Page 41 of Incurably Cupid

I was sure he was older than that, but he might have felt most comfortable in that time period. This often happened with paranormals who were essentially immortal. They tended to cling to the era that felt the most comfortable for them and then had difficulty adjusting to the advancement of time.

“What can I do for you?” he asked, his voice low.

I lowered mine even further. I didn't want anyone else to overhear. “Yvette is one of your matches.”

He blinked, clearly stunned. I nodded. “Most vampires don’t have soulmates, but they do have mate bonds—and you have that potential with her.” His expression shifted to one of shock, almost to the point of tears. I awkwardly patted his shoulder. “This is good news! You already know each other, which means you’ve got a foundation to build on. That’ll make things easier for both of you. Of course, you could always keep looking. Yvette’s just one possibility. There are others.”

He swallowed hard, tugging at his cravat. “No... Yvette is lovely.”

I smiled, because she truly was. She had long, dark brown hair with a slight wave, a beautiful face, and that unmistakable allure that most sirens carried with them.But beyond that, therewas a quiet grace to her, an inner beauty that was hard to miss. I was willing to bet Felix had felt very drawn to her for a bit.

“You’ve felt her lure, haven’t you?”

“I—that is to say... yes. I thought it was because she was an exceptionally strong siren, even without her voice.”

“She likely is. Has the lure faded now?”

He nodded, looking a little uncomfortable.

“That’s normal for potential matches with sirens. There’s an initial intense attraction, but it fades quickly. It’s to prevent a relationship from beginning based only on the lure. As a vampire, I’m sure you understand.”

He nodded again. “Yes.” He glanced toward Yvette, then straightened his posture. “What do I do? Should I just go over there and say something? Do I ask her out? What if she isn’t attracted to me?”

I noticed Yvette glance at Felix from the corner of her eye, then quickly look away when Felix’s gaze followed mine.

I smiled. “I don’t think that will be a problem. Here’s what you can do.”

Later that night,Felix stood near the fireplace inThe Fiery Phoenix,looking every bit the brooding vampire that he was. His gaze flickered toward Yvette, who sat at the bar, her fingers tracing the rim of her glass. She met his eyes for a brief moment before looking away, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Mesmer, my parents, and I all sat in a booth tucked away in the corner, far enough to remain unnoticed yet close enough to observe.

“This is so exciting,” Mum said. “It’s like back in our fieldwork days, hun.”

Dad squeezed her hand.

“Why isn’t he going over there?” I said, frustrated. “He can’t romance her if he’s standing like a dunce across the room.”

“It’s not as easy as it sounds to approach someone,” Mesmer murmured.

“I know,” I sighed. “But I gave him a ton of pointers earlier. He was worried about not knowing what to say to her and about having to carry the weight of the conversation.”

“Oh, I disagree with that,” Mum said, shaking her head. She had a glass of iced tea next to her that she kept sipping from. Personally, I was working on the huge platter of nachos that a server had brought to our table, served family style. “Yvette says plenty; she just does it with her expressions and body language.”

“Not everyone can read that as well as we can, though, dear,” Dad said.

Mom pursed her lips, twirling her straw wrapper around her pinkie. “True.”

“Okay," I whispered, leaning in. “We might need to step in and help him."

Mesmer smirked. "You mean interfere?"

“The vampire is drowning, and he hasn’t even sat down next to her yet. Zero game.”

Mum looked thoughtful. "Felix struggles with modern communication. Yvette is shy. If they’re going to connect, it needs to be through something deeper, like the friendship they’ve already established.”

Leowhoopedsoftly from the middle of the table. "My sensors tell me he’s going in!”

“Leo, can you pipe their conversation to us, quietly?” I asked.

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