by Downs Jana
“When did you know?” Allasandro asked after the pause. Dageus cuddled against his side, burrowing his face farther into the Ravyn’s ribs.
“I’ve always known. I dreamed of the Master of Haven for a long time.”
Tony looked mildly concerned. His face was a granite line as he pondered the possible meanings of Dageus’s thoughts. “Do you think you were really his lover in another life?” he asked.
Dageus laughed. “I don’t think that I could’ve forgotten that.” He smiled at the thought and pressure of being held in the vampire’s arms.
The brothers looked at one another and exchanged some sort of mental communication, excluding Dageus. He frowned. “What?” He asked. They looked at one another again, hesitating.
“Enough of this idleness,” Tony said, interrupting the direction of the conversation. “We need to train. Come on. We’re all going out on the town later tonight.” They looked at him in question. “We must research this aspect of our brother’s life choice,” he added seriously. Again, puzzlement filled their faces.
Tony grinned and said, “Be prepared, boys. We’re going to a gay bar.” Raucous laughter answered him.
Chapter Sixteen
The next night all the Ravyns and their lord went out. The club’s heavy bass beat made Dageus’s heart pulse in time with the music. He watched his brothers claim a seat near the exit that occupied the outermost parameter of the club. At the center of the club, the human populace pulsed with the beat, the females gyrating against the males in a distinctly provocative way, and the males returned the actions with their own grinding rhythms. It was interesting. The brothers sat and watched the crowd.
In the end, the Ravyns had decided that they would hit a couple clubs before jumping into the homosexual nightlife by going to the gay clubs. Dageus had three real reasons that he was happy with the decision. Firstly, he hadn’t wanted the brothers to do all their Earth-club learning experiences in an environment that was bound to make them uncomfortable. Secondly, he was still roughed up from the penance he’d done before, plus he was stalling. He was still unsure of the brothers’ reactions to his preference.
“It’s like some bizarre mating ritual,” Druas commented as a female swayed dangerously close to the male to her rear, her pert behind a hairsbreadth away from grinding against the male’s obviously aroused form. Tony had to agree.
“This is nothing like La Petite Morte’s dance,” he added, though he couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not.
The vampires were confusing, dangerous, predatory, nothing like these humans with their innocent grinding and seduction. The vampires provoked both desire and fear, while the humans just provoked innocent lust. Demon dances tended to be rather controlled affairs because of the very visceral nature of the demons themselves. Touching ones partner was almost strictly prohibited. The humans’ lack of inhibitions and conformity was new.
“They’re beautiful, if untrained,” Dageus contributed. As usual, Germany remained out of the conversation, starring off into space, absently sipping at his apple martini. It took Dageus a minute to realize that Allasandro was missing. Tony must’ve had the same thought because he turned to him and asked, “Where the hell is Ally-cat?”
Dageus shrugged. “I’m not my brother’s keeper.”
Tony tensed. “Scan the bar.” He commanded.
Where the hell was he? He stretched his mind across the sea of people and began tracking the unique mental signature of his brother. He blew out a breath of frustration. It was hard to track in this large of a crowd.
“Woo!” A dozen or so shouts rose above the music for an instant, startling them all. They raised surprised eyes to the center bar near the entrance. A dozen or so girls were gathered around someone lying nearly motionless on the top of the bar.
“What in the world is going on?” Tony asked, motioning their waitress for another beer. He’d had at least three of them so far, and Dageus began to think he was beginning to get a penchant for the stuff. Dageus didn’t know for sure. But he had a gut feeling who was on top of the bar.
* * * *
Salvatore chuckled at Allasandro’s antics. He lay shirtless on the tabletop with a dozen giggling angels taking tequila shots off his tight six-pack. Four of them “held him down” while the others took turns pouring and then licking the alcohol off of his form. The bolder ones dared to push the liquor from his belly button and down to the edge of his jeans. He grinned at his lord.
“Are you next sweetie?” the bartender asked flirtatiously. He was a pretty man with shortly cut black hair and more piercings and tattoos than he normally preferred. He was a dark fae in comparison to the long-haired giggling plastic women that held Allasandro’s attention. Salvatore felt his heart lurch as the bartender’s dark-chocolate eyes regarded him with no small amount of desire and just a dose of cynicism.
He smiled gently in return. “I think not. I’m too old for such nonsense.” The bartender laughed softly at his comment.
“You’re not old, darling, just older than that young buck there,” he said pointedly. His accent was intriguing, a slight drawl so at odds with the surroundings. He shrugged, wondering at his reaction and answering his comment at the same time. Older than you know, my sweet. He felt every bit the two thousand years he was. Young for a demon but ancient in comparison to the human who manned the bar like a practiced warrior with an unruly battalion of troops.
“Perhaps I am a one-person sort of man.” He surprised himself by saying aloud. To his shock he continued, “I have no need of a dozen people when I see one I want.” He nearly winced at the half truth. He had a harem at home, and here he was spouting nonsense to a man at a bar. Perhaps Dageus’s preference was disturbing him more than he thought.
The bartender raised an elegantly trimmed eyebrow that had a barbell through it. “One-person-sort of man, huh?” He chuckled. It was sexy as hell. “Now, don’t expect me to believe that mess you’re spouting, honey.”
He felt oddly wounded by him calling him a liar. He felt the demon within him growl in aggravation. He leaned toward him, letting the demonic glow sparkle in his wine-colored eyes.
“Perhaps it is just one person I desire to get drunk off the fluid of my body. Perhaps you underestimate that desire.” The bartender visibly shivered and took a step back. “Tell me, young one, do you take, what is it called, shots, off men who offer you their forms?”
The bartender shook his head. He appeared almost enchanted by the cadence of Salvatore’s voice.
“Hey, my lord!” Allasandro crowed as one particularly bold woman licked his lower stomach and finally unbuttoned his pants. “You have to try this body shot thing! It’s awesome!”
Salvatore’s enchantment was broken, and the bartender slunk off to the far side of the bar to tend to less-intimidating customers. Salvatore sighed in disappointment, unsure of why.
“I think you’ve had enough for tonight, Allasandro,” he said, a command in his voice. The women whined in disappointment and ran hands over Allasandro’s still-bare chest as he pulled away from their embrace. They began to disperse, and Salvatore handed Allasandro’s shirt back to its owner.
“Dance with me later?” The bold, red-haired girl asked with lowered lashes.
Allasandro smiled and kissed her cheek.
“Look me up later,” he whispered. She smiled and flounced off.
“You certainly have a way with women, son,” Salvatore said, openly laughing.
Allasandro shrugged, grinning. “My brothers would have the way, too, if they’d loosen up enough to get into a girl’s head.”
Salvatore shook his head. “I seriously doubt that. You have too much charm for them, my pretty one.” Allasandro’s grin widened. “One day you’re going to meet someone you can’t charm into your bed.”
Allasandro laughed then. “Yeah. Maybe it’ll be one of the gay males we meet at the gay club later,” he joked.
* * * *
“What were you doing?” Ton
y asked as Salvatore and Allasandro sidled up to their table an instant later.
Allasandro just smiled. Dageus wasn’t paying attention. His eyes were glued to a tall, dark-haired male that was two tables behind him. He had striking blue eyes that were constantly trained on the table where the Ravyns sat when he thought they weren’t looking. His eyes were almost the exact shade of Alex’s. The sharp contrast with the rest of the coloring was very intriguing. Whereas Alex was light haired and light eyed, this male was dark haired and light eyed. Dageus caught his eye, and their gazes clashed. Blue eyes met gold. Dageus’s desire stirred weakly. The man seemed to uncurl from his position in the seat and tell something to his friends, who raised their bottles to him as he passed. His walk was as predatory as Dageus’s own.
He stopped in front of the table of boys and stared at Dageus, completely ignoring the others.
“Dance with me,” he commanded. Desire shot through Dageus at the commanding tone. He remembered how Alex had murmured the exact command. The brothers bristled in indignation on Dageus’s behalf. He raised a hand to still their biting words, as if to say “you wanted to see my lifestyle. Watch.” They settled back and allowed him to escape the confines of the booth. Salvatore nodded his approval. Maybe if they got freaked out the Ravyns wouldn’t demand to hit the gay bar next.
Dageus slid onto the dance floor like a seasoned pro. The tall male who had approached him stalked behind him with the fluid grace of a fellow dancer. The song changed suddenly, and the beat took on a sultry feel, and Dageus slowly rotated his hips in time with the music. The male spun him into a hot near-Latino salsa, and Dageus twisted beautifully, captivating the attention of the room. He felt the heavy gazes of his brothers on his back. The ease with which he danced was surprising. He’d honestly thought the skill he’d displayed on stage would go away once he left the theater but apparently not.
“What is your name?” the male asked, grabbing his hips and grinding a semi-rigid length of his erection against Dageus’s taut body before pushing him into another elegant spin. Dageus spun out gently before returning to his arms.
“Dageus Ravyn,” he answered automatically. The man grinned.
“I’m Torren,” the male said cockily. The song ended with a last throbbing bass point before fading into another song.
“Can I buy you a drink?” Torren asked, eyeing the young male with blatant desire. Dageus smiled and cocked his head to the side, reminding himself that his brothers were okay with this. Hell, he thought to himself, perhaps Torren would be the one to help him get over the ridiculous obsession he had with Alex. Maybe he’d imagined the depth of the attraction. Maybe it was just him realizing he was gay that had triggered such an intensity between them.
“Sure,” he heard himself say. Torren took him by the hand and led him away from the dance floor.
Salvatore’s cell phone rang an instant later. Germany had suggested that they all get phones for the duration of their stay. It was a marvelous communication device that allowed them to stay in constant contact. Usually they spoke mind to mind, but over greater distances it was more difficult to maintain. Glancing at the caller ID, Salvatore answered. “You must have some mind-reading capabilities…Yes, I’m watching his potential as we speak…yes he’s dancing…I hardly think that’s relevant…No, a male…I’ll tell him when he gets back… Of course… See you then… Au revoir.”
The cell phone shut with an audible snap.
“How odd,” Salvatore commented once the conversation was over.
Tony raised a brow. “What was odd, my lord?”
Salvatore just shook in head. “When Dageus gets back from his drink, remind me to tell him that he is due at the theater in three hours’ time.” The brothers looked shocked.
“My lord, we don’t trust him,” Germany interjected. The quietest of the bunch rarely voiced his opinion, but when he did, it was a powerful influence.
“Don’t you think I know that, my Ravyn?” Salvatore asked, his eyes taking on a serious light. They leaned forward to listen to their lord’s next words.
“We’ll watch Dageus and Alex interact for a while, allow Dageus to awaken this new passion of his, and then break the bond between Dageus and the Master of Haven. Given enough time, our magicks should be able to disrupt Alex’s enough to break it. The Master will be unhappy, but Dageus will be free.”
They all nodded at his genius, content to rely on his judgment. Salvatore just prayed that Dageus would forgive them for it.
* * * *
“So how long have you been in Haven?” Torren asked as Dageus downed another shot of Patron. Dageus hadn’t meant to order the most expensive drink at the bar, but he’d asked Torren for a suggestion, and it was what he’d recommended. Dageus watched the male look him up and down and smiled to himself. The Ravyn would make sure that the time and money he was spending on him was worth it. “A couple months,” Dageus offered evasively, obviously trying his hand at flirting. Torren smiled. He’d told him earlier that he thought Dageus’s innocence was sweet.
“So, listen, I was thinking,” Torren said, working up his courage, “How about we grab dinner and a movie tomorrow?” Dageus looked shocked and then promptly blushed. He opened his mouth to reply in the affirmative but was cut off.
“I’m afraid that would not be at all possible,” a dark, menacing voice interjected. “In fact I think it best if you never speak to him again.”
Dageus, startled, turned his head to look behind him to find one very pissed-off vampire glaring daggers in his direction.
“A–Alex?” he stuttered. Torren’s eyes narrowed considerably.
“If I would’ve known he was spoken for, I would’ve never asked,” he replied, his honor bristling at the pure note of accusation in Alex’s voice. Dageus’s temper flared.
“I’m not spoken for,” he snapped in annoyance.
Alex’s brows shot up. With an inhuman hiss, he grabbed Dageus’s arm and hauled him off of the barstool. The bouncers, seeing trouble, made their way toward them.
“Excuse me, sir,” one of them began. Alex whirled around, Dageus’s arm still in his grip, and glared. The big man’s eyes widened. “Oh sorry, my lord. I didn’t recognize you. Do you want us to escort that one out of the club?” he asked, pointing toward Torren’s frozen form.
He shook his head. “No need, Charles. Thank you.” Dageus snarled at the dismissal in his voice. Torren quietly excused himself from the bar stool.
Dageus looked on in dismay as Torren left the bar. “Now look at what you’ve done!”
Alex snarled right back. “Mine!” he roared like a Neanderthal. Dageus gave a great mental push against the Master of the City. He staggered, but his grip on Dageus didn’t loosen. Dageus winced, knowing the vampire was leaving bruises.
“How dare you…” Alex whispered menacingly. Dageus glared at him and opened his mouth to tell him where to get off. One moment they were standing by the bar, moments away from a fist fight with the other four Ravyns riding to the rescue, and the next they were gone. Alex apparently needed a much more private setting to continue the conversation.
Chapter Seventeen
“What the fuck was that?” Dageus demanded, landing with a hard thud on the stage of the darkened theater across town. Anger coursed through his blood like a heady wine, and he shot to his feet to glare at the vampire. Alex stood there, a statute. Pure, unadulterated rage poured through Dageus, directed toward the son of a bitch that interjected himself into his life.
“How could you even consider going anywhere with that poor excuse for a dancer?” Alex hissed, a deep pain in his tone. The insult obviously meant a great deal to him. “He is nothing.”
Dageus rolled his eyes. “Are you kidding me? I was going to dinner and a movie with the guy, maybe get seduced and wake up next to someone I want for once! I finally get the balls to admit to my brothers that I’m gay, and I finally go to pick someone up to show them, and you show up! Can’t you see you’ve done enough in my life?
I wasn’t exactly prepared to explain that I didn’t like girls. With that little display at the theater, you cornered me! Damn you, Alex! Damn you to hell!” he screamed. Even he hadn’t realized he felt that way until that moment. He resented the shit out of the vampire for making him acknowledge his desires. The tenderness that he’d felt for Alex the night before faded with an uncompromising fear. He struck suddenly.
Alex’s head whipped back from the blow, his bottom lip blossoming with blood, and it sprayed across the stage from the whiplash. Dageus heard a low growl before he was knocked off his feet to the floor. He snarled, pushing against the invisible hands that held him in place. Alex stood over him. His eyes glowed a faint red, the blue in them disappearing with his anger. He stood silently above him while Dageus regained his breath. Alex’s eyes flashed with anger when he caught sight of the healing marks on Dageus’s neck that disappeared under his shirt line.
Not saying a word, Alex bundled up the two ends of the shirt in his hands and tore it apart to reveal the wide expanse of his chest.
“What the hell are you doing?” Dageus demanded, still unable to move, held in place by the Master’s power. “I just bought that shirt, you jack ass!”
Surprisingly tender hands touched his torn flesh. Dageus felt his body being picked up by invisible hands. The hands continued to soothe, caressing the bruises left by his brothers.
“Did they hurt you for letting me touch you?”
Dageus struggled at the question. “None of your damn business!” he hissed with a little less force than before. His body was turning pliant under the gentle strokes of the vampire. It was hard to hold onto the anger when Alex was touching him. Regret was tickling at the edge of his senses for striking out at the vampire, even if he was almost healed just in the few seconds since. He felt the first stirrings of arousal. It wasn’t the starved passion of before but a desire almost like love.
