Liquid crimson (11 page)

“Help me,” Michael gasped as Neo and Gunnar jostled him while climbing the stairs.

“We’re trying, love, please just stay with me.”

“Hurts so bad.” When a tear rolled down the side of Michael’s face, he cried out once more. “burns.”

“Try not to cry. The salt will only make it hurt more,” Neo explained.

Once in the bathroom, Gunnar set about filling the large tub with cool water as Neo found a pair of scissors and began to cut away Michael’s clothes. He didn’t like the thought of Gunnar seeing Michael naked, but it couldn’t be helped. “Let me step in and then we’ll lift Michael into the tub.”

Gunnar nodded and did as asked. Once Michael was settled with his back against
Neo’s
chest, Neo and Gunnar worked together to free Michael of the coat. “Go get a glass from the kitchen,” Neo ordered.

As soon as Gunnar fled the room, Spiro materialised, a small vial of clear sparkling liquid in his hand. “Here. Hold his mouth open,” Spiro said, tipping the vial towards Michael’s lips.

“What is it?” Neo asked. He wasn’t sure where to grab Michael, every inch of his face was so badly burnt. The last thing he wanted was to cause his beloved more pain.

“Here,” Spiro grunted, grabbing Michael’s face and pulling his jaw down.

Michael screamed as the brittle skin stretched and split in several places. Spiro ignored Michael’s plea and poured the liquid down his throat. Michael sputtered for a few moments before closing his mouth.

Spiro released Michael and sat back on the tiled floor. “He’ll be okay in a few hours.”

“What did you give him?” Neo asked again.

Spiro closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the vanity. “Something I made in my laboratory but hoped I’d never have to use.”

“You didn’t answer my fucking question. What was in that vile?”

Gunnar came back into the room carrying a large glass. “Here. Joseph wants to know if you need anything else.”

“No. Thank you.” Neo wasn’t happy with his head of security. “I’ll deal with you later.”

Gunnar bowed and exited the room.

“It’s not his fault,” Spiro said.

“Then whose fault is it? Mine?” Neo asked. He began to pour cool water over Michael’s body as his love drifted in and out of consciousness.

“Michael’s changing,” Spiro answered.

“Into what?”
Neo’s
greatest fear slapped him in the face. “I haven’t allowed him to drink from me.”

Spiro shook his head. “Michael isn’t human so you wouldn’t have to exchange blood to turn him. His body is assimilating, becoming one with yours. It was a way for the gods to give you back some of what
LaMont
took from you.”

“Like sunlight?” Neo held up his hand. “I was outside, unprotected for more than ten minutes and nothing, not even pink.”

Spiro’s expression turned thoughtful. “It’ll only get better the longer you love and feed from Michael. It may take a few years, but you will eventually be able to do all the things you did before your capture.”

Eating real food was the first thought to pop into
Neo’s
head. To sit down like a civilised man and have a real dinner at the dining table. He found himself wistful, longing for the day when he could feel like his old self. “I’ll like that,” he confessed.

“Of course you will,” Spiro answered. He stood and bent over the tub to smooth his fingertips across Michael’s cheek. “Shedding the vampire within yourself has always been the most important thing to you.” Spiro glanced up to meet
Neo’s
gaze. “You’ve been given a true gift that will allow that to happen. It’s up to you to take care of Michael long enough to see that day.”

“Wait,” Neo called when Spiro started to fade. “What else should I do for Michael? You never told me what was in that medicine.”

“Dry him and put him to bed. He’ll need more sleep over the next several days.”

Before Neo could say more, Spiro was gone. Neo looked down at Michael. He couldn’t see his mate’s face, but the blisters on his arms and legs already looked better. Neo gently poured another cup of water over the burned flesh. What changes were taking place within the man that he loved? Spiro didn’t say, but Neo hoped strong sun block and proper body covering would still allow Michael to enjoy the sunshine.

Neo sighed. Michael’s gift of sunlight was more than Neo had ever hoped for. If not, Neo knew he would never again walk in the sunshine without a heavy heart. A gift, such as he’d been given, deserved to be shared between two people in love. Without Michael by his side, daylight would hold no meaning for him.

* * * *

“This hat makes me look stupid,” Michael grumbled. It was bad enough that he’d been told to wear jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.

Neo wrapped his arms around Michael. He ducked under the wide brim of the straw hat and kissed him. “Sorry, but I’m not taking any more chances with you.”

“Yeah, that’s what you said last time,” he quipped. As soon as the words were out he gasped. “I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry. I know it’s not your fault.”

Neo said nothing for several moments. One side of his mouth eventually lifted into a half-smile. “I know you didn’t, but you’re right, I have said that too many times without following through on my promise. I’m truly sorry for that.”

Michael shook his head. The last thing he wanted was for Neo to feel guilty. In the week since Neo had risked his life to rescue him, Michael had begged Neo to go out and enjoy the sunshine. Each time Neo refused, saying that he wouldn’t go out until he could take Michael with him. It might have seemed like a simple thing to some people, but Michael knew how much Neo had missed moving around in the daylight hours.

“What’re we going to do?” Michael asked as Neo opened the door and ushered him out.

“I don’t know,” Neo answered. “I think I’d like to walk around if you think you’re up to it.”

“I’m fine.” Michael’s burns had healed within forty-eight hours, but it had taken him longer to regain his strength. He glanced at the setting sun. “You know, there’s probably only about forty-five minutes of daylight left. We should’ve come out earlier.”

Neo threaded his fingers through Michael’s as they walked down the path. “I’m still not convinced it’s safe for either of us. Since the sun is weaker at this time of day, I thought it would be a good test.”

Strolling towards the valley beyond the mated employee housing, Neo slowed his pace. Michael stopped and looked up at the man he loved. “Something wrong?”

His eyes shimmering with unshed tears, Neo shook his head. “It’s the first time I’ve seen my beloved Le
Uve
del
Regno
in the sunlight. It’s more beautiful than I ever imagined.”

Michael gazed at the landscape. Although a light snow had fallen only a month earlier, the terraced hills were varying shades of green, the tall cypress standing sentinel around the perimeter of the vineyard. “When I first came here, I thought of those trees up there as prison guards.”

Neo’s
hand landed on the small of Michael’s back. “You didn’t like it here?”

Michael shook his head. “It wasn’t that. I mean, it’s gorgeous, no one could deny that, but I was…lonely. In the Realm people wanted me around. They valued my opinion, they thought I was funny.” Michael shrugged. “I felt like I’d given everything up for a man who didn’t even want me here.”

“But you stayed anyway,” Neo reminded Michael.

Grinning, Michael wrapped his arms around
Neo’s
waist. “Of course I did. I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving
Sema
.”

Neo chuckled and kissed the top of Michael’s head. “You like my big pussycat don’t you?”

“I love your big pussycat, and I hate to tell you this, but I think he likes me better than he does you.”

“No way. I rescued
Sema
from a horrible man who used to beat him.
Sema
may be a cat, but he understands more than you think he does.”

Nestled against
Neo’s
chest, Michael hummed his contentment. Although Neo still refused his role as king of the Blessed Creatures, his heart seemed bigger than his stubbornness. Caring for the well-being of all of God’s creatures was the most important aspect of leading them. Spiro had done a good job in
Neo’s
absence, but he lacked the resolute quality that came so naturally to Neo.

The back of
Neo’s
hand pressed against Michael’s cheek. “How’re you feeling?”

“Great.”

“Tell me if your skin starts to tingle. That’s usually the first sign that you’re burning.”

Michael chuckled and pressed his half-hard cock against
Neo’s
thigh. “Oh, there’s some tingling going on but it’s in a place that’s modestly covered, however, you can check it if you want.”

Reaching between them, Neo unzipped Michael’s jeans and wrapped his hand around Michael’s hardening cock. “Feels perfectly healthy to me.”

Michael moaned when Neo started to stroke him, heedless of who might see. “The sun’s going down. Please let me take off this girly hat.”

Neo’s
hand released Michael’s cock and zipped up his jeans. “Come on.”

“If leaving the hat on will get me off faster, I’ll leave the
sonofabitch
on,” Michael protested as he was led further down the path.

With a chuckle and shake of his head, Neo continued to pull Michael along by the hand. “Where are we going?” Michael asked, feeling like a schoolboy being led to the principal’s office.

Neo led Michael behind an old stone building and stopped. Before Michael could ask, Neo turned him to face the stone wall. “Hold on.”

Michael heard a zipper slide down moments before his own jeans were unzipped and pushed down to his ankles along with his underwear. Neo pulled one of Michael’s legs out of the wad of clothes and repositioned him.

“Perfect,” Neo whispered when Michael was spread with his ass tilted towards the sunset and his hands still gripping the stone wall. Neo rubbed his face against Michael’s neck, inhaling his scent. “Will you let me fuck you in the glow of the setting sun?”

Michael turned his head and captured
Neo’s
mouth in a deep kiss. “Did you bring lube?”

Neo shook his head and grinned before pulling Michael’s T-shirt over his head. “Do you mind?”

The few times they’d had sex without lube had been fantastic. Michael enjoyed the feel of
Neo’s
tongue as it applied spit to his hole almost as much as the burn created by
Neo’s
thick cock pressing into him. “Do it,” he pleaded.

“I’ve been thinking of this since our last blood play,” Neo whispered. He lifted Michael’s curls off the back of his neck and bit, sucking only enough blood to give Michael the shot of adrenaline that usually accompanied
Neo’s
feedings.

Michael tilted his head forward and moaned. Neo removed his teeth from Michael’s neck and moved straight down to the area between his shoulder blades. When the tips of
Neo’s
fangs barely pierced the skin, Michael knew what was coming and welcomed it with open arms. He spread his legs further apart and bowed his back as Neo scraped a path straight down the left side of Michael’s spine.

“So beautiful,” Neo said when he reached the top of Michael’s butt. He spread the cheeks of Michael’s ass and groaned.

Michael could only imagine what he looked like from behind. He felt the blood trickling down his back only to be channelled to the crack of his ass.
Neo’s
tongue began lapping at the fresh blood as it ran over Michael’s hole. He didn’t know what it was about Neo and being outside, but the fresh air seemed to make his mate kinkier than ever. “How do I taste?”

Neo moaned and opened Michael’s hole with his burrowing tongue. The sensation was incredible, but Michael wanted, no needed,
Neo’s
cock. “Fuck me.”

After several more thrusts with his tongue, Neo spat into Michael’s hole. He licked his way up Michael’s back, sealing the wounds before pressing himself against Michael’s body. With an arm wrapped around Michael’s chest, Neo guided his cock to the spit soaked hole. “I love you,” Neo whispered as he thrust inside.

“
Uuhhhh
,” Michael cried as he tilted his head back to rest against
Neo’s
sturdy frame.

Once Neo was buried balls deep in Michael’s ass, he released the root of his cock to reach around and encircle Michael’s. “Your ass is the only Realm I want to command.”

Michael grinned. “Are you trying to say my ass is yours to boss around?”

Neo began to thrust his cock in and out of Michael’s body. “Commanding isn’t about bossing around. It’s more about protecting and seeing that what you love is taken care of. That’s my job.”

Michael opened his mouth to tell Neo those were the same qualities the Realm needed in a leader when
Neo’s
cock pegged his prostate, sending Michael’s body into an erotic spasm of epic proportions. He jerked with the intensity of his release, biting down on his own tongue as he painted
Neo’s
hand and the stone wall with his seed.

Neo released Michael’s cock and wrapped both arms around Michael’s waist, lifting him off the ground with each hard thrust. All Michael could do was brace his hands against the wall and enjoy the ride.