Read Online Sweeter Than Wine by Bianca D'Arc - Free Book Online Page B

a hard stone bench, you creature of mischief.” Sebastian pushed at the cat with a good-natured shove, freeing Christy. She stood quickly, unwilling to be pinned by the cat again, though she wasn’t scared so much as excited.
    Sebastian ushered her inside, the cat following close behind. Once indoors, Matt moved up next to her, putting his large body under her hand as he led her through the house to another room she hadn’t seen before. This room was as decadent as the dojo was austere. A giant sectional couch filled one wall and looked like the most comfortable nest she’d ever seen. The opposite wall was covered with what looked like a movie screen with all kinds of electronic gear set in built-in cabinets all around. This was obviously some kind of high-tech media room and it was built for comfort as well as style.
    The colors were bold, but pleasing to the eye and the furniture looked both adaptable and functional. Of course, it would be useful for more than just watching movies. If the building rumble in the cat under her hand was anything to judge by, tonight the main attraction in this movie theater would be her.
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Chapter Four
    Sebastian watched Matt, in his furry form, hop up on the leather sectional.
    “Mind the claws, you mangy alley cat!”
    Matt paused to send a disdainful look over his shoulder as he stretched out in a boneless heap. Relaxing on the couch, he let the change take him.
    Christina’s gasp called Sebastian’s attention back to her. No matter how many times he saw the shift from were to human, it still amazed him. He could only imagine how Christina must feel, seeing it for the first time. When he looked back at the overstuffed couch, Matt lay there in all his naked human glory, staring back at Christina with lust clear in his eyes. For a moment, Sebastian had to work to hold his temper in check.
    He had to remind himself, this was what he wanted. He’d asked Matt to help her.
    More than that, he needed Matt to give Christina some of his speed, agility, and strength.
    That he’d agreed to do so was unprecedented, but Sebastian had a very special relationship with this particular were cougar. Sebastian had been there for Matt and his brothers after their sister’s brutal death at the hands of her crazed mate. Sebastian had helped them hunt down the cougar and dispense justice for his crime. Because of his sister’s tragic death, Matt had a soft spot for any woman like Christina, who’d been abused and betrayed by a man who’d promised to love, honor and cherish her.
    As a general rule, the various supernatural races didn’t mix. Most vampires disdained the were and vice versa. Were blood was a delicacy to vampires, though Christina was too young to realize it. The consumption of were blood allowed them faster healing and much more energy than regular mortal blood, but it was damned near impossible to get. The were had ample means to protect themselves even from ancient vampires, and it just wasn’t worth the trouble for a momentary high.
    Unless it was your first meal.

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    Few knew how crucial a newly turned vampire’s first meal was to the rest of their existence, but Sebastian knew the secret because of his own experience. Centuries ago, he’d been left alone in the forest after his maker turned him and left him the same night.
    When he woke, Sebastian had followed the scent of blood to a wounded animal left for dead. Newly turned, he didn’t know much, but instinct kicked in and while he couldn’t bring himself to feed from a human, he acknowledged his need for blood. Sebastian drank from the injured wolf he found cowering in the undergrowth. The poor creature had two broken legs—one front and one hind—and would require months of rehabilitation if the wounds didn’t fester, which was likely in the murky forest.
    Sebastian sank his teeth into the creature’s neck, startled when it changed under his hands. He tasted the red copper of blood and the burn of what