Damian's Oracle

"Yeah, I can think of some places I'd like to go," Traci said. "I've been living in the bachelor pad with the guys for three months now. I definitely need some girl stuff."

"We'll totally load up. Rainy will have to get used to pink stuff being everywhere."

"That he will," Traci said with a small smile.

"Are there more of us?" Sofia asked Linda.

"Naturals mated with Guardians?" Linda grinned. "Yep. We have our own support group. I'll send you the link to our online forum. There aren't many of us, and we're all over the world, but we're really close-knit. We have to be. Who else can you tell about your husband beheading five vamps?"

"I can't believe all this," Sofia said with a surprised laugh. "It doesn't seem real."

"Hon, it's as real as it gets," Linda assured her. "You'll have to make some sacrifices, but it's worth it." Her adoring gaze went to Lon. Sofia exchanged an understanding look with Traci.

"Maybe in two years …" Traci said again.

"Can you have cocoa?" Linda asked.

"Nothing."

"I don't understand what blood bound is," Traci said.

Sofia took a deep breath. "Well, Czerno's henchmen killed me. Damian brought me back, but I can't live without … his blood. I need it instead of food."

"How romantic!" Linda exclaimed.

"I don't really think of it that way," Sofia said, eyeing her. "It kinda hurt getting killed, and it really sucks not being able to eat food."

"It is romantic," Traci agreed. "What a wonderful story."

"You think so? You don't think it's crazy?"

"No!" they said simultaneously.

"Sofi, none of us are normal. Maybe in the human world, it'd be totally insane. I don't mean that in a mean way," Linda said quickly. "But you have a new family now, and it doesn't sound crazy to me at all. It sounds like a fairytale."

Traci was gazing at her intently. Sofia saw the tears form in her gaze.

"Excuse me," Traci said, standing. "Sofia, is there a restroom?"

"I'll show you," Sofia said.

"We'll be back," Traci promised Linda.

They walked toward the house, reaching the patio before Traci started crying. Sofia stood helplessly for a long minute.

"I'm sorry. Maybe it's my hormones. Or maybe I'm just not … this is so unreal!"

"Pierre, go please," Sofia said, knowing he'd be there when she turned. "I'm not going past the bathroom."

He moved away without returning to the group.

"Come on," she said, placing a hand on Traci's arm. She guided the crying woman inside to her library and dug through the small satchel near her favorite chair. "I've been crying for a week straight. I've figured out which tissues are the softest."