Trace and Me Only!

"She's so down, Jess. We need to cheer her up."

"Wine before swimming?"

"As long as we don't drown," Lilli chuckled and steered them into a tall doorway. In the room, bookshelves reached the twelve-foot ceiling, all full of books and decorative plants to give a little splash of classy-ness. Warm beige carpet covered the floor, and deep green over-fluffed chairs and couches made a cozy reading area, surrounding a coffee table by the fireplace. It was a very earthy room, warm and inviting.

She sat down in one of the big green chairs and just looked around letting it all soak in. "So...many...books."

Jess laughed. "Yes. When you live as long as your mate, you get tired of reading the same books over and over. That and new writers are coming out every so often."

"Wait...so I'll live as long as...my mate?" she asked, "What happened to being like...human and mortal?" she asked getting up to look at the various titles along the wall.

"Once he gives you his blood, you stop aging," Jess nodded. "And your powers get that much stronger."

"He hasn't done that yet....and thats kinda disturbing, don't really like the taste of blood...." she said quietly pulling out a book that interested her.

"Oh, honey, you will," Lilli promised. "Trust me. You won't want to stop."

Jess chuckled. "You're so bad," she teased Lilli.

"We've been friends for how many decades now," Lilli laughed.

"Almost a century," Jess smiled.

Bethany smiled shyly " It tastes that good?" she asked hesitantly putting the book back, making a mental note to grab it later.

"Breed blood is a very potent aphrodisiac," Lilli chuckled. "It does taste good, but it feels even better."

"Uhrm, alright." she said obviously confused by what she said.

"It makes you really really really....need him," Jess simplified.

"Think pervertedly if nothing else," Lilli chuckled.

Bethany blushed and nodded, embarrassed that she needed that much clarification.

Jess hugged Bethany. "Aw, she's so cute. Lilli, go easy on her," she teased.

"Cuz I was being so harsh," Lilli teased back.

"Oh, no it's alright...I still can't completely think straight...hangover still there a litle bit." she chuckle nervously.

"No wine, then," Lilli asked her, pulling a bottle out of a wine cooler by the fireplace.

Bethany nodded, "So how long have you two...been around?"

Jess chuckled, accepting the glass of wine from Lilli with a thank you. "I just had my five hundred and twenty second birthday."

"And I'll be two hundred and eighty nine this coming spring," Lilli smiled, handing Bethany a glass as well.

"That is a long long time...." she said taking a sip.

"Just a couple of old ladies," Jess chuckled.

"I think we look good for our age," Lilli grinned.

Jess laughed. "That, we do. Oh! Lilli and I were going to go shopping tomorrow afternoon. Would you like to join us," she asked Bethany. "We don't get out too often - the boys don't let us."

"Yeah, I love to! Wait...you guys aren't allowed to leave that much? What am I going to do about my family?" she suddenly wondered.

Lilli looked at Jess and bit her lip. "Beth... Being a breedmate makes you a target for the rogues. To get to you, they'll get to the ones you love. To keep them safe, you can't see them... Trust me. I learned the hard way," she told her with an apologetic look.

"But my sister, and my nephew...can't I call them? And why are these rogues after me anyway? I have foresight of sorts...I could see them comming, couldn't I?" she asked trying not to cry.

Jess and Lilli sat next to her and hugged her. "We're targets because we're the only ones who the vampires can breed with," Jess told her gently. "We're the only ones who can carry their young. They'll either kill us or rape us if they get the chance."

"Or turn us into Minions..." Lilli shuddered. "All three things you don't want to have happen to you."

How would they even know I'm a rougue?" she asked "As long as I keep my ankle covered I'm good right? I can't just abandon my sister and my nephew! His 1st birthday is comming up! I gave them a place to stay! If I don't come home they're going to notice and worry!" she started to cry silently

"Kaden's scent is on you. They'll know," Lilli murmured. "Bethany, please listen to me. I refused to give up my family, too. The Rogues quickly made the connection and killed them all, even my family friends, and they tried to kill me, too. My mate killed them before they got the chance to take me from him, and he's been overprotective ever since."