A Total-E-Bound Publication
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Out of Light into Darkness
ISBN #978-0-85715-274-9
©Copyright T.A. Chase 2010
Cover Art by Natalie Winters ©Copyright August 2010
Edited by Claire Siemaszkiewicz
Total-E-Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination
and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or
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Published in 2010 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL,
United Kingdom.
Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature
readers. This story has been rated Total-e-burning.
OUT OF LIGHT INTO DARKNESS
T.A. Chase
Dedication
Thank you to all my readers who have become more like extended family. Thanks to Claire
for taking a chance on my blind vampire. And as always, thank you, my love. You stand
beside me no matter what happens.
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Chapter One
Shadows blended, graduating from light grey to the darkest black. They neither stayed
still nor moved in any direction. The harder Andor strained to make out any tiny detail, the
more the lights pulsed with a weird life of their own.
A cough drew his attention to a larger shadow standing where he knew the door to his
study was.
“Yes?”
“He’s arrived, sir.”
They had sent Tony to inform him. Andor recognised the hesitation in the young man’s
voice like Tony weighed every word before he spoke.
“Good. Where is he now?”
Andor didn’t move from where he sat, not wanting to appear weak in front of any of
his herd.
“In his room, sir. Malachi escorted him there before sending me to tell you.”
A heady surge of relief swept through Andor. It had almost killed him when Sven left
the compound, yet he stayed away from the young human. He hoped Sven would have
returned on his own, but with Andor’s health and very existence in jeopardy, he couldn’t
wait any longer. Hopefully, he’d be able to convince Sven to help him instead of forcing him
to give Andor what he needed. Also, with Sven back home, Andor wouldn’t have to worry
about something happening to the human meant to be everything to Andor.
“His door isn’t locked, is it?”
“No, sir. Malachi has someone watching it, but there’s nothing to keep him here.”
Tony was right. There wasn’t anything to keep Sven at the compound, yet Andor hoped
the mortal would be angry enough at being forced to return, he’d stick around, if only to
chew Andor out.
“Thank you, Tony, and relay my appreciation to Malachi. Tell him he may have his
choice from the herd as an award.”
“Certainly, sir.”
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Unhappiness filled Tony’s voice and Andor knew the young guard hoped Malachi
would choose him instead of one of the humans making up Andor’s herd.
“Good night.” He waved, dismissing the messenger and the dark block he assumed
was Tony disappeared through the black square behind it.
Andor rubbed his eyes. Damn vision was fucked and not having fed for a week didn’t
help matters. Being an older vampire, Andor didn’t have to feed as often as the younger
ones, but with the poison still ravaging his body, he should have been feeding every other
day to try and combat it.
Standing, he remained still until he oriented himself with the large desk at one end of
his study. No one had been in his suite of rooms since he awoke and there wasn’t any way
they could get in while he slept. It was one of the many precautions Malachi instituted when
he’d come to work for Andor.
He made it across the room without mishap, hating the shuffling steps he had to take to
insure he didn’t run into a coffee table or a piece of furniture he’d forgotten was there. There
was truth in the cliché, ‘you never know what you have until it’s gone’. He never knew how
much he relied on his eyes until they had been taken from him, or at least, his eyesight had
been stolen from him.
Andor had been a god in the vampire society he travelled amongst, but now he was
pathetic and helpless. Weak when being weak could get him killed. There were those waiting
in the wings for his downfall. The loss of his eyesight was only the beginning of his decline in
power, if he couldn’t do something to stop the deterioration or assert his power in a different
way.
He found the top of the chair at the desk and slowly eased down into the seat. Pulling
himself closer to the desk, he fumbled with the drawers until his hand found the right one
and he tugged it open. Andor reached in and grabbed the box he’d tucked at the back of the
drawer. He rested it on his lap while he trailed his fingers over the engraved words along its
top.
“Elessa,” he murmured. “I could love him as much, if not more, than I loved you, but
he fears me and what I offer.”
He closed his eyes, and rested his head back against the cushion of the chair. His head
pounded from forcing his eyes to focus on something, to draw details and colours into his
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brain. He longed for the way things used to be, but knew in his soul, they would never be the
same. His grip tightened on the wooden box in his hands.
Centuries passed like the trickling of water through a riverbed. Minutes and seconds
built on each other until years had gone by and he’d lost anything that made him human. His
only connection to what he once was hated him and had run away instead of taking his
rightful place at the head of Andor’s herd.
Elessa would tell him it was wrong to think of the humans he fed off as cattle, but what
else were they? He housed and fed them. In return, they gave him their blood. It was just like
any rancher or shepherd. Was that the reason why Sven ran away? Or was there more to
Sven’s leaving than Andor treating humans like livestock?
Opening the box, he pulled out a small frame. He ran his fingers over the bumps and
swirls left by the oil paint. The pain in his heart made him gasp. Gods, it hurt to know he’d
never be able to look on this portrait and remember her face. Without this image, he feared
he would forget what Elessa looked like. Yet even now, Sven’s face often became super-
imposed over Elessa’s in his mind.
It had only been since Sven turned eighteen that Andor had thought about feeding from
him. Most humans experienced pleasure from the connection and Andor wasn’t ashamed of
the fact that he took advantage of that to feed and fuck whoever he drank from. Men or
women, it didn’t matter as long as Andor got their blood.
“What am I to do, Elessa? He is one of yours and I can’t make him do anything he
doesn’t want to do.” He could almost hear her laughing at him. “Yes, my heart is involved
this time. The first since I held you dying in my arms. If you were alive, you would enjoy
this. I could love him, yet he is disgusted by me.”
No answer came from the painting and he put it away before returning the box to the
desk drawer. Inhaling deeply, he straightened his shoulders and climbed to his feet. It was
time to face the lion in his den. He made it to the door without incident and found Malachi
waiting outside in the hall.
“The hallway is clear. I had all the furniture removed, so you will only need to worry
about running into the walls, but the carpet covers the middle of the floor until about two
inches away from the wall. When you feel the edge under your foot, you know the wall is
close.”
“Tony said Sven is in his usual room.”
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“Yes, sir. Summon me if you need me.” Malachi’s voice faded, though Andor knew the
man stood in the darkness behind him, watching and keeping an eye out for him like any
loyal dog would.
Sven’s room was four doors down from Andor’s on the opposite side of the hallway.
Andor tried to move confidently, trailing his hand over the wall, across the doors, counting
them, even though it was only Malachi who watched him. Agonizing minutes later, Andor
stood outside Sven’s door. He knocked and waited. When there wasn’t any answer, he
turned the knob and stepped in.
Anger hung in the room. Andor understood. No one appreciated being dragged back
home like a wayward child. Malachi wouldn’t have told Sven anything. Shifting through the
layers of emotions piling in the air around him, Andor discovered a tiny hint of relief hidden
deep under the anger. Was Sven happy Andor had sent someone after him? Had he wanted
that all along?
Andor shook his head, frustrated by his doubts. It had been so long since he was
human, he’d lost any ability to discern the truth out of emotions. He doubted he’d ever had
that ability. As a warrior, emotions could get one killed, and as a vampire, through the
centuries, one learned emotions meant nothing when one lived forever.
Rustling caught his attention and he imagined Sven either sat on the bed or stood by the
window. The only good thing was both were in the same direction.
“Thank you for returning with Malachi.”
Sven snorted, but didn’t speak.
“Something has arisen and your presence was needed.” Desired.
Andor didn’t need his eyesight to tell that Sven stared at him in disbelief. It was how
he’d react to that statement if someone said that to him.
“I hope you’ve found your room the way you left it. The only one allowed in here after
you left was Malachi. I didn’t want it to be dirty when you came back.”
He snapped his mouth closed. Babbling like an idiot wasn’t a becoming trait for a
vampire. No words seemed forthcoming from Sven, so Andor decided retreat was best. Plus
the sun was about to rise and exhaustion pulled at his senses.
“Welcome home, Sven. If you wish for anything, ask Malachi.”
After shutting the door behind him, he started down the hall towards his suite.
Malachi’s shadow appeared in his range of vision.
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“Bring Doctor Ramshall to the compound, Malachi. Maybe he can help us figure out
what’s wrong.”
“Yes, sir.”
Confident Malachi would do as he commanded, Andor headed for bed, hoping Sven’s
intoxicating scent would dissipate soon. No sense in driving himself crazy over something he
couldn’t have.
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Chapter Two
“Sir, the doctor is here.”
Andor acknowledged Malachi’s announcement with a wave of his hand, motioning for
the doctor to enter. Turning, he stayed by the window and waited for the man to join him. A
second presence came to stand by Malachi’s solid form. This one was slight and, in an odd
way, soothing. It had to be the doctor, for healers were the only ones to give off that sense to
Andor.
His eyesight had worsened since his last full feed and his instincts told him not even
Sven’s pure blood would help him, which was why he’d had Malachi bring the doctor to
him.
“How can I help you, Master Andor?” The doctor stopped a respectful distance away,
and his outline, the only thing visible to Andor, bowed.
“You came highly recommended for your talent and your discretion, Doctor Ramshall.
Since you have worked with my kind before, I know you won’t discuss what we talk about
in this meeting.”
Ramshall’s close-mouthed policy when it came to his clients attracted Andor more than
the man’s talent. If any of Andor’s rivals got wind of his blindness, they would use this
opportunity to oust him from his throne. He’d fought too hard and too long to allow that to
happen.
“Of course not, sir.” Ramshall’s tone bordered on the patronizing.
Andor flashed his fangs, silently warning the doctor who the most dangerous one in the
room was.
“Sorry, sir.”
Motioning for the doctor to join him, Andor accepted his apology.
“My herd has become contaminated.” Once he’d figured out that whatever ruined his
eyesight came from his herd, he stopped feeding from them.
The outline of Ramshall’s head tilted and Andor worked out the doctor was staring at
him.
“Contaminated? In what way?”
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“I’m working on finding out how the poison was introduced and who did it. You are
here to find out the what.” Andor touched the corner of his right eye where it twitched
slightly.
“How do you know this is from your herd and not an illness you contracted?”
He whirled from the window and strolled to the couch where he flopped onto the
cushions, not caring about his expensive suit and the wrinkles he created in it.
“There are very few illnesses that can affect a vampire of my power, Ramshall. I’ve
investigated the symptoms and I have none of them.”
Actually, Malachi checked them for him. The slow loss of his sight had frustrated
Andor as it began to limit his abilities.
“May I examine you, sir? To rule out all of those illnesses for certain.”
He gracelessly agreed to Ramshall’s request.
“May I draw some blood?”
Keeping his eyes closed, Andor nodded. A rubber tourniquet squeezed his upper arm
and a small prick at the inside of his arm kept him informed of what the doctor did.
“Only one vial, Ramshall, and destroy what you don’t use.”
Andor couldn’t risk allowing his blood to fall into the wrong hands. Unscrupulous
people could create beings like zombies from it.
“Of course, sir. I think I’ll be here for a few days. I have to examine your herd as well.”
“Whatever you need. Malachi will set it up for you.”
“Thank you. Unless your blood tells me something different, I think you are right about
something else affecting you.”
All Andor saw when he opened his eyes was the blurry outline of Ramshall as the
doctor put his instruments away in his bag.
“How did you come to believe that the people you feed from are contaminated?”
Ramshall remained standing, solidifying Andor’s respect for the doctor. No one sat in
the presence of a Master without their permission. He had no inclination to allow such
familiarity.
He rubbed his chin. “I went to a business meeting with another Master. In keeping with
tradition, he offered me a drink from one of his herd. It’s only proper that I accept. After
feeding, I noticed I didn’t feel as nauseous as I had been lately after feeding from my own.
Also…” His voice trailed off, not wanting to mention the biggest problem he was having.
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“Also,” Ramshall encouraged him to continue.
After shoving to his feet, he began to wander his study. When he realised he was going
blind, he’d memorised everything in the room and threatened Malachi with a long torturous
death if anything was moved without his permission. Of course, the threat would have been
more effective if Malachi could die.
“I’ve lost most of my eye sight. I can only see shadows now. Greys against black.”
A startled gasp shot across the room, but Andor didn’t stop his restless pacing. He’d
known Sven had entered the room. His hearing, always superior, seemed extraordinary now.
It didn’t matter if Sven knew about Andor’s trouble or not, Sven wouldn’t betray him to any
of his enemies. Andor knew that much about the human.
“Now you understand why you must keep your visit a private matter.”
“Yes, sir. I will begin testing your blood tonight and start gathering samples from your
herd in the morning.”
After summoning Malachi, he waited until Malachi had escorted Ramshall from the
room before acknowledging Sven.
“I thought you were ignoring me to teach me a lesson.” Andor settled on the couch
again after stripping off his shirt and leaving it in a pile on the floor.
“Is it true?” Sven rushed to him, and disregarding all custom, sat without permission.
He rested his hand on Andor’s arm.
Glancing down at the touch, Andor frowned. “Was the time you were gone long
enough to forget what you were taught?”
“Stop it. There’s no one here but you and me. We don’t need to stand on ceremony.”
“We don’t?” Andor jerked away from Sven and stood, unsure of where to go.
Going to the herd was out of the question. Too much movement and chaos. He no
longer saw well enough to walk among them without revealing his secret.
“Ceremony and duty are all we have left between us.” He hoped his words cut deep
into Sven. It was the human who had chosen to run away from the compound and his place
in the herd. Andor had never pushed Sven away.
“Wait.”
Sven’s voice came from behind him, telling Andor the human had stood as well.
“Wait? Who are you to give me orders?”
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He swung around, capturing Sven’s throat in his hand and dragging the shorter man
up onto his toes. He flashed his fangs and Sven’s pulse sped up under Andor’s fingers.
Sven’s scent became a familiar mix of arousal and fear.
“You left me, Sven. Malachi dragged you back here under protest. He told me you
fought and argued with him the entire time.”
“He’s like a robot. Nothing I did or said worked on him,” Sven gasped.
Andor laughed with bitter joy. “Of course not. He lives only to serve me. What you or
anyone else wants is irrelevant.”
He flexed his fingers, warning Sven who held his life in his hand. Instead of tossing him
away like he would’ve with anyone else, Andor set him on his feet and let him go.
What Andor wanted to do was go to his sleeping chamber, curl up under his furs and
blankets, and forget all the bullshit surrounding him. Unfortunately, he had never been weak
or a coward, so hiding wasn’t an option.
“Why did you leave me?” He ground his teeth together and swore silently. He hadn’t
wanted to ask that question.
Sven paced and Andor tracked his movements by listening to Sven’s footsteps.
“I left because I wanted to be more than a member of your herd,” Sven mumbled, his
confession forced from him.
Andor frowned. “You are the most important of my herd. Your family has served as its
foundation from the moment I became undead.”
“See, that’s just it. I wanted to be special to you because you cared for me, not my blood
line.”
“You are important. No one else, except Malachi, has permission to enter my suite of
rooms. No one else is allowed access to my sleeping chamber.”
If those actions didn’t say he trusted Sven, nothing would. Didn’t Sven see that?
“You never fed from me,” Sven pointed out. “You drank from everyone else but me.”
“Because I knew you found it distasteful.” Andor didn’t know what more Sven wanted.
“I outgrew forcing my dinner after the first century I was a vampire.”
He gestured in the general direction of the window where shrill laughter and loud
music drifted in.
“There are nineteen people out there who welcome my bite and more.”
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Sven snorted. “Hanger-ons. People looking for long life through your bite. Those who
believe they can change you if you’d only listen to them.”
“Those are the ones who believe being a vampire is a choice and would love to see us
vanish from the world.” Andor reached out and found his desk. Propping a hip against the
edge, he folded his arms and closed his eyes. Straining to make out shapes gave him a
headache.
“You sound like that preacher on TV.”
“If I were his Master, I’d have culled him from my herd long ago, but his true Master
has a warped sense of humour.”
“That guy is a herd member?”
Andor pinched the bridge of his nose and nodded. “All humans belong to one of the
Master vampires. All those who are marked are allowed to live.”
Sven stepped closer, but didn’t touch Andor. “Marked?”
“Branded.” He rested his hand on his chest above his left nipple. “All of my herd are
branded with my initials. AE.”
“I don’t have one.”
The doubt and hurt in Sven’s voice made Andor sigh. It figured that this particular
human wouldn’t be placated by the vague answers he usually gave. Most humans didn’t
care about the traditions vampires had created over the centuries to live in a world that
feared them.
“My territory covers all of San Francisco, down to San Jose, and a couple hundred miles
east and north to Sacramento.”
“I know that, but when I went to San Fran., there were people who had never had
contact with a vampire.”
Andor shifted, his body wanting to absorb warmth from Sven. Yet he managed not to
touch him. He’d never had a problem taking what he wanted, but because of who Sven was,
he couldn’t take anything. Sven had to give it.
“Master vampires do as they please within their territory. As long as I have twenty
humans in my herd, I don’t need to feed from any others. I chose to let the people outside my
compound live their own lives without interference from me, as long as they follow the
rules.” He looked at his feet and muttered, “Though I might have to cull this herd and
rebuild.”
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Sven stiffened next to Andor. The vampire waited to hear Sven protest that action.
“But you don’t feed from me.” Sven laid a hand on Andor’s shoulder. “Why did you
bring me back when you told me you’d never force me to return?”
At least Sven seemed willing to let the culling statement go for the moment. Andor
ground his fingers into his eyes, not wanting to confess to anything.
“You’re mine.”
The statement was true as far as it went. Sven was his because his bloodline bound
them.
“Good try, but I’ve been gone for three months. If you were that possessive, you would
have sent Malachi after me right away. What’s the real reason?”
He bit the bullet. “I need you.”
“Ah, now we’re getting somewhere.”
Andor wasn’t sure somewhere was a place he wanted to go.
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Chapter Three
“That’s what I was afraid of,” Andor said under his breath.
“What’s so important that you needed to bring me back?”
“I lost my eyesight,” he blurted out.
The tension rose and Sven pushed right into Andor’s personal space. He blinked, but
Sven’s face remained a light grey smudge with no distinguishing features. Andor wished he
could see Sven’s eyes, even though he couldn’t forget what the man looked like.
He’d watched Sven grow up on the compound. The top of Sven’s head fit perfectly
under Andor’s chin. His muscular and stocky frame made Andor think of security and
solidness. He wouldn’t have admitted that to anyone, even under the threat of torture.
Master vampires didn’t need someone else to make them safe. Yet there was something
about Sven’s blond hair and pale skin, along with his bright blue eyes that drew Andor. It
wasn’t just the family connection between them.
He flinched as Sven’s hand cupped his face, closing his eyes when Sven brushed his
thumb over his cheek. No one dared touch him without his say so, mostly because he hated
to be manhandled by anyone.
“Are you serious? You really can’t see? I was hoping you were joking when you told
Ramshall.”
“I see shadows, but that’s all. I fear that the poison won’t be stopped in time and I’ll lose
my sight completely.”
“What happened?” Sven stroked his cheek again. Such comfort from a touch.
Andor moved away from Sven. He wandered around his study, touching statues and
books. Things he’d always enjoyed looking at, but it hurt knowing he’d never see them
again.
“I should get rid of all this stuff.” He fingered a figurine of a shepherdess before
returning to the conversation. “I noticed it a few weeks after you left. I’d finished feeding
from one of the females. She’d left the pool area and I was resting, letting my body absorb
her blood.”
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Shuddering, he remembered how frightened he’d been when he realised something
was wrong. That he’d lost control of his own body. The only other time he’d been so scared
was when he’d been turned. He hated not having control over every aspect of his life.
He paused at the window, staring down in the direction of the pool. “This strange
weakness hit me and my stomach cramped. I probably would have thrown up if there had
been anything in my stomach.”
The scent of cinnamon and earth filled his nose as Sven joined him.
“When did you notice your vision problem?”
Setting his ass on the sill, he stroked his chin. “The next night when I woke, my vision
was blurry and, at certain points, what I saw was in black and white. No colour. And it’s
been getting worse over the last three months. Every time I feed from the herd.”
The fresh scent of Sven filled Andor’s nostrils, making it difficult to focus on what Sven
said. Usually, he could ignore his desires, but Sven tested every ounce of control Andor had.
“That’s why you brought me back,” Sven realised.
“I always knew you were smart.” And deliciously sexy, Andor wanted to add, but
thought it might be too soon to speak of his need for Sven, the man, and not just his pure
blood. He clenched his hands, trying to fight the urge to yank Sven close and learn how Sven
tasted.
“Good genes.” Sven sounded pre-occupied, but stepped nearer to Andor, driving the
vampire’s desire higher.
Laughing, Andor agreed. “Your ancestress, Elessa, was a very wise woman. I was
afraid her bloodline had dulled over the years.”
Sven started to say something, but Andor had talked enough and his control snapped.
He reached out and encircled Sven’s waist, tugging the man tight to him. Their bodies
pressed chest to knee and he breathed in Sven’s surprised gasp.
He couldn’t feed from Sven without permission, but he could kiss him and he had a
feeling Sven wouldn’t stop that from happening. He slid one hand down to palm Sven’s ass
and his other hand up to bury his fingers into Sven’s hair, effectively imprisoning him.
Crushing their lips together, he devoured Sven’s mouth, learning the man’s taste.
Another gasp allowed him to slip his tongue in and stroke it along Sven’s. Arching in his
arms, Sven rubbed their groins together. Sven’s erection proved that he was attracted to the
vampire and it thrilled Andor.
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Letting go of Sven’s head, he cupped Sven’s ass with both hands and lifted him,
encouraging Sven to wrap his legs around his waist. As Sven encircled him, someone
knocked on the door.
Andor growled when Sven stiffened and pulled out of Andor’s embrace. Was Sven’s
retreat because Sven feared Andor or was the man not used to kissing anyone? Did he not
want anyone to see them together? Sven should have known that though Andor’s strength
was such that he could have held Sven captive, even as weak as he was from the poison, he’d
never force Sven to do anything the man didn’t really want to do. It was an oath he had
made centuries ago to Elessia that he wouldn’t demand anything from her descendants and
breaking that vow was impossible for him.
“Come in!” His anger and frustration burned in his voice.
“I’m sorry, sir, but Doctor Ramshall said you gave him permission to take blood from
the herd.”
Malachi’s emotionless voice dove from the open doorway. Andor strained to see
something, anything except shadows. All that accomplished was to make his headache
worse. He nodded and motioned in the direction he thought Sven had gone.
“I forgot to inform you. Yes, I gave him permission. He’s trying to figure out what’s
wrong with me. Have him take some of Sven’s blood as well.”
“Hey, wait a minute. I thought you didn’t think I was sick,” Sven protested.
“You probably aren’t. If not, your blood will be used as the control group.”
“But…”
Andor held up his hand. “This one issue isn’t negotiable, Sven. Your blood is still pure
and will help the doctor discover what is wrong with the rest of the herd.”
“I thought you couldn’t make me do anything, except bring me back here.”
He stalked over to the entrance of his sleeping chamber. When he reached the opening,
he spun around. “When a Master vampire takes over a herd, he kills everyone who carries
that herd’s foundation family’s blood, like a male lion will kill a lioness’s cubs to ensure his
pride only carries his genes. I’m saving your life, Sven, because if I die or am killed, you will
die as well.”
After entering the chamber, he shut the door behind him. Andor snarled silently, not
happy about leaving Sven without being able to ease the need they both felt. Sven wanted
him. There wasn’t any way Sven could have faked the erection he’d rubbed against Andor’s
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stomach before they were interrupted. Andor longed to be able to find the nearest lamp and
pitch it against a wall, but no light entered anywhere, which was what he wished for.
Darkness to soothe his eyes and his brain. He didn’t search the shadows for faces or objects
in this room, because there was nothing here. Only his bed and a night stand next to it
occupied the chamber. Large and covered with furs, it was a sanctuary from the chaotic
world outside his suite.
He stripped the rest of his clothes off, not caring where they fell and crawled under the
furs. The moon was setting and his body slowed down to enter a short hibernation. It had
been a week since he last fed and he was pushing his limits. He should have persuaded Sven
to allow him to drink, but again the oath he swore all those centuries ago stopped him.
Burying his face in a pillow, he thought about the night Elessa died. She’d been the only
human woman he’d loved while he’d still been human. After he’d been turned and refused
to turn her, she became the mother of his foundation family. Every Master had a herd of
humans they fed from, much like humans kept cattle. Any of those with the foundation’s
bloodline were the highest ranking members of the herd.
The night Elessa died, she begged Andor to never treat her children and descendants
like animals or cattle like the other Masters did. He agreed because he still loved her. In
many ways, Sven reminded Andor of Elessia. She always pushed his boundaries and
constantly questioned his actions. She had a Valkyrie’s heart and he had a feeling that Sven
would fight just as fiercely for someone he loved.
Andor needed to find out what was wrong with him or he feared he’d break the
promise he’d made to keep her children safe.
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Chapter Four
Sven stared at the closed door for a moment before turning to Malachi. “How bad is it?”
The large man blinked at him, but didn’t say anything. Malachi moved around the
study, making sure everything was right back where it was supposed to be. He picked up
Andor’s shirt, suit coat and tie, folded them and set them on the desk.
“I don’t know why I asked you. You won’t tell me anything about Andor,” Sven
complained.
Malachi grunted and gestured for Sven to follow him from the room. “My loyalty lies
with Master Andor.”
Sven snorted. “I never would have guessed.”
He pushed past Malachi and headed down the corridor. He’d make a raid on the
kitchen. Sven hadn’t eaten since the day before he arrived back at the compound. Malachi
grabbed his arm and stopped him. Turning, he spied the key Malachi held out to him.
“Eat out of the locked pantry. Once you’re done, lock it and return the key to me.”
“Seriously?”
Malachi nodded and Sven took the key.
“Is Andor afraid the food might have been poisoned?”
Shrugging, Malachi didn’t respond.
“If not, why have food locked away?”
“Your blood needs to remain pure. Don’t share the food with any other member of the
herd until we know what’s causing the problem.”
“Yes, sir.” Sven snapped off a quick salute.
Malachi blinked, no other reaction on his face. Sven rolled his eyes, tucked the key in
his pocket and raced down the stairs to head to the other wing where the rest of the herd
stayed.
The sun just broke over the horizon as he entered the kitchen. His fellow humans were
in bed, getting ready to sleep the day away. When a person joined a herd, they became
vampire-like in their habits.
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The locked pantry was off in the corner, half hidden by a cabinet. Unlocking the door,
amazement filled him at the variety and amount of food on the shelves, plus the large
refrigerator and freezer in the room as well.
“Shit. It’s like they’re preparing for a zombie attack,” he said aloud as he filled a plate
with fruit and cheese, grabbing a box of crackers on the way out.
He locked the room behind him, not wanting to anger Malachi by not obeying his
orders. He sat at the table to eat. Shit. He’d forgotten something to drink. Not wanting to go
back to the secret stash, he got a glass of water. He doubted the water source had been
affected.
“Hey, Sven.”
Sven glanced over his shoulder and smiled as Josiah, his cousin, joined him at the table.
“I thought you’d be asleep with the others.”
He shook Josiah’s hand before motioning to the chair across from him.
“Nah. Not tired at the moment. I’m surprised to see you here. Thought you weren’t
coming back.”
As his famous last words were tossed back at him, he winced. “I wasn’t planning on it,
but when Malachi comes for you, arguing really isn’t an option.”
“We wondered where the zombie dude went. I thought he never left the house.” Josiah
grinned.
“Malachi isn’t a zombie,” Sven pointed out.
“Fine. He must be a cyborg or something because that man is scary and not in a Master
vamp sort of way either.” His cousin shivered. “He’s scary in a ‘no-emotion, feed you to a
wood chipper without flinching’ way.”
He couldn’t argue with that description of Andor’s right-hand man, yet for all that it
seemed Malachi existed only for Andor, Sven often though there was more to the silent man
than what was on the surface.
“Have you seen Master Andor yet?” Josiah’s causal question held a hint of rabid
curiosity.
“Yes, he greeted me and welcomed me home.” He took a bite of pineapple.
Leaning forward, Josiah asked, “How did he look?”
Frowning, Sven took a drink as he studied his cousin. “Same as always. The oddest
mixture of light and dark,” he muttered, picturing Andor in his mind.
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Tall and lean, no one would believe that before Andor was turned, he had been one of
the biggest warriors in his Viking village. He’d been massive and dangerous, striking fear in
friends and enemies alike. After becoming undead, Andor lost some bulk and weight,
becoming lean, yet retaining his firm muscles. Drinking blood provided enough nutrition to
keep him alive, but it wasn’t meant to sustain body builders either.
Andor wore his white blond hair long, tied at the neck and left to cascade down his
back in curls and braids. His pale skin seemed to glow at times, drawing Sven’s touch. Yet it
was Andor’s eyes that gave anyone who looked into them a clue as to what lurked inside the
Master vampire. And what lurked there was a predator, studying the weakness in everyone
Andor came in contact with. Dark and cold shadows hiding every hint of humanity. Was
there only the vampire left in Andor’s soul? Sven didn’t know the answer to that.
“Why do you ask?” He pushed his plate away. It was half-full, but his appetite was
gone.
Josiah shrugged and snatched a melon chunk off the plate. “No one’s seen him in a
couple of days, you know, and then this strange doctor shows up.”
His cousin shoved the fruit in his mouth, moaning as he chewed. After swallowing,
Josiah looked at him. “Where the fuck did you get fresh fruit? It certainly didn’t come from
our kitchen.”
“I brought some back from San Fran. Go ahead, eat what you want.”
Josiah grabbed the food and gulped it down.
The weight of the key in his pocket reminded him of Malachi’s warning to stay quiet
about the pantry. If Andor was being poisoned through the herd, they must have decided the
toxin was being introduced in the food supply. It explained why he’d been told to eat the
other food. Andor needed Sven’s blood pure. Why did it matter if the vampire wasn’t going
to feed from him?
He cringed as Josiah dropped the plate on the table, leant back in his chair, and
propped his boots on the wood.
“So you have any fun while you were gone?” Josiah wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“None of your fucking business.” Sven pushed to his feet and carried his plate to the
sink. “Did Andor feed from you?”
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He tried to keep jealousy out of his tone. He didn’t believe one word the vampire said
about not forcing him. Andor just didn’t want to feed from Sven. Something had to be wrong
with Sven, though the kiss they shared earlier seemed to signal a crack in Andor’s barriers.
“Hell no. I’ve done everything besides offer myself up on a silver platter. The dude
turned me down flat.”
Josiah’s expression conveyed his disbelief in Andor’s not taking him up on his offer. It
surprised Sven as well. He’d never considered Andor a man who’d deny himself when a
willing food supply became available. Sven had been the only one Andor had turned away
from.
“Imagine that. Andor’s developed some kind of taste.” He punched Josiah in the
shoulder as he went past him.
“I just don’t understand it. I mean, I have the same blood as you and everyone has seen
how he pants after you whenever you’re around. I figured he’d take me since you never
seemed interested in letting him feed from you.”
“What?” He slammed to a halt and whirled around to eye Josiah. “You’re crazy. I never
once saw him panting after anyone, much less me.”
Josiah jumped to his feet and grinned. “You have got to be blind, dude. Our Master
vampire has the hots for you and I bet you could get him to drink from you with a snap of
your fingers.”
“Right. Just snap my fingers. I should try that.”
Shaking his head, Sven waved good-bye to Josiah and made his way back to Andor’s
wing of the house. The rest of the herd didn’t sleep near the Master, for safety reasons and
because Andor didn’t want to be bothered by the humans whenever they felt like seeing him.
Only Sven and Malachi had rooms near Andor. Sven had always assumed that privilege had
more to do with being a member of the foundation family than because Andor might like
him. Yet Josiah slept with the rest of the herd and Josiah’s blood was almost as pure as
Sven’s.
Malachi waited outside Sven’s room. He handed the man the key and, instead of
filtering his thoughts, he asked, “Does Andor love me?”
Malachi’s eyebrows shot up once before his expression went blank. “He wants you.”
Sven’s mouth dropped open and shock stunned him enough so that he didn’t stop
Malachi from disappearing in the other direction. ‘Wanting’ and ‘loving’ were two different
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things, but knowing for sure about Andor’s feelings towards him might disappoint him more
than he could handle. Sven checked his watch. There would be time tomorrow to worry
about all of this.
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Chapter Five
The late afternoon sun woke Sven. As he lay in his bed, he stared out at the blue
California sky. He thought about his childhood, growing up on Andor’s compound. There
had been other children to play with and while none of them were Andor’s, the vampire
treated all of them like they were.
Sven had enjoyed spending time with Andor, listening to his stories and playing games.
Though nothing had ever been said, Sven always felt like Andor liked him more than the
other kids. It was only as Sven got older that Andor started to pull away, and when Sven hit
eighteen, Andor had stopped spending any time with him. The withdrawal had hurt Sven
and helped to cement his decision to leave.
At the time, he’d thought it was for the best. There had to be something about him
Andor didn’t like or so he’d believed. Now both Malachi and Josiah said Andor wanted him.
Those statements along with the kiss they’d shared in Andor’s study bolstered Sven’s
confidence.
In the quiet of his room, Sven could admit he loved the vampire and wanted to be more
than merely an important part of Andor’s herd. He wanted to be the most important thing in
Andor’s life.
He made a choice. While helping Andor solve the mystery of whatever was poisoning
him, Sven would go to work on seducing Andor. Maybe he would even get Andor to confess
to loving him. Hell, he was halfway there. Andor admitted to needing him. Once that had
been said, it was a slippery slope to love.
Grinning, he sat up as someone knocked on his door. He stuffed the pillows behind his
back before yelling, “Come in.”
Malachi stood just outside in the hallway and Sven spied the doctor right behind the
large man.
“Dr. Ramshall has to collect a vial of your blood.”
He waved them in. “Sure.”
“Also, would you accompany us when we meet the others?” Malachi stood next to the
bed, watching Ramshall like a hawk.
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“Yeah, but why do you want me?”
“You are the munr of the herd, Sven. They must listen to you because you speak for
Master Andor when he’s not around.”
He stared at the needle as it pierced his vein and his blood filled the vial.
“Munr? I’ve never heard that word before. What does it mean?”
“All Masters call the chief member of their herd by something special to mark them in a
different way from the others.”
Sven’s gaze shot to where Andor leant against the door frame, linen drawstring pants
barely hanging on to decency. The vampire wasn’t wearing a shirt and his hair hung loose
over his shoulders.
“Good evening, Doctor. Have you started your tests yet?”
“I’m gathering my samples first, sir, before I begin.” Ramshall pulled off his gloves and
labelled the tube with Sven’s name.
“Malachi will escort you to where the others are. I would like to speak to Sven
privately.”
Andor’s gaze never left Sven’s face, but Sven wasn’t sure how much the vampire saw.
Instead of nodding, he spoke up. “Fine with me.”
“As you wish. I’ll wait until the young man comes downstairs before I start.”
“Thank you.”
It was a clear dismissal. Ramshall and Malachi left after the doctor finished putting his
stuff away. Sven remained in bed, studying Andor.
“I’m in my bed,” he informed the vampire.
Nodding, Andor rubbed the back of his neck. “I can still hear and I know where your
bed is.”
“Please, come in, and sit down.”
Andor pushed away from the door and made his way cautiously over to the bed. Had
he been waiting for permission to enter Sven’s room?
“Don’t worry. There’s nothing on the floor.” He reached out and took Andor’s hand,
guiding him to the edge of the mattress.
Nostrils flaring, Andor ran his free hand up Sven’s arm to where Ramshall had drawn
Sven’s blood. Hunger flashed in his eyes. Sven shivered, uncertainty dancing up and down
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his spine. He tore off the Band-aid and pressed Andor’s finger to the bead of blood welling
there.
“When was your last feed?”
“It’s been over a week since I returned from my business trip. I fed at my host’s
compound.”
Sven lifted Andor’s finger and rubbed the blood-covered tip to Andor’s lips.
“Taste.”
Andor started to say something, but Sven pushed his finger in, stroking one of Andor’s
fangs with it. The groan torn from Andor’s throat startled them both.
“Drink, Andor. I willingly give you my blood. You need it and I won’t have you starve
yourself.” He shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe my blood will help.”
After crawling on the bed, Andor straddled Sven’s hips before bracing his hands on
either side of Sven’s head.
“I’m afraid it won’t work,” Andor murmured.
Sven stared up into Andor’s dark eyes. Sadness welled in him, knowing the seemingly
invincible vampire was vulnerable in a way he’d never seen before. It shook Sven’s world.
He always held the belief that Master Andor would be there, keeping an eye on him.
Even when he ran away, no doubt had ever surfaced that Andor wouldn’t be there if he
needed the vampire. Now Andor needed him and Sven worried he wouldn’t be enough.
“We’ll never know if we don’t try. Maybe you just need an infusion of pure blood.”
Sven rolled his head to the side, exposing his neck to Andor.
“Untouched blood won’t make a difference. I’ve had too much of the tainted liquid
absorbed into my body. The damage is irreversible.”
Andor nuzzled along Sven’s jawline, scraping his fang over Sven’s sensitive skin and
drawing a low moan from him.
“Please.” Begging for Andor to drink hadn’t occurred to Sven, yet he did it and hoped
the vampire took him up on the offer.
The vampire nipped him hard enough to leave a mark, but not enough to draw blood.
Andor eased back and Sven turned his head. Eyes squeezed together, Andor seemed to fight
for control. Sven was sure it had to do with Andor not feeding for a week. It was simply
bloodlust and had nothing to do with Sven specifically.
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“I want you to go and assist Ramshall with gathering the herd’s blood. Join me for
dinner afterward and we’ll discuss this further.”
Andor was off the bed and halfway to the door before Sven processed what the
vampire said.
“Wait.”
Pausing, Andor held the door open, but didn’t turn around.
“Why didn’t you feed from Josiah? He’s of the same line as me.”
Shit. He hadn’t meant to ask that. Nothing like sounding needy right off the bat.
“Josiah isn’t you. He’s not the munr,” Andor said softly before leaving.
* * * *
Ramshall and Malachi were drinking coffee and talking when Sven joined them twenty
minutes later. Actually, the doctor talked and drank while Malachi stood, a silent watcher as
the members of Andor’s herd gathered in the living room.
“All right, everyone. Take a seat,” Sven ordered.
They seemed surprised to see him.
“We thought you were gone for good,” Timothy, one of the older humans, commented.
“Yeah, well, I’m back.”
Discussing why he came back wasn’t an option. Andor wanted it kept secret, so Sven
would honour Andor’s wishes.
“Where is Josiah?” Malachi’s question shot through the room.
Sven counted, and including himself, there were nineteen feeders in the room. Josiah
wasn’t there.
Jill, a petite brunette, shrugged. “Master Andor hasn’t fed from Josiah yet, so Josiah
isn’t confined to the compound. He visits friends. I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”
“Fine. This is Doctor Ramshall. He’ll be drawing a vial of blood from each of you. Don’t
fight him.”
Ramshall gestured for a pale young man whose name Sven didn’t remember to step
forward. He’d been a new addition right before Sven left.
“Why?” Timothy, the de facto leader for the herd, demanded.
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Shooting forward, Malachi grabbed Timothy by the throat and shook the big man. “It
doesn’t matter why. When Master Sven speaks, you listen and obey. He is Master Andor’s
voice.”
Sven’s mother laughed hysterically. He looked at her and she rose from where she sat
on the other side of the room. As she strolled across the floor, Sven found himself wondering
about her age. She looked like she was in her early forties, beautiful and vibrant, yet mature.
Being fed from by a vampire imparted a longer life than usual to a human. Not the
undead immortality the vampires themselves endured, but there were human cattle that had
lived well into their hundreds. No one really understood if it was from the salvia or whatever
enzymes passed from the Master to his dinner.
“He’s marked you,” she murmured, lifting his chin to reveal the dark red bruise on his
neck. “Has he fed from you yet?”
Her blue eyes met his and his cheeks burned. Why the hell was he blushing? For
Christ’s sake, he was twenty-six years old. He wasn’t a virgin by any means, yet his mother
could turn him back into an awkward teenager with a simple glance.
“It’s none of your business.” Malachi snarled, reaching out to slap Cynthia’s hand away
from Sven’s chin.
“He’s my son.” Cynthia crossed her arms and glared at Malachi.
“Now Sven is the Munr. He belongs to Master Andor. You won’t touch him again
without his permission.”
Cynthia backed away as Malachi moved forward. Sven wasn’t sure how he felt about
being claimed as a possession of Andor’s, but it wasn’t like Cynthia had been the most
motherly of women.
She’d given birth to him and within a month, he was being taken care of by strangers
while she went back to being the Queen of the compound. He remembered how she’d lord it
over the others that she was from the foundation family, yet Andor never paid her any more
attention than the rest. Malachi had never stopped anyone from touching her.
What did that mean? Sven wouldn’t let the answer to that question take root in his head
at the moment.
“It’s just a precaution to catch any illness before it takes root.” He played his trump
card. “Master Andor ordered it.”
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No more arguments or questions. Everyone there knew Andor’s word was law and
their Master ruled with an iron fist. Mercy wasn’t a concept Andor understood, stemming
from his days as a Viking raider, where fear and strength kept people in check.
“That’s everyone.” Ramshall finished labelling the last vial.
“Except for Josiah. I’ll make sure to bring him to you when he returns.” Malachi’s
displeasure at Josiah’s absence showed in a slight tick at the corner of the man’s eye.
Sven dismissed the others, who wandered out to where another party was in full swing.
Andor allowed outsiders onto the compound, but they were closely monitored by Malachi’s
security staff.
“Why collect Josiah’s blood? He told me that Andor hadn’t fed from him,” Sven asked.
“Merely covering all the bases. He’s considered part of the core group, so if it was
poison, he might have ingested it unknowingly along with the others,” Ramshall informed
him as they strolled down the corridor to the doctor’s suite.
“I’ll make sure the doctor is settled. One of my men will have delivered your dinner to
Master Andor’s rooms by now.” Malachi stopped Sven and motioned towards the opposite
end of the house. “I’m sure he’s waiting for you.”
His face felt like it was on fire. Nodding, he was sure that any suggestive tone he heard
in Malachi’s voice was all in his imagination. His heartbeat sped up and he rubbed his
sweaty palms on his jeans as he made his way back towards Andor’s suite.
God, to look at him, a person would think he’d never had a date or sex before. Both
were activities he’d engaged in from time to time, but never with the object of his fantasies.
At one point, he believed he would never get the chance.
Standing in front of Andor’s door, Sven inhaled deeply, trying desperately to calm his
nerves. It didn’t mean anything special, no matter what Malachi or Andor said. It was simply
hunger driving Andor to feed from him. His blood was the only kind not tainted.
Before he could knock, Andor opened the door. Sven stared at the vampire and his
blood pooled in his groin.
Andor’s hair flowed around his shoulders and down his back in a cascade of white. The
two braids he always wore at each temple had been tied off with pieces of leather and
decorated with what Sven assumed were real gems—rubies, diamonds, emeralds, and
sapphires. A rainbow of colour to delight the eye. A pale blue silk shirt covered Andor’s
upper body while tailored slacks moulded to the vampire’s ass and thighs.
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Sven glanced down at his ratty faded jeans and T-shirt. “I probably should have
changed before I came.”
Shrugging, Andor opened the door farther and gestured for Sven to enter. “It doesn’t
matter. I can’t see your clothes.”
Bitterness and resignation laced Andor’s words and stabbed Sven’s heart. Without
thought, he stepped into Andor’s personal space, ignoring Andor’s shudder, and kissed him.
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Chapter Six
Andor stiffened as Sven’s lips touched his. He rested his hands on the man’s hips, not
pulling him closer or pushing him away. In an uncharacteristic move, Andor gave up control
and allowed Sven to do what he wanted.
Sven untucked Andor’s shirt and ran his hands over Andor’s back, causing him to
shiver with each touch. Andor opened his mouth to Sven’s questing tongue. A low moan
escaped him as Sven stroked over his teeth and along the roof of his mouth, learning
everything he could about what made Andor shudder.
He slid up one of his hands to wrap around Sven’s throat, pressing his thumb to the
pulse beating at the base of Sven’s neck. The throbbing sound filled Andor’s ears, distracting
him from the pleasure being kissed by Sven brought him. His gums ached and his stomach
cramped. It had been far too long since feeding.
With one shove, he pinned Sven to the wall. Andor tipped Sven’s head to the side,
exposing the man’s jugular. He leant down and licked along it. Sven trembled and his fingers
flexed at Andor’s waist.
“It’ll be a quick pain before more pleasure than you’ve ever felt in your life,” Andor
promised, meeting Sven’s gaze.
Sven studied him for a second, seeming to assess the truth in Andor’s words. Finally, he
nodded and closed his eyes, accepting his role as dinner.
Andor placed the flat of his tongue on the mark he’d left earlier that night. Vampire
salvia held many unusual properties; one of which was a numbing agent. When Andor bit
Sven’s neck, it wouldn’t feel like knives slicing his throat. It would be pin pricks to Sven
before morphing into such intense pleasure, Sven would come from the experience. At least,
Andor hoped he did.
Worrying about someone other than himself felt weird to Andor. Using the numbing
agent had never occurred to him before. After turning, he eventually learned how to be
civilised and not tear any human’s throat out, but whether they experienced pain or not
didn’t matter to him or hadn’t until he became interested in Sven.
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Breathing deeply, he savoured Sven’s scent. A stronger enticement for him than even
the blood coursing through Sven’s body. When enough time had passed, Andor scraped his
fangs over Sven’s skin, giving the man a slight warning before he plunged his teeth in.
Sven arched from the wall, his fingers digging deep into Andor’s flesh. Andor ignored
the pressure, getting lost in the metallic flavour coating his tongue as Sven’s blood spilled
into his mouth. His fangs, much like snakes, injected anti-coagulating venom into the vein,
allowing the blood to flow from Sven without a problem.
“Oh my God.” Sven groaned.
Andor shoved his knee between Sven’s thighs, smiling as Sven ground his erection
against him.
That’s it, he thought. Love this.
He could admit, if only to himself, how much he wanted Sven to enjoy the feeding
process. Until Ramshall discovered what poison had been introduced into his herd, he could
only feed from Sven. He couldn’t risk bringing in any other humans, not even from his own
territory.
Keeping one hand on Sven’s throat to monitor his pulse, Andor reached down with his
other hand and palmed Sven’s hard length.
“Andor!” Sven cried out, humping Andor’s hand and leg faster.
Rubbing harder, Andor drank, the pure uncontaminated blood swamping him, making
his eyes roll and his knees weak.
Come on, he encouraged Sven silently. He wanted Sven to come just as he withdrew his
mouth. As excited as Sven was, his heart rate slowed and his skin became cool to Andor’s
touch.
Harder and faster, Andor drove Sven to the edge and right over into a blazing climax.
When the smell of Sven’s cum hit Andor’s nose, he stopped feeding, sucking the venom out
as he eased away.
Sven collapsed in a heap on the floor and Andor joined him. They lay there, wrapped in
each other’s arms, chests heaving and minds racing.
Andor closed his eyes, resting his forehead on Sven’s shoulder. A familiar tingling
sensation rolled over his system as his body began to absorb what few nutrients it could from
Sven’s blood. The older the vampire, the less often he needed to feed because his body
needed fewer nutrients.
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Within a few minutes, Sven recovered enough to help Andor off the floor and onto the
couch. Andor gestured to the food sitting on his desk.
“You should eat if you plan on allowing me to feed from you again,” he suggested.
“You’ll need to keep up your strength.”
“I’m going to clean up first.”
Sitting, he listened as Sven moved around and the running water clued him in that
Sven was in the bathroom, washing up. The water shut off and footsteps came back towards
him. Sven went to the desk for the food and filled a plate before joining Andor on the couch.
Andor rested his hand on Sven’s lower back, keeping track of the gradual warming up of the
man’s skin.
“How can you be so sure I haven’t been touched by whatever got the others?”
He shrugged in answer to Sven’s question. “We don’t know for sure, but I didn’t start
suffering symptoms until the second week after you left. Drinking directly from the blood
means there’s no build up for me. My body immediately tells me when the person I feed
from is sick.”
Tremors racked his body as he remembered feeding from one of his herd that had been
infected with the plague. While there were a few diseases able to harm him, he’d been lucky
the bubonic plague wasn’t one of them. He’d ended up culling his entire herd, except for one
of Sven’s ancestors to keep Elessia’s bloodline pure.
“What are you thinking about?” Sven curled up next to Andor and laid his hand on
Andor’s leg.
“The Black Death,” he admitted.
“That had to be a terrible time.” Sven squeezed his thigh.
“I had to cull my herd twice. It became increasingly difficult to find fresh blood without
the illness infecting it.” He laughed harshly. “It was one of the few times being a vampire
saved me.”
He sensed Sven wanted to ask him about culling, but restrained his curiosity. Most
likely because Sven thought he knew what Andor meant by culling and didn’t want his
guess validated.
“I always wanted to ask you what it’s like living forever.”
Andor shook his head while wrapping his arm around Sven’s shoulder, urging the
younger man closer.
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“I don’t know.”
“Come on.” Sven grunted in disbelief. “You were a real Viking, for Christ’s sake. You
dealt with the Black Death and two world wars. There were hundreds of other battles, big
and small. You’ve lived hundreds of years, and you’ll live hundreds more, until you choose
to end your life.”
“That’s not true.”
Sven stiffened, but Andor didn’t let him move away from him.
“No one ever talked to you about the ways a vampire can die?”
Dying wasn’t a topic Andor chose to discuss with anyone, believing it gave them power
over him. He might have glossed over the question when Sven was younger since he didn’t
think children needed to learn about death. Was he doing the children on the compound a
disservice by not letting them learn about all aspects of vampire life?
“No.” Sven shook his head.
“One thing most humans believe is that vampires live forever. We don’t. Blood isn’t the
best source of nutrition for anyone. My body is dying, just at a slower rate than normal
humans, thanks to whatever genetic shift is created when turned.”
Sven shifted and looked at him. Andor felt the man’s gaze rest on his face.
“You’re kidding, right?”
Shaking his head, Andor tentatively reached out, hoping he hit Sven’s chest and not the
man’s face.
“Why would I joke about it?”
He jumped when Sven grabbed his hand and rested his cheek in his palm.
“Are the lights on in the room?”
Since his eyesight deteriorated, he rarely worried about turning the lights on or off.
When he woke that night, he’d opened his eyes and saw nothing. Not even moonlight
illuminated anything enough for him to recognise the shape. He could see shapes only if the
room was brightly lit, and those shapes were blurry.
“Yes.”
“Hmmm…”
It would make sense. Malachi’s man delivered Sven’s dinner and since that man
couldn’t see in the dark, he would have turned the lights on.
“Don’t change the subject. Are you really dying?”
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“Why are you concerned? I’ll outlive you more than likely.” He rubbed his chest. Why
did that thought make his chest ache?
Sven nuzzled Andor’s palm and he smiled. “Maybe I don’t like the thought of you
dying. Maybe I find the idea that you’ll live forever, even when I won’t, exciting.”
“Is it not exciting anymore? I’m dying just like you are, Sven, though I must say if I
were younger, whatever is destroying my eyesight wouldn’t have done so as quickly.”
A warm puff of air crossed Andor’s face right before Sven kissed him. Their lips met
and Andor experienced something he hadn’t felt in decades for anyone else except Sven.
Desire swept through him, stiffening his cock and flushing his skin. Spearing his hands
through Sven’s hair, Andor devoured the man’s mouth, demanding Sven open to him.
With a soft gasp, Sven yielded, giving Andor all control. He leant forward, covering the
solid body with his own. He closed his eyes, not wanting to bring on another headache
because he tried so hard to discern any image he could from the darkness surrounding him.
He allowed his other senses to build his passion.
Sven’s hair slid like silk over his hands, catching on the rough skin of his fingers. His
body soaked in the heat pouring from Sven’s body. God, he missed being warm most of all;
even when he’d been human, he had hated the cold land he lived in. Rearing back, he
removed his shirt and brought Sven against him.
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Chapter Seven
Cool smooth skin caressed Sven’s and his nipples hardened. As they continued to kiss,
Andor’s skin began to warm to the point where it was almost as warm as his. He rested his
head on the arm of the couch, giving Andor more access to his neck. In a way, he wished
Andor would feed again because he wanted to experience that intense pleasure again, but he
knew the vampire didn’t need another influx of blood for another three days or so. He’d get
his lust satisfied the old fashioned way, letting Andor fuck him into the floor.
“Do you want me to fuck you?”
Andor’s crude question shook him. It was like Andor read his mind, though the
vampire had never claimed to do that.
“Yes.” No point in lying when his cock practically stabbed Andor in the thigh.
Andor chuckled and pushed away from him. “Let’s go to bed, Sven. I’m way too old to
make out on the couch.”
He stood and let Andor take his hand, leading him into the bedroom instead of Sven
doing it for him. As long as they were in Andor’s own environment, Andor could move like
normal. Losing his eyesight had taken a lot of independence from Andor and Sven knew the
vampire resented it.
After turning off the lights, they stood in the doorway of the bed chamber to let Sven’s
eyes adjust to the darker room. Rustling drew Sven’s gaze to Andor and he smiled as he
watched the vampire strip.
Lean and pale, Andor’s body gleamed like polished marble, chiselled by the hand of a
master sculptor. Sven had never been attracted to big burly muscle men. Yet though Andor
was slender, his muscles stood out in tight relief under his skin, calling for Sven to run his
tongue over each dip and plane. Andor’s cock was long and thin, but beautiful as it rose from
the white blond curls around its base. Pre-cum glistened from the slit in the head.
His own clothes fell quickly to the floor as did he, kneeling in front of Andor. Leaning
forward, he licked the vein throbbing along the underside of Andor’s cock.
Strong fingers took his head and held it. Glancing up, he met Andor’s sightless gaze
and nodded. A slight tug on his hair reminded him that Andor couldn’t see him.
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“Yes.”
He didn’t know whether Andor wanted permission or not, but having given it, he
opened his mouth and sucked on the crown of Andor’s dick. Andor moaned and shoved
more of his flesh inside Sven’s mouth. He tried not to gag as Andor forced him to take the
entire length in. Once in, Andor stopped, not moving again until Sven gave him a signal it
was okay.
Squeezing Andor’s thigh, he created a strong suction as the vampire pulled out. Only
the tip of his cock rested in Sven’s mouth. He swirled his tongue around and pressed it into
the slit of Andor’s dick. Andor arched his hips, pushing farther in and Sven welcomed it.
Soon they established a rhythm, him applying pressure and suction, driving Andor
closer and closer to the edge. He braced one hand on Andor’s thigh and slid the other one
around to fondle Andor’s balls. Tugging slightly, he teased and squeezed. Each touch and
suck brought another moan or groan from Andor.
Andor’s graceful strokes became jerky and faster. Letting go of his balls, Sven reached
around and grasped Andor’s ass in his hands. He encouraged his lover to move, to fuck his
mouth without worrying about hurting him.
“I’m coming,” Andor warned him.
He hummed, letting Andor know he was ready for whatever the vampire was about to
do. With a low shout, Andor flooded Sven’s mouth with his cool cum, filling it faster than
Sven could swallow. Having no real body heat caused some other changes that Sven hadn’t
thought about. Drinking down cool or lukewarm spunk was something he’d have to get used
to, though the bitter saltiness danced on his tongue and he moaned silently, realising he
could easily get addicted to that taste. Some dribbled out of the corners of his mouth, but he
drank down what he could like an elixir of life, or like a starving vampire needing blood.
When it seemed like he had drained Andor dry, Sven licked Andor’s softening dick
clean before rocking back on his heels. He wiped his mouth, gathering the cum, and sucked
his fingers clean of the sticky stuff. Andor’s grip remained tight in his hair and Sven laughed.
“We didn’t quite make it to the bed, did we?”
“Blame your rather talented mouth. I’m not sure whether I want to know how you
learned to do that so well.” Andor tugged softly at Sven’s locks and he stood.
Sliding his arm around Andor’s waist, he supported the vampire while they stumbled
over to the massive bed.
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The vampire slipped his hand down to encircle Sven’s shaft. “I’ll be happy to return
your gift.”
Sven groaned and arched, thrusting his dick through Andor’s rather cool fingers.
“Please. It won’t take very long. I’m already close.”
“I’m willing to take as long as you need to come.”
Andor tightened his grip, stroking faster and driving Sven’s desire higher. His balls
drew tight and his cock swelled even more.
“Andor,” he cried as he shot his cum all over his lover’s hand and his own stomach.
He lost track of time as he slowly came down from his orgasm. Andor grabbed a shirt
from the floor and wiped him clean before tossing the soiled cloth from the bed. Sven
snuggled close to Andor amongst the furs.
“Why don’t you take a nap, munr,” Andor murmured into Sven’s ear.
“What does that mean?” He closed his eyes and breathed in the odd coppery scent he
always attributed to Andor. Could drinking all that blood end up making one smell like it?
“Munr means heart in Old Norse, the language of my human birth.”
Sven yawned and muttered, “Am I your heart, Andor?”
* * * *
“Yes, I’m afraid you are,” Andor admitted.
A soft snore greeted his confession and Andor sighed. Should he be happy that Sven
fell sleep and didn’t hear him bare his soul?
He slid out from under Sven’s arms, pushing a pillow in to take his place. As much as
Andor would love to lie around with his lover, he had businesses to take care of and a
territory to keep an eye on. Shuffling his feet to make sure he didn’t trip over anything, he
got to his closet without mishap. Thank God, he was partial to silk shirts and linen pants. It
made finding clothing in the dark easier. The only problem he had now was with colour
coordinating, but since it would only be Malachi and Sven who saw him at the moment, he
didn’t care.
Andor took care as he approached the door to his study. His clothes and Sven’s were
strewed around the place. Being neat hadn’t been a top priority once Sven’s mouth
swallowed his cock. He found the door and slid through the opening, not wanting any light
to wake Sven up.
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“I had the food removed, Master Andor.”
The lights were on, Andor knew it because the darkness seemed slightly different in his
study. He walked confidently to his desk and took his seat behind it.
“Thank you, Malachi. Do you have anything to report from Dr. Ramshall?”
“Not yet, sir. He’s just starting his tests. Josiah hasn’t returned yet, but I’ll grab him
when he does and get the doctor to take his blood.”
“Where does he go?” Andor mused out loud. “Most humans are happy never to step
foot off the compound once they are allowed to live here.”
“Who knows? He’s human and I’ve stopped trying to figure them out. They are
unpredictable and Josiah seems more unstable than most.”
“He’s simply young and impulsive.” Andor dismissed Josiah. “What business do we
have to take care of tonight, Malachi?”
The shuffling of paper told Andor that Malachi searched through the reports from their
different branches throughout the San Francisco area. Andor allowed his humans to take care
of the day-to-day business of his companies, but he kept an eye on everything. Nothing
happened that he didn’t know about.
“One of my men reported a vampire sniffing around the clubs on Castro Street in San
Fran. proper, Master.” Malachi didn’t sound happy about that.
Andor wasn’t thrilled either. Reports of unaffiliated vampires usually meant he could
expect to be challenged sometime soon and, with his eyesight gone, there was no chance he
could survive such a fight.
“What do we know about this unaffiliated?” He rested his elbows on the desk and
rubbed his eyes.
“Not much at the moment. I have my men investigating him. I’m expecting a report
from them tomorrow while the vampire sleeps.”
“Good. We need to keep an eye on the cities in my territory. Since I don’t mark my
people living in those places, it makes it easier for younger vampires to try and start their
own herd.”
The Unaffiliated were young vampires who hadn’t chosen a Master to serve yet or had
been kicked out of their Master’s territory to find their own, like young lions forced from
prides to find their own place in the world. Most of Earth had been claimed by Masters long
ago. It had only been in the last twenty years that vampires had chosen to reveal themselves
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and the control they wielded over humans. The mortals, like the sheep or cattle so many
vampires compared them to, had fallen into place without much argument. Of course, it was
hard to argue when Masters had all the money and weapons.
In the old days, spells had been cast to create vampires, but as the vampires grew in
power and numbers, they’d figured out how to make new undead creatures. There were
some like Andor who didn’t believe in creating more. His reasoning wasn’t as complicated as
others’. There was no longer enough land for so many vampires. They had begun to fight
amongst themselves like rabid dogs, weakening their positions and giving humans the
opportunity to take back what they’d given up all those years ago.
There were those of Andor’s kind who believed, like some humans, that vampires were
abominations against the Gods or God, depending on what one believed. Andor never
understood that thought process. If God or the Gods didn’t want his kind around, they
would have never allowed them to exist in the first place.
Malachi nodded, the scratch of a pencil telling Andor his head of security was making a
note of that.
“The police sent us reports of two humans found dead on the edge of your territory,
Master. Both of them seemed to have been drained of blood.”
He narrowed his eyes and glared off into the distance. He didn’t like the idea of dead
bodies showing up on the edges of his land.
“Were the wounds consistent with a vampire attack?”
“I’m not sure. I’m waiting for the police to send me photographs of the crime scene and
the bodies.”
If the dead bodies’ injuries had been caused by a vampire, Andor would call a veiðr, a
hunt, and they would go and kill the creature that killed their dinner. There had to be some
respect for humans, even if they were only used as a food source. If the victims turned out to
be from Andor’s own territory, he would lead the veiðr himself.
“Make sure the men are ready.”
“Ready for what?”
Breathing deep, he caught Sven’s scent on the air drifting through the room and steeled
himself not to jump when the man laid a hand on his shoulder. He would have to get used to
being touched by Sven since it seemed like the human was a rather touchy-feely sort. He
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pushed away from the desk, wrapped his arm around Sven’s waist and yanked the man
down into his lap.
“Ready for hunting.” Not caring that Malachi stood in the room watching them, he
nuzzled the curls at the top of Sven’s head.
“Hunting? I didn’t know you did that. What do you hunt?” Sven relaxed into his
embrace.
“The veiðr is used to hunt vampires who cull other Masters’ herd members without
permission.”
“Veiðr?” Tension marked Sven’s unhappiness at the word ‘cull’.
“Yes, it means hunting.” He nudged Sven’s head to the side, giving him access to the
tender skin of Sven’s throat.
Sven shuddered. “Oh. Why haven’t you ever told me any of this stuff?”
“Because there are some things that humans don’t need to know about vampires. We
keep our dealings with each other private. I only tell you this because you are the most
important member of my herd…and I find I can’t keep secrets from you.”
Sven tilted his head even more, allowing Andor to suck on the flesh over his jugular.
“Malachi,” he said as he stood, holding Sven in his arms. “We’re done for the night.
Tomorrow night will be soon enough to finish our business.”
“Yes, Master. I’ll have those other reports you wanted by then as well.” He heard
Malachi move across the room and the door shut.
Thank the Gods, he could move confidently in his own rooms. It would have been
rather embarrassing to trip over something and drop his lover. They made it back to his bed
without mishap and he tossed Sven onto the mattress, following him down until he covered
the man from chest to knee.
“I’m going to fuck you now,” he warned, knowing he had to give Sven a choice, but
hoping he wouldn’t leave.
“It’s about time.” Sven’s grin teased against Andor’s lips. “But we’re both over-
dressed.”
After rocketing off the bed, Andor tore his shirt from his chest, not caring where the
buttons landed. His pants were next and Sven’s in-drawn breath stroked Andor’s ego. Silly
old vampire. He knew what he looked like and how anyone could find a pale scarred body
like his sexy was beyond him.
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“Oh,” he gasped as Sven encircled his cock with his hand.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”
The laughter in Sven’s voice ignited something in Andor. He pounced on Sven,
knocking the man’s hand from his cock without injuring himself. He pushed Sven over on to
his stomach.
“Wait.”
“No more orders from you.” He slapped Sven’s ass.
A soft gasp filled the air and he ducked his head to smirk, not knowing if Sven could
see him in the dark or not. Grabbing one of the many pillows on his bed, he tucked it under
Sven’s hips, lifting Sven’s hips up slightly. He leant down and bit one of Sven’s cheeks,
leaving teeth marks, but not breaking the flesh. This time it wasn’t about the blood. It was
about fusing their bodies together in the most intimate of embraces.
He spread Sven’s ass and licked from the soft skin right behind his balls to the top of his
crease. Sven moaned loudly and Andor did it again. While it had been several years since
Andor had truly fucked anyone, pleasuring a lover wasn’t something he’d forget.
Settling behind Sven, he gripped the man’s hips, not allowing him to move in anyway.
Using his tongue and spit, he stretched Sven’s hole, easing the tight ring of muscle for
penetration later. Sven’s flesh grew warm under Andor’s hands and the sounds coming from
the man’s throat told him he was driving his lover crazy.
“Andor, please,” Sven begged.
Sliding his hand down, he fisted Sven’s cock and ran his thumb over the spongy head,
gathering the pre-cum beading there. The human was hard and throbbing with need. He
squeezed the iron shaft in his hand and Sven trembled.
He let go and reared back on his heels. Keeping one hand on Sven’s hip to ensure he
didn’t move away, Andor spit in his hand and slicked up his cock. Inching forward, he
guided the flared head of his dick to Sven’s opening. He breached Sven’s ass inch by inch,
not letting Sven retreat from the invasion.
Sven tensed under his hands, but Andor didn’t stop. There would be no reprieve until
he was buried balls deep in Sven’s passage. When his pubic hair brushed Sven’s flesh, he
paused and Sven sighed.
“Are you all right?”
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Andor almost slapped his own forehead after asking. What did it matter if Sven was
okay or not? He knew they were going to have sex and Andor didn’t pretend to be gentle
with his lovers. Gentleness had never been in his nature. He didn’t beat them, but he also
didn’t hold back. Not that he’d had many lovers in the past several years. It had gotten easier
to bring his cattle to climax by just feeding from them instead of actually fucking them. He’d
found humans put too much importance on a simple instinctual act.
Sven’s muscles bunched under his fingers. He reached around and pinched one hard
nipple.
“You have to speak, Sven. I can’t see you respond with your head.”
“Ow. Yes, I’m ready, you bastard.”
While the term ‘bastard’ might have been true about Andor’s birth, he didn’t appreciate
Sven calling him that. Easing out, he stopped only when the tip of his cock rested just beyond
the ring of muscle protecting Sven’s inner passage.
He rammed back, driving a shout from Sven, and the man’s body trembled under the
merciless onslaught of Andor’s shaft. Sven clenched and created a counter-point rhythm to
Andor who dragged Sven’s hips up higher to get a better angle at Sven’s gland. He knew
how to bring a man to climax without ever touching his dick. That’s what he wanted to do
with Sven.
“God. Andor, harder.”
Surprise caused Andor to stutter in his thrusts. He’d never had someone demand he do
it harder. His hold on Sven slipped in the sweat coating the other man’s skin, but he
tightened his fingers, not caring if he left bruises. Snarling, he reamed Sven’s hole, showing
no sign of stopping.
“Fuck. I’m gonna…”
Sven shouted as his inner muscles clamped down around Andor like a vice, determined
to milk his own climax from him. He held on, equally determined not to come until he was
ready. Sven shuddered and trembled around him, but he didn’t let it throw him over the
edge.
Waiting until Sven stopped shaking, Andor ground his teeth together. Only when the
man under his hands almost collapsed beneath him, did Andor start moving again. He
slammed into Sven, driving a grunt from him.
“Andor.”
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He didn’t know if Sven wanted to tell him to stop or keep moving, but Andor wasn’t
going to stop until he came inside the human. He rode Sven, not willing to give him an ounce
of leeway. His cock bumped Sven’s gland with each thrust, pushing him back up the summit
of another climax.
This one was smaller, but no less potent to his lover, and this time, Andor allowed
Sven’s trembling to push him over the edge as well. His nerves fired and he spilled into
Sven’s passage, flooding the younger man with his cum.
Sven shivered. “It’s going to take some time getting used to the fact that you aren’t very
warm.”
Andor chuckled and after making sure there was room and he wouldn’t roll
ungracefully off the mattress, collapsed to Sven’s side. Sven dropped to his stomach and
immediately popped back up.
“Ugh.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Wet spot.” Sven crowded closer to Andor. “I’m not sleeping there.”
“It’s your cum,” he pointed out.
Sven snorted. “True, but I’m still not sleeping in it.”
Andor bit back a sigh. “Then call one of the maids to come and change the bedding. Or
you can do it yourself.”
His lover muttered, but the bed dipped and he heard the rustle of sheets as Sven
climbed out. A shirt and pair of pants landed on his chest. Sputtering, he sat up.
“Get out of bed. You’re going to help me if I have to do this on my own.”
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Chapter Eight
The affronted glare Andor shot him made Sven grin. Obviously, the vampire had
grown accustomed to being waited on hand and foot. Well, Sven wasn’t going to do that. He
didn’t want Andor to see him as a servant. He wanted…no, he needed Andor to see him as an
equal.
After he dressed, Andor stood with his arms crossed, staring in Sven’s general
direction.
“Exactly how do you expect me to help you? Not being able to see anything except
shadows and light makes depth perception inaccurate.”
“Stop whining. Blind people make their own beds all the time.” He searched through
the closets, looking for sheets and coming up empty. “Where are your clean sheets?”
Andor shrugged. “You’re basing this whole activity on the assumption that I’ve made a
bed before.”
“You haven’t?”
“No.” Andor waved his hand around the room. “Cleaning and making beds is woman’s
work. As a human, I had females do it for me. As a vampire, members of my herd usually
take care of it. I wouldn’t have the first clue where the sheets are or even how to go about this
whole thing.”
Shaking his head, Sven wandered out into the study and punched the intercom button.
“Hello?”
“Hey Malachi, can you tell me where the sheets for Andor’s bed are?”
“His bed?”
Sven sighed. “I want to change the sheets. Are the clean ones somewhere in his room?”
Whispering informed him that Malachi didn’t have a clue where the stuff was either.
Neither man must have had a mother or nanny who forced him to pick up after himself.
“I’m sending someone up to change the sheets for you.”
“No. Have them bring clean ones up, but we’ll do it ourselves.”
“We will?” Andor rested his shoulder against the doorframe and shook his head.
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“Yes.” Sven returned to his conversation with Malachi. “Have whoever you send set the
sheets on the dresser. We’ll be taking a shower.”
“Certainly, sir.”
He severed the connection and faced Andor, who studied him with dispassionate eyes.
The vampire’s gaze had been scary before like he only saw humans as piece of walking food,
and was trying to decide the best to eat them. Knowing Andor couldn’t see him, but still
focused so intently on him lifted the scary right into creepy and almost frightening.
“You have taken to giving orders to my servants quickly. Maybe you have been waiting
for the moment you could take your rightful place as munr in my herd.” Andor rubbed his
chin. “Could your running away have been a ploy to get me to realise how much I needed
you?”
Gritting his teeth to keep from yelling at Andor, Sven stalked over into the vampire’s
personal space. He shoved his finger against Andor’s chest and glared up at his lover.
“I’m sure you’re looking rather fierce and angry at the moment, but it’s lost on me, I’m
afraid.” Andor clasped Sven’s hand and lifted his fingers to his mouth where he proceeded
to suck on them.
Each little tug landed in Sven’s groin and his cock hardened, completely ignoring the
fact that he’d come twice in a row earlier.
“You don’t fight fair,” he complained.
“Of course not. Why would I when I know I can win any fight we have, simply by
distracting you with sex?” Andor winked before turning and leading Sven towards the
bathroom. “Ignore the asinine question about you running away. A moment of self-doubt on
my part. It won’t happen again.”
And that was it. Like a door slammed shut in his head, Andor refused to allow Sven to
comment about his question. Sven made a mental note to go back to that conversation at a
later date.
By the time they finished showering, the sheets had been delivered. To Andor’s definite
annoyance, Sven forced him to learn how to make the bed. Andor pouted the entire time, but
he did as Sven told him. Andor fought with the fitted sheets, trying to get them to stay
wrapped over the edges of the mattress. Each time he had reached the end of his patience,
Sven stepped in, gently guiding his hands to the edge of the sheets. The younger man
whispered instructions, but didn’t do the work for him. Thank the Gods, there was nothing
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on the floor for him to trip over as he wandered from one side of the bed to the other, tucking
and shoving material and pillows around.
Sven continued to encourage him, even though Andor complained about doing
woman’s work. Yet when the last corner was tucked in and the final pillow fluffed, Andor
felt a swell of pride for doing it on his own. He’d been self-sufficient when he could see, but
never did any of this stuff for himself. Now that he was blind, it would be helpful to know he
could do it without looking like an idiot.
He snared Sven with his hand and brought him into a tight embrace. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Don’t tell me you can’t do something. It just takes a little practice.”
Sven kissed his cheek before pulling free of his hug and crawling under the blankets and
heaved a sigh. “Am I going to start sleeping during the day now that you’ve fed from me?”
Andor joined him, throwing an arm over Sven’s stomach to anchor him to the bed and
to his side. “You will find it easier to adjust your schedule to mine, but you won’t feel the
weight of the sun on you like I do.”
Relieved at knowing he’d still be able to walk around during the day, Sven closed his
eyes, secure in the knowledge that at that moment, Andor cared about him.
* * * *
The sun was past its zenith when Sven woke up later that day. Andor faced away from
him and he ran his fingers lightly over the vampire’s back. Silly really since Andor wouldn’t
know that he did it.
Cool skin met his fingertips with various scars marring the smooth surface in irregular
patterns. Were they whip marks or knife wounds that hadn’t healed properly? Sven realised
he didn’t know anything real about Andor, only that the man came from one of the
Scandinavian countries centuries ago. What kind of life had the vampire lived until he
defeated a Master and took over his territory?
There had always been the feel of the warrior to Andor. Even though he was slender,
his strength shone through in the muscles that defined his chest and abs. Sven knew Andor
had fought quite a few challenges in the years since Sven was born. Injuries don’t last long on
vampires because of the healing properties of the blood they ingest, yet they could be killed
if mortally wounded without blood handy.
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How would Andor’s blindness hamper him? Would he face a challenger or would he
give up his territory without a fight?
Sven decided to talk to Malachi about starting Andor on some sort of fighting regime.
There should be a way for Andor to learn how to compensate for his handicap. After sliding
out from under the blankets, he tugged on his sweats and headed to his bedroom for a
change of clothes and another shower.
He wandered down to the kitchen where some of the others gathered. Josiah slumped
in a chair, head hanging and looking sort of green.
“Rough night?” Sven slapped his cousin on the shoulder before sitting down.
Josiah barely nodded. “Yeah. Just got back in a few minutes ago.”
“Why aren’t you in bed then?”
“Got a message that Malachi wanted to see me.” Josiah shot Sven a glance from the
corner of his eye. “It doesn’t pay to annoy Malachi.”
Nodding, Sven fidgeted with the silverware in front of him. Hunger gnawed at his
stomach, but he remembered what Malachi said. He couldn’t eat the same food as the rest of
the herd.
“Do you know what Malachi wants?”
Getting his mind away from food, he thought about the other problem that needed to
be solved at the compound. “Yeah. Doctor Ramshall is doing routine checks on all of us. Just
making sure we’re healthy and all that.”
“Shit!” Josiah shot to his feet. “I just remembered an appointment. I’m going to be late.”
“Then you’ll be later. Come with me.” Malachi gripped Josiah’s shoulder, stopping
Sven’s cousin from bolting.
Josiah looked at Sven with a desperate plea in his eyes, but Sven wasn’t going to get in
the middle of a direct order from Andor. His lover was Master of the compound and the
surrounding area. That meant no one else could countermand anything Andor wanted done.
“There’s food waiting for you in Master Andor’s study,” Malachi informed Sven as he
entered.
“Thanks.”
He relieved Sven of Josiah and led him away as his cousin gave him another pleading
look. Sven just shrugged.
“I suppose now that Andor is fucking you, you’re too important to eat with us.”
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Twisting in his chair, he spotted his mother weaving in the doorway to the dining
room. Her half-filled martini glass dangled carelessly from her fingers, threatening to spill
onto the carpet. He turned back to the table, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Jealousy
seemed to be alive and well on the compound.
“No, Mother.”
He had nothing else to say to her, not that they’d ever had many in-depth personal
conversations.
“He’ll dump you when another good-looking willing person shows up. Like he tossed
me aside.” Cynthia’s childish pout was ruined by the smear of lipstick on her teeth and
around her mouth.
“Go wash your face, Mother. You look like a demented clown.” He pushed to his feet
and headed back towards Andor’s wing of the house.
“Don’t walk away from me, Sven. I’m still your mother.”
The staccato taps of her heels on the tile floor warned him and he whirled out of the
way as she raced towards him, her fingers curled into claws. He grabbed her wrists, holding
her away from his face.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” He shoved her back.
“How could you do this to me?” She swung at him.
“Do what?”
Thank God she was drunk or he might not have been able to dodge her flailing fists.
She was quick and determined to inflict pain. Sven avoided her attacks, but found himself
falling back into a corner. Cynthia landed one blow to his shoulder and he reached out.
Before his hands connected with her, a voice rang out.
“Cease fighting this moment.”
They froze; Sven with his back against the wall in the corner and Cynthia crouched in
front of him. Glancing up, he met Andor’s cold gaze. Somehow the vampire knew exactly
where they were standing, because without faltering or hesitating, he strolled over to them
and frowned.
Andor didn’t look at Sven. “I won’t abide fighting amongst my cattle.”
Sven resisted the urge to drop his head. He didn’t start the fight and he wouldn’t take
the blame for it. His mother dropped her gaze to the floor, easing a few feet away. He
straightened, but didn’t move. Anger surged through him, not only at his mother’s attack,
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but at being termed as ‘cattle’ by Andor. That had been one of the reasons he’d left. Being a
part of the herd, considered mere food to the vampire was more than Sven could bear and
he’d thought they had gotten over that when Andor made love to him.
“Sorry, Master Andor.” Cynthia paused, her gaze shifting slightly to meet Sven’s. “He
was acting like he was better than us. All cattle must eat together. It’s your rule.”
“Sven is eating with me. I am the final authority here and can change the rules when I
wish.”
“But, Master Andor, he bragged to us about his new position as your favourite.”
Andor struck, his fingers wrapping around Cynthia’s throat and he dragged her close
to him. Her feet scrambled on the slick tile floor, the heels not getting enough traction to keep
her from standing tip-toed and face to face with her furious Master. She whimpered and
liquid hitting the floor echoed as she peed herself in terror.
“Do not lie to me, Cynthia. You’ve seen the swift punishment I deal out when I discover
someone hasn’t told me the truth.” Andor shook her a little.
She clung to his wrist, and Sven saw how she struggled not to fight Andor. Fight or
flight was the instinctual survival techniques every animal—humans included—were born
with. Yet Andor was a predator and if Cynthia ran, Andor would chase her like the prey she
was, and she knew that.
“It’s you who are jealous of your son’s new place in the herd and you’re afraid I’ll cull
you like I have before when I’ve chosen a new lover,” Andor muttered, a puzzled expression
on his face.
“Yes. I don’t want to die,” Cynthia gasped out.
“Well, at least you’re telling the truth about that.” Andor loosened his hold enough for
Cynthia to stand, but he didn’t let her go. “I won’t kill you, simply because I can’t be
bothered by it, but you must learn your lesson. Report to Malachi at ten tonight for your
punishment.”
He let go of Cynthia’s throat and she rocked back. Andor curled his upper lip at the
scent of her fear.
“And clean this mess up as well.” The vampire gestured to the puddle at their feet.
Seeming to forget about her, he turned to Sven. “Will you accompany me back to my suite?”
“Yes, sir.”
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Sven might not be subservient to Andor, but he respected the Master for what he was
capable of doing if angered. Instead of motioning for Sven to follow him, Andor offered him
his arm. Cynthia gasped softly as Sven settled his hand in the crook of Andor’s elbow. The
vampire had never treated any of the humans like equals or lovers.
“Your actions will be spread like wildfire through the others,” Sven commented as they
made their way in the direction of the other wing.
“I’m sure they will, but no one will dare question me about them.” Andor stopped in
the darkest spot of the hallway and rubbed his temples. “They think I show you respect,
when it’s simply because I can’t see that I ask you to lead me back like a child.”
Again, pain bit into Sven’s chest. He wasn’t going to make any comment about that,
realising that Andor didn’t see things the way a human would. He’d been so long removed
from his mortal life, he’d lost all connection with those emotions. If Sven wanted to have
more than just a sexual relationship with the vampire, he would have to have to learn the
meanings behind Andor’s words, not the surface explanations.
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Chapter Nine
“Who was she?”
Andor didn’t glance up from the picture he held in his hands. “Elessa. She was your
very distant ancestor.”
The picture disappeared from his hands and he snarled, grabbing for it. A blind man
was no match for a sighted person and Sven wandered off with Elessa’s portrait. Rubbing his
temples, Andor tried not to worry, trusting Sven not to do anything to it.
“She was beautiful.”
“Yes. You look much like her.” He amended his statement. “I doubt you’ve changed in
three months time, so the last time I truly saw you, you looked like her.”
Sven’s hum held many meanings, but Andor didn’t feel like figuring what any of them
were. He wanted to sit in the dark and brood about the fact that he was slowly becoming a
hermit, frightened that his herd would find out he’d lost his sight and desert him. A herd
would only stay with a Master strong enough to defend them and he didn’t even know if
there was someone else in the room with him unless they made a noise. It would be easy for
an enemy to take him out without him ever knowing the person was there.
His chair jerked away from his desk and, before he could protest, Sven dropped into his
lap. He wrapped his arms around the younger man to keep him from falling on the floor,
though he was tempted to do it and teach Sven a lesson for not warning him.
“Tell me about her.”
“No.”
Elessa wasn’t some bedtime story for a bored child. She was his last link to the human
he used to be. Her memory wasn’t for consummation by others.
“Why not?”
As much as he wanted to push Sven away and stomp from the room, Andor had the
uneasy feeling Sven would follow him around until he broke under the constant badgering.
He remembered the child Sven had been, always curious, always demanding he tell a story,
then another, until despite himself, Andor had given in.
“Because she’s dead and who she was doesn’t matter anymore.”
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“Huh.” Sven snorted. “Seems like she matters to you. I mean you’re sitting in the dark,
holding her picture.”
“The lights aren’t on?”
The brush of Sven’s hair over his chin told Andor Sven was shaking his head.
“No, they aren’t.”
He rested his forehead against Sven’s temple. “That’s odd. I could have sworn they
were on when I came in earlier. I went and took a shower, then came back in here.”
“Not to be cruel or anything, but how do you know if the lights are on or not?” Sven
placed the frame in Andor’s hands.
Andor leant forward, causing Sven to grab a hold of his upper arms to keep from
slipping off Andor’s lap. After setting Elessa’s picture on the desk, he rocked back in the
chair, not really noticing Sven’s squeak and scrambling for purchase.
“I can see shadows, Sven. Different variations of grey tell me where things are. I threw
my coat on the couch because it was a lighter shade than the chair. That tells me the light
beside the couch was on.”
“So you are able to make out shapes and things like that?” There was a hint of thought
in Sven’s voice.
“Yes.”
He didn’t want to discuss his blindness either, but he’d do it if it took Sven’s mind away
from Elessa. He could tell by the tingling of his skin where Sven’s gaze landed as he stared at
him.
“What would she think about you cowering in your suite, afraid to go out until all the
humans were asleep?”
“It doesn’t matter what Elessa would think because she is dead. I won’t discuss her
anymore, Sven. That is an order and I won’t hesitate to punish you if you disobey me.”
Sven stood, shoving away from him with particular vehemence. Rolling his eyes, Andor
fought back a sigh. Obviously he’d hurt Sven’s feelings. Christ. Being intimate with a human
was a minefield and Andor kept blowing his foot off.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just keep forgetting that while you might need me, it’s not the kind
of need I want.” Sven’s voice faded and grew as the man paced by Andor’s desk.
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That was why Andor never got into a lasting relationship with another human after
Elessa died. Of course, after he turned, they were never intimate again. She wouldn’t allow it.
He’d even had to give her up to some other man. Maybe that was why he eventually only
fucked people while he fed from them. They never expected anything more.
Yet with those humans, he would have cut out his own tongue before admitting he
needed them. Somehow, when he talked to Sven, things spilled out of his mouth like he had
no regulation between what he thought and what he said.
“What do you want me to say to you? I already told you I needed you and I meant it.”
“You need a supply of pure blood. I understand that, but after we slept together, I
thought I meant more to you than that.”
“Shit. When did you become a girl?” Andor held up his hand at Sven’s irritated in-
drawn breath. “It’s just sex, nothing binding.”
Sven snarled and Andor laughed. Reaching out, he snagged Sven’s arm and yanked
him down on his lap. When Sven struggled, he tightened his grip on him.
“Let go of me,” Sven barked.
“Stop.”
Andor’s sharply spoken word froze Sven. At least the man listened to him when he
spoke like that. Sven sat stiffly on Andor’s legs, arms crossed, and no doubt pouting.
“I’m not sure what you want me to say at this moment.”
So instead of trying to mollify the mortal, he slid his hand under Sven’s T-shirt, running
his fingers over Sven’s nipples, twisting and pinching until Sven wiggled, his firm ass
rubbing over Andor’s groin. Leaning forward, he buried his face against Sven’s neck,
scraping his fangs over Sven’s jugular.
Sven shivered, and Andor knew he had him. He sat back far enough to strip Sven’s
shirt off. Throwing the fabric over his shoulder, he latched onto the bared flesh, flicking it
with his tongue.
Burying his fingers in Andor’s hair, Sven arched, holding him tight to his nipple. Andor
tortured him a while, just sucking and licking that one piece of skin, drawing moans and
pleas from Sven. Dragging his lips across Sven’s chest, he feasted on the other nipple, not
wanting it to feel left out.
Andor slipped his hands down to cup Sven’s butt, flexing his fingers and massaging
any tension out of the man. He pressed the seam of Sven’s jeans against his crease.
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“Oh.” Sven gasped.
He rolled the chair farther away from the desk and set Sven up on his feet. Without
hesitating, he undid the button on Sven’s jeans and tugged the zipper down, making sure not
to catch Sven’s erection in the metal teeth. He skated his fingers over the smooth hot skin of
Sven’s shaft, savouring the unleashed power he felt there.
Wrapping his hands around Sven’s hips, he encouraged the other man to sit on the
desk. He tore the jeans the rest of the way off Sven’s body. His hands landed on Sven’s
thighs, spreading them enough for him to wedge his shoulders in. Sven shuddered as he ran
his hands up to encircle the bobbing cock. Andor leant forward and licked the spongy head,
tasting the pre-cum pooling in the slit.
“Uh.”
Andor liked knowing that he could make Sven forget how to talk. He relaxed his throat
and swallowed Sven all the way down to bury his nose in Sven’s pubic hair. The young
man’s hips arched off the desk, forcing Andor to grip his hips and keep him pinned or choke
on Sven’s cock.
One of Sven’s hands palmed the back of Andor’s head, not pushing or anything, just
cradling. Andor began moving up and down on Sven’s dick, sucking and licking each stiff
inch of it. He loved the taste and smell of sweat and man as he pleasured him. He slid Sven
closer to the edge of the desk, encouraging Sven to plant his feet on Andor’s chair.
Soon he was surrounded by hot male flesh, though not quite in the way he longed for.
But that would come soon enough after he brought Sven to climax with his mouth. Without
pausing, he slipped two of his fingers alongside Sven’s dick to get them good and wet. After
which, he pressed them to Sven’s hole and invaded the tight channel.
“Andor,” Sven cried out, his muscles clenching hard around Andor’s fingers.
Humming, Andor let Sven fuck his mouth as long as the man impaled himself on
Andor’s digits. He wanted Sven stretched and ready for his cock when it came time to ride
him.
Sven trembled and rocked between the hot moist heat of Andor’s mouth and the thick
hardness of Andor’s fingers. Andor reached down with his free hand and popped open the
buttons on his pants. He yanked his own dick out and stroked it in rhythm with the
movements of his human.
“I’m going to…” Sven warned him.
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Andor wasn’t going to pull off. He wanted his tongue coated with the thick bitter
saltiness of Sven’s cum. He shoved his fingers in deep, bumping Sven’s gland while deep-
throating his cock and swallowing around it.
“Fuck!”
Sven flooded Andor’s mouth with cum and he drank it down like it was the finest
blood he’d ever tasted. He licked and massaged the heated flesh in his mouth until he had
the very last drop. He let the softened flesh slip out before he pushed to his feet and spit in
his palm.
He slicked up his erection. Sven’s hands wrapping around his cock caused him to jump.
“Let me help you.” Sven’s passion-roughened voice danced along Andor’s nerve
endings.
Sven positioned the flared head of Andor’s dick at his stretched opening, rubbing it
over the puckered ring so that Andor got a sense of where it was. Andor nodded and Sven
let go as Andor pushed in, inch by inch, without stopping, until he was buried balls deep
into Sven’s ass.
They both froze, absorbing the heat between them and the way Sven’s inner passage
clamped around Andor’s shaft like a made to fit glove. A few seconds later, the slight tilt of
Sven’s hips told Andor he could start moving and he did.
Reaming Sven became Andor’s entire world as he thrust in and out as hard and fast as
he could. He loved driving the grunts and cries out of Sven’s body each time he nailed the
man’s gland.
“Oh. My. God.”
Sven gripped his arms as he shoved in. He felt Sven shudder under his hands and knew
Sven had climaxed again, though it wasn’t as strong as the first one. Andor pulled almost all
the way out and paused.
“What are you waiting for?” Sven seemed to be gritting his teeth and forcing the words
between them.
“Nothing.”
He slammed back in and came, his body quivering with the force of his climax. He shot
all of his spunk into Sven until there didn’t seem to be any more room and he could feel it
spill out around his cock.
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Still shaking from the aftershocks, he slid out and dropped to his chair, sprawling
gracelessly. His hand landed on one of Sven’s feet and he stroked it as he tried to regain his
strength.
“I’m melted, man.” Sven spoke and the angle of his voice told him Sven hadn’t sat up
from the desk.
Andor trailed his fingers up Sven’s ankle, past his knee to his inner thigh and swirled
around in the sticky mess coating Sven’s skin and crease. Gods, how he wished he could see
the debauched sight of Sven covered in his cum. Lifting his hand, he scrubbed it over his face
and pushed the chair away from the desk, letting Sven’s feet fall.
Standing, he held out his hand, and said, “It’s time we take a shower.”
Sven sighed and stood, stepping into Andor’s body with a laugh. “Your distraction
worked.”
“Distraction? What are you talking about?”
He took Sven’s hand and led the way to the bathroom.
“I know you didn’t want to talk about our relationship, so you used sex to distract me.
Well, it worked this time, but don’t think I’m giving up.”
Andor wasn’t sure if he was happy about hearing Sven’s determination or if he should
put the human in his place. He gave himself a mental shake. He didn’t have to think about it
all right then. Maybe tomorrow night would be a good enough time to decide exactly how
serious they would become.
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Chapter Ten
“Andor, can you come here for a moment?” Sven yelled from the study towards the
bedroom.
“What do you want?”
Andor wandered out and Sven glanced up. Before Sven could warn him, Andor ran
into the box Tony had brought to the study for Sven. The vampire tripped over it and barely
managed to catch himself before slamming into the coffee table.
“What the fuck!”
Sven rushed over to Andor, took his hand, and led him to the couch. “Are you all right?
I’m sorry. I forgot to warn you about the boxes.”
“Damn it, Sven. I can’t have you leaving your shit all over the place.”
The vampire’s pale cheeks were flushed and Sven knew his anger actually hid his
embarrassment. Andor jerked his hand out of Sven’s before pounding his thigh.
“I’m sick of all this shit. Maybe I should just go out and meet the sunrise because I can’t
deal with tripping over things. I look like an idiot.”
“Oh no.” Sven gripped Andor’s chin and lifted the vampire’s chin so their eyes met, not
caring that Andor couldn’t see him. “I’m not letting you give up. There are things we can do
to take advantage of your other senses.”
Andor snorted, but didn’t move away from him. He leant over and kissed his lover
quickly.
“Are you trying to convince me?” Andor quipped after they parted.
“Yes. Is it working?”
Shrugging, Andor sighed. “I’m getting bored staying in my suite. I would prefer being
able to get out again.”
“Well, come with me then.”
Sven jumped to his feet and dragged Andor to the desk first. He punched the intercom
button.
“Malachi, meet Andor and me in the training rooms.”
“Yes, Sven.”
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A few minutes later, they met Malachi at the set of rooms the bodyguard had set up for
his own men to work out in.
“Exactly what are we doing?” Andor rested his shoulder against the door frame, hand
stuffed in his pockets.
“Malachi’s going to start training you to fight without using your eyes.”
Andor’s eyebrows shot in a sceptical expression. “Good thing since I’m blind.”
Sven rolled his eyes and Malachi covered his snicker with a cough.
“Are you laughing at me?” Andor glared at Malachi.
“No, sir.”
Something eased in Sven at seeing a human reaction in Malachi, even though he had his
doubts about exactly what Malachi was.
“You’re starting to get above yourself, Malachi.” There wasn’t any malice in Andor’s
voice.
“Yes, sir.”
Andor pinned Sven with his dark gaze. “What twisted thought drove you to decide
Malachi needed to do this?”
He wouldn’t back down, no matter how crazy Andor thought the endeavour was. The
vampire needed to regain his confidence.
“The others are wondering why they haven’t seen you. If you don’t want them to know
about the blindness, then you have to learn how to compensate for it.”
“He’s right, Master Andor. We can train you to react and use what little sight you have
left.”
Malachi had jumped on the bandwagon. What had changed the man’s mind?
“Well, if I’m to be beaten bloody, you’ll take care of my injuries, right?”
Andor shoved away from the door and stalked towards Sven, gliding like a panther,
with no hint of any difficulty in his sight. Sven swallowed, but didn’t give way. Andor was
trying to intimidate him and it worked.
He didn’t dodge Andor as the vampire reached out and stroked his fingers over Sven’s
throat, pressing against the throbbing pulse under the soft triangle of skin at the base of his
neck.
“Such a show of concern,” Andor murmured. “Are you really worried about me?”
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Right then, Sven wished he could lie. Admitting how much he did worry about Andor
was like a bitter piece of lemon to suck on, but he couldn’t stop himself.
“Yes, I’m worried.”
Andor pursed his lips and cocked his head to one side, a small frown marring his
forehead. “It’s been a very long time since any one has worried about my well-being.”
“I’m sure Malachi worries about you,” Sven hedged.
With a negligent wave of his free hand, Andor dismissed his bodyguard. “His concern
is for his own life.”
Sven froze as Andor leant down and pressed a kiss to the dark red mark on Sven’s neck.
A full body shudder racked Sven, lust zinging straight to his groin.
“Andor,” he whispered, turning his head to offer his lover more access.
The vampire stepped away and Sven mourned their lost connection.
“There are some files on my desk. I’d like you to go over them and give me your
opinion.”
As much as hearing Andor wanted his thoughts on some important matter filled Sven
with pride, he didn’t want to leave Andor.
“But,” he protested.
“No, Sven. If Malachi is going to pound my ass, and not in a good way, all in the name
of training me, I’d prefer you’re not around to see it.” Andor grinned. “You can play nurse
maid when I return after our session.”
Andor’s pride wouldn’t stand for the idea of Sven seeing him at his most vulnerable.
Sven understood, so he pushed into Andor’s arms, gave him a peck on the cheek and moved
towards the door.
“Don’t be too rough on him, Malachi. After all, he’s gone soft in his old age.”
Andor lunged for him and he laughed, scooting out of the room before the vampire
could get him. The door shut behind him, and he stood in the hallway, tempted to sneak a
peek, but knowing he’d get caught. Shaking his head, he wandered down the corridor in the
direction of Andor’s study.
The door opened slowly and Sven glanced up, blinking as he readjusted his focus.
Andor stood just inside the room, one eye swollen and his bottom lip split. Sven checked the
clock. An hour had gone by since he left the pair to start Andor’s work-out.
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“Shit, he really did beat your ass.”
He stood and rounded the desk, heading over to Andor. Slipping his arm around the
vampire’s waist, he took some of Andor’s weight.
“I think he took singular delight in hitting me as hard as he could.” Andor winced at
Sven’s touch.
Sven wrinkled his nose. “God, you stink.”
“Oh, the things you say,” Andor joked. “I want to take a bath and soak my weary
bones.”
“Only if I can join you.” He bumped their hips together as they made their way slowly
into the bedroom.
Andor groaned softly, but nodded. “You can scrub my back since I’m pretty sure I
won’t be lifting my arms any time soon.”
Sven swallowed his chuckle and led Andor into the bathroom where he propped the
exhausted vampire against the counter. He turned the water on before turning to help Andor
undress. He hissed at the vivid bruises scattered over Andor’s pale skin.
“Poor baby. He really did a number on you.”
“Who knew Malachi could be vindictive?” Andor dropped his head to rest his chin on
his chest and moaned.
After Sven’s last piece of clothing dropped to the floor, he took Andor by the hand and
guided his lover into the tub. Andor sank into the steaming water with a sigh and stretched
out. Sven joined him quickly, kneeling between Andor’s legs.
“Let me take care of you.”
Sven scrubbed Andor’s chest and back, cleansing the vampire of sweat. Undoing
Andor’s hair, he washed and rinsed it, massaging Andor’s scalp to help ease the tension.
Andor moaned softly, relaxing even more while Sven braided Andor’s locks back into a thick
tail trailing down his back. He touched a few of the bruises.
“Do you have any lotion I can put on them? Or something to help ease your sore
muscles?”
Andor shook his head. “Don’t worry about them. I’ll be fine tomorrow when I wake
up.”
Something loosened in Sven’s chest slightly. Andor’s willingness to accept comfort and
help from Sven let him know that Andor was starting to look at him as an equal, not just a
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blood donor. They rested in silence for a while and Sven caressed Andor’s hand that rested
low on his stomach. He closed his eyes, revelling in the feeling of security and belonging he
got from being in Andor’s embrace.
“I read those files,” he spoke up.
“Hmmm…” Andor hummed, but didn’t say anything else.
“Why did you have me read them?”
Andor shrugged. “I figured if you stick around and if Ramshall can’t come up with a
remedy for my blindness, I’m going to need you to become my eyes. So getting you up to
speed on running the compound seemed like a good first step.”
Another thrill of happiness scurried through him at the idea that Andor might be
coming to trust him more.
“What about Malachi? Doesn’t he run the compound now?” He shifted, rubbing the
crease of his ass over Andor’s cock.
“Yes, he does, but it’s not his strong suit. He likes taking care of security and stuff like
that. He’s not meant for domestic pursuits.” Andor nuzzled Sven’s neck. “I would love to
fuck that cute ass of yours, but I just don’t have the energy.”
“If you’re not going to be able to make love to me, we might have to re-think this whole
fight training,” he teased.
Andor nibbled along his shoulder, placing a hard enough bite on the tendon to make
Sven jump slightly. Their laughter filled the bathroom.
After a half hour of soaking, Sven shivered as the water grew cooler.
“We should get out.”
“Is the water getting too cold for you?”
“Yes.”
Andor didn’t argue as Sven opened the drain and the water left the tub. He dried
Andor and himself off before heading out to the bed. The sun must have been rising because
Andor crawled into bed and curled under the blankets without saying another word to him.
Sven tucked a strand of hair behind Andor’s ear and kissed the vampire good-night.
After dressing, he went back to the desk, dropped into the chair and flipped open the
top file again. If Andor had told the truth about wanting Sven to help him out, Sven needed
to be on top of things to prove Andor’s decision wasn’t wrong.
Malachi entered without knocking. He stood in front of the desk and studied Sven.
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“Do you have a problem with me sitting here?”
“No.” Malachi shook his head. “Master Andor said it was okay, so I don’t have any
issues.”
“Any issue with me taking over the household accounts?”
“As long as you know what the hell you’re doing, I’ll gladly let you do the work.”
Malachi clasped his hands behind his back and rocked back on his heels.
“What are you, Malachi?” He eyed the big man.
Black eyebrows rose above black eyes and the corner of Malachi’s mouth hooked up for
a second. “Nothing you’ve ever heard of.”
“But are you real? You’re not like a doppelganger or anything, are you?”
Malachi shook his head. “Not a doppelganger. I live and breathe. I can bleed and I can
die. You might call that human, but there are other things I can do that mortal man can’t.”
“And that’s not cryptic at all,” he muttered.
The head of security shrugged his shoulders. “Does it really matter what I am? I am a
demon and I was created to keep Master Andor safe.”
“A demon? Like a fallen angel demon?” Sven studied the big demon.
“There are different types of demons. Some are fallen angels. Some were born of demon
parents. I was created by powers beyond your understanding to help protect Master Andor.”
“Don’t you want a life of your own?”
Malachi paced. “That’s a very human thought. Who’s to say that I don’t have a life of
my own? I don’t spend every single minute of the day or night standing guard over Master
Andor. I’m around when he wants me, but I do other things without him.”
“I guess I’ve never really thought about it.” Sven sat back in the chair and stared at
Malachi. “Could you leave if you wanted to?”
“Yes, like you, I’m not bound to this compound or Master Andor. He can’t make me
stay if I don’t want to, but why would I leave? I’m happy here, though it might be a little
lonely.”
“We need to find you a boyfriend, or a girlfriend, if that’s how you swing.”
Malachi ducked his head. “It’s not important whether I get laid or not. How are the
household accounts? Are you finding them easy to follow?”
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Sven allowed Malachi to switch the subject. “Thank God, I took those accounting
courses at college last year. I didn’t realise how much it took to keep us in the comfort we’re
accustomed to.”
“You humans definitely like your creature comforts,” Malachi agreed.
“Don’t start. It’s not just us who have expensive taste. Andor’s clothes are silk, linen,
and cotton. He sleeps on satin sheets and uses furs for his blankets. Those don’t come cheap.”
“True, but I can’t say I care. He’s the Master and it’s his right to demand whatever he
wants.” Malachi stopped in front of the desk and placed his hands on his hips. “It’s because
of him that we survive. Living under his rule isn’t a hard life.”
“True.”
Sven nodded, knowing Malachi spoke the truth. “Sit and go over these accounts with
me.”
“Sit?” He looked as if he’d never been asked to sit down before.
“I’m not Andor. Sit down, I can’t have you hulking over me all the time.”
“Yes, sir.” The demon pulled out a chair and sat, looking as uncomfortable as Sven
thought he must have felt.
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Chapter Eleven
“When did you come to America?”
Andor glanced up when Sven spoke. “Why does it matter?”
Sven shrugged, even though Andor couldn’t see him. “It doesn’t. I was just
wondering.”
Leaning back in his chair, Andor stared at Sven. “If you’re bored, go and join the others.
All I ask is that you don’t drink or take any drugs. Such things destroy the taste of your
blood.”
He grimaced at the thought of his blood having any kind of flavour or taste. “All you
ask, huh? I know an order when I hear one.”
“Fine.” Andor waved in his direction. “Go. I have business with Malachi.”
Silently sighing, Sven strolled out. After shutting the door, he leant against it and
pouted. He wanted Andor to need him for more than pure blood and sex. When the vampire
told him he was Andor’s munr, he thought it would mean far more than it must because
Andor still treated him like a second class person and not an equal. Hell, the sex was
amazing, but he was starting to think it was just a way for Andor to get his rocks off.
“Hey cousin, how’s it hanging?”
Sven straightened in surprise when Josiah approached down the hallway. “What the
hell are you doing here?”
Josiah laughed. “I live here.”
“You can’t be in this wing of the house, Josiah, and you know it.” He grabbed his
cousin by the elbow and dragged him back down the corridor.
“Why not? This is my house as well as yours. Why can you be in his wing and I can’t?”
“You’ll have to talk to Andor about that.”
“I haven’t seen him since I got here,” Josiah muttered.
Sven eyed the other man. He was about to ask Josiah what he meant by that when
Josiah interrupted him.
“Hey, if the big guy doesn’t need you, you can come to the club with me.”
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“Umm…”
“I’m not taking no for an answer.” Josiah looked him up and down. “What you’re
wearing works.”
Suddenly, Sven found himself being led from the house to where Josiah’s motorcycle
was parked. He took the helmet Josiah handed him. He stared down at it, fighting with
himself. Andor had never told him he couldn’t leave the compound and it had been over a
month since he’d been out in the city. Andor had dismissed him like a child from the adults’
company.
Making a decision, he settled the helmet on his head and tightened the chin strap. One
of Malachi’s men approached them.
“Tell Master Andor I’m going into the city with Josiah.”
The guard’s eyes widened, but he didn’t stop them. He climbed on behind Josiah and
wrapped his arms around his waist.
“We’re going to have fun tonight.”
They roared down the driveway, yet the tingling at the back of Sven’s head had him
glancing back over his shoulder at the windows of Andor’s suite. The vampire stood, framed
by the black curtains, his pale hand pressed to the glass like he wanted Sven to stay.
Sven shook his head. Wishful thinking. Andor saw him as nothing more than a warm
hole to fuck and an uncontaminated food supply.
Sven regretted his decision an hour later as he fought through the crowd, avoiding
groping hands and questing lips. His shirt disappeared within minutes of arriving at the club
and being treated like a piece of meat commenced.
God, he loathed the crush of sweaty bodies pressing in on him from every side. Why
had he thought this was a good idea? When he found Josiah, he was going to strangle the life
out of him for abandoning him seconds after entering the building. Sven slapped an
inquiring hand away from his ass.
“Sven, I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
Josiah’s screech set Sven’s teeth on edge as he whirled to see his cousin bearing down
on him.
“Don’t you ever leave me again, asshole. I’ve been searching for you as well. I want to
go back to the compound.”
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His cousin encircled his wrist with tight feverishly hot fingers. Studying Josiah’s eyes,
Sven caught a hint of frenetic energy in his dark blue irises.
“What the fuck are you on?”
“Why?” Josiah fucking giggled. “You should try some. It’ll make you fly.”
“I don’t want to fly. I want to go home.”
“Oh, but I must insist that you stay, so we can get to know each other better.”
If Sven had been a mouse, he would have frozen where he stood, sure he was in the
presence of a predator. Josiah’s drug-glazed eyes lit up in slavish delight as someone circled
them to stand face-to-face with Sven.
Fuck! Another vampire. Only this one was young in the grand scheme of vampire
years. He still retained most of his human muscle mass and tanned skin. Yet where Andor
glided and strolled, this one stalked and hurried. He hadn’t learned that, for a vampire, time
no longer had meaning. They were ruled by the cycles of the sun, not the seconds of the day.
“I’m sorry, but I must insist on going back to the compound. If you won’t take me,
Josiah, I’ll get a ride from someone else.”
He turned to go and, like a striking snake, the vampire reached out to snag Sven’s
shoulder. He stumbled as the stranger jerked him back towards him. A fang flashed in the
swirling club lights, causing a twinge of fear to speed up Sven’s pulse.
“Your cousin told me you would be willing to play. You wouldn’t want to make him a
liar now, would you?”
Sven stood still, not staring directly into the vampire’s eyes, knowing it would be
perceived as a challenge.
Vampires were unpredictable creatures at the best of times. Sven’s experience with
them was limited, but after spending time with Andor, he knew he could be in trouble with
this young vampire.
“I’m Castilla. Maybe you’ve heard of me.” His brown eyes gleamed with smug
confidence, no doubt positive Sven knew all about him.
“Can’t say that I have.” Sven allowed Castilla to continue to grip his shoulder. Any sort
of movement could be construed as a fight for dominance.
Castilla snarled, his fangs sharp and bright. It wasn’t the vampire’s teeth Sven feared, it
was the underlying feeling of instability emanating from Castilla. There was something
wrong with him and Sven didn’t want to risk an attack or being fed from by force.
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Many vampires no longer forced humans into giving blood. There were plenty of
willing sources. Several saw force as the equivalent to rape. Sven wouldn’t allow it and
Andor would destroy Castilla if the vampire did it to Sven.
“Come,” Castilla ordered, squeezing Sven’s wrist until Sven could almost hear the
bones grind together.
Every survival instinct Sven had screamed in warning. If he went with Castilla, he
would never return to Andor or the compound.
Josiah took Sven’s other arm. “Come on, Sven. Castilla has the most amazing stuff.”
There was no way Sven could shake off both Castilla and Josiah. Judging from the mark
on his cousin’s neck, Castilla had already fed before approaching him. Shit. He was truly
fucked now.
They led him from the club to a car idling at the kerb. Castilla shoved him in first with
Josiah piling in behind him, not giving Sven a chance to run away. Castilla settled on the
seat, facing Sven. As the vehicle began to move, Sven had the urge to jump, but figured the
vampire would stop him before he got out of the car.
“Where are we going?” Staying calm was his only weapon.
“My pet here tells me that Andor is enamoured with you. That you are munr of his
herd.”
He kept his mouth shut. Castilla was after Andor and he was using Sven to get to him.
“You aren’t a very good guest, Sven. I think you should have a drink and we’ll discuss
what I’m going to do to you.”
Castilla opened a small compartment in the middle of the backseat and pulled out a
bottle. Sven held still as the vampire poured out an intriguing silver liquid. He didn’t take
the glass that Castilla held out to him. There was no way he would drink or eat anything the
bastard gave him. It was a drug and he wasn’t stupid enough to trust Castilla not to kill him
with it.
“Going to be stubborn, are you?”
Gesturing to Josiah, Castilla ordered, “Hold him down.”
There wasn’t a lot of room to manoeuvre in the limo, but Sven tried to avoid his
cousin’s grasp. That only lasted a few seconds before he was pinned beneath Josiah’s weight.
He jerked his head away, all to no avail, because Castilla gripped his jaw hard enough to
force his mouth open.
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The liquid burned as it hit his tongue. He gasped and gurgled, trying not to swallow it.
Again Castilla didn’t give him an out. Whatever was in the drink hit his stomach like lead
and he gagged, his body wanting to reject it.
“Wait a moment. The world will light up when it hits.” Josiah’s blue eyes shone with a
crazed light and Sven cringed.
“It’s Silver Street. My own manufactured drug for the humans I feed from. I love how it
makes their blood taste, though their minds can’t handle it to the extent a vampire can.”
Castilla stroked a cold hand along Sven’s cheek and leered, his fangs flashing. “I think you’ll
enjoy the effect it has.”
Light exploded in front of Sven and he winced, not sure if it was real or something his
mind imagined. Josiah and Castilla spun around him, and he grasped Josiah’s arms, holding
on to the only solid thing in the vicinity.
“Oh, it’s working.”
His cousin sounded happy and envious, like Sven had been given something Josiah
longed for. Sven wanted to tell Josiah that he could have the Silver Street, but any ability he
had to talk deserted him along with most of his mental capabilities. All he could do was lie
there, staring at the swirling colours dancing along the roof of the limo.
The grunts and moans beside him didn’t distract him from the marvellous truths he
found in the lights. He reached up, wishing he could touch the red bursts that expanded
above him.
The sudden stopping of the car threw him into Castilla and Josiah. The scent of sex and
blood stiffened his cock and he moaned. Somehow, deep inside, he knew it was wrong to get
turned on by his cousin and the crazy vampire who owned him.
At some point he must have blacked out, because when he could focus again, he hung
by his arms in the middle of a large room. He blinked, trying to make out any shape or
image. Tilting his head, he felt the brush of silk over his shoulder and he realised that he was
blindfolded, explaining why he couldn’t see anything.
Sven’s sub-conscious called for him to struggle, to fight and free himself, but his mind
and body wouldn’t listen. They were caught up in the weightlessness of his existence and
how warm his skin was. It felt like he was surrounded by flame.
A scream tore from his throat when he managed to figure out that his feet were
surrounded by flame. Someone held fire to them. He jerked them up, only to become aware
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that his ankles were tied to the ground. The heat of the fire left, but the burning continued,
only this time a burning cold etched its way over his skin.
“Stop,” he demanded.
“I’ve just gotten started, pretty boy.”
The harsh voice dancing in his ear startled him. He jerked and arched away, knowing in
his heart that the person the voice belonged to meant him harm. Yet the drug dulled his fear,
so that he didn’t try to stop the touching as ice chilled fingers trailed over his chest and
pinched his nipples.
“Please,” he begged and hunched his shoulders, wanting to protect himself from harm.
“Oh, you will be pleading for mercy before I’m through. Your Master has been very lax
on training you.”
The cruelty in Castilla’s voice danced over Sven, yet the fear he should be feeling
seemed distant. The drug Castilla and Josiah fed him dulled everything, especially his ability
to fight. He whimpered, wishing Andor would come and save him, though he knew it would
be impossible for his lover to find him. The blindfold encased him in darkness, not allowing
him to see where he was and being disoriented from drugs and pain, he couldn’t think of an
escape plan.
Something hard and sharp sliced through the thick muscle of his thigh and he cried out,
not in pain, but in surprise. The pain didn’t register until it felt like Castilla stuck a hot brand
inside the cut.
“No,” he called, thinking about moving away from the excruciating sensation, but his
body didn’t listen to his survival instinct.
He absorbed all the deep cuts and shallow nicks. Soon warm liquid dripped from a
hundred wounds inflicted on his flesh. Shivers racked him as his body temperature dropped
from loss of blood. Disgust roiled his stomach each time Castilla drank from him. It was akin
to rape because Sven never gave Castilla permission to take his blood.
Thank God, he hasn’t cut a major artery yet was his last thought before his mind became
overwhelmed with pain, fear, and a tiny burning flame of hope for Andor’s coming to his
rescue.
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Chapter Twelve
Andor stared down at the papers in front of him, not caring that he couldn’t see them.
He thought about Sven leaving the compound with Josiah. Humans were so volatile, he
never really knew when he was upsetting Sven anymore. Of course, for so many years, he’d
stopped caring whether he’d hurt their feelings or not. If he didn’t want to alienate Sven
completely, he would have to re-learn to have some respect for him.
“You hurt his feelings when you sent him away like that,” Malachi spoke up from
where he sat on the other side of the desk.
Bringing his hand down hard on the desk, Andor snarled. “Are you a relationship
counsellor now?”
“No. I just thought you should know what he felt.” Malachi shifted in his chair.
“I know what I did, Malachi.” Andor shoved his hand through his hair and sighed. “I
can’t concentrate with him around.”
Malachi inhaled sharply. “Maybe if you had told him that, he wouldn’t have left with
Josiah.”
There was a tone in Malachi’s voice that caught Andor’s attention. “Do you know
something about Josiah that you haven’t told me yet?”
“It wasn’t so much that I haven’t told you, but I didn’t want to tell you in front of Sven.
He considers Josiah a close friend.”
“You have doubts about the human, yet you allowed Sven to leave with him. I thought
you were supposed to protect the munr.”
“Master Andor, my doubts are just those. I have suspicions, but nothing really to base
them on.”
Shuffling noises announced Malachi looking through files for something.
“I know you can’t see them, but I have pictures of Josiah at one of the clubs in the city.
He’s an addict, Master Andor, and I’m afraid his addiction is getting worse.”
“I know he’s an addict. I can smell it on him which is why I never fed from him. I can
tolerate some alcohol or drugs in my herd’s system, but to have it present all the time dulls
the effect their blood has for me.”
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A knock sounded and Malachi stood. Andor listened to his footsteps head to the door
and open it. Two soft voices spoke.
“Dr. Ramshall would like to talk to you.”
“He may come in.”
He waited until Malachi had seated the doctor before waving a hand in his direction.
“Do you have any news for me?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, the damage done to your eyes can’t be reversed. You ingested too
much of the poison to heal it.” More papers rustled.
“What is the poison?”
“It seems to be silver.”
Andor stiffened. “Silver?”
“Yes, apparently silver has an adverse affect on vampires. Someone has melted the
silver down into a liquid form, then someone added it to your herd’s food and drink.”
Fuck. Someone was trying to kill him through his herd.
“What about my herd?”
“It will take time, but I’m sure we could filter out the silver from their blood, if you
wish. It will take money as well. It might be more economical for you to simply cull them
and start over again.”
He rolled his eyes. If Sven didn’t like being pushed out of any business discussions
Malachi and Andor had, killing the herd would shove Sven right over the edge. Andor didn’t
want to make that decision at the moment.
“It can wait for now. Now, we need to know who introduced the silver into the herd.”
Ramshall coughed. “There were two blood samples that tested negative for the silver.
One was clean of any contaminates. The other had no silver in it, but contained many other
drugs.”
Andor closed his eyes and rested his forehead on the palm of his hand. He didn’t want
to hear what the doctor had to say. He knew who had poisoned his herd and Sven had gone
with him into the city.
“One was your munr, Sven. His blood was as pure as any human’s can be. I don’t think
the lad has ever had any type of alcohol or drug.” Ramshall made a tsking sound. “As for the
other young gentleman, Josiah, his blood is so filled with drugs and alcohol, the poor boy
won’t have much longer to live if he continues on the fast paced path he’s chosen.”
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“He won’t have much longer to live because I’ll find him and kill him.” Andor leapt to
his feet. “Malachi, call your men. Do you know which club Josiah favours in the city?”
“Yes, sir. I’m on it.”
Half-way to his bedroom, Andor remembered the doctor. He turned and bowed
slightly. “Thank you, Dr. Ramshall. Leave your results on the desk, along with all blood
samples you took that weren’t destroyed in the tests. Malachi, will you escort the doctor to
his room?”
“Certainly. This way, Doctor Ramshall. I’ll be back with the information you need in a
few minutes.”
“Fine.”
Andor stalked into the bedroom and went to his closet. He dug through all the linen,
silk, and cotton to the very back. There hung a pair of leather pants and leather vest
reminiscent of the clothes he wore during his days as a Viking. He yanked them off their
hangers and grabbed the boots on the floor under them. Thank the Gods, no one ever
touched his stuff. He didn’t have time to search around for them.
Dressing quickly, he ran over what he had to do in his mind. One week of combat
training with Malachi had sharpened his reflexes, but he still wasn’t confident about his
ability to fight anyone other than his bodyguard.
Because it was going to come down to a challenge. Josiah hadn’t gotten the silver on his
own. There had to be another person behind Josiah’s actions and Andor figured it was the
unaffiliated vampire Malachi had been keeping an eye on. He drew in a calming breath.
Rescuing Sven was the goal and he would do whatever he had to do to make that happen,
even fight a vampire he couldn’t see.
“Sir?” Malachi called as he entered the study.
“I’m here, Malachi. What have you found out?”
Two more things and he would be ready. After kneeling beside the bed, he lifted the
skirting around the edges and reached under to pull out another long box. He ran his fingers
over the middle where the top and bottom met, finding the clasp and unlocking it. He
opened the box, slipping his hand in to touch the hilt of his sword.
Andor removed it from the box along with the sheath and a small dagger. The dagger
went into a sheath beneath the vest in between his shoulder blades. The sword got strapped
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over his chest and rested at his back, the hilt behind his right ear. He stood for a second,
savouring the feel of his weapons pressed close to his body again.
It had been decades since Andor had fought. Most vampires knew better than to
challenge him, even the younger ones knew that Andor was fierce and relentless when it
came to defending his territory. It had been centuries since he’d had the opportunity to bring
out his human weapons, but without his sight, he needed every advantage he could get and
he knew he could use these weapons blindfolded. Literally. He’d done it several times when
he was human.
“It seems that Sven and Josiah were at the club, but within an hour or so, they were
seen leaving with another person.”
“Who did they leave with?” He tensed, all his instincts screaming he wasn’t going to
like what Malachi had to say.
“It was the unaffiliated vampire we’ve been watching.”
“Son-of-a-bitch.” Andor slammed his hand against the doorframe. “I should have taken
him out when you first told me about him.”
“You couldn’t have known he’d go to such lengths,” Malachi consoled.
Andor waved his bodyguard away. “Go to the kennels and get the hel-hundr. They’ll be
able to track the bastard from the club to where he has Sven.”
“Yes, sir.”
Malachi left and Andor stalked into the study, up to where the box holding Elessa’s
portrait sat. Opening it, he stared down into it, wishing he could see her face one more time,
but knowing it wouldn’t make a difference. He’d let go of his love for her the moment he
realised he would be living forever and she wouldn’t.
He’d let her go to find love with a human, though giving her up hurt like a knife to the
heart. She’d told him there would be someone for him. Someone who owned him heart and
soul. He’d agreed with her to appease her while she lay dying in his arms, but he’d never
believed it.
Not until he let Sven leave all those months ago and realised just how much the young
mortal meant to him. Bringing him back for pure blood had only been an excuse. He could
have brought in a new herd member that hadn’t fed on the compound. Andor wanted Sven
back and he would have sent Malachi out for him after another month or so.
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Andor propped the top open and touched Elessa’s portrait with a light finger. “You
were right, love. Sven’s the one and now I’m off to save him, like a knight from old.”
He chuckled and shut the box. There probably hadn’t been a less likely hero, but Andor
would do what he could to keep Sven from dying, even if it meant Andor died during the
challenge. While he might not be able to defeat the vampire, he could distract him enough for
Malachi to get Sven out of there.
Josiah could rot in hell for all Andor cared. If the human was still around after the
challenge, Andor would cull Josiah himself. No one betrayed him like that and endangered
the life of the herd’s munr.
“The hel-hundr are ready, sir.” Malachi came to a halt next to him.
“Then we’ll go and hunt down the monster who thought he could get away with this
on my territory.”
Andor strolled out of his suite and down the corridor to the stairs, trusting that Malachi
would warn him of any obstacles. Andor’s blood raced and his skin heated as excitement,
anger, and bloodlust filled him.
It was time to hunt.
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Chapter Thirteen
The streets of San Francisco emptied as the word of the Master Vampire being on a
veiðr. The hel-hundrs swirled around the streets, spilling from alleys, to gather around
Andor’s feet. He stroked the lead hundr’s head while waiting for Malachi to return from
talking to the bouncer who had seen Sven leave with Joisah and the other vampire.
Energy streamed through the air, like high tension wires singing in the wind. The hel-
hundrs whined, needing to do what they were bred for.
“All in due time, friends,” Andor spoke softly. “All in due time.”
Footsteps approached from the club, and the creatures crouched at his feet.
“Malachi?”
“Yes, sir. The bouncer said they left from the west side door.”
“Let’s go over there. The hel-hundrs are ready.” He waved a hand in the direction he
thought they had to go.
Malachi had attached a small flashlight to his wrist, giving Andor something to focus
on. The light wasn’t very bright, but it was enough of a contrast for Andor to follow the big
demon to where they could pick up Sven’s trail. The raspy brush of hel-hundr coats against
his leathers caused Andor to breathe deep of the earthy musk the canines gave off.
“How are they going to track them, Malachi? I assume they got in a car.”
Malachi’s light dropped closer to the ground. His bodyguard called for the lead hundr
to come to him. Andor stayed out of the way. He didn’t know how to hunt with the animals,
but Malachi had trained for it.
“They track the vampire’s essence. There is a scent or feel that you as a vampire give
off, unique to your body. It is something that the hel-hundrs are genetically coded to follow.
So even though they were in a vehicle, it won’t deter the animals.”
“Thank the Gods for that. I don’t think I’d be able to wait while we tried to figure out
where they went.”
“It’ll take them a little while, but one of the waiters had a napkin the vampire touched.
We can use it for the essence.”
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He stepped back, letting Malachi do what he needed to do to get the veiðr started.
Loosening his sword and dagger, Andor visualised what he would do when they found
Sven. He would take out the vampire first, because he was the biggest threat.
Howls filled the air as the hel-hundrs caught the scent and took off. Malachi hesitated.
“Go with them. Leave one of your men with me. He’ll make sure I get to you without
mishap. But don’t enter until I rejoin you. I need to be the one to take the vampire down.”
“Yes, sir.”
The light clipped to Malachi’s jacket disappeared in the darkness surrounding them
and Andor fought back the panic threatening to well in him. He could do this. He was a
Master vampire, a creature to be feared, not pitied.
“Are you ready, sir?” Tony touched his elbow.
“I should have known Malachi would leave you with me,” he murmured.
“He doesn’t trust any of the others with your safety, Master Andor.” Tony’s voice held
pride.
“Hmmm…”
Andor wasn’t sure if Malachi expected Tony to protect him or if his head of security
wanted to ensure Tony would be safe. Maybe it was a little of both.
He moved off, listening to his footsteps echo off the buildings around them and the
sound of the wind as it wrapped around stone and danced against glass. They moved
relatively fast, but cautiously, not just because of Andor’s handicap. The city wasn’t safe late
at night, and the criminals might be tempted to rob two men wandering the streets in the
darkest part of the night.
Faint steps reached his ears and he leant close to Tony. “Is someone following us?”
Tony halted and turned his head around to listen for a few seconds before shaking his
head. “No, they aren’t after us. They’re moving away from us in another direction.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
Without saying anything else, they moved off and Andor began to trust the young
demon as much as he trusted Malachi. Tony, whispering his information, made sure Andor
didn’t run into anything, but he didn’t lead Andor along like a dog.
Time melted as they trotted through the alleys and streets of San Francisco. They didn’t
have any sound to follow because the hel-hundrs were silent trackers. Tony was in contact
with Malachi via walkie-talkie, so they knew when the animals ran their quarry to ground.
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“They’ve found a warehouse and they’re waiting for us to get there before going in.”
“Good. Lead me to them.”
Tony picked up the pace, but Andor didn’t mind. He didn’t want the enemy to know
they were out there.
“Do you think he’ll have more than just Josiah with him?”
Andor shook his head. “Even though there are a lot of people in the city, I’m pretty sure
most of them wouldn’t risk my ire by joining an unaffiliated.”
“We’ll keep an eye out though,” Tony panted as they ran.
He didn’t waste his breath, just nodded. Time passed and he didn’t think about how
long it took them to get to the warehouse. All he thought about was getting to Sven and
killing the vampire who took him.
Tony took his arm and brought him to a stop as they spied Malachi’s flashlight. His
bodyguard took his hand and led him to the door.
“I’m coming with you. The others will stay outside and surround the building to make
sure no one escapes or interrupts us.”
“Fine. Did you check the door?”
Malachi opened it slowly. “There wasn’t anything on the outside. To be honest, I think
our man is a little over-confident about his ability to hide.”
Andor took a hold of the back of Malachi’s jacket. It irritated him that he had to be led
around like a child, but at least Malachi wouldn’t expect him to sit back while his men took
care of the problem.
The darkness swallowed them. Thank the Gods, Andor didn’t have to wait for his eyes
to adjust and neither did Malachi. One of the pluses of having a demon as head of his
security.
He leant into Malachi and whispered, “Do we know which room they are in?”
“I brought the lead hundr in with us. He’ll take us to them.”
Patting Malachi’s shoulder, he signalled for the demon to move forward. The click of
the hundr’s claws on the cement floor headed away from him. After drawing his sword, he
stepped quietly behind Malachi.
They wound through the warehouse, up a set of stairs. Andor lost all sense of where
they were in the building, and his hands shook slightly with nerves. Gods, he needed this to
be over without Sven dying or damaged in any permanent way.
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Malachi stopped and brought Andor close enough for him to press his lips to Andor’s
ears. “We’re here. The door is open slightly. I checked the room. Sven is hanging in the
middle of the room by his arms. He looks unconscious or drugged. The vampire is standing
with his back to us. I don’t see Josiah, but I’m sure he’s in there somewhere.”
“Let me think for a second.” He cleared his mind and went back into his warrior mind.
“Will the hundr attack if you order it?”
“I’m not sure if he’ll go after the vampire. They’re trained to track, not attack.”
“Would he go and keep Josiah away from us?”
“Yes. They are trained to herd humans. If I tell him, he’ll keep Josiah pinned in a corner
until we call him off.”
“That’ll work. Do that and then after I attack the vampire, you go get Sven. I want him
out of here before anything else happens to him.”
“Yes, sir.”
There was no doubt in Malachi’s voice that Andor would be able to deal with the
bastard without any help from him.
Malachi whispered to the hundr before tapping Andor’s hand to let him know all was
set. Andor took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. When he was ready, he shoved
the door open and strolled through the door.
“Get your filthy hands off him.”
The room was brightly lit, so any bodies appeared in Andor’s diminished eyesight as
dark shapes. One of those shapes hung in the middle of the room like Malachi said and
Andor assumed it was Sven. The larger shadow closest to Andor whirled around and Andor
was too slow lifting his sword.
A burning sensation tore down Andor’s face and he realised the vampire struck him.
Snarling, he closed his eyes and calmed his nerves. While training with Malachi, they worked
on getting his other senses to take over for his sight. As long as he wasn’t distracted by the
odd things he could still see, he could fight rather well.
He heard the scrape of shoes on cement and brought his arm up, blocking the blow.
Unfortunately, he was too slow to block the second punch and the vampire nailed him in the
stomach.
“We’re out, Master.”
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Malachi’s shout freed Andor from worrying about Sven getting in the way. He settled
into the mental place he needed to be to be able to battle the usurper.
The vampire cackled. “I’m surprised you came for him. He’s just a human and we all
know one human is pretty much the same as another.”
“What is your name, asshole?” Andor ignored the taunt about Sven. His munr was
more than just another human to him.
“Castilla, at your service.”
Andor hid his wince as Castilla landed another blow. He couldn’t show any weakness
or Castilla would defeat him.
The world narrowed to Andor and Castilla. He kept his mouth shut, while the other
vampire bragged and taunted him every chance he got. Andor wanted to roll his eyes.
Castilla was young and wouldn’t live to learn that when fighting, one didn’t spend time
talking. Too much energy was wasted when one could be fighting.
Dripping blood from wounds on both of them made the floor slick. One foot down and
Andor slipped to a knee. Dropping his head, he tried to catch his breath. Castilla circled
around him.
“I knew the silver would weaken you. After I kill you, I think I’ll go and drain your
human dry. His blood was quite sweet. To feel his life leave him as I drink.” Castilla’s
laughter held a hint of insanity. “I’ve done it before, you know. Killed humans. They are so
defenceless, don’t you think?”
“I wouldn’t know. I stopped killing them centuries ago,” Andor muttered.
“There’s where you went wrong. Humans are food for us. We are hunters and they are
our prey. I’m surprised that you, of all vampires, would grow attached to one of them.”
Andor stayed on his knee, tracking Castilla by footsteps and voice. He gripped his
sword and tensed. Only two more steps. There. Andor surged up, stabbing his sword into
Castilla’s chest.
“Ugh!”
He gripped Castilla’s shoulder with his free hand and yanked him closer, driving the
sword deeper into the vampire’s flesh. With Castilla impaled on his sword, Andor drew his
dagger. He placed the edge of the blade against Castilla’s throat.
“You dared to touch what is mine and I can’t allow that. You should have known that,
even without the poison, I could have killed you with my eyes closed.”
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Dragging his dagger across Castilla’s throat, he cut deep through flesh and bone.
Castilla wouldn’t survive a wound like that and Andor would ensure his death.
He dropped Castilla and, ignoring the vampire’s gurgling, he called, “Malachi, bring in
the gas and the flame.”
Banging announced Malachi’s approach. “Do you want me to take care of it, Master
Andor?”
Andor gasped as the pain hit him all at once. Gods, the silver must have affected him
more than he thought. “Where is Sven?”
“My men are taking him back to the compound. I already called and made sure Doctor
Ramshall remained. He’ll need a lot of attention.”
Malachi’s hand landed on Andor’s shoulder.
“As will you. Why don’t you let Tony take you back as well? I can deal with this.”
He nodded and accepted Tony’s help getting out of the warehouse. As soon as they hit
the fresh night air, Andor folded, letting the darkness and pain swamp him.
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Chapter Fourteen
Sven jerked awake and blinked as the dimly light room came into focus. A soft rustle
alerted him to a figure curled in a chair close to the bed he lay on.
“Andor?” His voice sounded like he’d indulged in a three-pack-a-day cigarette habit for
most of his life.
The vampire sat up swiftly, reaching for a glass of water sitting on the night stand next
to the chair.
“Have some water before you try to talk,” Andor ordered, perching on the mattress and
helping Sven sit up enough to drink.
After gulping down half the glass, he leant back gingerly against the pillows Andor
stuffed behind him.
“What happened?”
Andor set the glass down and folded his hands in his lap. “How much do you
remember?”
“I remember pain so intense I wished Castilla would have killed me outright, rather
than experience that. Josiah’s maniacal laughter every time that asshole sliced another piece
of my flesh away.” He paused and swallowed. “Mostly I remember praying you would come
and save me.”
Ducking his head, Andor caressed Sven’s knee through the blanket. “I’m sorry we
didn’t find you sooner. Castilla hid his tracks well.”
Sven grasped Andor’s hand and entwined their fingers. “But you did come and rescue
me. That’s all that matters. How’d you find me? I never told Malachi’s man where we were
going.”
Andor’s gaze remained on their hands. Sven couldn’t see very well. One eye was
swollen shut, plus the only light in the room was a small lamp close to the bathroom.
“Ramshall came to me an hour after you left. He’d managed to isolate the poison
contaminating the herd.”
“Silver,” Sven murmured.
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“Yes.” Andor nodded. “Eventually the humans would have died if they’d continued to
ingest it, but Castilla discovered the side effects would materialise far more rapidly in
vampires. He was trying to either kill me or weaken me, so when he challenged me, he
would win. That was the only way he would have been able to take my territory from me.”
Sven chuckled. “He didn’t take in to consideration how tough you are.”
Andor shrugged. “I don’t know about that.”
They were silent for a moment before Andor continued.
“Oddly enough, there were two herd members whose blood tested negative for silver.
You and…”
“Josiah.” Sven finished Andor’s sentence. “He was on a different kind of Silver.”
“A manufactured street drug along the lines of crystal meth, but twenty times more
potent.”
Sven could believe that.
“Castilla got Josiah addicted to the drug and in order to stay supplied, Josiah had to
help Castilla take over my herd and territory.”
“So it was the drug that turned Josiah into a traitor.” Sven’s relief was short lived.
Andor stood and began to pace, his stride steady and confident. To watch him move, no
one would ever believe he was blind. All those lessons with Malachi had worked.
“No, the drug simply lowered inhibitions. Josiah was insanely jealous of your position
in the herd. He loathed the fact that you didn’t want it.” Andor clasped his hands behind his
back as he walked. “Josiah saw the position of munr as all-powerful. He believed he deserved
that position.”
“Why? He’s not really my cousin. His mother married into the herd.”
“Yes, but he believed that even that little connection earned him the right to be munr
and when you turned your back on the herd, he assumed I would welcome him into my bed
and arms with joy.”
Sven frowned. “Yet you didn’t.”
Andor snorted. “I could tell he was on drugs from the moment I first smelled him. His
body reeked of the chemicals destroying it. There was no way I would drink from him. What
he never understood was that the position of munr is hereditary and couldn’t be given to
anyone but a person from Elessa’s bloodline.”
“Josiah helped Castilla because of the drugs and jealousy?”
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“Apparently, Castilla told Josiah he would be the munr of Castilla’s herd.” Andor
stopped and faced away from Sven. “When Ramshall told me about Josiah’s blood, I knew
who our betrayer was. I called Malachi and asked him to contact all of his men, plus the law
enforcement departments in the city.”
Sven shifted and pain shot from his hip right into his head. He hissed, trying not to
throw up from it. Andor whirled and knelt next to the bed.
“Would you like some pain medicine? Ramshall left some for you.”
As much as he didn’t want to be drugged out of his mind, he nodded. Taking the edge
off might help him focus better.
“I won’t get addicted to these, will I?” He tossed the pills Andor gave him into his
mouth and drank the rest of the water to wash them down.
“I won’t let you.” Andor trailed his cool fingers down over Sven’s shoulder to his hand
where he grasped it in a strong hold.
“Good. Now you were telling me about how you found me.” He wanted Andor’s story
finished before the pain killers knocked him out.
“Once we determined you’d left the club with Josiah and Castilla, I had Malachi
retrieve the hel-hundr from their kennels.”
“Why use them?”
Andor let go of Sven’s hand and stood before drifting over to the window and sitting
on the sill. “Yes. Remember I told you that if we ever found out who culled my people, I
would call a veiðr.”
“Yes.” Sven didn’t like the sound of that, even if it was just hunting vampires.
“We use the hel-hundr to track them. They are a special breed of canine enhanced to
follow the scent of a vampire over great distances.” Andor tilted his head to the side,
seeming to ponder some unknown thought. “I’ve never cared to know how they do it, but
Malachi said something about them tracing the vampire’s essence, not his scent.”
“It would make sense. We travelled to the warehouse in a car. There’s no way they
could get any kind of real scent from that trail. So they had to be following something else.”
“Hmm…I’ll have to talk to Malachi some more about the hel-hundr. They must have
been bred over the centuries to do what they do.”
“So you used the hel-hundr to find me.” Sven directed Andor back to the subject at
hand.
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“Right. Malachi brought them out and we took them into the city. They tracked Castilla
to the warehouse where the bastard was torturing you. I killed him and we brought you back
here. Doctor Ramshall examined you.” Andor crossed his arms and cleared his throat. “I’m
afraid you’ll have scars.”
“Scars are fine. You have them.”
“Yes, well,” Andor hedged. “I have acquired quite a few more from my fight with
Castilla. It seems that, besides stealing my eyesight, the silver inhibits my healing abilities.”
Sven grinned and motioned for Andor to come closer. “Is that why the room is so dark?
I don’t care about your scars, Andor. You got them while saving me. I can’t see them as
anything but badges of courage.”
Andor eased over to the bed and knelt after turning on the lamp closest to them. Sven
sucked in a deep breath as the full extent of Andor’s injuries appeared. Raw scratches
decorated his face and neck along with several deep lacerations that were stitched together,
but not covered by bandages, giving Andor an odd spooky rag-doll appearance. Bruises
painted almost every inch of Andor’s exposed skin, lending colour in a grotesque way.
One of the scars sliced from Andor’s right temple across his eyelid and down his cheek,
ending at some point under the high collar of his shirt. Sven’s fingers hovered over the
vicious red stripe.
“Oh, my love,” he whispered, pain welling in him. Not for himself, but for the vampire
crouching beside him. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t apologise. It’s what any good Master would do to protect his herd.”
For the first time, Andor’s brisk brush-off of Sven’s concern didn’t hurt Sven. He heard
the tremble in Andor’s voice and listened to the underlying hint of emotion. Andor did care
for him. It was evident in the very wounds the vampire carried.
Most Masters wouldn’t go to the extent Andor had to save Sven. They would have
shrugged at the loss of another herd member and challenged Castilla, simply because he had
taken their property. Andor had appeared like an avenging angel, furious at the torture Sven
had suffered and seething with rage because it had been Sven who was bleeding.
“I doubt that if Castilla had done that to Josiah, you would have killed him,” he pointed
out.
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“True. I would have driven Castilla out of my territory, marking him in some way that
other Masters knew he culled without permission.” Andor drew Sven’s hand to his cheek
and nuzzled against his palm.
“Why am I different? Why not cut your losses with me? I was going to die. You could
have just left me there and not spent the money to have Ramshall take care of me.”
“You are the herd’s munr, Sven. You are far more important to me than any other
human on the planet.”
“But what does it mean to you, Andor? Why am I that important to you?” He pushed,
but he wanted to hear Andor say it. Hell, he needed to hear it straight from Andor’s mouth,
not just infer it from his words.
Andor chuckled softly. “I know what you’re trying to do, Sven. I yield. I saved you
because I’ve discovered that more than being the herd’s munr, you are my heart. You are the
very reason why I live and breathe. I would merely exist if something were to happen to you.
When you die, I will gladly embrace the sun to be with you in the afterworld.”
Sven opened his mouth and Andor pressed his fingers to Sven’s lips.
“No. You don’t understand how momentous that is. When Elessa died, I thought my
world was over, but I never once thought about joining her in death. I am selfish as you
know, and I was just as self-centred when I was human. Elessa was the only person I could
say I ever loved.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “Until you came along. I love
you, Sven, and without you, I would become a complete monster without compassion.”
“If that’s true, then…”
“No.” Andor met his gaze squarely, even though the vampire couldn’t see him.
“But Josiah’s an addict. He needs help, not punishment.”
“Stop. No matter how much I love you, Sven, I will not be lenient. Even when I was
human, I wouldn’t grant mercy to a man who betrayed me. He poisoned my herd and
helped Castilla kidnap you. His mind has been destroyed by the drugs. Josiah will be
culled.”
“Is killing him the right thing to do?”
“He will die without pain and quickly, which is more than he would have allowed for
you. It doesn’t matter whether it’s right or not. I won’t allow him to live and risk him causing
something else to happen to you. You are mine and it’s my job to protect you. Even if that
means I have to kill anyone who threatens you.”
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Sven didn’t know whether to be thrilled that Andor was so possessive of him or be put
out that the vampire didn’t think he could take care of himself. His stomach ached at the
thought of his cousin dying, but he could understand Andor’s position. Unfortunately, the
Viking in Andor had only become more savage when turned into a vampire and preying on
humans.
Andor trailed his hand over Sven’s face. “I won’t cull the rest of the herd. They’ll
continue on being my cattle. Ramshall says that the silver will work itself out of their system
as long as they don’t ingest anymore.’
“Really?”
Sighing, Andor cupped Sven’s cheek and brushed a kiss over his mouth. Pulling back
slightly, Andor said, “I’ll feed from them as well as you, Sven. I won’t risk your life to satisfy
your insecurities. There won’t be any more sex with them though. You are the only human
I’ll fuck.”
“So romantic.”
“If you wanted flowers and candles, you should have said so because that isn’t
something I’m familiar with. I don’t do romance.” Andor’s self-deprecating smile struck
Sven. “I’m not a safe bet for your heart, love.”
“If I wanted safe, I would have left the compound again when you had Malachi bring
me back,” Sven whispered as he leant forward to kiss the vampire.
Andor ended up lying on the bed next to Sven, arms wrapped carefully around him.
Their kisses were soft and gentle. Sven wasn’t in any condition to do anything more than to
allow Andor to treat him with tender caresses and kisses.
“It’s almost time for me to go to sleep,” Andor murmured a few minutes later, his lips
pressed against Sven’s ear.
“Stay with me,” he asked.
“As long as it won’t hurt you.”
“You will never hurt me as long as you never leave me,” Sven admitted.
“Luckily for you, I’m a vampire, so you’ll be abandoning me long before I leave you.”
Andor slid from the bed, stripped quickly, and re-joined him under the furs and
blankets. They snuggled close together, their breathing synced, easing Sven into a relaxed
state.
“I love you, Andor.” He rested his hand on Andor’s chest.
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“Thank the Gods for that.”
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Chapter Fifteen
Andor pulled out Elessa’s bone necklace and held it in his hands. Running his fingers
over it, he brought up her image in his mind. It was the way he always remembered her,
smiling and laughing. As hard as their lives had been, trying to survive in a harsh world,
she’d always been so happy.
“I love him, Elessa,” he spoke aloud, knowing he was alone in his study. “Is that what
you hoped for me when you willingly chose to become my herd’s munr?”
He kissed the bone and pressed it to his forehead.
“Sven reminds me of you, courageous and willing to stand up to me when he believes
in something. I’m finally ready to let you rest in peace, and to stop looking for you in every
person I meet.”
A sense of happiness and peace washed over him. Was it Elessa’s approval or just a
hopeful feeling? Oh, Elessa was dead. He never fooled himself into believing her spirit still
existed out in the ether somewhere. It was nice to think that if she were alive, she’d approve
of his relationship with Sven.
“Thank you.”
“Who are you talking to?”
He straightened, turning towards the study door out to the hallway. Sven entered the
room and Andor tracked his progress by the sounds of his footsteps on the carpet. Leaning
back in the chair, he made room on his lap for Sven. The other man settled on his legs and
encircled his neck.
“I was talking to Elessa.”
“Did she talk back?” Laughter tickled Sven’s words.
Andor pinched Sven’s ass and garnered a squeak from his lover. “Actually, yes, she did
respond to me.”
“What did you tell her?”
Tilting his head, he scanned the room with his senses, making sure no one else was in
there with them. He might be sappy with Sven, but there wasn’t any way he would allow
any of the others to see him that way.
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“Nobody else is with us.” Sven recognised what he did.
He rested his chin on the top of Sven’s head. “I told her that I loved you and was finally
ready to let her go.”
Sven stiffened slightly. “I didn’t realise you held on to her.”
“It’s not so much that I held on to her, but I figured out after falling in love with you
that I’d always looked for her in the other humans I got involved with. You’re the only one
who eases me the way she used to do.”
Tension tightened Sven’s shoulders and Andor knew the younger man didn’t
understand what he meant. He slipped his hand under Sven’s chin and lifted it, hoping their
gazes met.
“Don’t ever think that when I’m with you, I think of her because I don’t. I haven’t really
thought about Elessa in decades. It’s simply that when I was with her, I felt a certain way and
I think I’ve been looking for those same feelings every chance I got. Yet not one human since
her death touched me until you challenged me.” Andor quirked the corner of his mouth in a
slight smile. “You are definitely her descendant because she was the only one who ever stood
toe-to-toe with me.”
“I don’t challenge you,” Sven protested.
“You don’t? You objected to my culling Josiah and the rest of the herd.”
“I’m human, Andor. I don’t like the idea of people dying for no real reason.” Sven
shifted like he wanted to climb off Andor’s lap.
He tightened his grip on Sven’s chin, not letting his lover move away. “That’s what
makes you special to me. I need someone to remind me that humans are more than animals.
You have the right to question me, but as long as you remember that my word is the final
one.”
Sven’s jaw wiggled like he wanted to say something.
“You can challenge me in private, but don’t ever do it in front of the others. I won’t
tolerate that.”
“Okay.”
He grew tired of the conversation. He’d told Sven he loved him and Sven would need
to begin to trust in that love. Keeping Sven’s head where it was he crushed his lips to Sven’s.
It had been six months since Sven’s wounds. Ramshall declared him healed and cleared of
the drug. Andor was ready to claim Sven again.
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“I want you,” he muttered against Sven’s mouth.
“Oh yes.”
Sven jumped to his feet and grabbed Andor’s hand, dragging him to the bedroom.
Andor laughed, but didn’t stop as Sven stripped him without hesitation. His cock stood up
proudly, showing how much he wanted Sven. His lover dropped to his knees and licked a
line up the underside of Andor’s shaft, pressing his tongue to the throbbing vein.
Andor entwined his fingers in Sven’s short hair, not allowing Sven to get away as he
shoved his dick in Sven’s mouth. Sven yielded and took Andor in to the root, swallowing
around the length.
“Oh Gods,” he groaned, rocking in and out of Sven’s amazing mouth. “I missed this.”
Hot moisture surrounded his flesh and the suction milked him. Sven moaned low in his
throat.
“Don’t touch yourself.”
Sven pulled off him and asked, “How did you know I was doing that?”
“I heard you unzip your jeans.” He tapped Sven’s cheek. “I’m blind, not deaf, my
munr.”
“Now you’re like Superman or something, with amazing hearing,” Sven muttered.
Andor smiled at Sven’s disgruntled comment. “Get undressed and on the bed. I want
you to come with my cock in your ass, not in your mouth.”
“I like the sound of that,” Sven quipped as the sound of clothes hitting the floor filled
the room.
The smooth swish of blankets and sheets being turned down indicated to Andor that
Sven climbed on the bed.
“Why are you way over there?”
In a matter of seconds, he crouched over Sven, his hands braced on either side of Sven’s
head and his knees straddling Sven’s thighs. Leaning down, he nuzzled the line of Sven’s
jaw, trailing wet kisses along his throat until he reached the triangle of flesh where the pulse
of Sven’s heart. He pressed his tongue there, savouring the feel of the blood beat under such
a thin layer of skin.
Sven whimpered, his hands grasping Andor’s shoulders. “Please.”
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Andor stuck his fingers in Sven’s mouth, letting his lover get them good and wet before
he moved away. Sven spread his legs and allowed Andor access to his ass. Without
hesitation, Andor invaded Sven’s passage with two fingers.
“Fuck.” Sven hissed at the pressure, but didn’t try to get away.
Moving his fingers in and out to loosen Sven’s hole, Andor bent to suck on the tip of
Sven’s cock to take his lover’s mind off the burn. He lapped at the pre-cum pooling in the slit,
teasing Sven with a scrape of a fang along the bundle of nerves under the crown.
Sven shivered, angling his hips to take more of Andor’s fingers in him. The vampire
took it as a signal that Sven was ready. Of course, it could simply be that Andor was
impatient to fuck Sven and make the man scream his name.
Rearing back, he spit in his hand before coating his dick with his saliva. He positioned it
at Sven’s opening and paused.
“What are you waiting for?” Sven nudged him with his foot.
“I was wishing I could see you laid out like a slut, your legs spread wide, and skin
flushed with lust.”
Until he said those words, Andor hadn’t realised just how much not being able to see
his lover like that bothered him. Sven froze beneath him, and Andor closed his eyes. Silly
really, it wasn’t like he could see out of them, but it was what Sven could see in them that
made Andor uncomfortable.
“I don’t know how to help you get an image like that in your head,” Sven spoke softly,
stroking his hands up and down Andor’s arms.
He shrugged. “It’s not important. At least not as important as having you physically
under me.”
After recoating his cock with more spit, he thrust into Sven, driving a loud grunt from
his lover as he buried himself as deep as he could inside Sven. He didn’t wait for Sven to get
used to him before he started moving.
Sven encircled his waist with his legs, hooking his ankles together at the small of
Andor’s back. The younger man absorbed each slam of their bodies and begged for more.
Yells and cries helped Andor judge the right angle and strength to push Sven into a mind-
scrambling climax. One particularly deep and savage thrust nailed Sven’s gland.
“Andor,” he screamed.
“That’s it.” Andor curled his lips back in a snarl.
OUT OF LIGHT INTO DARKNESS
T.A. Chase
94
Sweat-slicked skin slid together in a primitive dance as they raced to the edge and
plunged over. Sven was first, cum squirting from his cock to bathe their stomachs in warm
liquid. Sven’s trembling body and clenching inner passage drained Andor of his own cum as
he flooded Sven and growled low in his throat.
He collapsed onto Sven, ignoring the squishing sticky feeling of Sven’s spunk between
them. Their breathing synced and slowly evened out. Sven’s fingers running through his hair
soothed Andor.
A few minutes later, Sven chuckled. “We should clean up or we’ll end up stuck
together.”
They peeled away from each other and Andor stood. Sven headed for the bathroom
while Andor moved towards the study.
“Where are you going?”
Andor waved a hand in Sven’s direction, or he hoped it was in Sven’s direction. “I
forgot something. Get the shower going and I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Okay.”
He wandered out into the study, and over to the desk. Kneeling, he ran his hands over
the rug, searching for the bear necklace. His fingers hit the leather thong tied to the bone.
Snatching it up, he checked to make sure it hadn’t been damaged when he dropped it
because of Sven’s eagerness. After standing, he strolled into the bathroom and right into the
shower where Sven stood.
“Here.” He thrust the necklace at Sven.
“Isn’t this Elessa’s necklace?” Sven took it from Andor with shaking hands.
“Yes.” Andor ducked under the hot water, and sighed as it cascaded over his tired
muscles.
“Why are you giving it to me? I mean you kept it all these years without giving it to
anyone else.” Sven paused. “That is, you haven’t given it to other lovers, have you?”
Andor shook his head. “Of course not. I didn’t love any of them, so why would I give
them that necklace?”
Sven rested a hand on Andor’s shoulder, turning him to face Sven. Which he thought
was odd since they couldn’t share meaningful glances anymore.
“Aside from it being Elessa’s, what makes this necklace so important?”
OUT OF LIGHT INTO DARKNESS
T.A. Chase
95
Realising he wouldn’t get any peace until he explained, he cupped Sven’s face and
rubbed his thumb over the man’s swollen lips.
“The necklace represents that you’re mine. In my tribe, before I became a vampire, a
couple in love would exchange items. I killed the bear whose tooth that is and I gave it to
Elessa as a token of my affection. Also, it kept other men away from her because she was
spoken for.”
“Like an engagement ring?”
“Yes, if that’s what you want to call it.” He traced the curve of Sven’s shoulder down to
where his hand held the necklace out. “This is yours now.”
Andor wrapped Sven’s fingers around the necklace and kissed him, hoping it would be
the end of it. He’d shared more emotions since Sven returned to the compound then he had
the last hundred years of his life.
“Okay.”
The splash of water changed as Sven moved around the shower. Andor jumped as arms
encircled his waist and Sven leant against his back. The bear tooth pressed between his
shoulder blades, meaning Sven must have put it on.
“Thank you and I love you as well.”
“Great. Glad we got that taken care of. Can we finish up here and get to bed? The sun’ll
be up in a few minutes.”
Sven chuckled in his ear. “So romantic, but I know what you really trying to say. Let’s
go to bed.”
Turning away, Andor hid his smile. Thank the Gods, he fell in love with a man who
understood him and didn’t always need pretty words.
After centuries of being alone in the most fundamental ways possible, Andor’s heart
soared at the thought of going to bed with Sven. A human who filled him with happiness
and all those emotions he thought he’d lost when Elessa died. Sven showed him that where
Andor’s heart lie, so did love and it was a light to help Andor find his way in his darkness.
About the Author
There is beauty in every kind of love, so why not live a life without boundaries?
Experiencing everything the world offers fascinates TA and writing about the things
that make each of us unique is how TA shares those insights. TA lives in the Midwest
with a wonderful partner of twelve years. When not writing, TA’s watching movies,
reading and living life to the fullest.
T.A. Chase loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website
and author biography at
.
Also by T.A. Chase
(with Carol Lynne)
Dracul’s Revenge: Dracul’s Blood
Dracul’s Revenge: Anarchy in Blood
Total-E-Bound Publishing
www.total-e-bound.com
Take a look at our exciting range of literagasmic™
erotic romance titles and discover pure quality
at Total-E-Bound.
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