Page 74 of Soulmates

At least until my next orgasm.

“I can manage.” I’ve waited so long to answer his question, he blinks like he’s trying to retrace our steps.

“Yeah.”

I slip past him, but he grabs my arm. “Whatever this is, you and me and Trajan, we’ll have to…”

His voice fades, dragging my mood down with it. Yeah, we’ll have to…something. It hasn’t all been rolling around in bed, but we’ve done enough that I can tell the difference in vampire cum and phouka just by the taste. Right now, I’m too wasted to deal with anyone’s emotions but my own.

Somehow, Connor has added to my suitcase a pair of jeans that make my butt look sick and a hoodie from Stussy that manages to be relaxed without being sloppy. There’s an iron in the hotel room closet, but I ignore it. Dad’s lucky I’m dressed at all.

I’m sitting at the room’s small table, staring at my laptop, when the shower knob squeaks and the patter of falling water dies away. I’ve turned on one lamp, leaving most of the room in shadows. Connor’s dried off, dressed, and his hair is combed before I gather the nerve to open the laptop.

Then the door’s lock jiggles, and every muscle in my body stiffens. Trajan’s here.

With Dad.

I’m clutching the tabletop with one hand, knuckles turning white. Trajan comes in, tall and dark, his presence soothing despite the circumstances. Dad is right behind him, and for a moment, everything stops.

Beat.

Beat.

My heart forces blood through my veins.

Beat.

The sound overwhelms everything. It’s his heart, beating in time with mine. This thing, this connection, should have been severed.

Beat.

He comes toward me. Terrified, I push away from the table and stand. He keeps coming, and I try to get out of his way, stopping only when I’m plastered against the wall.

Beat.

Trajan and Connor block my view. They’ve put themselves between me and Dad, and for a moment, the pounding lessens. I shouldn’t be able to feel him this strongly. The war between relief and fear threatens to drag me down.

“David.” My father’s voice grounds me in a way it really, really shouldn’t.

“I’ll make him leave whenever you want me to, puppy.”

Puppy. I can’t help but smile. Weak, but there it is. “It’s okay. Just”—I drag in a breath and let it go—“give me a minute.”

I put one hand on Trajan’s back and the other on Connor’s. Between the two of them, I feel steadier. My father’s presence fades some more. Another breath and I’m ready to talk.

“Thanks, you guys.” I step between them. “Not sure what to say, Dad.”

He’s blinking too fast and grimacing in a way I’ve never seen before. “Let me fix this. Please, son.”

The blanket of energy created by the vampire and the phouka surrounds me, driving the last of my father out of my head. “I’m not sure I know what you mean.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he pulls his command face into place. “Yes, you do.” Another blink, his gaze reaching for the ceiling. “You’re part of my pack and always will be, and when I’m gone…”

“When you’re gone, it won’t matter.”

My father’s gaze hardens, and for another long moment, we stare each other down. “I want you to know I will do everything in my power to bring you justice.”

“Good. You’ve got some work to do.”