“Spell?” I asked helplessly. “What spell?”
“Oh, the fated mates spell,” Cole said, his voice rising slightly as if surprised I didn’t know this already. “I thought I told you about it. I’m sure I did.”
“Gee, it must’ve slipped my mind, what with the ancient, murderous vampire stalking us.”
“I suppose you’re forgiven. Anyway, nearly a year ago, my brother convinced a witch named Poppy to invent a spell to conjure a fated mate on demand. They were thinking it would save vampires who had lost their humanity. Thierry tested it on himself first, being too noble for his own good—a bit foolish, if you ask me, but then that’s always been my brother. He—”
“Focus.”
“Right. The spell ended up being more robust than anyone had planned, and it spread through our bloodline. I’m not complaining, of course. It’s probably why I met Eli when I did.”
I tried to focus on the details so I wouldn’t come apart at the seams. “If it’s going through your bloodline, then how is it affecting Reed’s pack?”
“Well, when Poppy cast it on Thierry, it hit Jeremy as well because he’s Thierry’s mate. It must have also spread through his pack, the same way it spread through our bloodline. Jeremy was alpha at the time. And Reed is the alpha of that pack now. So, I suppose, here we are.”
“Okay, so this is all a spell,” I said, relief crashing through me. “None of it is real.”
“None of what is real?” Cole demanded—always way sharper than basically anyone else I’d ever met. When I didn’t reply after a long pause, he added, “If the spell brought you and Reed together, then you’re really his fated mate. The spell is kind of like a magnet—it only attracts what’s already out there. It doesn’t actually make you two fall in love or anything.”
“Good. I’m not falling in love with anyone.”
“No, of course you’re not,” Cole replied, without missing a beat.
“Okay, so let’s backtrack,” I said, trying to process everything he’d just told me. “This spell is affecting Reed’s pack. And because we’re having the, err… mate dreams”—I forced the words out—“Reed is my—”
Then I broke off, having a hard time finishing the sentence. It sounded completely ridiculous. Impossible.
“That he’s my—”
“Your fated mate,” Cole said, having the audacity to sound exasperated. “He’s the one person destiny has picked out for you. Without him, you’ll never truly be happy again.” Then, with a reproachful tone, he added, “Come now, detective, please do attempt to keep up.”
I let out a jagged-sounding laugh, but my entire world was imploding all around me.
“There’s got to be a rational explanation for this.”
“There is,” he replied pointedly. “And I just explained it.”
“Well, fuck.”
“Hmmm. I suppose it was too much to hope for that you’d end up with a nice vampire boy,” Cole said, sounding wistful. “Or a vampire girl. Whatever.”
“I’m not even sure I’m officially bisexual!” I protested. “And I can’t have a fated mate! Definitely not one who is also a man!”
“I’m fairly certain he’s a werewolf.”
“Cole, come on.”
“Oh, stop your pearl-clutching, detective. First, we already established a long time ago that you experience same-sex attraction, in addition to whatever else you’re game for.”
He was referencing a throwaway conversation we’d had months ago, where he had asked me—randomly, the way he did just about anything—if I had ever been attracted to a man before. And because I had been compelled into honesty at the time, I hadn’t been able to tell him no.
Then he added, “And second, you clearly do have a fated mate. Though, perhaps not for much longer. I might murder him for stringing you along like this.”
“Please don’t,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “Okay. So… the dreams aren’t me being crazy.”
“No. The dreams are supernatural. And very real.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, trying to get caught up. “And Reed… knew about this?”
