Constructive feedback is helpful and appreciated! Thanks to @kenjisato for editing!
Callisto woke up the next morning, and began to prepare for a full day of meetings and submitting reports. After he got home last night, he couldn't rest, all he could think about was when he could kiss Marigold again. He was pulled out of his thoughts by his phone ringing. Noir was calling. Again.
"Yes, Noir," Callisto answered, while running his hand through his hair, letting a few pieces fall towards his face. She had been calling Callisto all morning, each time he was sending her to voicemail, a failed attempt to discourage her from wanting to talk about last night.
"Brother, are you still mad that that chunky girl was on a date? You're acting like she's your mate."
Callisto stopped mid-stride and fell silent.
Noir had always been conventionally attractive, in a thin, WASP-y sort of way. Men had always flocked to her, even when she wasn't using the art of seduction to make them answer any whim she may have. With all this male attention, she remained single and uninterested in looking for a mate or suitable partner. Noir's first love would always be her career, followed closely by her platonic relationships. Settling down to get married and have children was always something that Noir believed would hold her back, despite the constant pressure from their family.
"What did you just say?" He wanted to address the weight comment, but the puzzle pieces started to connect, as her words continued to repeat in his head. Similarly to
Noir, settling down romantically wasn't on Callisto's radar, especially right then.
However, the pull he had towards Marigold was undeniable, almost magnetic. Ever since he met her in her shop that day, there was not a minute that went by where she wasn't at the center of his thoughts. He simply thought it was lust, or limerence at best.
"I said you're acting like she is your mate."
Callisto sat down in his office chair with the phone still attached, in disbelief. Was he choosing to overlook the woman that the fates had chosen for him? The thought of that made his stomach begin to flip. Marigold was his mate--the woman who was mysterious, enigmatic, tortured, distrustful, but still full of love-- was this the person he was destined to be with?
"She couldn't be my mate, she's a mermaid. She had turned years ago... Right?" He ran his hand down his face, while he laid his head on the headrest. The logistics of this was beginning to overwhelm him. Mermaids and vampires were similar, but vastly different creatures. Marigold still had all of her abilities, including the ability to change, not to mention that he wasn't sure if he could turn her into a vampire, or if she would want that.
For vampires to be fully mated, a ritual must take place where both parties consensually drink from each other. By drinking from each other, it would connect them emotionally, mentally and spiritually, where only death could break their bond. Even in death, many vampires often ended their lives once their mate was deceased. Spending the rest of eternity without the person who was chosen for you, seemed like a form of slow torture that too many chose not to endure.
"I believe that if they stayed human for a certain amount of time, then the fates would allow them to be a potential mate for us."
Noir's raspy voice seemed to be getting further and further away, as so many realizations began to hit him all at once. Finding your fated mate was supposed to be relatively simple and a beautiful experience. But for him, he would have quite the fight in front of him to even have a chance.
"Brother, are you still there? Why are you asking?" Noir asked with noticeable concern in her voice.
"I'll have to talk to you later, Noir," Callisto disconnected the phone call and regrettably sent a text message to his father.
--
Marigold awoke to the sound of her alarm clock. She groaned, as she rolled over to turn it off. She uncovered her head and saw that Judas wasn't in his usual spot.
Cove knocked once and opened the door. "Good morning, my dear Goldie." He walked in with a towel wrapped around his waist, water droplets highlighting his chiseled abs and a mug in his hand. He handed the warm mug to her and sat on the edge of the bed.
"You didn't text me when you got home, so I came here to see you in bed. Your neighbor told me a friend dropped you off?" he questioned, as he turned to look at her. "She told me this friend was male and has been here another time or two."
Marigold could feel his intense stare on her as she tried to break his gaze by drinking her tea.
"
The guy from Sushi Galore dropped me off last night...he's also a vampire."
Cove immediately stood up, his towel hanging on for dear life. He turned to look at her with a face drained of color, while giving her an incredulous look. "Have you lost your mind!" Cove shouted, as he began pacing the floor, rubbing his sternum roughly. "That is the dumbest thing you could do, Marigold."
Those words stung a bit for Marigold. She was aware that falling in love with a vampire was not only risky, but a sure way to end up heartbroken, but there was an undeniable pull to him that she couldn't describe.
"I know, I don't know how it happened. But we kissed last night, and I think I have developed some feelings for him," Marigold whispered, as tears streamed down her face. She could feel the rage and disappointment radiating off of his body, without him saying another word.
Cove looked over at her and sat down on the bed next to her. "You know you can't be with him, Goldie. You need to stay far away from him." Cove held her hands in his, and stared at her with wide and fearful eyes.
She knew that he was right, but it didn't make it hurt any less. Another restriction from her clan that she felt obligated to follow, despite them banishing her. There was a part of her that was furious that she continued to allow them to have control over her, but it was dwarfed by the part of her that was desperate to be accepted by them again, even if it meant sacrificing something she desperately wanted.
"Okay," she whispered, as she laid her head on his broad shoulder. She knew that vampires and mermaids shouldn't--and-- couldn't be together, in any universe. But she felt more human than mermaid, at this point in her life. Sure, she still had the ability to change, but she was so far removed from merculture. Here she was again, letting another part of her drift off into the sunset, never to be seen again.
--
Callisto spent the rest of the day thinking about the idea of Marigold being his mate, and it began to excite him more and more. He started to picture his life with her, what their children would be like, what their new normal would be. The one concerning thought he did have was that she was not immortal, so she would die one day, leaving him behind, if she didn't choose to turn. The idea of a mermaid turning into a vampire for immortality was something that was truly written in fairytales. His heart began to ache at the thought of his love dying.
--
Cove's words preoccupied Marigold's thoughts, as she continued to lie in bed. Since their conversation, she continued to replay the last thirty years of her life. She had spent the majority of her human life not wanting to take up space, feeling apologetic when she did. It was difficult to get attached to people or places when, not only would she outlive them, but she knew she wasn't supposed to be there. Guilt and shame had been eating at her for years.
