Discovery

by Thianna Durston

  “I’m Steve. He’s Adam,” a tall, gangly teen with shoulder-length black hair said, a huge grin on his chiseled features. High cheekbones, naturally tan skin, and dark brown eyes gave him a rather otherworldly appearance. His two front teeth were larger than anything except his canines, which jutted out a nanometer further. “Jeffrey and Conner’ll be in soon. Then you’ve met all of us.”

  Adam, a couple inches shorter than Steve, offered a shy smile before scuttling to the middle of the table and sitting down. “Aaron says we’re having pancakes. Who’s making them?”

  “He is,” Jaret said.

  He looked relieved. “Oh good. Something edible.”

  “Hey!” grumbled a voice as a young man walked in. He appeared to be in his late teens, early twenties. Jaret slowly sat up as his scent hit him. Whereas the other three boys smelled of lemongrass, this one’s had a distinct tang of citrus. This boy was entering the change. Damn. “I can cook.”

  “Sure you can,” Adam said, looking over his shoulder with a grin. “But I like edible.”

  “Shut up,” the young man said, cuffing him on the shoulder. He looked up, hair the same color as Aaron’s, with eyes a slightly darker blue. “You’re new.”

  Chuckling softly, Jared nodded. “Jaret. I’m helping out here for now.”

  “Cool. We can definitely use the help. Predators have killed five of our steer this last month. They won’t be shipped out till next month so we need to keep as many alive as we can. Stop that,” he groused when Will accidentally spilled some orange juice on the marble surface.

  “Sorry,” Will mumbled, flushing. The blood pooling in his cheeks emphasized his human scent and Jaret swallowed quickly to hide the amount of saliva it created. By the time the youngest Drakyl had cleaned up the spill and poured out glasses for everyone else—Jaret refusing one—Aaron and the last cousin made their appearance. Conner looked to be the same age as Jeffrey, but without the scent of changing. With brown hair and brown eyes, he looked like most humans except for his pale skin. His scent was very similar to Will’s.

  Now that everyone was there, things became loud. The cousins talked over each other even as Aaron called out his responses to whatever they said over his shoulders. Starting with Davis, one-by-one, everyone went up to him with a plate which he filled with a stack of pancakes. Jaret knew if he didn’t find a way out soon, he’d be stuck eating human food and that was a fate he would rather not have.

  “So, Aaron mentioned something about a room?” he said above the din. “I’d like to get in a full day’s sleep if I’m gonna work tonight.”

  The five teenagers gawked at him, as they all stopped talking at once.

  “Of course,” Davis said, getting to his feet. “Let me show you your room.” He looked at Conner and raised an eyebrow. “I expect to find my flapjacks here when I come back.”

  The younger man grinned. “I’ll keep an eye on ‘em.”

  “And a tooth,” Will said with a cackle as he shoved a forkful of food into his mouth.

  As they left the kitchen, Adam said, “Did he say he was working nights?”

  The stairs down to the basement were only a few feet away. As they reached them, Davis stepped aside. “Can you promise me you won’t harm any of these young men?”

  Looking over at him, Jaret took in his expression. There was a little apprehension. If he knew anything about drakyl, he had to know that Jaret was stronger than any of them. Hopefully, he also knew he didn’t really have a chance but to trust him. “Your nephews have nothing to fear from me.”

  Accepting the non-answer, Davis waved to the stairs. “There’re six rooms down there. Aaron has one, but the rest are open to choose from. I’ll have Aaron roust you when the sun goes down.”

  “Thanks.” Without another word, Jaret descended the stairs. The older man didn’t follow, whether that was because he didn’t want to be in the dark basement with a blood drinker or because he couldn’t make it down and back up in his frail state, he couldn’t be sure. Either way, he was glad to go alone.

  The basement had been sectioned off in a very utilitarian fashion. One long hallway that went down the middle with a bathroom at the end and three doors along each side. Scent informed him Aaron’s bedroom was on the left closest to the bathroom. So he chose the room opposite. It was just as practical as the entire basement. Long, twin bed, thin dresser, and a small bookshelf that had a few dog-eared paperbacks.

  Rejoicing that for the first time in ages he could take a real shower as opposed to cleaning off in a body of water, he quickly went into the bathroom. He took a long, hot shower and by the time he came out, things were almost silent from above. Jaret assumed they were off taking care of the ranch and it bothered him that Aaron and Jeffrey would be out there in the sunshine. They needed to be informed of what was going on and given the blood to help them through it.

  “It’s not right that they don’t know,” he growled as he kicked back on the bed. If Davis hadn’t known, he could understand, but he did. Squirming until he was comfortable, he closed his eyes and focused on one thought. He would give Davis till the end of the week. If he hadn’t told Aaron by then, Jaret would.

  Chapter Ten

  Krage had been on the go all morning. Aaron assumed several days without work had driven the horse a little nutty. He could understand, even though his head ached and his body felt like a sloth. Finding one of their pregnant cows half dead had not helped. His headache intensified even as his stomach rumbled with hunger. As if that wasn’t bad enough, a new ache came from his upper jaw. “I’m fuckin’ fallin’ apart,” he said without much heat. It was what it was. He’d dealt with the anger side of it years ago.

  While he had shot at the two wolves, they had escaped unharmed. The bullet to end the cow saddened him, but it had to be done. The worst part was in knowing the calf was a loss as well. The animal was too big to wrap up and carry, so he’d had to go back and get their tractor. Thankfully he’d run into Jeffrey and between the two of them, they’d got the cow into a heavy duty leather tarp and onto the tractor. Covered in dirt and blood, by the time he got back to the homestead mid-afternoon, he was hungry and in a bit of a temper. Stomping into the mud room, he removed his boots before cleaning and setting them aside. After he removed his clothing, he tossed them into the washer, adding some bleach to the wash to get the blood out. It would stain his jeans but he’d rather have bleach stains than blood.

  The house was quiet with his cousins out on the ranch and his uncle, no doubt, taking a nap. Davis slept more and more now and it saddened Aaron that the man was probably close to death. He had seemed larger than life for so many years. After dashing down the stairs completely naked, he went first to the shower to remove the caked blood. Once that was done, he planned to pop some ibuprofen and eat some meat. His stomach growled as if to agree.

  Once showered and in clean clothes, he looked into Jaret’s room. The man lay on top of his bed, his eyes closed, a paperback sitting beside him. He looked peaceful. And absolutely hot. A different hunger awoke and Aaron chuckled soundlessly. Sure, his body ached like all hell and his body could only think of being naked with Jaret. After all, he hadn’t been fucked by him yet. That thought made his jeans tight and rather uncomfortable.

  Forcing himself to take a deep breath, he remembered the sight of the dead cow to reduce his overactive groin and went back upstairs. It wasn’t until he reached the kitchen that he realized his headache—while still there—wasn’t as bad as it was before. And his jaw had stopped aching. “Well, that’s a good thing at least.” The last thing he needed right now was a blasted visit to the dentist.

  His hunger seemed to have dimmed but since he hadn’t had much to eat all day—not since he had a hard time coughing down one pancake only to have it make a reappearance the moment he got out of the house—he knew he needed his strength. Pulling a container of stew out of the freezer, he removed the lid and stuck it in the microwave.

  The clock on the wall told him the su
n would be down in an hour or so. He could hardly explain to anyone how the sun affected him. They knew he had an allergy to it and his family understood that. But what he couldn’t tell them was there was an immense pressure that took him over from sunup until sundown. It made his muscles and joints ache and did not relent until the night had once again taken hold. Sometimes he wished he could do what Jaret did. Work at night and sleep all day. But his uncle wouldn’t allow it. So why was he allowing it with their new ranch hand? Well, he assumed it was obvious. With not being able to hire anyone this season, anyone who offered would be allowed their own quirks. Having a hand work at night was better than having no hand at all.

  The bing of the microwave caught his attention and he removed the container, the scent making his stomach roll. “Damn it, I need to eat something.” He forced four spoonsful down before giving up. “Fuck it. I’d rather die of hunger than throw everything up.” After tossing the rest of the stew, he quickly washed up the container and put it aside. Knowing his cousins would soon arrive home, hungry and exhausted, he retrieved some ground beef and threw together a meatloaf, stuffing it in the oven before setting the timer.

  Grasping the edges of the oven, he tried to push back the tremors fighting their way through his system. The chill wasn’t far behind. He knew that. And hated it almost more than the aches and pains. It meant he would be bedridden until they went away, shivering, his teeth chattering as warmth stayed away no matter how many blankets he had on top of him.

  “You okay?”

  Startled at the voice, he turned toward his uncle who had come in without him hearing. The expression on the older man’s face made no sense. He looked guilty.

  “One of the cows is dead. Wolves.”

  “Damn. Have you called for removal?”

  “Not yet. Had to come in and clean up. I also put dinner in the oven.” The shivers overtook him and for several seconds, he couldn’t speak, his body wracked with icy spasms. Warm arms surrounded him as his uncle rubbed his arms and his back briskly.

  “I’ll get that done. You go down and take a nice hot shower.”

  “D-did that alr-r-ready,” Aaron stuttered through his shivers.

  “Take another one. Get as warm as you can and bury under your blankets. I’ll bring you some soup a little later.”

  He wanted to complain, to remind his uncle that climbing up and down those stairs would be too difficult, but found he had no strength to do so. Instead, he nodded and allowed Davis to guide him to the top of the stairs. Aaron never even remembered making his way down or even along the hallway. All he remembered was seeing Jaret standing in front of the bathroom, his eyes filled with pain.

  “You need a shower and to feed,” Jaret said in a no-nonsense tone, turning into the bathroom and getting the shower running. “Strip off.”

  He heard the words, but at the moment, his fingers were shaking too hard to undo any of his buttons.

  “Hold on. I’ll do it.” In no time, his clothes were a pile on the floor and he stood under the hot spray. The shivers intensified, as though fighting back. Sure his knees would buckle and he’d collapse, he almost sobbed when a warm body pressed up against his own. “Hold on,” a deep voice said in his ear and he did while hands soaped up his entire body, focusing the hot water on all the right places. While still chilled, after a while he didn’t feel as though he had stepped into a freezer. Maybe, possibly, he’d be warm again. “Come on. Let’s get you dried off and into bed, Aaron.”

  Too tired to do much more than stand where Jaret led him, he watched through half lidded eyes as the other man buffed him down with a warm towel—since when were their towels warm?—and as the man lifted him up as though he weighed nothing and slid him into bed. Oh, it was warm, too. By his feet was something plastic, but hot, and he kept his feet right next to it—a hot water bottle. Who brought it down?

  “Rest if you can,” Jaret said quietly, warm lips pressing against Aaron’s forehead. “I’ll be back with something to help as soon as I can.”

  Moaning a response, Aaron slipped off into an uncomfortable slumber. It was filled with flashes of ice-capped mountains and burning forests, each dream making him wake up covered in sweat while at the same time freezing because he’d kicked his blankets off. At some point, Jaret woke him up and put a warm mug of something sweet at his lips. Even while afraid he wouldn’t be able to keep it down, he took a sip and then a gulp. Before long, he had the whole thing drunk and slid back into slumber. This time, a dreamless one.

  The next day, he felt better. So much better. The shivers were gone and while he still ached, it wasn’t with the intensity he was used to. Getting out of bed, he wandered toward the bathroom, surprised when Jaret walked out of it, fresh from the shower with his hair wet and delightfully tousled on top of his head. Wet, his dark red hair looked almost black. A towel hung low on his hips, the wonderful V that led down underneath deep and enticing.

  “Feeling better?” the deep voice sounded amused and looking back up into his twinkling eyes, Aaron chuckled.

  “Yes, I do. Thanks for…last night.”

  “No problem. I’ve been there. Chased off a few beasts last night. Hopefully your stock is healthy and well.”

  “Having a night guard sounds like a good thing,” he tried to joke back. Their words sounded stilted, as though trying to be sociable when, in truth, Aaron just wanted to curl up to the man. Maybe even suck his cock.

  “Well, I wouldn’t say no to that if you’ve got the time.” The grin had quirked up that side of the Jaret’s lips again, making him look irresistible.

  “Wait. What?” It took him a couple seconds to decode what the guy had said. “Ah, shit. Did I say that out loud?” From the tent in Jaret’s towel, obviously he had.

  “How about my room?” Jaret suggested, grasping his hand and pulling him inside. “I doubt we have a lot of time before your relatives expect you upstairs.”

  “Maybe your cum will help me get through the day,” Aaron said wryly.

  “Oh, I can guarantee it.”

  Snorting a laugh at the other man’s words, the laugh stopped as soon as Jaret dropped the towel. His dream cock stood looking right at him. “Ah, fuck. I didn’t dream it. You’re so fucking thick.”

  “Yep.” There was a pause while Aaron felt like he was under inspection. Jaret’s eyes slid down his body, but it wasn’t in a sensual way. He looked as though he was making sure Aaron was healthy enough for this.

  “If I’m not healthy enough for this, I’d rather be dead,” he admitted in a slightly acerbic tone, startling the man who was watching him.

  Looking thoughtful, Jaret nodded. “I would have to agree with you. But you’re still not at full health. So let’s do it this way. Lie across the bed and let me do the work.”

  Well, hell. As long as he got the prize, Aaron was more than willing. Kneeling on the bed, he flipped over onto his back, wincing at the ache in his back. Not wanting to look weak, he moved until his head hung off the edge of the bed. His eyes hooked on that wonderful thick shaft and he wet his lips. Stretching his mouth open as wide as he could, he moaned when Jaret dragged the wet tip of his cock along the skin surrounding his mouth, teasing him.

  From this position, he got a good look at the man’s balls. They hung lower than Aaron’s and looked like large nuts. Yummie. A large masculine hand, one he rather admired, grasped the foreskin and pulled it back the whole way even as he slid the slick head over Aaron’s tongue. Moaning as the flavor he had not been able to describe to himself since he first tasted it filled his senses, he tightened his lips around the wonderful intrusion and sucked.

  “Fuck! ’Atta boy, Aaron. Suck my cum out. Make me explode.”

  The words were wonderfully dirty, just the way he liked it. He’d noticed last Friday that Jaret had a filthy mouth on him. Wanting that mouth to be down and dirty on him, he knew they didn’t have the time. Damn it. Instead, he hollowed out his cheeks and as his tongue moved along the top of Jaret’s shaft, he increa
sed his suction, only taking pauses to breathe through his nose before doing it again. From the heavy breathing above him and the fact the balls hanging in front of his face had pulled up closer to his body, Aaron knew he was close.

  This time, he didn’t want to let go of a drop of the liquid. He pulled back and Jaret barely had the time to grunt in disappointment before Aaron flipped himself over and once again wrapped his lips around the other man’s member. Salty and sweet and big. Ungh. Tonguing the slit got two fists into his hair. It stung but encouraged him further and he remembered watching the calves feed from their mothers and had always wondered how that felt. Without another thought, he pushed his lips forward as far as he could, tightened them and then tugged a little even as he kept sucking.

  The expletive was his only warning before cum gushed into his mouth. Yanking his lips back to just the head, Aaron drank greedily, wanting every last drop this time. None of this was going to waste. He needed it. His throat worked convulsively, swallowing the copious amounts of fluid as Jaret continued to come. Never in his life had he ever seen a man who could produce as much spunk as the man in front of him. Of course, he hadn’t ever tasted such good jizz, either.

  Hands slowly released his hair as the liquid trickled off. After swallowing the last of the fluid, he swiped his tongue around the head to get anything he might have missed before releasing it. Closing his eyes to savor the taste, he was startled out of his pleasure at the warm chuckle from right beside him.

  Opening his eyes, he looked directly into Jaret’s. He grinned, realizing that while he was enjoying Jaret’s taste, the man had lain down on the bed next to him and he hadn’t even noticed.

  “That was a kick ass blowjob, Aaron.”

  “I agree. I swear your cum’s addictive. I’ve never tasted anything like it.”

  Grinning, Jaret leaned forward and kissed him, darting his tongue inside as if desperate for a taste. He pulled back and nodded. “I agree.”

  “Fucker.”