Chapter three

Axel

Ilean against the door frame. Watching someone sleep is probably creepy, right? Yet I can't seem to pull myself away.

The moment he'd fallen into my arms, I was lost. His smell invaded my nose, further cementing what I already knew to be true; this man is my mate. He's the other piece of my soul. He's here, in my home, and instead of this moment being one of joy and celebration, it's one of horror. My mate is in pain I can't even imagine.

All I wanna do is go to him and hold him close. But I can't. Not yet anyway.

Right now I just have to be here for him however he needs. I'll make sure he doesn't hurt himself or anyone else. I'll make sure he's fed.

Gods, how do I tell a newly made vampire that not only is his life turned completely upside down but also that he has a true mate? That's way too much for him to handle all at once.

I have to put my own wants aside and make sure he's okay, that's my main priority right now. Of course I want to take care of him. If he was just some random guy who'd been turned, I would still be here, doing the same thing. But fuck, I'd be lying if I said I'm not fucking compelled to help this one even more.

He's my mate.

He's my mate.

What a fucking trip. I've been an adult vampire for a couple decades now and I never dreamed of finding my mate like this. In my head it would be some sort of meet cute. We'd bump into each other at a coffee shop. Or maybe he'd come into the hospital to donate blood. Or maybe he'd be a shifter I met out on a run. But this? The idea of helping my mate through his transformation as the catalyst for our meeting?

Fuck me running. What a way to bring us together, Lady Fate.

I straighten, noticing the man in my bed beginning to stir. I stay completely still, not wanting to scare him. Everything must be so heightened and overwhelming, I'd hate to accidentally add to that.

"Fuck," comes from the mound of blankets before a head is popping up, hazel eyes meeting mine. I give a soft smile, raising my hand at him. In response, he lets out a long groan, flopping back against the pillows. I can't help but chuckle.

"How're you feeling?"

"Fucking awful," he groans out, his voice less scratchy than it was the first time he woke up. That's an improvement. "I'm so thirsty. But the idea of drinking blood from a bag again makes my stomach turn."

"That's okay, I can take care of that." I turn to walk out of the room but his voice calls out to me, making me pause.

"Wait," he murmurs, his eyes just barely peeking out from beneath the blankets. "What's your name?"

"Axel."

"I'm uh, you can call me Jeff."

Jeff. My mate's name is Jeff. "It's nice to properly meet you."

There's a long pause where he just watches me before he's ducking back under the covers. "You too," he murmurs and I find that to be my cue to step away.

I can't help but smile as I get to work preparing Jeff's next ‘meal'. I don't blame him for hating the blood bag. There's something animalistic that takes over when first turned. I've seen my fair share of baby vampires. Some of them tear into bag after bag after bag, their self-control completely gone whenever blood is around. And then there are some like Jeff, who take everything as a challenge of discipline. I wish it didn't have to be like that but I would be lying if I said I wasn't impressed.

No, it's not bias because he's my mate. Not at all.

Hopefully Jeff has a bit of a sweet tooth. I've found this little drink has helped baby vampires at first. I make myself a mug, pouring the majority of it into one of my thermoses, that way it has a top to it so Jeff doesn't have to see the blood he's drinking.

"Jeff?" I murmur, stepping into my bedroom once more. Instead of finding my mate tucked under the blankets, he's now sitting up. The blankets are pooled around his waist, leaving his upper body exposed. Sure, he's wearing a tee shirt but still, my stomach flutters at seeing him like this.

If only his shirt wasn't ruined from all that blood.

Jeff looks up, his eyes darting to the mug in my hand. He makes a soft, questioning noise as I step into the room, coming to sit beside his hip on the bed. I hand him the thermos.

"I hope you have a tiny bit of a sweet tooth," I say gently, sipping at my own drink and making a happy noise. "This is one of my favorites."

"What's with the thermos?"

"So you don't have to look at it. Hopefully that helps a little bit. You can just close your eyes and imagine it's a cold night in a cabin somewhere, enjoying a steaming cup of hot cocoa."

Jeff snorts. "Doubt it but it's worth a shot I guess." I watch as he brings his cup to his lips, taking a deep sip. A lot of baby vampires would get one hint of blood and begin guzzling the entire cup. But Jeff takes his time. I can see he wants to chug it, but he holds himself back. Pride wells up inside of me. He's doing so well.

"Do you like it?"

Jeff looks at me, his eyes narrowing. "I can still taste the blood. But it's sweet and chocolatey. I like it." He takes another sip. "Can you do the same thing with coffee?"

I think for a moment. "I've never tried but I don't see why not. We'll try that next."

Being this close has my body reacting. I want to be closer. I want to bury my face against the underside of his throat. I want to bite him and kiss him and lick the blood from his lips. Fuck, I want so much.

But I hold myself back the same way Jeff holds himself back from chugging his blood. Even though everything inside of me is begging me to lean forward and kiss him, that's the last thing he needs right now.

Jeff clears his throat and I look over at him, not even realizing I'd zoned out. He looks almost sheepish as he hands the thermos back. "Thank you."

"No worries. Adding the chocolate is something I learned years ago to help ease people into drinking."

"Not that. Well, yes that but not just that." Jeff runs his fingers over his throat, picking some dried blood away. I grab his wrist, gently pulling his hand away. Sparks run down my spine at the simple touch and I can't help but wonder if he's feeling the same thing. Our eyes meet. "Thank you for taking care of me. You certainly don't have to, but I appreciate more than you know. I could have hurt a lot of people if I'd been outside when I woke up."

"I won't let that happen," I tell him softly, needing him to know I'll be here to keep him safe, even if that means keeping him safe from himself. "You're safe here."

He gives me a small nod. "I feel safe here. I don't really understand it, but I do."

"That makes me happy to hear," I say, standing up. I can't tell him he feels safe because I'm his true mate, the one destined to help him through thick and thin by Lady Fate herself. Gods, this poor guy just had everything he's ever known change in the blink of an eye. I have to do everything in my power to make this transition as easy as possible and not add to complications.

I nod over towards the other door in my room. "You can have a shower if you're feeling up to it. Might do you some good to get the last of that blood washed away."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Jeff slowly stands up, not unlike a newly born fawn getting used to their legs. He turns to look at me, opening his mouth like he wants to say something before he's shaking his head and turning towards the bathroom. I watch him as he goes.

Do I already have it bad for this guy? I can't, right? I've only just met him.

And yet, not only do I wanna follow him into the bathroom so I can see what his dick looks like, but I also want to hold him and stroke his hair as he falls asleep. Is this what it's like when you find your true mate? Just an overwhelming bombardment of feelings washing over you? Fuck. I'm so screwed.