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We froze, watching its six glowing, red eyes drift over us. Its shoulders hunched high, shifting with each step. Three pairs of legs held up the large frame, massive paws crushing the grass beneath it, and its neck was thick up to the base of its skull. The body almost seemed as if it weren’t entirely physical, its black fur fading out into black billows of smoke and mist that danced around it, the same way Damien’s shadow magic did. Its long claws sank into the ground, and it lurched forward, jaws opened wide.
“Cas?”
I gasped as the sound of someone at the door pulled me from the memory and I opened my eyes. I was myself again, sitting on Damien’s bed. A cold sweat had broken out across my skin, and my hands quivered, the sheets clenched in a tight grip between my fingers. I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the jolt of the light that replaced the darkness of the forest where I’d just been. I rubbed my eyes, rising from the bed to clean up the mess of drawings. “Come in.”
The door opened, revealing a woman. Her beautiful, heart shaped face glowed, her sepia-brown skin lit with rosy cheeks and lips. Her dark brown, wavy hair was pulled back into a loose low bun, and full, side swept bangs dusted across her delicate pale gray eyes. She carried a tray with two teacups, steam rising from them as she entered.
“Hi, Cas. I hope I’m not disturbing anything. I’m Anna, Vincent’s mate. He asked me to come check on you. I thought I’d bring you some tea.”
“Oh! Hi, come on in. Thank you so much.” I smiled, pushing myself up, the stack of drawings tucked together in my hands. “I’d actually thought of coming down. I just can’t seem to fall asleep no matter what I do.”
“I had a feeling you were having trouble sleeping up here.” Her expression was one of understanding as she closed the door. “You’re worried about Damien.”
I nodded, setting the papers back in the box. “I can’t stop thinking about him.”
“I can sympathize. I struggle in the same way all the time.”
I fumbled, forgetting my manners and I grabbed the chair at my bedside, pulling it over for her to sit. “Please, take a seat. Make yourself at home. I’d introduce myself, but it sounds like you already know my name.”
She snickered. “Thank you. I brought some chamomile to help ease your nerves.”
Everything about her was delicate, yet refined, from the way she lowered the tray on the bedside to the how she lowered herself into the seat, her feet sliding to the side as she smoothed the skirt of her emerald dress.
“Thank you. Maybe this’ll help knock me out finally.” I reached for one of the cups. “You mentioned you’re Vincent’s mate? Do the others have mates?” I asked, sitting back up on the bed.
She tucked a lock of her dark brown hair behind her ear before taking a sip from her cup, and the scent of her mint tea overpowered my chamomile. “Vincent is the only one right now. Barrett’s charm kind of drives the females away, it seems. Thalia is probably the closest thing to a female friend he has, but they only ever seem to fight when they’re with each other.”
I stifled a laugh at her jab at Barrett, and though I knew Thalia seemed to have feelings for him, I didn’t want to gossip about her. “Awe, not Barrett. He’s such a teddy bear. I was sure he had the ladies falling at his feet.”
We laughed together, and our conversation continued for a while. I learned that she wasn’t a warrior like the others. Instead, she was part of the group of immortals that were referred to as civilians. She was among the newer generations, having been born in the early 1900s. Knowing that, the way she looked made more sense to me. Her bone structure, the fullness of her silhouette, the way she styled her hair, how she carried herself; she came from an era completely different from my own.
They all did.
Anna eased her tea down onto the tray. “I’m sorry if Damien seems to be a little protective of you. Males can be incorrigible sometimes when they’ve found their mate. It’s difficult to explain to a human. The instincts aren’t as strong for you as it is for us.”
My chest swelled at the mention of being his mate. I hadn’t had the courage to discuss it with him, to learn what that meant for me. What would my role be in all this as the mate of the king of immortals? “Damien told me that the mating bond goes beyond… physical attraction.”
She nodded. “Yes, for us females, we feel the same pull. Males, though, are on a completely different level. Vincent can get rather possessive of me sometimes, and he’s been extra protective lately. I won’t lie though, I enjoy it.”
I chuckled. “I can understand what you mean by that. It’s weird. I never thought I could ever feel this way about someone.”
She smiled warmly. “If he gets too much for you, tell him to ease off. Seriously. Males will do anything for their mates. He will understand, particularly since you’re human.”
“It’s nice to talk about stuff like this with another woman. I can’t talk to my best friend about this; she’s human. So, it’s been a bit… difficult to absorb.”
“If you have any questions at all, let me know. You can call me anytime. I’m happy to have another female in the group. It isn’t the same to hold a conversation with a male. Thalia is great to talk to, but she’s often quite busy with training.” Her pale eyes went distant, the warmth in them fading. “I’m not sure what all the changes will mean for us, if we’ll be able to spend as much time together in leisure.”
Worry darkened her eyes, and a rush of something icy washed over me as her hand settled against her stomach. I swallowed, and though I wanted to ask, I wouldn’t. I averted my eyes, her fears and worries filling the air in such a heavy fog that I couldn’t ignore them. I drew a deep breath, calming my mind, attempting to shut them out.
Vincent had likely filled her in on what we discovered in Cole’s memories. I didn’t know if she’d been around to see the last war, but even without experiencing it firsthand, I knew that just the thought of it was terrifying enough, and I could only imagine how terrified they must feel.
I reached over to take her hand, and prayed I wasn’t making a hollow promise. “We’re gonna get through this.” She smiled warmly at me, but the emotions still rolled beneath the surface. I paused a moment. “There is one thing I wanted to know.”
Her eyebrows rose. “What is it?”
“Selene had mentioned that Damien was neglecting his feedings.” Something stirred in me. “When your kind doesn’t have mates… Who do they feed from?”
She was silent a moment, and her full lips parted as she calculated her words. “There are a few civilian families of the old blood who serve The Order when it comes to that. Unmated males and females present themselves to aid the cause.”
