Page 60 of The Vampire's Receptionist
Kian lost his patience. He had enough on his mind without dealing with his mother. Spinning on his heel, he stormed off to his room, slamming the door behind him. While he was growing up, his parents always said his room was his sanctuary and they would never enter without his permission. Even now, they respected that. They had to, or he’d portal away, and they’d behard pressed to find him again. He knew how to disappear when necessary.
He wasn’t sure how long they left him alone in there. Long enough for Mom to finish ranting. He wasn’t sure what Dad did to settle her, but he honestly didn’t care. He just wanted them to go so he could figure things out on his own.
A knock on his door said he wasn’t going to be that lucky. Dad was the patient one, and he wouldn’t leave until he knew Kian was alright.
“Come in,” he grumbled. Might as well get this over with.
Dad stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. The gesture was clear. The conversation was between them. Mom wouldn’t be invited in without his say-so. Kian appreciated that. He didn’t have the energy to deal with her right now.
Sitting beside Kian on the edge of the bed, Dad sighed. “I’m sorry. She’s protective of you, you know this. We both are. You suffered enough as a child, and we just want you to be happy.”
Kian didn’t respond. He knew that, and he appreciated it, but he wasn’t a kid anymore. He knew how to fight his own battles and protect himself. He didn’t need his parents coming to the rescue anymore.
“This man, the one you’ve been feeding. He’s more than just a coworker, isn’t he?” Dad asked calmly.
Kian shook his head, scowling at the floor. “No. It’s not a relationship. It’s just sex.”
Dad hummed and waited. The frustration dialed up again, and Kian growled to himself. “It’s not! I told him I’d help him. I didn’t want more than that. But my reactions to his feedings are… odd. The euphoria is more than a little intense. It got to thepoint where–” He stopped. He really didn’t want to talk about his reactions to Dorian with his dad.
“Is it just the feedings that are intense? Or is there more?” Dad asked, showing he understood Kian better than most. He wouldn’t continue an uncomfortable conversation unless it was necessary.
Kian hesitated. “More like what?”
“Like your interactions with him. Are you drawn to him? Do you find yourself acting irrationally around him? Are other intimate acts different from your normal?”
Kian frowned at him. “No. What are you talking about?”
Dad raised an eyebrow. “Think about it, Kian. Don’t just say what first pops into your head.”
With an exasperated sigh, Kian threw his hands into the air. “I don’t know! I mean, yeah, the sex is different, but it always follows a feeding. And yeah, I feel weirdly jealous, but that’s just because we’re fucking, and Morgan was flirting with him right in front of me.”
“Are you drawn to him?” Dad repeated.
Kian pressed his lips together. He didn't want to admit that out loud. The answer was yes. He was drawn to Dorian. He made excuses to check on him throughout the week when he really didn’t have to, and when they were separated for too long, he got annoyed. He didn’t like the idea of other people getting too close to him. But that didn’t mean anything.
“I don’t want a relationship with him,” Kian ground out.
“And why not?”
“Because I don’t want a repeat of last time.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
The memory of his one and only true relationship swam across his mind, still just as painful as it had been when it happened. It wasn’t just a bad break up. The one time he trusted someone with his heart, it nearly ended his life. It took him years to recover, and he refused to allow himself to be vulnerable like that again.
Dad shook his head with a sigh. “That was a long time ago, son.”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t do relationships. I’m not interested. And it’s worked out just fine for me so far.”
“Except it hasn’t,” Dad argued. “Because you have feelings for someone, and you’re refusing to acknowledge it.”
Kian opened his mouth to argue, but Dad put his hand up to stall him. “I’m not saying you don’t have a reason to be cautious. What happened to you was traumatic, and I don’t discount that. But you’re letting your fear control you. You’re letting it stop you from finding true happiness. Do you really want to be alone for the rest of your life? You’re still young. You’ve got a lot more life left to live.”
Kian huffed out a laugh. Only a fae would think he was young. He might not know exactly how old he was anymore,he stopped keeping track after he started bouncing back and forth between realms and the time flow change made everything confusing, but he wasn’t young by any means. And he wouldn’t live as long as his dad. He was only half-fae. For all he knew, the end of his life could be right around the corner.
A warm hand settled on his shoulder, squeezing gently. “Tell me more about this man. The one who has your attention.”
Kian’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “What do you want to know?”
