Like Magnets, We Attract

by Jaye Valentine

  "Looking for a bloke, m'lord?” His voice sounded strong and confident, almost surly. He reached out and touched my chest.

  "Yes."

  "Looking for a particular lad?” His hand found an opening in my shirt. He slid a couple fingers in and ran them through my chest hair.

  "No. You'll do just fine.” I looked at him and smiled. I could feel his heart beating faster as he responded to my answer. I moved his hand out of my shirt and escorted him to the door.

  I took him to my room. I didn't ask him his name and he didn't ask me mine. No need for niceties; our meeting was merchant's business. I shut and locked the door behind us. His lips were on mine almost immediately. I picked him up and took him to my bed and laid him down gently. The hunger rose as we reached our limits.

  All I could see was Stephan.

  I collapsed on top of him, my face resting against his shoulder when Stephan once again appeared in my mind. The anger and need for revenge began to suffocate me. Suddenly the hunger for blood was more than I could tolerate. I sank my teeth into his neck. I felt his body tremble as my teeth broke through the skin. I drank from him, nourishing my exhausted body. Before long he laid lifeless in my arms.

  * * * *

  Every night thereafter, for more than two and a half centuries, I searched the streets of London hoping to find Stephan, hoping to finally put an end to my suffering. Every night I would find someone else to take his place. Someone else to nourish my desire for blood and revenge.

  Every night until I met Tony.

  As the millennium came and went, my suffering had not gone away. If I were ever to escape from the memories of what Stephan had done to me, I knew I had to leave London. I packed my belongings, those with which I could travel easily, and left the rest of my life behind. I headed for America. I stole away on a freightliner, not quite sure where it was headed, and ended up here in Savannah as so many of my countrymen had before.

  I was foolish to think moving would change anything. I still needed blood to survive, and each time a young man would approach me, the anger of hundreds of years would surface. The kills were just as violent as they had been in my home country.

  Several months later, I once again walked the dark streets and came across a small bar whose entrance was down an alley. I opened up the door and went inside. The place was empty except for a few customers. I walked up to the bar, ordered a gin, and found a small table in the back from which I could watch people.

  I was into my third drink, feeling a bit lightheaded from the lack of feeding, when I noticed someone looking at me. I returned the look and smiled. He seemed embarrassed to have been caught and quickly looked away. I sat there watching him out of the corner of my eye. I saw his head turn in my direction. I raised my glass to him and motioned him over with my finger. He hesitated, looked away, and then slowly moved from the barstool.

  As he approached, I could smell his scent. It intoxicated me. He stopped at the edge of the table. His hands trembled. I motioned for him to sit down.

  "I'm Alex.” I spoke quietly hoping it would set him at ease. He reminded me of my former self, not so much in looks but in manner. His brown hair was cut short, slightly spiked on top. His large brown eyes looked at me with nervous excitement. He wore a tight fitting t-shirt that showed off his defined chest and stomach. I waited for a response. When none came, I reached out my hand to his. My heart went out to him. It was as if I had known him my entire life. My hand seemed to comfort him.

  "I'm Tony.” The tone in his voice trembled slightly. “I...” He paused then cleared his voice and started again. “I like your accent. Where are you from?” He seemed to relax a bit.

  "London originally, but I've been in Savannah for a couple years.” I finished off my drink and asked Tony if he wanted another. He said he did. I got up and walked to the bar. I could feel Tony's eyes on my back, watching every move I made. It excited me.

  We were silent while we finished our drinks. My head buzzed from the alcohol and hunger. I could smell his blood, feel his heartbeat from across the table. My stomach grumbled, letting me know it was angry with me. I feared speaking to him; afraid I would get to know him too well and that would have spoiled my dinner. I hated feeding on someone I knew.

  I knew what he wanted. He was like all the rest of them in that way. He didn't care for me. All he wanted was my body, my sex. I decided it was time to give him what he desired.

  "You want to come back to my place?” I asked as I moved my hands onto his. His pulse was strong. It would be a good feed.

  "I...” He stumbled with his words as he pulled his eyes from mine. “I've never done this before.” He looked back at me. “I mean sex with a man."

  "Really?” I tried to act surprised.

  "I guess I've always wanted to wait, to give my body to someone I loved. Not just for the sake of having sex.” His embarrassment over this confession was all too obvious.

  "I take it that you decline my invitation."

  "No, that's not what I meant.” He spoke quickly. “I knew you were the one from the moment I saw you.” His voice began to tremble, but he continued. “I've never met anyone like you before. There's something special I see in you, something I've never found in anyone else."

  I sat there staring at him; shocked at the words I was hearing. Damn him, I thought to myself. Now he's made this personal. The sooner I get this one over with the better.

  "You okay?"

  "Tony, I'm fine. I just wasn't prepared to hear those words. We've only known each other"—I looked at my watch—"for a little less than an hour. It's been a long time, longer than you can even imagine, since I've heard those words.” He smiled at me causing my mind to stop. I quickly added, “Let's get out of here."

  We walked along Bull Street, enjoying the warm spring air. We stopped briefly to admire the beauty of Monterey Square, lit only by the light of the moon. Tony seemed to hesitate as we walked up to my home. I took him by the hand and led him inside.

  I went to him and ran my finger down his cheek. I traced his lips before leaning down and kissing him. His mouth opened immediately to mine. His taste was sweet. His hands ran down my back and found their way under my shirt. The warmth of his touch aroused me. I stepped back and pulled my shirt over my head. He kissed my neck. Moving downward, his tongue caressed my nipples and they became erect in his mouth. I pulled him off me and pushed him against the wall. He looked startled at my aggressiveness. I studied his body, noticing the erection in his pants. In my mind, his body and form seemed to change. In front of me stood Stephan, glaring and mocking me.

  I went to him, ripping at his shirt, exposing his smooth, hairless body. The scent of his body, his blood invaded me. I pressed my body against his. I felt his cock expand as my crotch pressed against his.

  "Alex,” he moaned. “I've never known..."

  "Don't speak.” I placed a finger to his lips.

  I knelt in front of him. I unbuckled his belt and lowered his zipper. He stood motionless as I removed his pants and underwear. His cock fell heavily between his legs. The scent of his over-anxious body drew me closer. My tongue lifted his thickness and guided it into my mouth. I could taste his excitement. The salty-sweetness was like freshly drawn blood to my hunger. I wanted to love upon him. To give him everything he had waited for, to bring pleasure to him that he would never forget. I released his sex from my mouth and stood up to remove my pants. I picked him up and carried him to the bed. I knew I had to end this. I couldn't let him take control of me like this.

  I lay my naked body down on his. His sex pressed up against mine. I raised his legs, preparing myself to enter him. He stopped me.

  "Alex. You're too large,” he muttered. “I won't be able to take you."

  "Don't worry. I know how to do this.” I kissed his neck, savoring the anticipation of my next meal. “Just relax, I won't hurt you."

  He took a deep breath and relaxed. His virgin arse was small and tight. The thrill of entering him excited me even m
ore. I felt the muscles in his body tighten, working against me. He gasped as my thickness gained access. The warmth of him surrounded me as I moved further inside. The tightness of his muscles squeezed my prick. I moved deeper. His body became wet with sweat, his breath heavy against my face. I moved deeper, my stomach churning with desire. I kissed his neck, feeling the blood flowing beneath the surface of his skin—it made my hunger grow. I licked and sucked on his neck, warming the skin for the incision with my teeth. I felt his heart beating faster, the blood rapidly moving within. I licked my lips and exposed my teeth. I raised my head to make the initial plunge.

  "I will love you forever!” he whispered into my ear.

  My eyes widened; my heart stopped. I froze as my teeth were just scratching the surface of Tony's neck. I jumped up, my sex still inside him. The look on my face must have startled him. He panicked and pulled away from me, pulling me out of him. I looked at him, seeing myself in his eyes. Tears filled my eyes, tears I didn't know I had. Looking at him was looking at myself in a mirror. I couldn't take from him what had been taken from me. I loved Stephan during that moment, the moment just before he had killed me, and now I was about to do the same thing to Tony. I turned away from him and sat on the edge of the bed, my hands over my face to hide my teeth.

  "You need to leave Tony.” I spoke softly, but I knew he heard my words. “Please, you don't know me. I don't want you to see me as I am.” The words he spoke I will never forget.

  "You don't want me to see?” He moved behind me, his hands on my shoulders. “See what? That you're not like me? I know that. I know what you are."

  I turned around quickly at his words and looked at him. His eyes were warm and caring as they looked at me, at my body. I saw in his eyes that he did see the true me. He knew I was not like him.

  "Why me? Why would you want to be with someone like me, someone who has to kill to survive?"

  "Just look at yourself!” He started to giggle, as if realizing the impossibility of that statement. “Sorry.” He pulled me around to face him. “You're incredibly sexy, you're young, and you will always stay that way.” He touched my face then continued. “All I want in life is to be able to love someone and have them love me back. I don't want to have to face the day when someone I'm with will die. I don't want to have to face those long, lonely nights afterward, living a life filled with regrets."

  "But you don't understand my life. It's ugly and cold."

  "I know you have to kill to survive, and I'm willing to accept that. All I ask is that you let me love you, and that you love me in return. I know this can work; you just have to believe and let me get close to you."

  He became quiet in that moment. My mind raced with thoughts and emotions. I didn't know what to say—all I knew was that I loved him. I wiped the tears from my face and kissed him. We fell back to the bed wrapped in each other's arms. I let him enter me, something I had never let anyone do since the night with Stephan. His cock was long and slender, and filled me with immense pleasure. In those moments with him, I felt I was once again alive.

  That night was nine months ago. Since then, Tony and I have become inseparable except for those long, lonely daytime hours when Tony must work and I must sleep. Meeting Tony has changed my life. He has shown me, for the first time, what it is like to be alive. When I'm with him, I feel like I have been given a second chance. I no longer thirst for revenge against my sire. Instead, my kills are quick and relatively painless for my victims. I kill only to survive.

  Tony became an integral part of my feeding, and I soon realized that if Tony could accept my feeding—the darkest side to my life—then there was nothing that could harm us. How deceitful I had been to myself and to him to think that nothing could separate us. The deception came to the forefront last evening. Tony asked me to change him, to make him like me so we would never be separated, not even by his own death.

  I hope he understands what those words did to me. I cannot take from him his life, no matter how tempting the thought of being able to live forever with him. I hope someday he will find these pages and understand why I had to do what I'm about to do.

  The sun is almost upon the new day and it is time I end this journal. To find my way to the ocean's edge and, for the first time in hundreds of years, watch the sun come up over the horizon. The last thing my eyes will see is the glorious colors of a new day. The last thing my mind will see will be the face of my beloved Tony. How strange it seems to know this will be my last entry. I want to leave by saying this.

  Tony, I will love you forever.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Common Ground

  by Cassidy Ryan & Tyler McKenzie

  Bryce Kennedy took the steps two at a time. Sweat dripped into his eyes and he dashed it aside along with wet bangs as his chest heaved with exertion. Standing at the top of the stairs, moving just enough to keep himself from cooling down too rapidly, Shay Gibson focused all his attention on Bryce, silently willing him to come on, come on, keep going...

  It was their fifth time running the stairs in the college football stadium. Shay could see the pain on Bryce's face, and right there with the pain was more determination than Shay could ever remember seeing on the face of another man.

  As he watched Bryce approach, Shay thought back to the day Bryce had come to him, captain of the soccer team, and offered to pay for help getting ready to take the FBI entrance physical exam. Shay had taken one look at Bryce—tall, underweight, all knees and elbows like a poster boy for computer geeks everywhere—and thought it would be the hardest damn paycheck he'd ever earned.

  Three months later? Damned if Bryce Kennedy wasn't just about the most impressive man Shay had ever met. Bryce ran the four miles from his apartment to the gym every morning at five where he would meet Shay to start on the fitness plan Shay had worked out for him. After school, Bryce would either run laps at the track or tackle the stairs in the stadium.

  The first time Shay had Bryce run the stairs, Bryce had gotten halfway up the first flight and almost passed out—when he got to the top he had puked his guts out. He stuck rigidly to the diet Shay had created for him, and he hadn't bitched or whined even once in Shay's earshot. Bryce had the kind of willpower and strength of spirit that athletes at the very top of their game would sell their souls for.

  Then there was the fact that Bryce was a genuinely decent guy, with an easy manner and open, friendly nature that was a rare find. But Shay was trying his hardest not to think about that. This was a paying job, nothing more. Bryce couldn't possibly find anything attractive about a man who had gotten into college on a sports scholarship and was majoring in physical education. A man who struggled every single day with his coursework thanks to dyslexia that left him with the reading abilities of a twelve-year-old. Bryce Kennedy was brilliant. He should find someone who matched him on an intellectual level; he deserved no less.

  As he drew to a halt two steps below Shay and bent over with his hands on his knees, Bryce dragged in air and grinned widely. “I feel like doing a little victory dance, you know, like that scene in Rocky?"

  Shay laughed out loud at that image. “Okay, Champ, let's go before your ego gets as big as your biceps.” Shay cringed inwardly at his own words. He really didn't want to be thinking about the physical changes the last three months had wrought on Bryce.

  * * * *

  Bryce tilted his head back, rinsing the shampoo out of his hair and enjoying the steaming hot water. He still couldn't believe that after only three months, he was already seeing dramatic changes in his muscle definition and endurance. The first time he had stared at the top of the stairs from the stadium grounds, it had seemed like an impossible task, but to his genuine and unending surprise, Bryce was actually beginning to enjoy working out, and he had Shay to thank. Shay had provided the motivation he needed to get started, and Shay's intensity was infectious.

  Bryce grabbed the soap and started to wash off, appreciating the new form of his own physique. Some might even mista
ke him for a jock. As a self-identified geek, Bryce had never been too concerned about his outward appearance. Sitting in front of a computer, easily losing track of hours that seemed to pass within a few blinks, didn't do much for building muscles. Instead, Bryce had put his hard work into creating computer programs, including a strategy action game that had become quite popular among his fellow students.

  As he relaxed, Bryce's mind began to wander to his game and the improvements he wanted to make. All his free time used to be spent beefing up his game, but lately he had given up a lot of that time to work with Shay, and it was definitely worth it.

  Distracted by his thoughts, Bryce turned off the water and grabbed his towel, walking out to his locker and mumbling algorithms under his breath. He came to a sudden halt when he looked up and saw Shay, already dressed and standing in front of him. Shay may not dress in the latest fashions, but the guy carried himself well and had a body that Bryce had noticed from the start.

  Bryce watched as Shay finished drying his hair—dark blond hair so different from Bryce's own boring brown, with curls that just begged to be played with. Then Shay slipped on the thin, wire-frame glasses that completed his look, drawing attention to blue-green eyes so crisp and deep a man could fall into them. Bryce had noticed those eyes right away—they were definitely Shay's best feature among his otherwise average looks. He tried not to dwell on the fact that late at night, when he let his fantasies take over, what Bryce saw in his mind as he came were blue-green eyes staring back at him.

  Thinking of those gorgeous eyes started to have an effect on Bryce's body, and before losing all control he turned his focus back to his locker. He had never lacked for dates in the past and had long ago realized that his looks were better than average. Blessed with 20/20 vision, Bryce had never needed corrective lenses, but there was something about a man with glasses that set him off. Every time Shay wrinkled his nose to push his glasses up, Bryce had to fight to resist reaching over to help him out.