What can I say? I’ve become protective of my familiar. He’s sweet and entertaining.
“Your child?” the red-haired vampire sputters. “Does Ava know about your scandalous love child? That doesn’t bode well for the relationship.” She smacks him on the arm, and Celine shakes her head at our typical antics.
“I’m glad to see you’re okay, Aves.” Celine gives Ava a side hug and pulls her over to sit in the living room. Zavier and I stand off to the side in the kitchen, and I use the time to do what I came here for.
“I need to ask you something,” I whisper to him without taking my eyes off the girls. Pom Pom must have given up on Midnight and struts back into the room to jump up onto Ava’s lap.
“Moi?” Zav smiles, and a devious gleam enters his green eyes. “What business could you possibly have with me, Cupid?” He rubs his hands together with excited glee.
“I thought I told you to stop calling me that,” I hiss. Trying to tamp down the irritation that always seems to rise around him, I relax. “It’s about the mating bond.”
He snaps in my direction. “Better discussed in confidence. Follow me.” I follow him to the bedroom. He goes to close the door, but Celine stopshim.
“What are you doing?” she asks curiously, and Ava quirks a brow too.
“Comparing dick sizes. I told him mine is bigger and he doesn’t believe me.” Zav winks at them and closes the door.
“I cannot with you sometimes.” I shake my head.
We both sit on the bed, and he turns toward me with a gleeful smile. “Fire away. Let Zaddy help you.”
“Zaddy?” I repeat the unfamiliar word.
“It’s like Zav and Daddy smooshed together. That’s me.” He points at himself. “Zaddy.”
I shake my head. “You are … something.”
He shrugs, completely unbothered. “Now go on. Tell me what you need help with.”
“Since the first time I saw Ava, I’ve been struggling to fight the pull. I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. It eats away at me constantly, and I’m reaching the point where drinking blood is not helping. I drain the supply I get from Luna in record time and the hunger claws at me.” I pause to take a breath and gather myself. “Every little thing she does is a temptation, and I have to fight my body not to mark her as mine. Especially at night when we’re alone in bed together. I don’t want to force Ava into bonding prematurely, but I fear I may not last much longer, and I don’t want to hurt her.” I run a hand through my hair and feel the strands fall back into place once I’m done. My worries pour out of me now that I finally have someone to talk to about it.
In a rare moment of seriousness, Zavier pats me on the shoulder and cracks no jokes. “I get it. I was in the same boat with Celine, and much like you I didn’t want to force her into bonding.” That news is surprising to me, because I have a hard time picturing the chaotic vampire being patient. “You have to be careful, especially with humans, since it isn’t in their nature.Nothing supernatural is natural to them and even though Ava is a witch, she’s thought she was human all this time, so in a lot of ways, she might as well be.” He readjusts how he’s sitting and leans back against the headboard. “Vampires, immortality, mate bonds—it’s all foreign, and the last thing you want is them to blame your attraction or love on the bond. From everything I’ve seen, you’ve respected her boundaries, and dare I say you’re both itching for more?” Midnight hops up onto the bed and curls up in a ball beside Zav, who smiles down at him.
“What do you mean?” I tilt my head.
“Seriously?” Zav gives a bland expression. “The sexual tension has overfloweth. I’m surprised you two aren’t fucking like bunnies with it simmering between you. Just talk to Ava and tell her everything you’re telling me. It’s better to be honest with her, I learned that firsthand with Celine. Secrets between mates are never a good thing.”
I watch Midnight’s tail as it twitches lazily in his sleep, envying how peacefully he dreams.
“Perhaps you are correct, Zavier.” I pat his arm. “Thank you for the assistance.”
He nods. “No problem. Just name your firstborn after me and we’re even.” He winks and I sigh. I should have known he’d have some sort of comeback.
Going back out to join the girls, we find them sitting next to each other on the couch, sharing a blanket and a bowl of popcorn. It looks like Ava has mixed M&M’s in to add the pop of sweetness she loves.
“So, who’s bigger?” Celine asks in a joking tone as we sit next to our respective mates. Ava hits me with a blinding smile that stops my heart, and Zavier pulls Celine to his side.
“That’s one secret I’ll never tell,” he replies, nuzzling her throat. He play-bites her until she dissolves into giggles.Pom Pom barks at the noise, and I shush him until he lies between Ava and me.
“That means Valen’s bigger,” Celine whispers to Ava with a laugh.
“Please, stop,” Ava says before throwing a piece of popcorn into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully. To Zavier, she adds, “I still can’t believe you stole my best friend. She doesn’t even work with me anymore, so you get to hog her all the time.”
“I’m hard to resist. Plus, she can’t get rid of me,” Zavier goads, eyes shining with humor.
“Like gonorrhea,” Ava replies like they’re bickering siblings.
Steering the ship back on course, I intervene. “Did Ava tell you about what happened to Detective Waters?”
