———Vincent’s POV——
I showed her my inner desires. None of my past trystscompare to her. I know she felt it like I did. I felt her in every touch and every breath I took. I feel her in every facet of my being. I love her.
She loves me too. She said home. Not verbally but in her mind. It doesn't matter how she said it, but
that she did. I will spend an eternity cherishing her because she is the ultimate gift.
———End POV——-
I wake up and Vincent is just looking at me with nothing but love and admiration in his eyes.
He smiles as he strokes my hair, “Good morning, my dear.”
I thought that it might be awkward waking up beside him, but it felt as if I had done this a thousand times, “Morning.”
He glances at the light peaking through the blinds, “The wolf will be here soon it's 730.”
“Then I had better get a shower,” I say.
With a naughty glint in his eye, “Let me help you with that.”
He starts the shower while I use the restroom. I used to feel odd using
the restroom with a guy in the bathroom, but I don't around him. And there's that feeling again like I'm home. It is like we were like this in a past life. I wonder if past lives exist?
Then it hits me as I'm stepping into the shower with him. I love him, truly love him. I'm home, this is my life now. I'm happy, genuinely happy.
I hadn't been happy since I was a teenager. Even then, I don't think I
was this happy not even with Kevin. I loved Kevin and would have married him, but with Vincent I feel as if I already am. But how can that be possible? Is it a mate thing? Do all beings that have fated mates feel this way?
While washing my hair with a smirk on his face, “I love you too, Eva.” That makes me smile so I turn to him and run my hand up his thigh.
He sucks in a breath, “As much as I’d love to…”
I finish his sentence for him, “We are short on time.”
Then we hear the doorbell and laugh.
“Shorter than I thought. You finish I'll go let him in,” he says.
He kisses me and then exits the shower as he grabs a towel to put
around his waist. I finish washing and dry off. I hear
them talk a bit and then I go to my room to get dressed.
Vincent comes into mine as I think, maybe I should move my stuff to his room.
He grins, “Maybe you should.”
I jump, “Hey!”
“Do what you want, my dear,” he says.
Freedom around a guy that I'm dating isn't something that I'm used to. I am standing in my swimsuit trying to figure out what to wear.
Vincent looks over my shoulder, “Wear the Bohemian dress and your sandals.”
“Okay bossy pants,” I say.
He looks at me, “Not being bossy. It'll look good on you.”
He's suggesting not ordering. He wants me to look good, not hide me from the world.
He smiles, “See I was right.”
Then he pulls me into a kiss. I'm going to miss him and based on the grip that he has on my hand, he's going to miss me too. We walk into the kitchen hand in hand.
“Eat,” Sam growls as he thrusts a plate full of food at me.
He has cooked a full breakfast including poured some fresh orange juice and even made coffee.
“Thanks but this is a lot,” I tell him.
I feel tension and I don't like it one bit.
He barely looks at me, “Eat! You’ll need it.”
I snap at him, “Well good morning to you too.”
Sam finally makes eye contact with me, “Sorry, wasn't exactly expecting what Vincent told me.”
I turn to glare at Vincent, “Vincent, what exactly did you say? Because I wasn't listening in and maybe I should have been.”
The tension escalates as they glare at each other. It is as if two rams are about to go head-to-head.I bet Eric is listening in at this point as he can sense my growing irritation.
“Ok, none of this shit!!” I say as I twist my wrist turning them while freezing them in place so that they can no longer look at each other, “Now you will both stay put until I say.”
“What the hell!” Vincent exclaims.
I sigh, “I might not be able to harm you but I can keep you from harming each other. You're both my mates whether we
all like it or not. You say that mates can't harm each other but you never said that I couldn't keep you both
contained until you cool off.”
“This is bullshit!” Vincent argues.
I look him in the eyes as I take a sip of my coffee, “No, it is penance. You will all behave. None of us chose this arrangement. If you have a problem then speak, but know this I won't play favorites and I will not hesitate to punish any that cause problems. Am I clear?”
Reluctantly they both said yes, so I considered releasing them but I decided that I want to learn what was said first, “Now what was said. Sam you may speak.”
“Well your arrogant ass of a mate decided it was a good idea to answer the door wet,
in a towel, and with freshly healed marks on his back. It's fine what you choose to
do, but waving it in the face of others pisses me off. You deserve more respect than that,” Sam says.
I answer him, “Well they aren't fresh
As in not just before you came, we were in the shower though. But he could've put forth more of an effort to be
presentable when he opened the door. Vincent apologize for being a gloating ass.”
Vincent chuckles, “Fine I apologize for being myself.”
I look to Sam, “That's about as good as you'll get.”
“Fine, we are good,” he says.
Finally, I release my hold on them, “Good. Now how did my small hands do that much damage?”
Sam takes in a breath as he bites his lip, “You might be able to shift.”
I ask, “Ummm how is that possible?”
Sam grins, “Not sure but we can try.”
“How?” I inquire.
He gazes into my eyes, “Think of running free in the forrest, Earth under your paws, air flowing through your fur.”
I do as he says and there's this green light that flashes before my eyes.
Vincent exclaims, “Whoa!”
Sam cocks his head as a thought comes to him, “You should be able to talk, try.”
“Um, I think it worked,” I say.
Sam smiles, “It did.”
I look at my feet…well paws, “I'm white.”
Sam nods, “Yes, all white and the most beautiful wolf I have ever seen.”
“Your eyes are still the same,” Vincent adds.
I ask Sam, “So last night?”
He grins, “Your hands became paws and you mauled him.”
I laugh, “Now, how do I?”
“Change back. Just think back to your human form,” he tells me.
In a flash, I am back in my human form. No pain, no anything and even my clothes returned.
“My clothes?” I ask Sam.
He says, “They returned. It's because you were born with this ability and not turned. Also, I suspect why you can talk in wolf form and not rely on the mindlink like others have to.”
I look at him, “But I don't that I know of.”
“Smell like us? No, you still don't,” he says.
Vincent asks, “That was interesting. Could one of her parents have been?”
Sam thinks for a few seconds, “Maybe but if they were they weren't a full wolf. But even that doesn't seem correct.”
“I think now I'm more confused,” I tell them.
Vincent says, “We all are.”
“Grandmother might know something,” Sam adds.
I hope so. I hate not having answers. I feel as if I'm losing control of myself and I hate that too.
Vincent states, “Worth a shot. At least I don't have to worry as much since you can shift.”
I'm still concerned, “But my vampire stuff.”
He just looks at me, “Don't use it blatantly there or your spells!”
I roll my eyes, “Fine.
I'll be enjoying my playlists so unless you want to listen.”
He huffs, “I swear I don't know how you even classify some of that as musIc.”
I scoff, “Well Mr. Bach not everyone sees all of your works as good music either.”
He looks shocked, “What have you seen?”
I grin, “Just everything. Some I liked, some I didn't. You've worked with amazing artists though and written many well-known songs.”
He glares at me, “Did you know it's not polite to snoop?”
“Did you know nothing should be a secret between lovers?” I retort.
Vincent quips, “You're infuriating.”
I smirk at him, “I'm just right. You're going to miss me.”
“Even so,” he says.
“Ha, you just admitted it!” I rub it in.
He winks, “Well you called here home last night.”
I roll my eyes, “I said no such thing.”
“You thought it,” Vincent says with a smirk on his face.
Sam chuckles, “Well I can see nothing has changed between you both.”
*** In our minds ***
Eric says, “Ok enough. Eva you handled that well. Vincent stop provoking Sam. Sam mind your temper. Eva you can't
just send a mate away. They will always find you and you them. Humans refer to it as soulmates.”
I sigh as I roll my eyes. I guess now we can all talk in our minds. I'm not sure that I can get used to this.
Eric sighs, “Please don't roll your eyes. This is serious. Humans might
not see it as such because they claim to fall in love easily, but they really don't. Their minds just let them believe that based on
chemical reactions. For us, it's far beyond basic chemistry.”
“Sorry,” I tell him.
His tone becomes stern, “Stop! Now your shifting is interesting and you can
control it too. Sam she should be monitored during the next full moon though just in case.”
Sam says, “Agreed. She's a breathtakingly beautiful wolf.”
Eric asks him, “Will her half-wolf form be the same?”
He tells him that it should.
“Eva you're white correct? All white?” Eric asks.
“Yeah, what Sam said,” I tell him.
“With her peridot eyes?” he asks Sam.
“Yes,” he says.
“Rare,” Eric says.
I don't like that. I'm already a freak because I have all of these odd abilities yet I'm not a shifter or a vampire. Just what am I?
Sam answers Eric, “Very, I think I get where you're going with this. I'll keep other packs from sniffing her out before she's ready.”
Eric seems relieved, “Good, with the brewing conflict between vampires and werewolves we don't need your packs fighting.”
“Agreed,” Sam acknowledges.
I suggest, “How about if any try to harm me | just kill them? I don't even have to say the spell just think it.”
Eric takes in a breath, “Last resort only.”
I joke, “No fun, because I've seenfirsthand very few can be rehabilitated. Once evil always evil.”
It's true but I don't think I could kill not unless it was to protect someone I love or save my own life.
Eric redirects me, “Are all vampires evil just because Victor is?”
I need to explain myself, “Never said I meant the species. It varies person to person, species shouldn't have anything to do with it.”
“Why?” he asks.
“I mostly believed in an eye for an eye my whole life. I have tried to do good hoping eventually maybe something good would come my way at some point,” I tell him.
“Well, it has,” Eric tells me.
“Not entirely,” I say.
He takes another breath, “But it has, you get to define who you are. It's no longer you and Katie verses the world. You have us now.”
“Eric, you have a point “ I say.
I can feel him smiling as he says, “Safe travels, I'Il checkin when
I can. Vincent be nice to Katie.”
“Bye Eric,” I say.
Well, that was so strange yet it felt natural. Everything feels natural around them.