Page 29 of Wolfgang

He was losing control.

This new bond was both too fragile and too strong, consuming and yet unconsummated. He had no choice but to resign himself to a certain discomfort while Eric adjusted, and Wolfe did not generally see fit to abide by discomfort. But if the momentary sacrifice led to more ofthat? More of Eric asking for his presence, his mouth?

Well, then he’d simply have to bear it, wouldn’t he?

Fate had provided him with an enticing creature; there was no doubt about that. But it had also presented him with a challenge. No matter. It was one he was surely up for.

Want to go back, his beast grumbled.

Wolfe was saved from answering the demand by the buzzing of his phone. He glanced at the screen, unbearably tempted to let it ring unanswered, but there could be trouble, and he’d made certain promises, ones there would be consequences to breaking.

“Johann,” he greeted, turning away from his reflection.

“Wolfgang.”

“Checking up on me so soon?” Wolfe kept his tone mild, but he assumed the censure was clear. He was not one to need a set of babysitters.

But trust in Johann to not grasp the nasty subtext. “Um, sort of? Why, did you need something?”

“Youcalledme, Johann.”

A huff of laughter on the other end. “Oh. Right. Well, Danny wanted me to tell you that you should coordinate any future blood theft, if you’re thinking on waiting to teach Dr. Monroe to hunt.”

Of all the tedious things. Wolfe allowed himself an exasperated sigh. “Eric has already been fed. The other bag will suffice for next week. From then on, he’ll be hunting with me.” Wolfe’s spent cock twitched at the thought of his handsome mate out on the prowl, human blood coating his lips. He would be a sight to see; that was certain.

“But didn’t you already steal some?”

“We only took what Danny gave us.”

“Oh.” Johann seemed to take a second to ponder that. “Hm.”

Wolfe waited the appropriate five seconds before pressing. “Johann, please speak plainly or I’m hanging up the phone.”

“It’s just— The blood bank in town was broken into. That wasn’t you?”

As if Wolfe had any need of blood banks. “As I’ve said.”

“Huh. Well, I guess it could have been Tobias.”

Trust Johann to bury the lede completely. Wolfe pinched at the bridge of his nose. “So you’re saying Tobias came to town already. And did anyone perish in this confrontation?” If Tobias was dead, then Wolfe would have some smoothing over to do with their former den. Another item to add to his ever-growing to-do list. A large part of him hoped to hear Alexei had met his end in the scuffle—that would perhaps be an appropriate punishment for derailing his and Johann’s former agreement—but he supposed Johann wouldn’t be chatting so happily were that the case.

“No. No fatalities,” Johann confirmed. “Soren scared him off.”

“How delightful. Well, now Tobias can verify with the others that you’re a protected entity.”

“Pretty neat, huh? Okay, so…” Wolfe could see it perfectly in his mind’s eye, the way Johann would be chewing on his lower lip right about now. “Don’t steal any more blood, even if you didn’t take what was already taken, okay? I’ve gotta go do sex stuff with Alexei now.”

“Splendid.” Wolfe hung up the phone before Johann could spill out any more horrifying sentences. Alexei may have been some delectable eye candy, but Johann was a little too close to familial for Wolfe to want the image of him bouncing on the mobster’s cock to haunt him.

He stepped out of the bathroom, eyeing the still-empty bedroom skeptically. He did so hate to leave a room unfinished. But he thought of Eric, who seemed—judging from the sound of his steady breathing and the lack of irritated restlessness coming through the bond—to have finally fallen asleep.

He’d rescheduled the painters to arrive tomorrow. If they did their job promptly, he could have their intended bedroom put together in two days at most.

But really, would it be such a good idea to set the precedent of two furnished bedrooms before they’d had a chance to settle their petty differences? Wolfe could picture it too clearly—Eric taking over the guest bedroom, leaving Wolfe to the en suite all alone.

It simply wouldn’t do.

He made another phone call. The paint job could wait another week or so.

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