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

by Anna Santos

  Whatever had happened in the past few days, it had changed the king completely. He was pleasant and affectionate with her, with no hint of sarcasm or impatience. He was a different vampire. The perpetual sadness he’d had in his eyes was no longer part of his soul, and he looked at her now as she had always dreamed of. He cared for her, he loved her.

  “If this is a dream, I don’t ever want to wake up,” she whispered and wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him closer.

  “Are you feeling better so we can go home?” the king asked, caressing her hair.

  She nodded.

  “Not so fast,” a voice echoed through the forest. “You have something we want.”

  The voice came from behind them, and the king and Jessica turned around.

  Despite the dimness of the forest, she recognized the vampire who had offered her a drink. Behind him were seven vampire guys all holding chains, with black eyes, and showing their fangs in a menacing way. They looked ready to attack and Jessica couldn’t help but clench her fingers in the king’s jacket, concerned for their safety.

  Chapter Twenty-Two—Trespassers

  THE KING

  Tension permeated the forest like a mist. All that could be heard were the buzzing and chirping of small bugs flying through the trees at night. While the eight vampires stared at the silent king and witch.

  Marcus stood with Jessica in his arm. With their movements, the vampires rattled their silver chains in their gloved hands and a few hissed. They waited for their leader to order the attack, but he didn’t.

  He simply cleared his throat and said in a menacing tone, “You better leave now, vampire. Our quarrel is not with you. We just want the witch.”

  Jessica tried to step forward, but Marcus held her hand tightly and nudged her behind his back, protecting her from their attackers.

  Staring at the leader with his perfect purple eyes and fangs, the king replied, “I’m only going to say this once. The witch is my mate, and you are all trespassing—”

  “Then you will die,” the leader said with a cocky smirk. “Kill—” But before he could complete his sentence, the king launched himself at the vampire and grabbed him by his neck. This made him gasp for air and kick his legs as he struggled to get free.

  “It’s rude to interrupt others when they are speaking. I hadn’t finished my sentence,” the king said calmly. “You are trespassing on my land.” He spoke deliberately, emphasizing ‘my land’ so to make the vampires realize the stupidity of their attack.

  The other vampires stepped back in fear when the king snapped their leader’s neck with two fingers and then ripped his heart out of his chest, only releasing the vampire as he turned into a pile of ashes. Before they could even blink or run, their hearts were being pulled out from their chests, too, leaving nothing but ash in the air and horrified screams that barely left their throats.

  In the sudden silence, their chains clattered to the ground, and a night breeze whisked their ashes deep into the forest.

  “They weren’t very smart, were they?” the king asked, returning to Jessica’s side at normal speed.

  She was still processing what had just happened. It was all so fast like the vampires had all burst into ashes at the same time. Her mate was incredibly fast and a real badass. She had been worried about not being able to protect them both from the vampires because she was drunk. Apparently, his powers were back to full-force.

  “What’s wrong, honey?” he asked with uncertainty. “Do you think you are going to be sick again?” Marcus pulled a handkerchief from his jacket and wiped the blood off his hands. “I’m sorry you had to witness this, but I don’t take well to threats especially one against your life.”

  Jessica breathed in slowly, mesmerized by his vampire form. If she hadn't already been in love with him, that demonstration of power and concern would have done the trick. Being saved from thugs was a key piece in any love story, from Batman to Spiderman and Superman; it was a special bonus in vampire stories.

  “Next time, maybe try not to kill everyone. Leave at least one guy to interrogate,” she snapped, pulling herself out of her romantic trance. She even put her hands on her waist and tried to make an upset expression.

  “You are welcome, Jessica, for saving your life,” the king replied, lowering his face to hers. “I guess being rude is just something you have learned in this life.”

  Jessica pouted. “I didn’t mean to be ungrateful. But we could have asked one of them why they wanted to attack me. Is King Francesco sending men now to kidnap me?”

  Marcus kept the tissue in his pocket. “Right, you have lost those memories. Those men must have been sent by Alaric. Not Francesco. Alaric put a bounty on your head. He wants you alive.”

  “Why?”

  “We don’t know just yet.”

  Jessica bit her lower lip. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, regretting her harsh words. “It’s just that normally we try to take prisoners and gather information from them about Alaric’s whereabouts. Of course, I’m thankful for your protection. Even though, I’m quite capable of protecting myself,” she added.

  The sad look on his face relaxed into a smile at her comment. With his crystal-clear blue eyes and chiseled features, he was a really handsome man. And extremely sexy in that tuxedo.

  She felt better when he took her in his arms and pulled her close against his body. “But...you can save me as many times as you want.”

  Marcus caressed her hair. “Jessie, they were trespassing. The penalty is death. Besides, they threatened to kill me and take you away. I could forgive their trespassing as stupidity, but not their intention to take or hurt you. Anyway, they were merely bounty hunters. My son would not be so stupid as to send his own men here.”

  “They were at James’s party and in town, too. I remember seeing at least two of them there.”

  “Well, James has the nasty habit of throwing parties where he welcomes anyone and everyone. And the town is a public place—we can’t really control who comes and goes. However, my men clearly must be more vigilant about the arrival of new supernatural beings in our territory. So it is crucial that you don’t leave the palace, again.”

  “Could you save the lecture, please, for when we get home? I’m freezing,” she whispered, snuggling closer to his warm chest. She knew it was all her fault, yet there was no way she could have known without her memories.

  He rubbed her arms then put his coat over her shoulders. “I’m not lecturing you, baby. I was...Someone is coming,” he whispered, staring deep into the black forest. “Werewolves,” he clarified after sniffing the air. “They are friendly. Some are Sebastien’s and others are mine.”

  One of the wolves stopped in front of them and shifted into his human form. “Your Majesty,”. The naked man kneeled, concealing his sexual parts with his hands. “We were concerned about your safety. We saw the vampires follow you, and Dulce sent us to help, but...” He looked at the floor, noticing the remaining ashes of the dead enemies. “We weren’t fast enough. Forgive us.”

  “I took care of the problem,” the king informed him. “Tell Dulce we are safe and that I appreciate her sending you.”

  “I’ll tell her, sir. But she also told me to inform you that she has caught a prisoner. The vampires had a female with them. Dulce grabbed her before she could escape. She is being taken to the holding cells so you can interrogate her.”

  “Tomorrow. Now, I’m taking my queen home,” Marcus said, looking at Jessica who felt dazzled by him calling her his queen. It pleased her a great deal that he wasn't trying to conceal their bond, that he had accepted her and claimed her in front of others.

  “Certainly, sir,” the wolf said, shape-shifting to his wolf form, and then leading the other wolves away.

  “Let’s go home, get you warm,” Marcus said, and before Jessica could concur, he enveloped her in his arms and sped to his palace.

  * * *

  Minutes later, the king entered their bedroom and set Jessica safely on th
e bed, looking deep into her eyes.

  “I’m afraid I have ruined my tuxedo,” he said, tugging at his bloody cuffs. “I’ll clean up, and we can talk afterward,” he added and left her alone as he ducked into the bathroom.

  Once alone, he unbuttoned his shirt and tried to calm his nervous state. He had not planned to be out killing, instead, his hope had been for a quiet night with his mate. He certainly hadn’t expected to experience grief, fear, and relief all in the same night.

  If he hadn’t come for her, Jessica could have been kidnapped. The possibility of losing his mate terrified him. Killing those treacherous bounty hunters quickly was his gift to them. There were so many worse things he could have done. He was still astounded by their audacity, trying to take his mate away. Their deaths should be a warning to others. If they tried to come for Jessica, he wouldn’t be merciful.

  The king rubbed the cuffs so hard that he shredded the fabric and had to toss the shirt in the waste basket. He could always get another one; it was pointless to try and wash the blood away. But he needed the time to process what had almost happened to Jessica that night. His emotions were also on edge due to the fact that he had just killed eight vampires, he needed to have time to get control over himself.

  For a moment, he considered that Jessica might be afraid of what he’d done. She could think of him as a heartless murderer. Isobel was the sweetest soul, she didn’t approve of killing, and was incapable of taking someone’s life. He’d tried to protect her from death and killing all her life. Still, death came knocking on their door and she’d had to face all the cruelty that a being could inflict. Jessica, however, had already seen her fair share of death. She was a fighter. He had seen the intent in her eyes when the vampires threatened them. He had seen that her immediate reaction was to fight. Even though she could barely walk, and her drunkenness was affecting her magical powers. Jessica was a fighter because she’d had to fight all her life when he hadn’t been there to fight for her. But he was there now. He would protect her.

  “Is everything all right?” Jessica asked. She stood behind him, her eyes on his naked torso reflected in the mirror.

  “Everything is fine.” He went to the closet and selected a new shirt then suggested, “Why don’t I go to the kitchen and get you that coffee and something to eat? I’ll be right back. Your clothes are in the closet if you want to put on your pajamas.”

  “Okay,” Jessica mumbled and he was gone.

  * * *

  JESSICA

  Jessica stood quietly over the bed, uneasy about the lack of tenderness in the king’s words. He acted sweeter, before the vampires’ arrival. Before, she had been ungrateful and started to argue with him. Now, she wanted to apologize and try to make him understand that he hadn’t done anything to upset her. She wanted him. She needed him. She was going to tell him that but before she could, he had slipped out of the room.

  Suddenly, she felt sick because of the alcohol and ran to the toilet to throw up. Getting herself drunk had been a terrible idea. But she was feeling sad and empty when she woke up earlier that day in the library. All she could think about was trying to have fun and forget her miserable existence. She had no reasons to feel miserable at that precise moment. She was feeling everything but that. She was feeling ecstatic and fulfilled to find her mate.

  Jessica almost screamed when she saw her reflection in the mirror. She looked terrible. First, she needed to wash that awful taste out of her mouth, then clean up her smeared eyeliner, and comb out her messy hair. She swiftly turned on the water and brushed her teeth then jumped into a nice hot shower to wash away the smell of tobacco and booze.

  Next, she needed something to sleep in. The king had mentioned there were clothes in the closet, but she was not expecting to find them all there, including some new ones. She also discovered that they were sleeping together in the same bedroom through all his new clothes on the opposite side of the closet. That was very promising and left her quite excited.

  Suddenly, she wanted to scream and jump in the air with enthusiasm. She knew that she did not remember a lot about her past, or what had happened during the last few days. But, apparently, things were serious between them. They were sleeping in the same bed, and he was all nice and affectionate to her.

  For Jessica, it was like waking up in a life she had only dreamt of.

  Chapter Twenty-Three—Surrender

  THE KING

  “Ellie, I brought your coffee and some toast,” Marcus said, putting the tray on her nightstand. He sniffed the air, which caused him to become aroused. She had been showering, and he could almost imagine her body under the water and his hands washing it as he had done that same morning before she lost her recent memories. It seemed to him like that was ages ago, not just hours ago.

  Downstairs, he had been thinking about how to rectify the situation. What could he do to help her feel as she had once again? Everything they had done together, all the words they had said to each other—all was gone. She no longer felt about him as his Ellie had. They would have to start all over again and make new memories, bonding again from the beginning. He would have to win over her trust and love.

  “What’s wrong?” Jessica asked as she entered the bedroom, braiding her hair. “And why do you keep calling me Ellie?”

  Marcus gulped at the sight of her in a rose silk peignoir that showed her beautiful legs and perky breasts. She smelled like heaven and seemed to be feeling better. His eyes had definitely changed to purple, announcing his arousal as he kept ogling her body.

  “It was what I used to call you,” he said, his voice vibrating with the sadness for her loss of memories. “What would you like me to call you from now on?” he asked, following her movements and watching how she sat on the bed and crossed her beautiful legs.

  He moved to a chair and sat down, far from her but near enough to smell her and be aroused by her slow, sensual gestures. Her golden braid rested on her left shoulder, revealing the perfection of her neck. When a drop of water fell on her cleavage, he licked his lips and swallowed hard. He fixed his gaze on the beauty mark just between her neck and shoulder. During the time they had been apart, he had fantasized about kissing and tasting her again. But now, he couldn’t.

  “You can call me Jessie. Or honey,” she added, smirking at him and picking up the cup. “This smells really strong. Did you put sugar in it? I like it sweet.”

  “I prepared it as you like it. Three spoons of sugar. And the bread toasted on one side only.”

  “Did I have the same tastes before?” she asked, impressed by the details he knew.

  “No, you didn’t eat before. Well, at least not when...” He shrugged his words off with the wave of his hand and explained, “I overheard you mention it the other day to the maid.”

  “So, you were eavesdropping?”

  “No, I just hear better than humans now that I’m a vampire again.”

  Her eyelashes batted with grace as she straightened her back and twisted her fingers around her braid. “So, let me just clarify things. You are my mate. You know I used to be your late wife. So I’m Eric’s mom, or at least I was in another life. Anna and Kevin are my grandchildren, and we are living together, and sleeping in the same bed.”

  “Yes,” Marcus answered, amused by her carefully chosen words.

  “Good, because I really wasn’t in the mood to explain everything to you.” Jessica sighed deeply like a big weight had been taken from her shoulders.

  “I know everything, honey,” he whispered, following her movements. She grabbed the cup with one hand and took a sip. “Is it how you like it?”

  “Yes, it’s perfect. Have you fed?”

  “Yes. I’m good.”

  “You were really fast back in the forest,” she said.

  “I’m a full vampire again. That was not really hard to do. I’m out of practice since I don’t use my powers for so long.”

  “Does that mean that since you found out that I was your mate, you stopped aging? Was tha
t why you got sick?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good,” she said as she warmed her hands on the cup.

  “Did I scare you by killing them?”

  “No, you did what you had to do.”

  The king rubbed his hands on his pants and looked at his shoes. “Are you feeling better?”

  “Yes, the shower woke me up and I’m feeling warmer.”

  “Good.” He fisted his hands, unsure what to do next. He wanted to be next to her, but he didn’t want to impose his presence on her.

  After taking another sip of her coffee, Jessica asked, “Do you really need to be so far away from me? Can’t you just sit here near me on the bed?”

  The king moved to sit on the edge of the bed but kept his distance as she drank. The silence was heavy as his eyes kept analyzing her reactions. He understood that she was analyzing him back and he eventually spoke.

  “I should let you rest,” he said, intending to leave and give her some time alone to clear her mind. He did not want to be overly eager to rekindle what they had, he needed to give her time to accept him.

  * * *

  JESSICA

  Jessica was comparing all the data that she remembered about him from her dreams. Tall and muscular, check. Blond, check. Blue eyes and sexy voice also check, check. At first, she didn’t remember his features. Dreaming of the king after their meeting explained a lot of things, though. The dreams of her past memories had tried to make her see she had found him. The crazy attraction, the need to be around him. All was explained. If he had told her they were mates…But he loved his wife with all his heart. Did he really love her, this new version of her?

  He looked uneasy next to her. He seemed nervous. Maybe she didn't please him now that she had lost all her memories and wasn't his Ellie anymore and that was why he wanted to leave her side.

  “Where are you going?” she asked, taking hold of his arm.