3. Soren #3
Lazarus and I exchange a look. This is exactly why I wanted to do a background check before changing him. Vampires become obsessed easily, and Vex clearly doesn’t have the maturity to handle these new impulses.
“Look,” I step between them. “we need to figure this out logically. Vex, you can’t just roam around following scents.”
“But it’s so fun,” he says, flopping back onto the cot. “You don’t understand what it’s like. Everything is... amplified now. And she’s like a beacon calling to me.”
“That’s exactly the problem,” Lazarus says, his voice dangerously quiet. “This isn’t a game. You could have killed her.”
“I would never—”
That’s the problem. His human side would never. But the vampire awakening inside him, would.
“You don’t know what you’re capable of,” I interrupt. “None of us did when we were first turned. The hunger can become overwhelming.”
And when that happens, and it will. He won’t be Vex anymore.
“I’m different,” he insists. Only his eyes twitch and he glares at the floor. He’s not so sure anymore.
Lazarus kneels down to Vex’s eye level.
“Listen to me carefully. You will not approach Calliope. You will not seek her out. You will not even think about her if you can help it.”
“But—”
“This isn’t a request.” Lazarus grips Vex’s face forcing him to meet his gaze. “You are a danger to her until you learn control. To yourself and to her.”
Vex’s shoulders slump in defeat. “Fine. But can I at least have something to eat? I’m starving.”
I look to Lazarus, who gives a slight nod. “I’ll get you some blood packs,” I say. “The synthetic kind.”
“Ew,” Vex wrinkles his nose. “So where to?”
We make it back to my office where I open the mini fridge hidden under the shelves. I toss him type O and turn back around. “We don’t have a lot of location options, Laz.”
“Safe house.” Lazarus paces as Vex tosses himself into my chair and slurps on his blood bag. “No, not safe enough. I need multiple points of security. Gates. Cameras.”
“Our place.” I cross my arms and lean against the wall already knowing he’s going to shut it down. There aren’t a lot of safe places in Philadelphia for fledglings. It’s why they come here.
Vex’s eyes ping pong between us. “You live together?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Trouble in paradise then?” Vex continues to slurp.
“We aren’t…” Laz trails off.
“No, Jesus, no.”
“So no sword crossing between you two?” Vex rubs his pointer fingers together. “Not into it either but I won’t yuck it.” He wags his brows. “Until I try it.”
“No.” Lazarus continues to pace.
“I’d try anything once. But I’m not so sure I’d let you stick your dick in me.” Vex laughs at his own joke.
I do not.
“We need high security.” Lazarus pauses to cock his head at Vex. “You’ll be a duke before we know it.”
“Oh cryptic.” Vex spins in the chair. “You know I think I’m good to go, man. I could just go back to work.”
“No,” we both say in unison.
“Wanna think about it?” Vex says.
“You cannot go back. That is why we insisted on a three-month sabbatical.” Lazarus paces again. “You keep getting out.”
“I do.” Vex sounds delighted about it.
“A cell you escape at night is not a cell. It is a courtesy.” He says it to the room more than to Vex. “I would rather know where you are at three in the morning than trust a wall to tell me.”
Vex however slips off the chair onto the floor to smell the chair. “She sat here.” He licks the chair.
“I’m going to kill him,” I whisper knowing he can hear me.
“He needs a hobby. That will help won’t it?” Lazarus looks to me for confirmation.
A fucking hobby?
“No.” he shakes his head as he paces. “Fine you can go back to work. Midnight to three. Supervised.”
“I do not volunteer.” I want no part of this.
“Awww you do love me.” Vex smiles at him from under the desk and for a moment it’s almost innocent. Childlike.
Until it suddenly isn’t and it’s horrifying.
“My house,” Lazarus concludes even though I came to that conclusion a half hour ago.
Vex’s head pops up from under the desk, his expression suddenly serious. “Wait, so I’m going to be a prisoner in some fancy vampire mansion?”
“No,” I correct. “you’re going to be a guest in my home.”
“With you two?” He looks between us with exaggerated suspicion. “Am I the third wheel in your weird immortal relationship?”
“There is no relationship.” I need a nap. Maybe a snack. “We are a coven. Best friends if you will.”
Vex grins like I just confirmed something salacious.
“The house has separate wings,” Lazarus says through gritted teeth. “You’ll have your own space.”
“Can I decorate?”
“No.”
“Can I invite friends over?”
“You have no friends,” I point out. “You’ve been dead for three weeks.”
Vex clutches his dead heart dramatically. “Three weeks dead and you’re already trying to disappear me. Rude.”
“The world thinks you’re on an extended vacation,” Lazarus reminds him.
“Details.” Vex waves his hand dismissively. “So when do we move in together? Should we have a housewarming party? Maybe invite that pretty girl from last night?”
This is why you always do a background check before turning a human to a vampire.