Kerrelyn Sparks - How to Seduce a Vampire (Without Really Trying)

Where did he come from? He didn’t look like any villager she’d ever seen. Had he truly wanted to kiss her? Or had he merely tricked her into closing her eyes so he could escape? Why did he run away? Did he not enjoy the kiss? Maybe he didn’t like her.

She shook her head. Why would he like her when she’d clobbered him? She exhaled slowly, reminding herself once again that his disappearance was for the best. She couldn’t fall for a man and shirk her sacred duty. Especially now, when they were at the beginning of a new cycle.

But why did she have to keep reminding herself? Even now she found herself peering carefully into the forest, hoping for a glimpse of him.

The leopard drew her attention when he suddenly scrambled up a tree.

“What are you doing? You won’t find a rabbit up there.” Her breath caught when she noticed a piece of paper stuck to the branch with an arrow. “What is that?”

Zhan ripped at the paper with his claws.

“Don’t destroy it!” Could it be a note from Zoltan?

A piece of the paper floated down, and she grabbed it.

Dear Neona,

I’d like to see you again. Please meet me here at midnight.

Zoltan

Her heart leaped into her throat. “He wants to see me!”

Zhan made an annoyed huffing noise and jumped down to the ground.

“How clever of you to find the note.” She hugged the leopard, then rubbed his ears. “You must have recognized his scent.”

Zhan butted his head against her.

“Good kitty.” Her heart thudded as she folded the letter and slipped it into her tunic pocket. Did she dare meet Zoltan? And the even bigger question, did she dare take his seed?

She swallowed hard. Why not? He had agreed to mate with her. It would be cowardly to run away from such a golden opportunity. Still, she needed to think this through. “Let’s find something for dinner.” She could make her plans while they hunted.

She strode down the hill toward the stream. It was easier to spot tracks in the muddy areas there. Her heart pounded with each step. She could see Zoltan tonight! An inner voice warned her that it might be unwise, but she shoved it aside. She wasn’t shirking her duty. If she had a daughter, she would be fulfilling it.

Should she take him to Frederic’s old cabin? It wasn’t far from here. The women had used the cabin two weeks ago to house the vampire, Russell, when he was injured. They had felt honor-bound to take care of him after he’d saved Queen Nima’s life during battle.

Neona figured the cabin was a more suitable place for mating than the woods. She would have to take fresh sheets and some supplies from Beyul-La without anyone noticing. And she would need to bathe and wash her hair.

She pressed a hand against her chest, where her heart continued to pound. This was exciting! Be careful, an inner voice warned her. You could lose your heart to him. She pushed those thoughts away. She’d lived with gloom and despair for two weeks. It was time to think more positively. This had to be for the best. Because for the first time since losing her sister, she felt alive.

After waking from his death-sleep in the bedroom of his castle, Zoltan’s thoughts immediately turned to Neona. Would she be waiting for him at their meeting place? Had the leopard helped her find the note?

His excitement grew as he showered and dressed. This time he wore more suitable clothes—jeans, brown T-shirt, hiking boots, and a green hooded jacket with zippered compartments. He teleported down to the kitchen for a quick meal.

“There you are,” Howard said as he materialized.

“Good evening.” Zoltan nodded at the were-bear and his wife, who were seated at the kitchen table, sharing a bowl of ice cream.

“We thought we’d find you here after sunset,” Howard said, his gaze drifting down to Zoltan’s hiking boots. “Going somewhere?”

Ignoring him, Zoltan took a bottle of AB negative out of the fridge, twisted off the top, and set it in the microwave.

“We heard you were taking a vacation,” Elsa said.

“Yes.” Zoltan rummaged through the fridge till he found some bagged blood. He zipped it into one of the large pockets on his jacket. Emergency rations, just in case.

“Milan is in shock,” Elsa continued. “He said you haven’t taken a night off in five years.”

“Guess I’m overdue.” The microwave dinged, so Zoltan removed the bottle and poured the warmed-up blood into a glass.

Howard spooned some ice cream into his mouth. “Let’s get to the point, okay? I need to know where you’re going.”

Zoltan gave him an annoyed look. “I’ll take a sat phone with me this time.”

“So you’re going back to Tibet?” Howard set down his spoon. “You’re going to see the Amazon warrior again?”

“Maybe.” Zoltan upended his glass, guzzling down the blood.

“Why do you want to see a woman who beat the crap out of you?”

Zoltan swallowed so hard that his eyes watered. “She didn’t beat the— Look. Whomever I choose to see is none of your business.”

“It is my business when it affects security,” Howard argued. “From what I can tell, you have no regard whatsoever for your personal safety. There are no guards here. No working surveillance cameras. You let strangers roam about the castle that you publicize as a vampire castle, and you let everyone in the vicinity know you’re a Vamp.”

Zoltan shrugged and drank more blood.

Howard sat back, folding his arms across his chest. “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, and I think I know what’s going on here.”

“Really?” Elsa’s eyes widened as she ate more ice cream. “What?”

Howard leaned toward her and lowered his voice. “Gregori explained it to me. When a Vamp reaches his five hundredth birthday, he normally falls into a state of deep depression.”

“Oh no.” Elsa gave Zoltan a worried look.

He snorted and drank more blood.

“And Zoltan here is about eight hundred years old,” Howard continued. “So he could be seriously depressed.”

Elsa winced. “The poor man.”

Zoltan gritted his teeth. “I’m not so old that my hearing is gone.”

Howard leaned closer to his wife. “It explains everything. Why he’s so careless about his own safety. Why he’s no longer interested in his job. Why he insists on seeing a woman who beat the crap out—”

“She didn’t beat the crap—” Zoltan took a deep breath. “This is ridiculous. I’m not depressed.”

Elsa gave him a sympathetic look. “You won’t be able to get better until you admit the problem.”

“I’m fine !” Zoltan tossed the empty bottle in the recycle bin so hard that it shattered. He winced. Sometimes he forgot how strong he was.

Howard and Elsa exchanged a knowing look.

Zoltan groaned. “I’m not depressed. I’m just . . . tired.” And lonely . “I’m going now.”

“Wait!” Howard jumped to his feet. “You can’t leave without a sat phone. And you shouldn’t face the Amazon warrior without some weapons. You’ll need a knife, a sword, and a handgun.”

“I can’t go on a date fully armed!”

Elsa’s eyes lit up. “This is a date?”

Zoltan winced. Now he’d said more than he had intended to. “Maybe.”

Elsa looked at her husband. “This is a good sign. If he’s dating, maybe he’s not so depressed after all.”

“But if he were thinking clearly,” Howard whispered back, “he wouldn’t date a woman who beat the crap out—”

“She didn’t beat me!” Zoltan strode toward the door. “I’m getting the sat phone, then leaving.”

“Wait!” Elsa rushed toward him. “You shouldn’t go on a date empty-handed. Do you have flowers or something?”