The scowl she’d worn as she exited Magus House gave way to a smile that nearly took me off my feet.
“Hey, Triple D, you bring one for me?” her roommate, Shadrie, quipped. I chuckled and handed the ice mage the other cup I’d brought.
Bechora moved to my side, listing closer as we made our way to the dining hall as if she couldn’t stand to be apart from me. I reached out and tucked her beneath my arm, practically purring when she didn’t pull away. Part of me hoped it meant she was finally overcoming her hangups about our mating, but I wasn’t going to press the issue.
“Are you prepared for our human studies group meeting this evening?” I asked.
She jerked, her steps hesitating. “What meeting?”
“It would seem the Fae male has decided it is time for our group to meet and proceed with our assignment. Did you not get the message?”
“No, I didn’t.” She scowled. “I planned on spending time in the library today.”
“Ah, well, there should still be time for that. He is demanding we gather in his dormitory an hour after dinner.”
“Fucking Vallynn,” she grumbled as we stepped into the dining hall.
I led her to our usual table and helped her into her seat before making my way through the buffet lines to bring herbreakfast. By the time I’d returned to the table, her friend Miles had joined our little group, and he was discussing some list with Bechora and Shadrie. To my pleasure, my mate didn’t argue when I set her plate before her, choosing to graze from it as she continued her conversation.
After breakfast, I walked Bechora to her first class and then went in search of Gabriel Dreadgrave. My mate had refused to tell me who’d left a mating mark on her neck, but the academy was rife with rumors claiming Dreadgrave enthralled her. I’d made it my mission to seek him out and demand the truth; only then would I decide how to respond. I found him tucked away in the library, scowling over a worn-out text.
“I’ve been looking for you, Dreadgrave,” I spoke, causing him to startle.
Gabriel snapped the book shut, stuffing it onto the shelf behind him. “What do you want, Morningstar?”
“I’m curious why I found your mark on my mate,” I replied.
The vampire froze, his back going stiff for just a second before he turned to face me. “Where did you hear that?”
“You don’t deny it?” I asked, causing Gabriel to hiss. “I see. In that case, it seems we have much to discuss, starting with taking our mate’s choice away from her.”
“We have nothing to talk about, Morningstar. As soon as I figure out how, I’m breaking this fucking bond. I don’t want your mate.”
If he’d hoped to hide the pain that flashed across his face with his denial, he’d done a poor job. Gabriel’s words may have denied our mate, but he clearly wanted her. “What’s done cannot be undone.”
“Bullshit. My brother is looking into it; he’ll find a way to undo this because it was a fucking mistake. The vows weren’t said; this bond is an abomination that shouldn’t exist.”
“You know nothing of your own history, do you?” I asked, shaking my head. “Before your clan betrayed demon kind, fated bonds were plentiful. All it took was a bite, and you were bound to your fated for eternity.”
“Lies,” he hissed.
I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. While I wasn’t sure what to expect when I found Gabriel and initiated our discussion, his current reaction was the furthest from my mind.
“I know you’re protecting that fucking dud. She probably even put you up to this, but you can tell her I refuse to be bonded to someone like her,” he seethed, his chest heaving as anger poured off him in waves.
His words pushed me to act; my hand gripped his throat as I slammed him against a shelf. “You will not speak of our mate that way, do you understand?”
“Fuck you, Morningstar,” he snarled. “She will never be my mate.”
“If this is how you plan to treat her, then I agree. She will never be yours,” I sighed, releasing my hold and letting him drop to his feet. “I suggest you keep your distance, lest I decide I’ve shown you enough mercy.”
The vampire bared his fangs with a hiss and then sped away. Placing my hands on my hips, I rolled my neck to release the tension of our encounter and noticed the spine of the book he’d been reading sticking out from the rest. Snagging it from the shelf, I nearly laughed as I realized he’d been reading up on vampire mating bonds. The tome was old, the pages yellowing as I thumbed through them. Two pages were crinkled near the bottom as if someone had gripped the book so tightly it left a mark.
I nearly laughed when I realized Dreadgrave had been reading about the dreams initiated by the vampire mating bite. The vampire mating bond would drive a fated pair to complete it by drawing them together in dreams, and it only happened for fated pairs. Armed with the knowledge of what the vampire had been reading, I was suddenly looking forward to our study group. It was going to be highly entertaining to watch him and our mate navigate it while denying the truth. I couldn’t help but wonder how they’d react with a little nudge.
It was difficult to come up with a plan to tease out Gabriel’s attraction to our mate—a fact I was still ruminating on when I met Bechora at the library to escort her to our study group session.
“You’re awfully quiet there, big guy.” She shifted the pile of books in her arms that she’d refused to let me carry.
