Alchemy Mates 2
Possessed by Love
Jason Romanoff knows what it’s like to be the bad guy. Being a
vampire, the role isn’t difficult to live up to, and in his last attempt
at a relationship he kidnapped the object of his affection. The last
thing he needs is to get involved with another man.
Adam is a true immortal, a spirit, who is all about fun and a little
danger. However, dating an exorcist may have crossed the line.
Now his ex wants to kill him, and the only way to save himself is
to abandon his physical body and take shelter in someone else’s
mind. The man he finds happens to be an ancient vampire with
control issues.
Tossed together for the duration of his possession, more than
heated words are simmering between the two men. When they
perform a ritual to get Adam his physical body back, Jason has to
decide if he really wants to walk away or see if it’s worth the risk
to his heart.
Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: 36,613 words
POSSESSED BY LOVE
Alchemy Mates 2
Jana Downs
EROTIC ROMANCE
MANLOVE
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www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove
POSSESSED BY LOVE
Copyright © 2012 by Jana Downs
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62241-342-3
First E-book Publication: September 2012
Cover design by Harris Channing
All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
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www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
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POSSESSED BY LOVE
Alchemy Mates 2
JANA DOWNS
Copyright © 2012
Prologue
The timer went off with a ding, causing Prince Jason Romanoff to
roll off the loveseat he was lounging on and head into the small
downstairs kitchen in the oldest part of his London town house. Being
a vampire had given him little reason to expand it when he’d
remodeled his home in the early 1900s. He’d sold his sprawling
country estate ten years previously when it was no longer fashionable
for the nobles to holiday in the open spaces of their country land.
Now his kin preferred to leave Britain all together and holiday in
Prince Evanoff’s territory in Southern France, a negotiation that he’d
had to bargain for, since the neighboring vampire princes were quite
territorial.
The two-story he currently occupied had been in his possession
for over three hundred years and survived war and the industrial
revolution. It was the place that held some of his favorite memories.
For three hundred of eight hundred years of his reign in Great Britain,
he’d ruled this city from this home. He’d hosted friends here, taken
lovers here, laughed here, played here, loved here…No, he told
himself firmly, banishing the image of Lucian’s sparkling, wine-
colored eyes. The particular memories surrounding the pretty Roman
vampire were too painful to relive.
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Jana Downs
He inhaled and gave a great sigh of weariness. He was terribly
tired. He felt his age, several hundred years of vampire in one tight
little package. The delicious smell of freshly baked cake did little to
lighten his mood. Usually when he was in a funk, he cooked sweets,
and it brightened him. Now it did nothing but remind him that he
would get a stomachache should he choose to consume the goods he
made.
“Oh, for God’s sake, Romanoff! It’s been two hundred years.
Lucian has been gone too long for you to pout and brood about it.” A
voice interrupted his melancholy thoughts. He glanced up to see his
second-in-command, his youngest Blood-child, Amalie. She stood
leaning against the doorframe in a pair of tight designer jeans and a
sunset-orange halter top. Jason grimaced at her less-than-modest
display. She’d been sired in the 1960s and had none of the restraint
that older females of his line had.
“Where is the rest of your blouse?” he asked crossly, ignoring her
admonishment. Her brown eyes sparkled with mischief.
“It’s called a halter, old man.”
Jason snorted. “Halters are for horses, you whelp.” He pulled the
cake pan out of the oven with careful oven-mitted hands and put it on
the stove top to cool. She looked at him like he’d lost his mind.
“You’re baking?” she asked, laughter in her voice. She was like
that. No matter the circumstance she laughed.
“It relaxes me,” he snapped defensively. “Besides, this is a special
occasion.”
“Thus why I’m here,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Happy
anniversary, Romanoff. Eight hundred years of rule, right?”
Jason nodded. “The formal gathering is this evening at seven at
the Radisson Edwardian Hotel. My secretary made the arrangements
and sent out the invitations. Didn’t you get one? You should’ve been
seated at my table with the rest of my progeny.” He frowned, thinking
about calling his secretary and firing her for the oversight.
Possessed by Love
9
“Yeah. I got it. But I wanted to see you before we have a big
vampire gathering and I lost your attention. I figured you’d be”—she
paused, searching for a word—“lonely today.” As usual Amalie
picked up on his moods better than most. She was a sensitive person
in life, and death had only amplified the gift. It was one of the reasons
he’d asked if she wanted to be turned.
He smiled and got a bag of blood from the fridge. Ah, he thought
contentedly, the wonders of modern conveniences.
“Can I offer you cold refreshment?” he asked, ignoring her
insight. She nodded, and he poured two glasses, tossing the emptied
bag into the trash can on his way to hand her a cup. He paused for a
moment before answering her questioning gaze. “I am lonely, little
one. I’ve been thinking about Lucian a lot lately.”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s been two hundred years, babe! He was
gorgeous but he left a long time ago. You have him on a pedestal.”
“Perhaps,” he allowed. It wouldn’t matter after tonight. None of it
would. Lucian would be a thousand miles farther away and he
wouldn’t have the pressure of eight hundred years of rule to weigh
him down…
* * * *
It was a black-tie affair. The vampires were dressed to the nines,
and all of them moved about the large ballroom with the grace and
sophistication of centuries behind them. It reminded him of long ago
when balls such as these were commonplace during the season. He
sipped on his champagne, holding the delicate glass between thumb
and forefinger. It had been a good time for their kind.
“It’s almost time for your speech, my lord,” Daniel said at his
elbow. Daniel was his personal human servant and his exclusive feed.
He alone knew what the prince had in store for his people.
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Jana Downs
“So it is,” Jason murmured, his eyes sweeping over the three
hundred people under his rule with no small amount of affection.
These people had preserved him long enough.
“Are you nervous, Jas?”
Only Daniel dared shorten his name in such a manner.
“I am more anticipatory than nervous. I look forward to the end of
it,” Jason said softly, a smile playing on his mouth. Daniel’s chuckle
caused him to turn to look at his servant dead-on. He was a good-
looking male, a little shorter than Jason’s own five-eleven frame, with
sandy-blond hair and calm brown eyes. He was a little leaner than
Jason usually preferred his males, his build leaning more toward that
of a dancer than the muscular decadence Jason enjoyed. Daniel’s eyes
heated with awareness as the Prince’s eyes raked him.
“Shall I join you tonight? For old times’ sake, will you let me
come to your bed?” Daniel asked, trailing an elegant hand down the
front of Jason’s suit. Jason considered it. He had only used Daniel for
blood for the last six months, his sex drive seemingly disappearing the
closer this anniversary came. He mentally shrugged.
“I’m going up on stage now. Go ahead and get into the limo, and
I’ll join you there.” Daniel was going to be disappointed when he got
there, but it couldn’t be helped. He wasn’t interested. In anything.
Possessed by Love
11
Chapter One
New Orleans, LA
Six months later
The former Prince of Britain, Jason Nicolai Romanoff, opened the
front door to his shop just as the sun was rising. His specialty sub and
sweet shop was doing very well. The tourist business was booming as
they flocked to his store for delicate European sweets. It was hard
work, not the job of a noble like he was accustomed to but the honest
work of a laborer. He’d never felt so content. He’d made the surprise
announcement at his eight-hundred-year celebration ball that he was
retiring from the position of Prince of Britain. He’d left the following
day on a plane destined for the United States.
New Orleans had been his home from the second he’d entered the
town. He loved the city, loved the vibrant energy that could be found
in no other city in the world. He’d bought a home in the French
Quarter on the same street as his shop. The vampire Prince Evanoff
had been more than ready to part with 1041 Royal St. in exchange for
some vampire favors and no small amount of cash. Since then, his
time at the residence had been far from quiet.
Night after night, just as he was pouring himself into bed, he’d
heard knocking on the door. At first he’d ignored it but he had finally
gotten irritated and had gone down to tell whoever it was to come
back at a more reasonable hour. He’d opened the door as one of the
nightly “vampire” tour guides had banged on it to emphasize a point
about the former rumored vampire occupant. The entire party had
screamed in his face and scared the ever-loving hell out of him.
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Jana Downs
Needless to say, they kept it down after that, though now the rumors
abounded that he himself was the rumored St. Germain vampire come
back to New Orleans, much to Jason’s chagrin.
Once he’d settled in he wondered why he’d never been here
before. The closest he’d come was a business meeting in New York
and that had been years ago. Now, he couldn’t think of living
anywhere else. This was just the change of pace he needed. He was
finally getting out of his rut, having a new reason to get out of bed in
the morning. He locked the door behind him and flicked on the light.
With a mental flick he turned on the ovens for his unbaked pastries.
He’d make some beignets a little closer to opening time. Deftly he
dropped his bag and rolled up his sleeves. It was time to get to work.
The day passed quickly. The constant flow of customers had kept
him busy, and he was more than ready to close up shop as seven thirty
rolled around. As usual he stuck around a bit longer than he had to,
tidying up and drinking a bag of blood before packing up to head
home. Dusk was well upon the city when Jason finally closed up and
locked his door. He waved as his two vampire neighbors, Joseph and
Nathaniel Carter, hurried by. They, like himself, were extremely
private individuals, and for the most part they’d had little interaction.
This suited him just fine. He’d had more than his fill of social
occasions over the years and was thoroughly enjoying his solitude.
For a city so vast and populated, there were relatively few vampires.
“God dammit!” The harsh bark of a rough male voice startled
Jason. He looked up just in time to see a tall guy well over six feet
barreling toward him. He barely had time to squeak out a protest
before the guy smacked into him at a dead run. They fell in a heap on
the uneven cobblestone.
“Son of a bitch!” Jason groaned breathlessly. It wasn’t a good
groan. The guy was heavy on top of him, and Jason growled his
annoyance as they both scrambled for purchase. “What the hell is the
matter with you? Don’t you watch where you’re going?” Jason
snapped.
Possessed by Love
13
He looked up into the eyes of his tackler and found himself
swimming in a sea of cerulean blue. Wow. Jason’s heart tripped over
itself in awe. He’d never seen such an aesthetically pleasing male
before. Thick black lashes framed those unreal eyes, and deliciously
plump lips begged for kisses. Those eyes considered him for a second,
seemingly calculating him with unnerving attention.
Maybe his luck was changing. This sort of abrupt confrontation
warranted some kind of apology. Maybe coffee. Chicory coffee. Café
Du Monde was open. He could watch tall, dark, and handsome eat
some powdery sugary mess of a French donut and maybe lick his lips
clean afterwards. Whoa. Licking? He hadn’t wanted to lick or even
touch anyone in forever. Well, he always liked the color blue,
especially deep blue that you could fall into like a sea of delicious
hunky goodness.
Jason blinked stupidly as the guy’s lips crashed down on his own.
He’d expected the coffee first, but…The kiss was powerful enough to
make Jason’s head spin with each deep penetrating lick of the
stranger’s tongue. The vampire clung to the stranger’s shoulders,
feeling every delicious inch of hot bulky man above him.
Jason moaned as the guy pricked his tongue on his descending
fangs and the spicy elixir of blood poured into Jason’s mouth. He
moaned again. It’d been so long since he’d had fresh blood, and fresh
blood from someone he found attractive was an even rarer treat. He
felt himself harden against the male’s stomach, and his eyes slid
closed as his pleasure mounted.
A crack like a gunshot brought him out of his haze of want.
Christ, that was a pistol shot. The male jerked back and scrambled to
his feet in a blink of time. Jason was shocked at how quickly the male
moved, almost as quick as a vampire. In a flash the guy was gone and,
as Jason pushed himself to a sitting position, another blond male
raced by in hot pursuit.
What the hell? Jason asked himself, gathering up his bag and
scattered papers. He should probably call the police or something.
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Jana Downs
The two men disappeared down an alley. He fished into his pocket for
the cell phone he’d purchased when he moved into the city to keep
into contact with his progeny back home. The little indicator light
blinked twice before the bloody thing powered down. Well, shit. He
worried his bottom lip and chased the taste of the stranger with his
tongue along the seam of his lips. So much for chicory coffee and first
dates. It figured that the only guy he’d been interested in two hundred
years was a kiss-and-runner.
Since there was nothing else for him to do and no one around for
him to ask, he pushed himself to his feet, dusted himself off, and took
off in the direction of his house. He was annoyed as he made a
slightly faster than human pace home. His luck and his karma hadn’t
improved at all. Dammit. Was he ever going to stop paying for what
he’d done in London all those years ago? It had been terrible and a
gross misuse of power but he’d done it out of love…hadn’t he? He
sighed and tried to approach the situation from his normally reserved
angle. He was disappointed. He finally reached his house.
The gorgeous coffee-brown wood and gray stone building that sat
on the corner of Royal had been such a great purchase, and he was
normally so happy when he walked up to his home after a long day at
the shop. Now he just felt a deep melancholy over the subject. He was
going to his big empty house, with all his stupid things that he bought
up and down Royal Street, to sleep alone in his big stupid bed.
“I need to get a life,” he muttered to himself as he inserted his key
in the lock. He thought about the man with the cerulean blue eyes and
the gorgeous lips. His mind slid into the next scene, and he
remembered the gunshot and the blond-haired man chasing his
gorgeous stranger. The whole situation had reeked of danger and
disruption. That wasn’t the kind of life he needed. He’d retired from
all those things when he’d left London for a quieter life. But…
What a strange occurrence. It was New Orleans, but that was
weird even for this city. What was stranger was the fact that the street
had been empty and he’d apparently been the only one who had heard
Possessed by Love
15
or seen the incident. He pushed open his front door. He shook his
head in incredulity. In the city of ghosts and voodoo, he supposed that
he should be grateful it wasn’t worse.
He hiked up the stairs after locking his door and stripped off his
clothing until he decorated the floor with everything but his cotton
boxers. He didn’t even bother with feeding his pet fish or turning on
the television for the nightly news report and weather forecast. He
was tired and lonely, and sleep sounded like the best cure for the
headache that was forming behind his eyes.
* * * *
“You are an interesting creature,” a sexy, slightly accented male
voice whispered in Jason’s mind. The vampire stirred slightly behind
the heavy curtains of his four-poster bed. It’d only been a few hours,
and he was still exhausted.
“Mmmm…you are quite delicious looking as well.”
Jason’s eyes slid open in irritation. What the hell? He sent his
senses outward, searching for the mental signature of another
vampire. Finding nothing but the muted sparks of the Carters a couple
streets over, he sat up with a frown.
“Powerful as well,” the voice noted. “An ancient vampire.
Interesting. You gave up your homeland over a two-hundred-year-old
broken heart.”
Jason slammed up his mental shields as the voice spewed his most
private thoughts. “Foolish,” the voice commented. “Giving up a
position of ease and power to run a pastry shop. You are a unique
one, all right.”
Jason’s eyes darted around the room, searching for answers and
gathering his power in preparation for a strike against the unknown
entity. He’d met some rather persistent ghosts before, but never had
he encountered one who could get past his mental shields.
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Jana Downs
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” the voice cautioned. Ignoring
it, Romanoff took up the mental thread that was the unique bright-red
energy of the being and threw his power down his cords. The power
to isolate and then attack another being’s wavelength had always been
in his repertoire of powers. It went under the mental shields of other
beings and essentially attacked the souls. All he had to do was force
his power back through the thread of energy in the opposite direction
of the flowing energy.
Jason gasped as his body convulsed as his own power struck him,
causing his muscles to jump and twitch in absolute agony. “What the
fuck?” He gasped with a moan of pain.
“I told you I wouldn’t do that,” the voice said.
“What are you?” Jason asked, panic seeping into his mind.
“I’m Adamian, High Spirit Warlord of New Orleans, some people
call my kind demons, but that’s not quite right. Call me Adam for
short.” Jason got the impression of a courtly yet sarcastic bow that
followed the words.
“Demon? As in a ‘fire and brimstone’ demon?” Jason asked in
shock, not believing a word of this. A laugh that sounded like sex
personified echoed in the vampire’s head.
“The vampire Prince of Britain, a member of a secret society, an
immortal himself, doubts the existence of incorporeal demons?” The
voice chuckled. “Besides, I’m a spirit, not a demon. You know how
humans misconstrue things.”
“Where are you?” he demanded, twisting into a crouch and
throwing back the curtain of his bed. Spirits or demons or whatever
would not be tolerated in his home, and Jason strongly suspected that
that was where he was. A pause answered him.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Adam asked. Laughter saturated his voice.
“No. It’s not obvious. If you’re invisible, I can’t very well see
you, can I? How can I hear you for that matter?”
Possessed by Love
17
Jason was confused. He put his hand to his temple, feeling a
headache coming on. Instantly a cooling sensation filled his mind,
easing the tension from the headache. Jason blanched.
“Oh, fuck! You’re inside me! Get out!” he screeched, his heart
galloping in panic. Adrenaline flooded him. “How the hell did you get
inside my head?” he demanded, his voice rising in panic.
“Think hard, vampire,” Adam said soothingly. Memories flooded
him from the night before like flashes of a movie reel. The man, that
gorgeous man, licking and kissing his mouth. The spicy blood. The
floating sensation and the incredible desire.
“Oh, fuck!” Jason groaned, collapsing backward. His heart
thundered in his chest. “You possessed me!”
“I haven’t possessed you entirely. I’m simply sharing your mind
for the time being. It was necessary at the time. I was in, ah…a bit of
a fix.”
“I don’t give a damn. Get out,” Jason growled. Invisible hands ran
over him in soothing strokes. His nipples hardened as they stroked
over his naked chest. “Stop that!” Jason snapped. He didn’t want to
admit he was getting a little aroused from the phantom touches.
Adam chuckled. “I’m in your mind, vampire. I see it all.”
“So get out. Find some poor human to take over instead of me.”
The spirit sighed. “I don’t need to take over some random human.
Firstly I’d drain the human’s life energy if I did so, and secondly I
wouldn’t be able to use their energy to summon my own. I have an
immortal body and a physical one, thank you very much. That is what
I need your assistance with. I have to get back to mine.”
“Why me?” Romanoff asked, feeling sorry for himself. It figured
that this would happen to him. Karma had once again sought to
punish him for his hundreds-of-years-old transgressions.
“Honestly? You were the first one I ran into. Literally. My
physical body has been destroyed by the man that was chasing me. As
a vampire you are strong enough to help me reform my body. It’s
really of the utmost importance for you to assist me.”
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Jana Downs
“Like hell!” Jason sputtered. “I don’t have to do anything.”
“You most certainly do. Otherwise you’re going to have to learn
to deal with never being alone in your head again.”
Jason grew silent at that. He felt trapped for the first time since
leaving his position as prince and moving to the U.S.
“Sometimes responsibility chooses you instead of choosing to take
on responsibility,” Adam offered softly.
“I moved here to stay out of responsibilities’ way. I am so sick of
dealing with other people’s problems. I need some me-time!” Jason
said miserably.
“Can I point something out to you, as an independent observer?”
“Sure,” the vampire said a mite sarcastically.
“You’re running away from yourself. You didn’t come to New
Orleans to work out personal issues and live the simple life. You
moved here so you wouldn’t be reminded of the man you lost and the
loneliness of a crowded room.”
“Who the hell asked you to examine my memories?” Jason asked,
blushing. The demon had nailed him with those statements, and God
if that didn’t piss him off to no end. He was in desperate need of a
change in subject. “Who was chasing you the other night anyway?”
“Um…well…his name is Uram. He’s an exorcist.”
“Well, I guess that makes sense,” Jason said, nodding. “I guess
it’s his job, then?”
He felt Adam’s embarrassment. It was as obvious as blushing
cheeks to Jason. “Not…exactly. He summoned me for a task which I
completed over four months ago. I…uh…convinced him to let me stay.
He was my boyfriend up until a couple weeks ago.”
Jason frowned. “Your boyfriend? Seriously? You’re a crappy
demon, dating an exorcist. Why did you two break up?” Curiosity
invaded his voice and he felt Adam’s blush deepen.
“He, uh…caught me with another man. He was a mage who
managed to cast a lust spell on me, which I could’ve fought but didn’t.
The mage was Uram’s brother.”
Possessed by Love
19
“Well, you are an idiot for sleeping with your boyfriend’s brother.
I detest disloyalty,” Jason said haughtily. Every aristocratic ounce of
arrogance in his voice that he could muster was on frank display.
What sort of man had possessed him?
Adam snorted. “Right. Kidnapping, torturing, and nearly raping
the object of your desire is a much better plan,” Adam snapped.
“I beg your pardon! I wasn’t aware my love life was up for
debate!”
“And for your information, I am a loyal person when it comes to
love. I just haven’t found it yet.”
Jason growled under his breath. “I’m discussing love and
relationships with the demon in my head. That’s just great.”
Adam sighed heavily. “Spirit. Look, we both just have to deal
with one another for the time being. Why can’t we just agree to
disagree and work toward a common goal? I want to find my body,
and you want me out of your head. Help me out, and we’ll both get
our wish.”
“Fine,” Jason grumbled. “How do we go about this?”
Silence answered him for the briefest of moments before Adam
spoke. “I don’t know. I need a couple days to get everything arranged
with my people.”
“A couple days? I have a shop to manage, you know!”
The amusement crept back into Adam’s voice. “You’re loaded,
vampire. You don’t need the damn money. Take a week off. Or call
one of the Carters. I’m sure they’d help you out for a day or two.”
Jason had nothing to say to that. Maybe it was time for him to hire
on some extra help to give him a day or two off anyway. He sighed.
“Fine,” the vampire allowed. “I’ll help you out. One week. That’s
it. If you’re not set by then, we’ll find you some unsuspecting human
and you are on your own. Deal?”
Adam snorted again. “I’ll get it done in a week regardless, but
there is nothing that can force me out of you without hurting
yourself.”
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Jana Downs
“It might be worth it,” Jason rumbled. This demon was the most
irritating creature he’d ever encountered.
“You’re not a walk in the park either, cupcake. To think that I
found you hot when I first met you…And for your 411, I am not a
demon, I’m a spirit. Get it right.”
Jason sniffed. “Maybe I’ll just call up your exorcist friend to rid
me of you.” A deadly sort of energy infused him, causing the vampire
to shiver.
“You better hope that Uram doesn’t find you, vampire. He hates
your kind as much as he does mine.”
Possessed by Love
21
Chapter Two
Jason was falling through black mist, the air cool and not
unpleasant against his naked body. For an eternity he fell until he
found himself reclining on a large bed in the center of a circular room
complete with fireplace and sandstone walls. In front of the fire was a
great armchair that was occupied by someone hidden by the chair’s
high back. The only thing visible was one leather-clad foot.
He struggled to sit up, feeling groggy and drugged. He pulled the
soft silky sheets around his hips and stumbled to his unsteady feet.
“Hello?” he called, staggering toward the chair. Jason crossed the
room and rounded the chair, the crackling fire to his back.
He was robbed of speech as the man sitting there came into view.
Black hair curled carelessly around a firm jawline, piercing azure eyes
held him captive in their gaze, firm, tanned muscles were deceptively
coiled. He was absolutely breathtaking. The man stood suddenly, his
body towering over Jason. He had to be well over six feet, well
muscled and strong. Mouthwatering, the vampire thought.
“Hi.” The man’s voice, Adam’s voice, slid over Jason like a firm
caress. Jason did not consider himself a submissive man, always
considered himself much more of a top than a bottom, but in that
moment he had the insane urge to crawl into the bed and beg the taller
man to take him, use him in ways that would’ve made a harlot blush.
The demon’s face broke out into a grin that caused Jason’s heart to
jump painfully.
“So you’re Adam?” Jason asked, his voice low and lusty. He had
to swallow several times to get the spit circulating again. Jesus, he is
beautiful.
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Jana Downs
“Yes, vampire. I am Adam.” The scenery changed, and they were
both reclining on the bed, both of them naked and bare.
“Why am I here?” Jason questioned, following the movement of
Adam’s tongue as it traced his bottom lip. He looked like he wanted
to eat him, and Jason wasn’t entirely sure that was a bad thing.
“I figured it would be best if we met in person. Formally.” Adam
leaned back against soft pillows, displaying his rippling abdomen. He
was aching to touch Adam now, needing to stroke and touch all that
gorgeous flesh. The urge to do so was staggering. When was the last
time he’d wanted to touch someone? “Do it,” Adam offered. “Touch
me.”
Jason’s hands trembled as he reached for Adam the way a child
reaches for candy. He moaned as his hands made contact with the hot
flesh. He couldn’t remember wanting someone as much as he wanted
the demon, spirit, whatever. His hands traced Adam’s chest. His mind
fogged over as it was strangled with a lust more potent than anything
else. This had to be a dream.
“You want to fuck, don’t you, gorgeous?” Adam asked, smiling.
Jason wasn’t embarrassed. Wet dreams were normal, right? Jason’s
arousal was weeping, his length hard and aching. He traced Adam’s
abs with his fingertips, enjoying making the man shudder and his
nipples harden. Jason leaned forward, licking those dusky-brown,
nickel-sized nipples. He was edible. Adam gasped and allowed his
ministrations to continue for an endless moment before gently
pushing him to his back.
“It’s been so long since someone touched me,” Jason admitted as
the spirit kissed and licked the column of his throat.
“I know, little vampire. You haven’t let anyone touch you, really
touch you, since Lucian left.” Adam delivered a hard bite to his
collarbone.
“I never told anyone that.” Jason moaned, biting his bottom lip. “I
want…”
Possessed by Love
23
Adam must’ve read his mind because he slid down his body in
exact replica of Jason’s thoughts. Without preamble he sucked the tip
of Jason’s weeping cock into his luscious mouth.
Jason couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t even move past
the unending pleasure that was being inflicted on him. Oh, suck. Suck
just like that. Holy—Hmmm, right there. Adam had a mouth that
would’ve made one of the street boys that hung outside the gay club
on Bourbon Street, Oz, peddling favors, jealous. He knew just how to
apply the right amount of pressure and depth to have Jason’s hips
bucking of their own accord, seeking the hot cavern of his mouth.
The desire he’d been in short supply of for the past two hundred
years was swamping him now, obliterating all coherent thought. He
had become nothing but a live wire of want. Adam’s tongue traced the
vein that ran on the underside of his dick, and Jason resisted the urge
to scream. He ran his hands down his stomach to pet and caress
Adam’s dark hair as he bobbed up and down on his length.
“More, please, so close…” He gasped. Orgasm was licking a
burning path down the length of his spine, drawing his balls up so that
they were a painful tangle between his legs. It didn’t help matters that
Adam seemed to know just where to touch him to maximize the
pleasure he was feeling. The spirit reached down and massaged the
tight globes of Jason’s sac, running skilled fingers down to play with
the smooth valley between the back of his sac and his tight hole. It
struck Jason as particularly erotic, and something inside him snapped
like a rubber band.
“Oh, fuck,” Jason practically screamed, his back bowing in
pleasure. He pumped his body into Adam’s willing mouth, burning up
with passion that he’d never felt before. “I’m going to…”
“Come for me,” Adam commanded, taking him deeper than
before and moaning around his arousal as Jason began to come in
long pearly jets of desire. That finger that had been playing with him
circled and teased the entrance to his body, making Jason want more
from the encounter than just Adam’s hot mouth. He twisted, wanting
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Jana Downs
to feel the stretch of Adam’s fingers. The spirit just teased, circled,
didn’t penetrate like Jason so desperately wanted.
“Oh, God! Oh, God! Oh, God! Adam!” Jason thrashed and opened
his mouth in a wordless scream. He was wrung out of pleasure,
completely spent. Nothing had ever felt this good. He was sure of it.
* * * *
Jason woke with a start, his hand wrapped round his jetting
arousal. He groaned, rolling to his side and finishing spilling himself
into his clean white sheets.
“Oh, fuck.” He panted, closing his eyes and resting against the last
shudders that wracked his body. “That was a hell of a dream,” he
murmured to himself with a smile. Apparently the man from the night
before had made quite an impression. He couldn’t believe he had
constructed such an elaborate scenario in order to “see” the man
again. “Can’t remember ever coming that hard.” He rolled to his back,
throwing his arm over his eyes and smiling. To think he’d dreamed
about being possessed by a sexy demon or spirit or whatever. He
laughed aloud at himself. How ridiculous.
“Mmmmm…good morning, sexy.” The voice from his dreams
caused his breath to catch.
Jason froze. “Oh, fuck.” The night before came back in a rush of
unbelievable event after unbelievable event. It had all really
happened. “Y–you, Jesus! You came into my dreams, you freaking
molested me!” He was blushing, furious at being touched without his
permission.
“Oh, please, you wanted it. Besides, you’re the one who started
the sexy time. I just went along with it.”
“That’s beside the point!” Jason snapped, glaring at the ceiling.
“Don’t fucking touch me while I’m unconscious.”
Possessed by Love
25
A soft chuckle sounded more like a purr. “You want me to wait till
you’re awake?” Jason felt those phantom hands caress him. Kisses on
his chest caused him to growl.
“No wonder your ex wants to send your ass back to wherever you
came from! You’re an absolute menace.”
“Well, my kind has a reputation as demons for a reason, I
suppose.” Jason felt the spirit grin. A large bang interrupted their
banter. Was that the front door? No. It sounded like it was inside the
house. A flash of annoyance went through him. He didn’t want to deal
with burglars on top of a demon, spirit, whatever in his head.
Jason rolled to his feet and tugged on a pair of boxers. “What the
devil?” he muttered, moving down the stairs and into the main room
of the bottom floor. Usually the tour groups only came at night. He
glanced at the window. It was still pretty early, ten, maybe eleven at
most. Who the hell broke into houses in the Quarter? Was no one
afraid of voodoo anymore?
“You must be Jason.” A voice in the corner caused him to jump.
Sitting in one of his recliners was a male around his height with
chocolate-brown hair and green eyes.
How the hell are these people sneaking up on me lately? He
mentally shook his head. He was an ancient vampire, and yet he was
reacting like a fledgling!
“How the hell did you get in here?” Jason growled, baring his
fangs in an uncharacteristic sign of aggression. He had had it with
people just showing up and invading his space. People sneaking into
his house qualified.
The guy’s eyes widened, and a slight mocking smile played on his
lips. “Adam called me and told me that the key was behind the lamp
outside,” he said matter-of-factly. “I’m Drew.”
Jason’s eyes went heavenward, and he counted to ten. “I didn’t
think he could contact any of his people without my help. Glad to
hear this won’t be as difficult as I’d originally thought.” He paused.
“Even if Adam insists on helping people break and enter into my
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Jana Downs
home.” The last was directed at the being that had been curiously
quiet inside him since the onset of this conversation.
Drew laughed, his green eyes sparkling. “Well, you’d be surprised
how difficult it is to get into contact with people when you’re one of
us, even with a telephone. We’re internal creatures by nature and
don’t typically rely on outside modes of communication. I was the six
or seventh person he called. Though God only knows why. Guess big
brother doesn’t want his little brother knowing he got himself into a
bind with that little exorcist prick we’ve all been warning him about.”
Jason’s lips thinned in a sign of disapproval. “Telephone? What
do you mean, telephone? I haven’t called anyone.”
Drew looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “Of course you didn’t.
Adam did.”
“Last time I checked I didn’t have cell service in my head. What
the hell is going on?” Jason demanded.
“Perhaps it is best if I explain.” Adam spoke finally, warmth and
soothing sensations accompanying his words. “I used your body to
make a few telephone calls last night, trying to get into contact with
my people.”
“You did what?” Jason snapped, turning to glare at himself in the
mirror that hung on the wall. It made more sense than screaming at
thin air. Almost sympathetic eyes met his own in the reflective
surface.
“It was easier than trying to convince you last night when you
were so tired,” Adam offered smoothly. “Besides, I didn’t do
anything other than use your telephone and your voice for a hour or
so.”
“You took over my fucking body! That’s a big deal. You didn’t
even ask!” Jason put his hands on his hips and glared harder.
“I’m assuming you’re not talking to me, so I’m going to pretend
I’m not here,” Drew said from the recliner, making himself very small
indeed. Jason turned and hoped the fury was evident in his gaze.
Possessed by Love
27
“Really, brother, please stay out of it. I hadn’t had a chance to
explain yet.” Words poured out of Jason’s mouth that weren’t his
own. Cold panic infused him.
“Stop that!” Jason screeched.
“Jason, be reasonable,” Adam said. “I’m in no way taking the
control from you, I’m simply sharing your speech at the moment.”
“That’s why you touched me last night! To distract me so I
wouldn’t know what you were doing!” Jason accused, panic lacing
every word.
“Calm down, vampire. You’re going to give yourself a heart
attack,” Adam said, his voice filling with steel. He paused. “And to
make a firmer point, you touched me first.”
“Calm down? Calm down! Are you serious? How am I supposed
to−” Jason’s mouth snapped shut in an instant.
“Settle down,” Adam commanded, taking complete control of the
body.
Jason went crazy. He hadn’t lost control of himself since he’d
become prince of the vampires in Britain. His maker was the only one
to have ever been able to immobilize him in such a manner. Memories
flooded him.
* * * *
“Settle down boy,” his Maker commanded, shooting power
through his limbs, causing the muscles to twitch as they lost the
ability to move. Blood poured out of Jason’s mouth and nose, his eyes
wide and panicking.
“By the Gods, you are beautiful.” The huge Nordic Viking stroked
a hand down his front, tearing away at the roughly sewn hide shirt
and skirt covering.
“Please, please!” Jason begged in his native Celtic. “Please let
me go!” He didn’t understand what a vampire was yet, didn’t
understand that it was too late and he was now one of them.
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Jana Downs
“You’re going to be a fine collection to my flock. Already strong,”
the big blond Viking said with pride in his voice. He leaned forward,
licking away the blood that trickled down Jason’s mouth. He tipped
the younger man’s head to the side, exposing the cords of his neck.
Jason shivered internally, remembering the blatant sexual thrill of the
Viking’s bite.
“I don’t want it,” he whispered, tears flooding his eyes.
As the vampire’s teeth sank deep and Jason’s body jackknifed in
desire, an echo wound its way through his mind. “You’ll learn.”
* * * *
“Easy, Jason. Easy. I didn’t know.” The demon’s words
smoothed away the edges of that terrible memory. Jason had learned.
He’d learned to enjoy his sire, learned to love his sire, worship him
even. He shivered, unaware he’d regained control of his limbs. He
leaned forward and pressed his forehead to the glass. Don’t look at
me, he silently willed the other man in the room, his power forcing the
man’s eyes closed.
“Drew, can you please wait outside?” Adam asked, using Jason’s
voice once again.
“Sure thing, Adam. I’ll be right outside.” Drew’s retreating
footsteps could be heard echoing off the wood floors. The click of the
door as it closed let Jason breathe a sigh of relief.
“Please, don’t do that,” Jason whispered, fighting the tears he
knew Adam could feel. He’d managed to suppress that memory for a
very long time. He didn’t want anyone looking at him. He didn’t want
Adam inside him.
* * * *
Possessed by Love
29
“So that is why you thought that if you made Lucian yours, he’d
grow to adore you,” Adam observed, running his arms over the arms
of his host.
He wasn’t normally cruel, and it bothered him that he’d
unwittingly hurt the man he was asking to help him. As a spirit, one
of the most natural and abundant creatures in the city, he should’ve
seen the panic that had ensued from his taking control from his host.
It was his responsibility to maintain the health and mental well-being
of the body who hosted him. He was ashamed that he’d been so
obsessed with the sheer physical attraction to his host that he’d missed
it.
He’d only been partially honest when he’d told Jason that he’d
come into him because he’d been the first person the spirit had run
into. Adam had kissed him because he thought he was going to die
and he wanted his last sensation to be the soft feel of the obviously
furious, beautiful vampire he’d run into in his mad dash to escape.
He’d been surprised when he’d been pulled into Jason’s body when
he’d pricked himself on the vampire’s fangs. It had saved his life.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Jason murmured, hugging himself
tightly.
“Then we won’t talk about it,” Adam said firmly, using his
phantom touch to kiss the beautiful man’s neck in apology. “Here is
my promise to you. I won’t ever take the control from you again. This
will be a joint effort all the way.”
“Thank you,” Jason said, his voice a little stronger now. “From
now on, you don’t have to distract me with a blow job to get use of
the phone,” he added a little coarsely. “Just ask. I want you out of my
head just as much as you do.”
“As you wish.”
“So what’s the plan?” Jason asked, straightening.
“We’re going to Reverend Zombie’s voodoo shop and meeting a
friend. Drew set up the meeting and will be paying for all the
information and whatever else we’ll need.”
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Jana Downs
“I have money,” Jason protested. “You don’t have to ask your
brother to pay for anything, you can pay me back.”
Adam paused. “We won’t be paying for it in money currency. The
being we’re meeting won’t be interested in monetary gain. That’s
what the tourists are for.”
“Then what is he paying with?” Jason asked curiously.
“Blood. Spirit blood. Very expensive. Hard to find and dangerous
to get. I’d normally pay with my own, but my body is unavailable, as
you know.”
Jason could understand that. After all, the most important
currency in the vampire world was blood as well.
“We’re not so different, you and I,” Adam murmured. He had the
insane urge to kiss those beautiful vampire lips. Jason’s eyes went to
the mirror as if reading his thoughts. Adam felt his body harden at
that hooded look.
Jason bit his lower lip. “You know I can feel that, right?”
Adam sputtered in surprise. “H–how?”
Jason laughed softly. “This is hard to miss.” He reached down and
gripped the growing length of his cock. Adam gasped as the sensation
of a hot hand on his cock shot through him.
“We’re blending a lot more than I have with previous hosts,” he
muttered, enjoying the feeling of Jason gripping the hard evidence of
his desire.
“Ever been inside a vampire before?”
The double entendre wasn’t lost on Adam. “No. Never.”
“You two okay?” Drew called, popping his head back into the
house. They jumped like two kids caught kissing in the living room.
“Yes. We’ll be along in a minute. Let me throw some clothes on,
and we’ll go,” Adam spoke, heading toward the stairs. He made sure
he didn’t take complete control but let Jason know exactly what he
was doing before he did it. The last thing he wanted was to hurt his
host again.
Possessed by Love
31
“This is sort of pleasant,” Jason murmured as they climbed the
stairs as one.
Adam smiled. “A minute ago you were hating it.”
“That’s true.” Jason shrugged. “I guess it’s that I don’t have to put
on airs around you. You know it all already. You don’t make me
feel…weak.” Adam picked up a black shirt from the pile at the foot of
the bed and a pair of blue jeans. He knew all of Jason’s secrets. That
made the vampire feel safer? Anyone else would’ve been resentful or
at the very least wary of a stranger knowing so many intimate things
about them. Jason was unique. Gorgeous, too. He needed someone far
stronger than what he’d been playing with. A familiar urge struck
him. He wanted the vampire for his own. He wanted to treasure that
trust Jason had put in him.
He gave himself a mental shake at the thought. It really wasn’t the
time to go fall into bed with his host. Yes, he’d sucked him, but that
had been a calculated act. He’d thought the vampire was just as
worldly and vicious as his memories of Lucian showed him to be.
Adam had been greatly mistaken. All that worldly power and displays
of strength were illusions that even Jason believed. There was a
person underneath those memories that intrigued the hell out of
Adam. He needed to lighten the mood, though, or else he was going
to do something stupid like blurt out that he could be what Jason
needed and that the vampire could give up all his troubles to him.
“You’re not weak if you show vulnerability. No wonder you don’t
date. I wouldn’t either if I had to walk on pins and needles all the
time.”
Jason didn’t comment. Instead he went to the dresser and brushed
out his short hair.
“Anyone ever tell you you’re gorgeous?” Adam asked.
“Of course. People tell me I’m handsome all the time.” Jason ran
a hand through his hair. “You don’t give up, do you?” The vampire
chuckled. “Need I remind you that you’re in this fix due to an ex you
cheated on?”
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Jana Downs
Adam just growled, wishing he hadn’t shared that little tidbit with
Jason. He had always played the field but the fact was that he always
wanted to find something else. Damn. This is going to make this job
more difficult. How was he supposed to keep his mind on the task at
hand when he had a perpetual hard-on for his host? He settled into
Jason’s thoughts, luxuriating in the soft electric hum of Jason’s mind.
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33
Chapter Three
If someone would’ve told Jason Romanoff a year ago that he
would be walking into a voodoo shop with two spirits in tow, one
lodged somewhere in his brain, he would’ve said they were
delusional. Yet here he was, doing just that. A quick glance around
made him supremely uneasy. Despite the typical touristy merchandise
that lined the counter and the written warnings to shoplifters, a very
real power filled the space.
The walls were crowded with stranger merchandise. Half of it was
junk, tourist garbage, skulls on key chains and books on the haunted
history of the city. The other half was eerie masks, candles, and even
an altar, which had warnings against touching and the threat of curses.
The young woman behind the counter in the first half of the shop
nodded to Drew as they passed, a sort of understanding look passing
between them.
“Let me have control of the body for a minute, Jason. If the
Reverend sees you, there will be trouble. He doesn’t much care for
vampires,” Adam urged.
“What do I have to do?” Jason thought back, testing out this form
of communication that was similar to the communication between
vampires.
“Nothing. I can do it. I was just warning you.”
Jason felt the whisper of a touch as Adam cupped his cheek in
comfort. He was grateful that Adam was being considerate, and an
unfamiliar warmth filled him. The spirit was taking care of him. No
one ever did that.
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Jana Downs
“Where’s the Reverend?” Adam asked the man sitting in the
corner, almost guarding the curtained employees’ entrance.
“Adamian? Is that you?” The man squinted at Jason’s form,
obviously seeing more than was physically present.
“Of course it is me, Judah. Where is he?” Adam straightened
himself to Jason’s five-foot-eleven height.
“It’s hard to look intimidating when you’re short,” he said to
Jason in the privacy of their shared mind.
“Well, excuse me for not being a giant. I’m actually a little taller
than average, jerk. Let my power loose, and I’ll show you
intimidating.”
“Oh, I like it when you’re scary,” Adam replied with the
impression of a smile. He laughed aloud as Jason pictured flipping
him off. “Tsk, tsk, now that is not proper, my gorgeous British
friend.”
“Bite me, wanker,” Jason rumbled.
“Is he expecting you?” the man by the curtain questioned, his eyes
narrowing as if he heard their exchange.
“Let them back, Judah. I’ve spirit blood to earn,” a voice snapped
behind the curtain. A shiver passed through Jason’s soul as raw power
rushed through the shop. The air itself seemed to attain an icy
countenance.
“Holy shit,” Jason said. “What is that?”
“That is the Reverend. He’s a powerful Vodun priest.”
“That’s human?” Jason asked in shock.
“Sort of. He’s human in body, but his soul is very old. He’s made
so many deals with devils they say he can see the future and has
achieved immortality.”
“Really? Rumors are such childish things, Adamian, I assumed
you were above it, young though you are.” The curtain opened to
reveal an older black man with long dreaded hair with beads woven
into each strand. His eyes were an impossible pale blue that stared
through the men on the other side. Both spirits bowed deeply to the
Possessed by Love
35
man before straightening and walking past him and into the small
back room.
“Now, I’ve seen you’ve lost your body, Adamian. How did you
manage that?” The Reverend sat in a fold-up chair behind a rickety
table covered in a rough cloth, a deck of cards before him.
“Uram decided that I am no longer good for this world anymore.
He wants me dead, and he destroyed my corporeal form,” Adam said,
seating himself on the other side of the table.
The Reverend lit a cigarette and let it dangle between his lips. The
smoke made shapes of snakes and crocodiles as it rose. Freaking
weird. “Lucky to run into a being that can handle your soul without
being consumed by it. Luckier still, that you were bleeding and shared
a moment of harmony with a complete stranger. Instant transfer to an
immortal host is almost unheard of. Vampire, if I am not mistaken?”
Adam nodded tightly. He shared his thoughts with Jason on the
subject. He knew the Reverend had a personal vendetta against the
Carter brothers, who were the other vampire occupants of the Quarter.
The Reverend had bound the two brothers to the city over two
hundred years ago so that they couldn’t leave. He wasn’t sure how the
Reverend would react to the presence of another vampire. Great. I
always wanted to be instantly disliked by someone.
Jason’s stomach twisted as the Reverend seemed to look through
Adam and into him. “He’s a noble vampire, one of the ancients with
principles.” The man smiled in an almost feral fashion. “Though he’s
got a few stains on his soul from his decisions. His kind always smells
sweeter than the filth that lives on the corner of Royal and St. Anne.”
His contempt-filled reference was obviously directed at the Carters.
“Give me his hand, Adamian, so I can read him. Too much luck in a
situation can often mean treachery.”
“I’ve read him, Reverend. He’s not an enemy.” Adam’s voice was
firm. Jason felt a flash of gratitude for his protection. Though, if he
wanted to be honest, he wouldn’t need his protection if the spirit
hadn’t decided to set up shop in his body. The thought didn’t annoy
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Jana Downs
him as much as it should have. “And I’m not going subject him to an
invasive reading without his consent.”
The Reverend raised his eyes and stared at the spirit hard.
“You’ve never been so protective of a host, Adamian.”
“He’s an immortal and a warrior in his own right. I respect him,”
Adam offered. Jason felt a very human look of confusion pass across
his face but remained silent. What did that mean?
“You’ve met immortals in the past who have not gained your
respect so quickly. You have barely been hosted to him for twenty-
four hours. Your affection is growing exponentially,” the Reverend
commented, beginning to shuffle the cards in front of him.
“You have a theory,” Adam said softly.
“I do,” the Reverend confirmed. “Do you wish to hear it?”
Adam nodded. The Reverend smiled, revealing slightly pointed
teeth like a shark on both the top and bottom rows. “Shut him out.
This is for your ears alone.”
That got Jason’s attention. “Adam, don’t.”
Adam hesitated as if he didn’t know how Jason would react to
such a thing. “I’ll be quick.”
“No!”
* * * *
With a thought, he pushed Jason into the dream state he’d used on
him before. Spirits called the state Dashra. He put them in an image
of Jason’s bedroom, influencing the vampire into a state of mindless
sexual desire. In the dream state Jason didn’t want to fight him.
Instead he gave into his baser urges, the ones that were telling him to
touch Adam to begin with. Adam’s Dashra self was coaxing and
touching Jason’s incorporeal body, making him cry out in passion.
He felt a moment’s shame as Jason’s lust-filled eyes met his own
in the dream state. He’d promised not to shut him out. But the
Reverend’s orders had to be followed. Adam didn’t want to risk this
Possessed by Love
37
whole meeting by disobeying something that normally came easy to
him. Jason’s cries of ecstasy caused him to harden painfully. Oddly
what Adam regretted most was that he wasn’t able to lose himself in
Jason’s embrace.
“It’s done,” Adam said, meeting the Reverend’s eyes.
Adam jerked hard as Jason’s Dashra self began servicing him.
What the hell? He shouldn’t be able to feel Jason’s thought without
being actively involved in the Dashra realm. He bit his bottom lip to
keep from moaning. Oh, fuckkk, he thought.
Jason’s mouth felt fantastic. The vampire increased the intensity
of his suction. Adam was sure his eyes glazed over as Jason pulled
him down into the dream world with him. The room spun, and the
image of the Reverend blurred.
* * * *
He fell into his incorporeal body next to Jason on the bed he’d
created in Jason’s mind.
Jason’s lively green eyes met his own from his knees. His cheeks
were hollowed out, and a delicious submissive light filled his gaze as
his mouth wrapped around Adam’s weeping length. The dominant
spirit warlord in Adam growled in appreciation.
“That’s it, sweet lips,” Adam encouraged. “Suck me good.”
“Love to suck you,” Jason replied, his eyes sparkling. “I want
you.” The confession went straight to Adam’s cock. The spirit could
only groan in answer. This gorgeous man with his sparkling green
eyes wanted him.
His hands reached down and wound themselves into his hair,
anchoring Jason’s head so that Adam could fuck the other man’s
mouth more easily. He changed the angle, nearly making Jason gag
around his cock. It wasn’t his fault that he found the power
intoxicating. He wanted to fuck him, lose himself in Jason’s tight ass,
mark him inside and out with the pleasure of his touch. Branding his
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Jana Downs
host was a viable option, looking down into those sparkling eyes. His
hands tightened in Jason’s hair.
“Beautiful. Beautiful vampire. Mine.” The possession in the word
was obvious. Nothing existed but Jason and Jason’s touch. Hell, he
never wanted to leave. Fuck having his own body if it meant he got to
keep Jason…
* * * *
A bolt of power slammed into Adam, bringing him back into the
room. Adam gasped at the stinging sensation that danced along his
nerve endings. He was disoriented and a little sick to his stomach.
“What the hell was that?” Drew demanded from behind him,
putting his hands on Adam’s trembling shoulders.
“It is as I thought,” the Reverend remarked sagely. “The vampire
is your lifemate, Adamian.” Both demons gasped.
“That’s impossible!” Drew exclaimed. “The host isn’t one of us!”
“Both spirit and vampire are from the same thread,” the Reverend
said, continuing the shuffling of the cards. “The reason he can pull
you into Dashra is because his soul and yours share the same path.
When you two exchanged blood, you became his vampire Servant.
When he took you into his body, he became your true host. This bond
is deeper than any marriage ceremony, deeper than any binding spell.
He saved you because he could do nothing else. He is yours.”
Adam swallowed hard. He’d waited his entire life to find his
lifemate. The one spirit in the universe that would make him turn
away from meaningless relationships and embrace a partnership that
would carry him for the rest of his immortal existence.
The Reverend reached beneath the table and drew out a rough
canvas sack. He handed it across the table to the stunned spirit. “In
that bag is all you’ll need to conjure another body for yourself. You’ll
need your vampire’s magicks to be able to pull it off.”
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39
“What’s your fee?” Adam asked, taking the bag from him with
reverent hands. They’d had to pay in spirit blood to get a meeting
with the Reverend, to get a solution, and the ingredients were liable to
cost a bit more than a cup of blood.
“After you are finished with the ceremony, bring me the ash from
the spell. That will be payment enough.”
The spirits recognized a dismissal when they heard one, and both
stood. Adam’s mind raced. How was this possible? He had a lifemate.
It may have explained why he felt the instant affection, possession,
and affinity for his host that he did, but this was beyond strange. He
picked up a love and clarity candle on the way out of the shop. It
wasn’t much, but he supposed that he needed to give his new
lifemate, Jesus, Jason is my lifemate, something for being his. He paid
for his purchase and left the shop, trailing after his brother who had
already hit the cobbled streets.
Adam and his brother walked in silence down Bourbon Street,
stopping into one of the walk-up bars and ordering stiff drinks before
continuing on their way. A hurricane was the only thing that would
take the edge off finding out he’d been blessed with something as
precious as a lifemate.
“So, you have a lifemate,” Drew said. “And he’s a vampire.”
“Seems that way,” Adam agreed, clearing his throat and avoiding
a group of drunk tourists as they passed.
“Guess you won’t be my wingman anymore,” Drew continued.
“No more late-night hotties at Rawhide.” The joke wasn’t funny.
Rawhide was one of their favorite nightspots. It was a gay club
outside the Quarter with a plethora of sexy men willing to fulfill the
two spirits’ more carnal needs.
“Guess not,” Adam muttered. He was obviously still in shock.
“What if he’s not, well, submissive? I mean, come on, you’re a
top all the way. You said yourself that he was a Prince of the
vampires, a big baddie where he comes from. Is he a closet bottom?”
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“Not that I can see. I don’t think it’s an act, but I think he’ll bend
for me,” Adam said. His mind was still spinning over the fact that he
had a lifemate. “However, I’m going to have to make it work. You
can’t reject what the universe gives you.”
“Is he still in Dashra?” Drew asked curiously. If the Reverend
hadn’t pulled Adam out of Dashra he’d still be there with his host.
Adam looked inwardly and shivered as his Dashra self began
fingering the vampire’s willing body. Jason’s cries of want nearly
made him stumble on a loose stone.
“Yeah.” His voice had gone husky with desire. Drew laughed and
he slapped his brother on the back.
“Take your host home and get yourself a body, brother!”
Adam smiled to himself and nodded. Downing the rest of his
drink, he headed toward Royal Street. He was going to have to kiss
some serious vampire ass to get his mate not to be pissed when he
woke up from Dashra.
* * * *
“Damn, vampire, you’re hot,” Adam’s voice echoed in his mind
as Jason’s eyes popped open. Fury flooded the vampire as he regained
his senses.
“You son of a bitch!” he snapped. He was lying on his bed, his
legs splayed wide, his body naked, and his erection hard against his
stomach. “You promised!”
“I’m sorry,” Adam said soothingly, stroking his phantom hands
over his body. “The Reverend demanded I put you in Dashra, the
dream state, to give me the information I needed.”
“I don’t give a damn! You should’ve asked! God, why did I trust
you? I know better! I made it this long because I didn’t trust rogues
like you!” Jason glared at the ceiling, hating being stuck with the two-
timing spirit bastard. He felt like throwing a fit like a toddler. His
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41
cheeks were on fire. I…We…in my mind…And Adam hadn’t even
participated, really!
“I said I was sorry,” Adam said softly.
“Whatever,” Jason snapped. “How do I get rid of you?”
The spirit hesitated. “Drew is setting everything up in the living
room. You’ll have me out of your hair soon enough.”
“Why aren’t we helping out with that to hurry things along?”
Jason snarled. He was hurt, he realized suddenly, hurt by this being
he’d barely known a day. I’m in trouble, he thought, as fear trickled
through his anger. I like him, and I’m in trouble.
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Chapter Four
Adam had never felt helpless in his entire life. Yet now, he felt as
if there was nothing he could do to turn Jason’s anger over being put
in Dashra. He didn’t want them to get off to this whole relationship
business with bad blood between them. He brooded for a few endless
moments, watching Jason as he trailed his hand thoughtlessly over his
bare chest.
He was a beautiful creature. God knew that he never thought he’d
deserve a lifemate of such resounding beauty. He was convinced that
Lucian, the vampire who’d rejected Jason all those years ago and
broken his heart, was an idiot. It was obvious from not only his
demeanor but his memories that he was a man of deep passions who
would never be content with the stifled nobility whom he’d ruled. He
was a powerful man who’d never trusted himself to be vulnerable
with another being. Adam hoped to be the first.
“Hey, Adam?” Jason questioned softly, startling Adam out of his
thoughts. He sounded calmer than he had a moment before.
“What is it, little vampire?” Adam asked, his voice unnaturally
soft.
“Tell me about spirits. I mean, I’m almost a thousand years old,
and I’ve only heard myths and legends.”
Adam was momentarily stunned at this line of inquiry. This was
not what he’d been expecting. “Spirits are naturally incorporeal
beings. It is easier to hide, even from the immortals, when you can
possess average Joes off the street. Our bodies, when they’re created
from scratch, don’t have a mental signature like vampire or ghosts.
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43
The only time you can even tell that we’re present is when we are
already inside the host.”
“So you all are just very private?” Jason continued.
“For the most part. More to the point, we just don’t come into
conflict with other races, therefore you all don’t know we’re there.
We war more among ourselves than with other immortals. The only
enemies we really have are those among the humans that we call
exorcists. They are able to control our energies and summon us with
certain spells that enable them to temporarily enslave us. That’s what
happened with my ex. He summoned me for a party trick. We slept
together and were together for the past six weeks.”
“I see,” Jason said with a sigh. “So it was necessary…earlier?”
Stupid, Jason thought at himself. You’re giving him an out.
Adam heard every thought. He hesitated before answering. “Was
it necessary? Yes. Could I have asked you first? Absolutely. It was
wrong of me to put you into Dashra and…touch you, simply to
distract you.”
Jason’s heart constricted. He felt a pain knowing he’d been
touched not from desire but from necessity. Adam couldn’t let Jason
think that.
“I appreciate the honesty,” Jason murmured, closing his eyes.
“I want to touch you because I find you to be the most attractive
man I’ve ever met. I want to touch you, not because I manipulated you
into arousal, but because you want me with as much depth as I want
you.” Adam hurried through his confession, gauging Jason’s reaction
to it.
The vampire fell into an even deeper melancholy. Dammit. “I’m
not interested in setting myself up for a letdown, Adam,” Jason said.
“I’m not attracted to many people the way I’m attracted to you. It’s
not easy for me to be with someone under normal circumstances.
With you the complications are mounting at an astronomical rate.
Hell, you don’t even have your own body.”
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“So, let’s keep it casual, then,” Adam offered a bit desperately. “I
want to explore this attraction between us.”
“So that’s all you want? Sex?” Jason asked cautiously. He could
handle casual sex. Sex without complications. Sex without the
possibility of getting hurt again. Adam could’ve crowed in triumph.
He had a chance! “Sure. We’ll keep it casual,” he said, trying to keep
the eager note out of his voice. He was a liar, but beggars couldn’t be
choosers.
“I want you out of my head first,” Jason murmured. Adam could
tell he was seconds from agreeing with him but he was still waffling.
The sound of footsteps drew his attention. “Everything is ready,
Adam,” Drew said, interrupting them. Adam could’ve screamed in
blatant frustration at the interruption. “The ritual calls for nudity and a
cleansing bath, so hop in the shower, brother.”
“Thank you. We’ll be down in a moment,” Adam said from
Jason’s mouth.
“That is eerie as hell,” Jason commented. “Hearing someone
else’s words coming out of my mouth is so strange.” But Adam was
pleased to note that it was no longer sending Jason into a panic attack.
“You get used to it after a while, or so I’ve been told,” Adam
replied. “Shall we bathe together? I’m sure Drew has already put the
bath salts in your shower room.”
Jason smiled. “Bathing together? Next you’ll be cooking me
breakfast and ironing my linens.”
“Are you saying I’d be the wife?” Adam asked incredulously. “I
beg to differ, big, bad, and bitey.”
“Was that a vampire joke?” Jason asked, laughing.
“Sure was, Bram. Get used to it,” Adam quipped, enjoying the
way Jason’s soul sparkled when he laughed.
“I’ll have you know that we consider ourselves to be a noble race
completely separate from that hack’s novel. Don’t compare me to
Bram Stoker’s Dracula. We are an ancient and proud people.” Jason
padded across his room, heading toward the shower.
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45
The bathroom wasn’t as massive as some places in the Garden
District, but from Adam’s perspective it was probably high-end
enough to make up for the lack of size. It only had one very expensive
coffee-colored vanity and stark-white sink, but both a shower and a
separate bath done in expensive-looking tile work.
It was Adam’s turn to laugh. “My people are older than your
people by eons. I’m probably three times your age. In fact, I was
around when you people were still hunter-gatherers.” And that had
been an interesting experience. The first time he’d assumed a human
body had been his sixteenth birthday, and it had been the strangest
thing. Over time, creating a humanlike body to house their spirit had
become commonplace, but at the time it certainly hadn’t been.
“I haven’t dated an older man since the A.D.,” Jason said,
giggling. “I feel I may be taken advantage of.”
“I’m absolutely taking advantage of you,” Adam agreed. “You
should at least demand payment for your services.” He was loving the
way they could joke together. Maybe it wouldn’t be difficult to
convince his lifemate to stay with him after all.
* * * *
“Oh? And what services would those be?” Jason asked, turning
the knob on the shower and testing the water’s temperature. The spray
cascaded down in a pleasant watery cadence. The tiles glittered like
stones in a river bottom under the recessed overhead lights, just as
Jason had built them to. Invisible hands pinched his nipples, causing
him to gasp. His arousal stirred. “Knock that off,” he demanded
breathlessly.
“Ooh, are someone’s nipples sensitive?” Adam growled
playfully. Adam’s mood was infectious. That playful edge made
Jason want to engage him in more than just banter. It had to be sexual
attraction. He should justifiably be pissed off from earlier but he was
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having a difficult time staying angry with Adam when he was
touching and playing with him.
“Nope. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m not
sensitive,” Jason lied. He could’ve gone for innocence, but he felt just
a trifle too old for that. “I thought this was a cleansing bath, not
playtime.”
“Playtime? Mmmm…I like that. Let’s do playtime instead,” Adam
rumbled, causing the vampire to shiver. He pinched Jason’s nipples a
bit harder, eliciting another gasp from the former prince. Jason
wanted to yield to Adam in the worst ways. The want scared him. He
didn’t bottom. Hadn’t bottomed for several hundred years. The urge
to let Adam’s dominant touches sweep him away should’ve made him
much more uncomfortable than it did.
“When you get a body, I’m going to whip your ass for this,” Jason
murmured, swiping at the invisible hands to no avail.
Adam chuckled. “I’m terrified.” He ran those hands down the
front of Jason’s body and wrapped it around his budding arousal. The
vampire gasped, his head falling back and his mouth opening in a
soundless moan. He’d not had a lover touch him in longer than he
cared to remember, and having Adam do it now sent his body into a
hyper state of sensitivity that was reserved for the celibate and the
young.
“What about that cleansing bath?” Jason asked with a gasp. He
braced his arms on either side of the mirrors above the sink and stared
into his eyes as Adam stroked him from base to tip. It was
disorienting looking down and not seeing a hand there, and even more
disorienting not seeing another person in the bathroom with him.
“Purity of thought has to be achieved as well. I have to relax you
completely so that your only thoughts will be calm and focused,”
Adam spoke through his mouth, lighting Jason’s features with a saucy
grin.
“God. It’s good when you do that,” Jason said, his eyes alight with
smoldering desire.
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“What’s hot?” Adam growled. He had an invisible mouth latched
on to the vampire’s sensitive nipples, giving them just an edge of
teeth. “Me controlling this gorgeous mouth of yours?” Jason moaned
in answer.
“Casual,” Jason reminded them both as Adam’s hands increased
their pace and intensity. He had to say that, or else he was going to
lose his mind. Adam had admittedly just gotten out of a relationship,
admittedly cheated on his ex, and admittedly did not do serious
relationships. However, if Jason were to admit it to himself, all the
vampire did was serious relationships. Maybe he needed a casual
fling.
“Casual,” Adam agreed. “Now stop thinking about anything but
pleasure, Bram.”
Jason followed his command with relish. Adam added a sucking
sensation to Jason’s testicles to go with the stroking hand on his cock.
Jason’s moan echoed through the bathroom. The spirit continued to
torment his body as he spoke. “Love watching the change of
expressions as they play on your face, Bram. I want to get you off so
good that you’ll see stars. Think we can do that?” He was putty in his
hands, and Adam adjusted every stroke and lick to the desires
shimmering in Jason’s mind until he had him at a fever pitch. Jason
tossed his head from side to side, pushing his hips against those
invisible hands.
“Adam!” Jason gasped. He’d never had anything feel as good as
the demon’s invisible touches. Every stroke was tailored to his
desires, every lick was gauged for his reaction, and every sharp pinch
on his nipples was to contrast the gentle pleasure on his cock. Nothing
was ever touched long enough to really get him off. The touches were
present only long enough to tease him, torment him.
“That’s it, Bram. Get hot for me.” Adam growled. He tore his
gaze from Jason’s face in the mirror and shut off the shower. Instead
he took both of them to the claw-footed tub and turned the water on
there. He tossed in some salts and plugged the bottom. The entire
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time, the sensations tearing through Jason’s carefully erected mental
walls continued to boil over him.
“What are you doing?” Jason asked as Adam stepped into the tub
and relaxed into the hot water, which was swirling with salts.
“Cleansing. What’d I tell you, Bram? Relax,” Adam commanded.
He used his powers to create the sensation of a mouth on Jason’s
straining dick.
“Fuck!” Jason moaned.
“Not yet,” Adam whispered darkly, teasing the tip of his arousal
with soft licks of his tongue. “God, I can’t wait to taste you.” Adam
growled as the vampire leaked a drop of pre-cum. Jason’s hips thrust
upward, coming out of the water as his pleasure mounted. Adam
gripped the tub above Jason’s head, immobilizing Jason’s upper half
with a thought.
“I’m going to come,” Jason warned as the tension in his lower
body tightened to an unbearable pitch. Adam immediately backed off
to a gentler stroke, squeezing the base of his cock to stave off the
orgasm. “No!” Jason gasped, his eyes rolling and his hips straining for
that last hard stroke he needed. Adam laughed, clearly enjoying the
most exquisite torture he was inflicting on Jason. He sent searching
fingers to tease the tight ring of muscles that protected the entrance
into Jason’s body. Jason’s eyes rolled again, his breath little more
than a series of pants. Adam groaned aloud as Jason spread his legs
wide obligingly, his body open and pliant in Adam’s invisible
embrace. He stroked a finger deep into the recesses of the vampire’s
body than was possible with anything other than his mental touch,
stroking his prostate and sucking his cock deep into his throat.
Jason screamed his pleasure to the heavens. His body bucked and
thrashed, splashing water out of the tub onto the floor. His orgasm
shook him to the core as he murmured Adam’s praises over and over
in a listless fashion. Adam wrung every ounce of pleasure from him,
milking him until he could do nothing but shudder and twitch with
every new touch.
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He was completely boneless by the time Adam withdrew his
mental embrace. He chuckled as Jason sighed and rested his head on
the back of the tub before sliding down into the water.
“I enjoyed that far too much,” Jason admitted when he regained
the ability to speak. He closed his eyes as Adam took a washcloth to
wash off his body. “I haven’t let anyone penetrate me since my sire,”
he added. “That felt a lot better than I remembered.”
“How was it before?” Adam asked. “I’m surprised you were able
to keep the memory from me. I saw flashes about your maker, but I
didn’t think…”
“It hurt,” Jason recalled darkly. It had hurt physically, but more
than that it hurt mentally. He remembered the abuses well. He
remembered loving his maker for them after a while, a century or
more. He swallowed hard and shook his head to clear it. “I didn’t
think I was wired that way, to be honest with you.”
“You were beautiful,” Adam complimented. It filled Jason with
an emotion that felt a little bit like pleasure at the reverently spoken
words. “Your reactions set me on fire.”
“I don’t remember liking it that much,” the vampire said again.
“Maybe you’re wired that way just for me?” Adam asked in a
tentative voice. Jason frowned, obviously pondering his words.
“Maybe,” he allowed noncommittally. “Maybe it takes a rogue to
be able to make me enjoy it.” And he had enjoyed it. His still
oversensitive cock could attest to that. If it was this explosive mind to
mind, what would it be like when they actually got to touch one
another skin to skin?
“We should get out,” Adam said. “Drew is probably waiting for
us.”
* * * *
Jason blanched as he came down the stairs and got a look at his
living room. All the furniture was pushed to the side. The Persian
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carpet was rolled up and leaning against one wall. Salts of various
colors made circular patterns on the floor, and a dozen or so candles
dripped their black, white, and red wax all over his hardwood floors.
“What the hell!” he growled at Drew as he finished spreading
some type of herb all over the outline of the biggest circle. “I don’t
have a maid! Who’s going to clean this?” Drew smiled sheepishly.
“We have a service we can call once I have my body back. I’m the
warlord of this section of the country, after all,” Adam offered.
Jason snorted. “If I knew what the hell that title meant, I’d be all
excited, but I don’t. So long as my floor gets cleaned, I’ll be right as
rain.” He growled at the wax that was dripping down on his floors.
They’d have to be refinished after all the wax was scraped up. The
process was tedious at best. Bloody hell and damn.
“Compare being a warlord spirit to being a vampire prince.
There are four provinces in the States. I own the middle one and as
such, it is my territory.”
“Oh,” Jason murmured. If Adam owned that big of a chunk of the
States, then he probably could afford to have someone come in and
take care of his floors. “In that case, proceed.”
Adam just blatantly laughed at him, the sound echoing in Jason’s
mind.
“Sit in the middle of the center circle, Adam, and we’ll get
started,” Drew commanded, dusting off his hands. God, what was that
smell?
“Sure thing, brother,” Adam said. “Jason, I’m going to need
control of the body.”
“Okay,” Jason thought back, relinquishing control without a fuss.
He was surprised at the depth of his trust when it came to the spirit.
“I’m glad you’re learning to trust me, Bram. I promise what
happened at the voodoo shop won’t happen again,” Adam said,
pushing the image of his pleased smile into Jason’s consciousness.
Jason was more than pleased at his pledge, but he didn’t want Adam
to feel like he was getting off too easy over that little stunt.
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“You talk like you’re a youngling with all this ‘Bram’ nonsense,”
he said with feigned annoyance at his mind-reading. “I feel like I’m
twice your age when you talk like that.”
“I’m just hip. Got to keep up with the times, Bram,” Adam
declared with a pinch to Jason’s ass.
“You’re going to have to focus, Adam,” Drew reminded as the
other spirit sat within the white, tan, and blue salt circle.
“I’m going to get salt in my ass crack,” Adam joked. He was
never good at keeping a straight face. He made New Orleans his home
for a reason. He fit the wacky energy of the city. Jason heard the
thought and mentally rolled his eyes.
“You are so vulgar. You lack any inkling of sophistication.” He’d
been a British aristocrat far too long to find such things commonplace
or funny. Adam just laughed at his upper-crust offense.
“Would you grow up?” Drew asked with a sigh. “Seriously, you
are ridiculous.”
“My sentiments exactly,” Jason agreed.
Adam laughed all the harder. “Hey, you two, quit ganging up on
me.” Both Drew and Jason snorted. With a wave of Jason’s hand, all
the candles in the room sprang to life.
“This power of yours is handy,” he thought to Jason as the flames
flickered. Jason agreed. He barely remembered a time when he didn’t
have the power Adam complimented. “All right, Bram. I need you to
concentrate on breathing in and out. Meld your energy with mine,”
Adam said, closing his eyes to begin the ritual.
Drew sat across from him and dragged the blade in his hand
across both of his open palms and let the flow drip onto the salt. The
vampire identified the noise immediately, and Jason’s nostrils
twitched and his eyes popped open as the coppery scent of blood
invaded his nostrils. He hadn’t fed in several days, and as the blood
permeated the air, his fangs elongated and his mouth watered.
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“Spirit blood is poisonous to your kind,” Drew warned. He looked
a bit wary of the obviously hungry vampire. “Only lifemates can feed
off one another.”
Jason nodded finally, giving the blood a last longing look. He
imagined that a lifemate was like an alchemy mate in that way. When
this is over I’m going to have to find a blood bag to munch on until I
can hunt. He took several deep breaths, closed his eyes, and tried to
ignore his growling stomach.
A lyrical language filled the air that Jason had never heard before.
His ear tried to pick up a thread of the words, but it sounded more like
bells than any words he’d ever heard. The chanting increased in
intensity. The air seemed to thicken with tension. He shivered, and his
body broke out into a cold sweat. His vampire nature growled and
fought against the foreign energy welling inside him.
“Easy, Bram,” Adam soothed, his invisible hands petting Jason’s
back in slow circles. “We’re almost done.”
“I feel out of control,” Jason said. His mind was spinning, and his
stomach twisted in protest.
“It’s because I’m absorbing your energy,” Adam explained, his
mouth still spouting the language that was making Jason nauseous.
“A human would die from this.” Jason groaned.
Drew’s voice rose with Adam’s own. In unison their voices rose
in a crescendo, their words echoing off the walls. Jason screamed
internally as streaks of pain shot up and down his body. His back
bowed in agony.
“Hold on, Jason, just a little longer,” Adam begged. Jason could
feel that the spirit was worried at Jason’s pain level. It was rising
steadily with each passing second. He couldn’t even speak past the
ache.
Drew moved suddenly, stabbing the knife that he’d used to cut
him into Jason’s chest. It moved between the ribs on the right side of
his body with ease, sliding deep. Jason gasped in surprise. Blood
sprayed from the wound, and Drew whispered an apology. Jason
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53
grunted in pain. Fuck. Was that supposed to happen? They’re trying
to kill me.
All at once both spirits fell silent. Jason’s eyes slid open. The
muscles in his face protested the movement. “Did it work? Please say
it worked,” Jason asked, his voice scratchy. Adam? He asked in his
mind. Adam? he questioned again.
He felt oddly bereft at the silence that answered him. Maybe
something had happened. Fear lacerated him. What if that zombie guy
had done something to kill the demon? He felt numb, his limbs not
functioning.
“Adam?” he slurred in question. He was losing too much blood,
but he couldn’t seem to get past the idea that Adam was gone. His
vision blurred, and he began the descent into unconsciousness.
They’ve killed me. His world narrowed into pinpricks of light. He
swallowed and gave a resigned sigh. A thousand years wasn’t a short
life, and it wasn’t like he was happy anyway. That was the last
thought he had before sliding into the black abyss.
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Chapter Five
“Adam. Adam, wake up.” Drew’s voice brought him to
wakefulness. Adam’s eyes popped open, and he stretched his new
limbs experimentally. It felt good to be in his own body again.
“How’s the vampire doing?” Adam asked, sitting up. Jason was
naked on the floor on the other side of the room. Drew stood in front
of him, blocking his view. He hoped Jason was resting a bit. He felt
terrible for zapping his lifemate of energy like that. He would
definitely make it up to him later. Visions of dinner dates and tangled
sheets chased themselves through his head. Oh, yeah. He was going to
show Jason just how much the vampire really wanted to submit to
him. More than that, he wanted Jason to realize that Adam was
boyfriend material.
“Why didn’t you use his power to fuel the ritual? Christ, Adam,
that took a lot of juice,” Drew said, wrapping a sheet round Adam’s
shoulders. His black hair was wet from sweat. He looked extremely
nervous for some reason.
“I did use his energy,” Adam said crossly. “It was hurting him
something fierce for me to suck it out of him like a damn leech.”
“Yeah, well, it wasn’t enough,” Drew said with a sigh. He moved
out of the way, revealing the other side of the room. Jason lay in a
pool of his own blood amid the salt circles.
“Sonofabitch!” Adam shouted, coming to his feet quicker than he
knew Drew could see. With one hand he picked up his younger
brother and pinned him to a wall. “You stupid fuck! What the hell did
you do to him?”
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“I had no choice, Adam!” Drew squeaked as Adam squeezed his
throat, lifting him off the ground so that his feet dangled. He rarely
saw Adam in such a raw state of anger, and the terror written all over
his face said that he was not enjoying the experience. “It wasn’t
working! If I hadn’t had the extra blood, it would’ve killed you both!”
Adam dropped him like a sack of potatoes. “So help me, if he
dies, Drew, there will be no place on their earth you can hide from
me. No rock you can crawl under that will afford you protection
enough. I will take your incorporeal form and rip it into so many
pieces you will never know rest.”
Drew sputtered. “I’m your brother!”
Adam half turned back to his brother, the only family he had left
in the world. “And he is my lifemate. If he dies. You die. Period.”
“He needs blood,” Drew said from behind him as Adam scooped
up the unconscious vampire.
“Then he’ll get it,” Adam replied, climbing the stairs to the master
suite.
“You can’t feed him yet. You’re still weak from transition,” Drew
said, ever the pragmatist. He was following them upstairs. Adam
could hear him clomping along behind them.
Adam snarled. “Then I suggest you start making a fucking plan
really quick, Drew. Because he needs it now.”
Drew sighed heavily. “You start him on some high-octane spirit
blood, and I’ll go for take-out.”
Adam kissed Jason’s forehead in apology. “All right. Hurry the
fuck up.”
* * * *
He was drowning in blood. Thick and spicy. It filled his mouth,
choking him. He turned his head to the side and spat out a mouthful of
it. His lungs burned, and his limbs tingled.
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“Damn it, Jason! Drink it!” a voice yelled at him from some
distance away. Who was it? The accent sounded familiar. It
comforted him as he slid deeper into the abyss.
“Vampire, drink the fucking blood already! You’re being
stubborn!” That damnable voice jerked him back to consciousness.
His head was pounding with every stuttering beat of his heart. It
stopped, and Jason listened with eerie fascination at the silence that
followed.
“Jason, please!”
Someone shook him. Jason’s eyes slid open uneasily, and he
blinked as spots of light danced across his vision. His heart began to
pound painfully as it restarted. The stranger above him was gorgeous
and familiar somehow. And, damn, he was bossy as hell.
“Thank God,” the man whispered. Blue eyes regarded him, and a
bloodied wrist was put to his mouth again. The vampire felt his fangs
elongate as the blood rolled on his tongue.
Oh, yes! Jason thought gratefully. His instincts took over his
mouth naturally and began to draw on the open wound. His starving
cells screamed for more. He felt his venom glands swell, and the man
who was feeding him gasped. Jason growled and bit deeper, widening
his mouth to cover the entire wound. Adam. The man’s name was
Adam. Jason remembered that much. He raised his eyes to look at
Adam’s pleasure-soaked expression. Your brother tried to kill me, you
prick. And if I need it, your life is going to be forfeit.
* * * *
“Oh…Oh, God.” Adam groaned. His head fell back, and his eyes
closed. His hips jerked forward as a hard erection swelled with every
subsequent pull of Jason’s mouth. The vampire was an ancient, and
his venom was as orgasmic as Adam had imagined it would be from
Jason’s memories of his prey’s reactions. Adam groaned as his cock
jerked in near orgasm. “Holy shit!” He bit hard on his lip to stifle the
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57
moans of ecstasy. He could’ve fucked through a brick wall at this
point, he was so hard. Jason’s growls of approval lit him on fire.
Jason tugged hard on his wrist, sending Adam sprawling across his
chest.
“Jason.” Adam whispered his name like a prayer. The vampire
wrapped his legs around his hips and bucked his own naked body
against the spirit. Jason slapped Adam’s hand away and wrapped his
arms around his neck. Adam tilted his head obligingly. Whatever you
need, baby. I’ll give it to you, Bram, mine. Jason’s fangs sank into the
artery, causing another gush of blood to shoot into Jason’s mouth as
he sucked greedily on the wound. Adam cried out again in pleasure.
He was about to shoot like he was a kid with his first backseat
rendezvous.
The spirit’s hips took on a life of their own, grinding their cocks
together in perfect unison. The fluid that spilled down both of their
lengths slicked the space between them, increasing the ease of
movement as well as the pleasure. Jason’s head lifted from the
wound, and their eyes met.
“Fuck me,” the vampire commanded, his eyes sparkling with dark
pleasure.
“Thank God,” Adam moaned. Since they were both still naked, it
made things much easier. Feeling Jason skin to skin was the
equivalent of reaching nirvana in Adam’s mind. The spirit spread the
vampire’s ass cheeks with care, testing his willingness with several
gentle strokes of his fingers.
“Yes!” Jason groaned, bucking his hips against Adam’s seeking
fingers.
“I’m going to fuck you so damn good,” Adam promised as
Jason’s body relaxed against his invasion. Jason was still much too
tight, though. Several hundred years of no sex would do that. He
reached to the side table and grabbed the bottle of hand lotion,
pouring it into his hand and slicking his dick as he went. Adam was so
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investing in a bottle of lube for Jason’s house when they started
dating. It would make his vampire feel so much better.
He couldn’t think past the pleasure pounding through his veins.
He could see how people could quickly become addicted to the bite of
a vampire. God knew he was about to, after only one hit from the
delicious being that was his lifemate.
“Now…please,” Jason begged, dragging Adam down so that he
could bite Adam’s neck again.
Blood was smeared all over Jason’s mouth and chest, bloodying
the white cotton sheets. Adam’s head spun as the venom and blood
loss began to take effect. He braced his arm beside Jason’s head and
positioned his cock at Jason’s tight entrance. He was hyperaware of
the fact that he was the first man allowed the privilege in several
hundred years.
“Breathe out, Bram,” Adam commanded as he pushed forward.
Jason’s breath left him in a sigh. “Good boy,” Adam growled as he
had to bite back his pleasure as it came to a fever pitch.
“Move!” Jason yelled in a strangled voice as he pulled up a few
inches before slamming his hips back against Adam’s own,
effectively impaling himself on his weeping length. Adam gasped.
“Impatient, pushy, vampire bastard,” he rumbled, pinning Jason’s
arms above his head with one arm as he had in the bath. Jason
moaned and bit his bottom lip. Hmmm, Jason liked being lightly
restrained. It was a good thing for Adam to file away for future
knowledge.
“So good.” Jason gasped, his eyes rolling in pleasure. Adam’s
thick length shuttled in and out of Jason’s ass with jerky, staccato
movements.
“Love your tight ass,” Adam complimented, fucking him harder
with each guttural word. He knew it probably hurt with only his pre-
cum and lotion to lubricate Jason’s entry, but he couldn’t stop. He had
to fuck and fuck hard, had to have Jason moving beneath him. “You
like that, Bram?”
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59
“Oh, God, yes!” Jason screamed, digging his nails into Adam’s
tight shoulders.
He came apart with a high-pitched vampire screech. His pleasure
splashed against their torsos as his back bowed in an impossible
angle. “God!” he whispered, his body shaking with the aftermath of
his orgasm.
“Ah!” Adam shouted, his orgasm taking him by surprise. He
groaned, and his dick jerked inside the quivering vampire. Jason
petted his back through his orgasm, inhaling the sweat-slicked flesh of
Adam’s chest as he groaned and whispered for more.
Adam collapsed, resting his full weight on the smaller man under
him.
“You’re heavy,” Jason complained, poking Adam’s ribs in protest.
“Shh,” Adam slurred with a grin. He felt so good he didn’t even
want to move.
“Move,” Jason demanded, squirming.
Adam grunted and rolled. He fell onto his back with a sigh. “That
was hot, Bram.”
He turned to his side to stare at the beauty that had just given his
body for Adam’s pleasure. It was totally worth the pounding headache
of blood loss that he was experiencing. “Jason?” he questioned. Jason
gave a small snore. He smiled as he realized Jason was already asleep.
“Good night, Bram,” he whispered.
The soft knock on the door signaled Drew’s arrival. “Come in, but
be quiet,” he said as Drew popped his head in the door. “We’ll wake
him in a bit.”
* * * *
Jason woke slowly. He was relaxed. He didn’t remember ever
feeling this calm upon waking. Usually he woke to erratic thoughts
and paralyzing anxiety over the day’s responsibility or at the very
least, miserable over some past incident that he recalled in his sleep.
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Yet today, he woke with nothing but pleasurable sensation to greet
him.
He felt the soft texture of his Egyptian-cotton sheets, a warm
pillow to his back, and the comfort of a full stomach. Nothing more
and nothing less consumed his awareness. He sighed and snuggled
deeper into the softness of his bed, unwilling to give up his moment
of peace.
“At least you could change those sheets. They’re making me
queasy,” a voice complained.
Another snorted. “Yeah, well, that’s your own God damn fault. If
you hadn’t stabbed him, I wouldn’t have had to give him blood.”
“Yeah, well, if I hadn’t stabbed him, you wouldn’t have gotten
laid!” the first snapped.
Jason frowned in confusion. Who were they, and what were they
talking about? Memory flooded back to him in a rush of color and
sound. He felt the blood drain from his face as he realized that the
pillow at his back was no pillow at all.
“You stabbed me!” Jason accused, sitting up suddenly and
knocking his head against Adam’s chin for his trouble. He glared
daggers at the sheepish spirit standing before his fireplace, completely
unfazed by Jason’s nudity or anything else for that matter.
“Sorry. It was necessary,” Drew said with a wry smile.
Jason growled. “I’m sure.”
“What? No kiss good morning?” Adam’s voice interrupted the
sharp chastisement Jason was about to deliver to the other spirit.
Jason’s gaze traveled to his “pillow,” who reclined against the
headboard of his bed. Naked as a newborn and streaked with blood,
the spirit had never looked sexier. Jason blushed as he realized that
the hot dream of a moment before was all too real. The soreness of his
bottom was enough to confirm that.
“So you have your body back,” he said, looking down at his lap
and his ruined sheets. He dreaded to know what he himself looked
like. Not panicking over what had transpired seemed like a good plan,
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61
so he concentrated on a very limited number of things. The fact that
he’d spread and let another man fuck him wasn’t entering into his
mind. Truly. Should’ve just killed him. Yep. Should’ve drained him
dry and been done with it. It would’ve saved me this embarrassing
morning-after moment.
“Didn’t you get a feel of that fact earlier?” Adam said. He
stretched with a grin. Jason blushed scarlet. “Do you need another
feed? Our contacts told us that you’d probably need more blood after
you woke. The healing process apparently takes a lot more blood than
normal,” Adam continued, watching Jason’s embarrassment. Jason
suddenly found the bare spot on the wall opposite his bed very
entertaining. Maybe he should’ve hung a painting or something there.
I can’t believe I slept with him. I actually slept with him. I know what
kind of noncommittal man he is, and I slept with him. He cleared his
throat and attempted to answer Adam’s question in a steady voice.
“No. I’m an ancient. I can go a very long time without feeding.
This wound would’ve healed eventually given enough time, even
without blood. It was accelerated by your blood, though. I thank you.”
Jason was still not looking up.
Adam frowned and tipped his chin up with his finger. “Jason, look
at me.”
“No,” Jason said stubbornly. I can’t believe I spread my legs and
begged to be taken…The only other time it happened was with sire…
Adam must’ve caught the flash of thought that crossed Jason’s
mind because he responded to it. “Stop thinking about another man
while you’re with me,” Adam commanded. “He doesn’t own you
anymore. You’re mine now.”
“You’re still in my head,” Jason said faintly, touching his
fingertips to his temples.
“Yes,” Adam said. “I’m as surprised that I retained the ability to
read you after separating from you as you are. Usually we lose that
power when we separate from the host. This connection is called
imprinting. Usually only lifemates can do it.”
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“I thought we were keeping it causal,” Jason muttered, finally
giving Adam his gaze.
Adam didn’t reply to that for a long moment. “I’ll be damned
before I let you hide behind a promise of informal sex, Jason. You felt
something more, and I know it.”
“The taxi is here, Adam,” Drew interrupted from the window.
“Taxi?” Jason’s eyes filled with something akin to
disappointment.
“Yeah. I’m going to have to get back to my house so that I can
make contact with all my district managers to let them know I’m
okay.” Adam was loving the fact that Jason didn’t want him to go. His
gaze flicked to Drew. “Go wait with the cab. I’ll be down as soon as I
throw on my clothes.” Drew nodded and let himself out of the room.
Adam turned his attention back to Jason. The spirit grabbed the
back of Jason’s neck and brought his face forward. “I didn’t get my
good-morning kiss.” His lips crashed down on Jason’s, demanding his
lover’s reaction. Jason sighed, and his eyes slid closed.
They kissed for endless moments, exploring the subtle contours of
each other’s lips. Jason was the first to open his mouth, allowing
Adam’s tongue to snake inside with a sigh. Their tongues sparred, and
a needy sound wound his way out of Jason’s throat. He wasn’t sure
who the first to pull away was, but eventually they were both no
longer kissing. Instead they simply stared into each other’s eyes.
“I don’t want to go,” Adam said finally.
Jason swallowed. He was more than familiar with the
responsibility of ruling a people, but he didn’t seem to want Adam to
go any more than Adam did. “But you have to. Your people are
waiting.”
Adam nodded reluctantly. “Yes. I’m going to leave you my card
on the dresser. Will you call me tomorrow?”
“I’ll be at the shop,” Jason said, climbing out of the bed and
beginning to gather up the sheets. “I never did get anyone to run the
shop, and since it only took two days, I didn’t lose a lot of business.”
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“That’s good, I suppose,” Adam offered. “Would you be opposed
to me dropping by your shop then? I could go for some sweets.”
Jason swallowed. “I would like that.”
A horn blared from outside, signaling Drew’s impatience. Jason
jerked on the corner of the sheet that Adam was still reclining on,
telling him without words to get up and give him the sheets. It broke
the sentimental tension without a fuss.
“Guess that’s my signal to go,” Adam said with a soft smile. He
rolled and brought himself to his feet, crossing the room till he got to
Jason’s dresser. Drew had left him clothes there that would fit. He
tore off the tags with pleasure. He enjoyed wearing new clothes,
especially mall-store couture. In fact, he was a bit of a clothes whore
if he were completely honest with himself. It was one of his quirks.
“You could’ve borrowed some of my clothes. You didn’t have to
buy new ones,” Jason protested as Adam jerked on his Urban
Outfitters clothes.
Adam laughed. “For someone who was aristocracy, you’re awful
cheap. Besides, all your clothes would be too tight and too short.”
Jason pursed his lips. “I find myself to be more conservative than
most of my contemporaries.”
Adam laughed at his typical British prudency. It was precisely
what he thought of when he thought a former member of the Ton. He
crossed once again and took Jason’s mouth in another heart-stealing
kiss.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said as Jason blushed all the more for
his attentions. He gave a final wave and then excused himself from
Jason’s room.
* * * *
Jason blinked as he stared after the spirit. “Bloody man didn’t
even put shoes on!” he whispered, scandalized. He smiled against his
palm as he thought about how appropriate that was. For the brief time
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he’d known Adam, he knew that to be more than appropriate for his
character. With a sigh he went back to gathering his linens. He was in
trouble all right.
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Chapter Six
“Oh, yes! Fuck me! So good! Adam!” Uram screamed as his lover
pounded into his tight channel with abandon. His cock jerked twice,
and it spilled his desire onto the sheets beneath him. He threw a look
of adoration over his shoulder as the demon, whom he’d summoned,
did his best to keep up with Uram’s demanding pace. The spell he’d
cast had Adam’s azure blue eyes staring into him from the other
demon’s face. He groaned anew and began to harden again. The spirit
lord was like a drug, and Uram regretted his hasty disposal of the best
thing in his life.
He’d just been so furious when he’d walked in on him fucking his
brother. He growled at the thought. It was only later he’d learned of
his own brother’s betrayal. He was resting at the bottom of the mighty
Mississippi for his treachery. No matter. He admonished himself. He
could have Adam’s face whenever he’d like. Demons were quite
commonplace in the city, and a simple spell would take care of the
rest.
“I’m going to come!” the demon shouted in panic. Uram had
warned him that he would be quite displeased if he orgasmed before
the exorcist was finished. Uram reached between his legs to jerk on
his growing arousal. He wanted to come when his beloved did.
“Oh, Adam!” The exorcist groaned as his cock gave forth another
burst of orgasm. “Come for me!” he commanded. A moan answered
him. Not Adam’s low, amused chuckle. It was no fun to command
from the bottom. No fun to be in control of the one fucking him. He
missed Adam’s sexy laugh and his big cock. No amount of magick of
appearance could fix that.
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“Oh, God!” The demon groaned, giving forth his own seed deep
within Uram’s body. Uram sighed and shoved the demon off him with
one well-placed kick.
“I didn’t want to come yet,” he complained angrily. It didn’t
matter that he’d commanded it to happen. Adam wouldn’t have
listened to him. His eyes sparkled with his displeasure. He’d never
been displeased with Adam.
“I couldn’t help it. I’ve been pounding on you for hours,” the
demon replied sullenly. He was a lesser demon. Not a warrior at all.
Pathetic.
“And you’ll pound into me for hours more if I want you to,” Uram
said, smacking the insolent demon’s sullen face.
“Fuck you! I fulfilled your task. Let me go,” the demon snarled,
its eyes glowing bright red.
“Let you go?” Uram asked with a wicked smile. He waved a hand,
and the spell was cast. He poured another glass of wine for himself
and smiled when the demon started screaming.
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Chapter Seven
Adam was whistling a merry tune when he walked down Canal
Street. He was carrying a bouquet of red and orange roses with
touches of baby’s breath throughout, courtesy of Mary-Anders, a
florist in his Legion. He hoped he wasn’t overdoing the thank-you by
bringing Jason flowers, but he couldn’t resist the sentiment. He cut
down Royal Street at a clipped pace. He was dressed in his nicest pair
of designer dark-wash blue jeans and a black T-shirt with fleur-de-lis
in silver print on the left side of his chest. He looked killer in the
outfit, and he hoped that Jason thought so.
The sweet and sub shop was easy enough to find. It was elegant
and filled the entire street with smells of sweets and mouthwatering
candy. He might’ve been a little prejudiced, but he thought Jason’s
shop was on par with Café du Monde. Of course, that would probably
get him shot by the locals, but he only planned to say it when Jason
was in his bed feeding him those decadent treats. His lips twitched in
amusement. Yeah…Jason’s more likely to shove a pastry down my
throat than feed it to me. He loved that spicy way Jason fought him.
Jason’s shop was right in between two French antiques stores
whose merchandise probably wasn’t a quarter of the age of the
vampire right next door. With a reaffirming breath, the nervous spirit
lord opened the door to the pastry shop. He was automatically
assaulted by the stronger smell of sweets. His mouth started watering
instantly.
“You should bottle that smell. Every woman in New Orleans
would flock here for Eau de Sweets,” Adam commented. Jason had
his back turned to him as he arranged various-colored mini tea cakes
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and tarts on a shelf behind the register counter. He froze and turned.
Adam shifted from foot to foot with nerves. He hoped Jason was
pleased to see him.
The vampire smiled broadly. “Just in time,” Jason said. “I was just
about to make lunch. Are those for me?” Adam gave an internal sigh
of relief.
“Of course,” Adam said with an answering grin. He handed them
across the counter to the sugar- and flour-splattered vampire.
“They’re beautiful,” Jason murmured, bringing them to his nose
and inhaling. A look of pure bliss stole over his face that caused
Adam to tighten painfully. “I’ve never gotten flowers before.”
What the hell was wrong with the vampires in Britain? “I hope to
be a lot of firsts, Bram,” Adam teased.
Jason laughed softly and inhaled the flowers again. “Let me get a
vase for these, and I’ll be right back.” He disappeared behind the open
doorway which read “Employees’ Entrance” and returned almost
instantly with a water-filled vase. He arranged the flowers in the vase
with the utmost care, going as far as to move certain flowers to create
a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. What a weird man. He
hadn’t seen the art of flower arranging practiced in years. Jason had
obviously had a love for the Regency era because he was stuck in it.
The vampire needed to be dragged kicking and screaming into the
twenty-first century.
“I love them. Orange is actually my favorite color. I wouldn’t
have paired the red with them, but they look lovely,” Jason said
thoughtfully. He turned and gave Adam the full force of his smile.
The vulnerable expression caused the spirit’s heart to trip over itself.
“I’m glad you like them,” Adam said equally as softly. He cleared
his throat. “So what was this about lunch?”
Jason laughed and disappeared from sight beneath the counter.
“Flip the Out to Lunch sign on the door,” he instructed. Adam did as
he was bid and then sat at the two-person table by the window.
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Within moments Jason had prepared a cold lunch for him and set
it on the table. He poured himself a large glass of wine and sat down
across from the demon with a small smile.
“I thought you couldn’t drink human substances,” Adam
commented as Jason took a delicate sip out of his glass.
“I can drink and eat human food, but my digestive system doesn’t
process solids very well. If I eat too much, I get sick,” Jason provided.
He took another sip and studied the demon beneath thick lashes. “I
use the wine to hide my blood drinking from my customers. I got the
idea from Prince St. Germain of France. He infuses blood with wine. I
have a standing order for the stuff. I’m quite addicted,” he added,
raising his glass in a semi-toast. “It is the only thing you’ll ever hear
me compliment about that obnoxious frog.”
“You don’t care for him?”
Jason smiled again, flashing a bit of fang, and sipped on his wine.
“We have an understanding, but we’re not exactly friends. Call us
long-time rivals if you must call us anything. I find him brash and
over-the-top.”
Adam grinned. “Well, I’d hate to know what you said about me
then, Bram.”
Jason’s lips pursed. “I find you obnoxious and over-the-top as
well. However”—he paused—“your ass is much better than St.
Germain’s.”
Adam burst out laughing at that. Well, at least I know he likes my
ass. “I thought ancients didn’t have to drink that much.”
Adam bit into his sandwich and tasted heaven. Holy cow. What
did he put on this damn sandwich? His mouth was crying out in
ecstasy. He’d tasted almonds and grapes and some sort of shredded
meat with a bit of cheese, held together by some sort of tangy sauce to
create this riot of sensation in his mouth. It was complimented nicely
by the slightly sweet bread he used as a vessel to carry the mesh of
wonderful into his waiting tongue.
“Did you hear a word I just said?” Jason asked in amusement.
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“No,” Adam said with a full mouth. “I’m having oral orgasms
over this sandwich.”
“You’re welcome.” Jason looked like the cat that swallowed the
canary. “I aim to please.” Adam’s eyes darkened at the words and he
slowly finished chewing his bite and swallowed. Food and sex sounds
like a slice of paradise. He wondered if Jason would consent to a
midday tussle. Something told him that Jason would be absolutely
scandalized.
“I hope so,” he murmured, capturing Jason’s gaze. They shared a
tense moment, each one lost in the eyes of the other. Adam knew the
second their minds touched, descending to thoughts of naked flesh
and sweat-slicked skin.
“Have sex with me,” Jason asked, not even bothering to hide his
desire.
“Do you have time?” Adam asked, looking at the Out to Lunch
sign hanging on the door. He loved that Jason always surprised him.
“I’ll make time,” Jason said firmly. “Consider it a thank-you for
the flowers.”
“I want to fuck you, Jason. I want to be balls deep inside you all
over again,” Adam murmured with a growl.
“God.” Jason hissed, his eyes sparking a brighter green. “You are
so crude.”
“And you love it.” Adam stood and offered Jason a hand.
“Come.” Jason took his hand and stood before leading him behind the
counter and into the employees’ room.
* * * *
“What if I wanted to fuck you?” Jason questioned suddenly as he
closed and secured the entrance to his office with a decisive click of
the lock. His heart was pounding as he asked it. He had to know even
if it never happened. He had to know that Adam was willing to give
up the control for him. He already felt out of control and scandalous
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for even asking Adam to come back here. If Adam was willing to
bend a little for Jason, Jason could see this casual interaction they
were engaged in continuing for a long time. While love was out of the
question, respect was a must in any relationship Jason was engaged
in.
Adam hesitated. “Then you will. It isn’t how I would prefer it, but
for you…for you I will do things I’d do for no other.”
“That doesn’t sound casual,” Jason said, his eyes narrowing.
“No. It doesn’t,” Adam agreed, leaning in and taking Jason’s lips
in a punishing kiss. Jason leaned against his desk and spread his legs
so that Adam could come between them, moaning into Adam’s
mouth.
“If you want to fuck me, say so now, because once I get your
pants off it’s all over.” Adam growled.
Jason shook his head. “That’s not how I want you.” He undid the
button on his black slacks with care, leaning farther back to push them
off his lean hips. “I want you…balls deep inside me.” The naughty
words seemed to set Adam on fire because the low growl sounded
once more.
“I aim to please,” the demon echoed Jason’s earlier words. He
licked at Jason’s exposed flesh.
“I hope so,” Jason said with a gasp.
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Chapter Eight
One month later
“Ah! Ah! Ah!” Jason cried out as he rode Adam’s hips as the
spirit moved his hands up and down the hard length of his erection.
They hadn’t made it to the bed…again. Adam had pulled them both to
the couch an hour ago, and they’d kissed, licked, and fucked each
other blind. This was the finale in Jason’s mind, but he knew that
Adam was always full of surprises.
Over the past month Jason had learned to thrive in his submission
to Adam. He learned to adore the hard ride and pace that Adam
demanded. Most importantly he’d learned to love this spirit warlord
with everything he had. He didn’t know when, or why, or even how it
had happened, but he’d fallen for the big spirit with his devil’s charm
and coarse mannerisms. It was a wonder that he’d managed to keep
his confession to himself and an even bigger wonder that he’d resisted
Adam’s persistent courtship and demanded they keep it “casual.”
“Oh, that’s it, baby Bram. Just like that.” Adam gasped. He
reached up and twisted Jason’s nipples in one decisive move. Jason
groaned and tossed his head mindlessly. He loved when he did that.
His beaded nipples seemed connected intimately to his cock, and it
jerked with each twisting caress. “I love when you go crazy for me,
Bram,” Adam said, pushing his hips up so that Jason bounced on his
lap. “Goin’ come together, Jason. We are.”
Jason whimpered. “Stop talking. Please, I can’t hold on.”
“Don’t want you to hold on, Jason.” That hand twisted his nipples
harder at the same moment his cock started nailing Jason’s prostate
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with every hard lunge. Jason’s mind glazed over, and nothing
mattered as much as reaching orgasm with his lover. He felt the
screech building in his throat as he neared the precipice. He
considered holding it back, but he knew that Adam loved when he got
vocal, so he just let out everything he was feeling in a screaming,
shuddering cry as he plummeted over the edge.
They both sighed and Jason slid from Adam’s lap.
“Well, good evening to you as well, Adamian,” Jason said with a
goofy grin. Adam had surprised him by stopping by the shop to walk
him home after work. Adam worked most nights, so it wasn’t that
common an occurrence.
“Hmm, don’t talk. Can’t think yet. My balls turned inside out.”
Adam’s eyes were shut, and sweat clung to all his gorgeous skin. Sex
between them was really a workout. “Day off tomorrow?” Adam
asked.
Jason had finally hired extra help and only worked four days a
week now, upon Adam’s suggestion. Jason still adamantly refused to
spend the night over at Adam’s house in the Garden District even
though Adam spent the night at Jason’s house more often than not. It
was a growing spot of tension between them and one that Jason really
didn’t want to deal with tonight. He snuggled into Adam’s arms and
pretended to doze.
“Don’t give me that, vampire,” Adam said, poking Jason in the
ribs. “We’re talking.”
Jason wanted to pout but was too much of a gentleman to do so.
He sighed. “I thought you were tired.”
“Changed my mind,” Adam said, completely unapologetically.
“So, I was thinking that you would come out with me to the
Blacksmith Shop, get slightly sloshed, and then go back to my house
to watch endless episodes of Family Guy over at my place since
you’re off tomorrow.” Adam made the suggestion as he nibbled
Jason’s still intensely sensitive nipples. Oh. You’re not playing fair,
you bastard. He shivered.
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“I don’t think that is a good idea,” he whispered.
“Then don’t think at all. Let me think for you,” Adam encouraged.
“Come on, Bram…you’ve never even seen my place…”
“We said we’d keep it casual,” Jason reminded. “We’re too
intimate already. You’re here all the time, and we go out together at
least once a week. Can’t you just let it alone?”
Adam frowned and got up. He padded naked toward the kitchen,
which due to the spirit’s frequent visits was now fully stocked. Jason
admired the sexy curve of Adam’s ass. He followed the lure of
Adam’s sex appeal just as Adam probably knew he would. The man
used his gorgeous body and his appeal to his advantage with Jason.
He was addicting, and Jason wondered, not for the first time, if he
was already too far gone on him to pull back.
His contemplations were broken by Adam’s next words. “I can’t
let it alone because you use this as a way to keep distance between us.
When I suggest making a real go of this, you start brooding either
about your sire or about Lucian. I’m sick of having to compete with
the two men in your damn head. I’m nothing like either of them.”
Adam growled as he opened the fridge and took out the jug of orange
juice he used for a quick energy renewal after sex or when Jason fed.
“I don’t care, Adam. Bloody hell. You’re not a magic wand. You
can’t toss off a couple hundred years of bad relationships with a wave
of your bloody hand. I need time,” Jason protested, leaning his hip
against the counter. He seriously felt like he’d been slapped by
Adam’s words. He hadn’t been aware that Adam could even still see
inside his head but now that he knew, he felt the tension amplify all
over again.
Adam slammed the door to the fridge, causing Jason to jump.
“When you say you need time, Jason, that typically means that you
intend to start trying at some point, but you want to keep me at arm’s
length for the rest of forever. I’m willing to wait if there is a
possibility of some return on my investment, but you don’t even plan
on ever letting me in.”
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Jason opened his mouth to protest, and Adam raised a hand to
silence him before continuing.
“Don’t even say it. Do you forget that I’m in your mind? I see
you. I see your intentions. I know for a fact you don’t intend to let me
love you. Ever.”
“Well, who bloody well asked you to play psychic and dig in my
bloody head?” Jason snapped, getting defensive.
“Fuck you,” Adam said. “Don’t sit there on your high horse and
think I’m being manipulative. You have the same damn ability, but
you refuse to even acknowledge its presence.”
He pushed past Jason and scooped up his pants off the floor and
jerked them on with angry movements. His shoes and shirt came next.
“Where are you going? We’re not done talking,” Jason demanded.
He put his hand on Adam’s shoulder, which he shrugged off.
“We’re done talking because you’re done listening,” Adam said.
He smoothed his hair back in a jerky movement.
“Adam, wait.” Jason felt almost panicked at the thought of Adam
leaving. He hadn’t felt this intense amount of panic even when Lucian
had walked away two hundred years ago.
“Look, Bram. I’m mad. I’m not thinking straight when it comes to
you, and logically I know I should back off, but I don’t trust myself
not to say something stupid. I don’t want to give you another reason
to put a wall between us.”
Jason balled up his fists and watched as Adam readied himself to
leave. His whole being was screaming at him to stop him, to fix this,
to confess his heart’s desire. He made it to the front door before Jason
could speak.
“I love you,” he said quietly. His heart was pounding so loud in
his ears that he was almost deaf.
Adam froze, and he took his hand off the knob. “What did you
say?” He demanded everything Jason was, his eyes boring into
Jason’s stiff body.
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“I said…I love you. I love you, you bloody bastard.” Jason looked
up, his eyes glittering with tears. “I love you, and I’m terrified of
loving you.”
Adam turned with a whoop of delight and rushed to Jason’s side,
sweeping him up into his arms and twirling him around. He placed a
tender kiss on both of the vampire’s cheeks and his stunned mouth.
* * * *
“I knew it!” he cried, laughing. Okay, so he might’ve been poking
fun of his serious lover a little bit. “I knew you loved me! Bram, I can
wait forever if you say that again.”
“Put me down, you ass!” Jason sniffed, clearly angry at him.
Adam kissed that pouting mouth again, nipping at his lips until Jason
gave in with a sigh. He knew just how to handle his lover.
“Screw the bar tonight. Let’s go back to my place and make crazy
monkey love all over again…on second thought, there is a perfectly
good bed upstairs. Let’s do it there,” Adam continued, completely
ignoring the vampire’s sputtering protest.
“Adam! Adam! Put me down this instant! This is so undignified!”
Jason protested. He kicked his feet.
Adam slapped his ass in punishment. “Settle down, sexpot. I’m
going to fuck you stupid in just a minute.”
“Adam! You…you…you…vulgar peasant!” Jason’s face was the
color of blood, and his stuttering insults caused Adam to laugh.
Without ceremony he dumped the vampire onto his bed and followed
him down, kissing and licking at his neck.
“I love it when you talk dirty to me, baby,” Adam said, laughing,
posing Jason for his pleasure. Jason sputtered right up until Adam slid
his achingly hard body into Jason’s ass.
* * * *
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I have alchemy with him. Jason opened his eyes and sighed.
Morning light streamed through the shutters, lighting up the room in a
soft golden glow. Adam was on his back, one arm thrown casually
over his eyes to shield them from the light, his body bared to the
room. He was breathtaking. Jason rolled to his stomach and propped
himself up on his elbows to look his fill. The two healing bite marks
on his pectoral muscle where Jason usually fed during sex filled him
with a curious happiness. I have a mate, he thought again with a soft
smile. Alchemy was never wrong, and the exact match of chemical
compatibility was unmistakable. Leave it up me to not recognize my
alchemy mate until a month after the fact.
“Hmmm…good morning,” Adam’s deep voice rumbled and
caused goose bumps to appear on Jason’s flesh.
“Morning,” Jason replied, placing a kiss on his delicious tanned
flesh. He’d never thought he’d have alchemy with someone.
When he’d met Lucian, his admiration of the upper-crust charm
and quiet dignity had had him falling head over heels in what he’d
perceived to be love. He admired Lucian’s gentle nature and his
smaller frame and light musculature. When Adam had appeared, he’d
completely obliterated his feelings for Lucian and any other man he’d
ever been interested in.
Adam was nothing like Lucian. He was crass and loud. Instead of
opera, he watched South Park, and instead of gourmet food, he ate
Fruit Loops. He was taller, dominant, and muscled from head to toe.
He wasn’t very graceful, and he grinned whenever he was
embarrassed. Never in a million years would Jason have found
himself attracted to the spirit. Yet whenever Adam walked into a
room, Jason was hyperaware of him. His heart would pound painfully,
and his body would bend to the stronger will of the warlord. No one
had ever elicited such a strong reaction in the vampire.
“What are you thinking about, looking so serious?” Adam
wondered, tracing Jason’s bottom lip with his thumb.
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“How happy I am,” Jason replied without thinking. He blushed.
He hadn’t meant to confess that.
Adam grinned. “I love that you can’t filter your words with me,
Bram.”
“Oh, shut up,” Jason said, laughing. “You’re incorrigible.”
“I love it when you talk dirty, baby,” Adam continued to tease.
Even Jason’s love hadn’t been enough to put Adam into a serious
mood. He was a tempest, flexing between extremes, dragging Jason
out of his complacency and into a world much brighter than the one
he’d been in previously.
Jason rolled his eyes. “Is there anything you don’t love about
me?”
“Not really. I’m pretty much wrapped around that sexy
aristocratic finger of yours, Bram.”
Jason snorted. “I’m sure.”
* * * *
They took their time getting ready for the day. They showered
together and dressed. Adam made some phone calls from his cell
phone as Jason finished packing an overnight bag. He was planning
on introducing him to a few spirit friends at a house party tonight. It
was going to be the first time Jason was coming over, and Adam
wanted it to go smoothly.
“I want to bring a cake over for the guests,” Jason called from the
bedroom. “I already called Hanna at the store and had her decorate
one. Hope you like chocolate!”
“No problem, babe. Everyone I know likes chocolate,” Adam
yelled back. He glanced at his watch and knew it’d only be another
ten minutes before Drew showed up with his car. They still had plenty
of time before the party. The heavy sound of the doorknocker caused
Adam to head down the stairs.
“You getting the door?” Jason called.
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“Yep. Hurry up, Bram!” Adam replied, chuckling as Jason
continued to fuss with his hair in the mirror. My fastidious and
meticulous lover.
Adam pushed open the door without thought. Drew stood on the
front step in a pair of torn blue jeans and an equally ratty T-shirt.
“What about dinner party didn’t you understand?” Adam asked
his younger brother.
Drew shifted from foot to foot. “Tony caught me banging some
dancer at Rawhide and kicked me out again.” Tony was Drew’s long-
standing lover. He’d stuck with his little brother longer than anyone
ever expected someone to. Their love was a standing joke among the
spirits. They were either in feast or famine, totally in love or cheating
on each other right and left.
“Did he burn your clothes again?” Adam asked in amusement.
“No. He just…uh…changed the locks again.” Drew frowned and
scuffed his foot.
“Good thing we keep extra clothes at my place,” Adam said with a
shake of his head. Leave it up to his brother to be in trouble the night
of his big day. He spared a thought to his own love past. He was glad
it was over with. He didn’t need anything but Jason, and he hoped that
Jason didn’t need anything but him. They were going to make it work,
and it felt right for the first time in Adam’s eternity.
“Is Jason ready to go?” Drew asked, changing the subject.
“Almost. He’s so nervous that I’m afraid he’s going to bolt at the
first sign of trouble.”
Drew slapped him on the back. “No worries, bro. We’ll corral him
in.”
“I’m not a horse. There will be no corralling,” an annoyed voice
said behind the spirits.
They both turned sheepish gazes to the vampire who stood on the
bottom landing of the stairs, legs splayed, and hands on his hips.
“Are we stopping by the bakery before we go?” Adam asked,
offering an outstretched hand to the indignant vampire. His lover
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offended so easily, and he got even more prickly whenever he was
uncomfortable with something. Poor Jason didn’t yet realize that that
passion was something Adam just loved to invoke again and again.
Jason crossed the room and looped his arm through his. “Yes. I
just got off the phone with Hanna. She says that it’s ready now, so we
might as well pick it up.”
* * * *
“I’ll get it,” Adam said. He was sitting on the passenger side and
didn’t want Jason to have to open his door on the busy street. Parking
in the Quarter was a nightmare, and it would be much easier if he just
got out and ran into the shop. Jason’s car was an embodiment of the
man himself, a champagne-colored BMW. He was trying to talk him
into getting something a little edgier, a street bike perhaps. He grinned
as he remembered that particular conversation. His Bram’s mouth had
hung open for a good minute before he even managed to ask if he’d
“lost his bloody mind.”
“Okay. Hanna is expecting you,” Jason said.
Adam leaned in and kissed Jason’s cheek. “I’ll be right back.”
* * * *
Adam climbed out of the car and went into the bakery without a
glance in his direction. Uram was seething, sitting in the coffee shop
across the street. When his apprentice had told him that Adam was
courting the little baker, Uram hadn’t believed him. He’d destroyed
the demon’s body and had been regretting it for weeks. His cheap
substitutes were unsatisfying and had only contributed to his growing
anger. To find out that after all this time Adam was trying to court
someone else was infuriating. Adam should’ve come crawling back to
him and begged his forgiveness for fucking his brother.
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“Looks like our esteemed warlord is back,” Cain, Uram’s
assistant, said from his place behind him. “As I told you.”
“When I want your contributions in conversation, I’ll let you
know,” he snapped, his eyes fixed to the demon in front of him. He’d
be damned if he let anyone else steal his demon lord away.
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Chapter Nine
Adam’s house was beautiful. It was nestled at the end of a nicely
paved road. Anyone who has driven in New Orleans could tell how
rare an occurrence a nicely paved road was in the Garden District.
The house was located between two old Spanish-style town houses,
and Mardi Gras beads hung in the trees that lined either side of the
street, framing the old brownstone two-story that Adam called home.
It was a surprisingly elegant home, one that didn’t seem to fit Adam’s
personality. Jason had half expected Adam to have a lime green house
with a big purple door or something equally as outrageous.
“Where did you expect me to live, a frat house?” Adam asked.
“You look like you’ve just opened a Rubik’s Cube with my face on it
and can’t figure it out.”
Jason blushed. “Well, the way you act, I wasn’t entirely convinced
you didn’t live in the Tulane dorm rooms.”
“Wait till you see the inside,” Drew warned. “The ultimate
bachelor pad meets a shrine to Mardi Gras.”
“Shh, Drew. Don’t scare him,” Adam teased.
Jason sighed. “Can’t you be serious about anything?”
“What would be the fun in that?” Adam asked with feigned
innocence.
They made their way inside, and Drew had been very right in his
description of the interior of Adam’s home. Crazy paint colors, beads,
checkered floors, and plush leather furniture made it feel like a
bachelor pad and Mardi Gras had a baby. Jason wrinkled his nose in
distaste. If I ever move in, so help me, I’m redecorating. He’ll be gone
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to work, and I’m throwing out half of the—He blinked. Good Lord, is
that a thong hanging from the antlers in the living room?
“What’s the matter, Bram? Not to your taste?” Adam wondered,
blinking those big eyes and him and fluttering his lashes.
Jason grimaced. “You don’t need a decorator, you need someone
to bring a mini bulldozer in here. I’m choking on incense, and I’m
going to go blind if I see anything else that is shiny and plastic.”
Adam slung his arm around his shoulder and winked. “Anyone
ever tell you that you’re a little bit of a queen?”
“Anyone ever tell you that they need penicillin shots to come in
here? Please tell me that is not a beer pong table where your dining
room is supposed to be.”
“Aw, I’m so proud of you, baby,” Adam said.
Jason frowned. “Why?”
“Because you actually know what a beer pong table is,” his lover
said, deadpan.
Jason just pursed his lips.
* * * *
Guests started arriving at fifteen after seven, just in time to see the
dining room table that Jason had demanded be dragged up by Drew
and Adam from the basement put in its place along with enough
chairs for everyone to sit. If he had his way, the beer pong table
would never sit in its place again. He didn’t care if he had to give out
favor-free blow jobs for a month to Adam to make sure that didn’t
happen. He blinked. Good God, I’m starting to think like him. Sexual
deviancy…South Park…I’m going to hell!
Jason was surprised at the friendliness with which he was greeted.
Everyone treated him like Adam’s significant other, both with respect
and no small amount of curiosity. His normal indifferent aristocratic
mask fell away under the onslaught of hugs and friendly handshakes.
It was refreshing, and for the first gathering in his remembrance, he
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felt the tension go out of his shoulders and a modicum of calm steal
over him.
“You’re doing very well,” Adam complimented, giving him a
squeeze of encouragement as he opened the door for another round of
guests.
“How many people are coming?” Jason asked as he smiled
shakily at his lover. His dining room table was certainly going to be
packed tonight.
“Maybe three or four more. Not that many. I hadn’t expected
everyone to come, to be honest with you. It was sort of short notice.”
Adam couldn’t seem to resist nibbling the shorter man’s earlobe and
kissing the curve of his neck.
Jason shivered. “Should’ve brought a bigger cake,” he
commented.
Adam laughed against his neck. “You and your sweets.”
“Well, it’s not like I can eat them. Someone ought to enjoy it.”
Jason leaned his neck back and let Adam have his way with the long
line of flesh. He looked at Drew who was tossing shots back with one
of the men who’d come in over at Adam’s liquor cabinet. They’re just
alike. Drew did clean up nicely, though. He wasn’t quite as imposing
as his brother, but he was certainly a tempting morsel in his suit.
Adam growled. “One more thought about my brother and I’m
dragging you upstairs and spanking you.” To his absolute horror,
Jason’s dick twitched and started to lengthen at the thought. Adam
grinned unapologetically. “Interested?”
“Shut. Up.”
* * * *
They all sat down at Adam’s huge dining room table a few
minutes later. Since it had been a sort of potluck dinner, everyone
took their time revealing their dishes and passing around entrées and
sides. It was a lot different than what Jason was used to, but it was a
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comfortable atmosphere, more like a family get-together than an
introduction of a spouse to Adam’s inferiors. Truth be told, Jason
preferred it this way.
“It’s about time you settled down, Adamian,” one man with hazel
eyes and light-brown hair commented, his arm looped over the
shoulders of a beautiful Korean woman to his left. Jason wished for
the hundredth time that he was better with names.
“Though we are going to miss your numerous scrapes due to
your…exploits,” another guy with dark hair said at the end of the
table. The whole table laughed, remembering those exploits. Jason
shifted uncomfortably.
“He’s a pretty little thing,” a big blonde-haired woman to Jason’s
right said. She was tall and curvy, with just the right balance between
beauty and strength.
Little? Jason thought crossly. Pretty? Me?
Adam shot him a look of pure amusement. “He’s a dish, Mary.
You think he looks good now, you should see him without a stitch of
clothes on.” Jason sputtered and felt himself turn seven shades of red.
“Adam!” he snapped, staring at his lover with barely contained
violence. He was going to kill him! The whole table erupted into
another round of laughter.
“Relax, love,” Adam said, kissing his resisting form. “These
people are family.”
“That doesn’t mean I want them to think about me naked!” He
hissed through gritted teeth.
“So you’re a vampire prince?” a spirit named Mark asked
curiously, interrupting their banter. He remembered Mark because he
seemed to be the most sophisticated out of the bunch, and Jason
remembered thinking to himself that he was out of place among the
rest. Then again, so was Jason, and he loved Adam to pieces. Jason
was grateful for the interruption.
“I’m a former prince actually,” he provided. “I’m no longer a
ruling member of vampire aristocracy.”
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“What does that mean exactly?” the same woman who called him
cute asked.
“Vampires decide their rulers through a sort of medieval challenge
that can be enacted at any time. It’s only after you beat the prince or
princess of that region that you are declared ruler. You then assume
the responsibilities of that station. The only time that it changes
without a challenge is if the current prince steps down and appoints
someone. That’s what I did.”
“How strange!” the woman declared. “Our nobles are born into
their titles. The oldest son assumes the title, and the subsequent
children still have the legacy.”
Jason didn’t know that. “So you were born with the silver spoon?”
he teased tentatively in Adam’s direction.
Adam smiled and waggled his eyebrows. “Yep. I was born a blue
blood.”
Huh. I decided on a noble after all. He’s unlike any noble I’ve
ever met, but then breeding isn’t what it used to be.
Adam poked him under the table. “Keep thinking like that, Bram,
and I’m going to turn you over my knee.”
“Promises, promises,” he thought back.
Dinner continued easily, and Jason was having a wonderful time
despite his initial discomfort.
“My God, Jason, this cake is delicious!” Drew said through a
mouthful of cake. Everyone in the table murmured in agreement.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” Jason said, sipping on his wine.
Adam was engaged in an animated conversation with another male on
the other side of the table whose name Jason could not recall.
“How many are missing?” Adam asked, his normally chipper tone
dropped to a gravelly seriousness.
“Two are officially missing. One is unaccounted for, but he has
frequent trips overseas, so it’s unconfirmed,” the male answered.
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“Why wasn’t I informed sooner?” Adam asked, his eyes
narrowing. This was the first glimpse Jason had gotten into the life of
a spirit warlord. The change was fascinating.
“We knew you were getting to know your lifemate, and the other
sentinels have been investigating. We didn’t want to bring it to your
attention until we were certain you needed to be involved.”
“Bring the full file to me tomorrow. We need to take care of this
matter immediately.”
“What’s wrong?” Jason asked, turning his full attention to Adam’s
concerned face.
“Nothing to worry over, baby,” Adam said with a forced smile.
Jason’s eyes narrowed. “Uh-huh.”
“Later,” Adam promised, glancing around the table.
Jason nodded. He understood the need for discretion. Adam gave
him a grateful smile.
* * * *
“So you’re the one that has Adam all in a fix this month.”
Jason paused as he saw the blond-haired human leaning against
the column of his doorway. It was right after sunrise, Sunday
morning. He’d just gotten off the streetcar from the long weekend at
Adam’s place. Apparently, spirits had been disappearing all around
the city, and they hadn’t been able to spend as much time together as
Jason had wanted, but he, better than anyone, understood what sort of
personal sacrifices were required to rule a people.
“Who the hell are you?” he asked. He sniffed the air, smelling a
subtle magick and human blood.
“I’m Uram. Maybe you’ve heard of me,” the blond said, pushing
away from the column and coming to stand right in front of Jason.
The stance was aggressive, and Jason’s hackles raised at the human’s
audacity.
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“Adam vaguely mentioned that one of his exes has trouble letting
go,” Jason said, his accent getting more clipped as his annoyance
level rose.
“Is that how he explained our relationship?” Uram said with a
strained smile. “Let me enlighten you. Adam and I have quite an
explosive relationship of late, but make no mistake that when we are
reunited that will change.”
“I’m sure such delusions of grandeur are not beyond your scope of
understanding, however, I feel I must inform you of their presence.
Adam and I are together. You and he were over when you tried to kill
him. This is technically stalking, so feel free to continue, but I must
warn you any further contact will lead to my contacting the police and
you having a stint in jail.” Jason delivered the line with ease, slipping
past the man and stepping up onto his stoop.
Rage lit the human’s features, marking his flesh with a deep-red
blush. The smell was making Jason hungry.
“You think you’re so suave and sophisticated.” Uram growled
calmly. “You think you’re different from any other lay he’s picked
up. You’re so very wrong, Jason Romanoff. You’re just some tight-
ass little baker who happened to catch his interest. How long do you
think he’ll be satisfied with a non-magical worthless human like you?
You couldn’t keep up with him if you tried. You aren’t anything but a
bump in the road.”
“If he wanted to be with you, he’d be with you,” Jason said
simply. “To be frank, your insults are becoming quite tedious. Good
day.” He turned his back to the human. If he was stupid enough to
think that Jason of all people was human, the exorcist wasn’t that
bright. Uram let out a string of curses that could’ve made a sailor
blush.
“You stupid fuck!” he shouted. “You will pay me some fucking
attention.”
Jason unlocked his door.
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“If you don’t, I’m going to make Adam suffer in ways that your
simple pastry mind can’t comprehend.” Uram delivered the last with
deadly promise.
Jason turned back to his pest. Did this moron not realize he was
threatening a master vampire? Obviously not. He looked the male up
and down and gave a mental shrug. He didn’t realize that the threat
he’d just delivered would be his last. He had no tolerance for
stupidity, threats, or people trying to hurt those he cared about.
Killing wasn’t his favorite thing to do, but it was something that he
would do if necessary.
“How would you do that?” Jason asked, still debating between
ripping off the human’s head or laughing at his stupidity.
“Magick,” the human said with a smile. “I summoned him once. I
can summon him again. This time I will make the cheating bastard
suffer.”
“Why don’t you come in, and we’ll talk about it?” Jason offered,
widening the door so that it could admit the both of them. The
arrogant exorcist breezed past Jason with a flourish, his triumph
written all over his face. Jason flashed a bit of fang at the human’s
back. He was in the mood for a live meal.
“Before you try to do something stupid like kill me, let me warn
you. My apprentice is aware of where I am and what I am doing. If I
don’t contact him within two hours’ time, he has instructions on how
to carry out a spell that will not only destroy Adam’s new body, but
his incorporeal form will be completely obliterated as well.” Uram sat
on Jason’s couch with a smirk on his face. Jason sighed in frustration.
So much for eating him immediately.
“What do you want?” he asked, making his voice appropriately
subdued. He’d had centuries to perfect the art of making people think
one thing while planning another. He was a master vampire and a
former prince for a reason.
“I want you to break up with Adam. I want you to make him
absolutely miserable. If you never talk to him ever again, I’ll leave
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him alone. If we don’t work it out, I won’t force him to be with me,
but at least I’ll know that you and he will never be together again.”
Jason pursed his lips as the familiar pang of separation flooded
him. To be without Adam was to be without sound and color. His
world would be bleak and gray. Get a hold of yourself, vampire. Play
the game, but don’t be played by it. He mentally shook himself with a
swiftly indrawn breath. You’ve got to concentrate. You have to do as
he says. Figure out where his accomplice is, get them together, and
eliminate them both.
“That’s it? Break it off with him, and he’ll be safe?” Jason let his
body tremble with the thought of losing Adam forever. It was more
devastating than anything he had ever experienced, and he supposed
his fear and grief over the thought was convincing enough to Uram
because the bastard looked way too fucking pleased with himself.
“Yes,” Uram said with a smug smile. “Do it tomorrow. Call him
here. I’ll be watching.”
“As you wish.” Jason swallowed hard and looked properly
horrified. He had no doubt that the damn exorcist was casting
listening spells as he stood there looking smug. He was going to have
to go along with the idiot’s plan for the time being. He hated the
thought of hurting Adam, but he had no real choice. “I’d like for you
to leave now,” he whispered. The arrogant prick rose like a king from
the couch and opened the door.
“You won’t forget to be a good little baker and go with the plan,
will you?” Uram couldn’t resist one last jab at Jason as he stood on
the front step.
“I won’t forget the plan,” Jason said miserably. Yeah, I won’t
forget the plan, you bloody wanker. He was already planning the
numerous and vicious ways he was going to pay the exorcist back for
this. Both Adam and he would suffer the separation, but neither of
them would have to do it for long if Jason had his way. And when I
get to my plan, you’ll be in so much pain Hell will be a welcome
reprieve from the agony I’m going to inflict on you.
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Chapter Ten
The phone rang twice before Adam got to it. He and his sentinels
had been going over the file they’d put together on the disappearances
of several spirits in the area. He had a pounding headache.
“Take a break for five, gentlemen,” Adam commanded as he saw
Jason’s number on the caller ID. His face broke out into a grin.
“Hey, Bram,” he answered. He felt like a stripling all over again.
His heart pounded with joy at the very mention of Jason’s name. He
needed the break from all the depressing sludge they were sifting
through.
“Hi.” A long pause, then. “Would you like to come over to my
house tonight? I need to talk to you.”
Adam’s grin widened. “I thought you had to work tomorrow? You
never let me spend the night when you open the shop.”
“I decided to take tomorrow off. I want to see you. When can you
come over?” Jason sounded sexy. His voice was low and soft like
he’d just woken up.
“Whenever you want me. We’ve stalled on our investigations for
today.” Adam smiled and went to his movie cabinet. He took
particular care in selecting some new film that Jason would complain
about but inevitably enjoy. Maybe another action film.
“Can you come over now?” Jason asked.
“Absolutely. I’ll get my car and be there in twenty. Want me to
bring anything?” Adam asked. His sentinels waved from the doorway,
signaling their leaving. He waved back and grabbed a movie.
“Just you.” Jason’s voice had that desperate-to-be-fucked sound
that Adam loved now.
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“All right, baby. See you in a minute.” He growled. He couldn’t
wait to have his lifemate again.
* * * *
Jason sighed and hung up the phone. No doubt Adam would be
breaking several speeding ordinances getting here. He maybe had ten
minutes to collect himself. He knew there was a possibility that it
would be the end of it tonight. A constant voice that screamed in the
back of his head said that he shouldn’t do this, that he should tell
Adam what was going on.
He balled his hands into fists against his thighs. It hurt so much to
even contemplate hurting Adam. He was his alchemy mate, the one
person destined to be his. Why can’t anything in my life ever just fall
into place like it’s supposed to? Maybe it was karma left over from
what he did to Lucian. He wasn’t entirely sure.
Whatever was going on, he knew this. If he didn’t pull it together,
Uram was going to end Adam, and that was a possibility that was
unacceptable. He took several deep breaths to calm down, forcing his
heart into a steadier rhythm. This was for Adam. A knock on his door
ten minutes later confirmed his suspicions about Adam’s driving
speeds. How the man managed to avoid getting a ticket was beyond
him. He took one final deep breath. Showtime.
* * * *
“Door’s unlocked!” he called.
Adam swung open the door with a smile. A bottle of Jason’s
favorite wine was beneath one arm and a movie was in the other. The
sight that greeted him took his breath away.
Jason was naked in the middle of the living room floor. A dozen
white candles surrounded him along with an array of sweets. He had
on a pair of black wrist cuffs Adam was sure he’d never seen before
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and a matching black collar with a D-ring in the center. The vampire’s
cock stood erect and ready for his pleasure. He looked like every
leather daddy’s wet dream.
“Now all I need is my spreader bars and a couple lengths of
chains, and I’d have a trussed-up orgasm,” Adam joked even as it fell
flat in the wake of desire. He sounded husky and painfully aroused
even to his own ears.
“I’ve never done that before either,” Jason offered shyly. He
licked a bit of frosting out of a spoon. The sight of that tongue darting
out of his mouth caused Adam to tighten even more.
“What is this? Is it my birthday or something, and I didn’t know
it?” he asked. He was convinced he’d fallen into one of his own wet
dreams at this point.
Jason shrugged delicately. “I just…wanted to give you something
that I’d given no one else…to show you how special you are to me.”
He pointed to the coffee table that was pushed to one side. “I bought
some rope if you want to tie me up.” His blush deepened at the words.
Adam’s dick almost jumped out of his pants. Thank you, God.
Whatever I did to deserve this, thank you!
“I want to suck you,” Jason said, licking his bottom lip.
“I want to tie you first.” Adam growled. He was going to
thoroughly enjoy this gift. He took the length of rope off the coffee
table with practiced precision, knotting, looping, and braiding the
cord of string into the appropriate formation. Jason stayed dutifully on
his knees waiting for Adam’s direction.
“Sit,” Adam said, gently pushing Jason to his butt with his back
braced on the coffee table itself. He took first one cuffed wrist and
secured it to the leg of the table and then the other. Adam smiled
down on him comfortingly, cupping his cheek. Jason’s breath came
out a little harsher than normal. The memories of his past were
crowding in on him. The restraints were an uncomfortable reminder
of the pain experienced at the hands of his first master.
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“How old were you when he made you?” Adam asked, staring
into those beautiful eyes he’d come to care so deeply for.
“I had just turned eighteen,” Jason murmured. It had been a harder
life then because Adam would’ve pegged him a little older than that.
My beautiful Bram.
“He was your first lover,” Adam deduced. Jason’s sire had taken
his lover’s virginity. He looked older than a barefaced eighteen. The
years were harsher long ago than they were today, but there in those
green cat eyes he saw the scars of an innocence stolen instead of
given.
“Yes,” Jason confirmed.
“I’ll erase him from you, Jason. I’ll make you mine if you let me,”
Adam promised gently. He loved the vampire, loved him with a
passion that could not be explained away by saying it was destiny.
Everything about Jason was enchanting.
“Oh, Adam…” Jason sighed with a slow sexy smile. “Don’t you
see? You already have.”
Adam swallowed. The man amazed him with every word he
spoke.
Jason’s eyes lit on the straining erection that was hidden by
Adam’s clothing.
“Let me have you,” Jason said. Adam unbuckled his belt and
slowly lowered the zipper on his pants.
“Have I mentioned how hot you are when you’re helpless?” Adam
groaned as Jason strained closer. He wound his hand through the soft
silk that was Jason’s short but just-long-enough-to-grab hair. Adam
kicked off his pants gratefully, standing bare before the vampire. He
guided Jason’s head to the vee of his thighs and sighed in delight
when he licked at his tight sac with gusto. The submission in his face
as the vampire’s eyes slid closed made Adam shiver.
This happened for endless moments. Jason lapped at him, sucking
first one bundle and then the other into his mouth before licking the
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wrinkled skin. He nibbled on the base of Adam’s cock, unable to
reach the weeping length fully.
“Up on your knees,” Adam commanded, letting his dominant side
to the forefront of his behavior. Jason struggled to do as commanded
without the use of his arms even as the table braced him. Finally he
accomplished the task and looked up at Adam for permission to
continue. It was the hottest sight Adam could ever recall seeing.
“Suck.” Adam growled. That one word seemed to release Jason’s
restraint, and he fell forward with abandon, bobbing his head up and
down on Adam’s swollen length with a groan of thanks. He was no
longer concerned with his own pleasure. All he cared about was
giving pleasure to his partner, and that surrender was a beautiful
thing. Adam let his head fall back, and he became a slave to the
sensation of Jason’s hot mouth on his cock. The slight fear of his
fangs scraping on him only added to the unparalleled excitement.
“Oh, yeah, Bram,” he groaned. “Suck me. Feels so good.” He
pumped his body between his lover’s lips with little restraint. He held
on tight to the short locks holding Jason in place so he could fuck
between his lips. Jason obliged him, relaxing his throat and mouth to
take the abuse, accepting his length even as it hit the back of his throat
again and again.
“Oh, fuck!” Adam moaned. “I’m going to come, baby!” Jason’s
cheeks hollowed out and he sucked harder, his eyes shut, a serene
expression on his face. It was too much for Adam. He shouted his
pleasure to the ceiling as he began to come in agonizing waves. Jason
took him deep, not spilling one drop.
Jason’s eyes opened slowly, his mouth still wrapped around
Adam’s dick. Adam was aware of the streaks of pain on the left side
where one of Jason’s fangs had caught the skin in the wild rush to the
finish. Adam pulled free from him with a pop.
“I see you got a snack with that,” he joked breathlessly.
Jason smiled softly, shaking his head. “Bloody Yank. Can’t be
serious for one second.” He nodded to his wrists. “Let me up.”
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“You’re so hot like that, I may not let you get up ever again. I may
just keep you tied up in my bedroom for eternity,” Adam said. He
bent over and started to undo the knots on the wrist restraints.
Jason laughed hoarsely. “I’m sure.”
“Do you need some water?” Adam asked worriedly.
“No. I’m fine.” Jason stood and made his way into the kitchen to
put up the frosting.
* * * *
He hadn’t gotten to lick it off Adam like he’d planned, but he
liked his spirit lover’s way better. He was still hard, but he felt like he
deserved the discomfort. It reminded him of the pain he was going to
cause in just a minute.
With a heavy heart, he put away his things and tried to think of
how he was going to do this.
“What is it?” Adam wondered aloud as he sat himself at his
kitchen table with his pants half on and half off. “You got quiet all of
a sudden.”
“I called you over here for a reason,” Jason began. He suddenly
needed to be clothed to have this argument. “Hold on. Let me go grab
some pants,” he said, using his inhuman speed to grab and don pants
from upstairs in less than fifteen seconds.
“That’s an interesting power you have,” Adam said, his eyes
sparkling with warmth. “That’d be really handy to have.”
“It is an interesting power to be able to jump from body to body
on a whim. To be reborn whenever you need another body. That is
immortality at its finest.” Jason poured himself a large glass of wine
and drank deeply. He needed the liquid courage, even if he couldn’t
get drunk off it.
“You said you needed to talk, so talk,” Adam said after a long
moment of silence. He felt the tension in the room like a physical
force. “What is going on, Jason? I thought you called me over for
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some kinky lovemaking,” Adam tried to joke. It fell flat. He shifted
uncomfortably.
“I don’t want to see you anymore, Adam.” Jason’s words came
out in a rush. He turned his back to the stunned expression of his
demon.
“W–what are you talking about?” Adam sputtered. Jason could
feel Adam’s insides churning with nauseous suspicion. It felt like cold
snakes slithering under his skin. Sometimes the bond between them
was a double-edged sword. Jason schooled his face and turned. He
knew his mask revealed nothing of the internal turmoil he was in.
“I said I don’t want to see you anymore, Adam.” His words were
ice-cold. “I mean…we’ve had a good time. You’re amazing in bed,
no doubt about that, and you’ve taught me how to appreciate
bottoming on occasion, but let’s be frank. We started out as a casual
fling, and you’ll never be able to give me what I’m really looking
for.”
“And what is that?” Adam asked quietly. Jason was numb as he
spoke his next words.
“Someone like Lucian, of course,” Jason said with a wave of his
hand. He gave Adam a smile that said he felt sorry for the other man.
“I want someone who will submit to me, someone I can control. Let’s
face it, Adam, you’d never let me dominate you like I want.”
“Then what the hell was the ropes and shit about in there? I told
you I’d let you fuck me,” Adam said. His eyes snapped to Jason. His
gaze was confused and pained. “Is that what this is about? Do you
want to fuck me, Jas?”
Jason sniffed disdainfully. “Why would I want that? How could I
ever fuck you when you know how it feels to dominate me? No way.
Neither of us would be satisfied with that.”
“Do you need time?” Adam asked. “I told you I’d wait for you
forever, Bram. I’m sorry if you feel like I rushed you with the dinner
party and an overnight stay at my place.” He didn’t understand. He
probably couldn’t comprehend why Jason would want to end the best
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thing that had ever happened to either of them. Jason impulsively
swallowed and took a deep breath.
“It’s not that,” Jason said. He leaned one hip against his counter
and looked at Adam with pity.
“Then what is it?” Adam’s voice rose an octave and he stood. “Is
there someone else?”
“No, there isn’t, but it wouldn’t matter if they were. We weren’t
committed.” Jason stretched and rubbed his jaw thoughtfully.
“Weren’t? So that’s it? We’re over?” Adam snapped, his voice
cracked, and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from crying out.
Jason could smell the blood. This hurts, dammit!
“Yes, Adam. Okay? We’re over. I’d like for you to leave,” Jason
said with an aggravated sigh. “I’m sure you can show yourself out.”
He walked toward the stairs, leaving a stunned Adam behind in the
kitchen. He just prayed that Adam wouldn’t be able to see into his
mind at that moment, because there was no way he was hiding his
pain and indecision.
* * * *
Adam growled, took two strides, and grabbed Jason’s arm. He
twirled him around to glare into Jason’s face.
“I love you, dammit!” he screamed into the vampire’s face, tears
rolling down his cheeks. He didn’t give a damn if he looked weak.
“What the hell was a moment ago? You let me tie you up and suck me
off and then tell me to get the hell out?”
“It was my good-bye to you, Adam.” Jason’s eyes narrowed, and
he raised his brows. “I suggest you let go of me. You’re not in my
head anymore, and I will hurt you if necessary.”
“So you sucked me off to show your appreciation for our, quote,
‘good times’?” Adam’s voice rose to a shriek, and his hands tightened
on his arms.
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“Stop yelling like a Neanderthal,” Jason commanded. A burning
sensation caused Adam to yelp and drop his hands. “You’re acting so
pathetic. Would you just leave?” the vampire added.
“Fuck you!” Adam growled. “So since you gave me your good-
bye present, do I get mine?” His voice took on a nasty tone. “I mean
you got to say good-bye the way you wanted. Don’t I get to
reciprocate?”
Jason seemed to hesitate before nodding jerkily. “Sure. I don’t see
why not. Makes no difference to me.”
Adam was upon him before he could blink. He turned him with
two sharp movements and smacked the vampire’s chest against the
hard wood of the kitchen table, leaving his ass upturned for his
perusal. Jason grunted as Adam jerked off his pants and undid his
own. Without warning he spread the vampire’s cheeks and shoved
himself almost violently into his tight depths.
“God!” Jason gasped at the rough thrust. He was used to hard use
by Adam, but this was intensity Adam rarely displayed.
Adam bit Jason’s shoulder, marking him. It was almost as if Jason
was begging for the punishment with every upturn of his hips. Adam
felt the surge of frustration along with desire as their movements
became in sync.
“More! Please!” Jason begged. He moaned as Adam obliged,
slamming into his body with enough force that the table jumped and
slid forward with every hard thrust.
Adam groaned and slapped a heavy hand on Jason’s backside.
“God, Jason, I would’ve given you my whole life.” Jason panted
harder at the spank to his ass and twisted his hips against Adam’s
own.
“Adam!” he cried. Adam’s entire being was screaming that he
loved the vampire and demanding that he find a way to make him
keep listen to reason. The spirit’s pace increased and they were both
straining toward the peak. He smacked Jason’s quivering ass once
more.
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“Come for me,” Adam commanded with a growl as he roared his
pleasure, spilling his seed deep inside the vampire. Jason followed
him over the edge, his back bowing and his cum splattering on the
floor.
* * * *
“Oh, God,” Jason murmured, resting his head on his arms, still
bent over the table. Adam pulled out without ceremony, tucked
himself back in his pants, and zipped himself up. Jason breathed out
with a sigh and wondered how he would live without this man, even
for a couple days. When he’d regained some of his wits, Jason turned
his head to glance over his shoulder at his lover. Adam met his own
for a moment. He seemed to hesitate for a minute, and Jason silently
begged him not to go. Without another word Adam turned and
slammed his way out of the house.
Jason trembled, frozen in place and in time. He heard a distant
sob, and it took him a while to realize it was coming from his own
chest.
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Chapter Eleven
Weeks passed, and though the exorcist didn’t know it, monsters
stalked him in the night. Jason had contacted the Carter brothers for a
favor, and they all took shifts following the human around the city.
They knew his habits, the places he frequented, and most of all those
people with whom he associated. Two men in particular were good
candidates for his partner in crime, and as Jason set his chess pieces
on the board where he wanted, he circled ever closer to his goal.
Adam had disappeared off the radar. He knew that Uram had
contacted his lover twice and left messages on his answering machine.
So far, he’d received no reply. Jason would be damned if he allowed
that psycho to get back together with his lover.
Jason was perched on a balcony overlooking Bourbon Street.
Uram was meeting with Cain again in the upstairs VIP section of Una
Noche across the street. That was Jason’s bet on his accomplice. Cain
was his whipping boy, and they met at least three times a week but, as
far as they could find, it wasn’t a sexual relationship. Jason sat in the
shadows, drinking on his glass that wasn’t filled with wine this night
but was filled with thick fresh blood courtesy of the waitress who’d
brought him the glass. He was using his powers more and more lately,
and it required him to ingest something with a little heftier of a kick.
The humans paid their tab and stood. Jason sniffed the air and
pushed himself to his feet. He slurped down the rest of his glass and
tossed the glass against the wall so that it shattered. Uram and Cain
got into a cab on the street, and Jason used his superhuman speed to
run across the rooftops to follow. Please don’t get on the highway,
Jason prayed. He didn’t think even he could keep up with a taxi driver
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on the open road. Uram sped down Canal Street and turned, heading
toward the Garden District. Jason booked it. The vampire knew his
body was just a blur of motion to onlookers.
Jason was panting when the cab finally stopped in front of a
slightly run-down Spanish-style villa. He hadn’t run out of breath in
over a hundred years. It took considerably more effort than normal to
swing himself up in the tree outside to watch them. His heart stopped
when Adam’s new red street bike pulled up to the house right behind
the cab. Uram’s face lit up with delight at the sight of the tall spirit
lord as he climbed out of the car, and Jason wanted to punch him in
the fucking face.
“Hello, beautiful.” Uram purred.
Adam looked at him thoughtfully. “Can I come in, Uram?”
“Of course.” The exorcist gestured for him to climb up the steps.
“Hi, Cain.” Adam nodded to the other man, whom he obviously
knew.
What the hell is going on? Jason wondered. Adam hadn’t shown
any interest when Uram had tried to contact him, so why was he here
now? Jason growled as Uram eyed the slope of Adam’s ass with
possessive interest. Cain glanced over his shoulders as they climbed
up the steps as if he could hear him. Jason glanced around and knew
that it was impossible for the human to see him in the black night. Not
even the orange streetlights could penetrate the shadows he cloaked
himself in. He willed the human to look away and settled back into
the tree to watch.
* * * *
“Uram, I want to know what you said to Jason to make him break
up with me,” Adam said as soon as the door was closed. Cain went to
busy himself in the computer room, obviously not wanting Adam’s
scrutiny for this particular conversation. He glared at Uram.
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Uram raised his eyebrows in feigned innocence and the look only
succeeded in firing anger in his chest.
“Who’s that, lover?” he asked.
“Don’t fucking play with me!” Adam snarled, overturning a
nearby vase and stand. It shattered against the tiled floor. “I know you
were at Jason’s house the night before he broke it off with me. One of
my people saw you waiting for him to get home.”
Uram frowned. “Is that why you came? To ask about that little
fruity baker of yours? He doesn’t give a fuck about you!”
“He loves me. He’d never have broken it off if you hadn’t said
something,” Adam declared, stomping into his downstairs living
room. “I want to know what you said.”
Uram seemed to hesitate before answering. “I simply reminded
him of some unpleasant truths. That it took a certain kind of man to
handle you and your…indiscretions. That it was only a matter of time
before you slipped and fucked someone else. He bolted like the world
was on fire after that. Very skittish of being hurt, that one.”
“I’m going to his house tonight to sort this out. I thought he’d
change his mind eventually, but you obviously did some damage to
his confidence in us. He is the one I love, Uram. I’d die for him.”
Adam’s speech caused Uram’s mouth to tighten in rage.
“You may have your wish soon enough,” Uram spat. “I thought
you’d come here to ask my forgiveness and come back to me of your
own volition, but apparently I have to use a bit more force. Cain, get
the fuck in here!” Cain came scrambling out of the room with a book
in hand.
Adam sighed and shook his head. “You can only summon a spirit
once, exorcist. I came here to warn you to stay the hell away from me
and Jason. If I find you anywhere near him again, I’ll kill you
myself.”
Uram snorted. “You don’t fucking get it do you, Adam? I am not
just using exorcism anymore. I’m using black magick to get what I
need from you demons.”
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Adam turned angrily on Uram. “You are the one who’s been
kidnapping spirits!” He took a threatening step forward.
“Give him a prize for his intelligent deductions.” Uram sniffed.
With a few mumbled words, he froze Adam in place. He stroked
Adam’s package through his blue jeans. “Do you see your
predicament now, lover? We’re going to be together forever whether
you like the idea or not.”
The door burst inward, causing both humans to jump back in
surprise. Power rushed through the room and sent everyone tumbling
to the floor. Adam gasped as the power holding him pinned released
him and the other power sent him sprawling. His eyes bugged out as a
being dressed all in black with a red scarf wrapped around his neck
walked through the door.
“J–Jason?” Adam stuttered. He couldn’t believe it. His lover had
come…but why he was here?
“I am so over watching you be an arrogant prick. You’re about to
learn that the world does not revolve around you.” Jason was angry,
his face red with it. Jason truly angry was actually pretty sexy, and if
they were in different circumstances, Adam would’ve definitely told
him so.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Uram snarled, getting to his
feet. A black cloud of energy swirled about them as his power singled
out the vampire and struck him, knocking him back several feet.
Fangs flashed in a semblance of a smile. “What the hell are you?”
Uram gasped as the power ricocheted back on him. He almost
immediately doubled over. It looked quite painful. The pinched
expression on his face was a good indication. “I am Prince Jason
Nicolai Romanoff, fledgling of Prince Svennel Dubrinsky, vampire of
Great Britain.” Jason said it all with a royal hauteur that could only be
accomplished by a true blue blood. Adam couldn’t have been more
proud.
Uram turned on Adam with a growl. “It just figures that you
couldn’t even date a human. Are we just not good enough for you?”
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Adam blinked. “No wonder he’s fascinated with you! You’ve used
your powers on him! You’ve bewitched him!” Uram threw another
bolt of energy at the vampire. Jason let it strike him, let it boil across
his skin and leave a long angry mark on his white flesh.
Adam snarled at that. “Don’t fucking touch him!”
The frightening look on Jason’s face made Adam pause. He’d
never seen the vampire like this. Most of the time Jason just looked
adorable to him. This new Jason meant business.
“My turn,” the vampire whispered. Both Cain and Uram were
raised off their feet by an invisible force and slammed repeatedly
against the walls. “Never. Touch. What. Is. Mine. Never. Threaten.
My. Love. Ever. Again!” With every word, the humans cried out in
what had to be excruciating pain as another bolt of energy sizzled
across them. Adam was fascinated by the rage simmering in his
mate’s eyes. They both dropped like rag dolls.
Uram tried to rise, and Jason brought himself to stand before him
and picked him up by his neck. A vicious smile turned the human’s
face into a mask of fear.
“You look like you taste good, human…Magick spices the blood a
bit different than most of your kind.” Jason said all of this with a
calm, soft smile. It didn’t help that the smile was filled with fangs.
Adam was a bit disturbed by the expression.
* * * *
“Fuck. You.” Uram gasped, blood trickling down his forehead
from the cut above his temple.
“Not in this lifetime or any other,” Jason promised. With a flick of
his wrist, he tilted the human’s head to the side and ripped into the
flesh. Blood gushed into his mouth and down his chin, the taste spicy
and somehow vaguely familiar. The human thrashed like a fish on the
end of a hook. The vampire had torn into the artery. Blood gushed.
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He’d bleed out in minutes. Jason’s head spun as he was filled with the
sweet substance.
“Are we too late for the party?” Joseph Carter asked, interrupting
his feast.
“There is one more left.” The other Carter brother pointed out to
the unconscious human on the floor. Both of the brothers were dark
haired, dark eyed, and fit every vampire movie Adam had ever shown
Jason.
Joseph grinned. “Oh? Looks delicious.”
“Can you guys please not eat anyone else in my presence?” Adam
asked. He looked pale and bit woozy. The sight of his lover’s mouth
and chest smeared with that much blood had him swooning.
Apparently blood was only sexy in their bedroom. Jason would’ve
been amused by that if he didn’t feel a churning in his own stomach.
What the hell? He was seriously going to hurl. Both Carters erupted
into peals of laughter.
“Looks like your demon has a weak stomach, Jason,” Joseph
crowed.
“Leave him alone, you two,” Jason demanded, letting Uram’s
corpse drop lifelessly from his fingertips. “I’m guessing you can take
care of this?” He motioned to the body.
“We’re not under the command of any prince. Clean up your own
mess. We were backup. You didn’t need us, obviously. Kind of
disappointing.”
“No joke,” the other Carter said. “Can we have that one?” He
pointed to Cain.
“No. I’m not handing over an innocent for you to slaughter. I
know how you two operate. I’m more than aware that you kill almost
every time you feed,” Jason said in a disapproving tone. The nausea
faded, replaced by curious numbness.
“We live in New Orleans for a reason. Rules of polite society
offend us,” Joseph said in a chipper tone.
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“Is he an innocent?” the other Carter, Nathaniel, asked, eyeing the
human like a snake watching a flightless bird. All the blood in the air
was making the vampires restless. That was clear.
“Cain was assigned as his apprentice. He’s as innocent as he can
be under Uram’s command…Was it really necessary to kill Uram?”
Adam asked. The coppery smell of blood was obviously making him
sick. All the sexiness of the feeding between them was nothing like
this. This was death, and Jason knew that the sex and blood, shared
between them, was about life.
“He was planning on enslaving you.” Jason shrugged. “What was
I supposed to do, spank his bottom and tell him to not be a bad
exorcist anymore? I had little choice when it came to his execution.”
Adam nodded as if the reason made perfect sense. “Okay, so he
needed to die. But why did you keep this from me? Why not stand
and fight with me?”
Jason hesitated before speaking. “I didn’t know who his
accomplice was, so I had to stay away until I knew for sure. I couldn’t
risk them casting a spell on you while I took out Uram.”
“You were protecting me,” Adam said. His eyes narrowed.
“Damn it. We’re partners, Jason.”
“I could not risk you for my selfishness,” Jason reasoned.
“I could have helped you. We could’ve hunted him together! My
sentinels track every exorcist in the city. My people could’ve done a
binding on him so that he couldn’t use his magick!”
Jason raised a brow. “Are you saying that it wasn’t necessary for
me to kill this man? He was obsessed with you, Adam. He never
would’ve stopped.”
“How do you know that?” Adam locked eyes with his. He turned
green at the smear of fresh blood all over his face and chest. “Jesus, at
least wipe your mouth off, you’ve got blood smeared all over it.” One
of the Carters threw him a handkerchief, which he used to wipe the
excess blood off. It probably would still leave behind a stain though.
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The numbness skittered across his skin and seemed to sink into his
bones. It was a curious sensation.
“Because…I wouldn’t have. I would’ve found a way, no matter
what, to keep you with me,” Jason stated. He felt haunted by the idea
as Adam considered him thoughtfully. He had such an obsession for
his lover and a deep unending love of him that Jason knew logically
that he and Uram were only separated by degrees of difference in
their affections. But they were important degrees. For the first time
since the debacle with Lucian, he realized that he had learned
something from the experience. He wasn’t the same man he’d been
before he’d met Adam. He was a better man.
“We’ll let you two lovebirds deal with this mess. Jason, we’ll see
you later. You owe us,” Nathaniel said, pulling their attention back to
the two other vampires.
Jason nodded slowly. “I owe you. Call upon me when you need
me.” The vampires nodded and then disappeared out the door.
“Is that what you would’ve done to Lucian? Found a way to keep
him?” Adam asked.
“Yes.” Jason’s voice choked as emotion clouded it. “I would’ve
killed anyone, I would’ve gone to war, I would’ve destroyed my
people for him. I harbored murderers in pursuit of him. I couldn’t
sleep for a decade afterward.”
“That just goes to show how deep your passions go.” Adam took a
step forward and reached for the vampire.
“Don’t touch me, Adam. You’ll get blood on you.”
Adam sighed. He ached to comfort his mate and that want was
painted all over his face.
“It was obsession, Adam. Obsession over something that I felt I
had to have,” Jason confessed. He looked down at Uram’s corpse with
disgust. “I look at him and see what I could’ve become. If I hadn’t
been so strong, Andren would’ve killed me to protect Lucian from
me. I would’ve been no different from the human.”
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“He’s been murdering my people, Jason. You are much different
from him. You killed no one in your pursuit of the other vampire,”
Adam argued.
“I would have. I allowed murders to go on. I turned a blind eye to
the slaughter of innocent humans. I am a monster, Adam.” He turned
and faced the window. A heavy curtain shielded the street from view,
but he was looking into the past and so the curtain didn’t matter. “I
was a monster.” He needed that clarification, that distinction.
“It’s been hundreds of years, Jason. People make mistakes.
Immortals make more mistakes than the average human because our
lives are much longer. You have to forgive yourself. You can’t expect
to make right and perfectly sane decisions every time you are faced
with a new situation.” Adam approached him as he spoke. He
wrapped his arms around the vampire from behind.
Jason stepped out of his reach. “That as it may be…I don’t trust
myself anymore. That’s one of the many reasons I moved.” The
vampire turned to look at Adam. The spirit read his expression with
dismay.
“Don’t martyr our relationship on the altar of your fears,” Adam
begged quietly. He put his hand on the vampire’s hips to bring them
flush together. He kissed Jason’s forehead and his temples. “Don’t
leave me again. I know you felt you had to protect me, but Uram’s
dead now. Don’t make us both miserable by walking away.”
“Please. Kiss me,” the vampire whispered. He was so damn tired.
He knew he was flushed from feeding but he still felt a fragility that
went beyond a physical level. He turned his eyes to meet Adam. His
spirit was pretty. The numbness finally reached his core and a giggle
bubbled up out of nowhere. He needed to go home. Now. He pushed
away from Adam and swayed like a drunk. “Go home, Adam. You’re
safe now. I’ll take the body out to the Mississippi.”
Adam frowned. “Jason…I’m not going anywhere. What happened
to ‘Kiss me’? You’re mine. I love you. For better or for worse…Are
you okay?”
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Jason had meant to deliver a scathing retort, but the only thing that
came out was a gnarled jumble of words that made no sense. He
frowned and stooped over, determined to gather up Uram’s body. He
got eye to eye with the corpse before he nearly fell on top of it. He
asked Adam for help but again the words came out slurred.
“Jason?” Adam asked, worry thick in his voice. He reached for the
vampire who jerked out of his reach.
“Don’t touch me!” Jason snapped, though he knew it wasn’t
understandable. His eyes rolled up into his head, and he fell to the
floor.
“Jason!” Adam screamed.
* * * *
“Cain might be able to tell us more when he wakes,” Drew said
quietly. “If his brain isn’t addled from being tossed into Sheetrock
over and over again by your mate,” he muttered as an afterthought.
Adam held Jason’s hand by his bedside. The vampire hadn’t
stirred for hours, not even when his sentinels arrived to dispose of the
body of Uram and clean up the house. They’d transported them all to
Adam’s house and installed Jason into the master suite and Cain into
the guest suite. Adam’s people had started arriving in droves to offer
assistance, including Mark, who was a doctor at the local hospital.
“I don’t understand why he just collapsed like that. He drinks
human blood all the time,” Adam said. He eyed the IV attached to
Jason’s other arm.
“Because Uram had three different spirit strains in his blood,”
Mark said from the doorway. “My lord, he’s been using demon ash
for his spells. He’s inhaled and drunk enough of the stuff to poison
Jason.”
“So now we know where the bodies of our demon brethren went.”
Adam said darkly. “How badly did he poison Jason?”
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“We don’t know. I’m not an expert of vampire physiology, and
the Carters haven’t had interaction with other vampires in centuries.
When I called them they were less than helpful on that front. All I
know is that vampires are allergic to our essence. I don’t know what it
does to them or what can cure it,” Mark said. He ran a hand through
his hair in frustration. “I can’t tell you anything other than what I see
in his tests.”
“We should call the Reverend,” Drew suggested.
“And ask him for what? The Reverend only deals in specific
questions,” Adam said, his eyes never leaving Jason’s face. “I feel so
helpless,” he murmured, kissing Jason’s palm. Somewhere in the
house, a phone began ringing.
“Adam,” Chris, his lead sentinel, called from the doorway. “It’s
the Reverend. He says he has information you may want.”
“Give me the phone,” Adam commanded.
“You have a situation on your hands.” The Reverend’s mocking
voice rang true over the phone. “Tell me, spirit, how have you
managed to live this long without my advice?”
“Sorry a vampire mate is not that common an occurrence in my
world,” Adam muttered.
“He’s fading, Adamian,” the Reverend stated. Adam let his breath
out between clenched teeth. “If you don’t act soon, he’ll be dead in
two days. Vampires have an extreme reaction to spirits.”
“How do I fix him?” Adam asked desperately.
“Possess him,” the Reverend commanded. “That will stop the
process. Spirits mark worthy hosts with their essence, which protects
them against other spirits as well as turns them just a little bit spirit
themselves. If you possess Jason, he will become a bit spirit and
therefore he will be able to tolerate the spirit he ingested until you
find a cure. If he were human, there would be little hope for him.
Vampires are a heartier breed. Humans are changeable by death. They
die to be reborn as vampires or as were-creatures or as ghosts. That is
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why being possessed kills humans usually. Their body tries to turn
into the spirit and kills them in the process.
“Immortals are terribly hard to possess for the same reason. They
are set forever in their shells, unchangeable, and therefore less
flexible. You have to possess him to preserve him, but it will not cure
him. You need a vampire of his line to heal him, preferably an
ancient, as well as a vampire of another line who must also be an
ancient. A full-blood exchange for a cleansing.”
“What’s the price?” Adam asked.
“Collect the poisoned blood and have your brother bring it to me.”
“Agreed,” Adam said instantly.
* * * *
“This is crazy, Adam! Fucking crazy! You can’t just leave your
body for an undetermined bit of time hooked up to a machine. What if
we can’t get you back in the body afterwards?” Drew demanded in a
panic. They’d never heard of a case where a spirit left his body
without needing to and relied on some external system to keep his
physical body alive.
His brother was shirtless in the bed next to his mate. Mark, the
doctor in their ranks, had orders to hook him up to a home life-
support unit as soon he vacated his body. So long as the spirit resided
in their physical bodies, the bodies didn’t age and were difficult to
kill. Usually only an exorcist could kill a spirit due to the fact that, so
long as a host was available, spirits could exist in another body
indeterminably until another body could be created.
“Then I will live with my mate in his body for the rest of eternity.
Happily I might add,” he stated.
“Are you crazy? He’s already rejected you twice! If he hadn’t
been poisoned, he would’ve left you again! Adam, to be bound to him
forever when he doesn’t want you will make you both miserable,”
Drew protested.
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“Then I guess I’ll just have to convince him to be with me,” Adam
said simply. He cradled Jason’s body in his arms, and the vampire
murmured listlessly in his sleep.
“Adam…I’m scared,” Drew muttered, putting his hand on
Adam’s arm.
“If this doesn’t work, you’re in charge of the Legion, Drew. I
won’t rule if I can’t do so with Jason by my side,” Adam said,
squeezing his hand in apology.
Drew swallowed hard and nodded.
“Thanks, Drew. You’re a good brother,” Adam said, smiling.
“Can you leave us alone for a minute?”
“Sure thing, Adam.” He gave his brother one last look and then
left the room.
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Chapter Twelve
The kiss was sweet. Sweeter than any Adam had ever given. He
nudged Jason’s lips open by gentle licks of his tongue and took his
time exploring the passive reaches of his mate’s mouth. He traced
Jason’s fangs with the tip of his tongue, remembering the sensation of
them sinking into his flesh. The pleasure of the bite and the memory
of the orgasms had him hardening against the front of his jeans.
“I love you,” Adam promised against Jason’s lips. He traced the
vampire’s fangs one more time before pricking his tongue on Jason’s
fangs. They were much sharper then he remembered. The blood
poured from his mouth and into Jason’s own. The vampire inhaled
sharply and immediately began sucking on Adam’s tongue. Adam
groaned as venom flooded his mouth. It took everything in him not to
turn mindless as desire flooded him. With concentration that he
thought was impossible, Adam forced his spirit from his body and
into the body of his mate.
* * * *
Jason felt the familiar sensation of falling. His eyes opened, and
he was once again in the room Adam had first come to him in. What
had Adam called it? Dashra?
“Adam?” he whispered. He felt weak. His limbs felt like they
were made of lead.
“Hi, there,” Adam replied, appearing beside him. “How are you
feeling?”
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“Weak. Thirsty. What happened?” Jason asked. His throat was
hoarse, and he had to clear it.
“You collapsed after feeding from Uram,” Adam said, stroking
Jason’s forehead and cheek.
“Why?” Jason asked. He recalled the rush of the feed.
“He had been consuming spirit essence. It poisoned you,” Adam
offered, kissing his cheek. He was grateful to have Jason talking
again.
“I remember Drew saying something to the effect, but…wait,
didn’t I feed from you?” He frowned and touched his temple in
confusion. “How was I able to feed from you?”
Adam sighed. “I had hoped to tell you in a different way, but here
it goes…Jason Romanoff, you are my mate. My lifemate. Remember
that one person I was waiting for? You’re it.”
“I have alchemy with you, Adam. I’ve been trying to avoid telling
you for weeks. Our chemical signatures are perfectly matched. By
vampire standards, I’m your mate,” Jason answered with a sigh. His
chest filled with pain. “That’s why I want to leave, Adam. I’m not
good enough to be with someone like you.”
“That’s so stupid, Jason.” Adam chuckled, kissing him soundly.
“You are my mate, my love, and my one and only. The universe gave
you to me, and I’ll be damned if you dismiss our love with your own
perceived inadequacies.”
They kissed for endless moments. Jason gave in to Adam’s
expertise, meeting the hungry parries of his tongue with equally
desperate presses of his own.
“Adam…” Jason whispered his name like a prayer.
“Don’t ever turn me away again,” Adam demanded, nipping at the
other man’s lips. “I love you.” He brought Jason into the shelter of his
arms and kissed him harder, gripping him in an almost violent grasp.
“I’m sorry I hurt you,” Jason apologized. “I’m so sorry.”
“Shh, it’s okay, baby. Don’t worry.” Adam pressed his naked
body to his own. “I want you so badly…”
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“Take me then,” Jason offered. He wrapped his legs around
Adam’s waist and brought them flush together. “Fuck me. Mark me.
Love me.”
Adam moaned at his offer. “God, baby, you make me hot.”
“Been so miserable without you,” Jason panted. “Wanted you
inside me so badly that I ached.”
Adam growled and ran his hand down Jason’s pliant body,
wrapping his fist around his burgeoning erection. Jason hissed. He
slid his hand up and down of the vampire’s velvety shaft, eliciting an
arching moan from his companion.
“You’re mine,” Adam growled. Jason just panted harder, arching
his hips into the circle of his grip. Adam pumped his fist a few more
times, running the liquid of his arousal to the puckered anus of his
vampire. With a few decisive pumps of his fingers, Jason was ready
for his invasion.
“Take me. Please. Enter me,” Jason begged. His legs were
quivering in want.
Adam bit the pulse of Jason’s neck, marking his flesh with his
teeth. Jason shivered at the sensation. At the same time, he slid his
own hard erection into Jason’s tight body. He hesitated as his body
met resistance in the tight ring of muscle that protected the vampire’s
body from his thrust.
“Harder!” Jason cried out. He wanted Adam with a deep
uncontrollable desire. Adam obliged him, shoving deep and hard till
their bodies were flush against one another and his balls slapped
Jason’s ass.
Jason couldn’t speak after that as they both seemed to get swept
away by the elemental pull of their lovemaking. Jason moaned again
as Adam thrust over and over again against his prostate, stimulating
him into a mindless frenzy. His nails scored Adam’s shoulders. Adam
groaned and thrust harder, their bodies slapping together.
“I love you. I love you,” Jason chanted like a mantra with every
thrust and withdrawal. “I love you forever.”
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“I love you, too, Bram,” Adam promised with a groan.
Jason cried out his pleasure as Adam emptied himself into Jason’s
tight ass. They came apart, finding their release in blinding unison.
“I’m dead,” Jason muttered, stroking Adam’s sweat-slicked back
and nibbling his throat.
“What a way to go,” Adam said with a grin. “Am I too heavy?”
“Just stay right there for a moment,” Jason said, inhaling his scent.
“I want to feel you a minute more.”
“I love you, Jason,” Adam murmured, wrapping his arms tighter
around Jason.
“Hmmm, I love you, too.” Jason nuzzled him happily. He didn’t
care that he was repeating it over and over again. He had weeks’
worth of I love yous stored up. “I missed you.”
“Missed you, too, Bram.” He kissed Jason’s temple and rolled to
the side. “When I bring you out of Dashra, we’ll start working on
getting you better.”
* * * *
“Not under any circumstance,” Jason said as Drew explained the
situation.
“Come on, Bram. Be reasonable,” Adam reasoned.
“I am not contacting random ancients to see which ones are
available to give me a full-blood exchange,” Jason said firmly. “It’s a
sign of weakness, and I will not become the laughingstock of the
vampire world because I fed on something that disagreed with me.
Besides, they’d take it as weakness and probably try to kill me.”
“Can’t you just contact a friend? A discreet friend?” Drew asked.
“I don’t have any friends!” Jason snapped, blushing angrily. “Are
you happy? I don’t have anyone I can call that I won’t have to pay
back with a favor of some kind.”
“Oh, baby, I’m sorry,” Adam offered gently.
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“Perhaps one of the Carter brothers?” Drew asked somewhat less
forcefully. “Where did you live for the last thousand years? Under a
rock? How does someone like you not have any friends?”
“Too many responsibilities and enough paranoia to make sure I
never got anything other than a superficial relationship with any
stranger I met,” Jason muttered darkly. “Is there no other way?” he
asked a little desperately.
“Not according to the Reverend,” Drew said with a sigh.
“Bram, do you mind hanging out in Dashra for a little bit? I’d
like to talk with my brother in private for a moment,” Adam asked.
Sure thing, my love, Jason replied, giving his Dashra self a hard
kiss on the mouth. Thanks for asking.
“Drew, bring me a cell phone. I have a call I need to make.”
Adam said, sitting a little straighter in his desk chair.
Drew gave him a puzzled look. “All right, Adam.” He handed his
cell phone across the desk. “Who are you calling?”
Adam held up a hand to stop his talking. He dialed the number he
found in Jason’s mind from memory. It rang three times before it was
answered.
“Hello?” the voice asked.
“Hi, Amalie. My name is Adam. I’m your sire’s mate. He needs
your help.”
* * * *
Jason blinked several times at the mass of people on his front step.
“What in the bloody hell is going on?” he asked bewilderedly. It had
been two weeks since Adam had possessed him, and no solution had
been forthcoming. To see five of his fledglings, their blood servants,
and several others standing on his stoop was quite a shock.
“Surprise?” Adam offered weakly.
“Adam!” Jason snapped angrily. “How could you do that?”
“It’s for your own good, baby,” Adam said stubbornly.
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“Your boyfriend called us, sire. He said you needed us,” Joshua
offered with a smile.
“They all came to get a look at your boy. I came because I wanted
to see you,” Amalie said with a grin. Jason’s face broke out into a
smile. He opened his arms to his favorite fledgling. Vampires turned
humans for a few reasons, but Jason had always turned his fledglings
because he cared for their companionship. Once these vampires had
been human friends or servants-turned-friends. They were the only
people whom Jason really felt close to. Jason may have never made
friends with other vampires, but he’d made friends with humans and
then turned them into vampires. Unfortunately that meant none of
them were ancient or from different lines. It was the reason Jason had
dismissed the idea of summoning them to begin with.
“Like you didn’t want to see my boyfriend as well!” He chuckled
as she threw herself into his arms so he could twirl her around. “How
are you, wee one?” he asked, setting her back on her feet.
“I’ve been great except for the fact that you left without a word
and left us with no idea where you were going! I suppose you know
that Andren MacGregor was declared Prince of Britain with Lucian
Junius as his second?” she asked as he ushered them into his living
room.
“I had heard that. I’m glad to see that MacGregor and his sire felt
safe enough to return to their home now that I am gone,” Jason
offered. He was surprised that he no longer felt a pang of hurt at the
mention of his former obsession and his partner. He no longer felt any
hostility toward them whatsoever.
Amalie’s face lit up with mischief. “Your boyfriend must be
something else for you to shrug that off.”
He grinned and thought of Adam’s beautiful lips. “I am happy,”
he offered quietly.
“So you don’t love Lucian anymore?” she asked curiously. She
was one of the few that knew the full story of Lucian and Andren’s
depart from Great Britain.
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“I don’t think I ever really did,” he said firmly. “Adam is
everything to me.”
“Your mate told us a bit about your situation, sire,” Joshua said
respectfully. He was the oldest out of the bunch, almost seven
hundred. “I must admit that it was a little unnerving to discover a new
race of being, but we swiftly got over it. Is he…with you now?”
“I am,” Adam said through Jason’s mouth, his accent dropping
completely. “A pleasure to meet all of you.”
“Incredible,” Elliot mumbled to his right. “His mental signature
only changes slightly.” His specialty was his sixth sense, so Jason
wasn’t surprised he sensed the demon.
“So your body is across town?” Amalie asked, plopping down on
Jason’s couch.
“For the time being. We thought it best to stay at Jason’s house
for the time being. The apprentice exorcist has agreed to help us with
the rebinding ceremony, but we have to heal Jason first,” Adam said,
waving for the rest of them to sit. “Where are the rest of our guests?”
he asked Amalie with a secret wink.
“It is so weird to have your words coming out of Jason’s mouth,”
she said with a blink.
“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are
dreamt of in your philosophy,” Adam offered with a smile.
“Shakespeare was such a hack,” Amalie said with a returning grin.
Jason sputtered angrily. One does not quote Shakespeare and find
him lacking!
“Don’t say such things, Amalie,” Joshua cautioned. “You know
Shakespeare was one of the sire’s favorites. He still has an
autographed copy of Hamlet if I’m not mistaken.”
Amalie laughed all the harder for that. “He was your Elvis, Jas!”
Jason blushed scarlet. “Would you please be quiet, Ami?” he
hissed. “And what other guests? Adam, I must confess that I can’t
possibly handle any more today.”
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“They took a separate flight from us, but they checked into the
hotel already. They should be here any minute,” Amalie said, ignoring
her sire.
As if on cue the heavy thud of the knocker signaled a new arrival.
Jason sighed and crossed the room to open the door. He mentally
prepared himself for another round of greetings. He threw open the
door, opened his mouth, and froze.
“Hello, Romanoff. Long time no see,” Andren MacGregor said,
sticking his hand out to shake Jason’s suddenly nerveless fingers.
Lucian’s pretty wine-colored eyes sparkled with warmth. “Hello,
Jason. Pleasure to see you again.”
“Maybe this time you won’t be a psycho,” Andren said dryly in
his signature smart-ass fashion.
“I see age hasn’t tempered that sharp tongue of yours,
MacGregor,” Jason returned a bit breathlessly. He felt like he was
being choked.
“Oh, dear…It seems we quite took you by surprise,” Lucian said
thoughtfully. “When your alchemy mate called for help, we thought
that you were aware of our offer to help. But I see that you had no
idea we were coming.”
“I…” Jason began to stutter. “Please…come in.” He swallowed
and gestured to them to enter. They were greeted by their other guests
warmly.
“I’ll go get us some beverages,” Jason said to the room. He
needed to get away to collect his thoughts for a moment. He was sure
that all the vampires in the room could hear the erratic pounding of
his heart. He took his time filling each wineglass with his special wine
and putting them on a tray.
“I can’t believe you did this to me, Adam,” he muttered as he
arranged everything just so.
“Oh, baby, don’t be like that. You needed this. This rift has
existed in you for far too long,” Adam said.
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“Adam…I’m not ready for this.” Jason felt sick with worry. “I put
them through so much…”
“Don’t start the ‘I am a monster’ crap again. You are a wonderful
person who just made a mistake. I love you, Jason. Be strong for me.”
Oddly enough that made Jason feel much better.
“I hope you know that the only reason we’re here is because
Lucian insisted we mend things.” Andren cornered Jason as he was
coming back from the kitchen. “If it were up to me, I would’ve let
you suffer with this poisoning mess.”
Jason gave a sigh. “Hold on for two seconds and let me deliver
this tray to the others, and then we’ll talk.” He didn’t give Andren
time to protest but breezed by to hand off the tray to Joshua. He
swiftly returned to Andren’s fuming person.
“I am sorry,” Jason began. He stared at the ground and continued.
“What I did to you and Lucian was inexcusable, and I have regretted
it ever since. I offer you a blood penance when I am well enough to
carry it out to your satisfaction.” It was a vampire’s way of offering
restitution for past wrongs. Jason would accept whatever punishment
Andren deemed necessary and they would consider their dispute
finally over.
“That will be unnecessary, Jason,” Lucian said, coming up silently
behind him. “I accept your apology. As I said when we were going
through it, we are cut from the same cloth. You’ve suffered enough
for your mistake.”
“I debate that.” Andren growled.
“Prince Andren, unless you plan on sleeping on the sofa in our
hotel for the rest of this visit, I suggest you don’t let your mouth
overrun your good sense,” Lucian threatened.
“I don’t want to cause you strain in your relationship,” Jason said,
giving a stiff bow. “I think I did enough of that already.”
“Oh, Jason, would you please shut up?” Lucian asked, grabbing
his arm and turning him. “You were our friend once, and we hope that
you will be our friend again. Though Andren is loath to admit it, we
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aren’t fond of this separation. It’s been three hundred years. Jason,
won’t you forgive yourself?”
Jason pondered that question for a long time, staring at Lucian in
bewilderment.
“What did you say to them?” he asked Adam. “I don’t understand
why they’re doing this.”
“You’re hearing them, Jason, but you’re not listening,” Adam
chastised softly. “Do you remember when you all were friends?
Lucian and I had a long chat, and from what I glean from your
memory, you all were quite close.”
“Yes. We had a table at all the fashionable card establishments in
London. We summered at one another’s home for years…until Andren
was turned,” Jason offered. “When he joined in society, I aided the
transition. Despite my jealousy I was quite fond of him.”
“Then it makes sense that they would want to forgive you should
you ask for it. Friends forgive one another.” Adam wrapped his
invisible arms round Jason’s shoulders. It was on the tip of his tongue
to say he didn’t have any friends but if he thought about it he could
see that maybe…he did. “Be strong, Jason. I love you.”
Jason smiled softly. “I love you, too. A lot,” he added.
“All right,” he said finally. “Thank you for this, Lucian, Andren. I
cannot tell you how grateful I am for your assistance.” Lucian smiled,
and Andren scowled somewhat less strongly. Suddenly Andren
brightened visibly.
“I’m looking forward to draining your ass. Adam promised to let
me cut you in exchange for Lucian’s blood. It’s absolutely worth the
effort,” Andren said with a satisfied smile.
Lucian frowned and smacked him in the chest. “Andren
MacGregor! The couch is going to be your best mate tonight,” he
promised with a hiss. How they would forgive him, he didn’t know,
but it was certainly freeing to be forgiven.
Jason couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “They sound like us!”
he accused.
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Adam chuckled. “Yes, they do.”
“What’s so funny, Romanoff?” Andren asked, again frowning.
“You sound like Adam and me.” Jason smiled. He and Lucian
exchanged a mutual look of understanding. “You were right, by the
way,” he said, addressing Lucian. “I wasn’t looking for you.” He
paused, and his eyes sparkled with mirth for the first time in the
presence of the other vampires. “I was looking for your mate.”
Andren sputtered, and Lucian burst out laughing.
“I’m guessing Adam is as uncivilized as this brute?” Lucian asked
affectionately. He wrapped his arm around Andren’s waist.
“He watches South Park and eats prepackaged foods like
Twinkies,” Jason said with mild disgust.
“Good lord!” Lucian declared with a laugh.
“Let us rejoin the festivities, brothers,” Jason offered, bowing
before the both of them. “I am happy to have you both with me
again.”
“I’m proud of you,” Adam said as they rejoined the rest of the
vampires in the living room.
“Thank you, Adam,” Jason replied, overflowing with affection. “I
could never have fixed this without you.”
Adam placed a phantom kiss on his cheek. “I’m always here for
you, Jason. Always.”
For the first time in over a thousand years, Jason believed what he
was hearing.
* * * *
The plan was simple, really, all things considered. Andren would
cut one of Jason’s arteries and let the poisoned blood drain into a
bucket to be delivered to the Reverend at the zombie shop the
following day. While he was doing that, Lucian would give Jason an
ungodly amount of his blood to supplement some loss, and his
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fledglings would do the rest. They’d all have to work in unison to be
able to make sure everyone walked away with their lives.
“Adam?” he asked. His nervousness was growing by the moment.
On one side of the room, his fledglings sat in fold-out chairs, waiting
to play their part. On the other side stood Adam’s people, waiting to
assist Adam back into his own body.
“What is it, love?”
“If this doesn’t work. I wanted to say, I love you.”
“This is going to work, and I’ll say it back when we are awake
and together,” Adam said firmly. “Your fear is misplaced. It’s going
to work out because I say it does.”
Jason resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Arrogance will not
guarantee success.”
“Nothing guarantees success, boy. We’re all just stumbling along
in this life together. And no one really leaves life alive so I wouldn’t
worry about it if I were you. If we die, I’ll see you on the other side,
because you’re mine and I wouldn’t let something as stupid as death
separate us for long.” He felt Adam’s smile. “Let’s get on with this,
Bram.”
Jason nodded. “Okay. We’re ready.” Drew, who was looking pale
and more than a little afraid, stepped forward.
“Adam? You’re sure?”
“No worries, little brother,” Adam said with a wink. “Everyone
needs to quit acting like this is a funeral. As far as I’m concerned, this
is a damn party. I get my mate back in a bit and that just rocks.”
Everyone shared a chuckle at Adam’s attitude and Jason couldn’t
really blame them. His laid-back optimism was infectious.
“Okay, Jason. Bite into Adam’s wrist and he’ll do the rest.” Drew
crossed his arms over his chest and watched them as they stepped up
to Adam’s prone form. From what Jason understood, it was more
complicated than that and involved some ritual that Drew would
perform, but Jason would be out like a light for that.
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“See you soon, baby,” Adam said as Jason took up his wrist and
pressed a kiss to the steady pulse.
“Till then,” Jason whispered. He sank his fangs into Adam’s wrist
and felt the sensation of water rushing over him an instant before that
terrible numbness and fatigue washed over him the second afterwards.
He tried to say Adam’s name but couldn’t form the sentence. Instead,
he collapsed backwards.
“Grab him. We have to move quickly.” Lucian’s voice was the
last thing he heard before he sank back into darkness.
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Epilogue
Jason paced anxiously by Adam’s bedside, waiting for him to
wake. The ritual had gone as planned down to the last detail. Yet
Adam still hadn’t woken up. I’m better now, Jason thought. You have
to wake because I can’t live forever without you.
“Why isn’t he awake yet?” he demanded of Drew as the other
spirit adjusted a few candles on the other side of Jason’s bed. The
absolute terror that consumed Jason at the thought of Adam being out
of his head and not in his own body made the vampire shake like a
leaf.
“Easy, Romanoff. Your spirit will wake soon,” Andren cautioned
with a wry grin on his face. His mouth was still smeared from Jason’s
blood from the ritual just a moment before.
“I just don’t understand why he doesn’t wake. It’s been half an
hour,” Jason said distractedly. He reached for Adam’s still-frozen
form.
“Don’t touch him,” Drew snapped. Jason froze. “If you touch him,
he might get pulled back into your body, and I’d have to start all over
again.”
“What’s taking so long?” Jason whined impatiently.
“Sometimes it takes a little while, Jason. For God’s sake, you’ve
got to calm down!” Drew growled. “Just wait.” He stomped down the
stairs muttering irritably.
“Jason, you’re wearing a hole in the floor,” a husky voice
murmured from behind Jason’s back. Jason turned with a cry and
tossed himself onto the bed, causing Adam’s body to bounce. The
vampire’s arms wrapped tight around Adam’s big frame.
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“Jeez…” the spirit muttered. “Could you be a bit gentler?” He still
looked a bit shaky and pale.
“I’m sorry,” Jason said, scattering kisses over his wincing face.
“I’m just so…happy you’re here.”
Adam chuckled. “If only you were always so enthusiastic, I could
give you something to direct all that extra energy into,” he joked.
“Hush,” Jason demanded, kissing him silent.
“We’ll see you back at the Quarter for beignets and coffee
tonight,” Lucian called softly from the other side of the room. They
all had planned on a double date after Adam woke from the transition
to reacquaint themselves with each other. Lucian had given a good
deal of blood to cleanse Jason of all the remaining toxins from the
exorcist, and so he was pale and trembling lightly.
“Sure thing, Luc,” Jason said dismissively. He couldn’t wait to get
his spirit alone.
“You all could wait in the spare room if you’d like,” Adam
offered. For once he acknowledged social etiquette and made the offer
over Jason’s seeking mouth.
“I need to feed, and Andren’s vein is looking delicious. I’m sorry,
Adam, but we’ll have to decline.” The line was delivered in perfect
husky tones that weren’t very good at masking the sexual charge that
laced each syllable.
“Oh, hell, yeah,” Andren murmured, taking Lucian by the arm and
practically dragging him toward the door.
Adam smiled and shivered. “See you later, guys.”
“Nice to meet you in person! See you later!” Andren called from
halfway down the stairs. Lucian’s laughter followed them out the
house. The front door slammed with a cheerful finality.
“Feel free to molest me at your will now, my vampire,” Adam
muttered as Jason kissed a path down his neck. He shivered as the
vampire’s fangs nipped at the cords of his neck.
“Wait…where’s my brother?” he asked.
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129
“Downstairs. He left with Luc and Andren. I’m sure he knows the
way out.”
“Well, that’s something. Idiot didn’t say anything to me, and I
know he was here just a second ago,” Adam rumbled.
Jason rolled his eyes. “He probably wanted to give us some
privacy.” If he had any good sense he would know better than to get
in between a vampire and his beloved.
“I know. I just think a hello would’ve been nice.” Leave it up to
Adam to be distracted after that.
Jason growled impatiently. He sank his fangs into Adam’s chest in
one decisive bite. Vampire venom flooded his body, and Adam cried
out.
“Oh, fuck! Damn, baby!” Adam’s body stirred. “This is taking
advantage of an invalid!” He gasped. Jason made another growling
noise and lapped at the wound.
With a desperate growl Adam rolled, pinning Jason beneath his
superior strength.
“Guess my brother can wait, brat. I love you for always, vampire.”
Adam’s piercing blue eyes seemed to bore a path into his mind. He
ripped off Jason’s T-shirt with one tug of his strong hands. With an
irritated sound he kicked off his own pajama pants and attacked
Jason’s own. “Pants off. Now,” he demanded. They wrestled the rest
of their clothing off in a swirl of laughter and kisses. In no time Jason
had his fangs buried in Adam’s strong, finely muscled chest and
Adam had his cock buried deep in Jason’s tight ass.
As their world came apart in screaming ecstasy, their minds
merged and Jason had a realization. Never in a million years would he
have believed he would be possessed. Never would he believe he
could be possessed. Especially by love.
“I love you, Jason.” Adam’s voice echoed through his mind,
repeating that oh-so-familiar refrain.
Jason smiled against his chest and nipped. “I love you, too, Adam.
I love you forever.”
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THE END
JANADOWNS.BLOGSPOT.COM/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jana Downs lives in the beautiful mountains of Western North
Carolina with three cats, one dog, several dozen fish, and a very
understanding partner-in-crime who hates to read but makes
exceptions for her stories.
You can usually find her either watching bad reality TV, buying
way too many books on Amazon, or dreaming up another man or two
to occupy her time because life is good but several drop-dead
gorgeous nonexistent men is just better.
For all titles by Jana Downs, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/jana-downs
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com