Love's Distance

by Flynn Eire

  “No,” Sam whispered, ducking his head to wipe his eyes as if I wouldn’t see it. “No, I totally failed actually.”

  I felt my heart sink into my stomach. He’d been working tirelessly at this for months. “I doubt that. Even if you didn’t get the results you wanted or were hoping for, I bet it’s not a failure, Lasam.” I moved over behind him and wrapped my arms around him, kissing his hair. “Tell me what you see.”

  “It failed, Bowie,” he rasped, trying to pull away. “The cancer tumor is still there. It didn’t work.”

  “Okay, so you didn’t cure cancer your first try. That doesn’t mean you failed, love. Use that big brain of yours and tell me what you see. What’s different and what did happen?”

  He jumped to his feet and pushed me aside, gently, but almost manically like he couldn’t take being boxed in right then. “The sections I treated with my saliva are the same size as when I started. The only thing that’s different is the cells that join together a tumor broke down some.”

  “Okay, so you broke down the tumor. That’s good.”

  “No, not necessarily. When a cancer tumor breaks up, that’s how it can spread, Bowie,” he argued, scrubbing his hands over his head. “I’m not a cancer researcher though. I mean they should look different, but maybe they don’t? Maybe it looks the same?”

  “Right, but chemo still has to break it down to kill it or shrink a tumor. I read your notes on that. If our saliva can help skip some of that, wouldn’t that maybe make chemo more effective or less chemo needed?” I defended, praying there was something, anything he found.

  Sam blinked at me and slowly nodded. “Maybe. I mean, maybe. I’m not an oncologist or well-versed with chemo.”

  “Okay, what about the control group. What happened with those?”

  He waved towards a row of petri dishes. “They grew like normal. Cancer’s so dangerous because its cells rapidly divide, reproducing fast. There are some slow growing cancers, but many are fast growing. I knew those would grow like mad over a few months with the way I was conditioning the study.”

  My eyes went wide as I closed the distance between us and grabbed his chin. “Lasam, listen to what you just said.” He stared at me with scrunched eyebrows as if I was off my rocker, so lost in not having cured cancer he missed what he had done. “Jesus, love, the controlled group grew. The test groups didn’t. I’d say that’s a huge first step along with breaking down the tumors, wouldn’t you?”

  “Oh my god,” he whispered, blinking at me before glancing at the trays. “Oh my god! I didn’t even think of that. I was so upset they didn’t shrink at all or die off.” He pushed my arm away and hugged me tight. “I bet if I replicate this again with Helios’s saliva it might kill off some of the tumor. I mean, there has to be some benefit to being ancient, right?”

  “Either way, this is big. This is awesome. You did it!”

  “Not yet, but I didn’t fail.” He sagged against me as he said it, and I realized then how much stress and pressure he’d truly been putting on himself.

  “No you didn’t,” I agreed, rubbing his back. I took his distraction to my advantage and pulled away enough to lead him out into the clinic. “This requires some celebrating.”

  “I’m not sure we’re there yet,” he muttered, slipping his arm around my waist. But then he froze when he saw the cake next to our lunch. “I can’t believe you did this. Congratulations on Your Amazing Accomplishment? What if I had blown it big time? What then?”

  “I knew you wouldn’t. It’s not in you to fail. You would have learned something to move forward, help someone, somehow, or at least give Ash Tree an idea of a place to go next in their research. My mate-to-be is too smart not to accomplish great things.” His breath hitched and he turned so he was in front of me. “Yeah, I don’t need another week or two of calm. I mean, I don’t think we should do it tonight because I like the idea of an engagement like humans have.

  “I always thought that was so romantic to know it was coming, be excited about it, but ready for that step, planning for it.” I reached out and cupped his cheek. “And I’m ready. It’s always been you, Lasam. I love you. Will you be my mate?”

  “Yes. Yes!” He grabbed me by the back of the neck and pulled me down into a steamy kiss. “And I like the engagement idea too. We can come up with the perfect fantasy together of how we want to claim each other. It’s a great idea.”

  “I’m glad you agree,” I whispered as I leaned my forehead against his. “I’m so proud of you.” I pulled away and plucked the large gift bag off the cot. “I have a present for you.”

  “More than cake and you being my mate? What else is there?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. I didn’t answer, only holding out the bag. He took it and slowly pulled out a huge keepsake box. His breath hitched as he drank in the cherry stain he’d said he loved. He flipped it over and on the cover I’d used a wood burner to carve Lifesaving Accomplishments on it. “Bowie, this is beautiful. Thank you.”

  “Well, I wanted you have something to keep all the mementos in that you’ll have from your journey to curing cancer and anything else you accomplish because there are a lot of human illnesses out there and I hear they could all use some help. I think you’re just the man to do it. You may never get your name in a medical journal or take the credit for it all because we can’t really be in the spotlight as warriors or blow our cover, but you and I will know what you’ve done and I want you to always remember it.”

  “I love you.”

  “I know. I love you too,” I whispered as my eyes burned with happy tears. He tenderly set down the box, running his fingers over the lettering, and I gladly walked into his arms when he opened them for me.

  And for the first time ever, I didn’t feel any distance between us. It was us against anything, us forever together even if we hadn’t mated yet, and I knew that would never change.

  Because it had always been, and would always be, Lasam Gatewood for me, and that made me the luckiest vampire ever.

  The End

  Sneak Peek: Love’s Delusion

  (Warrior Camp 8)

  Techie Gilroy Selden doesn’t enjoy going on the supply runs—except for the non-camp food. He’d much rather stay in the safety of the command center, and when his gut screams they shouldn’t be out past dark… He hates that he ends up being right.

  Xana Hiro, a giant among the warriors, takes the steps necessary to ease Gilroy’s turmoil… Even if it adds to his own. But things are never simple when dealing with matters of the heart and delusions. After years of hoping that Gilroy would notice him, Xana attempts to do what he can to help Gilroy get through and process everything that has been thrown at him.

  But Xana isn’t the only warrior wanting to comfort and be there for Gilroy and he has no problem reminding Gilroy how badly Xana messed up. Even if Gilroy can see that Xana’s love for him is real and makes the right choice—will he ever be able to look past Xana almost killing him?

  1

  I remember the outing. I didn’t normally go on supply runs but Rune had asked me to go to check out some Ultrabooks and tablets he was thinking of getting to fill the requisitions people had given him for new equipment instead of waiting for the Surface 3s to come out at the end of the year.

  So I went. I remember the outing. I didn’t like them, thought we should wait, was excited to have some real fast food instead of the same cafeteria stuff over and over again.

  But then it started to get dark and I wanted to get back to base, our camp, our safe home. Don’t worry, Gilroy, they told me. I remember that too.

  And then I remember the crash on the way home. Something big came out of nowhere. It flipped the truck. I’d been in the back of the cab, looking down, so I couldn’t even say if there had been lights or what. I didn’t think so. But I remember the crash. The horrid sounds of the impact and then the truck rolling, metal crunching, glass breaking, my heart racing, wondering if we were going to die.

  Then the truck stopping, rocking
a bit as if not sure it was going to roll one more time.

  We were upside down. I remember that too. My ears were ringing too loud to hear much and I felt wet on my neck and shoulders. Blood. I smelled a lot of blood.

  Some was mine.

  I remember seeing Kevin’s lifeless eyes staring at nothing, something sharp from the truck piercing through his neck. Glass? No, maybe? I couldn’t tell with pounding in my head. Everything was fuzzy. I tried to undo my seatbelt, but my hands weren’t listening to me.

  But then they were. I fell to the floor—which was really the roof—of the truck and crawled out the broken window. I saw the driver’s side door open, realizing someone else was out and alive. I looked around and my eyes met red, blood-shot ones.

  Zakasacs.

  That was it. I must have gone down from the blood loss or someone hit me to knock me out because that was all. The next thing I remembered was inexplicable pain, my mouth, throat, and stomach on fire and I wanted to die. It was as if someone had stuck a burning poker down into me but so much worse.

  I don’t know how long it went on for or I was out, but then I was awake, fine even. I slowly came back around and realized I was on… A bed?

  “Go slow,” a soft, musical voice warned me. I opened my eyes and met his beautiful maroon ones, captivated by them. “Go slow, my brave warrior. You have been through much.”

  “Thirsty,” I croaked. He handed me a bag of blood which I greedily drank down and then another. As I drank I couldn’t take my eyes off the gorgeous man sitting next to me. I reached out and touched his arm, just to make sure he was real and not an angel.

  “Glad you’re feeling better,” he chuckled. “I’m Winston.”

  “Gilroy. Gilroy Selden,” I muttered as I set down the empty blood bag.

  “I know. I peeked at your wallet.” He smiled as he reached out and cupped my cheek. I turned my face into his palm, relishing his touch. “You should rest.”

  “I don’t want to.”

  He shot me a sly look. “Oh? What do you want?” I shrugged and he frowned. “Tell me.”

  “I want you,” I blurted, surprised at my audacity and crudeness. I’d never felt like this before. I was never that forward, and I didn’t even know the man, but he’d wanted to know and I had to tell him then. I wasn’t sure why, but I knew I had to.

  “Good, you have to obey,” he muttered as he let his hand trail from my cheek down to my chest. “You will be my favorite of all I am to make, Gilroy, as my first. I promise you that. You will be special to me.”

  “I want to be special to you.” My heart raced as my chest heaved, watching his hand trail down further.

  “What am I, Gilroy?” My eyes snapped to his at the question. I scrunched my eyebrows together, confused by what he was asking me. He must have understood. “How do I look to you? Am I a vampire?”

  I studied him a moment and shook my head. No, he didn’t look like my friends or the vampires I knew. “No, you’re an angel.”

  My answer pleased him from the bright smile he shot me, his maroon eyes lighting up with mirth. “An angel, huh?”

  “Yes, a beautiful angel I want to touch and be near always,” I admitted, no longer embarrassed at my answers if they made him happy.

  “And so you shall.” He pulled off his shirt and moved over me before kissing me. Then Winston, my angel, made love to me all night long, drinking from me as he took me. I barely felt the pain, so happy he was getting his sustenance from me.

  “Thank you,” I whispered when we were done and I snuggled around his smaller frame. “Thank you, my angel Winston. You have no idea how long I have waited to feel what we just shared.”

  “What did we just share, my warrior?” he murmured, playing with my hair as his voice turned thick with coming sleep.

  “Love.” I kissed his chest and held him tighter. “I love you so much, Winston.”

  “How much? Would you kill for me?”

  “Of course,” I chuckled, thinking that was a silly question. Didn’t he understand how much I loved him?

  “Would you die for me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Betray your friends?”

  I tilted my head and blinked at him then. “What friends? There is only you, Winston. Nothing before you matters and nothing else ever will. I would do anything for you.”

  “Yes, you will always be my favorite, Gilroy,” he purred as he kissed my forehead. I wasn’t sure what that meant other than I’d made him happy which was what I wanted. That was enough.

  I was happy with the man I loved and he’d mated me. Who could ask for more?

  * * * *

  It thrilled me to no end to do nothing but stay in Winston’s bed the next few days… Except he left it too often to handle things. I wasn’t sure what these mysterious things were, but I didn’t like how much it kept me from him. I didn’t even think to ask what they were though and maybe some people would have been leery of the secrets, distrusting even, but I wasn’t. I loved Winston and he would never lie to me or hurt me.

  He said not to concern myself with it so I didn’t.

  I had just gotten out of the shower when he came rushing into our room, panic written on his face. “They found us, my warrior.”

  “Who?” I dropped my towel, reaching for my pants and yanking them on. “What’s wrong, Winston?”

  “I don’t understand how they found us!” he exclaimed, slamming his fists onto the dresser. “We took every precaution. There is no way the warriors should have been able to trace us here.”

  “Did you take any electronics from the accident?” I asked, confused as why warriors coming was a bad thing but still needing to help him.

  “Of course but we disabled all the bugs and trackers.” I winced, and he narrowed his eyes at me. “What? What did we miss?”

  “I’m not supposed to tell anyone,” I muttered, remembering that somehow. Rune had told me once that no matter what, never tell.

  “Tell me,” he demanded as he came towards me. I opened my mouth to do so, but then slapped my hand over it. “So you don’t really love me.”

  “I do,” I gushed after I lowered my hand. “I just don’t understand this. So what if warriors are here? Why is that bad? Why should I tell you Rune’s secrets or—” There was a loud explosion down the hall from us, and I stuffed my feet into my shoes. “That doesn’t matter. We have to get out of here.”

  “It’s too late for that. They’ve blocked all the exits and the sun is up. It’s just a matter of time now.”

  “But I’m a warrior,” I argued. I went to say more, ask why the sun mattered, but the door burst open and Xana came through. “Xana?”

  “Gilroy?” he rasped, studying me closely. Then tears formed in his eyes. “How could you? How could you choose this?”

  “What are you talking about?” I hissed, scared he was off his rocker as I moved slowly in front of Winston. “Look, there has been some kind of misunderstanding, Xana. I don’t know why warriors are here, but—”

  “Gilroy, of course you know why!” he bellowed as he moved forward, his sword raised and striking towards me. If I hadn’t been faster than him, knocking Winston back and diving out of the way, he would have gotten me and probably killed me with one blow given how massive and strong Xana was.

  “Oh this is priceless,” Winston chortled, clapping his hands in glee. “You think he’s one of us!”

  “What?” I glanced at him over my shoulder. “I could never be an angel like you, my love.” Then I focused back at Xana, seeing the fear and confusion in his eyes. “Look, I don’t know—”

  “What’s going on in here?” Matteo demanded as he rushed into the room.

  “Thank god,” I sighed, relaxing some. “Xana’s gone off the rails. He’s just tried to kill me and he wants to hurt my mate.”

  “Mate?” Matteo and Xana bellowed.

  “Yes, we’re in love,” Winston chuckled, wrapping his arms around me from behind. “He will protect me with his last b
reath, won’t you, my warrior?”

  “Of course, but Matteo’s my friend. He won’t hurt you,” I muttered, staring at him.

  “Gilroy, I don’t know what he’s done to you, but your mate is a Zakasac,” Matteo whispered as he waved Xana back. “Don’t hurt Gilroy. He’s not one.”

  “But his eyes,” Xana argued. “And he smells—”

  “Like he’s been intimate with one,” Matteo snapped. “His aura’s clean. Go get Alexander or Helios. We have to separate them.”

  “Matteo, no, this has to be a mistake,” I whimpered, pushing Winston back against the wall, covering him with my body. “My mate is an angel, not a monster. He loves me. Zakasacs can’t love. They don’t have souls.”

  Alexander and Jeston stepped into the room, looking like they meant business. I swallowed loudly but then flinched when Winston shoved his hand down the front of my pants.

  “I think the ride is over, my warrior. There’s no talking our way out of this. Too bad because I would have loved to take you for another ride or twenty,” he muttered, kissing up my neck. “You were always going to be my favorite.”

  “No, please don’t hurt my mate,” I begged as they moved closer. “We didn’t hurt anyone.”

  “You didn’t, Gilroy,” Matteo said gently as he sheathed his sword and reached for me. “He did. Don’t you trust me?”

  “Not over Winston!” I sobbed, turning to hold on to my mate. “I’m sorry I failed you. I love you. I love you, Winston!”

  “I know, pet,” he chuckled as we were dragged apart.

  “Don’t make Gilroy see this,” Alexander mumbled.

  “No!” I screamed as hands lifted me up. “No! I won’t leave him.”

  “It’s not real,” Matteo whispered. “I know it feels real, but he did something to you.”

  I argued and fought as they carried me out into the hall. Then I heard the sickening sound of a sword striking flesh, but instead of grief over knowing my mate was gone, I felt something else. Something I couldn’t put my finger on.