Page 21 of Eleazar

Andrew stirred, his eyes slowly fluttering open. Eleazar stood still, waiting to see how Andrew would react to him being there.

“Sorry I fell asleep. Your bed is too damn comfortable.” Andrew stretched, and his shirt rode up slightly, showing off a sexy patch of skin.

The human had no idea just how tempting he was.

Eleazar wanted to say that Andrew was welcome in his bed anytime. “The meeting went well,” he said. “You have permission to explore, but I suggest limiting your interactions until they acclimate to your presence.”

Andrew’s eyes widened. “I can come out of my room?”

Eleazar nodded. He’d allowed Andrew to help Sonny, but Andrew hadn’t a clue that he was being guarded by Amon whenever the human was with him. Vampires were beautiful creatures, but they were also unpredictable and lethal.

That was why Amon kept a close eye on Sonny at all times. No one knew that Sonny had been a drug addict and abused by his partner. He was now clean and free from his boyfriend’s wrath. This was Sonny’s fresh start, and Eleazar had a feeling that Amon was enamored with the human.

“I should get out of your way.” Andrew crawled from the bed, but Eleazar placed a gentle hand on his arm.

When Andrew looked up at him, Eleazar was trapped in his gaze.

“I’m fighting it, too,” Andrew admitted, “whatever this is between us. I know the rule. Vampires can’t feed from their servants. I don’t want to tempt you.”

It was too late for that. He ran his knuckles over Andrew’s cheek. “No one has ever tempted me the way you do.”

Andrew looked away. “You’re my boss. This wouldn’t be appropriate, no matter how badly I want you.”

Eleazar held back a groan. Andrew was so innocent, unaware just how much the male affected him “Have you ever heard of mates?”

Andrew looked up at him. “No. What is that?”

Eleazar should walk away. He should keep his mouth shut and let Andrew do his duties. He was playing with fire. What if they slept together and Andrew wasn’t his mate? He didn’t want things to be awkward between them.

It wouldn’t be for him. He could keep his emotions in check, but humans were emotional creatures. Would Andrew still be able to do his job if they had sex and discovered they weren’t mates?

“Eleazar?” Andrew poked him in the chest. “You can’t pique my curiosity and then go quiet.”

“A mate is someone who is fated to be with a preternatural being.” He cleared his throat. “For wolf shifters, a mark appears on their palms.”

Andrew blinked several times as his jaw went slack. “Wolf shifters? Are you telling me that wolf shifters are real? I mean I’ve heard the rumors, but I dismissed them as insane. Until Felix told me the truth about vampires…”

Eleazar would have a talk with his ex-servant about running his mouth. “Yes, they are real.”

“And vampires?”

“A bond solders their soul to their mate,” Eleazar explained. “But it only happens when they have sex.”

“Oh.” Andrew bit his lower lip, and then a smile spread across his handsome face. “Wouldn’t it be crazy if we had sex and turned out to be mates?”

“Mates are not taken lightly,” Eleazar said. “We cherish them, protect them. They become the most important person in the world to us. We would kill for them.”

“Wow.” Andrew sat on the side of the bed. “Wait, are you saying you can have more than one mate? You keep saying we and them.”

Eleazar smiled. “No. We are allowed only one, and we are dedicated to them. Their happiness means everything to us.”

“You’re describing a person’s dream partner.” Andrew chuckled. “Does a guy like that really exist?”

Tempting himself, Eleazar sat next to Andrew. “Yes. We are not like human partners, Andrew. We place your happiness above our own, and we never stray. Vampires and wolf shifters are fierce creatures, but they are also loyal.”

Andrew shifted closer, his hand brushing against Eleazar's thigh. He suppressed a shiver of desire as he felt the warmth of Andrew’s touch. The desire to take him into his arms and show him the full extent of his feelings was almost too much.

“Do you think we could be mates?” Andrew's voice was soft, uncertain.