Page 79 of Tethered Fates

“Very good,” I chuckle.

“Next time, will you bite me?”

I groan. “Please do not tempt me.”

Which is when he tilts his head to the side. I growl and playfully bite at his neck with blunt teeth, Teagan letting out strings of laughter.

“Do you wanna turn me into a vampire?”

I still, my lips pressed against his neck. I pull him closer and onto my lap. I need to tell him the truth, but I don’t want to shatter what we’re creating. But don’t I deserve more time with him?

“I’d like to wait until I’m older. I’m in my fucking twenties, but I still gotta carry around ID. It’d suck to have to do that forever.”

My heart sinks. My arms tighten. Don’t we both deserve more time?

“Turning into a vampire hurts, too, right? So I wanna be prepared.”

I’m not ready to lose sweet tea and warm sand. His art and fearlessness. My life and all the years we could’ve had together.

Then Teagan whispers, “And it…gives us more time to get to know each other. To like…” He giggles, so damn pure. “Go on dates? That’d be nice, right?” And I know I was wrong about my brave boy never feeling shy.

My sinking heart shatters. Because I have no choice.

Or rather, I have a choice, and it’ll always be him.

“Teagan.” I cup his soft, warm cheek and carefully tilt his face to mine. “I need to tell you something, sweetheart.”

He frowns.

When he stays silent, I stroke his cheek with my thumb. “We found Emma, the blood mage Summer is working with.”

He nods for me to continue, his brows pulling tight. His silence is tense.

“She told us Summer knows how to break your tether. She’s known this whole time.”

Teagan sits up straight.

“But her spell to do it, and also get her into the demon realm, would weaken her…”

Teagan tries to pull away, but I cling to him. Not to keep him close, but because…now I’m finally telling him the truth, I have to admit that deep down, I’m terrified.

“Tell me,” he insists.

I look away.

“Look at me!” Teagan demands, grabbing my chin to force me back. “Look at me and tell me what she wants.”

I don’t know how Teagan figured it out; maybe it’s written on my face, and he already knows me too well. “She needs the heart of an ancient vampire. So either Bran, Vidar, or…”

He lets out a choked gasp. “No.”

“Teagan—”

“I said no! You aren’t doing this, you can’t do this, Sen. We just met! You…we…” he shakes his head. “No.”

I might want to live, but for Teagan, I’ll do anything.

“She can break your tether without the heart, Teagan! And it would kill you. Whenever she wants, you could be taken from me.”