LIAM’S MATE: (Book 4: The Vampire Coalition) Read online

  LIAM’S MATE:

  (Book 4: The Vampire Coalition: An Erotic Paranormal Vampire Romance Of Alpha Male Domination And Submission)

  By

  J. S. Scott

  Copyright ©2012 by J.S. Scott

  Chapter 1

  Excerpts From The Book Of Vampire Healer:

  An intimate act with your chosen mate will release the mating instincts of the vampire healer…

  And so, the vampire healer is a subspecies, classified as vampire, but with definite differences in power and mating habits…

  You are vampire and this book was not written to make you feel different from your brethren, brothers and sisters. It is merely a reference to help you better understand your purpose, obligations and the rules that come with the great privilege that was bestowed upon you at your birth…

  ******

  Regan Taylor slammed the monstrous leather-bound tome closed with a loud bang and a disgusted snort. “Surely you don’t believe all of this garbage, Liam?”

  Liam Hale tried desperately not to smile as he eyed the fierce look on Regan’s face and reached for the soy sauce in the middle of the low, round table that was practically groaning from the weight of the massive spread of Chinese food. It was his night to pick what they had for dinner. He had called for Chinese to be delivered to his house because he had been working late. Maybe he had gotten a little carried away while he was ordering. “It’s our only reference book,” he answered casually as he shifted off of his knees and into a sitting position on his living room floor.

  Regan pushed the book from her lap and let it slide to the carpeted floor as she scooted up to the table and lifted her spoon. “It isn’t a very good reference. It doesn’t even tell you how to mate,” she replied indignantly as she spooned a small amount of rice into her mouth.

  Liam paused with his fork half way to his mouth and answered with a smirk, “I actually already know how to do that extremely well. I had plenty of practice in my first hundred years.” Too much practice, Liam thought. He had essentially been a man-whore because he knew he was almost certainly never going to be able to have sex again after he crossed the age of one hundred. And he hadn’t. Not in three hundred years.

  Regan’s cheeks were flushed as she answered, “Don’t try to embarrass me, Liam. You know what I mean.” She waved her empty spoon toward the book and frowned, “I think they deliberately make it difficult for vampire healers to mate. Not only do you have to find your mate, but then you have to perform an intimate act of some sort before you are really able to be intimate? It makes no sense. Why the mystery? Why can’t they just tell you what to do?” Regan swallowed a bite of kung pao chicken before continuing, “And going on and on about the great honor you are given as a healer…blah, blah, blah.” She rolled her eyes before adding, “Being a healer is more like being a prisoner for you. You work almost every moment you’re awake.”

  Liam shrugged as he watched the residual blush fade from Regan’s animated face. God, she was pretty and maybe he shouldn’t pretend to misunderstand her meaning just to see her rosy cheeks, but he couldn’t help it. Problem was…she was pretty much onto him. They had been in each other’s company almost every day for eight months and she rarely got flustered anymore. “I doubt that it matters,” he replied as he picked up another egg roll and devoured it. “No vampire healer has ever found their mate in the last thousand years. And I’ve only heard tales of it happening in the long distant past. I’m not certain if it’s truth or myth.”

  “Whoever created those stupid rules makes it impossible. A regular vampire will at least get a chance when his mate calls him to her. Vampire healers don’t even get that opportunity. You can’t even recognize your mate; much less know what to do to initiate the mating instinct.”

  She was right. He was basically screwed, but Liam had pretty much accepted that hundreds of years ago.

  Regan was still vehemently contesting his lack of rights as a vampire healer, but Liam couldn’t be anything but happy as he watched her, delighted by her changing expressions and unusual show of emotions. He had been in a state of happiness for the last eight months, since the day that he and Regan had met and become friends. Granted, she had been pointing a gun at him and his brother Nathan at the time, but that could be easily forgiven since she had thought they were trying to kill her sister, Sasha.

  Okay, maybe she hadn’t taken to him right away, but Liam had adored Regan since the day she had so bravely stormed Nathan’s house, without a single thought to her own safety, to protect her sister.

  Maybe his cock wasn’t hard, but what he felt for Regan went way beyond infatuation and physical desire. He had come to depend on seeing her every day. It made life as a vampire healer a hell of a lot more bearable and whole lot less lonely.

  “Vampire healers don’t have a life of their own, Regan. You know that,” he answered her calmly as he continued to watch her and consume enormous amounts of food at the same time. It was a skill he had perfected since he and Regan had started having dinner together every night.

  Regan sighed as she put down her spoon and stopped eating to look at him. “You work too hard, Liam. You need to have some of the other healers work more. You deserve some sort of life.”

  It was strange that he had never really cared about how much he worked, which was why he answered most of the healing calls. He was re-thinking that, now that he wanted to spend more time with Regan. She made him want to do more than work. It wasn’t easy to change habits that had formed over hundreds of years and the other healers still grumbled about taking their share of calls sometimes, but he was starting to kick their asses into gear. He had spoiled them over the last few hundred years.

  “I’m working on it.” At least he had some time every day to do something other than work and fall into an exhausted day sleep. His friendship with Regan had made him reconsider a lot of things that he had never even thought about before.

  Regan pushed her plate away as she added, “And you need to tell your brothers about the backlash.”

  Oh, hell no. “I can’t do that. If they get into trouble they would never call me.” Time to change the subject. “Are you going to eat any more of the pot stickers?”

  Regan laughed lightly and shoved the container of pan fried dumplings toward Liam. “I’m full. They’re all yours. I don’t know how you manage to put away so much food.”

  He grinned as he grabbed up the container. “Vampire metabolism.”

  “Did you feed today?”

  “Nope. Worked too late.”

  There it was the little crinkle that formed between her eyebrows when she was concerned. Liam wanted to lean over the low table and kiss the frown from her forehead.

  “You’re a healer. You expend a lot of energy and you need to feed every day. Human food won’t cut it,” she informed him, probably for the millionth time in the last eight months.

  “Tomorrow,” he promised.

  “You always say that.”

  “I always do it,” he reminded her, grumbling the reply. Was there anything he wouldn’t do for Regan?

  Liam hated feeding, but he always did it once he promised Regan that he would. Otherwise, he avoided it as long as possible, disliking the fact that he had to find human donors and take their blood without consent. He knew he had to do it to continue to thrive and serve his people, but he received no pleasure from the act. It was simply a necessity.

  Regan always sounded like a concerned mate, worrying about him like he really meant something to her…and Liam ate it up. Had any woman ever cared about him in that way? Probably not. He had lost count of how many women he had screwed in his early days, but none
of them had ever given a shit about him. They had wanted sexual satisfaction from an able male, and he had given it to them.

  He released a tired breath as he finished off the last fried dumpling and dropped the empty container on the table. How did he ever get lucky enough to find a friend like Regan? Hell yes, she fussed sometimes. But he actually enjoyed it. He found himself wanting to humor her, make her happy. She didn’t exactly have it easy herself as a mage healer, and he was obsessed with keeping her happy, keeping her safe.

  “You’re the most frustrating vampire I know,” she mumbled as she crossed her arms.

  He quirked a brow at her and tried not to laugh. “And exactly how many vampires are you personally acquainted with?” Since mage and vampire didn’t mix, Liam was willing to bet that the only ones she knew were his brothers.

  She shot him an irritated don’t-go-there look and huffed, “You’re frustrating, Liam Hale.”

  “You’re beautiful.” It popped out of Liam’s mouth without a thought and he said it with complete honesty. She was beautiful, and he wasn’t referring to just her gorgeous baby blues and silky blonde hair that brushed her shoulders in cute, fat curls. He loved those twisted locks. They made him want to reach out and straighten them to see if they would bounce right back into place.

  Regan radiated a quiet strength and compassion that drew him to her with an intensity that he couldn’t seem to fight…and didn’t want to fight. While he had always had his brothers for companions, he had still been incredibly lonely before he had met Regan. He loved his brothers and would give his life for any one of them, but there were certain things that he couldn’t talk to them about, forcing him to keep them at a distance.

  Maybe his brothers had never felt the distance - but Liam felt it, especially with his twin, Rory.

  All of his brothers were now mated and although Liam was happy for them, it had made the loneliness that much more acute. Until he had met Regan. She eased the ache, made the loneliness fade while she was near him. A mage healer, Regan understood him, sometimes better than he understood himself.

  “Don’t think that compliments will get you out of feeding.” Regan still had her arms crossed and now her eyebrows were raised as she glared at him, but Liam could see the underlying amusement in her expression.

  “Do they ever?” he quipped, his tone wry, as he shot her a questioning gaze.

  “Nope,” she tossed back at him. “I’m completely immune to your charm.”

  Damn. Something inside of Liam flinched as he wondered why that comment scored a hit. For some perverse reason he really didn’t want her to be immune to him, but he certainly couldn’t seduce her. His mind was more than willing…but his body wasn’t capable. “I’ll feed tomorrow, Regan. I’ve never broken a promise to you.”

  Her face softened and she smiled a smile that lit up Liam’s whole world and nearly knocked him on his ass. “I know you haven’t and I know you wouldn’t,” she murmured softly.

  Liam felt a pang in his chest and barely stopped himself from rubbing it. There were moments when Regan could make him feel like the most powerful creature on earth just because of her trust and faith in him. God help him, but he never wanted to lose that.

  “My council has chosen a mate for me.” Regan said quietly, almost as if she was talking to herself.

  “Oh, Christ! Again?” Shit! Liam noted to himself that he’d have to take care of that problem for longer than a few months this time. This was the third mate they had chosen for Regan in the last eight months. He was so fucking tired of the mage council trying to sell Regan off to the highest bidder with the best bloodline, as if she was a damned prize cow. “I’ll take care of it, Regan.”

  “No, Liam. You’ve always refused to tell me how you got me out of the other matches, but I can make a good guess. You can’t keep doing this. This man doesn’t sound so bad,” she said hesitantly.

  “Over my dead body,” Liam growled.

  Regan started twirling a lock of her hair, something that Liam knew she only did when she was nervous. “I have to mate eventually. “

  “No…you don’t. Not until you find the right one. You don’t love him.”

  “Love isn’t part of our mating process,” she answered quietly.

  “It will be for you. You deserve to be loved and cherished.” Liam tried to get a grip on his irritation. Love wasn’t a part of the mage mating process. It wasn’t really part of a vampire mating either, but all of his brothers had gotten lucky and he didn’t want to see anything less for Regan. He’d buy off a thousand potential mage mates for Regan before he saw her mated to some jerk who didn’t appreciate her. The mage might value blue blood, but the snobby assholes were severely lacking in funds. Luckily, money was something Liam had in an almost unlimited supply. He wouldn’t miss a million…or three, and wouldn’t hesitate to part with the money again to save Regan the heartache of mating with a male who would make her life miserable.

  Personally, Liam thought the mages needed a serious infusion of new blood. Their gene pool was obviously screwed up from too much inbreeding. Well…with a few exceptions. Sasha was great…and Regan was damn near perfect. If he could have chosen the perfect mate for himself….

  Don’t go there, buddy. It isn’t happening!

  Liam jerked himself back to reality as he listened to Regan speak. “Fine. I’ll get to know him first this time. He’s closer to my age and maybe I’ll fall madly in love, but I don’t want you to interfere. I’ll handle it. You can’t fight my battles for me, Liam.” Regan was up on her knees now and glaring down at Liam, who still had his ass flat on the floor. Liam tried not to let his amusement show on his face. It wasn’t like she had gained much height on him, even in her elevated position. She was a compact spitfire, but then, her strength and power had nothing to do with her size.

  “Of course I can.” He rose to his knees and crossed his arms over his chest as they glowered at each other. Despite his delight at her little flash of temper, this wasn’t a battle that Liam intended to lose. “I’m your friend…I’m male…and I’m a vampire,” he told her seriously, like that explained everything that she needed to know.

  Regan tossed her head and broke his gaze as she flopped onto her back, rolling with laughter. “Oh my God, Liam! You can be so arrogant and chauvinistic sometimes.” She rolled onto her side to look up at him as she continued to chortle and choked out, “Just when I think you’re coming into the twenty-first century, you go all knight-in-shining-armor on me.”

  His arms stayed crossed and he gave her a dark look as he replied, “I’m not that old. And I don’t see women as inferior, but they are not as physically strong and sometimes require protection.” And damn it, he’d be more than willing to slay dragons for her if she had any stalking her.

  “Tarzan?” she suggested, still giggling.

  “Completely fictional,” he answered in denial.

  “Tyrant?”

  He seemed to consider that for a moment and replied, “Possibly.”

  Regan propped herself on her elbows, tears of mirth flowing down her cheeks, and said lightly, “Come back to the twenty-first century, Grandpa. We need to discuss this rationally.”

  Liam took a deep breath to tell her there was no way he was letting her mate with someone who wasn’t good enough for her when his phone started vibrating on the table.

  Nathan. “Yeah, Nathan,” he ground out irritably.

  “Liam? Can you meet us all downtown? We have a ‘fallen’ situation.”

  Since Nathan was all business, Liam took the location of the meeting, promising he would get there as soon as he could.

  “I have to go help my brothers…but this discussion isn’t over,”

  Liam warned her ominously as he ended the phone call abruptly.

  Regan frowned and stood up as Liam rose to his feet. “Please tell me you aren’t going out to destroy fallen vampires.” Her voice was trembling, all traces of amusement gone.

  “I’ll just assist. Don’t
worry.” Liam couldn’t resist and bent down to try to kiss away the worry lines between her eyes. They didn’t disappear, but he had that brief, fleeting moment of feeling her soft skin beneath his lips and breathing in the light sent of lilacs before he started to fade.

  He knew his brothers were waiting for him so he started summoning the power to teleport himself to the designated meeting place.

  “Please be careful.”

  That sweet, feminine voice and the sight of her lightly touching the spot where he had pressed a butterfly kiss were last things he heard and saw before he was abruptly transported to his brothers.

  And all hell broke loose.

  *****

  Chapter 2

  Was Liam a complete masochist, or just a vampire with a constant death wish?

  Regan had been contemplating the same question for the last two hours as she paced Liam’s large, tastefully decorated living room. She had long since cleaned up any remnants of their Chinese meal even though Liam could have done it with a wave of his hand. The task had occupied her body, but it didn’t stop her mind from racing with fear for his safety.

  Damn it! When would the stubborn vampire admit that, as a vampire healer, he was different? He couldn’t fight battles with the fallen and come out unscathed. She had watched him suffer way too often not feel outraged over the entire situation. His brothers needed to know, but Liam certainly wasn’t going to be the one to enlighten them.

  Liam was her friend, she reminded herself as she stopped pacing before she wore a hole in the plush carpeting and flopped onto a comfortable leather sofa. When he was hurting, it nearly killed her.

  Because Liam is your mate!

  Regan wanted to shake her head in denial, but it wouldn’t help. Liam was her mate, but he could never know the truth. How many times had she wanted to tell him to see if they could solve the mystery of the intimacy clause in the Book Of The Vampire Healer?

  You love him.

  God help her, but she did love Liam Hale with every breath in her body, which is why he could never know that she was his chosen mate. She couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment when she had known that she loved him, but his safety had become her number one priority.