Happy Halloween, guys! I *had* planned to wrap this up today, but these two had more to say than I thought, lol. So, we're going to keep going until they're done. ;)
~M
Chapter Five
Caleb
spent the next week glancing over his shoulder. Nothing happened while he was
on the job, thank God, but it was also daylight. He delivered his packages,
talked to his customers, and went about his daily routine.
The
small holes where he’d been bitten quickly faded. If he didn’t know better, he
would’ve thought they were nothing more than mosquito bites. In fact, the bite
mark was gone within forty-eight hours.
The
first day or two after Brone took his blood, Caleb did feel tired. He had
shadows under his eyes and not much of an appetite. It wasn’t hard to convince
Raleigh he had a twenty-four-hour stomach bug. The downside of that was the
apartment smelled like Lysol for several days. Raleigh disinfected everything
Caleb came in contact with. God, the stench was awful.
During
the day, he didn’t feel Brone’s presence at all.
Nights
were a different matter. The first couple nights after Brone accosted him in
the movie theater’s restroom, Caleb’s dreams were… informative. He had flashes,
that was the best way to describe what he’d seen. But they were flashes of a
lifetime not his own.
He’d
seen a long-haired brawny warrior, wrapped in tartan, and what looked a bit
like a modern flak jacket that was lined with metal plates. He assumed it was
Brone. He was holding some crude sword in his hands.
Other
nights Caleb saw the warrior dressed in what Caleb guessed was Victorian
age-type clothing. That’s when he was able to see the dark auburn of Brone’s
hair. He never could see his Brone’s face clearly, but that auburn hair stood
out in his mind once he woke up.
He
saw who he assumed was Brone again and again, and was able to identify the time
based on the clothing. The bell bottom jeans had cracked Caleb up. The last
clear vision he had was of Brone holding a god-awful clunky cell phone to his
ear and dressed in clothes Caleb was more familiar with. After a little
research, he figured out that was probably somewhere in the 90s.
Jesus,
just how old was Brone?
Then
the dreams became erotic. He’d had wet dreams as a teenager, but nothing quite
like this. Even his gay vampire porn couldn’t hold a candle to what he could
remember from those dreams.
The
two of them were wrapped together, twisting and turning on black sheets. Candle
light caressed their bodies through an open window at night. Always at night.
Brone’s talented hands drove him to madness. In the dreams he stood off to the
side watching his dream self and Brone fucking. It was intense.
Caleb
parked his vehicle and hurried toward the apartment. His route had taken longer
than normal and he hadn’t gotten back to the hub until almost dark. He clocked
out and hurried home. Once inside, and double checking to make sure the door
was locked, he wandered into the kitchen to find something for dinner.
Raleigh
didn’t get off until midnight, so he was on his own for the next several
hours—a prospect he certainly didn’t relish. Maybe it was selfish, but he felt
safer with Raleigh there. He had no idea why and was in actuality probably the
farthest thing from the truth.
He’d
tormented himself with scenarios where Brone hurt Raleigh, and he couldn’t live
with himself if that happen. Would Brone? Caleb didn’t know, that was the problem. He seriously considered selling
everything he owned, quitting his job, and running… which was easier said than
done.
Caleb
helped himself to some of the roast and potatoes Raleigh made in the crockpot
yesterday. While his dinner warmed, he fixed a soda. He stared out the window.
Darkness had blanketed the land. While he waited for the microwave to finish,
his mind circled back around to running, which he knew wouldn’t work.
As
soon as he told Raleigh what he planned to do, Raleigh would want to know why.
He wouldn’t believe the truth, so what would Caleb tell him? Plus, Brone had
made it quite clear he was watching Caleb. There was a good chance he wouldn’t
even get out of town before Brone would hunt him down. He was sure tempted to
try, though.
Then
there was the option of just walking away with nothing but the cash from his
checking account. Just get up as soon as the sun rose and start driving. The
problem with that was that night would
eventually fall and would most likely bring with it a pissed off vampire.
Brone
was intimidating enough when he was being seductive. Caleb didn’t want to deal
with him mad. So what should he do? Just sit here until Brone decided to claim
him? Caleb was ready to lose his mind.
The
microwave dinged. He removed his plate and sat at the kitchen table, picking at
the food. Lately his appetite had been off. It took less to tell him up and he
was always thirsting. As he picked at his food his mind relentlessly pursued
the topic of Brone. It had gotten to the point that Caleb refused to go out at
night, not that it mattered. Even locked up tight in the apartment, he knew Brone
was nearby.
And
he yearned.
That
frightened him almost more than anything else. He choked down the roast. What
he felt in Brone’s arms…. He couldn’t compare it to any other relationship he’d
ever had because nothing else he’d felt came close. There was also the
inescapable feeling that his time was running out. Halloween loomed around the
corner.
So… what to do? Wait? Or… what?
Then
he remembered the pendant.
Brone
told him he couldn’t remove the pendant, that by accepting it he’d accepted
Brone. It would’ve been nice to know that before
he put the damn thing on. And speaking of the pendant… He pulled it out from
underneath his shirt. Using his cell phone, he snapped a picture of it.
He
needed to research the thing.
* * * *
Two
hours later he had nothing to show for his time and his dinner was cold. He
couldn’t find anything that even remotely resembled the pendant. Most of the
forums concerning vampires were bullshit. In desperation he typed the spell
into Google.
No
one was more shocked than him when it had actually been translated. Hell, maybe
he should have thought about that before going on to the dark web. The spell
was exactly what he was told it was, but it certainly wasn’t one of a kind.
Everything
had to hinge on that pendant. What
had Brone told him? That by accepting it he’d accepted him. Okay then, that was
something to go on. Another two hours later he found an obscure reference to
something similar. From what he could tell, the pendant was some sort of
beacon. Lovely. No wonder he couldn’t get the damn thing off.
He
returned to the kitchen and warmed his dinner, not that he really wanted it.
While he waited, he pulled the pendant out from underneath his shirt and
wrapped his hand around it. Nothing happened. Trouble started when he tried to
pull it over his head. His breathing would increase to the point he was
panting.
Dizziness
followed hot on the heels of that. The harder he tried to lift the pendant over
his head, the heavier his arm became. No matter how hard he struggled, he
simply couldn’t make himself take it off. The last time he tried almost
resulted in him passing out. The microwave and he removed his dinner and sat
back down at the table.
So
obviously the pendant wasn’t coming off unless Brone removed it. Aggravated, he
gave up eating. He stood and paced in the kitchen. There had to be a way to
stop this. He just had to find it.
Caleb.
Caleb
jerked to a stop. What the hell was that?
It sounded… it almost sounded like someone whispering his name. But that was
impossible. There was no one there but him.
Caleb.
The
hair stood up on the back of his neck and Caleb grabbed the counter to steady
himself as his body responded to the softly spoken words. Pleasure washed over
him, and his cock hardened. Panting, he closed his eyes as he struggled with
the feelings invading him.
His
nipples hardened beneath his shirt as another wave of desire crashed through
him. His body lit up. A craving started deep inside him and spread out. Sweat
beaded at his hairline even though he shivered continuously.
Caleb.
Holy
fuck, he was close to coming just from a whisper. A scratching sound caught his
attention and he opened his eyes, staring at the window in the kitchen. Red
eyes stared back at him.
Open the window.
Helpless
to resist Caleb lurched across the kitchen to the window. Every instinct he had
screamed for him to stop. To turn away. To not do what he damn well knew he was
going to do. But even though his mind shouted at him to stop, his body wasn’t
his to command any longer. He moved to the window and unlocked it. Still unable
to resist, he slowly raised it. Before he could blink, the screen disappeared.
Invite me in.
Some
part of his brain that was still functioning pointed out the rumors about
vampires having to be invited in must be true. That same part of his brain
desperately pointed out he really needed to keep his mouth fucking mouth shut.
“Come
in.” Shit, so much for keeping his mouth shut.
Caleb
couldn’t believe what just came out of his mouth. But now he had other worries.
He backed away from the window as a mist crept through and poured onto the
floor. As he watched, it spun and writhed as a body slowly formed.
Caleb
blinked, unable to believe what he was seeing. There, in his kitchen, stood the
sexiest man he’d ever laid eyes on. But he’d thought that the first time he saw
him at Midnight Mist and Moondust, the very shop where he bought the spell that
was supposed to turn him into a vampire.
Any
doubt he had of who had been stalking him disappeared. That long, flowing
auburn hair he’d seen recently in his dreams. But now he noticed all the
different colors in it. His fingers itched to touch but he remained frozen to
the spot where he stood.
Brone’s
pale, pale skin glowed in the moonlight. Jesus, Caleb would kill for skin that
perfect. Brone was long and lean, power obvious packed into that wiry body.
Dark jeans hugged his thighs and showed every curve. A black shirt clung to
Brone’s muscular shoulders. The only thing that kept him from completely fading
into the darkness was that bright hair.
Caleb
swallowed, his mouth suddenly drier than the desert. His gaze traced the
creature from the top of his gorgeous hair to the black boots he wore on his feet.
He was sinfully attractive.
And
deadly.
“Hello,
Caleb.”
Whatever
hold Brone had on him suddenly snapped, the sound echoing loudly in his head.
Fear flooded Caleb, replacing the desire thumping through his body. His feet unfroze
from the floor, and he stumbled away.
“Shit!”
Oh God, what had he done? What had he been thinking? He fucking invited that
thing inside his home, so now it could come and go as it pleased.
Caleb
stumbled into the kitchen table. How the hell he managed to get himself
entangled with one of the chairs he couldn’t say, but he finally managed to
extricate himself. He grabbed one of the chairs to keep himself upright and
looked back at Brone.
His
pounding heart skipped a beat as Brone stared back at him, a slight smirk on
his face and his eyes as red as sin. Even from here Caleb could see the tips of
Brone’s fangs. Another wave of fear washed over him, but this time it was
tampered with something else—desire. His cock, which had softened earlier,
twitched with interest.
What
was wrong with him? He swung the chair out of his way and, running on
adrenaline, bolted out of the kitchen. But even as he ran, a small part of him
demanded that he return to where he left Brone. A soft chuckle trailed behind
him.
“There
is no place you can run. Surely you know this by now.” Brone prowled behind
Caleb.
Caleb
stumbled to a stop in the den and swung around to face Brone. “I… I…. What do
you want?”
Brone
raised a perfectly shaped red eyebrow. “You know what I want.”
Caleb
shook his head desperately. “I don’t want this!”
Brone
crossed his arms and stared at Caleb. “You have dreamed and fantasized about this the majority of your life, so do not
tell me you do not want it. You have actively sought the darkness and now the
darkness has answered. I am offering you the one thing you have always wanted.”
“But—”
“You
have investigated us, researched us, looked
for us. I am not the only one who has noticed either, but I am the one who
will claim you.” Brone shook his head. “You humans are endlessly fascinating
with your quirks and contradictions. You want what I offer, but you let fear
stand in your way.”
“I….
This can’t be real!” There was a blur of movement as Brone suddenly stood in
front of him. Caleb jumped, his eyes unable to track Brone when he moved with
such speed. Caleb flinched as Brone grabbed him by the shoulders.
As
soon as Brone touched him, Caleb’s body lit up. Fear was still there, but
desire warred with it… and was winning. Right. Vampire speed. Another check in
the column of what they could do.
“Denial
will do you no good. I am as real as you.”
Caleb’s
head fell back, and he moaned. “H-how do you do this to me?”
“My
lovely little human, I am doing
nothing to you. Your body knows what it wants, and that is me. We are compatible,
that is why you react the way you do. You want me, but your silly human morals
and fears stand in your way.”
Caleb
gulped as he fought his body. “I-I don’t even know w-what that means.”
“Yes,
you do. Some part of you—a part you have repressed—knows exactly what I mean.
You are mine, Caleb.”
Brone
flashed him a quick grin and picked him up. Caleb closed his eyes, knowing what
was coming. His stomach dropped as air rushed past him. Seconds later he was
resting against something soft and opened his eyes. They were on his bed with him
flat on his back. Brone sat next to him.
“How
the hell do you—” Caleb moaned helplessly as he watched Brone’s nails lengthen
into claws. Fear spiked again even as his cock pressed against his jeans.
With
one swipe of those lethal claws, Caleb’s shirt was torn open with deadly
precision. The tattered edges fell
apart, exposing his chest. Caleb gasped but didn’t move. His shirt was
destroyed but Brone was careful not to even nick him. His chest rose and fell
with each heaving breath, but he lay still on the bed. Trying to scramble away
never crossed his mind.
Brone
laid a hand on Caleb’s chest. “Such warmth. Such beauty.” He licked his lips.
“Such life.”
Caleb
shivered. Brone’s hand was cool against his skin. Abnormally cool. Brone stood
and moved to the end the bed. Brone untied Caleb’s tennis shoes and slipped
them off his feet. They fell, hitting the floor, and the noise echoed through
his bedroom. The only other sound he heard was his rapid breathing. Brone
lifted each foot and peeled off Caleb’s socks. Caleb wiggled on his toes. He
had the ability to move but he laid passively on the bed.
“Unbutton
your jeans.”
Caleb
found himself following Brone’s instructions.
Once
they were unbuttoned, he raised his hips slipping them down along with his
underwear. The redness of Brone’s eyes deepened as he took over and pulled the
clothing off completely. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed them across the
room.
“You
are simply exquisite,” Brone whispered.
He
was simply insane, that’s what he was. Why else would he be lying there as if
he had nothing to fear? Instead of fighting for all that he was worth, Caleb lay
there waiting for Brone to fuck him. Fear still oozed through his veins, but it
wasn’t fear of Brone.
It
was his fear of the unknown.
Brone
was right. Caleb had wanted this his
entire life—wanted it, but never really thought it was possible. And now a
vampire—no, his vampire—stood in front of him offering Caleb everything he ever
wanted. It was scary.
It
was thrilling.
He’d
been attracted to Brone from the moment he had laid eyes on him. Some secret
part of him had known the danger and his need, but the knowledge was more than
he could handle, so he buried it. Maybe he had known all along it wouldn’t stay
buried.
With
hooded eyes he watched as Brone stretched. His body wasn’t bulky with muscles,
but was toned and ripped. His chest was smooth but there was an auburn trail
leading down to… Caleb swallowed.
Well,
if there was any question of Brone being a true ginger, the nicely trimmed bush
around his cock answered that. Brone was most certainly a redhead. And well-endowed.
Caleb caught himself licking his lips. He was burning up and the cool sheet against his hot skin distracted him. He shivered.
Restless, he rubbed his legs against the sheet. He yearned.
Brone crawled up on the bed with him, his
cool body pressed against Caleb’s side. Resting on his elbow, Brone stared down
at Caleb, his gorgeous hair enveloping them. Caleb opened his legs and Brone
looped one of his legs over Caleb’s.
Caleb’s lips parted, the invitation clear.
Inches apart, their breath mingled. Brone rested his claws against Caleb’s
throat, gently encircling it. Desire exploded inside Caleb. His toes curled as
he strained against Brone. A moan of pure need escaped him. A satisfied smile
curved Brone’s lips as he leaned closer.
The first kiss was nothing more than a
brush of lips. Caleb whined, wanting more. His hardness brushed against Brone.
And answering hardness told him he wasn’t the only one desperate for more.
“Please,” Caleb groaned. “I want…. I like
it rough.”
Brone nipped Caleb’s lip then lapped at
them. “You have no idea what it is you ask for.”
The sharp burst of pain quickly faded. It
took a second, but Caleb finally figured out Brone had actually broke the skin
and had tasted his blood. It excited him. “I’m not made of glass.”
Brone leaned back so he can meet Caleb’s
eyes. “Do you have any idea how easily humans break?”
Okay, yes, that was a little terrifying.
“Are you going to break me?”
“Only in the very best of ways.”
Those words left him leaking precome. Then
Brone gave him what he wanted. His mouth slanted across Caleb’s, the kiss hot
and aggressive. Every nerve in Caleb’s body tingled. Helpless, he couldn’t do
anything but hang on. Brone buried one of his hands in Caleb’s hair, holding
his head still while Brone plundered his mouth.
This time the kiss was harder, hotter, and
much more aggressive. It was exactly what he wanted. He moaned and twisted on
the bed, Brone’s tongue battling with his. Brone pressed closer, his weight
pressing Caleb into the bedding.
Restless with the need, Caleb rubbed his
foot up and down Brone’s leg. Time lost all meaning as Brone ruled him through
the passionate kiss. Finally Brone lifted his head and released Caleb’s lips.
Caleb signed with disappointment.
Brone grinned. “You glow with desire,
setting me on fire. Burn for me, my lovely one.”
“I… oh, God!” Caleb arched in surprise as
Brone’s fingers, minus the claws, teased his stomach, working their way up.
“I am going to have to break you of that
habit, I see. The human god has no place here.”
But all Caleb could focus on was how Brone
rolled both of his nipples. Brone teased both of them, playing his body like a
violin. Every time Brone touched nipples, his cock jumped against his belly,
spreading more precome.
Brone captured his mouth again as he worked
his nipples and took completely over. Eventually the kiss ended. With lazy
grace Brone moved to the end of the bed. Desire thrummed through his body as
Caleb watched Brone.
Brone sat near Caleb’s feet. “Lube?”
Caleb rolled to his side, opened the
nightstand, and grabbed the lube. He set up and tossed it to Brone.
Brone opened it and spread some on his fingers.
He glanced back at Caleb. “Show me what I want to see.”
Take a deep breath, Caleb willed his body
to relax. He lay back down, and with his feet flat on the bed, he let his knees
fall open, exposing him utterly to Brone’s hot gaze.
Brone, sitting between Caleb spread knees,
warmed the lube. Caleb bit his lip as Brone leisurely stroked his cock. Those
talented fingers were driving him crazy, and he opened his legs wider hoping to
entice Brone into doing more. Chuckling softly Brone slid a finger down to
tease Caleb’s hot, hungry hole. He played there, working Caleb up until finally
Brone eased a finger inside.
Caleb tensed from the entry, a flash of
pain crossing his features, his ring unyielding.
“Relax and let me in. I will not hurt
you.”
Caleb struggled to relax the guardian
muscle. Brone pulled his finger out, added more lube, then worked his finger
back inside. Caleb grunted, and Brone stilled until Caleb eased the
stranglehold he had on Brone’s fingers.
“Better?”
“Oh, yes.” Now that he had finally
relaxed, it felt so much better. Caleb moaned and thrust back, wanting more.
Needing more.
“So tight,” Brone hissed.
Brone fingered at him, working him open.
Caleb barely had time to catch his breath before Brone entered him with another
finger, then twisted, hunting for his hot spot. Caleb arched, his hands clawing
at the sheet under him. His head thrashed on the bed.
“Perfection,” Brone said.
Sharp sparks of desire slammed into Caleb,
spreading throughout his body. Brone mercilessly rubbed Caleb’s hot spot while
jacking him, sending him closer to the edge.
“Not like this. Please.” Caleb shook from
the pleasure overwhelming him. “Don’t make me come like this. I want you in
me.”
Brone used the lube on his hand to slick
his cock. Caleb, still on his back, waited. He was loose and relaxed… and not
afraid. But he needed to see Brone’s face as he entered him. Caleb pulled his
knees up to his chest, offering his body. Brone paused, a look of longing on
his face. He swallowed then placed the head of his cock at Caleb’s entrance.
Caleb moaned softly as Brone rubbed his
shaft across Caleb’s hole, teasing him and spreading the lube. Frantic little
moans burst forth from Caleb as Brone entered him. Oh God, Brone was long and
thick. He was perfect. Caleb writhed under him, urging him on. Brone continued
to push, using a little more pressure, until he sank all the way inside.
Brone pushed in, then pulled out, only to
press in farther the next time. His cockhead stretched Caleb as it eased deeper
inside. Then Brone shifted his hips and pressed against Caleb’s hot spot.
Pleasure exploded, dimming Caleb’s mind.
“Brone, fuck me.” Caleb moaned.
Caleb moaned again when Brone raised his legs
up onto his shoulders, changing the angle of penetration. Each thrust nailed
his hot spot. The faster Brone thrust into Caleb and the closer Caleb got, the
wilder he became, his hands scratching at Brone.
When Caleb edged closer to losing it,
Brone slowed down, the thrusts becoming gentler and shorter. Once Caleb backed
off from the edge, Brone started those long, hard thrusts again, throwing Caleb
back to the precipice. The sounds Caleb made were animalistic.
“Please, please, finish me off, please.”
Brone suddenly bent over Caleb, his eyes
glowing red. Caleb didn’t have time to panic before Brone sank his fangs into
Caleb’s neck. Caleb screamed at the sudden burst of pain. Desire quickly
overcame the sudden shock and, losing control, Caleb came.
Heart pounding, he wrapped his arms around
Brone as he felt him feed. The pulls against his vein as Brone drank were
pleasant, not painful. Brone thrust harder as he hammered Caleb several more
times, then froze, buried balls deep.
Brone groaned as he came, his orgasm
ripping through him as he drank. They stayed like that, locked together, until
Brone softened and slipped out. Finally he removed his fangs.
He pressed his lips again Caleb’s one last
time. “Soon, my lovely one. Soon.”
Exhaustion overcame Caleb and he slipped off to sleep.
Exhaustion overcame Caleb and he slipped off to sleep.
