Necessary Passion [Alchemy Mates 3] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (2 page)

Sky’s hands clamped on Aidan’s after the first swing, and he tossed Aidan over his head like a child would a doll. He hit the wall with a thud that knocked the wind from him, and just as suddenly Sky was there, pinning him there, using his body to immobilize Aidan’s own.

“Are you done?” Sky asked, his eyes sparking with dark amusement.

“Let me up.” Aidan growled. This wasn’t like him. He was the even-tempered ice prince. He was the one who
never
got this upset. This vampire was changing him in ways that he was terrified of.

“If you are finished trying to get into a brawl with me, I’ll let you down.”

Aidan squirmed against his hold, unwilling to concede the point. He bucked, trying to dislodge the vampire with heaves of his torso. He managed to get a little motion going but realized his mistake when a bolt of lust hit his mind from their mind link. He froze staring into the eyes of the German vampire. Sky’s blue eyes tinged with burgundy were filled with heated awareness. Oh shit, he thought, feeling his body start to respond in kind.

Sky’s soft chuckle sounded. “What did you expect, Aidan? You’re young and virile and attractive. However, you need to realize one thing.” He paused to press his hips against Aidan’s own so that their arousals bumped. Aidan gasped and squirmed uncomfortably. Aidan gleaned his intentions the second before Sky’s lips crashed down on his own.

“No. Stop,”
Aidan whimpered, fighting their dual arousals.
“I don’t want this.”

The kiss was sweet, so very sweet. Aidan had expected a harsh, punishing kiss that he could use as ammunition for his anger, but this…this was a gentle probing, a coaxing to gain a reaction. Aidan knew that he was no match for the sheer expertise of the being kissing him. He found himself responding to Sky’s desires, sighing into his mouth and opening his own to accept the gentle licks of the vampire’s tongue. Sky drew back slowly, letting Aidan know that he was relinquishing the control back to the hunter.

“Are you calm now?” Sky asked. His breath was coming out in soft pants. Aidan nodded, his embarrassment acute. Sky favored him with a smile. “What I was telling you was that you have to realize that your reaction to me doesn’t matter. It’s expected from our bond. Don’t judge yourself too harshly for it. It’s a natural reaction.”

“There is nothing bloody natural about this,” Aidan said, closing his eyes in shame. “Let me up.” With a sigh Sky did as he asked, adjusting himself as he did so.

“I’m guessing you will not be taking tea?” Sky asked lightly, obviously trying to salvage the situation. Aidan looked at him like he’d lost his mind. Sky sighed. “I thought not. Here, I’ll show you to your rooms.”

* * * *

Aidan’s room was beautiful. It was done up in various shades of greens, the most prominent of which was a dark emerald color. Like a peacock’s feathers, the room was both mesmerizing and infinitely beautiful. The dark oak furniture complimented the theme, and the fireplace was already bursting with a warm glow that cast the room in comfortable light.

“This is nice,” Aidan said before he could help himself. This room was definitely better than any of the inns he’d stayed in the past five or so years. He was rarely home because of his missions, and the hunters’ guild didn’t exactly pay for high-pound rooms.

Sky favored him with a smile. “This is actually my favorite room in the house. It overlooks the river that runs through my land as well as the mountains in the distance. That chair by the window is the one I use to sit when I need to get away from the responsibilities of the country.”

“Perhaps I should move to another room. I don’t want to deprive you of your contemplations,” Aidan said quickly. He didn’t want to have any part in Sky’s enjoyment, not that he wouldn’t feel it anyway.
Bloody bastard
. Fighting him was proving to be a lot harder than he’d originally expected.

“No. Please don’t think that,” Sky said. “I wanted you to see this. I wanted to share it with you.”

Aidan sighed. “Why are you being so nice to me? It’s very hard to hate you when you keep doing things like this. First you booked me a private room on the boat to help with my seasickness, then you hired a private travel carriage, again for my comfort, and then you give me the best room in the house. I just don’t get you, Sky.”

Sky’s smile softened. “Perhaps I feel a bit guilty for turning your life upside down. I feel that I took advantage of you last year and contrary to your opinion, I am not the sort of man who preys on unwilling people.”

Aidan gritted his teeth at the mention of that incident but cautioned himself against being rash. “You saved my life, Sky. I don’t remember much of it, but I know that without your interference I would be long dead. I owe you for that. Last year you saved it once again. God only knows what Romanoff would’ve done to us without your help. Our…interaction was necessary. I’m sorry for jumping you earlier. I’m just very much out of my element.”

Sky stepped into him, and he was immediately enveloped in the vampire’s strong arms. He froze.
What the hell?
He was about to extricate himself from the embrace when he looked up to see the sheer joy in Sky’s face.

“I will not betray your trust in me,” the vampire offered, tightening his hold and squeezing the life out of Aidan. The hug felt strange because Aidan was far from used to the physical interaction between males, but it was in no way inappropriate. Aidan relaxed a fraction of an inch.

“So, uh, when are you going to tell me why I’m here exactly?” Aidan asked, fighting his reaction to the German vampire. He just wanted to take a bite out of him, and that thought scared the hell out of him. Contrary to what he kept repeating to Sky, it was not the vampire’s desires that he was having issue fighting. It was his own.

“At dinner,” Sky said merrily, releasing him and taking a step back. “I have another surprise for you then.”

Aidan doubted very much if he could handle any more surprises.

Aidan gasped. The soft feel of Sky’s hand on his hard length caused him to shudder. This was beyond anything Aidan had ever felt. He loved the feel of Sky’s lush mouth working on his pulse, drinking down his blood, the vampire’s venom intensifying the sensations until Aidan was writhing in ecstasy.

“Oh god baby. Harder. Needed you so long
.
”
He said the words aloud despite the fact he was lost in his fantasy, his past. Reading his mind, Sky’s hand moved faster, making Aidan pant all the harder. His body strained, seeking the pinnacle of completion that only his vampire could give him. He was so bloody close…

His body jerked with a final twist of the vampire’s wrist. Then he was coming in long pearly streams, soiling Sky’s clothing and hands as he wrung out every last vestige of pleasure.

“You’re going to hate me for this,”
Sky’s voice said sadly in his mind.

“Never,”
Aidan promised
.
Never
.

* * * *

A loud knock on the door jerked Aidan out of his sleep. His mind spun. Disoriented, he attempted to open his eyes. He tried, but everything felt too sharp with his eyes open. Better to leave them closed and hope whoever was pounding on the door would bugger off.

“Excuse me, sir?” It was a familiar voice. One he’d heard before. “Um, supper is being served. Do you require assistance to dress? We have a standby valet if you do.”

Aidan’s eyes blinked open finally to see the gun-shy butler, Mahogany, standing in his doorway. Aidan must’ve fallen asleep while twiddling his thumbs and waiting on supper. His cheeks blazed a bright cherry red as he recalled the exact details of his dream. He had been dreaming of the night of necessary passion nearly a year ago. The most intense sexual experience of his life had been at the hands of his worst enemy.

He didn’t want to admit that he had been fantasizing about the man who’d saved his life since he was fourteen, didn’t want to admit it because he’d been beaten for exhibiting the powers he’d gained from the experience. His father’s hatred of vampire kind was legendary. He’d never let him forget that he thought he lost his son the night he had been saved by a vampire. He’d considered Aidan dead since he was a child. It was one of the many reasons he’d sent Aidan on all the suicide missions. Maybe he’d been trying to redeem him in some way.
Well, if Father could see me now he’d know that I am well and truly damned
.

“Sir?” Mahogany asked, shifting from foot to foot nervously.

“I don’t need someone to help me dress,” Aidan snapped, much more harshly than he intended. Why couldn’t the man just leave him alone? “What kind of man would I be if I couldn’t bloody well dress myself?”

“M−My apologies, my lord.” The boy jumped like he’d been burned and scurried from the room. Aidan winced and rubbed a hand over his still-tired eyes. Fuck all if he didn’t feel bad about scaring the poor boy to death.

* * * *

He made his way down to the dining room as slowly as possible. Almost immediately upon entering the downstairs foyer, he heard the mind chatter of other vampires.

“Do I look all right?”
one voice asked.

“Of course you do, my love. Please stop worrying so,”
another answered, the tone reassuring.

“I
just haven’t seen him in months…”
the first said.

“I know you’re nervous. Don’t worry. He doesn’t hold you responsible for this.”

Sky’s soft voice interrupted the dialogue. “Both of you, please, sit. He’ll be here shortly.” Aidan’s heart pounded as swung open the door. He knew that first mental voice. Anticipation zinged through him.

“Andren!” he cried, a grin breaking out across his face as his brother came into view around the corner.

Andren and Lucian sat side by side at Sky’s table, immaculately dressed. Both looked up at his exclamation. They were both wearing impeccably matched gray-and-black suits. The only thing that differed was the undershirt of each. Lucian in the white, Andren in his signature black.

“Oy, Aidan!” His younger brother stood and ran across the room, squeezing his sibling in a bone-breaking hug.

“God, I had forgotten you’d gone off to Prussia! How have you been?” Aidan asked, overwhelmed with happiness. The first familiar thing he’d encountered since getting on the ship from London was a welcome sight, even if said brother happened to be estranged from the family due to the fact that he was now a vampire himself.

Andren smiled. “We’ve been wonderful. We have a house in the country which is to die for. Lucian’s still teaching me the language, but everyone in our house speaks English, so I haven’t really had that hard a time of it. How about you? Sky tells me that you’ve been getting his emotions through your link.”

They crossed the room together to sit in the chairs round the table. Aidan sat across from his brother and tried not to stare as Andren immediately wrapped his arm around Lucian’s shoulder. His brother’s lover was a beautiful Roman vampire with chocolate-brown hair and vibrant, wine-colored eyes. He was also his sire. They’d had a rocky start to their relationship, but now they were quite inseparable. Aidan was still in shock over the fact that his little brother was with another man. But he was glad he was happy.

Aidan grabbed up his wineglass which was already filled with water and took a sip. “I’m doing all right. Papa has officially disowned me because of the extent of my ‘unholy and unnatural powers.’ However, Mama still writes to me occasionally, and the siblings are still regular visitors.”

Sky’s eyes snapped to his face. “You didn’t tell me your father had disowned you!” he said, his jaw locking with guilt that Aidan could’ve felt even without the bond between them.

“It isn’t really your business,” Aidan snipped, glaring at his host. The blame for the entire thing rested entirely on Sky’s shoulders, even if he couldn’t help it.

“Don’t be rude to him,” Lucian said firmly, drawing his attention back to the couple. “He didn’t know that he was causing you distress, and had you not been too proud and contacted him, he would’ve done all in his power to fix it.”

Shame washed over the former hunter, and Aidan felt properly chastised despite the fact that he wholeheartedly disagreed. He had learned to respect Andren’s lover. Andren wouldn’t tolerate anything else. The former hunter was very protective over his sire, and the last thing Aidan wanted to do was start a fight with his brother. However, in this instance, he was dead wrong.

“Don’t correct him, Luc,” Sky cut in. “He’s right. It isn’t any of my business. I haven’t been a part of his life since he was ten years old. Eighteen years is a long time to neglect one’s responsibilities without consequence.”

“I am not your responsibility. Dammit, Sky! Stop with the woe-is-me attitude,” Aidan snapped, scowling at his host. He felt something building along with his frustration, and then it became a floodgate inside of him that struck out at the object of his annoyance.

The foreign power struck Sky with considerable force, knocking him and his chair back several feet into the nearby wall. The noise sounded like the crack of a whip.
Jesus!
Aidan’s eyes shot wide as the vampire rocked backward.