by T. S. Ryder
THE END
The Vampire King's Mate
Description
A sexy vampire king trying to control his inner beast PLUS a feisty virgin who doesn’t want love PLUS a danger from the past that can destroy the future…
Vampire king Adam is called “the Blood Bringer”. Built like Goliath and frightening as hell, his bloodlust and temper turn his inner beast into the devil when he finishes off his enemies.
But the most powerful vampire in the world is also lonely. His bloodthirsty reputation means that everyone fears him. Except this spunky and feisty virgin. Could she be the perfect woman for him? Can she stop him from becoming the devil?
Wanda isn’t afraid of anything. Abused and abandoned, she’s not afraid to speak her mind, defend herself or spit the sexy vampire king in his eye.
There’s only one thing that scares her to death: Love.
But when Wanda’s broken past comes back to haunt her and her life is in danger, Adam might be the only one who can save her. Can he control the berserker blood rage that turns him into a mindless killing machine? Does he even want to? Will Adam and Wanda get a chance on love?
Chapter One – Adam
Why was everybody on this planet so stupid?
Adam threw aside the letter from Lord Grey requesting a hold on his yearly taxes. Every year he asked the same question, and every year he got the same answer. No. Adam wasn't the type of king to let people's debt accumulate after they had a reasonable amount of time to pay it. If Grey couldn't afford to pay the taxes on his sprawling lands, then he was obviously irresponsible with his money, and those lands should be taken away.
Grey wasn't the only one testing the king's patience, though. There were small-scale measles epidemics sprouting up all over the kingdom, mostly afflicting human children. Already there were ten cases where the children had gone blind from the disease. He provided free vaccinations for everyone; this should not be happening. Adam's policy was to make sure the humans were as healthy as possible. This was not, as some suspected, a method of keeping the blood stores as high as possible, but rather because they were human and deserved to be healthy!
And then there were the drugs. Vampires were getting hooked on heroin and cocaine, and insisting their blood donors take the stuff, too, which left the humans in terrible condition. Even though he had outlawed it, the practice remained stubbornly persistent. Even worse, he'd heard his own brother was starting to dabble. Adam didn't want to punish Christopher, but if this ended up being true, he was going to have to do something about it. He couldn't have his own family breaking the law without consequence.
The door to his study slammed open. Adam jumped to his feet, ready to roar at whoever dared bother him to go away. He swallowed down his anger when a petite, white-haired woman stormed in. Usually his mother, Lena, was gentle and soft-spoken, but he could see his own violent streak in her as she slammed both of her hands down on his petrified-wood desk.
"Adam, there have been a lot of things that you have done over the years that I didn't agree with, but this? I raised you better than this. I raised you to have a sense of right and wrong and to treat women with respect."
Adam's brow furrowed. He straightened the papers on his desk, trying to figure out what she was mad about. He might be a king and the most powerful vampire in the world, but his mother and brother were the only people who had been with him from the beginning. When things were at their worst, his mother was the only one who could stop him from wiping out entire villages in search of his enemies – the only one to bring him back from the berserk battle rage he found himself pulled into so often. If she was this angry, it had to be something bigger than the idiots he'd put in the dungeons for smashing up his favorite car.
"I don't know what you are referring to, Mother," he said eventually.
"You don't—" Her long, delicate fangs flashed. Adam had seen those fangs disembowel men twice his mother's size. Her hands clenched on the edge of the desk, her sea-green eyes flaring with fury. "How dare you? You know that humans are not objects to be bought and sold. You have laws against this sort of thing, and now you are participating in it yourself?"
Adam narrowed his eyes.
"Humans are given the same rights as vampires. That was your ruling, your decree. That is the least bit of decency that should be expected. If you are going to start in human trafficking, you will have a rebellion on your hands, and I will be at the head of it."
"Human trafficking?" Adam's own hands clenched. How could she accuse him of something so heinous? "I am doing no such thing. How can you even think I would do that? Like you said, you raised me. You taught me better than that. I would never—"
"Then why is Jonas, that weasel of a vampire, here with a human girl as payment for his debts?" Lena held his gaze, challenging. "The poor thing looks scared out of her mind!"
"Jonas?" Adam growled. He owed over a hundred thousand dollars. A pittance compared to Adam's stores, but still a debt. "I don't know what he is saying, but I am taking no humans from him. Certainly not to pay his debt."
Lena glared for a moment longer. "He's here now, waiting for you."
Grinding his teeth together so hard he thought they might crack, Adam strode from the office. His mother hurried after them. What was Jonas up to now? He was a weasel of a vampire, consistently living beyond his means. He'd convinced Adam to loan him the money as part of a soup kitchen program for less fortunate humans, but it had been a colossal, stupid mistake. Adam was investigating whether Jonas even invested any money into the kitchen. If not, the vampire would be going away for fraud.
He soon entered the room where the sniveling vampire waited. It was a large space where his visitors often waited before being brought to his study. The floor was carpeted in neutral tones and there were portraits of famous humans on the walls to remind vampires that they did not have a monopoly on being great. A blood-dispensing machine was at one end of the room along with a coffee maker and water fountain.
Jonas and his human sat in the overstuffed chairs next to the fireplace, three guards standing around them. Adam stormed over to them but stopped short when he saw the human next to him. Lena had said the human looked terrified, but this girl seemed anything but.
Angry brown eyes peered out from a pale face while long brown curls fell about her shoulders. She wore a strapless dress that hit mid-thigh and hugged her curves. His gaze trailed appreciatively down her form – only for him to snap back to attention when the girl jumped to her feet and spat directly in his eye.
Adam roared with fury. How dare she? But instead of flinching, she grabbed a pen from the end table beside her and held it like a weapon before her. A pen. Adam narrowed his eyes, but his flash of temper had already faded by the time Lena planted herself between him and the young human woman. The guards had tensed but were watching him to see what they should do.
The king gestured at them to stand down. He stared at the human for a moment longer before he turned to Jonas, who was glaring at the girl with flared nostrils and both fangs visible. The other vampire paled when Adam grabbed him by the collar and yanked him around.
"What is going on here, Jonas? Who is this girl and why did you bring her here?"
"My lord, her name is Wanda Olsen," Jonas stammered. "She's twenty-two years old and has O-negative blood."
The smaller vampire had that sickly-sweet scent that always accompanied a vampire on heroin. Adam wrinkled his nose. Disgusting. His pupils were dilated, his eyes bloodshot, and his trembling probably wasn't all for fear. The vampire dared to come face the king while high? Adam knew drugs made people do stupid things but this… This was excessive.
Apparently, the fraud investigation had to turn to drug abuse as well. This was unacceptable.
"Why is she here?" Adam jerked his head towards the girl, Wanda.
"I've been trying to get her to behave for years, but she keeps running away," Jonas whined, writhing in Adam's grasp. "I thought you might enjoy her. I just nee
d a little more time to get the money I owe you."
"Disgusting waste of air," Lena hissed. Her arms protectively wrapped around the human, who tensed.
"Let go of me," Wanda said. "Or I'll poke your eye out. I know how to do it, too. You vampires are just a bunch of wusses with fancy teeth."
Lena looked startled but lowered her arms.
"See what I mean?" Jonas nodded rapidly. "But she's got rich blood and just needs a firm hand to guide her."
Wanda balled her hands. She was a five-foot ball of rage, that was for certain. Adam couldn't help but feel drawn to her. She had every disadvantage in this situation, and yet she didn't give any sign of backing down. There weren't many vampires that would dare to look at him like that, let alone a fragile, delicate human.
"Adam," Lena said sharply. "Are you forgetting what we just discussed?"
"Of course not, Mother." He turned to Jonas. "Humans are their own autonomous beings. Attempting to sell one to the king? You are even stupider than you look. Now, I'm going to have to fine you for at least a quarter million – money which will go to the wronged party."
Sweat broke out over Jonas' forehead. "B-but she's just a human."
"Maybe I'll make it half a million," Adam said coldly. "In the meantime, you will spend the night in jail. I'll let Wanda decide on what further punishments your disgusting behavior warrants."
Adam gestured for his guards to come take the sniveling waste of space away and glared coldly at the vampire as he was dragged from the room.
Jonas writhed. "But she's a virgin! That's worth something, right?"
The door slammed shut, leaving them alone.
"Am not," Wanda replied instantly. "And if you dare come near me, I'll—"
"He won't," Lena assured her. Now that Jonas was away and awaiting punishment, she looked much calmer. Her gentler side was shining through as she took off her own cardigan and put it around Wanda's shoulders. "Don't worry, that sick, twisted vampire will never come near you again. And as for Adam here, he wouldn’t dream of keeping you here, isn't that right? You'll send her home."
Adam stared into Wanda's eyes and saw the first flicker of fear in them. A frown crossed his face. Why would she be afraid now when they were assuring her nothing would happen?
"She should stay a few days," he started.
"Adam!" Lena's voice was sharp.
"What? I was going to say that she should stay to give testimony against Jonas, so an appropriate punishment can be decided on."
Lena put her hands on her hips. "She is standing right here. Tell her, not me, what your thoughts are."
Adam rolled his eyes. "Mother—"
A snort cut him off. Wanda's eyes glinted as she smirked at him. "A real Momma's boy, are you? Figures. A great big vampire like you—"
She flinched when Adam growled low in this throat. There was only so much he could take, and his patience was already worn thin. He didn't like seeing her fearful, though, and took a deep breath to calm himself.
"Find her a room to stay a few days in," he ordered. "And make sure she gets everything she wants."
He turned on his heel and swept from the room. But though he tried to turn his mind back to a solution for the measles breakout, he found he couldn't stop thinking about Wanda. Spunky, not afraid to defend herself, and pretty to boot. Perhaps the perfect woman for him.
His mother and others had been after him to marry for quite some time. Wanda Olsen was clearly not afraid to speak her mind; he needed that in any woman who sat on the throne with him. It would be her choice, of course, but once he made his case, she wouldn't say no to the riches he had to offer. He'd give it a couple days before approaching her, but he had finally found his queen.
Chapter Two – Wanda
Wanda wasn't sure what to think as the white-haired vampire led her away from the king. Adrenaline still pumped through her body, but she was more confused than anything else. Jonas told her that the king would take off her head if she defied him. It was bound to happen eventually. She wasn't someone who backed down from a fight, so she had decided to just get it over with right away.
And yet, Adam seemed angrier with Jonas than with her, despite the fact that she spat in his face. It was not what she had been expecting at all.
She was just glad that he didn't push her about whether she was a virgin or not. She was – it wasn't like she had an opportunity to be with a human man. Relationships with vampires were strictly forbidden in Jonas's household. That was one thing that she could speak about in his favor. He made sure that none of the girls were taken advantage of sexually. Not that it made up for everything else.
"This room will have to do for now," the old vampire said, opening a door. "It's a studio apartment meant for the help, but nothing else is available right now."
Wanda edged through the door warily. The room was bigger than the one she shared with the two other girls her age back in Jonas's house. It had a double bed to one side, a sofa in the middle of the room and a kitchenette on the far wall. The middle was wide open, with room for a sofa, coffee table, and leftover space. Wanda estimated she could do a full cartwheel in it. She glanced at the door and smiled when she saw a deadbolt. Good. She wouldn’t have to brace it with a chair.
The vampire woman glanced around the room. "This will have to do. Do you have a cell phone?"
Wanda shook her head mutely.
"I'll get you one, then. My name is Lena, and if you need me, all you have to do is call. Speaking of calling, do you have a number for your parents, or other friends or family, to make sure they know you're alright?"
Wanda's heart squeezed and her stomach dropped. She shook her head rapidly. "No. I don't have any friends and I don't even know who my parents are. Jonas picked me up off the street when I was sixteen. I’ve lived there all my life."
Lena's gaze softened. Did she know Wanda was lying? If she did, she gave no indication of it. "I see. Well, with the money you'll be getting from Jonas for his horrible actions, you'll be able to set yourself up quite nicely. I'll have food and a map of the palace sent up. You're free to go wherever you like."
"Thanks," Wanda said nervously. What would they expect in return for this kindness? Nobody did anything without wanting something in return.
"You're welcome, dear. Now, I imagine that this has been quite a trying ordeal. Try to rest."
Wanda shut the door as Lena walked away. She turned to the little studio and frowned. With all the guards around, she couldn’t just walk out of the palace. Oh, well. She'd find a way to escape soon enough. She always did.
With a sigh, she flopped down on the bed and gasped. The mattress was as soft as a cloud. It hugged her body, making her groan. She could lie there forever and never get up. Sleep dragged at her eyes.
The vampire king's gaze came back to her. That calculating look made her shiver, but not from fear like she would have expected at any other time. There was something else about it… She wasn't sure what. She had heard stories about him. He terrified most of the vampires she'd come into contact with, and after seeing him she understood why.
But at the same time, she couldn't help but wonder what had made him that way, and if there was a heart beating beneath that intense stare.
***
Several days passed without incident. Wanda spent the first day in her room, but when that became too boring, she tentatively started to explore. The best thing she found was a library on the fourth floor and, from then on, spent most of her time there. She had found some worksheets for basic reading and math there and was struggling her way through them.
Learning was something Wanda had always loved. She hadn't been able to go to school since the time she was young as she was too busy taking care of her parents. When they gave her to Jonas, he promised that she would learn new things. Reading and math weren't on the list. How to weigh and measure drugs, yes, but little more.
She was in the library when the king found her again. Wanda had sensed his presence before she
saw him and had to struggle not to shrink away when he strode directly toward her. Instead, she cast a critical gaze at him. He was so built he looked like he could crush steel. His face had a hard jawline, square cheekbones, and eyes gray as storm clouds. The rest of him was all hard angles as well, the image not helped by the black suit he wore.
"You spend too much time in the gym," she told him. "Rock-hard abs? Please. Can you say overcompensating much?"
Adam stopped a few feet from her. His eyes narrowed and Wanda's breath caught in her throat. But he didn't show any other signs of anger. In fact, after a moment, he grinned broadly.
"You aren't afraid to speak your mind."
Well, that wasn't it at all, but Wanda wasn't going to admit that her bravado kept her from peeing her pants in terror. She had always been afraid of Jonas, and he was a skinny little wimp compared to this guy. And he was the king. He could do whatever he wanted – kill her, maim her – and nobody would stand up for her. Well, except maybe his mother, but Lena didn't seem to have all that much control over her son.
"If you'll excuse me, I was reading," Wanda said, mustering up all the disdain she could while her palms sweated badly. To her despair, Adam took a seat on the sofa next to her instead. She closed her book to hide that it was meant for children and glared at him. "What do you want?"
"Several things. The first of which is how you would like your compensation from Jonas. Cash? Land? Investment stocks?"
They were really giving her money? Wanda knit her brow. Was trading humans really illegal? From the way Jonas acted, she thought it was normal among vampires. "Uh… tax-free savings account."
"And what other punishments do you think are suited for him?" Adam's gaze was locked on hers.
Was this some sort of test? A challenge to see how rebellious she was against the vampire lords that ruled them? Wanda hesitated. If she could have her way, she'd choose to lock him away forever and give his land to all the women he kept prisoner to work as his drug mules. But Adam had to know about them, didn't he? It wasn't like it was some great big secret.