by Amber Kell
"Hey, wolf man."
"You're awake." A wide smile crossed Dustin's face.
"What happened?" The memory of mocking silvery-gold eyes flashed through his head, which didn't make any sense. He didn't know anyone with eyes that color.
Dustin gave him a guilty look. "You tripped over my tail, stumbled against the containment field, then passed out. Sasha thinks it's because you're—" Dustin set down the tray on a side table so he could move his fingers into air quotes "—psychically sensitive. I think you just like the attention."
Randy laughed. "Yeah, that's because it looks so cool when I faint at an event, especially when I'm supposed to be collared." Randy felt a pang in his heart at missing his formal bonding with Sasha. He hadn't looked forward to the ghost thing, but he'd wanted to wear his vampire's mark of ownership. Of course he couldn't wear it to the hospital, but he could leave it around his neck whenever he was with Sasha.
Dustin laughed. "You'll be lucky if Sasha doesn't chain you to the bed to keep you out of trouble. You scared the crap out of him."
Randy's body immediately responded to the idea of being tied up by his lover. He tried to wiggle discreetly beneath the blankets as his cock hardened in delight.
Dustin's nose twitched, and a wide smile crossed his handsome face.
"Oh, shut up!" Randy would've thrown his pillow at the shifter, but he didn't want to hit his breakfast tray. His stomach grumbled even though his head felt foggy. He wondered if he had a head cold coming on. Strange, since he hadn't gotten sick since he started giving Sasha blood. His lover told him a vampire bite injected healing enzymes into the blood stream, eradicating most of a human's susceptibility to illness. After faithfully feeding Sasha for months, why would he start to get sick now?
"I've got some juice and a delicious omelet." Dustin lifted the silver cover off the plate, exposing a perfect spinach and feta egg dish.
Randy shook his head. "The omelet looks good, but I can't have the juice. It'll shoot my sugar levels up too high."
"Ah. I'll tell the cook. She probably just forgot. I've got some water here too. Sasha thought you might be dehydrated."
"I am." Now that he mentioned it, Randy's throat was incredibly dry. "How long was I asleep?"
"About three hours.
Randy looked over at the clock. "Damn, I need to get going." The main problem with having a relationship with a vampire was the hours. Some days Randy only got a few minutes of sleep. Luckily, his class didn't start for another hour, but he still needed to dress and travel to the university.
"Don't worry. I got you excused from your classes for the day."
Randy started to get out of bed. "I can't afford to have too many absences. I don't want my grades to slip before I apply for residency." Randy had spent considerable time and effort making sure he had everything lined up perfectly for his next level of training. He didn't want to ruin it all because he took the wrong day off.
Dustin gripped Randy's shoulder, holding him still. "You can miss one day. I called you in sick, and you haven't used any of your sick days yet. Besides, I downloaded all your class notes online to your tablet."
"When did I get a tablet?" Randy glanced at the shiny device on the table.
"Surprise!" When Randy didn't respond, Dustin sighed. "Fine, I felt really guilty for tripping you, and I had Sasha give it to you a little early. I know how much you like techie toys, and he'd already bought it and was waiting for the right time."
Randy smiled. "It wasn't your fault I didn't look where I was going, but I do appreciate the gesture." Dustin was right; he did love electronics even if he couldn't usually afford them.
"Finish your breakfast and you can play with your new device."
"Okay." It was a delicate balancing act between staying in medical school and pleasing Sasha. He knew the vampire would be perfectly fine if Randy decided to drop out of medical school entirely, but he hadn't worked this hard to dump it all, even for his one true love. Besides, deep down, he sometimes worried his vampire would eventually tire of having a human lover, and then where would Randy be? He scooted back against the pillow and let Dustin put the tray across his lap. The werekin lifted the juice off the tray and drank it in a series of quick swallows.
"I didn't want you to be tempted."
"Considerate of you." Randy rolled his eyes as Dustin polished off the juice.
"That's what I thought too." Dustin climbed onto the bed to sit beside him but stayed on top of the covers. "Those ghosts were creepy, weren't they?"
Randy nodded. "But not as much as the necromancer. What happened when I fell? Did it ruin the ceremony?"
"Nope. Sasha scooped you up, the scary necromancer chick fixed the salt, and they all continued on with their weird celebration."
"Good. It's bad enough I missed my collaring; I didn't want to ruin Sasha's reputation too. I have a feeling I do enough damage during my regular days."
He felt comfortable confiding in Dustin about his fears. The werekin didn't mind that Randy didn't have the bravery of a shifter or the cool indifference of a vamp. Dustin liked Randy because they'd survived a psychotic vamp together. Randy also supported Dustin's wish to choose his own time to claim his mate instead of being ordered about by his hormones or other werekins' expectations.
"Thanks." Randy took a bite of the omelet and made a soft hum as the taste of eggy deliciousness slid across his taste buds. Swallowing, he gave Dustin a smile. "That's really good."
Dustin nodded. "I don't know where Sasha found her, but she also makes an amazing steak."
Randy shook his head at his friend's diet. Steak was Dustin's primary food group. Randy polished off his omelet while Dustin chatted away about pack life. The door opened abruptly, and Lewis Reynolds, beta wolf of Dustin's pack and Dustin's fated mate, glared at the shifter by Randy's side.
"Is there a reason you're in bed with Sasha's mate?" the beta wolf growled.
"We're just sharing a post-coital omelet," Dustin said in a sweet voice. Randy turned his head in time to see the irrepressible man flutter his eyes at Lewis. He took another bite of his eggs to keep his mouth occupied and out of the conversation. He didn't want to become the focus of werekin ire, even though he knew neither man would ever intentionally hurt him.
Lewis gave a low growl. "Enough of your nonsense. There's a pack meeting tonight."
Randy saw the flash of hurt in Dustin's eyes and wanted to strangle Lewis for trying to subdue the sweet man. Dustin slid off the bed and restlessly straightened the covers where he'd sat. "You going to be okay?"
Randy didn't feel the tingle indicating the presence of his fae bodyguards or anyone else nearby. Absolutely no one would be there watching his every move. A strangely liberating moment. "I'll be fine."
Dustin walked around the bed and gave Randy an affectionate kiss on his cheek, ignoring Lewis's growl. Randy wondered how long Dustin would make Lewis chase him before he gave in. If it were him, he'd make the growly werekin work harder to win him.
"Take care. Sasha is in a meeting, but he said he'd come find you when you woke up. I'll let him know you're awake before I go."
"Thanks." Randy never liked bothering Sasha at work. He always felt as if he were intruding, even though Sasha told him to never hesitate to call.
As soon as the werekin left, Randy let out a soft sigh. It had been forever since he'd been alone. Between the fae, the werekin, and the vampires watching him all the time, Randy enjoyed his small moment of peace.
Sighing, he set the tray with his empty plate on the table beside him. Sliding out of bed, he pulled on his favorite pair of soft jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt and grabbed the textbook he needed to study. It wasn't until he climbed back onto the bed and wiggled into the perfect position that he remembered the electronic tablet.
"Damn." He could even see the dratted thing taunting him with its coolness. Too bad he didn't have magical powers. "Use the force, Randy, use the force." Making spooky music, he wiggled his fingers at it. The tab
let flew across the room and smacked into his palm. "Shit!" He dropped the device.
He thought he heard soft laughter. Looking around the room, he didn't see anyone else there. Randy lay on his stomach and wiggled down until he could reach the tablet from where it had fallen onto the floor. Of course the moment his ass was in the air, Sasha walked through the door.
"Is there a problem, my sweet?"
Looking up from where he dangled off the edge of the bed, Randy promptly tumbled to the floor with a thud.
Sasha chuckled and closed the door behind him.
Randy gave a soft sound of surprise when the vampire lifted him up and gently deposited him on the bed.
"You should take better care, dorogoy, darling. You could've been injured."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to land on my head. You startled me."
Not to mention the entire floating tablet thing freaked the hell out of me.
He still hadn't cleared the fuzziness from his head. Maybe Dustin had done him a favor in calling him in sick.
Sasha tilted his head as he scanned Randy's thoughts. "You moved something with your mind?"
Randy nodded.
He received a soft kiss that inflamed his senses. When Sasha kissed him, he always felt consumed and Sasha became the sum of his entire world.
"Mmm."
Sasha trailed his lips to talk in Randy's ear. "Maybe you have latent skills coming forward. Your constant proximity to supernatural creatures is bound to have an effect."
"And give me the ability to float stuff?"
Sasha shrugged. "You never know."
Randy didn't bother to hide his skepticism, but nothing else explained the strange floating tablet. Looking into his lover's eyes, guilt struck him over the collaring.
"I-I'm so sorry I passed out and missed our collaring." He knew Sasha had planned the event down to the last detail, and Randy had ruined the entire occasion. Some days he wondered at what point he would prove to be too much work for his dominant lover.
Sasha cupped Randy's face between his hands. "I will never cast you aside, solnyshko moyo, my sun. You are my life."
Randy lifted his face for Sasha's kiss. Never would he tire of this man's touch.
"Why do you have so many clothes on?" Sasha grumbled.
"Sorry. I thought I was going to study."
"Foolish boy. You should've known I'd be along soon."
He really should've. Randy never stayed alone for long. Before he could offer to remove his clothes, Sasha whipped Randy's shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor before attacking Randy's pants.
Within minutes Randy was stripped naked and lying on the bed. Sasha quickly removed his own clothes before climbing onto the mattress and sliding his naked body across Randy's.
Randy sucked in his breath at the sensation of Sasha's bare flesh against his.
"Much better." The sparkle in Sasha's pale eyes almost made Randy want to stay naked for his vampire all the time. Almost.
"Intriguing idea, my sweet, but I'd never get anything done."
Randy's laughter quickly turned to a gasp as Sasha scooted down to nibble on his hip. One of his hot spots involved the bit of skin stretched across his hipbone and Sasha's fangs. Whenever Sasha bit him there, his cock leapt in response.
Sasha's warm breath sent shivers through Randy's body. Before he could comment, Sasha impaled Randy's skin with his fangs and the world whited-out.
"Oh my fucking god!" Randy screamed. The simple sensation of Sasha's teeth sliding back out and his lover's tongue laving the spot to seal the wound almost made him explode.
"Not yet." Sasha's deep voice rolled through him like a physical touch.
Clenching his fists, Randy resisted the almost overwhelming urge to grab Sasha and take control, a strange need since he always enjoyed Sasha's dominance. He also knew grabbing his vampire wouldn't be appreciated. Humans didn't act as the aggressor. He repeated that thought as Sasha continued to stroke, kiss, lick, and pretty much drive Randy out of his freaking mind.
Finally he couldn't stand it anymore. Something snapped inside him, and he couldn't stand being submissive any more. With a growl he grabbed the vampire, flipped Sasha over onto his back, and plunged his fingers into his lover's thick, dark hair. Holding Sasha still, he took control of the kiss.
Paradise.
Sasha tasted like heat and blood, a strangely addictive flavor Randy had long ago associated with his lover. He needed more. Licking and nipping at his lover's lips, he urged Sasha to open to his demands. A powerful urge gripped him to take this man and mark him as his. Sliding down his lover's muscular neck, Randy bit the vampire.
"Randall!" Sasha shouted.
Wetness spurted between them as Sasha came. The smell and feel of his lover's excitement pushed Randy quickly to orgasm.
As they lay panting together, Randy settled his head on Sasha's muscled chest.
"Where did this aggression come from, my love?"
Randy shook his head. "I don't know." He took a deep breath to collect air back into his lungs. "I couldn't resist the need to be in control."
Sasha stroked Randy's head in a long soothing gesture that continued down his back. "Shh, you've been under a lot of stress lately. Maybe you needed to be in charge of something. It isn't usually done between vampires and humans, but if it helps you, I will allow you to sometimes take a more dominant part in our lovemaking. You must be happy, my sweet. It would break me if you left me for another."
"I'm not going anywhere," Randy reassured his lover.
A loud crack filled the air.
"Hey!" Randy rubbed his sore ass cheek.
"In charge doesn't mean you're in control of our relationship. Understand?"
Randy looked up at Sasha through his lashes. "Yes, Sasha."
"Uh huh. Let's take a shower. Someone got me all sticky."
"What inconsiderate bastard did that?" Randy scurried off the bed before he could be smacked again.
After a playful shower resulting in Randy giving his insatiable lover a blowjob, the pair snuggled back into bed.
As Randy cuddled up to his vampire lover, he smiled when Sasha's arm went around him. "We are still going to have our ceremony. Don't think you've gotten out of it. I will declare you mine in front of everyone."
"Yes, Sasha."
"And don't go anywhere alone; my brother's back in town. He was sighted by some werekin."
"Yes, Sasha."
"Uh huh. Why do I think you'll do what you want anyway?"
"Because you're a smart vampire."
Sasha laughed and pulled Randy closer. "Sleep. I'll watch over you."
* * * *
The dream started innocently enough. Randy walked through a forest until he wandered into a pretty meadow with a circle made of flowers.
"That's a fairy circle. That's how you'll get me home."
Randy turned to see a slightly familiar man standing behind him. The man had a silvery glow and a crown on his head.
"King Drein." The man's name snapped into his mind with startling clarity. How did he know this person?
"You remembered!" The ghost, at least that's what he decided the man must be, smiled at Randy.
That smile.
He definitely remembered the man's smile.
"What did you do to me?" he shouted.
The king's eyes narrowed. "I've helped you, and now, you're going to help me."
Randy frowned at the king. He worried about where this was going. "Why would I help you?"
"Because if you don't, I'll never leave."
The fog became thicker as Randy tried to figure out where he was. "Why do I care if you never get out of the forest?"
King Drein laughed. "The forest is only a metaphor, my sweet, naïve friend. This is your mind. You helped me out of the circle, and now you are going to take me to my wife. She and I have unfinished business."
The way the king said those words sent a chill through Randy. Whatever business the king had with his wife
didn't sound friendly.
"What kind of business?"
"That's between her and I."
Randy straightened his shoulders and looked the king in the eyes. "I might be submissive to my lover, but don't take me for an idiot. I'm not going to take you to the fae queen without knowing what you want. Not to mention she has a new husband. The king might not appreciate your ghostly presence."
"Then they shouldn't have murdered me. Besides, he's only a consort, not a true king. Only the first husband of a queen can be the king, and I already took that spot. Well, I did before my death."
A chill swept through Randy. Strange, since before that moment he hadn't felt any sensation in his dream.
"You want revenge?"
"I want justice. I'm not going to cause you any harm as long as you do what I say."
Randy folded his arms across his chest. "What harm do you think you can do?"
The king smirked and imitated Randy's position, crossing his arms in direct mimicry. "You don't think you moved that computer with your mind, do you?"
"You?"
"And taking control in the bedroom. That was all me. You're so submissive it's amazing you can stand up without your vamp telling you what to do."
Randy gritted his teeth at the fae king's condescending attitude.
"If I can move a tablet, think about what else I can move. The damage I could cause to your unsuspecting vampire. I bet Sasha wouldn't expect an attack from his sweet sunshine."
"His sun."
"What?"
"I'm his sun, not his sunshine."
"Whatever. Either way, he's dead if you don't take me to my wife."
Randy closed his eyes to block out the man's smug expression. He couldn't think of a way out of this. If he didn't do what the man wanted, he would harm Sasha. There was no choice.
"Fine. I'll do what you want. I just have to figure out how to get an audience with the queen."
King Drein smiled. "No problem. Just send word that at the Samhain Festival the king gave you some information. She won't be able to resist."