Undying Love: A Vampire Paranormal Romance Short Story

By Summer Cooper

Indulge in this haunting paranormal ghost short story by USA Today Bestselling steamy romance author Summer Cooper.

 

Tana craved a peaceful camping trip away from the digital world, but her plans took an unexpected turn when she got injured and lost. Desperate for help, she stumbled upon a peculiar village, hoping its inhabitants could assist her.

 

However, Kajika, the charismatic leader of the village, made things difficult for her. Despite his undeniable attraction to Tana, he understood she didn't belong in his world, the ghostly realm.

 

This is an adult only steamy ghost paranormal romance, appealing to readers who love fated mates, holiday romance, alpha males and sizzling hot romances with a twist. Perfect for fans of Mandy M. Roth, Renee Rose, Vanessa Vale, Layla Nash and Sherilee Gray.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lovy Books Ltd
• Release date: Oct 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223331131

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Jareth – London, Present Day

The first time Jareth saw Mara she was walking down a dirt path in the woods. The year was 1609.  

It was nighttime and the moonlight shone down on her dark hair and pale skin. She had a cloak over her shoulders and a basket in her hand. As she got closer, her granite-colored eyes found his and it sent a jolt straight to his unbeating heart.

This beautiful creature standing in front of him had Jareth mesmerized. Sometimes when you first see someone, you just know that this person is going to leave an imprint on your soul. Looking back now, he would say that was an understatement.

Jareth had been chasing Mara for longer than he cared to admit. 421 years to be exact. And this time, in this place, he knew that her running would finally come to an end. This time she would be his.

All he had to do was wait.

CHAPTER ONE

Mara – London, Present Day

London was breathtakingly beautiful. The mixture between old and new made Mara’s heart yearn for times gone by. There seemed to be a thick blanket of history covering everything here. And that was the exact reason Mara was here—the history.

She had been searching in all of her travels to try to find information about the mysterious quill, and Jareth’s quill too, for it seemed he was doing a damn good job of following her. Mara took a deep breath of the night air, letting the moon wash over her as she walked towards her destination.

Mara loved being a vampire, but feeding always seemed to get in the way of her work and research. You would think in this modern world there would be more options for vamps now, but all they have come up with is bagged blood. And as luck would have it, Mara was allergic to the stuff.

So she’d found a donor bank and every other day she made a visit. Today, the guide led her to a beautiful girl who looked like she was barely eighteen. She looked up at Mara with her innocent eyes and Mara knew then that this was her first time at the bank.

Mara moved in closer to her, settling on her left side. She could smell the blood running through her veins and it put Mara’s hunger on high alert. She laid a soft kiss on the girl’s lips and then another on her neck, right where the base meets the shoulder. The girl whimpered a little and Mara quickly sank her fangs into the girl’s soft skin, the bite easing her pain, leaving a wake of pleasure through the young girl’s body.

The blood was divine as it flowed into Mara’s mouth and down her throat. How a person’s blood tasted was a direct reflection of who they are, and in this case, Mara could taste the young girl’s innocence. And she loved it. It filled all of her darkness and helped kill the pain of old memories.

Before Mara knew it, the girl started to pant in earnest and Mara could tell that she was close to having an orgasm. That’s the thing about feeding on a human, the bite makes them feel overly sexual, often times ending in climax. Which is why there is never a shortage of human blood donors.

Mara eased off her sucking and waited for the girl to peak before she retracted her fangs. Mara gently licked her bite marks and watched as they instantly disappeared, leaving no trace of their encounter.

Exiting the bank, Mara walked down the dark sidewalk. She’d been researching this book shop on Firth Street, which was supposed to be a top player in unusual artifacts. Mara only knew of two other people that had seen her quill; one of them was dead and the other was searching for her.

The bookstore was a charming little hole in the wall type, and if you didn’t know what you were looking for you would walk right by it. There was an unmarked black door with a sign above that had only a crest on it. No words anywhere.

Mara checked behind her before she entered, knowing that somewhere Jareth would be lurking; he always was. Seeing that the coast was clear, Mara opened the shop door and walked in. The interior was dimly lit, with only wall sconces casting light here and there. The feel was dark and creepy and it set her senses on alert. Mara couldn’t describe it but something just felt wrong.

The last thing she was going to do was leave, so she kept slowly walking towards the back of the shop. Mara passed rows of old books and trinkets, and the smell was overwhelming. She reached the back counter and rang the bell that was sitting there.

There was a rustling sound from the back and then a small man appeared. He was dressed in a crisp suit, which seemed to contrast with the shop.

Can I help you, miss? he asked.

Good evening, sir, Mara smiled. I’m looking for information on an artifact and I was hoping you could help me.

Well, you are in the right place then. What is the artifact you are inquiring about?

Mara hated this part, and over the years she had gotten quite good at finding out information without actually saying what it was. What it is doesn’t matter as much as what it can do, she said cryptically.

The shopkeeper closed his