Chapter 22

Jesse nodded, hoping his face didn’t reveal the swift flood of bliss through his body. He wasGideon’s. He never had the courage to state it, and now he didn’t need to. Gideon’s announcement and his silent acquiescence was all that needed to be said.

As he followed Gideon to the car, he almost forgot entirely about the leash. What did that matter in the face of the fact they were going to a vampire club? He wasn’t having second thoughts, but what he had agreed to was finally sinking in.

The ride was quiet but not uncomfortable. Gideon tuned the radio to something classical, and he hummed along as he navigated the dark streets. The leash remained loosely looped around his hand, and every time he turned a corner, it tugged a little at Jesse’s neck, just enough to remind him that it was there. By the time Gideon pulled up to their destination, though, Jess was already accustomed to it.