STORY EXCERPT

Memories flashed before his eyes of what had happened earlier in the night. He’d been at Club Scorpion where he met Giovanni. From there he left the club and went home with Giovanni, where he—

“Fuck!” Asher sat up too fast, causing him to become dizzy, and he fell to his side, landing on something hard and cold. Asher moved his hands over the stiff form next to him, feeling the hard chest of a man. As his fingers worked their way up and he felt cool dry skin and stubble over the man’s jaw. “Holy shit!” Asher jumped off the bed.

The room was in total darkness. He couldn't even see his hand in front of his eyes. Asher’s heart started to race and his hands shook as he felt around the room. There had to be a light switch somewhere. Please God, let there be one. Finally he felt a notch in the wall and hit it. The room lit up and Asher spun around to face the bed.

“Oh no,” Asher whispered and his eyes went wide from the sight in front of him. “Benny?” Horror washed over his body. Benedict lay as still as a corpse, and didn’t look any better.

Asher rushed over to the bed and knelt down on the floor. His hands shook as he reached out to touch Benedict. They hadn’t seen each other in years and Benedict looked different. Gone was the youthful man with the long flowing hair he knew. Here lay a man with short hair, wrinkles on his handsome face and the beginnings of a beard on his chiseled jaw. Benedict looked all grown up and it didn’t look like time had treated him well at all. Asher knew realistically that Benedict hadn’t aged a single day since the curse was put upon them, but Benedict looked different. He looked as if time had hardened him and made him bitter and rough.

“Please don’t be dead,” Asher whispered to himself. “I haven’t spent all these years waiting to be with you only to find your stubborn ass dead.”

Asher moved his shaky fingers up and down Benedict’s neck and he felt it. A small beat of a pulse. Not knowing what else to do, Asher nudged Benedict in the shoulder. Nothing happened. He did it again and same response—nothing. Asher got up and paced the floor beside the bed. He glanced down at Benedict’s prone body, angry that he was here and having to go through all this.

For centuries, Asher had been the bad guy. The one having to run in order to survive. The lies that were told about him were ridiculous. Asher never had the intentions of causing such pain and grief upon the people of his village and Benedict’s. Asher just wanted an easy way out of his heartache, not to curse their villages. To this day Asher didn’t know what that witch got out of causing so much pain to people she didn’t even know. But nonetheless Asher was painted the villain, the man whose selfishness caused common men and women to become monsters.

Asher rolled his eyes. He’d heard it all but what hurt the most was knowing this was how Benedict felt. The man he’d loved since he was a little boy thought him to be so cruel as to punish innocent people for his own gain.

“You’re lucky I still care after all these years, you big oaf.” Asher kicked the side of the bed but still Benedict didn’t stir.

Asher leaned down and screamed in Benedict’s ear but nothing. He got up onto the bed and jumped up and down but still no signs of life from his Benny. Finally, Asher straddled Benedict’s lap and pressed his hands onto his chest. He stared down at Benedict’s handsome face and raised his hand to trace his fingers over his lips then around his eyes. After all these years he still was the most beautiful man Asher had ever laid eyes on. It was this man who haunted his dreams at night.

“Why won’t you wake up?” Asher laid his head down on Benedict’s chest and took pleasure in hearing the slow yet steady pounding of his heart. “Maybe …” Asher sat up. An idea hit him. It was silly, being as he wasn’t a teenage girl but maybe—“It worked for Snow White.”

Asher leaned forward and pressed his lips to Benedict’s. They were hard as stone and just as cold. A chill ran down Asher’s back at the odd sensation it left on his lips. He sat up just enough to stare down at Benedict, but nothing.

“Oh come on!” Asher shouted. “This isn’t fair. I didn’t waste all this time searching for you, only to find you in some kind of coma. I mean, really?” Asher’s temper started to get the better of him. His fist balled up tight. “After everything you’ve put me through, I still care. You hear me, you asshole?” Asher screamed into Benedict’s face. “Like always.” Asher bit out a harsh laugh. “Nothing.”

For no other reason than heartbreak and pure frustration, Asher pulled back his arm, preparing to punch Benedict in the mouth, but he couldn’t do it. Not even in his despair could he hurt the man he loved.

Asher moved his hand to the side and wall above Benedict’s head. He hated feeling so useless. Why wouldn’t Benedict wake up?

His hand stung as the skin across his knuckles broke open and blood dripped down his hand. Asher began to cry. He gripped Benedict’s chin with his bloody hand and gave him a gently shake. Asher’s blood dripped over Benedict’s lips.

 “I just wish”—Asher wiped at the blood smeared over Benedict’s lips—“you would say something.” Benedict’s eyes fluttered, and then they opened. “Benny?” Asher asked, confused and a little afraid.

ADULT EXCERPT

Fate was a funny thing, Benedict often thought. After everything that had happened, the fates saw fit to make Asher his mate, the one person he’d love, no matter what, for all eternity. Fate was an asshole.

In his youth, way before he became a vampire, he’d been in love with Asher. Even after Benedict’s father forced Asher and his family out of their village, he still loved him. Loved him even when he had to marry a woman he did not love and sired a child with her. All his love had been given away to Asher and there was nothing left of him but a dried-up husk of a man who’d lost everything. It wasn’t until he was turned into a vampire by the very man who claimed to share in that love that he realized what a fool he’d been. He’d resented Asher for bringing this curse upon them all. How could he have done that? So many lives changed forever, all because Asher didn’t get his way. It was a different time when they grew up. Two men being together was unheard of and Benedict couldn’t fault his father for reacting the way he had. Benedict couldn’t blame his father back then, and he couldn’t blame himself now for wanting the one thing he shouldn’t.

Benedict tore at Asher’s clothes, needing him to be naked. It had been way too long since he felt the slim firm body pressed against his. More than a thousand years had passed since he been able to touch Asher in this manner.

His hands and lips were greedy and his cock ached to be buried deep inside Asher’s tight heat. Hate be damned. Benedict would deal with that after he fucked the very life from Asher’s body.

“Naked, now.” Benedict sat up just enough to pull his long-sleeved black T-shirt over his head and unzipped his black cargo pants. He was dressed as if he were going on a mission but he couldn’t remember why he was dressed this way or how he ended up here with Asher.

“You want to fuck now?” Asher’s face was flushed with heat and his chest heaved up and down as he tried to catch his breath. Streaks of blood running down from his neck had begun to dry and Benedict traced the thin lines with his finger.

“Yes, now.” Benedict raised his gaze to Asher’s.

Asher nodded his head and pulled down his pants. His pale creamy flesh made Benedict groan and he reached out to touch as much as he could. He missed the feel of Asher’s body. Benedict couldn’t understand how he could hate someone so much yet still crave him so badly.

Over the years the only thing that kept Benedict from going insane was that he never completed the mating bond with Asher. They might be mates but they had never performed the mating ritual and for that Benedict was grateful. Over time his lust grew to frustration, then to hate. It had been easy for Benedict to detest Asher but having to worry about the people of his village and his son kept him preoccupied from hunting Asher down.

Benedict didn’t want to crave Asher the way he did, but he couldn’t help it. He skimmed his hand down Asher’s muscular yet thin chest. Asher had never been a bulky man and when the curse had been cast he’d been forever caught in this youthful form and Benedict loved it.

Asher was tall and slender but built solid. Years of working on a farm did that to a person’s body. Besides Asher’s bright green eyes, Benedict loved his ass. It was firm and hard and round like a melon.

Unable to stop himself Benedict flipped Asher over onto his hands and knees and spread the firm globes of his ass.

“Benny,” Asher moaned. His back arched as Benedict kneaded the solid muscle.

Benedict leaned down and bit hard into one cheek, leaving teeth marks and drawing a little bit of blood, then moved over to the other cheek to do the same. Asher cried out and whimpered at the rough treatment but didn’t pull away. He was marking Asher’s body and he didn’t care. The man belonged to him and Benedict was damn sure going to drive that point home with Asher.

He spread his cheeks apart, smiling at the small little rosebud that lay nestled in the crease. Benedict moved forward and buried his tongue deep into Asher’s tight hole. He slobbered all around the rippled flesh and sucked and nipped. Asher’s body trembled and his shoulders fell toward the bed, raising his ass even higher in the air.

Benedict stuck one finger then another into the snug little channel. Asher was still as tight as he remembered. Benedict fucked him with his fingers as he licked and nipped at his ass cheeks. The warm musky smell of Asher and sex drove Benedict to the edge. Sex with all his past lovers had never compared to what he’d shared with Asher, and that just pissed Benedict off even more.

Benedict pulled his fingers free and Asher whined in protest. He slapped his hand down hard on Asher’s pale ass and then did it again, loving the way his hand print left a red mark on the delicate skin.

“You’ve been a bad boy, Ash.” Benedict used one had to spread Asher’s ass apart and used the other hand to guide his thick cock to his wet hole.

“Says you.” Asher hissed as Benedict shoved the fat blunt head into his hole. “Once you hear the truth, you’ll feel like a monster for what you’ve done.” Asher pressed his hips back onto Benedict’s dick.

“Monster.” Benedict let out a harsh laugh. “Let me clue you into something, Ash.” Benedict sunk his entire length deep into Asher’s channel then leaned over his back to whisper into his ear. “You made me into a monster a long time ago.”