Forbidden Vampire Mate Page 2

  He shoved the mug in the microwave and heated it for thirty seconds. He didn't always do that, but it was better warm.

  With his tea and his blood in hand, he left the kitchen and made his way into the living room of his flat. It wasn't a huge place, he didn't need much space for just him, but it was more spacious than the one he'd had in London, and half the price.

  He set down his mugs and flicked on the TV. He loaded up one of his favourite property buying shows, and leaned back, making himself comfortable. His life would be so much better if he had someone to share it with. Someone who wasn't Cora. Though he'd lived through this many years without finding his mate, he had to wonder how many more it would be. That was one of the downsides of being a vampire. They lived so long that it could be hundreds of years before their mate was even born, particularly if that person started out as human.

  He pulled out his phone and tapped on the red M of the MatchMater app. It couldn't hurt to look through the women on there. If he was lucky, he'd find the one. If he was unlucky, he wouldn't have lost anything other than a little bit of time. It was certainly worth a shot, and he had time to kill before his lasagna was ready anyway.

  With a swig of blood for courage, he flicked through the first few women. It was great knowing the High Council approved the app, and that everyone on it was who they said they were. He wasn't completely sure how they did that, but sometimes it was better not to know. Nothing about the first three women called to him. Was he doing it wrong? Should he be basing it off their looks instead of the gut feeling he had about them? He should have asked Jim about it more before starting.

  All the doubts fled from his mind as the sixth woman appeared on his screen. She was breathtaking, but it wasn't anything to do with her looks. Though with her big brown eyes and thick flowing hair would count her as that. It was something more than that. She was magical. The tug in his gut was impossible to ignore. This woman was someone he had to talk to. He needed to be near her, and learn more about her.

  He glanced at the name.

  Effie.

  Her species was hidden, but he didn't care. She was a paranormal, which meant the pull he was feeling was real. He didn't care what she was, or what kind of magic she was using to put a spell on him. It was probably nothing at all.

  "Effie," he said her name out loud, loving the way it sounded.

  Perfect. Every part of her.

  He shook his head. How was he thinking this way about a woman he'd never even met? This wasn't like him. He was logical, thoughtful, and slow to make decisions.

  And yet he found himself swiping yes on the woman who just felt right. A warm contented feeling washed over him, and he shut off the app. Perhaps that was the wrong when he'd only found one potential match, but it felt like the right thing to do, and that was enough for him.

  Chapter Four

  Effie

  * * *

  Effie's phone vibrated in her pocket, but only one buzz. It must be a message rather than a call. She frowned, trying to work out who could be messaging her. The only people who ever contacted her were work and her parents, both of whom preferred to call.

  She glanced over her shoulder to check her Mum wasn't looking. It wasn't that she was hiding anything from the older woman per-say, but it was better if she checked these things without a pair of eagle eyes over her shoulder.

  The screen lit up, revealing a small M icon at the top. Her eyes widened. Had she found a match on MatchMater already? She hadn't even swiped for anyone. Unless...

  No. Mrs Stein wouldn't have done that, would she? The woman clearly thought of herself as a bit of a matchmaker, but that didn't mean she'd do anything as dangerous as trying to match for Effie.

  "Euphemia, are you there?" her Mum called.

  She winced at the use of her full name. She hated it, and insisted on people using Effie instead. Her Mum was the only person who didn't seem to care about what she wanted to be called and continued to use it.

  "Yes," she answered, then shut off her phone and returned it to her pocket.

  She made her way into the next room, which her Mum used as an office. Though she didn't actually work, so Effie didn't know what the point of the room was.

  "Did you need me for something?" Effie asked, her only thoughts surrounding when she could be alone to look at the match she'd made. While she didn't like the idea of someone else doing it for her, she was intrigued by what the app might have come up with.

  "Your wings aren't out," her Mum said.

  "Oh, I must have forgotten when I came back through the veil." She focused on her back and expanded her wings outwards. A warm fuzzy feeling fell over her as the wings broke out, filling the space behind her. She sighed, loving them being free. Hiding them was the only disadvantage of spending some of her time in the human world. But it was a price she was willing to pay for the freedom it brought her.

  Her Mum's face grew serious. Effie steeled herself for what she knew was coming. They had the same conversation at least once every couple of weeks, and she could probably have recited it without her Mum even being in the room.

  "I don't know why you keep going to the human realm."

  "Because I have a job," Effie replied. There was no other way of explaining it. If she'd said it was to do with her personal freedom, then her Mum wouldn't accept it. She thought faeries had it the best of all the paranormals in their sheltered world.

  It wasn't technically a different realm like the one the fae lived in, but it was separated from the human one. No one but faeries, and those who already knew where it was could find it. Which was a source of great comfort to a lot of the older faeries, and boredom to the younger ones. Effie was far from the only one in her generation who had gotten a job in the human world. Though there were so few of them in total that most paranormals probably had no idea that the faeries even still existed.

  "You don't need a job. You should stay here and settle down with a nice faery..."

  "How am I going to settle down with someone I don't love?" Effie responded. "You're lucky you found Dad. You know most of us don't find our mates within the faery race. It's one of the reasons we're dying out." The instant the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. It wasn't her Mum's fault that the Faerie Council were so short sighted and didn't allow faeries to mix with other races.

  Her Mum pursed her lips. "Perhaps if you spent more of your time at our gatherings, or visiting the other faery villages, you'd find someone to your liking."

  Effie closed her eyes and counted to five, trying to keep her composure as much as she could. She loved her parents, but they could be so short sighted sometimes. "It's not about finding someone I can settle for. It's about finding the perfect match for me. And if I want kids, then I'm going to have to find my actual mate, not just someone who'll do." Which was what a lot of faeries had done. It was proving disastrous for their numbers, as only mated couples could have children.

  When the heavy silence between the two women grew too much to bear, Effie sighed.

  "Let's not get into this now," she said, knowing neither of them were going to change their opinions on the matter. It was pointless rehashing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

  "Fine. Your Dad will be home with dinner in a couple of hours." Her Mum sounded resigned but not annoyed, which was a good sign.

  "I'll be back down for then," Effie promised, before slipping out of the room and into the hall with a high ceiling.

  She opened her wings and flapped them slightly, readying herself to take off. This was one of the best parts about living in the faery village, and she found that stairs could be a bit tedious at times when out in the human world. Effie launched herself into the air and flew up a few stories until she came to her bedroom door. She hovered in front of it, using the delicate wings she'd been born with to hold herself steady. She reached out and let herself into the room that had been hers since she'd learned to fly.

  Effie dumped her bag o
n the desk and pulled her phone out, too intrigued by the MatchMater notification to put off looking at it. She flopped onto her bed and pressed it.

  Her screen flashed, taking her straight to the profile of a handsome man with dirty blond hair.

  Wendell, vampire.

  An odd feeling swept over her, urging her to do more than just look at him. She wished he was in the room with her, that the two of them could talk and spend time together. Or perhaps do something more than that. It had been a long time since she'd spent the night with one of the other faeries her age. Around the same amount of time she'd been longing for more.

  Her finger hovered over the message button. Should she press it? She knew she shouldn't. Faerie law forbid it. But that didn't stop her from wanting it.

  She had to.

  Besides, who would know she'd done it? If the Faerie Council were monitoring the app, then they already knew she'd signed up to it, and nothing bad had happened.

  No one would know if she messaged this Wendell. It would almost be rude not to, considering they'd matched. Plus, she hadn't been the one who did the swiping,

  She touched the button before she could talk herself out of it, then typed and hit enter.

  Hi.

  The word stared at her. She almost couldn't believe she'd actually done it, but the excitement travelling through her entire body was too much to ignore. She'd done the right thing, she was certain of it,

  Besides, there was no going back now.

  Chapter Five

  Wendell

  * * *

  He hated everyone who had ever told him that love put a spring in people's steps, but only because they were right. Maybe it was too soon for him to be thinking about love, but the conversation he'd had the night before with Effie had spoken to him in ways he'd never experienced with anyone before. If he'd been on the fence about what Cora meant to him, then this would certainly have sorted it out. She was nothing more than a mistake he made twenty years ago. He felt bad for her at times. She was a nice enough person if he ignored the odd obsession.

  "Good afternoon, sir. Is it a table for one?" the maitre d' asked.

  Wendell shook his head. "I'm meeting a friend." He spotted Jim already at a table and waved his greeting.

  "Excellent. Do you have a jacket you'd like me to check?"

  "No, thank you."

  With the maitre d' satisfied, Wendell made his way over to his friend and dropped himself into the seat opposite.

  "Is there a reason you look like a cat who got the cream?" Jim asked, taking a long sip of his water.

  "I don't look like that."

  Jim raised an eyebrow. "You're forgetting you're talking to an incubus. I can sense love and lust."

  "Damn." Why did he have to have perceptive friends?

  The other man chuckled. "So, what happened?"

  "I used MatchMater like you suggested," he admitted. "I don't know why I waited so long. I should have tried it long ago."

  Jim smiled and nodded. "Or you used it at just the right time. I swear, sometimes it feels as if the app knows when we're ready to use it and when we aren't."

  "That sounds about right," Wendell muttered.

  "I take it you already matched with someone you like?" The incubus didn't phrase it like a question. Probably because he could sense the answer just by sitting and doing his incubus-y thing.

  "Yes," Wendell said. "I didn't think it would happen so fast. But a couple of people in and I knew she was the one I want to talk to. There was something about her..." He trailed off as the image of Effie's wide brown eyes swam through his mind.

  It was strange how captivated he was by someone he'd never met, and yet, it felt so natural. This was the future of mating, there was no doubt in his mind.

  "What is she?" Jim asked.

  "Can I take your order?" a young waitress asked, cutting between their conversation.

  "The house burger, please," Jim replied.

  "Two, please," Wendell added. He hadn't looked at the menu yet, but he didn't need to. Whenever he met Jim for lunch during the week, they came here. He could probably recite it by heart. "And a sparkling water, please. Lemon but no ice."

  "Got it. That'll be right with you," the waitress said, disappearing as suddenly as she arrived.

  Wendell turned back to his companion, reminding himself that they were talking about Effie. He pulled his phone out and clicked on the app so he could show Jim a photo.

  "I can show you a picture, but I don't know what kind of paranormal she is. It felt rude to ask." He turned his phone so the other man could see. Something he was only doing because the incubus was happily mated with a woman of his own thanks to MatchMater. He had no reason to worry about the incubus magic accidentally being triggered. Though Jim wasn't the type for that.

  "Ah." Recognition filled Jim's voice.

  Did he already know the woman on the screen? Wendell had known Jim for a long time, and couldn't recall ever having run into her. Perhaps she was one of Rosie's friends. The siren had only just met Jim, so her friends would be brand new to him.

  "One of the nurses at work needs some legal advice, would you be able to come down later this afternoon?" Jim asked.

  Wendell frowned, wondering what the change of subject was all about. But he trusted his friend, and that he had a good reason for suggesting it. Perhaps he needed some time to figure out why he recognised Effie and to do something about it? Whatever the explanation, Wendell decided it was better if he went with it.

  "Sure. I have some casework to catch up on, but I can log some pro-bono hours after that and come down."

  Jim nodded. "Thanks, I know she'll really appreciate it. She's found herself in a bit of a sticky situation."

  Their food arrived before they could talk about it more, and they changed the subject to catch up on the local rugby scores. It wasn't something that interested either of them massively, but the point of these lunches was to have a break and some easy conversation away from their lives.

  "I need some help with Cora," Wendell said as he pushed his plate away. He couldn't believe he'd almost forgotten about the most important thing he wanted to ask his friend about. "She's still convinced that we're mates. And it could be a problem now."

  "Because it wasn't before?" Jim teased.

  "You have a point there. But before, it was only me she might have scared off. Now I'm looking at a potential mate too, it's not good at all. And I don't want to hurt Cora either. Obsession aside, she's a good person, I think."

  "Hmm. That is a tricky one. Especially as I guess you've already tried simply telling her you're not mates."

  "More times than I want to count," Wendell admitted glumly. "I'm not sure what it is that convinces her we are. There was nothing special about that night." If he remembered it right, he'd let the alcohol affect him, which had been one of the reasons he'd ended up in bed with Cora to begin with. She was a beautiful woman, after all.

  "I suppose using the new girl to do it is too harsh..." Jim started to suggest.

  Wendell groaned. "Let's pretend for now that isn't even an option."

  "It might be the only one that gets through to her."

  "I hope you're wrong. Is there some kind of reward for signing up to MatchMater? Maybe if I can convince her to do that, then she'll forget about me." He was clutching at straws, and he knew it, but it was better than nothing. It had to be.

  "I don't think so. And we can't sign her up without her knowing," Jim said, echoing Wendell's thought from before.

  He sighed deeply. "There's just no getting around it, is there?" The question didn't need an answer. He already knew it. Until he convinced Cora that there was nothing between them, he was stuck with her in his life.

  "I'm sorry I can't be more help." At least the incubus seemed sincere about that.

  "What time do you want me to come to the nursing home?" Wendell asked his friend.

  Jim shrugged. "Whatever time suits. If you text me when you're setting off, then I'l
l make sure the nurse is on her break."

  Wendell narrowed his eyes. What was he up to? He hadn't said the woman's name at any point during the conversation, which was weird enough as it was.

  "Will do." He had a feeling about this. Not a bad one, but something he couldn't shake. Going to Jim's place of work was important, and that was about all he was certain of right now.

  Chapter Six

  Effie

  * * *

  Effie tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. Really, she should retie it completely, but she was too distracted with playing the conversation from last night over and over in her head. She'd felt a deep connection to the person on the other end of the phone, despite not being able to see his face or hear his voice.

  She needed to pull herself together and stop thinking about it. At this rate, she was going to lose her job by not paying enough attention. She was probably only feeling a rush of adrenaline from using the MatchMater app for the first time and talking to someone she hadn't known for most of her life. That didn't mean it was anything special, nor that it was going to lead to more.

  The driveway up to the nursing home was surprisingly empty for a lunchtime. Often the residents' families would visit during this time. At least, the ones who worked close enough would.

  Effie enjoyed the slight breeze through her hair as she walked under the trees. It was a beautiful place for the people here to live out the rest of their days. The grounds were well kept, with an assortment of trees, flowers, and other plants, as well as plenty to do inside. A lot of the people here seemed happy from what they said to Effie when they visited her treatment room.

  The entrance appeared faster than she wanted it to. She had a full set of appointments this afternoon. Which was fine, really. She loved her job, and the fact she could infuse her patients with a little bit of magic to take away the ache of their ageing bodies. It was one of the reasons she'd opted for a nursing home instead of working in a beauty parlour. Well, that and the fact a lot of human women in their twenties and thirties were a little hostile towards her. She was fairly certain it was because of the faery aura she gave off.