Hellbourne (7 page)

“Look, Nikko. I like you a lot. I think you’re really hot.” Nikko had a wide smile on his face. “But I can’t date a guy who allows people into his club that will abuse others just for their enjoyment. There are some things even I won’t be privy to. So for now just stay away.”

Luc turned to the waiter. “Coming Jerrod?”

The boy nodded. “Your will is my will, Master.”

“Master?” Nikko asked.

Luc held his hand palm out. “Yeah, apparently I’ve adopted a vampire.” He turned and walked towards the door with Jerrod close on his heels.

Nikko called after him. “Luc, my love.”

Luc stopped and looked back.

“Where are you going?”

He shrugged. “I guess it’s time I stood on my own two feet.” He walked back and started to remove his necklace.

“Keep it,” Nikko said with a sad smile. “You’ll be back.”

Luc took a deep breath to loosen the knot forming in his chest. Really, how many men could he break up with in a week? “Don’t count on it. I’ve decided to give up on having a big strong man take care of me.”

Nikko smirked. “You’ll have to come back eventually to learn how to be a vampire master.”

“I can’t be a vampire master. I’m not a vampire.”

“You just keep telling yourself that. Come to me when you decide you want to learn the truth.”

Luc frowned at Nikko. “We’ll be fine.”

Maybe he could find a
Caring for Vampires for Dummies
book.

He was out the door before he realised he didn’t have his cell phone or his guitar with him. Luc sighed and continued walking down the street with his vampiric sidekick.

At least he still had his wallet.

“Tomorrow, I’m sending you back for my stuff,” he told Jerrod. “Tonight, we’ll find a hotel room until we can rent a place.”

“Yes, Master,” was Jerrod’s gentle reply. The kid wasn’t a chatterbox that was for sure.

Luc saw the wolf detach from the shadows and follow them down the street.
Let him follow
. He still wasn’t going to forgive his ex-lover for his betrayal no matter how much he stalked him.

Chapter Five

After leaving Nikkolai’s club, Luc leased a small Victorian house. It was just temporary, but it was home. One of the wolves stopped by almost every day to chat, check on his welfare, ask advice and give him an update on Bran. So far, there was no change in his former lover.

The message was always the same. Bran was permanently in wolf form.

It was interesting when flowers arrived the Monday after Luc moved in. Nikko must have spies watching his every move. The writing on the card said,
Love, Nikkolai
.

Luc snorted. He didn’t want Nikko’s version of love.

Tuesday’s delivery was a box of chocolates so heavy he could have used it for weight lifting. Wednesday was an mp3 player with a kick-ass collection of songs. Thursday, he got a new cell phone with only one number programmed into it. Today was Friday.

“I think he’s sorry,” Jerrod said, coming into the room, licking a dab of blood off his lips. Good thing the demon tribe of Katos owed him a shit load of favours.

Luc spent a moment admiring his vampire.

After only a few days, the shattered boy he’d taken from the club glowed with the power of demon blood rushing through him. Now that he wasn’t starved, Jerrod was leaving behind his boyish frame and solidifying into the body of a man.

His vamp was coming along nicely, even if the whole ownership thing freaked Luc out.

After spending his entire life fighting with his father for independence, it scraped him raw that Jerrod called him Master.

The vampire walked up to him, sliding a hand over Luc’s arm as he approached. “Are you going to forgive him?”

“He let you be whipped,” Luc said from behind clenched teeth.

Jerrod shrugged. “It’s our way. I was Mal’s property, sold to him by my master. It was his right to do with me what he pleased.”

Luc’s eyes burned, and he knew from past experience that his irises were glowing like small suns. He closed them, trying to regulate his breath and calm down. With so much anger flaring inside, it was a miracle the runes weren’t shimmering on his skin. It was difficult to explain abuse to a man who didn’t understand that whipping someone until they bled on the floor was not the normal behaviour of a sane being.

He knew this from personal experience.

“No master should harm those he’s sworn to care for. It’s wrong and I find it odd that I should have to explain this to you of all people,” Luc said.

Giving him an affectionate smile, Jerrod rubbed Luc’s back in slow soothing circles. “Calm down, Master. Vampires have been around for centuries. You aren’t going to change an entire culture overnight.”

“I don’t want to change the culture. I want to change one little tribe.”

“You know what they say.” Jerrod handed over a gold and red envelope. “Change is best done from within.”

“What’s this?” Luc asked, his fingers already breaking the red wax seal.

“A personal invitation,” Jerrod said with a wicked smile. “From your favourite fangy stalker.”

“Don’t make me punch you,” Luc threatened. “It ruins my credibility.”

Jerrod laughed.

“I’m invited to dine with Master Nikkolai.” Luc frowned at the gilt card. “Do you think he thought about that before he sent it out? Most people don’t want to dine with a vampire.”

“No, he probably eats real food. The older vamps can eat.”

This was news to Luc. “Really? Are you old enough? Should I be feeding you food too?”

Jerrod gave a wide smile. “No. I’m still too young to digest food. I’ll suffer along with the high-grade demon blood you provide. You know that demon blood is like liquid gold for vampires, don’t you?”

Luc was still staring at the invitation. “Is it? Well, it’s all I’ve got so you’ll just have to put up with the top shelf stuff. If you’re good, maybe I can find you a thin-blooded wino junkie for dessert.”

Jerrod laughed. “I almost hate to tell you that you can actually purchase blood from blood suppliers.”

“Really?” Luc said without much interest, his attention still on the paper in his hand. “Do you think I should go?”

“Yes.” Jerrod tenderly slid the paper out from Luc’s hand. “I think you should go. Vampires dream of finding their mates, the older the vampire the more important it is. If Master Nikkolai thinks you’re his mate, then you’ll need to find out if it’s true. You can’t do that if you refuse to meet with him.”

“I don’t know if I can forgive him for his callousness, besides, do I really need another alpha deciding I’m his mate? Look where it got me with Bran.”

Jerrod looked into Luc’s eyes. “Bran tried to deny his needs. He got what he deserved. Master Nikkolai is all about claiming you. Vampires are a people of passion. That’s something you’ll need to get used to if you’re a master vampire’s mate.” Jerrod nodded towards the invitation. “I’ll come with you.”

“What? No!” Luc didn’t want anything to happen to his delicate vamp. “We just got you healthy.”

“I’ll come with you because in vampire culture to go alone means you’re a lesser being. It means there’s no one who will back you if there’s trouble. I will go because they need to know that you’re a master with a devoted follower. I may be a submissive with my masters, Luc, but I won’t let you go to a vampire gathering without support.”

“You’re not being submissive now,” Luc grumbled. “Fine, you can accept the invitation for me. Let them know we’re coming. Do I need to get some of the wolves to back me up?”

Jerrod shook his head. “No. If we were expecting trouble, I’d recommend them, but Master Nikkolai wants your happiness, so there won’t be any problems.”

Luc didn’t know what to say. That this broken man would take care of him was more than he’d ever expected. He leaned in and gave the vampire a soft kiss. “Thank you, Jerrod. I appreciate your advice. If you needed anything, you’d tell me, right?”

“Always, Master.”

Satisfied that Jerrod was telling the truth, Luc nodded in agreement. Then he cleared his throat. “I have something for you.”

It had taken him all day, but he finally had his gift ready.

Jerrod immediately fell to his knees, eyes to the floor. “Your will is my will, Master.”

There was only so much training one could undo in a few days. Luc stood for a moment looking down at his vampire. Not that he thought of him that way. He thought of him more like a roommate, a very fragile roommate.

“Jerrod, I’ve been concerned about your safety.”

Jerrod’s wide blue eyes, filled with apprehension, looked up at him. “Ar-are you leaving me?”

“What? No, no, but sometimes you might be separated from me where I can’t protect you. I want you to know that you’ll always be safe.” He pulled Jerrod’s gift out of his pocket. “So I made you a little charm.”

Luc held up the blue-green pendent, dangling from a thin silver chain, so Jerrod could see the colours swirling inside the charm. He’d painted a miniature picture of himself and pressed it between a pair of three-inch pieces of fused glass. Wrapping the piece with silver wire, he’d bound it together with metal and magic until the three pieces became one.

Luc shied away from calling it a collar, but he knew it would look as if it were one to other vampires checking for ownership. Short of decapitation, nothing could harm Jerrod while wearing the charm.

“It’s on silver,” Jerrod said nervously. “You know silver burns vampires.”

Luc tilted his head and examined the vampire kneeling before him. “Do you trust me?”

Jerrod nodded.

“Will you allow me to put this around your neck?”

Another nod.

Luc kneeled with Jerrod and carefully connected the clasp behind the vampire’s neck while chanting a short spell to seal it for eternity.

He saw Jerrod swallow as he released the chain and let the pendent settle directly on the vampire’s bare skin.

Luc watched with amusement as the vampire relaxed the muscles he’d braced for the burn.

“It doesn’t hurt,” Jerrod whispered.

Luc took Jerrod’s face between his hands. “I would never purposely harm you.”

He saw relief and a look of stunned acceptance in Jerrod’s eyes. A moment passed before the vampire spoke. “I can hear it singing to me.” His eyes took on a wistful look. “It’s you, isn’t it? You’re singing.”

Oops.

“Sometimes whoever makes the spell leaves residual traces of its forming. I sing while I work. I can try to remake it if it bothers you.” Luc reached out to take the necklace back.

“No!” Jerrod shouted, his hand clutching the pendant. “It’s mine. You made it for me.” His voice dipped lower as tears streaked his cheeks. “No one has ever made anything for me before.”

Shit.
Luc wrapped Jerrod into his arms, rubbing one palm in circles around his smooth back. The same calming gesture his vamp used on him. Jerrod was sweet, but so abused. “No one will harm you again. Not on my watch.”

Jerrod leant back and looked at Luc, those beautiful eyes watching him with hot desire. “May I suck you off, Master?”

“I-I thought I was supposed to be bonded to Nikkolai?” Not that he felt loyalty to the bastard but the change in Jerrod’s demeanour was confusing.

“I belong to you, Master. It’s important you bond with me so that our linking is tight. If we’re properly bonded, you’ll know if I’m in danger.”

Luc looked suspiciously at Jerrod, but his senses told him the vampire believed what he was saying. “It would be a better bond if you fucked me,” Jerrod said, a lustful gleam in his eyes. “But I’ll settle for sucking you off if you aren’t ready.”

A broken laugh burst out. “You make me sound like a skittish virgin.”

Jerrod rose to his feel, placing a shy kiss on Luc’s lips. There was a teasing light in his eyes when he pulled away. “Skittish maybe, but I doubt you’re a virgin.”

Pleased at the new confidence in his vampire, Luc rubbed his palm across Jerrod’s crotch feeling him through the rough denim. Although he liked the vampire in low riding jeans, he wanted to feel more. With a twist of his hands, Luc ripped open Jerrod’s button fly. The sound of fabric tearing echoed loudly in the quiet house.

Jerrod let out a soft whimper, his excitement obvious in the hardening of his cock. Luc felt his own prick lengthen in response to the other man’s excitement. He might not be Bran or even Nikko, but the younger vamp was a sexy hunk of manhood.

“Please, Master. I need.”

Luc laid Jerrod on the Oriental rug. The thick pad beneath the rug provided a nice cushion. The last thing he wanted to do was bruise Jerrod’s body. Maybe give him rug burn, but not bruises.

As Luc continued to stroke Jerrod’s cock, soft whimpering noises ushered from his long, sleek body.

Without a word, Luc stripped his clothes off before helping Jerrod out of the rest of his.

“Let me get some lube.”

“No!” Jerrod shouted. “Don’t leave me.” The grip on Luc’s arm was desperate, his eyes wild.