"Are you sure this is gonna work?" I began to stir at the sudden noise.

"Well, I can't say for certain." The voice hissed back. "Tae and I searched far and wide for these ingredients and convinced witches to perform the spell." She paused. "Also, did you really need to chop that man up?! Lexi and I had to reassemble him to make sure we retrieved all his appendages. All his appendages." She reiterated. "You know what all means, right?"

"It's not like you haven't touched a dick before." I heard some stifled chuckles, definitely Lara. "Did you discard of him?" Her voice turned serious.

"He was a nice bonfire that kept the homeless warm." It was almost like I could hear the smirk. "We need to get going." The voice was serious.

"How long do you wish to lie there, beautiful?" I could hear Lara move to squat down so her face reached my level.

"You can hear her heartbeat. She's clearly awake." Welp, guess I can't pretend to sleep anymore.

I opened my eyes and saw the smiling form of Lara. I craned my head behind me to see Hailey cross her arms, a smirk plastered on her lips.

'Good morning,love. How'd you sleep?" Lara cutely smiled.

"Like a baby." I sat up. "Why is she he- oh, she's the cleanup crew."

"I am not the- ugh! We need to speak with you." Hailey pouted. "And we're already late, so we better get moving. Chop chop." She clapped her hands and walked out the room.

"Although it pains me to admit, she's right. We need to get going, but not before you eat something." She whizzed out the room and returned with an omelet and some fruit. "Oh, almost forgot the oj." She quickly returned with a glass of orange juice. "Hope it's to your liking." She sat on the bed and watched me eat.

"It's good!" I moaned, causing her to shift uncomfortably and squeeze her legs together. "Did you make this?" I attempted to ease her. She nodded with a smile. "Wanna try some?" I separated some of the omelet and held it out for her.

"No thanks. I'm not the best with food." She sheepishly admitted.

"Oh, is that a vampire thing where you can't eat food?"

"No, it's a me thing. I for some reason get very nauseous when I consume human food. It also makes me a little weak." She eyed my food in disgust. "The taste... I just can't comprehend how people enjoy it." She scrunched up her nose.

"Then how can you cook so well if you don't taste your finished product?" I was jealous that she was such a good cook and I was so not.

"Following recipes and my heightened sense of smell to get an idea of the ratio of ingredients." She shrugged. Okay, that was impressive. "Time to get ready." She took my empty plate.

"Can I shower?" She nodded and left with the dirty dish.

I was about to shower when I realized I didn't have any clothes. I don't think Lara would mind, so I ruffled through her clothes until I found a simple black v-neck and jeans. I'm surprised she has jeans since she normally wears very short skirts or skin tight dresses.

I went and did my business. I took a little longer than normal since my mind kept wondering where we were going. I was also shocked that I was taking this well. I legit just found out she's a vampire and am willingly going to an undisclosed location with her. Well, yolo I guess.

I turned the shower off and used some of her many lotions. After I was lathered up, I exited the room. I was expecting to see her lounging around, but the room was empty. I gathered my stuff and walked out her bedroom and made my way to the living room.

"Ready?" I jumped from the voice behind me. I turned and glared at her for scaring me. "For an agent, you sure aren't aware of people sneaking up on you." I raised a brow, signaling her to tell me how she figured out what I was. "Relax, I don't know who you work for, but I'm just making an educated guess that you're an agent since you were undercover in my company."

"How did you figure that out?" She was about to answer my question, but Hailey interrupted us.

"You can ask all the questions in the world when we're in the car. Bougeons!" Lara laughed and grabbed my hand to lead us outside.

I felt electricity travel up my arm from the skin contact. I know she felt it too even though she tried to hide the sensation. Why does my body react this way around her? We walked to a door that was clearly not the front door.

Hailey opened the door to a room of expensive cars. She literally had a garage inside her condo. Hailey walked to the Mercedes and entered the driver's seat. Lara smiled and opened the back door for me. I muttered a thanks before she closed it and took the passenger seat. Hailey pressed a button and the spot the car occupied began to lower. This was really cool. The level eventually stopped and the doors opened to the side of the road. Hailey pulled out and began driving.

"Where are we going?" I inquired.

"To a more urban location." Hailey looked at me through the rear view mirror. "We must speak with you, but we want to avoid as many loose ears as possible."

"The man who attacked me." I stated.

"More like the men watching you." Hailey switched lanes on the highway. "Clearly, they thought one was enough to harm you, so he didn't have any backup with him. What they failed to realize was that you are ma-"

"Watch the car." Lara loudly stated. I wasn't sure why she warned Hailey about another car since no cars were next to us. The highway wasn't really that busy.

"How long is this drive?"

"45 minutes, princess." Lara looked at me with a grin. "Might as well get comfy. Have a specific type of music you prefer?"

"Yes, the silence." I huffed and looked out the window. Lara just chuckled and switched on some Halsey. "How'd you know I like her? Have you been stalking me, creepy vampire?" I purred, causing Lara to gulp.

"Hey! No eye sex, dirty talk, phone sex, text sex, or any kinda sex when I'm in the car!" Hailey yelled causing me to blush.

"I wasn't-"

"And no shameless flirting! I don't need to smell your arousal!" My face became even redder. That means that Lara has been able to- my fears were proven correct by the smirk on Lara's face. She totally knew what was running through my mind. Oh, come on!

X

Hailey pulled up to the location in under 45 minutes. I think she wanted to ensure that she wouldn't be subjected to any more flirting between Lara and I. She pulled onto a dirt road and drove up to a gate. She punched in the code and waited for the gate to open. Once it did, she drove through.

I took my time wondering where the shady path would lead. My jaw dropped when the estate came into view. The house had to be on acres and acres of land. She pulled up to the spherical driveway and parked in front of the main door. The two unbuckled their seatbelts, causing me to do the same. I was about to open the door, but Lara sped out and opened it for me. She then offered her hand and assisted me out the car.

"With me, you'll never be subjected to touching a knob ever again." She smiled before placing a gentle kiss on my knuckles.

"Done, Romeo? We have to go." Hailey jabbed her thumb in the direction of the door.

"Why yes, I am. Don't worry, nothing bad will happen to you." Lara interlaced our hands and walked to the front door.

Before Lara could open the door, it was swung open, revealing a smiling Lexi. Lexi pulled each of us into a hug. She deeply inhaled my scent when I was in her embrace. Lara immediately stepped in between to separate us.

"Sorry." Lexi meekly backed away. "You're scent is just-"

"Indescribably sweet." Hailey completed. "We should head inside." It appeared that she was having trouble controlling herself as well.

Lara led me inside, keeping a protective hand on my lower back. I was blushing from the contact. Her icy cold skin sent shivers up my spine. We walked into a study where her mother and brother were waiting. Uh, oh. The door slammed shut behind us. I turned to see Taemin near the door.

"You sure took your sweet time." Alec spoke.

"Didn't see the need to rush. We are here now." Lara led me to a couch.

"I'm assuming she knows everything." Her mother stated, more than asked. Lara nodded and looked at me with lovey dovey eyes. "How do you suggest we remedy this?" Lara's eyes narrowed at her mother.

"Remedy?! There's nothing wrong!"

"You fail to remember our father." Alec spoke. Their father? What does he have to do with this? Also, why did Lara visibly flinch when he was brought up. "If he is made aware of her-"

"Well, no one will be snitching to him." She eyed everyone in the room with such ferocity. "Problem solved."

"We still need to find the other men who were stalking the girl." Her mother spoke. "Rumors could swirl and be brought back to your father. Taemin was able to track them to an underground vampire sex club, but their scents were muddled and one escaped."

"Is that it? If so, then we can leave." Lara pulled me up.

"Are we going to ignore the massive elephant in the room?" All eyes were on Hailey. "What kind of supernatural are you?" She got close and sniffed the air. "It's frustrating me beyond belief."

"Supernatural? I'm human." I was confused.

"But, your blood is so succulently sweet." Lexi turned away to suppress her urges.

"All mates of the most powerful pureblooded vampires are enticingly sweet, but I do agree that hers has a scent that is hypnotizing." Alec casually spoke.

"Wait, mate? What's a mate?" Lara was starring daggers at her brother. He bowed his head in apology while her mother looked confused on what to do. I stared at the other vampires in the room, but they all avoided my eyes. "Well, Lara. What is it?"

"It's like a person that you are taken with." This girl was obviously avoiding saying the truth. I could tell she wasn't lying, but she wasn't being fully honest.

"Allura." Her mother sharply spoke. "You need to be fully honest with her if she's supposed to trust you. Do not be dishonest."

"I wasn't being dishonest. I was just glossing over the fine details." She muttered.

"Allura? I thought your name was Lara?"

"It is. Lara is my nickname since I HATE my birth name." She stared at her mother.

"Well, I think it's beautiful." She blushed at my words.

"Allura was my late grandmother's name, so it was passed onto me. Anyways, a mate... it's the shortened name for a soulmate." I took a sharp inhalation of breath. "The premise is that when a soul is created, it splits in half. Each half goes to a person and they spend their entire lives searching for the other half so the souls can reunite. I found my other half in you." She took my hands. "That's why you have strong feelings and desires towards me that you can't explain. I know you felt something the day we met. That was the feeling of finding your person."

I didn't know what to say. I suddenly felt overwhelmed by this newfound information. Lara noticed my change and began to apologize. Somewhere during the discussion, her mother and brother dropped the formalities. They permitted me to refer to them by their names, Alena and Alec. Her mother even allowed me to call her Lena if I desired.

After the talk concluded, I rushed out and into the backyard. I'm not sure where I was heading since I've never been to this place before. I walked along the well manicured shrubs and stopped once I reached a mermaid fountain. I sat down and started to run my hands along the surface of the water.

I'm at a crossroads now. I was originally sent here to dig up illegal atrocities caused by this family. In my search, I allegedly found my soulmate. And I found out they're vampires. That supernaturals exist. The thought sent a shiver down my spine at the potential supernaturals that I may have unknowingly crossed. I know I made it my mission to find out what was off about the executives, but I'd never had guessed they weren't human! Ugh, I'm beginning to feel an oncoming headache.

"Perhaps, this can help the stress." I looked up to see Lexi with a cup of tea. "It's camomile tea with a few drops of lavender. It's known to have some relaxation properties. I hope you like it." I smiled and sipped the tasty drink.

"It's delicious." She smiled and sat next to me, careful to give me enough space.

We sat in silence for a while. I enjoyed the breeze blowing through my hair and the subtle crispness in the air. Lexi was sitting with her eyes closed as she enjoyed the relaxed space.

"I'm scared." I admitted. She opened her eyes to give me her full attention. "I knew something was off from the moment I met all of you. I made it my mission to crack the mysterious vibe, but I never thought my hunt would lead to learning that supernaturals are real. And then I was attacked by a vampire and saved by my so called mate. I just found out that all the weird feelings that take hold of my body when I'm around her is because of some cosmic force deciding who I'm destined to be with. Like I don't have a choice in this." I let out a humorless laugh. "And I'm not even sure if I can go back to my normal life... not like my life is normal, but still." She nodded. "This is too much. How am I supposed to complete my mi-" I suddenly stopped. I didn't want to divulge too much.

"Nicole... we do know that's a fake name, but have no idea what your real name is... but we understand you were sent by an agency to investigate us." My breath hitched. "Which one? We do not know." She stopped. "Right now, our main priority is tracking down that vampire. After he's caught, we'll focus on your little job." She chuckled with amusement. "Would you like to head back inside or-"

"Just a few more minutes, but can I be alone?" I didn't want to be rude. She nodded and smiled before leaving me to my thoughts.

I took a few more minutes to exhale the stress from my body. I flicked my fingers through the water one last time. I stood up and made my way inside the house.

I opened the door and had no idea where to go. I didn't really receive a tour since I basically darted outside once given the opportunity. I somehow stumbled into the kitchen to see Hailey. She was basing a piece of steak. Her head snapped up, sensing my presence.

"I hope you're not vegan." She pointed at the meat. I laughed and shook my head. "Good because this is dinner."

"I thought vampires got nauseous when they ate."

"Nope, that only happens to extremely powerful pure bloods in every other generation. " She briefly explained. "The rest of us are fine with eating human food, but pure bloods' bodies reject anything other than blood. It's what makes them incredibly strong." She began plating the meat. "Dinner's ready!" She called out.

Within seconds, all the vampires were in the kitchen. It startled me how fast they can actually move. Lara kept her space from me, in an effort to not make me uncomfortable. I appreciated the sentiment, but I rather be near her. I walked over and squeezed her hand, eliciting a smile from her.

Lexi, Hailey, and Taemin set the table in a matter of seconds. Alena sat at the head with Alec to her left and Lara to her right. I sat in between Lara and Lexi. Taemin sat next to Alec and Hailey was next to Taemin. Alena and Alec ate silently while Lexi began to talk our ears off.

"I'm sorry." Alec allows his utensils to clatter. "Are we supposed to pretend that her employment is not a worry?" Alec's eyes darted between me and his mother. "There are problems back home. We need to be prepared and-"

"Alec." Alena stopped him. "We are at the dinner table." She began eating again.

"Well, she can either willingly tell us or-"

"You will not hurt her or ever threaten her again." Lara's voice was ice cold. "We haven't earned her trust, so we can't expect her to reveal everything to us."

"Like her name." Hailey muttered.

"It would help us to know if we should be weary, though." Lexi admitted. "Like the work of a werewolf group or the other enemy." She shuddered.

They began bickering back and forth. Alena didn't stop it since she was also curious as to which organization I worked for. I wanted to sink into my chair, but I held my composure. I felt eyes burning into my head. I turned to see Lara staring at me in curiosity. Her eyes briefly looked past me. I turned to see the same emotion flit over Taemin's features.

They seemed to understand the other. Taemin's lips circled up into a tiny smile. Lara moved away with a satisfied smirk. She began chuckling, causing the chatter to stop and everyone to look at her in confusion.

"You work for the government, right?" I froze at that. How'd she figure it out?! "I'm correct based on your reaction. You're definitely not a low detective or beat cop. You're domestic..." She swirled her wine around as she thought aloud. "You could be relocated, so it doesn't really mean anything, but at the same time..." She sipped her drink. "Domestic, so FBI?" She muttered aloud. "No, you don't give off the vibe. You're not into flashing your badge." She threw her head back and closed her eyes. "You're domestic, not international, but you move with the grace of someone who's able to adapt to different cultures well. Like a chameleon." She finally opened her eyes. "Got it." She placed her now empty glass down. "CIA. You work for the CIA and this is your first domestic mission. Am I right?"

Her eyes were filled with yearning. Yearning to be told if her theory was correct or incorrect. I could blatantly lie to her, but... she didn't lie when I asked her that question about her company. She answered honestly that there were things that could be dug up if a thorough investigation pursued. And then again, she could hear my heartbeat. But, as I looked at her face, I realized she wanted to hear it from me. She wasn't going to listen to my heartbeat to hear if I lied or not. She was going to put her complete faith and trust in me. If she could do that, I should lower my walls a little.

"Yes." Her gaze was still on me, begging me to expand. "I am an undercover agent for the CIA." She smiled victorious and then smugly turned to look at her mother and brother. "And now my cover is blown." I threw my hands up.

"Well, since it's blown... reveal your mission." Alec demanded.

"Are manners foreign to you, dear brother?" Lara's tease has a bit of bite to it. "Rephrase your statement into a polite question." She demanded.

"Since we know who you are, it makes no sense to hide anymore secrets. Please, tell us what you were investigating."

"I was to investigate money laundering, weapons and ammunition gifted to gangs, questionable business partners-"

"Impossible!" Hailey interjected. "I have checked the reports more than ten times. Everything is perfect. There's no deviation."

"That's what I was reporting." I stated. "It was frustrating because I couldn't find anything that would raise a red flag. I stayed on the case because I was suspicious of all of you and knew that something had to be hidden."

"Someone had an unwarranted investigation." Alec stated.

"Though the accusations aren't necessarily incorrect, there's no way anyone could draw a connection to us. I've been careful!" Hailey was upset.

"What's the name of your boss?" Lara turned to me.

"Umm..." I'm hesitant to reveal his name. I trust Lara, but-

"Promise I won't harm him."

"Don't make promises you can't keep." Lexi hummed.