DeVante's Coven (4 page)

Daniel grinned at him.

“But how old are you?

Daniel instantly shut off the grin and just shrugged. “I told you, twenty-one.” But he was unnerved by Reed, by his own utter willingness to obey the man and he didn’t think he sounded convincing.
He ducked his head, felt himself blush, and looked at Reed through lowered lashes. “Don’t look at me like I’m some dumb teenager.”

Reed’s mouth turned up in a sly smile. “You are a dumb teenager. Hitch-hiking.”

“I’m twenty-one,” Daniel insisted, fighting the urge to cross his fingers.

“Right.” Reed brushed the back of his hand along Daniel’s jaw, just below the scar that still faintly disfigured Daniel’s cheek. “And I don’t believe it for a minute. You might,” he paused to peer at Daniel’s face, “might be nineteen. But I doubt it.”

Daniel shrugged. Reed could believe what he wanted to. Daniel wasn’t going to explain how he was eighteen in people years, two in vampire years, and twenty chronologically. He leaned up, pressed his face against Reed’s throat, and nipped at him.

Ahhh, if you only knew
, Daniel thought. “I don’t look like a lot of things. What
do
I look like?”

“A bright, fresh-faced all-American kid looking to tarnish his innocence. And that I can help you with.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes, really.” Reed leaned into Daniel, touching his cheek, then his chest, then the sides of his body, his movements so subtle that his weight was merely comforting, not uncomfortable, when he covered Daniel’s body with his own. “So,” he said, his breath soft across Daniel’s face. “Have you ever done this before?”

“Let myself be picked up by a complete stranger? I can’t say that I have.”

“I meant have sex with a man.”

“Oh. Well, my guardian’s... um... son. A couple of times. But it wasn’t nice, like this. It was stupid. He’s a lot older than me, a little cruel, and I think he just liked being in control.”

Okay, it was kind of a lie. He’d had a few, very few, tender nights with Roderick, but Roderick much preferred blood over sex. And when they did get close in that way, it was because one manipulated the other, by bargain or agreement, so there was a level of obligation involved. Not like this.

“No one should be cruel to you.” Reed touched Daniel’s left cheek again, tracing the faint scars there. “Did he do this?”

Daniel shook his head, raised his own hand to push Reed’s away. When they were new, the claw marks on his face had been raised and bright red, but with the help from DeVante’s blood, they had settled and faded to fine white lines. His amazing vampire body. “Nah, that was just a stupid accident.” He did not offer Reed an explanation. How could he? If he thought about the bitch who’d tried to rip his face off, he’d lose his hard-on. Of course, if he thought about Roderick and DeVante taking and feeding him blood to change him to vampire, he’d get it back. Lose one, win one.

Reed trailed a finger down Daniel’s chest, stopping to toy with his nipple. “I’m a lot older than you, too.” He pinched Daniel’s nipple, hard. Daniel’s heart jumped. And his cock. Reed’s words were clear and deliberate. “And make no mistake, lad, I am in control.”

“I know,” Daniel whispered, staring up at him. “I want you to be. Teach me how to be your lover.”

Reed lifted his body and coaxed Daniel with his hands to lie again on his stomach. Kneaded his shoulders, kissed his neck; trailing a line of kisses and gentle bites all the way down his spine until his mouth, his tongue, dipped right into... Daniel blushed to even think of it. He couldn’t imagine doing that to anyone, ever. And he felt a thrill of fear that he might be asked to return the favor. Reed’s tongue stabbing into him sent tremors through Daniel’s whole body, making him tight and loose all over all at the same time. Making him cry out Reed’s name, not even knowing what he was begging for.

“Roll over on to your back,” Reed whispered, and when Daniel did, Reed moved up to kiss Daniel’s mouth, his hands cupping Daniel’s face, their bodies curled together, and there was that heat, that incredible human heat, rising between them.

Daniel felt Reed’s arousal against his groin, cocks touching, rubbing, while the kiss went on and on, and Reed’s hands roamed Daniel’s body, tickling for just a moment, then massaging, soothing. Reed pulled away and slid down the bed and took Daniel’s cock into his mouth. Oh sweet heaven. While his mouth did magical things, his hand cupped Daniel’s balls, fingers dancing toward Daniel’s tongue-moistened hole, and again Daniel was thrilled and terrified.

When Reed’s finger slid into him, it was over almost immediately. He put his hands to Reed’s face, to warn him, and Reed pulled his mouth away just long enough to say, “It’s all right,” and then his mouth was there again, and Daniel came, cock pumping into Reed’s mouth, ass clenching around Reed’s finger. Daniel was left gasping, barely able to breathe, mouth dry and limbs shaking. He had never felt such pleasure in all his life. Not even drinking blood matched this, though he suspected DeVante and Roderick would disagree. Daniel didn’t care. He was going to be his own person, and he decided then and there that he would have sex as often as possible. Maybe more often than he drank blood.

Reed propped himself up and stretched out an arm to stroke Daniel’s hair. Daniel opened his eyes, and immediately shut them again. The finger of Reed’s other hand was still in his ass and it felt like it didn’t belong there. “Reed . . .” he started to say.

“Shh.” Reed said. “Be still. Relax.” His arm moved away and Daniel could feel him moving slightly, and then his eyes were snapped open by a shock of cold to his cock. Reed was tipping some sort of lubricant above his groin, letting it drip onto Daniel’s cock, over and around his balls where it dripped to his crack. Reed eased his finger slowly out of Daniel’s ass and caught droplets of the lubricant in that hand, rubbed his thumb through the puddle in his palm and then along the length of each finger. Daniel held his breath. Reed dropped the bottle onto the bed, within reach, and took Daniel’s cock in his hand. He started to give Daniel a slow hand job, and Daniel’s cock rose to Reed’s command. The lubed fingers of his other hand strayed back to Daniel’s opening, and Daniel closed his eyes, buttocks clenched together to keep Reed out.

“Relax,” Reed said. “I’m getting you ready for me.”

“I can’t help it,” Daniel whispered. “I’m afraid it will hurt.”

Reed’s voice was sure, soothing, “I know. And it might. But it’ll be okay. Just let your body react to my hands—don’t worry or think, just feel.”

Daniel took a deep breath, and then let it out, consciously relaxing his body as the air streamed out of him. And it was like Reed was just waiting for it, because as Daniel let his tension go, Reed’s finger slid into him again, and his hand tightened around Daniel’s dick. Daniel focused on what he felt, the finger probing inside him, foreign, but painless, his cock responding to Reed’s stroking, his balls tightening, his own breath changing to stuttering pants.

He moaned as Reed finger-fucked him, and whimpered from the sting and stretch when Reed pulled out the one finger and then inserted two in its place. Reed’s other hand left his penis and smoothed up Daniel’s stomach to his chest, circling and pinching one nipple and then the other.

And then Reed’s fingers were gone and his whole body was sliding upward until he was kneeling over Daniel, his mouth swooping down to capture Daniel’s lips, hands buried in his hair, petting him and gently pulling Daniel’s head back to expose his throat to Reed’s lips and teeth as he gently bit Daniel’s skin. For one instant Daniel wondered who was the vampire here, but then Reed was lifting Daniel’s legs to prop them on his shoulders, and Daniel felt Reed’s cock pressing against his ass, Reed’s hands gone briefly to put a condom in place, and Daniel wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to, that no disease could ever come to or from him, but remembered that this was all about being human, and humans had to be careful. And as quickly as the thought had come, Reed was ready, and again pressing against him, and Daniel couldn’t think anything anymore.

Reed held Daniel’s thighs and his cock slowly nudged him open and then slid into him without hesitation. Pain came, and Daniel bit back a cry. Reed felt large and hard and hot inside him. Daniel started to twist away, but Reed’s hand pressed to his chest, stilling him. “Shh, it’s okay,” Reed murmured.

“It hurts,” Daniel said, holding his breath, trying not to keen out loud, and feeling a flush rise to the surface of his skin.

“Yes,” Reed agreed, “sometimes it does.” He moved his hand down Daniel’s body to his dick, holding him tight and sliding Daniel in and out of his hand.

“That’s how you let me in.” Reed’s voice was hoarse. He leaned forward, almost folding Daniel in half, as his lips claimed Daniel’s in a hard kiss, tongue sliding into Daniel’s mouth, hips rocking gently. When Reed broke the kiss and leaned back, his cock slid almost all the way out, and Daniel was ready for the next thrust, able to be open to Reed, the hurt almost gone as he accepted Reed deep inside of him, staring into Reed’s face as it went slack with pleasure, eyelids drooping, breath coming in soft pants from his open mouth. He moved in and out of Daniel in long smooth strokes, and when his cock brushed a certain way, it made Daniel gasp and clench all over and almost come, eyes tightly closed, hands clinging to Reed’s sides.

Reed’s hand worked Daniel’s cock, and every nerve tightened until Daniel moaned out loud. Reed’s mouth curved up in a smile for just an instant, then disappeared as Daniel came and his ass clenched tight around Reed’s cock. Reed let loose a long drawn out moan and his eyes closed, hands stilled, and he clutched at Daniel’s thighs, fingers bruising, thrusting hard into Daniel and groaning as he came moments later.

They posed like that for what seemed a long time, Reed’s head thrown back, their shuddering breath the only sound. Daniel stared at Reed’s exposed throat, feeling the Hunger rise, wondering how it would feel to bite into Reed’s neck as they came together; feed all his hungers in one intense moment.

Reed dropped his head and looked down at Daniel. “Your eyes are almost glowing,” Reed said. “Fuck, but you are a beautiful boy.”

Daniel closed his eyes and shook his head, licking his lips and pushing the blood-hunger back, back.

Reed slid out of Daniel and collapsed beside him, removing the condom and tossing it into a small garbage can next to the bed. Again Daniel thought to tell Reed that such precautions were unnecessary, but realized he had no way to explain why not. After all, to Reed he was just a young mortal. And that’s exactly what he wanted to be.

A half an hour later Daniel tripped down Reed’s steps, hit the street, and stopped. He wasn’t sure where he was in relation to where he needed to be. He probably had an hour before sunrise, an hour in which to find shelter. He walked down the block and stared at the street sign. He didn’t know the city well enough yet for that to be any help. As usual when out in the world alone he felt stupid and young. He sighed and reached his mind out to DeVante.
I’m lost.

I am here, young one.

Here? In the city?

I had to hunt, child.
Even DeVante’s mental tone was reserved, controlled.
Start walking. I will guide you.

Right then Daniel knew which direction to go. He walked three blocks, four, downhill, turned onto a crooked little street, one block uphill, and one more turn. And there DeVante waited, leaning against an iron gate at the front steps of a corner house built into the side of a hill. It was an ugly, awkward house, at the end of a row of ugly, awkward houses, nothing like the Victorian Painted Ladies the city was known for.

DeVante’s caramel voice came clear in the dawn. “Are you staying here, young one, or coming to Oakland with me?”

The answer was obvious. If he stayed here he wouldn’t have a transportation problem. “Here.”

“Then tomorrow evening I suggest you get to know your new city, so you will be safe to find your way. I trust you had an enjoyable night?”

“—it is only that you need to find your own way,” DeVante continued, as if Daniel hadn’t interrupted. “Reconcile the vampire and the human parts of yourself. And your youth. I thought you beautiful the moment I saw you with Roderick in St. Paul. Just understand I have not known vampires made from very young mortals to survive well or for long. I am doing you a favor staying out of your way.”

But… I pay closer attention to you then you think.

These last words were spoken into Daniel’s head because DeVante was gone.

Daniel shook his head, exasperated, and went inside. He’d been here maybe twice with Roderick. But they hadn’t been in California for two weeks before Roderick ditched, and in that short time, DeVante had never invited them to use the San Francisco house for daytime sleep. He had always insisted they return to the other house, as if he needed to keep an eye on the two of them lest they get too far out of his sight and find trouble.

The other house was soundproof.