Devour

by Andrea Heltsley

  “We are aware and very excited to do this,” I say as I smile at Cody with more love and respect than I thought I could muster up for another person, especially after such a short amount of time. I mean, I have known him forever, just not like this.

  “I agree. We’re ready,” Cody adds.

  “Fair enough, let me get the tools and we’ll get started. Face the chairs toward each other while I’m gathering supplies and ensuring our privacy. This is a very sacred ritual.”

  We do as we’re told and I squeeze both of Cody’s hands in excitement. He takes advantage of the situation and leans forward for a quick kiss. It reminds me why I am here and I become more excited, if it’s even possible.

  Soon, Lord Dominique returns, setting various things on the desk. Then he goes to task preparing us. He ties our left hands together with silver infused rope to test our sincerity. It hurts like hell, but I know it has to stay on until the completion of the ritual. We are able to heal quickly, so it’s just the pain we have to endure.

  Then, on our right hands, he must give us the mating seal. He heats the seal up with a flame and then dips it into the red ink. I am to go first. I give him my wrist face up and wait for the pain to come. He lines the seal up with the base of my wrist and then stamps it down in one swift motion.

  At first, I want to pull my hand away from the pain. Lord Dominique holds it firmly in place and soon the pain dissipates. When he finally removes the seal, I am left with a family crest. The crest belonging to the vampires is tattooed on my wrist. I am officially a mated member of the community.

  I look up at Cody and grin. He looks back at me with desire and determination. Lord Dominique repeats the process on Cody. He takes it admirably. There was no expression of pain and he remains stoic throughout the entire process.

  Lord Dominique wipes the remaining ink off each of us with an alcohol pad. Now it is time for the words.

  “Cody will go first. Please repeat after me. I, Cody Gregoria, pledge the mate bond to you, Callie Andell. I will go to the ends of the earth, heaven and hell for our love.”

  Cody enthusiastically repeats the words and then it is my turn. “I, Callie Andell, pledge the mate bond to you, Cody Gregoria. I will go to the ends of the earth, heaven and hell for our love.”

  “Great, now repeat after me together. May our houses be forever unified and our love never quantified.”

  We both repeat the promise and wait for the last part of the ritual. “You may kiss your mate-to-be and untie each other’s bonds.”

  Cody’s lips sizzle against mine as I return his kiss. With my right hand, I manage to untie the rope and have it off of him in a matter of seconds. I toss my end to the ground and wait for the rest of mine to be untied.

  My rope comes off just after I fling his end to the floor. Relief settles into me and I deepen the kiss by taking my rope burned hand and wrapping it around Cody’s neck. He does the same and it feels like there is no one else in the world but us.

  “I now pronounce you mates and may the remainder of this process go smoothly for the two of you.”

  The mating is a seven day process. Our bond will grow stronger by the day until we unite on the seventh day, sealing our union. Because of the temptation that comes with the mating process, we have to be chaperoned for any time spent together until the seventh day.

  A mating is a very private affair. We don’t have weddings like humans do. Our bonds are formed in private, making the whole process very intimate and special.

  We stand up and thank Lord Dominique for his help. Then, hand in hand, we exit the room and shut the door behind us.

  Now we have to announce it. It’s already obvious because we just came from the ritual room, but our parents will want to hear it from us never the less.

  “Let’s tell your parents first, then we can bring them over to tell mine,” I say to Cody.

  He leans over and kisses me on the cheek and I beam. Then he tugs me towards the other side of the room where his parents are mingling. When we reach them, hand in hand, all conversation in the vicinity comes to a halt.

  Thankfully, the DJ starts up some pop beat and it covers up our drama. I look up at Mrs. Gregoria and grin like a child. I’m so over-the-moon happy, nothing can ruin this for us.

  “Oh, dear, I see you two have started the mating. I’m so happy for you both. This is definitely a cause for celebration. I can’t imagine it happening to two better people.”

  I let a little breath of relief escape me. I’m so glad Mrs. Gregoria accepts me. I’ll be part of her family after this. Our families will forever be united. I look over at Mr. Gregoria and he pulls me into a hug. I thank him and step back, into Cody’s arms.

  “We still have to tell my parents. Would you guys like to accompany us?” I ask them.

  “It would be our honor. This is simply wonderful news,” Mrs. Gregoria gushes as she proudly follows us across the ballroom and towards my parents.

  My parents are already suspicious that something is up. I can see it in their eyes. However, I can’t help but be thankful for the look of surprise and pure joy that crosses their faces as they see Cody and I, hand in hand.

  Our marks are clearly visible and my mother pulls me from Cody’s grip to fold me into a hug. My Dad pulls Cody forward and shakes his hand.

  “Cody, it’s great to have you in our family. You will be a welcome addition to our part of the royal line.”

  “Thank you, sir. I couldn’t be any happier to have found my true mate.”

  “You guys are true mates? We don’t come across them very often. Are you quite sure?” my mother asks skeptically.

  I wonder if she thought at first that I just picked a mate to make her happy. I will definitely have to rectify that misconception.

  “Yes Mom, we are true mates. I am positive. We even tested our theory and it is in fact correct.”

  Tears begin to form in my mother’s eyes. My Dad has to turn his attention to comforting her.

  “I’m so sorry. I just never thought my daughter would get the chance to experience such a wonderful phenomenon in her lifetime.”

  “I guess it’s time to announce you two. Head upstairs to be called. We all will announce you as a mated couple,” Mr. Gregoria says.

  “Thanks,” I reply and then we quietly slip upstairs to wait.

  Cody can’t keep his hands off of me. He has pulled me in for another kiss and I am helpless against him. I want him more and more each time we kiss. He’s something I never knew I needed but now can’t live without.

  I don’t pull away until I hear our father’s announce us and we have to head downstairs. We walk together down the stairs, hand in hand, a smile plastered to each of our faces.

  “Here is Callie Andell and Cody Gregoria, our first to be mated as a couple during this coming out!”

  We stop at the bottom of the stairs and give the customary first public kiss. Clapping and the sounds of well-wishers ensue. Our kiss is broken yet again by the sounds of Hannah. She is so getting on my nerves.

  “Cody is meant to be my mate! You stole him, Callie Andell!!” she screams out.

  Anger flares up in me, but Cody just squeezes my hand tightly and I try to release some of it. How dare she. Cody is my mate. He is my true mate in every sense of the word.

  “Excuse me everyone, but Hannah here is mistaken. Callie and I aren’t just mates, we’re true mates.”

  Everyone around us gasps. True mates are so rare to find. This should have shut Hannah up, but no. She is a still acting like child in the middle of a temper tantrum who still isn’t getting her way.

  “He’s my true mate, Callie!!!! You stupid cow, I will ruin you. Cody is MINE!!!!” she shrieks.

  Now, I feel the anger roll off of me. She’s bat shit crazy. There’s no other explanation. Cody has grown angry and impatient. He pulls me to him and wraps his arm around my shoulder.

  “Don’t do this to yourself, Hannah. I was never yours to have. I’m sorry if you felt that way, but
it’s Callie. She’s my true mate and I can’t stand the thought of you ever doing anything to harm a hair on her head. Do you understand me, Hannah Monte?” Cody says in a strained voice.

  Finally, someone got her under control. Hannah’s parents grasped her from both sides and guided her out the exit. She won’t be coming back tonight.

  Trying to take some of the negativity back off the spotlight, we kiss again. Cody dips me down in a Hollywood style kiss and I grin at the crowd when we come up for air.

  After our announcement and the crowd settles down, we part from our parents and head out to the dance floor. People are still watching us, but it is with more curiosity than anything. We are true mates.

  A slow song comes on for the “new couple” and Cody pulls me close. I sigh and rest my head on his shoulder. The contact makes me feel warm and fuzzy. I have a buzz humming through my body, leaving me a ball of nerves.

  We are quiet for most of the song, just basking in our newly formed bond. I know this is only the tip of the iceberg and our bond will grow stronger as our seven days culminate in our union. I never realized how alone I really felt until this Moment of warmth and love.

  Cody kisses the top of my head as the song comes to a stop and it is time to break apart. I reluctantly step back and my eyes come up to meet his. I can tell his thoughts are along the same line as mine because his eyes have formed the telltale fluorescent halo around the pupils. I know my violet eyes are bright as well and that our true mate bond is apparent to everyone. The real evidence of our mating.

  I turn and scan the crowd to look for Jane for the. I hear gasping in the crowd and chatter has started all around me. Everyone has recognized our eyes. They know the truth of our mating. We are not only true mates, but royalty as well.

  If our bond gives us offspring, our place in line for the throne will be secured. We have a real chance of ruling our community. That thought sparks excitement in me. I am actually excited about the future, as long as it’s with Cody.

  “What are you looking for Callie?” Cody asks me. vzyl

  “I’m looking for Jane actually. I wasn’t able to tell her the good news earlier before we got announced.”

  We didn’t have to look for long, because as soon as we make our way into the crowd, I’m nearly knocked over. Jane has thrown her arms around me in obvious excitement.

  “I can’t believe this, Callie! Of all the people to possibly mate tonight, I never expected it to be you in a million years. I’m actually jealous. Congratulations!”

  I grin at her excitement. “I still can’t believe it myself. I feel like I am in the middle of a fairy tale. I never thought this would happen to me. He’s my true mate, Jane. I am lucky to have found him. If you and my Mom hadn’t pushed me to try and make tonight happen, I never would have looked at Cody in that way. For that, thank you.”

  “Girl, you are just a lucky bitch. I can’t find a decent man here to save my life. They are all duds. I hope I find a guy when we go to college.” She looks deep in thought and then a sad look crosses over her.

  “You will be mated by then. We won’t be living together. That sucks. What am I going to do now, Callie?”

  Cody steps up and grins at her. “You can always get a place next to ours and see her whenever you want. We haven’t discussed it yet, but we will probably live in the campus apartments at least for the first year. By then, Lana will be there and you can room with her if you haven’t found your mate yet.”

  Leave it to Cody to turn things around on Jane. He is brilliant. I admire that.

  “You know, Cody, you’re smarter than I gave you credit for. It is a great idea. Thanks,” Jane replies.

  “So, Jane, do you want to come and stay on Wednesday? It’s probably going to be the last sleepover we can have for a while. I won’t be hunting on Friday either. The bonding ritual is Saturday and I will need to prepare. Besides, Mom won’t really want me to go now that I have found my mate. It’s kind of disrespectful to Cody.”

  This seems to make Cody happy. He leans over and places a kiss on my cheek. I feel tingles where his lips come in contact with my skin. I smile and Jane giggles.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Nothing, you guys are just so cute together, is all. I really am happy for you both.”

  “I thought you had dibs on that one guy from earlier. What happened?”

  “It turns out Alice was a better fit for him. They have decided to date.”

  “I’m sorry. I know you will find someone soon. You are a total catch and guys will be seeking you out after this, I know it,” I assure her.

  “It’s cool. I still have time before the ball is over. I’m off to flirt with hot guys.”

  As soon as Jane spins around and takes off, Cody pulls me to him and his lips settle on mine. I am grinning, even during the kiss. He pulls my bottom lip in his mouth playfully and I giggle. He’s going to be the death of me. Waiting to be with him until next Saturday will be torture.

  When I finally break the kiss, I search his face for any trace of uncertainty about our mating. I see only joy and excitement, but mostly his adoration of me. I hug him and then pull away.

  “Can you feel the bond developing?” I ask him.

  “Not yet, I just feel the need to touch you all the time. I can’t seem to let you go. It is going to be torture to be away from you after this.”

  “This is all so surreal. I can’t believe how lucky I am. You are amazing, Cody Gregoria.”

  “I think that I’m the lucky one. I have the most beautiful girl and you are all mine. You make me so happy, Callie Andell.”

  I feel my eyes start to glow, but I’m not worried about it this time. Everyone knows Cody’s my true mate and it’s just a symbol of our love for each other. Before I devour him right where we stand, I pull him with me.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To get another drink, if that’s okay. I don’t want to come down off cloud nine just yet.”

  We stop in front of a waiter and Cody pulls two glasses off the tray. He hands one to me and we drink them down. My buzz is coming back and my gaze becomes glassy from all the blood I’ve consumed tonight.

  After we finish our blood, Cody pulls me onto the dance floor. I follow him, giddy with excitement. It’s a fast song and we start off dancing across from each other. Soon though, our pull draws us together and I’m in front of him, dancing against him. He slides his hands down the silk of my dress and I shiver.

  From behind, he kisses the back of my neck until he reaches my ear. He whispers into it and I draw a ragged breath from the sensation. “I could dance with you all night, princess. You have no idea how much you affect me.”

  I did know how much he affected me, though. My whole body is humming in a mixture of pleasure and excitement. My world has been turned upside down in a matter of hours.

  When the song stops, we step off the dance floor for a break. Being that close has me all keyed up. I am about to suggest we step out on the balcony again, but Cody has other ideas.

  “Let’s go say hi to some of my friends from school. I would really like to introduce you to them. I also have to break it to Henry that we won’t be roommates next fall.”

  “Sure,” I say, just happy to go anywhere with him.

  He twines his fingers in mine and I follow him towards a group of guys standing around talking. I’m nervous about their reactions to me. I’m stealing him away from them. Sure he will still see them, but he’ll spend most of his time with me and he won’t be hunting anymore.

  A surge of jealousy spikes through me at the thought of him feeding off random girls. I have to tamp it down and remind myself that I am the only one from this weekend on. Then my heart plummets out of my chest and sinks in my gut.

  I have all but forgotten my little problem. Chase. I suddenly feel the blood drain from my face and am aware of just how serious things are now. I haven’t told Cody and he’s bound to find out soon. I can’t bear to see disappointment on his face. I l
ove him, even though it is so soon.

  Just before we make it to where his friends are, he whirls around and peers at me. Concern lights his face up and I suddenly feel the guilt of keeping something so big from him. I tell myself it is necessary and regain my composure.

  “Callie, are you alright? What’s wrong? I can feel your anxiety. I guess our bond is forming.”

  “It’s nothing. I’m just worried about where we are going to live after Friday. We only have a week to find a place,” I lie.

  “Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of everything. You just concentrate on our mating and how amazing we will be together.”

  I grin, wiping all thoughts of Chase from my mind. I let my blood high creep back in and I can tell Chase feels my relief. Thank goodness he bought my little, white lie. In truth, I really am worried about finding a place, just not to that extent.

  “Okay, let’s go meet my friends.”

  We walk, hand in hand, over to the group and stop just before we reach them. Talking ceases and I can see the guys checking me out. Their eyes are looking at me as if I’m naked. I suddenly feel awkward in this dress. I am mated, and only Cody should feel that way about me.

  Apparently, Cody feels that way too, because he lets out a growl. “Stop undressing my mate with your eyes.”

  “Chill man. I was just seeing who made my roommate so smitten. No offense, Cody,” Henry says.

  “Just keep your eyes to yourself and it will be all good. I plan to keep this one, hence the mate markings. Don’t make things awkward.”

  Henry nodded and Cody turned his focus on the rest of the guys. “The same goes for all of you.” Then he turns to me. “Callie, these are my friends. Henry, Jack, Bennie and Matthew.”

  “It’s wonderful to meet you all.”

  “Sorry about earlier. We just didn’t expect Cody here to land someone so beautiful,” Bennie chimes in.

  A blush begins to creep up into my cheeks at the complement. “I don’t know, I think I’m the lucky one.”