Page 33 of Fated Mates and Where to Find Them

Oh shit. Zander rocked back on his heels, stunned as he realized what Fernando was implying. “You think he’s…?”

“I think there’s a very good chance, yes. If nothing else, he’s highly compatible with vampires. Which is why I must ask you, my child, on behalf of the vampire society. Do you intend to let Max go at the end of your contract?”

The very question was both revolting and upsetting. “I will let go of Max over my cold, rotting corpse.”

Fernando gave him an approving nod. “Good answer. In your shoes, I wouldn’t let go, either. That said, do talk to him about this. He needs to know. I would also suggest speeding your courtship up a bit. You do not want to give another vampire an opening to him.”

He very much did not. “I do have a stumbling block there. Max’s father is still in a medically induced coma. I can’t get permission from him right now.”

“Hmm. We’ll tackle that later, as the need arises. Right now, you need to completely win over Max’s heart. From what I’ve seen,”—Fernando winked—“that shouldn’t take much more effort. He’s very protective of you.”

“I got to kiss him this morning. It was…” Zander trailed off on a happy sigh.

“Oh? Then you are making good progress. Keep at it. If you need more men to safeguard him, let me know. I don’t want to risk his safety. I know you don’t, either.”

“Thanks, Sire.” Zander didn’t think he’d need it, but…well, Max was oddly stubborn in some ways. Now, how to bring up his suspicions to Max?

Chapter 12

Max had no idea what was weighing on Zan’s mind, but he wished the man would just spit it out.

After his talk with Fernando, Zander walked around with this absent look, like he was calculating something. Max had expected to be pounced on the second the house was clear, not…this.

Max had chosen to skip school that day, since he had no energy or motivation to pay attention in class. He’d waited a full three hours for Zander to address whatever it was locked in his head, which should have been sufficient time.

Max was out of patience now. He caught Zander by the waist, turned him, and sat him forcibly onto the living room couch. Zander blinked up at him as Max straddled his thighs. Not for one minute did Max think this trapped him in place—of course the vampire was strong enough to easily move him—but he also knew Zander wouldn’t try.

“Yes, hi.” Zander slid his arms around Max, a smile lighting up his face. “If you want to pick up where we were so rudely interrupted this morning—”

“I’d love to,” Max agreed, smiling back. “Just tell me what Fernando said that’s made you so pensive.”

“Um…”

“Riveting, darling, do keep going. I’m fascinated.”

Zander sighed, smile dropping. “I was going to tell you. Once I figured out how.”

“Start anywhere.”

“All right, um…” Zander’s brows drew together for a moment. “What do you know about vampire mates?”

What the hell was he on about? Max’s head cocked to the side in question. He didn’t see where this was going but was willing to answer. “Not a lot. I know they’re rare, for one. Maybe one in every five hundred thousand people. They have something unique about them that draws in vampires. I’ve heard news stories before where a human was picked up by a vampire, then married, like they were Cinderella. That’s about all I know, ignoring the really cheesy romance movies.”

“Yes, please ignore those rumors. They don’t have much right.” Zander’s hands slid a little further around Max’s waist, drawing him an inch closer. “Mates are rare, as you said. What makes a vampire’s mate special is that they are extremely compatible with our species. They possess unique features that make them impervious to our talents, so that it’s impossible to subdue or scare them, for one. Feedings for them are painless, for another, which is not the norm. Mates are also easily aroused during a feeding, which is something of a boon to us—bloodplay is a powerful aphrodisiac for a vampire. Having a spouse who can indulge in it with us makes life much more fun.

“Now, these are both traits and indicators of mates, but there’s another factor as well. The human’s body chemistry is uniquely compatible to a vampire’s blood, saliva, and venom. This means their DNA can be altered just enough to share the vampire’s healing ability and life span without needing to turn them completely. It’s a gift to us vampires because it means we can feed from our mate the rest of our lives. It’s rather like a blood pledge, or a marriage vow.”

Pieces of the puzzle were starting to swirl in Max’s mind, trying to fall into place, but he kept rejecting them. Mostly because it made no damned sense. He’d experienced some of that, but…surely it didn’t mean he was a vampire’s mate. Right?

Zander’s eyes locked onto his, speaking a language all on their own. “You were not susceptible when I used Mesmerize or Prestige.”

No, he hadn’t been scared of Zander, either. Unnerved, definitely, but not scared.

“You have absolutely no pain during a feeding with me.”

No, he hadn’t felt that, either.

Max’s mouth ran dry at the implications. “You’re saying…I am potentially a vampire’s mate?”

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