Page 41 of From the Shadows
And then there were the nightmares. Shay had never been honest with anyone about them before. Oh, he put on a brave face, but one doesn’t get nearly beaten to death and get over it. The things hiding in the dark in his dreams? They had a hold on him, and every now and again, they gave his brain a mighty shake to remind him they were still there, lurking in the shadows, waiting for him to stray off the path and stumble into their domain once more, so they could drag him into those terrors he told everyone else he was over.
Right now, to himself, he could admit he wasn’t. Last night, he’d begun having a nightmare. It started like it always did. Shay breezed into their place, where he confronted Mick, telling him he knewMick had been cheating on him and how he wasn’t some lapdog who would roll over and wag his tail. No, Shay was going to do what he had to. He would pack his things and then go back to his parents’ place, where he’d heal his heart. He hadn’t even seen the bat when it slammed into the back of his head. This was usually the point where Shay would retreat to a darkened corner as Mick stalked him, swinging the bat dangerously, using the bat to shatter things they’d collected together.
But this time something different happened. From a mist Diego appeared, standing between him and Mick. When Mick swung at him, Diego grabbed the bat and crushed it in his hand, the splinters falling to the floor. Then he snagged Mick’s shirt and yanked him forward until they were face to face. Diego leaned in, and in a barely audible growl, said, “He’s mine, and you touch him at your peril, human. Shay is not a threat to you, but I am. I am a vampire, and I can track you anywhere, take you at any time, have you begging for mercy as I drain you drop by drop, until your heart collapses in your chest and you lay there, begging for me to put you out of your misery. Then I’ll walk away, like you did, and leave you to die a horrible, painful death. Nod if you understand me.”
And Mick, the man who always claimed to be the Alpha male, nodded, his eyes filled with fear. Diego threw him across the room, where he smashed through the drywall, landing in a crumpled heap on the other side. Then Diego turned and held out a hand to Shay, who, he hated to admit, was too afraid to take it. The darkness, though cold, was a form of protection. Diego smiled and leaned down, then hefted Shay into his arms, whispering promises that he was safe and that Mick wouldn’t bother him as long as Diego was there.
And though it was self-serving, Shay was desperate to not be afraid anymore. To keep the man who drove away the terrors close by his side.
“Shay? Can you hear me?”
He jerked his head up to find Ranna, her lips pursed, gazing at him with uncertainty in her eyes. “Sorry, my mind was wandering.”
“It’s fine. Just wanted to be sure you were okay. Listen, I can talkto my friend some more, but if I’m honest, I don’t know if there is a downside to being tied to Diego. I mean, other than him being a broody son of a bitch.”
Shay gritted his teeth. “Don’t talk about him that way.”
“And there’s my answer. The blood-tie… well, for lack of a better way to say it, amplifies the feelings you already have. Judging by how angry you were just now? I’d say you were already deeply in love with him.”
In love? With Diego? Well, damn.
He was.
Chapter 13
“I wasn’t expectingto see you,” Dr. Oliver said, sounding annoyed. “I haven’t spoken with Empatia, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Diego drew in a sharp breath. He’d been an ass to the man who helped to save his life, and now Shay was making him play nice. Wait. Making him? No onemadeDiego do anything. Then why the hell was he here? Why did he let Shay badger him this morning to do this?
Because it fucking made Shay smile, and Diego wanted to see so much more of that.
“I’m here to apologize to you. I should have been grateful to you for your help, but instead I snapped at you and that was wrong.”
Oliver squinted at him, like he was seeing something wearing Diego’s skin. “What brought this about?”
What had? The two of them freaking out over having the vein disappear? Yeah, definitely, but it wasn’t just that.
“Shay,” Diego said with a sigh. “This morning we had a… I guess you could say scare.”
“Since I’m not sure what’s going on, could you fill me in a little?”
“It’s the vein. The one you saw when you were at the house.”
“What about it?” he asked suspiciously.
“Maybe it’s better if I show you.” He stripped off his shirt, placed it on the chair, then held out his arm for Oliver to see where the vein had been. “It’s gone. I mean, completely. I’m not trying to suppress it or anything. It’s just… not there anymore.”
“This is…. How is this possible? Is it okay if I examine the area?”
Diego nodded and Oliver leaned in. His eyes widened as he palpated the skin, his touch gentle, tentative. After several long moments, he hummed and admitted, “I don’t know what to say. I’ve only read papers about the vein. Until I saw yours, I’d never seen one up close. This should be impossible, but as I can see it with my own eyes, that’s obviously not a fact.” He pulled up a chair and sat close to Diego. “Tell me what happened.”
He didn’t want to admit to having fucked Shay. No, not fucked. That was what he’d done with the few others he’d been with. He never spent the night, never indulged his desire to cuddle a partner, never kissed, and most definitely never went four times.
“I….” How could he tell the doctor about Shay? “I’m not sure I can talk about it.”
“Anything you tell me is covered by doctor-patient confidentiality. It will never leave this office, unless it’s hurting someone.”
“So you won’t go running off to Empatia?” he asked, feeling like a dick as soon as the words left his mouth. “I’m sorry. I’m a little out of sorts.”
