Liquid crimson

by Carol Lynne

  Although it was a huge step for Neo, Michael couldn’t help being hurt. After all, the decision had been made without him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I’m telling you now,” Neo said, his eyebrows drawing together in apparent confusion.

  Michael nodded. “Yes, you are. Silly me, I thought we were a team.”

  Neo groaned and rolled his eyes. “We are a team, but this was business.”

  Breaking away in a flurry of swinging arms, Michael seethed. “When will you get it through your head that what you do, whether it’s business or pleasure, affects me?!” Michael shook his head. “You know what? Forget it.”

  “Stop acting like a child,” Neo growled when Michael turned towards the house.

  “I’ll stop acting like one when you stop treating me like one.”

  “What the fuck, Michael? There’s not a damn decision I make that seems to be good enough for you,” Neo said, bumping Michael with his chest as he followed him.

  “That’s because they’re all your decisions, not ours!” Michael shouted without turning around. “Do you even care how it makes me feel when you don’t feed from me? Did you ever bother to ask? It hurts. I’m in almost constant pain. I’ve tried to tell you. I’ve begged you, but you’ve made some macho decision, and what I want or need doesn’t matter to you. Well it matters to me! I want to be with you, but I won’t follow you blindly. I’ve trained my entire life to be your mate, to be everything you could possibly want in a partner, and that includes being knowledgeable enough in the workings of the Realm to help you make decisions.”

  Michael opened the door and stepped into the house. He didn’t have to look back to know Neo was still shadowing him. He chose to ignore his mate and reached for a glass. After filling it with water and taking a long drink, his heart rate was still beating uncontrollably.

  Draining the glass, he set it in the sink with more force than was necessary. The glass broke into three large pieces, one of them slicing the palm of his hand. “Shit!” He yanked his hand away when the blood began eating through the sink drain. Still, even that little bit relieved some of his pain.

  Michael turned and held up his hand. Neo had taken refuge on the far side of the room, obviously trying to control his bloodlust while staying to make sure Michael was okay. “See this?”

  Neo’s fangs slipped down into place. He covered his mouth and turned his back to Michael. “You need to apply pressure to stop the bleeding.”

  “Why would I do that when it feels so good? Is this what I’m going to have to do from now on, cut myself to relieve my pain?” Michael watched as the blood began to pool onto the marble floor. He still didn’t understand why his blood seemed to eat away at metal and other vampires but nothing else. “Of course I’ll have to experiment a little. I just hope I don’t cut too deep.”

  “Stop it!” Neo yelled.

  “I’m begging you to help me. Surely we can find a way to give us both what we need.”

  The statement hung between them for several moments. Michael finally opened his mouth to make another plea when he noticed Neo’s shoulders begin to shake. He swallowed around the lump in his throat as he realised he’d made the son of Zeus cry.

  Dammit! How many times had he yelled at Neo for being selfish, and here he was thinking only of himself and not how much anguish he was putting Neo through? Neo’s love hit him straight between the eyes. The devotion of his mate was yet another thing Michael had questioned to death. Yet there they stood, barely ten feet apart, one bleeding, one needing the blood but refusing to take it.

  Michael turned and grabbed a towel from the drawer. “I’m sorry,” he said, applying pressure to the wound. He’d fucked up big this time. “I was so busy criticising you for being selfish…” Michael squeezed his eyes shut, truly ashamed of the things he’d said. “You’ve been suffering for me because you love me. Yeah, I heard you say the words, but I was so wrapped up in my own pain I didn’t really listen to them.”

  Neo wiped his eyes and turned to face Michael. “I am selfish. I know you’ve been hurting, but I hoped it would go away. I’ll gladly live with my own demons for a life with you, but I can’t stand the thought of you hurting yourself.”

  Michael took several steps forward, trying to gauge Neo’s reaction as he neared. “Let me go talk to my father. Maybe he can help us.”

  Neo shook his head. “No. The answers lie with my father.” He took a deep breath. “Go ask Spiro to help heal your hand and your pain. I have no doubt Spiro has some strange concoction that’ll help until I get to the bottom of this.”

  * * * *

  As much as Neo wanted to storm into Zeus’ throne room and demand answers, he knew he’d get further by showing the respect the god deserved. The moment Neo stepped into the room, he lowered his head. “May I speak to you?”

  “I was just talking about you,” Zeus answered. “Ares tells me you’ve agreed to help Spiro.”

  “Yes.”

  “Come forward,” Zeus beckoned. “I’m curious as to what changed your mind.”

  Neo walked towards his father with his eyes still on the floor. “Michael made me realise a few things that I hadn’t allowed myself to think about before he came into my life.”

  “Such as?”

  “I care if the Blessed Creatures live or die,” Neo stated. “After I was changed, I don’t think I cared about anyone, not even myself. I focused all my emotions on my grapes, using them as some would use friends. When Michael was kidnapped, I realised I wanted to make the world a safer place for him.”

  Neo glanced up at his father. “I’ve seen, first hand, the pain my friends are in because of wayward Blessed Creatures. I know none of it would’ve happened if only I’d stepped up years ago. I knew the LaMont coven was evil, yet I chose to bury my head in my work instead of doing something about it. I’ll carry that guilt for the rest of my life.”

  Zeus stroked his white beard, obviously in thought. “There is no need to carry guilt. It will only cloud your judgement in the future. Even I didn’t see the LaMont coven as a threat.”

  Neo nodded. It was a bold statement coming from the god who felt he was above all others. Perhaps Zeus’ giving mood would play to Neo’s advantage. “I beg a favour of you, Father.”

  A snow white eyebrow rose. “Really? You’ve never asked me for one in the past.”

  Neo lowered his head again. “Do you have the power to take the sunlight from Michael’s blood while still allowing him immortality?”

  “Why would you ask for such a thing? Michael was created specifically to give you back what was taken from you.”

  “Yes, I know that, and while I appreciate the gesture, the cost to Michael is too great. I would rather roam in the darkness forever than shorten the life of the man I love.”

  “But for six hundred years you’ve hated the world because you longed to feel the sun on your face.”

  Neo felt the sting of tears as moisture filled his eyes. “I was wrong. It took Michael’s love for me to see that. The sun holds no meaning without him.”

  Zeus chuckled. “Perhaps we’re not so alike after all. I envy your love, and if you ever repeat that, I’ll deny it.”

  “Will you help me?” Neo asked. If he needed to get on his knees and beg it was a small price to pay even though his father would never let him forget it.

  “There is no need to go to such an extreme. Twice a week feedings will give you both what you need. You may not be able to sunbathe but in moderation, the sun won’t burn you.”

  “And Michael won’t age?” Neo questioned.

  “Like them young, do you?” Zues grinned. “No, Michael won’t age.”

  Michael’s appearance had nothing to do with Neo’s request. He simply wanted to make sure his mate was around for as long as Neo was. “Thank you.”

  “You can thank me by protecting the Blessed Creatures. I have many children among them who might someday require your leadership.”

  Neo bowed once more befor
e backing out of the room. His father’s words about other children didn’t bother him. Zeus had many children, but Spiro was Neo’s only brother as far as he was concerned.

  * * * *

  Michael paced back and forth beside the bed as he waited for Neo to return. He’d confessed to his father his selfish attitude and the hateful things he’d said to Neo. Spiro had only smiled and congratulated Michael for standing up for himself. According to Spiro, there would always be times of struggle but it was the ability to step back and see the other person’s point of view that made a relationship work.

  A noise in the hallway alerted him to Neo’s approach. The door opened and Neo stormed into the room, tearing off his shirt.

  “Bed. Now,” Neo growled, stepping out of his shoes and unzipping his pants.

  Michael wanted to jump for joy. Already wearing nothing but a bathrobe, Michael untied the sash and pushed the heavy terrycloth off his shoulders. “I take it Zeus was of some help?”

  “Yes.” Naked, Neo ran his hand up the length of his cock before giving the hard flesh a tight squeeze. “Twice a week feedings.” Neo grinned and shook his cock accusingly at Michael. “I can control myself, can you?”

  Michael sprawled onto the centre of the bed and spread his legs. Earlier, he’d showered and prepared himself, hoping for good news. Neo’s fangs dropped when he noticed Michael’s already stretched and lubed hole. “That depends. Did Zeus say anything about how often you can fuck me, or does the twice a week rule only pertain to feeding?”

  With a groan that sounded like pure need, Neo pounced. He flipped Michael onto his stomach and covered him with his warmth. “It will be my pleasure to fuck you as many times as you can handle.”

  Michael lifted his ass and ground it against his mate’s cock. “Then prepare yourself because you’ve got a long night ahead of you.”

  Neo playfully nipped the skin covering Michael’s shoulder blade. “You’re all talk but as soon as you come you fall asleep.”

  “Guess you’ll just have to give me something to stay awake for then.” Michael moaned when Neo’s skilled tongue lapped at the blood before it had a chance to trickle down his side. “Now stop teasing me. Let me feel those fangs sink deep, suck hard.”

  Neo insinuated his hand between their bodies and circled Michael’s hole with his finger. “Before or after I fuck you?” Neo asked, pushing two fingers inside.

  “Mmmm,” Michael moaned. He tried to spread his legs further apart but Neo’s weight prevented him from moving, torturing him even further. “Same time,” he gasped when Neo added a third finger.

  Neo used his free hand to apply lube to his cock before moving Michael’s hair off his neck. “You want both?”

  “Please,” Michael begged, balling the bedspread in his fists. The first touch of Neo’s cock as it replaced his fingers was countered with the sharp fangs piercing the flesh on his neck. As Neo slid deep inside of him, he began to feed.

  Mouth open, Michael felt every hair on his body stand on end as Neo sucked in time with his heart beat. They were one. Despite the arguments and continued adjustments of living an eternity with the same man, Michael knew, in that moment, more than just his blood was made for Neo.

  With each thrust of his hips, Neo’s cock prodded Michael’s prostate. It was an unbelievable high, one he hoped to never come down from. “Good,” Michael managed to say.

  When Michael felt Neo’s fangs leave his neck, he almost cried. It wasn’t until Neo withdrew his cock that Michael reacted verbally. “Please don’t.”

  Chuckling, Neo sat back on his heels and rolled Michael onto his back. “I’m not finished with your ass yet, but, for now, I’ve taken all the blood I can.”

  Michael wrapped his legs around Neo’s waist and held out his arms. “Help me up.”

  Neo easily pulled Michael into his lap before lifting him enough to enter him once more. Michael swivelled his hips, moving the hard length deeper. He stared into Neo’s eyes and smiled. His big strong vampire looked like a greedy little boy with food all over his chin. Michael leant forward and bathed his mate’s face.

  “Did you actually manage to get any of my blood into your mouth, or were you just saving some to enjoy later?” Michael joked.

  “I like feeling your tongue on me,” Neo whispered against Michael’s lips.

  Michael’s eyebrows rose as he braced his knees on the bed. He started a slow up and down rhythm as he opened his mouth for Neo’s questing tongue. The erotic kiss quickly ratcheted up the passion between them once again. Michael’s tongue managed to make its way into Neo’s mouth. He used it to seek out the fangs he’d come to love. Although they were sheathed, Michael ran his tongue against the pointed tip, silently begging for what he needed.

  Neo tried to pull out of the kiss, but Michael followed him, refusing to withdraw. Michael pressed harder against the tip and was rewarded when he felt the small puncture. Neo groaned as Michael’s blood coated both of their tongues. As far as Michael was concerned this wasn’t about feeding, so it should be perfectly safe.

  All too soon the puncture healed, one of the downsides of mixing Neo’s saliva with a cut. Michael withdrew his tongue and stared into Neo’s eyes once again. “I love you,” he whispered.

  “You’re my life,” Neo answered in return. He pushed Michael back onto the bed without breaking their connection. Evidently Neo was tired of the slow rhythm because within moments he was hammering in and out of Michael’s hole.

  Prostate under assault once more, Michael’s gaze was riveted to the cock that was sawing in and out his body. He reached between them and gave his own cock several hard, satisfying strokes. “You look good fucking me.”

  “Come for me,” Neo said, his eyes moving from Michael’s cock to his face. “Bathe me in it.”

  With his hand still wrapped around his cock, Michael cried out Neo’s name as he came, splashing his seed on Neo’s chest. They both watched as the pearly drops of cum began to drip from Neo’s chest to land on Michael.

  With a growl of his approaching climax, Neo sealed their bodies together, smearing the cum between them. Michael wrapped his arms around his mate and held him while Neo’s body continued to jerk with each strand of cum that shot from his cock.

  Love you. Michael didn’t say it out loud, but he felt it in every cell of his body. He buried his face against Neo’s sweat-coated neck and closed his eyes, totally content for the first time in weeks. Neo must have felt the same because before Michael could recover enough to speak, he heard the soft snores he’d come to rely on. With a smile on his face, Michael allowed himself to drift off, hoping he’d be awakened in a couple of hours for round two.

  * * * *

  “Would you like something to eat this morning?” Evelyn, their new housekeeper, asked.

  “Perhaps a few boiled eggs, if you don’t mind,” Michael answered.

  “Not at all, Sir. Would you like them served warm?”

  “No thank you. I’m not hungry at the moment. Put them in the refrigerator, please, and I’ll get them later.”

  “Very well.” Evelyn left the study as quietly as she’d entered.

  From his chair beside Neo’s, Michael watched the door close and sighed. Although Evelyn was a great addition to the household, he missed Joseph. It was hard to believe it had already been a month since Neo buried his long-time butler.

  Michael stood and stared out the window towards the newly-established cemetery. Before the kidnapping, the vineyard didn’t have need for such a thing, but Joseph’s death reminded all of them how precious life is. As hard as he tried, Neo still hadn’t warmed to the new housekeeper. Michael supposed everyone grieved in their own way. For Neo, it was spending at least an hour a day sitting at Joseph’s grave.

  Michael’s gaze travelled from the cemetery to the vineyard, coming to rest on the shadowed outline of the man he loved. It was sunrise, Neo’s favourite time of the day. Michael smiled. His lover looked so peaceful, with his handsome face turned upward to catch
the morning light as it began to peek over the horizon.

  Although he usually tried to give Neo his space at sunrise, Michael found himself opening the French door that led to the man he loved. It truly was a glorious morning. The blooming roses at the end of the row filled the air with a soft fragrance while providing a nice colour contrast to the grape leaves.

  Reaching Neo, Michael wrapped his arms around his mate’s waist and rested his cheek on Neo’s back. “Do you mind if I join you?”

  Neo reached back and hugged Michael before settling his hands on top of Michael’s. “Haig came back during the night,” Neo whispered into the still morning air.

  “Did you speak to him?” Michael asked.

  “Briefly. Evidently he sensed that Audric was staying in the dorm and wanted to know why.”

  “What did you tell him?” Michael buried his face against Neo’s back. He hated that Haig had been away from Kern for so long, but once again, everyone mourned in their own way, and for Haig, Kern mating with Audric had obviously felt like a death.

  “I told him the full moon was two days away and no one had bothered to prepare Audric for what he may be facing.”

  “You think he’ll shift?” Michael asked.

  “There’s a very real possibility. Older weres can control their shifts but younger ones can’t. And since we have no way of knowing what DNA changes took place when Kern bit Audric, someone should at least be there to help him.”

  Michael nodded. “What did Haig say to that?”

  Neo reached back and pulled Michael around to stand in front of him. “Haig wanted to know where Kern was and why he hadn’t been helping Audric. He wasn’t too happy when I told him Kern hadn’t left the house since I brought him home that day.”