Page 70 of Vameer

It smells like perfectly ripened apples.

It smells like her.

Closing my eyes, I breathe in the scent of my mate. And I listen.

She is not here, in this moment. But this is where she lives.

My eyes open, and I lift my gaze to the second story, where her scent is the strongest.

And I clench my fists while I look at the metal fire escape that zigzags up the back of her home. Ending in a platform conveniently placed under the sole window.

Yes, it’s a good way for a fragile human to escape if needed. But it’s also an easy entry point for someone wanting to do her harm.

A growl starts to build, and I have to force myself to relax.

I have found her.

Then I remind myself that the house is empty.

I have found her home.

I debate for a moment whether I should look for her, wait here, or wait at her front door. But I decide staying hidden is the safest choice.

When I first woke, my mate had human eyes.

When I saw her in the mirror, after our mate bond formed and our hearts beat as one, she still had human eyes.

Weeks ago, my brother mated a human, and the first photos of her, taken on the university campus the next day, showed she was still human. But then her eyes changed. And she got fangs. And later she grew horns and showed off her gravito by jumping in front of cameras.

There is nothing to say for certain that my human mate will have the same experience. But she might.

A pang of sadness hits me at the thought of not being able to stare into my mate’s beautiful brown eyes for the rest of our lives. But the change would mean she’s becoming more vampire. Meaning her physical safety will improve.

What I need to find out first, before I act, is if she’s still fully human now. And if she is, I need to talk to my brother and find out what caused the changes in his mate. Which would mean, for the moment, that I need to stay hidden.

I can feel the mate bond. Can feel the connection between us. There is no doubting the fact that our hearts beat as one. So I believe our life force is also bonded, as I know it to be between two vampires. Meaning if one dies, we both die.

Meaning she’s already in danger.

I will not be able to hide my existence from the world. My night of research made that clear. Phones with cameras. The internet.

It is inevitable that enemies will learn of my return. And they will want me dead.

But so long as no one knows I have a mate, she will be safe.

I press a hand to my chest, keeping myself calm as I think about the alternative that haunts me.

If our life force is not connected… and something happens to Mon Coeur… taking only her and not me.

I close my eyes.

It is nearly impossible for a vampire to take their own life. But I would do what I needed to in order to follow her.

Exhaling, reminding myself that no matter what, even if I have to do it from the shadows, I will never let anything happen to her, I open my eyes.

I have to talk to Volik.

Determined to get eyes on my mate before I leave, I jump onto the upper platform of the fire escape.