Page 64 of Bound in Blood

Marco’s lips parted, but no words came out. And Mateo felt a familiar emotion creep up the back of his spine.

Hunger.

Suddenly, that body in the alley next to Mateo made a little more sense. Even more suddenly, Mateo was afraid of his brother for the first time in his life.

Marco’s nostrils flared.

His gaze, black and bottomless, flickered down.

Right to Mateo’s throat.

Chapter

Twenty-One

FALL 2025

MATEO

By the time they got back to the bar, the rain had slowed to a fine, misty drizzle. Vik was wiping down the counter, nodding at the last of the regulars on their way out, his easy smile still in place. As promised, he didn’t ask questions when Mateo and Marco slipped in out of the alley like ghosts. He just tilted his chin in greeting and went back to polishing glasses.

Mateo couldn’t decide if he liked or hated how quickly Vik had adjusted to their weird little vampire club. Probably a little of both.

Alexei was already there, seated in the far corner booth with Logan beside him, both of them staring at a laptop on the table. Vik must’ve given him access to the back room security footage. Marco was at Mateo’s side, dripping wet, silent but alert. Mateo could feel the buzz of their shared tension in his chest like static.

Alexei looked up as they approached. “You saw him,” he said, no preamble.

Mateo nodded. “Briefly. Just a glimpse. He bolted before we could get close. Also,plot twist,it’s the asshole that turned us eighty-five years ago.”

Mateo tried not to be upset, that the feral Logan had sworn to protect was the same one that took Mateo and Marco’s lifefrom them all those years ago. There was no way Logan could have known. They hadn’t shared the story with him. But itdidmake Mateo secretly hope the guy was too feral to save. It didn’t matter how many good things came out of his immortality. Mateo never had thechoiceto turn, therefore he was allowed to be mad about it.

He was pretty sure that was how that worked, anyway.

Alexei was watching him, though, like Mateo had said something wrong, and okay, maybe hedidfeel a little bad for harboring so much anger for that many years.

“How is that even possible?” Logan asked. “Weren’t you turned in Italy?”

“We were,” Marco said simply. “And he was feral then, too.”

“Then how did he get to America? I mean, I’m no history buff, but I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t let a feral vampire into the country.” Logan paused thoughtfully. “It’s not like he could have just stumbled across an ocean.”

“Maybe he stowed away,” Marco offered, tone dry. “Or got smuggled in. It wouldn’t be the first time someone slipped through the cracks.”

Mateo narrowed his eyes at the screen. The still frame showed a blurred figure frozen mid-run, the porch light catching just enough of his face to twist Mateo’s stomach. That scar. He’d never forget that scar.

“If he’s been feral this whole time…” Mateo trailed off. “Why now? Why Boston? Why near Logan?”

“Coincidence,” Alexei said too quickly.

Mateo’s gaze snapped to him.

Alexei didn’t look away, but something in his expression, some subtle shift in his posture, maybe, set Mateo’s nerves on edge.

“Doesn’t this all seem a little much to be coincidence?” he asked, voice sharp. He was trying his best to remain calm.Really, he was, but his Maker being this close to his mate was frying his nerves.

Alexei gave the faintest shrug. “Coincidences happen.”

“Not with us,” Mateo snapped before he could stop himself. “Not with vampires. Nothing we do is a coincidence.”