Dark Solace

by Tara Fox Hall

I looked over at Lash, unnerved, but he just shrugged.

  The menu came on, indicating the movie was called Swept Away. Devlin settled down on the couch between us, his body sandwiching me between him and the end of the couch. Immediately, he pulled my upper body into his arms, so I was laying on him, my back to Lash.

  “He loves this movie,” Lash said, as if this was all just normal.

  “I do,” Devlin purred. “I find it romantic.”

  Dev wasn’t just jealous, he was also angry. He’s clearly chosen the movie to make some point. Apprehensive, I leaned back against him to watch.

  I expected the movie to be off the wall in some way, and I was right. The male lead was tearing off the female lead’s underwear before too long. Worse, he was also striking her. It was clear that the movie was meant to be humorous, especially via the dialogue in subtitles. The female lead had treated the male lead like shit, and some of what she got was him getting revenge. There was some kind of political statement here about the upper class and the lower class, too. But I was leery of the dark undercurrent that was Dev’s reason for watching it now.

  “Lash, you know, your hair looks a lot like the male lead’s,” Dev said after a few moments.

  “Dev, you know I’m not Italian,” Lash answered, surprised. “I’m not even European.”

  “What are you, Lash?” I said curiously, feeling slow on the uptake. Here I’d thought he just had a good tan from all the laying in the sun he did.

  “I’m part Spanish, Hispanic, and part American,” Lash said proudly. “My mother—”

  “Hush,” Devlin said flatly. “We are getting to the good part.”

  I turned to him a few minutes later. “Getting hit does not make sex better,” I said, disgusted. “Not for the one getting hit.” I took another look at the screen, and blinked in disbelief.

  Enough was enough. “You call me when this scene is over,” I said, getting up. “I’ll be in the kitchen—”

  “Stay here,” Devlin commanded.

  “Not unless you fast forward this,” I replied.

  As he began to do so, Lash got up and walked toward the door.

  “Where are you going, Lash?” Devlin asked sharply. “You’re going to miss the end—”

  “I’m on duty at the gatehouse,” Lash said bitterly. “And I’ve seen the ending, Dev. See you, Sar.” He walked out and slammed the front door hard enough that dust rained down out of the doorframe.

  I turned to Dev. “What does he know that I don’t? Does the blonde woman get killed or something?”

  Devlin settled back on to the couch. “No. Why don’t you watch and judge for yourself?”

  * * * *

  When the credits were rolling about a half hour later, I turned my head up to look at him.

  “Why do you find that romantic? She deserted her lover. Much as he might have treated her like dirt at the beginning, he seemed to really love her by the end.”

  “I find it romantic because she went back to her husband,” Devlin said. His wide smile didn’t reach his angry eyes.

  I stared at him. “What?”

  “You see, Sar, she didn’t really love Gennarino,” Devlin whispered, his eyes almost glowing. “Though he unquestionably loved her. She just gave in to him because she was swept away in the moment. As soon as she was back in the world she knew—with her rightful partner—she remembered where she belonged and who she belonged with—”

  I struggled to my feet, livid. “You have any other cute movies you want to teach me lessons with?” I said coldly. “Or are you done for the night?”

  “Why, Sar, I’m sure I don’t know what you—”

  “Save it,” I said icily. “I’m going to leave now. I’ll be at Danial’s.”

  “You are going nowhere!” Devlin shouted, leaping to his feet, and locking his hand onto my arm. “Except maybe upstairs with me.”

  “I’ll be glad to,” I jeered. “So long as sleep’s not all you want to do.”

  Devlin took a sharp breath, then bared his fangs at me. “How dare you—!”

  Maybe I’d taunted the tiger too far this time. “Let me go,” I ordered. “Now.”

  “I’m never letting you go,” Devlin hissed back, his eyes red. “Never, Sar!”

  Time to have it out, and then, maybe, I was leaving. I moved closer to him, making his eyes widen in surprise when I touched his shoulder with my hand, squeezing gently. “Devlin, let’s drop the bullshit. What is it really? You told me you forgave me for being with Lash. He and I haven’t been together since then. So why are you so jealous? Because of a few kisses and laughs?”

  “I know,” Devlin said heavily, the fire going out of him as he sat back down on the couch. “I know you’ve both done as I asked. Forgive me, Sar.”

  “So what is it, then?”

  “I’m not taking the mood drugs anymore,” Devlin replied. “I stopped yesterday. Titus said I’d have a period of emotional instability—”

  Just fucking great. I sat down beside him. “Why? Why go off them now?”

  “Because I need to be what I am, who I am.” Devlin sighed. “I am usually very, very careful, Sar. I almost died when Ulysses took me, and by all rights, I should have. Lash and you saved me against all odds. And it was my fault I was ensnared. All I was thinking was how good we’d be together alone. Some of that was love, but some of that was the drug, dulling my senses, telling me that we’d be fine so long as I was armed. I can’t afford to let that happen again, ever. I need to be edgy, ruthless, and ready to kill! Ulysses is still out there. I got word two days ago that he reentered the country this past week.”

  I hadn’t known he was gone in the first place. “We knew he was still alive. That he’d attack again was a given.”

  “Sar, I’m a Ruler,” Devlin said patiently. “No one attacks Rulers, save sometimes other Rulers. Certainly not a human, even one who knows some magic as Ulysses does. It is simply not done, and when it happens once a century or so, it is vampire law that the culprit be exterminated. Samuel, Perseus, Zane, and Michael all want Ulysses dead, and he’s being hunted from place to place, not only by them, but also by all vampires in their territories. We have enough vampire hunters to worry about in the U.S.; we don’t need one who doesn’t fear the vampire ruling class.”

  This explained Devlin’s abhorrence of my book. I’d thought he was just being pissy, but it was in his wary tone that there really were vampire hunters, and that they were dangerous. “You just said that Rulers aren’t in danger from vampire hunters. So why do you care if a few other vampires get killed?”

  “Think about it,” Devlin said jadedly. “I control a territory, and the vampires in it pay me homage. But what happens to my respect if someone is hunting and killing them? I am not only supposed to protect the law and keep order, I also am responsible for the safety of those vampires in my territory. If someone is hunting them down like deer, I am supposed to find out who, and deal with it. A Ruler who can’t protect his people is overthrown by his subjects sooner rather than later.”

  That made complete sense. Devlin had been trained from birth to protect the law, and—in spite of his father’s many failings—to also be a good leader who not only led but also looked out for his men. It was natural that after his changing, he had still been that man, even if he hadn’t been kind. “So what is the latest data on Ulysses? Do you know where he is?”

  “Zane almost nailed him in Africa, but he slipped through somehow. Zane called me to let me know he was on a plane headed here. I need to end him this time, because he’ll be coming for me again.”

  And for Lash and me, once he knew how we’d helped Devlin escape. “Does Danial know? Ulysses didn’t know you were brothers, at least he seemed not to.”

  “Danial knows to be on guard,” Devlin replied, nodding. “But he is not paying the kind of attention that he should be. But I made Theo aware. He and Terian will look out for Danial.”

  That was a welcome relief. Lash had to be aware, also, which mean
t Dev, the kids, and I would all be okay.

  “So I’m going to be a little ‘off’ for a while,” Devlin said with a grimace. “Until my emotions even out, or at least, go back to what is normal for me.”

  That would be approximately somewhere between borderline psychotic and sexual sadist.

  “If you’ll please have patience with me as—”

  “I will,” I agreed, then took his hand in mine. “But that’s not the only problem we face, Dev. Tell me the real reason you are jealous of Lash.”

  Devlin looked away from me.

  It was time to come clean. “Come upstairs with me, Dev.”

  As I closed the bedroom door behind us and locked it, I noticed that the lock was fixed. So much time had passed since Lash had kicked it in to come to my rescue back in the spring. How many times had Lash kicked in this door, and had to fix the lock later? Odds were it had been more than once...

  “Sar—” Devlin began suddenly.

  Forget about Lash. I turned to face Dev. “Show me yourself.”

  He blanched. “I’m not ready—”

  “Show me now, Devlin,” I said. “It’s past time you did.”

  Devlin suddenly headed for the bathroom. I crossed the room in a few strides, and grabbed hold of him. “Show me!” I cried out, grabbing his face in my hands. “I need to know, Dev! It doesn’t matter.”

  “It does,” Devlin said, anguished.

  I faced him, and without preamble, stripped off my clothes. Devlin watched me, fear building in his expression. Naked, I went to him and took his face in my hands gently. “Dev, I held you when you were burned. You are healed now—”

  “I am not how I was,” Devlin whispered, unwilling to meet my eyes with his own.

  The longer this dragged out, the more afraid we were both going to be. “This is how you are now,” I said firmly. “You are as healed as you are going to be, Dev. Show me.”

  Devlin sighed, and then slowly began unbuttoning his shirt.

  “I want you,” I said softly, then kissed him. “I want you, Devlin, just as you are. Don’t be afraid.”

  At first, he didn’t kiss me back, or even reply. But before long, Devlin succumbed to my kisses and with a groan, began kissing me back. Quickly, before I lost my nerve, I stripped off his T-shirt, baring his golden chest hair. As I ran my hands down to his jeans, apprehensive, waiting to feel ridged flesh, for him to flinch backwards suddenly with a gasp. Yet his cool skin was the smooth perfection it had always been.

  Pushing him backwards to sit on the bed, I began unbuttoning his jeans. I could feel him easily underneath the heavy denim, the engorged length of him pushing almost through the waistband. As I slid the cloth down off his hips, I saw at once that he was hairless, his organs still looking newly healed. But all his equipment was intact, and fully working.

  I wrapped my fingers around him and stroked gently. He inhaled sharply, then grasped my hand, moving it off him.

  “Are you sensitive?” I asked tentatively. “Did what I do hurt?”

  “No,” Dev said bitterly. “But I look like a boy who has never reached puberty—”

  I reached down and stroked him again gently, bringing a groan from his throat as he thrust involuntarily. “I like it. I can see all of you this way—”

  “Stop!” Devlin said desperately, moving away again. “I have no staying power now, Sar. None. My body won’t obey my will.” He swallowed hard, closing his eyes. “I couldn’t...I didn’t want to start something with you I couldn’t finish. I didn’t want to disappoint you, Love.”

  Devlin had always prided himself on his sexual skill, his ability to finesse me with his staying power and seductive teasing. Now, he couldn’t. As a result, his huge ego was in tatters, and he’d been keeping his distance rather than risk a failed romantic encounter with me. This was also why Devlin was so jealous suddenly of Lash; he knew Lash—being were—could easily make love for hours on end.

  “Dev, you just got well,” I consoled. “Give yourself time.”

  “I have been fully healed for over a week,” Devlin replied, his tone raw with hopelessness. “Yet the problem remains.” He kissed my hand. “I want so much to love you for hours, to show you what it’s meant to me that you took care of me, that you’re with me now. Instead, I’m practically useless to you.”

  “Hush,” I said firmly. “Kiss me, and take it slow, Devlin. I want to try.”

  Devlin gave me a worried look, but pulled me hard against him. I kissed him passionately, sliding my hands up into his hair. He wrapped his arms around me and we fell back onto the bed. Devlin rubbed the tip of his penis between my legs, then held my gaze as he slowly bore down with his hips. Shifting, he moved closer, bringing a moan from me as I strained up against him, clutching his back. Suddenly, Devlin shuddered, then cried out in anguish as he unexpectedly spurted. He sagged, then swore angrily, his erection already softening inside me.

  I hugged him close. “It’s okay. It doesn’t matter—”

  “It does matter,” Devlin said disgustedly. “I can’t believe this is happening to me—”

  “Pull out,” I said gently. “Then lay back for me.”

  Devlin rolled onto his back with a sigh. I grabbed a nearby tissue, and wiped him off, then curled my hands about his penis. His flesh was limp in my grasp.

  I tried to think of a single time I’d seen Devlin like this, and couldn’t remember one. In the broiling Jacuzzi, when he’d been freezing after our January bike ride, when he’d been an emotional wreck our first day together in the motel, that time at the concession stand at the movies, in the doctor’s office, Danial’s kitchen, Hell, anywhere, he had always been ready for action, his flesh hard and firm. He had always been in complete control of himself, sometimes sustaining erections for hours at a stretch. Ulysses had struck the bull’s-eye with his well-planned revenge. The loss of his sexual power was likely more horrible to Devlin than just dying would have been. Dev would remember it for as long as he lived, no matter if he regained his old skill and stamina, and even killed Ulysses.

  Luckily, I wasn’t without skill myself. And no matter how worried he was about his performance, there was one thing sure to make him forget that and get back in the mood. Leaning over him, I began kissing him gently, running my lips and tongue over his flaccid member.

  Devlin groaned loudly. “Ahh, Sar...I have long waited to feel your lips on me, kissing me so intimately—”

  I took the tip of him into my mouth and sucked teasingly. Looking up to face him, I stroked him with my tongue, letting him see how much I enjoyed feeling his flesh between my lips. His own lips parted as he beheld me, his golden eyes so hot with lust they were gleaming red in the darkness. His body almost came off the bed, his hands reaching down to grab my shoulders as I moved my lips over him, caressing him with my tongue, watching him watch me.

  Devlin pushed me back. “Climb onto me,” he urged, moving me astride him. “Please, Sar. Move quickly!”

  His penis was lengthening again, filling out as his body made itself ready to love me again.

  Hurriedly, I straddled him and began moving on him, wetting his hardening organ with my juices. He pivoted his hips and slipped inside me, then began to grind my body against his, stimulating me.

  I was already close, my desire rampant with need for satisfaction. I moved my hips on his with abandon, throwing my head back. God, no one felt like he did. No one else gave me that feeling of being stroked all over inside, completely filled...

  Devlin strained beneath me, panting, his eyes closed. “Sar, you’re so warm—”

  “Oh, yes, just like that,” I moaned, rocking my hips on him, my tone complete need. “Harder—”

  Devlin thrust in deeply, his hands sliding up to cup my breasts. He twitched suddenly beneath me, then began to shudder.

  I was almost there. I was so close! God, please—!

  Devlin came again with a harsh cry, spasming hard. As he jerked under me, his movements pushed me to climax, my loud screa
m of release breaking free. Devlin ground into me frantically, the sensation bringing cry after cry from my parted lips as he thrashed and jetted into me.

  I sank down on his chest, my breaths ragged. “God, that was good—”

  “It was successful,” Devlin said bitterly. “But if you hadn’t come as easily as you had, I’d have left you behind.”

  “It was wonderful,” I said gently, kissing him. “You heard me orgasm, Love, and I heard you. We came together, both of us. That’s what matters,” I hugged him. “The rest we can work on.”

  “What if I can’t fix it?” Devlin whispered, terrified. “What if I am always this sensitive?”

  “We can fix it,” I said confidently, much more confidently than I really felt. “You weren’t born with the staying power you used to possess, right?”

  “Some,” Devlin said slowly, prideful. “Most of it was learned over time.”

  “You have all the know-how,” I encouraged. “We just need to practice.” I kissed him. “Just tell me when I have to take one for the team.” I kissed him again. “I never get tired of hearing you come, Dev. I always want to feel you inside, stroking me—”

  “I love you,” Devlin said tearfully, embracing me. “I’m sorry for how I acted earlier tonight—”

  I put my finger to his lips. “Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to Lash. He’s upset that you are angry with him.”

  “He told you that?” Dev said in surprise.

  I nodded. “Don’t be at odds over me.”

  “I know how he feels about you, Sar. It was wrong of me to keep you apart.” He took my hand and kissed it. “If you want to—”

  I shook my head, putting my finger to his lips again. “No. He and I are over.”

  “I know you want him, Sar,” Devlin replied, confused. “I could see it tonight—”

  “I do want him,” I said brokenly, looking at the ceiling in hopes there was some answer up there. “But I need to give it my best shot with Theo. And that means staying away from Lash, Dev, no matter how I feel.”

  Devlin nodded. “Titus told me what he’s doing for you.”

  I sighed. “I didn’t want anyone to know.” Next Danial would know, of course.