Free How to Seduce a Vampire (Without Really Trying) (Love at Stake) by Kerrelyn Sparks

arrow. “What is that?”
    Zhan ripped at the paper with his claws.
    “Don’t destroy it!” Could it be a note from Zoltan?
    A piece of the paper floated down, and she grabbed it.
    Dear Neona,
    I’d like to see you again. Please meet me here at midnight.
    Zoltan
    Her heart leaped into her throat. “He wants to see me!”
    Zhan made an annoyed huffing noise and jumped down to the ground.
    “How clever of you to find the note.” She hugged the leopard, then rubbed his ears. “You must have recognized his scent.”
    Zhan butted his head against her.
    “Good kitty.” Her heart thudded as she folded the letter and slipped it into her tunic pocket. Did she dare meet Zoltan? And the even bigger question, did she dare take his seed?
    She swallowed hard. Why not? He had agreed to mate with her. It would be cowardly to run away from such a golden opportunity. Still, she needed to think this through. “Let’s find something for dinner.” She could make her plans while they hunted.
    She strode down the hill toward the stream. It was easier to spot tracks in the muddy areas there. Her heart pounded with each step. She could see Zoltan tonight! An inner voice warned her that it might be unwise, but she shoved it aside. She wasn’t shirking her duty. If she had a daughter, she would be fulfilling it.
    Should she take him to Frederic’s old cabin? It wasn’t far from here. The women had used the cabin two weeks ago to house the vampire, Russell, when he was injured. They had felt honor-bound to take care of him after he’d saved Queen Nima’s life during battle.
    Neona figured the cabin was a more suitable place for mating than the woods. She would have to take fresh sheets and some supplies from Beyul-La without anyone noticing. And she would need to bathe and wash her hair.
    She pressed a hand against her chest, where her heart continued to pound. This was exciting! Be careful, an inner voice warned her. You could lose your heart to him. She pushed those thoughts away. She’d lived with gloom and despair for two weeks. It was time to think more positively. This had to be for the best. Because for the first time since losing her sister, she felt alive.
    A fter waking from his death-sleep in the bedroom of his castle, Zoltan’s thoughts immediately turned to Neona. Would she be waiting for him at their meeting place? Had the leopard helped her find the note?
    His excitement grew as he showered and dressed. This time he wore more suitable clothes—jeans, brown T-shirt, hiking boots, and a green hooded jacket with zippered compartments. He teleported down to the kitchen for a quick meal.
    “There you are,” Howard said as he materialized.
    “Good evening.” Zoltan nodded at the were-bear and his wife, who were seated at the kitchen table, sharing a bowl of ice cream.
    “We thought we’d find you here after sunset,” Howard said, his gaze drifting down to Zoltan’s hiking boots. “Going somewhere?”
    Ignoring him, Zoltan took a bottle of AB negative out of the fridge, twisted off the top, and set it in the microwave.
    “We heard you were taking a vacation,” Elsa said.
    “Yes.” Zoltan rummaged through the fridge till he found some bagged blood. He zipped it into one of the large pockets on his jacket. Emergency rations, just in case.
    “Milan is in shock,” Elsa continued. “He said you haven’t taken a night off in five years.”
    “Guess I’m overdue.” The microwave dinged, so Zoltan removed the bottle and poured the warmed-up blood into a glass.
    Howard spooned some ice cream into his mouth. “Let’s get to the point, okay? I need to know where you’re going.”
    Zoltan gave him an annoyed look. “I’ll take a sat phone with me this time.”
    “So you’re going back to Tibet?” Howard set down his spoon. “You’re going to see the Amazon warrior again?”
    “Maybe.” Zoltan upended his glass, guzzling down the blood.
    “Why do you want to see a woman who beat the crap out of