Chapter 5
Chapter Five
C ollin stared at the mirror in front of him.
There was no way anyone was going to recognize him dressed as he was in a thick dark robe and a hood that covered half his face–and a black mask that hid most of the rest. In his left hand, he held a fake scythe, making him look like the Grim Reaper. He’d chosen this particular costume because it hid his features, and also because nobody expected to find a mortal dressed as the personification of death at a vampire club.
He’d paid a small fortune for scent blockers, but he realized that it would be weird for him to smell of nothing at all, so he’d sprayed himself with cologne, hoping that he wasn’t using too much.
He really had very little experience with this kind of thing.
But he thought he’d done alright, all things considered.
His own mother wouldn’t know who was hiding under this costume.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to relax his racing nerves.
This was fine. Everything was going to be fine.
He was just going to go in, find some collaborators, talk business, and leave before Mikael even had a chance to approach him.
It was going to be great.
“Here goes nothing,” he whispered to himself as he grabbed his keys off the dresser and headed toward the exit. He paused to check that Luna had food and water, gave her a quick pat, and then stepped outside and locked the door behind himself.
The club was located on the west side of the city, in an area called Rubyville, just to the side of Gemstone Valley and south of Topaz Heights, where all the rich shifters lived.
Collin took the bus to Rubyville, ignoring all the people who whispered among each other at the sight of his costume.
He chose to look out the windows instead. Collin had never visited this area of town before, since it was notorious for its vampire population, but it was surprisingly pretty. Even in the dark, the houses looked cozy, the streets lined with trees. Collin could imagine himself living here if it weren’t for the danger lurking in the dark alleys. Or the fact that he couldn’t afford it, of course.
When he arrived at the club, he hesitated for only a moment before pushing the door open and entering the building.
The interior was dark and smoky, with flashing lights and loud music. The floor vibrated beneath Collin’s feet, the heavy bass of the song pounding into him like a frantic heartbeat.
The place was packed with dancers and people mingling at the bar, all of them in costume. Only a few of the other guests had chosen to fully conceal their identity the way Collin had, though. Most of the attendees didn’t bother with masks or hoods, and instead opted for makeup that changed their appearance, or wigs or hats or different clothing. There were a fair amount of firemen, sexy cops, pirates, superheroes, and various versions of zombies, ghosts, and skeletons.
Collin stood near the entrance awkwardly.
What was he supposed to do now that he was here? He wasn’t exactly sure how this sort of event worked. Were people just supposed to come up to each other and introduce themselves? Was he meant to go around and try to figure out who was who, or…?
First, he had to find a safe spot, a less crowded corner from which he could observe.
He walked deeper into the building, past dancing bodies and eventually spotted a table in the back with no one sitting at it yet.
Perfect.
Collin hurried to claim the table before anybody else could get it, and settled in.
Now what?
He looked around, scanning the club and the people in it. A couple of the men in the club caught his eye–a guy with bright green skin and pointy horns, wearing an outfit that looked vaguely Greek, another dressed as a pirate, complete with fake eyepatch, hook and parrot–and his gaze lingered on them for several moments. He was fairly sure they were both streamers. Collin had seen their videos. The man with the green skin was called Zelos and was known for how flexible his body seemed to be.
He was definitely worth chatting up.
Maybe.
Collin swallowed, feeling suddenly overwhelmed. He wasn’t usually so shy about approaching guys, but this was different. He’d watched Zelos do all sorts of weird sexual things on camera, and his goal tonight was to ask Zelos to do weird sexual things to him.
How did one start a conversation like that?
Collin didn’t know. His cheeks were hot, and he was suddenly glad that his costume concealed how red his skin probably was.
Gods above…
This had seemed like such a good idea earlier, but now that he was actually in this situation, Collin couldn’t shake the fear that he would make a fool of himself.
Why would Zelos even want to bother with a no-name streamer like him?
Zelos seemed perfectly comfortable in the club, dancing and drinking and laughing along with a group of friends. He was clearly enjoying himself. Collin wished he could feel the same. Instead, he sat in the back, feeling nervous and out of place and wishing he were back at home watching a movie with Luna in his lap. He didn’t belong here, and everyone was going to realize it sooner rather than later.
Collin swallowed, about to pity himself some more when he got the oddest feeling in the pit of his stomach. Like something was tugging at a part of him that he couldn’t define.
He scanned the crowd again, and there, to the right, he spotted a group of vampires. One of them wore crow feathers in his hair, and Collin realized that it was the coven’s leader, who hadn’t bothered to dress up at all. The vampires around him all wore half-masks, but Collin recognized Mikael easily enough. It was all in the way he held himself, the way he smiled at the red-haired vampire next to him. The confidence in the way he crossed his arms over his chest, the slight tilt of his head.
Even with the mask covering half his face, he looked gorgeous, and Collin couldn’t stop staring at him.
Which was bad, because at any moment, Mikael could turn his way and notice him staring.
Collin badly needed to do something else; something that would take his attention away from Mikael.
He looked at Zelos again.
It was time to go over to the green-skinned man, and… do what, exactly?
Ask him to fuck Collin on camera? Just like that?
Fuck, that would be embarrassing. But Collin had come here with a goal, and that goal was to find a way to earn money to pay for Luna’s treatment–fast.
So Collin got up and headed toward the dance floor, trying to act casual and not like he wanted to throw up. As he drew nearer to the green-skinned man, he slowed down, hesitating again. Fuck. What should he say?
“Uhm, hello,” he said, cursing inwardly at how lame his attempt to start a conversation sounded.
Zelos turned to look at him. “Hello?” he echoed, smiling at Collin, though he looked a little confused.
Right, because of the costume, and because Collin’s greeting hadn’t been particularly clear.
“I’m, uh, I saw you over here…” Collin trailed off, realizing that he’d started the conversation without having any idea how to follow up. He cleared his throat, searching for something to say. “Your costume looks cool. Are the horns real?” he finally blurted out.
Zelos' smile widened. “Is that scythe real?” he shot back.
“Oh. No.” Collin looked down at the weapon in his hands. “It’s made from foam.” Which made it look incredibly flimsy, but it served its purpose. It was light, easy to carry around.
“I’m afraid my horns aren’t real, either.” Zelos grinned. “But other parts of me are. Want to check?” He winked and reached out to grab Collin’s wrist, pulling Collin close.
Collin froze as Zelos put his hands on Collin’s sides. This was happening faster than he’d anticipated.
“You’re a cute little reaper,” Zelos said, leaning forward. “What’s your name?” He slid his hands down until they rested on Collin’s hips.
Shit, Collin had to give him a name. Something other than his actual name, obviously, but what should he say? “Uhm, I…” Reflexively, his gaze darted away from Zelos and back to the group of vampires he’d spied earlier. Mikael wasn’t with them anymore. He stood by the bar instead, looking his way as if Collin had caught his interest.
No, that couldn’t be right.
Collin quickly looked back at Zelos, his heart hammering inside his chest.
“Sorry,” he said to Zelos, forcing himself to smile at him. “I’m just a little nervous. My name’s… Cael. And you’re Zelos, right?”
Zelos nodded. “Yeah.” He leaned closer. “So, you wanna show me what’s under that mask?” he said, his voice low.
Collin swallowed. “Actually, maybe we could talk somewhere quieter?” he suggested because he didn’t want Mikael to see his face and recognize him.
Zelos grinned again. “Sure.” With a quick gesture of his head, he motioned toward one of the side doors of the club. “Come on.”
Collin followed, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that Mikael had stopped watching him. What he saw, though, wasn’t Mikael. A woman in a long red cape and a silver mask stomped toward him, and her mask did little to hide the scowl on her face.
Collin gulped, even though he had no idea why this woman might be angry with him.
Had she recognized him? But even if she had…
“Do you think this is funny?” she demanded once she caught up to Zelos and Collin.
At first Collin wondered if she might be talking to Zelos, but she was staring squarely at him.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand…” he stammered. He glanced at Zelos, hoping for an explanation or help in some way, but Zelos seemed to be just as confused, judging from his expression. “What’s the problem?”
The woman’s lips curled into a disgusted snarl. She pointed at Collin’s hood and then at his scythe. “Are you making fun of our religion? Do you think this is a joke?!” she snapped.
Collin blinked.
Religion… Oh gods, she meant his costume!
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. Shit. He’d been so busy worrying about the vampires that he hadn’t even considered how this costume might look like blasphemy or disrespect toward other paranormal cultures.
“I didn’t mean to cause any offense, I’m so sorry,” he said.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at him. “The Grim Reaper is not a Halloween costume. He is a sacred being, not a joke, and I’m so sick of everyone mocking fae culture.”
Fuck.
“I didn’t know,” Collin apologized profusely. “I just wanted–”
“I don’t care what you wanted to do!” She huffed and reached for his mask. “Take that off, I want to see your face.”
“Wait…” Collin backed off, holding up his hands to ward off the fae lady’s touch. “No.”
“What do you mean no?”
Collin took a step back. He wasn’t gonna reveal his identity. He couldn’t. He wasn’t ready to deal with the repercussions yet, especially when there were vampires around. “I can’t show you my face,” he said and immediately realized what a stupid excuse it was.
The woman scoffed. “Don’t be silly.”
She reached for him again, but before she could touch, someone else stepped in, saving Collin from exposure like a knight in shining armor. Except that this was no knight, and his clothes were black rather than shiny, and seeing him so close made Collin’s heart race for entirely different reasons.
Mikael had come to his rescue, stepping between him and the fae. "Is there a problem here?" he asked calmly.
“Yes, actually,” the woman told him. “This idiot is making fun of fae culture. He’s wearing our holy symbol as a costume ! Can you believe it?”
Mikael glanced at Collin over his shoulder, and though there was no way he could see through the mask and recognize who Collin really was, Collin still felt as if Mikael could stare straight into his soul and figure everything out.
He froze.
But Mikael only turned back to the woman.
“I’m sure this young man did not intend to mock you,” he said. “I’m sure he meant no harm and that he will apologize properly.”
Collin’s mouth fell open. He had to say something, didn’t he?
But if he spoke, Mikael would surely recognize his voice.
Fuck.
What the hell was he supposed to do? He was caught between a rock and a hard place, unable to speak without being found out, yet unable to remain silent and risk further offending the fae lady either.
Maybe if he lowered his pitch and faked an accent? Except that the fae had already heard him speak without an accent.
He cleared his throat, stalling as everyone looked at him, waiting for his response. Finally, he opened his mouth and forced out an apology in the deepest voice he could manage, trying to sound like a stranger.
“I’m sorry for causing offense, ma’am. I truly didn’t mean to. Please forgive me for being ignorant.”
It must have worked, since the woman’s face smoothed out. She nodded once, looking satisfied with herself. “Fine. We can forget about this if you take the hood off and put that silly scythe away.”
Next to Collin, Zelos laughed, reminding everyone of his presence. “Don’t you worry about that,” he told the fae. “I was about to take his entire costume off for him.”
Collin stiffened, his cheeks heating up. Fuck. This whole situation had gone completely off the rails.
The fae rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Make sure you never wear that again.” She gave Collin another disdainful look, and then she turned on her heel and stalked off, heading back to her friends, leaving Collin to deal with his own problems.
Of which he still had plenty because Mikael was right there in front of him, and he didn’t know if his disguise was convincing enough for him to get away with it.
He held absolutely still, barely daring to breathe.
Mikael tilted his head.
He knew. Collin was sure of it, even though he couldn’t explain it. He just had a sense of it.
The vampire shot Zelos a look. “Some of your fans are gathered over there.” He pointed at the far end of the room. “Maybe you want to go over and chat with them.”
Zelos raised an eyebrow and looked at the spot that Mikael had indicated. A group of young men and women were standing together, and Collin thought they all looked rather excited. “Ah, yes. I should probably go greet those lovely people. Excuse me.”
With a wave at Collin, Zaelos disappeared, walking over to join his fans.
And then, Collin and Mikael were alone.
Mikael’s attention shifted back to Collin.
Collin’s heart hammered so hard there was no way the vampire couldn’t hear it, even over the noise of the club. Fuck. Why was Mikael still looking at him like he was a puzzle to be solved? Did he recognize him? Did he not?
Damn it all.
“Thank you for your help,” Collin croaked in his fake deep voice, sounding ridiculous even to himself.
Mikael hummed thoughtfully. He looked like he was contemplating saying something. Or maybe like he was considering taking a closer look and figuring out who Collin was. “Let me get you a drink,” he said after a moment. “You sound like you have a sore throat.”
“That’s not…” Collin began but trailed off because, well, what was he supposed to say?
Mikael smiled and offered him an arm. “Come with me.”
Collin hesitated, but he could hardly run away now. He was stuck, and Mikael seemed to know it.
Biting his lower lip, he took the vampire’s arm and let himself be led toward the bar.
“Blood or regular?” Mikael asked. “What’s your poison?”
Collin hesitated because Mikael was asking if he was a vampire or not–in the most casual way possible. Did that mean Mikael hadn’t figured him out yet, or that he wanted Collin to give himself away?
Should he just drink blood?
The thought made him shudder.
No way he could do that.
And besides, most paranormal creatures didn’t drink blood. He could still be a shifter or a fae or a mage or even a siren. “A soda,” Collin finally answered, keeping his voice low.
“One soda for the reaper coming right up.” Mikael smiled and ordered Collin’s drink while ordering nothing for himself.
“You don’t want anything?” Collin asked.
“No, I prefer to drink my blood straight from the source.” Mikael’s brown eyes flashed crimson for a brief second, and a rush of heat traveled through Collin’s body, settling low in his belly and in his groin, making his cock stir with interest. Fuck. He shouldn’t react to this. He should be scared. Or at least worried about giving his disguise away.
Instead, he was thinking about his last chat with Mikael, and all the things the vampire had told him he wanted to do to Collin. He swallowed thickly, and Mikael’s gaze flickered to Collin’s throat, following the movement of his Adam’s apple.
Collin felt like the prey in an elaborate trap that was about to snap shut on him and swallow him whole.
His dick was so hard, he was sure that if Mikael looked down, even his costume wouldn’t hide his erection.
Thankfully, Mikael didn’t look down. He kept his gaze on Collin’s face, or what little could be seen of it. “I’m Mikael, by the way,” he said, offering a hand. Collin accepted it, shaking the vampire’s hand. It was a strangely formal introduction, but the touch still made Collin’s stomach do somersaults inside his abdomen, and his pulse skyrocket.
God, he was so fucked.
If he didn’t leave soon, Mikael would figure out who he was for sure.
“Care to tell me your name?” Mikael asked as the bartender placed Collin’s soda between them.
“Uh…” Collin reached to grab his drink, fingers curling around the glass. He was going to have to drink it somehow without taking off his mask… which was impossible.
“Cael,” he said to buy time. That was the name that he had given Zelos earlier, wasn’t it? “My name is Cael.”
“That’s an interesting name. A fae name, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Collin lied because he had no idea.
“If you’re fae, though, why did you dress up as a reaper?” Mikael’s gaze roamed his body, studying his costume. “You don’t seem like the type who enjoys causing trouble.”
Fuck. He’d walked right into that trap, hadn’t he? Obviously, Mikael knew that he was full of bullshit. But what should he say now?
“I’m not very religious,” he said lamely. “I never meant to–”
Mikael cut him off, raising one hand. “I know. You didn’t intend to upset anyone. And you already apologized.” Mikael smiled, showing his teeth. “Are you going to drink your soda?” He nodded toward Collin’s glass.
Collin could not drink, of course.
Not without revealing who he was, which meant that he really needed to get out of here.
He pushed his stool back, but when he tried to stand, his legs felt weak. “I need to go. Sorry, I…” He swallowed, feeling like he was drowning in the sticky air of the club, like he couldn’t breathe.
Mikael stood as well, putting one strong hand on Collin’s shoulder, steadying him. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” Collin tried to pull away and found himself unable to move.
Mikael’s fingers dug into his shoulder. “Maybe we should step outside for a bit, get some fresh air.”
Collin blinked. “Outside?”
It would be easier for him to escape outside, wouldn’t it?
He nodded. “Okay.”
Mikael’s hand moved to the small of his back and guided him toward the exit of the nightclub. They stepped into the dark of the street together, the music fading as the door swung shut behind them. Collin breathed in a lungful of cool night air, feeling a little better now that they’d left the stifling atmosphere inside.
But Mikael still had a tight grip on him. He didn’t try to remove his mask, but the pressure of his hand against Collin’s back was unmistakably possessive, and Collin felt a shiver travel through his entire body.
He wanted Mikael to keep touching him.
He wanted so many things. None of which could happen.
“I’m fine, really,” he mumbled quietly.
Mikael chuckled. “Are you? Because I can hear your pulse racing, reaper boy.” He leaned close, a predatory grin on his face. “Are you afraid of me?”
“No,” Collin answered automatically, though it wasn’t quite true because he did feel scared, but not scared of Mikael.
Scared of what he might do if Mikael kissed. Scared of what Mikael’s hands might feel like running over his body. Of Mikael’s mouth, touching his skin. Teasing his neck with sharp fangs.
He was getting aroused again just thinking about it.
Clearly, he needed to get his mind out of the gutter.
“Shouldn’t you go back in and talk to your streamer friends?” he asked Mikael, trying to distract both his thoughts and Mikael.
“So you know I’m a streamer. Do you enjoy my streams?”
“I…” Collin’s voice broke off.
Fuck.
Mikael laughed softly. “I’ll take that as a yes.” His hand slid lower, settling on the curve of Collin’s ass, making Collin suck in a breath as Mikael squeezed gently, sending sparks of anticipation shooting up Collin’s spine. “How about we find somewhere private, and I’ll show you a few things I learned from my streams?”
“I can’t…” Collin whispered, but his voice came out weak.
“You don’t want to?” Mikael murmured, his hand traveling to the front and slipping beneath the fabric of Collin’s robe. Collin gasped when cool fingertips grazed the bare skin above the waistband of his underwear.
Mikael pressed closer to Collin until his back hit the brick wall of the club behind them. Collin’s breath caught in his throat, and he couldn’t bring himself to look away from the vampire, trapped in the intensity of Mikael’s gaze and the heat between their bodies.
He felt dizzy with desire, and all his instincts screamed at him to lean forward, just a little, and press his lips to Mikael’s. To kiss him and let him fuck Collin against this very wall.
Except that his mask would be in the way of any attempted kisses.
Collin swallowed. “You can’t touch me like this.”
“Why?” Mikael challenged, moving in closer still. “Because your name isn’t really Cael?”
Collin’s heart skipped more than one beat. “What do you mean?” he croaked, trying for innocence.
Mikael laughed softly. He touched Collin’s chin below the mask, tilting his head up slightly. “I know who you are, sweetheart.” The words sent a thrill through Collin’s entire body, making his blood freeze even as his cock twitched. “I would recognize your voice anywhere.” He lifted the mask up slowly, just an inch or two, exposing Collin’s lips.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Collin protested feebly, knowing he was caught, knowing there was no point in denying it.
Mikael smiled, his eyes flashing bright red in the dark of the night. “You’re not nearly as good at lying as you think you are,” he whispered, his thumb brushing against Collin’s lips. “You’ve been on my mind since the day I first saw you on camera.”
Collin swallowed thickly. He couldn’t stop himself from imagining what it might feel like, having Mikael’s cock sliding into his mouth. He parted his lips and flicked his tongue over the pad of Mikael’s index finger, tasting his skin and hearing Mikael’s breath catch in response.
The next thing he knew, Mikael lifted the mask fully from Collin’s face, tossing his own half-mask aside at the same time.
For a moment, they stood and stared at each other.
Mikael’s eyes were red with hunger, his pupils blown, dark with need. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Collin’s. Collin’s eyes fell closed as he waited for Mikael to kiss him.
But Mikael paused just before their lips touched. “I want to taste you so badly, I can barely think of anything else,” he whispered against Collin’s mouth. “I want my fangs in your neck. My lips on your dick. I want to fuck you so hard you scream. And I want to bite you while I do it.”
Collin groaned.
How the hell was a boy supposed to say no to that?
He couldn’t. He wanted exactly what Mikael wanted. All of it, everything Mikael was offering. But he couldn’t. “I… You can’t. I…” he stammered, his voice failing him.
“Why not?” Mikael’s eyes narrowed. “Why did you try to hide from me?”
Collin swallowed. “Because I’m not like you. You’ll eat me alive.”
“Oh, I plan to do exactly that.” Mikael grinned, flashing his fangs. “But don’t you worry, I’ll make sure you enjoy it too.” He leaned close again until Collin could feel the coolness of his skin and smell the scent of the club air that clung to him. “I won’t hurt you. If you want to stop, you only have to say so,” Mikael whispered, his voice rough as his breath ghosted along the side of Collin’s neck.
Collin shuddered. He wanted this so fucking bad, but it was still a stupid decision.
He knew that.
But when Mikael licked a trail up the side of his throat, Collin couldn’t bring himself to protest. He tilted his head back, letting himself sink into this fantasy. Letting go of all rational thought and just feeling, giving himself permission to enjoy every sensation, no matter how dangerous. Mikael’s hands settled on Collin’s waist, and his thumbs rubbed slow, soothing circles against Collin’s skin as his fangs scraped against the tender skin of Collin’s throat, sending tingles through Collin’s entire body.
Collin moaned, and Mikael’s grip on him tightened, fingers digging harder into his hips.
Mikael sucked at Collin’s throat, and his teeth pricked the skin just enough to make Collin’s mind go blank for a second.
“Please,” Collin panted, not even sure what he was begging for. He only knew that his body was on fire and Mikael’s mouth felt so good on him that he never wanted it to stop.
Mikael didn’t keep him waiting. His fangs sank deeper into Collin’s skin, finally drew blood, and Collin cried out as a wave of pleasure rushed through his veins, hot and cold at the same time, and utterly intoxicating. Mikael growled against Collin’s throat, the vibrations sending shivers across every inch of Collin’s skin, and Collin whimpered, grabbing Mikael’s shoulder, clinging to him as the intensity of the sensations overwhelmed him.
His knees felt weak, and his legs trembled, threatening to give out on him at any second.
Collin’s head swam, and for a second, he wondered if he was actually losing consciousness.
He felt drunk, almost delirious with lust. Every nerve in his body sang with desire, and his heart thundered wildly in his chest. He could barely think beyond wanting to be touched, to be fucked senseless, for Mikael to take him in every way imaginable and then some–and to be bitten, over and over again. To be drained dry if necessary to satisfy the burning need coursing through Collin’s veins.
He was never going to say no.