RW1 Ravyn's blood (14 page)

“My brother adopted him when he was a child. He was good friends with Kal’s parents. When they were killed by a rogue vampire, he took in the boy. I didn’t have much contact with him, but when he got older he joined the troupe, and one thing led to another…”

Alex reached out and wiped the corner of Dageus’s mouth where a drop of ice cream had collected. He brought his finger to his mouth and licked the sweetness away. Alex smiled as Dageus’s breath caught at his action. There was a pregnant pause, and the sexual tension in the room soared.

Neither knew who reached for who first, but Dageus ended up on his back, legs spread, Alex between them. He groaned at the sensation of Alex’s erection grinding against his own.

“Please,” he panted, a thousand sensations winding through his consciousness. With a thought, Alex disposed of their clothing, the material all but melting off their flesh. Naked skin met naked skin, and they both screamed with the sensation. Dageus wrapped his legs more firmly around Alex’s hips and arched against him.

“Mine!” Alex screamed, taking his cock in his hand and steadying it against the tight entrance of Dageus’s unused passage. Dageus strained against him, desiring something from Alex and not so innocent that he didn’t know what he was asking for. In theory anyway. “Easy, baby,” Alex whispered, barely able to restrain himself.

“Hurry,” Dageus replied desperately. Alex chuckled at his enthusiasm. Their eyes locked, and eyes of ice blue met eyes of deep forest green. “Oh, Alex. I waited so long to, ah, be here,” Dageus whispered. Alex simply smiled and slid the first inch of his erection into the tight ring of muscle. Dageus’s breath caught. It burned. Hurt just a little, but somehow he instinctively knew that it would only get better.

“It’s okay, Alex. Please. Move,” he begged.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Germany screeched, coming through the open doorway. It had obviously taken him a while to find the kitchen. Alex and Dageus froze on the bar. Germany’s eyes bulged, and he turned from the two and screamed at the wall instead.

“None of that shit, brother! You came here to dance, not to get busy. Jesus man. Get some fucking clothes on!”

Dageus sighed audibly. Alex echoed that sigh and reached for the white table cloth that was draped over the table to their right. He used that to cover his beloved and then reached in the drawer under the bar to get the wine-colored one for himself. After the cloth was secure, he attempted to adjust his weeping erection so that it wasn’t so obvious beneath the slightly starched material.

“It’s really time for us to get out of here,” Germany reminded, crossing his arms across his chest and turning back around. He slid out his cell phone and called for the car to come to the front of the theater.

“Why am I always putting my clothes back on around you?” Dageus said, blushing as Alex helped him to the Escalade.

“Because I so enjoy taking them off,” Alex replied as he offered a gentlemanly hand to Dageus. He kissed him gently on the cheek. Dageus smiled.

“So, will I see you tomorrow?” Dageus asked, running his hand through his hair.

Alex bowed. “Of course,
mon coeur
.”

Chapter Twenty-One

“Report, you blithering idiot,” the King growled. The demon at his feet was sweating thick droplets of a sticky substance all over his marble floors.

“We’ve found them, my lord,” the bounty hunter said humbly, not meeting the King’s eyes. “A remote region of the universe, a little known world filled with humans. Slavers have been traveling back and forth from there for years.” The demon continued, “Your woman mentioned that one of the Ravyns was from there. A former pet of her master, I recall. I sent a scouting party to the town, and lo and behold. Salvatore was there, him and the whole brood. They’re shacked up in a mansion in the hills. Almost impossible to access, if truth be told. The Ravyns’ guards aren’t down, but I can imagine that it’ll be easier to get to him now that one of the Ravyns is involved with the Master vampire.” The demon King raised his eyebrows in question.

“That is an interesting development. ‘Involved,’ you say? Is it a romantic relationship?” the King asked.

The demon nodded. “They’ve been seen in very provocative positions several times now.” Desmond laughed. He laughed until his sides ached with it. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the hunter. He turned to Terrin, his most trusted warlord.

“I see. So one of the five is distracted? Excellent. Send a party in, ten at least. Have them recruit some local muscle to stir up the Ravyns. Divide them. I want Salvatore’s head on a platter before the new moon.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

The doorbell rang at exactly seven o’clock. Dageus had finished his shower in record time and was now putting the finishing touches on the outfit he was going to wear to go to dinner with Alex.

“Wow, don’t we look fancy?” Allasandro said with a grin as he leaned against the doorway to the bathroom. He was on his way to guard Salvatore.

“Got a date,” Dageus offered with a blush.

“What kind of date?” Allasandro asked impishly. Dageus shoved at Ally for his smart mouth.

“Hey lover boy!” Tony called from the doorway.

“Your date’s here!” Germany seconded. They both were probably guarding the door like rabid pit bulls.

“All right, be right down!” Dageus yelled back then winced as he sounded too eager. Allasandro walked off laughing.

Salvatore met him in the hallway. “My Ravyn, I need to talk to you.”

Dageus sighed absentmindedly. “Can this wait ’til I get back, my lord? I’ve already made him wait for half an hour.” Salvatore’s eyes said it all. Dageus prepared for a long talk.

“You need to be careful with that one.” Salvatore indicated Alex with a wave of his hand. “You must keep in mind, no matter the attraction between you, that he is a vampire, and as a vampire he is manipulative. He wants more than your fair body when he gets you into bed. He wants your blood and your soul.” Dageus couldn’t believe that he was hearing the “what to expect from sex” speech from Salvatore.

“My lord, I know that it is just sex. I understand that perfectly. Sex and dancing. That’s it. Allasandro doesn’t get the speech
ever
. Why am I getting it?” Dageus asked curiously. Salvatore chuckled.

“Sex means nothing to Allasandro, Dageus. However, for you, sex with Alex will break your heart in ways you aren’t even aware of yet. You probably don’t realize how hard you’re falling for him, boy, but the rest of us do.” Salvatore patted him on the shoulder then slid into the study without another word.

“Hi!” Dageus said enthusiastically as he reached the foyer where Alex waited. His voice seemed unnaturally high when the word squeaked out of his mouth, and he berated himself for his stupidity.
Smooth, jack ass
. He mentally rolled his eyes.

Alex stood in his doorway looking good enough to eat. His six-foot frame was decked out in a tuxedo that clung to every magnificent inch of his sculpted flesh. Dageus suddenly felt horribly underdressed. He ran a subconscious hand over his best dress shirt and blushed. He felt like a pauper in the presence of a prince. As if he knew his frustrations, Alex took one thick, pointer finger and tilted back Dageus’s head until their eyes were locked.

“Good evening, precious,” Alexander whispered before lowering his perfect lips to seal a perfect kiss on Dageus’s lips.

Alex inhaled sharply and made a deep noise of satisfaction. The suddenly tight grip on his waist told Dageus that he wasn’t the only one who wanted to forgo all formalities and drown in the touch of a lover. The vampire’s eyes flicked to the white columns on the front porch as if contemplating if that was a comfortable spot to satisfy both their wants. The look made Dageus almost groan. “Excuse me!” Germany said, coming up the front steps of the mansion from a trip to one of the cars. “How about getting a room, little brother?” Dageus ignored him and nipped Alex’s lips instead.

“Go if you’re going, brother,” Allasandro said from the staircase. He leaned casually against the railing with a predatory ease. Dageus hesitated as Alex slid his body away to stand on the top stair leading down to the drive. He offered Dageus a hand. With a swallow, Dageus took his hand. He knew he was looking at Alex like he was the center of the universe. Salvatore’s warning was echoing in his head, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. He felt like he was glowing.

“Shall we?” Alex asked. He had to clear his throat and glance away in an effort to reign in his body. Seeing his reaction made Dageus blush. Though it was good to see the vampire off balance.

* * * *

Dinner was a slow event despite the depth of their conversations. They’d spoken of many things over the course of the meal, but it was all underlined by the tension that ricocheted between them. During the main course, Alex had asked about Dageus’s homeland of Demontia, and that had provided enough distraction for at least half an hour. This incarnation had not given Dageus as great of an insight into the culture, people, and landscapes of the demon realm to provide a complete picture, but he knew enough from his previous incarnations to give Alex an idea.

The demon realm didn’t produce much in the way of technology, but it managed to adapt and use it when they got it from other realms. The neuro-net impulses were actually an invention that had been brought to Demontia by Salvatore’s father and had greatly aided the education level of his people. They didn’t have much need for computers because of the abundance of high-energy magicks, but they did have them in the wealthier regions of the land. They even had Internet and databases that cataloged the known worlds and its peoples.

For the most part, though, Demontia was a land populated by beings that were culturally several centuries behind the Earth realm. They were a caste society where wealth and privilege were something one was born into, and bloodline was very important. Each of the Ravyns had come from a noble line of Salvatore’s court and had been trained since they were children to be warriors. All nobles, even women, were trained to be such. Power was one of the biggest indicators of status in Demontia, and the nobility had it all. The lower castes were an unruly bunch that needed a heavy hand in order to be governed properly. The King was absolute law, and all his subjects were meant to obey him without question. It was one of the many reasons the Ravyns so vehemently protested Desmond’s reign. He was a cruel and uncaring King who put his needs before that of his people.

The Ravyns had hid their Prince in the harshest climes in all of Demontia, the south lands. The south lands were not known for their forgiveness. It was a great desert interspersed with thick forest where hidden oases were common but hard to find. The only real civilization there was the nomadic tribesmen who wandered the desert. For the most part, the displaced Prince and his companions had stayed in the hidden caves that snaked underneath it all. It was Salvatore’s sacred space and one that Dageus had found comforting. Dageus had nursed his fantasies in the labyrinth beneath the ground, but he didn’t need to confess that to Alex.
 

The Ravyn swirled the wine in his glass and stared at his broken fingernails. His mind whirled with images of the Master of the City and himself entwined in a passionate embrace. He almost groaned aloud at the thought. God, being pinned beneath him felt so right. So perfect. His breathing hitched, and he felt himself harden painfully. They weren’t quite through with dessert yet and waiting for the moment when they could escape the self-imposed purgatory was very close to driving Dageus mad.

“Darling, shall we go?” Alex asked in a knowing whisper. Dageus swirled his wine once more. The tension of the moment was killing him.

“I want…” Dageus started only to trail off in embarrassment. “I need…” He sighed. He couldn’t finish what he needed to say, couldn’t form the words in a manner that would make him sound intelligent or sexy like Alex did. Alex put a hand on Dageus’s.

“I know,” he said simply. “I need it, too.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

They flashed into Alex’s house an instant later. Dageus found himself in a bedroom that obviously belonged to the Master of the house. It was huge and dark. None of the lamps scattered through the space were turned on, and the only source of light came from the windows where a waning moon gave fickle silver light to the ambience of mystery that was Alex’s personal space. The fact that he couldn’t tell what color the curtains were was of little consequence to the Ravyn. All he cared about was that he was with Alex, and they were finally alone.