Chapter 6

Alexi winces as he paces the halls of the Zampieri family estate, the cut on his arm still throbbing. Every time a twinge of pain shoots through the wound, his mind drifts back to that chaotic bar brawl, replaying the events in vivid detail.

His eyes narrow as a low growl rumbles in his chest at the thought of her audacity, challenging him right in the middle of his…interrogation.

Alexi"s hand clenches into a fist as he recalls her molten eyes blazing with determination, undaunted even when faced with his preternatural strength. The way she moved; he shakes his head, cursing under his breath at the distraction she had proven to be.

Lost in his reverie, Alexi reaches Zeenia"s study, the scent of cedarwood and sage caressing his senses. He pauses at the threshold, steeling himself before rapping his knuckles against the ornate wooden door. A gentle voice bids him enter, and Alexi pushes through, his imposing frame filling the doorway.

"Alexi, my dear boy," Zeenia greets him warmly, rising from behind her desk. Her golden eyes immediately zero in on the sluggishly healing laceration marring his arm. Concern etches her ageless features as she beckons him closer.

"Come in, my dear. You look like you have much on your mind."

She beckons him to the plush armchair, the golden lamps casting an intimate glow. Alexi hesitates, unaccustomed to seeking help, his pride warring with his need for guidance after his intense connection with Zara shook his confidence. He sinks into the soft leather with a sigh as Zeenia watches patiently, her calm demeanor a safe space to share his thoughts.

He leans forward, elbows digging into his thighs, fingers raking through his disheveled hair. The words stick in his throat, tangled up with the chaos swirling inside him. "Zeenia, I..." He swallows hard. "Something went down with the Knight. And now..." A harsh, humorless chuckle. "I can"t get her out of my damn head." The confession comes out ragged, scraped raw. "It"s like she"s tunneled into my veins, hijacked every piece of me."

Zeenia watches him with a calm, inviting demeanor, providing a safe space to unload his heavy thoughts.

"I"m at a loss for words, which is pretty fucking rare for me," his thoughts drifting back to Zara once again.

Zeenia leans forward, her voice low and filled with a gentle wisdom. "What you"re describing, Alexi, sounds like a vampire mate bond. A connection that goes beyond the physical, beyond even the emotional. It"s a joining of souls, a union that transcends the boundaries of time and space."

She continues, her tone measured and profound. "Even rarer still is a bond that crosses the lines of species, as yours seems to with this werewolf."

Zeenia pauses, "To accept such a bond is to tie your fate, your very existence, to another. But walking away from it..."

Zeenia"s gaze turns solemn, ancient wisdom flickering in her eyes. "That road"s got its own set of dangers." She leans forward, her voice low and heavy with the burden of knowledge.

"For an immortal to refuse their fated mate triggers a curse known as the Thirst - an insatiable craving for blood that quickly overrides all reason. The vampire descends into a primal state, tormented by visions of the connection they"ve lost and plagued by a ravenous hunger no amount of feeding can satisfy."

Alexi"s brow furrows, his emerald gaze intense. "And for the mortal who rejects the bond?"

Zeenia"s tone grows heavier, and her expression turns grave, the weight of her ancient knowledge etched in the lines of her face. "When a vampire finds their fated mortal mate, their life forces become inextricably linked from the very start. As long as the bond remains unaccepted, the vampire"s preternatural healing abilities gradually diminish. What once took mere moments now requires days to mend, and it stays like that until the bond is rejected or accepted."

Alexi flexes his shoulders, thinking about the cut on his arm.

She leans back, her eyes distant, as if seeing the consequences play out in her mind"s eye. "But should the mortal outright reject the bond..." Zeenia pauses, letting the heavy implication hang in the air. "The vampire"s body will begin to wither, their immortality decaying with each rising sun. It is a slow, agonizing descent into oblivion - a death sentence that can only be lifted by the mortal"s acceptance... or the vampire"s last breath."

Zeenia"s voice takes on a melodic cadence as she delves deeper into the lore of fated mates. "There"s more…the bond between a vampire and their fated mate is a sacred connection, one that transcends the boundaries of our kind."

Alexi"s mind races with the possibilities and challenges that lie ahead.

She continues, "it is said that when a helavyr, a vampire with mixed blood such as you,finds their mate, latent powers may awaken within them, challenging the very foundations of our society."

Alexi leans forward, his eyes intense as he absorbs every word. "What kind of powers are we talking about here?" he asks, his voice low and urgent.

Zeenia smiles. "The specifics vary from pair to pair, but the stories speak of enhanced strength, heightened senses, and even the ability to share thoughts and emotions, but across great distances. Some say that a bonded pair can draw upon each other"s strengths."

Alexi"s mind races with the implications of this revelation. If what Zeenia says is true, then his connection with Zara could change everything. It could upend the carefully maintained hierarchy of the vampire world, blurring the lines between purebloods and helavyrs in ways that have never been seen before.

Alexi"s heart pounds in his chest as he tries to wrap his mind around the enormity of what Zeenia is saying.

As Zeenia finishes her explanation, Alexi rises from his seat, his mind awhirl with questions and a growing sense of destiny pressing down upon him. He paces the room, his boots echoing against the polished hardwood floor as he tries to make sense of it all.

"Thanks, Zeenia. I really appreciate you helping me make sense of all this," Alexi says, a new resolve in his voice.

He strides out of the study, then out into the crisp night air. His smile is predatory as he stalks towards his masarati, his body humming with anticipation.

Alexi revs the engine as he peels out into the quiet night, speeding towards an invisible cord that"s tugging at him.

"Where are you, my little she-wolf?" He mutters under his breath.

That"s right. Mine.