The Real You & Beautiful Goodbyes

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The Week Just Gone...

So I've had a busy week... 

1) Dr Appointments with Emily at the Chiropractor... she has to go every month.

2) I've also been organising crap to take to my Lawyer's Appointment on the 11th October 2016... I won't get into the details as they would probably only bore you to death... I only say that because that's the way I feel.

3) Trying to get back on top of my writing has been interesting. as I have gone through my dropbox files and cleaned everything out and tried to make some order to what's there... So not fun.

4) I've had to resend some of my Rainbow Awards Reviews in to Elisa as they seemed to have gotten lost in the Internet world somewhere... I hate it when that happens.

5) On top of that I'm still doing stuff around the house in hopes that it'll sell. I really just want to move now. I want to unpack my life and take the first step into my future. Is that too much to ask for?

6) Our cat Toby isn't doing to well since his stroke... His back legs seem to be playing up on him, so he's been very snuggly...I hope he gets better soon.

Other than that...

Life in general has been pretty good to me... I can't really complain about anything, which I suppose is a good thing... I have been venturing out when it comes to cooking... Just so we don't get stuck eating the same old boring meals week after week. I think I make more vegetarian meals than anything. that way the meat eaters can have their meat on the side.

I also went out and bought a new doona cover for when I move. It's white with red water colour flowers and black leaves... It was $130- marked down to $59-, and then I got another $5- off because it had a dirty mark on it, which with a bit of elbow grease it came out. I even bought a hot pick and black on for the spare room.

Okay, I'll catch you all next week with an update into my life... I hope you all have an awesome week ahead of you.

The Real You

Wardens of the Guild 1
The Real You
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Releasing: 4 October 2016

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Blurb:

The age-old war between good and evil is bringing changes and with change comes fear—especially the fear of what is to come.

Isiah Gillis and Claudius Reynar are twins in every sense of the word. No one can tell them apart, yet they’re not related. Since meeting, they’ve learned that they’ve become the subject of a legend, something neither of them wanted.

Hatred from their past lives comes knocking and tries to kill Claudius and Isiah by turning Mitch into a weapon against them. Instead, Mitch now shares his body with Remi, a powerful demon lord, who enters their lives—a demon Lord who claims them for his own.

Not everyone is happy that the legend has been fulfilled and they will do everything in their power to tear apart the strong bond the four men possess. Laramie realizes he has to separate from Mitch or risk losing one of his mates so completely it could break them all.

When old and new enemies alike step forward to destroy who they are, Isiah, Mitch, Claudius and Remi gather family and friends to fight in the war to save them all. Can things be set to right before evil intentions win?

Excerpt:

      Mitch Evans tugged his friend, Eric Meyers, to a stop. “I’m not sure this is such a good idea, mate. When things seem too good to be true, I always end up getting bit on the ass.”

“I think it’s a bloody perfect idea, Mitch. You need somewhere to live and these guys need help with the rent and everyday living expenses.” Eric grinned down at him, which wasn’t hard considering he was almost a foot taller than Mitch.

Still, Mitch needed to get some verification before he took another step. “You said they’re vampires—old vampires. Why don’t they already have money to pay the rent? What’s wrong with them?” Mitch queried. There has to be something wrong with them to be in such dire straits. Why isn’t their day warden looking after them?

Eric stared at him for a moment, probably trying to decide how much he was allowed tell him. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Claudius and Isiah. I promise, they’re really nice, and I know for a fact you’ll get on with them very well. Just give this a chance…please. I need you to do this for me.”

Mitch rolled his eyes at his best friend. “Do Claudius and Isiah even know you’re trying to fob me off on them?” What if they don’t like me? Where will I be then?

“Define know,” Eric asked a little too evasively.

Nervousness hit him like a tidal wave. “Jesus, Eric!” he snapped. They came to a halt outside the door of a small, brick unit. “You really need to stop doing shit like this. You can’t expect us all instantly to get along and play happy families. What the hell is their day warden going to say if I suddenly move into their territory?”

“Mitchell Bryan Evans,” Eric growled, and Mitch knew he was in trouble when he heard his full name. He waited patiently for Eric to continue. An interruption at this point could result in a hissy fit of major proportions. “Okay, I admit I do have an ulterior motive for you moving in here. I’m not just bringing you here for shits and giggles. Jeez, what do you take me for? I’m not that fucking stupid.”

“Then before we go any further, why don’t you tell me what the hell your motives are?” Mitch retorted hotly. He had been played for a fool one too many times to simply walk right into the next disaster. How many times do I need to be kicked to the curb before I get the clue to keep clear of situations like this?

Sighing deeply, Eric answered, “The reason I need you to move in is because Claude and Isiah don’t have a day warden anymore, and even though I hate to admit it, I’m finding it really hard to look after both them and Daven. Besides, I think you’ll love Claude and Isiah if you give yourself the chance to get to know them. They really are the sweetest guys, even if it does drive a person nuts trying to keep track of who is who. Believe me, I’ve been friends with them for over three hundred years and I still mix them up daily,” he said, then turned and used his key to open the door. “Come in. They’ll be getting up soon.”

Mitch let his gaze wander over everything the room held and he soon realized Eric was right. They really didn’t have much of anything. Still, he had to wonder why. What happened to everything they owned? How the hell have they been surviving living like this? “Shouldn’t we have at least waited for Claudius and Isiah to be awake when I enter their home for the first time? I thought you told me vamps were very territorial about people invading their space?” Mitch whispered. He frowned when Eric pulled him through the flat toward what he assumed was the kitchen.

Eric shrugged nonchalantly then opened the door leading into a small bedroom.

Definitely not the kitchen. It took a moment for Mitch’s eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. Upon his first eyeful of the two naked figures on the bed, Mitch inhaled sharply. Stepping closer, he saw they were spooning. There was something about the sight which absolutely captivated him.

“They’re…they’re…” He stood there soaking up the sight of the two cuddling men.

“Yeah, it kinda freaked me out at first, and I don’t want to even know how close their relationship really is,” Eric said.

Mitch noticed his gaze never drifted from the bed or its inhabitants.

“What are you talking about?” Mitch whispered, a little perplexed that something so innocent would freak someone out.

“Weren’t you going to say they’re naked and snuggling?”

Mitch snorted. “No.”

“Then what were you going to say? They’re what?” Eric asked.

“They’re stunning,” Mitch answered. A deep blush raced across his body like a fire consuming him. He backed slowly out of the room, pulling Eric after him. He needed to get the hell away from Claudius and Isiah. His body was already giving away more than he was willing to share.

“Wait until you actually meet them. They’re even more gorgeous with their eyes open,” Eric sighed dramatically. The second he seemed to realize his faux pas, his eyes widened in embarrassment. “I meant to a girl. They’d be even more beautiful when they’re awake. Or possibly to a gay guy. Not that I’m saying there’s anything wrong with being gay.” Eric blushed even more profusely. “I think I’ll just shut up now.”

Mitch nudged Eric’s shoulder while he was again led through the unit and into the kitchen. “I think those two would be sexy to anyone. Do I get to see what’s behind door number two?” He pointed in the direction of another closed door that he guessed led to a second bedroom.

“Nah, that’s only Daven, and he gets kinda touchy about people seeing him while he sleeps. It freaks him out, and if he found out, he would be pissed at me. Believe me, that’s something neither of us wants to witness.” Eric walked over to the kitchen bench and filled the kettle. “Come on, I’ll make you a coffee. I’ll even use the good stuff.”

“Are you trying to bribe me, or what?” Mitch chuckled and sat at the table.

“Most definitely.”

Eric made the coffee, and after, Mitch realized he was pulling out bags of blood. He lined them up on the counter to warm, apparently for when their recipients began to stir for the day.

“Why don’t the twins have a day warden?” Mitch asked curiously as Eric went about cooking breakfast. He wondered if he would like taking over the duties of caring for two strangers. It would be hard, but he’d get used to it.

“I should tell you that technically, they’re not twins. Hard to believe, I know. Seeing how they look so much alike. To be honest, I’m not sure they’re even related. I heard someone say once that everyone in the world has someone who is the mirror image of themselves. It’s not often that they find each other, so I bet it freaked Claudius and Isiah out when they met for the first time. In the beginning, they did have a day warden.” Eric scowled. “Gabriel is Isiah’s cousin, but he hates both of them. In his eyes, he was forced into the job of caring for his cousin and for Claude. So, for the past couple of centuries, he’s been trying—unsuccessfully, thank God—to kill them off. He tries something every couple of months. I think Gabriel’s about due to strike again.”

For some reason, that didn’t sit well with Mitch. He wanted to know more and figured the only way he would get answers was to ask. “Can’t someone else be assigned as their day warden? Why did he even take the job if he didn’t like them? How can they look so much alike if they’re not twins? And why did you get lumbered with the job?” There has to be more to the story.

Eric handed him a mug of coffee and sat at the table with him. “It’s not that simple to become a day warden. You need to be bound to your charge for eternity. Plus, you have to have been the one who was with them at their time of change. For example, I became Daven’s day warden because we happened to be in the middle of a fistfight when he went through his change. I actually volunteered to take care of the boys when it became obvious Gabriel wasn’t. Daven is a member of the Guild and he ended up taking Claude and Isiah under his wing.”

Mitch’s eyes widened. “Are you telling me prior to the fight with Daven that you weren’t even friends? Sounds like this Gabriel sucks big time.”

“Good God, no. We absolutely hated each other, hence the fight. The bond between a day warden and their charge is instantaneous and can only be broken by death. While Daven lives, so do I. Just so you know, Gabriel Gillis wasn’t always a dick. Isiah said they used to be really close. After their turning, he went from friend to enemy.”

“But you and Daven are obviously friends now. I’m sure there must be a story behind why Gabriel did what he did,” Mitch stated curiously before adding, “What I really want to know is why do some people change while others don’t? I mean, why Daven and not you?”

“No clue what the story is behind Gabriel. Neither Claude nor Isiah like to talk about him much. And you’re right, Dav and I are friends. Now we’re closer than full-blooded brothers. We’ve been together for five hundred and twelve years. We have no secrets from each other. As to why him and not me, it’s genetics. His family must be descended from the first generation of vampires. Mine are descended from humans…as are yours. Only humans can become day wardens. Mind you, in some families only a few change, while the rest remain human. It’s one of the reasons the guild was formed in the first place. They say they are out to protect us, but I have a feeling it’s more to do with them all being nosey and wanting to know everyone else’s business. Just don’t tell Dav I said that. If you do, I’ll deny everything.”

Mitch frowned. “You still haven’t explained to me how they can look like twins if they’re not related.” Weirdly, his curiosity was getting the better of him. Crap like this always made him leap instead of looking first. His heart was going ‘pick me, pick me’, all the while his brain was telling him to shut the fuck up.

“To be honest, I don’t really know. By all rights they should be twins, except they aren’t. Their names are Claudius Reynar and Isiah Gillis. From what they’ve told us, they never even laid eyes on each other until the day of their changes. Daven thinks when they laid eyes on each other for the first time, it triggered the change, and unluckily for Gabriel, he was the one who happened to be there with Isiah and Claudius. Most people of our world think Claude and Isiah are the two men mentioned in the ancient scrolls. The legend is of two men who are mirror images of each other, but not related, and how they set about changing the way of the world.”

Mitch got the feeling Eric wasn’t telling him the whole truth, but he wasn’t going to push it. Everyone was entitled to his or her secrets. Though, if he took over the care of the two vampires who lived here, then he would be demanding some answers. At a noise from the doorway, Mitch looked up and stared at an extremely beautiful young guy standing there. Hell, are all vampires this frickin’ good-looking? The man’s green eyes were crystal clear, and Mitch got the feeling the guy was seeing inside his soul. He cautiously watched the newcomer head straight for the bagged blood lining the kitchen bench without speaking.

Broody much?

Eric looked up at the newcomer and said, “Hey, Dav, this is my friend Mitch Evans. He’s come over to see about renting the spare room.”

Daven once again turned his icy-green gaze in Mitch’s direction. He didn’t say a word as he poured the blood into a cup. He brought the mug to his lips and drank deeply. Walking over to the table, he then sat and smirked at Mitch. “Well, this should be interesting.”

Mitch felt like a bug under a microscope at the way Daven openly stared at him. It’s lucky Daven is so good-looking, because people don’t realize he has absolutely no tact whatsoever.

* * * *

Isiah woke to the strong scent of a human permeating the air, and he knew immediately it wasn’t Eric. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. He could also detected Eric, but there was someone with him—a stranger. Whoever it was had been in the room while he and Claudius had been asleep. He hated the fact that some stranger had watched them sleep. Strangers never understood the need for closeness between him and Claude. Everyone always immediately assumed they were closely related. No one ever believed they weren’t actually full-blooded twins.

“What’s the matter, Isiah?” Claude asked.

Isiah sighed as Claude tightened his arms ever so slightly around him. Isiah felt Claude freeze when he also must have registered the foreign scent in the air. Releasing Isiah, Claude sat up, turned to him and snapped, “Who the hell is in our home?”

“I don’t know.” Isiah rolled onto his back and gazed up into Claude’s troubled eyes, feeling exactly the same way. “They were in our room. They saw us.”

“I’ll be okay, Isiah. I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again. I promise.”

Isiah shivered uncontrollably at his lover’s words. Painful memories of his cousin filled his mind. He didn’t ever want Gabriel coming back and destroying their happiness again. Why couldn’t Gabriel leave them the hell alone? They’d given him everything, then Gabe had turned his back and walked away, and still the bastard wanted them dead. Didn’t his cousin know he and Claude had nothing left to give?

Guest Blogger ~ Jackie Nacht

Paranormal Dentistry for the Fanged and Friendly

Print Version.

Author: Jackie Nacht

Publisher: MLRPress

Release Date: 23 September 2016

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BLURB:

The Full title of this work is "Paranormal Dentistry for the Fanged and Friendly Volume #1"

Shifters need dentists too! Come to the town of White Pine, where shifters live and fall in love.

Peanut Butter and Jelly for Two—Meet Phillip, a chipmunk, and Gunner, a wolf. Phillip has seen handsome men walk through the door of Paranormal Dentistry for the Fanged and Friendly but none so gorgeous as his boss and wolf shifter, Dr. Gunner Samuels.

Stalking the Hygienist—Meet Serge, a deer, and Beauregard, a lion. When Sergei saw Beauregard coming up to his meat counter, he fell for the deer shifter. The problem is Beauregard is running from him. Being the lion shifter he is, Sergei decides to go hunting.

Chipmunk Drizzled in Honey—introduces Dallas, a bear, and Nikko, a chipmunk. Dallas is the owner of the donut shop, Honey Cakes. He thought his life was perfect until Nikko the chipmunk sashayed into it. Dallas doesn't know if he wants to push the spunky chipmunk away or make love to him.

Fall for the whole chipmunk family in A Paranormal Chipmunk Christmas.

Hot on a Chipmunk's Tail—introduces Jason, a chipmunk, and Will, a mountain lion. Jason has lived under the protection of his twenty siblings, but takes a chance to leave Will behind when he runs to White Pine. Unfortunately, some of his brothers are coming along for the ride.

White Pine Chipmunk Invasion—features Winslow, a chipmunk with a twin, and Teegan, a Nile croc. The twins are White Pine's troublemakers, making a path of destruction wherever they go. Winslow has been secretly meeting up with a certain Nile croc who has been hinting at wanting more.

EXCERPT: 

A minute later, the bell chimed again, and the sounds of disgruntled protests filled the waiting area as Dallas and Dr. Samuels walked in together. Dear Lord, Gunner was a lethal combination of handsome and sex all rolled up into one. Phillip blatantly stared. Hell, he couldn't help it. The man was packed solid. Phillip had thought when he first started working there a couple months ago that he would tame his desire for the man, but no such luck. Sheesh, he had it bad if he was long-necking Gunner's fine body.

Gunner walked like the wolf shifter he was, with a lethal grace that had the ability to make everyone stop what they were doing and take notice. A smile that was so perfect that Phillip was surprised the man wasn't starring in toothpaste commercials. Hell, Phillip was going to need the drool bib.

Trying to distract himself, Phillip glanced over to see Dallas take a seat without checking in. The grumpy bear didn't look too pleased at coming in today. Phillip grabbed the sign-in sheet and jotted Dallas's name down.

Dr. Samuels came through the glass door separating the waiting room from the patient rooms. He filled up the space, making Phillip feel even smaller than his five foot eight inches. Phillip's hand shook as he put the sign-in sheet back at the window.

Dr. Samuels showed his pearly whites, smiling with full luscious lips that Phillip had fantasized about since day one. "How are you this morning, Phillip?" Dr. Samuels leaned on the check-out counter as Phillip handed him his computer tablet that stored all the patient files and appointments for the day. That was the first thing Phillip changed when he got here. The dentist was not allowed to have a pile of paper covering his desk ever again.

And just like always, Phillip got all tongue-tied, feeling like a complete idiot in front of the good dentist. "Nuh." Dear Lord, that wasn't even a word. Phillip wanted to crawl under his desk in embarrassment.

Beauregard came walking down the hall and began to distract Gunner. Thank you, Beauregard! Could that have been any more awkward? Phillip thought he better get his act together or the dentist was going to question his ability to work here if he continually talked in incoherent babble all the time.

Standing up, Phillip ran to the back to grab a coffee in the break room, pouring the usual four hazelnut creamers in it. Yeah, it was frowned upon to drink coffee in the office but sometimes a chipmunk needed a pick-me-up to get through the day.

Beauregard stuck his head in. "What the hell was all that about?"

Phillip groaned in misery. "You heard?"

"Um...yeah. You know what you need to do? Just ask the wolf out. Hell, have him over for dinner."

~

"I can't cook, especially meat."

"Sure, you can. You're an omnivore. Don't you eat everything? Just pop a roast in the oven and voila!" Beauregard said loudly.

Dr. Samuels walked in. "I love roast."

Beauregard smirked at Phillip, an entire inner dialog being exchanged with their eyes.

Don't you dare. Phillip glared.

Beauregard raised a brow. Ooooh really? Is that a challenge?

Paybacks are hell!

Beauregard turned his back on Phillip.

Casually, Beauregard spoke as if he wasn't throwing Phillip under the bus, "You should come over to Phillip's for dinner tomorrow night. He's really good at cooking and was going to make a roast for just his little lonesome."

Liar!

"Really? I don't want to intrude." Gunner glanced over at Phillip.

Sweat began to build on Phillip's brow as a million thoughts passed in a nanosecond. From wanting to strangle Beauregard, to hugging him, to panic that this was his one chance, all the way to the thought that he had no fucking clue how to cook.

"I'd love to have you over," Phillip blurted out before he could take it back. I'm screwed!

ABOUT JACKIE:

Short, sexy and sweet—where a little love goes a long way.

That’s the best way to describe Jackie Nacht’s stories. I was introduced to M/M Romance through my sister, Stephani, and read it for years. Then, I thought it was time to put my own stories on paper. I began writing short and sweet stories that ended with a happily ever after…and sometimes more than one, in the case of my YA Fork in the Road series, which has interactive endings.

Thinking back to my own book addiction, where there were many nights I stayed up way too late so I could read just one more chapter—yeah, right—I decided to write short romances for young adults as well as adults. Hopefully, they will give high school and college students, or working men and women something they can read during their lunch hour, in between classes or just when they want to briefly get away from the daily stresses of everyday life.

Find Jackie Here

Goodreads ~ Facebook

Website

Beautiful According To Me

Throwback Thursday

The Lines of Marsden 1
Rules are Meant to be Broken
2014

Blurb:

The Lines of Marsden were born into existence for a reason: to right the wrongs that had once taken place. Destiny fated that they must destroy the Eldren before evil wins.

Michael Marsden wants to die – for real this time. He wasn’t meant to lead the half-life that he does. He chooses to let it go and let death take what it had already claimed.

But Christian Risely isn’t about to let that happen.  He is drawn to Michael and is willing to do anything to ensure that he lives, even if that means keeping him alive against his will.

Excerpt:

Chapter One

So much to live for.

  Michael's gaze slowly drifted around the crowded and smoky nightclub, watching the unsuspecting people go about their lives, not knowing things like him existed, walked among them. Here these people were, laughing and enjoying the lives they all took for granted.

  Anger—or something very much like it—settled low in his stomach. He was pissed off; these people all had something that he had lost forever. Feelings like these scared him, knowing he was no longer one of them. Thanks to some fucked up twist of fate, he couldn't go back to the life he had always known. Everything was so confusing—he didn't even know if he was even fully human anymore. What had he done in his life that was so wrong he ended up with this destiny? He was a pacifist for crying out loud. Running away and letting Gypsy deal with the hard stuff had always been his way of coping.

  A cigarette dangled loosely from his pale fingertips as the music pounded through his body in place of the heartbeat he no longer felt. This alone made him angrier still, because it showed just how fucked up his life had become. Why the hell had this happened to him? Especially when he had so much to live for. He had Gypsy! And he missed her so much. The thought made him smile sadly—he bet not many brothers would say such nice things about their sisters. But Gypsy was special—she was his twin. Gypsy knew him better then he knew himself. Their grandad had told him often enough, "Michael never walk away from your sister. No matter what happens to you both in life, remember she is your strength. Her job is to protect you in what is to come." It was bullshit memories such as this which made everything so damn hard. Why had his grandad told him lies? It only made him hurt a hundred times more.

  Michael swiped at his angry tears and pushed away from the table. Not wanting to be around these people any longer, knowing they took for granted everything he wanted back, Michael walked outside and headed down the darkened street. He was finding it harder and harder not to give into his cravings. Even now it gnawed at his insides, demanding he take notice. He needed to work out if he was going to give into what his body wanted, or fight it, and more than likely die.

  Blocking out the one voice behind him, her voice—Why did Gypsy haunt him so? Why couldn't she leave him alone?—Michael headed into the park, taking the least used paths so he wouldn't run into anyone. At the sound of murmuring voices he stopped, listened. Michael was glad neither were the same voice from earlier, yet they were ones he had heard before. Undoubtedly he was being followed again. Tonight he just wished they would just go away and leave him in peace. Didn't they know he found their constant surveillance annoying? He was twenty-two years old for crying out loud. Seriously he didn't need this shit. Not tonight. Trying to ignore them, he continued on his way, wondering what made him so fascinating to them.

  As he tried to ignore their presence, he turned his thoughts inwards to his anger, all the things which pissed him off. At the top of the list was hearing Gypsy's voice calling out to him wherever he went. He missed his sister so much. There was no running from the memories of what they once shared. Her voice was slowly sending him insane. This was why Michael hadn't turned when he heard her. It wasn't real. She wasn't actually there, and turning to find it was all in his imagination would make him want to go and find her. Find her, to seek out what they had once shared. If his sister was here then he wouldn't be so lonely. This was the reason why he pressed his hands over his ears to block her out as he walked away. She had once promised him they would be together forever. What a crock of shit it had all turned out to be. Why had two people he cared about lied to him? First Grandad and now Gypsy?

  Groaning, he pressed a hand to his throat. He hated knowing as his hunger grew his obsession with Gypsy escalated. How could he want to be with her when he was this way? Deep down he knew he wanted to make her the same, to be able to keep her with him for always like she had promised. If she were with him then he wouldn't have to spend the rest of his existence on his own. With Gypsy here he would be strong enough to survive and not be as scared as he felt. He knew his emotions jumping from pissed off to scared all the time wasn't good for him. But there was nothing he could do about. Or rather, nothing he was willing to do about it.

  In reality it terrified him because he could imagine feeding from her, the taste of her blood filling his mouth, and it disgusted him because he knew if he truly wanted to do it she would let him.

  How sick was that?

  Slowing his pace, Michael concentrated. Someone was still watching him—actually there were two of them. They smelt the same yet completely different, and strangely the scent of each of them called to him. This wasn't the first time he had sensed them following him, but tonight it felt different. Usually they kept their distance. Tonight Michael could feel his watchers' curiosity, and it overrode his hunger. He didn't know how he was able to do this; it seemed to be something new which had come to him with his change of circumstances. The thought alone made him almost burst out laughing.

  Change of circumstances. What a crock.

  Inhaling, he found the watchers' scents were strange, intoxicating—sweet with just a little touch of spice. It made his mouth water. Both called to him, pulling at him as much as his thoughts of Gypsy did. He shook his head as if to clear it. He really didn't need this crap. Michael pulled out a cigarette and placed it between his trembling lips. His hands shook so much as he struck the first match it went out before he could get it anywhere near the tip of his smoke. With a sigh, he tried again and grimaced sadly when he succeeded. In that brief instant when the flame flickered in front of his face he heard the watchers' breaths catch and wondered why. What did the watchers see? What was making them react the way they were? It seemed strange all the crap filtering through his head nowadays, making him think and wonder "why" all the time. Michael's lips twitched as he once again he heard a sigh, or sighs. There were two of them.

  With a wince, he inhaled on his cigarette. It was funny how quickly a habit could form. He had only taken up smoking so he wouldn't give in to the hunger his body craved so badly. Yet the hunger was an itch deep down inside, one he couldn't relieve no matter how much he scratched. He was growing weaker; he could feel it with every passing day. Even now it hurt just to smoke. It was almost too hard to raise his hand to his face. Breathing, which had once come so easily to him, felt as though he had swallowed hot coals. It burned badly and he needed it to stop.

  Pain shot through his head. He stumbled, falling to the ground. Michael watched the glowing tip of his cigarette—it had fallen mere inches from his face. Tonight he would have to give in or die, he knew it. A slow maniacal laughter echoed into the surrounding darkness, cut short by the effort it took as he rolled onto his back. Staring at the dark sky above him he realised his choice was made. His eyes fluttered before closing.

  If he died then all of this could end. No more fear. No more anger. No more pain. Just peace.

  "Please God! Please don't let me wake up again. Please?"

*

  Christian stood with Doyle in the shadows and watched as Michael seemed to struggle with himself. Michael was the newest member of their family, whether he wanted to be or not.

  Pain had such a tantalising way about it, Christian thought as he closed his eyes. Breathing deeply, he savoured the experience of it. It reminded him of something, but he couldn't quite remember what, and he knew it would drive him crazy until he worked it all out. He wanted so much to bite and taste Michael just a little bit, but it wasn't allowed. His instructions were to watch.

  Pulling out his phone, he tossed it to Doyle and listened as he dialled, his gaze never leaving Michael. Christian studied Michael as he lay on the ground laughing as he stared up into the darkness. What so funny? Something about Michael pulled Christian to him, and he didn't know what it was, or why the urge to be near Michael was so strong. He loved the fact he was the one who was going to help Michael survive. Okay, so he wasn't alone, but Doyle didn't seem as fascinated as he did. Doyle seemed almost angry, and tense.

  Christian realised he could do whatever he wanted to Michael and no one would be any wiser. Well, except for Doyle. The thought of Doyle watching made him chuckle. What would Doyle think if I started making out with Michael?

  "Charm, he's down." Doyle told her where they were before he put the phone away and then walked toward the unconscious form lying on the ground. It would take about forty-five minutes for the others to get here. Forty-five minutes where he and Christian would be alone with Michael.

  Picking up Michael's cigarette, Doyle took a drag before flicking it away into the darkness. It tasted of peppermint and roses. Doyle had the urge to find out what Michael's mouth would taste like. The craving shocked and mildly repulsed him - he had never had this kind of reaction before to anyone, much less a guy. As he sat on the grass beside Michael, his fingertips itched to reach out and stroke the stranger's face. Michael's face. Charm had told them earlier when she had found out his name, and it was such a beautiful name. His fingertips tingled at the touch as he gave in to his desire. He couldn't help but notice Christian was just as equally, if not more fascinated by him.

  As he studied Michael lying there, Christian wanted desperately to be able to hear his thoughts. He wanted to know everything in Michael's mind. Maybe then he could work out why he was pulled toward Michael as he was. Glancing over at Doyle, Christian frowned, feeling jealous because Doyle had been the first to touch Michael.

  They both knew Michael was dying; he needed to feed. Christian wanted to ease his pain. Rather, he needed to ease his pain. Somewhere deep inside him something was telling him Michael belonged to him and was his to protect.

  Leaning over him, Christian spoke softly in Michael's ear. "I will help you. I will make it so you can live. I will make it so you can stay with me, with us for all eternity." Christian wanted to devour Michael's mouth in a deep and lingering kiss. He wanted so much just to push his tongue into Michael's mouth so he could taste him more thoroughly. In his mind his lips began kissing Michael's face over and over as they lay there tasting every inch of skin. It was a pity Michael wasn't aware of what he was thinking. If he were, would Michael enjoy those thoughts? He wondered about Doyle. What would he think if he knew Christian had a crush on the new guy? At least in his own mind he could do what he wanted.

  Oh well, as long as one of us is having fun. And boy would I have had fun.

  While he waited for what he needed to come along, he told Doyle all about what he planned to do. "It's simple, I just kill some poor unsuspecting person who happens past our way and then I will drink all their nice delicious blood and spit it into his mouth so he can get better."

  Doyle rolled his eyes. "Chris, there are easier ways to do it."

  "Yes, but will it be as fun as my way? Well, fun for me." Though really, he should get Michael's permission before doing the deed.

  Turning his attention back to Michael, Christian asked, "So do you want me to save you?" Michael stared at him with glazed over eyes, as if he was only half aware of what was going on. When he didn't answer, Christian made Michael's head nod, and kissed him on the forehead. "Good boy, love. I thought you would see it my way."

*

  Doyle saw Michael try to shake his head in the negative. "Chris, he doesn't want this. You can't change him against his wishes." It killed a little part of Doyle to say it.

  "He's already changed. I am just giving him a little boost," Christian said. He jumped to his feet as they heard someone approaching. Christian's whole demeanour seemed to alter and Doyle knew the hunt was on.

  Doyle watched as Christian took off through the park before turning his attention back to Michael, who still lay on the ground. His gaze locked onto Doyle's as if pleading.

  "What do you want me to do, Michael?" Doyle had to lean down close to listen for the other man's answer.

  Michael rasped softly, "Please."

  Doyle didn't hesitate as he bit his own wrist and placed it over Michael's mouth. As he felt the pull of Michael's feeding, he hoped he wasn't making the biggest mistake of his life. Something about Michael drew him, yet he wasn't comfortable acknowledging how it made him feel. He wasn't gay and he didn't ever want to be gay. He must only be feeling this way because Michael was helpless. Who wouldn't feel sorry for someone desperately needing help?

  Michael whimpered as Doyle removed his arm.

  "Shh, Chris is bringing you more. I promise."

* * *

  Christian stalked his prey through the park for perhaps five minutes, just waiting for his moment. It amazed him how stupid people really were. Why would they walk all by themselves though a darkened park at this time of night? Not even caring there were dangerous things out there in the night, not all of which were animals? He gave a low growl and let the demon within run free.

  The woman never had a chance. She didn't even realise she was about to die until she turned and saw him there, and she was dead before she had time to scream. The hardest part was carrying her back to Michael when he was tempted to drain her himself.

  "Still here? Excellent! For a moment I thought you may have gotten bored and wandered off with Doyle," Christian said to Michael's inert form, and then winked in Doyle's direction. He laid the girl on the ground beside Michael. Christian drank deeply and her salty warmth flowed readily into his mouth. Moving toward Michael, Christian gently lowered his lips until they pressed against Michael's. He used his tongue to once again part Michael's lips, but this time it was just enough to let the warmth he held trickle into the other's mouth. His fingertips gently held the side of Michael's face to keep it steady. It felt strange but nice as Michael's tongue flicked into his mouth seeking what he had to offer. He heard Doyle growl behind him.

  Christian's eyes snapped to Doyle in confusion. "Why does he taste like you?"

  When Doyle shrugged, Christian turned back to feeding Michael. He repeated the action of feeding Michael many times until he thought Michael would survive the journey home. The last time, it felt more as if Michael was responding to one of his kisses and it made him groan. He wanted so much to explore the sensation, but instead he jerked back when he heard Kerr and Charm approaching. What would they say if they found him on the ground kissing Michael beside a dead body? It was bad enough Doyle had witnessed it all.

  Now it was time to take Michael home so he could join his family.

  "See love," Christian spoke casually to Michael's inert form, "now that you have fed, we are going home." Christian moved to the side as he watched Kerr pick Michael up and start to carry him toward Ambrose Street. Charm and Doyle stayed behind to dispose of the young woman's remains while Christian followed Kerr. He wasn't going to let Michael get too far out of his sight. Not now. Not ever.

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