Moonlight Denial: Shades of Moonlight Book One

A slow, relaxed sigh passed from Ethan’s lips as he snuggled down into the covers of his messy bed. Hotel beds were never the greatest, but the one he was in was a close exception. He cracked open one eye to peek over his arm at Nicoli, who had made himself quite comfortable in one of the over stuffed chairs. The vampire let out a light chuckle as he watched the boy try and shove a whole piece of French toast into his mouth.

“It might go down easier if you chew,” Ethan advised as he leaned up enough to rest his chin in the palm of his hand.

The boy stopped his devouring long enough to glare at the vampire and muffle out something that sounded like “Shut up.”

Ethan just chuckled again as the boy continued his attack on the poor bread. Ethan had been ready to talk business when Nicoli arrived, but as soon as the moody teenager stepped into the small room he demanded room service. Ever the polite host, the vampire ordered whatever Nicoli wanted, which consisted of French toast, sausage links, eggs over easy and a tall glass of apple juice. The peculiar thing was after that Nicoli hadn’t said a word. He just remained silent until the food arrived and immediately started gorging himself when it did. The glare Ethan had received was the most the boy had looked at him the entire time.

Such a skittish little thing, Ethan thought, amused by it all.

The vampire then glanced at the corner of the room where Felix was hovering. The ghost had been staring disapprovingly at Nicoli since the boy arrived, and, Ethan noticed, Nicoli was doing his best not to look back. The spirit was most likely going to be in a foul mood for awhile after this, but Ethan didn’t mind. He was getting what he wanted after all…wasn’t he?

“Well, as much as I like watching you gorge yourself, Nicoli,” Ethan said as he sat up. “Why don’t we get right down to business and –” Eyebrows furrowed as the boy raised a hand to silence him. “What?” Ethan asked.

“There’s no business to talk about,” Nicoli muffled through a mouthful of bread then swallowed it loudly. “Because I haven’t made a decision,” he said matter–of–factly, twirling his fork between his fingers.

Ethan blinked at the boy. Apparently he wasn’t getting what he wanted. His pleasant smile disappeared and his eyes narrowed as he studied the human across from him. What was the boy playing at?

“If you haven’t come to a decision then what are you doing here?” he asked. “I specifically said for you to come here if you wanted to help me and was sure of it.”

“Ya think I don’t know that?” Nicoli snapped as he pushed the food cart from him. Even though he kept up his grumpy front, he couldn’t help the slight shiver that passed through him. Since Nicoli had met Ethan the vampire had been nothing but polite, charismatic, and a bit conceded towards him. It was the first time Ethan had spoken to him with the tiniest bit of anger and the way Ethan was staring at him wasn’t helping.

“I don’t even know what the hell I’m doing here,” Nicoli continued, pushing his thoughts away in case the vampire heard them. “I’ve been pouring over it and over it and all I’ve accomplished is confusing myself and no matter what I do I can’t think clear enough to come up with a solid answer of what I want to do.” He finished by crossing his arms and slouching in his chair with a pout, the perfect picture of frustration.

The smile returned to Ethan’s face and his expression showed that of sympathy and understanding.

“Yes, I have put you in a rather stressful and hard predicament,” he said.

“That’s an understatement,” Nicoli muttered under his breath.

“But I assure you that I’m not doing it just to mess with your head.” Ethan’s smile grew when the boy glanced at him with a questioning look, but also one of interest. “Call it what you will, maybe a gut feeling, maybe a hunch, but I really feel that you can help me with this and, as crazy as it sounds, I know that feeling is right. Don’t ask me how I know, I just do.”

Nicoli stared at him in silence for a moment. He didn’t want to admit it, but Ethan’s words made him feel better in a way. Was this what Felix meant by being wrapped up in Ethan’s sugary sweet words? Nicoli was about to speak when Felix appeared next to Ethan, hovering over the bed.

“Stop playing with the twit!” Felix said angrily. “You don’t know anything, Ethan. You’re not having any awe inspiring feelings that are telling you to have him join us. You’re just doing this for your own twisted amusement and you know it! Now stop it! Just stop it and send him home now!”

The ghost wasn’t sure what made him angrier, Ethan’s attitude or that, even after all his warnings, Nicoli still showed up. What made his anger flare more was that his visit yesterday could have, in someway, drove the boy into coming instead of making sure he’d stay away.

Ethan stared at Felix coolly. He was wondering when the ghost was going to make his arguments against Nicoli being here, and he hadn’t been disappointed. Felix was most likely going to be against the whole idea until it was over and done with, but Ethan couldn’t let that get in the way. As much as he cared for Felix’s opinion he hadn’t been lying. Some strange feeling in the pit of his chest was telling the vampire that he needed Nicoli in order to obtain his goal. Even though he had expected the boy to decline the offer, now that Nicoli was there Ethan was going to do everything in his power to get him to agree.

“Felix, there was no need for that outburst,” Ethan said nonchalantly. “I know you’re against this in every way possible, but you’re wrong. I’m not doing this for my own amusement and I’m not playing with Nicoli, I’m being genuine.”

The two had a staring context that would make anyone else burst into flames. Felix looked like he could have throttled Ethan within of his undead life, but instead settled for growling at the man and swiping his hand through the vampires head.

“You are a lunatic, you know that? I wish I knew what made these ridiculous ideas come into your vacant head,” Felix snapped before leaning back in the air and crossing his arms.

Ethan only chucked, not phased by the words or blast of cold that took hold of his skull. He looked over to Nicoli who seemed a bit stunned by the whole scene.

Nicoli had seen Felix be snippy and even angry, which he saw by his question yesterday, but he’d never seen the ghost actually explode and yell at the top of his lungs, especially since it was at Ethan. It was a bit unnerving to witness.

“So, are you sure you don’t know what you want to do?”

Ethan’s voice snapped Nicoli out of his thoughts and the boy shook his head. He sat up and took a deep breath as he stared directly into Ethan’s vibrant, teal eyes.

“No, I really don’t,” he answered. “Every fiber of my being is screaming at me that this is a bad idea, but…I still find myself here and talking to you, even though I could have been rid of you for the rest of my life.”

“The world works in mysterious ways,” Ethan said, with that same endearing, soft smile that was starting to grate on Nicoli’s nerves. This was all so easy for him. He didn’t have to rip his hair out thinking over a life altering decision.

“But, think of it this way, Kid,” the vampire said as he turned to lie back on the bed and rest his hands behind his head. The shirt fell away again to reveal his muscular torso. “If you do this you’ll be helping me a lot and in exchange you’ll be gaining a powerful ally.”

“Ally?” Nicoli echoed with a raised brow.

“Of course, we’d be allies. That means you’d be helping me with any problems I have, which would be the Hearts, and I’d be helping you with whatever problems you have.”

Nicoli stared at him for awhile as he processed those words. He raised his legs enough to rest his heels on the edge of the chair.

“You mean like, Trevor?” he asked.

“Exactly,” Ethan said with a wide grin. “If you agree to this then all you’d have to do is say the word and those little punks would never bother you again.”

Nicoli’s eyes widened at the possibility of what that meant.

“You wouldn’t kill them, would you?” he asked, sounding horrified.

Ethan burst into laughter at that and he rolled over onto his side to look at the boy. He placed a hand under his cheek to help hold it up and his messy, wavy locks framed his face in a blonde halo, making him appear soft and gentle instead of the dangerous creature he was.

“Really, now, what do you take me for? An animal? Of course I wouldn’t kill them. There would just be some…helpful persuasion to not pick on you anymore,” he said with a shrug of a shoulder.

Nicoli worried his lip as he thought that over. It would be nice to get Trevor off his back, but it seemed so gutless that he’d have to use a supernatural creature to do it. He didn’t have long to think of it before Felix interrupted with a snort.

“Oh, yeah, that’s a fair trade,” the ghost said. “He helps you with the Hearts and gets himself into the worse mess of his life and you just take care of five little boys’. Yeah, that’s really the perfect balance,” he scoffed.

Ethan glared up at him with a look of displeasure.

“Do you ever have anything helpful to say?”

Felix simply shrugged.

“Just pointing out the giant, glaring flaw,” he said and blew a raspberry at Ethan when the vampire flipped him the bird.

The two put a stop to their bickering when Nicoli abruptly stood from the chair. His head was down and his hair covered most of his eyes, blocking out whatever expression could be read on his face.

“Ethan, I’ll do it. I’ll agree to this and help you,” Nicoli said softly as he raised his head only slightly. His heart was racing wildly, doubt was written all over his face, he couldn’t believe the words that just left his mouth, but somehow, in his gut, he knew that this was going to be the final answer either way and there was no reason to keep dancing around it.

Ethan’s eyes were wide in disbelief as he slowly lifted himself up and Felix’s mouth fell open, as if he had just been socked in the face. Both stared at the boy for several moments as the silence mounted along with the tension. Felix was the one to break it as he clasped his head with his hands and groaned.

“Oh, you have got to be shitting me,” he muttered as Ethan sat up fully and was watching Nicoli with an imploring gaze.

“Are you certain, Nicoli?” he asked.

“Of course I’m not certain!” Nicoli shouted at him, finding the question absurd. “I’ve never been so uncertain in my life, but…I’m gonna do it, so, don’t ask me again or else I’ll change my mind,” he said, trying to make it sound like a threat. His arms were straight against his sides and his hands were clenched into fists so tightly his arms were shaking.

Ethan slid off the bed like a cat and moved over to the boy so he was standing in front of him. He placed his hand on Nicoli’s deliciously soft face and tilted his head up to look at him. The boy’s eyes showed just how hesitant and scared he was and Ethan smiled softly as he used his other hand to brush the stray strands of hair away from the human’s face.

“It’ll be all right, Nicoli, trust me. You’ve made the right decision. My gratitude towards you knows no bounds. You’ll see, everything will work out in the end,” the vampire cooed assurances that he hoped would remove the fear from the boy’s eyes.

Nicoli closed his eyes and took another deep breath, allowing himself to feel Ethan’s hand against his face better, the smooth skin that felt softer, more human, since fresh blood was still flowing through the vampire.

Then, Nicoli abruptly smacked the hand away and stepped back from the vampire with his grumpy expression back in place.

“All right, enough with the mushiness and what the hell did I say about touching me?” Nicoli snapped, easily falling back into his normal self to hide his vulnerability. “Just ‘cause we’ll be working together doesn’t mean there will be touching. No touch.”

“All right, all right, no unnecessary touching,” Ethan agreed, holding up his hands in surrender. The boy really was never going to let him live that incident down.

“You should have punched him in the face,” Felix said gruffly, overly unhappy about the whole thing.

Ethan glared at him as Nicoli chuckled.

“I had thought about it,” he said and just stuck his tongue out when the glare turned to him. “But, just to make one thing clear, I’m not doing this just so you’ll get rid of Trevor for me. In fact, I don’t want you to do anything to him or his friends. I’ll deal with them myself,” Nicoli told him, putting everything he had into making his voice sound strong.

The frown on the vampires face melted into a soft smile and he nodded.

“If that’s what you want then I’ll respect it and leave your troublesome friends to you,” he said.

“That’ll be interesting to see,” Felix muttered and grinned at the boy when he made a face at the ghost.

“Ignoring Casper over there,” Nicoli growled. “Now that I’m officially in what are we gonna do now? Are you going to fill me in on everything you know about the Heart you’re currently looking for?” he asked curiously with a slight tilt of his head.

Ethan’s smile turned into a smug grin and he wagged his finger in the air.

“Oh no, not just yet, Kid. That’s information I can’t trust you with yet.”

Nicoli’s mouth fell open and agitation and annoyance bubbled up in a heated wave.

“What!? What the hell do you mean you can’t tell me!?” Nicoli shouted. “You said, and I quote, “When I know you’re in this completely then I’ll let you know everything of importance.” Well, I’m in this completely now, why the hell can’t you tell me!”

Nicoli jumped and recoiled slightly when Ethan placed a finger on his lips, effectively silencing him. The boy scowled at the digit then looked at Ethan when the vampire said,

“It’d do well to keep your voice low, Nicoli, these walls aren’t exactly sound proof.”

That look returned to Ethan’s eyes. The look that held so much seriousness and the faintest glint of danger, reminding Nicoli just what he was dealing with. Not a man. Not a human. A vampire. A creature that could snuff out his life without the slightest bit of effort. Nicoli was already starting to regret his decision.

A fair brow raised and a sigh passed from Ethan’s lips as he withdrew his finger and startled the boy by abruptly ruffling his hair.

“Honestly, Kid, do you really think I’m such a monster that I’d bully you with threats and harm at the drop of a hat?” Ethan asked, having heard Nicoli’s frightened thoughts loud and clear.

Nicoli’s face reddened as he pushed the hand away.

“Well, what am I supposed to think when you say stuff like that and look at me that way?” he asked. “It’s not like I can exactly do anything if you do decide to force me to do something that I don’t agree with,” he pointed out.

Ethan’s rejected hand settled on his hip as he stared at the boy with his head cocked to one side. A chuckle then sounded and the smile returned.

“Think what you want, Nicoli, but know this,” Ethan said. “We’re ally’s now and we’re working together as a team and I don’t, or would ever, hurt someone that’s helping me.”

Nicoli stared at him with narrowed eyes and looked into those too honest eyes. He then grunted and looked away. What the hell was it about the vampire that made him so sickeningly easy to forgive and believe?

“All right, whatever,” Nicoli grumbled. “So tell me why you can’t let me in on what you know, even now that we’re “allies” and all that jazz,” he demanded, glaring at him again.

“Well, it’s very simple,” Ethan said as he moved to sit on the bed again. “I can’t risk the information I give you being leaked out to those that I don’t want to know it.”

Nicoli blinked at him then his brows furrowed and he frowned.

“What? You actually think I’d tell people?” he asked and crossed his arms. “Thanks a lot, I just love the faith and trust you have in me,” he said sarcastically, sounding offended.

Ethan waved his hand dismissively.

“Faith and trust have nothing to do with it,” he informed the boy. “There’s no doubt in my mind that you wouldn’t tell a soul what I’m about to tell you.” The vampire smirked at the confused look that crossed the boy’s face. “You see, Nicoli, telling with your mouth isn’t the only way to accidentally leak information,” he said and rested a finger on the side of his head.

If anything the boy’s brows creased more at the action.

“What? I –”

“You mean they could just take the info from his mind,” Felix answered for the boy, guessing what the man was getting at.

“Exactly.”

“My…mind?” Nicoli echoed. Then the words he hated the most rose from the depths of his psyche.

“But you, on the other hand, kid, are like an open book. I don’t even have to try and I can read you loud and clear.”

Nicoli’s brows furrowed in annoyance once more. Being an open book was really starting to get on his nerves.

“So, how are we supposed to prevent that?” the boy asked. “Obviously I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what I need to know, but you can’t tell me as long as your enemies have free access to my brain.”

Ethan’s head rolled to the side and a lazy smirk spread across his face.

“Well, we just make it so your thoughts aren’t so “free”,” he answered.

“…how do we do that?” Nicoli asked, becoming a bit uneasy from the vampire’s smile. “Are you going to train me to develop a mental resistance or something?”

Ethan laughed and shook his head while his hand copied the motion.

“No, no. Maybe that’ll be on the agenda in the future, but we don’t have time for that now,” he said.

“Then what?” Nicoli asked, his uneasiness growing.

“Let’s just say that I’ll be the one making sure your thoughts are resistant enough to repel any stray vampire who would be foolish enough to try and breach your thoughts,” Ethan answered.

“Uh, how?” the boy questioned, wondering how that was possible.

“The mind link…”

Nicoli and Ethan both looked up at Felix whose eyes had glazed over in disbelief. His head then whipped around to stare at the vampire.

“You mean to use the mind link, don’t you?” he demanded.

“As perceptive as ever, Felix,” Ethan said with a cheeky grin.

“But, you’ve never done it before. How do you know you’ll be able to keep the link strong enough to hold against a mental attack?” the ghost asked.

“Don’t make me seem like such an amateur,” Ethan huffed. “I have been trained enough to execute it properly thank you very much.”

“Hey, not to interrupt,” Nicoli said, getting their attention. “But just what the hell is a mind link and how is it going to prevent other vampires from reading my thoughts?” he asked.

“Well, Nicoli, it’s basically just how it sounds,” Ethan said. “It’s a mental technique that will create a link between us and basically tether our minds together. In this way your mind will be free to me and mine will be free to you. And since your mind will be linked to mine it will create a sort of barrier that will protect you from other vampires or anything else that would be able to read your mind. In this way I can be certain that no one will be able to take the information from you by mental force,” he explained.

Nicoli slowly sat down in his chair as he let Ethan’s words sink in. In a way it sounded reasonable to protect his mind from Ethan’s enemies, who were now his enemies, but having his mind “tethered” to Ethan’s didn’t sound too appealing.

“Okay…so since our minds will be…linked you’re powers are going to act as a bodyguard to my mind and keep out everyone that will try and read my thoughts, right?” he asked.

“Right, it’ll almost be like we’re sharing the same mind, only not,” Ethan replied.

“All right, I get that, but…what do you mean by my mind will be free to yours and yours will be free to mine?” Nicoli questioned, that phrase sending a shiver up his spine for some reason.

“Well, while no one else will be able to read your thoughts they’ll be completely open to me just like they are now,” Ethan said. “But,” he went on when he saw Nicoli was about to argue. “It’ll work both ways.”

“Both ways?” Nicoli repeated curiously.

“Yes, it’s another benefit of the link. Not only will I be the only one who can read your thoughts you’ll be able to read mine.” An amused smile upturned Ethan’s lips at the wide-eyed look he got from the boy.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. You mean, I’ll be telepathic too, but…only to you?” Nicoli asked in disbelief. It was a turn of events he hadn’t seen coming at all.

“You can put it that way and it doesn’t have to be an open link twenty-four seven either,” the vampire said. “If I want I can put a barrier up so you can’t read my thoughts and vice-versa, but first you’ll have to develop the ability to do so, of course.”

Nicoli’s face fell at that.

“So you’ll be able to turn the link on and off to keep me out, but I’ll be open to you until I learn how to keep you out? That doesn’t sound fair,” he huffed.

“Well, whose been dealing more with this mental mumbo jumbo?” Felix asked, lowering himself down onto the bed next to Ethan. “Even if this big lump is a slacker in developing his mental abilities he’s a heck of a lot farther than you.”

“Again with the helpful commentary,” Ethan muttered by smiled at the ghost anyways.

“So, the only way you’ll let me help you is if I agree to this mental link,” Nicoli said, laying all the facts out on the table.

“Yes, it’s a precaution I have to take. Not just out of necessity, but also to assure those who are on our side that you won’t be a liability,” Ethan answered.

“A liability?” Nicoli murmured and he glanced at Felix, who stared back at him very meaningfully. The boy tried to keep the thought away so Ethan wouldn’t hear it, but, because of Felix, he knew who would be the one to see him as a liability. Conrad.

“So, wait, before we continue on with this mind link stuff I have one more question about it,” Nicoli asked, trying to distract his thoughts before they alerted the vampire that the boy knew something he wasn’t supposed to.

“Ask away,” Ethan encouraged.

“Is it permanent?” the boy asked. “Once you make the link will we have to be linked forever?” Nicoli thought he may be able to live with the fact he’d have Ethan in his head throughout their little conquest, but if afterwards he still had to be linked to the vampire he didn’t know how he’d handle that.

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Ethan assured him with a smile. “I can sever the link whenever need be so as soon as we have all the Hearts I’ll terminate it.”

Nicoli let out a sigh of relief, happy for that news.

“That’s good.”

“So, does that mean you’ll agree to the link?” Ethan asked curiously.

“Well…it’s not like I have a choice, right?” Nicoli said as he scratched the back of his head. “If I want to help you this’ll be the only way you’ll allow me to.”

“True, all very true,” Ethan said. He was glad to hear Nicoli say the words want to help that meant the boy was already eased into the idea of being in this with no thoughts of backing out.

“So, how do we go about linking us then? How does it work?” Nicoli asked curiously.

“Strictly speaking our blood is going to be the key to this,” Ethan said. “I need to create a wound somewhere on your person, preferably on your neck, and you have to make one on me in the same place. We’ll touch the wounds together and once our blood touches and mingles I’ll be able to construct the link,” he explained.

“Wait, wounds? We have to wound each other’s necks….hold on,” Nicoli’s eyes slowly widened when he had a spine tingling thought. “Does that mean you have to…oh shit.”

“Yes, Nicoli, I have to bite you,” Ethan said, voicing the boy’s fears.

“Are you freaking serious!?” Nicoli exclaimed. “But-but what about my F.L.S thing? If you bite me then I’ll…” he trailed off and his face reddened like a tomato.

“Yeah, seriously, Ethan. That’s not something I want to witness again,” Felix said, making a face at the memory of what happened last time.

“Will both of you calm down?” Ethan said with a shake of his head. “Nicoli, I just have to bite you to puncture the skin and draw blood. That only takes a second. It won’t be long enough for your F.L.S to be awakened, I assure you.”

Nicoli looked at him suspiciously as he covered his neck with his hand.

“Are you sure?” he asked slowly.

“Yes, I’m very sure. When I bit you the first time you didn’t get aroused instantly, did you?” Ethan asked and tried not to smile in amusement at the blush that came back full force.

“Er, no…I guess I didn’t,” the boy mumbled. If a quick bite didn’t get him horny he guessed he would be all right with it. “But what do you mean I have to wound you too?” The blush faded away along with all color in his face as he paled. “Does that – Does that mean I have to bite you too?” he asked, dreading the answer.

“It’s preferable,” Ethan answered and didn’t miss the horrified look that crossed Nicoli’s face. “But, if you don’t think you can do it I can cut myself and then you can just lick the wound,” he suggested.

“Lick it!? Wait, why the hell would I have to lick it?” he questioned, the thought of licking a bloody wound making him want to gag.

“The same reason I have to bite you instead of cut you. Our saliva has to be in the wounds when I try and make the link,” Ethan answered.

“Why?” Nicoli asked.

“I was taught that if the saliva of the individuals is present while making the link it makes the process go much smoother,” the vampire said with a simple shrug of his shoulders.

“Why, is this making you want to back out?” Felix asked teasingly, and Nicoli tumbled out of the chair in surprise when the ghost was beside him without warning.

“Felix! You jerk!” Nicoli yelled at him and wanted to kick at the ghost, but the experience from yesterday made him stop mid kick. Instead Nicoli cursed under his breath as he sat up.

“It’s not that I want to back out,” the boy said, throwing one last glare at the ghost. “It just doesn’t sound…appealing is all. I really don’t want to bite you, but I don’t want to lick any cut or whatever you make either.”

“It may not be appealing,” Ethan said as he smiled down at the boy. “But it’s the only way we’re gonna be able to do this.”

Nicoli sighed pathetically. There was no way he was going to be getting out of this.

“This sucks, sucks, sucks,” he grumbled as he stood up. “All right, if we have to do this let’s just get it over with before I lose my nerve and run out of here screaming,” the boy said, resigning himself to his fate.

“Good! I’m glad you’re being so cooperative,” Ethan said with a wide grin as he stood up and made his way to the small bathroom. “Now you just take off your jacket and shirt while I go grab a towel.”

“Wha? Why the hell do I have to take them off?” Nicoli asked in confusion and tried to fight off the blush he could feel coming.

Ethan stopped in the doorway and turned to smirk at him.

“Do you really want to get blood all over your clothes?” he asked.

Nicoli blinked at him before looking down at his clothes.

“Oh, uh, I guess not,” he muttered. His mother wouldn’t be too thrilled if he came home with clothes covered in blood.

When Ethan disappeared into the bathroom Nicoli took off his jacket and tossed it onto the chair he had been occupying. Just when he was about to pull his shirt over his head he happened to see Felix glaring at him. The boy stared back for a second before sighing and pulling up his shirt.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Nicoli murmured softly, but was muffled by his shirt.

“I just can’t believe that after yesterday you still showed up,” the ghost growled.

“It’s not like I planned it or anything,” the boy said as the shirt came off and joined the jacket. Nicoli’s hands planted themselves on his hips as he turned to look at the ghost fully. “You think I wanted to come over here so bad I just skipped right on over as soon as I woke up?”

“Then why are you here?” Felix snapped as he crossed his arms, staring at Nicoli just as hard.

“I already said I didn’t know, or are your ears so full of dust you couldn’t hear me?” Nicoli threw back at him. His face then fell and he looked away from the ghost. “It looks like Ethan isn’t the only one who does things that people don’t understand why.”

Felix blinked at the boy, but before he could make any sort of retort the vampire strolled back into the room with towel in hand and was now just as shirtless as Nicoli.

“All right, let’s get this started.”

Nicoli was directed to sit on the bed and faced Ethan who sat across from him. The towel was placed around the boy’s neck to catch what blood would be spilt after he was bit. Nicoli drummed his fingers on his leg nervously as he waited for Ethan to start.

“So, you’re sure that my F.L.S won’t do anything if it’s a quick bite, right?” the boy asked again.

“Yes, for the hundredth time, I’m sure,” Ethan replied. “Now just hold still.” The vampire noted how the boy stiffened as he drew closer, but by now he had expected it. He placed one hand on Nicoli’s upper arm and the other on the side of his neck and pulled the boy to him. He could feel a shudder run through the young body underneath his fingertips as his lips grazed the fair, supple flesh of Nicoli’s throat.

“This will only take a second,” Ethan murmured softly. He felt his fangs descend and ache for the blood that was hidden by a mere few layers of skin. A soft hiss escaped him as he opened his mouth and, without any further warning, sunk his fangs clear through the boy’s skin. The soft gasp that pulled from the boy, coupled with the delicious, intoxicating blood that flooded the vampire’s mouth, was enough to make Ethan shudder himself. But before he could get lost in his bliss Ethan reluctantly retracted his fangs and pulled away from Nicoli’s willing body.

“There that wasn’t so bad. Do you feel all right?” Ethan asked as he used his thumb to wipe up a stray bead of blood that escaped from his lips. He then took his time in licking the sinfully exquisite crimson liquid from the pad of his thumb.

“Uh, yeah, I think so,” Nicoli murmured. He sounded a bit dazed, but unharmed, nevertheless. He lifted his hand to touch his neck, but stopped, reminding himself that the wound was bleeding and he didn’t want to get it on his hand.

“You’re not feeling the need to go hump something, right?” Felix teased from where he was watching on the chair Nicoli had been occupying.

Nicoli threw him a dirty look as he ignored the blood running down his neck and soaking in the towel, making his skin prickle.

“No, I’m not. Thank, God,” he said. He was overly relieved that Ethan had been right and he felt no arousal whatsoever. That was the last thing he needed right now.

“All right,” Ethan said, getting Nicoli’s attention. “It’s your turn.” The vampire tilted his head and bared his throat to the boy.

Nicoli stared at him for a long while. Unsure of what to do. He knew what he had to do, but uncertain on how it was going to work.

“So, I just have to bite you till I draw blood?” he asked, even though he knew the answer.

Ethan righted his head and stared at the boy.

“That’s right. And once you do we’ll have to be quick about it since I’ll heal fast,” he said.

“But, aren’t I going to hurt you?” Nicoli asked worriedly. “I don’t have fangs like you do so in order to make you bleed I’m gonna have to use a lot of force.”

Ethan laughed at the concerned pout the boy was giving him. It always amazed him how cute humans could be.

“Nicoli, I assure,” Ethan said as he leaned in a little with a soft, amused smile. “I’ll live. Now, let’s not waste anymore time.” With that the vampire tilted his head again and waited.

Nicoli let out a low groan in his throat before sighing and scooting forward. He might as well get it over with. He tentatively placed his hands on Ethan’s broad shoulders to brace himself as he leaned forward – The man really was in good shape – After taking a deep breath he opened his mouth and latched onto Ethan’s neck. He sat there for a second as he got used to the feel of having a lump of tough flesh in his mouth.

“Come on, don’t be shy, bite down,” Ethan encouraged and his voice vibrated his neck and made Nicoli shiver.

Shut up, Nicoli thought and actually hoped Ethan heard that. He took the liberty of wasting another few seconds to try and screw up his will before starting to bite down. The flesh buckled under his teeth and he bit harder and harder, but failed to pierce the skin. As the seconds ticked by Nicoli lost his nerve and began releasing the abused skin from his hold. But when he tried to pull back he found Ethan’s hand on the back of his head and holding him in place.

“Ah, ah, ah, you’re not going anywhere,” Ethan told him.

Nicoli tried to talk, but found he couldn’t get any words out through his mouthful so he tried thinking instead.

I can’t do this.

“Yes, you can, Nicoli,” Ethan responded. Ah, so he did hear him. “You’re not hurting me, just keep biting till you break skin.”

Easy for you to say, Mr. Bloodsucker. I don’t make a habit of biting into people’s jugulars, Nicoli snapped back. He fidgeted as he tried to get comfortable. His jaw was starting to hurt.

“Come on, ya whimp,” Felix’s voice said somewhere off to Nicoli’s side. “Just think of something that really pisses you off or something then just take it out on Ethan.”

Nicoli growled and he could fell Ethan’s neck tense under the sound. But the ghost did have a good point. It was worth a shot. Nicoli closed his eyes and tried to think of everything that had ever pissed him off.

Zack breaking his bike when they were younger. His mother calling him embarrassing names in public. Losing to Brittany at every video game known to man. His father forcing him to be on the basket ball team at his old high school.

Nicoli growled again. It wasn’t working. He might as well work on more recent events.

Leaving Zack and Brittany to move to the stupid sinkhole of a town. Getting beat up and terrorized by Trevor and his cronies. Felix. Being chased through the woods and almost killed by a crazy axe wielding, Van Helsing wannabe, vampire hunter. Felix. Ethan forcing the whole crazy situation on him. Felix

With each thought Nicoli could feel a spark of anger trailing up his spine and making his jaw clench tighter and tighter. His eyes widened in shock when the coppery liquid of Ethan’s life essence flooded his mouth. Nicoli quickly wrenched back from Ethan and spit the blood out of his mouth. He could feel some of it dribbling down his chin.

“Oh, sick, dude!” he exclaimed in disgust.

Before he could wipe the blood of his lips Ethan’s hand was behind his neck and yanked him forward, making him yelp in surprise.

“Hurry, before the wound closes,” the man told Nicoli and he pulled the boy close enough to press their necks together and touch the wounds.

Nicoli’s eyes scrunched closed and he hissed through his teeth. It stung like a bitch. His fingers bit into Ethan’s arms to try and prevent himself from moving away. When the pain became dull he opened his eyes and blinked. What was supposed to happen now? He glanced over at Felix, whose head was tilted and was watching them curiously. Apparently he didn’t know what was supposed to happen either.

“Ethan? Is something supposed to hap –”

Nicoli was cut off as he gasped and his entire body locked up as his eyes widened. The hotel room, Felix, and Ethan all melted away and images and voices replaced them. All around him could see people and places moving about and voices were swirling around him like a chorus, but they were all happening in ultra fast forward so they were all a blur and an indistinguishable chatter. The only thing he could grasp were a mixture of emotions that were flitting through him in a whirlwind: Happiness, joy, anger, sorrow, fear, hatred, and the strongest feeling of all…guilt.

With the images and voices whirling around him and the emotions threatening to swallow him up, it soon became too much and Nicoli heard his own scream before everything plunged into an endless darkness.

============================Ch. 11 End