14 comments/ 28926 views/ 53 favorites Ancient Grudge By: DreamerOne "Prodigious birth of love it is to me, that I should love a loathed enemy"~ William Shakespeare, "Romeo & Juliet", act I, scene V ****** "I'm hungry." The black-haired boy stopped walking, and looked at his female companion. "I reeeaaaally need something to eat," Lucy complained. Justin sighed. "Fine. Where?" She looked towards a dark alleyway. "That looks promising." Lucy ran into the alley, Justin slowly following. Lucy crouched on the side of a few trashcans, sniffing deeply. With a swift, cat-like motion, her arm shot out into the space between the cans. Lucy stood up, grinning. In her hand she held a large, struggling rat. "Sorry, little buddy. You're out of luck tonight." Justin turned away with a disgusted grimace as she sank her teeth into the animal. "Yuch," he said. "I'll never get used to that." "A girl's gotta eat," Lucy laughed, completely unembarrassed, and dropped the dead rat into one of the garbage cans. Justin looked at the her. She looked like she was just in her early twenties, when in reality, she was much older. Long, flowing blonde hair, laughing eyes and an infectious smile. "Awfully cheerful for a vampire," Justin thought. "Shall we go?" "Is that enough?" "A little blood goes a long way. I'll have a little more when we get home." She held out her hand. "Let's go." A sudden noise made them both turn around. Further back into the alley, the could see two figures; one tall woman and a slightly shorter man. They approached, and Lucy positioned herself in front of Justin. "What are you doing?" the tall woman asked, her voice very stern and authoritative. The two came into the light, allowing Lucy and Justin to see them more clearly. The woman was very beautiful, and dressed in an impeccable black pant-suit. She had long, curly red hair, and her expression reminded Justin of a proffessional poker player -- completely unreadable. The young man resembled the woman, except his hair was more brownish-red, and his finely-chiseled face wasn't quite so cold. As Justin met his dark gaze, he felt his heart start to pound and his face flush. When their eyes met, the young man's eyes widened and a soft gasp escaped his lips. If the woman noticed, it didn't show. She fixed her eyes on Lucy. "I don't know who you are, and I don't like to cause trouble with one of our own kind," she said, "but if you're intending to hurt that boy, I assure you we will stop you. We will not permit a human to be hurt by another vampire, if we can help it." Lucy looked at Justin. "You have the wrong idea," she said to the woman. She quickly glanced around the alley. A couple more vampires were perched on a fire escape. Lucy narrowed her eyes. "Maybe your intention is to trick me into letting my guard down, and then take my friend." Lucy sneered. "We are not unprotected, lady." Lucy put her fingers to her lips, and a shrill whistle echoed in the alley. Seconds later, three new vampires appeared. "Lucy, Justin, are you all right?" one of them, Damon, asked. He looked at the woman and the young man, and his whole body jerked in surprise. His eyes narrowed and he bared his fangs. "Tenumago!" he growled. Lucy gasped. Justin looked confusedly at the red-headed pair and saw that the woman's poker face was gone. Instead, her expression was one of dark hatred. "Petulac," she hissed. "We didn't know you were here, Codie," Damon said to the woman. "We were under the impression that you were in France." "We were. But now we've returned. As have you, apparently." "Believe me, we would have picked another place if we'd known you'd be here," Damon spat. "It's always unfortunate to run into you Tenumago scum." The vampires on the fire escape jumped down, hissing angrily. The ones that came with Damon moved forward, baring their fangs in bloodthirsty grins, eager to fight. Damon smiled crookedly. "You're no match for us, Codie." "We don't intend to be. Not tonight, at least," she replied indifferently. "Huh?" Codie's companions looked at her, stunned. "Codie, we can take 'em... They're just Petulac creeps." "True... but they have a human with them." She glanced at Justin. "We cannot risk him getting hurt." Damon looked at Justin as well, scratching his head. "That's right, I almost forgot... Armand would have our heads on pikes if anything happened to Justin. Very well, Codie. We'll let you go in peace... for now." Codie smiled wickedly. "I was just going to say the same thing." She turned to the young man at her side. "Ean, let's go." He stood still, as if he hadn't heard, his eyes fixed on Justin. "Ean!" she repeated, raising her voice a little. Ean tore his eyes away from the human boy and started walking down the alley, Codie at his side. Their companions followed, throwing back suspicious glances. When they reached the end of the alley, Codie looked back at the group behind them. "Give my best to Armand!" she shouted, and with a gust of wind, she was gone, along with Ean and their companions. ****** "Tenumago..." Armand growled. "Are you sure?" "Completely sure," Damon said, expecting Armand to start throwing things any minute. "We saw Codie and Ean, along with a couple of their followers." "Codie!" Armand hissed, curling his lip in disgust. "The queen bitch!" "Mmm, I wish I could get my hands on her," Adele, Armand's mistress purred, licking her lips. "Her eyeballs would make great earrings." The leader of the vampire clan called Petulac paced the room in his office, running his hands through long and straight light brown hair, his golden eyes sparkling with anger. The Petulac clan and the Tenumago clan had been enemies for almost two hundred years now, but it had been quite a while since their paths had crossed. Armand took a deep breath, as if trying to control his temper. "Okay... I don't want Justin getting caught in the middle, so I'll keep the peace for now. As long as they stay out of our way, we'll stay out of theirs. But if they try to pick a fight, they're dead. Is that clear?" "Crystal clear," Damon said. "Good, then tell everyone else." Damon left Armand's office. Armand turned to Lucy. "You did a good job keeping Justin safe. Well done." "Thank you, sir." "Maybe next time the two of you will be ready to go out together alone, with no bodyguards. Just make sure you stay in places where there are people around, and you'll be safe." "Yes, sir." "You may go." Lucy gladly left the office. She was always uncomfortable around Armand, and Adele was even worse. Sometimes she regretted having joined the Petulac. If it wasn't for the wonderful friendship she had with Justin, she might have gone off on her own, or joined another clan. Lucy walked through a corridor of the large mansion. Turning a corner, she reached Justin's door. Knocking gently, she entered and found Justin sitting on a chair by the window, staring outside. "Hey," Lucy said, taking a chair by the window as well. "So what was all that about?" Justin asked. "Who were they?" "Tenumago, another vampire clan. They have been enemies with our clan for a long time now." "Why?" "No idea," Lucy shrugged. "It's been less than thirty years since I joined the Petulac. In all that time, we've never encountered the Tenumago, so I never really thought to ask. All I know is that there was some form of disagreement between the former Petulac and Tenumago leaders, and they were both killed. Ever since then, there's been bloody fights whenever the two clans meet. The woman, Codie, is the Tenumago leader. The guy who was with her is her son, Ean." As she mentioned Ean's name, Lucy glanced discreetly at Justin who was blushing slightly as he remembered the other boy. "A mother and son who are both vampires?" "Yeah. It's not so common, but it happens sometimes that people from the same family get turned." Lucy smiled at Justin. "You like him, don't you? Ean." "Please...!" Justin said turning away, blushing even more. "I only saw him for a moment, and I didn't even speak to him." "Sometimes one moment is all it takes." "Give me a break!" "Hey..." Lucy took Justin's hand, dropping her teasing tone of voice. "You can tell me anything. You know that, right?" "Yeah, I know." Justin had been ten years old when he'd been taken in by the Petulac clan. He was an orphan with no knowledge of who his parents were, and at the time he'd been in a foster home with the worst kind of people. One night he'd been beaten so bad that he lost conciousness, and when he woke up he was in a strange place, with Armand was sitting by his side. Armand had explained to Justin who and what they were, and that they had happened by when he'd been beaten and saved him, and decided to take care of him. He could never explain why, but Justin was never really afraid of his strange saviors, even when he gradually began to understand that they were telling the truth about what they were. Perhaps, starved for affection as he was, being suddenly treated like a prince was enough to banish any fear. Even of vampires. Not once did they try to hurt him, like the people at his foster home and so many other people he'd known. Lucy was assigned to be a sort of nanny for him, and she completely stole his heart. They had been inseparable friends ever since. That was eight years ago. Justin looked at Lucy and, as usual, he couldn't help smiling; her presence always made everything better. "Actually... I do think I like him. When I saw him... I've never felt anything that strong before. But it's so confusing that a person you saw for about three or four minutes can have this weird effect on you. It was just a moment, and I can't stop thinking about him!" "Hmm... I felt that way once, too," Lucy said, and a rare tone of sadness crept into her voice. It only took one second however, for her to perk up again. "Anyway," Justin sighed. "I guess it's useless to be thinking about him. If he's an enemy, Armand would never let me near him." "There's nothing wrong with a little daydreaming," Lucy grinned. "If it's just a crush, it'll go away soon enough." Justin looked out the window. The moon was full. "What if it's not a crush? What if it's the real thing?" Lucy didn't answer. For a long time, they silently watched as the moon turned whisps of clouds into gold and silver. ****** Ean was stretched out on the bed in his room, staring absent-mindedly into the ceiling. For the first time in decades, his thoughts were not in order. A face was haunting them; a face with adorably messy black hair that fell over a pale forehead, and large eyes that were so light, yet so deep. And a name... Justin. A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. "Come in," he said without getting up. Codie entered; as always when she was alone with her son, she dropped her stern mask, and allowed her mouth to curve into a warm smile. She rolled his computer chair up next to the bed and sat down. "I've explained to everybody that we are to avoid getting into fights with the Petulac." "Mmhm..." She looked at her son, forever twenty years old. She knew exactly what he was thinking. She hadn't shown it, but she'd seen him staring at Justin. "I wonder who that human boy was that they had with them. It didn't seem like he was their prey. It's very strange... the Petulac don't like humans for anything other than food. Those barbarians..." "Don't start that again. I really don't want to think about the Petulac right now." Codie smiled. "Because your mind is more pleasantly engaged?" Ean sat up. "How did you know that?" "I'm your mother. I can see right through you. Besides, it wasn't that hard to tell. You couldn't stop staring." "Yeah, I guess so," Ean laughed. Codie sat next to Ean on the bed and hugged him, feeling a lump forming in her throat. It had been so long since she'd seen a genuine smile on his face. "As your mother, I really should tell you to stay out of trouble... and the Petulac definitely are trouble. "Yeah." "However... since those murderers have a human in their midst maybe we should find out why... for his protection. Maybe we should even try to talk to him personally." Codie smiled mischievously at her son. "Want the job?" "You're willing to let me do that?" "If anyone can sneak onto Petulac territory unnoticed, it's you. I have complete confidence in you." Ean put his arm around his mother. "Thanks, mom." "My pleasure, sweetie." She left, quietly closing the door behind her. Ean began to undress; as the last piece of clothing was removed, he laid down on the bed with a sigh. His hand lightly drifted over his chest and stomach, unchanged since he was turned a vampire so many years ago. As he closed his eyes, Justin's face once again filled his mind. Ean smiled. No one had ever had such an impact on him. It was frightening, but he felt alive. His member hardened as his thoughts about Justin started including revealed skin and wet kisses. Grabbing his swollen shaft he slowly moved his hand, but he was too aroused to properly savour the fantasy and jerked himself faster and faster as he imagined himself being inside Justin, their bodies moving rhythmically together as moans filled the air and fingers entwined. Ean orgasmed before he'd even felt it approaching. Gritting his teeth he groaned deeply as his spurting cock covered his hand with semen. As he opened his eyes, Ean looked at his hand with a satisfied smile. Licking away his release from it, he rose and walked over to the window, checking that it was completely covered and wouldn't let any light in. He returned to the bed and stretched out with a deep breath, closing his eyes and immediately drifting off into a deep, relaxed sleep. ****** Adele stood by the bed in Armand's room, looking down at him stretched out naked on the bed as she dressed herself. Her expression was calm but she was raging on the inside, and Armand knew it. "This is getting really tiresome," Adele said, her voice icy. "Why do you have to think about him when you're with me? I felt your thoughts. Don't do it again, or..." "Quiet," Armand said disinterestedly, not bothering to look at her. "What makes you think you can order me around? You're not my wife, you're my mistress. If you don't like my thoughts, then quit tasting my blood. Or quit sharing my bed, I don't care which. I'll have no problem replacing you." Without a word, Adele left the room, just barely being able to resist slamming the door. She wanted to hate Armand, but she couldn't. Instead, all her hate was directed at him -- the little black haired piece of filth that Armand had forced upon them. She hated the child with a passion. "One day," she said to herself as she slowly walked back to her own room, "I won't be able to resist tearing him to pieces." ****** The bell above the door jingled loudly as Ean entered "Lawrence's Books". To the outsider, it looked like a typical new age-bookstore, filled with books about feng-shui and astrology, decks of tarot cards, incense and dream catchers. But all of that was just for show - the real store was in a back room, for customers who wanted things like silver bullets, antique spellbooks, unusual custom-made weapons... and information. The Tenumago were old custumers of the store, which had been owned by the Lawrence family for ages. Ben Lawrence looked up as Ean entered, and grinned. Ben was a pleasant-looking man in his-mid thirties, the type of person which is impossible not to like. "Ean!" he exclaimed happily as he came to meet him. "Welcome, kid. Long time no see. Why..." he surveyed Ean with mock astonishment. "You don't look a day older!" "I'm not as old as that joke." "Ouch! Direct hit. Jane!" Ben shouted to his assistant. "Mind things out here, I'll be in the back with a customer." "Okay!" "So..." Ben said, leading Ean into the back room. "What'll it be today?" "I need some information." "I see." Ben sat down in an old leather armchair, motioning for Ean to sit as well. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the Petulac, would it?" "How did you guess?" "Both your clans recently came back here. It was only a matter of time before you met. And now you have, right?" "Yeah, but thing is... they had a human with them. And it didn't seem like he was their prey, instead they were protective of him." "Hmm... Yes, I've heard of him. He's supposed to be this orphaned kid that Armand took in about eight years ago. He's stayed with the Petulac ever since." Ean snorted. "Don't tell me you seriously think that Armand took an orphaned human under his wing out of the goodness of his heart?" Ben lit a cigarette and blew some smoke out of his nose. "No. I don't think that's why he did it. But when it comes to his real motives your guess is as good as mine." Ean thoughtfully tapped his fingers against the arm of his chair, then rose. "Well, I guess I'll have to find out for myself, then." "What, you're actually going there?" Ben said, also rising from his chair. "They'll see you, and then they'll tear you apart and have your head on display on the mantelpiece." Ean turned to Ben, smiling. "They won't see me." Ben blinked. Suddenly, Ean was gone. Then a voice behind him spoke, making him jump several feet into the air: "Have you forgotten who you're talking to?" "Yaaah!" Ben collapsed back down onto his chair, clutching his chest. "Don't scare me like that, man!" Ean picked up the cigarette that Ben had dropped, and handed it to him. "Sheesh!" Ben said, taking a deep drag. "I really had forgotten how fast and quiet you can be." "Right. So you understand it's not going to be a problem. Now, if you would be so kind as to give me the address to the Petulac, you'll be generously rewarded." Ben held up his hand. "Actually, could I have a couple of your hairs instead?" "Come again?" "There's this witch who needs vampire hair for a particular spell..." Ean raised an eyebrow. "What kind of spell, exactly?" "Don't worry, it won't fall back on you. It's some sort of 'eternal beauty' spell. There's not a chance in hell it'll work, but she offered me an incredible price." Sighing, Ean pulled out a couple of hairs and held them out to Ben. "Give me the address." ****** With a deep sigh of relief, Justin left the mansion and headed for his favorite place in the garden: a secluded little spot that had a comfortable bench, hidden from view by wide bushes. Whenever Justin felt like being alone he would go there to read, and no one would bother him. Currently, all the vampires were in a meeting discussing the Tenumago and what precautions to take if the fights flared up again. Although, Justin had passed by the room they were in on his way out, and it seemed to him as though all they were doing in there was calling the Tenumago all sorts of names. With a smile of contentment, Justin stretched out on the bench. He treasured these moments he could have to himself. The vampires might treat him kindly, but he felt they were overly protective, and it would often get on his nerves. He felt a little guilty for thinking like that; he probably owed Armand his life, and he was grateful towards him, but he could still never really feel at ease around Armand. Most of the time he wished it was just him and Lucy. Justin sighed and that face drifted into his thoughts again. For days now, he had barely been able to think about anything else but that face and those dark eyes. "Ean..." Justin whispered, enjoying the fluttering feeling in his stomach that came every time he said that name to himself. He opened his eyes, and his mouth fell open in surprise. He could still see that face. Ean was in the tree above him, perched on a tree limb, looking down at him. As Ean jumped down and landed smoothly next to him, he sat up with a start. Ancient Grudge "I'm sorry," Ean said gently. "I didn't mean to scare you." "It's... you," Justin said weakly. Ean smiled. A million different emotions began taking hold of Justin, among which fear, confusion and happiness were dominant. He began glancing around, afraid that someone from the mansion would discover them. "Why are you here?" he asked. "If they find you here they'll kill you." Ean sat down next to him. "Are you going to call them?" Justin vigorously shook his head, then fell off the bench in surprise as Ean disappeared from his place on the right side of the bench, then reappeared on the left. "Again, I'm sorry," Ean said, concealing a grin as he helped Justin up. "But as you can see, I'm exceptionally fast and quiet, even for a vampire. It's my specialty." "I see," Justin said weakly as he leaned back on the bench. He looked at Ean. He was even more beautiful up close; that wild, brownish-red hair, those dark eyes... He felt Ean take his hand and shivered. "Relax," Ean said. "I'm not going to hurt you." Looking into the dark depths of his eyes, Justin answered seriously: "I know." As he met Justin's gaze, feeling the white-hot intensity in it, Ean was speechless. He opened his mouth and nothing would come out except a gasping breath. But then again, sometimes words are unnessesary. There are other ways to use your lips. Ean leaned in towards Justin. Placing his hands on his shoulders he brought his mouth so close to Justin's that he could feel the heat from his breath against his lips. He held still for just a moment, giving Justin a chance to resist, but no resistance came, and Ean moved forward, pressing his lips against Justin's. They drowned together in the kiss, gladly welcoming the sensations that were sweeping them away as their mouths moved against each other. Justin wrapped his arms around Ean's shoulder, pressing his body closer. As Ean tried to ease Justin onto his lap they both lost balance and fell off the bench onto the grass without stopping the kiss. Moving to lie on top of Justin, Ean let his tongue drift forward and lick Justin's lower lip. With a moan, Justin opened his mouth, accepting Ean's tongue and allowing it to dance with his own as hands began to wander over their bodies with increasing boldness. Ean pulled off Justin's lips to let him catch his breath. They lay still, staring into each other's eyes and both of them so aroused it was almost painful. Ean was just about to claim Justin's lips once again when a voice called, bursting the bubble: "Justin!" Justin sighed. "Lucy's calling me. I have to go." Ean rolled off him and helped him up. Justin stared sadly at him, not wanting to leave. Lucy called again. "I'm coming, just give me a sec!" Justin yelled. "You have to let me see you again," Ean said, helping Justin brush dirt off his clothes. He pulled out a cell phone from his pocket. "Give me your number." "I don't have a cell. Armand won't let me have one," Justin explained. "Then how shall I contact you?" Justin thought for a second. "Lucy has a cell phone," he said. "I'll get her to help me." Ean was doubtful. "Can you trust her?" "She won't tell anyone, I promise," Justin assured him. Ean wrote down his number on a piece of paper and gave it to Justin. He quickly pocketed it and reluctantly turned to leave, when Ean grabbed his hand. Putting his arms around Justin he kissed him, moving his lips softly and slowly against Justin's. "Call me tomorrow," he whispered, forcing himself to release Justin. With one last look at Ean, Justin dashed back to the house where he was met outside by Lucy who regarded him with an expression of mixed concern and amusement. "We better be careful when we go inside," she said, the corners of her mouth twitching. "We can't let the others see you like this." "Huh?" "Your face is flushed, your hair is all messed up, your lips are kiss-bruised and you have grass stains all over your t-shirt." Justin looked down at himself, seeing how disheveled his appearence was. He looked at Lucy and grinned. Lucy giggled. "Come on. Let's go inside." Using great caution, they managed to sneak through the mansion back to Justin's room unseen. As soon as the door closed behind him, Lucy assaulted him with questions. "What happened? Was it him? Ean?" she asked eagerly, almost bouncing as she sat on the bed. "Yes," Justin said, smiling as he sat down next to her, running a finger over his lips as he remembered the kisses he had recieved. "Tell me everything!" Lucy demanded. As Justin gladly described the unexpected meeting to her, she beamed. "Well? How does it feel?" "Surreal," Justin said thoughtfully, his finger absent-mindedly plucking at the bedspread. "It's really confusing. Everything's happened so fast. We don't even know each other!" "Maybe you don't have to know each other," Lucy suggested as she put an arm around his shoulders. "Some people just click." "Yeah..." Lucy gave Justin's shoulders a light squeeze. "So? Are you going to see him again?" Justin bit his lip and glanced guiltily at Lucy. "Actually, about that... I'm going to need your help." "Well, duh!" she snorted, rolling her eyes. "Of course you're gonna need my help! Armand never lets you go anywhere without me." "Yeah, and... I gave Ean your phone number. He'll contact me through you." "Good, then I'll have the chance to have a few words with him. I want to make sure he has honest intentions," she said with a teasing twinkle in her eyes. "Great...!" Justin moaned, rubbing his forehead. ****** Ean paced impatiently around the front room of "Lawrence's Books", stopping now and then to look out the window. It was almost time... As agreed, he had called the night after meeting Justin. After a brief interrogation (and a few threats) by Lucy he had been allowed to speak to Justin himself and asked if they could meet at "Lawrence's" the following night. Ben, who had a nice apartment upstairs had graciously allowed Ean the use of it for a few hours to be alone with Justin. Ean stopped to look out the window for the hundredth time and sighed with relief as he discerned Justin and Lucy among the crowds outside. He smiled as they stepped in and gave Justin a slightly awkward hug after having shaken hands with Lucy. Ben came rushing forward like an eager dog to greet them. "Well now, welcome to 'Lawrence's Books'! It's always nice to meet new customers and I've heard a lot about you from Ean here." Ben shouted an order to his assistant then ushered them all into the back room. Lucy's eyes glittered as she saw the shelves that were packed with all sorts of weirdness. "Far out...!" she breathed. "Madam, you flatter me," Ben said and bowed with a self-satisfied smirk on his face, then turned to Ean and Justin. "Now, I believe you two had private matters to discuss, so here is the key to my apartment as arranged. In the meantime I shall acquaint myself with the little lady here and show her my store." Ean led Justin up the stairs to in silence. Ben's place was a cozy two-bedroom apartment; simple and comfortable furniture in dark colors and very few decorations except for some framed 70's movie posters like "Dog Day Afternoon", "Get Carter" and "Taxi Driver". Ean sank heavily down on the huge couch as if suddenly exhausted, and Justin sat down next to him. "What's wrong?" he asked as Ean sighed deeply. Ean chuckled tiredly. "Nothing," he replied. "It's just that I was so worried you wouldn't show up." Ean took Justin's hand and squeezed. Justin smiled warmly and slid on top of Ean's lap, straddling him and placed his hands on the back of the couch on either side of his face. "Of course I came. I haven't been able to think about anything else since you called yesterday." Ean returned Justin's smile and placed his hands on his hips. "Did you have any problems getting away?" "Not really." Justin shook his head. "Armand trusts Lucy to take care of me, as long as we stay in public places. She told him we'd go see a movie and then take a walk." "So we have some time, then..." Ean pulled Justin down for a kiss. "...but not nearly enough." Justin kissed Ean back, pressing his body into him. "Let's not waste it then," he said, his eyes burning a brand on Ean's soul. "Take me to bed." Without ever letting go of each other, they moved from the living room to Ben's guest bedroom, stumbling through the doorframe as they kissed while they walked. Crashing onto the bed, Ean placed himself on top of Justin, kissing the side of his face and his neck, occasionally letting the tip of his tongue brush the skin. Raising Justin's arms over his head, Ean slowly pulled his shirt off, unble to keep from licking his lips as the perfect, smooth skin was revealed to him. Throwing the shirt to the floor, Ean dove down and took one pink nipple into his mouth. Justin gave a surprised little noise as his nipple was attacked; a noise that turned to a delighted little purr, and as Ean sucked and licked the reddened little button Justin let his fingers slide through Ean's thick, silky hair. When Ean started bestowing the same treatment on the other nipple, Justin could feel his hands undo the fly of his jeans; reaching inside, Ean lightly rubbed his goods and Justin gasped, clenching his fingers in Ean's hair. Putting a temporary halt to his caresses, Ean sat up and turned, reaching down to relieve Justin of shoes and socks, taking care of his own in the process. Turning back, he locked eyes with his lover. "Raise your hips," Ean tenderly instructed, his voice deep and husky. As Justin obeyed, Ean pulled his off his jeans and boxers with a gentle tug. Dropping the clothing on the floor and standing up to remove his own, Ean stared speechless on the beauty before him. Justin's face was flushed, his lips were red and swollen and every inch of his naked skin seemed to glow in the light of the tiny lamp on the nightstand. His member was fully hard and rosy, the head glistening enticingly. Looking up at Ean with wide eyes, Justin watched as he unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off with an elegant move. Ean's hands reached for the fly of his jeans, slowly undoing the buttons. Justin stared as if hypnotized, not even aware that Ean's eyes were fixed at him just as hard. Just as he had done with Justin a minute earlier, Ean hooked his thumbs in his opened jeans and underwear, and pulled them down, finally exposing himself fully to Justin's gaze. For a few minutes that seemed like an eternity, they were both completely silent, too busy to take in the view to speak. Justin was in complete awe of Ean's hard, athletic body and the large, erect rod that rose from a dark patch of curls. Mentally shaking himself, he smiled nervously and reached out a hand to Ean. Neither of them was able to surpress a moan as Ean lay down and their bare bodies touched for the first time. As Ean leaned down for a kiss, Justin suddenly exclaimed: "This is my first time." He said it very fast and swallowed hard, nervous what the response would be. Ean simply smiled. "I sensed that," he said and kissed Justin's forehead. Justin relaxed a little. "You have to do something for me, love," Ean murmured against Justin's skin as he started kissing his way down to Justin's ear. "What...?" Justin breathed, gasping as Ean gently bit his earlobe. "Tell me how you want this to happen," Ean whispered. "I want to give you everything you want. Tell me what you want." Justin whimpered as Ean's hand slid down his body and closed around his member, slowly stroking. "I..." "Tell me." "I want... oh! I want you... inside me," Justin panted. Ean sped up his strokes while he kissed and licked on the soft skin at Justin's neck. Ean's own rod throbbed with anticipation as he heard Justin breathing hard and making little moans in his ear. Knowing Justin was close, Ean moved his hand faster, twisting his wrist slightly and letting his thumb rub over the head. It was too much for Justin; he came with a blissful moan, his body shaking as his come spurted onto Ean's hand. As Justin lay trembling, Ean licked his hand free of semen, relishing Justin's slightly sweet taste. Ean slid up Justin's body and kissed his still trembling lip, allowing him to taste the remains of his own release. He took Justin's face in his hands and looked into his eyes. "You're absolutely sure about this?" "I'm sure," Justin replied, panting slightly, his breathing slowly returning to normal. "I want to do this." Pressing his lips against Justin's again, Ean let their tongues touch and play. They kissed for a while, then Ean carefully rolled Justin over. Justin groaned appreciatively as Ean started a slow massage, working his hands over Justin's shoulders and down his back. Eab straddled Justin's body while he massaged him, and Justin's recently spent cock quickly began to harden again as he felt Ean's rigid shaft press against him. He felt Ean move off him and then spread his legs, kneeling between them. Justin moaned as he felt Ean's lips kiss his round cheeks as he simultaneously spread them open with his hands. "Nnnn!" As Ean began licking the skin surrounding his opening, Justin moaned deeper, pressing his face into the bed as he felt electric shocks of pleasure coursing through his entire body. Biting his lip, Justin clenched his hand into the sheet and closed his eyes. Nothing had ever been so exquisite or so arousing to Ean as Justin's unique taste and smell; it was deep and masculine and reminded him vaguely of autumn-leaves. He pushed his tongue against the ring with the tip of his tongue for an even deeper taste, but found it was still too tight. Stopping, Ean rose from the bed and went to retrieve his black leather jacket that he had thrown on the floor as he and Justin had stumbled into the room. From the inner pocket he pulled out a tube of lube, then quickly returned to the bed. He saw Justin turn his head and look up at him. "Look, I didn't expect anything tonight," Ean started explaining, afraid that Justin would think he was presumptuos. "I just hoped," he continued, "and I figured it's best to be prepared if..." Ean stopped mid-sentence as he heard Justin giggling. Turning onto his back, Justin smiled and said: "You know, you're really cute when you get all embarrassed like that." Ean grinned. "And you're really sexy when you're teasing me," he replied, pressing himself against Justin to steal more dizzying kisses from his lips. Justin's breathing quickened; Ean was so talented with his tongue. Taking the tube, Ean poured a generous amount onto his fingers. Instinctively, Justin pulled his legs up to give him better access. Ean rubbed the lube onto his hole and carefully pressed in the tip of his index finger. Justin was so tight and and so warm; Ean almost groaned out loud at the thought of soon burying himself there. Sliding his finger in all the way he gently rotated it in order to loosen Justin up a little. So far Justin didn't seem to be uncomfortable. Ean pressed in a second finger and slowly turned and scissored them as the tightness lessened. As Ean added a third finger a frown appeared on Justin's forehead and he held his breath. Ean kissed him, gently caressing him with his free hand. "Relax. Breathe," he whispered soothingly. Justin obeyed, trying not to think about the uncomfortable, stretched feeling and instead concentrated on Ean's touches and kisses. It helped; the pain slowly faded away. "How do you want to do this?" Ean asked when he felt certain that Justin was ready. Justin blushed. "Uhm... Can I... be on top?" Ean grinned and pressed a quick kiss to Justin's lips, making a purring sort of growl low in his throat. Pulling out his fingers he poured more lube on his hand and coated his shaft. Lying back on the bed, he pulled Justin onto his lap so that he straddled him. He positioned his cock at Justin's entrance and put one hand on Justin's hip. As he slowly impaled himself on Ean's hardness Justin bit his lip and groaned, but he determinedly kept going until Ean was fully inside. He concentrated on his breathing, willing the pain to go away. "Look at me." Raising his head, Justin looked at Ean who was staring at him with such pride and and tenderness, and suddenly the beauty of the moment struck Justin: they were one. Forgetting all about the pain, Justin began to move, slowly raising and lowering himself with Ean using his hands to assist him. When Justin's movements grew steadier, Ean wrapped one of his hands around Justin's cock, causing him to moan breathlessly. "Mmnnnhh!" Ean looked up at Justin, entranced by the incredibly beautiful sight of him as he moved his glowing body above him, eyes half-closed and his swollen lips parted. He could feel the pleasure building inside his body, spreading through him like wildfire. When Justin shifted his angle, Ean's cock suddenly struck against his button. "Aaaah!" Justin cried out and threw back his head; he began riding Ean faster, desperate to increase that exquisite feeling. Ean's hips began thrusting, meeting Justin every time his body descended, his hand still stroking Justin's member. It was too much. "EAN!" With a scream Justin's seed burst forward, falling on Ean's chest as Justin allowed the powerful waves of pleasure to rush through his body. The incredible sight of Justin's orgasm combined with hard contractions of Justin's insides on his cock made Ean trip. Grabbing Justin and holding him tight against his chest, Ean slammed into him one last time and emptied his release inside him, moaning with every pulse. They lay like that for a while, panting and dizzy, uncaring of their messy state. When he had regained a little strength, Justin raised his head from Ean's chest and kissed him. Ean pushed a lock of hair away from his forehead. "Don't go back to them," he pleaded. "Come with me. Take Lucy with you. Both of you can stay with us. You will be welcomed with open arms. Please... come with me." Justin sighed. He wanted to say yes so badly, but... "They will attack you. I don't want to be responsible for the fights to flare up again. You could get hurt. Your friends... your mother... I don't want that. And Armand and the others... I owe them my life. I don't want them to get hurt either." "Justin..." Ean held Justin tighter. "I want to be with you." Justin closed his eyes and sighed. "I want that, too. But... we have to think about this. We need to figure out the best way to do this." "Isn't there some way I can contact you? By e-mail, maybe?" "I have an address, but I don't have a computer in my room. All the computers in the house are in the same room, and people go in and out of there all the time. I can't risk anyone seeing me getting e-mail from you." "They won't let you have a cell phone, use a computer in private, or go out alone. They won't let you do anything. Have you even been allowed to go to school?" Ean asked angrily. "No... They tutored me." "You don't have any freedom at all," Ean said, stroking Justin's hair. "You're like a prisoner." Justin swallowed. He knew this, of course, but he never complained because even if he didn't have any privacy with the Petulac, his life was still a hell of a lot better than it had been when he was little. "You'll just have to keep contacting me through Lucy," Justin said. He caressed Ean's chest with the palm of his hand. "We'll figure something out." "We better. Because I'm not ever going to let you out my world." Justin bit his lip. He rolled over on his back and pulled Ean on top of him. "Ean... feed on me." Ean gasped. He had wanted to so much, but he hadn't dared to have the slightest hope that Justin would ask him to. Ancient Grudge "Are you sure? Do you really want that?" "Yes," Justin whispered. "Lucy described to me what it's like. I want to try..." Justin bared his neck. Ean licked his lips. "They will see the marks," he said. "I will cover them. Please, Ean!" Ean's canines extended and sharpened. Carefully holding Justin he leaned down; placing the tips of his teeth at Justin's neck he took a deep breath and then pierced the skin, letting the warm blood flow into his mouth. Ean could hear Justin gasp and felt his hands grip his shoulders, but he knew it was from pleasure. Ean could taste all of Justin's feelings in his blood, and he felt so much love for himself that his eyes teared up. When he was done and had pulled out, he laid propped up on one elbow looking down at Justin. His beauty seemed to have suddenly doubled. Justin was smiling and breathing heavily. "Are you all right?" Ean asked. "Yes..." Justin's smile widened. "I never guessed it would feel that wonderful." He reached up and wiped the tears from Ean's cheek. Leaning down, Ean kissed him deeply and slowly. After that they simply lay entangled in each other, gently touching and sometimes kissing, until a polite knock on the door followed by Lucy's voice informed them that it was time for Justin to go. They washed up and dressed quickly, then returned downstairs to Lucy and Ben, who both grinned at them. Lucy had been on a shopping spree and held a heavy bag in her hand. "We have to go, kid," she said to Justin. He nodded. Turning to Ean, he smiled sadly. "I'll call." He threw his arms around Ean, holding him tightly, and whispered in his ear: "If we can't think of a good solution to this, then I'll come with you next time." Ean kissed him. "Next time," he repeated. Justin nodded. Letting go of Ean, he and Lucy said goodbye to Ben and then left. As they slowly walked down the street Justin kept looking back, and Ean kept staring after them until they were out of sight. "It will work itself out, man," Ben said. "You always did have a tendency to land on your feet." With a small smile, Ean thanked Ben and left the store to return home. ****** The following night Adele walked through the mansion, her face tight with anger. Armand had started refusing her, saying that she "just wouldn't do". As far as she knew, he hadn't taken anyone else into his bed, but that didn't make her feel any better. She knew exactly why he was acting like this. It was because of him. She stopped; she was right outside Justin's door. She glared at it, longing to go in there and slice that innocent look off his face. Adele could here him in there, talking to Lucy. Lucy...! She was almost as annoying as Justin. "We have to be really careful. I don't want to think about what would happen if we got caught." Adele smiled to herself. It sounded like Ms. Perky and Pretty Boy were up to something. Careful not to make any sounds, she kept listening. "I know," Justin said. "I don't like sneaking around any more than you do, but I don't know what else to do." "I'll tell you what we're going to do. Next time you meet Ean, we'll go with him." Adele's eyes widened. Ean?! Ean of the Tenumago? "You're right," Justin sighed. "I've been trying to think of a way for us to be together without anyone getting hurt, but I don't see how we can. And I know I'm being horribly selfish here, but I just can't give Ean up. I just can't." "It will be allright. The Tenumago can defend themselves. Maybe they could negotiate with Armand, or maybe when we join them we could leave town. It will work itself out, somehow. But you know we can't stay here anymore, now that we have an option. This place isn't good for either of us." "I know, Lucy. Next time we meet Ean, we'll go with him." Adele's ruby-colored lips curved into a wicked smile. It seemed as though Pretty Boy had fallen head over heels for Ean, of all people. She laughed silently as she walked down the hall. Finally she knew how to get rid of Justin. And it was almost too easy! ****** Justin was stretched out on the bench in the garden. Lucy was out running in the woods, something she loved doing. He had a Stephen King paperback in his hand, but he wasn't reading. He was thinking about Ean and the changes in his life that were imminent. It scared him a little when he considered the possible consequences of his actions, but he was determined to join the Tenumago along with Lucy. It had been two nights since he and Ean made love. They had spoken on the phone a few times, and had made plans to meet again in two nights. Justin smiled as the vivid memory of having Ean inside his body filled his mind. Letting his hand wander down he rubbed the growing bulge at his crotch. Hearing a noise in the bushes he sat up. "Who's there?" Ean stepped forward, smiling. "I made sure to make some noise. I didn't want to startle you like last time." Justin flew up and pressed himself against Ean, throwing his arms around his neck. "Are you crazy?" Ean laughed softly. "Obviously." "What are you doing here?" Justin asked, inhaling the already familiar scent of Ean's skin. "We were going to meet the night after tomorrow." "I know," Ean replied. "I just couldn't wait that long. I had to see you, if only for a few minutes." Kissing, they sat down on the bench, their tongues dancing desperately. Ean moved off Justin's lips and let his mouth play with Justin's earlobe. Justin gasped when he felt Ean's hands beginning to unbutton the fly on his jeans. "What are you doing...?" "I got so excited when I saw you touching yourself. I have to touch you," Ean replied, his voice husky. Justin bit his lip when Ean's hand reached inside his pants, closed around his cock and began to stroke him, starting out slow but quickly increasing the pace. Holding on to Ean's shoulders for dear life Justin buried his face in the crook of Ean's neck, whimpering as Ean worked his shaft. Holding back a cry, Justin exploded, emptying his seed on Ean's hand. Opening his fly and taking out his own rock hard member, Ean took Justin's trembling hand and placed it around his shaft. Justin had only moved his hand for a moment when Ean erupted, groaning low in his throat. Ean looked at his hand with a satisfied smile and began licking up Justin's release. Justin did the same, and then they kissed, letting their essences mix in their mouths. They both sighed happily. "That will keep me going until the night after tomorrow," Ean said. He looked at Justin. "And then you're coming with me, right?" "Yes," Justin smiled. "I'm coming with you. Lucy will too." Ean hugged him. "I should go." They stood. Ean kissed Justin one last time. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you, Ean," Justin said as Ean's arms reluctantly released him. One farewell glance, and Ean was gone. ****** When Justin had left the garden, Adele stepped out of the shadows. She had seen everything. Taking out a phone from her pocket, she sent a text message to Damon asking him to meet her in the garden right away. She grinned evilly. Damon was a big, stupid ox. He was perfect for what she was going to do. He appeared at her side. "Okay, I'm here. What's the problem?" Adele slowly extracted the long dagger she had hidden underneath her jacket in the back. "Something only you can help me with," she smiled sweetly. Damon frowned. "What is it?" Lunging forward, Adele thrust the blade into his chest all the way to the hilt, piercing his heart with perfect accuracy. Blood burst forward, staining her hand. "Sorry," she said. Damon simply stared at her, stunned, and then he was suddenly gone, and all that was left was a cloud of dust. Taking the dagger, Adele slashed a deep gash in her own arm. Then she put her nails to her face and scratched. For added effect she tore open a seam on the shoulder of her jacket, ruffled her hair, took some dirt from the ground and rubbed it on her clothes. When she was satisfied, she put her fingers to her lips and whistled the emergency signal. It took mere seconds for the garden to be swarming with vampires. Armand strode up to Adele, and she held back a smile when she saw the genuine concern in his face. "What happened?" he asked, examining her wounds. "He killed Damon," she sobbed. "What?" "We saw him here, and... when we confronted him, he killed Damon. He tried to kill me too, but... I whistled and he ran off..." "Calm down, Adele," Armand said sternly, slightly shaking her shoulders. "Who was here? Who killed Damon?" "Ean," she whispered. Armand's grip on her shoulders tightened. "Ean...?" he asked, his voice deadly. She nodded. "What the hell was a Tenumago doing here?" the other vampires growled furiously. Looking down to hide her triumph, Adele said with a trembling voice: "He was meeting Justin." An eerie silence spread throughout the garden. Open-mouthed shock was seen on every last face. Adele felt Armand's hands start to shake. "What...?" he rasped, his voice weak. "I was out here with Damon, and we saw them together over there by the bench. They were kissing..." she stole a glance at Armand who made a choking noise. "We listened, and we heard them say that they had made plans for Justin and Lucy to join the Tenumago the night after tomorrow." Armand grit his teeth as he remembered Lucy asking his permission for her and Justin to go out that very night. "We waited for Justin to leave, and then we stepped out and confronted Ean. And that's when..." For a moment Armand just stood still, his face filled with rage. Then he suddenly turned abruptly and rushed back to the mansion, not stopping until he reached Justin's door. Opening it, he closed the distance between him and Justin, who was reading on the bed, in one stride. Justin paled when he saw Armand. He had never seen him like that. The deadly expression in his eyes had Justin so petrified he couldn't speak. When Armand saw the look on Justin's face he knew that Adele's accusations must be true. "Ean...?" he asked Justin, his voice icy. Justin gasped. Reaching over, Armand turned down the collar on Justin's shirt. There, low on Justin's neck were the unmistakeable faded marks. "You allowed a Tenumago to feed on you? You were planning on joining them?" Armand's eyes were almost black with fury. By now, a small crowd had gathered outside Justin's room, Adele among them. Everyone was staring at Justin with hatred and disgust. Armand turned to one of them. "Take Justin to my office," he hissed. "But don't hurt him." Armand turned to the other vampires and raised his voice. "If anything happens to Justin I'll pick out one of you at random and tear that person to pieces. I'll deal with Justin myself." "Lucy's out running. What do we do with her when she comes back?" one vampire asked. "Kill her," Armand said to a murmur of approval. Justin sobbed as he was led from the room. ****** One of the perks with being a vampire is an enhanced sixth sense. Not all the time but sometimes, you can feel very strongly when there is a threat to you or a loved one. That is why, when Lucy returned from her run, she hesitated to enter the grounds of the mansion. She felt a cold sense of dread and she knew something was very wrong. Slowly, she crept up closer among the bushes towards the mansion. When she saw a couple of vampires standing at the edge of the garden she ducked down and stayed completely still. "Damn traitors," one of them hissed angrily. "After everything Armand has done for them. And now that fucking Ean's killed Damon." Another of the vampires laughed. "Just wait until Lucy comes back. She's in for a real surprise." Lucy didn't move a muscle; when they moved further away she started moving, as fast as she dared back up towards the road. When her feet hit pavement she ran, faster than she ever had. ****** Ben was sitting in the back room of his store, being utterly bored, when his assistant Jane showed in a very disheveled Lucy. Jane returned to the front room of the store as Ben ushered Lucy in and had her sit. "You have to call Ean," she pleaded. Asking no questions, Ben immediately went and made the call. Only ten minutes later, Ean burst into the store, followed by his mother. He kneeled in front of Lucy. He hadn't been surprised when Ben called. Just like Lucy, he had felt that same cold feeling of dread and had held his phone in his hand to call her when Ben's call came. "What happened?" he asked her, his voice trembling. "They've found out," she replied weakly. "I have no idea how, but they did. I don't know what they've done to Justin. We have to get him out of there!" Ean closed his eyes. "I can't fall apart," he thought. "I have to think clearly. Justin needs me." Ean opened his eyes and stood. "He still alive, at least," he said. "If they had killed him I would have felt it." Lucy nodded. Suddenly remembering, she told Ean of the conversation she had overheard. "Did you kill one of them?" Codie asked. "No. I didn't," Ean said, frowning. Taking a deep breath, he made his mind up. "I'm going over there. Right now." Codie placed a hand on his shoulder. "No, you're not. You'll be dead before you know what hit you." "I'm not going to storm their mansion like a cowboy with guns blazing," Ean growled. "I'll go quietly..." "Not even you could do that," Codie said. "Especially not now, when they'll probably be expecting you. This will have to be a team effort." ****** Not saying a word, Armand paced to and fro in front of Justin, who sat on the couch in the office; his eyes were fixed on the floor, too afraid to look up. His thoughts went to Ean and Lucy. He wondered if Armand would go after Ean, and if Lucy had managed to escape. "You are so like your mother." Justin started when Armand suddenly spoke, and then he frowned. "My mother...?" he asked, confused. "Yes, your mother," Armand replied. He was turned away from Justin, his eyes fixed at the window. "She was a simple waitress," Armand continued, "who happened to cross my path one day. I had never seen anyone like her before. I was bewitched, obsessed by her spirit... her life force. I came back to the place where she worked night after night, and I spoke to her every time, but she kept politely turning me down. Then, one night I waited for her in the parking lot when her shift ended. I wanted to make her see reason, make her understand that she was meant to be mine. But... she resisted, and before I could stop myself, I sank my teeth in her and drained her. When I finally stopped, it was too late to turn her into a vampire. She was dead." Justin gasped. "You killed my mother?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper. Armand sighed. "I didn't know she was a single mother. I found out later, when I read an article about her death in the paper. But I did nothing then. I convinced myself that I didn't care. But the guilt kept nagging me, and so, years later, I tracked you down just to make sure you were all right. When I saw the kind of people you were with and how they treated you, I decided to take you in and raise you. I owed her that." Armand turned to Justin. His eyes were black with anger. "As you grew up, you started resembling her so much. But more than that... you shine even brighter than she did. While she was a glowing star, you are like a supernova. It's driving me crazy! I want you more than I ever wanted her. Only a few days ago, I decided to try to make you mine. I would have given you anything you wanted, if only you would be mine." Grabbing Justin's arms, he pulled Justin up on his feet. Justin whimpered from the painful grip on his arms. "This wasn't supposed to happen!" Armand shouted, shaking Justin. "You were supposed to be mine, not his! He doesn't even care about you, he's just using you to get to me!" "HE LOVES ME AND I LOVE HIM!!!" Justin screamed. Armand's face contorted with rage. Justin heard a feral snarl and suddenly there was a violent pain in his neck, and then the world faded away into darkness... ****** "Lawrence's" was crowded with vampires from the Tenumago clan. They were checking weapons and listening to Codie, who hurriedly explained how they would attack the Petulac mansion. Ean was anxiously listening, when that cold feeling struck him again, worse than before. "No..." he thought. He glanced at Lucy who was standing close by; her eyes were wide and she was shivering. Suddenly all eyes turned to her as her cell phone gave off a signal. Taking it from her pocket, she flipped it open with shaking hands, and then she screamed. Stepping up to her, Ean grabbed the phone and stared at the display. It was a picture of Justin, lying lifeless, eyes closed, with his throat ripped open. Letting the phone fall from his hand, Ean dropped to his knees. The sound that issued from his throat was one of ultimate pain that made everyone flinch; it started like a hopeless moaning that rose to a desperate, heartbroken cry. "This is my fault," Ean thought. The words repeated in his head, over and over like an echo. "This is my fault... this is my fault..." The pain was unbelievable; it spread throughout his mind like an eclipse, taking over his soul like a disease and making his heart bleed with sorrow. He had never imagined there could be a pain this powerful. It was as if he was pain. Ean stood up. There was a way to make it go away, wasn't there? "Ean...?" The look on her son's face frightened Codie. Before anyone could react, the bell at the door jingled loudly and Ean was gone. "EAN!" Codie called after him, but she knew it was useless. He was probably already out of hearing range. "Let's go," she said to the others, and in a flash, "Lawrence's Books" was suddenly empty. ****** Ean crept soundlessly through the Petulac garden. He knew he had to hurry; he had a head start on his mother and the others, but they would be here soon. His plan was to make his way into the mansion, find Armand and take him out, and then allow the other Petulac vampires to kill him. Then the pain would stop. He halted when he saw the bench. Only earlier that night had he met Justin there. Justin had said he would come with him. He had told Justin he loved him, and Justin had said it back. Both of them already knew of their love for one another, but to say and hear the words... "I'll be with you soon," he whispered. Hearing a noise, Ean stepped out of sight. It was a female voice and it was laughing, triumphantly and with malice. A tall, blonde woman came into view. Ean knew her. Her name was Adele, and she was one of Armand's most dangerous followers. She was laughing hard, and almost dancing through the garden. Ean knew that this was the opportunity he had been waiting for. Before she could react, Ean had appeared behind her his hand around her throat, nails digging into her skin, his other arm holding her around her waist and securing her arms. "Try anything and I'll rip your head clean off," he hissed into her ear. "Ean...?" she croaked. "Correct. Adele, is it? You're going to lead me to Armand, Adele." In spite of the pressure against her throat, she laughed. "So you can kill him? Over my dead body, Tenumago!" Ean sank his claws a little deeper in her skin, forcing a pained sound from her. "I'm prepared for that, Adele." "Why don't you just kill me?" she said, her voice still holding a quality of triumph. "I was the one exposed your relationship with Justin. I was the one who killed Damon and blamed it on you. I did it all, because I hated Justin. I've always hated him. So just kill me." "I will. I'll kill both of you."