Chapter Twenty-One
Bechora
“We’re all set up, if you two are done,” Shadrie spoke, poking her head around Zypher’s broad back to look at me. “Just need some help moving the snacks over.”
“Are you content with my answers, Dilectus?” Zypher asked, not bothering to acknowledge Shadrie.
I studied him a second longer before patting his chest. “Yeah, we’re good. Let’s help grab the snacks and get settled so we can binge trash TV”
When I stepped around him, my eyes widened in surprise.
Where there had only been a couch, coffee table, and television in our living room space before, Shadrie and Miles had transformed it into a dual love seat sitting area with a raised table, positioned perfectly for snacking without having to do too much moving to reach.
Miles noticed my stunned expression as he moved toward the counter, and his face flushed.
“I’ve been reading a bunch of stuff from the library since I come from a coven and already have a foundation in spell casting. Found a really cool transfiguration spell in one of the books, and Shadrie helped me cast it.”
“This is amazing, Miles,” I replied, half in awe.
He gave me a sheepish smile and shrugged before gathering an armful of snacks and moving to settle into one of the love seats.
I barely caught Shadrie’s smirk as she flitted past me to claim the spot beside Miles.
Rolling my eyes at her antics, I grabbed what little was left on the counter and jerked my head toward the living room area.
Zypher beamed at me, and I nearly laughed as I took him in with his grin and massive arms loaded down with various snack foods.
The love seat that Miles and Shadrie had transfigured from our couch didn’t leave much room once Zypher’s large frame settled into the empty space next to me.
Shadrie muttered something under her breath, and the lights flicked off just as the television turned on with the first episode queued up and ready to start.
I tucked my feet under me and leaned against the armrest, away from Zypher, as Sister Wives started to play.
As the episodes played, I unconsciously started shifting closer to the massive demon until I found myself tucked under his arm.
Each time his chest rumbled with laughter at the ridiculous commentary my friends were making about the show, I caught myself gazing up at him through my lashes.
Without the pressure of losing my choice in our pairing, I allowed myself to really observe him for the first time since we’d met.
I was so caught up in just looking at him that I almost missed that Shadrie was talking.
“You know, I don’t think I could get down with the whole sister wives thing.
It’s nice in theory, but I want a mate that absolutely spoils and dotes on me.
Not some dude who needs four wives to take care of him.
Brother husbands, though… that I could get on board with,” she mused before turning her head to look at Zypher.
“You think you could take me to Daemonium House to shake hands with some demons and see if I have my own harem of men?”
“Shadrie!” I gasped, jerking forward to look at her around Zypher’s massive frame, causing my hair to waterfall across my field of vision.
“What? It’s a valid question.” She shrugged.
Huffing, I tossed my hair over my shoulder and scowled at my friend.
I felt my hair lift from my back before the warmth of Zypher’s palm caressed my neck.
His hand was so large that it wrapped entirely around my throat, and I could feel the thrum of his thumb as he stroked the nearly invisible bite mark Gabriel had left.
“Who bit you?” he asked softly.
I jerked upright, his hand remaining in place as I turned my head to look at him. “Nobody. It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing, Dilectus. Who. Bit. You?” There was a hard edge to his tone I hadn’t heard before as his thumb continued to stroke Gabriel’s bite mark.
“Maybe you should—” Shadrie started.
“It’s nothing. I took care of it,” I interrupted before she could finish her sentence.
Zypher sighed heavily, his thumb stilling on my neck. “This is not nothing, Dilectus. This is a mating mark from a vampire. Given your concern about choice and lack of other suitors, I do not believe this was given to you with your consent.”
“What?” I asked dumbly, my mind trying to process what he’d just said.
“It can’t be a vampire mating mark,” Shadrie interjected. “She’d have had to complete the ritual for it to be that.” Her eyes flicked to Miles as if seeking out confirmation, but he only shrugged.
“Their ritual is only required for chosen matings,” Zypher responded. “This mark is most definitely a mating mark.”
“Absolutely not!” I shouted, throwing my hands in the air.
Magic erupted from the normally empty void within me, enclosing me and Zypher in a bubble that glowed with a slight blue hue.
My mouth dropped open in shock, both from his assertions and from the magic I’d just cast. I could feel it surrounding us, and it seemed he could as well.
Zypher smiled, raising one hand to caress the magical wall around us, and the sensation sent a shiver up my spine.
“Your shield feels startlingly similar to my own, Dilectus,” Zypher murmured in awe, before the shield snapped like a rubber band pulled too tight. His gaze held mine, and a soft smile graced his lips. “I’m happy to provide you with private lessons on how to hold it, if you’d like.”
There was an undercurrent of innuendo to his tone that left me at a loss for words, the conversation moments before momentarily forgotten.
I found myself considering what exactly the private lessons would entail.
Lurid images flashed through my mind in a tempting display.
The sound of Miles clearing his throat snapped me back to reality and caused a flush to bloom across my face.
Zypher gave me a knowing smirk before giving his attention to the mage.
“Are you saying Bechora accepted a mate bond?” Miles asked, pushing his glasses up his nose as he gave me a puzzled look.
“I haven’t accepted any mate bond,” I insisted.
Zypher sighed and removed his hand from my neck. “Do any of you know the history of Vampire kind?”
“They don’t really teach anything from before the Dreadgrave line came into power,” Shadrie replied.
Zypher leaned back, keeping one hand on my neck, his thumb stroking my skin and causing involuntary shivers to roll up my spine.
My body swayed toward him with each pass, unconsciously attempting to get closer to him.
He didn’t miss the small movement, shooting me a wink before turning his attention back to Shadrie and Miles.
“Before the Dreadgraves took control over leadership of their clans, vampires were classed as demons.
Vladimir Banecroft was the last of his line to hold power.
He served on the demon council and was well-liked among the clans.
Callidora Dreadgrave was his downfall. Her father, Gaspare, wanted more.
Power, control—you name it, he wanted it.
It’s written in demon history books that he sent his youngest daughter, Callidora, to Vladimir. Her father ordered her to behead her mate so the Dreadgraves could take control of the clans, and she chose to go against their bond and fulfill her father’s wishes.
After that, Gaspare set his sights on the larger kingdom.
Rather than take a place on the council, he betrayed several powerful demons, handing them over to the Fae king in exchange for a position in his court.
That position was passed from him to his son, his son to his grandson, and one day it will fall to Gabriel as the Dreadgrave heir. ”
“What does that have to do with B’s mark?” Shadrie asked.
Zypher inhaled deeply through his nose, letting it out again slowly.
“Vampires had soulmates before Callidora’s betrayal.
We know not if it was actually the betrayal, or what followed, that caused their kind to lose the ability to sense their mates.
Without the pull to their Noctis Amare, they took up rituals to claim mates, but it is known throughout demon kind that a true mated pair only requires a bite. ”
I stiffened at the phrase Noctis Amare. That was what Gabriel called me in my dream. Zypher’s head snapped toward me, his eyes locking onto my tensed body.
“Do not worry, Dilectus. That may be a mating mark, but the bond isn’t completed unless you have taken his blood.
” Miles, who had just lifted a cup to his lips, choked at Zypher’s words.
“You still have a choice,” Zypher continued, ignoring my friends as Shadrie moved to slap Miles on the back.
“Tell me who bit you and, if you wish it, I will end them and sever the bond completely.”
“No,” I managed to grit out. “I don’t want you to kill anybody on my account. I will deal with this myself.”
Zypher tilted his head, studying me for a moment before giving me one sharp nod.
“As you wish, Dilectus. It is your choice who you accept into your bonded Vinculum. I will always honor that choice.” Seemingly satisfied, his hand slipped from my neck before he clapped once. “Shall we return to our show?”
Miles and Shadrie voiced agreement, and we settled back into our seats.
I let Zypher wrap his arm around my shoulders and tuck me in close to his side as he watched the show play out on the TV.
I let my body relax into him, but I couldn’t focus on anything beyond my own thoughts.
If Zypher was correct, Gabriel Dreadgrave was also my mate.
The moment he bit me, he marked me as his.
I was going to make the asshole pay for it.