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“You do?”
“What if you and Ryder rented a town house together?” he suggested, which earned him an immediate nose wrinkle of doubt. “Hear me out. The town house will be divided into separate apartments and outfitted with all of Winter’s daytime security. You’d have your own floor with a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen, just like a regular apartment. You’d have your own front door. Same as Ryder. I think the only concession you’d have to make is there would have to be an interior set of stairs that connected your apartments. That way, you’d have your own space and if you had any trouble—night or day—Ryder could be right there to help you.”
“That sounds amazing,” Gideon said in a kind of breathless wonder. “Do you think Rafe would be okay with it?”
Philippe winced. “I think so, but there might be one other catch.”
“What?”
“He’d need proof that you’re hunting regularly on your own. Rafe worries about you taking proper care of yourself. I do, too.”
Gideon sat up straight, his smile wide. “I am!” Philippe didn’t hide his skepticism. He saw the pain in his gait as he crossed the room. “I swear, I am. It’s only been ten days since I last fed. Not that long.”
“Then you’re not drinking deeply enough,” Philippe observed. Gideon should be able to comfortably go two weeks between feedings, but if he wasn’t drinking enough when he did feed, it would cut that time.
The young vampire slumped on the sofa, dropping his back into the corner. “No. I’m still working on it. When I finally feed, I start getting paranoid that the person is going to wake from the haze or someone is going to see us. Or that some other vampire…” He stopped and sighed. “I’m trying. I swear I am. But if I knew this was the only thing standing between me and my own place, I know I’d get better at this much faster.”
“Then how about you strike a deal with me tonight?” Philippe leaned forward slightly, a grin spreading wide enough across his lips to reveal the points of his fangs. “You feed from me and get up to your full strength so you can hunt with confidence. I’ll talk to Rafe for you about the town house idea.”
“You’d convince him for me?”
“I would.”
Gideon seemed to hesitate, his eyes slipping up to Philippe’s neck and then hurrying away. The few times he’d seen Gideon feed from Rafe, it was always from a vein in his neck. It was intimate, and they’d had years to build up that trust.
Philippe unbuttoned the cuff of his shirt and started to roll it up to his elbow. “I think my wrist would be just fine, right?”
“Yes. Of course. But…are you sure?”
“I am. I want this for you, Gideon, and I’m always happy to offer my blood to make you stronger.”
He held out his arm, and Gideon surprised him by sliding off the sofa to the floor. He settled right next to Philippe, on his knees, and so gently grasped Philippe’s arm with both hands as if he were a fragile piece of ancient porcelain. When his fangs finally pierced his flesh, the pain was slight, and it was forgotten when a happy sigh whispered from Gideon.
Philippe had more than two centuries on Gideon. His age and power would provide him with a much-needed boost of strength and chase away old pains for well over two weeks. Hopefully, it would help to give him some new confidence when it came to hunting.
The dark head bent, the careful pull on his vein, the delicate hands holding him, they all blended to tug at his heart. There was something infinitely gentle and sweet about Gideon. Two things that had no business being in a vampire, but even after all he’d suffered, they could not be extinguished.
But there was also an inner strength to him, a will of steel. Philippe wanted to see him shining with new confidence and determination. He wanted to see him take what he wanted. And Philippe had a sneaking suspicion what he wanted was Ryder.
Not yet, though. Gideon was right to hesitate with Ryder. If Gideon couldn’t stand on his own, Ryder would constantly walk all over him in the name of protecting him. Gideon needed to develop the confidence to stand up to even the people who loved him the most.
Philippe reached out, placed one hand on top of Gideon’s head, and ran his fingers through his silky soft hair, offering him love and encouragement. Gideon would get there. He just knew it.
Movement to his left had Philippe’s gaze jerking around to see Rafe standing by the door. Philippe had been so lost in thought with Gideon that he hadn’t even heard the door open. His lover stood there with such a look of absolute adoration on his face that Philippe’s eyes suddenly burned with unshed tears. How did he ever get so lucky to find a man who gazed at him with that much love and devotion?
They said nothing, not wanting Gideon to stop feeding before he should. They just stared at each other. Rafe loved him completely. He loved him for his heart and soul. He loved him for his need to help and his protective soul. And Philippe felt the same for his mate.
Gideon lifted his fangs from Philippe’s flesh and stroked his tongue over the holes, coaxing them to heal while trying not to spill a drop of precious blood.
“Feeling better?” Philippe inquired.
Gideon hummed softly, a sated sound. “Very. Thank you. And I promise, I’ll go hunt in a few days. I’ll practice.”
“That’s all I needed to hear,” Rafe announced.
Gideon startled, jumping to his feet. “You’re here!”
“He slipped in while you were feeding. I didn’t want to disturb you,” Philippe informed him.
