The Witch and the Vampire King (Immortal Love Series Book 2)

by Anna Santos

  Jumping from bed, she rushed to wash her face and clean her teeth. She only calmed down when she reached the king's bedroom door and saw it slightly opened. She frowned. Someone was snoring loudly inside. The king didn't snore.

  Peeking inside, her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The dim light showed Rose sleeping in the armchair and the king's empty bed. She entered and searched in the bathroom. He was gone.

  Worried, she exited the bedroom, the sound of Rose's snoring haunting her down the corridor. It seemed Rose was a heavy sleeper, and the king had escaped. Before alarming everybody, she decided to look for him. First place, the library. He wasn't there. Second place, the office. He wasn't there either. She decided to look in the kitchen before waking everybody up to search for him.

  Stepping inside the kitchen, she turned on the light. At the far end, resting his back against a cabinet next to the fridge, she found the king. Then she panicked and rushed to his side. His white cotton t-shirt was soaked in blood. His lips and beard were covered with it, too.

  Kneeling beside him, she placed two fingers against his jugular to see if he was still alive. “What happened?”

  The king opened his eyes and tried to focus his gaze.

  “Did you vomit blood? We need to take you to the doctor.” She tried to help him up but he was too heavy.

  His body jerked when he growled, “No doctor.”

  “But you have blood all over you!”

  “It's not my blood.” He raised his right hand to show the bag of blood he had squeezed in his hand. “I was thirsty.”

  Jessica fell back on her calves, relief washing over her body. “You almost gave me a heart attack!” She sat down and breathed deeply.

  The king drew his eyebrows together and Jessie felt analyzed.

  “Are you feeling better?” Jessica asked, disturbed by the silence. “Do you think you can get up to get back to your bed?”

  “Rose snores—really loud.”

  Jessica's lips curled into a smile. “Yes, she does.”

  She rose to her feet and offered her hand. “You need to clean yourself.”

  The king stood up on his own, opened the cabinet and disposed of the bag of blood in the trash. Then he took off his t-shirt, showing his perfect ripped muscled chest. She blushed, the temperature on her body rising.

  “You are a witch, can you combust my t-shirt so that they don't find the blood?”

  Jessica frowned and tilted her head. “Why?”

  “I don't want to worry them.”

  Nodding, she motioned him to put the t-shirt in the sink. Flicking her wrist, she formed a fireball in the palm of her hand. She threw it against the fabric that burned until the ashes were all that remained. The king turned on the water and rinsed the ashes down the drain.

  Jessica peeked at his chiseled biceps.

  He cleared his throat and she gazed up at him, flustered. “I don't want to wake Rose. I'll be in your bedroom cleaning off the rest of the blood.”

  She spun around to watch him leave, his shoulders square and tight as he walked to the door.

  He was going to her bedroom. How did he even know where she was staying?

  * * *

  Jessica closed her bedroom door once she came inside. The sound of the water falling warned her that he was showering. With her back against the door and her lower lip between her teeth, she debated on whether to have a peek or not. He didn't bother to close the bathroom door. That was not an excuse to invade his privacy. His perfectly ripped body under the water, soap washing down his back and…She scolded herself to stop that dangerous fantasy.

  Desire was suffocating her and she pressed her thighs together to control the aching between her legs. Shaking her head, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Daydreaming about her best friend's naked, gorgeous, and ripped relative was simply wrong.

  Could an immortal fall in love with someone else after their mate was gone? The intensity of the love wouldn't be the same, she knew that. But could he still feel affection and lust for her? She loved the vampire in her dreams, but her attraction to the king was overwhelming and defied logic. The absurdity of her thoughts cooled down her desire. She didn’t want to be a replacement.

  When she opened her eyes, the king was in front of her. Drops of water fell from his wet hair down his neck, trailing along his flawless six-pack abs. His sweatpants were hanging loosely at his hips. She bit the inside of her cheek. Lord, he was sexy! Her hands itched to touch him. She had to press her palms harder against the door.

  “Are you okay?” His voice was masculine and sultry.

  When she gazed up, he was frowning at her. But despite his serious face, his eyes were bright purple and his fangs peeked from his mouth. Gasping with confusion, she said, “You are a vampire.”

  “I thought you already knew that.” He smirked and secured a hand next to her head. She was trapped between the door and him, however, he didn't narrow the distance between their bodies.

  She stilled as waves of different levels of heat rippled through her body. “I mean…you are still a vampire.”

  This time, he simply nodded. No hint of a smile but his eyes were sending her a confusing message of passion and anger. “I thought I told you to leave. What are you still doing here?”

  “I was tired. I fell asleep on the bed.”

  “I don't want you here.”

  She raised her chin, annoyed. “Why not?”

  He tensed his jaw and growled. Turning around, he looked at the bed across the room while clenching his hands into fists. “You are nothing but a child compared to me.”

  Jessica placed her hands on her hips. “I'm not a child! I'm a woman.”

  The king turned around, his eyes targeting her figure. “You crave attention, don't you? With your short and tight dresses, your generous cleavage...Do you think I don't know what you are doing?” He lunged and his face hovered over hers.

  Her body felt the dazzling heat coming from his. Her head swirled, unsure of what was happening and of what he was accusing her of. “What am I doing?”

  “You are teasing me like you tease all the men around you. Eric. Kevin. Sebastien. Even James.”

  “I do not,” she protested. Pressing her palm against his chest, she tried to push him back. He didn't budge. “What the hell do you want from me?”

  “I want you gone from here. I don't want your scent in this house. I don't want to see your face.”

  His words were cold and hurt her more than she expected.

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “I have been nothing but nice to you. I tried to endure all your bad moods. But enough is enough.” This time, she pushed him back with intent and he increased the space between them. Glaring at him, she pointed a finger. “Listen, you misogynistic beast, I don't dress to please men, I dress to please myself. And there's nothing wrong with my clothes! Eric and Kevin are my friends. Sebastien is my friend too, but if we happen to hook up that's my problem, not yours. As for James, not my type. As for you?” Words vanished from her mouth as her throat went dry.

  “Yes?” He had a defying look that made her clench her teeth and snarl.

  She wished that she could say that she hated him. She wished that his presence didn’t leave her breathless.

  “Why are you always so mean to me?” Her voice broke in the end. She didn't like to feel powerless and vulnerable.

  For a moment, Jessica thought that the king's eyes softened. But then his hands cupped her face and before she understood what was going on, their lips were touching and his body was pressing her against the door. First, she fought for air, then her hands wrapped around his neck and her fingers dug into his wet hair as her lips locked against his. Every pore of her skin, every follicle of hair burned and exploded with their contact. She dug her fingers deeper and let go when her legs were trapped between his. She moaned and melted into his arms. Hunger possessed her and it seemed to overpower him. too. He was leading that kiss. He was commanding the dancing of their tongues, the compa
ss of their lips. His beard scrapped her delicate skin as the tip of his tongue slid through to tantalize hers and tease the soft tissues inside her mouth. Her body surrendered completely to his will. Longing snaked relentlessly up and down her legs and stomach.

  Moments later, he broke the kiss and stepped back. Jessica's vision flickered when she opened her eyes. In front of her, wasn't a face of someone pleased by what happened. She pressed her trembling hands against the door and let her back sustain her weight. She would probably lose balance if she tried to move. She felt lightheaded. Her mouth opened but words didn't come out. Why did he stop? She wanted more. She needed more.

  His voice came out angry, “That's why I don't want you here. You are too easy and you bring nothing but trouble. We don't need you here. Your presence isn't helping, you are nothing but a burden, and a damn distraction.”

  “What?” Her voice came out strangled as she felt as though her heart was being ripped apart inside her chest.

  “I don’t want you here! Can’t you see that I can hurt you? You are the only human around. You smell...” He rubbed his forehead with closed eyes. “I can’t control myself.”

  “Your Majesty,” she tried to approach him, but his expression was cold when he aimed it at her again.

  “Stop talking and don’t you dare to touch me!”

  Jessica snapped, “You were the one touching me first!”

  “And you let me!” He turned around with an exasperated expression. His hands were clenched in a fist and his muscles were tense, rippling on his back.

  Jessica clenched her jaw and pressed her nails against the door. She was confused. Was he out of his mind?

  Before she could do anything, he turned around, pushed her away from the door, and opened it wide. “I want you out as soon as the sun comes up.”

  He left and closed the door before her perplexed eyes. She crumbled. Her body gave in and she sat on the floor. Her eyes focused on the closed door but she wasn’t really seeing anything. Numbness took over her body. Then sadness and rage. If he didn’t want her there, then she would leave. There was no point in continue to making a fool out of herself.

  * * *

  For the next two days, Jessie had her head immersed in grimoires and other magic textbooks, looking for answers about Kevin's tattoo while she actively continued to translate her family's grimoire. However, everybody noticed that she was gloomy. Going around sighing as if the world was the saddest place to be wasn’t a way of concealing it, either. Plus, she would wake up in the middle of the night screaming and sweating, and Anna had to run to her bedroom and hug her while whispering in her ear until she calmed down. She would cry, telling her terrifying nightmares and sobbing while declaring that she would never find her mate. She was sure that he was dead, and she was walking this earth alone, never to be loved again.

  Jessica didn't tell anyone about what had happened between her and the king. But Eric was puzzled by why she didn’t want to go to the palace. And Anna wasn’t happy about Jessica decision to leave for their home in Boston after finishing the translation.

  After the confrontation with the king, she lost interest in going out. She kept haunting the cottage and being secretive about what troubled her. The second day, she stayed in her bedroom, reading and writing her papers. The absence of a smile on her face and no spark of the usual joy in her eyes worried her friends. She was quiet, too quiet.

  On the third day, Anna seemed determined to figure out what was really going on. So she sat on the opposite side of the kitchen counter and frowned at Jessica, wanting for her to look up. The witch continued to copy some words to her notebook, totally ignoring her friend. So Anna did what any adult would do: she started throwing pieces of vegetables at her.

  Jessica growled, annoyed, but then, after trying to ignore her and avoid the vegetables targeting her head, she finally spoke. “What?”

  Anna arched an eyebrow at her but took her sweet time before sighing lazily. Then she asked, “What is wrong with you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Why are you so withdrawn all of the sudden? You aren't acting like your normal self. You just sigh all the time and sulk in your bedroom.”

  Jessica continued to write. “I have no idea what you are talking about. And for your information, I'm a very withdrawn person, and I can be quiet when I want.”

  Anna sighed deeply. “There is just you and me here. You can tell me anything. What is bothering you?”

  “Nothing,” she declared, losing her patience. She stopped writing and glared at her. “Can't I just have a little peace and quiet?”

  Her friend arched an eyebrow. “Are you still having those dreams?”

  Jessica shrugged.

  “Eric is puzzled why you aren’t going to the palace anymore.”

  “I just have a lot to translate and have to concentrate. So please stop harassing me with your eyes and your vegetables!”

  “Wasn't Grandpa helping you with those?” Anna asked, folding her arms.

  “Yes, but for now, I'll be doing things by myself. I don't want to bother him.”

  “He’s feeling better. You should visit him.”

  Jessica gazed up at her and bit her lower lip before she spoke. “I don’t think he would be happy with my visit…Eric told you what happened, didn’t he?”

  “He was hallucinating. He didn’t know what he was saying,” Anna defended him.

  “Still, he sent me away and I don’t want to offend him with my presence.”

  “You are overreacting. Eric said he was feeling sorry for what he did. And he didn't hurt you, did he?”

  “No, he didn't hurt me,” she mumbled as her cheeks turned red with the memory of their kiss.

  Anna narrowed her eyes as Jessica doodled on the paper. “You were a good nurse. I’m sure that he wants to show his gratitude for it.”

  Jessica looked at her friend. “You have been to the palace. Did he ask for me?” Anna shook her head. “You have your answer then. The king doesn’t care if I show up or not.”

  “It would do you some good to get out of the house. You are…not acting like yourself lately. You don’t even go out with the boys.”

  Jessica shrugged. “I just have too much to do.”

  “Are you keeping a secret from me?”

  With pouting lips, she shrugged and fumbled with the pen.

  “Is there something you would like to tell me?” Anna insisted.

  “Maybe, but you won’t be happy about it,” Jessica replied.

  “Tell me what’s bothering you.” Anna leaned forward. “I may be able to help you.”

  “You can’t help me. You will probably be mad at me.”

  Anna frowned. “Why would I be mad at you?”

  Jessica tilted her head to the right and sighed. “It concerns your grandfather.”

  Anna sat back on the stool and placed her hands over the counter. “What does my grandfather have to do with your state of mind?”

  “I wanted him to like me,” she muttered between her teeth, staring at the words written on her paper. “He can be really sweet when he wants to.”

  “Sweet?”

  “Yes, in his letters.”

  “What letters?”

  “The ones he left to me every night. I thought he liked me a bit more. But he's completely bipolar.”

  Anna leaned back with a confused expression. “You are the one sounding bipolar. I thought you didn't like him.”

  “Well,” she said, staring at her with shiny eyes, “the problem is that I like him. He's the one who doesn't like me, no matter what I do. I tried to be nice to him. I took care of him when he was sick…I barely slept.”

  Anna nodded. “I know. You were a wonderful nurse.”

  “It doesn’t matter what I do. He simply doesn’t like me. Every time I try to engage in a conversation with him, he doesn’t answer me back. He just nods in reply like I’m the most annoying thing in the world. He’s always eager to get back to that stupid book he�
��s always drawing.”

  “Hmm.”

  Jessica arched an eyebrow. “You don’t seem to believe me.”

  Anna flipped her hair back and folded her arms over her chest. “It’s not that I don’t believe you. But he’s always the sweetest person when I go see him. I just find it odd that he treats you like that.”

  “What do I know? I'm the one having all these crazy dreams about him.” She suddenly stopped talking, aware of the slip she had made. She bit her tongue and pursed her lips, growing annoyed.

  The damage was done. Anna frowned and asked, “What dreams?”

  “Nothing. You are his granddaughter. I don't want to have this conversation with you.”

  Her friend leaned forward and placed her hands over the counter. “Too late for that. We are having this conversation. What dreams are you talking about?”

  Jessica pondered for a while, unsure if she should tell her or not. Then she sighed in resolution. “I don't know how to say this to you, but I find you grandfather extremely attractive.”

  Silence fell over them as Anna kept blinking fast with pursed lips. “What do you mean?” Then she opened her mouth outraged and smacked her hands on the counter as she straightened up. “What the hell, Jessie! He's my grandfather. Get your mind out of the gutter.”

  Jessica motioned for her to calm down, and explained to her, “These feelings aren’t rational. It’s against my logical thinking, too. I don't want to find him hot. I just do. He makes my blood boil, he makes me—Damn, Anna! I know he doesn't see me that way, that he is hopelessly in love with your deceased grandma, but he is damn hot, and it's a waste for him to be confined within those walls, shut away from the world.”

  She put her index finger up as she pointed out the obvious, “He is older than you. Like, way older!”

  The witch arched a cocky eyebrow and crossed her arms. “Shane is over two hundred years old. He is also older than you.”

  Placing her hands on her hips, Anna protested, “Shane doesn't look much older than me.”

  Jessica narrowed her eyes, upset. “So what? Your grandfather looks no more than forty. I personally find Brad Pitt hot as hell. Not to mention James. James is hot and he was forty-two when he was turned. Your grandfather is a freaking walking temptation.”