Chapter Fifteen
Hollen
Hollen stretched, his limbs aching like the time he’d decided to go horseback riding on the beach without a saddle or proper pants. Even the bed beneath him seemed to be filled with rocks, the jagged edges scraping straight to his bones. The sheets slipped over his naked skin uncomfortably, his bladder aching.
“Hell.” He ran a hand over his face, blinking his eyes open and taking in the room that was getting more familiar by the day. There was dim light around him from the lamps, solid wood trim above his head and on every side.
Munro was asleep next to him, his face peaceful in rest and his naked shoulders peeking above the blankets. With his eyes closed, he looked just like any other man, his teeth tucked behind his closed lips. It was impossible to think he could probably kill with a single bite. But he didn’t kill me.
“Oh.” He winced as he tried to sit up, his ass aching nearly as much as the rest of him. He slapped a hand over his mouth to smother the noise as he shifted, trying to find a comfortable position. That was some of the best sex he’d had in his life. It was amazing he could even move. Munro, as proper and restrained as he seemed, fucked like an absolute beast.
Rolling on his side with a groan, he grinned at Munro, taking in his features in the low light. Well, I guess that answers the question as to if vampires sleep. Munro seemed so innocent like this—so vulnerable. It just made Hollen want to smother him in kisses.
“ I can’t believe you .”
Hollen jerked at George’s voice, his head throbbing at the force of it. George’s presence leaked under his skin like a cool bath, nowhere one moment, then suddenly everywhere.
Hollen let out a soft sigh, looking anywhere but at himself. “This is fantastic.” There were probably bruises all over him from the kisses Munro had left, marked on his skin to linger for days.
“ You slept with him? ” asked George, scoffing at Hollen’s enthusiastic reply. “ I told you he was dangerous. You should be staying away from him, not rolling around in his bed. ”
That put a load of ice straight into the warmth in his belly. George was as close to being his best friend as Adair was, but what he had with Munro was new and fragile. It was also exciting as hell.
“Is it all vampires you have a problem with? Or just Munro?” Hollen lowered his voice as he carefully moved out of the bed. His head swam as he got to his feet, and he had to catch the edge of the bed for support.
“ That bastard is more evil than you could imagine ,” said George. His presence flickering before falling back into its normal ebb and flow.
“I don’t want to fight, George.” Hollen clutched at the column of the four-poster bed as dizziness washed over him, his legs shaking. He could have sworn that Munro had only taken a few blissful sips from his wrist before he’d stopped, but he was dizzy and exhausted like he’d been battling the flu all week.
“ Listen to me ,” said George.
Hollen dropped his gaze to the four red marks on his wrist. They were scabbed over and barely noticeable compared to what he’d expected to find. As he glanced his fingers over the spot, he almost dropped to his knees.
Hell. He leaned heavily against the bed column, circling the spots with his fingertips. The sensation curled through his gut until his cock was throbbing, the picture of Munro biting him crystal clear in his thoughts. The bite had morphed into something that had his mouth dry and his cock ready to bust from the touch alone.
“ You let him bite you? ” George’s voice dropped into a growl, vibrating in Hollen’s chest. The last time he’d heard him this angry was when Hollen had almost been hit by a car. “ Are you trying to get yourself killed? ”
Hollen huffed out a laugh, tracing the bites over and over. There was something addictive to it—the impossible surge of pleasure and the hint of itchy ache underneath. It couldn’t be normal or real. Imagine if he bit me somewhere else? His thoughts dropped lower, until he had to grab himself at the base to keep from coming.
“ Hollen, please listen to me .” George’s voice turned to begging, his fierce grip on his chest going tight. “ You can’t let him bite you again. Do you feel how tired and sore you are right now? The next time he bites you, it could kill you .”
Hollen blinked back the lust and the lingering fog. That couldn’t be right.
George had to be lying. But George had never lied to him before. “How? It’s just a bit of blood. People probably get bitten all the time, and they’re fine. It’s the same as getting a paper cut.”
“ Anyone else would be fine, but you won’t be. You’re different . ” George relaxed his hold until Hollen could almost breathe normally again. “ It’s not just blood they’re taking. The next time Munro bites you, it will drain the rest of your life force from your body while your heart still beats. Please listen to me .”
Hollen rubbed the bites, his skin prickling as he was nearly overwhelmed. At least I got it that once. He wasn’t sure how he would ever be able to not crave it. When Munro had bitten down, he’d only felt a burn at first, until his fangs popped through his skin and something flowed into him. It had licked a fire right through his veins, hotter than he’d ever felt.
“I’m going to sleep with him again.” Hollen looked at the bed where Munro was resting, his chest rising and falling with every soft breath. “He’s sweet to me, and he makes me feel safe. He makes me feel like I’m just a regular guy and that I’m no worse off for having a demon stuck in my head.”
Hollen let out a sigh, dropping a hand from his wrist. The sensation instantly faded, leaving just the ache behind. His cock wilted as exhaustion hit him again with full force, dragging his eyelids almost closed. “Sorry, George. I didn’t mean it that way.”
“ It’s okay .” George softened, flowing beneath Hollen’s skin like the warmth of a blanket. It soothed some of the ache, unwinding the taut fibers of his muscles. “ We should go home before he wakes up. Adair’s probably worried .”
Hollen nodded. He could imagine his friend calling the cops if he didn’t get home in good time, especially with him so on edge since the big reveal. “I’m leaving a note, though.”
He grabbed some clothes from the closet after finding the tattered remains of his uniform, before scribbling out a quick note on a piece of paper he’d found in there.
Munro was still resting, his face so soft that he looked like an angel and not some kind of devil like George proclaimed. It would be so easy to slip between the sheets again, snuggling up to his chest and getting lost in his dreams. His shoulders sagged as he fought the urge.
“ Adair is waiting for you ,” said George, just loud enough to break Hollen’s thoughts.
“Jeeze.” Hollen moved for the door, quickly skirting through the throne room before he started along the hall. “Adair, this…Adair, that. You’d think you have a crush on my best friend.”
Hollen paused in the darkness when George’s presence flared. Whoa. “Oh my God. You do .” He chuckled, wiping the sleep from his eyes as he dragged himself onward. He was out of breath before he hit the well-lit area, his heart beating fast.
“ You worry about getting us home ,” said George, his voice soft. The warmth of him had faded to a gentle coziness, doing more to lull Hollen to sleep than anything.
“I’m not sure if he’s ready to talk much, so don’t just jump him when we get in the door,” said Hollen, wheezing between each breath. “I’m too tired for that, and I’m not really sure how it would work.” He looked to his hands. George had changed them once before to prove his existence to Adair, but how much more could he do?
The restaurant was bathed in shadows, but the front door was still open when he let himself out. The amount of sunlight outside was startling.
“How long was I asleep?” The street wasn’t exactly busy, but there were a few cars going by and more noise toward main street. “Crap. Adair is going to be so worried.”
Hopefully, he was worried. He’d seemed truly happy to see Hollen after his dance, sweat still clinging to his limbs. But he could have been high on cheers and adrenaline. Maybe he’d forgotten about Hollen’s other friend altogether.
“ Hurry .” George stirred, a touch of energy flowing through Hollen’s limbs. It was enough to get him home at a decent pace, even though his lungs were burning by the time he turned his key in the door and pushed his way inside their apartment. When he stepped inside, he had to slump against the door just to catch his breath. The couch was too far, his bed even farther.
He caught the sound of footsteps thumping from the direction of Adair’s room, getting louder as his friend obviously ran toward the front hall. There was a flash of bloodshot eyes and tears before Adair was throwing his arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace that smelled of cookies.
“I thought you’d died.” Adair let out a sob as Hollen’s back struck the closed door, his legs too shaky to hold up the added weight. “You didn’t come home after your shift, so I went by the teahouse. Everything was dark and they were already closed. Are you okay? What happened?”
Adair leaned back, holding Hollen by the shoulders as he looked him up and down. “Honey, you look exhausted. Have you been up all night? Was it the…” He lowered his voice into a whisper, “Vampires?”
With his friend so worried, he probably shouldn’t have been smiling, a grin stretching over his lips that he couldn’t contain. He threw his arms around Adair’s neck, sagging against him as absolute joy lit in his gut. “You don’t hate me anymore.”
Adair stiffened, sniffing as he patted Hollen’s back. “I never hated you, baby. I was struggling with a few things, and I wasn’t sure what to believe.” He softened, kissing the top of Hollen’s head. “I’m just glad you’re safe. Another hour and I was going to call the cops.”
That would have been a bad idea. There wasn’t exactly anything illegal going on at the teahouse, but the room with that table was nefarious as hell. It didn’t seem possible to have something like that hidden in the city while the rest of the shops around were normal.
“I’m safe. I’m good.” Hollen winced as he leaned harder against the door, the ache at the base of his spine flaring. Munro had been so gentle at first, but that had changed quickly when Hollen had started to beg. A warmth rose in his chest, a matching flush on his cheeks.
Adair’s jaw dropped as he looked him up and down, grasping the fabric of Hollen’s long-sleeve shirt that draped to mid-thigh.
“Did you get laid?” Adair screeched, his voice probably echoing through the entire floor. Hollen winced, rubbing his eyes as his headache throbbed.
“Yeah.” He flushed, bringing Adair’s hand to his mouth and kissing his knuckles. “I should have texted you, but I wasn’t sure if you were ready to hear from me yet…and I passed out. I really didn’t mean to worry you.”
“I was worried.” Adair’s smile faltered. “About a lot of things. And you’re right. I wasn’t sure about it either until I saw you at the competition yesterday. You sat at the very back in that stupid chair that’s always empty, and I saw you cheering away and talking to yourself the whole time.”
Hollen winced, closing his eyes as another wave of exhaustion hit him. He wasn’t sure if he could do this right now when sleep was almost the only thing on his mind.
“I realized that you weren’t talking to yourself.” Adair’s eyes were shiny when Hollen looked at him. “You were talking to…to him?” He shook his head.
“Baby.” Hollen reached for him, but Adair shook his head harder.
“Let me finish.” Adair sniffed, wiping the beginnings of tears from his cheeks. “I know what people become when they go down that path. They don’t just talk to themselves—they scream. When they aren’t scratching at their skin and pulling their hair, they’re lashing out, hurting everyone around them with the cruelest words you could ever imagine.”
“Your mom?” Hollen asked softly. He sucked in a breath at Adair’s nod. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, I swear—”
Adair let out a soft huff, pulling Hollen in for one last squeeze. “I’d rather not talk about it. One hell of a therapist later and I still can’t get over it.” He squeezed Hollen before letting go. “Tell me about this guy you had last night. Looks like it was quite the ride.” Adair grinned, the tears on his cheeks drying. “This is so exciting. It’s been months for you, Hollen. Months. Do you know how happy this makes me? Tell me about him. I have to know if there’s a potential threesome in my future.”
George choked, the sound echoing in his head.
“He’s a vampire,” said Hollen, bracing himself for Adair’s reaction. He did seem to deflate a bit, some of the glow fading in his excitement. “And he’s also my boss.” Probably two types that I shouldn’t be fucking. Oops.
“ Ask him about the threesome ,” said George, his presence strengthening.
“You don’t even want me to get with Munro again and now you want him to have a threesome with Adair and me?” Hollen lowered his voice, but Adair could apparently hear him, loud and clear.
Adair took a slow step back, his excitement fizzling out. No matter what he had said before, there were deep lines of concern etched in his face that were accentuated by the tiredness.
“ Just you, Adair and me ,” said George. Hollen snorted, shaking his head as another yawn took him. He was too tired for this.
“Is he—talking to you?” asked Adair, taking another step back. “What did he say?”
“He likes the threesome idea,” said Hollen, taking a moment to make sure the door was locked before kicking off his shoes. “But I think he’s more interested in seeing you naked.”
Adair swallowed, smoothing his hands down the front of his shirt. “Was he there the last time we were together?” He stared at his hands, chewing his lip.
“No way,” said Hollen, shaking his head. “He’s only been around for a few months, and he is the sole reason for my dry spell.” He let out a soft sigh. “It’s impossible to stay hard when he’s telling me all about the bigger ones he’s seen.”
Adair scoffed, lowering his hands. “You are above average, baby. Don’t sweat it.” A smile flickered at the corner of his lips, but the concern hadn’t left. “It could be worse?”
“I know.” Hollen waved him off. “But it really kills the mood.” He headed for the couch, Adair following close behind him. He was yawning again as he collapsed onto the surface, squishing his face into the soft cushion. Exhaustion pulled at every part of him, sleep beckoning.
“It was good sex, though.” Hollen turned his head so Adair could hear him. Adair lowered himself cross-legged in front of the couch, leaning against the cushion. “Like really good. You remember Alec?”
Adair nodded, his eyes going wide. “How could I forget that man? He was responsible for one of the best nights of our lives. I don’t think I’ve come that many times so quick before. I mean, my dick actually hurt at one point.”
That makes two of us. “Munro was better.” He grinned, reaching for a strand of Adair’s hair and twisting it through his fingers. Adair had started to wear his hair longer since they’d moved into this apartment, the tips curling out over his ears. “Sorry I didn’t call you. I’ll do better.”
Adair reached for him, threading their fingers together. “I haven’t been a good friend these past few weeks. I wouldn’t have called me either.” A smile touched his lips. “But, now that we’ve made up, I need to know every detail.”
Hollen leaned into the cushion. Sleep is a long way off.