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“It doesn’t have to be.”
Stephen looked at him so coldly that Istvan shrivelled inside. “I wouldn’t be like you for anything in this world.” He walked out of the room and closed the door.
The world had come crashing around Istvan’s ears. He sank onto the bed and put his head in his hands. Stephen had spoken to him like he was the lowest form of life to walk God’s earth. All this time they had somehow lived happily together despite the risk to Stephen, and now he had revealed his true feelings. That Istvan actually repulsed him. Bitter blood tears welled up in his eyes. He and Stephen were over. There was no bridge that could ever span the distance between them.
???
Sam hurried on foot from Istvan’s apartment. He crossed the river via Chain Bridge and climbed the hill. The pain in his face was so exquisite he was worried he might black out. His vision swam and his jaw pulsed. Never had he expected to feel such human pain again. He guessed he might have started healing by now if he had fed before he had visited Istvan, but he had gone straight to Stephen and Istvan as the vampire had requested, expecting to be offered refreshments from Istvan’s vintage. The delicious satiation of Janos’s blood had well and truly worn off and stomach cramps gnawed at him. He wondered how many bones in his face were broken because it hurt right up to his eye socket and radiated down his neck and into his shoulder. He had thought himself immune. He was wrong.
He hadn’t expected such treatment from Istvan, but he guessed he had never seen the older vampire’s true side before. They all must have had their savage sides or they would never have survived as long as they had. He guessed he deserved the chastisement, but it wasn’t as though he had gone to the club with the intention of starting a riot that left so many dead. He had thought he was being discreet, doing the best he could with this new life, but obviously he was a big disappointment to Istvan.
Where was he going to go now? Stephen was his only friend in the world and without him Sam had nothing. He reached his shop and the bell jingled as he pushed open the door. His manager looked up from where he was reading behind the counter. His smile of greeting turned into a frown when he saw Sam’s face. “What’s happened?” Imre got up, stepping around the counter and approaching with anxiety on his face.
Sam waved his concern away. “I’m okay. An accident.” It was a struggle to open and close his jaw any great amount and his words came out in a slur. The pain was still a surprise.
Imre looked dubious. “You need to go to the hospital.”
Sam shook his head. “It will be fine.”
Imre shook his head in exasperation. “There’s a man waiting to see you in the back.”
Sam frowned. He didn’t need any more trauma today and the sum total of everyone he knew in Budapest had just been in Istvan’s drawing room, so who could it be? He moved behind the counter and pushed open the door to the staff quarters.
The room was small and dingy with no natural daylight, which suited Sam just fine. As he entered, Janos rose from an armchair, his mouth open to speak. No words came out because Janos stopped, agog, his eyes wide.
“What happened to you?” Janos crossed the room and grabbed Sam by the arms.
Sam closed the door and leaned against it, suddenly exhausted. “Nothing.”
“Don’t tell me nothing! Who did this to you?”
The concern in Janos’s lovely brown eyes astonished him. He was surprised Janos was even here after the words they had exchanged last night and the reveal he had made about a vampire killing his true love. Sam sighed. “Istvan.”
“Who’s Istvan?”
“A...an acquaintance of mine.”
“A vampire?”
Sam nodded. “He wasn’t happy to find out about the carnage at the club last night. He thinks I have put him and his friends in a difficult situation.”
“But that wasn’t your fault.” Janos was earnest. He reached out a hand to touch Sam’s bruised cheek, then thought better of it and let his fingers drop.
Sam shrugged. “Well, I was busy saving humans. I guess if I hadn’t have done, nothing would have happened.”
Janos looked hurt. “You were busy savingme. And I would have died if you hadn’t.”
Sam looked away. “I know.”
“Why haven’t you healed?”
“I haven’t fed tonight.”
Janos moved back to the armchair and sat down, resting his head back, pale throat exposed. “Take it from me.”
Sam smelled the intoxicating scent of Janos’s blood from all the way over by the door and it made his senses swim with instant lust. He shook his head. “No. I took enough last night.”
“And I feel no ill effects.”
