ears, and Michael thought he had sad eyes; they were
brown and fil ed with such sorrow it almost made Michael
want to comfort him. The dark-haired guy chewed on his
lower lip as he stared back and Michael felt one of the
corners of his mouth tug up. The stranger smiled back and
Michael wondered whether he was Christian or Doyle.
They al stared at each other for a long time before the
blond guy final y spoke. “I’m Chris.” Christian seemed
nervous as he walked over and took his hand. The first
thing Michael noticed were the deep dimples in each
cheek.
“Michael,” he said. If this was Christian then the other guy
was Doyle. Michael realized Christian hadn’t actual y
shaken his hand but was gently holding it in his own.
Charm took hold of Kerr’s arm and tugged him in the
direction of the stairs. “Come on, we can talk later. Now is
the time for sleeping, let the guys get to know each other.”
She winked at the three of them.
Frowning at them al , Kerr spoke. “You wil need to know
the rules. We wil talk later.” With that, Kerr al owed himself
to be led away.
Michael watched their departure, painful y aware
Christian had not yet let go of his hand and Doyle was stil
staring at him intently and had yet to speak.
“Rules?” Michael asked them as he slowly extracted his
hand from Christian’s grasp.
Christian frowned at the parting of their hands. “Kerr has
lots of rules,” he said. “Come on. I wil show you where you
can sleep.” Grabbing Michael’s arm, he began walking.
Heading up the stairs, he pul ed Michael along behind
him. “We,” he gestured between them, “wil have to share a
room; our house isn’t real y that big. I hope it won’t be a
problem?”
Michael stopped momentarily and watched Doyle flee.
Then he turned his attention back to Christian.
“I don’t care where I sleep as long as it is dark,” Michael
fibbed as he fol owed Christian through the house. Okay, so
maybe he wasn’t sure on having to share a bedroom with
another guy. The house seemed so quiet. If he were at
home right now he would have just been getting started for
the day, and would probably be fighting with Gypsy
because she had used al the milk again. Tears stung at his
eyes but he blinked them away. He didn’t want to think
about everything he had lost. It stil hurt too much, and
because of Christian and Doyle, he would have to work
through a whole lot of new hurting. He was tempted to just
reach out and punch Christian, but couldn’t bring himself to
do it. It was tiring enough just walking.
Stopping Christian opened the door. “Here it is,” he
said, and led Michael into the blacked out room.
Michael raised an eyebrow at the room’s only bed. What
did Christian actual y mean by sharing?
“Big bed.”
“You can take the bed,” Christian muttered, he must have
seen the shock on Michael’s face. “We wil get different
beds eventual y — if you want.”
“We can share,” Michael said, shaking his head. “I’m so
tired I real y don’t care. We can sort out everything else out
tomorrow.”
Michael rubbed a hand across his eyes as Christian
nodded and watched Michael take off his shirt. He bit his
lower lip to stop the groan from escaping at the sight of
Michael’s bare and hairless chest.
“Though I should warn you I have a tendency to talk in my
sleep,” Michael added as he lowered himself onto the bed.
Christian was disappointed he was stil wearing his jeans;
he would have liked to see if Michael was a boxers or
briefs man. He saw Michael was asleep as soon as his
head hit the pil ow. Stripping down to his own boxer briefs,
he climbed onto the bed beside Michael.
Lying awake for a long time, Christian watched Michael
sleep. His face was flawless except for one faint scar
running the length of his jaw line on the left hand side and
another tiny one beneath his nose. Before he could stop
himself, he lightly ran his fingertip along Michael’s jaw. He
happened to mar such beauty? Stil , Christian thought
Michael was perfect. His lips parted invitingly as he
breathed. Christian froze as Michael moved within his
sleep and frowned. Christian wondered what he was
dreaming of.
§ § § §
Michael floated in a pit of utter darkness. He could hear
the others calling him, but something or someone was
stopping him from returning to them. Michael knew if he
was going to survive; he would need to fight not only for
himself but for his new family as well. Something evil was
out there keeping watch on them, something wanted to
cause all of them great harm. Michael knew he couldn’t
allow that to happen, because this family now belonged to
him.
§ § § §
Sebastian sneered. He never thought it would be
possible to connect to the descendant of the first Michael
Marsden this easily. He was proud of the fact he had so
quickly accomplished what the Eldren wanted him to do.
Sebastian wondered why this Michael Marsden was so
important, but knew better than to ask. He had seen what
had happened to others who had shown disrespect to the
three remaining Eldren. Sebastian wondered if this Michael
even knew that he was the descendent of a very powerful
and important man.
The Eldren were in the middle of trying to pick their new
fourth. Sebastian had overheard Lucio and the others
talking, discussing just how vulnerable they were while they
were incomplete. That was one piece of information he was
keeping to himself until he needed it.
Sebastian chuckled. Oh, how he was going to love being
the one who destroyed Christian. In his eyes Christian did
not deserve to live. The Eldren had promised Christian
would be his payment; a reward for doing what they
wanted. Now that he had set the plan in motion he just had
to start pul ing Christian and Michael in, and they would
never know what was happening.
The Eldren had hinted he was a candidate for becoming
one of them. Sebastian had smiled and nodded in al the
right places. Not that he wanted to be their fourth, because
he was better than them al . One day they would al bow
down to him.
CHAPTER TWO
Things of myth and legend, or a very bad horror flick.
You choose.
As darkness fel and the air cooled, the house on
Ambrose Street slowly awakened.
Michael’s eyes snapped open in the panic of not
knowing where he was. For the past month he had
“roughed it” by sleeping in the park and sleeping in a bed
again felt strange. Relaxing as his memory came back, he
realised he was wrapped up in Christian’s arms. Weirdly
h
e was okay with that. Christian had his face pressed into
Michael’s shoulder and Michael’s arm ran the length of
Christian’s back, holding him close. Trying not to wake
Christian, he gently extracted himself. His skin tingled as
the cool air replaced the warmth of Christian’s embrace. At
the doorway his gaze lingered on Christian’s sleeping form.
He looked peaceful. It occurred to him he hadn’t been
grossed out by the way he had woken up, and he wondered
why. Maybe he just felt a little shocked. He left, closing the
door quietly behind him, stil wondering why he wasn’t
upset.
Michael made his way through the house toward the
sound of voices. Walking into the kitchen, he found the
others sitting around the table. The smel of frying bacon
was coming from the stove and it made his mouth water.
Someone chuckled as his stomach growled loudly, but he
didn’t care as it had been so long since he had been able
to satisfy his hunger. Doyle showed him where the kettle
was and got him a cup. He patted Michael’s arm awkwardly
before he went back to the table, tel ing him to make
himself at home. They appeared as normal as any family
getting ready to head out for the night. Charm offered him a
cigarette as he stood at the counter and listened to their
chatter.
“Good evening, Michael.” Charm indicated he should
come join them with a flick of her fingers at the vacant seat
beside Doyle. Michael knew they were al watching him with
distrust. Wel , perhaps more an intense curiosity than
distrust. He didn’t like having to be here, and the only thing
that kept him here was a lack of anywhere else to go. His
gaze lingered on Charm and she smiled at him. She was
real y very pretty and Michael could feel the beginnings of
something. Not exactly a crush, but he thought they might
end up as good friends.
“Am I to hear the rules now?” Michael didn’t mean for the
words to come out as petulant as they did, but it pissed him
off because he was kind of thankful the choice was taken
out of his hands. This wasn’t the life he would have chosen
for himself, but there was a smal part of him which was
grateful he wasn’t completely dead. At least this way he
could stil keep an eye on his family, albeit from a distance.
“We al abide by the rules, man,” Doyle said as he ran a
hand through his dark brown hair, which somehow just
made it stand up even more. “The rules are what keep us
from becoming monsters.”
Michael wondered why Kerr sat off to the side and
watched as Charm and Doyle explained the rules. Each
time either of them spoke, they turned to Kerr for
verification and he wondered if Kerr was their leader.
“When we feed, the kil is to be quick, neat, and with the
least amount of pain given to our -” Charm hesitated
thinking of how to explain, “‘prey’ , for want of a better word.”
Michael shuddered involuntarily. He stil didn’t know how
he was going to be able to kil . He had always thought of
himself as a pacifist. He wasn’t good at fighting. He had
always had Gypsy for that; she had done al of his fighting.
“We always travel in pairs,” Doyle added as he leant on
the table in front of him. Michael’s gaze travel ed over his
new family. It seemed they had already paired off. So who
the hel was supposed to be his partner?
Doyle glanced at Michael and then turned quickly away
and blushed. Michael wondered why.
“We take care of each other,” Doyle continued.
“The family is al we have,” Kerr said with finality.
Charm spoke quietly, “To some of us, it’s the only thing
that matters.”
“What about this creator?” Michael asked.
Silence was his only answer as they al shook their
heads. He didn’t think anyone was ever going to say
anything, but then Charm spoke and it freaked him out a
little.
Her pale eyes seemed to lose their focus as if she was
deep in thought. “Sometimes I think I know him.” An odd
calmness rested on her pale face. “Sometimes I think I see
him in my dreams, but when I wake up I can never quite
recal if he was real y there. I kind of get the feeling we were
chosen for a reason.”
When she came back to the here and now she added in
frustration, “This guy just pisses me off, you know?” She
raised her worried eyes toward Michael. “He frightens me
sometimes, and at other times I have a deep and binding
love for him.” Her voice trembled, and then her face final y
cleared of the troubled look she wore.
A shiver ran through his body as Michael watched on.
Kerr watched Charm and his eyes seemed fil ed with a
great sadness at her revelation. Michael thought Kerr cared
for her deeply, yet he didn’t think it was sexual in nature; it
just didn’t give off that kind of vibe. It almost seemed it was
the same way he felt for Gypsy.
“I think you were special y chosen,” she said in Michael’s
direction. “You are the one we needed.” Her eyes blinked
slowly. “Okay, so it might have been a dream I once had,
but you know what I mean. Sometimes I dream weird shit.”
The trembling in her hands told Michael she truly believed
what she saw.
“Sometimes we al do,” Doyle reached across the table
and squeezed her hand.
“Okay. Who is going with Chris tonight?” Doyle asked,
moving the conversation away from the strangeness Charm
had just created. “Come on guys. I went with him last night.”
He grinned, “I love him like a brother but if I have to take him
out again then I might just kil the little shit.”
Michael wondered why they didn’t seem too keen on
having Christian with them. What could be so wrong with
him? “Wel if we have to travel in pairs then he can come
with me. I mean, someone wil have to show me how to get
back here,” Michael said, not real y sure if he meant what
he was saying.
“Are you sure?” Charm asked. “Chris can tend to be a
bit of a handful.”
Michael queried, “A handful?”
“You wil find out,” Kerr said with a grin. “We’l take the
north side,” he said as he pul ed Charm to her feet. “Come
on toots, the night is ours.” He glanced at Doyle and
waggled his eyebrows. “It would seem you get to
chaperone Chris and the newbie again. Have fun.”
“Gee thanks,” Doyle said sarcastical y as Charm and
Kerr headed out the door.
Doyle watched him, and Michael could feel the
uncertainty coming off him in waves. “I think I should warn
you what they mean by Chris can be a handful,” Doyle said
quietly.
Michael wondered if Doyle trusted him, and he probably
had a right not to. Michael stil kind of wanted Christian to
be a handful just so he could thump the bastard for feeding
him and turning
him into a monster, then thump Doyle for
helping him. He was torn between wanting to have friends
here and wanting to beat the living shit out of them both,
and at the moment it was a pretty even race.
One eyebrow rose as he studied Doyle. “I don’t bite. He
wil come home safe and sound. Besides, won’t I have you
watching over my shoulder?” Michael said, not sure if it was
the truth or not, and he felt a little irritated. If Doyle didn’t
trust him then why the hel did he help him feed? Why bring
him here to be a part of this family? Why not just let him die
as he wanted to?
“We al bite,” Doyle said with a frown. “I just wanted to
say Chris tends to be one of those people who find
themselves in trouble without even trying. Take last month
for instance. He managed to trap us both out in the sunlight
and we had to take refuge in an abandoned house until we
could come home. Not once, but twice. He just doesn’t think
before he acts.”
Michael watched as Doyle sighed as he got up and
paced the kitchen. “Chris needs a steady hand. We al take
turns at looking out for him. The thing is… Wel , I suppose
you wil have to find out for yourself.”
He hesitated, and Michael thought he wasn’t sure if he
wanted to say more. A door slammed and he turned as he
heard Chris stir within the house. “He’s not bad, he just
doesn’t think. We just need to be careful, that’s al I’m
saying.”
Pouring himself a tea Michael waited for Christian to find
them. Doyle had gone back to his room to get something.
This only gave Michael the impression Doyle didn’t want to
be anywhere near him.
His thoughts drifted to his family, his real family, the one
he’d had to leave behind, and to his sister in particular.
They were twins and got on wel together. Okay, they got on
like a house on fire. Losing her was the hardest part in al of
this, because he had left half of himself behind. It hurt being
away from her as long as he already had, especial y
knowing she stil lived so close that he could reach out and
touch her. But it was something he could never al ow
himself to do. Not only did he lose his heartbeat, but now he
had this new emptiness fil ing him, and it hurt beyond belief.
He needed to find something to fil the place within him. He
needed something to take away the pain.