Forbidden Vampire Mate

by Laura Greenwood

  Wendell

  * * *

  "What the hell are you doing here?" The words came out harsher than Wendell had intended them to, but he was furious with her, and there was no hiding it.

  "I came to see you," Cora said, calmly leaning back and spreading herself across his covers. "And shouldn't it be me asking the questions? You're the one who had another woman here."

  "You're not my mate, Cora. I know you don't want to admit it, but it's true. I'm sorry. I really am. I'm not sure why you latched on to me. We spent one night together. One."

  "One's all it takes," she pointed out, though he could see the cracks starting to show. Perhaps this was the day he was finally going to manage to get through to her. He could only dream.

  "And one is all it took for you to destroy my real mating bond," he seethed, before his anger started to ebb.

  With a sigh, he dropped down onto the bed and cupped his face in hands as he tried to collect his thoughts.

  "Look, I like you as a person, Cora, but you need to stop with the obsession. It isn't healthy for either of us. When I say I'm not your mate, it isn't just for me. It's for you too. You deserve someone who makes you feel the way Effie makes me feel. You should find that love too. You've spent twenty years of your life convinced it's me, what are you so scared of?"

  He didn't think he'd ever seen Cora speechless, but now he was.

  "I really am sorry," he said again. "I wish I could have been who you wanted me to. But we both know the mating bonds don't work like that."

  "You really think she's the one?" Cora whispered. "Your mate?"

  "I don't think it, Cora. I know it. With every fibre of my being. A moment without her is a moment wasted." And he'd ruined it. He should have told Effie about Cora already, but there hadn't been the right time. And then she'd shown up. One thing was for certain, he was never keeping secrets from his mate ever again if this was going to be the result. It wasn't worth it. Especially as he hadn't intended this to become one in the way it had.

  "Oh."

  "You okay?" he asked her.

  "That's not how I feel about you," she admitted. "I thought it was. I thought what we had was amazing and special and perfect. But it's not, is it?"

  "No. I'm sorry. It isn't. But I'd like to think we can be friends?" he suggested.

  "Even though I basically stalked you and then ran off your mate?" Guilt marred every word of what she was saying.

  "Okay, maybe we can start slowly on the friends thing. And only when Effie's around too. If she ever forgives me." He didn't know what he was going to do about that. There had to be something that could convince her he was truly sorry and explain what was going on. It wasn't like he'd intended for this to happen.

  "I'd like that, thank you," Cora said.

  "And perhaps you could give me the copy of my key you made?" he suggested.

  "Ah. Yes." She rummaged through her bag and handed him a perfect copy of his front door key.

  "Maybe don't do this next time you think someone is your mate." He waved the key about to make his point.

  "Got it. I hope you realise I'll be asking you for all the tips now," Cora promised.

  He frowned. How had they gained such a strange relationship? He pushed the question aside. At the end of the day, it didn't matter. She was no longer going to be stalking his entire life, and as far as he was concerned, that was a good start to a potential friendship, though there was still a long way for them to go.

  "And as for your mate, call her and explain. I'm sure she'll understand that I'm a little odd."

  He chuckled. "That's what you're going for?"

  "It's the official line," she reminded him.

  "Got it. Now why don't you head home. Maybe even sign yourself up to MatchMater..."

  "I don't think I'm ready yet," she admitted. "But I will soon."

  He nodded. "But still go home."

  "Let me know what happens with your mate. I'll let myself out." She got up from the bed and waved goodbye to him.

  He stared after her for a moment, trying to work out what had happened with the other vampire. It was almost anti-climatic given everything they'd been through together.

  After giving himself a moment to process, he picked up his phone and dialled Effie's number.

  Unsurprisingly, she didn't answer. What was he going to do about that? He had to talk to her and explain. He couldn't live his life without her, or they'd both end up miserable. Mates were meant to be together.

  He hung up and tried again. At the fifth attempt, he knew he had no choice but to leave a voicemail, even if he hated them. There was nothing worse than the tape recorder icon hanging around at the top of his screen until he listened to the message, but if she wasn't going to pick up, then he had to.

  "Please leave your message after the beep," the robotic voice said.

  He took a deep breath. "Hi Effie, it's Wendell. Sorry, you probably know that already." He laughed nervously, hating how on edge he sounded. "I'm sorry about Cora. She's not what you think, I promise. She's believed we're mates since we met twenty years ago and er...spent the night together. Maybe that's not the best thing to admit to you while you're angry with me, but honesty is the only way we're going to be able to sort this out. Anyway, I've been trying to convince her we're not mates for years, and she finally seems to have understood this time. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about it sooner, I promise I was going to. And Cora knows where she stands now. The only time I'll see her again is when we're together."

  He thought over that last line, and regretted it. Oh well, it was too late now.

  "Perhaps that isn't the best thing to say either, but I don't want to be the person who keeps secrets. Please forgive me. I need you, more than anything. I don't want to live without you."

  Should he say more? He didn't think so, it was already a bad enough message without him complicating things further. With nothing else for it, he hung up, sending the message to Effie's inbox whether either of them were ready for it or not.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Effie

  * * *

  "I don't want to live without you."

  Wendell's words echoed around her head, along with his somewhat flimsy explanation. None of it really explained why Cora had felt the need to ruin Effie's perfect morning, and now she was left with a broken heart and a lot of questions.

  The two were a bad combination on any day, but when her next patient was Mrs Stein, they were even worse. The woman had a sixth sense when it came to what was wrong with people, one that was only slightly disturbing, and Effie wasn't sure how to deal with it. She'd almost asked another masseuse to cover for her, but was smart enough to realise that wouldn't stop Mrs Stein. The older woman was the very definition of perseverance, and nothing as simple as a different service provider would stop her from interfering where she shouldn't.

  Right on cue, the woman shuffled into the room, only becoming spritely once the door was closed and she knew no one but Effie was able to see her.

  "Aren't you worried that we'll set up cameras in here or something, and show your secrets to the world?" Effie asked, her heart only half in it.

  Mrs Stein chuckled and hopped up onto the table. "What secrets are they going to learn? That I can walk a bit faster than I claim to? There's no crime against that. Most of the nurses would only discover that they rarely have to help me, but I think they're grateful for that. It gives them more time for the poor old dears who need their help." She gave Effie a firm look. "Though I've been hearing reports of people feeling a lot better these days. Not as much joint pain, or a cough suddenly disappearing...."

  "The doctor is very good at his job," Effie said.

  Mrs Stein chuckled. "It's faerie magic, not incubus magic. I hope you don't think I'm oblivious to his secrets."

  "I assume you know everyone's, it's safer that way," Effie mumbled.

  "In any case, I'm sure if the humans in this place knew you were the reason they were feeling better, then they'd
want to say thank you. You improved a lot of lives, even if you didn't plan on it," she said.

  Effie caught a small smile spreading over her face. "It's nothing more than what I started this job to do," she admitted. It was good to have someone like Mrs Stein out among the other residents. Knowing her magic was making a difference made everything worth it.

  "But now we have the pleasantries out of the way, why don't you tell me what's bothering you, and we'll see what we can do about it?" she suggested, swinging her legs back and forth like she normally did.

  Effie shrugged. "I don't think there's anything, really."

  For a brief moment, she considered not telling the old woman anything about the situation. Then again, who else did she have to talk to? If anyone in the faery village learned she'd mated with a vampire, then there'd be hell to pay, and she didn't really have any friends on this side either.

  Which was how she found everything coming out, in excruciating detail as Mrs Stein sat patiently and listened to each word, never butting in, not even with a wise crack or sarcastic comment. Effie even told her the part about Cora pretending to be Wendell's mate. Well, if what he was saying was true.

  A single tear rolled down her cheek as she finished by recounting Wendell's voice mail. The emotions of it all overtaking her in that moment. She wasn't sure she'd properly processed everything herself until she said it out loud.

  "Hmm. I can see that's a tricky one. He's a fool for letting himself get into that situation in the first place."

  Effie did a double take. Was the old woman taking Wendell's side in all of this? It hardly seemed fair, but then, none of this did.

  "I think you should take him at his word," the old woman said. "You mentioned he sounded like he meant it when he was begging your forgiveness, so take him up on that. There's a reason you want to believe him."

  She wanted to argue back, but then something came back to her. "There was a thought I had, when I was leaving his flat. Well, after I'd left, actually. But if Cora had been Wendell's mate, he wouldn't have been able to go on all the dates with me, right?" She crossed her fingers, hoping the old woman knew more about mating than she did. It was one of the many disadvantages of being a faery. They never taught any of the young ones anything useful. It was painful at times.

  "You should trust your instincts," Mrs Stein said. "Once someone is mated, the only person they're interested in is their mate. That even applies to the fae. Your vampire is no different. If this Cora woman really was his mate, he'd never have downloaded MatchMater in the first place, he'd have had no need of it."

  "Oh." She'd been right. It was reassuring to know that, but also kind of scary. If that was true, then she had nothing else to hide behind. "Do you think it would still be okay if I took another couple of days to process it all? I'm not sure how to talk to him again after I accused him of betraying me."

  Mrs Stein nodded. "But don't wait too long. By the sounds of it, that man isn't the kind to wait around. He's going to try and convince you to take him back at every step of the way."

  Effie laughed despite herself. "But if we're mates, aren't I always destined to end up with him?"

  "Perhaps." The old woman nodded along with the word. "But I imagine you'd be fine if you chose to live away from one another. I've not seen my mate in a hundred years or so, and we're fine."

  "Don't you miss him?" Effie asked.

  "Of course. But let's just say we're watching over different parts of the family. We have to be away from one another right now for the good of our clan." She smiled sadly. "You have a choice. I'm not saying that living away from your mate would be easy. It wouldn't be, at all. But you can choose to do it if you truly want to. Something to keep in mind."

  A grateful smile graced Effie's face. "Thank you. I really appreciate your help."

  Mrs Stein chuckled. "Of course you do, that's why I do it."

  Chapter Seventeen

  Wendell

  * * *

  The veil to the faery village had been exactly where Mrs Stein had told him it would be, which was reassuring. He hadn't wanted to end up walking around the countryside endless looking for a way to get to Effie's home. The old woman had assured him that if he went to her, it would be worth it. He hoped she was right.

  The village had been bustling until they noticed his approach. Faeries stared at him as he made his way to the centre of the square. He was lucky the village wasn't very big, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to find Effie in it, and they'd probably all know her name.

  "I'm looking for Effie," he shouted.

  The faeries looked between one another, some of them exchanging remarks.

  "What are you doing here?" an older man asked.

  "I've come to see Effie," Wendell replied, trying to keep his tone level and sure. He wasn't doing anything wrong by being here. Technically.

  "Only faeries are allowed in the village," the man said.

  "Actually, I believe that faeries and their mates are allowed here. I'm Effie's mate." He hoped the information Mrs Stein had given him was right.

  More chatter came from that one.

  "Wendell?"

  He spun on his feet and turned to find Effie coming out of a house on the other side the square and sucked in a deep breath. Her wings were out, and it was the first time he'd seen them, and they were unlike anything he could have imagined. Intricate and translucent, then shimmered like the dust she created when she did magic. They suited her, and only added to the ethereal air she gave off.

  "What are you doing here?" she asked.

  "I came to prove myself to you. I brought a traditional offering for the Faerie Council in order to be accepted officially as your mate."

  The old man before him stepped forward. "No one has brought such an offering for years. What is it you're proposing has strong enough magic for us to accept a vampire into our community."

  Wendell sucked in a deep breath and dug his hand into his pocket. When he pulled it out, he showed the man a sterling silver locket. "This belonged to my mother. She was given it by my Father the day they were officially mated. It includes locks of hair from each of my siblings while they were still babies, as well as me. I believe the offering of something that represents two kinds of true love is normally deemed to be sufficient. Especially when it is as old as this one."

  He let the man take it from him, slightly saddened to see a possession his mother had treasured so much leave his care. But he knew she'd approve if she knew it would secure her son a future with the woman he loved.

  "The offering is accepted by the Faerie Council on the condition that Euphemia confirms how the two of you met."

  Effie flitted forward on her wings, gliding along the ground with ease. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen her fly yet.

  "We crossed paths at my workplace," she said. "Wendell had come to meet one of the nurses to give her legal advice, and I was coming back from my lunch break and walked straight into him. There's a witness, a doctor who works there."

  She was so smart. That was technically the first time they'd met, after all.

  The old man nodded. "Very well, Euphemia, we accept your mate into our community. We expect him to uphold the faerie law where it applies, and you will be held responsible should he break any of them."

  "Yes, Elder Santino." Effie bowed her head.

  She turned to Wendell and grabbed hold of his hand, then pulled him back in the direction of her house.

  "Euphemia?" he asked once they were away from the chattering faeries.

  She grimaced. "My full name. You didn't really think my parents called me Effie when I was born, did you?"

  He shrugged. "I hadn't given it any thought, the name suits you."

  They ducked into a garden decked out with beautiful flowers and walkways. "No one will bother us here," she assured him.

  "Good. I wanted to talk to you alone before all of that..."

  She cut him off with a good-natured laugh. "That was never going to happen. You
can't do anything around here without someone noticing, and then they all gather and do their thing. It's kind of creepy in a lot of ways, actually."

  "Do we have to spend much time here?" he whispered.

  She shook her head. "After we break it to my parents, I imagine we can spend most of our time at your flat."

  "Or a bigger house," he suggested. "It depends when you want kids, or pets. Or if you want to work from home, or..."

  "One thing at once," she suggested. "But does this mean I'm forgiven for running off without waiting to hear what you had to say about Cora?"

  "Forgiven?" he echoed. "Why the blood would you need forgiving? I caused the problem by not telling you about her in the first place, I'm the one that needs forgiveness."

  "We'd only been on two dates," she pointed out.

  "Which is two more than we needed to know what we were together."

  "True. So let's say we're even and both forgiven and move on?" she suggested.

  "I like the sound of that."

  She stepped closer. He slipped an arm around her waist, being careful not to catch her wings, though he’d want to touch them later and find out what they felt like. He imagined like silk.

  All thought fled his mind as she pressed her lips against his. She melted into him, losing herself in their kiss. He let go too, taking everything she gave, and giving as much back. Her wings began to beat rapidly, and he didn't need to look to know they were sending faerie dust flying everywhere.

  He was at peace. With Effie by his side, anything was possible.

  Thank you for reading Forbidden Vampire Mate, and the MatchMater series. I hope you've enjoyed it. If you want more paranormal romance from me, then why not check out Bite Of The Past: http://books2read.com/biteofthepast

  And if you want a glimpse into Mrs Stein’s point of view, then you can in this scene from her point of view: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/hsj0i7azwv