Vampire: A Dark Protectors/Rebels Novella

Written by Rebecca Zanetti

Narrated by Stella Bloom

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti comes a new story in her Dark Protectors/Rebels series…

Dr. Mariana Lopez has finally stopped bailing friends out of difficult situations. Well, except for substituting as the leader for another anger management group, pitching in as a campaign strategist for a prospective sheriff, and babysitting three dogs. Even with such a full life, she can feel the danger around her—a sense that something isn’t right. Nightmares harass her, until the real thing comes to life, and only the dark and sexy male sitting in her group can save her. However, with safety comes a price she might not be willing to pay.

Raine Maxwell is one of the Maxwells out of Montana, which means he's not only one of the most deadly vampires alive, but his path is set and his mate has been chosen for him. To save him—to continue his line. Unfortunately, his mate is an enhanced human female who has no idea of her abilities, of his species, or of her future. He’d like to lead her gently into this new world, but his people aren’t the only ones who’ve found her, which puts her into more danger than she can imagine. Plus, in order to follow his laws, he only has one week to convince her that immortality with him is what she wants—and needs.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Apr 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9781713569626

Rebecca Zanetti

New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti has published more than fifty novels, which have been translated into several languages, with millions of copies sold world-wide. Her books have received Publisher’s Weekly starred reviews, won RT Reviewer Choice awards, and have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, Woman’s World and Women’s Day Magazines. Her novels have also been included in Amazon best books of the year, and have been favorably reviewed in both the Washington Post and the New York Times Book Reviews. Rebecca has ridden in a locked Chevy trunk, has asked the unfortunate UPS guy to release her from a set of handcuffs, and has discovered the best silver mine shafts in which to bury a body…all in the name of research. Honest. Please visit Rebecca at: http://www.rebeccazanetti.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RebeccaZanetti.Books/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccazanetti/

Reviews for Vampire

[Cherrie Hart · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Woah that was fast yet so good. I loved all the cameos. I'm so ready for Bennie's story.

[Khandygirl4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nice read. Fast moving and enjoyable! Young lady did a great job narrating the book. Of course shout out to the the author!! Short but everything fell into place.

[NNEAMAKA PAYNE · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One you have to keep reading! Mariana finds some white roses on her doorstep & fears that the stalker that forced her to move from Dallas has followed her here. She just doesn't know how he found her. She sends word to her friend to let her know what is going on. As she is looking around her house checking the locks, her door is thrown open & she is kidnapped with a hood over her head. Raine is darted with sedatives that knock him out for several hours & he finds himself cuffed & hooded in an old barn. He hears a door open & Mariana is dragged out, thrown onto the floor with him. He gets loose & loses the hood. He lets her know he is there & releases her. She assumes that the stalker must have seen him around her & decided to grab him as well as her. She says they need to escape.

There is an awful storm rolling over them so Raine, says they need to wait it out. After it lets up, they start walking & a farmer picks them up & drives them into town. They end up at the sheriff's dept. to report the crime. Sheriff Baker, a rather corrupt cop, who seems to be somewhat interested in Mariana, is listening to them tell what happened. He then tries to convince Mariana that Raine kidnapped her & is trying to manipulate her into asking for protection. He tries to arrest him.

She listens to some of the things he points out & is a little undecided until his son Deputy Baker asks if he should arrest Raine. Then she puts a stop to what the Sheriff is trying to do. She cannot believe that he hired Johnny as a lawman & put a gun in his hands. He had spent the last year beating up his young wife & had been arrested by Detective Evan McConnell. He had been put into the anger management class of Dr. Mariana Lopez but only went to one session, so he didn't graduate. However, Johnny's uncle, the Judge, who is about as corrupt as the Sheriff got the charges dropped & his dad hired him as a Deputy. Mariana tells them both to stop trying to put it on Raine. They leave. When they are back at her house, he tells her he is staying until they catch the stalker.

She tries to tell him, no but it gets vetoed. Evan & Tabi Rusko, a demoness is in her kitchen when Raine gets out of the shower. They are trying to figure out if the kidnapping has anything to do with the stalker or if it might have something to do with Raine & the tattoo he has now. Mariana doesn't know what they are talking about & is finding it very confusing. Raine asks if she has her old case files about the stalker, his brother is an expert technical analyst. He might be able to help them. After Evan & Tabi leave, they start talking, she notices he looks better than he did earlier. She asks about his health. He tries to tell her he is fine. She asks about his tattoo, the mating mark on his hand. She wonders when he got it. They kiss & again she asks what is wrong with him. He tells her he is dying. He wonders if she would like to have a short fling with him. She can't believe he thinks she would be that stupid!

He finally calls the doctor working with his family about the problem to verify that he is not lying to her. She finds out it is a genetic disease passed from father to son, in his family called the Maxwell curse. She finds out there is a cure but it can be dangerous & he will not try it. After she apologizes for not believing him & having a glass of wine the doorbell rings. He opens the door to find 3 dozen white roses being delivered to her doorstep, with a creepy note. Later Tabi & Evan come back to see him after Marianna is asleep. Tabi knows something is wrong with him but doesn't know what. Immortals don't get sick. Evan keeps trying to get her to leave him alone while she keeps asking questions to find out what is wrong.

He finally gets her to relent & give him some peace. After they leave, Raine is about to go to sleep when he hears a loud bang. He runs out of the guest room & sees Marianna run into the living room. They both hear an explosion; he opens the front door to see his truck burning. Not long after she gets dressed, she hears the Sheriff & Johnny in the living room with Raine trying to make it sound like this was his doing. The Sheriff offers to take her into protective custody by herself at this time. She says no. They leave. She & Raine try to calm down a little. She decides she would like to have a fling with him. Afterward, he learns a little about her life before she moved here.

The next morning he & Evan are looking at his truck as they start talking about Evan's adapting to this world. He hasn't been part of it very long. Tabi mated him a few months ago, so he is still trying to get used to the new strength & talents he may come up with. Enhanced Males are unheard of, though they had all been killed off by the kurgans long ago. When he asks Evan to look out for Marianna for him, he wonders why. Raines tells him his time is limited. About then the Sheriff pulls in & arrests him for the bombing of his truck, kidnapping Marianna & stalking her. Marianna & Tabi come out to hear Raine tell them to call a number on his cell phone for his lawyer. She calls & tells the man who answered what has happened. He says he is pretty close & should be there soon.

She hears the Sheriff talking, comes into the living room & tells him to get out. Tabi just wants to beat the crap out of him, but Marianna won't let her because he will just press charges against her. He tries to make them go away. He shows her some photos sent from security cams in Dallas when she was still living there. It shows Raine in a lot of them. She can't believe he is the stalker. It just couldn't be! Does Tabi try to ask him why he would ruin his own truck? The sheriff says to send them off his tail. The sheriff has Raine in trying to get him to confess to all charges when the door slams open & his brother Cade walks in. He finds out that Cade was close by.

He figures it out! He is going to kill him! He finds out his brother Collins helped him get this little "family matter" together. The sheriff doesn't know what they are talking about. Raine tells him to get him out of here & but he sheriff tells him not happening. The sheriff keeps tossing remarks at them when one of the deputies comes in to say he has no record. They tell him if he isn't released Raine is going to sue him for everything he has. They let him go. While this is going on Marianna is packing, she is going to take a small trip away from everyone so she can get stop being so confused! Evan tells her she should wait & hear what Raine has to say but she just needs to step back & take a breather. she tells them she will call when she gets to her destination. She stops at a rest stop & when she comes out her car is gone! She is knocked out.

When she wakes up, she is in a closet on the floor. When she starts looking around for a way out a guy in a creepy mask opens the door & has her sit in a chair. They are in a little hanger at some private airport. Raine & Cade Are already on the way because he put a tracker in her purse. He calls Benny because he wants to find out what is going on. The tracker is going the wrong way. Benny's friend hacks into the security camera to tell him Marianna was kidnapped by Kurjans, but she can't tell him anymore. The video is being wiped clean as they are speaking. As they are waiting out the storm & for a few of their people to show up, the Kuan watching Marianna is answering a few of her questions.

They found her because of the mating mark the Dallas police were trying to find on the internet. Raine's tattoo. She's not mated, so she's fair game. He tells her that because she is an enhanced female, she is to be taken for one of his people. She doesn't know what he means. He says more about vampires, shifters, demons & witches. She isn't believing it. She makes a dash for her purse & gun, he grabs her. Raine breaks open the door to free her from the kurgan. She sees the other man fighting the guards by the door when Raine & her attacker start fighting. she starts believing it when she sees the guy pull Raine's knife out of his neck & watches the wound close up. Raine finally decapitates him. She runs for the door as Cade finishes off his foes. Raine gets her to their car. She is fairly shaken by what she has just learned when Cade jumps in & introduces himself. He then apologizes for kidnapping her & Raine the other morning. He & his brother thought if they had some time alone together Raine might get things going. She verifies everything she has just heard from the Kurjan. Learning that Raine & his brothers are vampires. Tabi is a demoness, Evan an enhanced male / mated immortal. They go back to her house & Cade leaves. Marianna finds out that the cure to the Maxwell curse is for Maxwell to mate with his destined mate. He didn't want to try it because if he mated her, it would make her an even bigger target.

All his enemies would be after her. She thinks about it for a while & decides she wants to be with him. She will risk it. They mate. The next morning Raine gets a call from the sheriff about a new lead that connects to him & he goes to the station but takes Marianna to Tabi's so she will be safe. While they are there Johnny's soon-to-be ex-wife gets a call from him saying if she doesn't come to get her things it is all going to the dump. She & Tabi go to get her mother's china set. Marianna stays there. The sheriff knocks on the door, and Marianna opens it. He tells her Raine sent him to get her. She knows he is lying because Raine would never send the sheriff to her. She tries to shut the door; he won't let her. He pulls his gun & tells her to get into the car. He just wanted to talk to her, is that so bad?

All he wanted to do was help her, but instead, she turned to that Maxwell jerk. He says a few more things to let her know he sent the white roses here. He wanted her to come to him for help. She tries to get out of the car & Raine rips the door off to knock the sherif