Chapter 24 #2
Ethan sighed. He leaned against the dresser and kept his eyes on the line of T-shirts Marcus had hung up.
They were organized by color as well, touching some hidden part of his heart.
“She was telling me that most pets don’t last long.
Maybe only a couple of years at most. Sounded like most died or were given away to other vampires.
That vampires…sort of got bored. I guess it just got stuck in my head. ”
Marcus stunned him by grabbing his hips and lifting him so that he was seated on the dresser again. He lowered himself just enough that Ethan was forced to meet his direct gaze.
“You are not a pet, Ethan. If I must tell you this every night for the rest of our lives together, then I will, but you will believe me.”
“But—”
“There is no ‘but’ in this argument. I am not going to grow bored with you. I’m not going to give you to another vampire. I’m definitely never going to harm you in such a way that it ends your life. I. Love. You.”
“What about when I’m old? Right now, I’m young and sexy. What about when I’m fifty and you still look twentysomething?”
Marcus cocked his head slightly to the side as he stared at Ethan. “Would you like me to change you to a vampire so that you’re always this age?”
“What? No! Maybe. I don’t know!” Ethan’s heart sped up at the question. He hadn’t expected Marcus to ask him that. “I’m just afraid you’ll get bored in a year or two. Definitely when I start getting wrinkles.”
“I will love you no matter how you look.”
“Do…do you want me to be a vampire like you?”
For the first time, Marcus lowered his eyes. “I honestly don’t know. I’ve heard of it affecting people differently, and I am a little scared of losing the man I’ve fallen in love with.”
“Like with your mom?”
Marcus shook his head. “I don’t think you’d be changed like my mom, but some people take the new power to a dark place. I don’t want that happening to you. But I was also speaking to Winter.”
“What does your brother say?”
“Winter says if I want to protect you from the violence that could fill our lives soon, I must change you. Vampires heal faster—we can take more of a beating than humans and keep going. If something were to happen, and I couldn’t get to you fast enough…”
“I’d have a better chance of surviving if I was a vamp,” Ethan finished.
“Yes, but I don’t want durability to be your only reason for changing.” Marcus cupped the side of Ethan’s face with one hand and stared into his eyes. “Eternity is a long time. What if you get bored with me?”
Ethan leaned his head into Marcus’s hand and smiled. “I don’t believe that’s going to happen, but we don’t have to decide this tonight, right? We’ve got time?”
“Yes.”
“Then we keep talking about it until we both feel comfortable with a decision.”
Marcus leaned in and kissed him deeply. “Very wise,” he murmured against Ethan’s lips.
Before Ethan could reply, the doorbell chimed through the house. “Good timing. Let’s get me some pizza. I need to keep my strength up if I have to keep feeding you.”
Marcus chuckled and stepped back so Ethan could hop down to his feet. “It’s your own fault you’re so delicious.”
Ethan laughed and led the way down to the first floor.
Marcus lounged on the sofa while Ethan sat on the floor with a pizza box in front of him.
His poor man had inhaled half the pizza on his own after the long day they’d put in with the move.
He was finally slowing down, but Marcus didn’t know if a full stomach or fatigue was the culprit.
It wasn’t yet midnight and he’d be up for several more hours putting his house to rights, but he first needed to tuck Ethan into bed.
At least he’d had the common sense to put sheets on the bed before tackling the closet.
Tossing a bit of uneaten crust into the box, Ethan groaned and dropped his head against Marcus’s thigh.
“Are you sure you’re not hungry?” Ethan asked. Marcus just smiled at him and Ethan rolled his eyes. “That’s right. I forgot. Vampire.” Ethan giggled and shook his head. “And you seem so normal most of the time.”
“Don’t we all.”
“Speaking of normal, I forgot to tell you that Ozzie showed up today, knocking at the kitchen window. He hung out for a while and freaked out some of the movers. I gave him some cheese and he left. Do ravens eat cheese?”
Marcus smiled. He reached out and threaded his fingers through Ethan’s hair over and over again in a gentle caress that had Ethan sighing against him.
He loved this, the freedom to reach out and touch Ethan whenever he wanted and to know that his touch was welcome, encouraged even.
He’d waited a lifetime for this simple joy, but then Ethan was worth waiting several lifetimes for.
“I think Ozzie eats whatever he wants. Mostly bugs and lizards, but I’m sure he appreciates it.
It was a long flight north. But you don’t have to worry about feeding him. ”
Ethan twisted around to look at him over the edge of the sofa cushion. “You don’t feed him?”
Marcus shook his head, placing his hand back on his leg. “No. He’s happy to fend for himself. I asked Bel about it, and he said that he and Ozzie don’t have that kind of relationship.”
Confusion clouded Ethan’s face for a moment and he opened his mouth to speak, but the words appeared to be stuck. “You say that like…can Bel actually talk to animals? Can you?”
Something in Marcus relaxed a little as he could actually answer Ethan’s question with the truth. No more hiding or lies or distractions. It was all out in the open. “Bel can, yes. I can’t.”
Ethan dropped back against the sofa, his body still twisted sideways a bit so Marcus could see his smile. “That’s pretty cool,” Ethan murmured before a comfortable silence settled between them again.
Ethan looked over at Marcus, eyes narrowing. “You’ve been really quiet tonight. What’s on your mind?”
“It’s just the usual moving stress,” Marcus said with a shrug.
“Really? What were you and Winter whispering so earnestly about? Other than changing me into a vampire.”
“We weren’t whispering.”
Ethan turned so that he could give Marcus more than just side-eye.
Yeah, his lover didn’t believe him in the least, and Marcus could only sigh.
He wanted to keep Ethan out of his plans as much as possible in hopes of protecting him, but Ethan wasn’t the type to just sit back and be protected.
Ethan wanted to be involved, which both warmed and terrified Marcus.
“I was questioning what our grand scheme was,” he admitted.
Ethan closed the pizza box and moved up to the sofa, allowing him to more easily meet Marcus’s worried gaze. Marcus sat up and folded his hands together between his legs.
“This is the first time I’ve not known what my future held, my purpose, since becoming a vampire. Before, my drive, the drive for my brothers, was to protect Mother. But she’s gone. Now…we’re taking down the American Ministry.”
“You think that’s a bad idea?”
Marcus quickly shook his head. “No, definitely not. They’ve all been ineffective for too long.
These were the same vampires in power when your family was killed.
They’ve allowed too many attacks on other clans.
They’ve looked the other way when both humans and vampires were tortured in the name of amusement.
The Ministry has become corrupt and bloated with power. It’s time for it to end.”
“I don’t see a problem,” Ethan said. “As someone who suffered under their incompetence, I say get rid of them. Since you can’t vote them out, I don’t see how you’ve got any other option.”
Marcus spread his hands in front of him.
“So, we sow discord among the vampires. They kill each other and most, if not all, of the Ministry seats are cleared. What then? More vampires with the same mentality assume those seats. We’re right back to where we were, but with different vampires.
No progress. No change. No safety for the clans or humans. ”
Ethan laid his head against Marcus’s shoulder and yawned. “Why can’t you and your brothers claim the seats?”
The suggestion did seem quite obvious. “On a council of eleven, we would need six for a majority vote to pass any new laws. Even with Aiden, we number only five.” Ethan opened his mouth to comment and Marcus pushed on.
“Plus, I know that neither Rafe nor Bel would claim a seat. Rafe has no stomach for ruling and meetings. Bel can’t be away from his work. ”
“Winter?”
“Convinced that his skills are better saved for spying than ruling. That leaves only me and Aiden. My temperament is better suited for it. I think Aiden is as well. But two against nine can’t get much done.”
“But you talked about making Aiden king?”
Marcus smiled, feeling a tinge of embarrassment heating his cheeks.
“Desperate words from angry and hurt children. We love and trust Aiden. He’s more than a sire.
He’d been a father for myself and my brothers for centuries.
We see him as the one person who could change our lives for the better, but I doubt that most in our world would see that.
He created Julianna, though not his fault, and then refused to destroy her.
Most see that as weakness, not compassion. ”
Ethan sighed and Marcus looked over at the human, smiling to see his eyes growing heavier.
“Well, the Variks can’t be the only vampires who want change. Can’t you form an alliance or something? Recruit other powerful vampires who want a little order and safety.”
“Trust isn’t something vampires are very big on, particularly outside of our own clan.”
Ethan’s head popped up and he stared up at Marcus. “But you all learn to do it. Most clans aren’t made up of siblings like the Variks. That’s outsiders being brought in, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’ve got to find some vamps worth trusting.”
“Good point.”
“Thank you,” Ethan murmured, settling his head back on Marcus’s shoulder.