Blood Claim by Laura Mykles (free e books to read .txt) 📕

After a few moments, Wolfe tilted his head. “You wanted to speak to me?"

"Yes. I did.” Where to start? He'd rehearsed this conversation for a week now, but all of his planned lines had fled from his brain. “First, I want to thank you for your recommendation."

Wolfe nodded, his long fingers idly toying with the seam in the arm of the couch. “The new job is going well?"

"It is. Although—” He chuckled. “—my new boss isn't as flexible about my hours."

That made Wolfe smile. “I'd be happy to take you back and let you resume your old schedule."

"Would you?"

"Certainly."

"Even if there was no ... us?"

Wolfe's smile faded. “Even so. Aside from the fact that I want to make sure you're provided for, you are the best programmer I've ever worked with."

"Worked with a few, have you?"

Responding perhaps to Matt's light tone and continued smile, Wolfe's lips turned up at the corners again. “A few, yes."

Matt nodded. “I didn't ask you here to talk about the job."

"I gathered."

"I've been checking up on you."

"I'd noticed."

"You did?"

"You don't live to be my age without being aware of who is looking into your private affairs."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense.” Suddenly shy, he switched his gaze down to the knee he had bent on the couch between them. “It's not like I dug all that deep."

"I'll let you know anything you care to know, Matthew."

He shivered at hearing Wolfe's voice again saying his full name. “The families of the men who died the night Daniel died. You helped them out without their knowing."

"Yes. There was no reason to intervene in their lives."

"But there was with me?"

"You are ... special. And I happened to have a job opening for a programmer."

Matt shook his head. “The company didn't exist until right after Daniel died."

Wolfe chuckled softly. “You have been doing your research."

"I like to be thorough when I can."

"Indeed. All right, I started the company to give you someplace to work. In my defense, it wasn't a far cry from some of my other venues. But, because it was new, I had to contact you personally."

Matt nodded, his heart swelling to hear confirmation that Wolfe had started a whole new company just to take care of him.

Wolfe continued. “Then I got to know you, and I had a good time working with you. I found myself investing far more of myself in the company because I wanted to spend more time with you."

Wolfe had been affected by their phone conversations too. Matt hadn't been alone in that. “I found out much more. You're almost solely responsible for keeping County General running.” County General was the largest local hospital that was known to lean heavily on charitable contributions to make ends meet. “But barely anyone knows it."

"Yes."

"You've kept eight homeless shelters and three gay and lesbian centers afloat for the last five years and haven't gotten any kind of credit for it."

"I've received some credit."

He looked up. “Not like you should. You're continually helping people. Why?"

Wolfe smiled softly. “I have the means."

Matt shook his head. “That doesn't explain it."

Wolfe twisted to face Matt, pulling his knee up to mirror Matt's position. “I've had centuries to watch human beings. In that time, I've done more than my part to contribute to human suffering.” He cast his gaze aside. “I'm not proud of that, and there's nothing I can do to help those whom I've hurt, but I do have the means to help others.” He shrugged. “It's my way of apology."

Matt had the distinct feeling that Wolfe did a lot more than was necessary to atone for past wrongs. But he let it rest. “How many other vampires are there in the world?"

Wolfe raised an eyebrow at the change of subject, but followed seamlessly. “It's impossible to tell. I know of perhaps a dozen others."

"Only a dozen?"

Wolfe smiled. “Contrary to what you see in movies, there are not legions of vampires living in the sewers of every metropolis. We are solitary predators and very jealous of our territories. We tend to kill each other far more often than we kill our prey."

This is new. “Really?"

"Really. There was a time in the past when there were more of us, and that is the time when most of the legends began. But recent decades have seen a decline since most of us are simply not capable of adapting to our rapidly changing times."

"But you are."

Wolfe shrugged. “I seem to be an exception."

"But you made Shawn."

A wince shook those broad shoulders. “Yes. I grew tired of my lonesome existence. It happens from time to time, and the lure of finding someone who can resist the call is sometimes too great."

"There aren't many of us?"

Wolfe's look sharpened at his use of the pronoun. “No, those who can resist the call are very few and far between."

"How many Shawns have there been?"

"Sorry?"

"How many people have you changed?"

"In my time? Only four."

"Any of them still alive?"

"Two."

"Are they in the picture?"

"No. The last time I saw either of them was close to two hundred years ago."

It blew his mind that Wolfe spoke in terms of centuries and hundreds of years so calmly. The fact that he was sitting here calmly discussing it with Wolfe was another source of wonder.

"I can resist the call."

"Yes, you can."

"Is that why you're attracted to me?"

"Not entirely, but I would be lying to say that it wasn't part of the attraction."

"Because you could change me."

"Could being the operative word.” Wolfe frowned. “I would never dream of doing such a thing without your consent and full knowledge."

Matt nodded, chewing his lip. Do I really want to do this? Last-minute misgivings burbled to the surface. “I miss you,” he blurted before he could chicken out.

Again, Wolfe followed his abrupt change of topic. “I miss you."

"I miss talking to you. You were my only friend for so long, the only one who even remotely knew me. I...” Shy again, he watched his fingers pick at the worn piping along the top