Dawn Dakota Vampires Mate

Vamp Mates

Vampire’s Mate

Renny Woolsey’s first night at his new job of bartender’s assistant
ends with him running for his life. He wouldn’t have even taken
the job if his college grant money hadn’t been almost depleted.

Sprinting through the woods at night to escape two vampires
wasn’t something he would have ever guessed he’d be doing. His
mom had raised him to believe that humans shared the earth with
other beings. The truth of her belief is now chasing him. Just when
he thought he couldn’t go on, Renny comes to a cabin. An owl
hoots eerily and Renny bounds up the cabin’s steps. To his horror,
a huge owl flies right onto the porch. In a panic, Renny rushes into
the unlocked cabin.

As Renny tries to figure out how he’s going to escape two evil
vamps and one freaky owl, a light comes on. He is instantly
mesmerized by Zavier Thorpe's pale green eyes.

If Renny lives through the night, his life will be changed forever.

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), BDSM, Paranormal
Length: 22,394 words

VAMPIRE’S MATE

Vamp Mates

Dakota Dawn

EROTIC ROMANCE

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

VAMPIRE’S MATE
Copyright © 2012 by Dakota Dawn
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62241-047-7

First E-book Publication: September 2012

Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be
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express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

If you have purchased this copy of Vampire’s Mate by Dakota Dawn
from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also,
thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or
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The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying
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This is Dakota Dawn’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect
Ms. Dawn’s right to earn a living from her work.

Amanda Hilton, Publisher

www.SirenPublishing.com

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DEDICATION

To my husband and children for all their crazy support. Love you

guys!

And to all the people who love a juicy vampire story—I’m with

ya!

VAMPIRE’S MATE

Vamp Mates

DAKOTA DAWN

Chapter One

Renny smoothed his fingers through his hair then blew a breath

into his cupped hand. Sniffing his hand, he decided his breath wasn’t
too bad. Having second thoughts, he popped a breath mint into his
mouth and slid some more mints into his pocket. He needed this job.

A master’s in political science was almost his. Jake, a coworker at

a used car dealership, had given him Lina Cantu’s name. To him, she
was the best college counselor in the world. In no time at all, he had
gone from a twenty-three-year-old starving car salesman to a starving
student with a bright light at the end of a long, exciting tunnel. His
honesty had killed many car deals, but it would help him one day in
his new profession. Lina had taken him under her wing and gotten
him more grant money than he’d thought possible. On a miserly tight
budget, he’d been able to eke by while he studied his ass off. It had
taken him seven years to complete a little over five years of college.
He was glad those years were behind him.

All he had to do was make it through one more year.

Unfortunately, this one was going to be the hardest. With his grant
money almost depleted, he was going to have to work as well as
study. He wasn’t naturally smart enough to work and go to school, but

Vampire’s Mate

all he had left was one year. He took a breath and mentally chanted.
I’m smart enough. I can do this, I can do this.

To get paid for studying governments, laws, and their effects on

the common people was well worth the next hellish year. It was his
dream to prevent others from living the life he’d led. His years of
living in a run-down efficiency apartment and eating mostly cheap
soup would end up being a worthwhile endeavor.

One day he hoped to be able to improve relationships between

leaders, businesses, and regular everyday people. If he could get these
three groups of people to work together, he could change the lives of
many adults and a lot of children that were in need. It was a shame
life was so short. Given time he was sure he could make some
changes. Help the little man as well as the big man for the betterment
of all people, especially the children.

Memories of his life in foster care flashed before his eyes. Barry,

the son of his second foster parents, had been a nightmare with his
swift-moving fist. Renny cringed as he remembered the pain. He’d
never known when Barry was going to decide to hit him, and that had
made his time with them horrible. Ben, Barry’s dad, had seen it
happen many times, but had said it would make Renny tough. The
pain of a new bruise had woken him many times throughout the long
nights. Eventually he’d learned not to roll around in his sleep.

Then there had been Rod, the son of his fourth foster parents. Rod

would beat him up every Saturday morning because he thought Renny
was too girly. In Rod’s eyes any man that didn’t weigh at least one
hundred and ninety pounds wasn’t a man at all. His ignorant, two-
hundred-and-fifty-pound bully of a father had taught him that.

He mentally shook himself and promised to do all he could to

improve the system. Being orphaned or abandoned was bad enough.
The last thing a mourning child needed was to be placed in a home
where the family looked at orphaned kids as a free punching bag or an
easy way to get a check. He knew that happened a lot.

Dakota Dawn

A loud pounding on his door jerked him from his thoughts.

Grabbing his wallet, he put it in his back pocket as he opened the
door.

“You ready to go?” Ellis, his job-finding friend, asked.
“Yeah.” Renny quickly flicked the lights off and locked his door.
The drive to Bloodsuckers Bar was long and nerve-wracking. His

stomach churned as he followed Ellis. They weren’t able to ride
together because Ellis had a hot date when he got off work. Ellis
always had a hot date. Being a bartender seemed to open up a lot of
opportunities for him.

Renny wasn’t looking for opportunities of that nature. He was just

looking for rent and food money. Being just a bartender’s helper, he
hoped he didn’t draw any attention. He didn’t like attention. Usually it
led to him getting beat up. Some things in life never seemed to
change. At five feet seven, one hundred thirty-five pounds, he didn’t
stand a chance against the big, rough guys that seemed to always be
attracted to him or irritated by him for whatever reason they dreamed
up.

His body seemed to scream “masochist,” but that was the furthest

thing from the truth. One round of hard, painful sex was all it had
taken for him to realize that. Why couldn’t he draw a gentle, caring
lover? Neither of the men he had been fucked by had cared about him.

His first lover, Slim, would kiss him for a minute or two, then

he’d lube Renny’s ass up and thrust into him until he came. Then he’d
get up and leave Renny to finish himself off. That relationship had
lasted for one long year. It hadn’t hurt his feelings at all when Slim
had left town. His second, Sam, had been a one night stand. One that
he would always regret. Sam had turned mean the second he’d closed
the hotel door. Sam had beaten him, then fucked him. When it was
over Sam had held him close and crooned about how good it was
between them. The second Sam started snoring, he had painfully slid
from the bed and limped away. Since then Renny’s hand had been his
only lover. It was much easier.

Vampire’s Mate

Michael suddenly entered his mind. He had almost forgotten

about his third sex partner. He’d met Michael on a blind date two
years ago. They’d hit it off well enough and gone to a hotel to have
sex. Michael’s touch had been so gentle that he’d barely felt it. Extra
light kisses and touches were Michael’s style. Their night together
had been all right, but not memorable.

Renny was more confused than ever. He didn’t like totally painful

sex any more than he liked overly gentle sex. Being used wasn’t any
fun for him either. Maybe he was too picky. He sighed and decided
his hand had given him all the pleasure he’d needed in the last two
years, and it could continue to satisfy him for life if necessary.

His senses alerting him of trouble drew Renny from his

wonderings. A feeling of dread descended on him as he pulled into
the parking lot of Bloodsuckers Bar. What kind of crazy name was
that? Worse yet, what kind of people went to a bar with that name?
He mentally punched himself. He was being judgmental. Ellis
wouldn’t work at a bad bar. Ellis was a good guy. Your gut instincts
have never failed you, his mind whispered. That was true, but it was
also true that Ellis had never done him any harm, and he’d never
gotten bad vibes from Ellis, either.

For as long as he could remember he had always had a freakish

ability to sense when people standing close to him were good or bad.
Some people were harder to read, but it always worked if he touched
them. He’d learned as a child not to let others know what he could
feel. Renny had told a couple of bad kids and one good kid about the
feeling he received from them. One of the girls had screamed “witch”
and one of the boys had punched him in the nose. They had all looked
at him as if he were a freak. To this day, he didn’t let people get too
emotionally close to him. Books were much easier to deal with. They
never hit you or called you names.

Renny took a cleansing breath and climbed out of his car. He

quickly locked it and hurried over to Ellis. Outside the back door,
Ellis put his hand on Renny’s shoulder. “Hey, this place is different

Dakota Dawn

than other bars. Don’t look into the eyes of any of the customers. Just
keep the glasses washed and dried, the limes cut, and whatever prep
work I ask you to do. Got it?”

Dread was steadily building in his chest, but he tamped it. Ellis

wouldn’t lead him to his doom. This was probably just a tough biker
bar or something similar to one. “Yeah, I got it. Don’t look at the
customers and do what you need me to do.” He hoped they didn’t
have a lot of homophobic customers.

It took him a full thirty minutes for his eyes to adjust to the dim

lighting of the bar. Most of the customers didn’t seem to have the
same problem. More than once he’d glanced up to see a customer
enter the dark bar and go smoothly to wherever they wanted to go. No
adjustment necessary. Those folks must have damn good night vision.
He felt a little better when he’d occasionally see a customer bump
into a table or a chair. At least he wasn’t the only one affected by the
darkness.

He glanced around the bar. It looked nice, with upscale tables,

leather chairs and booths, top-of-the-line pool tables. The music had a
good beat and a few people were dancing their asses off on the highly
polished dance floor. It all looked normal, but there was something
different about the place. Renny couldn’t put his finger on it, but he
felt it. Shrugging off the feeling, he focused on doing his job. With
time all things were revealed. Having patience was a must in Renny’s
world. He’d learned that a long time ago.

Within an hour he knew his way around the dimly lit area behind

the bar. Ellis was easy to work with. Renny was grateful for that. His
buddy was also excellent at putting on a show as he made the drinks.
He tossed the shakers in the air and easily caught them behind his
back. He could roll them down his arm or over his wrist with a
graceful flow. Not once did he drop a shaker. No wonder women and
men wanted his number. A small part of him wished he was more
athletic. Strong, graceful people were admired and loved by almost
everyone.

Vampire’s Mate

Five hours into the shift Ellis started looking ill. Like white-as-a-

ghost ill. It was midnight. They still had three more hours before the
bar closed. If Ellis could hang in there a little longer all would be
well. His mouth started feeling dry so Renny took a mint from his
pocket and popped it into his mouth. The refreshing flavor brought
him a measure of calm.

Hale, the big-ass bar owner, kept coming over and checking on

Ellis. Almost like a gruff mother hen.

When Ellis started sweating, Hale sent him home. He then turned

to Renny and ordered, “Prep-boy, get back to work.”

Renny nodded and went back to washing the glasses.
Ellis nudged his side and when Renny looked up Ellis tried to

smile. “Sorry, Renny. I feel like shit. I’d stay if I could. Just do what
Hale says, and you’ll be fine.”

“No problem. I hope you get better soon.” When Ellis hesitated,

Renny grinned and urged him on, “Go on. I’ll be fine. I’ll call you
tomorrow to see how you’re doing. Maybe I’ll even come by and
open a can of chicken soup for you.”

“Ellis, get your sick ass out of here, and go get some sleep,” Hale

commanded in a gravelly tone.

Ellis nodded at Hale and gave Renny an apologetic look, then

turned and left. Renny wasn’t sure why Ellis was giving him that
look. Hale was rough sounding, but inside he was a good man. The
bar wasn’t that bad either. He knew it had a different vibe from
anything he’d felt before, but so far everyone had ignored him. Well,
except for the one drunken man who’d winked at him, then fallen off
his barstool. One of his friends had rushed over and guided him back
to their table, thank goodness. The last thing he needed on his first
night at work was a drunken man trying to get in his pants.

Hale took over the bar, and he didn’t take any shit. A couple of

guys walked in and straight up to the bar. After they’d spotted Renny
they had demanded that Hale make him dance on the bar. Apparently

Dakota Dawn

one of the other prep-boys did that. Hale glanced at him then looked
back at the men and firmly told them no.

When they grumbled, Hale glared at them and mimed slicing their

throats. They backed off at that.

Renny could still feel their heavy gazes an hour later. He hoped

they left soon. The last thing he wanted was to get beat up and
possibly raped when he got off work. Maybe Hale would walk him to
his car. He wasn’t a total chicken, but he wasn’t a fool either.

A couple of rough-cut mountain men walked in and the

atmosphere went from bad to worse. Everyone in the bar quieted and
a few of the customers left. Renny sensed that they didn’t want to
anger the huge newcomers. Their fear was affecting him. His nerves
jumped, making him jerky. He sliced his finger while cutting limes.
Blood poured from his aching finger. He heard Hale gasp. Looking
over at Hale, Renny blanched at the fearful look on Hale’s face.

Hale rushed to him and whispered, “Get out of here, boy, and

don’t look back.”

As he backed toward the swinging doors that led to the storage

room and the exit, he saw several customers sniff the air and grin with
feral delight. Hale shot him a warning look. He bolted through the
storage room and rushed out the back door. He heard a loud crashing
sound behind him, but he didn’t look back.

Vampire’s Mate

Chapter Two

Fumbling with his keys, he nervously opened his car door and

jumped into his vehicle. He cursed when his head hit metal. Ignoring
the pain shooting through his head, he started the car and quickly
pulled out of the parking lot. Renny put the pedal to the metal. His car
shot forward, taking him away from the danger that had steadily
escalated in the bar. He glanced at the rearview mirror and saw
nothing but blackness.

Whew, that had felt like a close one, but maybe it hadn’t been that

bad after all. Renny hoped Hale was all right. The crashing sound was
hopefully nothing more than a chair being thrown. That was a normal
occurrence in a bar, right? He wasn’t sure what had caused Hale to
send him away, but he figured he’d ask his boss later today.

Headlights appeared ahead of him, and he tensed for a second and

then laughed at himself. The car was coming from the way he was
going, not where he was coming from. The car passed him, and within
a minute its taillights disappeared. He was just about to breathe a sigh
of relief when he saw a vehicle speeding up behind him.

Fear gripped him in a brutally strong hold. Needing to get away,

he sped up. His four-cylinder engine didn’t have enough power to
escape the vehicle closing in on him. His optimistic side told him the
vehicle bearing down on him could be someone in a hurry and that
they would soon be passing him up.

He pictured a man rushing his in-labor wife to the hospital so their

precious baby could be born with the help of her doctor. He hoped
they lived happily ever after.

Dakota Dawn

Speaking of happily ever after…The driver could also be a horny

male rushing his man home to tie him down and fuck him. Renny felt
his cheeks heating up. He’d never been tied down by a lover, but he’d
seen it done on some porn sites. The scenes with dominating males
that truly cared about their lovers’ needs always gave him a hard-on.
Once he was that hard it didn’t take much effort on his part to have
him blowing his load and sighing with relief.

He looked into his rearview mirror again and noted that the

speeding vehicle was closer. His pessimistic side drew a mental
picture of a hungry wolf passing its prey up then turning quickly and
eating it.

Renny groaned and tried to clear his mind. Glancing into his

rearview mirror again, he saw that the vehicle was just a few feet
from him. Please pass me and keep on going.

Adrenaline spiked in his veins as the vehicle behind him lunged

forward and rammed into the back of his slow-ass car. He had a death
grip on the steering wheel as his car spun around and skidded off the
road. His car crashed into the bottom of the four-foot-deep bar-ditch,
and his head hit the steering wheel with stunning force.

Fuck!
Flood waters be damned. The city should never have created these

deep-ass things. He made a mental note to complain about them if he
lived to do it.

His door was forced open, and his seatbelt was released before he

could even try to get away. He was roughly pulled from the car and
held at arm’s length by one of the men from the bar that had wanted
him to dance. Trepidation burned fiercely in his stomach. In a flash
the guy’s buddy from the bar was standing next to Renny’s captor. He
opened his senses and shuddered when he was touched by evil. This
was bad, real bad. Renny had never encountered anyone with this
level of darkness before.

The greasy-haired newcomer rubbed his hands and licked his fat

lips. “I see you’ve caught our supper. Let me be the first to taste him.”

Vampire’s Mate

“No, Marvin.” His captor’s voice was so loud and sharp that he

cringed.

Marvin’s eyes narrowed and he fisted his beefy hands. “It’s my

turn. You got first taste last night. I want it tonight. Give him to me,
Karl.”

“No. He smells better than the guy last night. His blood is special.

It smells magical. I want him, and I’m going to have him first. Get
back in the truck if you don’t want to watch.” Karl’s words sent a
shiver snaking up Renny’s spine.

A loud growl was the last thing Renny heard before he was

dropped. He hit the ground hard. Ignoring the pain in his feet and
hands, he inched his way around his car. Peeking through the window
he saw Marvin hiss as his incisors extended into dangerous-looking
fangs. Renny covered his mouth with his hands in an effort to silence
the scream that desperately wanted out.

Marvin suddenly lurched forward and dragged Karl to the ground,

and all hell broke loose. They were each showing their fangs as they
hissed and struggled to defeat the other. The forceful blows they were
striking each other with would have killed Renny in no time, yet they
seemed to barely feel them.

Making an effort to live, Renny got up and started running

through the woods. His mind repeatedly replayed the way their sharp
fangs had descended and how deadly they’d looked. Vampires must
really exist. He’d always thought they might. His mom had raised him
to believe that other beings shared the earth with humans. Until
tonight, he’d never encountered anything but humans. As far as he
knew, that is. If all vampires were evil like the ones he was running
from, he hoped he never saw one again.

As he ran, Renny wondered what Karl had meant when he’d said

that his blood smelled magical? Had Hale sensed it, too? Was that
why Hale had told him to run?

The moon cast just enough light for him to see the scary black

outline of trees and low-growing plants. His overactive mind pulled

Dakota Dawn

up scenes of commercials for horror movies. Too many times people
were being chased through spooky woods just like these. Didn’t the
killer always win in those movies? His heart faltered for a second at
that thought.

Witch-like branches reached out at him from all angles,

heightening his fear. He held back a yelp when one of the claw-like
branches tore his shirt and cut deeply into his skin. That’s just what he
needed, a blood trail for Karl and Marvin to follow. He’d have to try
to be more careful.

Eyes darting from side to side, he looked for an escape from this

dense, skin-tearing section of the woods. Hearing water, he fought his
way toward it. As soon as he saw the welcoming liquid, he wasted no
time getting into the stream. His arms and face were covered with
scratches, and his head throbbed with every frantic beat of his heart.
Reaching up, he touched the golf-ball-sized knot on his forehead.

A fish jumped from the water, scaring the crap out of him. It

flapped its body a couple of times before landing back in the water
with a splash. A noise behind him had him looking over his shoulder.
The sight of a deer crossing the stream had his shoulders sagging in
relief. If the vamps didn’t kill him soon, he feared the wildlife was
going to give him a fatal heart attack.

As Renny trekked on, his thigh muscles screamed for him to stop,

but his gut told him if he quit moving it would be the last time he ever
did. Trudging on, he went what he guessed was about a fourth of a
mile. After finding a flat, grassy spot, he left the stream and hoped
he’d gone far enough to throw the vampires off his trail. Moving as
quietly as he could, Renny made his way through the woods.

Thirty minutes later, he was so lost he hoped he wasn’t heading

back toward the vamps he was running away from. His blood was
pounding in his ears, and his head hurt like a son of a bitch. He tried
to calm down so he could focus on the night sounds around him. A
twig snapped somewhere behind him. He turned to look. Nothing was
there. The next snap he heard had him running and imagining his gory

Vampire’s Mate

death at the fangs of Karl and Marvin. Branches slapped his body
painfully as he sprinted onward. Fear shadowed his every step and
prodded him forward. His breath was turning into ragged gasps, and
he was afraid every creature within a mile could hear him.

Just when he thought he couldn’t go on, he ran into a clearing that

had a cabin in the center of it. An owl hooted eerily, spurring him into
action. He’d seen more than his fair share of wild creatures tonight.
Renny practically flew up the stairs. In four large leaping steps, he
crossed the porch. He looked over his shoulder as he knocked on the
door.

The owl hooted again, and to his horror, flew right onto the porch.

He squealed and turned the doorknob. To his relief the door opened.
He glanced warily at the big-ass owl. It hooted again and flapped its
five-foot wings.

Fuck this. I’ve just escaped two brawling vampires. There is no

way I’m going to stand out here and let owlzilla eat me.

With the sound of another hoot ringing in his ears, Renny slipped

uninvited into the cabin and slammed the door shut. Leaning against
the door, he slid to the floor. He covered his eyes with his scratched
hands and took several deep breaths. Once he was relatively calm his
curiosity got the better of him. He had to know if that monster of a
bird was still waiting outside to eat him.

Standing, he saw a window close to the door. Stepping over to it,

he pulled the heavy curtain back and looked out. In a flash, huge gold
and black eyes were staring at him. The creature was a mere inch
from the window.

He leapt back. “Fuck!” It didn’t look like he’d be going anywhere

soon. “Surely that freaky owl will go to his roosting spot by morning.
I just have to hang tight until then,” Renny murmured to himself.

“Actually, I’ve seen him hang out on my porch for several days at

a time.”

The rich, deep voice had him squealing and looking around the

dark room for its owner.

Dakota Dawn

A light overhead switched on, and Renny’s heartbeat escalated to

ten times its normal rate. He was so mesmerized by the pale green
eyes staring at him that it took him a minute or two to realize he’d just
been caught trespassing.

He swallowed hard then cleared his throat. “I’m sorry about

busting in here. I knocked, but then owlzilla flew onto the porch and I
freaked out. I’ve had somewhat of a rough night.” Renny licked his
dry, scratched lips, and then asked, “Is it all right if I stay here until
daylight?”

“Sure. You look like you could use a break. My name is Zavier

Thorpe. What’s yours?”

Renny felt a blast of heat surge through his whole body when he

heard the man’s name. “Zavier.” Mmm, the name felt heavenly when
he said it out loud.

“Yes, that’s right. Can you tell me your name and what happened

to you?” Zavier spoke softly and slowly.

Focusing was becoming harder by the second. Renny’s groin felt

like colorful fireworks were going off in his balls. His cock was so
hard it was starting to hurt. Looking up, he noticed that Zavier was
slowly getting closer to him. Each step he took added to Renny’s
sweet agony. What the hell was happening to him?

Another blast of heated desire swept through his body. He closed

his eyes and tried to will the feeling away. It didn’t work. His breath
started coming out in short pants. If he didn’t have sex soon he felt
like his balls were going to explode. As he panted, he crazily
wondered if a person could turn into a sexual maniac in the blink of
an eye. His body screamed that it was happening to him right fucking
now!

“Hey, what’s the matter?”
The sound of Zavier’s voice triggered something in Renny’s soul.

He suddenly had a passionate need to please Zavier in every way
possible. Preferably sexually first, but it was wrong to jump strangers,
wasn’t it? His body didn’t care what his mind thought about right

Vampire’s Mate

from wrong, it wanted Zavier. Renny groaned as his body and mind
battled.

A touch on his shoulder had him jumping back. He instantly

regretted moving away from Zavier. His heart ached to have the man
touch him again. Needing some kind of contact, Renny looked up into
Zavier’s marvelous eyes. He noted that they had changed from pale
green to dark green. Taking in the other facial changes, he saw that
the man’s nostrils were flared and that he was panting. The tips of
beautiful white teeth peeked out past Zavier’s chiseled lips. Before his
eyes, fangs slowly extended.

Oh, shit! Renny quickly realized he’d run away from two vamps,

and then taken refuge in another vamp’s home. Fear should have had
him running, but all he felt was peace and lust. He closed his eyes and
let his spirit guide him. This vampire wasn’t like the others. This one
was good. Renny sniffed the air. Spicy, hot male filled his lungs. Oh
yeah, this one was deliciously good. His scent made Renny long to
wrap himself around Zavier’s tall frame.

Each breath he took revealed new emotions. Relief hummed

through every pore of his body. Feelings of contentment, love, peace,
being home, and desire flooded his system. He hadn’t felt most of
these feelings since the death of his mom. Opening his eyes, he stared
into Zavier’s handsome face. Zavier smiled and the feeling of colorful
fireworks exploding started at Renny’s toes and steadily made its way
to the top of his head. Relief and lust spiraled through his system.

His headache went away and his scratches and cuts no longer hurt.

All he could do was stare into Zavier’s lovely eyes. Eyes that now
looked a little worried. What did he have to worry about? He was a
vampire. Renny was just a puny human. He felt compelled to comfort
the man, so he took a step forward.

Zavier held up his hands. “Whoa. Easy there…little thing. Do you

need to sit down or something?”

Dakota Dawn

Chapter Three

Zavier couldn’t believe what he was seeing and feeling. Desire

like he’d never known was strumming every nerve in his body. He
literally ached to make love to the man before him. He’d watched in
amazement as a bright golden light moved up from the man’s toes and
didn’t stop until it covered his whole body. The light must be some
kind of healing thing. Right before his eyes all the man’s wounds
healed, leaving a glowing, glorious man standing in front of him.

Confusion filled the man’s dark brown eyes. “Why would I need

to sit down?”

He proceeded with caution. “No offense intended. I’ve never met

one of your kind before. At least not that I know of.”

“You’ve never met a human?” Doubt flavored the man’s words.
“Not one that had a golden glow and healed itself.”
“What?” Confusion clouded the little man’s eyes once again.
Zavier watched the man look at his hands. His eyebrows rose

comically high. He reached up and touched the spot on his forehead
where the lump had been.

Big, scared eyes raced to Zavier’s “What’s happening to me? I’ve

never done this before.”

Aw, shit! He was a changeling of some sort. “I don’t know, but

since you’re healing yourself it can’t be a bad thing.” He tried to calm
the man. “I have a friend that can help you. Why don’t we start with
you telling me your name?”

“Renny. Renny Woolsey.” He looked back at his glowing hands,

and a wild look entered his eyes.

Vampire’s Mate

Seeing Renny’s panic was dimming Zavier’s lust and bringing out

his protective side. His fangs retracted as sympathy and something
pure and wonderful bloomed in his chest.

Renny turned and flung the door open. Oscar, his ever faithful

owl, flapped his wings and turned his head 360 degrees as he hooted.
Renny jumped back and slammed the door shut. Zavier was mystified
by Oscar’s actions.

That was the first time he had ever seen Oscar stop someone from

leaving. Something mysterious and possibly magical was happening.
He looked down and into a pair of confused and fearful brown eyes.
The little guy stood there trembling and taking in deep, heaving
breaths. The poor man looked like he was about to have a breakdown.
Going through a supernatural change was never easy.

Unable to stop himself, Zavier closed the distance between them

and wrapped his arms around Renny. The delicate blond shuddered
then melted in his arms. He loved the way Renny fit comfortably
under his chin.

Sexual desire flared back to life. His cock hardened even though

he didn’t want it to. He felt bad about needing a man who was
obviously going through some kind of change and had been through
hell earlier tonight. Some of the bad feelings went away when he felt
Renny’s cock swelling. Not being accustomed to lusting after
confused beings, he reluctantly released Renny.

He smiled when he saw that Renny had changed back to normal.

“Your glow is gone. Looks like you are back to normal. How do you
feel?”

Renny looked at his hands. “Better.” Renny smiled up at him. It

was the most adorable smile Zavier had ever seen.

Their eyes met, and in the span of one heartbeat Renny’s eyes

went from happy to hungry. Zavier felt like a turkey on Thanksgiving
Day. The man’s eyes sharpened, and Zavier felt like he was about to
be devoured. Lust was coming off Renny in waves of pure heat.
Damn, it was an awesome feeling. His fangs extended again. Renny

Dakota Dawn

seemed to bring out his primitive side. His wild half tried to take over.
It wanted to claim Renny right now.

The man’s brown eyes widened, and then softened. “I need you.”

Renny stared pointedly at Zavier’s fangs. “All of you.”

That was it. All of his restraint disappeared, and the beast in him

reared its head. “I don’t know what you’re doing to me, but I like it.”
He grabbed Renny and slanted his mouth across his mysterious
guest’s soft lips. His kiss was hard and demanding.

Zavier didn’t know where the need to dominate the enchanting

man was coming from, and right now he didn’t care. As he
thoroughly enjoyed Renny’s flavorful mouth, he guided him toward
the plush rug in front of the dormant fireplace. In a swift move he
pulled the blond’s shirt off and ran his hands along his new lover’s
firm, smooth chest. Dusky nipples hardened and pebbled in response
to his touch. Needing more, he tore his shirt off and urged Renny to
lie down on the rug.

He spread the man’s legs and settled his body between them. He

pressed his lips to Renny’s and groaned at the pure pleasure of the
contact. Cupping the blond’s head, he licked and nipped at his golden
boy’s soft lips. For several delightful minutes, he explored Renny’s
sweet, minty mouth. He tightened his grip on Renny’s hair when the
awesome man’s tongue darted out and did a slow investigation of his
mouth. Renny’s hands ran over his back, causing his erection to thrum
with lust. With a pounding heart, he pulled back.

Looming over Renny, he looked deeply into his eyes. “If you

don’t want me to dominate you sexually you have to tell me now.
Something about you is driving my libido sky high. All I want to do is
make you mine. Nothing else matters, just our pleasure.”

Need sparkled in Renny’s eyes. “I need you to take me any way

you want. I’m yours.”

“I accept your offer.” Glowing gold flecks appeared in Renny’s

eyes. He didn’t have time to wonder why they had appeared. The

Vampire’s Mate

desirable man bucked his slender hips, grinding his swollen cock into
Zavier’s.

Lusty fire licked at his entire body. It urged him to take Renny,

now. He jumped to his feet and headed for his lube stash in the end
table. “Take your jeans off, and don’t be slow about it.” He didn’t
mean to sound so harsh, but he couldn’t control himself. The sight of
Renny hurriedly sliding out of his jeans let him know his lover hadn’t
taken offense. He quickly pushed his own jeans down his legs and
kicked them aside. The only thing he had on was the warrior’s
necklace he always wore. The small beaded creation looked innocent
with the cross but was a deadly weapon he had used more than once.

With his cock jutting forward eagerly, he ordered, “I want you to

move so that your hands when placed over your head will touch the
rock retaining wall of the fireplace. You will use that wall to brace
yourself while I take you. Never take your hands off it.”

He watched as Renny moved into position. “Good. Now spread

your legs wide. Stay just like that. Don’t move from this position at
all.” The beast in Zavier growled as he took in Renny’s submissive
pose. It took all his willpower not to jump the man and viciously take
him.

Stepping between Renny’s legs, Zavier stared down at the sight of

male perfection in front of him. From the way his light-blond hair
contrasted with his dark-brown, golden-flecked eyes to his slender,
muscular body, Zavier was attracted to every inch of Renny. His
beautiful cock was swollen and begging to be touched. Unable to
resist any longer, he sank to his knees and stroked Renny’s cock from
weeping tip to trembling balls. The man groaned and jerked in
response. His golden boy was beautifully receptive to his touch.
Zavier ran his hand down Renny’s shaft and rolled his balls until they
tightened. He ran his thumb across Renny’s puckered opening and
bounced his balls a few times. A gasp escaped Renny, but he stayed in
position. Zavier slid his hand back up his lover’s shaft and gloried in
the silky yet hard flesh.

Dakota Dawn

Steadily stroking Renny’s throbbing cock, Zavier praised him,

“I’m proud of you for not taking your hands off the stone. You’re
such a good little lover.” Pride shone in Renny’s eyes, and he thought
they glowed a little brighter.

Upping the stakes, he leaned forward and sucked the crown of

Renny’s cock into his mouth. The spicy flavor of his pre-cum burst
across Zavier’s tongue.

“Oh! Th–that feels amazing. Please don’t stop.” Renny’s voice

was low and filled with wonder as he begged so sweetly.

He lapped at Renny’s erection until he could feel the blood

pounding through it. His own need escalated when Renny bucked his
hips and sank deeper into his mouth. Taking his lover’s hard erection
to the back of his throat, Zavier sucked and turned his head slowly
back and forth. It didn’t take Renny long to start panting and moaning
uncontrollably.

“Oh, God, please, Zav,” Renny pleaded with his voice and

glowing eyes.

Zavier was more than ready, but he needed to make sure Renny’s

body was ready as well. After one last suck he released his lover’s
cock. Retrieving the oil he’d placed on the rug next to him, he opened
it and drizzled it over Renny’s tiny entrance. Renny shuddered and
rolled his hips. A low moan slid from his parted lips.

Pouring more oil on his fingers, he slid a finger inside Renny and

gloried in the feel of his tight little body. Using his free hand, he
stroked Renny’s cock. He admired its gorgeous shape. In all his years,
he couldn’t remember ever seeing such a perfectly proportioned cock.
The light-purple head was flawless, and the vessels that twined under
the thick shaft’s velvety skin were artfully placed. He couldn’t help
but notice that the vessels had one characteristic he’d never seen
before. They were almost twice the normal size. They were perfect for
feeding from, and the rush would be pure bliss for Renny. He’d save
that experience for another night, though.

Vampire’s Mate

Renny groaned and rocked his hips, making Zavier’s finger slide

in and out. He slid another finger in when Renny rocked downward.
His lover shivered and groaned. Twisting his fingers, Zavier loosened
him up even more. Renny’s breath started coming out in harsh gasps.
Feeling Renny was getting close to erupting, he stopped stroking the
man’s erection and removed his fingers from their hot sheath. He
poured oil onto his own cock and lined it up with Renny’s perfect
hole.

He pressed his cock just a little way in, then moved one hand to

Renny’s hip and the other to his pulsating penis. Zavier looked into
the man’s glowing eyes and saw raw desire in them.

“Do it,” Renny begged.
“Keep your hands in place. This is going to get rough.” The

sudden rocking motion of Renny’s hips made something wild snap in
him. He growled as his hands tightened on Renny’s body and he
drove his throbbing dick deep into his lover’s hot hole. Golden stars
danced before his eyes. Passionate heat swirled around his balls and
shot to the tip of his cock. Renny’s tight tunnel spasmed around his
cock, driving Zavier’s need to animalistic heights.

He pounded in and out of his lover’s snug ass. For several long

moments Zavier was lost in the euphoric feel of his body taking
pleasure from Renny’s tantalizingly lithe form. So good. Renny’s soft,
hot channel felt so damn good. His vise-like body fisted Zavier’s cock
perfectly. He thrust repeatedly into his lover. He relished the feel of
his erection sinking into his golden boy’s magnificent passage.

A loud moan from Renny brought him back to reality. Needing to

give as much pleasure as he received, he started stroking his lover’s
dick. Renny gasped, and his whole body tightened. He savored the
sight of the muscles in Renny’s arms bulging as he held himself in
place, letting Zavier take him roughly and passionately. Renny’s
obedience fueled the fire that raged in him.

Zavier gripped Renny’s hip tighter as he tunneled deeply into his

little body. Moving his hand downward, he rolled Renny’s balls. He

Dakota Dawn

stared at Renny’s face as he slowly began squeezing the small
sensitive globes. Zavier tightened his grip some more, and Renny’s
eyes glazed over and the vessels in his thick dick pulsed wildly. To
his satisfaction, Renny cried out, and his body tightened even more.
His hands never left the stone. Oh, yes, Renny could handle the
painful pleasure of having his nuts tortured. His obedient lover’s arms
began to tremble, and his breath was ragged. Zavier squeezed some
more and pounded harder into Renny’s tight ass.

A smile curled Zavier’s lips when Renny screamed as ropes of his

seed shot from his pulsating cock and splashed across his belly and
shoulder. The smile disappeared though, when Renny convulsed
beneath him, and his whole body was taken over by the golden glow
he’d had earlier.

He looked at where their bodies were joined. The sight was

intoxicating. A shudder shook his body when he thought about his
cock being captured in Renny’s golden glow. Molten desire stabbed
the crown of his cock and raced down his shaft. It tore through his
body with the power of a wild beast. Zavier couldn’t pull out of
Renny’s sweet channel to save their lives. It felt like something
magical was binding them together. Zavier’s fangs started to ache.
The need to feed overwhelmed him.

Renny moved his head to the side, totally opening himself to

Zavier’s domination. “Oh God, Zavier. I’m burning up and feel like
my veins are too full. Like they’re about to explode from the pressure.
I need you to feed from me. Please hurry, Zav.” The flecks in Renny’s
eyes brightened, and he growled, “Do it.”

All of his primitive instincts drove him forward. In a blurred

motion, he struck his glowing boy’s neck. The second he tasted
Renny’s blood his desire went into overdrive. Sliding his hands under
Renny’s hips, he tilted his man’s pelvis and drove even deeper into
him. Out of control, he sucked and savored Renny’s addicting blood
as he continued to tunnel in and out of Renny’s soft, snug hole. Renny

Vampire’s Mate

whimpered, and Zavier froze. What the fuck was he doing? He wasn’t
a feral vamp that took pleasure from hurting innocent beings.

He was just getting ready to pull out and away from the delicious

man beneath him when Renny wrapped his legs around his hips and
ground his hard cock into his body. “Please, don’t stop. It feels so
good. I’m so close to coming again. God, you’re great at this.”

Relief washed over him a split second before the hunger came

back stronger than before. He sucked hard, and Renny groaned and
tightened his legs around Zavier’s hips. That was all the urging he
needed. Renny’s cock jerked when he resumed ramming into his
body. He feasted on Renny’s delectable body as if Renny was a
delicacy placed before a king. As he plundered his golden lover’s
fluttering channel, he felt Renny’s body tighten, and he knew the man
was about to come again. Zavier angled his body so that his stomach
muscles rubbed heavily up and down Renny’s cock with every stroke
of his hard shaft into Renny’s gloriously tight ass. His necklace
danced over his lover’s chest, keeping the small nipples taut.

With his bloodlust waning, Zavier continued the pounding of his

cock into Renny’s hot, oil-slicked ass as he retracted his fangs and
licked Renny’s neck, healing it with his saliva. Zavier switched his
focus to stroking his lover’s inner sweet spots. It didn’t take long. A
few thrusts at one sensitive spot, and Renny was screaming again as
he came. This time when his body turned into a vise grip around
Zavier’s throbbing cock, he threw his head back and cried out as he
released his seed deep within Renny’s quivering body. The golden
stars were back, and Zavier loved them. As he collapsed on Renny, he
realized the stars were the exact color of Renny’s glowing skin.

Beautiful!

Dakota Dawn

Chapter Four

While he caught his breath, it dawned on Zavier that he’d never

fucked anyone until they glowed. His sweet Renny was full of
mystery and wonder. Not wanting to crush the wonderful man, he
rolled them until Renny was on top of him. His lover lay on his chest
as limp as a wet noodle.

Fear spread through him. What if he’d taken too much of Renny’s

delicious blood? He carefully ran his fingers through his lover’s hair.
“Hey, are you okay?”

Renny raised his head off Zavier’s chest and gave him a lopsided

grin. “I’ve never been better.”

Profound relief swept over him. “You don’t feel extremely weak,

do you?”

“No. I feel more relaxed than I’ve ever felt in my life.” Renny

placed a kiss on Zavier’s left nipple then rested his head on Zavier’s
chest again. “I had rough sex once, and it was horrible, but with you it
was awesome. Can we do it again?”

A flash of anger zipped through him at the thought of some

asshole hurting Renny. He made a mental note to find out who the
prick was and pay him a visit.

“I’m sorry to hear about your bad experience, but I’m glad you

like it rough with me.” He ran his hand over Renny’s back, loving the
feel of his smooth skin. “Yes is the answer to your question about us
doing it again. First I want to get to know you a little better, though.”
He slid Renny off him and onto the plush rug. “Stay here while I get
us some drinks.”

Vampire’s Mate

Within minutes he returned to find Renny relaxing on the rug. He

handed him a glass of wine and set his drink on an end table. Going to
the fireplace, he built a fire. He dimmed the lights, and the flames
became more pronounced. The dancing flames reflected on the walls,
giving the room a sensual ambiance. Zavier hoped Renny would
become relaxed enough to answer all of his questions. He retrieved
his drink, then went over to Renny and sat next to him.

Renny was now lounging on his side, sipping his wine. Zavier

took a drink and watched his new lover over the edge of his glass. The
young man was an adorable mystery. He resisted the urge to haul
Renny to his bedroom and chain his golden boy to his bed for all
eternity. Three hundred years ago that’s just what he would have
done.

“What are you drinking?” Renny asked as he stared at the dark

liquid in Zavier’s glass.

Giving up his deliciously dark thoughts, he answered, “It’s a wine

mix some friends of mine make. They blend wine, blood, and spices
to make one superior and satisfying drink.”

“Can I try it?” Renny asked curiously.
“Sure.” He handed Renny his glass. Secretly, he was glad the man

wasn’t totally turned off by the blood in the mix, but then some
humans loved bloody foods like blood pudding and blood sausage.

Renny took a sip and nodded his head approvingly. “It’s good.

Not as good as the wine, but definitely interesting. Does it come in
different flavors?”

“Oh, yeah. They have several blends. Each is made with different

blood types and different spice combos. Most vampires love it. Some,
like me, drink it as our main source of food. The Wyckoff brothers are
like gourmet chefs in the vampire world.”

“I wouldn’t have ever thought about vamps creating businesses

that cater to their own kind. That’s smart. How many brothers are
there? Do they have a large company?” Renny asked as he swirled the
wine mix before taking a second sip.

Dakota Dawn

“Three. Tristan, Caleb, and Drake. They have a medium-sized

company. It’s relatively new. It’s growing quickly, and I expect that
growth to continue. Maybe one day you can meet them. They are
good friends of mine. I think you’d like them.” Zavier liked how
intrigued Renny was. How open he was to the new world he was now
learning about. Possibly that was because Renny wasn’t fully human.

“I’d like that.” Renny said as he passed the glass back to Zavier.

Their fingers touched, and both men started from the sparks that
zapped them.

Desire flared in Zavier’s groin. He took both of their glasses and

put them on the step that surrounded the fireplace. He then lay on the
rug and pulled his lover on top of him. “I’m not sure why, but I need
to feel your naked body touching mine,” Zavier whispered.

“I can’t explain it either, but I need it too.” Renny settled his body

on Zavier’s and started lightly caressing his arms.

The soothing hands worked their way up to his shoulders, and his

lover’s right hand started playing with his necklace.

Curious brown-and-gold eyes looked up. “This is nice. I like the

way it feels against my skin when we have sex. Where did you get it?
The polished natural beads and cross are beautiful.”

To him the man’s inquisitive nature was adorable. “An ancient

vampire king gave it to me after I helped save his life. It looks
innocent, but when I twist one of the beads, they slide, revealing a
section of diamond-encrusted cable.”

Renny dropped the necklace. “That sounds deadly.”
“Only to my enemies.”
“You like me, right?”
Zavier couldn’t stop the chuckle that rose up from deep within his

chest. “I like you a lot. You don’t have to fear me.”

“That’s good to know.” Resting his head on Zavier’s chest, he

sighed and then murmured, “I like the sound of your heartbeat. It’s
comforting.”

Vampire’s Mate

“I’m glad it makes you feel that way.” Zavier had a surprising

need to make Renny feel welcome and happy. That was unusual, but
so was everything else tonight.

“Wait. I thought vamps didn’t have hearts. Why do I hear one

beating so strongly in your chest?” Renny questioned. A cute little
line formed between his brows.

“That’s because we do have hearts. Think about it. If a stake

through the heart can kill us, then we must have life-giving hearts. We
eat and breathe just like all living creatures,” Zavier explained. His
hands cupped Renny’s buttocks lovingly. Damn, he loved the feel of
his boy’s firm body. Thoughts of keeping him for a long time entered
his mind.

“Oh, that makes sense. How could you be fast and strong if you

were dead? Plus, you wouldn’t drink blood if you were dead. Death
stops hunger pains, doesn’t it?” Renny’s tone was filled with sudden
understanding and wonder.

He grinned at Renny’s sincere words. “I don’t know. I’m not dead

yet, but I believe it stops them and everything else, including pain and
desire.” Zavier paused to sniff Renny’s heady scent. “It’s wise of you
to figure all of that out. Most people hold tightly to what they’re told
and never question the information given to them.” He lightly
squeezed Renny, thoroughly enjoying his slight weight.

“We are very much alive. We also eat food, but blood is more

nutritious for our bodies. Much like a salad is more nutritious for you
than a candy bar.” Zavier patted Renny’s rounded cheeks and then
slid his hands up and stroked his slender man’s back, loving the dips
and grooves.

“Really! That explains how you can live among humans and not

stand out,” Renny exclaimed excitedly. “Do you have any siblings? I
want to know everything about you.”

Pain fluttered through Zavier’s heart. “I have one brother,

Yarom.”

“Does he live near here?”

Dakota Dawn

“No, he’s lost.”
“What do you mean by lost?” Renny asked, concern evident in his

tone. The sweet little line reformed between his eyes.

Zavier liked the caring side of Renny as much as he liked Renny’s

ability to adapt to the changes in his life. He’d known very few beings
over the centuries that managed to do it as gracefully as Renny was
doing it.

“I haven’t seen him in sixty years. Yarom and two of our friends

disappeared. I searched for them in the last area they were in for forty
years. All I found was Oscar. Some say Yarom is dead, but I don’t
believe them. I’d know if he was dead. Besides, he was named well.
He’ll be back.”

Curiosity removed Ren’s frown. “What do you mean he was

named well?”

“Yarom means he will rise up. I firmly believe he will overcome

whatever has happened to him and come back home. Several times a
year I go to different places he used to hang out and ask around about
him and our friends. Eventually Yarom will come home or I’ll find
him.”

“I hope one day you two find each other.” Renny gestured toward

the porch. “Oscar’s quite scary, but at least you have him until Yarom
is found.”

“Yeah, he’s a good companion. I also have a handful of friends.

We all stay on the lookout for all of them.” Zavier’s heart ached for
his lost brother and their good friends. Looking at Renny eased some
of his heartache.

“What does your name mean?” Renny asked, as he drew figure

eights on Zavier’s shoulder.

“Bright.”
Renny sat up with his legs straddling Zavier’s hips. He wiggled

until their groins touched. A shiver shook his body the second their
balls met. “Mmm. You were named well too. You’re a bright light to

Vampire’s Mate

me.” Renny leaned forward, bracing his hands on either side of
Zavier’s head. He ground his cock into Zavier’s.

Zavier slapped the gyrating man’s ass and then grabbed his hips

and stilled them. “Later. First tell me about your family.” There was
no way he was going to let his golden boy distract him right now.

“I’m alone. My dad died when I was two and my mom died in a

car crash when I was ten. That’s it.”

He could sense that there was much more. “Who raised you after

your mom died?” He had a desperate need to know everything about
his delicate lover.

“I went to foster care,” Renny answered with a shrug of his

shoulders.

“Were the people nice to you?”
“Some were. Some weren’t.” The golden flecks in Renny’s eyes

dimmed.

Zavier’s chest hurt from the pain he heard in Renny’s voice.
“It’s all right. I’m going to school to get my degree in political

science. With it I plan on making some much-needed changes. I have
to study the whole system and find the flaws that most affect the
foster care system. Then I’ll need to create a solution. I hope I live
long enough to pull it off.” He waved his hands as he spoke, and the
gold in his eyes brightened.

He loved how excited Renny got when he talked about helping

others. His hard life hadn’t beaten him down. It had inspired him.
“I’m beginning to admire your soft heart and brain as much as your
delectable body.”

Renny’s eyes started glowing brighter, and he leaned down to

brush his lips across Zavier’s. Lusty electricity shot through him, and
he suspected it shot through his lover as well, because the man started
hungrily kissing him. Their mouths nipped, sucked, and explored each
other’s in a passionate dance. Renny started humping Zavier, grinding
their cocks together.

Dakota Dawn

Renny moved to pin Zavier’s hands to the rug, and he went wild.

He slid the delicate man off him and face down onto the rug. A voice
inside him whispered that he was Renny’s keeper and always would
be.

Needing to establish his role in their relationship, Zavier boldly

stated, “I don’t think so. I’m the dominant, not you.” He spread
Renny’s legs and knelt between them as he pressed his hand down
firmly between Renny’s shoulders, and commanded, “On your knees.
Raise that ass high for me.” Renny immediately complied, and his lust
jumped up another level. “Good job. Now stretch your arms out on
the rug above your head. Submit to me.” Renny started panting as he
slid his arms out.

Reaching down between Renny’s legs, Zavier touched the tip of

his lover’s cock. Sure enough, his hard flesh was already weeping.
The handsome man’s whole body shuddered when Zavier started
stroking his hot, solid erection.

“Please Zav, take me.”
Zavier wanted to make Renny wait, but sparks fired off in his

balls and made his cock start to ache. He grabbed the oil and poured
some down Renny’s crack and on his throbbing cock. Not able to hold
off any longer, he spread Renny’s perfect cheeks and speared into his
puckered entrance. Renny cried out and backed into Zavier’s thrust.

He tightened his grip on Renny’s hips, stopping all movement

from the man. He gloried in the feel of Renny’s hot, slick, tight ass.
Nothing felt better than Renny’s sweet, trembling body fisting his
dick. The animal in him rose, and he mercilessly started driving in
and out of Renny’s tiny hole. The moans coming from Renny told
Zavier that he didn’t want mercy. Renny bowed his back and tried to
wiggle his hips. Zavier allowed the movement and was rewarded
when his lover groaned loudly and his inner muscles rippled in
pleasure.

Shifting under him, Renny tried to move his right hand toward his

cock.

Vampire’s Mate

Zavier slapped his ass hard and pressed the squirming man’s

shoulders into the rug. “Keep your shoulders down and your hands
overhead. I’ll let you know when you can come.”

Groaning miserably, Renny returned his hand to its place and

relaxed his shoulders. His submission made the fire in Zavier blaze
out of control. He lightly raked his nails down Renny’s back as he
returned his hand to his hip. The sight of his possessive pink nail
marks running down his lover’s back felt right. Renny shuddered and
backed into Zavier’s cock, sinking it balls deep.

A loud hiss escaped Zavier’s lips, and he started wildly pumping

his hips. Renny grabbed handfuls of the plush rug and began
mewling. His little body tightened, and his inner muscles pulsed
around Zavier’s aching cock. The slapping of their bodies mingled
with Renny’s sweet sounds. The erotic symphony mixed with the feel
of his lover’s slick, searing channel pushed Zavier over the edge.
Golden stars filled his vision as his seed spewed from his body and
deeply into Renny’s, marking Renny as his. He dropped down on his
blond lover, pushing him to the rug. He thrust lightly a few more
times into Renny’s ass as he caught his breath. Pleasure coursed
through his whole body. Renny satisfied him in ways his past lovers
never had.

Once his strength was back, he pulled out of Renny and flipped

him over. “Your turn.” He crawled between his lover’s legs and
cupped his trembling sac.

Renny yelped when Zavier gently raked his teeth over the crown

of his beautiful cock. He massaged and pulled Renny’s balls as he
swallowed his whole cock. Zavier felt the vessels in Renny’s erection
swell. He beat down the desire to sink his fangs into Renny’s plump
vessels and gorge on his divine, crimson-colored, life-giving liquid.
He bobbed his head up and down Renny’s length, never breaking the
suction. One of his top priorities was making sure Renny had good
memories of their time together.

Dakota Dawn

He gave a hard tug to Renny’s sac and took his cock deeply down

his throat and swallowed. Renny screamed louder, and his cum shot
down Zavier’s throat. He drank it all down without releasing Renny’s
delicious cock. Shudders rocked Renny’s body for several minutes,
much to his delight.

When his lover’s body totally relaxed, Zavier released his cock

and placed a kiss on the sensitive tip. Renny gave him a lopsided grin.
Zavier loved that dazed grin. He was ecstatic about being the cause of
it.

“You are the sweetest lover I’ve ever had,” he confessed as he lay

down on the rug and pulled Renny on top of his body. He anchored
his arms around him, loving the feel of the small blond in his
embrace. They stayed just like that, in contented silence. It felt like
they were living in endless bliss.

Their bliss only lasted about an hour. Zavier tensed when he

sensed two vamps approaching his cabin.

He gently shook Renny’s shoulder. “Ren, someone’s coming. I

need you to go into the bathroom and lock the door. Don’t come out
until I tell you to.” In a swift, powerful move he stood up, bringing
Renny with him.

Vampire’s Mate

Chapter Five

Renny’s senses rang with warning bells. He stared up at Zavier. “I

escaped two mean vampires tonight. I think they’re here. What are we
going to do? They are not nice at all.” He leaned closer to Zavier and
whispered, “I think they want to eat me.”

Zavier took him by the shoulders and turned him toward the hall.

“I’m sure they do, but I’m not going to let them. Go down the hall.
The first door to the left is the bathroom. Go in it and lock the door.”
He gave Renny a little push. “Go.”

A loud knock sounded on the door. “The little human in there is

ours. Send him out or you’ll be sorry.”

Renny recognized Karl’s voice and froze in place. He’d brought

trouble to Zavier’s door. His stomach churned painfully. The last
thing he wanted to do was hurt Zavier. He took a deep breath and
mentally had a little talk with himself. Be a man, Renny. Save Zavier.

Turning to Zavier, he blinked when he saw him retrieving a bad-

ass sword. The sword was four feet of awesomeness, but two against
one was not good odds.

He cast a sorrowful look at Zavier and rushed to the door. Just

after he turned the doorknob and opened the door, Zavier sped over
and pushed Renny behind him. “We will talk about this later. Stay.
Back.”

The two vamps looked briefly at Zavier then cut their eyes to him.

They smiled evilly. “We don’t want any trouble. Just send him out.
We saw him first. That makes him ours.” Karl’s menacing voice
raked over Renny’s nerves and made him shiver in fear.

Dakota Dawn

“He’s mine. You can’t have him. Go back where you came from.”

Zavier paused, then added threateningly, “Don’t come back, ever.
You won’t survive another visit.”

Karl looked over at Marvin, and then cut his eyes back to Zavier.

“You’re not very friendly. Didn’t your mother teach you to feed your
guests? Especially when they sent the food your way.” Karl looked at
him and licked his lips.

“Yeah.” Marvin looked at Zavier’s naked body then looked at

Renny’s bare flesh. Heat inflamed his cheeks. He covered his dick
with his hands. Marvin laughed and swung his gaze to Zavier. “Looks
to me like you enjoy playing with the food we sent.”

Karl’s nostrils flared. “He is pretty enough to fuck. Share him like

your mother taught you.”

“My mother died when I was young. My father taught me to kill

anyone who tried to take what belongs to me.” Zavier’s voice dripped
with venom.

“I think you need to learn some manners,” Karl spit out with a

growl.

Both men pulled out their swords, and Renny almost fainted. Karl

swung his weapon at Zavier as he stepped in the house. Shock stabbed
at Renny. He didn’t know they could enter a house uninvited. He
briefly wondered what other misinformation he had.

Zavier blocked the blow and pushed Karl out onto the porch. Both

villainous vamps rushed Zavier at once. As Zavier clashed swords
with Karl, Oscar, bless his freakish heart, swooped in and latched
onto the other vamp’s sword arm and jerked him back with a fast,
hard flap of his huge wings. The vamp went tumbling off the porch.

Renny hoped he broke his neck. The thought of anyone trying to

kill Zavier made his blood surge angrily through his veins. He wished
he was bigger than Zavier. Karl and Marvin would already be dead if
he were.

Karl hesitated to fight Zavier without Marvin by his side. “Are

you all right, Marvin?” Karl yelled over his shoulder.

Vampire’s Mate

Zavier swung his sword, and Karl just raised his own in time to

block the blow. Renny noticed that Karl was panting, but Zavier
wasn’t winded at all. Karl must have realized that fact as well.

“Marvin, get your dumb ass up here and help me get our supper,

or you won’t get any.” Karl lunged at Zavier and missed because he
moved quickly and gracefully out of the way. He yelled when Zavier
brought down his sword and cut a gash in his shoulder.

Marvin jumped onto the porch and charged Zavier. Their swords

clashed and Zavier pushed Marvin back as Karl swung his blade.
Zavier blocked the blow and Oscar hooted as he swooped in again.

He watched in amazement as Oscar landed on Marvin’s sword

arm and clamped his claws deeply into the vampire’s arm. Marvin
screamed as Oscar flew up into the sky. Once he was about fifty feet
up, Marvin started kicking his legs wildly. Oscar hooted as he
dropped him. The vamp landed with a thud, and Renny hoped he
wouldn’t get up this time.

Zavier blocked another of Karl’s strikes, then every muscle in his

fine, naked body tensed and bulged as he delivered a death blow to
the evil vampire. The vamp’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened with
shock.

Renny stared in horror as Karl’s head tilted slowly and then fell to

the ground with a sickening thud, the nightmarish sight forever etched
in his mind.

Within seconds the dead vamp’s body dissolved until nothing was

left except a pile of dust. The other vamp cried out and rushed Zavier.
Obviously the fall hadn’t hurt him. Tough bastard.

In a flash, Zavier turned to Marvin and quickly lopped his head

off. After Marvin’s body turned to dust, Zavier turned to stare at him
with icy green eyes. Renny swallowed hard and took a few steps back
into the house.

Through gritted teeth, Zavier said, “I told you to lock yourself in

the bathroom. Did you do that? No. You headed straight to the
fucking door instead. Straight toward the enemy.”

Dakota Dawn

Taking another step back, he held up his hands. “I…I did it to

save you.” Zavier raised a brow as he entered the house and closed
the door. He put his sword up, then turned back to Renny. “It was two
against one. I couldn’t let you get killed because of me. I didn’t know
Oscar would help you,” Renny stammered.

A frown drew Zavier’s dark brows together. “Number one: I

didn’t need Oscar’s help to defeat them. He just can’t resist a fight.
Number two: You disobeyed me. That can’t happen again.”

Renny gasped in shock when Zavier grabbed him by the arm and

hauled him over to the couch. He pulled him across his lap, and
before Renny could react, Zavier’s hand was coming down hard on
his bare buttocks.

Pain shot through his ass. He squirmed and tried to get off the

suddenly mean vamp’s lap. Zavier pressed his hand firmly against
Renny’s back. His other hand kept on raining blows across Renny’s
ass.

“Stop it, motherfucker!” Renny demanded. Burning heat

encompassed his whole backside. He’d never been spanked so hard in
his entire life, and he didn’t like it. Anger boiled in his belly. He
remembered all the beatings he’d taken in his life, but this one was
the worst because Zavier was the one hitting him. His heart broke into
a million pieces. Not able to handle any more, he kicked and tried to
roll off Zavier’s lap.

Clamping his hand down hard on Renny’s neck, Zavier hissed,

“Be still before you get hurt.”

Renny clawed at his leg, leaving long scratch marks from his

ankle to his knee. He wasn’t about to be bullied another second. At
the sight of Zavier’s blood, Renny’s stomach churned and he was
sorry he’d scratched Zavier. An extra hard hit to his tormented ass
removed some of his sorrow for drawing Zavier’s blood. “I’m already
hurting, you prick.” He flattened his hands on the floor and tried to
push himself off Zavier’s lap.

Vampire’s Mate

In a heartbeat, Zavier grabbed both of his hands and pinned them

to his back and held them with one of his own. Zavier’s other hand
continued to rain blows on his ass.

Renny snarled his displeasure and wished he’d never met the

dominating vamp that had him pinned with such ease. Zavier had
given him more pleasure than he’d ever known. As his ass started
going numb, he acknowledged that Zavier was now ruining
everything. Zavier was souring all of his memories of their beautiful
lovemaking. His actions were shredding Renny’s heart. Bitter
disappointment stabbed his chest with every bruising hit to his
backside.

There was no way he could just take it and not fight back. The

pain in Renny’s heart was too sharp. “You better never fall asleep,
you sadistic bastard,” he yelled, and struggled some more.

The blows kept coming. “It doesn’t sound like you’ve learned

obedience yet, but you will. While you are mine you will do as I say.
You are never to put your life in danger again.”

His words pierced Renny’s aching heart. Could the vamp have

feared Karl and Marvin were going to eat him? Feared the loss of his
new human lover? He opened his senses and was struck by the
emotions pouring off Zavier. There was sorrow, fear, frustration, a
little anger, and a lot of love. Love!

Zavier loved him. Did all vamps fall this hard and fast? He didn’t

know, and right now he didn’t care. He hadn’t been loved in so long
he’d forgotten what it felt like. Zavier’s hand came down harder than
before, and he flinched. Love was one tough bitch at times.

Remorse filled his heart, making it ache dreadfully. If he’d trusted

Zavier, this wouldn’t be happening. He was to blame. He went slack
across Zavier’s lap and took his punishment as well as he could. Tears
filled his eyes and slid down his cheeks.

Pain flared viciously in his chest. He had hurt and scared Zavier.

The only person in the world who had given him such pleasure. As
fear and love continued to roll off the emotionally distraught vampire,

Dakota Dawn

Renny knew he’d have to trust his warrior vamp from here on out.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

The second the words left his mouth Zavier quit spanking him.

With great care, he released Renny and turned him over. To his
surprise, Zavier hugged him tightly. With just as much care, he stood
and carried Renny to his bedroom.

Zavier settled them in his king-sized bed and stroked Renny’s

hair. “You do something to me. I can’t stand the thought of you being
hurt. Never disobey me again.” Zavier kissed Renny’s lips gently, and
then softly said, “Go to sleep. We both need the rest.”

Renny knew that “something” was love, but he’d let Zavier figure

that one out on his own. He closed his eyes and basked in the peace
and love that surrounded him. It was a feeling he hadn’t felt in too
many years. Tonight he’d savor it.

Vampire’s Mate

Chapter Six

Renny woke several hours later to the smell of…stew, he guessed.

Where would a vamp get meat? Oscar was the first thought that came
to his mind. Before the bad vampires had shown up, owl stew would
have sounded very appealing. After seeing Oscar attack one of their
enemies, owl stew didn’t sound good at all. He grinned when he
remembered that Zavier could eat food. A frown formed on his brow
when he recalled that Zavier’s main source of food was the wine mix
his friends made. Had Zavier gone to the store while he slept? Renny
was so lost though, he didn’t know if Zavier’s cabin was even within
ten miles of a store.

When his stomach growled, he knew he needed to get up. He

flinched the second he moved. His butt stung like fire. If he hadn’t
been able to sense Zavier’s turmoil and love as he’d spanked him,
Renny would have resented him for hitting him so hard. Big warrior
vamps could dole out a serious whipping when they experienced fear.
He would make sure he didn’t scare Zavier often.

Finding his jeans folded in a chair, he slid into them carefully, and

left the room. He heard voices and searched them out. Zavier was
wearing hip-hugging jeans and an unbuttoned shirt. Renny admired
the magnificent male in front of him. Zavier was more delicious than
a chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven. He was at the kitchen
counter pouring two glasses of the dark red wine mix he enjoyed so
much.

Zavier saw him and smiled. “There you are. I’ve made you some

stew. Get a bowl and come to the table. I have a friend I want you to
meet. His eyes swung to the table and then widened. A handsome

Dakota Dawn

man who looked like he was in his forties sat at the table. The
stranger’s blue eyes entranced him. He felt like the man was reading
his soul.

“Renny, get your stew and come to the table. Don’t make me tell

you again,” Zavier commanded.

He jumped and quickly did as he was told. The last thing he

wanted was another spanking. Although he didn’t know if that was
the punishment Zavier had in mind, he wasn’t about to chance it.

Once he was settled at the table, Zavier said, “Renny, I’d like you

to meet Zotikos. He’s a friend of mine. He’s also very wise. Once
you’re finished eating he’s going to test you.” At Renny’s questioning
look, he added, “He can tell us what you are and more about your
kind. He’s the friend I told you could help you. I called him this
morning.”

A flash of their earlier conversation came to him and he nodded,

but he wasn’t totally happy. Not sure how to take “your kind,” Renny
decided he couldn’t very well say he was a normal human. Zavier had
seen him heal himself and glow, for chrissake.

Wanting to know what Zotikos could tell him, he spooned up

some stew. He glanced in the direction he knew the porch was in, and
then asked, “This isn’t owl stew, is it?”

Zavier laughed and shook his head. “I’d never cook Oscar. He’s a

friend of mine. That is beef stew.” At his doubtful look, Zavier added,
“I keep some food on hand because I have some friends that aren’t
vampires, and sometimes I like a rare steak or burger. Even vamps get
tired of eating the same food too often.”

He was relieved and curious all at the same time. One taste of the

stew, and he was hooked. It was some of the best stew he’d ever
eaten, or he was just starving. He’d give Zavier the benefit of the
doubt and say it was damn fine stew. When he was finished he leaned
back in his chair and smiled. “That was great.” Keeping the cook
happy was always a smart move.

Vampire’s Mate

“I’m glad to hear I still have the touch,” Zavier replied with a

wink.

Passion swirled throughout his groin. “Oh, you have the touch, all

right.”

Zotikos cleared his throat. “Speaking of touch, I think we should

get on with this before you two continue reinforcing the mating
bond.”

“Mating bond?” Zavier and Renny questioned at the same time,

but for two different reasons.

Zotikos chuckled. “I believe so. I’ll know for sure in a few

minutes.”

Nervous energy zinged through him. He didn’t know what a

mating bond was, but it sounded serious. “What do I need to do?” He
hoped it wasn’t anything too difficult. He wasn’t good at pop quizzes.
Quinn, his third foster parent, tried to help him overcome his fear of
pop quizzes but had failed. She had been the nicest of his foster
parents.

“Just let Zotikos hold your hands and look into your eyes. He’s

three-quarters vampire and one-quarter elf,” Zavier answered.

“How’s that possible?” Renny asked. His world tilted for a

second. How could he have made it this far in life and still be so
naïve?

“Elves are very fertile beings. They can have children with any

genus. Let’s go to the living room and let Zotikos work his magic.”
Zavier stood and motioned for Renny to do the same.

Once in the living room, he opened his senses and closed his eyes.

He felt wisdom, comfort, and power roll off Zotikos. When he opened
his eyes, he found the older man staring at him.

Zotikos gave him a knowing smile. He held out his hands, palms

up. “Place your hands in mine, please.”

The second their hands touched, Renny felt something stir within

him. He looked up and was instantly snared by Zotikos’s gaze. His
stomach churned and he tried to look away, but he couldn’t. A surge

Dakota Dawn

of power sped from their connected hands and raced through every
cell in his body. He felt as though his very essence had just been
thoroughly inspected. Humans being probed on an alien spaceship
popped into his mind. Did that really happen?

A smile curled Zotikos’s lips as he released Renny and stepped

back. He turned to Zavier. “Renny is three-quarters human and one-
quarter elf. He’s quite impressive.”

Shock roiled in his stomach. He was part elf! It all made a crazy

kind of sense. His mom had repeatedly told him he was special and
that his dad had been special, too. He had thought she’d just said that
because her love was so strong for them.

“Has he given off the glow yet? He should have. The glow is a

magic healing power. It will heal his injuries and replenish his blood,”
Zotikos said as he rubbed his square chin.

“Twice,” Zavier responded thoughtfully.
“Was it shortly after you met and the first time you mated?”

Zotikos asked Zavier.

“Yes, and that’s not all that happened. When we were…mating,

his eyes started glowing brightly and beautiful golden flecks appeared
in them.” Zavier looked over at Renny. “He still has them. Will they
stay or will they disappear?”

He was starting to get pissed. They were talking about him as if he

wasn’t standing right next to them. Before he went ballistic on them,
their words struck him. Golden flecks. His eyes had always been
solid, dark brown. Going to a decorative mirror that hung on the
living room wall, Renny stared at his eyes. Holy crap! His dark eyes
had golden flecks sprinkled throughout them. They looked like tiny
bits of shiny gold trapped in dark chocolate.

As he walked back to the men he heard Zotikos say, “No, they

won’t disappear. They are a sign to all that Renny is mated.”

“Mated? Are you sure? I just met him,” Zavier said in a concerned

tone. Too concerned, in Renny’s mind.

Vampire’s Mate

“Oh, yes. I’m positive. When elves find their mate the bonding

starts immediately. You are fortunate to have him as a mate. His
blood will strengthen you beyond the normal vampire. Your saliva
mixed with his elfin blood will keep him alive for centuries to come.
Renny also has the ability to replenish his own blood quickly. That
ability will make it impossible for you to drink too much.”

Zavier snapped his fingers. “That must be why he didn’t seem

drained when I drank from him. I was afraid I’d taken too much, but
he didn’t seem fazed.”

Zotikos nodded his head wisely. “He was named properly. Renny

means small but strong. He will also be very loyal to you, and his
empathic abilities can come in handy. The negative, though, is that he
will put himself in harm’s way if you don’t train him to control his
need to save you. Elves are natural protectors of their mates. No
matter their size.”

Zavier nodded his head. “We’ve already been through one

training session. I hope there won’t be many more.” He glanced at
Renny then back at Zotikos. “You say he’s an empath?”

“Yes, he can feel the difference between good and evil. His

empathic powers will grow now that he’s mated,” Zotikos responded
excitedly.

“That would explain him not being afraid of me and his knowing

that vampires were outside,” Zavier stated with a slight nod of his
head.

Anger licked every inch of Renny’s flesh. He was hearing answers

to questions he’d always had. While he was standing there feeling
overwhelmed, they were ignoring him completely. “Stop it.” When
both men looked at him with puzzled expressions, he felt like he was
about to explode. “I’m standing right here. It’s rude of you two to talk
about me as if I’m some ignorant animal.” He shifted his gaze to
Zotikos. “You’ve been telling Zavier how lucky he is. Now I want to
know what I get out of this deal. Why should I stay here and be
treated this way?”

Dakota Dawn

Zotikos’s smile was as patient as if he were talking to a child.

That burned Renny’s butt almost as much as the spanking Zavier had
given him earlier.

“I feel your resentment and anger. I’m sorry I caused you to feel

that way. I’m just not used to talking to someone as young as you.”

Renny frowned at that. “I’m no child. I’m thirty years old.”
Zotikos grinned. “I’m nine hundred fifty-three years old. To me

you’re still a baby, but I’ll try to respect your feelings from now on.
Truce?”

Renny nodded grudgingly. “Truce.” He looked over at Zavier.

“How old are you?”

An impish grin lit Zavier’s face. “Four hundred and twenty.”
Renny’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m mated to Grandpa?” That

brought a frown to Zavier’s face. He held back a smirk. In his eyes,
Zavier deserved a little prodding.

Laughter spilled from Zotikos.
“Hardly. We can live for thousands of years,” Zavier grumbled.

He kept on frowning at Renny.

Once again, he felt no remorse. Zavier and Zotikos had treated

him poorly, so he felt justified when he verbally poked at Zavier.
Soon he would learn that Renny wasn’t a total doormat.

“Be gentle with him. He’s not accustomed to our ways yet,”

Zotikos calmly reminded Zavier.

Renny flushed when Zotikos raised a brow at him. Damn empath

must know what I was doing.

Zavier sighed like a man about to embark on a long arduous

journey.

“Trust me, you’ll survive this mating, my friend.” Zotikos patted

his shoulder sympathetically.

Zotikos turned back to Renny. “You are lucky to have Zavier as

your mate. He is strong, kind, and smart, but you know that, don’t
you? Your elfin blood chose well.”

Vampire’s Mate

Curiosity once again getting the better of him, Renny asked, “Is

being mated the same as marriage? Do you guys have vamp and elf
lawyers to settle divorces? This all seems a little shotgunnish to me.”

With a chuckle and a shake of his head, Zotikos explained, “It’s

deeper than that. When elves choose a mate, it’s for life. At first sight,
elves know their mate and immediately start bonding. You’ll never
need a divorce lawyer, trust me.”

He remembered his mom telling him that his father had instantly

fallen for her and that she had fallen for him just as fast. He wished
they were still alive.

“What happened to your father?” Zotikos asked intuitively.
“I don’t know. All I remember is my mom crying and saying

someone had killed him. We moved to a new city the next day. I was
so young I’m surprised I even remember that. I guess I can because it
was so painful for my mom. It’s my first memory.” Renny quickly
searched all of his memories that were related to his dad. “Once when
she was real sick she had a bad dream. When I got close enough to
wake her, she sobbed and murmured ‘my mate, they drained his
blood.’ When I woke her and asked her what she’d meant, she said
she’d just had a nightmare and not to listen to her ramblings. I always
wondered if she’d been talking about my dad.”

“It sounds like your father could have been murdered by a

vampire addicted to elfin blood.” Zotikos’s face turned stern. “You
must always be careful. Let Zavier protect you. Your blood will give
him the strength to do it.”

He shivered, and Zavier stepped closer to him and held his hand.
“I’ll see what I can find out about your family. What’s your

father’s name?”

Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, he answered,

“Rafferty Woolsey. Did you know him?”

“No, but I’ll see if I can locate any remaining relatives of yours.”
“My mom never mentioned him having any family.”

Dakota Dawn

“Sometimes foolishly proud families will turn their backs on a

family member mated to a human.”

Renny’s heart sank. “Oh.”
“Don’t be sad, Ren. He may be able to find a few kindhearted

relatives of yours. Do you have any questions for him?” Zavier asked.

He nodded. “Where do elves come from?”
“We are magical beings created by a powerful entity just like

every other creature on the earth. We’ve all been here for so long no
one personally knows the being that made us. Like all other species,
we have good and bad people. Some are more powerful than others,
but one thing we all do is keep our supernatural abilities hidden from
the humans as well as other creatures.”

“Does a full-blooded elf have pointed ears?”
A smile ghosted Zotikos’s lips. “Most of them do.” He stroked

one of his rounded ears. “We halflings usually don’t.”

Zavier caressed his ear and a shiver of desire shot down his spine

and sparked a flame in his groin. Heat infused his cheeks as his cock
stirred.

Zotikos’s expression softened. “I best be on my way. You two

need some time alone. Give me a call if you need any help.”

A mixture of emotions swamped his system. Part of him wanted

to know more about his father’s people, but another part of him
needed to be alone with his sexier-than-sin vamp.

They all stepped out on the porch. Zotikos hugged Zavier, then

turned to Renny. He wrapped his arms around Renny and gave him a
big hug. “Welcome to the family.”

A feeling of belonging swept through him. For the first time in his

adult life he felt connected to those around him. He glanced over at
Oscar, who was perched on a rail, and was surprised by the emotions
that swept through him. Oscar felt like family, too.

He looked up at the brightly shining sun and then cut his eyes to

Zavier and Zotikos. “Why isn’t the sun hurting you?”

Vampire’s Mate

“That’s just a myth. We are nocturnal, but the sun doesn’t hurt us

any more than it does a raccoon.”

“Oh.” Renny was struck by how much he still needed to learn. He

was a baby in his new world. It was scary and exciting as well. Just
meeting Zotikos made him feel closer to his father’s people. Closer to
being part of a family again.

“Don’t worry, with time all your questions will be answered,”

Zotikos said kindly. He then turned to Zavier and said, “Remember to
call if you need any help.”

“Thanks. I’m sure we will.” Zavier patted Zotikos on the shoulder

and then took Renny in his arms.

Renny sank into his embrace. He relished the love and

protectiveness he felt coming off Zavier, and soul deep he knew he
always would.

Zotikos nodded to Oscar and then simply turned into mist. The

mist swirled around them then disappeared. He realized it was going
to take some time to get used to his new family. Time seemed to be
something he was going to have plenty of. He looked up at Zavier,
and his heart thrummed happily. Zavier winked at him, and he was
glad he had hundreds of years to get to know and love his mate.

* * * *

Oscar watched Zavier and Renny go inside. His heart sang with

happiness. Zavier had found his mate. The second he’d seen Renny in
the woods he’d known the small, totally scared man was special. Now
he knew just how special. Mates were precious.

Life was good.
After taking flight, he circled the house several times. A

movement at the edge of the yard caught his attention. A poisonous
rattlesnake was slithering toward the cabin. Anger ruffled his feathers
as it whipped through his body.

Dakota Dawn

Not wanting to give the snake any warning, he stealthily

approached his prey and then swooped down with the speed of a
lightning bolt. His sharp right claw powerfully closed around the
snake a half inch from its head. Oscar’s left claw pierced the snake
several inches lower. With a few flaps of his wings, he was soaring
through the air. He carried his squirming prey a few miles from the
cabin.

Landing on a massive boulder, he tightened his right claw angrily

and released the snake with his left claw. The snake whipped around,
trying to get free. He raised his right claw and quickly used his strong
beak to sever the snake’s head. The body dropped to the boulder, and
he flung the head away. Within a second he took flight.

Until Renny was more powerful and had a deeper bond with

Zavier, nothing deadly could get near him. Oscar would make sure of
that.

Vampire’s Mate

Chapter Seven

One year later

Zavier pulled into a parking space at Slink’s nightclub. He turned

off the engine and faced Ren. Pride and love for his mate pulsed
through his heart. He wanted to say the words, but he didn’t know
how to say them. Taking Ren’s hand in his, he stared at their hands as
he rubbed his thumb across Ren’s knuckles. He marveled at the
difference in their hand sizes. His hand completely enveloped
Renny’s fine-boned one. The sight always triggered his protective
side. He loved everything about Renny, from his big heart to his small
physique.

They’d been together for a year, and it had been the best year of

his life. He’d thought his heart was going to burst with pride tonight
when Ren had crossed the stage in his cap and gown to receive his
master’s in political science.

School wasn’t easy for Ren. To get his degree he’d spent hours a

day studying. Several times over the last year Zavier had found him
asleep, using a text book for a pillow. No, school was not simple for
Ren. That’s what made today so amazing and rewarding. Ren’s
dedication to making a difference had driven the softhearted man to
complete his education. He knew his special little mate was going to
do great things.

Deciding to bite the bullet, he looked up into Renny’s striking

eyes and prepared to pour his heart out. He opened his mouth and
started to express his love. “Ren, I—”

Dakota Dawn

“Come on, guys, it’s time to p-a-r-t-y.” Tony’s voice boomed

from right outside Zavier’s truck door, effectively cutting him off.

He forced a smile, but didn’t take his eyes off Ren. “We’ll talk

later.”

“That’s probably for the best. Tony is unstoppable when he wants

something,” Renny commented as he opened his door and slid out of
the truck.

Dreaming of sucking Tony dry, he got out of the truck and looked

Renny’s friends over. There was Tony with fake innocence shining in
his eyes. Tony’s shirt tightly hugged the muscles of his arms, and
Zavier didn’t like how snug his jeans were. Was he trying to impress
Ren? Zavier didn’t like the way he looked at his mate. Tonight he’d
be keeping an eye on Tony.

Moving on, Zavier watched the way Zac took Raul’s hand and

brought it to his lips. They had been a couple for three years, he
believed. Raul was running on high. He’d just received his associate’s
in performing arts. No amount of acting could hide his love for Zac,
though. The two were a good match.

Ellis was inside holding a table for them. Some girl he’d met at

Bloodsuckers was supposed to be keeping him company.

A car zipped into the parking lot and into a space. They all

watched Ren’s cousin, Reagan, and her mate, Shea, get out of the
sports car and join their group. Both women made their rounds
hugging everyone. Shea’s fragrance lingered on his shirt, and he
smiled as he sniffed. The cute brunette never failed to make everyone
around her smile. Reagan was lucky to have such an adorable mate.

Reagan was currently squeezing Ren.
“I’m so proud of you, cuz. Shea and I never doubted you’d make

it.” She kissed Ren on the cheek and took Shea’s hand lovingly in
hers.

“Thanks. I’m so glad Zotikos found you. You and Shea are the

light of my life.” Zavier tugged Ren’s hair. His mate flushed and
quickly added, “Zav here is the flame that keeps me going, of course.”

Vampire’s Mate

“That’s more like it,” he said into his mate’s ear.
While rubbing his stomach, Raul said, “Let’s go inside. I’m

starving.”

“Me too,” Renny chimed in.
He took Ren’s hand as they all entered the club. A rare burger

sounded good tonight.

“Does anyone see Ellis? He’s supposed to holding a table for us.

A girl named Savanna is with him.” Tony turned and searched the
room.

Renny muffled a giggle as best he could. “Oh, he’s holding a table

for us all right. Holding it down. Literally.”

“Holy smoke, that’s hot,” Tony exclaimed as he ran his fingers

through his hair.

They all headed to the table and surrounded it. Nobody said

anything, they just watched and waited.

He had to give Ellis credit. When he saved a table, he saved the

whole thing. Ellis and Savanna were laid out on top of the table,
kissing like crazy. He couldn’t help but grin when she started wildly
hunching her hips against Ellis’s leg. Her short skirt rose up to reveal
a lacy black thong. It looked good against her skin and bared her ass,
making it easy for Ellis to stroke her rounded flesh.

“Oh, yeah, that’s it, babe. Let me know how good it feels,” Ellis

encouraged softly as he kissed her neck and kneaded her ass.

“Yeah, let him know,” Tony said as he took a seat.
Ellis flinched, then relaxed after he looked around. “You startled

me, jerk. Why didn’t you guys say you were here?” Ellis slid from the
table and pulled his lust-dazed date with him.

“And ruin a perfectly good show? No way. The only reason I’m

not mad at Tony is because I’m hungry,” Raul answered.

Ren moved closer to Tony’s chair, and Zavier’s nostrils flared

when Tony touched his lower back. He waited for Ren to tell Tony
not to touch him. That never happened.

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“Sit next to me.” Tony pulled out the chair next to him, and Ren

sat down like nothing had happened.

He glared at Tony, but Tony wasn’t looking at him. He was

waving a waitress over. Trying to let it go, he sat on the other side of
Ren. He leaned in close to Ren’s ear and whispered, “Don’t let Tony
touch you anymore.”

With a roll of his eyes, Ren replied, “It’s not sexual.”
To his shocked surprise, Tony tugged on Ren’s ear and said, “You

want to share some oysters?”

It took all of his willpower to keep up a calm appearance. It took

even more strength to stop himself from draining Tony, then throwing
his useless carcass out of the club.

“Sounds great. You know I never pass up food that can give me a

rise,” Ren replied, then looked at Zavier and wiggled his eyebrows.

Zavier made sure Ren couldn’t feel his emotions. Bless Zotikos

for sharing his knowledge with him. “Maybe you should eat a whole
serving by yourself,” he suggested. Mentally he started planning
Ren’s punishment if he let Tony touch him one more time. Every
fiber of his being told him to make sure Renny understood who he
belonged to.

He watched everyone order, then ordered a rare burger and a beer.

Talk flowed over and around him. He tried not to focus on the way
Tony kept drawing Ren’s attention to him. Putting more effort into
looking at his surroundings, he noted that Savanna was stroking Ellis
under the table. That was interesting, and it had nothing to do with
that snake, Tony.

Reagan and Shea were discussing the drink menu. Shea leaned in

closer to her mate and whispered something. A golden glow
brightened Reagan’s brown eyes, reminding him of Ren’s eyes.

Zotikos had found out Ren had four mated cousins and five

unmated ones. Of them all, his mate had bonded with Reagan and her
mate. There was even some talk of Ren fathering a few children with

Vampire’s Mate

Shea. Her being full-blooded elf, their children would be powerful
and cute as a button.

He looked forward to the day they had children. As a vampire, it

was unlikely he’d sire a child, but Ren could easily do it with his elf
heritage.

Zotikos had also found out some information on what most likely

happened to Ren’s father. A vampire named Bruno Chaim had gone
on a killing spell, and there was proof he had hunted in the area
Rafferty had been murdered in. Rafferty Woolsey was added to the
list of people killed for the taste of their magical blood.

Zavier didn’t get a chance to hunt and kill Bruno because a

brother of one of his victims had done it fifteen years ago. The
information, though, had given Ren the closure he needed.

His gaze wandered over the group again. Raul and Zac went to the

dance floor and started strutting their stuff. He noticed that they
moved with the beautiful rhythm he’d seen another couple do about
one hundred twenty years ago. Their passion and timing was
mesmerizing. The flow of their bodies to the beat of the music was
seamless. Utterly beautiful.

Goose bumps danced across his arms as he watched them. He was

a little sad when the song ended and the men stepped from the dance
floor. Several people stood and clapped their hands while others
hooted and begged them to dance some more. Raul beamed and took
a bow and then said that they would dance again in a bit. Zac blushed
brightly and guided Raul back to their table.

The waitress, Chassidy, brought the drinks and oysters to the

table. Zavier barely noticed the way Chassidy had rubbed against him.
She wasn’t his type.

Ren dug into one of the three plates of oysters they’d ordered. He

plopped one in his mouth and closed his eyes in delight. Zavier loved
it when he made Ren look like that. His cock started to swell. He
shifted in his seat trying to get more comfortable. By the time
everyone had eaten the oysters, their food was delivered. Zavier was

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glad about that. He hated it when a place took forty-five minutes or
more to bring out the food.

Although the food turned out to be quite good, he wasn’t into the

club scene at all anymore. Each moment he sat in the club the more
agitated he became. The waitress kept coming over, brushing against
him, and Tony had already touched Renny’s lower back three times.
He scanned the place for danger and saw a man that resembled
Tristan Wyckoff. He’d much rather be sitting on Tristan’s front porch,
drinking one of his special wine blends while talking about any and
all things. They’d had their fair share of wine and men together, some
on the porch he’d been thinking about. Those were the good ole days.

Zavier glanced over at Ren and hoped Tristan found his own true

mate someday soon. Forever felt real good. He scowled when he saw
Tony touch Ren on the back again. He hoped Tristan’s man didn’t
have touchy friends. Ren didn’t seem to mind Tony’s touch at all, but
he would when they got home. He continued to plan Ren’s lesson.

Savanna was the last one to finish eating. Sure enough, Chassidy

came by and brushed against him as she reached across the table to
retrieve Savanna’s plate. Ren raised a brow at him. With a shrug of
his shoulder, Zavier dismissed his pointed look. Chassidy wasn’t a
threat.

He looked around the club as he sipped his beer. Two men were in

a cage on the edge of the dance floor. One was holding the other’s
leash as he buried the sub’s face in his crotch. The sub was steadily
humping his Dom’s biker boot. The Dom pressed the sub’s face
deeper into his crotch and whipped his back with the leash. About ten
lashes in, the sub bowed his back and shuddered violently. He
watched the Dom pet his sub’s head, then tug the leash and lead the
crawling sub out of the cage. The sub must have done something
really good to be allowed to come in the cage. Slink’s had tagged that
cage as Reward or Punishment. That scene had screamed ‘reward.’

A couple of women danced into the cage and started making out.

The shorter, spiked-haired one pulled out a vibrator and ran it

Vampire’s Mate

between the taller, nearly naked one’s legs. Just when the tall one was
about to come, the shorter one pulled the vibrator away. She did this
three more times and then led her sad-looking partner out of the cage.
No reward that time.

He admired the owners. Not many people ran clubs that catered to

almost everyone. From a past experience in the club, he knew anyone
who bashed another person’s sexual lifestyle was immediately shown
the door. Ninety-nine percent of the heterosexuals that came here
weren’t afraid. They knew that gays didn’t lust after every man on the
earth any more than lesbians desired every woman they saw.

The conversation moved on to the latest movies and then to which

ones were the best. Ren, Shea, and Raul liked all types of movies. He
and Reagan liked action and humorous ones. Zac insisted action
movies were the best, and Tony was adamant in his belief that
suspense was superior. Ren ended the battle of wills by asking them
what they thought about musicals. Both men agreed that musicals
were the worst. Peace once again reigned. Ren was good at bringing it
about. Zavier was sure he was going to bring on some much-needed
changes. His heart overflowed with pride in Ren, his little softhearted
mate.

Tony leaned in close to Ren and told him something. Zavier

wished the myth about vamps having superhearing was true. His
hearing was better than a human’s, but it wasn’t good enough to make
out a whisper while loud music pounded from the speakers and people
talked and laughed all around him. Ren laughed and Tony touched his
back, again. He growled, but Ren didn’t hear him.

His phone vibrating in his pocket drew Zavier away from his

planning of Ren’s punishment. “Hello.” He could barely hear Tristan,
so he nudged Ren and motioned that he was going to step away to
take his call outside. Ren nodded and shooed him away. He figured
his face must have shown his reluctance to leave him because Renny
shooed him a second time. Not wanting to be gone long, he explained
the situation to Tristan and hurriedly finished the call.

Dakota Dawn

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Renny was right

where he’d left him. As he sat down he leaned in close to Renny’s
ear. “Tristan and his brothers send their congratulations.”

“That’s sweet of them. I hope I get to meet them soon now that I

don’t have to study all the time,” Renny said with excitement dancing
in his golden-flecked eyes.

“You will. They sent you a special wine blend as a graduation

present. It should arrive tomorrow. Tristan said not to worry. It
doesn’t contain any blood.” He sniffed Renny’s hair and almost
groaned when his cock stirred. His man always smelled divine.

“That’s nice of them. I feel special having them make a wine

blend with just me in mind.” Renny’s smile lit his heart.

He’d have to make sure he thanked the Wyckoff brothers for

making his mate feel special. He was just about to tell Renny how
special he was when Tony drew his attention away to tell him some
stupid joke. Renny’s laughter at the joke rubbed his nerves raw.

Zavier watched and waited as the evening progressed. Not once

did Tony go to the restroom. Zavier really wanted him to. If he caught
the bastard in there he’d make sure Tony never touched Ren again.
The conversation went from music to college teachers and the classes
they taught. He wanted to teach Tony a thing or two, but the man
must have had the bladder of a camel.

Ellis took a last gulp of his tea, stood, and helped Savanna up.

“Well, guys, it’s been fun, but it’s time for us to leave.” He looked at
Raul and Ren. “Congrats on graduating. You’ve worked hard, and it’s
paid off. I wish you both much success.” Everyone at the table raised
their drink in agreement.

Zavier jumped at the chance to leave. He stood and Ren followed

suit, thank goodness. “We’re going to head out, too,” he stated as he
pushed his chair under the table. Tony rose and placed his hand on
Ren’s lower back. To his horror, the fool started rubbing small circles
on his man’s back. He gritted his teeth when Ren once again did
nothing to stop Tony.

Vampire’s Mate

“Are you ready to leave?” Tony asked Ren in a tone that raked

over Zavier’s nerves.

It sounded to him as if Tony was trying to protect Ren from him.

That little bastard better watch his next words very carefully. The
only reason he was still breathing was because he was Ren’s friend.
He was tempted to kill Tony, but he feared Ren would figure it out
and nag him about it for centuries.

Ren glanced at him and something flickered in his eyes. Zavier

realized he was letting his emotions show, but this time he didn’t care.
He and Ren had business to take care of. It was about time Ren found
out.

Turning back to Tony, Ren said, “Yes, I’m ready. It’s been a long,

exciting day, and I’m starting to drag.”

Shea and Reagan stood and hugged them. Shea whispered, “Go

easy on him. He’s such a cute innocent.”

The truth of her words cooled his jets a little, but not much. He

nodded at her and moved to hug Reagan.

“You two staying?” Ren asked.
Reagan plopped back down in her seat and pulled Shea into her

lap. “Yep. We’ll see you soon. Congrats again, cuz. Your parents
would be as proud of you as we are.”

“Thanks, Rea. Come by tomorrow. You two have to try a piece of

my graduation cake. Zav couldn’t have picked a better one. It’s divine
perfection.”

“We’ll be there. You know how much Shea loves cake.”
“Have a seat, Tony. Raul and I are going to stay for a bit longer,

too. Besides, you can’t leave yet. The cutie two tables over keeps
eyeing you,” Zac said with a big grin.

Tony looked at the table Zac pointed out to him and a smile

transformed his face. A hot little brunette waved at him, and Tony
waved back at her. He leaned in and hugged Ren tightly. “See ya
later. I’ve got some seduction to do.” That said, Tony headed over to
her table.

Dakota Dawn

They said their goodbyes, and Zavier eyeballed Tony one last

time, even though he was too absorbed in the female to notice. He had
to be bisexual, and that sure as shit made Tony a threat.

Zavier breathed a sigh of relief the minute he and Ren were in his

truck and heading home.

Vampire’s Mate

Chapter Eight

Jealousy somewhat under control, Zavier pulled up to his cabin

and got out of the truck. He waited for Ren to make his way around
the truck. Ren saw Oscar perched on the porch rail and waved his
academic degree at him. He melted a little at the smile that was
plastered to Ren’s face.

Oscar flapped his wings and took flight. He circled Zavier and

Renny several times, all the while hooting happily.

Renny’s eyes sparkled as he asked, “What’s gotten into him? Do

you think he understands that I graduated tonight?”

“He may. I believe he’s quite happy. That’s probably because he

doesn’t know you earned a punishment tonight by letting Tony touch
you.”

With a roll of his eyes, Renny retorted, “I told you his touch

wasn’t sexual. I think you wanted it to be so you could punish me.”
Renny blew out a heavy puff of air. “I didn’t get mad at you when
Chassidy was drooling over you and brushing against you. Leash your
dark side, man.”

“She’s not my type, that’s why you didn’t have a problem with

it.” He looked up at the large owl. “Did you hear that, Oscar? He’s
questioning my motives and giving me commands. That I won’t
tolerate.” He scooped Ren up and tossed him over his shoulder.
“Never challenge me. I’ll always win.”

“I’m sorry, Zav. You have every right to be mad. I shouldn’t have

let Tony touch me.” Ren smoothed over his back muscles with a
warm and gentle touch. “Put me down, please. I promise to be good. I

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need a kiss to make it all right,” Ren pleaded prettily as his hands
continued to stroke lovingly over Zavier’s back.

Caving to the need in Ren’s voice and touch, he let his mate slide

down his body.

Once Ren had his feet firmly planted on the ground, he taunted,

“Sucker!” Ren laughed out loud as he turned and bolted for the cabin.
He only made it two steps before Zavier twirled him around and flung
him across his shoulder.

“I take it Raul has been giving you acting lessons. Too bad he

didn’t give you some tips on running faster. Now that I’ve got you it’s
time to pay.”

Oscar hooted and flew up to them. He flapped his wing hard and

swatted Ren on his upturned ass.

Renny yelped, and Zavier laughed before saying, “See, even

Oscar agrees that you need some discipline.”

“That’s not fair. I was just playing around,” Renny muttered.
“Life is never fair. The best you can do at this point is take your

punishment like a man.” Oscar hooted again and this time is sounded
like he was agreeing with Zavier.

“I don’t like the sound of that hoot. I’m not going to give him any

steak for at least a week.” Ren wiggled, and Zavier slapped his ass
and started walking up the porch steps. “I wouldn’t give you any
blood if it didn’t feel so good,” he grumbled.

He stepped in the house, then closed and locked the door.

Turning, he headed for their bedroom. “I’m glad you like giving me
blood, because I’m taking some of it tonight. Get ready for more than
one bite. All this fighting with you is making me hungry.” Ren
groaned, and Zavier smiled. Damn, he loved his spirited little mate.

* * * *

Vampire’s Mate

Renny shivered at the threat and promise in Zav’s voice. Zavier

went through their bedroom and into their playroom. He slid Renny
down his solid body and turned him to face the wall.

“Take your clothes off. You wanted to be touched so you will be

touched.” The heated purr in Zavier’s voice had him hurrying to do as
he was told.

As soon as he was naked, Zavier cuffed his hands overhead to the

wall-mounted cuffs. He was stretched out to the point that he had to
stand on the balls of his feet. Zavier had stepped away, and he could
hear him going through the toy cabinet. He knew Zav was frustrated
with him for letting Tony touch him. To him it hadn’t been a sexual
touch, so he’d let it go on. Tony was just that way. He touched
everyone. Apparently, Zav didn’t want anyone touching him, not even
touchy friends with calming intentions.

Deciding to plead his case so they could get on to the orgasms, he

said, “Look, Zav. Tony touches everyone. It doesn’t mean anything.
You understand that, right?” He had to really focus on how Zav was
feeling. If he was lucky, Zav would let his guard down. He tried
harder, and Zav chuckled. Damned vampire blood made him one
strong-willed man. Renny didn’t like how powerful he had become
over the last year.

Hiding his feelings, like he was doing right now, drove Renny

crazy. He liked to be able to read people anytime he wanted, not just
when they’d let him. He was pretty sure Zotikos was the one who’d
taught Zav to control his emotions. Damned vamp-elf.

“You understand, right?” he asked Zav again.
His mate grunted in answer. Renny didn’t like that at all. He

tugged on the cuffs as he waited to see what Zav had planned for him.

Zavier slipped a blindfold over his eyes and tied it securely.
“You like to be touched, huh? Well, I like to touch you. Let’s see

how many ways I can touch you tonight,” Zavier whispered into his
ear as his rough hands skimmed his body from his cuffed hands to his
toes. Zavier slowly let his hands roam up the back of his legs and then

Dakota Dawn

moved them to his ass. He massaged Renny’s globes until he moaned
and relaxed beneath his touch. Zavier slid his hands around to
Renny’s semi-erect cock. He loved the feel of Zav’s hands on his
cock. Pleasure had him moaning with even more enthusiasm.

“You sound so sweet when you moan like that, but this is a lesson.

You are being disciplined.”

Shock tore through him when he felt his balls being lifted and

then felt leather circling behind his sac and around to the base of his
shaft. In one tightly secured snap, his balls and cock were forced to jut
forward. Renny shifted his hips unhappily, and Zavier slapped his ass.
He was sure he was in trouble now. Zavier never withheld orgasms
unless a real lesson was being taught. Shit! Renny knew he was in for
a long, torture-filled night.

“Mmm. I don’t have to be empathic to know you’re afraid. I can

smell it radiating off you. Fear is a great teacher.” Zavier lightly raked
his nails down Renny’s back. He circled his palm around Renny’s
butt cheek several times before pulling his hand back and quickly
delivering six hard hits to Renny’s right cheek.

He jerked and gasped as pain bloomed across his tormented

cheek.

“That was one hit for each time you allowed Tony to touch your

lower back. You will get a set of six blows from each toy I choose. I
want you to feel my discipline for several days.” Zavier glided his
hand softly over Renny’s heated cheek and kissed the back of his
neck.

He almost moaned when Zavier lightly cupped his hand and

started spanking his buttocks until they were both warmed up nicely.
He tensed for a second when his mate stepped away from him. Renny
could hear him retrieving something. Not being able to see what he
was doing was terrible. His mind came up with all sorts of dark
thoughts. Zav’s jealousy was making him think scary thoughts. How
far would his mate take this lesson?

Vampire’s Mate

He groaned when he heard Zav strike his own palm with a paddle.

Renny knew that sound well. Mentally he prepared himself for the
blows, expecting them to be the six hard ones. Instead Zav swung the
paddle with medium pressure. It felt wonderful. Each blow vibrated
through his groin and brought pleasure mixed with pain. He was just
starting to melt when Zav struck hard and fast. Six fiery, hot hits.
They had him crying out and going up on his toes.

“I showed great restraint tonight. When I was a young vampire I

never tolerated anyone touching what belonged to me. Back then I
would have drained Tony after he touched you the first time. Never
forget that you belong to me.” Zavier’s voice was startlingly
possessive.

Ren wasn’t used to seeing his jealous side at all. Even though Zav

had made him immediately quit his job at Bloodsuckers and had
instantly moved Renny in with him, he had studied hard for the year
they’d been together, and that had left them almost no time to go out.
The fire streaking across his ass told Renny he’d best not let anyone
touch him unnecessarily again. It wasn’t smart to poke a protective,
possessive beast.

Something soft touching his shoulder jerked him back into the

moment. With a back-and-forth motion the softness turned into a
tickle. He tried to pull away when the soft object tickled his neck and
then his ear. When the item stopped, he turned his head to the side
and into the softness. He noted the fluffy feel of the new item of
torture and realized it must be a long feather.

For what felt like an eternity, Zav tickled him. Every time it ran

up his inner thighs he was forced to laugh. He was just about to plead
with Zav when he felt six swats to his balls. Normally a feather
wouldn’t faze him, but with the cuff making him super sensitive he
jumped at the sudden contact to his private parts. His dick bounced,
wanting more of Zav’s attention. Hot breath caressed his neck right
before his mate licked a path from his shoulder to his ear. A shiver
danced across his skin when Zav moaned into his ear.

Dakota Dawn

Zav reached around and cupped the head of Renny’s cock as he

struck. He quivered and moaned when he felt the endorphin rush he
could only get from Zav’s precious bite. As his vamp fed from his
shoulder, he pinched Renny’s cockhead and pulled it lightly. Embers
flared to life in his balls, but the cuff wouldn’t let him come. It was
glorious torture. He whimpered when the need for release stabbed
through his groin. He didn’t know how much more he could take.
When Zav retracted his fangs and sealed the wound then backed
away, Ren sagged in relief. The relief didn’t last long.

He heard Zav retrieving something else and wondered what it

was. Zav hit Renny’s right butt cheek once with the flogger and he
knew it was the flogger that had a knot tied to the center strand of
leather. Shit! This was not going to be nice. Instead of getting it over
with, Zav ran the leather all over Renny’s body and then kissed a path
up his spine.

Renny wanted to yell when Zav moved away. Something cold

touched his shoulder, causing him to shiver. Zav shook it and he
realized it was a bottle of water. “I’m not thirsty.”

“That’s too bad, because you are going to drink half of this bottle

before we continue. You can drag this out or hurry it along,” Zavier
said as he lifted the bottle to Renny’s lips.

Renny wanted to turn his head, but thought better of it. It was

smarter to get it over with.

“Good boy,” Zav said after he drank the amount he’d been told to

drink. “I like my mate well hydrated.” Zav put the bottle down and
picked up the flogger.

Without warning, Zav struck Renny’s right cheek. He didn’t hit

hard, but that damned knot stung like fire. In slow, controlled moves,
Zav swung the flogger across his back and buttocks. Once again, Ren
was just starting to love it when Zavier blasted each of his ass cheeks
with three hard hits apiece. Gritting his teeth, he went up on his toes.
Liquid fire inflamed his whole ass. As Zavier moved away from him,
Renny rested his forehead on the wall and tried to get his breathing

Vampire’s Mate

under control. Play was good, punishment was bad. Making his vamp
mate jealous was a bad thing. Blindfolds were a bad thing too. They
made your punishment ten times worse.

A hiss escaped his teeth when he felt something hot run over his

left ass cheek and then continue to circle it several times before
moving on to his right cheek. Liquid ran down his legs, and he
realized that his ass was cooling down. Ice. Zav was coating his hot
flesh with ice. He shivered when Zav moved the ice up to his back
and started cooling it down.

Changing his tactic, Zav starting touching the ice to Renny’s back

for a few seconds, then lapping the cold flesh with his warm tongue,
erotically reheating his tormented flesh. He loved it when Zavier
moved down and froze, then passionately heated every inch of his
aching ass.

He didn’t start to worry until Zavier spread his legs wider and slid

between them to rest his back against the wall that Ren was facing.
The second the ice touched the crown of his cock, he yelled and tried
to back away. Tied as he was, it was a fruitless venture. Zavier
touched and held the dreaded ice to the top of his cock six times
before he moved the ice to his balls and sucked his cold cock into his
hot mouth. Renny jerked and didn’t know if he wanted to cry or groan
at the dual administrations happening between his legs. The ice was
both heaven and hell to his cuffed balls, and the sucking of Zavier’s
mouth was heating his entire shaft. Zavier didn’t stop tormenting him
until he was quivering and keening like an animal.

Zavier placed a light kiss to his cold balls and slid from between

his legs. As he stood he ran his hands up Renny’s legs, over his butt,
and finally circled his body in a big hug. Zavier held him until he
stopped trembling from unfulfilled need. To his relief, Zav reached up
and removed the blindfold and then released his wrists.

“I’m so glad you let me go. I don’t know how much more I could

have handled. I’m forgiven now, right?” Renny asked as he reached
out to touch Zav. He really needed to feel his mate’s hard muscles,

Dakota Dawn

needed to be made love to. One look into Zav’s eyes and he knew the
lesson was still on. Damn.

“Handstand against the wall, now,” Zav ordered with a wicked

gleam in his green eyes.

He hesitated, and Zav raised a perfectly shaped brow. “All right,”

he grumbled. His spirits rose when he remembered the last time Zav
had ordered him to do a handstand. His mate had pinned his legs to
the wall and sucked his dick until he thought he’d explode. Right
before he could come, Zav had released his legs and helped him get
on all fours. To his delight, Zav had dropped down behind him and
thrust deeply into his hungry ass. Both had found paradise in seconds.

This time Zav helped him get into the position because his legs

were too weak and his butt was throbbing. He expected Zav to
remove the cock ring and start sucking him off, but what he got was
his ankles cuffed and the chains cranked up until his fingertips were
all that touched the floor.

“Zav, what are you doing?” he questioned. He instantly regretted

the frustration that rang in his words. It wasn’t good to let Zav know
he wasn’t happy with his punishment.

Zav nipped the crown of his hard cock, causing him to yelp. “I see

you need more time to understand that you’re not in control here. I
am.”

Feeling too vulnerable, he tried to nudge Zav into releasing him.

“You know humans can’t be hung upside down for very long. We’re
weak.” Zav smiled. The smile didn’t reassure him at all.

“You’re part elf, and you have my powerful saliva running

through your system. You’ll be fine,” Zavier told him as he reached
out and pinched his nipples six times. “Don’t forget you’re the one
who wanted to be touched.”

With throbbing nipples, he watched Zav pick up the fluffy feather.

He ran it along Renny’s feet, causing him to curl his toes in an effort
to avoid the tormenting object. He didn’t know when Zav had added

Vampire’s Mate

the feather to their stock of sensual toys, but he was quickly finding
out that he didn’t like feather play. He was too damned ticklish.

Zav chuckled and said, “I see your feet are very ticklish. Let’s see

where else you are ticklish.”

Focusing on his breathing, he tried to ignore the sensations that

swamped his body. His back and butt still held the pleasurable pain of
being spanked and flogged, his balls ached to release a heavy load of
cum, his whole body was starting to tremble from being strung upside
down with his legs spread wide, and his fingertips were starting to
tingle from having to hold his body steady. Most of all, he tried to
block out the way his dick was rock hard and begging for Zav’s
attention. He wasn’t successful at the last one.

His cock bobbed as he relived the feel of Zav’s hot mouth sucking

his throbbing erection. The wet haven of his mate’s throat closing
around the tip of his hard flesh. Pleasure coursing through his cock as
he fucked Zav’s slick, warm mouth.

He jerked when Zav swatted his cuff-tightened balls with the

feather. “Don’t try going into a zone right now. I want to see and feel
your undivided response to my touch.” Zavier licked his sac and made
it feel better.

“Am I forgiven yet?” he asked with hope in his voice.
“Yes, you are forgiven.” Zav ran the feather along his inner thigh

and chuckled when Renny giggled and tried to get away from the
light touch. “That’s more like it.”

“Please, Zav, make me come.” He didn’t care if he was begging.

All of his senses were alight, and he needed sexual relief badly. He
needed to be licked and sucked.

Zavier didn’t listen. He retrieved another feather and ran them

over Renny’s whole body. Renny wanted to scream when he started
licking his balls while gliding the ticklish feathers across his hyper-
sensitive skin. The damn feathers were making it hard for him to
focus on the wonderful things Zav was doing to his balls.

Dakota Dawn

Gritting his teeth, he tightened all his muscles as the torture went

on and on.

It wasn’t until he started sweating and moaning loudly that Zav

said, “I’ll release your dick and balls from the cock ring as soon as
you suck me off.”

Hanging as he was, Ren noted that Zav’s thick cock was several

inches above his head. “You’re too tall,” he pointed out.

“Not if you grab hold of my legs and use your abdominal muscles

to help hold yourself up.” Zav ran one of the feathers across his left
foot and the other along his cock. He couldn’t help but make a sound
that was a cross between a laugh and a groan. “The faster you get me
off the better for you. I could do this all night.” He ran the feather
over Renny’s foot again.

“You’re a bastard, you know that?” Renny’s voice was filled with

forced laughter and frustration. He never wanted to make Zav mad
again.

“I’ve been called worse.” Zav tickled both of Renny’s feet this

time as he licked his erection.

Renny laughed and tried to move his feet away from the feathers.

His hips thrust forward, needing more of Zav’s wild tongue. By the
time Zav stopped tickling his feet and licking his cock he was panting,
and his sides were aching from laughter.

“I don’t feel your mouth on me. Does that mean you aren’t ready

to come yet?” Zav asked.

Hardly, you sadistic bastard, Renny thought to himself as his cock

twitched in need. “You know I’m ready, asshole,” he spit out in a
snarky way. He instantly regretted not being able to hold his tongue.

Zavier immediately started running the feather across both of his

feet.

Between gasps of breath, he begged, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. You’re

not an asshole.” Zav stopped the movement of the feathers and sucked
on the tip of Renny’s weeping dick. The moment Zav released his
swollen flesh, Renny pushed his hips forward, seeking Zav’s mouth

Vampire’s Mate

once again. God, he loved the feel of his mate’s mouth sucking and
nibbling his rigid erection.

To his dismay, Zav ran the feathers over the back of his knees and

had him twisting to escape the torment. “Please, Zav, stop tickling me
so I can get to your dick.”

“I can do that,” Zav answered triumphantly.
It took Renny a minute, but with effort he worked his way up

Zav’s body and released his delicious member from his jeans. He
curled up high, ignoring his straining stomach muscles, and started
inching Zav’s cock into his mouth. Satisfaction flowed through him
when his lover shuddered and moaned. Fire burned through his groin,
making his balls throb. Needing his own sweet release, he started
sucking Zav’s cock hard as he bobbed up and down the thick length.
Flicking his tongue, he tried to make his mate come quickly.

He lost his groove when Zav started tickling his feet again.

“St…stop. You’re ma…making this hard. I…I thought I was
forgiven.”

Zav laughed. “You are forgiven, but that doesn’t mean I have to

make this easy for you. I want you to remember this.” He ran the
feather down Renny’s inner thighs and chuckled when he squirmed
and started panting again.

With renewed determination, he laved and sucked Zav’s hard

flesh, but he didn’t stop there. As soon as he felt the vessels that
trekked across Zav’s cock swell, he parted his man’s butt cheeks and
slid a finger in his small entrance. Within a few seconds he started
finger fucking him in quick, sure strokes. He knew his mate loved the
feel of his fingers fucking his ass. Zav’s muscles tightened and Renny
knew his tough vamp was about to blow his load. It was exhilarating
to bring his mate such pleasure.

Zav cursed as his piquant seed splashed over Renny’s tongue.

Making it last, Renny slowed his finger’s in-and-out pace and lightly
sucked his mate’s cock dry. He relished the feel of his lover’s silky
flesh on his tongue.

Dakota Dawn

Trembling, Zav rested his forehead on Renny’s balls. Blood

pounded through them as heat burned its way from his balls to the
crown of his dick. Need sliced through him, making his cock bounce.

He slid his fingers from Zav’s hot hole and slowly released his

deliciously spent cock.

Zav shuddered and then rooted his nose in Renny’s quivering sac.

He sniffed loudly. “I love your scent and taste.” His tongue ran across
Renny’s balls, then lapped its way to his cockhead.

“Suck it, Zav. Please.” He loved it when Zav worshiped his cock

with his masterful mouth.

With a groan vibrating in his throat, Zav nibbled his plum-shaped

head for a minute. He mewled, and Zav rewarded him by swallowing
his cock. Puffy clouds of bliss floated through his body as Zav ate
him hungrily. The longer it went on the closer to ecstasy he came.
Passionate fire burned through his core. Renny’s body started
convulsing with the need to come. Zav swatted his balls and thrust
two fingers deeply into his yielding ass. He cried out as pleasure raced
through every cell in his quivering body.

In a startling move, Zav unsnapped the cock ring and sank his

fangs into a swollen vessel in Renny’s pulsating cock. The rush was
too much for his highly stimulated body to handle. He bucked and
screamed as his semen rocketed up his shaft and burst from his body.
Stars clouded his vision when Zav started milking the sensitive tip of
his dick with his rough hand as he drank from Renny’s shaft.
Wonderful endorphins flooded his body, giving him gust after gust of
ecstasy. As the world went dark, Renny decided he liked making his
vamp jealous.

* * * *

Renny came to as Zav was laying them both down in their bed.

The feel of his mate’s strong arms wrapping around him was pure
paradise.

Vampire’s Mate

“You are better than any mate I could have ever dreamed up,” Zav

said as he stroked Renny’s chest. “I’m proud of you for finishing
school. Now that you’re out, you can start accomplishing your goals.
I’ll help you anyway I can.”

“I’m glad I’ll live long enough to make a difference.” He stared

into Zav’s eyes and felt love pouring from his handsome mate.
“Although I plan to achieve my goals, my main goal will always be to
make you happy, Zav.”

“That’s something you do better than anyone else in the world.”

Zav took a deep breath and ran his fingers through Renny’s hair. “I
love you.”

Renny waved his hand. “I know. I love you, too,” he stated

confidently. But deep inside, his heart felt like bursting. This was the
first time Zav had ever said the words aloud.

Zav’s eyes rounded for a split second and then softened as he

muttered, “Empaths.” A gleam entered his vamp’s green eyes. “At
least you’re not a seer. I’d hate for you to know what I’m going to do
to you before I even do it.”

Not liking the sound of that, he asked, “What do you have

planned?”

His mate’s voice was low and filled with promise and passion.

“Centuries of loving you and making love to you in thousands of
different ways.”

Renny liked the sound of that a whole lot. He eagerly embraced

the future with his vampire mate.

THE END

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