Monthly Bonus #4 - Promise of Forever - Nate Spring Scenario (Patreon)

The Seagull’s Cry isn’t my usual haunt. It’s further from my apartment than Laycott’s Bar and Grill, so convenience of location wins out when I do get the chance to head out.

Unfortunately, I’m not exactly able to take in the smoky atmosphere and surprisingly good live music playing like a lulling ambient tune as it fills the entirety of the dark wood-panelled space.

“Can you see our target?” Adam asks through the earpiece.

As subtly as I’m able, I turn away from where I’m waiting at a standing table, my untouched drink gathering condensation before me. A quick sweep of the space reveals nothing but the other drinkers who have been in here for the last two hours—and, of course, Nate.

Nate—as much as he is trying to blend in by slouching in a chair at one of the tables—stands out no matter where he is. His hair is knotted back into a bun at the base of his neck, a couple of loose waves caressing his cheek bones, and his deep eyes gleam in the warm orange light as though wishing to highlight the most attractive man in the room.

My heart trips over its own beat at the sight of him.

Suddenly my drink isn’t the only one sweating.

“Agent?” Adam prompts.

Nate flashes his gaze to me in concern when I don’t answer, and I quickly turn away before getting even more hypnotized by him.

“Uh, no. No movement. No target.” I rest my forearms against the table and sigh. “Are you sure the Agency got their intel right on this one? We’ve been here for hours. There’s been no sign of him.”

“[Name] is right,” Nate adds. He covers his mouth with his glass to disguise as he talks. “At some point we’re going to have to call it—”

Both of us flash our gazes up as the door to the pub opens and our target stalks inside. Though his steps make the agility of his gait obvious, he slouches as he walks to disguise it.

I turn back to my drink. “There he is.”

“Just as the Agency intel predicted,” Adam states smugly.

I ignore the tone. “So what now?”

“Someone is going to have to get his attention. If he has the card on him, it should be easy to take it if he doesn’t know it’s coming,” Morgan suggests.

“What makes you think it will be easy?” Nate asks.

“Morgan’s right for once,” Farah interrupts. “Look—he’s only wearing a t-shirt and jeans.” I glance over my shoulder to our target now sat on a stool at the bar. The others, back at the warehouse but tapped into the security camera feed, are obviously getting a very clear stream. “There’s no bulge in his pockets either, which means no wallet. Definitely has the card slipped in a pocket if he has it.”

I switch my focus to Nate and purse my lips. “You up for some distraction?”

He smiles, sending my stomach into a whirl of butterflies. “I’m afraid it might be on you this time. Pickpocketing isn’t my forte, but he’s a supernatural. He’ll be far more distracted by the scent of you than he will me.”

“My blood? Are you saying I’m not distracting enough without it?” I joke.

“Considering I haven’t been able to focus on anyone but you all evening, I believe you know just how distracting you are,” he purrs.

I lick at my lips to cover a smile.

“So I’m afraid this one is on you,” he continues.

A groan escapes me. “Don’t suppose we can flip a coin for it?”

“Nate’s right. You’ll do as distraction,” Adam argues, taking away my sliver of hope at getting out of this.

I groan again and push myself away from the table. “Fine.” Dragging my heels towards the bar, I sidle up near to our target and order a drink. The bartender side eyes the full glass still sitting at my table but shrugs and starts pouring me another anyway.

“It’s quiet here tonight,” I announce, looking over at the target. He’s tall, toned, and incredibly dreamy—quintessential supernatural then. He’s just not the tall, toned, and dreamy supernatural who has so easily stolen my heart.

The target glances at me with barely a flash of interest. “Is it?” he drools, going back to scanning his phone.

“I’m guessing you don’t come here often then?” I ask.

There’s multiple groans through my earpiece—and a quiet chuckle from Nate—before Farah says, “Hardly an original line there, [Name].”

I do my best to school the wince from my expression as I form a smile.

The supernatural glances at me but just shrugs.

This is going to take something a little more persuasive.

“Here you go,” the bartender says, placing my drink down. Rolling up my sleeve, I reach out, making sure to expose my bare wrist as much as possible.

As I stretch past the target, I see his nostrils flare and his eyes darken.

…Now that definitely piqued his interest.

I take my drink and am about to move away, turning on the spot to see Nate watching carefully from his table. The target’s hand lands gently on my arm before I can take another step, and I see Nate tense to the point his glass almost fractures in his grip.

I shake my head at him, force a smile, and twist back around.

The target’s pupils have dilated until the black almost covers the iris of his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so dismissive.” He removes his hand and spreads it out to the empty stool beside him. “I’d love to hear more about this town from a local. Are you local? Do you have much family here?”

“Wow, he’s not exactly subtle, is he?” Farah comments. “’Are you from here? Can I kill you easily without anyone missing you?’”

I try not to let those comments affect me as I take the offered seat. “I am local, yeah. My mother lives here too, as well as my friends.”

Disappointment lingers at the edge of the target’s smile. “Ah, I see. Do you enjoy living here?” He angles in closer in what seems like interest, but I notice the way his gaze flickers constantly to the pulse jumping in my neck.

As we make small talk, Nate’s presence falls over me from behind, and I try not to let my focus be distracted as he passes us by, standing at the bar behind the target.

He orders a drink, his hand moving in a flash of motion to the supernatural’s pocket.

But not quite quick enough.

The supernatural frowns as he obviously feels the flicker of movement.

Instinct grips me, and I reach out to rest a hand on the target’s thigh and let out a small chuckle. “It’s so rare to see a stranger in this town. Tell me, what is it you do? You seem so mysterious.”

A snort sounds down the earpiece. “Smooth,” Morgan compliments.

But I barely notice the comment, or the target’s reply, as I see Nate bite at his lip, his gaze fixated on my touch on the supernatural’s leg.

“Did you get it, Nate?” Adam asks through the earpiece.

There’s no response.

“Nate?” Adam barks.

The tall vampire jerks back into motion and gives the camera above the bar a small nod.

I relax in relief as I focus once more on the target.

“…it’s an exciting life, for those who can handle it,” he’s finishes the sentence I wasn’t listening to.

“Isn’t that great,” I mutter, nodding as I smile, keeping my wrist well on show for him as I rest my chin in my palm.

His hand snakes across the bar close to my arm. “How about we get out of here, and you give me a private tour of the town?” His smile is as enticing as water after the desert, and I feel sorry for any human caught in its spell.

I’m about to give my very negative reply to that suggestion when another voice interrupts.

“Hello.” The greeting spills from Nate’s sultry smile like velvet, enrobing me in its rich tone and offering a promise of everything I desire.

One word. That’s all it took.

…I really have fallen in deep for him.

I swallow down the thought. “Hi.”

“Do you mind?” the supernatural snaps, standing from the stool but only reaching shoulder height with Nate. “We were talking.”

“Not about anything as stimulating as I could offer, I’m sure,” Nate replies, staring past our target straight to me as gold glimmers in his deep gaze while pushing his fingers through his hair and tousling it.

I almost melt off of my stool.

“Are you serious?” the target bites with a deepening frown.

Nate’s sizzling gaze hardens on the supernatural as he slices his focus to him. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“They called me mysterious,” the target announces, smiling back at me tightly before refocusing on Nate again. “I’m not losing this one.”

I swirl my drink in my glass and take a sip as I watch the show.

“Lose it?” Nate pushes a step into the supernatural’s space, forcing the target to stumble and retake his seat, Nate bearing the tips of sharp canines in the barest slash of a smile. “You can’t lose something you never had.”

He leans back and casts an examining eye over the target before glancing at me, keeping the pretense of not knowing me pretty well considering the tension prickling between the two. “Your mystery man can offer you twenty minutes of something fun. That’s all.”

I rub at my chin in faux-thought before smiling. “What can you offer?”

He slides in closer, resting a hand on the bar so that he can lean in achingly slow, his breath a hot whisper as he murmurs in my ear, “I offer you forever.”

The target scoffs and flings his hands into the air. “You’re not seriously going to fall for that, are you?”

I shrug at him. “Yeah. I totally am.” Sliding from my seat, I slip my hand into Nate’s offered one and walk away side by side with him.

Behind us, the supernatural splutters and groans, but eventually settles as we make it to the exit.

As we leave the bar and our successful mission behind us, Nate reveals the key card we’ve been searching for days to find. He smiles brightly at me, and I chuckle as we lean in closer together.

“We make quite the team,” he announces.

“Next time, I’d prefer a mission where I don’t have to play bait.” I sag. “Again.”

“Then you’ll have to stop being so tempting,” he replies, his fingers tracing down the arch of my back and making me shiver all the way to my toes. “Though I think that’s an impossibility.”

“Smooth talker,” I murmur through a smile, hoping he very much keeps his promise of forever.

(Mishka is still having internet issues so she's sorry for the late post and sent it to me to post instead so you definitely all got it today)