"I think that our mate is meant to challenge us," Marcus says to Caius wisely, "We have seen many years, many wars, many hardships. We need someone who can ignite a passion within us. Someone who we will not run out of words to speak to. Someone who will challenge us to be the best versions of ourselves."
Caius eyes himself in the changing room mirror. These cowboy clothes don't suit him at all, he thinks. But, at the prospect of wearing something his mate likes, he is excited to be wearing them.
"She would not even glance my way," Caius admits to his eldest bond brother, "I admit, brother, that I contemplate the death I will seek if I can never gain her affections." *
"Do not give up just yet, Caius," Marcus replies calmly, "I do believe that she is worth any struggles we may endure in attempting to court her."
Caius thinks of Ann's pretty green eyes and the adorable way her face pinches up in suspicion whenever she looks at him, and agrees.
…
Demetri can't help but feel concerned for the future of the vampire race. The entirety of both vampire and human peace was completely dependent on Caius being able to get this single human woman to talk to him.
They were all doomed.
As Demetri follows after his master despondently, he can't help but be jealous of those forced to stay behind and manage trials. Gods, what he wouldn't give to be spending his days bored to death there than watching this train wreck occur.
A man and woman exiting the beer garden stumble past him in a drunken haze and if anything he'll be able to distract himself with some easy meals from the impending apocalypse.
Demetri should've stayed with Amun in Egypt.
…
If Caius had a heartbeat it would be going all over the place. Ann smiles down at him with dimpled cheeks and a slight gap between her two front teeth. He's never seen someone as beautiful as her.
At the back of his mind, the fear his stutter will return re-ignites and he finds himself clamming up.
What should he say to the woman who was made by the Gods to be his and him hers?
At a loss and with nothing coming to mind, all Caius says is, "I like horses."
Somewhere off to the side and out of view, Caius can hear Demetri groan like he's just been stabbed and Caius very much wants the ground to open up and for Hades himself to drag him away.
The ground doesn't open up, Caius isn't yanked away from this situation, and instead there's an awkward silence that rings between them.
"Um, yeah," Ann finally says after several moments, "I like them too."
"Tell her about the horse you had during the King Arthur's reign," says Demetri, loud enough that Caius will hear but not loud enough that any human will notice.
"I once had a horse," Caius exclaims rather dumbly, "He was beautiful, dun colored thing with a black nose. He would bite anyone who tried to come near him except for me."
Ann examines him rather critically and then says, "He sounds wonderful. What was his name?"
Here, Caius barks out an embarrassed laugh and admits rather sheepishly, "I never gave him one. I just called him 'horse'."
Ann bursts into giggles at that and dismounts her mare, "Well based on the careful thought you've put into his name, I can tell he had a really special place in your heart."
This is said in a joking manner and Caius laughs along with her. They settle down and Ann fiddles with the reins of the horse before she says shyly, "I still have the competition going on but afterwards, do you want to get drinks with me?"
Caius could swear that world just stops in that moment because he doesn't hear or see anything except for her.
"Yes," he tells her seriously, "I would love that."
…
Ann slams the first place trophy down onto the wooden table Caius is standing at and triumphantly says, "I believe I deserve a drink for this victory."
Caius appraises the tacky, brass thing and agrees.
Demetri comes sliding up when Caius departs to get her promised drink. He holds his hand out to the woman and introduces himself, "I am Demetri, a friend of Caius'."
Ann shakes it, "Yes, I remember you. It's good to have a name to put to your face, I've just been calling you the Enema Enabler in my head this whole time."
Demetri does look a bit sheepish at that, "It was petty of me to let him do that but you have to know, I was getting revenge for something else."
Ann nods her head with a laugh and Caius chooses that moment to reappear with her drink.
Seeing the glare that the blonde vampire is sending him, Demetri decides to find interest in a half-drunk woman walking past in a short skirt, "I'm going to go see about that."
Ann accepts the beer bottle from Caius' hand and gives him a slow look up and down.
"You look like someone trying to cosplay a cowboy," she tells him honestly and he shrugs.
"I've never been to a rodeo before and I was informed my suit would not be a suitable clothing choice for the occasion."
Ann leans forward on the table, "So, Caius who's never been to a rodeo and who can't name horses, where is it you're from?"
Caius, who's finally relaxing into the flow of easy conversation, is more than happy to tell her about himself. He tells her of his Greek origins and his current Italian residency. He tells her of his brothers. He fudges the truth a bit, telling her they are judges in their community. He even tells her about his painting hobby and shows her photos he's taken of his work on his phone.
She's amazed by his talent and he can feel his chest swell in pride.
In return, Ann tells him of her four siblings; three of them older and one younger. She tells him anecdotes about the people surrounding them in the beer garden. ("I've gone to school with pretty much everyone here," she says with an annoyed scrunch of her face, "Small town living.")
There comes a point, after they've spent nearly three hours just standing and talking, that Ann has to leave.
She stares critically up at Caius for several moments, as if she's appraising him. Seemingly deciding on something, she reaches her hand across the table and grabs his phone.
"Don't be a weirdo," she tells him when she hands his phone back. She leaves without a glance back and Caius looks down at his phone.
She's added herself to his contacts and labeled herself as Better Horse Namer Than You.
He doesn't find out until much later that she's labeled him in her phone as Enema Man From Walmart.
…
*The more upset they get the older they speak. Right now Caius is at like a medium so he's not that far off from a 19th century novel. When he's at 100% he goes full ancient Greek.