Tess
A chill slips down my spine reading Lily’s message. It would be terrible if Freddy was the one who murdered the two human girls, but I really don’t think it’s him. I begin typing back a message...
Me: How do you know Freddy is the culprit? It could be any vampire, Lily! It’s not like he is the only freaking bloodsucker in New Jin City, and it really hurts my feelings that you immediately think that it’s him!
Three dots immediately appear on my screen.
Lily: Fuck. I’m sorry! It’s just... His scent was at one of the crime scenes, and look, I know it might still not be Freddy, but I’m just worried about you because you’re a human now.
I sigh as I type.
Me: Fair enough, and thank you for the vervain...even though I don’t need it.
Lily. No problem. Also, I want to believe Freddy has changed. I mean, he DID save Claudia’s life, but since his scent was on one of the crime scenes, I don’t know what to believe.
Me: What if the Safir pack is trying to set him up? They are his enemies now, and they for sure don’t want him to join our side again.
Lily: Hmm, that could be it. I’m going to investigate that theory a little bit further. There haven’t been any Safir pack attacks at night, so you might be onto something. Perhaps they spent all their time trying to set up Freddy for that attack?
Me: I think so. I really don’t believe Freddy would have attacked those women. He is sweet.
Lily: You would think a murderer was sweet if he said hello to you at the grocery store.
She isn’t wrong...
Me: Perhaps...
Lily: Anyway, I will let you enjoy your day with Freddy because I know you’re with him. But before that, I have to ask something...
Me: What?
Lily: Has he fed on you yet? Jenny told me she has been giving him blood bags while he stayed at the inn, but you know how vampires are...they prefer to drink from a breathing person. It might help to calm him, you know.
I blush at the thought of Freddy feeding on me, and goosebumps spread over my skin when I realize he is standing directly behind me, spying on my phone.
“Wow,” he whistles. “You really think the best of me...”
I whip around and almost fall down on my ass, but Freddy’s lap turns into a pillow for my head. “Careful,” he says with an amused smirk on his lips, peering down at me. “Are you always this clumsy?”
Stunned by his beauty, I watch his face from his lap. The sun is coming in from behind his back, making him appear more tanned while he is sitting down. As a vampire and a werewolf hybrid, he has flawless skin, but I have a feeling he would have freckles from the sun if he weren’t a hybrid.
“Do you have Scandinavian blood running in the family?” I blurt out, causing his eyebrows to shoot up.
“I do,” he says, smiling while running his smooth fingers through my black hair and then down my scar. “What? Do you think I look handsome? Viking-like perhaps?”
My heart skips a beat, and I feel myself growing shy. I’m not the type of girl to usually tell a guy how beautiful I find it. This is because I know I’m not a model myself with my scarred body and face, but...this is Freddy, and he deserves to know that I find him gorgeous.
Even if it’s scary to tell him because by doing so, I will make myself vulnerable by giving him the option to be honest about what he thinks about my appearance in return, and that’s terrifying. What if Freddy tells me he finds me ugly, just like Lucas did? It would break me.
And yet, I can’t prevent myself from not telling him the truth. So, with a shaking hand, I caress Freddy’s cheek while whispering softly, “You look like Thor from Marvel,” I grin at his stunned expression. “Which basically means that I find you very handsome. Beautiful even.”
Freddy’s eyes narrow in confusion at first, but then they widen in surprise as my words gradually sink into his brain. He stares in wonder at me, and even though I’m not a werewolf, I can hear his heart thumping wildly in his chest.
“Tess,” he breathes, his voice low and husky. “You have no idea how much that means to me.” He leans forward, his lips hovering just inches from mine upside down. “I think you’re beautiful too,” he murmurs before finally closing his eyes and kissing me deeply.
I feel my body melting in response to Freddy’s touch, savoring the sensation of his lips pressing against mine. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer as our kiss deepens. A part of me can’t believe what is happening, that I’m kissing someone who isn’t my fated mate, but I don’t care. All I know is that this feels right, like we are meant to be together.
Eventually, we break apart, both gasping for breath. Freddy looks at me with a mixture of awe and reverence in his eyes.
“You are incredible,” he whispers. “The way you accept me for who I am... it means everything to me.”
I smile bashfully, feeling my cheeks grow warm. “I just... I don’t see why people have to judge others based on what they have done in the past. We are constantly changing.”
Freddy nods in agreement, tracing circles on my cheek with his fingertips. “I wish more people were like you,” he says softly and smiles at me. “Have I told you that I love your scar? It makes you look fierce, like someone nobody messes with.”
I chuckle. “I’ve heard of girls finding guys with scars hot, but I didn’t expect to find the opposite.”
“Well, now you have,” he says softly. “I think you look freaking badass.”
I smile up at him, feeling my heart swell with affection. “You’re really sweet, you know that, right?”
He grimaces. “Only with you...I really don’t like people. I’m extremely anti-social and prefer to spend my days either by the lake or in my lab...not that I will ever return to my lab unless you’re fine with it.”
“As long as you’re not creating more hybrids,” I tell him and then grow a little bit curious. “So, your original power is connected to the lab?”
His face brightens, and he gets this very excited, almost nerdy look on his face. “Exactly! I don’t know why or how, but I’ve always been able to create potions. I just mix some herbs that I think feel right, and then I chant a spell, which always makes me create something magical from the herbs—that’s my ability.”
I arch an eyebrow. “And what are your other abilities?”
“Meh, you know, the usual vampire and werewolf stuff: inhuman strength, sharper senses, compulsion, teleporting through shadows, turning into a wolf, and running at lightning speed... Oh, and telepathy!”
I stare up at him. “That’s a lot...”
Freddy leans down to kiss my forehead. After he is done, he gives me a tired look. “I’m a total monster who has more than enough abilities for the both of us to go around...but you still like me, right?”
“I do. I like you a lot, actually.”
I stroke his cheek, and he closes his eyes, releasing a sort of purring sound. It’s very cute, and I smile like a fool before realizing we should probably get into the lake—that’s what we came here to do!
“Hey,” I whisper, grinning. “Maybe we should get into the lake before it gets dark?”
Freddy huffs a laugh. “Good idea,” he smirks. “I’m not that interested in swimming, but since it’s an excuse to see you naked, I’m game.”
“Harr-harr,” I roll my eyes at him, and Freddy laughs, easily pulling me up with him. He is very gentle with me, sort of like an oversized, blonde puppy. He is actually taller than Lucas, but not quite as swole. Freddy is more cut.
I grab the hem of my jeans. “Promise not to get inside my head even when I’m without my vervain.”
He places his hand on his chest with a smile, and I try not to check out his abs. “I promise not to read your mind...now, will you please undress?”
I blush at his words but nod nevertheless. “Y-yeah...just give me a moment...”
Okay, Tess, it’s now or never...
My hands shake a little as I unbutton my jeans, and then I slip them off, leaving me in just my hoodie and underwear. Freddy is already checking me out without speaking a single word. It makes me incredibly nervous—I can feel the intensity of his stare drilling into every inch of my skin that is exposed to him.
I look up at Freddy. He gives me a sly smile that makes my heart skip a beat before I take off running into the lake so that he can’t spend another second looking at my scars. My burn injuries aren’t very pretty, and they also serve as a painful reminder of my past—my entire family died in the fire, and I became a rogue as a result.
Meanwhile, Freddy is flawed like me personality-wise, but he is gorgeous, and that’s hard to stomach. Why would he want to be with someone like me?
“Wow!” Freddy snorts behind me. “Aren’t you cold? You just ran into the water!”
I pause at his words, only now realizing that the water is super-duper cold. Goosebumps are prickling over my skin, yet, despite that, I stride deeper into the blue the closer Freddy gets to me. I’m driven by fear and insecurity because, submerged, my body is hidden. It makes my vulnerability melts away like ice cream on hot asphalt.
“Are you avoiding me?” Freddy asks, half-amused, half-concerned.
I float on my back and paddle deeper into the water. “No, of course not!” I most definitely am. His prying eyes are the scariest thing in this lake. “Why would you think that?”
“Tess...” he growls, gliding towards me with an elegant swimmer’s crawl.
I turn the other way, putting some distance between us. When did this date become a game?
I kick my legs, which sends little ripples across the surface of the water. I try to avoid looking back at the gorgeous hybrid I’m dating, but it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done...and that’s saying a lot. I want him to touch me so badly.
Freddy is fast approaching. “You’re swimming away from me, Tess...why?”
I take a deep breath and close my eyes, deciding I can’t keep up the charade forever. “I’m just insecure...”
“Of what?” he asks in a soft tone.
I stop trying to swim away. My legs are tired, and I’m relieved when Freddy’s arms wrap around me. He pulls me to his strong body, allowing me to circle my legs around his waist while I rest my hands on his shoulders. We are now eye-to-eye, and he is smiling at me.
My heart accelerates, and I mumble, “I’m insecure about my body...my scars...”
Freddy rests his forehead against mine. “I’m not. I find you perfectly beautiful. But you must believe me, Tess... you’re the most breathtaking girl I’ve ever seen.”
“No, I’m not...” I whimper, looking down at my ugly body in the water.
“Yes, you are,” he insists, cupping my face with his hands and then tipping my chin up so that our noses bump together. “I know it might be hard for a girl to believe since you’re all impossibly insecure, but I honestly think you’re incredibly attractive. And if I could, I would give you my eyes so that you could see what I see when I look at you.”
My eyes lock with his red gaze, and I stoke my thumb over his lips. It makes them twitch, and he breathes a laugh, “That sort of tickles, you know...”
“Sorry,” I whisper and tilt my head. “What do you see when you look at me?”
He grins at me. “My future wife.”