by Rayna Vause
Kier laid his hand on Danny’s shoulder. The solid weight of that contact sent a wave of warmth through him. Despite what lay between them from the past, he let himself take comfort from Kier’s touch, his strong, reassuring presence.
When Sharon returned, she had a needle and tourniquet with her. She tightened the elastic band around Danny’s arm, then kept talking as though she weren’t about to stab a sharp metal object into his vein. “This building used to be a warehouse. My husband, Robert, and I converted it into not only our offices, but our home as well. Makes life easier when there’s no commute between work and home.” She smiled. “See that over there?” She gestured with her head.
Danny looked but saw nothing. “What am I looking at?”
“Nothing.” When he looked back, she’d already slipped in the needle and was about to connect the first collection tube.
“I promised to distract you before I stuck you. Just keeping my word.” A sly smile tugged at her lips.
“That was easy.”
“Vampire. I’m good at taking blood.” She winked at him. For the first time in twenty-four hours, all the pent-up tension and worry released. Her light, easy smile chased it away. It might have only been momentary, but he’d take it for now. “Why don’t you join Kier over in the living room and make yourself comfortable. This could take a while.” She gathered her tubes and started back toward the hallway she’d disappeared down earlier. Danny watched her depart into the darkness, then looked over at Kier. Okay, Danny, you can do this….
KIER CROSSED to the family room, dropped onto one of the plush red couches, and grabbed the remote. Switching on the television, he then flipped through the channels, stopping every so often to see if the show held any appeal. He left it on a channel playing some random crime drama. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Danny pace while tugging at his plump lower lip with his teeth. A low wave of heat rolled through Kier as he remembered sucking on and nipping at that lip. He could almost taste the clean, rich flavor of Danny’s skin. Then it had all gone to hell. Kier shoved away those thoughts and tossed a mental bucket of ice on the heat that wanted to wind its way through him whenever he got close to Danny. Anything personal between them had ended six months ago. That had been Danny’s choice, and he’d respect it no matter how much it still hurt.
“Sit down, will you? All the pacing is distracting.”
“Sorry.” Danny dropped into a chair opposite Kier. He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees, shoved his hands in his hair, and breathed.
Kier balled his hand in his lap. He could smell Danny’s worry. It took everything in him to resist going to Danny and holding him, to tell him that everything would be fine. Before he could stop himself, he lifted a hand, started to reach out, but wounded pride regained control. He redirected so that he rubbed at the back of his neck. Why couldn’t he move past these feelings? Why couldn’t he let go of the hurt? It shouldn’t matter to him anymore, and it didn’t. At least that’s what he worked to convince himself. Still, he wasn’t a complete ass.
“You all right?”
“Not even a little.” Danny wiped his hands down his face and looked at Kier. “I-I’m sorry, Kier.” Danny lifted his gaze to meet Kier’s. Fear and a hint of regret shone in Danny’s deep chocolate eyes.
“For what? Getting attacked? Having no one else to turn to but me?” Kier cocked his head. “Or maybe because there’s a decent chance you’re going to wind up becoming just like me? The very thing you ran screaming from.” Kier shut his mouth with a click of teeth. He breathed in one, twice, reining in the angry hurt that wanted to lash out. Not the time or place. He shrugged and returned his attention to flipping through channels.
“Kier, dammit….” Danny leaned forward, reaching out a hand but stopping short of touching Kier.
“What?”
“Please.”
Kier closed his eyes. Danny’s plea chipped at his resolve. He looked back at that fretful expression. “What do you want me to do, to say? Do you want me to pat your hand and assure you everything will be fine? I could do that, but it’d be a fucking lie. I hope, for your sake, that Sharon has a solution to this problem that doesn’t involve turning you. I really do.”
“A lie would be welcome right now. I’m scared, Kier. My life is whirling out of control.”
“This is just the beginning.”
“Gee, thanks,” Danny said. “You’re real frigging reassuring.” He slouched back in his chair.
“I know you don’t want anything to do with this life. You made that abundantly clear when you all but ran out the door when you found out what I am. Forgive me if I’m not inclined to blow sunshine at you, nor am I going to sit here and pretend all is well between us.”
“Kier, look, when we broke up. I reacted badly, there’s no arguing that, and I’ve been wanting to apologize.”
Kier glanced back at Danny. He saw the regret, heard the apology, but he couldn’t allow himself to trust it.
“Look, don’t worry about it. If nothing else, I know your true feelings, I know where we stand, and I’ve moved on.” He gritted his teeth and reinforced the walls he’d built to keep what he felt for Danny tucked safely away.
“You don’t know what I feel. You couldn’t possibly.” Danny shoved up from the chair, crossed to a shelf full of books, and started pulling off various volumes. He carried them to the dining room table, sat, and started scanning through them. Kier watch him struggle to decipher the texts. He flipped through one book, slammed it shut, and cracked open a second. “This is ridiculous,” he murmured to himself before calling out. “Dan, what do you think you’re doing?”
“Just a little research?” Danny puffed out his cheeks and shoved a hand through his hair.
Kier pushed up and crossed to him. He picked up one of the books and read the title. Danny had collected numerous volumes on blood disorders, genetic mutations, and gene therapy.
“You know the solution to your problem isn’t in these books, right? If it were, Sharon would already have a fix for your problem because I’m pretty sure these books make a lot more sense to her than they do to you or me. Instead she’s back in her lab muttering to herself and getting eyestrain peering through a microscope.”
Danny’s shoulders sagged. “I know. You’re right, but I can’t just sit around waiting on Sharon. If nothing else, this will keep me sane while I wait to learn if I’m going to slowly lose control of my body because some crazy vampire thought I looked like a midnight snack. First my brother, now me. At least he’s still alive and fully human.”
“Danny, there is good and bad in every group. You’ve had the misfortune to see more of the bad side of vampires, but don’t paint us all with the same brush.”
“What else should I think of someone who tried to kill me?” Danny crossed his arms over his chest.
Kier mirrored his stance. “I’d call him severely disturbed. I’d call him an aberration. I’d call him something you’re not going to find any information on in these books.”
Danny worried the corner of one of the glossy book pages between his fingers. The texture of the smooth, cool paper against his skin seemed to help settle him. Danny looked up and met Kier’s gaze.
“Did you know that I spent the last few months reading everything I could about vampires?”
Kier snorted. “Typical Danny. Instead of talking to me, learning from me, you ran back to your precious library and buried your head in dusty old tomes that are filled with more fiction than fact when it comes to vampires.”
Danny slammed the heavy textbook shut and shoved to his feet, stepping up to Kier.
“Okay, educate me. What makes a vampire a vampire? What medical miracle created this alternative race of beings?”
“Beings, well, I guess that’s a step up, but maybe just try referring to us as people. That’s what we are. We’re not the monsters that Purity would like you to believe. If they have things their way, they’ll convince the public that we should b
e eradicated.”
“Dammit, Kier, can’t we get past this? I already admitted that I reacted poorly, but you don’t get to keep playing the injured party here. You’re just as at fault as I am. You lied to me. Granted it was a lie of omission, but a lie is a lie.”
“Just like you had your reasons, I had mine.”
Kier dropped into a chair and rubbed the back of his neck. “Not much is known about how or where vampires originated. Even less is known about how conversion works. It’s only recently, since vampires made themselves known to the world, that studies have begun to understand the process. Sharon is one of the scientists researching the topic.”
Danny leaned toward Kier, gripping the sides of his chair. “You’ve been around since time began. Someone must know something, anything that can help us.” Danny closed his eyes and bowed his head.
Kier laid his hand on Danny’s arm. “I promise you Sharon is working as fast as she can.”
Danny looked up into Kier’s eyes again, lifted his hand to cover Kier’s. “Thanks for being here for me.”
Sharon came wandering out of the hallway she’d disappeared down earlier, muttering to herself and scribbling in a notebook. She looked a little perplexed and a lot excited. Both Kier and Danny rose, waiting for the results of the tests like two innocent men waiting for the verdict of their trial. She continued to stand and scribble until Kier finally broke.
“Sharon?” Kier called her name louder than necessary, startling her from her thoughts.
“What? Oh sorry, boys. This is one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever seen.”
“Doesn’t answer the question, Shar. Is he transitioning or not?”
She pressed her lips together for a moment and looked upward as though searching for the right words. “Kind of. There’s really not a simple answer to this.” She turned and headed back toward her lab and waved at them. “Follow me. Let me show you.” She led the two men into a long room that reminded Kier of a high school science lab with gray tile flooring, white resin lab tables with black tabletops, and walls of glass-fronted cabinets ringing the room. She stopped at a table that held three microscopes and a centrifuge. She looked through the eyepiece, adjusted the focus, then stepped back and gestured for Kier and Danny to look.
“There’s an anomaly in Danny’s blood. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Normal vampire blood cells are smaller and darker than human blood cells. But yours are a strange hybrid of the two. Take a look.” Danny bent to look at the three different slides Sharon had on display: human, vampire, and finally his. He didn’t have to be a scientist to see some clear differences between the slides. It looked as though the vampire blood was slowly invading his human cells, but the final cell wasn’t quite human or vampire.
“What exactly am I looking at, Sharon? I can see the difference, but I don’t understand what’s happening.”
She perched on a lab stool and pushed up her glasses. “When a human is turned, the vampire blood infects the human cells, converting them to vampire cells. The process usually takes about twenty-four to forty-eight hours to complete. However, it usually takes a great deal more blood than you’ve told me you ingested to bring about the change.”
“Shar, I appreciate the vampire biology lesson, but can you cut to the chase?” Kier crossed his arms and glared down at her.
“Patience, Kier, I’m getting there.” She looked back at Danny. “Your attacker is quite the unique specimen. Something was wrong with him.”
Danny snorted. “I’ll say. He brought new meaning to crazy.”
“True, but not what I mean. His blood was very potent, yet weak at the same time. Potent in that it took very little to bring about this partial change, but at the same time his cells couldn’t complete the change. At this point, Danny is neither human nor vampire, so his body is freaking out. It’s manifesting this freak-out through the list of symptoms you’ve already given me. I wouldn’t be surprised if more changes occur as his cells continue to morph. I need time to study this further. His condition is an amazing find.” Her violet eyes again gleamed behind her glasses. She swiveled on the stool and started jotting in her notebook again. Kier shook his head. She’d kicked into full-on scientist mode, and there’d be no stopping her now. Poor Danny would get poked and prodded more than a pincushion. Kier had spent enough time with her and her husband to recognize it in both of them.
“Danny isn’t your lab rat, Sharon.”
Danny gave a shaky smile. “It’s okay, Kier. If she can help, I’m willing to be a test subject.”
Kier nodded, but his stomach knotted. Danny becoming anyone’s specimen didn’t sit well with him. “So, what now?”
Sharon placed a gentle hand on Danny’s shoulder. “I simply don’t know. I need to bring Robert in on this, do more testing. In the meantime, you need to stay with Kier. You can’t go home. You can’t be alone. We really don’t know what’s coming next. I wish I had better news for you, Danny, but right now you’re going to be stuck in a state of limbo for a while longer.”
“What about food? I’m going to starve to death while you try and figure this.” Danny’s face went paste white, eyes wide and wild. A loud stomach growl filled the air. Again, Kier’s gut clenched. This time in sympathy.
“We’re not going to let that happen. In fact, I’ve got an idea. Come with me.” They left the lab and followed Sharon to the kitchen. She pulled ingredients out of her refrigerator, set them on the counter, then got a blender and a glass.
Danny held up a finger, trying to catch her attention. “If it’s anything like Kier’s idea, been there, done that, threw it up already.”
“Go sit in the dining room. I’ll be in in a few minutes.” She shooed them both out of the kitchen.
Kier and Danny crossed to the dining room, leaving Sharon rooting through her kitchen. They both claimed seats at the long red table. A few moments later, the banging started, followed by a few swear words. Then a blender motor sounded. Danny shot Kier a wide-eyed look.
“Is she okay in there?”
“The culinary arts were never her specialty.” He wiped a hand across his mouth, covering a smile.
“Kier, a little help in here.”
Kier raised an eyebrow but rose and went to the kitchen. Five minutes later, they returned. Sharon placed a glass on the table in front of Danny.
“A strawberry shake?” Danny gave the glass of pink frothy liquid, then Sharon and Kier, a dubious look.
She jammed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. “Just drink it.”
Danny lifted the glass, sniffed it, then sipped with caution and waited to see if his stomach would rebel. It complained a little but seemed to accept the drink. He took a few more sips. When the shake didn’t make a mad dash for the exit, he smiled. “What did you do? What’s in this?”
“A little of this, a little of that. Kier has the recipe. For now, you’re going to be on a soft-food diet.”
Danny rose and hugged the tiny vampire to him.
“We’ll figure this out. Just give me a little time.” She patted his back, then released him.
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Now, why don’t you go get some rest? You’re going to have a lot to deal with over the next little while.”
“Thanks, Sharon.” Kier leaned down to hug her, then turned to Danny. “Come on. Let’s get you settled.”
“We, uh, could stay at my place if that would be easier.”
“No, it’s fine. I think we’ll be better off at my house.” Kier couldn’t keep the resignation out of his voice. Great, nothing like an awkward situation with your ex to cap off your day.
DANNY AND Kier stepped into the foyer of Kier’s townhouse. Soft light illuminated the small entryway. Danny paused, shrugging out of his coat and taking in his surroundings. He’d missed this place. It held a lot of good memories. He and Kier had spent a lot of time locked away here, just the two of them. They’d also imploded in a s
pectacular fashion here as well. He moved to hang his coat in the hall closet when he noticed Kier heading down the long hallway toward a door at the other end.
“Where are you going?” Danny hung back in the entrance, not sure if he should follow.
“To bed. It’s been a long day.” Kier slid a key into the lock on the door.
“Don’t we need to go up for that?” Danny edged closer but only came about halfway down the hall.
“No.”
Danny’s stomach knotted even as he proceeded forward on leaden feet. “Something else you neglected to mention to me?”
“Don’t start, Danny. Not now. I’m not up for that particular discussion right now.”
“I don’t recall you ever being up for that discussion.”
“Look, just like Sharon, I protect my true home as well.” Kier started down the stairs.
Danny stood frozen at the top of the stairs, his rioting emotions threatening to overwhelm him. As crazy as it seemed, something inside screamed at him that descending these steps meant walking away from his old life, maybe forever.
“You coming?” Kier called up to him.
“I….” Some of the panic and indecision must have shown in the expression on his face, because after a moment’s hesitation, Kier climbed back up and held out his hand. Danny stared into Kier’s brilliant ice-blue eyes. For one moment, the wariness in Kier’s eyes dimmed and allowed a touch of the compassion that his stoicism had masked all night to shine through. In that instant, the man who Danny never managed to get out of his heart stood waiting for him. Danny grasped the offered hand and let himself be led down into a large, comfortable open space. Soft, cushiony sofas, a corner fireplace, and deep plush carpeting gave the room a warm, homey feel. A home that Kier had never shared with him.
“You’ve got a nice place here.” Danny rubbed at the ache in his chest.
“Thanks.” Kier gestured at a chair. “Make yourself comfortable. If you’re thirsty, help yourself.” He pointed to a bar that held a minifridge at the far end of the room. “I’m going to get your room ready. We’ll get you settled in for tonight. Tomorrow, we can stop at your place and pick up some things that you’ll need.”