Page 24 of The Doctor's Wolf: Part Two
Adler couldn’t see the face Maxim was making at Mil, but it made the little girl giggle, even if she pushed the expression away quickly.She began measuring out the gin for yet another gimlet.
Heath turned to Adler.“Now that you have seen the scene—”
Clement put down the gimlet Mil had made in front of the dhampir.“Please enjoy.Elsewhere.”
Heath frowned.Then looked at the child behind the bar.“Right.Old bat, table?”
“Call me papa, and I’ll follow you anywhere.”
Heath frowned, but took his cocktail and walked off.
Maxim pointed and caught Mil’s eye.“I’ve had to track this one a lot when he was little.I envy you your sense of smell, Milea.The same for me and Adler, if you please.”
Mil looked at Adler.“Can I make something for Gordon too?”
“He’s still at work, but you’ll get the chance soon.He’ll love that.”
Adler followed Maxim to a table Heath had selected, a corner that didn’t get a lot of light and was far away from the other people in the bar.They all sat.
Heath drained his gimlet in one go.“Fuck, he taught the little werewolf well.”
Adler huffed.“She’s talented.”
Maxim petted the back of Heath’s hand.“Darling, we both know you can’t hold your liquor.”
Heath pointed.“I’m ignoring that patronizing undertone.Adler, he told you?”
Adler sighed, feeling that a gimlet would do him good too.“Yeah, he sure did, and I don’t like it.”
Heath flicked a finger, hitting his empty glass.The sound rang through the air before it died.
“Welcome to the fucking club.”
Chapter 13
Gordonwouldhavepreferredto ride with Corinne, but being mated to Detective Adler meant he got to take the unmarked police car every once in a while.He was all protective.Probably couldn’t stand the thought of me being in the van with the dead people.
That made Gordon smile as he followed the gray van that held the corpses.Gordon didn’t usually drive.There wasn’t all that much reason to keep a car in New Amsterdam with its excellent public transport system that was heavily subsidized by the Forum.Being behind the wheel brought back memories of driving to the beach when Gordon had needed to escape the house after Paula’s death and before he’d left for college.
“That was a lifetime ago.Fuck, but I wasyoung.And brunet.”
I’m still young though, right?I’m older than Adler.Gordon tapped the steering wheel of his werewolf’s car.He seems way more grown up.He’s totally responsible enough to be a foster parent.Gordon sucked on his bottom lip.What if the kid walks in on us?Do we kiss in front of her?Mom and Dad used to, and that was always awkward.
If he was totally honest with himself, Gordon had never once thought of himself as a parent.His interns were the closest he’d ever gotten to the role.
“We’re mated though.Through thick and thin I guess.”
Being mated was yet another thing Gordon had never thought would apply to him.It was both easy and strange.Adler doted on him and would go out of his way to offer Gordon a vein.It was almost vampire groupie behavior if not for the selfless concern Gordon could see in Adler’s eyes whenever he fed.
And then, the loneliness Gordon had gotten used to over the past few decades had just vanished without him really noticing.Adler didn’t like being apart from Gordon at all.The one time Gordon had a corpse come in late, Adler had come to the morgue despite Gordon telling him he didn’t have to.
I was worried you’d go hungry, and I wanted to see you,the werewolf had said while at the same time looking apologetic about interrupting Gordon’s work.
Gordon sighed as he followed the van onto the Forum campus.“I need to do better in this relationship.At least pull my fucking weight.Putting on a wig and letting him tie me up shouldn’t be all I contribute.”
Gordon parked the car in front of the forensics building while Corinne drove the van around the back from where the corpses could be moved to Gordon’s lab via the service elevator.
Gordon headed for the front entrance of their building, taking the steps leading up to the door two at a time.Like most vampires, he appreciated being indoors during the day.Gordon was ready to breeze past the person behind the reception desk, but the werewolf on duty stood to greet him with a firm nod.
