by V L Moon
“Do the humans guess?” he asked.
Vischeral shook his head. “Results are inconclusive, but you’d recognize the slash marks.” Antsy about Copi in the female’s hands, he edged for the door. “The murders are ugly. Male and female vics. And, he’s not just killing them, he’s eating the organs. Keep your pack close and only go out in pairs.”
Ranulf’s growl cut him off. “I don’t need a vampire telling me how to run my pack.”
“Consider it friendly advice, one preternatural to another.” Vischeral shrugged and stepped back through the door to see Copi clawing at the wooden arms of the chair, his chest heaving from the lust being poured over him. The female swung her head around to smile at them. Rising, she left the room the same way she’d entered, a femme fatale she wolf on the prowl for hardcore sex.
Smothering a growl of irritation, Vischeral slammed a solid fist into Copi’s shoulder. “You have lipstick on your mouth there partner.” Without another word, he strode from the house fully conscious of Copi’s fumbling attempts to follow him.
~*~*~*~
Copi sat like a puppet without strings. His mouth didn’t work, and it took all of his energy just to keep his eyes open and breath. He felt light headed as though he was on the worst trip of his fucked up life. Conversation ebbed and flowed, but he only grasped bits and pieces. When a moment of clarity finally edged through the misty shadows of his mind, Copi recoiled in distaste as an overly made up female seemed to appear from nowhere. The hungry look in her eyes promised she was about to feast on the last grasp he held on his sanity…fuckin’ hell!
Seconds felt like hours as her slick pink mouth landed on his lips and spread across his face. A prisoner inside of his own body, his gut churned at the revolting taste of her mouth. His groan of duress was obviously mistaken for pleasure as she grinned and began to grope at the aching bulge in his pants. He wanted to get up, throw up, and do anything that would stop the assault on both his mind and his body. Where was Vischeral? His eyes darted around the haziness of the room looking for an out.
Nothing. Claustrophobic and gripping the arms of the seat, Copi's mind screamed for release. He blinked once, twice, and then the female disappeared. The invasion in his mind lessened, and when he was able to raise his hand to swipe it across his mouth, he sighed in relief. He watched through bleary eyes as the female pranced across the room to drape herself around the tall, lanky Ranulf.
Glad of her departure, he remained silent scanning the room for his partner. He blinked in surprise when the pain of his partner’s heavy fist slammed against his shoulder. It brought him back to his full senses. Pissed beyond belief, he still managed to keep his mouth tightly shut. He had questions, but first, he wanted out of that room.
Rising to his feet, he stumbled out following Vischeral’s ominous shadow back down the hall and outside. By the time he reached the SUV, he was out of breath and his cock remained achingly stiff. Anger at whatever the fuck was going down around him coursed through his veins. Furious and feeling like a complete fucking idiot, Copi threw Vischeral the keys to the Hummer. With his vision so hazy and his cock twitching and throbbing at every slight movement, there was no way in hell he was capable of driving them out of there. His voice finally emerged deep and gravel rough.
“Get us the fuck out of here now,” he barked.
After climbing inside, he slammed the door of the SUV and waited for Vischeral to turn the ignition. Immediately, he leaned over accidently brushing against the hard muscle of Vischeral’s leg to switch on the air con and ramp it up on full blast. With the air inside still thick with whatever was being grown or manufactured in the small, tight knit community, it didn’t surprise him in the slightest when his hard on punched painfully against his zipper. He cursed and shifted in his seat as his partner floored the gas and hightailed it down the rough dirt path that led them away from one hell of a fucked up neighborhood.
Frustrated, he pressed the button on the door panel and lowered the window, relishing the air sweeping through the car. It blew away all traces of the fog and helped clear his mind until all that remained was one hell of a pissed off Cophious Dane. He gripped the hand rest on the door until his knuckles turned white and ground his jaw hard trying to calm the torrent of anger welling up inside of him like a ball of fire. But, it boiled higher and hotter.
A seething mass of hate flowed through his veins at once again being rendered helpless. It reminded him of precisely why his sorry ass had landed in the wilds of Alaska in the first place. He wavered between wanting to get the hell away and wanting to know what the fuck had just happened.
“Stop the fucking car,” he spat vehemently, and was met with absolute silence. He turned the full force of his anger on his partner. “Stop the fucking car now, Bourne, or so fucking help me, I’ll make a mess of that sneering mug of yours.” He wasn’t prepared for Vischeral’s immediate reaction. The car careened off the path and skidded through a full one hundred and eighty degree turn. He was thrown around like a rag doll. He’d forgotten his fucking seatbelt. A low guttural growl followed by a rush of air told him the seatbelt was the least of his worries. Throwing open the door, he staggered out into the crisp night air and straight into the path of his equally pissed off partner.
~*~*~*~
Copi’s demand that he stop the car sliced through the sexual tension roiling within the confines of the Hummer. Despite the air con and the lowered windows allowing in the frosty Alaskan night air, a flaming need burned through Vischeral. He didn’t have to look, though his eyes were drawn like moths to a flame, to know Copi’s sex bulged against the closed teeth of his zipper. His own erection threatened to punch through his leathers. Fucking werewolf pheromones. But, Vischeral knew the blame could not all be placed on the wolves. His vampire raged to claim his bonded mate.
Although he knew they were still too close to the wolves’ den, he spun the wheel and slammed his booted foot down on the brake, bringing the Hummer to a jolting stop. Copi’s anger battered at him with hurricane force as he leaped from the vehicle. Well, the human wasn’t the only one with an axe to grind. Seeing the female wrapped around Copi; a growl edged up from his gut and rumbled free. Copi’s dark head snapped up, his amber eyes locking with Vischeral’s glare. He saw the fear slither into Copi’s face and relished it. His blood heated even more.
~*~*~*~
Bourne’s eyes shone like the surface of an oil slick. The black fathomless pits of burning hatred and anger rendered Copi breathless. Fear like never before gripped him as his brain screamed for him to run. Hell no! His own arrogance battled against it. Defiantly, he squared up to the arrogant son of a bitch before him. He'd never let the difference in their stature effect the mean streak that ran through him. He growled his anger at Vischeral’s handling of the hillbilly central situation. His partner’s desolate stare unnerved him and in turn, pissed him off even more. The bastard was trying to intimidate him. Fuck that!
Throwing all of his weight behind it, Copi let rip, smashing his meaty fist into Vischeral’s chiseled jaw. “Oww, fuck,” he hissed as the bones in his hand impacted with the brick wall of Bourne’s smirking face. Vischeral moved faster than a single beat of Copi’s heart, grabbing him and splaying him over the hood of the Hummer. His hot breath brushed over Copi’s face. So close. Copi’s pupil’s dilated and his throat went dry as Vischeral’s huge, hard body came up between his sprawled thighs.
~*~*~*~
Face to face with his partner, Vischeral growled. Little human wanted to play rough; Vischeral specialized in rough. But, when he crowded up between Copi’s skewed legs, his anger evaporated. Need, fiery hot and potent, nearly incapacitated him. Copi’s thick length strained against his jeans and pressed against Vischeral’s thigh. His mind melded with the human’s and he sensed Copi’s disgust at the female’s attentions and his rampant desire for—Vischeral’s eyes widened—desire for him! He struggled to make sense of what he was reading from Copi while the scent of the male’s arousal conti
nued to tease his sensitive nose. Closing his eyes briefly, he basked in the heady mix of their mutual desire pulsating around them.
~*~*~*~
Copi grabbed at the lapels of Vischeral’s leather trench coat in an attempt to throw the massive bastard off of him, but as Vischeral’s face drew closer, the fear coursing through Copi’s veins turned to liquid fire. His cock punched against his fly as Vischeral’s leather clad thigh pressed against him. His own breath stilled in his chest as his partner’s hands traveled up the length of his neck. Both thumbs trailed over the beating veins in his throat and ended up fisting in his hair. Everything around Copi swam as the intoxication of Bourne’s scent filled his pores, drowning him in a lust fueled need so deep he lost himself to its high. Copi tugged Vischeral closer and placed his lips against the smooth full pout of Vischeral’s mouth.
Softness like he’d never envisioned before swept against his own lips. Vischeral tasted of sweet wine and copper. His tongue snaked lazily through Bourne’s slightly parted mouth to taste what he desired so badly. Vischeral.
~*~*~*~
Shock reverberated through Vischeral when Copi’s firm warm lips closed over his own. Lust, dark and dangerous rallied against and escaped Vischeral’s tremendous hold on his will. A primal growl of need tightened his chest and rumbled toward freedom. He drank Copi in; the male tasted like fine bourbon, smooth and rich. The flavor hinted at the exotic essence of Copi’s blood. Against his will, his fangs descended and it became a battle to keep Copi’s probing tongue from their sharp points.
~*~*~*~
Copi moaned in abandonment and pulled Vischeral closer, deepening the kiss and letting his hunger for more rise like the howl of the wolf that broke through the midnight air. Vischeral’s entire body went stiff, and those mysterious lips disappeared leaving Copi breathless and craving more. Copi’s eyes flew open as another, and then another howl filled the night sky around them. He sensed the danger before Bourne moved back slowly.
“And, the insanity ends.” When his partner spoke, Copi was shocked. Vischeral’s words emerged bitter, but his stare told a different story. Worry and a fierce need to protect shone in his eyes, changing the whole look of his hard chiseled face. “”Bourne’s hands retraced their path back down to his shoulders, and some instinct had Copi angling his chin away exposing the column of his throat. A groan overrode the howls for a brief moment. He shivered with anticipation when Vischeral’s tongue trailed over his pulse and then his teeth nipped at the lobe of his ear. Hot breath seared his skin. “It’s for the best.” Vischeral’s voice, a growled whisper sent shivers dancing along Copi’s spine.
~*~*~*~
Vischeral eased away from Copi. Lust was tempered by the fierce need to protect his mate. All of his enhanced vampire senses came online noting the location of each threat to Copi. “Back up slowly, no sudden moves. Nice, slow and easy.” He read the question in Copi’s expression and lifted a hand to place a lean finger over his lips. “Don’t ask; just do what I said, okay?” The tension in his shoulders eased a bit when Copi nodded in acquiescence. His partner slid off of the hood of the SUV while his gaze tracked their surroundings.
Eyes reflecting moonlight shone from behind trees and rocks prowling closer step by step. Heads rose scenting the night air around them. Wolves, at least a dozen by the looks of it, drew closer, surrounding the Hummer in a loose circle. The threat to his bonded male infuriated him. He would protect Copi even at the cost of his own life. His black eyes swept the area around them meeting the hungry eyes of the pack.
“Back the fuck off,” he sent out mentally, rage snarling around every word. Disgusted with himself for losing focus and putting Copi in danger, he scented the air again. They were surrounded, but the circle was loose. “Just fucking great Vischeral,” he chastised himself while moving stealthily around the car door. He kept track of Copi’s movements which mirrored his own. Short lived relief washed through him when he gained the driver’s seat and found the SUV still cranked. But, they still had to make it to the highway. Before Copi’s door was completely closed, he floored the gas shooting them free of the wolf circle closing menacingly around them. Howls of outrage peppered the night when the wolves dispersed to avoid the rocketing SUV.
As they raced for the outer boundaries of the den with the pack tight on their flank, Vischeral glanced at Copi. He well understood why the pack wanted the human. He was a magnificent male specimen who, if turned, would become a resplendent Alpha male and mate. A smirk tilted one corner of his mouth. However, if Vischeral read him correctly, Copi would be a disappointment to the redheaded female that raced doggedly along behind them.
~*~*~*~
Copi sprawled in the passenger seat; his body on fire and his imagination running wild. His partner’s taste lingered on his tongue and God help him, he wanted more. He cast sideways glances at the man, but Vischeral’s concentration centered solely on getting them the fuck out of the boondocks. The Hummer didn’t slow down until the darkness of the woods was well behind them and the busy highway came into view. Vish, as Copi was beginning to think of his partner, swung them smoothly onto the asphalt, drove several miles, and then stomped the brake.
The Hummer screeched to a halt leaving a line of scorched black rubber on the roadway. The sound of leather on leather told him Vischeral had turned to face him. He knew after years of fighting and hiding his sexuality he had, in the blink of an eye, ruined everything. The weight of Vischeral’s hand on his thigh brought his face around to meet his partner’s gaze.
Vischeral’s face seemed to shimmer in the darkness, and if Copi didn’t know better, he would swear the fucker was sweating. The SUV filled with a low resonating growl as Vischeral leaned into him. Copi watched, his heart hammering against his chest as Vischeral’s hand slid upward.
“Yes,” Copi groaned, wanting more, needing more of the delicious heat from their earlier contact. The rich exotic bloom of vanilla and wood smoke became pungent in the small interior around them. It fueled his desire for the man at his side. Vischeral’s answering rough growl of need brought tremors of anticipation rippling through Copi’s hard, ready body.
~*~*~*~
Knowing the wolves, especially the female, would not venture free of their own land so close to the full moon, Vischeral had driven until they were well clear of their pursuers. Copi’s agitation and heightened stimulation ate at him the entire way. When he turned to face the male, he’d known what he had to do, but he wanted one more taste.
Uncharacteristically, he threw caution to the wind and dropped a burly palm on Copi’s thigh. The male jumped beneath his touch. His gaze lifted and amber met obsidian. Slowly, his hand rode the muscled length of Copi’s thigh. He waited for the human to flinch again, but it never happened. Sharp hunger sliced through him calling forth a fine sheen of sweat. Blistering heat seared his palm when it closed over Copi’s impressive bulge. His partner’s hips bucked, thrusting more forcefully into his grip. Vischeral clasped him tightly through his jeans, his mouth watering to taste Copi’s most secret flesh.
His mind touched Copi’s thoughts. The mental image of his own dark head bobbing in Copi’s lap exploded into his frontal lobe. His cock throbbed painfully trapped by the confining leathers. Hastily, he retreated from Copi’s mind. Growling and with his own scent staining the closed in SUV, Vischeral continued his exploration. His eyes tracked his hand’s path. Chiseled abs rippled under his lean fingers as he leaned forward. Opening his mouth, he placed parted lips against the heated skin of Copi’s throat and then trailed his tongue up over Copi’s pulsing vein. Copi shuddered and snaked an arm around his waist pulling him closer.
“Oh fuck,” Vischeral breathed into Copi’s ear. The male’s touch scorched him sending ripples of need coiling straight to his own sex. Trailing his thumb over Copi’s lips, Vischeral warred with himself over what he had to do. His hand hovered just above Copi’s temple as their eyes met and held. Copi’s desire swam in his gaze, his mouth parted on a groan. Again,
he rolled his hips demanding Vischeral’s touch. With a curse, Vischeral delved back into Copi’s mind, this time greeted by a glorious vision of their naked bodies entwined and sweaty. His partner was going to be the death of him.
Vischeral broke their kiss and gruffly whispered, “Fuck, I’m sorry.”
~*~*~*~
Puzzled, Copi felt Vischeral cup the back of his head while his other hand affectionately stroked the rough stubble of his jaw before again tracing his lips. He started to speak, to ask what was wrong when the blackness edged into his consciousness. When Vischeral's hand rose up over his face, Copi’s mind went blank. Everything he knew and remembered became as one in the void of a solid black abyss.
~*~*~*~
With a heavy heart, Vischeral plundered Copi’s memories, removing the details of the visit to the den, their shared kiss and their stop on the highway. His chest ached knowing the male wouldn’t remember their interlude. But, he’d learned his lesson. His selfishness before had cost the cop his job back in New York. With a last soft brush of lips, he settled Copi into a deep sleep and moved back to his side of the Hummer. He was surprised to find he’d been lying almost fully atop his partner.
Hesitantly, he reached out to once again trace a thumb over Copi’s now slack lips. He had never tasted anything so blatantly intoxicating in his five hundred years of existence. A face flashed across his memory; dark and savagely beautiful, one he hadn’t seen since his escape. Cursing, he snatched his hand back to grip the steering wheel. What the fuck was going on with him? Kissing a human, letting thoughts of Mal break through the wall—he forced everything from his mind and took several deep breaths. After checking the mirrors and reconnecting Copi’s seatbelt, although he didn’t remember unfastening it, he pulled back onto the highway.