Page 100

Dane

D ane and Fox waited until Colin drifted off—wiped clean and tucked under the covers, despite his grumbling at their so-called fussing—before sharing a glance and rising from the bed. They tossed on their clothes in silence and made their way to the front porch.

Dane needed time to come back down to earth. Because fuck, how was he supposed to function in any normal way after what had just happened? After having Colin’s inexperienced, eager mouth on him, taking whatever Dane gave him with enthusiastic moans, all the while writhing on Fox’s relentless cock?

Was Dane supposed to go on living as usual, acting like it wasn’t the single hottest experience of his life? That long, slender throat, stretched out just for him, that lithe body on display, that willingness to let both of them use him however they wanted.

And then, of course, there had been that sweet little “hi” when they’d been lying on the bed before the madness, that softness Colin only let show at the most intimate moments.

Had anyone else seen that side of him? The rare glimpses of what lay underneath when he let his guard down? His dad maybe? Some lucky ex-boyfriend skulking in his past?

And why did that thought make Dane want to murder someone?

“Earth to Dane.”

Dane did his best to focus his eyes. He and Fox had settled on the porch swing at some point without him realizing, each stretched out in their opposite corner.

It was their usual haunt for late-night discussions.

Of course, the sun had barely set, so Dane didn’t really think this fit anyone’s definition of “late-night.” Should they have let Colin drift off so early?

His sleep schedule was already wonky enough that it was concerning.

Or maybe he needed whatever rest he could get, no matter the time.

“I said, Earth to Dane .”

Dane finally looked to his brother, who was somehow managing to look both irritated and ridiculously smug at the same time. Such an annoying expression for Dane to see on a mirror image of his own face.

The smugness took over the irritation as Fox realized he finally had his attention. “Sucked your brain right out your dick, did he?”

Dane wrinkled his nose. “Crass.”

“I’m always crass.” Fox waggled his brows like some stupid caricature of a lecher. “Colin likes it.”

“Does he?” Dane didn’t know why he was even arguing the point. Colin clearly did, if for no other reason than because it gave him an excuse to tell Fox he was an idiot. But the smugness radiating off his brother was making him surly.

Fox didn’t rise to the bait, only gave his brows one more waggle for good measure before settling into a more serious expression. “So you didn’t find him?”

Down to business, then.

Dane planted a foot and pushed, setting the swing into motion. “Lost his scent at the edge of town. If it’s him at all, and not some other random vampire lurking around.”

They’d seen it often enough over the years: rogue vampires coming into town to take advantage of the unpopulated desert areas and proximity to the border to drain victims with impunity.

Sometimes they were feral; sometimes they were just assholes who saw vampirism as an excuse to lose all morals.

For the last two decades, Fox and Dane had taken it upon themselves to put a stop to it when they found it.

Of course, now that Luc and Jamie had taken up residence (Jamie having the gall to claim seniority in the territory based on his twenty-three human years in Tucson), they did their own part, aided by Jamie’s freaky little ability to see glimpses of the present and future—an ability he’d been honing in his vampire state.

“We should probably check in with the two assholes,” Fox mused, uncannily reflecting the direction Dane’s thoughts had wandered to.

Dane glanced at his brother, surprised. It wasn’t like Fox to suggest cooperation.

“They’ll want to know we caught a strange vampire scent. Maybe you and Jamie can compare notes or something. Plus…” Fox glanced to the side, pretending to be fascinated by a group of thirtysomethings wandering by. “Colin’s friends with the green-haired punk, remember?”

“And you want Colin’s friend to, what, approve of you?”

Fox shrugged, giving a nod to one of the passersby.

Dane gaped at him. “Oh my fucking God.”

“What?”

“You want to keep him.”

Fox met the accusation with a level stare. “And you don’t?”

Dane didn’t know what to say. He’d already known, hadn’t he?

He’d been feeling it through the bond: Fox didn’t just lust after Colin; he yearned .

There was possessiveness, delight, affection, every single time he looked at the human.

Reflections of Dane’s own growing feelings, if he wanted to be truthful with himself.

Reflections of his devil’s obsessive grumblings every time Colin was near (or far, for that matter).

He settled for the truth, even knowing Fox wasn’t going to want to hear it. “We can’t , Fox.”

“Why the fuck not?”

Dane clenched his jaw, frustrated his brother was making him say it. “The same reason as always. We’re already bonded. If we were to turn him…” He kicked at the ground again, setting the swing into a more violent motion than he’d intended. “There’s just no guarantee.”

“Life is full of uncertainties.”

Dane bared his teeth at him. “Oh yeah? You wanna watch him mate with someone else?”

The growl Fox let out matched the growl of the devil in Dane’s head. “He wouldn’t. He’s ours .”

“Except he isn’t,” Dane argued, hating every word that was coming out of his own mouth. “He’s a random human who showed up on our doorstep, looking to flirt with danger.”

Fox let out a noise of disgust. “You don’t actually feel that way.”

“Feelings don’t matter. I’m talking facts.”

Fox leaned toward Dane, planting both feet on the ground, halting the swing midmotion. “There’s something here,” he insisted. “Something real. Who says you can’t have more than one mate? That you can’t bond with more than one person?”

Dane couldn’t meet his eyes, the intensity in them too much for him to bear. “I’ve never heard of it,” he muttered.

“Lots of vampires haven’t heard of the kind of bond we have either.”

Dane let out a bitter laugh. “So freaks either way, huh?”

He started as Fox grabbed his wrist. “When will you stop giving a shit, Dane? So we’re freaks.” He squeezed. Hard. “Who the fuck cares . Do you want to be freaks with Colin or without him? Because he doesn’t—he says there are different kinds of intimacy, different kinds of love. He gets it.”

Of course Colin got it. He’d been nothing but accepting of them from the beginning. He was curious but never judgmental, the opposite in every way of the dicks they’d lived with when they were newly turned.

But acceptance wasn’t everything.

Dane gripped Fox’s wrist in turn. “And what if we’re wrong, huh? What if he’s not ours? What if we have to watch him leave?”

“Have some faith,” Fox pleaded, a desperate look in his eyes.

Dane swore under his breath. He could feel his resolve weakening. Still… “Maybe he doesn’t want to turn, have you thought of that?”

Fox’s tense features softened as he sensed Dane’s capitulation.

“Are you kidding me?” He let out a laugh.

“He sought us out, without ever having seen us, because his friend told him offhand there were vampires in town. He wants more . He’s looking to turn, whether he knows it or not. It won’t take much convincing.”

“I don’t want to convince him.” Dane held up a hand, halting Fox’s protest. “Not when we don’t know for sure what we’re offering him. He needs to ask himself. Unprompted, uncoerced. It needs to be his idea.”

“It’s a deal, then.” There was a manic gleam in Fox’s eyes. “If he asks, we turn him.”

“Really?” Dane arched his brows. “A deal with the devil, Fox?”

“Why not?” Fox’s grin was a wicked thing. “The first one worked out for us so well.”

Dane shivered uncontrollably, despite his many layers and the bright sun beating down on the little patch of park grass they’d set themselves up on.

He couldn’t control the trembling any more than the dry, racking cough, although he’d been trying all morning with the latter. But the choked, strangled noises he made when he tried to suppress it only caused Fox’s brow to furrow even deeper with concern, so Dane had given up.

Speaking of…

Dane doubled over, the force of his cough wrenching through his body, making every ache and pain in his muscles let themselves be known several times over.

“F-Fuck,” he stammered once it was over.

Fox’s hand landed on his shoulder with a strong grip. “Dane…”

“No hospital,” Dane said as firmly as he could, already anticipating what Fox was going to say.

They’d tried it already. He’d been sent back out with antibiotics, a turkey sandwich, and a bill they had neither the intention nor the means to pay. And in the end, it hadn’t helped any.

Plus, he hated the shitty fluorescent lighting.

“No shelter either,” he grumbled, knowing already where Fox would go with his demands next.

He might have been freezing on the inside, but it was plenty warm enough to sleep outside, and that was where he’d rather be. Somewhere he didn’t have to worry about his ridiculous fucking cough keeping everybody else up at night.

Well, anyone other than Fox, but there was no way in hell he was leaving Dane’s side, no matter how much sleep Dane cost him, so it wasn’t worth bringing up, was it?

The warm weight of Fox’s hand settled on his cheek, pulling Dane’s eyes to his.

Identical eyes, or at least they should have been, except Dane knew his own were glassy and red-rimmed from fever.

That wasn’t the only difference between them anymore either.

Dane’s skin had grown pale and dull, and he was pretty sure he’d lost a fair amount of muscle, what with how he hadn’t been able to keep anything down the past few days. Or had it been weeks?

Either way, he knew it wasn’t a good sign.

None of it was a good sign. It all pointed to a bad end for him.