The Vampire Who Thirsted for a Wolf Read Free

that reminded Kaname of happier times, when their father had
    been elder and Kaname’s responsibilities didn’t keep him away from
    his sibling.
    As they broke apart, Yakumo shrugged and laughed lightly. “I get
    it. If nothing else, they’re certainly easy on the eyes.”
    Surprisingly, Kaname experienced a pang of jealousy at Yakumo’s
    comment, but quickly squashed it. If Yakumo noticed, he didn’t say
    anything. Instead, his expression sobered and he ceremoniously
    bowed in front of Kaname. “Worry not, Yamamoto-sama. I will not let
    you down.”
    Usually, Kaname didn’t want his brother to address him like that.
    He preferred the intimacy of using their given names, rather than
    hiding behind titles. However, this time, he understood the purpose of
    Yakumo’s words and gratefully accepted them. “Very good, Yakumo-
    kun. I’m relying on you to make our guests feel at home.”
    Yakumo hugged him one last time and took his leave. As he
    watched his brother go, though, Kaname couldn’t help but wonder
    why he hadn’t mentioned his attraction to Derek to his brother. It was
    just sexual chemistry, after all. Wasn’t it?
    Troubled, Kaname sat back at his desk and skimmed through a
    report from his underlings. Alas, he couldn’t focus, the numbers and
    letters making very little sense. In his mind’s eye, he could only see
    Derek, the way he’d looked when he’d stolen that vulnerable peek
    back at Kaname. Something uncomfortably strong was growing
    within him, making him burn with need. Fuck. What had he gotten
    himself into?

    14
    Scarlet Hyacinth

Chapter One
Present day

    Derek struggled not to fidget as his father’s penetrating gaze set
    on him. “You want to go back to Japan?” Soren asked. “Why?”
    For Derek, the question had a very simple answer. Kaname. A
    certain vampire had etched his way in Derek’s heart and mind and
    refused to let go. The vampire elder was so out of Derek’s reach that
    Derek even hesitated to mention it to anyone, let alone to his father.
    Even so, being apart from Kaname showered him with confusion,
    pain, and uncertainty. He just wanted to see the vampire one more
    time, to reassure himself that truly, the only thing existing between
    them was an unexplored sexual attraction. Then, Derek’s mind could
    be at rest. He could tell himself Kaname wasn’t his mate and believe
    it.
    Still, it would be very hard to explain that to his father. Recent
    events had caused Soren to become even more protective toward his
    family. It was probably a bad time for Derek to run off to do his own
    thing, given that his brother had just taken a mate who brought a lot of
    baggage with him. Especially since Paris’s half siblings, Alpha
    Marrow’s children, came to visit Wade pack lands a lot, Soren had
    strengthened security more than ever. Not that any of them blamed
    Paris for this mess. Of course they didn’t. The entire Wade family
    loved Paris a lot because he had given Jace happiness. Even Jace’s
    estranged grandparents had showed him affection, although relations
    remained awkward between Elder Wade and the younger members of
    the Wade clan.

    The Vampire Who Thirsted for a Wolf
    15
    Acknowledging all this, how could Derek want to go to the other
    side of the world and abandon his family? He felt so very selfish for
    even being in front of his father to make this request. But then, it was
    in the nature of shifters to be selfish and focused on one single
    purpose where mates were concerned.
    And therein lay the crux of the issue. Derek’s heart and his wolf
    told him there was more to that attraction than mere sexual urges.
    How could he ignore it?
    He wasn’t sure how his father would react, though, so he decided
    on a reasonable half-truth. “I believe we should visit Kaname
    Yamamoto’s coven one more time to thank him for his assistance in
    the Tyrell Hall issue. He was very helpful when he could have easily
    ignored our predicament.”
    Soren scanned Derek’s