Page 48 of Feral
I open my eyes, and it takes me a minute to realize I’m in my bed and the sun is peeking through the curtains. I roll over to an empty bed but a note on the pillow.
Yannis,
You kept falling asleep so I put you to bed. Call when you wake up.
Hale
PS - thank you for last night. It was wonderful.
Smiling, I read it a second time. It was wonderful. I don’t remember falling asleep in between slow kisses and gentle caresses. I wanted more, but apparently Hale knew I wasn’t up to it.
I sit on the edge of the bed, brimming with excitement. My boyfriend is a vampire.
Wait.
I have a boyfriend. I think. What a fucking night.
The best thing I can do now is go for a run to burn off some of this energy so I can focus. With the money I made last night, I can buy some groceries and maybe even a couple of new shirts for work.
After throwing on sweats and brushing my teeth, I pause to call Hale. His phone only rings once before he answers.
“You’re awake?”
“I am. Sorry I fell asleep on you.”
“It’s okay. It was nearly two in the morning.”
“That late? Dang.”
“How do you feel this morning?”
“Good. Really good. Happy. Excited. You?”
“All of those things. You’re coming back tonight?”
“Definitely. What time?”
“How about six this time? You can help with setup. The rugs have to be steamed clean. A rowdy table of vamps spilled a pitcher of blood, so we figured we’d do the whole room.”
There’s a sentence you don’t hear every day. “Sounds good. I’ll be there. I’m going out for a run.”
“Be careful. Call if you need me.”
“I will.” We both linger on the call without saying anything. I can’t stop grinning. “Okay, I’ll see you later.”
“Bye, Yannis.”
“Bye.”
I blow out a breath to compose myself. I’m acting ridiculous, like a kid with a crush, but I can’t help it. Hale makes me feel like attraction and sex and dating are brand new, and I like it. I feel normal for once.
Outside, I pause to take a deep breath. The air is filled with car fumes and the humid stickiness of summer pushing spring away, but I like it anyway. I start my run with thoughts of Hale streaming like a playlist in my mind. Last night was… My stomach flutters from the memories. Damn. It was fucking epic.
By the time I’m sweating and breathing hard, I know it’s time to turn around and go back. I could use a protein shake and maybe even some pancakes for carbs. At a stoplight, I glance around. I haven’t been on this street before, and a sense of foreboding moves down my spine. Judging from the beater cars, graffitied buildings, and the rough crowd, I’m pretty sure I don’t belong here.
I take off running before the light even turns, ready to get the hell out of here, but I don’t make it far before trouble blocks my path. A black car pulls up in front of me and the passenger window rolls down. It’s the guy from the club…what was his name? I don’t remember, but this isn’t good.
“What are you doing over here?” the man asks, lowering his sunglasses.