Page 49 of Seared Fates

“YOU’RE A FATHER?!” This time I swerve, and Vidar curses as I correct our path.

“Kai! Fuck sakes, be careful!”

“I am!”

“Next time I’m driving,” he demands.

“Oh, piss off and tell me about your bloody kids.”

I hear him huff a breath that could be a laugh. “To answer the question you screeched at me—” I risk crashing to flip him off — “Yes, I’m a father. When I was made and as each of my sons came of age, I offered to turn them into vampires, too.”

“Whoa, whoa. Your kids are stillaround,and you made them into vampires?”

“Well, not me. To make another vampire, you must’ve been a vampire longer than the human has been alive. So my Maker turned them. And yes, they’re still alive.”

My gaze flicks to his, then back to the road. But I can’t read the expression on his face. “Why aren’t they a part of your vampire family? Is it because you didn’t make them?”

“No. Any vampire can join my family even if they aren’t my offspring,” he replies, voice stiff. “They decided to explore the world. I’m proud of them for it; they’ve grown into strong men.”

Slowly, I nod. Vidar isn’t hiding something from me, but I can tell there’s more to this story.

“And you still see them?”

“I did, often enough.” His voice takes on a quiet quality. “But not recently, not since my apathy. I didn’t want my boys to see their father like that. I lost so much of who I was, Kai, and bad enough my offspring had to witness my deterioration and humiliation. My sons didn’t need to, either.”

Vidar is a proud man and has been for well over a thousand years. So when I hear the sadness in his softly spoken words, all I want to do is pull over and cradle him in my arms, shoulder some of his burdens as he does with mine.

“I’ve only just left my apathetic state, and so much has changed,” he tells me, sounding far away.

I bite into my lip. I know what he’s referring to, it goes without saying. But of course I have to ask, “You mean, because of me?”

He shifts.

“I want you in my life, Kai. I want you happy and whole and perfect as you are.”

“But you also didn’t expect to suddenly meet your soulmate after a ten-year-long depression.”

His hand on my leg twitches. “I’m only just making up for how I treated my offspring, and the damage I did to my body.”

“What do you mean?” Despite the cold, my palms start to sweat with worry. “Are you okay, Vidar?”

“Shh, little prince. I’m fine. Don’t fret,” he reassures, massaging my thigh. “As old as I am, I don’t need to feed a lot. But because I went so long without blood, I now need to feed more regularly.”

“But you’re too busy looking after me?”

“Protecting you is time well spent."

I shake my head, but smile. “Go feed then, Vidar. I doubt Emma’s gonna pop up while I’m at work with the others. I’ll be safe.”

Vidar stays silent as we drive closer towards the tattoo studio.

“What’s the problem?” I finally ask, sensing that if I don’t, he’ll never say what he needs to.

“Kai, I…”

For the first time since placing his palm on my leg, Vidar’s hand stills. Then he exhales.

“I feed almost exclusively on women, because I like to have sex while I feed.”