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Luc found his fingers flexing in his lap, almost against his will. They suddenly itched to squeeze the life out of a man he’d never met.

“I knew he was going to go,” Jamie continued in that horribly flat tone.

“I saw it in a vision before it ever happened. Even as a kid, I was pissed at him. I still am. But it’s his loss.

” Jamie’s voice deepened, harshened. “ He’s the problem.

He just…left. He couldn’t be loyal or faithful to us.

And that’s not on my mom or me. That’s on him. ”

Of course it was. Of that Luc had no doubt, taking in the sight of the young man before him—his face now flushed with righteous indignation, dark eyes shining. Who in their right mind would leave something so perfect?

For Luc, on the other hand…

“In this case, I most definitely was the problem,” Luc pointed out dryly. “Seeing as how I tried to murder my friend. More than once.”

Jamie shrugged that off as if Luc had told him he’d once snubbed Roman at a dinner party. “Don’t vampires have different rules or something? Blood and violence seem pretty entwined into your guys’ whole deal, if the stories are to be believed.”

That was the crux of it, wasn’t it? They did have different rules.

But Luc had taken even that too far. He hadn’t attacked Roman just once in a fit of rage.

He’d tried again. And when that had failed, and Roman had run, Luc had followed.

His anger had consumed him, his unstoppable rage at that supposed betrayal.

Luc would like to say the monster had taken advantage, convinced him to do all sorts of things he wouldn’t normally stoop to. But it was Luc who had wanted to punish Roman. To taunt him into some kind of reaction— any reaction besides that new cold indifference.

He’d left Luc all alone, and he hadn’t even seemed to care.

Luc tried to give his human one last chance to back out.

( As if we’d let him go , his monster taunted.) One last word of caution.

“I tormented Roman for years because he left me. I haunted him, left a trail of bodies behind me wherever I went. You could say those bodies deserved their fate, more or less. But not all my victims have. Roman’s current mate was turned by my hand, against his will.

I’m not disloyal, but I am vengeful. Vicious. Irredeemable, you might say.”

Jamie stalked closer, the books he’d been stacking left forgotten on the floor. He planted his feet wide just inches from Luc’s seated position.

Always coming closer when he should be moving further away, this human.

“The people you loved left you,” Jamie said, one hand reaching up to cup Luc’s face, ever so gently. “You got mad. I get it. You didn’t handle it well; that’s for sure. But I get it. You want promises of forever. I want the same fucking thing. Can you give me that?”

Luc kept as still as he could, not wanting to make a move that would dislodge that soft touch from his face. “What if I’m too far gone?”

Jamie finally smiled. His real smile, gorgeous and open and just for Luc. “How about you let me be the judge of that? I think your monster will play nice, if I ask him to. Won’t you, monster?”

Luc was starting to believe that. He could feel his monster fucking preening at the attention from their mate.

“My mom could hate you,” Jamie mused, running his finger along Luc’s stubble. “She won’t, but she could. But that wouldn’t be enough to change my mind. I trust my instincts, my gut. And I’ve known I was yours for years.”

Jamie didn’t mention the bodies. Did he really not care about the bodies?

“I’ll meet her,” Luc promised. “I’ll meet all of them. I’d be honored.”

“You can’t keep disappearing.” Jamie dropped his hand from Luc’s face—Luc found himself leaning forward, reaching subconsciously for that touch—and held it out in front of him, palm up.

“Give me your phone.” Luc frantically complied, and Jamie took it from him, tapping at the keys, then dug his own phone out of his pocket as it rang. “There. I have your number now.”

“How else can I make amends?” Luc would do anything his human commanded. He’d pay his penance. Flog or flay himself. Worship at Jamie’s feet.

Jamie looked him over thoughtfully. “No more holding back. You’ll stay close. You’ll touch me.”

Luc immediately grabbed Jamie’s hips with his hands. “Yes.”

“And don’t think I won’t have more questions about that mate thing you said,” Jamie cautioned. “You’ll answer them.”

Luc nodded. “Yes.”

“And I want to be seduced.”

Luc’s brain shut off for a moment.

“So far I’ve gotten this skittish, frightened version of you,” Jamie went on, apparently not caring that Luc’s brain had gone completely offline.

“I want the real thing. I want what all your other lovers and midnight snacks have gotten over the years.” Jamie shot him a slow smirk, and Luc’s cock jerked in response. “I want the Lucien seduction.”

Luc’s thumbs brushed along the soft skin of Jamie’s stomach, his human’s words filling his gut with a steady warmth.

His human wanted a seduction? Very well. Luc could give that to him.

Jamie was right—he’d been shortchanged by Luc’s cowardice. Luc had been hiding himself, holding himself too still, too steady, afraid to let the monster out. Afraid to wreck Jamie before they could begin.

But if Jamie already accepted him as he was and the monster was going to behave itself per their human’s orders…

Luc could be himself again.

Luc’s fingers tightened on Jamie’s hips. “Not in here.”

Jamie shot him the barest hint of a pout. “What’s wrong with my room?”

Luc grinned, running a tongue along his fangs, delighted at the little gasp Jamie let out at the sight. “We need to set the scene, my flower.”