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Something went tight in my chest and shame flooded through me.

“Hey,” Michael cupped the side of my face with impossible gentleness. He turned me back to look at him. “Please don’t hide from me, Danny. You don’t ever have to hide from me.”

“I wasn’t going to bite you,” I told him. “It just happened. I’m still getting a handle on what this means for me.”

“Yeah, I know,” Michael told me, his eyes searching mine. “And I wasn’t staring because I was worried about that. I was staring because you’re so beautiful, Danny. Fangs and all.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” he gave me a rueful smile. “Oh.You should know by now that I’m not going anywhere. Ever.”

And I could feel the same conviction he harbored, filtering through the bond. And for the first time, I found myself fully believing him. It was the first time in my entire life I felt like I really belonged anywhere or to anyone. But I did, didn’t I? I belonged right here. I belonged to him.

We belong together,Michael said firmly. A muscle flexed in his jaw and his breathing went a little more ragged.Danny, I’m sorry it took thinking you were dead to figure that out.

Michael, it’s—

I broke off, grimacing.

What had I been about to tell him? That it was okay? After all,wasit okay that we’d apparently both been madly in love with each other and hadn’t said a word about it because we were both so terrified of losing the other?

Tough-as-nails monster-hunters my ass.

Neither of us was altogether that tough, as it turned out. Maybe more fragile than anything else. Deeply wounded and frightened.

I was saved from having to reply. Because that was the moment the front door to the abandoned farmhouse flew open. A lanky blond vampire dressed in a black velvet suit strolled inwith supreme confidence, as though the place belonged to him and him alone.

Still buck naked, I scrambled to my feet in an instant.

Michael was right behind me. He, at least, had the presence of mind to reach for his gun. He pointed it at the blond vampire, even as I subtly edged myself to get between them. If anyone was going to take the hit, it would be me. I could heal from almost anything. Michael couldn’t.

I would fight to protect him.

A quiet certainty stole over me, blotting out my alarm. I would kill, if I had to. It would have hardly been the first time I had killed in order to save his life.

The blond vampire arched an eyebrow at us, his expression going from startled, to alarmed, and then settling on grim.

“Interesting. This isn’t what I expected to walk into, now is it?” His gaze raked over Michael. then fell upon me. His lips curled into a cruel, knowing smile. His too-bright blue eyes seemed to spark as they met mine. And I could somehow sense that he was immensely ancient and positively filled to the brim with dark power. His smile deepened as he studied me. “You, young one, are in very big trouble indeed.”

CHAPTER TWELVE || MICHAEL

“Not that I quite mind, but perhaps you two should get dressed. Put on pants, at least.” The vampire gave Danny and then me a once-over, utterly shameless. Then his gaze landed on the Glock I held in my hands. I still had it aimed directly at his chest. He raised his eyes to mine and said, with an air of exasperation, “And for the love of all that is sacred, I’m here tohelp. Do you mindnotpointing a gun at me?”

“You’d better start fucking talking, buddy,” I ground out.

“I’m Thierry,” the vampire said, sighing. He literally rolled his eyes heaven-ward and shook his head. “Look, I’m here because your friends are annoyingly well-connected and every vampire in Seattle is a bloody bleeding heart.” He heaved a sigh and added, “Now would youpleasestop pointing the gun at me? I rather like this suit and I’ll be testy with you if you ruin it by shooting me.”

“Wait, Bryan and Tobias sent you?” Danny asked, shooting me a baffled look. “They said they were sending a friend.”

“They apologized for it too,” I muttered.

“I was sent here by the king of Seattle himself,” Thierry drawled. “His husband is rather fond of the young warlock. Therefore, a friend of his is a friend of theirs. Or something like that.”

“What do you mean ‘king?’” I demanded.

“You wish for me to explain vampire political structures to you in this moment?” He sighed, but it was clear from the way his expression hardened that he was rapidly losing patience. “Get dressed, hunter. And put down the gun. I will not ask again.”

I shot Danny a questioning look. He was always the cooler-headed one of the two of us. What did he think?