Page 41 of Endlessly Raphael
“One sec,” I mumble, making my way to the bar. I pour myself a shot glass of my favorite blend and throw it back. It’s bitter as it goes down, turning my stomach immediately. “Fuck.”
“Raph?” Eros asks.
I turn around, rubbing my forehead. “Something’s wrong with me.”
“What do you mean?” Justice asks. “You can’t be sick, right?”
“No, not sick.” I plop down on my favorite window seat. Both men give me a minute to speak. “It’s Haven. My reaction to him is not normal. He…” I close my eyes for a moment as memories of earlier taunt my beast back to the surface. “He allows me to taste him.”
“He knows you’re a vampire?” Justice asks.
“No, but he doesn’t even question it. He just accepts it. He accepts everything I tell him, no matter how odd.”
“Why is this a problem then?” Eros asks.
“Because I can’t control it. I can’t merely have sex with him without needing to taste his essence. I can’t stop thinking about him. His scent drives me mad. Is he a sorcerer?”
Eros chuckles, shaking his head. “Oh, Raph.”
“What?”
“He’s your fated mate. Obviously.”
I scoff. “Oh really? I just happened to bump into my mate in a nightclub?”
“Eros found me in the woods,” Justice says.
“Tru was rescued from a gang,” Eros says.
“And Bowie witnessed Syn murdering someone,” Justice continues. “Meeting in a club is pretty normal, all things considered.”
“Haven is not my mate.”
“How can you be so sure?” Eros asks.
“I don’t know. It’s just… how could it be?”
Eros shrugs. “How could it not? If he’s not your mate, then Thorn is a virgin.”
Justice cackles but then stifles his laughter. “Sorry.”
“Why don’t you want to believe it?” Eros asks. “You have proof they exist now. Why couldn’t it be your turn?”
“What if…” The words trail off as my true fear clenches my chest. “Fuck.”
“What?” Eros asks.
“Do you want me to leave?” Justice asks. “So you can talk openly.”
“No,” I answer. “I’m not sure I want to say the words out loud to anyone.”
“Raph, please,” Eros says. “You can tell us. Maybe we can help.”
I nod, sitting in silence for a few more seconds to summon the courage to speak it. “I think I’m afraid to believe it. If I open myself up to it, then I can be hurt.”
“Aww,” Justice says.
“Haven doesn’t want a true commitment. He wants to get his inheritance and rebuild his life.”