“Anything for you, babes. My nana always says to have hope that it’ll work out. These things always do.”
I really want to believe her, but every day without Bas’ touch makes me not so sure.
It’s not about the—admittedly mind-numbing—sex. Despite knowing him for only a few hours, it felt like we fit together perfectly.
Like I’m meant to be with him.
*
I wake up to the sound of the world falling apart.
And by that, I mean someone’s knocking on my apartment door so loud it reverberates through the walls. Scrambling out of bed, I throw on an extra-large Lana Del Rey tour shirt that practically engulfs me. I usually sleep naked, but I’d rather not give whoever’s at the door an eyeful.
The person knocks again. Somehow, it sounds more insistent.
“Coming!” I yell, racing to the door and flinging it open. “I swear to God if it’s you, Val, I’m going to—”
A man stands on the other side, towering over me. The first thing I notice is that he’s hot. Like, scorching hot. Long, tousled black hair tumbles over his shoulders, framing his strong jaw and sharp cheekbones. There’s an earthy warmth in his hooded brown eyes that makes my entire body tingle.
But what really gets me is the slow smile that crests over his face like the sun on the horizon. My heart stutters in my chest.
“Hello, sweet thing.” The man takes a step forward. “I’ve missed you.”
That voice… low and gravelly, the vowels rounded out in a way I’ve only ever heard from one person before. I gape at the man, trying and failing to process what the fuck is happening.
“Bas?” I stumble forward, tripping right into strong arms. The smell of fall, like earth and cinnamon andhome, envelopes me. “Is that really you?”
“I’ve searched all over for you, darling.”
“Your lips…” Reverent, I thumb at his plump lower lip. “They move when you talk.”
“Believe me, it took a while to get used to the feeling.”
I don’t know which one of us moves first. One moment, I’m gaping up at him in awe, the next he’s ravishing me with his lips, tugging me impossibly closer and licking into my mouth like a hurricane. A groan rips from my throat. I clutch at his shoulders, wanting to be so close that we fuse into one. I’d crawl into his skin if I could. That’s how bad I need this.
He cups my ass, large hands fitting around each globe. My cock fills so fast I get lightheaded. I can feel the evidence of his own, a hard length digging into my hip, and I tangle my fingers in the long strands of his hair.
The emotions coursing through me are so overwhelming that I can’t think. It takes me a while to realize we’re practically humping in the hallway, where anyone could see us.
Blushing, I pull away and manage to drag Bas inside, slamming the door closed. He’s on me in an instant and whirls us around, pressing me into the door.
“I’m so confused right now,” I mumble against his mouth. “Your horns are gone.”
“All thanks to you. Do you remember what I told you about fated mates?” He drags our clothed dicks against each other, rendering my brain useless.
“Cheater,” I hiss, chasing the friction. “I remember. How could I forget you practically telling me that we’re not compatible?”
He cups my jaw so tenderly I might combust right here. “I was wrong, sweet thing. My presence here is proof that you were made for me, and I for you.”
“Wait for a second. You mean you turned into a human because we’re soulmates? Please tell me you’re serious because if this is all some big joke, I don’t think I can handle it.”
“It’s real, Charlie. I woke up the morning after All Hallows’ Eve in that cornfield, and it felt like a heavy chain had brokenfrom my shoulders. For the first time in centuries, I was free. The first thing I did was search for you. It took me longer than anticipated.”
He traces the tender skin around my eyes then thumbs at my lips, parted in shock. Even though his eyes are brown now, I’d recognize that intense gaze from anywhere.
It’s real.
He’s actually here in my arms, not on the musty ground of a cornfield. I’m helpless to stop the tears from cascading down my cheeks.
