Page 28 of Only Fangs

Closing the website, he opened his streaming app and looked for his chat log with Collin. They’d been texting formonthsand never once had he even begun to guess that Collin was mortal.

Mikael scrolled through the messages, smiling despite himself, because he could clearly tell when Collin had gotten progressively more comfortable talking to him.

He’d been so hesitant at first.

Of course, now that Mikael knew Collin’s secret, he understood his reluctance to meet up offline.

He’d had a good reason for being so cautious, and he’d trusted Mikael, anyway.

Mikael had messed that up.

He glanced toward the door leading to Collin’s bedroom, then he looked back at his phone and typed: “I’ll never hurt you again.”

He heard Collin’s phone vibrate in the other room, but there was no response. Of course not. Collin was asleep.

Mikael listened to the silence for a little longer until it was interrupted by the strangest sound.

He frowned, and when it happened again, he pushed himself up, listening.

It sounded like a whimper, and it came from under the couch.

Carefully, he slid off the piece of furniture, onto his knees, and peeked under the sofa, searching for the source of the sound.

Luna stared back at him, wide-eyed, her fur gleaming faintly, even in the dark. She mewled again in a pitiful way.

“Shh,” Mikael whispered, reaching out for the bunny.

She didn’t flinch away, so he lifted her carefully out from under the couch.

“What are you doing under there?” he asked quietly.

She sniffed him and pressed her head against his chest as if she wanted him to understand something. Mikael wasn’t sure how to interpret the gesture, though. He was a vampire, not a bunny whisperer.Becausehe was a vampire, though, he noticed a smell that made him tip the bunny’s head up so he could inspect the fur under her chin. It was stained with blood.

Shit.

“What happened?”

Carefully, Mikael searched for the source of the blood but couldn’t find a wound.

Did that mean the blood had come out of her mouth?

That wasn’t good.

Mikael didn’t know much about animals, but even he knew that coughing up blood was a sign of a serious illness.

He ran his hand gently through her fur, and she responded with a soft whimper, not protesting his touch in any other way. She wasn’t trembling or in obvious pain, but it was clear that she was sick.

“Oh, sweetie,” he murmured, scratching her head.

There was nothing for it. He would have to wake Collin.

Getting up, he carried the bunny to the door that led to Collin’s room and knocked quietly, waiting for a reaction.

The bunny pressed against his chest, her heart beating a rapid staccato in her chest.

“It’s okay, honey,” he whispered, petting her again. “It’ll be fine.”

She snuggled against his chest, and the motion was so trusting that Mikael had to swallow down a lump in his throat.

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