16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Leander

Practice keeps Hayden busy. He’s out of the house first thing in the morning and comes back late. I am never asleep when he arrives since vampires don’t need as much rest as humans, but I stay in my room, leaving the choice of whether he comes to me up to him.

My vampiric nature protests that. Growls and claws at me and demands that I drag my human here and tie him up to the bed and have my wicked way with him until whatever has been bothering him since I returned from my trip vacates his beautiful head.

Hayden is stressed. And it’s not because of hockey. It’s something else, something that calls out to me to comfort him and hold him and never let him out of my arms.

I purr at the thought. My entire being agrees with my vampiric possessiveness. Wherein lies the second problem of having found my mate and why I can’t just drop it on him—I want to turn Hayden. To make him like me, no longer a fragile human. It’s the only thing on my mind lately and the one which stops me from making my move.

He took the revelation of our existence quite well. He seemed to get along with Vivian and my friends. But that doesn’t mean he’d want to be like us. To give up his mortal life for one that can only be ended by copious amounts of garlic or beheading. I suppose silver can be unpleasant as well, slow down a vampire’s healing, but it is not lethal unless injected in a very specific way into our veins.

Sighing, I drop in my office chair at the company and swivel it around, gazing out of the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the inner garden nestled between the four buildings that make up the ADU Pharmaceuticals’ compound. The structures are modern, their facades all glass and metal and their roofs housing beehives and greenhouses with plants we use in the development of various drugs. Auntie was the head of the company after my father’s passing and until I took over at the age of twenty-one, but since then I’ve grown our business tenfold. Money will never be an issue for me, yet what I truly want can’t really be bought.

I examine that thought as I turn back to my neatly organized desk and scroll through my agenda for the day. I suppose that’s not quite true—there are ways to persuade humans to do as told even if they are unwilling. Some vampires employ such methods, but I don’t wish to trick Hayden into being with me. I want him to choose it because it’s what he wants as well. A mate bond is strong, but it is not invincible until it is sealed. One side can always break it.

A knock on my door jerks me out of my head, my eyes zeroing in on the knob as it turns.

“Mr. Adetu,” Carlos, my PA, says, squinting his brown eyes at me in that evaluating manner that makes me feel like a child about to be scolded. “You are one button off. And your tie is a little crooked.”

I stare down at my shirt, realizing he’s right. How embarrassing. “I was in a rush this morning…”

He shakes his head, walking over to me as I begin undoing my buttons. “Let me. You’ve got a meeting with the shareholders from Brax Robotics in ten minutes and you must look impeccable.”

Carlos is nearing 200. He’s a turned vampire that I hired a decade ago after running into him in a dingy Norwegian village during a trip there. A local clan had been stirring unrest, killing humans left and right and threatening to expose our secret, so Annabel and I had been tasked with resolving the issue. Thankfully, it had gone smoothly and there had been minimal casualties, but I’d found Carlos locked up in a basement and almost starved to death. I’d taken him with me, fed him and given him an entry-level job here in the company, and then two months later he was already helping me run the place and stay organized.

“Something seems to be bothering you, Mr. Adetu. If you wish to talk about it, I am all ears.”

I stand up as indicated and square my shoulders, letting my assistant ensure I look presentable. “There is something that I want, but I am not sure whether I should.”

“Something or someone?” Carlos hums, his perceptive eyes meeting mine.

I allow a small smile. “Someone.”

“Ah. That explains your chipper mood lately. Are they aware of your true nature?”

My smile grows into a proud smirk. “They are.”

“What is the issue, then?”

“I want to turn him. I am afraid he might freak out and run away if I told him.”

Carlos’ eyes go a little wide, his neutral expression softening. “Your aunt would be so happy if she heard about your dilemma,” he muses, smoothing out my tie. “But well, I understand your worry. Giving up your humanity by choice is… probably not an easy thing to do. Even for your lover.”

I wince and my assistant doesn’t miss it. “That’s the thing. Our arrangement is a little complicated, and he’s not aware that I am serious about him. It started as no-strings attached sex.”

Carlos herds me out of my office and toward the elevator. “Have you spoken to him?”

I run a hand through my hair, slicking it back. “He’s been distant these past few days. Smiling and laughing less. Not looking me in the eye. I’m not sure now is a good idea… or that he will believe me. He’s also been extremely busy and we barely see each other.”

The elevator dings as we reach the conference rooms floor, the two of us stepping out together. “Then perhaps you should just show him. Via your actions.”

“I just told you I don’t even see him much,” I grumble, pausing in front of the room where the people from Brax Robotics are already seated and waiting.

“It’s the little things, Mr. Adetu. Not the big flashy ones. That’s how you worm your way into someone’s heart. Give it a try.”

Carlos shoves the door open before I can argue back, but as I greet the visitors and introduce myself, his words settle in me, unleashing a dozen ideas about how I can make Hayden smile again.

Hayden comes home earlier the next evening, sweaty but bright-eyed.

“Jesus!” he startles as he enters the lounge, noticing me draped over the couch only after he’s turned the lights on. “You scared me. Why are you sitting in the dark?”

I sit up, picking up the wineglass from the coffee table and sipping from it. The liquid is chilled and pleasant as it trickles down my throat. “I was waiting for you.”

A conflicting emotion washes over his face, but he schools his expression quickly enough so I can’t read it. “You didn’t have to. I’m tired and… I’m gonna go straight to bed.”

“Watch a game with me?” I turn on the TV, the recording I acquired an hour ago already loaded.

His frowning eyes shift from me to the screen, his hands clenching into fists. A second passes, then another, his heart rate going from slightly elevated to agitated after the third.

“Holy shit! Is this…?” He twists his head back at me, his eyes wide and his jaw hanging as if I’ve taken him to a hockey store and told him I’ll buy everything he wants. Which is not a bad idea. I think I can squeeze it in tomorrow after Guitar lecture and before his evening practice starts. “Is this today’s practice?”

I nod, patting the space on the couch next to me. “I also got snacks.” The doorbell rings with perfect timing. “That must be the pizza and ice cream.”

Montgomery appears a minute later with our food, laying it out on the table. Wishing us bon appétit , he retreats upstairs.

Still looking like a deer caught in headlights, Hayden plops down next to me, crossing his legs under him and hugging one of the cushions to his chest. I wish it was me he’s holding on to with such vigor, but I keep that to myself.

“How the fuck did you get your hands on a Havana Gators’ practice game? From today ?”

I stroke his shorts-clad thigh, the contact eliciting a pleasant hum in me even though the fabric prevents me from having the skin-to-skin I crave with my entire being. But this is about Hayden and not me; my urges can wait. “I have friends in the right places. And money. You can share the video with your team tomorrow.”

Hayden curses under his breath, shooting me a radiant grin. My heart melts, my stomach fluttering with excitement and satisfaction. He’s ten times more alluring when he is smiling because of me. I must ensure it happens as often as possible.

Grabbing a slice of greasy human food that I can still enjoy despite my bloodsucking diet, I start the recording. We watch in companionable silence, Hayden’s focus on the game as he shoves pizza in his mouth.

“You should watch out for their center. He’s got a nasty fake shot to backhand,” I say, pointing at the TV as Number 10 executes said move and scores.

I can feel the weight of Hayden’s stare. “How the fuck do you know what fake shots and backhands are? I understand learning basic rules, but recognizing things takes practice!”

Turning slowly his way, I hold his pretty hazel gaze. “I picked up on some things after watching all of your games I could get my hands on. You are beautiful when you are on the ice, Hayden. I suspected it, but I didn’t know how true it was. I would really love to take you out when you have a free day. And maybe watch you practice. If that would be okay?”

The air between us charges with something. Tension spreads through my body, delicious and titillating. His eyes devour me, his pulse pounding so hard I can feel it reverberate through me even though we aren’t currently touching.

I want to kiss him. To have him. To make love to him.

But I don’t do any of that. I just look at him as my skin tingles and sparks travel down my spine, etching the wondrous and raw expression he’s showing me into memory.

“That was kind of cheesy,” he says after another minute of terse silence, laughing it off. “But also true. I am amazing on the rink. And… if you wanted to, I’m sure Coach would let you sit in during practice.”

Eyes back on the game, he tucks his knees in, hugging them now that he’s no longer in possession of the cushion, and places his head on top. We discuss the plays as they happen, and he even notes down a few things on his phone. He’s buzzing with energy by the time we finish, looking way too awake for twelve in the evening.

“I’ll go for a run,” he says when we reach the stairs, halting me mid-step. “I don’t think I can fall asleep. Shit, Leander, I can’t believe you got this.”

I can think of a way or two to make him pass out. My cock jerks at the idea, but I don’t let it get too excited. I’m still treading on thin ice. There is still something at the back of Hayden’s mind, I can feel it. Something that’s bothering him and making him avoid me since the night I held him in my arms and we slept without fucking. Besides, if I touched him now, if I tasted his honey-sweet mouth, I don’t think I’d be able to hold back.

“Would you like some company?” I ask, craning my head to the side so I can watch him put his shoes on.

He hesitates, internal conflict etched into his every feature. “Sure. I guess. But you can’t use your vampire superspeed or whatever.”

“Ah, so we are racing?” I grab my shoes from the rack and put them on. “What does the winner get?”

He stretches his arms, scrunching his nose as he studies my face. “What do you want? Not that you will win.”

“Do not underestimate me, Hayden. I need not tap into my vampire nature to outrun you.”

Grinning, he nudges me with his shoulder. “Cocky much, vampy? Not gonna lie, it’s hot.”

That’s the Hayden I know. He’s having fun with our back-and-forth. He’s smiling, laughing, chatting with me. Because of me.

It takes everything I have to stifle the purr that wants to erupt from my chest. I want to push him down and have my way with him until moaning my name is the only thing his brain can handle. But I don’t give into the urge. Just like I can feel the desire within him, I can also sense the way he’s warring with it. The conflict and hesitation. But he’s still letting me tag along for his run, so I won’t ruin that because of my need to claim him and assure myself he belongs to me.

I can wait.

“If you win, I will cook for you. I’ll have you know that I am very good at it. And if I win, you’ll grace me with your company for lunch tomorrow.”

I have a busy day, and seeing him for more than ten minutes would certainly help keep my spirits high.

He gives me a thoughtful look, like he can’t comprehend why I’d want to have lunch with him. “Sure, but I’m broke. So it’s gotta be something cheap or I can’t afford it.”

I roll my shoulders and we step onto the patio, the cool evening air heavenly against my skin. The moon hangs in the sky fat and bright, illuminating the mansion’s lush grounds.

“It will be my treat, but you will choose the venue.”

He snorts. “Leander. Let me get this straight. We are racing. If I win, you cook for me a supposedly gourmet meal. If you win, we go to a fancy restaurant of my choosing and you pay for it. Did I get this right?”

“Yes.”

He tilts his head back and laughs, the sound caressing my soul. “Do you not realize that I technically win in both cases?”

Crossing my arms, I throw him a confused look. “And that’s a problem how?”

He blinks, surprise and amusement swimming in his eyes. A bit of shy adoration, too. “I mean… It’s not? It’s just strange?”

I step in, brushing a stray lock of hair from his cheek. My fingers linger there, I can’t help it, and he leans into the contact for a heartbeat that goes by too quickly. I help him stretch his muscles too, loving the way it feels so natural. I should do more of this. Perhaps in the mornings, before he leaves for practice. I can’t be there on the ice with him, but I could be part of his routine.

“I see no issue then. Now let’s go, before the wolves get out,” I say, giving his shoulders a final rub as I dash down the stairs and past the fountain.

“Wolves?” he echoes, breaking into a sprint after me. “As in werewolves out and about because it’s a full moon? Holy shit, Leander! Don’t tell me there are werewolves roaming your fucking property and I’m only now finding out!”

“Win and I’ll tell you,” I challenge, panting and smiling as he catches up to me and starts trying to convince me to introduce him to them.