by Eve Newton
“That’s what you think,” Cole says, even though he knows it is probably a lie, and Constantine probably does as well.
“Really?” he asks in mock disbelief. “So she speaks with you about the plans we make for our future?”
Cole bunches his fists against his sides and grits his teeth. “You don’t have a future with her. Not until I say so, and I will never let her go.”
“Until you say so?” Constantine repeats in genuine disbelief now.
“That’s right,” Cole says, pleased to have knocked him off his peg, even by a fraction of an inch. “I will never leave her. That’s what your whole plan hinges on, doesn’t it? Me leaving her. You know that she won’t leave me. She chose me. She chose me to turn so she could love me forever and be my wife. She chose me in Vegas when I offered to let her go. Do you really think that if she wanted to be with you, she would have turned me down?” Cole is goading him and is not ashamed to admit that the look in the older Vampire’s eyes scares him. Cole has seen his ruthlessness and he has heard the tales of his bloodthirsty ‘Roman warrior’ side. He takes one look at the sheer hatred in Constantine’s eyes, that have now gone jet black, to know that the tales are the stone-cold truth. No fiction necessary.
“She won’t leave you because she would never abandon a new charge,” Constantine says calmly, which is in complete contrast to the rage swirling in his eyes. “Make no mistake that when she thinks you are strong enough; she will leave you and come to me.”
“We’ll see,” Cole says offhandedly, not wanting Constantine to know that he is getting to him. Cole turns to head up the rest of the stairs, wanting to get as far away from those evil eyes as possible, but Constantine stops him with his next words, uttered just as quietly, just as calmly as before.
“She is already taking steps in preparation for becoming my wife. She has taken ownership of half of my estate and calls our castle our home.” If that wasn’t enough to rip Cole’s heart out, he continues, lowering his voice even further, “She cannot keep her hands off me when we are alone together and she tells me she cannot wait to be with me, to be my wife. When I am buried deep inside her, with my arms wrapped tightly around her, in our bed, with her lips pressed against me, she tells me how much she loves me and needs me.”
Cole raises his clenched fist and, hoping desperately that he gets out of this alive, he pulls back his arm to punch Constantine in the face, but his hand has closed over Cole’s before he could blink.
“I would think very carefully about that next move,” Constantine warns him as his hand tightens.
He can see Constantine’s muscles bunch up on his bare chest before the sickening snap of his bones and the blinding pain that comes as he breaks his hand. Mother of fuck that hurts, but Cole won’t give him the satisfaction of showing just how much.
“You will learn respect if I have to wait for these moments to teach it to you. I can be a patient man. I can wait for the next one.” Constantine squeezes his hand again and Cole’s focus goes blurry before he lets go.
“Constantine?” Sebastian asks, at his side in concern.
Fuck, his hand hurts, Cole thinks before he straightens it and it heals and thankfully the pain goes.
“Is everything okay?” Sebastian asks.
“Yes, no problem,” Constantine says with a loving smile to his charge, which turns to ice as he glares back at Cole. Cole returns the glare and stomps up the remaining stairs to the bedroom, practically punching the damn door off its hinges. He detests that man so much. None of what he said was true. He was just saying it to get to him. Liv wouldn’t do that to him. He knows she wouldn’t. He turns to close the door and catches sight of the two of them disappearing into Sebastian’s room. He flexes his hand, but it’s fine now, and he raises his eyebrow as he quietly closes the door. They are both dressed in just pajama bottoms, although Constantine had a robe on. Could it be that there is more to that relationship? Cole has often wondered how he shows affection to his male charges. Or at least how same sex sire-charge relationships in general work. He has to suppose that in his two thousand plus years, Constantine has been with men as well as women. He just never would have expected to see it. He wonders if Liv knows that he is screwing Sebastian behind her back. She said he was remaining faithful to her, so he is betting not. That makes him smile as he now has something to tell her that she probably won’t be best pleased about. And he doesn’t feel as filthy as he did earlier, knowing that he isn’t less for giving in to his need. Seems Constantine is just as disgusting. He strips off and balls up his clothes into the hamper and stands under the shower for a good few minutes before he washes thoroughly and turns the jets off. He is bone tired now. It creeps up on him when she isn’t here. It’s 4 AM and this is his normal time to wake up. Thank fuck that he doesn’t have to go in today. His head hits the pillow and he is about to crash when he hears Liv call to him. “Cole?”
His eyes fly open and he sits up. He is still alone. He must have already been dreaming.
“Cole?” He hears her again.
“Liv?” he asks out loud, feeling a bit ridiculous.
“Hey, baby,” she says.
“Hi. How are you doing this?” Cole asks in wonder.
“Just a little trick I picked up. Close your eyes,” she says.
He closes them and he can see her smiling at him. “I have been trying to reach you for ages. Where have you been?” she asks.
He sighs. “I will tell you, but first, are you okay? Are you still locked up?”
“No, I’m out. I’m fine.”
“I wish you had told me about your father,” he says petulantly.
“I wanted to be sure before I mentioned it. It is a pretty big deal. I’ll tell you all the details later,” she says, ignoring his tone.
“Okay, but you are sure everything is fine?”
“Yes. Drake seems to be quite the tyrant. Everyone is shit scared of him, but I think I amuse him,” she says with a small chuckle.
“He is treating you well?”
“As well as I would expect, I suppose. It’s all very weird here. I’m going to stay until the day after tomorrow. There is this Coronation thing he wants me to stay for. I’ll come back after that. This morning there is this naming thing I have to go to. I’m waiting for him to come and get me,” she says.
“I need you,” he says softly.
“I know, baby. I’m sorry I’m not there. I must do this to keep you safe, but I want to as well. Tell me you understand,” she says just as softly.
It’s a demand, not a question. He wants to tell her that he doesn’t understand, that he wants her to come home right away, but instead he says, “Yeah, of course. Don’t let him treat you badly.”
“Thank you, my love. I won’t. He finds my attitude towards him a change from the norm, I think.”
“Well, give him Hell.”
“I will. I have had plenty of practice at defying authority,” she says and laughs her sweet laugh. “Are you getting on all right with…everyone?”
The pause speaks volumes. What she means is, is he getting on all right with Constantine without her there as a buffer. Every fiber of his being is screaming to tell her about the incident on the stairs, but she will only fuss and worry. “Yes. Don’t worry about us, just take care of yourself.”
“Always,” she says with a hint of arrogance that makes him smile. “Now, you had something to tell me about where you were?”
“Err, yeah. Fuck, Liv. I’m so sorry, just please know that before I tell you where I was. I miss you so much, I was going crazy. I went to see another woman,” he says in a rush and there is silence, and he can see her in his head narrowing her eyes at him.
“Okaaay,” she draws it out as she crosses her arms. “I assume you did more than just see her?”
“Yes. I fucked her, but that’s all it was. I have no feelings for her at all. I just needed a release. I’m sorry,” He bites his lip waiting for her response.
“It’s okay, b
aby. I get it. Really, I do. I know it’s difficult for you when I’m not there. Especially as you are still so new,” she says.
“You’re not mad?” he asks her, wishing just a little bit, that she was so he would know she is jealous.
“No, of course not. How can I be mad at you for doing something I have asked you to do? I’d rather you spoke to me about it first, but I know that wasn’t possible. I know you need a human you feel you have control over,” she says.
“She’s a Vampire,” he admits, the feeling of dread welling up as she isn’t going to understand, after all.
“Oh,” she says flatly, and he cringes. “One younger than you?” It is almost a warning. His first instinct is to lie, but she will know.
“No.” He comes clean.
“I see. Where did you meet her?” she asks stiffly.
“Work. She’s working on the movie,” Cole says.
Silence.
“Liv? Are you still there?”
“Yes, of course. I’m just surprised, that’s all. But it doesn’t matter. I know you have a high sex drive and if I’m not there, I can’t expect you to go unfulfilled. All new male Vampires feel what you are, but it’s worse for you because I am away so much.” She rationalizes it for him, and he wishes that she hadn’t. He wishes that she would yell and cry, and then he feels awful that he wants her to feel pain. He is so confused right now in his exhausted state.
“I need you,” he says again, hating the desperation in his voice. “I need you to come home.”
“I know, baby, I will be back soon. I have to see this through and then I’ll be home,” she soothes.
“I’m aching for you,” he says softly as he starts to ache again.
“Take your hand and pretend it’s mine,” she says. “Stroke yourself.”
“It’s not the same,” he complains, but he does it anyway.
“I know, but just picture me pleasing you.”
He can still see her in his head, smiling gently at him. “I need it wet,” he mumbles.
“There’s lotion in my bedside cabinet,” Liv says. “Use that.”
“So practical,” Cole says and chuckles as he leans over and grabs the bottle. He squirts it onto his hands and rubs them together and then he resumes his jerking off.
“Better?” she asks.
“Yes,” he says. “Tell me what you want to do to me.”
“I want to take you in my mouth and lick you and suck you until you are so hard,” she says, and he moans softly as he can almost feel her doing it. Cole turns onto his side as she continues to speak and he carries on with his hand, speeding up as she heats up the conversation.
“Feel me slide down your cock. Wet and ready for you,” Liv murmurs. “I want you inside me so I can ride you until you can’t hold on any longer.”
“Oh, Liv,” he cries out louder than he should have. “Oh, baby,” he says quieter.
“Take your other hand and gently squeeze your balls,” she says, and he does.
“Oh, God that feels good,” he says. “Fuck, I need you.”
“Keep stroking yourself,” she says, and he is seconds away from letting go. “Shit, Drake’s here, I have to go.”
Cole’s eyes fly open. “No!” he shouts. “Don’t go, Liv, please.”
“I’m sorry, my love, I’ve got to go. I’ll contact you later. Don’t stray too far from the house, I need a visualization to be able to reach you.”
His hand is still pumping away at himself, he can’t stop, but he doesn’t want her to go. “Stay, Liv, please,” he begs her.
“I love you,” she whispers and then he can’t see her in his head anymore. She’s gone.
“Liv?” he calls her, but she doesn’t answer. “Liv, I love you.” He groans loudly as he comes for the second time that night all over her side of the bed.
“Cole?” There’s knocking on the door. “You okay?” Devon pushes the door open and Cole sighs.
“Yeah,” he says and pulls the sheets up over the stains and himself.
“Ah, crap. Sorry,” Devon says. “I heard you talking to yourself. I didn’t realize you were…” He waves his hand about.
“I was talking to Liv,” Cole says.
“Come again?” Devon says, now stepping into the room.
“She was here, in my head talking to me,” Cole explains.
“Telepathy?” Devon asks. “Neat trick.”
“Yeah, she was just, you know, making sure I was okay.” Cole flushes slightly as he looks away.
“Is she okay?” Devon asks quickly.
“Fine. I’ll tell everyone together so I’m not repeating myself.”
“Fair enough,” Devon says and hovers for a moment.
“Something I can help you with?” Cole asks him.
“Uh,” he says hesitantly. “I just want to know if you are okay? I know you must be missing her. I’d like to talk to you about it.”
“I’m fine. Better now that she has come to me.” Cole shrugs.
“And other things,” Devon murmurs. “Still, I’d like to talk to you.” He walks over to Liv’s side of the bed and is about to sit down, but Cole holds a hand up.
“I wouldn’t sit there if I were you,” he says.
Devon looks down quickly and then looks back up in a flash. “Gotcha. Erm, maybe we could talk outside then?” he asks.
“Sure.” Cole flicks the sheet off and stands to pull his sweats on. He’s not embarrassed for Devon to see him naked. He’s seen it plenty of times in the last seven months. A guy tends to lose all his shyness when he has frequent three-ways with someone. Things get seen and touched even, however inadvertently. It helps that Devon isn’t bigger than him.
They sit on the balcony and Devon starts, “Please don’t be mad, but Jess spoke to me about the conversation you and she had in the kitchen earlier. She’s worried and only looking out for you.”
“She told you we spoke?” Cole asks, surprised. He would have thought that might be something she would want to keep to herself considering what she did.
“Yes. She said that you are hiding your true feelings about Liv being away from you for so much of the time. You shouldn’t do that. You should tell her,” Devon says.
“No,” Cole says, a bit miffed that Jess told him that. “She will only fret about it and she has enough to worry about.”
“It is her job to worry about you. If you go around acting like everything is fine, she will assume it is,” Devon insists.
“Everything is fine,” Cole says, and Devon shakes his head at him.
“No, Cole, it isn’t. It’s a long time ago that I was so new, but even now I know how it feels, that deep-seated need to be around her all the time. That it feels like you are going to wither away if you aren’t next to her,” he says it quietly. “You need to find another focus,” he adds carefully.
“Another lover you mean,” Cole says bitterly.
“Yes,” he says bluntly.
“Why does everyone keep telling me that?” He sighs. “I am married, for fuck’s sake. Doesn’t that mean anything around here?”
“Because it will help. And about that…I want to talk to you about something. Not now, though, but soon.”
He gives Devon a puzzled look, but asks, “She says that all new male Vampires have high sex drives. Is that true?”
Devon laughs and says. “Oh, fuck yes. I remember I couldn’t keep it in my pants.”
“When did you, you know?”
“Take another lover? Not long after I was turned. I couldn’t say for sure. Time had a different meaning back then. Lizzie didn’t encourage it as she was, erm…” He hesitates and Cole knows what he’s going to say.
“Because she wasn’t sleeping with anyone else but you.” He finishes Devon’s sentence for him. “Lucky for you,” he adds, but not unkindly. He has no ill-will towards Devon. Their situation is circumstance. If anything, he is the one that has encroached on Devon. He understands that and accepts it.
Devon snorts.
“Yeah. It’s not that I didn’t love her or want her any less. In fact, I wanted her more as no one ever lived up to what she could do, but I sought out other women, just because I could,” Devon says.
“Was she mad when she found out?” Cole asks with a slight smile.
“She was furious,” Devon says with his own smile. “She said ‘Devon! If that’s how this is going to be, then when you are finished here, you shall find me with my legs wrapped around the innkeeper.’” He laughs loudly at the memory, and Cole does too at his perfect imitation of Liv’s posh British accent.
“And?” he prods.
“True to her word, that is exactly how I found her,” Devon says with a faraway look in his eye.
Cole snickers despite himself. It is just very her.
“You should find someone else. Just to be here when she isn’t. Nothing more than that,” Devon says.
“Well, I might have a problem with that, being as how I have a type and I know she has issue with that kind of thing,” Cole says cautiously.
“Steer clear of the word ‘Substitute’ and I’m sure it won’t be a problem,” Devon advises. “I mean…look at Jess.” His face goes twisted and it intrigues Cole. Something is off there.
“Did you think of Jess as a Substitute when you first met her?” he asks something he has been dying to know but never knew how to ask.
Devon’s eyes flash briefly, but he avoids Cole’s gaze as he shrugs. “Maybe, in a way, at first,” he says carefully. “I mean she does look a lot like Elizabeth. But it’s not like that now. I have my feelings very clear.”
“On Jess or Liv?” Cole asks.
Devon’s eyes pierce his momentarily, before they soften. “All of you,” he states.
Cole blinks at him. “What do you mean?”
“Another time. Stop changing the subject,” Devon snaps.