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Roman’s gaze left the dance floor and immediately landed on Danny, as if Roman had an internal homing beacon just for the boy.

He was sitting at the bar and chatting with his friend from the night before, the short brunette, cocktails in front of each of them.

He was laughing at something she was saying, but the smile wasn’t quite reaching his eyes.

Merde.

His mate was upset about something. The thought disturbed Roman, and he racked his brain to think of what it could be—nothing had seemed to come up in the time that Roman had been watching him. Had something happened tonight while Roman had been distracted at the coffee shop?

He approached the bar with long strides, Soren two steps behind him, settling in to stand at Danny’s left, where there was an empty space. Danny’s gaze left the woman at his side and landed on Roman, eyes going wide at his unexpected appearance at the bar.

Looking to see what had grabbed Danny’s attention, the petite woman eyed Roman, muttering quietly to Danny—but not quietly enough for Roman’s vampire hearing to miss it—”You weren’t exaggerating in the looks department.”

Roman suppressed a satisfied smirk as Danny blushed. So his lovely mate had been talking about him.

“Danny,” Roman purred, leaning closer to catch a whiff of his mate’s delicious scent.

Danny leaned back stiffly. “How’d you know I was here?” he asked, tone flat. It was only then that Roman noticed the look in the boy’s dark eyes was less than welcoming.

Before Roman could answer, Danny glanced behind him, eyes landing on Soren, golden-haired and chic and no doubt grinning like a loon.

His mate’s face fell immediately. “Oh. You…you didn’t know I was here.

I shouldn’t have assumed.” The muscle in Danny’s cheek jumped as he clenched his jaw.

“Well, don’t let me interrupt,” he finished, turning back to his friend.

The friend who was now shooting daggers at Roman with her eyes.

Was Danny jealous? Roman was almost pleased at the thought, but it was tempered by his displeasure at having Danny ignore him.

Oh no. This would not do.

Roman tapped Danny’s shoulder, and the boy turned back to him, a look of such haughty disdain on his face that Roman would have been delighted at his pluck had that disdain not been directed at himself.

“Danny, this is an old friend of mine, Soren Iversen,” he explained, tone pointed.

Danny’s expression didn’t change.

“An old, old friend,” Roman hinted. “We used to…hunt together. Back in the day.”

Danny’s eyes widened slightly as the message seemed to sink in. A light blush stole over his cheeks, and the haughty expression dropped. He sent a small, apologetic smile to Soren. “Oh. Hello.”

Sweet boy.

“Adorable,” Soren whispered, softly enough that only Roman could hear him. To Danny, he said, “Nice to meet you. Roman’s told me so much about you.” Roman could only imagine the manic grin Soren must be directing at Danny, but Roman kept his eyes firmly on his mate.

Danny ducked his head in embarrassment, and his nurse friend gave him a small pat on the back, her death glare at Roman finally dropping.

“And I’m Chloe,” she chimed in. “Nice to meet both of you.” She gave Danny’s cheek a kiss and stood up from the bar. “I’m gonna join the birthday boy on the dance floor.”

“And I’m going to grab a drink. Let you two chat,” Soren added.

At Roman’s raised eyebrow, he gave a wink and murmured, “What? We don’t need to leave immediately.

We’re both here. Nothing’s going to get to him.

Handle your business. I myself have spotted several promising specimens.

” With that, he turned and strutted over to the other end of the bar, where a tall blue-haired bartender with a nose ring started to take his order.

Roman moved closer to Danny, who was frowning at his drink. Was the boy still feeling unsure about Soren’s presence?

“I meant what I said,” Roman reassured him. “He’s just a friend. He’s…like me.”

Danny rolled his eyes but still didn’t quite meet Roman’s gaze. “I know. I got it. Real subtle with the ‘hunting’ reference.”

Okay, so not jealous anymore. Clearly something was wrong though. Roman just wasn’t sure what. “Then why do you look so upset?” he asked.

“Didn’t leave your number,” Danny mumbled, under his breath enough that, even with his superior hearing, Roman almost didn’t catch it.

Oh. Oh .

“I apologize. That was foolish of me. I am not used to—” Roman started, but Danny interrupted.

“You knew how to reach me. Where I work, where I live. And I didn’t even have your phone number .

” His voice was growing steadily louder, and Roman began to suspect this was perhaps not his first cocktail.

“You tell me what you told me and then just disappear? That’s some…

some messed up power dynamics! And I’m not here for it. ”

Roman was torn between distress that he had so clearly hurt Danny with his inconsiderate actions and overwhelming delight that the boy had clearly missed him.

Danny wanted him.

Fix it. Soothe, protect, ours, ours, ours , his demon hissed at him.

Right. First things first. Reassure and comfort their mate. But before he could start to explain himself, a familiar dark-haired figure interrupted them, swooping in over Danny at the spot Chloe had vacated. “Is everything all right here?” he asked, eyes on Roman, tone accusatory.

Gabe. The brother.

Roman kept his own eyes firmly on Danny, who was rolling his own at his brother. His mate got a little bratty when he was drunk, apparently.

The bartender appeared suddenly. “King,” she said, voice throaty. “I’ve been wondering when you would show up.” She gestured at Danny with her chin. “It’s just been Little King sitting here for hours.”

“Little King?” Roman mouthed at Danny, brow raised in question.

Still scowling, Danny muttered so that only Roman could hear, “Our last name. It’s Kingman.

Golden boy over there got the nickname King in high school, and then when I showed up four years later…

” He shrugged. “Only a few people still use it. Generally“—he sent a pointed look to the bartender, who was leaning over the bar in front of Gabe now, cleavage on impressive display—”when they’re trying to get into someone’s pants. ”

Roman leaned in so his shoulders were brushing Danny’s, ready to finish their conversation now that the elder Kingman brother was seemingly occupied.

“I am very sorry, my little king ,” he murmured, watching as the most delicious blush spread from Danny’s cheeks down his throat at the use of his nickname.

How delightful.

“I am…unaccustomed to modern dating,” he continued. “Or to any dating, really. I am used to staying in the shadows. I did not think to leave my number. And I wanted to give you at least the semblance of space, should you have needed it.”

Danny, too quick by half, picked up on his wording. “ Semblance of space? Have you been…watching me?”

Roman winced at the slip. “Would that upset you?”

“Not exactly.” Danny slowly shook his head. “I know it should, but—”

“It definitely should,” Gabe cut in harshly. The elder brother was apparently no longer occupied, the bartender having stepped away to serve someone else a drink. “Who the hell is this guy, Danny? He’s been—what—following you around?”

Danny shot a surprisingly vicious look over at his brother. “Butt out, Gabriel.”

“I’m not going to butt out when some creep—”

“I would be careful who you call a creep, Your Highness ,” Soren crooned, having materialized a few steps behind Danny’s brother.

Gabe peered over his shoulder at the blond vampire, who—despite the challenging tone of his words—was grinning maniacally at Danny’s brother. Jesus. This was becoming pure chaos.

“Now who the hell is this guy?” Gabe demanded, tone hostile as ever.

Soren’s grin didn’t falter. “I’m new in town.

Be nice.” He stepped in closer to Gabe, breathing in subtly as he went, seeming to inhale the brother’s scent.

Roman really hoped it was just an intimidation tactic, because having Soren fixated on Danny’s older brother was just asking for trouble.

“I’m actually in need of a big, strong man to accompany me outside for a smoke,” Soren continued.

“King Gabriel, was it? I think you’ll fit the bill. ”

That surprisingly seemed to take the wind out of Gabe’s sails.

Roman watched as he stared, gobsmacked, at the blond man in front of him.

“It’s just—it’s just Gabe. And I’m a doctor.

I don’t smoke?” It came out like a question.

He was looking into Soren’s eyes like he was hypnotized.

“You shouldn’t either. It’s, um, bad for you. ”

“I know.” Soren’s pale eyes glinted dangerously. “That’s why I like it.”

And with that, he grabbed Danny’s brother’s hand, pulling him to the back door of the bar.

Pleased that the distraction was handled, Roman turned to Danny. The boy was looking slightly stunned to see his older brother led away so easily. “Um, your friend isn’t going to…eat him, is he?”

“A dainty nibble at the most,” Roman teased.

He could possibly be more concerned with the fact that Soren had latched onto his mate’s brother, but Roman knew his friend wouldn’t seriously injure the man, and he was frankly tired of all these other people taking up so much of his lovely mate’s time and attention.

Danny was his.

“That’s not actually reassur—” Danny started.

“You forgive me?” Roman interrupted. “For the thoughtlessness and the—as your brother would put it—‘creepy following’?”

“I guess so.” Danny tilted his head to study him. “The phone number part is what it is. And the following…I know it should bother me, but…I’ve never had anyone watching out for me before. Not since I was a kid, at least. It’s…kind of nice?”

“I would watch out for you always, if you would let me.” Roman meant every word.

Danny pointed at him accusingly then, his hand a little unsteady. “See, that’s the part that feels a little unreal to me. You barely know me. You’ve lived over two hundred years, seen so many places and things, and I’m just…me. I’ve barely done anything, or seen anything. I’m just Danny.”

Before Roman could counter and explain to Danny just how special he found the boy—his obvious kindness and caring, his sweetness mixed with strength—they were once again interrupted.

Roman just barely kept his demon from roaring out its frustration for everyone to hear.

Soren, no longer grinning, was leading a very pale Gabe back to the bar. “Rome, buddy, we’ve got a problem.”

Oh merde. “Did you…?” Roman’s eyes darted to Gabe. Maybe his friend was more careless than he had thought?

Soren glanced over at the man’s white face. “Oh…no. Jesus. Time and place, Rome. We found something outside. Doctor Highness is in a little bit of shock.”

“What did you find?” Danny asked, jumping off his barstool to look his brother over.

“A body,” Soren replied. “A very…messy…body.”

Roman knew what that meant, if only from the look on Soren’s face.

Luc was here.

Goddamn it.