Page 304 of Incompatible

"You know, all these years there were situations where someone wanted to have sex with me; people I met at different parties or during group outings to restaurants. Most of the time I avoided networking, but sometimes I couldn’t get out of it, because meeting sponsors and doing interviews is part of being a musician. It often happened that after the business part was done, some of them: omegas, sometimes betas, even alphas, tried to get with me. I was literally besieged at times, but I was unable to feel anything. Many were very disappointed, and it probably cost me some lucrative deals, but I just couldn’t force myself." He pauses, collecting his thoughts.

Letting out a breath, I slightly squeeze his fingers.

"Well, I figured as much. In the comments under your videos, people kept wondering why you were so private about your personal life, since no one could ever tell who you were dating. But that’s the reality of being a popular musician; there are plenty of opportunities. I’m… glad you didn’t take them," I say this with an approving smile. Then I lean a bit and add, "See, a few people were interested in me also, but the touch itself made me feel repulsed, almost physically pained, or at least uncomfortable."

Bay taps his fingertips lightly over the back of my hand.

"For me it was a little different. That touch didn’t hurt, but it didn’t make me feel anything either. You know, for years I thought I might have become impotent, because no one could spark the emotions you bring out in me, even with just one touch."

He lowers his gaze to our hands, his eyes looking a little darker now.

"I remember what you were like right before we broke up. The fire in you, Alex, everything you did in bed… it worked perfectly for me. So after we were no longer a thing, my standards stayed pretty high."

I feel my cheeks flush. "You know, we’re both twenty-eight now, but that doesn’t mean we’re old. And besides, True Mate magic rejuvenates us, pulls us back to our early twenties. Remember? Your parents are proof. We’ll lose a few years!"

"Are you saying your libido dropped and you’re counting on a reset?" Bay teases, a playful smirk on his face.

"I’m not saying that," I pout. "I blocked it for years, yes, but you know omegas’ libido doesn’t fade with age," I narrow my eyes mischievously. "It only grows, up to forty, then it stays strong for at least another decade, so…"

"Hmmm, omegas’ libido? What about alphas? Their libido is supposed to peak between twenty and thirty. Am I already at the tail end?" Bay’s tone is flirtatious and lighthearted. The last time I remember him like this was a decade ago.

"We’ll see. But in our case, there’s also the True Mate factor. They’re fucking multiple times a day," I add jokingly, and simultaneously slide my hand along his wrist. Bay tilts his head slightly, watching my actions.

"I wonder if that revenant look of yours was temporary or something you could call up on demand?"

There’s a pause. I stare at him, mouth slightly open, caught off guard. Could it be…?

"Seriously, you liked it?"

He snorts. "Absolutely! You looked ridiculously sexy, those thin black lines like someone had sketched them with charcoal, and the grayish-pearl skin. It was incredible, unusual." He sounds sincere, eyes drilling into mine.

Bay’s hand slowly wraps around my wrist, and with a gentle but firm motion, he begins to pull me toward the center of the table.

For a moment I don’t understand what he’s doing, but something in his energy makes my heart race.

Bay keeps pulling me closer…

As a result, I end up on the table, chest pressed down, my ass sticking up at the edge.

Bay’s hand holds me there, almost pinned, and my heart soars, and suddenly… he’s behind me, leaning close, his breath hot on my ear, and I feel hardness pressing into my ass.

"Change for me, Alex, change for me," he whispers, his lips gliding along my neck, teasing, hot, wet.

I smile darkly. With a quick move that probably surprises him, I slip free and straighten up.

"Then hunt me, Bay! Necromancer, lich, revenant, whatever you want to call it, find me, find me like only you can," I whisper, squinting my eyes.

Bay straightens too with the instinctive poise of a predator, a dark hunger flickering across his face, the kind a hunter has when he finally sights hisgame.

"You have to hunt your prey, Messenger of Fate. Track down the abomination! Isn’t that what angels do?" I murmur teasingly as I step back, my feet finding my sneakers quickly.

Then I spin, open the door, and run outside. I bolt off the driveway, racing toward the edge of the campus park.

I don’t know what came over me, but it definitely needs to be released.

Looking around, I rush into the grove. I spot some students walking along the path; from a distance, they seem absorbed in conversation. Maybe… I’d look weird in my normal form, lightly dressed, running across campus like a madman. After all, I teach here.

Or maybe… why not try? I focus, digging into my energy, examining its edges, and suddenly it answers. In a single heartbeat I summon my revenant persona.