Page 84 of Endlessly Raphael

“He saw me in the market a few days before and asked around until he learned my fate. He had the money and prominence to get what he wanted.”

“So then he said ‘wanna be a vampire?’ How did that go?”

“It was a bit like that, but more seductive. Yves was looking for his mate. Anyone he felt a connection to, he would invite to join his family.”

“Oh. He wanted you romantically?”

“Yes. Now remember, this was a long time ago.”

“You were Yves’s lover.” The words are bitter on my tongue. “I don’t like that. Do you guys still fuck?”

“No, darling, we don’t, and we haven’t since sometime in the 1700s.”

“Really?”

“Really. Once Yves knows you’re not his fated mate, he resumes his search, and we move from lover to brother.”

“Isn’t that weird? You’ve all fucked Yves?”

“It’s not weird. It was so long ago, it’s hard to conjure a memory of it. None of us look at each other that way anymore. Any lust was replaced with a bond that is indescribable. Even the term brother is insufficient. There is no bond like that of a vampire.”

I nod, mesmerized by his words. “Did you sleep with the others?”

“Yes. I want to be honest with you. Vampires tend to be polyamorous until we find our mate.”

“So you would never look at another guy, right?”

Rapha grips both my hands in his. “No one else exists, my beautiful Haven.”

“I believe you. How can you be sure we’re mates?”

“It’s a deep knowing. I can feel it in my bones, in my soul. The moment your blood coated my tongue, I knew this connection was like no other.” He puts his hand on my chest over my heart. “When we were apart, did you feel me? You said you knew I was coming. You felt it, right?”

“In my chest? Like a string pulling?”

He nods, smiling. “Exactly. That was our bond. Our souls are drawn to each other. They knew what we were before we did. It was no accident that we met. I was always meant for you, Haven, and you for me.”

“You’ve been alone all this time. It makes me sad.”

“I don’t remember it. All the lonely nights and pining moments were worth it to get to you. Three of my brothers have found their mates, and I was too afraid to hope it could happen for me too, but then you came. You erased the fear.”

“But…” I blink back tears. “I’m going to get old and die someday. I don’t want to leave you alone again. That’s not fair.”

“That doesn’t have to happen, Haven.”

I pull my head back slightly. “What do you mean?”

“You could join me on my eternal walk. I could make you a vampire.”

My eyes go wide. “You can turn people into vampires?”

“Yes.”

I sit up, shoving his arm. “Seriously? You kept this from me all this time?”

Raphael sits up too, but he looks confused. “All this time? We’ve known each other for a week.”

“Yeah, but you knew we were mates, like, two days ago. You could’ve made me a vampire and then I could’ve kicked Joe’s ass.”