A Gift Of Blood

by JennaKay Francis

  "The research I did with Rhiannon said that there is often a connection between the taking of blood and a sexual response. Not always, but often. Both seem to provide an orgasmic relief. So, does that mean that Vectors are attracted to men as well?"

  A sneeze is an orgasmic relief, Jaeger wanted to scream, but that doesn’t mean I am attracted to noses. He let out a soft growl, indicating his annoyance with the subject matter.

  Vail looked down at him, then laughed. "I’m sorry. I’m prying."

  Yes, you are, Jaeger wanted to reply. He had already experienced the sexual side of taking blood. Many times over in the last two months. He was as confused as anyone by his responses. He supposed if he had studied his Vector heritage a little more thoroughly, he would understand these things. Still, it seemed he was rapidly finding out despite his lack of formal schooling. He cringed as Vail once more began talking. He wondered if the boy was ever quiet.

  "While we’re traveling together, I would suppose you could make use of my blood. I know I could certainly use your help in that respect. I am a little concerned regarding the sexual side of it, however. I mean, not that—"

  It was more than Jaeger could take, and he bounded away from the young man.

  "Wait!" Vail called. "Was it something I said?"

  Jaeger kept running, knowing he would not only have to face the boy’s questions but his own, at some point. Maybe, if he could get a good kill, he could satisfy his blood-thirst. Then, perhaps, he could resist the blood Vail offered, even though he knew that wouldn’t help Vail at all.

  The area they traveled was rough terrain. Huge boulders were scattered about barren ground, looking as if they had been dropped by the hand of God, himself. In between the gray rocks, scrub vied for space and whatever water was available deep underground. The whole area was a sea of subdued colors looking as if the life had been drained out of them.

  Jaeger ran until he spotted a large jackrabbit. The rabbit saw him at the same moment. Driven by the internal fears Vail’s words had evoked, Jaeger made short work of the chase. This time he did not even stop to consider if the creature had young.

  After devouring the rabbit, Jaeger debated on whether or not to return to Vail. For the first time, he was actually glad that he did not possess the ability to speak. Maybe Vail would get tired of talking if there was no response. With a sigh, Jaeger picked up the young man’s trail, though he took his time rejoining him.

  Vail had stopped to rest. He looked up at Jaeger, his eyes holding such relief and dismay, Jaeger hung his head in guilt. He sat down next to the young man.

  "I’m sorry," Vail mumbled. "People tell me I talk too much. I guess that’s true. But my mother used to tell me that’s the only way people learn things. By asking questions. Course, she also used to tell me I should listen better."

  Jaeger cocked his head at the boy, then laid one heavy black paw on the boy’s arm.

  Vail grinned. "Then I’m forgiven?"

  Jaeger nodded and nudged him, indicating they should continue. He wanted to find shelter before nightfall. He was exhausted and needed to rest before continuing to the ocean, though how he would find Rhiannon in the vast expanse of beaches, he didn’t know. When Vail sat still, Jaeger nudged him harder, knocking him off-balance. Vail grabbed out for a handhold and caught Jaeger round the neck, pulling him over as well. That simple action saved Vail’s life.

  An arrow ricocheted off the boulder, clattering harmlessly to the ground. Jaeger jerked his head up, his gaze darting over the rock-strewn landscape. Vail yelped and scrambled behind the boulder he had been leaning against. Jaeger darted away, cursing himself for his lack of attention. The wind shifted, and immediately Jaeger scented his quarry. He crouched low to the ground and crept stealthily, silently, forward. A moment later, he saw a small knot of mounted men, all armed with longbows. They had reloaded and were setting up to loose a volley of arrows in Vail’s direction. Jaeger recognized them as men from the village, some of the same ones who had tried to hang Vail just days earlier.

  Jaeger hesitated, glancing at the sun. It was well on its way down. If only he could buy time, he could use the coming darkness to shapeshift to something more powerful, better able to deal with six well-built men and their lethal weapons. He crept closer, then started in astonishment. One of them was the farmer who had attacked Rhiannon. Anger swelled inside him, and a low growl escaped his throat. The six men turned as one.

  "It’s him!" the man cried. "That’s the familiar that attacked my father! I knew it was the same one."

  That’s right.. It’s me. So, come and get me. He growled again, his gaze flicking over the men.

  One of them raised his bow, leveling his arrow at Jaeger. He was stopped by the farmer. "No. This one is mine. Detrick, you come with me. You others, go for the witch."

  The words sent hatred and rage burning through Jaeger. He spun and raced away, determined to keep the men away from Vail. The boy was still crouched behind the rock, and Jaeger felt the tingle of magic surrounding him. He would trust Vail to protect himself until night fell. Their gazes met briefly, then Jaeger yowled to draw the hunters’ attention and tore across the rocky ground.

  "There he goes!" Detrick shouted. "Come on!"

  Jaeger raced through the sparse brush, dodging boulders and leaping piles of loose rock. The two hunters followed, driving their horses with shouts and slaps. Even as he ran, Jaeger felt the daylight fading, shifting, the night calling his Vector blood. He streaked onward, a dark shadow in a rapidly darkening evening. As he did so, he was aware that one of his pursuers was falling back, and he focused on the expectation that he would be cut off.

  An arrow bit into the ground to his left, spattering up dirt and loose rock. Jaeger quickly turned away, hearing a hiss as another arrow flew over his back. He doubled back toward Vail. The young witch couldn’t maintain the magic shields for long, and Jaeger needed to be close by when they finally failed and exposed Vail to the rest of the hunting party.

  He was too late. Two men held Vail while the other two took turns pounding him with fists and heavy clubs. Vail was bleeding from numerous gashes and hung limply in the men’s arms, too weak to fight back, even if he could.

  Pure fury at the hunters’ cowardice tore through Jaeger; and as the sun disappeared below the horizon, he felt his magic surge along with his rage. Between one step and the next, he shapeshifted into his dragon form. It didn’t take but one roar to cause the hunters to scatter in terror.

  Vail fell to his knees.

  The farmer suddenly appeared, obviously having doubled back. He kicked his horse forward, leaning low in the saddle. As he thundered past Vail, he lashed out with his dagger, burying it in the lad’s back. Jaeger’s roar of disbelief mixed with Vail’s cry of agony. The Vector unleashed a stream of fire, blocking the fleeing men’s path.

  They swerved to avoid the conflagration, but in their confusion ran straight toward Jaeger. He bore down on them, his need for vengeance overriding any compassion or leniency. His sharp foreclaws tore into their flesh, exposing bone and muscle, shredding skin, mangling limbs. When all but one joined the growing heap of tangled meat, he turned his rage on that one—the man who had attacked Rhiannon, hunted him down and now had attempted to kill Vail.

  The man backed away, his face twisted with terror. He held up both hands as if to shield himself. Jaeger drew back his great head and unleashed a stream of flame that completely engulfed the man. The man screamed, batted at his burning clothes and hair and turned to run. Jaeger watched as he stumbled, then fell, consumed by fire. His shrieks died with him. Jaeger roared his approval.

  "Jaeger, help…please…"

  Vail’s thin voice broke through Jaeger’s rage. He immediately returned to Vector form and rushed to the young man’s side. Vail lay in a pool of blood, his face swollen so that his eyes were little more than dark slits in the bruised flesh. Blood saturated his clothes, wet the brown dirt beneath him, matted his hair. Even so, he managed to lift one hand and g
rip Jaeger’s arm.

  "Rhiannon," he whispered. "You find her. Help her."

  "We’ll find her together, Vail. You will not die." He took up the pack, then grimaced as he pulled the dagger free of Vail’s back.

  The young man let out a cry of agony and fainted. Quickly, without pausing to think, Jaeger bit into his own flesh and once again allowed his blood to flow into Vail’s wound. Satisfied it would heal, Jaeger returned to dragon form, plucked Vail’s limp body from the ground and took to the air. He flew westward, toward the ocean, toward Rhiannon. He was exhausted, yet he was determined to put as much distance as he could between the village, and himself and Vail.

  As he flew, he became ever more sickened by what he had just done. He had never killed like that before, had never felt such overwhelming hatred and vengeance for another living being. Tears stung his eyes, burned into his cheeks, were dried by the cool wind blowing against him.

  What would his dear mother say now? How could he ever reconcile his actions to her memory? How could he go on?

  He made a firm decision. He would find Rhiannon, and reunite her with her brother. Then, he would take them both to another land, far away, where they could live in peace, no longer persecuted for what they were. And he would return to the Lair, let the Sovereign do whatever he desired. There was no punishment that could hurt worse than living as the Vector he had become. Death seemed to be the only way out.

  * * *

  He found shelter just before dawn. It wasn’t much, just an overhang on the side of a rocky hillside. Still, it provided some degree of protection from the searing sunlight. Despite his grievous wounds, Vail had regained consciousness. The Vector blood Jaeger had given him was healing his wounds slowly but steadily. Jaeger had thought to give him more, but had decided against it. He still wasn’t sure what effect the amount of blood he had given the young man would do to him. Vail seemed quite surprised he was not dead and kept reaching to his back in search of the wound he thought should be there.

  Jaeger watched him across the small fire, knowing he should explain. He was just not sure how to approach it. In the end, Vail saved him the trouble.

  "What sort of magic did you use on me?" he asked softly. "How is it I can take such a beating and a stabbing, and yet survive?"

  "Because I have given you some of my blood," Jaeger replied bluntly. "The arrow you took in the village hit one of your main blood vessels. You were bleeding to death. Be angry with me if you will, but, at the time, it was the only thing I could think of to do that would keep you alive. I gave you more to heal the stab wound."

  Vail stared at him, his blue eyes holding a myriad of emotions.

  Jaeger glanced toward the mouth of the overhang. "If you wish to take vengeance on me, you will soon have your chance. At dawn, I will once again change into the mountain cat. I have no choice. It was my punishment for attacking one of the Chosen. I am most vulnerable while in animal form. You may kill me any number of ways. You can also kill me in Vector form, by drowning, burning, poison or by impaling me with an oaken stake."

  "Why are you telling me this?" Vail murmured.

  Jaeger rubbed wearily at his face. "I don’t know. Maybe because I look forward to my own death these days. I don’t know who I am anymore. I am not proud of the things I have done in the past few months, of what I have become. And I am sorry for pulling you onto this road with me."

  Vail drew a deep breath, then shook his head. "There is no need to apologize, Jaeger. I am grateful for your help. I am alive. To me, that sounds a lot better than being dead."

  Jaeger studied him for a long moment. It was such a simple statement, yet profound in its depth. He managed a small smile, then got up.

  "I must shift," he said quietly, wondering at his own next words. "I would prefer it be done in private. I will be back in a moment. I suggest we spend the day resting. We’ve a long journey ahead of us."

  Vail nodded, lying back and closing his eyes. Jaeger watched him a moment longer, then stepped into the cool darkness of a nearby cleft in the rock to allow the shift.

  Chapter 19

  * * *

  They spent the next nine days walking during the night and resting during the day. In all of that time, Jaeger managed to satisfy his cravings by feasting on animals procured during his hunts. Vail benefited from those kills as well, since Jaeger would always make sure to bring some meat back to whatever form of shelter the two of them had managed to find. Still, Jaeger could see the fatigue on the young man’s face, hear it in his voice. And he could smell the iron. It got stronger with each passing day. Vail needed to be bled, but neither one of them seemed able to face that.

  Finally, on the tenth day, just after dusk, when Jaeger had once more reclaimed his Vector body, Vail turned to him.

  "I can’t go on," he said softy. "Not like this. I don’t know how to ask this of you, Jaeger, other than by being blunt. I need to be bled. If you do not wish to do it, I can attempt a simple bleeding on my own. It won’t be as effective or last as long, but…" He shrugged.

  Jaeger grimaced, turning away from him. "I can do as you ask," he said. "I can promise you relief from your ailment. What I can’t promise you is that we won’t be affected. You now have Vector blood in your system as well. Apparently not enough to cure your ailment, but enough that it might change our emotional reactions to a blood sharing. We may experience a sexual response as well. Are you going to be able to handle that?"

  Vail was quiet, and Jaeger turned, expecting to see the young man’s face screwed up in disgust. Instead, he saw tears glistening in the blue eyes. Tears that spilled over and ran in silver streaks down Vail’s pale cheeks. In that moment, Jaeger saw Rhiannon, and his heart cried out for her.

  They were close to the beach, so close. Jaeger knew that Vail would be devastated if he could not continue. He sighed and approached the young man slowly. With trembling hand, he reached up to brush aside the tears.

  "I will help you, Vail," he said quietly. "But first, let me satisfy my hunger on a wild animal. I just don’t want to…" He stopped, not sure exactly what he wanted to say.

  Vail nodded and sagged to the floor. "Do what you must. I’ll be waiting for you." He lay down on the dirt of the small cave they had found and curled into a fetal position.

  Jaeger eyed him with concern. "Take care of the fire," he finally said. "I’ll bring back some dinner as well."

  Vail made no response, and Jaeger quickly moved outside the cave. Once there, he shifted into a great horned owl. He wanted to waste no time with the hunt tonight. He needed something fast and easy. He had seen a proliferation of jackrabbits during his earlier hunts, and now sought them out. It didn’t take him more than an hour to bring down two fat specimens. One he ate immediately, more to satisfy his need for blood than to relieve his hunger. The other he took back to the shelter.

  He shifted to Vector form while still outside. He knew it was silly—Vail had already seen him shapechange several times—yet he felt that his privacy had been violated when he changed in front of the young man. He quickly cleaned the rabbit and stepped into the cave.

  "Vail?" he called softly, approaching the fire.

  The young man woke with a startled gasp. "Oh," he murmured. "It’s you. You’re back."

  "And I brought dinner." Jaeger dropped down by the fire, skewered the rabbit carcass on a heavy stick and set it to roast. He turned his gaze on Vail.

  The boy was pale, shivering, yet his face was shiny with perspiration. Jaeger frowned, moving closer to him. The scent of iron was almost overwhelming, reminding Jaeger of the first time he had scented Rhiannon. As siblings, they carried the same smell, the same mixture of iron and fragrance, though Vail’s lacked the exotic sweet quality that Rhiannon’s had held. He drew a deep breath, barely conscious of his actions.

  Vail let out a heavy sigh and leaned against Jaeger’s shoulder, as if too fatigued to sit up on his own. Alarmed, Jaeger put one arm about the boy to support him. He could tell by Vail’s trem
bling that he had already waited too long. He pulled the young man close in a tight embrace, closed his eyes and bit.

  The first taste was almost more than he could handle. It rushed into him, filled his senses, brought every nerve within him alive. His body responded so quickly it left his mind reeling, his skin tingling, his desires teetering on the threshold of ecstasy. And when Vail unexpectedly grabbed his shirt in a desperate hold, it pushed him over that threshold.

  They fell to the ground, Jaeger atop Vail, his incisors still embedded in the young man’s neck. Vail moaned, writhing beneath him, his grip on Jaeger’s arms erasing any hope of separation. Jaeger felt every inch of Vail’s lean wiry body, heard his breathing as it came in short gasps, smelled the increase in iron as Vail’s passion increased. Jaeger trembled, trying in vain to control his wild emotions, trying in vain to separate the bloodletting from the sexual response. And then the unexpected happened.

  Vail used what little magic he possessed, enhanced by the Vector blood he now carried. The magic swirled around Jaeger, seized him, commanded him. His yearning for Vail spiraled out of control, his rationality clouded by the spell Vail was creating. He could not pull back, could not thwart it. And when Vail abruptly cried out in orgasmic release, Jaeger joined him, riding the waves of ecstasy that swelled through his mind.

  For a short time, the only sounds in the cave were the sizzling of the meat over the fire and the two men’s soft gasps. Then Jaeger pulled away from Vail and sat up, guilt once more his companion. He heard Vail move though the young man said nothing. The silence pressed against Jaeger like a living thing, threatening to suffocate him. He surged to his feet and strode to the cave entrance.

  "Wait!" Vail’s call was soft yet insistent.

  Jaeger stopped but did not turn around. He stood, his back stiff, his hands clenched at his sides. All he wanted to do was escape, to run from this humiliation, this guilt. He started violently when he felt Vail’s hand on his shoulder. The touch burned him, and he whirled, backing away, shocked to see the small grin on the young man’s face.