Page 66 of The HalloQueen

“I feel an overwhelming need to protect Bels, and that outweighs any remaining feelings for Monique. It isn’t like I purposely want to hurt you, even though you both purposely hurt me.”

He scoffed, “Cut the bullshit, Thomas, if you have bonded with Bels you don’t need to defend it.”

“We haven’t done a ceremony or anything. She isn’t claimed yet. She wanted to wait.”

He assessed me slowly, moving to sit on my bed, “You know that I’m older than you.”

“Oui.”

“And you know that we bonded quickly.”

“Oh really? I wasn’t aware.” the sarcasm bled out of me. Our bond had begun to form when we fled France, but we quickly performed the Handfeasting ceremony when we arrived in Boston. The bond allowed us to track and feel each other, making us safer in an unknown place. We had cared for one another, but it was also a logical decision.

He scratched at his cut jawline and blew out an uncertain breath, “Thomas, did you know that sometimes bonds form without handfeasting?”

I shrugged, “Non, you and Monique made it sound like that was the only way to achieve the link we needed. Every bonded couple I’ve met has completed the ceremony.” We’d been so interconnected when we fled, the traumatic experience and danger causing us to depend on and trust each other sooner than a normal courting.

“It was,” he nodded, “I knew the bond was going to form eventually anyway, but doing a handfeasting early solidifies the bond regardless of magics or feelings. One could handfeast with a rat, for fuck’s sake if they were only seeking the connection the magic allows.” Running a hand through his coarse black hair he considered his words carefully, “A handfeasting solidifies a bond, but mates or strong emotional connections can create the bond without the ceremony. Of course, if you’d felt that strongly for someone you’d want to handfeast, but you can achieve almost the same result without exchanging blood. The blood exchange mostly solidifies the magical connection, allowing you to feel the other’s wellbeing, and allows the magic to drive you together and share in it.”

I drank some of my blood, instantly feeling more alert, “why are you telling me this?”

Yusuf looked unwaveringly into my eyes, “Are you bonded with Annabel, Thomas?”

“I just told you that she wanted to wait.”

“And I’m telling you that that doesn’t matter if the connection is strong enough. Have you felt unnaturally connected to her? Drawn to her?”

That made me explode in laughter, “Of course. I’m obsessed with her. If any other male was acting the way I am toward her I would skin them alive.”

“And it doesn’t bother you, knowing that you’re overly attached?”

“It drives me insane. The fact I haven’t seen her in days is rattling me to my core. I need her. It hasn’t even been two weeks since we met and I feel like I’m dying without her.”

He arched a bushy brow at me, “Mmmmhmmm. And you haven’t considered that maybe you are fated?”

I sighed, needing to get the conversation back on track. I couldn’t think about fate giving me an amazing woman only for me to have ruined everything already or to potentially lose her to the Undead. “Yusuf, you need to find Monique and take her to France. Now.”

“I’m aware. I wasn’t expecting her to have the burning yet. Though, I don’t know why I thought that, maybe it was just wishful thinking. But we aren’t going to find her while she’s underground. Maybe we should just go to your woman. If we stick with her, we’ll see Monique eventually.”

“Annabel is not speaking to me. I’m not even sure where she is today. I also am expecting my next semi of product to be delivered in....” I looked at my watch, “an hour. They won’t leave the inventory if I’m not here to sign for it and my blood will be on that truck.”

“How much do you have left?” He asked, drinking the remaining contents of his cup.

“One more bag. I need the delivery.”

“Shit.”

“You can say that again.”

Yusuf drummed his hands against his thighs, solving the puzzle in his head. Yusuf was the one who provided support no matter the issue, he only needed to find out what that support could be before he’d do it. “You stay here, get your order. I will begin searching for Monique’s lair - at least we know that scent is her now. When you’re able, call me and we will switch from finding Monique to shadowing Annabel. I do not want to frighten her by approaching her alone.”

I nodded, “please do not approach Bels, I was very clear with her that I didn’t want her around you and I don’t want you to make her feel unsafe.”

“Gods, you lovesick puppy, sheisunsafe. Or did you not see the same Monique that I did?”

“Where did you even find her, Yus? I searched for almost a year and you just…poofed with her.”

“Poofed?” He arched a brow at me and shook his head, “I found her in a bar last night. She was there to feed and I was in the right place at the right time, that’s all. I didn’t believe it was her at first…I… I’m… I need her to be okay.”

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