Kiss of the Vampire (The Vanderlind Realm Book 2) by Gayla Twist Read Free Book Online Page A

the goblet and began taking deep gulps of the red sustenance. As she coiffed it down, I filled the other glass, handing it off to her as soon as she’d finished the first one, our movements synchronized like relay runners. We proceeded through the entire carafe that way, with her barely pausing to even glance in my direction.
    Finally, after every drop was consumed, the torment dissipated from Haley’s lovely face. “Better now?” I asked.
    “Much,” she told me. “Thank you. I felt like I was on the verge of doing something desperate.”
    “So, you were saying, you went to see a mortal friend.” I gestured that she should follow me into the salon, where we could be more comfortable.
    Haley hung her head. “I just wanted to talk to someone and…”
    “Don’t worry,” I said, patting her on the shoulder. “It’s a mistake that many fledgling vampires make. But please tell me, is there any type of situation that needs to be tidied up before the dawn?”
    She looked up at me, obviously confused. Then realization caused her brow to soften and her eyebrows to rise. “No,” she assured me. “I managed to leave in time. But it took every ounce of my strength to do it.”
    “But you did do it,” I said. “You left. That shows a remarkable amount of self-restraint.”
    “Dorian,” she said, taking the seat that I offered her. “I know that…” She bit her lip and then tried again. “I know that you dislike me as much as I dislike you but…”
    “But what?” I asked, even though her words stung me to the core.
    “But I don’t know how to be a vampire,” she blurted. “I almost killed the only friend I have in this town and there’s still a good chance I might go back and do it.”
    “You won’t,” I assured her.
    “I might,” was her reply. “If I leave this place right now…” Her voice was jagged with emotion. “I don’t think I could stop myself.” She began to sob.
    “Haley,” I said softly, gathering her in my arms. “You won’t hurt your friend. I promise you that. I will make sure that it doesn’t happen.”
    She had said that she knew I disliked her as much as she disliked me. Nothing could be further from the truth, as far as I was concerned. But I wasn’t the kind of man to make a fool of myself chasing after a vampiress who had openly stated her dislike of me. I would just have to accept her feelings and do my best to control my own.
    “I’m not asking you to be my mentor for the next decade or anything,” she said through her tears. “I know that you think turning me was a mistake. But would you at least show me a few things? I don’t have any vampire skills at all. And then, once I’m not such a newbie, I promise that I’ll leave you alone.”
    I suppressed the urge to yell, Of course I’ll show you anything you want. I’ll show you the world, if you’ll only let me . I also stopped myself from bellowing, What in the hell do you think I’ve been offering you all along? Instead I settled on, “Haley, I would be happy to show you whatever you wish to know.”
    Haley righted herself, pulling away from me. I let my arms fall stiffly to my sides. “Thank you,” she said with a sniff, wiping at her nose. It wasn’t a very ladylike gesture, but on her it looked adorable.
    “My pleasure,” I assured her. “Where would you like to begin?”
    Haley twisted her lips to one side as she gave it some thought. “Flying?”
    I couldn’t help but smile. I adored flying. The idea of soaring through the night with Haley by my side was absolutely enticing. But then I remembered that she wasn’t asking me to be her paramour. Far from it. She was simply asking for my aid.
    “I think a few flying lessons can be arranged,” I said. “Would you like to start immediately? Or do you need more time to recover from visiting your mortal friend?”
    “Let’s start now,” she said, getting to her feet. “I’ll try to waste as little of your time as is humanly possible.”
    I