Claiming The Little Vampire 25506n

Claiming the Little Vampire

Published by CR Guiliano

Copyright © 2017 CR Guiliano All Rights Reserved.

Digital Edition

Cover Designer: SelfPubBookCovers.com/Azia

This book is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination, and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places, is purely coincidental. License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book, and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the author. Warning: This book contains material that is only suitable for mature readers.

Chapter 1

Kelle watched as a sleek, black limousine drew up to the front of the club, knowing it was his boss. He gave a nod when Thayne emerged from the vehicle, the tall man dressed immaculately, as always. Thayne was the best boss Kelle had ever had, though the man was a mystery. He was followed by his entourage, a bunch of young, pretty men, who climbed out of the limousine after him, and the body guards who exited from the front. Thayne tucked one small man under each arm, the others following in his wake, and strode towards Kelle. “Good evening, sir.” Thayne gave a small smile. Kelle had never seen the man grin.

“How’s the night so far, Kelle?”

“Hopping as usual, sir. No issues so far.” Kelle was a bouncer at Bent, and had door duty tonight. He much preferred being inside, where he could keep an eye on the clientele, but once every week, he had to stand at the door, making sure those in line didn’t cause any trouble, or try to sneak in. And .they did try, since Bent was one of the most popular clubs in downtown West Baybridge. It was a high class gay nightclub, and Thayne did not tolerate any kind of violence. Which meant the bouncers, such as himself, had to keep things in order. As far as Kelle knew, Thayne was happy with his work, because the man didn’t hesitate to fire anyone who let him down.

Occasionally, Kelle had Brogan—the other bouncer just inside the door checking ID’s, and Kelle’s best friend—hold his position when there was a disturbance in the line. It didn’t happen often, most people knowing if they misbehaved, they would not be allowed in. Tonight, it seemed everyone was in a fairly good mood, with no one trying to cut in line, or start anything. Just as well, since Kelle was tired. He’d not slept well today. Lately, he’d been restless, and unsatisfied with his life. He worked out during the day, worked at Bent during the night, and

slept, and ate in between. There were the occasionally hook-ups, but even those weren’t satisfying anymore.

Kelle realized, his life was damn boring. And lonely. Growing up in group homes, Kelle had never made any lasting friendships, or had the opportunity to learn any real skills. He was a bouncer, because he had the large frame, and hard face to be intimidating. At 6’4”, and muscles he worked hard for, he stood above most others. His black hair, and light blue eyes didn’t soften his sharp, angular face, with its perpetual beard shadow. The only other person taller than him at the club was Thayne himself, except his boss had a much thinner body. Thayne was built more like a swimmer, long and lithe, while Kelle was just short of body builder shape. A shape that attracted a lot of the men at the club. Except Kelle didn’t believe in mixing pleasure with work. He never hooked-up with the clientele. Something Brogan was always ragging him about. But Kelle stuck to his number one rule.

If Kelle wanted to get laid, he went to the local BDSM club, Whips, about five miles from the town center. There he could find the men he preferred. Small, meek, and willing to do what Kelle needed them to do, which consisted mostly of presenting their ass, or mouth. He was no Dom, but he liked control. He’d had very little of that in is life, and relished the need to direct his partners, to dominate them. He also had a small biting fetish, and those who came to Thayne’s club would not be the kind of people to appreciate such a kink. Submissives tended to take it in stride, as if biting turned them on. That worked for Kelle. Kelle blinked, pulled from his thoughts when Thayne spoke.

“I have a guest arriving in an hour. Please have him escorted to my private entrance.”

“Of course, sir.” Whoa, Thayne had never had someone come in that entrance, which led up a set of stairs to his private suite above the club. Must be an important guest. About forty-five minutes after Thayne went inside, Chichi came

out to stand next to Kelle.

“The master…Thayne wishes me to relieve you, so you can take care of his guest.”

Chichi was another tall, lithe, and gorgeous man, much like Thayne, with the same long black hair, and silver-blue eyes. Kelle would have thought they were related, except their faces were different, and well, Kelle had asked once. Chichi had laughed, and said ‘in a way’. Kelle never did make sense of that answer, and let it go. It wasn’t as if it was any of his business anyway, and he wanted to keep his job. He did wonder why Chichi, and a few others in the club, would obviously slip, and call Thayne “master”. Again, it wasn’t his business, and being curious about his boss, and other employees wasn’t a good idea. Not in a club like this. His thoughts were interrupted when another sleek, black limousine parked in front of the club. It could be anyone, since Bent catered to a lot of well to do aristocrats, but Kelle didn’t think so. The night was well into the late evening, and those who were coming, had already arrived. Which meant whoever got out of the opulent vehicle would be Thayne’s guest.

Kelle stood taller, waiting, as the driver came around to open the door. Kelle didn’t know what to think, as the driver was quite—wild looking—despite the suit he was wearing. He had dark brown hair, shaggy, and almost to the middle of his back. He had a short beard growth, and was built solid, and intimidating. But none of that compared to the man who stepped out of the vehicle. He had white blonde hair, just as long, and shaggy as the driver, but where the driver’s eyes were a muddy brown, this man’s eyes were a stunning amber green. They almost had an inner light glowing from them, if that was something Kelle believed in. And he was huge, taller than Kelle by a good few inches, and much bigger.

Kelle had never met anyone bigger than himself, and was somewhat awed by the stranger. The man was dressed as immaculately as his driver, but where the

driver was plain, this man had a gold collar around his neck. It looked a lot like what a submissive who was owned would wear, but there was no way this man was owned by anyone. Two more large men exited the vehicle, looking around suspiciously. Guards, Kelle figured. After making sure the coast was clear, one turned, and held out his hand. Kelle was fascinated by the man who emerged. He was much smaller than the others, and if Kelle didn’t know better, he would have thought the man was, well, pregnant. Only, everyone knew men couldn’t have babies.

Pushing his curiosity to the back of his mind, he cleared his throat, and stepped forward. He suddenly took a step back again, when one of the men growled. Like, a very animalistic growl.

“Chanley, stand down.”

Well, huh, seems the gorgeous man was owned. “If you will follow me, I’ll take you to Thayne’s.” All the strangers’ eyes widened, and Kelle could swear the biggest one leaned forward, and…sniffed. Was he smelling Kelle? A lightning fast sneer crossed the man’s lips, before he schooled his face back into an imive mask. Kelle felt like he should be offended, but had no clue why. He just turned, and headed to the alleyway that would lead to Thayne’s private entrance. They ed the back door to the club, the bass of the music inside vibrating it. Down another few feet was another lead door, and Kelle wrapped his knuckles on it quickly. Kelle was allergic to lead, and could already feel the itching begin. All of Thayne’s doors were made of lead, and Kelle usually kept his touch to the doorknobs.

Pauless opened the door, giving Kelle a nod, before ushering the newcomers in, and shutting the door behind them. What strange people. Kelle shook his head, and turned to head to the back door, but before he could enter the club, he heard a whimper, and a string of low curse words near the dumpster. He approached cautiously, to see a small man crumpled on the other side. Kelle could see pretty

well in the dark, had always been able to, and could see the man was hurt. “Hey, can I help you?”

The man’s head jerked up, and Kelle saw the bruises on his jaw, and temple. The man was steadily licking at his split bottom lip, and had an arm curled around his right side. When Kelle moved to come closer, the man’s dark amber eyes turned red, and he opened his mouth, hissing, with long, white fangs showing. Kelle closed his eyes, and shook his head. No way was he seeing this. It wasn’t possible. When he opened his eyes again, the man was struggling to stand, and watching him suspiciously. When Kelle, again, moved to help, the man put up his free hand, and started limping backwards.

“Just, stay away from me.”

The low, vibrating voice traveled down Kelle’s spine, and lodged in his balls, making them ache. His cock went from soft, and unaware, to rigid, and throbbing within seconds. And what was that tingling at the root of it? That was a new sensation. What the fuck? Kelle had never had such a visceral reaction to another man. Certainly not one who was injured. He’d only wanted to assist. Helplessly, Kelle watched the man turn away, and limp down the alley, away from the main road, and the front of the club. A few minutes later, he was gone, and Kelle was left with an empty feeling, like he’d missed something important, but had no clue what it was.

Sighing, he returned to the back door, and entered the club. Toyston, and Levin were manning the back door, nearly invisible in their dark alcoves on either side of the entrance. These two were another couple of tall, svelte men, who looked a lot like Thayne. They never spoke to him, just watched him with their intense eyes. Kelle ignored them, as the deep beat of the music throbbed around him. He walked down the empty hall, ing the bathrooms, and entered the main part of the club. He inhaled, the mix of sweat, arousal, and beer assaulting his nose. Lights flashed in the dimness, and bodies writhed on the dance floor. On the

right was a curve of the wall, with curtained off alcoves. Kelle didn’t know what went on in those private places, but assumed it was sex.

Kelle made his way past them, and around the dance floor, paying no attention to the ass groping, and hands sliding down his chest, and made his way to the bar.

“Hey, Kelle.”

He turned to see Mytro manning the bar, and nodded at him. Mytro was gorgeous, like a lot of the men who worked here. Also tall, he had long black hair, and dark green eyes so bright, they appeared to sparkle like emeralds. He was also a certifiable flirt, giving Kelle’s body a once over, his eyes lingering on the bulge in the front of Kelle’s pants. Once the small man was out of Kelle’s sight, his dick had started to wither, but he was still at half-mast. Kelle shook his head, containing a chuckle. “Never gonna happen, Mytro.” Mytro smiled, his eyes dancing.

“A man can dream, yea?”

“Keep dreaming, stud.” Kelle grinned at Mytro, and continued on to the front door. He needed to get back to work. The last thing he needed was for Thayne to get upset with him.

As the night progressed, and the time for closing the club got nearer, Kelle couldn’t keep his thoughts off the small man in the alley. He was sure his mind had played tricks on him. There was no way that man’s eyes had turned red, and fangs? Kelle knew what vampires were, had watched plenty of movies, but they weren’t real. So, maybe the guy had some vampire kink? He’d heard about some

people getting the dental work to look as if they had fangs, and the guy could have been wearing s, except that didn’t explain how they went from amber, to red?

Brogan came out, pulling Kelle from his thoughts. It was time to close, and he and Brogan were tasked with the job of making sure everyone had left before the doors were locked. As Kelle helped clean up, the huge stranger came down the curved stairs from Thayne’s suite, the smaller man with the large belly tucked into his side, Thayne coming down behind him, and alone. Well, he had a couple of his body guards with him, but none of the pretty men who usually swarmed around him.

They made their way to the front of the club, said a few words too low for Kelle to catch, then the stranger, and his entourage left. Thayne turned, his silver-blue eyes zeroing in on Kelle.

“Kelle, a moment of your time?”

Kelle’s heart lurched. Was he in trouble? He didn’t think he’d done anything to upset his boss. He hurried to Thayne’s side, worried he was about to lose his job. “Yes, sir?” Kelle couldn’t look Thayne in the eyes, and kept his head down.

“I no longer wish you to man the doors, or the club proper.”

Kelle’s stomach sunk. He’d angered Thayne. He wracked his brain, trying to figure out what he’d done, until Thayne spoke again.

“From now on, you will be assigned to the door leading to my suite.”

Kelle finally looked up in shock. He was being…promoted? “Sir?” Thayne smiled at him, and to Kelle’s astonishment, the man raised his hand, his long, thin fingers running through Kelle’s wavy, black hair. The affection was foreign to Kelle. Thayne had never touched him before.

“Don’t be so surprised, Kelle. You have pleased me, and when I’m pleased, I reward.”

Thayne’s eyes darkened, and Kelle could feel the blood in his veins pumping so fast, it was roaring in his ears. Before he could utter a word, Thayne pulled his hand away, and bid Kelle a good night. His boss made his way back up the stairs, and Kelle was left standing there in shock. What had just happened? Kelle shook his head, glancing around to see if anyone had noticed the exchange. Only Mytro was looking over at him, the man smiling at Kelle, like he knew a secret. Kelle snorted. What a strange, and unusual night. He finished his job, and left, heading back to his empty apartment, and wondering what the hell was going on. It took a long time for sleep to come to him, the sun hitting the horizon before Kelle finally closed his eyes.

*~*~*~*

“What the fuck, Thayne? You know you have a hybrid working for you?”

Thayne stared at Alpha Garron, his mate Rixy plastered to his side, his two betas standing on either side of them. When there had been a knock, announcing Garron’s arrival, Thayne had sent his feeders to his bedroom, especially Eneo,

who was ripe right now. The last thing he needed was some mangy wolf fucking his favorite feeder, and seeding him. Thayne was mildly surprised Garron had brought his pregnant omega mate with him, but maybe he didn’t trust his pack. “Of course, Alpha. Kelle has been with me for more than two years. But then, you’d know that if you had bothered to answer my summons before now.” The betas growled at Thayne’s disrespect, but he ignored them. Within seconds, he could have half a dozen of his warriors in here. From the slash of Garron’s hand to silence his wolves, the alpha knew it too.

“Why would you employ a hybrid? Half-breeds are an abomination, and he could be a danger to your vampires. All it would take is one bite.”

Thayne rolled his eyes. Kelle was no more a danger to Thayne’s people, than any other shifter, or human. Besides, he knew Kelle did not dabble with any of the employees, or the clientele for that matter. Thayne knew Kelle preferred the Submissives at another club. And if he found his fated mate, be it a vampire, shifter, or human, his bite would be harmless, only causing the mating bond to be created. His employee also didn’t know who he worked for. It was easy to see Kelle believed himself to be a human, didn’t know he was half wolf shifter. “I’ll worry about Kelle. Do we have an agreement, Garron?” The alpha looked dubious, then gave a huff, and a sharp nod.

“Excellent. My people will be thrilled.” Vampires need for blood was a fact, and to have access to shifter blood was a luxury most vampires didn’t have. In exchange for allowing Garron’s people to come to the club, and search for mates, they would allow Thayne’s people to drink from them. It was an unprecedented endeavor, and would be shaky until both species started to trust one another. Thayne was pleased to be in a position to take the first step. Garron, unlike most alphas, was a more reasonable, open-minded male, barring his dislike of hybrids. The first three alphas Thayne had approached with his proposition, had laughed, and thought Thayne insane, or under bloodlust.

Thayne was neither, and for his people to have the chance at the potent shifter essence, he was willing to look like a fool. He knew the truth, and honestly, he was hoping to find a worthy feeder among Garron’s pack. Humans were fine, but Thayne, being a master, and many centuries old, would benefit greatly from the extra power shifter blood contained. He kept his mouth shut, not wanting Garron to know just how powerful he’s people’s blood would make Thayne’s vampires. He wasn’t stupid enough to give away such an important detail.

“I need to get Rixy home. I’ll send the first bunch tomorrow night.”

Thayne nodded, and stood, his guards falling into place behind him. “I’ll walk you to the door.” They exited Thayne’s suite, and made their way down the long, winding stairs that led from the private upper levels, to the club proper. The employees were cleaning up now the club had closed, and Thayne expanded his senses in search of Kelle. He found him with Brogan, one of his full human bouncers, wiping down tables. The idea Garron didn’t like Kelle was intriguing, and Thayne planned on keeping the hybrid close. He didn’t trust Garron’s pack to stay away from Kelle, and not harass him, or worse.

“I will come tomorrow, and for a while, just to make sure my pack re their manners. Being around this environment is going to trigger certain…uh… needs, and we obviously don’t want them fucking their way through your clientele. I’ll be here to remind them they are to have fun, yes, but are looking for mates, not rutting fodder.”

Thayne nodded, agreeing. The last thing he needed was for the humans, and vampires who frequented his establishment to be accosted. And any human feeders, who might be ripe, or laetus vampires, would end up pregnant with hybrids, and both Garron, and Thayne knew that could spell disaster. He was still wondering how someone like Kelle had even been born. Of course, he had several children of his own, all but one hybrids with humans. His eldest son was full vampire, his carrier a vampire laetus, and extremely fertile, which was why

he’d only seeded the male once. But Garron didn’t need to know that, and wolf hybrids were rare, and could be quite dangerous if they went feral. Not so with vampire hybrids.

Chapter 2

Kelle stood at the top of the stairs, guarding the private upper level that was now his new duty. He surveyed the club proper from his high vantage point, watching for any threats, and trying to deny he was looking out for a certain small man. He was exhausted, having slept very little in the last few days. And when he did get some sleep, it was to have the little man’s dark, amber eyes haunting his dreams. He’d wake up either covered in spunk, or have a raging hard-on he had to take care of just to get out of bed. And the root of his shaft continued to tingle every time he thought of the hurt man.

He didn’t expect to see him again. Who would want to come back to a place where they had been attacked? Kelle shook his head, trying to focus on his job. The last thing he needed was to displease Thayne, when the man had given him such a prestigious position. He scanned the dance floor, watched as men came, and went from the curtained off areas, and noted a lot of new clientele. They were hard to miss, all of them large, and burly. He saw the man who had met with Thayne a few nights ago sitting in the VIP section, watching everything as sharply as Kelle was.

Occasionally, the large, stunningly handsome man would get up, stalk down one of the large men in the club, place his hand on their neck, and lean in to whisper to them. Every time the recipient would cringe, and nod. He wondered what that was about, but tried to ignore it, since it wasn’t his business. As long as he didn’t see any violence, and no one tried to make their way up to Thayne’s private level, Kelle didn’t need to worry.

It was nearly six hours into his shift, and he’d just come back from his break when he saw him. The small man from the alley. Much to Kelle’s surprise, there were no healing bruises on his beautiful face, and he moved languidly, as if he

was no longer in any pain. How was that possible? Kelle had seen the injuries. The man should still be healing. Those thoughts took a back seat when he noticed two of the large, brawny men sandwiching the smaller one. They were slowly herding him towards the curtained off areas, and it was obvious, even from here, the man who made Kelle’s body react was flirting.

He was running his small hands over both of the other men’s chests, smiling up at them. Something snapped in Kelle, and he had started down the stairs before he stopped himself. It wasn’t his business, but something primal reared its head inside him, and the need to protect the small man was roaring through him.

“Kelle?”

Kelle swiveled around to see Thayne standing behind him, two of the small, pretty men by his side, his boss watching him intently. Kelle’s body was shaking, and he was scared. Scared the little guy downstairs would get hurt again, scared he’d let Thayne down with his unusual behavior. Kelle wasn’t used to such emotions, and could feel his cheeks heating with embarrassment.

“What’s bothering you?”

Thayne’s tone was authoritative, and had a compelling power to it that Kelle couldn’t ignore. “There’s a man downstairs who might be in trouble.” Kelle had pointed to the small man, and the two subtly pushing him closer to the curtains. Thayne followed where his finger pointed, and narrowed his eyes.

“Then, perhaps you should save him, and bring him to me.”

Kelle didn’t even acknowledge Thayne as he tore down the stairs, and wrestled his way through the crowd. He had permission, and one goal in mind—grabbing the pretty man, and racing back up the stairs to his boss. When he finally got to them, they were nearly behind one of the curtained areas. Kelle had never gone in one of these, had never been curious as to what was hidden away. Now, he got a good look, as one of the taller men pulled the drapes aside.

Revealed was a small, dim alcove with what appeared to be a dentist chair, of all things. However, embedded in the top, and bottom corners were cuffs, like the ones used at the BDSM club he occasionally frequented. There were two comfortable chairs on either side of the reclined one. No other adornments could be seen. The walls were bare, nothing but rich, red carpet on the floor. Tucked in the corner was a sink, and next to it a shelf that went from floor to ceiling, filled with towels, and washcloths, and on the bottom shelf a first-aid kit, along with several bottles of lube. Kelle had always assumed sex happened in these cordoned off areas, but no sex he’d ever heard of happened here, despite the ledge full of slick.

His brief perusal was cut short when one of the bigger guys shoved him back. He scowled at the man, intent on getting to the small one who caused his blood to thicken with arousal. Already, his body was reacting to being close. Before he could retaliate, and get his hands on the man he’d come for, the tall stranger who’d been here before came up next to him.

“Is there a problem?”

The man’s deep, rumbling voice caused an unfamiliar reaction in Kelle, his instincts telling him to back away, but there was no way he was doing that, with the man he’d come to get in danger. Kelle was a bit confused, wondering where the protectiveness was coming from, but he didn’t fight it. His disposition had

gotten him out of a lot of tight spots, and he’d learned to trust it.

“This here hu…”

The stranger cleared his throat, sounding more like a growl, interrupting the other man.

“This guy is trying to interfere with our…pleasure.”

“This guy is a bouncer who works here, and is here to take that man to the boss.” Kelle pointed at the small man. He didn’t care much for these newcomers, and reached around the large man to grab the smaller one’s arm. The moment he touched him, he felt a tingle travel up his arm, making his heart beat faster, and blood roar in his ears. He didn’t understand it, but pulled the man to him, nonetheless.

The stranger who had visited before looked back, and up, and Kelle followed his line of sight. Thayne was at the top of the stairs, and gave subtle nod.

“It appears you are going to have find your pleasure somewhere else. Come with me.”

The words were a clear order, and both men who had tried to pull the smaller man into the alcove did the oddest thing. They tilted their heads, exposing their throats, and shuffled off with the newcomer, ignoring Kelle, and the man he held. Weird people. Kelle pulled the smaller man along, but had to stop when he

started struggling. He looked down to see himself being glared at…again.

“Let go of me!”

“No, the boss wants to see you.” The man continued to struggle, so Kelle used his free hand to grab the man’s nape, holding him tight. “Knock it off.” Finally, the stranger stopped fighting him, and Kelle could have sworn he heard a low hiss under the loud music, but when he looked down, he didn’t see any fangs this time. He was pretty sure his mind had tricked him last time, so mentally shrugged as he guided his quarry through the crowd, and up the stairs. Thayne had disappeared into his study, and Kelle went to knock on the door. When he let go of the man’s neck, he tried to bolt, but Kelle grabbed him around the waist, and flipped him over his shoulder.

“Come.”

Kelle opened the door, to see Thayne sitting on the couch, the pretty, young men he usually had around him hovering nearby, with one sitting in his lap. When Kelle walked in, it looked like Thayne was kissing the man’s neck, and from the sounds, the guy really liked it. Embarrassed, Kelle turned his gaze away. Minutes later, there was a loud groan, and when Kelle looked back, it was to see the object of Thayne’s attention lying on the couch, a dazed look on his face, and a large wet spot on the front of his pants.

The guy in Kelle’s arms had continued to wiggle, and Kelle finally slapped his tight ass to get him to stop. The man froze, and Kelle wondered if he’d hit him too hard.

“Kindly put him down, Kelle.”

Kelle pulled the man over his shoulder, letting him slide down his much taller body, holding in a groan of his own, as his skin grew hot, and cock grew impossibly harder. He didn’t know what it was about this stranger, but Kelle wanted him—desperately.

*~*~*~*

Tobih was thoroughly annoyed. He’d come so close, so close to tapping a vein, and satisfying the hunger within him. He wasn’t stupid, he knew some damn rough sex was going to be involved, but he didn’t care. He’d take the bruises, and humiliation to quench his thirst. The two guys he’d been flirting with smelled—off, like they weren’t entirely human, but he was a newly turned vampire, so what did he know?

But, once again, he’d been cut off from his meal, by the same bouncer who’d scared off the guy who had knocked him around in the alley a few nights ago. He didn’t understand why he was a target for the violence, and didn’t really care when all he wanted to do was sink his fangs into some flesh, and fill his aching belly with warm blood. He’d bought a few rabbits, and cats from a pet store, but their blood wasn’t satisfying, like he thought it might be. He’d killed the pets with his desperate hunger, drinking way too much, and regretted it. He didn’t want to kill, he just wanted to feel full for once.

He pulled at the bouncer, trying to get free, but the man wasn’t letting go. So much for vampires having super human strength. He hissed under his breath, knowing flashing his fangs inside the club was a bad, very bad idea. There were nothing but humans here, and he didn’t relish being a science experiment, if they figured out he wasn’t one of them.

And why did the owner of the club want to see him? He didn’t think he’d done anything wrong. For that matter, he’d just danced, and flirted like everyone else here. No one knew what he planned on doing behind that curtain. He wanted to rage when the bouncer had picked him up, slinging him over his shoulder like Tobih was a sack of flour, or something. He struggled again, when they entered the boss’s office, Tobih humiliated at finding himself in such a position, ass up, and facing the man who owned the club.

He ignored the way his cooler body heated when he was slid down the bouncer’s tall length, and turned quickly to confront the club owner. He nearly swallowed his tongue at the gorgeous man. His gaze took in the man’s flushed face, the pretty twinks around him, and the one reclining on the couch, acting as if he was drugged. Even in the dim light, Tobih saw the tiny pinpricks on the man’s neck, and his gaze jerked back to the owner, who was smirking at him. Wow, apparently, the owner was a vampire. The first Tobih had encountered.

“Kelle, could we have a moment alone?”

Tobih glanced over to the man standing next to him, noting the frown, but he only nodded at his boss, turned, and left, closing the door behind him. Tobih returned his attention to the man sitting at the desk. “So, you’re a vampire?”

“No, I am a master vampire, and am surprised to find a fledgling in my territory. Care to explain how you ended up here?”

Tobih shrugged. He didn’t know what the difference was between himself, and a master vampire, but he really didn’t feel like dredging up the mistake who had bitten him.

“Shrugging your shoulders, and refusing to answer me is not a good idea. I can make your life very…uncomfortable.”

“Is that a threat?” Tobih couldn’t believe some guy he’d never met before was bullying him. Lord knows he’d had enough of that in his life, what with the few hook-ups he’d had who, thanks to his small size, thought it gave them carte blanche to be rough, not to mention his alcoholic mother who like to use her fists, and incestuous father who thought Tobih’s ass was fair game. It had taken him a few years, but he’d finally gotten out of his parent’s house, and he was never, ever going back. Everything had been going well, until the one-night stand he’d brought home had gotten all fangy on him.

He’d originally thought the man just had a thing for biting. Until he’d kicked the man out after their fucking, then gone through the worst night of his life, the agony so bad, he thought he was going to die. Except, he did. And come morning, was reborn as a vampire. That had been a couple of weeks ago. Now, because going out in sunlight was painful, he’d lost his job. He’d eventually found another, thank God, so hadn’t lost his loft, but it had been a close call. Now, he worked the early evenings, then trolled for veins to satisfy his thirst late in the night, and slept during the day.

“No, that is not a threat, but you need to understand, you are in my territory, and I expect a certain amount of respect from vampires in my coven.”

“I’m not in your coven. A one-night stand bit me, turned me into a monster, and my loft is only about six blocks from here. So, you see, no need to worry about me. If you want, I won’t come into your club anymore. Plenty of other places to find a neck, or two.” Tobih wasn’t sure about that, at least not nice clubs like this one. Sure, there were lots of bars around, but it wasn’t hard to figure out Tobih was gay, and he highly doubted he’d be welcome in any of them.

“You are a fledgling vampire, and from what you just said, turned within my territory. That automatically makes you a member of my coven. You should have presented yourself immediately, so we could have helped with your transition. And, you are no more a monster, than I am.”

Tobih ignored the titters of laughter around him from the little twinks. “That’s all well, and fine, but I don’t know how to identify a vampire, didn’t know there was a master around, and all I really care about it finding a vein to tap.”

“Kib.”

Tobih took a step back, when one of the pretty men approached him. He stood directly in front of Tobih, well within his personal space, and Tobih was about to tell him to back off, when the small man—though not much smaller than Tobih —tilted his head, exposing the gently pulsing vein in his neck. Tobih’s mouth watered, and his fangs throbbed.

“Drink, and then we can continue our discussion.”

Tobih was shaking all over at holding himself back. “I’m not sure…I’ve never… I don’t know…” God, he was a dweeb, unable to get out he’d never fed from a human before.

“Is Kib not to your liking? I can provide another.”

“NO! No, that’s not it. I’ve…uh…never actually…um, I’ve never drank from a human before.” Tobih hung his head, no matter how aware he was of the warm body in front of him. A warm body he wanted to grab, and sink his fangs into.

“You what? Wait, you’ve never had human blood?”

Tobih nearly pissed himself when the boss man stood up, coming around the desk to stand near him. Holy mother of…he was so fucking tall! “No?” Tobih barely got that out, and wasn’t sure why he’d said the word like a question. He stepped back until his back hit the wall, and took a deep breath, infuriated the other vampire was rattling him. “Look, I’ve tried, but it’s not easy. It’s only been a couple of weeks.”

“Dear Gods, no wonder you are starving. Kib, come here.”

Tobih watched suspiciously as the twink approached the boss. He gasped when the owner leaned down, and bit into the guy’s neck. Half a second later, he lifted his head, and Tobih’s eyes were glued to the trickle of blood seeping from the wounds. He licked his lips, then groaned when the twink came up to him, wrapped his arms around his waist, and presented his neck. Tobih couldn’t help it, he struck, sinking his fangs in where the master had bitten. The first gulp, and Tobih’s cock twitched. Three draws of the warm, sweet blood, and Tobih was in danger of coming in his pants. It tasted so damn good, and he could feel energy thrumming through him.

Only minutes later, the master tried to pull Tobih from his first decent meal, and he growled at him. He then hissed when the taller vampire forced a finger between Tobih’s mouth, and the human’s neck, breaking the suction he had developed. Angry, Tobih ignored the way the owner had to help the human to the couch to lie down.

“You mustn’t take too much. Not only will it make you sick, but Kib will be in danger, and need to replenish his strength.”

Tobih licked his lips, making sure not to waste a drop of the precious blood. His stomach felt comfortably warm, and satisfied, and not too full since the club owner stopped him from gorging himself.

“Now, why don’t you have a seat, and we’ll continue our conversation.”

The tall vampire waved at a chair in front of his desk, and Tobih was feeling languid enough to glide over, and sit. He was sleepy now, and only wished for the night to be over so he could go home, and climb into bed.

“Can you tell me the name of the vampire who bit you?”

Tobih shook his head. “No, I told you, it was a one-night stand. I don’t get names. We fucked, and he bit me. After that, things are a blur, and I didn’t become aware of anything until hours later.”

“Can you, at least, tell me what he looked like?”

Tobih blinked slowly, trying to get his sluggish brain to cooperate. “He was tallish, pretty skinny. He had white hair, and pale blue eyes. Nice sized dick, and an ass to die for.” Tobih giggled. He had died for that ass. Well, he’d been the one fucked, but still. When he glanced at the master, there was a frown on his

finely sculpted face. “Do you know who he is?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“Well?” Tobih didn’t have the patience right now to pull answers from the tall vampire. “Who was he?”

“A rogue who frequents the fringes of my territory. My warriors have been tracking him, but he’s elusive.”

“Try the Harbinger, that’s where I picked him up.” The Harbinger was another club, much like this one, but not nearly as classy. It sat about 5 miles south of the city, in a rundown area near the train tracks. A few minutes after Tobih had spoken, a tall, thin man, most likely another vampire, entered, and stood to the side of the chair Tobih was currently sinking into.

“Young Tobih has had an encounter with Harrow. He met him at the Harbinger. Take a few warriors, and check it out.”

The man silently nodded, and left, and the master’s attention was, once more, on Tobih. He fidgeted uncomfortably under the scrutiny.

“How much have you learned being a vampire?”

Tobih shrugged. “Not much, really. I know going out in the sun hurts, burns,

though I don’t combust into a pile of ashes, like in the movies. I don’t know if garlic, or holy water, or crosses bother me. I know having an empty stomach feels like both hunger, and thirst, and the ache is unbearable.” Tobih paused. “I know I don’t have inhuman strength, can’t move lightning fast, and smell any better than I did before.” The last sentence came out bitter enough, even Tobih noticed it in his voice. If he had to be a vampire, why couldn’t he have some of the cool stuff that came with it?

“The movies made by humans rarely get the paranormal world right. The sun burns, true, and we avoid it for comfort. It won’t kill us, unless we are exposed long enough to get infrared radiation sickness. But that takes a lot of time, and you’d end up with a fairly painful sunburn before that happens. Garlic, holy water, and crosses are insignificant, and mean nothing. The strength you speak of comes with age. The longer you are a vampire, the stronger you will get, though not as strong as a warrior, or a master. You are not only a fledgling, but scent laetus, as well.”

Tobih tilted his head. “What’s laetus?” The master seemed uncomfortable, and it didn’t appear he was going to answer Tobih’s question. ‘Never mind.” Tobih sighed, the exhaustion started to get to him. He really just wanted to go home. He glanced at the large clock on the wall above the master’s head, realizing dawn was getting close. He hadn’t known he’d been here for so long.

“What do you know of the bouncer, Kelle?”

Tobih frowned. “That he’s an interfering human who has stopped me from feeding…twice.”

“You don’t think him handsome?”

Tobih squirmed, his dick twitching just thinking about the big bouncer. “Well, yea, so?” The master smirked again, and Tobih felt like he’d missed something significant, he just wasn’t sure what it was.

“Do you know he is not entirely human?”

That surprised Tobih, and he sat up straighter. “Really? He’s a vampire too?” The vampire across from him shook his head, his silver-blue eyes sparkling in amusement.

“Kelle is an anomaly. He is half human, and half wolf shifter, though he isn’t aware of it. Do you know anything about wolf shifters?”

Tobih stared at the other vampire, stunned. He had no idea there were such things in the world. “Wolf shifters, like…werewolves? Creatures that turn into monsters, and hunt, and kill indiscriminately?” The club owner shook his head.

“No, wolf shifters are no more monsters than we are, though they are more violent, and rough around the edges. Shifters don’t have the decorum, and manners vampires do, their lives more about instincts, mates, and territory. The two men who you were going to feed from were wolf shifters. Their alpha stopped them, just as Kelle stopped you. If you had partaken of their blood, things would have been…well, it would have been very difficult for you.”

Tobih didn’t understand that. Blood was blood, right? Except, the human’s blood had been much thicker, and richer than the blood of the animals he’d drank from.

So, maybe shifter blood was even more so, though he was just guessing.

“As a member of my coven, I wish a favor from you.”

Tobih grew suspicious immediately. “What kind of favor?”

“Actually, two favors. I would like you to come to me for your blood needs for now. I have a considerable number of feeders…” The boss waved his hand at the twinks in the room. “…and can provide the nourishment you need. The other, is give Kelle a chance. He’s…drawn to you. That’s why he felt he had to protect you from the two shifters herding you towards the feeding alcoves.”

Tobih wanted to glare, and tried to ignore the brief image of Kelle fucking him into a mattress. “Why should I give him a chance? I don’t even know the guy. Does he know what I am, what you are, if he doesn’t even know what he is?” Tobih would not want to be the person who enlightened—Kelle—about the real world, and what it contained. He was still trying to wrap his mind around being a vampire, and now had to contend with werewolves too?

“Let me just say, it would be worth your time to do so. Kelle is a commendable male, and would protect you…”

“I don’t need protecting. I’ve been doing fine by myself.” Tobih probably shouldn’t have interrupted by the look on the face of the master, but he had his pride. He didn’t need some overbearing, he-man thinking he owned him, and could tell him what to do. He’d escaped a life full of that, and wasn’t going to allow it now.

“Have you? A couple of weeks of being a vampire, and tonight is the first night you’ve tasted human blood? You would have drained Kib, if I had not interfered, and caused his death. Is that what you call ‘doing just fine on your own’? And you would have allowed a couple of brash shifters to use you like a fuck toy, just to get a few mouthfuls of their essence, and that’s even if they allowed you near their necks. A shifter’s neck is sensitive, and they protect it fiercely. You never would have gotten close enough to sink your fangs in. A laetus wouldn’t have the ability to do such a thing anyway.”

There was that word again. Tobih wondered if he could look it up on his computer, since the master wasn’t going to tell him what it meant. Tobih crossed his arms, and remained silent. He didn’t think he’d done that badly after the shock of finding out what he’d become. It could have been worse. He could have been attacking anything with a heartbeat, but he hadn’t.

“You try my patience, fledgling. Go on, it’s almost dawn, and I’m sure you’re tired. Be here tonight, and I’ll allow Kib to feed you again.”

Tobih stood, and turned to the door. He looked back over his shoulder at the club owner. “What’s your name?”

“Thayne, Master Thayne to you.”

Tobih nodded, not sure he’d be using the title, or not. “And how often will I need to feed?” Tobih could still feel the energy within him, no matter how tired he was, and it was thrilling. It would be nice to know he had regular meals, after nearly starving to death. Do vampires die? After they died to become one? Tobih didn’t know, but he wasn’t about to ask…Thayne. At least not right now.

“As a fledgling, you will need to feed often, in small portions. Once you age a little more, you will only need to feed about once a week, and can fill your stomach fully, once you have control over your hunger. You will also find feeding during sex highly pleasurable, if not imperative.”

As Thayne was speaking, one of the pretty twinks approached him, crawling onto his lap, and tilting his head to the side, offering his vein. Thayne’s eyes remained glued to Tobih’s as he lifted his lip, exposing impressive fangs, and slowly sank them into the small man’s neck. Tobih couldn’t see past the edge of the desk, but with Thayne’s hands hidden, and the sudden rocking of the feeder, it wasn’t hard to guess what was happening. Tobih’s body grew hot, and his cock stirred. He turned away, and left the office, closing the door behind him, only to turn, and be confronted by…Kelle.

Chapter 3

Kelle paced outside Thayne’s office. There were voices, but for whatever reason, Kelle’s sharp hearing couldn’t make out the words through the thick door. He was worried, though he trusted Thayne. He was sure his boss wouldn’t hurt the small man, though he might forbid him from coming to the club anymore. Kelle wasn’t sure what he’d do, if his boss banished the guy. He huffed, and bit his lip. He’d do what he always did, come to work, go to the gym, and go home, to his empty apartment. Just because he was obsessed with the guy, didn’t mean there was anything there. The little man didn’t like Kelle, in any way, if his struggling, cursing, and…hissing, had been any indication. The thought made Kelle’s chest ache, and he rubbed at it.

He looked over when he heard the door open, to see the man come out. When he turned, Kelle noted he didn’t seem quite as pale as he did before, and vaguely, he looked like he’d filled out, just in the short time he’d been in there with Thayne. Kelle pushed the confusing thoughts aside, in favor of finding out the man’s name. “What’s your name?” He was tired of thinking of him as ‘the small guy, the little man, the hot piece of ass he’d like to bury his cock in, and bite him until he screamed, etc.’ guy.

“Tobih. You’re Kelle?”

Kelle nodded, pleased to hear his name on those perfect lips.

“Thayne seems to think we need to hook-up. You like fucking?”

Kelle blinked, then blinked again. He’d never encountered a man so blunt before. “Uh, yes, I like fucking.” What was Thayne thinking, trying to set them up? The litt…Tobih obviously wasn’t attracted to Kelle, so why would he think he’d sleep with Kelle?

“You like fucking men?”

Kelle grinned, he wouldn’t exactly call Tobih a man, at least not a full grown one. He was young, small, and pretty, but he had to be at least of legal age to be in here. “I only fuck men. Women are too fragile for my kind of loving.” He watched Tobih’s beautiful amber-gold eyes darken, and when he glanced down, there was a noticeable bulge in Tobih’s tight jeans. He had an answering one in his own, but he ignored it. He wasn’t about to jump into bed with Tobih. For whatever reason, he felt as if Tobih was more than a hook-up, and he had his number one rule to think about. Not that he wouldn’t throw that out the window for a chance to get to know Tobih, and eventually sink his very interested dick into that delectable ass.

“Care to come to my place, and suit words to actions?”

Kelle shook his head. “I can’t. I’m still working.”

He could see the disappointment, and no small amount of anger in Tobih’s face. He was disappointed too, but he wouldn’t rush things. Not with Tobih. It was a gut feeling, and Kelle never ignored his gut.

“Well, fine then.”

Tobih huffed, and strode past Kelle, not looking back. He watched the beautiful man leave, and hoped he hadn’t made a mistake. It wasn’t like he had rejected him, he wouldn’t do that, but Tobih hadn’t let him explain, his pride bruised by Kelle declining his very tempting offer.

“Kelle.”

Kelle twisted around to see Thayne standing in the doorway, shirtless, and his rumpled slacks undone, and barely hanging on his hips, and covering his bits. Kelle’s blood boiled, and for some fucking reason, for a split second he saw everything in black, white, and gray, and his gums ached. He took a shuddering breath when Thayne spoke.

“Calm down, wolf. I didn’t touch your mate. I have my own lovers.”

Kelle took a few deep breaths, making his thundering heart slow. Once he felt composed, Thayne’s words ed. Wolf? Mate? What the hell was his boss talking about?

“Come on. I think it’s time you knew who you are working for, and what is happening to you.”

Kelle followed Thayne back into the office, curious, and a more than a little confused. When he entered, he saw Thayne’s usual entourage scattered about the room, two of them reclining on the couch as if they were drugged. Both had glazed eyes, and one looked…well fucked, if Kelle had to put a name to the

man’s disheveled look, his hair messed up, lips red, and puffy, a hickey on his neck, and a blanket around him, as if he were naked under it. For that matter, all the men in here were in various stages of nudity, and Kelle couldn’t help be a little bit jealous, except his mind conjured up Tobih, and he found he had no interest in any of the beautiful men keeping his boss company.

When he looked back at Thayne, it was to see another pretty man in the club owner’s lap, and Kelle’s jaw dropped to see the heavily rounded belly. If he didn’t know better, like the small man with the stranger he’d seen before, he’d think Thayne’s boy was pregnant.

“Close your mouth, Kelle. He is pregnant, from my seed.”

“That’s not possible. He’s a man. Men can’t get pregnant.” What kind of trickery was this? First he sees Tobih’s eyes turn red, and fangs protruding from his mouth, now he has his boss telling him a man can carry a baby? Kelle stumbled back against the wall when his thoughts turned to reality, and Thayne’s eyes turned blood red, and he lifted his lip, showing some very impressive—and very sharp—fangs. “What the hell?”

“Why don’t you go lie down, sweetness. The rest of you go with him.”

The room cleared out, two of the twinks helping the practically incapacitated ones on the couch, as Kelle tried to make sense of what he’d seen. When Thayne looked at him again, his eyes had returned to the silvery-blue they always were, and he smiled, no fangs showing, though his lips were closed. Kelle shook his head. Maybe he was losing it. He’d been under a lot stress, what with his obsession over Tobih, and the confusion that brought, and the thoughts of living his life all alone.

“Come sit, Kelle. I’m sure you have many questions, and I have a few of my own.”

Kelle wasn’t sure he wanted to approach his boss, never having seen Thayne like this before, but he made himself move, and sit in the chair in front of Thayne’s desk.

“Ask. I can see the confusion in your eyes, and feel it.”

“Feel it? How can you feel my confusion, and what’s with the red eyes, and fangs?” Kelle almost believed he’d fallen into an alternate universe, or was dreaming, or something when he watched Thayne’s eyes turn red again, and grin with his fangs showing prominently.

“I am a vampire, Kelle. A master vampire, and before you deny that’s possible, you might want to keep an open mind. There is more to learn.”

“A vampire?” Kelle was stunned, and incongruous. How was this possible? Vampires were fictional characters in movies. Some sparkly, some lethal, but regardless, they weren’t real. Yet, his boss, Thayne, was saying not only were they real, but he was one. “It can’t be.” Kelle couldn’t wrap his head around it. The idea was ludicrous. And yet, somewhere deep in the back of his mind, he’d known Thayne was different, as were a lot of the employees, and clientele for that matter, in the two years he’d been working here. He just hadn’t realized how different.

“Fuck! That means Tobih is a vampire too.” How the hell was he attracted to a creature who sucked blood to live, no matter how sexy he was? Kelle stood, suddenly needed to get out of here. The office was closing in on him, and he needed air.

“Sit down, Kelle. There’s more.”

Kelle shook his head. “No, no, I can’t…no more revelations. It’s too much.”

Kelle turned, and fled, ignoring Thayne’s repeated call for him to stop. He was going to have to find another job after this. He couldn’t continue working at a place full of vampires. Just the idea had him wanting to laugh hysterically.

*~*~*~*

Tobih wanted to avoid Bent like the plague, but he needed the blood Thayne could provide, so dutiful showed up there every night. Slowly, he got to know the other vampires who worked there, the warriors, and Thayne himself. He’d finally started calling Thayne master, though it chaffed him to do so. He’d been on his own for going on six years, and didn’t need, nor want to have to answer to anyone. But Thayne, he was different. Kind, patient, informative. He held nothing back, telling Tobih anything he wanted to know. Lately, he’d even gotten affectionate, caressing Tobih’s hair, or kissing him on the cheek.

It took some time, but he realized Thayne was sharing his feeders with only him, since he’d not seen any other vampires sucking from them. When he asked about it, Thayne just reminded him he was a fledgling, and needed Thayne, and what he could provide right now, and his warriors were perfectly capable of finding

their own blood sources. He also started teaching him how to pick out humans who would be receptive to his advances for blood. Something Tobih had wished he’d known how to do weeks ago, when he’d first been turned.

He staunchly ignored the fact he hadn’t seen Kelle since the night he’d met Thayne. Tobih didn’t need him. He had Thayne, and the feeders, and the other vampires to hang with, so Kelle’s absence shouldn’t bother him. But it did. He refused to ask about the wolf shifter, or half wolf shifter from what Thayne had told him. Obviously, the guy hadn’t been that attracted to him, if he wasn’t around anymore. Tobih figured he’d moved on, found another job, away from where Tobih was, which hurt, but he’d get over it. Why he missed someone he didn’t even now was a mystery, one he had no desire to figure out.

Tonight was Saturday, three weeks since he’d found out about Thayne, and the place was packed to the rafters. There were multiple motorcycles in the parking lot, and cars were lined up even along the street. To avoid the crowd, Tobih headed to the alley behind the club, and to Thayne’s private entrance. He’d gotten so used to his nightly visits with Thayne, he didn’t even knock as he strode into the office, only to stop short.

There on the floor was Kib, with Thayne over him, fucking him hard, and fast, his fangs buried deep in the man’s neck. That was nothing new, Tobih had seen Thayne take his feeders plenty of times, while he fed from them. Thayne had even offered a few of them for Tobih to fuck, but he’d declined. One, he preferred to bottom, and these pretty men weren’t tops. He also didn’t want to accidently fuck one of them who was ripe. He had no desire to have kids. At least not right now. Second, he might be holding out for a certain wolf shifter, even if he wouldn’t it it to himself.

But what had him frozen in place was the huge man behind Thayne, and buried deep in the club owner’s ass, bucking in rhythm to the other man. Not once did Tobih think Thayne would allow himself to be penetrated, but from what he was

seeing, the master was loving every second of it. While he watched, Kib cried out, spraying the floor with his spunk, even as Thayne groaned loudly, and the huge man behind him roared. Seconds later, Kib collapsed on the wet spot he’d created, and both Thayne, and the man still buried within him shifted to the side so they didn’t crush the much smaller man.

“Thayne?” Tobih was loathe to intrude, but he was hungry, and the feeders were all there, watching their master get fucked.

“Binson, service Tobih.”

Thayne’s voice was raspy, the tone low, and his eyes were closed. The stranger behind him was swiveling his hips slowly, making Thayne groan a few times, as one of the smaller men approached Tobih, and offered his neck. Without taking his eyes off of Thayne, and the stranger, Tobih leaned forward, and slowly sliced his fangs into Binson’s neck. The feeder moaned in pleasure, skootching closer to Tobih, and grinding his erection on Tobih’s thigh. By now, they all knew he wouldn’t be fucking them, but that didn’t mean he allowed them to go unsatisfied. He moved his thigh, thrusting it between Binson’s legs, allowing the man to ride him, even as he took his fill of Binson’s sweet blood.

By the time Tobih had had enough, and pulled his fangs away to lick the wound, Binson had climaxed four times, the wet spot in his pants transferring to the leg of Tobih’s jeans. Binson was one of Thayne’s most responsive feeders, and always had multiple orgasms. Sometimes, Tobih wondered what it would feel like to have all that clenching around his dick, and there were a couple of times he’d orgasmed himself while feeding, making a mess in his pants, and trying not acknowledge the erotic images of Kelle that had made it happen.

Thayne had finally opened his eyes, the blood red irises nearly glowing from his

sexual activities. The stranger was still behind Thayne, and didn’t look like he was going anywhere soon.

“Everyone, out!”

Thayne sounded perturbed, and Tobih turned to leave.

“Not you, Tobih.”

He stopped, and looked back at Thayne, who was watching him intently, his eyes slowly going back to the silvery-blue they usually were. He moved slightly, and the man behind him grunted, as if in pain, and curled his large arm around Thayne, pulling him back against his chest.

“Not yet, it hasn’t gone down.”

Thayne sighed, patting the man’s arm. Tobih was at a loss of what to do. He didn’t really know what was going on, what the man was talking about, but it was obvious Thayne did as he pushed his ass back, grinding it into the man’s groin. The large man moaned, and thrust forward.

“You’re only going to make it hard again, and make me swell more by doing that.”

Tobih was shocked at the wicked grin Thayne gave as he ground his ass again,

his eyes on Tobih.

“Tobih, this is Fenet, one of Alpha Garron’s betas, and his brother. He’s a wolf shifter.”

Tobih finally turned around, and nodded at the large man…Fenet, feeling ridiculous at being a witness to whatever was happening between the two of them, and yet fascinated to finally meet one of these infamous shifters. Besides Kelle anyway. “Are you sure you don’t want me to leave you to your…uh… privacy?”

“No, you need to know what this looks like.”

“Um, what what looks like?” To Tobih, it was just Thayne, and Fenet fucking.

“Male wolf shifters, alphas, and betas anyway, have a knot at the base of their dicks that swell when they climax, locking them inside whoever they are fucking, and allowing their seed to plant well. It takes a while for it to go down.”

Tobih winced. That just sounded painful. His eyes widened when Thayne laughed, a rumbling echo coming from the shifter.

“Trust me, little one. If I gave you my knot, you would be in ecstasy.”

Tobih frowned. “I don’t want your knot, or any part of you, thanks anyway.”

Wow, these shifters were an arrogant lot. He looked at Thayne, to see the master’s eyes sparkling.

“The pain is part of the pleasure, Tobih, and if the wolf knows what he’s doing, and goes deep enough, his knot puts constant pressure on the prostate, and the pleasure is so great, a person could out from it.”

“Hmmm, but not you, vampire? I must be losing my touch.”

“I’m not like humans, wolf. It takes more than a swollen knot to make me out.”

The shifter grunted, then moved, finally pulling from Thayne’s body with an absolutely obscene squelching noise. Even from where Tobih was standing by the door, he could see the fluids glistening on the man’s still semi-hard cock. He turned away as he listened to them both get up, and dressed. He shuddered, thinking they should be showering before putting clothes back on, but that was his opinion.

When he looked back, it was to see Thayne still naked with his fangs buried in the shifter’s neck, the master humping the man’s leg as he fed. Minutes later, Thayne groaned loudly, pulling his fangs free, and throwing his head back as he climaxed, covering the betas pants in spunk. Much to Tobih’s surprise, the shifter leaned down, and bit into Thayne’s neck, taking a few swallows of blood, before pulling his thicker fangs from the master. Thayne, now satisfied, though his flaccid dick was still dripping, handed a cloth to Fenet to clean up. Once done, the shifter nuzzled Thayne’s neck affectionately.

“Until next time, Master.”

Thayne silently ran his fingers through the shifter’s long, thick hair, then pushed him towards the door. Once they were alone, Thayne went over to a small sink in the corner, wet a cloth, and wiped himself down before putting on a pair of slacks he rescued from the floor. He didn’t bother putting anything else on, and went to sit down behind his desk. He pointed at the chair, and Tobih obediently sat down, annoyed at the capitulation he was showing. Thayne just had a way of expecting you to do what he wanted, and if you didn’t, or resisted, the disappointed look on his face made you feel two inches tall. It had annoyed the crap out of Tobih, and still did, but he was buzzing nicely from Binson’s blood, and didn’t feel like fighting with the master. He hadn’t been sleeping well, his dreams full of Kelle, and waking up aroused, and having to take care of his erections way too often. It was frustrating, and tiring, and he was heartily sick of it.

“Have you seen Kelle lately?”

Tobih had closed his eyes, and snapped them open at the master’s question. “No, should I have?” He tried for nonchalance, but wasn’t sure he’d pulled it off if the smirk on Thayne’s face was any indication.

“You can’t get him out of your head, can you?”

Tobih felt his face heat, and cursed his vampire paleness. He didn’t bother to say anything either. No way was he confirming Thayne’s guess.

“I see by the blush, you can’t. Have you not figured out who Kelle is to you?”

“An annoying former bouncer who disappeared? Which makes him nothing to me.”

Thayne shook his head, and smiled. Tobih wanted to growl at him. He didn’t want to talk about Kelle, and he didn’t need the master pushing the subject. He was desperately trying to forget the half shifter, and hated the fact he couldn’t.

“He’s your mate, Tobih. Your destined half. Did it ever occur to you, the reason you won’t fuck any of my feeders, is because you can’t? Do any of them turn you on, arouse you at all?”

Tobih’s face grew hotter, and he stared at the wall behind Thayne’s head, unwilling to look him the eye. “I don’t like to top.” That was the excuse he’d been telling himself, trying to ignore the wish to wait, and hoping his first time as a vampire would be with Kelle. The man was gone, and Tobih didn’t know where he was. It didn’t matter, Kelle didn’t want him so that was that.

“Don’t give me that shit. I have two feeders who occasionally like to top, and they would be more than willing to fill your tight little hole.”

Tobih’s jaw dropped at the master’s blunt, and crass comments. Thayne was staring at him, one brow raised, as if challenging Tobih to deny his words. “It doesn’t matter, he’s gone.”

“I know where he is.”

Tobih’s heart lurched, his stomach filling with butterflies, but it all died down quickly when he thought about Kelle running away...away from him. “He doesn’t want me, Master, or he wouldn’t have disappeared.”

“Oh, he wants you. Desperately. He just couldn’t wrap his mind around vampires. I didn’t even get a chance to tell him what he was, before he hightailed it out of here. But I’ve had warriors watching him, protecting him. Alpha Garron doesn’t like hybrids, thinks they are an abomination, and I don’t trust his wolves not to attack Kelle, especially now he is not in my territory, and under my protection.”

Tobih glared. “You certainly trusted Fenet enough to fuck you.” Thayne waved off Tobih’s words, looking slightly annoyed at Tobih’s accusation.

“Fenet is strong, stronger than most betas, but I’m a master, and much more powerful. He knows that. I let him have some fun, he allows me to drink from him, and I let him have a few mouthfuls of my blood. It’s a win-win situation, and none of your business.”

Thayne’s last words came out a growl, and Tobih hung his head. The master was right, it wasn’t any of his business what Thayne wished to do. Tobih was letting his frustrations eat at him, causing him to be less than tactful. “It’s not like I know what to do. If he can’t wrap his mind around vampires, what do you suppose will happen if I show up wherever he is?”

“You are laetus, and soon you will become ripe, enter your heat, I can smell the beginnings of it on you already. That’s when you need to seek him out. He will be unable to resist taking you, and marking you as his mate.”

“What the hell is laetus, and what makes you think I want to be his mate?” Thayne had explained mates to Tobih a couple of weeks ago, though he’d never given an explanation to what a laetus was, or why he thought Tobih was one. Thayne, himself, didn’t have a mate, though he’d impregnated two of his feeders. At least the ones Tobih had seen anyway. He once mentioned a few other children out in the world. Thayne’s down time, away from the club, was when he kept his progeny company. He didn’t raise them, allowing their carriers to do that. And once they reached maturity, he made them leave his territory, unwilling for them to become a threat. Which made no sense to Tobih. They were hybrids, and not masters, so how could they be a threat to someone as strong, and powerful as Thayne? He didn’t ask though, knowing it wasn’t his business, and Thayne would probably refuse to answer him anyway.

“Destined mates cannot resist each other. They will be driven to connect, in every way, their sole purpose to make their other half happy, and content.”

Tobih snorted derisively. “I can’t see Kelle having any desire to make me happy.” And Tobih could barely think about making Kelle happy, especially since he had no clue what would actually make the hybrid joyful in the first place. He didn’t know the guy, didn’t know about his life, his past, his dreams. Nothing.

“Oh, but he will. He’ll want to claim you, mark you as his, seed you, and will be so protective of you, it’ll drive you nuts. A wolf shifter, even a hybrid, is driven to protect, and is extremely possessive.”

Tobih shuddered. The last thing he needed was some overgrown dog thinking he was a piece of property, and treating him like a possession. Tobih had worked too hard to have control over his own life, to have that freedom taken away from him. Kelle could go fuck himself, if he thought for one damn minute he would

control Tobih in any way, mate, or no mate.

“You can deny it, fight it all you want, but sooner, or later, you will go mad without Kelle. He is your destined mate, and you will never be complete without him. I will warn you, if you choose to fight the pull you have for him, you could go feral, and if that happens, I will be forced to destroy you.”

Tobih’s stomach churned, the blood he’d consumed sitting heavy in his belly. “Seriously? I didn’t ask for a mate, I don’t want a mate. So why has this happened?” Tobih watched Thayne shrug, and turn away.

“Every paranormal has a destined mate, a fated mate, even me, but most don’t ever find them in their lifetime. And some…some lose their mates.”

Thayne looked back at Tobih, and he was surprised to see such desolation, sadness, and despair in Thayne’s eyes, that Tobih’s chest ached. He wanted to ask his master if he’d found, then lost his destined mate, but as always with intimate, or personal questions, Thayne would grow annoyed, and not answer them. “So, I don’t have a choice in this? Isn’t there some way to break the connection?”

Thayne’s eyes turned red for a second, and Tobih wondered what he’d said to anger the other vampire. Maybe others would be happy to know they had a mate out there somewhere, but Tobih wasn’t. He liked his life alone. He didn’t want to be someone’s possession, and he didn’t want to have the responsibility of another’s life, and happiness. He could barely handle his own life, much less have a mate in it.

“No, well, yes, there are ways to break the connection, but no one ever wants that. A fated mate is a gift from the gods for paranormals, since we live for so long. It’s not something to squander, or deny.”

Thayne’s voice had gone low, and growly by the time he was done speaking, and though Tobih could see where, in Thayne’s world, a mate would be a good thing for the master, Tobih was different. “I don’t want a mate, master. I’ve worked too hard to be independent to have that taken away, and for my happiness to be reliant on someone else.” Thayne hissed, showing his fangs for a second.

“It has nothing to do with dependency. A mate fulfills something that is missing. And I will not share my feeders with you forever. Eventually, you are going to need Kelle, as much as he needs you, once he gets his head out of his ass.”

Tobih could feel anger bubbling under his skin. “I don’t need anyone! You taught me how to find blood sources. I can take care of myself!”

“Really? Fine, you are hereby forbidden to come here any longer. You want to be independent? You want to be alone? Then so be it. Go, and don’t come back. And if you ever learn to accept Kelle is the one for you, you’ll find him working at Onyx.”

Two of Thayne’s warriors suddenly entered the room, and Tobih stood, anger coursing through him. He couldn’t believe Thayne was doing this. There was a moment of panic, knowing his regular feedings were coming to an end, but then he knew how to hunt now, how to find a vein to tap. He would show the master. He’d be fine, even without Thayne’s feeders. Without a word, he turned, and left, not looking back. This part of his life was over now.

Chapter 4

Kelle had the troublemaker by the nape, his other hand holding the man’s arm up behind his back as Kelle frog-marched him to the front door. He’d found another job as a bouncer, the only one he was qualified for, at Onyx. This club was nothing like Bent, or even the Harbinger. And, though it had a few of the same features as Whips, the BDSM club Kelle used to frequent, it was not a dungeon club, but a Goth one. The place was dark, the walls painted black, the floor covered in concrete, also painted black. There was very little color anywhere, except for the lighting over the dance floor, which, most of the time, rarely saw any use.

Kelle made the door, and shoved the guy out. “Don’t come back until you learn some manners.” Kelle watched the man wobbly stalk away, then turned to go back to his job. Kelle was exhausted, but had another three hours to go before he could go home, and fall into his bed. He’d not been to the gym in a week, having no energy to work out. He moved around the crowd, trying not to smell the different odors of weed, and unwashed bodies. Kelle hated working here, but he’d had no choice. He couldn’t stay at his former job, not with what he’d learned.

He could still hardly believe Thayne, his former boss, was a vampire. A master, no less, though it kind of made sense, since he was the boss, and always seemed so…strong, to Kelle. And mysterious. Now Kelle knew why. But what bothered him more, was to know Tobih, the small man he was infatuated with, was also a vampire. Tobih was always on his mind, his thoughts centered on the little vampire, his dreams filled with erotic encounters. Encounters he knew would never happen. Tobih hated Kelle, and besides, Kelle wasn’t sure what he’d do, if he was confronted with Tobih now, knowing what he was.

In the last week, things had been even weirder, because Kelle had thought he’d caught sight of the small vampire in his peripheral vision, only to look, and find no one there. It was as if his mind was playing tricks on him. Kelle sighed as he made his way to the bar. Shiler was working, and Kelle had to suppress his embarrassment whenever he was around the other man. Two days after Kelle had started working here, Shiler had shown his interest. Desperate, Kelle had forgone his usual rule, and taken the man home, only to be humiliated with a limp, and uninterested dick. Shiler had been kind about it, and Kelle had given the man a blow-job in appreciation. After that, neither one of them had said a word, or tried to hook-up again.

“You okay, Kelle?”

Kelle nodded. He wasn’t about to spout his issues to Shiler, since he was pretty sure vampires were not a common fact. He certainly hadn’t known they existed until a few weeks ago. He grabbed the beer Shiler slid towards him, then with another nod, headed back out into the crowd. That was something else that had changed. Kelle had never drank while on the clock, but now it was the only way he could get through the night.

He made his way to the back wall, just to the left of the stage, where the owners of this club had bands play on certain nights. It was dark here, the shadows deep, and Kelle liked to watch from the private position. An hour later, and Kelle was bored out of his mind. This place was depressing, dark and forlorn, full of people who hated their lives, and were only trying to connect with others similar to themselves. Kelle could practically taste the desperation, and gloom in the air. Sadly, he wasn’t much different than the clients who came here.

As the minutes of his night ticked by, Kelle’s mind wandered to Tobih, as it always did. He wondered how the vampire was doing, if he was okay, and if Thayne was taking care of him. His own need to care for the little vampire, protect him, was still strong within Kelle, but he usually could suppress it.

Apparently, not tonight. Tonight, his senses were picking up Tobih, as if the vampire was near. It was as if he could smell him, sense him, and Kelle’s heart jumped, only for his stomach to drop, knowing Tobih wasn’t anywhere around.

It was quiet tonight, the guy Kelle had thrown out of the club the only excitement to be had. Friday nights weren’t much different than the rest of the week. It was on Saturday nights things got interesting, but Kelle wasn’t working this weekend. After tonight, he had three uninterrupted nights with nothing to do but hang around his empty apartment, and stew in his misery. He wasn’t looking forward to it, even if he hated being here. At least while he was working, he had the tiniest bit of distraction. At home, there would be nothing to divert his mind from Tobih. Nothing to think about except how much he missed the little guy, which only made him angry. Tobih was a vampire, and Kelle wasn’t stupid enough to believe, if the man was around, he wouldn’t want to have a taste of Kelle’s blood. It was shocking, sometimes, to know the thought didn’t really bother Kelle. After all, he had a biting fetish himself, except it wasn’t to drink blood. That he wanted to sink his teeth into Tobih’s flesh was something he tried really, really hard not to entertain.

Kelle checked his phone for the time…again…to find he only had 15 minutes left to work, then he would be off for the next three nights. He stretched in his corner, still keeping an eye out on things. The crowd had thinned considerably, now that closing time was almost here. Unlike at Bent, Kelle wasn’t required to help clean up. The owners here had a service come in around five am to do that job. When Kelle had first started working here, he’d tried to determine if any of the clientele were vampires, but wasn’t able to tell. He could be surrounded by them, and not know it unless they hissed, or showed fang. Nothing like that had happened so far.

Two am, and Kelle clocked out before heading out the door. He made his way to his motorcycle, head down, thoughts whirling around Tobih, and what he was supposed to do with himself during his time off. Maybe he’d finally get to the gym. If he wore himself out enough, he could get some sleep. He’d tried over-

the-counter sleeping pills, but they’d not done a thing for him.

Kelle stopped suddenly when he heard a low growl, his head snapping up as he looked around. Just to the side of the club, at the edge of the building, were two large men. Brown shaggy hair, dark eyes, and muscles was most of what Kelle could make out. That, and they were obviously not the friendly type. Kelle tensed as they started stalking towards him.

“Going somewhere, half-breed mutt?”

Half-breed mutt? What kind of insult was that? Of course, Kelle didn’t appreciate being compared to a dog, but he wasn’t a half-breed anything. “What do you want?” Kelle didn’t carry cash on him, just for this reason. He didn’t have anything of value, except for his motorcycle, which he hadn’t reached yet. It was a few yards away, past the guys coming towards him.

“Oh nothing important, except to rid the world of your kind.”

“My kind? What are you talking about? And rid the world of him? There was no way to misinterpret that statement. They planned on hurting him, killing him, which Kelle had no plans on letting them do. He might hate his life lately, but it was his, and he had no desire to end it right now. He dropped into a defensive stance as they drew closer, only to stumble back in shock when one of them shimmered, and contorted, his shape going blurry, until where once there was a large man, now stood a huge… wolf? What the ever loving FUCK? The menacing chuckle from the other guy had the hair on the back of Kelle’s neck rising, and for some weird reason, his teeth were tingling.

Before Kelle even had the time to comprehend what was happening, the wolf launched himself at Kelle. Instinct had Kelle dropping down, the wolf sailing over him, but still managing to scrap his claws across Kelle’s back. The pain was intense, but not nearly as bad as Kelle would have thought. He jumped back, away from the wolf, and keeping the other guy in his sight. A slight breeze ruffled the shredded back of his shirt, and he smelled his own blood.

As the wolf paced, growling loudly, Kelle was suddenly seeing things in black, white, and gray. The contrast was sharp, and Kelle could see better now, even as confused as he was. A burst of pain in his mouth caused a shudder to run through him, and when he felt his lips, it was to find two, large, long…fangs. What the fuck? Was he a vampire too? Except they didn’t feel like the ones he’d seen on Tobih, and Thayne. They were thicker, and further apart, right where his canine teeth were located. Kelle’s thoughts were chaotic, wondering what was happening to him, when the tips of his fingers stung. He glanced briefly down to see claws erupt from his skin. He stumbled back, knocking into a parked car, his chest heaving, and his heart racing.

Another loud growl had him focusing back on the wolf stalking him. Even as the beast grew closer, movement at the corner of Kelle’s vision caught his attention. When he glanced briefly in the direction of the other shaggy haired guy, it was to see Tobih, of all people, grappling with the man. Something snapped inside Kelle, and he found himself on the ground, snarling, saliva dripping from his jaw. When he moved towards the two fighting, he lost his footing, realizing he was trying to walk on four feet, instead of two. When he looked down, it was to see dark brown paws, with wicked claws coming out of them. Paws? Taking a second to assess himself, it was to find he’d turned into a monster, like the one in front of him. A whine escaped him, and the other wolf huffed, as if laughing at him.

Kelle focused on the wolf, growling. Okay, if he was a wolf too, that evened the odds, didn’t it? Kelle moved sideways, making his way towards the man struggling with Tobih, working out how to move his body quickly. He could hear

Tobih hissing, and growling too, then heard a grunt, before a scream rent the air, quickly followed by a gurgling sound. Before he could turn to see if Tobih had been hurt, the other wolf lunged at him. Backing up, Kelle was cornered between the oncoming wolf, and the car he’d been leaning against. But before he had a chance to defend himself, Tobih was on the strange wolf, biting into his neck. Kelle howled at the danger Tobih was in, and rushed forward to help. He grabbed the other wolf’s leg, biting down until he heard a crack, and shaking for all he was worth. The leg ripped away, and the wolf screamed. Kelle had just enough time to see Tobih remove his bloody fangs, grab the wolf’s head, and twist it until the screaming was silenced, and the wolf slumped to the ground, before he ed the body part in his mouth, and spit it out, the taste of blood overwhelming. Bile crawled up his throat, and he gagged.

Swallowing reflexively, Kelle was nearly hyperventilating, and moved back, his…four…legs quaking until he could no longer hold himself up. He sank to the asphalt, his whole body beginning to shake violently, until he was suddenly curled up on the ground, back in his own skin, and completely naked, his clothes shredded nearby.

“Kelle?”

Tobih’s low voice had Kelle’s balls shifting in their sack, and his dick hardening painfully. He curled up further, wondering how his life had suddenly tipped off its axis, and if he’d gone completely insane. There was no way he’d witnessed a man turn into a wolf, and then done the same thing himself. It just wasn’t possible. But then, vampires weren’t supposed to be real either. So what did that make him, and the other two? Werewolves? A whimper escaped him, and his mind shut down, too overwhelmed with his new reality. Darkness edged into his eyesight, and then everything went black.

*~*~*~*

Tobih crouched near Kelle, unwilling to touch him, even if he wanted nothing more than to comfort the larger man. He’d been unable to stay away, not when he knew where Kelle was. He suspected Thayne had known this would happen. Well, known he’d seek Kelle out, not what had just happened. He looked around to see the bloody mess he, and Kelle had made, and wondered what to do. Human authorities would soon be called, and they couldn’t be found here.

“Tobih.”

Tobih turned so quickly at the voice, he landed on his ass, looking up at Thayne. The master had, at least, a half dozen warriors with him, and two strangers Tobih didn’t know.

“Clean this mess up.”

Mute, Tobih watched as Thayne’s warriors began picking up the mess they’d made. He was in shock, or at least it felt that way.

“Thank you, Cirus, for calling me.”

“Yea, not sure where the wolves come from, but I figured the little vamp was one of yours, since your scent is on him.”

Tobih wondered how that could be, then ed one time Thayne had been running his fingers through Tobih’s hair, and he’d felt a small prick at the base of

his skull. He hadn’t questioned it at the time, because he’d been feeding. But maybe that was Thayne’s way of marking his coven . He had noticed all of Thayne’s vampires he’d encountered had the master’s scent on them, some stronger than others. All his feeders as well. A groan had him turning back to Kelle. The wolf’s body was trembling, as if from cold, and Tobih didn’t know what to do. The man’s clothes were shredded, and it’s not like Tobih carried covers around with him.

Snapping fingers had Tobih looking back over his shoulder at Thayne, to see one of his warriors going to the master’s limo a few feet away. He came back with a thick blanket, but when he went to put it over Kelle, Tobih hissed at him, moving quickly to cover Kelle with his own body. He was shocked at his own behavior, wondering what possessed him to protect Kelle like that. It wasn’t as if the warrior was going to hurt him, but Tobih couldn’t tolerate anyone touching Kelle right now. Not when the man was out cold, and so vulnerable.

“Hand the blanket to Tobih. He isn’t going to let you touch his mate.”

There it was again, Thayne referencing Kelle as his mate. Damn it! He didn’t want a mate! But look how he’d acted when he thought the warrior was a threat. And the way he’d come to Kelle’s rescue when the wolves had attacked him. He hadn’t even hesitated, jumping in to defend Kelle, as if the shifter meant something to him. No one had meant a thing to Tobih in years. Irritated, he snatched the blanket out of the warrior’s hand, and moved over enough to tuck it around Kelle’s trembling body. He staunchly ignored the way his body was reacting, and the enticing scent wafting up from Kelle.

“Do you have a vehicle?”

Tobih looked up at the master, and shook his head. He’d walked here, had

walked here every night for the last week, just to get a glimpse of Kelle. The man—wolf—looked miserable, and unhappy. He’d lost some weight, had dark circles under his eyes, and Tobih could smell alcohol on him. Watching him, it was as if Kelle was just going through the motions of living, but not really living at all.

Tobih had followed Kelle home the night before last, and knew where he lived. It was in a rundown part of town, and the man never left once he was home, until he had to go to work again. Tobih had almost been caught by the sunrise to figure that out. He’d hovered near Kelle’s ground floor window, watching the man through the glass. He’d simply stripped, and gone to bed.

Tobih’s reaction to a naked Kelle had been instantaneous, and overpowering. His body had heated, his dick growing so turgid, it hurt, his fangs had lengthened, which he didn’t even know could happen, and his eyes had hazed over, covering everything in a red hue.

Tobih had fled, his body consumed with the need to…to what? He wasn’t sure, well, he knew he was hornier than he’d ever been, and the sight of Kelle, all that naked skin, and the beautiful cock he had, was enough to have Tobih in overdrive. Once home, he’d jerked off most of the day, orgasm, after orgasm overshadowing everything else, and still he wasn’t satiated. He needed more, he just wasn’t sure what that was.

“Tobih!”

Tobih was jolted from his thoughts, and blinked up at Thayne. The master’s eyes were red, and the two strangers were gone. When he looked around, it was to see the parking lot appeared as if nothing had happened, bodies, body parts, and blood all gone.

“Tobih, Kelle needs to be taken home. I’ve had my warriors bring a car for you, but you’re going to have to let them near to put Kelle in it. You are not large enough, or strong enough to lift him.”

Tobih hissed, not at all happy with the insult. Thayne hissed back, and Tobih felt the power radiating from the master. He’d never seen Thayne so angry before, even when Tobih would defy him.

“Your ripe Tobih, and my warriors only have so much patience, before they will lose control, and take you. All of them. And right now, I’m not very inclined to stop them.”

Tobih glanced around to see the warriors fidgeting, every one of them with red eyes, and full packages straining their pants. Shit! That was the last thing Tobih wanted. He didn’t relish getting gang-banged by a bunch of horny vamps. Forcing himself to move, he stood up, and backed away from Kelle, even if it was one of the most difficult things he’d ever done. Instinct told him to stay near, but he walked over to Thayne, hoping the master’s influence might help him.

He watched as two warriors moved forward, picking up Kelle’s limp body, and gently placing him in a car Tobih hadn’t noticed before. Thayne’s fingers in his hair startled him, but he didn’t move. The rhythmic caressing calmed him, then Thayne placed a set of keys in his hand.

“I would suggest taking him to your place, not his. It’s closer, and when he wakes up, he’s not going to wait to claim you. His wolf will be controlling him, and he won’t be able to fight the need to bond.”

Tobih’s body shuddered at the implications. Could he take Kelle home, and then leave, so the wolf couldn’t claim him?

“Don’t even think about it, Tobih. Right now, you have nowhere to go where someone, be it vampire, shifter, or even fae, won’t be fighting to have a go at your ass. Kelle is your fated mate. Let him claim you, create the bond. I promise, you won’t regret it.”

Would he? Regret it? He wasn’t sure he believed Thayne, but what choice did he have? If he fled, he would be caught by someone else, someone who would claim him against his will, some stranger he didn’t know, and he risked being held a prisoner for their pleasure, and his own misery.

“I’ll have a couple of warriors follow you, so they can take Kelle from the car, to your bed. Then they will leave immediately.”

Tobih nodded. He was resigned. There was no getting out of this. He only hoped he was doing the right thing, and Kelle wouldn’t try to control him, once they were bonded. Tobih knew he’d not be able to stand Kelle ordering him around, and expecting him to always do what he says.

Chapter 5

Tobih stood between his living room, and the kitchen while the warriors settled Kelle in Tobih’s bed. When they came out, one smirked at him.

“Too bad you have a fated mate. I’d love to get a hold of your little laetus ass, and fill it with my dick, and seed, and watch you swell.”

“Shut up.”

The growling of the second warrior stopped Tobih from trying to figure out what the first one meant.

“Call Thayne when the deed is done.”

The second warrior looked at him kindly when he said that, and Tobih nodded. He wasn’t sure he’d to, considering how nervous he was now. Once the warriors left, he closed, and locked the door, took a deep breath, and made his way to his bedroom. He stopped in the doorway, watching Kelle sleep. The warriors had laid him out on Tobih’s bed, but had failed to cover him, so Kelle was completely exposed to Tobih’s appreciative gaze.

The shifter was magnificent, there was no doubt about that. But did Tobih want to be tied to the man for life? He supposed he could have done worse for a fated mate. Kelle was just the kind of man Tobih preferred. Large, with smooth,

tanned skin, thick, dark hair, light eyes, and a square jaw. He had noticed Kelle’s blue eyes had changed to a bright gold when he’d shifted, very similar to Tobih’s own eye color. When his weren’t red from hunger, strong emotions, or arousal. He could bet his eyes were red now, while standing there observing Kelle’s naked body. His own body had heated up the minute he entered the room, and he was so hard, his zipper was cutting into his length. His fangs ached, and his balls shifted in the tight confines of his jeans.

As he dealt with his over stimulated body, Kelle’s head turned toward him, and his nostrils flared. Tobih watched Kelle’s cock start to harden, even while the man was asleep. He wondered if, maybe, it might be a good idea to strip, since Thayne had said Kelle wouldn’t wait to claim him, and Tobih didn’t have enough clothes to let Kelle rip them from his body. The idea of Kelle ripping his clothes had Tobih’s dick throbbing, but he started taking them off anyway. It was when he loosened his pants, he felt it. A slick, thick liquid coating the inside of his butt cheeks. Huh, that had never happened before, and he wondered what it was, and what it meant.

He lost time to think about it when Kelle’s eyes suddenly snapped open, the black of his pupils so dilated, they swallowed the blue almost completely. A gush of more liquid ran down the inside of Tobih’s thighs when Kelle’s gaze zeroed in on him, and the shifter let out a snarl. With a grace Tobih wouldn’t think a man as large as Kelle had, he rolled over onto his hands, and knees, facing Tobih, his hard cock bobbing between his thighs, His gaze roamed from Tobih’s head, all the way to his feet, and stopping briefly at Tobih’s hard length. Tobih’s heart was thundering in his chest, and his flight, or fight instinct was threatening to drown him when Kelle pounced. Tobih let out a squeak when Kelle grabbed him, dragging him back, and taking him down to the bed. He covered Tobih from shoulder to knees, rutting against him, and causing an exquisite friction that had Tobih moaning almost immediately.

“Open your eyes.”

Kelle’s guttural voice, the words barely discernable, had Tobih’s eyes popping open to stare up at the shifter who was about to claim him. He watched as Kelle’s canines descended, finally stopping at nearly an inch in length. Tobih’s own fangs throbbed at the sight. He could see the feral light in Kelle’s eyes, and knew it was his wolf who was in charge. He suddenly found himself flipped over, hands with claws pulling him up on his own hands, and knees, before a palm forced his shoulders to the mattress. That left his ass high in the air, and he cried out when Kelle nipped his ass cheek, before delving into the crevice between them, and licking at his hole. Fuuuuck, did that feel good. He moaned, trying to push his ass back, but Kelle was holding him tight, his claws pinching into his skin, and adding to the sensations overwhelming him.

There was a grunt of approval from Kelle, as he kept lapping at Tobih’s leaking hole. He cried out again, when Kelle speared his tongue inside of him, wiggling it, and making Tobih want to clench his ass cheeks to hold it there. Kelle moved his hands, using his thumbs to pry Tobih open, giving him more room to push his tongue in deeper. Tobih moaned as his sphincter relaxed. Before he could do more than moan again, Kelle had moved up, and mounted him, his large cock pushing into him relentlessly. When he felt Kelle’s balls against the back of his, he tried to take a deep breath at the fullness. He almost felt like he was being split in two, but the pain only emphasized the pleasure coursing through him. Kelle didn’t even let him adjust to his intrusion, before he was pulling out, and slamming back into him. Tobih gasped loudly, digging his fingers into the mattress, as Kelle started a brutal, and fast rutting. Tobih’s mind short circuited, and nothing else mattered but the cock in his ass, and the man covering him. His claws came out, anchoring him to the bed, as Kelle fucked him, the wolf grinding into him with every other thrust.

*~*~*~*

Kelle felt like he was on a ride he had no control over. It was as if his body had been taken over, and the only thing he could do was fill the man, the vampire, under him with his cock, until he spilled his seed, and claimed him. Kelle’s

canines ached, and throbbed along with his heartbeat, and he could feel an orgasm of epic proportions bearing down on him. He fought it, not wanting this to end too quickly, and whatever it was controlling him, the wolf inside, snarled at the delay.

When Tobih writhed, Kelle shifted, until he could push his fingers between Tobih’s, effectively pinning him even further. He didn’t want the vampire to move, wanted him trapped under him, where he belonged, until Kelle’s seed was well planted. He moved his legs wider, pushing Tobih’s thighs higher, and twisted his hips, until he felt Tobih shudder under him. There’s where he needed to be. He renewed his thrusts, slamming into his vampire’s body, and repeatedly burying his full length into that tight, hot, wet channel. Tobih’s body was trembling violently, and Kelle knew he was hitting that sweet spot over, and over.

Kelle’s orgasm was close, on the very edge, but he would hold back until Tobih came. Loosening one hand from Tobih’s, he reached under Tobih, and grabbed his still hard length. He pulled, jerking the hot flesh in time with his thrusts. Only four tugs, and Tobih was screaming his release, spewing his cum all over Kelle’s hand, Tobih’s chest, and the sheets. That was enough to throw Kelle over the edge. He howled, right before leaning down, and biting deeply into the flesh between Tobih’s shoulder, and his neck. Much to Kelle’s surprise, his cock began to swell, until he couldn’t thrust anymore, and was locked inside Tobih’s body. He pushed, and pushed, burying himself as deep as he could go, and felt Tobih’s channel ripple around him when the hard knot he now had rubbed across the man’s prostate. Shocked, he pulled his canines from Tobih, as he felt the vampire climax again, another scream coming from him. He rocked his hips, Tobih now whimpering, until he felt the little man go limp in his arms. At first, he was alarmed, but the wolf, or whatever it was inside him, seemed thrilled they had fucked the vampire into unconsciousness.

He tried to pull out of Tobih, but he was well, and truly snared within the other man’s body, the knot throbbing, as his cock continued to empty, and his balls

churned out their contents. He lifted up, bringing Tobih up with him, but that wasn’t happening when the shorter man’s channel pulled at the knot, causing some discomfort. Kelle leaned back down, and flipped them to the side, so he could relax, and not crush Tobih under him. Fatigue pulled at him, but he noticed the bite he’d given Tobih was still oozing blood, and he licked it, then wondered why he did that. Tobih’s blood was kind of sweet, but it was still blood, and Kelle was not a vampire. But as he looked at the bite again, he saw it was now closed, and no longer bleeding. Huh. Go figure.

Eyelids heavy, he knew he wasn’t going to be awake much longer. He lifted his head, looking for covers, only to see them bunched near their feet. Groaning, he sat up, sucking in a breath when the action caused the knot to pull. He reached out, snagging the sheet, and pulled it up over them, as he settled back to the mattress. He wrapped his arm around Tobih, pulling him close to his body, and thrusting his hips forward, so the knot was buried further. Tobih moaned, grinding his ass back against Kelle, and his eyes crossed at the pleasure that caused. Damn!

He reached down to feel Tobih still hard, the silky skin of his cock pulled tight, and the foreskin fully retracted so his glans was exposed. Sleepily, Kelle played with the head of Tobih’s cock, digging a nail into the slit, before rubbing under the frenulum. Tobih started swaying his hips, making Kelle’s knot rock inside him. Seconds later, Tobih groaned, and cum spilled out over Kelle’s fingers, and a languid orgasm coursed through Kelle, the knot on his dick swelling further, and Tobih’s channel squeezing it, the fit now so tight, Kelle couldn’t move at all. Sighing with contentment, he hugged Tobih against his chest, and let sleep take him.

*~*~*~*

Tobih slowly opened his eyes, blinking against the bright light in his bedroom. He hissed, the rays of the morning sun stinging his bare skin. He grabbed the

sheet covering himself, pulling it over his head, and tried to move, so he could get up, and pull the blackout curtains over the windows. But when he tried, a sharp pain in his ass had him freezing. What? He reached back, making sure the sheet didn’t move from covering him, only to feel a solid, warm…body…behind him. Behind him, and up close, and personal.

Kelle.

Fuck, he was still knotted? How on earth had that happened? The wolf who’d knotted Thayne had separated from him after a few minutes. They’d been cuddled up for…Tobih peeked out from under the cover to see the clock…over three hours!

“Stop moving.”

Kelle tightened the arm he had around Tobih, pulling him into his chest, his voice gravelly with sleep. As much as Tobih was enjoying this, and surprisingly he was definitely relishing the connection, he needed to get up, so he could close the curtains. He just wasn’t sure how that was going to happen with Kelle stuck to him. He could still feel the heat of the sun through the sheet, though the stinging had stopped, now that he was marginally covered. He huffed in frustration when he heard Kelle softly snoring again.

An hour later, and Tobih was beyond annoyed, he finally felt Kelle’s knot start to shrink. A few minutes later, he was able to pull away, ignoring the grunt from Kelle. The shifter didn’t even wake up, as Tobih slipped from the bed, taking the sheet with him. He hurried to the side of the windows, and pulled the cord that would make the blackout curtains close. Once they were shut, the sun blocked from entering his bedroom, he dropped the sheet, and glanced over at Kelle. The wolf had turned, and spread out, his body, once again, exposed to Tobih’s view.

Tobih’s face flushed at the evidence of their coupling that covered Kelle’s flaccid dick, the scent of his own seed strong as it wafted up from the sheets. Shower, he desperately needed a shower. Leaving the wolf to sleep, he made his way to his bathroom, turning on the water to heat. He glanced at himself in the mirror, and gasped at what he saw. His eyes were red, and on his shoulder, near his neck was a large bite wound. It was closed, healing quickly, like all the wounds he got after being turned, but he couldn’t believe Kelle had bitten him. Just seeing the bite made Tobih’s stomach growl with hunger. Damn it, he needed to feed.

Steam filled the room, blocking his view, and he turned away to enter the tub enclosure. As he soaped up, his mind went back to last night. Kelle had claimed him. He was sure that’s what the bite was about, and the sex. Kelle had been out of control, his wolf in charge. He wondered what the man was going to think when he woke up, knowing they were now bonded for life. To a vampire he’d fled from. There’d been no consent on Kelle’s side, his instincts too overwhelming to stop him, and allow him to choose. Tobih only hoped the wolf didn’t blame him. After all, Tobih was ripe, in heat, and didn’t have a lot of control himself. Not that he would have begged Kelle to take him, but the need was more than he could handle last night.

He tried to analyze his own feelings, knowing he’d not wanted a mate in the first place. Now he had one, he wasn’t sure what to do. Should he ignore it, and just go on with his life as usual? Going to work, and the clubs for sustenance? But no, he couldn’t. Thayne had said, once bonded, Tobih would only be able to feed from Kelle. Ah, shit. That meant he was going to have to explain to the shifter, what being bonded to him meant. Tobih finished up, rinsing his body, before stepping out, and drying off. He’d not brought clothes in with him, so wrapped the towel around his hips, and walked out of the bathroom. He stopped when he saw that Kelle was awake, and leaning against the headboard, the blanket covering his lower half.

“Feel better, now you’re clean of my scent?”

Huh. Kelle didn’t sound happy at all. “Um, yes.” What was he supposed to say? He wasn’t going to lie to the shifter.

“Fine. Why are your eyes red?”

Shit, they were still red? That made no sense, well except for being hungry. He wasn’t angry, no high emotions, and wasn’t arous…. Well, that wasn’t necessarily true. His cock was semi-hard, and his body was still running hot. Was he still in his heat? He watched as Kelle leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply, before dropping his head again, and grinning at Tobih.

“Smells like someone is…up…for some more action.”

Fuck. “No, I have things to do, and I don’t want to be stuck to you for hours again.” No way was he allowing Kelle’s crazy, swelling dick near his ass. He was still sore from early this morning, and he really did have things to do. Housecleaning, checking emails, getting ready for work once the sun dropped behind the horizon. Kelle’s grin dropped like a rock, and he narrowed his eyes at Tobih, before turning away.

“Yea, you’re right. I need to figure out why the hell I feel so weird around you before I touch you again, if ever.”

Tobih’s stomach flipped, hearing those words from Kelle. It sounded as if he was disgusted by Tobih, and that he might abandon him. That’s just great. He finally caved to this whole mating thing, only to have Kelle bail on him. “That’s not what I meant. I’m sore, and that knot of yours is damn large. And I really do have things to do. It’s not like we can’t do it again.” Kelle looked at him briefly,

but Tobih couldn’t read the look on his face.

“I need to go.”

Kelle stood up, the blanket falling away, and looked for his clothes. Except, his clothes were shredded, and in the dumpster behind Onyx. And none of Tobih’s would fit him, by a long shot. Kelle looked confused, as he searched the room.

“Where are my clothes?”

He finally looked at Tobih, his brows furrowed. “Um, you don’t have any here. Don’t you what happened last night?”

“Yea, we fucked. Where are my clothes, Tobih?!”

Shit, Kelle was getting angry. That was the last thing Tobih needed, and why the hell didn’t he what happened, and how he ended up at Tobih’s apartment in the first place? Or the fact he’d claimed Tobih, with a mating bite, and all? “Look, you shifted into a wolf last night when you were attacked by some other wolves, and your clothes got shredded. I killed the wolves attacking you, and you ed out. Thayne helped me bring you here.” Kelle growled, glaring at Tobih.

“Don’t be stupid. Just because something weird is happening to my dick, doesn’t mean I’m some damn werewolf, or a monster, like you. And don’t think I believe you killed someone. You may be a vampire, but Thayne told me

vampires rarely kill unless they waited too long to feed, and go feral with bloodlust. You look just fine.”

Oh, okay, that hurt. Why did that hurt? He never wanted a mate, so why did what Kelle was saying feel like a blade right through his chest? “You know what? You’re right. Why would you want to stay here? Toga yourself up, and get the fuck out of my house!”

“Fine, I will, but I’m not bringing your sheets back.”

Kelle grabbed the fitted sheet left on the bed, and tore it so it would fit around him, and cover up all the necessary parts. That it was covered in Tobih’s cum didn’t seem to matter to him. Without a word, he left the bedroom, and Tobih heard his front door open, then slam shut. What the hell just happened? And here, Thayne said he wouldn’t regret letting Kelle claim him. He was regretting it already.

Chapter 6

Kelle paced his living room, after getting home from work. He couldn’t figure out where the anger was coming from. And, Jesus, he’d been really cruel to Tobih, and after the man allowed him to fuck him too. How pathetic was that? Once he’d gotten home, he’d tried to how he’d gotten to Tobih’s place, but everything was a blur. He ed getting off work, and leaving the club. He ed being confronted by two guys, but after that, all he could was finding himself buried in Tobih’s willing body. He didn’t even how he got inside the man. Just that he was there, and it had felt so damn good. That was until his dick had swelled so much, he couldn’t pull out of the man. What was up with that? His cock had never done that before. Maybe he was allergic to the lube they used, even if he didn’t using any.

It had been almost two weeks since he’d stormed out of Tobih’s apartment, and though he’d gone to work, his off time was filled with confusion, and anger. Always the anger. It felt as if something inside him was mad at him, for some strange reason. He didn’t understand it. His pacing was interrupted by a knock, well more like banging, on his door. Who the hell would be calling on him? Especially at three in the morning. He stomped to the door, and threw it open, to see Thayne, along with three of his body guards standing in the hall outside his apartment. And the man did not look happy.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I beg your pardon?” Why would the vampire be angry with him? He hadn’t seen the master for well over a month.

“You claim Tobih, then abandon him? How could you do that?”

“Claim him? What are you talking about?” Kelle had no clue what the vampire was getting at, but he didn’t like it. Sure, he’d said some mean things, but he’d not hurt the little vampire. Then again, ever since he’d left Tobih, the anger in him had only gotten worse. Enough that he’d been reprimanded at work for being too rough with a client who had gotten out of hand. He’d broken the man’s arm while escorting him out of the club.

“You claimed him, bonded with him. Now he can’t feed from anyone but you. He’s wasting away, because you abandoned him.”

Thayne’s eyes had turned red, as had the three body guards, and they were all glaring at him, one even giving a low hiss. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We fucked, that’s all we did.”

“That is not all you did. You bit him, gave him a mating bite. He’s now bonded to you forever. Doesn’t your wolf want to be with his mate?”

“Wolf? Not you too. I’m not some freaky werewolf.” Kelle couldn’t believe this. First Tobih, now Thayne. Had everyone around him gone insane?

“Marsis!”

Another man came forward, one Kelle hadn’t noticed before. He was small, no bigger than Tobih, and had an arresting aroma, though not as nice as Tobih’s.

“You might want to let us in for this.”

“Why?” Kelle couldn’t see why they needed to come in, and he honestly wasn’t in the mood for company.

“Because, you don’t believe in wolf shifters, so I’m going to prove it to you. But to do that, Marsis has to get naked. Are you really such an asshole, you’ll make him do that out here in the hall, where anyone could see him?”

Kelle growled, not liking Thayne’s tone one bit, but he stepped back, allowing the men into his small apartment. Thankfully, it was clean. He didn’t do much to make it dirty, other than the clothes on the floor in his bedroom, and they wouldn’t be going in there. He closed the door behind them, then turned, crossing his arms over his chest, and waited.

“Marsis, show him.”

Kelle watched as the little man, Marsis began removing his clothes. He turned away, giving the man some privacy, but Thayne snarled at him.

“Look, Kelle. You won’t believe, if you don’t watch, and Marsis doesn’t care about nudity. Most wolves don’t, since they have to be naked to shift.”

Kelle mumbled a few words to himself, along the lines of Thayne being crazy, and feeling sorry for the man now standing nude in his living room. He noticed

the man had a slight indentation on his lower belly, not that Kelle was trying to notice, it had just captured his attention, because he’d felt a similar indentation on Tobih’s lower abdomen too. His thoughts scattered when the man’s body began to shimmer, and convulse, before the guy dropped to the ground. Less than a minute later, Kelle was looking at a small, white wolf.

Kelle grabbed his head, stumbling back against his front door, when memories assaulted him, flashes of tearing flesh, howls, screams, and then the bodies on the asphalt, one in human form, another in wolf, the creature’s leg in Kelle’s mouth. Pain sliced through his brain, as what had happened the night he’d fucked Tobih came crashing down on him. Paws, he’d seen brown paws where his hands should have been. And then, waking up to find himself alone with his mate, and the driving need to rut, and seed, to breed his mate, his wolf controlling his actions. And the bite, sinking his canines deep within Tobih’s flesh, sealing them together forever.

Then the anger, his wolf raging at him for running away, and that their mate had not claimed them back. Their mate hadn’t allowed them to provide what he needed to survive, to nourish the pup growing inside his mate’s belly. Wait? What? “He’s…he’s pregnant.” The wonder in his own voice was barely overshadowed by the fury he’d been dealing with for days. Kelle slid down the wall, until he was sitting on the floor, staring at the white wolf watching him. “Change back.” He said it softly, just needed the confirmation before he believed he was one of these creatures.

When Marsis was once more human, and had gotten dressed, Thayne sent him home. Kelle was still trying to understand it all. He was a werewolf? A monster? Except, Marsis didn’t seem anything like a monster, so maybe he wasn’t either? He hoped so, he really did, because if he was, he didn’t want to live, afraid he’d hurt others.

“Now, do you see? You are a wolf shifter, even if you are a hybrid.”

Kelle looked up from his spot on the floor. “Hybrid?” Great, he couldn’t just be a regular werewolf, he had to be weird one, a hybrid, whatever that was.

“Kelle, do you your parents, your biological parents?”

Kelle shook his head. He’d been shuffled around the foster system in group homes since he could .

“You’re what’s considered a hybrid, most likely human mother, and wolf father. A half-shifter. You’re also quite rare, since wolf hybrids are usually exterminated at birth. I honestly don’t know how you managed to grow to adulthood, other than your mother hid you. Hybrids can be dangerous, and some go feral quickly. You must be more wolf, than human since you seem fine, and can shift. Most hybrids go feral, and insane because they have a wolf inside them that can’t come out.”

“You think I’m fine? Are you nuts? I can turn into a wolf. If that isn’t insane, I don’t know what is.” Kelle couldn’t believe Thayne was talking about all this as if it was normal. There was nothing normal about it. Not him being a wolf, or half-wolf, or whatever. Thayne, and Tobih being vampires, Tobih being….being pregnant by Kelle’s own seed. Kelle’s head was stull thumping badly, and he desperately wanted it to all go away, until he ed what Thayne had said earlier. Tobih was wasting away? He couldn’t feed from anyone but Kelle now? And, shit, he was carrying a child. He needed to feed. Kelle pushed himself up off the floor, and turned to Thayne. “Where is he?”

“If by ‘he’, you mean Tobih, he’s at my club. We’ve been giving him blood through an IV, which he keeps pulling out. He says if you are unwilling to feed

him, then he just needs to die.”

Kelle threw his head back, and howled, the pain in his chest so great, he was afraid he was having a heart attack.

“Stop!”

Kelle choked back the agony he was feeling, and clamped his lips shut, glaring at the master.

“That’s not going to help. If you are willing, come with me, and I’ll take you to him.”

“Is he well enough for sex?” Kelle couldn’t believe he was asking, especially Thayne, but he needed to know. Because come hell, or high water, Tobih was going to claim him back, and feed, which meant, this time around, Tobih would be fucking Kelle. Kelle had never given anyone the privilege of entering his body, which ed for the nervousness filling him, but he wasn’t going to show that to Thayne, or his bodyguards.

“If you feed him, most likely.”

Kelle nodded, ignoring the smirk on Thayne’s face. The master vampire was in no way stupid, and probably knew why Kelle had asked him. Not that it mattered. This was between Tobih, and himself.

It only took about twenty minutes to get to Bent, Kelle fidgeting the whole time. Was he really going to do this? Yes, yes he was. For himself, but mostly for Tobih. He didn’t want the young vampire dying because Kelle was being selfish, or was still confused over it all. It would take time for him to come to with what he was, and the fact he had a mate, but he was sure he’d adjust. He always did. That was something concrete he knew about himself. He always managed to adapt to new things, new places. He’d had to, to survive his childhood.

When they pulled up outside the club, Kelle was out of the car, and headed for the front door, when Thayne stopped him. He just barely contained the growl that bubbled in his chest.

“Come around back. We’ll go up the private stairs. You are in no condition to walk through the club.”

Kelle didn’t argue, just changed direction, and made his way around to the back of the club. He waited impatiently for Thayne, and his bodyguards to catch up, then, once the door was open, took the stairs three at a time to get to Tobih. When he reached Thayne’s inner sanctum, he looked around, only to see the usual feeders in the room. “Where is he?”

“Come on, follow me. He’s in one of my guest rooms.”

Kelle crowded after Thayne. He’d never been past the door he knew led to Thayne’s bedroom, and didn’t realize there was a whole other space here, including a fully furnished apartment. He had just assumed Thayne had a large bedroom to accommodate all his feeders. He didn’t take more time than to glance around, too focused on getting to Tobih. When Thayne stopped at a closed door, he turned to Kelle.

“He’s weak, and you’ll have to control his feeding. He won’t be able to stop himself, and he could suck you dry. Be careful. He’s liable to attack you, to get to your vein. Just…just…be careful. I really don’t want a guilty fledgling, and a dead hybrid in my quarters. Understand?”

Kelle did. Tobih was starving, after not feeding for two weeks. He ed when he’d first met the small vampire. He’d been desperate then too, only he’d must have had some blood, or he would have been out of control, and probably feral then.

“I won’t expect you to emerge for some time, possibly days. You won’t be disturbed, but if you hear a knock on the door, it’s just to notify you there is a tray of food for you both in the hall.”

Kelle nodded, anxious to get to Tobih. Thayne laid his hand on Kelle’s arm when he reached for the doorknob.

“, be careful. The best way to stop his feeding, is to insert a finger between your neck, and his mouth. It breaks the suction, and you can pull him off. Don’t let yourself get too weak to do that, okay?”

Kelle nodded again, then huffed. “I understand, Thayne. Just, let me get in there already.”

“Here.”

Kelle looked down to see a bottle of lube being thrust into his hand. Oh, yea, he was going to need that.

“Being laetus, Tobih self lubricates, but you don’t. Use a lot.”

Thayne then turned, and left him, disappearing down the hall. This was it. Kelle took a deep breath, and quietly opened the door. He just as quietly closed it, clicking the lock into place, before turning to see Tobih on the bed. He’d lost weight, but wasn’t nearly as emaciated as Thayne made it sound like. His skin was as white as the sheets, and when he turned towards Kelle, his eyes were blood red. He hissed, looking every bit as feral as a blood-starved vamp could. “Tobih?”

“Kelle.”

Tobih’s guttural, raspy voice was Kelle’s undoing. He started stripping as he made his way to the bed, Tobih never taking his eyes off of him. When he reached the side of the bed, he was naked, but instead of Tobih raking his eyes down him, he was focused on the rapidly fluttering vein at Kelle’s neck. Kelle had only put one knee on the bed before Tobih leaped from his prone position. But, instead of going for Kelle’s throat like he’d expected, Tobih slammed him back on the mattress, and buried his fangs in the large vein at Kelle’s groin. Kelle went hard as a rock, and started spewing seed, a massive orgasm rolling through him, and he roared at the sensation. He was humping the air, Tobih holding on tightly, his fangs never leaving Kelle’s flesh, even as he was covered in Kelle’s semen.

Kelle’s heart was thundering, and the pulls from Tobih’s mouth were keeping

him hard. When he looked down, it was to see Tobih thrusting into the covers, a groan coming from him. This wouldn’t do. If Tobih wanted to fuck, while feeding, then Kelle needed to get him where that would work. As Thayne had instructed, he leaned down, and pushed a finger between his thigh, and Tobih’s mouth, popping the suction, and pulling Tobih off him. Tobih growled, his eyes still red. Kelle ignored it, pushing Tobih down, and nearly lying on him to keep him still while he recovered the dropped bottle of lube near the head of the bed. Tobih struggled, but he was no match for Kelle’s sheer size.

Kelle managed to get the bottle open, and knew Tobih wasn’t going to be preparing him. Not with his claws out like that. Kelle poured some of the slick on his fingers, and quickly inserted one. He was going to have to hurry. It wasn’t that he couldn’t continue to hold Tobih down, but he wanted the vampire to claim him, and feed some more. A few minutes later, he had three fingers plunging in, and out of his own ass, the sensation different, and not entirely pleasant. He kept in mind, having Tobih’s cock in him was going to be so much better than his own fingers.

Satisfied he could take Tobih’s thinner, and shorter cock, he pulled his fingers free, and wiped them on the sheets. Carefully, keeping a tight hold on his mate, he maneuvered them around, until Tobih was on top of him, straining to get to his neck. Holding Tobih’s shoulder to keep him from just diving in, he moved the little vampire’s hips around until he was in the right position. Kelle then opened his legs wide, drawing them up to expose himself. Using his free hand, he grabbed ahold of Tobih’s hard length, and guided it to his entrance. Letting go, he placed a hand on Tobih’s ass, and pulled him forward, until Tobih got the idea, and pushed into him, burying himself to the hilt in one fast thrust. Kelle groaned, the feeling of fullness new to him. It stung, but only for a moment. Looking into his mate’s red eyes, he couldn’t help but notice they had faded somewhat. “Tobih, claim me.”

“Kelle.”

Kelle then tilted his head, exposing his neck, and let go of Tobih’s shoulder. The man struck, his fangs going deep. Kelle grunted at the first pull, his cock still hard as a rock. He smoothed his large hand over the back of Tobih’s head, just holding him, but putting his thumb in a position to stop Tobih’s feeding, if it got to be too much. Tobih started thrusting in time with his sucking, and damn if he didn’t hit Kelle’s prostate from the get-go. Kelle groaned at the sensations coursing through him, and started rocking into Tobih’s thrust. He hadn’t known it would feel like this.

“Gods, so good, so good.”

Kelle’s entire body shuddered hearing Tobih’s voice in his head. He didn’t know bonded vampires could do that. He’d felt the link between them snap into place right before he heard Tobih’s voice, and knew they were fully bonded now. Tobih’s thrusts were growing harder, faster, and more erratic, and Kelle knew his mate was about to climax. Wanting to come at the same time, Kelle forced his free hand between them, and grabbed his own aching erection, jerking in time with Tobih’s thrusts.

Tobih suddenly pulled his fangs from Kelle’s neck, and arched, groaning loudly as he started grinding his hips as he spilled inside Kelle’s channel. Kelle could actually feel the heat of his cum filling him, and it knocked him over the edge. He roared, his own cock spewing, and his knot swelling. He grabbed it, squeezing, and prolonging his own orgasm, as his channel clutched Tobih within him. Their dual orgasms seemed to go on forever, but soon enough, Tobih collapsed on top of Kelle, his now softening cock slipping from his body. Kelle’s knot was still fully engorged, and would probably stay that way, as if he were inside his mate. Chest heaving, Kelle wrapped his arms around Tobih, holding him close to his racing heart. He felt Tobih licking at the wound on his neck, and hoped it would scar, like the one on Tobih’s neck.

As their hearts settled, and their breathing returned to normal, the buzz of their

bond grew, and strengthened in Kelle’s head. He could feel Tobih now, his emotions, even his body. His mate was happy, satiated, and more importantly, full, his hunger gone now. Kelle’s wolf was content in his mind, no longer snarling, and clawing at him, now they had their mate back. Kelle’s knot was still distended, and every time Tobih moved, the stimulation had Kelle holding in a moan of pleasure. They’d have to experiment with that later, much later, as Kelle’s eyelids drooped. Kelle opened his eyes, blinking when he realized he’d dozed off. Tobih had slipped off him, and was snuggled up to his side. Kelle turned, spooning around Tobih’s much smaller body, feeling as if he was protecting what was his.

“I do not belong to you, like a possession. We are mates, equals.”

Kelle nuzzled the back of Tobih’s head. “Of course. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant, you are my mate, and I am yours. I’m pretty sure, if I were threatened, you would do your best to protect me. You’ve done it before.” Tobih turned his head to see him, his eyes back to amber now.

“You now?”

Kelle nodded. “Yes, thanks to Thayne. I’m so sorry I was so cruel to you. I’m not sure what got into me, but the wolf in me was angry. He wanted your bite, your claim, and when we didn’t get it, he was enraged. I should have had more control, given you more time.” Kelle felt Tobih’s belief, and almost sighed. He was forgiven.

“Just, don’t ever do that to me again. I can take a lot, but not harsh words from my mate.”

Tobih turned away, and pushed back, snuggling deeper into the curve of Kelle’s body.

“And you’re right, I would protect you as well.”

*~*~*~*

Tobih could hardly believe it. He was fully bonded now, to a half-wolf shifter. He lay there a long time, engulfed in Kelle’s arms, his mate’s breathing deepening, until he was softly snoring. He could so get used to that noise, knowing it meant Kelle was right there beside him. He never thought he’d actually enjoy another body against him while in bed, but he did. Maybe fate knew what it was doing after all. There was a soft knock on the door, and Tobih wondered who it was, if it was Thayne, since they were in his suite.

He slowly scooted himself away from Kelle, careful not disturb him. He was pulled back twice, but finally managed to extract himself out from under Kelle’s heavy arm, and possessive hold. He grabbed a pair of sweats, slipping them on quickly, and going to the door. When he opened it, there was no one there, but on the floor in front of him was a tray, and from the aromas coming from it, it was food. Tobih’s stomach growled, and he leaned down to grab it. Closing the door with his elbow, he made his way back to the dresser to set the tray down. He glanced over at Kelle, to see his mate awake, and watching him, a small smile on his face.

“Hungry?”

“Starving.”

Somehow, through their bond, Tobih knew it wasn’t food Kelle was talking about. He laughed, liking the idea Kelle wanted him so much, especially after all that had happened before. But he was hungry for food, and was, once again, thankful vampires could eat regular food, along with their need for blood. Meals would be pretty damn boring if they couldn’t enjoy food, and only had blood to sustain them. Kelle climbed from the bed, and walked towards him, not bothering to put his clothes back on. Tobih couldn’t help iring the magnificence that was Kelle. He was so Tobih’s type. So tall, and broad, a smooth, muscular chest, flat abs, narrow hips, and long muscular legs. His black hair, bright blue eyes, and square jaw made his face stunning to look at. And the long cock swinging between his legs wasn’t bad either.

“Not bad? I think I should be insulted.”

Tobih grinned, hearing the amusement in Kelle’s voice. “Your cock is a splendid appendage, and fits my ass perfectly.” He watched Kelle puff out his chest, and rolled his eyes. “Come on, grab those chairs, and we’ll eat, before we move on to more interesting activities.” Kelle growled, obviously pleased with Tobih’s suggestion.

Epilogue

Kelle flopped over onto his back, Tobih settling on top of him while his knot held them together. His body was covered in sweat, and Tobih’s semen, his mate’s body as slick with sweat as his own. The small bump that now showed on Tobih’s stomach was pressed to Kelle’s, and he listened intently, hearing the fast fluttering of three heartbeats. Three of them! Thayne had confirmed the triple conception, and Tobih was still grappling with, not only the idea he was pregnant, but carrying three new lives within him.

Kelle had been there every step of the way, giving Tobih his faith, and strength as his mate adjusted to their new reality. They’d moved in together, in a house not too far from Bent, now that Kelle was working there again. Thayne hadn’t wanted Kelle out of his territory, and taking Tobih with him. Kelle understood. Tobih was carrying vampire-half-wolf hybrids, which made him a target with the local packs. Not only was Kelle an abomination in their eyes, but their progeny would be even more so.

They’d found out the two shifters who had attacked Kelle had been from Alpha Garron’s pack, and Thayne had been enraged, barring his shifters from his club for the foreseeable future. He was now negotiating with another pack, to provide shifter blood, in exchange for allowing them to search for mates at his club. Only Fenet was allowed inside, and that was only because his brother had banished him from the pack, after finding out he’d been fucking Thayne. The wolf shifter had taken over Tobih’s loft, and had become a fast, and loyal friend. And a valuable source of information for Kelle, as a full wolf shifter.

Tobih nuzzled into Kelle’s neck, and he held in a chuckle as he tilted his head, allowing Tobih to feed. His fledgling mate still had to feed every day, even more so now that the little leeches—as Tobih affectionately called them—needed

sustenance too. According to Thayne, their progeny would be here in another four months, as vampires, at least laetus, had a very fast gestation time. They would be born with their fangs, subsisting on blood until the rest of their teeth came in, and they could eat solid food. No nursing for Tobih, and Kelle had been amused at his mate’s relief over that. Thayne felt it was wise to have them feed from both of them, getting Tobih’s iron rich blood, along with Kelle’s much stronger shifter blood. It made sense, especially since they would be feeding three offspring, plus Kelle feeding Tobih.

It would take a few hours for Kelle’s knot to recede, so he wiggled until he was more comfortable with Tobih’s weight on top of him. He wrapped his arms around Tobih, holding him close. His feelings for the little vampire had grown so much in the last few weeks, and he knew he loved his mate. He just wasn’t sure he wanted to it it out loud to Tobih.

“I love you too.”

Shit! Kelle’s face heated, knowing Tobih had caught his thoughts. He wasn’t good at hiding anything from Tobih, and was actually thankful for that. He wanted no secrets between them. He felt Tobih withdraw his fangs, licking the area, and making it tingle. It had, indeed, scarred as Kelle had hoped it would, and anyone who saw him would know he was mated. That, and Tobih’s scent all over him most of the time. Not that he didn’t scent mark Tobih on a regular basis too. His wolf would settle for nothing less.

Tobih leaned up so he could see into Kelle’s face, and the love Tobih had confessed shown in his amber eyes. Kelle rose, and captured Tobih’s lips, kissing his mate gently, before diving in, and deepening it. He tasted his own blood on Tobih’s tongue, and once again swelled with pride, knowing he was providing for his mate, and their offspring.

*~*~*~*

Tobih reveled in the kiss Kelle was giving him. Nothing felt quite like Kelle’s lips on his own. Except maybe the knot that tied them intimately together. He squeezed his channel, making Kelle moan into his mouth. He loved doing that. Loved everything about Kelle.

He’d been so suspicious at first, waiting for the other shoe to drop, and Kelle to start ordering him around, especially once they figured out he was pregnant. But, though he was possessive, and highly protective, Kelle never expected Tobih to do anything he didn’t want to do. Never pushed him to follow rules, never commanded him, never restricted his activities, or got angry when Tobih did something he didn’t like.

Because of Kelle’s response to him, Tobih had found himself never trying to push Kelle’s buttons. He didn’t risk himself, and always kept Kelle’s feelings in mind when he went anywhere, or did anything. He’d been shocked to discover how much he was accommodating his mate, when he’d sworn to be independent, and never under another’s thumb. Only, he wasn’t under Kelle’s thumb. They were mates, equals in everything. Possessive, and protective of each other like it should be. Sometimes, he was curious how they would react if there was a real threat against them, especially with Kelle being so much bigger, and stronger than Tobih. But, somehow, he knew Kelle wouldn’t try to hide him in corner, or wrap him in bubble wrap, and keep him from living, or fighting for them.

They pulled away from the kiss, Kelle giving little pecks now, as they settled again. Tobih curled up on Kelle’s chest, his mate’s knot still throbbing within him. That was another thing. Their sex life was phenomenal. Kelle had a way of bringing Tobih to such heights of pleasure, he was rendered helpless with ecstasy. No one had ever made him feel the way Kelle did. It wasn’t just the sex either, but everything that came with it, the intimacy, the caring, the love, and the pleasure. Thanks to their bond, Kelle knew exactly what Tobih wanted, what he

needed, and fulfilled those needs expertly. Maybe that was it. He knew he, and the progeny he carried meant everything to Kelle. Just as Kelle meant everything to Tobih. Something he never thought would happen to him.

“You’re thinking very hard there, my mate. Anything you want to share?”

Tobih snuggled closer to Kelle. “No, just happy.” Kelle’s chest rumbled as he chuckled.

“Me too, my love. Me too. I am so glad I came to my senses, and claimed you.”

Tobih sighed in contentment. He was glad too.

The End