Zombies Suck (4 page)

So his feelings perplexed Uli. Nothing made sense. He shouldn’t feel possessiveness for Alex. His need for the man disturbed everything Uli knew to be true. If he focused on his contradictory emotions, his whole world tipped off its axis.

“You okay?”

Kai’s familiar voice cut through the chatter in Uli’s head. He turned to stare at his cousin. “Oh.”

“Sorry, cousin. Didn’t mean to scare you. I thought you’d seen me coming.”

Forcing lightness he didn’t feel, Uli chirped, “Ew! I don’t want to see that!”

Kai rolled his eyes and chuckled. “So what’s up? Where’s Alex?”

Was I that clingy?
Uli shrugged and folded his arms.

“You’re usually together. You feeling okay?”

Uli shouldn’t take out his confusion on his cousin. “No, I’m just… I don’t know.”

“Did Cutter or that other kid do something?” Kai’s tone implied Ulrich’s new friends were to blame.

“No! Geez, give the guys some slack. They haven’t done anything.” Cutter was just about perfect. The one issue he did have, he was working on.

“Yeah, well maybe that Cutter kid is okay, but I don’t like his friend. What’s his name? Thunder? Raincloud?”

“Storm.” A shot of arousal raced through Uli at saying the name out loud. He had to be the worst mate ever. He got hard for not only his best friend, but for his mate’s best friend too. What the hell was wrong with him?

Kai made a snort of disgust. “It’s a stupid name. Storm.”

Storm’s name sounded as sexy as the man himself. Guilt ate Uli’s stomach but he defended his mate’s friend. “He’s alright once you get to know him.”

Everyone thought Storm was an asshole, and truth be told, he could act like one, but Storm was cool. Cutter had shared with Uli all the ways that Storm had his back. For the past couple months, Storm even dropped everything and had taken Cutter to get help for cutting. The irony wasn’t lost on any of them; they just chose to ignore how inappropriate his nickname was in deference to Cutler’s feelings.

“I haven’t seen them around much.” Kai pulled out a large packet of duck pellets and tossed a handful into the water. The waterfowl raced to gobble up the offering. Duck mania ensued.

Uli held his hand out, and Kai filled it. He tossed his handful close to the shoreline to bring the ducks in. He smiled as the daring ones craned their necks to reach the treats. No risk, no reward.

Kai tossed some food to the ducks too afraid to come to shore. “So why haven’t they been hanging around?”

Uli wasn’t going to confess Cutter was in a mental health facility to stop his self-injurious behavior. Kai would feel it necessary to lecture Uli on the evils of cutting as if he were at an age where he’d find it cool and give it a try.

Oh spare me.

Cutter wasn’t a zombie and Uli hadn’t transitioned so he couldn’t claim him as a mate—yet. It gutted him to think he couldn’t get Cut the help he needed. Cutter’s non-existent family situation meant he couldn’t afford therapy and refused assistance. But Storm found a clinic that provided care on a probono basis.

There was no choice of location. The only availability happened to be five hours away. Storm had family in the area. Working for and staying with his uncle allowed him to see Cutter every day.

Kai could bitch all he liked about Storm, but the fact was he always stood by his friends and texted every night after visiting hours to update Uli and Alex. The messages were terse, but the four of them stayed connected.

Uli answered belatedly, “He’s been busy.”

Hopefully with getting the help Cutter needed to deal with the death of his mom and the financial burden it created, which was left on him. “Cutter will probably start hanging out soon.”

In eleven days. Yes, Uli was counting. Cutter would be back to them.
Him
. Back to him. His mate.

Kai he rolled his eyes, indicating he wasn’t thrilled at the prospect. “Will Lighting be back too, then?”

Uli shifted restlessly, not being able to contain his baffling need to see them—both of them. “Storm, and yes, of course he’ll be hanging out too. Why do you hate him so much?”

“I don’t hate him, I simply don’t like his attitude. He acts like…” Kai’s words trailed off into a frown. “I don’t know, like he owns you, Alex, and Cutter.” Kai’s need to protect Uli as a child kept him safe, but now that he was an adult it felt overbearing and restrictive.

“Oh, please.”

Kai squinted and shook his head. “Haven’t you noticed none of you can go anywhere without him checking on you? And he’s always checking you out.”

“Me?” Uli hated himself for finding the idea appealing.

“And Alex. And Cutter. It’s not right. The kid’s a sex offender just awaiting his crime.”

“Whatever. I’ve never noticed it.” Though now Kai mentioned it, Uli had noticed Storm’s possessive nature, and it wasn’t just directed at his own best friend. He found the attention hot as hell.

Kai tossed more feed to the ducks and dropped the subject. A number of the greedy little guys acted like they weren’t fed every day and scrambled around, racing for the food. One duck leaned back and double wing whacked another out of his way in order to get in better position.
Thwack. Thwack
. Uli and Kai laughed together at their antics. Nothing more was said about Cutter, Storm, or Alex.

Still, they never left Uli’s mind.

* * * *

Cassidy Frost bounced through the partying crowd to meet Alex and him at the door. He was one of the few guys Uli had met here who seemed totally psyched to be a zombie.

“I’m so glad you dragged him to the party.” Cassidy hugged Uli and then shifted awkwardly to hug Alex. “He never attends birthday parties.”

Uli turned away to avoid witnessing Cassidy and Alex’s squeeze. Jealousy licked up his spine at the thought of Cassidy’s hands on his…on Alex. When the clinch ended, he twisted back in time to see Cassidy adjust what he considered his trademark look.

Black fishnets over tie-dyed stockings encased the man’s long legs. The primary colors echoed the rest of his garb: a red T-shirt tucked into the waistband of a matching tie-dyed kilt.

“Do you like my pouch?” Cassidy held up the leather pocketbook draped around his waist.

“Yeah. Is that a sporran? It looks authentic,” Alex yelled loud enough to be heard over the music.

Uli couldn’t stop his smile. He hadn’t expected an American to know the correct term, but Alex was super smart. “Impressive.”

Alex shrugged. “I enjoy reading about different cultures.”

“Yeah, I think that’s what Beau called it. He brought it back on their last trip to Scotland.” Cassidy grinned. “Though I made the tie-dye kilt.”

Uli chuckled. In comparison to all of Cassidy vivid colors, he felt plain in jeans and his favorite blue silk shirt, but Alex said the color made his eyes pop. Cutter had liked him in all blue, and Storm had wolf-whistled the last time Uli wore the shirt. He’d have to trust them on it.

“Who’s the party for again?” Alex asked.

Cassidy leaned in. “We are celebrating John Weisman’s birthday.”

Uli glanced around the Roman-themed suite, decked out with white marble walls, colorful mosaic floors depicting various sexual positions two or more men could find pleasure in, several huge beds, and a large walk-in, silver-tiled pool.

“A birthday party, huh? With all the sex, it could pass as a Roman orgy.”

Cassidy shrugged. “He’ll be the dreaded twenty-three at midnight. It’s his last night.”

Fuck. That had to suck. Zombies completed their transition at twenty-three, and until John found his mate, he’d lose his ability to orgasm. In the meantime, he’d still need male essence to survive and had to provide satisfaction while receiving none.

Not for the first time, Ulrich was thrilled to have found Cutter already. He needed to figure out how to explain mating to Cutter, but hopefully he’d accept doing the exchange to become a zombie himself. But he couldn’t have that conversation until he transitioned. Even Kai, who trusted Ulrich’s visions implicitly, advised him to wait until the transition on the off chance he was incorrect. He wasn’t.

Clusters of zombies talked and ate, but most were in various stages of undress, foreplay, and sex. One couple engaged in vigorous intercourse on the pool’s edge toppled into the water, triggering a splash and much laughter.

Uli returned his attention to Cassidy, who was twenty-eight. Five years without relief. God, how could he stand it?

How could Alex? Uli could barely believe Alex’s claims. To never allow himself the pleasure of release? A fierce need to rectify Alex’s situation swamped Uli.

Alex’s gaze was glued to the scene playing out before them. Wanting to break the sexual spell the moment cast, Uli pulled Alex farther into the room to walk behind Cassidy.

Maybe Ulrich could get Alex comfortable with sex. He could—

But he had a mate. Still, when Alex’s face pinked, Uli longed to help him.

As usual, when Alex crossed the room everything stopped and the occupants stared. Jaws dropped. It was rude.

“Take a picture, it lasts longer,” Cassidy snapped. As if permission were the only thing needed, several partiers raised their phones. Virtual shutter clicks echoed through the recreated Roman bath.

Alex began to back away. “Maybe I should go.” He smoothed his dark pants, which clung to all the right places.

“No. Screw them.” Uli winced at the look of horror on Alex’s face.
Way to put your foot in your mouth.
“I mean…don’t worry about them.”

Cassidy nodded. “Yeah. Maybe if they see you more, they’ll get used to…you know?” The light sparkled off his glittery black nail polish as he gestured up and down at Alex’s appearance.

“They should just get the hell over themselves,” Uli grumbled and tried not to glare. Then he sighed and pushed a few strands of escaped hair from Alex’s face. “Stay with me.”

Alex nodded and allowed his friends to lead him to the bar.

The sharp scent of alcohol assailed Uli’s nose from meters away. The bartender almost tripped over himself to serve them when they approached the bar. “What can I do for you, Alex? And I will do anything… I mean, I’ll make you anything you want.”

Cassidy snickered.

Uli barely restrained himself from slapping the bartender upside the head.
Asshole.

“Hey, you—” Uli pretended to read the bartender’s nametag. “—Carl, is it?” He swung an arm over Alex’s shoulders, hoping to send a clear message of
mine
. Slowly, with a touch of condescension, he said, “
We’d
like waters.”

When Uli arrived in America, he didn’t know the drinking age was different than in Germany. Instead of telling Uli that, Carl reported him to Lafayette for ordering a beer. His dislike had nothing to do with the way the guy dogged Alex’s every move. Okay, maybe it was the main reason.

“Hey, Alex, aren’t you turning twenty-one soon?” Carl reached across the bar to cop a feel.

Twenty-one? Uli had thought Alex was his age or even younger.
Twenty-one?

Alex must need male essence. How did he acquire it? Did he get it the usual way? Uli ignored the hurt that exploded in his heart at the thought of Alex taking someone else between his beautiful lips. Oddly, his urgent desire to provide Alex with essence had more to do with giving him what he needed and much less about sex.

“Um, yeah.” Alex stepped back before Carl could grope him, but another patron bumped Alex and knocked him into range. Seizing the advantage, Carl pulled him close and secured Alex by the neck with one hand as the other hand roamed his body. He leaned in as if to kiss Alex.

Hell no!
Before he could, Uli captured the roving paw and grabbed Carl by the hair. “I will break you.”

Carl’s eyes widened. “Ow! Hey, man. Sorry, I just thought we could…”

“You thought wrong.” Uli bit out his words so they were clear.

Alex moved farther away from Carl and pulled Uli behind him.

A random zombie shouted, “It’s birthday spanking time!”

“Johnny, it’s your birthday. Who do you want to spank?”

“Yeah, Johnny. You get to pick three of us!” someone yelled, raising his hand as if waiting to be called upon in class.

The birthday boy grinned and perused the room as if the decision was difficult. His gaze landed on Alex and Uli. He rubbed his hands together and opened his mouth.

“Don’t even think about it, Johnny.” Alex grabbed Uli’s hand. Through clenched teeth, he said, “You are returning with me to our apartment.”

What? Really?
Dominant Alex was smoking hot. Excitement crawled through him, leaving him breathless. When Alex stalked away with Uli’s wrist encircled in a forceful grip, Uli didn’t think to fight. They were halfway to their apartment by the time the guilt caught up to him.

Cutter.
Uli was the worst mate ever. Though he and Cutter hadn’t yet bonded, his sight had never been wrong. What the hell was wrong with him?

Once inside the tiny apartment, Alex slammed and locked the door. He paced for a few moments, brimming with excess energy. Then he paused to stare at Uli.

“Do you think Johnny would actually have spanked you?”

Uli stared. Not exactly the question he’d been expecting. “Um, well, I heard that’s what they do at birthday parties.” Cassidy was all too free with the exciting details.

Wiping his hands on his jeans, Uli sought something else to hold his attention to lessen the impact of Alex’s intensity. “Isn’t that what happened at your parties since you started your transition?”

Alex grabbed two bottles of water. “I have refused all attempts at parties.” He partially opened one and handed it to Uli.

Aw.
These small things—Alex’s thoughtfulness—stirred emotions Uli shouldn’t feel toward anyone but Cutter. “Until tonight. Why did you come with me?”

Alex took a long sip before slowly recapping his water. “I didn’t want you to go alone.”

“Cassidy said he’d be there.”

Alex shook his head but didn’t say anything. He stomped to the kitchen.

“Do
you
think Johnny would have spanked us?” Uli hoped he kept the excitement out of his voice.