Page 1

Chapter 1

N ew Amsterdam Police Station was a sprawling neoclassical building, and all things considered, it wasn’t a bad place to work. Parking was generous, the elevators always worked, and apart from the random thug waiting to have their statement taken, people were nice.

Adler had not usually been one to leave the station early, but Bachman, his protégée, was more than capable and didn’t need him holding her hand while she finished her paperwork. Also, Adler had a hot date at the morgue.

He checked the time on his computer, finished one more email, then logged out. Bachman, who had the desk across from his in a quiet corner of their floor, glanced up from what she was doing.

“You always look cheery when you are going to see the boyfriend,” she commented, then did a double take, cheeks reddening. “Or should I be saying mate?”

Adler grabbed his bag, stuffed his work tablet into it. “Boyfriend is fine.” It was the easier term around the station, especially since most of Adler’s colleagues weren’t werewolves, were human like Bachman herself. But he is my mate, special, and my bite marks him. Adler absentmindedly stroked the faint mark of vampire teeth on his wrist, the mirror bite that bound him to Gordon. “Also, are you saying I’m usually grumpy-looking, Bachman?”

“Just very, very serious, sir. All work and no play.” She went back to typing. “I think cheery suits you. And I think the mate-slash-boyfriend does as well.”

Adler couldn’t do anything about the wide grin that threatened to make his cheeks ache. “Well, thanks. I’ll tell Gordon you said hi.”

“Hm-mmh.” Bachman winked and Adler playfully narrowed his eyes at her for it, then made his way toward the elevators.

She isn’t wrong though. I am excited. I’m always excited to see him and make sure my scent is still on him and… Adler caught himself whistling and stopped. He was not the whistling kind of werewolf.

Adler had gone back to whistling in the car, but there, where people were unlikely to interrupt him with conversation, he’d allowed his mind to drift, remembering Gordon, black silk rope tying his wrists and the cutest, most seductive servant outfit on him.

Yeah, that’ll stop anyone from whistling. Adler had driven on autopilot, thoughts occupied with the memories of Gordon under him, ready and willing, looking so different with the not-for-cosplay wig Adler had ordered for him.

Adler parked in the Forum lot close to the morgue and got out of the car. The Forum, unlike the police station, had been inspired by Venice in her glory. At least that’s what Adler had picked up from a vampire in the cafeteria there when he’d waited for Gordon to finish up his corpse whispering a few days ago.

Adler, never having been to Venice, could only accept it as truth, but the inside of the Forum clearly leaned ostentatious, marble and gold, the lights gentle on both werewolf and vampire eyes.

The werewolf at the front desk recognized Adler by sight and gave him a curt bow. Adler had learned to navigate the maze-like hallways of the Forum and found the quickest way to Gordon’s domain, the morgue and forensic lab his vampire mate had decorated with old-timey movie posters, showing the black-and-white silver screen greats that had given faces to those supernaturals humans had called monsters once upon a time.

Adler wrinkled his nose. The worst thing about any morgue was the smell of lingering death. He sniffed for a whiff of Gordon’s dusty rose scent rather than eau de corpse. Yet all Adler got was vinegar and bleach cleaning solution, nothing as sweet or perfect as his mate.

Did they give him a new batch of New Amsterdam University interns already? I remember him talking about how he breaks them in by letting them clean. He kept saying Corinne was the most thorough, and that’s how he knew she was going to be great at her job.

Gordon’s office was opposite the Dracula movie poster that spread vampiric cheer even in this most dreary of places. The door stood ajar, and Adler peeked around the frame to see if Gordon was in there.

He was indeed, and this time when Adler took a careful whiff, he could smell his mate too, roses and vinegar, not enough of Adler’s own scent left on him to be proper for a mate.

What a nice view though, Adler thought, watching Gordon hang a framed piece of artwork behind his desk, his nimble surgeon’s fingers adjusting the frame this way and that. It was Kawaii Demon Hunter art unless Adler was mistaken, although he didn’t know the character Kawaii was cozying up to.

The view of his mate was much improved by the skinny jeans Gordon was wearing. The jeans were a silvery gray, clashing with the raspberry surgical top, but nicely bringing out Gordon’s latest hair color, electric blue that shifted to icy white at the ends. I am very fortunate to have found a mate who looks great in skinny jeans and likes wearing them. If only he’d not douse himself in vinegar and bleach when I’m not there to make sure he still has my scent .

“Hey,” Adler said, taking a step into his mate’s office.

Gordon jumped, dropped the frame, and cursed as he turned around.

“Fucking hell. Make some noise every now and then, detective, will you?”

Adler chuckled. “Thought I was a living corpse, sweetheart? Do you find the morgue scary after all? Do you want me to hold you and protect you from evil zombies?”

He walked toward his mate even as said mate rolled his eyes and picked the frame back up. Luckily, there was no broken glass. Adler knew his mate was serious about fan art, and Adler would have felt extremely bad if anything had been broken.

“Zombies aren’t real, detective. Don’t be so unscientific. The younglings might hear you, and then I will have to explain the maggots and corpses to them all over again. I only just gave them the death talk this past Monday. You should simply be less sneaky. Remember, I’m not a milkmaid you can chase any which way you please.”

Adler’s mouth watered. “Sweetheart, you’re giving me ideas. Like, the best worst ideas. Come here.”

Gordon, the frame in his hand, allowed Adler to hug him and nuzzle him. Adler kissed his mate’s cheeks, both of them, made sure to rub his chin across Gordon’s head too. That put enough of his scent where Adler wanted it, though he knew he’d only be satisfied once Gordon was out of his work clothes and Adler could take care of every square inch of skin, pale and soft and gorgeous under Adler’s fingers and tongue.

Adler took a step back and looked at his mate. He caught the scent of fresh weed cookies in the Lord Helmet cookie jar. He’s spoiling the new interns already.

Gordon cleared his throat, lips slightly swollen, and turned back to the wall. This time around, he just put the frame on the hook, no fussing at all.

His decorating done, he turned back around to face Adler. “You’re early today, detective. Are you here to cuff me and take me away?”

Adler chuckled. “I think you’ll come willingly, won’t you?”

Gordon tilted his head. “Aren’t you going to make me show you where I put the bodies? I hear that’s what all the competent werewolf detectives are after these days.” Gordon looked up at Adler with his very pretty blue eyes.

“All the werewolf detectives? Give me their names so I can go find them and make sure they stay away from you.”

It was only half a joke, but Gordon chuckled. “Bad, growly Adler. You’re so scary.”

“I can’t growl if you kiss me.”

And just like that, Gordon did. Inside of Adler, his wolf part rejoiced. There was nothing quite like one’s mate’s undivided attention.

Adler growled when they pulled apart for air. “If we keep this up, you’ll force me to, ah, interrogate you right on that gaming couch. So let’s first focus on getting home, okay, sweetheart?” Adler reached for Gordon’s hand, ready to pull him along, then almost cursed himself. “Or did you want to eat here? You drank from me yesterday. Did you get enough? If you need to supplement—”

Gordon ran a finger down Adler’s neck and shook his head. “I’m fine. I’m starting to think Maxim was right when he said werewolf blood might be my new favorite food source.”

Adler exhaled. “That’s good. Although not if you’re starving yourself. It’s not like werewolf donors are a thing.”

Gordon leaned his head on Adler’s shoulder. “I don’t need as much as I used to, I think. Before, uh, the bite, I got hungry faster, but not anymore. You truly are my new favorite flavor, detective.”

Adler stroked his mate’s back. “Good. Let’s leave your charming morgue then. Race you to the car?”

Gordon laughed. “What did I tell you about running?”

“I was going to chase you. That doesn’t count, right?”

“Adler, you sound horny. Is the full moon coming up again?”

“Yeah, same as every month. Sometimes even twice a month, you know. I’m just trying to help you keep track of when you’ll have a big wolf in your bed.”

“And here I was, thinking you were trying to help me get my pants off. Which we can go and do now. Your place?”

My willing mate. I must be the luckiest werewolf ever to have mated a vampire.

“Our place,” Adler said, taking Gordon’s hand, and leading him away from the unpleasant scent of clean slabs and dead things.