Epilogue
CASSIUS
Sitting at a bar tucked away in a sleepy village somewhere in Europe, irritation prickles across my skin.
I’m bored. None of my friends are with me now that they’re all mated up, and while I spent centuries alone, the whole point of joining this weird little crew was to finally have some company.
As annoying as they can be, they were a constant source of entertainment.
But I’ve watched them all find their loves in the past couple of years, leaving me alone again.
So here I sit, waiting for a mortal to stumble by who smells good enough to feed on and maybe even enticing enough to fuck.
I sip my cocktail to blend in, some overly sweet purple thing, but I learned long ago that mortals are suspicious of anyone in a bar who’s not drinking.
Is this my new reality? It’s not like I have a fated mate in my future.
Vampires can certainly mate, but not this one.
I’m not suited for that sort of life. When there are millions of available people on the planet, why limit myself to one?
Plus, if fate had a chosen mate planned for me, surely I’d know by now, wouldn’t I?
“Hello there, handsome.”
A woman with long dark hair leans into me, smiling and batting her lashes. She’s very beautiful, with Mediterranean skin and hazel eyes. Her scent is pleasant, but not intriguing enough for me to give up my hunt this early.
I nod politely but give no indication of interest.
“Are you here alone?” she asks, not deterred at all.
I turn towards her, studying her scent again. She’d do for a light meal, but I was hoping for sex too tonight, and I’m not feeling it with her.
Before I can gently decline her advances, a scent reaches me that nearly sends my brain offline. I turn my head in the direction of it, inhaling deeply.
“Sorry,” I mutter, sliding off the stool and letting the scent lead me away. It’s indescribable, like nothing I’ve experienced before.
Intoxicating.
I must find its owner.
I follow the scent through the club until I’m outside again. People move around me, bumping me, and the scent is fading. I run in the direction where it’s strongest, desperate for even a glimpse of the person who smells like that, but I lose it.
Stunned and frustrated, I scrub my hands over my face. Fuck. I have to know who smells like that and why. If it takes me an eternity to find it again, that’s fine.
I’ve got time.
THE END