The Vampire's Court

Chapter 17- Scathing Articles and Brotherly Love

The storm raged on outside, its fury muffled by the thick walls of Dimitri's study. Inside, the four men basked in the warmth of the crackling fire, its golden light casting a cozy glow over the room. The air was thick with the scent of old books and smoke, a comforting aroma that seemed to lull the world outside into a distant memory.

Mickey, his Irish brogue rich and smooth, broke the silence. "So, ye've finally found yer mate, Dimitri me boyo."

Dimitri's eyes narrowed, his voice sharp. "What is it about you wolves and mates, Mickey? Can't you think of anything else?"

Gabriel, his thick accent tinged with a hint of mischief, spoke up. "Ah, don't be so quick to dismiss the notion, fratele meu. It's not just wolves who have mates, as our dear Andrei here can attest."

Andrei's face flushed, his eyes darting to Gabriel with a mix of embarrassment and pride. "Gabriel, please..."

Mickey's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Ah, come now, Andrei me lad, don't be shy. 'Tis a grand thing to find yer mate, don't ye think?"

Dimitri's expression turned skeptical. "I think it's a lot of nonsense, if you ask me. A mate, a destined love...it's just a myth perpetuated by wolves and elder vampires who can't think for themselves."

Gabriel chuckled, his eyes glinting with mirth. "Ah, but that's where ye're wrong, fratele meu mic. The heart knows what it wants, and sometimes that means following a path we can't always understand."

The fire crackled and spat, casting flickering shadows on the walls as the four men sat in contemplative silence, each lost in their own thoughts on the matter.

Dimitri's curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to Andrei with a questioning gaze. "Who is she, Andrei? This mate of yours?"

Andrei's eyes took on a faraway look, his voice filled with a hint of longing. "Her name is Sofia, Dimitri. She's a beautiful girl, with hair as black as the night and eyes like the stars, skin kissed by the sun itself, voice like a sparrows song."

Dimitri's expression turned thoughtful. "And will you turn her, Andrei? Make her like us?"

Andrei's face clouded, his brow furrowing in concern. "Not until we figure out how to break this curse, Dimitri. I won't risk her soul until we know it's safe."

Dimitri's simmering frustration was evident in his tight jaw and narrowed eyes. He knew they were no closer to finding a solution to the curse, and the thought galled him.

Gabriel, misreading Dimitri's expression, teased him with a grin. "Ah, Dimitri, don't be jealous, fratelui meu! You have a beautiful bride of your own, don't you?"

Dimitri's eyes flashed with annoyance. "I am not jealous, Gabriel. I am simply...concerned. And I am marrying Seraphine for appearances sake, nothing more."

Mickey's thick Irish brogue chimed in, his voice filled with amusement. "Ah, come now, Dimitri boyo! Ye can't fool us with that tale. Ye're as taken with the lass as Andrei is with his Sofia!"

Dimitri's scowl deepened, his voice low. "I am not 'taken' with her, Mickey. I am simply doing what needs to be done."

The silence grew, punctuated only by the crackling of the fire and rains drumbeat on the windows, as the three men looked at each other, their faces aglow with knowing glances.

"Humor me," Dimitri said finally, his voice low and husky, a hint of curiosity swirling around his words. "What does this 'mate bond' feel like?"

Mickey's eyes took on a dreamy quality, his voice filled with a romantic lilt. "Ah, it's like the wind's been knocked out of ye, but ye've never breathed more easy. It's as if the very air ye breathe is filled with her scent, and every beat of yer heart is in time with hers."