“Oh—” I pause. Taser and I had a bit of a friends with benefits things going for a while. I’d feed off him, and he’d feed off me, drinking a bit of my blood after we slept together. It was the most comfortable with a guy I’ve ever been. “I didn’t even think of that. I thought you were asking because I don’t hang out with you guys as much these days.”
“You avoid everyone from that crowd like the plague. Including us,” she points out.
“I’m not trying to avoid you,” I say after a beat. “Things with Goddess’ Trance just weren’t the same, and I needed some space away from it all.” Goddess’ Trance is my sister’s band. She’s the lead singer, and Dericia is their bassist. They’re incredible. I smile at Amelia as she nods in understanding. “It’s not an issue, I just feel weird. It’s not my world anymore, is all.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way,” Amelia says, putting a hand on my arm.
Dericia pushes to her feet excitedly. “Tay Tay is on his way way!”
Amelia and I exchange a glance. “How many drinks did she have?” I ask.
Amelia grins and shrugs. We move past the previous topic, though I can’t help but hear her words echoing in my mind.
“She’s a fucking lightweight, our sister,” she replies, her meaning twofold. Dericia is no doubt also still feeling the effects of Amelia’s magic.
“Sisters!” Dericia yells out, the widest of grins plastered on her face.
We hang out for a bit before Taser pulls up in the band’s van, and we all shuffle into it. Before I know it, I’m tucked into my bed in my old room, with Dericia snoring softly beside me, and I smile to myself for the first time in a long time, feeling ever so slightly content.
Maybe some things can go back to normal after all.
CHAPTER FOUR
BLISS
I hesitateat the threshold of the doorway that leads out into a circular amphitheater. All sorts of Born fae idle, glancing nervously around as if they might be able to spot their mate early. A shudder goes through me, and my mouth goes dry. The content feeling I went to sleep with was gone when I woke up. As soon as I remembered what today is, an uneasiness took up residence in my stomach and refused to leave.
“Here.” Amelia shoves a water bottle into my hand. “Drink, and apply lip gloss, just in case.”
“Lip gloss?” I ask absently after gulping down some water.Shoot, what if I have to pee in the middle of the ceremony?
“Well, yeah, what if you meet your mate down there and are overcome with lust and start making out? You wouldn’t want to have dry lips during your first make out session with your soulmate.”
I arch my brows at her, handing the bottle back and shaking my head. “It’s pretty unlikely my mate is in this crowd. His bond could have already been activated, or he could be younger than me and I’ll have to wait until he’s twenty-eight. Or we could be the same age, but he could be on a totally separate continent.”
“Well, hopefully there’s not an entire ocean separating you two. But doesn’t matter anyways. The bond will lead you to him soon enough.”
“Yours hasn’t.”
My sister’s two years older than me, and just like every Born fae, her bond was activated at twenty-eight. And yet at thirty, she’s still casually dating.
She shrugs. “I’m always fashionably late anyways. No reason for this relationship to be any different. Besides, my career is way more important than some guy. It’s a good thing if I don’t meet him for another few years.”
“Is it bad that I don’t want to meet mine at all?”
Now it’s her turn to raise her brows. “Why would you say that? You, out of everyone,needto have a soulmate. A succubus who doesn’t like casual sex? This is why you’re tired all the time, Bliss.” It’s almost exactly what she said to me last night at the club, but it’s a speech she’s given to me countless times, so I shouldn’t be surprised.
“What if he doesn’t like me?” I finally mumble.
“He’s your bond. Your mate. How could he not?”
I let out a sigh, surveying the crowd again, wondering if he’s one of them. “I should get out there,” I tell Amelia, ignoring her question.
I know she means well. But the bonds between Born fae aren’t always so straight forward.
And a part of me doesn’t think it will be so easy.
To me, there’s a very apparent possibility my mate won’t like me.
