Nino runs the fingers of his free hand through his hair. “Jesus… can we all just sit down and have lunch, please?”

Twenty-Two

The first course (il primo) consisted of a delicious, hearty canederli soup. Haruka has learned that Nino’s family owns a property in northeast Italy. Growing up, they spent much time there and this soup is a specialty from that region. The second course was roasted chicken seasoned with white wine, sage and rosemary. Considering blood is their primary source of nourishment, not all purebred vampires eat table food habitually. However, Haruka is always more contented when he’s in the company of those who also embrace life’s little pleasures.

Conversation throughout dinner has been surprisingly comfortable. Aside from the sporadic, facetious and therefore prickly banter between Cellina and Giovanni, their discussions of news, business trends and their respective professions have been enthralling.

Haruka relaxes in his chair, bringing his post-dinner coffee to his lips. Giovanni sets his own cup down, watching him. “Nino mentioned that you had some trouble during the bonding ceremony. Your attacker was first-gen—from Brazil, correct?”

“He was.”

“Do you think it was in relation to the uprising?” Giovanni asks.

“No. He made it very clear that he wished to possess my family’s research on bonding. We reported him to the police and informed his realm leader.”

“Nino told me about the book—Lore and Lust?” Giovanni asks. “It goes back five centuries?”

“It does.”

“The research sounds invaluable. If you had someone properly format and run analytics on the information you’ve collected, there’s no telling what kind of trends and patterns you’d find. You could potentially reveal the mysteries behind establishing vampiric bonds, which would create stronger, more powerful pairings and easier child-bearing processes. Maybe your attacker wanted it for himself to peddle for an astronomical price—or to take back to his realm leader.”

“That would be Ladislao, wouldn’t it?” Cellina asks. “Have you actually met him, Haruka?”

“I have not.”

Nino relaxes with his elbows on the table, his arms folded. “Giovanni met him once, a few years ago. Right, G? You said he was obscenely flirty with you.”

His elder brother frowns and shakes his head. “They were priming that freak to take over for his ailing father. He was trying so hard to get in my damn pants that I couldn’t even establish any serious business conversations. He’ll sleep with anything that moves.”

Cellina smiles brightly, her voice warm as she looks at Giovanni. “You two should have gotten along well then? Two peas in a pod.” She blinks, her expression innocent as Giovanni turns his nose up in a clear snarl. He doesn’t say a word.

“Anyway,” Nino says, a little louder than necessary. “Hopefully we’ve seen the last of Gael. The poor guy he was supposed to bond with is still pretty devastated.”

Giovanni shifts his intense gaze from Cellina to Haruka. “Speaking of, Nino also tells me that you have strong opinions about bonding.”

Haruka stops short, the black liquid in his cup sloshing in its journey toward his mouth. He clears his throat, setting the coffee down on the table.

“Why?” Giovanni presses.

“God.” Cellina frowns. “Straight for the jugular.”

Nino’s face is also disapproving. “I didn’t tell you that for you to harass him about it.”

“It’s a valid question.” Giovanni returns their frowns, righteous. “We’ve been sitting here for an hour and a half. It’s not like it was the first question I asked—even though I fucking wanted it to be.”

Nino turns, his eyes apologetic. “Haru, you don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.”

“Yes, he does,” Giovanni asserts, sitting back and folding his arms. “We’re not children, and he wrote the damn book.” At one hundred and twenty-two, Giovanni is the eldest vampire within their intimate group. It is a very nuanced thing that Haruka has yet to truly define, but in general, age precedes blood quality—particularly if two vampires are equally ranked. His own bloodline is cleaner and more ancient than Giovanni’s, but the gladiator-esque vampire is openly postulating his seniority over Haruka.

Haruka’s throat tightens. This isn’t like past situations where he’s been asked this question—where he could offer his canned response and swiftly change the subject. This circumstance is much more intimate. He shouldn’t lie to Nino and his family. He cannot.

He takes a deep breath, ignoring the heavy weight in his chest. “I… do not wish to bond because I have been bonded before.”

Silence. The three vampires stare at him utterly perplexed. Haruka can feel the confusion among them, like a dense fog has settled and no one knows which way to turn. No one can see their hand in front of their face.

Slowly, their gazes morph into a curious (slightly disturbed?) understanding. Now, he is no longer one of them. He is like an alien life form beamed down and sitting among them. As if his face is suddenly covered in purple spots.

“What?” Giovanni shrewdly offers.

“You’ve been bonded before?” Cellina asks. “What does that mean? Are you still bonded now?”

“No,” Haruka says, casting his gaze toward his friend sitting completely still beside him. “I was bonded, but not any longer. The bond was broken.”

Silence again. A long series of ellipses.

“What?” Giovanni draws back in his seat. The hypothetical purple spots are moving.

“How… how can you have broken a bond?” Cellina asks. “Bonds can’t be broken once established. It’s not possible—everyone knows that.”

“And yet…” Haruka smirks. It is unheard of. It is supposed to be impossible. Once two vampires entwine their natures and enter into the secure, mythical vow of a bond, it can never be broken. They are mates and partners for life, creating a deep biological connection, shared responsibilities, emotional support and profound intimacy. Uniquely and monogamously dedicated to one another until death.

Or so the lore has traditionally stated.

Betrayal of the bond by directly feeding from an outsider or engaging in sexual intimacy means death to the bonded individuals. Except it doesn’t. Not in Haruka’s case. He is still alive (by definition, anyway), and so is Yuna. After much trauma, his body has endured. But what of his spirit? His hope? The innate yearning for a fulfilling, contented life?

“You broke a bond…” Cellina continues, seemingly the only one at the table capable of forming full sentences besides Haruka. “But you’re alive. I don’t—I can’t understand.”

“To be clear, I am not the instigator of the dissolution,” Haruka says, glancing sideways at the cinnamon-mahogany vampire seated next to him. His amber eyes are blinking. Staring. Haruka picks up his coffee. “Am I so grotesque to you now?”

“Never,” Nino says, his brows suddenly drawn together. “Of course not. I just, are you… in pain? Does it hurt?”

Haruka pauses just before taking a sip, considering. “Not anymore.” He is numb now. There’s no more pain, but there isn’t much of anything.

Shaking his head, Giovanni folds his arms. “Not grotesque. Just fucking unbelievable—”

“Giovanni.” Cellina’s perfectly shaped brow is raised in obvious displeasure. The room falls silent yet again in a poignant moment before Giovanni speaks.

“I apologize, Haruka,” he says, sitting up a little straighter in his seat.

Giovanni didn’t ask Haruka any more personal questions. Having received more than he’d likely bargained for, the broad vampire intentionally transitioned the conversation to more impartial topics.

The plan is to introduce Haruka to members of the Milan aristocracy during his week-long visit. The practice is customary for a visiting purebred from another realm unless special exceptions are requested, as had been the case when Haruka first moved to Sidmouth.

Cellina had enthusiastically suggested that they attend a dinner party with her the following evening. With the additional need to conduct their own research for the new section of Lore and Lust, Haruka’s schedule in Milan is quickly filling up.

“I know Lina means well, but I would rather not go to this party.” Nino sighs heavily as they walk out the front door of the main house and into the bright, wintery afternoon. Nino’s bedroom is in the western structure of the main cluster of buildings. It serves as a small home unto itself. Luciano, Nino’s manservant assigned to his quarters, has taken Haruka’s luggage to the guest bedroom within his building so that they can stay together.