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PROLOGUE

Colin

H ow exactly did it feel to be a vampire’s mate? Exciting? Terrifying? Probably terrifying, at least at first. But also…secure. Safe?

That would be Colin’s guess, watching Jay and Alexei canoodle in the middle of the deserted coffee shop.

Security and safety, to belong to someone else, wholly and completely.

To receive confirmation that true love exists, if only for those lucky enough to be selected.

To be accepted exactly as you are, no caveats.

A familiar voice broke through his musings. “Wasn’t Jay’s fifteen-minute break over, like, fifteen minutes ago?”

Colin shrugged, not bothering to spare his coworker a glance. “There’s a lull. It’s fine, Alicia.”

He could feel her eyes on him, assessing whether she wanted to poke at him some more. Eventually she flicked his shoulder dismissively, apparently deciding it wasn’t worth the effort. “All right, well, I’m off.”

“Whatever.” He brushed her hand off with a pointed scowl.

“So nice to our young man, so rude to me,” she teased, flipping her hair over her shoulder, wafting the scent of lilies his way. “Careful, your crush is showing again.”

Colin gave her a lazy middle finger as she tossed her apron into the back and walked out of the store, ruffling Jay’s dark hair on her way out.

When were people going to figure it out? It wasn’t a crush . It never had been. Colin didn’t want to date Jay, or kiss him, or look longingly into his eyes the way Alexei was doing at this very moment. Their friendship was just that: friendship. And it was more than enough.

The only issue was Colin still wanted to know .

What did it feel like, that inner vampire, what Jay called his “beastie”? Like an invasion? A threat? Or just an old friend settling in, one with ancient cravings and powers beyond what any ordinary human thought possible?

Colin had learned what he could from Jay, during the months when Jay had been feeding off him regularly, before Alexei had slunk his way into the picture.

But Jay’s experience with vampirism was…

unique. And Alexei was brand-spanking-new and disinclined to share his feelings.

To really know , Colin would need to ask others.

And while he was 90 percent sure at this point that there were others in Hyde Park, Jay wasn’t telling.

But Colin had inklings. That Soren guy Jay was friends with, for sure.

He had to be either a vampire or some kind of incubus; there was just something not quite normal about that guy’s smile.

Not that Colin was the pinnacle of normal, exactly.

He had his own ancient cravings, right? Ones he’d only discovered after his friendship with Jay.

Not to consume, but to be consumed. He missed it: the creeping pleasure, the strange discomfort, the way his body became aroused even as his brain knew there was no reason for it.

A vampire’s bite. There was nothing else like it.

But then Jay had found his mate, and that had been the end of that.

“You should have told me I was taking too long.”

Colin blinked his eyes back into focus. He hadn’t even realized Jay had left Alexei’s side. Colin’s staring had long since turned into mindless gazing at the walls. Maybe he should have tried to get more than three hours’ sleep the night before. “There’s no one here, short stack. You’re good.”

Jay’s brow furrowed as he ducked around the counter. “I’m still on the clock though! I could have been straightening pastries, or trying out a new recipe…”

Colin’s lips twitched as he held back a smile. “Your recipes are going to send someone into a diabetic coma one of these days.”

“Soren likes them.”

That was only further proof Soren wasn’t human, but Colin kept that bit to himself.

Jay made his way to the display and began poking and prodding at the pastries to get them into an even line. They were only an hour from closing the coffee shop, so it wasn’t like it needed to be done, but if the little vampire wanted to stay busy, Colin wasn’t going to stop him.

“Did you get to say goodbye to Jamie?” Jay asked, battling with a cinnamon bun that was glued in place by its own frosting.

Colin shrugged. “He sent a text. I’ll catch him next time I’m in Tucson.”

That was the other thing that had been poking insistently at Colin’s brain: Jamie.

An old friend from back home that had just happened to come to town right when some mysterious vampire drama concerning a turned kid had been happening, who just happened to know Jay already from some previous connection, who also just happened to have a new boyfriend, one with black eyes and sharp teeth.

Jamie had stopped by the coffee shop with said partner, Luc, and it had been the most obvious vampire sighting Colin could imagine. But Jamie hadn’t said a thing about it. He’d just introduced Luc like he was another average Joe, joking about his “cosplay contacts.”

Did they all think Colin was a fucking idiot?

He cleared his throat, fiddling with one of the leather bracelets adorning his wrist. “Jay…”

Jay popped his head up from the pastry case. “Yes?”

But Colin didn’t know what to ask first. Who are the others? Why won’t you tell me? Is there anyone else who might want to feed on me? Are you the only one who would accept such substandard fare? What if I tried smiling once in a while? Would they be interested then?

He kept silent, and then it was too late—his phone started buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out to see an unknown number on the screen.

Colin could let it go to voicemail. He usually did. Or he could use it as an opportunity to stop dwelling on unhelpful thoughts.

“Never mind, short stack. I gotta take this.”

Jay closed the display case, crossing over to their supply counter. “Okay. I’m going to try frothing the marshmallow fluff, see what happens.”

“You do you.” Colin strode to the back, accepting the call as he shut the door to the office. “Hello?”

“Is this Colin Adams?”

“It is.” Well, damn. He’d set himself up for a telemarketer, hadn’t he?

“This is Dr. Owens at Tucson General Hospital.” Colin’s heart started thumping in his chest. Somehow, he knew what the next words would be before they left the woman’s mouth. “It’s about your father…”