Fen laughed. “Are you volunteering?”
He didn’t think Fen meant for him to take the question seriously, but he did. Yuri gave it some real thought for half a second. “Well, I mean, I’m a guardian wolf to a godling. Maybe that means nothing, or maybe it’s something. I don’t really know,but people keep telling me that’s as high as any wolf can climb. Not that I know if that actually affects the strength of my blood. I’m very much a backwoods wolf from a secretive pack. We didn’t welcome outsiders, and we weren’t taught our hierarchy. I imagine my dad kept it that way for a reason. If there was no one higher, then he would always be seen as the top dog.” A terrible one. The one that got him killed. Yuri had rambled too much. He got to the point. “So, yeah. I guess if you’re willing, then I am.”
Their ice cream came.
Fen never looked away from Yuri. It was as if he tried to solve a puzzle. When they were alone again, Fen gave him a sharp nod. He picked up the saltshaker and salted his ice cream.
A laugh burst from Yuri at the move. “Really? Salt on ice cream.”
A smile snapped to Fen’s lips. “I told you everything has tasted terrible. Another vampire I know—who is a fairly recent turn—eats this all the time. I’m willing to give anything a shot.”
Yuri shook his head. “Why didn’t you try it on a spoonful first? You might not like it.”
A bark of laughter burst from Fen. “I didn’t really think about that.” He took a bite and curled his nose.
Yuri pushed Fen’s bowl aside and moved his to the center of the table. “We can share.”
Fen shook his head. “It’s okay. Since you offered your blood, I’ll wait for that if you’re not offended.”
He practically felt Fen’s hunger and agitation rolling off his skin. Yuri waved their server over. “Would it be okay if I get everything to go?” He had ordered a rare hamburger for after their ice cream, but he wouldn’t make Fen suffer.
“You don’t have to do that. I can wait.”
Yuri shrugged. “It’s fine. I’m not much good for anything else, but I can do this.”
Fen was back to staring at him like he couldn’t figure him out. “I should probably warn you that getting bitten can cause a sexual response. In humans, I block their minds. They don’t know anything happened. Considering your position as a guardian wolf, I don’t think I can block you.”
Had that been what Fen had been doing with the intense staring? Had he tried to control Yuri’s mind just to see if he could? Not that it mattered, he guessed. He had already agreed to do this. Yuri took a bite of his ice cream, scraping the bowl. He was a little surprised how fast he had eaten. He kept his gaze locked on his task. “Don’t worry about me. I’m pretty sure I’m broken in that department. No one interests me.” He felt the claim as the blatant lie it was. There was one person who made Yuri want everything.
Fen didn’t embarrass him or treat him like he was broken. In fact, he did the opposite. “Ah. You have a living unclaimedmate somewhere. I’ve heard of people losing interest in everyone once they near the time to meet their other half. In theory, it’s supposed to help you spot your mate when you meet them. No one else will do.”
Yuri smiled. He only had interest in Brownie, and that was impossible. “That’s a nice theory, and I appreciate you trying to make me feel better. But I’ve been like this my entire life. So I’m not so sure that’s the reason I am the way I am. It’s okay, though. I’ve always been a bit of a loner wolf.”
The box of food appeared in front of him. Yuri motioned for the woman to wait as he dug out his wallet. He passed her enough money to cover the meal and tip. When she walked away, he grabbed his box and focused on Fen. “Are you ready?”
They stood and headed out. Darkness had begun to tint the sky, turning it a mixture of purple and orange.
Yuri motioned for Fen to follow him to the back of the building. “I’m about to slip into the woods back here and head up the mountain, if you’d like to do this now.”
Fen touched his shoulder and pulled him to a stop. When Yuri turned, Fen immediately moved into his space. “Best we do this quickly before you think too much about it.”
Before Yuri had a chance to even wonder what to expect, Fen’s mouth was on his neck. He felt the first pull of blood from his veins. Fen moaned against his skin. Yuri wanted to claim he didn’t respond, but he did. It seemed he wasn’t strong enoughto avoid the effects after all. Still, he stood rigid. He wouldn’t make this uncomfortable for Fen. The guy was starving. This wasn’t personal. As always, he couldn’t form the illusion of anyone being interested in him. This was just Yuri buying the guy dinner. He fought a slightly hysterical laugh at the thought. Then Fen pulled away. His eyes were closed, and he looked like a man who had just gotten fucked.
When Fen’s eyes opened, they glowed an even brighter green. “Thank you.” He sounded breathless. “You have extremely powerful blood. That helped quite a bit.”
A smile snapped to Yuri’s lips. He hadn’t been useless for once. “You’re welcome.”
“You’re not useless, even without having fed me. Blood this powerful doesn’t happen to everyone. It’s earned. You’re special, whether you see it or not.”
Fen really was a nice guy. He hoped everything worked out for him. “Thank you for that.” He glanced toward the trees. The wilderness called for him.
Fen took a step back. “Go. I feel the restlessness in your wolf.”
Yuri smiled. “I’ll see you again soon.”
Fen gave him a sharp nod and walked away. Yuri watched him go. He genuinely hoped he had helped Fen for real. That it hadn’t just been talk on Fen’s part. There was nothing special about Yuri. Everyone knew it.
At the edge of nightfall, a wave of tremendous fury slammed into Brownie. It was so hard and fast, Brownie had immediately gone in search of Yuri. They were connected in some way and something had happened. Brownie just didn’t know what. It felt almost like jealousy—like Yuri had chosen someone else. He knew that day would come sometime, but he wasn’t ready. Brownie wanted to tear someone to shreds. It was unreasonable and didn’t even make sense. Considering the way Yuri had paced the floor all night until he dropped, his sweet wolf probably still slept soundly in the bed where Brownie had placed him. Yuri’s bedroom door was open. His bed was empty. Even Yuri’s scent barely lingered any longer.
