Mates

His smirk widens, “We aren't close with lovers, Eva. As we can have many, they come and go. We also have very few allies because many lust for power.”

He's getting off on my agitation. “Then what?”

He hesitated, “Eric was thinking Vicky could turn out to be his mate. It is why he chose to marry her so that he could be with her around humans. He was wrong.”

He said, Mate! I ask, “Why?”

He says, “He didn't share enough indicators with her. They never had the mind-link.”

I tilt my head, “But he married her and let her close?”

Vincent adds, “Yes, perhaps he was just tired of being lonely, and he didn't feel like she'd betray him. He hoped to grow to love her.”

I'm trying to understand all of this, “Maybe not everyone has the ESP thing like me.”

He says, “No, all vampires do, just most are very weak. But even weak ones have it with their…”

He trailed off, so I insisted, “Their what? I'm doing my best not to pry it out of you!”

He said softly, as his blue eyes flicked to mine, “Mates.”

My eyes go wide. No, no, this can't be what this pull means! “Ummm, no.”

He looks at me, almost annoyed, “Then you don't believe in what you write. That poem was about vampires. Your protagonist was in search of her king, her mate, just as he was stalking her.” He's right, but then, what about the pull I have to Sam and that slight one to Eric? Vincent looks into my eyes, “At first, I thought the same because you're not human, so I don't think I can make you into a vampire. I don't know how it could work, although hybrids did exist long ago. But I am certain of one fact, and it is that you are my mate.”

I say, “But you're not the only one.”

He tilts his head, “Are you sure?”

I nod, “If what you say is true, he will call.” I felt that pull to Sam. After talking with Vincent, I realized why. I touched the cheek that I was kissed on as I held out my phone.

It begins to ring and I answer.

       ***Phone call on speaker***

Sam Fall: Eva, are you ok?

Eva Sims: Highly confused, but not as much as Vincent is right now.

Vincent Black: How?

Eva Sims: I showed you how I got him to call.

Vincent Black: Fine, then why a vampire and a wolf?

Sam Fall: Okay, now I'm confused.

Eva Sims: We were talking about the mind-link, mind-reading, I guess, or whatever, but how it is an indicator of a potential mate, and how Vicky wasn't Eric's mate.

Vincent Black: How'd you know to call?

Sam Fall: I heard her ask me.

Vincent Black: Well, fuck!

   

I stifle a giggle because it looks like these boys will have to learn to share and get along, too.

Sam Fall: Not following!

Eva Sims: How does a wolf know if they've found a mate? I'm not talking about just a casual lover either!

The line went dead silent. Sam suddenly isn't so brazen, just as Vincent got nervous earlier about this very same topic.

Sam Fall: Stop trying to pry!

Vincent Black: Yeah, she does that. She doesn't like the silent treatment, so I suggest that you answer her.

Sam Fall: This is best left to discuss in person.

I roll my eyes. 

Eva:  “Fine!”

Sam Fall: Are you ready to believe, or should I even bother?

Vincent Black: I had the same thought, but I got her to try. She just has to see to believe.

I sigh. This night couldn't be more confusing. I do want to know, though, because I want to understand this world, and I want to know why it feels like home, and why I so badly want these men.

Eva Sims: Ugh, fuck my life. I should've stayed home!

Sam Fall: You know you'd have gone anyway.

Eva Sims: We will talk tomorrow.

Sam Fall: Get some rest.

Eva Sims: I'll try.

        ****End Call****

How ironic, the werewolf wants me to get some rest in the house of a vampire, who is my mate, and I want to claw and lick every inch of him. I say, maybe too loudly, “Great, in one fucking night, I go from being single to having two or more possible boyfriends!”

Katie comes running in, “What?”

I shrug, “Nothing.”

She won't relent, “Oh, it's something! No wonder we are staying with Vincent, and Sam wants you to meet his family. You have two guys fighting over you. It is so romantic!”

I facepalm, “No, it's not. I'm not a prize that one of them wins.”

She squeals, “Girl, I would be so turned on if I had two guys wanting me!”

I glare at her, “Get your mind out of the gutter.”

She blushes, “Nah, I'm too close to cumming at the thought now.”

Katie’s POV

I have been playing dumb all evening. I saw how those guys looked at Eva. I know when a man desires a woman, and all three of those men have it bad. Obviously, Vincent has it the worst. In an effort to keep Eva close, we are living in his home. I have read about couples moving fast, but this is at lightning speed. It is otherworldly. When I go to work next, I will research all of these men. If I find one thing out of place, I am taking Eva and running. I won’t allow her to suffer as she did after the Victor mess. Eva is still closed off too, but yet she so freely went with Vincent. I giggle. She even got off the phone with Sam who is extremely eager for her to meet his family. Why are these men so quick to commit?

End Katie’s POV

I facepalm again, but this time I look at Vincent through my fingers. He smirks, “My life isn't going to be dull now, is it!” We all laugh. He's just so accepting. I guess I need to be, too. I smile, “No, no, it's certainly not.”

Vincent’s POV

I am doing my best to keep my thoughts private, but she is making it incredibly difficult. I am used to my privacy, and now it's gone. I have a human in my home and a mate who is in denial. Some vampires find their mates after a few centuries but I have waited much longer. Several centuries ago, I gave up hope. I have traveled the world over during my long existence, and never had I found a mate. Now, I have one, but I'm afraid. I have lost someone that I held dear. She wasn't my mate, but I did love her, and that loss turned me into a monster. I can't lose Eva, but I'm not sure that I can risk loving her. What if I can't protect her?

Not to mention, it looks like she might also be a mate to a shifter. I don't have the animosity towards shifters like many of my kind do, but this could put Eva in further danger. Also, just what is she? She isn't a vampire, and doesn't smell like any species I have known. Vampires can't renounce the bond, but shifters can, unless she's his fated mate. Maybe I can get Sam to reject his mate?