Fallen Angel

Angyl & Orithain

Devin Carmichael, better known to his friends and family as Angel, woke up shivering and hungry, the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, the smell of sex and something else around him and the feel of come slowly seeping out of his ass. The first thing that penetrated the fog of his brain was that he wasn’t supposed to have worked tonight, so chances were that he’d been raped. The second was that he couldn’t remember a thing and had no idea where he was.

It was so cold, and he couldn’t even get dressed again because the clothes he had been wearing were shredded in a pile next to him. God, what was going on?

Jerking suddenly, his wrist caught and ripped on a piece of jagged metal that jutted out of the cot he’d been thrown on or over or whatever. Bringing the wound up to his lips, he almost gasped in orgasmic hunger as hot blood poured down his throat and woke up the need for more.

It was the prick of elongated teeth on his skin that made him draw back and gently probe his mouth with his tongue. Seeing a broken, dirty mirror on the wall, the teenaged hooker got off the bed and wincingly hobbled over to it. His mouth was covered in dried blood; his hair was matted; there were puncture marks on his neck; and his teeth... his teeth were fangs.

Angel’s mind shut down as the impossible suddenly became not only possible but probable. Vampires did not exist. They didn’t! Whimpering, the fifteen-year-old sank into a corner, wrapping his arms around his too thin body in order to make himself as small as possible in an unconscious effort to protect himself from the horrific truth that was beginning to rear its ugly head.

"Someone, help me, please? Come find me? Please!" he whimpered softly, rocking back and forth as shock set in.

"Xio, please, we have to look for Angel," Kel pleaded desperately, more worried than he’d been in a long time. Kitten stood slightly behind him, wringing her hands, big eyes fixed pleadingly on the man who was keeping Kel—and all the rest of them for that matter.

"H-he wasn’t working last night," she whispered, chewing her lip. "He just went out to get some milk and stuff, but he never came back. I’m so worried about him, Kel." Tears welled up in the blue eyes.

"God. Okay, come on, Kitten. Take me there. We’ll find him," Kel said, knowing that this really wasn’t any of Xio’s concern. But the other boy was like a brother to him, and Kelson Davies wasn’t going to let him down.

"I assume you do not wish me to call the police to help? I thought not. In that case do you have a picture of the young man? I have a... friend who will be able to help. Between the three of us we should be able to find your lost lamb," Xiomar replied as he stood.

"Do not worry, little pretty," the vampire replied softly, caressing Kitten’s cheek with a soft smile. "We will find your angelic twin. Between myself and my friends there is no way he cannot be found. I promise you that, bella.

"Kel, caro, get me that picture while I change into proper hunting clothes." And with that the vampire whirled and stalked up the stairs to change, calling to his manservant to get Maestro Lindstrom on the phone as he needed to speak with him immediately.

"Hunting? What does he think he is, some kind of vigilante?" Kel sputtered, staring after the disappearing man. "Kit, you have that picture of you and Angel, don’t you? Go get it for me, sweetheart?"

Nodding, the young woman ran upstairs to the room that had become hers since Kel had gotten involved with the larger than life Italian musician, reappearing only moments later with the picture, panting.

"Do you really think he knows someone who can help?" she asked, still on the brink of tears.

Kel shrugged. "It sounds weird, but nothing about Xio surprises me anymore. I’ll go with him, but you should stay here in case Angel calls."

Derek had looked surprised to see Kel again when Xio introduced Kel as his mate, and Xiomar had been taken by surprise again at the strong resemblance between Derek’s chosen mate and his own amato.

It was only when Kel insisted upon coming with Xio that trouble ensued. "Caro, I can move faster without you. It is best you should stay with our bella and keep her company. There are sides of me that I think perhaps you are not ready to see, and those sides are what will find your young friend tonight."

"If something’s wrong, and it has to be to have kept Angel away, he’s not going to trust a bunch of strangers. Not even if you’re one of them, Xio. I need to know that he’s okay, to be out there. Whatever you’re afraid I can’t handle, is it more important than that?"

"As you wish, bello, but I am not a tame vampire by any stretch of the imagination, despite what it is you think you know about me. You may be less than enamored of my darker side and I don’t want to lose you, caro, not when I’ve fallen in love with you," Xio murmured, staring into the young man’s violet eyes, trying to gauge his reaction to Xio’s declaration, given Kel’s reticence about matters of the heart. "It isn’t how I wanted to tell you, but I need you to know this now," he finished quietly before glancing over at the other vampires.

"I wanted him to stay and I didn’t want to hide my true nature from him," Xio explained with a shrug. "The others don’t know. Besides, I wasn’t the first vampire he’d ever had an encounter with," Xio finished with a pointed stare at Derek and Nick.

Kel smiled crookedly, grabbed two fistfuls of Xio’s shirt and pulled him down to kiss him hard. "I love you too. Now let’s go find Angel so we can talk about that some more without any interruptions."

He turned to the other three men, his expression turning wry when he met Derek’s and Nick’s gazes, remembering the last time they’d met. "Thank you all for helping. I know you don’t even know Angel—"

"We know you need our help," the last man put in, bowing very slightly—or at least it looked that way. Philippe St. Onge, or Marc as he preferred to be called, gestured toward the door. "Shall we?" He wondered how a human was going to keep up with four vampires, but that was Xiomar’s problem not his.

"Grazie, amico." Xiomar looked at the aristocratic French vampire gratefully. "But we would cover more of the city if we split up. Perhaps, Derek, if you and your amore would take the university and surrounding area, Marc, could you perhaps come with Kel and myself?"

What he did not say but what was obvious to the vampires was that if he and Kel were the ones to find the lost boy, he would have a grief-stricken boy on his hands. If, by some chance, the child was still alive, then Xio would have two mortals, one who would perhaps be injured, to deal with.

"Of course," Derek nodded, knowing they would be able to cover a lot more ground without having to slow down for a human. "Don’t forget your cell, Xio, no matter how much you hate it. We’ll call you if we find him." He urged Nick toward the door, pale blue eyes expressing his sorrow.

"I have mine," Marc said, knowing from what his friend had said that the Italian vampire probably didn’t even know where his cellular phone was. He nodded to the other two as they vanished through the door, then turned back to the distraught teen and his vampire lover. "Do you have idea where to start?"

Kel nodded. "Yeah, I know what store he’d gone to, so we should start there and work outward from it. The guy there should at least be able to tell us if Angel ever made it that far."

The storeowner had seen Angel come in the night before, but the young man had never purchased anything, leaving instead with a less than savory looking man. The owner thought it strange the way Angel had looked, all glassy eyed and vacant as if he were on drugs, but since the young man had never touched narcotics no matter what, it was most confusing—if you were human.

There had been whispers amongst the vampire community of an old one who’d gone wild. He hunted and preyed on young mortal flesh, not caring if he killed or turned them. There had been prostitutes in various large cities around North America who had been turned and had gone mad from the hunger. It was left to the other vampires in the city to kill the poor children and put them out of their misery while protecting the secret of their existence.

Xio only prayed to God that such a thing had not yet happened to Kel’s young Angel. But from the description of the storeowner he wasn’t holding out hope. It sounded like... "Compulsion," Xio spat, looking at Marc to see if the younger vampire concurred.

Marc nodded, sorrow bright in his brown eyes as he looked over at the distraught teenager. It was most unlikely that his friend was still alive or could be saved if he had been turned, but they would do their best. "Perhaps we can feel him, either the old one or the young one if he has been turned," he suggested. "If either of them is anywhere nearby, we should know it."

Nodding grimly, Xio wrapped his arms around Kelson tightly, as if to protect his lover from what was to come. "And soon the four of us must hunt to protect our city if this madman is truly among us," he snarled ferally in French. Kelson’s friends were the sort of people this being preyed upon. He would do whatever it took to protect his amato’s family, his family.

Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the mental image he had of Angel, reaching and searching even as the air around him seemed to grow charged with power and his fangs elongated as he let this ability flow through him. To find Kelson’s loved one he would risk even this, showing himself where a mortal might see him.

Kel stood in Xio’s arms, watching Xio change. "Holy shit!" he whispered, still not accustomed to the changes since Xio rarely did this around him, at least so far, then shook his head when Xio looked at him. "Just find Angel. Everything else can wait."

Marc watched intently, waiting, taking his lead from the older vampire. "Anything?" he murmured.

After long moments, Xio’s eyes refocused. "The warehouse district," he murmured. "We must hurry. He’s hungry." Looking down at his violet-eyed lover, Xio spoke softly. "So brave, I know you’re not yet used to my appearance. Thank you for your faith, beloved," he murmured, stroking Kel’s cheek before turning somber.

"You must obey me at all costs in this, Kelson. We will take you because he will know you, but you must not get too close to him. He is no longer quite the Angel you remember and may well turn on you. He has been turned, against his will, I believe, and is hungry. You will be more meal than friend to him. Do you understand?"

"Yeah. Nick scared the shit out of me when I realized what he was the night we met," Kel admitted, a little embarrassed to remind Xio that he’d fucked the other couple. Somehow it was worse when it was someone they knew. "So yeah, whatever you say goes. But... will he be okay?"

Sighing, Xio hugged the younger man then picked him up in his arms. "We can move faster this way," he said by way of explanation. "And I do not know, amore, it may be that it would be more merciful to let him die than to let him live as a madman. We cannot say until we get to him. So we go, yes?"

Nodding at Marc to follow, Xio took off at full speed, wanting to get to Angel as soon as possible.

Following Xio, Marc stretched mentally, finding the hungry young one, and the strength of the contact made him gasp and stumble. Mère de Dieu, such power in a fledgling and such hunger! Without even realizing it, he sped up, passing Xio in a blur of motion as he homed in on the mind he was touching. He ripped the door off its hinges, barely pausing, and moved directly down the stairs to kneel at the side of a quivering child. Seigneur, he was so young.

Nearly blinded by the hunger he felt pounding against his mental barriers, Marc bit his own wrist. He held out the bleeding limb like an offering, meeting the terrified blue gaze. "Drink, chéri."

Whimpering, Angel looked from the gentle eyes of the man who’d found him to the crimson bounty at his wrist. Instinct and hunger overriding his natural abhorrence of what he knew he was about to do, the hooker’s lips ground down on the stranger’s wrist, and he began to gulp the coppery elixir down ravenously.

Xio slowly lowered Kel to the ground as he came to a halt inside the door and pushed his lover behind him, watching as Marc claimed Angel.

Peering around Xio’s body, Kel swallowed hard as he saw Angel drinking the other man’s—vampire’s?--blood. "Will he be okay?" he asked, his voice a mere breath of sound.

Marc never even noticed the other two arrive, his entire focus on the young one taking his blood and completing his transformation. The bastard who’d turned him had left him drained and needing blood but hadn’t given him more of his own than what was required to turn him. It would have left him weak and ravenous, soon driven to a mindless feeding frenzy, if they had not found him. "He will never hurt you again, Ti Ange." He stroked the blond hair soothingly as the fledgling fed.

"I think, perhaps, he will be just fine," Xiomar replied quietly. "Come, bello, we will leave them alone for now.

"Dauphin," the virtuoso called out to his friend, using the old nickname. "You will bring him home to his family when you are ready. I will call Derek to let him know our lost one has been found. Just remember, he has a sister worried and waiting for him."

Angel barely comprehended what was going on around him; he was too busy slaking his hunger. When the stranger tried to pull away, he growled softly and dug his fingers into the muscled arm though his strength was that of a kitten. Only when he felt that he could actually bear to let go did he finally remove his mouth as gently as possible, instinctively licking the wounds and sealing them.

Looking up at the man who’d found and fed him, Angel was unaware of the trickle of blood running slowly from the corner of his mouth. "Who are you; what am I?"

Smiling a little wryly, Marc nodded slightly, brown eyes sparkling beneath dark bangs that had fallen over his forehead before he impatiently pushed his hair back. "I am Philippe Louis Marcel St. Onge, but you may call me Marc. And you, like I and our friend Xio, are a vampire. Silly, non? But there it is; vampires are real. And what was done to you, mon petit, was a crime. I promise you we will track the bastard down and make him pay. And make sure he can’t hurt anyone else ever again." The brown eyes went blood red with rage as he contemplated what he would do to the renegade.

"But... vampires aren’t real," Angel replied, his mind not entirely ready to wrap around the concept that he was... dead. "And I don’t remember who did this to me. I remember going for milk because we were out and Kit wanted some hot chocolate and then... I woke up hungry. I’m so cold," he finished, his teeth chattering together. "Can I go home?"

"Of course." Standing up, Marc pulled off his coat and offered it to the young man since his own clothes were useless. "Come, I will bring you back to your sister and your very worried friend. You’re a lucky young man to have people who care about you like that."

"Will... will you stay too?" the young man asked softly, looking up at Marc with huge eyes. "I don’t want to hurt anyone, and if I am," Angel swallowed harshly, "what you say I am I might. Please, I don’t want to hurt anyone; all I wanted to do was take care of Kit and help Kel keep our family together."

"Of course, I will, chéri, calm yourself. You need a teacher now, and here I am. Not to mention that we have something of a bond. I may not have created you, but it was my blood that completed your transformation." He lightly cupped Angel’s cheek. "I will remain as long as you need me, little one. And you will see that you can be with your loved ones just as before. Very little needs to change."

Shivering with shock, Angel nodded numbly as he huddled closer to the tall man for warmth and security. Allowing himself to be guided out to the street where Xio had thoughtfully arranged for a cab to be waiting for them, the young man let his new protector and teacher bundle him into the car and, once Marc had sat down next to him, crawled into the Frenchman’s lap, seeking out what comfort he could.

It took half the trip to Xio’s before the tears began to fall. In a voice so low that the cabbie couldn’t hear, Angel whispered. "I was raped, wasn’t I?"

"I’m afraid so, mon cher, in more ways than one." Marc sighed, holding him close as the teenager huddled against him. "What was done to you is unconscionable," he sighed, petting him comfortingly. "One of us should only be created with full, conscious acceptance. I am so sorry, Ti Ange. But I promise I will do everything in my power to make it as easy as possible for you."

"What does that mean, Ti Ange?" Angel asked as he sniffled softly and wiped away his tears. For some reason he found such comfort and safety in the large man with the soft voice.

"It means little angel, but more. It’s... a term of affection, a pet name if you will." Marc hugged the young one a little closer, still petting him.

Rubbing his cheek against the soft fabric of Marc’s shirt, the teen continued. "I’m a prostitute; I shouldn’t be shocked. I mean Kel takes care of us, and we don’t have a pimp running the family, which is a really good thing, but being raped, well, it’s the chance we all take when we go into the trade.

"That’s why I want something better for my sister. She deserves better than being used and raped and sometimes slapped around. But I’m kinda used to it now. It’s just that I’ve never... no one’s ever... not against my will, not really," Angel finished as a fresh bout of tears emerged, staining Marc’s white silk shirt.

"You do not deserve this, any of it, simply because of what you have done to survive. No one does." Marc was angry at the very idea, but having grown up a privileged noble in the court of the Sun King, he had little idea of true privation. No matter what he’d seen in the years since, he still felt the same sense of safety and luxury. It never even occurred to him, until he was literally forced to face it, that anything truly bad could happen to anyone he knew. That this child had been abused appalled him.

He had to laugh at himself, though silently so as not to upset Angel. Derek would say that he was willfully blind and point out the lot of the lower classes in the world of his youth, but as the son of the king, even an illegitimate one, he didn’t think he’d ever seen poverty before he’d left France.

"Come, chéri, we are here. Can you walk, or shall I carry you?" He found himself oddly reluctant to let the boy go.

"I should probably walk; I don’t want to scare Kit more than I have. Will Xio and Kel have told her what happened do you think? I’m not gonna see her and want to... well, drink her dry, right? ‘Cause if I am gonna wanna do that, we need to leave. Kit’s the only real family I’ve got left in the world, and I promised Mom before she died that I’d take care of her. I’m not gonna break my promise. I can’t!" Angel exclaimed, panicking slightly at the thought of hurting anyone, especially his sister.

Instead of opening the door and climbing out, Angel just clung closer to the Frenchman, terrified to leave in case of what might happen.

"Do not worry, mon petit, you will not attack your loved ones. My blood is enough to sustain you. But if you feel hungry, come to me and we’ll take care of it. It’s best not to let the hunger go untended at first." He got out of the car, an arm around Angel bringing him along. "Come now, I’m sure la petite wants to see you."

"I... if you’re sure." Climbing off of Marc’s lap and out of the car, Angel wrapped the older man’s coat more tightly around him and began to walk slowly towards Xio’s house.

The front door was flung open and Angel saw his sister come out onto the steps and begin to run towards him. Looking back to make sure that Marc was right behind him, Angel’s steps faltered, and he held open his arms to his twin with a shaky grin. "Sorry, I kinda forgot the milk."

Sobbing, Kitten launched herself at him, arms going around his neck as she hit him, tears of relief pouring down her face. "Dev, oh God, I thought..." She buried her face in his neck, crying as she clung to him. Then she remembered that he’d been hurt, and she pulled away, aghast. "God, I’m sorry! Did I hurt you?"

Marc had moved behind the young man, discreetly bracing him when his sister all but tackled him, and he smiled at the visible love between the two.

"No, I... I don’t feel hurt," Angel looked back at the vampire, a question in his eyes. "I guess I’m all right after all. I just don’t remember anything. Well, I remember waking up a few hours ago, and then Marc," he motioned to the man standing behind him, "coming in and... saving me. Xio and Kel were right behind him but..." Angel looked back a second time, adoration clear in his eyes.

Kit frowned, not sure she was happy about this stranger suddenly becoming so important to her twin. But he had saved Angel, or at least helped Xio and Kel do so, so she smiled at him. "Thank you, sir. It was very kind of you to help my brother."

Marc murmured something, trying to hide his amusement as he watched her slide a possessive arm around Angel’s waist. It was clear that the young woman didn’t like the idea of anyone having a big part in her brother’s life, but the vampire wasn’t going anywhere. "We should go inside," he suggested gently. "I’m sure Angel would like to clean up and change."

"Oh!" Flushing, Kitten immediately urged Angel indoors, embarrassed that she’d kept him outside for an instant longer.

"It’s okay, I’m just happy to be here, all things considered." Pressing a kiss against Kit’s temple, he breathed in her warm, alive smell for long moments before gently extricating himself from her grasp. "I need to clean up, sis, and you’re not invited, I’m afraid. Could you maybe go tell Kel and Xio that we’re home?"

Kitten frowned again, eyes darting from Angel to Marc. "I’m sure Marc could do that while I help you upstairs." She didn’t want this man alone with Angel; she wanted him gone.

An eyebrow rising, Marc glanced at Angel, leaving it up to him how to handle this. He thought the girl’s jealousy of her brother’s attention was cute, actually, but he wasn’t fool enough to interfere.

"Sweetie, he doesn’t live here, and you do. Beside you probably know where Xio and Kel are, don’t you?" Devin pointed out reasonably even though he could tell where Xio was, and he was sure that Marc could too. He just knew where every vampire in the house was. Weird.

"Besides, Kit, I was raped. I’m gonna need some help, and to be perfectly honest I don’t want Kel or Xio to see, and besides if one came, they both would, and Marc’s... he’s nice, sweetie, and I trust him, okay?"

Still not happy but not about to keep arguing after that statement, Kitten hugged her twin, then vanished down the hall to carry the message to the other men... and pump them for information about this man her brother seemed so attached to.

"Your sister is charming, Ti Ange," Marc observed. "And very protective of you."

"We’re all each other’s had since our parents died," Angel replied as he headed up the stairs slowly. "She’s as protective of me as I am of her—which is too much probably, but we’ve fought too hard to stay together for it to be any other way."

Opening the door to the room Xio had given him, the one with a connecting door to Kathleen’s room, Angel finally voiced the question that had been plaguing him. "I should be hurting more, especially if, if he took me dry, but I don’t. Is this part of being a vampire?"

Marc nodded, following Angel inside and shutting the door behind him. "Oui. There is very little that can hurt you now, and what small injuries you do suffer will heal almost instantly. Judging by the amount of blood in that place where we found you, I think you might have died if he had not turned you."

"He must have hurt me real bad. Maybe it’s better that I don’t remember," Angel shivered, wrapping his arms around his waist at the thought. "I suppose I ought to get cleaned up. I must reek, what with lying in all of that... stuff."

Since it was true, Marc only shrugged. "You will feel better for a hot shower, chéri. Go ahead. I will be right here if you need me." He moved a chair in one corner of the room, settling himself elegantly, and he picked up the book on the table to see what interested Angel.

"I... thanks, I know I’m being silly but, it’s kinda nerve wracking to think that that thing is out there, the one who did this to me. I guess I’m a little scared he’s gonna come after me again. He won’t though, not with you and Xio here, right?"

Sighing at his silliness, Angel dropped the Frenchman’s now ruined coat with a look of silent apology and padded into the bathroom, making sure to leave the door open. Turning the shower on as hot as he could stand, he stepped under the scalding spray, all the while glancing through the shower curtain to make sure that Marc was right where he’d left him.

Marc was glad that Angel hadn’t waited for a reply because there was a very good chance that the madman who’d made him would, in fact, come looking for him again. The vampire would be able to feel him, and it was very likely that the pull of the bond, unwilling as it was, might bring him back to try to feed again. That was why Derek and Nick were still there, why they hadn’t left. Not knowing how old or powerful the renegade might be, it was wisest for them to remain together, to pool their resources, until they had taken care of the problem.

It was only when he started to wince every time the buff puff touched his skin that Angel conceded that it was time to get out. He’d washed his hair half a dozen times and had lost count of how long he’d been washing his body, but he still felt dirty, like there were invisible hands touching him all the time.

Grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist, the teen stepped out of the shower and walked back into the bedroom to find Marc engrossed in the book he’d been reading—a book of short stories on vampire erotica. "Oh God," he muttered, his already bright red skin turning even redder.

"After reading this, I think I would have performance anxiety," Marc observed wryly. "No man or vampire could ever live up to it." He shook his head, smiling faintly as he rose to his feet and moved toward Angel. "It will be all right, mon petit," he murmured, hands resting lightly on the fledgling’s shoulders.

"I didn’t actually believe that stuff was real, you know. I mean, hell, my parents were actual practicing Wiccans, so I knew how far apart fantasy and reality could be," Angel replied, rolling his eyes even as he moved closer into the taller man’s arms.

"What’s really going on, Marc?" Angel queried softly. "There’s something you’re not telling me; I can feel it. I may be young, but I’ve lived more in my fifteen years than most people live in a lifetime. The last few years have been anything but a walk in the park. And I hate people trying to coddle and lie to me. Tell me the truth, okay?"

The older vampire sighed, resting his cheek against the dark blond head for a moment. He should have known better; this young one was surprisingly perceptive. Reluctantly, he explained what was wrong, his arms tightening around Angel when he felt the young man begin to tense. "I will protect you, chéri, I promise you. He will not get anywhere near you."

"You mean even after he raped me and left me for dead in a pool of my own blood, he’s gonna try and come back for more?" Angel rasped, closing his eyes as terror coursed through him.

"Oh God, what about Kel and my sister and Carly and Casey and the other humans in the house; will he try for them if he realizes I’ve survived and been turned?" the teen panicked. "Are they gonna be safe here?"

"They are safer here than anywhere else they could be," Marc soothed, stroking his back. "Nothing will move Xiomar away from Kel until the renegade is destroyed and probably not even then," he added with a small chuckle, thinking of the way the Roman vampire had looked at the young man. "And Derek and Nick will make sure that your sister is safe. I would imagine that all the servants have been sent on vacation by now. So you see, four humans and five vampires, for you should not underestimate yourself now, though it will be my pleasure to ensure that the bastard does not come anywhere near you."

Hearing himself, Marc finally realized just how fixated he’d become on the young man, and he didn’t think he could explain it all away with the blood bond. Oh, très bien, fool, he thought to himself. Le petit has just been brutalized, and you lust after him. The timing could not be worse.

"No," Angel’s voice was shaky, but there was steel in it. "This thing did... things to me. He did this," his hand swept across his body in a gesture, "to me. Changed me into something I didn’t even know existed and something I don’t think I would have wanted to be if I’d known. I want to be there when he pays. I need to be there. I’ve got no illusions that I’ll be the one to take him out; I’m not strong enough, and I really don’t have the...

"I grew up believing in the Wiccan oath, ‘an it harm none’. I’ve never even intentionally hurt a fly, so I’m under no illusion that I could hurt him in cold blood, let alone kill him, but I’m human—I was human—enough to want to see it happen. To want closure. Don’t try and shut me out of this, Marc. I need to know he’s gone so I can," Angel’s voice quavered slightly, "so I can try to forget and to heal."

"If that is what you wish, then of course that is how it will be. You are the injured party here, chéri." Marc had to step back before his body gave him away, though he left a hand on Angel’s shoulder. "I simply meant that I will not allow him to harm you again."

"Every second he’s out there, stalking me, he’s hurting me," the teen replied, following Marc, wanting the reassurance of the older man’s strength, the feel of the Frenchman’s arms around him, keeping him safe. Taking the older man’s hands, Angel wrapped them around his waist, snuggling back into the warm embrace until...

"Marc," the youth murmured, turning his head slightly so that he could see the other man through the corner of his eye, "do you like me?" he continued, coyly.

The older vampire shut his eyes, feeling like a molester himself. "I am sorry, Angel. I did not mean to force myself on you..." he trailed off helplessly, not knowing what to say to someone who’d just been raped, both physically and in his soul, when he was attracted to him.

"Marc, do I look or sound like I’m upset? I guess there’s a plus side to not being able to remember. I mean I have the physical proof that I’ve been raped but none of the memories that go with it. Which I’m thankful for, especially after what you described and what I sorta remember seeing but... it’s like it’s another person, you know? Not really me even though it was my body, you know?" Angel mused, thoughtfully.

Turning fully into the older vampire’s arms, he slyly smiled up at Marc even as he rubbed against him. "You really like me, hunh? Is that gonna be conducive to our ‘student-teacher’ relationship?"

"Enfant terrible," Marc murmured, smiling finally as he accepted that he hadn’t traumatized Angel. "What do you think?" He pulled the younger man closer, aligning their bodies so that his growing erection was cradled against Angel’s pelvis. "And it is certainly no barrier. Most teachers and students become lovers if they have even the slightest compatibility. The relationship is very intimate."

The blue-eyed youth shuddered, a delicate shiver of arousal crawling up his spine. "Y’know, I’ve only ever done this for money. It’ll be nice to do it because I want to. It... it doesn’t bother you? That I’m a whore?" Angel asked suddenly even as he found the carpet of his bedroom floor eminently fascinating right at that moment.

"You did what you had to to survive. I find that admirable. In today’s world, there are not many options for someone your age, especially not while staying together with your sister." Marc smiled quickly. "Perhaps you will have something new to teach me in this area."

"I did what I had to to keep us together is all. A couple more years of turning tricks and I’ll have enough saved up to get Kit into a proper sort of school so she can go to college and be something great. I’ve been saving half of what I earn since I started; I just haven’t told her that. Kel gives me what he can too, but it’s still gonna take a little more time," Angel replied, shyly pleased that the older man wasn’t turning his nose up at what he did for a living.

"And once Kit is all squared away, I’m gonna try for my GED and then see if I can apprentice somewhere or do something. I’m not real sure of what I’m good at, other than on my back, but I’m gonna try."

"I am quite certain that anyone as determined as you are will be able to do whatever he wants. However, if you would permit, you are now one of us, and Xiomar, Derek, Nicholas and myself all have a great deal of money. There is no reason to wait if you will allow us to help. Both your sister and yourself."

Angel’s chin jutted out stubbornly. "That sounds like charity to me... but I guess I can’t go turning tricks until I get this stuff under control, can I? Man, that guy really screwed me over royally. This sucks!"

Marc snickered. "Sucking is actually a very good thing." He couldn’t resist and chuckled at the expression on Angel’s face. "No, no, truly, feeding and sex together... you cannot imagine how it feels." A sensual smile curled his lips.

"Umm. I’ll have to take your word for it. And not that I don’t want to do anything or I’m stalling but Kit’s not gonna stay out forever, you know? Once she’s grilled Xio and the others, she’s gonna come looking for us, and she won’t take no for an answer. Maybe we should go down?"

"Indeed. I would not have our first time together rushed," Marc purred. "But first..." He tilted Angel’s head up with a finger under his chin, then lowered his head until their lips almost met. Rather than claiming a hard, hungry kiss, he flicked his tongue lightly over the younger man’s lips, tasting him. Only when Angel’s lips parted on a breathy moan did he press closer, delving inside to take him more thoroughly.

Mewling softly, Angel let his tongue come out to tangle with Marc’s even as his arms came up around the older man’s shoulders, anchoring him closer to Marc’s hard body. "Mmmm," he sighed dreamily once their lips parted. "Oh, that wasn’t fighting fair. I don’t wanna go downstairs now," the teen pouted.

"We can continue this later," Marc promised, brushing his lips lightly over Angel’s once more, then stepping back. "Your family will want to see you."

Grumbling, Angel let go of Marc and headed to the closet to get dressed. "They have names for people like you, you realize that, don’t you?" he pouted as he pulled on a pair of low riding jeans and a white oxford shirt that he didn’t bother to button up.

"Anticipation makes the climax all the more intense, chéri," Marc chuckled. "I promise to make it worth your while." He watched Angel dress, enjoying the view and the young man’s ease with his body and comfort in allowing him to do so.

"Sure, you say that now, but just you wait until Kit is in the next room telling us to keep it down, or worse, asking if she can watch or even join in!" the younger man groused miserably. "Hopefully Xio will give you a room on the other side of the house, and I can sneak over there."

Marc almost cringed at the thought of Angel’s sister listening to or watching them. "I will make sure to request a room far away from la petite, and there will be no sneaking involved. Until you are accustomed to your new state, it will be best for us to remain close."

It was Angel’s turn to cringe as he thought of his sister’s reaction to that particular nugget of information. Gulping audibly, he headed for the door as if heading for his own execution. "I’m gonna be so screwed when she finds out I have to sleep with you, not that I mind or anything," the teen amended hastily, not wanting Marc to think he was anything but thrilled by the prospect. "I just mean she’s used to crawling into bed with me whenever she feel like it. Hey, am I gonna have to sleep during the day and all that stuff?"

"It is very likely, if only to avoid a nasty sunburn. Unless the one who attacked you was very old or very powerful, you will have to grow into your powers. As your strength increases, you will be able to remain in sunlight... ah, I was not clear. It is not so much that you must sleep during the day—we don’t have to sleep much at all—as that you should avoid sunlight until we are sure how much you can tolerate."

"How can you tell how much I can tolerate? And doesn’t the fact that you fed me make a difference? I mean he may have drained me dry and bitten me, but it was your blood that fed me when I was hungry. How did I become a vampire if blood wasn’t exchanged, anyhow? Isn’t that how it’s done—I mean that’s what all the books and movies say anyways," Angel asked, cuddling up to the older man as they walked downstairs to meet the others.

"Unfortunately, mon ange, we will have to experiment very cautiously to see what you can tolerate. But do not fear; at worst, it will feel like a bad sunburn, or so I am told, never having experienced such a thing." Marc shrugged. "As for how, it seems he wishes to create others of our kind. He gave you just enough of his blood to change but not enough to sate your hunger. Had we not found you, the hunger would have driven you mad, made you a mindless revenant." His arm tightened around the younger man.

Angel shuddered. "Not a very nice person at all, is he?" he murmured. "Making a person into a vampire and then leaving him to go slowly insane. It sounds almost like he wanted to make himself a mindless fuck toy slash insane blood source. What a sweetheart!"

Walking down to the main family room, Marc right behind him, Angel’s steps faltered slightly as he sensed the presence of three vampires. His hand automatically reached back for his mentor’s. "Okay, gotta breathe. It’s just Xio and his friends, so it’s not the bad guy coming after me again. God, who’d have thought I’d be this jumpy?"

Nick looked up from where he’d been engaging Kitten in conversation to keep her from haring off after her brother, a warm smile on his face at the newest member of their vampire brood. "Looks like we’re all here now. Hi, Angel, I’m Nick. It’s nice to finally meet you," his smile became warmer at the young man’s obvious nerves.

When he’d first decided to let Derek turn him, he hadn’t been sure what it would be like—if he’d be lonely but for his lover. However Xio had entered their lives after a century or so in Europe and had flamboyantly decided to stay for a while to visit his friend and teacher and get to know his teacher’s amore. From that point on Nick knew that being alone in their ‘world’ was the least of his concerns.

Learning to deal with the eccentricities and flamboyance of Derek’s friends was probably closer to the top of the list. And now he had someone much closer to his own age to hang with, once Angel got used to everything, that was. Poor kid, to be turned like he was... Nick immediately sought for and found Derek’s calming presence, thankful beyond belief that he’d been fortunate enough to find his eternal love.

Xio stood and went to stand before his lover’s friend, a satisfied smile on his face. "You are looking much better than when we last saw you. Come in, little Angel. Now that all the family has gathered, it is time for some truths and some serious talk, yes?"

Feeling Angel flinch, Marc slid an arm around his waist, giving the older vampire a warning look. "Only as much as you’re comfortable with, chéri," he murmured. He glanced up, meeting Kitten’s frown calmly, then looking over at Kelson, knowing that this night had been one shock after another for him. Seeing the other teenager’s ease, he smiled. Xiomar had chosen well.

"No, Xio’s right, the only way to be really ready for that, that thing is to talk about it, make plans and stuff. And that means I’m gonna have to talk about it," Angel sighed, even as he snuggled back into Marc’s arms. "But first, maybe everyone needs to know what’s going on?" the teen suggested, giving a significant look towards his twin and the redheaded twins, Carly and Casey, who’d hugged him with relief when he’d come into the room.

"It would be best," Marc agreed, arms tightening around Angel despite the growing upset on Kitten’s face, "if you are ready for that." He moved them toward an overstuffed chair, sitting down and waiting to see if Angel would join him.

Angel looked from Marc to where Kitten sat and back again. It was like he was a bone and two dogs were trying to tug him away from each other. To hell with that. Walking over to where Kitten sat, he pulled his twin to her feet and walked back over to where Marc sat. Sitting between Marc’s legs he pulled Kit between his and wrapped his arms around her, noticing when she gave him a curious look at the coolness of his skin.

"I don’t know if I can explain what happened to me, exactly, but one of the others can. I just want you to know that I’m still Devin, okay? That hasn’t changed. And you’re still my twin, and I still love you more than anything and want to take care of you."

"You’re scaring me, Dev," Kit said quietly, eyes searching Angel’s. There was something different, something she’d never seen in him before.

Derek glanced at Nick, and the two of them slipped unobtrusively out of the room, leaving the family to deal with what had happened. They would keep watch in the meantime.

Marc noticed the other couple leave, and he appreciated their discretion. He almost felt that he should follow them, but he couldn’t, wouldn’t leave Angel. He glanced over at Xio, thinking that the explanation might be better coming from someone the girl already knew.

"Bella micetta," Xio started, looking at Angel for permission. When the young man gave a nod, he took a deep breath. "There are all sorts of creatures under God’s sun, some not quite of the creator’s design, you know this, yes?"

When Kitten looked at him in confusion, he sighed and tried again. "It is best, perhaps, that I am blunt, though it is not something that is easy for a mortal to hear. Yes, I use the word mortal for a reason." Taking Kel’s hand, he brought it up to his lips. "Kel knows what I am about to tell all of you. He knew when he agreed to move into my home, and he brought all of you with him knowing full well this secret I am about to reveal. I ask that you consider this as you listen to what I tell you, consider that Kel still loves me in spite of my reality."

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, the older vampire continued. "Perhaps I should begin with my life. I was born in 45AD when Nero ruled the Roman Empire, and I died a handful of years later as the great city burned. My death was my rebirth, as Derek’s own maker made me as well. Derek and I are brothers of sorts; we were both made by an ancient vampire. Derek was brought over for love, and I was turned because of a promise.

"I am a vampire, drinker of blood, neither alive nor dead, simply different. Unlike the myths of my kind, I am still a man and capable of love and hate, of tenderness and passion. I can still bleed both from wounds both physical and emotional, and I still retain my soul. The only difference is that it is much harder for me, for us, to be killed, and if no one does, we will remain ageless forever.

"My kind does not prey on the innocent; at least most of us do not. Your brother, Kitten, he was one of the unfortunate exceptions. Just as humans have criminals and murderers among them, so do vampires. And one such a beast found your brother desirable enough to place him under a compulsion in order to take, rape and turn him against his will. Such a thing is anathema to us, and this foul creature will be caught and punished.

"But that aside, your brother is still your brother and loves you very much. Now you must decide if you can accept him as he was forced to become since this was not his choice," Xio finished with quiet intensity, only then glancing over at Carly and Casey to see how they had taken the revelations.

"Look, if you’re not going to tell me what really happened," Kitten started heatedly, angry that Xio wanted to spin fairytales when she wanted to know what had happened to her twin, "don’t try to distract me with absurd stories! I don’t like being lied to." Normally the sweetest, most loving of people, she had a temper, and she was losing it.

Sighing, Xiomar was afraid he had been left with no alternative. Looking over at Marc for confirmation that this was the only way, then at Kel for approval, and finally turning to Angel, he said, "Forgive me, Angelito, but there is no other way."

With that Xiomar allowed his teeth to elongate into fangs and his whole demeanor change from the flamboyant but harmless mortal the rest of Kel’s family saw to the ancient and powerful creature he truly was. "Do you think I tell fairytales now, micetta?"

Kit yipped and cowered back against Angel, scared half to death, while the other pair of twins shrank back in their loveseat, huddling together.

Kel took a step forward, placing a hand on Xio’s arm, remembering his own reaction when he’d seen Derek and Nick that way for the first time. "It’s okay, Kitten, really; it’s still Xio."

"Perhaps I should go and join Nick and Derek," Xio said quietly, knowing that realistically this was their only possible reaction but nonetheless feeling a twinge of hurt at being thought a monster by people he cared for, his teeth retracting and his face falling into an emotionless mask. "This is, after all, family business. If you will excuse me." And with a formal bow the virtuoso was gone as quickly as his preternatural speed would allow him.

"Are you gonna cower away from me too, Kit?" Dev asked quietly, disappointment barely audible in his voice.

Marc placed a comforting hand on his shoulder while Kit twisted around to stare at her brother, none of them noticing Kel chase after Xio and Carly and Casey slip out of the room to allow the three of them to work out their issues—and to get some answers from Xio.

"Gimme a break, Dev, this is kinda huge. I mean, vampires!" She shook her head, rising to her feet to pace agitatedly. "And the way he looked..." She shivered. "I’ll talk to him later. He’s still Xio, but he kinda freaked me out for a minute there.

"But you..." she sighed, then eyed Marc.

"And where do you fit in? You can’t be the one who attacked Dev, or the others would have torn you apart."

Marc bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement. "Certainly not, but I am a vampire, though much younger than Xio or Derek. Angel will need someone to teach him about his new abilities, and I have volunteered to help."

"He saved my life, Kit," Angel piped in suddenly. "The one who did this to me left me in such a way that I would have gone insane before long, but he was there, and he fed me and, well, saved me. I owe him my life. And besides, he’s really hot, you know?"

Both Kitten and Marc looked startled at that statement.

"Um, yeah," Kit said, finally looking amused at the expression on the older man’s face. "Look, I still love you, Dev, even if you get your blood straight from the source instead of from a still-mooing steak now." She bent down to hug him and press a quick kiss to his cheek. "And yes, he is," she whispered, smiling.

"Now I really need to go talk to Xio before he gets too deep into the melodrama, so I’ll catch you later, guys." With a wave, she was gone.

"Hot, hmm?" Marc grinned down at the back of Angel’s head.

"Sizzling," Angel replied, turning and crawling up into the older vampire’s lap. "That went surprisingly well, don’t you think? All things considered, I mean."

"Well, you haven’t run screaming into the night, and your sister didn’t grab for a stake, so yes, I would have to agree. But to get back to this sizzling..." Marc’s hands rose to cup Angel’s head, and he held him still as he covered his mouth in a kiss that held all the heat and experience he’d garnered in three and a half centuries.

Writhing on the older man’s lap, Angel opened his mouth wider to taste Marc as thoroughly as possible. After long, breathless, moments he lifted his head away and stared at Marc hungrily. "Maybe we should take this somewhere more private?" he suggested.

Blinking a bit dazedly, Marc stared at him blankly for a moment before sense flooded back into his eyes. "Yes, I think your sister has seen enough for one day without adding that to the toll." He stood, maintaining his grip on Angel as he did. "Wrap your legs around my waist, chéri."

"Kinky," Angel grinned, doing as the older man asked. "Are we gonna do it like this, too?"

"Oh certainly, at least once," Marc replied, fingers curling unnecessarily over Angel’s ass as he carried him upstairs, both of them hard and straining at the fabric of their pants.

Writhing slightly so that his erection ground against Marc’s, Angel purred softly. "I knew there was a reason I liked you so much."

The moment Marc carried Angel into his bedroom and shut the door, the younger man was wriggling out of the older man’s firm grasp and dropping to his knees in front of him. Nimble fingers had Marc’s pants undone and his cock out in mere seconds. With a hungry lick of his lips and a sly smile up at the older man, Angel began to suck Marc’s shaft down his throat in increments.

"Ahhhh!" Marc groaned voluptuously, sagging back against the door as Angel put his talents to work driving him insane with lust. "Cheri, wait, Dieu! You need to know... lust... ahhhh... is tangled with hunger f-for us." God, he needed to make sure Angel understood, but he could barely think.

In response, Angel scraped his fangs along the older man’s cock, letting the blood well up and drip into his mouth for a few sweet moments before the wounds healed themselves. He was hungry all right, hungry for the taste of Marc pouring down his throat, filling his belly with hot seed.

Angel’s hands gripped the Frenchman’s thighs firmly as he began to fuck his face on Marc’s cock, needing to feel the hot gush of release. Mewling around the rigid shaft, the young man used his on-the-job experience to milk Marc’s cock with his throat, wanting to drive the older man to orgasm.

Looking up at the other vampire, his eyes becoming the blue of the hottest flame because of the desire roiling through him, Angel whipped his tongue along the underside of Marc’s shaft, even as his fangs pricked just behind its head, a knowing smile spreading across his lips as he felt his lover/teacher’s cock leap in response in his mouth.

"Christ!" Marc thought he might have fallen over if not for Angel’s grip on him. "So very good, please, more," he panted, his fangs coming down as the lust overwhelmed his control, hips thrusting forward to get deeper inside the hot, sucking mouth. The addition of the light bite made him scream, his body convulsing as he came.

Swallowing rapidly, tasting the blood mixed with semen, Angel milked the older man until he was soft and then sprawled back on the floor, rubbing the back of his hand across his mouth to catch any drips and then licking it clean. "So, I guess from the way you acted that you liked that, hunh, that I did it right?" he grinned slyly.

"Quick learner, aren’t you?" Marc sank down to the floor as well, leaning back against the wall as he watched the younger man. "Yes, I liked that, my talented little angel," he purred, eyes still lambent with arousal. "Now come here so I can return the favor... one way or another."

Getting up on hands and knees, Angel crawled over to the older man, as requested, licking his lips in anticipation. "And just what did you have in mind, teacher?" he purred.

Marc curled a hand around the back of Angel’s neck, reeling him in so he could kiss him thoroughly, tasting himself in the younger vampire’s mouth. "I thought I would amuse myself finding out what makes you scream with pleasure, and then I would fuck you through the mattress. Then we can try the standing up against a wall that we talked about earlier."

"Sounds like you’ve got everything all thought out. I bet you were a genius or something when you were alive, some real egghead who planned everything out and always knew just what you wanted out of life, right?" Angel grinned as he lapped at his lips, tasting Marc on him even as he stripped off the shirt and began to unbutton his jeans.

"Hey, y’know I just thought of a positive of being a vampire—I don’t need to carry latex anymore or have johns use one. You know how much money you can get for letting someone bareback you? But that’s not really an appropriate topic of conversation right now, is it?"

"Not particularly, no. I think we can find something more socially acceptable for you to do. I don’t think you want to spend the next several centuries as a hooker, hmm? Not to mention that I would prefer keeping you to myself for now.

"Which reminds me, no, I was not an egghead, chéri. I was much more useless than that, a noble of the French royal court."

"Whoa, you were like a prince or a duke or something? Cool!" Angel grinned. "I’ve never met let alone fucked royalty. Guess that makes you my first, doesn’t it?"

Marc shrugged. "I was a duke. My father bestowed the title on me when I was born. It means nothing now, but I will be happy to be your first noble fuck," he added with a faint laugh, petting Angel as he drew him onto his lap, aligning their groins.

"Mmm, I just have one more question. Why are we on the floor when there’s a bed right over there?" the teen asked with a giggle.

An instant later Marc had Angel flat on his back on the bed and was sprawled atop him, smirking down into his startled expression. "We’re also very fast when we want to be." He lowered his head to nibble on Angel’s throat, his tongue laving the sensitive skin over the jugular.

"Just so long as you can be very slow when you want to be," Angel moaned as he canted his head just a little higher to allow Marc better access. "God, bite me, please? I want to feel it, God, how I want to feel it!"

"My pleasure." The throaty whisper was the only warning Angel had before Marc struck, his fangs sinking into the throbbing vein. The rich fluid poured into Marc’s mouth as he sucked on the wound he’d just made, his body hardening again with the lust that came with the blood.

Whimpering softly, Angel angled his head and brought Marc’s wrist up to his lips, biting into the soft flesh gently and feeling the blood begin to flow into his mouth. His already hard cock became granite as his own lust increased exponentially.

Marc growled as Angel completed the connection between them, and he tore at their remaining clothes with his free hand, needing to feel naked flesh against naked flesh. He retained enough control to know that he needed to prepare the younger man and, snarling at the delay, raised his hand to Angel’s mouth. "Suck," he commanded.

Letting go of Marc’s wrist reluctantly, he took two of his lover’s fingers into his mouth, wetting them thoroughly. When he was positive they were as wet as he could get them, Angel let them slide out of his mouth with a wet pop. "Fuck me, Marc. I want you inside me; I need you inside me. It hurts, I’m so empty!"

"That is the idea, mon cher," Marc rasped, pressing one wet finger inside him, then adding a second, stretching him as quickly as he could, as eager to be inside him as Angel was to have him there. Unable to wait any longer, he pulled his fingers out and positioned himself, staring down at Angel. Then he sank his fangs back into Angel’s throat at the same moment as he breeched his body, taking him utterly.

Angel let out a shrill cry as heat coalesced in his belly and exploded outwards. It was the most intense sexual experience he’d ever had in his young life. His body was wracked with shivers, and his cock wept non-stop as he was pounded into. "Marc, oh God, oh God!"

Cock driving in and out of the yielding body, rich blood filling his mouth, Marc raised his arm again, lightly pressing his wrist against Angel’s mouth, wanting to feel him drinking his blood again, wanting them joined in every way possible.

Angel’s fangs extended without any effort, and he plunged them into the older vampire’s wrist in the space of a breath. He moaned as the delicious elixir burst across his taste buds even as one of his hands wrapped around his cock, stroking it in time with Marc’s thrusts.

Marc groaned, his hips moving more rapidly as the additional sensation of Angel feeding on him pushed him closer to the edge. He sucked strongly on the fledgling’s throat, taking more of his blood with each thrust into him, and he cried out wordlessly as the connection brought their minds together as well, letting the pleasure build between then.

It was unlike anything he’d ever felt before; Angel could literally feel Marc inside his mind. He cried out wordlessly as Marc’s desire brushed against his own and sent his spiraling. Releasing his fangs from the Frenchman’s arm, Angel let out a wail of pleasure and came hard, ropes of semen staining their stomachs.

Feeling Angel’s body ripple around him and his pleasure in his mind made Marc lose control as well, thrusting into the younger man only a few more times before he came as well, body trembling with the waves of ecstasy that flowed through him.

"Oh, chéri," Marc panted, "I may never let you go."

"Mmm, sounds good to me," Angel replied as he cuddled closer, his hands stroking Marc’s back in lazy circles even as his legs finally untangled from the older vampire’s. "Maybe this whole relationship thing isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I might even be able to go back to school and actually graduate!"

"No maybe about it. You have all eternity ahead of you. You will find that studying new things makes the time pass more quickly as well as being more interesting. As for the relationship, it seems presumptuous of me to say anything so soon after meeting you, but I think you feel the connection between us as well, yes? I have been envious of Derek and Nick for finding each other, but it seems that I have no reason to be, not any longer."

"As long as you realize that I’m a package deal, that where I go, Kit does too," Angel replied seriously. "We fought too hard to stay together to break our promise to our mom now."

"I have no problem with that, although I think you might want to discuss it with la petite before making any decisions for her. From what I saw, that young lady has a mind of her own." Marc lazily petted Angel’s back, still holding him close.

"You have no idea," Angel groaned with a shake of his head. "But it’ll be weird if we’re not together, you know? I mean we’ve been together from the womb on, and now... now she’s gonna die, and I’m already dead." The young man’s breath hitched in his throat at the thought of a future without his hellion of a sister.

Pushing on Marc’s shoulder until the older man rolled onto his back, Angel crawled on top of him and snuggled in close. "My mom always used to say that I never did anything the easy way. I guess I couldn’t even die the easy way, you know? Not that I’m complaining, mind you, just stating a fact is all."

"Sometimes hard just means you appreciate things more because you had to work for them. Although sometimes exactly what you want and need simply drops into your lap when you least expect it." Marc smiled down at the youngster curled atop him, reflecting that Angel was exactly what he needed in his life, even if he hadn’t realized it until that very day.

"And I’m not saying to give up your sister—Kitten, is it? Merely that you must ask her if she wishes to remain with you, us, rather than telling her. It might very well be that she will come to choose this life as well in time."

"You think so?" Angel replied earnestly, his blue eyes full of hope at the thought of not having to lose his sister one day. "And her real name is Kathleen Carmichael. Mine is Devin. Angel and Kitten are our street names, y’know? But they kinda stuck since they seem to fit. They were actually the nicknames our parents had for us. It was another way to keep a part of them with us.

"So, once we take care of the baddie, I’m gonna go live with you, hunh? Where is that? Is it close enough that I can visit Kel and Xio and stuff?" Angel asked softly, his fingers twining and playing in Marc’s hair, stroking and just touching as he was wont to do, tactile person that he was.

"It will be," Marc promised. "I have not lived in Boston since before your revolution, so I am no longer familiar with the area, but I’m certain that Derek and Nick can guide me in my house-hunting. Not Xio, I dread to think what flamboyant monstrosity he would consider appropriate." He stroked Angel’s back lazily, thinking. "We will wait to see if you can tolerate daylight at all; otherwise, we will have to do our house-hunting at night.

"But for now, I think we need a shower, mon cher."

"No offense but one of the reasons I didn’t mind being a hooker was that I got to work at night and sleep during the day so I didn’t get sunburned. I like my skin ivory and gorgeous, thanks all the same. Do I have t’ see how much I can tolerate the sun?" the teen pouted prettily. "I mean, can’t we look online or something during the day for what looks good and then visit at night? Between Xio’s influence and your money that should be enough to get us a night viewing, shouldn’t it?"

Gauging the distance between the bed and the shower, Angel sighed and began to untangle himself from Marc. "Y’know, I kinda liked doing it bareback. I liked it a lot. Can we do it in the shower next?"

Blinking at the rapid change of subject, Marc wondered if he was ever going to be able to keep up with Angel. "Cheri, I didn’t mean that you have to sunbathe, simply that we need to know what you can stand without injury, for your safety’s sake. Besides, I don’t think you can sunburn. Any tan you could manage to get would heal overnight so that you return to the same state you’re in now when you next awaken.

"But we can certainly do as you suggested. I simply thought that we could get a better view of the houses in daylight.

"And yes, we can ‘do it’ in the shower," he finished with a chuckle, standing up. "If you would be so good as to tell me where it is?"

Laughing, Angel scrambled to his feet and tugged the older man up off the bed. "It’s in the bathroom, silly. You know, the room off of the bedroom with a bathtub and shower and toilet and sink? Xio’s guest rooms usually have a shared bathroom between every two rooms, and since you’ve got no one on the other side of you, you’ve got your own. Lucky man! It’s through here."

Leading Marc into the bathroom, Angel boosted himself onto the counter and watched as the older vampire turned on the water and adjusted it to the right temperature, his feet swinging against the counter’s cupboards. "So how do you propose I test my sun tolerance without becoming a roman candle or something?" he asked, cocking his head to one side as he watched his lover’s naked form move and shift.

"Fortunately, that particular myth is vastly exaggerated. Your skin would burn, like a bad sunburn, long before that happened. Only the very weakest of us would be harmed more, but before our powers grow, any of us can be burned by prolonged exposure. I prefer to find out how strong you are under controlled circumstances. You will simply extend a hand into a ray of sunlight. If you feel only the warmth of the sun, all is well. If it feels like... a steam burn, then we will know that you will have to grow into the tolerance. It normally takes a century or so, though many of us are nervous thanks to the stories. Derek was more than three thousand years old before he dared attempt the daylight."

"But he’s older than you!" Angel sputtered. "Did the myths exist way back then, too?" the teen asked, hopping down from the counter to pad over to the shower. "And if we catch this creep, is there any way to tell how old he is?"

"Some did," Marc shrugged. "Obviously not the ones about crosses and holy water since this was long before the birth of Christ, but some of the others. And yes, we should be able to feel how strong he is if we can catch up to him. It is likely that he is at least a few centuries old since you do not feel weak. It will take a little time for your system to settle, however, so we cannot go by that yet."

"He’s really gonna come after me sooner or later, isn’t he?" Angel sighed, crowding closer to Marc. "I hate the sound of that; I just wanted to say that. I’m really not liking being the piece of meat dangling over the piranha tank."

Marc chuckled. "Understandable. But you might want to think of yourself as more of a venus flytrap, looking pretty and defenseless until your prey comes within reach, and then you eat it whole. You can more than hold your own now, chéri."

"I don’t know; I mean I’m more of a lover than a fighter," Angel replied with a smirk.

"And you are indeed that!" Marc agreed fervently. "But I will be more than happy to do any fighting for you. I’ve discovered a bit of a talent for it."

"I’d rather you get in the shower with me and fuck me blind for now, if you don’t mind," the younger man rejoined, his eyes clouding slightly at the thought of some preternatural creature out there, hunting him.

"I’d rather not think of him tonight if I don’t have to. I mean, he’s not gonna try and grab me tonight, is he?"

"I seriously doubt it. And even if he were fool enough to try, you’re perfectly safe here, mon petit. It appears I shall have to work harder at distracting you if it wears off so quickly after you come. As you Americans say, it’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it." Marc scooped Angel up in his arms, chuckling, and carried him into the shower.

Laughing, Angel wrapped his arms around the older vampire’s neck and held on tight as they were plunged under the spray. "You’re really weird, you know that? Not that I’m complaining, mind you. It’s really nice, the way you want to protect me and stuff. Sweet, you know?"

"I can honestly say that no one has ever called me sweet before, chéri." Marc sounded a little baffled by the description. "But if it makes you happy..." He let Angel slide down his body to his feet, then reached for the shower gel.

"What have people called you then?" the teen asked with a grin. "A hottie hottie, a hunk, a sex machine, a studmuffin?" Angel teased while pressing kisses to Marc’s chest after each name.

"Your grace," Marc replied blandly, smiling down at him. "Or things not fit to repeat in most cases since I left my father’s court. Bastard was probably the least objectionable." He stroked Angel’s wet hair back out of his eyes, meeting the blue gaze.

"Your grace?" Angel sputtered. "No way I’m calling you that, royalty or not! That sounds so girlie!" the teen laughed. "I think I’ll stick to hottie hottie. I like that one the best. Or sweetheart since no one’s called you that before. Or maybe pooh-bear?" the youth continued to tease.

Marc just smiled, not correcting him on what the title meant since it made no difference. "Sounds like I really need to distract you now. Those are terrible nicknames."

"And he finally gets with the program!" Angel laughed. "I was under the impression that this was about distracting me, but I haven’t been distracted so far!"

An eyebrow rose, but Marc didn’t undo his work by pointing out that Angel was teasing and laughing now, not worrying about the renegade. "I’ll have to do something about that. I wouldn’t want to disappoint you, after all; it would be terrible for my reputation." He slid to his knees, dragging his fangs along Angel’s chest until he reached the indentation of his navel.

Shuddering at the sensations flashing through him, Angel whimpered quietly, his hands coming to rest on Marc’s shoulders. "Oh God, that’s... ooooh, I never knew fangs could feel so good. Well, other than in my neck when you bit me, and I bit your wrist, and then the top of my head blew off—that was intense! But this, Marc, this is wild," Angel moaned.

"Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet." Marc teased Angel’s belly button a bit longer, tongue plunging in and out, then continued downward. He delicately dragged one fang the full length of the teenager’s cock, then bit down lightly on the head.

Bucking into the older man’s mouth violently, his hands scrabbling on the slick tile to find purchase, Angel’s screams echoed through the bathroom, the acoustics making them seem louder than they were. Finally finding a shower bar, the teen held on for dear life as the fangs in his cock translated directly to his arousal, increasing it exponentially. "Marc, oh God!"

When the older man’s fangs finally retracted, Angel sagged down onto the tile next to his lover, staring dazedly at him, his face slack and full of need. "That was... oooh, you’re gonna do that again sometime, right?" he panted, his eyes blazing in lust.

"Often, chéri," Marc promised, bracing his hands on the wall behind Angel’s head as he leaned in to kiss him, letting him taste his own blood and precome in the older vampire’s mouth. "So exquisitely sensitive, Ti Ange, sometime soon I shall see how long it takes you to come just from me biting you all over this beautiful body."

A full body shiver wracked Angel as he stared up at the older man in wanton terror. "Oh God, you’re gonna be the end of my afterlife, aren’t you?" He panted as his cock jumped at the thought. Well, if nothing else, dying when he was only fifteen meant he’d be sexually insatiable forever.

Shivering as the water turned from hot to lukewarm, he blinked away the drops of moisture that were beaded on his lashes. "Maybe we should get out before the water gets any colder, you think? And do something else?" he suggested, smiling prettily. "You mentioned a wall?"

Chuckling, Marc rose to his feet again, drawing Angel up with him, and turned the water off. "You’re going to be insatiable, aren’t you?" He stepped out and picked up a fluffy bath sheet, holding it open to dry the younger man. "Lucky me."

"Hey, I’m not even sixteen yet," Angel replied indignantly. "I would have been in February, which is like three months away! Is it my fault that sick psycho fuck decided to off me when I was at my sexual peak?" the teen smirked as he licked his lips. "Is that gonna be a problem for you? What with you being so ancient and all?"

Marc rolled his eyes. "You’ve been spending too much time with Xiomar, mon petit. It’s my duty to stick around and bring you back down to earth. Besides, chéri, I wasn’t much older than you are when I was turned. I think I can handle you."

Angel smirked. "They say actions speak louder than words, lover boy. I ain’t seen much in the way of action yet."

Backing out of the bathroom slowly, Angel peeled off the towel and let it drop to the floor, striking a seductive pose as he did so. "So why don’t you come over here and show me your skill at handling me?"

"It will be my pleasure." Marc stalked toward him, then a devilish smile quirked his lips, and before the young man’s wide eyes, he slowly thinned his essence, spreading himself until where the man had been standing instead floated a cloud of mist that flowed toward Angel, surrounding him.

’This too we can do, mon cher,’ he said, the words going directly into Angel’s mind. ’I can surround you in my essence, wrap you in myself...’ Ghostly fingers seemed to stroke the former whore wherever the mist touched, and the mist touched him everywhere, outside and in.

"What the? Marc, what are you? Oh my God!!!" Moaning, the young man sank slowly onto the floor, his muscles—hell, his brain—melting completely as the older vampire surrounded him and pretty much blew his mind.

Sensual laughter filled Angel’s mind as Marc reveled in his reactions. ‘Did I forget to mention this ability, little one? I thought you would enjoy it.’ He caressed Angel’s body with himself, teasing every inch of him and pushing tendrils of mist inside him, filling him totally.

Whimpering as every orifice was filled, Angel gasped and felt his cock harden impossibly. ‘Please, oh please, Marc!’ he thought, his mind spinning out of control. ‘Oh I can feel you everywhere all at once!’ Writhing on the carpet, his body shivering, the fledgling prayed simultaneously for it to stop and for it to go on forever.

‘I am everywhere, my Angel, touching you, feeling you, pleasuring you.’ Marc pulled himself together slightly, allowing the portion of himself inside Angel’s ass to solidify a bit, pressing against his prostate while he continued to stimulate him.

"Oh God!" the young man wailed as his cock bobbed so hard that it slapped his stomach, leaving a smear of precome just underneath his navel. Legs locking, Angel’s groin thrust up into the air, and his fists clenched and beat against the carpet. His head thrashed and his eyes rolled back into his head as he lost all capability of coherent thought.

Showing the fine control that he was capable of, Marc selectively solidified parts of himself, leaving the thickening shaft inside Angel and allowing his mouth to form around the young vampire’s cock, sucking him hungrily while still caressing his entire body with the mist that was himself.

Gurgling mindlessly, the young man bucked up and then down, feeling everything all at once and slowly going insane from it. When he felt Marc’s tongue glide along the vein underneath his cock, Angel lost all control and came so hard he thought he’d broken something, possibly his throat from his scream or his back from how hard he’d bowed it. Whatever it was, it was the most intense thing he’d ever felt in his life, and he’d damn near blacked out from it!

Chuckling smugly, Marc solidified, already fucking the whimpering young man, driving into him hard and fast until he reached his own climax, his fangs sinking into his jugular an instant before he came.

"Marc, oh my God!" the teen wailed as, impossibly, his body spasmed yet again and managed to dribble out yet another orgasm before he collapsed into a boneless, wasted heap of spent flesh.

Collapsing on top of him, Marc nuzzled his throat, licking at the small wounds until they healed. "Oh, forgive me, you did say something about against the wall, didn’t you? Ah well, I shall just have to try again until I get it right."

"Are you sure you’re not trying to kill me?" Angel whimpered as he managed to finally slit his eyes open in order to glare at the older vampire. "All right, all right, I take back that crack about you being old!"

"Smart boy." Showing off a bit, even though he’d like nothing more than to collapse into a boneless heap as well, Marc wrapped his arms around Angel’s back and rose to his feet, carrying the young man with him, still joined. He walked over to the bed and lowered them onto its surface with himself on top to maintain their connection as long as possible.

"Well, that’s what everyone says about me," the teen smiled tiredly. "And maybe if you give me a few minutes to recover; I’m just so," a huge yawn split the young man’s face, "so sleepy!" Glancing at the clock, he blinked owlishly until the numbers came into focus. "Are the curtains closed? It’s gonna be dawn soon, and I don’t want to be fried Angel," the teen muttered quietly, rolling over and curling closer into Marc’s larger body, instinctively seeking affection and protection.

"As if I would let that happen to you," Marc scoffed gently, though he did glance over again to make sure that the curtains and shutters were securely closed. He didn’t think Angel would be in danger regardless, but this was definitely a case where he preferred to be safe rather than sorry.

"Go to sleep, mon petit. We can play more games tomorrow." He held the younger man close, letting him know that he wasn’t alone as he slipped into slumber.

Everyone—well, the vampires at least—was already awake when Angel finally stumbled downstairs to the kitchen. Looking from Xio to Nick to Derek to Marc, he said rather plaintively. "Is this where I have to start sucking on necks if I want to eat? ‘Cause I’m really hungry, and as much as I used to love the idea of bacon and eggs for breakfast, it sounds kinda gross now."

Xio chuckled and pulled a mug from the microwave. "Drink, Angelito, it is blood warmed to body temperature. A little trick we have learned thanks to blood banks and the invention of the microwave. Although it is better to get it live from the source, it is not safe yet for you to learn how to hunt. Not with that diavolo running around out there."

With a sigh, the ancient vampire continued the temporarily suspended conversation. "After my caro finally went to sleep, I went back to that warehouse and began to look. Good news for Angelito but bad news for us, I think this one is very old indeed. I could not sense him at all, no matter how I strained myself. I heard every other one of us in the city, even you, Derek, but this one—not a whisper."

Marc pulled Angel, mug in hand, onto his lap, arms automatically looping around him in a loose embrace, and he nuzzled the side of the young man’s throat, not noticing the indulgent smiles from the other vampires.

After exchanging a grin with Nick, Derek returned to the topic at hand. "So either the vampire has left the city—which I agree is highly unlikely, as much ‘fun’ as he or she is having—or he’s old enough to be able to shield himself from other vampires." He sighed. "Angel, Marc, I don’t want you to go out without either myself or Xio. Neither of you would be able to protect yourselves against an ancient, and while Nick has the strength, as Angel likely does as well, he doesn’t have the experience to handle it. We don’t want to lose either of you."

Marc’s arms tightened protectively around Angel, and he nodded. "I may be foolishly proud at times, mon ami, but I am not about to risk Angel’s life." He rubbed a soothing hand over the young man’s back, feeling his tension.

"Considering what seeped out of my ass when I took a shower last night, I’m pretty sure it was a ‘he’ vampire," the fledgling said matter-of-factly, even as he tried to let the tension ease out of him at Marc’s touch. "And can I say that this just sucks and not in a good way. First the S.O.B. kills me, and now I’m a prisoner unless escorted? I know you guys mean well but...," Angel sighed and shook his head. "It just really sucks, y’know?"

Nick nodded his head in commiseration, understanding better than the others what Angel was talking about. He suddenly found his movements being curtailed, even if it was for his own good.

"Think of it this way: You get to stay in bed with Marc all hours of the day and night, boff like bunnies, and tell the world to screw off while you get screwed through the mattress. Sounds pretty good that way, doesn’t it?" the older fledgling said with a smirk.

"I mean, damn, forced to do nothing but ‘do it’. Cryin’ shame that!"

Angel stared at Nick for a few moments, blinking owlishly, and then burst into laughter even as he blushed a bright red and buried his face in Marc’s shoulder. "Okay, maybe it doesn’t totally suck," he mumbled, causing laughter to erupt around the table.

"I’m thrilled by your praise," Marc said dryly. He realized he was petting Angel’s hair, hesitated, shrugged, and continued the motion, soothing both of them.

Derek simply shook his head, eyeing his lover askance. "I really wonder about you sometimes, Nick. And stop laughing, Xio! We’ll see what you go through when Kel decides he’s ready for this. You won’t be so smug then." He smirked at the suddenly silent vampire.

Chuckling at the byplay, Marc nudged Angel to sit up a little, then smiled at him. "Hopefully the restrictions won’t last long, chéri. After all, I’m sure the others are as eager as we are to put a close to this... so they can go home and ‘boff like bunnies’."

Sticking his tongue out at Marc, Angel sighed and relaxed back into the older man’s arms, feeling them close around his waist protectively.

Nick simply shook his head at his mate. "Oh puh-lease. When I was still human, we were always, well always, and then I got vamped and..." Nick’s eyes glazed over as he remembered those heady first weeks when he and Derek, no longer hobbled by the restrictions of the hemophilia he’d suffered with when mortal, had truly explored their sexual preferences and pushed limits and found new ones. It had been...

"It was amazing, and you know it. And now Angel and Marc get the chance to have that too. And despite what the old fogy says, Xio, you’re gonna love it when Kel’s not nearly as breakable as he is now. Be honest."

A small smile played across the second eldest’s face. "I will be happy when he is like us and I don’t have to worry so much about losing him. But we still have to talk of this. He’s only recently discovered vampires exist, even though I find I am not his first," Xio replied with an ironic raising of an eyebrow and a pointed stare at both Derek and Nick.

"That’s what I don’t get," Angel interrupted. "How did you guys make Kel forget ‘cause I’m damn sure Kit and I would have heard everything when he came home, and we sure as hell never heard about vampires in Boston!"

"Um." Derek looked a little ill at ease. "Well, we can touch people’s minds, humans more easily than vampires. It’s how we most often feed if we don’t have a human companion. We can make them forget totally or only remember it as a sort of sensual dream. With Kel, he was scared half to death when he realized what we were, so I made him forget everything, er, unusual about the night, only leaving him with the memory of the sex." He glanced over at Xio, wondering if the other vampire knew of Kel’s somewhat disturbing fatalistic reaction when he felt that he was in danger of being killed. It was something they would have to discuss and soon, before Xio talked to Kel about the possibility of turning him.

"And he hasn’t gone after you with garlic yet?" Angel asked, aghast. "You have any idea how lucky you are he didn’t go looking for a stake the minute he remembered?"

"Garlic doesn’t affect us," Derek said, momentarily distracted from the real issue. "And why would he want to stake us? I only took away his knowledge that we were vampires. Nothing else was affected. He still remembers everything else," a reminiscent, sensual smile curved his lips, "and we paid him."

"He’d want to stake you because you messed with his mind. You went into his mind without telling him you were there or asking his permission and then you took away his memories. You’ve been a vampire for a very long time haven’t you?" Angel continued with a shake of his head. "It’s just not a very polite thing to do, even to whores like us," the youth continued disappointedly, making a tsking sound as he did so.

Suddenly all the vampires were talking at once, refuting or agreeing with what Angel had said, a confused babble of noise that faded abruptly when Kel and Kitten walked into the room carrying cups of coffee. They both looked around in surprise, Kit gravitating straight toward her twin.

"What? Why’s everyone staring at me?" Kel wanted to know.

Xio beckoned Kel over and pulled his lover into his lap when the younger man reached him. "We were discussing how sometimes, not too often at all, a vampire’s view of the world can be skewed by his great age. Tell us, caro, what you think of the night you spent with Derek and Nick. But no details if you please, I do not want to have to rip my teacher’s throat out from jealousy. Nick wouldn’t approve, I don’t think," the Italian laughed lightly.

"Damn straight!" Nick growled, his eyes a little fiercer than usual and his fangs bared at his lover’s student. "The only one who’s gonna be playing with Derek’s neck any time soon is me. I’m still young enough to not want to share all that often!"

"You mean you guys share... well duh, you shared Kel!" Angel said, blushing slightly. "I mean, sure I used to do that with johns and stuff, but that was work, y’know? I guess I never thought... do you want to share?" he asked, turning his head to look at his lover curiously.

Curious as well, Kel waited to hear what Marc would say before responding to Xio.

Marc shrugged. "It can be fun sometimes, especially if you share feeding." He didn’t notice Kel’s eyes narrow as he continued. "When two vampires feed off the same human at the same time, chéri, they can feel each other as well as everything the human is feeling. It can be very intense. I would love to share that with you when you are ready for it, but I am equally happy simply sharing your bed."

"I have a feeling I still don’t remember everything about the night I met Derek and Nick," Kel said, looking at the slightly sheepish-looking vampires. "I kinda figured as much when I remembered that they were vampires. I mean, I know they wanted blood, not just sex—and I know you do too, Xiomar! So they made me forget. No biggie, they didn’t know me, and they were protecting themselves. But you!" He glared at his lover.

"There will be no more messing with my head or so help me, I’m out of here! Got it?"

"I have never robbed you of your memories, caro; I simply made a few suggestions that first night. You remember how upset you were when you found out I liked to bite during sex? For a vampire lust and blood go hand in hand. I needed to taste you when I took you, and I didn’t want you to be too upset, so I took away your fear and made it so that you didn’t fear me giving you diseases. Vampires do not have that problem, as humans do," Xio explained softly. "But I promise, from this moment on I only touch your mind to share with you the pleasure that you give me. And that you will remember."

"Oh yeah, Kel, it’s goood," Angel moaned, wriggling slightly on Marc’s lap as he remembered how wonderful it had felt when Marc had bitten into him while having sex.

Kel’s eyes widened as he pictured what Angel was talking about and remembered how good it felt when Xio did it to him. Jumping up, he grabbed Xio’s hand and hauled him toward the door, not even pausing to say anything to anyone.

Gaping after vanished couple, Marc blinked and turned back to Angel. "Is he often like that?" His fingers tightened on the young man’s waist. "If you keep wiggling like, chéri, we shall be leaving equally precipitously!"

"And what’s wrong with us leaving that fast? Are you tired of me already?" Angel giggled, wrapping his arms more firmly around his lover’s neck and wiggling a little bit more.

"You could at least say good morning to your sister," Marc pointed out dryly, glancing at the young woman who’d settled in the chair beside them.

"Oh, don’t waste your time," Kitten said airily, taking a sip of her coffee. "Manners don’t take with Angel." She eyed him with interest. "Besides, I’d pay more attention to you too."

"Are you PMSing again?" Angel snarked back, sticking out his tongue. "And keep your eyes off of my teacher, got it? I’m the only one who’s gonna be doin’ him! Oh and good morning!" the young vampire smiled back, fangs bared.

"Now can we go and fuck like bunnies?"

Kitten leaned over to swat Angel for the PMS remark, then smirked. "Don’t you think you ought to ask Marc that? Who knows, maybe he has this fantasy of doing twins, especially one of each," she purred, teasing her brother.

"Oh no! Leave me out of this!" Marc all but yelped while Derek and Nick snickered at his predicament.

"Oh but, chéri," Angel purred, "the whole point of this conversation is that my sister seems to want to do you too. Which she will not." The older twin glowered slightly, and he bared his fangs, snapping at her retreating fingers. "Behave, you, or I’m gonna... puncture your waterbed!"

Kitten glared. "That is such an unfair advantage." She eyed him, then looked at each of the others in turn. "And since we’re twins, we should be even. Looks like I’m going to have to insist on the same advantages for myself once I’m a little older."

The silence engendered by that comment was almost visible.

"Do you realize..." Derek started when it became obvious that no one else was going to speak, at least not yet.

Ignoring him aside from a quick, mischievous smile, Kitten kept her gaze fixed on Angel’s stunned one. "Never let anything separate us, remember?"

"Kit," Angel’s eyes filled with tears, and his smile became soft and watery. Crawling off Marc’s lap, he hugged her tight. "I’m not gonna try and talk you out of it because it’s the one thing I was most afraid of. Losing you. When... whenever you’re ready, I’m sure we’ll find a way," the older twin smiled, playing with his sister’s blond hair out of habit.

"But just make sure you’re really ready, okay? I mean it’s not so bad, but this isn’t how I pictured spending forever, y’know? I just feel really sorry for Marc; he’s stuck with a perpetually horny fifteen-year-old."

Kit nodded. "I know; I spent most of this morning thinking about all this. I don’t want to be too much older or look much older or we won’t be twins anymore, but I don’t want to be a kid forever either. A couple of years maybe, then we’ll see. But if you think I’m letting you live forever without me, Devlin Carmichael, you’re nuts! Who would keep you out of trouble?" She hugged him back, just as hard, tears in her own eyes.

"Yeah, leaving me alone in this big bad world forever without you could lead to cataclysmic end of the world stuff," Angel laughed, brushing his lips softly across Kit’s and ignoring the gasps of the other vampires for now.

Nick’s eyebrows went up into his bangs as he watched brother kiss sister with more than filial affection. It was... hot. Squirming slightly, he looked at Derek with lust in his eyes. "Day-am. That’s just..." A shiver chased over his spine, and he moved a little closer to Derek so that his throbbing cock brushed against his lover’s hip. "That’s intense! Makes me hungry."

"No snacking on my sister," Angel husked, his eyes never leaving Kit’s. "Got it?"

"Your sister can speak for herself," Kit put in. "And the way you all are oozing sex, I’m feeling pretty left out," she pouted.

That got everyone’s attention, but no one was going to say anything until brother and sister worked it out between them.

"I just don’t want anyone but me to... do that to you. Marc’ll have to be there to tell me how but you’re my sister. If anyone’s gonna turn you, it’s me. Okay?" Angel whispered, his eyes pleading. "Do you really want to play with us all? I mean there’s that whole blood thing. I’m still getting used to it myself even though it’s kinda hot that I don’t have to worry about condoms and crap anymore."

Kit frowned slightly. "Well, the blood thing kinda scares me a little, but as long as I’m sure I won’t end up dead or turned before I’m ready..." She shrugged. "It’s pretty obvious that it’s tied to the sex for you guys, and, well, I’m horny!"

Marc nearly choked trying not to laugh, and he didn’t dare look over to see Derek and Nick’s reactions to that announcement.

"Well, then I guess you’d better do something about it. And since the only ones available are vamps and Kel..." Angel sort of half grinned. "I leave the choice to you. I never chose your tricks except when they wanted us both, and I’m not gonna choose your lovers. That you do on your own!" Laughing, Angel nipped at his sister’s lip softly before sighing.

"I just wouldn’t pick me for a while. I’m still learning how to control this stuff, and like you said, you’re not ready to go vamp, so... have fun, Kitten." Letting go slowly, Angel walked back over to Marc and resumed his place on the older man’s lap with a decided wriggle before glancing at Derek and Nick. "Just don’t bite her—each other is cool, just not her."

Nick looked slightly sheepish and then blushed. "I’ve never, well not with a girl. No offense, Kitten, but girls never got me juiced, you know? Of course I’m willing to try and all, but Derek’s definitely a swing both ways kinda fiend. That much I do know."

Derek glanced down at his lover. This was something that they’d never discussed, but he’d simply assumed that Nick had had some experience with the opposite sex. He was somewhat surprised to find that his lover was solely interested in men. Not that he minded, of course. He looked over at Kitten, playing with his braid as was his habit when not entirely at ease.

"Kit... I won’t do anything that makes Nick uncomfortable. I love him."

Nick rolled his eyes. "So we could play with Kel, but we can’t play with Kit, who wants to play. You’re a very strange man by times, you know that?"

Getting up and walking to the other side of the table, Nick glanced at Angel for permission and then at Kitten. "May I?" And after a slight nod of her head he pressed his lips hesitantly to hers.

Kitten moved into his arms, pressing closer, wanting to be sure he knew who he was holding, and she returned the kiss, purring happily. Her arms rose up around his neck, her breasts flattening against his chest, and she could feel her lust heat up. When their mouths finally parted, she smiled sensually. "If that’s what you can do when you aren’t interested, it might kill me if you were."

"Well, I figured if I was gonna say I only liked guys, I’d better try a girl first for comparison’s sake. Besides, did you catch the look on Derek’s face? I think his jaw hit the table!" the young man giggled.

Angel stared at his sister and squirmed slightly on Marc’s lap. "She fights dirty," he whispered, biting on Marc’s ear. "I’m so fucking hot right now that if I don’t get some, I’m gonna explode!" His mouth moved from the ear to Marc’s neck, and he bit into his lover’s artery, feeling the delicious life fluid flow over his tongue and down his throat even as he mewled in hunger and arousal.

Kitten turned to face her brother and his lover, and heat flamed in her core when she saw Angel feeding on Marc. "Oh God," she moaned, sinking down to her knees and crawling toward them, Derek and Nick already forgotten.

"Ah!" Marc’s back arched as Angel pleasured him, but he kept his eyes on Kitten, seeing the lust in her gaze. "Angel, ah mon Dieu, so good! Cheri, if you wish, I can make sure you do not harm la petite."

Moaning around his lover’s flesh, Angel continued to feast on Marc’s neck, his fingers twining with his lover’s and his legs spreading open on Marc’s lap even wider to reveal the growing bulge in his jeans. It was only when he felt a pair of nimble and decidedly feminine hands begin to open the buttons of his button-fly jeans that he managed to tear his mouth from Marc’s neck. "Condom, gotta wear one ‘cause of the blood!" he gasped, his fingers managing to catch hold of Kitten’s hair and hold her head still. "Oh god, I’m dying here!"

Her expression a mixture of embarrassment and smugness, Kit pulled one out of the pocket of her robe and opened it. Never looking away from the identical blue eyes, she unrolled it over Angel’s erection with her mouth, sheathing him and starting to blow him at the same time.

Marc moaned as he watched the young woman playing with his lover, his own erection hard enough to pound nails.

Nick stood there slack jawed as he watched sister begin to fellate brother, and a garbled moan emerged from his throat as he looked around wildly for his mate. "Derek," he moaned hungrily. "Oh fuck, that’s hot!"

Derek reached out and grabbed Nick’s wrist, tumbling him back into his lap, his fangs instantly sinking into his lover’s throat.

Angel’s scream was caught in his throat. A woman’s mouth was so much different than a man’s, so much softer and sweeter. Fingers carding through soft blond hair shading to auburn, Angel moaned and writhed on Marc’s lap, his fingers gouging into the stuffing of the chair that his lover was sitting in, ripping through the fabric and batting to the wood. Throwing his head back against Marc’s shoulder, the younger man bared his throat for the Frenchman in a silent plea to be taken.

Kitten nipped gently at the head of Angel’s cock as she stood up, shedding her robe to stand naked in front of the vampires. "Fuck me," she demanded, blue eyes going from Angel to Marc as a wicked smile curved her lips.

Reading it correctly, Marc chuckled sensually. Angel’s robe proved little barrier, and moments later the stunned fledgling found himself impaled on Marc’s cock while Kitten was crawling on top of him, intent on getting him inside her. Angel gasped and whimpered as he was impaled on Marc’s cock, but it was caught in his throat as Kitten crawled onto his lap and looked lustfully down at them.

"Oh God," Nick moaned, swallowing as Derek’s fangs sank into his neck. "In me, I want you in me, Derek! Fuck me now, godammit!" he demanded as he watched what was happening across the room. "Upstairs, now!"

Moaning as the lust spiraled out of control, Angel gasped and buried his face in Marc’s throat even as his hands dug into Kitten’s hips and slid her down on his erection. His fangs dug hard into the Frenchman’s neck as he fought the urge to sink them into Kit’s neck. ’Marc, help, please, I want to suck her dry, oh God, Marc?’

"Shhh, chéri, it’s all right, trust me," Marc whispered, raising one arm and pressing his wrist to Angel’s lips, crying out with the pleasure when the young vampire latched onto him, sucking hungrily. Brown eyes gone a lambent bronze with lust and bloodlust fixed on Kit, and he leaned over Angel’s shoulder to kiss her.

Kitten moaned into Marc’s mouth, tasting the faint coppery tang of blood and growing more aroused when she realized it was Angel’s. She rode the cock impaling her, crying out when a hand reached between them and flicked her clit. Her eyes flew open again, seeing both vampires watching her, and she came, her body throbbing as the pleasure peaked and immediately began to build again.

Feeling the soft, fluttering convulsions around his cock made Angel’s hips buck more violently, stabbing into Kitten and then slamming back down onto Marc. He was surrounded and inundated with sensations. The velvet steel shaft in his ass, the rich crimson fluid flowing down his throat and the almost scorching wet heat of his twin’s body all drove him to a place that not even the sex the night before had taken him.

Eyes a nearly incandescent blue, his fangs sank deeper into Marc’s wrist, and he snarled hungrily as he began to clench and unclench his ass muscles, feeling his own orgasm approach rapidly.

Watching Angel and Marc, Kit whimpered, the sight as arousing as the cock driving into her depths. She could tell that her brother was falling in love with the older man—vampire—and she was happy for him, especially now that she knew they wouldn’t shut her out. Suddenly, she wanted more, wanted to share everything with them, but she knew from what had been said that Angel didn’t yet have the control to bite her and not go too far. But Marc... "I want you to drink from me," she whispered, eyes gone indigo with passion fixing on the heated brown of the vampire’s.

Marc was shocked, never having expected her to accept them this quickly, but he brushed her mind lightly, finding that she really did understand and want what she was offering. He could also feel Angel’s fear, and before the younger vampire could say anything, he accepted Kitten’s offer, his fangs sinking into her throat, increasing their pleasure, and at the same time, he drew all three of their minds together, letting each feel what the others did.

Feeling Kitten as well as Marc in his mind and feeling the pleasure of all three of them was too much for the young vampire. Releasing Marc’s wrist, he let out a primal shriek and came harder than he ever had in his young life, muscles clamping down in a vise-grip on Marc’s erection even as he flooded the condom with his semen.

Having their minds linked made Angel’s climax trigger the others’, and they all shuddered as the three-part simultaneous orgasm ripped through them. The overwhelming pleasure made Kitten scream and pass out briefly, her body convulsing around her brother’s while Marc tore his fangs free of her throat, not trusting himself to stop if he didn’t immediately.

Panting rapidly, Angel’s head fell back on Marc’s shoulder even as Kitten sagged against his chest, pressing him deeper into his lover’s chest. "Oh God, I think I’m totally wrecked," he moaned. "That was... mind blowing!"

"Mon Dieu," Marc murmured, dazed by the climax they had shared. "Never in all my years have I felt anything like that. Physical pleasure, yes, but... the emotions between the two of you and the two of us... Incroyable!" As strength returned to his limbs, he petted both twins, smiling when Kitten stirred.

"Wow," she murmured, not moving from where she nestled against her brother’s chest, a small sound of contentment escaping her as Marc stroked her back. She could still feel Angel inside her, and she realized that she could still feel both men in her head as well. Surprised, for she’d expected that to end with the sex, she asked, "Is this permanent?"

Equally surprised, Marc stared at her. "This is... unusual. I suppose the old wives’ tales about the bond between twins have some truth to them. I think, yes, we will always be able to feel one another if we wish. I swear to you that I did not expect this, chérie."

She smiled. "I kinda like it actually."

Angel hid his pleased smile behind a groan of dismay. "You mean I’m gonna spend eternity with my little sister poking her nose in my head? Talk about torture! I mean there are things that I really don’t want you knowing, and having you stick your curious little busybody nature in my head right in the middle of me being fucked blind? Serious mood killer!"

"I didn’t notice you complaining a minute ago!" She raised her head to stick her tongue out at him while Marc remained silent, though his amusement was clear to both of them.

"Yeah, but we’re all together right now. I mean when it’s just Marc and me, I really don’t want you there in our heads. There’s just something wrong with that, you know? Then again technically there’s something wrong with fucking your own sister, but that’s never stopped us before," the young vampire half grinned as he relaxed against Marc.

"We will learn how to shield each other out," Marc put in. "It would have been part of what you would learn since being able to reach another’s mind is part of your vampire powers. This simply makes it somewhat more of a priority. When you have learned to control it, only when both of you wish it will you be able to reach one another’s minds. For myself, I can shield you out at will. I simply find it pleasant just now."

"Well, that’s a relief," Kitten admitted. "I love you, Dev, but I really don’t want you in my head all the time. You get all protective-brother-ish as it is. I can just imagine what it would be like when I was with a guy if you were along for the ride. No thanks!"

"Hey, just because I’ve got my cock buried in your pussy right now doesn’t mean I stop being over-protective. That’s what brothers do, idiot!" he growled, slightly offended. "Besides, if any guy doesn’t treat you right, I’d beat the shit out of him regardless of whether I was a vampire or not. I’ve done it in the past. This just makes it," Angel’s smile became somewhat feral, "easier to know who I’m supposed to grind into dust."

"God, you might as well just turn me now ‘cause no guy’s ever going to get a chance to get close enough to fall in love with me," Kit groaned, head falling back to Angel’s shoulder while one hand curled over his shoulder as she cuddled close.

His thoughts carefully shielded, Marc wondered if he was going to survive the next few years of the twins’ battles. His life was certainly going to be interesting.

"I never said you couldn’t fall in love. Just not with the type of people we used to work for—sheesh! I want you to meet a nice guy! A scary concept, I know, but they do exist out there, and I’d like you to have one. I have one now, so I want you to have the same. What’s wrong with that?" Angel asked, tacitly admitting that he was falling for the vampire holding him so tightly.

"Just promise to let me be the one to decide who’s a nice guy, okay, Dev?" Kitten pressed closer, cuddling into her twin, the embrace now comforting rather than sexual. "After all, I wouldn’t have picked a vampire for you, but he’s okay."

"Please, you will put me to the blush with such effusive praise," Marc said dryly.

Rolling his eyes, Angel groaned. "Hey, it’s not like he had a lot of choice either. I was starving, and I would’ve... it would’ve been bad if he weren’t there to feed me, Kit. I mean, you wouldn’t be sitting in my lap right now if he hadn’t, y’know? He saved my undead life. Besides he’s like ice hot!

"And, yes, I get your point, you can chose the guy, but it’s not just me he’s gonna have to get by. It’ll be me and Marc and Kel and Xio and Derek and Nick, not to mention Carly and Casey. One big happy blood sucking Brady bunch," the young man giggled.

"God, just shoot me now!" Kitten moaned, finally shifting off of him so he could remove the condom. "I’m doomed."

Marc laughed. "I’m sure that anyone you choose, chérie, will be acceptable. Even if we have to gag Angel to ensure it."

"Fine, I’ll just keep my mouth shut and let a vampire hunter or whatever they are join the family and stake us all, and all because I wanted to make sure my sister met a nice man!" he pouted huffily, his lower lip coming out in a sulk.

"Oh, quit it!" Kit smacked his shoulder, glaring at him. "You always sulk when you don’t get your own way. But this is my life we’re talking about. Do you really think I could love someone who would hurt you and Kel?" She assumed that Kel would be a vampire as well soon.

"But I’m the guy; it’s my job to protect you, and I’ve been looking out for you since Mom and Dad died. It’s not gonna stop overnight, all right?" Angel shot back. "And, no, I know you wouldn’t. I also know you’re a sucker for a sob story, and you’ve got a marshmallow for a heart under all that cattiness. I don’t like seeing you cry, okay?

"And a little help here would be nice, oh teacher mine! I mean, didn’t guys protect their sisters back when you were alive?" Angel shot a truly evil glare at Marc.

"You’re the guy?!?" Kitten yelled, drowning out anything Marc might have said as she shot to her feet. "What chauvinistic crap! You... Oh! I want to hit you right now," she snarled, fists clenched at her sides. "How dare you!"

"Owww, that hurt!" Angel yelped, covering his ears. "I’m deaf now, thanks much! Sheesh, all I was saying was that I like looking out for you! I’m sorry, I’ll just keep my mouth shut and mind my own business from now on!" Angel yelled back, clambering out of Marc’s lap and adjusting his robe. "This is why I prefer men to women. You guys don’t make any sense at all!" And with that the young vampire stalked out of the room and slammed his way up to his bedroom to indulge in a typical fifteen-year-old sulk by blaring his music and ignoring the world at large.

Leaving the fuming young woman, Marc followed Angel upstairs, but when he heard the music, he decided discretion was the better part of valor and headed back to his room to shower and dress.

A little later, downstairs in the music room, Marc sat with Xio, Derek and Nick as they tried to figure out how to find and destroy the renegade. "Perhaps we should simply lock him in a room with les petits jumeaux," Marc suggested wryly. "I was praying for any salvation, even death."

"Well, they are only fifteen," Nick pointed out with a grin. "Teenaged angst and all that. Thank goodness they’ll mature even if their bodies don’t get much older.

"I remember having hellacious fights with my sister over the same thing when I was younger. It’s all part of growing up, and I figure the fact that they’re acting like typical teenagers is a good thing. It means that survival isn’t the primary concern anymore, just being teens is. You did a good thing bringing them all off the street, Xio," the youngest of those present stated firmly.

"It wasn’t like I was given a choice," Xiomar chuckled softly, "not that I wouldn’t have done it regardless, but Kel was most insistent that he was a ‘package’ deal. So I took the deal. But I too do not envy you, my friend," the Roman smirked. "Kel has been on the streets much longer, and though he has only seen his sixteenth birthday this year, his is a very old soul, I’m afraid. I don’t think I will ever see such a thing as you witnessed this morning, and may I say I am glad of it!"

"Your sympathy is overwhelming. I certainly never expected to find myself the possessor of not one but two teenagers," Marc sighed. "And I fear I am falling in love with le petit ange, which will only give him more power over me."

"Don’t worry," Derek said, managing to smother his laughter, "he’ll grow out of it. And so will she. If you’re very lucky, she’ll find someone of her own soon enough, and then you can simply concentrate on Angel. You’ll find it worth it to have a true mate."

Nick grinned and moved closer to Derek on the small couch they were sitting on. "Considering the lengths you went to to get me, I’m glad to hear you say that," he laughed lightly, placing a kiss on his lover’s chin. "But this isn’t why we’re here. We’re here to figure out how to catch this rogue."

"Simple. Use me as bait. After all, I’m the one he wants," Angel said softly from where he stood hesitantly in the doorway.

"No!" Every vampire in the room instantly chorused the negative, Marc coming across to pull Angel into his arms.

"We will not put you in danger like that! If the renegade were to realize that he could not control you, he might attempt to destroy you. You do not yet have sufficient control of your powers to protect yourself. I will not lose you already."

"Hey, I’m not real crazy about meeting up with this guy again, but I’d rather be the one who acted as bait over Kit or Kel. No offense or anything, Nick, but passing you off like a whore would kinda be like trying to convince the world that Britney Spears is a blushing virgin. Kit and Kell’re the only other ones he’d go after, and even that’s not a guarantee. You all said it yourself, he’s gonna come after me again no matter what we do. I’d rather be the one who’s in control, not him, and besides I don’t want to be responsible for him hurting anyone else because of me," Angel replied quietly.

"And you’re all going to be there to protect me, aren’t you?" he finished with a wobbly smile.

Much as Marc hated to admit it, Angel was right, but he couldn’t bring himself to say so. Instead he tightened his arms around the young vampire, already unable to imagine his life without Angel in it.

Nick grinned halfheartedly at the younger vampire. "So I don’t have what it takes to be a good rent boy, hunh? Sorry, honey, guess that means no role playing later on," he informed Derek with mock solemnity before turning his attention back to Angel. "You’re pretty damn brave, you know that. Serious guts."

"We would have to hang back," Derek said softly, watching them sympathetically. "The only way we will be able to draw him in is if he thinks you’re vulnerable."

"Well then, I guess the first thing you all had better teach me is how to stay alive long enough for you to ride to the rescue, isn’t it?" Angel said pragmatically. "And do me a favor; Kit and Kel, I don’t want them to know because they’d either try and stop me or try and tag along, and that would be bad."

A long string of curses, starting with French and working through every language he’d learned in three and a half centuries, fell from Marc’s lips. He hated this, hated it with every fiber of his being, and if he could think of some way to take Angel’s place, he would.

Letting go of Nick, Derek came across the room to place a comforting hand on each of their shoulders. He knew how he would feel if it were Nick going into danger, and frankly, he was amazed that Marc wasn’t tearing the room apart. "We won’t be far, Angel. We can shield ourselves well enough to stay near without being obvious. We won’t let anything happen to you."

"Oh good, because no offense, guys, but I really wouldn’t want to be you if anything happened to me and Marc went ballistic. He’s looking none too happy right now as it is," the teen teased slightly, holding on just a little tighter to the man who was rapidly stealing his heart away.

"If there was another option I wouldn’t have suggested it, Marc. Honest. I’m no hero; I just don’t want anyone else to have happen to them what he did to me. They might not have someone as wonderful as you to be there to play white knight and save them like you did me. Please try to understand," the teen whispered, stroking Marc’s face with his free hand.

"I do understand," Marc snarled. "That’s why I’m so pissed!"

"Well, has anyone ever told you that you’re seriously sexy when you’re pissed? I mean ice hot and wet cream and all that!" Angel teased slightly, trying to prevent bloodshed or whatever else might happen. "I’m gonna be okay, Marc, and you’re gonna be there, and it’ll be okay. I have faith in you guys."

Xio and Nick both watched in silence from their seats, understanding the Frenchman’s rage. If it were Derek or Kel, they’d be doing the same, but it didn’t negate the fact that Angel was right. He was the only logical option for bait at the moment. He was also right in that this was a scenario they would control.

"Derek, my friend, time for us to brush off our old skills of campaigning and come up with a foolproof battle plan. We must plan this precisely; there cannot be margin for error," Xio called to his mentor.

Nodding, Derek clasped Angel and Marc’s shoulders for a moment longer before moving to Xiomar’s side to begin strategizing. He knew that Marc’s emotions were running too strong for him to be of any help just then, not to mention that the former duke had never planned a battle in his life. He was best left with Angel for the moment.

Marc simply stood holding Angel, head bowed so that his forehead rested against the young vampire’s. "I would be very angry with you, mon petit, if you were to get yourself killed after making me care for you," he said conversationally.

Angel’s head shot up, and he stared at the older vampire questioningly. What he saw in Marc’s eyes made a soft smile spread across his features. "I wouldn’t want to make you angry, not about that anyway. One day though, I’d like to see what the make up sex will be like after we have an argument. I bet it’ll knock the world off its axis." Looking over at the table where Xio and Derek were busily plotting, Nick sitting beside his lover and adding his own two cents in now and then, Angel cleared his throat slightly. "Do I have to be a part of this?" he asked when they all looked up at them.

"No, bello, you don’t. Go and distract the Frenchman from his mood swings. Keeping him out of our hair while we plan this first stage will be a true blessing," Xio replied, a small smile playing across his features.

"I do not have mood swings!" Marc snapped, glaring at the Roman, distantly noticing that his mannerisms had grown much less sweeping once his attention was focused on something else. Apparently they were not quite as natural and unconscious as he would have others think. It was an effective camouflage at that.

"Come, Ti Ange, we shall leave these warriors to their planning. I feel the need for a long soak in a hot Jacuzzi. Would you care to join me?"

"Mood swings," Xio stage whispered to his companions with a grin before they got back to the serious business of planning the attack on the rogue vampire.

Angel giggled behind his hand as the Frenchman growled once more at Xiomar. Grabbing Marc’s hand before a bloodbath ensued, Angel dragged his lover out of the room and towards the indoor pool with its hot tub. "You can boil yourself; I want to swim. Besides there’s a lock on the doors. That means we can skinny dip."

"Cheri, we could do that regardless, especially in this madhouse. I do not think anyone would be shocked, though they do seem prone to joining in. I hope we will find towels there?"

"Maybe I’m shy," Angel snickered softly as he led the older man into what looked like a tropical green house—a ceiling of glass and all around them plants and trees of every kind. There was even a waterfall flowing into the grotto-like pool at one corner. "Wicked, hunh?" the teen grinned. "There’s even a sauna in that hut over there, and towels too, so you don’t have to worry about that."

Toeing his sneakers off, Angel quickly stripped out of his muscle shirt, tossing it on one of the lounge chairs, and then stripped out of the shorts he was in. "Only sucky thing is that I might not be able to swim during the day without the blinds closed for a very long time. But what can you do when you’re vamped?"

"Do not give up hope, mon amour; it is very likely that you will be able to continue. I keep telling you that only the very weak fledglings cannot abide the sun at first. You really need to start listening to me," Marc teased as he shed his garments and slid into the water with a sybaritic hiss of satisfaction.

"Fine, tomorrow morning I’ll stick my hand out the window, and if it doesn’t turn to ash and I don’t spontaneously combust, I might try to sit in the sun... err, stand in the sun... okay, walk into the sun and walk right back out again," Angel waffled only to stick his tongue out at Marc’s rolling eyes. "Is it my fault I grew up on Anne Rice and Buffy the Vampire Slayer? I don’t know from fact and fiction."

"Angel, look at me. I have a tan, do I not? I have been a vampire for three and a half centuries. Don’t you think it would have faded by now if I hadn’t been in the sun in all that time?"

"Umm, well..." Blushing, Angel walked around to the deep end of the pool and clambered up the diving board, neatly diving into the water with minimal splash. So he didn’t know jack about vampires; that much was pretty obvious. Time to start learning, he guessed.

Surfacing, Angel slicked back his blond hair and grinned at the other vampire, who was floating half a pool away. "So, teach me already!"

"All right, reach out to my mind. You have done it already in the heat of passion; now you must learn to do it at will. Feel me." Marc lazily swam closer, eyes remaining on the fledgling, waiting to see if he would be able to manage this on his own.

Scrunching up his face in concentration, Angel reached out with everything he had, trying to feel Marc’s mind as he had when he was so desperately aroused and hungry. Treading water as he did so, Angel felt kinda stupid doing what he was doing, but he knew it could be done so...

His mind brushed against something elusive, quicksilver... Hesitantly, Angel queried, ’Marc?’

’Very good, chéri,’ Marc praised, smiling as he swam into touching distance. He tangled the fingers of one hand in Angel’s wet hair, pulling him closer so he could kiss him hungrily, their minds still touching, allowing the young vampire to feel everything that he felt.

Shivering, Angel wrapped his legs around Marc’s waist, the water slowing his movements to a sensual crawl. ’Mmm, feels nice,’ he moaned in his head, as his mouth was devoured. ’Want you to fuck me in the pool, where the water makes everything so slow. Want to float and fuck.’

’I think that can be arranged.’ Marc drew him closer, then moved into the shallower water where he could stand, near enough to the side to brace one hand against it if need be. Staring into the deep blue eyes only inches from his own, he grasped Angel’s waist, raising him. ’Hold me in position for you, chéri. We will let gravity pull you down onto me, so slowly in the water’s buoyancy.’

The whimper that Angel emitted echoed throughout the room and their touching minds as he did as he was bade. Holding Marc’s erection steady, he allowed himself to sink slowly down, the moan coming from his throat in one continuous stream of sound.

"Ne-never made love in water before. In the shower, sure, but not in water. Never made love period until you," the younger vampire admitted with a blush. ’You make my heart feel funny,’ Angel continued in the privacy of their minds, sharing the sensation with Marc so he would know just what the younger man meant by that.

"Ah, my sweet, oddly innocent Angel," Marc murmured, watching him out of eyes gone bronze with lust. "So jaded physically and almost virginal emotionally. I shall enjoy seeing you grow into your powers and learn the world around you." He moved farther into the pool now that Angel was impaled on him, kicking back and allowing the water to support them both, thinning himself somewhat to prevent their combined weight from pushing them beneath the water. Although once le petit was more accustomed to his new state and less prone to panic when he couldn’t breathe, he would teach him the joys of loving underwater, on the bottom of the pool perhaps.

"Wha... ooooh!" Angel moaned as the water buoyed Marc and allowed him to bob slowly on his lover’s cock, trying hard to lie perfectly still on top of the older vampire, not wanting to sink them. The water did all the work, lapping at their bodies and making them move ever so slightly up and down so that Angel could barely feel movement inside of him, but there was movement nonetheless. It drove the teen insane.

The sounds emerging from Angel’s throat had a desperate tinge to them. The gentle lapping motion of Marc’s hips was killing him. Everything was so subtle, so slight that it was almost like being in an erotic dream—insubstantial touches and ghostly caresses. "Marc, please, oh God, need... need more!"

Soft chuckling filled the young vampire’s mind as Marc delighted in his naïveté and hunger. The elder slowly moved them back through the water until he could again stand, and he re-solidified himself totally as he settled on his feet, hands gripping Angel’s hips as he pushed into him. Although he was thrusting hard, the water still slowed their movements, giving their loving a languid pace.

Moaning piteously as he was taunted by an increase of movement that wasn’t nearly enough, Angel wrapped his legs around Marc’s hips and his arms around the older man’s neck. Biting and chewing and nipping at his lover’s mouth, the teen tried to add his own momentum to their lovemaking, but it still wasn’t enough. Tearing his mouth away, his lips swollen and bee stung, the teen mewled and clamped on to Marc’s neck, bringing his wrist up to press against the older man’s mouth in mute plea to add that extra connection between them.

Eager for more as well, Marc waded through the water to the side of the pool and, placing his hands on the side, he hoisted them out of the water. The moment they were settled on a solid surface, he sank his fangs into the still proffered wrist and began to fuck the young vampire as hard and fast as he could.

’GOD!’ Angel’s mind screamed in relief and joy. This was what he’d wanted, what he’d been craving! This hard, rough and even brutal joining that had all his synapses firing at the same time. Hot copper liquid flowed down his throat as an iron hard brand burned in his ass, reaming him out. Sometimes, just sometimes he liked it rough. This particular ‘angel’ liked pain at times. He’d long since accepted that part of his nature as normal. And a secret to be kept from even his family.

It was something he had never admitted to and had learned to hide with cosmetics and concealers because Kit and Kel would never understand. How did you tell the people you loved that you actually liked pain sometimes? He’d even allowed a john or two to take him dry just to add that spice to the deal. But now—no holds barred, teeth sinking into his wrist, his own teeth sunk into his lover’s throat—this was heaven, or at least as close to it as he’d ever come.

’More, please, Marc, give me more!’ Angel mewled hungrily in the recesses of their joined minds, letting the older man see for the first time the extent of the dark kink that existed within him and one of the reasons why he’d been singled out by the rogue vampire.

’As much as you want, chéri,’ Marc replied, his free hand raking down Angel’s chest, drawing blood in the deep scratches. He let go of Angel’s wrist and freed himself from his young lover’s fangs so he could lap at the bloody welts, tasting the fledgling yet again.

"I want everything!" Angel wailed as he slammed his hips down hard and came even harder at the feel of Marc’s tongue lapping at him. As he squeezed his muscles tight around the older man, his glazed eyes opened to stare at his lover. "Don’t stop, oh God, please don’t stop—it hurts so good!"

"I wasn’t planning to," Marc purred, abandoning the scratches to drag his fangs upward over Angel’s body while he continued to slam into the yielding body beneath him. "The pain makes the pleasure even better, doesn’t it, Ti Ange?" he whispered the instant before he bit into Angel’s chest, one fang sinking into a rigid nipple.

His scream caught in his throat, and Angel’s head thrashed against the cool tile of the pool deck as his cock painfully began to fill with blood yet again. Going from satiation to arousal in such a short span of time made his blood burn in his veins and his breath hitch. It was so good, so very good.

"Maaarc," he wailed blissfully, his legs wrapping around the older vampire’s waist to help goad the other man’s hips to a faster pace still. Angel’s nails gouged bloody furrows into the soft skin of his palms, and still he whined for more. He adored the intensity of it all and knew he’d be a wrung out mess once it was all over, unable to move or speak but satisfied beyond comprehension.

"That’s it, mon ange," Marc whispered around the flesh he was feeding on, "show me what you want. Take what you want." He suddenly rolled to his back, taking Angel with him. "Ride me, Angel, fuck yourself hard on me," he growled even as he drew one of Angel’s wrists to his mouth so he could drink more of his blood.

Bracing his free hand against his lover’s chest, his nails digging into Marc’s flesh slightly, the young man began to move slowly at first and then with increasing speed. Eyes turning incandescent blue, Angel snarled hungrily and began to snap his hips faster and faster, plunging his body onto the spike of Marc’s cock with almost animalistic ferocity. "Love you, love you, love you!" he gasped as he rode his mate.

"Mine!" Marc snarled back as he reared up, arms wrapping around Angel’s torso, somehow going even deeper in this new position. Their mouths slammed together as savagely as their bodies, fangs tearing at tongues so that they both fed on their mixed blood.

It was everything Angel had wanted and more, this full blown primal rutting that had the teen’s eyes rolling back in his head. With a final yowl of bliss the young man managed to come one last time as he passed out cold from being hyper aroused for so long and from the sheer pleasure of it all.

Marc felt the climax that overwhelmed his young lover and snarled his satisfaction as he came as well, claiming Angel as his. Not wanting to release him, he lowered them to the floor, lying atop the fledgling, still buried deep inside him, and waited for Angel to awaken. He had to know if Angel truly felt the same, wanted him forever as he wanted Angel.

Long minutes went by, and the only sound in the huge room was the gentle lapping of water and soft soughing of breath. Finally Angel’s eyes fluttered open slowly and came back into focus. Looking up into the face of his teacher/lover, the young vampire smiled. "Wow. That was... was... so far beyond perfect I don’t know how to describe it. You’re amazing, Marc."

"Likewise, chéri." Marc stared down at him, unconsciously petting the hair back from his face. "Angel... what do you expect of me? Do you just want a teacher or... more?" He knew this wasn’t coming out right, but he had to know.

"Well, considering we’ve hardly had time to start my ‘lessons’, I wouldn’t really say you’re my teacher just yet, would you?" the teen smiled and then sobered slightly. "I showed you in the pool what I feel for you, and I said... I told you I loved you. I guess that means I want you, not a teacher. Oh, I like what you teach me, but it’s you teaching me not one of the others, you know? I wouldn’t have done this with them, no matter how sexy they are, because they’re not you," the younger vampire tried to explain.

Marc stemmed the tide of words with his lips, kissing Angel tenderly. "Merci, chéri. I just needed to be certain that you felt the same. Je t’aime, mon ange. I love you." He knew it was ridiculously fast, but after sharing their minds as they had, how could he not recognize the love between them?

"Really? I mean wow, I mean, I love you too, Marc," the teen stumbled, his arms flung around the older man’s neck as he held on as if for dear life. "Oh, this is wild, I mean me and you and..." the teen laughed for the sheer joy of the feelings coursing through him. ’I love you,’ he whispered into his lover’s mind.

"Very convenient, no?" Finally slipping of Angel as he shifted, Marc stood up, bringing Angel with him, and moved over to one of the lounge chairs. "Promise me you will be careful tomorrow when we are searching for... him."

"Incredibly convenient," Angel agreed as he snuggled into his lover’s lap. "And I promise. I’ve only just found you and found out I’ve got forever with you; I’m not going to take any stupid chances and risk losing that," the teen promised quietly.

"Très bien," Marc approved, holding him close.

"So we are all ready?" Marc asked, looking around the room at what might at first glance be mistaken for a group of commando wannabes. What they truly were, of course, was far more dangerous: vampires. Dressed in dark clothing to blend in with the shadows, they planned to remain near enough to Angel to protect him without frightening off the renegade.

"Don’t worry, Marc, we will not allow anything to happen to Angel," Derek soothed, knowing even as he said it that it was pointless. If it were Nick going into such danger, nothing would calm him. In truth, he thought Marc’s surface calm amazing.

"There is no way we will let that creature get anywhere your angelito, I swear," Xio joined in, his voice rough with emotion. He too understood what it would be like to send the one you loved into the lion’s den when you could not stand by his side but only hide in the shadows and pray you came to the rescue in time.

"Hey, between the four of us, that thing’s not gonna stand a chance. We’re gonna get him and make him pay for what he did," Nick growled. While he was normally a pacifist, the older fledgling understood only too well how the rogue threatened not only the living but his family as well. They could be exposed, hunted and destroyed, and he’d be damned if he would lose Derek after just finding him.

Angel scuffed one of his black Doc Martens and cleared his throat as he stood in the doorway, listening to the conversation. He’d dressed in his ‘work’ clothes for the evening, a pair of tight leather pants that rode obscenely low on his hips, a black leather vest which he left unbuttoned and a thick black leather collar with a heavy silver buckle around his throat. "So, are we good to go?" he asked, his voice a little shaky as he looked from one vampire to the next.

Marc’s eyes narrowed, and a soft growl of equal parts lust and possessiveness came from his throat as he saw Angel’s outfit for the first time, the fledgling having still been getting dressed when he’d come downstairs. "Next time you wear that, it’s going to be just for me," he said harshly even as he came across the room to pull Angel into his arms and kiss him hungrily.

Kel snickered from his position in the doorway. "Gotta love these possessive vamps," he observed to Kitten, who stood beside him. "Makes a guy want to just throw himself at their feet and spread ‘em."

"I somehow doubt that Xio would object if you did," Kit pointed out dryly, watching the musician watch Kel. "Looks to me like you’re both claimed."

Xio simply smirked as he beckoned his lover close to whisper some final instructions and kiss Kel senseless.

"Just you wait until you fall for someone, Kit," Angel groused softly, "and then we’ll see who has the last laugh!"

Scuffing his shoe yet again, Angel glanced up at Marc from beneath his lashes as he finally found the courage to ask his next question. "And what happens if the rogue takes some time to show up or doesn’t show at all—I mean it’s gonna look like I’m a nark or something if I stand on the street corner looking like I’m advertising my wares and then not turning any tricks. What should I do?"

Marc’s eyes narrowed, and he snarled furiously, fangs fully visible. He wanted to rend anyone who dared touch Angel from this moment on: Angel was his! He turned his back to the others, not seeing the other vampires’ sympathetic understanding, and tried to regain control. "I could go with you," Kel offered, continuing rapidly before the others could voice their instant negation. "We could play around together, make it clear that we’re mainly there for each other and we’re only going with someone we both like. If it’s safe for you, it’s just as safe for me."

"No!" Angel yelled in panic. "You... he... that thing does, you saw what I looked like and that was twenty-four hours later, Kel. There’s no way in hell I’m gonna let you take that sort of chance. Besides, I need to know you and Kit are both safe. I hate the fact that all the others are coming with me as it is; I think one of them should stay with you!" the youngest vampire growled.

Xio, who had been about to protest vehemently at the danger his lover proposed he place himself in, fell silent at the Angel’s own opinion. They had all been so determined to protect Angel that no one had thought to protect their home. Damn!

Nick, quickly assessing the situation, cleared his throat. "I’ll stay here with Kit and Kel if you three want to go with Angel. I mean it’s not like I’d be much good out there anyway; I’ve never done this before. But I would be able to tell if there was another vamp around and get the kids out before he could get in if I stayed."

"Call us kids again and it won’t be the vampire you have to worry about!" Kit snarled.

"Okay, grandma, whatever you say," Nick shot back with a grin. He’d seen Angel’s twin naked and had had Kel’s cock down his throat, so he really wasn’t too worried by the she-cat’s spitting. The young woman actually reminded Nick a lot of his own, now deceased, sister.

"Kit, please," Angel groaned. This was hard enough as it was without him having to worry about her killing a vampire, especially knowing how old the vampire’s lover was. "He’s just trying to look out for you and Kel. I mean c’mon, he saw... us the other day, and he and Kel and Derek have... well I don’t think he really thinks of either of you as kids, y’know?"

Kit sniffed but didn’t say any more, contenting herself with a dirty look at Nick and a totally unimpressed one at Derek, though she couldn’t help admiring the tall man with the blond braid nearly as long as she was tall.

"And if I’m under house arrest, we’re right back to the original problem of how Angel’s going to avoid turning any tricks tonight without looking like a plant. Any ideas, oh ancient geniuses?"

Xio firmly kept his mouth shut and stayed out of this conversational minefield. He looked at Marc, who was fighting for control, and then sighed. This was very bad.

Angel twisted his hands and then walked up to his lover. "I could bring them to a place near you or one of the others, and you could whammy them into thinking I’d had sex with them," he offered quietly. "Because I really don’t want to, Marc. I meant what I said in the pool last night. Just you from now on."

Marc finally turned to face him, fury still riding him, his face for this time showing exactly what he was: a killer. "Not me," he growled. "Derek or Xio. If I saw them, saw someone who thought he had a right to touch you, I would kill them on the spot, and I wouldn’t spare a single moment’s regret."

"Marc," Angel began helplessly and then sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Maybe we should wait a little longer to see if maybe this rogue has left town... I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me. Or maybe I’ll just go upstairs and change into something less... whore-like."

"You do not look like a whore!" Marc snarled, seizing hold of Angel’s upper arms. "You look beautiful, edible, mine, and I hate having to allow anyone to think for even a moment that you are available." He took a deep breath, staring into the blue eyes. "But I know that you are not and that you will be going to bed with me in the morning." He pressed a kiss to the full lips. "So we will do this and rid ourselves of this bastard so that we might concentrate on us for the next little while, perhaps a century or two."

"That sounds absolutely wonderful," Angel sighed and cuddled close. "Je... Je t’aime, Marc," the teen stuttered out, wanting to say it in his lover’s native language and calling on his barely remembered education as well as the words he’d heard Marc murmur before.

Marc smiled and held him close, his cheek pillowed on top of the younger man’s head. He could see that he was going to spend the rest of his days wrapped very securely around Angel’s finger, and he couldn’t imagine anything better. "Je t’aime aussi, I love you too," he whispered.

Chuckling at the averted disaster, Xio bussed Kel’s forehead and admonished him to be safe and be smart before motioning for Derek to precede him out to the car.

Nick chose to stop his lover and steal the eldest vampire’s breath in a shattering kiss before pulling him down to whisper in his ear. "Hurry home so we can do nasty things to each other, okay?"

"I only do good things, love," Derek replied with a smile before continuing on his way. "Take care of each other... children." He smiled equally at Nick and Kitten as he escaped.

"Ohh, that..." Kit glared at the now-empty doorway. "He is going to pay for that!"

"I think I’ll just go find a nice fallout shelter to cower in," Kel murmured.

"I think I’ll join you," Nick replied, moving closer to the other man.

***

Angel looked around the darkened streets, trying to recapture the nonchalant attitude of his working persona. There was no guarantee that this creep would even show up. All he knew was that Derek, Xio and, most importantly, Marc were close by, watching over him. That was all that mattered to him.

A car turned onto the street and slowed to a stop in front of him. Cringing inwardly, Angel approached the car, his stride slowing to a sensual stalk as a smile bloomed hot and sweet. "Something I can help you with, handsome?"

Watching from atop a building a little ways away, Marc snarled at the hapless would-be john, wanting to tear Angel away from him and declare that he was off limits, that he belonged to Marc. He fought to keep his mind shielded, to keep from flooding Angel’s mind with his anger and jealousy and bloodlust, and he warned himself to keep that fury for its rightful target, the bastard who had hurt the young man.

He remained a silent spectator as Angel took the man around the corner to where Derek waited, and the older vampire made the man believe that he’d had what he wanted from Angel. That gave Angel a few minutes away from his spot, able to chat with Derek as he waited for enough time to elapse to go back.

"Once we take care of this problem, we will have to concentrate on teaching you what you need to know about your new state. Marc will be a good teacher, but for some things, someone who is not a lover is best. That’s actually why he’s here, or at least that was the original reason. I wanted someone to help teach Nick after I turned him."

"What sort of things?" Angel asked curiously as his john dozed lightly on a nearby milk crate. "Oh and before I forget, thanks. I mean I know I did this for a living up ‘til a couple of nights ago, but after having Marc, I never wanna go back to being a rent boy. It’d definitely be downgrading, you know?"

"No need," Derek said calmly. "Marc is young, a product of this age... even if you find three centuries a vast age," he teased lightly. "Those of us who have lived longer... well, I found myself in that very same profession more than once, Angel. There is nothing inherently wrong with it, despite the way it is vilified in this culture." He shrugged. "But no, a passing stranger can never equal a lover.

"As for the lessons, it depends, but the closer the bond, the harder it can be to separate yourselves. I needed to have Marc teach Nick how to use his mental powers because whenever I tried, we... joined and ended up using both of us. He needed to know how to function entirely on his own in case it ever becomes necessary."

Angel nodded seriously. "It was like that the few times Marc and I did it. It’s like ... the most intimate thing that I’ve ever done, you know? And when we’re making love at the same time, I can lose myself inside Marc and never want to come out. But I need to know how to do this," Angel waved towards the john, "stuff on my own. I mean it would be so much easier if I could do this and not have to have you or Xio come down from your lookout.

"This is risky, isn’t it? It might have been better if I’d just, well, worked tonight. My body is just that, a body. My heart, hell, my soul already belongs to Marc, and that’s the important stuff, don’t you think?"

"Intellectually, I agree with you. However, His Grace up there would have ripped anyone who actually you touched into very small, very messy pieces. He pretends well, but deep down he is still the royal duke who does not share well with others. And to be honest, were it my Nick in your position, I would react in much the same way. Ridiculous I know, but..." Derek shrugged. "Vampires we may be, but we’re still men, and men are possessive."

"Don’t tell him I said this, but, I like it that he’s like that," Angel confessed with a shy smile. "It’s nice to belong to someone again. Kit and I, we used to belong to our parents, and we were loved, and we were safe, and then they died, and we found out just how disposable children can be. No one even looked for us when we ran away from the orphanage, but they were more than happy to split us up to get us off their hands.

"Kel found us and took us under his wing. He was my first, you know? And he taught me how to survive in this life, and then he taught Kit. But it wasn’t the same. I didn’t belong to anyone other than me and sometimes to Kit, but she’s just the same, even though she acts like she’s not. She wants to belong too. I feel safe with Marc and loved." Angel’s face lit up as he spoke, expressing more eloquently than words just how much Marc truly meant to him.

"Angel..." Derek spoke slowly, trying to decide how to say this. "Don’t mistake gratitude and wanting a place to belong for love. That’s the surest path to pain that I can imagine. If that’s what you feel, that’s fine, and you and Marc can have a wonderful time of it for however long you remain together, centuries even, but do not mistake that for being in love. I don’t want to see either of you go through that kind of hurt."

Angel rolled his eyes and held his temper in check. He knew the eldest of them meant well and was only trying to protect everyone, but geez, the old guy really needed to get a clue. "I’ve never been lacking love in my life, Derek. I’ve always had Kit and then Kel, and I had my parents for fourteen years. I know what love is, and what it isn’t. What it isn’t is what I can get on the street any day of the week. That’s lust and I’ve had a helluva lot of experience with that over the past year. But until the other night, I’d never made love with a person. That’s what Marc and I did—we made love and it was... everything. There’s no way I’d mistake that, believe me."

After Angel’s previous comments, Derek remained unconvinced, but it really wasn’t any of his business, and either way, there was nothing he could or should do. "As you say. But now, I think enough time has elapsed that you can return and we can resume the hunt. I only hope he shows up tonight. None of our nerves will survive much of this."

Swallowing the urge to go after the older man for doubting his feelings when all the idiot had to do was reach into his mind to see for himself, Angel nodded curtly, not trusting his tongue at the moment. Arrogant, egotistical jerk, Angel muttered to himself. Just because I like feeling safe doesn’t mean I don’t know what love is or that I’m just sublimating. Why is it that the older ‘grownups’ get, the quicker they forget that being young doesn’t equal being stupid?

Nudging his trick awake, Angel smiled coyly and thanked the guy for the good time. The john in question obligingly stuffed a fifty in Angel’s pants pocket and walked away whistling. Not bothering to look back at Derek, who had remained in the shadows, Angel quickly walked out of the alley and back to his spot of the night, hunching in on himself a bit. Damn, he hated this; everything about this night was wrong, and it sucked bad.

After checking that Angel was all right and that the renegade hadn’t suddenly appeared, Marc glided over to join Derek. "You pissed him off royally, you know," he observed, having been lightly linked to Angel’s mind during the whole conversation.

Derek sighed. "I just worry that he is confusing a feeling of safety for love, my friend. Though having watched the two of you together, I must admit that it is unlikely. Now, however, he will be conscious of the possibility and will think his own actions through... and that particular demon will not rear up unexpectedly at some later date and bite you on the ass."

Marc laughed. "You devious bastard."

Eyes sparkling with merriment, Derek bowed mockingly, then froze suddenly, eyes darting to his friend. "He is here."

"Yes."

Both vampires spoke in vicious snarls, their eyes turning toward where Angel stood talking to someone in the shadows, and they hurriedly reinforced their shields.

Xio glided out of the shadows to join his comrades in arms. "We need for Angelito to lure the bastard here; this sort of thing must needs be done in the shadows so that the humans don’t know we are here," he growled softly.

Already his human appearance had been stripped away to reveal the vampire he was, fangs extended and deadly. Xio’s body was tense, and he was ready for combat. Now all they needed was the rogue. Melting back into the shadows, Xio wrapped his power around himself in order to appear invisible to the rogue.

"He is old, this one. Perhaps as old as myself but not as old as you, Derek. Angel will be powerful, just as Kel will be when I turn him. We must be careful of this one. Marc, it is your job to make sure that your amore is safe; leave the dark one to Derek and myself."

Angel shivered inwardly. This was the guy; he could feel everything in him call out and gravitate towards his... God, his maker. This was his sire. He almost reached out for Marc with his mind but stopped himself at the last moment as he knew it would tip off the vampire in front of him. He was so fucking scared it wasn’t funny, but... this thing had done unspeakable things to him, had turned him against his will and would continue to prey on other street kids if he ran. Angel thought about Kel and Kitten and gathered what shreds of courage he had left. No, he wouldn’t let this happen to the people he loved or anyone else.

Smiling seductively, the teen began to back towards the alleyway that would lead him to Marc and the others.

"So, the little pretty wants to play games, does he?" the surprisingly handsome vampire hissed in a thick Eastern European accent. "Don’t you know who I am, child? I’m your maker. You will do as I say!"

Angel felt alien thoughts brush against his and try to wrest control from him. God, it was worse than the first time because then he’d passed out before the real violation began, but now... now he couldn’t stop it.

Whimpering softly, the teen decided that this thing was arrogant enough to follow without any coaxing, so he turned and ran, praying that Marc would be there to protect him.

Remaining motionless until Angel drew the garbage away from the other humans had been the hardest thing Marc had ever had to do in all his long life, and now, as Angel bolted down the alley, he stepped out of the shadows, opening his arms to his love and wrapping him in a protective embrace.

"Wha-? Who are you? How dare you! He belongs to me!" The dark-haired vampire strode toward them, not yet realizing that he faced another of his own kind.

"Like hell!" Marc snarled, turning them slightly so that his body offered Angel some protection. "You bastard, how could you turn someone so young—and against his will?"

Taken aback by the question, the stranger finally understood that Marc too was a vampire. "So, another of us," he hissed, drawing up one arm between them, much like an old movie vampire raising his cloak when faced with a threat.

"God, give me a break," Derek scoffed. "You’re how old and still playing these stupid, melodramatic games?"

Startled, the renegade looked over at the two newcomers, confused when he could not feel them, not knowing that they had shielded themselves. "I am a thousand years old," he proclaimed, expecting them to cower in fear.

"Only a thousand. Really, Xiomar, you aren’t usually that far off in your estimates. Although, he is rather strong for one of that age. His maker must have been quite old." Derek talked about the other vampire as he weren’t there, infuriating him.

Xiomar smirked and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "When you are as old as we, Derek, age becomes inconsequential, si?"

Snarling, the stranger lunged at Derek, who simply sidestepped, drew an antique short sword from beneath his coat, and calmly beheaded the renegade with a single, powerful swing as the deranged one staggered past.

Everyone stared at the body, watching as in death it rapidly aged to the vampire’s mortal years and collapsed into a pile of dust.

"Well," Marc said finally, arms still around Angel. "That was rather anti-climactic."

Derek shrugged. "It did the job."

Angel shivered even more and tried to meld into Marc, bury himself inside his lover. "Oh God, oh God, that... that thing was in my mind, and it felt so... Marc?" the teen whimpered softly. "Home, please?"

"Of course, chéri," Marc replied, holding him tightly. "You are safe now, Ti Ange; there is nothing more to fear." A thought struck him, and he glanced over at Derek. "Perhaps you might let Nicholas know of the resolution so he may tell les petits? I would not have Kelson and Kitten worry unnecessarily." As he spoke, he was drawing Angel toward the car, intent on taking him home and loving him into a puddle.

Xio heartily agreed with this idea; he too wanted to go home and claim his lover and then perhaps speak to Kel of becoming vampire as well. He wanted the younger man with him forever, and tonight’s adventure had made him realize just how much.

Angel didn’t speak much, but gradually his color returned to its normal pale ivory instead of the deathly white it had been. "I know he can’t hurt me anymore," the young man sighed as he allowed himself to be drawn onto Marc’s lap while they waited for the others to get into the car. "It’s just that he was in my mind. You’re the only one who’s been in my mind, well, you and Kit. And he didn’t ask; he just rammed himself in, and it felt... like I was being raped all over again," the teen confessed quietly.

"Ah, chéri, forgive me that I could not protect you from that. You are more right than you know; it was a rape, a mental one, but I will teach you how to guard yourself against that ever happening again. As a rule, the only ones who can force such a contact are your maker and those older or stronger than yourself. Because of how I completed your transition, I might be able to, though I would never want to. But that is not certain, mon ange, since even though I am older, you are near my equal in power thanks to the age of... him."

Unnoticed by the two concentrating on each other, Derek and Xio had joined them in the car, taking the front seat, and they were on their way back to the Roman’s home.

"Nothin’ to forgive. You love me, that’s all I need," Angel sighed before glaring hard at Derek. "And I love you too, no matter what anyone else thinks!"

Xio chuckled quietly as he navigated the car out of the city and towards his house on the outskirts of town. In Latin he said to his teacher, "You’ve offended our little angel, my friend. I would try to stay out of his way for the next little while until he manages to forgive you. He may have an ‘angelic’ disposition most of the time, but he has the temper of a demon when riled. And you’ve stirred up the hornet’s nest, I think."

Angel chose to ignore his former benefactor’s laughter and instead concentrated on cuddling close to Marc, touching and petting all that he could reach to remind him that he was safe and loved and he didn’t have to be scared anymore. "So, me being almost equal to you, that’s a good thing, right? I mean I’ll be able to get the hang of things pretty quickly?"

"It’s a very good thing. Not only will you ‘get the hang of things’ but you won’t have to worry about sunlight or almost anything else. And we will have a very long time together to do everything you’ve ever imagined." Marc looked delighted by the prospect, arms wrapped securely around his lover.

"Everything I ever imagined?" Angel asked sleepily, "I can imagine an awful lot. Of course I never imagined living forever; hell I sometimes didn’t think I’d live to see my twenty-first birthday but now... there’s so much I want to do, Marc, so much I want to be, and I’m not sure I know where to start," the teen continued to confess, closing his eyes and resting his head on his lover’s shoulder. "And now I get forever with you as well, wow!"

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