiful. Cherished.

He inhaled sharply. “We probably shouldn’t—”

She pressed a finger to his lips. “I want this.” She moved her hand behind his neck, threaded her fingers in his thick black hair, and brought his mouth back to hers. And in seconds, they were both lost in each other.

Chapter Twenty-four

The kiss went from hot to smoldering in a vampire’s heartbeat. She wasn’t even aware that he’d removed his shirt until she felt the wonder of his bare chest against her breasts. She shivered with pleasure. His kisses moved down to her neck and then lower. The sensation had her arching her back and saying his name.

And then his phone rang.

His growl, deep and low, came against her bare shoulder. He raised his head. His eyes were bright, the blue irises hot with desire. “I hate …
hate
modern technology.”

She grinned.

He rolled over to his back and reached into his pocket for his phone. As he studied the little screen, a frown chased away the passion from his expression.

“It’s Burnett.” He closed his eyes, then opened them. “I should … take it.” He looked at her with an apology in his eyes.

“I know,” she said, and then, suddenly aware of her lack of clothes, she crossed her arms.

His gaze lowered briefly to her covered chest. He reached for her bra and shirt beside him and handed them to her.

She clutched them to her front to cover herself. Their gazes met again. There was a sense of rightness at stopping things before they went any further. And while she accepted that letting it go this far had been risky, she knew she’d savor the memory.

“I don’t regret it,” she said.

“Good.” He looked so darn sexy without a shirt, but wearing a kiss-me grin. “Because I don’t, either.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“For what?” He frowned at the ringing phone.

“For going into the cemetery even when … you hate spirits.”
For not hating me because I’m vampire.

A seriousness filled his eyes. “I’d go to hell to keep you safe, Kylie Galen.”

She believed him, too.

He answered Burnett’s call.

*   *   *

Kylie spent the rest of the night mostly tossing and turning, unable to sleep. The call from Burnett had just been to check if Lucas had found anything suspicious when he’d looked around after the alarm had gone off. Then Lucas and Kylie jumped over the gate holding on to each other so it would appear only one person had entered. How he’d figured it out, Kylie didn’t know and hadn’t asked. However, the idea that Lucas had tied, and that Perry might also have to lie for her, didn’t sit well with her.

Fretting, she stared at the ceiling while mentally juggling everything she’d learned. She was a chameleon. A rare type of supernatural. But at the moment she was a vampire. And that explained why, in spite of how hard she’d tried to dreamscape to Lucas, she’d failed. Vampires couldn’t dreamscape. Rolling over again, she thought about everyone seeing her new pattern.

Her great-aunt’s words flowed through her head
. The few who did not hide were viewed as outcasts, freaks, and not belonging to any one kind.

She could already imagine the campers whispering behind her back again.
Look at Kylie. You’ll never guess what she is now.

Not that whispering was going to do them any good. Her sensitive hearing was in tip-top shape. She’d not only heard Miranda and Della each time they’d rolled over in their beds, but she heard some baby birds crying for their mama to hurry up and chew up the worms and regurgitate them back into their mouths. Regurgitating worms was not a pretty sound, either.

Her mind did another U-turn and she remembered her and Lucas’s time together. She grabbed her extra pillow and hugged it. A smile worked its way to her lips. Not just because of how sinfully good things had been, but because … because now she believed he cared for her. And accepted her. That was huge. It changed things. She just didn’t know how yet.

Recalling his touches, she felt her face grow warm. Probably not really warm, considering her core body temperature was extra low, vampire low, but she’d bet her cheeks were red.

Her brain did another veering off the subject and landed on words her grandfather had said.
You are one of us. We share the same blood
.

Her need to get to know her grandfather, to learn everything about her heritage, sat heavy on her heart. But to leave Shadow Falls…?

That wasn’t an option. Even with some of the campers not completely accepting her, she belonged here.

As the night continued, she tried to decide what, if anything, she was going to tell Holiday and Burnett, and even Della and Miranda and Derek … She couldn’t lie to them all. Could she?

A chameleon alone will not survive.
His warning stirred in her already heavy chest.

Pulling the pillow tighter, she sat up. She wasn’t alone. She had Holiday and Burnett, and everyone here in her circle. And she’d just have to play it by ear on what, if anything, she’d tell the people close to her.

The sound of her stomach rumbling with hunger filled the silent room. She got up and went into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she reached for the orange juice, but her hand stilled when she saw Della’s blood.

Della would kill her, but …

*   *   *

“Where’s my blood?” Della’s voice vibrated through the entire cabin.

Kylie cringed, stepped out of the shower, and debated between the red or the white towel. She chose the white, for purity. If Della killed her, she’d at least be wearing white.

“Did you spill it again?” Della bellowed, no doubt screaming at Miranda.

“I didn’t do anything with your blood,” came Miranda’s offended reply. “I wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole.”

Kylie tightened the towel around herself.

“Fess up, witch!” Della snapped.

“I told the truth,” Miranda shot back. “Clean the stinky vamp wax out of your ears and listen to my heartbeat.”

Okay, now their insults were getting to the ugly stage.

Hurrying, Kylie stepped out of the misty warm bathroom right into the middle of the warpath.

“My ears aren’t dirty,” Della said, snarling. “I’m not the one letting some shape-shifter suck on my earlobe.”

“That’s enough.” Kylie held up her hands

“I’m never telling you anything else.” Miranda sounded so hurt.

“Thank Gawd!” Della spewed. “You think I want to hear about you having your earlobes sucked?”

“Bitch!” Miranda seethed.

“Stop!” Kylie yelled.

“I never said he sucked them,” Miranda spit out. “I said he nibbled on them.” She started walking toward Della, her pinky held out like a weapon.

Della bared her canines and started forward. “Same thing. Equally gross!”

“Cut it out!” Kylie shot between her two best friends.

“She poured out my blood!” Della accused.

“Did not!” Miranda mouthed back.

“She’s telling the truth.” Kylie looked at Della. “I … I did it.”

“You poured out my blood?” Della asked.

“No. I … drank it. And I’m sorry.” Kylie held out her wrist, exposing her vein. “Here, have some of mine.”

Della stared at her, her brows creased, and then her mouth dropped open. “Holy shit! You’re a vampire!”

“She’s a witch,” Miranda said proudly, standing at Kylie’s back.

“Not anymore,” Della said. “Use your eyes, Miss Smarty Pants, and see for yourself. Or did Perry lick them, too?”

Not wanting to draw this out, Kylie faced Miranda. It wasn’t as if she could hide it.

“Crap!” Miranda gasped. “What happened? Did having sex with Lucas turn you into a vampire?”

“No,” Kylie said.

Della slapped a hand on her hip. “Why would having sex with a werewolf turn someone into a vampire?”

“I don’t know,” Miranda said. “Maybe it was really bad sex.”

Della shot Miranda a bird and then focused on Kylie. “Did you have sex with Lucas?”

“No.” Kylie tugged on her drooping towel. “We just … made out.”

“How far did you get?” Della wiggled her brows.

“Thought you didn’t like hearing about it,” Miranda said in an angry voice.

“Not about earlobe sucking. That’s gross.”

“Bitch!” Miranda charged at Della; Della charged back at Miranda.

Kylie caught Miranda by the shirt with one hand and Della by the arm with her other hand. Right then, her towel fell to the floor. Naked as a jaybird, and suddenly furious, she stomped her foot. “I said stop!”

Della and Miranda both giggled. No doubt she looked funny naked and furious.

Kylie released them, and then snatched up her towel. “Look, I have some things to share, but if you don’t stop arguing, I’m going to walk away and just let you kill each other.”

“You tried that line once before,” Della said. “We let you down. We didn’t kill each other.” She snarled at Miranda. “Of course, it could change this time.”

Kylie rolled her eyes. “Are you going to stop arguing or not?”

“Maybe,” Miranda said. “Especially if you can explain how the freaking hell you can change your pattern. Oh, and if you give us details about last night with Lucas.”

Kylie looked at Della. “Truce?”

“Yeah,” Della said. “Besides, it’s you I’m pissed at now for drinking my blood. You thieving vamp.” She showed her canines, but a smile came with it. “And Miranda’s right. We want details on both counts.”

*   *   *

An hour later, after Kylie had given all the details—or at least all the details she planned on giving—the three of them walked toward the office. Kylie had confessed about going to the cemetery. She’d known Della would be pissed that she’d been tricked, and Kylie had been right. But telling them seemed important, and not just to clear her conscience. If she needed to meet her grandfather in the future, she’d need allies. Della and Miranda were her best allies.

As well as her best friends.

And a big part of the reason Kylie couldn’t do what her grandfather wanted: to go live with him. A detail Kylie had omitted from the conversation.

“Are you going to tell Burnett and Holiday?” Miranda asked as they neared the office.

“I don’t know.” Kylie looked up at the porch and listened to someone breathing inside. What if they went berserk and forbid her to see her grandfather and aunt again?

Would Holiday do that?

Probably not. But she could see Burnett doing it. Or trying to do it.

Kylie’s heart grew heavy when she remembered she wasn’t here to just talk about her grandfather. It was time. Time to tell Holiday about her sister. But first, she hoped to talk to Burnett about what all she’d learned about Hannah. He needed to know so he could look into this Blake character.

But damn, Kylie wasn’t looking forward to having either of those chats.

“Shit!” Della caught Kylie’s arm. “If you tell Burnett about meeting your grandfather, then I’ll get my ass in a sling because I let you go. He won’t care that I thought you were going to go get lucky with Lucas.”