VAMPIRE MATE
(BBW Paranormal Romance)
MATE series
By
Natalie Kristen
MATE series
ALPHA MATE
BEAR MATE
VAMPIRE MATE
Copyright © 2014 Natalie Kristen
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are used fictitiously or are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual locales, events, establishments or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
*****
Death or demon?
A fatal attack by a rogue werewolf leaves Charlene Cole pretty much dead, but a demon lord offers to return her to life—as a blood demoness. It is a chance for Charlene to return to her sister, her only family, and she takes it.
But if an offer is too good to be true, it probably is.
Glenn Constantine, Master vampire on the Paranormal Affairs Council, has never forgotten a sweet, curvy human he glimpsed a year ago. When he encounters a newly Made blood demoness one night, he recognizes her instantly. He has sworn never to take a blood demoness to his bed, but how can he deny the fierce hunger and desire she awakens in him?
As fate threatens to snatch her away from him once more, Glenn knows he has to do everything possible, and attempt the impossible, to save her.
He'd lost her once.
Will he now lose her forever?
*****
CHAPTER ONE
The darkness grew thicker, denser, colder all around her. In the distance, Charlene thought she heard footsteps and voices.
Someone was shouting above the crackle of static, but the voice sounded so far away.
“...a rogue wolf is on the loose. Last seen at the corner of Rising Street. One dead.” More shouts, this time louder and much nearer.
The same voice, but now there was a distinct note of panic and perplexity. “Where...? What? No, I saw her! She was just..here! Right here, I swear! What the hell?”
Charlene tried to latch on to that voice, tried to get her own voice to work, to call out and reach out. But everything was fading away from her. The sounds, the desperate voices, the faint scent of her own blood, her terror and the memory of being attacked by a rogue werewolf.
The werewolf had attacked and killed her, didn't it? She remembered walking home with her younger sister, Charlotte, after a midnight movie, laughing and joking as they cut through a dark, smoky alleyway. And then all the laughter had stopped. A low animal growl filled the length of the alley as a shadow moved behind them to block off their escape.
Charlene saw it first, and what she saw made her lurch forward to put herself between her sister and the monster, who was prowling towards them.
New Moon City was home to many paranormals, since it was the only city that had the guts and gumption to protect and police these beings, instead of persecuting them. Charlene was used to seeing shifters about the city, but they were usually in their human form, or fully in their shifted animal forms. But the werewolf that was coming at them was neither human nor animal. It seemed to be stuck in a half shift, unable to control its human faculties and reign in its animal senses.
Even in her terror, Charlene knew that they were facing a rogue werewolf. The shifter was no longer able to control the beast in him, and the wolf was fast overtaking and overpowering the human part of the shifter. The rogue werewolf had given in to his beastly hunger and blood lust, and was a serious danger to the civilians of New Moon City.
Swallowing a scream, Charlene faced the hulking half-man, half-wolf monster coming at them, its eyes red and glowing with hunger. They were trapped in the alley with the monster. Glancing over her shoulder, Charlene knew that they would never make it to the other end of the alley in time. If they turned and ran, it would only awaken the predator's instinct to chase the prey. With one pounce, the beast would be upon them.
No, running was not an option.
She would have to face the monster, and beat it.
Charlene pushed Charlotte behind her and raised her shaking fists. She would do everything in her power to protect her little sister. Well, Charlotte was not so little anymore. She was twenty-one and all grown up. She was even a couple of inches taller than Charlene. She had grown into a lovely, lively young woman and she had her whole life ahead of her.
As for Charlene, she had lived eight years longer than Charlotte, which was long enough. Twenty-nine years was a long time, especially when you spent most of those years slogging and struggling to bring up a younger sister all on your own. Charlotte had been just twelve when their mother ran off, and their father had died a year later. Charlene had just turned twenty-one then, and she had raised Charlotte as best she could. And if she might say so herself, she had done a great job. Her sister had grown up to be a happy, loving and strong young woman.
Charlene's life had been tough, but her blood and sweat had been worthwhile.
Her life had not been in vain. She would make sure that her death would not be in vain either.
Charlene knew that only one of them had the chance of making it out of the alley alive. And Charlotte, her beautiful baby sister, would be the one. She would make sure of that.
As she hurled herself at the monster, she heard herself scream, “Run, Charlotte, run! Please, get out of here! Go!”
There wasn't time to do or say anymore. Teeth, claws and evil red eyes flew towards her. The red had flashed brighter, hotter, wetter and spattered all around her. Not all the blood was hers though. She had felt the pride and satisfaction of sinking her human teeth and nails into the monster's thick neck and drawing blood. She might not have fangs and claws, but if the rogue werewolf thought to dispose of her easily so that it could go after her sister, it was sorely mistaken. She was not going down without a fight. And she would keep the werewolf down with her for as long as she could, so Charlotte could run.
Charlene held on as best she could, biting and scratching. The rogue werewolf roared and reared up, trying to shake her off. Charlene screeched at her sister to run as she tried to dig her nails into the wolf's eyes. In pain and fury, the creature bellowed and twisted round.
With a swipe of its hairy arm, it flung her off its back and onto the hard ground.
There was a sickening crack. The sound had sounded like a gunshot, sharp and deafening. It had come from her. What had cracked? Was it her arm, her neck or her skull?
But there was no pain, no feeling at all. She felt numb all over, and for an instant, she experienced a strange lightness of body and mind. Charlene tried to shout, but the only sound she made was a gurgle.
And then her senses rushed back, and she tasted blood. Blood was filling her mouth, her head, her eyes. Blood was pouring into her eyes and oozing out of it, making her last view of this world red and dark. She blinked hard, seeing the glint of fangs and claws at the corner of her vision.
She knew. Even as she tried to push herself up to face the monster one last time, she knew that she would die. But Charlene didn't want the monster's savage, snarling face to be the last thing she saw before she died. She looked past the black fur and claws, and found her sister's pale face in the shadows. A pure, innocent, beautiful face. It was like looking into the face of an angel.
&
nbsp; Charlene smiled. A last tender smile for her baby sister.
I love you, Charlene tried to utter the words.
At that moment, the werewolf pounced and she felt its razor-sharp teeth, like a dozen knives, clamping down on her throat.
The pain was sudden but short.
She screamed, and it was over.
Everything was over.
Live!
That was the last word she had mouthed to Charlotte, just before her eyes closed.
Live.
In the timeless, shapeless moment, that word was the only thing clear and real to her. With her last breath, she had commanded Charlotte to live.
Charlene took a sharp, excruciating breath and gasped. Live!
She took another ragged breath.
Then another.
And another.
How could it be? She felt her eyes snap open, even though she couldn't see anything in the pitch darkness.
She was breathing, and gasping, and her heart was beating so fast there was no doubt that it was beating.
She was...alive?
She lived!
Or did she?
She could feel her hot, wheezing breaths and hear her pounding heartbeats. If she was breathing and her heart was beating, that meant that she wasn't dead. Right?
Well not exactly. Charlene knew that there were machines that could make your lungs breathe and your heart beat for you, keeping your body alive even if the rest of you were dead. Was that what was happening to her? Was her body being kept alive by machines?
If so, she was not really alive. Not really.
She was just—not dead. Yet.
Charlene couldn't see anything but she knew that her eyes were open. She could feel herself blink. But where was she? She couldn't hear the beep and hum of machines, and she didn't feel as if she was lying on a hospital bed. She felt like she was standing up, standing in the middle of somewhere.
She took a step, and felt solid ground beneath her feet.
Yup, she was standing up, and she could walk.
So...where was she? She had a feeling she wasn't in New Moon City anymore. Was she in heaven, in hell, or in limbo?
And more importantly, what was she?
Was she still a human being, a spirit, an incorporeal entity, or just a nameless nothingness?
The shadows began to swirl around her, faster and faster, spinning closer and closer to her, imprisoning her in a cyclone of darkness. Charlene put a hand to her mouth. She was beginning to feel dizzy and quite sick. It was either motion sickness or claustrophobia. The darkness was oppressive and imprisoning, and she didn't like it one bit here. She wanted to get out of this place, if it was even a place.
Just as she was about to scream in panic and frustration, the cyclone lifted and the darkness parted to reveal a flickering flame. In a blink, the flame wobbled and split to become twin flames. Charlene stopped flailing and stared at the floating flames. She still couldn't see her surroundings. All she could see were those two glowing flames, which were coming nearer and nearer to her until they danced right in front of her.
Charlene gasped. She saw herself reflected in the dark heart of the flames. But was that really her? She looked—like hell really. She looked more dead than alive. In fact, there was no way she could even be alive in that state. There was hardly anything left of her neck and face. Her flesh had been bitten and clawed away to reveal the bone beneath, and her skin was hanging in shreds from her mutilated body. There were teeth and claw marks all over her. Parts of her had been viciously gouged out, and she could make out some of her internal organs through the strips of bloody flesh. Charlene staggered back, her eyes almost popping right out of her skull, which unfortunately she could see all too clearly. Most of her face had been ripped away, and what was left of her skin had taken on a dead gray hue. She raised her mangled hand to her mouth, backing away from the taunting flames. She looked like something out of a bad zombie movie.
Charlene squeezed her eyes shut. Thankfully her eyelids hadn't been ripped away, so she could still close her eyes. The makeup and special effects were very convincing, but she didn't remember signing up to be an extra in a horror movie. And as far as she knew, she hadn't accidentally stumbled into a fun house of horrors at a fair or theme park either. Charlotte had loved going into those as a kid, but they hadn't been to one in a long time. There was no way she could be in a house of horrors right now by herself. There was just no way in hell...
Charlene jolted, her eyes flying wide open.
In hell.
This must be where she was.
She stared at the twin flames, which were narrowing into glowing slits. As she watched in wordless terror, the flames became two slitted eyes, and a smile appeared out of the darkness.
“Charlene Cole.” It was a male voice that said her name. The voice was cool, dispassionate, appraising.
She tried to turn towards the voice, but the voice was everywhere. It was in front of her, behind her, beside her, at her ear, at her back, in her head, in her bones. Charlene clutched her head, and yanked out a tuft of her blond hair in her agitation.
“Get...out! Get out of my head! Go away,” she rasped, trying to block out the voice. “How do you know my name? Who are you?”
“I am the only thing standing between you, and your death, Charlene. I watched you fight that rogue werewolf. You're very brave and very strong for a human. You are a fighter, Charlene. Dying would be a waste,” the voice whispered seductively in her ear.
“What do you want? Who are you?” Charlene swallowed and made her voice stronger. “Since you know my name, it's only polite you tell me yours.”
The laughter was good-humored, not mocking.
“I am a demon lord and I have many names. I am Mr Sideous Kron to my business associates in New Moon City. Lord Kron, Lord of Beasts and Bloodshed to my demons and those in the know. You, Charlene Cole—” He chuckled. “—may call me your Maker.”
Charlene suppressed a shiver and forced her voice to remain firm and calm. If she was talking to a demon lord, she couldn't and shouldn't show any fear.
“You're planning to kill me, aren't you. Offer me up as some sort of demon sacrifice.” She stuck out her tongue then hurriedly put it back in her mouth before it fell out. “Too bad I'm already dead,” she jeered. Ha! You lose. I...don't win either.
This time, Kron made an impatient noise. “You haven't been listening. I said, your Maker, not your Destroyer.”
Charlene chewed what was left of her lower lip and stopped abruptly when a corner of said lip crumbled away. She scowled at her distant reflection in those slitted eyes. She looked like shit, felt like shit and was literally going to pieces.
“My Maker,” Charlene repeated skeptically. “You're going to Make me...” She gestured uncertainly and paused. “Wait, is this like a makeover? I could really do with one.”
“A makeover. Mmm, you could call it that I suppose.” Kron sounded pleased. There was a step, and Charlene saw the flames in those eyes flare up and burn brighter and redder. There was the clicking of claws as a face, then a body surfaced from the inky shadows. Charlene made herself stand rigid and look Kron directly in his flaming eyes as he loomed over her. She would not show any weakness in front of a demon, even if her flesh was peeling off her body and her shredded skin hung like rags on her.
For an instant, she saw Kron's demon form, replete with curling horns, smoking snout, long claws and fangs, lashing, barbed tails and a very bad complexion. Those humongous pimples looked like mini volcanoes about to erupt all over his mottled face. When she blinked again, that smoking, scowling demon was gone. In his place stood a well-dressed gentleman in a top hat, monocle, and a three piece suit. The stench of brimstone was masked by expensive cologne, and he accessorized lavishly with a diamond-studded watch, gold bracelets, glittering rings and a blinding, wide smile.
“That's some makeover,” Charlene muttered.
“Yes. For me, it's easy.” Kron snapped his fi
ngers, and his smile vanished. “But you will need to have some work done. Look at the state of you. Humans are just so—limited. Can't heal quickly, can't change form, can't teleport. And yet, you remain...fascinating.” He clucked his tongue and looked her up and down. He held a strand of her skin up between two fingers and dropped it, wrinkling his nose. “Lots of loose skin here, sagging flesh, hair loss...” he mumbled, shaking his head and screwing up his face. “You'll need a full day's work, to patch you back more or less to your original look.”
“Original look?”
“Unless you want a change of face, and body.”
“No, no, just the way I was would be...great,” Charlotte stammered, a spark of hope igniting in her breast. “Does that mean that I...can live? That I can go back...”
“Go back to being human?” Kron sounded incredulous.
Charlene nodded earnestly, waiting with bated breath. If there was a chance that she could go back, go back to Charlotte, her little sister, her only family, she would grab it.
“I shall put this very delicately,” Kron said. “The answer is—no.”
“B-but you said...”
“Do you know what I am?” Kron threw out his arms. “I am a demon lord. I. Don't. Make. Humans!” He huffed. “Really. I'm insulted.”
Charlene stared to worry her bottom lip again before she stopped herself. She couldn't afford to lose any more pieces of herself. “So when you say makeover,” she began slowly. “You mean...”
Kron folded his arms and looked at her expectantly. “I mean what I say, and I say what I mean.”
She gulped and stuttered, “Y-you will Make me...”
“Go on, you're getting it. What do you think I Make, Charlene?”
I am a demon lord. I. Don't. Make. Humans!
Vampire Mate: BBW Paranormal Romance Page 1
