Dear Enemy, You're My Mate

Chapter 104 **

Elijah

I'm staring up at the ceiling, smiling for no good reason at all. It seems god has humor, after all.

I came here to train Maya. Years ago, I made a promise to her father to always protect and stay loyal to his daughter, and I'm an honorable man—I always keep my word.

So when Lily murdered my mate, Wesley, I knew I had to find Maya to end the white wolf's tyranny.

It took me some time to get where I am today. I was imprisoned for an entire year, kept as a toy in Lily's dungeon, and every day, my psychic powers grew stronger until I one day escaped.

Now, I've found Maya, and tomorrow I will train her for the upcoming slaughter. I should work out and prepare myself for war, but I'm lying here, tingling. I'm acting irrefutably out of character, and it amuses me.

I cover my face with my bent arm, hiding my eyes in the arm crease as I snort laughter. "So breathtaking I can't fucking think straight—that woman sure blew my mind with that sentence..."

Earlier, at Espresso House, I saw what most people would call a second chance mate. Although I've always preferred men, it was a woman, which I still consider downright confusing.

Why her?

I've kept asking myself that question for the past hours. At the coffee shop, I approached the woman to disclaim her, and yet, when she spoke, my breaths became labored, and I couldn't find it in me to reject her.

Our meeting was awkward.

Yet my heart was and is frantically pounding.

"Kyra, huh?"

A smile tugs on my lips. Finn mentioned a sister on the loose, and curiously enough, her name is also Kyra. Finn also looks similar to the woman I saw, sharing the same russet skin and muscular build.

Come to think of it, Kyra seemed shocked upon noticing I was taller than her. Her face paled, and her eyes took that calculating look—judging by her behavior, I don't think she has ever been with a bigger man.

Laughter sips out through me again, and I drag both palms over my face, panting in and out. Kyra—I'm ashamed to admit it, but I want to do dirty-dirty things to her.

Without a second to spare, I head for the window. I can't relax and stay in bed when Kyra is out there somewhere. I know I should be focusing on the war ahead, but I haven't smiled in what feels like an eternity, and that woman took my breath away.

What kind of man would I be if I didn't pursue my mate?

Love is a luxury in this world. And a mate is so rare that most people can't find them during their entire lifetime. It took me a thousand years to stumble upon Wesley, and therefore, I shall honor my bond with Kyra.

I peer out from the window before jumping from the highest floor. Maya lives in a rather extravagant building, but I don't deem it challenging to leap—a vampire always land on their feet.

I land with grace and head out into the busy street. Late-night party people crowd the road, but I'm not concerned. I use my psychic abilities to heighten the mate-bond, make it pulse in my mind until I have pinpointed Kyra's location.

She is a block away from here, and I dash forward until I enter an alley. Cats jump down from abandoned balconies, and I look around, tilting my head when I spot containers.

A smile seizes my lips. There is graffiti on the walls, dirt beneath my shoes, and a rotten stench filling the forsaken alley, and yet I'm pleased because I've finally found Kyra.

With my hands in my pockets, I walk forward. "If you had told me you had nowhere to sleep, we could have shared the same bed."

The woman freezes, and I resist the urge to laugh. She is sitting in a lotus position, wearing baggy clothes. A hoodie hides her white hair, and although her skin is dark, it does nothing to conceal her blush. Her blue eyes meet mine, and the mate-bond pulls me toward her.

I have to root my legs not to get lured in by her scent.

Calm down, Elijah, I tell myself. I won't rush into things with Kyra. I'm curious about her, but I know love is a dangerous thing. Loving someone makes us vulnerable because we give the other person the ability to hurt us, and therefore, I intend to take it easy.

Then again, if we stop believing in beautiful things, such as fate, magic, poetry, and love, then why would we want to live? Perhaps I should speed into things with Kyra? Take her lips, and kiss her until all reason leaves both our heads.

"Oh..." Kyra stares down at the ground. "It's you."

"Elijah," I tell her. "That's my name."

She visibly swallows, and I question my sanity as I sit down in front of the dumpster with her. I've always been known as a perfectionist and someone who likes to keep it clean, and here I am, leaning against rusty metal for the sake of a woman. Unbelievable.

"Uh..." Kyra lifts her chin, and her eyes widen to the size of saucers when I smile at her. She skitters half a mile to avoid touching my knees. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to find you."

She tosses a glance over her shoulder before she anxiously places her hands in her lap. When I look down at her, she bites her lip. She looks terrified. She should.

I can't deny the deep pulse of desire when I look at her. Kyra is stunning to behold, and I find myself wondering what she would do should I press her against the wall.

Kyra tries to steal another glance of me, and I watch her with my chin resting in my palm. It's time to steer this in the direction I want. My heart is in my throat, my brain is in my pants, and I'm one second away from stealing her away.

I make eye contact, smirking. "I've always wondered what it feels like to kiss a woman."

Her lips part. "You've never kissed a woman before?"

I shake my head. "No."

A frown forms on her forehead. "No offense, but I call that bullshit—you don't look like a virgin."

I laugh. "Who said anything about being a virgin?"

She opens her mouth in a protest, and I kiss her hard against the lips, claiming her without an ounce of regret in my boiling blood. Her hands grab my shoulders, and her fingers dig into my skin, but I don't mind—I like it when it hurts.

I add more pressure to our kiss and muffle her whimpers by sticking my tongue deep into her mouth. She tastes like the most addictive drug on the planet—I can't get enough of her.

My kisses become more demanding, and I can feel her melting into me. Her resistance snaps like rope as I taste her, and she mewls before turning to mush in my arms.

I open her zipper, sticking my hand into her hoodie. Her breasts are perky and soft, and the chopped, nervous breaths leaving her lips make me want to devour her.

Would she be willing to share her fairy blood with me? I would love to bite down and take a sip from her neck. Kyra would love it, too, considering there is a drug in a vampire's teeth, which delivers pleasure to the victim.

I could show Kyra a new world of satisfaction, take her places and satisfy her in public. I'm curious. Would her shame keep her from having fun, or would the orgasm be too strong to resist?

Then again, I should take her somewhere where she can shower and where I can help wash every inch of her skin. I hope she doesn't mind the company because I find her shyness entertaining. How would she react if I played with her breasts under the running water?

I can't wait to find out.

I lean back, smirking at her. "So, how about finding a hotel?"