Dan and Rowe Ch. 01

Hey Everyone!

Thank you all for being so patient. I received so many emails...all anticipating Dan and Rowe. So again thank you all for your wonderful messages and I hope I did the pair justice. I wanted to give a HUGE THANK YOU to my editor Bianca. Without her, Dan and Rowe would have turned and watched way too much. :) So xoxo Bianca. Quick shout out to Tat for all your late night quickie readings for me, thanks so much...you're a doll.

***I cannot guarantee quick postings after this chapter. This one took a lot of work, so please don't get mad if there are some delays between submissions.

HERE IS MY WARNING: This story does contain abuse. I know you're going to read it, but I just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know that it does pertain to Dan's life.

I hope you guys enjoy Dan and Rowe:

XOXO

~NightTempest

~~~~~~~

"You fucking faggot!" his father screamed as he brought the belt down to his coiled form once more. "I saw you kissing that boy with your queer little hands all over him. You make me sick!" The belt cracked against his skin and the pain rolled his eyes back into his head.

"Dad! Stop! Please..." Jess begged and tried to pull her father back, but he slapped her across the face so hard she fell to the ground in sobs. "I told you to stay back. He will learn to obey me and if this is what it takes, then so be it," he screamed at her. "You gonna keep touching those boys, Daniel?" his father boomed. "Answer me, you degenerate little fuck!

!" The belt pelted his flesh again and his ribs flamed with pain.

"N...n...nooo, Sir," he whimpered with tears, his body shaking. He could feel the welts blistering and swelling upon his skin and fear consumed him at his father's words.

"That's a good boy." His father grinned darkly. Deed done, he proceeded to loop the belt around his waist again. "Now clean yourself up and put on the clothes I laid out for you. Our guests will be here in half an hour."

The man turned and his fearsome muscles moved under his crisply pressed button-down shirt. "Jessica, get off the fucking floor and stop that incessant crying. Go put on a dress and be downstairs in fifteen minutes. And if you touch him, so help me, I will surely show you the same treatment after dinner."

Jessica cowered in the corner by the bed and locked eyes with her brother. She grit her teeth and clenched her jaw, her light green eyes sparkling with tears. "Yes father," she seethed as he dismissed himself from the room.

"Danny?" she whispered and rocked onto her knees, looking out the door to make sure her father was far enough away. Tears running down her cheeks, she crawled a few paces across the carpet and sobbed, "I'm sorry Danny. God, I'm so sorry. Just a few more months and I'll get you out of here. We'll be free." Hearing footsteps coming back down the hall, she stiffened.

"Get up, Danny," she breathed fearfully. "Danny? Get up!"

Dan sucked in a sharp breath and sat up slowly against the wall. His small body burned and his arm felt useless, possibly broken. Wiide eyes took in his steaming father, back again in the doorway and he tried to protest, but the words were stuck in his throat.

The imposing man grabbed fistfuls of Jessica's shimmering blonde hair and pulled her to her feet. "I said get dressed!" he screamed, pushing her into the hall where she collapsed onto her side. Her arm reached out to her brother and her eyes pleaded as her father shut the door and disconnected them completely. Dan was slumped against the wall, sobbing helplessly, when he heard his sister start the screaming.

Dan woke from his sleep with a gasp. His breathing came hard and his body was soaked in sweat, forcing him to throw off the covers and run his hands through his curly golden locks. He shuddered at the memory of his dream and stretched out his lean limbs, feeling a crack run down his spine. He must have been sleeping in the fetal position again, well like he did most nights anyway. It wreaked havoc on his back but he still somehow found it comforting.

The dreams never stopped no matter how many years had passed; the memories were too ingrained into his brain to ever really go away, and with all the recent changes to his life, they seemed to be more frequent. Dan sighed and got out of bed, the only sound in the room was his bare feet slapping the cold marble floor as he went to the bathroom.

Splashing cool water on his face, he looked at his reflection in the mirror. Dark circles hung under his tired green eyes and he was definitely in need of a shave, he thought as he rubbed the golden stubble along his jaw wearily. With a sigh, he turned away from the reflection that mocked him, knowing he wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep tonight. Grabbing his phone off the nightstand, Dan threw on his favorite black workout pants and across a chair by the door lay a soft knit, white tee that he slipped over his head before heading out of the room.



A good cup of tea was what he always did at home after a raging nightmare. Dan knew for a fact that the staff had some stocked in their kitchen underground and in the dim light, he went searching the halls for the entrance. Glancing at his phone, Dan saw it was a little after four in the morning and mentally groaned for not at least waking up a little later.

The lights had been turned low when he reached the small kitchen that the vampires shared at the compound and immediately, Dan filled the electric coffee pot with some water to heat. He might've been rattled but he didn't want to wake anyone up with the whistle of the kettle or the beeping of the microwave, so the coffee pot it was. He selected a bag of tea and put it in his mug and sat at the tiny table to wait. The comforting routine calmed his nerves, giving his shaking hands something to do.

Dan was burdened with the familiar urge to call his sister, just to hear her voice, but knew she was fast asleep and had to work early in the morning. Even in a palace full of people, Dan felt so alone. Being the only human amongst a throng of gorgeous vampires tended to make oneself an outcast and he couldn't help wondering why he was even still here. He wanted so badly to admit to himself the real reason why, but even that was far from his mind as he mindlessly watched the coffee pot fill with water.

Today would be the tenth anniversary of his father's death and he knew it was going to be a battle to be around the others in his state. Jess would call eventually and check on him like she always did, but even that didn't lift his depression.

After some bubbling and gurgling, the small coffee pot light switched to green and he shuffled over to fill his cup with boiling water. No sugar, no honey. Just the tea. Dan felt the tears ready to spill as he sat alone in the dull lifeless kitchen, sipping the one thing that reminded him of his mother. He sniffed quietly and rubbed at his eyes, shivering as the draft from the hall crept through his thin shirt.

In that moment, Dan knew perfectly well what he needed, but there was no way in hell he was going anywhere near...that man. It had been stupid in the first place to entertain such feelings towards...him; this attraction was just a crutch for Dan to avoid dealing with something deeper. He was sure—wasn't he?--that the feelings he held for the vampire were nothing more than a need to be cared for, a desperate desire for someone just to look after him in a way he had been denied nearly all his life. Dan shook his head at how pathetic he was, feeling every bit of the masculinity he had worked so hard to build sink away into nothingness.

"Daniel?" Rowe whispered, watching the bleary-eyed man slumped over the table, nursing a cup of tea.

Dan jumped and his heart raced as he looked right into those violet eyes he found so mesmerizing. Why did it have to be him, of all people? He thought with irritation. Rowen just came out of nowhere, like a shadow on the wall, as if the arrogant prince just knew he was being thought about.

The tall icy haired vampire looked...stunning in his black silk pajama pants and robe. Rowe was like a fucking Prada model with his lean angular face and pouting pink lips, not to mention the long legs that were currently encased in expensive silk.

"What?" Dan murmured, casting his eyes at the table once more.

"Why are you awake? It's still rather early don't you think?" Rowe sat down at the table and looked at the beautiful creature before him. He frowned, noting the defeated look on the face of his normally energetic pet and reached for his hand. The vampire stopped, however, and his body stiffened as those brilliant green eyes looked up. He pulled his hand back and raised a brow, waiting for an answer.

"Why are you even down here, Rowe? Don't you have your own room very far away?" Dan sipped his tea and placed his hard-ass face on—the face he had to admit grew more exhausting to force every time. But he would not let Rowe see his pain; the vamp knew just how to push his buttons and today was not the day to get into it with the sassy-mouthed Brit.

Rowe sighed and crossed his legs, sitting back in agitation. Why did the little twit always do this? He wondered. Every time he was close to getting something from Dan, he was not-so-subtly pushed away as if he was some sort of disease. Rowe was beginning to grow weary of it all and he wanted nothing more than to slam the little diva up against the wall and fuck him silly. Perhaps then, Dan would feel what Rowe had felt this whole time—an extreme case of pent-up sexual need.

"Fine. Be that way." Rowe stood from the table and exhaled. "This was me trying to be nice, in case you misunderstood or some such. Wallow over your tea in the dark then." He scowled and turned away, only to hear the chair behind him scrape across the tile.

Dan stood from his chair and fought to keep the tears in. "Why are you down here Rowe?" He trembled and his tea almost spilled in his shaking hands.

Rowe looked back at Dan, who seemed to have turned into a fragile mess over the last three seconds. "I couldn't sleep," he murmured, finding himself slowly inching closer around the table.

Dan held up a distancing hand to keep the vamp apart from his body, even though all he wanted was for someone to hug him tightly and tell him everything would be alright. "But why come here?"

"I like it down here." Rowe smirked with a hidden longing to hold his mate close dancing behind his eyes.

Dan nodded stiffly. He didn't know what to say to that, but his whole body shook, whether it was the cold or his nerves, he didn't know. He was so full of emotions at the moment, he didn't know what to do either. His nightmare had thrown him off his emotional axis and being near Rowe just amped up his fear and depression to a dangerous notch.

Rowe took a step closer to him and his jittery hands dropped the cup. Dan gasped, watching as it shattered onto the tile. A fearful panic spread through him like a flame across gasoline and he quickly sunk to his knees, trembling as he picked up the shards on the floor. He glanced up, seeing a shadow looming over him, and his mind began to unravel. Memories surfaced, making him quiver uncontrollably. He felt the body come closer and he began to cry.

"I'm sorry. I...I...I d..d..d..idn't mean it. I...I..I'll clean it up, I swear," he stuttered, folding in on himself waiting for the blow to come.

"Oh my Lord. Daniel? Talk to me." Rowe's eyes widened as he watched the smaller man cower in fear, knees tucked in and head covered. What in the hell? Deeply concerned, he dropped to knees and gently placed his hand on Dan's back.

"No...No...please...it was an a..ah...accident," Dan stammered as Rowe stared in disbelief.

"Daniel love, it's alright. It was just a cup. It can be replaced, I promise you." He rubbed Dan's back and the smaller man seemed to shrink in on himself even more. Heartbroken, he whispered, "Come here. I'm not going to hurt you." Slowly, Rowe put his arm around Dan's slim waist and pulled the crying man towards his chest.

Desperate to make sense of this, Rowe remembered his mate once said that he bore some kind of resemblance to someone, someone Dan knew. What had this person done to his pet? He thought. And why? Rowen cradled the trembling body to himself, rubbing his hands up and down the slim arms beneath his touch. "Dan?" He nuzzled into the soft skin of a slender neck. "Shh, my love. It's alright."

Dan gasped as he opened his eyes and abrutly came back to himself. He felt the warm body covering his back and shame spread through him. No, he thought. 'That' hadn't happened in a long time. This wasn't the same. Dan was so embarrassed in that moment he couldn't bring himself to move and look at the obviously worried man.

And yet, he couldn't help himself as he leaned back into the rock hard body warming his back. The hands on his arms caressed him slower and the fingers dug deeper, kneading away the tension. Soft lips brushed a light kiss to his neck and he moaned, unable to help himself as the hands began to work his shoulders.

"Mmm, Dan," Rowe hissed, smelling arousal from the man in front of him. The clean scent exploded over both of them and he growled. "Come on."

Gently, he tugged Dan to his feet and helped him over the broken glass, the young human seeming to be in his own world.

As much as he wanted to continue the contact he craved, Rowe was much more worried about what happened before and he wasn't about to leave Dan alone until the poor man had become more reasonable, or Cade could be reached on the phone.

Cade would know what to do, and that always pissed him off. For certain, he loved Cadence as his own brother, but the fact that Cade knew how to take care of his mate and he didn't made Rowen hold a secret grudge against the Guardian. He just wanted one moment where Dan looked at him as a real person, and not someone to bounce a comeback off. Rowe wanted to be the one to hold Dan at night and soothe his worries, like Cade and Micah did. He wanted...oh hell, he didn't know what to call it, but 'it' was what he wanted. Nonetheless, Rowe knew that if he pushed too far that he'd lose the little devil for good, and after seeing this, he knew he'd have to dig deeper into his emotional wherewithal than he'd ever imagined he could.

Shaken and withdrawn, Dan walked along the corridor with Rowe propping him up. He felt lower than he had in a long time as he let the vamp lead him like a child back to his bedroom. How would he ever explain what had just happened to Rowe? Bad enough that he felt unattractive and weak, this would sink him to a whole new sub-level in Rowen's eyes. Hunching his shoulders in shame, Dan wanted nothing more than to crawl under the covers and hide from the world.

That's what he did every year on this day; he just hid and cowered under the pressure of memories. Dan didn't want Rowe to know about his past because the beautiful vampire prince would undoubtedly toss him aside, not wanting to deal with the complicated mess that Dan really was.

"Into bed," Rowe murmured, pulling back the sheets and gently nudging the fallen creature into bed. He watched Dan keep his face hidden as his body fell onto the thick mattress, rolled to one side and turned away. Rowe just didn't know what to do. Should he comfort Dan? Try to make him laugh? God, this is a mess, the vampire thought to himself with a sigh, deciding to simply lie beside the man in the fetal position.

"Dan, I know you're upset, but if you would just say something to let me know you're alright, that would be a start." He rubbed the trembling body, wishing his mate would turn and face him.

"Don't want to talk about it," Dan whispered, closing his eyes while the warm hand comforted him.

As much as he liked the touch, though, it was also making him nervous; if he felt too relaxed, he would spill his guts to Rowe and he was not about to let that happen.

"That's alright. I just wanted to make sure you were still with me, hear your voice, you know?" Rowe propped himself onto his side and moved a little closer. He could feel the heat radiating off the smaller man and it whispered to him in invitation, that warm clean scent drawing him in.

"I'm fine," Dan grit and inched closer to the edge of the bed. "You don't need to babysit me."

"Just relax." Rowe began to move his hand up and down Dan's side and felt a shiver run through the other man's body. He took a deep breath to keep his fangs from descending as the scent around him became heated and threatened to throw his beast into overdrive. He closed his eyes and felt Dan breathing deeply with a sigh. "It's not babysitting, Daniel, it's called being a friend."

Dan stiffened abruptly. "So we're friends now? You haven't talked to me in three days; now you're in my bed trying to get some because I'm vulnerable," Dan sneered, rolling off the bed.

Getting irritated now, Rowe sat up as he watched Dan once more try to put up his guard. "I think we've been through this before, Dan. I don't take kindly to you thinking I'm some kind of street skank that gets their jollies off by sleeping with everything in sight. I'm trying to be helpful and I really wish you wouldn't do this to me anymore. You're the one who hasn't talked to me." Rowe shook his head, trying to control his anger. He knew that Dan was just embarrassed and angry with himself for spilling a secret that he never intended to share, but every time Dan dug into his pride it hurt him. It hurt that Dan never intended to share his secret.

"Right. Then explain to me what you want with me, Rowe. And don't you dare say 'to be friends'. You just watched me have a complete black-out meltdown in there. I'm a freak, Rowe!" Tears rolled down his cheeks. "I'm thin and I'm weak, and I don't have a lot of money. I'm not posh or suave, and I don't have anything to offer you. I'm nothing and I always have been. So tell me, why would you waste your time with me, when you could have any other guy in the world?"

Rowe was stunned. His heart felt like it was breaking into a thousand pieces for the man before him. Dan thought nothing of himself and his soul was so broken. Rowe's beast demanded to know what had happened to Dan, to then find the source and stomp on its face, but his heart wanted to wrap Dan in his arms and let the world just fade away.

"Dan...that's not true. You..." Rowe was cut off.

"It is true, Rowe. You know nothing about me. I'm a fuck-up and I really have no place even being here. But it's not my choice, is it? It's never been my choice. I was born to die inside; it is what it is and I've accepted that. So why don't you just run along and go live it up somewhere else." Dan was hysterical and he knew it. He was a slobbering mess and he had to get Rowe out of there before he just completely fell apart. He could feel himself on the verge of telling everything to the man looking at him with a horrified face.

"I'm not leaving." Rowe stood with determination. He walked over to Dan, who clenched his fists and bit his lip as Rowe approached. "Sit down," Rowe commanded firmly but gently, ushering him to a chair.

Dan immediately sat down because he knew he was a goner. This was it and there was no going back. Rowe was still here and if pushed just one more step... Dan dropped his head into his hands and let it all out. He couldn't keep it inside anymore and Rowe wasn't going to leave.

Falling to his knees, Rowen waited patiently for Dan to ride it out. Whatever was going on, the poor boy's emotions were so strong that even his beast felt the pain flowing from him. Reaching out, Rowe ran his long fingers through those soft, golden curls. He loved the texture against his skin as he stroked his mate's head and when Dan looked up, Rowe melted. Those luminescent green eyes were magnified in color by the tears that stained them. Rose red lips were quivering and Dan's breathing was unsteady.