Zane watched the nymph for a moment, his irises brightening to red, the longer he looked at his mate's delectable form.

The vampire licked his lips, almost in a trance as he reached out to touch the boy's arm, but the nymph stepped back, his eyes narrowed as he watched the vampire's arm suspiciously.

"What are you doing?" Blaise asked accusingly.

Zane clenched his jaw as his mate moved away from him but tried to keep his composure.

"I'm trying to touch my mate. Is that a problem?"

The nymph's green eyes remained fixated on Zane's vibrant pair, before he crossed his arms and side eyed the larger man.

"Maybe."

Zane withheld a frustrated hiss at his mate's stubbornness. He couldn't believe that he was standing mere steps away from his other half, but he wasn't permitted touch the boy, only look.

"And why is that?"

The vampire's voice was low as he questioned the smaller boy, and he dared to take a step forward, causing Blaise to match with a step back.

The nymph squared his shoulders and tilted his chin up to appear confident and self-assured, but his continued backward movements contradicted his head-strong display.

"B-Because I didn't give you permission."

Zane smirked and Blaise frowned as his façade faltered, his voice breaking as the vampire opposite to him grew more smug with each step he took toward his smaller form.

"I didn't realize that I needed your permission, nymph."

In a flash, the vampire reached out and grabbed the boy's arm, effectively pinning it above his head and against the cave wall behind him.

Blaise's eyes widened in surprise, but he reacted quickly and tried to use his free arm to defend himself. Although that too was quickly restrained and soon, he was trapped, only being able to squirm and wriggle beneath his mate.

"Let go of me!" He growled while baring his teeth. It was a sad attempt at appearing aggressive, but it was an attempt, nevertheless.

"Don't pretend as if you're not enjoying this," Zane murmured as he lowered his head to the nymph's neck.

And while Blaise attempted to protest, he found himself frozen in place—paralyzed— as the vampire traced his nose along the expanse of his neck and across his collarbone.

His touch and proximity, albeit painfully assertive, caused the hairs on his arm to stand upright and his breath to catch in his chest. Blaise was near winded at the actions of his mate and that realization scared him more than he would like to admit.

"Well, I don't" The nymph nearly spat, his eyes narrowed in contempt as he came back to his senses. But a chill ran down his spine as his quip was met with a husky chuckle.

"Fine."

And just like that, Blaise's limbs were freed, and a respectable distance was put between them both.

"My name is Zane, by the way, since you didn't bother asking."

The vampire's eyes remained glued to the blonde boy in front of him, his tongue tracing his fangs as he analyzed the handful that his mate appeared to be.

"But you don't seem like one that's much for manners, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

The insult had the nymph crossing his arms and his eyes narrowing, but his reaction only had the vampire's expression brightening.

"You don't know a thing about me," He spoke matter-of-factly. "And maybe if you weren't so rude, we could've shared introductions more pleasantly."

In his rambles, the nymph didn't notice that he had gotten closer to his mate, so close that he could fully take in his musk-laden scent and appreciate it for the first time.

His breaths escaped in exasperated huffs, and he glared at the taller man, his frown deepening as he saw a smirk sneak its way onto the male's face.

"You're right, I don't know you," Zane mouthed as he lifted his hand to gently stroke the boy's blue-toned cheek. "But it would please me greatly if you allowed me to."

Blaise's guarded expression softened as he allowed himself to bask in his mate's touch momentarily.

Truth be told, he had to bite his tongue to stop himself from blurting out how much he wanted exactly that.

He had been longing for his mate from the day he turned of-age, and there he was, standing right in front of him—touching him.

He was so close to folding—so close.

But despite how much he wanted to, he couldn't let himself submit completely to Zane, not yet anyway.

He didn't trust him, and...he was scared. The last thing he wanted was to let himself get hurt.

But he knew he had to try.

Blaise took a deep breath and stepped back from the vampire, letting the hand that was on his cheek drop back to his mate's side.

With a sigh, he outstretched his hand and looked up at Zane, his emerald eyes shining under the reflection of the damp stones that surrounded them.

"Hi, I'm Blaise Fawn. It's nice to meet you."

The vampire's confused expression morphed into one of understanding, then amusement and he chuckled, playing along with the nymph's game.

"Hi Blaise Fawn, I'm Zane. It's a pleasure to meet you, my beloved."

The nymph rose a brow at the lack of surname but shook his hand, nonetheless.

But the boy attempted a growl once again when his hand was not freed from his mate's grasp and was instead brought to his lips to be gifted a kiss.

"You're making me believe that I've been paired with a werewolf, beloved," He mused with mirth dancing about in his green eyes. It was the first time the nymph had registered their colour, not having been able to before due to the deep red which had consumed them.

"You're very touchy." Blaise muttered as he pulled his hand back into his possession.

He tried to ignore the rapid pounding that his heart made within his chest but he was sure the vampire could hear the ruckus with ease.

And Zane did hear his heartbeat. He heard that, his thready pulse, and the shakiness to every breath that the nymph drew in.

There was no doubt that the boy was affected by him; he had to be, after all, they were made for each other. 

But what the vampire couldn't figure out is why he was so resistant to it all.

In a way, his stubbornness was more satisfying than mindless submission. Blaise seemed more complex than that, more akin to a treasure that needed to be mapped out before being discovered.

"You don't like when I touch you?" The vampire probed inquisitively. He already knew the answer, but he wanted to test his beloved and play with him a little.

Blaise side-eyed the taller man and edged closer to the water as if he could sense the mischievousness emanating from his skin.

"Well, I don't really know you, now, do I? I'm not one to be physically affectionate with my own family, so why would I allow that with a complete stranger?"

Something flashed in the vampire's eyes. The shift was subtle, but the boy managed to catch it, and he knew that nothing good could come of it.

But just before he could turn to his escape route, he was grabbed and brought into a strong muscular chest.

"Hey!—"

"Believe it or not, but I am no stranger to you." 

Green eyes stared into one another, the parallels almost the same, but not quite.

The vampire's darker, deeper set promised danger and mischief to the nymph's lighter and twinkling pair.

While Blaise tried his absolute best to match his mate's unwavering glare, he became distracted by the hand that suddenly closed around his throat, the grip promising.

"You long for my touch; your body craves it."

The nymph groaned in protest, the vampire's hold on him preventing the low rumble that wanted to escape.

"You can pretend all you want, little wolf, but I know the truth."

Zane lowered his face until his nose hovered just in front of his mate's. This close, he could see that the milky blue tint to his skin was really an amalgamation of an endless amount of shades of colour, all scattered and placed perfectly to create his beautiful skin tone.

Succumbing to his desires, he allowed himself to rub his nose against the nymph's, the gesture also positioning his mouth to hover right over his.

Soft pants escaped from Blaise's pink, heart-shaped lips, but nothing else.

It remained quiet for a moment, but just as the vampire was about to pull away from the nymph, Blaise pressed forward in a moment of spontaneity and pressed his lips against his other half.

Zane groaned in bliss, his surprise blurring into euphoria as he revelled in the taste of his mate, the feel of his lips and everything in between.

The nymph was relentless in his resistance to submit, his movements aggressive and rivalling dominant as he attempted to set the pace. He was a biter, Zane noted, as he felt his bottom lip get nipped, no doubt so that he would open up to him and continue his fight against him.

Their dance was more of a battle as the vampire pulled at the boy's blonde strands, his touch anything but gentle. 

Blaise was surprised by the move, evidenced by the way his lips parted in a gasp, allowing his mate to take over and assume his rightful place.

The vampire let their lust continue for a moment longer, before he pulled away, his lips twitching as the nymph's breathless pants bounced off the cavern walls.

"You know it too."