by Sophie Stern
And then another.
Together, we were going to spend our eternity, and I couldn’t wait to get started.
Epilogue
Juliet
ONE YEAR LATER
I STOOD IN THE CEMETERY, stared up at the moon, and I waited.
This was it.
This was the day.
This was the moment I’d been waiting for. Twelve months ago, I had been living my ordinary life. I had completely thrown myself into work and into making sure I did my part to ensure that Darkvale would become a better, more wonderful place. I’d been a busy little bee, and I had not been looking for love or for an adventure.
Then he’d come crashing into my life, and he’d changed me.
Colin had done more than just turn me into a vampire. He’d turned me into a person who believed in hope, in fate. Now I was the kind of person who felt like I could do anything. I had never ever felt that way before. Not even in my dreams had I ever felt like that.
I gripped the little blood cupcake I had baked just for this night, and I waited for Colin to arrive. Once he was here, we could sit on the steps of the mausoleum where we’d first met, and we could share this special cupcake. We could kiss, and we could talk about the past year, and we could spend some time just being.
“You look beautiful.”
I heard his voice before I saw him, and a smile spread across my face. I turned around looking at him in the darkness. It was dark out, with barely the hint of a moon, and there were shadows everywhere.
“You came,” I said.
“How could I resist?” He asked. “You said it was an important night.”
“It’s been a year,” I said.
I’d been a vampire for an entire year. It had been a year filled with fucking, kissing, laughing, and having a good time. We’d had to work together to rebuild the heart of Darkvale. The city had become wildly broken in many ways. After Norman’s invasion, we’d had to re-evaluate what it was that made the city our own. We’d adjusted the way we did donations, and we’d increased the security at the hospital. We’d also started work on improving the personal relationships between humans and vampires so that we really could find ways to live in peace.
“An entire year,” Colin said. He took another step toward me. “Hard to believe, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
In the last year, I’d learned what it meant to be a vampire. I’d learned what it meant to put aside my fear and anger and humanity and become something different, something greater. I reached for Colin now, pulling him close to myself, and I kissed him.
“I love you,” I told him. He was more than just a Vampire Lord. He was the person who had rescued me. He’d saved me. He’d taken a horrible situation and he’d made me into something better than I’d been before.
“I love you, too,” he whispered. He kissed me back just as fiercely, just as deeply. A year ago, we’d met in this very cemetery and he’d made me promise to be his blood toy. Now, here we were, a year later, and I was more than just a toy. I was his vampire mate now.
And we were linked together for eternity.
I looked up at Colin, and I smiled.
I couldn’t imagine anyone I’d rather spend my forever with.
THE END
Deleted Scenes
DEAR READER,
One of the hardest choices a writer has to make is during the editing process. Which scenes will stay? Which ones will go? Which scenes make a story even better? Are there any scenes that don’t quite make sense in the grand scheme of things?
Writing CHAOTIC WILD was a lot of fun for me. Colin and Juliet were both very fun characters to spend time with and enjoy. Unfortunately, even their story needed a few changes, and a few scenes were removed before publication.
If you’re not quite ready to say goodbye to our vampire couple, please keep reading. You can enjoy these deleted scenes, which I have included just for you.
As always, thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I did.
Love, Sophie
Juliet
THE MANSION THAT COLIN lived in was huge. It was the biggest house in town, from what I gathered, and it was the kind of place you could get lost in. Not that I was planning to get lost there. I wasn’t. Instead, I was planning to spend as much time as possible beneath his body, writhing with pleasure. That was what I wanted.
I wanted the chance to enjoy sleeping with a vampire, being nibbled on, and getting excited over and over. That was what I wanted. I had a feeling the mansion was going to hold all of that and more.
I just didn’t know if I was brave enough...or strong enough.
Colin
WHEN I ASKED FOR JULIET to come stay with me, I hadn’t quite asked, now had I? It had been an obvious command. I had demanded for her to come to the castle. I had bossed her and ordered her around. It probably wasn’t fair that I had done that. Maybe it would have been better for all of us if I’d been more tame and relaxed and calm.
A calm vampire?
Perhaps that was what someone like Juliet really needed.
She was sexy as hell, and she was pretty, and she was sweet, but she was also human. She was totally, completely mortal, and I didn’t like that I was bringing her into my world in this way. She hadn’t chosen to be a blood doll. Perhaps it was cruel of me to use her as one.
But even that realization didn’t change the fact that I wanted her.
I craved her.
And I was going to have her.
COLIN STORMED INTO the bathroom where I was just stepping out of the shower. Even though I’d been living in the mansion for weeks, it was still the most incredible bathroom I’d ever seen. A girl could get used to treatment like this. Taking a shower at Darkvale Manor was like heaven.
“Colin,” I whispered, looking at him. “What’s wrong?”
He seemed agitated, bothered. He seemed anxious. That wasn’t like him at all. Ever since Norman’s death, he’d been calm. In some ways, Colin had seemed downright relaxed. This tension in his neck was unlike anything I’d ever seen.
“What’s the problem?”
“Nothing,” he snapped. Then he crossed his arms over his chest. He looked pouty. Then finally, he sighed dramatically. “Alice has taken a pet.”
“A pet?”
“Yes.”
“Like a cat?”
“No, like a blood pet,” Colin said. “And while I appreciate Dr. Thompson’s work at the hospital, it’s a bit awkward to walk into the mansion and see her feeding from his thigh in the sitting room.”
I burst out laughing.
Dr. Thompson?
And Alice?
“Apparently, they met while you were recovering and haven’t been able to get enough of each other,” Colin said. I stepped out of the shower, still dripping wet. I reached for a towel and wrapped it around myself carefully. Then I moved toward Colin, gliding across the floor. I reached for him and kissed him. My vampire was anxious and broody, but I knew just how to calm him down.
“Come with me,” I whispered. “Let me help you forget.”
Author
Sophie Stern writes vampires, cowboys, werewolves, dragons, and fairy tales. Her books feature deliciously wonderful characters and deliciously naughty adventures. If you enjoyed Chaotic Wild, you may like one of her other vampire books, such as VAMPIRE KISS or ETERNITY. Sophie also has several dragon shifter books available, such as THE FABLESTONE CLAN and DRAGON ISLE.
Please make sure you subscribe to Sophie’s mailing list here.
You can also follow her on Facebook for frequent updates.
Thank you so much for reading CHAOTIC WILD.
Books
Other books by Sophie Stern
HONEYPOT DARLINGS
HONEYPOT BABIES
DRAGON ISLE
THE FABLESTONE CLAN
DON’T DATE DEMONS
POLAR BEARS OF THE AIR FORCE
DARK FAVORS
SAVO
RED
Sophie’s books are available wherever eBooks are sold.
If you enjoyed this story, check out these other books!
CONQUERED (The Hidden Planet)
ABDUCTED.
Taken.
Locked away.
Fiona doesn't know true fear until she is whisked away from her loving family and doting boyfriend. When she finds herself on an alien ship with only a gHankt beast for company, her fear turns to anger when she realizes her loved ones have betrayed her.
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CONQUERED is available wherever eBooks are sold.
ALIEN BEAST
He's a war hero.
She's a virgin.
He's broken.
She's perfect.
When he finds her in the midst of an alien war, Luke takes Willow for himself. He can't help himself. He's never taken a prisoner alive before, but Willow is different. He needs her. He wants her. Most of all, he craves her.
Willow is a human who has the worst luck in the world. When the tour ship she's on malfunctions and crash-lands on the wrong planet, she's thrust into the middle of a war: one she has no desire to be in.
Then everything changes.
She's captured by an alien beast unlike anything she's ever seen before.
And the worst part is that after awhile, she's not so sure she wants him to let her go.
ALIEN BEAST is available wherever eBooks are sold.
STARBOARD
Christina hasn't had a regular Dom since her husband died in Afghanistan. She's a war widow with a daughter: she doesn't have time for relationships, but she does make time to play.
Christina goes to Anchored to unwind and to have her submissive needs met. Whether she's playing with a Dom or Domme, Christina's partners all know one thing: she's there to serve, not to find love.
It's all fun and games for the Damsel of the Dungeon until a new Dom arrives and he sets his sights on her.
Only, he's not just interested in scening with Christina.
He's interested in everything.
Zack has always considered himself a good lawyer, a loyal friend, and an observant Dominant. When his business partner and best friend, Tony, invites him to visit a local sex club, Zack's ready for anything.
Except the feisty brunette who doesn't want to be taken care of.
After the third time he sees Christina refusing aftercare, Zack decides to do something about it, only Christina isn't like other subs.
It's a good thing he loves a challenge.
CHAPTER ONE
Christina
“ARE YOU READY?” ODESSA’S shoes click loudly as she makes her way across the locker room floor. She’s wearing five-inch bright-red stilettos tonight and honestly, I have no idea how the hell she manages to walk in those things. I prefer to be barefoot, myself, but that’s probably just because I don’t have half the grace Odessa has.
“Just about,” I tell her. “Let me finish my mascara.” I twirl the mascara brush over my eyelashes one last time. I really should invest in falsies, but I’m just not confident enough in my ability to put them on. Besides, the double-dark mascara I’m wearing tonight makes me look incredible.
Kissable.
Fuckable.
It makes me look unstoppable.
“You look great, love,” Odessa kisses me on the cheek and manages to pry me away from the vanity mirror. “But it’s time. The night is in full swing and if I’m not mistaken, you have a date with Destiny tonight.”
“Her name is Mistress D,” I smile, but Odessa is right. We both know Destiny from outside the club. It should make playing together a little weird, but somehow, it doesn’t. Somehow, playing with Mistress D is different than working with Destiny.
Odessa just rolls her eyes and gives me a once over. She reaches out and adjusts the corset I’m wearing, pushing my breasts up just a little higher. Then she walks around me, smoothing out the miniskirt I’m wearing and making sure each part of my outfit looks good, perfect. She makes sure I look complete, and for that, I am grateful.
I’ve been playing at Anchored for months now, but sometimes, I still get nervous. Tonight isn’t my first night playing with Mistress D and it certainly won’t be my last, but sometimes I still worry that I’m not going to be good enough to please my partners. Sometimes I worry that I’m not going to be good enough to make this fun for them.
“Stop over-thinking,” Odessa warns me sternly. “Stay focused on the scene. Remember, Christina: stay focused.”
“I will.”
She grabs my chin and turns me toward her. Odessa’s bright brown eyes practically glow as she gazes at me.
“You are not a mother tonight. You are not a widow. You are not a childcare provider. You are not anything but a submissive. Do you understand?”
“I understand.”
“Say it for me, love.”
“I am only a submissive tonight.”
“That’s right,” Odessa nods, seemingly satisfied. “Don’t make the mistake of spacing off during your scene, okay?”
I blush, embarrassed she remembers the debacle from a few weeks ago. I had been playing with someone new and just couldn’t really get into the submissive mindset. As a result, I was spacing off, thinking about grocery lists and errands, and the scene fell short.
Really short.
“I won’t space off tonight,” I tell her. Odessa is a submissive, too, and she’s going to be playing with her regular Dom tonight. Theodore is a kind-hearted tax-attorney who is seriously cut. He’s huge, and if I was at the end of his whip, I’d be terrified. Odessa isn’t, though. She loves it, takes it in stride. She’s a perfect fit for him and sometimes, I wonder why the two of them aren’t dating.
“Good girl,” Odessa says, pressing a kiss to my cheek. I give her the same once-over she gave me, fixing her top and adjusting her boy-shorts to make sure every part of her looks perfect. We each take one last look in the mirror, but then it’s time.
It’s time to leave the safety of the locker room.
It’s time to go to Anchored.
Odessa takes my hand and we leave the room together. Instantly, the sound of the heavy music hits our ears, reminding us where we are. Tonight is about fun and excitement. It’s about relaxing. It’s about unwinding, but it’s about more than that, too: it’s about submission.
Tonight is about giving ourselves to our partners, and in return, they’ll give us a little bit of themselves, as well. That’s the true beauty of submission. In giving of myself, I get something in return. The feeling of offering myself to my partner is satisfying in and of itself, but knowing that it meets my partner’s needs, as well, is even more fantastic.
I like knowing that my Dom or Domme feels good about themselves when we’re through playing together.
I like knowing that they’re having just as much fun as me.
And I like that at the end of the night, when I walk out of Anchored, I’m leaving them at the door.
It’s fucked up, but I don’t really care.
Anchored is my release. It’s my safe space. It’s my haven. Anchored is where I go because I have nowhere else to go. Anchored is the only time I get to myself, and I take it. It’s the only time I have away from my daughter. It’s the only time I can be me.
I’m not the best mother in the world. I certainly wasn’t the best wife. When Cameron died, he left me alone. He left me without anyone in the world. Even now, I don’t have anyone. It’s been two damn years since he died and I have no one.
No one.
But I have Anchored.
I have this place where I can forget, for just a couple of hours, that I’ve lost my true love.
I have this place where I can forget, for just a little while, that my life fell apart and I’m only starting to rebuild it.
I have this place where I can forget, for just a tiny bit of time, that I am completely alone in this world.
I have this place.
And I’m not giving it up.
I’m not going to get in a relationship with one of my play partners only to have us break up. Then coming to the club would be awkward, weird, and uncomfortable. I’m not going to get into a relationship where we have a fight, and then neither one of us goes to the club. I’m not interested in that.
I don’t want to sacrifice my safe space for the temporary satisfaction of being someone’s romantic partner. That’s not what I want and it’s certainly not what I need. That’s not for me.
So at the end of the night, after I play with Mistress D, I’ll spend some time crying in the locker room showers. I’ll wash my hair. I’ll clean my face. And then I’ll get dressed, get in my car, and go back to the real world, where I am a mother, and a childcare worker, and a widow.
I’ll go back to the real world where everything hurts.
I’ll go back to my life as a solitary person.
I’ll go back to my world.
“Christina,” I hear a sharp, crisp voice, and I turn. A tall black woman with braids tumbling past her shoulders is walking toward me. A corset pushes her breasts up and out. She’s wearing tight leather pants and stilettos that are even taller than Odessa’s.
Instantly, I drop to my knees, palms down. I bow my head and I wait quietly for my Domme of the night to tell me how I’ve done so far. I wait until she tells me it’s time. I wait until she tells me she’s ready.
And when Mistress D tells me I look beautiful, and that she’s ready to play with me, I take her hand, and I walk into the world of Anchored.