Chapter 8

8

T he bell above the door chimed softly as Jinx pushed her way into Café Nocturne. The aroma of freshly ground coffee and warm pastries enveloped her like a comforting embrace. Sunlight filtered through the stained-glass windows, casting an ethereal glow across the weathered wooden tables and plush velvet armchairs. In the far corner, half-hidden by shadows, sat Eric.

His porcelain skin had a healthy glow, and his streaky blond hair fell in gentle waves across his forehead. As Jinx approached, Eric's lovely eyes flicked up to meet hers. In an instant, his expression shifted from casual nonchalance to pure happiness. He was always so damn glad to see her.

Jinx stumbled clumsily to the table, her legs feeling weak all of a sudden. With the fluid grace of a vampire, he rose from his seat, concern etching lines across his handsome face. Before he could utter a word, she humiliated herself by bursting into tears.

Eric looked positively horrified. “Jinx? What’s wrong?”

He gathered her into his arms, and she sobbed against his chest. He was no longer the skinny vampire she’d met months ago. He’d filled out and packed on muscle, so he was more than capable of holding her up while she had her breakdown. Pulling back, she scrubbed forcefully at her wet cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

“Never mind that,” Eric retorted swiftly. He lifted his shirt and wiped at her tears gently. “Let me. You’re too rough.”

Jinx stayed still, allowing her friend to tend to her. Feeling much better, she grinned at him. “Careful, or I’ll be fighting half the café. You’re giving the room a peep show there, buddy.” She gestured to his ripped abs on display.

Eric rolled his eyes as if she was ridiculous, but Jinx saw his cheeks glow and how he glanced around surreptitiously. She nudged him with her elbow when a red-headed nymph in a miniskirt blew him a kiss from across the room. “What did I tell you.”

“Don’t think I’m letting you change the subject,” Eric grumbled, holding a chair out for her. “What’s going on? Did the meeting go bad? Are you hurt? Who do I need to kill?”

Jinx’s eyes widened. “Wow. That escalated quickly.”

“Jinx. Spill,” Eric demanded, reaching across the table to take her hand in his.

She sighed, wondering where to begin. She’d almost sent Eric a message cancelling their catch-up. After leaving Mikhail, she just wanted to be alone. Yet, somehow, she had found herself standing in front of the café with no memory of how she got there. Apparently, her subconscious wanted her golden retriever, vampire bestie.

Eric was so damn mellow that he hadn’t even blinked when he wasn’t invited to the breakfast meeting. Jinx mostly understood. He was a very new member of their family. But he was a member and had more than proven himself. So, being the giver that she was, she’d told him to meet her at one of their favourite cafés mid-morning so she could tell him all the goss.

She squeezed Eric’s hand one last time in thanks before leaning back in her chair. “The war council didn’t happen. Unless it’s happening now without me.” The thought bothered her.

Eric’s eyebrow rose in surprise. “They kicked you out? Is that why you were crying? What the hell is wrong with Sabre?! I’m going to give her a piece of my mind,” he muttered, rising from his chair.

Jinx grabbed him, pushing him back down. “Easy, cowboy. There’s no need to get suicidal. Sabre had nothing to do with it. Something … unexpected came up.” She braced herself before revealing, “Mikhail is my fated mate.”

Eric blinked, his face frozen in shock. “Come again?”

She chuckled a little. “I know, right?! Can you believe it? Me, being the soulmate to the King of Purgatory.”

“That’s not what I meant at all,” Eric said with a frown. “Finding your mate is crazy. What a mind fuck.”

She snickered because the description was spot on. “You’re not wrong. I walked in, and it felt like the entire world faded away. His scent was intoxicating, his touch set my body ablaze, and my damn tiger wanted to roll on him like he was a giant piece of catnip.”

Eric reached out and patted her head, his touch brotherly and comforting. “That sounds pretty intense, Jinx.”

Jinx nodded. “It was.” She anxiously twirled a strand of black and white hair around her finger as she looked around the quaint cafe. It was adorned with strings of delicate, twinkling lights that hung from the ceiling and walls, casting a soft glow throughout the cozy space. The walls were painted a pale shade of grey, and blossoming flowers climbed to the ceiling, adding to the charming atmosphere.

“Wait …” Eric sat up straight, his expression becoming stormy. “Is that why you were crying? Because of him ?” His fangs descended, the sharp points digging into his bottom lip. “What did he do to you?”

“Nothing I didn’t do right back. There’s no need to defend my honour or anything. Put your fangs away,” Jinx ordered, even though his reflexive protectiveness brought tears to her eyes. “I appreciate the sentiment, I really do. But I’m okay. I’m doing a terrible job of relaying the details to you.”

Eric stared at her for a few seconds before sitting back, his fangs retracting into his upper gums. “Deep breath,” he suggested. “And start at the beginning.”

So, she did.

“So, it was lucky, you see,” she said, ending her tale. “Because he doesn’t want a mate, and neither do I.”

“Uh-huh. Lucky,” Eric repeated.

His sarcasm was not lost on her, but she chose to ignore it. “Mikhail deserves someone whole. Someone unscarred who doesn’t have a shit load of baggage labelled ‘trauma’ ." Jinx whispered, her voice barely audible over the gentle acoustic music playing in the background. She absently rubbed her wrist where faint marks still lingered, a permanent reminder of chains long removed.

Eric made a pained sound in his throat. “Jinx, you are whole,” he said softly. “Besides, we’re all traumatised. Embrace it. I think it adds a little spice to a relationship.”

Jinx gasped out a laugh and tossed a napkin at him, which he dodged easily. “You’re an idiot.”

His cheeky smile faded, and he was silent for a moment, lost in thought. “You know all the shitty things I did in my past to survive? Do you think less of me for it?” he asked presently.

She scowled at him. “Of course not!”

“So why doesn’t the same apply to you? If Mikhail truly is a good man—and I’m inclined to believe he is because Sabre is a good judge of character, and she loves him—then why do you think your past would bother him?”

“Because it bothers me ,” Jinx muttered, shifting restlessly in her seat.

Eric nodded sagely as if she’d confirmed his suspicions. “So, this is about you then. It’s not really about having a mate. I mean, you don’t have a moral objection to fated mates or anything. You’re just protecting yourself.”

Jinx shook her head, blinking back tears that threatened to spill. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Nothing at all,” Eric agreed with a gentle smile.

Jinx sniffed, swiping at her nose with her forearm. Classy she was not. When a tissue appeared in front of her, she thanked Eric before blowing her nose obnoxiously loudly.

“You’re charming,” Eric pointed out with a straight face. “Keep it,” he urged when Jinx tried to return the snotty tissue. His eyes darted behind her. “Uh, what did Sabre have to say about all this?”

Jinx grimaced, sinking down into her seat. “I haven’t spoken to her about it.”

“No, you haven’t.”

Jinx shrieked, jolting so badly that her chair almost toppled over. She craned her neck to find Sabre and Gage standing directly behind her. She stared at the pair like a deer caught in headlights.

“But if you did talk to me about it,” Sabre continued sternly. “I would be my usual pithy, wise self.”

“Pithy?” Eric questioned.

“Wise?” Gage queried.

Sabre expertly ignored the men, keeping her eyes steady on Jinx. “Mikhail explained what went down. I don’t like it. I wanted to decapitate him for hurting you.”

Jinx didn’t have it in her to lie and pretend she wasn’t hurting. “What about me? I hurt him, too.”

“Yeah, but I like your hair too much to ruin it,” Sabre said, tugging on a wayward strand of pure white. When Jinx only bit her lip, remaining silent, Sabre’s shoulders slumped. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

Jinx stood up slowly, moving to stand directly in front of Sabre. “When you rescued me, you told me I could have the life of my choosing.”

“I remember,” Sabre murmured.

“This is my choice, Sabre. Accepting the rejection of my mate and rejecting him right back. This is the life I’m choosing,” Jinx told her earnestly. “A life without a mate. It’s the life I always knew I would lead.”

Sabre screwed up her nose. “Jinx …”

“No, Sabre,” Jinx interrupted firmly. “You have no say in this. The only person who gets to have some input is Mikhail. And he already has.”

She held her breath, waiting for her friend’s reaction. Gage stepped beside her, offering silent support. She leaned into his side, burrowing a little when he lifted his arm and wrapped it around her. A moment later, Eric claimed her other side, and the three of them huddled in silence.

Sabre was the first to break.

She threw her arms into the air and began grumbling. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. The three of you look ridiculous with your sad puppy eyes. Quit it. I get it. End of discussion.”

Jinx didn’t know if she could trust the easy acquiescence. Sabre hadn’t so much as reached for a weapon. “Really?”

“Yes. Really,” Sabre said grumpily. Her expression softened between one breath and the next, and she reached for Jinx, pulling her into her arms. “I just want you to be happy. Both of you.”

Jinx grabbed a handful of Sabre’s shirt at the back, hanging on for dear life. “I will be,” she promised, hoping she wasn’t lying.

The assassin gave her one last squeeze before taking hold of her shoulders and giving her a little shake. “Damn right, you will. Repeat after me: I am a bad bitch. Not a sad bitch.”

Jinx shook her head, a smile slowly spreading across her face. “Sabre …”

Sabre raised a single eyebrow haughtily. “I’m waiting.”

Jinx gave it a shot. “I am a bad bitch. Not a sad bitch.”

“Pathetic!” Sabre declared, refusing to release Jinx. “Again. Like you mean it.”

Jinx rolled her eyes but repeated the words with more vigour.

“That’s better. Good job,” Sabre praised, patting her on the back. “Ain’t nobody got time for sad bitches.”

Jinx laughed. And if it was a little watery, no one commented on it. “Thank you.”

“Always,” Sabre vowed.