Stone and Steel: Vampires of Blood and Bones

by B. A. Stretke

  “Caleb had located you in the hidden closet in the bedroom on the third floor. I felt your panic and your fury, it burned through me, and all I could think of was getting to you. I had to get everyone away from you and clear that room so I could defend you. You were wild and gorgeous, and you smelled like the night wind and fresh flowers in the moonlight. It was intoxicating."

  “What are you saying?” Wolfe understood the words, but what he was implying was unbelievable.

  "I felt your soul reach out to mine, and your beautiful dark eyes burned me. You are the one sent to me by Fate, you are mine, Wolfe, my beloved and I am yours." Yeah, that's what Wolfe thought he'd say but even, so it was still startling. Wolfe looked down at their hands entwined and felt the connection between them.

  He felt it the moment he laid eyes on the guy, but he hadn’t at the time believed it to be anything deeper than relief. Wolfe had a similar reaction when saw Silas enter his darkness. He was extraordinary and intense, and Wolfe found his powerful savagery as he plowed through the men in that room, tossing them effortlessly around to be a profound turn on. He wasn't usually impressed by aggression, but this was different; he knew this man was there for him, and nothing was going to stop him from reaching Wolfe.

  "You felt it too, my love." Silas broke into his thoughts. "You trusted me when you had no reason to. You drank the water when you knew it was probably drugged, but you trusted me anyway. You reached out to me in your sleep, and my touch calmed you. I carried you to my car and held you while you slept. You felt peace and you were at home in my arms." The more he talked, the more Wolfe fell into the hypnotic attraction of his voice, his touch and his truth.

  "I'm drawn to you and I know that I am comforted by your presence. Of all the men in the room that day, you are the only one I can't forget. But I don't know what that means." Wolfe was captivated by this man. Everything about him was enthralling his dark looks, his solid body, his height and his masculine smell that hung in the air tantalizing Wolfe with the desire to taste. He wanted Silas but did he need him? Could he really be a part of this man’s life?

  "It means this is our destiny, Wolfe, you and me." Silas raised his other hand and threaded his fingers through Wolfe's hair and then slipped his hand to the back of Wolfe's neck, holding him stationary as he bent closer. Their eyes locked and Wolfe panted softly as he waited for the touch of Silas's lips. It was slow torture as his hand held him fast and his lips pressed featherlight at first, just barely there, and then Silas groaned, and Wolfe found himself consumed by the desire pouring off this man as his lips were possessed and devoured.

  Silas deepened the kiss because he just couldn't stop himself and honestly, he didn't try. The kiss was just as special and perfect as he thought it would be. Wolfe was delicious, and Silas found himself closing his eyes as that marvelous scent of wildflowers exploded in his veins. He moved closer, turning Wolfe so as to hold him flush against his body as he plundered that amazing mouth.

  Silas took a ragged breath and released Wolfe's lips to rain carnal kisses across his jaw and down the side of his neck. The urge to taste was on him hard, but he couldn't take from this man who had been used by so many. Silas felt the rapid beat of Wolfe's heart and sensed his tension escalating.

  "Easy, my love." He whispered against his ear and nibbled tenderly on the lobe. "If I do anything that upsets you, tell me, and I'll stop." The assurance eased the stiffness in Wolfe's shoulders, and he moved with Silas as he shifted to lay Wolfe back against the cushion of the sofa. Silas stared into Wolfe's eyes and saw apprehension once again. "If you want me to stop, I will."

  "I don't want you to stop, but I'm afraid where this is going to lead." Wolfe's words were clear, but emotion-laden.

  "I won't ever push you further than you want to go. We go at your speed, I promise. I will take whatever you're willing to give me." Silas kept his weight off of him but still held him fast; he needed to feel his beloved close to him. His nature demanded it.

  Wolfe’s eyes darted to Silas’s and then studied his face before stating. “I can’t let you feed from me. I can’t.”

  "I won't taste you without your permission," Silas told him although the thought of not even getting a small sample was disappointing. Silas buried his feelings and gave his beloved a reassuring smile.

  "Will you feed from others?" The question was tight and had an edge. Silas got the impression Wolfe didn't approve of him feeding from others, and the realization was easing his previous disappointment. His beloved was jealous which could prove to be a small step towards the beginning of their bond.

  "I can only feed from you, sweetheart, no one else can satisfy me. But I can ingest synthetic or blood from a bag. I will be fine until you are ready to accept me. Don't stress about it now, my love, we have time." Silas went back to pressing Wolfe into the sofa cushion and raining kisses from his face to his shoulder.

  Wolfe returned the kisses as ardently as he was receiving them. The sensations surging through his system, dulled the guilt he felt at not being able to give Silas what he needed. Silas had fed him to heal his injuries, but Wolfe cringed at the thought of taking the bite. After the viciousness of Roya and his buddies, his body and mind recoiled at the idea. He wanted to satisfy Silas in some way, he needed to give, and he desperately needed his own satisfaction.

  His cock strained beneath the fine fabric of his borrowed pants, the pressure both frustrating and delicious. Searching for relief Wolfe began to rub his aching cock against Silas's muscled thigh. Silas pressed down harder, providing the resistance necessary to bring Wolfe to the edge. Just when he thought he'd blow Silas moved back, and the lack of contact stifled his climax and brought a painful groan to his ravaged lips.

  "Relax my love, I'll get you there." He heard the smile in Silas's words, and it warmed his heart that this fierce soldier would take the time to reassure him while in this heightened state of mutual arousal. Wolfe felt his pants being unbuttoned and the zipper lowered as a large warm hand slipped inside his briefs to encircle his throbbing member. The contact was thrilling, stimulating every nerve and causing Wolfe to arch and moan quite wantonly.

  His pants were pulled further down his thighs as Silas balanced him against the soft cushions of the sofa. Soon they were around his knees, and his bareness was pushing against Silas's hand and the rough texture of his pants. The sensations hot and needy were building in his mind and body. Silas began to slide down lower until he had one knee off the side of the sofa and braced on the floor. His face was ever so close to the member that he was currently stroking with his hand. Wolfe caught a whine as it tried to push past his lips when Silas released his hand and took Wolfe's leaking cock into his hot and skillful mouth.

  This wasn’t Wolfe’s first time, but this was the first time that the intensity of the feeling and the pleasure building within him was almost too much. He buried his fingers in Silas’s hair and held on while the handsome soldier turned him inside out.

  Silas was going to taste his beloved one way or another. If he couldn't sample his blood, he would sample his pleasure. The sounds and his unrestrained appreciation for Silas's ministrations pushed him to impress and satisfy. Silas sucked and stroked with reckless abandon enjoying every moment of their hot and lustful encounter. He ran his left hand up under the tan knit top and teased one harden nipple, and then the other bringing his beloved to a fever pitch before deepthroating his lovely cock.

  He was rewarded with a harsh cry that erupted just before he stiffened and filled Silas’s mouth with stream after stream of his sweet, hot essence. The moment was incredible as Silas felt his grip tighten as he emptied all he had to give and Silas easily took it all. Slowly his body eased, and his grip loosened as Silas slowed his strokes, licking him clean and moving back up his body to place a possessive kiss on those plump lips.

  The look in his eyes was pure bliss and Silas had never felt so satisfied as he did knowing that he’d brought this man, his beloved such pleasure. He was panting softly and
focused on Silas.

  “Let me take care of you.” He said and began reaching for Silas’s hard bulge.

  "No, my love, this time it was all about you and your pleasure. When I come, I want to buried deep inside you. I want to feel your warm and tempting body all around me tight and provocative.” The picture he painted and the tone he used reignited Wolfe's passion, and he felt his cock stirring to life once again.

  Silas kissed him again thoroughly and then tucked him back into his pants, taking great care before helping him to a sitting position next to him. Silas's arm remained around Wolfe's shoulders, pulling him close.

  The proximity was making Wolfe’s mind think of nothing except having that prominent bulge in Silas’s pants plunging deep inside his ass and doing wonderful things to him. He agonized with his apprehension and wished he could put the events of Perrysburg out of his mind and out of his life. Roya had given him a nightmare initiation into the vampire culture and although he was drawn to this man, being with Silas also terrified him.

  They sat in silence for several minutes before Silas moved to stand and brought Wolfe up with him. "I know this is me being incredibly forward, but I'd like you to stay here with me, and I would prefer you not use the guestroom. I will respect your wishes and give you all the space you require, but I need you near and I need to know that you are protected. My vampire nature is wrapped up in your safety and to have you in separate quarters or in a separate room is unnecessary." Silas waited and watched as Wolfe thought for a moment before responding.

  "I would rather be here with you than alone in some room," Wolfe spoke softly, and Silas was not sure how to take his statement. Was he the lesser of two evils, or did he find comfort and protection with him? The desire was there, and strong, and the pull was definitely doing its job, but Wolfe held onto his precautions and remained a step back.

  "Thank you." Silas was going to take it as it was offered and not go too deep into the meaning. He would have him there with him, and that was enough for now. He showed him the master bedroom and urged him to rest for a while, and Wolfe seemed to appreciate the large comfortable looking bed. He crawled in with little prodding or insistence and Silas covered him with a thin blanket.

  Silas sat on the edge of the bed and once again took Wolfe's hand in his. "Please treat this like your own home. The kitchen is stocked if you're still hungry or you can call downstairs to have something delivered. Feel free to use anything you need." He bent lower and placed another kiss to his forehead this time. It was gentle and loving, and Wolfe felt his heart melting at the care this man was showing him. No one ever had treated him like he mattered, and he was finding Silas's declaration and offers very tempting.

  "I was kept with the others downstairs when I was first taken. There were already four men tied up in that room, but they were not well; their lives were fading under the constant feeding." Wolfe began to talk not sure where it was coming from, but he was induced by some force to purge himself of Raymond Roya.

  "I fought them every time they came near me. I made it as difficult as possible for them. Then they started drugging me, but they didn't like the taste of the drug in my blood. They scaled back the dosage, and I started fighting them again." Wolfe closed his eyes and tightened his grip on Silas's hand.

  "They'd decided to simply drain me and end it, but Roya enjoyed the fight. He enjoyed knocking me around before tearing my flesh open and feasting on my blood. He wanted to keep me alive for a while longer for his own entertainment, so he moved me to the closet upstairs and chained me to the wall and locked the door." Wolfe opened his eyes and saw that Silas was watching him closely and his expression was compassion, not pity or disgust or any of the negatives he'd expected it was pure compassion.

  “The small dark, sunless, airless room was supposed to intensify my terror and make my blood that much sweeter according to Roya. I focused my mind on everything except my situation in order to deny him that added benefit. I had resigned myself to death, but I was not going to surrender to it willingly.” Wolfe took a long-ragged breath before going on. He knew for a fact that he wouldn’t be able to say the things he was saying without the support of Silas’s touch and the comfort of his presence.

  "The night before you came, I heard Roya and his friends talking, and they were making plans to escape before DuCane showed up. They feared your Master. They made some references to what had happened in Toledo a coven much stronger than them. They also spoke of their blood lust and how that alone would seal their fates. They decided to glut themselves on what was readily available and then disappear." Wolfe kept his eyes on Silas as he finished what he had to tell him.

  “Roya was brutal that night even worse than all the other times. He and three of his friends came into that small room and began taunting me laughing and slamming me around the room. They fed from me all of them tearing at me and leaving me to bleed. I was very close to just wanting him to kill me and get it over with, but I couldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me die. I spit in his face, and he knocked me out." He could feel Silas's anger rising, and he looked up at the man seated so close now who was holding him in a tight grip.

  "I'm sorry, my love, I'm sorry we didn't get there sooner." Silas finally spoke, and his tone was fierce yet apologetic.

  "I've lived a life that has put me in danger many times, and I have met people that are cruel and coarse, but I have never met anyone like these vampires. Their cruelty rose to new heights and dimensions of obscenity. It was the casual, righteousness of their cruelty that made it so hard to fathom. They saw nothing wrong in what they were doing. It was if it were their right to torture and kill us. They fed on one man while a corpse lay decaying not two feet away. It meant nothing to them; our lives were nothing." Wolfe turned his face into the pillow in order to get control of the surge of emotion that was assaulting him.

  Silas took short, careful breaths in an attempt to quell his rage and keep from alarming his beloved. Having Wolfe tell him in detail what those bastards did to him was twisting him up in ways he never experienced before. There had been rage in his soul before but nothing like the burning frenzy he was currently experiencing on behalf of his beautiful beloved.

  His thoughts shifted to Roya and the need, all-encompassing need, to eviscerate the monster. His death belonged to Silas, and he would not be denied. Ira and the others were on his trail but hadn't located him. He was split by the desire to join Ira in the hunt and the necessity to stay close to his beloved and tend to his needs. Their bond was forming but was still in the very early stages any upset could derail all progress.

  He took in a deep cleansing breath and gathered Wolfe up into his arms. In this moment, all that was required of him was to support and comfort his hurting beloved. Wolfe had shared it all and to do so, he tore open emotions and laid himself bare to Silas. This was his gift, and Silas was not going to squander the trust he offered.

  Wolfe was trembling and fighting to control his feelings. It was a defiant battle, and in the end, Wolfe won. He calmed and took several breaths before looking up at Silas from where he was held so perfectly in his arms. "I wanted you to know what happened." He said.

  "He will be found, and he will be killed, you have my promise and my pledge Raymond Roya will pay for his actions," Silas told him with the surety of a soldier who gets things done.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Silas stayed with Wolfe until he was beginning to doze off and then excused himself to go meet with his father. He assured Wolfe he was close by and would be back in a few hours. Wolfe laid down and thankfully fell into what appeared to be a restful sleep.

  Silas stood in the doorway of his bedroom and watched him sleep for a few minutes just to make sure he was okay. Leaving him was difficult, but he had things to attend to which included an update on that bastard Roya. He'd thought about asking Ezra to sit with Wolfe, but he was not helpless and might take offense at having a babysitter. The man was ardently self-sufficient, and having someone sit with him could
be taken the wrong way. Wolfe was not a prisoner, but Silas would do everything in his power to convince him to stay.

  "I put in a call to Ira." His father told him as he walked in. "They located the others hiding in an abandoned barn near the Iowa border and after a brief confrontation dispatched the six that were there. Roya was not among them." Ismael led Silas to the sitting room and offered him a drink as they both sat down.

  Silas checked his phone and saw that he had a call from Ira and also a text. It stated what his father had just told him. “Thirty men on the run and twenty-nine dealt with in less than forty-eight hours. That was impressive except for the fact the greatest offender and the leader of the pack was still on the run.” He stated. The thought that Roya was walking free and being hidden by someone or his skills surpassed what any had assumed was frustrating the hell out of Silas. His beloved deserved a reckoning, and Silas would move heaven and earth to make it happen.

  "I know you want to join Ira in his search, but I advise you to wait. Your beloved has just recently been introduced to our world, and he will have many questions. You should be the one to answer them. It is your place to make his transition as easy as possible. With the way, he was treated by our kind, he will most certainly have issues that arise and it should be you that address them." Ismael reached over and squeezed his son's shoulder, and Silas looked over to see him watching him closely.

  "You will have your revenge, my son. Give them a couple of days and if they haven't located Roya join them then. Your beloved will be better adjusted, and your absence will be less difficult for him." Silas listened and agreed, but his inner rage kept calling for satisfaction.

  “My beloved was abused and debased by this man. I must rectify the damage and put this to right. Roya’s death belongs to me.” He could talk plainly with his father even though he was his commander.

  “This is your beloved and your right, you handle it as your nature demands.” Ismael backed Silas as he knew he would.