Becomes the Rose (6 page)

Jumping from the car, he barked his orders, confident they would be obeyed without question.

“Jorge, Edward, Carole, you start upstairs. Secure all the windows. Martha, Ewan, you do downstairs. Monique, help Eric into the sitting room and let him feed a little, I’ll be back in a few minutes. I’ll take the Master to his bedroom. You follow me, Tarin.”

Obediently, Tarin ran up the stairs. The blond had already vanished, but Tarin was certain they were headed for Boyce’s bedroom. He reached the door and glanced inside. Flynn had already pulled off the shirt his lover had worn and was laving the deep wound to Boyce’s chest.

“What can I do?” he asked as Flynn moved back.

“Come here,” the blond commanded, his emerald eyes glittering. “You will have to be careful with him. He has lost a lot of blood and will be dangerous. You can feed him a little, just to help with blood loss. Then you leave him here and join us. I don’t have time to heal the wound completely but once he starts to feed, his own healing processes will take over. I’ll send Jorge through to feed him more. It’s not safe for a human to be so close to him now.”

“He’s my soul-mate,” Tarin said, tilting his chin obstinately. “I’m not going to abandon him.”

Human and vampire stared at one another and then Flynn shook his head

“I have to admit, I’m not sure if you’re brave or just stubborn. However, I think that, if we survive the night, you will make a very suitable match for my Master. But right now you could do more harm than good by staying,” Flynn said, his eyes narrowing and his tone brokering no further argument. He was obviously used to instant obedience.

“I love him,” Tarin countered, not cowed by either the tone or the vampire’s look.

“As do I,” Flynn growled. “I love him almost as much as my beloved Eric. I have known Boyce for centuries and know what I am saying, boy. Feed him a little and then get out. I don’t have time to argue.” As if Tarin’s obedience was a foregone conclusion, he took hold of Tarin’s arm and nipped daintily at his wrist, the blood welling up instantly. “A minute or two at most,” he reminded Tarin as he left the room.

Settling next to his lover, Tarin pressed his wrist to Boyce’s mouth. He sagged with relief as he felt his lover respond, sluggishly at first and then with growing vigour. He murmured promises of love and devotion, unaware of the passing of time. Feeling the vampire start to move, Tarin moved back. Although it was intended only to give Boyce room, the menacing growl had Tarin instantly remembering Flynn’s warning.

He stood hurriedly, thinking that in Boyce’s depleted state he would reach the door faster than the vampire.

He was wrong.

From in front of the door his lover had tried to bolt through, Boyce approached slowly towards Tarin, backing him up until he there was nowhere for Tarin to go, and stood in front of the young man. Placing his hands on the wall on either side of the boy’s head so Tarin could not escape, Boyce leaned down and nuzzled into the long hair and then he licked and nipped the tender skin behind one ear. Inhaling deeply, he coveted the scent of his mate; a scent now overlaid with a tinge of fear.

Boyce
made
note
of
something
that
had
escaped
him
up
to
now
.
H
is
heightened
sense
of
smell
picked
up
another
vampire
’
s
touch
on
his
mate
,
his
and
only
his
.
With
a
snarl
of
fury
,
he
reached
forward
and
tore
the
shirt
from
Tarin
,
baring
the
human
’
s
chest
to
his
hungry
gaze.
A
nother
vampire
would
not
claim
what
was
his.

Except for a gasp, Tarin remained motionless as Boyce rubbed his cheek down his bare chest, marking his mate with his scent, then turned his head, licking down his practically hairless torso, pausing to lave at both nipples. Boyce crooned softly, pleased at the way Tarin arched into him without fear, obviously forgetting the danger he was in. Boyce needed both blood and to reclaim what belonged to him.

Tarin tried to move his arms. No! His mate’s attempted escape would not be tolerated. Tarin belonged with him. Here. Boyce wrapped Tarin’s hair around his fist and pulled his head to the side, baring his throat. Better. He licked at the vulnerable flesh; it was warm and sweet and the thundering pulse beneath the surface called to him like a Siren’s song.

Despite being weakened due to blood loss, Boyce’s strength was still overwhelming for a mere human. The vampire used his body to pin Tarin in place against the wall.

Determined, Boyce laved and sucked at Tarin’s throat, centring over the frantically beating pulse. Tarin whimpered. Boyce could hear the fear, yet in his mate’s eyes he could see Tarin had faith that Boyce would not hurt him.

“Mine,” Boyce growled, and then sank sharp fangs deep into his lover’s throat.

This was not like the feeding when they had made love, it was much rougher. Bloodlust filled Boyce as he subdued his prey. His mate jerked in Boyce’s arms, his body instinctively tying to resist the frenzied feeding as his life’s blood was drained. The slowly rising scent of fear was intoxicating and it urged Boyce to drink deeper, to sate himself with Tarin’s living essence.

Slowly the bloodlust began to clear. The body under him lay almost lifeless except for a weakly fluttering pulse and barely noticeable breaths. The fear scent in the room strengthened. Horrified, Boyce pulled away, yanking his teeth from his victim’s throat, and the body crumpled to the floor with a weak cry.

“What have I done? Tarin, my love, forgive me.” Boyce carefully cradled Tarin in his lap, watching desperately for signs of returning consciousness.

Eyelids fluttered against pale skin.”I… knew,” Tarin murmured. “Trust… you… love…”

“Hush, love, don’t try to speak. Why did they leave you with me?”

“I… insisted. Others… needed elsewhere.” Even with his acute hearing Boyce had to strain to hear Tarin’s whispered answer as he nestled against his mate.

Boyce lost track of the seconds or minutes as he mourned his lack of control.

“Master, I’m sorry.” Jorge’s softly accented voice caused Boyce to raise his head from where it lay buried in Tarin’s hair. “I was to come to give you my blood and ensure the boy was safely away. One of Anton’s minions got through a skylight and let in a lesser.”

“Are we secure?” asked Boyce, his arms instinctively tightening around the precious life in his arms.

“Yes,” Jorge said. He gave a chilling smile. “The minion is dead and the lesser dust. Something is happening out there. Something not even Flynn understands. There sounds like there is a storm, and we have heard screams. There has not been another attack since that at the skylight.”

“I need to be downstairs,” Boyce said. He stood, attempting to carry Tarin, but was unsteady. He still needed to feed.

“Please, Master, permit me to carry the boy for you,” Jorge said, reaching out.

Although Boyce would have preferred to keep Tarin close he appreciated the younger vampire’s gesture. Trying to not let his reluctance to allow his mate to leave his arms show, Boyce transferred Tarin into Jorge’s care.

“I will protect him with my own life if needed, Master,” Jorge said softly as he accepted the young human.

“I pray it does not come to that for any of us,” Boyce replied.

“I can walk,” Tarin muttered against Jorge’s shoulder, although he found his body strangely reluctant to obey him when he tried to get out of the dark vampire’s arms.

“When you can walk like a stallion and not a foal, I will release you.” Jorge smiled. “Until then accept that your mate has put you into my care. You will be with him soon.”

Sagging into Jorge’s arms Tarin decided to accept his position, glad his faith in Boyce’s control had been proven. He buried his face against the vampire’s chest as he was rapidly carried from the room. His stomach protested the sudden, swift motion.

As Jorge came to a standstill, Tarin lifted his head to peer around. Boyce and Flynn stood closest to the front door, which he noticed was barred with iron. Eric lay on the love seat situated at the side of the staircase. Tarin could see that his wound was covered with a basic dressing which had become blood-soaked. Martha and her family stood, either watching towards the kitchen or the front door, with Monique nearby as if protecting them.

“
Can
you
stand
,
kleine
r
?
”
Jorge
asked.

Swaying slightly, Tarin forced himself to become upright. He needed to be a help, not a hindrance. He watched Jorge take his place by Boyce and Flynn. He moved to stand close to Eric, unsure if the young vampire would be able to protect himself, and accepted a slender, sharp metal spike from Edward.

“What is that?”

Jorge’s shocked voice drew the attention of them all. Tarin watched, stunned, as thin tendrils invaded the house through the tiniest cracks around the secured door. As they surged forward, they thickened and the door began to groan under the assault. It began to shudder as the creepers writhed and found purchase where none was visible to the naked human eye. Finally, with a screech, the door was wrenched from its hinges to lay discarded on the floor.

But it was not vampires that sought entry.

To Tarin’s eyes, the old, gnarled tree standing in the doorway looked identical to the one he had leant against a year ago when Boyce sacrificed his happiness to protect him. Behind it was a group of other trees. Glancing around, he could see the vampires were as stunned as he was. His eyes widened as the trees began to blur and change, slowly becoming human.

“The curse is broken.”

“Dacian!”

His lover’s hoarse voice had Tarin taking a few shaky steps forward before he halted and stared. The tree was now an elderly man, who gazed with remorse at Tarin’s lover.

“I spoke without thinking. I wouldn’t listen and thought you all the same. I was so wrong, and in cursing the innocent with the guilty, I cursed myself and my family too. I do not know if you can ever forgive me, Boyce.”

“Recriminations are worthless, Dacian. You suffered as did we.”

“We watched and we waited. Your sacrifice broke the curse but was too close to the cusp to take effect. As soon as the year passed, however, we knew we would be free and I begged to be able to keep you safe and punish those I should have so many years ago. Now I do not know what we will do.”

As Tarin glanced around, he could see that it was not just the group of gypsies who were distressed. Flynn cradled Eric as the young vampire cried in his lover’s arms and Martha and her family were being comforted by Monique. He stared at Jorge as the dark vampire came to stand beside him.

“I don’t understand,” he said. “The curse is broken, yet everyone is so sad.”

“
The
power
of
words
,
kleiner
,”
Jorge
shook
his
head.
“
Once
uttered
they
cannot
be
taken
back
and
they
have
such
a
far-reaching
effect.
Eric
had
only
just
turned
and
had
parents
and
a
much-loved
older
brother.
He
knew
he
would
watch
their
passing
,
but
expected
to
care
for
them
as they aged
.
They
will
have
long
since
died.
Martha
had
three
sisters
,
one
was
Edward
’
s
mother
,
and
Ewan
two
brothers.
All
gone.
The
joy
of
our
freedom
is
tempered
by
the
sadness
of
what
we
and
our
loved
ones
have
lost.
I
had
two
m
inions
of
whom
I
was
very
fond.
”