Page 46 of From the Shadows
They went to their own rooms. Diego looked longingly at the tub. He’d love to soak for a few hours, work out the knots in his muscles, but he needed to get back to Shay. A quick and scalding shower, some sleep pants and a T-shirt, and he was back in the great room where he found Shay all fresh and rosy.
He lifted him from the floor and carried him up the stairs to his room. Once inside, he closed the door and dropped Shay on the bed. He was frantic for a taste, but held himself in check. He yanked Shay’s pants open, then tugged them down, along with his underwear, smiling when Shay’s long, slender cock snapped up.
“What are you?—?”
Instead of answering, he leaned forward and took Shay to the back of his throat. With each drop of sweetness, Diego felt stronger, more in control. He needed this now, more than he cared to admit. Tonight had rattled him, and he craved the connection, as well as the sustenance.
“Aw, fuck,” Shay purred, stroking his hands over Diego’s head and thrusting gently into his mouth. The pride Diego felt, knowing he was making Shay happy, could have burst his heart. Everyone always looked at Diego to be the leader, the one who they could lean on in tough times. Ranna had trusted in him tonight, and it had almost cost her life.
No, he had to stop thinking about Ranna. About the fucked-up mission. He had to have Shay now, and that hunger was greater, deeper than it had ever been before. Even starving himself for three hundred years didn’t hold a candle to what he felt now. He doubled his efforts, milking Shay’s cock with his throat, working him deep,then sucking up the shaft until he reached the head, where he swirled his tongue, before going down again.
“I’m gonna come, Diego,” Shay panted, sliding his fingers through Diego’s hair.
Yes, do that. Fill my mouth so that I can feel alive again.
The orgasm, when it hit, was fierce, but Shay’s moans were muffled. When Diego glanced up, he found Shay with his face covered by a pillow, screaming out his release into it. Diego swallowed Shay’s seed, and strength suffused him. Oliver had been right. Shay’s semen was more potent than blood. He hoped Shay would be okay with having a lot of orgasms in the future.
Shay pulled Diego up and held him tight. “What was that about? Do you want to talk fill me in on what happened?”
Did he? He’d always been stoic, not letting others see his pain, but tonight? Fuck, tonight had been even worse than what Diego had done at the hospital after he’d been turned.
“It was awful,” Diego said softly, clutching Shay, who was his tether. “When we arrived, there were bodies strewn everywhere. Men, women, kids. Each appeared to have been savaged by a wild animal, but we all knew better. We took another hunter pack with us. I told everyone to go in different directions with a partner. We split into pairs and took off.”
“Martin and Borne were the first to find a group of vampires. Borne related what he was seeing to Empatia, who informed the groups. Martin was an unstoppable force, burning vampires to ash. Borne said that the vampires didn’t seem to be afraid of Martin, instead laughing as he immolated them. It was then I realized they were baiting us. I recalled the teams when I heard Ranna’s scream of rage.
Ranna? Ranna, what’s going on? Empatia?
Diego, she’s going crazy! I keep calling to her, but she won’t come back. She’s wading into a room filled with vamps, who are trying to drag her down. I’ve never seen them cooperate like this. I—no!
Then Diego heard a different kind of scream. It wasn’t Ranna’s normal ones of rage. Instead, they were filled with pain, as though she was being ripped apart.
“Ranna!” he shouted, diving into the room and trying to find her. He killed dozens of vampires on his way to her, but every one he slaughtered was replaced by two more. It was like there was an endless supply.
He squeezed his eyes shut, the memory of what happened next threatening to send him over the edge.
“What happened?” Shay insisted. “What’s wrong?”
“Four of them grabbed me, trying to hold me still. I was about to mist when one of them, a young man—kid, really—no more than eighteen or so, came up behind me and latched on to my shoulders. He jerked my head back, leaned in, and pressed our lips together. His were smeared with blood, and he jammed his tongue into my mouth. The taste made me sick to my stomach, but what he said was even worse.
“He smiled as he looked me in the eye and said, ‘Cristobal misses you, Alvaro. He can’t wait to see you again.”
“Who’s Alvaro? I thought your name was Diego.”
He chuckled, but there was no mirth to it. “I forgot what it was until he said it. That was the name my parents gave me, but after I was killed, I chose a different one. I wanted Alvaro to be dead and buried.”
“That makes sense. What happened next?”
“Ranna was screaming and I needed to get away from them. I was able to get my arms free and grabbed the kid’s head. I… I crushed his skull, splitting it in half. And through it all, he stared into my eyes and laughed.”
A violent shiver jolted Shay, making Diego hold on tighter. He never wanted this for Shay, but he couldn’t keep him out of their world, so he had to be honest. When Shay finally calmed down, he murmured into Diego’s chest, “And who is Cristobal?”
This was the part that would kill Diego. He hadn’t heard the name in over three hundred years, and would gladly have gone another three hundred never hearing it again. “He’s the one who turned me. He’s my sire.”
Shay wantedto insist that Diego continue to talk with him, but he could see how badly he needed rest. He wrestled off his clothes, then helped him to the bathtub, where he held Diego’s hand as he sunk into the water scented with vanilla and musk.
“Smells nice,” he murmured, sinking up to his chin. “Can you get in with me?” The plea in Diego’s voice would break the hardest of hearts.
Shay made short work of what he had on, then slid into the water beside Diego. It was no longer scalding, but had cooled to an even temperature. He wasn’t surprised when Diego pulled him close and buried his face in Shay’s neck.
