Page 6

Neo

I woke up, still snuggled against Dorian’s chest—his very still chest. I’d been warned about this when I first started talking about the idea of becoming a bestower, so I shouldn’t have been surprised. But hearing that they were still like the dead and feeling it against my body was completely different. He wasn’t breathing, he had no heartbeat—well, actually, that wasn’t true. They had a heartbeat, but it was so slow it would go hours without beating, and apparently when they slept, it was even slower. They didn’t actually need to breathe to remain living—or undead—but it helped their bodies and was a habit left over from their human years, so they still breathed when they were awake, but not when they were sleeping.

So it felt like he was dead. And even though I knew he wasn’t—if he were, he’d be turning to ash—my stomach clenched and it felt like my heart was in my throat.

He’s not dead, he’s not dead, he’s not dead.

Dorian had me caged in completely, so once I calmed my ass down, I lay there for a few minutes and breathed him in. He smelled good. I didn’t expect him to smell good; I’d thought they would smell like… the dead. I sighed to myself. I still had a lot to learn about vampires, that was for sure.

My stomach suddenly growled so loudly, I startled in the quiet room, and Dorian’s eyes popped open. Before I knew what was happening, I was flat on my back with a vampire hunched over me. For a brief second, I was afraid he was attacking me, but then I realized that he was actually huddled over me like he was protecting me from some unseen threat.

He took in the room, and I said nothing as my heart raced. Dorian’s eyes were glowing, and he had this look on his face that was pretty damn terrifying. Like he’d kill anything that crossed his path. So I held as still as I could and tried not to pant too loudly.

He hopped out of the bed, but stood there with his back to me for a few seconds before he walked to the door and checked in the hallway. When he turned around, he scanned the room again, then focused on me. After taking me in, his face softened a little, but his voice came out gruff and angry. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

I shook my head. “I-it’s fine.” I sat up, bent my knees, and wrapped my arms around them.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them and stepped closer to me. “I thought you were in danger.”

He thought I was in danger? Not himself?

“Something startled me awake. Usually when that happens, it’s because we’re being attacked. I had to make sure you were safe.”

“Wh-why?”

He took another deep breath and stepped close enough to run his fingertips over my cheek. “I care for you already.”

My eyebrows rose. “I haven’t even known you for twenty-four hours.”

He smiled a little. “I know, my treasure, but I hope in time I’ll know everything about you.”

I really had no idea what to do with that, but my cheeks flushed with embarrassment because he looked so sincere.

He sat beside me and looked straight ahead. “I’m coming on too strongly. My apologies, Neo. I’m not used to navigating the human way of thinking.”

That was… an odd way to put it. “You’re, uh, fine.”

He smiled a little, but after a second, it turned to a frown. “Do you know what woke me?”

My cheeks heated even further. “Um… my stomach growled.” I cringed, thinking he’d get mad.

To my surprise, he burst out laughing. “Oh wow. Okay.” He chuckled and turned to me. “You need to go eat.”

I nodded. “Okay. Uh, you want me to meet you back here later?”

“Or I can come to you. Would you like me to meet you at your quarters?”

I tried to stifle a smile, but it popped out anyway. “I don’t really have quarters. I’ve been staying in the large rec room with the others from my village and anyone that’s waiting on a home.”

“You don’t even have a room?” He frowned.

I shook my head. “No, but there are a lot of people working on building huts and things. There’s a list of people ahead of me, so it’ll be a while before I have a place of my own.”

His frown deepened. “I didn’t realize that many were still waiting.”

“Well, new people tend to arrive on the island when the ship goes to shore. They’re building fast and repairing old homes and apartments. Families get the homes first, so… there’s a whole system.” I waved it off because it wasn’t worth getting into right now. “Anyway, I’ll probably just go over to the courtyard after I eat.”

“I’ll find you tonight. Is that alright?”

I grinned. “Sure.”

He smiled, then leaned in and kissed me gently on the lips. “Until tonight, my treasure.”

“Until tonight.”

With much difficulty, I made my way out of his room, shutting the door behind me. I knew he needed more sleep, and truth be told, I did too, but there was no way I’d be able to sleep right now. Not when I was starving and excited about what happened last night and what would happen tonight.

After I ate, I sought out the other bestowers like I was told to do. I didn’t search for Dorothy, though, I searched for Remi. And once I found him, we talked for a long time. So long, in fact, I felt like he could become a good friend.

“Oh my god, Remi, it was… perfect,” I said as I fell back on an old couch beside him. I couldn’t believe I was telling him all about my night, but he’d already told me about his first time being fed from with a vampire named Jael.

Remi looked amused. “I told you it’d turn you on.”

“Mm. But it’s not only that. It was so… so intimate or something.”

“I’m glad he treated you well. It isn’t always like that with some vamps.” He shrugged when I looked at him.

“Really?”

“Yeah. It’s only been like that when I’m friends with him or her. There were a couple times when I let a vampire I just met feed from me, and it felt good and everything, but it didn’t feel… special.”

I nodded. “I guess that makes sense.” Sighing, I looked up at the broken ceiling. “That rumble thing he did with his chest was really sexy, and I swear it felt like my chest was trying to rumble back.” I laughed. “That probably sounds insane, but I swear that’s what it felt like. Gah! I really loved that rumble thing.” When Remi didn’t say anything, I turned my head and found him staring at me with wide eyes. “What?”

“I don’t know what rumble thing you mean.”

My brow furrowed. “It started the first time we kissed. Like, right after he fed from me, we kissed, and his chest, like, rumbled so deep, I could feel it more than hear it. Then when we were you know , it rumbled the whole time. And again when we were in bed or whatever.”

He shook his head. “Nope. No idea at all.”

I blinked at him and slumped down on the couch. “Oh.”

“That doesn’t mean anything. I’ve only been a bestower for about a year, and I haven’t had a ton of vampires feed from me, so it could just be a… Dorian thing or something that vamps do occasionally, I dunno.”

“Oh.”

“We can ask Dorothy about it if you want?” I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn’t look at him.

“No, no. That’s okay. I think I know someone I can ask.”

“Who?”

I stood up. “Chris.”

“Chris who?”

“The shifter.”

“Wait a minute. You know Chris? As in Christopher, the den leader’s True Mate?” His eyes were wide again.

“Yeah, he helped me get away from the witches when they attacked my village. He saved my life.”

“Oh wow. Um, yeah, go talk to him. I’m sure he’s more knowledgeable than any of us.”

When I looked back at him, I noticed how uncomfortable he suddenly seemed, so I asked, “You okay?”

He waved me away. “Yeah, I just don’t think Christopher likes me very much.”

“Why? He’s like the sweetest person I’ve ever met.”

“I know, but… he and Jael don’t get along, and since Jael is my main beholder, he kinda keeps his distance.”

“I haven’t even seen Jael yet. I’ve heard of him, but haven’t seen him for myself.”

Remi smiled a little sadly. “He’s been keeping to himself since we arrived here.” He took a deep breath and blew it out. “Honestly, I miss him. He won’t even drink from me.”

I frowned at that. “That sucks.”

He shrugged. “It’s fine. I just really like him, but he’s been dealing with a lot of stuff, so I get it. I just have to make sure he’s eating.”

My frown deepened. “You have to take care of him?”

“No, but I want to.” He smiled sadly again, then made a shooing motion with his hand. “Go find Christopher and find out what that rumble thing’s all about.”

“I’ll see you later.”

“Drink lots of water today, and make sure you eat before he drinks from you again, and eat again immediately after. But water. Drink water.”

I laughed. “I got it, Remi. You’ve only told me fifty times.”

He chuckled. “Well, we had a bestower pass out on us a few weeks back because she didn’t drink enough water. Oh my god, Dregan was so pissed. Her beholder got ripped a new one for not making sure she was cared for.”

My eyebrows rose, but I simply nodded. “Good to know.” I waved at him and headed toward the shifter area. It wasn’t like the island was divided or anything ridiculous like that, but the shifters tended to hang out in one area and the vampires in another. They didn’t mingle very much. At least not that I’d seen.

Right before I turned the corner, I heard Chris’s voice say, “Hey, Neo!” And as soon as he was in sight, he rushed over to me and pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back because I was finally used to getting this greeting.

That was another difference between the shifters and vampires. Shifters were very tactile; always hugging and touching and rubbing your arm or back or neck. It was really nice once you got used to it, but it was honestly a little shocking at first. Vampires aren’t like that at all. In fact, they seem to be the opposite; always standoffish and distant. Except for Dorian last night. He was sorta all over me… and I’d loved every second of it.

“How are you doing, Neo? Are you hurt? I smell blood.” Chris frowned and started checking me over for injuries.

“No, I’m not hurt. I must’ve gotten a little blood on my clothes or something. Um… I was, uh, with a vampire last night.” For some reason, that was embarrassing.

Chris’s eyebrows rose high on his forehead. “Oh. Did he close the wound for you?”

I shrugged because I hadn’t checked, and it wasn’t like there was a mirror hanging anywhere.

“Where’d he bite you?”

I pulled my collar down. “My neck.”

Chris inspected it for a second, then nodded. “Looks healed. Good. I would’ve had some words with your beholder.”

“Hey, Neo!” Spencer, a shifter in Chris’s pack, called out. “Stop hogging him, Chris.” Spencer came over and gave me a hug, too.

The pack never strayed far from each other, so soon I was getting hugs from the rest of the Arlin pack; Teagan, Cameron, Nate, Tre, Kai, Patty, Zeke, and the young wolf, Felix, that had been stuck in his wolf form for years.

After everyone greeted me, Chris put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Why don’t we go for a walk?”

“Sure.” Blowing out a relieved breath, I followed after him with a little wave to the others. I didn’t want to have this conversation with an entire pack of wolf shifters.

Once we were close to the water, Chris asked, “Which vampire drank from you?”

“Dorian.”

He nodded. “He’s a good guy, but tends to stick to himself lately.”

“He was very kind to me. I, um, I like him a lot.”

Chris smiled at me. “That’s good.”

We walked for a bit in silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. That was one thing I loved about Chris, he never rushed me and was always patient, allowing me to gather my thoughts. I said, “I have a question for you.” He nodded, so I continued, “I mentioned it to Remi, but he didn’t know what I was talking about. Okay, so… the first time Dorian and I kissed…” My whole face burned so hot, it was probably on fire. Just get it out already to end this. “He, um, sort of rumbled. I mean, like, his chest made this rumbling sound, and it felt like my chest was trying to rumble back.”

Chris stopped walking, and when I turned to him, I saw his soft blue eyes staring at me with something that looked like shock. Then a slow smile spread on his lips and he grabbed my shoulders. “His chest rumbled? Like deep, really deep?”

I nodded.

“And yours tried to rumble back?”

I nodded again.

“Oh my god, Neo, do you know what this means?” He was yelling now.

I shook my head.

“Holy shit. You found your True Mate!”

“I found my what?”

“Your True Mate!”

“I don’t… I don’t know what that means.”

“Oh, that’s right, you humans don’t call it that. What do you call it? Uh… soulmate? Dorian is your soulmate.”

I wrinkled my nose. “What in the world are you talking about?” I’d heard the term before when people referenced Dregan and Chris as a couple, but I’d assumed it was some weird shifter or vampire name for being married or something.

He sighed. “I’m not sure why some humans don’t believe True Mates exist, but they do. I know because Dregan is mine. If he wasn’t, his bite would kill me because vampire bites are poisonous to shifters—as in, we die. If he wasn’t my True Mate, I wouldn’t be able to hear his thoughts in my mind or have him hear mine. Which, by the way, woke him up because I’m so excited for you.” He laughed and grabbed the back of my neck, squeezing it.

“And you think Dorian is my True Mate?”

“Yes. That rumble that you heard? That only happens when we find our True Mates and connect with them. My chest rumbles for Dregan, and his does for mine. It’s leveled out and doesn’t happen as often now that we’ve completed our bond, but it’s still there.”

What the heck is he talking about? I need to sit down.

Instead of heading back to find a seat, I just planted my ass right there on the grass.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I mean, I think so. I’m just shocked, I guess. I don’t know what to think.”

Chris sat beside me. “This is something to celebrate, Neo. You’ve found your True Mate—the person you were destined for; the person that was made for you. Not everyone is as lucky.”

I nodded my head even though I still didn’t know what to think about that.

Did I feel a connection with Dorian even though we’d just met? Yes, absolutely. But could he really be my True Mate or whatever the hell it was called? Did I even believe in soulmates?