“Cheers,” Reed said, grinning and raising his glass. He didn’t look especially surprised by the admission.
The detective clinked it, looking a little miserable. “Cheers.”
Reed downed his whiskey in one gulp. Harris followed suit.
“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” Reed said, setting the empty glasses on the table next to them. He took Harris’s hand, surprise flashing across the detective’s face. “And I wouldn’t mind it if you shared some of those firsts with me.”
With that, he led Harris to the dance floor.
Eli and I watched, both equally bemused by what had just happened. My mate met my gaze, his dark eyes dancing with mischief.Do you think—
I caught the shape of his thoughts through the bond and shrugged. “Thierry said that Poppy’s fated-mate spell would eventually spread through the pack, the same way it spread through our bloodline. So… maybe? Or perhaps it’s just ordinary attraction. That happens now and again as well.”
Eli snorted. “There was nothing ordinary about that interaction. Harris didn’t even notice us. And you’re basically his best friend.”
“Well, he’s certainly mine,” I said, watching with fondness. Reed was a surprisingly good dancer, and Harris kept up with him beat for beat. Reed’s eyes widened in surprise—perhaps at Harris’s rhythm—and he grinned, saying something I couldn’t catch. The detective chuckled and grinned back. “Huh. Interesting. They might actually make a cute couple.”
Eli’s eyes were dancing when I turned back to him. “You never know,” he said. “Life is full of surprises.”
“True,” I confirmed. “Life is full of surprises, indeed.”
* * *
“You’re Cole,” a burly, silver-eyed vampire said, flashing me a wide smile as he approached. A thinner vampire with dark hair,dark eyes, and pale brown skin followed beside him. “We’ve heard a lot about you.”
“All good things, I’m sure,” I said, arching a brow.
“Holy shit,” the silver-eyed vampire laughed. “You look just like him. Down to the mannerisms.”
“And you are?”
“Oh, right. I’m Michael.”
I found myself grinning. “You’re Thierry’s progeny.”
“Guilty,” Michael said, beaming back at me. He nodded to the dark-haired vampire beside him. “This is Danny, my mate.”
“You guys were the hunters, right?” Eli asked. “I’m Eli, by the way.”
“Yeah, we were,” Danny replied. “We still are, sometimes. Whenever something really bad pops up. You’re an old soul?”
Eli nodded. “I’m still remembering—but according to what everyone tells me, it takes a while for all the memories to come back.”
“I’ll bet. What’s your oldest memory?”
Eli bit his lower lip. “Um… it was a long time ago. I was a hunter for my tribe. We all lived in a cave and wore animal skins.” He shrugged. “It was a pretty uneventful life, to be honest. Not a bad one, I guess. Though running water and takeout is better than bathing in a river and having your food try to kill you. I’m not sure how long ago it was, but it was way before calendars existed.”
“That’s incredible,” Danny breathed, shaking his head. “So, I guess that means you’re probably the oldest person here.”
“He certainly robbed the cradle with me,” I said with a grin. “I’m only eight centuries old, after all.”
“You know that I didn’t have many other lives. Only a few,” Eli said softly, meeting my gaze. “That changed the day we first met. After France, I kept coming back, over and over.”
Silently, he added,I was coming back for you. I can’t prove that, but I know it’s true.
“Are you guys enjoying the wedding?” Danny asked.
“It’s my first,” Eli and I said at the exact same time.
