When Blood Beckons

When Blood Beckons Mick Charles has no idea what he’s getting himself into when he one day follows a sexy blue-haired man he saw at the market. Shy and embarrassed when he’s caught red-handed watching the man in a small café, Mick doubted he’d ever see him again…but he was wrong. Ivan Gregori is a vampire used to looking out for danger and anything that can be interpreted as suspicious. So when Mick Charles starts following him, what’s a vampire to do? Misunderstandings create havoc as Mick is drawn into a feud between Ivan and an old foe…but will these misunderstandings be what draw the two unlikely men towards each other and a future together? Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves Length: 18,605 words

WHEN BLOOD BECKONS

Dawn H. Hawkes

EROTIC ROMANCE

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

WHEN BLOOD BECKONS Copyright © 2010 by Dawn H. Hawkes E-book ISBN: 1-60601-941-4 First E-book Publication: October 2010 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2010 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter from Dawn H. Hawkes Regarding E-book Piracy Dear Readers, I love writing stories and sharing them with the readers, but for me to keep doing this I don’t want my stories robbed from me. Many authors use this as their only source of income, and illegally downloading these stories is taking away people’s livelihoods and is taking away much of the joy of writing. So please, go through the right channels and don’t disrespect the authors who are sharing their worlds in written form with you. With deep gratitude, Dawn H. Hawkes

DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this book to all my friends who have supported me through my writing process. Love you guys.

WHEN BLOOD BECKONS DAWN H. HAWKES Copyright © 2010

Chapter 1 Hell, there he was again. Ivan tried not to let his expression show that he’d noticed the man following him. He was a strange man who didn’t appear very skilled at the art of stalking. He’d followed him for less than a minute before Ivan caught on to him. He’d even taken a few odd turns here and there to try and see if he would follow, which he did. The man had even followed him into Kiven’s Café. Ivan could feel the prickling sensation at the back of his neck as the man watched him, seemingly hiding behind the menu. He hadn’t gotten a good look at the man, but he didn’t really strike him as a typical stalker. The man was pretty bland from what he could see, his clothes earth-toned and boring, with a pretty average look. Brown hair, probably brown eyes, average height and weight. Maybe that was the point. He was so bland that he’d blend in and not be spotted immediately. It wasn’t the first time Ferdinand had sent spies after him and wouldn’t be the last. After the last time, though, he knew not to underestimate any of Ferdinand’s henchmen. Kiven came over to him, bringing him a muffin as an excuse to talk to him. “You know that guy has been staring at you for several minutes right?” he informed him in a serious tone. “Yeah, he’s been following me for quite some time now. It is definitely not a coincidence,” Ivan informed his cousin as he

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pretended to take down another order, “You think you can distract him a bit so I can get out of here and get the upper hand?” “I can do that,” Kiven nodded as he headed back to the counter. **** Mick was starting to feel ridiculous. He’d been following the same guy around since he’d first seen him two hours ago, and he still hadn’t mustered up the courage to actually go talk to him. Right now, he was hiding behind a menu at a small coffee shop, watching as the guy ate a blueberry muffin. He just didn’t know how to approach the guy. Hell, he didn’t even know why he’d followed him in the first place. The man was completely different from the types he usually went for, even if the man was both tall and muscular. Not that Mick usually had much luck with those types. Mick was cute, as people told him, but he was shy and wasn’t really the type of guy who went into anything on impulse, particularly not with a guy like this, whose hair was completely blue. Mick, with his mousy brown hair and limited fashion sense, rarely wore something that wasn’t earth-toned or grey. In the end, Mick just really wasn’t a guy who liked to attract too much attention. This guy, however, was different. While the man didn’t wear much color, his clothes being all black, he definitely stood out. He had a few facial piercings that Mick found rather fascinating. While he would’ve never considered doing something like that, this guy was intriguing to him. He had a spike in his left eyebrow, a piercing on the side of his nose, and, if Mick wasn’t mistaken, a little silver ball on his tongue he saw as the man ate his muffin, and that was another thing that made him stand out like a sore thumb…a guy like him, big, blue-haired, and apparently Goth or whatever they called it, and here he was in a nice and bright, little café, eating a muffin?

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“Are you just gonna sit there and stare, or are you actually going to order something?” an annoyed voice asked him from his right, startling him. Seeing the waiter, Mick blushed furiously. He’d actually been caught red-handed, staring. “Um…I’ll have a coffee…black…two sugars.” The waiter seemed to be glaring slightly at him before he nodded and headed for the kitchen. The waiter’s behavior made Mick’s skin crawl, and when he turned back to the table with the blue-haired guy, his mystery man was gone. Damn, had he seen him? Probably. God, he must think he was some kind of freak. Mick berated himself. He never did things like this. Sure, he might casually observe people at parties from whatever corner he’d hidden himself in, but he’d never actually up and follow them around like a desperate little puppy. For all he knew, this guy was probably a whole bunch of trouble. Besides, Mick dated safe guys, boring, but safe guys, such as lawyers and brokers, not sexy, pierced, blue-haired guys who seemed to know a whole lot more about life than he did. He laughed at himself bitterly as he drank his coffee, which was a tad bit too sweet for his liking, but seeing as the waiter still glanced at him with narrowed eyes at times, he didn’t really feel like commenting on it. Wonder if the people here are homophobic or something? Mick quickly drank down the rest of the liquid, something he immediately regretted as the still-warm drink scalded his throat. Reluctantly, he headed over to the counter and asked for a bottle of cold water from the waiter before he quickly exited the place, eager to get away from the man’s deadly glare. So much for customer service. Mick could feel himself relax as he got away from the waiter’s scrutinizing looks and he was finally able to breathe properly, but now he was faced with a different problem. Following the unknown man, he hadn’t really realized how far from his normal hangouts he’d

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gotten himself. From what he could estimate, he had about an hour’s walk ahead of him before reaching his apartment. He could always take a cab, but money was tight right now, what with the fact that he was out of a job after his firm had been downsized in a merger. At least the walk home would help him clear his mind from the temporary moment of insanity he’d suffered earlier. Walking down the streets, Mick could feel tension start to creep up on him again as the sun started to go down. It wasn’t that he was in a bad part of town or anything, but he really didn’t like to be out at night alone. One time when he’d been out too late, he’d been attacked by a mugger, just two blocks from his apartment. It still freaked him out whenever he was out on his own at night, even if the police had caught the man who’d attacked him. Mick’s eye had been bruised black for almost two weeks before it had started to heal. He was the kind of guy who bruised easily so the bruise from that day looked pretty bad,, but just because he bruised easily didn’t mean that the punch had hurt any less, and Mick was no fan of pain, or muggers, for that matter. Mick rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a pricking sensation. Glancing back nervously, he didn’t see anything, yet it felt as if something or someone was out there watching him. Mick shook his head. He knew he was being ridiculous. Obviously there wasn’t anybody following him, or so he kept telling himself. Still, he kept glancing backwards every few steps or so, his heart racing despite his chanting. He glanced back so much he accidentally bumped into a guy who’d just come out of an alley, “Sorry.” Mick started, but trailed off as he looked into the man’s beige eyes, framed perfectly by dark blue hair. Mick gaped as the stranger violently grabbed hold of his upper arm and dragged him into the alley. When he was slammed up against

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the wall, he hit his head, and his vision became blurry as the impact knocked out one of his contacts. “Who sent you?” a frosty voice asked him, but Mick could see no reason for that question as he was violently shaken. “What? I don’t…” Mick tried hysterically, but failed to get away from the man he so recently had found intriguing and beautiful. “Don’t lie to me, you’ve been following me for hours. Do you think I’m stupid?” the blue-haired man growled, again slamming Mick up against the wall, making his head crack a second time. This time, the action resulted in a few warm drops of blood trickling down the back of Mick’s head. Mick started to cry, unable to help himself. He was scared and he didn’t know what was going to happen to him…if he’d even live through this encounter. His mystery man got up close and personal to Mick’s face. “You think those crocodile tears will work on me? That’s pathetic.” “I’m sorry…I don’t know what you’re talking about…I just want to go home!” Mick got out between desperate sobs. The man held him up against the wall by the collar of his shirt and the pressure of the man’s fists was painful against his collarbone…of course, the possible concussion he was suffering from wasn’t exactly pain-free either. The man paused for a bit. “Then why were you following me?” “I just…I don’t know…I saw…you and I…I…I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…I swear it won’t happen…again…just please…let me go,” Mick pleaded. He was so scared right now, his heart threatening to explode due to the hard and rapid beats. “Why should I?” the man asked. “Who knows what you could have found out by now? It would probably be easier to just kill you, now wouldn’t it?” Mick started to hyperventilate. He didn’t want to die. Not like this, not now, he was only twenty-four years old. “Don’t…please! I don’t know anything…please.” By now, the only reason Mick was

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still standing was because he was held upright by his captor, his knees having long ago given up the fight against his nerves. He’d lost one contact, and his vision was further disrupted by tears, but at the sound of an inhuman hiss he looked up to see the vague definition of fangs in the man’s mouth. Mick fainted just as the fangs started towards him, leaving behind a rather befuddled vampire as his victim became a limp weight in his arms.

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Chapter 2 Mick woke with a terrible headache, which was odd since he couldn’t remember having gone out drinking the previous night. He also felt weak and stiff. He rolled out of bed and wished he hadn’t. His headache seemed to double in size, and he whimpered, grasping at his head, surprised to find a small Band-Aid at the back of his skull. Mick tried to trace his events last night, and his heart started speeding as fragments of the previous day came into his mind. He quickly reached for his throat, feeling for puncture marks, but felt relief when he couldn’t find any. The headache almost forgotten, Mick ran into the bathroom to check in the mirror, just to make sure. His vision was blurred and he blinked. He realized he was still wearing only one of his contact lenses, one which had become dry and uncomfortable. Getting it out, he put on his glasses. Now he was at least able to see clearly, but there were no signs of any puncture marks. What he did find, however, was a very bruised collarbone, black in some places but mostly just deep purple with some yellow around the edges. Mick had no idea how he’d gotten back home, let alone how his head had been bandaged, but he did no longer feel safe in his little apartment. He’d seen…things last night, of that he was certain, but obviously he’d been confused, and, after all, his sight had been blurry at best. He knew there were no such things as vampires, so obviously that had simply been a trick of his mind. The bruises that marred his skin though, he couldn’t deny…Most likely, the guy who’d attacked him had simply had fairly protruding canines, and it wasn’t like it took much strength to cause the coloring of the bruises he’d received.

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Surely, if a vampire had attacked him, he’d been drained of blood or something and would undoubtedly have been dead. At least Mick knew now why he always went with safe and boring…because safe guys were unlikely to attack him because they were boring and normal and not vampires with blue hair. Mick shivered. He would never again pursue anyone like that…no more sexy man-beasts or blue-haired, pierced gods that turned out to be creatures of the night. Meanwhile, though, Mick had to get the hell out of his apartment. He did not like the fact that the vampire…the man…knew where he lived, and he did not want to be targeted again. **** Ivan saw the lithe figure waking up and how it took him some time before he frantically ran to the bathroom, most likely searching for the wounds present after a vampire feed. The man couldn’t have known that his kind did not leave marks. The small puncture marks faded quickly due to a special enzyme in their saliva. However, in this particular case the man would find no marks because Ivan had not fed on him. He’d intended to at first, initially feeling certain that this man had been a spy sent by his former employer, but Ferdinand did not let inexperienced pups like this one on these sorts of missions. No, Ivan required a much ore experienced spy than that. Ivan hadn’t really known how to handle the fragile being’s sobs and pleas as the tears ran in rivers down his face. He’d thought maybe this man was attempting to play the pity card, but that theory slowly fell apart as he heard the man’s frantic heartbeats and he actually started to hyperventilate. The man’s demeanor had screamed terror and fear, and so had his scent, but still Ivan had not been willing to leave behind any loose threads. The last straw had been when the man fainted just at the sight of his fangs. Ivan simply could not stand to bite the poor, petrified

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being…yet he wondered why the young man had followed him in the first place, because he knew he had. Ever since he’d left the market, the mousy-haired man had followed him, and he had not been particularly stealthy about it, either. He’d even managed to trip over an empty can of soda lying on the sidewalk at one point. He’d purposely led the man to Kiven’s Café and asked his cousin to distract the man so that he could slip out the back door and get the upper hand. He’d expected the man to chase after him when he realized he was gone, but it had taken almost fifteen minutes before the guy had come out, looking somewhat startled. When the man started walking, Ivan had followed him from above and pulled him away into an alley when there was nobody else in sight. After the man had passed out, Ivan couldn’t just leave him there, particularly seeing as he had a deep cut on the back of his head as a result of Ivan’s manhandling. He’d fished out the man’s wallet out of his pocket and found out that his name was Mick Charles and had found an address. He’d picked up the lightweight and carried him home and tended to his wounds before leaving again. He’d been shocked, seeing the bruised collarbone, a nasty color already showing and still getting worse. It seemed it wasn’t just the man’s mental state that was fragile. The man was living china…fragile and beautiful, even in his mousy ways. Ivan had spent some time snooping around the man’s house to see if there were any clues that would somehow either incriminate or vindicate his fragile stalker. The man liked to read, mountains of books cluttering his home and just a few DVDs scattered around. There were several pictures around the place of a young boy and his family. One stood out, where the kid who looked to be maybe fifteen or sixteen years was sleeping next to a dog, a Labrador from the looks of it, out in the open, surrounded by trees and camping equipment. It made Ivan smile, but

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he felt sad just the same as he saw the dog collar lying on the table, hidden behind the picture he’d picked up. Other than that, there was nothing that could be seen as a link to anything abnormal for this human who had for some reason been following him…as far as he could see, the only element of foul play was an unpaid parking ticket, but even that came with a complete folder documenting how the man, Mick, had counteracted the ticket, explaining that he’d been there on time, but had been given the ticket ten minutes earlier…there were even some references to a security tape that could prove it. Fragile the man might be, but he stood up for what was right. It was a quality Ivan highly respected. Looking in through the window, he could see the young man packing his things, and Ivan could not help but feel a little guilty for chasing the man away, but it was probably for the best, anyway. Ivan didn’t like the idea of anyone spotting him in the presence of young Mick, but knew he’d probably endangered him if Ferdinand had people out there watching him. A sighting might have been made the previous night, so Ivan was pleased that the man was leaving this place and preferably going far away. He’d already destroyed parts of the man’s life, but if his actual life could be spared, then so be it. This young man did not deserve to die. Ivan felt the rays of the sun come down on him and squirmed. He had not taken another dose of his serum, and the sun itched. Leaving Mick behind to pack, Ivan headed home to rest. He never noticed the wicked eyes that followed him from below as he leapt across the rooftops, unseen to all who weren’t looking for them. **** The strange figure saw the vampire vanish past the building tops before pulling out a cell phone and hitting speed dial. “Boss, I think I may have some information you might like to know…”

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**** Mick only packed the essentials. The rest he could send for later, when he’d found a place to stay. He filled a bag with clothes and a few of his favorite books, along with anything of personal meaning. He had a few trinkets he’d inherited from his grandmother when she’d died that he brought with him, along with Ivan’s collar and the photo of them from the camping trip he’d been on with his older brother George some years ago. He locked the apartment and headed downstairs. He’d called one of his friends to tell him that he was having some problems with a possessive ex-boyfriend and asked if he could sleep on his couch for a few nights. Luckily his friend had accepted, and that would at least give Mick some time to find a new place to live. Mrs. Lowell gave him a strange look as he ran past her down the stairs with his bags, but he didn’t really feel like explaining why he was in such a hurry. Honestly, how in the world was he going to explain to a seventy year old lady that he had to make an emergency move because a vampire had dropped him off at the apartment. Part of him hoped he wasn’t endangering any of the other tenants by leaving, but it wasn’t like he could save any of them if the vampire returned, either. Unfortunately for Mick, his arrangement to sleep over at his friend’s place seemed to be rather pointless, particularly when he got out to whistle down a cab and a dark green van almost ran him over . Before he knew what had happened three strange men jumped out of the van and pushed him inside. Mick struggled and tried to scream out for help, but a boot to his already-damaged head knocked him out cold, effectively silencing him in the process. With that, the van doors were closed and they took off as Mick lay motionless on the floor, bleeding from a split lip.

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Chapter 3 Ivan rose with a groan from his coffin much earlier than he’d intended. His usually peaceful rest had been haunted by images of a body with pale, fragile skin writhing above him, on top of him. Ivan had not thought much about the man the previous night, about Mick at all when he first saw him, but it seemed Mick made a much bigger impression than he’d originally thought. And the dreams were rather unsettling, seeing as Ivan was not one to dream such dreams…it wasn’t like he was some hormonal teenager, and such dreams were far past him in years, but that did not still the heat in Ivan as he recalled the pleasure-filled look upon Mick’s face from the dream, with lips raw from kisses, still moist, and eyes heady with lust as he’d fucked himself on Ivan’s fat cock. Ivan’s balls ached unpleasantly, begging for attention, and he couldn’t see any other way but to relieve the pain himself. He headed for the bathroom and started the shower but didn’t start stroking himself until boiling water ran across his cool skin, torturing him as the streams of water hit him like the tips of hot pokers attacking his already throbbing limb. His grasp on his cock was rough as he slid his hand up and down, imagining Mick’s face from his recent dream, imagining him there in front of him and watching him as he pleasured himself. He imagined the sounds Mick would make…gasps of pleasure, moaning…all of which made Ivan grip harder and tighter around his manhood as it throbbed within his hand. Even if he didn’t need to breathe, Ivan’s breaths were shallow and fast, hips thrusting as he fucked his own hand, wishing it was Mick he

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was thrusting into instead. The image of Mick’s slim body bent down before him as he pounded forward and made him feel the flames ignite from the inside as they signaled the coming release. Ivan growled, coming hard, the creamy liquid coating his hand only briefly before the result of his release washed away with the water that still poured down his body. He literally shivered from the impact of it and could not help but wonder how it would feel with the real Mick. If masturbating only to the envisioned image of him could make him come so hard, how would it be with the actual man? He did not doubt the intense pleasure it would bring, but he knew it could never happen, not with such a frail being as Mick…he would only end up bruising and breaking Mick if Ivan was ever set loose on him, and he wasn’t particularly known for his gentle nature in bed. If anything, he was known for the very opposite. Besides, Mick would probably still be petrified of him. If not by his appearance alone…the attack last night would have done its part. Ivan felt sick, thinking back at the terrified being as he’d cried and pleaded for his life, and it stung him to know he’d left such marks on Mick’s skin. No, there would be no joining of the two of them…Ivan doubted the man would even survive such a thing. His thoughts were shortly ended by the insistent ringing of his cell phone. “What?!” he snapped. “Ivan, its Kiven. You need to come down to the café, now!” Kiven’s request came out as an order. His tone of voice gave little room for protest, but Ivan did not take orders easily…not from anyone. “And why exactly do I need to do that?” Ivan sneered. He did not do what he was told without a good fucking reason, particularly not when the sun was still up. “Let’s just say I received a package at my door a few minutes ago, one which is remarkably still breathing!” Ivan felt his body tense. “Fuck! The guy from yesterday?”

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“Yeah, so tell me, Ivan…if this guy works for Ferdinand…why the hell are they throwing us his mangled pieces?” “Shit…I’ll be right there.” Ivan grabbed his jacket off the couch and was just about to hang up when Kiven asked, “So while you take your time getting here, do I fix him up or just let him bleed out?” “Fuck you, Kiven. Help the guy, you damn bastard!” With that, he hung up and barely took his time to dose up on the serum before heading out into the still-too-bright light of the sun. **** Kiven had Mick stashed in a small room in the back behind the kitchen of his café, a place where Ivan had on many occasions been patched up himself after his many assignments for Ferdinand. Kiven had done his best to try and stop any bleeding and had cleaned him up as best he could, removing what was left of Mick’s shirt after the attack, revealing nothing but bruised skin. Heading straight for the backroom, Ivan rushed over to him, but couldn’t stop himself from looking away at the damage that had been done to Mick’s face and body. The bruise he himself had given Mick seemed to have vanished in the midst of all the other bruises that now marred his chest. Mick was a mess of unhealthy colors, and Ivan cursed himself, knowing he was the reason for this. Mick had been badly beaten, and when Ivan again looked at him, he fought unfamiliar tears that burned his eyes, threatening to spill over. “He won’t live,” said a voice from behind Ivan’s back, where Kiven stood and tried to wash the blood off his hands with a soaked towel that may have once been white. “Several of his ribs are broken, and I’m pretty sure there is some internal bleeding…also, his pulse has been gradually dropping for the last half hour. Even if we got him to a hospital…”

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“Get out.” Ivan’s whisper was barely audible. “Excuse me? There’s nothing we can do here, Ivan, you know that,” his cousin objected. “Yes, there is.” He looked back at his cousin with pleading eyes. “And I don’t care what the rules say, I will save him.” Kiven looked at him with wide, disapproving eyes. “This is not how things are done, Ivan, and if you do this, you will have to be prepared to face the consequences.” “Not if he’s my mate.” “This kid’s your mate?!” Kiven sounded shocked. “Maybe.” His tone didn’t seem to be enough to convince his cousin. “Look, Ivan, you need to stop with this bullshit. You can’t just pretend he’s your mate, the Council always knows these things,” Kiven warned him. “I’m not bullshitting you, Kiven. After I met him…something changed…I can’t really explain it, but there is a real possibility that he is mine, and I am not letting him die before I even have the chance to find out.” “Fuck…fine, I’ll help…he probably won’t have much chance of surviving the change if it’s just you doing it, anyways, but you’re gonna owe me big time for this one.” “Don’t I always?” Ivan asked with some amusement to his tone. He had hoped his cousin would help, but very well knew he had no right to demand it. “Oh, this is on a completely different level than what happened in Amsterdam. It’s gonna take a whole lot more than fine whiskey and a couple of belly dancers to make up for this one.” Ivan snorted. “Yeah, I know, but for now, I wanna get Mick back to my place before we start changing him. Do you reckon he’ll make it there without complications?” Ivan asked concerned. “Yeah, he’ll make it. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still dying, but he won’t crap out on us on the way there. I still think we’ll take the car

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for this one, though.” Kiven hesitated a bit before he asked, “What kind of a name is Mick, anyway? It’s kinda lame for a vampire name.” “I don’t know, Kiven, but at least his name doesn’t sound like it’s part of a damn fruit basket.” “Bite me.” Kiven rolled his eyes. “Knowing where that neck of yours has been, not bloody likely.” Ivan muttered as he carefully gathered Mick up in his arms, wincing as the bruised form whimpered. If he couldn’t save Mick, he honestly didn’t know what he’d do. Either way, somebody would pay for this…Ivan would make sure of it.

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Chapter 4 Ivan treated Mick as gently as he could, carefully placing him upon the bedspread, mindful of his bruised limbs. The curtains were the first thing he made sure of after putting Mick down. If they were going to change him, any sunlight at all would definitely cause him great amounts of pain. Ivan would not risk that and made sure that every beam of light would be kept out of the room. Kiven had headed out for supplies that would help them with the ritual that had to be followed because it wouldn’t as simple as just biting Mick on the neck and waiting for him to turn into a vampire. Not all transformations were successful, and most of the time the change was a painful event. It helped if several vampires sought to change a person, as it would strengthen the blood used for the ritual. Mick would be given both his and Kiven’s blood, and hopefully his own blood would be absorbed into Mick and begin to transform him. In a way Mick was lucky, either Ivan’s or Kiven’s blood would strong even by itself. Mixing them together would make a potent ingredient for the transformation, so Ivan felt rather confident that Mick was going to live through it. Still, even with the strength of their blood, there were several other things that needed to be monitored during this. When he became a vampire, Mick’s heart would stop beating, but only for a little while, and it would be crucial to make sure that it was because the change was happening and not because of heart failure. That was the

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difference between life and death because if the body had problems accepting the change, his heart could easily reject it and break down. It was for this very reason that Kiven had taken off for supplies. A heart monitor and a defibrillator could make all the difference, and Ivan hoped Kiven could get away with it without getting caught. A time delay was not an option right now. If Kiven didn’t show within the next fifteen minutes, Ivan would be forced to start the ritual without him. By the tenth time Ivan checked his watch, he didn’t think he could delay it any longer. With or without Kiven, he would have to do this. Mick’s heartbeats were dangerously weak, and Ivan could not risk him dying before Kiven returned. He just hoped his blood alone would be enough to save Mick…his Mick. His. The thought felt right in his mind. Mick had to be his mate…hopefully, the bond Ivan felt would be reciprocated, but he knew there was a possibility that he would have to grovel and plead for Mick’s forgiveness…for his trust…he just hoped Mick would be able to look past the events of that day, that he could forgive him for what had happened to him and for turning him into a vampire. Ivan had already said the blessings needed to be said and had even thrown in a few additional prayers to various gods, goddesses, and saints, all in the hopes that they would guide Mick through his change. Opening a drawer, he removed a small bundle of red velvet, and within lay a hidden silver cross…usually, this would be placed on the back of the neck of whoever was to be transformed, but instead Ivan placed it straight above his heart, which would leave a mark exactly like the one Ivan had on his chest when the change was completed. Usually, the vampire or vampires in charge of the ritual would drink deeply from the one who was to be changed, but considering the extent of how much blood Mick had lost, he dared only to drink a

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small mouthful taken from Mick’s neck, one of the very few unblemished places remaining on his body. The taste was like a little piece of heaven, and to Ivan it served to confirm his suspicions about Mick. There was no way someone’s blood could sing so beautifully to Ivan’s soul had it not been that his soul recognized it as the blood of its kindred spirit, of its mate. A small moan escaped Mick as Ivan licked closed the two small puncture wounds on his neck, and Ivan was glad. Somewhere in his mate, his soul responded to Ivan’s, and although he did not wake, it felt good to know that Mick could still feel him, despite being so very far away from life. Ivan positioned himself behind Mick, lifting him up so his head rested on Ivan’s chest. Ivan put the sharp edge of a simple razor blade to his wrist, and soon, blood trickled from the wound. He put the wrist to Mick’s mouth and let the blood drip into it, massaging his throat to make sure it all was swallowed. Mick struggled a bit a first, a frown marring his forehead at the first taste of blood, but as he continued to drink, the frown disappeared, and a small sigh of contentment slipped from his mouth. Ivan had to cut his wrist a few more times to keep the wound from healing back up again. It was vital that Mick received enough blood, and Ivan was more than happy to share his own with him, even when he started feeling the loss of it. When Ivan started to get dizzy, he withdrew his wrist from Mick’s mouth and felt him squirm in protest as the red liquid stopped pouring down his throat. A small smile showed on Ivan’s face, and he felt glad that Kiven was late…his little mate was hungry for his blood now and not any others. When Kiven finally arrived, he didn’t seem surprised at all to see the half-naked Mick lying content on Ivan’s bare chest. ****

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When the security guards had stopped him to check his imaginary papers for the transfer of the defibrillator and the heart monitor, Kiven had had to hypnotize them, a process which was slow going if you wished to do it correctly, and which was an ability very few of the undead possessed. In truth, it was a skill that existed mostly with those who had gypsy ancestry, which it was rumored that he did have on his mother’s side. Rolling in the defibrillator, he noted Ivan’s far-off gaze and growled. How much of his blood had his cousin shared? He inwardly cursed himself for being late as he cut his own wrist and had to force it down Ivan’s rather unresponsive throat. It took almost a mouthful before Ivan started to respond, and Kiven doubted his cousin would escape a very certain headache in the morning. **** Strength returned to Ivan’s body as the familiar blood of his cousin began flowing into his mouth. He took a few more sips before he pushed away the wrist that hovered above his face. When he tried to move, he felt himself being weighed down and instantly was aware of Mick, who was still lying on top of him. Mick was just starting to move around restlessly, and small drops of sweat had begun to cover his skin. Taking a clean cloth and dipping it into the bowl of cold water Kiven had placed there for him, Ivan wiped off the drops of sweat that covered Mick’s face and shoulders. Kiven connected Mick to the heart monitor, carefully avoiding the small silver cross upon his chest silently amused by his cousin’s placement of it. “You didn’t have to give him so much. You could have just waited.” “You were late, Kiven, and I’m kinda glad you were. I didn’t think I wanted to let him drink from anyone but me.”

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“So he’s the one then? Mick is your mate,” Kiven stated. Ivan smiled. “Yes, he is mine. I swear his blood sang to me and that and it tasted like ambrosia.” With that said, he kissed his little mate lightly on the top of his head as he continued to cradle him against his body and wash away the results of the fever that was taking hold of Mick and signaling the start of his change. So far, so good. The feeling was incredible when Ivan saw the bruises on Mick’s body slowly fading away. His blood had started to repair the damages, both on the inside and the outside. On the other hand, Mick had started to pant heavily, and Ivan knew that change wouldn’t be easy to overcome for his little mate. Luckily, he had started to transform and hadn’t had any complications so far...then, of course, Mick started screaming. Ivan struggled to keep Mick in his embrace. The transformation wasn’t done yet, but Mick had already gained a lot of strength and had Ivan not been behind him, beneath him, he could have easily been thrown off. Kiven had wanted to tie Mick down, but Ivan refused. If Mick woke up chained or bound…his mate had suffered enough already, and he didn’t exactly want to add to it. Instead, he maneuvered himself so that he lay completely on top of Mick, pinning him down as he allowed Mick to scent his neck. The predatory DNA continued to alter Mick, who stilled when he used his small fangs to bite into Ivan’s neck. When Kiven saw Mick start to draw sips of Ivan’s blood, he attempted to block Mick’s access. All that got him was a deep possessive growl as clawed nails aimed for his throat, red-rimmed eyes glaring at him from under Mick’s lashes. When he backed off, Mick returned to nursing at Ivan’s throat with something that sounded strangely like a purr emanating from his throat. “Jesus…your mate almost took my head off.”

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Ivan merely chuckled. He thought his mate’s possessiveness was nice, and the small, tentative sips his mate took of his blood as he nibbled on Ivan’s neck made his heart warm up. The suckling and the slightly vibrating purrs from his mate, though, caused another heat to emerge in Ivan, but he managed to somewhat cool it down a bit…after all, his mate wasn’t completely through the woods yet. The heartbeats were few and far apart, but his heart had not stopped yet, and it was beginning to worry Ivan some. It was well into the second hour of the change, so the heart should have stopped already, but he could still hear the small characteristic thumps of Mick’s heartbeat. It took another twenty minutes before the heart stilled completely. Mick had let go of Ivan’s throat a little while earlier, and now he and Kiven watched closely for any signs that might indicate anything going awry. Kiven was standing ready with the defibrillator at hand. Momentarily distracted from the sound of the heart monitor flatlining, the smell of burnt flesh alerted Ivan to the cross making its mark on Mick’s chest. Soon after, a single beat sounded, and Ivan felt the breath he’d been holding in release as he gently removed the cross with the velvet fabric it had been wrapped in, leaving behind its mark on Mick’s chest. Ivan pressed a small kiss to Mick’s soft lips, delighted by the small moan that escaped the newborn vampire. His mate had survived and would soon learn all the advantages of being an immortal and the joys of having a mate. **** Kiven was glad his cousin’s mate was all right, and he felt a lot of weight lift off his shoulders when he turned off the defibrillator, no longer needing it. Seeing his cousin kiss the awakening Mick, whose eyes were now open and confused, Kiven decided he should be elsewhere. They needed privacy to work things out, and he doubted

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that Mick would easily accept what had happened to him. Ivan sure hadn’t when Kiven had first turned him almost forty years ago.

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Chapter 5 Mick was staring up into unreal beige and chocolate eyes, somehow knowing that all was different now, yet not knowing anything at all. With a trembling hand, he reached out and pushed a few blue strands of hair away from the man’s face. He stilled when he remembered where he’d seen those eyes and that hair before. He fully expected to start hyperventilating but didn’t really feel the need for it…still, he was frightened when he looked into that gaze, which seemed ashamed and sad. The man pushed himself up from the position he’d had above Mick’s body, and Mick timidly followed the motion. The blue-haired man spoke to him. “I’m sorry, for all of it.” He looked so miserable that Mick didn’t know what to do. He was still scared of him, but he felt like he shouldn’t be. Fearing him felt wrong somehow. “You hurt me.” Mick still wasn’t sure about his situation or even where he was and why he was there. Those eyes met his before he answered, “You followed me. I…thought you were sent…by someone, someone who wishes to hurt me. I was wrong, so very wrong.” “Are you a drug dealer?” Mick asked with some scrutiny. The man let out a small laugh, “A drug dealer? Afraid not.” “But those men…who took me…did they work for you?” “What? No, they were sent by the guy who wants to hurt me…the guy I thought had sent you to follow me. After you passed out that night, I brought you back to your place. They must have followed me,

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us…after they…did those things to you, they dropped you off at my cousin’s café…you were in really bad shape.” Mick looked down at his body, expecting bruises and bandages, but his skin looked fine…even the bruise the blue-haired guy had given him was gone. “Oh god, how long was I out?” “Only for a few hours,” came the muttered answer. The way Ivan hesitated told him that Ivan was keeping something from him. He seemed to be struggling with himself as if he wasn’t quite certain of how he would approach him. “But that’s not possible…they hurt me…hit me…I should be covered in bruises, shouldn’t I?” “Mick, there are some things you need to know.” Ivan took a deep breath. Looking expectantly at the man in front of him, Mick waited for him to continue. Somehow, he knew this was important…how he knew that, he did not know, but he still knew that it was. “When they left you at Kiven’s, you were in really bad shape Mick, you would have died.” “But…I’m not dead, I’m right here.” The look he was met with told him differently. “You’re right, Mick. You aren’t dead, but…I had to do something…to make sure that that didn’t happen and because of that…you’re not exactly alive, either.” Mick was confused. “What does that mean?” Ivan looked up at him again, his eyes seeming to size him up as if he was measuring his worth or something. Mick gasped and drew himself back from the man in front of him as needle sharp fangs lowered past the man’s lips. “I saw those before, but I didn’t…I just thought…what are you?” Mick gasped as fear started creeping up on him again. “I’m a vampire, and now…so are you.” The realization of what was said hit Mick like a fist. He knew in his heart that vampires didn’t exist, but seeing the one in front of

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him…seeing the pearly white fangs that had appeared out of nowhere and, more importantly, how Mick seemed to know the exact rate of the blue-haired man’s heartbeat, as well as the fleeting memory his blood’s taste...all those things contradicted everything he’d ever believed. Laughing nervously, Mick tried to hide the fact that he was slowly backing away. “Don’t be ridiculous…this is a joke right, you’re just messing with me…right?” He jumped from the bed the second he saw the silver blade, no, the razor that the…vampire held and winced when he used the blade to cut himself in the neck. His first thought was that the man…vampire…guy…whatever was insane. The second thought never came as fangs sprung out in Mick’s mouth and he pounced, sinking them deeply into the bleeding throat. All of a sudden, Mick felt starved, and the blood that filled his mouth was delicious, filling, and oddly familiar. Shaking, he was just barely able to withdraw his fangs, which seemed to fade away as soon as they left the neck he’d torn into. He blushed furiously, partly due to the fact he’d just fed, but mostly because he had the vampire pinned flat to the bed. “What does this mean? Will I hurt people? Am I evil now?” He didn’t feel evil, but he’d just literally attacked someone and that was simply because of a few drops of blood. Gentle eyes looked into his, comforting him. A hand caressed his cheek and brushed back a strand of hair. “You’re not evil. You are the exact same person you’ve always been, and I will always be here for you. Your life is going to change a lot. It already has. You’re stronger, faster, and you will never age. There are also some things you need to be aware of, because you will be very sensitive to daylight now. If you have to go out in daylight, I have a serum that lessens the sun’s impact. And you will need to drink blood at least a few times a week to keep healthy, but you will only drink mine, okay?” Ivan stressed the last part. He didn’t appear

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to want Mick to feed on anyone else, but would that mean that Ivan would only feed on him as well?. “Why? Aren’t I supposed to drink human blood?” Mick didn’t know much about vampires other than what he’d learned from TV. The sunlight thing made sense…but vampires fed on people, didn’t they? “You could. I mean, blood is blood, even if it comes from another vampire, but I honestly don’t think I could stand to see you feed from anyone else.” Ivan’s voice was thick with meaning. Making Mick feel as if he was special, special to him. He didn’t really understand the mixed emotions he saw in the vampire’s gaze. There was so much that look told him, but all of it seemed so…unreal. He gasped when those lips he’d unknowingly been watching kissed him, making his face flare up again. His body grew tight, and he would have been embarrassed that his now-hard erection burrowed against the blue-haired vampire’s groin had it not been for the twin erection he felt against him. The vampire kissed him again, this time deepening the kiss and placing a hand at the back of his neck to keep them close. An agile and warm tongue probed his mouth, exploring the wet cavern before drawing Mick’s tongue back into the vampire’s mouth and sucking on it. Feeling the little silver ball on Ivan’s tongue massage his, Mick went nuts and couldn’t stop himself from rubbing his erection against the vampire’s, creating a friction that only caused the vampire to suck harder on his tongue. A whimper escaped him as he pawed at the vampire’s chest, which was sculpted and firm and felt like heaven to the timid exploring of Mick’s hands. He felt out a small scar that was located right above the vampire’s heart…it was shaped like a cross. ****

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The responses Ivan got from Mick were amazingly tantalizing. Small whimpers of pleasure, barely audible for Ivan’s sensitive ears to hear, sought to drive him out of his mind. Those soft hands began caressing his chest before moving up to tangle themselves into his hair as Mick molded himself into his body…he just couldn’t take it anymore. Ivan took control and rolled them so that now he was the one on top. Mick moaned, arched off the bed, and pressed their erections together once more. When they finally broke the kiss, Ivan was met with a familiar lustful gaze, one which he’d seen less than a day ago in a fleeting dream he’d known could never be…sometimes it felt good to be wrong. “Will you let me feed on you?” Ivan asked him, needing the blood as well as needing to mark him. “Will you let me mark you?” Mick raised his seemingly dazed gaze to look into his eyes. “I don’t even know your name,” he wondered aloud. Ivan’s eyes widened when he realized he’d completely forgotten to actually introduce himself. He’d gone straight for the vampirism and, with the sexual tension, had completely forgotten. “I’m sorry…got sidetracked, my name is Ivan.” He would have continued too, had it not been for the amused snort from the body beneath him. “What?” Mick blushed again. “Nothing. It’s just that I used to have a dog named Ivan.” Ivan frowned. “You had a dog named Ivan? Isn’t that a little strange for a dog’s name?” “Not really. My father is Russian, and he named the dog.” “But your last name is Charles, isn’t it? That doesn’t sound very Russian.” “That’s because of my grandfather,” Mick explained. “He’s had a lot to say in my parents’ marriage. He figured since my dad got to stay in America…and since he only had one child, my mom, he

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thought someone should carry on the family name…frankly, to Dad, it seemed like a small sacrifice to get to be with my mom.” The light that shone in Mick’s eyes when he spoke of his family warmed Ivan’s heart. Other than Kiven, Ivan hadn’t had much of a relationship with his parents or any other members of his family. At least not after he’d come out of the closet and told them he was gay, which was about the time his father and uncles had almost killed him. They’d left him for dead in an alley and he would have perished there on the cold, wet asphalt had it not been for his estranged cousin appearing out of the shadows that night. The very same cousin who looked exactly the same as he had eight years before, when he’d first disappeared. Thinking back at what Kiven had asked him earlier, he asked, “So where do you get your name from?” “What, Mick? Well, from my grandfathers, actually…both of them wanted a child named after them, and seeing as my grandfather on my mom’s side is named Michael, and my grandfather on my dad’s side is named Mikhail…I guess Mick just sounded like a reasonable compromise. Why do you ask? Mick isn’t any stranger than Ivan.” Ivan chuckled and kissed his little mate. “No, it’s not, just promised Kiven I’d ask.” **** “Kiven? Who’s he?” Mick barely held back the chill that warned him that Ivan might already be taken. “Kiven’s my cousin. You met him once…I had him distract you at the café…which is his, by the way…why the man chooses to make coffee and cookies for a living, I’ll never know, but it works for him, so why not?”

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“So he’s the waiter that kept glaring at me when I…” He trailed off a bit, not really wanting to tell Ivan how he’d just followed him for no apparent reason. “He kinda scared me.” Mick shivered. “We both thought you were following me…and you were, weren’t you? Want to tell me why?” Mick felt like his face was on fire. He’d blushed so much these past minutes that he didn’t know what to do about it. “I don’t know,” was his shy answer, “I just…had to…sort of…oh, I’m explaining this all wrong.” He sighed as he used his arm to shield his face from Ivan. How could he explain the instant attraction he’d felt from the moment he first laid eyes on the man? “Or maybe you’re explaining it just right.” Mick’s hand was removed from his face and entwined with Ivan’s as Ivan pulled it to his lips and kissed it. “I couldn’t forget you…after last night…I felt so much…desire, want…and shame for hurting you like I did.” Ivan nuzzled against Mick’s shoulder, breathing in deeply as if he had the most extraordinary scent. “In the beginning, I didn’t understand it either, but now I do…you were attracted to me in a way you did not understand. I was mesmerizing to you, and that was because your soul recognized mine. I should have noticed straight away, but I was so high strung I could barely think.” Ivan kissed Mick’s pulse and hugged tight his slender frame. “My soul recognized you? As what?” He thought he knew, but he needed confirmation. Either way, he did not truly know what that would entail. .

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Chapter 6 “As your mate.” Ivan prayed to god that Mick wouldn’t shun him. While they were destined, Mick could tell him to go to hell with good reason. He’d turned Mick without permission, had even caused some of the bruises on Mick’s skin as well as he was most likely responsible for the rest of them, too. Hopefully, Mick would give him the benefit of the doubt before turning him away There was a moment of tense silence before Mick spoke. “And to you? Did you also…?” Leaving the haven of Mick’s neck and shoulder, Ivan placed his forehead against Mick’s and made sure that Mick was looking into his eyes. “You are my mate, and I am yours. I know all of this is a lot to process, but we really are meant to be. You can tell me to leave you alone, and it is fully within your rights to tell me to go to hell, I’ve certainly earned it, but please…please forgive me, and say that you’ll stay with me, that some part of you knows what I’m saying is true.” Ivan knew he was pleading, but he was willing to give Mick all the time in the world to get him used to the idea. “Okay,” came the small reply, and Ivan almost had trouble hearing it. “I don’t know much, but I know my heart, and while I’m still not sure about…things, I do know what my heart tells me.” “So you’ll stay?” Ivan’s heart clenched, and his voice was rough with the fear of losing his mate before even getting the chance to know him. ****

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Mick saw the pleading in Ivan’s eyes, and he could feel his tension as if it was his own. “Yes, I’ll stay. I don’t want to be alone in this, and I want you with me, to teach me…to love me. It just feels like that’s how it’s supposed to be.” The joy Mick felt radiating from Ivan made him gasp, and he was completely baffled at the relief he experienced in his heart. He wanted this, he wanted Ivan…even if he’d only known him since the previous day and that first day wasn’t much to brag about. Ever since Mick first laid eyes upon him, deep down he’d known there was something special about him, but he still wasn’t sure how he would cope with the whole being a vampire thing. Still, he didn’t need to kill people and was glad he could feed off of Ivan…a sudden desire urged Mick to turn his head and expose his throat to his wouldbe lover, his mate. Despite being embarrassed at how he’d jumped Ivan, the second the scent of his blood reached him, it had been the most delicious thing Mick had ever tasted, and he’d wanted Ivan to have his blood. He just hoped that his blood would taste just as good to Ivan as Ivan’s had to him, because if Mick was to only feed upon Ivan, he sure as hell didn’t want Ivan to feed on anybody else either. Ivan seemed to be holding his breathe as he stretched his neck out before him. “Are you sure about this?” Ivan asked, needing to be certain he had Mick’s permission. “If I bite you, I won’t just drink from you, I will mark you as my own…as my mate.” With his throat still exposed, Mick wondered what that meant and voiced his concern. “Since you are my mate, I will release certain pheromones that will change the way you smell and my own smell as well to become a special mix of our scents that will tell anybody with senses strong enough that we belong together, that you are mine and that I have…claimed you.” A thrill went through Mick at the insinuations of his words, the words seemed so primal. To be claimed. Mick knew he wanted this

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and the thought of everybody knowing he belonged to Ivan and that Ivan was his, too, made Mick’s body react and a moan escaped his lips. **** Sensing the arousal wafting off Mick in powerful waves as mating pheromones were released into the air, Ivan growled. The scent was powerful and seductive and, best of all, it meant the approval of his mate. He gently licked and kissed Mick’s pale neck, letting his tongue piercing slide across the pale skin before nipping at it and teasing his mate, who’d begun to squirm and had started up again with those pleasured little whimpers of his, which came out almost as small purrs. “Ivan, please,” Mick whimpered when Ivan let his sharp fangs bite into the flesh of his mate’s neck. Mick moaned and arched into his touch. Clearly he’d been expecting there to be pain or, at the very least, discomfort. Instead, the moans and squirms made the whole event erotic as hell. The deep suction of his neck as his mate drank his blood completely hardened him. The transformation had intensified the taste of Mick’s blood and Ivan drank deeply, feeling the warm, thick liquid pour down his throat. At the sound of desperate moans, he let one of his hands travel down Mick’s chest, his fingers barely grazing across his stomach, which made him arch as he let out a small cry. Reaching the waistband of denim jeans, he undid the buttons before letting his fingers slide underneath. A not-so-small cry followed as Ivan grabbed hold of Mick’s long and very solid erection. When Mick pressed his dick into Ivan’s hand and started thrusting into it, Ivan tightened his grasp as he started licking closed the wound on his newly claimed mate’s neck. He missed the sensation of having

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his fangs buried deep in Mick’s neck, and Mick’s protest when he’d extracted them told him his mate agreed with him. Still, he knew he’d soon enough be filling his mate up to his heart’s content. **** Mick squirmed as Ivan let his tongue slide from the base of his neck and down to find a pale, brown nipple. When Ivan swirled his tongue around it and kept up a leisurely stroking of Mick’s cock, he mewled and desperately thrust against his mate. Mick’s body was tormented with pleasure, and his moans filled the air, spurring Ivan on to no end. Mick protested when Ivan broke away from the rock-hard nub. When Ivan continued to let go of the cock he’d been holding, Mick groaned his distress but helped his lover as he began pulling off those pants, dragging his boxers down with them. **** Ivan took a moment to truly appreciate his mate’s appearance. There was strength in that slender body, even with his pale, delicate skin. Still, what took his breath away was the desperate desire he saw in his mate’s eyes. Mick wanted him, and it made Ivan feel like he was on the top of the world. His mate, his. Ivan almost shredded his own pair of jeans as he struggled to get them off. Finally naked, he was surprised when Mick reached up and forcibly pulled him down on top of him, nestling him between his outstretched thighs. His mouth was attacked, Mick’s hungered instincts taking control. Ivan soared through the skies as they began a round of bump and grind. The feel of those throbbing erections sliding against each other had them both on edge. Ivan actually had to still Mick’s hips to get him to stop before he came.

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For that, Mick bit Ivan’s tongue and his blood seeped into their heated kiss, the taste of which seemed to have Mick in a barelycontrolled frenzy. No longer able to wait, Ivan broke their kiss and reached into the bedside table to get the bottle of lavender-scented lubrication and lubed up two fingers. Taking Mick’s mouth again, he fucked his mouth with his tongue and let his fingers travel down to that hidden opening, rubbing at it gently before shoving both fingers in. Ivan swallowed Mick’s scream at the forceful penetration, and he let his fingers still until Mick began rocking himself gently onto those fingers. Scissoring his fingers, he sought to stretch his mate for the coming act. There was little resistance to Mick’s body when he added a third finger, and Mick’s motions were more hurried now. About to lose his mind, Ivan withdrew his fingers, and Mick groaned, about to protest when he saw Ivan slick up his thick eight inch cock. The groan turned to a moan, and Mick turned to lie on his stomach, but Ivan stopped him. “I want to see your face when I come inside of you.” Positioning himself, Ivan gently started pushing into Mick, stopping each time Mick winced, which was difficult, seeing as Mick’s grip on him was positively maddening. He was just so tight… He could see his mate biting his lip when Ivan gave a final push into his body. When the skin broke and a single drop of blood slid down the corner of his mouth, Ivan bent to lap at the wounded lip, soothing it and licking up those precious crimson drops. **** The licking soon became a kiss which deepened and became feral. Ivan could no longer remain still, and Mick no longer needed him to be. Mick was well-stretched and had already gotten used to the sensation, the burn of the penetration already giving way to pleasure.

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Starting with slow thrusts, Ivan made sure that his mate felt no pain or discomfort, but it was soon made obvious that he needed to keep a faster pace as Mick’s nails dug into his ass cheeks, urging him to stop wasting time. **** Mick keened as Ivan sped up. He hated it whenever that fat cock drew back and loved it whenever it was pushed back in…if it was up to him, he’d keep Ivan inside of him forever, but he craved the friction even more and urged his lover on. All the while, Ivan had fucked Mick’s mouth with his tongue, but when Ivan began to pound away into him they broke apart, the friction too strong for them to keep kissing without risking injuries. Feeling the flames spreading throughout his body, Mick started panting. Ivan kept bottoming out inside of him, pushing him up the bed with each thrust. The heat was excruciating and amazing all at the same time. He knew he was close, but he knew he needed something more…something to push him over the edge. He tried to jerk himself off, but every time he tried Ivan wouldn’t let him, swatting his hand away every time he tried and growling at him. “Please…” Mick husked out, their frenzy making it hard to speak. A thought entered his mind, and he knew what he needed from his mate. “Bite me!” **** Already on the edge, Ivan dove down to sink his teeth into that soft flesh of his throat. Crying out, Mick came when Ivan directed a rather powerful thrust straight to his prostate. With the combined forces of the heat of Mick’s release spreading between them and the grip Mick had on his cock, milking him, Ivan roared into his mate’s neck. He shot his seed and marked Mick as his, coating his insides

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with the most intimate of scents. Now nobody would be mistaken as to who he belonged to. **** Ivan’s thoughts of possession in the afterglow of the claiming still buzzed through his body. The lingering aftereffects of the insane orgasm they’d just shared were suddenly interrupted by a soft snoring sound. A loving smile spread across his face as he saw the sleeping form of his mate, his soft noises telling him how sated and worn out he was. Careful not to wake his precious mate, he shifted so that Mick lay on his chest, the movement causing his dick to slip out of Mick. Embracing him, he kissed his mate on the forehead before pulling up a blanket to cover them before he let himself be entranced by his mate’s soft snoring and finally fell asleep, resting peacefully knowing his mate was in his bed, safe and sound. **** When Kiven had returned from the hospital after returning the equipment, he was met with loud moans and the sounds that could only come from a creaking bed. That was about the time he decided that he’d rather sleep in the backroom of his café, which was a hell of a lot more preferable to trying to sleep to the sounds of his cousin getting it on. Getting there, though, he realized he still had a job to do. Not only did he have to make a fresh batch of blueberry and lemon muffins for the next day, but he also had to clean up Mick’s blood. He did the baking first, seeing as it might not be too sanitary if he’d taken care of the blood first. Only when the muffins were baking in the oven did Kiven start washing up the blood. Throwing away used bandages, he was just

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about to throw out the tattered remains of Mick’s shirt. The shirt had seemingly been torn to shreds probably after Mick skidded across the asphalt after being thrown out of a moving vehicle. The gravel and skid marks on the man’s body revealing how he’d been exposed. It was then Kiven saw something fall out of the pocket and onto the ground. He frowned seeing the dog collar laying on the floor and picked it up Attached to it, there was a scraggly piece of paper. His jaw tightened as he saw what was written on it. Your pet suffered and died screaming your name! Till we meet again, Ferdinand. Now that definitely caught Kiven’s attention…well, that and the name on the dog collar…Ivan. He’d known this was going to end badly, but he’d just reckoned it was the council he’d have to worry about...Well, shit…

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Chapter 7 Ivan let his fingers brush across Mick’s back in unknown patterns, teasing him back to consciousness. Groaning, Mick swatted at Ivan’s hand before burrowing his face in Ivan’s neckline. Chuckling, Ivan returned to disrupting his little mate’s sleep, amused by the growling response he got. The growling only grew in strength until a grumpy someone had had enough and dug his fangs into Ivan’s neck. His grip reminded Ivan of that of a cat restraining a kitten...at least, until that grip began tugging on his skin, drawing out small sips of blood at a time. It didn’t take much more than that before Ivan’s body began to burn with need. While he knew his little mate would need a lot of blood in the beginning, having his fangs deep in his neck and feeding from him was incredibly erotic. His little mate seemed to pick up on the fact, and, although not entirely awake as he drank, he let a hand drift down to grab Ivan’s half-hard limb, which was filling with blood rapidly. “Mick…” He moaned as Mick started matching his strokes to the pull of his blood. Ivan held onto his mate tightly, struggling to let his mate decide the pace. **** Withdrawing his fangs, Mick placed several more bites on Ivan’s neck, thriving on the sexual strain he could feel in his lover’s body. He used his thumb to circle around the head of Ivan’s cock before

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letting his thumb massage the slit, drawing forth a strangled groan from Ivan. The strong emotions wafting off his lover’s overheated body were starting to affect Mick now that he was awake and getting restless. Straddling Ivan, he barely managed to keep stroking him as he kissed his mate hard, biting into his lips and savoring the deliriously beautiful taste. He truly did love that taste, and he loved his mate. Breaking the kiss to his now breath-deprived mate, he let go of the hard erection he’d been stroking and reached around Ivan’s neck, holding him tight as he murmured into his lover’s shoulder, “I love you.” A hand touched his cheek and made him look up at Ivan, who had a tender look on his face. “I love you, too, my precious little mate,” he said and kissed Mick’s forehead then his nose, and then he claimed his lips, tongue coaxing his mouth open before delving in. **** Mick’s words had Ivan in a state of unfamiliar bliss, and he felt like he could finally let go of the fears he had of losing his mate. The confession was exactly what he’d been waiting for. Rolling him around, Ivan put Mick beneath him as he’d done the previous night and deepened their kiss, rubbing up against him. He needed Mick, needed to be inside him and to mark him with his seed. Neither of them reacted when Kiven came into the room. Mick was focused on the tongue that played around in his mouth, and Ivan was preoccupied by being the one playing there. When Kiven cleared his throat, Mick yelped, and Ivan growled at him. “Kiven! We’re busy right now. Go away!” Ivan went back to kissing his mate, but his mate was tense and was warily watching Kiven, who was stubbornly still standing there. “Seriously, Kiven, you’re upsetting my mate.”

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“That’s too bad. I just came here to return this.” With that, he dropped something on the bedside table. It was Mick who picked it up. “Hey, that’s Ivan’s collar…my dog, Ivan, I mean…not the vampire, not you,” he told Ivan, who was smiling at Mick’s cute ramblings. Looking up at Kiven, Mick frowned. “But how did you get it? I thought I lost it when…” Mick paled as realization hit him. “Yeah, sorry about that kiddo…but it seems like your…dog’s collar made the bad guys think you were Ivan’s…well, they thought you were his pet and left you this.” He gave the piece of paper to Ivan, who read it and crushed it within his hand, a deep, threatening growl escaping him. Ivan had not forgotten what Ferdinand had done to his mate, but he had let himself get sidetracked. It pissed him off that Ferdinand and his goons had gotten their hands on Mick, and he knew, just like the note confirmed, that he had not seen the last of them. He had to do something before they found out that Mick was alive, let alone that he was his mate. Gently, he kissed his mate’s lips and stroked his cheek. “I won’t ever let him hurt you again. I’ll make sure of it.” “We both will,” Kiven chimed in. “It’s about time that piece of shit met his bitter end.” “You mean killing him?” Mick asked, most likely already knowing the answer, but didn’t appear to be keen on the idea of killing someone. Mick had a pure heart, not that of a killer, but a guy like Ferdinand would have to be stopped. **** Ferdinand had been the one who’d sent those men to hurt him, the ones that had made him call out Ivan’s name as they kept kicking in his ribs. Mick was completely oblivious to what his dog, which had been dead for almost five years, had to do with all of it. This

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Ferdinand being a cat person didn’t exactly seem like a viable explanation. Still, killing this man seemed so extreme and Mick wasn’t certain if he could handle that. “Mick, look at me,” Ivan’s words caught his attention and he looked to see his mate with a serious expression on his face, “This is not the first time Ferdinand has come after me. A couple of years ago, I did some minor tasks for him, small time stuff really, but when he found out what I was, he wanted me to kill for him and collect debts for him. I refused, and in response, he almost torched down Kiven’s Café.” Mick could easily forget what had happened to him. After all, had it not happened, he never would have ended up with Ivan. Still, knowing that his lover had been and was still targeted by this man, that was something he couldn’t forget. “Then I’m coming with you,” Mick stated determinedly. “What? No, you can’t,” Ivan tried, but Mick gave him a stubborn look that he wouldn’t let sway. “Look, honey, you were just turned, you’re not strong enough…” Ivan tired again. “I’m a lot stronger than I was. I can feel it, and you are sorely mistaken, mister, if you honestly think I’ll let you go off on your own.” Mick’s words apparently shocked Ivan, as he literally stood there gaping, not seeming to find the words to speak. Kiven chuckled. “Man, you haven’t even been mated a day and already you’re whipped.” When twin growls and glares met him, Kiven backed away a few feet. “I just call it as I see it, that’s all.” Ivan turned back to his mate. “Yes, you are stronger, but these people have guns, and you don’t know your own strength or abilities yet, and I won’t risk you going in there unarmed.” “I don’t have to.” At the confused looks Mick got, he continued, “I have a gun license.” Ivan raised his eyebrows. “You have a gun license? Do you mind if I ask why?”

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“I…well, I used to date a cop once, and his ideas of dates were sort of unconventional…” Mick didn’t meet Ivan’s eyes as he told him this, considering the same guy had hit him once, which was the primary reason for why Mick only dated so-called safe guys. “Okay, so you have a license, but I won’t let you…” “Yeah, well, guess what.” Mick got up, making sure that he had a sheet covering his privates. “You don’t have a choice. If you can risk your life, so can I, and don’t you dare leave me behind, either, or you’ll be in so much trouble.”. A cough was used to poorly cover up the word whipped, and Mick glared at Kiven. “Shut up, already, and do something useful…like finding me something to wear or a gun, preferably both!” It was Kiven’s turn to raise his eyebrows. “You can’t tell me what to do…” The glare that met him told him otherwise. Cursing, he headed off to the weapons chest. His spare gun should do for the bossy, annoying, little man. He pointedly ignored Ivan’s words as he left. “Now who’s whipped?” **** The clothes Ivan had brought him were several sizes too big, and a pair of pants that to Ivan would’ve been snug had to be tied up with a belt to keep from sliding down his hips. Mick was just lucky that they were about the same height, so at least he wouldn’t have to trip on the edges of the pants. “Looking good,” Ivan told him from the doorway, leaning against the frame and looking him up and down. Ivan himself looking dangerously sexy in his leather pants and matching leather jacket. Mick couldn’t help the physical response he had to the sight. Warmth crept through his body and he could feel his cheek heat up.

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“God, I love it when you blush like that.” Ivan closed the distance between them, stealing a brief kiss and grasping Mick’s cock through the fabric. “Particularly when you’re blushing down here, too,” he said and squeezed the erection, making Mick moan. “Don’t make me bite you. I’ll drain you, I swear,” Mick halfheartedly warned, wincing slightly as Ivan moved back in to nip his lip. “Promises, promises,” Ivan growled. An exasperated sigh sounded somewhere behind them. “You guys make me sick. Do you think you could hold off on the lovey-dovey with fangs thing until after we deal with Ferdinand?” Kiven broke the two of them apart, ignoring Ivan’s snarled protest, and shoved a semiautomatic into Mick’s hands, who unexpectedly handled it with a certain and steady hand. It had been awhile since Mick had held a gun, but he knew that if he had to, he would know exactly what to do with it. Ivan didn’t look too pleased with it, but he would just have to deal. There was no way Mick was going to lose him now, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to let him get killed…even if he was scared out of his mind. Defeated, Ivan made sure his own firearm was locked and loaded. “I guess we should get going then. The sun’s down, so we won’t need any serum, but…” he directed at his little mate, “let’s try not to get hurt, all right?” Mick smiled and leaned in to kiss his lover on the cheek. “You better do more than just try, or you are so sleeping on the couch for the next month.” Ivan smiled, then, his eyes got caught on something glinting under Mick’s shirt. Ivan pulled down the shirt to reveal the collar that had once belonged to his dog. A silver heart with the name Ivan engraved on it was attached to the black leather strap. At his mate’s puzzled look, Mick said, “When they beat me, they thought I was your pet because of this.” He reached for the collar.

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“But now that I truly am yours, not as a pet, but as a mate…I just thought it would be a nice touch, that’s all.” Mick never expected that such a small thing would effect his lover so much, a tender look showing on Ivan’s face. He really thought the collar suited him. Although he wasn’t so sure as how his mate would take it that the collar obstructed the view of his neck. “I love that.” Ivan smiled as he toyed with the little silver heart. “Now, we need to get going ‘cause I don’t know how long I can wait before I have to tear that off…along with the rest of what you’re wearing.” Ivan told him, his smile turning predatory. Those words got Mick going and soon enough his cheeks turned pink again as images of what Ivan had described rushed through his mind. It was so mean of his mate to make him react like that just before they had to leave with no time to act out on the fantasies. Now that Mick had successfully coerced himself into joining Ivan and Kiven on their quest, he just had to make sure that they got home safely. Gun or not, Mick knew next to nothing about his strengths and weaknesses as a vampire. Ivan had wanted time enough to train him, but Kiven was right. It was about time that this Ferdinand got what was coming to him.

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Chapter 8 Ivan held Mick’s hand the entire drive, more for his own comfort than Mick’s, but he knew his mate appreciated the gesture. He could see how his free hand kept going back to where the weapon Kiven had gotten him was holstered at his side. The closer they got to Ferdinand’s rusted factory the more nervous Mick appeared. He kept looking out the windows of the car, seemingly mapping out the scenery. They must have used an alternate venue closer to town when they’d beaten him, either that or they hadn’t let him see any of his surroundings. As tense as he was, Ivan needed to make sure that Mick didn’t do anything reckless when they went in. “I want you to stay close behind me, all right? At all times, make sure you don’t let me and Kiven out of your sight and do not hesitate to shoot if you get a clear shot. Ferdinand and his henchmen are not to be messed with, and if they get a hold of you…” “They won’t. I’m a good shot…but…I don’t know if I can kill anybody, though,” Mick admitted. Yet, just the idea of taking someone else’s life did appear to make him nauseous. “You don’t have to kill them, just aim for their shoulders and their knees. You think you can do that, baby?” Ivan asked him, knowing very well that his mate didn’t have the heart of a killer, even despite his gun license. Still, he didn’t want Mick to be in on this, but he didn’t really see trying to convince his mate to guard the car as a working alternative. He also hated that his mate would be there to see him kill someone, and he definitely didn’t want Mick to be scared of him again, particularly not now that they’d mated.

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At least he had Kiven there with them and both he and his cousin had had time to learn their abilities and how to control them. Mick, however, hadn’t been a vampire long enough for Ivan to teach him much of anything of what it meant to be a vampire, other than the things related to feeding. All he could do now was make sure his mate didn’t get hurt, even if that meant that Kiven would have to be the one to deliver the killing blow to Ferdinand. “Yeah, I think so,” Mick answered, not quite able to convince Ivan, but he knew that if their lives were on the line, he would find the courage to pull the trigger. A thought appeared to cross Mick’s mind, “But how exactly are we going to get in? Won’t this Ferdinand guy have a lot of security?” It was Kiven who answered his question. “Getting in, now that’s the easy part, Mick. We just drive on in past the front gate…trust me, Ferdinand is the kind of sick pup who enjoys his company.” “So, what? We basically just waltz right in through the front door? Aren’t we supposed to sneak in the back or through a skylight or something?” The absurdity of simply walking in like nothing was wrong seemed hard for Mick to grasp. “wouldn’t just walking in be kind of reckless?” Ivan lifted Mick’s hand up to his mouth and kissed it, a loving smile touching his lips. “Love, you’ve seen too many movies…but you’re right, under normal circumstances, we would’ve done just that. Well, maybe not the skylight part, but dealing with Ferdinand…” Ivan searched for the right words to describe it. “Let’s just say there isn’t a normal bone in his demented body.” When they arrived at the front gate where, as suspected, several armed men stood guard, and Ivan could sense Mick holding his breath…not that he actually needed to breathe in his new way of life. It was just a matter of habit, really. At every move Mick tensed expecting things to go sour at any moment. He was probably thinking that the armed men would simply

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shoot Kiven before moving on to them and Ivan had to admit he was worried Ferdinand might act out of character. **** The whole time when Kiven explained they were expected and the guard confirmed things over a radio, Mick kept his hand grasped tightly around his gun, barely careful enough not to damage the surprisingly fragile metal. Mick’s fingerprints had already branded themselves into the metal of the weapon. Fingers drew soothing circles upon the hand that was twined with Ivan’s, but he still couldn’t fully relax, not until they were through the gates free of bullet holes. Of course, that also meant that they were now on enemy territory, pretty much locked in, and that they were one step closer to whatever was going to happen that night. None of which made Mick feel any better. A gangly man met them when they got out of the car, some kind of sleazy version of Mr. Jeeves. “Mr. Bringer is expecting you,” the man said and didn’t even hesitate to turn his back on them as he lead the way. He was apparently not worried about an ambush. Either that or he didn’t care. Ivan went first, keeping Mick close behind him, and let Kiven take the rear in case they were the ones jumped from the back. None of them seemed ignorant of the man’s backward glances at Mick, and it didn’t exactly help with his nerves. Mick was pretty certain that this wasn’t his first encounter with Mr. Jeeves, even if he couldn’t quite remember it. The hallways had been cold and lined with metal, a complete contrast to the warm, wood-paneled room with the fake fireplace and plush furniture they were led to. Had it not been for the gun-racks, Mick would’ve said it looked like a high-quality college den. A slightly obese man sat behind a large wooden desk, his bald head shining almost as much as the false smile he was wearing. Mick

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didn’t recognize the man. However, the men standing behind him were a different story entirely, and it didn’t seem like he was the only one who’d made the connection. Several pairs of eyes were directed at him, and he could feel Ivan’s rumbling as he growled threateningly at the men in front of him. “Ah, Ivan, what a lovely surprise.” Ferdinand smiled his bright smile, seemingly genuinely pleased at their presence. “And I see you brought your little pet and your cousin, too. It’s a regular party. I must say though,” Ferdinand said, leaning forward in his chair, “that I didn’t expect to see you here, Mr. Charles, but I see the rumors of your death weren’t completely false. I saw your pictures, and I doubt you’d heal in so little time without a little help from your master.” Mick almost told him to shut the hell up, that he was Ivan’s mate and not his…pet, but he’d been warned about that. The nasty old man could rant all he wanted for all Mick cared, but he could feel his index finger itch nearer to where his gun was hidden under his jacket. Ferdinand continued, this time directing his words at a stillgrowling Ivan. “I must say, Ivan, I do admire your courage going against the council for such a little runt, but I guess he’s…pretty, for a male. Kinda boring, but I guess it’s a matter of preference…hell, if I’d been a fag, I might’ve just taken him for a ride myself.” He grinned viciously, seemingly unafraid of Ivan’s snarls and the others’ growling responses. Mick had to keep his mate restrained from attacking, at least for now. “You always did have a temper.” Ferdinand chuckled. “But let’s get to the point now, shall we? I mean, it’s not that I’m not flattered by your presence, but you, my dear friend, did not come here to socialize, am I right?” Sneering, Ivan snarled at him. “You got that right, Ferdinand. You overstepped your bounds, and I’m sick and tired of you and your loser entourage trying to push me around.” Laughing, the man sneered right back. “So I overstepped my bounds? No, no, dear Ivan, I was well within my rights…not within

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any legal rights, but still…” Ferdinand smirked before he continued as he checked Mick out with a leer. “And as for your little pet getting hurt, well, that wouldn’t have happened had you not been such a stubborn little vamp. Nah, I’d say all of your issues are your own damn fault, but I do agree on one point, though. This is beginning to be rather tiresome, and to be honest, I just don’t think you’re all that cost-effective anymore.” Mick did not like the way Ferdinand said that, and, all at once, things started happening. Ivan quickly pushed Mick down behind one of the larger couches, right before the guns started going off. Fumbling with the gun, Mick made sure the safety was off. He could see his mate and Kiven taking cover behind a tipped-over pool table, narrowly missing the bullets aimed at them. Ivan had gotten out his own gun and fired off several rounds and, judging by the smell of blood in the air, had been able to hit several of Ferdinand’s men. The thump and the gurgling sounds Mick heard in the background confirming it. One of the men who’d been standing behind Ferdinand had somehow dodged the bullets. Shouting, he threw himself over the table at Kiven, stabbing him in the ribs with what looked to be a hunter’s knife, but he didn’t get any further than that as Kiven ripped the guy’s throat out with his fangs, instantly making Mick wish he hadn’t been watching them so closely in the first place. When another one came flying over the pool table, this time aiming for Ivan, Mick hurriedly raised the gun and shot the guy near the wrist, literally blowing his hand off, the thug screaming as his own blood was splattered across his face. In the horror of what he’d just done, Mick didn’t notice Ferdinand sneaking up on him from behind…not until the dog collar he was wearing was yanked back, taking Mick with it. The pressure of the leather band kept him from yelling out and would have choked him had he still been human.

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A gun was thrust against his neck, and a disgustingly sweet voice whispered in his ear, “Now, be a good little boy and drop that nasty ol’ gun on the floor for me.” It didn’t seem like Ferdinand had been too familiar with vampires, though. After all, Ivan had easily picked up on the whispered words. Whipping his head to where Ferdinand stood threatening his mate, Ivan practically roared. Mick could just see Ivan’s eyes turn crimson before his lover threw himself at Ferdinand, acting on pure instinct. The surprise attack shocked Ferdinand to the extent that he forgot about the gun he held in his hand. Mick just barely managed to twist out of Ferdinand’s grip before his mate collided with the man. Ferdinand was thrown back several feet straight into the wall behind him. Bits and pieces of the wall fell to the ground on impact, but with the gun still clenched in his hand, he roared in rage and aimed the gun at Mick before pulling the trigger. Watching things as they unfolded, Mick expected to feel the pain of the bullet hitting him and grabbed at his chest, expecting to find blood, a wound…something, but he didn’t. Instead, something heavy fell upon him. Mick barely managed to hold onto Ivan as they fell to the ground. Ivan was motionless in his arms, and blood poured from his chest from exactly the same spot as it would have been on Mick had the bullet hit him. Mick’s heart stopped beating completely, but his blood seemed to rush uncontrollably through his body, as rage began to soar through his veins. He looked up at Ferdinand, who was still holding the gun with a smug-assed grin on his ugly face. Taking one last look at his mangled lover, his mate, Mick threw his own gun away and began stalking his prey. Ferdinand’s aimed his gun at him as Mick closed the distance between them, but when Ferdinand pulled the trigger again, nothing but a click sounded, a sound that was surprisingly loud in the now

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silent room. The grin fell from Ferdinand’s face in a second, and his skin turned pale as the vampire kept stalking him. Snarling, Mick easily slapped the gun out of Ferdinand’s hands, and when he felt that his fangs were fully extended, he didn’t as much as flinch as he launched his attack and dug his teeth in near Ferdinand’s jugular and ripped out the flesh he’d caught. But he didn’t drink any of the blood, not a drop. It tasted stale and old as it touched Mick’s tongue, and he spat it out as soon as the lifeless body he’d shredded fell to the ground. Wiping away the blood from his mouth, he looked back to see Kiven standing over his mate’s body, blood pouring from his wrist into Ivan’s open mouth. Feeling possessive of his mate, he growled at Kiven. How dare he feed his lover? “Mick, we might still be able to save him, but he needs blood, okay?” The words barely registered in Mick’s mind, and the snarls increased as Kiven remained where he was. He could see Ivan’s blood on Kiven’s fingers as they massaged Ivan’s throat, trying to make him swallow, but there was no reaction. A bullet lay next to them, as Kiven had dug the bullet out to help the wound heal. Growling again, Mick advanced on them and pushed Kiven away from his wounded mate. Taking Kiven’s place, Mick bit into his wrist and let his own blood pour down his precious lover’s throat. Ivan was only supposed to feed from him, not from Kiven, not from anybody but him. Mick didn’t even realize he was crying until tears fell from his face to Ivan’s, and he realized he was muttering words of endearment to his beloved mate. Making sure that the blood kept flowing and massaging Ivan’s throat to make sure it was swallowed, Mick never stopped talking to him, trying to lure him back to consciousness. Mick was starting to get dizzy as he bit into his wrist for the third time to keep the blood flowing. Kiven tried to pull him away but that only served to get him bitten himself. Crying out, he withdrew his

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hand, which now showed two small puncture wounds that slowly healed up. “Look, Mick, you’ve been at it for almost half an hour now. He’s gone,” Kiven tried to explain to him, but Mick wouldn’t listen. It was clear to Mick that Kiven didn’t think Ivan would be able to survive the injuries, but he was wrong. Ivan was strong and powerful, he was a vampire for god’s sake. Growling, Mick glared at Kiven. “He is not gone! He promised me that he’d be there for me, for us, and he is NOT a liar! He wouldn’t leave me…he promised…” Mick started crying hysterically, hugging close the body in his arms, cradling Ivan as he kept feeding him blood, draining himself for his lover. His body was so numb that he barely even registered when the blood started going down Ivan’s throat on its own. Looking back at his lover, he saw the vampire’s throat react when Ivan swallowed on his own. “Ivan?” Mick spoke softly against his mate’s ear, fearing that he was seeing things that weren’t true. “Baby? Come back to me,” he pleaded to his mate. A tongue licked at the wounds on Mick’s wrist, closing them up, and tired eyes slowly opened to look at him. “You know I’d never leave you,” a raspy voice told him. **** Ivan felt like he’d been through hell and back, which, judging by the fact that his little mate looked nearly drained to the point of death, both physically and emotionally, with red-rimmed eyes and tears still pouring down his face, didn’t seem to be far from the truth. He registered Kiven standing in the background, and, except for the happy but exhausted look on his face, he seemed just fine, but Mick wasn’t fine.

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His head was buried in Ivan’s hair and small sobbing noises escaped him. He clutched his mate as if afraid he’d vanish into thin air if he didn’t hold on tightly enough. His little mate had been through far too much already, and Ivan had been the cause of most of it. Sitting up, he shifted Mick into his lap, cradling him in his arms. “Baby, it’s okay, I’m fine.” “I know, I just…you didn’t move…and I…I killed him.” Mick clung to him, trying to restrain the falling tears. Only now did Ivan notice Ferdinand’s torn up body. “I’m so sorry, baby, but it’s over now, I promise.” He rocked Mick’s body in his arms, the sobs thankfully starting to fade and turn into sniffles instead. “Now, baby, listen to me, you need to feed, all right?” He pulled at his shirt and exposed his throat to his tired little mate, but nothing happened. Looking down, he saw his mate’s apprehensive look. “But…I can’t…the blood, you need it.” Mick shook his head, his lover had been shot, wounded…had almost died…there couldn’t be any blood to spare…he would simply have to feed from Kiven. “Honey, my wound has already healed, and you’re really weak right now. You can take my blood. It’s all right now, you don’t have to hold back.” Mick hesitated a little before he carefully bit into Ivan’s neck, but when he first started drinking he seemed to notice how starved he was, and he drew larger and larger sips of blood and drank them down. He mustn’t have realized how much of himself he’d given to him before the blood began filling him up again. Mick was moaning at the taste of Ivan’s blood. The aphrodisiac surging through his body. Heat seemed to spread through him, and he desperately began to touch and stroke any part of his mate’s body he could reach. Picking up on the sexual arousal coming off Mick’s body in heavy waves of pheromones, Ivan turned to Kiven and mouthed, “We need to get back home…now.”

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Epilogue Waking up with his mate still inside and on top of him, Mick felt great. They’d barely gotten out of bed the last two weeks and then only to pick up the baskets of cookies and muffins Kiven left them at the door every so often. Ivan hadn’t quite understood his cousin’s generosity, but Mick knew that Kiven was just happy that Ivan had survived. He suspected that Ivan meant a whole lot to him, and Mick could definitely see why, as he fell a little deeper in love with the man every time he looked at him. Ivan was snoring softly and as the air tickled Mick’s ear, and he decided to get back at him. Squeezing his well-used muscles around Ivan’s still-seated cock, Ivan groaned in his sleep and rocked into Mick, making him gasp as Ivan perfectly hit his prostate. The resulting ripples caused Ivan’s cock to grow even stiffer, and Mick felt himself being stretched again. Moaning, Mick pushed against Ivan, the lust already stirred within him. No matter how many times they made love, Mick could never get enough of him, craving his mate’s body as much as he craved his blood. Mick could sense that Ivan was slowly waking up, but he couldn’t stop himself from slowly fucking himself on Ivan’s cock as he whimpered his need. He felt Ivan caress his hip before he held on tight and thrust in hard. Mick yelped in response and unintentionally started up with his little purrs again, allowing it as he knew that it always seemed to make Ivan go haywire. He was nuzzling Mick’s neck as he kept thrusting, and this time when he directed a thrust deep inside he bit down hard on the pale

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stretch of skin above his shoulder as Mick let his aroused cries spur him on. Mick was in heaven, his mate thrusting deep into his body and with fangs deep in his neck, the combination of the sucking and the thrusting rapidly driving him to a mind-numbing orgasm. Ivan grabbed hold of Mick’s hips and pulled him up onto his knees, shifting the angle, and Mick could feel him push in that much deeper. Ivan increased the force of his thrusts as he pounded Mick’s ass and Mick was glad his lover had such a tight grip on his hips, otherwise, he had no doubts he’d be pounded off the bed by now. As Ivan kept hitting his prostate with every forceful push, Mick couldn’t hold it off any longer and cried out in ecstasy as white strands of cum coated the bed beneath him. His entire body went tight around Ivan’s cock and Ivan barely got the chance to speed up his pace before burying himself deep and roaring out his own release, filling Mick’s insides with his seed as Mick kept milking him of every last drop with his body. As they both fell onto the bed again, Mick tried to protest when Ivan pulled out of his sore ass but relished in the afterglow of his release and the tongue that worked to close the small wounds in his neck. It was Ivan’s turn to purr. “That was amazing. Do you think we can wake up like this every day?” “Well, I don’t know. Having you inside me all night is awesome, but I do get sore, you know,” Mick teased, even if it was probably true. Ivan put on a fake pout. “But isn’t that what super-healing is for?” he asked, making pleading noises as he tucked Mick closer to his body. Mick humphed and Ivan chuckled as he nipped at Mick’s jaw. Playing along, though, Mick smiled. “Well, you do have a valid point.” He said, which was definitely true. He did heal a lot faster now and he could definitely deal better with a sore bum now than he would have before.

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“Yes, I do,” his mate concurred, capturing Mick’s lips with a soft, probing kiss that threatened to resurrect their urges once again. It was Mick who finally broke the kiss with a moan. “You do know we’re going to have to get out of this bed eventually, right? We should at least relearn how to walk straight before the hearing with the council.” The concern in Mick’s voice didn’t go unnoticed to his mate. “Relax, baby, nobody will think it strange if you don’t walk straight. Hell, it’ll probably just enforce the fact that we’re mated.” Ivan chuckled again, probably at seeing him blush at the thought of the council members knowing what they did on a nightly and pretty much daily basis. “Just relax, Mick, the council won’t separate us. I turned you without their consent, yes, but you are my mate, and therefore even the strict laws of theirs are on my side. There is nothing they could do about it even if they wanted to and if they try…” Ivan growled. “It will be the very last thing any of them ever do, okay?” As barbaric as the words were, they did comfort him. Ivan wouldn’t let anything come between them, and he had made it clear that he would dedicate his life to making that true. But they would still have to face the council and register Mick as a vampire, something that he didn’t exactly look forward to, but as long as Ivan was with him, he knew that everything would be all right...besides, the meeting would only take a few hours of his life, while his time with Ivan would last forever. Still, there was one more thing that worried him, though. “But what about what happened with Ferdinand? I mean, I killed him. Aren’t there laws against that? Against killing humans?” Ivan smiled wryly, “There are and I’m sure one of the council members will use it against us, but you were still well within your rights in killing him. You were protecting your mate from the very same man who was responsible for your assault. The council members may try to use this to stir things up, but in the end, you did

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the right thing…and it isn’t like Ferdinand will be missed,” he explained. “The police will probably just be happy that another crook has been taken off the streets and they will be more than preoccupied with keeping order amongst the rivaling gangs that will want to claim Ferdinand’s territory. In the end, the council can’t argue against those facts, and all of them know that they would have done the exact same thing had their own loved ones been in harm’s way.” Mick smiled at his lover and kissed him. Everything would work out eventually, and he could deal with being scrutinized as long as it ended with him being with Ivan. The kiss soon deepened, and Mick moaned as he felt both himself and Ivan stir back to life. Feeling the love that Ivan fused into their kiss, Mick had no doubt that the Council would be in a world of hurt if they tried to separate the two. Even Mick knew that no damn tribe of elder vamps would be able to stand between him and his mate…not unless they wanted to share Ferdinand’s deadly end. In the meantime, he’d enjoy every single second that the two of them stayed in bed. After all, they didn’t have to get up for at least a few more days. Mick squealed as Ivan pulled him on top of him and attacked his neck. He whimpered as the fangs scratched across his jugular, praying for the bite to come, only to have his mate nuzzle into the side of his neck and whisper softly in his ear. “I love you, mate. Now and forever.” Mick didn’t get a chance to reply as fangs were driven deep into the side of his neck and he hissed his joy, but he loved his mate just as much, if not more. Any other thoughts were short-circuited as his mate rolled them over and pushed him down into the mattress, promising wicked things to come as he was claimed yet again.

THE END http://dawnhhawkes.wordpress.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dawn H. Hawkes was born in the beautiful country of Norway. Having been buried in fairy-tales from the moment she knew what one was, it has always had a special place in her heart. With a strong belief that there is someone out there for everyone and it’s just a matter of finding that special someone, she’s incorporated this into her stories. She’s a fan of almost anything mythological and thinks there’s nothing sexier than a man going against the stereotype of his kind, vampires and shapeshifters alike, particularly if he growls or has a mighty roar. She really hopes to inspire people around her, to have them take part in her own little world inside of her own busy little mind and can be contacted by email at [email protected]  

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