"Well he is an ok guy I guess... for a vampire."

🌔

"Well…this is nice." Jojo nervously takes his beer to his lips, assessing the diverse mix of friends he had sat around the table with him. It had been two weeks since the agreement to coexist had been forged and ten days since Jojo had been enlightened about Tyler's blood thirsty tendencies. He was ok with the revelations, but sitting there with two wolves and a vampire, wasn't the most relaxing Friday night drink out he had ever had.

"Yeah it is." Mani says with a smile as he places a hand on Teddy's knee. The gesture was a small reassurance that the alpha was doing well. He was breaking new ground.

Teddy cannot help but smile at the contact. He looks up at Jojo. His hand visibly shaking as it held onto the beer glass. "Stop stressing Jojo. I'm cool. I ain't gonna rip your head off."

"Oh hahaha. I'm cool, I'm cool." He puts his beer on the coaster on the table, the contents spilling over the edge a little. It causes the others to laugh.

"You seriously need to relax." Tyler slaps a hand on Jojo's shoulder, making him nearly jump out of his skin.

He stands up all of a sudden. "I need the toilet!" He announces louder than necessary, making some of the fellow drinkers turn and look at the spectacle. Jojo just hurries off to the bathroom, whilst the others watch him go.

"Will he be alright?" Tyler wonders, watching as Jojo disappears out of sight.

"He will, but it doesn't help when you keep teasing him all the time." Mani scowles at Teddy, but the alpha just holds up a hamd in defence.

"Hey, I'm just reminding him you're mine that's all." He says innocently. "I know he still likes you."

"You know I'm yours. I've got your mark. You need to trust me Teddy." Mani says as he takes a mouthful of beer.

Tyler looks at the pair, a small grin on his face at the flirtatious banter. "What's it like to have a mate?"

Both Mani and Teddy look at Tyler with surprise. "What? You've never been with anyone." Teddy questions.

"Of course I have, I'm 187. I'm not a virgin! I mean, what's it like to find the one?" "Tyler asks again, elbows resting on the small round table, keen for the intel.

Mani and Teddy momentarily look at eachother. "It's comforting to know there is someone out there who gets you. Who fits you like a glove." Mani begins.

"Yeah. A sexy glove." Teddy says playful, earning a slap.

"Must be nice." Tyler sighs. "Most of my encounters result in death. And bloodkind women are too savage for me. I think I'm destined to be alone forever."

"Hey, fate aside, we never know what is around the corner Tyler. Plus you're young. You're only…what was it?" Teddy begins.

"187."

"Right, 187. You're still young." He laughs. Teddy turns to Mani smiling at him. "What are you grinning at?"

"You." Mani says, leaning forwards and planting a kiss on Teddy's lips, maybe staying there a fraction too long, making Tyler sit back in his seat.

"I think I'll just see where Jojo has got to." He says, clearing his throat as he gets up to leave. Mani and Teddy step out of their bubble and look at Tyler heading in the direction of the bathroom.

"You did that. Being all clingy." Teddys says, laughing under his breath.

"I'm not clingy." Mani insists. "I just admired the way you spoke with Tyler just there."

"Well he is an ok kind of guy I guess… for a vampire." Teddy says as he looks at where the guy had been sitting.

"But you still need to stop teasing Jojo. "Mani says grinning.

"Yes I know." Teddy puts an arm around his omega, pulling him close. "But you're mine."

"And you're mine." Mani says, again they find themselves locked in a kiss.

Teddy is the first to pull away this time. "Anyway I'm glad we're alone." He says under his breath.."I've got something I need to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Mani asks, feeling a little nervous as to what the alpha was going to say.

"My rut is on the way…. I don't want to assume…"

Mani smiles at how Teddy was stumbling over his words. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. My body wouldn't forgive me if I denied you, or me for that matter."

"So you will help me through it?" Teddy says, almost surprised that his omega said yes.

"Yes." Mani replies with a grin.. "It's not just you that has changed a little. Maybe having a fatemate is not so bad."

"You know before all this, I had never looked at a man the way I look at you." Teddy leans forwards, kissing Mani on the cheek. Mani smiles at the comment, but something about those last words unnerved the omega. There was still that unanswered question in his mind. A question Mani had thought he had quashed, But out of nowhere, Teddy had once again unwittingly unearthed it.

How much of a hand did fate play in their relationship? Would they even be together?