Page 4 of The Psychic and the Vampire: A Bad Case of Vampire Curiosity

Still shaken by the events of the morning, Ant managed to make casual conversation until they had finished eating.

But when Viktor pushed his empty plate aside, Ant was compelled to at least try to have the conversation he’d been avoiding.

He was aware enough to know the conversation might not go well, but he owed it to Viktor and their mating to try.

“I know we both agreed we weren’t good at talking about our feelings, do you remember?

” he asked, looking up into Viktor’s eyes.

His mate was looking particularly smart, especially now Ant had fixed his shirt.

His dark hair was combed back and tied at the nape of his neck, which seemed to be Viktor’s preferred style, and he looked as though he could easily break someone in two or stride down a fashion catwalk.

Viktor seemed to have a knack of always looking as though he was in control.

Which makes him the perfect mate for me. Ant wasn’t the type to ever compare himself to anyone else. If he did, being with Viktor might make him feel inadequate – especially in the looks department. But Ant already knew that Viktor was so much deeper and complex than he appeared.

“You’ve been edgy since I resigned from the police force,” he explained bluntly.

“I know you didn’t plan to get a text today from an old colleague.

I believe you when you said you wanted to take Able out for a walk, that was your only goal at the time.

The knife incident wasn’t planned – I believe that as well.

But aside from the events of the morning, I still get the idea you’re not happy, and because I’m your mate, that worries me. ”

“I never meant to worry you,” Viktor said.

“By the same token, I believe happiness is a relative term. I’m extremely content with you in my life.

I am beyond glad that I have found my fated one.

You mean more to me than anything. My stress, my angst, whatever it is that you’re feeling, and not able to put into words, well…

I’m not sure I have words for those feelings, either. ”

That wasn’t helpful. “Can you at least give me an idea of what we’re dealing with?” Ant used “we” deliberately. He needed Viktor to understand that if his mate had a problem, he would do everything in his power to help.

Viktor must’ve picked that up through their bond.

“I know how supportive you are of me,” he said quietly.

“You don’t have to put that into words. As to what this other business is…

” Viktor let out a long breath. “I’m not sure I can explain because I’ve not been conscious of feeling like this before.

I’ve lived a very long and busy life. I’ve always had something to do, and I find our periods of inactivity more difficult to deal with than I’d assumed I would. ”

“I remember when we were lying out in the yard,” Ant reminded his mate.

“That was only a couple of weeks ago. You said you were happy with the peace and not having anything to do, just spending time with me and Able. I’m not silly enough to think for a second that a mate can become the whole focus of somebody’s world.

What concerns me about this…this…” Ant struggled to find the word he needed.

“This disconnect,” he said at last, “is that even though you knew I was aware of your rising agitation, because of who I am and what I do, you still didn’t talk to me about it. ”

“That’s what bothered you?” Viktor didn’t seem upset, more curious.

“When I don’t know the facts of a situation, it’s easy for me to imagine the worst - that perhaps your agitation is because of me and something I’m doing. I know people are often uncomfortable around me, and I’m sure I’ve read a paper somewhere where feeling like that is considered human nature.”

Viktor chuckled. “You’re not strictly human, precious, and I’m definitely not.

I understand that from an academic perspective, it would be simple to assume that any agitation or ill feeling I had could be directed at you.

I hope that there’s nothing in my actions that have indicated it’s actually you I’ve been upset with, because nothing’s further from the truth. ”

“That was one of the things that made it so difficult to work out,” Ant admitted.

“You know you’re my first and only relationship, and I don’t always know if I’m doing or not doing something wrong.

I knew you weren’t angry with me. But when you carry so much tension almost all the time, I’m not sure what I’m expected to do about it.

That’s why I had hoped you would talk to me. ”

Viktor nodded. “That makes sense.”

“Today was a good example,” Ant said, quietly relieved that Viktor wasn’t just dismissing his concerns.

“You seemed relieved when I said we were going to the office, and I can understand you wanting to get out of the house for a while. But do you miss your life with Tony that much? Is that why you rushed off to answer a text from one of his henchmen?”

“I answered the text because I was curious,” Viktor said. “He told me where to meet him, and we were in the area. I’m not sure if he knew we were in town or assumed I’d travel to meet him. You’d know more about whether we had a stalker or not.”

Ant grinned because that was true.

“You have your magic, but I get this feeling...” Viktor leaned over the table, reaching for Ant’s hand. “I’ve lived for over eight hundred years, and that feeling I get is probably as important to me as your magic is to you. I’ve relied on it for a long time.”

“I understand that, I do.” Ant sighed. “But what does that feeling mean to you?”

“It’s as if I know something big is about to happen.

I’ve had it before, but this time, when I look around, there’re no enemies to fight.

There’s nothing to do. I am playing happy families with my mate, and I enjoy every minute of it,” Viktor added quickly, as if Ant didn’t know that was already true.

Ant realized in that moment that Viktor had similar concerns to his own.

“I just feel…” Viktor frowned. “I don’t know whether it’s because I’m so used to always being on alert, and this is just a throwback to that.

Perhaps I’m simply struggling to let go of those old habits.

I’ve considered that, but then I wonder if there is a genuine danger coming for us, but I just don’t know where it’s coming from. ”

Ant nodded. He had been feeling something similar. Unfortunately, because of his close proximity to Viktor, it had been very difficult to work out if he was simply responding to Viktor’s agitation, or if it was his own magic recognizing there was a threat.

“I’ve got a similar problem.” Ant quickly explained his unease and how he wasn’t sure where it was coming from.

“So, you see, when I’m around you, all I’m conscious of is your agitation.

That makes it all the more difficult for me to rely on my magic and instincts as well.

Does that make sense? Am I being clear?”

“Yes, that makes perfect sense, and you telling me that has helped me realize I’ve not done our mating any favors, because I didn’t talk this out with you.

” Viktor’s thumb was warm across the back of Ant’s hand.

“I used to think that it was easier always knowing where the enemies were. I know you’ve never understood why I spent so much time associated with the Manzanos, especially when that meant living a dangerous life.

You called it my living in the shadows, and that is what I used to do.

But for me, knowing the dangers around me was the safest place for me to be.

“For many, many centuries, vampires had a target on their backs. If anyone suspected what we were, or how we lived – you can imagine it for yourself. With superstition rife, and people naturally suspicious of anyone who didn’t fit in, our kind were often hunted, usually for no other reason than we looked slightly different or had more resources than other people. ”

“We don’t live like that now.” Ant frowned.

“No, I know, and I’m not really blaming that, but those habits are deeply ingrained in who I am. Being around Tony and his family made sense to me. I knew I wasn’t safe. I knew every minute of every day that there was that target on my back again.”

“Then why?”

“I already knew where the threat was coming from. I was also cocky enough to know I could beat that threat if it ever hit me in the face. This business now, not knowing where the threat is coming from, or from who, or even why - that’s an unsettling position for me to be in.”

“Is this because of what Captain Bain tried to do?” Ant asked.

In a lot of ways, he had been feeling the same way, although he didn’t live his life in the shadows and indeed made a point of always living as honestly and true to himself as he could.

“I was explaining the business with the captain to Bridget. I don’t understand why it’s happening.

I don’t understand why he pressured us the way he did.

I don’t understand where the threat is that’s pressuring him or why someone would do that. ”

“Did Bridget have any good ideas?” Viktor asked.

“You did say she was the one with the legal and financial or business knowledge, who could help better pinpoint where our threat was coming from. You even mentioned she’d likely have a plan to neutralize that threat in a more acceptable way than tying people up into a pretzel. ”

Ant chuckled. The medical examiner’s office couldn’t work out how Viktor had tied Mike and Colin Banks together the way he did.

Apparently, it took a long time to get the two bodies separated.

While Ant didn’t approve of violence most times, in that case and in his mind, the punishment fit the crime.

He had even received an email from the Mage Academy asking if he and Viktor could go in once classes were in session, so Viktor could show his process with life-sized dummies.

But that didn’t help their current predicament.

“Is it possible we’re looking at this from the wrong direction?

” Ant was still thinking about Captain Bains.

“Is it possible that it was the captain himself who just didn’t want you around for whatever reason.

He seemed really keen on my staying to work for the police.

He just wanted me to work alone, the way I had before you and I had claimed each other. ”

“I didn’t pick up anything from the captain that suggested that he was prejudiced against vampires, paranormals, or mates,” Viktor said, clearly thinking about it.

“He also said himself that he was under pressure from other parties to separate us. He just didn’t say who those people were. But anything is possible.

“However, I think it’s more important to consider that you and I need to be more open about talking among ourselves about those feelings we both try to hide.

For example, I wasn’t aware that if I get physically hurt, that you would feel physical pain through our bond.

I also wasn’t aware that my - what I thought was suppressed energies and I was doing my best to suppress them - was also impacting your ability to trust your instincts and your magic.

Neither one of those situations is ideal for either one of us, particularly if we are under threat again. ”

“I guess that means we have to talk about our feelings more often, even though neither one of us is comfortable doing that.” Ant smiled to show he was teasing, looked at his empty coffee cup, and then up at the clock on the wall.

“Are we going to wait the next fifteen minutes to see if Carmine turns up?”

Looking over Ant’s shoulder, Viktor glanced out the front window of the restaurant.

“I think you’ll find he’s already here. I’m sure I recognize that black town car.

From memory, Carmine was always the impatient sort, and arriving early, when he thinks we might still be eating, would be another subtle way he thinks he can exert his control.

Did you want to have our meeting here?” He indicated the half-empty restaurant.

Most of the lunch crowd had already headed back to work.

Ant shrugged. “I don’t want him in my office because Bridget is there. And I don’t want him at our home because he would seriously mess up the vibes of our private space. So, here’s as good a place as any. He’s not likely to start a scene or be violent, is he?”

Viktor shook his head. “No. I imagine the Carmine we’re going to meet today will be the same charming, definitely pushy personage you probably met when he was dating Bridget.”

Ant vividly remembered that night. Bridget had been more than a little upset over how she’d been deceived.

Carmine was a very persuasive and very attractive man.

Ant beckoned to the waiter who was over by the counter.

“Can we have another coffee order, please?” he asked.

“It looks like we might be here for a little while longer.”

He could feel his magic bristle, and Able sat up under the table, resting his head on Ant’s knee, as Carmine and two of his bodyguards came in and strode over to the table.