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“Tell me about the coven,” her voice is soft, curiosity about her new family shining through as she fights to move on from a past she can’t even remember. Her eyes remind me of the rolling storm clouds overhead the day I chased after her. Confusion and a hint of sadness peek out at me, but behind all of that, a glimmer of hope.
“What would you like to know?”
“Are there more members than the ones I’ve met?”
“Yes, there are.” I roll onto my back and tuck one arm behind my head. “We have a lot of members that live in the city, and they check in from time to time. Several that like to wander and travel around the world, they check in less frequently, but still show up for major events.”
I haven’t seen many of them in decades, some centuries, but it is nice knowing they're out there somewhere.
“Haveyouturned many vampires?”
She sounds almost jealous. I feel a sly smile cross my face. I like that she is a little possessive. It is the bond, and while I’m not acting on it, it is good to know it is there for her too.
“You are my third.”
For obvious reasons, Wren is also my favorite. She seems to like my answer, but I can already anticipate her next question. “Rolando, me, and who else?”
Wren curls up into my side, finding a nook at my shoulder and resting her head on me. Her warmth is something I want to dive into and submerge myself in. Instinct has me shift and bring my other arm around, resting my hand on her hip. I look down at her, unable to resist marveling at the uncanny events that led to finding Wren. Fate, luck, the gods, whatever it is that brought us together had a fucking awful sense of humor. Stealing her thoughts and making it so much more complicated than it needs to be.
“Herbert Sutton,” pride fills my voice. Rolando was my first, Herbert was my second, and while Herb doesn’t stay with us locally, he is an enigma. “He runs a wellness center in California right now, helping people who struggle with addiction. He leaves about every ten years and sets up again elsewhere. That’s usually when we can expect him to check in.”
Wren raises her eyes to meet mine, staring into me. Her thoughts are screaming at me again. Images flash of her running her hands up my stomach, of our lips crashing together in fiery heat and passion. I can tell how she wants me to grasp her thighs, spread them apart, and take her here and now. I try to quiet them, to distance my mind from hers.
Our breath mingles together. I fight to keep my wits when all I want to do is roll on top of her and give her exactly what she wants. It is so messed up. I don’t know much about how mates work, but something tells me it will be harder to be around Wren until we act upon and seal the bond. Every fiber of my being wants her, and fate seems pretty pissed that I am resisting. My hand is absently stroking her shoulder, and her face is far too close to mine.
More flashes of Wren pressing her lips to mine, of pulling my shirt off and admiring what lay beneath. She gives me far too much credit as far as my physique goes. Christ, it is driving me slowly insane to keep getting these glimpses. As much as I want to be near her, as much as I want to get to know her, we have to call it a night.
“We should probably get going soon,” I remind gently. The last thing we want is for someone to see her here, knowing she is technically missing.
“Yes, we should leave.” Her words agree, but I don’t miss the reluctance in her tone. “I don’t think I will get my memory back from this anyway. Let’s go home.”
Home.
Warmth spreads through my chest at the word. She thinks of my home as hers now.
It is.
It always will be.
Theeveningwearson,and the house stirs. Charlee is already tending to Wren. I am glad that one of my sisters is staying locally with us. I can’t imagine how it would have been if she had woken to a bunch of vampire men lurking about. It likely would have been more unsettling, at least.
Charlee herself is enthralled with having someone to dote on. In her one hundred and fifty years as a vampire, she has clung more to fashion than anything else. She designs clothes and runs shops in various cities. Now she has a living doll three rooms away. Her kindness and attention to detail make her the perfect stylist. She always listens to what the person she is helping wants.
When she first said makeup, I was a bit nervous. Charlee is beautiful, true, but her beauty includes high drama everything. Wren doesn’t seem to be that kind of woman, if her tastes still match what they were when she was alive, then I am correct. Tonight she looks much the same as the day before. Even in its simplicity, it is enough to take my breath away.
So to speak.
Alex, Ray, and Derek are already outside building a bonfire. I am in the kitchen fixing everyone up a snack for the evening. Chandra and Zach are helping Rolando in the study. My thoughts drift to Leland, our coven leader, and my maker. He is traveling at the moment, meeting with some other high-level vampires, going over things like territory lines, and reporting the number of vampires in the area. He is responsible for most of the area, and his responsibilities are numerous. He has to help keep a lid on our existence and punish those unwilling to comply.
Getting permission from the coven leader before creating a new vampire isn't strictly required, especially when finding one’s mate, but I am still nervous about his return. Nervous for him to meet her.
To meet Wren.
My beloved.
Shaking my head, I stuff my feelings down again and look up as Zach and Chandra go outside. Charlee and Wren are already out there, and I can hear Charlee’s loud voice as she directs and supervises the bonfire building. I smile at the tray holding everyone’s blood supply for the evening, and Rolando stops beside me.
“Answer me a question, Oz,” He says, leaning against the counter.
