Page 13 of In the Dark

Gray hummed. “We could beef that up for his apartment. Extra locks on the doors and window and motion sensors inside, or you could say fuck it to the laws and mate him.”

“And where would that get us?” Kelvin thought about mating Key. Of course he had. This man was the one person meant for him and he wanted Key in his life for as long as possible, but to break the laws? He couldn’t risk what would happen to Key if he did that. He would rather die than lose Key.

“I know, but some laws are meant to be broken and some are out of date and need to be removed all together. Mating being one of them. We aren’t those vampires anymore, and most of us weren’t those to begin with. A subset of vampires forced us to make those laws to protect humans, and here we are now. How many vampires have walked away from their mate because they’re human? How many have had to watch their mate grow old and die? How many mourn someone none of us know about because they can’t reveal their mate was human?”

“Gray,” Kelvin murmured.

“Not me personally, but someone I knew. She isn’t with us now.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It was a long time ago, and I wasn’t surprised when she did what she did. She suffered after her mate passed. She loved him and watched him die, knowing he would be alive if it wasn’t for the law. I don’t want you to go through that.”

“I’ll think about it.” Gray rarely spoke about his private life, so for him to reveal this meant it was personal and had deeply affected him.

“Do that. Now, I can arrange all the extra security to be installed, but he has to agree to it or it won’t happen. I won’t do something if Key doesn’t agree.”

“Understood. I’ll ask him when I wake him up. He needs his pain meds soon, and I have to check him for a concussion.”

“Maxim is crawling out of the dark. If he’s willing to attack a mate, then there is something happening we don’t know about.”

“You think he might be preparing an attack of some sort?”

“When it comes to Maxim, I like to keep all options open. You never know what that fucker is up to or what he’s planning. He was always a devious little shit. Got that from his dad before the bastard was removed.”

“And he’s just like his dad. Wonder if the son will turn out the same way.”

“How does the saying go? The apple never falls far from the tree, or something similar.”

Kelvin grunted in agreement, watching a grimace flash across Key’s face before he settled. He needed to wake him and check him out. “I have to go and wake Key. Let me know if you see anything else.”

“Will do.”

Kelvin hung up and stood, getting a glass from the kitchen and filling it with water. He grabbed the pain meds and walked back to Key, seeing his face screw up in pain again. He sat next to the sofa, placing the items on the floor next to him, and gently shook Key. Key grumbled and turned away.

“Key. Wake up.”

“Don’t wanna. Hurt.”

“I know you do. I have some pain meds for you.”

Key blinked his cobalt blue eyes open and then squeezed them shut. “You.”

“Do you remember what we talked about?” Kelvin wasn’t entirely sure if he wanted Key to remember or not. When Key didn’t respond, Kelvin shook him again and waited.

“No, and stop shaking me.”

“I need you to take these pills and let me check you over.”

“Why?” Key went to turn away and hissed. “Shit.”

“Yeah, it hurts, which is why you need to take these.”

“Who was he? I remember someone hitting me. Was it you?” Key tried to sit up and Kelvin reached out to offer support, but Key reeled away, his eyes wide. “No. I chased him away.”

Key didn’t relax or take his eyes off Kelvin, even when he winced in pain. Kelvin lifted the glass of water up and held the pills in his hand. Key looked at them and took them off Kelvin, checking the pills before swallowing them. He grimaced, then handed the glass back to Kelvin.

“Did you see who it was? Do you know him?”

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