Page 47 of His True Beloved

Christine had too much time alone to think; for any woman, that can be a bad thing.

“What’s going on?” A woman popped her head out the stairs. Behind her, a vampire had his arm possessively around her, glaring.

Nope, don’t want her.

“Where is Christine?” I snarled, making sure I stayed in my position. Her roommate was freshly bitten and claimed, but no changing bite had occurred. I wasn’t ready to get into a spat with a vampire who was just feeling the same possessiveness I was over Christine.

“She left,” his mate spoke, pointing to the door. “She was in a hurry, too. I think it might have been something I said.” The vampire behind her pulled her away, hiding his mate.

“She didn’t realize that humans that come to live here in the coven usually find mates,” he snapped. “You must be her mate. Your heart is beating erratically.” The judgment in his eyes grew a fire in my belly.

He wasn’t wrong, yet he didn’t know our situation. The first place I needed to go was Christine’s parents’ place. If she was distraught, her mother would be the only one to calm her.

My mate’s smell grew more robust as I ran down the gravel walkway. The wind tried to carry away her smell until it was the strongest at the little blue house on the corner. I didn’t knock. I didn’t have to with the door cracked and hearing the gulping of someone feeding. Panicking, thinking it was Christine being fed from, I destroyed the second door of the day.

Instead of Christine, I found Justin and his mate in a compromised position, her feeding from his neck, her claws embedded in the other shoulder. I turned my head, tightening my eyes.

Blood lust episode.

“What do you want, Sebastian?” His voice was strained. His mate had not yet mastered feeding, and her fangs were deeply embedded in his neck. She tried to pull away, but he pulled her head closer, wrapping her legs around his waist. “Keep feeding, darling. You aren’t finished.”

I balled my fists tighter, becoming impatient.

“She was here,” he murmured, “visibly upset, have you told her?” I shook my head, keeping my diverted eyes to the coffee table holding a picture of Christine and her mother. “Chrissy said she knows she is supposed to have a mate, and she doesn’t think it’s you.” I snapped my head back to him, seeing that he had removed his mate from his neck, cradling her like a child as she slept.

“Wait here,” he ordered. Christine’s mother had passed out, and he carried her up the stairs, which was common during the first few months after a feed.

Running my hands up and down my face, I realized what a mistake I had made. Telling Christine last night would have been better suited, but I didn’t want to ruin what we had shared.

I told her she was mine, that no one would take her from me, and she dare to think I would let something as small as doubt get in my way? How could she even think I wasn’t hers, that she was betrothed to another?

She can feel the pull, the undeniable chemistry between us.

Yet I was a damn idiot hiding what a mate bond feels like.

Christine not understanding what to look for had helped me in the beginning. I wasn’t prepared for her to know that all humans here received a mate. An oversight I was paying dearly for.

I didn’t know where she was. I had haunted memories of my first beloved being killed in Bergarian. The surge of panic had me pacing the floor until Justin cleared his throat. “Where is she?” I hissed. “I can’t have her gone like this. I can’t!” Justin shook his head, pointing me to sit. I wasn’t going to fucking sit right now.

“Where?” I growled, only to be silenced with words that would not calm me in the slightest.

“There is something I need to tell you first.” He sighed. “Her ex-boyfriend is an incubus, and he’s after her.”

Chapter 22

Sebastian

“What?”Ishookmyhead in incredulity. “The hell are you uttering about? My mate, your daughter, is missing, and I fucking need her right now. I don’t need this.” I go to lumber away, believing he has indeed lost his mind.

“I’m dead fucking serious!” He stomped toward me, bashing the unhinged door shut. It hung, barely on the frame. Vampires walking by began to look at the commotion as I started shouting again. Grabbing his dark shirt and ripping the collar, I slung him into the kitchen island. He coughed, pushing himself off the granite. Justin didn’t creep forward, only holding up his hands in failure.

I kicked his ass once. I’ll do it again.

“I’m serious. I saw him,” he said. I ground my teeth in frustration. “I have a small gift, still trying to use it. I can see inside minds, barely.” My back untangled, breath evened out until he spoke again. “I’m not that old, but I’m telling you. I can see things just on the surface of the mind, and Christine must have had a dream recently. She called him Wyatt. It’s her ex-boyfriend.” My bitterness reared forward again.

My claws lengthened, and breathing deeply, I closed my eyes, lulling my head back to pray to the goddess to give me self-control. “What did you see?” I asked quietly.

“It was a recap of what happened to her, why she broke up with him.” He seized the wooden cabinets behind him while he leaned up against the counter. “No wonder she is so broken about love—”

---