1637

~Amolet

"What do immortal's eat, anyway?"

I glance around the corner and into the living room, where Cian sits, reading a book he plucked from my bookshelf. Seeing him with it reminds me of how him and I came to speak to each other. I brought him a book to read, even if it was a childish one. My plan with that was to bait him into speaking, which worked well in my favour. Now it's been two full days with him in Lev and I's apartment.

"Worry about yourselves before me," he responds distractedly.

Lev opens the freezer, pulling out a frozen pizza. Leaning against the kitchen counter, I sigh. It's been strange adjusting to Cian's presence in such a small space. He doesn't exactly fit in every aspect, having to dip his head through most entry ways, and surprisingly, barely fit into Lev's bed. Yet he hasn't complained once.

Avoiding touching him has been the hardest task of all. We are constantly brushing shoulders, hands nearly touching in passing, which has caused some flinching that has been hard to talk away.

Mercifully, Cian hasn't seemed to take much notice.

"Things are meant to feel normal for a little while...This doesn't feel normal," Lev mutters, glancing around the corner at Cian as he unwraps the pizza from its plastic binds. Lev and Cian has avoided speaking, or even looking in each other's direction, but Lev has agreed this is a far better fate than being locked up and used as a pawn by Noah and Stace.

"It's just till we can meet up with his sister, Ira. Then once Stace is gone, it will be over," I says quietly, pulling the oven door open for him.

Lev raises a skeptical brow. "Will it?"

"He's protecting us, remember?" I whisper lowly, hoping Cian isn't listening to our conversation, although I imagine that's exactly what he is doing.

"Can we talk, later?" Lev asks, sensing my discomfort talking about Cian when he is in earshot. I wince, knowing I've been putting this conversation off a lot, and that eventually I'm going to need to face it with him. But not when Cian is around. "About...You know, our relationship."

"Sure," I say breathily, adjusting the temperature of the oven before rushing out of the kitchen and into the living room. If I stay a moment longer, Lev is going to demand answers now, and I can't exactly tell him nothing will ever happen between us because I have found my mate. That will have Cian asking questions. "It's pizza tonight Cian, whether you like it or not."

He glances up from his book, giving me a tentative smile. "Anything to make you happy, Amolet.

Lev falls into a chair opposite the couch from Cian, staring him down with an expression that I already anticipate is going to lead to danger. "It's obvious you're trying to impress Amolet, you know."

My stomach twists into a painful knot. Cian's dark eyes flicker up from his book, focusing wholly on Lev, who surprisingly doesn't cower under an Immortal's undivided intention. The temptation to run to my room and lock myself in again tugs at me, but I remain where I stand. Lev is stepping on a dangerous line, and I don't want to be the one picking up the pieces once it ends.

"I don't need to impress her," Cian responds calmly, although his fingers tighten around either side of the book he holds.

"Do you want to fuck her?" Lev questions.

My mouth falls open with shock. Seriously? I'm used to Lev speaking his mind, especially when he gets frustrated, but this is on an entirely different level. He's been good about biting his tongue through our time in the Immortal realm, but now he is in his own home, he's happy to speak his mind, as vulgar and jarring as it is.

"Leven! Stop," I growl.

Cian turns his head to look at me, giving nothing away in his eyes as they graze over me, examining me from head to toe. When he turns back to Lev, there's even more anger on my friends face, his cheeks flushing red. I'm not sure if he is protecting my dignity, or genuinely thinks Cian is at risk of taking me away from him. If only he knew we were mates...

"Why do you ask? Because I'm an immortal? Because I'm Greed, which means I'll do anything to get what I want?" Cian asks quietly, although the dark edge to his tone makes me shiver. "I can assure you that in any other situation, where her life was not at risk, I would seduce her. She is beautiful. Do you disagree?"

I'm stunned.

"She doesn't want you," Lev stutters, equally shocked by Cian's honesty. Is it honesty, or is Cian trying to get under Lev's skin because he knows how he feels about me?

"And you speak for her?" Cian half taunts, turning to look at me. "Amolet, what do you think?"

Both of their gazes pin me in my spot, as I stumble to put together a sentence. "I think it's time to eat, and then go to bed."

Neither of them protest as I back into the kitchen, grateful to be out of their line of sight. I reemerge until I have pizza, and the conversation ceases altogether. Cian only gives me a single nod before entering Lev's room for the night, before I disappear into mine, closing the door tightly behind Lev and I.

"I know you hate Cian, but he's trying to protect us," I say softly, as I clamber into bed a moment later. Lev hasn't spoken through dinner, and looks awfully dejected.

Lev pulls the covers up, slumping in his pillow. "He's the reason we are in this situation."

"If you're going to be mad at anyone, be mad at me."

"I could never be mad at you, Amolet." He turns his head to look at me, light brows furrowing. Other than these past two nights, Lev and I haven't shared a bed before, although thankfully I've been too tired to address the tension. "I just don't want you to be seduced by an Immortal. You're mortal...I mean, not only is he going to out live you, but he's a Sin, which means he's going to want to-"

"He's my mate, Lev," I cut in gently.

Lev blinks, forehead creasing as the words sink in. It's apparent he can hardly believe what I'm revealing, and honestly, I can hardly believe it either, having those words pass by my lips. It's been easy to ignore it when I haven't admitted it, when only Sinful knows, and he is in an entirely different Realm.

"Wait...What?"

"Cian's my mate," I repeat, heart thundering in my chest. "He doesn't know, so keep it down."

"How..." Lev questions, voice trailing off at the end. I can't tell if he's angry or not. He admitted that he wants to be more than friends, and now I'm telling him I'm mated to the exact man he hates, and who he apparently doesn't think I should be with at all. Now he has to accept that fate called him and I together, and there is nothing that can be done, unless I reject him, or he rejects me.

I turn on my side, examining Lev's expression as he turns to stare up at the ceiling. Just a wall beyond Cian lays, so I hope he cannot hear us. "Sinful and Stace both told me. I believe them."

"Is that why you don't want me?" he asks softly. I wince. I should have told him sooner, should have pulled myself together and made it clear nothing would happen between us beyond friends. I've felt a connection with Cian since the moment I met him, and have been selfishly using Lev as an excuse not to get close to him.

"I can't ignore the mate bond, even if he is an immortal," I sigh, reaching out to grab Lev's hand. He is icy cold beneath my fingertips.

"Are you going to tell him?"

"I will, but not yet. I want to see how he feels about me first. I'm scared he will reject me," I explain. I plan for our fingers to accidentally touch, for me to act as though I had no idea. That way if he rejects me, it won't be so soul crushing...If that's even possible.

"There's no way, Amolet," Lev shakes his head. "He wants you, trust me."

My mind wanders to what Cian said earlier. He claimed he would have seduced me, had our situation been different. Does that mean he desires nothing more than to sleep with me, or does he want more? I'm not sure why an Immortal would pursue a Mortal beyond anything more than fleeting pleasure. Once he finds out we are mates, will he even consider a life between to be possible? He will outlive me...

And then there's the issue of Abella, his previous mate. He could very well not be ready for me yet, not want to delve into another relationship, especially with someone whose life is so fragile, in comparison to his lifespan, fleeting.

"Let's get some sleep, okay? I'm tired," I murmur tightly. I could stay up all night and discuss this with Lev, but I'm afraid of divulging my greatest fears, in case they manifest into my real life.

Cian is my mate. And I'm not sure what that means yet, exactly.

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Sophie_Midika

Midikacrane

~Midika 💜🐼