Page 57

That made perfect sense.

But the warm relaxation that had been building in Gabe cooled in an instant. The knot in his stomach was back in full force.

Still, he couldn’t bring himself to leave the couch. He wanted to keep touching Soren. Wanted to keep feeling this good.

Even if it wouldn’t last.

Gabe sighed, tilting his head to one side, then the other, trying to work out the kink in his neck.

He was close to done putting in orders for the patient he’d just visited.

He was hoping they’d be able to get the breathing tube out by morning.

When he’d told her, she’d had tears of relief in her eyes—it was painful, being on a breathing machine when you were awake enough to be aware of it.

She had grabbed Gabe’s hand in gratitude, and it had taken everything in him not to shed some tears himself.

He was a little…extra emotional lately. As if his new habit of opening up to Soren had released something inside him.

When Gabe’s dad had died, the medical staff were the only people who had been any source of calm in the storm, the only ones who had seemed to have any sort of control over the situation.

His mom had been too out of it. Danny had been too young.

And Gabe had been…lost. Too old to have a meltdown the way he wanted, too young to have any idea what was really going on.

When a doctor had taken them aside and explained his dad’s injuries, Gabe had been so grateful that here was an adult , someone competent and capable and in charge.

Gabe hadn’t gone into medicine for the same pure reasons Danny had gone into nursing. Gabe didn’t have the compulsion his brother had to save everyone, to care for everyone. Gabe had just… He’d wanted to be that person. The competent, capable adult. The one with the answers, for once.

He’d wanted the world to make sense. To cover his messy emotions with his own version of proficient authority.

But somewhere along the way, he’d come to like being a source of comfort for people.

Most patients didn’t care that Gabe wasn’t naturally warm and fuzzy—his skill set in and of itself made them feel safe.

He was just finishing up his notes when a familiar figure filled the doorway of the dictation room.

“How’s it going in here?”

Gabe looked up, trying to hide his annoyance. “Monroe. What are you doing working tonight?”

All the ICU fellows had to work night shift at some point, but Monroe’s and Gabe’s schedules didn’t usually overlap. A fact for which Gabe was very grateful.

Monroe dropped into the chair next to him. “Filling in for Dr. Birch. Lucky you, huh?”

“Mm.” Gabe turned his eyes back to his computer. He wanted to get all his notes and charting done. He didn’t want to run late today. He wanted to get back home and…sleep.

Hell, who was he kidding?

He wanted to get back home to the little monster. Somehow Soren had become the highlight of his day. Not just because he could make Gabe come with a force that had his eyes rolling to the back of his head either.

Gabe had friends, sure. At least, sort of.

He had…acquaintances. Superficial bonds with people he’d known since high school.

But none that he opened up to about deep, emotional stuff.

The last person probably would have been his ex-girlfriend, a woman he’d dated briefly during residency, but any moments of vulnerability from him had seemed to turn her off more than anything.

As if she expected Gabe to be the strong one and hated if he fell out of that role.

And Danny… Danny had enough he’d been dealing with—partly because of Gabe and his denial over their mom—he didn’t need Gabe dumping his own shit on him too.

But Soren listened. He comforted. He teased a little, yes. But he didn’t make Gabe feel lesser just for having feelings.

“I saw your friend the other night.” Monroe’s too-smooth voice broke through Gabe’s thoughts.

“Which friend?” Gabe asked without interest.

“The pretty blond one.” That got Gabe’s attention. “Soren. He’s a wild one, eh?” Monroe waggled his eyebrows.

“Yeah, he’s a riot.” Gabe’s stomach churned at the implication in Monroe’s words. When had this been? He didn’t want to give Monroe the satisfaction of asking any follow-up questions.

It didn’t make sense. He and Soren had been staying in together on all Gabe’s nights off.

Except… Gabe had worked the night before.

Had Soren gone off and, what…fucked Monroe?

Gabe tried to curb his rage at the thought, spots flashing in his vision. Soren was a vampire. He had to feed. Gabe knew that. And if vamps mixed sex and blood, it only made sense.

Then why did the thought make Gabe so miserable?

He tried to make himself take a full breath. He was jumping to conclusions; he knew that.

“You’ve hit that?” Monroe didn’t seem to realize how close he was coming to getting decked in the face. “Didn’t mean to step on your toes, man. He was desperate for it though. Little minx.”

Well, never mind the whole “jumping to conclusions” thing. Gabe logged out of his computer, leaving the room without another word, ignoring Monroe’s calls behind him. His orders were in. His notes could wait.

He needed to get home. He needed answers.

Gabe tried his best to get his emotions under control on the drive to Danny’s, but his hands were clenching on the steering wheel hard enough to hurt.

He knew he was being unreasonable. He and Soren weren’t anything to each other. Temporary roommates who’d taken to getting each other off. And Soren wasn’t even human, for fuck’s sake. He probably had no concept of fidelity, monogamy.

Roman worships the ground Danny walks on. Gabe pushed the unhelpful thought aside. Roman and Danny were mates. Tethered souls. Gabe was just…convenient for Soren.

So what if Soren was nice to him? So what if holding Soren on the couch made the tight ball of anxiety ever-present in Gabe’s stomach suddenly melt away?

Gabe slammed the front door on his way into the house.

So much for getting his emotions under control.

He found Soren settled on the couch with Ferdy. He was…crocheting? Gabe refused to find that adorable. Who knew where Soren had been before this? Maybe he’d tired himself out banging random dudes at the club.

Jesus. Gabe was disgusted by his own thoughts. He’d never been a jealous person before. He didn’t understand this monster that was suddenly under his skin.

“What’s wrong?” Soren eyed him and his clenched jaw, his own welcoming grin dropping.

“Nothing,” Gabe gritted out.

Soren rolled his yes. “I highly doubt that, Highness. You look like you’re about to punch someone.”

“I’m fine.”

Soren tsked. “Liar.”

“Why is it any of your business anyway?” Gabe knew he was putting his foot in his mouth, but as always happened when he was overwhelmed, he couldn’t seem to stop.

“I guess it’s not.” Soren’s voice had gone cold.

Fuck . Gabe was fucking everything up. “When did you last feed?”

Soren raised a brow at him. “A week ago.”

“Did you feed from Monroe?”

“Ah, I see.” Soren’s gaze shuttered. “You’re pissed the monster fed from your friend? I didn’t hurt him, Scout’s honor.”

Gabe felt like someone had just knifed him in the chest. “But did you fuck him?”

Soren’s eyes widened at the accusation. Weirdly enough, the vampire…grinned.

“Interesting…,” Soren murmured. He took his time setting down his crochet hook, tilting his head to the side and studying Gabe intently. “Very interesting.”

“Did you?” Gabe asked again. He couldn’t help it. He needed to know .

Soren rose slowly from his seated position. Considering how much smaller he was than Gabe, the move shouldn’t have been intimidating, but it was.

“You’re jealous.” Soren approached Gabe with a shark’s grin on his lips. “How silly of you.”

Gabe ran a shaky hand through his hair. “I just think, if you’re going to fuck around, you should at least have the decency to stay away from my coworkers.”

Never mind the fact that he and Soren hadn’t even been hooking up yet a week ago. Gabe’s mouth was running entirely separate from his brain.

“You’re going to shut up now,” Soren ordered calmly. He was still grinning, the little lunatic. His body was right up against Gabe now. The vampire reached a hand up, batting Gabe’s away, and slid his own fingers into Gabe’s hair, tightening his grip to pull Gabe’s head down toward him.

Gabe drew in a sharp breath at the sting.

“Do you know how many men I’ve fucked since coming to this town?” Soren asked, his voice mild.

Gabe was going to be sick. He really didn’t want to know that number.

Soren chuckled at his silence. “Zero,” he whispered into Gabe’s ear. “None. Not a one. Do you know why ?”

Gabe shook his head, or at least as much as Soren’s tight grip would allow.

Soren’s pale eyes peered into his own. “You’re not ready to know, Highness. Suffice it to say, the beast inside me—the one driven to feed and to fuck—it’s a little fixated lately. On one single idiot in particular.”

Gabe’s skin burned. His whole body was on fire. Had Soren really been celibate? Was he really saying what Gabe thought he was saying? This achingly beautiful vampire, this little psycho flirt who could have any man he wanted, only wanted Gabe?

Soren bit his earlobe with blunt teeth, and Gabe groaned, his cock swelling rapidly at the onslaught. “Apologize,” Soren demanded, biting down again.

“I’m sorry,” Gabe panted.

Soren licked around the shell of his ear, soothing the sting. “How will you make it up to me?”

“However you want.” Gabe was putty in his hands.

“I want you to fuck me, Highness.”

Jesus. Gabe was a goner. He was drowning, and Soren was both the water and the life raft.

“Yes,” he managed, leaning forward into the vampire’s hold, pressing his lips to Soren’s.

Whatever Soren wanted, Gabe would give it to him.