Dark Vampire: A Post-Apocalyptic Paranormal Romance (The Wickedest Witch Book 2) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Dark Vampire (The Wickedest Witch Book 2)

  Dark Vampire (The Wickedest Witch Book 1)

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Claim the Wolf King

  More Books by Meg Xuemei X

  About the Author

  DARK VAMPIRE

  The Wickedest Witch Book 2

  Meg Xuemei X

  Dark Vampire © 2017 by Meg Xuemei X

  Copyright notice: All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  First Edition

  Meg Xuemei X

  Cover art by Deranged Doctor Design

  Proofread by Fading Street

  The novel is a work of fiction. Any and all characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or events or places is merely coincidence. Novel intended for adults only.

  Table of Contents

  Dark Vampire (The Wickedest Witch Book 1)

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Sneak Peek of Claim the Wolf King

  More Books by Meg Xuemei X

  About the Author

  Dark Vampire (The Wickedest Witch Book 2)

  I’m Archangel Gabriel. I won’t let my mate, the only female who matters to me, be doomed.

  For my witch, I venture into the vampires’ lair and charm the wild princess who wants to make me hers.

  But I soon learned the Wicked Witch isn’t one to tamper with. She doesn’t recognize me. Doesn’t know I’m her mate, but her eyes fall upon me and she allows no one else to touch me.

  1

  The Witch

  I call myself Fiammetta, the name I etched on my skin with blood magic.

  I had no recollection of my past and couldn’t form any new memories. For three years I’d concealed my amnesia, until the Archangel Gabriel fell to Pandemonium.

  My magical recording indicated that he’d climbed to my tower to bed me and learned my secret when I was most vulnerable. I’d tried to eliminate him a few times, but had failed.

  Then he revealed that I was his fated mate.

  Deep inside, I began to think he might be onto something, because my body was on fire for him.

  Gabriel took every chance he could to touch me on our way to Akem’s jungle. He veered me off a rough patch, placed his large hand on the small of my back to make sure I didn’t stumble, or brushed his arm against mine as if by accident.

  When I gave him a dirty look for that, he smiled at me, so, I let go.

  We would face Akem soon, and we might not survive.

  Akem, the elemental entity, ruled the jungle. No one entered his domain and came out alive to tell the tale, except me. I hadn’t returned to his realm after he’d aided the vampires.

  I released a tight breath as I heard the creepy chirping of birds inside the jungle—a sign of relative safety. But once we entered, no one could predict what might happen to us.

  “We’ll face everything together, Fia,” Gabriel said, brushing a lock of my hair behind my ear. Tiny electric shocks sent delicious shivers up my spine. My toes curled.

  “You have me now,” he said, his eyes on my lips.

  I ignored him, though his intimate gesture comforted me more than I realized. He looked happy that I hadn’t swatted his hand away.

  “We’re here,” I said, offering him a chance to turn back.

  He smirked, well aware that his was a killer smile. I was the witch of ice and storm and darkness, but even so, my heart did an involuntary dance. But a sudden burst of ear-piercing shrieks drowned out the effect.

  Three Furies dived toward us, their red-taloned wings stretching against the bleak sky, and their vicious human eyes locked on us.

  They had to be the first wave of attack sent by Akem.

  No matter; today, we would enter the jungle.

  No longer flirting with me, Gabriel instantly transformed into a formidable warrior, drawing his long angelblade and shoving me behind him to shield me as he snarled at the mutant beasts.

  His blade flashed, ancient runes on its surface glowing a killing light.

  I was no innocent damsel, either.

  “Defender!” I called.

  At my summoning, my ice spear emerged in my hand, the ice hissing in the mist.

  My darkness swirled around me aggressively.

  The Furies dipped their heads as one, sending us a meaningful glance, then surged toward the sky. Instead of attacking us, they flew toward the City of Nine.

  I narrowed my eyes, pondering their strange behavior. Akem’s gatekeepers hadn’t allowed any aliens but me into the rainforest, yet they were leaving the entrance open for Gabriel today.

  It wouldn’t be a nice invitation.

  Akem might want to settle the score with me, since I’d fought off his beasts and brought the Archangel out of the jungle last time. Still, the Furies had never gone to the city.

  My heart froze, yet my eyes burned. Were they going to assault my Witch Tower? Kaara and my guards wouldn’t be able to fend them off. Just as I was about to bolt back toward my territory, the Furies switched course and sailed in the opposite direction.

  I returned my icy gaze to Gabriel.

  He shrugged, flashing me another white smile. My frosty exterior apparently had no effect on him.

  “They know better than to mess with us,” he bragged. “We Angels used to hunt dragons. The Furies might be mutant dragons.”

  He thought everyone here was a mutant.

  I arched an eyebrow.

  He held out his hand. “Are you ready to enter, milady?”

  I hesitated for
a second before putting my hand in his. But into the back of my mind crept a dark feeling of foreboding.

  2

  The Angel

  I held Fiammetta’s hand, and we walked into the rainforest. Touching her felt right. I thought of kissing her, but I didn’t want to push my luck. Now wasn’t the time anyway. The jungle was a dangerous place, so, I needed to stay vigilant and protect my mate above all.

  Yet the mating call had no care for the “now isn’t the time” reminder. My cock was as hard as granite for her.

  I used my wings to shove aside overstretched branches, so they wouldn’t scratch her.

  Fiammetta sent me a glance, her face the usual cold, blank mask. Right, it wasn’t the Wickedest Witch’s style to show any appreciation. I could count the few times she’d ever said, “thank you,” and one of those times was after she’d fucked me. She’d thought I’d climbed to her tower to serve her, so, she’d thanked me for my service before dismissing me.

  Pine needles crunched under our feet, though we tried to tread quietly.

  The City of Nine was depressingly dim, but this place was worse, as it was in the world of shades. Archangels have super night vision. But Fiammetta might have a hard time to see.

  Tiny ice crystals formed on her fingertips and slithered up her arms until her entire body radiated. That seemed excessive, but I wouldn’t point that out while our relationship was in a budding stage. I needed to tend to it instead of snuffing it out, but since she was showing off to impress me, it was a courtesy for me to acknowledge her effort.

  “I know you want to look like a goddess, all shining and glorious, but should we attract attention right now, Fia?”

  She gave me an icy look.

  I sighed. I probably should have taken more care with my words. I should have said something like, “My mate is gorgeous without comparison, and I’ve crossed the universe, traveled light years, and fallen onto this damned planet for you.”

  But I’m a straightforward male who speaks his mind. I wasn’t used to holding my tongue or walking around on tiptoes. This relationship thing was harder than I thought.

  “Must I explain everything I do, creatu—” She stopped in mid-word as I squeezed her hand gently to remind her who I was. “Gabriel,” she added grudgingly.

  That was an excellent start. She’d stopped calling me creature, and she didn’t withdraw her hand from mine, even though I rubbed her the wrong way.

  For some moments, we prowled ahead silently.

  “How old are you, Fia?” I asked, then realized immediately how dumb the question was.

  She couldn’t remember.

  Her face darkened. Sadness filled me, and rage followed.

  Whoever had made my female suffer like this would pay tenfold when I found them, and I would find them, I vowed.

  “Try not to become deadweight, Angel,” Fiammetta said. “I’d hate to get rid of you if you inconvenience me.”

  The Wickedest Witch had no shortage of insults.

  “When did I become deadweight?”

  “When you started asking,” she said.

  I knew questions reminded her all over again that she couldn’t remember a thing. All she had each day was the information she gleaned from Kaara’s briefing and a few facts she scribed on her skin with her magic.

  The Wickedest Witch wasn’t one to trust or rely on anyone.

  “Fia, you need to learn to trust me. Your secrets are also mine to keep, especially now that I know you’re my mate. I’ll protect you above all. Didn’t I kill the vampire to preserve your dark secret, even before I knew about your amnesia?”

  She frowned.

  “Fine,” I said. “For this partnership to work, we have to pool our resources and share information. We don’t hold back.”

  “You first,” she said.

  “What else do you want to know?” I’d told her briefly about my race, our civil war, and my mission to track down the Dark Lord of All Angels on the way here.

  And she’d interrogated me when I’d first fallen, but I wondered how much her magic could help her remember.

  “If Angels conquered one universe after another, as you claimed,” she drawled, “then why did they skip Pandemonium?”

  I shrugged. “Who wants to come here?”

  “This planet is a dumping ground for many empires, so Angels have to have heard about it. And as conquerors, you must have many enemies. Your Fallen Angels and the Dark Lord’s Reapers are still at war with each other. Isn’t it best to send your foes to suffer a fate worse than death?”

  Always thinking like a wicked witch. That was my mate. But what she’d said made sense.

  Pandemonium was a unique planet. Why didn’t we have the data about it in our system? My race is vengeful, and we love to punish our enemies.

  Then it hit me.

  “This planet is hidden in the past,” I said. “It’s hidden from this galaxy’s star chart. My crew noticed it only when it suddenly revealed itself to us.”

  “Why does Pandemonium try to hide from Angels? Many other empires have its coordinates and send their exiles and criminals here.”

  A dark thought clicked in my mind. Why had my mate’s enemies banished her to a place hidden in time and from the worst of the predators—Angels?

  “We’ll get to the bottom of this,” I said. “My ship ThunderSong is still searching for me, but my crew can’t reach me since they don’t know we’re stuck in the past. Maybe I should warn them not to come down here. If they’re sent to a different time period on Pandemonium, we’re totally screwed.”

  Fiammetta pondered that for a few seconds before speaking. “I couldn’t find the portal because I’d been looking for where instead of when. Brief me on your time theory.”

  As I gave her a quick overview of the time-space continuum, I was surprised by how quickly she picked it up. If only she could form memories, her intelligence would be even more stunning.

  “I can’t remember people, events, or places,” she said, glancing at my awed expression. “But my intelligence, inherent knowledge, and inborn magic are still mine. I’m too powerful for my enemies to strip me completely.”

  “When we get out of here, I’ll gut each one of them, slowly.”

  “They’re mine to take care of,” she said.

  “You’re my mate. Your enemies are mine.”

  “We haven’t established this matehood thing, and I want to hear no more of it.”

  “One day you’ll beg me to tell you all about it, and I’ll tell you in bed.”

  She snickered.

  “Show me the magical tattoos on your arms, Fia.”

  “They have nothing to do with you.”

  “Then why are my wings on your arms? You can’t shut me out forever. Let me in, Fiammetta. I’ll never harm you. I need to see your markings. Two heads are better than one.”

  “I’m not sure about that. You won’t be able to read my elaborate runes anyway.”

  I waited.

  “I didn’t crash to this planet—unlike you, unlike others,” she said. “I woke up in this jungle under a black tree. My enemies must have shoved me through a portal, and I’ve been trying to find it, but I have no memory of anything that happened. Somehow, I found a way to record essential events and threats on my skin with my blood magic. I can’t use too much of my witch blood, since even shedding one drop diminishes me.”

  I’d make sure she didn’t waste another drop.

  “I don’t have enough skin for recording things,” she added. “As of today, I’m nearly out of space. If we can’t leave this planet within a week or two, we’ll be done for.”

  “It won’t happen, Fia. We’ll get out of here. I’ll get you out of here.”

  “Do not tell me pretty words again. I hate promises,” she said, but she kept her hand in mine.

  It pleases me that we’re beginning to building a connection.

  “Show me the runes on your arm, baby,” I urged again.

  “I need to check
the map anyway,” she said.

  A sequence of glyphs beamed on her arm, forming a sketched map.

  My eyebrows drew together. “How do I read them?”

  “It’s not for you to read,” she said, raising her gaze from the map and surveying the forest.

  Birds chirped eerily, and animals bellowed. I was sensitive to every sound. Fia had mentioned that noises were good, so, we were probably in the safe zone. Regardless, I had no fear of predators, but the poison fog was another matter. Last time, it had eroded a patch of my feathers.

  Fia’s hand tensed in mine.

  “What is it?”

  “The forest has shifted again since last time,” she said.

  “What do you mean shifted?”

  Before she could answer, everything blurred. The jungle started spinning. I pulled my mate into my arms, my wings forming protective walls around her.

  Her darkness shoved me away.

  “Don’t ever do that!” she hissed. “You’re blinding me. I’m not some weakling who needs your protection. I need you to fight for me, not suffocate me!”

  I forgot that my mate was the Wickedest Witch, who didn’t do gratitude much. Which was fine. I shouldn’t hope for sweetness from her, but she wasn’t as heartless as she thought, either.

  She’d never abused her subjects. She struck only when she was threatened. She cared for Kaara Nightshades a great deal and had refused to leave the girl and her subjects behind if we ever found the portal.

  Even if my witch was a coldhearted bitch, I’d still protect her. My primal male instinct required that I put my mate above anyone and anything.

  A blink, and the jungle stilled.

  We were surrounded by a cluster of snakelike plants. Their sprawling vines extended and crawled toward us. I flashed my sword, ready to cut them if any dared to move closer.

  A gust of icy wind blasted from Fiammetta to meet the vines, and the plants recoiled, withdrawing their vicious reach.

  “The nasty plants want to attack us,” I snarled. “I’ll cut them down to the root.”