"I don't know," I admitted. "But magic isn't going to make Scotty's anemia go away, or make me stop being a vampire. The only way for him to be safe is for us to stay apart."
Mallory groaned and rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up, Malachi."
She grabbed my wrist and dragged me towards my bedroom.
"Unhand me!" I stammered.
"Not until you stop being such a drama queen. I don't even know Scotty but I can tell you that's the opposite of what he wants."
"You haven't even met him. How would you know?"
"A woman knows these things." She released my wrist right in front of my bedroom door. "Now get in there and tell Scotty that you like him."
I wasn't given the chance to say no, since Mallory opened the door and shoved me through it unceremoniously. She did, however, poke her head in for a moment to take a curious look at Scotty.
"You might want to go help your human," Mallory pointed out. "He's laying on the floor."
She was right. Forgetting everything else, I hurried to Scotty.
"Scotty? What happened?" I asked.
His face lit up when he saw me but he made no attempt to get off the floor. "Oh, hey Malachi! Sorry, I was dizzier than I thought. I fell earlier and your carpet was so comfortable that I didn't bother moving." He grinned like he was having the time of his life despite being on the ground. "Did you find that juice box?"
"Yes. Come here so I can help you drink it."
Scotty's cheeks flushed as I carefully pulled his head into my lap. Now that he was somewhat upright, I unpackaged the straw and slipped it into his mouth.
"Drink," I ordered gently.
Scotty's eyelashes fluttered closed as he sipped on the straw. Soon the box was halfway empty. When he was satisfied, he pulled off the straw with a content sigh. Then he started chuckling.
"Kind of ironic, isn't it?" he asked. "You're the one who’s a vampire, but I'm the one drinking red liquid. I love fruit punch, by the way. How’d you know it's my favourite?"
I smiled, glad I got it right. "I had a feeling."
Scotty took another sip before asking, "who was that woman just now?"
"My sister, Mallory."
"Aw. I would've liked to meet her properly."
I thought of Mallory's amused expression and how she was probably cackling behind the door.
"She knows we're… Busy," I finished awkwardly. What kind of a weird thing to say was that?
Scotty's cheeks went a deeper shade of pink as he sipped his juice again. The warmth of his body seeped into me. It was a pleasant sensation to have him laying on top of my legs. I craved more contact like this. I didn't just want him to lay in my lap. I wanted skin-to-skin contact. I wanted Scotty naked on top of me, beneath me, all over me.
I was suddenly painfully aware of the erection I'd sported for hell knew how long. Not only that, but my bloodlust flared up, too. Being this close to Scotty was a blessing, but it was also torture.
Was it like this for all fated mates? Was this normal?
"… Malachi?" Scotty asked quietly.
"Yes?"
"I have a confession to make."
"What is it?"
