The Lyra Chronicles: Discovery
1996
“Lyra, what the hell is wrong with you?” Steve asked quietly.
“Oh, nothing, just bored I guess,” she answered. She paced around the castle restlessly, not knowing what it was she wanted to do. She tried to read, but just couldn’t get interested in any of her books. Painting sounded tedious and writing, well, that wasn’t going to happen anyone. She wanted some excitement, but couldn’t figure out just what to do.
“You know, if you’re so bored, I know where you can find some fun, luv,” Steve said with a laugh. “A certain band of whom you’re very fond does happen to be out on tour at the moment. It’s been a while since I toured with them, but that last time out was pretty fun.”
Lisel gave her a smile and said, “Hey, why don’t we all go? Could be a blast!” Then Leesha said thoughtfully, “Yeah, I could do with seeing Phil again.” Steve jumped up and headed for the study, bringing back a copy of the band’s itinerary for the Slang tour. They found out where the band was and Lyra finally said, “Okay, we’ll go.”
They flew out an hour later, making their way across the silent ocean to the United States. As they closed in on the band’s location, Steve and Lyra followed their links to the members and pinpointed their direction. It was late evening when they landed close to the band’s hotel. Lisel grabbed Lyra’s arm and said, “Um, what about Steve? Someone might recognize him!”
“I don’t think so. He looks way to young to be Steve Clark of Def Leppard now. That man would be nearly thirty-six, not looking twenty, luv,” Lyra explained. “No one should notice him, other than saying he’s a young man who bears an amazing resemblance to the former guitarist.”
They walked quietly into the bar and found the band surrounded by fans. Rick stiffened as he saw them, his usual discomfort around them showing through loud and clear. Sav spotted them and looked guiltily at Dara, wondering how to handle this situation. Joe was talking to Bobbi when Sav elbowed him and said, “We’ve got company.”
Joe looked at the group of vampires in the door and gave Lyra a smile that radiated warmth. Even with Bobbi sitting right next to him, he got up and gave Lyra a huge hug. He leaned down and whispered, “I’m glad you stopped in to see us, luv!”
“Thanks, Joe,” she said quietly.
Phil pulled Leesha into his lap immediately, giving her a soft kiss of welcome. Lyra looked around and asked, “Where’s Vivian?”
“He headed for his room early tonight. I think he was a bit tired,” Sav explained.
“Whew!” Steve whispered. “We forgot about him!”
“Don’t know about these two,” Lyra said, motioning to Steve and Lisel, “but Leesha and I thought about coming along for a couple of days. Things are far too boring at home right now!”
Dara looked up to find out who was speaking and saw Lyra. She barely stifled a scream as she stared wide-eyed at the vampire. Backing away from the table, she excused herself and headed for her room, nearly running out of the bar.
“What’s her problem, mate?” Phil asked.
“Um, well, uh, Lyra,” Sav said with a laugh. He turned back to Lyra and said, “Your little suggestions to her seem to have taken hold quite well!”
“She deserves it,” Lyra answered with a humorless laugh. She took Dara’s seat next to Sav while the others pulled up chairs around the band. They sat and talked for a while, until Malvin came over to talk to them. He started to ask a question, then stopped and looked at Steve. His mouth flew open and he started to stammer, until Steve finally said, “What’s the matter, Mal? Cat got your tongue?”
Lisel kicked Steve under the table, but it was too late. Malvin looked at the others and saw them all smiling at Steve’s jest, not remembering that Malvin didn’t know about Steve’s now immortal life. As it dawned on each of them, their expressions changed from happy to concerned. How was Mal going to handle this?
“Um, I think we’d better head up to your room, Mal. Looks like we’ve got some explaining to do,” Joe said softly. They gathered up a stunned Malvin and headed upstairs to his room. Only Rick stayed behind in the bar, trying to avoid being in such close quarters with the vampires.
Malvin keep staring at Steve, murmuring, “He looks so young! It can’t be Steve!” They dropped Bobbi off at Joe’s room and Lyra wiped the memory of Steve’s presence from her mind so there would be no awkward questions facing Joe later. When they reached Mal’s room, Malvin watched in astonishment as Joe and Sav both went to Lyra and kissed her deeply, both sets of arms wrapping around her. Leesha sat in the corner with Phil, obviously more than just a fan of his music by the way they were acting. Then his eyes fell on Steve. It couldn’t really be Steve. But it had to be. How? Unless....
As Lyra settled down on the couch between Joe and Sav, she started to explain. “Malvin, I know this has got to be confusing for you. You thought Steve was gone, but here he is looking young and healthy and alive. Well, most of that is true. But he’s not really alive like you, Phil, Sav and Joe. He’s like Leesha, Lisel and I. A vampire.”
Malvin’s thoughtful expression caught Lyra off guard. He stared at Steve for a moment, then the smile faded from his lips. He put his head in his hands and asked, “How’d it happen? When?”
“He really did die the night of January seventh, Malvin,” Lisel said finally. “That was the night he became one of us.”
Malvin nodded, silently accepting this news. Lyra was surprised. Most mortals needed proof before they believed a word of this kind of thing. Malvin looked at Steve and said, “Okay, let me see them.”
“What?” Steve asked.
“The fangs, mate. Last bit of proof I’ll need,” Malvin answered. Steve came close to Malvin and let his fangs come down, opening his mouth so that Malvin could see them. Then Mal pulled Steve into his arms and whispered, “I’ve missed you, mate!”
“You know, Stumpus, I’ve missed you too,” Steve said with a smile. As the conversation went on, Malvin explained that he had run into vampires before. The guys in the band were shocked, but somehow Lyra just wasn’t surprised at the thought. Malvin was the kind of person that could get anything done, and that type of person attracted her kind.
The girls excused themselves to go check into the hotel while Malvin and the band talked about what had happened with Steve over the past few years. Leesha was going to stay with Phil, but Lyra and Lisel got their own rooms.
Lyra decided to head to her room, so as not to cause any trouble for Joe and Sav. The others returned to Malvin’s room to see how things were going there. Lisel stayed behind with Steve, talking to Malvin, as Leesha and Phil headed for his room. Sav and Joe looked at each other, then Joe asked, “Where’d Lyra take off to?”
“She took a room a couple of floors down, so she wouldn’t get between you two and your women,” Steve told them. They looked at each other and rose as one, taking off for Lyra’s room.
Lyra laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. Why the hell had she come here? She’d known they’d probably have the girlfriends and wives along on tour. She got up and went to her balcony, considering simply flying away and leaving them alone. But just as her body tensed to take to the sky, there was a soft knock on her door. She could already feel who it was before she answered the door and considered not opening it. They had lives to live here that she wasn’t any part of. There was a second knock and she heard Joe say, “We know you’re in there, Lyra. Please, let us in!”
After a third knock, she heard Sav say softly, “Please, Lyra luv, I really need to see you.”
With that, Lyra finally relented and opened the door, only to be smothered in kisses from both men. They pulled her back into the room and Joe closed the door softly behind them. Sav looked down at Lyra and whispered, “I’ve missed you, my love.”
“So have I,” Joe said quietly, coming up behind her. She kissed each of them and said softly, “I’ve missed you two as well. I just thought it would be a good idea to keep my distance, so I don’t ruin your mortal relationships.”
“Bobbi’s rather understanding, actually. She’s never once called me down about another woman,” Joe murmured into her ear. Then his tongue flicked out and traced over its delicate shell, sending a shiver down Lyra’s spine. Sav leaned into her body and whispered into her other ear, “I’ve known for a long time that Dara and I were heading different directions. Sometimes I can’t even stand to look at her anymore.”
“Then why stay with her, luv?” Lyra asked quietly.
“Because I can’t stay with you, yet,” he murmured as his lips captured hers. Between their bodies, Lyra felt so safe, so loved! They’d never both come to her at once before, preferring to spend their time with her separately until now. She felt their hands all over her, so warm and gentle. Joe’s hands slid under her shirt, pulling it off over her head quickly as Sav leaned down and took one nipple between his lips. His tongue swirled over her flesh, bringing it quickly to complete hardness. Joe’s mouth wandered over her back, his tongue making warm trails down her back as she moaned between them.
Sav’s hands found the buttons of her jeans, unfastening them with sure fingers and lowering them from her body. Joe pulled her against him and his arm went around her, fingers probing for the center of Lyra’s desire. She nearly tore Sav’s shirt in her haste to remove it and one button went flying as a result. Sav’s lips went to her throat, teasing her flesh with gentle nips. Tugging roughly at his jeans, she opened them and slid her hand inside. Her hand grasped his hardness, gently pulling at it as he groaned into her neck. When Sav moved away to finish removing his jeans, Lyra turned in Joe’s arms and took off his clothes with quick, deft hands.
She felt both their bodies press against her, their hardness driving her wild. Then Sav bent down, picking her up and laying her gently on the bed. His rough fingertips ran down her body, leaving white hot trails in their wake. His hands parted her thighs and he lowered his head to her throbbing sex. His tongue went out, running lightly over the tip of her clit, tracing its outline slowly. She tried to grab for Sav, to grind her body into him, but he was having none of that.
In frustration, she motioned for Joe to bring himself closer to her mouth. She took his hard cock into her mouth with ease after years of practice. Joe grabbed the headboard and moaned loudly as it hit the back of her throat. Sav’s fingers penetrated her warmth as he looked up and watched her take all of Joe into her mouth. He wasn’t prepared for the erotic shock he felt, watching the two of them in an intimate moment like that. He went back to work, sucking her clit gently into his mouth and making her hips buck up into him. Her climax hit her hard, violent waves crashing through her body one on the other.
Her moans vibrated through Joe’s body, nearly pushing him over the edge right then and there. He pulled out of her mouth just as Sav entered her body with one smooth thrust. Her hips slammed up into his body with his every movement. Joe couldn’t take his eyes away from her, watching her take so much pleasure from his friend turned him on to no end. He leaned down and kissed her, their tongues dancing together as he felt her fangs coming down. He knew what she wanted at that second and offer his throat to her, letting her bite down as her body was overcome by another orgasm. Joe’s body tensed, the feel of her pull on his veins once again bringing him flying close to his completion.
As soon as she released Joe’s throat, Sav pulled her over on top of him. Joe’s hands ran over her back as he moved behind her. She felt his hard cock rubbing against the opening of her ass, then he slid into her slowly. She gasped, his size almost too much for her as he buried himself inside her. For a moment, they laid there, Lyra’s body caught of the verge of the ultimate pleasure. Then Joe began to move, his careful strokes bringing bliss not only to Lyra, but to Sav beneath her. She held on to Sav as her hips moved back to meet Joe’s. As her third climax hit her, she sank gentle fangs into Sav’s throat and sent him spirally into the abyss with her. Seconds later, Joe felt himself giving into his release, pouring his seed into her tight body.
They collapsed together, limbs tangled, their heavy breathing the only sound in the quiet room. Lyra held Sav in her arms as Joe moved in behind her, holding her against him as well. Lyra finally caught her breath enough to whisper, “I love you both.”
They said in unison, “We love you too, Lyra.”
Her head came to rest on Sav’s shoulder. She didn’t want them to leave her, but knew they had to return to their waiting women. She looked up at Sav and said quietly, “Thank you for coming down here tonight. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I’m not going anywhere, luv,” Sav answered softly. “I don’t have any reason to go back to her.” She smiled up at him as Joe whispered, “Well, I don’t want to piss Bobbi off, so I’ve got to go.” He leaned over and kissed her, then said, “Lyra, I really do love you, baby.”
“I love you, too, Joe,” she answered as he climbed out of bed. He dressed quietly and let himself out, smiling back in at Lyra and Sav as he closed the door.
“What’s Dara gonna do when you don’t come in tonight?” Lyra asked quietly.
“You know, luv, I just don’t care anymore,” Sav sighed. He pulled her in close and held her as they drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Sav and Lyra went down to meet the others for breakfast. Dara was sitting with them, tears in her eyes as she talked to Bobbi. As soon as Sav came into the room, Dara got pissed and was ready to yell at him. Then she saw Lyra and her words stuck in her throat. Lyra’s stare could have shattered rocks as she looked at Dara. So instead of the tirade she’d planned on giving Sav when he showed up, she walked over to him and said quietly, “I’m leaving you, Sav. I can’t do this anymore.”
“Well, Dara, I guess this is goodbye then,” Sav said calmly. He put his arm around Lyra and kissed her, then turned and watched Dara walk out of his life. “Well, luv,” he said softly, “it looks like there’s an open place on the tour bus with me. Care to fill it?”
“Certainly,” Lyra said with a smile.