Page 50 of Fated Mates and How to Seduce Them
She gave a shrug but wore a sad smile.
“I chose not to marry or have kids for many centuries, wishing to see how society would stabilize as vampires became known to humans, and if they could accept us or not. They eventually did, as you well know. Some forty years ago, I met my husband, who is a true generation zero. Two of us gettingmarried made for something of a newsworthy story amongst vampire society, as there’s not many from our generation left, so it was cause for celebration. Still, we paused on trying for children for another decade, as he’d just entered his position as a liaison, and it was…rough. Too many long days leading into nights, and a few assassination attempts, often other vampires who thought we were the superior race and that humans didn’t deserve equal standing. Only after things calmed down were we willing to have children. Hence, André and Benedict. Although with vampire birth rates being so low, it was quite the shock to have two children a year apart. We were fortunate.”
“That explains so, so much.”
“I thought it might.” Her eyes darted to his before she slowed, merging to take the on-ramp onto the freeway. “Because of our status in vampire society, and my husband’s political connections, we have the power to protect you. I do not want you to worry about the Vampire Society Bureau.”
Ian sat on that for a long second. There seemed to be some kind of disconnect here. “Do…I need protecting?”
“André mentioned he’d explained you’re compatible, but you didn’t seem to put much weight in it.”
“I didn’t realize I needed to? I’m not a mate.”
“We don’t actually know that,” she warned.
Ian kept waiting for the “I’m just joking” laugh, but she looked dead serious. Uhh…eh? “I’m sorry, what?”
“I can’t rattle off the numbers for you, but roughly two percent of humanity is compatible with vampire chemistry, where there’s no pain in a feeding, and even fewer find pleasure from a bite.”
“Whoa, I had no idea it was so rare. No wonder André was floored.”
“Yes, precisely. It’s not common at all. Of that, a small percentage are mates. So yes, they’re rare, but honestlyspeaking, the fact you’re compatible is a telltale sign you might be a mate as well. I realize it sounds rather farfetched—”
Overstatement. Severe overstatement. Ian felt like he had entered the Twilight Zone just having this conversation. His brain refused to compute this as a real possibility.
“—but we need to be sure what you are. In order to safeguard you, in order for you to safeguard yourself, we must be sure. Do you understand?”
“I, er, do. Um, how do we know?”
“A simple test. One of us will try something like Mesmerize on you. If it works, you’re not a mate. If it doesn’t, you are.”
“So, basically, a litmus test.”
“In essence. Is that all right?”
Was it? Ian was still in this surreal headspace where nothing truly impacted him. That said, was there any harm in trying? “I don’t mind the test. I still don’t think I’m a mate, but you’re right in that we should at least verify it, one way or another.”
“Good, I’m glad you agree. We’ll do it later today, after we return to the house. André is eager to test it.”
“Haaaa, yeah, I bet. All right, I’m forewarned and braced.”
“Ian, there’s something I want to clarify, too.”
He was all for a change of topic, as the previous one had been immensely heavy. “Sure, what?”
“Felix told me he did a live video yesterday to quell people hassling you at school. Have people really approached you and said you weren’t good enough for my son?”
She sounded so outraged, Ian found himself smiling at her without meaning to. Her expression was just like André’s when one of his had been wronged. If Ian named names, she would hunt them down herself.
At that moment, he felt more than accepted. He felt loved.
“Um, only a few have dared say it to my face. A lot of it’s just been comments by petty people on social media.”
“So theyhavesaid it. Of all the nerve. Where do people get off judging who’s good for my sons?”
“In all fairness, André’s only ever been with elite people before he met me. People of the same social circle with model looks. Of course, people would get whiplash seeing me with him.”
“What my son needs,” Mrs. Castor firmly said, her frown heralding quite the mother storm, “is someone who sees him precisely as he is and loves him fully. You do that. I havenocomplaints about who my sons are dating, and I will make it clear to the world. Why are you smiling at me?”
