Page 5 of Soren

Gabe wanted nothing more than to stay far away from that particular monster, but Danny never asked Gabe for anything beyond the bare minimum of brotherly duty.

Gabe couldn’t let him down now.

“Sure, Danny Boy,” Gabe agreed, ignoring the new twisting in his stomach. “Of course I’ll do it.”

He even got a small smile from Roman for that before the vampire turned his face to Danny, and the smile grew so big and sappy that Gabe was embarrassed to witness it.

The sound of the front door opening cut through the moment.

Gabe’s muscles tensed. There was only one other person who would walk into this house without knocking.

A moment later and there he was. The little monster. Svelte, blond, and unbearably beautiful.

At least that was what Gabe used to think. But Gabe knew what lay under that beauty now. He didn’t care how his body reacted to Soren’s presence.

He wouldn’t be fooled again.

“How cozy,” Soren purred, leaning a shoulder against the kitchen doorway, his pale gaze landing immediately on Gabe. “A family dinner.”

Gabe’s fingers flexed around his fork. Soren was always doing that. Alwayslookingat him.

“Want some?” Danny offered, smiling genuinely at the other vampire. Gabe’s brother had a fondness for Soren Gabe couldn’t even begin to understand. Of course, Soren treated Danny with rare sweetness, whereas he seemed to love nothing more than tormenting Gabe, so that might have something to do with it.

Gabe didn’t know why Danny bothered offering. Gabe was the only person at this table whoneededto eat. The others only did it for—well, forfunsies, as Danny put it.

“No, thanks, cutie pie. Just ate.” Soren ran his tongue over his incisors suggestively.

But that didn’t stop him from sauntering over and perching on a seat at the table anyway. “So did His Highness agree?” Soren asked.

Gabe’s jaw clenched at the nickname, but Danny answered for him before he could object. “He did. And”—his brother gave Soren a pointed look—“we promised you’d be on your best behavior.”

Soren’s lips widened into his familiar grin, a manic smile that always managed to send a shiver down Gabe’s spine. “When am I not?” the vampire asked innocently.

There was a glint in Soren’s eyes that told Gabe he was in major trouble.

Fuck.

Gabe rushed through the rest of his dinner, despite the fact that his appetite had long since disappeared. He needed to get out of that house.

The drive back to his apartment was a blur. For too long, he sat in his car in its parking space, trying to will his stomach into settling. He forced himself to take deep, even breaths.

So…living with a vampire who thrived on torturing him, who could mess with his mind just by looking him in the eyes. With no Danny or even Roman to protect him.

This would be an interesting three weeks.

Gabe could only hope he’d survive them.

two

Soren

“Stopnosingatthat.”Soren pulled his yarn away from Ferdy’s snout, glaring at the puppy. The little mutt kept thinking Soren’s crochet supplies were some sort of dog toy in disguise. Soren was almost done with this top, and if Danny’s pet ruined it, Soren was going to be forced to commit doggy murder, and then Danny would be mad at him, and then Roman would murderSorenfor upsetting Danny, and it would all just be one terrible mess.

He considered flashing his fangs for additional deterrence, but he’d already learned the puppy was completely unfazed by any of them going full vamp in front of him.

It turned out humans were much easier to intimidate than dogs.

“Shoo.” Soren motioned with his free hand. “Go find your daddy.”

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