Finding Salvation in the Dark - 10. When Past & Present Collide

Cyril lowered the empty bottle from his lips, motioned to the bench closest to them and indicated that they should sit. "For now, I would like you to just tell me what you remember; how you met, how long you were together, if he ever did anything that seemed strange or out of character," he finally said.

Nodding, Ki moved to the bench and settled down onto it, before thinking back to those times. "I meet him just after my 260th birthday. Since most faes aren't considered full adult until age 300, I was with my sensei. We were to meet him and talk with him about my dagger work, since apparently I sucked," Ki said, laughing and shaking his head.

"The first thought that ran through my head was 'Beautiful.' It wasn't long after that, that we started to sleep with one another. He was there when I started on my magickal practice, learning more than what I had known already. I was with him for maybe a total of 40 years. We were waiting until I hit 300 to do the presentation and mating since I was still considered a teenager in many cultures."

Cyril nodded. Every culture had different beliefs on what made one an adult. Even in vampire society, most vampires were considered fledglings – mere babies – until well past their second century. In the society he shared with Antonin and Darius, maturity was proven by action as well as age, and there were a select few that were considered adult just past their first century.

"During that time, he was often called away from what we had set up as our home. When others came, it was usually while I was gone on a gathering trip, about every three months. I found it a bit odd, but just brushed it off. I knew he had a job that was important, but had no urge to know what he did for the Council. To me he was simply Damious," Ki continued, looking over at Cyril before looking away.

"It was the night before the Presentation that he was attacked. I had gone earlier that day to pick up my Presentation outfit, since the town was a four day walk, a two day hard ride from our home. I could make it in a day flying and I could shrink the outfit for easy carrying. I came home to a destroyed home," he sighed, blinking a few times. "All of our stuff was either ripped apart, broken or splashed with blood. I found him in my magicks lab. I also found the hunter."

Cyril nodded once more, unable to speak. He could well imagine that scene, having borne witness to images much like what Ki described. It was his job to find those who caused the type of damage the beautiful fae spoke of, and to know that this had been done to his mentor… He shook himself internally. As horrid as the thought was for him it had to be more so for Ki; the man had been his lover after all. "Can you describe the man you found?"

"He had dark hair that hung from his hood," Ki started before pausing to take a deep breath. "He wore a mask made of clay and herbal paint. I could smell both along with the tang of his blood. At the time I was still learning how to deal with my newly enhanced senses. I could only see one eye through the mask, the candles not giving off much light. The eye was a muddy brown. I do know that my curse laid a mark upon him. A chained bubble sits over his heart, showing the world that he is a cursed one. Hell, I was lucky that I caught him off guard while he was trying to do something to Damious’ body.”

Cyril frowned. He knew of no vampire with muddy brown eyes, although that could be a result of a mind gone feral. The marking would be helpful in locating the killer, but… he shook his head. There was too much to consider without more information. "Is there anything else that you remember? Did he speak?"

"No. Just screamed. I know...he wasn't quite vampire, even though his energy had the taste of one, but wasn't quite human. Somewhat like he was human...drinking vampire blood to gain energy," Ki said, his voice hesitant.

Cyril sat back and thought about that for a few moments. That would explain why he had been unable to think of a vampire that matched the description he was given, but that raised a set of entirely different questions. "How exactly did Daimous die?"

"I would suppose from the blessed dagger that had been embedded in his chest," Ki said quietly, drawing his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around his knees. "I didn't exactly look for very long."

Cyril didn't like the implications of that answer one little bit. "Blessed in what way, do you know?" he asked. He knew there were spells that could keep a vampire's body in stasis until the blood was drained dry, at which point it would mummify and turn to ash. There were also spells that stole the life of the one it cut and granted it to the person holding the blade. Either possibility when a vampire of Damious' capability was involved was cause for great concern. Neither answered the question of how Damious had been overpowered in the first place.

Shaking his head, Ki shoved a bit of hair out of his face. "No, not really. I do know it took quite a bit of power to get it out of his chest so I could follow through with his wishes," he said softly. "I think...that the man had...caught Damious near sunset, when he was kinda groggy and not fully awake. The amount of damage showed that it was a longer fight than it should have been."

Resisting the insane urge to offer comfort, Cyril nodded once more, standing to place some distance between this man and the temptation he had become. "What was it Damious wished you to do?"

"To turn his body to ash and scatter it," Ki said simply before getting up and walking back to the house, a single jeweled tear bouncing on the ground, the sound light and musical.

Cyril watched him go, waiting until Ki had entered the house and closed the door behind himself before he moved to pick up the fallen gem of Ki's tear. He seated himself on the bench once more, tear in hand, and looked out over the water. He barely heard the door open, but he stiffened slightly at the scent. He was in no mood to speak to Darius.

Darius seated himself beside his adopted Childe and asked quietly, "It's happening, isn't it?"

"I do not know what you mean," Cyril replied stiffly.

"Don't lie to me boy," Darius said. "I told you it was past time for you to take a mate. You Carpathians are the only ones who take so long about it. The rest of us, if we're lucky, find one while we're still relatively young. If we're really lucky, we never lose them. But you… Carpathians take one mate, and one mate only. You're the embodiment of that foolish myth about wolves having only one mate for life."

He turned to face Cyril directly and said, "Cyril, look at me." He waited until his eldest turned to face him before he said, "If the boy calls to your blood, respond. You and I both know the danger you face, especially now that you've felt the pull. I know you spend a lot of time with the humans, but we aren't human. Neither is he. Yes, he was to be mated to your mentor and in effect what the mortals would term your uncle, but he wasn't. There would be disrespect and dishonor if Damious still lived. There is none of that now."

Cyril said nothing, merely turned away to once more face the water, the gem still held fast in his hand. Darius caught sight of the bottle of blood wine and smiled as he tried a different tactic to get through to his stubborn Childe. "Tell me, how did you find the wine? Did it taste of ashes?"

Cyril frowned. "No. I barely tasted it at all."

"Is that so?" Darius asked, smile widening. "Did you know it was seventy percent blood and thirty percent wine? I mixed it myself. It should have tasted of nothing but ash, but you say it didn't. Think about why that might be," he said as he stood and left nearly as silently as he'd arrived.

*~*~* 

Brushing down his black skirt and top, Alexander looked over at Antonin and smiled before walking over to him and wrapping his arms around Antonin's waist from behind, laying his cheek on the mans shoulder. "So, this is it, lover," he hummed happily.

Antonin smiled as he reversed their positions, arms pulling Alexander closer to him. "It is. We don't need witnesses for the Formal Acceptance, but since everyone is here, we can have them if you want your friends to be a part of this," he offered.

"I want this to be with the ones we care about most there. For you, Darius, Elena and your brother, for me, Lin. Ki...when I talked to him, looked rather dazed. It's getting near his heat," Alexander replied.

Antonin blinked. "Did you… did you just say 'heat'? Ki is going into heat, like a cat?" He had to have heard that incorrectly. Was this something he'd need to think about with Alexander? Is that what gave fae males the ability to have children?

"Yes, heat," Alexander said, smiling up at him. "All fae males start to go into heat around 100, and then every year for a few days, their scent sweetens and pulls at potential mates. Ki hasn't had a lover for 300 years, so it's getting a bit hard for him."

"This mating during heat," Antonin began curiously, "is it like when we mate, for life, or merely for the heat cycle?" This was a part of fae physiology he knew little about and it intrigued him.

"Mate for life actually," Alexander said, moving to tug on his shoes, tying the two pieces of leather together with the soft leather laces. "At least it is now. If Ki had a lover, he wouldn't need to look for his mate so urgently."

"Once he finds a mate, will he still go into heat?" Antonin asked. He picked up his jacket from where it hung on the back of the chair and slipped it on, the soft linen sliding over his skin like silk. Under it he wore a sleeveless high necked cotton top and green slacks the same color as the jacket he'd just put on.

"Yes," Alexander said, standing up and turning to show off the entire outfit, including the back that was just a bunch of stings laced together. "He'll just be able to easily get preggers without the right spells or potions. Me, once I hit 50, I'll go through the same thing since I'm half wood sprite. Lin will start going through it around 75 because of his demon blood."

"So if we were to decide we wanted children, we would have no need for potions or spells?" Antonin asked.

"Nope," Alexander says, shaking his head. "If we want children, heat or no heat, all I have to do is get the binding removed and wait for a month for my hormones to balance out."

"And it would be the same for Ki?" Antonin pressed. He debated with himself if he should warn Cyril about the possibility of being drawn by Ki's heat and decided against it. If he were drawn to the man already, and were pulled in even more by what appeared to be the fae's own version of the mating instinct, then things would happen as they were meant.

"To a point. Once he mated, Ki's body would turn itself to being able to carry children for his mate," Alexander said, thinking. "Outside of the heat, it would be harder for him to become pregnant, but not impossible. It would just take a bit more work and maybe a potion to up the odds."

Antonin nodded once more then changed the subject as he caught the moon beginning to come from behind the clouds. "We should gather the others now I think. Would you like to do this on the bridge in the garden?"

"That sounds lovely," Alexander replied, nodding and smiling before grabbing the gauzy shawl that he laid over his elbows. "I'll grab Lin, you grab the others?" he asked, opening the door.

"We'll meet you on the bridge," he replied, already heading for Elena and Darius' room.

Nodding, Alexander headed to Lin's room, finding that he wasn't there. Heading for Ki's room, he opened the door, blinking at the scent. "Ki, is your heat close?" he asked, stepping in, feeling a bubble surround him.

"Yes. It'll happen soon," Ki said softly from his place on his bed, eating a fry.

"Alright. I was just going to grab Lin for now," Alexander said, nodding to Lin who came out of the private bath.

"That time?" Lin asked, getting a nod in return.

*~*~*

Antonin hadn't even managed to knock on the door before it was opened and he was pulled inside.

"Which of the children of the land is going into heat?" Elena asked immediately.

Antonin blinked, surprised at both the speed with which he'd been pulled into the room and the question that had been asked. "Ki, I believe," he answered. He shot a puzzled glance at Darius as his Sire began laughing, then frowned in confusion as Elena joined in.

"Oh child," Elena said. "Forgive us. It's as clear on the nose of Cyril's face that his instincts draw him to Ki, and just as clear he's fighting it. Darius and I are simply enjoying the prospect of watching him fight both his own instincts and Ki's. Will Ki be at the Formal Acceptance?"

"No, Alexander said he only planned to have Lin there," Antonin answered.

"Pity," Darius said dryly. "That Carpathian Childe of mine is far too stubborn for his own good. He would rather risk insanity and becoming like the scum he hunts rather than 'dishonor' his mentor, even though Damious would have found the idea stupid. If anything I think my brother would have preferred knowing someone he trusted was with the man he'd cared for enough to consider mating."

Elena sighed softly. "I didn't know him long, but I have to agree with you," she said. "But Cyril will do what he thinks right until he is convinced otherwise, and you know nothing we say to him will do it. He'll have to figure it out on his own."

Antonin shook his head at them both and said, "We should go. Alexander and Lin will meet us at the bridge and I still need to get Cyril."

Darius shook his head. "No, you don't. He's already out there," he said, pointing to a white head moving among the trees.

"Let's go then," Antonin said, heading for the door.

*~*~* 

Heading out after making sure that Ki was settled, Alexander and Lin bowed to Cyril, giggling softly before heading to the bridge.

"Cyril, the Formal Acceptance is going to happen as soon as the other three come out," Lin said over his shoulder. "And Ki has something of Damious' that he's having brought here from his home. He's been looking for you for the past 300 years to deliver it."

Cyril looked up at that and merely nodded, no hint of the curiosity he was feeling visible on his face. He followed the two men to the bridge and stood at the edge of it, looking toward the building as he heard the rasp of the door opening. It had been a while since he'd been present at one of these, and he looked forward to seeing the result of his brother's complete bonding with his mate.

Antonin left Elena and Darius' side and walked to the middle of the bridge to meet Alexander. "Ready?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," Alexander replied, glowing in the moon light as Lin moved to stand near Elena and Darius, bouncing excitedly, a bit of sadness creeping into his eyes. Looking up, he noticed that Ki was curled up in the window seat of his window.

"Alexander Marin, you consented to my Courtship, and were Approved by my Sire and his Consort at your Presentation. On this night, I wish your permission to seal the ties that bind us and claim you before witnesses as my Consort. Do I have your Formal Acceptance?"

"Yes, you have my formal acceptance," Alexander said, smiling gently up at Antonin, suddenly very glad he had pulled his hair up.

Antonin shifted their stance so their profiles would be visible to the people standing on both sides of the bridge. He allowed a claw to extend and made a small cut over his jugular, deep enough to open the vein before he tilted his head and offered it to Alexander. "Drink until you see our bond clearly," he reminded his lover as Alexander brought his head to Antonin's neck.

Nodding, Alexander shifted a bit to rise up on his toes and sealed his lips over the wound, shivering softly at the taste. It wasn't coppery, but rather sweet. Drinking until the bond solidified, Alexander slowly pulled back, using a bit of his saliva and power to help the cut seal enough to stop bleeding.

Antonin's eyes had closed in pleasure at the feel of his mate drinking, the slide of his blood and power into Alexander as intimate as the physical push into his body. He opened them slowly, revealing bright gold to Cyril as he caught his brother's eye, then Antonin tilted Alexander's head and sank his fangs into Alexander, eyes wide as he drank, feeling Alexander's raw power flooding his being.

He watched as the tendrils of bright blue and pale blue shot with green twined together until they became one cord - a deeper blue, the green more apparent – and then slowly pulled his teeth from Alexander's neck, sealing the wound with several laps of his tongue.

Biting his bottom lip as his head tipped to the side, Alexander tried hard not to moan like a wanton whore in front of everyone. It was also so damn erotic to get bitten by his lover, and set his blood on fire, his hair streaking even more, having started to disappear from the last time. A burst of power flowed from Alexander as his lover drank slowly. Whimpering in disappointment as the wound was closed he nuzzled Antonin's shoulder as Lin groaned in the background.

"Does anyone know a wood sprite that knows how to use their powers?" Lin asked, still groaning.

Elena cleared her throat and looked over at Darius, smirking at the way her mate was standing.

"What?" Darius demanded of his smirking Consort. "Please, it's not as if I feel that sort of raw power every night! You can't tell me that didn't affect you, your nipples are hard!"

Cyril directed his attention to the excess of flowers that had seemed to bloom the minute Antonin had sunk his fangs into Alexander's neck, one brow raised at the sheer amount of natural power in the delicate seeming wood sprite. The backlash of energy from their joining had been… intense, to say the least, and the images that had flashed before his eyes all contained blue eyes and purple hair. He cleared his throat and offered his congratulations and moved off into the trees, needing distance from the building now more than ever.

Watching Cyril leave, Lin looked to Ki's window before bursting out in laughter at the delicate foot that was twitching in it.

“Oh my,” Alexander breathed, blinking and looking around dazed. Feeling for his shields, he discovered that they weren’t there any more. “Looks like I get to shove my training up a bit more,” he said before turning to the window and starting to giggle madly at the view.

Following his gaze, Antonin, Elena and Darius all turned to see what was so amusing. Both of Antonin's brows shot skyward even as a smile tugged at his lips.

Elena's eyes glinted wickedly as she said, "Now wouldn't it be a shame if that pushed him closer to his heat?"

Darius cast one glance at the direction Cyril had gone and burst out laughing. "Come. We have packing to do. Now that we've seen them finalize their mating we have other things we need to attend to. Besides," he smirked, "it's about to get interesting enough around here and while I'd dearly love to watch, I do not want to be around when that boy hits heat and Cyril is caught by between it and his own instincts."

Snickering, Lin headed back in, his hair bouncing as he took to jogging, somehow pulling it off in his 3 inch heels.

“I will never understand how he does that in spiked heels,” Alexander said, wobbling in his own, still feeling the effects and clinging tightly to his now mate. “Come on. I need to sit down and I’ve got an urge for soda.”

Antonin wrapped his arm around Alexander and held him close, still tingling from the exchange of power himself. "Its part of the effect of the power exchange," he said as he headed for their room. He immediately called for soda and fruit once they got there, then helped Alexander remove his boots and settle on the bed.

Purring happily as he relaxed, Alexander smiled at his mate and stretched, feeling slightly free and loose now that his shields were down. “I forgot how it feels not to have to control my powers. It feels good,” he said, watching as his fruit and soda was brought in a few minutes later.

Antonin thanked Reeve and smiled as he brought a dish of fruit and the can of soda over to the bed. "It does feel good. A little odd to have all the extra power resting inside me, but warming at the same time," he agreed.

“Just wait until I sun bathe one day,” Alexander teased, taking the soda and popping it open before sipping it. “I have a feeling you’ll feel it. The sun helps to make my power become warmer and stronger.”

Antonin couldn't resist the urge to tease back. "Perhaps I really should have called you something beside Little Bird. Shall I call you my little flower? You've already vetoed kitten."

Suddenly laughing and choking on his soda, Alexander waved his mate off as he got his throat cleared. “Ki gets away with sunflower because I gave him this giant sunflower the first time I meet him when I was 5. It was the beginning of kindergarten. For you, Little Bird makes me happy,” he said, smiling at him.

"Little Bird it is then," Antonin said, leaning forward to brush his lips lightly across his mate's. A small smile curved his lips and he asked, "How is it possible that you seem more gorgeous every time I look at you?"

“Because you love me more and more,” Alexander said, smiling brightly. “The same as it is with me.” Pulling his hair, he pouted. “You do realize that most of the time, I will have a silver strip in my hair. Just a single one mind you.”

"Oh?" Antonin asked. "And why is that?"

“My power actually. It shows that I have a lot of it,” Alexander explained, playing with his hair some more.

"Ahh," Antonin breathed. "Will that be a problem?" he asked, wondering if Alexander would have preferred to keep his shields.

“No, it won’t be. Just something to get used to,” Alexander soothed, eating another piece of fruit before kissing Antonin. Pulling back, he smirked. “I wonder how long it will take Cyril to break down and accept that Ki is his other half and pounce.”

Antonin laughed even as he shook his head. "Cyril is exceptionally stubborn. He'll fight it until his blood acts for him."

“And how long before I have to beg Lin to pull out the silencing wards? Ki won’t leave the room until his heat is over, in about four days, give or take,” Alexander snickered.

"Lin has wards up?" Antonin asked. He hadn't felt them go up, but he had been rather distracted with the upcoming ritual.

“Just so we aren’t interrupted. That and when he came over,” Alexander said, smirking, “He heard one of the servants comment on how loud I can be while with you and put them up so he didn’t have to hear us,” he explained, pointing to a ward.

Antonin grinned at that. "Oh but you do make some of the most delicious noises I've ever had the pleasure of hearing," he purred, eyes glinting gold.

“Pervy vampire, but my pervy vampire. I have a special treat for you,” Alexander purred, sliding off the bed, pushing Antonin into a chair. Moving away, he sung something in Gaelic, the words quiet and lilting. Moving in time to his voice, he turned around and reached up behind his back, tugging on the tie that held his shirt together.

Antonin tilted his head before settling back into his chair to enjoy the show and the very attractive view. "And you called me pervy," he murmured.

“I just help fuel your perviness,” Alexander sing songed, dropping the shirt, leaving him in his skirt, which he started to loosen, tugging on the hooks on the side of his hips, letting it fall to the floor, leaving him in a pair of sheer underwear, garter belt and stockings.

Eyes completely gold now, Antonin lifted a hand and beckoned his lover closer. "Come here Alexander. I want to touch you."

Smirking, Alexander sashayed over to him, smirking as he played with his garter belts, teasingly loosening them for an easy take off.

Antonin placed his hands on his mate's hips and tugged him forward so Alexander straddled his lap. He kept his hands where they were while he gave his lover a long, slow long from head to toe and back up again and then said, "I think we may just have to leave the wards where they are. For the benefit of the staff of course," he purred as he finally met Alexander's eyes.

"Of course," Alexander replied, his eyes a liquid gold already. "Wouldn't want to traumatize them, now would we?" he asked, leaning forward enough to start working on Antonin's shirt, slowly popping the buttons open and stroking that patch of skin before moving down.

"Of course not," Antonin replied, hands sliding up Alexander's sides and around his chest to tweak his nipples. It was different this time somehow, and it took Antonin a few minutes to pinpoint what it was. He could feel Alexander's joy in this, whereas before he could only see it. Now he felt his lover's pleasure thrumming through their bond and he closed his eyes to better savor the feeling.

Humming softly in pleasure, smiling when his lover figured out the feelings were much more intense now that they could [i]feel[/i] the other, Alexander slid the shirt open before leaning down and lapping at a nipple, nearly purring in delight at the emotions that washed down the bond from Antonin.

This was something Antonin had never expected, although given the strength of their bond he supposed he should have. It was also something Darius [i]hadn't[/i] told him about and it made him wonder what else his Sire had neglected to tell him. He pulled Alexander down to sit in his lap and rolled his hips under him, smirking at the sound that escaped Alexander's throat.

Shuddering, Alexander worked Antonin's shirt off the rest of the way, drawing his fingers over his shoulders, reveling in the strong muscles that he could feel. "Antonin, I love you so much and I'm so happy to be your mate," he breathed, letting his love flow through the bond, feeling the responding love.

Antonin shuddered slightly at the intensity of feeling both his emotions and Alexander's. Subconsciously he wished Darius had warned him about the intensity of sex with his mated once the bond was sealed. At least then he would have been prepared. "I adore you, gift from the Mother that you are," Antonin replied, pulling his lover down for a deep, soulful kiss.

Moaning contently, Alexander tossed the shirt aside as he nibbled a bit on Antonin's bottom lip before licking at the nibble. "I adore you just as much," he finally said, having pulled away from the kiss that rocked him to his very soul.

Antonin smiled at him, emotion and desire thrumming through his body and blood as he slid a finger into the waist of the underwear Alexander was wearing and said, "Take these off and let me undress. I want you right here, where we are, just like this."

Sliding away slowly, Alexander stroked his hands over Antonin's chest, stomach and thighs. Smiling softly, Alexander unclasped his garter belts from his stockings, before wiggling out of his underwear. "Do you want my stockings on to?" he asked, voice purring as he reclipped the garters, knowing the answer already.

Antonin merely gave him a wicked smile as he peeled his trousers off before grabbing the lube and retaking the chair and motioning Alexander back into place.

Walking back over, Alexander moved so that his legs were settled on either side of Antonin’s hips, resting his body on Antonin's lap with a happy sound. “My pervy vampire,” he teased, his voice heavily laced with lust.

Antonin gave him a wicked smile of agreement as he opened the lube and dipped his fingers in, handing the tube to Alexander as he curved his hand behind his lover and slowly pushed one into him.

Pressing back onto the finger, Alexander poured a bit into his hand. Putting the jar aside, he warmed the goo up between his hands before reaching down, wrapping his slick hands around Antonin's prick, holding them still and then moving them with the finger in him. Smirking, he tightened his body around the finger, loving the way it always felt so good.

Antonin closed his eyes at the attack of sensation; Alexander's hands on him, his mate tightening around his finger, the pleasure Alexander got from being fingered, all of it washed over him in a wave that threatened his control. He stilled his hand and opened his eyes. Leaning forward, he grazed the skin of Alexander's collarbone with his teeth before moving lower to worry a nipple.

Moaning softly as he tightened again, Alexander's eyes fluttered shut at the back wash of feelings that he got. Their lust, pleasure and passion fueled the others so well. He would have to glare at Darius for not warning them about it, but for now let himself drown in the pleasure. Pressing back into the finger, he whimpered for more.

Slowly, carefully, Antonin gave Alexander what he wanted. He added another digit and teased them both by not moving it, waiting for another of those delicious squeezes before he finally pushed them deeper inside his mate's body. His need was growing, and soon, fingers wouldn't be enough.

Whimpering in denial at the lack of movement, Alexander pressed back, his lust ratcheting up as he squeezed again, his fingers tightening around their place just under the head of Antonin's length.

Antonin gasped as he opened Alexander and then pulled his hand free. He rubbed the excess lubricant on the rim of Alexander's entrance, then applied the rest to himself before he lifted Alexander into place and began to lower his mate.

Mewling in pleasure as he felt his entrance stretch over the head, Alexander panted as he slowly moved, pressing his hips down. Finally stopping, he hummed and closed his eyes as their feelings washed back and forth over their bond, his ass pressed onto Antonin's hips and thighs.

For a second Antonin wondered if they'd even have to move the sensations were so powerful. He found himself hoping they would acclimate to the new change quickly; if it stayed the way it was now he'd never have the chance to properly worship Alexander's body again before he had to have him. He rolled his hips experimentally and groaned deep in his throat at the pleasure that shot through him with the movement.

Shuddering and tightening around Antonin, Alexander shuddered at the duel sensations of Antonin's pleasure and his own. Putting his hands onto Antonin's shoulders, he lifted up, squeezing as he moved before just dropping down, jerking and screaming in pleasure as the nub of nerves was stroked perfectly.

Antonin cursed in response to both the movement and the mind-bending pleasure that rolled like a wave through his body, making his eyes slam shut and his fangs descend. It wouldn't take much more and he knew it, found himself wanting it.

Keeping the same movement, Alexander did it again, keeping it a slow drag up with a tightening, and then just dropping back down, ripping a sound from his throat and sending jolts of pleasure screaming over his nerves.

Antonin's fingers gripped Alexander's hips mercilessly and he knew he'd leave marks. He thrust up the next time Alexander allowed himself to drop and shouted at the shock that raced through them both at the movement.

Screaming, Alexander shuddered again, his nails digging into Antonin's shoulders, drawing beads of blood at the sudden movement. His climax started to coil low in his stomach as he repeated the move, the feeling of it washing over the bond.

The additional sensation of Alexander's nails biting into his skin shoved Antonin over the edge. His head fell back as he damn near howled his pleasure in his release, holding Alexander pressed tight to his body as he orgasmed.

Choking on the sudden rush of pleasure and the flood of what felt surprisingly hot into his body, Alexander fell over the edge with Antonin, his own seed splashing white onto their stomachs as his body tightened.

Antonin held tightly to Alexander as they both fought to recover their breath, both arms wrapped around his mate. "Lilith's name that was… Darius should have warned us," he panted.

"Yeah," Alexander panted, blinking a few times to get his vision to clear of the pretty colored dots that seemed to have taken over his eyes. "I get to pout at him for not warning," he finally said.

Antonin couldn't help but laugh at that. He'd seen Alexander pout and it was the most effective punishment he could think of for his Sire.

*~*~*

Cyril weaved his way slowly to Ki's door, debating for long moments if he should knock or not. He'd stayed away from everyone else since the Formal Acceptance, primarily because when the soul energy of both Antonin and Alexander had backwashed, all he could think about was Ki: Ki's eyes, Ki's hair, Ki's voice as he had spoken of Damious' murder. The tempting curve of his lips, the tear he still had deep in his pocket.

He'd gone to the garden with the intent of staying away after the party, but he'd ended back inside talking to Reeve, and somehow here he was – the night after the Acceptance – once more in the garden with a bottle of blood wine behaving in a manner completely unlike himself as he stared at Ki's window, hoping for even a glimpse of the beautiful purple haired fae.

Groaning softly, Ki moved past his window, a candle in one hand and a bottle of whisky in the other. Moving around the room, he lit the various candles that he had asked for, needing the soothing scent. The power wave had made his heat hit earlier than he had expected. Sitting down in front of the small fire place, a fire started. Pouring a bit into the cup, he settled back, his shirt sliding up his legs, having shed his pants earlier. Sipping it, he wondered how long it would take to get plastered.

Finally, Cyril tired of watching the window and seeing Ki walk past it and made his way inside. He was a little unsteady on his feet – likely due to the fact that he had been gorging on the blood wine trying to make up for having gone without food for the last few months. He knocked quietly on Ki's door, not wanting to wake him if he had fallen asleep.

Grumbling softly, Ki stood up and steadied himself before moving to the door. Less than half the bottle of the very good whiskey was gone, but he was feeling it already due to his heat. Getting to the door, he jerked it open before blinking several times, his sweet scent pressing against wards that he had stuck up to make sure that no one had been hit by it. "Yes?" he asked, swaying a bit.

Cyril took one look at Ki, realized he was swaying, and decided that trying to talk to Ki when both of them had been drinking was a bad idea, especially since Ki was barely dressed. He could smell the scent of whiskey, and he knew he was very much drunk after all the blood wine he'd had. "Perhaps now wouldn't be a good time," he said, dragging his eyes away from Ki's lips to look at the floor.

"I'm not drunk. Buzzed, seriously, but not drunk. This is mostly heat," Ki said, turning away and walking back to his nest of pillows and blankets in front of the fire, not caring if the other came in. "I always sway when I'm in heat. I can't help it," he finished, settling into the middle of the pile before grabbing his glass and downing the rest of the whisky in it.

Cyril stepped into the room and was immediately buffeted by the sweetest smell he'd ever encountered in his entire existence. "What is that smell?" he asked as he closed the door.

"That would be me," Ki admitted, pouring a bit more whiskey into his glass, adding a bit of Dr. Pepper from the can near him. "That is what I smell like times ten. It's to attract a mate, at least now. It used to be to attract a lover."

Cyril blinked. The idea of Ki with anyone besides himself was abhorrent and he found himself next to Ki in a matter of moments. He ducked his head and sniffed before he could check the action, then flung himself against the opposite wall. "I think it might be best if I left," he murmured.

Looking up with wide eyes and blinking several times at him, Ki tilted his head to the side, his curls bouncing as he shifted back so that he was sitting cross legged, the shirt sliding up his thighs even more. "What is up with you?" Ki asked, sipping his now mixed drink, eyeing the man. "You are acting like you've never been around a fae in heat before."

Even as blood drunk as he was, Cyril knew staying in that room for too much longer would be a bad idea. "That would be because I have not, in fact, been around a fae in heat before, and I am not at all certain I should be now," he said. Especially not [i]this[/i] fae, not with the way his instincts had him reacting to the man.

Sipping his drink, Ki raised one eyebrow before shrugging and turning to the fire, watching it dance. "Oh! I have something for you," he said, suddenly turning and digging in the pillows that surrounded him before pulling out a large book shaped leather bag. "Damious left this for you. I was never told your name, so I've been looking for you for the last 300 years."

Cyril blinked. "How would you know who to look for if Damious did not give a name?" he asked. He stared fixedly at the bag; the same bag Damious had carried around with him, the same one that had held his journal and spell book and whatever else he'd deemed necessary for Cyril's lessons.

"I just knew you were his student. He only had me and one other as his student," Ki replied, standing up and walking over to him. "He wanted this to go to you. Said there was information about the hunter in it. I've personally never have touched it."

Cyril frowned. This was the second time Ki had referred to Damious' murderer as 'hunter'. "Is there a reason you continue to refer to the man who killed Damious as a hunter?" he asked. He was using the conversation as a means to fighting his reactions to Ki, but he wasn't sure how long it would work. He could only hope they finished their conversation before his instincts took over.

"Because that's what the man is. He hunts for the pleasure of hunting. He's not a protector, or a knight. He doesn't go after those who are hurting humans or other creatures. He goes after those who would give him a good fight, the ones that would give him a good chase," Ki replied, shaking his head. "What you do is protect. You don't kill for the fun of it."

Cyril thought that over in silence. There was something in the answer that pleased him, something that warmed him in a way that had his senses screaming in alarm and his instincts tingling with need. "How do you know this about him?" Cyril asked, focusing on the information he'd been given and not his response to the words.

"A little research about a masked man who kills? Not that hard when you have contacts and 300 years to find it," Ki replied, holding the bag out. "Are you going to take the bag or am I going to have to shove it on you?" he asked.

Cyril sighed internally – in no hurry to do it externally and take in more of that scent than he had to – and moved forward to take the outstretched bag. In all honesty – though Cyril would admit this to none save himself –he was afraid to get too close to the other man. The smell of him was already playing with Cyril's instincts and that, coupled with Cyril's own instinctive need to be closer to Ki, and being blood drunk made him nervous. Cyril was rarely nervous and the fact he was feeling that way only unsettled him more.

Cyril reached for the bag and gasped as he accidentally touched the skin of Ki's hand and the odor increased, freezing in place in an effort to keep from simply grabbing the other man and kissing him stupid.

Jerking slightly, Ki blushed as his scent intensified, cursing in his head. Handing Cyril the bag, he shifted and moved back to his pile, sitting down on the bedding, wanting to curl up. He wondered what the other would do now that his scent was so strong. He noticed that Cyril was what Damious had told him was drunk on blood, or blood drunk. He had been through that a few times with him, his heat not only making his scent sweeter, but also his blood, or so he had been told.

Ki's scent was overwhelming. To a vampire like Cyril, trained to respond to what his senses told him, especially his sense of smell, this was the ultimate form of torture. Ki's aroma screamed desire and need and instinctively, Cyril wanted to respond to that need. Mentally and intellectually however, he was still battling his belief that touching Ki – [i]wanting[/i] Ki – was somehow dishonorable to his mentor.

Looking up, Ki swallowed as he eyed Cyril. It was confusing to him. The man's power called to the power in him, while his hair begged him to touch. He wanted to see those scars again. He found scars desirable and the very thought of seeing them during sex made heat flood his veins. He took a deep breath and tried to fight off the urge to pounce the vampire, even to just touch his hair.

Lilith's teeth, Cyril thought as he sensed the sharp rise in Ki's scent, the want in it calling to every part of Cyril's being. He found himself moving forward without intending to and once more froze in place, fighting both his body's desires as well as his trained response.

Blinking several times as Cyril moved forward, Ki blushed brightly as he realized that his scent had spiked with his want. Looking down, he breathed deeply, a muskier scent, one that reminded him of home and hearth teased his nose. Jerking his head up, he took a deeper breath and shivered in pleasure at recognizing it as Cyril's. It made him want to moan and bare his neck in submission to Cyril.

There was a subtle shift in Ki's scent, one that signaled surrender, and Cyril growled low in his throat, the scars on his face and chest reappearing as he fought his nature. He closed his eyes and forced himself to take a step backward, despite the fact that everything in him told him to move forward and claim the man in front of him.

Whimpering quietly in his throat, Ki's instincts pushed him to touch the scars in front of him. His blood screamed at him to not let his dominant get away now that he was there. Getting up slowly, he walked towards Cyril, one hand out stretched, needing to feel scars and skin under his fingers, a hard length buried deep in him and fangs in his neck.

Cyril's eyes snapped open at the gentle touch and his eyes blazed blue as they looked at the man in front of him. Instinct and intellect warred within him and instinct won. The bag in his hand dropped to the floor as Cyril wrapped his arms around Ki and crushed the all too tempting fae to his aroused body, taking Ki's lips in an almost brutal kiss filled with all his want and frustration.

Mewling into the brutal kiss, his lips opening as his body pressed close, Ki's entire body melted, screaming total submission. If he could have, his head would have been tilted to the side, baring his neck for the other. His fingers curled into Cyril's shirt as he returned the kiss, letting Cyril control it and his body as his higher brain functions dwindled down to 'Must be taken.'

The abject submission in Ki's scent and posture had Cyril's instincts demanding he respond. His hands slid down Ki's back to cup his ass and pull and lift until Ki was straddling Cyril's body, groins pressed close together. Cyril groaned in the back of his throat as the shirt shifted with the movement and one hand came into contact with the smooth skin of a bare cheek, fingers clenching instinctively on the bare flesh, desire ratcheting higher.

Shivering in pleasure, the feeling of Cyril's hand on his ass sending his body temperature higher, Ki wrapped his legs tightly around Cyril's waist, pressing their hips together. The feeling of the long, hard prick pressing so close to his own made him whimper in lust, rocking a bit to feel more. His fingers slowly moved to work on Cyril's shirt, wanting to feel, but not wanting to over step his boundaries. The very thought of being taken by such a dominant male made him wish they weren't wearing anything at the moment.

Opening his eyes long enough to locate and move to the nearest stable surface, Cyril took two large strides to the bed and pressed Ki down into it, rolling his hips into the other's man's groin the moment they were horizontal. He tore his lips from Ki's to place tiny, biting kisses along Ki's chin and along his jaw before returning to lick and suck and Ki's lower lip.

Purring softly, Ki melted under the other, his blood slowly cooling as Cyril dominated and aroused him. Whimpering, he could feel his length twitch and leak, his body on the brink of climax. He hadn't touched himself or taken a cold shower since his heat had hit and he was feeling the consequences now. "Cyril," he moaned into the vampire's mouth, his hips arched into Cyril's as he spilled, his underwear and shirt becoming wet as his scent swirled around them.

The rumbling purr that sounded beneath him as well as the scent and feel of Ki coming beneath him had Cyril grazing the flat of his fangs possessively over the other man's neck. It was when he realized just how badly he wanted to sink his fangs into Ki's skin that Cyril yanked himself free on the body he was twined with, body shaking with need and unfulfilled desire. He grabbed the bag and managed to grind out an apology between gritted teeth as he headed for the door and let himself out before he did something he had no right doing without a Courtship in place.

Jerking up, Ki blinked dazed eyes after the man, tilting his head to the side before bonelessly reaching for the phone and calling the kitchen. Asking for fruit and a smoothie, he got up and wobbled towards the bathroom to clean up.

Sniffing his shirt, he moaned quietly before turning the water on, making sure it was cold for the first few moments. Stepping in he shrieked in surprise at how cold it was, the sound carrying through the house.

*~*~* 

In the bedroom he shared with his mate, Darius looked at Elena and grinned as he settled himself more comfortably in the bed next to her.

"Well, I'd say Cyril finally acted on what he was feeling, and about damned time."

Elena snorted. "If he'd stayed with Ki the way he should have, I doubt that child would be shrieking the way he just did. That wasn't a sound of pleasure."

"Well he won't come here. He knows how I feel about it already."

Elena laughed at that. "Something tells me that he won't be prepared for whatever Antonin tells him either."