True Mate

by Patricia Logan

  True Mate

  Prosper Woods Chronicles Book One

  Patricia Logan

  When I moved to Prosper Woods, California a couple of weeks ago, I’d had big plans for a quiet life. Let’s just say, things haven’t exactly turned out the way I expected they would. For one thing, as new sheriff, I hadn’t planned on investigating a murder the day after my arrival. For another thing, no one told me supernatural creatures existed. I didn’t believe it at first, but when Vincent Lasco suddenly smiled at me with a mouth full of fangs, things got interesting.

  Quiet small town life indeed!

  The moment I decided to take Sheriff Romeo Harmon home for a roll in the sheets, I knew hiding my true nature was a huge mistake. Then again, things never turn out the way I expect. The simple life of anonymity I’d hoped to have in Prosper Woods has blown up in my face in the most poetic and spectacular way. Not only that, the guy isn’t even aware that he has secrets of his own. How a guy could have lived all his life not knowing what he was, seems nearly impossible but in his case, I know it’s true.

  Supernaturals are everywhere!

  The town of Prosper Woods has a couple of new residents who at first glance, seem very unsuited for small town life. Before long, though, I realized they were right for the town… probably the only right thing about this weird place. Surprisingly, they fit right in.

  Things are about to get interesting!

  True Mate

  Copyright 2021 Patricia Logan

  All rights reserved.

  Edited by: Meg Amor

  Cover Design by: AJ Corza

  Formatting by: JP Adkins

  AuthorPatriciaLogan.com

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  Warning:

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and one of their finest agents, Lincoln Snow, who will hunt you down, and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000!

  Remember:

  This book is a work of fiction. All characters, places, and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places, is purely coincidental. This book contains material that is only suitable for mature readers. It contains scenes of a sexual nature between two consenting men.

  People are saying wonderful things about Patricia Logan:

  Trademarks List – True Mate:

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  An exciting excerpt from

  About the Author

  Other Books by Patricia Logan

  People are saying wonderful things about Patricia Logan:

  "Patricia Logan smells of old poo and doesn't wear pants…but her ability to weave perfectly real and sensual love stories into stories full of intrigue, suspense, and the trials and tribulations of everyday life, pulls you in and makes you forget her personal hygiene." ~ Lisa Worrall

  "Author Patricia Logan writes from the heart, sucking you into her story from the first page. She pulls no punches, telling gut wrenching heartfelt stories with a reality that makes you feel you are right there. Her kind of emotional honesty is rare and essential to great writing." ~ Jean Joachim

  "Patricia Logan possesses the one key ingredient at her stage of writing that so many authors don't and never will; an editor who can translate her cirque du soleil act of random contortionist word tappings into something presented as popular m4m prose. History will remember her fondly without the fondling, however, when someone eventually revisits her first drafts and realizes she's really written a cookbook titled "How to Serve Me….and a Delicious One at That!" ~ Kage Alan

  "Reading a Patricia Logan book is not something to be taken lightly, the hotness contained within combined with multiple piercings can result in sudden breakage of certain adult toys making rapid trips to X-rated shops a necessity! AND she will refuse to take responsibility for the added expense!! Oh, and despite the hordes of Navy SEAL's, cowboys, leather, whips, ropes and other convenient methods of restraint, there are never enough firemen in her books. ~ Petronella Bond

  “Patricia Logan is a walking contradiction that may be baking cookies with her grandchildren one moment and writing an e-stim sounding scene the next. Known famously as being a cat lady, she picks up more and more strays as she goes along through life. I am just happy to be one of them. ~ JP Adkins

  Trademarks List – True Mate:

  Chevy Blazer: Chevrolet

  Desert Eagle: Magnum Research, Inc.

  Harley: Harley-Davidson, Inc.

  Heinz: H. J. Heinz Company

  Honda Civic: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

  Jeep: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA)

  Tupperware: Tupperware Brands Corporation

  Trans Am: General Motors

  Prologue

  Prosper Woods Chronicle. Letters to the editor:

  “During the night I saw a rabbit watering his front lawn while wearing a red cardigan. No one ever told me Prosper Woods was Mr. Roger’s neighborhood.” Signed, “Buttons are so last year!”

  Romeo

  Vincent flashed across the clearing and even in my supernatural form, I did my best to track his movements. It was a futile effort at best. My powers may be stronger, but I was no match for my vampire’s speed. He’d assured me that my strength and resolve were the only things that had saved us from Floyd and his gang of werewolves, but I wasn’t so sure about any of that.

  Sid had been instrumental in helping me come to terms with what and who I was. Finding out I was a magical creature had initially been a shock to my system, but I was learning a lot about myself as my vampire faced off with me in the open field. He may be able to flash across the clearing faster than my eyes could track, but in my unicorn form, there was no doubt I would never be in danger from any vampire, especially this one. He liked me just a little.

  After we’d faced the Frederick pack and Floyd himself, and I’d soundly ended their plan to kill my vampire that night, Vincent had urged me to practice my magic. Floyd’s final warning in Vincent’s yard two weeks ago had been as clear as the night sky. He and his wolves weren’t finished with us. That had been a wakeup call to us both, but I acknowledged that I lacked Vincent’s experience. He’d survived over seven hundred years, no doubt facing foes just like Floyd and his pack, so I’d decided it would be best to do as he encouraged and learn about myself and my unicorn powers. We’d practiced every night since that fateful night in Vincent’s front yard.

  I snorted out a massive laugh as he flashed up
to me, stopping only inches from my muzzle with his fangs bared in a massive grin. Before I could catch him with whatever magic had allowed me to trap the much slower alpha werewolf, Vincent vanished in a blur to the far side of the clearing. I tossed my head, still getting accustomed to my rainbow mane as it flowed like silk around my long, muscled neck. In a flash, my vampire was back in front of me. I watched as he leapt into the air and vanished from my sight only to feel him straddle my back seconds later. He leaned down and hugged my neck, burying his face in my hair.

  “You’re trying too hard,” he whispered, hot breath on my neck. “You can’t follow me with your eyes, love. Reach out with your magic like it’s just another sense. Focus on what you need it to do, and it will happen. You have it inside you, Romeo. Reach down and try to find it. It only takes a little training.” He kissed the side of my neck, his lips hovering over the thick vein that pulsed there for a few seconds before he was gone again. I tracked the blur of his movements to the far side of the clearing where he stopped once more. His chuckle was both annoying and encouraging.

  He had to be right. I’d found my magic when I really needed to. I’d saved Vincent from being torn apart the way they’d done to poor Buck Walters. I had the magic inside me, but I needed to be able to call on it at all times, feel it pulsing inside me like other supernatural creatures did. Both Vincent and Sid had told me that they knew I was—as Vincent described—"special” when they first met me. Maybe I was trying too hard. I knew my vampire wanted only the best for me, so I did as he suggested.

  Seeing him flash back and forth across the field, I focused on summoning my powers, trying to trap him the same way I had caught Floyd when he and his wolves had come to kill us. That time, I’d simply known on instinct what to do. I’d somehow sent out a blast of power that had grabbed the werewolf, lifted him off the ground with the force of a tornado, and set him down unharmed on the road a quarter mile away. After that, he hadn’t been back to bother us. Since that had been only two weeks ago, I expected we’d be seeing more of the werewolf and his pack once they’d had time to process.

  “Use your powers, Romeo,” Vincent said, flashing up to me and snapping me out of my wandering thoughts. “You have to practice or you won’t be able to protect me or you.”

  I really wished I could communicate with him telepathically. When we’d gone back into the house after bloodlessly dispersing Floyd and his pack, Vincent had explained some of what he knew of werewolf culture and powers. As far as he knew, when in wolf form, they communicated with each other using telepathy. I hadn’t been able to do that so far. I hadn’t asked but I’d almost wondered whether that had something to do with the fact that Vincent was technically dead. Since I couldn’t reply, I simply tossed my head and concentrated all my power on moving my lover the way I’d done with Floyd.

  “I feel your power, Romeo. It’s an incredible force but it’s widely scattered. You need to focus it down into a single pinpoint to achieve what you want to do with it.”

  I cocked my large unicorn head to the side as I narrowed my eyes at him.

  He chuckled and lifted his arms, glancing up into the midnight-blue sky. “Look up, Romeo. Look at your light.”

  I did as instructed and was shocked to see the clearing around us bathed in all shades of purple, everything from the palest lavender to the deepest violet. The air literally shimmered with energy, though, none of it was focused. Vincent was right. My power, if that’s what this was, had dispersed all around us, shimmering and sparkling like a trillion tiny pinpricks of light. I closed my eyes and extended my powers outward, reaching out with tendrils of thoughts and wishes. All I could do was hope that would help to draw some of my power back down to me, trying to do what I’d done when Floyd had been ready to kill us.

  “Good!” Vincent exclaimed. “Better!”

  My eyes flew open, and my jaw dropped when I saw the dispersed particles had coalesced into a forty-foot swirling sphere of purple light in the center of the clearing. The sphere pulsed with power, sending out tiny tentacles of light which separated from the whole. I focused, trying to direct my thoughts into the center of the sphere. It almost instantly shrank in size by half, becoming even brighter. The entire sky lit with purple light beams around us.

  I felt a strong tug on my mane and looked down into the smiling face of my lover. Vincent’s long, brown hair sparkled with reflected violet light as he beamed up at me. His fangs were still long, still deadly, and still hot as hell in his grinning face. He reached up and rubbed the palm of his hand over my forehead, then slid his hand up and scratched behind my ear.

  “Good job, love.”

  I tossed my head, and Vincent chuckled before turning toward the ball of light still hovering off the ground and twirling in the center of the clearing. I narrowed my eyes and focused harder, feeling the strain of what I was doing only a little. I watched in wonder as the sphere reduced in circumference again, shrinking to the size of a basketball and if possible, growing even more incandescent. We both watched the ball twirl as it hovered until I finally let out a long breath and ceased my focus, instantly dousing the clearing in blackness as the sphere vanished.

  In a flash, I changed back into my human form, standing in front of Vincent, desperately wanting conversation with him. I was as naked as the day I was born, and he blinked at me, losing just a little of his grin. He reached out and put both hands on my shoulders.

  “Your shift is incredibly fast. I don’t know if you know that. It’s really fun to watch,” Vincent said.

  I smiled back, reaching up and circling his wrists, drawing them down to his sides as I stepped so close our bodies touched. I watched his nostrils flare, and the pupils in his topaz eyes dilate as I let go of his arms and wrapped him up in my long arms instead.

  “Since I only found out about paranormal beings two weeks ago, it’s kind of hard to know how fast a normal shift is. I’ve only witnessed the werewolves and apart from Floyd whose change was quick, the other wolves looked pained as they transformed.”

  Vincent leaned in and kissed me softly before pulling back. “Floyd is the alpha. That’s why he transformed so quickly. He’s also the only one in his pack who can change into the huge half-man half-beast form you witnessed out there.”

  I frowned, nodding as I dropped my arms. “I have a ton of questions, but I have to get dressed and eat first.”

  It was getting chilly out here and I really didn’t want to turn into a unicorn popsicle. I looked around for my clothes, spotting them ten feet away. I walked over and started climbing into them as Vincent followed. He watched me dress and then sit on a rock to pull on my socks and boots for the mile hike back to his house where we’d already decided to pick up my truck and drive into town. I was starving and aside from a shelf full of ketchup in Vincent’s fridge, he was a little light on food in the pantry. I’d checked out his stores of food and already decided that I’d be going into Sid’s store to stock up his pantry. My place was full of foodstuffs, but Vincent had next to nothing that appealed to a hungry unicorn.

  “You know, there’s an all-night diner in Stockton if you don’t mind the drive,” Vincent remarked.

  “I’m not sure about ending up at the saloon since it’s owned by Floyd. I have a feeling it’ll be safer to go eat at the diner since it’s the only place open at this time of night. Not only that, I have to be at work early. Sally is still bugging me about Buck Walters’ murder.”

  “Does she think you simply dropped it?”

  I frowned. “No, not exactly, but it’s been like an unspoken standoff between us since that night. I’m getting the feeling that she knows I’m supernatural, but she won’t say anything. At the same time, I can’t exactly ask her if she is, and I think it’s going to be the only way to explain what happened out there since we both know it was Floyd and his pack that killed Walters.”

  Vincent shrugged. “Look at it this way. If she is supernatural, she already knows wolves did it since she’d no doubt be able
to smell their scent. You should just talk to her.”

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Well, it’s something you’ll have to deal with so you might as well get it over with. Just ask her what she is,” Vincent said.

  My stomach growled loudly, and I frowned when Vincent chuckled. “What time does the diner in Prosper Woods close? The one I passed on the way into town… Todd’s Hash House?”

  Vincent shrugged. “I have no idea.” He smiled just enough to show the tips of his razor-sharp fangs. “And I don’t know if you realized this, but I just moved into this town. Besides, solid food isn’t my thing.”

  “But you can tolerate some.” We’d eaten the delicious stew he’d made when we’d first met. Since then, I’d eaten in town at the saloon or at home.

  “It’s fine. I wouldn’t say I really enjoy it but then again, I don’t need it to survive.”

  I grinned, throwing an arm over Vincent’s shoulders as I checked the time on my phone. It was just after 1:00 a.m. as we walked back toward his house. “I tell you what. I have to get up early and go to work. Why don’t we just grab my truck and spend the night at my cabin. I’ll get something to eat at home.”

  Since we’d first met, Vincent and I had spent most nights together at his house. Being naturally nocturnal, my vampire had been raring to go whenever I came over. It made for some amazing sex and I realized in a very short time, I’d become very addicted to my vampire. Realizing he hadn’t replied, I looked over to find him glancing at me dubiously. “What?”

  “Your house isn’t light tight, Romeo. Normally, that’s not a problem for me because of my age. I mean I can tolerate walking about in sunlight for short periods. You’ve seen me in town at the antique store during the day when by all rights I should be asleep. But honestly, I hate waking to bright morning sunlight because the need to find shelter can be very fatiguing. That’s why I built my underground bedroom. Besides, it’s just safer.”