Page 29 of Roman

Roman picked up Danny’s empty plate, then turned his back to place it in the sink. He didn’t turn back around. “One day, Luc was out hunting. Victoria and I were out together driving. She liked to drive fast. At least, as fast as cars could go in those days. There was an accident. I, being what I am, was fine, but she was losing blood so quickly. Clearly dying. There was not time to get her help. I knew what I had to do, but when I went to turn her, she…begged me.”

Roman turned and looked at Danny then, eyes no longer unfocused but instead so full of regret that all Danny wanted to do was throw his arms around his vampire and tell him he didn’t have to keep going.

But Danny needed to know what they were up against. He gave Roman an encouraging nod instead.

“She begged me not to turn her,” Roman explained. “She told me she had never intended to become one of us, to turn into a killer. Never wanted thisthinginside of her. So I just held her as she passed. I let her die. When Luc found out…he came close to killing me that night. I would have let him. She was my friend too. I had failed both of them. Denied him his chance at salvation from descent into a feral state. But my demon wouldn’t go down without a fight.”

Poor Roman. Poor Victoria. Poor Luc. The whole situation sounded so awful it broke Danny’s heart.

“He attacked me once more, a few weeks later. I fought him off again but only barely. And then he left. Disappeared for a few decades. One day, he just…reappeared. Showed up in the city I was living. His eyes were now…always black. Like he had given up and let his demon take over. He killed when he fed, something he had never done before. Left a trail of bodies, chasing me out of my city. I fled. He chased. It has been like that ever since. I never stay anywhere long. I do not make human connections. I fear what he would do to them, what revenge he would try to take.”

“You’ve never…tried to take him out? You said your kind do that, when one of you is lost.” Danny was hesitant in asking the question. It felt wrong to suggest Roman murder a former friend, but was his friend even still there if the demon was running the show?

Roman shook his head. “For one, it is…incredibly hard to kill one of our kind. Complete beheading or death by fire—those are the only true deaths. But more…I could not bring myself to. It is my fault he has become what he has. It was me who took away his chance at stability, at a future.”

Danny found himself shaking his head, getting up from his chair, and reaching for Roman, but Roman took a step back, eyes pained. “There is more, Danny. More to it. I did not…care…about the humans he was killing. Not really. I hated that it ran the risk of outing me, I hated that he would not leave me in peace, but beyond that…I let a woman dear to someone I loved die, and then I ignored the consequences of my actions. Happy to run away from my troubles. I told you. Even beyond the demon inside me…I am not a good man.”

A sound of distress left Danny’s throat, and he reached for Roman again. This time, Roman let him. Danny stepped forward and plastered his body to Roman’s front, hugging him hard. “I can’t condemn you for your reaction to Luc’s killings. I don’t know what living as long as you have does to your perspective of human life, but I expect—” Danny struggled to find the words. “I expect it makes it hard to empathize with life being cut short, when human life seems so short to you already.”

When Roman seemed poised to object, Danny just hugged him harder, cutting him off. “But Icanspeak to what you did for Victoria. You honored a choice. That washerchoice. Not yours, and not Luc’s. Just because he’s been murderously guilt-tripping you for decades doesn’t mean he’s right.”

Danny looked up at Roman to see him shaking his head at him in disbelief. “Why are you not scared of me?” the vampire ground out. “You have seen what one of my kind can do, back in the alley. You know now that being with me puts you in danger. You shouldhate mefor walking into your life.”

Danny narrowed his eyes. “I refuse to be scared of you just because of what you are. I work in the ER. I’ve seen stab wounds, gunshots, domestic abuse—all done byhumans. Vampires don’t have the patent on violent acts. A human partner wouldn’t necessarily mean a safe partner.” He kissed Roman’s chest, a brief peck over his shirt. “Youmake me feel safe, weird as that is. I know, somehow, that you and your demon wouldn’t hurt me. And I know you’d protect me from Luc if he came for me. I canfeelthat.”

Roman smiled at him then, so gently and sweetly that Danny’s breath caught in his throat. Then the vampire bent down to brush his lips over Danny’s, the gentle kiss soon turning hungry. He growled and pulled Danny even harder against him, and Danny could feel Roman’s cock hardening against his stomach.

“Sweet boy. Gentle, sweet human mate,” Roman purred in his ear after breaking the kiss, trailing his lips down along Danny’s neck.

Danny shivered, feeling himself melt at the touch of Roman’s lips on his skin. How did this vampire have such an effect on him?

But when Roman went to place another kiss on his lips, Danny pulled his head back.

Roman’s muscles immediately tensed. He peered down at Danny, blue eyes searching Danny’s for some sign. He sighed. “You still worry over something.”

Danny nodded, feeling hesitant to voice his concerns. “I’m not afraidofyou. But there are still things about this whole…situation…that freak me out.”

“Luc,” Roman hissed.

“Not Luc. Yourreactionto Luc. That you’ll—that you’ll leave.”

Roman opened his mouth, but Danny continued on before he could voice his protest. “You say that you move around constantly. And I get why now. But I can’t just up and leave. I have responsibilities here. My mom. You haven’t met her yet. You don’t know, but…Gabe can’t handle it on his own. He just can’t. He’s in denial. She won’t have anybody if I’m gone.”

Roman was shaking his head, his fingers stroking softly against Danny’s cheek. “I won’t leave you, Danny. You are mymate. I know it. I have known it in some way since the first moment I saw you.”

“You mean your demon knew,” Danny felt the need to clarify.

Roman cocked his head, eyeing Danny as if he was a puzzle he could solve. “And that distinction…bothers you?”

“You said Luc was certain that Victoria was his mate. But it sounded like you don’t agree…”

Roman grunted. “Ah. Yes. I was never a true believer, I suppose. And there were…inconsistencies. A mate is supposed to calm your demon, but Victoria seemed to simply…intensify Luc’s. He was more labile, on edge, around her. And her unwillingness to turn…” He sighed. “But I could not tell if that was simply me attempting to lessen my own guilt.”

“But if Luc was wrong, you could be wrong too. I could be just another Victoria. Just because your demon likes me doesn’t mean—”

Roman stopped Danny with another kiss. “Do you really think it is solely my demon that likes you, my little king?” Oh God. What was it about Roman’s low voice saying Danny’s once-hated nickname that made his cock immediately harden? Danny had practically melted the first time he’d said it at the bar. It just wasn’t fair.

Roman continued, oblivious to Danny’s inner slut starting to take over his brain. “It is notjustthe demon. You are so…lovely. Inside and out. Kind, caring, strong. You have devoted your life to taking care of others. I know there is a reason you work so hard, and I know it is not just for yourself. So determined to be good, in fact, that you neglect yourself.” Roman gave him a stern look. “Something that we will be rectifying.”

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