by Tinnean
“Yeah. I mean, I’ll be nineteen in six months. I really don’t need a strange woman to be my mother.”
He reached across and squeezed my thigh. After a moment, he said, “Tell me about the redhead.”
“He had an Irish accent.”
“And?”
“He had red hair?” I shrugged. “I didn’t notice much more about him. I mean, Mina was freaking out, and then he showed fang without even asking, and I slammed the door and bolted it.”
“Oh, Ty.” I didn’t know vampyrs could sound so tired.
“I’m sorry. I’m making things difficult for you.”
“Don’t be sorry, and don’t worry about me.” He ruffled my hair, and I wanted to pull down my collar so he could feed. “So Rhiannon made five.”
“What? Oh, yes.”
“And the rege was the last one who fed from you. Which was in January, if I’m not mistaken?”
“Yes. Wake up, Min. We’re home.” She’d been leaning against Adam’s stomach, her eyes closed. “Hey, the van’s gone!”
“It will be in James’s drive when he awakens tomorrow morning.”
“Cool beans!”
“Ty, you have to permit other vampyrs to feed from you.”
“I know.” I turned into the driveway, pressed the remote on the visor, and waited while the garage door rose. Abruptly, I frowned. “She was one nasty bitch. She wanted a threesome!”
“Did you find the idea distasteful?”
“With Jimmy? That would be like sleeping with my brother. And a woman? No way.”
“Suppose with two men?”
“And what would I do, watch? I don’t like being touched and I… have to stay that way. Not much of a threesome.” I shrugged again. “Anyway, I don’t understand why she freaked out like that. None of the others did.” I garaged the car, and while Adam closed the door, I went out to the curb to see how much of a mess I’d have to clean up the next morning.
“What did they do?” Adam joined me. He put Mina down and handed me her leash.
“Leave, I guess. Once I had the door locked, I peeked out the window, but I didn’t see anything.” I leaned over and studied the area at the curb. Sand or whatever they used to absorb automotive fluids covered the rectangle where the van had been parked, but otherwise there was no sign mayhem had been played upon a vehicle. “You really do have minions!”
He stared at the tree across the road. “Let’s get into the house.”
I had my key out, but I paused. “Will you stay?”
“Of course. But….”
“But what?”
“You have to let other vampyrs feed from you,” he said again.
I sighed. I knew that. But he was the only vampyr here right now.
Mina was doing her growling-at-that-spot-on-the-porch thing, and I explained about it to Adam. He smiled, but it was mechanical at best, and I could tell something was bothering him. What was it about that tree?
And then his arm was blocking my way and Mina was in front of me, blocking me as well.
He ran his palm over the doorjamb. “Wait here.” And he took the key from me.
“What? Wait!”
“Stay!” he ordered me. “Mina, guard!” He unlocked the door and went in.
The tension from both of them had transferred to me, and I didn’t even think to call after him, “I’m not a dog!”
Well, maybe I thought it, but I didn’t say it.
After walking around me enough times to entangle me in her leash, Mina sat on my feet, but she was at attention, and every line of her little body was stiff. I unwound the leash, chewing on my lip. I could keep one eye on the front door, but I wouldn’t have much success watching the yard with my swollen eye, so I had to keep swiveling my head to make sure nothing sneaked up on us.
Finally Adam came out. “All right. It’s safe.”
“Was that necessary? I mean, do I need your protection?”
“I won’t chance your safety.” The night was quiet. He kept looking around, and I could still feel the tension rolling off him in waves.
“Okay.” I walked into the house. “I’m not going to be able to stay here anymore, am I?”
“This is your home. You will.”
“How?”
“You’re valuable to us, Ty. We won’t let anything happen to you. Do you believe me?”
“I believe you.”
“I’ll tear apart anyone who tries to hurt you.” He met my eye, and yeah, I could see he would.
But I wasn’t going to let myself be caught unaware. First thing in the morning—well, first thing after I’d checked on Jimmy—I was going to pay a visit to Our Lady Star of the Sea and see Father Ian. I’d start packing water pistols loaded with holy water.
And I’d go to the nearest pharmacy for garlic oil.
“Go take a shower.” Adam locked the door. “I’ll make sure Mina is settled for the night.”
I MADE a point of avoiding looking in the mirror—I probably looked like death warmed over—and I removed my half of the mizpah and was in and out of the shower in record time. Normally, at this time of night, I’d be dressed in my sleep pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt, but Adam was here, and he’d be feeding from me soon, so I wanted to dress appropriately. I pulled out the black trousers and red shirt I’d worn our first time together, and then I slipped the charm back over my head.
I left my bedroom, barefoot, the trousers undone and my shirt unbuttoned.
“…of course any sign of blood has vanished, but you know we can sense—”
I cleared my throat.
“Ty, I’d like you to meet—” Adam started to say, but then he turned around and saw how I was dressed. “Oh!”
“‘Oh!’ is right. Who’s this?” I scowled at him. Here I’d been hoping for… well… a little personal time, and what did I find but my front door open and another man—vampyr—standing on the porch.
Mina stood before him, her ears perked and her tail waving back and forth like a plume.
“And why aren’t you barking your head off?” I demanded.
She looked back over her shoulder at me, gave me one of her doggy grins, then came to me and placed her paw against my shin. I remembered what Jimmy had said.
“Think you’ve got me wrapped around your little paw, don’t you?” I bent down and swallowed a groan as blood rushed to my eye and began a rhythmic pounding. Okay, if I ignored it, maybe it would go away? I scratched the spot behind her ear that made her right hind leg go thump, thump, thump. “Go on to bed if you’re not going to protect me.”
She licked my fingers and trotted off, and I straightened, waiting for Adam to make the introductions.
“Ty, this is Rául Navarro y Casárez. Rául, this is Tyrell Small.”
“My lord, his eye!”
“It’s nothing. I walked into a door.”
“My lord?”
Adam shrugged and smiled, and fortunately the Spaniard let it go at that.
“I am honored to meet you, señor.”
“Uh….” I couldn’t say “same here.” I didn’t know who he was or why Adam had opened the door to him. “Adam?”
“Since your interactions with others of my… people… have been less than felicitous, I thought it might be wise to introduce you to one who won’t… skeeve you. I vouch for Rául. He is honorable.”
“You’re telling me he’s honorable.”
“Yes.” Adam just kept watching me.
“Telling and showing are two different things.”
“And I wish to show you not all Spaniards are like el duque.” Rául’s voice was like velvet, with a hint of accent beneath it.
“Who?”
“He’s referring to de Vivar,” Adam murmured. He touched my half of the mizpah.
“Got it.” I rested my palm above his heart, and beneath it I could feel not only his talisman but the half of the mizpah I’d given him.
Rául seemed to be about Adam’s age, or maybe a bit younger, but tha
t didn’t mean anything with vampyrs, and he had the dark good looks of a Spaniard, with black hair and eyes.
All the vampyrs I’d seen had been easy on the eyes, and okay, granted, that included Juan de Vivar, but even he had been attractive until he’d tried to force me to allow him into my home.
That was point one to Rául—his letting me make up my own mind.
Point two—Mina didn’t have a problem with him.
And point three, and probably the most important one—Adam vouched for him.
I studied Rául carefully, and he stood there, letting me. Finally, I said, “Come in.”
“Thank you.” He stepped across the threshold, and Adam closed the door.
“I… I don’t know if I can do this, Adam. No offense, Rául.”
“Not at all. I understand you’re very new, and I’m gratified my lord duke has permitted me to—”
“Who?
“He means me, Ty.”
Right, the rege had said something about Adam being a duke. But Adam had never told me.
“You never told me.” I scowled at him.
“There was no need to use my title.” He looked concerned. “Was it germane to anything?”
“No, I suppose not.” After all, a vampyr was a vampyr, but Adam was my vampyr, and I wanted to know everything about him. “You… you’re staying, Adam?”
“Of course.” He ran his fingers through my hair, and I leaned into him. “My sabor.”
Yes, I was. “Suppose I can’t do this?” I kept my voice low, hoping Rául wouldn’t hear.
“I have every confidence in you.” Adam removed his jacket, then turned me so he was behind me and wrapped his arms around me. “I’m here. Hold on to me, dragul.” He pressed a very soft kiss to the temple above my black eye and then nuzzled the side of my neck, not the side with the birthmark. I gripped his forearms and turned my face against him, leaving my throat exposed.
I could feel the change in the air as Rául came to stand before us, but I kept the eye that wasn’t swollen shut closed. He ran his fingers over my shoulder, pushing the red shirt out of the way, then drew closer and touched my birthmark. His scent enveloped me, an erotic mixture of oranges and cinnamon and… Adam? I shivered and began to grow hard.
“Thank you, Tyrell Small.” Rául’s breath was cool against my neck, and then his tongue flicked out and he tasted me.
I knew it was Adam holding me, whispering words in my ear in that foreign language I was certain I could understand if I just tried a little bit harder, but my senses were filled with Rául, and the feel of his tongue tracing my birthmark had me shuddering as pleasure flooded through me.
“My lord duke,” he whispered. “When…?”
“He’ll let you know.”
“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” I grumbled. “Rául, you’re not licking me.”
“I beg your pardon.” There was a smile in his voice, and then he ran his tongue back over my throat, and I sighed voluptuously. The pleasure was mounting higher and higher, and then—
Adam slid his hand past the waistband of my trousers and grasped my dick with cool fingers.
“Adam!”
“Now, Rául!”
Fangs slid into my throat, and I gasped and wavered on the edge of consciousness, coming all over Adam’s hand.
I WAS floating on a cloud of hazy pleasure. Oddly enough, I hadn’t passed out.
“He’s delicious,” a voice above me murmured. “I can understand why you might be reluctant to share him.”
“Be that as it may, I would never stand between a sabor and his destiny.”
“You’re talking about me like I’m not here again.” Not a cloud, but Adam’s lap. I opened my eye and smiled up at him.
“Ah. You’re with us once more.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Why are you thanking me, dragul?” My trousers were unzipped and his hand was resting on my belly button. I picked up his hand and kissed his palm, then peeked at him from under my lashes. He looked down on me and smiled, and I licked across his heart line, tasting myself on him.
“Actually, I was thanking both of you. You, Rául, for making this so pleasurable for me.” Geez, the guy was rubbing off on me, and I was starting to sound as formal as him. “And you, Adam, for letting me know I could do this and not feel as if I was cheating on you.”
“And this is important to you?” Rául asked, his curiosity evident.
“Very.” I wasn’t sure I’d have been able to feed another vampyr for all the guilt that had weighed on me.
“I do envy you this one, my lord duke.”
Color rose in Adam’s cheeks.
Rául knelt, brought Adam’s talisman to his lips, and kissed it. Then he leaned farther down and kissed my mouth.
“Your lips are warm,” I murmured.
“I’ve fed.” He rose to his feet. “Dawn approaches and I must go now. My lord, I will inform the rege.”
Of what? That I’d successfully fed a vampyr who wasn’t Adam? Geez, that was embarrassing.
“I look forward to the next time we meet, Tyrell Small.”
I smiled up at him, but before I could say anything, he was gone.
“Will you stay, Adam?”
“If you wish.”
“You know I wish. Did it… Adam, did it bother you to see me feed another vampyr?’
“It’s getting late. We’d better….”
I grabbed his hand and wouldn’t let go. “Adam?”
“Yes. It shouldn’t. It’s your destiny. But the only thing that made this tolerable for me was the fact you allowed me to be part of it.”
“The only reason why I let Rául come near me was because you were here. If you hadn’t been with me—” A thump on the front door interrupted me. “Did Rául forget something?”
Mina came tearing into the room, barking that deep, thunderous bark, and I stared at her in surprise. Her fur was ruffled so once again she looked twice her size, and her teeth were bared. She should have looked ridiculous; she didn’t. I should have laughed; I didn’t.
The next thing I knew, I’d landed on the floor with a thud and Adam was striding toward the door. “Stay there!” he tossed over his shoulder at me.
The hell I would this time! Between him and Mina, I’d gotten the point something dangerous was going on. I reached under the love seat where I’d stored a Louisville Slugger. I couldn’t use a gun, didn’t feel comfortable even having one in the house, but before I’d developed that aversion to being touched, I’d been in Little League: I swung a mean baseball bat.
Adam said something to Mina, and she stopped barking, but growls still spilled from her throat.
“Adam, it’s almost daylight!”
“Didn’t I tell you to stay there?”
“Yeah.”
“But you’re not going to?”
“No.”
“All right, just stay out of the way.”
I growled at him myself.
He threw open the door, and Rául fell across the threshold, half in and half out of my house. His shirt was covered with blood, and a vicious gash in his throat seeped more blood.
Mina tore out of the house, her bark making her sound like a hound from hell.
Adam spat out something I had no doubt was a curse in whatever language that was and bounded over Rául’s body. “Get him in the house!”
I didn’t bother telling him it was almost dawn. I’d already told him that once. I just hoped he knew what he was doing. I grabbed Rául under his arms and dragged him into the living room. He opened his eyes, stared up at me, and tried to speak.
“Rául, what happened?” I put pressure on the wound at his throat.
“J-jumped me.”
“Who?”
“Didn’t see, didn’t hear….”
This wasn’t good. According to all the folklore, vampyrs had preternatural senses. They could only be sneaked up on by another vampyr. I swallowed hard. Did that mean he’d been jumped
by another vampyr?
“What can I do for you? Do you need my blood?”
“No.” Adam was back inside, the door shut and locked. A signal from him had Mina lying in front of it. “He’s too badly injured for that. He needs mine.” He was busy undoing his shirt.
“Adam?”
“I need a knife, Ty.” He made himself comfortable on the floor and cradled Rául in his arms.
I didn’t question him, just ran into the kitchen. The knife I used to slice roasts would be too big, too unwieldy. But I had a ceramic paring knife that was sharp as hell; it would be perfect. I pawed through the silverware drawer, almost slicing my finger on it.
“Here, Adam. This should—” I came to a dead halt.
Adam looked up and met my eyes. His shirt was hanging open, and Rául had his mouth pressed against his chest, sucking vigorously.
“What did you do?”
“I didn’t want you to see this.”
“Oh, please, like I’m supposed to freak out now?”
He hesitated, and then he held up a hand. The nail on his index finger was bloody.
“You opened a vein yourself?” Dracula had done that when he’d wanted to get the original Mina under his power. “How could…. Never mind, I don’t want to know. You look pale.” I started getting nervous. “Is he taking too much?”
“He’s almost done.”
“Do we need to get him to the ER?”
“Why?”
“His neck. It was bleeding pretty badly.” And how could we get him to the nearest hospital, which was in Knoxville? It was still dark, but the sky was lightening. I hurried to the window and made sure the curtains were drawn tightly.
“It’s almost healed.”
“Huh?”
“That’s why he had to drink from me. Get a washcloth. And would you mind lending him a shirt?”
He’d had my blood. Why should it matter if he had a shirt as well? “Sweatshirt? Button-down?”
“A button-down will be easier to put on him.” Adam used his free hand to fish out his cell phone.
I hurried to my bedroom, yanked the first shirt I saw out of the closet, and slung it over my shoulder, then stopped in the bathroom long enough to get a washcloth and wet it.
Rául raised his head. Blood was smeared over his lips. He was shivering.
