I blinked at him. “That’s conflicting advice.”
“How so?”
“How can I tell her that she’s the only one for me, the magical mate of the universe, andnotsuffocate her with that declaration?”
Sebastian stroked his beard. “Ah, I see. You’re right there.” He lowered his hand. “I don’t know. I screwed up, had to fight a demon, and almost drowned.” His lips spread wide. “It was all worth it in the end.”
“When we’re in bed, I feel this thunderous urge to bite her.”
Sebastian and Diego exchanged a glance.
Diego snorted. “Welcome to the club.”
“I get it for you,” I said. “You’re a vampire. That’s part of your daily existence. But I’m not used to this.”
“I get it.” Sebastian exhaled. “I fight that urge often. Gianna needs time before she will agree to let me mark her as my mate.” He groaned. “Sometimes it’s hard, so achingly hard…”
“Great.” I ran my hand through my hair. “So, this urge will linger? And if she doesn’t want to be my mate, it sounds like I’m screwed.”
Diego gave me a sage nod. “Royally and with sprinkles on top.”
After I worked that night,I came home, unsure what to do with myself. Zoe wasn’t at the club, and she wasn’t here. We’d spent so much time together lately, it was strange not to be near her. I missed her.
Shadow jumped up on the sofa and nudged my hand until I rubbed his chin and face.
“You like her, don’t you?” I asked him.
I didn’t specify Zoe’s name, but he stared at me from his intelligent green eyes as if he understood.
We hung out and watched a rerun ofThe Office.Michael was being his usual awkward self as he tried to joke with Holly. When she flirted back in the same dorky way, I laughed. They were perfect for each other.
“Maybe there’s a perfect match out there for everyone,” I said to Shadow.
He didn’t respond, but my dragon did.Right. Mate.
I wouldn’t have believed that until recently, until I met Zoe.
Once the credits rolled, I stood. “Come on, Shadow.” I slapped the side of my thigh. “Let’s go upstairs.”
That was our ritual when I was home. He meowed in reply and leapt off the sofa. He ran up the stairs ahead of me. After I went to the bathroom, I found him waiting for me in my room. He waited as I stripped down to my boxers and climbed under the blankets. Then he jumped up and curled into a ball against my feet, ready for sleep.
He rarely stayed there all night. I kept the door cracked as he’d usually leave at some point to cause chaos, such as redecorating the house with socks. But he often came back in the early morning to sleep some more or demand breakfast. Ah, life with a quirky cat.
Although we’d done this hundreds of times, something was missing tonight—a woman who was there that morning. Could I really want her here so much after just two nights?
I didn’t even have to search my feelings because they rang through as clear as a full moon during a cloudless night.
Absolutely.
Chapter 13
Zoe
“How were your days off?” Pandora asked while I filled up my coffee in the Network’s kitchen the next morning.
Unforgettable. Magical. “Fine,” I responded. “You were right. It was good to get some time off.”
“Did you spend any of it with Lucas?”
