three times plus battling water had taken its toll. He stayed distressingly solid.
Rage filled him at his inability to get to her, rash and uncontrollable. He broke down the thing between them.
She looked up. She was fine.
Relief coursed through him. He stood there and let it wash over him.
Two women stared at him, Sunny and Elena Strongwell. He became aware of how strange it looked to have him break in like that, and it dawned on him just how rash and questionable all of his behavior was around Sunny. He didnât understand any of it so he passed it off with a casual remark. That was that. Protector instinct satisfied.
Despite knowing how oddly he was behaving, after Strongwell ordered him out, he stayed nearby. Near Sunny. He needed to with a fierce desire that went beyond rationality.
He tucked himself into a shadowed corner of the police station and brooded, trying to understand this pull to be with the small, clunky cop. Generally he couldnât get far enough away from anyone in authority.
Then Sunny came into the hallway, her gait stiff, pained, and all thoughts dropped from his head except oneârelieve her suffering.
He followed her to the restroom to heal her with his saliva in the way of his kind. He touched his tongue to her skin, andâ¦andâ¦
He really didnât understand his need to pleasure her. His overwhelming compulsion to kiss her and touch her and feel her shatter under his hand.
Didnât stop him from doing it. From reveling in it.
After, his own gait was stiff. Work would take care of that. He hobbled toward the Dawn barn.
The cool night air eased him. He shook his head. He understood sex, but his encounter with Sunny was less like sex and more likeâ¦breathing. Absolutely necessary.
As if she was his mate.
He stopped. Everything, feet, breathing, even heart, on the cusp of foreverâ¦
No. Couldnât be. Because if his friend Ric was any indication, a vampire male mating a human female led to rapid impregnation. Children.
He would not be a father.
He crossed the street, fast, heedless of direction, his gliding feet flashing so swiftly that when they hit the edge of the curb they actually caused a spark. Pain lashed through his ankles.
Gritting his teeth, he slowed down. Mate. Father. Was it so impossible? He tried imagining Sunny pregnant with his child, the baby born so tiny and perfect, a boy or girl to read to and play peek-a-boo with and loveâ¦
Not for him. Heâd be an awful father. It wasnât like he had a lot of positive role models.
Yet those few moments with Sunny teased him, with hazy memories of a different life, a life of sunshine and love. Stroking her flesh was like caressing soft tassels of ripe summer grain; her scent was like fresh rain. He closed his eyes and savored the memory of her in his arms. She wasnât his mate, and yet there was this insistent tug to be with her. To embrace her and rub against her and sink his fangs into the sweet warm pulse in her neckâ¦
He stumbled. His eyes flew open. He was gliding up the stairs of the police station.
What the fuck? He ought to be headed for DTL. Judging by the night sky, it was well after eleven. While many employers would be upset if he came in late, the folks at Dawn would be okay with it. They knew he was casual labor. Most of their drivers were; most of them were vampires too.
Yet instead of going to work, he sank slowly to the top step and cupped his head in both hands. He was so fucked.
He wondered briefly if he would have understood his feelings any better if he were aligned with the ancient vampire in Iowa. Kai Elias was purported to have wisdom like no other, although he shared it only sparingly.
Aiden raised his head from his hands. He didnât trust authorities and Elias, as leader of the Iowa Alliance, was authority with a capital A. Never again would Aiden put himself in the hands of another soulâoutside of Ric who had proved himself in the crucible
Rage filled him at his inability to get to her, rash and uncontrollable. He broke down the thing between them.
She looked up. She was fine.
Relief coursed through him. He stood there and let it wash over him.
Two women stared at him, Sunny and Elena Strongwell. He became aware of how strange it looked to have him break in like that, and it dawned on him just how rash and questionable all of his behavior was around Sunny. He didnât understand any of it so he passed it off with a casual remark. That was that. Protector instinct satisfied.
Despite knowing how oddly he was behaving, after Strongwell ordered him out, he stayed nearby. Near Sunny. He needed to with a fierce desire that went beyond rationality.
He tucked himself into a shadowed corner of the police station and brooded, trying to understand this pull to be with the small, clunky cop. Generally he couldnât get far enough away from anyone in authority.
Then Sunny came into the hallway, her gait stiff, pained, and all thoughts dropped from his head except oneârelieve her suffering.
He followed her to the restroom to heal her with his saliva in the way of his kind. He touched his tongue to her skin, andâ¦andâ¦
He really didnât understand his need to pleasure her. His overwhelming compulsion to kiss her and touch her and feel her shatter under his hand.
Didnât stop him from doing it. From reveling in it.
After, his own gait was stiff. Work would take care of that. He hobbled toward the Dawn barn.
The cool night air eased him. He shook his head. He understood sex, but his encounter with Sunny was less like sex and more likeâ¦breathing. Absolutely necessary.
As if she was his mate.
He stopped. Everything, feet, breathing, even heart, on the cusp of foreverâ¦
No. Couldnât be. Because if his friend Ric was any indication, a vampire male mating a human female led to rapid impregnation. Children.
He would not be a father.
He crossed the street, fast, heedless of direction, his gliding feet flashing so swiftly that when they hit the edge of the curb they actually caused a spark. Pain lashed through his ankles.
Gritting his teeth, he slowed down. Mate. Father. Was it so impossible? He tried imagining Sunny pregnant with his child, the baby born so tiny and perfect, a boy or girl to read to and play peek-a-boo with and loveâ¦
Not for him. Heâd be an awful father. It wasnât like he had a lot of positive role models.
Yet those few moments with Sunny teased him, with hazy memories of a different life, a life of sunshine and love. Stroking her flesh was like caressing soft tassels of ripe summer grain; her scent was like fresh rain. He closed his eyes and savored the memory of her in his arms. She wasnât his mate, and yet there was this insistent tug to be with her. To embrace her and rub against her and sink his fangs into the sweet warm pulse in her neckâ¦
He stumbled. His eyes flew open. He was gliding up the stairs of the police station.
What the fuck? He ought to be headed for DTL. Judging by the night sky, it was well after eleven. While many employers would be upset if he came in late, the folks at Dawn would be okay with it. They knew he was casual labor. Most of their drivers were; most of them were vampires too.
Yet instead of going to work, he sank slowly to the top step and cupped his head in both hands. He was so fucked.
He wondered briefly if he would have understood his feelings any better if he were aligned with the ancient vampire in Iowa. Kai Elias was purported to have wisdom like no other, although he shared it only sparingly.
Aiden raised his head from his hands. He didnât trust authorities and Elias, as leader of the Iowa Alliance, was authority with a capital A. Never again would Aiden put himself in the hands of another soulâoutside of Ric who had proved himself in the crucible
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