Vampire Mate: BBW Paranormal Romance

by Natalie Kristen

  Kron had stayed in the shadows to hide his true nature and motivations from the city and the PAC.

  Tonight, Glenn would have a glimpse of what the demon truly wanted and needed.

  On the surface, he would be having a civil, cordial dinner with a potential business partner. But beneath the surface, tensions were simmering and intentions were festering.

  Glenn knew that he wouldn't be walking into a cozy, welcoming home. He would be walking into a fight.

  His fighting days were well behind him. But Glenn was never one to hide or run from a fight.

  A fight.

  Glenn drummed his long fingers on the table, and frowned at the stacks of documents in front of him. Well, he had work to do, and he was more than ready to take on an old demon lord.

  It was past six o'clock when Glenn looked up from his completed paperwork. Glenn stood up and grabbed his jacket. Exiting his office, he smiled at Philomi who looked up promptly from her typing.

  “Don't work too late,” he told her. “I'm going off now. I have to get ready for dinner with Mr Sideous Kron.”

  Her black eyes narrowed slightly as she asked, “What time will you be in tomorrow, Mr Constantine?”

  Glenn knew that what she was really saying was: I will call the PAC for help if you're not here by a certain time, so—what is that certain time?

  “I'll be in tomorrow morning, by nine o'clock, latest. ”

  “I'll make sure the shutters are down in your office,” she replied crisply.

  “Thanks. Now, I need to go home and freshen up. Got to impress a potential purchaser of our land,” Glenn said with a grimace.

  Glenn misted straight to his penthouse in the Tine Towers, which he owned, and proceeded to get his penguin suit out of the closet. White shirt, black suit, black bow tie, the works. He showered and shrugged on his jacket. This would be a very formal dinner. Formal, and hopefully civilized.

  Then he grabbed his keys to his Lamborghini and pulled his deep red sports car out of the parking lot.

  He knew he could mist directly to Sideous Kron's residence—that would sure save driving time, road rage and traffic stress. But there was a certain protocol and decorum when it came to dealing with paranormals, and humans, for that matter. There were appearances to be kept up, manners to be observed, laws to be obeyed. Popping up as a column of mist right in the middle of someone else's living room would be trespassing, or breaking and entering—even if nothing had been broken. And with someone like Sideous Kron, it was best not to reveal one's true prowess.

  Glenn's red Lamborghini Roadster weaved through the city traffic and turned out into the long highway leading out of the city. He cruised towards Infernal Springs, that remote, affluent enclave of majestic mansions miles out of the city. The inhabitants of these looming, sprawling mansions were a mix of humans and paranormals. One of the vampires he had turned over two centuries ago, Caleb Thorn, lived there. Glenn briefly wondered if he should pay Caleb a visit, then decided against it. From what he had heard, Caleb was a party boy, and the chances that he would catch him at home were slim. Or perhaps the lover boy would be at home, in bed with a couple of warm, writhing female bodies.

  The city lights winked behind him as Glenn drove along the highway. How long had it been since he'd had a female in his bed? Glenn floored the pedal as he winced. He honestly couldn't remember. He couldn't even remember the faces and names of all those women. Just one lick of their blood and his heart and mind had hardened with disappointment and resignation. Not his mate.

  Glenn's mind flashed to Charlene, and a sharp pain stabbed through his heart. Against his will, he snorted out a bitter laugh when he recalled the surprise of some of the women he had bedded. Non-vampire females were often shocked and amazed when they put their hands against his chest and felt his heartbeat. “Oh, your heart beats! And...you breathe!”

  Why, yes, I breathe, I bleed, and I feel. If my heart didn't beat, there would be no circulation and movement of blood to—a certain part of my body.

  The females had no complaints there. They had all thoroughly enjoyed that certain, hard part of his body.

  Glenn turned into a side road and glanced at the time. He would arrive at eight o'clock sharp. Hopefully this meeting with Sideous Kron wouldn't drag on for too long. He hoped to used the few precious hours before sunrise to search for Charlene.

  His Lamborghini cruised along the well-kept street, passing the high walls that surrounded the palatial mansions. As he passed Caleb Thorn's mansion, he heard loud music, squeals and splashes coming from the pool area. Caleb was having a pool party, and from the flashes of skin and scales and wet bodies running amok through the brightly lit lawn, it was clear that the dress code stated on the invite was: birthday suit.

  Glenn smiled, but didn't slow down his car. If Caleb caught a glimpse of his car, he'd throw his tall gates wide open and come charging out butt naked to drag Glenn to the party. And then he'd throw Glenn into the pool so that his nice suit would be all wet, and he would have no choice but to get naked with the rest of them. Caleb's parties were always wet, wild and wicked.

  Glenn zoomed past the rest of the elaborate, eccentric structures and pulled up at Sideous Kron's high, black gates.

  Kron's castle was a sprawling, full blown Gothic affair, with gargoyles and stone pillars full of carved faces and grotesque figures. The demon lord was rumored to come from old money, and before he relocated to New Moon City, the only city that legally recognized the existence and rights of paranormals, he'd heard that the demon lord had assumed many names and identities, frequently reinventing himself over the ages. So that meant he would fake his own death, and then appear out of the blue as a distant relation of the deceased billionaire and inherit his own wealth. Old money that was the same, blood-tainted money.

  As Glenn's car rolled up, the gates swung open silently. The stone gargoyles glared down at his car from the tall pillars as he drove in, their ruby red eyes glowing. Smoke hissed from their open mouths, and their heads swiveled to follow his car.

  Glenn shook his head at the theatrical animatronics. Subtlety was not the demon's strong suit it seemed. Staying in the background all these years, instead of bursting onto the New Moon City scene in a hail of fire and brimstone must have been out of necessity, not choice for Sideous Kron. He'd had to lie low, for his own reasons. But now...the crafty old demon was after something.

  Glenn squinted at the elaborate, exaggerated carvings and architecture of the castle as he parked his car at a corner of the curved driveway. He would walk the rest of the distance to the house. It allowed him to assess the surroundings and to sense any danger. He also wanted to let Sideous Kron see clearly that he came in peace, and the demon would be wise to abandon any nefarious vision he may have of the Master vampire leaving in pieces.

  Not happening, old chap.

  Glenn strode towards the house pretending to be a castle, or the castle pretending to be a home, depending on how you looked at it. Sideous Kron was standing on the front steps, resplendent in a pristine white suit and top hat.

  “Welcome, welcome, Mr Constantine.” Sideous Kron's smile was wide and exaggerated.

  “Thank you for your invitation, Mr Kron,” Glenn answered smoothly. He returned Kron's too wide smile with a tight smile of his own, one that did not reveal his fangs.

  Kron's fangs, on the other hand, were on full display. Subtlety was definitely not his specialty.

  “Come in, come in. Dinner will be served shortly. I hope that you will like what's on the menu tonight.” Kron led the way into the house. “I have opened my best bottle of blood wine. I have been wanting to have a drink with you for a long time, Mr Constantine.”

  Glenn inclined his head politely, and walked through the arched double doors which closed soundlessly behind him. The chandelier tinkled as he walked through the vestibule and into the cavernous living room where a fire was roaring in the towering fireplace.

  “I've prepared a spread, so I hope you are hungry
, Mr Constantine.”

  “Ravenous,” Glenn answered with a charming smile.

  Kron met his eyes. “Aren't we all?”

  The living room led to the dining room, and as Kron had promised, there was an elaborate spread of food on the long, gold dining table. Ornate candelabra held blood red candles, and a whiff told Glenn that those candles had indeed been fashioned out of dried blood.

  Piled high on the table were plates of brightly colored fruits, bread rolls, roast meats, seafood, soup, tarts, cake, salads, rice, noodles, pasta. It was like an international buffet spread. Kron sat himself at the head of the table and indicated the seat to his left. “Please, Mr Constantine. It would be hard for me to talk to you if you're at the other end of the table. This would be much cozier, yes?”

  Glenn smiled and graciously took the seat Kron indicated. As soon as Glenn sat down, Kron flicked a claw and three large horned demons who had apparently been wrestled into starched butler uniforms walked out of a side door and proceeded to arrange the food neatly onto three plates. They put a bit of everything onto the large plates. Salad, some roast meats, mashed potato, gravy, fried noodle, sushi, literally everything.

  A laden plate was placed in front of Glenn. Glenn watched one demon butler present a plate of food to Kron, while another butler carefully placed the other laden plate on Kron's right, opposite Glenn.

  Glenn raised one eyebrow at Sideous Kron. “Are you expecting someone else, or are you having two helpings at one go?”

  The demon laughed pleasantly. “There's someone I would like you to meet, Mr Constantine.”

  A door opened, and Glenn heard a step behind him. He turned round and all the air left his lungs in a rush.

  Charlene was standing before him, her lush body perfectly encased in a shimmering black gown. Her blond hair was pulled back with a barrette studded with sparkling gemstones and her low neckline showed off the swell of her breasts perfectly. She wore dark red lipstick and smoky eyeshadow, and she looked glamorous, graceful, and so beautiful.

  Glenn rose to his feet, staring intently at her as she tried to mask her obvious shock at seeing him.

  Hurriedly, she arranged her features into a smile, her hand fluttering to her neck.

  Kron purred from his seat. “Charlene, darling, come here. I'd like you to meet Mr Glenn Constantine, Master vampire and the Chairman of GC Inc.”

  Charlene took a stiff step forward. “Pleased to meet you, Mr Constantine.”

  “This is...my capable assistant, Charlene,” Kron introduced as Charlene took her seat. “She handles most of my important affairs and acquisitions. Charlene knows what I want, and she gets it for me. She is my right hand woman.”

  Glenn nodded without speaking as he sat back down. He just couldn't tear his eyes from Charlene. Her face was lowered, and she was stealing glances up at him from under her long lashes. Her face and neck were flushed, and he could see her chest rise and fall with her rapid breathing. She shouldn't be here. Yet here she was, seated opposite him, at Kron's table.

  Charlene, a blood demoness, in Sideous Kron's castle.

  Charlene knows what I want, and she gets it for me.

  Glenn felt his throat and fists tighten.

  She was Sideous Kron's demon. He Made her, commanded her, used her. He had probably used her in more ways than one...

  Kron had started eating, digging into his food with gusto. “Please,” he said, beaming at Glenn. “Enjoy the spread.”

  Glenn picked up the gold fork but couldn't bring himself to eat. He could smell fresh blood in the sauces and gravy, and he wondered if Kron had purchased the blood from a licensed blood bar or blood bank, or if he had procured the blood in some other way.

  Soundlessly, he put his fork down and watched Charlene gingerly pick up a piece of cut meat from her plate, stifle a wince, and put it back down without taking a single bite.

  Glenn knew that Kron was watching the two of them even though the old demon pretended to be busily eating and enjoying his meal. He even faked a loud burp pretty convincingly.

  Kron eyed the untouched food on Glenn's plate but he didn't comment on it. Instead, he dabbed his mouth with his napkin and pushed his chair back. “Oh my, look at the time. This has been so much fun that I almost forgot that there is someplace else I need to be.” The demon made a show of looking at his diamond watch. “As I said, Mr Constantine, I entrust Charlene with my acquisitions, so she'll be handling all the intricate details and intimate negotiations regarding the acquisition of that land parcel. I sincerely hope the sale agreement can be signed soon.” Kron winked. “I am not a very patient demon. I'll leave you in Charlene's capable hands then.”

  With that, Kron swung his cane and vanished. Glenn suspected that the demon lord had teleported to another part of his castle, but he couldn't sense his presence.

  Kron had left him alone with Charlene, on purpose.

  The wily demon had seen his obvious interest and attraction to Charlene. Glenn let out a low groan. He shouldn't have stared so hard at Charlene. But how could he not look at her?

  It was just impossible to take his eyes off her.

  She was just so damn beautiful, and so damn unreadable.

  Charlene had stood up and was frowning at Kron's empty seat with a look akin to resentment. She flicked her eyes to him and her lips twisted in a crooked, shaky smile.

  “I...”

  “You. Charlene Cole,” Glenn cut her off, his voice icy. “You are Sideous Kron's blood demoness.”

  She seemed stung by the accusation and revulsion in his voice. “I never said I wasn't,” she retorted.

  “You're working for him. When I saw you, with that werewolf, you—”

  “I was working. Yes.” Her words were clipped, slicing into him like shrapnel.

  “Do you enjoy your work?”

  “I...y-yes. Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.” She kicked her chin up and snapped. “I enjoy my work very much indeed.”

  They were glaring at each other across the table, the anger in their eyes hiding the pain in their hearts. Glenn stared at her flushed face, at those blazing green eyes, at that full, luscious body that was threatening to spill out of that clinging gown. Every inch of him was hard and hurting, and what he really wanted to do was wrap around her and mist her far away from here, away from her demon Maker, away from the danger all around her.

  He ground his teeth, trying to force his fangs back. But some parts of his body couldn't be controlled by his brain. They just extended and elongated on their own, never mind the time and place as long as the company was right.

  Angrily, Glenn jerked away from the table and clenched his fists hard to stop himself from grabbing her. He was standing in Kron's dining room, and he couldn't show just how much he wanted her. He had no doubt that Kron had instructed Charlene to use her feminine wiles on him to get him to sign away the land.

  He couldn't let the demon see that he had picked the right female for the job. The demon had seen his obvious attraction to Charlene, but he had to let Kron think that he was just behaving like an ordinary randy male whose roving eye was easily caught by beauty. He couldn't let the demon lord know how much he cared for this woman.

  She was Kron's demon, and misting her physically out of Kron's castle wouldn't free her from the demon lord's clutches. That reckless move would accomplish nothing, except alert Kron to his undeniable attraction and attachment to Charlene.

  Until he could find a way to free her completely, he had to leave her here.

  It was the hardest thing he had to do.

  “Charlene.” He said her name one last time, and turned away from her.

  She inhaled sharply, almost as if in pain. He strode to the door and turned his head to the side, fighting the urge to take a final look at her.

  “Glenn,” she whispered.

  He stilled.

  “We should talk,” she said, and he heard the plea in her voice.

  He bent his head. Kron had announced emphatically that he had
entrusted her with the negotiation for the purchase of the land. If she didn't talk to him, she would not have done her job, and Glenn had no doubt that Kron would punish her for it.

  Glenn wanted to kill Kron right now, rip his demon head right off his shoulders.

  But he—couldn't.

  Kron was her Maker. If he killed the demon lord, he would kill her as well. If a demon Maker was destroyed, all his Made demons would be destroyed with their Maker.

  How, just how, could he kill that demon, without killing her?

  “Yes. We'll talk,” he gritted over his shoulder. We have to, but not here. “Make an appointment with my secretary to meet me in my office. We can talk then.”

  “I...I will. I'll see you then,” she stammered.

  He wanted to spin round and grab her, and whisk her far, far away from Kron. But that would be a futile and foolish act. Kron would Summon her back to him, and she would suffer for it.

  Demons had their own hierarchy and methods of dominance and control. Even vampires differed in their methods. Glenn knew some Master vampires maintained a tight hold on the vampires they turned, forcing their will on them, making sure their minds and powers were always weaker than theirs. Glenn never believed in forcing someone's will. The vampires he turned were free to do as they wanted, as long as they didn't commit evil. If any of his vampires turned rogue, he would personally hunt them down and destroy them himself. So far, he had only destroyed one of his own. He had been very careful thereafter in choosing who to turn. Bryn Ellis, his youngest vampire was now an Enforcer, and worked and played hard with Charlotte, the Alpha's mate. Caleb Thorn had also made good, and although he liked to party and loved a good time, he was a vamp with a good heart.

  It was all about choices and free will.

  Charlene had chosen to be a blood demoness. From his knowledge of humans and demons gleaned over the ages, he knew that a human could only become a demon if they agreed to be Made into one. Charlene had been fully human. She was not a natural or born demoness.

  It was her choice. Her free will.

  No one could force her. Even Kron couldn't force her to become a blood demoness if she had said no.