Paul studied him. “So who is it you don’t want tracing you?”
“My father. He has big plans for me in the immediate future and he would not be pleased with me for leaving at all, let alone going to find my old nurse.”
“Won’t your mother guess and tell him? You were just asking for the address.”
Laurent frowned. “If she does guess, she will not tell my father. She prefers to keep a peaceful household and my father in a rage is terrible to behold.” He shook his head.
“At any rate, I must take the risk. We have to find the way to heal the bond between us.”
“Not heal—get rid of.” Paul wanted to be very clear on that. “We have to cut it or whatever it is you do but I can’t have this weird connection. Can’t have you…running around in my head all the damn time.”
“Of course.” Laurent’s voice was soft and he looked away as he spoke.
Paul felt like a bastard but what could he do? It wasn’t like he was going to promise to stay connected to the vamp for the rest of his fucking life. From the minute he’d walked in the door all he could think of was grabbing the other man again and the connection between them seemed to make it worse—intensify the desire. He couldn’t go on having those wrong feelings forever or he’d go crazy. Pushing the guilt away, he tried to get down to details.
“So, road trip. If we start now we can get at least halfway out of the state before we have to get a room for the day.”
Laurent frowned. “Why should we get a room for the day?” “Why do you think? So you won’t wind up looking like a bucket of the Colonel’s extra crispy the minute the sun comes up.”
“Taking a room for the day will not be necessary,” the vamp said stiffly. “I was born to the Blood of one of the oldest and strongest family lines. I can travel during the daylight hours as long as I am well covered and not in direct sunlight.”
Paul stared at him. “No shit?”
Laurent gave him a small smile. “No shit, mon amour. It will, of course, deplete me somewhat but I think it will be worth a little discomfort on my part to get where we are going sooner.”
Paul shrugged. “All right, if you say so. So how do you want to go? I have my bike parked outside.”
Laurent shook his head. “I am afraid that would not offer enough protection for me once the sun rose overhead. Let us take my car instead.”
“Okay, fine by me.” Paul sighed. “I guess I should give my stepmom a call and let her know I’ll be gone a couple of days. She can break it to my dad better than I can— he’s already pissed because of a fight we had when I was on my way out tonight.”
Laurent cocked his head to one side. “What did you fight about?”
“The usual. He doesn’t like my pack—especially my packleader, Angel. He, uh, I think he thinks there’s something going on between us.” He could feel his face getting hot. Why had he told the vampire that?
“And is there? Do you care for this Angel?” Laurent asked quietly. Paul felt a tendril of curiosity from him and something else he couldn’t quite name. Jealousy?
Damn, it was so fucking weird feeling someone else’s emotions beside your own.
“He’s been my best friend since fifth grade. But other than that, no, not really.” Paul tried not to think of the way things were between himself and Angel. Of the teasing way his best friend and packleader treated him.
“What do you mean, not really? Would you like there to be something more than friendship with him, this other wolf?”
“Even if I wanted it—which I don’t—it could never happen.” Paul looked down at his hands, thinking of what Lucia had said. You know he’s never going to feel for you what you feel for him. “He—Angel—isn’t like that. You might think he was—at least a little— when you first met him. But deep down…no.”
Laurent nodded. “So he has power over you.”
“Well, he is my packleader,” Paul pointed out.
“No.” The vampire shook his head. “I mean he has power over you because of your unfulfilled desires. He knows what you long for and dangles it in front of you, keeping it ever beyond your grasp.”
Paul frowned. “You sound like my stepmother. Look, we should stop talking and hit the road if we want to make some miles tonight. It’s already getting late.” “You’re right.” Laurent sighed and stood up. “I hope you don’t mind me asking about your personal life. I would like to get to know you better if I could.”
“Why bother.” Paul gave the vamp a level look. “As soon as we get rid of this… thing between us, we’re never going to see each other again.”