Heavy with despair at what he would never have, tears welled up in his eyes.
It wasn’t fair—Stephan wanted to be with Jayden so badly. The anger building up inside him tasted so bitter. There was so much of it—anger at himself and at those who made him like this. The ball of hatred Stephan kept sealed away started to crack open.
“I love you.”
Stephan blinked, and his hatred let up on its attempts to break free. One of Jayden’s large hands gently tilted his face up.
“Your eyes,” Jayden croaked.
Shutting them, Stephan took a deep breath, forcing himself to gain control of his anger. When he opened his eyes again, Jayden gasped.
The man caressed his face, his gaze searching. “How? They were as black as mine…how?”
Stephan laughed bitterly. “Jayden, my anger can run just as hot as yours, as can my hatred. I just have better control over it.” Tears ran down his face, and he let out a sob. “I wish I could be with you…”
* * * *
Jayden stared on in horror as Stephan began to sob.
In retrospect, pulling the man into his arms had been a bad idea. Jayden would fully admit that. Stephan couldn’t handle physical contact. Jayden knew this, so why the hell had he done it?
Oh, that’s right—he was an idiot. His brain had completely malfunctioned when Stephan had said he loved him.
What little heart he had left had soared at the admission. Surprisingly, his monster hadn’t shown up. Jayden had felt something from him, though, a sense of happiness maybe. He seemed content to stay where he was—wherever that was…
Now, Stephan’s eyes changing, that had upset and worried them both.
They were back to normal now—the beautiful lilac shone brightly with tears. It had been shocking seeing eyes like his own staring back at him. Well, ones that weren’t in the mirror…or his mind.
Jayden had automatically thought it was his fault. That it hadn’t been was a relief. Not that he hadn’t had some part in it. In a way, the little man was crying because of him.
In other words, it really was his fault. Perfect.
Honestly, he would rather face the man’s anger than tears. Anger was an emotion Jayden was comfortable with.
Stephan crying tended to fill him with panic. It made his chest seize up and his brain fog. Thinking rationally became almost impossible—not to mention Jayden tended to do something stupid.
When Stephan began to wail, his whole body rocking, Jayden kissed him, proving just how stupid he could be when panicked.
That soft press of lips succeeded in stopping the man’s cries. However, now Stephan was staring wide-eyed at him.
What a genius he was. This was a perfect way to calm down a man who was terrified of intimacies—a man who, just moments ago, was panicking over being held. Good job, Jayden, good job, he thought sarcastically.
Dammit, what the hell was wrong with him? Hah, there were too many things to list.
Jayden pulled back and blurted, “I’m sorry!”
To his surprise, Stephan wrapped his small arms around Jayden’s neck and pulled him down, then pressed their lips together once more. Stephan’s plush lips softly rubbed against his.
Working on pure instinct, Jayden sucked on his bottom lip and deepened the kiss. The smell of Stephan’s arousal caused his prick to thicken.
The soft moans against his mouth encouraged him on. He slid his hand down to caress one of the man’s hard nipples through the silky black nightshirt he was wearing.
Stephan gasped, allowing Jayden to slip his tongue inside.
When the man’s soft tongue brushed against one of his fangs, Jayden groaned. Who knew his fangs were so sensitive?
He stopped his hand on its downward slide to rub the line of flesh exposed from Stephan’s top riding up. Farther down, Jayden’s fingers brushed against frills and lace. Blinking in confusion, he broke away.
Stephan stared at him, panting, his lips slightly swollen and red. He was flushed to his cute pointy ears.
“What are you wearing, sweetheart?”
Jayden hadn’t thought Stephan’s face could get redder, but apparently, he was wrong. The reaction made him even more curious as to what Stephan was hiding under his covers.
He yanked them back, and stuffed animals flew everywhere. Stephan squealed and unsuccessfully tried to grab on to the blankets.
His gaze zeroed in on the silky pink lace panties the man was wearing.
Jayden licked his lips. Dear God, they were practically see-through. Wet with pre-cum, the material was tented, barely containing the man’s cock. Jayden could see the pink head peeking out. Thoughts of sucking on the bulge and tasting the sweet substance had his mouth watering.
“Fuck…that’s hot,” Jayden rasped huskily.
The idea that Stephan hid such things under his very conservative suits had Jayden’s cock spurting out a dollop of pre-cum.
Stephan nibbled on his bottom lip. “Really?” he asked hesitantly. “You don’t think it’s…weird?”
“No, definitely hot.” Jayden grinned devilishly and took Stephan’s lips again.
It wasn’t a long kiss. Soon he found himself sucking on the man’s neck. Stephan arched and moaned as Jayden began to rub his hard-on through the thin lace.
Moving more firmly on top of him, Jayden scooted down and began to suck and gently drag his fangs across one of Stephan’s covered nipples.
Jayden needed more—he needed to taste the skin hidden away. He found himself practically tearing Stephan’s shirt from his body.
“Jade!” Stephan cried out.
In his lust-filled mind, Jayden had forgotten something he never should have. The smell of fear that drifted up stopped him in his tracks. Stephan’s cries were ones of panic.
He jerked away. “Shit, fuck, sorry.” God, he had acted like an animal.
Jayden cradled Stephan against his chest, making sure to keep their lower bodies from touching. Not that his erection had remained in the wake of Stephan’s fear.
Murmuring soothingly, Jayden rubbed his back, trying to calm him down. It took almost thirty minutes for the man to stop trembling.
Once calmer, Stephan looked up at him with watery eyes. “I’m sorry,” he hiccuped.
“You have nothing to feel sorry about. I knew better.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Hush, sweetheart. I’m just grateful for what you’ve given me. Being able to kiss and hold you, it’s something I’ve only dreamed of. As long as you’re mine, nothing else matters to me. If you wish for more, we can. But slowly, and only when you’re ready.”
“What if…I’m never ready?”
“I’m fine with that. Sex has never been a high priority for me. As for my sex drive…” He scratched his head. “I mean, I don’t mind having sex, but I can live without it.”
Sniffling, he snuggled close. “Really?”
What Stephan was doing, it struck him how significant it was. He was seeking comfort from him. It was a level of trust that before now, Stephan had only given to Liam. Considering only minutes ago Jayden had frightened the man, it was a bit surprising.
“Really. Stephan, when I said I loved you, I meant it.” After sighing heavily, Jayden declared, “So, if you want me to join the Zaytari, I will.” He paused and amended, “As long as you’re sure you won’t get hurt in the process.”
“To be honest, Jayden, I never thought love would be an emotion you’d ever feel.” He wrinkled his nose. “I knew you cared, but I thought it was more in the way someone would care about a possession. It’s why I never said anything.” Stephan snorted. “And now that I’ve said that out loud, I fully realize how terrible that makes me. Sorry…”
Jayden chuckled. “Oh, it shocked the hell out of me, too. However…I will warn you now that I’m going to be very possessive. I can’t guarantee the outcome if someone tries to take you away from me.”
Stephan giggled. “Understood.” The man didn’t seem overly surprised
by Jayden’s words. Then again, considering how long they had known each other, he was sure Stephan had heard him say worse.
“As for my plan…whatever happens, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
Jayden wanted to believe him. Really, he did. Unfortunately, he was too much of a pessimist to believe it would actually work out.
* * * *
As Liam stared at the two snuggled together, the only thought in his head was that it was about damn time.
He closed Stephan’s bedroom door, walked through the open one that led into the hallway, and closed it, as well, as he left.
Watching the two skirt around each other for years had been frustrating.
Jayden, Liam could forgive. The kid had been through a lot. With how he viewed himself—not to mention the world—Liam doubted the boy thought anyone would be able to love him. He knew the feeling well. At times, accepting that something was unobtainable was easier than hoping for the seemingly impossible.
Now Stephan—Liam snorted—he should have noticed Jayden’s feelings. No doubt he’d been ignoring his own. Honestly, Liam had never realized how incredibly dense Stephan could be.
Liam only hoped that the two would begin to heal in each other what had been damaged.
Chapter Twelve
A few days later
Sighing, Dante threw the case file on his desk. Boring—it was all so boring. Criminals today just seemed to lack the cunning, the intelligence, and the drive to try something inventive.
What was so exciting about doing things the way everyone else did? Initiative, that’s what they lacked. They didn’t want to try harder than they had to—lazy bastards.
How could they expect to get away with it if they didn’t even bother to put in any effort? Where was their sense of adventure?
Sighing, he spun in his chair. His secretary popped her head into his office. Her eyebrows rose when she saw him.
Oh, my! Dante could just feel her judging him from across the room.
He stopped the spin of his chair and smiled innocently, asking, “Something wrong, Judith?”
Rolling her eyes, she snorted, “You have a call from a Stephan Everwood. Line one.” With that, her head disappeared.
His curiosity piqued—what could Mr. Everwood possibly be calling about? Dante grabbed the phone and pushed the button to connect. “Dante Kozen here. What can I do for you, Mr. Everwood?”
“I have something I wish to discuss with you. Unfortunately, none of it can be said over the phone. If possible, I would like to meet with you at my home. The situation is rather urgent, so the sooner the better.”
Dante’s excitement built. What could it be, what could it be? Something dramatic for sure—or maybe just sensitive! Whatever, it had to be better than the cases on his desk right now.
“How urgent?” Dante found it a struggle to remain still—one of his legs began to bounce. It had been way too long since something truly interesting had happened.
“Urgent enough. Are you available anytime soon?”
“Let me check my schedule.” He picked up his cell phone and looked through his appointments. There was something scheduled for later today, but he could put it off—just two neighbors getting a bit too vindictive.
Dante winced. Then again, maybe he shouldn’t. It would be bad if they killed each other when he could have stopped it. A big mess, that’s what it would be.
He snapped his fingers—Lily! He’d have Lily meet them. Problem solved!
Dante turned his attention back to the phone call when Stephan cleared his throat. “Mr. Kozen, are you still there?”
“Ah, yes, I was just moving some appointments around. Would five p.m. today work for you?”
“Yes, that would be perfect!”
“Okay, then I’ll see you at five. Your address is still the same, right?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, see you soon. Good-bye.”
“Good-bye.”
Setting the phone in its cradle, he hummed. If he wasn’t wrong, Liam was living with the young businessman. Maybe he should call and ask what was going on. Nah…where would the fun be in that?
* * * *
A few minutes before the meeting
Stephan pointed and ordered, “Stay out of sight until I call you. I need time to discuss everything with Mr. Kozen. Not to mention get him to promise a few things.”
“I don’t like it…so many things could go wrong. We shouldn’t be doing this.”
Sighing, he rubbed his eyes. “It’s too late to back out now, Jade.”
Liam walked in with a tray of milk and cookies. Setting the tray down on the coffee table, he announced, “Dante is here, Stephan. I’m going to go let him in. I suggest you do whatever you’re planning to do quickly.”
Stephan peered at his godfather as if he’d never seen him before. Had the man lost his damn mind? “Milk and cookies? Really?” Stephan’s voice came out a bit hysterical.
Liam shrugged. “Dante enjoys his baked goods. As for the milk…the man hates coffee, tea, and carbonated drinks, so it was either that, juice, or water. I thought milk was most fitting considering.”
Stephan opened his mouth, but only a puff of air came out. Eye twitching, he somehow managed to say, “Do what you see fit.”
His nerves spiked as he watched Liam walk away. Turning back to Jayden, he pleaded, “Please, Jade, please go.”
Jayden grumbled but walked out of sight. His timing had been perfect, as seconds later Liam returned with the head of the Kozen Zaytari group.
Dante Kozen was a tall man, about the same height as Jade. Eyes mint green, he had short, spiky hair the color of candy apples, and like most vampires, his skin was pale.
Stephan stood and shook the man’s hand. “Welcome to my home, Mr. Kozen.”
“Feel free to call me Dante.”
“Then you must call me Stephan.” He waved his hand toward the other couch. “Please sit.”
Once they were both seated, and after Dante had eaten a few cookies, the man inquired, “So, what did you wish to discuss?”
“It’s a rather delicate situation…” Stephan hesitated as his doubts filled him. What if everything went wrong? What if Jade got hurt?
“And?”
“Before we get into that, I need you to make a few promises.”
“Oh?”
Tucking a strand of hair behind his ear, he said, “Yes. First, I need you to promise that you will let me explain everything before making your decision. Second, that you will not hurt the individual I’ll be telling you about.”
“Considering I don’t know what we’ll be talking about, I am not sure I can promise the second. You must know the kind of people I deal with daily. I have learned to never make a promise unless I know I can keep it. I will, however, listen to all you have to say.”
Stephan supposed that was fair, but he still wanted more. He wanted a guarantee. He wanted Jayden safe.
“If that’s all I can get from you…then fine.” Pushing down his doubt and fear, he confided, “There is an individual who is having some problems. I believe he requires your guidance. In fact, my wish is for him to join your group.”
Dante raised his brows, but there was a small grin on his face. “Joining a Zaytari group is a rather simple process and not one that would require much secrecy. I’m guessing there’s more?”
“Yes, well. This individual is a bit rough around the edges.” Stephan fought to avoid rolling his eyes at his own words—rough, hah, what a fucking understatement. “Really rough. He has certain urges that would terrify most. Those urges have resulted in…” Stephan trailed off.
How the hell should he say this? How was Stephan supposed to confess that someone was a murderer? How did he confess that not only did he know they were a murderer, but that he had also told no one about it?
There sure as hell wasn’t a book on it. Jayden had murdered and tortured. Not really something you could just blurt out. They were bad people, but still.
&
nbsp; “Urges?” Dante’s gaze was speculative.
When Stephan said nothing, the man just grinned and crossed his legs. “Stephan, let me ask you this. What position would your friend be most suited for? I’m assuming, of course, you have one in mind.”
“Well…yes, I do.” He gulped, then straightened his shoulders and said, “Executioner.”
Dante’s smile widened. His eyes sparkled—from what, Stephan didn’t know. Considering the implications of his response, it was an odd reaction.
“What naughty things has your friend done, Stephan?”
“This isn’t a game, Mr—Dante!” Stephan snapped. “Murder. My friend has committed multiple murders, with a little torture thrown in for fun.”
“I assure you I’m not playing any games, Stephan. I just want to know the truth. You do, of course, understand that usually, murder is a disqualification when it comes to joining any Zaytari group.”
“I do realize that, but there are special circumstances.”
Licking his lips, Dante uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. “Special circumstances? What special circumstances?”
If Stephan wasn’t mistaken, Dante looked downright ecstatic. His eyes were slightly dilated, and he was vibrating in his seat.
Eyeing the man warily, he clarified, “The people he tortured and killed were murderers themselves. Those he hurt, I believe most would agree with me in saying they deserved what happened to them.”
This had to work. It was the only option they had. If not, he didn’t know what they’d do. God, Stephan felt so helpless.
“Please understand.” His voice shook. “There is no stopping for this individual. He tried, but he couldn’t. This is the only option we have left. Please…I don’t know what els—”
Stephan cut off and eyed the man. Dante appeared unusually still. He didn’t even seem to be paying attention. Dante’s brow was wrinkled, and he was no longer smiling. The man appeared to be completely lost in his own thoughts.
Suddenly, Dante snapped to attention. The bright smile that appeared on his face was blinding—then the man began to laugh.
Stephan's Monster [Vampires of Vadin 2] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Page 9