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Nottooconcerned, because Jay wasn’t quite sure what he had meant by bringing home a stray, and maybe Alexei was stopping to pick up anactualstray, like a puppy or something? A task like that could cause all kinds of delays.

But that was probably too much to hope for; a week of dating was too soon in the puppy-giving timeline, Jay was pretty sure. Roman had waited almost a year before he’d gotten Ferdy for Danny, after all. Although, Roman was a vampire, not a human, so maybe that was different?

Also, Jay’s apartment didn’t allow dogs. Should he text Alexei and warn him about that?

But then Jay got more than a little concerned when it had been two hours with no sign of either Alexei or a puppy and Alexei wasn’t answering his calls.

And then he gotveryconcerned when he received a text from Wolfe instead.

It might be wise to check up on your human right about now.

That was not a good text. That could very well be classified as a bad text. His beastie’s hackles rose in response, a new, fearful sort of tension flooding his body.

What had Wolfe done?

The trip to Alexei’s apartment passed in a blur. Jay didn’t have a car yet—he’d been told by his friends he had to be 70 percent less of a menace on the road before he could consider one—so he was traveling on foot and probably moving more quickly than was wise for blending in with humans. But it was cold enough there weren’t many people out on the streets, so hopefully no one noticed.

Alexei’s car was in front of the apartment, and his door was unlocked.

“Alexei!” Jay called, rushing inside, hoping to find—well, he didn’t know what he was hoping to find other than Alexei safe and whole and happy to see him.

But the next sound out of Jay’s mouth was a broken wail, coming from somewhere deep in his chest, from a place he hadn’t known could hurt this badly.

Because Alexei’s glorious form was sprawled out on the couch, and he was still—much too still—with no audible heartbeat at all, the coppery smell of blood in the air matching the red streaking his too-pale wrist.

“No, no, no.” Jay felt sick. He felt hot. He felt…he didn’t know. He didn’tknow.

He moved toward the couch cautiously. He wasn’t sure why; it wasn’t as if approaching too quickly was going to startle anyone. Maybe he was hoping to delay confirming…whatever he would be confirming.

It hurt to swallow. This was all his fault. He’d brought Alexei into contact with vampires, and now his human wasclearly not breathing,and any minute, Jay’s beastie was going to rip out and—and—

Jay paused a foot from the couch, his vision cloudy with tears he hadn’t known he was shedding. His beastie was oddly…fine. It was alert but no longer clamoring for Alexei in the way it had been. More like his beastie was…expectant. Waiting for something.

Jay sniffed, wiped his eyes, and looked closer at the scene in front of him.

Blood was on Alexei’s wrist, yes, but it wasn’t actively bleeding—whatever bite had been there was already healed. There was no heartbeat, not yet, but Alexei’s chest, once Jay dared to touch it, was warm.

Oh.Oh.

Jay had seen this process before.

Turning, Jay’s beastie said, smugness radiating from its words.Our mate is turning.

Jay was tempted to yell at his beastie for its self-satisfaction. They weren’t allowed to be happy about this. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

He sat down gingerly on the coffee table, facing Alexei, clasping his hands to keep them from shaking, and did his best to reconcile this new reality with the pain he’d felt thinking his human had been killed. It took a long time for his tremors to stop, but he didn’t losetime, at least. He couldn’t afford to be so careless with reality right now.

Alexei’s heart may not have been beating at the moment, but itwould. And after those first few beats would come awareness. He’d need Jay then. He’d need reassurance, guidance…

And blood. Alexei would need blood.

Jay took a few slow, deep breaths, pleased when his fingers didn’t even tremble taking his phone out of his pocket. He pressed on Soren’s name in his contacts.

“Jaybird! What’s up?” Soren answered in a casual drawl. “Confessed your undying love to the human yet?”

Jay cleared his throat, hoping his voice would match the steadiness of his hands. Nobody needed his weakness, not right now. “Wolfe’s…done something.” Okay. Well, his voice was clear enough, so that was good, but it was still sort of a pathetic attempt, when Jay couldn’t even say the words out loud.

He took another deep breath. “He’s turned Alexei, Soren.”

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