Mitchell laughed and shook his head. “Now, you sound like Ian. I can’t just turn off my feelings. Of course, it may not matter.” His gaze moved down the hall to where Abram approached with Kish at his side.
They weren’t talking or touching. Nothing in their body language suggested an intimate connection. Abram’s focus was on Mitchell, a fact that heated his blood.
“You don’t have anything to worry about,” Vexx whispered as she leaned into Mitchell’s side so she could get her voice as low as possible.
“Maybe that’s the real reason I have something to worry about,” Mitchell mused as he studied Abram and Kish.
Abram’s eyes narrowed, and he suddenly looked more like a predator. His gait was slow and casual as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Mitchell stopped with Vexx still by his side. His gaze locked with Abram’s, and he refused to look away even when Abram stood toe-to-toe with him.
“Good morning.” Abram’s voice sounded rough.
“Morning,” Mitchell replied softly. “How did you sleep?”
“Are we really going to do this?” Abram asked.
“Do what?” Mitchell honestly had no clue what he was talking about.
“Are we going to make small talk and pretend nothing’s bothering you?” Abram clarified.
Mitchell shook his head. “I’m not pretending, and I wouldn’t exactly call it small talk to ask if you slept well in a place that freaked everyone out a little. Even Vexx was affected by it.”
Abram let out a frustrated sigh and took a step back to put more distance between them. “I slept like crap. I had a dream that disturbed me.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Mitchell asked. “I know all about disturbing dreams.”
Abram’s response was a humorless laugh, but he said nothing.
Mitchell frowned. “You don’t have to be a complete dick. I’m trying to be nice.”
When Mitchell went to turn away, Abram caught his arm. “Wait! I’m sorry that came off sounding so rude. How’d you sleep?”
Mitchell turned to face Abram again.
“Do you need me to stay?” Vexx interrupted. “If not, I’m going to find Jase and the others. We should head out soon.”
“I’m fine,” Mitchell assured her before looking around. “Any idea where Kish went?”
She’d disappeared without a word.
Abram shrugged. “When I ran into her, she said she was on her way to find food and get the fuck out of here. I assume she’s sniffing out food or killing something.”
“I hope she’s not killing anything,” Vexx muttered as she wandered off in the direction the scent of food was coming from.
When they were alone, Abram spoke again. “You never answered me about how you slept.”
“Because we were interrupted,” Mitchell reminded him. “I had trouble getting to sleep, so I went for a walk around the house.”
“And you saw me with Kish,” Abram deduced.
“What makes you say that?” Mitchell asked as he shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.
“Because you’re acting weird,” Abram explained. “You saw me with Kish, and you want to know if it means anything to us.”
“No,” Mitchell replied honestly. “I know it doesn’t mean anything to us.” When Abram eyed him doubtfully, he continued. “I had my doubts at first. I think the magic here is throwing me off. We’ve already discussed Kish and your feelings.”
“But you find it hard to trust me,” Abram added, sounding hurt. “You shouldn’t trust me, so I guess I can’t exactly get angry with you for it.”
“Stop,” Mitchell told him with a hand on his shoulder. “We both need to knock off all the drama between us. It’s insane that we’re acting like this.”
“You’re right,” Abram agreed as he ran his fingers through his hair. “I want to blame it all on the magic, but there’s more to it. You throw me off. Last night, I dreamt that you came to my room.”
“What did I do in your dream?” Mitchell’s voice sounded rough, but he couldn’t help it. The thought of Abram having a sex dream about him was a huge turn on.
“Not much before I woke up,” Abram replied.
“It doesn’t sound like it wasn’t much,” Mitchell argued. It’s not what Abram had said so much as how he said it that led Mitchell to that conclusion. “What were we wearing?”
Abram’s eyes widened. “You aren’t as innocent as I keep thinking you are.”
“No, but I’m not exactly worldly either,” Mitchell admitted.
“You were in my dream,” Abram murmured. “I suppose worldly might not be the best word to describe you in my dream. You were seductive. It was surprising, and I should have realized it was a dream for that reason.”
Mitchell’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t think I can be seductive?” he asked.
Abram shook his head. “It’s not that so much as I think you’re too smart to seduce someone like me.”
“Just stop!” Mitchell snapped. His outburst earned him a shocked expression from Abram. “You’re constantly worried I’m too good for you. That’s such an irritating bullshit excuse for being afraid to get involved with me.”
“What about all of your insecurities holding you back?” Abram asked.
“They’re bullshit, too,” Mitchell replied. “I saw you with Kish and immediately thought something was going on.”
“She offered me sex,” Abram admitted, and it looked like he was going to leave it at that. He wanted to push Mitchell away, and he already knew his initial attraction to Kish made Mitchell insecure. All Abram had to do was keep pushing it, and Mitchell would doubt himself more when it came to him. Even knowing it was all part of his game, he’d still doubt himself. Finally, after a long, tense pause, Abram admitted, “I turned her down, and we talked. She’s not the one I want.”
“And this is the part where I’m crazy,” Mitchell replied with a laugh. “I know you don’t want her. I know it’s me you want. You like me even if it scares you a little.”
“It scares me more than a little,” Abram added. “I don’t like caring about people.”
“Yeah, I know,” Mitchell replied. “It’s hard for you to let anyone in. I’m surprised you let me in.”
“I didn’t plan to let you in,” Abram insisted. “I figured you were like any other obsession, and I’d be over you in no time.”
“Do you still think that way?” Mitchell asked.
“Sometimes,” Abram admitted. “On those days, I’m hoping it will be that way because loving you scares the ever-loving fuck out of me.”
“Love?” Mitchell asked. “Don’t you think it’s a little too soon to use that word?
Abram shook his head. “No, I don’t think it’s too soon. Maybe for you. You don’t know me that well.”
“I know you as well as you know me,” Mitchell argued.
Abram shook his head. “That’s where you’re wrong. See, I’m a bit of a stalker when it comes to my obsessions.”
“You haven’t been stalking me,” Mitchell argued. “I can always tell when you’re near.”
“That’s creepier than me stalking you,” Abram accused.
Mitchell snorted. “I don’t think so.”
“Stalking isn’t all that bad,” Abram argued. “Besides, it’s not like I follow you around while trying to learn everything about you. Some people would be flattered.”
“By their stalker?” Mitchell asked. Abram had to be kidding. No way did he think that anyone would appreciate someone stalking them. Then again, Mitchell would be lying if he didn’t admit that he felt a rush of excitement at Abram’s fascination with him. “I’m beginning to see why we’re drawn to each other.”
“Why’s that?” Abram asked.
“We’re both messed up,” Mitchell replied.
Abram laughed and patted Mitchell’s shoulder. “You may be right about that. Let’s go grab some blood so we can hit the road.”
Mitchell inhaled deeply and sighed.
“They’re cooking bacon.”
“Is that what smells so good?” Abram asked.
“Yeah,” Mitchell replied. “You’ve never had bacon?”
“Nope,” Abram admitted. “We didn’t have any pigs to butcher on the island where I grew up. It smells good.”
“They don’t have any at Connor’s settlement either. Kyleigh gets venison that’s supposed to taste like bacon, but it doesn’t smell the same. Bacon is amazing. Man, I miss eating.”
As they followed the smell of bacon, Mitchell inhaled again. “We didn’t always have much on the farm where I grew up, but we had food. Bacon was my favorite. I miss eating.”
Abram laughed. “Yeah, you mentioned that twice now. I don’t miss eating all that much. Most of my time is spent with turned vamps, so I’m not around food. Growing up, the food was nothing special. I guess we were lucky to always have fresh produce on the island.”
“There are benefits to living in a community with a wood nymph,” Mitchell remarked.
“Yeah, she did a lot for us,” Abram agreed. “Raven was always nice to me when I was a kid. I didn’t talk to her often since she lived in a different part of the community, but I saw her at the main building sometimes.”
“We’re okay now, right?” Mitchell asked.
They stopped at the end of the hall, just outside the kitchen. Abram looked at him with an arrogant quirk of his eyebrow, one side of his mouth lifting into a smirk.
That smirk disappeared when Mitchell leaned in to brush his lips against Abram’s.
“I guess we are okay,” Mitchell murmured.
Before Abram could react, Mitchell turned and walked into the kitchen to get some blood.
Mitchell was relieved when they set out for the day, as were the others. Everyone had been friendly during their overnight stay, but he could see how spending too much time there would cause a person to lose their mind.
He wanted to take the same jeep as Abram, but they had a limited number of drivers. Lexi hadn’t driven much, and since she lived among the lynx shifters, she never drove anymore. They had three jeeps and five drivers, though two of Abram’s vampires were new drivers. Mitchell had argued that it made sense to have the three most experienced drivers behind the wheel since the roads were poorly maintained in several areas they needed to travel through. He drove one jeep with Zane and Lexi as passengers. Jase and Vexx were riding with Elena. Abram had Kish, Maddox, and Davin with him.
After two hours on the road, they stopped for a blood break, and that’s when the attack happened.
“Feral vampires!” Jase shouted.
Vexx and the other shifters were already moving into defensive positions. With their heightened sense of smell, they’d caught the vampires’ scent first. Mitchell scented them soon after the warning and drew two throwing knives. They were Ian’s weapon of choice, so Mitchell had trained a lot with them. Abram, Davin, and Elena had handheld crossbows. The feral vampires smelled like death, something that happened with undead vampires. Their scent grew more offensive with age because they were decaying.
Kish had stayed behind in the jeep, offering to feed Maddox who preferred to avoid an audience. The jeep was just out of view, close enough they could hear if Kish or Maddox needed help. Mitchell figured they could take care of themselves.
When the turned vampires stumbled out of the wooded area, it became apparent there wouldn’t be much of a fight. The five vampires were all emaciated, and three appeared to have trouble maintaining their balance. While the vampires couldn’t put up much of a coordinated fight, they were still dangerous. Starving, they would do anything for blood, and they feared nothing, including death.
The feral vampires focused on the shapeshifters and Lexi, preferring to avoid vampire blood. Vexx lashed out first, sending one flying back with a kick to the chest. Jase, Zane, and Lexi joined the fight. Lexi moved faster than any human thanks to her Fae heritage. She was also a skilled fighter.
“They’re fucking kids,” Abram muttered from his side.
None of the vampires on their side moved to join in since the shifters had everything under control. Mitchell spared Abram a glance, noting the haunted look in his eyes before returning his attention to the fight. It was over in a matter of minutes as they staked the hearts of the feral vampires. Abram stayed back as they dealt with the bodies. Mitchell understood why the situation bothered him. Not one of the feral vampires had reached adolescence before their death.
“Are you okay?” Mitchell asked as he put a hand on Abram’s shoulder.
Abram nodded, rubbing a hand over his face and letting out a frustrated breath. “I’m fine. The adults don’t bother me, but I fucking hate killing kids. I’m glad someone else was here to do it.”
“They didn’t die today,” Mitchell pointed out. “They were dead long before today.”
“I know,” Abram agreed. “Fuck! I don’t want to talk about this.”
Mitchell nodded. “All right, but I’m here if you change your mind.”
“Why?” Abram snapped. “So you can see what a complete and total dick I’ve been? Do you want to hear about all the awful shit I’ve done?”
“You didn’t turn kids into vampires,” Mitchell snapped. “This isn’t about you, so could you stop with the bullshit pity party for a minute? I get that it’s disturbing, and I know why it bothers you.”
“Oh, well then enlighten me,” Abram scoffed with an angry sneer.
“If you were spying on me, then you saw the kids in cages,” Mitchell practically snarled. He was tired of Abram taking his mood out on him. “You did nothing, and a lot of those kids died. Some of them became undead vampires. They were with me when we attacked Connor’s settlement. You feel like a total asshole for doing nothing and for siding with Roger when he took power.” Mitchell’s nostrils flared, and his fists clenched at his side. Rage flowed through him like molten lava.
“What the fuck is going on with your eyes?” Abram asked, taking a step back. His wide-eyed regard clued Mitchell into the fact that something was seriously wrong.
Vexx rushed toward him with Jase, Zane, and Lexi right behind her.
“What’s wrong with my eyes?” Mitchell asked, surprised by his gravelly voice. His skin heated as prickles of anger vibrated through him.
“Your eyes are red,” Kish said as she walked toward them, looking like she didn’t have a care in the world. “Mine never do that. Maybe it’s a Fae thing, but it feels like demon magic.”
Mitchell didn’t care if it was a Fae or demon trait causing his eyes to turn red and the blood to heat in his veins. Vexx’s hand landed on his arm, and the heat eased but not by much.
“Who the fuck cares if it’s Fae or demon?” Abram snapped.
“Knock it off!” Mitchell roared.
Zane wrapped himself around Mitchell from behind, and the contact added to Vexx’s soothing touch.
“You need blood,” Zane murmured against his back. “Take mine.”
He was right. Mitchell hadn’t fed yet, and he needed blood soon even if he doubted that had anything to do with his sudden rage. “I’ll grab a bag.”
“Let me feed you,” Zane coaxed.
“Let him do it,” Vexx added from his side. “Shifter blood is more potent, so it may help with whatever’s going on.”
“We’re right here with you,” Lexi said from his other side.
Mitchell nodded, not sure how he felt about taking blood from Zane, but willing to try anything to cool the fire racing through his veins.
The buzz of voices faded into the background as Zane and Lexi led him away from the group. Someone was arguing, but he couldn’t figure out who it was. His fangs ached like he hadn’t eaten in days, and his fists were clenched tightly at his sides. Zane and Lexi guided him onto the ground until he was lying on his side with Zane in front of him and Lexi at his back. Lexi’s hands slid under his shirt and glided along his back as she murmured words of comfort. At least, he assumed they were words of comfort. It was hard t
o make out anything over the loud buzz in his ears.
“Take what you need,” Zane offered, tilting his head back and flashing Mitchell one of his usual flirty smiles. His smile seemed out-of-place considering Mitchell’s mood, but it soothed him. His gaze landed on Zane’s throat. “That’s it,” Zane coaxed. “Focus on me. You’ll like what I have to offer a lot more than a bag of blood.”
When Mitchell growled low in his throat, he saw a fine tremor run through Zane’s body. Lexi continued caressing his back. With Zane on one side and Lexi on the other, the world around them faded away. He knew others were watching, standing guard in case more turned vampires approached. They might even be standing guard in case he lost it and attacked Zane. None of that mattered. All that mattered was the cocoon of comfort Zane and Lexi had wrapped him in.
“I’ve never done this,” he confessed in a ragged voice. “All of my feedings were in classes or from bags.”
Mitchell had been cleared to feed directly from donors two months ago, but it felt too intimate, so he’d continued using bagged blood. He knew from his experience in feeding etiquette class that it wasn’t as good from a bag, but he’d still never used any of the donors. Zane’s blood called to him.
Lexi’s hand moved around to brush his cheek. “You’re in good hands. We’ve done this before.”
Zane’s head tilted back more, exposing his throat fully to Mitchell. Leaning forward, Mitchell ran his tongue along Zane’s pulse, shocked by the way the shifter shuddered and moaned.
“It’s okay,” Lexi assured him from behind, and Mitchell suddenly had a better idea of why Lexi had joined them. He’d assumed it was only to offer comfort, but he now realized she was also there to reassure him Zane’s reaction was okay. Zane was a very sexual creature, and there was no missing his arousal, but without Lexi’s reassurance, he might have worried she’d be bothered by it.
Mitchell’s fangs slid into Zane’s throat as Zane clutched his shirt and moved closer. The potent blood was enough to make Mitchell moan as the warm liquid flowed down his throat. Mitchell used a mind trick to make the bite feel even more arousing to Zane. With a groan, Zane pressed closer until his hard dick rubbed against Mitchell’s belly. Lexi continued to whisper words of encouragement as she stroked Mitchell’s back.
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