Soul Mates: Secrets

Donald Evans: Deceased.

Cause of death? Suicide.

I backspaced and erased 'suicide', then sat staring at the blinking cursor on the computer screen. It didn't feel right to see that word there, but without any evidence of foul play that was the only explanation we'd come up with. Donald's nude body lay in front of his living room window, the drapes thrown open wide. His body had been burned nearly beyond recognition, except that the friend who had discovered him recognized a tattoo that was still intact.

No suicide note had been located.

Donald and I had spoken on many, many occasions, and he was always happy. He didn't have that haunted look so many vampires had. Donald was generally happy just to be alive – and he loved his life as a vampire.
My gut told me there wasn't a note for a reason – that Donald shouldn't be dead.

I picked up the file Silver had left and opened it up. A stack of photos from the scene were paper-clipped to the top inside corner of the folder, and I pulled them free. In one photo after another, the only thing consistently out of place was Donald's body.

A half hour later, I was still staring at the file when the double doors of the study were thrown open. Sabaan stood between the doors, a hand on both. I could see him over the top of the file, but didn't give him the full attention he was craving. After a few moments, he sighed and quietly closed the doors behind him.

"Good evening, Sabaan."

"Come on, at least look at me!" I glanced up and he rolled his eyes. It hid the bright yellow part of his eyes and made them seem completely black, which could be so totally creepy at times. "Well, that's something, I guess."

I laughed and put down the file. "You're so easy to tease."

"So I keep hearing."

"How are you tonight?" I watched him sashay toward me, going around tables and couches as if he'd memorized the number of steps between each. His black hair was loose instead of braided down the back, and he'd shucked his custom-tailored clothes for a simple red silk robe. The robe hid his lean, tight figure – and his long, sexy tail – and if he'd been anyone else, it would have been unflattering. Sabaan could make a burlap bag look sexy. As he stepped around the desk, I noticed the dark circles beneath his eyes. "You look tired."

"I miss him terribly." He crawled into my lap and wrapped both arms around my neck. "It feels like he's been gone forever."

"It's only been a week."

He whined and buried his face into my neck. "I want him home."