Ethan’s Mate (The Vampire Coalition #1)(10)
Author: J.S. Scott

She wasn’t sure how long they laid like that, lost in post-climactic bliss.

She lifted her head off of Ethan’s shoulder to look at him. God… he was an incredible man. His looks took her breath away. He was physically perfect, but she knew that the thing that struck her right in the heart was the man himself. The way he looked at her made her heart sing. His smile made her heart sing and dance like a Broadway musical. He hadn’t said a word but he was grinning at her.

Brianna pulled his head to hers, capturing the smile with her mouth just because she couldn’t resist. Ethan was an unholy temptation, especially when he smiled.

Brianna sighed into the long, leisurely kiss. She hadn’t seen Ethan smile much because of the mating instinct, but the man had a wicked sense of humor that popped up on occasion. She could only imagine what he would be like after the mating. He would settle down and lose some of the insanity once his soul had been transferred to him and found its resting place.

Okay… half of her soul and half of his that would become his permanent soul. The vampire mating thing brought a whole new meaning to the term “soulmate.”

Her mouth left Ethan’s reluctantly and she rested her head on his shoulder. She longed to give Ethan his soul and end his torment. She didn’t fear the mating ceremony. If it would bring Ethan peace, she embraced it.

Soon. I’ll make sure it happens soon.

Her eyes fluttered closed. She let herself fall into sleep, knowing she would always be safe in Ethan’s arms.

Chapter 7

The following day, Ethan found himself in the male preparation room for the mating ceremony, which would take place that night.

The vampire headquarters was a centuries-old castle in Europe. It was beautifully restored, opulent and luxurious, with all of the modern conveniences. Vampires might get old, but they loved every fancy new technology that came along. They probably appreciated advances all the more because they were so old. Ethan was old enough to remember what the sanitation and living conditions had been like in the sixteenth century. He shuddered. Maybe he’d rather not remember it and just be grateful that he was now living in the twenty first century.

He had transported himself and Brianna here to the headquarters in Europe from the U.S. soon after having dinner with her mom last night, arriving just before sunrise because of the time difference. He had fallen into his day sleep, and he hadn’t seen his mate since then. The ritual for human mates was much more complicated than for the vampire male. She would be involved with the preparation until the ceremony began.

He was currently biding his time with his three brothers and Adare, whose wife, Kristin, having just gone through this experience a few months ago, had opted to be one of the three women who attended Brianna.

“Shit! Will this agony ever end?” Ethan whispered to himself as his need to see Brianna ripped through him. His need to possess her was getting excruciatingly painful and he couldn’t stand to be without her even for a few hours.

Adare chuckled. “Soon, Ethan. Believe me… it gets better.”

At the moment, Adare’s blissful happiness was incredibly annoying. Ethan’s insides were so torn up that he couldn’t imagine being as relaxed and contented as Adare seemed to be. However, he did remember Adare’s courtship and pain when he was suffering through the mating instincts. He wished he had been more sympathetic.

“And the possessiveness, the insanity… do they really go away?” Ethan asked him, agony showing in his eyes.

Adare shrugged. “It does. It won’t be as painful afterwards. Separation will always hurt. The yearning never stops. The possessiveness and a driving need to protect will always remain. But the need to dominate does lighten up quite a bit.” He gave Ethan an evil grin. “You’ll even let her be on top and in control on occasion. And find it very enjoyable.”

“What? It isn’t enjoyable now?” Rory asked with curiosity.

Ethan rolled his eyes and exchanged a knowing look with Adare.

Adare laughed and commented, “He’s clueless.”

“Are you sure I won’t hurt her?” Ethan’s anxiety was getting the better of him. He was the oldest vampire ever to go through the mating ceremony and nothing was certain. Fuck! He hated the unknown, especially when it came to the well-being of his mate.

“I can guarantee she will be sore when she wakes, but you won’t hurt her, Ethan. You’re mates. You’re connected. Kristin told me that my needs were also her needs. She felt some of what I felt. It will be okay.” Adare tried to reassure Ethan, giving him a slap on the back.

Ethan wasn’t completely reassured. “But I’m older. Damn it! I don’t want to be uncontrolled. And I don’t want this witnessed. I don’t want anyone seeing my mate except me.”

Adare sighed. “You won’t care once that time comes. You will be out of your mind to possess her. You’ll actually like having people watch you making her yours. It’s hard to explain but it’s like staking your claim. Warning everyone away”

Ethan sighed. The waiting was the worst. Time seemed to creep by, each minute seeming like hours. “I just want her to be mine.”

Rory looked at Ethan with a perplexed expression. “She is yours. She’s your mate.”

Adare and Ethan exchanged another look. Rory truly was clueless. All of his brothers were. It had been way too long since they had experienced any physical desire, and none of them would understand until they mated. If they mated.

If there is any fairness in this world… they will find their mates. Then Ethan could torment them as they had tormented him. Although they weren’t torturing him at the moment, they had made sure they added fuel to the fire whenever possible. He was pretty sure they realized if they started anything today it would be like pulling a tiger by the tail. He was edgy and even his brothers weren’t willing to tangle with him at the moment.

“How was the dinner with her mom?” Adare asked, trying to distract Ethan.

Ethan rolled his eyes. “Brianna insisted on taking my brothers along. They ate like it was an Olympic competitive event. I’m not sure who won, but the table didn’t have a scrap of food left.”

“Hey… she liked us. She said she loved feeding men with healthy appetites,” Nathan protested. “She was charmed. How could she not be?” Ego is never a problem with Nathan. His is as big as the solar system. But it was true that his brothers had been charming and Brianna’s mother had nothing but nice things to say about his brothers.