Page 5

Chapter 5

W earing only sweatpants, Adler got his coffee maker running and considered how best to wake the very naked vampire in his bed. A grin spread over Adler’s face. The previous night had been too short and already felt too long in the past, and Adler wanted to touch and taste Gordon again the way he had last night.

He is too perfect, my mate. I have become addicted to him.

Adler hit the start button, and the kitchen soon began to smell of warm, dark roast. Adler left the machine to brew and walked to the bedroom.

Gordon was lying on his belly, the blue, white-tipped hair matted in sleep. The rope marks had already vanished from his skin which made Adler both sad and already anticipating the next time Gordon allowed that kind of play. The vampire looked beautiful, sleeping there like a princess bound in roses.

Adler sat on the bed and leaned in close. Gordon’s rose scent was heavy on the air. “It’s almost noon. Which means you cannot claim I woke you at an unreasonable hour.”

Gordon groaned. It was not a very princess-like sound.

Adler chuckled. “I don’t speak lazy vampire, sweetheart.”

“Go away,” Gordon said, his voice muffled against the pillow. He was hiding his eyes and most of his face from Adler too.

“Now you are just daring me to stay here and force conversation on you until you no longer slur your words.”

Adler laid his head on Gordon’s pillow. He ran a hand down Gordon’s arm. In answer to the touch Gordon’s eyes fluttered open, and Adler could do nothing to keep a low growl from escaping his lips at seeing his mate’s reaction. Gordon’s body tensed, throwing off sleep.

Six months ago, Adler wouldn’t have thought it possible to feel the way he was feeling about Gordon, about anyone, least of all a vampire. But since, the mate bite had happened, rarer between vampire and werewolf than some of the bigger comets if Maxim was to be believed.

To Adler, in moments like these, it was still a wonder to have his mate, love him, need him like air. There was pride in it too—after all, no one’s mate was as special as Gordon, none looked as fine in skinny jeans, and none changed the color of their hair as often. Gordon, Adler secretly knew, was the best mate.

Adler bent to kiss Gordon’s shoulder, ready to do much more, when he heard a small knock on his apartment door.

Gordon groaned again. “I hate disturbances before noon,” the vampire announced, but gave no sign he was going to let anything disturb him. “Make it stop, detective.”

Adler sighed and quickly slipped on a T-shirt. The hallway was now filled with the warm scent of coffee, and he opened the door with a giddy smile—only to have that wiped away immediately.

Milea, the shy little wolf girl who lived with her granny just across the hall, stood on his doormat, and the way the little girl held her stuffed bunny and was still in her pajamas even though it was a school day was enough to tell Adler something was very wrong, even without taking into account the fear and confusion in Mil’s face.

“What’s wrong, Mil?” Adler asked. He bent down and ran a hand along the side of Mil’s face, which brought on silent tears.

“Grandma isn’t feeling well, and I don’t know what to do. I have to get to school, but…”

Oh, fuck, Adler thought. Behind him, back in the bedroom, he heard Gordon put on clothes.

Mil was seven years old, and in those seven years, she’d lost both her parents. Adler’s chest clenched. Mil’s grandma, Emma, was still an impressive wolf, hale for her years, but still.

“You don’t have to go to school today,” Adler told the little girl and pulled her into his arms. She sobbed quietly, and her arm went around Adler’s neck so that he could easily lift her and carry her inside. “Gordon, you heard?”

Gordon passed him, expression bleak. “I heard. I’ll go and check on her.”

Adler nodded. He hoped Emma had simply had a heart attack or stroke, something a werewolf like her might recover from relatively quickly. He trusted Gordon to handle the situation. First aid was definitely more his mate’s domain, not so much Adler’s.

“She told me to clean my room yesterday, but I said I’d do it today,” Mil said, the little wolf’s voice quiet and brittle against Adler’s neck.

She didn’t say it outright, but the fear was there: is this my fault ?

“That’s okay, Mil. You were going to, and your granny knew that.” He patted her back for emphasis.

Adler listened for Gordon. Both apartment doors were open, and he could hear Gordon move around and talk softly, which was probably a good thing.

“I’m sorry. Granny always says, unannounced visitors before noon are rude.”

Adler used his calmest beta voice. “You know what? It’s just past noon. Want me to tell you a secret? Gordon is really bad before noon. He’s barely awake that early.”

The little wolf relaxed in Adler’s arms. “What about school? School is early.”

“Hmm. Good point. But then again, he’s a grown-up and a vampire. No more school for him.”

Mil sniffled. “I knew that.”

“I know you did. I was just being silly.”

“Okay.” Mil sounded scared, and Adler knew he was out of his depth. He dealt with crime and murder, not with little wolf girls who were clinging to their teddy bear because they were scared.

“Mil, I’ll put you down, okay? We’re going to the kitchen. Do you know how to use a toaster?”

Mil made an undignified sound as Adler put her back on her feet. “Of course.”

“Alright then. You’re going to make some toast for me and you. Not for Gordon. He doesn’t eat that kind of thing.”

Mil nodded and let herself be led into the kitchen where Adler left her with the bread and the toaster for long enough to grab his phone. He watched the girl from the door when he texted Willa. This kind of thing was something for the alpha to deal with, not for Adler.

Gordon came running back, poking his head in the door.

“I called an ambulance from the Forum Hospital. They’ll be here in a few minutes to get her treated for a stroke. You good in here?”

Adler looked up from his screen where Willa was typing. “Yeah. Mil’s making breakfast for the two of us. Do you—”

“I’m good. I don’t think they’ll need me to ride with them, but I have my phone, just in case.”

Adler gave his mate a thumbs-up, but Gordon was already back outside and opening the building’s front door it sounded like.

“What’s wrong with Granny?”

Adler turned to the girl who stood at his counter, a slice of bread in her trembling hand, her cheeks tear streaked.

Adler went to her. “She’s going to the hospital.”

“For how long? Can I go with her?”

“I don’t know yet, and not right now. Maybe Gordon will go with her.”

Adler looked at his phone. Willa had texted. She was on her way, and Adler relaxed. His alpha would handle all of this.