Page 16 of The Awakening

“What’s spiced peaches?” Nino asks. “Sounds delicious.”

“How Doctor Jae smells to Jun.” Haruka blinks his burgundy eyes at me. Examining me.

Nino laughs. “Aw, that’s cute.”

“Yeah, whatever.” I frown. Fucking humiliating. Like I’m a kid with a fruit cup obsession.

“Do you all want coffee? I can make some before I start lunch.” Sydney is already at the coffee pot, tinkering.

“Yes, please.” Haruka smiles in his genial and sincere purebred prince way. “Thank you very much, Sydney.”

The young vampire flips around smoothly, opening cabinets to get mugs. “It’s my pleasure!”

Haruka told me candidly that it makes him uncomfortable—having this young, emotionally and physically traumatized purebred serving them like this. But Sydney genuinely enjoys himself, and in combination with his weekly therapy sessions, his progress is irrefutable.

When I took him out for his first beer, I asked him about it—if it would be better to have his own place and be more independent. He told me he likes Haruka and Nino’s estate because he can keep busy, and it feels happier and safer than any place he’s ever known. I couldn’t argue with that.

“Typical humansdo notregister such distinct smells to our senses, Jun. Have you specifically asked Doctor Davies about his biology?”

I shrug. “No. He’s human.” But he’s apparently been fucked and bitten by quite a few lower-level vampires, so maybe there’s some kind of buildup? I keep that inelegant information to myself.

Haruka folds his arms. “There is more to him than meets the eye.”

“Uh oh…” Nino says. “The vampire Historian is officially invested in this case.”

Haruka shifts his gaze toward me, serious. “You should feed from him.”

“No. A month ago you snapped at me for even joking about biting him.”

“Feeding from humans long term and as a primary resource is detrimental to our biology and bloodlines. Doing so once or twice in a long while won’t cause much damage.”

“‘Much damage.’” I scoff. “The last time I fed from a human, the sun literally burned my skin immediately after. I couldn’t go outside for two full days. It was terrifying… My flesh looked like the paper burning off a cigarette.”

Nino draws back, his teeth clenched. “Ew.Jesus.”

Sydney hands Nino a coffee cup, then walks around the counter to bless me and Haruka as well. After we thank him, he walks back to the inside of the counter and starts pulling pots and pans from the cabinets. He glides around the kitchen as if he’s always been here. Effortless.

“I have never known you to properly pursue anyone within the aristocracy,” Haruka says. “Aside from Ren—”

“I amnotpursuing Ren.”

“Of course.” Haruka nods politely, graciously stepping over that particular conversational landmine. “I have always wondered, do you exclusively date humans? Are you opposed to your own kin?”

The question is loaded, and when I flick my eyes up, everyone is staring at me and frozen where they stand—Nino, Sydney, and even Asao is suddenly here. He smirks when my gaze falls on him.

“When the hell did you get here?” I ask him.

He lifts his chin, haughty. “Ilivehere. Or did you forget? Answer his question.”

Sitting back, I take a breath. Asao already knows the answer to this question. We talk about it at length when we go drinking.

It’s rare for the spotlight to be turned on me when I’m in this house. Usually I’m checking onthem, making sure they’re okay. Staying humble. I’m much older than both Haruka and Nino. Even though we don’t operate by strict hierarchal standards (which is one reason why I like them), I’m not blind to the age gap. Instinctively, I feel big-brotherly toward them.

I fold my arms because this topic makes me defensive. My perspective is not the norm. “I don’t like dating ranked vampires because they’re arrogant and fussy.”

“You’re a ranked vampire, Jun,” Nino says. Captain Obvious.

“Andhe’s arrogant and fussy,” Asao chimes in.