Twizzlers (MxMxM)

Chapter 6 - Hollywood Lied to Me

After Aubrey and I finished eating and putting our dishes in the sink, we made our way to the living room. Evander had a book in his hand, his legs crossed as he lounged in one of the chairs. He looked up once we entered, closing the book and placing it in his lap.

No one spoke.

"Ah, I can tell this is a bit awkward for the both of you," Evander suddenly admitted with a sigh.

I looked at him with a confused expression. If he knew, then why wasn't he doing anything about it? It was coming from his end. We weren't even doing anything.

"To be honest, I'm not quite sure what to think," he continued, running a hand through his short, red hair. "While I said I have no intention of rejecting either of you, I still don't know how to proceed. I very obviously don't feel the emotions the two of you seem to share. It's hard to know where I stand."

Oh.

Guilt washed over me in a cold wave of pure shame. The tension wasn't his fault... it was ours. It suddenly made so much more sense. Aubrey and I had connected the moment we laid eyes on each other - or smelled each other, in my case - and our bond was compelling us. Evander didn't have anything. If I was in his shoes, I'd act the same way.

But still... I get the feeling that that isn't all.

"There's also something we never really discussed before. We glossed over it, but it needs to be out in the open," Evander added. "My diet."

"Right..." I said slowly. "Uh, how do you usually get... blood?"

"There's a place where vampires can buy blood bags and even willing feeders if that's something they want. I tend to switch between the two."

"And what type of blood do you usually consume?" I asked. "Like, human blood, or...?"

This is such an odd conversation.

"Mortal blood," Evander confirmed. "I don't particularly stick to just humans, though. It depends on what I am in the mood for and what is available to me."

Huh. I always thought vampires only drank human blood. If he drank mortal blood, then...

"Can you drink mine?" I asked, much to his surprise.

His eyes shot up to look into mine, showing me how off-guard I'd caught him with my question. He gulped, calming down after his initial surprise. "Yes," he started slowly, "in fact, that's part of the reason why I tried to keep space between us. I haven't eaten in a few days, and your blood smells quite good. It's healthy for vampires to feed at least once a week and even more if they wish to avoid any symptoms of hunger or fatigue."

Oh.

"And mine?" Aubrey piped up.

Evander tilted his head. "I'm not quite sure. It smells good, but I've never tried the blood of a nymph before," he admitted. "If you're ever willing to allow me a taste, then we can figure it out."

Aubrey seemed content with that answer because he pulled his legs up to his chest and watched us silently from his seat on the couch.

"So then... if you leave the city, you'd have to drink from us, right?" I asked.

"Most likely," Evander agreed. "Which is why I have been hesitant to ask. I wasn't sure how either of you would take the idea."

"I don't mind, as long as it isn't the worst pain in the world," I told him.

He was my mate, after all. Even if I'd met him only yesterday, and we'd started off a bit awkwardly, he was still someone I cared about and would continue to. My answer seemed to catch him off-guard, but he was able to mask his surprise a lot better this time around. "Really?"