Haruka folds his arms. “There is more to him than meets the eye.”
“Uh oh…” Nino says. “The vampire Historian is officially invested in this case.”
Haruka shifts his gaze toward me, serious. “You should feed from him.”
“No. A month ago you snapped at me for even joking about biting him.”
“Feeding from humans long term and as a primary resource is detrimental to our biology and bloodlines. Doing so once or twice in a long while won’t cause much damage.”
“‘Much damage.’” I scoff. “The last time I fed from a human, the sun literally burned my skin immediately after. I couldn’t go outside for two full days. It was terrifying… My flesh looked like the paper burning off a cigarette.”
Nino draws back, his teeth clenched. “Ew. Jesus.”
Sydney hands Nino a coffee cup, then walks around the counter to bless me and Haruka as well. After we thank him, he walks back to the inside of the counter and starts pulling pots and pans from the cabinets. He glides around the kitchen as if he’s always been here. Effortless.
“I have never known you to properly pursue anyone within the aristocracy,” Haruka says. “Aside from Ren—”
“I am not pursuing Ren.”
“Of course.” Haruka nods politely, graciously stepping over that particular conversational landmine. “I have always wondered, do you exclusively date humans? Are you opposed to your own kin?”
The question is loaded, and when I flick my eyes up, everyone is staring at me and frozen where they stand—Nino, Sydney, and even Asao is suddenly here. He smirks when my gaze falls on him.
“When the hell did you get here?” I ask him.
He lifts his chin, haughty. “I live here. Or did you forget? Answer his question.”
Sitting back, I take a breath. Asao already knows the answer to this question. We talk about it at length when we go drinking.
It’s rare for the spotlight to be turned on me when I’m in this house. Usually I’m checking on them, making sure they’re okay. Staying humble. I’m much older than both Haruka and Nino. Even though we don’t operate by strict hierarchal standards (which is one reason why I like them), I’m not blind to the age gap. Instinctively, I feel big-brotherly toward them.
I fold my arms because this topic makes me defensive. My perspective is not the norm. “I don’t like dating ranked vampires because they’re arrogant and fussy.”
“You’re a ranked vampire, Jun,” Nino says. Captain Obvious.
“And he’s arrogant and fussy,” Asao chimes in.
“Right.” I nod firmly. “Why the hell would I want to be in a relationship with someone exactly like me?”
“Considering we cannot form bonds with humans,” Haruka says, “you don’t wish to mate?”
“Nope,” I say simply.
“Why?” Haruka asks. “Before my first bond was broken, I was genuinely excited about mating. It was not until after I was betrayed that my stance drastically changed.”
Haruka had been mated with a purebred female named Yuna when he was younger. He’s never explained in great detail, but the gist is she did something intimate with another vampire, causing their bond to break. The event was unprecedented. We all thought bonds never broke.
“I grew up in a house with two vampires who forced their bond,” I explain, taking a deep breath. “My father was a manipulative, demanding and strict bastard that used his purebred influence over my mother and all of us every chance he could. I never want to be in a situation like that again. I’ll never bond with a ranked vampire—especially a purebred. No offense.”
“Not all purebreds are strict and controlling,” Haruka says thoughtfully, unoffended. “Do you think that Nino and I are that way?”
“Of course not. But you two are off the market, aren’t you?”
Nino laughs and shakes his head. “I hate that I need to leave right now. I’ll see you guys later.” He drains his coffee, and we send him off warmly before I look at Haruka once more. “Can you truly sit there and tell me that most ranked vampires aren’t arrogant assholes?”
Haruka shakes his head. “I cannot. However… if I was capable of meeting a vampire like Nino, perhaps there is hope for you as well? Your nature couldn’t possibly be satisfied this way—having emotional intimacy with one source and apathetically feeding from another. You will be deeply gratified when the two are merged into one being. Feeding from the vampire you love… Junichi, there is no sensation more satisfying. Nothing.”
I stretch my arms up and smile, mocking. “All fantasy. Whimsical dreams.”
“It happened for me.”
“Well, you’re the purebred prince, aren’t you?”
He frowns and rolls his eyes, distinctly looking away from me. It’s Haruka’s way of saying “fuck you.” He would never say those words, though. I wish he would. Maybe I would pay to hear it. Either way, it works for me, because at least I’ve shut him up.
Nine
Jae
“Oi. You wanker. Why the hell haven’t you been picking up your mobile?”
I rub my palm down my face as I hold the phone to my ear. “To avoid being shouted at?”
“Smartarse,” Cyrus says. He’s upset, but I can hear the laugh behind his voice. “You’re in Japan for what, four months, and I’m to fuck off now, am I? Don’t need old Cy anymore. To hell with him.”
“Dramatic.” I sigh. Have you ever had a close friend as a kid, and everything was pretty fine back then as far as adolescent relationships go, but then, as you grow up with that person and reach adulthood, you think, If I met you now, with my fully matured brain, maybe I wouldn’t fancy being your friend?
That’s me with Cy.
