All Knight Long, Book I: One Warlock's Love Story (6 page)

“Your bike was crushed by the wall like all of the other bikes.” Giovanni rolled his eyes. “Besides, Zander is in no shape to be on motorcycle, and there is no way that I am leaving him alone with you. Zander’s car is just on the next street. We can take the back road to the highway.” There was no more time to argue. Tau scooped Giovanni up in his right arm and Zander up in his left and began running in the direction of Zander’s car. They were there within seconds. Tau threw Giovanni down on the ground and gently set Zander on the hood of the car.

“I have a spell that will make a nice fur coat out of you,” Giovanni hissed, as he dusted himself off.

“I’ll drive,” Tau and Giovanni said in unison. The sirens drew closer.

“Let Giovanni drive. Tau, you can sit in the back with me,” Zander suggested. Giovanni stuck his tongue out at Tau. Tau growled. They got into the car, where Zander quickly undid the protective spell over the glove compartment so that Giovanni could get the keys, and the car purred to life.

“Hurry up. We have to get away from here as quickly as possible,” Tau barked from the backseat.

“Would you shut the fuck up? I know what I’m doing.” Giovanni pulled out onto the street and headed back toward the highway.

“Where are you going?” Tau asked.

“We have to get somewhere safe. I’m headed back to my condo.”

Zander reached up and put his hand over Tau’s mouth before he could respond. Tau rolled his eyes and sighed, then looked out the window.

“You’d better change back,” Giovanni told him. “We don’t want to draw any extra attention. If the police see you sitting in the back seat, they’ll think we stole an old lion from the zoo.” Tau looked warily at Zander but didn’t respond. Zander gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. His fur was soft, like silk.

Tau’s body began to convulse and change. Zander’s head was against Tau’s chest, and he was amazed as the soft fur changed back into flesh.

“I’ve never seen that up close before,” Giovanni said, looking into the rearview mirror. “It’s even nastier than I’d imagined.” Tau stuck up his middle finger.

After his transformation, Tau laid his head back on the seat and took several deep breaths. Zander noticed the ruby stone that hung from Tau’s neck lay cool against his chest.

Zander heard his phone ring from the glove compartment. “Shit! That has to be my family. My cousins probably can’t find me at the Litha, and my parents are probably worried sick. They have no idea where I am.”

“You know...” Giovanni mused. “I was just thinking about something. Who did you say gave you that ruby stone that you gave to the Pink Panther?”

“Give me my phone,” Zander said, ignoring Giovanni’s question.

Zander had several missed calls from his parents, cousins, and grandmother. He took a second to send them all a text saying that he was fine and resting in his tent at the Litha.

Tau’s head was back on the headrest, and his eyes were closed. Zander’s head lay on Tau’s chest, as he listened to his labored breathing. The transformation must have taken a greater toll on Tau than Zander had imagined. His phone vibrated in his hand, indicating an incoming call from his parents. He leaned forward, suffering through the stabbing pain in his leg as he answered the call with a whisper.

“Zander!” his father yelled.

“Yes?” Zander whispered.

“Are you okay? We’ve gotten word of an attack on supernaturals in the Atlanta area. Your cousins at the Litha can’t seem to find you anywhere. Where are you?”

“I was asleep,” Zander said, trying to sound drowsy. Giovanni was nearing his condo in Atlantic Station.

“I don’t think you understand...” his father started. Zander cast a small interference spell on the phone.

“Dad, I think I’m losing the connection,” Zander lied.

“No!” his father yelled, right before Zander hung up the phone.

They pulled up to the large basement garage at Giovanni’s condo, where he entered his code to open one of the single garage doors. Tau rose up in the back seat and began sniffing the air.

“Don’t worry. It’s safe here,” Giovanni said. “I have protective charms all around this building.”

“I’m sure they had protective charms all around the club tonight, and you saw what happened,” Tau said.

“I didn’t invoke those charms,” Giovanni pointed out.

“No, you were too busy letting all the vampires in the club suck all over you,” Tau said.

“Stop it!” Zander yelled. “You two arguing isn’t helping.”

Giovanni sighed and pulled into one of the parking spaces designated for his condo and turned off the car. “I live in 706. There are eight cameras in this garage, so no shifting unless it is absolutely necessary. Let’s get out and go up to my place like everything’s normal.”

“I don’t know if I can walk on my own,” Zander said.

“Suck it up until you get to the elevator,” Giovanni ordered. “We’ll walk slowly. We don’t want to draw any extra attention.”

They made it up to Giovanni’s place without incident, and before Giovanni unlocked the door, he looked up and down the hallway and quietly chanted an incantation. He waited several seconds before turning the key and entering his apartment.

The apartment was beautifully decorated with plush furniture in various shades of gray and burgundy. Not surprisingly, it smelled of sandalwood and lavender. Magic and arcane symbols were displayed throughout the condominium like works of art. Zander wasn’t sure why, but he hadn’t expected Giovanni’s place to be so neatly organized. Giovanni snapped his fingers, magically lighting each of the candles in his apartment with witch light.

“Someone is here,” Tau warned.

“Relax, Tony the Tiger. It’s Hung.” Giovanni pointed as the vampire from the club came out of his bedroom completely nude with a rock hard erection.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” Hung said, ignoring Zander and Tau.

“I was scared that you might not have gotten out in time,” Giovanni said, giving Hung a hug.

“What do you mean? What happened?”

“I’ll be there in a moment to explain it all to you. Just go back to bed and wait for me. I have something to attend to.” Giovanni pushed Hung back toward the bedroom.

“I need you now,” Hung whined, stroking his sizable cock and forcing precome to the tip. Giovanni exposed the fresh bite wound on his neck, pinched out a drop of blood onto his finger, and gently placed it on Hung’s lips.

“You’ll have all of me if you’re patient. I just need a few minutes to take care of my friend,” Giovanni said. Hung licked and sucked the blood from Giovanni’s finger like a baby nursing on a bottle. Once he was mildly sated, he turned to walk off toward the bedroom as Giovanni had instructed. Zander couldn’t help but notice that Hung had the perky ass of a gymnast. Tau growled again. Once Hung had wandered back into the bedroom, Giovanni locked the door behind him and cast a small binding spell on the door.

“I don’t have a lot of time. Zander, take off your clothes and come with me.” Giovanni reached for Zander’s hand.

Tau grabbed Zander’s other hand. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Relax, Lion-O. I’m not trying to steal your man. His wounds need to be tended to, and last time I checked, you weren’t a healer.” Giovanni rolled his eyes.

“We shifters have our own methods of healing,” Tau responded.

“We don’t have time for your ancient shifting medicine man antics. A cleansing bath and a few healing spells, and he’ll be good as new. You do want him healed, don’t you?” Giovanni asked.

“Be careful, and don’t take too long,” Tau warned.

“First, you don’t threaten me in my house,” Giovanni said hotly. “Second, I have a nice piece of dick waiting for me in my bedroom. I am going to do this as quickly as possible. Now take your tired furry ass into the guest bedroom and lie down.”

Giovanni drug Zander off toward the bathroom where he quickly drew a hot bath and added several salts and herbs. Once Zander was undressed and in the bath, Giovanni cast three different healing spells over his injured thigh.

“That feels great. Thank you. You really are a good friend,” Zander admitted.

“The best you’ll ever have.” Giovanni smiled.

“You are so smart.” Zander watched in amazement as the gash on his thigh rapidly began to heal.

Giovanni smiled back. “Necessity is the mother of invention. I’ve had to learn a lot of street magic in order to survive. What they teach in school is useful, but there is so much more to learn.” While Zander soaked, Giovanni pulled out a small paper cup and started mixing a potion from ingredients in his medicine cabinet. It didn’t take long for the contents of the cup to start bubbling and smoking. “Sit up and drink this.”

“What is it?” Zander asked, warily.

“It’s a special concoction. It’ll relax you, which will help with the healing and other things,” Giovanni said coyly.

“Other things like what?” Zander asked suspiciously.

“You trust me, don’t you?” Giovanni asked.

“Yes.” Zander sighed and swallowed. When he finished, Giovanni took the cup and made it disappear into thin air.

“What the hell do you think happened in the club tonight?” Zander asked.

“Damn if I know, but it sure as hell wasn’t expected. I thought it was a part of the club’s entertainment at first.”

“I’m sorry about Milo,” Zander said sadly. “I wish I could have saved him.”

“He was a good warlock. I saw his magic. He died in the light. Good things await him,” Giovanni assured Zander.

“So, what do we do now?” Zander asked.

“I am sure the supernatural grapevine will be on fire in the morning when we wake up,” Giovanni said. “We’ll find out then. In the meantime, we need to stay here out of harm’s way. It might have been one of the newer supernatural gangs trying to make a name for themselves.”

“There are supernatural gangs?”

“You really do have a lot to learn.” Giovanni laughed, shedding his clothes.

“What are you doing?” Zander asked.

“I have a man waiting for me, too, and there is nothing sexier than a ripening warlock dipped in a tantric mating bath,” Giovanni said.

It felt good having Giovanni wash his body. He knew that Tau wouldn’t approve, but Giovanni wasn’t making any sexual gestures. He was caring for Zander in a way that he had never experienced before. Zander returned the favor by washing Giovanni’s tight, tawny body. When they were finished, they dried each other off slowly, forcing their individual scents to mingle.

“You know our scents smell really good together. Hung and Cheetara aren’t going to know what hit them,” Giovanni said.

“Why do you have to tease him? You know it makes him angry. Why can’t you call him by his name?”

“Because he’s so damn uptight. He needs to relax.” Giovanni retrieved two outfits from the bathroom closet and threw Zander a pair of red silk boxers with a matching shirt. “We’re the same size. These should fit you perfectly.”

Zander slipped on the sexy outfit and glanced in the mirror. “How do I look?”

“You look okay. Your flat ass doesn’t fill out the shorts as well as mine does, but that’s to be expected,” Giovanni joked.

“Fuck you.” Zander said, giving his own ass a slap while he admired it in the mirror.

Tau was pacing back and forth in the hallway when Zander finally opened the bathroom door.

“Aren’t you just a little anxious?” Giovanni snapped at Tau.

“No, Geronimo. I was anxious over an hour ago. I am flat-out impatient now,” Tau retorted.

“Zander isn’t one of those alley cats that you’re used to fucking. This is a ripe, virgin warlock.” Giovanni stepped aside to reveal a rather shy Zander. Tau was speechless.

“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” Giovanni asked, grinning.

“Giovanni! I am locked in here. I think the door is stuck!” It sounded like Hung was banging on the door to the master bedroom.

“I have work to do,” Giovanni said. “You two can help yourself to the guest bedroom.” He gave Zander a quick hug and rushed off to his own bedroom.

“You look so... good. You smell great. Do you think your friend will mind if I take a shower?” Tau asked Zander.

“Go ahead!” Giovanni yelled from his bedroom. “There are towels and washcloths in the closet!” The door slammed shut.

“I’ll just go lie down,” Zander said, as he tried to put the evening’s events into perspective. He was in a strange house about to go to bed with someone he had only met a few hours ago, he had just seen a club attacked and burned to the ground by soldiers, and here he was prancing around in sexy lingerie. His apprehensions melted away when Tau reached down and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

“I’ll be out before you know it,” Tau murmured, before closing the bathroom door.

Giovanni’s guest bedroom was beautiful, and a large bed lay just a few inches above the floor, covered in dozens of pillows. The witch light in the room reminded Zander of home. His mother had used witch light when he was a toddler to help him fall asleep. He eased down onto the bed and realized that it was the most comfortable mattress that he had ever felt. It dawned on him that he had been sleeping on the same twin-sized bed since he was seven years old.

It was time that he grew up. He lay on his stomach and buried his face into the mountain of pillows. The silk pajamas, brushed cotton sheets, and cool pillows felt like heaven. It wasn’t long before Zander was asleep and drooling.

Chapter 6

When Zander woke up, Tau was laying propped up on his side, staring. Zander could only imagine how unattractive he must have looked drooling and snoring in his sleep.

“How long have I been asleep?” Zander asked.

“Not too long.” Tau rubbed his back.

“Why didn’t you wake me?”

“Because I enjoy watching you sleep. You’ve been through a lot. I figured you needed the rest.”

“Thank you -- I think. I see you showered,” Zander said, noticing that Tau was totally clean and completely naked. His flaccid dick hung from his midsection and lay across the bed like a sleeping serpent.

Tau grinned. “Do you see something you like?”

“Maybe,” Zander said, sounding more seductive than he intended. He had never been with anyone, let alone a man as well endowed as Tau.