right. Maybe he real y was a gay, maybe Gypsy was right
and he had always been gay. Sighing, Michael gave
himself over to the feeling — he would worry about it al
tomorrow. Seriously though, Michael was a little shocked at
the turn of events. If anyone had told him a week ago that he
would be lying in bed kissing another bloke he probably
would have punched them in the face, pacifist or not. Yet
here he was with his arms wrapped around Christian doing
just that, and at this moment in time he was wil ing to do
anything for it to continue.
The only thing he could think of was Kerr was right. This
place real y had changed him. And believe me, it’s hard to
focus on anything else with the way Christian kisses,
thought Michael. It seemed to take away every thought he
had ever had. Part of Michael wanted to push Christian
away just so he could think clearly. The rest of him was
holding on for dear life with no intention of ever letting go. A
very smal part of Michael screamed in triumph. Final y he
had given himself to Christian, not quite completely, but
almost, and Christian was returning the gesture.
Michael closed his eyes, breathing deeply, taking in the
male scent of Christian. He shivered as Christian’s kiss
moved from his mouth to trail along his jaw line. Christian
kissed every inch of Michael’s scar before he broke away.
“I think,” Michael said as he moved away from Christian,
“I need to go and take a cold shower. A very cold shower.”
Michael slid out of bed and quietly left the room without
looking back toward the bed.
“What are you staring at?” Christian asked Drack, who
stil sat quietly watching him. He couldn’t stop the smile
from spreading across his face. “It was just a kiss. Okay,
wel , maybe two kisses. Nothing to get worked up about.”
An excited giggle escaped his lips.
Honestly, Christian wasn’t surprised at his own body’s
reaction to being near Michael. His body had been acting
this way ever since the first night he and Doyle had fol owed
Michael. Maybe he should tel Michael the truth — the whole
truth. His fingers came up and touched his mouth as he
thought about the beautiful kisses that had just taken place.
Waiting quietly in the darkened room for Michael to return,
Christian wondered what was to come. “Just look at him,”
Christian addressed the silent bird. “Wouldn’t you want to
be wrapped up in his gorgeous arms every night? Feel his
body on yours?” Christian shivered in delight. He thought
about everything else he would be able to do to Michael in
the future. Man, a cold shower was sounding pretty good
right now. He wondered if Michael would like company.
§ § § §
Sleeping next to Christian hadn’t bothered Michael
before. Now, Michael wasn’t sure if it would mean
something different, though he knew he wanted it to be
different. When he walked back to the room he felt stupid
having to ask if things had changed between them. Maybe
he would just wait to see what Christian did. What scared
him even more was that he knew he would soon have to
admit to Christian he was a virgin. Man, how embarrassing
and awkward was that conversation going to be?
“Feel better?” Christian asked as Michael walked in the
room and sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from him.
A shiver raced the length of his spine as Christian laid his
hand against his bare back in comfort.
“No. I’m just more confused I think,” Michael answered
honestly. The strange thing was, he knew what he wanted
but wasn’t sure if he was now al owed to ask for it.
“What about?” Christian moved until he was sitting
behind Michael, Christian laid tender kisses along the nape
of Michael’s neck. “What has this beautiful mind in such a
tizz?” Christian placed more kisses at the base of
Michael’s neck.
Michael smiled nervously, trembling as he answered.
“About us — this whole situation. I don’t know what I’m
meant to do.” Christian moulding himself against his body
wasn’t helping any.
“I told you, kissing and hugging is okay for now. I don’t
know about the other stuff just yet.” Christian gently bit his
“I wasn’t talking about sex, dumbarse.” Michael chuckled
because he wasn’t sure whether he was ready for anything
else either. Eventual y he would want to have sex and he
would want to do it with the guy currently plastered against
his back.
“Then what did you mean?” Christian sounded confused
so Michael slowly turned to face him.
Hoping against hel that Christian didn’t laugh at him he
murmured shyly, “I want — I want to sleep naked with you,
like I did the other night.” Michael couldn’t stop the blush
from creeping up his neck and face. “I want to lie with you,
skin on skin. And I wanted to let you know I am stil a virgin. I
have never been with anyone.”
“Oh! ” Christian sounded a little shocked. He final y
seemed to understand Michael’s need. “I suppose if you
want, we can,” Christian said. His gaze dropped down to
his silk boxers, and Michael knew Christian hadn’t real y
thought about this part of his request. “Anyway it’s time to
get some sleep. We have at least three quarters of the day
to get through,” Christian ended, sounding confident.
With his breath catching in his throat, Michael stared in
awe as Christian climbed back into bed and kicked off his
boxers. “You coming?” He lifted the sheet beside him.
Christian looked like he was more than happy to sleep
naked with Michael. He winked, “We’l take it slow, I
promise.”
Michael took a moment to pul himself together before he
dropped his towel and climbed into bed. He was more than
a little surprised when Christian rol ed over, wrapped his
arm around him, and kissed his cheek before snuggling up
against his side.
“I should tel you I have always wanted you from the first
moment I laid my eyes on you. I was glad when everyone
agreed you should sleep in my room. I was happy you
would have to share my bed. I’ve just been trying to work
out how to get you to want me back.” Christian giggled as
Michael gasped and widened his eyes.
“Am I freaking you out?”
“No, not real y.” Michael moved his arm until it rested
under Christian’s head. It ran along his back, holding him
close to his side. “I’l let you know when I get total y freaked.”
“Good. Oh, and Michael, no more picking up strange
men.” Christian said as he reached across and pinched
Michael on the nipple. “I never want to have to sit through
last night again and witness you getting ready to seduce
another guy.”
“Oww.” His free hand t
ilted Christian’s face so their lips
could meet in a lingering kiss. Now he had final y started,
Michael realized he loved kissing Christian and could feel
himself growing hard. “I told you babe, I never fucked him. I
couldn’t, not when I wanted him to be you.”
“Good answer, love. How old are you? I mean I wouldn’t
want to take advantage of you or anything.” Christian asked
in total seriousness.
“I’m twenty-two,” Michael replied with a yawn.
“Are you tired, love?”
Michael nodded as he laid his head on Christian’s
shoulder. He couldn’t believe how tired he was, it was as
though between Christian asking, and him answering a
spel had been placed upon him, even his semi hard cock
had backed right off. Snuggling closer, he thought he heard
Christian say goodnight as sleep claimed him.
§ § § §
Michael’s dreams were strange. Instantly he knew he
was back in the same place with “the voice.”
“I told you Christian was mine,” Michael said with
confidence. He had come to believe the voice belonged
to Sebastian.
“Christian will never be yours until he gives himself to
you completely. Until then Christian is mine. I made him
the way he is, and I can break him just as easily.”
“Why?” Michael was confused. “Why would you destroy
something you created?”
“Because he made you.”
Michael dropped to his knees, stunned into silence.
How could this be real? The voice had to be lying. How
could Christian have done this to him, knowing he had a
family, a future?
“Do you still want him, knowing what he has done to
you?” The voice laughed at the pain it had caused.
Michael cried out in grief. “You’re a liar.”
Sebastian laughed at him, “Ask him if you dare. Ask
him how he seduced and then killed you.
“Now, I wonder why he would have done such a thing.
What could have possessed him to take you away from
your family?” he taunted Michael until he fled from
Sebastian and the dream.
§ § § §
Sebastian was furious. He suddenly realised that
Christian and Michael were becoming closer — it was not
what he meant to happen. This was not what he wanted, so
he revealed another piece of the puzzle, one he was not
meant to. He just hoped no one found out. Because it would
be just his luck for them to run off and tel Lucio, or one of
the other Eldren.
CHAPTER SIX
So we fricken’ kissed.
Waking with the sound of mocking laughter stil ringing in
his ears, Michael cried out as he pushed himself away from
Christian. Jumping out of bed he put on the first clothes he
found, not caring they were yesterday’s, or that they were
the ones Christian had worn. Fury fil ed him as Christian
came to comfort him. “What? What is it?” Christian reached
for him.
Hurt and anger fil ed him. He knew Christian was
confused by his reaction and he didn’t care. Right now he
couldn’t have Christian anywhere near him. Couldn’t have
Christian touching him and breaking his resolve.
“Don’t. Just leave me the fuck alone. Don’t you fucking
touch me! ” He screamed as he knocked Christian’s hand
aside. “How could you do it? How could you fucking do that
to me?”
“I don’t understand,” Christian said as Michael fled the
room. “What have I done?” Christian yel ed. Words failed
Michael as he fled the room, but Christian fol owed him into
the hal . “Michael please, just tel me,” Christian pleaded.
“Just tel me what I have done.”
Turning, Michael viciously punched the wal repeatedly
until his knuckles bled, curse words fal ing from his lips with
each punch.
“You, you have done everything,” Michael shouted,
pushing him hard in the chest with his bloody hand. “You
destroyed my fucking life. You took me away from Gypsy
and I can’t forgive you for that. I wil never forgive you for
doing that!”
Christian stared at him. “So we fricken kissed. How did
a few kisses ruin your life?” Christian yel ed back. “You
were into it just as much as I was so don’t go blaming me
because you can’t handle it now. What did you think was
going to happen? Did you think we could just do this for one
night and it would al go back to normal?” Christian shoved
Michael. “My lips weren’t the only ones involved. I
remember your tongue being in my mouth, or have you
forgotten that fact?”
Being so angry, Michael didn’t notice, or if he did he
didn’t care, how the rest of the family had spil ed out of their
rooms, and were now watching — waiting to see how this
was al going to play out.
“How could you? I had a fucking family. I had Gypsy.”
Michael grabbed Christian, pinning him against the wal
and brought their faces close so he could stare into
Christian’s eyes. He wanted Christian to see just how
furious he was. “I had a life, and a family who loved me.
Why did you take me away from them?” Tears fil ed his
eyes and rol ed slowly down his cheeks.
“What the hel are you talking about?”
Confused, Christian tried to push him away, but stopped
as his own memories came creeping back to him.
Memories of what he had done to the beautiful man in front
of him. “Michael, I…” He ceased struggling, knowing he
deserved ful wel what was going to happen to him. Closing
his eyes against his flow of tears, Christian waited for
Michael to hit him. Waited for the hurt he knew was to
come. Pain fil ed him as he realized he had just lost
Michael forever.
“Why?” Michael sobbed, his head now rested on
Christian’s shoulder. Christian could feel the tears dripping
onto his own bare skin. Michael’s face turned so his lips
were pressed to Christian’s neck. Even though he hated
himself for what he had done, a little part of him stil relished
in the fact that Michael kissed his throat. Gasping, Christian
felt like his soul was being torn in two and was fighting
itself. It was almost as if he could feel Michael’s pain on top
of his own.
“I’m sorry,” Christian mouthed, “I truly am.” He wanted so
much to wrap his arms around Michael and give him
comfort but was afraid it would only cause Michael more
pain. “Please Michael, you have to believe me.”
Michael didn’t struggle when Doyle and Kerr gently
pul ed him off Christian. The sadness playing across
Michael’s face broke Christian’s heart.
“Would somebody care to explain?” Kerr demanded.
“Michael knows who his creator is.” Charm stared in
horror from Christian to Michael and back again.
Silence fel as her words sunk in.
Doyle asked stunned, “You know who created us?”
“No.” Michael shook h
is head, “I know who created me. I
know who my sire is. ” Christian felt the stab of jealousy as
Michael turned and wrapped himself around Doyle in
comfort. He knew Michael needed something to take away
the pain, but it stil hurt as Michael pressed closer to Doyle
who soothingly stroked his back.
Two voices asked at once. “Who?” while Charm
remained quiet.
“Michael I…” Words failed Christian as a look of pure
hatred — fol owed closely by pain and confusion — were
shot in his direction.
Tears streamed down Michael’s face and he turned
slightly in Doyle’s arms. In that moment in time Christian felt
his heart lurch as Michael spoke.
“Did you want to screw me so badly that the only way you
could get me was by kil ing me? Is this why you did it? Are
you fucking happy now?”
Feeling frustrated, Christian snapped back. “No! Fricken
hel , I didn’t even remember doing it until just now. I don’t
know how the hel it happened. I don’t ever remember
seeing you before the night Doyle and I watched you — the
night we brought you here.”
The rest of the family stared at him in stunned silence.
“Christian is your sire?” Kerr asked in disbelief. “How?
He never went out on his own.”
“Fuck me,” Doyle whistled. “Are you for real? How did
you do it?” Doyle directed his question toward Christian.
Even though Christian hated watching Doyle’s arms
wrap more firmly around Michael in comfort he turned to
them. “I don’t remember doing it. I just know that I did.”
Christian’s finger traced over the thin white scar in his wrist.
Now he remembered how he had gotten it. Michael had fed
from him. Was this the reason why he had thought Michael
was so beautiful? He now knew he real y had been in love
with Michael al along. Was Michael right, and in some
twisted way had he done this because he wanted Michael
in his bed? Was this why he so wil ingly became gay for
him?
Silently Christian watched as Michael pul ed himself out
of Doyle’s embrace, pushing his way past the others. “I
need to go.” Michael ignored them al as he headed for the
front door.
§ § § §
Dusk had fal en. Michael headed into town but he
bypassed al the usual haunts where his so-cal ed family