24

~Vaela

Eyla smooths over the paper she has stuck to the wall in the book room, twisting back around.

Hale and I sit on different chairs, having been summoned in here moments ago by my eager friend. We exchange amused glances, as Eyla pops the top off her marker, straightening.

"Okay, so here's the plan."

"This should be good," Hale murmurs over the top of his glass.

"To find your mate, we are going to have to narrow down our searches. Now tell us, Vaela, what do you look for in a mate?" Eyla asks, raising a quizzical brow in my direction.

Startled, I look toward Hale for help, but he merely shrugs his shoulders, smirking as he takes a long drink.

"You know this isn't how I find a mate. It could be anyone," I remind her. I have no intuition about who my mate could be at all.

Eyla rolls her eyes at my lack of cooperation. "This will help, trust me. Law of attraction."

"I don't think that applies here," Hale muses.

Eyla's fist clenches around her marker a little tighter. "We can do without snarky comments, idiot."

Hale's eyes twinkle. "You just love calling me that."

"It's because I mean it," she bites back.

Rolling my eyes, I settle further back into my seat. These two could argue all day if I allowed it. Especially when it comes to my mate, since both of them prefer different methods in finding them.

"He's got to be kind," I decide.

Eyla blinks, expression blank. Glancing at Hale, I see him smothering a smile, looking straight ahead.

"That's it?" Eyla questions.

"Well, no, that's not it…But it's a start?" I exclaim warily, propping my feet on the edge of my chair so I can hug my knees.

"That book over there could be conceived as kind. Come on Vaela, give us more!"

Closing my eyes, I try to imagine the kind of person I would want to spend the rest of my life with. Pitifully, visions of Hale come to mind. Great. I'm screwed.

"Ah, he has to be sympathetic of my situation. I can't have him easily frightened by me needing help right now," I decide. That would only inconvenience things more.

Eyla nods. "Of course, goes without saying."

I sigh, wondering what she wants to hear. "Well, then I guess he has to be kind of humorous?"

Her head tilts. "Kind of?"

"He must know how to tease me a little, but know when to stop. And he can't make light of every little thing. That will start to bother me after a while," I explain.

My eyes remained trained on Eyla. If I glance at Hale, I'll see his watchful eyes and amused smile, and feel even worse about this. Both of them are solidifying how pointless this is.

"Alright, fair enough," Eyla grumbles. She probably wants me to say I want a tall, brooding man with mysterious silver tattoos and an ethereal air about him.

"And he must…ah, he must…" I break, unsure of what to say.

Eyla sighs, tapping her foot impatiently. "Physical attributes?"

"Like?"

"Hair colour?"

"Oh Eyla, you know I couldn't care less what he looks like. As long as he's good to me," I assure her. No one has ever been unattracted to their mate, so looks haven't carried much importance during my pursuit.

Eyla slams the lid of her marker back on. "Can't you be picky for once in your life?"

"But that wouldn't be genuine," I insist.

"He has to be so good with his tongue and fingers that he inspires the most intense orgasms within her," Hale says suddenly.

I turn to the Sin, gaping at him. He still doesn't look at me, an amused smirk playing at his lips.

"Hale..." I grit out.

His gaze finally sweep to mine, hollowing my stomach, filling it with butterflies. "What? How could that not be important?"

"I like where his head is at." Eyla turns to her board, scribbling something on it.

Great at sex. Like really great.

She examines her wording, tapping her chin absently. "Problem is, how are we gonna test that out?" Eyla sounds genuinely thoughtful.

I wilt into my chair, resting my forearm over my eyes. "This is hopeless."

"No, it's not hopeless. Do you have any instinct about where your mate might be?" Eyla offers, cracking her fingers as if she has just be assigned to investigate a murder. At this point, I wish it were mine.

My eyes close as my imagination ambles away. "Somewhere cold?"

Eyla props her hand on her hips, her deadpan expression making me wince. "Are you just saying that because you're cold?"

I rub the back of my neck uneasily. "Yeah, maybe."

"Fine, it is hopeless," Eyla mutters, throwing her marker into the air. I watch it clatter to the ground, my heart falling with it. She's right, this is hopeless.

Hale gets to his feet, brushing lint from his jacket. "I'll start bringing people up here."

Eyla waves her hand. "Go on then."

"Let's hope I can be charming enough to convince these poor souls." He shakes his shoulders as if to loosen the tension, glancing at me for the briefest moment before he vanishes.

"He's only being like this because he's jealous," Eyla exclaims. I roll my eyes. Whether that is true or not doesn't matter. This is going to be another chance to find my mate, and although I'm not optimistic, I have to give it a chance.

Only five minutes pass before Hale returns with three men.

They all gasp and look around, amazed by the magic Hale used to transport them here. I wonder what he said to them to convince them to come up here.

"Wow, that was fast," I muse, looking over each of them in turn.

They are all handsome men. Maybe a bit bland, but that's only because they are standing next to a Pureblood, which is no fault of their own.

Hale shoves one of them forward unceremoniously. "Simple touches only. If she isn't your mate, then you shall be returned."

The first man smiles, wide and charismatic. I smile back, admiring his soft blue eyes and slightly too long hair.

"You're very beautiful," he murmurs.

"No need to state obvious here, touch her," Hale growls.

I shoot Hale an irritated glance. Is he trying to help me find my mate, or is he trying to inhibit me? The man shifts uncomfortably, but reaches out regardless. Our fingers brush, and sure enough, there's no spark.

"Nothing," I mumble.

Hale grabs the man by his shirt and pulls him back, before shoving yet another forward toward me.

"Next."

This man wastes no time in touching my hand, not wanting to upset Hale, only making me sigh at the result. "Nothing again."

"Damn," the man mutters, backing away.

"I know, oh how you wish she were your mate," Hale says dramatically. Were he any closer, I would kick him in the ankle. It's like he already knows none of these men are my mate, and he's lost patience.

I'm so desperate to find my mate, lowering myself to do this isn't beyond me.

"Hale. Be nice," I warn. He raises a brow, challenging me.

"Alright, last one." Hale nods at the last man, who steps toward me. He isn't smiling, a strange look dancing in his eyes. That look is almost...lustful.

I reach my hand out, but he doesn't even look at it, reaching out to grab my waist, but before he gets the chance, he's pulled back by an irritated Hale.

"I don't think so," he growls in the man's ear.

"You said to touch her," he snaps back, shouldering out of his grip. I retreat back a few steps, unnerved. Eyla loops her arm through mine in support, something about this man coming off strange to the both of us.

Hale keeps a hold of his arm. "You saw everyone else touch her hand. Didn't come across your mind to not be indecent?"

"Hale it's fine. I still need to touch him." I doubt he's my mate, but I should probably try.

"Your mate wouldn't have done that." And with that, he disappears with the three of them.

I sigh, turning to Eyla. He's going to bring more up, and this process is going to continue, until I get sick of it, or find my mate.

"This is going to be a long day," I muse.

Each time Hale appears with a new set of people, I'm disappointed. I had hoped one of them would stick out to me, that it would be obvious, but not a single one of them triggers that feeling inside of me, and sure enough, no sparks arise when they touch me.

By the end of the day, I'm exhausted, sprawled out on the couch, forearm draped over my eyes.

"Considering the amount of strangers I've touched, I think it goes without saying that I need a very long soak in a hot bath," I mumble, as Hale reappears, alone this time. Mercifully, we are done for the day.

"Me too, and I just watched," Eyla shudders.

"This will never work. I'm alone forever," I grumble. I can't keep doing this every day, can I? None of those men appealed to me at all, beyond a mild base attraction in some of them.

"Looks like you're going to have to leave the cave," Hale says, shrugging his jacket off. He hasn't been in the best mood today, being short with a lot of the guys, and not giving those who say something inappropriate to me a chance to touch me.

I rub my arms. "I think so."

"Just not yet. It's snowing in the village, so you will have to wait until it has settled."

I almost laugh. "What's a few more days?"

Trapped in here, alone with Hale...A few more days may not be the best.