Page 7 of Worse Fates (Soulmates Suck #1)

His name is Golden.

It’s funny, how unoriginal fate appears to be. Or maybe she simply wishes I’d finally take note and make this one into a vampire, tired of bringing my soulmate back.

I carry his small unconscious body to the plush king-sized bed and lie him gently on the mattress. The only thing I remove is his scuffed boots before draping a white cover over him.

My soulmate, so much has happened to him today and it was simply all too much after Rurik’s bite. Everytime I reencounter my love the experience is …overwhelming.

I kneel beside him, laying my head on the same pillow. His face is sweetly curved, lips soft and dusty-rose. Eyes at a slight tilt, lashes thick and eyebrows full. As always, I’m drawn to him; a flower to sunlight, parched soil to rain. A source of life for my soul.

However, he's a whirling storm. I’m not sure yet if he needs help to quell it, or feed it. It doesn’t matter to me.

I twine one of his curls around my finger.

I will be whatever he needs.

Already the apathy is slipping away.

I can’t remember the last time my heart was filled with lightness and not bogged down by the dullness immortality brings.

Once he knows we’re soulmates I can fully live again by his side. His love, in whatever form, will be a gift and one I’ll return tenfold.

How I want to pull myself next to him, whisper words of love and comfort.

Then find out who this Jace person is and remove him from the earth.

But now isn’t the time.

I let go of his curl and stand back, allowing myself that single touch and nothing more until he requests it. His lust for me was obvious, but so was the way he pushed me away.

I tilt my head towards the heavy oak door. There is no noise, but the faintest shift signalling a presence.

With one last adoring glance at my mate, I ensure he’s safely tucked in, then step into the hallway.

The second the door clicks shut, I feel our separation, it’s as if fate’s string is tied to my middle and tugging me back to where I belong.

But I ignore my instincts and find my brothers, Rurik and Ramy, in the large living room decorated in inviting, but boring, colours.

Instead of sitting on either the cream-coloured sofa, or matching armchair, they whisper beside it with the lights off, both tense.

They silence when they catch sight of me.

Rurik’s shoulders are bunched.

“Luc. You’re mate.”

He curses himself.

“I had no idea.”

“He’s weak but mostly unharmed.”

I clap him on the back.

“If he’d been hurt more you’d be dead by now.”

I can’t imagine Rurik not by my side, but for my mate I would tear the world asunder.

“I would’ve expected nothing else.”

We share a look of mutual understanding; he had a mate once, too. I squeeze his back, showing Rurik my love for him remains unchanged, before dropping my hand and letting loose a deep sigh.

It’s been a very long night.

“How is he?”

Ramy asks. He moves towards the window, moonlight highlighting his features in a sheet of silver.

“A part of him remembers me, of course. There’s always a part. But Golden’s scared and angry. I think he’d rather fight me than love me.”

“Golden?”

Rurik chuckles.

“Francisco with his gold hair. Tristan and his golden eyes. Samuel with that gold crucifix he’d never part with. And now your mate is simply Golden.”

I laugh in agreement.

“Fate has picked a theme for me, that’s for sure.”

Sobering, I change the subject of conversation to the real reason they’re both here.

“We need to talk about Vidar.”

“I moved him to the farm house while you dealt with this,”

Ramy says, his voice far away.

“How did our Maker treat you?” I ask.

Ramy says nothing, his gaze lost to the distance. A heavy deep-blue curtain leisurely waves in the breeze drifting from the open window, obscuring him.

“Maybe I should finally kill him,”

I say, frustrated.

Rurik moves closer to Ramy, offering him his silent comfort.

“If you’d been a second slower, Luc, I would’ve killed Golden because of him.”

The thought is too offensive to linger on.

Golden would sooner flip me off than beg for his life, but in the dark bedroom he was vulnerable. Speaking my name as if it was a secret treasure he didn’t know how to unlock yet.

“Guarding him from all harm is my focus. Vidar—”

I spit his name, “—is not.”

Ramy shifts, looking away.

“You want to defend him, Ramy?” I demand.

His eyes close for a second, then he looks over his shoulder to meet my gaze, full of too many regrets and longings.

“I don’t.”

His voice is unwavering, but quiet.

“If you have to take your revenge, I understand. But let me mourn him.”

Rurik’s fingers tangle in Ramy’s hair, pulling his face up to meet his pale blue eyes.

“You’ve never met the real Vidar, Ramy. The man you’ve known in your short ten years as a vampire is a defeated one.”

Ramy matches Rurik’s hard, but loving, stare. But our youngest pulls himself away, his black hair slipping free like water as he turns his attention back to the window.

“That defeated man is all I’ve known, and his love might be…difficult, at times,”

Ramy replies softly.

“But he’s my Maker, our Maker. So, kill him if you have to, but allow me my feelings.”

Rurik and I watch Ramy, my regret a fist in my chest. Could I even really do it?

“There is no line I wouldn’t cross for Golden.”

Rurik opens his mouth to say something, but I hear movement in the other room. Within a second I’m pushing the door open, finding Golden shoving his foot into his boot.

“So, thanks for saving me, dude.”

When his boot is secured, he punches both fists onto his hips. Making himself bigger and taking up more space. This is no shy flower I’m dealing with.

“But I’ve gotta go.”

He raises an eyebrow, daring me to stop him.

“Can you tell all the ghosts and ghouls to kindly leave me the hell alone? I’ve gotta sell a spooky, possibly cursed, brooch, and all this was not on my agenda today. Or ever — just to make that real clear. Yeah?”

I smile, he’s adorable. I doubt he’d like to know my thoughts, however, so I keep them to myself.

“Of course. But let me put your mind at ease, I promise you, the brooch isn’t cursed.”

I’m not sure what brooch he’s talking about, but I know mages and magic. The victim of a curse is well aware when it's happened.

“That’s good.”

He nods his head with his whole body and bounces on the balls of his feet.

“I really wanted to get some good coin for this thing, and now that I know rubies are rarer than diamonds—so is gold, did ya know? Well now I know that, I plan to make a killing. Not of me, to again make it really clear. I just need to find someone who’ll buy it. A jeweller, maybe. That makes sense, right?”

“What do you plan to do with your riches?”

Golden is a talker, or maybe rambler is more correct. Either way I enjoy it, I can be quiet.

“There’s this burger place that makes triple cheese stuffed veggie burgers. I’m drooling just thinking about it.”

“You don’t eat meat?”

“Only when I have to. Meat has gristle.”

He shudders.

“Even the thought of it makes my stomach turn, so I go for the safer option.”

“And—”

“You said you’re a monster.”

Golden looks me dead in the eye, chin tilted up and so much bravado I could almost ignore his quivering lips.

“I’d never hurt you.”

“One did.”

He touches his bruised neck.

“Who is Jace?”

“What type of monster was it?”

I want to shield him from darkness. But in the short time I’ve known Golden, the truth is how I’ll protect him. He’d run from even gentle lies.

“A vampire.”

Golden doesn’t stop rocking on his heels, but now his teeth sink into his lip. His thoughts run a mile a minute past his eyes.

“There are two things I can do in this situation.”

He holds up two fingers.

“One, say you're crazy, run out of here and never look back. And two is…fucking just accept there are vampires.”

He throws his hands up like it’s simple, but he's exasperated at the whole thing.

I tilt my head towards him.

“What are you leaning towards, Golden?”

“The burger, to be honest,”

he jokes, but then he shuffles his feet, edging away from me.

“It’s a lot to take in, I understand.”

I wish I could know what he’s thinking, or show him my heart so he understands he’s safe with me. Golden’s about to say something, instead shakes his head, closes his eyes then bites his lip all in the span of one blink.

“And you’re a vampire?”

he asks quietly.

“I am.”

He huffs out a long breath, his body deflating.

“I don’t know why I trust you, maybe because you saved me. Why did you save me if you’re a vampire, too?”

he asks suspiciously.

“To hurt you would be a crime,”

I answer honestly.

“So, you protect humans?”

“I protect you.”

I think I’ve spooked him, his eyes darting to each corner as if he’s looking for an escape. So when he asks.

“You're rich, right? Wanna buy me a burger?”

I can’t hide my surprise.

“It’d be my honor.”

Because in truth I thought he’d demand to leave and never see me again.

He snorts, grinning wide as he leans down to grab his backpack.

“So fucking proper. C’mon, don’t forget your wallet, I’m not a cheap date.”

Golden senses our connection, even if he’s more comfortable hiding it behind denial and humor. Once his stomach is full, and his apprehension about me calmed, I’ll explain what we are. I have no doubt my love will be returned. We’re fated, after all.

We leave the room together, Rurik and Ramy already gone. Explaining I know the vampire who hurt him would ruin the strange mood we’ve found.

“Chilly,”

he mumbles, searching for the source of the cold breeze, before whistling low.

“How much does a place like this cost?”

he asks as I lead him towards the elevator, the light is bright inside but I’m glad to see Golden doesn’t flinch.

I sent Rurik to find us the first hotel he could secure a room in, before carrying Golden here.

“I’m not sure,”

I tell him honestly, watching with a small smile while Golden presses his nose into one of the four mirrors surrounding us.

He glances at my reflection, raising an eyebrow, attempting to sniff out any lies.

“Rich people are crazy, I know how much everything I buy costs. How’d you get to be so rich?”

He pushes his curls out the way, getting a better look at the bruise on his neck.

The long column he exposes reveals more of his warm brown skin, heat rises within me as my eyes travel the length.

Hungry, my eyes darken, not for his blood—which would be exquisite— but the taste of his skin.

To feel all that supple flesh under my hands.

The bruise I hate, and even that isn’t ugly on him. But if I could, I would take it and double the pain on me.

“By being a monster,” I reply.

“Huh.”

Is all Golden says as the elevator pings and he struts into the warmly lit reception. He might be shorter than me, but Golden has a long gait and walks fast, large boots hitting the tiled floor like he wants to make his presence known.

Guests dressed in their smart business suits and dresses raise an annoyed eye at him. At first I think he doesn’t notice, but then I notice he’s smirk to himself. Like this is one big joke, and he’s the only one who knows it.

Standing beside Golden is a new experience, he screams ‘like me or hate me, I’m still the one laughing’. While he doesn’t care what these people think, I will not allow any disrespect towards my mate.

Ensuring to walk shoulder to shoulder, I leave no room for misunderstanding, and keep my eyes cold to all but him.

Once we get past the revolving door, he shivers against the chill and tucks his shoulders under his ears. Without a second thought, I shrug off my jacket and drape it over him, happy when he tugs it closer. Already looking warmer.

Golden tilts his head.

“You're weird.”

But he doesn’t remove my jacket as he walks on.