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"I see your face hard and angular when you're angry, and your eyes seem to flash red when excited, but differently depending upon the situation. Your eyes can signal a thrill or an upset, and I can see the difference. Your presence changes with your emotions, intense emotions. I've never witnessed such a thing before, and yet I find it extraordinary rather than concerning. It's you, and I recognize you through it all." Paul laughed nervously and shook his head. "I'm not making any sense at all, am I?"
"You're making perfect sense, and please keep your mind open, for there are many odd and astonishing insights still to come." Not wanting to continue this conversation while sitting outside on the curb, Sloan stood and pulled Paul to his feet. "Now, let's head home and figure this out."
"Why would I get fired on a Saturday afternoon when there had been no issues regarding my employment. Also, why would they be so heartless as to evict me within the hour, leaving me and my things on the street?" Paul was confused, but there was also an anger that was brewing, which Sloan found healthy and welcome. It is better to be angry than pitiful; one gives you focus, and the other leaves you sad and powerless.
“We will find out the cause for this outlandish action.”
"How? Austen Fields is very careful. No information ever gets out."
"That's what they tell you, but in reality, nothing is ever really a secret in business." Sloan opened the passenger door and helped Paul get seated. "You're an accountant, Paul. You know, as well as anyone, there is always a trail. I will find out why and who put this nasty piece of business in play."
“You work for Agincourt Bank.” Understanding dawned in Paul’s eyes.
"I'll get answers, Paul."
“Thank you, Sloan, you’re so good to me.”
"Because you're mine, Paul." He stated and then closed his door. He quickly rounded the vehicle and got in the driver's side. He remained silent, letting the implication of his words set in. Paul sat there, not moving for several minutes, and then he started texting people in an attempt to find out why he was fired.
Sloan didn't have to see the texts. He could hear the tone of Paul's thoughts. The awakening went both ways, and Sloan was gaining an insight and understanding into his adored, and although he couldn't read his mind, he could follow tone and intent.
The ride to the coven house went silently as Paul was apparently lost his thoughts regarding his termination and his relationship with Sloan. Sloan was pleased to know that the relationship was uppermost in his mind, but he was still tormented by his dismissal from Austen Fields.
Sloan pulled into the underground garage, parked, and cut the engine. He sat there with Paul, waiting for him to speak. It was obvious that he had something to say and was having difficulty getting the words right. Paul wanted to ask about their relationship but feared saying too much too soon. "Ask me anything, Paul, and I will answer you honestly." He prompted.
"What is happening here, Sloan?" Paul looked up from his phone. "I get a feeling that so much is happening, and I'm not seeing it clearly. The last time you brought me here, it was nice well, better than nice, but what would be expected of a corporate compound. This time, when we approached and even before we got here, I sensed something so different.” He paused and glanced out his window at a member of security who was walking past.
"Even him." He pointed at the man outside his window. "I know he works security, and I know that he is not human, just as I know you are not human. I'm talking crazy, yet all my words ring true in my head." His volume was raised, and he was once again shaking his head.
The awakening was upon him, and Sloan wanted to get Paul to his quarters before the door was wide open. He probably had less than ten or fifteen minutes going by what Paul was currently sharing.
"Tell me I'm crazy, Sloan."
"Come with me, sweetheart, and trust me, everything you're feeling is normal. Come hurry." He took him by the upper arm, and they jogged to the elevator, and within seconds, they were secure within Sloan's quarters. He closed the door and made Paul comfortable on the sofa in the living room before handing him a whiskey and soda.
"I'm seeing things that make no sense, and yet I know that it is true. My eyes are seeing things, and I know things that I never saw or knew before. Is this real, Sloan? Are you a vampire? Is this a coven?" He finally blurted out what was on his mind. Sloan sat down next to him and placed his hand on Paul's knee, calming him and channeling to him the clarity of the real world.
“You know the answer, Paul. Look at me and tell me what you see.”
"I see my adored, my vampire lover, my Fated bond. A few minutes ago, I didn't even know what those words meant, and now it is so clear. You are mine; I hear that loud and clear, and I am yours. This is a world I never knew existed."
"You're seeing me for who I am, and you're becoming awakened to the paranormal world. You are my adored, and you are becoming one with me and my world." Sloan explained the term adored and its significance in the vampire world.
"I bonded with you when we made love; I spilled inside of you and fed, leaving my claiming scar on your shoulder. The bond started your awakening, which usually takes around twenty-four hours after the initial bond." Sloan moved and placed his arm around Paul, needing the closeness of his adored.
"The world of the paranormal has opened to you, and you know and see what we are; it's how Fate brings the adored ones into the fold. This is only possible between Fated bonds. It also opens you to me in other ways, such as you can feel my emotions and sense my thoughts." Sloan was trying his best to get it across, and the smile on Paul's face told him he already knew.
"I know things that I have no way of knowing, like the Coven. I can see everyone, and I know who they are. Vampires do not scare me. You don't scare me. I am overwhelmed and excited all at the same time. I started feeling you this morning when I first woke up. I was confident that you would stay and that you wanted to stay. I could feel your interest in me."
"I definitely wanted to stay." Sloan chuckled. Paul appeared to be handling this quite well. Sloan explained further the process of awakening, and Paul agreed it was exactly what he was experiencing. He told him of the other paranormals who lived within the city and those who stayed on the edge.
"It's been like this forever?" He asked, and Sloan nodded. "How do you stay hidden from human society?" Paul's interest was engaging.
"Very easy no one is looking or believing, so no matter what they might witness, explaining it away is simple. If anyone becomes a problem, we have a team of mind sweepers who have the ability to remove memories and experiences from a person's mind. That is only employed when no other option is available." Sloan didn't want to go into too much detail regarding the Coven. He wanted to give Paul time to acclimate.
"I have a vampire lover." Paul suddenly declared, and Sloan started to laugh.
"Of all the things that you have learned and the doors that are now opened to you, the most intriguing thing to you is the fact that you have a vampire lover." Sloan teased because, honestly, he was thrilled that Paul thought of him first above all else.
