Rosko, Mandy - Night and Day (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove)

Night and Day

Cedric, a sun sprite from a highly respected family, is soon to be

married to his wealthy cousin to satisfy family debts. Miserable,

Cedric is allowed one night of freedom before his wedding. A

vampire lord is having his centennial, and vampires make

outstanding lovers.

It is Silus Veturious’ birthday celebration, and he sees no problem

with taking a human, Cedric, to his bed for some fun. One taste

and he discovers that Cedric is no human, and that taste gives

him the most explosive orgasm of his life.

Despite their enemy status, Silus is intrigued. He has never been

with a sun sprite before, and he wants to know more about the

one who braved a house filled with vampires.

Neither of their families are pleased with the match, and Cedric

and Silus must choose if their new and fragile relationship, built

mostly on lust, is worth risking their lives.

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal,
Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 44,980 words

NIGHT AND DAY

Mandy Rosko

EROTIC ROMANCE

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

NIGHT AND DAY
Copyright © 2011 by Mandy Rosko
E-book ISBN: 1-61034-341-7

First E-book Publication: May 2011

Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without
express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

If you have purchased this copy of Night  and  Day by Mandy Rosko
from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also,
thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or
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The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying
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This is Mandy Rosko’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect
Ms. Rosko’s right to earn a living from her work.

Amanda Hilton, Publisher

www.SirenPublishing.com

www.BookStrand.com

NIGHT AND DAY

MANDY ROSKO

Chapter One

Cedric drank in the sights with hungry eyes. If he’d been sitting,

his knee would have twitched with lusty impatience as male after
gorgeous male sauntered by, occasionally with a sexy twinge of the
lips that gave Cedric all sorts of forbidden ideas.

“Benny, what’ve I gotten myself into?”
“That kid in a candy store look suggests you don’t mind,” his

bodyguard said.

And mind he did not. All around him was a buffet of tall, broad-

shouldered, clean-shaven men. Even the servants were sights to
behold, but Cedric wasn’t after a werewolf lover, or even one of those
blood-whoring humans. He’d crashed this party looking for a vamp.

Rumor had it they were insanely amazing lovers. They could

seduce with a look and bring about an orgasm with the most innocent
of touches. Which was precisely what he was after this night. His last
time.

Since this was the birthday party celebrating the centennial of the

vampire lord’s son, it made it easy to spot who was who in the crowd.
Everyone with a flute of what looked like tomato juice—looked
like—was indeed a vamp. A few of them even had their fangs out, not
bothering to hide them in mixed company.

Mandy Rosko

The others, the ones who were just as well dressed, but were

drinking scotch or champagne with no sign of fangs, Cedric would
ignore. Odds were good they were humans, invited only for their
necks and to liven the place up with more people. Cedric didn’t want
any of that. A drunk human in his bed, one who belonged to someone
else even, wasn’t his cup of tomato juice.

A scruffy-haired waiter spotted them, moved in their direction,

and Ben snatched two glasses of white wine from his tray with a nod
of thanks. It was well known that vampires didn’t give their were-
servants any more gratitude than that, and neither of them wanted to
appear out of place. Ben’s idea.

Though they were both friends from all the way back to

childhood, the human teleporter was still a member of Cedric’s family
guard. Just being here, with his charge surrounded by so many
creatures who hated him, was probably giving the poor man an ulcer.

Cedric was a sun sprite. Vampires hated sun sprites. Of course,

sun sprites also hated vampires. It must’ve been a night and day, cat
and dog, sort of thing. Whatever. Cedric didn’t mind putting aside old
prejudices for a little fun and rebellion. In all honesty, this was his
first time even being in the same room with a vampire, let alone two
hundred of them, and it wasn’t so bad. Of course, that could be the
champagne in him talking.

Speaking of which… Cedric downed his drink right away.

Though he was opposed to having whatever lover he took being
wasted, the added courage of the alcohol was a benefit as he searched
for someone to rock his cock, as Ben had eloquently put it once
Cedric got him on board with the idea.

It might be someone else’s birthday, but it was Cedric’s last night

of freedom, so he could be a hypocrite all he wanted.

They both hid away in a corner, under a giant velvet curtain with

golden tassels that framed windows as high as the ceiling. Windows
in a vampire household tended to be tinted and usually stayed closed.

Night and Day

Not tonight. There was no moon out, only stars, so it was a good night
for vamps to keep these curtains and windows open.

With his glass to his lips, Ben nodded toward the curved staircase

where some of the guests mingled on its red carpet. “What about
him?”

Cedric’s eyes found the suggestion immediately. Grey in the hair,

and a face with a slight sag to it. He crinkled his nose in distaste.
“No.”

“You’re here to get laid, don’t forget.” And from the sound of it,

Ben wanted Cedric to hurry up with that so they could go.

“Just not by someone old enough to be my father.”
This wasn’t the only problem, really. Vamps that age usually had

wives or husbands lurking somewhere nearby, and along with the
rumor of their skills in bed, they were well known for not—scratch
that—never sharing their spouses.

“Huh.” Ben looked at him. “So, beggars can be choosers?”
“Shut up.” Cedric wished another waiter would come along so he

could have another drink. Would it look suspicious if he grabbed
another white glass instead of a blood glass?

If the vampires who owned this mansion knew a sun sprite was

under their roof, the violins would screech to a halt and all eyes would
stare as he was ordered off the property.

That was the better scenario.
Luckily, because of Ben’s teleporting trick, if any of the vamps

here got a whiff of what he was and tried to jump on his neck, he and
Ben would be out of the house and across the city before any of the
suckers could so much as reveal their fangs.

While sun sprites could flash to and from most locations, they had

to be in direct sunlight for it to work. As it was obviously owl time
now, Cedric had to rely on Ben, who could teleport whenever he
wanted. Lucky bastard.

The same waiter from before must have seen the empty glass in

his hand, because he came over with another tray. A single bushy

Mandy Rosko

brow lifted when Cedric picked the white glass again, but he said
nothing, simply took the empty flute and scurried off.

“Maybe you should ease off. People are starting to look at us,”

Ben muttered, ever watchful.

Cedric tilted his head back and let the liquid slip down his throat

like before, and then he struck the glass down on the marble side
table. “That’s the last one,” he promised. He didn’t want to be so
drunk that he was all limp-dicked later. If there would be a later with
any of the men in the giant ballroom.

Jee-eeze, did he really have to do this? Well, he wanted to do this.

Finding out if vamps were as good as the stories said they were would
be a real treat, but did he really have to think of it as being his last
time? His parents wanted him to marry, tomorrow, actually, but what
were they going to do if he put his foot down and said no?

Probably throw his ass out. He would be just as ruined as they

would if he refused to cooperate, and he would never again be
welcome within any sun sprite circles.

But Ben would never turn his back on him. Maybe—
“What about him?” Ben nodded again toward a grand marble

fireplace where the majority of the male crowd seemed to be,
vampires laughing with their fangs out and humans with fresh bite
marks at their necks.

They were part of the younger crowd. Or at least, the crowd that

looked younger—one never knew how old vampires really were—and
while one or two of them were pleasing to Cedric’s eyes, their loud,
obnoxious laughter was a turn-off.

He needed a lover who would please him enough to last a lifetime.

He didn’t want to end up in bed with someone who was more
concerned about their own pleasure.

“I don’t think that’s going to work.”
“Jesus, you’re picky,” Ben muttered.
Cedric glared. “And you damn well remember why.”
Ben’s cheeks had the decency to darken. “Sorry.”

Night and Day

Fuck, if any of the vamps smelled his rising blood they were done

for. “Don’t worry about it.” If Cedric said more, made a big show of
telling his friend no harm done, it would only take longer to get that
red off his face.

Luckily, it went down quickly as Ben cleared his throat and

composed himself. Hopefully, no one noticed.

“Y’know, if you can’t find anyone here, I could always arrange

for something else.”

A crash sounded on the marble floor, its nasty metal clang

vibrating and echoing across the walls, stealing the attention in the
room.

Cedric’s heart hammered in his throat as his worst nightmare

came true. All chatter stopped, the cellos and violins screeched, and
every head turned.

His body froze, and beside him, Ben grabbed his arm with a

falcon claw grip, ready to teleport them out.

But no eyes stared in their direction. When the enraged yelling

started, it wasn’t at either of them.

One of the waiters had dropped his tray, and one of the older

vamps in a penguin tail suit, was bent over him, yelling as the poor
creature scrambled to collect the broken glass.

“Idiot! Worthless were-fool! That crystal is older than your

grandparents!”

There were collective nods throughout the room. The waiter

sputtered his apologies, but the yelling only seemed to make his hands
clumsy, knocking away the broken shards when he meant to pick
them up. The ladies put their sharp noses in the air while some of the
males smirked at the show. Nearly everyone whispered amongst
themselves as they watched.

Wow, and he’d been thinking about fucking one of these snobs.
“Jesus, let’s just go,” Ben muttered.
Cedric was a hair away from agreeing before the next scene

unfolded. “Wait.”

Mandy Rosko

Another vampire, similar in appearance to the first but for the

modern style of his black Armani suit  and  more youthful features,
came and put his hand on the older vamp’s shoulder. The shouting
stopped, and the younger vampire  motioned with his fingers for two
more servants with rags and brooms to enter the ballroom.  They
scuttled in quick succession toward  their fallen coworker before
quickly and efficiently helping him with the shattered crystal.

Cedric’s eyes went back to the vamp responsible for the tiny

mercy.

Whoa. Hello.
His dark hair was just long enough to produce a bit of a wave,

framing a pale face with high cheekbones, a strong nose and square
chin. He stood tall, proud, and serious, an eagle amongst a flight of
pigeons. Cedric kept his eyes locked on him, not wanting to lose sight
of the man should he disappear as quickly as he’d come.

Whoever he was, he addressed the room with authority. His clear

voice carried easily and wrapped around Cedric like a blanket fresh
from the dryer. “Ladies and gentlemen, please accept an apology from
my parents and myself for the intrusion on your night.” His mouth
broke into a wide grin, revealing teeth that were perfect—even with
the inclusion of pointed fangs—and as white as his skin.

With a start, Cedric realized this was the vampire the party was

being held for. The son of the lord of the house.

The great and honorable Lord Silus Wiktor Veturious...was

defending a servant? Better still, this was the vampire Cedric wanted
to take to bed.

Oh. Shit.
“I bid you all please resume your entertainments, and more food,

drink, and music will be available until well beyond sunup.”

Several vamps lifted their blood glasses in a toast while others,

mostly the males, clapped their hands and cheered.

Ben, who had somehow obtained his own flute of blood without

Cedric noticing, lifted it to his lips.

Night and Day

Cedric raised an eye at him.
“I’m not going to drink the whole thing. And it’ll help me keep up

appearances until we can get out of here.”

That really meant, until Cedric gave up and decided to go home.
“I’ve made my decision.”
It was only the tiniest of sips that Ben took, but he still choked on

it, coughing up just enough blood to put some of the nasty droplets
onto his chin. He wiped them away with the sleeve of his suit, ruining
it. “What did you say?”

Cedric nodded toward Silus, who accepted the occasional

handshake, or celebratory slap on the back, whether for his centennial,
or for his smooth handling of the scene, Cedric couldn’t tell. Didn’t
matter.

He’d chosen the vampire he wanted to spend his last hours as a

free man fucking.

As if he heard his thoughts, Silus turned his head, and his black

eyes met Cedric’s golden ones.

Cedric grinned and thought wicked, wicked thoughts. “I want

Silus Veturious.”

Mandy Rosko

Chapter Two

The servants hardly need more supervision. They could clean the

rest of the glass and spilled blood without his eyes hovering over
them. He just did not wish to give his father any more of a reason to
disrupt the guests, or cause the poor were to unman himself in front of
his betters.

Besides, he was curious about the blond-haired vamp who stared

at him with such open lust. It was not anyone Silus recognized. Not a
business partner of his father’s, an old acquaintance from school with
whom he had lost touch, not even one of the men he had visited at the
brothel. So unless he was new, he was not a paid professional brought
as a birthday present.

This, unfortunately, was one of the few ways Silus managed to

have his more carnal urges satisfied.

He needed to know. Who was that? Only one person could say

with authority, and Silus made his way nearly to the top of the grand
stairs before he made it to his goal. “Father, who is that?”

The older vampire turned away from his wife to look up at his

son. At five eleven, Silus was incredibly tall for a vampire.

Lord Wiktor Vaughn Veturious turned and followed his son’s

eyes to the windows. “Ah, them…” His lips curled up in a hint of a
sneer.

It was his mother, Lady Ariadne, who answered, swirling her

blood flute in her delicate hand. In her little black gown that reached
her feet, she appeared rail thin. “We believe they are humans.”

Night and Day

Silus’s brows shot to his widow’s peak. He refrained from turning

his wide eyes to stare once more should he frighten them away.
“Humans?”

Ah, yes, how could he have not seen it? Those men in the corner

did have a bit of a golden gleam in their skins. Tans from being
touched by the sun. Yet the only humans ever allowed to vampire
functions were the ones who wanted to donate blood, and not to their
precious Red Cross. Even then, these humans did not appear to have
any other vampires nearby, which could only mean one thing. They
were not owned, and therefore, they were uninvited.

It actually made Silus smile. “They are crashing my party.”
The sneers on his parents’ faces deepened.
“Quite,” his father said, deeming to not so much as look in the

direction of the intruders. “We do not know how they ever managed
to get in, but the guards will be punished for this offense.”

Silus risked a glance back under the curtains where the

troublemakers waited. The blond male was still looking at him like he
was something to eat, which was ironic and completely backwards.

And intriguing.
“What is to be done with them?”
“Nothing,” his father snapped. “I do hope their presence will not

spoil your moment, my son, but after that clumsy were made a
spectacle, I would rather not have any more scandal in my house
tonight.”

Only Wiktor could refer to something as inconsequential as a

servant dropping some glass as a scandal. ’Twas Silus’s centennial,
yet truly the party was more of a social event for his parents.
Strengthen connections, and all that.

“The guests are being quietly informed that they are our private

feeders. This will ensure that once they are scented, no one will
approach them.” His mother’s voice sounded so droll between sips of
her blood, but she was not known to be as sensational and emotional
as her husband.

Mandy Rosko

It made perfect sense, too. If these were humans who were simply

performing a daring stunt, the most logical option would be to ignore
them until they went away.

Silus turned toward the blond again. He was perhaps as tall as

Silus, with short, thick golden hair. There was a hint of a dimple on
his chin, and his amber-gold eyes continued to watch him in a way
that screamed come hither. The taller, dark-haired companion next to
him seemed to be whispering frantically in his ear, attempting to
coerce his friend into leaving, no doubt.

The adventuresome ones always came with their squeamish

entourage.

But the golden eyes stayed locked on Silus. A pink tongue darted

out to wet a pair of full lips. How much fuller would they become
once they’d been kissed to submission? Or after being wrapped
around his erect—

“Would you like me to see them out?”
Both his parents turned their black eyes to him.
“Merely for the sake of peace in your household,” he said. ’Twas

not entirely  a lie  if there was truth to it.  “Curious humans they may
be, but should they continue to be ignored for too long,  one of them
might become courageous  enough to directly attempt to gain some
attention.”

Silus wanted to give one of those humans in particular a great deal

of attention, indeed.

His mother sniffed at the idea. His father’s brow lifted.
“Also, perhaps I could persuade one of them to reveal the secret of

their grand entrance. Then the guards will be aware of whatever hole
in their defenses allowed these humans to get in.”

Wiktor’s smile revealed long fangs. “Even on your centennial you

cannot be happy without solving a dilemma. My son, you are a born
leader.”

Night and Day

Silus fought the urge to sniff with disdain. Born leader. Another of

his father’s hints for Silus to take a more active role in the family
business.

Trafficking and selling stolen humans to wealthy vampire families

might be profitable, but there were other, easier ways to obtain blood.
Especially when so many humans were willing to volunteer their
necks anyway.

He didn’t bother getting into that argument again. It would take

far too much time and ruin his mood. Silus’s whole body thrummed
with the urge to move, take the golden-haired man from the corner
and stake his claim somewhere private. “Then, I have your
permission?”

His father waved his hand. “Go, if you must. Your presence has

been noted by your guests. Food and drink have been consumed, gifts
received. No one shall think it rude if you steal yourself away for a
moment. Or a night.”

Lady Ariadne stiffened as her husband’s meaning dawned on her.
Silus clasped his father’s arm in thanks before making his escape.

While his mother never truly approved of his interest in his own sex,
his father had always laughed it away and encouraged Silus to bed
whomever he wished. So long as he was discreet, of course.

Hence the need for brothels.
Despite his father’s praise, the old vampire had fooled himself

into believing Silus’s sexual interests were a phase, and the men he
bedded were mere conquests before he took a wife.

Nay. No. Never. There was only one thing Silus wanted, and at

this moment, it did not remotely resemble a woman.

He had to force calm into his limbs, lest anyone take note of an

eager spring in his step.

The dark-haired human became silent as it became apparent Silus

was moving toward them, but the color of the golden-haired human’s
eyes darkened with desire.

Brave, brave little thing.

Mandy Rosko

Not so little as Silus approached. When he stopped before them,

‘twas apparent that the golden-haired human was taller by just an
inch. Regardless, Silus would enjoy putting him on his knees.

While he gave off no trace of hostility, no glare from his eyes, the

darker human inched closer to his friend, whether for protection or to
be protected was the only question. But Silus was not curious on that
matter. His only concern was how quickly he could send that human
away.

“You should both know that everyone in this ballroom has been

made aware of you.”

Golden eyes flew wide. For the first time, a hint of uncertainty

entered them. “They have?”

Silus nodded. “Indeed.”
“Aaaand, that’s our cue to leave. Let’s go, Ceddy.”
“Wait.” Silus reached out and gripped Ceddy’s arm, terrified for

no reason that the man would simply disappear. He couldn’t be that
desperate for sex. Could he? “You may go,” he said to the darker one
before gazing into those surreal golden eyes again. “You may stay.”

Like all territorial humans, the dark one became defensive. “Hey,

I’m not leaving without my friend, pal.”

“Ben, go home.”
Silus closed his eyes to savor the silk of that voice. It was low and

commanding with his friend. Would it be that way once Silus
removed his clothes? He still gripped Ceddy’s upper arm, and he
could feel the splendid bulge of muscle beneath, a mere hint of the
generous masculinity hiding beneath tux, tie, and trousers.

The blood in Silus’s veins flowed to his erection and stayed there.

He would have this human.

Ben leaned in to his friend. Silus growled low, but apart from a

slight hesitation, the brown-haired human leaned his lips in farther to
whisper, “You sure, man?”

Ceddy—what a strange name—broke eye contact for the first time

to look at his friend. “I think I found what I was looking for.”

Night and Day

The knowledge that this man had set out to bed a vampire should

not have bothered him so, yet it did. The idea that he would have
accepted anyone was irksome. But there was no turning back. Silus
needed to relieve himself, and he did not wish to do it alone on his
centennial. ’Twould be far too sad.

“All right, call me when you get home.”
“Yes, Mother.” Ceddy sneered.
Ben flipped his middle finger before blinking out of existence.
Silus could not contain his shock.
“Teleporter,” Ceddy explained, as though Silus could not have

deduced that on his own.

“Is that how you came to be here without an invitation?”
Ceddy’s luscious lips pulled up in a shy smile. How…adorable.

“Yeah, it seems to work really well. He teleports us directly into any
place, and most people wouldn’t think we snuck in.”

Well, this was happy news indeed. It meant he wouldn’t be forced

by his father to give the guards a beating for neglecting their duty to
his family.

Silus held out his hand. “I’ll escort you to my room.”
The corner of Ceddy’s mouth curled up. “Straight to the point.

Not even a complimentary drink or bullshit conversation.”

“Do you like it?”
Ceddy didn’t take his hand, but instead hooked their arms

together. Many electric tingles shot like charged bullets up and down
Silus’s arm, and it wasn’t even a skin-to-skin connection.

“Love it. Lead the way.”

Mandy Rosko

Chapter Three

Cedric was pulled away from the crowds of vampires to a hallway

leading out of the ballroom. It relieved him to be away from all those
bloodsuckers. Strange, considering that relief was brought on by
being alone in a dark corridor with one of them.

It was probably the crowd itself that made him jittery, rather than

its composition.

Silus was so quick he was nearly dragging Cedric behind him, but

Cedric made no complaints when they came to a dark mahogany
door, which Silus all but threw open. He threw Cedric inside the dark
space, too—Cedric would’ve preferred the lights on, but to a vampire
it probably didn’t matter—and began the immediate process of
loosening his tie and removing his jacket.

“You know it’s better with a little help.” Cedric’s hands were all

over the buttons of his red silk shirt, pulling them off with speed, yet
also with enough care to keep from tearing any of the threads.

Silus’s hands stilled the instant Cedric touched him, but he said

nothing, so Cedric continued.

“Have you ever been taken by a vampire?”
That caused Cedric to stop. He smiled a little smile at the slightly

shorter vamp. “Who said I was going to be the one to give it up?”

Silus bristled, and a low sounding hiss worked up and out of his

throat. It was cute. It reminded Cedric of a cat.

He laughed and raised his hands. “Okay, whatever. I’m not

picky.” Just so long as it’s mind-blastingly fantastic.

Night and Day

That last thought saddened him because with it came the memory

of just why he needed this. Cedric pressed his mouth to the vamp’s
lips to wash it away. He didn’t want anything tainting this.

Instantly a hand was in his hair, clenching and fisting. Silus’s

other hand reached down to Cedric’s  still-covered ass, clutched it in
his fingers,  and pulled the sprite  close. Cedric open his lips and
moaned in Silus’s  mouth as his hard dick was pressed into Silus’s
firm cock. His arms went around Silus’s  shoulders to hang on tight.
The man was like a rock with the way he kept Cedric upright.

He knew Silus was a vamp and all, but for a second, he forgot

about their crazy strength. Perhaps being on the receiving end for his
last time would be a better idea than he originally thought.

Of course, it didn’t appear as though Cedric was getting much of a

reaction from Silus. No, this needed to be perfect for the both of them
if Cedric was to be satisfied.

The neck. Of course, idiot. The neck was the place to be. It wasn’t

just a great place for kissing and suckling during sex, but it was a
well-known fact that vampires adored having their necks played with.
Supposedly they could come from that stimulation alone.

Cedric broke their mouths apart and latched his lips onto the crook

between jaw and neck. Right where the major artery sat.

This time Silus was the one to buckle. Cedric had to catch him

before he fell to his knees. There would be time for that kind of action
in just a minute.

“Ceddy.” Silus moaned.
Cedric burst out laughing, and his lips separated from Silus’s skin.

Right. He’d been so caught up he’d forgotten there’d been no formal
introduction. “Cedric.”

Proper coherency returned to Silus’s eyes. “Pardon?”
God, all that proper vampire vocab was hot. “My name is Cedric.

Ben was just being an idiot.”

Mandy Rosko

“Well then, Cedric.” The emphasis put onto Cedric’s name caused

his cock to fill and stiffen even more. Jesus, any harder and it would
be marble. “Take my neck again and, this time, add a little teeth.”

Cedric complied, latching his mouth on the same spot, and this

time, he scraped his teeth across the skin. Silus moaned and clutched
him tighter, and when Cedric bit down hard on the flesh, Silus pushed
him away so roughly Cedric landed ass first on the bed behind him.
Honestly, he was stunned by the bed’s sudden appearance. It was so
dark in the room, and he’d been so focused on Silus that he hadn’t
bothered to take note of his surroundings.

Actually, it was strange. And fortunate. He was a sun sprite.

Usually in near total darkness like this, his kind couldn’t help but give
off even a faint amount of UV light from their bodies, just enough of
a glow in order to see, but he’d been too occupied with the buzz of the
sex they were in the beginning stages of having.

He’d gone against his baser instincts without even realizing it.

Amazing.

Silus’s hands found Cedric’s belt buckle and began unclasping

and tugging as he dropped to his knees. The fly was next. Cedric
leaned back on his hands to get a better view. A vampire prince was
going to suck his dick. He had to see this.

But then his engorged prick popped free, and he shut his eyes and

moaned as a warm hand gripped it at the base. He opened his eyes in
time to see a pink tongue slip between two pointed fangs to lick up
the little drop of pre-cum at his slit.

Cedric bit down on his knuckles.
“Tell me, Cedric.”
Oh, Jesus no, he did not just stop that tongue of his to start talking

again. “What? What?”

“Had anyone else approached you but me, would you have gone

into an empty room with them?”

Silus’s dark eyes were hard, challenging. If Cedric said the wrong

thing, the best that could happen was he’d be out on his ass.

Night and Day

Then it hit him. Silus was actually jealous. It should have been

odd considering they just met, but it wasn’t. It was... comforting. It
was odd that it was comforting. This was a vampire between his
knees. He needed to take care and remember that.

He also needed to take care of the throbbing, heat between his

legs.

Cedric shook his head at Silus’s question. He’d all but made up

his mind that he wouldn’t spend the night with any of those arrogant
pricks when that servant dropped the tray. But then Silus had
swooped in and turned that idea on its head. “No, only you.”

Vampire or not, that much was true.
Silus’s dark eyes sparkled like black diamonds. He bent down to

lick around the full head of Cedric’s cock before coming back up
again. He took one hand and began to gently work Cedric’s balls
before speaking again. “May I ask why?”

Cedric was fisting his own hair now, his body desperate and

twitchy to relieve the pulsing in his balls and dick. “If I tell you, you
promise to stop teasing me?”

“What I promise is to tease you to the brink of your pleasure and

keep you there for as long as possible before ending your ordeal with
a climax.”

“Fuck!” Cedric fell back on the bed, his fists in the sheets now.

That one long-ass sentence nearly ended him.

“I–I wanted a night with a vampire because—” He stopped

himself. What went on within his family was none of Silus’s business.
Especially considering that was the kind of baggage dump that would
stop what was happening in a blink and include a quick get-the-fuck-
out-of-my-room. “I was curious. Ugh!”

Silus’s hands began moving around, one massaging and rolling

his testicles like they were stress balls while the other gripped his dick
again.

Mandy Rosko

“Was going to leave, though. Everyone seemed so—” His head

thrashed on the bed. He reached down to help Silus along, but the
vampire released his balls to grab his wrist and pin it down.

“Try that again, and I will restrict your other hand as well.”
That didn’t sound so bad. Oh, right, talking. “You defended that

waiter. Never knew vampires could be so nice. Wanted you right
away.”

The hand on his dick stopped for a mere split second before it was

replaced with a hot, slick, velvety mouth.

Cedric’s hands flew to his mouth to hold back the loud moan that

erupted from his throat.

So good. Exactly what he wanted. He was barely aware of his

pants being pulled down farther before a slick digit entered him. Silus
must’ve kept a lube bottle hidden away somewhere nearby. Either that
or he’d been too high on the sensations to notice if the other man had
gotten up to retrieve it. When his mind grasped what was happening,
he lifted his hips so that wiggling finger could have better access.

A second finger entered him and began thrusting and scissoring,

mimicking what was to come, what his fiancé would never approve
of. What she could never do for him because she was a woman and
not a man.

Silus pulled his mouth away, and Cedric sighed and lifted his

knees higher. But Silus put his hand on Cedric’s legs and pulled them
back down, his face still level with Cedric’s thigh.

“What are you—” A sharp pinch cut him off, and Cedric inhaled a

gasp. Then he panicked as what was happening hit him.

He wasn’t pinched. He’d been bitten. Silus was attempting to

drink from him.

Sun sprite blood had been known to actually kill vampires.
“No!” Cedric flew up and tried to release himself from Silus’s

fangs, but they were already locked on. And Silus had gone perfectly
still.

He’d drank some of Cedric’s blood.

Night and Day

Silus’s fangs must’ve retracted because his mouth fell away from

Cedric’s naked thigh. He fell back and began to convulse on the floor.

“Shit! Silus! Silus!”
Cedric flew down to be with him. He grabbed Silus by the

shoulders to keep him close and put one hand in his hair so he
wouldn’t bang his head around.

Fuck. Sun sprite blood in a vamp. He didn’t know the details of

what exactly was supposed to happen, but he was finding out the hard
way. Why didn’t he keep better watch of what Silus was doing? Of
course the vampire would want to bite him during sex. What kind of
idiot was he to not remember that?

The epileptic thrashing ceased quickly. Sweat beaded all over his

face as loud groaning replaced the jitters. Long moaning. Pleasure
moans.

“Silus?”
“Uh—ga!” He gasped, his speech no longer prim and proper.
What was happening to him? Whatever it was, it didn’t look like it

was killing him anymore. Silus was enjoying it.

The vampire reached down to grab at his crotch, which was

bulging and huge beneath the trousers that hindered him. “Fuck… me,
God. I can’t—”

“Let me.” It was no longer sexual for Cedric when he slipped his

hand beneath Silus’s pants and fisted his swelling cock—Christ, the
thing was engorged—he just wanted to help ease whatever strange
infliction Silus suffered from because it scared the hell out of Cedric
seeing him like this.

One tug was all it took. Silus opened his mouth, long fangs

exposed, and cried out like he was coming for the first time in his life.
His back arched so high Cedric thought he might just start levitating.

He did that for a full thirty seconds—thirty seconds!—before

coming back down to the carpet again. Heavy breathing escaped his
mouth, and both eyes were half lidded and blinking drunkenly.

Mandy Rosko

Cedric propped himself on one elbow to get a look at him. A

twinge of jealousy fluttered through him at the utter look of
satisfaction on Silus’s mug. Sure, it was the dangerous way to do it,
but that amazing orgasm was supposed to be shared with Cedric.

He shook his head at himself. What a stupid, selfish thing to be

thinking at a time like this.

He opened his mouth to ask the traditional are you okay question,

but nothing came out.

Judging by Silus’s lazy smile, he was very okay.
Of course, that smile would leave once Silus’s brain was working

enough to figure out what had just happened. Cedric pulled his hand
from Silus’s pants. It was soaked in cum, and with no rags or even
tissue in any reachable spot, he resigned to just wiping his hand across
the carpet. Silus would likely be angry enough about having nearly
fucked a mortal enemy. What was the one extra little thing of ruining
a carpet going to do? Cedric then picked himself up off the floor,
gently took the boneless vamp into his arms, and deposited him on the
bed on top of the covers before retrieving his pants and straightening
his shirt and tie.

The tinted windows in the room were like the ones in the

ballroom. They went from floor to ceiling, and they also had a door
that led outside to a stone balcony. Cedric checked his watch. The sun
should be just slivering over the horizon now. That should be enough
for him to transport himself back home. His erection had since
shriveled away sometime during that horrific seizure, so he wouldn’t
need to worry about pouring any ice down his pants when he got back
at least.

He took one last longing look at the bed before moving toward the

door. He had to be quick, because if it got any lighter outside, he
wouldn’t be able to open the door at all without frying the other man
in the room, and he didn’t want to hurt Silus any more than he already
had.

Night and Day

His hand was on the golden door handle when a soft voice called

to him. “Wait.”

It could have had the depth and boom of God Himself for all the

power it held over him. Cedric’s whole body halted, and he turned his
head enough to see behind him.

Silus had propped himself up on his pillows. He stared at Cedric

with something akin to affection. “You are no human.”

He hesitated, but nothing sarcastic came to him, so he just

answered the question straight. “No.”

“You are a sun sprite.” Silus’s face stayed lax as he said it. There

was no disgust, no anger, or shame. He was just stating a fact.

Cedric decided he might as well do the same. “Yes.”
Silus sighed and closed his eyes. Cedric was about to take that as

his dismissal before he spoke again. “Come back tomorrow night. I’ll
leave my door unlocked.”

Cedric couldn’t say anything. Couldn’t say that he wouldn’t be

available tomorrow night, or any other night after.

This was meant to be a one-time thing. While it was Silus’s

centennial birthday, it was also supposed to be Cedric’s bachelor
party, his last night of freedom before being chained down to a
woman for whom he could never feel more than a sisterly affection.

But he couldn’t tell that to Silus. For whatever reason, be it

revenge, or another attempt at whatever this had been, the vampire
wanted him to return.

Cedric’s heart beat an off-rhythm pattern. It was better to not

cause Silus any distress, considering what had just happened.

So Cedric lied instead. “I’ll be here.”
Then he opened the thick, tinted glass door a crack before

escaping into the fresh air of the morning dawn. Using the sun’s UV
rays, he flashed, became a part of them and allowed himself to travel
along them until he was far away from the strangest thing that ever
happened to him.

Mandy Rosko

Chapter Four

Cedric reappeared on his family doorstep. The large expanse of

emerald lawn behind him was now lit up by the stretch of sunlight
breaking over the horizon. His trip home from outside of Silus’s
bedroom had taken milliseconds.

It would only take milliseconds to go back.
He shook the thought from his head. Not the time. Not now. Not

ever.

With a smile and a nod to the camera above the door, and the two

men in suits and shades on either side of it, he took his laser cut keys
from his pocket, unlocked the door, and let himself in.

When he entered the bright foyer, the sight of people milling

around in large groups  was to be expected. What was  shocking was
how their chatter  ceased when he let himself in,  the way their
sympathetic glances  touched him, and  the way his mother rushed to
him through the crowd of sprites wearing their very best. Her heavy
diamonds  sparkled and dangled from her ears as she ran.  They
reflected so much light that, had it still been night and only a single
candle lit in the entire room, those rocks would’ve caught that bit of
light and magnified it by a thousand.

“Oh, Cedric! How terrible! I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
His first instinct was to think of his father, and his insides

clenched. “What happened? Where’s Dad?”

Cecelia—his mother—shook her head. “No, no, not your father.

It’s Dacielle.”

Night and Day

His fiancée. Cedric’s insides calmed a little. “What about her?” If

this was another issue with the cake, seating arrangements, or flowers,
he was going to snap.

“She’s come down with the flu. She’s sick in bed right now, and

all the guests are here.” Cecelia waved her hand behind herself to all
of Cedric’s well-dressed friends and relatives, young and old, as if he
could have missed them with the way they awkwardly shifted their
feet around and adjusted their collars.

A rush of evil pleasure rose inside him as the implication of his

mother’s tears hit him.

The bride was ill. There would be no wedding today. Which also

meant there would be no wedding night.

Hallelujah, thank the Lord. He didn’t have to fuck his little cousin.
Cedric put his fist to his mouth to cough, the only way he could

hide his smile.

His mother squeaked. “You’re not coming down with something,

too, are you?”

“You know, I think I might be.” He coughed again to disguise the

crazed laugh building within him. He had another day, at least. A
week at most, or however long it took for a healthy eighteen-year-old
to get over a flu. He wouldn’t be putting a ring on her finger today or
his cock inside her tonight. He pointed toward the stone staircase, not
too dissimilar from the one at Silus’s mansion. “I’m going up to my
room to lie down.”

Cecelia rubbed his back, her delicate, manicured hands scratching

him through his jacket. It made him shiver. “You do that, sweetheart.
Get some rest. I can’t have you sick for the wedding later.”

He ignored her mothering and passed the guests quickly with his

head down, hiding his face should a smile break out on it. There were
murmurs of regret and well wishes for himself and his fiancée, which
he accepted with a barely there nod, but eventually he was up in his
room.

Mandy Rosko

He leaned his back against the locked door and smiled. His

muscles twitched with the urge to dance.

He loved Dacielle, he really did, but she was the closest thing he

had to a sister. She would survive having the flu, no problem. He, on
the other hand, would be traumatized for life if he had to make babies
with her.

“You look like you had a good night.”
Cedric jumped as Ben appeared from nowhere, smack in the

middle of his bed. He stretched out lazily like he owned the place
instead of worked in it.

Cedric laughed and leapt onto the bed with him to punch his arm.

“You scared the hell out of me.” He made himself comfortable next to
his buddy until they were both on their backs, staring at the flat screen
hanging on the opposite wall, which was currently turned off.

“What happened?” Ben asked.
Cedric rubbed his face and sighed a happy sigh. It felt like

Christmas times a thousand. “The wedding’s postponed.”

Ben blinked and sat up. “Really? That’s great!” He hesitated.

“But, that wasn’t what I was talking about.”

Silus. Of course. Just thinking about him, the way he’d left him,

and what they hadn’t finished, suddenly dampened things.

“Ceddy? You okay?”
“Nothing happened.”
A disbelieving laugh bubbled out of his friend. “Bullshit.”
“He drank some of my blood.”
“So?”
Cedric could’ve punched him for real. “What do you mean so?

I’m a sun sprite.”

Ben stuck his hands behind his head, leaned back and stared like

he didn’t know what the problem was. The damned idiot. And he was
supposed to be Cedric’s bodyguard.

“Vampires can’t drink sun sprite blood because of our connections

with the sun.”

Night and Day

Finally some semblance of understanding dawned on the other

man. Then a little worry came over him. “Is he okay?”

Cedric thought back to Silus’s writhing and moaning form on the

carpeted floor of his room. He had to banish the thought quickly
before he got himself a hard-on with his best friend lying in bed next
to him. “He seemed okay when I left, but it didn’t get very far when
he bit me.”

“Where’d he bite you?” Ben twisted his head around to look at

Cedric’s neck. “I don’t see anything.”

“It’s on my thigh.” His thigh, which now felt strangely good

despite the fact that there were twin holes in it.

“I want to see it.” Ben lunged for his leg, but Cedric kicked

himself up off the bed.

“I need to see my father.”
All joking left Ben’s eyes.
“I’m not going to tell him where I was.”
“Hope not.”
Right. Because if Cedric let that little ball drop, Ben would be out

of a job before he could teleport away from Cyricus’s wrath.

“You’re going to talk about…”
Cedric nodded. “The wedding.” He was going to try and get out of

marrying his cousin. He’d thought about what would happen if he did
say no, and as scary as the outcome of all those thoughts had been, the
image of Dacielle naked and waiting for him was too much.

He used to babysit her for God’s sake.
“Good luck, man.”
“Thanks,” Cedric muttered. Then he lost his nerve. He was such a

pussy. “You’ll—”

“I’ll stick around for a little while.” Ben made himself

comfortable on Cedric’s beige sheets again. This time he reached over
and grabbed the remote from Cedric’s nightstand. “Your TV has more
channels than mine anyway.”

Mandy Rosko

Cedric left, comforted with the knowledge his friend would still

be there when he came back.

Though he’d faked an illness earlier, there were no guests on this

floor to see him walking with his head held high, back straight, and no
cough in his throat. He considered going to check on Dac first—he
might not want to marry her, but she was still his little cousin, and he
was concerned—but then he decided against it.

If she was resting, his presence would just disturb her. If she was

awake, he would be forced to sit with her and listen to her speak of
her eagerness to get married, apologize for the delay her illness
caused, and how much fun their honeymoon would be.

Pass.
Dac was a good girl. And like all good girls, she believed in the

same traditions as her elders, did what she was told, and thought that
becoming a wife was the highest achievement she could attain.

The wing containing his father’s rooms weren’t far from Cedric’s,

and he knew his dad could be found in his private office.

Before he knocked, his nose caught the telltale scent of tobacco

floating around the room, and the angry slam of a phone hitting his
desk. He actually had to take a breath for courage before rapping on
the door.

“Come in.”
Cedric did so, but Cyricus did not look happy to see him.

Something had definitely pissed him off. “Thought you were sick.”

Cedric shut the door. “Just a cough. How’s Dacielle?”
His father took the cigar from his lips and flicked the grey ashes in

the crystal tray beside his ledger. The lines around his mouth from his
constant scowling were ugly and deep. “She’ll live, though it’s
costing enough money delaying the bands, caterers, and getting hotel
rooms for the guests our house can’t fit.”

Ah, so here was the root of the problem. While his father had

always been capable of lavishing money around, he actually hated

Night and Day

doing it and, in recent years, became more and more vocal about his
displeasure.

It was one of the reasons why a marriage between his son and

niece would be so beneficial. Dacielle came with a great big happy
dowry. Old money was the best kind to a race that loved old values,
after all.

Well, Cedric was about to make the problem a helluva lot worse,

but he needed to make himself clear.

“Dad, I can’t go through with this.”
His father stopped with the cigar nearly back in his mouth. He put

it down carefully, leaving it to smoke itself in the tray, his golden eyes
flashing.

A lot of people told Cedric he was the mirror image of his old

man back when Cyricus was younger. Cedric hoped he wouldn’t end
up looking so mean.

“Son, did you not go out and do your thing last night?”
“Kind of, but—”
“And might I remind you that the only reason I allowed your little

escapade with some courtesan was so you could get your urges out of
your system in time for your coming marriage.”

That’s what Cyricus thought, anyway, that Cedric had found some

male professional to scratch his itch last night. If his father ever
discovered he’d gone to a vampire’s birthday party instead of a
brothel, Cedric would probably find his ass disowned in a heartbeat.

It had been his own private rebellion against his parents for what

they were doing to him. That, and the rumors of vamps being good in
bed, a rumor he couldn’t confirm either way now.

Still, though it didn’t go anywhere, he was glad he’d gone.
“Father, I don’t love her.”
Cyricus shut his eyes and sighed. “There’s more to marriage than

love.” He leaned his elbows on his desk and ran his large hands
through shoulder-length, golden hair before folding his fingers
together in front of him. “Your mother, myself, and your aunt had this

Mandy Rosko

planned since the second they knew your Aunt Sheila was carrying a
girl. We made an agreement.”

“And I have to honor it.” Cedric fisted his hands at the unfairness

of being forced to keep promises his parents had made. It was
disgusting.

His father’s hands clenched in response. “If you wish to keep the

honor and nobility of this family intact, then, yes, you will not unkiss
the bargain.”

Right, because it would be so horrible if those snobby bastards

turned their noses up at Cedric or his parents. He didn’t give a rat’s
ass what they all thought. Unfortunately, his parents did, and Cedric
cared for his parents.

It was a big deal for all sun sprites when someone made a bargain.

That bargain had to be honored, or else the whole family for at least
three generations forward and back was shunned as untrustworthy,
selfish, and liars in general. Unlike humans, who had eventually
started choosing their own partners regardless of parental consent, sun
sprites were still very much into the old ways of doing things, and
first cousins were open season when it came to choosing a spouse for
one’s child.

If Cedric called off the wedding, it would be considered a betrayal

of the worst kind against his family. If he broke the promise they had
made, he would be labeled as an untrustworthy rogue. People would
avoid him like he carried the Black Plague, and his parents, well, as
the people who had created such a heathen monster, they would either
be pitied much the same way people pitied lepers, or be as shunned as
Cedric.

What a position to be put in. Marry a woman and keep your

family happy or do the whole be-true-to-yourself thing and damn
them all.

The ironic thing was that being gay wasn’t even the issue.

Keeping his parents’ promise was.

Night and Day

Cyricus must have sensed Cedric’s inner turmoil, because his

voice and eyes softened. “Dacielle is ill. Not severely so, so you can
take it as a gift if you wish to be unmarried for a few days more.
Otherwise, this discussion is over.”

Cedric forced his finger to uncurl at the dismissal, just as trapped

now as he’d been when he first came in here, or so his father thought,
anyway. He turned and left the office, Cyricus calling at his back,
“And tell your guard to keep better watch over you. I do not like that
you arrived home alone.”

Shit. One of the other guards must’ve said something.
Whatever. Didn’t matter anyway because he was done with the

whole thing. Last night, even though the events hadn’t come to their
preferable conclusion, had shown him that he couldn’t live without
the romantic company of another man. And he wasn’t about to marry
a woman just to eventually cheat on her. Dacielle deserved better than
that.

His father might think this was finished, and his mother might

refuse to see it coming, but he was getting out of this marriage. One
way or another, even if it killed him.

* * * *

Silus slept fitfully, but when he did, he dreamt of Cedric, on his

back on Silus’s bed, spread out, open, and gasping as he fisted his
prick in his hand, waiting for him.

Silus would then wake, with perspiration on his body and an

erection that required immediate attention. This happened three times
during his day’s rest. And all that despite the God-like orgasm just a
sip of Cedric’s blood had brought him.

His eyes rolled back merely thinking of it. He’d only gone in for a

taste, just a sample of the blood pumping along those perfectly firm
thighs. He’d known the instant it touched his tongue there was
something different, but he’d attributed it to the immense pleasure

Mandy Rosko

he’d been giving his bed partner. Humans were known to taste
sharper, better even, during their coupling. But then he’d taken in a
little more, and he’d swallowed.

The explosion behind his eyes had panicked him at first. Though

he’d never seen the sun, having been born a vampire, he imagined the
bright lights blasting behind his retinas were exactly what he’d always
feared and admired.

Ridiculous to be sure. Obviously his experience could not be

attributed to seeing real sunshine.

But then, could it be so ridiculous? He’d taken the blood of a sun

sprite. Legends claimed they were made of sunshine, and better
vampires than him had died doing such a thing. Why? Because they’d
seen the sun behind their eyes as well and were unable to handle it?

Silus smirked. Those vampires should have held on just a little

longer, because when the lights had faded, Silus had been rewarded
with the most pleasurable experience in all his hundred years on the
planet.

He could not wait to experience it again. With pleasure so great to

be had, overlooking the fact that his lover was a sun sprite could
prove to be easy indeed.

Silus turned to face his alarm. Though his family, indeed, most

vampires in general, followed the old ways, new technologies were
always welcome in the home, and the red block letters informed him
that he’d slept in. The sun would be down again in an hour.

Would his sun sprite return before then? They traveled during the

daylight and were unable to transport themselves at night. Of course,
there was always that human friend of his who could teleport at a
whim.

Regardless, Silus couldn’t risk it. His sheets were a horrid mess of

his own fluids, and his body needed a wash. It would not do to take
his new lover—even a sun sprite lover—in the state he was in. He
needed to rise and prepare.

He lifted himself from his bed, his body strangely rejuvenated.

Night and Day

Using the intercom, he called for a manservant to come and

collect his sheets while he showered. After finishing, he toweled his
hair and found crisp, fresh sheets waiting for him when he returned.

Magnificent.
Using the intercom again, he had a servant relay a message to his

father and mother that he would not be joining them for breakfast
because he was unwell. He had to stress to the servant to tell his
parents he was well enough to be left alone for the night, just not well
enough to leave his room. The last thing he needed was for one of
them to send for that horrible little physician.

And then he was able to prepare.
Silus deemed it better to not dress. He threw his used towel into

the cupboard under the sink and pulled himself back into bed. His
little sun sprite had given him such a gift last night, and then fled into
the dawn before Silus could return the favor.

Oh, how he wished to return that favor. His blood already pumped

to his cock with the fantasies he had.

That troublesome intercom on his wall buzzed again. Silus

released an irritable sigh. Perhaps if he ignored it, the caller would
assume he was still resting.

Five buzzes later, Silus sprung to his feet and stabbed the button

that would answer the summons with such a sharp motion ‘twas a
wonder the contraption didn’t break.

“Yes?”
“My son, it took you long enough to answer.”
There was no mirror, but by the chill he felt, Silus could tell his

already pallid complexion went even paler. His father was
summoning him. For what purpose?

“Forgive me, Father. I have not been well.”
“And I can understand that, if you spent your previous evening

with a sun sprite.”

If Silus’s body chilled any more, he would produce a frost. How

could he possibly—? “A sun sprite, Father?”

Mandy Rosko

“That creature that fled your bedchamber last night. A guard

brought the security footage to my attention, from the door outside
your chamber of that foul thing disappearing into the dawn.”

Silus clutched at his beating heart, hoping to calm the excited

organ.

“Tell me you did not have relations with it.”
“Father, I—”
“Nay, speak no more. I am coming to you.”
“Father, I did not soil myself in the bed of a sprite,” Silus said

desperately.

The silence stretched so long he feared Wiktor was already on his

way. Then, he said, “Truly?”

Silus prayed his father would believe the lie about to spew from

his lips. “I brought him to my chamber, and not long after, scented
what he was. I bid him leave before I destroyed him for daring to
enter your noble house.” Silus wet his lips. “’Tis why I am not well
today. I cannot tolerate that I even touched him.”

It had been strange when he discovered Cedric’s identity, to be

sure, but what he could not tolerate was that he’d been unable to
finish what they had started. Still, the lie tasted foul on his lips.

“You are certain you do not wish me to be there?”
It was his father’s way of asking if he wanted to talk, or needed

some sort of emotional balance for the ordeal he surely must have
suffered. “Nay, I wish to be alone to brood. I pray you will not tell
mother of this.”

“She knows nothing. The guard was confused as to why a sun

sprite, of all things, would be exiting your bedchamber, however. A
story can be created for him and the others.”

“Others?” Silus asked.
“I have sent orders to have the number of guards doubled. The

grounds, the area surrounding your bedchamber especially, are to be
watched should the heathen creature return.”

“Do you believe it to be necessary?”

Night and Day

“Aye.”
Blast! Shit. Shit. Shit.
“I thank you for the concern, Father, but I am certain he will not

return here,” Silus said. Then the proper adieus were spoken before
the call ended. Silus leaned against his wall, naked both figuratively
and literally.

If they found Cedric on the property, the guards would kill him.

And Silus, blasted idiot fool that he was, had invited Cedric to return
this night.

He should not be so concerned. ’Twas a sun sprite he spoke of.

What did it matter to him if one was killed or not, regardless of how
good his blood made him feel?

Damnation, but it did matter. Regardless of his species, Silus

could not take the risk that Cedric would be harmed when he had
done no wrong. How would he warn—?

Then his mind brought up the coma-inducing orgasm from his

tasting of Cedric, and Silus grinned with his victory. Yes, of course,
he drank the little sprite’s blood. They were connected now as long as
that blood flowed through Silus’s veins.

Silus calmed his mind. This tended to work with humans. He

prayed it would do so for sun sprites. It was the mild telepathy that
allowed vampires of past centuries to call to their victims, luring them
away from the safety of their homes so the hungry vampire may
continue to use the same human again and again.

This, however, would be slightly different. He sent out a

command for his lover to not return, to stay away from the manse just
a little while longer until Silus could think of a way for them to meet.
As he’d foolishly just faked an illness, he would not be able to leave
the property without raising the suspicions of his father.

Then an idea struck him. The pool house. ’Twould be perfect. He

could simply claim he wished for a soothing swim and ask the guards
for his privacy. They would never dare to deny him.

Mandy Rosko

The doors to the pool house were never locked. Cedric could

teleport and hide in there until Silus could meet him.

Silus sent the command out, and again, he prayed it worked.
He dressed and sat on his bed, all the while his attention switching

between sending Cedric the command that would keep him alive, and
watching through his tinted windows as the last rays of light were
consumed by the growing shadows.

If Cedric did attempt to return, regardless of Silus’s warnings, and

was captured, would Silus be made aware of it? Or would his father
tell him the sun spite had returned only after he’d been put down?

Finally, Silus could stand it no longer. He shot to his feet and

forced open the doors leading into the garden, breaking the locks in
the process.

The sky above him was a navy color, diamond stars peeking out

from beneath its blanket, but still not pure darkness. The remaining
light in the distance was only enough to bring a slight wince to his
face and a mild burning sensation to his skin. He expected more, but
he would not look a gift horse in the mouth.

Should his parents ask of his burned skin later, he would tell his

mother the truth—as much of it as possible—and explain that he left
his room before the sky was ready to have him. To his father, he
would blame the burning on Cedric, claiming it was when the sun
sprite glowed and burned him that he discovered the truth about his
would-be lover. That would certainly put the appearance of truth to
his lie of being ill.

Plans in mind, Silus continued on to seek out his lover. He needed

to be sure that Cedric received his message.

The werewolf guards were most surprised to see him. “Sire, what

are—?”

“I wish to be alone to swim.” Silus’s polite nature, even to the

servants, had always given them a sense of calm and peace around
him. A sense that they could freely ask of him questions and small
favors they would never dare to ask of his parents, or any other

Night and Day

vampire family for that matter. Silus hardened his eyes and voice,
letting them know in no uncertain terms would that be acceptable
today.

The three guards barring his path separated for him, their

holstered guns hidden beneath black suits useful only against human
trespassers. For anything else, like a sun sprite, they would be
required to transform and rip the intruder to pieces. Silus shivered.

One of the guards, a man Silus did not recognize, attempted to

speak as he passed. “My lord, your father—”

“Has given orders for the manse to be well protected, of that I am

aware.” Silus waved away their concerns haughtily, then stripped out
of the button-down he’d just put on to prove he would not be swayed.
“I am no simpering child. Should I require your assistance I will call
for it from the pool house, understood?”

All three deadly men, who easily out-muscled him, meekly

lowered their shade-covered eyes and nodded.

“Aye, milord,” said their leader.
Though he felt terrible for the lack of manners, Silus gave them

his back and went on. They did not follow.

The pool house was a small thing. Inside was a single room

furnished to provide the utmost comfort to the high class. It was really
used as a place for cool drinks and shade on nights when the moon
was bright. On the inside was a simple room with a wicker couch, a
side table, mini fridge, and low watt lamps. The outside was designed
to give the appearance of a lake cottage, with an extended roof for a
porch, which was perfect because it would give the added protection
from anyone who happened to be looking out through the windows of
the main house behind the pool.

He went immediately for the double doors and pushed them open,

his heart hammering. No one was inside. The pounding in his chest
ceased as though a fist had reached under his breastbone and grabbed
the beating muscle.

Mandy Rosko

Cedric wasn’t here. Good Lord, what if Silus had made a mistake

by not waiting for him in his bedchamber? What if Silus’s commands
had not reached him and Cedric used the last of the sunlight to
teleport himself outside of Silus’s chamber? He could have been
caught and killed in the time it took Silus to walk here. What if—?

“You look so scared.”

Night and Day

Chapter Five

Silus spun, and there stood his lover, arm in arm with that strange

human. Neither was under the protection of the pool house deck. Silus
reached forth and grabbed the both of them, dragging them to safety.
The human squawked loudly, and just as Silus opened his mouth to
command his silence, Cedric pushed him down and against the floral
padding of the wicker couch for a mouth-meshing kiss.

“Oh, I totally get this. He punctures holes in my arm with those

eagle talons and you suck his face off for it.”

The sarcastic jibe thrust Silus back into their chilling reality. With

great regret and force, he pushed Cedric away from him and flew up.

The dark haired human—what was his name again?—seemed to

think he was the target and so leapt off to the side to avoid Silus’s
reaching hands. Silus grabbed both door handles and shut them inside
the pool house instead. He locked the doors more for his own peace of
mind rather than any protection it could possibly offer.

Breathless, Cedric righted himself on the couch. “What’s the

matter?”

Silus moved toward him, and again, Cedric’s little human friend

jumped, this time crouching into a battle position, fists ready should
he need them.

Silus stared, dumbfounded. “Do you really believe you could fight

me off should I wish you dead?”

The poor creature lowered his arms, realization dawning. “Oh.”
“Ben’s just being paranoid.”
“Well, we are back in a vamp nest with one who happens to know

what you are.”

Mandy Rosko

“Not just one. Everyone.”
Both men snapped their heads toward him. Silus only paid heed to

Cedric’s shocked golden eyes.

“Everyone?” he asked, mouth hanging slightly.
Silus nodded. “Everyone.”
Ben slapped a hand over his face. “You flashed under a camera,

didn’t you?”

Cedric’s cheeks reddened. “I—shit.”
“Clever human,” Silus muttered.
Cedric buried his face in his hands. “Fuck. I was in such a hurry to

leave—”

“Understandable.” Silus cut him off, and then he turned to Ben.

“You may leave us now.”

The human bristled like an offended hedgehog. “I’m not leaving

here without him. Cedric, this was a mistake man, let’s go.”

Cedric pulled his face from his hands, and again Silus was able to

see more than just that pretty head of golden hair. It was unfortunate
that the face was so solemn.

“Your guard is wise to assume danger. You could do well to learn

from him,” Silus said. “However, I do not wish any harm upon you.
Do you wish it upon me?”

Cedric shook his head. “No.”
He would have to be the stupidest of earth’s creatures to believe

that one little word. But, Cedric had come to him in the first place,
after all, fully knowing that Silus was a creature of the night. And, if
he truly wished harm on Silus, he could have done any number of
things whilst he was busying himself writhing on the floor of his
bedchamber.

He could easily cause him harm now by glowing bright enough to

turn Silus into a pile of ash.

Perhaps he really was the stupidest of all the creatures, because he

believed him. “Good. For now, I wish to speak with you, calmly, and
rationally.”

Night and Day

Knowing his parents wanted to kill Cedric meant lust would have

to be put on hold.

Cedric seemed to see this as well. Finally, he spoke. “I’ll be fine,

Ben.”

“Are you fucking nuts?”
Silus and Cedric hissed their shushes at him.
“Are you fucking nuts?” he said, quieter this time. “Ceddy, if I

leave, you’re going to be stuck here either ’til sunup, or whenever I
come back.”

“He shall be with me,” Silus stated. He would never let anything

happen to him. “He will be able to summon you after …” After what?
They spoke? Fucked? “After.”

“Cedric—”
“Ben, I’m good. I’m not going to stay the whole night, and I don’t

expect you to stick around either. I get that it’s dangerous, but right
now I don’t care.”

Something seemed to pass between the two men. Some sort of

private knowledge that Silus wasn’t privy to, because Ben relented.

“I wouldn’t leave you stuck here to sneak out on foot. I’ll be back

for you in half an hour.” Ben turned a glare onto Silus. “If he’s not in
here by that time, I’m getting his family involved.”

“Understood.”
“Jesus, I’m not a woman, guys.”
Ben’s wide smile showed off his bright white teeth as he

disappeared like the Cheshire cat. Silus thought he saw a hint of that
smile remaining even after the man was gone.

It left the pool house quiet for a moment.
“Guess I was a little forward when I kissed you.”
Silus did not know what to say to that. Cedric sat in front of him,

shamefaced and waiting.

He always thought the hard truth served better than anything

softened. “I did not ask you to stay because I wanted to berate you,

Mandy Rosko

but, yes, considering our hate for each other, you could have chosen
to be more careful.”

“Wow, you actually hate me?”
He did not seem hurt by it, but there was something amiss in his

voice. “I suppose I do. Are we not supposed to hate each other?”

Cedric grinned, and his golden eyes softened to a lovely shade of

amber. “We’re supposed to. People are supposed to do a lot of things.
Doesn’t mean they have to.” Then he shook his head. “I just learned
that last night.”

Silus didn’t think he wanted to know what Cedric referred to.
“And I’m still sorry about jumping on you. I just got—excited.”
“I already knew that,” Silus said. But then the truth behind

Cedric’s apology dawned on him. Though last night had been very
pleasurable, the two of them, alone in this little space, knew very little
about each other aside from their species, and that did not make a
good beginning.

Boundaries had not been set.
But Silus did not wish for boundaries. He was not even certain

what this was. He was in his family pool house with a sun sprite, the
most foul of all vampire enemies.

And yet… “Had that human not been present, I would have let

you finish what you started.”

He had not intended for that to come from his mouth.
Cedric’s face remained pink, but this time, it was a pleasurable

thing to behold.

Silus sighed and sat down. “Regardless of that, there is still the

small matter of my family wishing to kill you.”

“It’s not so much them I’m concerned about ending my life as it is

you.”

Silus could have snorted if it would not have been so crude. “Of

course. I am a vampire.”

“No, I’m not talking about the whole vampire-sun sprite, love-to-

hate-each-other thing.”

Night and Day

Silus lifted a brow, certain there was a jest in there he was not

getting.

“I’m engaged to be married.”
A blood rage blinded him. That this sun sprite was already

claimed, and belonged to another, yet came here to Silus, was the
worst sort of insult.

Cedric jumped up and grabbed his arm, spinning him before he

could leave. “It’s an arranged marriage.”

Everything in the little room returned to its proper color, no longer

red and angry, but there was still a great deal of annoyance flowing in
his blood. “Then you have no choice in that matter. Still, may I ask
why you would then involve yourself with my kind?”

With me was what he wanted to say, which was the epitome of

stupidity.

“I’ve been engaged to my cousin since she was born,” Cedric said,

“but I never found out about that until several months ago, right
before she came of age. Today was actually supposed to be our
wedding day, but she’s sick in bed, so it’s being postponed. Last night
when you invited me back, I had no plans of returning.”

“But now that your cousin is ill, it leaves you free?” Silus’s anger

continued to simmer. This horrible revelation from a relative stranger
should not make his insides clench like they did. He did not enjoy the
knowledge that he was being used.

Cedric’s face was sincere. “That’s not why I’m here. If you want

me to go, I’ll go. It’s your choice, and I won’t beg to stay.”

Would the sprite actually consider begging?
“As for being free, it’s a yes and no sort of thing.”
Silus lifted a brow. “I would think marriage would be one way or

the other.”

Cedric bit his bottom lip. “You’re right, but I want you to hear

this. A few days ago, I spoke with my father, and he gave me
permission to have my own private bachelor party, per se. Just me and
Ben.”

Mandy Rosko

Silus bristled. “That human?” He would kill the man when he saw

him next.

“He’s my bodyguard. We weren’t going to sleep with each other.

He needs to go where I go.”

Silus recalled Cedric ordering the man to return home after they

had met last night, and his flaring temper calmed again.

“It was to hide from my mother and extended family that I was

going to find a man to spend the night with. He had no idea I was
looking for a vampire,” he quickly added at Silus’s shocked stare.

“He wanted me to get it out of my system. One last fuck before I

settled down with a wife I didn’t choose.” Cedric’s muscles clenched
and unclenched as he chewed on his bottom lip.

Silus felt a twinge of pity for him. He could never comprehend

what it would be like to be forced to marry and Cedric seemed to truly
be struggling with his words. “Right before I met you I kept thinking
what it would be like if I said no. What could they really do to me
except toss me out? After I left your room last night, I decided that
whether I came back or not, I wasn’t going to do it.”

Cedric took a breath. “I talked to my father again today anyway,

to try one last time to get him to see reason, and his answer was still
no. He still fucking said no. He’ll always care about what others think
of him more than me.”

Silus waited, but for what, he was not entirely sure. Of course

there would be no tender feelings to be had between them. Cedric had
just admitted he had only been searching for a night of fun, something
meaningless to be had regardless of what his marital status would be
the next day. This was an explanation of why Cedric was even here to
begin with, not a declaration of feelings.

“I can see the wheels in your head turning,” Cedric said. “Whether

you want me here or not, I’ve made up my mind. I’m not getting
married.”

“You speak as though any of this were important.”
Cedric recoiled with shock. “Isn’t it?”

Night and Day

Silus stepped forth. “You came for one reason and one reason

only, did you not?”

Cedric did not move or speak. He swallowed, and Silus watched

the Adam’s apple of his neck bob.

Silus stepped closer again until their chests touched, tilting his

neck up, he pressed his lips to Cedric’s, brushing and lingering on his
mouth. “For a night of pleasure.”

He let his fangs loose to scrape along that plump bottom lip.

Cedric shivered. “Well, yeah, but—”

Silus would listen to no more. He pressed his mouth firmly to

those compliant lips and opened his mouth for his tongue to invade
Cedric’s.

His golden sun sprite complied with no hint of protest, strong

arms with light hairs winding around his shoulders, pulling their
bodies closer.

But Silus decided he did not enjoy this type of kissing. He had to

lift his face up, which was an oddity to him. Apparently, being tall for
a vampire still made him short to sun sprites, and he pushed Cedric
back so that he fell into the wicker love seat.

Cedric laughed at his forcefulness. “I was so disappointed we

couldn’t finish last night.”

Silus put his hands on Cedric’s shoulders. “I mean to rectify that.”

He pushed him again to lie back before getting on top of his new
lover and stretching his body out until comfortable. Ah, much more
satisfying now that they were on equal ground. He buried his face into
Cedric’s neck and suckled there, scratching with his teeth
occasionally.

What would happen if he were to take another taste?
Cedric made a little purring noise, but it was small compared to

what Silus wanted to hear. Buttons flew everywhere as Silus ripped
the man’s silk shirt open and attacked his nipples. He did the same to
them as he’d done to Cedric’s neck, using his tongue, scraping with

Mandy Rosko

his teeth, and occasionally putting in a gentle bite. This time the
sounds were a little deeper, a little louder. And much more dangerous.

He put his hand over Cedric’s mouth. “As much as I enjoy

listening to you, these walls are far from soundproof.”

Cedric kissed his palm. “Sorry. Kind of hard though.”
He could have meant it both figuratively or literally, judging from

the firm length pushing against Silus’s leg.

Still, there could be no risk. Not yet. Not until Silus had the

chance to discover just how far he wished to take this. Safety must
come first. Silus unclipped his belt and pulled it free from the loops in
his pants. Folding it, he held it to Cedric’s face. “Any more noise, and
I shall gag you with this.”

“Sounds exciting,” Cedric said before fisting his hand in Silus’s

hair and forcing their lips together again.

While Silus busied himself with Cedric’s mouth, occasionally

rocking their still clothed hips together for delicious friction, Cedric’s
hands released him to move lower between them, fumbling with his
own belt and fly. The eager sprite kicked off his shoes, letting them
drop to the floor, and Silus had to extract himself for a few seconds so
Cedric could throw off his dark jeans. But for the shirt, which had
been ripped open and was now barely hanging onto his broad
shoulders, he was completely naked.

“Should all of vampire society discover how eager to make love

sun sprites are, it could end the cold war.”

Cedric smiled, his skin brightening at the comment.
Silus winced and raised his hand to his eyes.
The smile and the light vanished. “Sorry.”
“No, do not be sorry.” Silus stared at his hands, noting their lack

of a red burn. “It did not hurt.”

Shouldn’t there have at least been a burn from when he stepped

out into the twilight? But verily, there was nothing there at all. No
rash. No redness.

“It happens sometimes when we get happy. The glowing.”

Night and Day

Silus grinned. “And, this makes you happy?” He thrust his cloth-

clad erection against Cedric’s awaiting organ. Cedric hissed and bit
his lips together, suppressing a moan.

“I–I want you. I want you to do to me whatever it was I did to you

last night.”

Silus chuckled and wrapped his fingers around Cedric’s thick

prick. It was uncut, swollen, and pulsed in time with his heartbeat. He
gave it a firm stroke, and the head appeared from beneath the folds of
skin. The bliss on Cedric’s face was admirable. “I doubt your drinking
of my blood will have the same effect.”

The bliss disappeared in favor of a scowl. “You know what I

mean.”

Silus abandoned Cedric’s cock to get his trousers off but paused

when a devastating thought occurred to him. “We do not exactly keep
lubrication in here.”

“Ten steps ahead of you.” Cedric reached down to the mound of

clothes on the floor, fished around, and pulled out a fresh tube from
the pile.

Silus snatched it like a greedy child taking an offered treat, and he

completely divested himself of his clothing. He tossed the expensive
articles away as though they were trash kept between him and the
man below him. “I am going to finish what we started last night, and
after that, you are mine.”

Silus froze. The words of possession left his lips without any

thought going into them, but he didn’t attempt to take them back, nor
did Cedric appear alarmed at being claimed.

Did the sprite even know what it meant that Silus had claimed

him? He must not because Cedric shifted to accommodate himself
and spread his legs wide apart, hiding nothing of his intimate areas,
waiting, eager and still glowing.

He would have to panic over this new development later. Much

later, when there was not a naked and willing man beneath him.

Mandy Rosko

Silus made quick work of the preparation. He was never one for

patience, especially when his bed partner began moaning and
changing colors so prettily beneath him. He was torn between hating
that he was not Cedric’s first, and loving that they could do this fast
and hard like he wanted.

When satisfied with the slickness, and unable to listen to any more

of the wonderful sounds coming from Cedric’s throat, Silus withdrew
his fingers and lifted Cedric’s knees over his shoulders. Cedric
wiggled into a comfortable place,  and Silus pushed  the head of his
cock  into him, slick, hot, and tight. He managed to keep his mouth
shut and contain his moan with a deep groan. He went in as far as he
could until a second barrier of muscle stopped him. He waited for
Cedric  to relax completely, both of them panting, beads of sweat
forming on Cedric’s glorious skin. When the second wall  relented,
Silus took a breath and slammed all the way inside.

Cedric made noise, a loud, open-mouthed moaning noise. His

golden eyes widened as he realized what he’d done, and everything
became silent as they waited.

No noises came from the outside. No calls could be heard from

any of the guards to check on the sounds coming from the pool house.
Nothing.

“Maybe they didn’t hear me?” Cedric asked.
Silus reached for his clothes and grabbed his belt. “Or perhaps

someone out there recognized the sounds of sex and does not wish to
disturb us.”

Of course, who the guards could possibly think their lord was

fucking was beyond Silus.

He stuck the belt between Cedric’s lips, wrapped it around his

head and buckled it. The sight filled his already throbbing member to
the bursting point, and Silus had to start rocking again. “You are
beautiful like that.”

Cedric’s eyes rolled back, and his hands gripped Silus’s arms—

his shoulders still holding Cedric’s legs up—to hang on for the ride.

Night and Day

This time no loud sounds escaped. His long moans were muffled by
the belt.

Silus rocked harder. “Perhaps next time we do this, I’ll use that

belt and tie you to my bed.”

Was he already contemplating a next time? He supposed there

would have to be one if he had claimed the sprite he was currently
inside.

Cedric pushed against him and groaned through the belt again. It

seemed to be an affirmative noise.

His lover put his hands in Silus’s black hair and pulled him down,

but seemed to realize at the last second that kissing could not be done
like this. Silus put their foreheads together instead. His lips
occasionally touched a cheekbone, nose, and even the belt itself
where it gagged that luscious mouth.

Silus braced himself on his elbows and thrust his hips harder, back

and forth, into Cedric’s body. All the while he admired the sweat
building, and red flush rising on Cedric’s cheeks, chest and neck. The
neck appealed to him the most.

One little taste. This was what he had wanted from the beginning.

Why should he not take it? Any other time and he would not be
holding himself back like this, but there was still a risk…

Cedric squeezed his eyes shut and moaned louder. Blood-pumping

lust made Silus’s decision for him. He needed to taste his lover like
this. Silus needed to give Cedric the pleasure of the bite, and he so
wanted the pleasure of the blood. ’Twas madness to deny himself.

Never ceasing the pumping of his hips, Silus’s mouth found the

quickened pulse at Cedric’s neck. He licked and kissed first, telling
Cedric without words what he planned to do.

Then he sank his teeth in, a hard bite that broke the skin. He

pulled his fangs out just as quickly as he pushed them in. Cedric’s
entire body clenched around him, his arms and legs, even his channel
as his orgasm took him. The belt was nearly not enough to contain his
pleasure.

Mandy Rosko

Silus’s orgasm was thrown toward the ledge, ready to topple over,

and would in any pulsing, electrifying second if he did not act fast. He
licked the sweet blood from his lips and the small buildup on Cedric’s
shoulder, and then he let himself be pushed.

The sun exploded behind his eyes once again. Though he’d

punished Cedric with a gag for being so loud, Silus, still rocking and
humping out the last of his fluids, opened his mouth and roared as he
spilled himself into his lover.

His mate.
Then, but for the minor twitches of his orgasm, he stilled and fell

onto Cedric’s chest. Their bodies were so slick with perspiration he
nearly slid off.

* * * *

“If I’d known vampires bit their partners during sex, I probably

wouldn’t have gone to your room in the first place. I mean, I’d heard
things, but was never sure.”

“Then it is very fortunate you were not sure.” Silus snuggled his

lover closer. The little wicker couch could barely contain the both of
them laying back to chest as they were unless they pressed firmly
against each other, which Silus was more than happy to do, and
Cedric didn’t seem to mind much either.

Silus had seen the brief shock on Cedric’s face when he settled

down with him and felt the slight tension in his muscles as Silus
pulled him close, but eventually Cedric had calmed himself enough to
relax into the embrace.

Silus could not be shocked with himself, however, even if that

brief reaction from Cedric had brought disappointment with the
reminder of just why the sun sprite was in the pool house with him.

His sprite was in his post-coital glow. Literally, the man was

glowing, and it did not sting, burn, or harm Silus one little bit. It must
have been a side effect from drinking the sun sprite blood.

Night and Day

If every vampire knew of this then surely there would be more

attempting to consume it. Of course, there would also be more deaths
every year.

After their session, once Cedric had fought and clawed to remove

his gag, he proceeded to push Silus off him and inspect him for any
damage caused by drinking his blood again. Silus did not have the
seizure he’d had the first time he tasted Cedric, but the light behind
his eyes, and the outcome, had been very much the same.

This had not satisfied Cedric in the least, and he punched Silus’s

jaw for daring to risk himself again like that, after which Silus was
forced to explain the nature of a vampire’s sexual encounters.

Cedric, the little idiot, had laughed at Silus’s embarrassment to

have to explain such things to a man he’d been inside mere minutes
prior.

“Do you think you could stand out in direct sunlight?”
Silus thought of the slight burning he had felt when he walked out

of his bedchamber earlier than recommended. “No. In fact, should
you cast off a light any greater than this little glow, you would hear
nothing but loud complaints out of me.”

The glowing on Cedric’s skin dimmed just a little. “I’ll try to keep

it mild.” He stretched lazily, nearly knocking himself off the couch as
he turned and settled into Silus’s arms. “Don’t want to hurt you.”

A loud thump sounded inside Silus’s chest. His heart. It pulled to

hear that a sun sprite of all things wished to keep him, a vampire, safe.

For the love of God, this sprite was his mate. Had to be. He’d

claimed him before they had fucked. Cedric obviously did not know
what it meant to have a vampire say such a thing, because if he did, he
would not be making himself so comfortable in Silus’s arms.

Cedric wanted pleasure, plain and simple. And Silus… He was

not certain what he wanted from this man. He knew nothing about
him. Not so much as a date of birth or even his favorite color.

A knock sounding from outside had them jumping apart.
“Guys, it’s me.”

Mandy Rosko

That human, Ben. Silus supposed he should be grateful toward the

man for being an obviously loyal friend and guard, but his horrid
timing only brought hateful feelings up.

Reluctantly, and with an annoyed growl, Silus gathered and put on

his clothes, attempting not to let his eyes linger on Cedric’s ass as the
sun sprite did the same.

“Will you return tomorrow?”
The question was not a meek one. However this played out,

whether for sex, or something infinitely more intimate, Silus needed
Cedric to return.

Ruined shirt back on and barely hanging from his shoulders,

exposing the many muscled ripples of his stomach and his firm chest
as he looped his belt, Cedric’s eyes flashed. He wanted back in Silus’s
bed as soon as possible, it seemed. “Yes.”

“Good,” Silus said, irritated with the relief that flooded him, “but

wait until I summon you, then you will know if it is safe.”

Cedric grinned broadly, put his hand around Silus’s neck, and

kissed him, long and deep. All of Silus’s irritable feelings melted
away with the touch of his swollen lips.

“To making our own choices,” Cedric said when he pulled away

and opened the doors. Without another word, or even a glance in
Silus’s direction, Cedric’s dark-haired human friend took him by the
arm and instantly teleported them off the grounds.

Silus sighed and eyed the long stretch of clear pool water in front

of him. Now that he was alone, he could take a swim to cool his still
heated body of the lust still raging within him.

To making their own choices, indeed. Silus only wished he knew

which choice to make.

Night and Day

Chapter Six

When they reappeared on Cedric’s balcony and were safely

inside, Ben threw out all the questions it seemed he’d been carrying
on his mind.

Sun sprites generally kept the same hours as humans did, being

creatures of the daylight, so their voices had to be hushed to keep
from waking the house.

Cedric sighed and rubbed his face. “I’m going to meet him

tonight, and I’m canceling the wedding.”

Considering the man knew how much he didn’t want to marry a

woman he didn’t love, he expected Ben to be a little happier for him.

“I don’t like it.”
“What?”
Ben took a patient breath. “Let me explain. What I like is that

you’re finally going to say no to them, like you should’ve done when
you found out about this to begin with.”

“Oh, that is so easy for you to say. You’re human,” Cedric

snapped. “Humans haven’t had to worry about this kind of thing for
nearly a century. You could go off and be with whoever you want, but
for my kind, this is still an issue.”

“Only because you’re making it one!”
Ben abruptly closed his mouth, rubbed his nose, and nervously

listened in case he woke the house.

Everything stayed silent. Not a creature was stirring, not even a

mouse.

“You don’t know anything about me,” Ben snapped, voice quieter

now, but no less fierce. “And I obviously don’t know as much about

Mandy Rosko

you as I thought I did, otherwise you would have picked someone
other than a frigging vampire. You could be killing yourself by seeing
him again. Do you even realize that?”

He did realize it. He’d poured his heart out to Silus and gotten the

cold shoulder right before they worked that wicker couch real good.
But Silus had freaking cuddled with him when they were done, and he
still wanted to see him again. Those things definitely had to mean
something. Normal horny guys who just wanted sex and only sex just
wouldn’t do that.

“He knows I wouldn’t hurt him because I’ve had more than

enough opportunities to do so. And you left me alone with him long
enough that he could’ve snapped me in half if he wanted to.”

Ben shifted uncomfortably. “I didn’t go very far. I always stayed

within earshot.”

Cedric’s face went as hot as a stove element on max.
“When the sounds got pretty obvious, I covered my ears,” Ben

said.

That so didn’t help.
“Look, just don’t go back again, okay? You told me what

happened when he drank your blood the first time. Did he do it
again?”

Cedric already knew where this was going. He threw off his

ruined shirt and sat on his bed. “Yes, and I know you’re going to say
he’s using me to get his rocks off or something, but technically I was
using him too.”

Ben, it seemed, was choosing to ignore that comment. His dark

eyes were hard and firmly focused on Cedric’s face. “Please don’t go
back. As your friend and your guard, I’m very concerned that you
keep wanting to go back there. Meet him at a hotel if you want to fuck
him so bad, just don’t go back.”

Cedric didn’t know how to argue with that. It made so much

sense. There wasn’t a flaw in Ben’s logic. Getting a nice hotel where
neither of them would have to be quiet about what they were doing,

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not have to worry they’d be caught and someone would get killed,
would be great too.

“All right, but he needs to know about this plan so he can meet

me.”

Ben nodded, though he still didn’t look happy. “Find a place,

make a reservation, and I’ll see to it that he gets the message.”

“Thanks, man,” Cedric said. He really meant it, too. For Ben to go

to all this effort of keeping Cedric safe, and keeping this secret from
the family that paid him, all so that Cedric could go off and do his
thing with a vampire, was insane.

Ben sighed, scratching his hair. “All right, I’m going home to

shower and get ready for my day, because I was out all night guarding
your sorry ass.”

Cedric snorted a laugh, and then he got serious. “I’m going to talk

to my dad again.”

“Jesus, Ceddy,” Ben groaned, “how many times do you need to do

that? You don’t need his approval.”

“No, I know, I get it now,” Cedric said. “But I do need him to see

that this is my decision. Whether he likes it or not.”

Ben eyed him, and then shrugged. “Okay, do your thing then. I’ll

be back after I get some sleep.” Then, in that way he did it, Ben
blinked out of existence without the aid of sunlight.

How the guy did it was beyond Cedric. There weren’t any UV

rays for him to ride around on, so how—?

Cedric shook his head. He’d drive himself nuts if he kept on

trying to figure out Ben’s power.

He got out of the rest of his clothes, took a shower, slept fitfully

for a little while—he kept waking up with the jitters of what was to
come—before he decided a suitable hour had come for him to wake
up. He dressed in his best, a navy turtleneck to hide the bite marks at
his throat with a black jacket and black slacks and waited for the right
time to visit his father’s study. That meant just early enough for him
to have gotten in and not started on any work, but late enough that he

Mandy Rosko

had his morning caffeine. There was no talking to that man unless he
had his nerve calming coffee. He knocked on the dark, heavy door
and waited. Nothing.

Cedric frowned. It was seven thirty. Cyricus should’ve been inside

for going on fifteen minutes by now.

He tried knocking again. There was a slam and a thud on the other

end, and Cedric jumped.

“Enter,” his father called in his gruff voice.
Cedric very nearly lost his nerve, but he turned the long handle

down and opened the door.

His old man looked like shit. He wasn’t even dressed yet, and his

housecoat with his name spun in gold threads over the right side hung
off him limply. Cedric stepped inside and closed the door, not
wanting any of the other guests to pick that moment to walk by and
see his father like that.

“You okay, Dad?”
Cyricus put his hand over his eyes and sighed. “I will be. Very

soon we’ll all be fine.”

Cedric turned toward the dark-stained oak bookcase. There were

old hardcover books on law that never got read and a set of
encyclopedias with gold script on the spines, but at the very bottom,
sprawled on the scarlet carpet, was his father’s ledger.

Cedric lifted a brow at the man before going to it and picking it

up.

He never figured out how to read these things, but he did know

that when numbers were put in brackets, it was because those
numbers were negatives. As he flipped through the book on the
family’s yearly income, there were a whole lot of bracketed numbers.
Cedric’s concern rose a fraction more.

“Dad, what’s going on?”
His father put a glass to his lips. A glass, not a mug. Inside, it

looked a lot more like whiskey than coffee. He downed the contents

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and sighed that husky sigh of someone who took a drink of something
strong and burning.

“Nothing. There will be nothing that we will concern ourselves

with the day after tomorrow.”

He didn’t like the sound of that. “What? Why?”
“Dacielle is still ill, but she’ll be well enough to walk down an

aisle by then, my boy.”

Cedric’s insides twisted. “Dad, are we broke or something?”
Cyricus poured himself another drink and lifted it in a toast. “Not

after you speak your wedding vows.”

“Jesus Christ!” Cedric tossed the ledger on his father’s desk,

unable to keep it in his hands. “Those numbers go back a long way. If
we didn’t have money to spend, we should’ve done something.”

Cyricus sat down stiffly, his eyes becoming cold as he turned his

hands into fists on the desk. “Like what? You seem to know so much,
tell me what we should have done. Hmm? Sell our family home?
Don’t be ridiculous. We have been here for generations.”

“Going broke apparently.”
Cyricus scowled. “We have not lived anymore extravagantly than

our ancestors. Had Dacielle been born sooner, our financial woes
could have been avoided.”

“What the—? Are you seriously blaming our money issues on the

fact that Dacielle was too young for me to marry sooner?”

“Had there not been such an age difference, you both could have

been wed by now, and her mother would have been forced to
relinquish the dowry instead of spending it on frivolous things.”

The crazy thing was that Cyricus sounded perfectly serious. He

saw no problem with blaming their poor finances on a young girl who
had previously been too young to marry off.

Guess this explained why the wedding preparations had been

going on since before Dacielle even turned eighteen. Still …

“Dad, you can’t think Aunt Sheila would just let her sister go to

the streets or something. If you asked her—”

Mandy Rosko

“The contract stipulates that her daughter is to marry my son for

any of that dowry to come to us. We need it.”

His old man was going to have a heart attack when he finally said

it. “But I’m not going to marry her.”

A blue vein just about popped out of Cyricus’s forehead, but he

didn’t start clutching his chest and gasping for air.

Cedric almost thought that would be preferable to the Medusa

look of death he was getting now.

“We have been over this again and again,” his father said through

clenched teeth.

Cedric continued before he could say anything else. “And this

time I mean it. I’m telling you, right now, to your face, that I won’t
marry a girl ten years younger than I am just so you can get money.”

His father stood, a slow and calm movement, his golden eyes wide

and hard like ice on Cedric. “You will do as you’re told.”

“Or what?”
Cyricus made a scrambling run around his desk. He took Cedric’s

collar in his fists and shoved him back into the wall with a force
Cedric didn’t know the man possessed.

They were nose to nose, and Cedric had an up-close look of how

nuts his father’s eyes looked when he was denied something he
wanted. “This is not some game for you to play. This is our
livelihood.”

“And my life.” Cedric pushed against Cyricus, but the older sprite

pushed back and grabbed a fistful of his hair, banging the back of
Cedric’s head into the wall.

Cedric grunted on impact. It didn’t hurt. Not really. But the thing

that kept Cedric from fighting was the shock of what was happening.

Cyricus then seemed to calm himself. As if realizing what he’d

done, he stepped back and dusted dirt that wasn’t there from Cedric’s
shoulders before straightening his now crinkled collar. “I have been
more than patient with you. Of everything I have done for you, given

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you, you can do this one thing for me, and you will do it, without
complaint.”

“You can’t think I can make her happy. I’m gay for fuck’s sake.”
A bit of Cyricus’s snarl returned. “That hardly matters. Do you

really think I had a choice when I married your mother? My father
required the dowry, much the same as we require Dacielle’s. One day,
when your children are old enough and that money has run dry, you
will understand.”

Cedric paled. Wow. He really didn’t need to hear that his parents

had been forced together like that. But then he could’ve hit himself
for being an idiot. Arranged marriages were part of the norm for his
kind. How the hell did he think it happened?

“Dad—”
“I’m finished talking about this with you. Speak to me again when

you’ve grown some sense.”

A dismissal if he’d ever heard one. Stiffening his shoulder, Cedric

pushed passed his father and left. Even though it was childish and
stupid, he slammed the door behind him because he wanted to be loud
and show the old man how pissed off he was.

Whatever. Cyricus could pretend all he liked that this was over,

but Cedric wasn’t done. They could set the wedding up, force him in a
tuxedo and send him down that aisle with a gun to his head for all it
mattered. Cedric would never say “I do.”

A few of his distant cousins walked along the same hallway. Shit,

it was now late enough in the morning that everyone was up for
breakfast. They spotted him and offered their congratulations for his
upcoming marriage. Cedric had to pretend a cough just to keep them
all at a distance. He had to do this three times before he made it back
to his room.

The first thing he did was call the New York Palace Hotel. His

parents had booked him and Dacielle a Tower room for their
honeymoon, but Cedric saw no problem with letting the receptionist
know that another change had been made. The woman on the other

Mandy Rosko

end of the line had been all too happy to change the time for him
again.

Cedric couldn’t wait to spend that time with Silus.
Silus.
Cedric lay back on his bed. He’d spent the entire night tossing and

turning, and he was feeling really sloth-like at the moment, which
allowed his thoughts to wander easily.

He hoped Ben would show up soon so he could tell Silus where

they were going. For a half second, Cedric had been so caught up in
his anger that he’d practically changed the time of the reservation just
to be petty.

No. He wasn’t doing that. He wanted to be with Silus for real,

whatever real meant in whatever it was they were doing. Silus had
seemed pretty damn bored with his story about a forced marriage.

So what did Silus want out of this? Guess he’d find out tonight.

Night and Day

Chapter Seven

Normally it would take about two hours to drive into New York

City to get to the Palace Hotel, but with the hour of their reservation
approaching, Cedric wasn’t too concerned. Ben said he would teleport
them both, no harm no foul, and because Cedric was playing sick
amongst the family and guests, and was currently on his father’s hot
list, no one would be expecting to see him anytime tonight for dinner
or the entertainments.

The thing that bugged him most was what he should pack, and

whether he should pack at all. They could be going just to sort out
whatever it was they were doing. Didn’t really mean either would be
spending the night.

He just about snorted. Yeah, right.
To have or to not have Superman quality sex. That is the easy

question.

Regardless of how hard it was to read Silus, it was real obvious

the vamp loved having sex with him.

However, whether Silus wanted more than just a fuck buddy, well,

that was a little harder. Did Cedric even want to be someone’s fuck
buddy? No, not really. And this was a vampire he was dealing with.
For all he knew, Silus only wanted him for his blood and the
apparently amazing orgasms it gave him.

Despite the fact that Silus was technically an undead, Cedric

wanted that undead man to not think of him as just as hole. He liked
the vampire, which was weird because he was, well, a vampire.

If he packed it would look like he expected to spend the night with

Silus regardless of what they said to each other. If he didn’t then he’d

Mandy Rosko

have no guarantees of lube and definitely no clean clothes if they did
decide to hit the sheets.

Cedric stood over his empty suitcase pondering this. Decisions,

decisions. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

“You look quite lost in thought.”
“Jesus—!” Cedric jumped in the air and flew over his bed. He

landed on his face on the floor by the time he identified that silvery,
sexy voice as belonging to Silus.

Heart banging some sort of uppity mix, Cedric fisted the sheets in

his bed and smiled. “What are you doing here? Actually, forget that.
How did you even find me?”

Sun sprites didn’t formally have surnames, but they kept legal last

names as a courtesy to their human counterparts. Still, it wasn’t as if
that name was listed in the phone book or anything.

Silus continued to stare as though he expected Cedric to leap up

again, this time out a window or something.  The vamp looked like
he’d just come from a business meeting. A long black trench coat was
undone, exposing a pressed black suit beneath with bloodred tie  and
gleaming  vest.  “Aside from my own blood, there is only one other
family of outstanding class that lives in this general area. You
mentioned a wedding, and there are more cars here than even I own
and a decorated gondola in your garden.”

Oh.
Ben next appeared in that popping-into-existence way he tended

to pull off so well. He seemed taken aback at the sight of Silus. “How
the hell did you beat me here?”

“I am a creature of the night and stars. Indeed, if you look out that

window you will find that it is night and the stars are shining.”

“No, no, no, I went to your room, told you about the change in

plans and teleported out. I stopped at a gas station for three seconds to
get a drink. That’s it. I should’ve beaten you here.”

Night and Day

Cedric looked, and there was a half empty red Gatorade bottle in

Ben’s hand. He didn’t drink that much mid-teleport so he obviously
stayed at the store a little longer than three seconds.

Then Ben frowned. “How did you even find out this was the place

anyway?”

Cedric decided to stop being such a chick and get out from hiding

behind his bed. “It’s okay, Ben, he obviously wants to talk here.”

And that really didn’t give Cedric much hope about their current

standing.

What the hell had he been thinking? This was a vampire lord for

God’s sake. Silus wouldn’t be used to, or like, having plans he’d
made changed on him last minute.

Cedric kept his eyes on Silus’s dark ones. Neither of them gave

Ben the time of day anymore. But from his peripheral vision, he could
see Ben looking between the two of them with that glare of distrust
Cedric was becoming more and more familiar with.

He made to walk out the door behind Cedric, then stopped and

leaned in close enough to make one of those whispers that everyone
could hear. “I’ll be around if you need me.”

Silus growled.
Cedric grinned at the possessiveness. Wow, he was totally loving

that a vampire was being greedy with his toys, which was messed up.
He needed to start taking meds and then get them updated, because he
should not be happy about something like that. “I’ll be okay.”

Ben sent Silus one more unconvinced glare before he opened the

door a crack and slipped out.

And then there were two.
“Well, now what?” Cedric asked, not sure if he should be

preparing himself for a round of fighting or fucking. His heart ran a
nervous race at the thought of either.

Silus said nothing. Keeping their eyes locked, he walked around

the bed. Cedric thought he was coming to him, but then he kept right
on going, turning his back and stopping at the door.

Mandy Rosko

Cedric tensed, thinking he was going to open the door and

announce himself. “What are you—?”

Keeping his back to him—which Cedric was getting really pissed

about by the way—Silus turned the deadbolt with a smooth snick.
“Your guard forgot to lock this.”

Cedric started breathing again. At least he knew Silus wasn’t

about to commit suicide by announcing to a house full of sun sprites
that he was inside. “Oh, well, that’s okay. No one but him ever visits
me in my room anyway.”

Silus’s shoulders tensed up in a way that made Cedric purr on the

inside. Then that gorgeous head of shoulder-length black hair turned.
Cedric caught a look of one very angry-looking, dark eye. “Are you
certain he is merely your guard?”

He should be afraid for his life right now. A vampire was looking

at him like he was going to rip him a new one if he uttered the wrong
word. If Cedric had ever had more experience with vampires, maybe
he would have been scared. Right now, he was smirking.

Cedric flopped on his ass on his bed, arms out behind him,

supporting his weight, and legs spread just enough to throw out some
ideas without being outwardly lewd. “Ben is my guard. That’s it. If
you want me to prove it, you can come over here.”

Silus frowned just a little. “That would prove nothing.”
All joking left him. He got serious because Silus was being so

somber about it. It was one thing for the vamp to show a little
jealousy. Everyone did that at one time or another, and it didn’t
necessarily mean anything. But Silus was hanging onto it despite
Cedric’s attempt to laugh it off.

He was genuinely concerned that Cedric might have something

going on with his childhood friend.

This was where they had to have the awkward talk. They had to

talk feelings in a situation where there might not be any.

“He is only a friend, but what would it matter to you if he was

more than that?”

Night and Day

Silus’s face took on a demon-like snarl. His features didn’t

transform or anything like those fake vampires from Buffy—yes, he
watched that show. But still. Whoa. Cedric never wanted that look
directed at him ever again.

“I already told you the last time we were together. You are mine.”
Cedric leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees and

gripping his hands together. “Yeah, I heard that the first time, but
what does it mean? What does any of what we’re doing mean?
There’s not exactly some force at work that’s keeping us together or
anything.”

It would be so much easier if they both stopped what they were

doing, but for reasons he couldn’t comprehend, Cedric didn’t want to
be the one to call off their little party. He still couldn’t wrap his brain
around how it was even possible his blood got to pumping—in the
good, make-you-orgasm kind of way—whenever he was alone with
Silus. He wanted him, cared about what the vampire thought of him,
but what did that mean to Silus?

Silus, arms crossed, finally stepped forward. He kept right on

coming until he stood staring down at Cedric from between his legs.
“Do you know what it means when a vampire speaks those words?”

What the hell was he up to?
Silus shook his head and then went down to his knees. “I can see

that you do not. You are not aware of the position you have me in.”

Cedric could barely hear him. All he could focus on—and by he,

he meant his cock—was that Silus was between his knees, his hands
with those long, warm fingers, kneading his thighs.

All he had to do was get Silus to—
A smack on his cheek snapped him out of it. He blinked twice

before he realized Silus had slapped him.

“Hey! What the—?” Cedric rubbed his stinging cheek and leaned

as far away from Silus as he could get. The vampire kept his hands
gripped on Cedric’s thighs so he couldn’t go far.

Mandy Rosko

“Pay attention! I am laying my soul out for you to crush. ’Tis

important.”

“You fucking hit me!”
“I barely touched you. Keep your voice down before someone

hears.”

Cedric opened his mouth to start another yelling match when

Silus’s words finally took meaning inside his empty head. “What do
you mean lay your soul out? What are we talking about?”

Silus sighed. He seemed to be fighting for patience. “Of course

you do not know. You are a sun sprite.”

Cedric bristled. “What does that mean?”
The damn vamp actually chuckled. “It is not an insult against you,

but it does explain your adorable confusion.”

Cedric waited for Silus to explain.
“I claimed you,” Silus said, the emphasis on claimed loud and

clear, and a nervous look entered his dark eyes. “You are mine and
mine alone, but I am not necessarily yours.”

He paused, and it gave Cedric a chance to absorb that, which

didn’t happen straight away, but when it did …

It was like a door that had previously been closed to him had

opened, and he was able to see all the things that were inside a
previously shut off room. Holy shit. He was saying what Cedric
thought he was saying.

“You have no idea the power you hold over me. If you deny me,

send me away in favor of another lover, I will be forced to go, and it
will destroy me slowly. My greatest fear is that this will be some
game for you, a continuation of your adventure to bed a vampire.”

Cedric grabbed Silus’s face in his hands and kissed him. “It’s

not.” He peppered chaste kisses over those lips between declarations.
“I swear it’s not.”

No wonder Silus didn’t care for Cedric’s forced marriage

explanation, because at the time, he’d thought Cedric was just using it
as an excuse to get laid.

Night and Day

Well, that first night he had, that much was true, but the second

time …

Ah, he was such a shit. “I thought the whole mating thing was

done with werewolves.”

“It is. You are not my mate. But you are a piece of me that I

cannot ignore. Vampires are gifted in finding their soul mates. There
is a difference,” he added, a sharp look in his eyes.

“So what do you do when you have to get married?”
Silus cocked his head, clearly not understanding.
“When your parents pick your spouse?” Cedric clarified. “What

do you do if that person isn’t your soul mate?”

“My sire has no say over who I pair myself with. That would go

against our values, and be most cruel.”

Huh. Guess that explained why Silus was so upset when he told

him he was getting married. He not only thought Cedric was cheating
on a loved one, but a soul mate. Something like that would be pretty
low.

“Has a vampire ever claimed a sun sprite before?”
Silus shook his head. “Not to my knowledge, and despite what

you may think, regardless of what you are to me, my family will still
attempt to kill you should you decide to be mine. This, they will never
respect.”

Cedric pulled in a deep breath. Here it was. He could go either

way, but one way was definitely riskier than the other.

Despite that risk, Cedric wanted it. “I’m just as confused about

this”—he motioned between them with his hand—“as you are, but I
swear to God I’m not trying to use you. You aren’t a backup to me.”

That seemed to be the right thing to say because Silus launched

himself at Cedric’s lips, knocking him back on his beige sheets. He
grabbed Cedric’s hands into his and pinned him down. Then there
was a tongue in his mouth, probing, circling, claiming.

Mandy Rosko

Ah, so this is what it felt like to have a vampire lay his claim.

Well, Cedric did think of himself as the kind of individual who
enjoyed kissing, so he didn’t see the harm in letting it happen.

Unexpectedly, and unfortunately, Silus pulled that wonderful

mouth away just as Cedric started to really enjoy himself.

“Say it. Say that I am yours.”
He was having a no brain moment from all the kissing. “What?”
“Claim me,” Silus said, his teeth clenched and hands tightening on

Cedric’s wrists.

Oh, gladly. “You’re mine.”
Silus moaned and resumed his masterful work, released Cedric’s

hands.

Wrists now free, Cedric stuck his fingers in those black strands

and gripped tightly. “No one’s ever allowed to touch you but me,” he
said when they pulled apart again, which prompted another round of
kissing and suckling.

Cedric pried his lips from Silus’s and latched them on to the

vamp’s neck and began sucking, knowing how much Silus went nuts
for it.

The vamp above him purred. Cedric found his jugular and bit

down hard, pulling a long moan out of him.

“I think this time we’ll have to gag you,” Cedric joked.
“I am more than capable of keeping my passion under control.”
Cedric shivered. “I love the way you talk.”
He pushed up on Silus’s chest, rolling him over so he could sit on

top of those pretty hips. They would be so much prettier without the
layers, but that would come in just a second. “I want to make you feel
good.”

Silus was already running his hands under Cedric’s turtleneck

sweater, tickling his skin with gentle pulls from his nails. “I do feel
good.”

Cedric pulled open the black coat Silus wore before working on

the buttons of his suit jacket and vest. He didn’t bother with them

Night and Day

when it came to his white button-down. He just ripped the thing apart,
exposing that marble chest. The dark nipples were a gorgeous contrast
to his white skin. “I mean really good.”

He started licking and kissing, and apart from briefly pressing his

lips to each hardened nipple, he completely bypassed those dark buds
as he knew the real fun for Silus was not to be had there.  His hands
got to work on the belt and fly of Silus’s  trousers—Cedric could
already feel the bulge beneath. All the while he kept on kissing  and
kept his eyes on Silus’s.

Cedric briefly stuck his hand on the back of his neck to warm it

before slipping it inside the opened waistband. He found Silus’s hot
cock and gripped the throbbing base. Silus inhaled deeply through his
nose, those lids of his going half shut, but he still kept them open and
on Cedric.

“You want me to suck you off?” Cedric pulled the leaking prick

free and gave it a swipe with his tongue.

“Ugh, yes.”
“Okay, but you need to keep on talking. Keep telling me what you

want me to do to you.” He was mostly making this rule up because he
wanted to hear Silus let go of all that prim and proper speech. Not that
he didn’t love it, but he loved making Silus go so crazy that he forgot
about it more. “If you stop talking, I stop sucking.”

“Yes, yes, now take me into your mouth.”
Impatient. Cedric liked that, so he did as he was told.
Silus had been right about one thing. He really could keep a lid on

his passion. Even though Cedric swore the thing got thicker and
pulsed faster when he sheathed his mouth on it, Silus only released a
low sounding groan.

Another challenge to be had, but that would have to wait until

they were in a safer place to be doing this. He somehow didn’t think
Silus would like the threat of a gag as much as Cedric had.

He worked the muscles in his mouth and bobbed his head once,

twice, and then stopped.

Mandy Rosko

Silus stiffened. “Keep doing that. Do not stop, ugh!”
Cedric chuckled, the vibrations seeming to work even more on his

lover. He glanced up and saw that Silus had fallen back and was now
grabbing at his own black hair.

He calmed himself and kept up with the humming action, but then

he stopped again.

“Fuck, Cedric!”
Cedric pulled his mouth away with a pop and a smile. “I warned

you.”

Silus growled, those black eyes of his sparking. “I want to fuck

your mouth.”

Cedric actually blinked. Whoa, he didn’t think he’d ever get Silus

to say something like that. He mock saluted and got right back to
work.

Silus moaned again when his cock was submerged. This time he

didn’t stop talking. “Yes, just like that. I love your mouth. Your
swollen lips around my shaft are beautiful. I’m going to come
between them.”

Cedric had officially made Silus forget his manners. And all that

dirty talk from Silus had long since gotten his own dick awake and
throbbing for attention.

Later. This was for Silus. He wanted everything to be about Silus

tonight.

Soon the vampire was just babbling nonsense as he pushed his

hips up and down toward Cedric’s mouth. His cock was twitchy and
leaking like a faucet, and Cedric could tell the vamp was nearly there
but holding back for the sake of a better time. Good. That’s exactly
how Cedric wanted it to be.

Silus groaned again, then reached down and took Cedric’s hair in

his Iron Man grip before coming down his throat with a hard moan
and hot spurts.

When he was released, Silus fell back on Cedric’s plain sheets.

Cedric thought he looked perfect there as he climbed up to lay with

Night and Day

him. He pulled his lover close and kissed Silus’s neck. He did not
suckle and lick, but gave him just gentle, chaste kisses because he
liked how the other man tasted on his lips and the sounds of his
breathing as his chest rose and fell, calming himself once again.

Then a hard knock sounded on Cedric’s door.
They both froze, panicked eyes staring at each other. “Who is it?”

Cedric called.

“Your mother,” Cecelia said, her tone not at all happy. The door

handle jiggled, and she rapped again, harder, when her access was
denied. “Open the door this moment.”

Cedric all but jumped off Silus. The vampire buttoned his trousers

as Cedric practically shoved him into his adjoining bathroom, with
Silus fighting him the whole way.

Cedric put a finger to his lips to signal quiet, and then, as gently as

possible, pulled the door shut on his lover.

The door to his room banged again as his mother slammed her

hand against the wood. “You will open this door now, Cedric!”

“Coming!”
What the hell was she even doing here? Thank God Silus had

locked the door. He only hoped his appearance didn’t look too ruffled
for her as he unlocked and opened the door.

Cecelia stepped inside, sending him a glare as she surveyed his

room, her floral summer dress swirling as she did. Ben sheepishly
entered with her. He looked at Cedric apologetically, and Cedric
knew his friend had tried to buy him some time before she came. Poor
guy was probably panicking worse than Cedric right now.

“Mother, what can I do for you?” he asked, trying for casual,

though even to him his voice sounded a tad high pitched. No way his
father told her he’d been talking about canceling the wedding. He
wasn’t that unlucky.

“I came to ask if you would visit Dacielle in her room, and after

your guard so rudely attempted to put me off”—This time she glared

Mandy Rosko

at Ben, who cleared his throat and shifted his feet—“I began hearing
noises in here.”

Cedric blushed. Shit. God damn it. Shit! She’d heard him and

Silus.

“Where is she?”
That both shocked and calmed him. “What?”
Cecelia moved to his closet and opened the doors wide to step

inside. The lights within automatically turned on for her. Though it
was a walk-in closet, it wasn’t like anyone could hide in it. All it held
was hangers for his good shirts and racks for his shoes and ties. “The
woman you have in here. I know you are not much interested in
Dacielle at the moment, but that’s no excuse for you to bring women
into our home days before your wedding.”

Seemingly satisfied that his closet was empty of people, she

stepped out and closed the doors. But her face remained determined.
She was on a mission.

“Mom, I promise you, I don’t have a woman in here.” One

hundred percent truth, but she still kept that look on her face.

“It’s as I said, Lady Cecelia,” Ben said. “He is alone.”
She pointed her long pink fingernail at him. “You stay quiet. I did

not ask you anything, and it smells of sex in here.”

Oh, God.
Cecelia tilted her head to stare at his rumpled bed, and then her

gold eyes went to the spot beneath it. She seemed to be judging
whether or not it was proper for her to get on her knees to check when
she pointed at Ben again and waved to the bed.

Taking the hint, Ben lowered himself to look under for her

without so much as a sigh.

“Mom, there’s no one under my bed,” Cedric said through his

teeth, though he wished he’d been smart enough to stick Silus under
there. Ben would have lied for them. Whether Silus would want to
humiliate himself by hiding under a bed like a teenager, was another
matter entirely.

Night and Day

“Well?” she demanded of Ben, who got back to his feet.
“Just an old pair of sneakers.”
She hmphed and moved to his bathroom.
Cedric panicked and grabbed her arm. “Mom, give me a break,

I’m not hiding anyone.”

Her tone was low. “Release my arm.”
He did so immediately. “This is completely disrespecting my

privacy. You know that, right?”

“It does not matter.” She pushed open the door and flicked on the

light. The bathroom was immaculate, all the way down to how he
arranged his toiletries on the gleaming countertop, and most
importantly, empty. But the shower stall was closed, and inside,
through the frosted glass, he could see a dark shadow where Silus hid.

Oh Jesus, Cedric was going to have a heart attack. “Mom, no!”
He ran for her just as she slid open the glass doors, revealing the

towel he’d hung there when he’d showered earlier that day.

He released a hard breath. Fuck. Him.
“What is the matter with you?” his mother demanded hotly.
Cedric could only stare at the towel with stupid fixation. Where

was Silus?

Eventually he remembered to answer his mother. “Nothing.

Nothing’s wrong with me except your need to search my rooms.”

A glitter of regret entered her eyes. Looking around and seeing no

one in the bathroom with them, she sighed. “I apologize, but I just
heard …” Her cheeks turned a bright pink. “Oh! You really are alone
in here.”

“Yes,” he said.
She squeezed passed him. “I am sorry. I apologize. You and

Dacielle haven’t—of course you would need—” She stopped herself
and went to his door, turning to look at him one last time.

“I’ll leave you to your privacy from now on.”

Mandy Rosko

Mortified, Cedric noted the rosiness in her cheeks and the fluster

in her voice, and he realized what she thought he’d been doing.
“Mother!”

“Good night.” She shut the door and was gone as quickly as she

had come. He could just imagine her running down the halls to get as
far away from him as possible.

He and Benny stood there silently, staring at each other, and then

a low chuckle sounded from the bathroom. Cedric spun his head as
the wide open door moved just a little bit, and Silus stepped out from
hiding behind it.

Cedric couldn’t believe it. “You were hiding behind the door that

whole time?”

“The window in here is too small for me to get through.”
Ben shook his head. “I’ll leave you two alone. Lock the door

behind me again. It scared the shit out of me when she tried getting in
on her own.”

Ben vanished from sight, and Cedric ran to and locked the door.

So much for nobody ever visiting him. His heart was still thumping
from the scare. He was such an idiot. His mother had been in his room
for all of two minutes, but it had been two minutes too many.

Silus came to stand behind him. He swore if the vamp said

anything, laughed at him, Cedric was going to fry him like bacon.

Instead, long, pale fingers went to his shoulders. Strong thumbs

began working and circling his tense muscles. “’Tis over, calm
yourself. I can scent you from all the way across the room.”

“If she’d found you—”
“She did not. We are still safe.”
It wasn’t the we he was concerned so much about as it was Silus.

If his mother had found him and she’d been startled, she could have
brightened herself so much that it would probably have killed him,
regardless of how used to light he was getting.

Night and Day

His own mother, a woman who was otherwise harmless and

weighed maybe ninety-five pounds, was still capable of taking out a
full grown and healthy vampire.

Having that almost happen was a realization of how dangerous

what they were doing was.

“Why did you fight me when I was trying to hide you?” Cedric

asked. He struggled to keep his eyes open as Silus’s hands moved
lower down his back, still pressing and prodding through his shirt. If
he kept going lower, Cedric was going to get hard again, which he
didn’t think possible considering the mood killer they’d just had.

“Because I had wanted to go out your patio door.”
Cedric’s eyes snapped wide. He turned and looked at Silus over

his shoulder. The vampire was giving him a weird look.

The patio door, where nighttime and safety would have surely

been for a vampire. More safety than a closed off bathroom, anyway.
“Oh, shit.”

Silus put his hands under Cedric’s shirt to keep doing what he was

doing, only with skin on skin. “Indeed.”

“I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry, I guess for a second I forgot you

were a vampire, you know?” He laughed, a short, shallow laugh.
“Jesus, I’m surprised you’re even still here. You don’t have to stay if
you don’t want. I’ll be okay.”

“I want to stay.” Silus started pulling him back to the bed.
Shocked, Cedric allowed himself to be led. Now, with the threat

of interruption a thing that for sure didn’t need to be worried about—
with his mother thinking she’d caught him masturbating, he doubted
she’d allow anyone else into his wing of the house—it seemed they
could lay together again in relative peace.

But Silus didn’t attempt to take off his clothes. They kissed and

held each other, that was all.

* * * *

Mandy Rosko

Eventually they had sex. They had hours of alone time, talking

and kissing, so when Cedric had lightened up again, both literally and
figuratively, and felt playful once more, Silus made no complaints
about having him.

The entire house was asleep when they stopped, and the sun

would be up in a little over an hour. It was no big deal for Cedric to
hide a lover in his room at night when no one noticed, but Silus’s
family kept opposite hours. They would be aware that he’d been
missing and want to know where he’d gone.

Still, Cedric wished Silus didn’t have to leave. He held the other

man close, occasionally pressing his lips to that cool chest to comfort
himself.

Silus pushed aside messy stray locks of golden hair, which had

become all moppy during their activities.

Cedric’s gold eyes flashed as he stared into them. “What made

you decide to come here instead of just meeting me?” he asked. It
definitely would have been the safer option, all things considered.

Silus’s eyes widened a little before he scowled. The blush on his

face suggested he was scowling at himself. “Your guard came to me
and said you did not wish to meet with me and had instead changed
the location.” He sighed. “I had panicked and decided to come and
find you.”

Immense pleasure hummed through Cedric’s blood.
“You should not do that.”
“What? Do what?”
“Blush like that,” Silus said, his grin becoming wicked. “It makes

it easy to smell your blood, and I already know how it tastes.”

He hadn’t tasted it yet tonight, but Cedric couldn’t help it. He

blushed harder. “Well, since you know how it tastes, and I know what
it does to you, what does it matter?”

Silus chuckled a little and tossed away the sheet covering them,

revealing that long, naked body. Instead of taking him up on his offer,

Night and Day

he started collecting his clothes. “You could teach the blackest of
nights how to darken.”

Cedric’s lips quirked as he watched Silus gather his trousers.

“You could teach the sun how to shine.”

They’d just insulted each other, yet both were endearing phrases

to their own respective races.

Cedric lifted himself from the bed, leaving the space he and Silus

had made all warm and toasty. “Too mushy.”

He’d just gotten a new pair of jeans over his hips—Silus had

destroyed the last pair getting them off—when Silus spoke. “I intend
to tell my parents of us.”

Cedric stopped reaching for his turtleneck, which had been thrown

on the floor, and stood straight to face him.

Despite the sexiness of looking at his half dressed lover, there was

a serious expression on Silus’s face that couldn’t be ignored even for
lust.

“Tell them about us? Not just that you have a lover, but a…?”
Silus nodded. “A sun sprite lover. A mate, if you will,” he added,

though he gave Cedric another one of those knowing looks. “But it is
still different from the werewolf meaning of it.”

“Uh-huh,” Cedric said. “Mate.” The word sounded good on his

tongue. He wanted to keep on saying it.

Only one thing to do if he wanted to keep doing that. “It’s not

enough telling my parents that I don’t want to marry, they have to
know about you too.” He sighed. “It’ll ruin them, and not just
financially. They made a bargain. I’m expected to keep it, but I just
can’t do it.”

Silus went to embrace him. It felt good holding each other like

that when their chests were still bare, nice skin to skin. Glowing,
Cedric put his nose in Silus’s dark hair and inhaled deeply.

He smelled like fresh night air.

Mandy Rosko

“I know of what you speak. The longing to be a good son to one’s

father. I lied to my father for you. I have never done such a thing, and
I never will again because I will tell him of you.”

“You’d do that for me?” Cedric couldn’t keep the buzz of

excitement out of him.

“Stop that, I can smell you again.” Silus pressed a kiss at the

pulsing spot of Cedric’s neck, but he did no more. Cedric figured he
wanted another taste, but that kind of orgasmic high—the one that put
him out of commission for several minutes—in enemy territory
wasn’t a good move. “I will sit down with my parents and explain to
them that I have claimed you. It will not make them happy, nor will it
be met with approval, but it will be done. I am one hundred years of
age. I no longer require their blessing in my choice.”

Urged on by the force of his words, Cedric leaned down and

kissed him.

Night and Day

Chapter Eight

When Silus arrived home, the birds were chirping in their nests,

and the black East had transformed to a mix of purples and navy.
’Twas more difficult slinking back onto the grounds now as opposed
to the ease in which he had left them. His father had ordered the
guards to be doubled for fear a sun sprite would come during the day.
So it was during the day that more men and werewolves patrolled the
property.

Silus had been forced to hide within the shrubs, like a common

thief, waiting for his chance to slip past unnoticed.

Unfortunately, when he finally made it to his door and stepped

inside, locking the coming dawn out, he sensed he did not quite get by
unnoticed.

“Where have you been?”
He sighed, but really, he should have predicted this. Perhaps ’twas

for the best that his father was here. At least now Silus did not have to
seek the man out.

“Do not continue to give us your back!” Wiktor snapped. “Turn

and face us.”

Us? Ah, his mother was gracing him with her presence as well.

Silus turned, and indeed, there she was, skeletal thin arms, with heavy
jewels hanging from her wrists, crossed over her flat chest. She
dressed in her usual fashion, as though she were about to attend a ball.
Wiktor stood tall—as tall as he could stand—with his hands behind
his back.

“Good morning, Father.”

Mandy Rosko

Wiktor hissed. “There is no such thing. Last eve you spoke of

an… illness,” he said, not stomaching that his son had been alone
with a sprite. His mother, it seemed, still did not know of that.

When Silus told them where he had been, he would be fortunate to

still consider himself their son.

“As you can see, I am in perfect health.”
“Then you spoke an untruth to us,” Ariadne said, a curl in her

heavy red lips.

Silus winced. A vampire’s word was always his honor. Always.

To have to admit to speaking a lie pained him. “Aye.”

“To what do we owe such an offense?” Wiktor demanded. His

neck was tight, as though he struggled to hold back a tempered
scream in the presence of his wife.

Silus stood a little straighter. “I have taken a mate.”
Both of his parents’ eyes widened. Wiktor actually smiled. “My

son, had I known you had chosen your female—”

“Not a female,” Silus said, clenching his fists and hating himself.

He did not expect much forgiveness for interrupting the vampires who
had given him life, particularly, after he had given them his back and
admitted to speaking a lie. He could expect even less forgiveness after
he told them who he had claimed.

Wiktor’s face puffed out and turned red. His mother’s jaw

dropped, revealing gleaming fangs.

“I apologize, but there can be no mistaking what I am about to

say.”

“Whatever it is, it had best be of the utmost importance,” Wiktor

said with a snarl. “Male or female, this disrespect is not to be
tolerated.”

Silus nodded. He was not ashamed of Cedric, so he would not

fidget or sigh when he told his sire the truth. “Indeed. Again, I
apologize. However, you must know that my chosen mate is not a
vampire.”

Night and Day

Wiktor raised a brow. “A human? Well, should he be of moderate

wealth and willing to submit to our ways, any damages brought on by
your…preferences, could be brought down to a minimum. Certainly
this is not just cause for your rebellion.”

“He is not a human either, Father. He is a sun sprite, the sun sprite

who fled my bedchamber on my centennial.”

He waited a beat for them to take in the news. Their explosion

was hardly unexpected.

* * * *

It was barely an hour after dawn, and Silus had long since left him

for home. Already Cedric missed him and was feeling apprehensive
about letting his family know just why he’d been fighting the
marriage extra hard lately.

He owed a different sort of explanation to Ben. When he gave it,

his friend actually clapped his shoulder. “I gotta say it,” he’d said. “I
don’t really like the guy, but so long as you’re happy, even if it’s with
him, I’m glad for you.”

Cedric had sighed, immensely grateful his friend understood his

decision.

Because Ben was Cedric’s guard, if Cedric got himself disowned

over this—who the hell was he kidding? He was  going to get
disowned—Ben could potentially find himself out of a job  if his
parents didn’t feel like reassigning him. But his longtime friend didn’t
seem to care about that. Either that or he was hiding his fear very well
and was secretly sweating over his list  of qualifications to be a
bodyguard.

Ben was great at what he did, but he’d done it with Cedric for so

long that if his parents gave him the can and denied him a reference,
he could really and totally be fucked.

Mandy Rosko

Cedric didn’t want to cost Benny his paycheck, but the man just

kept on smiling. It looked real and felt real, but there was just
something a little off.

“You’re serious?” Cedric asked.
Ben surprised him by pulling him into his arms and hugging him.

Cedric couldn’t remember the last time they’d hugged. It was a little
long, and slightly awkward, but eventually they slapped each others’
backs and pulled apart.

“Just don’t let something happen that makes you miserable for the

rest of your life.”

Cedric couldn’t even form an answer to that. He was just too…

touched.

Ben had offered to stick around while Cedric broke the news to

his ill fiancée and parents, and while it was appreciated, he didn’t
want anyone holding his hand while he did this. He’d always hidden
behind Ben’s happy attitude and strength, and he’d had enough. He
needed to face his next challenge head-on like a big boy.

They’d be upset, but they’d also get over it. Without him, of

course.

Eventually Ben bade him good luck and disappeared to search for

other duties when the shit hit the fan.

Cedric showered, shaved, dressed in his best, and went down to

the breakfast room. He was the first one there and decided he might as
well eat. He helped himself to his favorite dishes, scrambled eggs,
bacon, and brown toast, along with freshly sliced Royal Gala apples
and strawberries with whipped cream for dessert. He ate in silence as
he waited, fully aware this was going to be his last meal in this house.

Though it was stalling and cowardly, he couldn’t entirely help it.

It just wasn’t done to throw such terrible news at one’s parents first
thing in the morning.

No sooner had he licked the last of the cream from his thumb did

both his mother and father come in, his aunt Sheila trailing behind
them. The three looked as though they’d been awake for hours

Night and Day

already, even though it was the early morning. There were no sleep
bags under any eyes, they were perfectly dressed, and the women’s
makeup had been expertly applied. Each had to always look great,
even amongst the family.

Already Cedric was starting to remember just how much he

wanted to get out of here.

He rose to greet them. He placed a gentle kiss on his mother’s

hand—he still couldn’t look her in the eye—shook his father’s
firmly—even though he still hated the old bastard—and because the
situation called for it, what with her daughter being ill, he kissed his
aunt on the cheek.

Her blue eyes sparkled a little at the warmth, which he figured she

above all would need. Not only was her little girl sick, but he would
be breaking the engagement this very day.

“How are you, Cedric?” Sheila asked as she took a seat. His

mother had already taken the liberty of plating some toast and jam for
the both of them. They poured their own teas from the kettle on the
table.

Though he’d finished his breakfast, he sat down with them. “Very

well, thank you.”

“Your cough is gone, then?”
Oh, right, he’d been faking sick.
“The throat feels fantastic,” he said, aware that his father was

staring at him.

His aunt was only half a sun sprite from her father’s first marriage

to a wealthy human girl—a fact most knew instantly upon
introduction because of her name. Had she been full blooded, she
would have been given a name with a softer S sound, but instead had
been given a name with the coarser Shh—but she cared very deeply
for the traditions of her people. Because Cedric was about to break
one of those traditions, he felt it was she who would take the news the
hardest, second only to perhaps the bride herself.

Mandy Rosko

The bride. Fuck, Dacielle would have to be the first to be told. It

was her, after all, who was most emotionally invested in this union.
She didn’t want money or position. Just him.

She’d have to know before the rest of the house did. It was only

fair.

By the end of the day, she would be in tears, and her mother’s

kind, human blue eyes would be staring at him with hatred. His own
mother would take her side out of sisterly affection, and that left only
his father to calm the airs for them. Cedric wished it wouldn’t be so.
His old man probably still hated him from yesterday.

Wait till he found out who Cedric was breaking the engagement

for. He was going to bust a nut.

Actually, that might be funny to see.
“Cedric, you look as though you’ve eaten something terrible,”

Cyricus said from behind his coffee cup. His golden eyes were hard,
searching, as though he’d sensed Cedric’s thoughts.

Cedric cleared his throat. “No, Dad, the meal was delicious. I’m

just thinking of poor Dacielle up in her room.”

His mother put her hand on Sheila’s shoulder, as though she were

the one who was ill. “The doctor came and said she merely has a
terrible cold. But she should be right as rain in time for the wedding
tomorrow. I know that, despite her brave face, her heart must have
been breaking for every day we delayed.”

Cedric inwardly groaned. Her heart would break even more very

soon. “I’ll visit her.” Not to keep her company though.

Two out of three faces brightened up.
“Good idea!” his mother said. “You two have always gotten on

well. Your company will definitely cheer her up.”

“Cecelia,” his father said, “remember she needs to be resting.

Dacielle needs to be in prime condition for the wedding night.”

Jesus Christ, why not just come right out and say it? He wanted

her in prime condition for fucking.

Night and Day

Cedric stood from the table just as the chills came down on him.

He needed to leave before his father started giving him tips on getting
his cousin pregnant on the first try. “I won’t stay long. We’ll just
talk.”

His father narrowed his eyes, as though judging whether or not

talking could be harmful to the health of someone with a cold.
Whatever. Dacielle was a big girl, and cold or no cold she needed to
hear the truth from him.

Finally, Cyricus waved his hand in a shooing motion. “Very well,

but don’t excite her.”

“And don’t get too close either, dear,” his mother said. “You don’t

want to catch what she has and get sick again.”

Cedric left the room just as other guests who’d been invited to

stay started coming in. His heart sank a little as he escaped them. In
all likelihood, that was to be the last time he’d ever have a semi-
carefree breakfast with the three of them in the same room.

Though Dacielle’s room was a guest room, because of the

wedding preparations, she’d been staying in the house long enough to
have personalized it a bit. Though all guest rooms were spacious, each
with a queen-size bed, a connecting bathroom, and neutral colors that
were neither too male nor too female, she had already moved most of
her things inside and really princessed it up.

Cedric knocked and waited. A strong voice on the other side bade

him to enter.

And there she was, to his shock appearing healthier than ever,

propped up in bed amongst her mound of stuffed animals and pink
pillows with one of those thick manga books in hand. His little
cousin.

Well, not exactly little. She was a plump girl, pretty in the face

and of fair hair, with eyes the golden color that marked her as a sun
sprite. She looked innocent and carefree just lying there. Cedric loved
this girl, but not in the way his parents wanted him to.

Mandy Rosko

God. She’d only just turned eighteen two weeks ago, and yet the

wedding preparations had been going on for months already. Though
she was legal, in human and sprite senses of the word, judging by the
Jonas Brothers poster on the wall and the stuffed, glittery unicorn she
held as she read, legal didn’t do anything for maturity.

She turned up to look at her guest, and her eyes and skin glowed

with pleasure. Cedric actually gaped a little. “Dacielle, they told me
you were ill.”

Her mouth tightened as she rolled her eyes sarcastically, the glow

fading. “I sneezed more times than were proper the other day. As
expected, a panic started, and a physician was called for.”

Cedric couldn’t believe it. Was this a good thing or a bad thing? If

she was in perfect health, would she be able to jump up and attack
him when he broke off their engagement? Or would there really be no
risk of her succumbing further into illness when he broke the news if
there was no threat of illness to begin with?

“You’re not sick, then?”
“I am,” she sighed, “just not a lot.” Dacielle pointed to her bedside

dresser, where, beneath a pink kitten lamp she’d brought from her
own house, sat a tissue box, pill bottles, and vapor rub. “I’m to take
all of those to keep it from getting worse, but they say I’ll be good for
our wedding tomorrow.”

Cedric wasn’t looking at the drugs or paying attention to the

happy squeal in her voice. He was looking at the creepy kitty lamp.
He cringed at the sight of it, and then looked away from her bed
before her stuffed teddies made him sick too. He could already picture
the two of them in his head, married, and those things being moved
into his room. The sparkle teddies on his perfectly male bed with its
colorless beige sheets, the kitty on his nightstand, and her manga
collection lined up next to his PlayStation.

He shuddered.

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She was eighteen, he reminded himself, but still a fourteen-year-

old in her own mind. How could his parents and aunt try and force
this girl on him?

If it wasn’t for Dacielle’s crush on him, this might’ve been easier.

Hell, if he’d never met her at all prior to this, it would’ve been easier.

He didn’t sugarcoat it or ease it on her gently. He just let it all out.

He figured he owed her that much. “The wedding isn’t going to
happen.”

She stared at him blankly, and then sputtered a nervous laugh.

“What?”

“Come on, Dac, you know I don’t love you like that. You’re too

much like a sister.”

She seemed to have trouble processing his words. “But, it’s our

parents’ wish. We have to.”

“Yes,” he spoke slowly, “but I’m still choosing not to.”
“But, but we have to.” The constant emphasis on the words have

to didn’t seem to bother her a whit, which damn near sent him on a
bender.

It was like she wasn’t aware it was her choice being taken away as

well. She seemed more concerned with his sudden loss of sense. She
stared at him as though he’d lost his mind, or was making a bad joke
and was being really late with the punch line.

Cedric wiped his face as the realization hit him.
It didn’t matter to her who she married so long as her family

approved.

Jesus, even after he left, another backup marriage would be

arranged. Her crush on him would eventually simmer and die, and her
future husband could be a cruel predator for all anyone knew or cared.
Regardless, she would comply and be happy with her mother’s
choice.

He approached her bed with the pink heart quilts and took one of

her hands in both of his larger ones. All he could do was pray the next
man in line would be good to her. Because, God knew, a gay husband

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who would never want to touch her was the last thing in the world she
needed.  “Dacielle, please listen to me very carefully and know that
what I’m telling you is not personal, but still  the truth.”  He took a
breath, noting the hurt in her eyes, the rising tears.  “I love you, but
I’m not in love with you. I’m officially calling off the wedding, and I
wanted you to be the first to know.”

Only the ticking of her Sailor Moon clock filled the room when he

finished. The sparkle of tears went out of her eyes, which were hard
on him, and her breathing gradually picked up, becoming faster and
more labored. For a second he actually thought she might just faint
like everyone had worried about.

She opened her mouth and screamed instead.

Night and Day

Chapter Nine

Silus lay in bed on his back, fully dressed, staring up at his ceiling

with an arm slung over his forehead. The meeting with his parents had
not gone well. His father had yelled, his mother had screamed, both
were horrified, and neither would see reason.

He’d taken a sun sprite for a mate, and he didn’t see what the

problem was. He no longer saw the issue vampires had with the entire
race at all. Why ever did vampires and sun sprites become enemies in
the first place? Because both had the power to cause such damage to
the other? Because one was a creature of darkness, and the other of
light?

Ridiculous.
Unfortunately, neither of his parents were as interested in his new

ideas as Silus was. They behaved as though he had announced he
found a rat in the sewers and wished to mate with it.

His father had confined him to his room, as though he were still a

child, or perhaps diseased and in need of quarantine, until a solution
could be found. Oh, he could get up and go whenever he chose. There
were no guards outside either of his doors to stop him, but he was
waiting for his parents to calm themselves and return to him.

They both seemed to think Cedric had cast a spell of some sort on

him, even though sun sprites did not possess the power to do such
things. Silus stayed only because he had given his parents his word he
would not leave until they arrived again. And a vampire’s word was
his honor, after all.

Although the sun no longer seemed to burn his flesh like acid on...

anything, Silus was still cautious of it. So when the door leading to

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the garden outside opened a crack when the fiery orb was still in the
sky, he jumped and hid on the other side of his bed.

“Shit! Sorry.” The room became dark again as the door was

quickly shut.

Silus sat up at Cedric’s voice. The golden-haired sprite sprinted to

him and fell to his knees, putting his hands over Silus’s neck and
shoulders, forcefully turning his face from side to side so he might see
everywhere. “I didn’t burn you, did I? Are you hurt? Say something.”

Silus kissed him, effectively shutting him up.
Cedric recoiled a bit in shock, but their mouths remained attached,

and he soon looped his arms around Silus’s neck and opened his
mouth to fully enjoy it.

Still holding Cedric close, Silus ended their kiss to admire the

loving look in his sprite’s glazed, golden eyes.

Cedric traced his mouth with his index finger. “I take it your

confession went better than mine.”

Full awareness crashed down on Silus’s brain. They had not

arranged to meet during this time, yet Cedric had come when it was
most dangerous for him. “Your meeting—it did not go well?”

Cedric must have seen the concern in his eyes. “No—but, didn’t

yours?”

Silus ran his hands up and down his lover’s strong arms. They had

both settled onto the carpeted floor, which put them at eye level, and
Silus shook his head. “I am confined to my bedchamber for the
moment. They seem to believe you have bewitched me.”

Cedric smiled lazily, a hint of teeth showing with such a lewd

smirk. “Have I?”

Silus swatted him on his ear, adding no strength at all to it should

his vampire power harm him. “You very well may have, but you
wouldn’t want to tell them that. I am to stay in here and contemplate
my situation until they see fit to retrieve me after sundown.”

“After sundown?”

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Silus nodded. Cedric’s hands came back up to cup Silus’s neck,

his finger massaging the sensitive skin. Silus closed his eyes and
leaned into the touch.

“That’s kind of a specific time. Why then?”
“No idea.” Silus groaned. “However, I assume it will be time

enough for them to calm themselves and allow me to speak without
any voices being raised.”

“You’re going to try and get them to accept me?”
Silus didn’t like the disbelief he heard in Cedric’s voice. “I have

accepted you. They either shall, or they shan’t. Only one decision
allows them to consider me a son of theirs.”

Silus became concerned when Cedric’s eyes turned bright. He

touched his lover’s face, hoping to bring comfort, and while he leaned
into the touch, his features were no less strained with pain. “Cedric,
what happened when you made your confession?”

Cedric blinked his golden eyes quite a bit and cleared his throat.

“Before you decide to disown your parents, give them a little time,
okay?”

Silus already knew where this was going. “Cedric—”
“Because, you never know, they might come around eventually.”
“Cedric, did your family cast you out?”
Cedric’s throat must have seized up because he spoke no more.

He exhaled slowly and nodded instead, his face lowering to hide his
eyes.

Silus held him close, allowing Cedric to bury his face in the crook

of Silus’s shoulder and let it all out. It was slightly awkward because
Cedric was taller, but Silus didn’t mind. This pain his lover felt was
all a product of being with Silus. Any discomfort was the least of
what he could put himself through, if only to provide some ease for
the man in his arms.

When Cedric finished, he still held Silus close. “I figured it would

happen, especially with my dad, but... it was so different than what I
expected.”

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“What did you expect?”
Cedric shrugged, quickly wiping the moisture from his face, and

apparently deciding to pretend his show of weakness had not
happened. “Don’t know, but not what happened, that’s for sure. The
worst part was when the whole house found out. It was announced, in
front of everyone, that I was no longer a member of the household.”
Cedric shook his head. “I got ten minutes to pack my stuff and get
out, so I left.”

Silus had heard rumors of how sun sprites cut each other off.

Supposedly, ’twas very similar to how vampires did it.

’Twas meant to be a simplistic ceremony. Those shunning the

dishonored one would collectively turn their backs to him,
symbolizing their lack of connections with the group. It was one of
the reasons giving your back to your betters was most uncalled for.

Silus recalled the many cars that had been in and around his

family manse. For all those people to do such a thing…

Cedric ceased speaking, even though it sounded as if there was

more to say. Likely more went on when Cedric was publicly
disowned than he was willing to tell, but Silus would not pressure him
for more information. Whatever horrid details Cedric wished to have
to himself, he would keep until he was ready to speak of them. He did
not know Cedric’s family, but still, for his parents to turn their backs
on their child, Silus couldn’t fathom such a harsh reaction from any
parent.

Silus gently stroked Cedric’s back in long, fluid, up and down

motions. “Where are you staying?”

“With Ben, at least until I can find a place of my own. Had to

make up a story for him so they wouldn’t fire him for letting me come
here in the first place.”

Though he now believed Cedric only saw the human as a friend,

he did not fancy the idea of them sharing a living space. He extracted
himself from Cedric’s arms just long enough to reach over and search
through his bedside drawer. It was always kept neat and clean inside,

Night and Day

so he easily found the ring of keys he searched for. He held them up
to Cedric’s confused face before taking his hand and putting the ring
in his open palm. “This is where you will stay.”

Cedric opened his hand to look at the keys, then at Silus. “Where

do these go?”

“To a cottage of mine on Mantua Lake. No one in my family

knows of it. It was neither inherited nor given to me as a gift. I
purchased it with my own funds for the times when I desired solitude.
The code for the security is on the ring.”

Cedric looked at that too, then shook his head and held the key

ring out to him.

A sliver of unease settled in Silus’s belly. “What is it?”
“I told you you’re not a backup plan to me. I’m leaving my family

behind, gladly, I might add, for you, but not just for you either. I don’t
want you to think you have to take care of me all of a sudden.”

Silus grinned, fangs lengthening just a little in pleasure. “I would

never dare assume such a thing.” He pushed the key ring back to
Cedric. “But I would wish for you to spend your newfound freedom
in my house anyway.”

Skin glowing, Cedric pushed himself onto Silus, and they were

kissing again with frantic mouths that pulled and sucked on each
other. They pulled each other up and fell into bed, and Cedric rolled
them over so he was on top and attacked Silus’s neck with mouth,
tongue, and teeth. Silus moaned, his fangs extending all the way, and
he used them to scrape along the red punctures he’d made in the pool
house, after pulling that wretched turtleneck out of his way.

He dearly prayed Cedric did not have many of these garments.
He hadn’t tasted from Cedric the night before, and he wanted

more of that beautiful blood inside him. He nearly sank his fangs
inside when the redness around those slits caught his eye.

Surely his bite had not caused such bruising. Was this what Cedric

did not wish to speak of?

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Cedric pulled away just long enough to ask: “You’ll be coming

with me?” Then he attacked Silus’s neck again.

“Yes.” Silus moaned, both in pleasure and to answer Cedric’s

question.  His cock was swollen and impatient in his black trousers.
He wanted more friction than that of the cloth against it, but Cedric
was sitting on his knees in such a way that Silus’s  hips could not
reach up far enough to get him. It was both torturous and lovely. “I–I
shall meet you there.”  Cedric’s hands slipped under the buttons of
Silus’s purple satin shirt to play with one of his nipples. Though they
were not as sensitive as human nipples, the combination of that along
with the mouth at his neck was nearly his throbbing cock’s undoing.
“Tomorrow night. I’ll meet you tomorrow night, an hour after sunset,
one way or another.”

Cedric ripped his shirt clear open and moaned beautifully at the

sight of Silus’s pale, marble chest, which was such a contrast to
Cedric’s golden skin.

Silus sat up and put his finger to those pretty lips. “Will I be

forced to gag you again?”

Cedric stuck that finger in his mouth to suck, long and hard, then,

with a pop, he removed his mouth. “You keep bringing it up. Do you
want to?”

“What I want,” Silus said, tugging impatiently on Cedric’s horrid

sweater, “is for you to remove your clothing.”

Cedric complied, revealing more and more of that sun-kissed, firm

skin with every piece he removed. None of it was more impressive
than the long shaft pointing straight at Silus. The head was revealed
again and leaking tiny drops. Silus’s mouth dried in response.

Maddening. Completely and totally maddening.
When Silus threw off his own pants, he had to give his impatient

length a nice long stroke to satisfy some of the ache there and to give
a preview of what was to come.

Or, perhaps he did not necessarily need to be the one to take

charge this night.

Night and Day

Cedric growled at him. “You’re not allowed to touch that.”
Silus arched a brow at the commanding tone and jealous eyes. Just

for a laugh, he stroked himself again. “I am not allowed to give
myself pleasure?”

Cedric took his hand and yanked it away. “No, when I’m in bed

with you, only I get to do that.” He paused, thinking. “Unless I tell
you otherwise, and right now that belongs to me.”

Silus liked this possessiveness. It quickened his heart, which in

turn pooled blood faster into his prick, which wept with impatience.

“Let me take care of that.” Cedric bent down and touched his

tongue to the slit.

Silus’s hand flew to his mouth. He would not be so loud in bed

that Cedric had reason to tease him with the threat of a belt.

Oh, how lovely this would be when they were alone at Silus’s

cabin house. There would be privacy, absolute and total privacy. They
could both be as loud as they pleased without any threat to each other.

Of course, Silus could still gag Cedric and tie him up with his

belts if the occasion called for it.

Cedric slid his whole mouth around Silus’s dick, and the pressure

was too much. He grabbed that golden hair, moaned low, and came
down his lover’s throat in pulsing spurts. Cedric choked a little in
surprise but then forced himself to swallow every drop of it.

Silus loosened his grip and ran his fingers through Cedric’s blond

strands appreciatively. Despite how he had just finished, Cedric kept
his mouth moving, his tongue swirling until Silus’s shaft twitched and
throbbed once more. Very soon, he was thrusting his hips toward that
mouth and mewling.

But Cedric did not stop. It seemed the eager sprite wished to suck

Silus to completion twice in a row, and that would not do. He grabbed
his lover by the arms and hoisted him up. “You are a devil,” he said.

Cedric grinned. “It’s debatable on which one of us is a devil.”
Which reminded him. Silus slithered out from under his lover and

left the bed. He went to his door and locked it.

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Cedric had a confused look on his face.
“They are able to break it down if they choose, but it will give you

enough time to escape if we are caught.”

“Right.” The reminder of the dangers they faced, and the benefits

of a locked door, did not seem to do anything for Cedric’s spirits.

Silus meant to rectify that. He returned to their bed, and Cedric

made room for him, but his jaw dropped when Silus was the one to
get to his hands and knees.

“What are you—?”
“I want to give this to you. ’Tis what you wanted that first night,

is it not?”

“Yeah…” Cedric croaked then cleared his throat. He had to force

his eyes away from Silus’s ass. “Yeah, but, uh…”

“What is the matter?”
Cedric pushed him onto his back and kissed him. Silus allowed

their mouths to mesh and massage for about a minute before he
pushed Cedric away. “What is wrong?”

Cedric traced Silus’s perfect face with his finger. “Have you ever

let anyone top you before?”

Silus was at a loss for words.
“I figured. You don’t seem the type, which is why it means a lot

to me that you’d even offer.”

“I would follow through with that offer in an instant,” Silus

proclaimed. He would do it, too.

“I know, but when I top you, I want everything to be perfect for

you. I don’t want it to be rushed because we’re in your parents’
house.” Cedric smirked. “Or the pool house.”

Silus returned that smirk. “I have a new fondness for that pool

house.”

“Me, too, but all the same, me taking it rough and quick is one

thing. We can do that no problem. You on the other hand…”

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101

“I understand,” Silus said, sparing Cedric from speaking anymore,

though that did not stop the disappointment from running through
him.

“Later,” Cedric promised, kissing him and settling comfortably in

his lap. “When we’re at your place. We can do whatever we want.”

Silus shivered. Whatever they wanted. Lovely.
“I want you, right now,” Silus said, and he meant it. He would

have preferred that Cedric take him, but he would not be choosy.

Silus did not wish to add any more time for stretching, but his

fingers reached around, slipped into Cedric’s crack, and found the
tight channel they sought.

Cedric gently bit down on his nose. “We’re just missing one

thing.”

“Cannot do without that,” Silus said, withdrawing his fingers and

leaning back. He reached again for his tidy bedside drawer. His hand
found the lubricant even though his eyes could not see inside. It was
slick and warm on his fingers, and even slicker and hotter on his shaft.

He reached behind his lover again. Cedric lifted himself on his

knees for better access. He was clumsy and quick with his
movements, but he couldn’t wait to be inside Cedric, and his lover
made no complaints.

“Sit on my lap. Straddle me.”
As Cedric was already on his lap, he knew to what Silus referred.

Cedric lifted himself back onto his knees, being sure to keep Silus
between his legs, then reached down to position Silus’s swollen
manhood, and sank down just enough for the head of Silus’s prick to
enter before halting, waiting, and then going the rest of the way.

Silus groaned as his body received what it so desperately wanted.

Cedric closed his eyes, opened his mouth, and—

Silus silenced the loud moan before it could start with a kiss.

Cedric clutched him tightly, his knees already rising up and down,
hips humping back and forth. Silus wrapped his arms around Cedric’s

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back, putting them chest to chest, and pumped his hips in accordance
with Cedric’s rhythm.

The kissing was nearly not enough to contain the noise, and it

wasn’t all just Cedric. Silus could hardly contain his pleasure either.
His mate made him lose all control like this. Silus’s hand slid down
along Cedric’s leg, and, gripping his thigh, he pumped into him
harder, delighting in the feel of that body vibrating in pleasure,
Cedric’s trapped, hard length, throbbing in delight as it moved
between them, receiving extra friction.

Silus’s fangs found the bruised puncture marks in Cedric’s neck

and sank in. This time he took in more of Cedric’s blood than he
dared to before, and he was not afraid of it. This blood would never
dare cause him harm. Then Cedric began to glow as he groaned
louder. All three stimulations brought him higher and higher until he
spilled his seed between them.

The bright light he emitted during orgasm didn’t so much as sting

Silus’s skin. It felt wonderful, like how he had always imagined
sunlight to feel. Eventually, it became dimmer and dimmer as his
sprite came down from his high.

Silus had already come once, thanks to that delightful mouth, and

so he required another minute before satisfaction could be his.

Cedric continued to ride him like the wanton creature he was,

despite having already reached his pleasure. “Come in me.”

His sprite bit down hard on Silus’s neck, right where he liked it,

and Silus threw his head back and cried out as the delightful spasm
rocked him.

Cedric held him close when all was done, easing himself off

Silus’s prick so they might lie together on top of the sheets.

Silus inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent in the air and the feel of

his lover in his arms during this peaceful moment.

“Do you think anyone heard us?”
Silus grinned. “If so, I could always tell them I am pleasuring

myself.”

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Chapter Ten

“This is my phone number.” Silus wrote the number in elegant

script on a crisp sheet of fresh paper beneath the address to his cabin.
He folded it and handed it to Cedric. They were both fully clothed
again, and the sun was nearly down outside. He could barely make
out any hint of light through his tinted windows, which meant Cedric
had to go. To stay any longer would not only be reckless of him, but
would now be approaching the life-threatening levels. Especially
because Cedric could not flash himself away without the sun.

“Does your place have a phone line? Because if I stick this

number in my cell and tried calling you, just having the wrong person
see my name on your screen—”

“Understood, and yes, it has phone, cable, and everything you

should require until I arrive.”

Cedric pulled him close for a kiss, glowing softly as their lips met.

“I don’t think I’ll have any fun until you get there.”

“Good,” Silus said, and in a fit of savage bravery, he grabbed and

squeezed Cedric’s crotch, delighting in the grunt his lover emitted.
“Because this is mine, and you are not allowed to play with it.”

“Not fair. That only applies if I’m in the same room as you.”

Cedric licked his lips, and Silus could feel the organ becoming hard
again under the cloth of his jeans. “And only if I don’t feel like
watching.”

“Indeed, I must have forgotten.” He rolled his hand around,

delighting in how his touch made Cedric harder, ready again for him.
But then he sighed and released him, becoming serious. “There will

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105

be time aplenty for this later. Right now ’tis too dangerous for you to
stay.”

Any remaining trace of Cedric’s happy glow vanished. He seemed

to deflate right before Silus’s eyes. “Right,” he said, and then perked
up once more. “When you get there, it’ll just be the two of us.”

“Yes?”
“We’ll be alone, all the time in the world, and you want me in

you, remember?”

Silus felt heat in his cheeks. “Idiot.”
They embraced, and Cedric went to the door. He opened it to let

himself out, and the weak rays of twilight that came inside did not so
much as bring a sting to Silus’s eyes.

Cedric’s light didn’t harm him, nor did the dim glow of the fading

sun. What would it be like to stand outside on a bright day at noon
with his lover beside him?

“Tomorrow night?” Cedric asked, standing in the light.
Silus nodded. “One way or another.”
They kissed again, hard and quick, and Cedric flashed, his body

vanishing into the light.

Silus shut the door, leaving himself in a lonely darkness. His

bedchamber was suddenly so much bigger, so much quieter without
his glowing sprite in it with him.

The bed sheets were a mess, but he did not want to throw them on

the floor and be without Cedric’s scent, but lying in them now was
out of the question, so he pushed them to the side so he could stretch
out on the mattress.

He stayed in that position, the same one he’d been in when Cedric

came to his door in the first place, for nearly an hour before a knock
sounded from the door leading to the hall.

His parents.
“Enter,” he called.
It startled him when his mother and father entered with, not only

the family physician Crowley, who, though he looked no more than

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fifteen, was in actuality nearing his third century, but another aged
vampire Silus had never seen before. The man actually had grey in his
dark hair and lines around his eyes beneath round spectacles.

Silus sat up, his eyes suspicious on the both of them. “Who are

you?” he demanded of the older vampire, then turned his attention to
both. “What are you doing here?”

Wiktor cleared his throat. “Silus, you already know Dr. Crowley.”

The pale, youthful doctor bowed in greeting. “But this is his associate,
Dr. Charles Winchester, a psychiatrist who comes highly
recommended by Dr. Crowley.”

Silus stopped listening at the word psychiatrist. “And he is here

for me?”

“As is Dr. Crowley,” Wiktor said.
“We only wish to ask a few simple questions, my lord,” Crowley

said in his prepubescent voice.

So this was the reason for his parents’ odd choice in meeting time.

They wanted to speak with him specifically after sundown to give the
good doctors ample time to arrive at their home and inspect their son.

“Is it true you have had relations with a sun sprite?” Winchester’s

calm voice couldn’t quite mask the slight upturn of his nose.

“Recently, from the smell and look of things.” Crowley eyed

Silus’s bed with distaste.

Wiktor bristled. “That creature returned to my home?” His hand

flew to his nose, as though suddenly noticing the scent of sex now
that someone had pointed it out to him.

There would be no convincing his father. Perhaps his mother

would see reason. She could always persuade him so much better than
he could. “Mother, we just celebrated my centennial. You must know
I am of a mature age, able to decide for myself whether this was what
I wanted. I want this sun sprite. His name is Cedric, he is from a noble
house, and we have mated. He is mine.”

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107

There was a gasp. He cared not where it came from. Silus’s gaze

remained locked on his mother. Her face was a mess from her earlier
weeping, her eyes red from tears shed rather than anger.

Her tiny arms were folded across her chest, and she turned her

face away, as though merely looking at him caused her pain. “Speak
not to me, for I shall not say a word.”

Silus’s heart sank, yet he stood from his bed, back straight, his

soul determined. “This is how it is to be then? My decision cast aside
as inconsequential? Doctors brought in to examine me?” He shook his
head. “My good doctors, I am sorry to have wasted your time, but I
will not agree to an examination. In fact, after I have had time to
collect my belongings, I will be leaving my family’s house.”

Cedric had requested he give his parents a chance, and he had.

They failed.

Despite the strength of his words, his inner self was in turmoil. If

he had known this was going to happen, known there would be no
chance for him to make his case, he would have left with Cedric
immediately, regardless of his word.

He had lied once to his parents already. What would once more

have been?

Dr. Winchester removed his spectacles, lifted a square cloth from

his suit pocket, and polished the lenses before returning them to his
sunken face. “I am the one who must apologize, my lord.”

He did not like the sound of that. “What for?”
His father took his mother’s arm, and, heads bent low, the pair of

them left Silus’s chamber. Three of the household guards replaced
them, large werewolves whose suit jackets stretched when they folded
their hands together in front of them, and every nerve in Silus’s body
tightened.

He wanted to run, his legs ached for it, but even if he managed to

pass them, there were at least a hundred others on the grounds and in
the manse that would catch him.

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“My lord,” Dr. Winchester said, “your parents are under the

impression that this sun sprite may have cast a spell on you, a sort of
mind altering hex. Dr. Crowley and I have assured them that sun
sprites are incapable of such magic.”

“However, that is not to say he could not have paid for someone

else to cast the hex for him,” Crowley said. “We simply wish to
perform the examination and ask you some minor questions.”

“To satisfy the belief that I have indeed been hexed,” Silus spat,

rage making his body shake.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way, my lord. Your sire

has given us total control of your care,” Crowley said, and one of the
werewolves in sunglasses stepped forward in case he should be
needed.

No matter what he told them, they would assume Cedric had

brainwashed him. Though he could certainly fight off a single
werewolf on his own, three of them would put him down with little
effort.

Damn him, damn himself to hell! He should have left when he had

the chance. “I refuse to cooperate with you,” Silus said.

Winchester sighed. “Very well. Take him.”
All three of the werewolves in shades stepped forward this time.

Silus didn’t move as his arm was grabbed by one of them. The rest
surrounded him, as if to keep him from going anywhere. He wanted to
rip the throats from the lot of them. Calm. He needed to maintain his
focus and calm.

“How long have you been fornicating with a sun sprite?”

Winchester asked him.

Silus didn’t answer.
Winchester sighed and shook his head. “We only wish to help

you, but if you refuse, I can do other things until you are ready.”

The good doctors used the opportunity to search around in his

room. Silus growled at the complete invasion of his privacy, but both
men ignored him. They searched in his drawers—Winchester lifting a

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brow when he pulled out the lubricant—and under his bed for
possible signs of witchcraft, perhaps burned into his carpet, but then
Crowley snapped on a pair of gloves and began lifting his sheets
around.

He squawked and dropped them within seconds, his mouth wide

open. Because it was impolite, he lifted his hands to cover it, but then
must have remembered where they had been before quickly dropping
them again.

“What is it?” Winchester asked, coming around to look at where

Crowley pointed.

Winchester gasped, then looked up at Silus. “Is this blood?”
Shit! Some of Cedric’s blood must have dribbled out of his neck

while they were rolling around. Now those fool doctors found it.

“Well? Is this the blood of that sun sprite? Answer, you fool!”
Silus’s jaw tightened. “It is, but as you can see, it did not kill me.”
“Good God, this man is in even more danger than we thought,”

Winchester said. “He has been drinking sun sprite blood!”

“I agree. He must be bled at once.”
Bled?
Crowley snapped his fingers, and this time all three werewolves

grabbed onto Silus.

“Release me!” Silus screamed, this time attempting to fight them

off. Their hands were like steel shackles on his body, holding him
steady, making him helpless, even when he used all of his strength.
He hated it. “Release me! I order you to release me!”

“Disregard that order. Put him on the bed. Tie his arms and legs,”

Crowley said, throwing the sheets from his mattress. “Dr. Winchester,
go to his parents, tell them the news but be gentle. All hope is not lost.
Tell his mother that four salad bowls will be needed, his father’s
shaving razor, chains, and Lord Wiktor must also be present for when
the bleeding commences.”

“Bleeding? Are you mad?”

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Winchester bowed, and the lousy, filthy, blood-whore had the

audacity to stare at Silus with sympathetic eyes as his own guards tore
his blue sheets into strips and tied his hands and feet to the bedposts.
“We will help you, my lord, fear not,” one of them said.

Silus’s struggles eventually tore the rags he was being tied with,

and more guards had to be called in to pin him down. His struggles
did not cease, nor did his roars of rage, until Winchester returned with
the items required of him and, in front of his father, cut his wrists and
ankles.

Silus hissed and cried out, his struggles instantly becoming lax

lest he rip his own limbs off.

“Will this work?” Wiktor asked, staring down at Silus as he bled

into the bowls. He felt the slow drain, the taking of his energy. He
grew tired, his eyes turning heavy, and his body became limp and
weak without the blood to sustain him. The room began to spin.

“My lord,” Crowley said, voice low. “There are no guarantees.

This is the only known method to flush the sun sprite blood from his
body. You are required so that he can feed pure blood back into his
veins. But I will not lie to you. Most vampires do not survive the
process.”

Had Silus the strength, he would have laughed. Perhaps this was

the true reason most vampires did not live long after biting sun
sprites. Not because the blood itself killed them, but because their
insane families killed them trying to remove the blood later.

As he was pulled into unconsciousness, his thoughts were of

Cedric. He’d promised his lover he would join him, but now that
would not be possible.

As he slipped away, his father whispered into his ear, “My son,

lost to me or not, I will find and kill every last sun sprite in your name
for this, including this Cedric.”

Had he been able, he would have opened his mouth and roared.

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Chapter Eleven

Silus’s cottage turned out to be a mini mansion made of logs with

arched windows and a wraparound deck.

Whoa. Silus wasn’t really one for accurate descriptions, it seemed.
A fine layer of dust inside indicated he hadn’t been there in a

while, but also that he’d told the truth about no one but himself ever
visiting the place, not even a maid, otherwise the wooden banisters
would gleam like intended, there would be food in the fridge, and
perhaps fresh sheets on the beds.

Oh yeah, Silus’s cottage had guest rooms. Even Cedric knew that

a cottage didn’t have guest rooms. Or stainless steel appliances, or a
giant gleaming grassy yard with no neighbors for, like, four miles.
Just the house and the lake, all to himself.

Definitely obvious that a man with money had purchased the

place.

On a shelf placed beneath the flat screen on the wall sat an Xbox

360, a PlayStation, and the cable box. The cable box he kind of
expected. The game consoles, not so much, but this was just one more
thing they could do together.

Off to the side, sat another longer shelf that reached the ceiling,

with a library of movies, games, and books. Cedric had to smirk at the
sight of a couple of pornos in plain sight among all the rest. It was
more proof Silus never brought family or friends here, otherwise these
would be hidden.

He contemplated watching them, but quickly banished the thought

away, recalling the feel of Silus’s hand between his legs, squeezing
and ordering in that sexy voice of his for Cedric not to touch.

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He picked out a few of the more promising ones for later instead.

Maybe he’d get lucky, and Silus would have another TV and DVD
player in his room, then they could watch while getting it on. Not that
either of them needed the help, of course.

After a little exploring, he found that, indeed, Silus kept a Sony

flat screen in his room directly in front of his king-size bed. Cedric
eyed the thick sheets with longing. He could not wait to roll around in
them with Silus.

But, as Silus was not here, he was the first to test it out. Alone. He

slept away the night in Silus’s bed, killing the hours until dawn when
he awoke excited for his day. Tonight, Silus would be meeting him.

Because he would go crazy if he sat around playing games or

watching television, Cedric first went out to grab some food, and
since he was pretty sure his credit cards had been canceled by now,
he’d have to make do with the hundred dollars he had in his wallet.

He wasn’t a cook. There had always been someone else to do that

for him while growing up, so even the shopping itself was an
adventure. By the end of it, he had salads, pre-cooked chickens,
desserts—especially the cans of whipped cream—all nicely tucked
away in the fridge. Then he cleaned the dust off everything and
opened windows to make the air fresh. He even remade his bed with
fresh sheets he’d found in the closet. He wanted everything to be
perfect for when Silus came home to him.

Cedric stopped as the word flitted through his brain. Home.
Then he grinned a stupid, little-boy-with-a-crush grin. Yes, while

Cedric was busy driving him crazy, Silus had said that no matter
what, whether his parents accepted his choice or not, he would be
leaving their house.

Though Cedric himself was also out from under his parents’

thumbs, the thought didn’t scare him. It was freeing. Vampires and
sun sprites always remained in the home with their families until the
head of the family died, passing it on to the eldest son. Had he
married his cousin, she would have moved in with him permanently,

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and yet they still would have both been considered the children of the
house. The same went for Silus, even though he was not leaving
behind a fiancée.

But now he was here, and soon Silus would be, too, both totally

free from their families and independent.

Well, Cedric was almost independent. He wished he’d been as

smart as Silus had and had saved some of the allowance his father had
afforded him. But he hadn’t. Cedric would have to find suitable work.
He refused to let Silus take care of him.

Silus.
Cedric kept on thinking of the name and kept looking at the clock.

He’d never wished for the sun to vanish into the horizon before,
having always taken pleasure and strength from its shine. Today he
wished it away like never before.

He swam in the lake then jogged along the property, anything that

would kill time without making him think of Silus and the agonizing
wait.

Eventually the sun did go down, and he waited for the one hour

mark when Silus would drive in.

And waited. And waited. And waited.
A hand shaking his shoulder woke him.
Cedric jumped at the nightmare he was having, disappointed to

see Ben looking down upon him with worry instead of Silus.

“Hey, you kinda looked like you needed me to wake you there.

You okay, man?”

Cedric winced and lifted his hand against the sunshine that half

blinded him. Morning so soon? What the—?

He straightened himself, or tried to. He stopped halfway, wincing

again at the painful crick in his neck. The couch was definitely not as
comfortable as Silus’s bed.

Slower this time, he sat up, twisting his neck around to crack it

and maybe release some of the tension in his sore bones. “What time
is it? Is Silus here?”

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Ben blinked his big brown eyes at him. The only reason why he

knew where to find the cottage was because Cedric had told him
where it was when he grabbed his things from Ben’s place. “He didn’t
show?”

Not what Cedric wanted to hear.
He flew up from his chair, ignoring his protesting muscles, and

ran up the staircase to Silus’s room. He tried to tell himself not to
panic. Maybe something had held him up, preventing him from
coming until nearly dawn. Though he’d developed a tolerance to the
sun, Cedric doubted Silus would want to stay in any direct sunlight. If
he’d come home, he’d likely seen Cedric, left him to sleep, and went
to close himself off from the day.

Cedric opened the door a crack to peer inside then threw it open at

the sight of nothing. No Silus in bed, but Cedric didn’t need to search
around, or even call out to know he wasn’t in this room, or even
hiding in the joined bathroom. The room was bright, and the curtains
were wide. No one had been inside to close them. Silus was not in
here.

He left the room and did the same with the three other guest

rooms, this time calling out, the spot under his breastbone cracking
just a little more when he came up with nothing.

“He’s not here?” Ben asked.
Cedric had to brace his hands on the doorframe of the last empty

room in order to steady himself. He shook his head, his voice quiet.
“No.”

Whatever had kept Silus away must’ve been important.
“Shit!” Ben punched the wall, putting a fist-sized hole in it.
Cedric jumped. “What the fuck?”
“Ceddy, there’s a big problem happening right now. I just got

back from your folks’ house, and there’s going to be a fight.”

“Fight? With who?”

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He bit his lower lip, made a helpless half shrug, then sighed.

“Vampires and sun sprites. Silus’s father issued the challenge early
last night. They’re all going to try and kill each other.”

It felt like the lid on his sanity just cracked. With a roar and a

flash of the brightest light he’d ever emitted, Cedric flashed.

* * * *

They nearly bled him dry before his father finally offered his

wrist, and by then, Silus was in and out of consciousness.

He did not want the offered vein. He hated his father and didn’t

want anything to do with the man’s blood. But when that artery went
under his nose, and Silus inhaled the sweet scent of fresh blood, so
close, so warm, pulsing with every heartbeat, his mouth watered and
his fangs lengthened of their own accord.

He was so thirsty. His body felt cold like ice without any blood

inside to keep him warm. He had to have it or he would die.

Silus opened his mouth, but he couldn’t lift his head to take the

bite. His father’s other hand clasped the back of Silus’s neck to lift
him up, to wrap his lips around that narrow flesh. Then he took the
bite, relishing the familiar piercing sound of tight skin giving way
under fang, and the immediate flow of that hated life-blood splashing
into his mouth.

It tasted sour to his tongue. If it had been Cedric’s blood, it would

have been spicy sweet.

Cedric. With his previous blood loss, Silus could no longer feel

his sprite, could not call to him. Not that he could to begin with. He’d
bled so quickly that first time he couldn’t get his head on straight to
send out any messages before it had been too late.

He would not have done so even if he’d been able to, though.

Cedric would have heard him and immediately come to his aid,
endangering himself in order to protect Silus. It was better this way.
This way, he remained safe and hidden. Silus’s father did not know

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where Cedric was, so when the attack commenced, whenever that
would be, with Cedric disowned, he would not be in the middle of the
battle that would kill many vampires and sun sprites alike.

“That’s enough. Any more and he could break his chains,” said

Crowley.

Wiktor tried to pull his wrist away, but Silus locked his jaw and

kept right on pulling and sucking that thick fluid into his mouth.
Though he despised the taste, the good doctor was correct. This was
just what he needed to escape.

“Silus, release me,” Wiktor said through clenched teeth, his palm

pressing down against Silus’s forehead, attempting to push him away.
Silus ignored him and continued to drain what he was now stealing.

“I said release me!” This time, with great force, Wiktor used his

open palm to punch down on Silus’s face. The shock of the strike had
him open his mouth, droplets of blood he hadn’t yet swallowed
spattering all over his face and bedsheets.

His father backed away and sucked on his wound, chest heaving.
Silus’s breaths came in rapid succession as well with the new

blood inside him. He pulled on his chains, testing them, but what
strength he gained from the feeding was not enough to break them. He
was still too damn weak.

Crowley was in his face again, this time flashing a low watt light

in his eyes. Silus swore he would kill the little shit for this. “Tell me,
my lord, how do you feel?”

“Angry,” Silus growled.
The light went away. “That is understandable, however, is it us

you are angry with, your father and mother, or are you angry with that
sprite?”

Silus shook with the urge to scream at them all. He swallowed that

rage instead and replied, “The sprite.”

Crowley, Winchester, and his father leaned in close to examine

his face.

Silus could only pray they believed his farce.

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“He’s lying,” Winchester said. “Look at how nervously he

swallows.”

“Obviously there is still some sun sprite blood in him,” Crowley

said.

“I thought you said the bleeding would remove the sprite blood.”
“Father, there’s nothing wrong with me.” Silus struggled as much

as he could against his shackles. “I love him.”

“Listen to how he speaks!” Wiktor was gripping his hair in mad

rage before turning that anger onto Crowley. “Does that sound like
the bleeding worked?”

“Calm yourself, milord,” Crowley said. “Think about it logically.

Of course not all the sun sprite blood would have bled out of him on
the first try. We’ll wait for his strength to rise and then do it again.”

Silus’s skin ran cold again. Again? He barely survived the first

time. “Father, do not let him do this.”

Wiktor sighed. “How many more times will this need to be

done?”

“As much as necessary,” Crowley said.

* * * *

Cedric flashed back to what was once his family home. He landed

in the middle of the vast green lawn and sprinted toward the doors. He
heard the familiar pop that meant Ben had followed behind him. His
friend tried calling out, but Cedric ignored him and kept on going.

A human guard with his palm out stopped him before he could

make it to the glass doors. “I’m sorry, sir, but I cannot allow you
entrance.”

“I need to speak with my father.”
The guard’s face twisted, as though he were uncomfortable. “I’m

very sorry, sir. I’d like to let you pass, but we all have our orders.
You’re not to enter.”

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Ben finally caught up with him. “Stand down, Peter, he’s with

me.”

Though Ben was one of the family guards, it was likely because of

Cedric’s friendship with him that Peter appeared unconvinced.

“He summoned me about the attack,” Cedric said. He prayed the

weak lie would work.

Peter’s eyes rose above his sunglasses as he dipped his head.

“You mean the challenge the suckers issued?”

The spot under Cedric’s eye twitched at the name. He used to call

vampires things like that without thinking, but now it just pissed him
off.

Ben stuck his hand on Cedric’s shoulder, snapping him from his

murdering thoughts. “Yeah, it only just happened, so every team
obviously didn’t hear yet, but because of the challenge, I was charged
with retrieving Cedric. Seeing as it concerns him and all.”

Peter looked between them both then quietly stepped aside.
Cedric got the feeling the man knew he was being lied to but was

doing him a favor anyway. “Thank you,” he said.

Peter nodded. “I’ll call the others to let them know you’re here.”
Cedric ran up the deck stairs, into the sunroom, and then he

headed for his father’s study since that’s where that old bastard
always was.

“Are you insane? What are you doing here?” Ben nagged. He

grabbed for Cedric’s arms to try and stop him, but Cedric kept
shrugging him off. “We all have orders to shoot you on sight. You’re
so lucky I was with you.”

Cedric snorted. Shoot him on sight. Lucky. Yeah right. Ben

wasn’t the only member of the guards Cedric had made friends with,
and while none was as close to him as Ben, he knew for a fact none of
them would dare point a gun at him, orders or no. His father knew it
too, he was certain. The man always had a flair for the dramatic. “I
need to know where and when,” Cedric said, finally bursting through
his father’s study door. Without knocking.

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119

The man sat behind his desk like some kind of king, his mother

standing beside him. Both jumped at the sudden and unexpected
intrusion.

“What’s going on?” Cedric demanded, walking right up to the

desk where his father liked to pretend he ruled the world. “I know the
vampires challenged you. Where is it going to be?”

Cyricus’s lips thinned, and his mother put a delicate hand on his

shoulder to calm him. That small action seemed to bring him down
from whatever high his anger had taken him to. “You are no longer
part of this family. It does not concern you.” Then his eyes narrowed
on Ben. “Thick as thieves, you both are. I should have known you
would bring him here when the challenge was announced.”

Ben shifted his feet around, and that really pissed Cedric off.

When he told his parents that he was choosing a vampire over his
cousin, his father had practically torn at his turtleneck to get a look at
the bite marks it hid. Cyricus had squeezed that spot so hard he was
honestly surprised his fingers hadn’t pierced the skin.

He’d let the old man do that because, well, he was his father, and

he didn’t want to fight back when the guy was throwing his little
tantrum. Now, after everything he’d been put through, Cedric was
ready to throw the son of a bitch out the window.

“He didn’t bring me here. I came on my own and lied to the

guards so they’d let me pass.”

Cyricus snorted and muttered something about finding good help.
“Father,” Cedric said, struggling for patience, “this wouldn’t be

happening if it weren’t for me, so it does concern me. I don’t want
you or anyone in this family getting hurt over this.” Not the vampires
or even his father, but he decided to keep that bit to himself. “Please,
don’t accept the challenge.”

Cyricus’s face actually turned red. “You—you would have me

dishonor myself? Again? For your—” Whatever he was about to say,
he didn’t say it. “It matters not anyway. I have already accepted.”

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Cedric felt his insides drop. As head of the house, Cyricus would

be leading the attack, whenever it happened.

Great.
“Where and when?” Cedric asked. If he couldn’t persuade his

father, then maybe he could find out what happened to Silus.

“Go to that vampire you’re fucking and ask him.”
His mother squeaked and actually jumped a little. Cedric couldn’t

blame her. He’d never heard his father say fuck before. The poor
woman just kept on getting shocked lately.

He looked to Ben, who just shrugged.
Wait a minute. “You mean he’s still at the Veturious manse?” If

that vampire was not in trouble, he was so going to be.

Cyricus snorted. Another thing Cedric had never heard before. “I

don’t make such assumptions. After issuing me the challenge via
telephone, that leech head of household went into an unprecedented
rant about how my child dared to spoil that disgusting spawn of his.”

Cedric rubbed his face. “Dad, please talk in smaller sentences, and

not like we’re in the Victorian era.”

“He accused you of using trickery and whoring yourself to Silus,

when I know for a fact it was the other way around.”

“Dearest, perhaps you should—”
Cyricus threw Cecelia’s arms off him and stood. He paced a little

then faced out the window, gripping the pane and watching the
sunshine glide across the lawn.

The only sound was the ticking of the mantel clock. Cyricus’s

behavior was as twisted as it was endearing. Even though he’d
disowned his only son for lying with a vampire, refusing to marry for
a vast dowry, and just downright never doing as he was told, Cyricus
still loved him. As much as the man was capable of love, that is.

But he would never, ever accept that Cedric was in love with a

vampire, and neither would Silus’s father, it seemed.

Cedric wanted to be with Silus, but he didn’t want his father to

kill himself for that to happen. He didn’t even want Silus’s father to

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kill himself. Cedric doubted Silus could ever be truly happy knowing
his relationship had caused deaths in his family. And if this challenge
came to pass, there would be a whole lot of bloodshed.

He couldn’t let that happen.
“Dad, I’ll ask you again. Please, when and where is the challenge

going to be held?”

Cyricus didn’t answer.
“Mother?” Cedric tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice.
She bit her lip and folded her hands in front of her, still facing her

husband. She hadn’t looked directly at Cedric the whole time he’d
been in the study, and she wasn’t about to do it now either.

Cedric pounded on the desk, and they both jumped at the

unexpected act. “This is such bullshit! If it’s an agreed upon place and
time, why don’t you just tell me?”

His mother actually looked like she was going to faint from all the

foul language. His father was looking at him like he was really seeing
him for the first time.

Then Cedric started paying attention to the blue papers on his

father’s desk. Blueprints. Of a really big house that was not this one.

Then it clicked, and he laughed. “All that talk about honor. You’re

so full of shit.”

“How dare you?”
“What is it?” Ben asked, stepping forward to look.
“There is no agreed upon time or place,” Cedric said. “He’s going

to ambush them in the middle of the day.”

Cyricus ripped the blueprints off the desk and stuffed them away

in a crumpled heap in a drawer. “Get out of here. You’re not the son I
raised.”

Cedric licked his lips, all the times when he submitted and acted

like the good and proper little boy for his parents coming to mind.
Hell, he nearly married his cousin for them. “You’re right, I’m not.”

And with that, he strode out of the room.

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Ben was hot on his heels. He grabbed at Cedric’s shoulders, but

he shrugged him off until Ben’s grip got so tight that he couldn’t
throw him off anymore.

“Where are you going?” Ben asked.
To the nearest bit of direct sunlight so he could flash. “Back to the

Veturious manse. I was so stupid to come here first. I need to find
Silus.” He was so itchy to leave his body jittered.

Ben seemed to be struggling with something. “Ceddy, what if he

didn’t show up to that cabin on purpose?”

That got Cedric to hold still for sure. “He swore he was going to

meet me. One way or another. Those were his exact words.”

“I know, I know, but think about it. I’m not even sure when this

challenge was issued. What if Silus’s father sent it out before you left
that last time? Wouldn’t it have made sense for him to give you those
keys, told you to wait for him in some location hidden from his
family, but really he’s planning to fight beside his father?”

Cedric never thought of that before, and fuck, he hated that Ben

was actually making sense.

But then, any and all doubts brought on were quickly banished.

“He knows how I feel about my family. He wouldn’t go into a duel to
the death with any of them.”

“Are you sure?”
Memories of himself looking into Silus’s eyes and then pleading

with him to give his own parents a chance before disowning them
came to mind. Silus had seen the pain in Cedric’s eyes. He knew.

“Positive.” Just as he was positive that, wherever Silus was, he

was waiting for Cedric. Something was keeping Silus from calling to
Cedric, but he still felt a tiny pull that had to be more than his own
worry.

Ben sighed. “Okay, then I might have an idea.”

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Chapter Twelve

He was dying. Within an hour, Silus had been bled again, fed,

allowed a moment to breathe, then it was done all over again. This
time he had been cut only at his wrists instead of both wrists and
ankles, and not quite as deep, but it was enough.

The blood-filled bowls had been taken away by Crowley.

Winchester had questioned him again, and when Silus spat in his face,
he was left confined to his bedchamber, tied down like an animal.

Crowley and Winchester were not far off, speaking with his

parents, who were in the beginning stages of mourning. He knew this
by the black garments they wore the last time they came to see him.
His mother had been dragged into the room by his father. She took
one look at him from beneath a black-spotted veil before turning from
the room.

Did they not know it was them who were responsible for his

condition? That this constant bleeding was killing him, not Cedric’s
blood?

Blood. He needed it again. So thirsty. His skin was loose from a

lack of the life fluids.

“Here, my lord.” A cool hand under his neck lifted him up, and

then a glass was pressed to his lips.

Water. He must’ve complained of his thirst out loud. He drank

greedily, the liquid a cold gush of relief in his mouth and on his
tongue, but ultimately doing nothing to ease his inner ache, what he
had really been thirsting for.

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He opened his eyes when the glass was taken away to stare at the

servant. No, not servant. This man was dressed as a guard, the black
suit a giveaway, even though he did not wear the telltale shades.

He knew it was a man and not a were because he could smell the

lifeblood that Silus was so thirsty for. There was pity in the guard’s
green eyes, and Silus instantly knew he could use it.

Humans only worked for vampires for one reason and one reason

only.

“I’ll turn you.”
His face dropped before returning to normal much too late. Silus

had already seen the shock. “Milord, I—”

“What is your name?” His words were scratches against his throat,

but he needed to keep speaking. He needed to persuade.

“Sampson, sire”
Whether it was the first name or surname, Silus cared not. “You

do not look familiar. You are new to this family.”

Not a question. Sampson nodded.
“They’ll never change you. You will never receive that reward.

You will work until your bones are too old to carry you, then they will
throw you away. Like everyone else.”

Sampson’s lips thinned. “You would say something like that. Get

me to betray the family.”

Silus could barely keep his eyes open. He was developing tunnel

vision. “Does it matter? You want what I am offering, so much that
you would become a servant for creatures who feed on you when you
are not in that suit.”

“I was promised.” Sampson’s nostrils flared.
Silus rolled his tongue, attempting to put some moisture in his dry

mouth. It barely worked. “Even if they keep that promise, are you
willing to wait two decades? Or three? Or four? Those years are
nothing to my kind, but you will be old and frail by then.”

Silus lifted his head as much as he was able. “I will transform you

now.”

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125

A look of betrayal entered Sampson’s eyes, but otherwise, he

seemed to accept Silus’s words with ease. Of course, he worked with
creatures—some bloodthirsty in more than just the literal sense—that
other humans could never comprehend. That look of betrayal was
quickly replaced with hunger. Hunger for what he was being offered.

“You’re telling the truth?” Sampson asked, dropping the milord

and sire nonsense.

Silus nodded, his fangs lengthening with the thought of a coming

drink that would not be bled from him. “Why do you think the house
employs mostly werewolves? They cannot be changed. They will
always be servants.”

Sampson was already rolling up his sleeve, and with the cloth out

of the way, the scent of warm flesh and the sound of pulsing blood
became all consuming.

Silus managed to find the strength to lift his head even.
Sampson pulled away at the last second. “Swear to me.”
The pounding of the man’s heart, increasing the scent of his life-

blood as he was ready to receive what he most desired was nearly too
much. Silus didn’t dare lie. “I swear it.”

“Good, because if you’re lying…” Sampson pulled his gun from

his holster, the cold barrel of his Glock hard on Silus’s temple.

Silus was not afraid of it, but he nodded anyway before biting

down on the offered vein.

* * * *

Cedric had left his father’s study and immediately flashed himself

to a spot just outside of Silus’s family manse. Cyricus’s cowardly
attack was going to happen any minute, any second now. As soon as
enough of Cedric’s cousins, uncles, and former friends could be
gathered, that small army would fall upon the vampires like they were
avenging angels or something. They all, no doubt, thought they were
exactly that.

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Cedric’s thigh jittered as he waited for Benny to come back.

Though Cedric could flash himself onto the property and near a door,
Ben had wanted to go in first to make sure the coast was clear.

He still seemed to take his duties as a guard seriously, despite it

no longer being his job to care for Cedric’s safety. Unfortunately, it
left Cedric hiding behind the big brick gate on the west side of the
vampire manse, beside a small hedge, checking his watch every ten
seconds.

It was a weak spot for the cameras. It was how they’d gotten in

those times previous. Hide, make sure the coast was clear, teleport,
look for an empty spot through the windows, teleport again. The last
time it seemed to go much faster than this, however, and it was
making Cedric antsy as fuck.

C’mon, c’mon, c’mon.
“What are you doing there?”
Cedric froze and looked up.
Uh-oh. Being well hidden from the cameras didn’t mean well

hidden from patrol guards, it seemed. A freaking giant walked toward
him like a soldier.

“What?” he said stupidly.
He was sure it was a man. Werewolves were just as big as this

guy, but usually shaggier. The guy approached him with long and
purposeful strides. Cedric got to his feet just as he got up in his face.
Sort of. The man was taller and bulkier by far, especially with all that
armor on.

“This is private property. You’re to the leave the premises

immediately,” he said in a deep baritone.

Not going to happen. He had to wait for Ben.
Stall, you idiot!
“C’mon, man, I was just looking for a place to crash for the night.

Wasn’t hurting anything.” It was a line he usually said to Ben back in
their college days when he got wasted and didn’t feel like going
home.

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127

He only hoped the guy bought the drunk routine.
Even though the guy wore black shades, Cedric could still see a

single dark brow lift above them. It almost looked like he was being
studied.

“You’re that sun sprite, aren’t you? The one who kept on sneaking

in and out of here.”

Shit.
Just as the guy moved his beefy hand up to the radio on his

shoulder, Ben popped back into existence behind him, looped his arm
around Andre the Giant’s neck, and pulled his weight so they both fell
back.

The big guy landed on top of him, and Cedric could hear as the air

whooshed from Ben’s chest. The only thing that kept his ribs from
cracking was probably the vest armor Ben wore.

Knowing what his guard was doing, Cedric rushed down to grab

at the big guy’s arms, pinning them down so Ben could keep his grip
on that thick tree trunk of a neck.

Ten seconds of struggling and twitching later, Andre was out like

a light.

Ben released the guy’s neck, and Cedric tentatively let go of his

arms so Ben could push the guy off him.

“You okay?” Cedric asked, his breathing heavy from the

excitement rather than because he’d had a two hundred and some odd
pound guy on him.

“Couldn’t breathe for a sec.” He barely sounded like he was

breathing now.

“How long’s he going to be out?”
Ben sat up, quickly regaining his strength now that he didn’t have

an extra three hundred pounds on him. “Long enough for us to get in
and get out. I can’t explain it. The place is crawling with guards, but I
don’t think they’re looking for us.”

They both looked down at the soldier taking a nap.

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“Let’s go before they find out we came.” Cedric flashed out and

reappeared in front of Silus’s patio door. It was locked this time, so he
had to wait for Ben to come and teleport him in since there was no
direct sunlight inside.

He instantly grabbed his nose and nearly puked. The sights and

smells were enough to bring a better man to his knees. On the bed,
where they had… Blood splotches. Big, deep and dark. Everywhere.

He bent down to grab his knees as the floor waved around at his

feet. This was exactly what he’d seen in his nightmare—what Ben
had woken him up from. Why hadn’t he realized? He could’ve gotten
here so much sooner. Now he might be… “Jesus Christ.”

Ben rubbed his back, but he didn’t take his eyes away from the

bed either. “He’s not here. Maybe he’s okay.”

That was way too much blood, even for a vampire, to be okay.

What did they do to him? “I shouldn’t have left him.”

“If you’d stayed, they would’ve done this to you, too,” Ben

whispered.

Not exactly what Cedric had meant. What he meant was that he

should’ve taken Silus with him right away instead of trusting those
stuck-up parents of his to not do something as Chainsaw Massacre as
this.

Perhaps this was why Silus never contacted him through that

vamp link they shared. Whatever it was they did looked pretty damn
gruesome. Something like that would make it hard to focus.

Except for that nightmare Cedric had, which obviously wasn’t a

nightmare.

He was going to fucking kill whoever did this. Rip them apart and

throw the pieces into the sun just to watch them burn.

Ben was trying to gently pull Cedric back out from whence they

came, apparently having also decided there was no hope. But Cedric’s
feet stayed rooted on the spot. He couldn’t leave. Not yet. There was
still something inside him pulling in the other direction.

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129

A low moan sounded in the room. Ben had his gun out and drawn

faster than Cedric could think of a Quick and the Dead reference. But
there was no one else in the room with them.

Another faint groan sounded.
“D’you hear that?” Ben asked. Poor guy was probably creeped out

that he had nothing but noise to point his Glock at.

Cedric did hear it. And he also heard where it was coming from.

He stepped in front of his gun-toting friend and moved for the slasher
movie prop of a bed.

“Cedric, what the—”
He got on his knees to peer under, shaking at what he thought he

might find.

Not Silus. Some human in a suit instead. Cedric didn’t know

whether to be relieved or disappointed.

He settled for angry as he reached under to grab at the human’s

arm and drag him out. The man let out a groggy moan, but Cedric
paid him no mind, and he was not in the mood for being gentle.

Ben put his toy away to get down on his haunches. “What do we

have here?”

“Don’t know.” He didn’t, but if this guy was involved in whatever

went down in this room, he’d be worse than dead.

Benny slapped the man’s cheeks a few times. “Yo, rise and shine,

sweetheart.”

The man groaned and batted his hands away in a drunken attempt

at self defense. That’s when Cedric saw them.

He reached out and snatched the man’s wrist, noting the blood

there and yanking the sleeve of his fancy suit down.

Twin puncture marks, deep, ugly, and dry, stared right back at

him.

Someone had drank this guy nearly empty.
He and Ben looked at each other, understanding passing between

them, and they said it at the same time.

“He got away.”

Night and Day

131

Chapter Thirteen

He’d been sitting in his black Porsche Cayman, a model that

wouldn’t come out until next year, his trembling hand on the keys that
would start the ignition—he was still low on blood, after all—when it
happened. A perfectly round hole big enough for him to drive through
was blown out of the cement wall. The vibrations were so violent that
his car alarm began to shriek.

Before the bang ceased to echo, and the rocks and dust settled, a

flood of men entered, all with long grey coats like out of a twenties
style noir film, and none carried any visible weapons on them. Visible
being the key word.

Still daylight outside, no shades, and bright golden hair on the lot

of them.

These were the sun sprites. His father had been quick to issue the

challenge, but there was no chance this was what had been agreed
upon.

Silus’s family was being ambushed during the day.
He didn’t know whether to be pleased with that, for it meant his

father could not go hunting for Cedric, or frightened for his family.

Every sun sprite passed right by his car, as well as every other

Hummer and convertible in the garage. All had tinted windows,
including Silus’s automobile, so he was safe so long as he dare not
breathe until alone.

In quick succession, they entered the house and were gone.

Screams and flashes of light erupted from the open doorway. Then the
alarm for the manse itself sounded.

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Whether those screams came from his mother, or any of his other

relations still visiting, he did not know. Nor could he leave until he
found out.

He wished no harm on any sun sprite, but he would do whatever it

took to ensure his mother and father survived this stupidity. Even
though they did not deserve to survive.

He exited his vehicle, careful to keep out of the sunlight streaming

in through the hole in the wall, and went back into the house. Whether
he could actually be of any use in a battle was debatable because of
the way the cement floor continued to shift and churn beneath him.
He reached out to steady himself along the wall before he could fall to
his knees. He was still dizzy as hell from all that bleeding, but he had
to do something. He would not sit idly by while his family was
dishonorably attacked.

Silus shook himself in an attempt to clear away the dizziness, and

ran through the halls, searching for his enemy. His speed seemed to
still be working because he managed to sneak up behind one of the
sprites standing guard outside the night room and, in quick
succession, had one arm around his neck while the other held onto the
top of his head. The sprite struggled, and a mild, burning light glowed
from his skin as he attempted to defend himself, but Silus had him
down and unconscious before it could become any brighter and any
damage could be done.

Silus winced at his hands. It looked like a bad sunburn, but

nothing to stay in bed over. However much his father bled Cedric out
of him, it was enough that even that little bit of UV light had a
negative effect on him.

This was going to become difficult if he no longer had as much

tolerance as Cedric’s blood had given him.

Silus dragged the unconscious sprite into the night room and

locked him inside. It didn’t guarantee the man’s safety should he
wake up later without his comrades, but he would be safe, for now.

He had to find his father.

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133

With no weapons, he was forced to duck and hide in rooms and

behind doors whenever he could not catch a single soldier by himself,
something he absolutely despised whenever he happened across a pile
of ash. He could not assume any of them were either of his parents,
not if he wanted to keep his head in this situation.

Wherever he could, he brought down single sun sprites and kept

moving, keeping low. Eventually he stopped at a corner, listening
with glee as Crowley begged for his life in the hands of a sprite.

Silus already decided he would leave that worm to his death.
It wasn’t until he heard the voice of the sprite who had him did he

straighten up.

“What did you do to him?” Cedric growled.
Silus nearly ran out from his hiding place to demand why Cedric

had returned when the situation was at its most dangerous, but then, in
his childlike voice, Crowley spouted his demented logic. “We tried to
save him… from you. He could not be saved.”

Silus went cold all over.
Could not be saved. That last time they had left the room… No

one had returned for quite some time. He had wondered on that. Now
he knew.

They had left him to die.
Had his parents truly believed him so lost with their imaginary

curses that the death of their son was the better, merciful option?

His parents. His mother and sire … they had tried to kill him.
A bright flash and a scream later, Silus stepped out from his

hiding place.

There was an ash mark along the wall where Cedric had been

holding Crowley against it. His human friend stood behind him, silent
while Cedric gasped for air, inhaling and exhaling as his limbs
trembled.

Then his head came up, and he noticed Silus for the first time.
Cedric’s eyes flew wide, and then he ran to him. Silus met him

halfway, their mouths instantly latching on to each other, melding

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together and tongues becoming reacquainted, but it was hardly safe
for kissing, nor was Silus’s skin up for the rough caressing of their
lips.

“You should not have come back here. ’Tis dangerous,” Silus

said, though he relished the feeling of having his lover pressed against
him again, regardless of the sting in his hands and face.

Cedric occupied himself with gently stroking Silus’s face, neck,

and hair, as though convincing himself all was well with those little
acts. “A lot more dangerous for you, apparently. Did I do this?”

“Nay… I was bled. Most of your blood that I had taken in is now

likely in the sewers.” Or in my bedsheets, he thought. Upon Cedric’s
enraged expression, he continued on. “It seems to have had an effect
on my new ability to withstand light. Another sprite did this. He still
lives,” Silus quickly added. “I… handled him and then hid him away
where he could be relatively safe for the time being.”

Flashes of light continued to brighten the far corners Silus’s

family halls, and the screams as both vampire and sun sprite died in
battle did not give hope regarding anyone’s safety.

Silus pulled away from Cedric’s embrace at the thought. “I–I must

save my father and mother. Regardless of what they did—”

“I know, don’t worry. I don’t want those idiots killing each other

either.”

“Ladies, can we take this into another room before you both get

caught hugging?”

The swine! Silus’s fangs lengthened at the insult to his manhood.

“How dare you?”

Cedric grabbed his hand and gently pulled him into the nearest

bedroom. “He didn’t mean it like that, trust me, but he’s right. We
were able to get around pretty easy before, but with you, it’s going to
get tricky.”

Silus calmed himself, deciding to let the insult slide, though he

still tingled unpleasantly all over.

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135

His lover was correct. Cedric and his human companion would

have been able to walk the halls with relative ease now that the sprites
had nearly taken total control of the manse. But none of them would
ever mistake Silus for a sun sprite should they be seen together.

The trial before them all dampened his spirits. “We shall die

defending our families, and they shall die with us.”

As though timed for it, when he said the last part, another mild

explosion sounded, and more screams from men and women pierced
the walls. Even after Ben shut and locked the door, they could still
hear it.

Cedric put his hand on the back of Silus’s neck and pulled him up

for another meshing of mouths. He sighed when he moved away.
“Yeah, probably.” Then he tilted his neck, and Silus could instantly
scent the pulsing heat he’d wanted so badly.

“Take me back in you.”
Oh, such words that made all sorts of promises.
“What if my lack of your blood causes me to—” He thought back

to his minor seizure on the floor of his bedchamber their first night
together.

Cedric knew where his thoughts had gone. “Ben’ll stand guard

outside. I’ll be right here with you while you recover. You’re going to
need your strength for this.”

Cedric spoke with such confidence. It no longer made everything

seem so bleak. Perhaps he’d been born a sun sprite for a reason.
“What is our plan?”

“Best-case scenario, you and I are going to talk everyone down

and get them all to leave each other alone. Worst-case, we’re going to
have to kill ourselves.”

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Chapter Fourteen

The house was nearly quiet now with the exception of the

occasional gunshot from what remained of the werewolf and human
guards. The vampires eventually did organize themselves after
someone managed to call for backup, so the soldier vampires who
were originally meant to fight during the challenge came to the house
of their lord to duel instead.

From what Silus understood, as there had never been a challenge

issued during his hundred years, normally, these battles between
vampires and sun sprites occurred in an open field, much like how
wars of centuries passed were fought. The difference was that these
challenges were meant to be fought in the minutes before sundown—
with the vampires wearing enough sun protection, of course. This
prevented either side from having too large of an advantage, and these
contests usually ended within moments of their beginning anyway. It
ensured a winner was announced quickly without dragging on a battle
that could potentially harm civilians.

However, in such a large house, with so many places to hide and

wait for an enemy to approach, it made for an interesting sort of
guerrilla warfare that seemed to go on and on. The sun was no longer
in the sky, and the stars shone brightly in the black night.

It left the manse at a crumbling stalemate. The sun sprites would

not leave until all the vampires were eradicated, and the vampires
refused to retreat from their blooded home.

Stubborn fools, the lot of them.
Silus walked into the ballroom, what remained of it, holding

Cedric close in front of him, twisting that golden, tanned arm behind

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137

his back with a letter opener to his throat. They nearly tripped on each
other’s feet once or twice, but they did make it to the center of the
spacious area.

Silus took a moment to look at everything. Bullet holes

pockmarked the once gleaming walls, the tinted windows had been
shot out and destroyed, and grey ashes dirtied everything. They had
once belonged to vampires who had been in the way of a sun sprite’s
blinding glow, but they were not in piles as they should have been.
The gentle breeze from outside, along with sprites and vampires
fighting in them, had scattered them everywhere.

He felt as though he were standing in a graveyard.
Silus cleared his throat, needing his voice to be strong, to bounce

around the destroyed marble walls and reach the others still in hiding,
waiting to spring on their prey. “I am calling out to the head of house,
Cyricus! Come out! I have your son.”

The house remained still. He knew better. “To all the sun sprites

in my home, I have your prince. I will kill him unless you leave this
property.”

Cedric winced and spoke low through his teeth. “Not so rough.”
Silus realized his grip was too firm on Cedric’s forearm, and he

slackened his fingers so they no longer pressed into his skin. “You
said to make it convincing.”

“Not enough to bruise me with those pointed claws of yours.”
Their back and forth banter nearly brought a grin to Silus’s lips,

but then he caught sight of the first head peeking out from an open
doorway on the second floor.

A sprite. Not a vampire. Silus heaved a heavy breath. Had a

vampire been the first to arrive, Cedric would have been in real
danger, and then their plan would be for shit.

Silus retightened his grip and held the blade more prominently to

Cedric’s throat. “Unless you want his blood on your hands, you will
come out.”

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He projected a mental apology to Cedric, which was received with

a mental snort.

The sprite’s jaw dropped, and he did as he was bade and came out

into full view, not stopping until he reached what remained of the
marble banister. The sprite’s golden hair was shaved nearly to his
skull, and blood and vampire dust matted into his robes.

Silus cursed. “If that is my mother you are wearing, I shall never

let you die.”

Cedric shivered in his arms. Silus hated for his lover to hear him

say such things, but he would not take it back.

“It’s not your mother.”
Silus turned as quickly as possible without slicing Cedric’s neck.

Luckily, ever the dutiful hostage, Cedric spun gracefully with him and
there was no blood spilled.

Silus’s father, along with a number of warrior vampires ranked in

a neat row behind him, stood in the broken glass of the destroyed
windows. Some began removing their helmets, or lifting their tinted
visors. The capture of the son of the sprite who arranged the attacked
no doubt seen as the victory they’d fought for.

Wiktor Vaughn Veturious stepped forward, a little smile twitching

his lips. “My son, I know not what has brought this miracle before
me, but I welcome it.”

Silus’s insides tightened. This was even worse than if a single

vampire had been the first to arrive. He needed to stalemate both
players, but he could hardly do that with only a single sun sprite
above him for defense.

“Stop! Stop!” Cyricus yelled, his palms up and pointing out as he

appeared from the same doorway as the startled sprite before him.
Ben was at his side, and a hundred or so other sun sprites who had
survived the attack filed in on both floors.

Now Silus could breathe. Even Cedric’s energy gave off waves of

relief. This was what they had hoped for.

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139

Wiktor did indeed halt, and his small army of werewolves,

humans, and vampires resumed their fighting stances, the werewolves
and humans pointing their guns while the vampires hissed and
lengthened their claws and fangs.

The sprites merely stared, as did Cyricus, only his stare contained

much more shock, and a gaping mouth as he hung over the rail,
staring at his son in Silus’s threatening grip.

“It’s as I told you, sir,” Ben said, his arms folded over chest, and

standing at an angle so everyone below could see the weapon he had
strapped to his hip.

“Y–Yes, I see.”
When the plan had been explained to Silus, Ben had run off in

search of Cedric’s father, spouting a lie about how his son had wished
to return home, had been tricked into becoming Silus’s lover, and
wanted revenge for being made a fool of… only to be taken captive.

After heroically slaying many vampire foes, of course.
Cedric had insisted on the latter part being added to the story. Not

because of a grudge against vampires, he’d assured Silus, who had
been glaring at him at the time, but because he didn’t want to seem
such a damsel.

And Ben was here now. That made Cedric safe as he could

teleport the both of them away should things become ugly.

They could both begin their statements. Silus’s wrist, the one with

the blade at Cedric’s neck, went slack, as did the hand that held
Cedric’s arm behind his back.

The vampires gasped, and the sun sprites watched with fixed

intensity as Silus released his bargaining chip. Yet Cedric did not
move away to safety. The two remained within touching distance as
Cedric addressed what were once his people and the man who, in a
few moments’ time, may just disown him a second time.

“I’m sorry for the lie, Father, but my feelings for Silus are

unchanged.”

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The sun sprites on the above and below floors looked amongst

themselves curiously at the statement. Silus had no doubt that none of
them had been informed of the true reason for this idiot’s game of a
challenge. The men behind Cedric’s father all looked like soldiers, not
the gentlemen who had collectively cast him aside.

Cyricus sputtered, his face actually turning red and his body

glowing with rage.

The vampires hissed and put their helmets back into place, all but

for Wiktor, who stared at Silus with equal amounts of confusion and
pain.

Silus felt no twinge or pain in his heart. Though he loved his

father, he did not forget the man had attempted to kill him for his
choice. “’Tis true.” He took Cedric’s hand and squeezed it for added
measure.

There was a collective hiss at the sight from both sides this time.
“You should all know that this is why you’re here.” Cedric didn’t

just address the sun sprites in the room, but the vampires as well.
“Because of us. Our parents couldn’t stand the thought of a vampire
and sun sprite being lovers. That’s why you’re all fighting to the
death, and that’s why some of your friends have already been
slaughtered. For this.” Cedric raised their joined hands to emphasize
his point.

Silus spoke to the vampires, all of whom stared, some with their

hands at their mouths, as though he’d confessed to having relations
with farm animals. “I know this is difficult to understand, but there
really is no need for this fighting. None of you need to meet your end
for this feud. I have found my life-mate in a sun sprite, and I will not
turn away from him. That has been my decision. I have not been
tricked, hexed, nor do I wish for any deaths on either side. I implore
you all to walk away from this fight and return to your families. We
do not have to be enemies.”

“The same goes for me,” Cedric said, his eyes moving intently

along the stunned faces. “I recognize some of you from my home.

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141

You all know about how I broke off my engagement.” He took a deep
breath. “Now you know why. I don’t want to see any more of you
dead.”

Wiktor hid his face in both hands and, his back slouching, turned

away from the both of them.

Cyricus’s hands clutched at the marble rail so tightly his knuckles

turned white while the tips of his fingers shaded to a blood red.

They both waited. Silus held his breath. If they had any impact at

all, both teams would turn their backs, leaving both of their fathers
alone with their hatred. No one else would lose their life, and perhaps
this cold war between sun sprites and vampires would end.

A furious roar shook the foundation upon which they stood.

“Traitor!”

One of the sun sprites picked up a chunk of the broken off marble

and hurled it down upon them. Silus was forced to relinquish Cedric’s
hand as they leapt apart to dodge the rock.

It broke in two pieces that left another crack in the already

destroyed tiling, both bits of stone sliding in opposite directions, and
landing at both Cedric’s and Silus’s feet.

Silus could only look at the fist-sized rock at his shoes. It was the

perfect metaphor to his and Cedric’s situation, precisely how the
warriors surrounding them wanted this to end.

With him and Cedric separated.
Then a racket of voices shouting to be heard over each other

began. Some of the affronted screams were pointed in their direction,
others amongst each other. It was a chaotic ball of arguing where no
one was being heard.

Silus turned to his father. The vampire lord was rubbing his face

with his hands, horrified at the shame Silus had brought upon him
with the confession. Their eyes met for the briefest of seconds before
he did something that Silus had never seen him do.

He burst into tears.

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With a twist under his breast, Silus knew the man truly would

rather his son had died. A death could be mourned at least,
sympathized with. What Silus had done, could not, and his family
would suffer as long as he lived.

He turned in the other direction and followed Cedric’s gaze to

Cyricus. The old sprite did not weep, as the proud Wiktor did, but he
glared at his son, body trembling with rage, his face still scarlet.
’Twas the same situation for Cedric, it seemed.

For the first time since hearing of the plan, Silus whole-heartedly

agreed with it. He stepped over that blasted bit of rock and took
Cedric’s hand into his, and when Cedric turned his face, he kissed
him.

That only seemed to make the noise twice as loud.
Cedric’s arms wound around his back, sliding up past his shoulder

blades into his black hair. Silus gripped Cedric’s hips and pressed him
close.

The roar of the room tripled. Someone fired their gun into the

ceiling, but the crowd did not calm.

Cedric pulled down the neck of his button-down, exposing his

throat.

That act alone silenced the room. “Be quick, babe.”
He had to drink as much as possible for what Cedric was about to

do. He did. His fangs sank into their familiar sheaths, reopening the
punctures, and the blood that brought the sunlight behind his eyes
pooled into his mouth and down his throat.

“What is he doing?” Cyricus shrieked. “Stop him! He’s killing my

son. Stop him!”

Wiktor was screaming similarly. “That sprite blood is poison!

Silus!”

Despite the screams from both heads of household, neither army

moved to separate them. Both sides stared, fixated, at what they
perceived to be a gruesome sight.

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143

Silus sucked back more, and with what he’d already drank before

they came into the ballroom, his body luckily remained vertical.
Cedric’s knees weakened and bent. Unable to hold straight, Silus had
to grab him to keep him from collapsing to the broken floor.

He growled, waiting for Cedric’s light to consume them.
“Not yet,” Cedric said, his voice hoarse and fingers weakly

clutching at Silus’ shoulders. “Drink more.”

Silus did. He sucked back three more strong mouthfuls hard and

fast, nearly choking on it, some of the blood erupting out of his mouth
and staining Cedric’s clothing.

Suddenly, both armies came out of the hypnotic state that

watching a vampire drink from a sprite put them into. As both sides of
angry warriors began their charge, Cedric began to glow. An order
was called out, and in his peripheral vision, Silus caught sight of the
vampires all putting their visors back down and protecting their
leader. The sun sprites did not stop. They charged as Cedric released a
glow that rivaled the explosion of a star.

* * * *

Though the vampires had their protection, they still had to blink

the dots from their eyes when the room’s radiant glow diminished to a
more acceptable illumination.

It was the same for the sun sprites, who, although they were made

to handle such bright blazes, also staggered around, reaching with
blind hands to steady each other until their eyes adjusted.

Silus and Cedric were both gone from the center of the destroyed

ballroom. A pile of ash and a burn mark were all that remained.

Wiktor stepped forward, his mouth opening and closing, broken

sounds escaping him, but no words. He reached for the charcoal spot
where they once stood, as though his son could reappear unscathed.

“Could—could that sprite have flashed him away? He was strong

enough to survive the bleeding. He could have survived.”

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“He didn’t flash away.” Ben stepped forward, guns in his hands.

He bent down and left them on the grainy floor, then approached with
his palms up until he stood in front of the vampire with the pleading
eyes. “Sun sprites can’t teleport like that outside of direct sunlight,
and they can’t take anyone with them.”

Again, Wiktor’s face broke with sobs.
“Murderer!”
Everyone raised their heads to the sprite who screamed out.

Cyricus leaned over the rail, a long finger pointed directly at Wiktor.
“Your demon child destroyed my son! Bit him and forced him to
defend himself.”

Three vampires rushed forth to hold Wiktor back when he

attempted to charge the accuser. “My child would still be here had it
not been for your sun-loving wretch!”

“Stop it, stop it!” Ben had his hands to his ears. “Jesus, you both

shriek like chicks. They were both standing there, barely thirty
seconds ago, asking you both to let it go, but you wouldn’t. It’s the
fault of both families they’re gone.”

Both men seemed to choke on those words.
Ben turned his face up, addressing Cyricus. “Sir, as you know,

Cedric and I are—were—friends. He’s dead now because of all this,
so I quit.”

Ben made a show of unstrapping his bulletproof vest and threw it

down on the floor, the thud echoing like everything did in the silent
space, and then he walked out, leaving both sides to stare at each
other.

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145

Chapter Fifteen

The morning sun was just turning the horizon from black to navy

and pink when Ben teleported back to Silus’s cabin. It was still dark,
but not enough that he was night blinded as he went up the deck two
stairs at a time to let himself in.

Silus and Cedric were exactly where he’d left them when he

teleported the first time, cuddled on the rug on the floor. The empty
plastic bag they’d carried all those ashes in, hidden under Cedric’s
shirt before it had been dumped, was on the floor next to them,
making a grey mess of what was no doubt an expensive tapestry.

Luckily it was one of those expensive rugs that was soft and thick.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have known how Silus could handle sleeping
on it with that nasty-ass sunburn all over his face and hands.

Even with all of Cedric’s blood in him, it had nearly not been

enough to keep his skin from peeling off his bones when Cedric put
on the lightshow. He wouldn’t be surprised if some of the rays had
gone right through Silus’s clothes, burning him there, too, with how
bright Cedric had become.

Cedric’s eyes popped open, and his head snapped up when Ben

stepped inside, but there was no energy left in him to lift his body.

Ben leaned down to help him with that. “It’s okay, I’m here. It’s

dawn. I’ll get you to a bed.”

Cedric waved him off. The struggle was a pathetic one, but it still

got Ben’s attention. “No. Silus first. Close the curtains in his room.”

He frowned at that. “No tinted windows?”

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Cedric shook his head but didn’t explain further why a vampire

house would not have tinted windows. Maybe Silus just didn’t use it
enough.

Well, he would after today.
Ben left his best friend on the floor and, with all the care he could

find, as if he were handling a sickly infant, Ben eased Silus into his
arms. Trying to maintain his quick feet without jostling the cargo too
much, Ben got him to one of the rooms upstairs and eased the
vampire into bed. Though the room wouldn’t be entirely light tight,
with the shutters closed and the curtains drawn, it would be damn near
close.

“Thank you.”
Ben spun as the last curtain on the second window was tied shut.

Silus had awoken—or had he always been awake?—and was looking
at Ben with something akin to gratitude.

“For the curtains? No problem.”
“Not for the curtains.”
Yeah, he knew, but he didn’t want to think too much on it. It was

going to make him uncomfortable. “He’s my best friend. If you’re in
the picture too, then whatever I’d do for him applies to you, too.”

Silus smiled, revealing a bit of fang, but then it vanished and his

brow creased. “Did—”

“Your father survived, don’t worry. I walked all the way across

that giant lawn of yours before I teleported, and in that time, I didn’t
hear the fighting start back up.”

Silus sighed. “I hope we gave them something to think about.”
Ben let himself out. “Pretty sure you did,” he said, before closing

the door.

When Ben got back downstairs Cedric had managed to drag

himself to sit on the couch, and unlike in Silus’s room, Ben began
opening the curtains and windows to let in as much of dawn’s rays as
possible. The horizon was now turning nice shades of pink and blues,

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147

shadows were starting to cast along the trees, and the birds chirped in
their nests. It was going to be a beautiful morning.

“Want to go upstairs,” Cedric muttered.
“You need to recharge your batteries first,” Ben said, and then he

turned and caught Cedric trying to get to his feet. “Whoa, easy.” He
rushed forward, pushing Cedric back down, then lifting his legs and
forced him to lie on his back instead of sitting on his ass.

Though he’d seen the guest rooms upstairs, it occurred to him that

Cedric would probably rather be in bed with Silus, which was a no-no
considering how dark that room currently was.

“I’ll be fine,” Cedric insisted, though the physical protests were so

weak they equaled zilch.

“Just sleep a little bit, until noon. Then I’ll help you go up to

him.”

Cedric licked his lips and closed his eyes. Ben took that as an

agreement.

“Thanks for helping us,” Cedric muttered.
A familiar place under Ben’s ribs squeezed. “Couldn’t exactly

leave you guys out in the cold, right?”

Cedric smiled. “You could have. But you didn’t. That’s the

thing.”

“I’m your bodyguard.”
“No you’re not.”
Short sentences told Ben just how frail his friend still was and

gave him the giant hint that he shouldn’t argue. He should just leave
him to his sunbathing, when the sun finally managed to get its ass
higher in the sky, that is.

“I’m still your friend.”
“Good friend.”
Yes, a very good friend. Of course, friends, even very good ones,

didn’t kneel down and lean in to kiss their friends when they were as
unguarded and helpless as Cedric was.

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When he pulled his mouth away from those shocked lips, Cedric’s

eyes were popped wide. It was comical enough that Ben laughed.

“I figured you never knew.”
“But—why—”
Ben knew what Cedric wanted to say. Why all the parties, and

then following him to a vampire ball for his bachelor lay?

Ben didn’t run his fingers through that golden hair like he’d

always wanted. That was too intimate a gesture, even more so than
the little kiss he’d given, and he wanted his friendship to still be intact
when this was all over.

“I was your bodyguard. I could never in good consciousness act

on my feelings for you. You were always so high above me.”

Cedric continued to gaze at him, only now it looked as though he

were about to unman himself with his misty eyes. “Ben—”

“Your safety and happiness has always been my top priority, back

even before I took this job, when we were still kids together. That
hasn’t changed.”

Ben leaned back on his hunches, projecting an aura of cheer he

didn’t feel. Truthfully, his heart was jumping around in his chest like
a rabbit on crack. “I used to not like him, but now I’m kind of glad
you’re with him. If anything, this proves that not all rules are meant to
be obeyed. Gives me hope that I’ll still find someone.”

Cedric’s Adam’s apple bobbed heavily before he licked his lips.

“Just remember to ask them out next time.”

Ben grinned. “You got it. Even if I’m not allowed, I’ll make a

move.” He got to his feet, found the key rack on the wall, and picked
something out with a whistle. “You don’t think he’ll mind if I drive
one of these to get some takeout, do you?” Maybe he’d even get some
burn cream for that poor creature upstairs.

Cedric’s eyes were playfully half lidded, just as they always were

whenever the two of them talked like this. “Don’t know. Kissing his
mate. Driving his ride. Pushing it.”

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149

“What he doesn’t know won’t kill him.” It was the same thing

Ben always said whenever he and Cedric snuck out from under the
ever-watchful eye of Cedric’s father.

When Ben left for the garage, he felt light and cheerful. For real

this time. Because his friendship was still whole. When he flicked the
lights and got a load of what he’d be driving, that cheer crashed
through the roof and kept right on going.

“I’m so not returning you to Silus,” he said as he sank into the

plush leather seat of the yellow Porsche. Before starting the ignition,
he started playing with the Sirius satellite radio.

Silus owed him for saving his life anyway.

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Chapter Sixteen

As soon as he was able, Cedric pulled himself off the couch and

dragged his ass up the stairs. He’d sat in the morning sun for a few
minutes once it peaked through the windows, and now he wanted to
lay in the dark for a bit. Next to his lover.

He opened the door just a crack and slipped inside.
Silus opened his eyes at the soft click of the door as it shut. He

was already looking better, his face and hands not so red, and no signs
of blisters or pealing like he’d feared. Silus pulled down the covers
for him, and, grinning, Cedric crossed the room and climbed in with
his… mate. He was going to have to get used to that word.

“You are looking fine this morning,” Silus said.
Cedric began tracing light patterns over Silus’s pale chest, tickling

the indents and circling his nipples until they reddened and budded
like roses, but otherwise he was careful not to touch too much lest he
irritate the burns. “You look better, too.”

Silus reached up for Cedric’s hand, stopping him. “As much as I

adore your hands, I’ll need a little more rest before my body can
perform.”

Cedric lowered his gaze, and his eyes widened at the tent poking

up in the silk sheets. He hadn’t even really been thinking about sex,
but his lips quirked into a wicked smirk as he slid his hand down to
gently cup and massage the shaft through the linens. Silus hissed in a
breath, and though Cedric adored the sound of it, his body didn’t
respond the way he’d hoped.

His confusion must’ve been obvious because Silus was chuckling

at him with his eyes closed. “Not what you expected?”

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151

Cedric lay back and threw the sheets off himself to have a look.

His jeans were still on, but there was hardly a tingle beneath them.
Touching Silus and listening to his pleasure always made him hard. “I
don’t get it.”

“Mmm, I’m freshly filled with your blood. ’Tis not difficult, no

matter how weak I may feel, for that blood to make its way here.”
Silus grabbed Cedric’s hand and returned it to his prick.

“You, on the other hand,” he gasped, removing the hand to stroke

at Cedric’s fingers with his thumbs, “are missing quite a bit of blood.
It will be some time before you can get it up as easy as before.”

“Not too long, I hope,” Cedric said. This was supposed to be his

happily ever after. From what he understood, that usually got
celebrated with a lot of headboard-banging sex.

“No. Your stamina is good. Give it a day or so and we’ll return to

this.”

It shouldn’t have left Cedric disappointed. They’d had sex every

time they’d been together since they met. Maybe now was the right
time to simply relax, heal, and enjoy each other’s company rather than
each other’s dicks.

But he really, really, really wanted sex.
Silus could get it up, but was too weak to fuck him, and Cedric

couldn’t get hard anyway, so it didn’t matter.

Or, maybe it did.
Cedric grabbed the sheets and flung them entirely off the bed.
Silus tensed. “What are you—?”
“That doesn’t look very comfortable, and I promise my mouth still

works,” Cedric said, and Silus said not one more word as his trousers
were unbuttoned and pulled down.

Cedric wanted sex, but he could still do the pleasing and have a

good time. Silus had taken a serious sunbath beating with the light
Cedric let off back at his former manse. He wanted to make him feel
good after that.

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The first thing Cedric did was harden his tongue and use it to play

with the slit of Silus’s cock. Then he took the whole shaft into his
mouth, going all the way down until his chin touched Silus’s balls.

Silus’s hands found his hair as Cedric worked him, his knees

coming up so that he could thrust his hips easier as he fucked Cedric’s
mouth, gasping his pleasure.

And then the tingling in his cock started up for real. Even with his

body depleted of blood, he still got excited for the vamp in bed with
him. It was a slow build up at first, but soon he was throbbing
between his legs.

Cedric began to hum, and it all ended as Silus came down his

throat. It was so sudden he nearly choked on it and had to pull away
quickly before the spasm made him bite down or something, which
was a shame because he liked that part. He’d wanted something
relatively quick before Ben came back, but that was a little too fast.

Cedric coughed a couple of times before he caught his breath and

stared at his lover, whose cheeks were pink and whose mouth was
pouting and annoyed.

It was cute.
“I told you. Too much blood in me.”
Cedric looked down, pleased with what he saw. Too much blood.

No kidding. “Well, you’re still good to go.” He took Silus’s hand and
stuck it over the firm area of his jeans. “So am I. I know you’re
tired—”

“No.” Silus’s eyes glittered, and his palm rubbed that spot. “Not

tired enough if you feel up to riding me… or fucking me.”

It was exactly what Cedric wanted to hear. He got to work on his

clothes, tossing them all away with the sheets he’d thrown across the
room previously, and then climbed up Silus’s body. It seemed only
the flesh of his face and hands were burned when Cedric pretended to
obliterate the both of them, because his body still looked perfectly
pale and beautiful.

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153

“If too much blood really does this to your prick,” Cedric said as

he gripped it in his hand and gave it a firm upper stroke, the saliva
there still wet enough to keep it slick, “I’ll feed you daily. Starting
tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.”
This got Cedric to thinking. “You don’t regret it, do you?”
Silus’s eyes became curious as the process toward coitus ceased.

“Regret—us? No, never.” He found the strength to sit himself up
against the mound of pillows behind him. It leveled their eyes and
allowed him to smooth his hands up and down Cedric’s shoulders and
neck. “Wherefore would you ask such a thing?”

“I love the way you talk. All you need is an English accent.”
“And you are stalling.”
Cedric clenched his teeth, half wishing he hadn’t said anything as

Silus’s hard eyes scrutinized him. “You just left your family behind.
They think you’re dead. I don’t want you to turn around one day and
hate me for taking them from you.”

“Would you, in turn, hate me for taking your family from you?”
A bitter taste instantly formed in Cedric’s mouth. “No. They tried

to marry me off to my cousin and then disowned me. Twice. Whether
it was because of this,” he said as he waved his hand between them,
“or not, I’m really glad to be free of them.”

His words were completely true, too. Every fiber of his being,

every sense he had of himself felt lighter, happier, to be out of that
mansion where he had lived.

The world was his oyster, and he could do whatever he wanted.

He could even make a little adventure of finding out exactly what that
was, and he had a partner—a mate—along for the ride with him.

“That little doctor you killed…”
Cedric’s face heated, but when no reproach came, he relaxed and

Silus continued.

“Though the bleeding was his recommendation, it could only have

been on my father’s orders that he left me to die.”

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Cedric hissed. That childlike vampire with the spectacles had said

something about how Silus couldn’t be saved, but he thought that
meant they were going to lock Silus up in the vampire equivalent of a
mental hospital or something. Someplace where Cedric would be able
to reach his lover eventually, rescuing him.

“That bleeding human under your bed—”
“I offered to turn him into one of my kind if he released me. He

complied. Without him, I would surely be dead.”

Cedric’s breath left him in a heavy rush. “I hope he survived the

attack on your house.”

Silus nodded. “As do I. But, knowing this, would you have any

doubts toward my decision to be with you?”

Cedric shook his head. Definitely not now.
Silus pulled him down so their mouths met. Because his face and

lips were still slightly burned, Cedric was gentle with him, but he
could not wait for his lover’s health to improve further so he could
consume that mouth the way he wanted.

Cock pulsing, hot and twitching, Cedric thrust against him,

rubbing their dicks together. Cedric braced his hands on the pillows
on either side of Silus’s head. “To being dead to the world,” he said in
a mock toast.

Silus appeared to be fighting to keep his eyes from rolling to the

back of his head. “Indeed. Cheers. Now kindly fuck me, my little
sprite.”

“You remember that I’m taller than you, right?”

THE END

RIZZOROSKO.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mandy Rosko lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario, is a romance

junkie, a lousy web designer, and is working hard to improve the craft
of creating an actual plot. She one day hopes to stop mooching off her
big brother for cheap rent.

You can visit her website for some free reads at rizzorosko.com
You know you want to ;)

Also by Mandy Rosko

Siren Classic: Mate of the Wolf

Available at

BOOKSTRAND.COM

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