The cure had been announced for weeks, and supernaturals deemed gone were crawling out of the woodworks. The air in Shadow Falls was tense with anticipation, with uncertainty. Gabe had been patrolling the streets of the small town in his vigilante get-up every night for the past few weeks, save for tonight. Hunters had been out on the prowlâ he suspected it was because when everyone became human again, theyâd have nothing to hunt. Got to get those last few kills in, right? It sickened him how those groups existed and everyone turned a blind eye; blaming those hunted for being supernatural in the first place. No one would hunt you if you werenâtâŚwhat you are. As if most of them had a choice.
Even without the mask, it seemed his vigilanteism wouldnât stop. When the man called out to him, Gabe perked. He wasnât the most social fellow, but he was, somehow, the face of Saints and Sinners. Everyone knew the quiet owner, as per Reidâs request as a silent partner. His gaze darted to the person following the man and he understood immediately. He forced a smile and put his arm around the other.
âHey, man, good to uh, see you again,â he said, turning them away from the creep before looking over his shoulder. The person slowed their pace and dropped back several feet, keeping eyes on them. Gabe nearly cringed when he realised heâd have to keep up the charade. âNo worries. We got to look out for each other,â he whispered back before clearing his throat and talking louder. âI was just headed to the bar. Pretty packed there tonight, the guys are expecting me. You should tag along.â
The man seemed weirdly familiar, but then again, who didnât? Nate was used to popping up in the dreams of others, maybe â actually, wasnât this guy Zekeâs clan leader? His father figure didnât mention Team Edward very often, but his phone background was set to a picture of them. It had replaced a black-and-white photo of an old flame, which said a lot about Zekeâs level of adoration for his clan. Knowing that, it was easier not to flinch when the other placed an arm around him. His chest still felt uncomfortably tight, but the feverish feeling that usually accompanied touches like a shitty stowaway was absent. Nate wouldnât lie about it; the fact that he was a vampire helped. Maybe it was because they were the older siblings of his kind, but they had always felt safe to him. Far safer than any human.
Wait, this meant that he was actually helping him, wasnât he? A sense of relief washed over him, easing the tension in his shoulders and quirking up the corners of his lips. Thank the gods for sending him this kind, blond errand-ghost. The dude probably didnât even know who he was and yet he was still doing him a solid. Vampire of the Year right there, Zeke could deal. âYouâre Gabriel Miller, arenât you?â The follower wouldnât hear the murmur with his shitty human ears. âIâm Zekeâs ward. I, uh, expected to meet you for the first time at a movie night or something, but nice to meet you. And thanks.â His voice was as sincere as its low tone would allow. Not everyone would help out a stranger like this, especially not in the face of a stalker. With that over, Nate raised his volume again, cheerfulness bleeding into his speech. âYou sure they wonât mind me? I donât want to cause a scene again.â Usually that would be a lie, but this time heâd be a good Incubus and behave.
