Discovery

by Thianna Durston

  Yanking out of his arms, Aaron stumbled back. “What are you saying? That we’re vampyrs?”

  Unable to stop it, a growl of anger left him. “No, we are not vampyr, and the plural doesn’t have an s. Vampyr are demons of the undead. Soulless creatures. We are drakyl, a…genetic manipulation, if you will. While vampyr are made into what they are, we are,” he chuckled as he realized what he was about to say, “born that way.”

  “I…I…” Aaron turned and walked away, stopping as he spotted the dead animals. “Ah, shit. This was the elixir you fed me nightly.”

  “The kind that made you feel better.”

  Snorting out a laugh that held no humor, Aaron placed his hands on his hips. “Shit. I’ve felt like shit for thirteen years. And blood makes me feel powerful again. Healthy. As though I could take on the world. Blood.” The last word was filled with pain and Jaret walked up behind him, gently wrapping his arms around him.

  “We are what we are, Aaron. We’re not animals and I know you might not believe me, but having a long life is a good thing. I’ve seen almost the entire world.”

  “Long…life?” Aaron managed to get out, looking over his shoulder at Jaret. “What do you mean? Ninety to a hundred years? Or as in forever?”

  “Well, we can die. Vampyr and the sun are our two biggest enemies. But a natural death? No. As long as we drink blood and don’t get killed, I think our lives can go on for some time.”

  “How old are you?”

  Okay, so that was a question he hadn’t been asked in so long, he couldn’t remember when his change had happened. “I’m actually not sure,” he admitted. “It’s been alive at least five centuries, though.”

  Aaron’s mouth dropped open. “Five hundred years? You’re five hundred years old?”

  “At least.”

  “Fuck.”

  “We just did that,” Jaret said to lighten the atmosphere. It worked. Aaron cracked a smile, albeit a sad one. He was obviously overwhelmed.

  “Now what?”

  “Well, the night is waning so we need to get back to the homestead. Can’t be caught out when the sun comes up without a place to hide or clothes to cover us.”

  Aaron looked down and a real chuckle left his lips. “Fuck, where did our clothes go?”

  “There and…there…and there,” Jaret said, pointing to the scraps of fabric.

  A bark of a laugh erupted from the man in his arms and he turned around wrapping his arms around Jaret. Leaning his face against Jaret’s shoulder, he let out a small sigh. “I have no idea what to do with this.”

  “I know. But between what I know and what your uncle has to tell you—”

  “My uncle!” Aaron pulled back in surprise, shock making his eyes bug out a bit.

  “All I know is he knows. And I have to admit. There has to be a reason your last name is Drakyl.” Aaron seemed unable to respond, so Jaret gathered up their hats and reached a hand out. “The horses ran, probably when we got to fucking. So we’ll have to walk back.”

  “That’s quite a trek,” Aaron said, sliding his hand into Jaret’s.

  “You won’t be tired now. We can get home within the hour.” Saying the word home felt right. Jaret did not remember ever having a home, but now this ranch definitely counted. For no other reason than Aaron lived here.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Aaron couldn’t say much on the walk back to the homestead. His head was full of too much. Over and over, his mind replayed grabbing the animals and drinking them dry. The ripping of his gums. Trying to do it without drawing attention to himself, he lifted his hand and pressed gently on his upper lip. He could now feel the fangs sitting under his gums. It was creepy.

  Even as the phrase hit him, he started to chuckle.

  “What?” Jaret asked.

  “Conner’s gonna get a kick out of this. He’s crazy about the vampyr myth.”

  “He wouldn’t be if he knew what a pain in the ass the bastards are. Evil incarnate.”

  Aaron wasn’t sure why they were considered bad when, from his point of view, he and Jaret did what they did, but as he opened his mouth to ask, a horrible stench went by on the breeze—it stank of mold and some sort of metal. “Ugh,” he said even as Jaret hissed and turned toward the breeze, breathing in the reek.

  “Vampyr,” Jaret said in a low growl, his brown eyes narrowing even as he inhaled deeper.

  “How can you stand to do that?” Aaron asked, covering his nose with his hand. “It reeks.”

  For a moment, Jaret didn’t respond as he kept sniffing the air. Finally he turned toward him and a grin quirked up the side of his mouth. “Yeah, it does. But by smelling, I can tell whoever it is, is still miles away.”

  “Well, that’s goo—wait, still miles away? You’ve smelled it before?” Slightly panicked that the thing might come and hurt his family, Aaron turned in the direction of the smell, half expecting a vampyr to be standing in front of him.

  “For the last couple nights. It’s gotten a little closer, but not by much. I don’t think we have much to worry about,” Jaret said in a placating tone while placing his hands on Aaron’s shoulders. “Vampyr need to be in the cities as they only drink human blood and they need it every couple days to survive.”

  “You’ll tell me if you know it’s dangerously close, right?” he asked, looking over his shoulder.

  Jaret met his eyes. “I could not keep anything from you, Aaron. Not anymore even if I wanted to. If the vampyr get closer, we’ll figure something out. I promise.” The honesty was as clear in his expression as in his voice. But it wasn’t that that made Aaron know he was telling the truth. As crazy as it was, he just knew it. Something had happened tonight that had bound him to Jaret. Once he had other things figured out, he would ask for more clarification from the man currently smiling at him.

  “Come, we need to get back to the house and somewhat showered and dressed before anyone sees us. We’re both naked and covered in blood.”

  At the words, Aaron looked down. He had already known they were naked, but the blood covering their bodies had not truly made its way into his brain until now. Something about the sight turned him on. As his cock filled, he felt a little embarrassment and a truckload of lust even as Jaret moaned. “Shower. Now. Then, after you talk to your uncle, we’ll sleep. Then tonight, we can go out together. And fuck as often as we want.”

  Seen from that point of view, Aaron lost his embarrassment and rubbed back against Jaret’s cock. “Not now?” he asked in a voice that rumbled in his chest. His entire life his voice had been quiet, rather nasal he thought. But since what happened tonight, it was much deeper and he rather enjoyed the sound of it.

  “Stop,” Jaret growled and groaned at the same time. “We need to get inside before the sun comes out. Believe me, Aaron. Now that you are fully drakyl, you cannot be touched by the sun. It would mean extreme sickness and possible death unless you are filled with human blood.”

  Not sure how much worse it could be considering he’d suffered from some pretty bad burns, Aaron finally nodded and they dashed forward, covering the land quicker than he would have thought possible. Something changed as they darted up to the mudroom. Maybe it was all the craziness that had happened in the night that made them both a little immature, or maybe it was just the fact they were coming home before morning completely naked and covered in blood. Either way, they both were laughing, their laughter bordered on giggling as they removed their hats and boots. Once completely naked, it was harder still not to laugh.

  Aaron peeked through the door into the living room, listening for any footsteps and noises that meant someone was up, but his laughter made it difficult to hear anything. Finally deciding everyone had best be asleep, he tiptoed across the floor, Jaret right on his tail. By the time they got to the bottom of the stairs, their laughter truly escaped and he made a dash for the bathroom, hoping they hadn’t awakened anyone.

  He felt on fire. His body zinged with so much energy that Aaron felt like he should go run a
few miles to work it off. The little bit of blood Jaret had given him over the last few days had given him a peek, but nothing could have prepared him for how alive he would feel. After turning on the shower and stepping under the spray, he smiled as Jaret stepped in behind him. As he turned to face him, he inhaled and the scent of the blood now running from his body mixed with a scent he was aware of but had never focused on—a sharp tang of lemon combined with mint and newly mowed hay—filled his senses. When his fangs descended, Aaron wasn’t sure if he should be afraid he was going to attack Jaret or what. The way his partner’s eyes narrowed and his own fangs jutted out over his bottom lip did the exact opposite to what he expected. It turned him on.

  While the most basic part of his brain said to grab his lover and attack him, he held back, letting his gaze travel down Jaret’s form, taking in each part he had missed before. Damn but there was so much clarity now. Reaching out with his hand, he trailed his fingers down deeply muscles arms, enjoying the feeling of each hair he found, every mole he encountered. When he came across a scar, he leaned forward to take a closer look, cataloging every part of the man in front of him.

  “Like what you see?” Jaret whispered in a husky tone.

  For a moment, Aaron didn’t answer, staring at a scar that slid jaggedly up his man’s forearm. “What is this from?” he asked. “Do we not heal?” It didn’t make sense considering how much better he felt and how long-lived their species was that they wouldn’t heal.

  “We do,” Jaret said gently. “From most things. That however…” His voice trailed off and Aaron looked up, directly into his eyes. “It was centuries ago. If we get blood relatively fast, our body can start healing almost immediately from most attacks. This was self-inflicted and—”

  “Self-inflicted?” Aaron said in shock, staring at him. “Why?”

  Jaret had the grace to look embarrassed. “It was so long ago I don’t remember all the particulars. If I remember correctly, I was attempting to figure out just what my new body could do, how far it could be harmed and, well…” He nodded at the scratch. “That was from my own fangs. It would have healed, but like I said. I was new and rather cocky…well, maybe not as cocky as I am now, but in a different way. I tore into my arm and watched myself bleed.

  “It was a surreal experience really, watching the blood pour and then trickle out, seeing the skin slowly knit together. If I’d been smart, I would have hunted and drank before I did it. If I had, this would have fixed itself almost instantaneously. However, I hadn’t. And I didn’t for three days afterward, too interested in watching the skin come back together and the scar tissue form.” He grimaced and shrugged. “By the time I went for blood, the scar tissue stopped it from healing all the way.”

  Pulling Jaret’s arm closer, Aaron licked the scar from beginning to end, letting his own fangs trail along the skin on each side. From the shudder that went through his partner, it had been an enjoyable experience. Before he could check out the rest of his man’s fine form, hands yanked him forward and up as lips attached to his own hard, teeth nipping even as fangs pierced his skin just above his top lip. A low growl rumbled in his chest as he pushed Jaret against the wall of the shower and took charge.

  Never before in his life had he been the top in a sexual context, but with Jaret, it seemed to came naturally. From his boyfriend’s moan, he liked it, too.

  “Turn around,” he growled, thrusting his hard cock up against Jaret’s, enjoying the growl he received in return as he stepped back and his partner turned around, placing his hands against the wall and his feet more than shoulder-width apart. This position stuck his ass out nicely and Aaron couldn’t help but admire everything he saw. However, his instincts wanted one thing so he did not take any more time. Reaching for the bottle of conditioner, he slicked up his cock before putting it back. Pressing his thumbs in the crack of Jaret’s ass cheeks, he slowly slid them apart, his chest rumbling at the sight in front of him.

  Water slid down Jaret’s back and through the crack, trickling over his hole. Instantly the scent of blood assailed his senses and thought stalled. Gripping the man’s hips, he lined up and pushed in, barely managing to keep himself back from thrusting all the way in, in one go. Between the conditioner and the remaining cum from before, his cock slid in, his balls banging gently against Jaret’s.

  “Yes,” his boyfriend hissed, arching his back which sent his ass up a little further.

  “Yes,” Aaron hissed back before pulling out and thrusting back in. It was wild and instinctual. Every slam of his hips against Jaret’s, every time his dick bottomed out in that slick, tight hole, drove him higher and higher. Every lunge faster than the one before. Each shove rougher and harder.

  Growls and hisses filled the air as he fucked Jaret against the wall, his body aching to continue this forever. However, even drakyl had their limits and as his movements became less rhythmic and he stopped caring about anything except the desire for completion for both of them, he reached around his boyfriend’s hips and grabbed his cock. “Make me come,” he growled into Jaret’s ear. “Come and squeeze my dick so hard I can’t fucking move and have to come.”

  A groan mixed with a laugh came from the man in front of him as he rubbed him hard and fast, slamming into him over and over. “Shit,” Jaret hissed, his fingers grasping against the smooth tiles of the wall. His cock thrummed and as a slow rumble of a growl left his lips he came, liquid spurting from his shaft as his ass tightened around Aaron’s dick, making him hiss. Four times, his cock was grabbed by muscles tightly until finally he released Jaret’s shaft, wrapped his arms around him tightly and came, releasing a long stream of cum into his lover’s body even as a long, rough hiss slid through his lips.

  For several minutes, he stood against Jaret’s back, softly panting as his body came under control. “Fuck,” Jaret murmured as he pulled out, his flaccid cock already acting as though it could come back to life if he wanted.

  “We’re doing that again,” Aaron murmured in his ear. “Often. And I have to ask…”

  “What?” Jaret asked when he didn’t say anything for the moment.

  Aaron grabbed some soap and started cleaning himself. “I know outside it was the blood and the newness of it all that made me go so feral. Was it the smell of blood that made it happen this time?” It was the only thing that made sense to him. The blood that had coated Jaret’s asshole had filled the shower with its intoxicating scent before he’d taken him.

  “Partially,” Jaret said, turning around and beginning to wash. “Blood is a bit of an aphrodisiac to us. But mostly it’s because we’re joined. We’re partners forever, Aaron, and the drakyl part of your nature knows that. From what I’ve gathered from what other drakyl have said in the past, this kind of passion is common for our kind.” He winked. “There’s so much more to come.”

  With a wicked grin, Aaron slipped under the water to rinse off. “Oh, yes, we’re definitely going to come more. I can promise it.” Unable to resist and not wanting to, he slipped to his knees and took Jaret’s cock into his mouth.

  Their shower was filled with more sex than actual washing and by the time he turned off the faucet, he realized the entire bathroom was covered in water. Snorting a laugh, he raised an eyebrow at Jaret who was still coming down from his last orgasm. “I don’t think we’ll have to clean the bathroom this week.”

  He felt so good that he panicked when the energy he rode high on suddenly dipped. Having just put on a clean pair of jeans and a button-down shirt, he cried out as his legs wobbled and he fall back on the bed. Almost instantly, Jaret was at his side. “It’s okay, Aaron.”

  “No. You said I wouldn’t feel that way again. Why am I losing it?” Now that he knew how wonderful it felt to feel good, the thought he might go back to the way he was before made him almost lose it. For a split second, he considered running upstairs and into the sunlight.

  “You aren’t. But it is daytime and we usually spend the day in a lazy state. The energy will come back after the
sun goes down. I promise.” The tone and the words combined helped him to breathe easier.

  “I don’t like it.”

  “I know. You’ll get used to it and once you realize your energy will be back with the death of the sun, you will feel better.”

  Closing his eyes, Aaron leaned against Jaret for a moment. “So what now?” They had been in a little world of their own last night—well, actually since Jaret had showed up at the ranch Aaron had felt like they were in their own little bubble—and today they would have to face everything. Whatever his uncle had to say, his cousins…the threat of vampyr attack.

  “Now, I think you need to go up and talk to your uncle. Find out everything he has to tell you. As for your cousins, I’m not sure if we should tell them yet. Jeffrey needs to know.”

  “Why?”

  “His scent tells me the gene has kicked in. He’s in the process of the change.”

  “Fuck!”

  “Shhh, babe,” Jaret said, grasping Aaron as he tried to stand up. “We’ll tell him the truth. We’ll get him changed so he doesn’t suffer like you did. Then there will be three of us to guard the ranch at night.”

  “There’s no way four of them can catch everythin’ in the day.”

  “So we’ll bring in more ranch hands.”

  “Davis couldn’t hire any this year.”

  A squeeze of Jaret’s arm made him feel infinitely better. “We’ll figure it out.”

  And didn’t that sound a helluva lot better than, “I have to figure everything out.”

  *****

  Thirty minutes later, he knocked softly on his uncle’s bedroom door, a cup of coffee and some toast in hand. “Come in,” said his uncle quietly and he let himself in.

  “Morning, Uncle,” he said, putting the cup and toast on the side table before closing the door behind him. Turning around, he watched in the dark as he was able to see things with a clarity he’d never seen before, not even in the daylight. Davis reached over and clicked on the small lamp, sending a soft yellow glow into the room. His uncle looked awful. His cheeks were sunk in and there were large circles under his eyes. There was a hint of something surrounding him and Aaron had no idea what it was. He half wanted to call up Jaret who would probably understand all this better than he could.