“You’re one lucky guy. Another few seconds...”
Jeremy closed his eyes, nodding slowly. He’d been ready to give in. He knew he’d been seconds away. His muscles had lost all strength fighting to stay above the water. Shit, he’d almost died. He would never have seen his family again, never—
“Hey, it’s alright. You’re safe now.”
Jeremy opened his eyes, surprised to find them and his cheeks wet and his chest heaving. Donnie held a tissue out to him and he took it with a shaky hand, looking away as his cheeks heated. His hand trembled, and he clenched it into a fist to stop the tremors. When a hand closed over his, Jeremy looked back at Donnie, seeing the small smile on his face.
“It’s okay to feel the way you do. You almost died, and it can be a shock when you realize how close you came.”
Jeremy inhaled shakily. “My parents—”
“On their way as we speak. They were worried about you, but I’ve assured them you’re fine and resting.”
“How long?” Jeremy coughed and took another sip when Donnie held the straw out for him again.
“They’re about two hours away,” Donnie informed, putting the glass down.
“How long have I been here?” Jeremy closed his eyes after asking the questions. His body was weak, and exhaustion rolled over him.
“Almost twenty-four hours. You’ll probably stay another day, then you can leave. You need the time to let your body heal.”
“Tired,” he mumbled out, his eyes still closed, darkness sweeping over him
“Sleep then.”
Donnie watched Jeremy succumb to the sleep his body desperately needed and reached out to stroke his fingers over his fair skin. The scruff on his cheek tickled them, and Donnie repeated the move, enjoying the fact he could touch his mate.
The fact that his mate had been male slightly surprised him, but it was the fact that he was human that blew him away.
He’d always thought his mate, if he were fortunate to meet that person, would be a female and a vampire. Human and vampire matings weren’t unheard of, but they were rare. In fact, Donnie couldn’t remember the last one he’d heard about.
He stared down at his mate, his eyes taking in his features. Jeremy’s eyes were green and his hair black, an attractive contrast to his pale skin. His lips were plump, and Donnie knew he would be having dreams about them. He was built too, not like Donnie, but he knew this man took care of himself.
His fingers trailed down Jeremy’s neck, feeling the pulse of his blood under his fair skin, and Donnie inhaled, thinking of the moment when his fangs would pierce his flesh.
The door opened and Donnie jerked back. Chester walked in, closing the door quietly behind him. “He wake up yet?”
“Yeah, for a few minutes. Then he went back to sleep.”
Chester nodded. “Good. He needs to sleep. His body went through a lot yesterday. His parents?” Chester asked, pulling a chair over and sitting next to Donnie.
“Around two hours out.”
There was a pause, and then Chester asked, “How are you dealing with this?”
Donnie glanced at Chester, then sighed. Scrubbing his face with his hands, he dropped them between his thighs and leaned forward in the chair he sat on. “Shit, Chester, I don’t know. I always thought I’d end up with a vamp, you know.”
“Finding a mate is rare.”
“I know.” Donnie sighed again. “He’s human.”
“So...”
“I don’t know. Most humans are okay around us as long as you don’t mention the whole blood thing.”
Chester grunted in agreement. “Yeah, we can save their lives, but the moment the word blood enters a convo, they fuck off.”
“I keep saying to give it more time, but it’s been what, a couple of centuries now?” Donnie stared at Jeremy, watching him sleep.
“Humans need time to adapt. Give them millennia, and it should have settled down by then.”
Donnie chuckled, nodding in agreement. They looked the same. You couldn’t tell a human and a vampire apart, well, until a vamp’s eyes flashed red. Strong emotion or hunger did it.
“When was the last time you fed?”
“I ate earlier in the shitty canteen, but feeding?” Donnie shook his head. “I can’t remember.”
“You need to feed, D. You’re no good to anyone if you let your hunger gain control. Bloodlust can cause—”
“I know, Chester. I’ll see to it.” Donnie sighed, closing his eyes. “I don’t want to leave him just yet.”
“Understandable, but go to the blood bank and get yourself sorted out. You’ll be no good to him if you don’t look after yourself.”
Donnie winced, a sour taste developing in his mouth. Direct from the source was much more preferable. Warm and definitely better. But...
Chester was right. He needed to feed, and now he’d pointed it out, Donnie could feel the gnawing thirst clawing at his throat.
He’d exerted a lot of energy over the last few days, and while he’d been able to deal with one hunger, he’d left the thirst for far too long.
His mate had his full attention, but he’d be no good to him if his fellow vamps had to hunt him down when he went rogue with bloodlust.
“I’ll go now.” Donnie stood, stretching tall, arms above his head.
“I’ll stay here. If you’re not back when Jeremy wakes again, I’ll call.”
“Thanks.” He reached over and straightened the covers over his mate, ensuring he stayed warm.
With a final look at his sleeping mate, Donnie left the room.
Shaking the last dregs of sleep away, Jeremy opened his eyes and found the same man sitting with him. His eyes were closed and his breathing even. Arms crossed over a broad chest, Jeremy simply stared. He remembered him, his hand stretched out, waiting for Jeremy to grab it, and somehow, he had. He’d never know how. As the water kept pulling him down, he’d been certain his time was up. Then his blond savior had appeared and rescued him from certain death.
He watched him breathe, barely a sound in the room, and remembered the storm. The news had said a few inches of rain would fall, but much, much more had. He’d heard the alarm and grabbed a bag with a few items in it and managed to make it to his car, the rain pounding the ground, the overhead sky black with clouds.
The car hadn’t stood a chance and now looking back, Jeremy wondered if he would have done better remaining at home. He’d never know the answer.
The water had rushed towards him, and Jeremy gripped the steering wheel tight when the car lifted from the ground and spun around. Jeremy would never admit it to anyone, but he’d screamed. The whole life flashing before your eyes was true and Jeremy winced when he pictured Patrick, his ex.
Abusive asshole.
Four years of his life wasted, but he’d certainly walked away with an intimate knowledge of abuse. Physical, mental and emotional. But he had walked away or more accurately he fled one night when Patrick had left the house.
He started a new life in a new town and opened a successful bakery. Everything he owned was tied up in his bakery. Had it survived? Would it still be there when he returned home? Did he have a home?
“Shit,” he muttered, throwing an arm over his eyes. What the fuck was he going to do now?
“Is everything okay? Do you need the nurse?”
Removing his arm, Jeremy stared at his rescuer. Fully awake, he could appreciate the man in front of him. Holy smokes, he was hot! Those clear grey eyes stared with a look of concern into his, and he leaned over Jeremy, glancing up and down his body.
He swallowed, coughed to clear his suddenly dry throat, and answered, “I’m fine, thank you.”
“You don’t need anyone?”
Jeremy shook his head, ignoring the strange impulse to reach out to the stranger, to touch his skin. He tilted his head, staring at him, seeing the small smile that graced his lips.
“You can feel it?”
“What?”
“The need.”
Grey eyes flashed red then back again.
Jeremy inhaled sharply. Vampire. The man in his room was a vampire and if he felt a pull towards him? Shit. No. Just no. No way were they mates. Even he’d heard about vampire mates.
The man’s face fell, and he looked Jeremy in the eyes. “I won’t hurt you. I’d never hurt you.”
Jeremy swallowed again and asked, “Are we... Are we mates?”
A smile brightened Donnie’s face. “You know about mates?”
Snorting, he answered, “Doesn’t everyone?”
The man chuckled, and Jeremy gasped. He was gorgeous when he laughed. “Most do. I’m sure there have been documentaries about us. Mostly accurate actually.”
“Blood?” Jeremy whispered. No chance was he being this vamp’s blood bag. No fucking chance.
“Once a week or so. Depends on how much energy we expend. My favorite food?” He leaned back in his chair hands folded on his stomach. “Medium rare steak with fries. You?”
Jeremy’s eyes widened. “Er, I like food.” The man chuckled again. “Who are you again?”
“Donnie. I’m not surprised you don’t remember. You were pretty out of it.”
“You saved me.”
Donnie shrugged, glancing away, a faint blush staining his cheeks. “It’s what I do.”
“Are humans nice when you rescue them?”
“Most don’t give a shit that a vamp is saving them. They’re usually grateful to be alive.”
“But we don’t mix, well, really.”
“Times are changing, improving.”
“So, are we?”
Donnie gave him a wide grin. “Yeah, we are.”
“Oh,” Jeremy whispered.
“Is that a good ‘oh’ or a bad ‘oh’?”
Jeremy looked away. Right now, it was a bad ‘oh’, a very bad ‘oh’. He didn’t want a man or a relationship. He glanced back, seeing Donnie stare down at his hands. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Donnie shrugged, glancing up at him and giving him a closed-lipped smile. “Understandable.” Sighing, he stood, picking his jacket up and shrugging it on. “I’ll leave now then. Take care.” He pulled a card from his pocket and left it next to Jeremy. “If you change your mind, my number’s on here.”
Jeremy nodded, watching the vampire leave the room and close the door quietly behind him. He sank back on the bed, closing his eyes. His body ached, but he noticed a hollow sensation in his chest that hadn’t been there before. Was that because Donnie had left?
He didn’t know enough about vampires or their mates to say for certain if what he was feeling was because Donnie had left, but he fought the need to call him back.
He rubbed his chest, the hollow sensation still there. Had he made a mistake? Jeremy shook his head. He didn’t need a mate right then. He needed to sort his life out first, then he’d think about it.
Chapter Three
“Right, we’ve been asked to assist in a missing person search. Maisey Roberts, six-year-old female, Caucasian, approximately four foot tall. Wearing a light pink t-shirt, blue jeans and black sneakers.” Chester nodded over to Ale. “Get Tank in with Dodge. We’ll need Dodge’s nose on this one.” Glancing over at Donnie, he added, “Donnie, you’re sitting this one out.”
Donnie looked up. “What?”
“Exactly. You’re not one hundred percent here. Go home.”
What the fuck! “Now wait a fucking minute—”
“No.” Chester swiped his hand through the air. “Sort your shit out. Your head’s not in the game and that can endanger lives. Go home. We’ll talk later.”
Donnie stood and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. “Fuck!” He screamed up into the night sky.
It had been a week. A week since he’d walked away from Jeremy, his mate, and there had been nothing. Not a call, a message, a text. Nothing. It was wearing him down. He dragged his weary body around, his mind in a constant loop with one word shouted above all the chaos. Jeremy.
He wasn’t stupid. He knew quite well why his mate hadn’t called. Who’d want a vampire? Especially if you were human and knew that your mate would need to feed from you.
Humans had this overwhelming need to know the ins and outs of the process. They wanted to watch or have a vampire feed from them so they could say they’d done it. Most expected it to hurt, not realizing how intimate and erotic the experience could be.
Yes, a vampire could make it painful if he or she wanted to, but most didn’t. It was a necessary part of their lives and to hurt the people who gave their blood freely was abhorrent. Why hurt the person responsible for keeping you alive?
But still, many humans were afraid. It didn’t help that vampires tended to be stronger, faster, their senses more acute. Or the shit some websites promoted with their posts. Vampires going on feeding benders, draining their victims, killing indiscriminately. Utter bullshit.
They also lived slightly longer, but Donnie thought this was more down to lifestyle than genetics. Vamps tended to be healthier and respect their bodies more. He’d had many conversations with his fellow vamps and some humans about the lives humans led. You hardly ever saw an overweight vampire whereas for humans...
Donnie shook his head. You only had one life. Why ruin it by being unhealthy? That only led you down the path to illness and disease and Donnie didn’t want to live out the remainder of his years in a crippled and unhealthy condition.
That brought him back to Jeremy. Every thought brought him back to Jeremy. He’d seen his naked body, knew he looked after himself. Strong too. He’d fought for a long time to stay alive in the churning waters.
Donnie slumped in his Jeep Renegade, staring at the Rescue Inc building. Shit, he’d never been booted from a rescue before and for Chester to do it now on a missing person case? Donnie was worse than he’d thought.
God, he needed Jeremy to call. He needed to hear his voice even if was just to say he was okay. He knew his body was pulling him towards him. He only had to stand still, close his eyes, and he knew which direction he needed to go to find Jeremy. If he had drunk his blood, that sense would heighten, intensifying the connection.
Ignoring it, Donnie started the engine and drove away. If only he could leave his needs behind.
Staring at his cell and the number in his hand, Jeremy again contemplated calling Donnie. The week they had spent apart had easily been the worst of his life, and Jeremy had survived a few shitty ones in the past.
When he’d finally escaped Patrick’s clutches, those first few weeks had been a strange mix of emotions that swung between terrified and ecstatic. He’d gone to the gym and bulked up, needing to feel that his body could defend him if Patrick ever found him again. He hadn’t been small; he was just under six foot, but he’d been slim. Now, he had muscles.
He’d started karate for self-defense and knew enough that if Patrick should ever find him, he’d be able to stop him and get away or put up a good fight. Patrick would have to work if he wanted Jeremy in his clutches again.
Jeremy sighed. He would never have thought Patrick would become the man he did. He’d been so attentive, so caring, and Jeremy had fallen for him in a short space of time. They dated, going to restaurants and the movies. Days out with picnics. Enjoying spending time together.
Patrick hadn’t been into public affection, but behind closed doors, Jeremy knew he was loved. Well, he’d thought he was loved. As soon as they’d moved in together, Patrick changed. The loving, caring man Jeremy had fallen in love with disappeared and was replaced by a someone who dominated and needed control. The first time he’d punched Jeremy, he’d apologized and said he’d get help, but he hadn’t, and the abuse continued.
Over time, Jeremy pulled away from his friends and family in an attempt to please Patrick. Looking back now, Jeremy could see the control Patrick exerted over him, but there at that moment, he hadn’t. He’d just wanted to please him.
The physical abuse grew, and Jeremy’s isolation increased, and eventually Patrick
had complete control. He’d demean Jeremy, call him names, tell him he was a worthless piece of shit and Jeremy would take it all.
He ran his fingers over the scars that circled his wrist, a gift from Patrick. A constant reminder of what he’d suffered and survived. He’d cuffed him to the bed, a punishment for not cleaning the house they shared to his standards.
And he didn’t even want to think about the sex.
Sighing, he glanced back at the cell in his hand. His chest ached, as it had since Donnie walked out of that hospital room. Chester, the tall black man, another vampire, had tried to explain mates and vampires to him, but he’d refused to listen. Why should he? Nothing was going to happen.
Yet, Jeremy’s body knew what it wanted, and it was Donnie. He dreamed about him, kissing him, touching him, and he’d come more times than he could count screaming Donnie’s name.
He stood, walked to the window, and stared out watching the rain fall. The hotel he was in was okay, but it wasn’t home. His had been condemned, too damaged by the flood, and the bakery was destroyed.
He’d bought a building where he could live above his business, and now both were gone. Sure, he had insurance, but it would be months before they paid out, and in the meantime, Jeremy was living off of his savings.
He glanced back at his cell on the bed and again thought of calling Donnie. Shit, he was scared. He honestly didn’t think he could have a relationship again. Scared, both inside and out. But could he condemn the vampire knowing he would only have one mate?
He slid down the wall, head in his hands, and stared at the carpet. The shitty brown color wavered, and he blinked, letting the tears fall. Fuck, he shouldn’t be crying. Over a man he didn’t know, or was it the fact that so much had happened to him in such a short period of time? He’d gotten his life back, and now this?
Had he fucked someone over in a previous life? Was that it? Was this some fucked up karma paying him back? Didn’t he deserve to be happy, to be loved? Hadn’t he suffered enough? Yet when the chance was there in front of him, Jeremy ran.
Rescue Inc Collection Vol 1 Page 2