Page 33 of Roman

His demon was purring in wordless contentment.

“You really do have me at your mercy, little king,” Roman whispered. “All of me.”

He watched as Danny smiled softly and hummed a little in acknowledgment, seeming to enjoy the gentle petting just as much as he had enjoyed getting his mouth fucked.

Perfect creature.

Roman thought Danny was perhaps drifting off, but after several minutes, the boy′s eyes opened, and he turned his head to Roman.

“Can I ask a favor?” he asked in a sleepy voice.

“Anything for you, lovely.”

“Can you—can you not do that with anyone else?”

Roman couldn’t help the flash of anger that ran through him. Did his mate really think he would be fucking anyone else? That he would everwantto fuck anyone else? Had he messed up so badly by disappearing the other day?

He needed to set this straight.

“I will not be touching any other person in that way, Danny. Human or vampire,” he ground out. “I would hope—I would hope that you would not be either.”

There, that was better thantouch anyone else and I’ll fucking rip them apart, wasn’t it?

Roman’s fearless little mate actually rolled his eyes at him. “I’m not talking about the sex part, grumpy pants. Could you not…bite anyone else? You said you didn’t have to feed very often. Could it be just from me? It just felt so…intimate. I don’t think I want you doing that with any other humans.”

Danny’s voice got softer as he went on, alerting Roman to how hard it must have been for the boy to voice the request, cheeky eye roll aside.

His chest warmed at this unexpected display of possessiveness from his mate, and Roman’s answer was easy. “I will bite only you, my little king.”

“It’s really all right?”

“I was drinking from blood bags before this. I did not want to risk biting humans, too fearful of my demon going overboard. I do not fear that with you, however. You soothe him, even in the act of feeding. I will gladly bite only you. And should you need a break, blood bags will tide me over. I will not risk harming you with…overuse.”

He didn’t complicate things by bringing up what they would do when Danny turned. He still didn’t know how to bring up the subject at all.

How did you ask a man so full of humanity to give that humanity up for you?

Danny had devoted his life to humans—caring for his mother, protecting his brother, working for his community as a nurse. He clearly wasn’t ready to leave all that, and it could be very difficult for a new vampire to be around their old life.

Roman had tried, and it had…not gone well. He brushed aside memories of familiar voices screaming “demon!” before they could take hold. Now was not the time to turn maudlin, not when he had his perfect mate in his arms.

Roman could wait for his mate to be ready. Hewouldwait for his mate to ready.

Danny turned to his side and curled up into Roman’s chest, tucking his head under Roman’s chin. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“Anything. Always,” Roman answered.

“One more thing? Will you stay? Be here in the morning?”

“I will stay.”

He waited until Danny’s breaths had deepened, the boy sleeping soundly, to whisper the rest of his answer.

“Forever.”

Roman had been lying awake for a few hours, content to hold Danny and listen to his mate’s rhythmic breathing, when he heard the sounds of Soren returning from his hunt.

Roman had texted Soren Danny’s address, with the agreement that Soren would return after hunting and stay with them at Danny’s house, at least until the Luc situation was resolved.

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