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Beautiful was the first thought that ran through his head.

The boy wore black cotton shorts with white stripes and a tight red and black shirt with two colorful cars. Full, thick dark brown hair with caramel highlights neatly styled called to have Dante’s fingers running through the strands. And bright green eyes peered around nervously before falling back down to the toys around the boy’s legs.

If Dante had described his perfect little, this boy would come very close.

It was the pale skin, sunken-in eyes, and thin limbs that concerned Dante. The boy was starving and Dante couldn’t hold back the growl that escaped from the back of his throat.

He stepped into the nursery with one goal. That boy was going to be his. Dante didn’t know if it would be for just the night or if he’d finally found the diamond in the rough. Only time would tell. Dante licked his lips as he strode across the room with a purpose.

Startled bright green eyes flicked up to him and Dante smiled.

“Hello, boy,” Dante greeted as he crouched down beside the baby vamp.

Panic, fear, determination, and something sharp crossed the boy’s features before he dropped his gaze. The scents radiating off him were a mixture of too much.

Interesting. The little vampire intrigued him. And Dante wanted to learn all the boy’s secrets.

3

Carver

Wincing as another little squealed and shouted, Carver didn’t know if his plan was going to work after all. He’d gotten used to Owen and Kenny being in his space all the time but the nursery in the club was too much. Too much noise, smells, and people.

To make matters worse, Carver had been in the nursery for over an hour and Dante hadn’t shown up yet.

In the year that Carver had been watching Dante and the bloodsuckers, the vampire leader had never missed little night at the club. Had he already found his boy? Was Carver too late?

Pushing the car under his right hand around the playmat, Carver was ready to call the night a failure. He didn’t know how long he could stand to be in the room. There were humans around. And while Carver was used to being around Owen and Kenny it was a lot harder surrounded by these strangers.

Carver loved being a little. That was why he wrote about the Daddy and little dynamic in his sci-fi and paranormal books. Several nights a week, Carver, Owen, and Kenny would put their stalking and planning to the side and spend a few hours regressing and playing. It was almost the only thing Carver still had of his old life.

Suddenly the air around him in the playroom seemed to change. Grew heavy with anticipation. Peeking from the corner of his eye, Carver saw why. Dante had arrived. His tall, broad-shouldered stance taking up the entire doorframe. Commanded attention.

This was it! Carver needed to calm down. The other vampires in the room would be able to pick up any change from his body. Carver might not understand the strange senses that came with being turned but he was surrounded by the real monsters.

Before Carver could prepare or even get a chance to watch Dante in person, the vampire leader was striding across the room, heading directly to him.

Had Carver given something away? Was all of this for nothing and Dante planned on ripping Carver’s throat out in a room full of littles? He was going to die, wasn’t he? Like dead-dead not this half-life that he was currently leading.

The power that radiated off Dante had Carver looking up as the bloodsucker reached him. Dark, intense eyes met his and the monster smiled.

“Hello, boy.” Dante’s voice was low, sultry, and terrifying. He crouched beside Carver, bringing that big body way too close.

Dante Blackwood smiled at him! Carver was even more certain that this was the end. Dante knew what Carver had been planning. It wasn’t unease, forcing Carver to drop his gaze—it was instinct. The monster in front of Carver was powerful.

“I’m Dante,” the monster said as if Carver didn’t know that. Everyone knew who he was.

Carver had even heard several littles fighting earlier in the corner of the room about who was going to seduce Dante. With Carver’s limited experience in telling the difference between species, he was pretty sure they were human. Humans in the know, since one stated they hoped Dante drank from them again.

“What’s your name, beautiful?” Dante asked quietly.

Beautiful? Him? Startled by the praise, Carver found his gaze jumping back to Dante. Was he teasing Carver?

“There you are.” Dante cupped Carver’s cheek gently. “I was hoping to see those green eyes again.”

His eyes? The green had changed after Carver’s turning. They were brighter, nearly glowing, marking him as non-human. “Hi,” Carver managed nervously. He couldn’t force his voice above a whisper.

Dante was still touching his cheek and gave a soft caress. “Name? Or I could keep calling you beautiful.”