Chapter 135

   Burke lay there in his room. He futilely reached out to his ilharn with his mind. There was only an echoing silence. Nothing he tried connected him. He knew it was useless, but he tried summoning the cold to shatter the lock. All he got was a headache. He couldn’t believe that he’d fallen into the hands of a human trafficker. All of the scenarios he could conceive resulted in him raped, tortured and killed.

   The finally opened and the young man entered flanked by the two goons.

   “You are to be educated in pleasing a man. You will not be touched, but you will watch.”

   One man casually stripped off his clothing while the other one stood beside Burke. He tried to turn away but the goon forced him to watch as the young man knelt and took the other goon’s penis in his mouth.

   Burke felt sick watching this. His fathers had taught him there was nothing wrong with having sex or wanting to have sex, that sex was a wonderful expression of a couple’s love for each other. This travesty being played out in front of him was not about love.

   The young man carefully explained everything he was doing. This was a much more thorough sexual education than anything he’d ever experienced before.

    After both goons were finished, the three of them departed, leaving a stack of books behind. Burke idly flipped through the top one. He hastily put it down, his cheeks flaming. Boredom soon drove him to reading the books. He lost track of the days as they blurred into each other. His only entertainment was the books and the daily teaching visits.

   Eventually, the goons came to lead him downstairs to meet his fate. He stood there waiting for the man to acknowledge him.

   “Ah, Burke, have you read the books I provided?”

   He nodded, blushing.

   “Good. The client has arrived. He will examine you shortly to determine your suitability for his purposes.”

   Soon enough the door opened and another man walked in. Burke had to struggle not to vomit. The man practically radiated evil. He looked ordinary enough, but he stank of blood and pain.

   “Is this the one you’ve acquired for me?”

   “Yes, sir, it is.”

   “It is male.”

   “A herm.”

   “Virginal?”

   “Of course. I do know what I’m doing.”

   “Hmmm…vampire born?”

   “Yes, sir.”

   The stranger walked slowly around Burke, assessing him like a piece of meat. “You’ve tattooed him.”

   “Yes. It is standard practice. Is that a problem?” the procurer asked nervously.

   “No, they will not interfere. He will do, however there must be a reduction in price since he is not exactly what I ordered.”

   “Of course, sir.”

   They haggled for a few minutes, but Burke could tell the procurer was only doing it for appearances. All too soon a price was agreed upon and Burke was dressed and escorted to the man’s car.

   “Where are we going?”

   “You will not speak unless spoken to and you will always address me as ‘Master’.”

   “Like hell I will!” Burke protested. He screamed as agony suddenly shot through his body.

   “The tattoos do more than merely mark you. They are magically binding compulsions. Displease me and you will feel agony unlike anything you’ve ever felt before. The best part is that it leaves no visible marks.” The man explained dispassionately. “I trust there will be no further outbursts?”

   Burke nodded as the pain faded. He’d truly never felt anything like that. He began to suspect that he’d have been better off he’d been sold as a sex slave. Whatever this man wanted with him, it couldn’t be pleasant or conducive to a long life…

 

Chapter 134

   Burke woke naked and sore on a bed. He sat up and looked around. The room was plain. The only furniture was the basic bed he lay on. Two doors led out of the room. One led to an equally plain bathroom. The other was locked, but presumably led to the rest of building. The pain he felt was from the numerous tattoos now covering his body. He studied them out of curiosity and boredom. He felt they had meaning, but it was elusive as far as he was concerned.

   The door opened and a young man entered the room carrying a tray of food. His nearly naked body was covered with tattoos as well.

   “You are to eat before you are seen.”

   “Where am I?” Burke demanded.

   “That is not for me to say.”

   “Why have you kidnapped me?”

   “I cannot say.”

   “What can you say then?”

   “You must eat before you are seen.”

   The food was plain but nourishing. Burke had eaten worse. Neither of the vampires who’d helped raised him were good cooks.

   “Follow me,” the other man said.

   Burke followed the young man, a little self-consciously. He wasn’t used to running around nude. He wasn’t like Byron, who flat out refused to be seen naked by anybody. Burke swallowed a little as he remembered teasing his brother about his body shyness.

   An older man, flanked by two younger men, waited for him in the room where he was escorted.

   “Why have you kidnapped me?” He asked.

   “I have a client who hired me to find someone with particular characteristics. You match those.”

   “Someone paid you to kidnap me?” He said incredulously.

   “Yes. Don’t act so surprised. You’re hardly the first and you won’t be the last. I’m getting a lot of money for you. It wasn’t easy to find someone like you. Vampire children don’t grow on trees.”

   Burke paled slightly at that last statement. It was bad enough that someone wanted someone like him, but if they were looking specifically for vampire children, his entire family was at risk.

   “What does your client want with me?”

   “I don’t really know or care. But most of my clients have unusual tastes that only I can fulfill.”

   “How can you sleep at night? Doesn’t it bother you to traffic in child prostitutes?”

   “No.  How old are you anyway?”

   “Sixteen.”

   “Hmm, a bit older than my usual product, however, since you are a special order, I doubt the client will object. Hopefully your masculine attributes will be acceptable.”

   “My what?” Burke said confused.

   The man stood up and firmly grasped Burke’s penis. “This. He wanted a virgin vampire child, preferably female, but…”

   Burke stared into the man’s face. He couldn’t believe that he was being sold to a pedophile.

    “Take him back to his room.”

   The young man led Burke to his barren room to await his fate.

 

Chapter 133

   Burke cursed softly to himself as he searched the club. He’d gone there with his pseudo-twin, Byron. They were actually a couple of months apart, but neither of them paid any attention to that little detail. He’d dragged Byron here under protest and felt responsible for his younger brother.

   Finally Burke had to concede defeat. His brother had disappeared without a trace. There were too many unfamiliar scents surrounding the club that Burke couldn’t pick out his brother’s.

   He repeated his story several times for the police officers. He got the feeling that they suspected he’d had a hand in Byron’s disappearance. Burke knew that wasn’t true, he loved his brother.

   He haunted that club for months looking for clues. He questioned everybody he could about his brother. His search expanded to the nearby clubs and then to more distant bars. He shivered in the cold outside a nondescript seedy club. He’d been searching for months without a sign of his brother. No one had seen him leave with anyone. He knew in his heart of hearts that his brother was alive.

 

   He turned at the sound of crunching snow. Someone was sneaking up on him. He cursed the fact that he’d only inherited some vampire traits. His senses were enhanced but he lacked the mental abilities and the enhanced strength of a full vampire.

   He fell in the snow as a heavy weight smacked against the back of his head. As he lost consciousness, he noticed two pairs of black shoes moving around him. The feet’s owners bound him and lifted him into a car and he knew no more.

 

Chapter 132

    Byron knelt over the toilet as he heaved up his breakfast, again. Granted he wasn’t the best cook in the world, but this nausea was getting ridiculous. He suspected the cause wasn’t food poisoning. He rested his hand on his stomach. He couldn’t be pregnant. He wasn’t ready for children. Still, they hadn’t used protection once. He knew it was just a matter of time before he wound up pregnant. He just hadn’t thought it’d be so soon.

   “Are you alright?” Kory asked as he left the bathroom.

   “Yeah. I think I might be pregnant.”

   “Really?” Kory’s eyes lit up with delight. “I wanted children, but I wasn’t expecting it so soon. This is wonderful news.” He enthusiastically hugged Byron.

   “I’m not sure I’m ready.”

    “Of course you are. You’ll be a wonderful parent.” Kory brushed his concerns aside. Nothing Byron said shook Kory’s opinion.

   Winter dragged on while Byron watched his waistline grow. He figured the baby would be born about the same time as the one year anniversary of his kidnapping. Even though Byron had fallen in love with his captor, he couldn’t brush aside the niggling suspicion that Kory was hiding something from him. Something very important…

 

Chapter 131

 

    Byron stared at the snow falling softly down. Winter had come. It had been three months since he’d been kidnapped and forcibly married. Kory had shown him a great deal of patience during that time. Their marriage was still unconsummated, but Byron knew that it was only a matter of time before their mutual passion was slaked.

    Kory came in brushing the snow off his coat. “I don’t suppose I could convince you to shovel the walk instead of me.”

   “N-no. B-besides I’m n-not allow outside. You s-said s-so yourself.”

    “So I did. I’m seriously beginning to reconsider that idea. I’d forgotten how much it snows out here.”

   “I c-could m-make c-cocoa.”

   “Pass. All I need is to wrap your body around my own.”

   Byron laughed and hugged his husband. It had only been during the past couple of weeks that he’d felt comfortable enough to initiate physical contact.

    He still hadn't worked up enough nerve to kiss him, but he would hug him, hold his hand and cuddle on the couch.

   Each night, Kory would come to his bed and they would kiss and cuddle naked. Each night, Kory would rise from the bed before either one achieved release. This torment could not continue.

   “Why d-do you n-need to c-clear the walk?”

   “Habit, I suppose.”

   “There are b-better habits.”

   “Like what?”

    “L-l-like m-m-making l-l-love to your h-h-husband.” Byron stuttered, his cheeks on fire. It had been weeks since he’d stuttered that badly.

   “Are you sure?” Kory asked softly.

   Byron nodded. There was no way he could repeat his bold offer. Kory kissed him fiercely. Byron matched his passion. Clothes tore. Byron fell backwards onto the couch as Kory struggled to remove his clothing. Soon they were both naked. Byron wrapped his legs around Kory’s hips. He gasped as Kory stroked his shaft.

   “Please,” he begged. Kory’s fingers probed him, gently opening the way. Then he was thrusting urgently inside Byron. Byron clung to him. He scored Kory’s back as the other drove inside. Then blessed release. His seed spilled over them as Kory shuddered with his own release.

   Kory pulled away and sat next to him on the couch. Byron cuddled closer to him.

   “That was not how I pictured this would go. Are you okay, Byron?” Kory asked concern in his voice.

   “Yes. I’m fine. It was better than I imagined.”

   “Good. You know, I think that’s the first time that you haven’t stuttered.”

   “C-can we d-do it again?” Byron asked shyly.

   “Yes as often as you want and as long as our bodies last. This time in our bed.”

   Our bed. Byron thrilled at the sound of those words. He still didn’t know why Kory had kidnapped him in the first place. He wasn’t naïve enough to think that a Master Vampire like him had simply falling head or heels in love with him at first sight. No, Kory had taken him for a reason.

 

Chapter 130

    The next morning, Byron worked up the courage to ask the man about the night before.

   “W-w-why d-d-didn’t you...?” He couldn’t finish the question.

   “Byron, if I wanted a terrified little boy, I could go to any city in the world and find one in minutes. I married you. I haven’t done that in more years than you can imagine. I want you to enjoy it.”

    Byron stared at the counter, blushing again. “W-w-why k-k-kidnap m-m-me?”

   “Two reasons. One: your parents would not approve.”

   “And the s-s-second r-r-reason?”

   “That’s for me to know. May I kiss you?”

   Byron nodded. He knew the man was simply avoiding the subject by asking to kiss him. The man’s lips were warm against his own. This time he paid a lot more attention than he’d paid yesterday. A gentle pressure persuaded him to open his mouth. His eyes widened in surprise as the other man’s tongue slid inside his mouth. Soon the tongue was stroking him in imitation of intercourse. His body tightened with desire and he responded enthusiastically to his husband’s kiss.

   It ended eventually and Byron breathed heavily as he leaned against the other man.

   “Th-th-that was amazing.”

   “Thank you, I aim to please.”

   “C-c-can you t-t-tell m-m-me your n-n-name?”

   “You may call me Kory.”

   Byron wrinkled his nose. He’d have preferred a different one. One that would not highlight his stammer.

   “Do you play chess?”

    He nodded.

   “Good. Would you like to play?”

   Byron sat across the chess board and quickly demolished him.

   “I’m impressed. You’re very good.”

    He shrugged, he was a genius. The only reason he hadn’t graduated high school yet was that he didn’t want to be separated from his brother Burke. Burke never made fun of his stutter, or his fear of well, everything, or his unusual fashion sense. Byron suddenly realized that Kory had never once commented on his stutter. Either he already knew about it, or it simply didn’t matter to him.

   “Do you garden?”

   Byron shook his head. There were snakes and spiders out there hiding among the plants. His father had insisted they were harmless, but he’d been terrified of them ever since his older brothers hid one in his bed as a child.

   “I see. Do you mind if I join you in bed tonight?”

    “N-n-no.” Byron wondered how long it would take before Kory grew impatient and simply took him.

 

Chapter 129

   Byron slept restlessly on the floor that night. He couldn’t even bear to look at the bed. He groggily showered and dressed. He stared blindly into the fridge before pulling out some cereal. He merely toyed with the food before pushing it away. His stomach was in knots. Any food would surely come back up violently even if he managed to choke it down. Today was his wedding day.

   The ceremony was simple. The man stood beside him in the living room and slipped a ring over his finger. The words spoken were meaningless sounds. He took the other ring with cold fingers and slid it over the other man’s finger. He spoke more meaningless sounds and it was done.

   The man kissed him. He wept. This was not how he’d pictured his first kiss. 

   He followed the man, his husband, into the bedroom. He stood there like a statue while the man undressed him. He lay on the bed and watched the man.

   “Byron, relax. You look like a deer caught in the headlights.” The man commented.

   He couldn’t relax, not until after. The man studied him for a moment before rolling onto his back and pulling Byron close. Slowly Byron felt the tension ease from him as the man did nothing more than hold him close. He could feel the other man’s erection pressing into his thigh, but as the minutes passed and nothing happened, he relaxed.

   “That’s better,” the man whispered into his hair. “See nothing bad’s going to happen.”

   Byron tensed again as the man began stroking his back. It didn’t take nearly as long for him to relax again. As the man’s hands stroked his backside, he began to respond to the gentle touch. He rubbed his erection against the other man. The man pulled away. Byron stared at him as he left the room. Surely he’d done what the man wanted? Why didn’t the man finished the job? Byron was aroused. He lay there for many long moments before drifting off to sleep.