by Dakota Dawn
Conlin’s worried gaze touched a soft spot in his chest that he hadn’t known was there. “Not if he’ll drink the wine mix we make. Do you think Darrin would like to work in our winemaking department?”
Conlin’s brown eyes sparkled with excitement. “We’d both love to give it a try. I’d get to work with him, right?”
“If you want to.”
“Oh yeah, I’d love to.” Conlin tapped his fingers against his thigh for a moment and then asked, “Are there any humans working in that department?”
“No, but we do have humans working in our non-blood winery in Texas. Only vampires and other beings work in the Tennessee location.”
“Good, Darrin’s not ready to be around a lot of humans.”
“He must be stronger than he realizes. Newly turned vampires that aren’t guided by a mentor almost always kill the person they first feed from. Were you the one that fed him first?” Tristan asked.
“Yes, but it wasn’t easy. He was rambling about vampires and how cold he was. I covered him with my coat and hauled him home. After putting him in this bed, I cleaned his wounds and tried to feed him some broth several times, but he threw it up every time. The last time I tried to give it to him, his fangs shot from his gums and he hissed like a wounded animal. His eyes flashed red, and he growled the word blood. That was when I knew that he’d been truly attacked by vampires. I offered him my wrist like I’d seen people do on TV, but he pushed my arm away and huddled into a ball clutching his stomach.”
Conlin stopped and rubbed his forehead for a moment. “I watched him suffer for two days before I took matters into my own hands and slit the palm of my hand. He was so weak I easily locked his jaw open with my right hand and dripped blood from my left into his mouth.”
“I’m lucky you survived. One drop of your blood could have caused him to attack and drain you. He’s a lot stronger than he realizes. Whose idea was it for him to drink bagged blood?” he asked.
“His. He was afraid to get it himself because of the nightclub down the street from the blood bank. For him, Ghost and I gladly broke into your business.” Conlin ran his fingers nervously through his hair. “You’re not overly mad about that are you?”
“Not at all. It led you to me.”
“If you can help Darrin I’ll be forever grateful.”
“I believe we can,” Tristan answered honestly.
Conlin traced the seam lines of the glove as he asked, “How did you and your brothers get turned?”
A long, low whistle came from Tristan. That was an emotional time. “We were turned two hundred years ago by Richard. He found all three of us nearly dead of a fever. All of us were so ill we don’t remember much, a soothing hand moving across our foreheads and then a slight pain in the neck and shoulder. I remember waking up in a bedroom alone. I jumped out of bed, intending to go find my brothers, but I fell in a heap on the floor instead.
“Richard walked in a second later followed by his servant Michael. He introduced himself and then deposited me back in bed. I was the first to awaken. To say the least, I was shocked about being turned. Hunger pains like I’d never felt before stabbed my stomach. Richard had to stop his welcome-to-the-family speech to teach me to feed.”
“Who did you feed from?” his mate asked. Worry evident in the words.
“Michael. He was Richard’s personal servant and second blood source. He was one tough man. Within two hours he’d feed us all our first meal. Richard blurred the pain, but I’m sure it was not pleasant feeding so many new vampires at one time. Richard guessed the hunger hit us fast and hard because we hadn’t eaten in a week. That damn fever took a lot of lives. All of our friends and family died. Back then small things could kill a whole town of people.”
“I’m glad Richard saved you. Did he do that a lot?”
“What?” He had been lost in the past for a moment, remembering his parents and littler sister. The pain of their death had dulled, but it never went totally away.
“Turn sick humans,” Conlin reminded him.
“No. We were the only ones he ever turned. I don’t think he even knew for sure why he turned us.”
“Is his still alive?”
“No. He died fifty years ago, staked through the heart by an old lover who’d gone insane. Luke, Richard’s mate, returned the favor by putting a stake through the crazy vampire’s heart. For five years Luke wandered from place to place, and when he showed up at our place we asked him to stay. You’ll meet him later tonight. He was away visiting a friend when I found you.”
“I’m glad you found me,” Conlin said with a small smile.
“Me, too. You ready to gather yours and Darrin’s belongings?” Tristan asked.
“If you’re sure you want us around full-time? Do you need to think about it some more? We could find a way to work. You don’t have to take us in.”
Leaning down, he brushed his lips across his mate’s. “I’m sure. My heart couldn’t take being separated from you.” He enjoyed the blush that colored Conlin’s cheeks.
They filled two backpacks and one duffle bag with all of their belongings. Tristan was amazed with his mate’s lack of caring for material things. Most people could find fault in a five-star hotel suite, but Conlin was content with a roof over his head and several bowls of cereal. Tristan made a mental note to stock the cabinets full of marshmallow cereal and the fridge with milk. He shuddered at the thought of Conlin without his cereal.
“Are you all right?” his mate asked.
“Sure. Just a stray breeze that caught me off guard,” he lied. There was no way he was revisiting the reason they’d had to hurry over here.
With each holding a backpack, Tristan grabbed the duffle bag and said, “Loop your arm through mine.”
In mere seconds, he had them back in his rooms. His phone rang as soon as they were solid once more. “Luke, it’s good to hear your voice. Hope your visit was relaxing.”
“It was, but coming home to find a fucking ghost in the great room who has the audacity to demand to see you shot it all to hell. You want me to cast a mute spell on him?” Luke asked seriously.
Tristan was tempted. One look at Conlin and he knew he couldn’t let Luke do it. “Thanks, but no. Tell him he can come into my living room.
Before Luke hung up, he heard the elf say, “Take your scrawny butt to his living room.”
Ghost appeared in the room a second later. He got some satisfaction when the spirit looked nervously over his shoulder. The floating mess probably feared Luke had changed his mind about the mute spell and was coming after him.
Conlin smiling at seeing his friend made Tristan cringe inwardly. How could his mate like the outspoken spirit?
Ghost floated to Conlin and wrapped his see-through arms around the man. “I’m so glad you’re still alive. I was looking for your ghost.” Ghost found Tristan in the room and stared pointedly at him.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Conlin asked.
Ghost floated back a foot and glared harder at Tristan. “He could have become too hungry to control his animalistic tendencies.” The spirit snapped his fingers. “That fast, he could turn on you.”
The only thing that stopped him from sending the spirit out of this realm was the fear that the little bastard would land in paradise.
“Nice snapping-sound effect. How long did it take you to synchronize your fingers with your voice making the noise?” he asked snidely.
“One day,” Ghost retorted with a huff.
“That’s not true. It took you six months of constant practice to get it down,” Conlin blurted.
“See, Conlin. This is why I don’t like you spending so much time with him. You don’t even know him and you’re telling him everything he wants to know. It’s like he’s got a sick spell cast over you. Have you even seen Darrin today?” At Conlin’s guilty look, Ghost snorted. “You don’t even know if he’s still alive, do you?”
The doubtful look his mate shot his way had Tristan fuming. “Your brother i
s alive and well. Let’s go to his room so you can see for yourself.” He fished out his phone and called Caleb.
Chapter Six
Conlin felt like crap. Ghost was right. Tristan seemed to have some strange hold over him. He hadn’t even worried about Darrin, and he’d been up for at least two hours. Usually he saw his brother within minutes of waking.
Tristan hung up his phone and put his arm around Conlin’s shoulder. “Don’t let Ghost get you down. Mated souls naturally think of each other first and family and friends second.”
The vamp’s words made him feel a little better. He wished Ghost and Tristan could get along.
With a raised brow, Tristan directed a sarcastic question at Ghost. “Don’t you have a family member to haunt?”
At the spirit’s crestfallen face, he elbowed the vamp in the side. “Go easy on him.”
“Not likely. I’ve seen orphans grow up and be nicer than him. He’s an ass because he chooses to be one. How the hell did you get stuck with him? Ghost is the opposite of you,” Tristan said grumpily.
“No. Conlin is the opposite of you. He was a bright light beckoning me. I’ll never forget how happy seeing him made me. I dragged myself from the bottom of the lake and followed him. His soul is so innocent and fresh that I can’t resist the need to be around him.” Ghost narrowed his eyes and glared at Tristan. “You on the other hand are another matter all together. I won’t let you tarnish him.”
A growl rumbled from Tristan’s chest right before his eyes turned red and he bellowed, “Get out of my house.”
Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Conlin shook his head as Ghost squeaked and disappeared. “Do you really have to do that?”
After taking three calming breaths, the vamp’s eyes returned to their naturally beautiful color. “Yes. I hate it when he tries to come between us.”
“Try to think of him as a lost soul. He found me when I was looking for Darrin, since Darrin had been fishing in the Kentucky Lake when he was attacked. That has to be the lake Ghost died in or his body is in. The poor man can’t remember what happened to him or who he was. He stood by my side through those first hellish days after Darrin was attacked, and he’s been with me every day since. Give him time. You’ll like him if you’ll give him a chance.” Conlin hoped his lover would give his friend a chance. If Tristan didn’t, he wasn’t sure what he’d do. They were both important to him.
“I’ll try. You ready to go see Darrin? Caleb was the brother I was talking to a minute ago. He told me where he’d put your brother,” Tristan said.
“Did he say how Darrin is doing?” Conlin asked.
“Yep, he said Darrin is doing fine and has already drunk a glass of Morning wine,” Tristan replied right before he misted them into the bedroom Darrin was in.
Conlin only had to take one steadying breath after the teleport that time. He was getting better at it. Darrin had him wrapped in his arms before he was able to finish his last thought.
The arms didn’t stay around him for long, though. “Man, you stink. I know Tristan likes his scent on you, but this is extreme.”
A picture of all the sex he’d had recently and all the semen that had been released on him spread through his mind. After all that mating he’d been too exhausted to shower and he was useless in the morning until after he’d eaten his cereal. Then there was the wildcat and then Ghost giving him a guilt trip. Hell, he didn’t even have a shirt on yet.
“I’ll take a shower in a bit. I just wanted to check on you. How are you doing? You felt stronger than normal when you hugged me.” Conlin spotted Ghost behind Darrin and nodded to him. He was glad his friend was all right.
“The blood wine is making me stronger. I wasn’t feeding often enough. Caleb was here giving me some pointers on how to be healthy.” Darrin switched his gaze to Tristan. “He said I could work for your company. I’d like to.”
“We’re glad to have you, Darrin. Conlin told me you both enjoy cooking.” At Darrin’s nod, he continued, “You and Conlin can work the winery if you’d like. You’d be trained at making and checking batches of wine. If you come up with a new flavor we’d be willing to try a batch of any wine we think will be successful. We have several blood types mixed with spices and wine that are so popular we make them year round. Other blends we just make once a year,” Tristan said to both brothers.
“I really enjoy the Evening Delight mix. The spices make the O-positive burst with flavor. When can we see the winery?” Darrin spoke with more passion than Conlin had seen from him in years.
He hoped Tristan and his family were just what he and Darrin needed to get their lives back on track. From the excited gleam in his brother’s eyes, he thought they were.
“Your enthusiasm is a good sign. So is the fact that you figured out the spices make the blood type pop with flavor. After your brother has a shower, I’ll show both of you the winery,” Tristan said.
“Sounds great. A clean Conlin will be more pleasant to walk beside.” Darrin nodded at Ghost, who bobbed his head in agreement.
“Hey, I’ve been busy,” he defended himself.
“We all know what you’ve been busy doing,” Darrin replied with wiggling eyebrows.
Conlin could feel heat rising from his neck to his face. “Yeah, well, I’ve had a good time getting this rank.” He sniffed his underarm and made a face. “That smell I could do without. Tristan, can you take me back to your rooms so I can get cleaned up?”
“Yes. We’ll meet you in the great room in an hour, Darrin,” Tristan stated and then misted them to his rooms.
Obviously, the vamp didn’t feel he needed to wait for Darrin’s response. That was arrogant of him. Conlin admitted to himself that Tristan’s take-charge personality and power was a turn-on to him.
Part of the vamp’s power was being able to mist. There was something he needed answered. He looked at Tristan. “When you mist into a room with other people in it, how do you stop yourself from forming on top of others in the room?”
“Our auras won’t let us materialize on top of anyone. If a person is in the spot we are going we automatically shift to the closest area that is clear,” Tristan answered.
“Ah, your auras sense each other’s. That’s cool.”
“Yes, it is. I’ll be back for you in an hour. I have some business to take care of,” Tristan said right before he kissed Conlin firmly on the lips. Before he could deepen the kiss, Tristan misted from the room. This was for the best. He needed a shower more than sex right now. Considering his new high sex drive, that said a lot.
* * * *
Staring around in awe, Conlin tried to absorb as much of the room as he could. Huge stainless steel vats lined the room. Tristan was telling him, Darrin, and Ghost that this was the room where the wine went through the first fermentation.
“How long will it stay here?” Darrin asked.
“Two weeks,” Tristan answered and was about to say something else when Drake misted into the room.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to you in my office, Tristan,” Drake said.
“I’m in the middle of showing them the winery. Can’t it wait?” Tristan asked with frustration dripping from his voice.
“No, it can’t. Vance has some information you need to hear.” Drake’s response was firm.
“Fine.” Tristan retrieved his phone and pressed the screen. “Joaquin, I need you to show the winery to my mate and Darrin. I’ve got to go now.”
Conlin watched as Tristan just hung up. The man had some serious manners issues. The vamp’s eyes locked with his, and Conlin felt his knees weaken. Those beautiful golden eyes threaded with green strands always took his breath away. Maybe he could overlook the man’s lack of manners after all. Unable to stop his wayward gaze, he found himself staring at the tented front of Tristan’s jeans. The urge to drop to his knees and suck that huge cock was getting stronger by the second. He took a step toward Tristan.
“Tristan. Not now. Vance is waiting, remember?” Drake sta
ted gently so as not to startle his heated brother.
With a shake of his head, Tristan dragged his gaze to his brother. “Right.”
A noise behind him had Conlin turning to watch a man as tall as Tristan walk in. His blue eyes coldly swept over Darrin, Ghost, and himself.
“Joaquin, I’d like you to meet my mate, Conlin, and his brother, Darrin. They are interested in working here, so make sure you answer all of their questions,” Tristan said, leaving Ghost out of the introductions.
Conlin wondered for a moment if Joaquin could see the spirit. When the vamp’s gaze travelled over Ghost, he knew the vamp could. Sadly, he didn’t ask who ghost was. These vampires were coldhearted. He knew the huff Ghost released was a cover up for his hurt feelings.
“Will do, boss,” the cold-eyed vamp responded.
After brushing his lips across Conlin’s, Tristan looked at his brother, and they both misted from the room leaving them alone with the ice man.
“Tristan was telling us the wine will stay here for two weeks, but he didn’t mention where the grapes come from,” Darrin said. His gaze scanned the room eagerly.
“The grapes come from our vineyard in Texas,” Joaquin answered with a bored tone.
“If you have a vineyard in Texas, why don’t you have one here?” Darrin asked.
With a sigh, ice man responded, “Because this property is covered with trees. Grapevines like sun.”
“Has the blood been added yet?” Conlin asked. He couldn’t hold the question back even though he knew their questions bothered the vamp.
“No. Let’s start walking on to the next room.”
After walking what felt like a quarter of a mile they entered another room that was filled with stainless steel tanks and wooden barrels. Both types of holding containers went on beyond their vision. The place was enormous.
“After its two weeks are done in the vats, this is where the wine is pumped to and then mixed with blood and spices. Depending on the taste we are looking for, the wine will stay here anywhere from six months to ten years.” The blue-eyed vamp looked like he hated giving tours.