Part 5 (2/2)
Bree stared. He opened his mouth, shut it, then opened it again. ”Me? Why the h.e.l.l would he choose me, even if he is what you say?”
Liam chuckled. ”I wouldn't dare try to a.n.a.lyze what goes on in Julian's head. I do not fear him, but I respect him and prefer to leave him alone. But I think ... yes, I think ... he sees a darkness in you that matches his own. Like calls to like, Bree. With his bite, Julian unlocked or shut doors in your mind you never knew were there, despite this tough-man mask you wear. He's laid his mark on you, and this is why you feel the thirst for blood and violence.”
”s.h.i.+t.” A chilly wind swept over the smoking balcony. Bree rubbed his arms. ”Say I believe you, even though I don't. What do I do about it? How do I stop this?”
”Stop it?” Liam blinked. ”There is no stopping it, Bree. Julian has chosen you. Laid his mark on you, as I said. No one can turn back once their changeover has begun, and no one can make it stop, not even Julian himself.”
”Changeover?”
”Becoming like Julian,” Liam said simply. ”There has always been an emptiness inside you, Bree. A yearning for something more. An anger that burns to be set free. I think you were made for the fate Julian has laid upon you. I think he knew that the moment he saw you.” He patted Bree's arm again. ”It's none so bad. Julian can teach you many things. How to control the hunger, how to hunt and feed without making a kill. He has had centuries to learn, and he will teach you.”
”Teach me?” Bree whispered.
”Oh, yes. Back inside with you. Go to him. Seek him out. I feel, somehow, that he will come when he knows you want to see him again. Do as he says. Obey, and be free. Die to live forever.”
”Die?”
”Only for a few minutes. Perhaps less. From what I am told, there is no pain, only pleasure and o.r.g.a.s.m beyond your wildest dreams. I --” Liam stopped midsentence and put a hand up to silence Bree's shocked sputtering. ”Quiet! Someone is coming.”
Great. Hopefully someone sane. Maybe if I promise them anything they want, from a b.l.o.w.j.o.b to letting them f.u.c.k me blind, they'll help me get out of here. Maybe they'll protect me.
Chattering and laughing to his companion, the new arrival stepped out onto the smoking porch. He paused, letting his eyes adjust to the light. Bree had already gained his night vision, and recognized the newcomer long before he himself was spotted.
”James,” he said, voice low and ugly. ”James.” ”Your ex?” Liam questioned quietly.
”One and the same.” Red heat flooded Bree's vision. His heart began to pound in a fast, frantic tattoo. ”I'll kill him. I'll f.u.c.king kill him.”
”Bree, no. Don't! Bree!”
Too late. The need for revenge rose up and drowned out any thought of consequences Letting out a howl, he lunged at James, taking the b.a.s.t.a.r.d to ground with one hard thud. James let out a startled yell, but Bree hardly heard him. He was too busy las.h.i.+ng out with the rage he'd bottled up for months, punching with all his strength, and barely registering the urge to bite -- He was vaguely aware of James's boy-toy screaming over and over in a d.a.m.n-fool high-pitched squeal, and Liam tugging at him, trying to pull him off. ”No, Bree! No! Stop this at once! Stop!”
A bigger, colder hand landed on his shoulder and easily pulled him off James, now slumped unconscious on the floor. Bree yelped in surprise and anger as he flew through the air and landed hard against a solid body.
Julian stared down at him with those d.a.m.nable eyes, each filled with l.u.s.t, wonder, and appreciation. ”You called?” he rasped. ”I have come, Bree. Kiss me, and let me drink deep.”
He stared into Julian's eyes, and for just a second, felt himself falling, as if down a dark, bottomless well. Suddenly, everything seemed simple and clear. Bree's rage vanished in a swell of euphoria that left him swaying on his feet.
”Kiss me,” Julian whispered again.
Bree opened his mouth, no hesitation. Julian plunged into their kiss, devouring his mouth with his sharp teeth, drawing still more blood, lapping it away, and plying an expert tongue against Bree's own. Tasting every nuance of life that he could offer.
Bree's c.o.c.k rose up with a jerk, filling so hard and fast that it hurt. Best hurt ever. A searing ache scorched his belly. Oh, G.o.d. f.u.c.k. He needed to f.u.c.k. He needed it now.
Julian tore his mouth away from Bree's. ”Yes,” he said. ”You begin to understand. You know what I want.”
”Me,” Bree breathed, rubbing himself against Julian, utterly without shame. He ignored the small, panicked voice still shouting in the back of his mind in favor of the fire in his c.o.c.k. ”f.u.c.k me. Right here, right now. Do it.”
Julian smiled. A smile that would have sent any man still in his right mind running, screaming. He took Bree's hand and laced their fingers together. ”Not here.” One finger brushed Bree's lips. ”Will you come with me? Follow where I lead?”
”Depends.” Bree's eyes blazed. ”You going to f.u.c.k me?”
”Within an inch of your life, and then that last inch.”
Bree smiled back, feeling dark and cruel. ”Promise?”
Chapter Six
Things like this don't happen in real life. Men like Julian don't exist, much less stumble into my path, or, G.o.d help me, ”pick me out” and hunt me down for a taste of what I've got to offer. I'm not that special.
So maybe I drank more of that vodka than I thought I did and pa.s.sed out. Probably fast asleep on my tumbledown bed right now, snoring like a buzz saw. Gonna wake up tomorrow with a h.e.l.l of a headache.
See, I just can't wrap my head around really believing this is happening. I must be dreaming. But G.o.d, if I am dreaming, I don't ever want to wake up ...
Bree leaned against Julian's cool chest, strong as an iron lamp post, and laid his head in the crook of the red-haired man's neck. He let out a contented sigh as Julian's arms enfolded him and held him close. Protective.
”I owe you a debt of grat.i.tude, son of Lilith,” he heard Julian say gravely. ”Without your a.s.sistance, I would have had a much harder time tracking down my quarry.”
”I didn't bring Bree here for you,” Liam replied, sounding equally serious. Bree burrowed deeper against Julian's skin and hummed, playing idly with a strand of crimson hair. Ah, shut up, Liam, he thought.
Julian rumbled a soft laugh. ”Of course not. As mine often does, your reputation precedes you. When you find a man or group of mortals who lack for love, you seek out places for them to find good matches. That was your purpose in bringing this Brotherhood to Amour Magique, was it not? Yes, I can see it in your face. Do not fret yourself, Liam. Regardless of what sort of creature I am, I very much doubt Bree minds the end result.”
”So you say ... but unless I mistake my guess, he's enthralled at the moment, yes?”
”Partially. He has quite a temper, I believe?”
”And then some.”
Julian's shoulders lifted in a shrug. ”I a.s.sume you have seen changeovers and know of the new l.u.s.ts that awaken within a man. Combined with his fiery nature, it was becoming too much, too fast for our Bree to cope with and retain his sanity. I did this for his own good. I mean him no harm, none at all. My word to you on that, by the Lilith you wors.h.i.+p and adore.”
Bree could hear Liam's breathing for a long moment. Huh, he thought drowsily. Julian's chest doesn't move at all, even when he talks. No air flow. Guess he must not need it.
Cool.
At last, Liam sighed. ”I will choose to trust you with him,” he said. ”Bree and I are not especial friends, but he is dear to me in his way. We are tied as part of a group, and I made a vow, when asking them to come here tonight, to protect them in every way. You understand the seriousness of my swearing to their safety?”
”I do.”
”Then, once more for the sake of Lilith, do this for me. See to his body's needs, all of them that you can sense. Be gentle, even if he demands blood and pain before his changeover. Bree does not always know what's best for him. Remove the thrall enough to allow him full understanding, and explain what you've chosen to do with his body and soul.”
”There is no turning back from it, you realize.”
”I do. But still, he should know.”
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