"You're magnificent," I whispered in his ear, wrapping my arms around his neck in a giant bear hug. He nudged me after a moment, letting me know it was time to see the others. Stepping out of the comforting bubble we had, I headed for my safety zone against the wall. My eyes stayed on Lachlan for a moment, clinging to that sense of comfort for whatever fresh crazy was coming my way next. Instead of transforming, he locked eyes with Tristan, before the big bear nodded and padded toward me, curling up on the floor next to me with his head in my lap. I absently rubbed his head as I stared around the room waiting. I was startled when he let out a weird sort of low echoing growl, realizing as his body rumbled next to me that it was a purr. Bears purr?!
"Well, you know mine, I'm just a psychic," Tristan said pointedly, waiting for someone else to go.
"She knows what I am, too," Evander said quietly, ducking his head. For once he didn't look confident; instead, he looked embarrassed. Yeah, you didn't take that well last time, Lennox, I reminded myself.
"I'm sorry for freaking out last time," I called over to him with an apologetic shrug. He looked up and gave me a smile, fangs poking out. I chuckled at the sight, thinking he looked adorable and goofy, not quite scary like I remembered.
"She thinks you’re an adorable vampire," Tristan supplied cheerfully, looking away when I glared over at him. "Just trying to help," he mumbled.
"Is it just fangs? What about blood and powers?" I asked, knowing he was holding some of it back for my benefit. He almost seemed embarrassed to be a vampire.
"It's the humans. They portray them so horribly he's afraid you'll think the same," Tristan answered Evander’s internal thoughts, earning a glare from Evander.
"Prove me wrong," I challenged, trying to keep up a confident appearance. Internally, I was still freaking out. This was all mind blowing, and I knew I would need time to process, but I was far too curious now. I needed to know what they were.
"My hunger is the same as yours. When I get hungry, I eat. I don't get rabid or animalistic, and bloodlust isn’t a real thing. I just need it to survive. My bl
ood is supplied by donors, and I only have to live feed once a month to keep my abilities strong. I feed from a willing participant, usually one of these guys. I have increased senses and strength," he summarized quickly, before Aeson interrupted.
"And don't forget beauty, he's a hot vampire," Aeson added, throwing me a wink.
"You cheating on me?" Tristan quipped, holding his chest in shock. Whoa? They’re dating? He seems so flirty, I thought before I could stop myself. Tristan let out a loud laugh before answering my thoughts. "We swing both ways, kitten." My cheeks heated, hating that he could hear my embarrassing inner thoughts.
"Ready?" Evander asked, an edge to his voice. I snapped my eyes to his to see a hint of jealousy. There was nothing here to be jealous about. Maybe he likes one of them?
"You'll have to excuse his vamp side, it gets possessive," Aeson snorted, gaining another glare.
"Show me what you got, sparkles," I joked, not wanting the guys to fight because of me. Evander didn't glare as he looked back at me; instead, he chuckled and turned around. A soft red glow flowed over him for a moment before he turned. My heart skipped a beat as I looked at him. He went from ruggedly handsome to absolutely gorgeous. His skin had a pearly sheen, and his eyes were a bright silver, lined in burgundy. His hair went from its deep brown to a shiny black, while all of his features were more toned and angular. He was literally the embodiment of perfection.
"Damn, I'm a little jealous of these internal thoughts," Tristan mumbled, making Evander give a wide grin. One corner of his mouth tilted slightly higher than the other, making his fangs poke out more. He looked so damn pleased with himself, that I couldn't help but laugh, before wincing at the sudden pain again.
"Alright, my turn, I can't handle this anymore. I'm a mage, and my specialty is healing. Can you come lay on the bed, so I can heal whatever is causing you to make that pitiful face?" Aeson asked in a rushed, pained voice, coming over and reaching a hand down to help me up. I took his hand, reluctantly letting go of my bear friend. He's a person, Lennox, not a new pet, I reminded myself. Don't get attached.
I walked over to the closest bed and laid flat. I debated whether to close my eyes or not, but I opted for keeping them open, wanting to see what he could do. Aeson smiled down at me, his hands hovering about a foot over my body. He closed his eyes, and a soft, white glow formed under his hands and slowly flowed over me. The magic tickled along the top of my skin, a tingling sensation that had every hair standing on end. The feeling that washed over me was a calming one, filled with a warmth that relaxed every muscle and ache within me. Each breath hurt less and less, until the pain was completely gone. I let out a deep sigh of relief, not realizing how tense and painful every muscle in my body had been, how labored every breath was.
"Fuck, your magic could be addicting," I mumbled, shaking out my limbs as I sat up and stepped out of bed.
"Now, tell me what I am."
March 18
Morning
Evander
"Full disclosure... we don't know. You seem to be a siren, but sirens have tails. They're a variation of what humans call mermaids. So you're either half human or mixed with another supernatural creature. For now, we aren't positive," I said, bracing myself for her disappointment.
"So I'm half fucking mermaid?" she asked, her eyes going wide. "I remember gills on my neck, and scales on my arms. The cold water filled my lungs, and I thought I was going to die." She wrapped her arms around herself, as if holding in the painful memories.
"We'll figure it out," I reassured her, stepping forward before I realized what I was doing. When I held my arms open for a hug, she gave me a small smile and cautiously curled into my embrace, resting her head on my chest. I took in a breath of her berry vanilla scent, liking her in my arms way more than I should. We were her mentors, not her potential boyfriends. I needed to remember that. But fuck, I want to be her boyfriend more than anything.
'She feels nice in your arms, doesn't she?' Tristan projected into my head, opening up the connection.
'She does, too good,' I sent back, squeezing just a little tighter.
'Is she doing alright?' Lachlan asked, a growl to his internal voice.
'She's taking it fine, better than I expected. She wants alone time, but doesn't want to go to her room. We need to update her. Her thoughts keep going back to the letter though.' I didn't even know what we could do about that part, but fuck if I was going to let these assholes push her ever again. She's ours, she just doesn't know it yet.