Pull harder… Nino’s eyes suddenly flash and burn golden. He needs Haruka to free it, to release it and claim it. The pressure and want of it are unbearable. Unexpected. Nino clenches the cushion in his fists as his shaft hardens in his pants. God…

Haruka lifts his mouth from his flesh. Nino sucks in a silent gasp as Haruka licks the space where he fed. Nino’s hands are shaking as he places them in his lap, a weak attempt to hide his arousal. When Haruka brings his face up from his neck, his beautiful eyes are glowing the color of red roses. Breathtaking.

He presses his forehead into him and Nino shuts his eyes tightly, his heart skipping from the closeness and cool scent of him. Haruka’s deep voice is soothing, like a spellbinding song to his ears. “Are you well? I intentionally did not feed too deeply.”

“Mmhm,” is all Nino can manage, his eyes still closed as he tries to calm his body and breathing. Haruka sits up. Nino casually grabs the large book he’s been reading and places it back in his lap. He avoids Haruka’s gaze by running his palms against his face, needing to do something to stop his hands from shaking.

“Are you alright?” Haruka asks. When Nino drops his hands and looks up, Haruka’s eyes have returned to their normal vintage wine color. Nino’s eyes are still burning, but there isn’t anything he can do about it except breathe until the rush of arousal passes.

“I’m fine,” Nino says as brightly as he can, looking down at the book and opening it to avoid Haruka’s eyes and the sexy little mole upside his nose. “Don’t worry about me… I can handle you.”

Haruka laughs in his deep, bubbly way. The way he always does when he’s unexpectedly amused by something. His smile is painfully sincere. “Thank you for always being so honest with me. If you are ever uncomfortable with our arrangement, please tell me. I—I would rather maintain our friendship over anything else.”

Feeling his eyes finally burn out, Nino takes a deep breath. “Okay, Haru. I will.”

Haruka moves back toward his spot on the floor within the cluster of books. As he sits and makes himself comfortable, Nino feels a genuine sense of panic in his chest. He closes his eyes and runs his palm down the length of his face again.

Can I handle him?

Seventeen

“Your grace, I must emphasize that I would never attempt to entrap nor coerce you.” Emory bows for the third time, his wrinkled hand reverently placed against his chest. “The very idea goes against the honor of my bloodline—”

“Emory, we do not need to do this on every occasion that we meet,” Haruka implores. “Sit down, please.”

Haruka sits across from a blundering, apologetic Emory. It is their monthly social visit. They are nearing the end of what has become their atonement ritual—initiated by Emory at the start of every meeting they’ve had since the weekend at Hertsmonceux a little over a month ago.

Emory bows a fourth time before he sits. Haruka is beginning to feel like a feudal lord. Which he hates. “Do you have any news on Gael?”

Emory runs his hand over his smooth gray head, his pale blue eyes distressed. “Unfortunately no, your grace. My son is still extremely troubled over the embarrassment, but I have made Gael’s realm leader aware of the circumstances. Have you ever met Ladislao Almeida?”

An image of the long-haired and chiseled male flashes in Haruka’s mind. Ladislao is prominent in both vampire and human society. Haruka has seen his face on the news often. “No, I have not. But I know of him.”

“Interesting creature, he is,” Emory says, raising a silver eyebrow. “I flew to Rio de Janeiro prior to the ceremony to pay my respects to him as Gael’s realm leader. He detests the frigidity of our traditional aristocracy and strongly wishes to immerse vampire culture with human culture, whether it be business, economy, arts…”

Emory leans forward, his face serious as he whispers, “And procreation, your grace. He openly has sex with humans. Can you believe it? A purebred doing this. He has low-level, half-vampire children scattered across his realm!”

His life, his business. Haruka assumes many vampires have intercourse with humans, but the practice is still largely taboo within their culture—especially for those who are higher-ranked. Human blood lacks the proper nourishment necessary for purebred, first-, second- and third-generation vampires to function at their optimum capacity.

Aversion to sunlight, lifeless blood cells, decaying skin, stunted reproduction capabilities and lack of emotional control all stem from feeding on humans. Consequently, most ranked vampires choose lovers and mates of their own kind. If Ladislao desires to live his life otherwise, it is his prerogative.

“The vampires under his realm feel that he is mucking up our race.” Emory sits up straight, his voice returning to normal now that the apparently shameful part of their conversation has finished. “They feel that as a purebred, he should hold more honor and be more concerned with the decline in the pureblood population since the Vanishing, not frivolously consorting with humans.”

“One man cannot be held responsible for repopulating our race,” Haruka says. “Nor should he be held accountable for the inexplicable circumstances of our past.”

“I agree, your grace. But one man can have great influence. His decision to blatantly ignore the concerns of his kin is causing quite the commotion.”

Reaching down to grab his cup of coffee, Haruka nods in agreement. “Perhaps some diplomacy would help to ease the tension.” From what he’s read in the news, Ladislao seems arrogant in his views, often shocking reporters with colorful, vulgar statements. The situation in Brazil serves as a poignant example of what happens when disapproval of a vampiric leader malevolently spreads throughout a realm.

“My lord, are you still satisfied with your new source?”

Only pausing a beat, Haruka brings his cup to his lips. “I am.”

When he thinks of Nino, “satisfied” is a gross understatement. He looks forward to Sundays when he can spend time with his charming source.

Haruka often watches him, wondering how a vampire like this can exist, and also how he could be so fortunate in crossing paths with him. Sometimes Haruka is distracted by the golden light in his amber eyes, or the beautiful glow of his honeyed skin and bright smile. He breathes Nino’s scent and his nature twists and shifts from want of him.

Consuming his spiced, delicious blood is heavenly. He always wants to pull deeper—to release Nino’s aura and give him intense emotional pleasure. To formally mark him as his own, making it clear to any other vampire that Nino is his source.

But he resists. Strictly suppressing the urge each time. Haruka prides himself on his ability to control his nature, and he and Nino are friends. He deeply values their relationship and would never jeopardize it. Haruka has never known anything like it.

To talk and interact so freely with someone, without the burden of strict societal roles, great personal sacrifice or rigid expectations… Haruka never could have imagined this circumstance. Not even in his wildest dreams.

“You got another letter today,” Asao says, just before sipping a spoonful of soup. When he finishes, he picks up his glass of water. “This makes eleven.”

It’s evening. Asao and Haruka are having dinner together in the kitchen. Haruka sits back and sighs. “What could she possibly want? And why does she know where I am?”

Asao stands from the table and gathers their bowls. “If someone is determined enough, you’re not that hard to find. She obviously wants something from you. Selfish harpy.”

Haruka closes his eyes. Despite not having seen her in almost seventy years, the delicate features of her face emerge behind his closed lids: warm brown eyes speckled with flecks of blue and set in a delicate, oval-shaped face. With the image comes a wave of bitterness and regret. Shame and self-loathing. He’d made a vow to her. Sincerely chosen to dedicate the span of his life, blood and body to her. But where is Haruka now? He tries not to think about it too deeply. When he does, he feels wayward and lost—like a kite without a string.

With his eyes still closed, Haruka lifts his chin and silently sniffs the air. Like a sensitive alarm system programmed within his body, the familiar vibration of his vampiric senses dispatches a wave of warning up his spine and directly to his brain. Someone unfamiliar is drawing closer to his home. He furrows his brow, narrowing his perception as he breathes. Not just someone. A group of unknowns.

Asao is at the sink washing dishes when Haruka opens his eyes. “We have guests approaching.”

“Do we know these guests?” Asao says over his shoulder.

“I’m not certain…” Haruka says. He doesn’t recognize the scents but… He focuses and breathes again. Tea tree. Maybe he knows one.

“How far out?” Asao asks.

“Perhaps an hour.” Sensing the presence of another ranked vampire isn’t an exact science. He can only approximate the distance, but it is a fairly reliable and archaic trait within every purebred’s biology. Other ranked vampires have the ability as well, but their homing skills are much less compelling.

Asao turns off the water and grabs a dish towel to dry his hands. “Well, we should give them a proper welcome.”

An hour passes and their guests are being oddly shy. Haruka sits with Asao in the study. The dark bramble of woods on the other side of the glass wall is ominously illuminated by the soft glow of the full moon. The study is silent save for the warm, crackling fireplace behind their armchairs. Asao abruptly yawns, making Haruka flicker his eyes over to his manservant sitting across from him.

“Can we end this?” Asao says, standing. “I’m ready to go to bed.”

Haruka stands as well. Enough is enough. He walks out of the study and down the hall to the main entrance. He grabs his long wool coat and swings it onto his body. When he opens the front door and steps outside into the moonlight, his manservant is at his side.

The night air is frigid and crisp. Haruka exhales to untie the knot of his aura deep within him, his breath fanning out in a puff of wispy smoke. The pressure within him expands, making his eyes alight and burn bright red. Looking out and scanning the woods, he concentrates. It’s been a while and he doesn’t want to make any careless mistakes.

Two… one… two.