The Mark - 4. Chapter 4

David held Josh in his arms, as the two lay naked in bed wishing
that it were three. David knew that he was special, that all three of them
were special. It had been what he believed attracted them to each other.
David could read peoples minds as long as he could remember. As a young
child he could not control it and became scared being near other people as
his mind was always flooded with other people's thoughts. Before he met
Josh and Chris in preschool, he was a shy nervous kid. Meeting them
changed his life. First, they were the only people who's mind he couldn't
read. They became his oasis in a desert of mental chatter. Later he
learned how to enter their minds, not their thoughts but their spiritual
self. He liked being in Chris's mind the most. There was a sense of
serenity there that reminded him of being in the place between sleep and
awareness. Josh's mind was more akin to being in a bag full of jumping
beans. When they entered their teenage years David found that he could
communicate with Josh telepathically. It had first scared the two of them
but soon they found it useful and more expressive then normal speech for
when they communicated this way they not only knew what the person was
saying but also the thoughts behind the words. Miscommunication became
impossible for the two of them and it soon became clear that they had
feelings for each other. David taught Josh how to spirit jump as they now
called it and while the three of them slept they would reside within Chris.

Concerning Chris, they had talked about it in some detail but they
still did not know what made him special. He was different, that they knew
but what it was seemed hidden from them. They wanted to bring Chris into
their world but they just didn't know how. They suspected that it had
something to do with his family. They had never been able to enter Chris's
father or brothers' mind and uncle Logan was a bigger mystery.

Josh tried entering his mind once and felt himself pushed back. When
he recovered he saw Logan had a wicked grin on his face while shaking his
head no. Josh and David never tried it again nor had they yet shown the
courage to ask Chris's dark uncle about it but after they had made love
they had agreed that the next time uncle Logan came a knocking they were
going to ask the questions on their minds. They just didn't know how soon
that was going to be.

Josh awoke with a start when he felt a rough cold hand on his naked
back to the stare of two red globes.

"Wake him." A raspy, exhausted voice called out from the glows.

Josh gave David a mental nudge, waking him from what was a peaceful sleep.

"What's wrong?" David grumbled.

"That!" Josh pointed to the red glows in the darkness.

"That?, is that how you greet your uncle Logan?"

"Logan!" The two of them shouted as they jumped out of bed only to be
stopped in their tracks by the flip of the light switch. The room flooded
with light."

"How are my nephew's two favorite friends doing? Having some fun?"

It was this snide comment that made the two of them realize that they
were still naked, their pubic hair matted down with dry sperm.

"How did you get in here?" Josh shouted before running over to hug
his adoptive father."

"So David finally popped your cherry."

"You knew this would happen." Josh said surprised.

Logan's only response was a looked that showed that they should never
underestimate him.

"Mr. Worth, your eyes." David asked, still nervous.

"Yes, a lovely blood red don't you think, not as nice as James's blue but
then my nature gives me a bias."

"Which is?"

"Can't you tell by yourself." Logan said with a wide grin that exposes
two sharp incisors."

"No way!" Josh said flabbergasted before David pulled him away in a
protective grip.

"Stay away you freak!" David shouted.

"Oh calm down now you two, I'm not going to bite you unless... you want me
to."

"Why would we want that!"

"Well there are a lot of advantages to being a vampire."

"Such as needing one million sun block."

"Well there are ways around that but that is not what I'm here to talk
about."

"Its Chris isn't it?" Josh said

"Yes, what happened yesterday really hurt him."

"I know it's my fault, I asked him to leave." David confessed.

"Yes, it wasn't the best way to convince his to your opinion of how
your relationship should change."

"I just thought he would feel uncomfortable around us..."

"When you are having sex. Yes that would make Chris uncomfortable but
not for the reason you think.

"How then?"

"Well as you two know or have guessed by now, the three of you are
linked. You two having sex and the closeness that brings would leave Chris
feeling isolated if he were here with you."

"Then why didn't he want to join us?"

"He's a Morgan, they are probably the most prudish family I've ever met but
then that's part of their nature."

"What do you mean?"

"They don't fall in love very easily and they only have sex when they
are in love with the person involved."

"But doesn't Chris love us?" Josh begged.

"In fact he does but Chris is different. He has been inhibited for
his own protection."

"Inhibited how?"

"Well like in your case David, you can read minds, communicate with
others telepathically, and join the minds of those with similar gifts.
Chris is similarly gifted except in his case he reads peoples emotions.
The problem for Chris was that he was too gifted. He could not prevent the
emotions of others from affecting him."

"I think I understand." David said from his own personal experiences.

"Also, to prevent others from hurting him, Chris's father used his gift
to block his son's talent. It left him a little emotionally muffled"

"He can't feel our love?" Josh said a little upset.

"He can! Believe me he can and does but until now he could not stir
himself enough to act on it."

"You mean he can now!" David said hopefully

"Yes, tonight James removed part of the block controlling Chris's gift."

"Then he can join us."

"Not yet, it will take time for him to control his gift but he will
need your support and understanding to get there quicker."

"We'll help him, just tell us what we need to do."

"Well for starters don't try to jump his bone when you see him again.
Show him the love and compassion you've always shown him."

"Anything else?"

"Yes, you need to understand that Chris has a destiny that will not
involve you."

"What!"

"He is destined to marry a vampire."

"Why?"

"Because the Morgan family is the last known family to be vampire
brides. Remember I told you I'm partial to blue eyes. The members of the
Morgan family all have gleaming blue eyes after they've been fed by a
vampire. The vampires and the Morgan's are linked. We give the Morgan's
long life and health while we gain the ability to walk in daylight without
loosing our strengths."

"So the Morgan's are also vampires of sorts."

"No, they are not predators like us. They can't feed on their own
they have to be fed by us."

"So what you are saying is that because they are the only "brides" as
you called him, he has to marry one." David said angry."

"Yes, that's about it. James knew that he was giving up much of his
family's freedom when he made this deal with us but he felt there was no
choice. It was either to surrender himself to the vampires on his deathbed
or have his family and himself hunted their entire lives."

David stood quite for several moments before an idea came to him.
"You saw he has to marry A vampire. Does that mean that whom he is to
marry is not yet decided."

"...Yes, the courtship of Chris and his brothers will not begin until
they go off to college. Then Chris will be given an opportunity to meet
those seeking his hand in marriage."

"Could you make us vampires." David dared to ask. "And allow us to
seek his hand together."

"Nooo! Chris and James would never forgive me." Logan said bowled over
by the audacity of David's request.

"Logan we love him and he loves us. If he has to marry a vampire why
can't it be with people he already loves and knows." Josh pleaded.

"How does Chris make his choice." David asked after Logan stayed
stunned in silence.

"When he is one his deathbed we will come for him and revive him with
our blood. He will then be presented with his suitors from which he must
choose his husband."

"And they must all be vampires?"

"Yes"

"Do they have to be vampires when the courtship begins?"

"It is expected that they are... What are you asking?"

"If you were to claim us, turn us into vampires before Chris is dying
could we present ourselves as suitors?"

"It would take a lot of influence to allow it from the clans. My clan
couldn't get away with such a stunt."

"But you know of one that can, one that you are in good terms with?"

"Yes I do. It will be the same clan Chris's father will be joining, the
Vox."

"Would they do it?"

"Jason Vox would, its just how his mind works. He would see this as a
gift to James and a way of binding him closer to him by being the father of
James's son's husbands."

"Father?" Josh questioned"

"Yes, the one who changes you becomes your father in the vampire
world. He is responsible for you but that is because he also will have
power over you."

"How much power?" David asked.

"Well since both of you are natural telepaths already his control will
be more limited but he will most likely know where you are at all times
plus know if you are plotting against him or being deceptive."

"I can live with that."

"You think you can because you do not understand."

"Will you ask him?" said Josh.

"No, not until I talk to James about this. It wouldn't be fair to
him. James loves Jason but he also fears him in that he knows that Jason
is obsessed with him and might do terrible things to prove his love."

"Alright." The two said together, resigned in Logan's decision."

"Now I will give you your first education in what being a vampire means."

"What will you teach us."

"As a vampire you will have to feed off people an experience that as a
vampire you will find exhilarating but I think you need to know it from the
other end as well. You must have empathy for you victims or else the blood
lust will drive you mad. To that end..."

Logan never finished that sentence. The lights went out and Logan
seemed to move in one step from the bedroom window to where Josh and David
stood. He had them in his grip before they even realized he was there.
The two of them found that they couldn't speak or move as they were frozen
in terror. All they could see was the hunger glow of Logan's red eyes. He
pulled David to him and gorged on his blood filled neck. David wanted to
scream but found he couldn't. His body went cold like ice water and he
felt darkness overcome him.

After David passed out Logan turned his attention to Josh. With him
he was gentler. He lifted Josh up and lay him on his bed. He knelt down
beside Josh and soothed his trebling body by stoking his face.

"Don't worry Josh, I wont hurt you." Logan whispered before
proceeding to lick his neck, anesthetizing it. He then gave Josh a kiss on
the forehead before biting him.

After feeding Logan put David in bed with Josh, put the sheets around
them and kissed them goodnight. It was as he left the house that he
thought he felt the presence of another but the thought was fleeting.

"I'm being watched." Logan hissed. He searched around for the
source of it but was unable to look long. He had to get back to James to
tell him what happened this night.

James had been asleep when he felt a pair of warm arms wrap around him.

"Get enough to eat?" he smiled

"Hey, I had four hungry mouths to feed tonight." Logan defended himself.

"I wish you wouldn't spend yourself like this."

"It's my job James. You and the kids are my job." Logan said seriously

"I just feel that it has been changing you too much."

"I'm sorry." And Logan was. Feeding changes a person. Both of them
knew that. Logan had become a darker more cynical person after Michael
convinced him to feed again. The predator in him did not weaken from
feeding but grew stronger. James had offered his own blood to Logan but
Logan refused. If Logan took James's blood then it would allow others to
do the same. As long as it was understood that no one could take the
Morgan's blood until they were wed, no one dared to try. Logan knew that
what happened with David and Josh was a symptom of the problem. His need
to feed was growing. He had been able to go a few weeks without feeding
but now he needed to feed twice a week. The fact that David and Josh were
friends of the family only added to the excitement of taking their blood,
excitement and guilt.

"James I have a confession to make."

"What is it?" James said, turning his body around to face him.

"The people I fed on tonight... the people I fed off of were Chris's
friends."

"I'm so sorry Logan." James said while pulling Logan to him.

Logan was once again shocked by James's acceptance and understanding.
If it had been him, he would of torn the perpetrator apart.

"Are they ok?"

"Yes."

"Is there something else?"

"Yes... they want me to turn them into vampires so they can be suitors
for Chris."

"Oh no."

"I was shocked myself but it makes some sense."

"I can see that but the cost!"

"Yes I told them it would not be what they think it will be. It was
part of the poor excuses I gave myself to justifying taking them."

"They're not..."

"No, I didn't change them. It would do little good for what they want
if I did. They would need sponsorship from a stronger clan."

"Jason?"

"Yea."

"He would want that wouldn't he?"

"He would see it as a gift to you."

"I can't let him do that for me."

"Well something needs to be done. I think I was watched."

"By whom?"

"I don't know." No one but me and my men are allowed to follow you
and the kids but that does not mean that we ourselves can't be watched."

"If they know that David and Josh want to be vampires and that they
are in love with Chris..."

"They might use them to position themselves to win the courtship."

"I'll have to tell Jason."

"It might have been Jason's men who were watching me!"

"Just a better reason for us to sort this out. I didn't want other
people suck into this. I feel bad enough about the kids."

"Don't worry about the kids. You've raised them into fine men.
They'll be able to take care of themselves." Logan insisted

"I just wished they didn't have to go threw it."

"It wasn't so bad for you."

"Yes, but I was lucky."

"You were more then lucky James. I know you are told this a million
times but you are a good person. People love you and want to be loved by
you because you are a good person."

"Thanks, I needed to hear that."

"I just wished you would believe it."

Logan left the bed before dawn but was soon replaced by another body.
Chris after last night thought everything would be fine but he could not be
more wrong. He was now dealing with emotions that had been suppressed for
years and he did not have the tools to deal with them. He had gone to his
dad's bedroom door but stopped from opening it when he heard voices on the
other side. Not wanting to disturb them Chris sat down, leaning against
the wall. He must have been there for some time because the next thing he
knew uncle Logan was shaking him awake."

"The doctor will see you now champ."

"Ugh, thanks."

"No problem Chris. I bet you have a lot on your mind right now."

"Yeah..."

"Well trust your dad, he had lots of experience in this."

"Thanks." Chris said before walking in.

"Keep my spot warm for me." Logan joked before leaving himself.

Chris walked into his father's bedroom. He had always wondered why
his father slept in the only room that had no windows. It had always made
Chris feel cluster phobic but it all made sense now. James's room was a
vampire safe room. If Logan got stuck here during daylight he could always
hide in James's room. Chris climbed into the sleigh bed and under the
sheets and looked at his sleeping father. He looked so peaceful, no strain
around the eyes, shoulders low and relaxed but there was something more,
something he hadn't realized. There was an aura of kindness and love
around his father. He didn't know if it was part of the gift that had been
reawakened but there was a radiating peace coming from him. Chris wanted
to be apart of it, to escape the storm that now surrounded him. He rested
his head on his dad's chest.

"It'll be ok son." He heard his father's voice in his mind before
falling asleep again.

It was 7 o'clock before the peace in the room was broken by the two
demons of the family Landon and Nathan.

"Hey don't hog dad." Landon laughed as the two of them jumped on the
bed, smothering the two sleeping victims with kisses."

"Hey you two get some cloths!" James yelled at his two naked sons.

"We have cloths, the two demons laughed, showing a pair of boxers in
their hands.

"Well put them on."

"Oh come on dad you should free yourself and go commando."

"Not in this life time. Now put them on and don't try seducing your
brother."

"Hey, your not suppose to read our minds." Nathan complained

"No I didn't need to. You two runner in here naked told me what you
have in mind. Now get dressed."

"Chris you wouldn't mind joining us in our depravity, would you?" Landon
asked

"No, I mean yes, you know what I mean."

"Brother I think we have a winner."

"No!" Chris insisted.

"If we were Catholic I'd have the two of you doing Hail Mary's until
you were 80 and limp." James insisted.

"Is that a hint to get ready for church?" Nathan moaned

"Yes."

"Alright dad." The twins whined

"Feeling better Chris?"

"Yeah, thanks for letting me sleep here."

"No problem, it must be hard for you right now just be sure you don't
let your brother talk you into anything."

"Sure thing."

Everyone was washed and dressed within the hour. Chris was waiting in
the main hall when his father came down the stairs.

"Where's Nathan and Landon." Chris asked, not seeing them.

James just continued down the stairs and knocked on the cloak closet.
There was a sudden sound of yelps and bumping before the door opened
showing the twins a little disarrayed. James only had to clear his throat
for the two of them to laugh a little nervously before piling out. Chris
just shook his head in embarrassment.

"Just because you now know that I know what the two of you have been
up to does not mean you two can fool around any time you want."

"Yes father." The two replied with false sincerity.

"Get going or we'll be to late to save your souls."

Church went by as it usually did. Chris and the twins went to Sunday
school while their father went to men's bible study. Later the twins went
to join the choir while Chris and James sat in the pews. The twins seemed
to behave this time, not giving their usual bored out of their minds
expressions. Chris listened attentively while his father took notes.
After the service Chris went to see his brothers while James talked to
several other parishioners.

"You two seemed to be on your best behavior today." Chris laughed
when he met them in the robe room.

"Well we can't have dad too mad at us."

"But we don't want to bore him either. Got to keep the old man on his
toes."

"If you can call our dad old. What is he... 48 now. He must look 32
if a day." Landon commented.

"Yea he still has women drooling over him from afar. If we weren't in
church they would actually flirt with him." Nathan added.

"I think some of the men might be interested as well."

"Shhh, you're going to get us in trouble!" Nathan hissed.

It was Nathan's defensiveness that triggered a thought in Chris.
"You've been reading peoples minds haven't you." He mentally sent to Nathan
and Landon.

"We haven't read anyone's mind." The two sent out together but the
guilty expressions on their face spoke otherwise.

It took Chris a moment to guess the truth. "Empathy, you've not been
reading their minds but their emotions. You know who's been lusting after
dad."

"He's catching on." Nathan applauded.

"Does dad know?"

"Hell no, As far as I know father keeps his powers under tight control
he always would go off about the need for blind faith in people."

"Well dad is a fairly religious person."

"He's just looking for forgiveness for what he THINKS he did to us."
Landon moaned.

"No, I think there's more to it. He wants to believe the best of
people and the idea of divine forgiveness helps him do so. The mercy and
peace of God are important to dad." Nathan disagreed.

"I just think its funny that one of the ministers is in love with dad
that's all."

"What!" Chris shouted before he realized that he had verbally spoken.

"Shhh!" Nathan hissed at him before returning to telepathy. "It's the
singles minister, the Persian."

"How did you find out!" Chris asked, returning to telepathy as well.

"Well at first we just noticed that he would look at dad in a weird
way when dad wasn't looking. You know how dad always talks about looking
at how people look at you through a mirror. Well this time dad's right you
do see things you normally wouldn't." Landon sent.

"Landon and I got curious so we did a little mental poking around him
and found that Rev. Abdi is just riddled with feeling of love, lust, and
guilt around dad."

"Well he is a hottie." Chris added before he caught himself.

"Wow, is your gay side finally coming out bro!" Nathan laughed.

"Well no he's just..."

"He's just hot with his hazel eyes, olive skin, short black hair, thick
eyebrows, and strong build..."

"Ok that's enough Nathan." Chris sent, bothered by how Nathan's
description was giving him a woody.

"Well dad, due to his idealism, is completely oblivious to it. He
just thinks of Rev. Abdi as a good friend."

"How did an Iranian become a Methodist minister anyway?"

"Well from what I hear he family were members of the Armenian Church
in Iran but fled the country after the fall of the Shah. Devon Abdi is the
child of one of the children that fled. Supposedly when the family came to
America, they were adopted by a local Methodist Church. The parents never
converted to Methodism but a few of the children did including the
reverend's grandfather."

"So the Rev. is gay? Won't he get into trouble if the church found
out?"

"Yah, so be sure to keep it to yourself."

"So... What do you think we should do about it?" Nathan asked after a
moment of silence.

"What do you mean?" Chris wondered.

"Well Landon and I are worried about dad. Uncle Logan only comes by
once every two weeks and all three of us are going to college after our
senior year we think...'

"That we should set the two of them up?" Chris finished.

"Yah, we just wanted to know how you felt about it since you and dad
have always been closer in spirit."

"I think dad would like a companion."

James had just finished saying good-bye to a group from his bible
study when he started looking for his sons. He had just reached the stairs
leading to the choir loft when he ran into Rev. Abdi."

"James I've been looking for you." Abdi said in a deep and only
slightly accented voice.

"How can I help you Reverend."

"Well uhm... I was thinking of starting a new Wednesday night bible
study class and I would like you to help me run it."

"Wow, I'm honored, I think I can do it. What would be required of
me?"

"Not much, I just need some help organizing the group, calling
members, leading some of the studies. Your so respected in the Sunday
school that when I and the pastor talked about it your name was the first
we thought of."

"No problem, just give me a call."

"Sure," Devon was about to finish when he felt himself being given a
mental kick in the pants. "Ohh!"

"What's wrong." James asked concerned.

"Oh nothing." Devon quickly recovered but was hit with another kick.

"Ugh!"

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I think it's just something I ate." Devon lied

"Alright, take care of yourself, bye"

"Rats!" Nathan thought, from the top of the stairs. "He's too
inhibited and reserved to ask dad out. He will be a hard nut to crack."

After eating brunch at a small French restaurant the family returned
home. As soon as they arrived the twins began shucking their cloths.
James was about to remind them to pick the cloths up when Landon came
running down the stairs in his boxers picking up cloths as he gave dad a
mischievous grin.

"What am I to do. I told them I love them so now they go wild."
James complained to Chris.

"Don't worry dad, they'll calm down... eventually." Chris said in
sympathy.

"Before or after they run off to Denmark to get married?"

"No I think they'll just run up to San Francisco and find some judge
to do it for them."

"Thanks for the encouragement." James said before they both flopped
down into chair in the living room

"Dad?"

"Yes Chris."

"Are you lonely?"

"Not really, why?"

"Well soon all three of us will be gone to college. Uncle Logan only
comes by once every two weeks. I just wonder if you will get lonely."

"I've tried not to think about it." James confessed.

"Why don't you go out dating? Find a new Mrs. or Mr. Morgan."

"Well I think it would be a little obvious. I don't want anyone to
get trapped in our family curse."

"Are you afraid that your future husband will get jealous?"

"Yes."

"Dad you said you made the deal with the vampires so that we could
live our own lives until we were close to death. Why can't you live your
life to the fullest as well."

"I think its more complicated then that."

"No its not Dad! You've given up having your own life. You're so
concerned about how others might feel that you don't take care of yourself.
You're a good person dad. Why won't you let others love you?"

James was shaken by his son's words. They were nearly the same as
Logan's. It was also then that he noticed the twins presence by the
stairs, listening in and if he wasn't mistaken mentally talking to Chris.
The three of them were up to something he surmised.

"What are the three of you up to?" James asked, volleying back his
look of surprise to his sons. "You two can join the conversation now."
James called in the twins' direction.

After the two had sat down James gave them a half serious glare and
said "Well?"

"We want you to start dating again dad." All three of them said at
once.

"And I guess from Chris's comments that you have someone in mind?"

The twins gave Chris a hard stare showing that they did.

"Don't blame Chris now. I don't have to be psychic to have guessed
that the three of you are up to something. So tell me who the person is
that you think I will fall in love with."

"Rev. Abdi!" The twins blurted before they knew they were going to
answer. Their faces went pale but soon realized what happened. "You used
your gift on us!" They accused together.

"Yes I did. I didn't want to spend the next hour or so while you three
played verbal gymnastics with me. Even though I'm a lawyer it doesn't mean
I enjoy beating around the bush."

"But you've never used your gift on us before."

"Sure I have. When the two of you were little and had the habit of
stealing cookies a put in your mind that there was a giant spider hiding in
the box."

"I never looked at a chocolate chip cookie the same after that."
Landon bemoaned.

"And when Chris was tempted to steal from the candy store I put the
fear of me into him."

"I still cringe when I go into those stores." Chris complained

"And for something more recent I triggered the computer to crash when
Nathan was surfing porn."

"I still am only allowed to use the typewriter." Nathan groaned.

"I admit at being a little over protective of you three but I meant
well." It was that last line that got James into trouble. The three boys
saw the opening their dad had left them and now they were going to pry it
the whole way.

"Well dad we are protective of you." Landon started.

"We are concerned about you." Nathan added.

"And we only mean well." Chris finished.

By this time all three of them had wicked grins on their faces and
James knew he was in trouble.

"We want you to date."

"We know that Rev. Abdi likes you."

"That he likes you a lot."

"But that's not right. He's my minister." James said in a weak
defense. But the three of them ignored him.

"You're going to allow him to like you."

"You WILL allow him to get close to you."

"And if you also like him, you will allow yourself to do so."

"I can't..."

"There is no CAN'T"

"There is only WILL."

"You WILL find happiness dad. Not for the future and not from the
past but NOW." Chris finished.