Page 40 of From the Shadows
Ranna laughed, long and loud. “Diego? Fun? Those two words are like polar opposites of each other. For him, the most entertaining thing he does is watch a game or movie with Jeremy. That’s pretty much it. Other than for missions, he rarely comes out of his room. Diego wouldn’t know fun if it bit him on his sexy ass.”
And with those words a pang of jealousy shot through Shay. He had no claim on Diego, but for some reason the thought of Ranna commenting on his ass pissed him off big time. He wasn’t a fighter, but right now, he was ready to throw down with Ranna, tell her to keep her hands—and eyes—off Diego.
And that wasn’t him.
The implications scared the crap out of him.
“You’re not interested in him, are you?” Shay asked, trying to keep the anger in his voice under control.
She stared at him for a moment, then reached for him, but Shay pulled away, the anger blooming in his chest. What the hell was wrong with him?
“Ranna, I’m sorry. I… I…. I don’t know what’s going on.”
“Are you angry? Upset? Jealous?”
He nodded. “And I don’t know why.”
“Well, shit. Shay, has Diego drank from you? I don’t mean the blood the doctor transfused. I’m talking skin-to-skin contact.”
“It was just a drop,” he said weakly.
“Oh, damn.” She reached in her pocket and pulled out her phone. A quick glance at the screen, and then she pressed her index finger to it. A moment later she said, “I know you were sleeping, and I’m sorry. I have a question, and you’re the only one I know who might be able to answer it.”
Shay narrowed his gaze, but Ranna took his hand in hers as she repeated what Shay had said to her. She glanced up at his face, then squeezed his hand gently.
“Warm. A little warmer than it probably should be, I think.” … “Uh huh.” … “Shay, how do you feel right now?”
He didn’t want to admit it. These emotions were not the person he wanted to be ever again. “Angry,” he ground out. “Jealous. Wanna punch you in the face.” Then he winced. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine, I swear. Most people want to do that after a while.” … “He said it was just a drop, but yes.” … “I see. Is there any way to undo it?” … Her eyes went wide. “No. No way. That isn’t an option.” … “Anything else you can tell me?” … “Yes, the doctor mentioned blood-tying.” … “Okay, thank you. I’ll see you Thursday.”
She disconnected and slipped the phone back into her pocket.
“Well, you’ve got my vampire friend all up in arms.” She leaned in and brushed their shoulders together. “Dr. Oliver was only partially right,” she said. “Blood-tyingisa thing, but not what he seems to think. Blood from the bags are safe, because there are no emotions attached to them. Let me ask you a question, and please be honest with me. Do you have feelings for Diego?”
Shay wanted to push her out of the kitchen and get back to work, but instead he nodded.
“And how long has this been going on?”
“Since the day I got here. He’s so… magnetic. I was drawn to him, despite the fact that he was being a jerk. Even after I thought he hated me, I was still desperate to get him to notice me.”
“And that was the catalyst,” Ranna surmised. “You liked him, even if you didn’t want to. So, when he got that taste of your blood, it affected you. You essentially became a part of him, and he left behind a bit of himself. That was what began the blood-tying. And with each interaction the two of you have, it deepens. It’s no longer dependent on him drinking your blood—it’s your touch, your smell, your laugh. I don’t know what triggers it for Diego, but that’s what’s causing it. My friend said that long ago, they used to call humans like you a thrall. Meaning they were like a slave to the vampire, who they used to sate their appetites. But that wasn’t at all what it was. It was a binding between the vampire and the human that went far deeper. Yes, some vampires had multiple thralls, for lack of a betterword, but they were all cherished members of the vampire’s household. Not lovers, but beloved anyway. If you and Diego had sex?—”
“Four times,” Shay muttered.
“Four?” Ranna chirped. She cuffed him on the shoulder. “You dog! The thing is, with each transmission of semen, the bond you and Diego share was becoming deeper and deeper. Not just cherished, but loved.”
“But Diego doesn’t love me!” Shay snapped.
“Are you certain about that? Remember, you’re looking at someone who is over three hundred years old. He was alive back when love between men was forbidden and he had to hide who he was. Even if he doesn’t need to do that now, some self-loathing is engrained so deeply, it’s nearly impossible to get rid of.”
“What did your friend say was the way to remove it?”
“One of you will have to die. That would sever the connection.”
Shay was horrified at the thought. “No.” He sighed. “And if I’m honest, I don’t think I want to break what’s there.”
He knew he shouldn’t be admitting it to anyone, especially Ranna, who had no problems blurting out things she knew. But Shay liked Diego, even before all this. Yes, he was concerned about why they couldn’t get along, but he still liked the man. He’d tried several times to start a story about a vampire and the man who took care of the house, but none of them seemed… real to him. What he shared with Diego? That was about as real as it could get.
