Page 66 of My Summer Girl

Chapter Twenty-Six

Vex

Easy to Love – Bryce Savage

She’s avoiding me.

And quite well, might I add.

Settled into a room that’s very warm with browns and greens surprises me. Usually, going for cool tones or monochromatic is where my comfort levels are, but here it feels right.

Yesterday, I pretty much was forced to wait in here. Meals were offered, and while eating regular food is a comfort, it’s not necessary. Blood fulfills most of my needs, and anything else is a luxury.

After taking a quick bath, I dress in the clothes that are provided to me. They’re similar to my normal attire, the trousers linen instead of chiffon and the blouse tweed rather than silk. They fit well, almost like Verano knew my sizing.

A knock sounds at the door, and when I twist the knob, I’m surprised to see someone new and not the guards.

“I’m Mira, I don’t like small talk, and something tells me you’re a good distraction.”

My mind clouds with confusion as Mira’s words fill my head. “I’m—”

“Vex, a demisexual genderqueer Saephyn who is really hot and looking for their mate.”

“That’s a lot of labels I never intended to add to my repertoire.” I want to laugh at how they summed me up into a single sentence so specifically. “That pretty much sums it up,” I jest, not wanting to really add anything further. It’s not exactly easy for me to give info out at the drop of a hat but they seem to have done a lot of stalking.

“I’m a tracker, by the way,” she clarifies, her nose scrunching as she sniffs the air. “Smoky, patchouli, and notes of bergamot. Nice.”

I inhale the air, not knowing if she’s naming off random things, or if like blood, she can scent specific things tied to each person.

“Yes, those are your identifying markers,” she muses with another twitch of her nose. “It’s warm and smooth. Nothing too irritating to the nose.”

“Not to be a git or anything, but what are you doing here?”

“I have some questions for you, and some ground rules. But most importantly, I needed your scent just in case you try something funny. Vera trusts too many, too quickly, and unlike her, I’m jaded and unwilling to let randos roam freely.”

I ardently nod, crossing my arms over my chest. “That’s valid, and it’s good that you look after her. Dulce is much the same in that respect.”

She sidesteps me, her eyes pondering over my attire and almost approving with little nods of her head and nose twitches to follow.

“Is this Dulce really your mate or do you have ulterior motives?”

A derisive chuckle escapes my lips before I can hold it back. “You think I’d rather be here, in a realm far from my home, for anything other than the woman who means more to me than living?”

She narrows her eyes but they still wander across my face as if she’s trying to decipher my words, taste them, and see if she can sense the lies.

“I notice the way you watch Vera,” she points out, and my mind trails back to every little time I’ve seen her.

“And how’s that?”

“Like she’s yours.”

I scoff, wondering where this stems from. Verano intrigues me, grabs at this intrinsic part of me, but I don’t think I look at her in any specific way.

“She’s not,” Mira continues, glowering at me like a feline would a mouse. “She’s Raev’s, even if she doesn’t know it yet.”

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