The Vampire King's Mate

by T. S. Ryder

  Her heart beat fast when she stepped out of the bathroom. Joshua turned. His jaw dropped Naomi brushed her hair back off her shoulder and walked over to him, careful not to dislodge her ribbon.

  "So this is my present?" Joshua asked, eyes trailing over her.

  "Yes. I didn't have time for real shopping like you said, but I thought—"

  Joshua pressed a finger to her lips. He grinned. "Best Christmas ever."

  He tugged the loose end of the bow before slowly unwrapping her. His hands coasted along her skin as he did, pupils darkening. Everywhere he touched, Naomi's skin tingled. She would never grow tired of the feel of her mate's hands on her, the look in his eyes as he gazed at her body. His tongue flicked out of his mouth, running along his lips.

  Naomi couldn't help herself. She threw herself on her mate, kissing him hard, trying to catch his tongue. Joshua detangled the rest of the ribbon from her body and picked her up, her thighs parting to either side of his hips. Her core tightened. Fireworks began to pop in her brain.

  "Couch?" Joshua panted, holding her with one arm while he slipped his fingers between their bodies.

  "Too far," Naomi groaned. "Under the Christmas tree."

  The couch was only a step further than the tree but Joshua didn't argue. Kissing her deeply once more, he walked to the tree and laid her down on the red velvet skirt. The heady scent of fir filled her nostrils as he continued to work her, making fire run up and down her legs before it pooled in her legs. His mouth moved to her breath, making something snap pleasantly deep inside her. Naomi arched herself to her lover and mate, helping him as he discarded his own clothing.

  "So beautiful. So strong," Joshua murmured into her skin.

  "Stop talking about yourself and start talking about me," Naomi joked.

  Joshua redoubled his efforts, making her gasp. Somewhere in her own bursts and pools of fire, she managed to find him with her hand. They locked eyes as they pleasured one another. Joshua's face was set in determination, jaw locked, burning passion in his eyes. Sweat was already beading the edge of his blond hairline. Naomi grinned. She loved that after only a few weeks, she already knew her mate so well that she could give him exactly what he needed as he did the same for her.

  It was soon difficult to keep herself still. Naomi rocked from side to side, grunting with the effort to stay with Joshua, to avoid spiraling into the ocean of her climax. From the strain on his face, he was feeling the same. He gripped her thighs, spreading them further, and entered. Tremors shook up Naomi's body. As her mate laid over her, she clung to him, digging her fingers into his back. He kissed her hard, swallowing her whimpers.

  The rhythm he set was fast, desperate to bring them higher before they finished. Their hands roamed each other's bodies as though they had never felt anything before. Naomi's core was so tight it was almost painful. She flung her head back, writhing. His mouth dropped to her neck, sucking hard, and it sent her over the edge. Her hands clenched on her arms and her whole body tensed, bringing him with her.

  Joshua kept moving desperately for several more moments before he gave up and went still. They lay there for a long time, panting. Naomi closed her eyes, savoring the sweet feeling of their bodies still joined together.

  "Is it just me, or does that get better every time we do it?" Naomi asked, stretching lazily under her mate's body.

  Joshua grunted, nuzzling her neck. "Eventually we're going to find a peak. I hope you're not disappointed when we do."

  "Disappointed? No, I think we need to reach that peak soon. I don't think I'll survive if it gets better than that." Naomi laughed. "But maybe we can make this a tradition. Every year."

  "I'd like that." Joshua chuckled and kissed her, but broke off with a groan when Sapphira started crying from the bedroom. "I'll see if I can get her back to sleep so we can continue in with Christmas celebrations."

  Naomi sighed as Joshua rolled off her. He stood and tugged on his pants, but she wasn't sure her legs were strong enough to carry her just yet to follow. She stretched, smiling. A mate and a child, and Alpha of her pack. All within a month. It was overwhelming, how quickly it happened. But she wouldn't have it any other way.

  "She's hungry," Joshua called from the bedroom. "Can you get her a bottle?"

  "Sure." Naomi got to her feet as Joshua brought Sapphira out. She quickly made up a bottle before retrieving Joshua's shirt from the floor and pulled it over her head. As her mate began feeding their child, she grinned.

  "What are you smiling about?"

  She shook her head, unsure if she could explain herself properly.

  "Tell me."

  Her grin widened. "It's just that this is the best Christmas ever."

  Joshua grinned back at her. "I agree. Here's looking at many more to come."

  Naomi nodded. Yes, she was very much looking forward to what the future held in store for the two of them.

  *****

  THE END

  Mated to the Dragon King

  Description

  A lost heir to the dragon throne PLUS a curvy witch who meets the man of her dreams PLUS a fight to win the kingdom!

  Sullivan has been wandering the world alone for so long that he’s almost forgotten his dragon. Expelled from his land and forced to live among the humans, he tries to blend in. But when he meets Cynthia, all bets are off. No woman has ever made such an impression on him. His hormones are on high alert and his inner dragon is slowly waking up from its slumber.

  Cynthia runs her plus-size boutique with confidence. All she needs to do is wave her wand to give her clients the perfect outfit. But her orderly little world is shaken to its core when she meets the new shop owner next door. Even through his tight, black sleeveless shirt, it’s obvious that he sports a chiseled midsection and maybe even one of those scandalous V’s that leads down to his crotch.

  But pleasure and lust cannot hide the danger that Sullivan and his newly found mate are in. Sullivan is the heir to the dragon throne, which he can claim once he has found his mate and impregnated her. But Sullivan’s brother has his eyes set on Cynthia and the throne too. Sullivan knows one thing for sure. He’d fly across the Earth for her. And when it comes to that, he’s ready.

  Chapter One

  Cynthia whisked around her small boutique, making sure that everything was in its place. Even though Better with Size was tiny, it still seemed to carry everything a girl could ever want, from underwear to prom dresses, BWS had it all. It was Friday, and a new shipment of inventory had come in. Cynthia was just putting out the new, summer-style shoes when she heard the sound of the bell ringing, indicating the arrival of a customer.

  Cynthia turned around and greeted the large, busty girl, who looked a little embarrassed to be walking into a plus-size store. “Hello. I’m looking for a prom dress…” Her voice was low and she kept looking out into the hallway as if the mall goers would judge her for being in there.

  “Not a problem miss. I’m sure we can find you something to your liking in our selection. Are you here alone or do you have someone to help you?” Cynthia asked, wondering what this sweet, young girl was doing all by herself. “May I add that you have great skin?” She reached out, touching the girl’s arm, letting her fingertips run along the soft surface. “Do you use any foundation?”

  “I don’t wear makeup…” the girl said meekly, batting her eyelashes.

  “Oh? No? Really? I would’ve never guessed!” Cynthia said enthusiastically, a bright smile on her face. “Well, I wish I was that lucky.” The high school student looked up at the shop owner and shook her head.

  “Are you kidding me?” the girl blurted out. “You’re gorgeous.” Her cheeks colored and she quickly looked down. Cynthia just smiled at her and took her hand, bringing her toward the back of the store, where there was a rack of dresses.

  “This is all we have for now. If you find a style you like, let me know. Even if it’s not in your size, I sometimes have other sizes in the back.” The girl nodded and started going through t
he selection.

  A few minutes later, a large, burly man entered the shop, a disapproving grimace on his face. Following close behind him was a pale-skinned woman, holding a bag that was much too big. She swayed her hips as she walked and her high heels clicked loudly on the floor. Quickly, Cynthia walked up to the counter, holding a gnarled wooden pencil up to her chin, as if in contemplation. She took a piece of paper and jotted something down. Instantly, the woman’s shoes grew quiet and Cynthia smiled to herself. Her spell had worked.

  “How may I help you?” she asked from behind the counter, a friendly smile painted on her face.

  The man just shook his head, his beefy hands clasped behind his back. “We’re here with our daughter, Tamara.”

  The woman followed him to the clearance section. “I still think she would be better off going to Macy’s,” she said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “My daughter? In a plus-size store?” The woman shook her head. Cynthia’s eyes narrowed in their direction, feeling her blood boil in her veins.

  “Well, I’m sure your daughter will fall in love with the right dress when she sees it,” Cynthia said through gritted teeth, suddenly standing right next to the woman, a hand on her voluptuous hip, looking intimidating.

  “Yeah…” the woman mumbled, walking away. Cynthia grinned subtly in victory, walking over to the young girl. “Do you need any help picking out a dress?”

  “I don’t know what to get…” she responded worriedly, biting her bottom lip.

  “Well, let’s start with color. What do you like?”

  “Blue. Darker shades of blue,” the girl answered. Instantaneously, there seemed to be an increase of blue dresses on the rack.

  “Okay. Now do you know what style you’re looking for? A tight, sexy fit or something a bit more princess-style?” Cynthia asked, holding up two wildly different dresses, both in a pleasant shade of blue.

  “Well…” The girl looked over at her parents and then dropped her voice down to a hushed whisper. “Anything that would make me look good. I want to prove to them that I’m not some whale.” She sounded like she was about to cry. Cynthia felt pity for the girl, bringing her into a tight hug.

  “Why don’t you hop into a dressing room and I’ll bring you some dresses to try on,” Cynthia offered.

  “Oh, do you need to know my size?” The girl looked even more worried than before.

  “Not at all. I do this for a living. I’m pretty good at working these things out.” She winked at the girl who suddenly looked hopeful. Cynthia took her time, browsing through the rack, occasionally tapping her finger against a piece of fabric, seeing it change before her very eyes. “This will never do…” she mumbled, pulling out a dress and then hanging it back up again. “Ah! Perfect!” She held up a shimmering blue dress, her hazel eyes now sparkling with excitement. She couldn’t wait to see how the girl would look in this.

  She brought it over to the dressing room and then helped her put it on, zipping it up for her and guiding her to the floor-length mirror. The girl stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her reflection. The dress fit her perfectly. It seemed to hide every ounce of fat that ever made her feel self-conscious. Its tapered pattern gave her the illusion of an hourglass figure, making her look even sexier than she already was.

  “I think you look absolutely amazing,” Cynthia whispered, leaning in close, flashing a bright white smile. “I’m sure you’ll have all the boys flocking after you with this one!”

  The girl giggled with glee, doing a little twirl so she could see the bottom half of her dress flow with her movements. “I love it!” Hurriedly, she walked over to her parents, who stood there with their mouths agape. They couldn’t believe how well it suited her. From the color to the pattern, it was completely breathtaking.

  “We’ll take it,” the parents said in unison, the girl’s face lighting up like a midnight star.

  Chapter Two

  Meanwhile, next door, in the shop immediately adjacent to Better with Size, Sullivan Cox got to work setting up his new store. There were still tarps over the windows, preventing people from looking inside, but the sign over the door already said Dragon Scale Antiques. Many people tried to peer inside and see what kind of novelty items would be for sale, but it was impossible.

  Sullivan was all alone in the small shop, polishing an ancient dagger. Its hilt was encrusted with jewels and the sheath was engraved with the body of a large, slumbering dragon, its tail wrapping around the base. Slowly, he pulled on the hilt. The blade shone with a deadly sharpness. Sullivan gently ran his finger along the double edge, feeling how dangerous it really was. He smirked before putting it in a display case along with all the other swords he had for sale.

  They all had impossible price tags on them, but Sullivan also knew they were worth much more than what he was selling them for. Most of them were from the time of the crusades when his species had run rampant across all of the modern day Europe. Their large, leather wings had soared through the sky, instilling fear in the hearts of the humans below, feebly shooting arrows in an attempt to save their towns from destruction. It never worked.

  That is, until the humans developed more powerful weaponry such as cannons and catapults. The dragons felt a horrible blow to their numbers as they were shot out of the sky, their hides quickly used to make armor, saddles, and whips. Now, dragons, once the most powerful race on the planet, resided only in the northernmost parts of Ireland, where people were oblivious to their existence.

  Still, the dragon community was a close-knit one. Everyone knew everyone and rumors spread like wildfire. Sullivan had grown up in this culture, enjoying the wealth of knowledge that came along with it. He heard stories from his grandfathers about the Great War and the dreaded King Arthur. Now, however, he was no longer welcome there.

  He had been exiled. Being next in line to the throne, it was his duty to obtain both a mate and an heir by his two hundred and fiftieth year. He had not done so. It was not for lack of trying. He went to all the ceremonial balls his father had ordered him to go to, but he simply couldn’t find a suitor that sparked his interest. Not once did he find his heart begin to race when he looked at a woman. He wanted the love he had always read about but had never managed to find.

  Sullivan sighed, thinking about it. For forty long years, he had been exiled to the human world, traveling from place to place before people could notice his lack of aging. Now, he had settled himself in rainy Seattle, where the weather reminded him somewhat of a home. He occupied himself with his small shop, enjoying the task of taking care of the artifacts he had accumulated over the years. He enjoyed their stories and company as if each one of them were a friend of his. As a dragon, he had acquired a large amount of wealth from his heritage alone. Even as an exile, he had more money than any human could even dream of. He could have done anything he wanted, including nothing at all. If he cared for staying at home and playing video games all day, he could afford it. He, however, preferred to keep himself busy and decided to open up an antique store, entertaining himself with his almost peculiar obsession with all things ancient. On top of that, trading such high-valued items allowed for a lot of haggling. It was something he had picked up during the Ottoman occupation of Europe and had grown a liking to for whatever reason. It’s no good if you don’t haggle, he thought.

  Grinning at his own eccentricity, he started to unpack a box full of Chinese vases from the Xia dynasty, he felt a sudden shiver run down his spine. Magic. His head jerked up, looking around. He hadn’t packed any of his enchanted artifacts, had he? He rubbed his temples in confusion. Everything looked just as it should. Swords to one side. Pottery to another. Jewelry in the display case. All of it was normal, crafted by humans, centuries ago.

  He shrugged, thinking it was just a fluke and got back to work. He pulled out a small, glittering tiara that had once belonged to Catherine of Aragon. Sullivan ran his fingers over the small jewels and twisted silver, feeling the history embedded deep within. His time of exile had been
hard on him, but at least it gave him the excuse to dive into the affairs of humans, something he found quite fascinating.

  He placed the tiara in the center of the display case, knowing it would catch the eye of anyone who entered his shop. Just as he put it into place, ever so carefully, the strange sensation overcame his body once more. It was stronger this time. There was no doubt about it, someone was using magic.

  Curious, he left his shop, making sure to lock it securely. He would be devastated if someone ransacked his inventory. He followed his instinct to the brightly-lit store neighboring his own. He looked up at the sign. Better with Size. He had noticed it this morning when he had come in, but it hadn’t been open yet.

  Now, he could properly see the women’s clothing store, stocked to the brim with dresses, shoes, and accessories. He was about to step inside when a girl, about the age of sixteen, stepped out, a bright smile on her face. She was holding a blue dress in her arms, wrapped up in clear plastic so it wouldn’t get dirty. “It’s perfect, isn’t it?” she asked the couple who walked behind her, disgruntled looks on their faces. They mumbled a response as the girl continued to beam. Sullivan smiled, the girl’s mood seemingly contagious.

  He stepped inside, looking for the one who had cast such powerful magic. “How may I help you?” a soft, honey-like voice suddenly called out, taking Sullivan by surprise. He hadn’t felt anyone’s presence and yet, when he looked up, he saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. She was full around the edges, with a drop-dead figure. Sullivan couldn’t stop himself from staring. Her plump hips and full chest had his heart beating like never before.