Chapter One

J ax ‘Key’ Thorpe adjusted the bag on his shoulder as he left Cyberlink Corp and walked down the sidewalk. Another boring day at work, dealing with assholes who thought they knew more than he did because they could fucking type.

Yeah, right.

Here he was building websites and data analysis tools and making sure their malware and firewalls were impenetrable, but hey, he was just a grunt. The ‘I pay your salary’ comments got old fucking fast, and if it wasn’t for the fact the job paid a decent wage, Key would have fucked off a long time ago.

As he was walking out the door, he’d been tasked with giving a presentation on a new security system that had to be completed within two days. Two fucking days! The guys wanted a presentation? He’d give them one. Maybe a two-hour PowerPoint one would get his message across.

Stepping around a puddle of water, Key exhaled heavily. At least it was Friday, so he could go home and get drunk. He had plans to go out Saturday and meet friends, but tonight he wanted to get home, shower, and relax with a movie and beer.

His steps slowed as he felt a familiar itch between his shoulder blades. Someone was watching him. It was virtually every night when he left work that he had this feeling. At first, he’d been concerned, spinning around to search the sidewalk behind him, but no one had been there.

He’d shrugged it off as his overactive imagination, but when he’d felt it the following night and the next, he knew someone was watching him. That had been over a month ago, and even though he had the feeling whenever he went outside, no one had approached him.

Maybe it was his imagination, after all.

Seeing his car ahead, Key sped up, and when he reached it, he unlocked it and climbed in quickly. Throwing his bag on the passenger seat, he sat back and closed his eyes, sighing deeply. He could feel the beginnings of a headache forming, the dull ache behind his eyes building.

Opening his eyes, he swung his head to the right when he saw a shadow out of the corner of his eye. As he leaned forward and searched the area, Key made sure to lock his car. If someone was out there, they’d have to smash his window to get to him.

“What the fuck?” Key muttered, jumping when his phone rang. Chuckling softly to himself, he picked it up and smiled when he saw his dad's name on the screen.

“Hi Dad.”

“Son. What time are you coming over Sunday? I was thinking beef.”

Key smiled even though he knew his dad, Charles, couldn’t see it. “Beef sounds good. I’m out with friends Saturday, so maybe one-ish.”

“Don’t get too drunk, son.”

“Dad,” Key stressed the word. He loved his dad, but he was an adult. “I’m old enough to know not to get drunk.”

“Really? Who was it last month who called me up at three in the morning to sing ‘I love you’ down the line?”

“I don’t know, Dad. I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Key winced. He still didn’t remember calling Charles, and if it wasn’t for his call log, Key would have denied it.

“I love you too, son. So one, then, and will you be bringing anyone along with you?”

“Is this your way of asking if I’m seeing anyone? I’m not, so no, I won’t be bringing anyone.”

Key heard the sigh and rolled his eyes. Seriously. What was it with Charles trying to get him a man? He should be happy his son was happy and doing well, but no, he wanted to see Key married and with kids.

Maybe he didn’t want kids. Key hadn’t decided either way yet. He wasn’t in a relationship and wasn’t searching for one, either. He was twenty-eight and still had plenty of time, so why rush things? He had a good job, a nice apartment, and great friends. He was happy where his life was, even if the job did suck ass some days.

“You should look for a man. You’re not getting any younger, son.”

“Gee thanks, Dad. ‘Son, you’re getting old, so grab a man while you can.’”

Charles chuckled softly. “I want to see my only son happy. Is that such a bad thing?”

“No it isn’t,” Key murmured. “I’ll find someone when I’m ready. Maybe you should take some of your own advice. Mom has been gone a few years now, maybe you should consider dating someone.”

“I will when I’m ready…” Charles paused, then laughed. “Okay, I hear you, but your mom is a pretty hard act to follow.”

“She is, but there are many beautiful, talented women out there who deserve a great man like you. So maybe you should get out there.”

“I’ll think about it. Beef then.”

Not changing the subject at all! “Yeah, beef sounds good. I’ll see you at one.”

“Bye son, and don’t get too wasted.”

“I won’t.”

“And pack condoms.”

“Gee Dad. That would have never occurred to me. Thanks for the reminder.”

“Brat. Love you.”

Key smiled. “You too, Dad.”

Hanging up, Key dropped his phone on the passenger seat and stared out of the window, watching the rain. The trails snaked down the windshield and he smiled wistfully. Maybe Charles had a point. He wasn’t getting any younger, but Key figured he had a few years left before finding someone. Or he was meant to be alone. Some men and women preferred that.

Starting the engine, Key glanced around and pulled out. As he drove away, he glanced in the rearview mirror and saw someone watching him but couldn’t see the details. Maybe it was his mysterious stalker or it could be some stranger who just happened to be there.

One day, he’d find out who his mysterious stalker was. The person who watched him but didn’t approach him. One day.

Watching the black car drive away had Kelvin Standing lowering his head. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. He could only watch over his mate. He couldn’t interact with him. Kelvin was a vampire and Key was human and they had laws in place so they couldn’t mate.

“Are you going to watch him live his life then die?”

Kelvin wanted to ignore Minho Lee, but murmured, “I don’t know what you mean.”

“He’s your mate.”

“And? We have laws in place, so what can I do? I break those laws and they’ll kill both of us. I’d rather he lived a long, happy life than have a brief one with me.”

“Some laws are meant to be broken.”

“Some laws are in place because of how we treated our mates.”

“Centuries ago.” Minho stepped forward, the light illuminating his features. His dark piercing eyes met Kelvin’s, then moved away. His tanned skin glowed, and he crouched down to move a cat sliding around his legs. “Go on,” he murmured.

The cat moved away and Minho stood. “You have a way with animals.”

Shrugging, Minho turned and watched Kelvin. “There is a way to have your mate.”

“And what is that? Challenge the laws we’ve had in place for centuries?”

“What was needed then isn’t needed now. We’ve evolved. The old ones are long dead.”

“Because we killed them.” The civil war between vampires had been brutal and bloody, leaving thousands dead. “Speaking of mates–”

“Don’t. Our situations are different.”

Kelvin heard the thread of acceptance in Minho’s voice and wanted to challenge him, but he knew he would get nowhere. Minho’s situation was different. Kelvin sighed softly and shoved his hands in the pockets of his coat. “I need to go.”

“You need to make sure he arrives home safe.”

“That too.” Kelvin shrugged, then turned to leave, but was stopped by Minho’s hand on his shoulder. “What?”

“Don’t wait too long to act. Challenges to laws have been made in the past when the laws became obsolete. This one can be challenged as well.”

“Why don’t you do it then?” Kelvin lifted his chin and stared into Minho’s dark eyes.

Minho stared back, then curled one side of his mouth up. “I’m not going to mate, so why would I challenge that particular law? You have a human mate. One you watch every day. One you follow to ensure his safety. You’re the one who is in the best position to challenge the archaic law we’ve obeyed for centuries. You, not I.”

“Only because you’re too afraid to do what you should.”

“Say what you want, Kelvin. Your mate is there in front of you. He senses your presence. He knows when you are watching him. Go to him before it’s too late. Unless you want to watch him find a human to live his life with, watch him grow old, then visit his grave when he’s dead. Your decision, not mine.” Minho shrugged Kelvin’s hand from his shoulder, his eyes narrowing. “Can you do that, Kelvin? Watch your mate live his life with another man? Watch him have a family? Will you spy through the window as he fucks his partner?”

Minho walked away and Kelvin let him. Minho’s words were loud in his head, bouncing around until Kelvin closed his eyes. Watch Key marry someone else, have a family, grow old and die. Was Kelvin prepared for that? Could he live through that?

Staring at where Key had been, Kelvin stepped to the edge of the building and then off. He dropped to the ground, and when his feet landed, his body vibrated, the impact absorbed then dissipating as if he’d jumped one foot instead of thirty.

Walking over to where Key had parked, Kelvin inhaled deeply, his lungs taking in his mate’s unique scent, one he would never forget. Minho had made several valid points, and Kelvin didn’t want to accept them, but he knew he had to. Did he want to visit his mate’s grave because he’d been too afraid to take what had been given to him? Placing flowers on the ground above his mate’s rotting corpse? Fuck. That image alone had Kelvin’s chest constricting, his breath catching.

The laws were in place for a reason. Vampires had been too dangerous back when they were put into effect. They’d taken any human they’d wanted, fed indiscriminately, fucked whoever they wanted, killed without mercy. The civil war had only worsened the atrocities committed against both human and vampire until they had split into two factions and an uneasy truce had come into existence.

Vampire families split in two. Mates separated; families destroyed.

Then, the laws had been needed, both factions agreeing to them. Both sides somehow coming together to create them and follow them. There were vampires who didn’t follow them, who didn’t agree with them, and they were held accountable, punished harshly, even put to death.

Vampire population had been virtually destroyed, and only now was it gradually increasing. One thing both sides had agreed to was that no human would know of their existence and no human would be mated to a vampire under any circumstances.

It was needed then. Vampires had seen humans as nothing more than cattle to do with as they wanted. If vampires had suffered through the civil war, it was nothing compared to what humans had endured, so the laws regarding humans and how they were treated had been necessary.

And it was those laws that had put Kelvin in the position he was now in.

A human mate. One, according to the laws, he could never be with.

Was he vampire enough to challenge the law regarding human mates? Was he the one to throw caution to the wind and take his mate? Was he the one who would face the punishment? And what about Key? What would happen to him if Kelvin did cross that line and mate him? Would Key be punished as well?

Too many questions and no answers.

Kelvin closed his eyes and lifted his head, feeling the rain run over his skin. It felt like it was washing away his sins, his indecisions. He lowered his head and opened his eyes, then ran. He had a mate, and he needed to make sure said mate arrived home safe.