Chapter 10

ARC'S POV:

I don’t stop driving fast until I’m out of view. Past the edge of her house. Past the lamplight.

Into the shadows where I belong. Only then do I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding.

What the hell did I just do?

I ran my fangs into her neck. Her neck. Aurora.

It's not because I lost control. No… I chose to do it. I asked.

She said yes.

But still. I tasted her. And now I’m ruined.

The taste of her still lingers on my tongue, like warmth and sun and something ancient. Something mine. It was nothing like the sterile animal blood I’ve numbed myself with all these years. Her blood felt like a jolt to my deadened veins. Like being alive again.

That should’ve scared me. It should’ve made me run far, far away.

Instead, all I can think about is how close her body was to mine… how soft her skin felt under my mouth. How her breath hitched the second my fangs pierced her.

She trusted me. And I almost didn’t want to stop. I stop walking and lean against a tree, pressing the heels of my hands into my eyes.

I should’ve never let it go that far. But the second she said it was okay, and I saw Cali closing in behind her, I made a choice. A selfish one. And then I said it.

"Little Seer."

Goddamn it.

I didn’t mean to let it slip. I’ve been trying to ignore what I’ve known from the second I laid eyes on her, that she’s not just some ordinary girl with kind eyes and a sharp tongue. She’s more.

She’s a Seer. Maybe the last one. And worse… she’s mine.

That bond between us? It wasn’t a mistake. It wasn’t random. The universe doesn’t play dice, especially not with creatures like us.

I feel the bond humming again, low in my chest. It’s stronger now. Thicker. Like a thread wrapping tighter around my ribs.

And she felt it too. I know she did.

I tilt my head up toward the sky, the stars barely piercing the clouded night. "What am I supposed to do now?" I mutter to no one.

Because it’s not just about her anymore. It’s not about the blood, or the bond, or even the fact that she looked at me tonight like I wasn’t a monster.

It’s about what’s coming. About the secrets her blood carries. The war her kind once fought. The enemies that will wake the second they realize a Seer walks the earth again. And me? I’m caught in the middle.

A vampire who was raised to hate Seers. Who watched them die and swore they were extinct. And now… I’ve marked one.

I don’t know if I’m going to protect her. Or destroy everything by staying near her.

But what I do know is this:

I can’t stay away.

I get home and park my car in the driveway. Perks of having a rich family. You get to be comfortable wherever you go. This is one of the few houses my mum owns in New York.

I had to move down here last year because according to her, I have to make new friends outside Dron. Dron...

It's been a while since I spoke to him. He has been my closest friend, probably my only friend since I was born.

He will probably know what to do about this situation and maybe help me find out what I can do about it.

I pace my room like a damn lunatic. Fingers running through my hair, mind all over the place.

After a few more restless steps, I finally give in and grab my phone. I scroll through my contacts and land on the one name I’ve been avoiding for two weeks.

Dron.

He picks up on the first ring.

"Holy hell, is that Arc?" His voice is drenched in sarcasm. "Didn’t think vampires had fingers anymore, considering you haven’t used yours to call me in, what? A century?"

I sigh, already regretting this.

"Nice to hear your annoying voice too, Dron. Stop being dramatic."

"Mm-hmm," he replies. "What’s the emergency? You only call when the world’s about to end, or when you’re out of blood and dignity."

I can’t help but snort. "I’ve got blood. Dignity? That’s… debatable."

"Ah. So it is the end of the world then. What’s going on, man?"

I hesitate for a second. Then exhale slowly. "I’ve got a problem and I feel like I'm running mad trying to wrap my mind around it so I just want to tell you. I can't tell mum because this situation is very sensitive and I don't know how she would take it."

Dron hums, voice more serious now. "This sounds really serious. Does this have anything to do with why you ghosted me for two weeks?"

"…Yeah. It does. You are never going to let go of that, are you?"

"Maybe in the next three decades but go on."

There’s a pause on my end as I brace myself. "I think I’m… mated."

Silence.

Then a laugh. Sharp and short. "What?"

"I said I think I’m mated," I repeat, jaw clenched.

"Arc, c’mon. That’s not possible. Vampires don’t get mates. We’re dead, remember? No warm, fuzzy destiny stuff for us."

"That’s what I thought too," I mutter, sitting on the edge of my bed, staring at the floor. "But everything’s pointing to it. The pull. The scent. The way I feel when I’m near her."

Dron sounds cautious now. "Who is she?"

"A girl at school. Just… someone I met recently. Human. Or, at least, she thinks she is. I don’t know, man. There’s something about her. Her blood… it’s not just blood. It called to me. Like I’d been starving my whole existence and didn’t even know it until I tasted her."

"Wait—you drank from her?"

"It wasn’t like that,” I snap, then lower my voice. "We were in a tight spot so she decided to help me out. She just found out my true nature. Well, believed it. She let me. She offered."

Another pause.

"She didn’t know what you are?" Dron finally asks.

"Yup. Doesn’t know a damn thing about the supernatural world." I let out a humorless laugh. "And it gets worse."

"Oh good. I love worse."

"There’s a werewolf. New guy at school. Also thinks he’s her mate."

"…You’ve gotta be kidding me."

"Wish I was."

There’s a long stretch of silence. I wait. Then-

"You still there?"

"I’m here,” Dron replies, voice quieter now. "Just trying to process this soap opera of a nightmare. So let me get this straight: You, a vampire who’s never believed in the whole ‘mate’ crap are suddenly bond-tied to a girl who doesn’t know she’s supernatural, and oh, by the way, she’s also bonded to a werewolf?"

"Yeah. That about sums it up."

"Arc…" he groans. "You live in a CW show."

I laugh under my breath. "Tell me about it."

After a beat, his voice softens. "Alright. Jokes aside, this is big. If what you’re saying is true, something major is going on. I’ve never heard of a vampire-werewolf double mate situation, but I’ll start digging. Maybe it’s buried deep in old vampire history. Something forgotten or… covered up."

"Thanks," I murmur, feeling the weight finally lift a little. "I knew I could count on you."

"Always, brother. Try not to get yourself killed or bonded to a third mate before I call back."

"No promises."

I yawn, finally letting myself collapse back onto the bed. "I’m off to take a nap before my brain leaks out of my ears."

"Sleep well, lover boy."

"Shut up."

Click. I shut my eyes, hoping this nightmare faded away soon enough.