Stealing My Heart

by Stephani Hecht, Jambrea Jo Jones, A. J. Llewellyn, Carol Lynne, D. J. Manly, Jaime Samms, Serena Yates

  “Yeah, take my fingers, bitch.”

  Although he’d never been spoken to in such a way, Saul’s deep voice sent chills up Victor’s spine. He prayed they’d get on with it before his cock erupted in his jeans. Victor was saved when Saul abruptly removed his hand and yanked Dante’s jeans down to his ankles.

  “Off,” Saul ordered.

  Victor stood shocked as Dante immediately followed Saul’s command, and bent over the back of the beige, non-descript sofa. Dante had always fought for dominance when he and Victor were lovers. There wasn’t a single thing, other than the fine ass on display, that remotely resembled his old friend.

  “Hurry, Papi,” Dante begged.

  With his jeans lowered to mid-thigh, Saul bent over and spat on Dante’s hole. “You ready for this big daddy cock, baby?”

  “Please.” Dante hiked one leg up to rest beside his torso on the back of the couch.

  Holding his massive cock by the root, Saul stepped up and gently pushed the head just inside Dante’s hole. Victor was once again surprised by the dynamic between the two men. With a rather loving hand threading through Dante’s hair, Saul bent and placed a kiss to Dante’s spine. “Okay?”

  Dante nodded and Saul surged forward in a single thrust, driving his dick deep until Victor heard the slap of the man’s balls against Dante’s ass. Damn.

  He waited until Saul had set a steady rhythm before stepping to the side of the fucking men. Without missing a stroke, Saul tilted his head to the side, exposing his throat to Victor’s bite.

  With a nod of thanks, Victor leaned in and sunk his incisors cleanly through Saul’s skin, to his external carotid artery. The blood burst into Victor’s mouth, coating his tongue before running down his throat. He could definitely see why Dante was so taken with the gorgeous Latin man’s blood.

  Only allowing himself to feed for a few moments, Victor sealed the wound and stepped back, wiping his mouth. From the way the two men were still going at it, Victor assumed Saul would also be feeding Dante before the night was over.

  “Thank you,” he whispered in Saul’s ear.

  “See you in a few days,” Saul grunted, slamming into Dante’s ass.

  Victor slapped Dante’s hip before disappearing from the room. When he opened his eyes, he was standing in his bathroom. He quickly disrobed and turned on the shower. Although he hadn’t had sex, he wanted to go to his lover’s bed as fresh as possible.

  A silhouette standing beside the sink caught his attention. “Aden?”

  Perfectly, sublimely nude, Aden opened the shower door. “Expecting someone else?”

  Victor reached out and ran a hand down Aden’s torso to the short bush of blond hair surrounding his cock. With his other hand, he removed the bandage from his lover’s forehead.

  He pulled Aden into the shower and leaned down to lick the three inch cut. Within a matter of moments, the cut was closed and on its way to being fully healed.

  “Why didn’t you do that last night?” Aden asked.

  Victor gazed into those dark green pools with spiked lashes and melted. “I wasn’t sure how I would’ve explained it to you. You knew Josh hit you with the glass. Don’t you think you might’ve questioned it?”

  Aden grinned. “Actually, I questioned myself when I woke up as to whether or not you were a vampire because you didn’t heal me.”

  With Aden’s forehead taken care of, Victor squirted shower gel into his hand and began to roam the lithe body in front of him. “Did you write at all today?”

  Aden stopped in the act of pouring soap into his own hand. “You know about that?”

  Victor chuckled. He leaned down and brushed a kiss across Aden’s plump lips. “Of course. I’ve read every book you’ve written.”

  Aden lowered his head, resting it against Victor’s chest. “Thanks. I don’t think you’ll ever understand what that means to me.”

  Victor tilted Aden’s chin back up. “You’re good.” He could see the insecurities in Aden’s eyes. It was obvious Aden’s relationship with Josh had damaged more than just his body.

  As much as he’d like to take Aden in the shower, he knew the man needed something special this time around. “Why don’t we dry off and take a blanket outside to the garden.”

  Aden grinned. “I like that idea.”

  “Just don’t let me fall asleep out there.”

  Aden’s expression suddenly looked worried. “We can stay inside. I don’t want to do anything that’ll put you at risk.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ve got a built-in alarm clock that’s never failed me.” Victor tried to wash Aden’s body without over stimulating certain areas. He couldn’t help but take notice of the way Aden’s stance widened as Victor began to soap up his cock and balls.

  “I think my ass needs a good, deep scrub as well,” Aden moaned.

  Victor shook his head as he transferred his soapy hands to Aden’s ass. “I’m trying to be good, but you’re not making it easy.”

  Aden rubbed against Victor’s erection and sighed. “Horizontal is overrated.”

  Victor could very well imagine fucking Aden standing up again. The possibilities were endless when you didn’t need to worry about a soft spot to lie. He reached up and turned the shower head to the side enough that it wasn’t pounding down on them, before pouring more soap into his hand.

  As he began to tease Aden’s puckered hole, he took a page out of Saul’s book of seduction. “You want me to fuck you, baby?”

  Aden nodded, lifting one foot to rest on the narrow tiled ledge. “As many times as you’ve reamed my ass in my dreams, I’d think you’d be tired of me by now.”

  Aden’s body relaxed and Victor’s finger slipped inside. “Never.” Victor couldn’t wait to feel the warm walls of Aden’s ass surrounding his cock again.

  After a few minutes of finger-play, Victor lifted Aden off the tiled floor. As if they’d been doing it for years, Aden kissed him as he wrapped his legs around Victor’s torso.

  “Fuck me,” Aden begged after pulling out of the kiss.

  With a hand on each cheek, Victor opened Aden’s ass to receive his cock. As if on cue, Aden reached back and pressed the crown of Victor’s shaft against his waiting hole.

  Aden moaned as he slowly impaled himself. The squeeze of Aden’s body was even better the second time. Fuck. He’d never last. Already the desire to bury his fangs in his lover’s neck threatened to overwhelm him.

  Once fully seated, Victor held Aden in place as he began to saw in and out of the hot sheath. “So good,” he groaned.

  Aden leaned in for a kiss, but Victor shook his head, flashing his lover his extended incisors. “Sorry. It’s not safe.”

  Where he expected a disappointed expression, Aden smiled. Victor wanted to ask what the smile was for, but he was too far immersed in fucking his lover to speak. He turned to brace Aden’s back against the wall as his thrusts became harder.

  Several times he heard Aden’s head thud against the tile, but the smaller man continued to encourage Victor with his pleas. “Harder. Yeah. Fuck. Right there. Yes!”

  Victor felt the splash of Aden’s cum as his lover’s body tightened around his cock. As soon as Aden’s muscles relaxed, Victor slammed in as far as he could, and ground his hips in a figure eight as he erupted.

  Spent, Victor rested his forehead against Aden’s shoulder. He could hear and smell the blood pumping through his lover’s veins. Give me strength. He continued to pray to Valerianus until his teeth returned to their non-feeding state. Thank you.

  With his breathing under control, Victor set Aden back on his feet before readjusting the shower spray. When Aden started to sink towards the floor, Victor quickly caught him with an arm around his waist.

  “I’ve got you.” He reached for the soap again and began to wash his lover clean. He knew it was imperative to get an audience with Valerianus.

  The need to feed from his lover was too great. It didn’t matter to Victor that he’d been able to control himself a few min
utes earlier. He knew he wouldn’t always be able to talk himself down from his desires. The deeper his feelings became, the greater the need for Aden’s blood.

  “I’m sleepy,” Aden mumbled around a yawn.

  Victor turned off the water and opened the shower door. With his arm still wrapped around Aden, he dried them both before carrying Aden to his bed.

  After settling his lover under the covers, Victor bent and kissed those lips he couldn’t resist. “Sleep. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

  Aden struggled to open his eyes. “Where’re you going?”

  “Downstairs. I need to take care of some business.”

  “Can I sleep with you?” Aden asked, starting to drift.

  “Yes. I’ll pull the drapes on the windows and around the bed, so unless you have a problem with claustrophobia, I’d love to sleep with you in my arms.”

  Aden smiled and snuggled his head into the pillow. Within moments, his lover was sound asleep. Victor walked over to the closet and pulled out his rarely used suit. He dressed with care before leaving his chamber.

  A quick glance at the clock in his study, informed him he had several hours before he needed to be back. He closed his eyes and concentrated on Valerianus’ palace. After the fluttering feeling passed through him, he opened his eyes to find himself right where he’d wanted to be.

  Victor straightened his red silk tie and stepped up to the desk. “I need to speak with the Creator,” he informed Ursula, Valerianus’ long-time secretary.

  Ursula’s blonde eyebrow shot up. “Without an appointment?”

  Victor expected the question, so he was prepared. “It’s about Aden.”

  Ursula bit her lip, and glanced over the appointment calendar in front of her. “He’s in a meeting with Allisis.”

  Victor grinned. Valerianus had enjoyed a love/hate relationship with the were Creator for as long as Victor had been alive. He wondered if the two men would ever get their shit together. “You mean he’s busy fucking.”

  Ursula blushed. “Let’s just say that I doubt he’d appreciate an interruption.”

  “Do you mind if I wait? It’s important.”

  Ursula shrugged. “Suit yourself, but there’s no way of telling how long their…meeting will last.”

  Victor took a seat outside of Valerianus’ door and made himself comfortable.

  After forty minutes, the door burst open as an angry Allisis stormed out. Victor watched the tall blond stalk his way across the large room to the hall. With a smile on his face, Victor glanced over to Ursula and winked.

  She hid her grin behind her hand as she disappeared into Valerianus’ chamber. Despite the reputation they’d received from folklore and bad Hollywood movies, vampires were merely a separate and distinct race of man. They had souls, a heartbeat and needed air to breathe. Sure they couldn’t go out in the daylight, but he hadn’t been lying to Aden when he said it was more of an allergy issue. No going up in a puff of smoke if he stepped into the light, but he would get a nasty burn.

  The one thing Hollywood did get right was his need to feed on the blood of others. Without the rejuvenating fluid, he would begin to grow weak rapidly. It didn’t mean he wasn’t able to eat regular food, but it did nothing to sustain his body, therefore, he’d always found it a rather pointless activity.

  “Valerianus will see you, but he said to warn you he isn’t in a good mood,” Ursula informed Victor, closing the chamber door.

  “What else is new,” he mumbled under his breath.

  He knocked on Valerianus’ door and waited.

  “Come in,” the gravely voice called out.

  With a deep breath to calm his nerves, Victor stepped inside Valerianus’ inner sanctum. The room was huge, as was the Creator. Valerianus sat on the raised throne in the centre of the room. For being older than dirt, Valerianus didn’t look a day over forty. His beauty was unparalleled and he knew it.

  “What do you want, Victor?”

  Victor took that as permission to approach. He knelt in front of the Creator with his head bowed. “I need to speak with you about Aden.”

  “Trouble?” Valerianus asked, shifting in his chair.

  Victor swallowed around the lump in his throat. He knew what he was about to say could very well seal his fate, but it was a necessary conversation. “I’m in love with him, Master.”

  “Yes. I know.”

  Victor dared to look up at Valerianus. “I can’t continue to feed from others.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it causes Aden pain to know how I must feed. I can’t continue to hurt him.”

  “That is your choice. Not mine.”

  Victor glanced back down at the floor. “Are you saying you don’t care that your son is in pain?”

  “Emotional pain isn’t the same as physical pain. Aden will survive. He was not created to feed you. He is a leader, not a donor.”

  Victor closed his eyes and rested his fisted hand against his forehead. He didn’t know if he’d ever been angrier at Valerianus. He knew one wrong word and he could kiss any hope of a future with Aden goodbye.

  “I love him. Treating him like a donor never entered my mind.”

  “Good. Then you have a choice to make. Either continue to feed from others or starve yourself. It really is as simple as that.”

  Simple? Victor was being forced into the situation of either betraying the man he loved or starving himself to death. He knew he could continue feeding like he had earlier that evening, but following Dante around every night wasn’t what he wanted for the rest of his life.

  Victor knew he had one last piece of business before leaving. He gazed at his creator. “Aden would like to meet you.”

  “In time,” Valerianus answered with a dismissive flick of his hand.

  Victor got to his feet and turned towards the door. With his hand on the knob, he spoke. “For the first time in my long life, I’m ashamed to be a vampire.”

  Chapter Four

  Aden opened the heavy curtains that surrounded Victor’s bed. Since returning from his meeting with Valerianus, his lover had become beyond depressed, only feeding a couple of times a week.

  “It’s almost eight. Are you planning to stay in bed all night?” Aden asked as he crawled onto the bed.

  Victor opened his eyes and pulled Aden into his arms. “I’m tired.”

  “You’re weak,” Aden argued.

  “That, too,” Victor grinned.

  “Dante’s here. He said he’d take you out.” Aden hated the thought of Victor being with another man, but he hated the thought of his vampire dying even more.

  Victor shook his head. “I was just out.”

  “It’s been five days, love. You can’t continue like this.”

  “I just can’t do it. I know what it does to you every time I leave.” Victor gazed into Aden’s eyes. “When I come home from feeding, I feel dirty. For the first time in my life, the price I have to pay for blood isn’t worth it.”

  Aden brushed several strands of Victor’s long, black hair off his face. “It’s time for both of us to get over our hang-ups. I know it’s just about getting what you need to survive when you give pleasure to a donor. I’ve come to terms with that. Now it’s your turn. You need to separate your physical needs from your guilt.”

  Victor shook his head again. “It’s still cheating.”

  “No it’s not. I understand that now.” Aden snuggled against Victor’s chest.

  “It is. I understand that now,” Victor countered before placing a kiss on top of Aden’s head.

  Before Aden could argue, he heard the unmistakable sound of Victor’s deep snore. He glanced up to find his lover asleep yet again. “What are you doing to yourself?” he whispered.

  He knew he couldn’t stand by and watch the man he loved die. After giving Victor another kiss, Aden crawled out of bed. He went to the closet and chose one of the more conservative outfits Victor had bought him and dressed quickly.

  Aden found Dante in the garde
n. Perfect. “I need you to do me a favour.”

  Dante glanced up from the rose he was pulling apart petal by petal. “Where’s Victor?”

  Aden shook his head. “He’s refusing to eat. I left him sleeping in his bed.”

  “I’ll go talk to him. He has to eat.”

  “He won’t. That’s why I need you to take me to Valerianus.”

  Dante started to laugh. “You’re as crazy as Victor. You don’t just pop in on Valerianus. He’s eaten people for less.”

  “Then he’ll just have to eat me, because if he doesn’t see me, Victor’s gonna die.”

  Dante tossed the rose to the ground. “I’ll get you there, but that’s as far as I go. I happen to like all my parts right where they are.”

  Aden nodded. “I’m ready when you are.”

  Dante grabbed Aden and in a split second they stood in a depressing room with stone walls. The air was too warm, almost stifling. A musty scent hung in the aging structure. Creepy.

  Dante pointed to a woman at a massive desk. “That’s Ursula. She’s the only one who can get you in to see Valerianus.” Dante turned and started to walk off.

  “Wait! Where are you going?” Aden asked, reaching for Dante.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be around to pick up the pieces when Valerianus’ is finished with you.”

  Aden narrowed his eyes at the good-looking vampire. “Why aren’t you helping? I thought Victor was your best friend?”

  “We all have our place in this long life we were given. Mine isn’t to play martyr.”

  “Evidently it’s not to play the part of best friend either,” Aden mumbled as he crossed to the big desk.

  Ursula glanced up from her work when he cleared his throat. One blonde eyebrow rose in question. “Yes?”

  “My name is Aden Brousseau. I’m here to see Valerianus.”

  He shifted under the woman’s scrutiny. He realised he didn’t exactly look like the son of a god, but he wasn’t about to back down.

  Ursula glanced around the empty room. “Who brought you here?”

  “Doesn’t matter. I’m here, and I’d like to speak with my father.” Go me. Aden silently patted himself on the back for his steady voice.