~~
Dietrich
~~
When my servant, Marticia, pulled the car up to the front of the house I noticed that the young Alpha was standing outside, waiting for me. Standing with him was, presumably, his mate and three pack warriors.
With the trouble they had been having it was understandable that they would be wary and on guard when I arrived. Especially considering that the envoy I had sent to them recently had attacked them rather than helped them. I needed to make up for that blunder.
I should have known better. I should have gone to them personally. This was not a simple matter that I should have pushed off onto someone else. But I thought I was doing what was best, Octavius was the best at tracking among those in my employ. He should have been able to do his job properly, that fool.
But, if he hadn't messed up then I wouldn't have had the chance to see Shawn on that call and I wouldn't be coming here to meet them all in person, so I guess things happen for a reason.
What saddened me was that the man I was seeking was not with those standing outside. I hoped I wouldn't have to wait long to find him, I wanted to see what his reaction to me was going to be.
I couldn't help but smile to myself as Marticia parked the car and walked around to open the door for me. Regardless of when I managed to meet that delicious looking man this was bound to be an interesting trip.
I stepped out of the car slowly and elegantly. I wasn't trying to look pretentious, but I was just born in a different time and continued to hold myself a different way than most.
"Welcome Dietrich." Reece called out in a friendly voice. There was already trust between the young Alpha and myself.
"Reece, so good to finally meet you. I have not been back to the States in close to thirty years. Your father had not yet sired you then. I am grateful for the chance to come and see you all personally, though I do regret the cause for it." My introduction made sure to cite our histories as well as my regrets.
"Welcome to our home." The lovely woman standing beside Reece spoke softly. I noticed immediately that little extra spark of life glowing within her.
"Ahh, the new Luna. I am so sorry I did not know that your Alpha had taken a mate. Had I known we could have avoided a lot of this trouble." I paused for a moment, my eyes darkening as I thought of the trouble so recently caused. "But may I say that you are a very lovely woman. Reece is a very lucky man."
"I am indeed." Reece agreed as he grinned at me. I returned the grin easily. "Allow me to introduce my mate, and fiance, Trinity Whitton. Trinity, this is Lord Dietrich Conrad, Vampire Emperor and a close friend of my family."
"It's a pleasure to meet you." She smiled and nodded her head at me.
"The pleasure is all mine, my dear. Allow me to congratulate you on your upcoming nuptials."
"Please, Lord Dietrich, I would be delighted if you stayed for the wedding."
"There is no need to be so formal, Trinity, just call me Dietrich, and I most definitely would love to share in your most special of days." I was smiling, I knew I was, but I had no intention of leaving anytime soon. If the pull from Shawn meant what I thought it meant then I may never be going home again.
After a few moments of smiling at each other I continued, adding to my congratulations.
"Also, allow me to congratulate the two of you on the upcoming addition to your family."
"Addition?" I heard the man standing right behind the young Luna say questioningly.
"I am sorry, did I say something I shouldn't have?" I felt saddened for a moment, my heart sinking.
"No, it's no problem Dietrich, we just haven't gotten around to telling all of the guards, with how busy things have been. David, Vincent, Trinity is expecting." Reece smoothed my slip up over. My eyes lit with happiness as the men seemed to take joy in the news they just heard, and I had learned the guards names as well.
"Congratulations Luna." The man who had questioned my words immediately spoke and grinned at his Luna. The other man was just smiling at her fondly.
"Shall we head inside then?" Trinity asked, looking a little more relaxed than she did when we had started.
Marticia and I joined the wolves on the beautifully adorned porch and followed them inside. The moment we stepped into the hall I heard a gasp. I immediately caught sight of Shawn, his gorgeous face and tender eyes. He had noticed my scent. That was all that I needed to know. He was mine and I was his.
"What's wrong Shawn?" His twin brother asked him as he stared intently at my driver and me. Oh, how cute, he doesn't know which one of us he is smelling. I wonder if Shawn has ever been with a man before.
"Come on Dietrich, we've got dinner waiting for all of us." Reece and Trinity turned as they were talking, expecting to speak to me, but I wasn't standing there anymore.
As I moved quickly and silently through the shadows in the room, I noticed that Shawn was still staring perplexed at the place where I had been, at my driver. It wasn't long before I was standing right next to the man. And oh the scent he had. He smelled like warm rich cream and decadent chocolate, the best way to describe his scent was like that of a barkery. Fresh baked cakes, gooey chocolate chip cookies, frosting, just sweet, so sweet, so mouth watering.
"So we finally meet." Shawn jumped when he heard my cooing voice.
"E-excuse me?" Shawn sounded scared and nervous.
"I have been looking forward to meeting you since I saw you last week."
"W-why would you be looking forward to meeting m-me?" Shawn's shaky voice seemed to ask me.
"Because, in all my years, I have never met someone so intune with my wavelength as you are, Shawn. Do you know what that means?" Shawn shook his head in denial. "But, you must have noticed it by now, right?" I was oblivious of all the eyes staring at us as I spoke to the man who made my heart sing so.
I continued to grin at the young man, so handsome and innocent as he stared at me with wide eyes.
"What should I have noticed?" Shawn looked around nervously, his eyes pa.s.sing over his brother, Reece, Trinity, and finally settling on my subjugate across the room.
"Trust your senses, Shawn." I purred to him. "Close your eyes and follow your truest of all senses."
"No, I shouldn't." Shawn tried to refuse with wide shocked eyes as he stared at me nervously.
"Trust me, and just do it." I insisted as the nerves settled into me, what if I was wrong?
"Just listen to him for a moment Shawn." Reece instructed. I saw the look of fear and dread on Shawn's face as he gulped once then followed his orders.
Shawn closed his eyes and tilted his head just a little. With his eyes closed and head tilted back, he inhaled deeply. I saw the flare of his nostrils and he picked up exactly what he was supposed to be sensing. His head tilted to the side on instinct trying to follow the scent trail.
I saw the smile that settled on his face as he took in my scent. Clearly, Shawn could smell me and I was intriguing and pleasant to him.
"What do you smell Shawn?" Reece asked him. Shawn answered with his eyes still closed.
"It smells like musk, cognac, and leather."
"And what is this scent telling you?" Reece questioned him further.
"The scent, and my wolf, are telling me that I've found my mate."
"And where is that mate?" Reece asked.
Shawn opened his eyes, staring right at me, a look of pure shock on his face.
"How?" The smile I gave him then was full of pure joy.
"I imagine it's the same way as any other mating. Or am I wrong?"
"But this is impossible." Shawn was shaking his head. "How can this be?"
"In all my five hundred and twenty-eight years I have never found a mate. I have of course had my fair share of lovers over the years, but never have I felt anything like what I felt when I first saw you on that video call. I knew when you were bespelled by my words that you were the one for me."
"But I'm a guy." Shawn protested.
"Shawn, I've lived so long that people ceased to be male or female to me, people are just people. We all love and live do we not. I have no preference one way or the other. Do you truly not feel the same way?"
"I'm not gay!" Shawn nearly shouted.
"But, you've never had a relations.h.i.+p either. You never seemed like you ever cared for any of the girls you tried dating." His brother revealed some of Shawn's history to us all.
"Shut up!" Shawn yelled at his brother. "I was just saving the best of me for my mate. Why go half a.s.s on a relations.h.i.+p that is going to end when I meet my mate?"
"Are you opposed to me as your mate?" I was afraid to hear his answer but I remained steady as I looked at him. "Do you not wish to have who the G.o.ddess chose for you?"
"I, that's not, it's just that, I don't-." Shawn seemed incapable of finis.h.i.+ng a coherent thought. He took a deep breath and settled his nerves. "I just don't know."
"I understand that you're confused." I leaned in close to Shawn and placed a hand on his cheek. "But we can work it out together. After all, fate has drawn us to each other." Shawn froze in place, an uncertain look on his face, but he didn't pull away.
"I think this is wonderful news." Trinity's voice broke the tension by providing her support for us. "This is a time to celebrate. Two new matings with the people so close to me."
"Indeed, it is a joyous and wonderful day. You should be happy Shawn." Reece smiled at us as he offered his encouragement.
"But...but...but-." Shawn spluttered.
"Come on, let's get to dinner. You can sit next to me." I wrapped an arm around Shawn's shoulders and dragged him toward the dining room and the smell of food.
I noticed that Trinity stalked over to Shawn's twin brother and growled at him in a low voice.
"Don't you dare give him h.e.l.l about this. He needs to accept it and understand it without you making it worse."
"Yes Luna." His head snapped up and he looked like he was afraid of her.
My heart had been pounding and fluttering with excitement with each second I had spent next to Shawn. When I touched him, the feel of his warm, glorious skin made my palm blaze with heat, my heart melt, and need flood my body.
~~
Shawn
~~
I had been standing in the hall with David and his new mate and my annoying brother as we waited for the others to come inside. We would also be able to rush outside if something were to happen and they were to need out a.s.sistance.
I didn't know what to expect when the vampire got here, but I didn't expect to have my wolf scream the moment they all came inside.
'WHAT?' I screamed at the howling beast as he said one word over and over.
'MATE, MATE, MATE, MATE, MATE!'
What the h.e.l.l was going on? I only saw the vampire and the human who had driven him. She was different from other humans, off somehow, but she couldn't be my mate. She was quite a bit older than me for one thing, and she didn't look like what I thought the G.o.ddess would have chosen for me.
While I stared at her, confused, I didn't notice the vampire as he snuck up behind me.
"So we finally meet." I jumped and spun to face him when he spoke right next to my head.
"E-excuse me?" I couldn't believe that my voice sounded so scared and nervous.
"I have been looking forward to meeting you since I saw you last week."
"W-why would you be looking forward to meeting m-me?" I asked him shakily.
"Because, in all my years, I have never met someone so intune with my wavelength as you are, Shawn. Do you know what that means?" I just shook my head at him. "But, you must have noticed it by now, right?"
This was crazy. I had no idea who this vampire was but he obviously had the wrong person.
"What should I have noticed?" I asked him as I looked around for allies.
"Trust your senses, Shawn. Close your eyes and follow your truest of all senses."
"No, I shouldn't." I was trying to refuse, I didn't want to do this, I didn't want to close my eyes in front of this unknown, yet intriguing vampire.
"Trust me, and just do it." Dietrich insisted, his calmness faltering for just a moment.
"Just listen to him for a moment Shawn." Reece instructed me. I wanted to plead with him, to beg him not to make me do this, but I complied.
The last thing I saw was the vampire staring at me. His bright, almost white blue eyes full of joy and expectations. The black hair neatly styled with not a strand out of place. His strong, athletic physique was quite intimidating when you see him in person.
'NO!' I yelled at myself. I had to stop thinking like that, he's a guy for crying out loud.
With my eyes closed and my head tilted back I inhaled deeply. The scent I had first noticed by the door was so much stronger now, so much closer. As the scent filled my head, filled my senses, I got a vision of the person it belonged to. Cognac, leather, age, and experience. Those were the words that came to my mind when I scented him. No, not him, them. I didn't know it was the vampire. It couldn't be him.
I smiled involuntarily for a moment when I let that scent take over my mind.
"What do you smell Shawn?" Reece asked me while my eyes were still closed.
"It smells like musk, cognac, and leather."
"And what is this scent telling you?" Reece questioned me more.
"The scent, and my wolf, are telling me that I've found my mate."
"And where is that mate?" Reece asked.
I opened my eyes, staring right at the vampire, Dietrich, I just knew there was a look of pure shock on my face.
"How?" Dietrich smiled at me when I asked him this.
"I imagine it's the same way as any other mating. Or am I wrong?"
"But this is impossible. How can this be?" I shook my head trying to get the scent out of it and say no at the same time.
"In all my five hundred and twenty-eight years I have never found a mate. I have of course had my fair share of lovers over the years, but never have I felt anything like what I felt when I first saw you on that video call. I knew when you were bespelled by my words that you were the one for me." Seriously? This man was telling me that I was his mate, he was my mate, and I was the first one who he had met in over five hundred years. How could I be destined for a man for one thing and an elder vampire for another?
"But I'm a guy."
"Shawn, I've lived so long that people ceased to be male or female to me, people are just people. We all love and live do we not. I have no preference one way or the other. Do you truly not feel the same way?" How many people had he been with? That thought, that question, made my heart sink and race at triple speed at the same time.
"I'm not gay!" I shouted the words.
"But, you've never had a relations.h.i.+p either. You never seemed like you ever cared for any of the girls you tried dating." Shane spilled the beans on my personal life to them all.
"Shut up!" I screamed at him. "I was just saving the best of me for my mate. Why go half a.s.s on a relations.h.i.+p that is going to end when I meet my mate?" Was it so wrong to save myself for the right person? How could this be happening to me?
"Are you opposed to me as your mate?" Dietrich looked saddened by my outburst. "Do you not wish to have who the G.o.ddess chose for you?"
"I, that's not, it's just that, I don't-." I stuttered as it seemed I was incapable of finis.h.i.+ng a coherent thought. I took a deep breath to settle my nerves before continuing. "I just don't know."
"I understand that you're confused." Dietrich leaned in close and placed a hand on my cheek. "But we can work it out together. After all, fate has drawn us to each other." I just stood there frozen when he touched me.
How could this be? Everytime one of the girls that Shane had set me up with ever touched me all I wanted to do was recoil. So why then, was my heart racing uncontrollably right now? Why didn't I want to pull away from him?
"I think this is wonderful news. This is a time to celebrate. Two new matings with the people so close to me." Trinity was smiling at us, clearly happy.
"Indeed, it is a joyous and wonderful day. You should be happy Shawn." Reece smiled at us.
"But...but...but-." I spluttered as I tried to talk.
"Come on, let's get to dinner. You can sit next to me." Dietrich wrapped an arm around me and dragged me toward the dining room