“I’ve had so much time to think,” I go on. “About my life and what I’ve been doing. How much of it has been genuinely me, or my nature secretly driving me? Why things were a particular way. I realize… I only got into a groove when I went to Japan. I felt really good there—like I understood myself and the work I was doing. I was alone, but things finally made sense to me and I felt confident.”
“You weren’t alone, Jae. It’s the opposite. You were finally interacting with and part of a large, thriving vampiric community, and though you didn’t know it on the surface, your inner nature responded to that. It’s what you needed all along.”
Reaching up, I scratch the back of my hair. “I don’t know.” That sounds logical—and I know I’ve even told my patients to join local groups tailored to their specific circumstances. But why do I feel like a fish out of water? Like an imposter. Any minute now, this “purebred” skin will peel away, and surprise, I’m actually a lizard.
There’s a buzzing sound, and Junichi pulls his phone from inside his jacket pocket. He reads the screen, types something out, then leans forward to address the driver. “If you pull past this line, there’s a second road on the right that we need to take. The guard at the gate there will wave you through.”
“Yes, sir!”
The driver does as instructed, smoothly moving past the line of cars, turning and pulling up to a large, rather intimidating but ornately designed iron gate.
I’m staring out of the window like this is my first car ride ever, but a question pops into my head. I turn to Jun. “Do you know Cellina and Giovanni very well?”
Junichi is still texting on his phone. “Giovanni not very, but Cellina a little more. I was her escort to a few society events when she was stepping in for Haruka last year while Nino was recovering. She’s a lovely creature.”
“I’ve met her once before at the hospital, but not Giovanni… Were you seeing her?”
He flicks his eyes up at me before looking back down at his phone. “No. I couldn’t be bothered with ranked vampires, remember?”
I chuckle. “Ah. Right.”
“Even though that was before they’d bonded, I’d seen the way Giovanni watched her whenever they were in a room together. I don’t typically play by the rules, but there are some purebreds you just don’t fuck with.”
“Noted…”
Eventually, we’re on the opposite side of the villa. There’s a huge garden with all manner of flowers and rose bushes in every color, and I can see the greenish-blue glitter of the lake again if I peek through the trees.
When we step out of the car, the weather is perfect and there’s a slight, cool breeze. A row of stone steps ascends before us, and at the top, thick pillars grace either side of an intricately carved wooden door. When I peek from underneath the metaphorical blanket of Junichi’s essence, I know that Haruka, Nino, Cellina, Giovanni and even Asao and Sydney are somewhere up there, likely waiting for us.
“May I have your hand?”
Junichi is asking me and waiting, but his hands are in his trouser pockets as he stands there looking absolutely fucking delicious in his suit. He’s clean-shaven, which doesn’t really matter because I like him both ways. His curls are cut low against his head. I miss running my fingers into his hair.
My nature hasn’t gone berserk since that first time in my bedroom on Sunday morning. He hasn’t touched me since then, but… I want to try. I said I would. I reach out and he meets me, slowly clasping our hands.
“Is this okay?” he asks.
The warm tingles are there, shooting up my arm and reverberating in my chest and stomach, but I’m alright. “Yes.” I nod. He adjusts and entwines our fingers, then pulls me toward the steps.
The door opens before we get there, and Asao is grinning on the other side. He’s wearing a black suit as well, which fits his broad, square shape nicely. I’m suddenly wondering if Jun has dressed everyone in this room.
“Le petit doctor.” Asao grins, his eyes full of old-man mischief. “It’s good to see you again.”
I blink, utterly caught off guard. “What?” I look up at Jun, and he’s shaking his head at Asao, his lips pursed. Before I can recover from that, though, Cellina is floating toward me. Or at least it seems like she’s floating because her stride is effortless with the sway of her hips underneath the steely-silver gown she’s wearing.
“Doctor Jae!” She reaches down, taking hold of both my hands just as Junichi releases his hold. “Thank you so much for coming.”
Cellina is quite gorgeous and smells like something that might bloom in the springtime. Her intense gray eyes staring at me from underneath heavy, dark lashes is making me blush. Which is humiliating. “I—You can just call me Jae, please! Thank you for inviting me.” She smiles at me, and it’s like her milk-chocolate skin is glowing. Radiant.
She pulls me over toward Haruka and Nino, who are both standing with a fairly muscular, tall and handsome purebred that resembles Nino—but a bigger, slightly scarier version. She’s only holding one of my hands now, but I can still feel the heat radiating up my neck and cheeks. “This is Giovanni—my mate and Nino’s brother. I don’t think you met when Nino was in the hospital?”
I give a little bow. I have no idea why, but it feels like I should? This bloke’s energy is like a thick wall, and he’s standing here impeccably dressed and staring down at me with hazel-green owly eyes. “N-nice to meet you,” I manage.
His gaze flickers down to Cellina’s hand clasped in mine, then back up to my face. He lifts his chin. “Are you crushing on my mate right now?”
Bloody hell. “N-no—”
“G!” Nino turns to face him, his brow creased. “You’re being rude.”
Giovanni’s stony face breaks into a smile, and he reaches up and clasps the back of Nino’s neck in a rough but playful gesture. “I’m just joking, kiddo, calm down.”
“It’s not funny.”
“Oh my God.” Cellina’s free hand is massaging the bridge of her nose as she shakes her head. “Could you just behave for five minutes?”
“Nope. I’ve been behaving my whole damn life.” Giovanni wiggles his eyebrows, smiling at me and still gripping Nino’s neck, pushing him in a downward, bowing motion. “Nice to meet you, Jae. I know you’re new to vampire shit, but please remember that she’s bonded.”
“G!”
Giovanni only laughs, but Cellina lets go of my hand, and with lightning speed quickly flicks her mate in between his eyebrows. His palm releases Nino’s neck and flies up to the center of his forehead. “Fuck—”
“You’re doing too much right now. It’s embarrassing.” Cellina shakes her head and folds her arms as she looks him over.
“Hello, Jae.”
When I hear the deep, calming voice of the vampire pope himself, I take a breath and relax my shoulders. “Hi, Haruka. It’s nice to see you again.”
He smiles. “You as well.” I suddenly realize that he and Nino are wearing the exact same tuxedo. The color is similar to Cellina’s dress, but their bowties and pocket squares are sage green. Giovanni’s tuxedo is the same, except he isn’t wearing a bowtie and his shirt collar is casually gaped open.
