“So you said,” Burke replied, putting his hand over Reynaud’s as he looked up at him. “Tied down, unable to move, screaming until I can’t anymore is the way you put it, I think.” He touched Reynaud’s face. “You survived, why do you think I won’t?”
“I had no choice,” Reynaud replied. “You do, and you’ll have time to think about it before it happens which means you’ll be terrified of what it will be like.”
“Bull. Shit,” Burke replied adamantly. “I’ll be doing it, letting it happen, because I love you. What’s a little pain compared to spending the rest of eternity with you? You didn’t know I would accept because I didn’t myself until a couple of nights ago. Then, well…” He squeezed Reynaud’s hand. “I had to find the right time to tell you—but you beat me to it.”
“You’re certain,” Reynaud asked, hope lighting his expression.
“Yes, my love. As certain as I’ve ever been of anything in my life. I want to be with you forever.”
They embraced, sharing a kiss so full of their feeling for each other Burke wished it would never end. But it did.
“When do you want to do this?” Reynaud asked.
“The sooner the better. Tonight?”
Reynaud looked at Antoine, who nodded in return, saying, “The room is ready and at your disposal.”
“A padded cell?” Burke was torn between laughing at that idea and wondering if it really was.
Antoine grinned. “Not quite that bad. If you truly understand what’s involved and are willing face it, and Reynaud is willing to be your Sire, let’s do this.”
“Before I change my mind?”
“It’s been known to happen,” Antoine replied seriously.
“I’m not going to.” Burke took Reynaud’s hand, holding it as if it was a lifeline—and his connection to their future together. “Let’s do this.”
* * * *
It was four nights before Burke was fully turned. The first two nights, Reynaud drained his lover of a small part of his blood, replacing it with his own, so that Burke’s body would begin to accept it without it killing him. It also helped Burke to bond with his soon-to-be Sire. “As if I’m not already,” he’d said when Reynaud told him that. “Love is the greatest bond of all.”
The third night, Reynaud allowed Burke to drink a pint of his blood. Only then did he drain Burke until he reached the death-sleep and then fed him again. It was Reynaud’s blood which Burke had ingested that sustained him as he moved from life to undeath.
The final night, Burke awoke in great pain, physically, mentally, and emotionally. He vomited and had diarrhea, cried, shook uncontrollably, and was in a state of pure panic. Reynaud was there for him, cleaning him, comforting him, easing his fears—and most importantly, feeding him bagged blood as well as his own.
When dawn arrived, Reynaud held him in his arms as Burke fell asleep, murmuring over and over, “You are my love. You will be until the end of time.”
On the fifth night Burke awoke craving blood. Reynaud was prepared with several bags which he allowed his lover to drain. Only then did Burke become fully aware of where he was—and what he was.
“It worked,” he said elatedly, testing his new fangs with the tip of his tongue.
“Of course it did. I wouldn’t have had it otherwise,” Reynaud replied with a grin.
“Uh-huh.” Burke hugged him tightly. “That was a bit conceited of you to say.”
“As I’m your Sire, now, I have the right to be…well, not conceited but bossy.” Reynaud kissed his forehead and then his lips—gently, being aware that Burke’s body was still recovering from all that had happened to it.
Burke returned the kiss as given, after quickly retracting his fangs so that he wouldn’t bite Reynaud. “I love you,” he said softly. “Thank you for making it possible for me to love you forever.”
“Thank you for being willing to let it happen.” Reynaud slid off the bed, looking down at Burke, and wrinkled his nose. “You need a shower, to put it mildly. I did my best to clean you up, but…” He rolled his eyes.
“That bad, huh?” Burke swung his legs over the side of the bed, started to stand, and fell back. “Damn, I’m weak as a baby.”
“Because to all intents and purposes, you are. You’re a Fledgling, with all that entails. You’ll be stronger in a day or two. Until then…” Reynaud pulled Burke to his feet then put one arm around him. “We’ll shower and that’s it, so don’t go getting any ideas.”
“Right now I don’t think I could do anything else even if I wanted to,” Burke replied.
With Reynaud’s help, Burke showered and dressed. Then they left the room, going downstairs.
Antoine greeted them when they walked into his living room. “You look better than I expected,” he said to Burke. “Pale as a ghost, of course, but that will change as your body adjusts to being a vampire.” He waited until Reynaud and Burke sat before saying, “I took the liberty of calling your boss, Burke, to let him know you would be gone for the foreseeable future. A major family emergency.”
“Oh, hell. I never even thought of that.”
“You would have, if we hadn’t moved so quickly with your turning,” Antoine replied.
Burke’s shoulders slumped. “I guess I’m out of a job, now, or will be.”
“Why?” Reynaud said. “Given what you do, can’t you work from home?”
“Well…maybe, I guess.”
“Then in a day or two, when you’re up to it, call your boss. You can tell him you still need to be with your family but if he’s willing there’s no reason why you can’t create the games for his company from there,” Reynaud replied. “As good as you are, I bet he jumps on the idea.”
“I can make certain he does,” Antoine said with a wicked smile. When Burke shook his head adamantly, Antoine chuckled. “It was only a suggestion, if necessary.”
“Thank you for offering, but no. Oh, hell.”
“What?” Reynaud asked in concern.
“He knows my parents are dead.”
“Surely you have relatives,” Antoine said.
“I don’t, but he doesn’t know that. I can say it’s an aunt and she’s gravely ill. Her husband is elderly and incapable of taking care of her on his own but they can’t afford to hire a nurse, so I volunteered.”
“How will you explain you can’t contact your boss until after dark?” Reynaud asked.
Burke sighed. “Good question. Maybe…Okay, because I’ll be spending the day taking care of her and working on projects for him, so it’s easier for me to do that at night when she’s asleep. Yeah, that should work. He’s the kind of guy who’s always available for his people when necessary, even at home.”
“Then that problem’s solved,” Reynaud replied, giving him a hug.
“Yep, I hope. You know The Hunter is going to be MIA now.”
“Unfortunately, you’re right,” Antoine replied. “I guess Reynaud’s team is going to have to go back to patrolling the streets again on the weekends.”
“Like they ever stopped,” Reynaud said, rolling his eyes. “Burke was just our secret weapon.”
“True. When will you begin his training?”
“Tomorrow,” Reynaud told him. “He’ll be stronger…You’ll be stronger,” he said, turning his attention to Burke.
Burke nodded. “There’s a lot I have to learn about…everything, isn’t there?”
“Yes, but it’s not insurmountable. It just takes time.”
* * * *
As Reynaud had predicted, it did take time for Burke to learn to deal with his new life and what he could and couldn’t do. By the end of his first year Reynaud was satisfied that Burke could handle everything he had to, including restraining himself when he was out among humans on his own.
“You, of all people, should know that feeding from a human is cause for termination,” Reynaud said the first evening he allowed Burke to leave the house—with him by his side.
“Trust me, I’m well aware of that,�
� Burke replied dryly. “It might be hard though, when I can smell their blood in their veins. I didn’t know that happened until tonight.”
“Which is why I made certain you were well fed before we left.”
“I know. I have a new sympathy for the poor Fledglings I had to destroy, even though I know it was necessary.”
“That is on their Sires’ shoulders, as I’ve said before, for not training them well and being with them until they were able to resist the urge to feed.”
Burke smiled, putting an arm around Reynaud’s waist. “Something that will never happen to me with you as my Sire.”
“Of course not. I love you. I’m not about to lose you by being stupid.”
“You and stupid do not belong in the same sentence.”
“Says you.”
“And I should know after all these years, although there was that time…”
Reynaud shut him up with a quick kiss before suggesting they return home. “You have work to do on the new game and it won’t get done if we stay out here.”
“Slave driver,” Burke muttered, knowing he was right.
* * * *
“Do you have any plans for tonight?” Reynaud had a reason for asking. It had been one year since Burke’s turning and he wanted to celebrate.
“Nothing I can’t put off,” Burke replied.
“Good. I was thinking. We haven’t been to the club in a long time.”
“Like well over a year? You said it wasn’t a good idea. All those hot, sweaty bodies is how I think you put it.”
Reynaud laughed. “True, but now I think you can handle them. Okay, that did not come out the way it was supposed to.”
Burke grinned. “Nope. But since the only hot body I want to handle is yours, I’ll take it the way you meant it.”
“Good. Go get dressed.”
“I am dressed,” Burke replied.
“You’re being obstreperous. Put on something other than tattered cut-offs and a T-shirt that looks like you dug it out of a dumpster.”
“But these are my favorite work clothes.”
“I know.” Reynaud shook his head. “Going to the club is not work, so go.” He pointed a finger at the stairs.
Burke did, coming back dressed in jeans and a nice shirt.
When they arrived in the Quarter—the normal way with Burke driving—he parked in his regular lot. They could have flown, as they usually did now that Burke was a vampire and able to master it in small spurts. This time, they decided to act as if they were part of the human population. “A throwback to my previous life,” as Burke put it.
“It hasn’t changed a bit,” Burke said as they entered the club. “Even the bartenders are same,” he added in a whisper when they got to the bar and one of them immediately set down a glass of wine and a bottle of beer.
“Long time, no see,” the man said. “I thought maybe you’d found somewhere new to hang out. That would have hurt me deeply,” he added, pressing his hand to his chest.
“Nope,” Burke replied. “Life got in the way.” He winked at Reynaud. “And I think I’ll have wine, too, instead of the beer.”
“Now that’s a switch. Merlot?”
“Yes, thank you.”
When he had his wine, Burke and Reynaud went up to the balcony, getting there in time to snag a newly vacated table before two other men could.
“How are you doing?” Reynaud asked after they’d settled and taken sips of their wines.
“I’m fine. Honest. Being out here, not inside, helps.” Burke grinned. “I’m not drooling from hunger.”
“Of course you aren’t. You’re well past that, now.”
“I was teasing. I know I am. This brings back memories.” Burke took Reynaud’s hand. “Good ones.”
“Indeed it does. Now we’ll have new ones.” Reynaud slid his chair closer to Burke, asking so quietly that no one but Burke, with his enhanced hearing, could hear. “Do you regret having given up your old life? I know I’ve asked before, but now that we’re here, I thought I should ask again to be certain.”
“I don’t,” Burke replied just as softly. “In spite of the fact my life it totally different now, it’s the one I chose with the full understanding of what it would be like. To always be with you makes what I’ve lost worth it. Which wasn’t that much when it comes down to it, other than feeling the sun on my face or eating lunch at my favorite restaurant, or dodging flaky tourists trying to buy their souvenirs.”
“In a thousand years you’ll be able to go out in the sun,” Reynaud said.
“Something to look forward to.” Burke looked pensive. “I wonder if we’ll still be here at that point.”
“Maybe. Or we’ll find other places to live. We have the whole world to choose from.”
“I love that idea.”
Reynaud lifted his glass, saying, “To us.”
Clicking his glass with Reynaud’s, Burke replied, “To all we have to look forward to—together.” He took a sip then said, gazing into Reynaud’s eyes, “I love you.”
“I know. Almost as much as I love you.” They kissed, and then Reynaud suggested they dance which they did, taking occasional breaks, until the wee small hours of the morning.
When they got home they celebrated again, in bed—and quite wonderfully in their opinion. When dawn came they fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms after reaffirming their love verbally and with several deep kisses which could have led to another round of sex if it had been an hour earlier.
And so their lives moved on. Through the years they did as Reynaud had once suggested, residing in cities around the world. Was their life always peaceful? Of course not. As Burke’s powers grew, he helped Reynaud whenever the King they were serving wanted them to deal with rogues. They lived through many changes over the centuries, both good and bad, as vampires have since the beginning of time.
They survived them all, their love growing deeper with each passing year.
“As it will until there is no earth left,” Burke proclaimed one night as he and Reynaud strolled down the crowded streets of their present city.
“When it looks like that will happen, we’ll move on,” Reynaud replied, smiling. “I hear the colony on Mars has become quite cosmopolitan.”
“Something to consider, when the time comes,” Burke agreed, slinging his arm over Reynaud’s shoulders. “Still, I hope it will be a while before we have to move that far away. On the other hand, I wouldn’t mind going back to…”
They continued walking, discussing where to live next, content in their existence and the love they would share forever and a day.
THE END
ABOUT EDWARD KENDRICK
Born and bred in Cleveland, I earned a degree in technical theater, later switched to costuming, and headed to NYC. Finally seeing the futility of trying to become rich and famous in the Big Apple, I joined VISTA—Volunteers in Service to America—ending up in Chicago for three years. Then it was on to Denver where I put down roots and worked as a costume designer until I retired in 2007.
I began writing a few years ago after joining an online fanfic group. Two friends and I then started a group for writers, where they could post any story they wished no matter the genre or content. Since then, for the last five years, I’ve been writing for publication—my first book came out in February of 2011. Most, but not all, of my work is M/M, either mildly erotic or purely ‘romantic.’ More often than not it involves a mystery or action/adventure, and is sometimes paranormal to boot.
For more information, visit edwardkendrick.blogspot.com.
ABOUT JMS BOOKS LLC
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