Still tethered to the wall by his ankles, Sorley attempted to look dignified as he took a handset from the wolf. His shirt was crumpled, his trousers had unidentifiable stains on the knees, and his shoes were scuffed. He knewhecouldn’t possibly smell, but he was aching for a shower and a change of clothes. He could only assume he’d legged it from Leeds without having first swung by his flat there. If he’d been clubbing he would probably have left his phone at home. A quick call to his bank would freeze his cards if needs be.Did I have any on me?
He dialled his sire’s private number from memory, praying he’d pick up even though it wouldn’t be a number he recognised.
“Hughes, what now?” Oh, of course.
“Dalziel, it’s me. I…” He stopped, unable to find the right words.
Dalziel had no such trouble. “You’ve really let me down, Sorley. I thought you were someone I could rely on.” Disappointment seeped from his tone even over the phone, making Sorley cringe. Dalziel sighed and continued. “I’m not even sure how to proceed from here. The Council will have to be informed, of course. I don’t understand how you could possibly have been idiotic enough to go without blood for so long. This is a serious matter, especially considering I’ve vouched for your trustworthiness. It makes me look foolish at best and dodgy as hell at worst.” There was a pause. “Have you nothing to say for yourself, man?”
Sorley shook his head and lowered his gaze as shame burned hot through his chest. Words still wouldn’t come. The wolf tapped the wrist of his hand that held the phone. “May I?”
He passed it over and listened while Gethin explained what had been suggested to him as the reason behind Sorley’s unusual behaviour. Naturally he’d overheard Dalziel’s side of the conversation. Dalziel, like Gethin had, initially scoffed at the idea, but it was soon apparent he was listening and starting to believe the possibility. Sorley rolled his shoulders again and wondered if he could persuade the wolf to remove his final shackles. He’d even offer to blow him if that was what it took. Now he wasn’t half insane from thirst, he could admit to himself that Gethin Hughes was a very fine-looking man. Tall and brawny, and bulky without any excess fat, he had noticeable muscles under the lamentably awful check shirt he was wearing, and the promise of a substantial pelt of chest hair peeked from the open V at his neck. Thick thighs constrained by denim bracketed an enticing bulge where his legs met his torso. He was probably six inches or more taller than Sorley, not his usual type, but beggars couldn’t be choosers, and as the scent of the guy didn’t make him want to retch, it might even be pleasurable. Gethin’s trim beard would certainly feel very pleasurable on certain parts of Sorley’s anatomy, he was quite certain.
With some effort he forced his attention back to the conversation, and the handset Gethin was holding out to him. “Dalziel?”
There was another deep sigh. “I don’t know what to think. You’ve never let me down before. It seems damned unlikely though.”
“I know. But the more I can remember, the more sure I am. It was as if he had me in his thrall. But he wasn’t a vampire, I’d swear to it.”
“He shouldn’t have been able to exert that much power over you even if he was.”
“Exactly. Which is why I’m worried. Because if he wasn’t one of us—”
“What was he?” Both Dalziel and Gethin spoke at the same time.
Sorley grimaced. “Aye, that.” He felt unease snake down his spine. He swallowed his discomfort at the thought there was a more dangerous predator than him at large and focused on his next sentence. If he sounded confident, perhaps it would all work out nicely and he wouldn’t feel inclined to offer sexual favours to a species he was genetically inclined to avoid. “I need to feed. Now it’s established I’m not a danger to anyone, where do you want me after that? I was thinking perhaps I should head back to Leeds, check out my flat, then—”
“No chance.” Dalziel’s voice was firm and flat. “You’re going nowhere, or certainly not by yourself.”
“What?” He pulled himself to his full seated height and glared at the wolf as if he were personally responsible for this turn of events. “Dalziel…” He tried a different tack with a wheedling tone. “I’m a big boy. I can look after myself.”
He didn’t like the derisive snort Gethin didn’t hold back. It pained him that there was an echoed, equally dismissive grunt in the ear he was holding to the phone. “You evidentlycan’t,” Dalziel pointed out acidly. “Or we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“I guess.” The two words were an effort, but he had to admit his sire wasn’t entirely wrong. However, “But now I know about this whoever they are, it should be easy to avoid them. Not like I can exactly hire a bodyguard, is it? For starters, I’d be a laughing stock. I’m avampire,for fuck’s sake.”
“Let me think on it,” Dalziel said smoothly. “For now, it’s up to Hughes if he trusts you. Butifhe does, then I require your word that you won’t go anywhere without him. At least for now.” He lowered his voice, even though Sorley was sure the shifter would still be able to hear, and added, “I don’t want any more harm to come to you. You’re mine, Sorley. I don’t like threats to my family.”
His possessiveness soothed Sorley’s wounded pride over needing a minder. He felt himself smile before smothering it behind his hand. “I understand. I’ll wait for you to be in touch.”
“Your word, Sorley.” Dalziel’s tone was laced with thrall, every syllable dripping with power and mastery. Sorley wanted to hate him, but he couldn’t. Dalziel only wanted to keep him safe.
“You have my word, sire.”
“Good boy. I’ll see you soon.” The phone went dead.
5
GETHIN
It wasno skin off his nose if the bratty vamp got told a few home truths, but Gethin felt a morsel of compassion pull at his chest over the way Sorley reacted to his sire. He was so obviously smitten with the guy, and from the sound of it, apart from the need to stake a claim on him as his property or to use him in a work capacity, Dalziel rarely gave Sorley a second thought. Gethin didn’t want to think too closely about why he felt needled that Sorley had a thing for his sire.
He pulled on his gloves for the third time. “I heard what you said to Millar. You won’t make me regret this, will you?” He eyed the ankle chains.
Sorley tensed, then sighed quietly and his shoulders slumped. “If you don’t hurt me, I won’t run. I promised Dalziel.”
“I won’t hurt you.” He bent over and unlocked the first padlock. “I had to use enough force to restrain an unknown quantity breaking into my home. I didn’t enjoy it.”
Sorley huffed. Gethin glanced up to see amusement dancing in his silvery eyes. “You bloody liar. You were absolutely getting off on holding me down. I might be hazy about a lot that’s gone on in the past twenty-four hours, but I never forget a hard-on when it’s directed my way.”
