FADED DREAMS

Setting Boundaries

"Gaia, I've already explained why I won't turn you," he growled.

"No. You gave me some vague, bullshit excuse. There was no real explanation involved. So, stay the fuck out of my life! I'll spend time with whoever I want, and there isn't shit you can do about it."

"Oh? There isn't? I'll end him in an instant!" Bash warned.

"Are you threatening us?" Gaia barked back.

"You? Never. Him? That's another story." Bash shrugged.

Gaia scoffed. "How old are you, Bash?"

"Why?"

"Just answer the fucking question!"

"I'm over two thousand years old," Bash replied as he held her gaze.

"Well, I don't know how dating went back two thousand years ago, but nowadays, girls don't like when you stalk them and threaten their date's lives!"

"You're mine, Gaia!" The possessiveness seeped out of Bash.

"I'm not yours, Bash. Not anymore. You made sure of that." Gaia furrowed her brow and lowered her gaze. She didn't want to cry, but she was getting close.

"Why can't you see that I love you? I only refuse because you deserve a better life than one with me as your sire and dangers at your back." Bash took her hand and caressed it with his thumb.

"I still don't understand why, and you're not explaining very well. So, again, we're at an impasse. I'm going now, Bash. I'm asking you, if you love me, let me be. Don't try to hurt my friends. This is hard enough without you refusing to let me go and making threats. Either you claim me or let me live my life. You're breaking my heart." Gaia couldn't help it, a few tears trickled from her eyes.

Bash couldn't tell her. It was too painful. He also realized he couldn't stay away. This draw to Gaia was mighty. But Sebastian wasn't ready to admit, especially to Gaia, that he suspected she was his mate. To turn away from one's mate, was a choice Bash never knew a vampire had. Not only was it rare for a vampire to find a mate, once they did it seemed foolish and impossible to stop pursuit. Yet, here he was, trying to let go of his mate.

Bash leaned in and kissed Gaia tenderly before saying, "I'm sorry, Gaia. There's so much you wouldn't understand. You've done something to me I can't yet explain. I don't want to hurt you. But I'm also unsure I won't. If things were different. If I were different. I'd never leave your side."

"Bash, why can't you trust me? Trust that I can handle anything you need to say to get me to understand. If you can't trust me, then I can't stay on this merry-go-round you have me on. You're leaving me no other choice but to move on."

Bash knew Gaia was right. If only he could channel the same level of control he had in the bedroom, into staying away from her. It was beginning to physically hurt to stay apart. There was a stabbing pain in his chest, where his beating heart used to be. If Bash was away from Gaia for too long, he'd experience this awful physical distress. Bash knew the truth, that there was but one cure, which meant breaking the centuries-old pact with Quin. How could he do that? It wasn't feasible. Quin wasn't only his stand-in sire; he was his best friend.

"Bash?" Gaia interrupted his thoughts.

Bash moved a hand to her knee. "I trust you, Gaia. I've told you secrets we'd never tell a human. Things only human servants indentured to us would know. Things that make me vulnerable. It goes against my nature to give you so much control over me. But I trust you won't use it against me. You're mine, Gaia. I can't see you with someone else."