Kiss of the Vampire (The Vanderlind Realm Book 2) (27 page)

“No.” He was adamant. “I want it all to be a surprise.” Then he pulled a purple velvet box out of the breast pocket of his jacket. “But maybe this will distract you for awhile.”

My hands were trembling as I flipped open the lid to reveal a diamond bracelet. “Ohhhh…” I whispered like a tire leaking air. It was just so dazzling that I couldn’t speak.

With a laugh, Dorian pulled me close and kissed me. “That was exactly the reaction I was hoping for.”

We were dressed to the nines and just entering my first undead cocktail party. The host was serving blood drained solely from the inhabitants of Malta. It felt a lot like I imagined a glamorous, Hollywood cocktail party might be, but where everyone was much better looking. A woman with a mane of platinum blonde hair and wearing a peacock blue silk dress slinked in our direction. She was decked out with enough jewels to purchase a major league baseball team, but I preferred my bracelet.

“Dorian, dahlink,” she said, throwing her arms around him in an affected gesture of joy at seeing him. “It’s been too long.”

“Yes, it has,” he replied, awkwardly returning her hug. “Katrina, may I introduce you to my progeny, Haley.”

The smile froze on the woman’s face. She looked at me and then back at Dorian. “You’ve become a maker?” she exclaimed and then shook her head, her long hair swaying back and forth. “Will wonders never cease?” She looked me over again, as if I was a mink stole that she wasn’t quite sure was genuine. “Well, at least you got a pretty one,” she finally concluded, which I think she half meant as a compliment. Then, leaning toward me to speak intimately, she stage whispered, “Watch out for this one, dahlink.” She nodded in Dorian’s direction. “He’s a handful.” And then she slinked away.

I glared at Dorian and he had the decency to look thoroughly sheepish. “Another old girlfriend?” I asked, my insecurities revealing themselves as anger bubbling just beneath the surface of my skin.

“Haley,” Dorian said, slipping his arm around my waist and pulling me to him. “Yes, Katrina is an old girlfriend. And we’re probably going to meet a few more of my old mates as we travel. There’s nothing I can do about that. But I’ll make you a deal.”

I had my arms folded, but I looked at him out of the corner of my eye to show I was listening.

“I promise to put my past behind me,” Dorian said, “if you promise to try to forget that I have one.” And then he kissed me, which sealed the deal.

The End

I hope you’ve enjoyed
Kiss of the Vampire
, book 2 in
The Vanderlind Realm
. Look for book 3 to launch in the spring of 2015. Just as Haley begins to enjoy some of the wonders of the undead world, Dorian’s past threatens to catch up to them.

In the meantime, if you haven’t already read
The Vanderlind Castle
series, books 1-3 are available now. To find out what happened to Dorian’s handsome cousin, Jessie, and the rest of his family, start here:

Call of the Vampire
- Book 1 in
The Vander Castle
series.

Good news for readers who are already Jessie & Aurora fans. Book 4 of
The Vanderlind Castle
series will launch in March of 2015. Check out my blog and follow me on Facebook and Twitter for all the updates. Or just drop me a note. I’d love to hear from you:

www.gaylatwist.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/GaylaTwist

www.twitter.com/GaylaTwist

If you are enjoyed reading
Kiss of the Vampire
, please take a few minutes to write a quick Amazon review. If you are reading this book electronically, all you have to do is flip to the last page and you will be asked for your review automatically. It would also be great if you could Facebook about it to your friends. Word of mouth is crucial for indie authors and I appreciate your efforts.

xo ~ Gayla Twist