Vampires and Lovers Ch. 03

3 Power Corrupts

The big, golden male gazed enraptured at the lithe brunette who straddled him. As often as they shared their bodies, it still awed the older man that all this beauty was his and his alone. The dark tresses framed an angelic face, flushed and damp from their lovemaking. The expressive, espresso eyes were closed and the red, kiss-swollen lips open as the younger man panted at his exertions or mewled his pleasure. It was a sight that never failed to take Vincent's breath away. He reached to caress the smooth chest and gently tug at the tight, dark nipples, earning a low moan of appreciation. Keeping up the stimulation to his mate's sensitive nubs, he let his other hand ghost over satin-soft thighs to drift ever closer to the slender, rosy-hued erection that wept its desire. He thumbed a drop and brought it to his lips and groaned at the salty-sweet taste of his lover that exploded over his tongue. He began a slow stroke in time with his beloved's movements as Wyl rode Vincent's throbbing rod.

"So beautiful, angel," Vincent husked. "So good, so tight."

"Love to feel you in me, Vincent," Wyl panted, locking his scorching sienna orbs on his mate's of smouldering sapphire. "Come in me, make me come."

"Come for me, my Own," Vincent growled.

The deep, possessive, commanding tones, accompanied by a series of rapid, feral thrusts against Wyl's jewel, were an irresistible combination. He threw back his head with a cry of his lover's name and his crème pulsed white and hot against Vincent's lightly furred stomach and chest. He heard the roar of his name as his channel contracted around the rigid flesh impaling him and then the wet heat of his lover's seed filled him. Wyl felt himself rolled with preternatural speed as the last of his orgasm ebbed away. Then he moaned and shuddered as Vincent's fangs pierced his throat. The erotic caress triggered a second smaller climax and Wyl whimpered in Vincent's embrace.

"Feed from me, Mine," Vincent whispered as he tenderly positioned Wyl's head. He closed his eyes in pleasure at the sensation of the younger male's delicate suckling.

Wyl felt Vincent's powerful essence in every cell as he tasted his mate's blood. It seemed to flood his senses, threatening to overwhelm him. It would take many years for him to become accustomed to Vincent's potent elixir. He felt his mate's gentle touches soothing him and he tried to burrow deeper into the protective arms as he licked closed the tiny wounds.

"I love you so much, Vincent," Wyl sighed as he nestled against the bigger body. His sated body was relaxing in the languid afterglow, leaving him drowsy and lowering his defences.

"Sleep, my love," Vincent crooned. "We have a busy time ahead of us."

"Seamus mentioned you and Yasmin were...close," Wyl whispered. The tiny niggle of doubt that had rooted in his heart had finally blossomed into anxiety now they were so close to meeting this woman from his mate's past. He felt his head tilted and he gazed into Vincent's warm eyes.

"What I shared with her as opposed to what I have with you would be like comparing the heat of a candle to that of the sun. I have had lovers, my Own, but she is not one of them. By the time I met her, the call to find my Chosen was strong. We enjoyed each other's company not our bodies. I could not give her what she wanted and would not take advantage of her."

"I'm glad you kept looking," Wyl whispered, burying his head into the crook of Vincent's neck and shoulder.

"Never doubt your place at my side," Vincent rumbled. "You are my Chosen, the other half of my soul. I will love you, and only you, for eternity. The years I waited to find you were worth the emptiness now that I have you to fill my arms, my heart, my soul. Seamus has contacted her to let her know I have found you and we are Bonded. Yasmin is a very talented spell-caster and we will need her expertise to deal with our new challenge. Sleep now, my angel."

Wyl snuggled closer, Vincent's words banishing the last of the worry that had plagued him. He loved the bigger vampire more than he could ever express in mere words, but Vincent had found the ones to assure him he was loved as much in return. He let the thought ease him into sleep.

****

As Seamus drove the silver Mercedes slowly up the impressive driveway to the magnificent villa Yasmin owned, Wyl stared at it with wide eyes. It was a single-story, white stucco building. A veranda encircled it, its roof supported by pillars in matching coral pink. Red bougainvillea, pink roses and white jasmine scaled trellises whilst scenting the air. It was both a visual and olfactory treat.

"It's beautiful," Wyl murmured from his place between David and Vincent.

"Too many flowers," grumbled Gabriel from next to Seamus. A Lycan's sense of smell was hyper-sensitive and the mix of flowers was already proving too sickly-sweet for his taste.

"It will be better inside, love," David soothed. "Yasmin will keep her incense to a minimum and has promised there will only be small clusters of fresh flowers inside." The petit blond caressed the broad shoulder of his large, dark mate. He smiled indulgently at the huffed sigh and the stroke of Gabriel's hand across his own.

"Are we really looking for living mummies?" Wyl asked, looking at Vincent and then David. It still seemed like a plot for a movie to his naive mind.

"Not living, Wyl," David replied. "Simply animated corpses."

"Many of our kind can bend the will of a human to their desires. The danger is, if they are captured, they may remember something to identify their controller. But it is the easiest and preferred method of using a minion," Seamus said. "Some mages posses skill enough to animate golems, others have power and skill enough to use zombies to do their bidding. However, that is an uncommon and ancient power. Our adversary has taken a step beyond even this. I think they are trying to prove both their power and ancient knowledge. They have gone through the full processes of embalming and reanimation, troublesome, time-consuming and very draining for the necromancer. Few would bother with this today, even if the ability was not incredibly rare. Mummies are no more than mindless creatures existing by the will of their master but using one shows we are dealing with someone of unusual skill, strength and power of mind. These minions can't be stopped by gun or knife and will walk through fire or water. There is neither reason nor compassion."

"How do we stop them?" Wyl asked.

"Decapitation. Effectively the mage becomes the creature's mind. Detach its head and the mage cannot control its body. We then burn its remains to ensure it cannot be used again. They are highly effective killing machines," Gabriel growled. "They do not weaken under tooth and claw."

Wyl shuddered and then smiled as Vincent slipped an arm around his shoulders and David gave his hand a gentle squeeze. He had gone from having no one to being a part of a tightly-knit, loving family, from living hand-to-mouth to living in luxury. Although his new life had its dangers, he would not trade it, or the love he had found with Vincent and his new family, for anything. He took a deep breath and smiled at the other vampires. Whatever they faced, he would face it with them.

****

The men stepped out from the car and two servants, dressed in black harem pants and flowing tunics came to meet them. One began emptying the car whilst the other ushered them inside. The interior of the villa was no less impressive than the exterior. The hall had a white marble floor and the doorframes were black marble. The doors were mahogany, deep, rich, and almost sensuous. The walls were a soft cream colour and dotted with vibrant tapestries or had small niches inset which held talismans of gold, crystal and precious stones creating a bejewelled effect.

Wyl felt comforting warmth permeate his body as he looked around. There was almost a palpable, positive aura. He let it wash over him with a smile. Not much less than a year ago his home had been a bedsit where food was sometimes a luxury. Now his home was a penthouse suite and this villa just one of several magnificent homes he had visited. His smile widened as he remembered Coleran and the castle in Ireland.

"Vincent! How wonderful to see you again."

The female voice in cultured English tones had Wyl's attention instantly diverted and he blinked at the coffee-skinned woman walking swiftly toward his mate. Her hair was a luxuriant jet black, reached to her waist and was adorned with crystal pins that added a shimmer as she walked. She wore a pant and sari outfit in white and gold that made her skin glow. Her eyes were the same chocolate brown as his own but almond shaped. She was a vision of loveliness.

However, it was not her physical appearance that caused Wyl's family to gasp, but the way she flung her arms around Vincent's neck and kissed him deeply.

Vincent kept his arms at his side and his lips firmly closed. He could not believe Yasmin would do this to him. She *knew* he was Bonded. This was a grave insult to his Chosen as well as likely to distress his young lover. He stared stonily at her, noticing the low-level arousal with a narrowing of his eyes, as she moved away with a look of confusion on her face.

Yasmin had been delighted to hear that Vincent and his family would be working with her. It had been many years since they had spent time together. Seeing him in her hallway, the blond's grace, power and natural raw masculinity had affected her in the same way as it had the first time they had met. She had intended the kiss to show she bore no ill-will that Vincent had kept away for so long. Although she had initially been hurt, she understood, and accepted, that Vincent desired to find his Chosen and did not, could not, love her. She glanced, puzzled, at Gabriel whose low, deep growl had caught her attention. Then she slowly took in all the shocked faces of those she considered good friends...and one other. Her eyes widened in horror. Vincent's aura and that of the slender, dark, young man were so entwined as to be one. An elegant hand flew to her mouth.

"What have I done?" she asked, distraught.

Vincent's nostrils flared. The arousal had fled leaving anxiety in its stead. The confusion seemed genuine and yet Seamus had rung and spoken to ....Ishmael. His infuriated, indigo gaze moved to the young man who stood some distance away. He could have been Wyl's twin brother, except for the darkness of his skin.

"Do you care so little for your sister that you would see her punished?" he growled ominously.

"You wouldn't hurt her, Vincent," Ishmael said in mocking tones. "You make such a performance of the so-called etiquette to be followed. Yasmin is one of your own kind and you and she..."

Ishmael's voice was cut off as Gabriel lunged and pinned him by his throat up against the wall. Despite his desperate struggles, Gabriel's hold did not relax.

"Say the word, Vincent and I will teach this pup that etiquette is meant to be followed or there are penalties to suffer."

Vincent saw Ishmael's complacent look replaced by one of abject fear at Gabriel's furious visage and threatening words.

"You know the penalty for insulting my Chosen, Ishmael, whether it was your sister or you. Perhaps I should let Gabriel have his way."

"Vincent?" Wyl asked softly, but the restraining hand and shake of David's head stopped him speaking further.

"Vincent, I meant no dishonour or insult to your Chosen or to you. I did not know you had found him. I don't understand," Yasmin said.

"I called to let you know," Seamus said, his voice hard and angry. "We knew you had been away for over a year, cloistered to take your power to a higher level. I spoke to Ishmael. I gave him the news of Vincent's joy."

"This is Wylem Taylor, known to us as Wyl. He is my Chosen. We Bonded just under a year ago," Vincent said, his voice warm and proud as he drew Wyl to his side.

"I am honoured to meet you, Wyl and I apologise for my brother and for myself." As she spoke, Yasmin glanced at Vincent. Never had she seen such pride, possession or love ablaze in the big male's eyes. A quick peek at Wyl and she saw the same emotions reflected in espresso orbs. She could also now see that their auras were not simply entwined, they had merged. Vincent and Wyl were truly as one.

Wyl nodded and gave a shy smile, uncertain what was expected of him in these circumstances. He could see Gabriel still holding Ishmael and began to think this was perhaps the big Lycan's way of putting the other man in his place.

"Vincent?" Gabriel rumbled, cocking his head at Ishmael.

"He may go unpunished...this time," Vincent growled, giving a cold stare that made the young man in Gabriel's grip tremble even more.

With a grunt, Gabriel released his fingers and had already moved to wrap an arm around his own beloved Chosen before Ishmael had unceremoniously landed in a heap on the marble floor.

"If you and Wyl...There is an office, or I can show you to your rooms?" Yasmin said, pointing at a door tentatively. There was another look in Vincent's eye.

"Show the others their rooms if you wish, but speak with your brother to ensure he creates no further mischief," Vincent rasped. The call to reaffirm his Bond with Wyl was rising and he had every intention of answering it. It would settle them both.

****

Vincent locked the door of the indicated office behind them, his eyes sweeping the room and taking in the black leather chaise-longue. The bigger male was certain Wyl would be feeling the bonding call as much as he and Wyl's body would produce enough of his lubricant with deliberate arousal. He swept the lithe body into his arms, thrusting his tongue deep into Wyl's willing mouth. The instant acquiescence of his lover tempered the fire that raged in Vincent's veins. He growled softly as Wyl's arms wound around his neck and the younger man opened his mouth wider, inviting him deeper.

Vincent lifted his mate, never breaking the kiss, and laid him on the chaise-longue. In seconds he had denuded the lithe form and his mouth and hands were intent on an amatory assault, covering every precious inch of soft, warm skin. The tantalising scent of Wyl's arousal rose, filling Vincent's nostrils and he gently turned his mate onto his stomach. He parted the creamy mounds and gave a soft growl of approval at the drops of lubricant. He licked at the dilating rosette, encouraging it to bloom and open. The earthy-sweet taste had the bigger male almost tearing open his own jeans to release hard, damp flesh.

Manoeuvring his Chosen so that the lithe body draped comfortably over the chaise-longue, Vincent stroked himself to distribute his copious pre-come and then lined his crimson-hued shaft against Wyl's dilated, glistening portal. He groaned as he slid into his lover's molten heat, each millimetre of his flesh surrounded by his lover's body and the tight sheath rippling its welcome.

"Mine," Vincent husked as he began a series of hard, fast thrusts. There would be time for long, slow and sweet later. At this moment he needed to reaffirm Wyl's place in his life and the Bond they shared.

"Yours," Wyl cried as Vincent's rod rubbed his sweet spot and his mate's hand pumped his eager erection. He came hard and fast, the feeling of sharp teeth at his shoulder coinciding with liquid fire filling his still spasming channel.

All too soon, Vincent slid carefully from the sanctuary of Wyl's body, the younger man silently mourning the loss of their intimacy. Then Wyl murmured his appreciation at the tongue that licked at his most private place. He was tenderly rolled onto his back and the tongue bathed his depleted sac and softening sex. He smiled as Vincent's still-clothed body blanketed his naked form.

"My Own, my Chosen," Vincent whispered. "I love you, Wyl."

"I love you, Vincent," Wyl replied, pulling the beloved face down for a long, deep kiss.

For a few moments, the couple enjoyed the simply intimacy following their passionate coupling. Then Vincent pulled Wyl to his feet and helped the younger man dress.

"Are you ready to join the other, angel?" he asked solicitously.

"I'm fine," Wyl replied. He knew his cheeks would pinken when he joined them. However, it had been what he and Vincent needed. He smiled into his mate's broad chest. "I'm fine," he repeated.

****

Vincent guided Wyl to the room he thought Yasmin most likely to have left the rest of his family. He smiled to find the others waiting, their anxious faces softening into answering smiles. David was sitting in Gabriel's lap and at Vincent's nod, the big Lycan visibly relaxed, nuzzling at his own mate.

"Yasmin is 'speaking' to Ishmael," Seamus affirmed. "She is genuinely distressed at the whole incident."

"If she wasn't I would not have been so forgiving," Vincent replied.

"We must ensure this doesn't interfere with our mission," Seamus said, ruffling Wyl's dark hair as the younger man sat next to him.

"It won't," Vincent affirmed. "It was not a deliberate act against Wyl. Perhaps now Ishmael will take things more seriously regarding our world and its protocols."

"Surely Ishmael is one of us?" Wyl asked.

"He has his sister's longevity, but as yet has shown no signs of any mage powers. Because he rarely involves himself in our world he is ignorant of proper behaviour amongst our kind," Seamus said. "However, I never expected him to be quite so stupid."

"Let's put it behind us and move on," Vincent said, taking his place next to Wyl. "We have a new challenge to face and we need to work as a team."

****

It was only a few more minutes before Yasmin arrived, with a chagrined Ishmael in tow, to escort the men to the room set aside for their discussions. The thick, black velvet curtains effectively blocked out the light and the room was illuminated by candles and lanterns. There was a mild aroma of rose in the air and numerous energy crystals were present. The group sat cross-legged on large, soft, floor cushions at a low table as Yasmin spoke.

"Our adversary seeks the Amulet of Vashti," she said. She gave Wyl a soft smile, aware that the newest member of the group was unlikely to know of it or its history. "It is an amulet of power. Originally created to amplify a mage's powers for any individual spell, it was stolen by a practitioner of necromancy who tried to pervert its use to only the black arts. When recovered, a spell-caster of light attempted to reverse this and in some way the amulet became imbued with power of its own. It is now as likely to act against its user as with them. Its power also increased and so it was decided it was safer to destroy it than keep it. It could be broken into five pieces, but nothing less. So the star points were given to spell-casters across the world and I inherited the centrepiece."

All eyes moved to the pink crystal on a long gold chain around her neck that nestled just beneath her breasts.

"Because of its unpredictability, no one has bothered with it for centuries. However, two mages are dead and two star points missing. One of the remaining holders was already in this country and the other has been brought here for their own protection. We will be part of the group helping guard them, but also trying to establish who we face. It was deemed that I would be safe enough in your company. The first spell-caster to be killed was not thought to be the guardian of the star point and so we were caught off-guard."

"It must be another spell-caster," David said.

"Magic is certainly involved, but we don't know who they are or who they work with. The use of mummies is almost unheard of now and requires a mage of great skill, power and mental ability. The talent is also ancient and arcane and beyond the knowledge and strength of most mages I know. It is not an aptitude I possess," Yasmin said. "Yet if more than one spell-caster were working together, I cannot see how they intend to use the crystal. It will only work for one individual at best. Many eyes are watching rogues and dark mages and yet none appear to be our foe. I have asked a sister spell-caster to assist us. Ayesha has been a friend for many years."