So used to the familiar waking us up with loads of kisses in the morning, in my deep sleep, I forgot we’re in a hotel.
“Wake up, Starlight. I have food for you.” He pats my bottom, and I shove my face into the pillow with a groan before sighing and standing up.
Yawning, I pad over to the desk where he now stands. My eyes widen in shock when I see Valen has procured a feast for me from what looks to be some local diner.
“How did you do all this?” I ask in wonder.
An assortment of pastries, a breakfast bagel sandwich,hashbrowns, and coffee sit before me. Steam rises from the drink, and gently picking up the sandwich, I find it’s still hot.
“I spotted the establishment across the street when we arrived last night. I know you’re not a morning human, but figured this would soften the blow,” Valen says with ease.
I take a bite of the bagel and moan loudly at the delicious burst of flavor. Setting it down, I pick up the Styrofoam cup and chug some of the coffee in the hopes that it will energize me.
“How the hell did I land you?” I cry, feeling especially grateful. “You’re so fucking good to me.” Stepping close to Valen, I wrap my arms around his trim waist and bury my face in his chest.
He smells of his natural scent mixed with the crisp air and morning dew. His arms come around me and pull me closer.
Pulling back, I see a small spot of crimson bleeding into the hem of his navy shirt. Fingering the edge, I confirm my suspicion.
“You had to use your backup blood bag?” I ask with worry. “Are you okay?”
Valen sighs and pulls away from me, making me frown. “It would seem our escapades last night, while welcomed, resulted in my system running through the blood I drank before we left.” He awkwardly shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “The longer mates are in close proximity and resist the bond, the more frequently vampires will need to drink blood. It’s our inner beasts pushing us to claim our mate.” I bite my lip in worry, and Valen smiles softly. “Please don’t worry about me, Ava. I’m okay and don’t want you to feel pressured.”
An uncomfortable silence hangs in the air, and I stuff my face with a pastry because I don’t know what to say. Now that Valen and I are getting more serious and mutually deciding to progress our relationship, it’s the natural thing to talk about sealing the mate bond. The longer we drag it on, the more it willhurt Valen, and as the person who wants to look out for him, what a hypocritical thing for me to do.
“I’m going to make sure the car has a full tank of gas so we do not waste time.” Valen gathers up the car key and puts his boots on. “I’ll be back.”
I mutter a soft okay and hear the door click shut. Deflating into the desk chair, I try not to worry too much about what just happened and eat my breakfast. After I finish, I go about packing all my stuff and getting ready for the day.
Curling my pink hair, I let the soft waves fall around my shoulders. I keep my makeup natural and dress in a white top, jeans, and a brown flannel. My knee-high boots complete the look. Satisfied with my appearance, I double check that we haven’t left anything in the room and head down to the lobby.
I’m not on my phone long when dark boots fill my gaze. Scanning upward, I find Valen with a scowl on his face.
“Why did you come down here? I would’ve brought our things so you didn’t have to.” He grabs his bag from my side, and I jump up from my seat.
“Oh, please. We packed so light it wasn’t a big deal. I saved you the trip upstairs,” I counter, heading for the car idling out front.
Valen opens the trunk, and we set our bags inside. Sliding into our respective seats, we buckle up. Then he pulls out onto the road. It’s still silent and I don’t like it.
“Are we good?” I ask finally.
“What makes you think we aren’t?” Valen asks, surprised.
I shrug and shrink down a little in my seat. “I don’t know. It feels weird after our conversation. Maybe we should talk about it.”
Valen lays his palm on my upper thigh, and I bite my lip at the surface area it covers. My arousal must spike, because he lets out a small moan but doesn’tcomment.
“Do you want to seal the mate bond?” I ask and feel him squeeze my leg slightly.
“Of course I do,” Valen responds quickly. “In theory,” he adds quietly. I wait for him to continue, letting him mull over his thoughts. “While I was held captive, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I thought I was going to die in there. Time marched on for so long I lost count of the years. Hunger clawed constantly at my throat, my body ached in ways I didn’t think possible, and I begged for the maker to take me.” My eyes water at the visual he paints. I’d heard some of it from Celine, but it was different hearing it from him. “I was an angel before they cast me out as a vampire. I hadn’t given much thought to finding my mate as a vampire and it became obsolete after my capture and so many years of being held.” His eyes glaze over as he drives like he’s remembering the hell he experienced.
I grab his hand off my leg and turn it over to slot mine into, wanting to ground him, to remind him he’s here. Valen shoots me a grateful glance and continues.
“I am trying to find my way in this new world and experience life as a free man … vampire,” he corrects. “I’ve said it before that I’m broken, Ava, and as much as I want you, I want to be sure it’s what you want too. We haven’t talked much about it, but I don’t want you to feel forced into this relationship. Yes, the bond can be pushy, but it doesn’t force us to like each other. I know you’re also finding your way after your break-up, and then a bomb was dropped on you when you discovered you’re a witch. We both have much to explore, and sealing the mate bond feels like the last priority in this moment. A little hunger and discomfort won’t kill me now.”
His explanation makes sense, and part of me appreciates how thoughtful he’s being of not only himself, but of me. Another part is hurt that he’d allow himself to suffer at the hand of the mate bond and not come to me about it.
“I hear everything you’re saying, and I don’t disagree, but I hate that you’re in pain because of this. It seems like the vampire in the bond feels the effects more than the human, or in this case, the witch.” Still fucking weird to say. “Once we sort my powers out, we’ll sit down and have a real conversation about where things are headed, okay?”
