Plans To Go Home

As soon as we were in the elevator I was wrapped around Alex and when the elevator started it descent down Matt held out his hand. “I’m Matt.” I watched as the boys amber eyes lit up as he grinned at Alex. “I’m a null, I don’t know what you are so I understand if you don’t want to shake my hand.”

I took a deep breath and spoke against Alex’s neck. “We’ll work on that first thing. You should be able to touch people without nulling their abilities.”

Alex pulled me tighter against him with the wrap of one arm as he reached out and took the boys hand. “If you can do it Nox, so can I.”

I sighed at that, it wasn’t true, and I heard Alex gasp as he touched Matt’s hand. He quickly pulled it away. “I don’t think I like it that quiet.”

Alex pulled my chin up to look me in the eyes, “You didn’t mind did you?” He said it full of care and concern and there was even a hint of jealousy in his voice.
I shrugged, “It feels good to not see or feel any of it, even if only for a moment.”

“Would you give it all up?” Matt asked.

I folded my self back against Alex and shook my head, “Not in a million years.”

Matt gave me a wry grin and looked at Alex, “Do you know what a tacet is?”

“A what?” He asked.

“A tacet. A formerly magical Venatori whose magic was forcefully taken. That’s what he saved me from.”

Alex chuckled, “Of course he did. And he saved that one from being eaten alive by a pack. He saved a dragon boy after her venatori induced death.” Alex didn’t mention my part in her capture, though I knew he had been angry about it all. I still had to do my job.

The elevator doors finally opened and we were all free from the confines of the plate glass death trap.

We were well out of the casino, and blocks away from the Venatori strong hold in Vegas before we were called from the shadows, “Psst.” Like some cheesy mystery movie.

Alex chuckled at my thoughts and when Ant joined us he was laughing, “I should be wearing a long trench coat and a fedora?”

I grinned and gave him a wink, “Maybe. And maybe nothing else…”

Ant growled at me, “There are children present.”

I rolled my eyes, “They better get used to me if they are going to stick around.”

Ant looked at them and then back at me. And then he looked at Alex who was frowning at me.

“I’m sorry.” My head dropped the moment the words left my mouth. I’d forgotten his issue with Ant and I just set off the landmine again. “I’ll do better.”

Alex sighed and wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him, “I will admit, that he’s got a certain bit of charm about him. But you are mine.”

I looked up brightly at Alex, “Always. No matter what. I’m sorry I’m a horrible flirt.”

Alex pressed a finger to my lips. “Stop now. It’s okay.” He leaned across and pressed a tender kiss to my lips and my body reacted to his tongue lightly running over my bottom lip before he bit it. “So easy.”

“Only for you.” I whispered back breathlessly.

“Get a room!” Ant said.

“Actually, we’d like to go home.”

Ant grinned. “Fine fine fine. I took Benji to his parents to help them get ready. His parents will be ready soon. I took the liberty of shifting Serenity to her home. Left a bag of cash in her wake to pay for the space. I can take you back to your hotel, and then back home and you can sleep in your own bed.” Ant said mostly to me.

Both of them laughed at the sigh coming from my mouth. “I think he’d like that. Though we’ll walk to the casino, check out properly and then you can take us all home. You have room for two more Nox?”

I nodded, “There is always room. We can make it.”

Alex sighed. I wasn’t sure he was happy about all that, but he’d do. but I was happy. Alex was going home with me, at least temporarily. I hoped he’d stay longer but I wasn’t going to push it. Even for the night as long as he didn’t run away completely again I could survive. I really hadn’t realized how much I needed him.

Scarlet Snow

I wasn’t exactly sure Scarlet was going to like us barging into her casino sweet like we did, especially with a baby werewolf in tow. Though we were greeted at the doors by two of her goons, and Matt who smiled at me with bright eyes. “Come with me.” I said and Matt fell in behind us, the two goons growling as they followed. Alex was rolling his eyes when I glanced at him, “Everyone just does what you say.”

I smirked and he gave me a playful smile. “He’s 16, and kinda crushing.” I said. Alex glanced back at Matt but I knew the boy was blushing and Alex’s smirk only confirmed it.

“He’s mine.” Alex said as he wrapped his arm around my waist dislodging the wolf boy from my arm almost immediately. The four of us stopped and the kid was backing away. “Hey I won’t hurt you.” Alex said trying to calm the kid down.

I held my hand out to him, “It’s alright. He won’t hurt you, I promise.”

Alex whispered, “His name is Fay-lin, though no idea how to spell it.”

“I promise Faelen, he won’t hurt you and when we get someplace safe I’ll make proper introductions. We are going to see a scary mean woman and I need you to stay with him alright.” I nodded towards Matt, “I don’t want her to hurt you, we got you. All of us got you.”

Faelen latched on to Matt’s arm and Alex frowned, “I didn’t mean to scare him.”

“I know. I think he’s just a little afraid of strangers.”

“Except you.” Alex laughed. “He wasn’t exactly let me cuddle with you the first time we met.”

Matt added quietly, “You make people feel safe, some of us just don’t want to accept that at first.”

Alex nodded, “I’d agree with that statement. Both of them.” He smirked as the goons pushed open the door.

“Our mistress is expecting you.” One said.

“Is she now, because you radioed ahead?” Alex asked. He didn’t stop and he didn’t wait for me, he rushed forward and was standing in front of me while Scarlet sat in the same place she had the first time I’d met her. In a white dress this time – almost washing her out completely. I’d almost take her for a vampire except I knew she was Venatori. I could feel her power.

I looked back at Matt and he nodded, he didn’t need me to tell him to watch out for Faelen. Matt couldn’t feel her power, I watched the patterns of it float around him and Faelen. The boy at least knew how to extend himself to help others. Made me wonder if he’d done a lot of that growing up. I definitely could have used it as a kid myself.

I was about to say something when Alex spoke ahead of me. “Scarlet Snow, yes?”

She gave Alex a lazy smile, like a leopard might give overly ambitious prey like a chihuahua. “I am Scarlet Snow, but you knew that walking into my building like you owned the place Mr. James Hutton. Or should I call you Alex Kennedy.”

There was a moment of pause from Alex as she called out his real name, he glanced back at me and as I shrugged, Scarlet went on, “Don’t blame the boy, I knew you before you came to my town. The real name of one of the last living dreamwalkers.”

“Oh yes. I know that too.” Scarlet stood up slowly, making a show of stretching her long legs out. The seduction was real and it was rammed down your throat even if you didn’t want to feel it, even her body guards were tensing at the onslaught of power. “We here in Vegas have an understanding. Abraham and I talk.”

Alex growled, “I’m sure you more than talk. What do you want?”

She sashayed towards me, “He knows exactly what I want. Did you perform your duties?” She asked me as she ran her fingers down my cheek.

I stepped back though it was probably one of the hardest things I’d done in my life. Right up there with saying no to Ant in the middle of the power flurry he had been sending at me years ago. My voice caught in my throat and I had to start again, swallowing felt like dry sand paper. “Abraham has no intentions of allying with Brandon. The status quo and all.”

“And what of their book?” Scarlet asked closing the distance once again.

This time I walked around her to stand closer to Alex. She twisted in her place watching me walk and then sneering when I wrapped my arm around him. Alex’s smirk made me smile. He was proud in that moment. Beautiful woman and he won. As if there was any challenge to it. “We have it. The vampires won’t get it.”

“So Brandon’s plan is thwarted here.”

I nodded, “As far as I know. But Abraham still might be a thorn in your side.”

She waved her hand as if to dismiss us. But I interrupted before she could do so verbally. “And I’m taking Matthew Davenport with me. I can teach him.”

Scarlet didn’t react she just laughed, “Good riddance. My life will be so much easier with the boy gone.”

Wow! I didn’t say it out loud but I looked at Alex and he just led the way out, the boys followed. The goons did not. We were lucky in that. The four of us took the elevator – no one wanted to be here any longer than we had to.

Meeting Darwynn

I felt the pull of more therian power following us, but Alex asked, “What are we going to do with him?” He nodded towards the boy clutching my hand.

“He has to come home with us. Maybe Adrian or Dom can help put him in a pack.”

Alex laughed, “I don’t think he wants to leave you. His mind is quiet while touching you.” From the shadows of the alley we passed, “He’s found a pack.”

I recognized the voice and smiled, “Not here to kill me I hope?” I joked.

But the tease put Alex on high alert as he knew what was going on. Darwynn shook his head, “I saw what you did back there. Another life for a life?”

I shook my head. “No. I’ll make sure the kid is safe and he’ll never have to see that man again.”

“So you aren’t going to send Venatori after the child abuser?”

I shook my head. “Not unless I need to. Do I need to?”

Darwynn smirked, “You wouldn’t fault a man for taking care of business then?”

“I have no love for child abusers. If there is proof, then by all means.” I said. Darwynn handed me a large envelope sealed.

I lifted it. “Do I need to look?”

Alex squeezed my hand. “No.” He took the envelope from my hand, “I can see the truth. He witnessed it all, this boy and another.”

Darwynn smiled, “I’ve been following you and the wolf boy after your last encounter with him. I wanted to see the truth.”

I nodded, “So he’s chosen a pack. I’m not a wolf.” I said.

Alex laughed, “I don’t think it matters. You bind people without knowing about it.” I looked at Alex and he whispered in my head We’ll talk about it later.

I wasn’t sure that we would, Alex didn’t like to share and I would likely forget to ask again.

“How rude of me. Alex, this is Darwynn, Darwynn, James Hutton.”

“I know who he is,” Darwynn said. “I’ve followed him too for a time.”

“We will be out of your city soon,” I said.

“This isn’t my city. I go where I’m needed. I’m sure New York will be on my list of places to be.” Darwynn said.

“Paid to kill your next mark.” I nodded. “You could work with me.” I offered.

“Now why would I want to do that?” Darwynn asked. “I have a pretty great set up now.”

“But you do as you are told, not what you want. You have a moral compass, a set of laws. Hunting Venatori is not exactly against those laws, but there are people who do bad things that you could stop.”

Darwynn shook his head, “Nah kid.” He pulled a card from his pocket. “Though if you need my services.” He said just before slipping off into the shadows.

“He’s a lot strange.” Alex said.

“He’s an assassin. He kills my kind for the sport of it.” I said as I turned to go inside.

“You aren’t afraid?” Alex asked.

“Of Darwynn?” I shook my head. “The only way he can kill me is if I don’t know he’s coming.”

“Which is like always.” Alex argued.

“Do you know how many times he’s tried to kill me?” I asked.

Alex stared at me while we walked into the doors and as we stopped in front of the stair well doors. “Yes.” He said simply.

“And did he?”

Alex sighed, “No, but it’s because he missed.”

I shrugged, “Or fate intervened, the universe, things neither of us really want to talk about.”

“So you believe now?” Alex asked.

I shrugged, “I dunno what I believe. That book? Darwynn missing. Someone caring enough about me to try to kill me, that alone says they might believe I can do something. You and me, dreaming about each other without ever knowing each other. Something pulled us together.”

Alex shook his head. “I don’t know either. And we’ll never really know. But I do know I’m not letting you get hurt.”

I grinned at Alex, “Are you going to stay by my side through everything? Showers, and hunts, and meetings.” I would love Alex’s company but I knew he’d get tired of me and then he’d leave again. I was too much. I was a mess and Alex had to pick up the pieces.

Alex squeezed my hand as he headed towards the door. “I think we need to get back to the city sooner rather than later. You need to wrap up with Scarlet Snow. Let’s go do that.”

“I….” I stammered out, then sighed, “You coming with me?”

“Of course.” Alex said.

Little Wolf Boy

Benji didn’t really agree with me about things, but he also didn’t make it an issue. Though I saw it in his face when he caught a glance at the cross swords to my temple. It didn’t surprise me, not the way his father had reacted to me. I’d ask later why he didn’t like me but right now I was just trying to get through the night. My day had gone well enough and all I really wanted to do was curl up with Alex and worship him. But I could sleep too.

There were no more incidents between us, everything looked alright on the outside, but inside I was hiding things, and I wasn’t enjoying the feeling. Both Ant and Alex knew it, but neither told me to let it go. I was manning up for Benji’s sake. A telepath who didn’t need my baggage. When dinner was finished I’d had three glasses of wine. Each one different and perfectly paired with the food Alex had suggested and ordered. I wasn’t a wine guy, but it was nice to have someone who actually like pairing food with wine. Made me wonder how many times Alex used his talents with his marks. I sighed. There was always going to be that jealous streak. Alex was a con man. He’d seen more places than I’d ever dream of and he’d done so many more things. I had lived a sheltered life, and that life was more adventurous than most Venatori. And I was the outcast, straddling two worlds not a part of either one.

We left the casino with Benji heading to his parents home to tell them they were leaving. All of them. He was going to blame it on the Venatori, tell them the only safe place was New York. He had protection there. Which wasn’t very far from the truth, but it wasn’t the reason he was going to New York. Alex had been very convincing – as I expected he was in most things. He had a talent for persuasion and not just because he could nudge you one way or the other. His power came naturally as well – that con man upbringing at work.

Ant was going to shadow walk us all home – Serenity included. He was going to set Benji up in the Night Life building until they found themselves a new home. Which Ant also offered to get their real estate guy on the line to start the process. I never really did understand what Benji had heard that got him in trouble with the vampires, but Ant was going to help him out. And if Ant understood I didn’t much care about the rest. I trusted both Alex and Ant.

Alex and I got the rest of the night to ourselves which meant as we walked I was curled around his arm and trying not to fall into complete emptiness I did have plans. I was in the middle of a naughty thought with Alex sitting by and watching in my head when a bolt of flesh rammed into my hip and the three of us toppled to the ground.

A fourth man lumbered out of the shadows yelling, “Come back here you flea ridden son of a bitch.” He was about to pounce on top of us when I held up my hand and he flew backwards while I helped myself and Alex up before squatting down to assess the boy who’d run into me. My hip ached but it was already feeling less like I’d been run over by a werewolf. The boy raidated the power of the pack with no connections looking for that home – a place to belong. I felt for him and smiled when the boy looked up at me. “Fancy meeting you again.”

The other man had recovered from his push backwards and was looking at me like I was an alien. “He’s mine Feras. No need for you to get involved.”

“Seems he’s running away from you, plenty for me to get involved in.” I said even as I felt Alex cautioning me with his hand on my shoulder and a mental nudge in my head. I looked at the boy, “He harassing you?”

But the boy didn’t answer just stepped behind me and glared at the man chasing him. “What’s he done?” I asked.

“He stole from me for starters.”

“What did he steal?” I asked.

The boy tapped me on the hip he’d run into and handed me a half mouldy piece of bread likely from the dumpster behind the man’s shop. He had the look of a mechanic, so an old lunch. “Let me guess you were going to eat this after you threw it in the garbage.” I stepped away from the man and handed it back to him. He stood and stared at it but didn’t take it from me. “Well take it. Eat it. He’s returning the stolen item now off with you.”

The man looked at me and growled. I wove a weave of air and made the man my puppet. He struggled against the bonds of air as I placed the stale bread in his hand and closed his grip on it. “I said take it.”

The man’s hand closed but he fought against the bonds as I pushed the mouldy bread towards his mouth. “Was that his only crime?”

The man shook his head. But he didn’t say anything. “So what did he do to deserve your wrath.”

“I’m a fucking alpha and he stole from me.”

“An alpha huh? If you were an alpha the boy wouldn’t be looking for a pack.” I held out my hand to the boy and he came and took my hand without question. “Seems he listens quite fine to someone who isn’t going to beat him.” The boy stood behind me hiding from the man. “He seems rather afraid of you. Do you want to tell me why that is?”

He shook his head violently. “No, you take him. Just get him the fuck out of my face.” I released the bonds and the man almost fell over as he righted himself. He started to back away. “I want nothing to do with you. Leave me the fuck alone.”

I grinned at him, “My pleasure. Next time I find you are beating young boys I’ll have your head on a pike and we’ll see who makes that mistake again.”

The boy grasped my hand and I looked down at him. His power was lessened without the fright and I felt the call of the pack when he brushed his cheek against my arm.

Alex was standing where I left him watching me with a smirk on his face. “Pretty boy, please remind me never to get on your bad side.”

I stepped into Alex, “You could never be on my bad side. Even if I’m angry with you.”

Alex took my free hand and we walked the rest of the way to the hotel.

Dinner with Friends

The place Alex led the rest of us to was fancy and I was dressed for the occasion – me in my Armani and the green shirt that my hair matched. I was grateful my nails were chipped, the black nail polish was working with the rest of the outfit. Alex’s new watch setting off the whole thing. I looked like I belonged even if I didn’t feel it.

Alex kept his hand in mine as we walked through the rows of fancy tables lined with white linen and crystal glasses. I even bet the silverware was real silver and the plates fine China. I kept my hands to myself, well except for the one in Alex’s hand. I felt like a bull in a China shop. Like I could break anything with a glance.

Chill, baby. Alex whispered in my head. I sighed and let go of my shield. I couldn’t keep the world out of my head and not feel like I was going to burst like a balloon. As we sat down, Alex pulled my chair out for me and I sat down, the world became a muddled mess of patterns and I had to close my eyes while I readjusted. My body was stressed to the point of exhaustion. Anxiety over missing Alex, the depression that came with his rejection, finally paying it’s final toll on my body. Alex was the only one who knew. His hand pressed against my thigh after he sat down. Ant on the other side of me extended his shield to me. I felt his magic pass over me – extending around our table. His power was extraordinary.

I opened my eyes and looked at him questioningly. He smiled, “That help?”

I nodded, “What did you do?”

“Figured Alex could use some help keeping you in check. It’s two fold – a trick my mother taught me to feed on the power around me, and block anything else coming at us.”

“Wait!” Benji cried out, “You are feeding on us?”

Ant shook his head, “Not you. You don’t exude power, Nox does, I do, Mother does, Alex does to an extent, but I’ve only really noticed it when he’s been with Nox. Another side effect, no one can really hear our conversation and definitely not our thoughts.”

Alex nodded slowly as he started to understand, “So you are feeding on the power that people try to read us, as well as the power inside your bubble?”

Ant nodded, “Yes. And Nox’s power is the only one I’m siphoning.”

“Thank you.” I said but looked at Alex, “Is that alright with you?”

Alex nodded and put his hands around the back of my neck and pulled me close enough to kiss but didn’t press his lips to mine, “Fuck, Baby, if I could do that I would.” Then he kissed me hard.

When we broke apart I pressed my forehead to his, “You do so much more.”

Alex laughed. “I make you crazy.”

I bit my bottom lip and grinned at him, “Crazy for you.”

Alex let me go but his hand trailed down my arm and he entwined his fingers with mine.

The waitress dressed in a black tuxedo suit poured four glasses of water, “What can I get you gentlemen?”

Alex answered quickly, “We will have a bottle of your finest red to start. And what would you recommend.”

The waitress spouted off her recommendations but I wasn’t listening to her. Alex was talking to us. I recommend the filet mignon and whatever sides you like. They don’t like substitutions but they will do whatever we want.

Ant laughed in my head, but that was the only response I got. Benji just nodded.

Alex nodded when she was done. “I think we’ll all have medium rare fillet mignon with whatever roasted house vegetable you have and your macaroni and cheese with bacon.”

Alex looked at me with bright smile. That’s good?

I just smirked and he rolled his eyes. He knew what I ate, and while I didn’t really like macaroni and cheese, the bacon had been for my benefit.

The waitress started to speak but her frown faded to a smile and she nodded, “Right away.”

When she was gone I asked, “Which one of you compelled her?”

All three of them looked guilty, but no one fessed up. “Fine.” I said with a mock growl.

Alex squeezed my hand while the three of them chatted about various things. Me I focused on one thing – Alex’s hand in mine.

An appetizer came that we didn’t officially order. Was a caprese salad – something I’d eat – tomatoes, basil, mozzarella and several Italian meats with a balsamic vignette lightly drizzled over the top with more in a small bowl. I didn’t ask who ordered it, it didn’t really matter. The wine paired nicely with it and I sipped and nibbled at the food in front of me – as well as a piece of warm fresh bread. We were not at an Italian restaurant – more like one of those places that served whatever the hell they wanted and you paid a fortune for anyway.

Ant said something and I looked up having heard my name. Ant repeated, “Nox, you think Benji will like New York?”

I shrugged, “I guess, why is he visiting us?” I looked to Alex asking.

“You really weren’t paying attention?” Benji asked. “They said you weren’t. Lost in your head.”

Ant laughed, “No lost in Alex. He’s stressed out.” Ant looked at me with a friendly smile, he was used to me zoning out, “Benji and his family are moving to New York.”

“Why?” I asked.

Benji rolled his eyes, “Because vampires want to kill me and I don’t know why.”

“You overheard something you shouldn’t have.”

“I swear I didn’t.” Benji announced. “Ant says it was about a book. Alex too. That is the only thing they think it could be. But I heard nothing about a book.”

“Scarlet says Brandon is talking to Abraham about the New World Order.”

“What’s that?” Benji asked, “They said something about it.”

Ant answered for me. “NWO is all about taking the helm of the world. Exposing the supernatural and taking control. Just being part of it can lead to your death.”

I asked, “So what did you hear, Benji?”

He looked at me, “So now you are paying attention.” He kinda growled at me, but it wasn’t directed at me, as he sighed, “They were talking about it that’s all. Abraham kept saying no. Vegas works perfect.”

“Did any of you hear Abraham change his thoughts?” I knew all of them had individual dealings with the man. But no one said anything differently.

Ant added, “He’s rather closed off – the telepaths won’t read him well.”

I nodded. “That’s okay. I’ll ask him when I see him.”

“Is that what you are doing for the Venatori?” Alex asked.

“Yeah. Scarlet wanted me to find out and take care of Abraham if he was going to change the status quo of Vegas. It works here, however bizarrely but it works. As long as the Clandestine Providence isn’t broken then Abraham gets to live.”

Not So Happy Place

The four of us left the hotel, I was still wrapped around Alex, or rather I wrapped myself around him as we walked. It could be just a bunch of guys walking down the street together but I was being possessive – not my usual thing. Alex’s smile grew at my thought. It’s my thought. He said.

I didn’t much care who’s thought it was, I wanted to touch Alex and walking made that difficult but I leaned into him anyway and he had no problem wrapping his arm around me to keep me close.

Ant asked, “Where are we going? And why are we walking?”

Alex answered quickly, “It’s not far.” He smirked. “I didn’t think you wanted to watch Nox and I in the back seat of a car.”

“At least we can choose to not see it right?” Benji shook his head, “As if that’s even a possibility with Mr. I Have No Shields.”

I looked at Alex’s friend with a frown and closed my mind off from everyone. Alex gasped as if I were choking him I started poking holes in my shield and soon Alex relaxed back into me That’s better. he thought at me. “It’s harder, but I can manage.”

Ant frowned, “I hate when you do that.”

“I can’t just block Benji, I’m not a telepath.”

Ant nodded, “I know.”

Benji sighed, “You don’t have to block, I just wonder why you don’t shield like every other Fera…. Venatori I know.”

“Feras is fine, I don’t mind. I’ve been called much worse.”

“What’s worse than Feras for a Venatori.”

“Faggot.” Both Alex and Ant said at the same time and then looked at each other with a frown. I wasn’t sure if either of them liked that they knew me as well as the other.

Ant continued on as he watched Alex for his reaction, “Nox has a thing about people who are homophobic. He gets even a small inkling that you don’t like gay men, and he makes it a point to make you uncomfortable.”

“That has nothing to do with being Venatori.” Benji added.

“I know. Feras doesn’t bother me. I’ve been called so many names in my life I don’t let it bother me.”

“How evolved of you.” Benji said.

I shrugged. “Be an outcast your whole life…” I said and pulled away from Alex and walked ahead of the group. Alex would tell me when I needed to turn or whatever, he didn’t follow me but I felt his gaze on my back.

Ant spoke as I walked off. “Don’t take his tantrum the wrong way. He’d rather not think about his childhood except for the boy in his dreams. Everything else is a harsh memory.”

“He didn’t have friends?” Benji asked “Other than Tinman here?”

Ant laughed as I assumed Alex glared at him, “There was Sage and Mia and Jace if you call him a friend.”

“We don’t.” Alex growled.

“Mia led the boys down one path that lead Nox to explore things and Sage well, for a boy who didn’t like to be touched he was and is very touchy feely with Nox despite his own wife and child on the way. Nox never had a normal life.”

Benji laughed, “He’s Feras. That’s the way it should be.”

I glanced back and growled. “More stereotypes.” The fuel to the anger was sitting in my gut and the only thing keeping me from running back home or away was Alex. My promise I wouldn’t leave him. It wasn’t about him, or a fight with him.

“That’s enough Benj.” Alex said. “This is supposed to be a friendly dinner.”

“I’m not…” Benji said but his words cut off and there was a long drawn out pause between what he started to say and what he ended up saying, “Look, sorry, Nox. Venatori are the pricks of the world, it’s hard to get past that. I won’t judge you based on that.”

“So kind of you.” I said, I turned around and looked at Benji, I walked a few steps before stopping to the words in my head telling me too. “You always do what he says?” I asked

Benji smirked, “Never do what he says. I usually do the opposite. But he’s right, I’m his best friend, you’re his boyfriend, we should try to get along. Just like he tries to get along with your friends.”

“He hasn’t met my friends.” I said.

“Hey!” Ant shouted playfully, “What am I chopped liver?”

I grinned at him, “You are more than a friend.”

“Like that doesn’t make it sound worse to a guy who already hates me.”

“I don’t hate you.” Alex corrected, “I just…”

“He’s jealous.” Benji grinned. “You and Nox have something he can’t.”

Ant just laughed and opened the door for the rest of us. “I have nothing on your tinman. Nox is fully in love, and completely taken. And by the way, I don’t do men.”

“Just Nox.” Alex grinned as he took my hand and dragged me into the casino with him. He pulled my hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss. “It’s alright.”

I nodded knowing it was, but I was already in that place – a place I didn’t want to be and a place I needed to be away from. I was hoping good food, and good company would fix that. If not my plans for Alex were about to fall apart.

Never Enough

When I stepped out of the bathroom Alex was fully dressed in a black suit.

Alex interrupted my thoughts, “It’s not a suit, it’s an Armani.”

I snickered, “You know how that sounds right?”

“Fuck you!” Alex sneered even as he pulled me closer. “Just because I know what an Armani suit is you’re calling me gay?”

I pressed up against him. “I didn’t say that. I just asked you if you know how it sounds. I think it’s pretty cool you know the names of designer clothes and buy them for me.”

“I never said yours was an Armani.”

I grinned at him, “I know how to read a label.” And then I pressed a kiss to his lips. “I love that you bought me clothes. Clothes that you think I look good in.” I pressed my lips against his neck and whispered, “Clothes I can’t wait to take off for you.”

“Fuck pretty boy.” Alex pulled away from me and grabbed one hand and then ran his fingers through my hair. “You look fucking hot. But if we don’t go now I don’t think we’ll leave.”

I chuckled and followed Alex out the door, “Is there anything wrong with that?” Alex sighed, “No, but we have a dinner date. I made reservations while you were in the shower.”

“You did? Or James?” I asked.

Alex looked at me, and then looked me up and down. “I wish I could say I did, but it was James.”

“You know I hate calling you that right?”

“Like my name is all that great, Pretty boy.” Alex said as we started down the stairs.

We were barely inside the stair well when I pushed Alex up against the wall pinning him in his Armani suit against the wall with his blonde hair and ice blue eyes I loved so much. He was gorgeous and I was fucking in love. I was in love with Alex, not James Hutton. “Your name is everything Alex Xander Kennedy.” I whispered in his ear and wondered where the fuck I came up with that.

Alex snickered as he ducked under my arm and grabbed my hand to head back down the stairs, he wasn’t going to be tempted by me at all. I was going to have to work harder.

“Please try.” Alex teased, but then he got all serious. “How did you know my middle name?”

I stopped at the top of the landing and Alex was staring up at me from a few steps down still holding my hand. I asked, “You mean that really was your middle name, it wasn’t just me being …”

Alex tugged on my hand and I took the steps down and we kept walking. “The story goes, my mother got distracted by the loss of my dad again, while filling out the paperwork. Tears and confusion later she receives my birth certificate in her PO box in Ward and it’s says Alex Xander instead of Alexander. So yeah, officially that’s my name. I only told you once, never told you why.”

“I don’t remember finding that dream.” I said.

Alex shrugged, “Another classic piece of information that just comes spewing out of your mouth when you least expect it.”

“I am sorry I don’t remember all the things you do.”

Alex sighed, “Nox, it’s not your fault. I relied on it as a kid and before we decided to make it a real thing. I could tell you anything. And you’d never remember it. I knew you were real. I knew that one day it could bite me in the ass, but you were my only friend. Kish told me to talk to someone. My mother exploited my ability to no end and I resented her for it. I love her don’t get me wrong but what she did I’d never do to a kid.”

I grinned at him, “Well then we’ll just have to make sure our kids don’t grow up like us.”

Alex laughed, “Already planning on our kids huh?”

I chuckled, “Alex, you do remember I promised a dragon to take care of her kid right.”

Alex shook his head, “No, I’d forgotten. I still have a problem getting around the fact that you used him against her.”

I confessed, “I would never have let the kid get hurt. Even if I said it.”

“You lied to her?” Alex laughed, “You never lie.”

“I lie all the fucking time Alex. I lie to do my job. To protect people, to save lives. I lie everyday about what I am, who I am. I will never lie to you. I make a point of never lying in my personal life.”

Alex nodded and held open the bottom floor door and we walked through it one after the other still holding hands. It felt good to have Alex’s hand in mine, his fingers wrapped around mine. I just wish it was more. More Alex – I’d never get enough.

Ant and Benji were sitting at a set of couches in the same area but they didn’t look like they knew each other. Made me wonder if they had met or not before. Ant was shaking his head when we approached, “What?” I asked him.

He kept shaking his head but it was Benji that answered, “You are so fucking loud. It really amazes me Alex lets you out of the house with those thoughts running through your head.”

I smirked, “It’s a chore.”

Alex grinned, “He’s only loud when he thinks no one is listening. But let’s go before we do end up back upstairs.”

Ant laughed, “Hard to keep your hands off him?”

“Yes.”, I said as Alex echoed my sentiment with his own “Yeah.” Which only made our friends shake their head more, but we got up and headed to wherever Alex was taking us.

The Books Call

Ant and I sat and chatted and stared off into space contemplating our own things until we watched the two vampires and their lovely human servant walk past us and stand waiting for the elevators. That was when we stood up and shook hands before leaving the vampires waiting for their ride down to the ground floor.

Alex stood in his doorway watching and waiting for the two of us to join him. I walked in first and Ant followed me, Alex closed the door behind us. “Nox, where the fuck did you hide the book?”

I shrugged, “I dunno.”

“Did he steal it?” He looked accusingly at Ant.

Ant smirked, “Nope, I can’t find it either. No one can that I know of not even the Master of Shadow like my mother can break his veil.”

I let go of the mental pattern I’d been holding over the book and it reappeared unharmed still wrapped in the clothe it had been when Alex showed it to me. Alex visibly relaxed when he saw it. “You can take it with you, Son of Il Cane.”

“Mother says you are the Keeper of it now.” Ant refused.

“I don’t fucking want it.” Alex growled out.

Ant just shrugged. “Nox will help you protect it.”

“I don’t need his fucking help. I don’t want the fucking thing.” As they argued about the semantics of Alex’s guardian ship I felt a strong pull to look at the book. More than look, as I picked it up and ran my fingers over the leather bound cover I felt power radiating from it. I turned the cover carefully and opened to the first page.

The first page was fragile underneath my finger tips. There were strange symbols across the page, but the funny thing was I knew what it said. I figured it was because Ant told me the title of the book. But I flipped to the next page and I knew what it said. “The Origin of Man and … ” The next word didn’t translate well, I knew what it meant – felt it more than could explain it. It was the essence of supernatural beings, and even as I thought the words they became more clear in the reading. Like whatever was translating it to English understood the term now but had no word for it before.

I read outloud, “The Origin of Man and Supernatural beings.” It started like a story. “Once there was just the Umbra.”

A voice pulled me out of the words and I looked up to see Ant and Alex staring at me, “What?” I asked sort of dazed.

Ant asked, “You just read that?”

I nodded, “Yeah.” I looked down at the indecipherable symbols and then back up at him. They looked cryptic but I could read it without a problem. “It’s not an exact translation.” I said.

“Mother has tried for years to learn the language it’s written in.”

“It’s not a language really. I guess it is, but it’s more like magic. I don’t really know what it says, but I can read it.”

Ant shook his head. “Mother will be pleased and pissed at the same time. One she is right, and that you can read it and she can’t.” Ant laughed.

“So what the fuck does that mean?” Alex growled as he sat down next to me and touched the book. I looked down where his fingers slide across the symbols and I could read what he was looking at. And I felt Alex in my head. “Jesus fucking Christ this is fucked up.”

He looked up at Ant, “He really can’t translate the symbols he just knows what it says. It’s like the words just pop into his head, no calculation, it’s like when he’s looking at something and studying it – I’m assuming he’s assessing the patterns?” He looked at me with questioning eyes. He didn’t know exactly what I did, but he’d evase dropped in my head long before he and I were more than a thing.

“Yeah sorry about that Pretty boy.” Alex sighed.

I shrugged, “It’s okay. It brought you back to me.” And it really was okay. I was glad that Alex was in my life. So fucking glad.

Alex stood up and took the book from my hands and covered it back up before he placed it back inside the safe in his room. “Can you hide it in there?” He asked.

I nodded and it disappeared from the safe. His hand touched the safe as if it went through the book. And he looked back at me. “You see what you expect to see. If you tried hard enough, and were sensitive enough you could see it.”

“I can see it through you, but not when I look at it myself.” Alex said.

Ant nodded in agreement, “Same here. But only because I know it’s there. A veil he hides before I saw it, or I don’t already know it’s there – like on his back, then I can’t see through it. Mother is better at breaking through veils and shadows and such and she can’t break through Nox’s veils. It’s only the mental connection that allows us that limited power.”

Alex closed the safe and looked at Ant. “I’m taking Nox out. I’m gonna invite Benji and now you out with us – a bunch of friends getting to know each other a little bit more.” He said as he waved at me to stand up and he pulled me close once I was at his side. “We’re going someplace upscale, join us, I want to show him what Vegas really is about before he goes back home.”

Ant laughed, “He would rather stay home with you, than find out what Vegas is about but yeah sure. An hour?”

Alex nodded. “Yeah, we’ll meet you downstairs and I’ll handle everything else.”

Ant left through the shadows chuckling to himself. I could only guess at what he was thinking. And that left me alone with Alex and I pressed a kiss to his cheek, then down his jaw line and a tender kiss to his lips.

Alex pulled away from me, “Nuh uh.” He pushed me in the direction of the shower. “I expect you take a lot longer than I do to get ready go shower.”

I glared at Alex mockingly, “You calling me a girl?”

Alex smirked, “Never. Please, go get ready?”

I couldn’t say no to Alex. And there was no way in fucking hell I could say no when he said please. So I went without further ado and took a shower – alone though I’m sure Alex was rather entertained with my thoughts.

More Prophecy

I felt Alex in my head as we walked down the hall and Ant stopped in front of the elevators and sat down against the wall and I joined him. He jerked his head back the way we came. “Deacon’s panicking, he was robbed last night. Our eyes and ears say he’s frantic. Do you know anything about it?”

I shrugged, “What you said was going to happen did.”

Ant sighed, “Did you tell him?”

“I did. He doesn’t believe in prophecy anymore than I do.” I answered.

“What you two believe doesn’t matter a whole hell of a lot. It’s now my job to formally make it a thing. You think he’ll accept the job?”

I shook my head, “I don’t know, but I don’t think he will.” I sighed, “But if Cari won’t take it back I’ll make sure it stays safe.”

Ant grinned at me. “I knew you would but I wasn’t going to imply it. Mother said that I am not allowed to make you guardian of the book. But she didn’t say anything about you protecting it.”

I shrugged. “You know I’m not going to let anything hurt Alex. It’s the only reason I agreed to help Scarlet.”

“How are you going to stop Abraham?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know what he’s trying to do.”

“There is no telling. But it’s our job to make sure whatever it is he doesn’t reveal vampires or the supernatural world in general.” Ant declared.

I sighed, “While you are here. Who is Kitsune?”

Ant looked at me and frowned, “Where’d you hear that name?”

“Scarlet Snow. She told me to ask you about it though she gave me some information but what does it have to do with him.” I nodded back towards Alex’s room. Vampire hearing and all. No mistakes, I didn’t need to ruin Alex’s con.

Ant started explaining. “Kitsune is a trickster, clever, sly fox that was foretold to walk to dreams seeking their true love. For millenia the fox searched but never found his true love. Every few centuries Kitsune takes a human form – a babe with special gifts.”

I interrupted, “The gift of connections, dreaming and telepathy?”

“Walking Eberon is required for Kitsune to combine with the child to search the mortal realm for his love.” And said, “The rest I don’t know. But not just any dream walker. Not all dream walkers can walk Eberon.”

“I’ve been there with him.”

Ant nodded, “Mother has been watching him since she met you. He was at our shields nearly every night with you in our midst.”

“So it’s a possession?” I frowned.

“Not at all. Kitsune is an entity of magic, He’s just an entity of magic, just as you are. Remember Mother sees you in prophecy too. You are Ascendant. At least her beleif.”

“What the hell is that even?” I asked.

Ant shrugged. “No idea, but mother will explain it all if you wish to sit and listen.”

“Vampire prophecy?”

Ant laughed, “Not really. But the book of the dead is not really the vampire bible. It’s not even the Book of the Dead. The Origin of Species?”

“You mean the book by Darwin?”

“Darwin studied the Umbra, but he wrote the book you speak of in terms of scientific endeavors. He was one of the few humans who believed in the Umbra and the theory of evolution of species. It’s a long and complicated thing really. His title is based on the original book my Mother has been keeping safe. Now Kitsune is keeper. And you guardian. Have you seen it?”

Alex had shown me it. “It was out when we got interrupted.”

Ant growled, “Fuck!”

I shook my head. “No, I veiled it. Even he can’t find it when he set it down.”

“I guess if Mother can’t break your veils then they should be fine.” Ant sighed. We sat there in silence just staring at the elevators watching people. They gave us strange looks as we just sat on the floor ‘specially since I had no shoes.

Ant glanced over at me and smirked. “So…”

“What?” I asked.

“Sage called me. Wanting me to whisk you home so that your brothers and family could comfort you.”

“I look like I need comforting?” I asked.

Ant shook his head and laughed, “No. I expect they think Alex told you to get the fuck out.”

“Actually I think they expected me to tell him off for leaving like that. And I did, but Alex didn’t let me walk away after I ended it.”

“And you look happy for it.”

I smirked, “He kissed me, we made promises I hope we keep and we’ll see where it goes from there.”

Ant shook his head. “Really don’t know why they thought you could say no to the boy in your dreams.”

“I don’t think they fully understand the depths of my feelings for him. To them he’s just a guy I just met.” I sighed, “And in a few ways it’s the same for me. So fucking much I don’t remember.”

“But you are doing that dream regression stuff right?”

I nodded. “I am. And finding out so much stuff.”

“Maybe you and he can figure out what the fuck goes on with you at night. Why those scars and such.”

“Maybe.” I said.

Interruptions

The words alone had me hard and I pressed up against Alex. He chuckled, “Sit still.” I groaned and did as he asked. We were all ready to begin a lust filled session before dinner but I felt that tug that told me Ant was knocking.

“Go away.” I muttered and Alex sat up and looked at me.

“Now I know you aren’t talking to me.”

I sighed, “Ant’s knocking.”

“He knocking? I don’t hear anything.”

“It’s something he does in my head when he wants to come over through the shadows. He knows I hate him just walking in.”

“You mean he asks first? Fucking vampire just walks into my room.”

I laughed. “I can ignore him, but it gets annoying if he’s persistent.”

But we didn’t get a chance to decide before there was a knock on the door. Alex growled. “Fucking vampire.”

I shook my head, “That’s a vampire, but that’s not Ant.” Alex crawled off of me and I hid the book behind a veil. The last thing a vampire needed was to see the book no matter who was here. But it wasn’t Ant, I knew that.

Alex groaned. He spoke tightly in my head. I’m not Alex. Don’t mention Ant or the book. Don’t think about anything of importance.

Anything of importance. I laughed as Alex was opening the door. Everything was important so what did he want me to think about? So I sat on the edge of Jimmy’s bed thinking about all the things we almost got to do. I didn’t shield, I didn’t hide. I wasn’t angry – just annoyed that we didn’t get to play. The door opened to reveal two vampires and the pretty little thing that took me to meet Abraham. Dusk must be upon us and these were indeed powerful vampires to be up and about before the sun was truly gone.

I recognized Abraham and Roseya, but the other man I didn’t know. I figured Alex would or he wouldn’t have let any of them in. Tell Ant to use the door. Alext mentally told me and I gave him a mental nod, though I wasn’t exactly sure how to do that so I lounged in Alex’s bed propping my feet up and relaxing as if I didn’t care that these people were interrupting our sex. Though I was still very much interested in what we had been doing. I texted Ant a response to his question and continued to fiddle on my phone pretending I wasn’t listening.

“James, you really are playing with fire, aren’t you?” Abraham asked. “We thought it was just a rumor that the boy was your play thing.”

Alex chuckled, “He came all this way to see me. I can’t exactly send him away now can I?” He gave me the once over and licked his lips before he turned his attention of the vampires. Alex didn’t offer his hand for that I was grateful.

The other vampire asked, “Are you going to introduce us?”

I took it as my cue to stand up and set my phone down next to Alex’s. “Nox Sétanta.”

“Mr. Sétanta. I’ve heard of you.”

“Nothing good I’m sure.” I grinned at him and offered him my hand, my thumb up ensuring that my wrist was not offered. “And you would be?”

“Brandon Holt.” He took my hand and shook it gently. I felt the sparks of old power all around him.

“A name I know. A first vampire – second generation. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting your great nephew.” I said diplomatically.

“That’s not something you’d learn in The Academy.”

I grinned. “Your great nephew’s son has taught me a lot about vampire lore and culture.”

“Which one would that be?” He asked.

“Anthony Giovanni.”

“Ah. Those rumors are true too it seems Abraham. The Prince of New York is in town.” Ant chose that moment to knock and I smirked at the vampire. He chuckled, “I assume that would be him.”

I shrugged. “He is a friend. He’d be looking out for me.” Ant opened the door and

“And James?”

I shrugged again. “I don’t know how he knows James.”

“We’ve met before.” Alex said running his fingers through the blonde hair I still couldn’t get over seeing on him. I could forget it while he wasn’t touching it but when he ran his fingers through his hair now all I saw was the wrong color. “We have a mutual interest.” Alex added as he looked at me with a smug smirk.

Ant gave Alex a fangy grin. “Mutual.” They had shared something I didn’t get to hear. I wasn’t sure I liked that.

Chill, Pretty boy, I’m not cheating on you.

I gave him a wry look. “Uh huh.” I nodded. I knew Alex wasn’t cheating on me, but it didn’t stop the jealousy. Green wasn’t a good color on me.

Alex laughed in my head. Green looks good on you.

“So Brandon, what can Jimmy do for you?”

“It’s a little private matter we were discussing.”

Ant put his hand on my shoulder, “We’ll leave. I need him anyway.”

“I just got here.” I complained.

“We aren’t going far.” Ant said, “You don’t even need to put on shoes.”

I looked back at Alex and he gave me a mental nudge. It’s alright. Dinner after this.

Walk Me Home

We got to the exit and Alex was chuckling to himself. “What?” I asked.

He held up my Nike’s. “You gonna walk home barefoot?”

I grinned. “I guess I was.” I sat down on the floor and pulled on my sneakers. “I’m glad I have you looking out for me.”

Alex rolled his eyes as he offered me a hand up. We left the safe house and I was more surprised that it was right in the open at one of the casinos right on the strip. We walked for a few blocks before I said something, “So you enjoy the show?”

“I always like watching you move.” Alex sighed, “I will admit I was doing more than just watching you move.”

I smirked turning the thought into something else which made Alex chuckle. “Not what I meant pretty boy.”

“I know. You were seeing how Ant I act around each other. I remembered the dream we shared the night I first met Ant. I told you about wanting him. You got mad at me and we had an argument till I was whisked away you tried to distract me.”

Alex frowned. “Ant and I are cool now. He’s still a fucking blood sucker and if he ever hurts…”

I interrupted. “Ant would never hurt me Alex.”

Alex nodded, “I know that too.” Alex sighed and pulled me across the street and into another alley way. “How much do you know about that night? With Ant?

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You don’t feel him?” Alex asked.

“I don’t understand.” Alex leaned against the wall and sighed, “He says you have a sort of bond with him. He told me about it when we talked in the bar. I don’t understand half this world you live in. But I believe him. I don’t like that you wanted him Nox. But I get it was the magic. I don’t like it. I know that he will only look out for you. I’m not going to stop being jealous cause you are mine.”

I moved faster than usual and had Alex pinned up against the wall with my body pressing against his. “Alex, I’m yours. Always. No one will take me from you. This is where I want to be.”

Alex put one hand on my hip then the other. “You want to be here with me in an alley?”

“I want to be anywhere with you, anytime, forever.” I said.

“Forever, eh?”

I nodded and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Forever.”

I grabbed his hand and lead him out of the alley way, “We have a dinner to get to?”

“I guess.” Alex said. “We could skip it?”

I shook my head. “I thought you wanted to get me all dressed up so you could get me out of them fancy clothes.”

“I thought there was a private fashion show in mind?” Alex teased.

“If that’s what you want.” I smiled. “I’m more than happy to put them back on and let you take them back off.”

“I think I’ll take you out first.” Alex smiled at me. Not a smirk but a smile a real one. It almost melted my heart to see him smile like that. Fuck I was falling so hard for the boy in my dreams.

Alex shoulder checked me, “Ditto.”

The simple word made me smile even more. “Ant told me if you steal the book of the dead he’s not going to take it back from you – something about prophecy fulfilled.” I confessed.

Alex frowned. “Prophecy? You believe in that shit?”

I shook my head, “No, but Cari does. And she’s the one who gives Ant his orders. And she tells him her plans – her lieutenant and all. Scarlet Snow called you Kitsune. A lot of people believe in prophecy.”

Alex hummed as we walked into the casino and we took the stairs. Alex didn’t even start towards the elevator. I pulled in my lips to hide the smile that was forming and Alex chuckled, “Yes, I do remember things.”

I nodded. “I know. But you are taking the stairs.”

“I can walk.”

Alex opened the door to his room and I stepped through first. The door was closing and I sat on the bed and kicked off my shoes. We had a dinner to get to. Alex was smirking as he walked past me into the bathroom and then came out holding a towel. “I think there is a problem.”

I looked up as Alex unfolded the towel and revealed a very old leather tome. I gasped a little as I realized Alex had already stolen the book. “You don’t say. Was that where you went for your meeting?”

Alex just shrugged and sat down next to me. “I honestly was going to give it back to the Prince of Darkness, but if he won’t take it I don’t want this fucking thing.”

“The Prince of Darkness?” I laughed. “Ant would so hate that.”

“He does.” Alex smirked. “It’s why it’s his nick name now.”

“Not just the fucking blood sucker? Or Anthony ‘fucking’ Giovanni.”

Alex smirked, “I know I’ve never said that to you.”

“Just like I’m Nox ‘fucking’ Sétanta.” I grinned at him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I think you like using those words all together and not always in the same way.”

“Are you saying I’m crushing on the prince of darkness?” Alex asked standing up and giving me this look that said I’d better not say yes.

“Not crushing. Jealous. Not sure what to think. I dunno, really. Just an observation.”

Alex’s look didn’t get any better as he stared down at me with his hands on his hips like he was ready to scold me. I couldn’t help but just grin up at him. “So do you want to tell Ant? Or just keep the book. We could take it my storage unit where I keep my journals and hide it there. No one’s going to break into the AU vaults.”

“I don’t want it.” Alex blurted out.

“But if Ant won’t take it back, we need to keep it safe. In the wrong hands it could do some hefty damage.”

Alex groaned, “Fuck.” He straddled my body and pushed me back on to the bed. “You’re going to make me do the right thing here aren’t you.”

I shrugged and then put my hands on his hips grinning up at him. “I’m not going to make you do anything unless you want me to.”

Alex pulled in his lips and the look in his eyes changed from worry to lust and then back to worry before he sighed. “You sure it’ll be safe there?”

“We can make it safe. I have this rune that only works for me. I can see if we can replicate it and use it as a safe.”

“A rune?”

I grinned up at him. “I’ll show you when we get back home. Or.. To…”

Alex leaned down and pressed a kiss hard to my lips to shut me up. He whispered, “Home is fine. I like that you want me with you.”

I sighed, “But you don’t want to live with me.”

Alex kissed me tenderly and sucked on my bottom lip eliciting a groan from my lips and a tightening of my body, “Yet.” He answered.

Another Beat Down

I slid on the polished floor with just my socks on. The room Ant shadow walked me into was full of vampire energy. I was immediately on guard. I didn’t know where I was and I could be at the end of an attack in a moments notice. But nothing came and Ant was putting his hand on my shoulder to steady me and alert me to the non-existent danger. “No one’s here. Just me and you.”

I glanced around and while I felt a lot of vampire energy he was right nothing was in the room except the single shadowed alcove and an empty room full of weapons hanging on the wall. “Where are we?” I asked.

“In a vampire safe house. We have a few around the city. It’s a good place to come when a vamp gets caught out too late. It happens more often than not in Vegas.” Ant said as the door opened and his partner in crime walked through.

“Cari said you needed me?” the green eyed blonde asked as he shucked his shoes at the door and started stretching.

He looked over at me and grinned, “Ah. He looks frazzled.”

“Alex says he needs a good beat down.”

“Alex says eh?” Ryan laughed, “What does he say?”

I shrugged, “He’s not wrong. I need to let some of this stress go. It’s going to be a rough few days.”

“You and he okay?” Ryan asked as he sat down on the floor to stretch leg muscles out a little more thoroughly. “Better than before Vegas?”

“Better. We still have issues.”

Ryan laughed, “You will always have issues Nox. If it takes a vampire beat down to calm some of them I can’t imagine how your boy is going to survive.”

I sighed feeling the regret creeping in, but Ant shoved me. “No. Alex didn’t tell you to come here so you could get depressed.” He looked pointedly at Ryan, “We are supposed to be cheering him up.”

Ryan laughed, “I guess we can do that.”

I groaned, “I guess this isn’t going to be a good day for me then.” Ryan just laughed as he stood up. “Come on, what’s he call you, Pretty boy?”

Ant snickered as he took up a stance, “I wouldn’t call him that. Alex, might not be able to beat you up, but he knows someone who can.”

“Apparently he knows a few someone’s who can.” I said as I threw the first punch at Ant’s face. It missed, I knew it would but still I wanted to know why Alex had Ant’s number.

“Jealous?” Ant asked.

“Maybe.” I said flatly as I threw my leg at Ant in a round house kick. He ducked with ease and my foot flew out from under me and I landed on my back.

“I found him in a bar and we talked. Nothing more. We have a common interest.” Ant declared as he offered me a hand up.

“Vampire business?” I asked.

“Is he really going to steal the book?” Ant asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. The fact that he won’t talk to me about it probably means yes. But I don’t know.”

Ant sighed. “If he steals it, Mother will make him keep it. Then she doesn’t need to worry about someone else stealing it.”

“Unless he tries to sell it.” Ryan added.

“I think he’d give it to you if you asked.”

We continued to spar as Ant shook his head, “No. If he steals it, it’s his to watch and guard. Some sort of prophecy fulfillment or something like that.”

“I’m sure Alex will just love that part.”

“Don’t tell him.” Ant said.

“I can’t do that.” I said.

Ant only nodded as he started circling me. I knew that in the next few minutes I was about to land on the ground. Ant was a blur of motion and the next thing I knew my chest hurt and I was on the floor with Ant standing above me.

Talking stopped. All thought but the spar was in my head. The blur of hands and feet calculated in my head. The patterns of Ant’s fighting. The way the two worked together. It all fit into the patterns. It was all I saw. I didn’t need to embrace my power to do it. It was all trained. I don’t know how long we spared before Ant took leave of us to answer his phone.

Ryan and I kept going. The rules changed a little with just the two of us. Though we weren’t playing by home rules. No broken necks for Ryan or Ant. And no blood drawn today. It was a friendly match. We were in a foreign town with foreign vampires around. No telling what the scent of powerful blood might do to the locals.

Ant left through the shadows while Ry and I grappled with one another. And when he returned I was on my back. The Chevalier was stronger and I knew I’d be sore in the morning. Ant was back and smiled. “One more round.” He said grabbing my wrist and looking at the time on my new watch. “Nice watch.”

I smiled. “Comes with a tracker and everything.” I said.

Ant rolled his eyes, “Two now?”

I nodded, “I suppose I could have told Alex I had one with Sage already, but I can leave my phone someplace easier than I can my watch.”

Ant nodded and he started another round of blows. A few of which I blocked before Ant added his feet to the mix and everything was a blur. But Ant was only human, he followed the same patterns, the same combinations, the same motions. It wasn’t all the time, but he did it. He kicked and I flew backwards but I caught myself and bounded back to my feet and came back at him with a cross to his head and dropped to the ground as he blocked. His feet came out from under him and Ant was on his back.

I grinned down at him and he smiled back up at me, “Just showing off for your boy?”

I looked at him confused and then I felt the familiar presence of Alex standing in the shadowy alcove waiting and watching. “I didn’t know he was here. Too focused on beating your ass.”

Ant laughed. “I know. I think he intends to walk you home.”

Alex laughed, “No more shadows for me. I think I might puke.”

I looked at Ant then sighed. “If you put your trust in Ant, you won’t get sick.” I gave Ant my hand, “Thanks for the workout. I will have a few bruises for a few hours.”

Ant looked down at his forearms and held them up. “Me too. The more we do this the harder it is to get past you. Soon you’ll be beating Cari.”

“Doubtful.”

Ant only smiled at me. “Take care of him.” He said to Alex.

Alex nodded, “Always.” He took my hand and dragged me towards the door to the dojo in the vampire safe house.

Action Plan

I opened my eyes lying still on Alex’s shoulder and he rubbed my back. I looked up at him, “That was Erebus – the void – the darkness, some people would call you a demon.” I grinned at him, “Not me. I think I’ll call you George.” I readjusted so that I was looking down at Alex, his arm still around me but my elbow was propping my head up next to his. “And I’ll hug you and squeeze you.”

Alex laughed, “That’s a little backwards.”

I shrugged the best I could. “I know. Sage was a bit classic cartoon kid.”

“I can’t see The Wicked Truth being a child.” Alex shook his head. “But then again he does have some random quirks that can only come from that sort of esoteric growing up.”

“Sage has always liked things you can’t get online. Has to do with what he can do?”

Alex sat up and I had no choice but to move or get hurt. “You have some weird friends.”

“At least I have them, it could be just me against the world.” The moment I said it, I regretted it. I hadn’t even meant anything close to mocking Alex. But he got up and slammed the bathroom door shut. Fuck!

I gave Alex time. Well I tried. Sitting in his room in the quiet hearing his triad in the bathroom. I couldn’t wait anymore. I couldn’t stand it. “Alex. I didn’t mean that in any way towards what you and your mother had. The words she shared with you. It was only meant as I could be alone. Please, Alex.”

The door opened and Alex was glaring at me with the deep blue eyes of his and I could only slink back in response though I didn’t move, just dropped my gaze. He shouted, “Another one of your fucking dreams?”

“Wha..?” I looked up and realized he thought I’d remembered it in a dream. “No. I… I just remembered that was what your mother said – after I said it. I didn’t mean it Alex not in the way you took it.”

Alex growled and pushed past me, “So another one of your random I remember you shit.”

I sighed. “That’s never going to change Alex. I’m sorry I forgot you, I’m sorry that it was safer that way. But even with everything I just learned I don’t regret it. Not one bit. If anyone found out you walk Erebus and saw what you saw the Venatori would hunt you with an undying devotion. And if they found out because of me I couldn’t live with that. You did this to me. But I don’t regret it, not one fucking bit. it kept you safe. We were young. I didn’t know what I know now, was impressionable.”

I slumped against the door to the hall and slid down to the ground. Alex was in the main room I could hear him, but I couldn’t see him. “I remember Garrett asking me about the boy in my dream. The one I had saved. I didn’t know what he was talking about. If I’d known I probably would have been forced to tell him. He beat obedience into me. Failure to comply…” I chocked back the memories and the tears and pulled my knees to my chest.

Alex’s socks were the only thing in my vision when he stopped his pacing in front of me. My breath caught and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. “Everything is always about you.”

I looked up with tears streaking down my cheeks, “It isn’t. I was apologizing to you. I was caring about you. You are the one who fucking turned it on me.” I wiped the tears from my cheeks and stood up and was staring into those gorgeous blue eyes. “Just because I’m crying, and hurt doesn’t mean it’s not about you. I understand I hurt your feelings. What do you want me to do to fix it? I tried to explain. I’m sorry Alex. I’m sorry I said what I did. I’m sorry that my turn of phrase hurt your feelings. I didn’t intend it to be that way. I wasn’t trying to say I had it worse, or you had it worse. It wasn’t supposed to be a fucking comparison. It was just me being an idiot. Not remembering what your mother said. I won’t say it again, I remember now. It’s in my head. I’m sorry.”

Alex growled and turned his back on me. “I can’t do this Nox.”

My heart broke. I felt it crumble under those words. All the strength I’d mustered to stand up to Alex withered away and I collapsed to the floor. Alex was there in an instant. “Fuck, no pretty boy. You, me. This. I want to do that.” He pulled me into his lap and sat against the opposite wall. “I can’t do this. Keep you from breaking.”

“I’m not afraid to break, Alex.”

“But I hate seeing you this way.” Alex pressed a kiss to my cheek. “I hate it. And I know I’m doing it. I’m an idiot. I just want to keep you safe. And I realize I can’t do that. But I know someone that can.”

“Yeah, who?” I frowned.

“Ant can keep you safe, keep you from breaking.”

I chortled, “Ant can’t keep me from breaking – no one can.”

“Ant is good at picking up the pieces.”

I rolled my eyes. “Ant is good and pounding me till I’m black and blue.”

Alex sighed, “And if I weren’t a jealous boyfriend, that turn of phrase wouldn’t bother me.” Before I could say anything Alex was continuing, “I know there is no sex between you. The attraction is magic. I’ve seen it. Ant showed me, took me to a club to show me. Fucking almost fed on me, and I would have let him. I trust you Nox. I can’t do what he does. I’m here for everything. I’m here to pick up the pieces, I’ll listen and comfort you. I can do those things. I won’t say I won’t get jealous, or hurt, or that I won’t hurt you, but I’m pretty sure that you take more than just me to put back together.”

“Alex I just need you. You fix things.”

Alex laughed, “I break you more.”

“I’m okay with that. We need to find our place in each others lives.”

Alex pressed a kiss to my neck and hummed against my skin. “Status quo Nox. You live your life like you were before me, and I will do the same before you. And we’ll pull together what we can slowly. We are both so ingrained in ourselves, we need to work at being together in the real world.”

I sighed, “So what do you propose?”

“I’ll give you a key, you give me a key. We spend most nights at our own homes, we spend nights together, we date.”

I nodded, “Alex, I’m going to be completely honest with you. I only have two reactions to people. The usual reaction is to keep people at a distance, and the other is to be overly attached. I’m already that with you, have been my whole life. But I’ll try not to overwhelm you.”

Alex hugged me tight against him. “I know, pretty boy. And I’ll try not to set you off every few hours.”

I grinned, “As long as you help pick up the pieces. I’ll be fine.”

“I’m not sure I will be.” Alex said shoving me out of his lap. “I have a meeting before we have dinner.”

I nodded, “I can stay here.”

Alex smirked, “I have a better idea.” He picked up his phone and dialled a number. He waited for it to pick up. “Nox needs a good workout, you think you can tire him out before dinner?”

I heard Ant on the other side of the phone. “You want him pliable for after dinner? I can tenderize him real good.”

Alex growled though his heart wasn’t in it. “I’m trusting you not to eat my boyfriend, that’s for me later.”

Ant laughed, “Yeah. I can do that. Though he might be a little too sore for what you have in mind.”

I spoke softly, “I’m never too sore for Alex.”

Alex snickered, “You heard all that?”

Ant guffawed. “Super human hearing. No secrets if he’s in the same room.”

Before Alex could hang up, Ant was standing in the shadowed closet. “Can’t we walk?” I asked.

“It’s fucking daylight.” Ant said.

I sighed and I pressed a long hard kiss to Alex, “Are you sure?”

“Positive, pretty boy. Go play with your best friend, while I work. I expect him to be on his best behavior.”

“He will be.” I promised. Ant only laughed as he grabbed my shoulder and I was gone without my shoes.

Dreamland

Alex fell backwards onto his ass and pulled me with him as he leaned against the bed. “Ant and I were discussing what to do about Deacon LeClair. He has the Book of the Dead? you called it? He’s worried that Brandon Holt is in town and gonna buy it. No idea who he is.”

I sighed. “Holt is supposedly leader of the New World Order. An organization that’s trying to make the supernatural world known to the real world. Scarlet Snow wanted me to check out Abraham and check to see if he was getting involved.”

“He is.” Alex added, “Brandon was at a poker game James was at. They kinda think I’m working for them.”

“So hanging out with me is probably not going to work out well.”

Alex smirked against my skin before he bit into my neck and suckled it softly. I groaned and tried not to squirm against him. “If you play my little pet I think it’ll work well.”

“What kinda pet, Alex?”

“Not submissive, but at my beck and call.” He said with a sly smile.

“I amat your beck and call.” I said. “As long as you don’t call me while I’m working.”

“Which you are supposed to be on vacation.” Alex chuckled, “Some vacation working for the bitch Snow.”

I shrugged and felt Alex’s arms tighten around me and pressed a kiss to my neck. “Mhmmmm. It could be worse.” And I could think of so many things worse than working for Scarlet Snow. Being hunted by a less than honorable assassin comes to mind. I was thankful it was at least a man with some sort of moral compass. I wanted to know who wanted me dead. I wasn’t panicked over it which surprised Alex at least that’s the impression I got from his mind inside mine.

I wished for more of him, he got so much more out of me and he didn’t communicate worth a shit. I resemble that remark. echoed in my head. But Alex spoke, “Come to bed. Let’s try something.” Even before I could answer Alex was helping me up and tugging me towards the bed. I watched as he climbed up and crawled across to the pillows and laid down on his back. He patted the bed next to him, “Trust me.”

And it was that easy. I sat down and kicked off my shoes and laid down next to Alex. I rested my head on his shoulder and pressed my stomach as close to him as possible. His arm wrapped around me. “I’m going to nudge you to sleep alright?”

I gave him a slight nod and he pressed me tight against him and I felt that distinct urge to sleep and soon was drifting in emptiness. It wasn’t black but it wasn’t a normal dream either.

Behind me a voice echoed, “Good it worked.” Alex held out his hand and he smiled. “This is the void.”

As I reached out and took Alex’s hand I felt a sudden jerk and we were outside at the beach and my mind went a billion miles an hour as the sand rushed between my toes and I backed away. But everywhere there was sand.

“Nox.” Alex pulled me against him and I looked into his stunning blue eyes. “Nox.” He said again, “Babe, it’s just a dream. The sand isn’t real.”

I thought in my head, Next time you take me to a beach I need a little warning.

Alex grinned and pressed a kiss to my lips and distracted me from the panic. This is my favorite place.

I broke the kiss and pressed my forehead to Alex’s before taking a step away to look around the beach. I didn’t look down at the sand. I looked out across the blue water, it was churning, and cresting, the sky was as grey as Alex’s eyes when he was angry. “Are you mad now?” I asked.

He wrapped his arm around my waist, “No, but it does reflect my moods.”

A smile spread across my lips, “So it’s never perfectly sunny here.”

Alex shoulder checked me before he laughed, “It is when I’m with you. Not lately, but it was where I went after you left me every night.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It is what it is. I thought after the night I kept you with me it would be over, but I never saw you again. What is that thing that came for you?”

I shook my head. “No idea.”

Alex pulled me and I took a step and the beach vanished and we were in the void again. Outside of everything, bubbles floated everywhere, cables ran everywhere. Where the fuck were we. Alex answered, “This is how I find people in the dreams. It’s easier if I make a connection. Alex pointed down at the ground as he squatted down to point at a thick cable, “This is Benji. Years of forging a relationship. It’s grown over the years.”

There was a thin black line dripping with red Alex plucked. “This is Ant. It’s already strong.”

“I thought you hated Ant.”

Alex smirked. “I did, still do in a way.” He didn’t look up at me kept staring at the thread he was holding with two fingers, “He has something I’ll never have.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“You.”

“You have me, now and forever.” I said without hesitation.

Alex shook his head. “No. That’s not what I mean Nox. There is a part of you that I’ll never have because he has it. Something I can’t ever replace for you.”

“You want me to have no friends?” I asked saddened by the thought.

Alex growled, “No, that’s not what I said. We all need strong friends like I have Benji.” We flew across the line to where it ended and Alex pointed at the darkened globe in front of him. “If I wanted to enter Ant’s dream I could, but I would have to beat through his shield. But that’s not why we came. He pointed at a thick cord, more like a vine, or a snake, it moved ‘slithered’ and was almost alive. “That’s Ant’s connection to you. Nox, we used to have one. I don’t know what happened to it.” We stepped back to Alex’s point and we looked for the vine. But it was no where to be seen. “I used to be able to find you so easily even without the cord now it’s like you don’t exist.”

“I’m right here.”

Alex laughed, “You’d think that would make it easy huh?” We moved back to where we had been sleeping. “Here I am.” He pointed at a void – nothing. “Because I’m here.”

Alex touched the surface of the orb and I shivered as if Alex had touched me. The orb was shimmering and shining multi-colored array. Like an opal on a sunny day. There were connections leaving the orb but there was a black organism growing around it, almost encompassing the whole thing. “It’s gotten bigger since I last saw it. I haven’t seen this in over five years, Nox. I can’t see your connection to me either. To you I don’t exist.”

Alex stepped away from the orb and smiled. “I can find anyone here. They don’t even need to be asleep. I can’t enter their dreams unless they sleep but I can find anyone. Think of your assassin.”

“Okay.” I said as I thought about the encounter with Darwynn, what he looked like, the amber color of his lion eyes in his human face. The sound of his voice. The words he said, the fear in his eyes when I captured him.

Alex touched my shoulder, “We’re here.” He pointed to an orb that looked more like a desert than anything – a savannah. Alex touched the orb and smiled. “He’s awake, but I’ll be back now that I know where he is.”

“What are you going to do?” I asked.

Alex pressed a kiss to my lips and whispered, “Wake.”

Confession

I sat down on Alex’s bed and sighed, “Alex. He’s not gonna try to kill me anymore.”

“But someone else might.” Alex exclaimed with anger.

“And staying or going it’s going to be the same.” I flopped back on the bed. “Alex, if someone wants me dead they will try no matter what and there is nothing you or I can do about it. Except be aware of the fact and don’t get dead.”

I felt the bed sink down next to me and Alex laid down with his hands behind his head. His fingers were entwined in his hair and I knew he was frustrated. We laid in silence for a long time before I interrupted our silence. “Why was Ant here?”

I saw the smirk splay across his features, “Jealous?”

“A little.” I said hoping Alex would elaborate without prompting.

We sat in silence for too many moments and I was about to ask again but Alex interrupted my words, “We were discussing the plans for Deacon LeClair.”

“So you are stealing the book back? For Ant?” I asked.

“I’m not stealing it for Ant. I’m stealing it to taunt the vampire princes. Though now Ant knows so it’s a kinda moot point. I’d give it back, it’s more the challenge.”

I sat up and frowned, “So it’s okay to put yourself in danger, but I can’t. I worry about you too you know. Ant could break us both in half in an instant. Abraham could do it too with no remorse whatsoever, at least Ant would feel bad.” I stood up and walked into the bathroom and turned on the hot water in the sink.

We let the walls of the room separate us even as Alex was in my head. Pretty boy, come lie down, please. Alex wasn’t begging, and he wasn’t being commanding, but he certainly wanted me to be back in his bed – forever his. He’d be happy with me wrapped up in blankets and doing nothing but working out and cleaning/cooking for him. I wasn’t some fucking suzy housewife. I growled and threw my fist through the hot water splashing the stream everywhere.

I took a deep breath and started cleaning up the mess I made.

Alex’s voice sounded from the doorway, “Leave it, Pretty boy.”

I shook my head and kept going.

Alex growled but didn’t push the point, “I don’t want you to be a housewife, Nox. I want you safe in my arms, forever. Is that so hard to understand?”

“No.” I said. “What’s hard to understand is that you don’t get I won’t be happy staying at home doing nothing because that’s the only way I’m going to be safe – as you put it. Everyday it’s a challenge to go to work and not have my own people hurt me. Everyday, I wake up and try to make a difference because I don’t think people deserve to be treated like I am. Everyday…” I tried to keep going but there was a simple command in my head, _ Shut up!_ I had no choice but to obey as I turned to look at Alex with a damp towel hanging limp in my hand.

“I understand. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Alex said softly.

I growled at Alex. “I put a tracker on to make you happy, what else do you want?” I pushed past him and debated on leaving, but that’s what got us in this mess – leaving. So I went to the far window and stared out into the dizzying view. I tried not to look down but that was an impossibility. I collapsed to the floor with my knees pulled up to my chest and I stared out the window…

I could hear the anger in Alex’s breathing as he tried to calm down. I wished I knew what he was thinking even as I was trying to come down from my own anger, and panic. I stared out the window. Alex eventually moved to sit on his bed, his breathing evened out and I couldn’t tell if he’d fallen asleep or not. I hung my head against my knees and fought back the ache inside. How were we going to make it, if all we did was fight?

Lost in my head, in my thoughts of worry and panic, I didn’t hear Alex get up but I felt him kneel down behind me, a knee on either side of my hips and he wrapped his arms around me. I jerked away, “I’m not doing this for you take pity on me.” I spat out, but Alex’s arms tightened around me and I didn’t struggle for long.

“I know, Nox.” Alex whispered into my ear. “I’m not pitying you. Just comforting you.”

“We are in the middle of a fight.”

Alex chuckled, “All the more reason. Look, Nox. I know I’m possessive. I want you here with me always. But I also know that I can’t have that as much as I fight against it. I’m grateful for the things you do. For everything you do and not just the tracker, and the dreams, and all the changes you are making for me. I’m grateful you fight for people who don’t have it great. I was angry that you were using Drake, but I see that he’s going to be well taken care of – loved even. If we can ever get you back home.”

“I’m supposed to be on vacation for two weeks.” I said.

“What?” Alex turned me to look at him.

I nodded, “Dorian said if I stepped foot in the AU building he’d shoot me.”

“So why are you working?” He asked.

“Because Scarlet Snow threatened you.”

“Nox, I can take care of myself.” He said.

“So can I.” I said flatly.

Alex sighed, “Alright. Fine. Promise me we’ll both be careful. And always come home?”

I nodded, “I’ll promise to be careful. Coming home. That’s out of our control.”

“You are talking about being dead aren’t you?” Alex asked.

“Yes.” I said softly. “I promise to be careful – always. I won’t do anything that I know will cause you distress.”

Alex laughed, “Walking out the door causes me distress, pretty boy.”

“Ditto.” I said.

Alex pulled me against him and I rested my head against his shoulder and we sat and stared out the window for a while longer.

Alex and Ant?

I was still a little perturbed by the idea that the world knew about me. I was nothing. No one important. But someone did hire someone else to kill me, so there’s that. But … I shook my head as I neared Alex’s casino. It was a pretty sight even in the afternoon. The sky was bright blue and there were no clouds in the sky. Perfect day. And here I was avoiding death by being me. A great day? Maybe. All I really wanted to do was hang out with Alex for a little while and relax.

But no, I have to do Scarlet Snow’s bidding, and save two boys. Because now even though I’d left the werewolf boy alone, I knew I wouldn’t let it lie. No way I was gonna let a kid like that become a Venatori victim. I took the stairs to Alex’s room. I figured I could at least wait outside it for him to come home. I had no idea when that would be but I would wait nonetheless. Once on Alex’s floor I walked slowly I wasn’t in a hurry. And if Alex was there he could feel me coming closer and wrap up whatever he was doing.

So when I got to the door and it opened I wasn’t surprised. “You are so fucking loud,” however I was surprised to see Ant smirking at the door.

I wasn’t making noise. Alex was behind him, “Come in pretty boy.”

I looked at Ant as I walked past him. “What are you doing here?”

Ant looked at me with a straight face but I could see how hard he was trying not to laugh. “I’m doing what you said, getting to know your boy better.”

I stopped well before Alex who was sitting on the bed watching me. He was at least sitting on the edge and not lounging – that wouldn’t have been good. He was smirking at me. He was listening to my litany of thoughts about him. “Don’t worry pretty boy I haven’t turned into a fang banger,” Alex joked.

I turned to face Ant leaving Alex to my back, “Uh huh. That’s why you are here. Has nothing at all to do why you are here in Vegas.” I chose to ignore the comment Alex made and pretend it didn’t bother me that Ant was here.

I turned back to Alex and stepped so I could see both of them without having to turn. “Rumor has it Alex is looking to steal the Book of the Dead from Deacon LeClair.” I blurted out to change the topic. I didn’t want to deal with my concerns. They were in my head. The panic that threatened to take over. The unfounded fears – this was my boyfriend and my fucking best friend. No one was going to hurt me but that didn’t stop my head from going to the dark places.

Alex held out his hand to me and I took it without thinking and he pulled me close and into his lap. It was automatic, and I curled into him and like that the fears were gone, he was probably manipulating me a little but it didn’t matter – not to me anyway. Alex only laughed, “The Book of the Dead? Is that even a thing? Sounds like it’s from some cheezy b-rated vampire movie plot.”

Ant was chuckling where I had left him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him quite so easily quelled.”

Alex pulled me tighter against him. “It helps he takes suggestions well,” he said and pressed a kiss to the side of my neck

“You manipulate him.” Ant growled. I felt his hand on my shoulder and he started to pull.

But Alex shifted back and Ant let go, Alex shook his head, “I only calm him down. He doesn’t mind.”

I nodded, “He doesn’t do it when it counts, Ant. Please don’t start.” I said sitting up and looking over at my friend. “Please just don’t. But really Alex, I spoke with the vampire Prince and he said you were going to steal the book.”

Alex sighed. “What are you doing talking with Abraham Morgan?”

“Scarlet Snow sent me.” I said.

“Why?” Alex asked, though he wasn’t showing it I knew he was angry.

“Because I’m expendable.”

He stood up nearly dumping me onto the floor but I managed to stand up before he did and was shaking his finger at me, “Fuck, Nox. You can’t go playing with vampires you don’t know.”

“And you fucking can?” I didn’t shout, but could hear the anger I had when I threatened Darwynn’s employer.

Ant stepped back into the shadows and I heard a distinct pop as he disappeared into them. He didn’t want to get involved, and I didn’t blame him.

I sighed and took a step away from Alex. “I have a hell of a lot more problems than meeting with vampires. Someone’s trying to kill me.”

Alex looked at me and I was thinking about the conversation with Darwynn. Alex frowned, “Jesus fucking Christ Nox. You talked with your assassin and you didn’t kill him.”

I shrugged, “He didn’t try to kill me then. And this particular assassin has rules. And me saving kids seems to be something to save me.”

“Saving kids?”

I nodded, “He followed me apparently while I tracked down a wolf boy, that had been in the alley. And as I was talking with the kid in Scarlet’s care I plan on taking back with me to the Academy and teaching him his power.”

Alex stared at me. “You’ve been busy. But Nox, come on, you can’t stay here if someone is trying to kill you.”

I shrugged. “It’s no different than home, Alex. I’m Venatori I am always in danger.”

Alex growled and started pacing. This was going to be a bad afternoon.

I felt a presence behind me when I headed out of the casino back towards Alex’s place. I wasn’t sure the time, but I knew I was way early still. As I walked I had a strange feeling, it was almost like someone was following me.

I let my senses go and felt everything around me. It was freeing yet painful to feel a new busy city. New York magics had become part of me but Vegas was another beast. It was familiar yet strange. I felt vampire in the distance, weres were everywhere. I felt a few Venatori around me and there were no dragon’s. Too much glitz here to keep your hoard here in Las Vegas.

I kept walking and as I did I felt one particular essense following me, I’d felt it before – several times. I headed down an alley way again this time hoping whoever would follow me. I pulled the veil around me as entered fully. I didn’t walk in far before turning around to see a man standing in the entrance glancing down the way I’d come.

He was handsome in a rugged sort of way, his dirty blonde hair and his well kept facial hair were nice but he had the power of were around him. I stepped out of the veil and smiled, “Can I help you some?”

The man chuckled, “I should have figured you’d lay a trap like this.”

“And you are following me, why?”

“Let’s just say I saw what you did with those boys.”

“What boys?” I asked a little confused. “You me the wolf and the kid in the casino?” The first being easy to spy on, but the latter not so much.

He chuckled again, “I’ve got pretty good eye sight, and can read lips well. All part of the job.”

“And that job is?”

“Right now, to kill you.” There was no action on his part but it wouldn’t take much for him to wolf out so to speak – even if he was a primal cat of some sort, that was as much as I could tell about his magic.

I frowned in response, but he continued. “Don’t worry I’m not going to. At least not anymore.”

“Anymore?” I asked.

“I shot at you twice this morning, surprised you didn’t notice. But then you and your beau were wrapped up pretty much in each other at the time. And you’ve avoided everything else I’ve set in motion.”

“Why are you trying to kill me?” I asked.

“You pissed someone off, they hired me to off you. I’ll have to return the money. I don’t kill philanthropists no matter what I’m paid.”

“Philanthropists?”

“Yeah, you know do gooders. And from what I’ve seen you do nothing but good. You help a boy you don’t even know. You are looking out for one of your own who is different. Though I’m not sure how he’s different.”

“The boy is an omega. His pack should protect him instead they shun him for being weak.” I interjected. “And Matt’s a null, he’s special too. Which makes him misunderstood. The Venatori don’t listen to different. Everything has to fit into their little boxes.”

He laughed. “Precisely my point. Any other Venatori would have kept on walking at the very least. The kid could be dead now. But you, you didn’t do any of what I expected. You don’t talk like them. Sure you talk fast and I can’t always make out your words, but you don’t shoot first ask questions later.”

“So you know me from what two days in Vegas?” I smirked.

“After the first missed shot I did some digging.” The man at the end of the alley said. “The CCB in New York has quite the file on you.”

“So you work for the CCB?” I asked.

“I work for whoever pays me. But I have connections with the CCB. They pay well.”

“You kill for a living?”

It was his turn to smirk. “I kill Venatori for a living.”

I sighed, I knew there was an assassin who killed Venatori on missions. He was regarded as being honorable by the supernatural community – had his own set of laws he followed. But he still killed us and he was hunting me. Not good. Though I wondered who had hired him. And I asked him as much, “Who hired you to kill me?”

He grinned at me and took a few steps raising his hands to indicate he was unarmed or at least not going to reach for his weapons which he didn’t really need as he was a werecat of some sort. “I can’t tell you that, Nox. But I can tell you my name.”

I interrupted him, “It’s Darwynn. I know. We all know about Darwynn’s Laws, both sets of them actually. Pretty ingrained in us as myths and legends for one and scientific fact for the other.”

Darwynn smirked, “So we both know each other by reputation it seems.”

“Really? You knew of me before this hit?”

The space between us quickly closed and I could see the amber color of Darwynn’s eyes. He was one of those who had been forced to shift for too long and his eyes got stuck with cat eyes. I’d only seen seen one man with wolf eyes, he was an abused man, he’d attacked me and I defended myself. It was one of the rare kills in my file. He gave me a curt nod, “The New York city kid who is friends with the Prince of New York, works closely with the packs and even has vampire and CCB friends. Of course I know about you. I can’t imagine there is a corner of the world that hasn’t heard about the strange Venatori. Why do you think the landscape of New York’s supernatural is changing. You just dealt with a dragon trying to make his name. You are dealing with vampires here, yes?”

It surprised me to hear Darwynn had heard of me. But Scarlet Snow seemed awful knowledgeable as well. The Vampire prince, Abraham too. “All because of me?” I chortled my response. Yeah right!

“Not you exactly. But the flux of power. New York is a key resources. Whoever wins the Venatori territory, wins the world.”

“That’s not how it works. Mark Green only runs the Venatori.”

Darwynn laughed. “Yeah. A weak old man who is too stupid to kill his only competition.”

“What’s that mean?”

Darwynn shook his head. “Nothing kid. Just change is coming. You can smell it on the air. Every supernatural in Vegas can feel it. Winds of change.” Darwynn turned his back on me and started to walk away.

“You know there is an open and active agreement on you right now.”

Darwynn was smirking as he turned around to look at me. “You going to collect?”

I shook my head. “No. A life for a life.”

He laughed, “So I spare you and you’ll spare me.” And even as he spoke I was winding threads of air around him and as the end of his sentence came to a dangling end I pulled them tight and captured the most wanted man in the world – the hunter of the hunters.

I grinned at him. “You think I’m an easy mark?”

His eyes grew wide as he realized he was trapped – captured. Completely at my will.

“But…”

I laid a finger against his lips to stop him from speaking, and let the threads loosen. “Just remember Darwynn. You aren’t just letting me walk away from this. I’m letting you walk away too.”

I dropped the threads completely and the therian in front of me nodded. “A life for a life. You aren’t going to report a sighting?”

“No. I won’t even mention you tried to kill me. But when you go back to your employer and tell him you are done. I need you to tell him, I won’t be so nice the next time someone’s sent to kill me.” I heard the white hot heat in my voice .

The small hint of fear had vanished from Darwynn’s face and was replaced with a humorous smirk. “And there it is. The very reason the world fears the strange Venatori boy. A cold, hard threat. I don’t think I’ll be able to do it justice.” He chuckled to himself as he turned to walk away. “A pleasure, Nox Sétanta. I’ll be watching you.”

Matt’s Problem

But with the werewolf boy in my rear view. I had hoped he’d come with me, or after me or something. I had another boy on my mind. And really he wasn’t only 9 years or so younger than me. I was still a boy by most standards. The thought that Alex was a few years older than me made me smirk. An older man. I could tell him that. I was grateful that Alex had been my first experience – a once thought dream with a boy I didn’t know turned out to be a first experience I wished could truly have been my first. My first sexual encounter, my first man. My first. But I was going to go with Alex was my first and my last and that’s the way I wanted it. But there were so many in between.

But back to what Matthew Davenport needed. He was a null. I didn’t really know how to help him. But I knew what I’d done with Dae’lin back in school so while I walked I pulled out my phone and started dictating a schedule of sorts.

Matt would need to know the basics every Venatori did. Matt had been to the Academy. But we couldn’t rely on that. He wasn’t paying attention out of spite. He had to be a smart kid to get out of the Academy and back to Vegas. I don’t know why his parents didn’t see better, but then again he was being cared for by Scarlet Snow and she was more manipulative than loving. A fucking great combination.

We’d have to cover patterns, and how the elements and other powers worked. We could easily do Venatori gifts and powers, the others though they would need to be work shopped. Thankfully I knew enough of the other races to get some good fun lessons in.

There was a lot of things we’d have to experiment with. A null wasn’t exactly studied, they usually ended up tacet like Matt was heading for and for the same reasons. No one truly understood them. I was grateful Dae’lin was my mentor. She was the only reason I made it through my lessons. I don’t think Matt needed quite the relationship as we had, but I’m sure I’d figure it all out.

While I talked into my phone I headed for Scarlet’s Casino. I didn’t wait for them to find me I headed up to the room I’d seen Matt in – this time I knocked and waited. I could hear someone on the other side. So I knew someone was there.

The door opened and a single amber eye peeked through the crack. And just as quickly the door opened fully with a kid and his broad smile. I offered him my hand, “You remember me?”

He looked at me and then my hand and shook his head. “No, I’d better not, Nox.” But he grinned as he stepped aside so I could come in.

“You can touch someone without affecting them, if you know what you are doing?” I said. I’d had much the same conversation with Sage in the past, but his haphephobia was highly ingrained into his psyche. “Please, shake my hand, let me feel it.”

Matt shook his head. “I don’t have any control over what nulls and what doesn’t, you could be like Wolverine and when I take your powers away you’ll die.”

I laughed. “I’d actually seen that happen in the movies with Sage. But I’m not a super healer, none of mine have been life threatening and I’m really only twenty-five. Please?” I asked again.

The look on the boys face said he didn’t trust it. “Sit down then, and let me touch you don’t touch me.”

I nodded. “Understood.” I held out my hand. I knew I had control issues too when trying new things, or teaching someone something. I would respect Matt’s issues too, but I really wanted to know how this worked.

Matt touched my hand lightly and I felt a slight tingle as his power washed over me. It was quiet for the first time. All pain from my own power was gone, the patterns were gone from my vision. All at a mere touch. I relaxed completely in myself.

The amber eyed boy removed his hands from mine and the world jolted back into reality and I gasped with the sudden reappearance of it all. “Fuck!”

Matt shrank back into the chair he was sitting in. “See it’s not good.”

I shook my head in response to Matt, but also to clear my head, “No it was amazing. So fucking amazing. But it all came back so suddenly.”

“No one has ever liked what I did to them.” Matt exclaimed.

“Dude, no one lives with what I live with. Now if we could just harness your powers in something I could carry around.” I sighed, “Though I’d have to live a different life. I rely on my power.” So much for that I thought.

“So I’m working on a plan to get you back in the Academy and without making you tacet.”

“I don’t like the Academy.” Matt said, “I won’t go back.”

“You have rudimentary control?” He nodded, and I continued, “You just don’t like the element classes.”

“Or any of the other classes. I didn’t mind when we were learning useful things, but I’m not going to be a hunter. Why do I need to know about vampires and werewolves.”

“Did you ever think about exile?”

Matt’s eyes went wide. “I can do that?”

“I wouldn’t suggest it, but you have rudimentary control, and you know what you can do they don’t. Can you try a few classes back in New York, I’ll take most of what I can for the power parts, you’ll only see me for that, but the rest of it. Finish it off, you have two years left.”

“But it’s so boring.”

I nodded, “I know. But let me get you to New York first, then we’ll work on getting you into a human school and maybe college.”

“Really?”

I nodded. “Yeah, really.” I stood up. “I should go write all this down so I can give it to Scarlet.”

Matt stood up and wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug, and just as quickly he let go. The powers in flux had me staggering back.

“I’m so sorry.” Matt looked sheepishly at me through his hair covered eyes.

I grinned at him, “It’s alright. I’ll help you figure it out.” I moved his hair from his eyes without touching his skin, “We’ll figure this out. I promise.” I handed him my card. “Call me if you need anything.” That was twice today.

Matt took it and nodded. “Thank you Nox.”

“Anytime Matt. I’ll get Scarlet to let you go.” I said as I headed for the white door and let myself out. I was having such an accomplished day today, I felt good as I walked down the stairs.