“I don’t think so.He made a promise, and he’ll keep it no matter how it makes him feel about taking another life.”She said that she felt sorry for him for making such a promise.“I do as well.Like I said, he’s a good man and is only doing this because of a promise.And vampires hold onto promises like they do their mates.Very true to them both.”
She decided that she was going to keep an eye out for the other vampire.She would tell him who she was and where she was staying.Perhaps when he did his duty to the other man, she would be far enough away that she’d not see it.The thought of beheading a man scared her, and she wanted nothing to do with it.Nor the two men involved.
Chapter 3
Sirous woke up bright and early the morning he was going to have his life ended.He had so many memories to take him to the afterlife that he hoped there would be someone there that he could share them with.If not, he could hold them next to his heart and be happy with the time that he’d had with them all.
He was especially sad to miss Calla.She never really warmed up to him, but she did tell him that her heart was going to be broken enough, and getting to know him was going to hurt her more.She had a wonderful heart, and he hated breaking it for her, but he knew that this was the way to go.He was going to end his life, and that would be better for all those around him.He looked at Yosef and asked him if he was still going to do it for him.
“I said that I would, and I won’t break my promise this late in the game.I’ve about given up hope of you finding your mate, but there is still time.She might well be out there waiting for you and your demise to save you.”He said that he hoped not.He would hate to leave her this early in their relationship.“I told you before.If you met her, I’m not going to end your life.You deserve happiness, and I shall laugh my ass off when she comes around the corner just as I’m about to do the deed.Mayhap she’ll have a sister and we can bring in the day with a lot of sex and fun.”
“It is only a few hours until we meet in the field.She would have to be right there when we’re together before I could meet her.Nay, she’s not going to find me in time.I know this as well as you do.”He thought of having a mate at this late time in his life and shivered.“She would drive me to distraction, and we both know it.I’m too set in my ways for me to meet someone today.She would stake me in the heart, not that it would do her much good, but she might even remove my head for me, and then you’d be out of a job.”
“I’d gladly give it to her, too.”He asked him if he was all right.“Nay, I am not.To end your life is like ending a part of my own life.I do not want to do this, and I must have been very high on life when I agreed to do this for you.Either that or you tricked me.You have always been a trickster since we were small boys staying at the Smith’s home.”
“Aye, I was.It was a good time tricking you into doing things that you didn’t wish to do.But we were just celebrating the mating of a good friend of ours when I made the pack with you.You said you’d do it if I hadn’t found my mate in a thousand years.It’s been nearly double that, and I’m still not looking for her.”He asked him how long he had wished to die.“Long before the sun would no longer kill me.And it had been difficult not to greet the sun daily after that night.I’ve had a long life, as long as the others, but I know when I’ve had enough.”
“I hate to see you go.Even if I wasn’t doing the deed, I would hate to have you die.You’ve been a good friend all these years, and I’m sad that you have had such a horrible life that you wish to end it.”He told him he’d had a good life, but it was too much anymore.“Too much?How can you say that when Brew has found his mate?I just know that she’s out there and will save the day today.I have to believe that or what I’m doing hurts me too much.”
They talked about anything but the impending death of himself.He remembered such good times with Yosef and wished at times there could be more.But just this morning, when he woke, he could feel the heavy weight of his life pulling him down.He’d seen many things in his life and had done just as many.Now it was time to put it all to rest.
At noon, Calla came to find him.She’d been asking him questions about his life since the second day that he’d met her.She still held him at a distance, and he didn’t blame her.She had a tender heart, and what he was doing was going to break it for her.He only hoped that someday she’d forgive him and let him have peace with what he was planning.
At two in the afternoon, when all the others were resting, he and Yosef headed to the woods.He seemed to be looking for someone or something, and he ignored him for the most part.The woods were devoid of people this time of day, and that was the way that he wanted it.To have no witnesses to his demise.
“Are you ready?”His voice sounded loud in the afternoon sunlight.He asked him why he was yelling, and all he did was shrug.They’d found a stump that they could use for the beheading, and he knelt down in front of it.Just as he was ready to lay his head on the large wooden dais, he heard a noise that caused him to pause.“’Tis nothing but the wind.Go on.I’d like to get this over with before I change my mind again.This is not how I envision spending my final day with you.”
He heard the noise again and turned to look for it.It was something like breaking twigs—his hearing being the best of the six of them, and he couldn’t see anything.Laying his head on the stump, he closed his eyes.Telling Yosef that he was ready, he relaxed his body to the point of being ready to sleep when he felt something touch him from behind.
“Don’t move.”He said that he wouldn’t and waited for the person to say something more.“You can’t be serious about letting this man end your life.”
“I am.If you’d like a front row seat, then go ahead, but he’s made a promise and I will hold him to it.”She said that no one was going to die today.“But you see, he’s made a promise and—” He turned to look at her.“You’ve a gun.Not that it’ll do you any good to use on me.Had that worked, we wouldn’t be here like we are today.Go away with yourself.This is what I want.”
“Well, you’re not going to be messing up my woods with your blood all over the place.”He explained that he’d be ash when and if Yosef did it right.He looked over at his friend, who was laughing.“Go someplace else and do this then.There are plenty of other places around here that can be used…what are you doing now?”
He stood up.“This can’t be happening to me.”He leaned into the beautiful woman and sniffed hard at her throat.The temptation to taste her there was too great, and he licked the pulse there until he was pushed away.He looked at Yosef.“This is a trick of yours, isn’t it.Tell me that you’ve somehow made it so that she smells like my mate, and I’ll not be angry.I promise that I won’t.”
“I did nothing but befriend a young woman hiding out in the woods you picked.I told her that we’d be here today and had her come and stop you.As for her being your mate, I had no idea that would happen, though I have to admit that it’s the best news that I’ve heard all my considerable life.”He was still laughing, and he wanted to go over and use the sword on him.“Gives me hope that my own mate is out there someplace.This couldn’t have come at a better time, admit it.She’s your mate, and you can no longer go through with this deadly demand of yours.”
“What makes you think she’s my mate?”He said that he’d told him so.“No.I was mistaken.She’s just a beautiful young woman who just so happens to be annoying me at the moment.Let’s get on with this, and she can watch if she so wishes, but I demand my promise.I don’t want a mate.”
“Yet she stands before you.And she’s having a rough time of it, too.Hiding out here in the pack woods from her mother.She’s told me all about it.And what she’s not told me, I’ve found out for myself.You have a mate, Sirous, and I, for one, would like to congratulate you on your find.May the two of you be as happy as you can be.”
“I do not want a mate.”He nearly stomped his foot, and that would have set Yosef off again.All the young woman was doing was staring at him, and he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her.Damn it all to fuck and back, this wasn’t fair.He didn’t want a mate.He had his own things to worry about, other than a young human mate that would more than likely irritate him for the rest of his days.“Why are you hiding in the woods?There have to be better accommodations than sleeping out in the open here.”
“I’m hiding.You don’t pay attention very well, do you?And what makes you think that I want a mate in you?I’m assuming that you’re a vampire of considerable age.Is that the way you all dress in your time period?Who wears all black all the time?And you could get rid of that look on your face, too.I’m not any happier than you are about this shit.”He didn’t know whether to strangle her or feedfrom her.He’d not fed when he needed to, so that he’d be weaker when the time came for Yosef to kill him.Now all he could think about was feeding from the beautiful woman—
“What’s your name?”She told him her name was Tabitha Williams, but everyone called her ‘Tabby’.Then she asked who he was.“Sirous Smith.And I shant call you Tabby.Your name is beautiful, and I shall call you by your given name.”He scrubbed his hand over his face and looked at her again.“We’re in trouble here.I need to feed, and with that comes the idea that I want to fuck you too.”
He was hoping to shock her, but she only pointed the gun at his head.He could almost wish that she’d pull the trigger; he was so confused as to what to do now.She was here.His mate after all these centuries, and he didn’t have any idea what he was supposed to do about it.If he took her back to Brew’s house, where he was staying, there would be no end to the teasing that he was going to get.And they’d be hard on him, too.All he’d wanted to do was to end his life, and now he had a mate for all time.Life sucked right now, and he was going to make sure that she knew that he had no use for one such as herself.
“I’ll take care of you and make sure that you’re safe, but I’m not going to fall in love with you.”She said she didn’t want anything from him.“Well, that’s too bad.You’re here now, and that’s the way it goes.If you didn’t want to find me, you should have stayed away.Now we’re stuck with each other for all time, and there is nothing either of us can do about it.”
“I can just leave you.”She looked ready to bolt, and he put his hand on the gun she had.“Take it.Perhaps it would be a better way for you to go than to have someone remove your head.”He explained to her about why he was having his head removed.
“So you see, now that Yosef isn’t going to do the deed for me—after years and years of promises, you’ll have to abide by my rules and live out your life with me.”She turned on her heel and headed deeper into the woods.He was fine with that.He needed to think and couldn’t do that with her standing around smelling like fresh flowers and sunshine.“Damn it all to fuck and back, I do not want a mate.”
“Then turn her over to her mother.”He looked at his friend.“She’ll gladly kill her off for you.Because the first time she asks her to use her magic for her and Tabby refuses, she’s going to kill her.All you need to do is find the woman in town looking for her, and you won’t have a mate anymore.”
