Page 112 of A Taste of Bliss

“Then why did you react like that?” Dericia asks, looking for another spot in Amelia’s hair to add more tinsel.

Amelia makes a non-committal noise and stares fixedly at her hands.

“I guess I’ll just have to save all this tea for myself.” I drop Amelia’s hair and start walking to the door.

“Fine!” Amelia rushes out.

I stop and come back to her side.

“I’ve never really talked to him. Like, I mean, I’ve seen him around and stuff. I was introduced to him after we opened for them, after the show, at the bar.” She goes silent for a moment. “My bond was activated two years ago, so I wouldn’t have seen it then, when I met him before.”

Dericia and I both draw in a breath. “He’s your mate?” Reese asks.

Amelia just nods. Dericia’s hands are still in her hair, as if she’s totally forgotten the task at hand.

“So remind me why that’s a bad thing?” I finally manage to ask. I know she wants to focus on her music right now, but I never thought Amelia wanted to stay un-bonded forever.

“It just, it wasn’t supposed to happen like this. My music is finally taking off. And I’m happy. I don’t want to be tied down to someone. I’m free right now and I don’t want anything to change.” She meets my gaze in the mirror. “And Ilikesleeping with different guys. It’s fun. I don’t want to give that up.”

Reese goes back to adding more tinsel. And I stand there kind of speechless. Is it some cosmic joke that my sister who loves casual sex found her one true love and me who hates it and needs a partner hasn’t?

“Sorry, Bliss,” Amelia says.

“Why are you sorry?” I meet her gaze in the mirror, frowning.

“I know you want your bondmate, but I just don’t want this. To be honest, I don’t think I ever have.”

Dericia snorts a laugh and we both look at her, confused. “Sorry,” she says, her hand going to cover her mouth. “It’s just, I don’t think it would matter, even if you did want to be mated to Evan. Based on his reaction, he definitely didn’t like this little plot twist either.”

Amelia grunts, crossing her arms. “I don’t get what his deal is anyway. He should be feeling fucking lucky. I’m a catch. Like, what does he have to complain about?”

Dericia and I both grin, rolling our eyes at one another. “Why do you care about his reaction when you claim not to want the bond?”

“Whatever,” Amelia says, waving her hand dismissively. “Spill your tea now, Bliss, or I’m never telling you anything ever again.”

I only smile wider at her empty threat. But spill I do, telling them how I found out that the other guy who’d come over with Simon was Wrath himself and he’s the one that went down on me. I don’t feel guilty telling them this since we’ll all be stuck on tour together for six weeks. I also share how conflicted I am over how he’s been acting. They already know about how he made fun of me when we were volunteering in the maze together, but I fill them in on all the rest—well, except for the part where I still need to steal his tears.

And now that I knowwhohe is, I’m that much closer to getting them, aren’t I? A thrill goes through me at thatrealization. I still feel conflicted about stealing from him, and manipulating him and Simon. Pisces started out being rude and mean, but he held me last night. Let me cry all over him. He might have been about to tell me who he was before the maze—I specifically think “the maze,” and not “the body”—but obviously he hadn’t gotten the chance.

“I still don’t like him,” Amelia says. “Maybe this tour is a bad fucking idea.”

I raise my pointer finger at her. “We’re not backing out of this tour. I don’t care if Taser ends up mating with their drummer and Mist ends up rejecting him, we’re not backing out of this tour. It’s the big break Goddess’ Trance has been waiting for.”

“But we’ll have to deal with them for six whole weeks.” Amelia groans. “I’ll have to resist having sex with Evan for six weeks so that we don’t complete the bond, and uh—” she motions to herself, “—look at me. He won’t be able to resist and so I’ll have to do all the work.”

Reese and I laugh. “We’ll run interference,” I say. “It’ll give me a reason to stay away from Pisces.” Especially after I get his tears. Hopefully, I’ll be able to use my powers to make him think nothing of it. It’s too much to hope that I could make him totally forget. I’m not that powerful, even if I was fully recharged right before.

“I know how you can stay away from Pisces. You can spend your time keeping Simon away from me,” Reese says. “Talk about a douche.”

“What?” I ask, suddenly unsure of where this conversation is going. “Did I miss something? I know he was a little rude at the maze, but did something else happen?”

Reese rolls her eyes. “He’s the textbook definition of hot and cold. He’s either super nice to me, wanting to know all about growing up a kindred, or he’s acting like I’m dog shit he stepped in. I swear I was about to slap him the last time I saw him.”

“I’ll slap him for you,” Amelia says, grinning wickedly. “I hate men like that. Seriously the worst.”

My mind is reeling with this new information. I go over all my interactions with Simon. True, there was that time where my succubus flirting didnotwork. But that was just embarrassing, and not at all his fault. Then I go over every time I’ve seen him interact with Reese, which is very limited.

“Sorry, Bliss. I know you’re friends with him.” Reese pats my shoulder.