Gabriel's Mate by Folsom, Tina (read this if .txt) 📕

“Why won’t you teach me?”

“He’s the better teacher, and you should always be taught by the best. I will teach you other things, things that I’m better at than Thomas.

I want you to learn everything you need to know from the best. Only then can I be sure you can defend yourself and be safe.” The soft press of his hand on her elbow was reassuring and so was the knowledge that he would teach her other things and wasn’t passing her off to somebody else.

When they entered her one bedroom apartment it looked like somebody had been there. While the door had been locked, too many things weren’t at their usual place. Even though she wasn’t tidy by nature, living in a small place had taught her to keep the place in order.

“Somebody’s been here.”

Gabriel nodded. “I was counting on it.”

“Why?”

“Because that means we have a chance of finding a trace of him. He might have left something.”

Maya was surprised – she hadn’t expected Gabriel to go all CSI on her. He surprised her at every turn. His skill of unlocking her memories had blown her mind, and he’d been right: she hadn’t felt a single thing when he’d done it. Did this mean he could do this anytime, anywhere, and nobody would be the wiser? She cast him a sideways glance.

Gabriel looked imposing as he perused her living room with purpose, letting his eyes run over her bookshelves, which burst from the seams with medical textbooks. His long fingers trailed along the spines of the books. When he shifted his stance to stretch for the upper shelves, she noticed his buttocks flex under his faded blue jeans. That man filled out a pair of pants like no other man. Maya wondered what it would feel like to sink her fangs into the firm flesh of his ass and suck his blood.

She’d taken a step toward him when he suddenly turned. Startled, she gasped, hoping he couldn’t read her mind like he’d assured her earlier. Before she could turn away, he put his palm on her forearm.

“Something wrong? Do you sense something?”

She shook her head and lied, “Other than the fact that I’m sneaking around my own apartment like a thief in the middle of the night? Not really.”

“Daytime is unfortunately out of the question,” Gabriel answered with a shrug.

“I figured that much. Don’t mind me, I’m just cranky.” More than that, she was hungry, and if she didn’t put some distance between them, Gabriel would turn into dinner. “I’d better check my messages.”

She walked to the phone and looked at the blinking answering machine. Three messages. She pressed the button.

“This is a recorded message from the Association of -“ She pressed the delete button.

“Maya, honey, I just wanted to remind you to call Aunt Suzie next week. It’s her sixtieth birthday, and you know how she likes to hear from you. And call me. I haven’t spoken to you in a week. You’re working too much.”

She caught Gabriel’s curious look. “My mother,” she explained before the next message started.

“Where the hell are you? The chief is raving mad because you didn’t show up today. Call me.”

The machine went quiet. Maya put her hands against her temples.

“Oh damn, that was Barbara. I completely forgot about work. They’re gonna fire me.”

She felt a small hand on her back. “Maya, I hate to break it to you, but you won’t be able to continue as a doctor.” She turned to look at Yvette and was surprised to see that there was compassion in her eyes.

Yvette had said as much before. Maya didn’t see it that way anymore.

“Actually, I don’t see why I can’t remain a doctor. It’s not like I’m craving human blood. I should have no problems being around humans and treat their ailments. I’m not attracted to their blood.” No, not to theirs, just Gabriel’s.

“We don’t know that yet for sure,” Gabriel cut in. “For all we know, this is just a temporary problem. I guarantee you, once you’re thirsty enough, you’ll drink any blood that’s available.”

She hoped he was right, but couldn’t muster up the same certainty he displayed. And besides, there were other issues to be considered. “I’ll have to live off something. Even if my food bill will go down that doesn’t mean I won’t need money to live. And that bottled blood can’t be cheap either. Where do I even get that from? Mail order?”

Gabriel put a reassuring hand on her arm. “You shouldn’t concern yourself with things like that right now. We have more important things to think of. And whatever you need, I’ll take care of it.”

Maya wasn’t the only one who gave him an incredulous look. She noticed Yvette raising her eyebrows and twisting her mouth into a thin line. Had Gabriel just offered to pay for her living expenses? “Thanks, but I don’t want to be a kept woman.”

He grunted and turned away. Maybe her choice of words had been inappropriate, but the gist of what she’d wanted to say was there. She would not become dependent on a man. There had to be jobs that were tailor-made for a vampire. Working the nightshift at the blood bank?

Guarding the cemetery at night?

Maya looked back at the answering machine. She should return her calls. Her mother would be worried, and so would Barbara, the colleague she’d worked with for the last four years.

She lifted the receiver and punched in the numbers. Before the call connected, Gabriel’s hand pressed the off button on the phone. “What the hell?” she yelled, already on the edge.

“Who are you calling?”

She would have told him, but the controlling tone in his voice got her hackles up and spread uneasiness in her stomach. “None of your damn business. What am I, your prisoner?”

With a shocked look, he released his grip on the phone. “No. Of course not. Go ahead.” He paused. “But be careful what you tell your friends and your family.”

Maya let her shoulders