Page 66 of Wolfgang

Eric

Ohfuck.Thiswasnot going to end well, was it? Not unless Eric did something. Should he distract Wolfe? How? Strip naked? Start talking about pretentious interior decorating?

Or maybe he didn’t need to distract. Maybe he just needed to…assuage.

“He didn’t hurt me!” Eric blurted out.

It felt ridiculous to say, what with how tiny this vampire child looked, Wolfe’s arm wrapped tight around his neck, his little fingers clawing at the restriction.

“I know he didn’t,” Wolfe answered calmly, not loosening his hold one bit.

“So…you won’t hurt him?” Eric allowed himself to be hopeful for one second that this wouldn’t turn into a complete shitshow.

Wolfe’s flat gaze met his. “Why, don’t you trust me, pet?”

Eric almost laughed. Because, well, that was the question, wasn’t it? The love stuff, Eric had maybe figured out. Or was at leastopento figuring out. Buttrust?

When it came to Wolfe and his behavior with other people, definitely not. He’d do what he wanted, when he wanted, without caring for how it affected anyone else.

But when it came to Wolfe and Eric?

Yes, he did. Eric trusted Wolfe to take care of him, to put his happiness first. It may have been intertwined with Wolfe’s selfish desire to feel that happiness for himself, but still… Wolfe wanted Eric content, and he must have known that in this instance that included a nonviolent solution to this particular problem. So…

“Yes,” Eric answered, his gaze unwavering. “I trust you.”

There was a flash of fierce satisfaction through the bond, like Eric had just given Wolfe the key to the fucking kingdom. Which he supposed he sort of had. Without trust, what else was there?

The same kind of toxic relationship Eric had with his mother, he supposed.

“My perfect darling,” Wolfe purred, his light-brown eyes boring into Eric’s obsessively, as if he wasn’t holding a struggling, snarling grade-schooler with one hand.

Eric felt his face heat. “Um…”

The kid made a rabid growling noise, and Wolfe turned his attention back to where it probably should have been. “Now, child,” he admonished. “You want to run. It’s quite understandable. But that would be very foolish. You’re young and scared and hungry, and you have a beast inside you that you don’t understand. You’re going to end up hurting someone. Most likely killing someone.”

Eric started to protest—really, wasn’t that a harsh thing to say to someone so young?—but he closed his mouth when the kid’s struggling stopped abruptly.

“That’s right,” Wolfe said approvingly. “The grown-ups are in charge now. You won’t be harmed.” He met Eric’s eyes again. “We don’t harm children here.”

“Hungry,” the kid said, his gaze fixed on the squirrel he’d dropped in the struggle.

“And we’ll get you something to eat, won’t we?” Wolfe answered.

“Hurt Mama.”

Eric opened his mouth to explain, but Wolfe was already on it.

“We can get you food without hurting anyone. I’m afraid squirrels won’t fill you up for long. Now, if I release you, will you behave?”

The kid nodded as much as Wolfe’s tight restraint would allow. Wolfe loosened his arm, letting the little vampire slide out of his hold. Immediately, the kid moved to pick up the disgusting squirrel corpse.

“Leave it,” Wolfe ordered, his voice harsher than before. Apparently his new patience had its limits, and that limit was the prospect of squirrel guts on his upholstery.

But the kid obeyed easily enough, giving one last mournful look at the drained body before sidestepping the little pond and walking in what seemed to be the direction of town.

Wolfe stalked after him, tilting his chin for Eric to follow, and Eric trailed behind, trying to think what they were possibly going to do with the little guy once they got him home.

They walked on for a while, and Eric startled when he noticed the kid had sidled closer to him. At his surprised look, the kid grimaced. “You’re nicer.”

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