Page 6

Chapter 5

W hen Adler was ready to drive Maxim and Gordon back to the Forum, the hunter stated he was going to look around the neighborhood and would find his own way home. He walked off, tall boots near soundless as he went.

That left Adler standing next to Gordon in awkward silence outside the building, not too far off from the police officer still guarding the scene. If any of the officers had been a werewolf or a vampire, they could have overheard them with ease.

“So,” Adler began, casting a brief look at Gordon, “I’ll take you back home. Or to your office. Whichever.”

Gordon barely looked at Adler. “Yeah, sure.”

The vampire seemed tense as he followed Adler to the car, and it wasn’t the kind of tension Adler would have liked. He must be uncomfortable. Maybe he doesn’t want to be alone in the car with me? Ah, fuck me.

Adler watched Gordon as he got in, those mechanical movements, the vampire’s lips pressed tight as he fastened his seat belt. He waited until he heard the click, then started the engine and pulled away from the curb.

Having Gordon next to him got Adler’s wolf very excited, the desire to reach over and touch him bouncing around in Adler’s head while awkward silence stretched between them. He wouldn’t do that, of course, but there was no denying Gordon attracted the part of Adler that relied more on instinct than conscious thought.

This feels just like the tightness of the human skin right before you turn and get to run free , Adler thought. On the heels of that thought, he replayed that day at the bar, sitting next to Gordon, who’d been looking into Adler’s eyes and saying something while he was smiling, somewhat shy maybe, but the expression suited him.

Adler didn’t remember the words. All he remembered were Gordon’s lips, the ruby ear studs that had gone so well with the color of his hair at the time. Adler had simply wanted back then. Pretty much want those lips now. I turned into one of those fucking idiot wolves who can’t get enough and act as if they’ve never heard of the concept of boundaries. He’s right to be wary of me.

“Where do I drop you?” Adler asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

Gordon ran a hand through his hair. “Back to the Forum, please. I’ll start a file on this before I call it a night. And read up on Jack the Ripper.”

Adler wondered whether he could offer to stay, fill Gordon in on the Ripper. But no. That’s the wolf talking . Don’t intrude, don’t be pushy.

After a deep breath, Adler said, “There really is no other place that does paperwork quite like the Forum, is there? Is digital even a thing over there?”

To Adler’s relief, he caught the doctor’s lips curve upward in a smile.

“If there is, I’ve yet to see it. It’s nice though, everyone knows what they’re supposed to do. And every vampire who works there has at least heard of the Internet. We’re all a progressive bunch, deep down.”

“Spoken like a true bureaucrat. I like your cookie jar by the way. Who are the cookies for?” Idiot. Why would you ask him that? You sound like you think he’s a dealer or something.

“No minors, I swear. Some of my interns are human. Cooperation with New Amsterdam University.”

“Mmm.”

“What? You almost growled right there, detective.”

And there it was. An easy, playful way that had made it simple to start up a conversation with Gordon. Adler relaxed slightly.

“You hang out with coeds all day and feed them weed cookies?”

Gordon shrugged. “What can I say? I grew up in the sixties, and I like to spread some looove.”

I’d like to spread you out on my bed and do a laundry list of lovely things to you.

Adler stopped the car at a red light and looked over. “Was it really all like that in the sixties?”

“Hmm. No. It depends on the people, then and now. My interns are a fun bunch, so they get fun rewards for good work, you know.”

The wolf wanted to howl, more importantly, instinct told Adler to claim Gordon as soon as possible, wash him in Adler’s scent, mark his skin. The thought of other people surrounding him and being given treats made it feel all the more urgent.

“Nice for them to have such a relaxed boss,” Adler said while he white-knuckled his steering wheel and did his utmost to keep his voice light.

Gordon hummed and sucked on his bottom lip, something that nearly made Adler’s heart skip a beat. “That’s something about the morgue. You have to be diligent. No one’s life is in the balance, and you don’t have to rush, but you cannot miss anything. It takes a special kind of person to take that upon themselves. Wouldn’t do for me to give those newbies anything but the best encouragement.”

“Interesting take.” He didn’t know what else to fill the silence with, his mind racing with the itching desire to mark and claim .

About ten minutes later, Adler pulled up in front of the research and forensics wing. Once the car came to a halt, Gordon unbuckled his seat belt. “Oh, by the way. I didn’t get around to asking before, but is Adler your first name? I never heard anyone call you anything else, other than ‘detective.’”

Adler cleared his throat, puppy pleased by the interest Gordon was taking in him. “It’s Walter. No one calls me Walter, so please don’t either. I cannot tell you what my mother was thinking.”

“There is nothing wrong with Walter, Walter,” Gordon said, grinning like a purple-haired pixie. “Nothing at all.”

Adler growled playfully. “Go feed those coeds. And forget the last two minutes of this conversation.”

“Will you cuff me if I don’t?” the vampire asked before he got out of the car.

Instead of answering, Adler went quiet, inhaling that rose scent of Gordon’s that hung in the air like a lure. It was reflex. The sniffing was also hard to miss for the vampire.

Gordon watched him, his face turning the faint pink that was a deep flush for a vampire.

Gordon pushed a strand of his hair back behind his ear. “Forget I said that. Sorry. I should go.”

And he did. Adler watched him take the stairs into the building two at a time. Really, those jeans look perfect on him. The only improvement would be taking them off. That thought made Adler salivate, even more than the idea of cuffing Gordon had, and hearing the cuffs snap shut around those elegant wrists…Adler shuddered.

He allowed himself a few more seconds, then pulled out of the lot, his mind racing faster than his heart, wanting to pump blood south so badly it hurt.

Adler, the rush of his wolf’s need near overwhelming, pulled the car over. “What am I doing?” he asked, tapping his forehead against the wheel. “What in the fuck am I doing? Wolves and vampires don’t mix well, everyone fucking knows that. And I made him run, I—I made him run.” He looked at himself in the rearview mirror. “Detective Walter Adler, who cannot even apologize for being an ass. Fuckfuckfuck.”

Don’t be a helpless pup. Show you’re a wolf worth his teeth.

Adler didn’t think it through when he made an illegal U-turn, and he didn’t think it through when he arrived outside the exact same building entrance he’d dropped Gordon at minutes before. He also didn’t stop to think when he got out of his car and went into the building, strode down the hallway, and worst, when he got to the basement with the framed classic movie posters. His brain hadn’t resumed operation, and he just barged into Gordon’s office without knocking.

“I’m so fucking sorry about what I did,” he said, breathing heavily.

Gordon looked up wide-eyed. He’d been slumped in the chair behind his desk, stroking the lid head of the cookie jar. He jumped a little, and Adler flinched.

“What now?”

Adler gesticulated, stopped in case that was frightening. “I kissed you without asking if you wanted that. I’m such an ass. I’m sorry.”

“Oh. Oh, that.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re apologizing,” Gordon said.

“Yeah? Or don’t you want me to? I don’t—I mean I won’t—”

“I didn’t mean to run. I mean, it was sort of like an accident. I’m not used to, uh…I spend a lot of time here. At the morgue. Where there are not that many alive people, and maybe I’m a bit rusty with all the social stuff. And it’s okay. I accept your apology, just, I shouldn’t have run. I had fun before.”

He went quiet then, but Adler could tell he wasn’t done talking. Adler’s skin was prickling. I really need to go for a run . He wanted to pry the words from Gordon’s lips, wanted to shake the pretty vampire, but he wasn’t Willa’s second-in-command for nothing. If he’d learned one thing from his alpha, it was that the key to good leadership was taking a step back and listening .

So Adler shut himself up, stood with his shoulders lowered, and waited for the vampire to figure out what he wanted to say.

It took a while before Gordon continued.

“I’ve been thinking. Well, not like obsessing or anything like that. Just general thoughts. I know, it’s an issue. I don’t really age, you age really slowly. And I know not everyone makes it to Maxim’s age, though wouldn’t that be nice, huh. The old vampires basically live off interest and do whatever they want to, travel the world, buy silly, useless things. Unless they’re Maxim and live to decapitate and annoy people.”

Adler took a measured breath. “Is…that bad? Fuck, not anything Maxim related, dude’s just weird. Is the age thing weird? I’m asking because it’s possible I had some thoughts as well, about dating and how it would work if a vampire were to date a werewolf.” Adler bit his lip. “That sounds presumptuous. What I mean to say is, I hope you will live to a great old age. If you’d let me share just a tiny fraction with you, that would be nice.”

“Oh,” Gordon said, sounding as if the thought had never occurred to him.

Adler rubbed his face. “Sorry. I was…presuming, I know. Making a thing out of a kiss. Not even a kiss. It’s just that I think you’re really nice, and I like you.”

“No, that’s fine, actually. And I wanted to apologize too, about that comment about your beer. Because you had beer at the bar, and I made a stupid comment. People like what they like. Also, I was thinking how some wolves really hate other wolves who date vampires? I mean, not that we are or were. I just—”

“You are presuming,” Adler said.

They fell quiet, held each other’s gaze.

Gordon smiled. “Yes, I guess I was. Did you say you like me?”

“Yeah. Did I ever mention that I really like your hair? Then and now. It changes a lot. And I like that too.”

The corners of Gordon’s lips pulled up briefly before he looked away, his eyes going to a toy on his desk. “Thanks.”

“What I’m hearing—and let me know if I’m presuming—is that potentially going on a date is something you might be open to?” Adler said, and the thought made him almost feel like a puppy eager for kisses.

Gordon gave Adler a shy smile that contrasted with his purple hair, which wasn’t shy by any means. The office lights reflected in his earrings made Gordon shimmer like treasure. “I thought the best I could hope for was for you to not growl at me in annoyance. I wasn’t hoping for a date at all after the way I just ran off.” He snorted. “I ran off, and here you are, running after me.”

“Cinderella.”

Pink again, not in Gordon’s cheeks this time, but just a little underneath his nose. “Did you bring my slipper?”

“Sorry.” And this time, Adler allowed his voice to drop into a growl. It pleased his wolf, calmed that other self almost as much as watching Gordon did, as much as smelling him did. “You know, I hear my ancestors made a sport of scaring milkmaids during the full moon and jeered at them when they ran off and spilled their milk. I’m happy to assume responsibility for that.”

The vampire snorted. “I think you just called me a milkmaid, detective.”

“You must’ve misheard.”

Gordon leaned back in his chair, curled a strand of his hair around one long index finger, glanced at Adler. “I should probably tell you I don’t really care whether I go out with men or women. I mean, apart from the wolf and vampire thing, it’s maybe something you’d like to know. And I never dated a wolf before.”

“You really have been thinking about this, haven’t you? All I can tell you is I meant it when I tried to kiss you.” Adler shrugged before crossing his arms. “I guess I’m easy like that.”

Gordon nodded. “Cool.”

“Cool.” Adler tried to make his voice sound dark and husky. He hoped Gordon liked that kind of thing in a man.

“You are asking me out on a date then?” Gordon looked at Adler, and Adler told himself there was hopefulness in those beautiful blue eyes. The vampire reached for a pen and a purple notebook with a black cartoon cat on it as if he were ready to actually set a date.

“I am, and I’m guessing you are saying yes?” Adler said and inhaled a lungful of that wonderful powdered rose scent that was Gordon.

Gordon opened the notebook and played at leafing through it, which gave Adler ample opportunity to admire those fingers. “Yes, I think I can make myself available.”

I’d like to do more than just go on a date, but there is nothing wrong with a slow approach . “I’ll text you. How about din—well, no, that’s silly. But you drink, right? Never met a vampire who didn’t drink like a fish.”

“That’s a cliché.”

“You don’t drink?”

“I do. Like a cliché.”

Mmm, you have dimples in your cheeks when you smile, doctor. “Then we’ll do that.”

“Good.”

“And don’t run.”

Gordon hid his smile behind the cat notebook. “Only if I lose my slipper.”

Without meaning to, Adler took a step forward, had to force himself to stop.

“But doctor, that isn’t how the story goes.”

“In that case, you’ll have to tell me. On our date.”

Adler’s wolf side was immensely pleased by that. If he’d been in fur, he’d be howling right now, loud enough that all the wolves in the city would hear of this win, this victory.

“I’ll be sure to. Well, I should let you get to it.”

Gordon nodded. “To the corpses.”

“Well, if you have more of those.”

Gordon put down his notebook and began twirling his pen. “There are always more corpses. Good listeners, the lot of them.”

“If you like the stiff and silent type, I’ll try to emulate that.”

Gordon’s eyebrows shot up, and he pressed his lips together to hide a smile.

Adler, satisfied, turned to leave but stopped. He glanced at that cookie jar Gordon kept here for interns, all of them younger than Adler.

“I should probably tell you I don’t share. Just FYI.”

“Ah, no. That’s not what the cookies are for. Good grief, science is straightforward. That’s what I like about it. Bringing an affair into the lab would be… less fun than the corpses.”

Adler snorted. “Your definition of fun makes me think the contents of that cookie jar are not enough to lift the mood in the morgue.”

“It’s cheerier than you think. And I doubt you can come up with a corpse joke I haven’t heard. Though you are certainly welcome to try, detective.”

“Fun and chatty over stiff and silent, doctor?”

The pen dropped from Gordon’s fingers.

Adler smiled. “Thought so. I’ll be in touch about our date.”

“Yeah…”

Adler made sure to inhale that rose scent before he left, practically prancing down the long halls of the Forum and back to his car.

Days at the crime scene rarely ended this well.