The Vampire's Mate

THE VAMPIRE’S MATE WENDI L. WILSON Copyright © 2023 by Wendi L. Wilson All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Created with Vellum For anyone who’s not in my family. If you are, put this book down right now! I can’t be held responsible for an awkwardness the next time we get together… CONTENTS Foreword 1. Vampires are real 2. Chocolate Fixes Everything 3. This doesn’t have to be weird 4. How Do You Feed? 5. I’m in so Much Trouble 6. The Heir to the King 7. You Have Quite the Imagination 8. Euphoria 9. The Vikings 10. Any Other Questions? 11. He’s Not Hot… 12. Tell Me What I am to You 13. You Called? 14. Best First Date, Ever 15. A Dire Situation 16. What Am I Doing? 17. I Went with my Gut 18. You’re Mine 19. Forever 20. The Time of My Life 21. Why Can’t It be Both? 22. What Are Your Intentions? 23. Surprise! 24. That Doesn’t Sound Ominous, At All 25. Feeling Better? 26. You Can’t be Too Careful… 27. Do You Want Another? 28. My Gut was Right All Along 29. That’s Quite the Predicament 30. Nightmares and Daydreams 31. Hope 32. Ways to Kill a Vampire 33. A Traitor in Our Midst 34. The Unbinding 35. A Natural 36. Exhibitionism 37. A Little Farfetched 38. Come Out to Play 39. No Need for Name Calling 40. Malediction 41. You’re a Witch 42. I’m a Witch 43. A Very Powerful Bloodline 44. The Sharp Bite 45. Irreversible Consequences About the Author Also by Wendi L. Wilson FOREWORD This book was previously released as The Vampire Heir (aka My Hot New Neighbor) on Kindle Vella. Hello lovely reader! I just wanted to warn you–– If you’re a fan of my previous work, this book is definitely not young adult. It is a very spicy adult paranormal romance with vampires, witches, and a schmexy brooding neighbor that can…ahem…make things happen with his mind, alone. If you like things on the spicier side, you’re welcome. If not, proceed with caution… 1 VAMPIRES ARE REAL “We interrupt this program to bring you some breaking news. In what appears to be a coordinated, worldwide event, groups of what we can only describe as vampires have revealed themselves to world leaders in every state and national capitol across the globe. First thought to be a hoax, authorities attempted to subdue the creatures as if they were human trespassers. Please be advised, the following footage is shocking.” “What the fuck?” My eyes burn with the need to blink, but I force them to remain open as I watch the scene unfold on my television screen. A group of normal-looking people approach the White House gates. As secret service agents attempt to block them, the visitors zip out of focus. Two heartbeats later, the people reappear in their previous positions, and the agents are handcuffed to each other, linked wrist-to-wrist around a large tree as if they’re playing some demented game of ring-around-the-rosy. The scene flips back to the news studio where an anchor with a sweaty upper lip looks like he might puke. “According to reports from the White House, the vampires met with the president. A few hours later, they reemerged, walking through the White House gates undeterred before blinking out of sight. The White House has issued a statement, imploring the citizens of the United States to remain calm. There is nothing to fear, and President Wickerman will be addressing the nation later this evening.” The newscast goes on, but the words blur together in my mind as I watch video clips from several state capitol buildings, as well as footage from Mexico City, Paris, London, Tokyo, Madrid, and so many more. Some showcase the vampires’ super speed. Some show close-ups of the creatures’ fangs. One clip even has audio, revealing a large, hulking beast of a man simply telling the guards at Leinster House in Dublin to move aside. The uniformed men’s faces went slack just before they turned and walked away, leaving the front doors of the building open and unguarded. My heart pounds against my ribs as I sit perfectly still, transfixed. The pale news anchor once again appears in the shot, and he clears his throat twice before croaking out an introduction for a piece of footage that had apparently just been forwarded to every major news outlet on the planet. A man who looks to be in his late twenties appears on the screen. He’s wearing an expensive three-piece suit, his hair is stylishly gelled into place, and he’s sitting in an oversized wooden chair with what looks like antique tapestries hanging on the wall behind him. “Is that a throne?” I whisper, studying the embellished details in the armrests and high back. “Hello. My name is Franklin Belloy. I am speaking to you today to assure you there is no cause for panic. Though we vampires have publicly revealed ourselves today, nothing has changed. We’ve existed for thousands of years, hiding in the shadows and keeping to ourselves. Despite what your myths and cinematic representations would lead you to believe, we do not murder humans, nor do we savagely hunt and ravage hapless souls. We are a relatively peaceful race, and I hope you will keep an open mind as we exit the darkness and come into the light. Peace be with you.” The news anchor reappears on the screen, speaking in conjecture and spouting theories as to what this revelation might mean to the human race and the world as a whole. I pick up the remote and click the television off, sitting in silence as my mind tries to wrap itself around this shocking turn of events. Vampires are real. How