Page 55 of Claim of Blood
Lander hesitated. “Adam leads with a pragmatism that suited me better.”
There was more to the story, Leo suspected, but he decided not to prod.
They turned a corner. Leo nearly collided with Lander when he stopped short to avoid a pair of shifters. Their proximity sparked that same quiet pull. Less than Adam’s, but real.
“You feel it too,” Leo said, not a question.
“Yes.”
“What does it mean?”
“Blood compatibility isn’t binary. There are... degrees.” Lander resumed walking, maintaining that careful distance. “With Adam, yours is exceptionally strong. With me, it’s merely a whisper.”
Leo absorbed that. “Isn’t it strange Adam assigned you to me, given... everything?”
Lander’s expression remained carefully neutral as they entered a quieter corridor. “I wondered about that myself.”
They reached an elevator that Leo hadn’t noticed during their initial descent. Lander pressed the call button.
“This leads directly to the main house,” he explained.
As the doors opened on the second floor, Leo saw Adam’s office across the hall. The door stood open, but the room was empty.
“When will he be back?” Leo asked, trying to sound casual.
“Soon,” Lander said. “He asked me to inform him when you turned in for the night.”
Adam was giving him space, deliberately staying away. The realization provoked a mess of conflicting emotions.
They ate dinner in a smaller dining room, joined by Gaspard, who chatted amiably about art collections and the upcoming renovation of the east garden. Maja remained conspicuously absent.
As they finished their meal, Leo heard the distant sound of a car approaching.
“Adam,” Lander confirmed, noticing Leo’s attention shift.
Leo’s heartbeat quickened as he pushed back from the table. “I think I’ll turn in.”
Lander’s knowing look made Leo flush, but the vampire merely nodded. “I’ll show you back to your room.”
They were halfway up when the front door opened. Leo felt Adam’s presence. Heavy. Magnetic. His gaze met Leo’s across the foyer.
For a moment, neither moved. Leo felt the pull, the desire to descend the stairs and close the distance between them. Adam’s expression reflected a similar struggle, his body angled toward Leo.
Instead, Leo turned and continued up the stairs. Lander remained silent as they reached Leo’s door.
“Thank you,” Leo said stiffly, “for the tour.”
“Of course.”
Inside, Leo went straight to the window. He pressed his forehead against the glass, watching night swallow the gardens. He could feel Adam’s presence somewhere below, a hum beneath his skin.
Leo pressed his forehead against the cool glass, closing his eyes. For the first time since his family disappeared, he felt truly alone.
Chapter Thirteen
Adam
Adamstoodmotionlessinthe foyer, watching as Lander escorted Leo up the stairs. The moment their eyes had met sent a familiar surge through him—that gravitational pull that seemed to grow stronger rather than weaker with time.
