Page 11 of From the Shadows
“Do what you have to do,” Diego murmured, then headed for the stairs.
“Ah… wait.”
He paused, gripping the banister. “What is it?”
“In an effort to get to know everyone, could you tell me what you prefer to eat?”
Diego smirked. Time to give this dick a lesson. “I’m a vampire. I drink blood.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that, but do you prefer it warmed or room temperature? Cow, pig, or does it have to be human?”
“You…. It….” Diego squeezed his eyes shut. “It doesn’t matter,” he growled. “I eat when I’m hungry.” He let his fangs drop and whirled to face Shay, hoping to impress on him the threat. “So I suggest you stay away from me, little human, or else I might be tempted to make a meal out of you.”
Shay tilted his head and peered closely at Diego. “How do you floss those things?”
A growl formed deep in Diego’s throat. A quick spin on his heel, and he rushed up the stairs before Shay could say anything else. He stormed into his room and slammed the door loud enough, he was sure it echoed downstairs. He perched on his bed, his fists aching from being clenched so tight.
He could smell the human’s—Shay’s—blood. It called to Diego, taunting him. Tempting him with something he desperately wanted. Visions of grabbing Shay, pulling him in, sinking fangs into that soft throat, and listening to Shay scream as Diego drained him until he died plagued Diego. Why would Empatia do this? Especially since she knew some—though definitely not all—of Diego’s background.
Downstairs, he could hear Shay as he spoke with the others. They greeted him jovially, listened as he explained his new job. Everyone was excited and told him what they liked to eat. When Jeremy’s voice sounded above the rest, all high and sweet, Diego turned and slammed his fist into the pillow. Bad enough Shay hadinvaded Diego’s home, but now he was working his wiles on the team and Jerm?
No one is taking Jeremy away from you.
Get the fuck out of my head, Empatia.
Diego, Shay just?—
I said, get thefuckout of my head! Leave me alone.
The moment he felt her withdraw, Diego breathed a sigh of relief. He enjoyed being part of a team, and he… cared for Jerm. Right now, though, he still wanted to get up and walk away. A human. They’d invited a goddamned human into the house. Most vampires shied away from shifters, because their blood was bitter and reacted badly with a vampire’s stomach. Contrary to popular fiction, vampires had food sensitivities like most wouldn’t believe.
Humans, though? Their blood was sweet, almost like nectar. The warm liquid went down smoothly, metabolized easily, and settled the hunger like nothing else could. Sure, Diego could eat most anything, but it never filled him in any meaningful way. He occasionally shared dinner with the others, though it was mostly for show. Now? If Shay was part of the team, if he sat down to the meal, Diego couldn’t be there. The why was simple. All he’d be able to hear would be thethump thump thumpof Shay’s pulse. All he’d think about would be that sweet blood flooding his mouth, swallowing it down, watching as the light in Shay’s eyes went out, which would be followed by Diego dropping him to the floor, drained.
No, he couldn’t do that. The horror on the team’s faces—even that wasn’t right. It was the fact that Jerm would be terrified. Diego couldn’t chance losing the boy he considered a son because he was unable to control his urges. Still, even from his bedroom, the blood sang to him, tempting him, nearly controlling him.
He got up and went to the window, then pushed it open. It didn’t matter that the temperature was just above freezing, because it would have no impact on him. Diego felt the hot and the cold, but the variations of either did nothing one way or the other to him.
He blew out a breath, knowing full well he didn’t need to breathe, but he appreciated the fact that his body still believed it did. At least it gave him a semblance of the life he used to have. Once,last year, Jerm asked if he’d ever gone scuba diving. When Diego said no, Jerm told him hehadto! The whole not-breathing thing would make Diego able to swim deeper than any human could hope to. He swore he’d add it to his bucket list.
That would never come up.
Immortality blew, plain and simple. When he was a child, Diego had dreamed of eternal life many times, but the reality of it sucked. Diego would always look his twenty-five years. He’d never get crow’s feet or wrinkles. He’d never know the aches and pains that came with time and a life well lived. Most people would find that a blessing, but it wasn’t. Instead, he watched everyone around him wither and eventually succumb to old age or disease. How many people had Diego watch die? How many times had a doctor or nurse assumed Diego was a son or grandson to the person at the end of their lives?
Unable to bear the constant loss, he’d hardened his heart. He’d refused to let people get close to him, and that had worked out fine. At least until Jeremy. With Jerm, Diego found himself falling into the same trap as always. He wanted to protect him, to keep him safe from anything that might hurt him, even though Diego knew that doing that meant he’d come to love the boy who would grow up to become first a teen, then a man, who’d age and die, leaving Diego alone once again.
He let his gaze fall to the earth below. It wouldn’t kill him if he jumped, but it would rattle his bones quite a bit. Would be nice if the old legends about vampires turning into bats was true, but alas, that wasn’t an ability Diego possessed. Still, if he jumped, he’d be able to run, to escape. If he fled far enough, maybe he could forget Jerm, let him grow up without having to see him die.
You won’t do that. As much as you don’t want to admit it, you love him. He’s already wormed his way into your heart, and nowhere you go will be far enough to stop worrying about him.
Damned internal monologue. Empatia would tell him to listen to it, because it gave his hopes and dreams the chance for a voice. Diego stopped having hopes or dreams several lifetimes ago.
Eternal life was hell on earth.
Shay slumpedinto the overstuffed chair with the funky purple covering. He was exhausted beyond belief. He spent his first day at the house moving his stuff in—not that he had much—and then he went down to the kitchen to arrange it the way he wanted. He’d gone to everyone and asked for their favorites, then made notes on what each of them liked to eat, whether they had any allergies he needed to know about, and if there were things they couldn’t stand. He was surprised to find that no matter how different they were, their tastes were similar.
Nearly everyone loved meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy. Some liked baked chicken, while others preferred fried. Jeremy wanted anything with macaroni and cheese. Shay was a little ashamed that he thought supernatural beings would have more… varied and esoteric tastes that would have him diving into the deep end to find ingredients. Nope, everything they wanted could be found in bulk at the local Sav-A-Lot store.
Then there was Diego, who still hadn’t left his room. Shay wondered if there was another way out, and that was why no one had seen him. He couldn’t understand the reaction he’d gotten when he’d showed up at the door. He expected them to be wary, even questioning, but Diego was downright hostile.
