Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 92043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“I didn’t know that,” Charlie said quietly. “Zeke didn’t explain the reincarnation thing.”
My stomach twisted. God, if old Charlie and Zeke had met a hundred years before, what would their life have been like? Nothing like it had been when they’d met outside that café. They wouldn’t have had those nights out dancing like no one was watching, or the time at the theater when they’d held hands and whispered to each other the entire time, irritating the hell out of me since I actually wanted to see the movie we’d paid for. I had a hundred memories of Zeke pulling Charlie in for a kiss, no matter where we were. At the time, I’d been almost as happy as Charlie, watching my best friend get everything he’d ever wanted. It hadn’t even occurred to me to be afraid. But if they’d met a hundred years before, I didn’t know if I’d have felt anything but fear. The world had changed so much in the last century.
“We believe that we find our mate when we’re meant to,” Ambrose said. “I don’t know why Beau met his twice, but there must’ve been some cosmic reason.”
“It must’ve been awful for him,” Charlie whispered.
“It was,” Ambrose confirmed. “But he’s happy now. More than happy.”
“What a mind fuck,” I announced, falling over until my head hit the pillow.
My body was twisted, with my feet still resting on the floor, until Ambrose reached down and pulled them onto his lap.
“Zeke was with Beau when he met his first mate,” Ambrose said, rubbing his palms over my feet. “Did he tell you about that?”
“He mentioned it,” Charlie replied with a nod. “During the Blitz, right?”
“From the stories I’ve heard, they found her in a collapsed building,” Ambrose confirmed. “About thirty seconds after they realized who she was, her husband came running.”
“Ouch.” I grimaced.
“Yes,” Ambrose agreed.
“You didn’t fight in that war, right?” Charlie asked, lying down on the other bed until he looked like a mirror image of me.
“Not at first,” Ambrose explained. “The United States hadn’t joined the war yet. We could see where things were headed, but politics tied our hands. We fought near the end, though.”
“That had to be frustrating.”
“You have no idea.” His hands tightened on my feet for a moment before they resumed the massage. “The truce between humans and Vampires has always been held by a very fragile thread. If one side pulls too tightly, even for a moment, the entire thing could snap.”
“Like, say, if humans were targeting Vampires and their mates?” Charlie asked knowingly.
“That would be more like cutting the thread with a pair of scissors,” Ambrose replied flatly. “Which is why I think that whoever is responsible for what’s going on has kept the information very contained.”
“Zeke was sure that if he had more time with the unit’s computers, he could follow the threads until he found out who was leaking information,” Charlie said with a yawn. “But he said it was impossible to get into the systems from the outside. That’s why he went back.”
“That must’ve been painful for you,” Ambrose replied sympathetically.
“It hurt like a bitch,” Charlie confirmed. “Luce was convinced I had some kind of deadly virus.”
My head snapped up in understanding. Charlie had been sick when Zeke left, but I’d never imagined that it was because Zeke left. He’d spent days in bed with a raging fever, but that had felt almost secondary to the constant weeping. I’d been desperate to keep him hydrated and terrified when he wouldn’t let me take him to the doctor.
“Separating mates, especially after the bond is complete, has physical repercussions,” Ambrose explained to me.
“Why the hell would anyone want this?” I griped, glaring at him.
“It’s worth it,” he replied simply.
“I remain unconvinced,” I grumbled, closing my eyes.
“It eventually tapered off,” Charlie told Ambrose, his voice faint. “It was manageable for a while. Until…” He let out a long breath. “Well, now it’s more like a hollow spot. Empty.”
“I’m sorry,” Ambrose said quietly. “I wish I could’ve seen the two of you together.”
“They were disgustingly adorable,” I announced, opening my eyes again. I wiggled my toes so Ambrose would keep rubbing them. “So lovey-dovey all the time. You’ve never heard two men giggle so much.”
“Zeke giggled?” he asked, his lips twitching.
“Oh, yeah. He giggled. Like a schoolgirl.”
“He did not,” Charlie protested with a small laugh.
“He did,” I countered. “And he looked at you like you were the most beautiful and fascinating person on the entire planet.”
Charlie smiled.
“And, I mean, you’re handsome, brother,” I continued. “But let’s be honest, you’re a little boring.”
“Do you see how mean she is to me?” Charlie asked Ambrose.
“I keep you grounded.”
“Is that what we’re calling it?” Charlie asked.
“My brother was lucky,” Ambrose said, ending our argument.
“I think so too,” I added, blowing a kiss to Charlie.