Page 56

Gabe

“ C hill, little guy.” Gabe removed Ferdy’s leash, struggling to get ahold of his wiggling body. Apparently Gabe’s runs did nothing to tire the puppy out. Only Soren’s.

He watched as Ferdy ran back into the house, Gabe taking a minute to catch his breath before following. His run had done wonders to settle the jittery nerves left over from the care home.

They’d visited his mom for the second time together that morning. It was getting easier, walking in there. Knowing Soren would be there to keep him together if he started to fall apart was a comfort Gabe hadn’t known he’d needed.

The vampire kept his distance during the visits, probably not wanting to confuse Gabe’s mother with an unfamiliar face, but he stayed close with Gabe afterward, allowing him to let out whatever thoughts or memories or emotions had come up during the visit.

Gabe had no idea why Soren was suddenly so easy to talk to. Maybe it was just the fact that Gabe had never really tried before.

He’d been afraid for so long. Not of Soren, really. Afraid of losing himself, maybe. Of manipulation. Of the unknown. Or maybe just Soren seeing right through him.

But now the fact that Soren had seen Gabe in his weakest moments and still wanted him—a fact Soren had made clear just that morning by swallowing Gabe’s cock down in the shower—made Gabe feel…some kind of way.

Gabe normally put so much effort into pretending. For someone to see through it and not run away?

He could get addicted to that feeling.

And for all his teasing, all his surface brattiness, the vampire was weirdly…

kind. Understanding. And not afraid to call Gabe an idiot when he let himself get too tangled in his own thoughts.

But was it really okay to rely so heavily on someone who could leave at any time?

Who had no real roots here, no reason to stay?

Gabe found the object of his musings flopped on the living room couch, watching reality TV. Gabe plopped himself down next to him, hoping the vampire didn’t mind that he hadn’t showered after his run.

Soren never seemed to mind his smell though. Couldn’t seem to get enough of it, in fact. Gabe had never met anyone as okay with his postworkout sweatiness as Soren.

“What is this crap?” Gabe griped, relaxing back into the couch.

Soren waved a hand without looking at him. “Hush, human. You know not of which you speak.”

Gabe rolled his eyes, unable to help scooching closer to the vampire until he could rest his head easily on Soren’s shoulder. It was as though, after a year of trying to keep his distance, now that Gabe had allowed himself to touch Soren, he always wanted to be touching him.

He’d opened the floodgates, apparently.

Something about it soothed him. Touching Soren had a way of settling the swirl of messy emotions that usually roiled in Gabe’s gut. He nuzzled his head on the vampire’s shoulder, groaning in pleasure went Soren started absently scratching a hand through Gabe’s curls. It was pure bliss.

They sat like that for a while, Gabe melting slowly but surely into the vampire’s touch. Soren’s petting was even better than a run.

“You’re kind of a homebody,” Gabe said after a few more minutes of quiet cuddling.

Soren paused his scratching. “What about it?”

Gabe shrugged, pushing his head back into Soren’s hand, encouraging it to start moving again. “Isn’t it, like, kind of boring? After everything you’ve done? Staying here?”

Soren hummed thoughtfully. “I don’t seem to mind it. Maybe I’m getting old.” He giggled wildly to himself, like that was the funniest thing in the world. “And what about you, Highness?” he asked after his laughter quieted.

Gabe shifted, turning his head so Soren could pet the other side. “What about me?”

“Shouldn’t you be going out with old high school buddies? Playing beer pong or whatever?”

Gabe grunted. “You do know I’m a doctor, not a frat boy, right?”

Soren’s answer was to tug Gabe’s curls in a way that forced him to look up and meet the vampire’s eyes. “Tell me the truth,” Soren teased. “You were in a frat in college, weren’t you?”

Gabe felt himself flushing. “It’s a good way to make connections.”

Soren giggled again. Gabe was realizing he liked that sound an awful lot.

“So why don’t you hit the town more?” Soren asked again, releasing his tight hold.

Gabe shrugged, resting his head down. “It’s not really that fun, I guess. It all feels…superficial. They all know this old version of me. Makes me feel like a faker. Like I’m pretending all the time.”

“So you just pretend to be an asshole?”

Gabe laughed. “No, I am an asshole. I pretend to be a carefree one.”

“And you don’t think people will like the real version of you?” Soren asked.

Damn, always one to cut to the heart of things.

“Not really,” Gabe answered hesitantly.

Soren’s pale eyes narrowed. “And why don’t you think people will like the real Gabriel Kingman?”

Gabe cleared his throat, toying with the bottom of Soren’s shirt. “Um…because he’s a coward? He pretends to know what he’s doing, but he’s really just, like, terrified all the time?”

“What are you terrified of?”

“I don’t know. Just…everything. It always feels like something awful is about to happen at any moment. I’ve always struggled with it, but it’s gotten worse this past year.”

That put a strange expression on Soren’s face. “Why this past year?”

Gabe gave him an “are you kidding?” face. “Because something awful did happen. I was attacked. Danny was kidnapped. He almost died. He kind of did, in a way.”

Gabe could still remember the shock, the gut-wrenching loss . Having to hear from Roman and Soren that Danny had been hurt beyond healing, turned into something other . That he and Gabe were somehow no longer the same species. That his little brother was forever changed.

Soren pushed Gabe lightly until he was sitting up, the vampire leaning back until they were face-to-face. “Danny’s fine ,” he said firmly.

Gabe tried not to panic at the loss of Soren’s touch. “Danny’s not human anymore though.”

Soren glared at him. “ I’m not human.”

Gabe was putting his foot in his mouth in all sorts of ways. “That’s not— I’m not— It’s just a little freaky, okay?”

Soren arched a pale brow. “Why is it, as you say, freaky ?”

Gabe ran a hand through his own curls roughly, frustrated with himself.

“You know what makes me feel less scared? Knowing things. Knowing how things work . Knowing how bodies work is how I’m able to fix them.

It’s how I make a living. Vampires were never part of that equation. I have no idea how your body works.”

Soren smirked at him. “You want to know how my body works, Highness?”

Gabe ignored the innuendo. “What if something happens to Danny? I won’t be able to fix it.”

Soren’s eyes softened in realization. “Danny is much, much stronger now than when he was human, Highness. He’s not in any danger. There’s nothing for you to fix.”

Gabe had nothing to say to that.

Soren was right, even if Gabe didn’t like to admit it. Danny was going to live years— centuries —longer than Gabe could even dream of. His brother didn’t need his protection.

Not that Gabe had ever been good at protecting Danny anyway.

He sighed, grumbling to himself, but he leaned his head back onto Soren’s shoulder, pleased when Soren didn’t push him away. He grabbed at Soren’s hand and placed it back on his head, and Soren resumed his petting.

Gabe let out another deep breath, melting back into Soren’s touch. He felt…lighter somehow. Was this how everyone felt, opening up about their feelings all the time? It was kind of awesome.

Or maybe it was just Soren that made it that way.

They watched Soren’s stupid show for a while, Gabe only half-aware of what was on the television.

“What do you want out of life, Highness?” Soren asked out of nowhere.

“I don’t know. What everyone wants, I guess. To be happy. Just not sure I know how.” The truth of that slipped easily out of Gabe’s lips, in his relaxed state.

Soren hummed. “Maybe you should stop being such a stick in the mud all the time. Fun can make people happy.”

“Did it make you happy, all these years?”

“I thought so. For a long time.” Soren sounded thoughtful. And a little sad.

Gabe sat up. “I can be fun.” He lunged, digging his fingers into Soren’s ribs.

Soren just stared at him, unimpressed, while Gabe ran his fingers along every would-be ticklish spot he could find. “What are you doing, human?”

“Huh.” Gabe sat back, eyeing the vampire. “That used to work on Danny.”

Soren huffed. “I’m not your brother.”

“Good thing, huh?” Gabe grinned. He went back to his cuddling position, this time with his head in Soren’s lap.

He inhaled the vampire’s comforting scent, allowing it to relax his muscles even more.

There was a low-level arousal humming through his body, at Soren’s smell and his nearness, but he chose to ignore it.

Maybe he and Soren would get each other off before he left for work, but Gabe liked this part of it too. When the flirty, teasing vampire let Gabe be soft and needy.

Gabe was apparently turning into a cuddle slut in his thirties. It was weird; he’d never been one before.

Breathing in deeply, Gabe had a thought. “I haven’t seen you smoke.”

Soren’s petting paused again. “Is that so?”

“You were smoking the first night I met you,” Gabe pointed out.

Soren hummed that noncommittal hum he loved. “Flattered you remember.”

There was an extended pause.

“Soren,” Gabe pressed.

“Yes?” Soren asked innocently.

“Why did you stop?”

Soren huffed. “Well, you don’t like the smell, do you?”

Gabe didn’t know what to do with that information. Soren had stopped because Gabe didn’t like it?

“Do you like Hyde Park?” he found himself asking. It suddenly seemed very important to know.

Soren was silent for so long Gabe thought he wouldn’t answer. “Not particularly.”

“Oh.”

Soren cleared his throat, his hand lifting off Gabe’s head. “I probably— I can’t— I’ll most likely move on soon enough.”

Gabe nodded to himself. That made sense.