(Addis)

  Addis did not stop until he reached the door of his home and he slammed it shut decidedly, leaning against the portal as he locked it. Addis couldn’t help the way his entire body shook, his anxiety rising as he struggled to convince himself to release the door. If Rosie had not come, had not been looking for him, he… he…

  “No,” Addis whispered, bringing his hand to his face as he tried to forget the human. He didn’t want to think about how soft Faye’s lips had been, how supple and perfect his curves were or the feel of Faye’s living body as he pressed it against his own. Addis growled softly to himself, hating the way his body reacted to the memory, the way his heart thumped in his chest. “Damn it.”

  He could not deny it, as much as he wanted to; in that moment, Addis had simply wanted Faye. Be it the dreaded bond or something about the human, Addis had wanted to claim him and make Faye his, to prove the human wrong in every way possible. The way Faye had watched him defiantly, with anger and annoyance, even as the vampire held him in place. He wanted to make those defiant eyes glare at him again, so he could turn them back into the soft hazy look the human had given him after something as simple as a kiss. What look would those pink orbs give if he did more…

  “Master…” Addis pushed himself off the door as he walked further into his home, slamming his hands on the counter as his heart continued to race in his chest. This… this was exactly what he didn’t want. He didn’t want to want, he didn’t need the distraction. This… bond, it was making him desire the human and Addis slammed his hand into the polished surface. Ruben was right; he needed to get rid of it, to be done with it before emotions could be shared. Before it could dig its claws into him more. “Master.”

  “What!” Addis spat, annoyed with the creature’s insistence as its green eyes looked up to him from the floor.

  “Shall I go watch the human?” Addis hesitated with his answer, growling softly as he considered its simple question. There was a good chance Adrian intended to see if he could torment Faye, especially since the pair of them had disappeared from the party. He thought about the bite on the human’s neck and he slammed his hand into the counter again, barely noticing as he cracked the surface. So that’s what the human had meant when he said Adrian would find a way to torment him and Addis had to close his eyes as the creature consumed his rage. He could only imagine that he hadn’t felt the bite because vampiric bites were pleasurable instead of painful and as long as emotions weren’t being shared, Addis would have no way of knowing when Adrian violated the human.

  “Go, but only eyes and voice, it should be enough. Rasvan is there,” Addis commanded, watching as the creature escaped his own shadow and wriggled under the door. Alone, the vampire sighed heavily, turning around as he leaned against the counter. He could not keep doing this; he needed to pull away, to be done with the human. To stop spending so much time thinking about him, to not remember how it had felt to kiss him.

  But it felt the more he tried to forget, the more the memory insisted on making itself known. It was infuriating how the memory lingered, taunting him with what he shouldn't crave, an unsettling mix of desire and frustration that he couldn't shake off. With a frustrated growl, Addis raked his fingers through his red hair, tugging at the strands as if trying to dislodge the thoughts from his mind. He couldn't let himself be consumed by this yearning, this inexplicable attraction to a mere human. Yet, despite his resolve, the desire clawed at him, refusing to be ignored.

  Addis traced the crack in the surface of his counter, frowning as he realized he would need to get it replaced. Why did he care that Adrian had bit the human: Faye belonged to Adrian, Adrian had every right to drink the human’s blood whenever he wanted to as the one who owned the human’s soul. But if that was true, if that was how Addis truly felt about it, why did his anger threaten to consume him as he thought about the vampire sinking his fangs into Faye’s soft skin? Why did he want to rip Adrian apart for daring to assault Faye for what Addis had done?

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  “A weak man, nothing better than an animal,” Addis hissed, digging his nails further into the crack. Addis hated abusers of every kind, and while he had always known that Adrian did not treat his “dolls” well, he had never thought the vampire stooped that low. Was Faye the only one Adrian abused that way, or was that disgusting excuse for a vampire willing to force himself on anyone who couldn’t refuse him…

  A sudden sharp pain ran through Addis’s wrists and he clutched the limb tightly, static escaping him as the lights flashed. Was it too late? No, the creature could move even faster than him, there was no way it hadn’t reached Faye in time. The pain intensified as Addis fell to his knees, still clutching his joint as he struggled to control his power. He growled as he realized what must have been happening, releasing his wrist as the pain finally seemed to lessen.

  “Rasvan…” the vampire hissed, slowly rising to his feet as he tried to shake away the residual ache. The creature wouldn’t have hesitated if it had been any other vampire, but the pair could not risk Rasvan learning about their pact. If the King knew, he would not hesitate to immediately kill Addis, and attempt to destroy the creature that had latched onto him. With a deep breath, Addis began the familiar process of making tea, finally removing his jacket as he moved into the kitchen. Addis finally started to relax as he went through the motions of his favorite ritual, preparing his mug and tea to receive the hot water and create the drink he longed for. The only thing in his long life that made the vampire calm, and let him feel safe. Addis closed his eyes as he considered the human again, still unable to forget that moment in the side room.

  Would it happen again? The next time Addis had to face the human, would he be able to control himself, or would the bond drive him to do even more? What even were the later stages of being Soulbound? Addis hummed with thought as he considered his lack of knowledge and resolved to try and learn what he could before broadcasting the next day. The shelter should have no need for him for a while, and would afford him the luxury of avoiding the human. Ruben and Roma would be enough to represent him and if Lena truly wanted to complain, he could always use the excuse that he needed to check on his businesses and ensure everything was running smoothly.

  “I do need to travel soon,” Addis muttered under his breath, reaching for the kettle as it began to whistle. Travelling would be a dangerous gamble however, as the creature could only be so far away from him and he would not be able to have it watch Faye. Adrian would be guaranteed to try and take advantage of Addis’s absence to torture the human and Addis hummed with fustration. Would the pain follow him, or would it be his chance to finally be free of this ridiculous bond that had driven him to kiss the human? To almost bite the human and drink his sweet blood? “I must find out.”

  Addis sat down heavily on his couch with his warm mug, taking a delightful sip as he closed his eyes. Even if travel would not break the bond, if he could somehow use it as an excuse to separate Faye from Adrian, it would present the same opportunity. If he didn’t need to protect the human, it would be much easier for him to completely ignore Faye and force it to break. It only took a week if the target was deliberately avoided and ignored, and Addis hummed with thought as he considered this new idea.

  “I suppose I have some work to do,” he chuckled to himself, standing from the couch as he moved to climb the stairs. He climbed the short flight of steps to his room, setting down his cup as he laid down on the bed, staring at the dark ceiling above him. This dance he found himself in was becoming dangerous, and he knew he needed to end it before he was trapped by its insidious melody. He couldn’t afford another moment of weakness, another chance for the bond to dig its talons deeper. Addis clenched his fists, the need to sever the connection with Faye becoming more urgent with every passing moment.

  Just a little longer and he could be done with this all together.

  Just a little longer.