Page 11 of Shadows and Desire

"It's not my fault that you and Rule don't know how to close a deal. Eric was ready for a night out, and all you had to do was spike his drink, but you let him get away." Ron ran to the other side of the room and stood behind the sofa. His apartment wasn't very big, and staying away from Cal was not going to be easy.

“You’re going to find him and you’re going to bring him to me. I’ll be waiting at the old club in the lowlands. You have until tomorrow night and then I come for you.” Cal told him with venom in his tone.

"He won't go anywhere with me," Ron whined. "He's threatened to kill me if he ever sees me again."

"I've threatened to kill you too, so who do you want to face, Eric or me? Either way, I will have a human to play with tomorrow night, and Decker will be there, too. You know how much Decker loves to play with his lovers. It might be Eric, and it might be you. The choice is yours, you decide." Cal left, slamming the door behind him.

Ron walked over and locked the door and then leaned against it. Somehow, he had to convince Eric to go to the old boarded up club in the lowlands a place no one goes especially humans. Ron walked over to the sofa and sat down heavily and tried to come up with a plan.

He was furious with Eric because if the man had just played along none of this would be happening. Now the wolves were angry and whoever ended up spending the night with them would most certainly not survive the ordeal. Ron just had to make sure that person wasn’t him.

"Chester, hello . . . don't hang up." He decided to start with his only connection to Eric Bruce. "I just want a chance to apologize to Eric. I know he hates me, and I understand, but the way the evening turned out was not the evening I had planned." He started to pull out all the excuses he could come up with.

“Don’t bother, I know Eric and when he is finished with someone he is finished, and he is finished with you. He won’t accept an apology in any shape or form. It’s better that you simply disappear.” Chester was developing some backbone that he hadn’t exhibited before and Ron did not like it.

"I have to apologize even if he punches me in the face afterward; I still need to tell him I'm sorry, and I need to do it face to face." Ron was pleading but also using a little firm language that usually got what he wanted from Chester. Chester wouldn't admit it, but he liked to be controlled and bossed about.

"If you try to talk to him, he will punch you in the face. That's a given, believe me." Chester was being impossible, so Ron pulled out the big guns and began to whimper and then cry.

"You can be there with us. Just let me tell him how sorry I am, or I will never be able to live with myself. I've never hurt anyone before, and I know that I hurt Eric. Please let me make this right or as right as possible."

"I'll see what I can do but I make no promises." Chester responded, clearly torn over what he should do. "I'll get back with you."

"I'll call back in the morning," Ron stated firmly.

“Okay, but like I said, I make no promises.”

“I know you’ll come through for me Chester. You know how important this is to me.” Ron was giving his best performance of their entire relationship, and it was hard not to giggle just a little. “I wish we could have worked out Chester maybe after I speak with Eric we could give it another try.”

Chester hung up before he was forced to make a reply. Sweet young Chester couldn’t shut him out completely, but he also couldn’t bring himself to accept Ron. His torment was delectable. Ron had enjoyed their time together, twisting that boy every which way. He was going to miss the entertainment. Chester was so easy and so damned needy.

"What time is it?" Eric asked as he pushed the blankets back and moved up, balancing on his elbow while looking down into the sexy face of his new lover. Kannan yawned and slowly opened his eyes. He glanced over to the right at the digital clock.

"Seven ten according to the clock. Why do you have somewhere to go?" Kannan gave a half grin, pulled Eric down on top of him, and gave him a deep and thorough good morning kiss. "I love the way you smell." Kannan moaned and buried his nose against Eric's shoulder.

"You bit me last night," Eric said and laid his head on Kannan's shoulder. He touched the tender little scar and felt a lovely sensation that sent a thrill down his spine.

“I did.” Kannan ran his fingertips across it in a feather light touch and the thrill was sharper making Eric moan softly.

“That feels fantastic.” He admitted. “I don’t know what you did but I love the results.”

“I bonded with you.” Eric had heard the statement before. Chester had often made reference to soul mates and bonding. Chester was convinced the town was overrun with vampires, werewolves, and witches, and he made many compelling arguments in that regard.

"The only time I've heard anyone refer to bonding it was in regard to the paranormal." Eric was asking for clarification. "According to Chester, vampires bond with their beloveds, werewolves bond with their mates, and witches bond with their familiars, so which are you." He said it half joking but became somber when Kannan responded candidly.

"I am a vampire, and you are my beloved." Eric did not know what to say.

“Are you serious?” Eric asked.

“Where did Chester get his information?”

“Chester is an electrician he contracts with builders and works all over the city. He has seen many things and until now I was never sure if I believed all of it or not.” Eric had a million things suddenly rushing through his mind.

"Tell me what you know, what you've experienced." Kannan rolled so that he was on top now, and Eric was on his back, pressed into the warm comfort of the bed. He wasn't restricting him in any way, and Eric knew he could move if he wanted to, but he didn't want to. He searched Kannan's face for truth and sincerity, and it was all there.

The feeling in his heart told him this was his reality now that a door had opened and a secret had tumbled out. Things he'd witnessed and experienced suddenly came back to him. Questions and confusion were falling into place while his understanding was catching up with his knowledge. A fresh clarity was washing over him.

He watched as Kannan's eyes turned blood red and his teeth elongated, protruding from his lips. His face took on an odd angular appearance, sharp and firm. Eric should have been afraid, but strangely enough, he was not. His connection to this man had grown, and the attraction he felt last night was now an overwhelming desire to be with him . . . forever.

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