Page 72 of Soren

Hendrick didn’t release Gabe. “You’ll go with me?” he asked, clearly skeptical of Soren’s capitulation.

“I’ll go,” Soren agreed. “Put the human down.”

“This human…”

“Was a distraction.” Soren didn’t look at Gabe, keeping his eyes on Hendrick’s. “Apet. I’m bored of him now. But it would cause…problems…with Roman and his vampire mate, if you were to kill him. They might follow us.”

It wouldn’t be enough to convince Hendrick Gabe meant nothing to Soren. Even if he could pull it off, the other vampire wasn’t above killing Gabe just for sport. As a punishment. Soren needed the bastard to realize Gabe’s death would be more trouble than it was worth.

“It’s not worth it,” Soren said. “Let’s go.”

“You don’t need to pack?” Hendrick taunted, not making a move to release Gabe.

“There’s nothing here I want.”

Hendrick didn’t move.

Soren’s gut clenched as he realized…he needed to bend. To make a concrete gesture that he was choosing Hendrick. He stepped forward out of the doorway, leaning over Gabe like the human wasn’t even there.

He pressed his lips to Hendrick’s. Lightly, keeping his mouth closed. But his stomach churned at even that much. Hendrick swiped his tongue against Soren’s closed lips, laughing at Soren’s shudder. That was the thing with Hendrick. Soren didn’t have to pretend to enjoy it. Hendrick preferred it when he didn’t.

Soren leaned back before Hendrick could attempt to deepen the kiss any further. “You ready?” he asked. His voice came out surprisingly steady. That was good.

He could do this.

Hendrick finally—finally—released Gabe, tossing Soren’s human to the ground like a sack of garbage. Soren didn’t look to see him land. He was afraid, if he did, his inner vamp would insist on killing Hendrick right then and there.

And then they would all die.

He grabbed Hendrick’s hand and pulled him to a busted-looking Jeep in the driveway. “This your car?” Soren asked, pulling open the driver’s side before Hendrick could answer.

“So eager,” Hendrick tutted. “You’ll drive, angel.”

Behind them, Soren could hear Gabe pleading in a wrecked voice. “Soren, please. Don’t do this. Don’t go.”

But his human didn’t come after them. How could he? With his bent, most likely broken leg. Soren’s breath caught in his throat, the keys Hendrick had handed him poised at the ignition.

He didn’t have a choice. He had to go.

Hendrick made his way into the passenger seat, and Soren started the car. He didn’t want Hendrick to see him falter.

“That human seemed awfully attached to you,” Hendrick mused, sharp eyes on Soren’s profile.

“Humans are stupid that way,” Soren muttered. He drove them away, taking deep, steady breaths as he made his way out of the neighborhood.

Soren was in the situation he’d feared for so long. He was back in Hendrick’s clutches. He waited for the dread, the fear, the familiar feelings of worthlessness. But all he could manage was an immense relief, tinged with a sadness so deep Soren wondered if maybe somehow he was bleeding internally.

They were moving away from Gabe. Soren’s human would be safe. Hismatewould be safe.

That was all that mattered.

And under the relief, under the sadness, there was therage. How dare Hendrick do this? How fuckingdarehe? To come back into Soren’s life. To try to take away one of the only good, true things to ever happen to him.

Hendrick didn’t have his old friends to back him up anymore. Soren didn’t have to play nice. Sorenwouldn’tplay nice. He just had to get them far enough away.

“Where to?” Soren asked, keeping his voice as neutral as he could.

“There’s a place I’ve been staying. It will do for now,” Hendrick answered. “So we can have a little…privacy. Just the two of us.”

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