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Danny smiled wide. “Well that’s…that’s awesome ,” he said, seemingly genuine.

“We’re both vampires now. I won’t lose you.

We could even all live together.” His eyes widened.

“Ohhh! We’ll be our own den. A not-shitty one.

We’ll live and work when we want, and when it’s too obvious we’re not aging, we’ll find somewhere new to call home. ”

Oh, Danny. He was a fucking treasure, embracing this major change with the same ease and enthusiasm with which he’d accepted the existence of vampires in the first place.

Soren could feel Gabe’s pleasure at Danny’s words, but his mate stayed silent.

Soren sensed he was a little overwhelmed by his brother’s acceptance.

Danny’s smile dropped, a thoughtful frown taking over. “Um, that is…if you want to? Or maybe you two want to go off on your own?” He looked over to Roman for reassurance, clearly no longer sure of himself.

Soren glanced at Gabe, who was looking back at him. Soren squeezed his mate’s hand, a wordless message. “We’ll stay,” Gabe said firmly. “I want to stay. We’re a family. Right?”

“Right.” Danny nodded sharply, then smiled happily, first at his brother, then at Roman, surreptitiously brushing tears from his eyes that everyone pretended not to notice.

The joy Danny clearly felt at having his brother for an eternity seemed to do wonders to soften Roman’s anger at Soren. His friend relaxed for the first time since their return, running a hand along his mate’s back.

Gabe coughed. “Um. I’m kind of…kind of hungry?”

Oh. Duh. It was astonishing actually, that Gabe hadn’t fed yet, hadn’t been driven mindless with the need for blood.

But Soren remembered something like this with Danny.

It seemed like vampires who turned with a mate bond already forming were a different breed—less ruled by a thirst for blood, more driven by the bond itself.

It lent them a… stability new vampires usually lacked.

Danny sighed ruefully. “I guess it’s time for some more hospital theft.”

Danny had started with blood bags when he turned, to ensure he didn’t go overboard drinking too much from any human victim in his newbie-vampire zeal. It may have been an unnecessary precaution, but clearly he wasn’t willing to take the risk with Gabe either.

Danny looked to Gabe. “We could go to the hospital together? I can help with any compulsion we might need.”

Gabe nodded, but his hand tightened around Soren’s.

His mate was feeling a little nervous to be alone with his brother.

Soren understood. Their relationship was a complicated one, both strong and fragile at the same time.

Their love for each other was undeniable, but past hurts and misunderstandings left them occasionally ill at ease with each other.

But the two of them had time—endless time, now—to figure it out. Soren squeezed Gabe’s hand in reassurance. “Go,” he told him. “I’ll be waiting here.”

He watched his mate leave with his brother.

And then it was Soren, Roman, and Jay. And an awkward silence, broken only by Ferdy sniffing around under the kitchen table. Jay looked down, smiling at the puppy. “Hello, dog,” he said. “Would you like me to take you out?”

Jay clearly hadn’t learned to talk to pets any more normally in the past week.

Roman glared at him, Jay blanching at the look. “Um…if that’s okay with you?” he asked timidly.

Roman eyed him warily, taking in the way Ferdy was gazing up at the little vampire in adoration, tail thumping.

“He’s taken him out before,” Soren reassured his friend. “Ferdy likes him. Your dog’s a bit of a slut, honestly.”

Roman turned his glare to Soren. So touchy . And okay, yeah, maybe he hadn’t fully forgiven Soren; that much was clear.

Jay fetched Ferdy’s leash, more than happy to leave the tense atmosphere of the kitchen.

And then there were two.

Soren and Roman sat in silence for a long moment. Soren took a sip of his cold tea, slurping obnoxiously, wondering if he could antagonize Roman out of his silence without saying the first words.

It worked beautifully. “You should have told me,” Roman accused, those bright-blue eyes locked unwaveringly on Soren’s.

The guy was not one to shy away from eye contact; that was for sure.

“It was my past,” Soren said mildly. “My decision.”

“Did you not trust me to help you?” Roman asked, more sadness than anger in his tone. “I trusted you to help me . Many times.”

Soren ran a finger along the rim of his mug. “It wasn’t like that.”

“Explain.”

“Rome. What happened to you with Luc was…painful. I know that. I’m not minimizing it. But what happened to me was different. I was treated like—like property . For centuries. It messes with your sense of self. To be told you exist at someone else’s pleasure. A plaything.”

Roman frowned but nodded at him to continue.

“I didn’t want you to get hurt helping me.

Hendrick had…people. Other vampires who could have killed you.

Would have killed you. And I thought it was— I don’t know.

I thought it was okay. To suffer periodically.

If it meant living life the way I wanted.

I thought I could wash away the bad with enough pleasure.

With enough fun. I didn’t think I was worth taking a stand for. ”

“Ah. Mon ami. No,” Roman protested. “You are worth—”

Soren held up a hand. “I know logically that was wrong. But it took something…big to wake me up to it.”

Roman raised a dark brow. “The brother.”

“I know you hold a grudge against him because of your precious Danny…”

“I do not think Gabe is a bad person,” Roman protested. “Just…stubborn. Pigheaded, if you will. But he has changed for you. Quite literally.”

Soren tried not to look smug. He really did.

Roman smiled sadly at him. “I am sorry I could not help you before. When you needed it.”

“Yeah, well.” Soren shrugged. “I just don’t want you thinking any differently about me. That I’m not a badass.”

“But I never thought you were a bad ass.” Roman said it like two distinct words.

“Liar! I’m intimidating as hell.”

Roman grinned, white teeth flashing. “You are.” He raised his mug, his grin dropping. “I do not think less of you. We are more than our pasts, yes?”

Soren raised his own mug, and they toasted with their cold, nasty tea. “To being more than our pasts.”

They sipped in unison. “I killed him,” Soren found himself saying, an echo of his earlier words to Gabe.

Roman nodded, expression neutral. “You did.”

Soren fiddled with his mug. “You spared Luc.”

“I did.” Roman tilted his head, studying Soren. “Not everyone is redeemable, mon ami. We both know that.”

Soren felt something release in his chest. Gabe’s acceptance of it was one thing, but Soren’s mate was seeing the whole situation through love-colored glasses. Roman’s easy understanding went a long way toward assuaging Soren’s guilt.

“I am happy for you, you know,” Roman said. “You found your person. Even if it is a bit…incestuous?”

Soren glared. “He’s not my brother.”

Roman laughed. He did that a lot more these days, now that he had Danny. Soren refused to be charmed by it. He threw the wrapper from his packet of tea at the other vampire.

Insufferable creature.

But it felt good, having Roman and Danny back. Soren was home. With his friends.

With his family .