Love Bites

By Margaret R Blake

When one gets engaged and goes off to meet the parents it should be the happiest moment of your life. Right! But what if you see him with another woman on the night of the party? What happens then?

Cassandra is deeply, and madly, in love with Rowan. He is tall, dark and handsome, also charming and a sweetheart to boot ... everything a girl could ever want. Unfortunately, Cassandra does not found out about the finer details of her fiance - that he is also a vampire - until it is too late. What is she to do?

 

A paranormal romance novella.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Margaret R Blake
• Release date: Jul 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9798201361020

Margaret R Blake

Having done all the usual stuff – school, marriage, kids – Margaret moved to Tiaro, Queensland from Tasmania. She’s currently retired and spends a lot of her time writing, reading and talking to herself. She has published several books - children’s fantasy, YA and adult fiction, along with the castle chronicles for Victory Village at Riverbend. The Ring of Curses – her first book in her Merlin’s School for Ordinary Children fantasy series for 9 years and upwards - was nominated for the Ditmar awards, and in 2014 and 2015 Margaret was a featured author in The Premier’s Reading Challenge, Tasmania. She was a literary adjudicator with the 2016 Maryborough Eisteddfod in Queensland. She continues to write and has just published the third book in the Merlin's School series in ebook format, with print soon to come.

Book preview

ALSO BY MARGARET R BLAKE

MIDDLE GRADE AND BIG KIDS’ BOOKS

Merlin’s School for Ordinary Children #1 – The Ring of Curses

Merlin’s School for Ordinary Children #2 – Sword of Stone

Merlin’s School for Ordinary Children #3 – The Grail and Back Again

YOUNG ADULT

Diary of an Accidental Vampire

FICTION

The Healing

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Natural Magic (illustrated)

LADY ROSE’S LOVE BITES (paranormal romance)

Love Bites

SHORT STORIES

Three Wishes Granted - Klarissa Dreams Redux anthology

The Games We Play

The Disappearing House

GREYSCALE COLOURING BOOKS

Fairy Real Estate

Text Description automatically generated

Love Bites

Margaret R Blake

Love Bites

MARGARET R BLAKE

All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored or introduced to a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form without the prior written permission of the author or publisher.

All characters are strictly of the author’s imagination and in no way resemble anyone living or dead. The historical basis for this story is however correct up to a point, then artistic license takes over.

COPYRIGHT – © Margaret R Blake asserts her right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

COVER DESIGN – © Margaret R Blake and Midjourney AI

First published June 7th, 2021, Tiaro, Queensland

Icon Description automatically generated

Love Bites

Chapter One

‘Being a vampire is really sexy,’ Rowan said with a cheeky grin.

I laughed and laughed until I passed out. When I finally came to, I was lying on a four-poster bed draped in a black velvet cover with plush cushions under my head. Rowan was sitting at my side patting my hand gently.

‘Are you alright?’ he asked, concern touching his words now.

‘I guess so. What happened?’ I asked rubbing tentatively at a bump on the back of my head.

‘Well ... I tried to explain, but you just laughed so hard that you fainted. I’m guessing you hyperventilated.’

‘Noooo ...’ I drew out the word in disbelief. Firstly, I was not one of those wishy-washy girls who went all droopy when something was not to my liking. I did not hyperventilate. And secondly ... there was no such thing as vampires. They were just fictional characters, imagined into being by some ancient Greek. Or was it that strange Count from Transylvania who started it all? Either way vampires were nothing but fantasy. Surely!

‘Yes ... and they are real!’ Rowan exclaimed, breaking suddenly into my errant thoughts and making me jump. He then laid my hand lightly on the bed and stalked off to the other side of the room with an air of tragedy ... or so it seemed from where I was lying.

I sat up and made myself comfortable between the pillows. ‘Really, Rowan, don’t be so dramatic. It’s not as if you are one!’ I hesitated then added, ‘It’s a known fact that vampires haven’t got a reflection, and I’ve seen yours many times before. What have you got to say to that?’ I giggled outrageously, hardly believing we were having this conversation.

‘I know,’ he said with a sigh of feigned resignation. He turned to face me. ‘You do recall, though, that things have changed over the years. Centuries ago, mirrors were made with a lead backing, and knowing your vampire lore so well you would be aware that they can be killed by it. Nowadays mirrors are produced with silver or aluminium.’

I pointed a slender finger at Rowan. ‘There, there ... what about the silver? Aren’t silver bullets supposed to kill those blood suckers?’

Rowan sat down in the nearest chair and rolled his eyes. ‘Good grief,’ he said with another sigh. ‘Silver bullets indeed!’ He then went on with, ‘that’s