“Detox? I thought you used a knife.”
Stephen snorted. “I was willing to kill myself, but there was no way I could cut myself deep enough to do real damage. I took pills and then used a diabetic lancet to get a ceremonial drop of blood. I was suicidal and stupid, not masochistic.”
Kilian’s guts tangled at the idea that Stephen had died, which was hypocritical because Kilian had killed himself as part of the turning ceremony, and at least one in three Judas vamps didn’t survive to rise again. “But how did the demon claim you?”
Stephen gave a dark laugh. “It turns out my mother was as good with spells as she was with those cookies. Her summoning didn’t limit the demon. So while she was sitting there with all of her control tattoos and limiting spells and I was taking my last breath in her summoning circle, the demon chose me. I don't know why it never occurred to her that she needed to force the demon to choose her. Maybe it was the Parkinson’s.” Stephen shrugged as if it didn’t matter. “In the end, the demon killed her and will murder me as soon as it’s strong enough to break free of my body.”
“Mia will find the right sacred object to save you.” Kilian had to believe it because the alternative was that Stephen would suffer this much only to die anyway. He refused to accept that possibility.
Stephen looked at him oddly. “Your tone makes it sound like you can't be saved.”
Kilian didn’t answer.
“I hate to burst your bubble of self-hatred, but lots of people have resorted to cannibalism under extraordinary circumstances. Even the Army has forgiven you, or else you would be in a jail cell.”
“They officially cleared me, but trust me, no one has forgiven me. Including me. Now that's about as much emotional bloodletting as I can handle for the day. Grab your controller and let’s play something, but notWolves of London. That video game is so unrealistic that it annoys the shit out of me. Does anyone think werewolves can do those kinds of acrobatics? Trust me, when it comes to werewolf versus vampire, werewolves are not the top of the food chain,” Kilian said darkly. He'd thought that Stephen, with his demonic passenger, would be amused by that. Instead, he stared at Kilian with a sad expression before picking up the old-fashioned phone sitting on the end table. “I bet someone has a driving game around they would loan us,” he said.
Chapter Eight
“If you’re bored withvideo games, we can have sex,” Stephen said with a gleam in his eye.
Kilian’s car drove off the course and crashed into an electronic fence and then over a virtual cliff. He narrowed his eyes at Stephen. “You did that on purpose.” The little shit had lost three of their four races, and now he’d resorted to cheating.
Stephen laughed. “It’s not my fault you have shitty reflexes for a vampire. After all, vampires are known for not casting reflections, not eating food, and having excellent reflexes. Apparently all three are lies. Dirty, rotten lies.”
“Asshole,” Kilian muttered as he watched Stephen take his blue car around the island racetrack to the cheering approval of the digital audience.
“Guilty,” Stephen agreed. “But I’m also serious. I happen to love sex, and you’re here and I’m here and sex sounds awesome. Sex with you sounds even better. I want to compare reality with all the fantasies I’ve indulged in since puberty.”
“For fuck’s sake, I’m not having sex with you.” Kilian stared at Stephen in horror.
“Why not? I happen to be a hot commodity. Look at this body.” Stephen patted his flat stomach. In other circumstances, like if Stephen’s ribs didn’t show or if Kilian hadn’t known him his whole life, he’d have been attractive. His dark gaze had a weight, and his lips had a habit of curling up into a secretive smile that made Kilian wonder what went on in that overactive mind. However, this was a mission, and they had both emotionally bled tonight. This wasn’t the time to think with his dick.
“Do I have to remind you of the conversation where I remember you pooping your pants?”
“And like I said, no kink shaming in this house. Besides, it has been a very long time since I pooped my pants. I occasionally make other people soil themselves, but that's a completely different issue.” He wiggled his eyebrows dramatically. After a couple of minutes, Stephen threw the controller down and huffed. “Come on. It's boring around here, and since we had a mission, I missed my language lesson. You remember what I was always like when I got bored.”
