"How do you know your soulmate?" Sebastian asked as he strolled into Rhys and Jane's library.
"Do you ever knock?" Rhys looked up from the book he was reading.
"No," Sebastian answered, flopping down into one of the overstuffed chairs. He put his feet up on the coffee table, noticing two glasses of scotch, for a minute wondering if Rhys somehow knew he was coming. But he disregarded the idea and waited for Rhys to answer. He didn't.
"Jane and I could have been in a position that requires privacy."
"Whatever. Like that's bothered you two before. Why do you think I moved out?" Sebastian leaned forward in his chair. "So answer the question. Soulmate?"
"Do you know it's nearly dawn?" Rhys looked pointedly at the lightening night sky out the large arched windows that made up one wall of the room.
"So answer quickly."
Rhys frowned, then he looked past Sebastian's chair toward the door. Sebastian sensed someone behind him.
"Good. Jane will answer me. Hey, Jane, how do you know your… " Sebastian turned toward the doorway, expecting to see Jane's petite form. His gaze was met by a tall, muscular male. His other brother, Christian, leaned in the doorway.
"… soulmate?" Sebastian groaned, sinking back into the chair. "Great. Now I'm going to get the whole family's opinion on the topic."
Christian strolled into the room. "You'd trust Jane's opinion over mine. Thanks, bro."
"Women do know more about these things," Rhys agreed. "Maybe we should get Jane and Jolee in here too." He opened his mouth to call for his and Christian's mates, but Sebastian waved his hands.
"No! No. I can't handle that kind of interrogation right now."
Rhys regarded Sebastian, then nodded. "Okay."
"So? How can you tell?"
Rhys and Christian looked at each other. Then back to Sebastian.
"You just know," Christian said with a shrug.
"Well, what does it feel like?" Sebastian asked. "It's got to feel like something."
"How do you feel?" Rhys asked.
Sebastian considered for a second, then said, "Freaked out. Sort of weird-and umm, a little ill."
Both brothers gave him dubious looks.
"I don't know… " Christian said, shaking his head slowly.
Sebastian straightened in his chair. "So you think it's just-something else."
Rhys nodded. "Yeah. It sounds like it to me." He looked over at Christian, who nodded his agreement.
Sebastian smiled then and blew out a long breath. "Okay. Good."
He rose and headed to the door. "Hey, Christian, it's good to see you. Why are you here? Did Jolee kick you out?"
"Not yet," Christian said. "We just decided to come for a little visit."
Sebastian nodded. "Well, then I'll see you tomorrow. I have to go… " He gestured vaguely down toward his apartment. "You know, to bed."
"Okay, see you late," Christian said agreeably.
Sebastian nodded and disappeared out of the room.
Both brothers stared at the empty doorway for a moment.
"I'm so glad you called me," Christian said.
"Oh, I knew you'd want to see this." Rhys grinned.
Christian shook his head, a huge grin curving his lips. "He is so fang-whipped."
"I told you."
Both brothers reached for their glasses of scotch on the coffee table, raised them to each other, then took long, satisfied drinks.
"Oh, so fang-whipped." Christian chuckled.
Mina woke with the strangest disoriented feeling. Then she recalled why. She rose on her elbows, looking around the only vaguely familiar room. She'd been a little too busy with Sebastian the previous night to take much notice of his room.
It had a cozy feel like the rest of his apartment, with slate gray walls, large antique furniture, and another fireplace against the far wall. She looked at the other side of the bed, only to discover rumpled bedding and an indentation on the pillow where Sebastian's head had been. Reaching out to touch his pillow, she listened. The apartment was quiet.
She threw back the covers, actually surprised to discover she was nude. Of course she was nude. She'd made love with Sebastian, her toes curling at the memory, and then she'd promptly fallen unconscious.
"Hey," Sebastian greeted her from the doorway. She squeaked in surprise and quickly pulled the covers back over her.
He raised an eyebrow at her reaction, then strode to the bed. He carried two large mugs. He sat on the bed and handed one to her.
She peered at the red, viscous liquid.
"Since we are both on the wagon, I took the liberty of stealing us some breakfast from my brother. Go on, it's B-negative, my personal favorite."
Mina tried, as she didn't want to appear rude, but couldn't quite suppress her grimace.
"What?" He peered into the mug too as if he expected a fly to be floating in it. "Not a fan of B-negative?"
"I don't drink human blood."
Sebastian stared at her as if she'd just admitted that she couldn't walk and chew gum. Which, given her clumsiness, she might not be able to do.
Then he frowned. "Is it because of attacking the servant?"
She nodded. That was part of it. The memory of that still made her feel ill. But she didn't say so. Instead she pointed out the main reason. "I wasn't given human blood when I was institutionalized."
"Did they give you blood at all?"
"Yes. A combination of bovine and porcine blood."
Sebastian actually looked as if he might be ill. "Cow and pig blood." He did shiver. "You can't live on that."
"I have," she stated.
"Always? That's not possible."
"It is," she said, knowing she sounded defensive. "I've done it."
Sebastian stared at her, and for the moment, she worried that her diet somehow made her unattractive to him. Then she straightened. If it did, then he was shallow and unworthy of her interest. Although the idea did hurt her.
"That's why you are so pale," he said suddenly, touching her bare shoulder. "And it probably affects you other ways too. That's probably why you fall down."
She suddenly felt self-conscious, aware of him studying her pasty skin. Of him remembering her several clumsy moments. She shoved her mug at him and started to slide across to the other side of the bed.
He quickly set the mugs on the nightstand, and caught her before she could escape from the large bed.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm-" She didn't know what to say that didn't sound sulky and childish. "I like what I drink."
That wasn't it.
"I don't care what you drink, baby."
She narrowed her eyes at him, trying to decide if he was making fun of her.
"I don't," he assured her. "I just don't know how you survived on that."
He slid farther over onto the mattress. "You know this isn't how I pictured this evening going."
"How did you picture this evening going?" she couldn't help asking as his body moved closer to hers.
"Like this." He pulled her against him, kissing her.
Despite the awkwardness of their conversation, she didn't even hesitate to melt against him. She liked this beginning to the evening much better too. One arm remained around her body as his other hand slipped underneath the covers exploring her naked skin. Her side, her waist, over her belly up to cup her breast. She didn't even think to stop him. His touch was simply too wonderful.
"God, you feel good," he murmured, breaking their kiss to look at where his hand touched her breast. He plucked the nipple, watching intently as it beaded tightly under his touch, then he dropped a lingering, suckling kiss to it. She moaned, arcing back against his arm, offering him better access.
He groaned too, but straightened away from her. "We can't do this now." He eyed her breasts regretfully.
"Why?" she asked, a little dazed even from his brief ministrations.
"I have plans for us."
"Do they involve… " She looked significantly at him, then the bed.
Sebastian grinned, shaking his bed. "I think I've created a monster."
She blushed, feeling like maybe he was right. All she could think about was him, taking off his clothes, crawling into bed, and making love to her. All night.
That was so not-her. Or maybe this was her. Finally. Mina the sex fiend. She had to say, she kind of liked the title. It sure beat Wilhelmina the weirdo, which was who she'd been until she met Sebastian.
"Drink up," he said, holding out one of the mugs.
She shook her head. "I can't."
"Because it's human blood?"
She nodded.
"Come on," he coaxed. "It's blood-bank blood. Willingly donated. It's like free-range blood, if you think about it. And knowing Rhys and Jane, it's probably expired stuff the bank was going to toss anyway."
Mina hesitated, then accepted the mug. She sniffed the liquid, then took a small sip. It was sweet, very sweet and the flavor more powerful than her usual mixture. She took another swallow, and then had to set it aside. Her stomach roiled slightly, but she wasn't sure whether that was because she was disgusted or because she had enjoyed it too much.
Sebastian looked as if he was going to try to persuade her to drink more, but instead he nodded at her, and then polished off his own.
"Okay, let's get you in some clothes before I change my mind about going out tonight."
She considered trying to persuade him to stay in, right here in bed. But she chickened out. She wasn't quite brave enough to try to seduce him. Because she was afraid it would be too easy for him to reject her. She couldn't handle that. Not with the way she wanted him.
Plus, if she went out with him, she still got to be with him. And there was no way she wanted to risk that.
"Where are we going?" Mina asked again as Sebastian led her down another side street.
"You'll see," Sebastian said. He loved being mysterious with her. It drove her crazy. She was as impatient as he was. One of the many ways that she was like him, which he found surprising. He would have said they were nothing alike. But they found the same things funny-well, when she actually understood what he was talking about. They liked the same books. And music-well, classical composers anyway. And most important, he reminded himself, now that he'd gotten her into his bed she was as intense and as demanding as he was. He hardened just remembering.
It had been damned hard to turn down the invitation in her eyes when he'd kissed her this evening. The hardest thing he had ever done. He'd very much wanted to just push her down onto his mattress and explore every inch of her body.
But he'd wanted to take her to this place, too. A damned hard decision. But he knew it was so important for her to discover her vampire self. And in a strange way, it was important to him to know he could resist her. That while he liked her, she was no different from many other women in his life.
And he fully planned to take her back to his place afterward and make love to her until the sun rose. He could wait for his pleasure, especially if he was helping her feel more comfortable with herself.
He turned down another street and walked up to a set of dirty concrete steps, which led to the entrance of a run-down bar.
Mina frowned, looking up at the shabby-looking place, then she gave him a dubious look. "This is where you had to bring me?"
"You are going to love it."
She raised an eyebrow, but followed as he pulled her up the stairs. The bouncer at the door just nodded at Sebastian as he entered the smoky, dark room.
"Do you come here often?"
"Once in a while."
"The bouncer seemed to know you."
"Baby, I make an impression." He winked at her. But she knew that while he thought he was only making a joke, he had stated the absolute truth. Sebastian Young did make an impression, and he would be impossible to forget. While she wanted those memories of him to block out the the bad ones of the past, she realized memories of Sebastian, once he'd moved on to another woman, would be a new form of torment.
She decided she couldn't worry about that now. She still had him and she wanted to enjoy him. Although she wasn't sure she wanted to enjoy him here.
The room they entered was dark, smoky, and crowded. Not very pleasant, really.
"Couldn't we have just gone to your bar?" Mina asked.
"Not the same," he assured her, then he zigzagged toward the far side of the room.
Mina glanced around again. No, Carfax Abbey definitely wasn't the same. The people here, predominately human, were a far rougher crowd than those who patronized Sebastian's club. Even rougher than the alpha weres, and that was saying something.
Mina cast a wary look up at a giant bald man in a studded leather jacket and torn jeans. She glanced down at her outfit, the same dress she'd worn last night, although Sebastian had suggested that she wear one of his shirts tied over the top. She hadn't understood why until now. Of course, it made her more aware that she wore no panties under her skirt, because Sebastian hadn't given her a chance to go home to get clean clothes. Of course, Sebastian was the only one who knew that she was going without.
The large man eyed her up and down, then licked his lips. She suddenly wished she had on a lot more clothes.
"I–I don't think I like it here," Mina said, leaning against him.
"Don't worry. I'm right here with you."
She glanced once more at the huge biker, then followed Sebastian through the crowd away from the creepy man.
"Okay." He stopped in among the crowd, positioned Mina in front of him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her back tight against his chest. "Now, we just wait."
Mina tried to focus on the room, on what she was supposed to be waiting for, but all she could seem to center on was the strength of Sebastian's arms holding her and the splay of his hands on her belly.
"What are we waiting for?" she finally asked over her shoulder.
"Patience," he said, giving her one of his maddening smiles.
His fingers gently stroked the curve of her stomach, slipping under his shirt, knotted around her waist. The thumb of his other hand toyed with the button of her dress, just between her breasts. Was this the lesson of tonight? Patience while he tortured her with his thrilling touch?