Rachmaninoff

Rachmaninoff S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet

Storm Moon Press, llc 5705 Fishermans Drive Bradenton, Florida 34209 Publisher’s Note This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher has no control over and does not assume responsibility for any third-party websites or their content. The uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Copyright © 2010 by S.L. Armstrong and K. Piet All rights reserved. Cover art by Nathie http://www.creationwarrior.net/ ISBN-13: 978-09827008-4-6 ISBN-10: 0-9827008-4-9

Chapter One Nikola Jovanović paced the outer balcony of his room, his cloak flapping in the chilled wind that smelled of rain. Below, his servants worked to prepare a meal he would not eat, clean a manor he rarely explored, and welcome guests he would rather not have in his home. He leaned against the railing and looked out over the city, glowering as the wind whipped his hair about his face. The only reason he had allowed the gathering was in order to be closer to one man. One man who had become his obsession—a foreigner with eyes like oak-kissed amber and hair the color of molasses and whom he’d been watching for years now, though neither the parents nor the child knew of his interest. He’d been petitioned by the young man’s father to school him in ancient histories and music, an event he had spent the last three years arranging, and he was not going to waste a single moment of the year for which he had carefully planned. It was for that young man that he now opened his doors, welcomed into his private sanctuary those whose blood made his mouth water and his heart pound. One gathering, he kept telling himself, to meet the head of the village, the new pupil and his parents, and a handful of other socially elevated men and women. And then... Then, he would be alone with the hazel-eyed man whose name rolled off his tongue like fire. “Aric.” Nikola’s scowl lightened as thunder ripped the peace of the night. He heard the sound of car doors, of hushed voices, and he turned from the balcony just as the sky fell. “Welcome, Aric.” It was a laborious challenge for Aric to keep his breathing even and calm instead of heaving a dramatic sigh of annoyance. When his father had proposed he study abroad instead of remaining in

England, he had thought of Amsterdam, Barcelona, or Florence. Even St. Tropez would have been acceptable; it wasn’t as though his family couldn’t have afforded to send him there. In those cities, he would have at least had something to look forward to when all eyes weren’t turned to him, expecting him to remain within the lines of fundamental religious decency. But no. In place of the bright lights, pounding bass lines, and mind-numbing vice, he was in some obscure corner of Fuckoffistan with his father breathing down his neck as they took in the antique trappings of a would-be tutor. His father couldn’t possibly be serious about this place, with its carpeted staircases and wall sconces that dripped with candle wax. With a sweeping glance of the room, he had to fight to stifle the groan that bloomed in his throat and ended up making a show out of a fit of coughing. There was no visible electricity. He was in hell. Without any extra batteries. The only redeeming feature of this monstrosity of a manor was the beautiful grand piano he had glimpsed in one of the parlors. Other than that, it looked like a drab environment, and he couldn’t imagine spending more than a single evening in such a place. Perhaps there was a way to make his father reconsider. His father always touted that he was a reasonable man, and with his upbringing, he would surely conclude that electricity was a necessity that could not be overlooked, no matter how much expertise the lord of the castle had. Aric finally lifted his eyes to his father and instantly despaired in the ecstatic expression on the man’s face. He was relieved when a servant passed by and no one stopped him from accepting a glass of wine when it was offered to him. His mother’s disapproving glare did nothing to dampen his sudden urge to drink until the damned candlelight made swirling patterns across his vision, and he hid his face behind the fine crystal as he drank deeply, barely appreciating the excellent quality of the crimson beverage.

Amid the bustle of the small assembly, he was suddenly drawn to the staircase. The energy of the room seemed to change, and the silent figure that descended the lushly carpeted steps caused him to pause in the middle of a swallow, leading to a small fit of coughing that required no acting this time. Righting himself, he ignored his mother’s fussing in favor of staring at the regal blond who moved with otherworldly confidence and grace. It was the man’s clothing that made the corners of his mouth twitch with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. Anachronistic was the only word he could think of to describe the atrocious garb, which hearkened back to the seventeenth century or some equally heinous period in human history. There was no mistaking that this was the Lord Nikola his father had mentioned, but why on earth would he wear an embroidered cape in his own household? Was he cold? Did he have some sort of skin disease that he didn’t dare show in public for fear of scaring off those who would otherwise respect him? Fuck. He was curious, and curiosity always led to disaster where he was concerned. He took another drink, unable to tear his gaze away from the caped lord when crystal-clear eyes locked onto his. They were piercing, vibrant, and he had difficulty swallowing as the tall, broad figure slowly approached, stopping short of him without so much as blinking. There was a long pause as they simply stared at one another. He had expected the lord to extend some sort of greeting to him, but he realized a bit late that the expression in those blue eyes was expectant and gauging. He was being judged for a first impression. He should have had some respect for the one who accepted his family into such an opulent home, should have been polite and quiet. “Shall I kiss the ring upon your hand, o caped crusader?” So much for ‘should have’. He also should have refrained from making the overly-dramatic bow that he did when he spoke. Then again, he didn’t really want to stay here anyway, did he?

Nikola’s face remained impassive as he stared at the impudent young man and then slowly turned his gaze to Aric’s father, who sputtered a hasty apology. “I do not tolerate such behavior, Jonathan. It will be trained out of him while he is my pupil.” “What does he mean ‘while I’m his pupil’? You said it was still under negotiation!” Aric seethed at his father, his hazel eyes hot with resentment. Anger eclipsed the fear that crept up on him. “He hasn’t accepted you as a pupil yet,” Jonathan hissed at Aric, clearly trying to retain his decorum in front of the lord of the manor. Turning back to the impressive figure, he clasped his hands to keep them from trembling. “I am sure Aric would be glad of any refinement you can endow him with, Lord Nikola. Should you take him as a student, he may begin his schooling immediately.” The hope in his father’s voice made Aric clench his jaw and stifle his verbal outrage. His father had decided the matter already. He had no say in this, just as in most of the matters that surrounded his own life. Public opinion and the damned neighbors had more pull in his life than he did, and it disgusted him. It was why he kept secrets, why he truly lived more during the years he was in Catholic boarding school, away from his family, than when he had to conform under his mother’s watchful gaze. Now it seemed he would have the piercing gaze of this Lord Nikola instead. He wasn’t sure which would be worse. Nikola nodded once, his eyes sliding back to Aric. “You will know my answer by the end of this evening,” he promised. “Come. Let us go into the drawing room where we might discuss young Aric’s possible classes, what you seek for him from his study with me, and payment. Your lovely wife may remain with the ladies in the sitting room.” Aric was swept away into his designated room before he could give any sign of protest. He caught his mother’s eyes as she went into an adjacent room, and the message to behave himself didn’t require any spoken words. He gritted his teeth so tightly his jaw began to ache. Silent and relatively obedient, he took the seat that was offered

to him, crossing his legs in an effeminate manner he knew his father hated, though it was perfectly proper. A manservant poured snifters of brandy, offering everyone but Nikola a drink. Nikola’s eyes remained on Aric, intense and calculating, though it was his father the man addressed. “You wish for him to learn his histories and music?” “Yes,” Jonathan replied, his expression hopeful. “While Aric’s grades are decent, a year abroad with such an esteemed tutor would do wonders for his university applications.” “What instrument does he play?” “Piano.” Jonathan smiled. “He is quite accomplished at it.” Nikola gave Aric a bemused smile. “Not accomplished enough, I am certain.” Aric forced a smile that was painfully saccharine. “Are you? Did you look up my clips on YouTube? Do you even have a computer in this place?” He sipped his brandy, thankful for the excellent quality. He had sampled enough over the last couple years to recognize the plum flavor as Slivovitz. It temporarily took his mind away from the fact that he was going to be stuck in a castle without basic, modern amenities. “No, but I have seen you perform.” Nikola’s eyes flashed before returning his attention to Jonathan. “He is insolent.” Jonathan nodded. “He is in need of a tutor who is willing to teach him to behave as one of his class and upbringing should. His mother and I have tried our best, but he has always resisted.” Nikola smiled faintly. “There is little use for resistance under my tutelage. He will discover that soon enough.” He looked as though he might say something else, but a bell rang loudly through the lower level of the manor, and Nikola rose from his chair. “Supper is ready. Let us adjourn to the dining room.” It annoyed Aric, the way they spoke as if he were not in the room. Lord Nikola’s orders held an old-cultured confidence that demanded they be followed without question. Closing his eyes, he swallowed down a scathing remark and simply rose when his father

pulled at the sleeve of his tailored suit. The dining room was just as luxurious as the rest of the manor that he had seen so far, the furnishings dated, but well-cared-for. Torchlight and a roaring fire set the heavy drapes and dinner table aglow in warm light, a far cry from the artificial lights to which Aric was so accustomed. The men and women took their designated places at the large table. Aric knew they all were to wait until Nikola sat, and the thought to be disobedient crossed his mind once again, but what was the point? It was obvious that he was staying, whether he liked it or not. Lord Nikola spoke as if he had already been accepted before he had arrived. His eyes looked over the tall blond again, but the period clothing made his head hurt ever so slightly, so he looked away just as Nikola sat, signaling for the rest of the assembly to do the same. Nikola was not served food as the others were. He merely sat at the head of the table, listening to the small talk that flittered about him, his eyes never leaving Aric. “Have you brought all of Aric’s belongings as I asked you to, Jonathan?” Aric was silent as his father gave the response he intuitively knew the man would. “Our driver has them in the car and awaits your order to retrieve them.” The words made Aric cringe as he swallowed a mouthful of food. It was endlessly disconcerting, having Nikola’s gaze fixed on him as he ate. He noticed that the noble neither ate nor drank in the presence of others, and he forced himself to drink more wine in order to quell another wave of curiosity that overcame him. “He has had enough to drink, Josef,” Nikola said. The servant about to refill Aric’s glass nodded, leaving the guest’s wine glass empty. “Overindulgence of alcohol dulls the mind and wits, Aric.” “That was more or less the point,” Aric muttered, trying to hide the worst of his displeasure by continuing to eat his meal without a fuss. Dear God, he was going to be living with a prude. Aric heard a chuckle from the head of the table and realized he’d been overheard. This Nikola fellow had some serious hearing, apparently. The rest of the meal progressed without incident, though,

and Nikola quickly bid goodbye to his guests, leaving only Aric, Jonathan, and Miranda in the foyer with him. “Miranda, perhaps you would care to wait for your husband in the car?” Nikola asked, though of course it wasn’t really a question. Miranda smiled and bowed. “Of course.” She turned to Aric, leaning in to press a brief, proper kiss to her son’s cheek. “Try to behave, Aric,” she whispered. Bidding good night to the noble, Miranda slipped out the door. “Josef has fetched Aric’s things and taken the luggage to his appointed room. I will expect your payment to the bank account within forty-eight hours, Jonathan, and Aric will be returned to you next May.” Nikola’s eyes fell to Aric. “Unless you choose to house him here an additional year, as we discussed.” The absolute terror that filled Aric’s eyes was coupled with stubbornness that forbade him from begging his father to reconsider. Jonathan ignored the reaction, nodding once to Nikola. “Understood. You have our deepest gratitude, Lord Nikola. My wife and I look forward to your progress report in six months.” Turning to Aric, he placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Father,” Aric tried, his expression softening ever so slightly for the first time that evening. He could not force any other words through his clenched jaw, no words of parting or love. “Behave for Lord Nikola. Learn all that you can from him. We shall see you in a year’s time.” Jonathan’s voice was firm and free from any trappings of tenderness to Aric’s ears. It was not the first time he had been sent away to free his parents of the burden, and he simply kept his silence, his expression hardening again. He balled his hands into tight fists while he was hugged, likely only for Nikola’s benefit, and did not watch as his father gave a formal bow to Nikola and retreated, leaving Aric alone in the room with his new tutor. Nikola watched Aric long after the door shut, the silence heavy and nearly oppressive. Finally, he began to walk up the grand staircase. “Come with me, Aric. I will show you to your room and explain some of the rules you will now abide by while in my care.”

Aric’s eyes were downcast as he followed. It was as if he moved in slow motion, like a dream where the corridors stretch out to eternity, the destination visible and yet forever out of reach. He hated his parents, who couldn’t be bothered to care about his happiness. He hated his family, with their good, old-fashioned values. He hated his life and all the damned expectations placed on him, but he followed Nikola. What choice did he have, after all? Passing by door after door, Nikola spoke softly, his words calm, lyrical, and heavily accented. “You will limit your consumption of alcohol. As I said, it dulls what talent you have managed to scrape together for yourself under the stifling gaze of your family. I will not teach a dull-wit, no matter how intriguing he may be. I keep my hours between sunset and sunrise, and thus, so will you. You will wake, bathe, dress, and be in the dining room by sunset every day. Following your meal, we will begin eight hours of study. Once we are done, your time is your own, though I do suggest you spend at least two hours each night studying what lessons I have given you.” Nikola paused outside large double doors. “I am a grueling taskmaster, Aric, and I expect the best from you because I know you are capable of much more than you’ve accomplished thus far in your short life.” “And how, may I ask, did you come by such knowledge, Count?” Aric asked, his voice low and acidic as they moved through the shadows. Nikola opened the door to a large room and ushered Aric inside. “Your father contacted me some years ago about you. I have watched on several occasions since.” “Should I be flattered or insulted?” “You should be whatever it is you are,” Nikola said, his smile enigmatic. “This will be your room. Mine is beside it, connected by that door.” Aric took in the room, with its large, four poster bed and the lush fabrics of the comforter, upholstered chairs, and drapes. The far wall had a series of windows, custom-cut to fit the arches and curves

of the ceiling. It was a beautiful room, he had to admit, but it was not him. He followed Nikola’s gesture to the door that connected their rooms and sighed. It seemed he would be under constant supervision. Unlike boarding school, there were no others for him to speak to or distract himself with. Instead, he had that wooden door. Unbuttoning the jacket of his suit, he removed the garment and tossed it over the back of a chair, not bothering to glance back at Nikola as he released his hair from its elastic band. “Forgive me for my lack of jubilation.” “You will find that your time here will not be wholly unpleasant. After all, every situation in life is as you make it.” “Do the philosophy lessons begin now, or may I retire?” Aric sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose after he removed his tie and undid the top three buttons of his crisp, white undershirt. “Your lessons began the moment you crossed the threshold into my home.” Nikola stepped out of the room, glancing back at Aric. “Goodnight, Aric. I will see you at sunset.” The only sound that signaled his host’s departure was the fluttering of his cape, and Aric was left to ponder Nikola’s appearance, and the reasoning behind his absence during the sunlight hours. When he had unpacked his bags, slipping his clothing into the wardrobe and dresser, he undressed and brushed his hair. Placing his toys and lubricant in a drawer beside his bed, he grabbed his iPod and slid beneath the heavy covers. The weight of the sheets, coupled with the familiar bass line of his favorite trance techno mix, soothed him, but his mind still raced, and it wasn’t long before he reached into his drawer for his lubricant. His legs tenting the brocade, he stroked himself to arousal, tilting his hips so he could slip two fingers within his body. His panting and gasps of pleasure were all but silent, though they seemed to echo in his ears along with the rush of his pulse, which throbbed in counterpoint to the music from his earphones. He rocked back and forth between fingers and fist until his back arched and his lips parted in a silent cry of release.

In the aftermath, as he massaged the evidence of his climax into the skin of his abdomen, Aric felt the jet lag and exhaustion of the day catch up with him. Curling up on his side, he tried to forget that his parents had abandoned him, tried to forget the foreign country where he was forced to live for a year. He tried to forget the imposing blond with piercing blue eyes who slept just behind that thick, wooden door.

Chapter Two Nikola stood before the windows, staring out down the hill towards the main city of Novi Sad. A month Aric had been his pupil. A month he had navigated the troublesome waters of Aric’s attitude. Sullen silences, belligerent answers, and sarcastic questions. Providing the foods the young man enjoyed did nothing to ease the unhappiness, and even providing a generator for all the electronic devices Aric seemed determined to enjoy did not lighten the mood. No, Nikola decided, Aric was determined to remain angry and difficult for the entire year he was to study in Serbia. This did nothing to lessen Nikola’s interest in the young man, though. It only managed to increase his obsession. Before the twilight of dawn would ease into day, Nikola often stole into Aric’s room to watch him sleep for a few minutes. It was those minutes that Nikola treasured. There were no hostile glances or fierce tongue to endure, only the quiet of sleep and the beauty of repose. It was what kept him from sending Aric away time and again, even when Aric sneaked out of the manor and went into the city to drink himself into a stupor. He wasn’t certain Aric knew he was aware of those nights, but he was always close. Always watching. Always protecting. A number of times, he had to force himself to remain in the shadows. Since the night time trips into town had begun, Aric had spent passionate moments with eight different males. It had not occurred to Nikola that Aric could have been gay, as Jonathan had not even hinted at such tendencies, but the jealousy he felt was what surprised him the most. Watching Aric in the throes of mindless passion with a nameless body grated at Nikola’s restraint and fortitude. It drove him from the shadows of the clubs and streets into darkened houses where he could sate a different lust, one he knew he could ease with but a bite.

It was frustration on a level Nikola had not encountered in two centuries, and he was not certain he was pleased about wading through it now. Aric was beautiful. Aric was talented. Aric was smart and witty and wild. Aric was free in a way Nikola was certain the young man didn’t understand yet. Envy, jealousy, desire, and lust had been growing in him steadily for the last month, and Nikola struggled not to take what his body wanted, what his mind wanted to know. That had not been his purpose in tutoring the boy, and he would not be derailed no matter his baser desires. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled as he heard Aric’s footsteps approach the music room. Another lesson was about to begin. “Good evening, Count,” Aric smirked, rolling up the sleeves of his sweater as he entered the room, his hair uncharacteristically loose from its ponytail. The house was not cold, so Nikola presumed Aric had chosen the garment not for comfort, but for the convenience of the high collar, which undoubtedly hid various marks left from his most recent tryst. “What do I have the pleasure of learning this night?” Nikola slowly turned around, his eyes falling to the collar of Aric’s sweater. “Is it so cold? I could ask Mishka to light the furnaces.” “No, thank you. The sweater is plenty warm on its own,” Aric insisted, a certain annoyed edge to his tone. “Then today’s lesson is about restraint.” Nikola pointed to the piano. “Not everything must be furious and fast. Not everything must be approached with such crass passion. Some things should be coaxed into the light. You play the piano as if you have something to prove, and banging upon the keys proves nothing but insecurity. Sit, Aric, and learn some restraint.” Aric’s eyes narrowed, and Nikola caught the subtle tensing of the younger man’s jaw. For once, however, Aric kept his mouth shut and did as he was told, adjusting the bench before sitting before the beautiful piano.

“Play Rachmaninoff ’s Prelude Opus 3 Number 2 in C-sharp Minor.” Nikola had already set out the sheet music for the piece in anticipation of this lesson. “Do not rush it. Try, for once, to feel the music, not just play it, Aric.” Aric shot a small glare at Nikola. They both knew he could not play such a piece with his bulky sweater on. With a certain resignation, he pulled the woven fabric over his head, exposing his bruised neck and shoulders. There was no mistaking the dark marks for anything other than remnants of passion, and Nikola felt the flare of jealousy inside him rekindle briefly but quashed it just as quickly. Nikola closed his eyes and listened as his pupil began to play. While Aric started correctly, he soon fell to the same trap as most recent versions of this piece and began to speed up. Nikola’s eyes snapped open. “No, Aric. There is a reason Sergei wrote the opening chords the way he did, the tempo he did. Do you not understand the music you play at all?” He sighed, shaking his head at the impatience of youth. “Begin again, Aric.” The second playing went only a few bars farther before Nikola stopped Aric again. “You must feel the music. Let it be what it is rather than pushing it to be what it is not.” A third attempt showed Aric’s annoyance at being corrected, for Nikola was forced to stop the music after only a few seconds. He sat beside Aric on the bench—something he had never done in these lessons—and proceeded to demonstrate. Aric scrambled quickly to the edge of the bench to avoid being sat upon, his irritation only growing at the sudden intrusion. But Nikola began to play, and irritation and annoyance bled away like air from a punctured tire. The master had never touched the piano in all the time Aric had been here, but in that moment, all doubts Aric had as to Nikola’s ability were laid forever to rest. Nikola’s eyes were closed, playing the piece completely by touch as though he were simply part of the instrument. “Rachmaninoff drew inspiration from the church bells he could hear from his studio,” he told

Aric softly, and as Aric listened, he did feel as though he could hear the subtle cadence of bells punctuating the music. Nikola played only a tiny portion of the piece before stopping, and Aric found himself briefly wishing Nikola would caress him the way his fingers slid delicately off the piano keys. Nikola moved off the bench, though, and the moment was broken when he ordered, “Now, begin again.” Aric gathered himself and began the piece a fourth time. A note, a chord, a measure, and then another. He played with deliberate slowness, allowing the notes to resonate before continuing. The Russian bells still seemed to sound in Aric’s ears, somber and penetrating, calling to the depths of his spirit, the sadness beneath the anger. Connecting to the piece in a way he had never experienced, Aric drew upon his own feelings and projected them through the notes. The pressure of his fingers changed subtly; the tempo became fluid, less structured, and his eyes were half-lidded as he stared through the patterned black and white. The solemn opening quickly bled into harsh, furious tones, the piece moving from desolation to agitation and anguished harshness. Aric felt it move through him, his breathing increasing minutely, pulse pounding under his jaw like one more counterpoint. Each key was struck with skill, precision, and more emotion than Aric had ever permitted himself to feel while playing. Aric’s fingers moved through the quick section of the music as if possessed, the frantic patterns giving way to violent chords that ripped through him. It was cathartic, the way the notes pushed and pulled him, driven by the rage and unyielding despair he kept caged within himself. Fury shifted seamlessly into resignation, the chords slowing once again in a melodic sense of hopelessness. Aric drifted in those final chords like one falling into a deep grave, where the echoes of the bells faded into silence and light was swallowed by darkness. It was a small eternity before Aric moved, his fingers trembling when he finally released the keys of the piano. His heart raged in his chest, pounding a rhythm that was felt along every inch of his body.

He panted as he stared at the keys, half expecting them to move on their own, make the strings sing with his shock. Never in his life had he played in such a way. Straightening his slightly hunched back, he looked up through his loose hair, his eyes skimming over the sheet music he had not once glimpsed while he played. His head turned hesitantly, his gaze lost in a maelstrom of emotion as it focused on Nikola, open and vulnerable. Nikola held Aric’s gaze, his eyes glimmering with pride, and when the final, resolving notes of the piece finished echoing in the room, he smiled. “Very good,” he murmured. “Very good. That was... beautiful, Aric. Simply wonderful to hear, to witness. What you play must always be filled with what you feel, what the piece makes you feel. Play because you love it; play because it burns inside you. You have such talent, so much potential. I see that. I see it each time your fingers caress the keys. You need to find the fire within and allow it to fill you.” Aric licked his dry lips and swallowed as he nodded, still incapable of speaking. The corners of his mouth curved into a small smile, his whole being seeming to glow with the praise. He wasn’t certain why it meant so much, hearing such words from Nikola, but it touched him somewhere deep inside. There was warmth in the older man’s blue eyes, one that he was oddly proud to have inspired, and he found it impossible to look away, even when Nikola reached out to draw two fingers along Aric’s jaw and down his throat, lingering where the pulse raced. Confusion overcame Aric as the touch remained longer than a casual caress or a congratulatory pat on the back. It was the first time Nikola had ever touched him, and he was instantly astonished by the cool feel of the man’s skin, abnormally chilled for the muggy heat of the early-summer night. A small shiver ran through him, causing the skin of his neck to prickle into goosebumps. Nikola’s fingers paused over bruised skin, still tender from the previous night’s abuse, and a strange spark of desire shot through Aric as he stared at his tutor. Had Nikola’s skin always been so pale?

“So young,” Nikola said, his voice low and rough. He started to say more, but stopped before any sound came out. The smile on Nikola’s lips faded slowly. When he did speak again, it was to say, “You may take the rest of the night for yourself.” Aric blinked a few times as if released from a trance and swallowed. He was certain that wasn’t what Nikola had initially been about to say. He stood, lifting one hand to brush his hair back from his face. “Nikola...” Nikola’s smile returned, as though it had never left. “Tomorrow evening, we will try Chopin’s Nocturne Opus 9 Number 2. Goodnight, Aric.” He gave a polite nod of his head and walked from the room. Alone in the music room, Aric stared at the doorway, where Nikola had disappeared before he could thank him. Thank him? He never thanked anyone sincerely. Perhaps it was just as well that Nikola had fled the room so quickly. Then again... Aric looked at the piano, his eyes taking in the glossy panes of redwood as if they were an extension of his own body. He had never viewed an instrument in such a way before, and didn’t he have Nikola to thank for that? He sighed, frustrated by his own confusion and the way his curiosity had renewed itself at Nikola’s touch. Why had his tutor left? Why did Nikola insist on keeping their hours during the night? What secrets were hidden within the folds of the man’s period clothing, which covered cool, pale skin? Covering the piano keys and grabbing his discarded sweater, Aric left the music room for the library. It seemed he had an entire evening now to answer his own questions. Nikola rested his long, pale fingers on the ivory keys, his mind a tempest of emotion and thoughts. His head servant, Mishka, had informed him of Aric’s extracurricular research over the last two weeks. Nikola had tried to dissuade such things with ever-increasing amounts of work for the young man. Aric, however, had been tenacious in his pursuit of satisfying his curiosity. It was foolish of

him to have allowed Aric into his home. He should have known that his habits and eccentricities would have been too irresistible a puzzle. Perhaps he thought that the cynicism of the modern age would protect him. People often refused to believe the truth even when it was right before them. Nikola’s fingers began to move over the keys, the melody slow, somber, dark. It was a composition of his, written many years ago when darkness had consumed his mind. A darkness, he hated to admit, that was awakening once more. Two centuries ago, he’d made the decision to never again regret what he was. What had been done to him could not be undone, and he cringed to think of an eternity wallowing in the misery of being a predator. Aric was stubborn enough to continue searching until he was satisfied, and idealistic enough to believe the unbelievable when faced with it. It was only a matter of time before Aric confronted him with suspicions, hunches, and accusations. And Nikola knew that when that time came, he’d be unable to deny it. No, unable was the wrong word. After so many years, lying came as naturally to him as breathing. He was simply unwilling to do so to Aric. The notes resounded in the music room, deep and rich, a part of him given voice in the most truthful manner he’d ever experienced. It was cathartic, this release of frustration, of desire, of self-loathing and need. The largo bled effortlessly, seamlessly, into the accelerando, the music gaining in volume and speed, in the fury and need he felt almost smothered by. As the composition reached its first crescendo, themes of loss, of longing, of desperation were woven into the music. Nikola gave himself over to his music wholly and utterly, his fingers flying with the expertise of centuries, a master musician exercising his skill freely. Upstairs, Aric was pulled from his slumber by the melody that echoed through the halls of the manor. Awareness came to him slowly, and his ears twitched as they listened. Bleary-eyed, he glanced to the heavy drapes covering the windows, groaning softly when he saw the bright columns of light peeking through the gaps.

It was the middle of the day, which meant he had slept only a couple hours. He would have cursed his luck if the music had not caught his attention. It was furious, desperate, and anguished. Aric rose from his bed before he could temper his curiosity. He fetched a pair of pajama bottoms from a drawer, slipped them on, and padded silently out of his room, following the mournful tune to its source. As he rounded the final corner before the open door to the music room, he had to steady himself when he saw Nikola. Nikola wore only a pair of black slacks and a long-sleeved shirt, the scarlet fabric rolled up to his elbows to allow for the rapid movements of his playing. Aric had never seen him so under-dressed, and the sight captivated him. Though it was the middle of the day, the drapes of the room were drawn tightly, the light in the room provided by a single candelabrum. The flickering candlelight cast Nikola into contrasts of pale gold and deep shadow, and Aric had to admit he was handsome, especially lost in the throes of violent despair, creating music that saturated the senses. Nikola must have sensed Aric’s presence, but he did not stop. He played the composition through, the accelerando concluding while the allargando took hold. Aric stood in the doorway, transfixed by the passion and the truth in the music. After long minutes of playing, Nikola played the final chord. The sound faded slowly, but the room seemed to hold stubbornly to the emotional outpouring. “You should be in bed,” Nikola murmured without turning around, his gaze focused on the field of white and black before him. “You have lessons this evening.” Aric gathered himself and finally stepped into the room. “That’s never stopped me before,” he quipped, a smirk curving his lips for a moment before he swallowed, his tone becoming serious. “You called him Sergei. That lesson a couple of weeks ago, you said, ‘That’s not how Sergei meant that to be played’. I didn’t notice it then, but a lot of things have started to make a different kind of sense lately. You were on a first name basis with Rachmaninoff—with Sergei—weren’t you? You knew him personally. Because you were alive back then.”

“Tchaikovsky’s death upset him so.” Nikola sighed, his eyes scanning the room. “He was so talented. Such passion and fear. He was so devoted.” Aric’s breath caught in his throat. He’d expected Nikola to deny it. In truth, it would have made Aric feel better if he had. “Did you ever drink his blood?” he asked quickly, before he lost his nerve, continuing to cross the room toward Nikola. Because there was only one explanation that fit, incredible as it sounded. Nikola met Aric’s eyes, and Aric fought hard not to flinch away. “No. Never. He was my friend.” Aric’s pace faltered, and he stopped his approach, standing just within Nikola’s reach. He swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. “So you admit it. You’re a vampire.” The word hung in the air. Aric stared defiantly at Nikola, daring him to deny it, to say anything. But as the silence stretched on, Aric was the one who finally broke. “Why did you accept me as your pupil? Am I friend or food?” “I accepted you because I was drawn to you and because you needed help. You are neither.” Aric licked his lips absently, his brow furrowing slightly as he digested the information. “That must be... frustrating for you.” Nikola nodded once. “It has been. It will continue to be.” “Because you want to drink my blood?” Aric asked. He had not forgotten Nikola’s touch to his neck, cool fingers pressed to his pulse. In one swift, graceful motion, Nikola stood, pacing to the other side of the room. “That is one temptation, yes.” “And there are others. Other temptations... or complications,” Aric guessed, sitting on the piano bench in his pajama bottoms. The fact that he was having a conversation like this with a vampire did not shock him nearly as much as he thought it would. “You never intended for me to know, did you?” Nikola crossed his arms. “Perhaps in time, but not yet.”

“You did a pretty half-assed job of covering it up, then,” Aric pointed out with an amused snort. “It was either vampire or albino with photophobia and a severe UV allergy. I wasn’t sure which was more probable. It was the Sergei comment that pushed me to the bloodsucking side.” “Your attitude has yet to grow on me,” Nikola almost growled, “and it is only grating on already frayed nerves.” He took a step closer to Aric. “You are excused from lessons tonight. Why do you not return to bed so you can be fully refreshed for yet another of your meaningless, mindless trysts in the city?” Aric felt his anger rise in an instant, and he barely managed to keep harsh words behind his teeth. Clenching his jaw tightly, he glared at Nikola as he rose from his seat and gave his tutor precisely what he wanted. Without a bow or words of parting, he stepped over the threshold of the music room, seething as he navigated the corridors and ascended the stairs to his room as bid. At the top of the stairs, he looked back in time to see Nikola slump against the music room wall and push the door closed.

Chapter Three Once night had fallen, Aric dressed himself in his best clubbing gear, ensuring that he looked as seductive as possible without being indecent. He didn’t bother to sneak out like he had the previous times he had spent time in the city. Instead, he boldly walked out the front door, knowing no one would stop him. There had been a challenge in Nikola’s words, and he wasn’t about to back down. He would show Nikola who was in charge of his life. He was shameless as he danced in the clubs, propositioning a pair of Romanians who spoke enough of the Serbian language to understand his screening questions and accept his terms for the night. It was spiteful of him, rutting with strangers to prove a point to Nikola, but after a few shots of quality liquor, he found he didn’t give a shit. The sex was mindless, just as Nikola had accused, but that was the point. It was just sex, and it would have been good if his mind had not been so focused on Nikola who wanted to taste his blood. He worked his partners through multiple climaxes until they could no longer hold their erections, and then took his leave, sobering up slightly as he gingerly walked back to the manor, sore and reeking of sex and alcohol. When Aric entered the manor, it was silent. Dark. The servants had obviously been dismissed hours ago. A glance into the music room showed books and sheets of music scattered about the floor, candelabra knocked to the carpet. It was utter destruction. Aric’s room was just as tossed about, clothes, erotic toys, and bedsheets strewn over the hardwood. Fury had been unleashed, and the only sound to be heard was behind the door that separated Nikola from Aric. Shouts in Serbian, Russian, Italian, and French. Anguished tones that bled through the wood, followed by more crashing, the tearing of fabric, and the shattering of glass.

The sheer magnitude of Nikola’s reaction threw Aric off guard. He had expected a verbal lashing, sure, but this pandemonium had been beyond his foresight. Fear crept up on him as he approached the door, not knowing whether or not to knock. Did he truly want Nikola to see him in his disheveled state? Did he want to flaunt the tryst in his tutor’s face? He hated the sudden rush of regret and shame that hit him and swallowed it back down like a foul-tasting medicine. Gritting his teeth, he decided against retreat and opened the door to Nikola’s room without knocking. Nikola rounded on the intruder, his eyes ablaze and his teeth bared. His nostrils flared. “Get out!” “And if I don’t?” Aric challenged before he had a chance to think about his words. “You stink of them! You have no decency! No self-respect!” Nikola stalked closer, his hands clawed dangerously. “Worse than a whore. Nothing but a cat in heat! Receiving every tom in the neighborhood, seeking a cessation to an itch it cannot scratch on its own.” Aric’s eyes narrowed, fear warring with outrage. “You ass,” he seethed. “Go to bed!” Nikola grabbed hold of Aric’s upper arm and shoved him towards the door. “Sleep it off so you can do it all over again tomorrow.” “Just... jealous,” Aric ground out before stumbling over a pile of his belongings just past the threshold when he was pushed back into his room. He landed heavily on the floor, the impact sending a flash of pain through his hip. He cursed as he hauled himself upright again, the pain throbbing along his side. “What do you want from me?” Nikola loomed in the doorway. “Nothing you could give.” Aric turned away from Nikola before the tears that suddenly welled in his eyes had the chance to fall. All the fight seemed to drain out of him at those words, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. “What else is new,” he mumbled beneath his breath as he navigated his way to the bed and rolled onto it, fully clothed. His face was all

but buried in a pillow when he spoke, the words coming out muffled. “I’m not... worth the blood. Not worth death... not worth...” “No...” Nikola crossed the room, his own fury seeming to die in the face of Aric’s tears. “Aric, that is not true. That is not what I want from you.” Aric felt Nikola’s weight settle on the bed beside him and, a moment later, the tentative touch of a cool hand on the back of his head. The touch made Aric burrow deeper into his pillow, neither moving into the touch nor recoiling from it. He did not sob, though his shoulders shook. “Not worth keeping or killing... anything... to anyone. Don’t tell them... Don’t tell them I’m gay... worthless...” His mind swirled in his drunken state, his thoughts turning to his parents, who would surely institutionalize him if they knew, get him the best help they could buy to fix something that did not need to be fixed. Cycling back to awareness, he glanced at Nikola with glazed eyes. “You’re pale. Go feed. I won’t tell if you won’t...” Nikola eased Aric onto his back, cupping a wet cheek. “You are not worthless, Aric, and I promise, I will tell them nothing of your preferences. It is none of their concern.” He leaned down, but stopped just short of pressing his lips to Aric’s. Aric knew Nikola could smell the alcohol on his breath and the men on his skin. “You are not worthless,” Nikola murmured again, obviously unwilling to either retreat or continue. Gratitude streaked across Aric’s features, and he lifted a shaky hand, touching the face that lingered above his own. His fingers traced the strong lines of Nikola’s cheekbone and jaw before drifting down Nikola’s neck, pausing at the pulse just as Nikola had done to him two weeks ago. With a sharp intake of breath, Nikola shivered. “You... should sleep,” he whispered. Aric’s hand fell limply to the mattress with a soft thump. He was in no state to argue, and found that he actually didn’t want to anymore. Exhaustion pulled at him, and he forced his eyes away from the piercing blue of Nikola’s, curling in on himself without a

care for the way his dirty boots left debris in his bed. His face half hidden by his pillow, he surrendered to the black abyss of sleep when it swelled up to overtake him, his eyes shutting as his breathing slowly evened out. He was dimly aware of Nikola undressing him and laying him back on the bed. He also thought that he felt Nikola’s fingers sliding through his hair, but that might have been a dream. By the time Aric stirred again, it was well into the morning, and he was alone. Again. He drifted back to sleep. Aric gripped the edge of the toilet as hard as his hands would allow while he dry-heaved for the third time in the last hour. His eyes watered as he coughed and gasped for breath. He had been a fool to drink so much on an empty stomach, double the fool to have had those last two shots before heading back to the manor, where all hell had been loosed. Along with the severity of his hangover and the throbbing of his head, he had the misfortune of remembering every minute of the encounter before he had passed out in bed. That Nikola was there with him in the bathroom, holding back his hair as he vomited, only added to his shame. Damp, cool washcloth in hand, Nikola wiped at Aric’s face, removing sweat, spittle, and sour bile. “Do you want to try drinking water again?” he asked, tying Aric’s hair in a swift knot. Nodding his assent, Aric accepted the glass of water when it was handed to him and sipped slowly, trying to bring his breathing under control. His head swam, and sitting was uncomfortable thanks to the rough sex he had been granted by those nameless, faceless Romanians. His face was flushed from the exertion of being so sick, but it was darkened further by the feeling of regret that would not dissipate. He leaned his head against the cold porcelain of the toilet, his eyes drifting up to Nikola. “You don’t have to do this.” “I know.” Nikola went to the bathtub and turned the taps, allowing the basin to fill with hot water. “You are sore. Josef will bring

up broth for you to sip, and Mishka and Rory have already set your room to rights. The bath will help.” Aric took a few more sips of his water before setting the glass aside and crawling to the tub, gripping the edge when a wave of vertigo hit him. He waited for it to pass before allowing Nikola to help him into the water. “Do they know? About you, I mean?” Nikola shed his shirt and knelt beside the tub, dipping a sponge into the water. “They know.” He began to bathe Aric, keeping his touch clinical and brief. “I pay them well, give them homes, take care of their families, and in turn, they keep my secrets and my home.” Aric closed his eyes and allowed the sound of the dripping water to soothe him along with the deep tones of Nikola’s voice. “What a secret to keep...” His voice trailed off into a groan as a rush of discomfort swept through his body, ending in a deep throbbing at his head. Motioning for his water glass, he took a couple more sips, determined to keep the nausea at bay. His eyes opened to see Nikola watching him closely, and he swallowed, shame rising in him as Nikola’s hands cared for him. Seconds stretched out into minutes before he finally spoke words that rarely passed his lips. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what I did. It was cruel and rash and... completely intentional.” “You are forgiven.” Nikola picked up a pitcher and began to wet Aric’s hair. “Forgive me for my harsh words. I was not thinking clearly. I was angry with myself more than with you, and I lashed out. You did not deserve the words I spoke before or after you left the manor.” “There’s nothing to forgive. It isn’t like I haven’t heard what you said before from others. They just tended to cite Bible verses as they reprimanded me,” Aric said with a hint of a smile that did not reach his eyes. Nikola lathered and rinsed Aric’s hair, and then rose, wiping his hands and chest with a towel. “Just because they are words you have heard from others does not mean they are words that should be spoken.”

Aric shrugged, leaning back against the edge of the tub. He watched Nikola, his eyes taking in the well-structured planes of Nikola’s torso, which was not as pale as he would have imagined. “You’re easier to talk to with your clothes off,” he murmured, starting slightly when he realized he had spoken the thought aloud. “I mean... without those expensive coats with the embroidery and such, not...” He sighed, his head throbbing with his pulse, though his gut began to settle in the heat of the water. “They are from the time period I lived in.” Nikola leaned against the sink. “I am comfortable in them.” “They suit you, in a way,” Aric conceded, “but they make you look so imposing and unapproachable. I suppose that’s the point, though.” Nikola crossed his arms. “The fewer people’s interest I pique, the fewer questions are asked.” “I don’t think going around in period clothing is the best way to stay unnoticed. It’s simply the air of authority about you that keeps them from asking questions, even if their curiosity is woken.” Aric managed a small smile, anticipating Nikola’s next comment. “My curiosity always wins over my common sense and courtesy.” “It is who I am, who I have been for over four hundred years. I can hardly change now.” Nikola refilled Aric’s glass. “And you have questions.” Aric took a sip of the cool water gratefully, his lips curved against the glass. “Anyone who has read a fictional vampire book wouldn’t be able to resist.” He paused, tilting his head. “Does this mean you are willing to answer my questions?” “On two conditions.” Hazel eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What conditions?” Nikola shoved away from the sink and came to stand beside the tub. “You will no longer go out and drink yourself ill or have sex with random men you meet in the clubs... and you may ask five questions each night.”

The muscles of Aric’s jaw clenched as he considered the proposal. It took him only a couple seconds to conclude that his curiosity demanded a voice despite his usual proclivities, and he nodded minutely. “I agree to your terms.” “Then you may ask your questions.” Aric did not hesitate, asking the first thing that came to his mind. “Do you kill your victims, or do you just take sips from unsuspecting tourists and locals?” “No,” Nikola said. “I do not kill. I take my fill from one individual each night. If I feed every night, I do not have to take too much. I am... careful.” “What do you mean, ‘careful’?” Aric inquired with a small frown, his eyes sparkling with interest as he slowly drank more water. Nikola looked away from Aric, his voice soft, though it kept its edge of authority to it. “I never take more than two dozen swallows. If I do not stop, the temptation to continue becomes too great to resist. I never feed deeply.” Aric was surprised by the depth of his own curiosity, which quelled the fear he might have otherwise felt. “What do you do about the bite marks? Is there something magical in your blood that heals your victims like the fictional books sometimes suggest?” The look he gave his tutor expressed that he counted that as a single question, and he set aside his empty water glass before starting to emerge from the bath, relieved when Nikola offered to help him. Nikola wrapped a towel around Aric and led him from the bathroom. “No,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “The wounds are very small, and if I allow the heart to do most of the work, no bruise is left from sucking. They are tiny enough that it clots quickly on its own. Many people merely dismiss the marks as bug bites or broken pimples. You would be amazed how easily the mind is swayed to believe something so simple.” “I was able to dismiss the signs until you touched me,” Aric pointed out with an amused grin while he slowly dried himself, taking extra time in order to save himself from the vertigo of his

hangover. “If you had assaulted me in some alleyway and all I had to show from it were small bug bite marks, I would have convinced myself of the same thing, I’m sure.” Though, he was also sure the ‘dream’ of being fed from by a vampire would have lingered if he had ever been in such a predicament. After a few moments, he asked his next question, one that burned in his mind. “Does it hurt?” “It can,” Nikola said, his eyes always on Aric, “but I try to ensure it does not. I... fog the mind.” Aric blinked a few times as he pulled on his pajama bottoms. “How?” “How?” “How do you ‘fog the mind’, as you said?” Aric reiterated. Nikola frowned, his brow furrowing. “I... just do. I have never thought about how I do it, it is merely instinct to soothe my victim’s mind. There is less stress on them, and it is more pleasurable for me.” “Oh.” Aric could not deny that the answer made him even more curious, but he kept his silence, knowing that he had asked his five questions. “You want to know what it is like,” Nikola said with a faint smile. “I can see it as clear as sunlight in your eyes.” “I do not,” Aric lied, and a raised eyebrow from Nikola made him sigh his defeat and nod. The thought of dulling the mind in order to drink another’s blood seemed erotic to him somehow, though he was sure it was just like drinking a glass of wine to Nikola. There was simply something unorthodox and appealing about it, a psychic influence to aid in a physical act. Nikola slowly approached Aric. “Do you want me to show you?” he almost purred, his eyes darting to Aric’s throat. “Do you want to feel my bite?” Aric licked his lips and swallowed, his pulse suddenly pounding through him at the prospect. “Yes.” Nikola stopped within a hand’s breadth from Aric. He lifted his hand and brushed back Aric’s hair, exposing the long, elegant curve

of the young man’s throat. With tenderness and care, he cupped the warm flesh. “I can smell you... hear your pulse...” “Then you know how much this excites me,” Aric shivered. “Yes,” Nikola breathed, his eyes dilating as he leaned in. “And it, in turn, excites me.” The touch of Nikola’s lips to his skin made Aric take in a sharp breath, the air releasing shakily from his lungs as he began to pant softly. His hand came up to encircle Nikola’s wrist, his strong fingers holding tightly in order to steady himself. Nikola peppered gentle kisses to the pounding artery under fragrant flesh, savoring the moment as he inhaled deeply. He parted his lips, closed his eyes, and with the precision of a predator, he bit into the proffered throat. A loud moan left him as his mouth was flooded with the copper vibrancy of Aric’s blood. Aric gasped as he felt the sting of the bite phase into the throbbing of his pulse. It was like the bassline of a tribal dance, loud and consuming, and the pain swirled, losing itself as if in a dense fog. Sparks of pain were entwined with glimpses of pleasure, and he was unsure whether they came from his own mind, which found the act undeniably erotic, or from Nikola, whose moan echoed through the space between his ears. Nikola allowed Aric’s heart to pump the blood into his mouth, negating the need to suck. The blood pooled in his mouth, washing over his tongue and welling in his throat, before he swallowed. His mind instinctively reached out to Aric’s, hiding the pain, muddling the experience, and he pressed his body eagerly to Aric’s, wrapping his other arm around the youth’s waist. Moaning softly as the pain receded from his mind, Aric was overtaken by the pleasure of being pressed against Nikola’s solid frame. What they shared in that moment was more intimate than any of the acts he had committed with the men from the clubs during his stay. It was sacred, and he suddenly felt like a sacrifice placed before an angel or demon, offering up his blood and receiving pleasure and the creature’s favor in return. “Nikola...” he whispered as he

became light-headed, the blood meant for his brain being diverted to Nikola’s waiting mouth. Nikola pulled his mouth from the Aric’s throat, though even through the haze in his mind, Aric knew it was a struggle. Nikola licked several times until his saliva aided in the clotting, and he panted against Aric, holding his pupil in strong arms. He waited out the rush of the feeding, his words slurred as he spoke. “Just as heady as I thought...” Aric shook in Nikola’s arms, his breath coming in shuddering pants. His head was light from the loss of blood, and his throat throbbed as if he had a deep passion mark over the area of his pulse. It was painful, but not in the way he had expected, the ache more like a bruise coupled with the sting of a sudden pinprick rather than the burning of an open wound. “Heady?” he asked, his brain turning the word around a few times, dazed. “Because I’m still drunk?” “No,” Nikola managed after swallowing several times. “It’s just you... the very essence of your body.” He moaned quietly, cradling Aric’s trembling body against his. “You’re aroused,” Aric noted, an unspoken question coloring his tone, though he made no move to escape. “It will pass,” Nikola said, lifting his flushed face from Aric’s throat. “Do you always...?” Nikola shook his head, setting Aric down upon the bed. “No. It hasn’t happened in... decades. But it has been that long since I allowed myself to... indulge so deeply.” A wave of lethargy came over Aric, and he turned on his side, his eyes seeking out Nikola’s. “How long will I be asleep?” It felt like he had not rested since the previous night, though he had slept through the long hours of the day. He pulled the covers up over his body, pleased once again by the comfortable weight of them. Nikola stroked Aric’s hair. “Most of the night. You will be ravenous when you wake, and very tired. Josef will feed you, and then you will want to sleep again, through the day.”

Soothed by the knowledge that what he felt was normal and would pass, Aric smiled, the expression tired but genuine. “You will have to tell me what I taste like tomorrow night.” “Tomorrow night.” Nikola gave an answering smile while trailing his fingers down Aric’s cheek. “Goodnight, Aric.” Leaning slightly into the touch, Aric all but purred, his eyes closing. “Goodnight... Nikola.” The syllables of his tutor’s name bled into a pleasant sigh as sleep pulled him under, his final thought one of relief that he had been forgiven his rash actions and allowed a second chance. Nikola waited until the lustful high dissipated into a low burning desire within him. He left Aric behind, turning down the lamps and plunging the room into darkness, before the door that separated them closed behind him. He wanted Aric. He wanted Aric as he’d never wanted any other, and that frightened him. Nikola closed his eyes, leaning against the door for long minutes, gathering his wits about him before leaving his lush sanctuary, Aric’s blood flushing his flesh and rushing in his ears.

Chapter Four Aric sighed in annoyance as he set aside the book he had been trying to read for the last two hours. It was the third night since Nikola had fed from him, and the damned vampire had disappeared on him! He had spent endless hour asleep in the intervening days and nights, recovering from the loss of blood as quickly as he was able. Josef had been attentive to his needs, feeding him when his hunger rose and escorting him when he had finally ventured out of his room. It had become clear after that first night that Nikola was keeping his distance, and it infuriated him for reasons he didn’t quite understand. He took to wandering the large manor, searching for his tutor at a slow pace he knew was easy to overcome for someone who knew the paths of the house better than he did. His strength was dismally low those first two nights, however, and the searching exhausted him and served to frustrate him even more, as it forced him to sit still and actually think about what was happening. Nikola was a vampire. He had done the research and figured it out slowly enough to not be particularly shocked when Nikola admitted it, but now that he thought about it, he realized the impact of such a discovery. Nikola was a vampire. There were books and movies, an entire fucking subculture, all devoted to the theories of their existence, when there was no documented proof that the blood-drinking creatures even existed. “Well,” he mumbled to himself with a glance to the empty doorway of the library. “I have my proof.” It was absurd, really, that no one had discovered Nikola’s secrets when the lord of the manor did very little to hide his tracks. It was even more laughable that Nikola had somehow earned a name for himself as an expert in history and music without coming under more severe scrutiny. In the end, his father had

to have found the name somehow, and here he was, being taught by a vampire. Staying under the same roof and, in some ways, actually enjoying himself, as if nothing could have been more natural. Yet, it wasn’t natural, was it? The thought made him pause, and he shifted on the overstuffed chair into a more comfortable position. Maybe that was why he liked it, why he was fascinated and held an affinity to his tutor. He had always been deemed an outsider, born into a religion, a family, even a social class, that would cast him aside for his beliefs, preferences, and choices. Nikola was the ultimate outcast, set apart from the rest, an immortal surrounded by a throng of life in which he could not fully partake. Humans were untrustworthy as a whole, fearful, panicky, unforgiving, and blissfully ignorant. Secrets were told, exploited, turned into headlines on tabloids and blogs and Jerry Springer. Humanity couldn’t be trusted. But he wanted to be trusted by Nikola. He wanted to learn everything he could about Nikola. His curiosity demanded no less of him. He had so many questions, and it had elated him that Nikola had agreed to answer them. At least, he might answer them if he could be found. Aric looked to the doorway again, impatient for some sign, other than Josef ’s insistence, that Nikola had not just left the country. Nikola had tasted his blood, had wanted to do so for quite some time, it seemed. There was something undeniably erotic about that, and the resistance that Nikola had shown to that desire only made it more appealing to Aric. He wanted to know what it felt like for Nikola, wanted to know what his blood tasted like to a vampiric palate. Aric’s eyes narrowed when he heard the front door closing, knowing instinctively that it was Nikola. Nikola had seemed determined to avoid him, and he was tired of it. He had chosen his place strategically, knowing that Nikola would have to pass by the library on the way to his chamber—assuming he could not morph into a bat and fly in through the windows, of course. He rose from his seat and crossed the short distance to the door, a scowl on his face

as he waited. Aric was astonished that Nikola did not even notice him, simply walked past the ornate entrance to the library without a glance. Aric’s hand darted out quickly, gripping a handful of Nikola’s shirt, and he yanked on the fabric. Hard. Nikola jerked to a halt, the fine fabric of his shirt ripping along the seam. He turned to look over his shoulder, and any harsh words he might have said visibly died on his lips when he saw who had grabbed him. “Aric.” “Oh, good. You remember who I am,” Aric said, his voice thick with sarcasm and anger. “You broke your promise.” Hazel eyes glittered with the accusation. “What promise?” he asked, a frown marring his usually placid features. “You said ‘tomorrow night’. It’s been three days, Count.” “Why must you insist on calling me ‘Count’? I hold no such title.” “Anyone who wears a cloak with a collar as high as yours might as well be one. Now, stop changing the subject!” Nikola turned and crossed his arms. “I gave you time, Aric, time I felt you would need. That is all.” “If I had needed time, you would have been the first I told. Instead, you just assumed.” Aric glared. He hated it when people assumed they knew precisely what he wanted or needed. The least Nikola could have done was ask. “I wanted you close. I had questions.” He wouldn’t admit that he had given himself a bit of a fright after he woke up the first couple of times. “I am sorry.” Nikola relaxed his posture. “I thought I was helping.” He stepped into the library, bringing Aric with him to sit on the large sofa. “I am here now. I will not disappear again. I do not lightly break my promises, but I thought it for the best to keep my distance. I will not make that assumption again.” If anyone else had given Aric such a formal apology, he would have instantly discounted it as insincere. With Nikola, however, the words sounded completely natural, and he consequently huffed as he settled onto the sofa, his arms crossed as he attempted to let his

anger drain out of him. “I would rather not lump you in with the others who believed that, just because they were older, they knew what was best for me. Ask next time. It’s difficult for me to lie to you.” “Is it?” he asked, a smile tugging at his lips as he picked up on the amusement in Aric’s tone. “Yes,” Aric admitted, quickly continuing. “Don’t look so smug about it. I’m still angry with you. You owe me more than a few answers.” “What will placate your anger?” Nikola asked, unable to keep the laughter from his voice. Aric glared at his tutor. “No formal lessons tonight. Instead, you answer my questions, make up for lost time.” Nikola raised an eyebrow. “You have not had formal lessons for three nights now. You wish yet another night free of them?” “You avoided me, not the other way around,” Aric reminded, his own eyebrow raised. “Very well,” Nikola murmured, smirking as he relaxed against the arm of the sofa and crossed his legs. “Informal lesson, then. You may choose your subject.” Aric smiled, though his eyes held a conspiratorial glint to them. “Very well. My subject is you.” Nikola snorted. “What would you like to know?” “How old are you?” It was the first question that came to Aric’s mind. “Four hundred and thirty-six.” Nikola held Aric’s gaze with steady determination. “I was born in the autumn of 1573, the eldest of seven children.” Aric allowed the number to sink in for a minute, thinking back on his lessons to greater appreciate the sheer span of time, all the history Nikola had witnessed. “How old were you when you became a vampire?” “Thirty-two.” Nikola glanced down his hands. “In the spring.” “Will you tell me what happened?” Aric asked, his voice softer than before. His interest was genuine, but he had enough respect not to pry if it was something Nikola truly didn’t want to share with him.

Nikola wet his lips and looked up at Aric. “I was called to my lord’s estate. I had thought it was due to some uprising in the village I oversaw. I left my family behind, promising to return within the month, and arrived during a spring storm. The manor was silent. Deathly silent. I had been to the estate many times over the years, as I’d been having an affair with Lord Selvin’s wife when I happened to be called to the manor.” He sighed, closing his eyes. “He never understood what she was, but I had. She’d shared her secret with me. Svetlana said she loved me, but I knew I did not love her. I had a wife. I had children. She had wed the lord of the region. There was no avenue for us to take other than secret liaisons. I knew Selvin was becoming frustrated with Svetlana’s inability to bear him children, but I... I never understood the depth of darkness in that man when it came to gaining all he wanted.” It was like the stories from historical fiction novels Aric had snatched from the shelves of bookstores over the years. Then again, didn’t every life seem that way when told like this? He swallowed once, his eyes watching the small signs of emotion cross Nikola’s face. “Please continue.” “He had decided the best way to have the heirs he wanted was to kill Svetlana.” Nikola laughed, the sound bitter and harsh. “It sent Svetlana into a rage. When that rage was over, she sent for me using Selvin’s seal.” His brow furrowed as he remembered that night, walking in to the smell of blood, of death, of frightfully still air. “She wanted me to come with her. I couldn’t, though. I tried to explain that to her. I had children. I had responsibility. I couldn’t simply leave.” Nikola paused, shaking his head. Svetlana had been so insistent, so determined. He should have never turned his back on her. “She bit me, much as she had in the past, but she didn’t stop. Not that time. Despite the pain, my screams, she didn’t stop.” Aric bit his lip, his brow furrowed. Nikola hadn’t been given a choice. “She drained you completely?” “Almost. When my heart threatened to cease, she withdrew.” Nikola sighed. “She kissed me. My mouth flooded with her blood,

and I had no choice but to swallow. A vampire’s blood is like a drug to the dying. Like the sweetest milk, the headiest wine, and I welcomed that salvation.” “So Svetlana made you a vampire. What happened after that?” Aric hesitated a moment. “What happened to your family?” Nikola covered his face with his hands. “I couldn’t go back to them. Svetlana made that clear. If I did, they would know. If I did, she would...” He rubbed at his eyes. “I left them. A wife, a daughter, and three sons. I left them my land, my title, my money. If I couldn’t live out my life with Sara, then she would at least be taken care of.” Aric felt his heart sink, and he was silent for many moments before he managed, “I’m sorry.” Nikola sighed and sat back. “I remained with Svetlana for perhaps five decades before I broke from her. I remained alone for two hundred years. It was fitting. I hated what I was. A terrible cliché, but it is a cliché for a reason.” Though he wasn’t sure if it was proper, Aric reached over, placing his hand on Nikola’s shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting manner. “That’s a long time to be alone.” Nikola smiled, the touch radiating warmth down his arm. “It was. I was resigned to my loneliness, but it seemed the Fates did not agree.” “Someone found you?” Aric asked, perking up a bit. “Someone found me.” Nikola chuckled. “She was... I believe the term is a ‘spitfire’.” A smirk found its way onto Aric’s face. “You seem to have made a habit out of it.” “So I did.” Nikola shook his head. “Elizabeth was British, and she had no time for old Russian habits. I was drawn to her the moment I saw her.” Aric closed his eyes, allowing a picture to form slowly in his head. “Strawberry blonde?”

Nikola eyed Aric. “Yes, she was. Pale blue eyes and porcelain skin. She was petite, slender with small hands and a perfectly bowed mouth.” “How old?” “Sixteen.” Aric’s nose crinkled in a pleasant way. “Gloved hands... an irresistible pout... but she didn’t cry if she scabbed her knees.” Nikola laughed. “No, she didn’t. It took a lot to make Elizabeth cry. She was wonderfully improper for a woman.” “In that time period, I can only imagine,” Aric snorted, his eyes opening again. “She sounds nice.” “She was. Wonderfully refreshing, terribly passionate.” Nikola smiled with the memory. “I trusted her with my secrets one night after we made love.” Aric braced himself. “And...?” Nikola met Aric’s gaze. “She asked me to feed from her.” “And you did,” Aric said. After all, how could Nikola resist? The parallels between Elizabeth and himself did not escape his notice, but he pushed them aside to pay full attention to Nikola. “I did.” Nikola stood from the sofa, the need to pace overwhelming. “It became commonplace for me to feed from her as we made love. It brought me immense pleasure, and my pleasure was hers. Slowly, it was all she came to me for. We no longer walked in the evenings or spoke late into the night. She would steal into my room, far more frequently than I was comfortable with, and remove her nightgown before crawling into the bed and waiting for me to join her. Her throat never healed. One bite after another, nightly, and I worried for her, but I loved her. I did not have the heart to turn her away even though I knew it was wrong to feed so frequently from the same human.” Aric could see where this story was going from Nikola’s agitation, and he swallowed, a greater understanding coming to him. “That’s why you avoided me. You didn’t want to risk hurting me.”

He paused, watching as Nikola rounded and continued pacing. “You killed her, didn’t you? Not intentionally, but...” Nikola couldn’t face Aric. “Yes,” he said, the single word tight and sharp. “Oh, Nikola,” Aric breathed. His imagination was vivid, and he could visualize the scene within his head, pale Elizabeth going still and silent. Oddly enough, it was not the strawberry blonde his mind turned to but Nikola. The scene must have been horrific, the guilt positively consuming. His eyes softened with pity as he looked at Nikola, the pain within Nikola’s posture, even if he couldn’t see the expression on his tutor’s face. What words of comfort could he give? What could reassure Nikola, could bring his mind away from the painful memory? “You didn’t hurt me. You won’t hurt me like that; I won’t allow it.” Nikola spun around, his eyes blazing. “That time, but what about the next? When you learn what a true feeding is like?” A spark of fire entered Aric’s eyes as well, and he repeated himself. “I won’t allow you to hurt me, Nikola. I look forward to that next time. It will just have to wait until I am fully recovered. There are precautions that can be taken.” “Precautions?” “Yeah, precautions,” Aric nodded. “You’ve had two centuries to figure out how many swallows it takes. You said you’re careful, no more than two dozen at a time. So, stick to that and don’t feed from me every day.” It seemed rather simple to him. Nikola crossed his arms. “Or I can simply not feed from you. You wanted to know what it felt like, and now you know.” “That’s like preaching abstinence to a sexually active crowd. It simply doesn’t work that way.” “You are impossible!” “Yeah, well, you’re the one who accepted me as a student,” Aric retorted. Nikola bit back a cruel remark. “You are not food.”

“Of course not,” Aric huffed. “Food isn’t plagued by insatiable curiosity.” “I will never feed from you more than once a week, Aric.” Nikola’s voice made it clear he couldn’t believe he was even discussing this. “Once a week, two dozen swallows. Never more. I will never hold a dead, willing victim in my arms again.” “Agreed.” Aric put everything he could into that word to show that he was completely serious, willing to conform to those conditions and do what he could to help Nikola uphold them as well. As if Nikola needed his help, which he wasn’t sure was the case. “Now, do you need a bit more time to pace, or will you sit down with me again? You still have a promise to keep.” Nikola took in a deep breath, and then exhaled before sitting down beside him. He smiled at Nikola, his hand instinctively returning to Nikola’s shoulder. “I am sorry for what you endured, but it will not be the same with me.” Nikola stared at Aric. “It was my own fault. I lost control. It will not happen again.” “You’re not the only one to blame,” Aric insisted, his voice uncharacteristically soft. “It is a moot point now, isn’t it?” Aric raised an eyebrow at that. “Not if you’re still feeling such guilt over it. I mean, I don’t expect you to simply move on, but it wasn’t all your fault.” “You said I had a promise to keep. What other questions do you have?” It was a subtle cut-off, and, for once, Aric took the hint and dropped the subject. “Well, you promised you would tell me what I tasted like. I’m still curious about that.” Nikola’s entire expression shifted, a smile curving his lips. “Like passion and heat, thick and heady.” Aric almost blushed, but his curiosity surmounted his slight embarrassment. “How can you taste such things in my blood? What do other people taste like? Just to compare, since I think I would just taste that coppery flavor.”

“It depends on the person and the emotion they feel at the time I feed. You grew aroused as I fed, as did I, and so your blood was laced with lust,” Nikola explained. “Usually, when I feed, the individual is half-asleep, easy to influence and feed from. They tend to taste bland.” Clearly fascinated, Aric smiled and shifted his position on the sofa after giving Nikola’s shoulder a parting squeeze. “So, can you taste the alcohol in someone, then? Or the sugar in their blood if they have something like diabetes? What about blood borne pathogens? Do you ever get sick from the blood you drink?” “So many questions, Aric.” Nikola folded his hands in his lap. “I can taste additions to the blood. Alcohol, narcotics, prescriptions. Drugs tend to lend a chemical flavor I dislike, and so I avoid those I believe use them. Alcohol makes the blood hot. I don’t mind alcohol in the blood, and it makes it easier to muddle the memory of the victim. I can smell disease on someone, a slightly acidic, sour scent that tells me to keep away. When I have been desperate and fed from one with that scent, I have wound up violently ill for many days, and so I try to never grow that desperate.” Aric cringed. That sounded unpleasant, becoming ill like that, and he supposed it was like suffering from food poisoning. “Do you get sick when you eat normal food as well?” “I can eat and drink, but my body does not digest it.” Nikola made an unpleasant face. “I must regurgitate it, and since that is not enjoyable, I don’t often choose to eat for appearance’s sake unless necessary.” “Yuck,” was the only response Aric could summon to that. “Precisely,” Nikola chuckled. Aric shook his head to rid himself of the images that came to mind. The next question was blurted out before he could even think about stopping it. “Have you ever had sex with a man before, or has it always just been females?” Nikola raised an eyebrow. “Do my sexual proclivities interest you, Aric?” He smirked. “I have, on occasion, had a male lover.”

“They don’t interest me,” Aric lied, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink as he immediately contradicted himself. “You always top, though, don’t you?” “I never receive,” Nikola confirmed. “It has never interested me.” “I thought not,” Aric murmured under his breath, smirking at his tutor. “What does interest you? Generally speaking?” Nikola tilted his head. “Generally speaking? Music. Sound. Art. Books.” “What do you mean by sound? What sounds do you like?” “Any sound. I go every month to the playhouse in order to watch whatever performance is there. I particularly enjoy the operas. A cry, a gasp, a moan, a shout, a song... they are all glorious to my ears.” Aric smiled. “I like the sound of falling water. Rainstorms, waterfalls, all those sorts of things. It’s soothing to me.” “The sound as snow falls.” Nikola smiled. “I like listening to it.” “Snow doesn’t have a sound,” Aric said. Nikola chuckled. “Not to human ears it doesn’t.” Aric’s lips quirked into a faint smile. “Then the sound of a purring cat must be like distant thunder.” A sudden thought occurred to Aric, and he voiced it spontaneously. “Do animals fear you because you’re, well, a predator of sorts?” “No. I am not predator to them. Their blood cannot sustain me.” Nikola sighed. “I tried that in the beginning, feeding on mutts and strays, but the blood did nothing to ease the thirst.” Aric turned contemplative, growing silent for a couple minutes. Thoughts of Nikola’s past mixed with his own curiosity, and he simply tried to imagine what it was like. Those first decades with Svetlana, who had forced him into a life that took him from a family he had obviously loved, must have been torturous. It couldn’t have ended well, and he had a feeling the split with Svetlana had been nearly as painful as the first one. After all, she had, in a way, become Nikola’s family. She was his maker, as cliché as it sounded within his own mind. The long, lonely years after that would have been unbearable for him if he had been in Nikola’s shoes.

“I have killed while feeding,” Nikola volunteered suddenly. “In one feeding, that is. And I will most likely do it again. When I lapse in my feeding, it becomes unbearable, and a human always loses their life to quench my hunger.” Aric’s eyes darted up to meet Nikola’s. “How long does it take for you to ‘lapse’? One skipped night, a week?” “A fortnight is as long as I can abstain before I become dangerous,” Nikola murmured. “It is why I try to always feed nightly. Losing myself to the thirst is a... frightening experience.” “The small sips make it quick and relatively easy,” Aric nodded, understanding why Nikola had started keeping such a schedule. There was a deep respect to his eyes, and he spoke seriously. “There are some things that frighten me. Giant centipedes, boa constrictors, drowning... You don’t frighten me.” Nikola held Aric’s gaze. “Why not?” Aric took his time trying to form an answer that made a bit of sense. “Because I look at you, and you’re just like me. I see you and I want to take a closer look. I don’t do that when I’m afraid.” “How close do you wish to look?” “How close will you let me?” Nikola was unable to look away from Aric. “As close as possible.” “Then I want to see it all,” Aric stated boldly, unsure of why he divulged such information. Hell, he didn’t even know why he had become so fascinated with his tutor. It had begun the moment he had laid eyes on the man. “Very well.” Nikola reached out to cup Aric’s cheek. “I am yours to discover.” The touch was not expected, but Aric leaned into it without a thought, a smile blooming on his face. The gleam of youthful expectation in his eyes spoke for itself. For the first time in a long time, he found himself truly looking forward to something. Maybe his time in Serbia wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

Chapter Five Aric moaned softly into his pillow as he let his favorite dildo slip from his body, which still quivered with the aftershocks of orgasm. Setting the toy aside, along with the soiled towel he had set between his splayed legs, he rolled onto his side from his hands and knees, letting his limbs rest as he regained his breath. He had thought Nikola’s conditions would be easy to abide by, but after a week of trying, he realized he had been terribly mistaken. The alcohol had been easy enough to give up, since he didn’t exactly enjoy getting shit-faced and dealing with the hangovers that followed. But the sex... After being so active, it was difficult to adjust. His toys didn’t quite compare to the real thing, and he found himself exercising his vivid imagination to make up the difference, playing scenarios in his head to add an erotic twist to what normally would have been a quick-and-dirty hand job. Damn Nikola and his conditions! If he could have just controlled his curiosity, he wouldn’t have put himself into a situation like this. Despite the answers he received, only five each night as agreed, his mind showed no sign of being satisfied, and Nikola wasn’t doing anything to help. In fact, he was certain he had seen another amused, almost mocking, smile curve those cool lips the previous night, when he had once again become frustrated by the restriction on his questioning. Nikola had tried to keep his mind distracted, but he wasn’t sure whether to thank his tutor or yell at him. Their lessons had been longer than usual, drawn out lectures on details of the Ottoman Empire and piano instruction tailored to challenge his endurance. He couldn’t tell if Nikola was trying to help distract him from the allure of Novi Sad’s nightlife or exhausting him so he wouldn’t point

out that he was well enough to be fed from again. Perhaps it was a combination of both. Sighing, Aric pushed his hair back from his face, the sweat from his exertions beginning to dry. Lying around as the sun began to set wasn’t going to change anything. After a quick shower, he braided back his hair and made his way down to the dining room, where he dutifully ate the meal that Josef set before him. At least there was one thing he could never complain about during his stay in the manor: the food was always excellent. He thanked Josef when the man gathered his empty plates, and his hand darted out to stop the dark-haired man from leaving. “Master Aric?” Josef questioned in his thick accent. Aric paused a moment, his eyes distant. “Would you please tell Lord Nikola I will be late to my lessons tonight?” When he raised his eyes to meet Josef ’s, he blinked at the curious expression he saw. “I need to go out.” Curiosity turned to disapproval. “He will not like.” “Tell him it’s necessary.” “He will not like, Master Aric,” Josef repeated, a warning in his tone, but when he saw the determination on Aric’s face, he knew it was useless. He nodded at the youth. “I will tell him.” “Thank you, Josef,” Aric smiled, and he was out of the dining room an instant later, before he could change his mind. Nikola stared at Josef. “He left?” “Yes, Sir.” “Did he say when he would return?” Josef shook his head, not liking the harsh expression on his master’s face. “No. He only said he would be late for his lessons, and then left the manor.” “He went into the city.” Nikola’s voice was tight, his hands clenching at his sides. “Thank you, Josef. Everyone may take the rest of the night off. It does not seem you will be needed.” He watched

Josef quickly exit the library, and he couldn’t blame the human. His fury was not easily faced. Nikola paced back and forth across the wood floors, growling softly. The lying, spoiled child! Slut! He had given Aric the answers he’d wanted. He’d spent hours and hours with the young man trying to alleviate boredom and engage his mind. He had tried, dammit! What more did Aric want from him? He knew. Oh, he knew. Aric wanted sex. Like an animal in heat, Aric was incapable of abstaining for more than a week. He’d sensed the growing need in Aric, the desire to be taken, the restlessness of the impatient. Nikola sighed and entered the music room. He seated himself behind his piano and closed his eyes, his fingers flying over the keys in swift, furious tones. He poured out the frustration and disappointment into piece after piece, until he was sweating and panting. With a final smashing chord, he rested his arm across the keys and pressed his damp brow to it. Damn him for falling in love with a mortal again. His brooding was interrupted by the sound of footsteps, hurried but slowing quickly, and the acrid scent of human sweat. Aric had rushed back to the manor, doubtless hoping to have been back before Nikola had noticed. Nikola didn’t move, remaining hunched over his piano until the youth entered the music room. “Aric.” “Sir,” Aric greeted cautiously. When the silence lingered between them, he swallowed. “I didn’t think it would take so long...” Nikola righted himself, bringing the cover down over the keyboard. He wanted to slam it down, but even in his rage, he respected the instrument. “How long did you think it would take?” “Maybe... an hour and a half,” Aric tried. “You don’t exactly live across the street from the city center.” Nikola stood up from the piano, quickly tying his hair back. “Did you enjoy yourself?” “I did,” Aric replied, confusion tinging his voice.

A muscle jerked in Nikola’s jaw. “You are excused from your lessons tonight. I have no desire to even look at you,” he snapped, his eyes focused entirely on the piano. Aric tensed, like he’d taken a blow to the face. “Why?” “I dislike being lied to. You should not have agreed to terms you would be unable to adhere to.” “I did nothing wrong,” Aric insisted, his voice rough with strain. Nikola sneered. “You could barely last a week before spreading your legs.” Aric’s eyes went wide, but he seemed incapable of forming a response. Not that Nikola planned to give him the chance to voice one as he plowed on. “I knew it was too much to ask of you. You received your answers, and now your promises mean nothing.” Aric visibly ground his teeth, obviously annoyed at having been caught. He reached into the pocket of his jeans, extracted a slightly crumpled envelope, and tossed it onto the piano. His retreat was hasty, wordless, and he didn’t look back as he granted Nikola the solitude his tutor had demanded. It took Nikola a moment to move towards the envelope. A sickening sensation settled in the pit of his stomach, and he lifted the envelope from the piano and opened it. “Nikola, you stupid ass,” he muttered, closing his eyes. He walked quickly from the music room, up the stairs and to Aric’s room. He did not assume he had the right to walk in after the harsh comments he’d made, and so he knocked, the contents of the envelope gripped tightly in his hand. “Aric?” There was no answer, but there was also no yelled profanity or objection when he turned the knob and entered the dark room. He spotted Aric immediately, sitting on the railing of the balcony outside the partially draped windows. Nikola slowly crossed the bedroom, slipping out onto the balcony. “Aric,” he murmured, the silent trembling of proud shoulders worrying him. Aric started, his back straightening as he sniffed and swiped quickly at his eyes. He had to swallow several times before he managed, “What?” “You... did not leave here to have sex.”

“No.” The word was barely audible. Nikola looked down at the opera tickets in his hand. “You bought me tickets to the current show.” Aric nodded, not yet facing Nikola, and words tumbled from him as he wiped his cheeks again. “Tristan und Isolde revolutionized classical music... augmented notes, diminished chords instead of tonal harmony. I thought you might... like it,” he hiccuped, morphing the sound into a mirthless laugh. “Have you seen it?” “No,” Aric admitted, shaking his head. “There are two tickets here.” Nikola gazed at Aric. “You wanted us to go together.” Aric indicated his assent and, pulling his hair out of its braid, he hid his face behind the wavy locks. Nikola brushed back the sheets of maple. “Look at me, Aric.” His voice left no room for disobedience, and when Aric’s watery eyes met his, Nikola smiled, the expression soft. “I am sorry I made such a harsh accusation. I shouldn’t have jumped to such a conclusion, and I am sorry for hurting you.” “You’re not the first to assume it,” Aric reasoned, his voice still strained as he clenched his jaw against the tears. “You won’t be the last, I’m sure.” Nikola shook his head. “That does not make what I did right, nor does it excuse my rashness.” His brow furrowed. “Has no one ever apologized to you, Aric? Sincerely?” “No. Why would they? What do they have to apologize for?” Aric swallowed and cleared his throat. “If it hurts, that’s my problem, not theirs...” “No, Aric.” Nikola cupped Aric’s face, his heart aching for such a young spirit already so jaded. “I apologize because I made an assumption I simply shouldn’t have. The blame rests with me, not you, and it is my problem that you feel hurt. You have given me no reason to think you a liar, and it was merely jeal—” He stopped, allowing his hand to return to his side. “I spoke cruelly, and I am sincerely sorry for the pain it caused you.”

Aric reached down and retrieved Nikola’s hand, pressing it against his cheek again. He blinked a few times before he closed his eyes, leaning against the comforting touch. His sigh was one of relief. “I forgive you.” Nikola smiled, rubbing his thumb lightly over Aric’s cheek. “Thank you. I look forward to seeing Tristan und Isolde with you. I think you will truly enjoy it, as will I. It was incredibly thoughtful of you.” It was a wonderful gesture that warmed Nikola’s heart. “I just thought it would be nice to get you out. Listen to the sounds, you know?” Aric sniffed, his eyes still closed. “I know.” Nikola found Aric too much of a temptation, and he leaned forward to brush his lips over the mortal’s cheek. “Thank you.” Aric’s eyes snapped open at the unexpected kiss, and he stared at Nikola, his mouth moving a few times though no words came out. Swallowing, he tried again, resisting the urge to ask why. “You... You’re welcome.” Nikola smiled and stood upright. “Do you wish for your lesson tonight, or perhaps something more... informal?” It was the least he could do for insulting Aric as he had. Aric nodded at the alternative. “The prospect of sitting through a lecture right now seems a bit torturous. Do you have a favorite place here?” “In the gardens. The center of the hedge maze.” Nikola tilted his head. “Would you like to go there?” “Yes.” A spark came to Aric’s eyes. “As long as you promise not to leave me there. I’m not good in mazes.” Nikola held out his hand. “I will never leave you behind.” A half-smile tentatively curved Aric’s lips, and he sniffed a final time before putting his hand in Nikola’s. He swung his legs back over the railing, hopping down from his perch. “Walk with me.” “With pleasure,” Nikola said. He led them from Aric’s room, down through the manor, and out the door from the kitchen. His feet moved lightly over the summer grasses, and he approached the

yawning entrance to the hedge maze with steady steps. “Has it been an easy adjustment, conforming to my request?” Aric couldn’t stifle his chuckle. “Not exactly.” “Are you unhappy?” “No,” Aric said with certainty, shaking his head as they rounded a corner of the maze. “Unhappy was the first night. Unhappy is what I feel when I’m stuck hearing my parents lecture me about being the perfect child as if I’m still six years old. It’s a challenge, that’s all.” Nikola chuckled. “A challenge? Is abstinence so difficult? I have not had a lover for... sixty-four years now. I do not find it such a challenge.” Aric elbowed Nikola. “I am not you, unfortunately. I have a rather active sex drive. I’ll be all right; I just need to adjust to seeing to myself all the time like I used to.” “Such sacrifices.” Nikola led Aric deeper into the hedge maze. “Are you mocking me again?” Aric scoffed. “I don’t expect you to understand my needs and wants, but can you at least respect that they’re different from yours, Count?” Nikola smirked. “Of course.” Aric took the opportunity to look around. The maze was awash in silvery light, the moonlight casting shadows at every corner. The night-blooming flowers were beautiful shades of pale blue, contrasted against the dark leaves of the maze’s walls. “I’m already lost,” he chuckled, taking a glance behind them as they passed a junction and turned another corner. “Are you frightened? Lost in a hedge maze with a hungry vampire?” Nikola laughed, the sound soft, devoured by the warm summer breeze. “You’re hungry?” Aric gasped, making a melodramatic show out of stopping and huddling in a corner of the maze. He laughed into the wind. “No, I’m not afraid.” Nikola watched Aric, his eyes sharp in the darkness. “I am glad I can amuse you.”

“I like it when you smile. Your laugh makes me want to laugh as well.” “I have had little to laugh about in recent years.” Nikola paused in their journey to the center of the maze. “It... pleases me that you inspire my smile and laughter.” Aric stopped when he realized Nikola lingered behind him and turned to face his tutor. “Laughing always helps. Has no one else made you smile or laugh? Josef... Mishka, maybe? Do you have a pet cat I don’t know about?” “No.” Nikola chuckled, resuming their walk. “I am not particularly close with my staff, and I do not own a pet. I am alone.” “Pity,” Aric said with a soft smile. “You don’t seem half bad.” “Alone, no one can learn of my secrets and exploit them. Alone, I do not suffer the disappointments of broken promises or distance. Alone, I am safe,” Nikola murmured, turning his eyes to the moon as they walked. “I am accustomed to being alone.” “Obviously,” Aric nodded, his tone free of any teasing flair. “Don’t you get tired of it, though? Every once in a while, at least?” Nikola was silent for a long time as he turned the question over in his head. He could lie, but what use would a lie be? “All the time,” he admitted. Aric watched Nikola closely. “Must be hard... but... you’re not alone right now,” he pointed out with an encouraging smile. Nikola turned his eyes to Aric and smiled. “No. I am not. I have the frustrating pleasure of your company for the next ten months.” “Almost nine now,” Aric reminded him with a nudge, “unless you decide to keep me longer.” He had to admit, the idea didn’t strike him as being torturous like he thought it would. “Keep a willing snack at my side?” Nikola teased. Aric shivered minutely at the memory of Nikola’s teeth at the skin of his neck. “Hey, if the shoe fits...” Nikola shook his head. “I do not see humans as cattle to be fed upon.”

Aric smiled at that. “I know you don’t, and I’m more than just a willing snack.” Though he certainly did not deny being such. “You are,” Nikola murmured. He stopped when they reached the center of the maze and turned to Aric. He gazed at Aric, saw a light flush to the skin and scented a rise in the musk of his pupil’s body. However, he did not make mention of the knowledge. If Aric wished to think sexually of whatever man he’d last seen, Nikola could not blame him. Aric was young. He was in his sexual prime, and Nikola had asked him to abstain. A selfish request, and Nikola would readily admit it, but it pleased him that Aric was abiding by it. “We have reached the center.” Aric pulled his gaze away from Nikola to look around the verdant oasis. It was a garden refuge, small enough to be deemed cozy but spacious enough to be an escape from the manor, which seemed claustrophobic in comparison. It was a moon garden in the truest sense, created with an eye for nighttime viewing. The night-blooming flowers, all in pale shades, added a truly celestial atmosphere to the area, and he couldn’t help but smile when he followed the soothing sound of flowing water to a small fountain nestled in the greenery. “This is... God, this is beautiful.” “It is.” Nikola looked around his sanctuary as well, smiling to himself. “I needed someplace where the silence was still filled with sound. I tend to come here after feeding. It is a step between what I am and what I pretend to be.” “Or someplace where you can just be you,” Aric whispered, nodding slightly. “All of you.” Nikola glanced at Aric. “All of me, yes.” Though he was always alone, it was here he was simply Nikola. “No one else has been allowed in the hedge maze.” Lowering his gaze, Aric acknowledged the honor he was given. “I’m happy to be the first.” “As am I,” Nikola said, and he took a seat on the concrete bench near the fountain.

There were a few seconds of near silence, and Nikola felt the tension inside him slowly unwind. Aric smiled as he watched, obviously enjoying the loss of Nikola’s postural formality. Instead of sitting beside Nikola, Aric sat on the manicured grass and leaned against the stone fountain, resting his head on the edge so that he could look up at Nikola. Nikola’s eyes, on the other hand, were drawn to Aric’s throat, so enticingly exposed to him. He licked his lips, the pulse easily seen by his eyes, even by moonlight. The itch of his hunger returned, and he began to quietly pant. “We should return to the manor,” Nikola said, his voice low, carrying a slightly feral edge. Aric blinked, his expression a model of confusion and curiosity. “Why? We just got here.” “I need—” Nikola felt his teeth begin to descend as the desire to feed swept over his senses. He stood up, taking several paces away from Aric. “I can’t stay here with you just now.” Nikola’s sudden tension and agitation made Aric’s confused expression all the more acute, and he sat up straight. “Did I do something wrong?” “No.” Nikola clenched his hands into fists at his sides and turned to face Aric. “I need to hunt,” he admitted, the words coming out awkwardly as his teeth descended completely. “I can’t remain here with you.” Comprehension dawned on Aric’s face, but he remained sitting, as if attempting to appear less of a threat. “I’m completely well now,” he pointed out carefully. “You can feed from m—” “No!” Nikola panted, closing his eyes. “Aric, you don’t understand... you can’t understand.” “You don’t want me to understand,” Aric murmured, finally rising to his feet, though disappointment and defeat radiated from his very being. “Go. I’ll find my way out somehow.” Nikola felt his body begin to tremble with his restraint. He didn’t want to merely leave his pupil alone, in the dark, in the center of a maze he knew Aric could not escape from. “Aric...”

Aric heard the hint of concern in Nikola’s voice and sighed. “I’ll stay here in this garden. Go and feed, Nikola. I’m not afraid of the dark. I’ll be fine. Just return to help me out when you have finished.” “Why are you so offended I will not use you?” Nikola demanded. “I am trying to protect you.” “I’m not offended. I just don’t get why you’ll go out to snatch a sip when I’m right here. We shared it before, and it was nice, so...” Aric’s voice trailed off, and he shook his head. “Never mind. Just go. I’ll still be here, and I won’t think less of you.” Nikola slowly crossed the garden, his burning eyes on Aric. “What I offered you before was a sip. What I need now is not.” Aric swallowed, seeing the predatory glint in those silvery blue eyes. “I was weak after the sip. Can you wait to get me back to the manor? Are you willing to see how much I can give?” It was temptation. Nikola tried to resist, but the vivid memory of just that sip made his heart race. “When I am done, I will put you to bed, and then leave the manor in order to feed fully. I will return and we may speak more tomorrow night. Agreed?” He would not abandon Aric again following such intimacy, not as he had before. Aric bit his lip and nodded, and Nikola could hear the boy’s pulse quickening. “Agreed.” Nikola took hold of Aric’s hand and swiftly led through the maze. His teeth itched. It was the only way he could describe the nagging, incessant need to feed. He walked with purpose from the maze and towards the manner, his hand slowly tightening around Aric’s wrist the longer he thought about the human. Infuriating, tempting, beautiful, and so damned independent, Nikola knew he would never be able to withstand any demand or desire Aric made of him. Never. Hopelessly smitten by a child! Aric followed Nikola, sure-footed but for the two times Nikola made sudden cuts around corners that left him trailing into the bushes trying to keep up. Once they were free of the maze, Nikola’s grip tightened enough to make Aric wince as they made their way through the kitchen and the corridors, finally coming back to his

chamber. Aric’s heart was racing, pounding a treacherous rhythm that exploded against Nikola’s eardrums until the temptation became a primal need. “Remove your shirt,” Nikola ground out. Aric instantly did as he was told, unwilling to hesitate when ordered in such a rough, dangerous voice. Nikola’s eyes pinned him in place, and he pulled his hair back from his neck, quickly twisting it into the elastic band he still had around his unblemished wrist. Nikola slid his hand up Aric’s chest, feeling the racing heart easily, and up over the youth’s shoulder until he cradled the back of Aric’s neck. “Not a full feeding,” he whispered, his lids becoming heavy, and he wasn’t certain if he was speaking to Aric or himself. He leaned in, lips teasing the flesh as his hand positioned Aric’s head perfectly. “Just... a small one...” He opened his mouth wide and bit with precision, moaning as his mouth flooded with Aric’s blood. Aric stiffened with the rush of sensation, and he cried out. His hands instinctively gripped at Nikola’s chest and shoulders, anywhere he could find purchase, and he let out a plaintive whimper before Nikola’s mind could push into his. Then, the whimper bled into a moan, and his body shuddered with the unparalleled pleasure that was not all his own. Focusing himself, Nikola tried to count the number of swallows, but all he felt was the overwhelming thrill of the feeding. Lust and desire raged in him, pushed onto Aric’s mind, and by the sixth swallow, Nikola had pressed his aroused body fully against Aric’s. He moaned loudly, shuddering with every swallow, and his groin throbbed with each heartbeat. It wasn’t long before his heart synced with Aric’s, and the tenth mouthful of blood slid down his throat, leaving his mind awash in a haze of crimson need. Aric’s body trembled in the embrace, and his knees buckled. His hands moved to Nikola’s neck and squeezed as Aric fought to stay standing. “Nikola... that’s...” Nikola growled, holding Aric tighter for a moment, but the pressure on his own throat made swallowing difficult. With a snarl,

he detached from Aric’s throat. He wanted more, and his eyes fell to the blood that dripped steadily down Aric’s throat. He licked up the flesh, savoring the last few trickles before the wound clotted. “Damn you,” he breathed, closing his eyes as he picked Aric up and took him to the bed. “I’m... sorry,” Aric breathed through his daze as Nikola hastily removed shoes, socks, jeans, and underwear before pulling the heavy sheets over Aric’s bare body. “You don’t even know what you’re sorry for.” Nikola brushed back Aric’s hair, cupping a pale cheek. “Sleep. I will have a special meal prepared for you tomorrow night. You will need it.” “Tomorrow night...” Aric’s voice murmured. He tried to establish eye contact with Nikola, fighting to focus his pleading gaze. Nikola held Aric’s gaze. “Go to sleep. I will wake you at sunset,” he said, the words firm. Aric’s eyes quickly lost their focus, and he nodded, exhaustion pulling him under quickly as his body began to compensate for the lost blood. Nikola watched Aric sleep for long minutes, and then stood. Lust and need still raged within him, and he quickly fled the house, stealing into the city as nothing more than a hungry shadow.

Chapter Six Aric sighed while he wrote, his ball-point pen making a small scratching sound on his paper as he formulated a detailed time-line of European history from 1000 to 1500 CE. It was tedious work, marking the establishment of Hungary and Poland, the Crusades, the Papal Domination and the Great Schism, along with various authors and composers who emerged and died off in the never-ending chain of conflict and conquest. Busy-work. For the third day in a row, Nikola had assigned him busy-work that served no conceivable purpose other than to keep his mouth shut and his hands to himself. Nikola had been more attentive this past month, waking him as promised and caring for him as he recovered from the loss of blood. Nikola had also continued answering his various questions, but within the first week Aric had noticed the distance being forced between them. Not only that, but any time he tried to steer the conversation toward Nikola feeding from him again, the subject was quickly and unequivocally changed. Nikola was quiet and reserved, more so than usual, and he kept their contact with one another strictly to schooling, the only exception being to see the Tristan und Isolde opera together. Otherwise it had been quiet—far too quiet for Aric’s tastes. He was still bound by his promise to stay away from alcohol and illicit affairs, and the strain between Nikola and he had grown as time went on instead of easing, as he assumed had been Nikola’s plan. His sexual proclivities raged on behind the closed doors of his bedroom, fueled by dreams and fantasies of Nikola’s bite, of Nikola’s touch and all the possibilities that lay beneath those infuriating, brocaded cloaks, beneath the buttons and ties that covered pale, cool flesh. He was startled from his daydreaming when Nikola leaned over his shoulder for a moment and quietly reminded him not to

forget Sadi and Dante. The suggestion was an opportunity, one that he instantly took, as he had numerous times in the last week. Sick of the space between them, Aric had determined he would tempt his tutor closer, entice and seduce until Nikola’s resolve crumbled. Making the small additions to his time-line, he brought the capped end of his pen to his mouth as he turned to Nikola. “Do I have the dates right?” he asked, his voice a purr as he played with the tip of his pen in a decidedly erotic fashion. Nikola stood upright and nodded so quickly that Aric knew at once that Nikola was not as immune to his advances as he might have claimed. “Yes. They are correct. Once you complete your assignment, your time is your own. I will assign no extra work for you to do following your studies.” “Is something wrong?” Aric asked with forced innocence, scribbling a few more painters and sculptures into the time-line. “You seem tense.” “No.” Nikola placed the entirety of the room between himself and Aric. Turning in his chair, Aric regarded his tutor from across the room, straddling the wooden seat suggestively. “Why so curt, good Count? Have I displeased you?” Nikola glowered at Aric. “This act you are performing is not putting you into my good graces. Complete your assignment and leave the library.” After so many rebuffs, Aric struggled not to growl in frustration. He turned back to his work, grinding his teeth. “I haven’t been in your good graces for weeks, your Excellency,” he murmured. “Forgive your lowly pupil’s pursuit of greater pleasure.” “Your pleasure has no place in this room.” Aric tossed his pen aside and stood, leaning back against his work table with his arms crossed. “What room would you prefer, then? The salon? The library? Your room?” “No,” Nikola snapped.

“I’m at a loss, then,” Aric intimated with a sigh that wasn’t completely forced. “It seems to me that you take so little pleasure in life. I only want to help remedy that.” Nikola’s eyes narrowed. “I will not merely fuck you. I do not do that.” “You don’t know what you’re missing...” “You degrade yourself. Make yourself into a whore,” Nikola spat at Aric. “No,” Aric retorted, his jaw clenched with a sudden spike of anger. “You just think that because you have a preconceived notion that anyone who likes sex to be fast or hard is either being paid or should be paid. I am not a whore.” Nikola sneered. “You have so little worth in yourself that you don’t believe it should be any other way but nameless, faceless rutting. It’s disgraceful.” “Maybe I don’t want anyone closer than that. Maybe I don’t trust anyone to be closer than that to me! Why should I? And what the hell would you know about it?” Aric shook his head, scoffing as he pushed away from his desk. “Fuck you.” Turning on his heel, he walked through the French doors leading to the courtyard outside the music room. He didn’t have any patience at the moment, least of all for one of Nikola’s diatribes. It was a warm night, and it didn’t take much time for Aric to find a quiet spot to cool his head and cry a bit in peace. No one understood. No one had ever tried. Why should Nikola have been any different? The Count cared about the act—that much was clear—but Aric was sure Nikola didn’t care enough about him to do more than reprimand him for his lifestyle. What else was new? No one ever bothered to look beyond what he did and figure out why, just like the audience in the concert hall would only know him as well as the program’s little paragraph describing him would allow. It was best that he just keep to himself. It wasn’t worth getting close to someone if they were just going to hurt him more.

When his frustrated tears had stopped, he lingered outside, exploring the grounds a bit more than he had before, skirting around the hedge-maze and through the various gardens. The small, artificial river that ran through one section of a water-themed garden soothed him, along with the soft scents that rose from the flowers in the warm night. Eventually, however, his ears caught a strain of music lilting from the manor, and, try as he might, he couldn’t ignore the notes and was drawn to the music room again like a moth to a flame. He didn’t exactly want to be around Nikola at the moment, but the music was too beautiful to resist. Entering the room silently, he took a seat at one of the couches near the doors, resting his head on the padded arm and listening. Nikola played with unerring precision, his eyes closed, and he was completely lost to the music. It was a complicated and dark melody that no doubt mirrored his feelings at the moment. Still, his fingers made no mistakes as he played, the melody becoming even more difficult the longer he sat behind the keys. He was tireless, pouring emotion he tended to keep within himself into the music. Aric could do little more than simply let the music wash through him. It was astounding really, how talented his tutor was, for the chords and melodies were more expressive than he thought he could ever manage himself. The time signatures changed with a fluidity that almost made his mind scramble to keep up, and his eyes were ever drawn to the perfect technique that allowed Nikola to move quickly among the black and white keys. Slowly, ever so naturally, the music drew to a close, the final chord held by the perfect acoustics of the room. Nikola stopped, his fingers resting lightly on the keys as he released the pedal. He didn’t look at his pupil just yet, but acknowledged Aric’s presence simply with a quiet word. “Aric.” Though his eyes had slipped shut as the piece concluded, Aric opened them at the sound of his name and focused on Nikola’s profile. His voice was soft in the wake of such music. “Yes, Sir?”

“What you do with your personal time is of no concern of mine. Forgive me for judging you as I have. I have no right to such.” Aric sighed after a moment. It was still strange to hear Nikola apologize since no other adults had ever bothered to do so, even when they had clearly crossed the line with him. Nikola had always been different, though, even from his very first glance of Nikola. “You are forgiven, Count. I reacted harshly, probably more so than I should have.” Nikola removed his hands from the keys. “I used callous terms I shouldn’t have.” “I’m not a whore,” Aric reiterated softly, feeling the need to say the words again. “Of course not,” Nikola said, rising from the piano. “Then why do you always insinuate that I am one?” Aric’s eyes held echoes of his hurt and anger, though his voice remained quiet. “I do not know, but it will not happen again,” he offered vaguely. “Fine,” Aric agreed half-heartedly, quickly changing the subject. “You play so well. I’m jealous.” “I have had many years with which to practice.” “That’s true,” Aric managed to chuckle. “I guess I would never get that good even if I worked my entire lifetime.” “You already excel for a mortal, Aric.” Aric shrugged, finally lifting his head from the armrest of the sofa. “I’m pretty good, I guess. I could be better,” he admitted, knowing he had more to learn, many things he still needed to work on. “And you will be. You have plenty of time to hone your skills.” A smile slowly crept onto Aric’s face. “With more five-hour concert training sessions?” “If you wish to become better, then yes.” “Sounds like fun,” Aric said with only a hint of sarcasm. The long sessions had left his whole body aching. Most regarded piano playing as a simple pastime, but for a seasoned pianist, long concerts could really take a toll if the entire body was not fit and trained for endurance, especially the hands.

Nikola’s eyes finally turned to Aric. “Unless being a pianist is not what you wish to be.” His eyes widening, Aric shook his head. “No! It is what I want to be. I mean, I couldn’t imagine my life without music. Sometimes I just...” His voice faded. Nikola probably didn’t want to hear his babbling. Slowly, Nikola approached Aric. “Sometimes you just what?” Aric swallowed, continuing after a few moments. “I feel like I’m playing a part out there. Up until I came here, it just felt so... artificial. I don’t want to play like that again. Sometimes I feel like I’ve been forced to play for the wrong reasons, like for my parents’ egos, or so they can buy that new sports car they like, or so the neighbors will think more highly of the family.” It had poisoned his music, in his opinion. “You are an adult now.” Nikola stood before Aric’s seated form, gazing down with steady eyes. “Play for yourself, no one else, or, within a decade, you will resent what you love.” Looking up to meet Nikola’s gaze, Aric nodded. “That’s what I want, to be out there as myself, play what I feel, to play because I love it, not because someone is making me.” Nikola nodded once. “Then do that.” Aric took a deep breath and let it out slowly, a smile curving his lips. It was the first time he could recall feeling like Nikola completely understood him in some way, and it was a relief after their previous argument. Nikola might not have been able to understand his sexual behaviors, but music was something they had in common. Nikola cupped Aric’s cheek. “All that matters in life, Aric, is happiness. If you are not happy, then you must take the steps to become so. Live for yourself, because eventually everyone else falls away. Find pride in what you do. Find joy in everything you possess.” It was impossible for Aric to ignore the warmth in Nikola’s hand, and it made him sigh, his smile remaining. “I will do my best.”

“Why did you sigh like that?” Nikola asked with a frown. “Was that not an acceptable answer?” Aric’s smile broadened to a grin, and he was unable to keep a trace of seduction from entering his voice. “I sighed because I like the way your skin feels against mine.” Nikola instantly withdrew his hand and clenched his teeth. “You play dangerous games.” “Maybe I like dangerous games,” Aric whispered. “You will not be satisfied until I slit your throat.” “That’s not true.” “You tempt me. You try to seduce me.” Aric raised an eyebrow. “And...?” Nikola’s eyes flashed. “It will not work.” Lifting a hand, Aric brushed his fingers sensually down Nikola’s neck. “Are you sure?” “Why are you doing this?” Nikola hissed, grasping Aric’s wrist. Aric licked his lips, the gesture surprisingly unintentional. “Because I want you.” He had for weeks, and the desire showed no signs of dissipating. “Why?” Nikola demanded. “Because I think about your lips on my skin...” Aric closed his eyes, his head tilting back a bit while he remembered his fantasies. “Your cock inside me, and your hands on my body—such talented hands. It makes my heart pound, makes me hard in my jeans, and I want you.” If he was honest with himself, he would have admitted that he wanted Nikola more than he had ever wanted any other. Even with how infuriating Nikola was, something drew him in, and he knew he would want more than one tryst. God, how long had it been since he had wanted more than one night with any of them? Nikola stared at Aric. “I will not fuck you. It will not happen.” Aric wanted so badly to be around Nikola, but it seemed the only way to have Nikola close was to seduce him, since Nikola had been more than aloof since the last time they spoke in depth. No, Nikola seemed absolutely determined to ignore whatever connec-

tion there had been through the sharing of his blood. Slowly, he righted his head with a longing sigh. “Such a shame... I hate when my desire goes to waste.” He could feel the throbbing between his legs and was sure he would have to use his toys again. His pupils were dilated a bit more than usual when he opened his eyes. “If you change your mind...” He sat up straight, reaching to brush his lips against Nikola’s neck for a brief moment before pulling away again. “Let me know.” Nikola’s fury boiled over. He grabbed Aric’s arms and pushed him against the back of the sofa. His face near Aric’s, he spoke in a voice low and dark. “This is why I call you a whore. You behave like one. All sex and crude desire. Rather than spend time with me, you’d rather go to my bed. Very well. To my bed you shall go.” He yanked Aric up and, with a sure grip on the man’s arm, he forcefully led Aric out of the music room and up the stairs. “If all you want is my body, I will give it to you. An itch you wish scratched, and I will scratch it.” Aric was shocked by the abrupt response, and though he desired Nikola, he knew instinctively as he was pulled roughly up the stairs that this felt all wrong. He had engaged in angry, rough sex before, but, for some reason he was unable to identify, that wasn’t what he wanted from Nikola. He struggled in Nikola’s grasp, trying to wrest his arm from the firm grip though it seemed useless, as Nikola had far more strength in his fingers than Aric had ever imagined. “Let me go!” Ignoring Aric, Nikola stormed down the landing and into his own room, shoving Aric through the door and slamming it shut behind them. Aric tried not to panic, but he could feel his heart pounding, fear overtaking his arousal. “Nikola... Nikola! What do you think you’re doing?” “You said you wanted me.” Nikola pulled open his shirt and threw the fabric to the floor as he kicked off his boots. “I am giving you what you wanted.” “This isn’t what I want!” Aric protested, though his eyes were drawn instantly to the openly displayed skin of his tutor. Shutting

his eyelids, he quickly shook his head to clear it. This isn’t how he had wanted things to proceed. It simply didn’t feel right. “Isn’t it?” Nikola unfastened the top button of his trousers and stalked towards Aric. At the last moment, his hand swiftly reached out and cupped the back of Aric’s neck, bringing his pupil close. “You said so yourself. My lips on your skin, my hands upon your body.” He jerked Aric’s head back and licked up the man’s throat, moaning at the salty taste. Aric gasped, and in his shock he allowed the movements, a moan pulled from his throat at the erotic touch. Even that, though, was done in such a way that made him distinctly uncomfortable, and he tensed, shoving Nikola away. “Stop! Not like this!” “Like what, then?” Nikola stood his ground and nipped up to Aric’s ear. Panting into the delicate shell, he whispered, “Tell me, do you want to be on your back or do you prefer it like a dog?” His hands slid under Aric’s shirt, the nails gently scraping over golden skin. The question brought with it a level of comprehension, and though he had wanted to feel Nikola against him, the panting breath near his ear such a temptation, Aric bit back another moan and struggled again until he was free from Nikola’s grasp. “I told you I’m not a whore! Stop trying to treat me like one!” There was a certain malevolence in Nikola’s touches, a point being made, and he refused to be actively demeaned. It hurt that Nikola was only willing to be with him to prove some twisted point about him being a slut. His eyes tearing up, he quickly made his way to the door that separated their rooms. Moving faster than the speed of sight, Nikola slammed his hand on the half-open door and shut it again. “Where are you going? You have not had what you want.” “I just wanted to be close, not be a player in some sick lesson of yours!” Aric’s jaw clenched as he bit back his tears, not knowing why he cared so much about what Nikola thought of him. With any of his other lovers it wouldn’t have mattered, but with Nikola...

“I shouldn’t have tried to seduce you. It won’t happen again. Point taken. Now, let me go.” “If that is what you believe my point is, then you have missed it.” Nikola shook his head. “Sex is not closeness. Not the sex you seek. You wish to be close to me?” “Yes, I wish to be close to you!” Aric yelled, his hurt exacerbating his frustration. “What do you think I’ve been trying to do for the last month? You won’t come anywhere near me unless I tempt you past your limits!” He tried once again to open the door and retreat to his room, but Nikola’s hand held it fast, and he gave up, his fist hitting the hard wood as his head slumped forward, effectively hiding his face from his tutor while the first tears fell down his cheeks. “Nothing but lessons and distance for a month. No more lessons tonight. What do you think I am? A whore? Your little child prodigy?” Nikola sighed and closed his eyes. “Aric.” He opened his eyes and reached for Aric. “You know so little for having experienced so much.” His shoulders shaking minutely with silent tears, Aric merely stood against the door, his shoulder pressed to the wood and his head turned away from Nikola. He felt utterly rejected, demeaned by one who seemed to know him too well one moment, and then not at all the next. That Nikola had such insight and yet had been willing to berate him and treat him like a whore made the entire evening all the more painful. “I think you are an incredibly talented, horribly lonely young man who cannot find his way to the happiness he desperately desires,” Nikola said, pulling Aric into his arms. “Thus you use sex as a means of momentary joy, fleeting though it always is. That is no way to live, and that is not how you become close to someone. This, Aric, being held, in arms that are welcoming and warm, is closeness. Your ear pressed to another’s chest as they hold you, listening to the strength of their heartbeat.” A small sob escaped Aric, though he tried to hold it back. He could tell from Nikola’s soft touch that he wasn’t in any danger, but

it hurt to feel such gentleness after the harshness of Nikola’s words and actions throughout the night. “What the hell are you playing at?” he asked haltingly. His mind was running in circles trying to interpret Nikola’s mixed messages, and he found himself emotionally overtaxed, unable or unwilling to push away from the warmth and the rhythmic heartbeat that drummed in his ear. “There will be a new set of lessons,” Nikola murmured. “Beginning tomorrow after your other lessons.” Aric groaned, the thought of more schooling making his head hurt. “I think you will like these lessons.” Nikola slowly led Aric to the bed. “You must learn how to be intimate without the sole thought being to spill your seed, and I will teach you such things.” Letting his tears run their course, Aric sniffled, wiping his cheeks and nose repeatedly before looking up at Nikola with shocked, hazel eyes. “You’ll what?” After avoiding him and calling him a whore, Nikola was going to give him lessons in intimacy? In his befuddlement, he didn’t protest when Nikola urged him to sit on the large bed. “You confuse me.” Nikola stripped Aric with gentle hands until the man sat in only boxers. “I have my reasons for my behavior, but right now you are not in the right mind for such discussions. You need to rest.” “But...” Aric tried his best to push his lingering confusion aside, his mind scattered as it was. His eyes searched Nikola’s for a few moments. “Here? In your room?” It made him feel like a child who had sneaked into an older sibling’s room after having nightmares, taking comfort in the presence of the other, whose sleep was always assumed to be more pleasant and restful. “Unless you would prefer otherwise.” Aric shook his head hastily and winced, stopping the movement at once. “No, I—” he cut himself off, his cheeks flushing in the darkness of the room. “Your bed is comfy,” he finished lamely. “It is.” Nikola pushed Aric down into the mattress and drew up the sheets and comforter. He then walked to the other side and

crawled in, soon spooned against Aric’s back with the man safely ensconced in his arms. “Now sleep.” Turning his face towards the mattress to hide his slight embarrassment, Aric scooted up a bit to grab a pillow. He settled in amongst the pillows and soft sheets, his awkwardness easing a bit with the sheer comfort of his surroundings and the welcoming embrace of Nikola behind him. The bed smelled like Nikola, and he couldn’t help but smile a little as he buried his face into his pillow, murmuring, “Goodnight, Count.” Nikola smiled against Aric’s shoulder. “Goodnight, Aric.”

Chapter Seven Aric’s neck and shoulders hurt like hell from stooping over his notebook and reference texts. God only knew how many hours he had spent in the same position, and he finally set his pencil and highlighter aside resolutely, deciding he was done with homework for the evening. He cracked his neck once to each side and groaned softly, lifting a hand to massage protesting muscles. Maybe his shoulders wouldn’t have bothered him if he’d actually tossed and turned a little more while he slept, instead of staying in place with Nikola pressed against his back. Though Aric had shifted minutely during his sleep, Nikola—so far as Aric could tell—had not moved an inch. In fact, Nikola had seemed completely unresponsive while the sunlight lasted, not moving, not breathing, not reacting to his movements. The only sign of life was the slow but steady beating of the heart within Nikola’s chest, and Aric had marveled at the way his tutor remained alive and yet not. Their lessons this evening had been typical, the uncomfortable air between them dissipating with the familiarity of routine, and Aric had found himself distracted by a flood of unanswered questions as he used his free time to study and complete a few assignments he had allowed to pile up in the last week. Now that his work was complete, however, he couldn’t help but voice his curiosity, leaning back against his seat as he watched Nikola play a meandering tune at the piano. “What changed when you became a vampire?” Nikola glanced up from the keys. “Changed?” Aric nodded, his hazel eyes sparkling with interest as he elaborated. “Did your senses change? Your physical form, maybe? How about your sex drive?”

“My sex—?” Nikola blinked several times and turned in his seat. “Yes. My senses changed. I was able to see far better in dim light, at greater distances. I can scent my prey a kilometer away. My strength, as you know, is far more than a mortal’s, and my speed and endurance are also extraordinary. My physical form remained relatively the same, except I became pale with bright eyes. My flesh is cold when I have not fed.” He ignored the question about his sex drive. Though Aric noted the omission of his last question, he brushed it off, moving on quickly as his mind continued to circle with an endless flurry of thoughts, awed at the information Nikola gave him. “Then how do you filter it all? If you can hear a pin drop in the attic, how do you concentrate on my voice right now instead of... the falling water from the fountain outside in the hedge maze?” “I learned to simply focus on what I desired to hear. I do not want to hear the fountain, and so I don’t.” Nikola tilted his head as he thought about it. “It is much like being in a crowded room and focusing on the one you are speaking to instead of the dozens of other conversations around you.” “Just more intense,” Aric noted, his eyes wide as he voraciously listened to his tutor. After a few moments, his brows knit together, and he asked, “Do vampires fundamentally feel repelled by their makers?” He had remembered reading books where it was inherent that vampires of the same line never got along, and Nikola’s story about Svetlana stuck in his mind, seeming to reinforce those stories. Nikola looked away from Aric. “I do not know. I have not made another, and the one who made me...” Aric swallowed, knowing he had struck some sort of nerve, bringing up Svetlana again. “What about others? I mean, there are others, aren’t there?” “There are, but we are territorial. No other vampire is permitted in another’s city. There are not many of us. We recognize that if we have a large population, discovery and annihilation will be inevitable. We breed with discretion.” Nikola smiled faintly. “We tend to breed for companionship, not to simply procreate.”

His eyes lowering to where his fingers lay interlaced, Aric digested the information. Nikola was right; if there were many vampires out there, they would surely have been discovered after a while. There were only so many times a group could make mistakes or make themselves known to others before something went wrong, and, in a group of any sort, a slip from one could endanger them all. It made sense to Aric, the solitary life, the caution and discretion. “So you will eventually make a companion, then? You said you got lonely often.” “I will only create another when I fall in love, and only should they love me in return and agree to the change. I will never force another into such an existence,” Nikola declared, his eyes full of determined fire. The tone of Nikola’s voice made Aric look up again, and he couldn’t help but smile at the ardor he could see radiating from his tutor. There were moments like those when Nikola didn’t seem nearly as cold as he had when they first met. He stood from his chair and crossed over to Nikola, placing his hand on Nikola’s shoulder. “Until then, at least you have me to keep you company.” Nikola looked up at Aric, and he licked his lips. “Until then,” he admitted, the words somewhat rough. He could feel the heat of Aric through his clothes, and the life that flowed in his pupil made his teeth ache with hunger. Aric felt pinned by Nikola’s piercing gaze, and he swallowed, his mind suddenly backtracking to the previous night. “You mentioned... new lessons,” he prompted quietly. “I did,” Nikola agreed. “Intimacy.” A small grin bloomed on Aric’s face. “So uncommon, to have a tutor who wishes to lecture me on such a scandalous topic. When will the lessons begin?” “When you are ready.” Withdrawing his hand from Nikola’s shoulder, Aric crossed his arms and gave an impatient sigh. “I am ready!”

“Perhaps for the first lesson,” Nikola conceded. He rose from the piano bench and turned to face Aric fully, their bodies close but not yet touching. “You have no patience, Aric. None. That must be rectified.” Nikola reached up and gently cupped one of Aric’s cheeks, his thumb rubbing lightly over the soft flesh. “You should enjoy a touch. A glance. A kiss.” A shiver ran the length of Aric’s spine at Nikola’s cool touch. “Your glances freeze me and yet leave me overheated.” Nikola leaned closer, his lips ghosting near Aric’s ear as he spoke. “My glances show I want more than your body.” “What more is there to want?” Aric asked, his pulse quickening. “You reprimand my impatience and rash actions, but that’s me.” Nikola moved to the other ear, his hand trailing down Aric’s throat to brush over the fading mark from his previous bite. “Oh, there is so much more. Your passion, your enthusiasm for life, your talents, your words, your thoughts, your affection...” Aric gasped at the pinprick soreness left from Nikola’s bite, remembering the eroticism of losing his blood to Nikola’s thirst as if it had happened only yesterday instead of weeks ago. Nikola spoke of enthusiasm that was constantly stifled, talents taken advantage of, crass words, and inappropriate thoughts. His affection had been given to no one since he was a child. He simply didn’t see the potential in himself that Nikola did. “I don’t understand why you want me, why you chose me.” “You were thirteen when I first saw you.” Every tease of Nikola’s lips to his throat made Aric’s heart race just a little faster. “Playing with such anger and passion, but with so little joy. I could hear it in every note you banged out, just as I could smell the come of the boy you had just fucked on you.” “Six years ago?” Aric shuddered, and his cheeks flushed. He had thought he was discreet with the boys he’d fucked around with on that tour. Apparently what Nikola said about vampires’ acute senses was true. “You... wanted me even back then?”

Nikola kissed his way to the other side of Aric’s throat, his lips and tongue teasing unblemished skin. “How could I not desire you?” he asked, voice low and seductive. Aric was sure Nikola wasn’t even trying to seduce him. “The desire for your body was but the faintest of thoughts in my mind, though. It was not what drew me to you again and again to watch you perform. You were but a boy. Angry. Hurt. Alone. You had such potential... squandered and stifled, but... such potential,” Nikola whispered, drawing his tongue lightly up the line of Aric’s neck. Aric tried to close the distance between them, tried to draw Nikola up for a kiss, but Nikola’s hands tightened on his upper arms. The strength behind those hands sent a very clear message without Nikola having to say a word. He wasn’t allowed to rush this. It made the teasing licks even more torturous, and he forced himself to relax in Nikola’s grip. “Potential for what?” he asked, failing to keep his voice even. “What do you see that I don’t?” “Everything,” Nikola breathed. He brought his lips to Aric’s and allowed a teasing caress before he finally covered Aric’s mouth with his. The kiss was gentle, sweet, and he did not seek entrance to Aric’s mouth, not yet. He lingered in the touch of lips to lips, the foreplay. Aric was surprised by the heat that washed through him, his lips seeming hot against the coolness of Nikola’s. The kiss was so simple, almost chaste, and he briefly wondered if that was the point. When Nikola made no move to deepen the caress, he concluded the simplicity was intentional. He hadn’t kissed in that way since he was first sent to boarding school. There was something terribly intimate about it, and he opened his eyes to look at Nikola, trying so hard to be patient and not plunge his tongue within Nikola’s mouth. So many questions raced in his mind, and he wanted the answers he assumed a deeper kiss would bring. Even more than that, though, he wanted—needed—to please his tutor. His hands came up to rest against Nikola’s chest, twitching with the effort not to wrap them around Nikola’s neck and demand more.

Nikola slowly wrapped his arms around Aric’s waist, bringing their bodies flush to one another. When their bodies touched, he brushed his tongue across the seam of Aric’s lips. Almost instantly, Aric opened for him, and Nikola lazily slipped his tongue inside Aric’s mouth. He slid the muscle along Aric’s, and a low moan rumbled from him as the unique flavor of the mortal teased his senses. Pressed against Nikola, Aric felt his effort disintegrate to rubble. Nikola’s tongue was warmer than he expected, and the taste of him was decidedly metallic. Fanciful thoughts of Nikola’s last feeding sprang to his mind. A quick sip from a girl lost in an alleyway or a man just exiting the church from a desperate round of prayer, maybe even a drunk passed out against the side of a local club. His imagination ran wild with the erotic possibilities. He gripped Nikola’s neck and shoulders, suckling the tongue in and out of his mouth. When Nikola began to withdraw, Aric followed, impatiently pushing his tongue between Nikola’s lips instead with a passionate moan. Immediately, Nikola pulled back. “Patience, Aric,” he panted. “There is no need to rush. No reason to hurry. The first kiss, that first intimacy, should be cherished, for it will never again happen.” A stab of failure mixed with Aric’s need. “But I want more of you, more of your kiss. Touch, taste, and scent.” He wanted more to cherish in that first, wanted the first to never end, and it was a desire that took him by surprise, though he rashly just accepted it and thought little of it in his desperate state. “You must not view the kiss as something that is given in limited quantity. I have endless kisses for you, Aric, but there is only one first time. Do not squander it. Savor it.” Nikola returned his lips to Aric’s, and his arms tightened as he again pressed his tongue forward, exploring and tasting, always slow and steady. Closing his eyes again, Aric tried to stop the shivering of his body, which was filled to the brim with pent up desire. He had to consciously slow himself down, but he suddenly recalled Rachmaninoff ’s Prelude, the slow build that Nikola had insisted he learn, and that helped. His hands moved up a bit farther, caress-

ing Nikola’s neck just below his hairline. He lapsed only once in his concentration of engaging Nikola’s tongue in a slow manner instead of aggressively pursuing. The slower he went, the more he felt, and it intoxicated him, the details he gleaned—from the texture of Nikola’s tongue to the intense pleasure it provided each time it curved upward to tease the sensitive area just behind his teeth. Nikola gradually fell into the kiss. He deepened the mating of their mouths, allowed for more pressure, more sensation, a little more passion, but still he restrained himself. His hands slid down Aric’s back, over the rounded flesh of the youth’s backside, and returned to their place at the small of Aric’s back. Aric was unsure which sensation made him burn the most, the kiss or that sweeping touch, and he reined in the urge to thrust into the taller man’s hip. Given the depth of kissing he so badly craved, but at a much slower speed than he anticipated, he was forced to savor every sensation. It overloaded his system and made his limbs feel weak. Gradually, Nikola drew the kiss to an end. He panted against Aric’s wet lips as he gazed into his pupil’s eyes. “A first with you... I shall forever remember.” Aric swallowed, his own panting breaths mingling with Nikola’s as he was once again pinned by those blue eyes. A smile crept up on his lips. “You say forever... and I somehow believe you.” “You should,” Nikola said with a quiet chuckle. Hazel eyes swept over Nikola’s features. “Next time, I want you to taste my blood as you kiss me. Unless that isn’t part of the lesson plan, of course.” Nikola’s eyes snapped open. There was something hungry swirling in their depths, and Nikola’s jaw clenched as he stared at Aric, who was surprisingly patient, simply waiting. He neither pushed Nikola nor pulled away from the slightly chilled embrace. Nikola’s eyes trailed from Aric’s lips to his throat and back again. “You are such temptation.” “And you are the very model of resistance.” It made Aric want to smash Nikola’s resolve.

“I have to be,” Nikola whispered as he lowered his head. He drew his tongue up the flesh-covered artery in Aric’s throat and scented the potent blood just under the surface with a moan. Aric shuddered. “Because you could kill me.” Nikola breathed rapidly against the wet line he’d drawn with his tongue. “Yes.” Moaning at the contrast of the cool breath against his flushed skin, Aric licked his lips. “Would it help if I counted?” Nikola’s teeth—suddenly sharp—pricked at Aric’s earlobe. “You will be unable to do anything but moan by the time you reach ‘nine’.” It was a challenge that Aric rashly accepted. “Try me.” Nikola’s breathing became ragged as he hovered near Aric’s pulse. “Aric,” he murmured, his teeth aching and ready. Aric closed one of his hands around Nikola’s throat so he could feel each time Nikola swallowed. His cheeks were flushed, his body burning with desire, and he whispered, “Do it.” Unable to hold himself in check any longer, Nikola growled. His mouth spread open, covering that pounding beat, and his teeth pierced. He tore into the artery that linked heart to mind, the flood of copper over his tongue intensely satisfying. A shudder wracked Nikola’s body, and his arms squeezed tightly as he took that first swallow. The heat of Aric’s blood warmed him, made his head swim, and he closed his eyes to better relish all he experienced now. “One!” Aric gasped, the pain of the penetration melding perfectly with the lust that already had his heart pounding. Instinctively, Nikola’s mind reached out to soothe the pain Aric felt, share the pleasure he felt. The blood pooled in his mouth before he swallowed a second time. It would be a full feeding, unlike what he’d shared with Aric before, and already his body betrayed him. He wanted to hold Aric tighter, move their bodies together in that ancient rhythm of pleasure that would lead to shattering fulfillment, but that was not the lesson this night. This had not been part of the intended lesson, but as he swallowed a third time and moaned, he could not deny the ecstasy he gained from the feeding.

Aric closed his eyes as Nikola’s pleasure was pushed onto him through that invisible connection. He shuddered involuntarily, counting as another swallow made his fingers shift on Nikola’s throat. “Four...” Nikola slowly lost himself in the cadence of the feeding, the welling of blood, the swallowing, the pounding of his own heartbeat in his ears, the pulsing of need between his thighs, and the satiation of a hunger that went far beyond the physical. He drank, cherishing every drop of Aric that spilled over his tongue, slid down his throat. As he fed, he moved them to the sofa, his mouth latched unrelentingly onto Aric’s throat, and sat down. He helped Aric to sit astride him, fitting their bodies together perfectly, as he swallowed for the ninth time. Pliant and obedient, Aric followed Nikola’s lead, keeping his hold on Nikola as he was moved about. His counting was punctuated by moans and soft cries. He was utterly oblivious to the change of position until he settled upon Nikola’s lap, his thighs wrapped tightly around his lover as he ground out, “Nine.” No longer focused on keeping them upright, Nikola threw himself wholly into the feeding, his pleasure rolling off his mind like thick clouds of fog. His body felt hot, hard and ready, alert as it was only when he’d fed fully. It was perfect. A willing, aware victim that reveled in the sharing, in the nurturing, in the sheer eroticism of the act, and Nikola moaned again. He incorporated sucking pressure, drawing more blood into each swallow, almost drunk halfway through. Aric’s hips jerked forward as the sensation at his neck changed, and he cried out each number, his mind all but lost in the dense mists of pleasure that radiated from his own body and Nikola’s. Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, and on, each number more difficult to articulate than the one before. He completely skipped sixteen, though he managed to gasp out seventeen correctly as he ground his denim encased groin against Nikola, who sucked a deep mark into his neck.

What little control Nikola possessed was devoured by those movements. The lust that burned in Aric’s blood heightened his own, and Nikola swiftly shifted their position again, pressing Aric into the softness of the sofa. His bite was fierce as his hand reached between them to yank open the fastenings of the mortal’s jeans and slid under the stiff fabric to grasp at fiery, desperate flesh. A vibrant cry echoed in the perfect acoustics of the room, and Aric instinctively thrust into the touch. “Twenty... one...” Nikola’s hand moved swiftly, firmly, over hard flesh, and he sucked harshly at Aric’s throat. It had not been how he’d wanted their first, true intimate encounter to be, but little was how he planned with Aric. He swallowed again, and again, his hunger sated but his lust dulling that knowledge. He pumped his hand between them as he drew the twenty-fourth swallow. Though Aric tried to count that final contraction of Nikola’s throat, the hand around him pushed him swiftly over the edge of his passion, and his voice was lost in a choked cry that ended in silence as he convulsed, spilling himself over Nikola’s warm fingers and palm. Every muscle tightened, and his strong fingers, honed by years of musical instruction and practice, clamped onto Nikola’s throat. Nikola tore himself from Aric’s throat, panting raggedly. His lips were smeared scarlet, and his pink-tinged teeth, sharp and dangerous, were bared as he moaned. He relished that final taste along with the pulsing of the sex against his palm and fingers. Oh, it was heaven to be so full of what made Aric flushed and hard. Aric’s eyes watered from the severity of the sensations that swirled through his head and along the tingling nerve endings of his body. His vision hazy, he took in the sight of Nikola as if from the other side of a long, foggy tunnel. It was a frightening sight, the red of his blood smeared along another’s lips, bringing a natural hue to normally ashen skin. Never had he felt so possessed. Part of him was within Nikola now, nourishing and preserving Nikola’s body. The haze of his mind remained, even as the high from his climax slowly dissipated and his heaving breaths calmed to soft pants. His

dry lips curved into a small, triumphant smile as he stared at the beauty of his vampiric tutor. “Twenty-four.” Nikola leaned down to lap at the wounds at Aric’s throat until the blood ceased seeping. “You,” he said, his voice thick and wet, “are a danger.” Moaning softly, Aric struggled against the pull of exhaustion that rose up with the loss of blood and the afterglow of his passion. “It’s nice, isn’t it? Living on the edge.” “You are not something I wish to risk losing,” Nikola growled. He brought his wrist up to his mouth and ripped open the flesh. After a moment, he presented the torn skin to Aric. “You are important.” Vibrant, hazel eyes looked from the seeping wrist to Nikola’s face, questioning without words. “You will feel stronger,” he murmured. “It will tide you over until your body replenishes what I have taken.” Aric bit his lower lip for a moment, and then reached out with a shaky hand and brought the bloody wrist to his lips, feeling a few drops hit his t-shirt and neck. He didn’t question how Nikola knew, didn’t ask all of his questions. Instead, he simply trusted as he never had with another, and he drank. The metallic taste bloomed immediately on his tongue, coppery and thick, and it was almost like swallowing a shot of hard liquor, for a burning warmth crept along throat as he gulped. He coughed once, unused to the taste and viscosity, but he took a few more swallows when he recovered. It was personal, overwhelmingly personal, and he felt his limbs slowly start to renew themselves with every small swallow. Nikola hissed, his head falling back as he moaned loudly. The sound caused Aric to shiver, and he let the blood seep into his mouth before swallowing again. He had so many questions that he wasn’t sure how to articulate, about how it worked, about how it felt, but he pushed them aside for once, merely enjoying the intimacy and strangeness of the blood coating his throat, reviving him through whatever power the crimson fluid possessed. He pulled back after a couple more gulps, more blood seeping out onto his lips

and chin, smearing against his skin. Nikola withdrew his hand and bent over, licking at his own blood, tenderly cleaning Aric’s flesh. A soft moan was pulled from Aric, his mind still overcome by the eroticism of it all. “How many?” he asked vaguely, his eyes focusing on Nikola. “How many what?” Nikola asked against damp skin. “How many have known... and shared themselves, tasted you?” Nikola kissed his way up Aric’s neck, his chin, making certain he held Aric’s eyes when he answered. “Only two.” “Two?” Aric’s eyes widened with surprise. Assuming that he was included in that number, only one other had been allowed to do as he had just done. The knowledge astonished him, and he swallowed. “How long has it been for you?” Remembered pain swirled in Nikola’s eyes. “Two hundred years.” Aric reached up, his hand a bit more steady than before as it cupped Nikola’s face and drew Nikola down. The kiss he gave his tutor was decidedly slow and gentle, a clear sign that the lesson had already begun to take root. His eyes gleamed in the candlelight of the room as he pulled back. “I am honored.” Nikola brushed his fingers over Aric’s lips. “How do you feel?” “Safe,” Aric blurted out, as it was the first word to enter his mind. Nikola smiled, his icy eyes warming at the admission. “I’m glad.” Aric decided he liked that slightly deeper hue to Nikola’s eyes. He smiled weakly as he spoke. “I didn’t know you would...” His eyes darted downward a moment to his groin. He had been slowly working to seduce his tutor since he learned of Nikola’s desires, but his mind had been surprisingly free of those motives during their entire encounter. “That wasn’t my intention. I just...” Aric huffed, too pleasantly spent to get completely angry with himself for being flustered. Instead, he abruptly changed the subject. “Does the blood become yours once it’s in you? Or did I just taste a mixture of others? Or are you a mixture of others so I tasted you and them at the same time?” He stopped himself there, not wanting to embarrass himself with his babbling curiosity.

“Shh.” Nikola lay on the sofa beside Aric, drawing the mortal into his arms. “I know it was not your intention. It was not mine, either.” He brushed his lips over Aric’s temple. “It is my blood. You tasted me, no one else,” he reassured Aric. Aric calmed a bit, a smile curving his lips. “Good. I liked it, and I hoped it was just you.” “You enjoyed it?” “I thought that much would have been obvious,” Aric teased. “I’ve never tasted that much blood before. It was... strange. Your blood is different, almost like alcohol, but the burn brought energy instead of that slurring sort of weakness that strong drinks can bring. But the act? I... I really liked it.” “As did I.” Nikola shivered and closed his eyes. “My blood is potent. Powerful. Just as my teeth can take a life, my blood can give it.” “What about my blood?” Aric asked quietly, his eyes traveling over the angular features of Nikola’s face. “You look more alive now.” “I am.” Nikola smiled, clearly savoring the lingering taste on his lips. “Your blood gives life where there was none before. It is powerful in its own right.” Aric returned Nikola’s smile. “Does that make me some kind of saint?” The thought amused him, given how sacrilegious it all was. How he loved a good intrigue! Nikola chuckled. “No. You have yet to perform three miracles or die a martyr.” “One down.” Opening his eyes, Nikola raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” Aric raised one hand, brushing his fingers across Nikola’s blood-infused lips. “I made the dead live again.” A shudder raced down Nikola’s spine, and he licked at the tips of Aric’s fingers. “So you have.” “I’m so impatient...” Aric whispered, his eyes moving from Nikola’s mouth to his gaze. “I already want you to do it again.” “Feed from you?” Aric nodded. “I should only feed from you like that once a week, if it were an arrangement we made, of course.”

“Would you like that? Would it fit into the new lesson plan?” Aric teased with a small smirk. “It tempts me to take more than just blood.” Aric’s eyebrow rose. “Oh?” Nikola skated his fingers through the cool seed at the lower portion of Aric’s abdomen, and the young man shivered, emitting a low hum. Nikola furrowed his brow. “I will not use you.” He fastened Aric’s jeans. “I cannot use you.” “Then accept what I give freely.” “What do you give?” There was a moment of hesitancy before Aric whispered, “I want to give you everything.” Nikola held Aric’s gaze. “Everything?” “I don’t know how, and I don’t really know why.” Aric paused, licking his lips as he nodded. “Everything, Nikola. All the things I have never trusted with anyone else.” Nikola stared at him for a very long time, neither breathing nor blinking, and Aric was caught in that stillness and silence. His impatience eventually bettered him as he waited for some sort of response. “Say something.” Nikola swallowed and licked his lips. “I want everything, Aric, and I will accept no less.” Whatever ‘everything’ meant. “Even my impatience and stubbornness?” “Such things can be tempered with the proper motivation,” Nikola chuckled. Aric groaned. “I don’t know if I like the sound of that.” Nikola licked broadly over the deep bruise surrounding his bite. “You should.” Aric hissed, his voice a little rough as he spoke through the discomfort. “A week? If I’m good?” “One week,” Nikola promised. “In the mean time, we can explore those lessons in lovemaking we only briefly touched upon tonight.” “Remember, you can’t kill me with pleasure until I get those two other miracles,” Aric smirked. Nikola smiled. “Do you wish for me to carry you to your room?”

“I can walk,” Aric insisted, shifting stubbornly, but as he raised his head, a wave of vertigo forced him back down. “Maybe you should carry me.” Rising from the sofa, Nikola lifted Aric effortlessly. “Next time, we will do this in your room,” he said as he carried his pupil towards the stairs. Aric leaned against Nikola, pleased by the way Nikola’s scent was more prominent after he had fed. It was an old scent, like the library meshed with ancient oak trees and musk. “Can’t get enough... like a drug,” he commented softly as he relaxed, and it was unclear whether he spoke of himself or Nikola. Nikola kissed Aric’s temple as he walked. “It is almost like a drug.” “Almost?” Aric closed his eyes, smiling at the kiss, which contained so much more feeling than he had experienced from others, even his parents. Though Nikola’s blood kept the worst of his lethargy at bay, he was still weak and in need of an extensive rest. “There is immense pleasure given in a feeding. That pleasure can be addictive.” “Are you addicted to me?” Aric asked, his voice growing softer against the fabric of Nikola’s shirt. In his arms, Aric was a solid, sleepy weight that Nikola found comfortable. As he entered Aric’s room, he smiled into the darkness. “I was long before you arrived here.”

Chapter Eight The rules had been made very clear to Aric over the months as summer cooled into autumn, which then bled into winter. No alcohol. Though Aric had been tempted many times to sneak a drink or two, he had taken Nikola’s demand of limiting his consumption to the far extreme. After all, Aric was the type to start with a single drink and end up drunk after several more without much forethought. Knowing himself enough to recognize a potential slippery slope, Aric had simply not allowed himself the luxury. No flings. Dear God, how he had hated that rule at the very beginning! With Nikola a constant source of arousal, fantasy, and eroticism, Aric had thought he would go mad and spend all his time in his bedroom with his collection of toys. The initiation of their intimacy with one another had indeed been a welcome release for Aric, and the lessons that Nikola taught him were nothing if not sessions of sensual torment. Kissing was an ongoing lesson, renewed each time he rashly went too quickly or passionately into an encounter with his tutor. Though Nikola had brought him to climax several times over the last few months, he had not been allowed to intentionally touch his instructor until a few weeks ago. The whole process had done nothing but exacerbate his already ravenous sex drive. Mind your lessons. Nikola had been stricter than the fundamentalist teachers at his old Catholic school who had made him recite the Book of James in its entirety when he showed signs of insubordination. His lessons in intimacy had been separated completely from his formal lessons, the latter of which had continued relentlessly, even through his periodic days of rest. Nikola never drank his blood more than once a week. Nikola had tried to delay their intimate feedings in the beginning, but mutual desire had won

out in the end, and it had become routine for Nikola’s feeding cycles with him to range between seven and ten days. Days were devoted to sleep, and nights to his studies, with rare exceptions when Nikola would take him on small vacations to other parts of the world, usually with a mind to tie the location back to a history or music lesson. As the nighttime lessons in carnal control became more frequent, so, too, did the times Aric slept in the opulent comfort of Nikola’s bedchamber during the daylight hours. He had not protested when Nikola quietly asked him to officially move in; in fact, he had felt honored to be trusted so close to Nikola during the period of time in which Nikola was most vulnerable. What he hadn’t counted on were the sexual implications of the move. His lingering ‘morning’ erections became downright inconvenient, and he quickly found himself slipping into his own private room every so often to sate himself when his need arose. His sexual drive was something he knew Nikola couldn’t fully understand, but although he didn’t shove his tendencies in Nikola’s face, he didn’t apologize for them either. After all, he was already compromising in that arena, wasn’t he? Two steps forward, and one step back. That had become his standard pattern of achievement. Just when Aric thought he was starting to improve, his impatience and impulsive behaviors would knock him a step back, and in those moments, it was twice as hard to remain within the boundaries of the rules. Rules, rules, rules. No booze, no fucking, and no touching below the waist. It frustrated him to no end, the sanctions placed on his intimacy with Nikola, and tonight was no exception. Though their tongues twined, he knew he wasn’t allowed to press Nikola for more, to demand more passion from the tongue or let his own mouth stray down to nipples and navel. It was torture, and it was slowly pushing him to the limits of his patience again.

And when that happened, rules simply became sport, things best broken. Nikola pressed Aric deeper into the bed, his mouth taking gentle control while his hands offered pleasure. These lessons, usually occurring a few hours before their rest, were sources of frustrated enjoyment. While he wanted more, he would take no less than everything Aric had to give. And, sadly, he knew Aric was not giving all he possessed. Nikola left Aric’s mouth finally, his lips moving down the sweet throat that now constantly bore his mark, a lingering bruise, a pale scar, and his tongue teased the raised flesh with a quiet moan. The area was perpetually sore, a constant reminder of the depth of their relationship, and Aric groaned as it was licked and softly nipped. “Nikola,” he entreated, his hands gripping at Nikola’s shoulder blades. He wanted more. Months of fantasizing, waking dreams devoted entirely to the feel of Nikola’s seed spilling deep in his throat, trickling from the corners of his lips. He wanted more! “Aric,” Nikola whispered, his lips trailing over the mortal’s collarbones. His hands slid down bare flesh, cupped Aric through the flimsy fabric of the man’s boxer shorts. Nikola moaned, massaging the rigid length that left a damp patch on Aric’s underwear. “Always so ready.” A vibrant moan escaped Aric as he shifted, his hips pushing up eagerly into Nikola’s hand. His fingers were firm dots of pressure trailing streaks down Nikola’s back and sides. It took effort to keep his nails from digging into his partner this night, a struggle he wasn’t sure Nikola fully appreciated. “I want you,” he panted, his fingers tracing the front of Nikola’s hip bones, which stood out just above the ridge of Nikola’s sleeping trousers. Nikola’s hand snaked under Aric’s boxers and took the shaft in hand. “I know,” he breathed, stroking lightly at the hot flesh. He smiled down at Aric, his eyes taking in the flushed, beautiful sight his pupil presented.

Aric cried out, his head falling back for a few moments as his fingers gripped with even more force. The stroking was tantalizingly light, too little pressure for so great a need. It seemed like his body moved at a completely different pace than Nikola’s, even more so than usual. He was the second hand, and Nikola the hour hand. While they were synchronized in their efforts, they simply weren’t meeting up. His moans growing in volume, Aric’s frustration grew when Nikola once again showed no signs of speeding or increasing his pressure. He was desperate, and his hands did the one thing they knew to do: grope. In an instant, Nikola had ceased all his efforts and withdrawn, rising to his knees out of Aric’s reach. “What was the rule, Aric?” he demanded, his tone sharp with disapproval. “Your hands are not allowed below the navel until certain criteria are met.” Aric’s groan was sustained as he writhed on the mattress for a few moments, his hands balling into fists. His lust-dilated eyes eventually locked with Nikola’s. “What criteria?” “You will know when you meet them,” Nikola said tightly. “Until then, remain within the designated boundaries of acceptable behavior in my bed, Aric.” Pressing his fists to his forehead, Aric released a frustrated shout. “At least tell me what the criteria are, Nikola! I don’t know what my goal is! What I’m working for! I want to touch you.” “You are allowed to touch me, to kiss me.” Aric pushed himself up into a sitting position, his eyes burning with the fire of emotions that had been building upon one another for months. “I want to touch and kiss all of you, Nikola! I want to grab your ass, feel your thighs, kiss your hips, and take your cock into my mouth! I want to give back, and I can barely touch you!” Nikola’s eyes flashed, and he stood from bed in a swift, angry movement. “Always about your mindless desire for sex! I give you orgasms, I allow you to touch within reason, and I give you everything your body needs,” he shouted, glowering at Aric. “You are ungrateful!”

The accusation made Aric all the more adamant, forcing him to defend himself. “I am grateful for what you give me! I just want more. You’re always the one telling me it’s about the journey, not the destination, but here you are letting the end sensation of pleasure or orgasm justify the means you use to get there! Soft and slow isn’t the only acceptable way to share intimacy!” “And neither is rutting like a damned dog in heat!” Nikola fumed, eyes alight with insult. “I have no interest in fucking, and I told you as much when this began, Aric. You want more. It’s always about what you want, and it has been since you trudged over my doorstep as if ready to face your own execution!” Aric bristled and rose from the bed, squaring off with Nikola as a fuse of anger burned so low that it finally exploded. “What the fuck would you know about it? Speed and tenderness don’t always have to be opposites! I can put more feeling into my fast, firm touches, but you don’t know shit about that, because you’re not even willing to entertain the idea that you could possibly be wrong! I’ve spent months trying to change what I am, to do everything you wish of me! But the moment I touch you beyond your little boundary line, you throw me out of the game without even telling me why the line is there and how to maneuver around it!” Nikola narrowed his eyes. “This isn’t a game.” “Well, you sure as hell are treating it like one, with all the structure, rules, and ‘designated boundaries of acceptable behavior’!” “I am trying to teach you something!” “Then maybe it’s time to restructure the lesson plan, Count, ‘cause obviously I’m not getting it!” Aric shouted, throwing his hands up in frustration. Nikola crossed his arms, his expression dark. “The lesson is complete tonight.” “Fine!” Aric snapped, gathering his shirt and jeans in quick movements and storming into his room through the doorway that joined the chambers, shutting the door firmly behind him.

The room was frightfully silent, almost painfully empty. Nikola bowed his head and closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh. Oh, the impatience of youth... ...and the folly of the ancient, he supposed. Nikola was sitting in the music room by the time dusk darkened into full night. Aric still had not come home, and Nikola had a very good idea where the boy had been for the last twenty-four hours. It didn’t lessen the ache in his chest or cool the fire of his temper at the betrayal. Sitting behind the piano, he dove into an angry concerto he’d composed years ago when the futile loneliness of his existence had weighed heavily on him. Discordant notes rang through the lower level of the mansion, fueled by Nikola’s anger and hurt. Even when he could hear Aric’s approach, Nikola still felt that overwhelming sense of isolation and loneliness that had plagued his life before Aric had come into it. As Aric walked into the room, unabashed and reeking of sex, booze, and cigarette smoke, Nikola growled. The boy wasn’t even ashamed! At the very least, Nikola thought Aric could be just a little contrite, but no. No, Aric was bold, quiet, so sure that whatever lesson his walking out was supposed to teach had been taught. Nikola glowered at the piano, his hands moving quickly over the keyboard. “You have returned,” Nikola said, eyes still on the keys as he angrily banged out the piece. “You noticed,” Aric quipped, crossing his arms over his chest. “Nice martyrdom music. All you’ve left out are the black roses and a coffin coffee table.” The music stopped instantly and blazing blue eyes met Aric’s contemptible gaze. “Shut up,” he ordered. There were obvious stains on Aric’s shirt and trousers, and Nikola’s mind easily supplied where they had come from. “I’ve no interest in your impudent, remorseless words. Go upstairs and wash the filth off yourself and prepare for supper.”

“No.” Nikola’s jaw clenched. Such disrespect! This was the result of ill parenting. In his time, no child would have grown to be so insolent. “Go upstairs and wash yourself. Do not argue with me.” “Fuck you. My actions have consequences, and I’ll deal with them. You’re no damn different. Deal with your fucking consequences like a man instead of trying to wash them away.” “Your reeking of other men’s seed is not my consequence. It is your own. You offered yourself to any and all who would shove themselves into your body, and the scent of it offends me. Go wash!” he shouted, hands slamming down on the keys in a painfully unpleasant sound. “No!” Aric shouted back, taking a ballsy step forward into the room. “If you’re not going to let me touch you, then this is what you’re going to have to deal with. One way or another, I’m going to have my needs met; if it offends you, then don’t be the fucking cause of it!” Nikola rose stiffly from the piano bench. “You are saying if I do not allow you to fuck me, then you will go into town and fuck anyone who offers?” “Not just anyone, but yeah. It’s not nearly as satisfying as it could be, but it’s something. I know you’re trying to teach me something, but I’ve had enough of your structure and rules. Not being allowed to touch you is cruel. Having that withheld until I meet some damn requirement makes me some sick experiment, and I’m not a lab rat that’s just going to lie back and take it.” “And so you will extort my compliance with your desires instead?” Nikola asked, his tone emotionless as he gazed levelly at Aric. “What the hell am I supposed to do, huh?” Aric threw up his hands in defeat. “I want to be with you, but you’re completely ignoring certain parts of me because of your own arrogance, this assumption that your way is better, that your way is the only way anyone could feel loved or desired. I don’t fit in your little cookie cutter, so you’ll just trim the excess off and toss it out, right? Is that it?”

Nikola moved from behind the piano and walked slowly toward Aric, his shoes thudding dully against the hardwood floor. “Go wash yourself. I will not have you touch me while you stink of others.” Disappointment made Aric’s eyes darken. “You’re a pain in the ass to argue with, you know that? You don’t even give me the damn satisfaction of arguing my point. You just...” Aric sighed and shook his head. “You don’t give a shit. I’m just an insolent child to you.” “What is there to argue? You know what you did last night angered and hurt me, which was your intent. You have stated if I do not give in to your demands, you will continue to do just as you did, and I do not wish that.” Nikola held out his hands, palms up. “What more do you want of me?” “I want you to try to understand why I did what I did.” Aric sighed again and turned away, leaning against the doorframe. “I do know why you did it,” Nikola murmured. “You wished to teach me a lesson while sating your sexual needs that you do not feel I fulfill currently.” Aric slammed his fist against the doorframe. “It isn’t just a sexual need.” He looked over his shoulder at Nikola. “What sort of message do you think it sends me when you refuse to accept my desire to bring you pleasure?” The physical outburst caused Nikola to tilt his head, uncertain. “That I do not give you pleasure with the intent to receive it in return, unlike those you tend to allow to use you.” Aric finally turned, his face twisted with anger. “No, Nikola. That’s not what I take away from it. You won’t let me touch you, and that tells me that you either don’t want me to, or that you’re completely clueless about how intimate and important touching back is to me. I’m not a passive lover. You know that. I don’t want to sit there and not be able to express myself. Being bound is one thing, but being ordered not to touch just for some lesson that I don’t understand is different. I want to suck you until my throat is sore. I want to feel your muscles shudder under my hands while I

stroke you. What you give me is great, but I want to give back. I need to give back. This passive bullshit is driving me crazy!” Nikola stared down into Aric’s furious face, frowning. “And what I give you simply is not enough.” “It’s not enough because I know there can be so much more, if you’d just let me show you!” “Why? Why should I let you draw me in if it is so easy for you to spread yourself for others?” Nikola asked, walking past Aric. “Why should I compromise my set rules when you can so easily walk away from me into the bed of another?” After a moment of tense silence, Aric spoke at Nikola’s back. “Maybe I wouldn’t want to walk into other beds if you compromised and drew closer.” Nikola paused at the stairs. “And that is perhaps why I cannot compromise. I do not share that which is mine, and you... are not mine. I think I was deluding myself, thinking you would ever want only me.” He glanced back at Aric, just before he started up the stairs. “Wash for supper, please.” Maybe it was the ‘please’, but Aric started up the stairs, following Nikola. “God damn it, Nikola. You think you’re helping things, but you’re only making them worse.” Paused three-quarters of the way up the stairs, Nikola turned to face Aric. “I wanted to make you happy. I wanted you to feel wanted beyond my own desire for pleasure. If I give in to you now, it undoes all I’ve tried so hard to do.” “Maybe it doesn’t. Maybe you’ve been wrong,” Aric said as he mounted the stairs and passed Nikola just enough to be eye-to-eye with the taller man. “You have made me feel wanted. It just... It isn’t your desire that gets in the way.” Confusion filled Nikola’s eyes. “Then what does? Whose? Yours?” Aric smiled. “Duh. Why else do you think it’s been so damn hard for me to learn whatever you were trying to teach?” Nikola shook his head, continuing up the stairs. “Then to give in means you learn nothing.”

Aric frowned. “Nikola, stop.” He waited for Nikola to stop and then climbed the stairs so he was at eye level again. “You’re acting like it’s all been a fucking waste. Why don’t you just ask me?” “Ask you what?” Nikola stood on the landing, gazing down at Aric. “Ask what you’ve learned? What have you learned? What have I taught you over the last six months?” Aric let out a long breath and swallowed. “I’ve learned... that slow can be all right. Okay, better than all right. Don’t get me wrong, slow can be fucking torturous, too, but having to feel everything, all the details... It was intense.” He licked his lips nervously. “And if you were seriously only trying to teach me that you wanted to give without the expectation of receiving, I’ve got that now.” Nikola tilted his head, crossed his arms. “Do you?” Aric assumed a mirrored posture to Nikola’s. “Did you ever pause to think the reason I might be so difficult isn’t because I didn’t get it but because I wanted to touch back? To give instead of receive? ‘Cause yeah, I get it that you were okay doing without.” “You always wanted to touch me. This is how it began. I wanted you to understand that you were more than your body to me.” Something flashed in Nikola’s eyes. “I wanted to be more than a body to you.” “You are,” Aric argued, his voice softening. Nikola looked away, focused on the ornate chandelier that hung in the foyer below them. “No. I’m not. You... left me to find pleasure with others. It was the pleasure you sought, and you chose others in order to force my hand to allow sex between us. That speaks of someone who does not see their lover as a lover but as an object to move about as they see fit to gain what it is they want.” Hurt flashed through Aric’s eyes. “You can’t even look at me when you accuse me. Look at me and tell me what the fuck I can do to prove to you that I know better, that I’ve learned? All these damned tests of yours. What’s the final exam? C’mon, Nikola. Bring it on! I can take it!”

Stricken, Nikola’s gaze moved from the chandelier to Aric. The truth was, he simply didn’t know. He had no answer to offer. He’d half-expected Aric to grow bored with him, leave him to mourn the youth’s loss when the year was up. Nikola hadn’t expected, at all, the passion that Aric felt for him. The overwhelming desire in the boy was astounding, and Nikola just didn’t know what to do with it. “Aric...” It was as if Aric could read far more on Nikola’s face in those moments than he had ever been able to in the long months he’d spent with him. The anger seemed to seep from him, his posture wilting, as he stared into Nikola’s face. “You’re scared. You’re scared of what it means that I’m actually interested, that I might return the feeling you show me.” Aric sighed. “You don’t even know what the point was to all this, do you?” But Aric didn’t truly need an answer, and he continued. “You’ve just been trying to break me. You didn’t make up any sort of final exam ‘cause you figured I’d never get that far.” Aric took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, running a hand through his loose hair. “So, what do we do now?” Nikola turned and began to walk down the hall. “You never did break. Not in the way I expected.” “Hey, wait a second!” Aric trailed after Nikola, passed him, and planted his feet, stopping the taller man with a glare. “You expected me to break.” His glare broke into a hesitant smile. “You don’t know me as well as I thought.” Perhaps if Nikola had more blood in him, he would have blushed. As it stood, he didn’t, and so he blandly gazed down at Aric. “I broke you in a way I’d not anticipated.” Aric blinked once. “What’s that?” Nikola’s expression remained impassive. “You sought others. I forbade that if you wanted your questions answered. You disobeyed me in order to sate your... needs.” Aric opened his mouth, and then closed it. He tried again, but ended up closing his mouth again. Nikola watched regret war with uncertainty on Aric’s face before the boy made some sort of internal

decision. Aric drew himself up again, though his voice didn’t have the force it probably should. “I disobeyed you because you gave me no other option. You wouldn’t listen to me. This isn’t a damned dictatorship. Stop treating me like a student.” “How should I treat you?” Nikola asked, crossing his arms once more. “Tell me, Aric, just what you are to me, how I should treat you, and we can discuss what happens next because, as of right now, my thought is to simply send you home.” Not due to Aric’s choice, but due to the fear Nikola could feel wrapping around his heart as he thought of Aric remaining with him... loving him. Aric’s eyes widened, and Nikola could scent his pupil’s fear. “Treat me like your lover. Treat me like your boyfriend for fuck’s sake! You don’t just send your boyfriend or lover packing ‘cause you’re chickenshit about him caring about you. I get a say in this discussion.” Nikola stared into Aric’s eyes, wavering in indecision. He gave a short nod and led the way into their shared bedroom. “What is your say?” “I stay. I stay and we give the relationship a sporting chance. I won’t be just your student anymore. It’ll be more of a mutual teaching... thing.” “A mutual teaching thing?” Nikola raised an eyebrow. “What does that mean?” “You teach me to go slow, and I teach you fast can be nice as well. I teach you that I’m not Elizabeth, and that we can take this chance together. You might have an eternity to decide what path you’d like to take, but I don’t. I see what I want, and I take the chance and try for it.” Nikola felt his heart clench at the reminder that Aric’s life was a fragile thing. “Fast can mean a loss of control,” he murmured. “Fast can also mean you truly live after merely existing for so long. You have to make a choice, Nikola,” Aric said firmly, looking up at Nikola as they finally reached the door to their shared bedroom. “Are you going to let your fears get the best of you, or will you take the chance and keep me?”

“I can’t keep you!” Nikola snapped, shutting the door behind them. “Why the hell not?” Aric fired back, hazel eyes blazing with challenge. Nikola’s eyes blazed as he glared at Aric. “Because you’re human. You just said as much yourself. You don’t have eternity.” “What the fuck do you want from me? I’m in a lose-lose here. You don’t want to keep me ‘cause I’m human, but if I chose to become like you, you’d probably shun me ‘cause I’m not human.” It was true. It was true, and Nikola didn’t know how to reconcile the problem. He sat heavily on the bed, feeling old and tired. “I have watched you since you were thirteen. You captured me at that first recital, even if you had no idea what it was you had done.” He looked up at Aric, so unsure. It wasn’t something Nikola was accustomed to feeling. “What am I supposed to do? Keep you and watch you wither before my eyes, or change you and lose the flush of life that keeps drawing me in night after night?” Stepping close, Aric combed his fingers through Nikola’s loose hair. There was an understanding softness to his expression now that made Nikola’s heart ache as he leaned into the touch. “I don’t know, Nikola. I don’t know what you’re supposed to do. I mean, I know I want to stay.” His fingers trailed along Nikola’s cool skin. “Is there no middle ground? Is there nothing that would make you happy and take some of that fear out of your eyes?” Nikola cupped Aric’s face with his hand. “We will teach one another.” Aric smiled. “You really think that’ll take the fear from your eyes? You think I can help?” Nikola pressed a kiss to the inside of Aric’s wrist. “It is a start.” A shiver ran down Aric’s spine, and he licked his lips. “I like starts. New starts are good.” “Undress,” Nikola murmured. “I will not have you near me reeking of others. It makes me furious.”

Aric had the grace to blush, and he stepped away. “I’ll clean up.” He pulled his shirt over his head. Nikola’s eyes moved over Aric’s torso. “If you would like, I would shower with you.” Aric looked over at Nikola with a hint of a smile. “If you want to see me naked, all you have to do is say so,” he teased. “I’d love to shower with you.” Nikola rose and head into the bathroom, stripping as he went. “Did you at least use protection?” Aric snorted and followed into the bathroom after stepping out of his jeans, shoes, and socks. “Of course I did. I was angry. I wasn’t stupid.” “I had to ask. You are young and willful.” Nikola turned on the shower, the room quickly filling with steam as he undressed. “I needed to know if you would need to see a doctor soon.” “I hope not,” Aric murmured, stepping close to Nikola and resting his cheek against him. “Getting any sort of STD is not on my to-do list.” “No,” Nikola said as he wrapped his arms around Aric and held the young man against him. “If you are to remain with me, you cannot do this again. I will not be manipulated into jealous rages.” Aric took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “All right, but that means you have to listen to me when I have something I think is important we talk about, not just automatically make me out to be a dumbass kid.” Nikola kissed the crown of Aric’s head. “Very well.” Aric smiled as he nuzzled the pale skin pressed to his cheek. “Shower time,” he purred, pulling them both into the hot spray and shutting the door behind them. A soft moan left him as the water pounded on his back and wet his hair. Nikola’s hands moved over Aric’s wet body, desperate to remove the offending scents on Aric’s skin. It took him a moment, but he then slid a hand down Aric’s arm, grasped his wrist, and placed it on his hip, near his groin. It was his silent permission; Aric could

touch if the young man truly wanted to. Aric’s eyes darted up to look at Nikola through the steam. Nikola’s eyes were soft, inviting Aric to touch. He heard Aric’s heart rate skyrocket. Aric’s fingertips traced the protrusion of Nikola’s hip, and Aric stared into his eyes as he touched. His voice soft as he spoke, Nikola’s tone belied how good it felt to have Aric touch him like that. “I wanted you to touch me. I wanted to know what it felt like to feel nothing but pleasure given by you. I... simply couldn’t allow it.” Aric curled his free arm around Nikola’s waist, the fingers of his other hand trailing along the skin below Nikola’s navel. “Because you were afraid?” he asked, the question almost lost in the sound of the water hitting their skin. Nikola’s eyes held Aric’s. “Because I am afraid,” he admitted. “I don’t want you to be afraid,” Aric whispered, his fingertips just barely skating over the base of Nikola’s cock. Despite his anger over Aric’s behavior, the touch caused Nikola’s cock to begin to harden. “I don’t want to be afraid.” Aric didn’t look away, and his eyes were warm with desire. “What can I do?” Nikola’s voice was rough and deep as he stared into those hazel eyes. “Whatever you would like.” Aric’s lips curved into a smile. “I meant what can I do to help with the fear.” But he’d been given permission, and Aric now took advantage of that much, wrapping his hand around Nikola. He let out a shuddering sigh, his eyelashes fluttering as he was finally allowed to do what he’d been pushing Nikola for since that first week together. “Do you not wish to even look?” Nikola asked, a moan hidden in his words. “There’s time...” Aric’s voice faded as his free hand moved from Nikola’s waist up to his face and pulled him down into a kiss. Aric’s tongue pressed forward as his hand followed Nikola’s cock from base to tip.

Nikola moaned softly, an arm going around Aric’s waist, the other delving into his hair. Aric was intoxicating. He always was. Heady wine and bright flowers of summer on his tongue. Nikola allowed himself to sink into the sensation of Aric’s mouth under his, their tongues sliding against one another, and Aric’s firm, questing grip on his cock. Aric groaned into their kiss, and he stroked once before letting his fingers explore lower and take in the softness of Nikola’s sac. Parting his thighs, Nikola leaned back against the wall of the shower and pulled their lips apart. “Aric,” he murmured. It was only once their lips had parted that Aric finally took a small step back and looked at his lover. He moaned loudly, the sound echoing just a bit in the shower stall. “Oh, fuck. You’re so sexy, and you aren’t even trying.” “Should I try?” Nikola asked, keeping Aric close to him while allowing his lover to look his fill. Aric chuckled, grinning broadly. “If you try, I’ll probably end up coming without a single touch. I think I’m actually liking the build up.” Nikola raised an eyebrow. “You think you deserve to come after your behavior?” “Probably not,” Aric admitted, “but as long as I get to touch you, I don’t care.” It was quite an important admission that Nikola took to heart. Aric simply wanted to give to him, not take, and that was a large step for his young student. Nikola’s thoughts were interrupted when Aric massaged his sac, and then tugged it lightly. A loud groan rolled out of him as he closed his eyes. “What do you intend to do?” “If you’ll let me...” Aric licked his lips. Nikola could hear Aric’s pulse thudding sharply, tempting him, calling to him. “I want to suck you off. God, I’ve wanted to do that for months.” Nikola tried not to show any outward sign of eager anticipation. “I told you that you could do whatever you wanted.”

Aric smirked. “You did, but I want to hear if you want me to or not.” “Aric,” Nikola warned. He could still smell the stink of other men on Aric, and he would not continue with their tryst while the scent continued to assail him. “Wash yourself.” Nikola watched a flicker of shame in Aric’s eyes, and Aric nodded mutely. Aric stepped back, and he grabbed the washcloth from the rack in the shower. He wet it, loaded it with soap, and then started up a lather, his eyes periodically darting up to Nikola’s. Nikola’s eyes remained on Aric, watching every movement. He drank in each sweep of the soapy hands, envying the cloth that caressed Aric’s flesh. His cock remained firm between his legs, made more so as he imagined those full lips around him. “You could have me do anything, and yet you simply want to use your mouth. Why?” Aric’s brows furrowed as he soaped up his arms, scrubbing his pits for a few seconds each side. “It’s what I want. It’s what I’ve dreamed of doing each night when you don’t let my hands wander lower than your sleeping pants. It’s why I suckle your tongue all the time when we kiss. I want to suck you.” “How strange. You beg to be fucked, and then you settle for sucking.” “Maybe I’m meeting you half way?” “Are you?” “Is this half way?” Nikola smiled faintly. “Perhaps.” Aric smiled back. “If that really means yes, then yeah, I’m meeting you half way. Problem?” He arched his back and moaned as he thoroughly washed his groin and ass, the soap running slowly down his thighs. Ice-blue eyes focused on the soap suds dripping down Aric’s cock. “No.” “Good,” Aric purred, stepping back into the shower spray and holding the sudsy washcloth just above him. When he squeezed the

cloth, suds gushed out over his body, moving along the planes and valleys of his torso. “You’re teasing me now,” Nikola growled, heat settling low in his body. “Not teasing, offering,” Aric corrected with another squeeze and a trailing hand along his own torso down to his thigh. Nikola pushed off from the wall, crossing the small space between them. “Offering what?” Aric watched him with hungry eyes. “What do you want?” “You,” Nikola murmured, his eyes moving over Aric’s body. That gaze focused on the pounding pulse in Aric’s throat. “All of you.” Aric squeezed one last time, and then dropped the washcloth to the floor of the shower, his eyes never leaving Nikola. “Then take all of me.” Nikola’s eyes flashed. “I can’t have all of you.” “Why not?” Aric panted. Nikola braced his hands on either side of Aric’s head, his lips teasing over Aric’s shoulder, throat, and ear. “You are not yet ready to give all of yourself to me.” Aric’s voice was breathless, faint as it barely made it across the distance between them. “How do you know that, but I don’t?” Nikola ran his tongue along the ridges of Aric’s ear. “I know because, when you are ready, nothing will part us.” The moan that was pulled from Aric was louder than his voice as he spoke. “When will I be... ready?” “In time. All in time,” Nikola breathed, his hands sliding down Aric’s body, pulling his young lover flush against his body as his lips latched onto the pulse in that tempting throat. Aric gasped and groaned, his body pressing instinctively against Nikola’s. His hands tangled in Nikola’s damp, pale hair. “God, Nikola. I’ll do anything you want as long as you don’t stop. Please, God, don’t stop.”

Nikola kissed from one side of Aric’s throat to the other, his fangs scraping lightly. “Don’t stop what?” Aric positively squirmed, his hands pulling at Nikola’s hair in desperation. “Just... just don’t... don’t stop!” “Very well.” Nikola bit deeply, allowing Aric’s blood to flood his mouth. He moaned wetly, pulling Aric tighter to him, rubbing himself against Aric’s thigh as he drank. Aric jerked in Nikola’s arms and cried out sharply. The pain was fleeting, as Nikola quickly filled Aric’s mind with his own pleasure. “Yes... Drink me down, Nikola... oh, fuck!” Nikola’s hands gripped at Aric’s ass tightly, squeezing as he growled around yet another mouthful of blood. It was incredibly arousing, making him want with violent intensity. He wanted to drink Aric down, drain him of every drop of blood, take the boy’s warmth into him. Nikola sucked harder, drawing severely on the wound. Aric screamed and bucked against him, pulling at his hair to keep his mouth against his throat. No matter how much he wanted to take all of Aric into him, though, Nikola retained a fraction of his control. With a rough cry, he pulled back, mouth and fangs smeared with Aric’s blood as he panted. He held Aric tightly to him as he tried to pull himself together again, dancing still in the scarlet throes of pleasure Aric’s blood offered him. Aric’s passion had been infinitely heightened by the brief feeding, and he didn’t allow Nikola the respite he needed. Aric immediately pulled him into a deep kiss, his tongue teasing those sharp fangs. Nikola moaned loudly, pressing Aric against the wall of the shower. He thrust forcefully, all raw passion and furious hunger. If he could not sate the bloodlust, could not drown in Aric’s blood, then he would fill the sexual lusts he’d denied for years. He devoured Aric’s mouth as he moved relentlessly against him, wanting all he could possibly take from Aric in that moment. Nikola had never done anything like this before with Aric. He’d never allowed himself to be naked against Aric, and he’d not

allowed himself to be filled with such passion. Aric’s hands groped at Nikola’s shoulders and neck while he was pushed back against the tiled wall, and one leg rose to wrap around Nikola’s hip and thigh. Tongue thrust deep into Aric’s mouth, Nikola hefted Aric up as he continued to thrust. All he could think of at that moment was the taste of Aric, the richness of the boy, and the pent up need between his thighs. A need that would not be denied now, not when it had been given a chance for relief. Between gasping kisses, Nikola’s fingers traveled inward along Aric’s ass until he was spread wide and his fingers teased the tight hole there. Nikola ducked his head to suckle at the seeping bite wound at Aric’s throat, panting as he moved powerfully against Aric. He would not be denied, and he knew Aric wouldn’t try to deny him. There was nothing between them in that moment but base need, and Nikola let himself be carried away by the building pressure in his groin. Aric cried out, his voice unrestrained. Nikola touched him in all the ways Aric had been begging him to for months. He was touching him in all the ways he’d been aching to touch Aric for months. Aric clung to him and whimpered, Aric’s body trembling against him, that living pulse raging beneath flushed skin. “Nikola... oh, fuck!” Reason had no place in Nikola’s mind. He was a creature of instinct in that moment, touching, taking, enjoying. His finger sank into Aric’s body just as he threw his head back and shouted, climax soaring through him as he came between their slick, shifting bodies. Pent up need exploded in white-hot drops, stealing any and all sense from him as he floated there in the steamy heat of the shower. Nikola barely felt Aric’s body clench around his finger, only distantly heard Aric’s head connect with the wall, but he smelled Aric’s come as it joined his. Nikola righted his head and brought his lips back to Aric’s throat. He panted against torn flesh, teased the edges of his mark on Aric. “Aric,” he groaned, his flesh hot and his heart racing.

“Nikola,” Aric breathed in response. His words were slurred, somewhat faint in the rush of the water. “Hot... so hot...” Nikola shut off the water, worried the room had grown simply too hot for Aric to withstand. The last drops of water washed away the evidence of their shared pleasure, made those frantic moments seem like a hazy dream. “I will dry you off and put you to bed,” Nikola assured Aric, gently removing his finger from Aric’s body. “You...” Aric said with a lazy smile. “You feel hot. Don’t move away. Please, don’t pull away.” There was little strength in the arms that encircled Nikola’s neck, but the message was clear: Aric wanted them close and would accept nothing less. “Your blood warms me,” Nikola murmured, pressing a soft kiss to Aric’s lips. Aric brushed his tongue against Nikola’s, deepened the brief kiss into something more, intimate and frightfully personal. He was shaken to his core by it, and, slowly, drew the kiss to a close, and nuzzled Aric’s cheek. “I have ruined your plans,” he said, his voice thick. Aric chuckled. “I don’t think I mind.” He grinned. “I don’t think I can stand either.” Carefully, Nikola carried Aric out of the large stall, setting him on a low bench. “You reap what you sow,” he said with a slight smirk, drying Aric off with a large, thick towel. Aric smiled as he was tended, and he watched Nikola with an intensity Nikola was not accustomed to. “You’ve never been like that before...” Nikola felt a light flush creep across his damp face. “No, I have not.” Fingers traced the angle of Nikola’s face. “It... It was amazing.” “Because you received what you were so desperate to be given,” Nikola murmured. “Don’t cheapen it. Please, don’t,” Aric whispered. “It’s more than that.” Nikola gazed up at Aric, his eyes steady. “What was it?”

Aric struggled for words, but then seemed to settle on something vague, though profound to Nikola. “Something... good. Important. Really good.” “Good?” Nikola asked. Aric licked his lips and swallowed, his uncertainty and discomfort blindingly obvious. “Something... I want to feel again. Something I want to feel forever.” Nikola felt his heart stop in his chest, and he whispered, “You don’t have forever.” Aric’s fingers trailed into Nikola’s hair. “Maybe I could,” he breathed, his eyes reflecting the knowledge of what he was saying, the seed of it all taking root. A slow nod. “Yes. You could,” Nikola admitted. There were a few moments where they just stared at each other, but Aric finally flushed and smiled. “Take me to bed?” “Yes,” Nikola murmured. He rose and dried himself, and then walked into the bedroom to turn down the bed. As he prepared the bed for them, the doubts began to creep in. He’d rutted with Aric in the shower, biting and feeding like some monster. It could have been so much more for his lover, but he’d selfishly sated his own desires. He turned down the lights once the bed was ready, and then stared at the drawn curtains, lost in his own thoughts, which was how Aric found him. “You look sad,” Aric murmured from the doorway. “Why?” Nikola blinked, coming back to himself. Aric was pale, leaning heavily against the door frame, and it worried Nikola. He immediately went to Aric’s side and picked the boy up. “I would have come for you.” Aric smiled and wrapped his arms around Nikola’s neck. “I figured you were brooding. I was right. Now, stop avoiding the question.” He softened the sharp words with a kiss to Nikola’s neck. “I selfishly took my pleasure. I fed from you while rubbing myself like a buck during mating season. It was not how I wanted our first... true intimacy to be.”

“Life is rarely what we want,” Aric insisted wryly, reaching over and tugging Nikola down towards the bed. “You can do it differently next time.” “Next time?” Nikola lay down beside Aric, pulling the young man into his arms. Aric smiled and nuzzled Nikola’s collarbone, his fingers lightly brushing against the warmth of Nikola’s nipples. “Yeah, next time. ‘Cause I’ll be damned if I let that be the only time. Next time you’ll get to do things more your way.” “Ah, sweet boy,” Nikola purred. “Have we ever truly done things ‘my way’?” Another chuckle. “I said ‘more’ your way.” “Sleep,” Nikola whispered. “We will talk when we wake tomorrow night.” “Deal,” Aric purred before snuggling close. It wasn’t long before he dozed off, safely tucked in Nikola’s arms, their nude bodies pressed perfectly together. Nikola listened to Aric’s breathing even out and become deep, slow. He held the heavy warmth of his lover close to him, sighing softly into Aric’s hair. He’d made a choice tonight, and he knew Aric would not allow him to change his mind. There would be no going back, and the consequences would be borne. There was no choice. Nikola sighed again and closed his eyes, willing sleep to come, willing the quiet oblivion of nothingness his sleep was to rid his mind of all his doubts and regrets. It was just past dawn when he fell into that darkness.

Chapter Nine Aric irately tossed aside the book he had been reading. Close to a half dozen times reading the same page, and he still couldn’t remember the point that was being made. Then again, it was Dostoevsky, so maybe it was the material and not just his preoccupied thoughts. Leave it to Dostoevsky to talk and talk and, by not saying anything important in the narrative, somehow manage to make a point. Funny how that seemed to parallel what he felt had been happening in the last month, since Nikola had given in and taken their intimacy and sex to a new level. It had been night after night of the most mind-blowing sex Aric had ever had, and it never ceased to astonish him that he took such pleasure in it without actual penetration. Nikola still denied him that, but as time went on, Aric found he didn’t mind so much. Being able to give back to Nikola and be considered a lover instead of just a teacher’s pet had definitely improved his overall mood. Today was different, though. Nikola had been especially quiet the last week, and it was beginning to grate on Aric’s nerves. They had talked from time to time, but that glimpse he had been given into Nikola’s wants and fears the night they’d argued had been the only full view he’d received. Trying to get Nikola to fess up to his inner thoughts was always like pulling teeth. Like Dostoevsky, Nikola talked, but he didn’t say much, which made Aric wonder if there was a point he was missing. After so many months around the reclusive Count, Aric should have gotten used to it, but he didn’t like the distance he felt developing, especially when it spanned over his birthday. He knew it was petty, to be disappointed like a kid told to go to bed without dessert, but his birthday was a special day to him. It wasn’t some huge holiday exploited by corporations or anticipated

by workers wanting a day off; it was personal, a day that he celebrated with those around him who meant something, or at least with a couple people who pretended to care. Josef and Mishka had both wished him well and shared a miniature cake with him earlier, but Nikola had just left him to his own devices for the evening after their standard piano practice. Aric looked down at his discarded book and the letter next to it. “Oh, fuck it,” he muttered to himself, standing from his armchair and snatching up his things. Shrugging off Nikola’s indifference by reading on his own wasn’t working. Even if he found Nikola and they just sat in front of the fire together in silence, it would be better than this. He made his way out of the library and up to their room, weaving through the corridors with quick steps. Aric found Nikola lounging his favorite chair in front of the fireplace. He sat on the coffee table across from Nikola, partially obstructing the glow of the firelight to make himself particularly noticeable. He swallowed, not knowing exactly what to say now that he was sitting there. “I got a letter from my parents’ bank today. My trust fund has officially been signed over to me.” Nikola lifted his eyes from the book he’d been reading, an eyebrow elegantly raised. “You are a man of your own means now,” he said. Aric had to smile at that. “Yeah... kind of scary, but in a good way, I guess.” He licked his lips, debating how to approach what was bothering him. “It’s my twentieth birthday and you’re just sitting up here by yourself. Why are you so distant?” The direct approach was always best, right? Nikola glanced away from Aric for a moment. “Things are changing between us,” he murmured. “You are not merely a student of mine, if you ever were to begin with. You are a man, capable of many things. Now that you do not have to remain with me, will you still stay? You have money to travel. You have talent to ensure a lucrative income. You are young and vibrant. This birthday makes me uneasy.”

Aric blinked and drew one knee up to his chest. “That’s what’s had you so quiet? Jeez, Nikola. You could have asked me before, you know. Of course I want to stay. I mean, sure, I’d love to travel, but there’s time for that, and it takes a shitload of planning to set up concerts along the way.” He smiled at Nikola. “You actually thought my birthday would make me leave you?” A nervous light flickered through Nikola’s gaze. “It would offer opportunity you did not have before.” “True, but that isn’t really the point. The point is you thought I would take that opportunity.” Aric shook his head. Nikola didn’t have much faith in their relationship. Sure, it was rocky and all, but the last month had been rather nice. Was there something he was missing? “Is there something really bothering you? Is it just my birthday, or is there more there that you haven’t been telling me? Be honest.” “I am ever honest with you,” Nikola said. He rose from the chair and walked to the overwhelming wardrobe in the room. After a moment of rummaging among the drawers, he returned to his seat with a small, brightly colored box. “You have many choices ahead of you, Aric,” he murmured, staring at the box. “I fear some of those choices when they come, and this birthday simply reminded me of how much growing you still have to do. This is but one step.” Nikola lifted his eyes, a warm smile on his lips as he held out the box. “Happy birthday.” Curious thoughts of the choices to which Nikola alluded were lost as happiness surged through him. Nikola had remembered his birthday, and that simple fact was a present all by itself. He smiled and bit his lower lip as he accepted the parcel, and his eyes went wide when he removed the lid and pulled back the layer of tissue paper. Nestled in the box was a silver cross necklace, the pendant artfully crafted in a dated style that somehow meshed perfectly with the more modern chain, which resembled the steel-ball style so popular in his own generation. It was an exquisite blend of old and new, a gift that would remind him of Nikola every time he wore it.

“God,” he whispered, his fingers trailing over the pendant before gingerly taking it out of the box. He flashed Nikola a bright smile while he pushed his hair aside and fastened the cross around his neck. It was a pleasant weight against his skin, and his chest ached with warmth and gratitude. “Thank you.” Nikola smiled and leaned in, pressing his lips to Aric’s for a brief, sweet kiss. “You are welcome,” he purred. “It looks lovely on you.” “I don’t know how to thank you,” Aric murmured, combing his fingers through Nikola’s loose hair. “Not just for the gift, but for everything. No one’s stuck with me this long before, teacher, friend, lover, you name it.” “You didn’t try before,” Nikola said. “You try with me.” “You’re worth trying for.” Aric was serious about that. He wouldn’t bother if he didn’t think Nikola was worth it. Nikola smiled, an expression occurring more and more often. “I have one more gift for you.” “Really?” Aric asked, his eyes bright with excitement. “Damn. Just you knowing what day it was is enough for me. Not that I’m complaining.” He cut himself off before he could continue rambling and just shook his head with a grin. A laugh rumbled from Nikola. “I would give it to you, but you are sitting on it,” he said, nodding to the table currently occupied by Aric’s backside. Aric frowned. “The coffee table?” He looked down and felt his cheeks grow hot when he spotted the tips of a few pieces of paper under his ass. He hadn’t looked before sitting. He cleared his throat as he stood and moved to the floor, his legs curled under him. He picked up the top envelope and looked questioningly at Nikola. “Go ahead. Open it.” It was all Aric needed, and he tore open the edge of the envelope. He gave it a shake and stared at the pieces of paper that fell out into his waiting hand. “Plane tickets...” He was still a novice at reading Serbian, though, and his forehead knotted with concentra-

tion as he tried to read the lettering. His heart was pounding with anticipation, and it was difficult to focus on decoding. “They are the first in a series of tickets,” Nikola explained, his voice soft. “These will take us from Serbia to France.” “A series? You mean...?” Aric’s eyes widened and darted between Nikola’s face and the tickets several times. He had hoped to travel extensively in his lifetime, but to be given the opportunity as a present? He whooped his excitement, unable to contain it as he launched himself into Nikola’s arms, nearly crushing the tickets in the process. Nikola laughed, hugging Aric to him. It wasn’t long before Aric was settled in Nikola’s lap. “I mean that for one year you and I will travel the world together. There is even a three week long visit to America planned.” “San Francisco?” Aric asked, pulling back enough to look at Nikola. He nearly jumped up again with happiness. “We’re going to San Francisco! And New Orleans. We have to visit New Orleans and New York and... Oh, Nikola! Thank you!” He pulled Nikola into another kiss, needing to physically express how much it all meant to him. They kissed for long minutes before Nikola pulled back. “Happy birthday,” he murmured against Aric’s damp lips. Aric smiled as he panted. All the kissing had him hard in his jeans, and he swiveled his hips, making his state clear with a purr of approval. “What do you say we celebrate together?” Nikola tsked. “I would ask if sex was all you think about, but I already know that to be true.” “It isn’t all I think about,” Aric protested with a scoff. “I just didn’t think you’d want to scarf a piece of birthday cake and have to regurgitate it later. Making love sounds much more appealing, don’t you think?” “Yes, it does,” Nikola admitted as he brushed his fingers down Aric’s throat. “There is one more thing we must discuss first. What of your parents? Your schooling with me officially ends in four months.”

“If my parents wanted to be part of my life, they’d have started caring before now. My parents can go fuck themselves. I’m an adult, and I can make my own decisions.” It wasn’t the most pleasant of topics, and it brought down his mood just a little. His fingers fiddled with a lock of Nikola’s hair. “If they don’t like it, they can officially disown me and not have to deal with me anymore. I’m tired of being seen as the blemish on the family name.” He paused with a downward glance. “They didn’t even send a card.” He hadn’t really expected it, and it was rather juvenile, but it would have been some sort of indication that they gave a damn. Nikola held Aric to him. “Then it is their loss, for they didn’t see the precious gift they had been given.” It hurt to be outcast by his own family, but he still had Nikola, and Nikola’s words made his chest tight. He looked up into those striking blue eyes, his own a little moist. “Thank you.” “There is nothing to thank me for,” Nikola murmured, brushing his lips over Aric’s. “You don’t have to comfort me, but you do,” Aric whispered back, his lips curling into a small smile. “It means a lot.” He kissed Nikola sweetly. Nikola made his way from Aric’s lips to his throat, his tongue teasing the small scar there from his repeated bites. “I comfort you because your sadness makes my heart hurt,” he whispered. “You want to fix it, make me happy again,” Aric moaned softly. “I feel the same when you get all broody.” “Then we are quite a pair,” Nikola said, sharp teeth scraping at that spot. His hands cupped Aric’s ass and squeezed, pressing their groins closer. “You will need to inform your parents of your decision.” God, he loved it when Nikola gripped him like that. It made arousal burn through him, and he tilted his neck to the side with a loud moan. “I’ll write a letter.” Nikola bit a little harder. “Tomorrow.” “All right,” Aric agreed with a gasp. His fingers trailed down Nikola’s chest to tease at the nipples under the fabric of Nikola’s shirt.

“Do you still wish to make love?” Nikola purred against the mark. “You better believe it,” Aric chuckled. Nikola slid his hands under Aric’s shirt, dipping his fingers below the waist of Aric’s jeans. Cool lips caressed Aric’s throat while deadly teeth pricked, the hunger from Nikola an almost palpable thing. “Aric,” he breathed. Aric groaned, pleasure shooting through him. He knew what Nikola needed, and he wanted to give it. He cradled Nikola’s neck with his hand and gently pulled Nikola closer. “Go ahead. Drink, and then I’ll sip from you.” In some ways, it was even more intimate than the sex, and he couldn’t think of anything better to share with his lover. A groan left Nikola as a shudder moved through him. There was no reason to hold back, no reason to deny either of them, and Nikola didn’t even seem to try. With a low growl, he opened his mouth wide and bit down, the tide of Aric’s blood washing them both out on a sea of crimson and lust. Aric’s cries and moans mingled with the crackle and hiss of the fire, and as they both gave in to the act, the small part of him still able to think coherently had to admit it. This was, by far, the best birthday he had ever celebrated.

Chapter Ten Even at night, the Parc du Champ de Mars was a truly beautiful sight, and Aric found he couldn’t get enough of the city. Paris in May. No matter how many days and nights he explored, there was always something more to see and do. It was like Paris was the gateway to a whole new world, a whole new way of life, and he knew that was a reflection of the company he kept. Aric smiled up at Nikola, who walked beside him in companionable silence. None of this trip would have been possible without Nikola. It wasn’t just that Nikola had paid for their airfare, either. The quality of his experiences in Paris was astonishing. Nikola had them staying in one of the finest hotels Aric had ever seen, the Hotel Plaza Athenee. He was treated to the best food, incredible wines, and exclusive shopping. He didn’t know how the hell Nikola had managed to get them private tours of some of the museums and art galleries, either. With Nikola close, Paris was paradise. To think that Paris was just the first city on their list for this year of travel nearly made Aric dizzy. It was just the first taste of how life could be, now that he had taken it into his own hands. It felt like his eyes had finally been opened after twenty years of being blindfolded, and the brilliance of it all dazzled him. This was how it would be with Nikola, filled with life and music and everything that made Aric’s heart jump with excitement. “You realize you’ve spoiled me, right?” he asked Nikola as they crossed Joseph Bouvard Avenue, heading towards the grey spire of the Eiffel Tower. Nikola smiled fondly at Aric. He was dressed as casually as Aric had ever seen him, in simply slacks and a designer button-down shirt. Even dressed with a more modern flare, Aric thought Nikola archaic and beautiful. Especially in the lights that lined the streets.

Nikola chuckled, his gaze turning towards their destination. “Why do you say that?” “In the last week, I’ve seen the ballet at the Paris Opera, had a meal prepared by Alain Ducasse himself, and had a private tour of the Louvre. I now own an authentic Hermès scarf,” he chuckled, his fingers trailing along the fine, green silk that brought out the color of his eyes. “I don’t know how the hell you or anyone else is ever going to top this.” “I am certain you will say the same sort of thing as we walk the Scottish streets tomorrow evening,” Nikola murmured. “Mmm... Scotland,” Aric said. “I have a concert scheduled in Scotland, right?” “Yes. Thursday evening and Friday afternoon. I will, of course, be there for your evening performance, but I cannot be in attendance for your afternoon one,” Nikola said, a note of true disappointment in his voice. Aric linked his arm with Nikola’s, lacing their fingers together. “But, you’ll get me just after the afternoon one. I’ll be there when you wake, and then we can go celebrate my successful concert with a drink from a local pub with live music.” Nikola chuckled. “You’re just pleased I relented about alcohol.” “Hey, the rule was to not drink myself into a stupor, not to abstain completely. One mug of brew isn’t going to make me shitfaced,” Aric pointed out with a grin. “Ah, but it is a fine start,” Nikola said, eyes sparkling. “Still convinced that I have no self-control, huh?” Aric laughed, elbowing Nikola in the gut. Nikola grunted. “Watch yourself, you impudent boy, or I shall return to our hotel and avoid such physical abuse.” That threat brought a penitent expression to Aric’s face, and he rubbed his palm soothingly over the area he had nudged. “At least I’m not forcing you to take the stairs up the Eiffel Tower? I’m glad you finally agreed to come with me.” It had taken the entire trip to

get Nikola to do this one thing with him, and he didn’t want to fuck it up by running Nikola off at the last minute. “How could I deny such adamant insistence?” Nikola asked with a smile. He laced their fingers together once more as they neared the Eiffel Tower. “It felt wrong to deny you this, and though I have seen it countless times, you have not. I will enjoy it because it is a first of yours I am able to witness.” The smile grew on Nikola’s lips. “That will make it special for me, I believe. Never again will I look upon the Eiffel Tower with boredom and condescension.” “Boredom?” Aric asked, tilting his head. “But it was the entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair. It was the largest building in the world until the Chrysler Building was finished in the U.S. Wasn’t it sort of monumental?” Aric felt a small amount of pride, knowing the basic history of the building. See? He had learned something while studying with Nikola. Nikola chuckled. “All things I have watched happen. All things I have lived. Almost a hundred years have passed since it was built. It is old news for me.” Aric shook his head with a grin. “What isn’t old news for you?” “Very little,” Nikola admitted. “That’s... kinda sad, actually,” Aric said seriously. He smiled a moment later, though. “I suppose I’ll just have to goose a little excitement into your life.” That was a task he’d look forward to. “You already have.” “I guess you’re right,” Aric chuckled. “Hopefully more good than bad, overall.” There were people all around as they walked under the legs of the tower, and Aric’s attention was drawn to the lit latticework. It was fascinating to him, the knowledge that this structure had been around for over a hundred years. It seemed like an eternity to him, and it made him wonder how being a vampire changed perspective. Did everything lose that shimmering newness when you knew you’d live to see the next big thing after it? Nikola paused, staring up at the massive structure. “I thought it silly, the building of this tower. At the time, it seemed incredibly

strange to me. Why build a tower so tall? What was the purpose of such a thing? I came to see it when it was completed.” His lips curved into a faint smile. “Overwhelming in its size, it was a piece of art in the city of art.” “The largest sculpture of the nineteenth century,” Aric mused, his eyes darting between the tower and Nikola several times before settling on Nikola. “Did it feel like the dawn of a new era, or is that just romanticizing it?” “It felt like change,” Nikola said. “A new start,” Aric murmured, nodding his understanding. He squeezed Nikola’s hand and smiled at his lover. “The gateway to something new and exciting, maybe? ‘Cause that’s how it feels to me.” He tugged Nikola forward, and they boarded one of the lifts to the second level. Nikola drew Aric against him, nuzzling Aric’s throat as he spoke softly. “Each day is a gateway to something new and exciting, Aric. Life is ever changing, as is the world.” Aric shivered, and a pleased sigh escaped him as he smiled and trailed his fingers along the fabric of Nikola’s nice shirt. “Enough of that ‘old news’ bullshit, then. Together, everything’ll be new.” “Quite true, imp,” Nikola chuckled. Aric grinned triumphantly and turned in Nikola’s arms, leaning back against Nikola’s chest, his eyes watching the iron beams and lights pass as they ascended. His heart sped as they moved up past the first floor to the second. He didn’t exactly have a fear of heights, but he had never been this high up with a great view before. “I can hear your heart race,” Nikola murmured in Aric’s ear. Aric released a soft breath. “It’s amazing... and high up,” he admitted. “I’d have been scared shitless without a modern elevator.” Nikola nosed Aric’s ear. “It is convenient.” Aric nodded and traced his fingertips in idle patterns on Nikola’s arms at his waist. When they reached the second floor, he took Nikola’s hand in his again. Checking his watch, he flashed Nikola a grin. “We’re in time for the lift up to the top.” He pulled Nikola along,

looking over the railing of the area to the city below. The souvenir shop was bypassed in favor of the glass floor, which let him look straight down from where he stood to the ground level far below them. It was dizzying, and the thrill of it made his heart pound again, but he just laughed off that small fear and quickly made his way to the second lift with Nikola. It was only a couple more minutes before the door beeped and opened, and he stepped out of the enclosed area to the breathtaking view. He squeezed Nikola’s hand tightly, his eyes wide while his heart raced. “Fucking hell...” Nikola’s eyes remained on Aric, not the view, a heavy weight Aric could easily feel. “It is breathtaking,” he murmured as the wind whipped around them. “God, look at the river,” Aric whispered, confident that Nikola could hear him, even with the wind. He pointed where he was looking. “It’s beautiful, with the lights reflecting on the water and all the bridges.” Aric shook his head in amazement. “All those people... millions of them down there. And how many do you think have stood right here and looked down?” It made him feel incredibly small for a moment, just one of many. It was such a humbling feeling, and he turned to Nikola with a smile. “When you came here a century ago, do you remember where you stood and looked out?” “Yes.” Nikola walked a handful of feet around the observation deck and pointed. “I saw the Ecole Militaire from here, remembering vividly when it was founded. To see it from here, so small, so very insignificant, the reign of Louis XV so far in the past... I stared for perhaps an hour, until I was gently ushered out of the way.” Nikola fell silent for a moment as he gazed out at the Ecole Militaire, and then spoke again, softly, his voice almost lost to the wind. “I learned that from such a distance, everything seemed quiet, dark, and unimportant.” The backs of Aric’s eyes stung a bit, though he wasn’t sure if it was the wind or the sudden rush of emotion that overcame him. He leaned close and squeezed Nikola’s hand again. “You stood here a century ago... right here. So much that’s changed in a hundred years,

and now you’re here again. But you’re not alone this time, Nikola. You’re not unimportant... ‘cause I’m here with you.” Nikola chuckled. “I am not unimportant because I have the great Aric Reynolds at my side?” “Damn straight.” Aric grinned. “I may not be the great Sergei Rachmaninoff and have my own Wikipedia page, but I’m your lover, and that counts for something.” “It counts for quite a lot, I will admit,” Nikola said, looking out over the city with more of a smile on his face. It made Aric happy to see Nikola smiling, and he looked out over the city. “I’m always gonna remember this... standing here with you, feeling like everything on its way is gonna be good.” Nikola ran his hand down Aric’s spine. “Hope is a lovely thing.” Aric shivered. “It is.” He hadn’t had a lot of hope before meeting Nikola. He had been so focused on where he was that he hadn’t even bothered looking ahead. It made him feel warm inside, knowing that he was growing into his own person now, stepping away from his family and enjoying life with his lover. “You know,” he mused, grinning up at Nikola. “The only thing that could make this night more perfect would be to go back to the hotel with you and fuck like bunnies.” Nikola offered him a dry expression with a cocked eyebrow. “I refuse to make love in Paris. It is far too cliché, and I am cliché enough in my own existence.” Aric raised his own eyebrow, meeting Nikola’s expression and trying with all his might not to laugh. The corners of his mouth twitched with the effort, and he gave up after a few seconds. “All right. All right,” he laughed, shaking his head, and then brushing his hair out of his face with his free hand. He grinned up at Nikola. “Will you at least kiss me up here on the Eiffel Tower? I know it’s cliché as well, but dammit, it’s my first trip to Paris, and I’m allowed!” “Is that so?” Nikola asked, moving closer to Aric. Aric felt his pulse speed up as he nodded. “Yeah.”

“And your first visit to Paris will be an utter disappointment if you are not kissed upon the top of the Eiffel Tower?” Nikola murmured when he stood a breath away from Aric, looking down into his face. “Well... no,” Aric admitted in a whisper, “but it’s definitely nice icing on the cake.” Nikola’s hands slid around Aric’s waist, settled at his lower back and pulled Aric against his body. “Icing?” Aric moaned softly, his arms automatically resting against Nikola’s chest. “Yeah. Cake is good on its own and all, but cake with icing is even better.” A kiss right then, right there, where Nikola had stood alone years ago, would be just as satisfying to Aric as sex. He couldn’t believe the thought crossed his mind, but it was true. Slowly, Nikola dipped his head down, his lips brushing over Aric’s. “A kiss, then,” he whispered before he covered Aric’s mouth with his own. It was soft at first, soft and perfect, and the depth came gradually in a way that had become natural over the last couple months. Aric moaned quietly, and his hands moved up into Nikola’s hair as he melted against his lover. Sure, it was cliché, but it was also romantic as hell, and Aric had never had romantic with anyone else. He would always remember this trip. He would always remember Paris in May and that amazing kiss. They had arrived in St. Petersburg the previous night, and Nikola had been eager to go out; however, the sun was too close to rising by the time they’d settled into their luxurious suite for him to safely venture out into the Russian air he’d missed so much. Tonight, though, Nikola had dressed quickly, his excitement a palpable thing, and whisked Aric out into the cool evening breeze. Nikola spoke little. He was lost in memories, if he were honest, remembering a time when St. Petersburg was but a few stone buildings hastily erected in the remnants of battle. The streets flew

quickly by, their driver taking them to the one place Nikola needed to visit first, a part of his past he’d not seen since he’d fled Russia near the end of the eighteenth century. Aric had been quiet, leaving him the solitude he’d clung to since their flight had touched down, but Nikola could feel his young lover’s nervous anticipation, his desire to ask questions. He smiled, chuckling to himself. “Go ahead,” he murmured to Aric. “Say what it is you are dying to ask.” Aric grinned. “Where are we going?” “Such a simple question.” Nikola turned away from the window to look at Aric. “To the Peter and Paul Fortress. I have not seen it since 1784, when I left Russia for England.” Aric’s brow furrowed in concentration. “I don’t remember that in our studies.” “I did not spend much time on Russia’s history with you beyond its musical contributions.” Nikola’s eyes turned back to the passing city. No, he’d intentionally left out large chunks of Russia, of war, of change, both in the formal studies and their... less formal studies. “It wasn’t of much import at the time.” “But it is now,” Aric assumed with a smile. “Why?” Nikola was quiet for a moment, trying to decide how much to tell Aric. He glanced at Aric and all he saw was eagerness. Aric wanted to know him, and Nikola had always kept him so far away. This was a deciding moment, Nikola realized, where he either kept himself at a distance or allowed Aric closer. “Russia is where I grew from a boy into a man, where I went from spoiled firstborn to proud noble. It is where I lost my humanity and gained a new life. This, Aric, is where I walked for three hundred years before bidding my mother country farewell. I’ve brought you... home.” Aric’s eyes widened, and there was a light to his face as his smile broadened. “It’s like taking me home to meet your parents.” “My parents are long dead, but the analogy is somewhat appropriate,” Nikola chuckled.

Aric laced his fingers with Nikola’s. “So, why the fortress? Did something happen there in your past? What makes it important for you?” “I helped create it,” Nikola murmured. He gazed at their fingers, soaking in the warmth of Aric’s body simply through that touch. Aric was always so warm, a beacon to his senses. Nikola wanted to both cherish Aric and drown in his blood. He wanted that heat for himself as much as he wanted to keep it forever alive. “I was one of those who aided Peter in his taking of Zayachy Island during the Great Northern War. After we took Zayachy from the Swedish, Peter set to building the fortress. It took forty years, but I watched it go from earth and wood to stone, saw it grow great. Russia was forever changed then, the capital moved from Moscow to here. Even if that idiot of a son Peter spawned did move the capital back to Moscow just after Peter died, Anna—Peter’s niece and Ivan’s daughter— moved the capital back here where it belonged.” Oh, he had been somewhat fond of Anna. She had been an ingenious woman who’d shown those who had hoped to use her what it was like to be used. “Whoa. History overload, Nikola,” Aric laughed. “But that’s all right. It’s part of you, so I don’t mind in the least.” Nikola ducked his head, a faint smile on his lips. “They were allies once, people I respected or loved. Anna was vile once she gained the power she wanted, but I respected how she turned the tables on those who sought to use her. Her successor, sadly, I was never to know, as Catherine took the seat of power after Anna died. Catherine held the throne when I left Russia.” The car slowed and then stopped. Nikola paid the driver, thanking him in Russian, and stepped out into the night. He inhaled deeply, the scent of water and stone and history assailing him. “It’s beautiful,” Aric breathed. “It is.” Nikola walked towards the wharf, wanting to listen to the water for a small moment. “Peter would have been pleased to see it still standing after all that has happened.”

“Of course,” Aric said, following closely behind him. “I bet anyone important in history would be proud that something they poured their life into was remembered. Hell, I hope I am able to compose something someday that’s remembered in the future.” Nikola smiled as he gazed out over the Neva River. “You will. You are destined to be remembered by many.” “You’re just saying that ‘cause you’re my boyfriend.” That title never ceased to amuse Nikola. Boyfriend? Such a modern title for him, almost silly in nature. Still, he endured it because it pleased Aric to refer to him as such. Nikola supposed it pleased him as well, else he would not tolerate it. “No, I am saying that because you are a talented man who was a child prodigy. If you wish to be remembered, I am certain you will find a way to ensure it.” That brought a blush to the young man’s face, and Aric’s eyes shifted around as he struggled for words. “Thanks, Nikola. That’s... thanks.” “Also strangely modest suddenly,” Nikola teased. “Shut up,” Aric demanded, his cheeks burning as he gave Nikola a nudge with his elbow. “I might be a prick about some things, but I take the piano seriously now. You’re fucking amazing at it, so what you said means a lot.” Nikola laughed softly and led Aric away from the water, the Cathedral in his sights. “I have had a lot of time to perfect my art. You are still but twenty.” “And I’m only gonna get better, too, just you watch,” Aric challenged. “People think I’m pretty good when I’m playing famous pieces, but one of these days, I’ll knock their socks off with something original.” “I have heard you tinkering with original compositions,” Nikola murmured. They were rough, that of a composer still trying to find his sound, but Nikola could hear the potential. “You are improving with each one you create.”

“Fuck,” Aric cursed, though there was a smile on his face. “You’d better stop making me blush, or you’ll end up wanting a snack before we get to the Cathedral.” Nikola smiled, his fangs flashing in the low lights. “I already do.” As he stared at Aric, he could hear his pulse speed up. A hint of arousal tinted the air, teasing at Nikola’s restraint. “Oh,” Aric said with a swallow. “You are hard to resist,” Nikola said. “I find myself wanting to indulge almost nightly.” Aric chuckled. “Well, it has been six nights. I’m game for a feeding in your hometown. Kind of romantic, in its own way.” “You want me to feed from you now?” Nikola shook his head with a smile. “You will spend yourself in your slacks, and then complain about the stickiness of your groin. I will not have our visit to the Fortress cut so short.” “Later, then?” Aric asked hopefully, a wicked glint to his hazel eyes. Nikola leaned down to briefly kiss Aric, something he almost never did in public. Such public displays risked notice, and Nikola never truly wished to be noticed. “I do not believe you will allow me not to.” “Only ‘cause I know it’s what you want, too,” Aric insisted. Nikola’s fingers and eyes trailed down Aric’s throat, his voice thicker, deeper when he spoke. “I do.” Aric’s blood was potent to his senses, and the pleasure he took from it was intense. Nikola had become freer with their sexual coupling during the feedings, even without the feedings, but still... the blood... it was what drove him, called him. The carnal pleasures of Aric’s body were temptations, but the heat of his blood? Undeniable. “When we return to our suite.” “Mmm, good,” Aric purred before turning his attention back to the Cathedral, which was much closer now. “So did you work on a specific part of the fortress?” “No,” Nikola said, blinking as he came back to himself. “The prisoners and serfs did the building. Those of us close to Peter simply oversaw. I had a clever excuse about sleeplessness during the

night, and so I only came out at dusk and retired at dawn. In such a time when medicine was but witchcraft, it was easy for my peers to believe I was simply able to sleep only when the sun was in the sky. Those around me were glad to have someone eager to handle the building at night. Peter wanted the Cathedral built quickly, and we ensured that it would happen.” “The perfect cover,” Aric mused, eyes roving over the architecture, the red, white, and yellow stones nicely lit. “God, it’s like all these places are a part of you. You were really here back then, a man of influence. You commanded people, walked in this square, touched these stones... all hundreds of years ago.” Nikola sighed, the sound sad as they approached the door that led inside the Cathedral. “I was here. I had joined in Russia’s wars to escape Svetlana, for she would never travel to bloody battlefields.” There had been many things he had done during those times of which he was no longer proud, if he’d ever been proud of them. Acts he had committed as the conquering party haunted his conscience. “I made St. Petersburg my home since my true home was long lost. It is still home.” He paused at the threshold of the Cathedral. “It will always be home,” he murmured before stepping inside. Aric followed and released a long, shuddering breath. “All the detail... and all crafted by hand.” “On the backs of those taken prisoner.” The interior of the Cathedral was different than Nikola remembered, the space having been converted into a museum. The beauty was still intact, but that holy sense, the sound of the clergy chanting and the scent of burning incense, was long faded from the stones. “They would gather the dirt into their shirts in order to haul it up, to build this land up out of the swamp Peter had claimed as his.” “This was a swamp?” Aric asked, crinkling his nose. “Kind of a weird spot to build a sacred church. It must have smelled like shit. Not really the best thing to associate with the divine, if you ask me.” Nikola chuckled. “Ah, but it was strategically placed. No one could attack the city without coming through the Fortress. Peter

chose well. He built a place for prisoners and God, a place that could defend the city should war come to its doorstep. It is important to always look at something for what it could be, not necessarily what it is already.” Aric was silent after that comment, and it seemed the youth was actually digesting the kernel of wisdom, thinking about it instead of disregarding it on principle. “Of course,” Nikola continued as they walked through the Cathedral, his feet taking them to the pulpit, “it was never used for defense. Like many such fortresses of the time, it was more a warning. Could it have defended St. Petersburg? Who can tell? All that mattered at the time was the symbol it created. ‘We are here,’ it said, ‘and we will not have what is ours taken from us again.’ Sometimes a symbol is all one needs, it is all the courage and strength a people can hold onto.” “You’re just full of wisdom tonight, Count,” Aric teased, but there was a softness to his voice, an appreciation there as Aric looked around and watched him. Nikola chuckled, his gaze moving over the throne next to the pulpit. “I am full of wisdom every night. You just have little interest in such wisdom.” “Ouch,” Aric muttered, following Nikola’s gaze. “Did you hurt yourself?” Aric snickered, looking up at him with a smile. “No. Ouch as in ‘you wound me’. It isn’t that I’m not interested in wisdom, I’m just also interested in having fun.” “You are preoccupied with having fun, and to you, having fun centers around one vice or another,” Nikola mused. Aric frowned. “So what would your abundance of wisdom advise me to do? Read Chaucer? Counter my vices with virtues?” “You are becoming sullen,” Nikola said, noting the subtle change in Aric’s tone. He didn’t want to argue with Aric in such an important place. “Let us look at the gravestones of the emperors and empresses that have ruled, hmm? I have wanted to see Alexander II’s

for some time now, as it is said that it took the stone smiths almost two decades to carve.” Aric’s smile returned after a long, careful exhale. It seemed even Aric wasn’t in the mood to argue. “Two decades to carve a gravestone? Talk about a life’s greatest work. Lead the way.” Nikola laughed, the sound ringing in the cavernous building. “Emperors were important to the people, and they usually ensured their tombs were prepared for them long before their death actually came to them.” Nikola’s voice became quiet, solemn as they walked, passing various tombs that lined the Cathedral. “I was pleased when I read that Nicholas II and his family were finally laid to rest here, in St. Catherine’s Chapel. It was... the right end, finally achieved, eighty years after they were murdered.” He used that word specifically. Murdered. He had always believed that heads of state carried a certain burden, that death was waiting at almost every turn. To wield such power was to paint a bulls-eye on one’s back. He did not believe, though, that innocents should die. Nicholas’ wife and children had nothing to do with the power their father held, and what power they would have inherited upon his death was not their choice. It was a tragedy that he’d seen played out so many times over so many decades, and it never ceased to make him ache with age and weariness. “It makes you really sad, lives being taken like that.” They stopped before Peter I’s stone, and Nikola gazed down at the marble and gold. “A life should be treasured, cherished for the fleeting thing it is.” Aric nodded solemnly and drew his fingers along the railing separating them from the tomb. He stared at the detailed stones that rested next to one another. “I mean no offense or anything, but... do you have any happy memories here?” Nikola chuckled. “I had an inappropriate relationship with one of the Swedish prisoners,” he said. “He was a long way from home, doomed to die in a foreign country, and I found him delightful to speak with. In the late reaches of the night, we would couple quickly

and I would sip from him, leaving him with no memory but of the pleasure shared.” He paused, glancing down the row of tombs. “Viktor would make me laugh.” An unusually soft smile lit up Aric’s features. “And after all you both had been through, laughter must have been just as important as anything physical.” “It was,” Nikola agreed, glancing at Aric. “Laughter in a time of war is a rare thing, and to have it between enemies it was a blessing from God.” “It might not be a time of war, but I hope I make you laugh like Viktor did.” Nikola turned to Aric and drew the boy against his body. His eyes were intense as they gazed down at Aric. “No, Aric, you do not make me laugh as Viktor did. You make me feel more than simple, base joys.” It was difficult for him to articulate what he knew Aric needed to hear from him, but he tried. “It is laughter and frustration, tears and anger mingled with joy and excitement, fear and need. Laughter is but one small component to life. It is an important one, make no mistake, and I treasure the memory I have of Viktor and how he could make my belly ache from laughter, but what I have of you, what I will treasure in my memory of you, far exceeds such a simple pleasure as laughter in darkness.” Aric’s pulse sped up, and the muscles of his throat twitched while moisture pooled in his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again. A soft, sweet smile curved Nikola’s lips as he hugged Aric. “And I have managed to make you speechless. We should mark it upon our calendar the moment we return to the suite.” Aric’s cheeks flushed brightly, though the smile remained. “Shut up,” he demanded weakly, his eyes locked with Nikola’s. “I would kiss you if we were not in a public, sanctified place of worship,” Nikola murmured.

“Public, but deserted, and I think God will forgive us both a kiss...” Aric persuaded softly. “He didn’t strike you dead at the entrance, so I think we’re safe.” Nikola tsked, rubbing his thumb at the base of Aric’s spine through the boy’s shirt. “Such blasphemy.” Aric shivered and swallowed. “I’m already set to burn a thousand times over thanks to Catholic school. What’s the harm of a kiss after that?” Nikola could hardly argue with that. He dipped his head down and brushed his lips softly over Aric’s, the kiss chaste, fleeting. “Like that?” he whispered. “Like this,” Aric corrected, licking his lips once before sliding one hand up to guide Nikola back down. Slightly parted lips pressed to Nikola’s, soft but just a hint beyond chaste. A moan filled Nikola’s throat, deep and quiet as he dipped his tongue between Aric’s lips. He didn’t want to create a scene in case someone came in and saw them, and there was a slight tug in the back of his mind for becoming even slightly aroused before the tomb of Peter I. Nikola couldn’t help it. Aric was like a living, breathing narcotic, something that dulled his senses while making his body sing with sensation. It was heat and life, two things he only mimicked now. He deepened the kiss, backing away from the tomb, turning them about until Aric was pressed against one of the impressive marble pillars that lined the Cathedral. All he wanted was more of that heat, more of the life inside Aric that he could briefly take into himself. Borrowed heat, borrowed life, but it was so precious to him, so very, very important, and it was only that knowledge that kept Nikola from tearing into Aric’s throat in the center of The Peter and Paul Cathedral. Aric didn’t struggle or push him away, but he could tell by the tension Aric still held in his neck that he was holding back. It was an echo of restraint Nikola wouldn’t have expected only a few short months ago, and it showed a great stride in growth for the boy. Nikola pulled

back, panting against Aric’s damp lips, his eyes aflame with need and hunger. “You tempt the Devil in God’s house,” he whispered. “I’m trying not to,” Aric breathed, his pulse so strong that it nearly made his whole body tremble in time. That pulse drew Nikola in, made his teeth itch, grow longer. “Aric...” “I’m sorry,” Aric whispered, seeing the hunger plainly written on Nikola’s face. “It’s what your kisses do to me.” “Either we bank our needs, or we leave this place and return tomorrow evening,” Nikola murmured. “I cannot behave so disrespectfully in a place of such holy importance to me.” Aric closed his eyes and nodded, swallowing repeatedly and taking deep breaths in and out. The fingers that had tangled in Nikola’s hair slowly unwound themselves, settling on his shoulders, and after a minute or so, the throbbing pulse he could hear so acutely tapered off, slowing to a more normal tempo. “Do you wish to tour the rest of the Cathedral?” Nikola asked, willing his hunger back. “Yes,” Aric murmured with a last lingering exhale that left his lips curved in a small, proud smile. “It’s such an important place to you. I’m sure you have dozens of stories you could tell me.” The insatiable curiosity was back in those hazel eyes. Nikola chuckled and stepped back, straightening his shirt. “Dozens, yes,” he agreed. “Let us go to the Artillery Museum. I can tell you all about the weapons of my times in war.” He slid his hand down Aric’s arm, and then laced their fingers together as he led Aric through the Cathedral. Nikola paused at St. Catherine’s Chapel, glancing at the tomb that held Nicholas II and his family. Such unnecessary tragedy. He squeezed Aric’s hand, smiled at his young lover, and continued on. “We have little time. All the buildings will close in half an hour. We must rush. I will bring you back on Thursday evening.” He smiled as they stepped out into the night. “I will show you everything else then.” “Deal,” Aric said with a bright smile.

Chapter Eleven Aric had to force himself to keep calm. Six months they had been traveling together, and now they were finally in San Francisco. It was the one place that Aric had been dying to visit, and the excitement of the environs still hadn’t worn off, even after a few days and nights of seeing the sights. Tonight was special, though. It was Halloween, and Nikola had booked them on a flashlight tour of the Winchester Mystery House. It was convenient, being able to view the strange house at night, but Aric had to admit that his nerves were already on edge, and they’d only just stepped inside. He linked his arm with Nikola’s and swallowed against his dry throat. “You do remember that I’m terrible with mazes, right?” he asked, glancing up at Nikola. Nikola laughed softly, patting Aric’s hand. “And you do remember that I, on the other hand, am rather adept at them.” Aric chuckled. It was the only way he knew to release some of his nervous tension short of fidgeting with the edges of his sweater. “Yeah, I remember. You’re the one with the hedge maze in his back yard. I was never able to find the center of it on my own. Now here I am in a mansion with stairways that lead nowhere and doors that open onto bare walls.” “Or open into nothing but a three story drop,” Nikola pointed out, but there was tension in his own voice as they joined the tour group. “We are not alone, and there is a guide. So long as we keep with the crowd, we will not become lost.” Nikola was right, and Aric nodded. They had a guide. How bad could it be? He clicked on his flashlight along with the other guests, and the electric lights of the mansion were all turned off. He jumped as they were plunged into near darkness. After so many months living

at night with Nikola, who would have thought he’d be so nervous? It was a good sort of nervousness, though, the type that made his hearing and sight more sensitive and his adrenaline flow. “God, I’ve never done anything like this before,” he whispered to Nikola. “All the wonders of European architecture that you’ve shown me, and I’m getting excited about a Victorian mansion in America...” As they began to follow their tour guide, Nikola and Aric at the very rear of the group, Nikola shivered. “It is not just some Victorian mansion. It is haunted. Sadness and grief permeate every nook and crevice of this place,” he murmured. Aric’s eyes widened. Sure, he had heard that Sarah Winchester had held daily séances when she was planning the building, but that hadn’t necessarily meant that it was haunted in his mind. He took in the hallway they walked down with a sweeping glance. “You can feel all that in here?” “I can feel... something,” Nikola whispered, his voice tight. “It is unpleasant to my senses.” Nikola smiled at Aric in the dark, and while there was a tension around his eyes, the expression was mostly reassuring. “The dead do not care much about the living. The living care far more about the dead. It is an energy. A wrongness. A sense of foreboding, but not of true danger.” Relief radiated off of Aric in great waves, and if Nikola could feel the spirits, Aric was sure Nikola could feel the change in his energy as well. “Oh good,” Aric breathed. “Wouldn’t want some vengeful spirit to crush my hands in one of the doors in the floor or something.” “If you worry about such a thing,” Nikola purred in Aric’s ear, “then do not stick your hands in doors upon the floor.” Aric laughed softly and batted at Nikola’s arm as they turned a corner and shined their flashlights along the stairway that led up into the ceiling. “God, that’s just so creepy,” Aric murmured with a shiver. “And thirteen stairs, too.”

“Some cultures believe thirteen to be a lucky number.” Nikola stared at where the beams of light converged on the ceiling above the final stair. “And some cultures believe that building stairways into nothingness is simply insanity. I believe that all stairways lead somewhere.” He paused, listened to the tour guide yammer about the various ghostly encounters people have had at the stairway. “Just because we can’t see where it leads does not mean it leads to nowhere.” Aric’s face contorted with confusion. “You mean that it does lead somewhere? Are you talking something spiritual or literal? I mean, maybe there was a room the next floor up that Sarah decided to remodel out of the design, but something tells me that’s not what you’re talking about.” Nikola led Aric past the stairway, following their group at a slow pace. “There are things we cannot see, and things we cannot know. Sarah built this house with a spiritual intent. To build with such intent is to lead to places the living cannot venture.” It was a take on things that Aric hadn’t fully considered. “Maybe it really was the spirits that helped design things. I mean, all the shit that I don’t understand might just be because I’m living. Maybe it all makes perfect sense once you’re dead. Not that I’d like to find out at the moment,” he added hastily, squeezing Nikola’s arm. “Or maybe some of it makes sense once you are dead while new avenues of confusion open up. I do not know. I am neither living nor dead but in between, and so I see things in muted colors, I suppose,” Nikola said. “But there is no doubt in me that we walk the floors of a home dripping with Otherness that makes even my spine tingle and my hair stand up on end.” “Does it scare you?” Aric asked with a grin. Nikola laughed, and even that sound seemed to be swallowed up by the suffocating silence of the home. “In a way.” “You know, it’s kind of comforting to know that you can actually be scared. You’ve got the strength of a hundred men, incredible senses and speed, and yet there’s still shit that scares you.”

It made their outing a bit more thrilling. They had never been here before, and that meant that they could build new memories together. If either of them ever came back to this crazy-ass mansion, they’d remember the first time. It was important to Aric that Nikola have something to hold on to during their traveling. Nikola had made so much of the trip about him, showing him all sorts of historical monuments and marvels from the past, but he wanted something to always remind Nikola of the modern times. He wanted Nikola to have a place that would always remind him of this era and their time together. “It is healthy to remain frightened of the unknown,” Nikola commented. “It is the unknown I fear, and spirits are quite beyond my knowledge. I merely sense the offness of this place, and not knowing what makes it off is frightening. I feel no shame in admitting it.” Aric chuckled. “Ever logical, that’s my Nikola.” The group a few paces ahead of them turned a corner, and they moved to catch up a bit. When Aric went to turn the corner as well, though, he stopped short, nearly running face-first into what looked like an empty broom closet. “What the...?” He blinked and took a step back with Nikola. He could hear the footsteps of the group heading up some stairs. Or was it down some stairs? Hell, in this place, it could be both at once for all he knew. Unease swept through him as he looked behind them and at the different openings of the small hallway they stood in. “But I thought they turned left. I thought... Fuck.” The moment he thought he was lost, his pulse and breathing sped considerably, and that hardly helped his rising panic. “Aric,” Nikola warned, something hungry in the voice that murmured near Aric’s ear. “Calm yourself. I did not feed before we set out due to time constraints. Do not tempt me with your panic.” “Then get me back to the group,” Aric insisted, tugging on Nikola’s sleeve. He tried to listen to Nikola, closing his eyes for a few seconds while steadying his breathing. “Where are the stairs

they took?” he asked, his eyes opening again. “There’s gotta be one of those seven hundred dozen stairways nearby.” Nikola tilted his head, frowning a little. “The make up of this house causes their voices to carry. I cannot be certain which direction they took.” He turned left, heading down the dark hallway, their flashlights seeming dim in the darkness of the house. “I can hear them, and they sounded near when we turned the corner, but now they sound distant.” Aric held onto Nikola’s arm like it was a life-preserver thrown to him at sea. The beam of his flashlight was a bit more unsteady than Nikola’s. “So we backtrack? Or is that another trick?” “By the time we return to our starting point when the party diverged from us, I do not think I could truly find them now.” Nikola turned in the hallway, his flashlight shining over antique furniture and mirrors. “Now it is silent, even to my hearing.” That statement made Aric shift on his feet. It was like he had been put on one of those spinning playground Round-a-bouts blindfolded and told to jump off just as the psychotic, ghostly children brought it up to top speed. He was all turned around, and while it was thrilling in its own way, being lost like the guide had warned them against, it was also scary as fuck. “You said you’re good with mazes. Fix it.” Nikola actually laughed, shaking his head. “Fix it?” “Yes, fix it!” Aric ordered, but hearing Nikola laugh did more for his nerves than he would have anticipated. It cut a bit of the tension with amusement. “You know... wave your hands, say ‘open sesame’, and get us where we need to go.” “I am a vampire, Aric, not a magician.” “Well, dammit, do something. I can’t even remember what door we came through to get here.” Nikola pulled Aric against him, forcing Aric to look up at him. “Aric. Calm down. We will simply retrace our steps back to the beginning.” He bent his head and brushed a kiss against Aric’s lips. “Panicking will only lead to becoming more lost.”

“I know, but...” It was useless, trying to defend his panic. Nikola just made too much damn sense. He leaned against the solid frame of his lover. Nikola’s skin was cold, and the chill of it could be felt even through the clothing Nikola wore. Even so, those arms were safe and comforting, and he listened to Nikola’s breathing. He wasn’t even sure Nikola had to breathe, but it gave him something to focus on, and after a minute, his own breathing evened out. “Thank you,” he whispered. “I’ll be all right now. Just guide us back the way we came.” “Of course,” Nikola said, his voice rich and soft. He kept Aric’s hand in his own, leading Aric back the way they’d come. “Do you regret visiting the house?” “No way.” Aric squeezed Nikola’s hand with his own, uncaring of the way it made his skin tingle with the cold. “It’s creepy as fuck, but it’s something new for us, something different and exciting.” Nikola chuckled. “It is not an outing with you I will soon forget, that is certain.” “It’s not over yet, either,” Aric pointed out with a smile, matching Nikola’s sure footsteps with a bit of effort, trusting Nikola to lead them. “We could still run into the group again. With all the secret passages, it’s possible.” “We could simply wander about, if you’d like,” Nikola said. “See how lost we could become.” The prospect was terrifying, but it made Aric’s eyes practically gleam in the dull light of their flashlights. “You know it’s dangerous, appealing to my rebellious nature like that,” he warned. Nikola raised an eyebrow. “Do I? You have been so well behaved, after all, acting like a relative gentleman for most of our travels.” “Relative?” He’d been a fucking saint, as far as he was concerned. He shook his head and grinned up at Nikola. “I’m overdue for a little mischief, then, aren’t I? As long as you can get us out again, let’s explore.” “Lead the way, then,” Nikola said with a smile. “I will follow where you go.”

Aric laughed, unlacing their fingers and shining his flashlight up into Nikola’s face accusingly. “You just want to watch me get flustered at the twists and turns.” Then again, that had to be half the fun of it, and he wasn’t going to deny Nikola that pleasure at the moment. He could stand a couple more blows to his pride if it would ensure Nikola had a great time. He took the flashlight from Nikola’s face and took in their current location: large room with a fireplace. The last room had a fireplace as well, though, didn’t it? Oh, to hell with it. He chose a door and walked through... or would have if it didn’t open onto a wall. He backed up and stared. Nikola laughed, the sound filling the space around them. “I rather like you flustered. It makes your pulse pound,” he said. “I think you should choose a different door.” “Shut up, git,” Aric said, closing the first door with a half-hearted glare and crossing the room. He nudged Nikola with his elbow as he passed Nikola, and then chose a second door, which opened to another room, thank God. “Happy?” he asked with a backward glance at Nikola before walking through the next room. He paused to take in a few of the furnishings and the amazing hardwood floor patterns before moving on through several more doors and a few hallways, where he chose their next direction with an inward game of eenie-meenie-miney-moe. He was good at getting himself lost and proved it with flair, leading them to a room with a window that opened up not to the moonlit gardens he knew were outside, but to another room. Obediently, Nikola followed Aric, an amused smile always on his lips. He didn’t speak much, and Aric assumed he was trying to make sure he remembered how to get them back. Which, Aric thought, was a very important task. Yes, he wanted this to be memorable, but he also didn’t want to become hopelessly lost in the one house that seemed to put Nikola’s hair on end.

“A window that opens not to the outside, but the inside,” Nikola mused. “I wonder what Sarah and the spirits hoped to see through this window.” That caught Aric’s attention just as much as the window itself. He blinked a few times. “You know how the eyes are touted as being the windows to the soul?” Nikola nodded slowly, eyes on the window. “They are. One adept at reading others can see another’s very self through their eyes.” “Maybe the spirits can’t read us like that. Maybe this window was their window to Sarah Winchester’s soul in place of the eyes. Something still metaphorical but real in a way they could understand. There’s a staircase in there... leading down.” Aric glanced at Nikola. “Shall we climb through and go down the rabbit hole?” “You want me to climb through a window?” Nikola asked, obviously both amused and impressed by Aric at the moment. That look in Nikola’s eyes made heat and pride rush through Aric, and he nodded with a smile. “Into Sarah’s convoluted soul. Maybe there’s something to decode and understand behind the eyes.” He gestured to the window. “Very well,” Nikola said. He lifted the window and crawled through into the other room, obviously an old pro at the activity. “Though Sarah’s soul was tortured with grief and regret, and I think my own is tortured enough by those.” Aric took Nikola’s hand the moment he was through the window as well. “Maybe the constant building really did appease the restless spirits. I like to think that there was peace at the end of her journey and that there’ll be peace at the end of yours.” He tugged Nikola onward, down the stairs, which oddly had a flight down, and then an immediate flight back up to the same level they’d been on. “My journey is a very long one,” Nikola murmured as their footsteps resounded around them. The house was eerily silent. “I wonder if there ever will be an end to it.” “I don’t know.” It was the most honest response Aric could come up with. “Maybe I should rephrase and say I hope there’ll be peace

during your journey. Either way, I think you deserve a bit of peace, and I hope you taste a bit of it with me. When I’m not being a pain in the ass, at least.” They walked through a few more rooms and down a corridor that curved before ending abruptly without any doors. The shock of it sent Aric’s heart speeding again, but he handled himself better than before, taking deep breaths and holding on to Nikola. He laughed as they took the corridor back to the other hallway and found another path. “I’m so fucking lost.” “I have a very good memory. We will be able to find our way back to the very beginning, even if we cannot properly enjoy the tour itself,” Nikola said. His voice was a little tight, an edge of hunger to it Aric easily recognized. “Peace has been a fleeting thing in my life. I had thought it was useless to hope for once you arrived at my door.” He snorted, rather unlike Nikola to do so. “Little did I know I simply found a new form of peace, and I was forced to re-evaluate my definition of the word.” Aric’s eyebrows knitted together as they turned into a beautiful room. The floors were exquisitely designed, and there was so much detail in the wooden shelves lining one wall that he thought for a moment that it could have been a glorified library. The moment he spotted an organ, though, he knew what the room was. It was a ballroom. He stepped gingerly inside, his eyes taking in all the details, sweeping over the mantle of the fireplace and the stained glass windows that sported quotes he recognized from Shakespeare. He circled back to the organ and smiled, touching the aged keys reverently. He remembered himself and looked at Nikola. “What does that new definition of yours include? What’s the new form of peace you’ve found with me?” Nikola’s eyes never left Aric as he stepped into the ballroom, his hands clasped behind his back. “Peace with you is not quiet, not soft. It is vibrant and brilliant. It is sexual pleasure and soft music mingled with longing glances and dripping blood. It’s trust and affection, both teaching and learning.”

Aric’s heart sped at such a description, and he licked his lips as he turned to face Nikola. “Music, affection, and blood,” he whispered. “Is that kind of peace worth holding on to? Do you revel in it, as I do?” Standing in the center of the dark ballroom, Nikola was an imposing figure. Tall, blond, and pale, fierce eyes burning with that otherworldly hunger with which Aric had become intimate. Nikola gazed steadily at Aric, and he nodded. “Yes. I hold onto it tightly, reveling in it each time I am able. You are life to me, borrowed as it is, and I never wish to let that go.” Drawn like moth to flame once again, Aric closed the space between them and reached out, his heart pounding. His fingers brushed down the line of Nikola’s neck, lingering over the faint, slow pulse. “Live through me now,” he breathed. “Revel in what I offer, what I want to give.” He tilted his neck appealingly, stretching it so he displayed Nikola’s small, permanent marks. Nikola moaned softly and looked away. “We are in public,” he protested. “You know we’re alone, barring some watchful spirits. Even you can’t hear the rest of our group. They’re probably on the other side of the mansion.” Aric pressed himself against Nikola. He was hard, and he made that known with a shift of his hips. “You’re freezing cold. Drink and warm yourself.” “Aric.” Nikola’s eyes closed for a moment, his parted lips revealing sharp teeth that belied his true interest in what Aric was offering. His hands grasped at Aric’s hips, and his breathing quickened. “You are tempting me to misbehave where others might witness us.” “It thrills you, doesn’t it?” Aric breathed. Ice-blue eyes opened, stared down at Aric. “Yes.” “Then what in hell’s stopping you?” Aric asked with a wicked smile. “All Hallow’s Eve, a moonlit ballroom in a haunted house, blood and life offered, the thrill of discovery... This night, of all nights, is the one on which to misbehave.”

A growl rumbled from Nikola as he sank a hand into Aric’s hair, pulled on strands. It elongated Aric’s throat, made the flesh taut. Nikola bent down enough to brush his lips over Aric’s racing pulse. “You make it impossible to deny you.” Aric tensed momentarily, but though there was that sense of danger, he knew he was safe in Nikola’s care. Arousal burned through him as lips moved against his throat. He gasped when one of Nikola’s fangs traced along his pulse, and his hands tightened in Nikola’s shirt. “If it’s impossible, then stop resisting.” There was a moment when everything became still and very quiet, and then Nikola struck. Fangs sank deeply into Aric’s throat, Nikola holding him against his body with an iron grip. Nikola moaned, the sound wet and thick, and he sucked hard on the wound. He was ravenous, and even with his mind awash in Nikola’s pleasure, Aric could feel the bottomless hunger in his lover. The sensations that rushed through him were immense, and thoughts were fleeting and disjointed as he felt the heat of his blood flow into Nikola’s waiting mouth. It wasn’t a gentle feeding where Nikola allowed his heart to do the work, pumping blood out at it’s own pace. Instead, Nikola sucked it from him with ferocity. It should have frightened him, should have made him struggle, but it didn’t. With the pleasure came that strange, vibrant peace Nikola had described, and Aric was so caught up that he couldn’t tell if it was his own emotion or Nikola’s. Time ceased to have meaning. The two creatures in the ballroom of Sarah Winchester’s home hovered in a place of need and lust, where one hunger was met while another blossomed into fullness. Nikola’s flesh warmed, his body moved against Aric’s as blood continued to be drawn into his mouth. His hand released Aric’s hair, and both hands cupped Aric’s ass, squeezed, rubbed their groins together in wanton, blood-drenched desire. Only then did Aric give a full-throated moan, and his flashlight clattered to the floor. His hands moved to Nikola’s chest, his nails scratching mindlessly through fabric as he clung and moved his hips

in time. The sound of his own heartbeat overwhelmed him, and he panted raggedly as the lightheadedness from the blood loss began to make his other senses swirl together. There was no telling how long they stood and moved against one another. All Aric could feel was a blinding moment of bliss where sight, sound, and touch culminated in a cry from his lips and a harsh shudder throughout his body. He went boneless in Nikola’s arms, his legs giving out from under him, but instead of falling, he felt like he was floating. “Nikola,” he panted, his eyelids heavy, his whole body trembling in the arms that kept him upright. Nikola’s mouth finally released the bloodied throat, hot breath ghosting over bruised and torn flesh. His tongue gathered the trickling blood until the worst of the bleeding stopped. He kissed up Aric’s throat and jaw, his eyes opening as his lips hovered over Aric’s. His erection still pressed firmly to the stained front of Aric’s jeans, and he drew the tip of his tongue over Aric’s lower lip. “Should I chastise you for messing your clothes?” he asked, voice deep and pleased. Aric groaned and kissed Nikola messily. “Not... when it’s your fault,” he managed to pant out as his mind slowly began to knit itself back together. “You have no self-control,” Nikola chuckled, and the sound was distinctly smug. “Sorry. Used all my self-control in St. Petersburg,” Aric teased with a lazy smile, trying to put weight on legs that didn’t want to support him. “And don’t get too smug, Count. If I can’t stand, you’ll have to carry me out of this fun-house.” Nikola kissed Aric again, still laughing. “You’ll stand if you have to. For now, it is not necessary.” Amused, Aric gave up, slumping in his lover’s arms. “Tell me, Nikola,” he purred, cuddling against the Nikola’s warmth, something he’d helped to create. “Will you ever forget this night?” “No,” Nikola murmured, nuzzling Aric’s temple. “Never will I forget this night with you.”

The wonderful heat of happiness swept through every fiber of Aric’s being, and he curled his fingers in Nikola’s hair. By the time they returned to the hotel room, he would have enough strength to see to Nikola’s arousal, to thank him for the feeding. In the meantime, he knew he could trust Nikola to protect him and carry him back through the corridors. Whether their group found them again or not, their night had been made unforgettable. “Mission accomplished, then,” Aric proclaimed.

Chapter Twelve Aric practically bounced into their hotel room in Vienna, excitement still riding high as he rambled on about the opera they had seen that evening. He had seen many of them over the last year he had traveled with Nikola, but every single one was new and unique. He had seen more in the last year than he’d ever thought he’d see in his lifetime, even as a piano virtuoso, and it was all because he was with Nikola. Through his lover, it was as though the whole world smiled at him and welcomed him. Everything was rich with history and significance, and all that was new and modern was shared with the archaic vampire through his own youthful perspective. “God! I still can’t believe how high those women can sing. I’d heard recordings of tons of people trying to sing that second aria in Queen of the Night, but that woman on the stage just put them all to shame. What a performance! The man playing Tamino had such an amazing voice, too. That’s what tenors should always sound like. Makes me wonder what Benedikt Schack sounded like with the premiere cast back in 1791—” Nikola chuckled as he shut the door behind them, and then began to remove his coat and gloves. “Would you simply roll your eyes at me if I said, ‘Aric, ‘tis but The Magic Flute, nothing more’? I am certain you would, but I agree with your enthusiasm. It was a beautiful cast, stunning talent. I am glad we were able to attend. I was worried you caught the flu in Ireland.” “I did catch the flu in Ireland, just like I caught that damned virus that was going around when we went to Thailand,” Aric laughed, remembered illnesses not getting his mood down in the slightest. “You’re just lucky that I bounce back relatively quickly. I didn’t miss a single concert, which I’m damned proud of.” It had meant that Nikola didn’t feed from him those few weeks, both to help him get

better faster and because he suspected that the illness itself made Nikola’s stomach turn from bad blood. “You took such good care of me. I’d never seen you so worried,” he said fondly, hanging up his coat and shedding his clothing without thought. “You acted like Josef, giving me fatherly advice and seeing to my urgent needs.” A light flush stole over Nikola’s cheeks. He sat on the lovely bench by the door to remove his shoes and socks. “I was a concerned lover. Your fever had been frightfully high,” he said, his eyes darting repeatedly to Aric as he exposed more and more flesh. Aric smirked as he tossed his underwear into the laundry bin with the rest of his clothing. The hotel staff would see to it before his next concert, so he wasn’t about to worry about it. He walked over to Nikola and fluidly straddled his lover on the bench, batting away Nikola’s hands so he could disrobe him himself. “You know I appreciated your concern. I appreciate all that you do for me.” Nikola cupped the back of Aric’s head and brought their lips together. The kiss was deep and slow, Nikola’s tongue exploring every inch of Aric’s mouth before pulling back slightly. “You are... important to me.” Aric smiled softly, pulling Nikola’s shirt from his arms and leaning into the borrowed warmth of his lover’s skin. “As you are to me, Nikola. You’re everything,” he breathed before sealing their lips together again. Arousal quickly rose between them, as it always did when their bodies were pressed close. Nikola encouraged Aric’s youthful dominance of the kiss, and he moaned as Aric’s hands moved over his bare skin. The kiss quickly became heated, growing hungrier the longer their hands touched and mouths mated. Aric couldn’t get enough of his lover, even after the full year of travel. He couldn’t get Nikola’s pants off while he was sitting in Nikola’s lap, though, so he reluctantly pulled back, purring, “Pants off.” He stood and crossed to the bed, pulling back the sheets and sitting. His hazel eyes watched every move Nikola made as Nikola undressed the rest of the way, and he couldn’t help but sigh his ap-

preciation at the sight of his lover naked. It never got old, the sights, sounds, and sensations he enjoyed with Nikola. Nikola chuckled, tossing his clothes into the hamper, and then crossed to Aric. He cupped Aric’s cheek, allowed his thumb to brush over the full lower lip. “Your twenty-first birthday approaches,” he murmured, climbing atop the bed. “Almost two years in each other’s company.” Aric kissed the tip of Nikola’s thumb and nipped it playfully. “Two years,” he mused. “It feels like a lifetime. A wonderful, adventure-filled lifetime.” “It feels like but a blink of an eye,” Nikola breathed, his eyes dilating as he watched Aric’s teeth nip at him. “And yet there is still so much stretching before you, so many choices and opportunities.” Aric’s eyes were bright as he whispered, “Can’t wait.” He darted his tongue out and licked at Nikola’s thumb once before drawing it between his lips for a gentle suck. Nikola moaned, his eyes intently focused on where his thumb disappeared into Aric’s mouth. He pulled his hand back and replaced his thumb with his tongue, kissing Aric deeply, his hands sliding down Aric’s sides while he used the weight of his body to press him back on the bed. Nikola settled comfortably between Aric’s spread thighs, rubbing himself absently against Aric as he continued to kiss them both breathless. The feeling of Nikola’s body against his never failed to make Aric shudder with need, and he spread his legs wider, his hips moving up into Nikola’s as he moaned his pleasure. It would be a wonderfully long build, rubbing like this, and he’d learned to crave these drawn out pleasures just as much as the explosive quickies he’d always enjoyed. Finally breaking the kiss, Nikola’s lips moved down Aric’s throat, teased the pulse pounding powerfully under scarred skin. There was no use of sharp, deadly teeth, just lips, tongue, and suction. Nikola’s hands never stopped touching, fingers dancing along all the sensitive places he’d learned over the long months. Aric was

lost to the spell Nikola effortlessly wove for him with mouth, hands, and body. When those wandering fingers found the patch of flesh just beyond his sac and began pressing, he couldn’t suppress a loud groan. “Yes,” he breathed, shuddering and arching into all the exquisite sensations. “I need the lubricant,” Nikola panted against Aric’s throat, his finger pressing firmly as it slid towards Aric’s opening. Aric’s heart went into his throat and pounded there for several seconds before he was able to swallow it back and reach out. His arm flailed a bit before he managed to reach the bedside drawer, and he searched blindly inside until he let out a triumphant moan and handed the bottle to Nikola. It was so rare for Nikola to use his fingers, and Aric wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity. The night had been perfect with a luxurious supper, a stunning opera, and now Aric was easily given the lovemaking he’d struggled so hard to receive. The give and take he’d wanted was his, and he reveled in it now. Nikola’s mouth sealed over one of Aric’s nipples, and then his finger slid inside Aric, slippery and smooth. He thrust gently, easily, never rushing. Nikola never rushed, and despite Aric’s racing heart and shifting hips, the pace remained unchanged. Aric knew there was nothing he could do to force it to go any faster. What was more surprising was that he didn’t want Nikola to go any faster. He moved his hips in time with Nikola’s slow thrusts, shuddering at the intimacy of feeling Nikola inside. It was never more than one or two fingers, but he didn’t mind nearly as much as he used to. He still fantasized, still used his toys sometimes when Nikola would go to feed in the city, but this was enough. He curled his fingers in Nikola’s hair, his body more eloquent in expressing his need than any words might have been. Nikola moved from nipple to nipple, suckling and nipping until Aric cried out, shuddering beneath him. He lifted his head again to kiss Aric once more, and this time the passion and need was as bright as the afternoon sun. The two fingers left Aric, Nikola’s

tongue thrust deeply into his mouth, and the top to the lubricant clicked open again. There was a moment’s pause, with Nikola panting against Aric’s lips, the bright blue eyes gazing down into hazel, and then Nikola surged forward, filling Aric with a single thrust. Aric’s eyes widened as he gasped, and he trembled while his body was forced to adjust. He stared up at Nikola, surprise and joy at war within him until it was just too much to keep inside. His lips curved up into a smile, and he craned his neck closing the distance between them again. His hand slid down to Nikola’s hip as they kissed, and he held there, urging Nikola deeper when his body relaxed, welcomed what he had ached for so many nights. Every thrust was deep, but Nikola’s movements were slow. Even in this, Nikola would not be rushed. Between kisses, Nikola’s breath trembled, soft moans filling the quiet of their room. It was everything a first time should be, gentle and careful, but Aric could still feel the power in Nikola, the barely controlled need in each movement of the body above him. Aric’s own sounds of pleasure were oddly quiet, a perfect harmony to Nikola’s. He’d had so many partners in the past, and all of them had made him cry out or scream with that first thrust. None of those men had been like this. None of those times could even come close to this slow build and the crushing weight of emotion. His chest and throat were tight with it as the tempo slowly gained momentum. Thrust after thrust, panted breaths, mingling moans. It was the culmination of all he had learned, all they had shared and overcome since he crossed that threshold in Serbia. He didn’t care that tears slipped from his eyes as he was pushed to the edge. He didn’t care that he moved eagerly into each of Nikola’s possessively deep thrusts. He didn’t care that he clung to his lover as he arched and cried out his release. All that mattered were those piercing, otherworldly eyes, the soft lips that moved against his. Even as he lay there quivering and convulsing around the sex inside him, all that mattered was Nikola in his arms, and when he felt Nikola tense and moan into their kiss, warm heat filling him from within, his joy was complete.

Nikola slowed his thrusting but didn’t stop, allowing them to linger in the afterglow of pleasure. He kissed Aric’s shoulders, his throat, along his jaw, and kissed at the wet trickle of salt along Aric’s temple. He held Aric close, murmuring softly in the tongue of his childhood. It was lyrical and beautiful, words whispered in Aric’s ear, the words of a lover, of someone who had touched far more than his body. “Aric,” Nikola breathed, all movement finally ceasing. In the stillness, Nikola wrapped his arms around Aric, kissed him tenderly and touched him with reverence. It was all too much, and Aric continued to tremble, a soft sob leaving his lips as he buried his face in the warmth of the junction of Nikola’s neck and shoulder, soft strands of Nikola’s pale gold hair teasing against his flushed face. He whispered Nikola’s name over and over, unable to form any other word as he discovered what it felt like to be truly cherished by a lover. Nikola shifted their bodies, his sex slipping from the confines of Aric’s backside, and then pulled the sheet and blanket up over their bodies. “It was a marvelous opera,” he murmured, smiling against Aric’s lips. Aric sniffled and laughed softly, pulling back to wipe the tears from his eyes, embarrassed by how emotional he’d become. “To say nothing of the afterparty.” “It is nice to see you have your priorities in order,” Nikola said, amusement warming his words. Aric scoffed as he nuzzled Nikola’s throat. “What? I let you take me to the opera first.” There was a moment where they both just stared at each other, and then they broke out into quiet laughter. For the first time in his life, Aric felt he was right where he was supposed to be, doing exactly what he was supposed to do.

Chapter Thirteen The rain poured down outside the villa Nikola had rented for the week in Florence. Dusk had just tinted the sky, the sun below the horizon, and he sat in the bed watching the rain as it fell past the shutters he’d thrown open as soon as he’d woken. Aric still slept beside him, the ability of the young to sleep through anything amusing Nikola. Absently, Nikola stroked through Aric’s hair, his eyes taking in the nude form littered with faint bruises from hands that held too tightly and a mouth that sucked too fiercely. Not that Nikola regretted doing either. Since that night in Vienna, Nikola had not refused Aric’s requests for lovemaking. Many nights ended with them tangled in each other’s arms, sweaty and sated. It was bliss, but Nikola knew such bliss had to end. Aric was still a boy. Twenty-one years had passed, yes, but Aric behaved as one but sixteen. If something broke, it was to Nikola that Aric turned. It was unhealthy. All Aric’s happiness was wrapped up in him, and while it pleased Nikola to an extent, it also worried him greatly. He wondered if Aric was with him because he feared what would happen if he were alone. Aric had money, and Nikola would never let him starve in the street, but did Aric have the necessary skills one his age should have? Nikola did not believe so. Aric had been pampered as a child, ignored as an adolescent, and condescended to as an adult. Never had Aric been given the chance to truly grow, to become a man on his own terms. As much as he loved Aric and wanted the boy with him always, Nikola knew that it could not continue. If Aric was to ever grow into the potential Nikola had seen so many years ago when Aric was but thirteen, then their affair had to end.

It made Nikola’s chest ache to think of waking alone once more. Would he ever see Aric again once he ended their relationship? He could easily spy on the boy, watch him from afar, but it would never be enough. Nikola wanted Aric as his, always. As much as he wanted to keep Aric alive, warm and breathing, he also wanted to steal that life from him and offer a new one. A new life where no illness could touch Aric and rob Nikola of his lover, and where time held no true meaning for either of them. Aric, Nikola knew, was not truly prepared to take that step. Aric had never lived. It was time, Nikola decided, that Aric did just that. No matter his own pain, no matter how much Aric begged otherwise, Nikola knew it was time. When they reached Rome in a week, he would bring their year-long travels together to an end. He sighed, staring out at the dreary weather that had plagued them since arriving in Florence. It fit his mood perfectly. Aric swept out of the elevator to the floor he was staying on with Nikola. He had been in Rome a few days now, and every turn revealed a new adventure in the Eternal City. He had slept until just before noon and then took a tour in the afternoon. Taking the key card from the pocket of his bag, he fiddled with it and made his way down the hall, nearly bursting with the need to tell Nikola about the things he had seen. He grinned as he slid the card through the lock on their room and let himself inside. “You up, Nikola? You’ll never believe what I saw today as I—” He cut himself off as he turned to face the room. Nikola was already awake and dressed, but that wasn’t what made him stop just inside the door. A single look at the room revealed everything to be tidy, far too tidy for all the living they’d done in the room in the past few days. All of Nikola’s belongings had been stowed, packed away, and it was like a glaring red flag being waved in Aric’s face.

His smile faded, brow furrowing as he looked at Nikola facing the door as if he’d expected Aric to arrive at that precise moment. Nikola’s expression matched the room, beautiful, but completely devoid of life. “What’s going on?” he asked warily. “What’s wrong?” Nikola clasped his hands before him. “I must take my leave of you,” he said, voice carefully neutral. Aric blinked several times. “Take your leave? Why? Did something happen back in Serbia? Is it Josef or Mishka?” His heart quickened with worry. “I’ll go with you.” “No,” Nikola murmured. “Nothing has happened in Serbia, and you will not be accompanying me back. This is where we must part.” The way Nikola said it sent a freezing chill down his spine to settle heavy in his gut. He forgot to breathe for a moment. He stared at Nikola, but Nikola’s face gave nothing away. “What are you talking about?” “My luggage has already been taken to the airport. My car will be here in twenty minutes to take me to my flight. The room is paid for a week beyond this day.” Nikola held Aric’s gaze. “I am leaving, and you are staying.” The muscles in Aric’s jaw and face twitched as realization set in. His breathing picked up, and his heart pounded a panicked rhythm in his chest. “You’re leaving? No. No, what you mean to say is you’re leaving me, right?” The hurt that threatened to rise up and choke him was met with the heat of anger. Given the choice, he took the anger, took the warmth of it and let it boil through his veins. Rage was better than hurt, better than betrayal. “How generous of you to give us twenty full minutes,” he spat, clenching his fists. “Twenty minutes for what? To give me a good look at your back as you walk away?” Nikola was unmoved in the face of Aric’s rage, remaining still and placid. “Twenty minutes to say goodbye. We need time apart, that cannot be denied. You have spent two years non-stop in my company, and I in yours.” “And that’s a fucking bad thing all of a sudden?” Aric yelled. “What the fuck brought this on, Nikola? I haven’t done anything

wrong. I know I haven’t! I’ve done everything you asked me to! You’ve watched me since I was thirteen years old, and now that you’ve had me in every way you can think of, you’re packing up? Who’s the one with the itch to be scratched, now? You take me in, you teach me, you change my life and pretend I’ve changed yours, and then you dump me on my ass in the streets of Rome?” Tears stung at the backs of his eyes, and no matter how he tried to swallow them back, they welled up, blurring his vision of Nikola’s impassive face. “What kind of monster are you?” In the wake of Aric’s words, only silence reigned. It took several minutes before Nikola looked down at his hands, but there was no mistaking the movement. It was not shame or regret that made Nikola look away. No, Aric could see it clearly on his lover’s face. Nikola just looked tired, resigned. “It is not bad,” Nikola finally replied. “I never said it was bad, merely that a break was in order. A little time apart. I did not say forever. It is you who is reading forever into my words.” He looked back up, meeting Aric’s tearful gaze. “You know this is not about me having had you in all possible manner. Once your hurt subsides, you will recognize that.” The hope died in Aric, and he couldn’t hold back the swell of hurt with anger anymore. It overwhelmed him in a rush that left his head reeling, and he was amazed that he made it to the post of the bed without stumbling. He leaned heavily against the sturdy wood. “My freedom has been with you. I... I don’t want you to go,” Aric protested, his voice weaker than before. He wiped furiously at his face again. “You can’t do this! You can’t just make this decision without me!” Nikola shook his head slightly. “The decision is made.” The finality of that single statement was like the clanging of prison doors. There was no way out, no way around it. It was done, and he’d been given no say, no reason, no promise that they’d ever really see one another again. Nikola said he wanted him to continue on, but he didn’t want to continue on without Nikola. His shoulders

shook with the effort not to sob outright. “I’ll hate you if you go,” he threatened weakly. It was childish and underhanded, but it was the only card he had left to play, the only thing that might get Nikola to stay, to reconsider. Something flickered in Nikola’s eyes. “I will have to live with that,” Nikola said, his voice soft, sad. A knock sounded at the door. “My car is here, Aric. I must go.” He took three steps towards the door, and then paused, looking back at Aric. “I do not hate you for what you have said, and I am not angry. What we have shared means everything to me, and in time, I hope we will share it again.” But if it meant everything to Nikola he wouldn’t leave, wouldn’t just give it all up like this. The hurt was so strong Aric thought it would crush his chest and leave him bleeding at his lover’s feet, but it didn’t. The hurt just left him rooted to his spot at the bedpost, trembling with the strain of remaining standing, grasping at the last wisps of anger in his desperation to feel warmth instead of that creeping ice. “Piss off,” he whispered, his face contorted with pain, his eyes burning with anger. His fingers dug into the wood of the post until they turned white. “Just... piss off...” Nikola stared at Aric until the knock sounded again. He gave a small nod. “Until we meet again,” he said. Turning his back, Nikola opened the door and greeted the young man sent up by the driver. They spoke quickly in Italian, and then Nikola stepped over the threshold, shutting the door firmly behind him. Aric crumbled at the sound, landing in a heap on the floor at the corner of the bed. The last of the fight drained out of him, and the cold set in, instantly freezing something fragile inside of him. He felt it crack in that indescribable way, unable to stop it, and when it shattered, he finally let out the sob that had been building in his chest. He sobbed as he never had when the others in his life had abandoned him or pushed him aside, arms and legs curled to his chest, fingers gripping helplessly at his own clothing. He sobbed

until he made himself ill and had to rush to the ornate bathroom to keep from being sick on the plush carpets. The heaves were all-consuming, and when they finally tapered off, he almost wished they’d start again so he wouldn’t have to leave the bathroom, wouldn’t have to look at the bed he’d enjoyed sharing with Nikola since they’d arrived together. His fingers trailed up to the scar he’d carry with him the rest of his life, small and faint but always there as a reminder—not only of the bliss they’d shared but of this moment, when it all ended. He’d look in the mirror every day, and the scar would speak to him. It would speak when he wore his scarf from Paris, when the collars of his performance suits would dig in as he played, and if another lover’s lips ever grazed over his pulse. That scar would forever whisper to him, ‘You loved a vampire once... but it’s all over now.’ The worst part was what the scar whispered would always be true. He’d loved Nikola, but it was over. It was over now.

Chapter Fourteen Aric had been staring at the postcard for the last hour. He hadn’t moved since it’d been brought with his breakfast. It was a simple postcard. Nothing really made the artwork on the front stand out. Belgrade’s skyline lit up in the night, reflecting softly on the waters of the Danube. Nothing spectacular, nothing he hadn’t seen firsthand in the year he’d lived in Serbia. What had caught his attention, and held it, was the elegant script scrawled across the back. His name. The address of his hotel. Even the room number. Beside that was one sentence. Will you come home? Such an innocuous question. Will he come home? Home to what, though? Two years ago, the one person who had made him feel as if home could be anywhere they were had walked away from him. Nikola had left him in Rome. Oh, he’d not been left penniless and spurned, but he’d been left alone. After two years at Nikola’s side, Nikola had ordered him to continue his tour, continue his travels without him. Aric’s parting words had been harsh in the face of Nikola’s coldness. He had realized that after the initial despair had finally worn off. He’d even tried writing Nikola, but after a few months of short, simple postcard replies, his letters had finally gone unanswered. When a month had passed without a single word from Nikola, Aric gave up. He had resumed his old habits, fucking anything male that came near him. It hadn’t helped. Now, right at two years, on the anniversary of Nikola’s departure, there was the unanswered, heavy question sitting between them. Aric glanced down at the postcard, his fingers tracing the words over and over as the sun set over the Mediterranean Sea. The wind kicked up, and the salty-sweet scent of the ocean wafted

through the open windows of his relatively simple room in Al Hoceima. Morocco had been a wonderful choice after the busyness of Milan, but now there was the chance to go back to Serbia. To go home. Aric looked up, catching his own reflection in the mirror. As he stared into his own eyes, he wondered if he could go home. He wondered... could he forgive Nikola for leaving him behind? He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, but his eyes eventually drifted to his neck, just as they had many times over the years since he’d last seen Nikola. That little voice sounded in his head as if on cue, and he stood from his seat and crossed to the telephone, the postcard clutched in his hand. He nestled the receiver between his ear and shoulder and dialed, not at all surprised when the person on the other end answered on the first ring. “I told you never to call this number.” The deep voice growled at him over the phone, hushed, as if the man didn’t want anyone to hear who he was talking to or what was being said. The tone alone gave Aric the gumption he needed, and he rolled his eyes. “And I told you to come to my concert in Milan a week ago and show some of the support you constantly demand from me, but we both know how that turned out.” He continued, cutting off angry words with his own. “It’s over, Jack. I’m tired of you trying to make me into some gay perversion of the trophy wife. I’m sending someone for my things, and I’m leaving.” “Leaving?” Jack asked, his voice louder than before with growing outrage. “Where the fuck are you gonna go?” Aric looked at the postcard and smiled to himself. “I’m going back to Fuckoffistan. What the bloody hell does it matter to you? It’s over. I’m gone.” He went to hang up on Jack’s hushed cursing, but then paused. “Oh, and enjoy explaining your foul language to the potential clients in the board room.” He took great pleasure in the sudden silence that followed. “Have a nice meeting, pumpkin,” he said before hanging up the hotel phone with a broad grin.

He picked up the receiver again after a few seconds and dialed the front desk. “Yes. Please connect me to the airport in Rabat. Thank you.” Now more than ever Aric was convinced that Nikola lived in the most obscure, hard to reach corner of Fuckoffistan there was. He couldn’t remember having had a longer day of travel in his life. Maybe it was just his own nervous anticipation, all those misgivings warring with his hopes. Then again, it could have been the chore of getting from Al Hoceima to the international airport in Rabat, the delayed flight from Rabat to Belgrade, which had three damned stops along the way, and the lack of flights to Novi Sad. He’d had to take a bus, and with all the delays and transfers from one place to another, his taxi cab rolled up to Nikola’s estate only a couple hours before dawn when he’d been planning on getting there at sunset. His insides felt heavy and knotted with unease as he stepped out of the cab, stretched for a moment, and then slowly walked up the stairs to the front door. He hesitated, wondering if he should use the doorbell or not, but the choice was made for him when the door opened, and his eyes were graced with the first view of Nikola he’d seen since Nikola left him in Italy. Where he had grown taller and a little broader in the shoulders in the last two years, Nikola hadn’t changed at all. Nikola was still the most beautiful pillar of ivory skin, sharp features, and pale cornsilk hair that he’d ever seen. “Aric.” The sound of his name from that heavily-accented voice only served to make his heart ache with the rest of his travel-worn body. There was a note of surprise in that voice. Had Nikola missed him? Had he thought Aric wouldn’t come back? A million different questions flickered through his mind at hyperspeed, but all he croaked out was, “Hi, Nikola.” How he managed to be so inarticulate after years of seeing the world and becoming more cultured, he wasn’t sure, and he could only imagine the assumptions Nikola was making about him.

Nikola chuckled, a small smile curving his lips. “Have you come home?” Aric swallowed and nodded, and the one thought that had brought him back, that had circled through his mind over the course of his entire trip, flew from his lips before he could think of something else to say. “I love you, Nikola.” Now the surprise was clear to see on Nikola’s face. “You love me?” Blood rushed to Aric’s face, and he wrung his hands together. “I never said it before, not even in my letters, but I’ve thought it too many times to count since the day you left. I didn’t want it to go unsaid anymore.” “You said you would hate me,” Nikola softly reminded Aric. Aric looked down, his eyes shifting around the steps Nikola stood on. “I was hurt and desperate. I would have said anything to keep you with me.” “My place at the time was not at your side, no matter how badly I did not wish to leave it,” Nikola murmured. The pain of their parting flared up in Aric, and he met Nikola’s eyes again, his own burning with an inner fire. “If you really wanted to stay, then why didn’t you? You never told me why, and I need to know. I won’t be strung along, told to blindly follow. I’ve done that most of my life, and I don’t want that with you.” Nikola smiled. “That is the reason why,” he said simply. Aric’s brow furrowed, and he frowned, crossing his arms at his chest. “What do you mean?” “Two years ago,” Nikola said, stepping closer to Aric, “you never would have said such a thing, let alone believed it. You were still a boy clinging to his tutor, looking to me to make all the decisions, to fix all the problems. How could you learn to be your own man when you had your protector always at your side, ready to fight all the battles?” Aric opened his mouth to protest, but he was forced to close it again when nothing left his lips. It was an epiphany, and it made his chest ache. “Well, dammit, why didn’t you say so back then?” he asked, his voice uneven.

“You needed to learn the lesson on your own, not be told it. If I had explained my intent to you, it would have negated the whole heart-wrenching experience.” “But that’s exactly what it was,” Aric said, caught between anger and pain as his eyes stung in that telltale sign of tears. “It was heartwrenching, Nikola. You left me, and it hurt. It broke something in me that took these two years to try and mend.” Nikola sighed, looking out into the night. “I did what I had to.” Aric took several steps towards Nikola, climbing a few of the stairs. “Don’t go all Machiavellian on me. Yes, I grew up these last two years, but the ends don’t just automatically justify the means. I came back because I love you and want to be with you, but you’re going to have to deal with the new me if you welcome me back home. I’ll have a say in the important decisions that impact our relationship, same as you.” He wouldn’t go back to that room in Rome. He wouldn’t revert back to who he was then. A faint smile graced Nikola’s lips as he gazed at Aric. “I would argue that the ends did justify my means, for standing before me is a man I respect, who can demand he be treated as an equal. If you will come inside, come home, I promise I will make no other important decision about our relationship without discussing it with you first.” Aric stared at Nikola, searching his eyes, but the piercing blue gaze was open to him as it had rarely been in the past. Nikola was serious in this offer, and it eased some of the weight that Aric felt at his chest. He uncurled his arms from his chest and climbed another two stairs so he was almost eye-to-eye with Nikola. He may have grown, but Nikola was still too damn tall. “Equals,” he said with the beginnings of a smile. “You have yourself a deal, Count. Now, let’s get inside. I’ve been in uncomfortable seats or on my feet since midday. We can argue Machiavelli more off our feet.” There was a spark of hope in that teasing statement. Even being near Nikola again had his body remembering the nights they had spent together before they parted. Nikola cupped Aric’s face and kissed him softly, briefly. “Welcome home, Aric,” he whispered. “And you stink of sweat and humanity.”

Aric chuckled, his lips tingling from the kiss, already aching for another. He didn’t deny himself the pleasure, locking their lips together again for a few wonderful seconds. “Humanity sort of sticks to a person, but a shower should at least remedy the sweat.” Strong arms wrapped around Aric as Josef stepped out to fetch Aric’s luggage. Nikola purred against Aric’s lips, smiling. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered. “Ached to have you near. Every letter you sent was a stab to my heart, and when they stopped...” “I almost wrote you again at the next four touring spots. It was the hardest thing, not writing, trying to let you go when it seemed you didn’t care.” He leaned forward, resting his head on Nikola’s shoulder. He smiled at Josef when the man passed them again, and it made him feel pleasantly warm when Josef returned his smile and nodded a greeting. “God, I missed you so much,” he murmured, closing his eyes and breathing in Nikola’s faint, aged scent. “Take me inside. Take me upstairs to our room. Please.” Nikola kissed the crown of Aric’s head. “Of course. I will have Mishka bring up something light for you to eat before you rest,” Nikola said, leading Aric inside. Aric practically moaned at the thought. “God. Who’d have thought I’d crave Serbian food so much after I’ve been all around the world?” “We always crave that which reminds us of home.” Nikola shut the door and pulled Aric up the stairs. He didn’t exert much strength, but it was clear there would be no dawdling. “You have grown since I last saw you. Your clothing in our room will no longer fit.” Aric chuckled. “Is that an invitation to go about nude for a few days until my friend sends my clothes from America?” At the top of the stairs, Nikola paused for a moment. He was quiet and still, something obviously warring inside him, before he smiled again at Aric. “I have clothing you would probably be comfortable in, at least in our bedroom, until your... friend sends your things.” He might have been gone for a while, but Aric knew that tone of voice, and the pause Nikola took told him all he needed to know.

“Friend, Nikola. Not lover, just friend. Christine was going to pick up my things from Jack’s place. He was my asshole of a boyfriend, though even calling him that feels like a stretch. I broke up with him. We’d been on the rocks for over a month as it was. I don’t know why the hell I put up with him for as long as I did.” He smiled at Nikola, reaching up to cup his cheek. “I’m here for you, Nikola. I’ve made a few friends like Christine around the world, but what happened with Jack is so over. Trust me.” Nikola stared into Aric’s eyes. “How long were you with Jack?” “About four months, but that’s including the last month, which has been more an ongoing argument than anything else,” Aric admitted. “An argument about what?” Nikola asked, walking down the hall to their room. Aric smirked to himself, following Nikola into their room. Nikola was curious about Jack. The absurdity of it was amusing. Jack never truly compared to Nikola. “Everything from the books I was reading to the color socks I would wear to an event with him. Once he was promoted to the chief executive officer of his company, he stopped doing anything to support my career and was pushing me to retire, like I’d suddenly become a damned housewife with 2.5 children after my concert season in Europe was finished. In short, Jack became a condescending asshole who wanted me to be a Stepford wife.” Nikola chuckled. “The image is amusing.” He shut the bedroom door behind them. “So you were not... in love with Jack?” Aric sighed, shrugging off his light jacket and unwinding the scarf from his throat. “I thought I was at first, but the moment he suggested I retire and stay in the US, I knew it wasn’t me he wanted. Nothing kills a romance better than that. I tried to give him time to come around, to settle into his new position and treat me better, but he’d changed, and I wasn’t going to take his shit much longer anyway.” Nikola leaned against the door frame of the bathroom, staring at Aric with pleased shock showing on his face. “My, my, how you have changed.”

Aric turned and tilted his head at Nikola, smiling at the shock. “How so? I never liked taking your shit either, you know.” “You may never have liked it, but more often than not, you endured it. Reluctantly, yes, but you did as I said with only the most modest of arguments.” Nikola shook his head, turning into the bathroom where he opened the taps to the shower. The room quickly filled with steam. “You are simply different, and perhaps I was not fully prepared for that.” Aric tossed aside his shirt before entering the bathroom, and his fingers started undoing the snap and zipper of his jeans. “It’s a good sort of different, I hope.” Color suffused Nikola’s cheeks as his eyes traveled over Aric’s body, narrowed in on the fingers on the zipper. “You are your own man, just as I had hoped,” he murmured. Aric felt his pulse speed up a bit, and he pushed his jeans and boxers past his hips and down his legs, revealing himself completely to Nikola’s intense gaze. “And do you like what you see?” Nikola looked up, embarrassment in his eyes. “Yes. The potential I saw is now manifest. I am proud.” Those words made Aric stand just a little taller. “I’m glad,” he purred, stepping closer. “Don’t be afraid to look at me, Nikola. Or touch me. You should already know from my pulse and scent that I want you to.” “I know your heart pounds, that your musk is stronger,” Nikola breathed, watching Aric. “I can see your sex stir the closer you come to me. Is that what you want from me? Fucking?” Aric shook his head. “Not fucking. Intimacy.” He knew the difference now. “Intimacy?” Nikola whispered. “Yeah,” Aric said with a smile. “Kissing, tender touches, whispered words of love and affection... intimacy.” Nikola moaned, the sound soft in the steamy bathroom. “It feels like an eternity since I enjoyed such a thing.”

“This from the one who described two years as ‘but a blink of an eye’,” Aric mused with a small smile. “You really have missed me.” It made his heart warm to know that Nikola hadn’t just cast him aside and forgotten him. He stepped close enough to Nikola that he would be able to feel the heat of his body. “Kiss me, Count, and then I’ll wash up.” “I kissed you on the steps,” Nikola murmured. “We have two years to make up for. Kiss me again.” Nikola cupped Aric’s face, a deep longing in his eyes. “I’m afraid if I start, I’ll never stop.” Aric leaned into Nikola’s strong hand. “After I wash, you won’t have to.” Nikola’s lips hovered near Aric’s for a moment longer, and then he pressed their mouths together. It began so chaste, so simple, but it quickly became something incredibly hungry, Nikola’s tongue thrusting between Aric’s lips with desperate possession. It was all that Aric remembered and more, and he threw himself into the kiss with abandon. His body came alive as he submitted to Nikola, and even when motes of light invaded the edges of his vision, he continued the kiss. It was only when he thought he might truly pass out that he pulled back with a gasp. His body trembled with need, and it took all the control he could muster not to rub himself crudely against Nikola’s clothed form. He knew if he took that step, he’d never make it into the shower. “I’ll be quick,” he panted. “Promise.” Breath short, Nikola nodded, his eyes dazed and dilated. “I will wait in the bedroom,” he said, his voice tight. It was like ripping away one of his arms to step away, but Aric managed with only the smallest sound of unfulfilled need. He closed the shower door behind him and immediately waged war on the grime he’d collected throughout the day. The hot water spraying on the hardness between his legs only made him want to hurry even more, and he emerged from the shower mere minutes later, hair and body scrubbed. He made quick work of drying off and entered the bedroom, hard, flushed, and eager to continue what he’d interrupted.

Nikola sat on the edge of the bed with a tray of food set on the wide, low table in front of the fire. It was simple food, thrown together quickly for Aric. Nikola had undressed down to his trousers, and he lifted his eyes from the floor when Aric emerged. His eyes drank Aric in, from his damp hair to his erect cock. “You were quick,” he murmured. Aric grinned. “I told you so.” He glanced between Nikola and the tray of food, and it was difficult to decide which to indulge in first. He was almost annoyed when his stomach rumbled loudly, making the decision for him. His eyes were on Nikola as he crossed to the tray and picked up his plate and fork. “Only another minute,” he promised with an apologetic smile. He couldn’t help but moan as he ate. Mishka hadn’t lost her touch; that much was certain. The food was simple but perfectly spiced, and he washed it down with the glass of water on the tray, very aware that Nikola’s eyes followed his every movement. “She has missed cooking for one who could truly enjoy her talents,” Nikola said. “Do not eat too quickly, else you will make yourself ill. The sun will rise soon, and I won’t be able to help you if you are sick.” “Damn my stomach,” Aric cursed, forcing himself to slow down. “I want your hands on me before dawn steals you away.” Nikola smiled indulgently. “I will still be here when the sun sets.” Aric smirked. “I’m impatient.” “So some things have not changed.” “I’m still me,” Aric chuckled, tucking into the last of his food and drink, setting his empty plate aside. He would have to thank Mishka for the meal when he saw her, but there were more pressing matters to attend to. Combing his fingers through his damp hair, he rounded the sofa and made his way to the bed, his gaze growing hungrier with every step. Nikola met that gaze easily, heat in his own eyes. “For that, I am thankful,” Nikola said. “As much as I wished for you to grow into your own man, I also hoped I would not lose the boy I knew entirely.”

Aric climbed atop the foot of the bed and straddled Nikola with a soft moan. “I’m still impatient... still have my temper... still love fountains and the sound of the rain.” He licked wickedly across Nikola’s lower lip. “Still love to suck cock.” Nikola’s hands grasped Aric’s hips, almost bruising in strength. “Still a wicked imp,” he groaned, chasing after Aric’s tongue. “Yes,” Aric breathed, his pulse racing. Even the simple touch of Nikola’s hands to his bare skin was enough to make him shiver, and he finally gave in, cupping Nikola’s face and practically crushing their mouths together. The kiss lasted until Nikola broke away to bury his face against Aric’s throat. His tongue traced over the faded scar of his bite while his hands moved back to squeeze Aric’s ass. After using his tongue in the mark several times, he sucked the flesh into his mouth, raising a deep bruise over it. Aric cried out as blood was pulled to the surface around the scar. He bucked against Nikola, every touch from him like fire trailing over his skin and through his veins. “Nikola... oh, fuck!” Everything in his world narrowed to Nikola’s body against his, the lips and teeth at his throat, and he knew in that instant that he would let Nikola drink again without hesitation. Nikola licked at the tender skin, and then kissed his way back up Aric’s throat to his lips. He nipped at Aric’s lower lip as he rubbed their groins together. “By God, how I have missed you,” he whispered between heated kisses. “Missed you, too,” Aric panted, his breath catching at the feel of their cocks moving against one another with only the flimsy barrier of Nikola’s trousers between. “Know I said intimacy, but please...” He pulled back enough to meet Nikola’s eyes. “I want to suck you. I need to.” It was one of the acts he had loved sharing most, and he needed to give, needed to show Nikola that he had returned and that he loved him. He knew it’d take more than a blow-job to convey that, but it was a start.

Nikola kissed Aric softly, a faint smile on his damp lips. “I am yours to do with as you please,” he murmured. Aric smiled, combing his fingers through Nikola’s hair. “I love you,” he whispered before dropping to his knees at the foot of the bed. His hands tugged at the button and zipper of Nikola’s trousers and swiftly moved the fabric out of the way. He paused for a few seconds to stare at Nikola’s cock. He’d gotten so used to Jack’s that he’d almost forgotten the difference in size. He shuddered as he pulled Nikola’s pants down his legs and tossed them aside, settling between his lover’s thighs. His hand trembled as it took hold of Nikola, and he hoped the love and need he felt shined from his eyes as he brought his lips to the tip in a languid, wet kiss. Nikola’s hands threaded in Aric’s hair, his eyes never leaving where Aric’s mouth met his cock. He moaned and parted his thighs further. “Yes,” he hissed. It was all the encouragement Aric needed. He took the entire head within his mouth and sucked voraciously, his hands stroking the shaft as he drew his teeth lightly along the tip and teased the slit with his tongue. This had always been his favorite act to experience, both the giving and receiving. Aric threw himself into the whole thing, sucking and licking at Nikola’s cock, his eyes occasionally glancing upwards to be caught by that predatory gaze. He could feel Nikola’s eyes on him, watching each movement. Aric’s cheeks flushed scarlet, but it wasn’t from shame. The knowledge that Nikola watched him turned him on more than he’d thought possible. As he sank halfway down Nikola, his hand tightening around the remaining flesh, he came to the conclusion it was his love for Nikola that made the sex so mind-blowing. He’d never really had sex with the love except for Nikola, not even with Jack, and to feel that heat inside him now, he knew he could never let it go again. Even if Nikola turned him away tomorrow night, Aric would fight for what he knew was his. Nikola moaned, his hand tightening in Aric’s hair, and Aric grinned around his cock. To bring Nikola, the dangerous hunter,

to mindless need made Aric feel intensely powerful. It was almost intoxicating as he swallowed around the hard shaft and urged Nikola to thrust. Almost instantly, Nikola did as he hoped, hips thrusting up while vise-like hands held his head still. Aric gave himself up to the experience, his own erection throbbing in time with his racing heartbeat, endlessly reminding him of his own need as he saw to Nikola’s. His throat was filled over and over, and his hands did nothing but encourage, alternating between massaging Nikola’s sac and teasing the skin beneath. He scratched lightly over the tender area of Nikola’s thighs where the pulse rose to the skin beneath his fingertips. He was delighted when each of those scratches made Nikola’s pace and grip falter, a loud groan resounding in the room. He was relentless against those pulse points after that, his thumbs pressing and massaging over them. It wasn’t long before Nikola was panting in Russian, his name occasionally spoken between the foreign words, and it was the sweetest music to his ears. How he’d longed to hear Nikola’s voice the last two years, hear his name spoken in passion just like this. There was so much more in the depths of Nikola’s voice, more than the lust and anger he had heard every time Jack fucked him in the ending months of their relationship. With Nikola there was love, passion, surrender, possession, and Aric thrived on it all as he took charge, sucking on Nikola’s cock with abandon. His own sounds of pleasure were nearly drowned out by Nikola’s, and his mouth and throat began to ache with the need to feel Nikola come in his mouth. Once the thought was in his mind, he refused to let it go, pursuing it with single-minded fervor until he felt Nikola swell and buck into his throat. His hand flew to the shaft between his lips and milked firmly, and all he could do was shudder and groan as he swallowed all that Nikola had to offer. The hands in his hair tightened again when he refused to stop sucking and stroking. “Aric... By God!” Nikola called to him, but all he gave in response was a purring moan that vibrated along the sensitive flesh in his mouth.

Nikola gasped, squirmed, and eventually pried Aric’s mouth from his still-erect cock. He was panting as he brought their mouths together, tongue thrust between wet lips. Everything that could be taken, Nikola took as he pulled Aric up against him. After a moment, he tore his mouth from Aric’s and nipped along his jaw. “You are evil, sucking me like that,” he whispered harshly against Aric’s ear. “So selfish, because I know why you did it... what it is you want.” His fingers slid down the crevice of Aric’s ass while his tongue teased the ridge of Aric’s ear. Aric moaned, shuddering against Nikola. “Not completely selfish,” he argued, his voice deep, rough from the way Nikola had thrust taken his throat. “I know you want me just as badly as I want you. You were never so vocal in the past.” He reached down and stroked firmly at Nikola. “I won’t let you get in your own way.” “In my own way?” Nikola growled and bit at the tip of Aric’s ear. “It will take me twice as long to come a second time,” he warned. Aric shivered, a smile curving his lips. “Then we’re in for quite a ride.” He ground his hips down against Nikola’s, and he wasn’t surprised when Nikola moaned and flipped them over. The movement was so fast that Aric felt a wave of vertigo, and he had to blink several times before it passed. By then, Nikola had parted his thighs and grabbed a bottle of lube from the bedside table. It was a new bottle, one he’d never seen before, and he grinned as he gazed up at Nikola. “You’ve been touching yourself,” Aric purred approvingly, moaning when slick fingers pressed against him. “Only when the memory of you became too much to ignore,” Nikola said, spreading lubrication inside Aric. “Which, I reluctantly admit, happened more often than not.” Aric angled his hips, moaning when the fingers pushed a fraction deeper, stretching him a little. “Why reluctantly? It’s... reassuring, knowing you still wanted me.” Nikola chuckled, leaning down to brush his lips over his lingering mark on Aric’s thigh from so many feedings years ago. “Did you truly believe I stopped wanting you?”

Aric’s heart surged in his chest, and he moaned as he watched Nikola’s tongue snake out to lick once against his pulse. “I didn’t know what to believe. After you didn’t return my letters...” His voice faded for a few seconds, pain flickering in his eyes as he combed his fingers through Nikola’s hair. “I didn’t understand.” Nikola’s free hand grasped Aric’s wrist, brought the tender inside to his lips. “I could not explain. If I explained, you would have simply bided your time until I came for you. You never would have had the affairs you did, or taken the chances you took, if I had told you my intent.” His fingers left Aric’s opening, and he sighed as he smeared more of the slippery fluid along his cock. “All I can ask now is for your understanding that I did what I still believe was best.” Aric still didn’t like it, but he had to admit that Nikola was right. He’d never have let go and lived his own life if Nikola had stayed in contact with him. It had hurt him deeply and made him uncertain of the place he’d had in Nikola’s life. Moving beyond the worst of that hurt had taken him a long time and the support of new friends he’d met on his tour. What Nikola was asking wasn’t that he completely let go of the memories or dismiss the ache he felt from the old wounds, just the understanding that Nikola had done what he had thought was best. There was a big difference there, one he might not have realized a couple years ago, and he smiled up at Nikola, turning his lover’s gaze to his. “It... it was for the best,” he admitted after a moment’s hesitation. “It hurt both of us. But now, we can heal what pain lingers together.” “I am yours, as I ever was,” Nikola whispered, shifting between Aric’s legs. He kissed Aric once more, slowly, deeply, as his hips moved forward. In one gentle motion, Nikola slid inside Aric, a groan fed into their kiss. It stole Aric’s breath away, the sweetness of that possession, and he instantly wrapped his arms around Nikola’s neck and shoulder. When Jack had taken him, there had always been a distance, a hardness that he’d learned to live with, but with Nikola, there was no space between them, only closeness that went beyond the physical.

Even the discomfort of being stretched wide for Nikola’s sex seemed to enhance that incredible feeling of wholeness, and he moaned as he was forced back from the kiss for air. “Nikola,” he panted raggedly. “I’m... I’m yours, too.” He sealed their lips together again, and kissed Nikola with every ounce of emotion he felt. It was a sweet kiss, for all its depth and passion, and he reveled in it, feeling Nikola’s love practically radiating as they waited for his body to adjust and relax. The minute tremor in Nikola’s muscles told him that Nikola was just as impatient as he was, and he moaned his pleasure when his body finally relaxed a bit and Nikola made that first, small thrust deep inside him. They rocked against one another, and it was as if Nikola could read his mind, hear his desires like they were hammered out in Morse code by his racing pulse. It was intimate and slow at first, a careful reuniting of their bodies after so long, but as his body accepted Nikola, he angled his hips and wrapped his legs around him, encouraging a faster tempo. “Please,” he gasped against Nikola’s lips. “Take me and don’t hold back.” Nikola grabbed one of Aric’s hips, holding Aric to him, and a colorful curse word passed his lips. The rhythm became less of a gentle dance as Nikola shed any pretense of overdone tenderness. He moved quickly, the power in his body given the freedom to take as it wanted. Their bodies made the old bedframe creak, the antique mahogany groaning under the weight of their coupling. It was frantic, yes, but no less loving. Aric could feel that love in every thrust and every bite, in the bruising strength of the hands on his body and the fierce push of Nikola’s cock into his ass. His cries were devoured in hungry kisses, and Aric didn’t even try to hold back his own pleasure as it rose to new heights. His nails dug into Nikola’s shoulders and back, and his body bucked and tightened around Nikola as he came with a harsh cry. His come was a wet heat between their bodies, and when Nikola’s pace didn’t slow,

his cock thrusting through the tight contractions of his release, the easy glide pulled another cry from him. The light and sound that overwhelmed him went from feeling like a dense, enveloping fog to the rush of a hail storm, his hypersensitive nerves overwrought with continued sensation. It was pleasure so intense that it bordered on pain, and still, Aric clung to Nikola, panting and moaning. Once his passage relaxed from the worst of the aftershocks, he could feel every fraction of Nikola as he took his pleasure, and a whimper left him at the intimacy of the sensation. Nikola was unrelenting, pressing Aric into mattress as he continued to thrust. His breath was hot against Aric’s lips, blood-tinged from his feeding earlier in the night. He nipped at Aric’s lower lip, suckled on his tongue. His hands were everywhere, his mouth consuming every sound Aric offered up. It was everything, nothing, and whatever lay between. The rhythm of Nikola’s thrusting began to waver, the smooth dance of his hips hitching as that peak loomed before him. He pulled back, eyes closed, utterly focused on the sensations within his own body. Aric watched with rapt fascination every emotion that crossed the ageless face. No longer distracted by his own need, he could watch pleasure steal Nikola’s senses from him. Aric could see every nuance of lust and love wash over the face that had been both dream and nightmare to him over the last four years of his life. Aric’s eyelashes fluttered as he watched the beautiful sight, and love swelled up inside him with frightening intensity, stinging his eyes and tightening his chest. “Come for me,” he whispered. “I’m yours. I’m home. Come for me.” Nikola cried out, his head thrown back. His body convulsed, jerked without finesse as he came buried inside Aric. It was an intense moment, and Nikola bowed his head, pushing into Aric over and over, drawing out his own pleasure. He panted, his hips finally stopping, his lips pressed to Aric’s throat, shuddering with the aftershocks. Aric wrapped his arms around Nikola, cradling the larger man against him. His fingers trembled but held on tightly. Tears blurred

his vision as he inhaled the scent of Nikola’s hair with the sweat and sex surrounding them. He had missed that scent, missed Nikola more than words could ever express. He’d never let go of his lover now, never again. “I love you. I love you, and I’m back for good now. I’ve grown... and lived... and now I choose to stay with you.” “I have missed you,” Nikola whispered, kissing Aric. “Each night, I wanted to give in, go wherever you were, take you back. But, I couldn’t. I had to see it through. I had to let you live.” His kisses became more desperate, but this time it wasn’t lust that made them so. “I love you,” he admitted, and then kissed Aric yet again, wrapping his arms tightly around him. Joy rushed through Aric, making him feel light and heavy all at once. His head spun with the whispered words Nikola offered to him after so long. Though he had felt Nikola’s love in the past, the words had always been withheld, and when they had parted, their absence had been something that plagued Aric’s thoughts, inspiring a million maybes and what-ifs. All those questions he had never been able to answer on his own were now insignificant. Nikola loved him, and he suspected he always had. A sound somewhere between a laugh and sob left his throat, and he smiled against Nikola’s lips. The kiss drew to a close, and Nikola littered gentle kisses over Aric’s chin, lips, and cheeks. “You’re home,” he breathed. A small, tearful laugh escaped Aric as he nodded. “I’m home,” he agreed, smiling as he managed to get them to their sides. He kicked the covers up over them both and cuddled close, purring contentedly while his fingers drew idle patterns on Nikola’s pale chest. After a few moments, he felt Nikola’s body become nothing but dead weight against him, the arms around him heavy. He glanced at the dark, thick curtains that lined every window in the room, the dim light of dawn pale along the edges. Aric snuggled closer to Nikola’s warm, barely breathing body, not at all disturbed by what he’d once thought normal. He smiled again, his lips pressed to Nikola’s collarbone, and closed his eyes. “I’m home.”

Chapter Fifteen Nikola’s world was awash in scarlet. He didn’t suck at the wound, moaning as he allowed the heart to do all the work for him. His arms tightened around the body rocking against him, both of them mindless in their pursuit of pleasure. Nikola’s pleasure was Aric’s, and Aric’s was his, the blood connecting them in a way Nikola had only experienced with one other in his long life. A month. Aric had been with him again for one month, and just as it had been when they’d traveled together, it felt far too fleeting. Each night when he woke from the dreamless sleep of his kind, he reached for Aric and didn’t let go until dawn pulled him away. He was almost frantic in the way he clung to Aric. Despite how often their bodies came together over the preceding weeks, Nikola had denied them both this. Aric stiffened in Nikola’s arms, crying out sharply as he climaxed. The blood pouring into Nikola’s mouth seemed to thicken slightly, become spicy and rich, forcing a moan from him. Aric’s come spread over the now-warm flesh of his abdomen, and it took all the self-control Nikola had to pull back from Aric’s throat. Slumped in his embrace, Aric panted, shook with the lingering pleasures Nikola’s bite brought him, and Nikola lovingly licked at the wound on Aric’s neck. The scar was no longer a scar but a deep wound that seeped Aric’s lifeblood over Nikola’s tongue. Nikola’s hands held Aric to him, cradled him tenderly. “Are you well?” he asked, his voice thick with blood. Aric moaned and squirmed weakly. “Never better,” came the soft, purring response. Nikola laughed, drunk on the sweetness of his lover’s blood. “You’ve made a mess of me.”

“I’ve made a mess of you?” Aric snickered. “Yes, you have.” Nikola chuckled, his hands stroking up and down Aric’s bare back. “And you know you have.” Aric purred like a cat given cream. “I know... but I don’t care. That was fucking amazing.” Nikola took Aric’s hand in his, guided it to his still erect cock. He kissed the almost-closed wound, pleased to see his bite renewed on Aric’s throat. “You taste even better than I remember.” A pleased chuckle lilted up from Aric, and the hand tightened on him, stroking with more strength than he had expected. “I’m still hot and heady over your tongue?” Aric asked, his thumb swirling around the head of Nikola’s cock, pressing wickedly against the slit. “Spicy,” Nikola groaned, kissing up to Aric’s lips. “You burn through me, making me flushed and hot.” Aric suckled Nikola’s bottom lip for a few seconds, only pulling away to murmur, “I love knowing it’s my blood that makes you hot, makes you needy.” Nikola moaned, shifting under Aric’s weight. “It always has.” “Yet you denied us both the pleasure ‘til now,” Aric noted wryly, picking up the pace of his hand so he worked the entire length of Nikola. “Silly vampire.” “I needed to be certain you were ready,” Nikola panted, shuddering. It was as though his flesh stung with the heat of his arousal, the blood he’d just drunk pounding through him. Need built in him with a blinding force as Aric touched him with the precision of a musician. “I needed to be certain I was ready.” “And now you are?” Aric asked, kissing him gently. “Now you’re ready to resume our weekly ritual? Ready to renew both my scars?” Nikola felt the minute tremble of his limbs, his toes curling as his spine tingled. He gasped against Aric’s lips. “Yes,” his breathing hitching. “Renew them... create new ones...” “Yes,” Aric whispered, shuddering against Nikola and pumping his fist faster. “I want to carry your marks, Nikola. Always.”

The blood was everything to Nikola. As much as he enjoyed these carnal pleasures, it paled in comparison to those moments when he could easily drown in Aric’s blood. Just speaking of it, of future moments like this, made his body tense, held breathlessly on the edge of release. “Always,” Nikola promised. His eyes fluttered shut, and his hands tightened on Aric’s ass as his climax soared through him. Nikola spilled himself over Aric’s adept hand, adding his fluids to Aric’s upon his body. It was decadent and wicked, blood still a coppery tang on his tongue as the fever of orgasm began to subside. Aric’s hand gradually slowed, and he drew Nikola into a languid kiss, undaunted by the blood as he had ever been. It still astonished Nikola that Aric accepted what he was with such ease, delighted in it instead of making him feel shame for his more animalistic desires. Aric kissed down his jaw and throat, and then rested against his shoulder. Nikola fell back against the sofa, pulling Aric down atop him. He never felt such peace as he did with Aric in his arms. “We will have to shower. Again.” Aric laughed softly, pressing his ear to Nikola’s chest. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. We could always do a bath instead, as long as you don’t let me nod off and slip under the water.” “A bath would result in more lovemaking.” Not that Nikola would necessarily mind that, but as Josef had kindly pointed out to him earlier in the week, Aric did need to eat sometime. He stroked up and down Aric’s back absently, basking in the glow of a deep feeding followed by physical release. “You must eat, go outside. I would like you to wake before sunset so you can go out into the sunshine. It is unhealthy for you to spend so much time in bed with me, away from fresh air and the sun.” “You’re right,” Aric conceded. “I’ve been quite the night owl since I came back. Once I recover from feeding you, I’ll get out more, maybe explore the hedge maze again.”

Nikola smiled. “And become lost again, wandering through it until I wake and come find you.” “Shut up,” Aric laughed, nudging him. “At least it doesn’t have the creep factor of the Winchester House. I won’t run into renegade spirits while wandering through your maze.” “As I recall, you rather enjoyed our evening in Sarah’s home,” Nikola said. “Enough to make a mess in your jeans.” “Hey. I had a bit of help with that mess. You couldn’t wait to tap into me, my heart pounding when I’d take a wrong turn in the dark.” Nikola moaned, his hunger threatening to rise inside him again at just the memory. “You cannot afford to lose more blood tonight,” he warned. Aric gave a small, disappointed huff. “I know.” He propped up his chin on Nikola’s chest. “You know how I love to tease, though.” “Yes, you do,” Nikola chuckled. He kissed Aric’s lips, happiness a warm, solid feeling in his chest. He’d always been afraid to be truly happy, worried that the next time, he wouldn’t survive the loss of such happiness. Four years later, though, he still had Aric. But four years from now? Ten? Twenty? Nikola frowned. The thought that had always sat in the back of his mind, the thought he’d tried to stifle, reared up. Aric would die. It was the natural course for humans. His wife had died. His children. Elizabeth. All those in between each great love. Death could not be cheated for mortals, and never did Nikola feel the weight of his solitude like he did in these moments. Aric’s humanity bore down on him with crushing weight, and he looked away from Aric, arms tightening around the warmth of his lover. “Nikola?” came the soft, concerned voice through the fog of his fear. “Why are you frowning like that? Tell me what you’re thinking.” Nikola forced a smile to his lips and focused on Aric once more. “I am just thinking of you.” A deep line furrowed Aric’s brow. “You’re not lying, but you’re not telling the truth either. Don’t force your smiles with me, Nikola. Talk.”

“You are pushy,” Nikola noted. “You are evasive,” Aric countered with a smirk. Nikola sighed. “You are infuriating.” He kissed Aric and ran his fingers through auburn hair. “You are mortal, that is what I am thinking of. You are mortal and, eventually, you will walk the path all mortals do when their lives come to an end.” “And you don’t want to lose me,” Aric concluded, leaning into Nikola’s touches with a soft understanding smile. “It is the nature of life,” Nikola murmured, “and yet I find myself wanting with you what I had not with Elizabeth. Perhaps, if she had lived, I might have wanted her as an eternal companion, but I knew long before you stepped into my home that once I held you, I would never want to let you go.” Aric tilted his head, peering at Nikola. A few seconds later, realization dawned on the warm features. “You mean... you want to make me like you? Into a vampire?” Nikola felt his cheeks heat. “I am uncertain,” he said, choosing honesty. “I want you forever with me, but I hesitate taking the steps necessary because in order to have you always, I have to kill you first.” It was not a scenario he wanted to play out. Yes, he had often felt the urge to drink until Aric’s heart stopped, but it was a bloodlust-induced fantasy that he was sure any vampire with a mortal lover had. Aric’s nose crinkled. “That sounds unpleasant. The dying part, I mean. Being with you always doesn’t sound unpleasant. You told me some of the changes a few years ago. I remember they sounded... difficult to endure.” Memory assailed Nikola, his own creation and the following decade of changes filling his mind. He’d been desperate in his need for blood, and when blood was not readily available, he’d craved sex. Svetlana had enjoyed his uncontrollable need, using him to her heart’s content regardless of what emotional scars he would bear for the rest of his existence. Ten years of blood-drenched need and a merciless mistress had left their mark upon him, and he closed his

eyes, trying futilely to banish the memories. “Yes,” he said. “They were... difficult.” Aric slowly crawled up Nikola’s body, propping himself up with his forearms until he was looking down directly into Nikola’s eyes. “How about you tell me all the details, things I would have to learn, things I should expect if you turn me into a vampire. Then, when I know what I’d be getting myself into, I can think about it, ask you more questions, and we can make a decision together.” “Aric,” Nikola said, unable to rid his voice of the pain of that transition. “I would have to kill you. I could... I could never drink from you as we do now. Your warmth would be gone.” Aric went to flip his hair back over his shoulder, but the movement made him sway dizzily, and he slumped back onto Nikola’s chest. “But we could still be intimate, right? It wouldn’t have the same heat, but we could still share blood.” A soft sigh huffed against Nikola’s chest, and Aric’s fingers traced his collarbone. It was a sweet, nervous gesture that made his heart tighten. Soothingly, Nikola petted Aric’s hair, though whether he was trying to soothe himself or Aric, he couldn’t say. “You cannot move so suddenly. You will tear the wound open or make yourself vomit... or worse, both.” “Please, don’t talk about vomit,” Aric groaned. “It was just a warning,” Nikola chuckled. “Ditto,” Aric said with a smile. “Mmm... that feels nice. I guess the question becomes, ‘Is losing the heat and life of me worth gaining an eternal companion?’” Nikola fell silent. Was it worth it? Keep the candle lit for a short time, or blow out the flame and keep the candle forever? He couldn’t decide, torn by the choice. “I do not know,” he whispered. “Will you answer my questions the next few weeks, then? Help me learn about it so I can help make up both our minds? It’s the only thing I can think of... though my mind’s a tad muddled,” Aric admitted. “I know,” Nikola murmured, kissing Aric’s temple. “I love you.”

Aric smiled warmly, closing his eyes as he rested atop Nikola. “I love you, too. We’ll figure it out together.” “We should bathe,” Nikola said. “I will shower with you so you don’t swoon.” “My hero,” Aric chuckled, pushing himself up weakly, his eyes fluttering open again to stare down at Nikola. “Promise me we’ll talk it through.” Nikola cupped Aric’s cheek. “We will talk it through,” he promised. But talking was all he would promise. “Once you begin going outside in the sunlight again, we can discuss it.” Aric smiled and carefully turned his head to press a kiss to the inside of Nikola’s wrist. “Deal.” Rising from the sofa, Aric in his arms, Nikola let the topic rest. He was happy to put off the discussion about what would change for them both should he take Aric’s life. Yes, Aric would still live, still be by his side, but becoming a vampire changed a person. There was no escaping that basic fact. Shedding one’s humanity and becoming the nightmare that stalked the night, feeding on the living, changed a person in the very bedrock of their makeup. Nikola carried Aric into the bathroom, listening to the soft words Aric murmured, but what was said, he didn’t actually hear. He was too inwardly focused on what loomed in their future, choices that would have to be made. Mechanically, the shower was started, towels laid out, and kisses bestowed on upturned lips. He didn’t notice Aric’s worried, tired glances or the sudden lack of chatter between them. His mind was preoccupied by his past, by the dual possibilities in his future, and by the fear of both that nearly suffocated him. Aric sighed as he threw a pebble into the small pond in one of the gardens of Nikola’s estate and watched the ripples spread outward along the surface of the water. Days had turned into weeks, weeks into months, and still he had kept his silence on the issue of

immortality except to ask questions of Nikola. He had asked his lover every little thing that popped into his mind about the change and what would await him on the other side if he were turned. Still, he was no closer to a conclusion now than he had been two weeks ago, when his stream of questions had finally run dry. Standing from his seat on the cool grass, he slowly made his way from the side garden to the entrance of the hedge maze. He had gone inside several times in the last two months, but had still never made it to the center. The fact was, to his unending embarrassment, Nikola had to find him and lead him out on every single occasion. He looked at the arched hedge, at the soft, inviting curves that both beckoned and warned in the deepening darkness of the clear, starlit night. The decision to enter was his, just as the fate of his future had become his responsibility. It had been apparent early on that Nikola’s heart was torn between the two options. Nikola couldn’t choose between the life that currently flowed through his veins and the death that would make him Nikola’s mate for eternity. It was up to Aric, and the pressure of the choice had seemed suffocating over the months. Every puzzle began with the choice to start, though, and he rarely turned away from a challenge. He stepped through the shadowed entry of the hedge maze and took an immediate left, following the tall bush on his right side to an opening, where he turned again. It was time to organize his thoughts a bit, and he ran his fingertips across the leafy walls on both sides of him as he walked slowly. The downsides of becoming a vampire were many and varied, and he considered those first as he made a series of right turns. The most obvious con was that he’d have to die to be reborn again. It was something he’d feared from the beginning. Anything could go wrong with the ritual, and he had to ask himself if he was willing to risk his life in order to live forever. Another issue that he had fretted over was the fact that he’d have to leave behind some of his reservations if he turned. He’d have to hurt—and sometimes kill—as a vampire, things he’d avoided doing his entire life.

Aric followed one of the long paths that opened up after another turn. There were so many things he would have to give up as a vampire. He’d lose the brightness and heat of day. No more sunsets, sun tanning, or having a lunch date with a friend. He would be dead to the world during those hours, caught in a dreamless sleep that would leave him utterly vulnerable. So long to the worldly comforts of food and drink, too. Sure, he could still eat, but at the expense of having to regurgitate it later on. The thought alone made Aric shudder with distaste, and he turned another corner, only to be met with a solid wall of greenery. He cursed and backtracked, trying to remember the way he had come and not get all turned around like he usually did. Maybe it was unfair to focus so much just on the cons. After all, there were good things that would come out of the change, like the immunity to sickness. He’d suffered from pneumonia after Nikola had left him. It had been hell on earth trying to fight through the fatigue and weakness, performing his tour appearances despite the fever and overwhelming need to cough his lungs out. Not having to deal with that shit again sounded like a definite plus in his book. Also in the pro column of his mind was the time he would have to hone his craft. He wouldn’t have to worry about growing old and never completing the compositions he’d begun before his death. He would have all the time he needed to become the master musician he dreamed of being. He smiled as he turned left down a new path and climbed two shallow stairs to the slightly raised portion of the maze. He was getting closer to the center, and it put a bounce back into his step. The positives were nice to think about, and he lingered on them, not realizing that he was walking himself in a circle until he ended up back at the stairs. He stopped dead and ran his hands through his hair, his heart dropping in his chest. Turning his back on the stairs, he started again from that point, taking a different turn and walking more cautiously.

As nice as eternal life sounded at a glance, it had its own consequences. Going against his human nature would mean he’d have to deal with death, not just his own like most people, but every single person he knew. He’d have to disconnect from them as they grew older or risk exposure. Not everyone could be trusted with the secret. In fact, he doubted that even Christine could handle it, and she was the most down-to-earth, kind soul he knew. He’d be forced to watch them all grow old and die. Was he really ready for that? On the other hand, would he ever truly be ready for that, whether he was mortal or immortal? Probably not. He paused at a bench and took a seat, resting for a minute. He could hear the trickling sound of a fountain. He was close to the center now, though close as the crow flew was different than close in the path of the maze. Things weren’t always as they seemed. Nevertheless, the sound of the water calmed him, refocused his mind, and he stood again, continuing down the row. What he really needed to do was think of the big picture, just like he’d told Nikola a few months back. Was it worth giving up his mortal life with all its shitty problems and unique joys? Was it worth giving all of that up if it meant gaining eternity with Nikola? His brow furrowed as he considered it and made careful turns in the maze, actually heading away from the sound of the fountain a couple times before hitting another dead end. In the grand scheme, both choices led to existences with problems. Both would be difficult, even with Nikola’s support. Both would bring him joy and pain, and the quality of his time with Nikola would probably be the same as long as their love held out. Oddly, the difference that arose in his mind as he stood there in the shadows of the moonlit maze had nothing to do with him and everything to do with Nikola. He was the only one Nikola had ever considered turning. Not even Elizabeth had inspired that need in Nikola. That he was the first in Nikola’s entire existence to be worthy in Nikola’s mind was

telling. What they had was special, something that only came along once in over four hundred years, if not longer. It suddenly seemed so clear. Aric smiled in the darkness and rounded a corner back into the moonlight. Following his instincts, he stepped confidently around the bends. A right, a left, and another left. When the small courtyard at the center of the maze opened up before his eyes, he felt his heart skip a beat. He wanted to weep and shout his victory all at once, so great was his triumph, and when his eyes settled on Nikola’s silent form by the fountain, he grinned from ear to ear. No words were needed as he crossed the small garden and embraced Nikola, laughing happily into pale hair. “I made it,” he whispered, his heart racing with the sweet rush of accomplishment. “I made it, Nikola.” Nikola chuckled and wrapped his arms around Aric, pressing a kiss to the crown of his head. “I had wondered if I would have to come find you again tonight before you became hopelessly lost. I see that will not be necessary.” “I’ll still need you to get back out again,” Aric laughed. “Just because I found the center doesn’t mean I’m not still lost in the middle.” “You made it to the center alone, and together we shall find the path out,” Nikola murmured. Aric nodded, happiness still warming him. He stood there in Nikola’s arms for at least a full minute, just basking in the feeling while it lasted. When he finally pulled back, he met Nikola’s gaze, his eyes serious. “I’ve made my decision.” Nikola raised an eyebrow. “Have you?” “Yes.” Aric took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I want you to turn me into a vampire.” Nikola became very still, and Aric wasn’t certain he was still breathing. “You are certain?” Nikola finally asked, his voice very quiet. “Yes,” Aric said, resolute in his decision. “You understand that you will die. You will wake without a mind and ravenous. You will kill those first weeks. You’ll feel uncon-

trollable bloodlust, and when that is even somewhat sated, it spills over into sexual need. You will be a stranger in your own body as it dies, and you will feel it die, Aric, there is no mistaking that.” Nikola held Aric’s gaze, the weight of his words in the ancient eyes. “There will be no more sun, no more warmth of your own, no more food and drink. Everything will change. You understand this fully, accept it completely?” It made Aric’s heart ache to think about all those things, all that would change or be lost, but even Nikola’s blunt words didn’t sway him. “I understand and accept it, the bad with the good.” Sadness filled Nikola’s eyes, and he smiled faintly. “Where would you like to see the sun a final time?” That was something Aric hadn’t thought about in depth. He had been all over the world, seen so many beautiful places. He bit his lip as he let his mind wander through the long list of them. He fought back tears as his thoughts settled on one spot. “Australia. I want to see the Great Barrier Reef again, the light on the water, all the colors there that I wouldn’t be able to see at night.” The sadness in Nikola’s gaze threatened to overwhelm him, and he stubbornly stood his ground. “Please, don’t be sad just yet. We should be happy. It’ll be hard, but you’ll have me with you always. We love each other, and I know you want me as your companion. In all your centuries, you’ve never desired this of anyone else. I won’t let you miss the opportunity, no matter what.” Nikola cupped Aric’s cheek and dipped down to brush his lips over Aric’s. “I mourn before I should. Australia. I will make the arrangements tomorrow.” “We will celebrate life,” Aric whispered. “We will celebrate and revel in it... and I’ll eat Lamingtons until they come out my ears.” The thought brought a smile to his face, and he kissed Nikola sweetly. “That would be quite the odd sight,” Nikola chuckled, his hands stroking from shoulder to ass on Aric.

Aric moaned softly. “I love you,” he breathed. No matter how many times he had said it since coming back to Serbia, it never felt like enough. Nikola’s smile became more genuine, the shadows in his eyes lessening for the moment. “I love you, too. Let us return to the manor. I am certain Mishka has a small feast for you, thinking I have exhausted you in the maze.” “You still could exhaust me in the maze,” Aric pointed out with a wicked grin. “I much prefer the comforts of a bed when exhausting you,” Nikola said, pulling Aric towards one of the three exits from the center of the maze. “It ensures I may exhaust you multiple times in the course of one evening.” Aric laughed and wrapped his arm around Nikola’s waist, following without question. With Nikola he’d never be lost, and with him Nikola would never be alone again. They had every reason to celebrate.

Chapter Sixteen Color and life swirled around Aric in a breathtaking display. The Great Barrier Reef had been the reason he’d wanted to visit Australia again before Nikola took him away from the daylight and gave him a new life. There were sights and colors here that he doubted he would ever be able to glimpse again once he was forced to live only at night. The coral seemed to glow in the afternoon sun, and there were so many different fish around him that he knew he would never be able to look his fill. The seven days he’d been given to indulge simply hadn’t been enough. Yellow, chartreuse, fuchsia, they all floated weightlessly around him, moving in their fluid, aquatic dance. To be in the midst of such beauty, swallowed up by the life in the sea, made Aric feel so small in the grand scheme of things, and he felt his chest tighten as he breathed through his scuba gear. This would be his last time here, his last time viewing the life of the ocean in full color. He reached out as a small school of fish passed him, and, with every flick of their movement against his skin in the water, he imagined their whispers. It was like life itself whispered here, the ocean amplifying the words so he could hear them and understand. ‘Whoever you are, you’re welcome here. You’re part of this, part of life.’ What made his heart ache was the knowledge that it wouldn’t always be true. Once his body died and he became like Nikola, there wouldn’t be the same warmth. His senses would alter. The incredible meal he had eaten earlier in the afternoon would be tasteless compared to blood. The sights and sounds would be forever changed. If he were to come here again, the mass of life wouldn’t whisper to him the same way. He would be outside it, a stranger, a predator. His diving instructor caught his attention and signaled him up towards the boat. He didn’t want to go, didn’t want to say goodbye

to the coral and fish, as juvenile as it seemed. He kicked once and twisted in the water, looking out at the blue abyss of the open sea. How unusual and frightening it would be, for one of those coral fish to venture out into that vast unknown, but that’s what he was about to do. He was leaving behind the light, the color, the life that he had known. He was giving it up to be with the one he loved, and though the storybooks had always made that out to be some grand, romantic ideal, the reality was that it was a true sacrifice, and it scared the shit out of him when he thought about it too long. He looked up at the rippling form of the sun through the blue haze of the water. It was beautiful from there, a burst of light surrounded by deepening shades of blue and ever-changing glimmers of the waves as they caught the rays at the surface. It was so different underwater, and as he caught sight of his instructor gesturing impatiently at him, he sighed, the bubbles escaping his mask to float toward the surface. His time there seemed too short, but he had to ascend, had to get back to the beach so he could watch the sunset and bid farewell to the day as he’d planned. He turned once more and took in the colors and life again, determined to remember all he could, all that couldn’t be captured by the little waterproof camera that was attached to his wrist. One last glimpse of a white fish ducking into the blood-red coral, and he finally twisted and kicked towards the surface and the boat that would take him back to land. He was the proverbial fish that fell in love with a bird. All too soon, it would be time for him to enter his lover’s world, and while it frightened him, having to take that leap of faith into the unknown, a sense of peace overcame him. He knew it would be worth it. No matter the price, Nikola would always be worth it. Three days later, Aric went cliff diving in Capri. The trip from Australia to Capri had been a surprise, one Aric hadn’t argued over when Nikola presented him with the itinerary. A week in the perfection of Capri wasn’t something he was going to turn away from.

The waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea were crystal clear, cool and perfect as the late summer sun bore down on him. Aric spent precious little time with Nikola, but he didn’t think that was really the point of this whole excursion. No, this was for him, for him to live brilliantly for this handful of weeks, and Nikola did not darken his bright life with the shadows of his uncertainty. Aric would wake at dawn and rush down to have a decadent breakfast of cheese, pastries, and coffee before rushing off to explore the city. He spent hours walking along cliffsides, through small alleys, into tiny shops filled with things he found infinitely fascinating. Lunch would be had at some small café in the Piazzetta, the freshest seafood passing his lips as the salty air blew through his hair. He’d stop by the gelato shop for another strange flavor of the cold treat, and then he’d make his way down to the beaches. All afternoon he would swim in the ocean, diving as deep as he could until his lungs and ears were sore from the pressure, and then he’d burst through the surface, the silence of the sea giving way to the sound of crashing waves and laughing children. By the end of the day, as he returned to the Piazzetta and all its bars, Aric was exhausted. He would drink a glass of wine, eat lightly, and as the sun set, make the trek back to the hotel he shared with Nikola. He always took the longest route, arriving after Nikola had woken. Aric was sun-kissed, wind-whipped, and smiling, and all the pleasure he felt during the day was shared with Nikola in that first meeting of eyes when he returned. Aric immersed himself in Capri, in all it had to offer him. From the Blue Grotto to the Villa Damecuta, from the Faraglioni rocks to the tour he’d taken of the caves, Aric all but drowned in what Capri could gift him in seven short, sun-drenched days. Though time seemed to slow somewhat during those lazy summer days, it still passed too quickly. Nikola swept him away from the sapphire waters and stone houses of Capri and brought him back to England, back home despite his many vocal protestations.

London didn’t have the appeal to Aric that Australia and Capri had. It was a home of sorts, the place of his childhood, and the root of the unhappiness that had followed him most of his life. If given a choice, he would have avoided coming back at all costs, but Nikola had been insistent. Aric was finding it increasingly difficult to deny Nikola... on all counts but one. When Nikola urged him to see his family again, he had put his foot down. His parents hadn’t been a part of his life for years. Neither had they tried to be, nor had they wanted to be. When he had received his trust fund and chosen to remain in Serbia with his tutor, everything had come crashing down. Whatever fine façade he and his family had been living under had broken, and there was no repairing the rift that had been left. Seeing them now, as he stood on the cusp of yet another life-altering change, seemed to be nothing but a wasted trip. They would never apologize to him, let alone accept or tolerate his existence, and Aric had no desire to grovel at their feet for such. It had been a three-day argument, but Aric had stood his ground. He had won, and his parents and sister never knew of his presence in London. Nikola had the final word, warning Aric he might regret his choice when time took all opportunity for reconciliation away. Aric didn’t care. What love he’d once had for a distant, unapproachable mother and a workaholic, stifling father had withered and died a bitter death. In London, he merely said goodbye to the miserable boy he had been, able to look back from his place now— loved and cherished, accepted for who and what he was—and let go of his past. Summer had given way to autumn, and Nikola had slowly made his presence known again during Aric’s waking hours. Perhaps it was that Aric chose to spend more time in Nikola’s presence, sleeping long into the day and only spending a scant few hours in London’s rainy streets. Or, perhaps, it was Nikola’s way of counteracting his foul mood. Most likely, though, it was a combination of the two, him seeking Nikola and Nikola making himself available.

Nikola kept asking him about details of his past, and each time he offered up a tidbit, Nikola sank his teeth into it. They visited all the places of his memory. From where his nanny had taken him when he was a boy to the school where he had played his first recital to the copse of trees where he’d given his first blowjob, Aric had shared of himself. He had invited Nikola in, and Nikola took what he had to give. They would spend long hours walking the streets, talking about this city, about the schools he’d been sent to, the churches he’d rebelled against, and the boys he’d used in vain attempts to fill that gaping place inside him longing for acceptance. Aric understood that Nikola tried to impress on him how important it was to see where he was from and remember it in its mortal brilliance. He even agreed to an extent, but Aric knew what Nikola was really doing. Nikola was stalling. The more he was around Nikola, the more he saw fear and uncertainty in his eyes. Eyes that would dart away whenever Aric tried to hold them too long. The sex was mind-blowing, and the habit Nikola had begun in their final days in Capri of feeding nightly from him spoke loudly in silence what neither of them would dare utter. Nikola was afraid, and deep inside, Aric knew Nikola was already mourning the loss of his life. As they walked London in darkness, side-by-side and hand-in-hand, Nikola was trying to put off becoming his murderer and maker. He might have been ready to become a vampire, but Nikola wasn’t. And, for once in his life, Aric took a step back and kept his mouth shut. Everything in his life had been done on his terms and his timeline, and now... well, now it was time for him to be the unselfish man he’d discovered inside him somewhere between Serbia and London. Nikola needed time, and that’s what he’d give. Once he’d realized what was really happening, why they hadn’t returned immediately to Novi Sad after Australia, Aric no longer felt like London was smothering him. Afternoons in the city’s heart

and evenings with his lover became enjoyable, looked forward to, and the tension he’d felt since they’d landed at Heathrow evaporated. But they couldn’t travel forever, and Nikola could not deny him indefinitely. The rainy, cool streets of London eventually gave way to the bright south of France. Nikola brought him to the shoreline of Provence, and once more he could listen to the waves crashing ashore from their very hotel room. The Mediterranean Sea was the bluest Aric had seen, and it was still by far his favorite. Even in the autumn the weather was mild, beautiful, and it was here that Aric felt the subtle shift in his reluctant maker. Wineries, visits to theaters and quaint towns, the arena in Arles, and Aix-en-Provence with its beautiful fountains that Aric couldn’t spend enough time watching. It was two weeks of pure French heaven, and Nikola delighted in showing him everything. As they walked the streets of Bras village, taking in the old-village ruins, Aric understood what this was. It had never truly been about him, but about Nikola. Nikola needed time to say goodbye, and through these little journeys in foreign lands, Nikola did just that. At Tombereau Falls, Nikola held Aric, back to chest, his arms tight around Aric’s waist. The rush of water as it fell into the pond filled Aric’s ears, and he felt immense peace. He closed his eyes and leaned back into the warmth of Nikola, the cool air gusting around them and the sound of night creatures almost lost to the sound of the falls. Nikola’s lips brushed over the never-healed wound at his throat, making the mark ache. “It is time we returned home,” Nikola murmured against his ear. “Yes,” Aric said, voice soft, but he knew Nikola heard him. “Home.” “And to what awaits us there.” “Forever.” Nikola was quiet a moment, and then his lips curved into a smile against Aric’s ear. “Yes, forever.”

Chapter Seventeen Winter was but a turn of the page away, the season of hibernation, of the dead and dying. It was that season which Nikola would rear his newly turned child. Cold and harsh a season, but he would be neither. He would be everything Svetlana hadn’t been. Aric might fear himself as all the changes took place, but he would never fear him. For every need, Nikola would be there, he vowed silently. Nikola stood on the dark balcony, the sound of the shower shutting off echoing in his ears. There was no turning back. As terrified as he was of what they were about to do, Nikola knew he could not change his mind. This was it. This was the moment when their lives would forever be bound, Aric unable to escape him, and he unwilling to leave Aric. It was so very different from what had happened to him. Svetlana had forced him. She’d raped him, stripped him of his humanity and stolen away his life. He’d lost his name, his title, his lands, his wife, his children. Cast into a world of need dripping in blood and an unquenchable thirst between his thighs, Nikola had thought he would go mad. In the heart of that horror at what he’d become had been Svetlana, beautiful and deadly and cold. She was unforgiving, always reminding him that he hadn’t chosen her, and she’d taken what she wanted. He’d been helpless, taken by a woman and made into a monster. He never forgave her. He never would. She was his nightmare, left in the dirty streets of a peasant town in long-forgotten Russia. Nikola had felt no connection to her. There was never any desire to return to her side, to keep her with him. In fact, it had been the exact opposite. The moment he’d had control over himself, had grasped at the power she’d unwittingly given him by making him, he’d left.

Nikola never wanted Aric to feel trapped, to look desperately for any way out. He wanted Aric with him, loving him, forever by his side. A romantic notion, an ideal he thought impossible, but Aric... Aric was something different. In Aric Nikola saw possibility, and that possibility gave him hope. “Nikola?” He turned, his sluggish heart beating a little faster as he gazed at Aric, flushed from the shower and bronzed from so much sun. Nikola felt his teeth itch, ache to pierce into the throat that had healed fully but days ago. Part of the process was fasting, bringing his own body to near starvation in order to gorge on the blood he needed to take from Aric. Nikola swallowed thickly. “I was just thinking.” “About what?” Aric asked, sliding his hands up Nikola’s chest. “What it is we will do tonight,” he murmured, and he closed his eyes to better appreciate Aric’s touch. Slowly, Aric began to undress him. “I know you’re afraid. I am, too. But I want this. I want you, even if it means dying for a little while.” “I love you,” Nikola whispered as his chilled flesh was slowly bared to the gentle night winds. “I love you so much, and now I am to be your murderer.” Aric kissed him, and Nikola drank in the heat, the life that still beat fiercely in Aric. “Not my murderer,” Aric breathed against his lips. “My maker. Come inside. Come to bed.” Nikola followed Aric helplessly into the bedroom, his eyes on the hazel gaze he could not deny. He let Aric strip him, casting away the clothes from his body. Once he was bared before Aric, the towel that had been wrapped around his waist was also dropped to the floor. Nikola wet his lips, staring at the pink skin that radiated a heat so hot he thought it scorching. “Aric...” “So you’ll take in as much as you can... and the rest will just... bleed out?” Aric asked in one, nervous breath.

Nikola parted from Aric and picked up the large bedspread from the sofa where he’d put it the previous night. It was soft and beautiful and comfortable, but the underside had been lined with plastic. He spread it out over the fine, antique counterpane on the bed, protecting the bedsheets and mattress from the inevitable mess that would be made. “I have not fed for a week. I should be able to consume all that I need to. The mess is not what you and I will do... but what you will do when you wake.” He glanced up at Aric after smoothing the comforter. “You will not have the skill, the patience, or the desire to be neat about it.” Aric looked positively petrified, and that eased some of Nikola’s misgivings. He watched all color drain from Aric’s face and heard his heartbeat pick up in rhythm. Aric looked around the room, hugging himself. “You... have someone ready?” Nikola met Aric’s eyes. “Yes. He is in the cellar, waiting.” He watched Aric open his mouth, hesitate on a question, and that would not do. Now was not the time to choke on questions before what could not be undone was done. “Whatever is upon your tongue, you had best ask. It is best to ask now instead of later.” “Does he know what is coming?” Aric blurted out. “No. That would be... cruel,” Nikola replied. Aric let out a small, relieved breath. “Good. Will I be able to do what you do? I mean, will I be able to extend my mind to his?” “No. Besides, you would not want your mind to be pushed anywhere when you are in a first-feeding frenzy.” Nikola repressed a shudder. No living thing should have that madness foisted upon them just before death swallowed them whole. “I will take his mind before you wake, so he will not be aware of what is happening to him.” Aric’s relief was nearly palpable to Nikola. He nodded and then rounded the bed to hug Nikola. “I’m glad you’ll be here with me and that you’ll see he doesn’t suffer at my hands.” He returned the embrace and kissed Aric softly. “I... cannot do the same for you. It is different than a feeding, Aric.” Nikola

stroked his hand down Aric’s bare back, peppering soft kisses to the pale cheeks as he spoke. “It is so very different. I can blur your mind, but eventually your body will fight it. The closer to death it nears, the harder it will be, until it is impossible. I will not be able to shield you from the pain then, but you must not struggle. If you struggle... I cannot be responsible for what might happen.” Nikola could not fight that animal instinct when glutting on blood. If Aric struggled, he’d kill him. While he might not be responsible for the death, he would carry it with him, torture himself with it. “Please, don’t struggle,” he whispered. “I’ll try,” Aric breathed, a minute tremble moving through the young body. “I promise I’ll try. I trust you. I love you. I won’t struggle.” Nikola swallowed against the lump that formed in his throat. “I will hold you down. You will be able to hold onto me.” “That is all I need,” Aric said with a smile. Releasing Aric, Nikola climbed atop the bed, settling in the center. His voice was soft, silken almost, as a slight shift in who and what he was happened. “Come here,” he commanded as he held out his hand. Aric took the proffered hand, and his eyes were locked with Nikola’s as he mounted the bed. He squeezed Nikola’s hand and settled on his knees just inches from Nikola. “Now?” Nikola nodded. “Now.” He wrapped his arms around Aric and pulled him flush against his chilled body. His teeth itched for a few moments before the fangs left their housing and slid down from behind his canine teeth. This would not be about sex or the pleasure a feeding could offer, but he would give Aric what pleasure he could. His fingers rubbed along the swell of Aric’s ass, his lips brushing against Aric’s. Aric’s armed wrapped around his waist and shoulder, and Nikola felt the gooseflesh rise on Aric’s skin. “I love you,” Aric whispered a final time, and then he craned his neck, fearlessly offering his throat to Nikola.

Nikola actually felt tears prick his eyes for the first time in centuries, grief and hunger welling inside him as he stared at the pulse pounding in the bared throat. “I love you, too,” he murmured against the heat of his scar on Aric’s neck. He bent his head, and reverently kissed the exposed artery, refusing to rush the moment. It would take its course naturally, and he would not cause any unnecessary pain or fear in Aric. “I will always love you,” Nikola said, and he gathered the last shreds of his willpower and struck. The bite was deep. It was a killing bite, one he’d never used with Aric. His arms instinctively tightened around Aric’s body as his mouth instantly filled with blood. He drank it down swiftly, greedily, the fount coppery, warm, human, alive. He closed his eyes, focusing on all the pleasure the feeding brought him, and forced it upon Aric’s mind. He savored these last moments of Aric’s life, of blood that would never again taste as bright and vibrant as it did in this moment. As they passed twenty-four swallows, left that line in the dust, a sound somewhere between a groan and a sob escaped Aric as he clung to Nikola. Nikola was distantly thankful Aric did not struggle, merely held tightly to him, and he unconsciously braced himself for what was to come. After starving himself, he now sated that primal urge to feed. He drank, growling softly as his teeth ground deeper when the blood began to slow. He felt the pulse and heartbeat begin to struggle against him. It didn’t matter, though, and his arms tightened around Aric, almost crushing in their strength. Nikola started to suck at the wound, to force the blood out at his pace and devour it with animal-like abandon. Aric gasped as Nikola pressed his teeth deeper. He tensed against him as sharp, merciless teeth tore through the artery. Nikola barely noticed how Aric’s breath shook and shuddered in and out, quickened until Aric was hyperventilating. All he knew was that Aric’s heart was slowing, trying to keep the blood in oxygen-starved organs, and that was not acceptable.

Suddenly, the struggling heart kicked into overdrive, beating rapidly, trying desperately to pump what little blood was left into failing organs. By that point, though, it was too late. Aric’s limbs tried to push him away, but Nikola growled a warning, his nails digging into the meat of Aric’s hips. Aric went utterly pliant in his arms after the growl, and Nikola closed his eyes, finally drowning in the red of Aric’s blood. It was his darkest, most depraved fantasy brought to vivid, repulsive light, and Nikola was powerless in its wake. Despite the feral way he drank, devoured, Nikola’s mind was sharp. He waited for that moment when Aric’s limbs would lose all their strength, when his body would succumb to the blood loss and go lax. He waited for when the breath was so shallow it could be mistaken for stopped. It was a fine line, an edge that could easily be crossed, but he loved Aric and his life would be meaningless with the loss of him. Nikola nudged Aric’s body to that place, that place just before death, where there were only seconds left, seconds to act, seconds before death made the decision for him. All tension left the body in his arms as unconsciousness dragged Aric from him. All that was left was the involuntary twitch of Aric’s muscles, and the faint, but unmistakable, whisper of breath through blue lips. Nikola pulled back with a cry, tears on his cheeks as he laid Aric down on the bed. He panted with both fear and panic. There wasn’t much time, and he could not delay. Aric’s heart barely beat, and his lashes were a dark sweep against ghastly white flesh. The boundary of death. Nikola snatched up the penknife from the bedside table while holding Aric to him. His body felt so hot, gorged as he was on Aric’s blood. It made Aric’s body feel all the colder, and he was frantic to complete the process. He needed to know Aric lived, that he would survive, and Nikola slashed a deep, short wound across his throat. He didn’t even notice the pain. He pulled Aric upright in his arms, and pressing the open, blue lips to the wound as blood poured from him.

The blood flowed between lifeless lips, sliding down an unresponsive throat. Nikola found himself praying to God, begging him not to take Aric from him. He could live with taking Aric’s life if Aric still walked with him in the world, but if the tenuous thread of life snapped and Aric suffered true death at his hands, Nikola would never forgive himself. And then he felt that first, instinctive swallow. It was that first full swallow that sparked the change, and Aric’s limbs twitched. Two swallows became three, and then six. Nikola moaned when Aric’s lips weakly covered around the wound, the throat swallowing again and again. Nikola hissed as Aric began to feed fully from him. The pleasure and intimacy in such an exchange—in knowing Aric did live—rushed through him, making him feel feverish. “Yes...” he moaned, cradling Aric closer. The relief and love that filled him was overwhelming. All he cared about was that Aric was drinking from him. Aric’s body slowly came back from the very brink of death. It pulled back, severing itself from humanity with that very first swallow. “My Aric... my sweet Aric...” He held Aric close. He held tightly to his lover because soon... far too soon... true death would come to the body. A night and day of sleep, sleep deeper than anything in life, and then... ravenous hunger. Right now, he gave Aric everything, encouraging him to feed as deeply as needed. The more blood, the stronger Aric would be upon waking, and strength was so very necessary for the physical changes that would come. Aric drank and drank, on and on, as much blood as was offered to him. After what seemed like an eternity, Aric’s lips pulled away. His eyes fluttered open for just a few seconds, and Nikola met the gaze with unflinching need. There was a glimmer of recognition in the hazel gaze, and then Aric’s eyes closed and his body went lax in Nikola’s arms. Panting, icy with hunger, Nikola stared at Aric in his arms. The heart had stopped, all breathing ceased, and death was a shroud

over the flushed body. Nikola laid Aric down on the bed, every movement gentle and loving. He brushed back the beautiful auburn hair, exposing Aric’s face. The throat that just moments ago had been savaged was now healed, lightly scarred. It was his mark. Aric would carry it for eternity. He took an emotional moment then. Nikola pressed his face to Aric’s warm chest—warmth stolen, not created—and wept. It had been so very long since he allowed himself to cry, and now he did. He cried until his head pounded and his throat was raw. He sobbed his grief against Aric’s still chest, knowing when the night came again, what would wake would not be the human boy he’d loved, but the vampire he’d created. Only when he felt Josef ’s warm hand on his shoulder did he pull back. “He lives,” Josef murmured. Nikola wiped his cheeks, feeling a pang of embarrassment at being caught sobbing like a child. “He lives,” he admitted. “Come,” Josef encouraged. “Feed. Prepare the man for Aric. Make all ready for tomorrow night.” Nikola sighed and bent to kiss Aric’s lips. “I love you.” He rose from the bed and put on his robe. The room seemed far too quiet and still, but what was done was done. He couldn’t take it back, and he couldn’t change the choice they’d made together. He glanced once more at Aric lying lifeless on the bed, and then followed Josef out of the room, down the stairs, and into the cellar where Aric’s first meal—and a second, emergency one for himself—waited. Nikola had risen even before the sun had set. His fledgling would need food, and the drive of a master had woken in him. He needed to rise and prepare the man he’d found for Aric’s first meal before Aric woke. He didn’t even bother dressing before leaving the room and going to the cellar.

The man’s name was Miljan, and he moved as if in a daze. Nikola had snatched him from a bar perhaps a week before. Aric had specifically asked him to ensure the one he killed was deserving of such a fate, and Nikola had taken his time hunting an appropriate feast for him. He had sipped from Miljan when he’d gone to fetch him, and with that sip Nikola had been able to allow his mind to envelop Miljan’s. Now, with Miljan lost in a hazed world where he felt nothing, Nikola ushered the man to the bed. It was the condemned’s last steps. Nikola felt nothing move inside him, no pity or mercy for Miljan. What usually rose inside him, that memory of humanity, the thin, old line that bound him to the creatures he fed from, didn’t even twinge now. It was the way of things, and that instinct in him—parental and nurturing—squashed any ability for Nikola to regret. He planted the notion for the nude, middle-aged man to kneel beside the still, pale form of Aric and remain still. Mechanically, following the whispers of instinct, Nikola stepped from the bedroom into the bathroom. He started the shower with its many heads, the water scalding hot, and shut the door as he returned to the bedroom. Nikola stopped at the edge of the bed, opposite Miljan, and brushed his fingers over the freezing skin of Aric’s face. He could feel it in his blood, Aric would wake soon but be starving and crazy with the bloodlust. His eyes never left Aric’s face, even as Josef and Mishka entered the room. They stood behind him, silent and waiting. The whole room waited, the silence not asked for but given. The sun fully set and plunged the world into twilight, but it wasn’t until the sky had almost completely darkened that the first signs of life showed in Aric. Nikola watched as Aric’s lashes fluttered, but didn’t yet open. He held his breath, waiting, a rush of hope that this had all gone as it should have filling him. And then, a sharp, deep inhale as Aric took his first, true breath since dying the previous night. Relief swept through Nikola. If they could struggle through this first feeding, Nikola knew everything else would fall into place.

Nikola remembered from his own awakening what Aric would face. The overwhelming sounds, the nauseating scents, and the unbearable brightness of lights. Along with the sensory overload, there would be the madness. That burning sensation throughout his entire body that screamed for water, for life, for something to ease the parched desperation of his flesh. And then, the sweet, potent scent of blood would slam into him... and he watched as Aric’s eyes flew open, unseeing of the world around him. There was no reason in the depths of the hazel gaze, only hunger, and that hunger would not be denied. With inhuman speed, Aric rose from his supine sprawl, his arms darting out. He pulled the man towards him so hard and fast that Nikola heard bones break. A growl left Aric’s throat, warning away the others he would sense in the room, and he struck. Nikola took in a breath as he watched, proud of that moment when Aric’s new, sharp teeth pierced the throat of the unmoving man. The bite to Miljan’s neck was deep, and blood sprayed Aric’s face as he drank, sucking and gnawing savagely at the wound. Nikola exerted much of his own ability to protect Miljan’s mind. He kept Miljan pliant in Aric’s arms, dazed and walking in vivid dreams. It was as much a slaughter as Nikola had expected, messy and vicious. Such was the way of the starving, and the primal instinct to survive never cared much for pleasantries or neatness. Josef and Mishka were silent behind him, and he himself remained unmoving. Any movement could cause that predatory reaction of attack when food was threatened. Nikola did not want either of his servants to be harmed, and he had promised them both safety if they attended their young master as they attended him so often. For their loyalty and sacrifice, he would ensure they and their families continued to live well, kept more than comfortable in some of the best homes in Novi Sad. He could smell their fear, but their trust in him was absolute. He’d offered up a no-name thug to Aric’s ravenous thirst, not them, and in that act he’d secured their willingness to see to Aric’s needs this night.

Nikola’s eyes never left Aric. The lined comforter was soon soaked with blood, and Aric’s naked body was covered in it. It was savage, just as his own first meal had been, but he watched every moment of it, pride in his eyes as his child fed and grew strong. As Aric clawed at Miljan, ripping open pale flesh while digging his teeth deeper into the bloodied throat, Nikola finally stepped forward. He could hear no heartbeat in the body. Miljan was dead, and there would be precious little more for Aric to pull out of a heart that did not beat. He moved to part Aric from the dead man in his arms, touching blood-slick skin without hesitation. “You have drunk all his body will give. Release him,” he ordered sharply. Now was not the time to be kind, for kindness would not reach his lover’s mind. “I know you hunger, but there is more. Release him, Aric!” Aric’s head snapped up from his kill and snarled. Nikola was undaunted, though, uncaring of the saliva and blood that dribbled from between bruised lips. Aric’s eyes then focused on him, and Nikola saw the bloodlust begin to recede. It was now, in these fragile moments post-kill, that Aric would bond with him. Sight, sound, and scent would imprint on Aric’s mind just as it had when he’d first looked upon Svetlana following his first kill. All Nikola could hope for was that Aric’s imprinting and reaction to him would be vastly different than his own violent, furious one had been with Svetlana. Recognition sparked in Aric’s eyes, and he released the corpse as commanded. Those eyes remained on him with a fierce intensity. Aric was trying to line everything up, remember who Nikola was, who he was, and Nikola gave him that time. As he waited, he laid Miljan’s body on the bed, his own gaze never leaving Aric. And then... “N... N-Nik...ola?” Nikola nodded and gently, slowly, pulled Aric into his arms. “Yes, Aric, it’s Nikola.” Aric’s eyes darted to his blood-covered hands, pieces of flesh still stuck beneath his fingernails. As memory came to Aric, he huddled against Nikola, seeking protection from his master. It was a natural progression, from the starving beast to the frightened child,

and Nikola held Aric close to him. What he hadn’t been expecting was for Aric to cover his ears with his hands and scream. The sound was shrill, broken, and deathly afraid, and Nikola cringed to hear it from his lover’s lips. Nikola hefted Aric into his arms and stumbled from the bed. Whatever grace he might have had was lost to stress, hunger, and exhaustion. He walked past Josef and into the bathroom, which was now warm and humid from the steam. The door shut behind them, plunging them into semi-darkness with only the rush of hot water echoing off the tiles. In moments, he had Aric in his lap under the showerheads, on the floor of the shower, where the hot water could somewhat warm their cold skin. “Aric, love,” he whispered, trying to keep sound to a minimum. Aric’s screams died away as the scalding water pounded down on them. His eyes opened for a moment, but then he clenched them shut again, trembling in Nikola’s arms. It was traumatic; Nikola knew this, but to witness it was far different than experiencing it himself. He hadn’t had this sort of support, and it only deepened the ache inside him for his own creation. Nikola used his hands and the water to rid Aric’s body of the blood caking it. It was meant to be soothing, comforting. Aric’s shaking pulled at that paternal part of him that had breathed its first breath the moment Aric had died, and all he wanted to do was calm his terrified fledgling. “Aric,” he said again, using Aric’s name over and over to make that connection in Aric’s mind and bring the human to the forefront of the vampire. Nikola could hear Aric as he quietly wept, and it tore at his already aching heart. No matter how much he had tried to prepare Aric for this transition, nothing could truly ready a human for what awaited. He kissed Aric’s wet hair, his hands always touching, his voice soft and lyrical as he tried to help Aric through the worst of the emotional upheaval. “Please, Nikola... don’t make me go back in there. Not with... the body,” Aric whispered, and Nikola could have sung with the joy he felt. Aric was with him, mentally whole.

“Josef and Mishka are tending to it,” Nikola assured Aric. “When we are done, there will be no trace for you to see in the bedroom. Then you will feed again, from Josef.” Aric huddled in on himself, making it difficult for Nikola to continue to clean him. “I don’t want to hurt him. I don’t. I can’t.” Aric looked down at his unstable hands. “I don’t know my strength. I can’t control it. I’m scared!” Nikola forced Aric’s face up, a sharpness in his expression he had not used before with Aric. “Stop. You will have to feed again. There is nothing that can be done about it. Your body will burn through what you just fed on within an hour, and you will again be starving. If you wait until then, yes, you will hurt Josef. I won’t allow you to wait that long. You will feed as soon as I have you cleaned off, and I will not accept any excuse.” Aric squeezed his eyes shut again, as if he could keep out the harsh truths of the situation. “I feel too much. It’s all around me. I can’t filter it out! I can feel the hunger, the press of my fangs. I can see every detail, hear too much, and the taste of blood...” Aric shuddered, and Nikola sensed it had nothing to do with revulsion. “I know,” Nikola murmured as he stroked Aric’s face. He encouraged Aric to open his eyes and look at him. “It is overwhelming, but, in time, you will learn to focus. Think of it as you did when you were human. Think of it like a room filled with dozens of people talking, but you are trying to hear me. You focus on me and block out the rest.” “My body burns, and my mouth... itches,” Aric moaned. “Your body is consuming the blood as you change. It is always that way when someone is turned. The burning sensation is the hunger. You will feed from Josef, and then Mishka. If you still feel the burn, we will bring in another,” Nikola said. He reached up to shut off the taps. “And then you will sleep.” “I—I could crush their throats without meaning to!” Aric cried out, fear making his eyes large.

“I know.” Nikola cupped Aric’s face. “You will be in your own mind, not crazed with the need for blood. It is instinct, pure and simple. If you stop thinking so hard about it, worrying over killing when you bite, instinct will guide you through it. I cannot teach you how to bite. We’re born with the knowledge of how once we cease over-thinking the consequences of every action.” “Nikola—” “No.” Nikola rose from the floor of the shower, lifting Aric with him. “There is no discussion. Either you feed from Josef, and do it correctly, or you kill a second time tonight.” Aric looked stricken, but Nikola held his ground. Aric had to move beyond his fear or else he would never find feeding natural or easy. He led them out of the stall and spent a few moments drying them off. He even took it a step further and dressed them both in their robes. By doing so, Nikola elevated them both from naked animals feeding ruthlessly to civilized beings having a meal. It was a subtle thing he doubted Aric noticed outright, but it would plant the seed in Aric’s mind that this was not some barbaric thing they did just to survive. “You are one of the most efficient predators to walk this world now,” Nikola said as he tied Aric’s sash. “The teeth will descend and ascend as needed. They will itch a little before falling, preparing for the strike. You do not need to puncture deep for a full feeding. Only strike with the full pressure of your jaws when you intend to kill.” “I understand,” Aric whispered. Nikola stared at Aric for a long time, trying to find words to help this process along. “If you do not cloud his mind, you will bring him pain. It is not sexual for everyone you feed from. They dictate how your mind moves theirs. What we do to take the pain from them is directed more by them than by us. When you bite, you will feel the... need... to reach out, and if you don’t fight it, you will naturally dull Josef ’s mind and replace what his body recognizes as pain with something far more enjoyable.” Fear danced across Aric’s face again, but he nodded. “I understand.”

“Don’t be afraid,” Nikola murmured, kissing Aric’s cold lips softly. “I will not allow you to hurt him. I promise.” Aric gave him a watery smile. “Thank you,” he whispered. Nikola opened the door, and with Aric pressed close to his side, stepped into the bedroom once more. Though the scent of blood lingered in the room, the body and offending comforter had been removed. Josef sat on the edge of the bed, calm and quiet, with Mishka in the chair by the window. Neither Josef nor Mishka looked troubled or worried, and Nikola felt Aric relax against him. “He is ready for you,” Nikola murmured, giving Aric a gentle nudge towards Josef. “As I said, do not over-think it, and it will come to you naturally.” Josef held out his arms to Aric, a faint, welcoming smile on his aged face. “Come, son,” he murmured, his English broken. “I take care for you.” Aric hesitated between Josef and Nikola, his uncertainty rising inside him. He glanced back and Nikola, and Nikola nodded, encouraging him. “Go to him,” Nikola murmured. “It is rude to make him wait. He has a family that is expecting him home before dawn.” “Aric,” Josef said again. “Come. Ease hunger.” Aric forced himself to concentrate through the cacophony of scents and sounds around him. Uncertainty made his limbs tight as he took a few measured steps towards Josef, but the sound of Josef ’s heart drew him inexorably closer. The hunger made it easier for him to approach, while the fear made his own pulse pound through him. He had never felt such a pull to a human before: feral and wild, a desire not just for closeness but for possession. The compulsive need he felt frightened him to his very core. It was more than hunger. More than thirst. It was like he had this bottomless well inside him aching to be filled, but he didn’t think it could ever be filled. That was horrifying in its own right, the thought that he’d never feel sated. He’d never understood what Nikola meant when he’d said he could drown in his blood and it still wouldn’t be enough, but now

he did. Aric had killed a man, drank everything down, and it barely touched on the hunger burning its way through his veins. Josef beckoned him closer, and Nikola nudged him forward again. The people he trusted most wanted to take care of him. With that knowledge in hand, the racing of his heart eased a little. He took a deep breath, the inviting scent of life calling to him, and he closed the distance between himself and Josef. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispered beneath all the sounds around him, Josef ’s nod the only indication that his voice was loud enough to be heard. “No hurt if calm,” Josef assured him, his smile gentle. He combed fingers through Aric’s damp hair when he inched close enough. “Come.” The blood called to Aric, an irresistible lure that he was helpless against. The scent of Josef assaulted him, and he pressed his lips to the pounding pulse the moment Josef bared his throat. There was a sweetness to the scent that he somehow knew would be in the blood, and being so close made his teeth begin to itch terribly. It was distracting, the sound of the blood and breath, the smell of it egging him on while fear made his gut ache. “Close your eyes, focus on the sound of his heart,” Nikola instructed, his firm voice pushing through the haze in Aric’s mind. “Focus on the rush of blood and strike. You do not need to be vicious, for he is willing. You need only bite. The fangs are sharp and will pierce flesh without much pressure. The more pressure, the more blood flows.” Aric let Nikola’s words anchor him and bolster his failing courage. No matter how frightened he was, or how confused he felt about what he was doing, the hunger dominated it all. That hunger drove him onward, shoved all other thought and feeling aside. Food, Josef ’s heart whispered to him, and that whisper wrapped around that beast now inside him and quieted the human mind. Instinct helped him find the perfect place to strike. He opened his mouth and gasped at the odd sensation of his fangs descending from

the sheaths behind his canine teeth. Sending up a wordless prayer, he struck just as Nikola told him. The fount of blood that opened up beneath his fangs was hot and sweet, and the pleasure of it was nearly obscene. He moaned as he latched onto the bleeding flesh, his fears fading completely under the surge of instinct and pleasure. His whole world became that crimson rush, and he barely noticed the soft sigh that lilted up from Josef as he drank in what his body so desperately craved. The burning that consumed him lessened bit by bit, but it was still a hot prickling by the time Josef ’s blood began clotting around the wound he had made. He growled his discontent and opened his mouth wider, preparing to bite a second time. It was only Nikola’s commanding voice that kept him from striking. He didn’t even understand the words that were spoken, only the warning in Nikola’s tone, and he froze, obeying his maker without question. When Mishka sat to his other side, her heavily-accented voice urging him to drink, he didn’t think twice. Not this time. This time, he left one neck for another without a moment’s pause. His lips found her throat within seconds, drawn to the strongest pulse, and he bit again, the spicy tang of her blood slightly different from Josef ’s, but no less sweet. The burning began to ease as he swallowed again and again. That yawning gulf he could so clearly envision inside him that he swore could never be sated started to fill up. It wasn’t true fulfillment, but it was close enough for him. His eyes closed, his senses overwrought by the pleasure of the blood and the steady throbbing of Mishka’s pulse. As the ache finally eased, and the fear that had knotted his insides unwound, he heaved a sigh of satisfaction. His limbs grew heavy as Mishka’s blood clotted around the wound he’d made, and he lapped absently at the slowing trickle. And then Nikola was beside him. Aric gave a wordless purr of happiness at the closeness of his maker and the pride he could see radiating from Nikola’s face. He was too tired to speak, to tell Nikola that he loved him, but it must have shown in his eyes, be-

cause Nikola reached out and began petting his hair. Aric didn’t remember releasing Mishka, but her slender body was gone, replaced by the soft bed and the down pillow. Lulled by the safety that was promised through that touch, he closed his eyes and succumbed to exhaustion, sinking into the deep slumber of the well-fed. Nikola covered Aric with the sheet and quilt, continuing to stroke the auburn hair long after Aric had fallen into dreamless sleep. One dead body, two drained servants, and Aric rested. All in all, he supposed it could have been so much worse. But it was done. “Nikola,” Josef said, his voice soft, reverent. He reverted to Serbian as he spoke. “Master Aric will survive?” Nikola nodded, feeling empty and hollow. “He will survive. Thank you for your gift. Please thank Mishka for me.” Josef placed his hand on Nikola’s shoulder. “You look as if you are in mourning.” Panic rose in Nikola as the enormity of what he’d done over the last two days sunk in. “What have I done?” he whispered, rising from the bed. “I killed him. I killed him and turned him.” He shook his head. “And then walked him down the path of a murderer. He will never forgive himself for taking a life... he will never forgive me for taking his!” “Nikola!” Josef shook his head. “What is done cannot be undone. He is like you, and he needs his creator. Master Aric only knows how to feed from one willing, who knows what you are. He cannot survive otherwise. You must see to his teachings.” Nikola stared at Josef, regret a choking bitterness in his throat. “I should not have done this.” “Whether you should have or should not have, you did. It is done.” That was the simple truth of the situation. Right or wrong, Nikola had changed Aric. Aric was like an infant, unable to feed or keep himself hidden from humanity. If he failed to teach Aric those most basic of skills, Aric would perish if something happened to

him. He was now lover, father, tutor, and friend, and Nikola was not certain he could fulfill all those roles with the confidence he needed. “What am I to do?” Nikola whispered. Josef, pale and tired, smiled at him. “You be his father in this and teach him what a father teaches his son to live and thrive in this world.” “I want to take it back.” “You cannot.” “I know.” “Do not regret. If you regret, you will bring him pain. Love him as you ever have,” Josef said. He sighed. “I am tired. My wife is waiting for me, and I crave my bed.” Nikola gave Josef a watery smile. “You and Mishka can return in three nights. Give me that time with Aric.” Josef bowed. “As you say.” Nikola watched Josef leave, the door closing silently behind his friend. He walked to the various windows and drew the curtains, barring the sunlight that would all too soon kiss the sky. Tomorrow night, he would hunt with his newly made child. There was so much for Aric to learn, and a very small learning curve. His hunger would have to wait until then. He had no time to hunt tonight. After securing their bedroom and locking the door, Nikola shed his robe and removed Aric’s. He crawled into bed beside Aric and pulled him into his arms. Even Aric’s scent had changed, the vibrancy lost to the musk of blood and death. Nikola sighed, burying his nose in Aric’s hair, and tried to clear his mind. He had known everything would change as a result of this night, but he hadn’t been prepared for just how much. And tomorrow, it would all change again.

Chapter Eighteen Aric fought the urge to growl under his breath as he walked beside Nikola down the snowy streets of Novi Sad. The late night hours might have been hushed and peaceful to the few humans that dared venture out into the cold, but Aric might as well have been in fucking King’s Cross during rush hour. The music from clubs they passed all seemed to blur together. He could hear an alley cat scavenging down a side street, and every shuffle of his own boots was like chewing gravel. Nikola hadn’t allowed him to use any kind of ear plugs to drown out some of the noise, forcing him to learn to concentrate and focus his new senses. Even after nearly two weeks of these lessons in control, he was still sensitive to every noise and scent, and it made him wonder if that sensitivity would ever truly wear off or if it was just part of the package deal that he would have to accept as normal. He looked up at Nikola when they paused before crossing the street. The hunger that rushed through him as he watched Nikola’s lips move was overwhelming, and it had nothing to do with blood and everything to do with sex. He had thought he understood what Nikola meant about a heightened sex drive, but nothing could have prepared him for this constant ache inside that arose when the need for blood had been temporarily eased. He wanted nothing more than to tackle Nikola, roll him into one of the alleyways, and rut until sunrise forced them back to the safety of their room. Keeping that urge in check for Nikola’s lessons was almost as hard as refusing the bloodlust when it rose, and the effort compromised his concentration. He had to mentally slap himself back to the present, forcing his eyes away from Nikola’s lips to the streets. If he wasn’t looking, it was a little easier to concentrate on the words being spoken.

Nikola paused at a darkened corner, a frown on his face. “Have you heard a word I have said in all this time?” he asked, his displeasure clear in his voice. Shit. Aric licked his lips and tried to remember something other than how much he wanted Nikola to fuck him senseless. “Uh...” “No, of course not. You have the attention span of a gnat,” Nikola snapped. He crossed his arms and sighed. “You need to start clouding their minds better. Halfway through your feedings, those you choose begin to become anxious. If you are not careful, they will remember you. To be remembered is asking for trouble.” Aric bristled and clenched his hands into fists. It was infuriating to be talked down to, even if he was young and inexperienced as a vampire. What happened to rewarding the things he had done right? He wasn’t squeamish about finding humans and feeding from them, and he’d gotten more efficient with his bites, not having to strike twice or find a second meal in one night. As much as he hated admitting it, though, Nikola was right. He didn’t want a revival of the Spanish Inquisition just because he had gotten sloppy with clouding the minds of the ones he drank from. “Fine,” he grumbled. “I’ll try harder.” Nikola shook his head. “That is part of the problem. You are trying to force something that should come naturally. You’re impatient when you feed. Everything is not about being the swiftest.” “The hunger never wants me to slow down or wait. It wants everything now. It’s like a fucking two-year-old. I’ve never been good with kids!” Cold, blue eyes narrowed. “You are the one behaving as a twoyear-old. You are the master of your body and the hungers it feels. Grow up. There is a very slight learning curve here, but it is a matter of life and death. Rushing things leaves us open for discovery, and I do not wish to relocate because you couldn’t slow down.” Aric watched the muscles twitch in Nikola’s face, caught the subtle scent that came with Nikola’s anger. It was almost like he

could taste the emotion, hot and slightly bitter. He had to close his eyes for a few seconds to refocus. “You don’t have to tell me like I’m five. I know it’s life or death and I’m doing my fucking best, all right? You were in my shoes over four centuries ago so don’t act like you have no clue what’s on my mind that has me so damn distracted.” He stepped close to Nikola, invading his lover’s personal space by pressing their bodies against one another. Nikola’s eyes flashed in the moonlight. “I will not fuck you here on the street like some bitch in heat,” he snarled. Aric nearly choked on the scent that radiated from Nikola and stumbled back a step, his own eyes glinting up at Nikola. “Will you fuck me at home?” “We will see what time it is when we return from hunting,” Nikola said. Aric groaned and threw up his hands in exasperation. His hair fanned around him as he spun and set off down the street at a quick pace. Damn Nikola for using his own hungers against him. It wasn’t fair to have his needs placed on some demented barter system. Nikola kept close to Aric, but he allowed Aric the space necessary to find the home of a single individual. It was the easiest, Nikola had told him. Slip into a single woman’s home, cloud her mind, drink from her, and leave. It seemed simple, but it wasn’t. Half the time they woke up and Nikola would have to save him, wiping the person’s mind of their visit, and then there would be the hour-long lecture as they found a new victim for him to try with, and then the hour-long lecture when they returned home about how he wasn’t applying himself. This wasn’t like getting a pizza! Aric’s anger was slow to settle, but he forced it down, knowing Nikola was watching every move he made. He wanted to impress Nikola, wanted to make Nikola proud, but it was like he would never be a quick enough study. Expecting instant control out of him wasn’t doing anything but frustrating both of them, and he wished Nikola

would encourage him as a lover instead of constantly lecturing him as a teacher would a daft schoolboy. He stopped at a crossroads and closed his eyes, listening for the pulses of the sleeping humans around him. It was the first thing Nikola had taught him to do, something that seemed to come more naturally with his ear for music, and when he found a residence with a single, slow pulse, he looked for a way inside. He sighed his relief at finding an unlocked window. They were godsends, even if they made him feel like Peter Pan, sneaking around to find his shadow. He eased the window open and slipped inside, holding it open just long enough for Nikola to follow. A distinctly masculine musk assaulted his senses, along with cologne, starched shirts, and chewing tobacco, and Aric forced himself to ignore the scents in favor of listening to the man’s pulse. Nikola’s voice was barely a whisper. “Move quickly enough to strike, but the moment you do, push your mind onto his. Do not hesitate. You hesitate and there will be no hope for taking his mind.” The first time he’d tried this, Aric had made a complete mess of the situation. He still felt enormous guilt about it, Nikola having to kill the woman because there had been no hope of making her forget them. Aric approached the man on silent feet, letting out his breath and stilling everything about himself as he stood there. The man lay on his stomach, his throat just beckoning to Aric. He felt his teeth itch in that almost-familiar way now, and then the teeth descended as the hunger rose rapidly inside him. He leaned into position, and the tension he felt building in his limbs was released in a rush. In an instant, his fangs were buried in the man’s neck, and the moment the blood splashed across his tongue, he let go. The man’s body jerked beneath him, but he didn’t allow himself to panic. The pleasure helped him reach out and take hold of the man’s mind. It was a tenuous hold, but that didn’t matter to Aric. It was the first touch that was most important, and he relaxed as the hunger inside of him began to ease. The calm that

bloomed in him strengthened the hold he had on the man’s mind, and he felt the body beneath his shiver and relax. His lips curved upwards as he swallowed again and again, drinking until the wounded skin began to contract, the blood clotting. He pulled back panting, his eyes closed. He willed the man to stay asleep, letting that thought consume his own mind so that it might take root in the man’s mind as well. He took a step backwards, and his eyes snapped open as he nearly tripped over one of the man’s discarded shoes. He caught himself with agility that he hadn’t realized he possessed, the only noise a thump as the shoe rolled onto its side. It sounded impossibly loud to his ears, and he held his breath as his eyes focused sharply on the man, watching for any movement. It felt like an eternity as he watched, waited for some sign of success or failure. He prayed he hadn’t fucked it all up again, that he wouldn’t be the cause of another meaningless death. All he received in answer of those desperate thoughts was a light snore, and he thought he would pass out from sheer relief. He made sure to look before taking another step, and he managed to back out of the room without another sound. His heart pounded in his chest as he climbed out of the window, and he concentrated on breathing as he leaned back against the wall beside the window. Nikola was smiling. It was the first positive expression Aric had seen on Nikola’s face in days. “Very good,” Nikola praised. “Once you relaxed, it went perfectly. He will have no memory. You didn’t even suck this time, so there won’t be a bruise for him to wonder about.” Aric smiled, relief and accomplishment practically glowing from his face. “Fuck... Can vampires die of heart attacks? I swear I almost had one. It’s so hard to relax when I’m worried shit like that is going to happen.” “No, we are safe from such ailments.” Nikola chuckled and jumped down from the ledge of the window, landing softly on the

newly fallen snow. “As I have told you before, only fire, beheading, and sunlight can end our lives. Do you need another tonight?” Aric shook his head. “I bit deep enough that time. I think I’m good until tomorrow.” He stepped close to Nikola, and the change in Nikola’s pulse and scent was almost as wonderful as hearing Nikola chuckle after days of disappointed lectures. Nikola’s smile wavered when he stepped closer. “I must find my meal for tonight.” Aric’s smile wilted at those words. They usually meant he was about to be sent back to the manor alone. He licked his lips. “Can I come with you tonight?” It was worth asking. He always asked. “You wish to watch me feed?” Nikola asked, fidgeting slightly with the hem of his coat. “You’re nervous about it,” Aric murmured, noticing the way Nikola’s eyes suddenly looked everywhere but at him. He wasn’t sure how to help that unease. What was Nikola so afraid of? Nikola clenched his jaw, silent for a moment. “It is a personal thing. You do not feel it as such because you are yet learning. To have one’s lover watch...” He swallowed, obviously uncomfortable with finishing that sentence. “Nikola...” Aric hesitated, letting out a slow exhale. The thought of intimacy with Nikola resurfaced with a vengeance, and he tried to reason around it. “We’ll be spending the rest of eternity together. As a new vampire, it would help me to watch. As your lover... I want to see you do it. I want to be a part of it, see that part of you.” For a moment, Aric thought Nikola would deny him again. Nikola shifted a little from foot to foot, and Aric’s hyper-aware senses caught the nervous gesture. He could also scent something sour and sharp in the air around Nikola, signaling yet another drastic change in mood. Aric was still learning what each smell meant, how to apply it from emotion to emotion, but what he smelled now was clear: fear. “You are right,” Nikola murmured. “It would help you to see me do it. You must remain still and quiet when I find what it is I want. I do not wish a mess on my hands for letting you come with me.”

Aric’s heart sped with excitement. He had hunted successfully, and in his mind, there was no greater reward than this. His body would probably have argued against that, the need for sex still bubbling under the surface, but he was determined to take advantage of the opportunity Nikola was giving him. He nodded vigorously. “I won’t interfere. I promise.” Nikola sighed softly and nodded. “Very well.” On sure feet, Nikola headed into the back alleys, his face intent. Aric followed, watching Nikola with keen eyes and lengthening his stride to keep up. He wanted to see everything, every twitch of Nikola’s muscles as he scented the air, every sweeping glance, and that meant that he had to move as quickly as Nikola did. Nikola led them around a couple turns, and Aric kept after him, not allowing himself to get bogged down in the slight disorientation he felt. Even turning into a vampire hadn’t changed his bad sense of direction. It also hadn’t quelled his curiosity. He burned with the need to ask Nikola what he could hear or scent on the air. Aric hadn’t refined his senses enough to pick up the trail that Nikola was obviously following. They stopped outside a small, modest home. Inside were three heartbeats, all slowed with sleep. Nikola scaled up the side of the home to the ledge of a second floor window with ease. Aric took a little more time to join him there, again surprised by his balance and strength. He certainly would never have been able to keep on the narrow ledge of some old building three weeks ago. Nikola peered between the curtains draped over the windows, his eyes narrowing for a moment. After several minutes, the drapes pulled back and a woman, perhaps nineteen, unlatched the window. Her heartbeat never increased, her eyes dazed and unseeing as she opened the window and stepped back. Nikola entered the room as if he’d done it a hundred times, and Aric’s eyes honed in on her throat, seeing the faint scarring from repeated feedings. Even though it hadn’t come up in the last few weeks of his feeding lessons, Aric didn’t know why feeding from the same person

over time hadn’t occurred to him before. Of course Nikola had places he went to feed regularly. It made perfect sense. What had him staring intently was the way the woman allowed them inside. He couldn’t imagine the concentration it took for Nikola to control her actions like that. It proved to him in an instant just how much he still had to learn. Aric climbed inside after Nikola, his eyes darting between Nikola’s face and the woman, who stared blankly off into space. It was like she was merely sleepwalking. Her breathing was slow and even, her scent sweet, but dulled in emotionless slumber. He opened his mouth to ask Nikola how the hell he managed something like this, but the sharp glance he received just for opening his mouth made him shut it immediately. He had promised to be quiet and still. It was embarrassing that he had needed the reminder. Nikola’s eyes narrowed again, and Aric stepped out of the way when the woman walked past him, moving towards Nikola like a moth drawn helplessly to a flame. Nikola smiled faintly at her, reaching for her like one would an old lover. He pulled her against his body, cradling her gently as one of his hands brushed her dark hair back from her throat. It was as if Aric weren’t there, and he wasn’t sure he liked the feeling. Nikola bent his head to her throat, and only her sharp intake of breath and the shudder of her body told Aric Nikola had struck. Even with Nikola’s lips sealed tightly around her throat, Aric picked up the faint scent of blood. He could hear it flowing from her broken skin, and he couldn’t help but lick his lips as his own thirst niggled at his mind. It wasn’t the urgent need for blood that he had felt earlier, but when he pushed it down, it fed his other needs. His eyes were drawn to Nikola, to the blissful look on his lover’s face and the slow undulation of his throat muscles as he swallowed. It pricked at Aric, at memories of being the one Nikola had fed from. The warmth that filled Nikola was not from him, but from another. It would always be from another now. The knowledge made Aric both sad and jealous. She was cradled in Nikola’s arms, sighing

softly, her arms reaching for him as pleasure coursed through her body. Aric could the smell arousal, her musk as thick as the scent of blood in the air. As was Nikola’s. Aric’s eyes narrowed, and he all but bit his tongue in half to keep from saying anything. Nikola was aroused. Feeding from her, holding her, sharing his pleasure with her, he was aroused! What Aric had been trying vainly to rouse in Nikola for weeks was so easily brought forward in him by a nameless, faceless meal! Anger made his blood boil inside him, and the temptation to leave was almost more powerful than the pull of the blood that made him stay and watch. He didn’t even blink as she shifted minutely against Nikola, and a second later, another gasp broke the silence of the room. Nikola had actually made her come! No touch beyond his bite, and she had been moved to the heights of pleasure that he’d been burning to feel with Nikola. Resentment made his throat tight, and he ground his teeth as Nikola finally pulled back, not even glancing in his direction as he effortlessly picked the woman up and took her back to bed. The tenderness in Nikola’s movements as he tucked her in made Aric want to vomit, and he decided he didn’t want to see if Nikola kissed her goodnight or not. He walked silently back to the window and climbed out. He didn’t bother balancing on the window ledge, but jumped back down to the ground level, waiting for Nikola to join him. Only a few moments passed before Nikola landed on the ground beside Aric, a frown on his face. “You are pouting.” “I’m not pouting. I’m pissed off,” Aric growled. Nikola raised an eyebrow, his eyes bright and cheeks flushed. “You are given what you want and become angry as a result.” He shook his head and began to walk back through the alleyways and side streets, his feet pointing them in the direction of the manor. “Oh, and I suppose you have no idea whatsoever as to what could have possibly caused such a juvenile reaction,” Aric taunted.

“Actually, why don’t you enlighten me,” Nikola snapped, and Aric could smell the acrid scent of anger rise in the cold air. “I would hate to choose incorrectly, after all.” “You treat her as more of a lover than you treat me!” Aric hissed. “I’ve been trying to get you to touch me for weeks. I’ve done everything I can think of to impress you and arouse you, and after three fucking weeks, I’m left with this burning need inside me that you refuse to satisfy. I’m left with the fucking cold shoulder while your meals enjoy pleasure and intimacy! That’s what pisses me off.” Nikola stopped in the deserted street to glare at Aric. “She was asleep! She could hardly have enjoyed anything other than her body’s reaction to my bite. A reaction you wallowed in weekly, if I recall correctly.” “And I miss it! Can’t you understand that? I was never asleep. We used to share the blood and touch and kiss. I’m jealous because you won’t touch me! You’ve given her more attention for a quick meal than you’ve given me since I became like you.” “I touch you,” Nikola murmured, walking quickly along the road. “Yeah. To bid me goodnight just before we die for the day, as if you can’t smell the arousal and need that surrounds me nearly every waking moment.” Aric stopped dead in his tracks, staring at Nikola. “You’re running away.” Nikola spun around to face Aric. “I do not run away.” Aric crossed his arms over his chest. “Then what the hell are you doing?” “We have hunted. Now we return home. It is the place to be before the sun rises, in case you forgot the first lesson I taught you.” “When will you quit it with the fucking lessons and be my lover again? I was convinced that it was more than my pulse that drew you to me.” Aric shook his head, hurt and anger making his throat tight. He walked past Nikola, not knowing if he should ask if he was wrong. He was suddenly afraid of what the answer would be. Nikola stood in the snowy street, still and silent, and Aric wondered if he’d return home alone. After a moment, Nikola appeared at

his side, jaw set and eyes straight ahead. “We will discuss this later,” Nikola said tightly. Aric studied Nikola’s face, but there was no comfort there in the sharp features. The body that had once run hot with his blood now pulsed with the heat of another, and all Nikola’s face gave him was icy distance. His heart sank in his chest, and he nodded mutely. The silence that fell around them was uncomfortable, thick with unspoken words, and as they made their way back to the manor and the safety of their room, Aric was forced to wonder just how long the silence would last.

Chapter Nineteen Aric’s fingers flew over the keys of the piano with an angry flourish, and he had to force himself not to stomp against the pedal as he played. He had convinced himself every night that Nikola would talk to him, that they would finally rehash the argument that had sent them into an unending, awkward silence. Every night for twenty-seven fucking nights, he had gotten his hopes up and mentally prepared himself for a confrontation that never came. Desperation had sent him repeatedly into his old room adjoining Nikola’s to use his toys. He played a series of heavy, angry chords on the piano, and his face twisted with disgust at the thought. Those toys of his had gotten more use in the last month than they ever had in the past five years. Every time Aric was forced to fill the bottomless pit of lust on his own, he felt his fears take deeper root, beginning to poison him from the inside. He had been so sure about his decision to turn into a vampire, so confident that the difficulties would be worth it and that Nikola would see him through it all. Now he felt the little black monster of doubt slowly choking the life out of him, making it so he could barely breathe around Nikola, much less ask the question that plagued him every waking moment. Was he a monster to Nikola now that he had given up his mortal life? His fingers faltered, and the sudden silence was jarring. He changed tempos and time signatures and quickly began again, the music taking on the nearly frantic fear that set his heart pounding. He felt his brow knot up as he stared unseeing through the ivory keys. The fear in the notes gave way to anger, and with every passing second the melody of that anger became more and more dissonant.

He was tired of being pushed aside. He was tired of coming over his own hand half a dozen times and still finding no relief. Where was his goddamned happily ever after? He’d given up everything, and what the fuck did he have to show for it? He was a prisoner in his own body, tortured by the thirst for blood and the burn of his lusts, and the one person he thought would save him from himself wouldn’t raise a finger to help him. With a wild cry of rage and despair, Aric’s hands slammed down on the piano, and the lacquered wood splintered beneath his hands. Keys crumbled and strings snapped in a horrifying crash of sound, the instrument collapsing under the inhuman strength of his pale arms. Aric stared from his seat on the piano bench, and the echo of the broken instrument’s discord slowly faded to the sound of his labored breathing and the crescendo of footsteps that rapidly approached from the hallway. Nikola stopped just inside the music room, his eyes staring at the ruined piano in horror. He’d had that piano for... decades. It had been his most valuable possession, something he had cherished and protected and now Aric had destroyed it. Fury bubbled up inside him in an instant, and he raised his eyes to Aric. “What the hell have you done?” he bellowed, quickly coming to crouch beside the piano. “Do you have any idea how long it took me to find this piano? How long I’ve owned it? Have you lost your mind?” Aric stood from the bench and took a step back. “I’m getting close,” he panted, his voice strained with emotion. “What are you talking about?” Nikola demanded, glaring at Aric. “Why did you do this?” “Because you’re driving me half mad!” Aric shouted. Nikola rose, carefully tucking his anger away. Voicing his anger would only feed Aric’s discontent, and he didn’t need that right now. “I am doing no such thing. Perhaps you are not feeding often enough.” “That’s fucking bullshit, Nikola, and you know it!” Aric raged. “The piano isn’t what’s broken here. This is what’s broken.” Aric

gestured wildly between them, the green in his eyes blazing. “The difference is the piano can be fucking fixed!” “You believe our relationship is irreparably broken?” Nikola tilted his head. The same thought had occurred to him many times when his eyes had turned to Aric, noting every change and lamenting how nothing could ever be the same between them. “That is quite a defeatist attitude from the boy who thought he could conquer my heart come hell or high water.” “It takes two to fucking tango,” Aric spat. “I’ve done everything. I’ve given up everything to be with you. I’ve died and been remade. What the fuck was I thinking, assuming we’d be in this together?” Nikola felt color rise to his cheeks. “Have I abandoned you? No. I have spent the last two months teaching you all I know. Hunting, feeding, manipulating those we feed upon, managing your senses. All I know, I have offered you, and you are so grateful for my sacrifices that you destroy my most prized possession!” “Fuck the piano! You’ve broken something a shitload more important than a damn instrument!” “And what have I broken, hmm?” Nikola advanced on Aric, allowing his fury to fill him. “What have I broken? You asked to be with me forever, and I did as you bid!” “An eternity of what? This?” Aric growled. Instead of backing down, he matched Nikola step for step. “What’s forever if you fucking hate what I’ve become? I didn’t let you bleed the life out of me so I could gain a master. I did it to keep my lover, to have you, and now you don’t have the fucking balls to tell me it’s over. Instead, you leave me to be tortured every night. What kind of fucking immortality is that?” Aric’s fist was a blur as it swung through the air and struck Nikola squarely in the jaw. Nikola hadn’t been prepared for the blow, and the strength in Aric was ten times what a mortal would possess. The punch sent Nikola staggering back, pain exploding across the side of his face as he stood, stunned, for a moment. “All of this because I won’t

fuck you when you demand?” he snarled. Rage choked Nikola, bitter and acidic. “You haven’t changed at all. You are still the selfish, single-minded boy that crossed my doorstep four years ago!” As he shouted those words, Nikola backhanded Aric, though he felt no sense of satisfaction when his flesh connected with Aric’s. The strike snapped Aric’s head sharply to the side, sending him reeling. The moment he recovered, however, he let out a shout that reverberated off the walls of the room. Aric rushed him, and the speed of it was startling enough that they were both sent sprawling to the floor beside the broken piano. Aric swung blindly, and as he rolled out of the way, he caught sight of Aric’s fist smashing against the floor. The miss brought a yelp from Aric’s lips. “You are behaving like a child!” Nikola yelled, rising to the balls of his feet. He was ready to strike if Aric came after him again. “As if this will change anything!” “It won’t change anything! That’s the whole fucking point!” Aric shouted as he crouched, checked his balance, and lunged, his arm outstretched for another hit. That hit drew blood from Nikola’s lip, but it was worth it to have Aric off-balance for a moment. Nikola spun them around and slammed Aric to the floor. With strength far superior to Aric’s, he pinned Aric’s wrists to the floor and sank his fangs into the pale throat. He was master, not Aric, and if he had to deal with this like one would a wayward puppy, he would. Aric screamed and struggled, nearly managing to dislodge Nikola with thrashing limbs and bucking hips. “This is what I am now! This is what you made me!” Aric cried, pushing with all he had. It wasn’t enough. Nikola was larger, stronger, more experienced. “If you can’t accept what I am now, then just kill me!” Nikola tore his face away from Aric’s throat. Blood coated his lips, slid down his throat, but it wasn’t the same. The heat he’d craved was long gone, leaving only the undercurrent of spice that spoke to his senses and told him this was Aric. He stared at the bloody throat,

the bruise forming on Aric’s white jaw, and thought he might be sick with regret. “I did kill you,” he murmured. “Then fucking deal with it,” Aric growled, managing to free one wrist from Nikola’s grip. He lashed out, nails slashing at Nikola’s cheek and jaw. Blood welled in the scratches and dripped onto Aric’s cheek. “If this is the only physical contact I’m ever going to get from you now, then go ahead and rip my fucking throat out. Put me out of my misery. I’d rather die now than be kept at arm’s length for eternity.” The sting of the scratch was nothing like the burn of those words through Nikola’s heart. He stared down at Aric’s furious face. Not only was the need for blood and sex heightened, but so were anger and desperation. Such an ultimatum was hard for Nikola to swallow, and he released Aric’s other wrist and rose to his feet. He looked around the music room with its ruined piano, knocked over side tables, a shattered lamp, and shook his head. Everything in his carefully kept life had been turned upside down by Aric, and now he had to face those changes. But he could not stand to see the destruction. Not of the music room, and certainly not of Aric himself. Nikola turned and all but ran for the balcony doors. He threw them open, the ice cold wind of winter freezing the blood on his flesh, and he jumped from the balcony to the snowy ground. In moments, the manor was but a distant flicker of light as Nikola ran as hard and fast as he could. The only problem was that he couldn’t run from himself. It was one of Nikola’s favorite places to come when he felt lost. He didn’t go inside, but scaled the side of the building until he settled among the eaves of the roof. The Name of the Mary Church was still spectacular, even if he never could see it in the daylight. It brought Nikola peace to be near God. Even when he felt detached from humanity, mired in the supernatural and Other, he still felt the security that he was as he should be. He was no monster, something outside of nature and God’s order.

He gazed out over the night-covered city with its twinkling lights and modern accoutrements, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of disconnection. Aric had fought with him before. Perhaps not as violently, but they had fought. The other fights had concluded with one or both of them admitting their shortcomings, discussing the issue, and compromising. This time, there was nothing but cold silence and those words Nikola wanted to forget. I’d rather die now than be kept at arm’s length for eternity. What would an eternity be without Aric? Nikola frowned at a distant star. What would eternity be with Aric if this was all they would share? It was not fair to Aric, and Nikola knew this. What he couldn’t understand was why he was doing this to them. He wanted Aric. He ached to feel Aric’s body move against his, to bite and be bitten, to know intimacy as only vampires know it. Yet he could not bring himself to do it. “Pensive as always,” a female voice purred from the rooftop beside him. “You have not changed, Nikolai.” Nikola didn’t look up. “You know it is rude to enter another vampire’s realm without first sending a missive.” His eyes slid to the side, taking in the perfect, unblemished form of Svetlana. “Why are you here?” “You actually made another.” Now Nikola looked up at her, a deep frown on his lips. “How did you know? I have not left Novi Sad with him since I turned him.” Svetlana smiled, her chocolate eyes actually warm as she gazed at him. “I could feel it. Just as the one who made me knew when I made you.” Nikola laughed, though the sound held no mirth. “Made me. You raped me of my mortality.” “I was lonely.” “I had a wife and children!” Nikola rose to his feet, the icy wind whipping his hair about his face. “I had a life.” Svetlana continued to smile. “And had I not done as I did, you would not be standing here today with your own creation pining for

your touch. I notice you do not chide me for ensuring your lovely Elizabeth’s demise.” Fury rose in Nikola, swift and consuming. “You will not take Aric from me.” “I have no intention of trying to take him from you,” Svetlana said, the smile finally dissolving from her face. “When you refused me after Elizabeth’s death, I found someone new who wanted me. I have no desire to take the mess you’ve made and make it my own.” “I’ve made no mess.” Svetlana chuckled and crossed her arms. Nikola thought it odd to see her dressed in modern clothing when the last time he’d seen her, she’d been dressed in the tight corsets and lush fabrics Victorian London had preferred. He looked away from her, glared out over the city center. “If there is no mess, why am I here? I left my companion in Moscow because your distress was more than I could stand. It tells me much that you don’t hear Aric’s distress as I hear yours,” Svetlana murmured. Nikola shook his head. “He is angry with me.” “Why?” “I will not fuck him.” Svetlana laughed, the sound like broken glass to Nikola’s ears. “That is a lie. You wanted him when he was mortal, no?” Nikola nodded. “You do not want him now that he is vampire.” Another reluctant nod. Nikola was not enjoying where this was leading. “So you punish him for your choice. He loved you, thought you would be happily together forever if he gave his life up, and once he woke from that cold first death, you shunned him. Just as you shunned me once you woke from your first death.” “I shunned you because you were a cruel murderess who wanted to enslave me!” Nikola bellowed. “Yet you remained with me for more than fifty years,” Svetlana said. She crossed the roof on nimble feet. “You loved me once, and it was that love I thought I was keeping as mine forever when I made

you. We’re a silly, romantic lot, vampires, falling in love with what we can no longer be, and then killing it with the hopes of holding it tightly to us forever. You loved the mortal and detest the vampire.” Nikola grabbed her arm, his eyes wild. “No! I love Aric. I love him now as much as I did before I took his life. He has not changed. He is the same man I have watched, loved, craved.” Svetlana held his gaze, unafraid of him or his strength. “If that is true,” she murmured, “why do you deny him? If he wants your touch, why keep it from him?” “I don’t want to be like you,” Nikola snarled. “I never want him to fear me as I feared you. I don’t want him to regret his choice. I don’t want him to hate me as I have hated you.” She lifted her hand and drew her finger down his cheek. “Oh, Nikolai,” she crooned. “He loved you unconditionally. Your hatred for me was born of regret for our affair, for placing yourself in the bed of a creature you could not control. His hatred for you will be born out of resentment for giving up his life for a creature who only wanted him warm and alive, for his blood and not for himself.” “I wanted him,” Nikola ground out. “He would rather be dead than live an eternity with your coldness and distance,” Svetlana whispered. “Just as you would have rather been alone for eternity than lived at my side. You left me, and he will find a way to end his life. Learn from our mistakes. This is all I can give you, as your maker, as one who once thought we loved one another. Do not squander what he offers you now, for the bond is so tenuous in these first years.” Nikola released her arm and turned away, facing the biting wind. Was he squandering the gifts Aric had given him? Yes, he’d been unreasonably distant for one just changing, when all lusts ran higher and hotter, but he didn’t want Aric to feel taken advantage of. In ten years, would Aric look back to these first months—years, even—and think badly on what Nikola had taken, or would he be thankful for all Nikola had indulged in with him?

He cast his mind back, thinking on those first years with Svetlana. She had provided him with all the blood and sex his body had required, demanded, and she’d done it without hesitation. Through her actions, he’d known feeding and fucking were acceptable and expected. There would be no punishments for those needs, and he had never been made to feel spoiled for wallowing in blood and sex as he had. But he’d not shown Aric the same patience and acceptance that Svetlana, the poor maker she’d been, had shown him. By ignoring Aric’s more baser, carnal needs, he’d told his confused lover that it was something to be ashamed of. Nikola spun around, his mouth open to say something to Svetlana, but she was gone. The roof behind him was empty. Snow began to fall around him, the wind becoming almost unbearable to him. It was time to return home and face the mess he’d made. Because he had made a mess, and it was up to him to clean it up.

Chapter Twenty Aric was curled up beside the remnants of the piano, a small ball of misery. He hadn’t moved since Nikola had left. His whole life felt broken to pieces. He would never be what Nikola wanted anymore. There was no taking back what they’d done. Nothing could make him alive and warm and human again. The options that were left brought tears to his eyes, and he wept softly, grieving that the only way to touch Nikola now was in anger. Snow had blown in through the open balcony doors, and the breeze made Aric shiver. He always felt cold now. Unless he was feeding, all he knew was cold. Inside, outside... it never ended. A touch. All he’d wanted was a touch. Not to just be kissed on the forehead and tucked in at night. No, he wanted to be kissed, caressed, loved again, like Nikola used to love him. Was that such a terrible thing to want? He scented Nikola close before he could make a single sound, and he just squeezed his eyes tighter. He must have looked pathetic, and he hated that. Showing such weakness in front of Nikola, who had demanded the exact opposite every night since he had been turned, tore him apart. He wondered if there were any whole pieces left to his heart, or if it was just as hopelessly crushed as the piano was. Aric had felt so strong as a human, so sure of himself, but now he felt worthless. Everything was ruined, not just the piano and the music room. What he couldn’t figure out was who ruined it, him or Nikola. Or were they both at fault? Yes, that was the answer. They both carried blame, but, dammit, Nikola made it so hard. Everything was so much harder than it had to be, and Aric didn’t know how to handle that. He felt it all, felt it with such intensity and lack of control, and there was no Nikola. All by himself, he was supposed to face the change, face his needs, and face a bleak eternity!

He felt Nikola’s presence behind him, and when Nikola’s fingers hesitantly threaded through his hair, he tensed. For a moment, he thought to slap away the hand, but the touch was the first Nikola had given him in far too long. Desperately, he drank it up. He couldn’t push the hand away when it was the source of something he had wanted for over a month. “I... am sorry,” Nikola whispered, and the words made Aric still completely under Nikola’s hand. Sorry? Nikola was sorry? What the hell did that mean? It didn’t explain shit. A spark of lingering anger steadied his voice, gave his tone a tenuous strength. “Why?” he asked, doing everything he could to maintain control of his emotions. “Because I have hurt you in many ways,” Nikola said gently. “You deserved far more than I gave.” Pain stabbed at Aric’s chest, and he wiped his face with his sleeves before he looked up at Nikola. He let Nikola see the anguish and need he felt with every sluggish beat of his heart. “You hate me like this, don’t you? You’ll never want me again.” “No,” he whispered. “No, Aric, I do not hate you. You are the same man I loved before as a mortal. It is you I wanted to keep with me forever, and you are more than simple mortality and blood.” Nikola paused, and Aric waited. There had to be a reason. There had to be more than that. He deserved a reason for it all! “I didn’t want you to hate me,” Nikola continued. “I was so afraid you’d feel for me what I feel for Svetlana, and so I pulled away.” Aric frowned deeply. “Pulling away was the only thing that could have made me hate you,” he whispered. “Which has been pointed out to me recently.” Nikola sighed. “I made some terrible choices. I have put you through much unnecessary grief, but Aric, I do not want your life to end. My life would be... unbearably lonely without you in it.” Aric’s jaw clenched, but two tears rolled down his cheeks despite his efforts to keep them back. Nikola still wanted him alive, but that didn’t really change anything. It wasn’t a promise to do better. It wasn’t

anything but an admission of guilt. As much as he appreciated that, it wasn’t enough. “So... what does this mean?” he asked, so unsure. Nikola smiled faintly. “I ask for your forgiveness, and then we begin again, if that is what you wish to do.” Though part of Aric wondered how many times they’d have to start over again, how many mistakes would have to be made and forgiven, he couldn’t deny that he wanted the extra chance. He didn’t want to leave if there was something left to salvage. Hope sparked in the depths of his eyes, and he nodded. “Ask, then.” Aric had no intention of making this easy for Nikola. Nikola’s inaction had made him miserable and half-insane with lust and loneliness. That deserved a true apology, and he wanted Nikola to know that his forgiveness wasn’t something Nikola was just entitled to. A slight flush stole over Nikola’s face, and he cleared his throat. “Will you forgive me for my mistakes?” Aric took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He sat up from the floor and stared at Nikola for several seconds. The flush, the difference in Nikola’s scent, and the way Nikola’s jaw twitched ever so slightly all told him that Nikola was humbled. Pride had been set aside to admit he was wrong and ask for forgiveness. The smallest of smiles quirked the corners of Aric’s mouth upward. “Yeah,” he said at last. “I’ll forgive you. I’ll also learn how to fight so I can kick your ass the next time you pull shit like this.” Nikola reached out, fingers brushing over the mostly-healed bite at Aric’s throat. “I am so sorry,” he breathed. “I should have never struck you, bit you as I did.” Aric didn’t wince as the bite stung lightly. “I probably shouldn’t have hit you in the first place,” he admitted softly, “but you’re just so damned infuriating when you won’t listen to me. You push me to extremes I’d never get to on my own.” His eyes were drawn to the piano, and he reached out, stroking the splintered wood, guilt knotting his gut. “I’m sorry I broke your piano. I’ll... I’ll buy us another one.”

“We will have this one repaired,” Nikola said. He wrapped his arms around Aric and drew him into a tight embrace. “Nothing is ever so broken it cannot be repaired.” Aric shook a little in Nikola’s arms, but that was the only indication he gave of the tears that stung at his eyes. He refused to sniffle or sob, but being that close to Nikola again brought his fears back with a vengeance. “Don’t push me away,” he breathed, his arms gripping Nikola’s shirt tightly. “I can’t stand being pushed away anymore.” “I won’t,” Nikola promised. He kissed the crown of Aric’s head while his arms tightened just a little. “We do this right from now on.” “Right as in you’ll touch me? Right as in you’ll be my lover instead of a distant maker?” Aric murmured into Nikola’s shirt, listening to Nikola’s slow but steady heartbeat, letting the closeness begin to soothe something inside that ached from being torn at little by little. Nikola nodded against his hair, and he thought his heart would stop completely when Nikola tilted his head up and dipped down for a soft kiss. It was the first kiss Nikola had really given him in months, and though his heart stilled with surprise, he felt it surge a second later. “As lovers,” Nikola whispered, breath so warm against Aric’s lips that it made him shudder, heat moving through him unchecked. “Oh, please don’t be teasing me,” Aric moaned, feeling the need inside him flare, making his skin prickle with gooseflesh. Nikola held his gaze. “No more teasing.” His mouth trailed down from Aric’s lips, over his chin, along his throat until his tongue could press against the mostly-healed wound there. “I was ignoring all your needs but your hunger, blocking that silent call of fledgling to master.” Nikola suckled at the dried blood. “I hear it now, though.” Aric groaned, growing hard in his jeans so fast it made his groin hurt. “I need you. I need you so much. Take me upstairs, Nikola. Don’t deny me,” Aric practically begged, his fingers tangling in Nikola’s hair and tugging. “I don’t want to take advantage of you,” Nikola murmured, his voice thick with desire.

Aric could even smell those first stirrings of arousal in Nikola, and it made his own almost intolerable. “You won’t,” he promised. With a yank to Nikola’s hair, he proved it. His lips took Nikola’s in a scalding kiss, hunger and desperation burning through every movement of his tongue against Nikola’s. He didn’t think he would last long if Nikola gave in and took charge, but with how quickly his body recovered now that he had left his old life behind, he doubted it would matter. As long as it didn’t stop, as long as this kiss wasn’t the last touch before a refusal, there was a chance the hunger for sex and intimacy would finally be satisfied. Nikola was stunned into submission for a moment, but then he growled. He took utter control of their kiss, thrusting his tongue deep into Aric’s mouth. Strong, sure hands moved over Aric’s body, pressed him closer to the solidness of Nikola’s. There was a feral edge to everything they did in that moment, something primal and unrelenting, and Aric refused to fight it or Nikola. He submitted, bent to Nikola’s will, and loved every second of it. He suddenly didn’t care if they made it up to their bedroom. All that mattered was the smooth way Nikola rolled them onto the floor, the perfect press of his body against Nikola’s as his lover settled between his legs. He moaned loudly into their kiss, arching his hips, his hands tearing Nikola’s shirt from his shoulders. It was a scramble, each of them trying to rid the other of clothing while refusing to give up kissing. Nikola finally had to draw back, and in a handful of minutes filled with the sounds of cloth tearing, their naked bodies were able to eagerly rub against each other. Aric cried out, sensation coursing through him as he not only felt the hardness of Nikola’s cock, but smelled that perfect musk of Nikola’s arousal that he’d wanted so badly to scent with his new senses. Another kiss consumed them, and Aric swore he would explode with the need that made his heart pound and his limbs shake. It was everything he’d wanted—needed—and it was being given without any begging, pleading, or coercion. Nikola desired him, loved him,

and rutting around on the music room floor was as romantic and perfect a place for their reconciliation as any other. Their bodies thrust against one another, and the sounds Aric fed into their hungry kisses became more and more frantic. He raked his nails down Nikola’s back, and the pleasure built up so quickly that he was hopeless to deny it as it overwhelmed him. Throwing his head back with a harsh cry, he bucked beneath Nikola and came. Light and sound drowned out all else, and it felt as if the pleasure would never end. Even when he collapsed against the wood floor, his chest heaving, his cock was still painfully hard, true respite still out of reach. Nikola kissed up Aric’s chest and neck, growling low in throat as his tongue teased at the fluttering pulse. He continued to move against Aric, and Aric’s mind reeled with need he thought would never end. “What do you want?” Nikola whispered against his ear. “Tell me, and I will give it.” Aric shuddered and licked his lips. So many desires had plagued him over the last months that he almost didn’t know which to voice. Nikola’s tongue traced the edge of his earlobe, and he groaned loudly. “I want to bite you as I ride you. Fucking hell, I need you in me.” Nikola chuckled, the sound deep and rich. “Bite me? Such a budding vampire you are.” Aric opened his eyes to give Nikola a half-hearted glare. “I tasted you with human senses, if only to renew my strength. I want to taste you as I am now. I want to feel your blood flow into me as we fuck and make love.” A hungry light made his eyes almost luminescent as he stared up at Nikola. He wasn’t ashamed of his desire, and it showed in the way his eyes darted to Nikola’s neck while his hips canted up into Nikola’s thrusts. “We are missing a vital element to ensure your comfort,” Nikola moaned. Shit. Nikola was right. He’d been keeping his lube in his old bedroom, and Nikola’s was in their bedside table. Aric growled his

impatience. “Upstairs, then. After two months of torture, I want your cock in me, dammit.” Nikola nipped Aric’s throat, sharp teeth scraping tender flesh, and then sat back. His cock bobbed, slicked with Aric’s come. “I would think since you’ve managed two months, you could easily manage five more minutes.” Aric laughed breathlessly. “Don’t push me, Count.” Pushing up into a crouch, he took hold of Nikola’s cock and squeezed, making a single, firm stroke. “Aric,” Nikola moaned. His head fell back, exposing his throat as he moaned and pressed into Aric’s hand. “Evil child.” Aric leaned forward to Nikola’s throat. His teeth itched with the desire to bite, but he held himself in check, only brushing the fangs against Nikola’s pulse teasingly. “You have no idea,” he purred against pale skin before pulling back and standing, eager to get to their room and continue. He tugged Nikola up to his feet and laced their fingers together as he led the way through the corridors and up the stairs. His steps became faster the farther they went, his need growing more insistent. By the time they reached their room and closed the door behind them, Aric’s pulse was pounding. He rounded on Nikola and pushed his lover up against the closed door, kissing him deeply. Nikola gasped, his hands gripping Aric’s hips tightly. He groaned, his fingers teasing along the crevice of Aric’s ass before he pulled back from the suffocatingly wonderful kiss. “I thought you wanted me inside you,” he panted. “I do,” Aric breathed, moaning against Nikola’s lips. “I do... but... what do you want?” He wanted to hear it after Nikola had been so distant, so silent. After two months, Nikola must have had something he missed, something he wanted that Aric could give. Though his own needs were overwhelming, he didn’t want Nikola to end up unsatisfied. “You,” Nikola whispered. His teeth tugged at Aric’s lower lip. “All I ever wanted was you.”

Aric’s heart soared, and he leaned in for another kiss, his hand moving down to stroke Nikola. His thumb teased the slit when he pulled back. “I love you,” he moaned. “I love you, and I’m yours.” “I know,” Nikola breathed. “You gave up the sun for me.” “Take me. Claim me and show me that you’ll keep me. No more distance. No more nights wondering.” Nikola covered Aric’s mouth with his and backed him up across the room. He didn’t end the kiss until Aric’s legs bumped against the bed. Aric chased after Nikola’s mouth when he pulled back, but Nikola just chuckled. Aric thought his first orgasm should have taken the edge off everything, but as he mounted the bed, he was just as desperate as he had been on the music room floor. His eyes followed Nikola’s hands, watched with such open hunger as the elegant fingers smeared the slippery lube over hard flesh. Aric moaned, panting, and swore he’d come just from watching Nikola touching himself. “I feel crazed,” he whimpered. “You are,” Nikola said as he crawled atop the bed. “All that matters is the need of your body, to rut with the one whose blood took you from sunlight into moonlight. I felt the same for Svetlana for the first decade.” “A decade of this?” Aric groaned, his cock twitching at the thought. He wasn’t sure if that was going to be a dream or a nightmare. “You’ll have to fuck me every night... and you have two months to make up for,” he added with a smirk. He crawled to the headboard with Nikola and eagerly straddled his lover as soon as Nikola was comfortable. Fingers drew a line from his sac to his entrance, and when they pushed inside, he cried out and shuddered. The need in him seemed to burn along every inch of his skin, and he pulled Nikola’s fingers back as soon as he was slicked, positioning himself atop Nikola’s cock. He locked eyes with Nikola and sat back, moaning loudly as he felt his body stretched wide. He had thought of this every single night since he awoke from that first death as a vampire. This was what he had craved, and as he took Nikola deep, his backside set-

tling against Nikola’s groin, he knew it wouldn’t last nearly long enough. Nikola’s hands cupped and spread Aric’s ass as his hips arched up. He leaned in and captured Aric’s mouth, the kiss infinitely more gentle. Aric knew, from that kiss alone, that this was not fucking. It wouldn’t be anything like when they’d made love when he was human, but it wouldn’t be anything like the furious clawing and grinding that had happened downstairs. This was new, something he hadn’t yet experienced with Nikola, and the pleasures racing through his body only fed the hungers he suffered. He wanted Nikola deeper. He wanted to feel his teeth sink into his master’s throat as his master’s sank into his. He wanted to revel in blood and come and feel just a hint of satisfaction. Aric wanted everything, and he would accept no less from Nikola now. Aric pulled away from the kiss with a gasp. “Bite me,” he whispered as he kissed his way to Nikola’s throat. He cradled Nikola’s head in his hand and guided it to his exposed neck. “Drink with me.” Nikola moaned but didn’t fight him. It wasn’t like Nikola would fight him over this. Aric moved his hips, taking himself with small, deep thrusts, and he felt Nikola find his pulse and suckle. The sensation made him shiver, the need inside him redoubling. He wanted Nikola to bite him. An instinct he was barely aware of knew this was important and that only Nikola would be allowed this privilege. When Nikola’s teeth grazed his skin in an almost reverent manner, he stilled on Nikola’s lap. He wanted to feel the bite, feel the difference that the pleasure made. This would be different than all the times he’d fed Nikola as a mortal, and he wanted to savor every second of it. Aric wasn’t disappointed. When Nikola struck, the pain and pleasure that slammed into him nearly made him come on the spot. He cried out against Nikola’s neck, feeling something deep inside him reach out for Nikola. His own fangs itched as they slide out of their sheaths, and he opened his mouth wide over Nikola’s throat and sank his teeth in.

The blood that filled his mouth may have been missing a human’s warmth, but it was still potent like a heady wine. The flavor he had remembered was an echo of what he tasted. It was almost as if he could read everything that Nikola was through the blood, and he swallowed thickly, groaning wetly against Nikola’s skin. His entire world shrunk to that singular sensation of feeding while being fed from. It was intimacy beyond his wildest dream. He knew in those moments with such certainty that Nikola loved him, wanted him, would protect and teach him throughout the years. Never would he be left alone to suffer and fear. The blood that slid down his throat whispered to him of promises his conscious mind did not understand but that the instinctual beast now inside him recognized and held tightly to. They were bound more tightly now than ever before, held together not only by love, but by blood, their very beings linked through that connection of maker to fledgling. Pleasure bled into his mind as he drank and felt Nikola swallow at his own throat. Their bodies shifted and moved against one another, and the pace and depth felt so smooth, so harmonious, that he distantly wondered how any other act would ever compare. The love and lust consumed him, and he held onto Nikola as he felt his climax draw near, skimming the surface of his mind and body. He moaned loudly between small swallows, and even when his pace faltered, his body quivering on the edge, he felt Nikola hold him steady, anchoring him to the moment as pleasure crashed into him in a rush of heat. Nikola’s pulse pounded in unison with his own, and he finally released his lover’s neck to cry out, his body tensing and shuddering as he spent himself. Nikola came on the heels of his own orgasm, and Aric reveled in the breathy groan pressed to his torn flesh. The satisfaction he felt as Nikola made short thrusts inside him, spreading his come thoroughly, was bone-deep. Aric sagged against Nikola, shivering in the aftermath of amazing sex and overwhelming intimacy. His

cock was actually softening, and there was a sense of quiet inside him he hadn’t felt since he first woke in his own mind. Cradled in Nikola’s arm, Aric just let himself float in the warm glow of the thoroughly fucked. He didn’t really notice the aching pain at his throat or the twangs of hunger that would need to be sated as soon as the sun set tomorrow. “I love you,” he whispered. Nikola kissed his shoulder. “I love you, too,” he murmured. Aric smiled and nuzzled Nikola, his mind peaceful for the first time in months. They had both taken so many twists and turns since he had first stepped over the threshold of Nikola’s home. So many times he had felt lost, unable to find the words he was looking for, the chord needed to complete the perfect phrase of music, or the path he was supposed to follow. But through all the arguments, all the grief of being denied, reprimanded, and left behind, they had come to this moment. As they settled under the thick quilts and snow fell steadily outside, Aric laughed. It was quiet, yes, but he’d never felt the pleasure of laughing as he did now while Nikola kissed him again and again. Yes, the future would still hold many more arguments for them. Aric would continue to fight to drag Nikola kicking and screaming into the modern era, just as Nikola would continue to fight to instill in Aric the gentility of an older, almost forgotten era. But they were equals, and far stronger together than apart. Harmony and melody, complementing each other in an endless symphony. Sergei himself, Aric thought, could not have written it better.