Night Walker - 1. Night Walker

Jeremiah Blackfoot could feel the anticipation curling through his veins as he waited for the last rays of sunlight to disappear beyond the horizon. It had been centuries since he had felt the sun on his skin; truthfully, he couldn’t even remember what being out in the sun felt like. He had only felt the pull of the sunlight once in his early years after being converted to a creature of the night. He may not remember the feeling of the sun before he became a vampire, but he could clearly recall the instant burning sensation the one time he had tried to venture out. He had no desire to live with that pain again and was just glad that a vampire bursting instantly into a cloud of dust upon contact with sunlight was nothing more than a myth. Of course, most people didn’t really believed he existed, so his very existence was thought to be nothing more than a myth used to scare young children.

Looking in the mirror, Jeremiah took in his youthful features. He had been changed during his prime years and after more than seven hundred years, he still looked the same as he had at the age of twenty seven. He smiled as he thought of the other myth, that vampires did not have a reflection. For a race that denied his very existence, they sure came up with plenty of myths about his kind. Like some myths though, there was a kernel of truth behind the myth of vampires not casting a reflection. When he was first changed, he found out that with each kill his reflection would become more and more opaque. He quickly learned that each kill took a small portion of his soul and that in order to keep his soul, he needed to learn to feed without killing.

Reaching up, Jeremiah ran his fingers through his shoulder length black hair. Though he never seemed to turn a day older, his hair could still grow and he had tried many different styles through the centuries. Deciding that he craved the longer hair at the moment, he had been letting it grow back out. Very light blue, almost silver eyes stared back at him, as he took in his appearance. The hard work of his younger years had left him with a more than decent physique. Now, he never had to work out. His body itself never changed, though after a couple hundred years, he had grown tired of looking the same, day in day out, and wished he could age just a little, enough to notice some type of change.

Jeremiah opened his senses and as soon as he felt the last of the rays of sunshine dissipate he headed into the welcoming darkness of night. He strolled along the streets and smiled as people moved to give him a wide berth. They seemed to know he was different as he walked among them, but he knew that it was only in their subconscious and the mortals were not even aware that they tended to move out of his way. Not being in the least afraid of dark alleys, Jeremiah took many shortcuts until he reached a club that many vampires used when they needed to feed. As he approached the club, he felt and smelled a vampire that he hadn’t come across before. Vampires were by no means overly social with one another, but “like vampires” tended to converge in certain areas. Those who still contained a soul tended to go to areas which contained other vampires with souls, and the same could be said for those without souls. The presence of this new vampire set his teeth on edge; he could feel and smell the other vampire, but could sense no soul.

Once inside the bar, Jeremiah was grateful that he neither felt hot nor cold for the place was extremely crowded. Taking a seat in a booth, Jeremiah let his eyes wander in search of the vampire that he had sensed when he approached. He watched as others that he knew by association led their unknowing donors down a hall to rooms in which they could feed in peace. Sometimes, he thought ironically, it was good to have a bar run by others of his kind. Feeling restless, Jeremiah slipped out of the booth and headed down the hallway to the feeding rooms. As he passed doors, he could hear the steady pulse of the donors through the doors. Reaching one of the last doors, Jeremiah could hear movement inside but the pulse coming from that room was extremely weak, almost to the point of non-existence. Stopping outside the door, Jeremiah reached out his senses and realized that the vamp that he had sensed earlier was in the room beyond the door.

“Damn it,” Jeremiah whispered to himself. Not wanting to have some poor soul sucked dry, Jeremiah knew he would have to intervene. It was the places where vampires left their victims alive but with no memory of being fed from that the few deaths went un-noticed. Having a vamp that would kill indiscriminately would quickly bring more deaths which were bound to be noticed. Placing a hand on the doorknob, Jeremiah gave the door a hard push and hoped that he wasn’t too late. As he rushed the room, his gaze quickly took in the scene before him. The vamp had looked up as Jeremiah rushed into the room and Jeremiah could see blood coating the other vamp’s mouth.

“Get out,” the vamp said coldly.

“You’re in the wrong area,” Jeremiah answered, a clear warning in his voice as he advanced toward the pair. “We don’t kill our donors around here.”

“Who cares,” the vamp answered as he lowered his head back towards the neck of his victim.

“Just about every one of us who lives here,” Jeremiah answered as he advanced even closer. When he was within arm’s reach, Jeremiah quickly reached out and jerked the other vamp away from his victim and hurtled him across the room before bending down and inspecting the condition of the victim sprawled on the floor. He quickly realized that the man was too anemic for a blood transfusion to work. “You stupid idiot! I either have to turn him or let him die,” Jeremiah said angrily to the other vamp as he leaned over and stroked his tongue over the wounds on the injured man’s neck. He watched as the blood stopped trickling out of the victim.

“He’s mine,” the other vamp said coldly before lunging at Jeremiah with no warning, slamming both vamps to the ground.

Jeremiah’s mind worked quickly as he reached up and grasped the other vamps head before jerking his arms sideways, effectively breaking the other vamp’s neck. It wasn’t the first time he had to kill another vampire, and he knew it wouldn’t be the last. Luckily for him, the killing of a non-soul would never threaten his own soul. Those with souls knew the only way to continue to go undetected was to protect their boundaries from the soul-less vampires that preyed to kill. Shoving the body off him, Jeremiah stood up and walked back over to where the mortal lay on the ground. Knowing he had to work fast, Jeremiah knelt down and bit into his own wrist before placing it to the man’s mouth, letting a few drops of his blood drip into the corners of the other man’s lips. Within seconds, the blood slipped inside and Jeremiah pressed his wrist tighter against the man’s lips until he felt a gentle suction. Once he was sure he had given the man enough of his blood, Jeremiah pulled his wrist away and licked his wrist to seal the punctures. Knowing that it would be a day or so before the man came to, Jeremiah slipped out to talk to the bartender.

“Jeremiah,” the bartender greeted him.

“Christian, we have a rogue,” Jeremiah replied, dispensing with the formalities.

“How bad?”

“I had to kill him and turn the victim,” Jeremiah answered.

“Which room?”

“Ten.”

“I’ll send someone in to dispose of the body,” Christian answered. “What do you want me to do about the victim?”

“I’ll take care of it,” Jeremiah answered before turning away from the bar and heading back down the hallway. Within moments, a couple of vamps came in and carried off the still form of the rogue vamp. After they were gone, he picked up the man lying on the floor and headed towards the back entrance of the bar, which opened into a dark alley. Jeremiah was fairly certain he could use the shadows to make it back to his house without being detected by the mortals and crept stealthily through the dark with the other man cradled in his arms. Following the shadows, Jeremiah was glad to see his house ahead and moved to the back door. It only took moments to open and Jeremiah quickly carried his burden down the stairs to the basement. The only time he ventured upstairs was when it was dark since the basement was the only place that light couldn’t penetrate. He had no need of a light as he carried the man to the bed and lay him gently down.

Jeremiah knew that with having turned the other man, he would need to feed. He had supplied the man a fair amount of his own blood and though it wouldn’t kill him, it would leave him weak if he didn’t replace it. Knowing there was no chance of the man waking up, Jeremiah moved stealthily out of the room and back onto the streets. Not wanting to go back to the bar, he strolled quietly around the streets, his gaze taking in the few faces he saw. Finally deciding on a donor, Jeremiah reached out with his mind and forced calming vibes into the man’s mind before taking the man’s hand and leading him to a quiet alley away from prying eyes. With a last glance around to make sure no one was coming, he lowered his head to the man’s neck and, with a slight pressure, broke through the layer of skin to the vein underneath. He sucked gently at the neck beneath his lips, all the while forcing thoughts of him out of the other man’s mind. Once he had his fill, he swiped his tongue over the two small puncture holes to seal them before turning and leaving the alley. Once he was out of the alley he released the mind of the other man and headed home.

Upon returning home, he walked around the upper rooms making sure that no one had been there before heading down to the basement. Sitting in a chair against the furthest wall from the bed, Jeremiah took in the man lying in the bed. Whereas his own six foot four frame barely fit on the bed, the man lying there had at least a good six inches left of bed, which made Jeremiah guess that his height was about five foot ten, give or take a couple inches. Blonde hair framed the man’s face and his lips were slightly stained from the blood that Jeremiah had made him drink. Jeremiah figured he was in his mid twenties, same as he was when he was turned.

“Damn it,” Jeremiah muttered into the darkness. He hated turning anyone who didn’t have the choice. He figured there was no need to fret about it. Just like other’s he had turned for the same reason, Jeremiah would give the man the choice when he came to. Some people couldn’t cope with being turned and one of the first things Jeremiah assured them was that if they really didn’t want to live as a vampire, he would finish them off. It usually ended up that the majority decided to live the existence of a vampire, while only a handful wanted to end it. When one chose to end it, Jeremiah always forced calm into the turned persons mind and made the end as quick as possible. He hoped this one would want to remain as he was; something about the other man called to him. Deciding there wasn’t much he could do until the man came to; Jeremiah headed upstairs and settled in for a night at the computer.

As was his usual custom, Jeremiah searched through a few real estate sites that were set up by other vamps. He had been in this house for a good twenty-five years and he knew it was close to time to move on. He had a total of three houses in different parts of the United States and he rotated them out. After spending his allotted time at one, he’d move to the next, and then the next, before, after fifty or so years, moving back. Usually, by the time he moved back, most of the people that had seen him living in the house were either dead or would mistake him for a relative of himself. He was still always on the lookout for a new place to acquire and by visiting different sites he could find out what was available.

“Well, I guess the next place will have to be the coast,” Jeremiah said out loud, already thinking of the house on the Washington coastline. As much as he would like to go to Europe or another continent, he was slightly limited to how far he could travel as he could only travel at night. Sure, there were ways; hiding out in cargo holds on planes or ships was one way to travel, but Jeremiah had long ago decided that he would rather travel by shifting. He had never really enjoyed traveling by car and he knew he could get quite a ways each night by shifting into wolf form, or something similar, depending on the area he was going through. He smiled as he thought about how not all of his kind could shift. It all depended on what kind of blood was flowing through ones veins. As long as the blood contained mage or another magical being, the vampire could shift. The man he had just turned would be able to shift since he now had Jeremiah’s blood running through his veins. Sensing that the sun would be rising soon, Jeremiah shut down the computer before heading towards the bed. He knew with a certainty that the man lying there would not awaken until the sun set again that evening and that he would awaken a few hours or so before full darkness descended on the town. Reaching out, Jeremiah carefully maneuvered the man to one side of the bed and pulled the blankets over him before settling in himself. Within moments of closing his eyes, Jeremiah’s pulse slowed until it was nearly undetectable and his mind shut down in a deep slumber.

***
Jeremiah’s mind could sense daylight turning to dusk as he slowly awakened. He turned his head slightly and took in the form lying next to him. He knew that things were going to get interesting when the man lying next to him came to. Jeremiah moved slowly as he climbed out of the bed, gradually stretching his tense muscles. It was something he was used to as it happened every night; lying for as long as he did with almost no pulse tended to make him limbs stiff. Jeremiah walked over to the chair he had sat in the night before and began his vigil. He knew that it wouldn’t be much longer before the man came to and then the explanations would have to begin.

Jeremiah’s mind drifted back to when he was changed. He knew that no matter how many years passed, he would always remember the fear he had felt when it was explained to him what he had become. It took a long time for him to actually come to terms with it, but he hadn’t really had anyone there to help him. Jeremiah was drawn back to the present when he heard sounds begin to come from the bed. Glancing over, he saw the man on the bed open his eyes and turn his head slightly. Making sure to move slowly, Jeremiah made his way over to the bed and sat on the edge. He watched as the man’s eyes moved and followed his movements before trying to sit up.

“Easy, you might feel a bit dizzy,” Jeremiah cautioned before moving to help the man sit slowly up.

“Where am I?” the man asked as his gaze took in the room around him.

“You’re at my house. You kinda passed out,” Jeremiah answered, knowing from experience that he needed to wait until the man’s senses became more alert before telling him the truth. Jeremiah knew what the other man would be feeling. He’d be thirsty, but even if he drank a glass of water, it wouldn’t quench his thirst. He’d be hungry, but nothing would sound good and, in the end, nothing would sate the hunger. It wouldn’t take long for the man to realize that he felt different and his heightened senses would come alive. “I’m Jeremiah,” Jeremiah said before holding out his hand.

“Cale,” the other man whispered before taking Jeremiah’s hand.

Jeremiah could feel the slight chilliness of Cale’s hand and knew that with time, he would learn to regulate his body temperature. Until then, his skin would feel clammy to another person’s touch.

“How did I get here?” Cale asked, his voice beginning to sound stronger.

“I brought you here,” Jeremiah answered. “What do you remember?” Jeremiah asked.

“I remember being at a club, and going into a back room with another guy,” Cale answered before meeting Jeremiah’s eyes.

“Anything else?”

“He started kissing my neck and then I felt a sharp pain, like he was biting me,” Cale answered.

Jeremiah silently cursed as he realized that in a very short time, Cale would remember everything that happened up until he passed out from the lack of blood. Like most non-souls, the vampire that had fed on Cale also fed on his fear and neglected to use mind control. He continued to watch Cale’s eyes and knew the moment that he remembered when he saw the fear materialize.

“You remember it all, don’t you, Cale?” Jeremiah asked, making sure to keep his voice barely more than a whisper.

“It can’t be, they don’t exist,” Cale whispered.

“What doesn’t exist?” Jeremiah asked, knowing that it was important for Cale to reach the right conclusion on his own.

“Vampire’s, they don’t exist. They can’t exist. Can they?” Cale questioned.

Jeremiah stood up and paced the room. He hated this part, explaining that not only did his kind exist, but that the other person was now one of them. He knew that he had to choose his words carefully and took a moment to compose his thoughts before turning his attention back to Cale.

“Yes, they do exist,” Jeremiah said softly. “And no, before you ask, you weren’t imagining what happened to you.”

“If it was a vampire, I’d be dead,” Cale answered, his voice unsteady. “Vampires don’t leave the person alive, so it couldn’t have been.”

“Not all vampires kill,” Jeremiah answered, knowing that he needed to readjust Cale’s thinking quickly. If he believed that all vampires were killers, it would make it that much harder for him to adjust to becoming one himself. He also knew that he needed to be honest with Cale about what had happened to him. “Yes, the one you met would have killed you if I hadn’t become aware of him. If I had showed up much later, you would have been dead, but not all vampires are like him. He was what is called a non-soul, a vampire who has taken such pleasure in killing that in the end he lost his soul.”

“How do you know so much about vampires?” Cale asked, not entirely sure that he wanted to know the answer.

“Because I am one,” Jeremiah answered quietly, instantly regretting having to tell Cale the truth when he saw Cale’s eyes darken with intense fear before he scrambled to get off the bed. Not wanting to scare Cale any more than he already was, but also not being able to allow him to just leave, Jeremiah quickly moved to block the door.

“So why haven’t you killed me yet,” Cale asked as he moved around the bed until it was between him and Jeremiah.

“I told you, not all vampires kill. There are two types, those without souls, and those with. I still have my soul. That’s the only reason you’re not dead and the vampire who tried to kill you is.”

“You killed him?”

“He came into the wrong area. You see,” Jeremiah continued keeping his voice quiet, “those of us who have retained our souls don’t particularly care for non-souls and vice versa. We don’t cohabitate very well. Non-souls tend to get noticed, though no one knows that we exist, the deaths get noticed.”

“You expect me to believe that you’ve never killed anyone?” Cale asked, the doubt evident in his voice.

“I never said that I hadn’t killed, but that was a long time ago, before I realized what it was doing to me. You have to understand that when you get turned you have three choices. You can feed off one person until you’re completely full, which drains your donor and kills them. A vampire that goes that route loses a little of his or her soul with each death. The second option is to feed a little from each donor, seal the punctures, and they don’t lose enough blood to really affect them. A vampire that does that retains his or her soul and can actually regain their soul if they’ve already lost part of it. The last option is to either kill yourself or have someone else take your life. I’ve seen a few who have chosen the last option, unable to adapt to what they had become.”

“You really expect me to believe you? You expect me to believe that you’re not only a vampire but a ‘good’ vampire?” Cale said disbelievingly. He forced himself to walk around the bed and towards the door that Jeremiah half guarded. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Jeremiah had become somewhat relaxed, there was no way Cale could have made it past him. Before Jeremiah knew what was happening, Cale was out of the room and headed up the stairs. Once he realized what was happening, he darted out the door and up the stairs. He cursed himself for letting his guard down. He had just hit the top stair when he heard the back door open followed by a scream. His senses immediately told him that there was still enough sun left to burn skin. He shoved the door at the top of the steps open and, keeping to the shadows, made his way to the back door and pushed it closed before scooping Cale up and heading back down the stairs into the safety of the bedroom.

“Let me go!” Cale yelled, beginning to understand that something wasn’t right. He knew there should have been no reason that his skin was burned from the mere seconds he was exposed to the light.

“You can’t go up yet,” Jeremiah said gently as he cradled Cale in his arms. The hardening in his jeans reminded him that it had been centuries since he had buried himself in a welcoming body and he had to force himself to lay Cale back on the bed as he took in the blistered skin on his arms and face. Jeremiah was instantly glad that he had left Cale clothed the prior night; otherwise Cale would have had burns over more of his body than he did.

“What happened?” Cale whispered, his mind already realizing that he was different.

“The sun burnt your skin,” Jeremiah answered.

“But why?” Cale asked.

“I think, in the back of your mind, you realize why,” Jeremiah answered. “I didn’t have a choice.”

“Choice? Choice!?” Cale yelled, his anger surpassing the pain his body felt from the burned skin. “You turned me and you say you didn’t have a choice?! Where the hell was my choice?”

“It was either turn you or watch you die,” Jeremiah answered as he stepped away from the bed. “You have the choice now,” Jeremiah told him. “You can either remain as you are, or I’ll end your life, if you wish it.” Jeremiah was secretly hoping that Cale wouldn’t ask him to end it. Cale made him feel things that he hadn’t felt in centuries. He had spent the last couple of centuries alone because it hurt too much to watch those he loved waste away, and none of them had been willing to be turned.

“My life is already ended,” Cale said, his voice filled with contempt. “It’s merely a matter of existing, and as disgusting as what you made me is, I have no desire to be dead.”

“We need to heal your burns,” Jeremiah said lightly as he stepped closer to Cale.

“Let me guess. You have some magical ointment that will miraculously heal me,” Cale said in disgust.

“To heal, you need to feed,” Jeremiah whispered.

“I don’t want to fucking feed,” Cale retorted angrily.

“It’s the only way for your skin to heal. It won’t be long until your body becomes weak from lack of nourishment. You’ll start to feel the pangs of hunger; it’s not something you can put off for long.”

“I can’t inflict that horror on anyone,” Cale whispered, remembering his own fear when the non-soul, as Jeremiah called him, sank his fangs into his neck.

“You don’t have to,” Jeremiah answered. “We can either go out and I can take control of their mind until you learn how, or you can feed from me.”

“What do you mean take control of their mind?”

“It doesn’t have to be a fearful experience. A vampire can soothe the donor’s mind and keep them from remembering anything of the experience, but you have to learn how,” Jeremiah told him as he lifted his own wrist to his mouth and bit in. Within moment’s blood filled the puncture wounds and began to pool on Jeremiah’s wrist. “I don’t think you’re quite ready for that,” Jeremiah whispered as he held his wrist out to Cale.

“I can’t,” Cale whispered as the scent of blood began to fill his nostrils and the sound of Jeremiah’s pulse filled his ears. He instantly hated how the blood called to him but he found himself leaning towards Jeremiah’s wrist.

“You must,” Jeremiah whispered back, his voice throaty as he watched Cale’s lips close over the punctures in his wrist. Within seconds he could feel the suction of Cale’s mouth as he fed. Carefully, so as not to disrupt Cale, Jeremiah settled himself on the bed. As though of its own accord, his other hand reached up and smoothed the hair back so he could see Cale’s face. When he was sure that Cale had drank enough, Jeremiah pulled his wrist away only to have Cale try to latch back on. “You’ve had enough,” Jeremiah told him softly as he brought his wrist to his own mouth and stroked his tongue over the wound as Cale watched. The small punctures quickly quit bleeding before the skin sealed itself back up. “You must always lick over the wound in order to seal it,” Jeremiah explained.

Cale reached up and wiped a drop of blood away with his fingers before staring at the bright red on them. “What have I done?” he asked in self disgust.

“You had to feed, Cale,” Jeremiah said soothingly. “In time it will become natural to you.”

“I don’t know if I want to,” Cale answered as he moved away from Jeremiah, his tortured gaze meeting Jeremiah’s own.

“It’s a hard thing to become accustomed to. It took me quite a long time to accept what I must do to survive. You don’t have to become a monster, Cale; it’s up to you. Until you know how to control how much you feed, I’ll be there with you. I’ll never let you kill,” he said softly as he climbed off the bed.

He could feel the weakness in his body and knew that he would have to go feed in order to replace the blood he had given Cale. It had long ago become safe for him to venture out. The sun had dropped far beyond the horizon. He made his way towards the door and stopped without looking back at Cale, “I must go out.” Without waiting for a reply, he made his way to the stairs and within moments he was outside looking up into the star filled night sky. As he walked away from the house, he could feel Cale’s eyes on him and turned back to see Cale’s shadow in the front window. Not wanting Cale to see him feeding just yet, he hurried his pace and headed down the fairly populated streets. Within moments, he had selected an unknowing donor and led them into the shadows. He had just sunk his teeth into the donor’s neck when he sensed Cale watching him. Lifting his eyes, he met Cale’s gaze as he slowly drank. After a few minutes, he swiped his tongue over the wound before heading towards Cale and releasing the donor from his stupor.

“How often?” Cale asked quietly, his anger of earlier being replaced with remorse.

Jeremiah knew what he was being asked without Cale having to actually say the words. “At first, you’ll have to feed every night, but after a while, you’ll be able to go without for a couple of days.” Jeremiah reached out and took a hold of Cale’s elbow before steering him back towards the house. He knew that they had more things they needed to discuss and it wouldn’t be smart to discuss them out in the open. When they were back at the house, Jeremiah led Cale into the living room and motioned for him to take a seat on the couch while he took a recliner.

“I don’t want to be this,” Cale said honestly.

“I can end it if you want Cale. Yes, I turned you without you knowing, but you do have the choice.”

“Would it hurt?” Cale asked quietly.

“No, it wouldn’t. You haven’t yet learned how to block me from your mind,” Jeremiah answered quietly. He felt a deep pain at the thought of ending Cale’s life, but if that’s what the other man wanted, then he would do it. He had to give Cale the choice. “Do you want me to end it?”

“No,” Cale whispered, “I don’t want to die, but I don’t know if I can live the type of life I would have to live. I don’t know if I can feed from a person.”

“Until you have made up your mind, you can feed from me,” Jeremiah answered him. “You need to know that each time you feed, it will be harder for you to turn away from it. It becomes a part of you, but you don’t have to hurt anyone. I didn’t have anyone who took the time to explain anything to me, and by the time I realized that I didn’t have to lose my soul, it was almost too late. I can teach you to control the hunger so that you never take too much.”

“It’s so much to take in. I never believed vampires existed, and now, not only do I know they exist, but I am one. It’s kind of hard to wrap my mind around. I’ve read about the myth of the vampire, and now I don’t know what was actually true and what was merely a myth.”

“You can ask me anything you want to know,” Jeremiah answered. “There are many myths out there, but there are also some facts.”

“Are you, I mean, we, like Dracula? Can we become a bat?”

“Yes and no. Some vampires can shape shift, but not all. It depends on the blood of the vampire who turned you. I was turned over seven hundred years ago by a vampire who possessed mage blood. So yes, I can shift. Since I am the one who turned you, you will also be able to shift. You will be able to shift into any type of animal. That’s actually how I travel from one place to the next. I can show you if you would like,” Jeremiah finished.

“No, at least, not right now. What about sunlight? Why didn’t I turn to dust when the sunlight hit me?”

“That’s part myth and part true. I suppose if you stayed out in the sunlight long enough, your skin would burn off, but the pain would probably drive you back into darkness before it got that far. Generally the sun will burn your skin, extremely painful, but not usually life threatening. There’s only a few real ways to kill us quickly and sunlight is not one of those.”

“You said you’re over seven hundred years old, but you don’t look old. You look really young.”

“We don’t age, which can sometimes be problematic. We have to move around every twenty five years or so in order to go undetected. I have three houses that I move between. Every once in a while I will sell one and buy another just to have somewhere new to go. For the rest of your life, you will look just like you do now.”

“Seems like a pretty lonely existence,” Cale muttered to himself.

“Yes, it is. I will give you a bit of advice. Be careful not to fall for a mortal. I’ve done that a few times and it’s hard to watch them age and then slowly die. I haven’t had a mate, male or female, for the past couple hundred years because most mortals, if given the choice, won’t let you turn them.”

Cale’s own thoughts were confusing him. He was furious that Jeremiah had turned him, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but notice the almost silver color of the other man’s eyes. Nor could he ignore the way that Jeremiah’s jet black hair fell around his face as he talked. It took everything in him not to reach out and tuck the stray hair back behind Jeremiah’s ear.

“You can you know,” Jeremiah whispered, causing Cale to jerk his gaze to the other man.

“I can what?”

“Tuck the hair behind my ear,” Jeremiah said with a grin.

“How the hell,” Cale began only to be interrupted.

“I told you before; you haven’t yet learned how to close your mind off to me. I can see your thoughts as well as if they were my own.”

“That’s not very polite,” Cale answered. “You shouldn’t be reading my mind without my permission.”

“You’ll need to learn how to mind block. Just like I read what you were thinking, any other vampire that wanted to could also enter your mind.”

“So, I could read your mind if I wanted to?” Cale asked.

“If I let you. I’ve had many many years to strengthen the blocks. Since you will need to know how though, I guess I could let you practice on me.”

“How?”

“You need to focus. Forget all the things you thought impossible and focus on me. It will get easier, in time, to where it won’t require as much focus. Focus your thoughts on wanting to know what I’m thinking,” Jeremiah told him as he dropped a portion of his own block. There was no way he wanted Cale to see everything going on in his mind. “For this first time, I want you to focus on my eyes. Let yourself go and try to see beyond my eyes, almost like you’re trying to look through me. If you’ve let yourself go enough, you’ll be able to see what I’m thinking,” Jeremiah said before sitting quietly, keeping eye contact with Cale. It was somewhat unnerving to have Cale sit there staring at him. After five minutes, he knew that Cale still hadn’t succeeded. Deciding to go another route, Jeremiah moved and sat next to Cale on the couch before turning to face him.

“Try this,” Jeremiah said as he laid his hand on Cale’s arm. “Close your eyes and focus on my touch. Open your mind to the possibilities.” He had known other vampires who, when first learning, had to learn through touch. Within moments, he heard Cale’s gasp and knew that he had seen Jeremiah’s thoughts. Pulling his hand away, he whispered, “Tell me what you saw.”

“I saw,” Cale started only to shake his head and look at Jeremiah with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

“You saw?” Jeremiah prompted. He knew that he should be ashamed of himself for the image he had allowed Cale to see, but he enjoyed the stupefied expression that Cale wore.

“You and me. Naked. On the bed.”

Jeremiah couldn’t help himself and let himself into Cale’s mind and was happy to see that though the image had shocked him, Cale wasn’t repulsed. In fact, it seemed that the single image had been enough that Cale was trying to force himself not to become aroused.

“Quit doing that!” Cale yelled before reaching out and shoving Jeremiah back.

“Quit doing what?” Jeremiah asked innocently.

“Quit going into my mind! I think it’s time you taught me how to block you out.”

“Fine, take my fun away. I made sure that you could feel when I entered your thoughts so that you would know what to look for. Chances are, it’s going to take time for you to actually be able to block me or any other vampire for that matter. You need to think about the hardest substance you can, and then imagine yourself building a wall in front of the thoughts you don’t want me to see. In time it will become second nature and you’ll be able to do it without much thought. Wait until you feel me entering and then quickly build the wall. If it’s strong enough you’ll be able to keep me out.”

“How will I know if it worked?” Cale asked.

“I’ll tell you what I see, if I see anything. You ready to try?”

“Yeah.”

Jeremiah started probing and had to stifle a laugh when Cale tried to build the wall with rocks. Jeremiah instantly pushed through the wall before telling Cale, “You’re still thinking of the image of me and you on the bed. Try again.” He pulled back slightly before trying again, this time coming up against a wall of cement which, though it was a bit more difficult, he easily made his way past. “Now you are imagining my lips against yours and my hand roaming down your side. Try again.” He was somewhat surprised by the next wall. As he pushed into Cale’s mind, he was met by dozens of tiny spiders quickly spinning a web. Thinking it would be easy to move past, Jeremiah pushed on and was quickly stuck to the web. He pushed harder and just when he thought he was going to make it through, more spiders came, strengthening the web. Jeremiah pulled back before congratulating Cale. “You did it, I might have been able to push through if I had put some serious effort into it, but in time it will become stronger.”

“Will I always be able to tell if someone is trying to get into my thoughts?”

“Not necessarily. If I really wanted to, I could probably go in undetected, but you’ll eventually be able to detect even the slighted intrusion.”

Jeremiah could sense that it wouldn’t be long before the sun began to rise and stood up. “You need to learn to open your other senses as well. You’ll need to be able to tell when the sun begins to rise and when it has set far enough beyond the horizon that it’s safe to venture out. We’ll try to work on that tomorrow. For now, we’d better head downstairs.”

“Why?”

“Because, very soon, the sun will begin to peak over the horizon. I have never covered the windows in the upstairs because I don’t want my presence to be questioned. I want the house to look as normal as possible.”

“Will we be sharing the room downstairs?”

“I have never had a reason to make another room down there, so yes, we will have to share the bedroom,” Jeremiah answered as he helped Cale off the couch and led the way down the stairs.

He motioned for Cale to take a seat on the bed while he took the chair. “You need to understand what is going to happen when the sun rises. You’ll probably fall asleep quicker than me, simply because you are newly turned and your body will want instant sleep. Once you close your eyes, your pulse will slow until it is nearly undetectable. Your limbs will begin to stiffen and you’ll drop into a very deep sleep. When it is nearly time for the sun to set, your senses will begin to wake up. You’ll be fairly stiff when you wake up so you’ll probably want to do a few stretches to limber yourself up. To put your mind at ease, nothing will happen. Yes, we’ll share the bed, but only as far as resting goes.”

Jeremiah watched as Cale lay down on his back, and as soon as the sun began to ascend over the horizon, Cale’s pulse slowed and he fell into a deep sleep. Knowing that he’d have a little time before he had to lie down, Jeremiah turned his attention to the computer. After a few minutes of web browsing, he leaned back and let his thoughts turn to the man on the bed. As lonely as he had been, he knew that he couldn’t push himself on Cale. Cale would be with him for at least a couple months, and then Jeremiah would have to move to one of the other houses. He knew that he’d give Cale the opportunity to accompany him, but it would be Cale’s decision. Letting out a deep sigh, Jeremiah climbed from the chair and walked over to the bed. Knowing that nothing would wake Cale up, Jeremiah climbed up next to him and ran his fingers lightly through Cale’s hair. He hadn’t felt this pull towards someone in a very long time but he knew that there wasn’t anything he could really do about it. Realizing that he didn’t have much longer until the deep sleep claimed him, Jeremiah leaned over and brushed a stolen kiss over Cale’s lips before settling down next to him. He knew Cale would never remember it, but he would.

***
One Week Later

Jeremiah smiled as he came to full wakefulness and looked at the man lying beside him. The last week had gone much better than he had anticipated. Cale was adapting much quicker than he would have ever thought and he knew that it was time for Cale to feed on someone other than himself. Jeremiah didn’t really mind being the one that Cale fed off of, but every time Cale fed off of him he had to go out and feed more than usual. Knowing that it would still be a short time before Cale awakened, Jeremiah placed a light kiss on his lips before getting out of the bed and stripping off his clothes. Cale still wasn’t comfortable enough with him for Jeremiah to sleep in the nude but Jeremiah couldn’t really complain. Since his turning of Cale, they had pretty much spent all their time together as Jeremiah taught Cale the things he needed to know. Tonight after feeding, Jeremiah was going to teach Cale how to shift. He was also going to take Cale shopping. Lucky for him there was a department store nearby that was open all night. He was so lost in his thoughts he failed to hear Cale stir behind him and was slightly surprised to hear Cale’s voice directly behind him.

“What are you doing?” Cale asked.

“Just waiting for you to wake up; we’ve got a lot to do tonight.”

“Oh?” Cale asked curiously.

Momentarily forgetting his nakedness, Jeremiah turned in the chair to face Cale. He was reminded of his lack of clothes when he saw Cale’s eyes roam slowly over him. Pushing into Cale’s mind, he caught barely a glimpse of the desire that Cale was fighting before the spider web appeared in front of him.

“Damn you’re getting good at that,” Jeremiah said.

“It helps that I’ve had so much practice. You try to enter my mind so frequently that I barely even have to think before I block.”

“That’s a good thing; it will come in handy later on. Standing up from the chair, Jeremiah went over to the closet and pulled out a pair of jet black Levi’s and slipped them on before grabbing a royal blue t-shirt and pulling it over his head. He had been aware the entire time of Cale’s gaze following him. “Sit down Cale, we need to talk,” Jeremiah said before walking back over and pulling the chair by the bed.

“About what?” Cale asked as climbed on the bed and sat cross legged.

“It’s time for you to go out on your first actual feed,” Jeremiah said and then waited for Cale’s response.

“I don’t know,” Cale began, looking everywhere but at Jeremiah. He had accepted that he’d have to drink blood in order to survive, but he wasn’t ready to give up feeding on Jeremiah. Despite everything, Cale was attracted to the older vampire and feeding on him was a sensual experience for Cale.

“I’ll be there with you to help you control what’s going on in your donor’s mind, but you can’t just keep feeding off of me.”

“Why not?”

“Because, it makes me have to feed more than normal. Personally I don’t mind you feeding off of me, but I’m a little weaker after each time.”

“But when you feed, doesn’t it replenish what I’ve taken?”

“Yes and no. Let me try and explain. When I turned you, your blood actually thickened. A vampire’s blood is much thicker than a mortal’s so it sticks to anything it touches. It stays long enough that a large amount of it is absorbed into the blood stream. A mortal’s blood is much thinner, so not as much of it is absorbed. It’s gone before it can be.”

“So essentially what you are telling me is that I’ve been draining you bit by bit,” Cale said in understanding.

“Yes, which, in the short term, doesn’t do any harm, but the longer it goes on, the weaker I’ll get. Feeding off of mortals is something that you’re going to have to learn and accept if you want to survive. I’ll be there with you and I’ll stop you before you’ve taken too much.”

“You haven’t taught me yet how to control their minds, so they’ll remember what happened.”

“No, they won’t. When you feed, I’m going to open my mind to you so that you can see what I’m doing while I control their thoughts and memories. It will help you learn how to make them think what you want them to think.”

“I don’t really have a choice, do I?” Cale whispered.

“Not really,” Jeremiah told him before leading the way out of the house and down the streets. Making sure to keep his mind open to Cale, Jeremiah reached out with his mind and led the night’s donor into an alley. He could tell that Cale was nervous, but smiled when Cale finally sank his fangs into the donor’s neck. After a few moments, Jeremiah watched as Cale pulled away before flicking his tongue over the punctures. “You remembered,” Jeremiah told him when they were back on the street.

“I’ve seen you do it enough times,” Cale answered. “What about you?”

“I don’t need to feed tonight since you didn’t feed off me; tomorrow will be soon enough.”

“So where are we going?” Cale asked.

“We’re going shopping. I need to get a few new things and so do you.”

“Such as?”

“Clothes, things like that.” Jeremiah didn’t tell Cale that, in the hopes of something happening, he planned on buying lube. He knew it was just a matter of time before it happened and they wouldn’t need condoms since mortal sicknesses couldn’t affect them.

“I can’t really afford new things,” Cale answered.

“I can, and before you argue, I don’t really have much to spend money on. Sure, occasionally I go buy clothes, and I have a couple utilities, but after more than a half dozen centuries I have more money than I know what to do with.”

“You don’t need to buy me things,” Cale answered with a frown.

“I know I don’t need to, but I want to. Can’t you just accept it? While we’re shopping, we need to decide what you’re going to do,” Jeremiah told him, realizing that he should have talked to Cale about the fact that he would be moving.

“What I’m going to do about what?” Cale asked puzzled.

“A place to live. You told me you lived in an apartment; kind of hard to block the sun out without it being conspicuous. I’m going to be moving in about a month, Cale, and you need to decide what you are going to do. You are welcome to come with me if you want, but it’s something you need to think about. For one, I don’t travel the way you do. I travel by shifting.”

“Why don’t you get a car?”

“Never had much need for one. By the time cars were invented, I was so used to shifting to travel that I didn’t see any point in getting a car.”

“Guess that makes sense; what you never had, you don’t miss,” Cale answered. “Plus there’s all the hassle of keeping it licensed and trying to get a driver’s license.”

“There’s ways around all of that, but why bother when it’s not needed,” Jeremiah told him as they reached the department store. Pushing the doors open, Jeremiah grabbed a cart and led the way to the men’s department. After grabbing a dozen pairs of jeans for himself, Jeremiah turned to Cale. “Any particular color’s you like?”

“You really don’t have to do this,” Cale answered. He was accustomed to not having many new things. He wasn’t poor, but the majority of his money went to bills, not leaving much for expenditures such as new clothes.

“Like I said before, I want to. Now pick out some jeans,” Jeremiah said as he went over and started thumbing through the shirts. After picking out a few that he liked, he took them over to the cart and was glad to see that Cale had added a few pairs of jeans. Taking note of the size, he grabbed a few more off the rack before leading Cale over to the shirts. After Cale had picked a few, Jeremiah picked him a few more before taking him to get socks and underwear. From there, Jeremiah led him over to the shoe department and had to keep a grimace off his face when Cale went to get a pair of the cheapest ones he could find. “Cale, find some good shoes. If you get a decent pair of shoes, they’ll last you for a good while.” Jeremiah quickly found himself a couple pairs before going to help Cale. When Jeremiah saw him looking at a pair of shoes, they joined the other clothes in the cart. “Have you thought about what you’re going to do when I move?” Jeremiah asked as he led the way through the electronics department. He wanted to see if there were any new movies out. There were times he didn’t really go out and movies helped the time go faster.

“Not really. Do I have to give you answer right now?”

“No, you have a little bit of time. Give it some thought and let me know when you decide. Any movies you see that interest you?” Together, they added a few movies to their loot before Jeremiah led the way to the pharmacy section. After getting the lube, they headed to the checkout. Jeremiah almost laughed when Cale let out a choked sound at the total, but he simply paid it and led them out of the store.

“How are we going to get this back to the house?” Cale asked.

“Carry them. It’s not that far, and they’re not really that heavy.” Jeremiah quickly loaded up on bags, only leaving a few for Cale to carry, before leading the way back to the house. Once they were inside, Jeremiah dropped the bags containing the clothes by the washing machine before taking everything else down the stairs and storing them in the bedroom. “I’m going to go throw some of the clothes in the wash. If you want, you can use the computer.”

“K,” was all Cale said as he sat down at the computer and watched as Jeremiah left the room. He quickly pulled up his email, dispirited when he realized that though he had been essentially missing for a week, there were no emails asking where he was or if he was okay. He had known that nobody would really care that he was gone. His rent on his apartment was paid up for a few more days, and he knew that before it ran out, he would have to go pick up anything that he wanted and leave a note for the landlord. He knew that without thirty days notice, he would forfeit his deposit, but there really wasn’t much of a choice. He couldn’t very well march up to his landlord’s door and tell him that the apartment wasn’t conducive to living as a vampire.

“You look deep in thought,” Jeremiah commented as he walked back into the room.

“Just thinking of what I have to do over the next few nights,” Cale answered. At Jeremiah’s questioning look he explained, “I need to go to my apartment and get a few things. I’m only paid up until the end of the month and since I obviously won’t be living there, I’ll go get what I want and leave a note for the landlord that I’m moving. The apartment came furnished so there won’t be much to pack up.”

“We still have a few hours if you want to go get some things tonight,” Jeremiah told him as he moved closer to the chair that Cale sat in. “Or at least we can if it’s not too far.”

“It’s just a couple blocks away actually. I also need to decide what I want to do about my car.”

“Cale, just because I don’t drive doesn’t mean that you can’t keep your car.”

“Well, if I can shift, there’s really no reason for me to have it. It seems like it might be more of a pain than it’s worth. I could probably donate it to the church or something.”

“Speaking of shifting, I was thinking it was time to teach you how to shift. You never know when it might be useful and if you decide to come with me, you’ll need to be used to shifting.”

“Does it hurt?” Cale questioned.

“The first few times, it will, but after that it’s just a mild discomfort,” Jeremiah told him as he began to strip off his clothes.

“What are you doing?”

“If you shift while you’re clothed, your clothes will be destroyed,” Jeremiah explained. “Why don’t you go ahead and get undressed and we’ll give it a try.” Jeremiah smiled as Cale slowly stripped until he was down to a pair of bikini briefs. With a last fleeting glance at Jeremiah, Cale stripped away his last barrier. “Exquisite,” Jeremiah mutter before turning away while he tried to get his arousal under control. After a few minutes he turned back to Cale.

“So how do we shift?” Cale asked.

“It’s actually a lot easier than it sounds. You see, the majority of a mage’s power lies within his mind. Basically, what you have to do is imagine the animal that you want to shift into. You keep that image in your mind as you picture your bones shifting. Tell me what you want to shift into and we’ll go from there.”

“When you are traveling, what do you shift into?”

“Depending on where I am, usually either a wolf or a stallion. Both creatures can cover large distances.”

“Why don’t we try the wolf then, I don’t think there’s enough room in here for both of us to shift into horses.”

“Okay, what you have to remember is that when you’re shifting, you have to keep the image of what you are shifting into in your mind. When shifting into a wolf, you’ll imagine your hands and feet becoming paws, your arms and legs into the fur covered legs of a wolf. Next you need to imagine your upper torso changing into the body of a wolf. You’ll imagine your nose becoming elongated into a snout; you’ll then imagine your ears becoming more pointed, your eyes reshaping, and your teeth becoming sharper, with the elongated canines. Then you’ll have to imagine a tail growing from basically nothing, and with each shift, you’ll imagine that part of your body being covered in the course hair of a wolf. One thing you need to remember is that you’ll still be you; you’ll still have your own thoughts and feelings. Shifting back is much simpler because you just have to picture yourself. You can go through the steps backwards if you want, but I haven’t done that since I forgot to remove the tail. I’ll go first so you can see what to expect, but keep in mind, your change is going to go slower since it’s your first time,” Jeremiah told him.

“I think I’m ready,” Cale said, his nervousness showing in his voice as he watched Jeremiah. Within moments, Cale could see the change taking place and fell back into the chair at the desk. He watched as Jeremiah’s feet and hands turned to fur covered paws, followed quickly by his arms and legs changing. Within moments, Jeremiah was on all fours as his nose turned to a snout and his ears turned pointed. If he hadn’t been so fascinated, Cale was sure he would have been scared. In what seemed mere moments, Cale was facing a large wolf covered completely in jet black fur. He watched as the wolf padded over to him and stood directly in front of him. Reaching out, Cale ran his hands through the course hair as he thought about what Jeremiah had instructed.

Climbing to his feet, he focused his mind on becoming a wolf. He knew Jeremiah had said it would hurt, but as his hands and feet turned to paws, he found it hard to focus. The pain of his bones reforming and repositioning themselves was so excruciating, he found it hard to remain focused. He imagined his legs and arms changing and instantly fell to his knees as he tried to keep the pain at bay. Next was turning his upper body into the body of a wolf. He found himself on all fours as his nose elongated, his teeth became sharper with long canines, his ears became pointed. When he was finished his body ached, but he could see his reflection in Jeremiah’s eyes. Where his body had once stood was replaced with a wolf that was smaller than Jeremiah’s and covered in course blonde hair.

Jeremiah watched as Cale shifted and wished he could do something to take away the pain of the shift, but knew he couldn’t. When the smaller blonde wolf stood where Cale had been, Jeremiah padded over and butted his snout against Cale’s. He didn’t know what had come over him as he pulled back and padded alongside Cale before turning and laying his head against Cale’s fur covered back. They stayed that way for a few moments before Jeremiah began to sense the coming sunrise and he forced himself to move away. He knew they needed to shift back; otherwise, the deep sleep would come over Cale and he wouldn’t be able to shift. Moving into Cale’s line of sight, Jeremiah let his human image return in his mind and within moments he was standing naked in front of Cale.

“Cale, remember what I said. Imagine yourself in human form. You need to shift back before the sun rises.” He watched as the wolf cocked his head and looked at him before human limbs began to take the place of the animal limbs. It took a couple of minutes, but eventually, the human form of Cale replaced the wolf form. Jeremiah knew that Cale would be sore and hurting and gently helped him to his feet before leading him over to the bed. “You did great, and I promise, it gets easier.”

“God that hurt,” Cale whispered as he practically fell onto the bed. His entire body ached and though he knew he should probably get dressed he just couldn’t find the strength.

“It won’t hurt as bad the next time,” Jeremiah assured him as he helped Cale get settled on the bed. “Just go to sleep and when you wake tonight you’ll feel much better.” Jeremiah reached up and brushed the hair away from Cale’s face before leaning down and pressing a lingering kiss against Cale’s mouth. He had stolen a few kisses when Cale was in the deep sleep, but this was the first time he had kissed him when he was still awake. Jeremiah could have sworn that he felt Cale’s lips respond before the sun broke over the horizon and Cale settled into sleep. Not sure if it had been wishful thinking or not, Jeremiah climbed onto the bed next to Cale and turned on his side to face the other man. He reached his hand out and laid it on Cale’s bare chest before closing his eyes and letting sleep overtake him.

***
Cale came awake slowly, his senses telling him that the sun would soon be setting. He glanced next to him and was surprised to see that Jeremiah was still asleep as he had been awaking before Cale for all the previous days. He glanced down to where Jeremiah’s hand rested against his chest and sighed. He knew that they had both been fighting their attraction to each other since Jeremiah had turned him. Reaching up, he ran his fingers lightly over his lips, remembering Jeremiah’s kiss before sleep had claimed him that morning. He gently removed Jeremiah’s hand before turning on his side and watching Jeremiah. His mood had definitely changed from when Jeremiah had first told him what he had become. He had been angry until he realized that he could either accept it, or take Jeremiah up on his offer to end it. The idea of feeding off of someone’s blood had repulsed him, and still did to some extent, but not nearly like it had in the beginning. He thought it was amazing how far a person’s thinking could change in a week.

“And how quickly we can develop feelings for someone else,” Cale whispered to himself. He knew he couldn’t deny that he was quickly developing strong feelings for Jeremiah. A part of him didn’t want to deny what he was feeling, but the other part of him remembered all of the times he had been hurt and didn’t want to have to go through that again. He had long ago learned to be cautious in the sharing of his affection, and now that he very well might have centuries ahead of him, he wasn’t sure what to do. He knew what he wanted to do, but wasn’t entirely sure it was the smart move. “To hell with being smart,” he whispered. He could spend the rest of what could be a very long life alone if he didn’t take the risk. His mind made up, Cale scooted over until the length of his body was pressed against Jeremiah’s. Bracing himself on his arm, he leaned over and pressed his lips lightly against Jeremiah’s and was surprised when Jeremiah’s lips began to move under his own. He pulled back slightly only to find himself looking into the direct gaze of Jeremiah. He watched as Jeremiah’s lips curved up into a faint smile and found himself smiling back before lowering his head again and taking Jeremiah’s lips with his own.

“That was quite a wake up,” Jeremiah whispered when Cale finally pulled back.

“Figured one of us had to make a move,” Cale whispered back.

“I’ve been stealing kisses almost every morning for the last week,” Jeremiah told him with a smile before moving and flipping Cale over onto his back. Running his hand lightly down Cale’s bare side, Jeremiah took possession of Cale’s lips, running his tongue lightly over them, encouraging Cale to open to him. With a sigh, Jeremiah tongue slipped between Cale’s lips, exploring the warmth of Cale’s mouth, caressing Cale’s tongue with his own. Finally, with a groan, he forced himself to pull back. “We’ve been dancing around this for the last week,” Jeremiah groaned. “I don’t even know the words to explain how I feel right now. It’s taking everything in me not to make love to you right now.”

“What’s stopping you?” Cale asked, opening his mind to Jeremiah and letting him see all of the desire he felt.

“God Cale, you have no idea what you do to me,” Jeremiah told him. He felt Cale trying to enter his mind and dropped the wall, letting Cale see everything that he was thinking. From the fear that Cale would regret making love, to the consuming desire to make their bodies one, all of his thoughts were blatantly displayed for Cale to see.

“I won’t regret it Jeremiah,” Cale whispered. He could feel the loneliness that had plagued Jeremiah for centuries and wanted to replace it with companionship and love. He could tell that Jeremiah was struggling and when he saw Jeremiah get off the bed, he let out a sigh, figuring that Jeremiah had decided against making love. He was quickly disabused of that notion when Jeremiah came back to the bed, the bottle of lube in his hand and his erection leading the way. Cale slowly reached out his hand and wrapped his fingers around Jeremiah’s erection, when he started to slowly move his hand up and down Jeremiah let out a deep groan before grabbing Cale’s wrist.

“It’s been a while. If you keep that up, it’s going to be over before it really even starts,” Jeremiah told him, his voice throaty. Pulling Cale’s hand away from him, Jeremiah tossed the lube onto the other side of the bed before climbing onto the bed and straddling Cale’s body. He could feel Cale’s own cock lying across the crack of his ass and knew that it wouldn’t take much for Cale to enter him. Reaching for the lube, Jeremiah opened it and applied a generous amount to his fingers before reaching back and taking Cale’s erection in his fist, quickly coating it with the lube.

“What are you doing?” Cale asked, he had been sure that Jeremiah would want to fuck him.

“I want you inside me, Cale,” Jeremiah whispered.

“Not like this,” Cale answered back before turning his body and causing Jeremiah to fall next to him on the bed. Within seconds he placed himself between Jeremiah’s spread knees and reached for the lube. Coating his index finger, he reached down and smeared it around Jeremiah’s pucker before sliding it slowly inside. He stopped when he heard Jeremiah gasp and looked up to find Jeremiah’s eyes closed. “You okay babe?”

“Yeah, feels good,” Jeremiah whispered before realizing Cale had stopped. “Why’d you stop?”

“No reason,” Cale answered with a chuckle before moving and twisting his finger in an effort to loosen Jeremiah up. When he thought he was loose enough, he added a second finger and repeated the process before adding a third.

“Enough,” Jeremiah growled, “I’m ready.”

“You sure? I don’t want to hurt you,” Cale whispered.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Jeremiah told him as he looked in Cale’s eyes. “Please Cale, I want you in me.”

Pulling his fingers out, Cale moved into position and lubed his cock once more before placing the head at Jeremiah’s entrance. He leaned slightly over Jeremiah and lowered his head to capture Jeremiah’s lips as the head of his cock pushed against the tight ring. When the head slipped inside, Jeremiah moaned against Cale’s lips and it took everything in Cale not to thrust as deep as he could. He felt Jeremiah push against him and slid in deeper. The feel of Jeremiah surrounding him was almost enough to push Cale over the edge and he forced himself to stop until the feeling passed. Once he had himself under control, Cale slid in deeper. With Jeremiah’s urging, he was soon buried in Jeremiah’s ass and stopped to give Jeremiah a minute to get used to him. When he felt Jeremiah push back against him, he started to move in slow thrusts, pulling out slightly before thrusting back in.

Pulling back, Cale watched Jeremiah’s face and could tell each time he hit Jeremiah’s prostate. Knowing he wouldn’t last much longer, Cale sped his thrusts up and reached between them with his hand to grasp Jeremiah’s throbbing member, timing his strokes to match his thrusts. Within moments, Jeremiah arched up off the bed and began shooting his seed. The first couple of shots landed on Jeremiah’s belly and the sight of it tipped Cale over the edge. With a last few deep thrusts, Cale cried out as he emptied his balls into his lover. Cale tried to keep himself inside Jeremiah’s body, but he gradually softened and slipped out. His arms shaking from the depth of emotion of making love to Jeremiah, Cale collapsed on Jeremiah’s chest. He felt Jeremiah’s arms wrap around them and realized that, with Jeremiah’s semen squishing between them and Jeremiah’s arms around him, he felt safe.

“You okay?” Jeremiah whispered, causing Cale to lift his head and look at him.

“I should be asking you that,” Cale answered with a contented smile.

“I’ve never been better,” Jeremiah answered before tugging Cale up so that they were face to face and pressing a light kiss to his lips. “I don’t really want to leave this bed, but I think we’d better go shower before we get stuck together.”

“Would you mind being stuck together?” Cale asked.

“No, but it might hurt when we pull apart,” Jeremiah answered with a laugh before reaching down and swatting Cale on the ass. “Besides, we’ll have plenty of time to spend in bed together.”

“I guess you’re right,” Cale answered as he regretfully untangled himself from Jeremiah and climbed off the bed. Holding out a hand, he helped Jeremiah up off the bed before wrapping his arms around him. He smiled at how perfectly he fit against Jeremiah, his head fit perfectly beneath Jeremiah’s chin.

“Let’s go take that shower,” Jeremiah said as he pulled back and led Cale up the stairs. “The shower can be fun too,” he said with a grin.

***
Three Weeks Later

“What are we going to do for the rest of the night?” Cale asked as he and Jeremiah walked back to Jeremiah’s house. He had noticed that Jeremiah had been unusually quiet while they had been out and it seemed like he had something on his mind. Lately Jeremiah had kept his thoughts open to Cale, but this time when he tried to enter Jeremiah’s mind he couldn’t get through the wall.

“I don’t know,” Jeremiah answered, his mind on other things. It was almost time to move and Cale had yet to give him an answer on what he was going to do. The past three weeks had been wonderful. Every night when they woke up, they made love and showered together before leaving to feed. He had taught Cale most things that he needed to know to survive and knew that he’d be okay on his own, but the thought of leaving Cale nearly tore him apart. They walked that last ways to the house in silence, each of them absorbed in their own thoughts. When they reached the bedroom, Cale flipped on the TV as Jeremiah settled in front of the computer. He had been staring at the screen for a good five minutes when he felt Cale’s arms wrap around him from behind.

“What’s wrong, Jeremiah?” Cale asked as he rested his head on top of Jeremiah’s.

“Just have a lot on my mind,” Jeremiah answered. He didn’t want to push Cale into something he wasn’t ready for and so had made it a point not to mention the upcoming move.

“It’s not just something that’s on your mind, it’s something that’s really bothering you. Talk to me,” Cale pleaded with him as he stepped back and turned Jeremiah’s chair so that they were face to face. The raw pain in Jeremiah’s eyes made him take a step back.

“What are you going to do?” Jeremiah found himself asking.

“Do about what?” Cale asked.

“I’m going to be leaving in less than a week. What are you going to do?” Jeremiah repeated.

Cale suddenly understood what had put that look of pain in his lover’s eyes. He had completely forgotten about the impending move and had just taken it for granted that he and Jeremiah would be together. He had never considered that Jeremiah would think that he would stay behind when Jeremiah had to move.

“I would think the answer to that would be pretty obvious,” Cale stated.

“Apparently not; I was hoping you would want to come with me, but you haven’t said anything.”

“I completely forgot about the move, but Jeremiah, if I come with you, it’s forever. Do you realize that?” Cale asked before realizing it was the wrong thing to say. He watched as Jeremiah’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

“I’ve been alone a few centuries already, what’s a few more,” Jeremiah said quietly as he stood up and left the room, trying to hold back tears. Needing something to do, he decided to go take a shower. At least when the tears fell, they would be hidden by the water. He was standing with his hands braced against the tile wall and the water cascading down around him as the tears slid down his face when he heard the shower door being opened and felt arms wrapping around his waist from behind.

“That came out wrong,” Cale whispered as he pressed a kiss against Jeremiah’s shoulder. “What I should have said, is I want forever with you, but are you sure that’s what you want?”

Turning to face Cale, Jeremiah’s gaze took in the man standing in front of him. “Cale, I’ve never met anyone that I would want to spend the rest of my life with, until I met you. I’ve been alone for a lot of years, but the past month has been beyond my wildest dreams. I’ve simply existed for the past centuries. In the past month I’ve actually lived, and loved,” Jeremiah finished before bending his head and kissing Cale with all the emotions he’d held within him. “I love you, Cale,” he whispered when he pulled back.

“Then it looks like you’re going to have a tag-a-long when you move, cause I love you too, and I’m not letting you go,” Cale whispered back.

***
Two Hundred Years Later

Jeremiah smiled as he watched Cale walk through the bedroom door. He would never have believed that love could span centuries, but every day his love for Cale just grew stronger. He knew that Cale felt the same and they spent every night showing each other just how they felt. He watched as Cale walked towards him, his skin pale from the years of not being out in the sun. Tonight had been one of the rare nights when they didn’t go out to feed together. Standing up from his chair, he moved forward to wrap his arms around the smaller man before whispering, “Welcome home, my love.”