DeVante's Coven (19 page)

Reed shook his head. “No, no it wasn’t. He knew too much, but didn’t really know anything.”

What he didn’t say to Maggie was that the kid was a natural lover—he delighted in everything, his senses wide open to Reed’s every touch, sighing and stuttering, letting Reed play his body like a fine-tuned instrument.

He didn’t say that he’d actually been thinking about the kid every minute of every day, couldn’t get him out of his head—not by working until he was exhausted, not by fucking a trick into the mattress, or two tricks, or, he was beginning to suspect, twenty or fifty or a hundred tricks.

He wanted to stay away from this kid, he did—he didn’t need any of this shit. And he’d been trying to avoid him, but Daniel seemed to show up everywhere. Reed had been working on just plain out being an asshole to Daniel last night, but that backfired with the appearance of the guardian’s son.

Smarmy little punk, taking advantage of Daniel, acting like he owned the boy right there in public, and Reed decided he’d take him on if he had to, no problem.

Reed could see dread in Daniel’s face when Roderick showed up—he could see everything in the kid’s face. Somehow that was part of his appeal.

In the end it was Daniel’s fierce wanting of Reed and Roderick not to do this—not to do
something
—that made Reed take a step back, letting Roderick win. This time. But he couldn’t guarantee he’d back off next time.

“Reed,” Maggie said softly. “I already told Daniel that you’re a bad bet all the way around. I don’t see how you can do anything less than break his heart. And how is that going to help him, exactly?”

“Maggie, this guy has hurt him. And will probably continue to hurt him. I feel it in my gut. How can I turn my back on that? I just… just can’t.”

“Because he could be Aidan,” she said. “And you have to rescue him.”

Reed wanted to throw his hands up and scream at her that this had nothing to do with Aidan. “He could
not
be Aidan,” he said, and couldn’t soften the harshness of his voice. “For one thing, I fucked Daniel, made his body wrap around me until he came, shuddering, in my arms, in my bed, begging for more like a wanton little slut.” Reed felt his whole body heaving with his breath, a rush of horrified elation racing through him as he remembered the bliss of Daniel.

“For another thing, Aidan’s dead, and nothing I want or will or wish is ever going to change that. Twelve years dead, and that is that. I have to get over it and you have to let me.”

Her beautiful face paled, and then reddened, as if he had slapped her.

Reed turned his back on her and went into the living room, to sit on the couch where he didn’t have to look at her.

“Let you?” she said, in a quiet, deadly tone. “You think I keep you from moving forward? Well excuse the fuck out of me for trying to be a supportive friend. Maybe you don’t have issues at all—maybe you really are just a bastard.”

Okay, he had to stop this from escalating. He hadn’t intended to start a fight with her. He stuffed his frustration aside, because no matter how aggravated he felt right this minute, he knew better than to alienate his closest, and at times his only, friend. He forced his voice to soften, tipped his head back to look at her. “Maggie, you know you’ve been nothing but the best. I love you truly, and I always will. I could never have made it this far without you, so please forgive what I just said.”

She dropped onto his lap. “At least you know it,” she said, and kissed his forehead. “I forgive you. This time.”

He reached to lace his fingers with hers and said, “I swear to you none of this is about Aidan. Aidan is never coming back. It’s about Daniel, just Daniel. And okay, yeah, he’s young—way too young for me to be getting involved with, but I just… just have to protect him.” He wanted to claim Daniel, catch him up and keep him, make him smile. It didn’t make any sense, but that’s how he felt. He said, “Mags, I let Aidan rest some time ago, but I don’t think I knew how to tell you, because you’ve always been soft on me—and you’re the only one—and I can’t bear for that to change. I’ve been too lonely to stop you from comforting me.”

She pinched his cheeks like an old maid aunt might. “You and I against all conventionality, Reed, remember? Then, now, and evermore.” She smiled into his face. “You’re my best friend, too, you know. And I’m not afraid to say it.”

***

DeVante woke in the early evening, while the sky was still gray. The older he got, the earlier sleep lost its claim on him. He watched Lily sleep beside him for another full two hours. She slept peacefully, as the dead were want to do, and she slept long, as if she fought the act of waking.

He embraced the act of waking, having cultivated a penchant to fight the sleep as long as he could, and shake it off as early as possible. He hated the forced slumber, hated that he should ever be vulnerable.

Staring at Lily, he thought perhaps she would prefer to never wake at all. Waking must be her nightmare, having to face the demons of hunger and bloodlust, and fight them, when both giving in and not giving in offered equal misery.

Her eyes opened, Tony’s name immediately on her lips. DeVante stretched a hand toward her and she drew back with a little cry. He touched her fine black hair anyway, stroked his fingers carefully through it, then gathered her fully to him, speaking softly. “Lily, Lily—you are safe, safe, safe,” until she stopped fighting him and relaxed.

Lily pulled away from DeVante’s embrace. “He left me behind!” She took a deep breath and DeVante waited for her keening wail to follow, but she stayed calm. “Why did he leave me behind?”

“He cannot teach you how to survive this transition. I can. So this is between you and I. Your first alliance may certainly be to Tony. But if you trust me, I can help you.”

Chapter 22



How to be impulsive for spite

Reed was still playing hard to get, and even though Daniel knew he basically had him, it was frustrating the hell out of him. Just two nights ago Reed took him home and fucked him within an inch of his life. Which did not help explain why most other nights Reed would blatantly flaunt picking up some trick or twink, all the while making teasing eyes at Daniel. Sometimes Reed pretended to ignore him completely, and Daniel thought that was the worst. And it looked like this was one of those nights.

And last night there had been that
thing
between Roderick and Reed, almost a standoff, and Daniel had thought,
A-ha, I have you!

Tonight Reed seemed intent on proving differently.

It was making Daniel crazy that Reed was so afraid of letting him in, of caring for him.

It seemed like forever since they first met on the side of the road. Daniel was perfectly settled into the house, and his after-hours party slash fast food gig was working out nicely. There was always someone around to feed from, and he found it a great relief that he no longer had to hunt. Well, for food, anyway. This was the way to be a vampire. Feed from a reliable source, or two or three, then hit the clubs. Daniel hadn’t actually had a serious fuck with anyone but Reed, and he couldn’t let his guard down long enough to enjoy anything in the back rooms of clubs like Mary’s Place. But he danced, and touched, let himself be touched, be kissed and fondled and aroused… always hoping that Reed would take him home.

He had been nervous that DeVante would shut down his after-hours party. But the Master vampire surely knew what Daniel was up to, and hadn’t put the kibosh on it yet. Daniel stayed wary, though, because DeVante might only have been distracted by Trina’s death, punishing Roderick, and dealing with Tony and Lily. He could come down on Daniel at any moment.

Roderick and Tony left tonight for Las Vegas, to find the mortal who had left Tony for dead. Daniel didn’t really understand why Tony was so intent on exacting revenge, but whatever. They’d asked him to come with them, but he wasn’t going anywhere. Especially not when he’d just be the third wheel.

He still felt a sharp pang of jealousy seeing Roderick and Tony together, but that wasn’t the reason he wouldn’t go with them.

Reed was the reason. Reed was the reason for everything.

Daniel searched the crowd of pulsing bodies for the thousandth time, looking to catch Reed’s eyes. Instead his gaze was captured by a leather daddy who’d been cruising him all night. A guy shorter and stockier and way more bulked up than Reed. The guy cruised him with a playful cockiness that Daniel thought was intriguing. He teased Daniel, drew in close to make eye contact and wink, then danced away again.

Something about him was almost… creepy, but Daniel couldn’t pin down exactly what. He seemed all right, had a friendly enough face. Maybe it was that he wore a leather vest over bare skin, and leather chaps over a black leather jock that had snaps up the front. Daniel had heard the term “dungeon master” tossed around, and maybe this guy was the definition. Thing was, those types didn’t hang out much at CK Teasers. They had their own clubs.

Daniel shrugged again, hoping to give a message of non-committal. “Maybe. Maybe another time.”

“Fine,” Leonard said. “Just dance with me then.”

Daniel moved in close to Leonard, their bodies almost touching as they danced, completely out of sync with the music. Leonard dropped his arms over Daniel’s shoulders. “So, what are you into?”

“Into?” Daniel repeated. “I don’t know. I guess I’ll try anything once. What are you into?”

“Lots of things,” Leonard said. “Like leather and handcuffs.”

Daniel’s stomach tightened and he felt a blush creep into his cheeks. “That’s kinky,” he said, because he didn’t know what else to say.

“Not even close,” Leonard said, and gave Daniel another brown-eyed wink. “Come home with me tonight. There’s so much I can show you.” His hands slid down from Daniel’s shoulders to the hem of Daniel’s t-shirt, then slid up beneath the shirt. They were warm on Daniel’s stomach, his touch light, and Daniel’s abdomen rioted with ripples of sensation. Leonard slid his right hand up to Daniel’s left nipple and squeezed and pulled it gently while his left slid down the front of Daniel’s pants.

Daniel sucked in a quick breath as his penis came to attention. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, then almost lost his balance. The guy squeezed Daniel’s hard-on and pulled Daniel’s groin forward, while letting his right hand rove behind Daniel’s back to support him.

They swayed to the music—you couldn’t call standing there getting a hand-job dancing—and Leonard stared into Daniel’s eyes, then leaned his face close and licked Daniel’s lips.

Daniel pulled back for a second, then leaned forward himself to kiss Leonard, who slid his right hand up Daniel’s back, making his shirt ride up, to hold his head, locking Daniel into the kiss. Daniel reeled with sensation, supported only by Leonard’s hands, one firmly holding his cock, the other the back of his head. Strobes lit up the dance floor, flashing, turning everything into a disconnected dream.

Suddenly another pair of hands circled his waist and firmly pulled him away. Reed’s voice came soft in his ear. “Don’t you go anywhere with him.”

That was all. When Daniel turned to greet Reed, all he saw was his retreating back.

Leonard grabbed him and pulled him back again, and spoke. “Trust me, that guy will leave you with nothing but a bad taste in your mouth. Emotionally stunted. Don’t waste your time. I, on the other hand, will teach you things you’ve never known about yourself. I can help you find out who you really are.”

Daniel didn’t know what to say. He admitted to himself that he was intrigued, and a scared, excited part of him wanted to leave with Leonard. He let himself relax against the man, let himself be held and led in the dance. Leonard started a whispered litany in Daniel’s ear of all he wanted to do to him.

“I want to tie you up and spank you until you moan with pleasure, then put the biggest dildo you’ve ever seen into your ass. I want to show you your limits, then push them, teach you all of what your body can feel, if you let it.”

Daniel looked past Leonard’s shoulder. Reed was stalking a guy, touching him, whispering in his ear. The guy laughed. Reed smiled. God he was beautiful. And he never spared a single look for Daniel. Probably not even a single thought. As he watched Reed’s mouth claim the mouth of the stranger, Daniel made up his mind.

“All right.”

And that was all it took. Leonard danced Daniel out the door. “Oh, sweet thing, we’re going to have such a good time.”

Chapter 23



How to raise and train a vampire (take two)

DeVante wondered at the significance of both Roderick and Daniel so recently becoming enamored of mortals who were
more
than mortal, or more than human.