Page 28 of In the Dark

“Why? Come on. Tell me why I can’t tell my dad?”

“You know we live longer than humans. Centuries to your decades. Now we’ve mated, you have enhanced longevity. You won’t age and he’ll notice. You have to disappear from his life.”

“And you can get fucked.” Key surged up and paced the floor. “I’m not going to grow old? That’s great, but I have to leave my dad and never see him again? No chance that’s happening. I will tell him. I’m not going to leave him and watch him grow older and then die on his own, thinking he’s lost his only child. We watched Mom die and I won’t do that to him, so you need to figure this out or I walk.” Key moved closer to Kelvin and held his thumb and finger an inch apart. “I’m this close to bailing now, so stop with this bullshit.”

“I can’t change the laws,” Kelvin practically shouted.

“You’ve already broken a pretty fucking important one. What’s one more going to do?”

Kelvin glared at him, then dropped his face into his hands. Key felt a split second of guilt, then trampled the emotion down. Kelvin lifted his head and stared at him. “We will be arrested. I will be placed in solitary confinement as punishment and you will disappear. They won’t kill you, since I would also die, unless they decide what I’ve done merits our execution, and from whatI know of our history in dealing with this, that is what they did. If they find out, we’re both dead.”

“I’m so happy to know that. Gee, thanks for telling me. I kinda guessed it would be something like that, but having it spelled out to me is like all my dreams coming true. Thank you. I really mean it. Thanks for letting me know… I’m going to be fucking executed because you couldn’t keep your fangs to yourself!” Key shouted the last part, then spun on the spot, his hands tugging at his hair. “This is fucking fantastic! I’m overwhelmed at how great this is.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Will you stop apologizing?” Key hissed, pointing a finger at him. “It’s done and we’re screwed.”

“Well, you know we could—”

“Do you want a kick in the nuts? Are you for real, suggesting sex right now?”

“We could work out our aggression?” Kelvin grunted when Key punched him. “I take it that’s a no?”

“You know what? Why don’t we? Drop your jeans and let me fuck you.”

Kelvin stood and did what Key asked, and within seconds, Key was staring at Kelvin’s bare ass. He shook his head and took a step back, but could feel his body reacting to what he could see. “What the…?”

“If it will make you feel better, then use me.”

Key almost choked. “Why would I do that?”

Standing, Kelvin pulled his jeans and boxers up and faced Key. “I put us in this position. I will do whatever I need to do to make it up to you.”

“But this?” Key waved a hand at Kelvin. “This isn’t it… shit…” Key closed his eyes, breathing deeply. Yes, this was a bad situation, but Kelvin also faced the same reality if they were found out. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I did get us into this, so I am the one to blame. You have a right to be angry.”

Sitting on the bed, Key didn’t resist the urge to lean into Kelvin when he sat next to him. This was what he wanted to do, and he wasn’t going to fight that feeling then. He needed it. “So, Gray will come and take care of things here. Make it safer.”

“He will, but I’m not sure how long we can stay.”

“What will happen when you go back? Will you have to avoid everyone?”

“I could, or I could challenge the law. No one has done that in so long I can’t even remember.”

“Scary place to be.”

“For both of us.” Kelvin chuckled softly. “I wasn’t going to come to you, but the thought of watching you find someone else, start a life with them, hurt. You’re my mate, the most important person in my life, and I couldn’t have you. I struggled to accept that.”

“And here we are.”

“We are. I thought I could be near you and resist the urge to mate, but I was wrong. Clearly.” Kelvin gave Key a soft smile once he returned. Now that his anger was dissipating, he could feel the bond between them. It was a strange sensation, like a murmur in the back of his head, a presence that wasn’t just him.

He could almost detect Kelvin’s emotions, but they were like whispers in the woods and Key couldn’t quite feel them. He closed his eyes and sighed. When Kelvin put his arm around his shoulders, Key didn’t push it away. For a moment, he needed Kelvin to take his weight while he adjusted.

“What now?”

“Like I said, Gray will come and work his magic and then somehow I need to come up with a plan that allows us both to live and deal with Maxim.”

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