by Ever Coming
“Did I take a lot? No, very little actually.” That probably why I felt so good and none of the fatigue symptoms I had heard of. “You came and then I came before I had much to eat.” I nearly choked on my breakfast at that. I may have spit out a bit of egg, much to Jameson’s amusement. And by may have, I mean I totally did.
“So you’re hungry?” I hadn’t thought of that. Here I was shoveling food into my face at his request and I failed to feed him properly the night before.
“Eat, beautiful. I will get to it. I promise.”
I picked up my toast and made a grand gesture of popping a piece I tore off into my mouth.
“That’s it.”
I should be miffed by the patronizing words, but for some reason his praise, even over something as dumb as eating a piece of toast, had me floating.
“So I took little because it turned out my instincts were right and the binding took over.”
I opened my mouth to speak and he pointed to my food, which I not so begrudgingly ate.
“Most vampires consider binding a lore. I actually don’t know anyone who has found their true bond mate, but they are probably out there.” His voice changed as he spoke and I almost wondered if he was talking to me or working it out in his head at that point. “I know I don’t plan to shout it from the mountains. It would put a bullseye on you if my enemies should appear.”
“Your…” His finger on my lips stopped me. I hadn’t thought of him having enemies. I knew vampires had a whole world I didn’t even begin to know about, but enemies never crossed my mind.
“Eat.” He really needed to save his bossiness for a better time. My guess was that better time would be during the spankings he teased about yesterday because it was becoming clearer by the moment that Mr. Vampire Jameson had turned me into a hormonal freak and we had yet to remove any clothing other than my shoes.
“No, I don’t have enemies, but I didn’t exactly make friends when I saved Bob. I think I destroyed all threats, but as long as you are human, I don’t want to chance it.”
As long as…. It kept playing over and over again in my head. He hadn’t been conversational or misleading last night. He planned to make me one of his, even knowing my stance. “As long as?” I finally let out, my intonation a cross between anger and panic.
“Never fear, beautiful. I heard every one of your dreams and they are now my dreams too.” The man was making no sense and when his hand pushed the hair from my eye, tucking it behind my ear, what little that made sense flew away. “You’ll be human as long as you desire.”
“Thank you.” My sincere thanks was met with a pointed glare to my steak. “I’m eating. I’m eating.”
“As far as the hunger goes, I’m remarkably not.” Once again he seemed to be processing more than talking directly to me. I had a feeling I was one of a very few who saw this side of him. “But if I get hungry I’ll take care of it.”
Heck to the effing no on that one. My jealousy roared at me as I thrust my wrist his way. “Here. You will take care of it here.”
“Possessive little mate.”
I shrugged it off. There was no use denying it.
“I like it. Yes, if I am going to eat from the source it will be only you… or Bob.” He looked to me as if gauging my response to that. Holy cow, did he just ask me if he could drink from my friend? Only, she wasn’t my friend, but kind of was. It was too much to take in all at once. “If you allow, that is.”
“Bob.”
He nodded in confirmation. Yes, it was my Arabella.
“He, you know…lets you drink and stuff.” I couldn’t form the words to ask what I really wanted to know. Was Bob more than just a food source and a friend? I thought back to the picture I had seen of him in all his hot glory and my brain went to some very naughty places. What was wrong with me that the first place I went was not one of jealousy, but one of my new mate kissing my new friend?
“Yes, but no more stuff, as you put it, if you don’t want and if you do want, only with you present.” Holy efffff, he had been reading my thoughts. Was that even a vampire thing? It couldn’t be or I would have heard about it. Maybe it was a mate thing or more likely it was me drooling. What was wrong with me? “Oh my, my, you are full of surprises. You do want—or at least are intrigued.”
“No. Yes. Can we not talk about this?” My words weren’t coming. I might be envisioning them having an intimate encounter, but I so wasn’t ready to discuss it. Not in the slightest.
“Whatever you need.” He kissed my forehead in such a tender sign of affection. Most guys would have been all over the discuss the three-way scenario instead of letting it go. He seemed to understand that it was all barreling at me too quickly. “My Angel, whatever you need.”
He removed the tray, setting it on the nearby nightstand before gently pulling the covers back and offering me his hand. I looked down to see I was no longer dressed in a runway worthy ensemble. The dress looked like it had been pulled from the bottom of a dirty laundry bin that was beyond overflowing. “Now come, I set up a tub for you to soak. We have much to do today.”
That was when reality came rushing back in. Today was the day I would see the possible placement for my sister. Best case scenario, it was perfect. Worst case scenario, I was in the same exact position I was in yesterday only this time, my heart would be breaking as I accepted the courtesan position, with or without Jameson’s approval. I mean, yeah, he ultimately had some say or all say, but I would beg, plead, and whatever else was needed to make sure she was in the best place possible. Cognitively, I knew it would be somewhere in the middle.
I took his proffered hand and climbed off the bed. It was much higher up than I thought it was and I nearly stumbled, embarrassing myself more than my tussled hair and dress already had. As we walked into the adjoining bathroom, the natural light made my eyes squint. The shades of the windows were open wide. I waited for him to pull back, knowing that the light was an issue given his non-human status.
“Wait, why are you awake?” I asked as he gestured to the sink.
“I’m nocturnal by nature, but I can be awake whenever I so choose.” He pointed to a pile containing a towel, a washcloth, and some random toiletries laid out for me. “I’m one of the lucky ones in so many ways. I can be awake at all hours with no drain in energy, I can drink not from the source, and I have a bond mate.” His voice deepened as he said the word mate.
“So does that mean I’ll be the same?” I wasn’t even sure where that came from. I hadn’t even consciously thought about becoming a vampire. I still had so much to do as a human. But out it came.
“You just made me so very happy!” He grabbed me in a hug and twirled me around like a small child. His joy, emanating off of him in droves.
“Because I keep asking questions?”
“No, beautiful, because you just admitted you plan to be with me always.”
He was right, I had. It wasn’t well thought out or pre-planned like my personality normally would have demanded, yet I wouldn’t take it back or second guess myself. He was mine.
“… and to answer your question, most likely since we are bond mates, but since that is mostly conjecture based on ancient lore, we won’t know for sure until we do, so let’s not bite off anymore what ifs today.”
He spoke with such a calming quality that the actual intensity of the words didn’t scare me the way they normally would. I was positive that at some point in the near future the weight of all that had been happening since I climbed on that bus was going to come crashing into me. I just hoped that today wasn’t that day.
“Tub?” He gestured to the glorious tub that could easily fit multiple people, even those my size. It was filled with steaming water and the scent of lavender filled my nose.
“Tub,” I agreed as he stepped out of the room to give me privacy to enjoy a wonderfully long soak in the sweet water.
9
The facility was actually an old mansion turned rehabilitation center. It was amazing.
The rooms varied from an almost hospital feel for those who still needed monitors and such to the homey feel of your own bedroom and everything in between. The people who led us through answered every single one of my questions and didn’t even treat me like a stupid kid like the place at she was currently.
They actually already had requested and received files from her current placement and, even though I’m sure there had to be a bazillion laws broken to make that happen, I was happy. Happy they took time and happy they already had a proposed plan for me to discuss with them. I had a strong feeling it wasn’t actually the home that had broken any laws, by the way. Jameson quickly changed the subject every time I broached the topic of the files.
The files actually pissed me off more than anything. The anecdotal notes from the staff made it clear that they believed she had zero hope of functioning with any independence whatsoever. I might not have seen her nearly as often as I wanted because of working two full-time jobs, but even in the limited time I got with her over the past year, I saw some progress. Progress they completely disregarded.
Thankfully her new home, for it was a home and not a glorified hospital, agreed with me based on some recent testing. They assured me that even though she would never fully recover from her brain injury, they would help her live the best life she could, and that included goals like a job and an apartment. Yes, they thought she would someday in the not too distant future live in one of their onsite assisted living apartments. The tears flowed freely when they showed me all they could offer her.
I didn’t think twice about completing all of the paperwork and starting the process. The only detail that still needed to be worked out when we left the facility was the actual date of transfer. It was all too surreal. My sister would finally be getting the life she deserved. Well, the best life she could have post incident, and that would have to do.
As we walked back to the car I turned to view the campus once more. This was going to be Mary’s home. I was pretty confident I had a smile plastered on my face a few miles wide. Yes, it had all of the medical and therapeutic necessities, but looking at it from this angle, it was just a glorious old mansion with gardens in full bloom.
“You seem to approve.” Jameson enveloped me in a hug from behind as I etched the campus into my memory, focusing on the details I thought would intrigue Mary the most: the colors of the flowers, the birdbaths, and a small fountain.
“It is so much more than I could have hoped for.” I rotated in his arms so I was facing him and snuggled in close. “I wasn’t sure if you were being…exaggerating…”
“Lying about the money part,” he voiced what I had been trying to avoid saying.
“Yeah that,” I mumbled, all of a sudden very ashamed at myself. “Not a mean lie, but possibly an exaggeration?”
“No, love. No exaggeration. This place has had a piece of my heart for decades and now it will hold even more.” The sincerity of his words made my eyes tear up once again. It seemed to be that kind of day.
“Thank you,” I mumbled into his chest, my voice cracking as the emotion nearly overcame me. This was real. Mary was going to get the best possible treatment.
“There’s no need to thank me. Even if we weren’t bond mates, I would want this for you.” He rubbed small circles on my back as I looked up to his face. “For anyone who was willing to make the sacrifices you made for someone they loved.”
He was so unlike the vision I’d had of vampires before this week. Yes, he had the mass sums of money and fancy car that had become the stereotype, but that seemed to be where it ended. He was using his time to give back. Even if this place represented one hundred percent of his charity work, it was mind boggling, and I highly doubted he stopped there. His heart, while no longer beating, was too large for that.
“Come, let’s get your things.” His had grabbed mine.
The trip back was so much quicker than the trip out and, miraculously, we found a place to park on the street very close to Arabella’s apartment.
I reached up, knocking on the door before using the key. True, I was told to make myself at home, but that didn’t mean I needed to be rude. As I put the key in the lock, it stopped half way. I turned it around again, hoping I had been doing it backward, but that way it didn’t even pretend to go in.
“Here, let me try.” I
handed the key to Jameson who had the same luck I did.
“Call Arabella.” His voice was commanding and I didn’t ask any of the questions forming in my mind. Heck, I wasn’t even sure what to say when she answered. Not that I had to worry about it. It went straight to voicemail.
Before I could even hand up, Jameson used his shoulder to break down the door. It wasn’t like in the movies where the hero had to slam into it multiple times to get it to budge. Oh no, he barely moved back to get momentum and one hit of his shoulder popped the door open and I jumped back into someone, someone I hadn’t even known was there.
I let out a yelp before Jameson was in front of me, relief on his face. I left into his arms, unsure of who was behind me, but knowing they were safe. It was all happening too quickly.
“Bob.” Jameson held me tightly as he greeted the man behind me. My fear began to dissipate. Bob was fine. “I dreaded the worst when we discovered your lock was tampered with.”
“That explains the busted door?”
“It does.” The door open, the apartment dark before us. “Please stay here with Angel as I check out the apartment...”
He was gone and back faster than I thought possible.
“They never got in.” Jameson pulled me to him, a place I longed to be. “Thoughts?” He tilted his head to Bob.
“None. Let’s go in and talk.”
We followed Bob in, the door only staying closed because of the chair he moved in front of it. It was weird being here with Bob since things were so different than last time. Not just him, either. I was different. I might be in the same dress as the night before, but I was no longer the desperate girl. My sister was going to be fine. Better than fine. She was going to be amazing. I still needed to figure out a lot of things, but the most important of them was looking like it was working out, allowing me to actual focus on, dare I say, me?
I remained silent as the two men discussed the situation. In the end, Bob seemed to draw the conclusion it was probably just a random break-in attempt. Not that it was good enough for Jameson, who called the management team for the building asking them to deliver the security footage.
“Bob, I was hoping you had my bag I could grab a change of clothes out of,” I piped in as the conversation lulled. I got the impression that the two men wanted to speak more freely and my presence was inhibiting them and a change of clothing would be nice. Jameson had refreshed my clothes while I was in the bath, but it wasn’t the same.
“Oh, Angel, there is no way you are leaving here dressed in any of those. Go into the bathroom and take a shower and I’ll have the other outfit from yesterday laid out for you when you get out. Take your time.” I knew this was code for them wanting to talk in private and decided not to argue that I didn’t actually need a shower.
Jameson nodded at the idea and I scampered off for a quick shower. Jameson had scoured the apartment before I stepped one foot in, yet I still found myself looking under the bed on my way into the bathroom. The shower was just as luxurious as yesterday and I forced myself not to hurry. Bob probably wanted to tell Jameson things that were private and I wanted to give him the time.
I slipped into the blouse and red skirt left for me on the bed, my hair still damp. I just didn’t feel right going into the drawers looking for the hairdryer, and if I had a hair tie I would have had my hair up in a loose bun so quickly it would make your head spin. I made sure to make extra noise as I exited the room so they could stop discussing anything not for my ears. Surprisingly they just kept talking, Jameson patting the seat beside him, not taking his attention from Bob.
“So, that means what I think it means?” Bob loo
ked to me as he spoke, but I knew the question was actually for Jameson.
“It does. How did you know?” Jameson immediately placed his hand on my knee as I sat, still not giving me a glance.
“Because I see things I should not, you know this.”
If Jameson hadn’t acknowledged me with his touch, I would have felt like I was completely interrupting and tried to leave. As it was, I decided just to sit and listen and hope that they wanted me to hear.
“I knew you saw glimpses of the future, yes.” All the questions flooded my brain as Jameson spoke. Was Bob a psychic, a warlock, something else altogether? “This... This seems like more.”
“Potato potahto, my friend.” Bob shrugged it off as if it was no big deal, but no one in the room was fooled. Seeing the future was huge. “Just know it’s true and she’s yours. I knew the moment I saw her.”
Holy freaking cow!
“Getting run over in a bus station by an asshat told you he would like me?” It wasn’t a memory I relished but if this was about me, I had to know.
“Oh sweetie, I had no idea if he would like you, I just knew you were his.”
Jameson’s hand left my knee and wrapped around my shoulder, pulling me close. He was probably assuring me he liked me since Bob seemed to think being fated and liking each other was not at all the same thing.
“And I was watching you before you were run over. I just wish I had seen his sorry ass coming.”
“Watching me?” I stiffened up. That wasn’t at all what I had expected to hear and it gave me the geebies.
“Yes, you and Jameson share the same hue aura, I guess you could call it, so you caught my eye as soon as you stepped off that wannabe bus.”
“This is news to me,” Jameson interrupted and I couldn’t tell if it was out of true curiosity or because he felt the tension building in me. It wasn’t even that I was scared or freaked out, it just made the reality of all of this more real and I still couldn’t wrap my head around that. “Your gift, I mean.”