Page 120 of Vampire Kings Box Set

“Morning.” Lorien strolled in.

It was early for him to be up, and he had a sort of hollow look in his eyes, like he’d recently seen some shit he really wished he hadn’t seen, and heard some shit he wished he hadn’t heard.

“Hey,” Will said. “Where have you been?”

“Around,” Lorien said vaguely. “And who is this?” His green eyes lit up at the sight of Henry, who was paying him less than no interest.

“He’s my babysitter,” Will said with a smirk. Henry cast him a dour look, but it was basically true. Maddox had called Henry in to watch Will and make him eat his dinner nicely. He was one big, massive, muscular wolf nanny.

“About time you got one of those.” Lorien went over. “Hello,” he said to Henry. “I’m Lorien. I’m the crown prince of New York.” He offered Henry an elegant hand. Henry didn’t even acknowledge it. He did, however, stand up, eye to eye with Lorien.

“You’re the boy who ran off and betrayed Maddox, correct?”

“He’s got your number,” Will laughed.

Lorien shot Will a shut the fuck up glance. “Hardly a boy,” he said. “I’ve been on this planet for well over ninety years.”

“Telling people your age as proof of maturity is something boys do.”

Will was enjoying this immensely. Henry was going to eat Lorien alive if there was anything left over after Maddox was done with him.

Lorien smiled in the strained and forced way people do when they really want to show they’re not hurt by an interaction. Will knew Lorien was absolutely fucking galled by the brusque rebuff. He was used to being fawned over by most everyone. People reacted to Lorien in the same way people reacted to any incredibly handsome, suave man with a hint of edge about him and a thick mane of hair that always looked perfect even though it never seemed to have been tended to.

“Hm,” he said, turning away without another attempt at conversation.

He left the room, but as he did, Will noticed the way Henry’s eyes lingered on Lorien when Lorien was not looking, how they swept up and down his body, from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. Will had seen that look before, many times. It was the one Maddox gave him.

Interesting.

“I thought you were straight,” Will said to Henry.

Henry replied by cuffing him around the ear. “Respect, welp.”

“Sorry. I thought seeing as you were actually drooling over him…” Will dodged the next blow. He was getting faster and cockier.

“I’m not interested in a vampire.”

“Oh. You’re not?”

“No. I stick to my kind.”

“Okay.”

Will’s words said one thing, his shit-eating grin said something else completely. Henry let out a warning growl, the corner of his lip lifting in a snarl that would herald pain if Will pushed it. He didn’t push it. But he had noticed it.

“I know something you don’t know.” Will went to see Maddox after breakfast. He’d woken up in Mads’ bed, and that was a good sign that there was some forgiveness forthcoming from the vampire king.

“I doubt that very much, boy.” Maddox smiled, sitting back from his desk. In spite of all the events of the previous evening, Mad was still much more relaxed now that Henry was on the scene. Will wondered how much of a strain he must have been to handle. A lot, he guessed. Probably still was. Oh well.

"What is it you think you know?” Maddox prompted him to speak.

“Henry and Lorien.”

“Henry and Lorien what?”

“Henry,” Will waggled his brows, “and Lorien.”

Maddox let out a laugh. “I don’t think so, boy.”