Lamech

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It took me two days to gather my courage to go and talk to Aideen. At first, I had just been angry with her over that she had dared to compare me to her stepfather. But as the words had sunk in, the anger had become shame. I still didn't agree with her comparison at all, but I could see how what I did could be seen as something very similar.

I asked for blind trust that I had yet to earn for actions she did not understand nor agree with. If I wanted her to trust me and feel properly comfortable in the clan, I needed to explain it to her.

In reality, it wasn't any of her business. It wasn't anyone's business and that was why I hadn't told anyone that I was Crimson's mate. But even so, it obviously effected Aideen as she ended up torn between me and Crimson, and that made her deserve the truth.

I knocked on her door.

"Only come in if you're going to explain things. If not, don't bother," Aideen answered on the other side and I smiled as I pushed the door open.

"You seem to have gotten used to your hearing," I told her and sat down on an armchair in her room.

She shrugged. "You're basically the only one that comes here so wasn't hard to hear that it was you."

She sat on the bed with a phone in her hand. The sheets on the bed clashed severely with the rest of the room's interior. I tended to decorate all rooms in dark colors. It wasn't so much of a decorative choice from my side, but simply what I had grown up with and felt natural to continue with, especially because I didn't care much. But the sheets Aideen now had on her bed were bright and flowery. There had been several options for sheets in the bags the triplets had bought, but that one seemed to be her preferred choice. I quickly made a mental note on that before diving into the conversation.

"I want to apologize for what I said the other day and to give an explanation for why I'm treating Crimson the way I am," I said, going straight to the point.

Aideen didn't give an answer but simply just stared expectantly at me.

"Magical creatures have mates. It's like soulmates. Truth is, it's likely humans have soulmates as well," I started the explanation. "Most magical creatures recognize their mates in an instance. Vampires don't. The more cynical would claim that we don't have mates and that mates are just something silly that takes away your free-will. I counted myself to them before Crimson. Do you remember the story I told you about the first vampires?"

Aideen nodded. "You said there were two lovers that wanted nothing more than to be together, but life wouldn't let them. Eventually they died by the hands of the people keeping them apart. The goddess Nyx took pity on them and made them into vampires so they could get to be together," she summarized the story that had been one among several things I had told her when she had first come here.

"Right. So vampires come from humans, so it's likely that we can't recognize our mate, just like humans can't recognize theirs. But as true as it is that I am Crimson's mate, she's mine, and all I want is for her to be safe and happy."

"Then why..." Aideen started, but I answered her question before she could finish it.

"Because she can't be safe and happy with a vampire mate. Witches detest vampires, I'm sure you've understood that from Crimson. Honestly, most magical creatures detest us. Partly for good reasons. A long time ago, it wasn't seen as a possibility for a vampire to feed without killing. But most can't do much about their dislike, expect avoiding us. Witches are powerful enough, however, to fight us and I know of one vampire and witch that were mates and witches killed them because of it. I'm sure there's others as well. Plus, mating with a vampire means that you would have to become one and when a witch becomes a vampire, she loses her witchcraft. I admit that keeping Crimson here is mainly for selfish reasons, but the more she hates me, the better it is for her."

"So you're purposely being mean to her to push her away?" Aideen concluded and I nodded. To my surprise though, Aideen just rolled her eyes and said: "Now that sounds like an amazing plan."

I stiffened and felt myself become defensive. "It's the best one I got."

"And what does Crimson think of this plan of yours? Oh no wait, you obviously haven't told her. You just decided what is best for her without even considering that she might would want a say in it all."

"The mate bond will make it impossible for her to think rationally about this."

"But you can and that gives you the right to decide for her? You're being an asshole, you know that right?"

"You're too young to understand. You will when you're older."

She burst out laughing, not happily but cynically. "If this is the stupid type of thinking that comes with age, I'm happy I'll never be older than fifteen."

She looked back at her phone and started to tap on it. Feeling like it had been a waste of time to try to explain to Aideen, I got up to leave.

"You're missing an obvious flaw in your plan," she added when I had my hand on the doorknob, ready to leave. "Now I can't claim to know much about magic and soulmates and destiny and all that shit. But it would stand to reason that if two people are soulmates, life will push them towards each other since they are each other's destiny. So why fight a losing battle?"

She hadn't looked up from her phone when she said it, and I found myself unwilling to answer. In my mind, I explained the unwillingness being due to that she was young and naïve. But there was a small voice in my head, one that I almost managed to suppress, that knew the real reason.