Page 2 of In the Dark

Not changing the subject at all! “Yeah, beef sounds good. I’ll see you at one.”

“Bye son, and don’t get too wasted.”

“I won’t.”

“And pack condoms.”

“Gee Dad. That would have never occurred to me. Thanks for the reminder.”

“Brat. Love you.”

Key smiled. “You too, Dad.”

Hanging up, Key dropped his phone on the passenger seat and stared out of the window, watching the rain. The trails snaked down the windshield and he smiled wistfully. Maybe Charles had a point. He wasn’t getting any younger, but Key figured he had a few years left before finding someone. Or he was meant to be alone. Some men and women preferred that.

Starting the engine, Key glanced around and pulled out. As he drove away, he glanced in the rearview mirror and saw someone watching him but couldn’t see the details. Maybe it was his mysterious stalker or it could be some stranger who just happened to be there.

One day, he’d find out who his mysterious stalker was. The person who watched him but didn’t approach him. One day.

Watching the black car drive away had Kelvin Standing lowering his head. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. He could only watch over his mate. He couldn’t interact with him. Kelvin was a vampire and Key was human and they had laws in place so they couldn’t mate.

“Are you going to watch him live his life then die?”

Kelvin wanted to ignore Minho Lee, but murmured, “I don’t know what you mean.”

“He’s your mate.”

“And? We have laws in place, so what can I do? I break those laws and they’ll kill both of us. I’d rather he lived a long, happy life than have a brief one with me.”

“Some laws are meant to be broken.”

“Some laws are in place because of how we treated our mates.”

“Centuries ago.” Minho stepped forward, the light illuminating his features. His dark piercing eyes met Kelvin’s, then moved away. His tanned skin glowed, and he crouched down to move a cat sliding around his legs. “Go on,” he murmured.

The cat moved away and Minho stood. “You have a way with animals.”

Shrugging, Minho turned and watched Kelvin. “There is a way to have your mate.”

“And what is that? Challenge the laws we’ve had in place for centuries?”

“What was needed then isn’t needed now. We’ve evolved. The old ones are long dead.”

“Because we killed them.” The civil war between vampires had been brutal and bloody, leaving thousands dead. “Speaking of mates–”

“Don’t. Our situations are different.”

Kelvin heard the thread of acceptance in Minho’s voice and wanted to challenge him, but he knew he would get nowhere. Minho’s situation was different. Kelvin sighed softly and shoved his hands in the pockets of his coat. “I need to go.”

“You need to make sure he arrives home safe.”

“That too.” Kelvin shrugged, then turned to leave, but was stopped by Minho’s hand on his shoulder. “What?”

“Don’t wait too long to act. Challenges to laws have been made in the past when the laws became obsolete. This one can be challenged as well.”

“Why don’t you do it then?” Kelvin lifted his chin and stared into Minho’s dark eyes.

Minho stared back, then curled one side of his mouth up. “I’m not going to mate, so why would I challenge that particular law? You have a human mate. One you watch every day. One you follow to ensure his safety. You’re the one who is in the best position to challenge the archaic law we’ve obeyed for centuries. You, not I.”

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