Page 30 of Only Fangs

He put the pet carrier on the ground and pulled his bunny out, holding her up to his chest and cuddling her. It helped to soothe him a little. “You’re gonna be fine,” he whispered into Luna’s fur. The vet had given him medicine that would help prevent the symptoms from getting worse for now, and they also scheduled the surgery for next week, but…

Collin chewed his lip as he sank down on the couch.

Was he really going to be able to afford it?

He looked at his phone, at the last text he’d received from Mikael. The vampire wanted to help him, which wasbeyondgenerous, but as grateful as Collin was for the offer…

Where was Mikael now? Had he gone home? Back to the club?

It was for the best, of course. Mikael was still a predator after all, and he couldn’t control himself around Collin, and yet…

And yet…

Collin closed his eyes and dropped his head back, sighing.

He wished Mikael were here.

The thought was ridiculous. He didn’tneeda vampire around him right now, but he’d enjoyed Mikael’s company, his warmth, his scent. The easy way he’d offered his help as if he truly cared.

Collin rubbed his temples.

Wishing for the impossible was going to get him nowhere. Getting up from the couch, he went to take care of his pet, preparing her food and medicine, making sure that she was comfortable.

Then he retreated to his room and settled on the bed.

His gaze flickered to his laptop, and he chewed his lip, wondering if Mikael was online right now, if he would stream at the usual time tonight. Did he already have a new victim scheduled? He probably had a long waiting list of potential candidates by this point. Dozens of men and women who’d be available to him at a moment’s notice.

Collin’s heart clenched at the thought.

He’d watched Mikael bite other people countless times, but he didn’t think he could do it again. At least not soon. Not without thinking of what had happened between them the previous night.

He flipped the laptop open, logged into his account, and navigated to Mikael’s channel.

A message flashed at him, and he paused.

“No stream tonight. Please check back tomorrow.”

Collin stared at the words, feeling strangely relieved.

He clicked on the comments, hoping for some more information, and was rewarded with a series of speculations by Mikael’s regular watchers, most of them expressing disappointment that he’d canceled his stream.

In the upper corner of his screen, a notification waited for Collin. A text from Mikael. “Sorry I had to leave. How did the vet visit go?”

Collin stared at his keyboard, debating with himself, before he began to type, “Luna is fine for now, thanks to you. We’ve set up a date for the surgery next week, but I really don’t think you should pay for it.”

Mikael’s response came surprisingly fast. “How else are you going to pay for it?”

Collin didn’t know how to respond.

Another message arrived. “I left my credit card with you for a reason. Take the money. I don’t need it anyway. My coven isn’t charging me rent, and I get to eat for free on camera every night.”

In spite of his best intentions, Collin’s stomach dropped at the reminder that Mikael got his meals for free, considering that his ‘meals’ were other people. People who weren’t Collin. He bit his lower lip.

Collin: The reason I went to your party was to find someone to collaborate with so I could come up with the money myself.

Mikael: Is that why I found you with Zelos?

Collin: Yes.

---