Page 10 of Mystique of the Fallen
“Absolutely not,” James replied. “Not only had I sworn off relationships, but humans are taught not to trust anyone from our Council. I didn’t understand the concept of mates, and I wanted Nik to move on and find another one. The idea of Fate pairing us was difficult to wrap my head around. Thankfully, I was drawn to Nik and kept seeing him, even though I didn’t graspwhyI didn’t want to walk away. Until it grew overwhelming and I stopped talking to him. That remains the worst decision of my life.”
“And ancient history, so we will not dwell on it, darling,” Nikolai insisted with a kiss to James’s cheek.
A server arrived, and Roman thought over James’s words as his companions picked both their drink orders and entrees. Grant had freaked out that afternoon, but was that typical of humans? Roman had been taught his entire life about Fate and his other half. Humans were not.
A treaty was signed two centuries ago, making it illegal for anyone in the Council to walk on land owned by humans. Vampires were unwilling to honor it since many of them dreamed of having a human mate. They required blood to live, and having a human as their permanent donor was considered the ultimate gift from Fate. It was why James wore an intricately beautiful necklace—which he’d gained after his matebond was completed—that far outshined the plain one worn by Nikolai. The vampire wanted everyone who glanced at his other half to know how much he valued him.
“As wonderful as this place is, I’m guessing you didn’t invite us here tonight because you missed us,” Chander said, his pewter gaze resting thoughtfully on Roman’s face.
“No, I have to tell you something, and I want your advice,” Roman replied.
“Of course you do,” Baxter responded. “Honestly, I’m not sure why everyone doesn’t constantly seek us out for advice.”
“Probably because you spend so much time giving us unsolicited info about sex,” Arvandus retorted.
“You forgot that his advice is also usually crappy,” Samson added.
“Fight later,” Chander ordered. “What’s going on, Roman?”
To those who weren’t aware of his trip to a suburb of DC to help James, Roman explained his short mission that afternoon. Then he took a moment to gather his courage. “So, the private investigator following this woman around? He’s…he’s my mate.”
Utter silence followed his announcement. Roman swore no one was even breathing. They just stared at him with varying degrees of shock and concern. The server returned with drinks and exited swiftly, as if he’d picked up on the awkwardness of the table.
Roman took a fortifying drink of his wine as he waited for them to absorb the news.
“Congratulations,” Chander said, glaring at their dinner companions. The men immediately added their felicitations, but there was a distinct lack of joy. Roman understood it. He was confused and concerned too.
“Wait,” Drystan commented. “Are you saying your mate is human? I thought that was impossible.”
“It is up to Fate to decide who is meant for someone,” Alaric remarked, his emotions unreadable in his glowing green gaze.
“No, I get that, but if fallen knights are being paired with humans, who else is missing out on a human mate because of this damn treaty?” Drystan asked.
“Vampires,” Nikolai stated dryly.
“I know that, and I’m sorry,” Drystan replied. “You were added to the Council after the treaty was already signed. Vampires are the reason we don’t enforce the treaty and allow vampires to visit human land without us hovering around, ready to arrest them.”
“You’re not okay with this,” Arvandus said, concern in his blue eyes.
“He called me a zombie,” Roman told his best friend. “How the hell am I supposed to have a conversation, let alone a relationship, with someone who thinks I’m a fucking zombie?”
“He’s misinformed,” James said pragmatically. “Give him some time to process today. It’s incredibly overwhelming to have these powerful sensations you don’t understand. Mates aren’t a concept discussed amongst humans.”
“So, you think I should give him space? Wait for him to contact me?” Roman asked, genuinely worried about the path ahead.
He was dealing with his own—dare he call itdisappointment?—about finding himself with a human. But that didn’t mean he was against having a mate. In fact, the opposite was true. Roman chastised himself for thinking less of his gift from Fate and promised himself he’d get over his issues swiftly. There were no second chances. He didn’t want to convince someone of demonic blood to separate them. That was a two-year process that would require him to live with his mate for twelve months anyway.
“No,” James replied. “Be persistent. But offer your companionship and friendship without pressure. Ease him into things and provide him with education. We’ve worked hard to create books and pamphlets geared toward aiding humans to understand our Council. I keep copies at our condo. I can give you some tonight if you want.”
“Yeah, I’d love that. I need to read through them myself. I want to understand his viewpoint and why he’s convinced I’m a zombie,” Roman responded.
“He is your perfect match,” Brynnius commented softly. “That can be difficult at times to understand for anyone. We should have been more enthusiastic when you announced it. I am not sad for you. I was shocked. We didn’t know humans could be paired with fallen knights.”
“And it is no secret how you feel about humans,” Albrecht added, his smoky voice uneasy.
Roman closed his eyes. “Yeah, I need to deal with it. Although I’m full of mixed emotions, I don’t want to fuck this up.”
“Of course you don’t,” Arvandus said, smoothing a hand over Albrecht’s cloaked back. “You’ve wanted a mate forever. You have one now. It sounds like it’s going to take some work, but you’ve got us. We’re here for you.”
