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

  Immortal Promise

  Vampire Mates

  Kim Loraine

  Copyright © 2019 by Kim Loraine

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  The Midnight Coven

  IMMORTAL PROMISE

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  Also by Kim Loraine

  About the Author

  The Midnight Coven

  Join the coven on Facebook!

  Thank you for reading IMMORTAL PROMISE, a Vampire Mates novella. There are thirteen total novellas in this shared world, each of them a standalone paranormal romance. We, the Midnight Coven authors, hope you’ll check out all of them. For the complete list, just turn the page OR visit our website www.midnightcoven.com

  And remember, these books all share a world, but can be read in any order.

  Don’t miss a single mate!

  The Midnight Coven will be back soon with our next collaboration—Cursed Coven. In the meantime, join our Facebook group! We’d love to see you there!

  • Immortal Hexes by Amelia Hutchins

  • Immortal Promise by Kim Loraine-Author

  books2read.com/immortalpromise

  • Immortal Hunter by Patricia D. Eddy

  https://books2read.com/u/mZNRE2

  • Immortal Bite by Andrea M. Long

  https://books2read.com/u/bpKX8z

  • Immortal Bloodlines by Jessica Cage

  https://books2read.com/u/m2PO7R

  • Immortal Night by Emily Goodwin

  • Immortal Darkness by Lisa Manifold

  https://books2read.com/Immortaldarkness

  • Immortal Oath by Corinne O'Flynn

  https://books2read.com/immortaloath

  • Immortal Awakening by Renea Mason

  • Immortal Devotion by Gwen Knight

  https://books2read.com/immortaldevotion

  • Immortal Enemies by Jessie Lane

  https://books2read.com/immortalenemies

  • Immortal Skye by KL Bone

  https://books2read.com/Immortal-Skye

  • Immortal Protector by Alice K. Wayne

  https://books2read.com/u/3nKwrx

  IMMORTAL PROMISE

  VAMPIRE MATES

  1

  Brandt

  It’s been close to seventy-two hours since my life was changed irrevocably. I walked into a coffee shop and laid eyes on the woman meant for me. Like a scene from a Greek tragedy, that was the same moment she’d been brought to death’s door. I’ve spent three nights waiting to see if I’ve done what a mate should do for his woman—save her. No matter the situation, my instinct screams for me to protect, defend, and claim her. My eyes burn from the effort of keeping them open as, once again, I feel the sun begin to rise even from the safety of my home. I will not sleep until I know she is mine.

  “Brandt, Elaine has transitioned. This one is a lost cause,” my friend and fellow vampire Mattias says.

  A growl builds in my chest. How can he expect me to give up so easily? “Stay out of this. You have what you want. I can sense the spark of life in her.”

  He approaches, and I shoot him a glare that would wither a lesser man. “She’s gone. You can’t stay here like this much longer.”

  “I’ll do whatever I have to in order to serve her when she rises.”

  Letting out a sigh, Mattias places a hand on my shoulder. “I am taking Elaine back to my clan at sunset. She’s still in the haze of her transition, but soon she’s going to ask about Claire. I have to tell her the truth.”

  Claire. My mate’s name is like a stake through my heart. All this time by her side and I never knew. I run a finger over her pale cheek. “Claire,” I say, testing out the feel of her name on my tongue. I want to say it and have her eyes flutter open, for her to offer me a smile, for her lips to utter my name as well.

  “I must tend to Elaine. Please, consider what I said, Brandt. You need rest.”

  I shake off Mattias’ hand and return my aching gaze to Claire’s eerily still form. “Safe journey.”

  I feel it when he leaves the room, and soon my eyes are too heavy to keep open, the sting in my blood feeling more like fire. My lids slide closed, and all I know is darkness.

  “Where the ever-loving fuck am I?” A woman’s voice shakes me from my rest.

  I bolt upright, gaze trained on the brunette in my bed. “Claire,” I breathe.

  Her eyes widen, and she backs up, clutching the sheet and pulling it up to her chin. “Who are you? How did I get here?” Then her memories must flood back, because she turns the color of bone and lets out a cry as she touches the now healed wound across her neck. “He…he slit my throat.”

  “Easy, love. He’s gone. Never to harm you again.” I reach my hand out, but she flinches away.

  “Everything hurts. It’s so…loud in here.”

  “It’s your transition. You must feed before you’ll feel as you should.”

  “I…feed?”

  Slicing open my wrist with my own fangs, I offer her my blood. “From me.”

  “Fuck you, asshole. Is this some kind of twisted game? I’m not drinking your blood.”

  “You will if you want to live.” I know instantly that was the wrong thing to say. Her eyes show nothing but fear in their depths.

  “What happened to Laney? Where is she? Let me go. Please. I won’t tell anyone where you live. I promise.”

  “Claire, your cousin is fine. Her mate turned her and saved her life.”

  “I…I should be dead.”

  I shake my head. “You’re a vampire. You’re transitioning because the man who attacked you slit your throat, but I saved you. I turned you. But you have to drink now or your body will reject the change. You’ll be truly dead.”

  I stand over her, holding my wrist close to her lips. I know I’ve got her when she inhales through her nose and her pupils dilate at the scent of the blood. She licks her lips, and my fucking cock goes rock hard at the sight of her pink tongue darting out of her mouth. I could force her, use my power to transfix her and command her to drink, but I won’t. She needs to do this of her own free will.

  “I don’t want to be a vampire,” she whispers.

  “But you don’t want to be dead either.”

  Her brow furrows. “No…I don’t.”

  “Drink, my mate. Then we’ll move through this together and come out on the other side.”

  A soft whimper leaves her, but she leans forward, and her mouth brushes my skin. Then her fangs latch on to my wrist and she drinks deeply. Pure pleasure races through me. Not only because of the rush of need that hits me at the feel of her, but because of the soul-deep satisfaction of serving my mate. This is what all the stories couldn’t explain. This is why my clan stopped searching for our mates. The feeling can’t be taught. Seeing is believing, and now that I have her, I fucking believe.

  She tears her lips from my wrist and gasps, a small line o
f blood trailing down her chin. I reach out and wipe it away with my thumb. I want to kiss her, claim her, make her mine in every way.

  “My mate,” I whisper.

  “You keep saying that. I’m not your mate. I don’t even know your name.”

  “My name is Brandt. All you need to know is, you’re mine. My responsibility. I made you a vampire, I’ll protect you forever.”

  She backs away and holds up both hands. “Hold on, Casanova. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

  “You cannot.”

  Standing, she cocks a hip and rests her hand on the gentle swell. “Yeah, I can. Thanks for…saving me and all, but I’m out of here.”

  I intercept her in two quick steps. “I’ll not risk your safety. You are my mate.”

  I put my hands on her shoulders, but she jerks free of my grasp. “Don’t touch me.”

  This isn’t how our union is supposed to go. She should want me as much as I want her.

  She glances around the room, then down at her blood soaked clothes. “Where’s my purse? My keys?”

  “I’m sure they’re still at the coffee shop. But, Claire, you can’t go back.”

  “Why not?” There’s venom in her eyes to match her voice.

  “Because you’ll kill the first human you come across. You’ll decimate this little town and then spend eternity unable to live with yourself.”

  “And I suppose you’re the only one who can keep me from turning into a monster?”

  “No, but I am the right one.”

  She laughs, but the sound is bitter. “Then get me out of here and teach me how to control myself. But after that, I want you to get the fuck out of my life.”

  My gut clenches, but I nod. This woman is going to be the end of me. I’ll win her heart. After all, we have eternity.

  2

  Claire

  Brandt stares at me like I’m some kind of unicorn. Like I’ll disappear if he takes his eyes off me. It’s intense, and I don’t think I like it. My world was just flipped on its axis, the last thing I need is some caveman vampire thinking he’s got me on a leash. After a shower and a change of clothes—his much too large shirt and a pair of drawstring shorts I had to pull so tight the strings hung to mid thigh—I wander the house, assessing the beautiful, modern decor. I’m exhausted. Aching. And finally, I settle in a dove gray chair near the gas fireplace.

  “You didn’t feed enough,” he grumbles, striding across the living room to stand in front of me. I think he’s right. Everything in me hurts. It reminds me of when I had the flu last year. My back ached from shoulder to tailbone, muscles screaming for relief without any in sight.

  “I’m not feeding from you again. I saw what that did to you.” I nod toward his crotch and fight the rising burn in my cheeks.

  He cocks a dark brow and smirks. “It’s a natural reaction. My body wants yours, just as you want me.”

  That annoys me. Mostly because he’s right. I do want him. I was so wet for him while I drank his blood I would have been embarrassed if hunger hadn’t been the only thing on my mind. “You don’t have any idea what I want.”

  “I do. You want me. You’re my mate.”

  “Would you stop with the mate stuff?” I hate how my voice comes out with an edge of desire. “I’m stronger than my body’s primal urges. I won’t be ruled by lust.”

  Shaking his head, his lips turn up in a wicked grin. “You’re feisty. I like that. A woman with fire.”

  I take a long breath, the sensation strange because it’s unnecessary. I suppose I’m technically undead now. I don’t need to breathe. I wonder what else has changed. Am I fast? Strong? I know I’m vulnerable to the sun and silver, and that I need to feed on blood. I remember that from my cousin Laney’s experience with her vampire, Mattias. Is this how she feels? Drawn to him beyond reason? I don’t want to be told how to feel by some kind of magical connection.

  But I smell his intoxicating scent, the earthy richness of his body. He’s like a hike in the mountains with pine and crisp air, fresh after a rain. The man is my favorite scent. Damn him.

  “I have to get out of here.” I spring to my feet, ignoring the gnawing hunger in my belly, the cotton in my mouth. My mind’s muddled with him so close. If I want to make a sound decision, I need to put some space between us.

  “You can’t go.”

  He grips my arm, but I jerk it from his grasp with little effort. “I’ll do what I want.”

  “You’ll do what I say is best.”

  Anger rolls through me at his words. He may be the hottest man I’ve ever seen with his wavy dark hair and perfectly chiseled features, but I don’t know him at all. For him to say he’s got some kind of claim on me rubs me in all the wrong ways. “I. Will. Not.”

  “Claire, I made you. I am responsible for you. I won’t let you put yourself at risk.”

  “And I’ll never forgive you for putting me in this position. I’m a monster because of you. You ruined me. As long as I’m,” I gesture to myself, “this thing, I want to be as far away from you as possible.”

  Hurt flashes over his face, but I don’t have the strength to care. He’s taken away all of my choices in one snap decision.

  “You expected me to let you die? My heart started beating as yours faded. You’re meant for me.”

  “I don’t care. I don’t want to look at you. It makes me sick. I didn’t choose you and I wouldn’t have chosen you if you’d asked me.” I know he technically told me what would happen if I didn’t transition, but I’d been delirious. Like an injured animal desperate to cling to life. I didn’t want this.

  His eyes widen, and he takes a step backward as though I slapped him. “This isn’t right. Is your heart not beating with mine?”

  I put his hand on my chest and wait for him to feel the absence of a rhythmic thudding. “No. I’m sorry. You might think I’m yours, but there’s nothing here.”

  All the fight leaves him, and confusion colors his handsome features. “I…I don’t understand.”

  “Sorry to disappoint you, but your mate radar must be off. I’m no one’s mate.”

  I turn toward the door, walking swiftly, and leave without looking back.

  He’s going to find me. I doubt he’ll fully accept the fact that we’re not mates. I’m sure we’re not meant to be, and if I don’t establish some semblance of independence from this Neanderthal, I’m never going to be free of him.

  The night air is heavy with moisture, fog sitting low on the ground, casting a sense of eerie foreboding. I can taste the rain before it falls, the freshly cut grass from the morning before, the oil seeping into the asphalt from a leaking car. It’s overwhelming. I walk faster than I ever thought possible, the trees blurring around me giving way to houses and neighborhoods. Everyone is inside, lights being turned off as children are put to bed. My stomach twists. Dinner. Food. Hunger. My fangs descend, bringing a strange sensation of fullness. They ache. My limbs tingle with electricity, a sharp humming like bees in my veins. It hurts.

  “Almost home,” I mutter.

  Relief floods me when my house comes into view. Dark. Empty. Dead. As far as the world knows, Laney and I are gone. Missing. Maybe even on the run. Does the town suspect us of killing the man in Laney’s coffee shop? The man who slit my throat. Rage burns in my chest. He killed me. He deserved a worse death than he got.

  Shaking my head, I clear my mind and go to my front door. I need something familiar. Something that is mine. The door is locked, the unmoving handle sending frustration rolling through me. I don’t have my keys, and I’m positive they won’t be at the shop any longer. If the police came to the crime scene, I’m sure they’ll have been taken into evidence. If Brandt and Mattias cleaned up after themselves, who knows where they put my stuff.

  But I’ve got something I didn’t before. Supernatural strength. That comes with being a vampire, right? I shove hard, and the door breaks open, the wood splintering in the frame. Elation bubbles in my chest. I did something without h
im holding my hand.

  “Yes,” I whisper.

  Taking a step forward, I expect to walk right into my house, but an invisible barrier stops me. I try again, and it’s as though cellophane is wrapped tightly across the threshold. What the hell?

  “That’s not going to work.” I spin around at the sound of a smooth British accent. The man standing behind me is rakishly handsome, carelessly tousled, and grinning like the cat who ate the canary.

  “Who are you?”

  “Lucas Blackthorne, at your service. It seems like you’re having a bit of trouble adjusting to being turned.”

  I frown. “How did you—”

  “I’m a Blackthorne vampire, my darling. Second in line to rule this land. Though I’m surprised Brandt would leave a fledgling out here alone.”

  “This is my house. Why can’t I get in?”

  “You have to be invited. Now that you’re a vampire, this home doesn’t have a living owner.”

  “All my stuff is in there.”

  He holds out a hand and smiles. “Come along. We’ll see to your needs. But first, you have to eat.”

  3

  Brandt

  I don’t understand what’s happened. Claire can’t be my mate if her heart isn’t responding to mine. If not for her, who does my heart beat for?