THE ROUGH MATING OF A VAMPIRE (The Vampire Coalition: A Short Prelude) by J. S. Scott

Kristin Sparks shivered as she felt the female hands spreading oil over her body. She would be mated tonight, and she was being prepared for her joining with her vampire mate.
    She’d bathed, and her skin already felt like silk, but the women continued their preparation, massaging the oils into her skin. It was ceremonial, part of a ritual that had existed forever for the vampires.
    Kristin sighed. Tonight...Adare Connor would be hers for eternity. She shook her head slightly, still barely able to believe that she was his mate, the keeper of his soul.
    She was a human, one of the chosen mates for a vampire. All vamps were born male, because contrary to popular lore, they were not the ‘undead’. A vampire male was a living, breathing creature that eventually found his human mate: a female born with his missing soul tightly entwined with hers, making her his fated partner.
    Yes…vamps needed blood to survive, but they were not the creatures of legend, beings that were brought back from the dead. They were alive in every way, except that they lacked the soul that would only be found when they encountered their chosen female mate. Kristin would transfer Adare’s soul to him tonight. Half hers, half his. They would both hold a half of the other's soul with half of their own, making them complete. They would be united as one.
    Adare had waited three hundred years for her, and he had already given up hope of ever finding his mate. It happened. Sometimes, for any number of reasons, a male vampire never found his mate and usually ended up fallen- embracing his darker side. She shivered involuntarily, so very glad that Adare had been spared that fate. He had a strong will and a very good heart, which had helped him hang on and not give in to his darker side before she had found him.
    She still remembered her shock and resistance when she found out who she really was. The mate of a vampire. But by that time, she had already lost her heart to Adare. He had courted her sweetly, sensually, seducing her with his charm and addicting her to his strong, hard body. Adare was an alpha male, dominant and demanding, especially in bed.
    Kristin smiled slightly, still finding it hard to believe she was drawn to his dominant personality. She had been a successful businesswoman and she had liked to be in control of every aspect of her life. Or so she thought…
    She knew she was actually drawn to him . To Adare . Yes, he was possessive…but he was also tender, adoring and protective. The need for control in bed was part of his nature, especially during the courting and mating. She had never realized that, as his mate, the need to submit - to give in to his dark pleasures - was part of her, part of her genetic make-up. With his soul entwined with hers, his needs were also her needs, and it was a part of her that had stayed buried until Adare had awakened her desire to relinquish control to him, finding her own power in a whole new, satisfying way. Kristin loved every part of Adare. Even the darker parts. Maybe...especially the darker parts.
    The three women getting her ready for the mating ceremony were chattering away with excitement, but Kristin was having a hard time following the conversation. She smiled and nodded, oblivious to what was really being said. She was too busy anticipating the coming events.
    She had to admit she was just a little bit anxious. She knew the mating would be rough on a level she and Adare had never experienced. Once her mark touched Adare's…he would be ruled by carnal instincts and his need to possess and own her would be animalistic. Adare had explained everything to her, but it was still a bit daunting.
    A vampire male felt the mating instinct from the moment he touched his human mate. The overwhelming need to dominate, to possess. During the actual mating ceremony his control would be obliterated and he would be held prisoner by the desire to dominate, until his newly formed, newly transferred soul had found