Little Mate (Fate's Bite Book 2) Read online

  SUMMARY:

  There’s no one above a KING...

  * * *

  And yet, I’m restless.

  I’m an uncontrollable beast that throbs in time with the heartbeat lulling me closer while a sweet, feminine scent overtakes my senses. I’ve never felt this before—a hunger so frenzied that I’m lost to its call. This siren’s song is solely meant for me, and I give in without pause or question.

  * * *

  Because I know and accept.

  * * *

  A single drop of blood running through her veins is worth more than every soul walking this earth. She is now what tethers me to this world.

  * * *

  And the second I see her face, I'm done for. Nothing fucking matters.

  * * *

  I AM DARKNESS.

  I AM SIN.

  I AM YOURS.

  * * *

  I'll live and breathe for my Queen. My pretty girl.

  LITTLE MATE (Fate’s Bite #2)

  was written by Elena M. Reyes

  Copyright 2021 ©Elena M. Reyes

  * * *

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  * * *

  This work is copyrighted. All rights are reserved. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of the author.

  * * *

  Cover Design: T.E. Black

  * * *

  Editor: Marti Lynch

  * * *

  Publication Date: Dec 6th, 2021

  Genre: FICTION/Dark Romance/Erotica Suspense/Thriller

  Copyright © 2021 Elena M. Reyes

  All rights reserved.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  This one’s for the girls that love their books dark, crazy AF, and the heroes a little dirty. Theo wasn’t done and I’m so excited for you to read how it all began.

  * * *

  HAPPY READING, MY BEAUTIFUL BABES!!!

  * * *

  Also, a huge THANK YOU to my team. Seriously, I couldn’t do this without you.

  * * *

  Michelle Myers, Ana Rita, C.M. Steele, Marti Lynch, & Tonya Fox Summerlin; you guys don’t let me throw in the towel or doubt myself. You push. Love. Encourage. This book is finished because each of you never let me quit.

  * * *

  I love you all so much and I’m thankful to have you in my

  life.

  * * *

  Also, another HUGE thanks to Lyra Parish and her kick ass sprints. Those things are heaven sent and so much fun!!!

  * * *

  XOXO

  CONTENTS

  Playlist

  Prologue

  1. Theodore Astor

  2. Theodore Astor

  3. Gabriella

  4. Gabriella

  5. Theodore Astor

  6. Gabriella

  7. Gabriella

  8. Theodore Astor

  9. Gabriella

  10. Gabriella

  11. Theodore Astor

  12. Theodore Astor

  13. Theodore Astor

  14. Theodore Astor

  15. Gabriella

  16. Gabriella

  17. Gabriella

  18. Gabriella

  19. Theodore Astor

  20. Theodore Astor

  21. Gabriella

  22. Gabriella

  23. Theodore Astor

  IF YOU HAVE NOT READ LITTLE LIES…

  Epilogue #1

  Epilogue #2

  Fate’s Bite News…

  Beautiful Sinner #6

  BEAUTIFUL SINNER SERIES

  About the Author

  ALSO, BY ELENA M. REYES

  PLAYLIST

  LINK: https://spoti.fi/3lw1rHg

  * * *

  Bring Me to Life by Evanescence

  I Wanna Be Your Slave by Måneskin

  Torna a casa by Måneskin

  Overlong by Foo Fighters

  For Your Love by Måneskin

  Leave Out All The Rest by Linkin Park

  Nothing Else Matters by Metallica

  Don’t Let Me Go by RAIGN

  Light My Love by Greta Van Fleet

  In Loving Memory by Alter Bridge

  Come Away With Me by Nora Jones

  Stay by Rihanna

  A Thousand Year by Christina Perri

  POV by Ariana Grande/The Weekend

  Love Me Harder by Ariana Grande

  Bleed It Out by Linkin Park

  Love Of My Life by Queen

  Take Me To Church by Hozier

  PROLOGUE

  THEODORE ASTOR

  Vampire King

  “My Lord, we have word from Naples.” My head snaps toward the man who spoke, a lowly guard who cowers under my stare while the stench of fear permeates the air around us. It’s strong; the scent coming from him overtakes nature's fragrance as we pause not far from my castle's doors.

  “Speak.”

  He swallows hard. “The siblings are back on Italian soil.”

  “Are you sure?” I ask, my tone hard, and he nods, body visibly flinching—stumbling back. However, the low warning hiss from me makes him freeze and I take a step closer, my now red eyes daring him to move again. “Use your words.”

  He’s aware of my every step, yet the need to submit to his king forces his head down. His focus is on the ground near my feet. “Yes, sir. All three of the Moore children have arrived as you predicted.”

  “Guards?”

  “Three with them at the moment.”

  “Hmmm.” Taking my eyes off his pathetic form, I look up toward the early morning sky. The sun’s rising fast, the warm rays blanketing the land and killing the last remnants of a wet, stormy night. Its dominance is admirable, a little volatile in its unforgiving nature as leaves begin to dry and the temperature rises, causing many to seek refuge indoors.

  The vampire cowering in my presence whines a bit, and I smirk in amusement.

  My children can’t stand the sun’s rays for long.

  It depletes their strength before turning them to ash if no cover is found.

  They thrive in the shadows. It’s why they hunt at night while I walk amongst the living.

  “Good.” I don’t say anything else and turn, heading home for the first time in the last two weeks. The rest of my men have dispersed and gone home, while another battalion awaits my orders, and this man will head back to the post that he watches.

  A chain connection where my eyes track those who have caught my attention.

  Moreover, I know she’ll come to me. I’ve left enough clues, and if Gabriella is anything like her father, anger will override common sense, and that’s something I’m counting on.

  That ire will be her downfall.

  Crossing the bridge that leads to my home, I pause and tilt my head to the side. “Something is off.” I can sense it, and my feet carry me toward the large ornate doors while those standing watch immediately remove themselves from my line of sight. There’s a change in me the moment I step inside the castle, an overwhelming hunger that pulls a deep rumble from my chest as an intoxicating scent infiltrates my senses.

  It’s sweet—so fucking alluring—and I follow it to my private wing.

  Every vampire in the palace has made themselves scarce; I can still hear the whimpers of many as they run from me, the scared sound only fueling the dangerous need rising within my throbbing veins. My warning growls are low, building inside my chest while my lips curl up to expose my elongated fangs still lightly coated in blood from my last meal.

  And they are completely right to run.

  The volatile emotions rushing through me will blind my senses; jealousy is an unpredictable emotion.

  I inhale again, running the tip of my tongue across my teeth, and groan. “Mate.”

  Her scent is strong here; I can almost physically feel her in the air around me.

  So close. My body thrums with the need to simply touch this stranger. This woman, whose sole existence robs me of rationality while the urge to dig my teeth into her neck and gift her the markings that will adorn her flesh for the rest of our eternal lives, slams into me with the force of a battering ram.

  She’s not a vampire. She smells of sin.

  My body thrums, pleasure coursing through my limbs as another deep inhale infiltrates my senses. I can almost taste her on my tongue while my mate's scent gives me more satisfaction than every drop of blood I’ve consumed since my birth.

  I’m going to enjoy changing her. Feeding on her while she tightens on my cock.

  I need my scent to embed deep, to meld with her very essence, almost more than I crave her blood. Because the moment I mark her, to everyone she will smell of me. Of this man—beast—that will kill without remorse if anyone comes near his queen. Every muscle in my body—every single molecule in my vampiric DNA—accepts her, and I don’t pause until I’m outside my bedroom door.

  It’s then that I make out her heartbeat. This thump, thump, thump lulls me into a state of serenity I’ve never experienced before. That I don’t know how to feel about. It’s confusing yet intriguing, and I’m hungry for a taste of the woman responsible.

  “Motherfuck,” I hiss out, rubbing a h
and over my thick cock and press down hard enough to alleviate the uncontrollable need to mount her, but it only serves to make it worse. So much fucking worse when I hear her take in a deep breath of her own, pulling me into her small lungs and letting out a breathy sigh.

  Such a sweet little sound. So perfect.

  Then, there’s the shift in my mattress, the small rustling of sheets I can hear, and I’m barging in without a second thought. The door slams against the wall; her plump mouth lets out a squeak and head turns in my direction.

  The second I see her face, I’m done for. Nothing fucking matters.

  I’ll live and breathe for my pretty girl.

  1

  THEODORE ASTOR

  VAMPIRE KING

  Three months ago…

  * * *

  “You’re far from the protection of your forest, old friend,” I say, feeling a large presence fill the inside of my office, his aura too huge to contain. Looking up from the paper I was reading, I sit back and meet his green eyes. “Come for a drink, or…?”

  “You’re older than me, Theodore.”

  “And yet, I could pass for your son.”

  His chuckle is dry, posture stiff. “Not true. My children are all under twenty-one summers.”

  I arch a brow, but my lips curl up a bit at the corner. “Why are you here, Paolo? Are you hiding from Leonora?”

  “No.” He shifts, hands gripping the back of the chair across from my desk. “She sent me here.”

  “Why?”

  “I need your help, Theodore.”

  This isn’t the proud man I know. He’s not one for unannounced visits or drawing out conversation.

  Then, there’s the scent of death surrounding him. It’s harsh, almost sulfur-like in its earthy yet acrid fragrance that cloaks those who are ready to pass.

  Vampires can sense this.

  It distinguishes a fresh food source from the old and unappetizing. All beasts—animals—have this sixth sense tattooed into their DNA.

  We enjoy the kill. The chase. Fresh blood.

  Leaning back in my seat, I tilt my head to the side while waving a hand toward the chair he’s gripping. The invitation is there, and he takes it while I appraise his every move. Something smells foul. “Speak.”

  “You smell it?” The warlock king sighs, scrubbing a heavy hand down his face at my nod. “I’ve done what I can, so my people don't sense it, but it grows nearer. Fate is a cruel mistress and unavoidable. What’s written in the book of life must be.”

  “You’ve seen it?”

  “I have. Si.” Paolo taps two fingers against his forehead. Much like one of his twin daughters, the man has the gift of sight. His clairvoyance is subjective to touch and the paths presented, while hers comes freely, a gift with use but not one that entices me. The other one, though... “The time draws near.”

  “And the rest of your family?” At my question, Paolo produces a set of scrolls and a sealed letter from the right pocket of his long black robe. The hood’s down, and his shoulder-length salt-and-pepper hair hangs limply. “What’s this?”

  “I come asking for a favor, Theodore.”

  “You know my help comes at a cost.”

  “I’m willing to risk anything to protect those I love.”

  “Then ask, my friend. What do you need from me?” Lifting the golden goblet to my right, I bring it to my lips and take a long sip. The rich taste of the blood settles on my tongue; the donor was an adult human male from a nearby village who trespassed on my grounds while hunting for wild game. It’s earthy, the coppery tang sustaining me, but doesn’t quell the burning need inside of me that grows daily.

  Nothing does. Hasn’t for a very long time.

  Paolo lets out a harsh breath then, yet extends one hand to me. I expect this.

  A reassurance that I’ll agree before he speaks, but I don’t take it. Something he accepts.

  His hand remains in the air between us but relaxes a bit. “There’s a small cluster of covens that live out on the border of our land that seeks my head. They’re planning to rise against—me—us—and dismember each ruling house. These people are extremists—an anti-monarch group who’s teamed up to strike against Leonora and me within the next full moon.”

  “So kill them and be done with it.” I see no problem. No need to accept fate.

  “I wish it was that simple,” he spits out, fingers clenching and releasing, yet his hand remains held out. “I’d be displaying their heads embedded on a stake outside my door if it were. Making an example out of them would be a pleasure.”

  “Then?”

  “They have others aiding their cause.”

  “Others?”

  “Yes. The Mariano and Rossi family have betrayed me, yet they’re not the biggest threat.” His eyes close, nose scrunching up as if smelling something rancid, and yet all scents inside my domain remain the same. All except the slow decay coming from his very pores. “Their allies' magic is dark, Theodore. More depraved than anything I’ve encountered in all my years walking the earth. It's suffocating.”

  “Outside your jurisdiction?”

  “Yes.”

  “There are only two other species who work with magic, Paolo.”

  “The fae or merfolk.”

  “Both are dangerous…” I say, taking a hearty drink “…yet they don’t work well with others. Wouldn’t be hard to pick them apart.” Another sip. My mind’s going through possibilities—motives—each is greedy enough to try and make a move. “They're too hot-headed and self-righteous to trust anyone’s competence. I don’t see the connection between them and those smaller covens you speak of, but I’m interested. What do you seek?”

  “I’ve seen it.”

  “I believe you.” He wouldn’t lie to me. I’d kill him without hesitation. “But more importantly, is it my support or my army that you need?”

  Paolo swallows hard. For a second, his hand falters, still suspended mid-air, but Moore rights it and holds firm. “I need you to protect her at all costs, Theodore. No matter what. No matter how. Gabriella must come first.”

  “Just her?” That’s the first question that comes to mind, but not the first thought. What he's offering is dangerous for her, but very enticing for me. “You have two other kids and a wife—”

  “Leonora and I, we won’t make it.” His scent magnifies, death and sadness surrounding him. “Our fate is sealed.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It is what it is, but my daughter needs protection.” With his other hand, he pushes the scrolls and the sealed letter closer. “Gabriella’s special—coveted. Her ability to take and give life scare most, while those seeking power or to expand their territory want to claim her as a mate. She’ll never allow that, and I worry that she’ll be—”

  “Killed,” I say, finishing for him. Not that I’d let that happen. It doesn’t sit well with me for some reason. I’m a bastard, know and accept it, and I’d also never allow anyone to own—control—her powers other than myself.