CHAPTER FOUR #2
"You are experiencing the awakening. It only happens between vampires and their beloveds once their bond has been sealed.
Do you understand what I'm saying?" Riggs asked, and Thomas nodded.
He understood the bond and being a beloved.
Those were two things that he knew nothing about a few hours ago, but now recognized as two vital aspects of his new life.
"I am your beloved, a Fated match." He whispered, contemplating the gravity of it all.
"Yes, sweetheart, destiny made the plan, and Fate brought us together.
The world of the supernatural is open to you now.
I am Riggs McClain, a soldier with the Rose Coven under the rule of Master Conall Rose.
" Riggs spoke softly but with authority, and Thomas listened.
It was as if all the knowledge of the world was suddenly dropped into his consciousness.
One minute, he was clueless, and the next, he was seeing vampires and shifters and realizing magic was real.
“I claimed you. I marked you and claimed you as my beloved.” Riggs touched the wound on Thomas’ neck, and he felt an electric jolt course through his body.
It was exhilarating. A small moan escaped his lips, and he saw Riggs smile.
"You will always react when I touch you there. It is part of our bond."
"No complaints here," Thomas stated, feeling the pleasure that every moment with Riggs brought him. The night was not what he'd expected, but it was exactly what he'd always dreamed of having. "So, you're not a bartender?" He asked with a smile, and Riggs laughed.
“The Coven owns the Blood Rose as well as many other establishments. Everyone helps out.”
“They’re all vampires?”
"Yes, everyone who works there is a vampire and a member of the Rose Coven."
"I'm getting some very clear pictures of the Rose Coven," Thomas stated. "Master Rose is a very powerful figure both in the human society and the paranormal realm." He paused for a moment and then changed the subject. "You're a lot older than you look."
"Yes, I am, sweetheart," Riggs explained the longevity of vampires and other paranormal species. "As my bonded beloved, your life span will mirror mine. We have many years ahead of us, my love."
"You mean like a century or two?" Thomas' eyes widened at the idea of living for centuries. It was hard to fathom such a long existence.
“Or more, vampires live a very long time.”
“I’m getting that now.” Thomas smiled thoughtfully. “Sickness, injuries, you’re all pretty much immune.”
"And so are you." He kissed him softly on the lips, just lingering for a few seconds.
The awareness that Riggs spoke of just kept on delivering, and with each revelation came a sense of true understanding of this world.
Things that left him wondering were now explained, strange feelings and intuitions now had a source, and the belief that there was more to this world than met the eye was made true.
“What does this mean for you and me?” Thomas was getting the images and the sense that this was a forever situation, but he didn’t want to make assumptions.
"The awareness will fill in the blanks, and over the next few days, everything will be made clear to you.
This is so that you can assimilate into our world without undo mental or emotional difficulties.
It is paramount that you keep these secrets.
Our lives and the welfare of the paranormal world depend on this secrecy.
" Riggs' tone deepened and grew serious, and Thomas could easily see why the secrecy was necessary. He didn't need any further explanation.
"I won't tell a soul besides who would believe me." He chuckled softly. "This is really bizarre, you get that right?"
“I get that.”
"You don't scare me, even with the red eyes. I still found you amazingly attractive."
“Good to know.”
"I'm going to take this as it comes and try not to overanalyze."
“Wise course to take.”
“Is this really forever? My head is telling me that it is.”
"This is forever, sweetheart." Riggs pulled him in for a kiss that rippled sharp, breathless pleasure down to his toes. He didn't care at this point about anything apart from keeping this man in his bed and in his life.
"I took him home and dropped him off," Jeremy said when Dr. Ferris called him early Sunday morning. The sun hadn't even risen yet, and this guy was grilling him about Thomas and that bartender.
"Did Riggs, the bartender, give you the impression that it was something more serious than a one-off in a back room?" Jeremy paused, not sure how to answer. The question was weird, and normally, he would not respond to such a question, but this was Ferris, and he held power.
“I don’t know what went on in the back room, sir. Thomas was ready to leave, without hesitation, when I went there to collect him. They were both dressed, so whatever happened, I doubt it was too deep." That was a fucking string of lies, but he had to try to keep Ferris off Thomas's back.
Thomas' chance of an internship placement was toast. There was no way Ferris would ever okay anything for Thomas at the museum.
But there were other museums, other placements, and Jeremy hoped to keep Ferris from fucking those up as well.
Ferris's family's money had a long reach in their circle, and antagonizing the man was not a good idea.
There was only so much he could do without jeopardizing his own career.
Thomas's cavalier attitude last night had been surprising.
The guy was usually a bundle of nerves and quiet as a mouse, but something happened that changed Thomas's life.
It might have been the drinks, but he didn't seem impaired.
"Keep an eye on him and make sure he stays away from the Blood Rose from here on out.
I will not be made a fool of by someone of the caliber of Thomas Carter.
" Ferris was spitting fire now. His infatuation with the staff at the Blood Rose was getting out of hand, but who was brave enough to tell him?
"I doubt Thomas will go back there; it's not his scene. He only came because I pressured him. He won't go back there." Jeremy said what Dr. Ferris wanted to hear, not sure whether it was the truth or not.
The Blood Rose was not Thomas's scene, but the budding relationship he witnessed between Thomas and the bartender might change that fact. He wasn't going to elaborate. He only wanted to mitigate the damage to Thomas's future career.
“There’s a board meeting tomorrow afternoon.” Dr. Ferris stated with superior affect. “I plan to discuss the removal of Thomas Carter. He has no future at the museum, and I see no reason to keep him on in any capacity."
"Why discuss this at a board meeting? Why not just talk to his current supervisor?" Jeremy knew what he was doing, but he wanted him to state it clearly and let the cruelty sink in.
“I want to ruin him. I want to make sure he has no avenue of work in this town.” He paused and chuckled softly. “I hated that kid the moment he walked into the director’s office.”
“Why?”
"He paid me no deference, simply nodded and looked through me when introduced. He sat there quietly and attentively as his disrespect burned a hole through me." This was bordering on crazy talk.
“What did you expect from him? He was a new hire he didn’t know people here. He was probably following your lead.” Jeremy defended.
"I have a reputation, and I have published works, but he treated me like any other basic museum supervisor."
"That's why you dismissed him from the internship he'd earned," Jeremy stated, but it was a question.
"He needs to learn his place, and his behavior at the Blood Rose last night just solidified my desire to teach him just exactly where he belongs.
" He took a deep breath, clearly worked up by his own words.
"Keep me informed as to his activities, or you might be destined for the same type of career extinction.
" With that, he closed the call, and Jeremy stood in his kitchen, wondering where to go with this.