A couple hours before dawn, Bosy opened the door to his room. He smiled at Wimer Aslix’s sleeping body. He was on his stomach on top of the covers. He wore only sweats. The muscles in his back rose and fell with each breath. Bosy slipped out of his shoes and pulled his shirt over his head.He crawled into bed. Wimer Aslix shifted and then woke up enough to smile at him. Bosy kissed his cheek.“You okay?” Wimer Aslix asked.“Yeah. No vampires around for the moment.”“’Cept you. But you’re a good one, so it’s okay.” Wimer Aslix arched up, pressing his back against Bosy’s chest. Bosy shivered. He wrapped an arm around Wimer Aslix’s middle and kissed his neck.“Bite me,” Wimer Aslix breathed.“But—”“I’ll heal it.”Bosy only hesitated for another moment. He sat back, lifting Wimer Aslix with him, so they both ended up kneeling with Wimer Aslix’s body still pressed against his. And then, against his better judgment, he sank his fangs into the elf’s neck.Fresh, rich blood poured down his t
Alta Presion stared, mentally traced the curve of abs with his tongue and the top of those sweats with his fingers. God, that body was utter perfection.Alta snorted.“What?” Francel said.“Just wondering why the powers that be wasted such a great body on a werewolf,” Alta said, and cursed the tiny note of longing in his voice.Francel raised an eyebrow. Again.“Stop looking at me like that.”“Like what?” Francel demanded.“Like I’m … like I’m … ” Crazy, his mind finished for him, but he said, “Whatever. Just stop.”“Sorry sorry, but who are you, and what have you done with Alta Presion? The Alta I know does not care about how a werewolf likes his coffee and the Alta I know would not toss, not one but two compliments at a werewolf about his body. Even if they’re underhanded compliments, they’re still compliments.”Alta didn’t reply. What was he supposed to say? Well, Francel, I’m falling in love with you?Alta’s breath caught. Fuck. And he knew that was true. He screamed in his head,
Bosy waited until they were in the car and said, “Isn’t Lexy here every night?”“Usually,” Ciel Karhillaz said. “I didn’t notice that she wasn’t here yesterday.”Francel Gumaka said, “Last night was clear, though, right?”Bosy nodded. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean it will stay that way. Someone knows I’m here.”“Why are you hiding?” Alta asked.“None of your business,” Bosy snapped.“It’s my business if a vampire is suddenly going to dig fangs into my neck.”“We won’t suck on faeries,” Bosy said.“Bosy,” Francel Gumaka said as a warning.“Not like that,” Bosy said. “We can’t. They’re creatures of light. Pretty much made of sunlight. It fries us from the inside, especially the pretty ones. Alta’s blood would probably kill me in about five seconds.”Alta smiled. “You think I’m pretty,” he crooned.Bosy rolled his eyes. “Way to take the important information out of that. Good job.”“I did. You think I’m pretty.”“You are pretty,” Francel Gumaka said. Silence fell. Alta’s mouth opened in s
“He has a girlfriend,” Bosy suddenly whispered.Alta scoffed. “He has a girl he’s been fucking for a few days. Hardly girlfriend status.”“Point. And your humans?”“They’re just humans,” Alta said and then cringed. “God, I hate having a conscience about stuff like this now.”“I doubt Francel Gumaka’s gay, or even bi. Wolves aren’t like that. Very one-mate-for-life kind of creatures.”Alta rolled his eyes. “I doubt he’s going to be mating with this cat for life.”“Or a faerie. Look, he’s probably going to end up with some girl in his pack because of some type of status builder.”“How do you know so much about it?”“Vampires are the same way. That girl Tsuki wanted to be clan leader. She decided she needed a mate, and bam, guess who that was? Eventually we took over the clan. We were pretty powerful, ruling together and then she let it go to her head a bit, and I started pulling away from her. She started lying about me, and then suddenly the pack turned on me, and I was kicked out. Tsu
“Yes. Or until they kill each other off.”Daniela glided to the wall and leaned in close. She sniffed Bosy, and then her nose wrinkled. “You’ve been drinking elf blood.”Bosy didn’t try to deny it.“Your band mate?”“Yes.”“Why?”Bosy laughed. “He’s got a bit of a fang fetish, if you’d believe it. And it beats the shit out of animal blood.”“But he’s an elf.”Bosy sighed. “Yes, he’s an elf. But he’s also cute, and funny and makes me laugh. He makes me laugh, Dany. I actually wrote a happy love song last night. Well, it’s not finished, but it’s happy, about being in love, and how every time it’s new and—”“Okay, okay. I get it. What about the other members?”“The faerie is still a bit annoying, but he actually called us his friends today. He’s in love with the wolf and the wolf is falling in love with him. And Ciel Karhillaz is just Ciel Karhillaz. He sits there quietly and observes us. When he does talk though, it’s usually pretty profound.”Daniela nodded and settled a hand on Bosy’s
“How many days until the full moon?” Bosy asked.“Three,” they both said.Bosy grinned at Alta. Alta flipped him off.“What are we supposed to do then?” Bosy asked.“It’s just for a night. I head to the hunting grounds before sunset, eat, and then come back.”“Savage,” Alta said, but instead of disdain, lust colored his voice.Francel shook his head. “What is it with these light creatures wanting to be with dark ones?” he asked Bosy.Alta moved in beside him and kissed his cheek. “Ever think that maybe it’s because of who you are, not what you are?”Alta left the kitchen before Francel could react.He turned wide eyes to Bosy. “Did a faerie just say that? Did that faerie just say that?”Bosy smirked. “Yeah, he did. What about your cat?”Francel shrugged. “She was fun, I guess, but this is … is …”“Better?”“Don’t know about that, but it’s different.”“You’ve never been with another guy.”Francel didn’t know why he blushed, but he did.“Don’t worry. Alta knows that. And for some reason
“Alta, you should probably start it,” Francel said. “You and Wimer Aslix. Then Bosy take the second verse.”“It would sound awesome if we harmonized on the chorus,” Wimer Aslix said.“Alright, boys, move the papers,” Alta said.He set a bowl of rice in the middle of the table. Four other platters floated behind him. As soon as there was room, he set down noodles, a plate of beef, vegetables and chicken. Another flick of his hand had dishes and chopsticks flying through the kitchen. Wimer Aslix had to duck as a carton of juice just missed his head.“Sorry sorry,” Alta said. “I’m so used to aiming for you that I got that a bit too close.”The others laughed.“And for you, my darling,” Alta said and set a plate in front of Francel. Again, it was full of practically raw meat and only a few vegetables and noodles.Wimer Aslix cringed. “That’s disgusting.”“You bathe in shit, my friend,” Alta said. “Remember that.”“Right.”“So since I’m not as arrogant, I’m not as disgusting, right?”More
Francel and Alta stayed up way later than they should have. Francel knew it, but he just couldn’t bring himself to go to bed. Even after Bosy and Wimer Aslix had retired, and then Bosy reappeared, looking flush and happy, to go patrol. Ciel Karhillaz stayed up, but finally said good night to his friends and went to bed.Francel kept massaging Alta’s feet, even though he wanted to rub higher and higher on his legs, thighs, body. They watched the rest of the news report. No creatures were happy about the rumors of an integrated group. Some of Francel’s previous band members were interviewed, and while they all agreed that he had been a good leader, they also agreed that something hadn’t been quite right with him.Alta scoffed at that. “Showing signs of a faerie kink even back then, were you?”Francel grinned. “Must have been.”And then Athena’s face was there. “It’s all a bunch of bull beep. Who cares if they’re integrating? We have to live with these creatures, why not try to treat the