Page 61 of Soren

“No,” Gabe answered quickly, gratified when some of the stiffness left Soren’s body. “Not at all. I mean…they’ll have to find out eventually, right?”

Gabe didn’t quite have it in him to ask the rest of it.Because we’re together, right? Because this is long-term. Because you want to keep me?You think we’re meant to be?

He hoped Soren got it anyway.

“Right,” Soren agreed.

Something unclenched in Gabe’s gut at Soren’s easy confirmation. He sighed, tightening his arms around his vampire. “Why didn’t you ever tell Roman? About Hendrick. Couldn’t he have helped you?”

It took Soren a minute to answer. Gabe waited patiently, stroking Soren’s back in the silence. “There were some things that took a long time to unlearn. Asking for help was one of them. Showing weakness at all… And Roman had his own drama. And I liked—I liked that he saw me as someone who could help him. I didn’t want him to see me as—as—”

“A damsel?” Gabe offered up.

“Exactly,” Soren said, pressing a kiss to Gabe’s chest.

“I don’t know how anyone could see you that way. You’re so strong. So fierce. You scared the shit out of me when we first met.”

“Because you thought I was a monster?”

“Because you’re so goddamn appealing,” Gabe admitted. “Even when you were freaking me the fuck out.”

Soren bit his pec with blunt teeth. “Good.”

fifteen

Soren

“Doyouthinksomeonecouldactuallydie by coffee?”

Soren rolled his eyes, pulling Jay forward into the café. He was keeping one eye on the gym across the street and one ear on his phone. There had been no more signs of Hendrick—no threatening texts, no scent of him in the streets—and Soren had agreed to let Gabe work out at his usual spot before his shift at the hospital.

Soren knew he hadn’t done any real damage to Hendrick, so he had to assume it was the act of rebelling in itself that had him backing off. He tried not to get lost in self-loathing at the thought. Was this all it would have taken for him not to be stalked and harassed for centuries? Just a single instance of fighting back properly?

A familiar voice sounded in his head.Pathetic. Weak. Cowardly.

It lacked the usual sting though. Because Soren had other words running through his mind now. A different voice, full of affection.Strong. Fierce. Perfect.

It was a strange thing, having someone see him—allof him—and insist they liked every bit of it.

Soren didn’t know what to do with himself. He’d successfully seduced Gabe, he supposed. More than seduced. They were…together? And now Soren had fought off Hendrick. So where did that leave him? What was next? He’d never let himself fully consider it.

Gabe was his mate. Soren knew it.Hadknown it.

But…what did that mean?

Soren didn’t have the same fear of going feral as Roman once had. Soren and his inner vamp vibed together very well, all things considered. He’d never had to fight it for control. He knew it was inevitable, that eventually he’d go down the same road as all the others, but it could be centuries more before that became an issue.

Everything came to an end at some point, right?

And Gabe wantednormal. He wanted a normalhumanlife. Could Soren give that to him? He could, couldn’t he? He didn’t have to ask Gabe to turn for him.

Soren could love him as he was, for however long he was allowed.

If Gabe stayed in this town, Soren would have to leave sooner rather than later, with the whole never aging thing. But Danny and Roman would eventually have to leave for the same reason, right? Maybe Gabe would want to go with them, and Soren could stay close.

Gabe would be a hot silver fox; that was for sure.

And once Gabe hit the end of his mortal life… Soren felt a sharp stabbing pain in his chest at the thought. For the first time since the early days of his vampire existence, he felt his inner vamp rebel—a twisting, itchy sensation under his skin.

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