Chapter 32
Thirty-Two
Ru
About a week later the majority of the hybrid vampires have moved on from our house. Voijin’s kept his word, providing for them and taking responsibility for their many needs.
Hayworth and another hybrid called Caleb are living in Sully’s old room. My parents’ room. Hayworth is still an ass. I imagine he’ll always be an ass.
But Caleb is kind. He’s shy and quiet, but when you get him talking he can go on and on about mushrooms and mycology. Like, maybe he’s a savant. Previous to making his acquaintance, I had no idea fungal networks were so interesting.
Sully stares at me from across the living room while Caleb is on a tear about how trees can share nutrients and warnings with each other through something called a fungal thread. Sully’s expression says, For the love of everything holy and unholy, get me out of here, please!
I grin, wait for an appropriate pause in the conversation, and clear my throat. “Caleb, Hayworth, if you’ll excuse us. I was thinking of taking Sully out on a proper date tonight. Would that be okay?”
“Good riddance,” says Hayworth.
Caleb elbows him in the side. Hard. For a little guy, he’s got a mean jab.
Hayworth grunts. “I mean, that would be fine with us.”
Meanwhile, Sully’s face has lit up like a freakin’ Christmas tree. “A date? Like, for real? A for-real date?”
“It’s about time, don’t you think?” We’ve spent all our time together running or hiding, or running and hiding. “We could use a fun night out.”
He leaps up from the table. “I’ll get dressed!”
Before I can tell him he looks fine as he is, he’s disappeared into our room. Damn vampires and their preternatural speed. But I don’t mind waiting. Sully is worth waiting for.
When he returns, he’s done his hair in loose curls.
His mouth shines with pink gloss, there’s black liner along his lids (he picked up on my silly little weakness for such things—I blame Zoe), and a bit of color is dusted over his cheeks.
He’s wearing that green, form-fitting sweater that brings out his eyes, skinny jeans, and black combat boots.
I might not be the blood drinker in the family, but damn. I could eat him alive looking like that. My jaw drops stupidly.
“Get a room,” says Hayworth.
Caleb jabs him again.
“What?” Hayworth whisper-shouts in Caleb’s general direction. “They’re gross.”
“You’re gross,” says Sully as he takes my arm and flings a stunning smile my way. “Ready to go?”
“So ready.” I escort him away from the bickering couple in my living room.
We drive into town, about thirty minutes away, Sully’s hand in mine the entire ride.
I don’t mind steering one-handed if that’s what makes him happy.
He hums to himself in the passenger seat.
Even after all this time, he hasn’t acquired the habit of making random conversation when there’s nothing wrong with silence. His presence is endlessly refreshing.
He doesn’t ask where we’re going, doesn’t scroll on his phone, doesn’t mess with the radio. Sully is content to press our palms together and look out the window as the world goes by.
With any luck, I’ll never know what it’s like to be caged the way he was. But one thing is for sure, he has a way of truly making me appreciate my freedom.
Our freedom.
I take him to an Indian restaurant because we’ve recently learned he loves spicy food. We order wine, appetizers, meals, coffee, dessert. The whole works. We’re there for nearly three hours.
His smile never leaves his face, though it looks a bit off. I realize why. I’m used to his fangs. He’s hiding them now that we’re in public.
I prefer his full smile, sharp, pointy teeth and all.
My plan was to take him to a play at the local theater afterward. I’d already purchased tickets, but we spend so long at dinner that the play has already started by the time we leave the restaurant. Perhaps that will be our second date on another night.
Instead, we take a stroll through downtown. We come upon a city park and explore every nook and cranny. He spots a mushroom and asks me to take a picture for Caleb, which, of course, I do.
Under a trellised archway, barren of plant life this time of year, we sit upon a carved stone bench and bask in each other’s company.
Simple as it may be, this is the best date of my entire life, and it’s the only date of Sully’s.
Suddenly, I want to take him everywhere.
Do everything. Dancing and hiking and stargazing and maybe even bowling and all the things.
There’s nothing that wouldn’t be made a thousand times better by his presence at my side.
His excitement and appreciation. His eager zest for everything life throws at him.
“You are an absolute miracle,” I say, perhaps a bit besotted, while gazing into his beautiful green eyes.
He grins, and this time it’s a real smile, fangs and all. “What a nice thing to say to me. Thank you, Ru. You’re pretty wonderful yourself.”
Sully
I’m glad Hayworth is living with us, don’t get me wrong, but there’s nothing like the presence of an older brother to throw cold water on every opportunity for things to get a bit heated.
With this in mind, I direct Ru to pull over on our way home from the best date ever. Because I have the perfect idea how to make it even better.
“What?” he asks even as he slows the car.
“Pull over,” I repeat, my voice dropping low enough for him to catch my meaning.
My knee is bouncing as he parks along a dark, backcountry road. Perfect. Just what I had in mind.
Ru puts the car in park, engine idling and chuckles. “You’re vibrating.”
“I’m excited. I’ve never had sex in a car.”
He grins. “You have the best ideas.”
“Don’t I?” I unbuckle my belt, then reach over for his. Ru laughs as I grab his jacket and tug him over the center console. I’m strong enough to manhandle him into my lap, but he helps, so I don’t have to try that hard.
His knee jams against the armrest. “Move the seat.”
“The seat moves? How?”
“Hang tight, I’ll do it.” He reaches down past my hip, his chest smashing my head against the backrest in the process. The seat jolts backward with a squeal, and then down until we’re nearly horizontal.
“Nice trick. Handy.”
He’s laughing. “Sorry. This car wasn’t designed for acrobatics.”
We shift around in a tangled knot of limbs until we’re pressing together in just the right place. I feel the heat of him through our clothes and groan.
“Feel good?” he asks.
“Yes. More.”
He pulls me into a soft kiss.
I wriggle my hand under his shirt to get to skin. I love the way the muscles in his back feel, tensing and flexing beneath my questing fingers.
He grips my throat and deepens the kiss. I nip at his lower lip. He inhales sharply. Our foreheads bump as our hips shift to grind against each other. We share breath.
“We are absolutely going to get arrested,” says Ru, but he doesn’t stop kissing me.
I squint to look at him. He’s so close. “Sex isn’t illegal.”
“Sex in public is. I think.”
“But we’re in our car.” I slide my hand between us and unzip his fly.
“On a public street,” he points out. “Forget I said anything. It’s not like I’m gonna stop now.”
“Please don’t,” I mumble against his lips. His cock is already hard for me. I tug it from its confines and give him a slow, dry stroke. “If you stop, I’ll bite you.”
His mouth brushes over my jaw. “I like it when you bite me.”
“Then keep going, and I’ll bite you as a reward.”
“As you say.” He follows my lead and opens my jeans. His fist closes around me and I see stars. “Like this.” He holds our cocks together, and we both wrap our hands around them, seeking a rhythm.
“Fuck, yes, Ru. Like that.”
Our hips get involved. His free hand tangles in my hair and pulls, revealing my throat. I arch for him. He plants a trail of open-mouthed kisses against my flesh.
The car rocks as we do.
Our breathing quickens.
In the cramped space, the windows start to fog. Nights of frustration catch up to us all at once. Our hands speed up. My thighs flex and pressure builds.
Pleasure rattles and crests through me even as Ru keeps stroking. He grunts. My come slicks the way for him.
“Should I stop?” he asks. “Is it too much?”
I squeeze my hand over his and urge him to keep going. “Never too much.”
My cock is sensitive but still hard, and Ru’s feels good against me. I jerk forward and sink my teeth into his shoulder. He cries out, but not from pain. From pleasure. I’ve learned how to make it feel good, feel incredible, for both of us.
His cock throbs. His fist stutters. His come joins mine in a messy slide between us. We shudder together and go boneless against one another.
I retract my fangs and lick the wounds closed. His sweat beads under my fingertips as I stroke his spine and tug him impossibly closer.
My lips move against his ear. “Next time we should climb into the backseat.”
He huffs a laugh, then his laughter fades to something warmer. He kisses my temple. “Next time we should definitely be in a proper bed.”
“Ambitious.”
“I like the way you look naked and sprawled in my sheets.”
“That can be arranged.”
“For now, I think I have some napkins in the glove compartment.”
“My hero.” As we clean each other up and straighten our clothes, I think on it. My hero. It’s true in every sense of the word. I wouldn’t be here if it weren't for Ru.
Before I escaped, I was afraid I would have to do everything alone.
But that was never true.
I had so much help along the way. Help from places I never would have dared to expect, and help from the one man I did dare to ask.
I had help from Zoe, Malachi, Samira, Voijin, Hayworth… and Ru. Always Ru. Forever Ru. My hero Ru. And we have all the time in the world now.
“Hey, you okay?” He tips my chin up with gentle fingers. “What’s wrong?”
“Absolutely nothing.” I kiss him, and smile against his lips. “I’m just so happy I got a little sad for a minute. Is that weird?”
“Maybe, but who cares? We can be weird together if you want.”
I kiss him again. “That’s everything I want.”