Immortal Awakening: A STANDALONE Vampire Romance (Vampire Mates) Read online

  Immortal Awakening

  Vampire Mates

  Renea Mason

  Mad Mason Press

  To my fellow paranormal romance lovers, especially The Midnight Coven.

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  1. Addiction

  2. Bloodlust

  3. Longing

  4. Familiar

  5. Desire

  6. Limbo

  7. Truth

  8. Death

  9. Love

  10. Negotiation

  11. Betrayal

  12. Claim

  13. Mate

  14. Awakening

  Epilogue

  Immortal Devotion

  Also by Renea Mason

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  Mad Beta Readers:

  Laurel Hache, Ashley Bodette, Sandi Neace, Nessa Kreyling, Hazel Lewis, Tiffany Dover, Mary Grzeszak, Lisa T Lord, Dina Alexander, and Tammy Becraft

  You all make a world of difference! Thank you!

  Immortal Awakening

  Vampire Mates

  A STANDALONE Vampire Romance

  A Midnight Coven Novella

  Copyright © 2019 Renea Mason

  ReneaMason.com

  Published by Mad Mason Press

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are entirely fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Except in the case of brief quotations for the purpose of critical analysis or review, this book may not be reproduced in any form (print, electronic, audio, or any other format), in whole or in part, without the express permission of the author.

  This includes uploading the book in whole or in part to Internet sites that distribute pirated materials. In these cases, perpetrators may be subject to penalties for copyright infringement and other laws intended to protect the integrity of published works. Stop book pirating by only purchasing and downloading books from major reputable retailers.

  Edited by Nancy Cassidy at The Red Pen Coach

  Due to the dynamic nature of the Internet, website links contained within this book may be outdated and/or no longer valid.

  1

  Addiction

  The knock on my door announced it; what might have once been a wakeup call was now my ticking time bomb. Would today be the day I lost control? The day I took too much? The day I’d lose him forever?

  Turning the handle, I peeked through the crack in the door. Colin held the black bag he brought with him each time we met to sate my hunger. Why he continued to indulge me, I’d never understand, but he had saved my life the first time, almost at the expense of his own and continued to do so again and again. His loyalty was beyond compare.

  I shot him a smile as I unlatched the security lock and opened the door. It was hard to hide my anxiety from him, but I owed him the deception. My distress would only make things harder.

  “Breakfast is served, madam.” He bowed his head and held out the bag for me.

  Looping my fingers around the strap, I took the bag and opened the door wider for him to enter. It was just like him to make jokes at a time like this. Anything to make me smile.

  His six-foot-three frame brushed past me. The tight-fitting jeans, his long flowing dark hair, and mesmerizing blue eyes never failed to capture my attention. His beauty was beyond compare. Even though it was my photo on the posters as the face of the band, more than a fair share of the audience each night, men and women alike, were there to see Colin. The only thing that surpassed his charismatic allure was his talent. He never lacked for companionship.

  We grew up together as children. Over time he became more than my mischievous next-door neighbor, who confronted my bullies and carried my bookbag when it proved too heavy. He had been my best friend for as long as I could remember. Music was our bond, the audience our drug. That first performance in the grade school auditorium sealed our fates. It was as though we were born to occupy the same stage. I couldn’t imagine life without him. I assumed he felt the same way because he never left; he was always there for me, even now beyond all reason.

  The platonic nature of our relationship was a necessity. What I felt for Colin was more than romance. He was the closest thing to family I had. I wouldn’t allow something a fickle as romantic love to ruin it. When I decided to make a career of performing music, I didn’t even have to ask Colin to join me. For him, there was no other choice.

  Night after night, we made love to our audience with song, only to retreat alone to separate hotel rooms. In front of our adoring fans, I felt alive, a luxury these days, but when I stepped away from the spotlight, I remembered exactly what I had become. Much like an addict who knows they need to quit, but can’t, I pined for my once normal life, while knowing the desire was fruitless.

  After touring the country, playing one small venue after another, I had finally adjusted. Not having a place to really call home had been hard at first, but ever since the incident, the night that changed everything, my nomadic lifestyle made it easier to navigate who I had become, or rather, what I had become.

  Colin sat on the edge of the bed and rolled up his sleeve. “So, we’re headed to New York again. Maybe this time…”

  I set the bag beside him on the bed and unzipped the duffel. “Why would this time be any different? We’ve been all over the country and not one damned lead. We’ve been to every vampire bar, vampire-themed restaurant, goth club, Renfield’s syndrome support group… all those blood fetish parties that nearly killed me, or perhaps more accurately nearly killed them, and nothing. All posers just play-acting, or some type of diagnosable mental disorder. It’s almost as if they don’t really exist.” Every day without answers fueled our desperation. I hated what I had to do to him. There had to be another way. Something that didn’t put him at risk. A solution that didn’t demand sacrifice. What I wouldn’t have given for a goddamn handbook on my new…life.

  I pulled out the IV kit and collection bag, set them on the bed and squirted the sanitizer on my hands. “Which arm?”

  Colin held out his left hand. “This one.” He pumped his fingers a few times and made a fist. “Lillie, they’ve got to be out there somewhere. Maybe we need to tour overseas. Maybe, the vampire who did this to you was on holiday or something.”

  I sighed, and gathered the rubber band, looping it around Colin’s upper arm. “I’ll try anything. I can’t keep doing this to you. I don’t even know if it’s safe. It certainly isn’t fair, and having to wait so long puts you at risk.”

  He gazed up at me with a look of devotion I didn’t deserve. “I’ve told you a thousand times. I don’t mind. You don’t have to be so clinical about it.”

  I tightened the band and pierced his vein with the needle. “And I’ve told you, it’s not safe. I don’t know what I’m capable of.” I paused. “I couldn’t live with myself if I accidentally killed you. Do I have to remind you of that first time?”

  “No. But I’m bigger than you, and I know what to expect this time. I’m sure I could take you if you went too far.”

  “Well, we’re not going to find out.” I loosened the band on his arm and tried to ignore the pounding in my ears as I watched his blood fill the bag. Saliva pooled in my mouth. My body ached with need. The hunger. The thirst. The lust. All so overpowering. I had learned to hold off as long as possible. Mornings were best, just after sunrise. It was when I was at my weakest and most vulnerable. If he needed to overpower me, it would be his best chance.

  Once
the bag was half-full, I removed the needle from his arm, taped a cotton ball over it, and then grabbed the bag. I only took what had been absolutely necessary, but with passing time my hunger grew harder to control. A small amount of blood sustained me, but I wasn't sure for how much longer. The hunger intensified with each passing day. “I’ll be right back.” With Colin’s warm blood in my hand, I retreated to the bathroom.

  Before the door was closed, I brought the life elixir to my mouth and pierced the plastic with my fangs. I moaned as I siphoned the liquid into my body. My other hand slipped into the waistband of my panties and my fingers played with the wet flesh between my legs.

  Though many of the legends surrounding vampires were wrong, the one about the blood and sex was most accurate.

  Gasps escaped my throat between sucks. Every ounce brought me one step closer to orgasm. I always hoped Colin wouldn’t hear my weakness, but I knew he did.

  I rubbed my nipple against my arm holding the bag. I needed more, and I fought the longing to be able to take my blood from a lover. To feel him in me—filling me in every way. His body giving all to me. But it was too dangerous.

  I plunged two fingers inside me. My legs shook. Head tossed back, I devoured every drop. Euphoria hit like a lightning strike. The bag fell to the floor, my knees buckled and I rubbed harder against my core, demanding the sensation to last. A feral moan echoed off the bathroom tiles. Blood trickled down my chin, and I licked it from my lips. My climax commanded me, rendering me powerless to control my body. Wave after wave of pleasure filled my head while I lay in a heap on the bathroom floor like a junky.

  Colin knew not to interfere, to allow the process to happen. We never talked about what this did to him, but in recent months, he had grown bolder. Instead of waiting to masturbate when he got back to this room, he would take care of himself on the other side of the door while I was indisposed. I assumed it was because my attempt to hide my pleasure behind the bathroom door had failed. A typical human male reaction to a woman pleasuring herself, but for all I knew there may have been a more mystical explanation to his behavior. Did drinking his blood link us somehow? Just another reason finding someone with answers was so important.

  After twenty or so minutes, I finally rose from the bathroom floor. Drunk on euphoria, I stood and stared at myself in the mirror. The color had returned to my normally pale cheeks. Life stared back from behind my eyes. I pulled my dark locks into a ponytail and washed my face and hands. Gathering the empty bag from the floor, I listened at the door, to make sure Colin was done.

  I turned the handle and the familiar scent of semen and hand sanitizer filled the air. A pile of discarded tissues filled the trash can beside the bed.

  Colin watched me cross the room and place the collection bag in the biohazard wrap. “Feel better?” If his scent hadn’t already betrayed him, his flushed cheeks would have.

  I smiled, wanting to ask him the same thing, but we never acknowledged what happened. The last thing I wanted was for him to be embarrassed. It brought me joy to know he at least found some pleasure in the pain I caused him. I wouldn’t endanger that for him. “Much…” I bent down and kissed him on the top of the head. “I can’t thank you enough.”

  He grabbed my hand and pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Lillie, we’re going to get you answers. I’ll make sure of it.”

  His optimism was almost as addictive as his blood. I stroked a hand through his hair. “I hope you’re right.” I took a deep breath. “Do you think he’s still alive? My…what? Sire, is that it?”

  He rubbed his hand over my back. “I don’t know. But there can’t be only one. The legends have to have come from somewhere. Don’t worry, Lillie. We can do this.” He pulled me tighter against him in a fierce hug.

  I sure hoped he was right.

  2

  Bloodlust

  Six months earlier...

  The band had started packing up. We were leaving New York for Philly in the morning. Just enough time to sleep, get back on the road, make our late-morning meeting, and then get set up for tomorrow night’s gig. I hefted the amp onto the cart and wiped the sweat from my brow. I dreamed of someday making it big enough to be able to step off the stage and retreat to my hotel room, leaving the clean-up to someone else, but today was not that day.

  Colin strode toward me, a tall, gorgeous blonde woman two steps behind him. He grasped my upper arms. “Ah… Lillie… I’m heading back to the hotel. I’ll meet you for breakfast.” It was his turn to skip teardown, and it looked like he was planning to make good use of his time.

  I leaned to the side and assessed his latest conquest. All he had to do was smile and he had them eating out of his hand. He said it was the guitar, the rock hard abs, and the long bad-boy hair and maybe he was right, but when I looked at him I couldn’t see beyond the kindness in his eyes and the devotion that had always been there for me.

  My lips pressed against his cheek. “Be safe, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a big hug. “Well, that leaves me plenty of options now, doesn’t it?” He pulled back but smoothed his thumb over the skin exposed between my shoulder blades. “See you in the morning.”

  I gave a quick nod.

  He turned to the blonde and motioned to the stage door at the rear of the theater. His hand played over the small of her back as he ushered her out and onto the sidewalk.

  Seeing him with someone else always left me with a pang of jealousy, wishing somehow he could seek comfort with me. But it would be bad for business, and we had just turned a corner, catching the attention of an agent with a promise of taking the band to the next level. I had Colin in every way but his body. That was more than those he brought to his bed would ever experience. That’s what I found solace in each time he took a new lover. And in his promise to spend breakfast with me. A commitment always made in front of his companion, letting them know that the night would not spill over into something more. Again, it was one of those things we never spoke about, but it was almost as though he sought my approval before reassuring he’d return to me.

  We had only been on the road for six months and most evenings Colin was my anchor. He was my home, but on nights he spent with a lover, loneliness crept in like a thief. The weather outside was perfect; the slight breeze refreshing. I decided to walk the short distance to the hotel. A walk always helped to declutter my mind.

  Only a block away from my destination, I started cursing the fact I hadn’t brought something to change into after the show. The lace-up black platform boots were murder on my feet. The gauzy overcoat I wore over my bodysuit billowed out behind me from under the hem of my short black trench coat. Even at this late hour, there was life coursing through the city. Taxis buzzed by and pedestrian chatter echoed off the buildings.

  I glanced up to see a man walking toward me. He was tall and handsome, but as he approached, something seemed wrong. Swerving into my path, he stood before me in a blink of an eye. Much faster than should have been possible. My mind whirled, searching for an escape. Just as I was about to back away, he clutched my arms in a bruising grasp.

  “I’m sorry. I never meant for it to happen this way. But I’ve no other choice. I’m so sorry, Lillie.” His voice was soothing, yet unfamiliar.

  “Who are you?” The tremor in my voice betrayed the confidence I hoped to convey.

  Blood seeped through his shirt, staining the white fabric.

  “Are you OK?” I tried to pull out of his grip, but even with an apparent wound, he was too strong.

  “No time.” He rasped and collapsed against me, causing us to stumble. His weight pinned me against the brick wall.

  I tried to reach my cell phone. “We need to get you an ambulance.”

  His head snapped up. “No. They are coming. They will finish me. It has to be now. I’m sorry.” With more strength than I thought was possible, he dragged me into a dark alcove at the end of the alleyway. His hard bo
dy pressed against mine.

  It all happened so fast, it was nearly impossible to process. “Please, no. Please, this isn’t… I’ll give you anything else. Take my purse.” I recalled my self-defense classes, but the man’s surprising strength left no recourse but for me to plead for my life.

  He grasped my chin with one hand, forcing me to meet his gaze. His black eyes captivated me. “Lillie, see me. Know that I am yours.”

  The fear that overcame me quickly dissipated into something strange and unsettling. Longing. Desire. I pushed my hands against his chest. Confusion between what I was feeling and logic were at war in my mind. “What are you doing to me?”

  His knee between my legs made it impossible to escape. “Relax. Trust me. You know me. I am yours. You are mine. I will spend forever atoning for this. I’m sorry, but I need you to save me. If there were any other way…”

  A question barely formed on my lips when he tossed back his head and bared his fangs. Fangs. The pointed canine teeth, unlike the fake ones of the role players in the vampire clubs, left no doubt about their authenticity. Before I could scream, he sank his teeth into my neck.

  His other hand firmly covered my mouth, stifling any sound.

  Fire lit in my stomach and with each pull of my blood, desire coursed through me. Surely, someone had spiked my drink or something. I would wake up any moment from this horrible dream. Pleasure coursed through me in waves. My ability and the will to fight him fled. I never wanted him to stop, but he extracted his teeth from my neck, my blood coating his lips. He plunged his fangs into his own wrist and quickly withdrew them. Blood flowed from the vessels under his skin. “Drink.” He pressed his wrist to my mouth, coating my tongue with the hot fluid.