Dark Paths Ch. 05

The urge - no, the all-consuming compulsion - to grab the smaller vampire and pummel him into a unrecognisable pulp was so strong that Lagrado's creature almost couldn't control it in time. He could not create that kind of spectacle in such a public place or Cole Lagrado would have his head, literally.

"Concern? How touching!" he wheezed through gritted teeth. When he moved, it was with that blinding speed all but the weakest of them were capable of, turning at the same time so the scarf came off and Rayne was left holding it, a puzzled expression briefly gracing his handsome face as he found himself alone. Prowling around behind him the older Vampire growled softly and impatiently.

"You cross into an Ancient's territory, uninvited and unannounced. You not only hunt without permission but you mark your mate. Then you abandon your marked human in our city. You offer insult after insult and expect no retaliation?" He snorted, a very human gesture, suggesting that he was perhaps not so old after all. "Be grateful Cole Lagrado's only punishment is to take the boy."

Rayne half turned, tracking him purely by the feelings of anger and frustration he emitted. His fingers remained curled around the delicate wisp of emerald and gold, still rich with the scent of Xavier's skin; his blood. Were it not for that he could have left it; and if this creep had not so casually referred to Xavier like some kind of offering. He had seen too many innocents go down that route with the Old Ones and it never ended well. Soft, pale lips drew back from his extending fangs in a slight, warning snarl like a dog whose boundaries have been violated.

"I've told your boss and now I'm telling his trained monkey, I don't ask anyone's permission for anything," Rayne hissed softly. "Now if any of you creeps have hurt so much as a hair on that boy's head, I am going to break some bones. Punish me if that's what gets you hard, but leave him out of it. It's not his fault."

He shivered all the same. There was no expression on the blond's face but something in his manner, in the way he felt... it sent chills through him. Rayne was a good judge of his own kind, generally. He had a feel for the ages and skills of his fellow Undead that even his Sire, Jabez openly admired. But he had no time for them, to his Ancient Mentor's eternal frustration. It was true that Jabez Everman also shunned most of Vampire-kind but he was over three and half thousand centuries old and it did not pay to provoke him. Plus, his mortal bodyguard Mersen was almost as lethal as a whole cadre of Undead. Any Vamp that got within a hand's distance of the Everman was doing well. Doing well, that is until Jabez got hold of him!

In London these days Rayne's blood ties to the semi-mythical Everman protected him from all but the most lethal opponents. After they had combined to teach Everman's own Demonic Sire, Kal Zelarin a lesson he would spend the remainder of his Unlife regretting, they discovered they had earned a massive quotient of kudos among the British Vampire coteries. Here things were a little different. He wished now that he had paid more attention to the stuff Jabez and his human ally Dominic Warren tried to teach him about Vampires and their ways and the whole complex pecking order. It was so boring though. The Vamp politics just sent him to sleep. It was like the Royal Family only ten times more insular and with even more archaic regulations. Of course the Royals probably wouldn't rip out your lungs and eat them if you crossed them (with just one notable exception, that he knew of!)

This cocksucker at the airport had talked about him marking Xavier and he supposed that was right. It was unusual for him to leave visible bite marks on a lover and he certainly had not done so on purpose but Xavier seemed to have no problems with it. And the boy's increased sensitivity to his touch had been immensely rewarding in bed, he had to admit. It was almost as if they moved with one accord. Actually, when he thought about it like that, it was a bit creepy. He pushed the idea away and focused on Blondie, who still had not tried to rip him to quivering pieces.

Interesting.

"I don't do gratitude," he sneered at the glowering Vamp now, tempering his sharp tongue slightly. "But I'll make a tiny little allowance because I hate to put anyone's nose out of joint and I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to do that on purpose, all right? I'm a dozy Brit, we have different rules where I come from. I didn't think I was robbing from anyone's table. So I'd be very grateful if you guys would let the boy go. Okay?"

He held his hands out to his sides in an open, placatory gesture that was probably not the best defensive posture under the circumstances. But hey, he was standing in the middle of one of the world's busiest airports. This cold-blood was hardly going to eviscerate him here with so many witnesses.

"Okay?" he invited again when the other Vampire seemed to be having difficulty controlling his breathing.

The vampire's expression changed ever so slightly. As if he had been trying to peer into Rayne and now had what he wanted, but what he saw wasn't what he'd expected to see.

"You can not be that naïve," he muttered, almost to himself. Then he heaved a small, completely unnecessary sigh. Old habits died hard, especially for those not yet a few centuries old. "Even if it were up to me, which it's not, he can't just be let go. You marked him…"

When he saw that Rayne's expression did not change he rolled his eyes. "Don't you know anything?"

He laughed because it really was rather ironic. The huge insult Cole Lagrado had dealt this small vamp, that was barely more then a fledgling, didn't even ping his radar as an insult because he hadn't a clue what he'd done. He was simply concerned his lover should not be hurt.

"The mark…it's a blood bond. Like saying this is mine, tagging him as your human servant or as a favourite. It tells other vampires he's under your protection and not to feed from or harm him. That Lagrado has done so, and has since made him Steffen's pet, says you're no threat, your mark means nothing." He paused and chuckled humourlessly again.

Explaining the insult was just so ridiculous. The very reason he was sent, with that scarf as a message, was so that Wylde would know of the retaliation. He had no hope of winning if he challenged Lagrado, so he was supposed to get on the plane with his tail between his legs knowing he'd been effectively bitch-slapped for his insolence. Having to tell him all this took the sting out of it. Cole would be all sorts of put out if he knew.

He should stop here, the messaged had been delivered, and made abundantly clear. His job was done. But he couldn't resist adding; "You only have two choices, Wylde. Get on the plane and it's a draw. Or try and negotiate for your boy." With that the blond vampire moved away, leaving Rayne standing there speechless, for once, and very, very pissed off.

Rayne quivered almost imperceptibly as the words sank in. The milling airport crowds melted into mindless background noise, as irritating as the drone of insects but of no more consequence. He had eyes only for this smug, slightly incredulous creature standing in front of him, laughing at him. Fucking well laughing at him!

He could, and had, put up with a lot of shit but he saw no reason to take that one lying down. Lagrado was a serious motherfucker but this one? The singer doubted Blondie was more than bait. Cole Lagrado wasn't going to waste serious Vamp-power just to send a message. And he'd been brought up to always reply to messages. It was only polite, after all.

"Oi, Mr Know It All!" he said coldly as the blond turned to walk off.

For a second the tall, fair-haired show-off hesitated, and then he turned. The pause was his undoing.

Rayne was not where the messenger had left him. As he turned back again to face in the direction he had been headed, the singer appeared in front of him. He was like a wraith, moving so fast that his opponent only had the sense to take a single step back before the sharp point of the ceremonial oriental knife Rayne Wylde had been admiring when he first became aware of his shadow punched through his heart and out through his back.

It made one hell of a mess of his nice suit.

As the blond went down with a grunt of pain and surprise, Rayne Wylde stood over him and said; "Tell your boss, 'that's just a little warning, in case I find out you've damaged what's mine'. If you survive that long, anyway. If not, I'm sure he'll get the message."

He was gone before the blond could get a hand to the hilt of the katana in his chest. By the time the mesmerised travellers realised what had happened and started screaming that there was a wounded man lying on the ground in their midst, Rayne Wylde was in a taxi heading back into the city.

~~~

He went to PJ first and warned his friends to get out of San Francisco. Initially this request was treated almost as light-heartedly as his lack of understanding of Vampire legislation back at the airport. It took a serious argument and several acts of unpremeditated violence to emphasise just how much danger they were likely to be in. By this time there was an article on the mid-day news bulletin about a stabbing at San Francisco International, with police speculating about how a man could come to be stabbed through the chest with a 16" knife without there being any witnesses to the assault. To add to the difficulties the SFPD were already experiencing, the victim had disappeared too. One spokesman was already dismissing it as a prank, but in the lounge of PJ McNamara's house overlooking the bay three pairs of eyes turned slowly to look at Rayne Wylde.

"Now do you believe me?" he demanded, shaking his head impatiently. "This is real. I didn't want to drag you guys into it but Lagrado already knows I'm involved with Xavier and I'd lay a penny to a pound that he's figured out I'm in deep with you lot as well."

"Why'd he take the kid?" Clay wanted to know.

"Because I'd bitten him, stupid!" Rayne shook his dark mane again, rolling his eyes. "In their eyes it puts a 'Property of... do not touch' sticker on him."

"So why'd they take him then?" That was Chavez.

Rayne was at least a little glad that he wasn't the only ignorant one playing this fucking game. He took a deep breath.

"They're throwing the ball back into my court." he explained patiently. "Either I can let it go and walk away, which is what I think they were hoping I'd do. Or I can go back there and give them seventeen shades of shit about it."

"And what will they do then?" PJ asked solemnly from the sofa where he had been listening to all of this with a frown.

"I..." Rayne closed his mouth and looked away. Without turning his face back to Paddy, he murmured; "I dunno."

"You are not doing this on your own, honey," Clay told him at once.

Pale eyes the colour of new leaves flickered up to meet the bigger man's silvery gaze. Rayne shook his head.

"Barclay, they're fuckin' Vampires!" he said vehemently.

"Well we get us a fire truck full of Holy Water and we go give the fuckers a good hosing," the burly former porn star responded defiantly.

Rayne tried to suppress the smile this brought reluctantly to his lips but he could not hold it in. He looked away instead. God, he loved these guys. They were all batshit crazy, even PJ, but they were loyal as a bunch of old hounds. The idea that they'd walk into a nest of Vampires to help him out armed only with a string of garlic and some Holy Water touched and frightened him a little.

"You're not running away this time," PJ said mildly. "So neither are we."

"Could you at least try to lay low?" Rayne begged him, coming back to his side and kneeling at his feet. He put his head in the older man's lap and Paddy's fingers ran softly through his hair.

"If that makes you happy, baby boy," PJ whispered to him, "that's what we'll do. But if you need us, don't you dare try to keep us out of the loop. We're not spring chicks but we know a few tricks, honey."

"Paddy, he's not like me," Rayne said miserably. "He doesn't see people as… human beings. He just sees them as something to use; something to feed from. He's dangerous, and he's not alone in this city."

"And neither are we, baby boy," PJ reassured him. "Don't you worry. We can take good care of ourselves. But don't you get hurt, and you make sure that boy is okay. You got me?"

Rayne lifted his head and nodded wearily. "Gotcha."

~~~

Xavier watched Steffen approach with cool, guarded eyes. He held his arm, cradling it and rubbing the place where he'd been so savagely bitten, even though there was no longer a gaping wound there. "What was that thing that bit me?"

"A vampire." Steffen answered, one brow arched slightly, as if Xavier should know this.

"You're a vampire. That thing…" Xavier shook his head. "Why did it look like that?"

"She was punished. Not allowed to feed, for a long time. The younger ones have difficulty keeping their forms, and their minds if they do not feed."

"If her mind's gone why keep her like that? Why not just… end it?"

Steffen tilted his head, looking at Xavier curiously. "Two reasons. She is useful as she is to punish others, as you have seen for yourself, and she is not broken beyond all hope. With enough time and blood she could be as she once was, whole and sound."

Xavier shuddered. He sincerely hoped he would not be feeding her again.

As if reading his mind Steffen said, "You will not be punished again, unless you do something to earn it."

Xavier's eyes came up at once and locked with Steffen's.

"Why are you doing this? What's this got to do with Rayne? If this is some kind of… of… I don't know what… he's leaving anyway, probably today or tomorrow. Just let me outta here, alright? I won't tell nobody. I swear. I won't say a word about any of this. Who would believe me anyway, right? Please, just let me go." He couldn't seem to stop babbling.

Steffen had moved to the bed and now reached for him. Xavier pulled back, scrabbling backwards across the narrow mattress. Steffen lunged and Xavier evaded. It was like Steffen was moving through jello or something. Xavier knew how fast he was, he shouldn't have been able to keep out of his reach. He caught the look in the vampire's eyes and his confusion cleared. There was excitement gleaming there alongside the hunger. He was doing it on purpose. Playing with him like a cat plays with a captured bird. Pissed now, Xavier willed himself to stay still.

"Bet you liked to pull the wings off of flies when you were little. Fuckin asshole!"

He hit the floor so hard it felt like a truck had smacked into him. The wind got knocked out of him and he struggled to get air as he tried to curl over and protect vital areas. Steffen had him pinned flat though. He'd just managed to get a thin breath into his lungs when a rough hand pressed hard between his legs. His nuts felt lodged about mid gut and the shaky breath turned into a painful cough and gasp.

He was not surprised at all that Steffen's next move was to claw his jeans open and yank them down. He was flipped onto his belly, one hand fisted in his hair and yanked his head back while the other groped between his legs.

Cool lips moved along the curve of Xavier's neck in a softly malicious caress.

"The craving to be bitten will not go away Xavier, it will only get worse." Steffen's wet tongue licked over the marks. "You will come to beg me for this."

He plunged his razor sharp canines into the pulse point at the same moment he sank his cock into Xavier's fear-clenched body, ripping his way into the terrified mortal with no regard for his pain.

Xavier's cry of agony underscored Steffen's groan of pleasure as he swallowed the warm, salty flow flooding into his mouth. The blood was so strong and sweet it sang along his tongue. The beautiful lithe body beneath him went slack and pliant as he fed deeply and fucked Wylde's boy-toy with abandon.

Xavier didn't fight. No point. He knew he wasn't strong enough to break Steffen's hold, and he also knew that struggling would only turn the fuckin' bastard on. When he'd been working, he'd had guys pay him to set up a scene, act reluctant and fight a little. This asshole wasn't getting the extras if he could help it. Besides, if he tried to relax it wouldn't hurt as much. The bite sent ghosts of electric current through him, his dick, being shoved into the soft carpet under him, started to respond.

Steffen suddenly lifted his bloody mouth from Xav's neck with a reluctant snarl. He wanted to finish him, drink him to completion, and only with effort did he keep himself from doing so. He slammed into the boy's unresisting body and the ecstatic release of his seed into the prisoner's tight channel only exacerbated the desire. He had to clench his teeth to keep from biting into the delicious column of his throat again.

Steffen pulled himself up and off Xavier reluctantly. The blond boy's sides lifted and fell in shallow but steady respiration, he was conscious but listless from the blood-loss. Steffen picked him up, not bothering to either pull his jeans up or take them off. He dropped Xav back on the bed, semi naked and pulled the blanket over him carelessly.

When he left Xavier heard the lock click as the door closed behind him. He turned his face against the pillow determined not to cry.

~~~

Rayne took a cab back down to the studios. Chavez offered to run him but Rayne felt happier knowing that the guys were all together. He would have been happier still if he'd have been able to persuade them to go to Paris and join Mikka there. PJ argued that he wasn't up to a journey like that, which in turn worried the singer that he wasn't up to running from Vampires either.

And if he messed this up, they'd have to run like the devil was after their collective arses.

He made a call on his mobile as the cab nudged its way through the mid afternoon traffic downtown. It was about 10.30pm in Britain and he hoped fervently that Jabez's tame vampire expert, Lord Warren had not taken to having a mug of cocoa and an early night since he became entitled to claim his Senior Citizens' bus pass. When the call was finally answered it took a little while for him to make himself heard over the sound of extremely loud dance music.

"What the fuck is going on over there? Where are you?" he yelled into the slender clamshell mobile as the sound levels on the other end of the line gradually came down enough for his caller to make himself heard in response.

"Club Amnesia, I'm on Ibiza!" Lord Warren yelled back at him, dispelling any thoughts that the Vampire might have had of him retiring to a life of comfy slippers and Gardener's World. The old bugger sounded a bit loaded as well. Trust Dom Warren to be tripping his tits off on the one night Rayne really needed him to have a clear head.

"Jesus Christ!" Rayne groaned. "Can you talk?"

"Can I walk?" Dominic sought clarification. "I'm not some stupid teenager, Wylde. I can manage a little club night, I think!"

"I need to ask you something?" Rayne shouted at him. "Oh fuck this... can't you go through to the terrace or something and ring me back? This is important."

He got out of the cab when the jam proved impassable and walked the last half-mile towards the studios where he had last encountered Cole Lagrado. Fear kept him alert but also fired up his natural adrenaline. He was ready for a fight when his mobile chirruped at him enquiringly and he flipped it open, swinging into a side street and leaning in the shadows of a fire-door as Dominic's familiar, slightly aristocratic tones rambled blissfully in his ear about the delights of Club Amnesia.