Page 24 of All Night Long

Gray shoved his face close to Henry’s. “You will stay here.”

“Oh, will I now? Who the fuck are you to dictate to me what the hell I can and can’t do? You are no one. Nothing. I decide my life, not you. This whole mate thing isn’t going to work. I want out. Figure out how to end this.”

“Don’t you think I’ve already tried? Would I be here putting up with you if I had found a way to get rid of you?”

“Oh yeah. The warm and fuzzy feeling you’re giving me is growing. How will I cope without you near me?” Henry shoved Gray back. “Easily! Get out and never come back. See how easy that is? Problem solved.”

“Small problem there, mate,” Gray spat. “You die if I stay away too long and then I could die too and I like living, so I’ll do the bare minimum to keep us going and that will include us fucking.” Gray looked Henry up and down. “We both know you like it when I fuck you.”

“And I’m not denying that, but that doesn’t change the fact that I don’t like you. If this mating thing hadn’t happened, we wouldn’t have seen each other again, let alone fucked.”

Gray nodded. “We can’t change it, can we? We’re both stuck with each other. I’ll be back tomorrow. Don’t fuck any man.” Gray disappeared and Henry stomped right out of his apartment, then stopped. He wasn’t in the mood now, so he turned around and went back inside.

Sitting on his sofa, Henry stared at the wall opposite. Just his luck he’d end up with a man, no, vampire, who he was destined to spend the rest of his life with, and they couldn’t stand each other. They had to work this out because if Henry was going to live a long life, he didn’t want it to be like this every time they met.

It would wear him down and probably have the same effect on Gray as well.

They had to find something in common, something they could build this weird relationship on. If only Henry knew someone who had gone through something like this. Didn’t Gray mention another human mate? Maybe Henry could talk to him and figure shit out. Would Gray let him talk to this other human?

Closing his eyes, Henry sighed. His life was changing, and he had no option but to go along with it. If Gray had been just a man, maybe he could have walked away, but having been ill because Gray hadn’t been around made it apparent Henry couldn’t do the same here.

They were both stuck.

Chapter Eleven

“How does the mating go?” Hugo asked as he sat on Gray’s sofa.

“Just fucking peachy.”

“Have you spoken to Kelvin or Key? They could help, you know.”

“Nope and nope. Not gonna happen. I’ve said all I intend to say. We’re gonna see each other when we have to and that’s it.”

“That’s it?” Hugo raised his eyebrows. “What about sex?”

“When I feel the itch to fuck, I’ll go to him.” He didn’t want to discuss this with Hugo, but the fucker wouldn’t leave. If he didn’t leave in the next five minutes, then Gray would, even though they were sitting in his apartment.

“I’m sure he feels all warm inside, knowing he’s a hole for you to fuck.”

“It’s me or his hand. I told him he couldn’t fuck anyone else.” Gray ground his teeth together, thinking about the fact Henry had slept with Jess after they’d mated.

“And how did he take that?”

Gray shrugged. “Like I fucking care. He’ll do as he’s told. He’s my mate and that’s it.” Grinding his teeth together, Gray inhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring.

“I bet he felt all warm and cozy inside as you ordered him around.”

“Would you accept your mate sleeping around?”

Hugo leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “No, but I wouldn’t treat my mate like dogshit either, which is what you’re doing here. You’re the one in charge. You’re the one who lays down the law. Your mate has no choice but to agree to whatever you want. Some partnership that is, and he’ll know it too.”

“Well, we’re both stuck, aren’t we? The whole ‘dying without each other’ thing means we have no choice.” Gray rubbed his jaw. “Maybe there is a way to break it?” he murmured.

“Hmm. Is that what you want? Ask yourself the question honestly. He’s your mate, the one who is meant just for you. You’ve seen how other mates are together, haven’t you? The connection they share, the obvious bond between them, the way they look at each other. You’re willing to walk away from that over something he can’t change? He’s human. He will always be human, just like you’ll always be a vampire.”

“Are we talking about this again?” Kai asked as he appeared in Gray’s living room. “Still struggling?”

Grunting, Gray muttered, “What do you think?”

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