Bleeding Nights

Flashback

He entered the club and let the music flow about his senses like air, the dance floor was packed with writhing bodies and he felt more than a twinge of sympathy for the bartender—one of his roommates as well as his friend in this town-- as he was presented with another fake ID. He could feel the auras of all the patrons and some of them made his lip curl in a sneer, the ambiance of the vampires that mixed with their prey made his skin itch and his stomach churn. He brushed his shoulder length hair back from his face and scanned for someone who was so blitzed out of their mind that they wouldn’t notice their missing cash and cards until late the next day. There were quite a few targets that he could choose from because during the weekend the only ones that had to work were the poor college kids who held jobs as well as going to school, so most of the working upper and middle class in the establishment were already drunk.

‘I’d rather they deserved it though,’ the thought was a left over from when he had been a mere child and his mother figure was teaching him how to steal and he gave his head a small shake to rid himself of it. He made his way to the bar and let his leather incased hips sway to the music and graze against the other patrons who stared after him in nearly automatic lust. By the time he reached his target area he could feel at least two dozen pairs of eyes on his form which was clothed head to toe in tight black leather and silver chains with a collar about his throat, even his finger nails were painted black. The dark color contrasted beautifully with his golden blond hair and pale skin, while the eye liner brought attention to his blue eyes that seemed to glow in the poor lighting, the only thing that wasn’t black were his lips, which were a dark red instead.

The bartender looked up when he leaned against the counter and idly drummed his fingers against the wood. “Hullo, Selwyn. You working tonight?” the slightly shorter male pushed his inky hair out of forest green eyes that shone with mischief and a bit of annoyance. His clothes were the opposite of Selwyn’s, white denim that still hugged his lithe frame, silver around his eyes, shimmery blue lips, and a golden collar wrapped around his throat, even his dark skin tone contrasted the shifter.

“Yo Jake, of course I’m working…just not the bar,” he returned the greeting as the other set a rum and coke in front of him without waiting to see what he wanted. “You get off soon, right?” The drink was raised to his lips and a third of it was drained while he waited for the answer.

“Soon enough, then Tony and I are going to catch a late dinner and a movie. You should come with us,” Jake replied with a wink and moved to another customer who had just shown up. Once the order was taken and a beer given to the man he returned to Selwyn with a raised eyebrow to silently prompt him into answering.

“I would, but I don’t know when I’ll get off, besides I’m sure that Tony wants to spend some time with you alone,” He replied before tipping the rest of his drink into his mouth.

“Too bad, one day I’m going to get you to come have fun,” Jake sighed before he captured his friend’s lips in a yearning kiss before pulling back with another wink and a subtle eye roll at the watching patrons who were practically drooling at the sight.

He smirked and shook his head playfully before he leaned over and gave him a similar kiss back. “Perhaps if you and Tony decided to persuade me together,” he purred after he released the other. By now several people had passed out on the floor from the overall hot picture the two presented to their audience, and he was greatful for that since it would make his thieving so much easier tonight if his marks ached to touch him.

Jake gave a mischievous and welcoming smile at someone behind him and a pair of rather muscled arms wrapped around his frame. He stilled entirely but did not tense up since his friend had shown no signs of alarm and he trusted the other…kind of. “Persuade you to do what?” a low voice rumbled in his ear as a pair of lips landed on the side of his neck.

Before he could answer Jake vaulted over the bar and was enthusiastically hugging his boyfriend around his friend, “Tony!!” It was interesting how the younger male could go from sexual kitten to hyperactive puppy at a moments notice.

The aforementioned man smiled and returned the hug, which made a Selwyn sandwich. Tony was taller and more muscled than either of the other two and he had short dark brown hair that fell just past his ears, his eyes were a blue-green and he wore no makeup on his slightly tanned body. As for his clothes he wore a white button up shirt over a pair of broken in black jeans that still hugged his hips, as well as a pair of black and white sneakers. “Hey, how was work baby?” he asked after a more chaste kiss than the younger males had just shared.

“Excuse me! Can I get another drink over here?” The man who had ordered a beer demanded loudly from down the bar. The three men pinned him with glares that would have made a sober person back off and run away; however, this man had no prey instincts and merely glared back. “Isn’t your job to serve the customer and not your boyfriend?” his voice would have been considered a snarl.

The three parted from each other and there were disappointed groans from the crowd, most of who had been served by imagining sex between the three males who seemed to fit perfectly together. “Sorry, I’m off the clock now but I’ll bring you another beer,” Jake put on a fake smile and his professional aura before heading towards the opening that lead to behind the counter. He was beaten there by the bartender who was to relieve him from his shift.

“Sorry I’m late, Jake,” the female apologized and pulled medium length black/brown hair into a low ponytail.

“That’s alright, Jasmine,” he responded with a soft smile, “That gentleman down there needs another Corona.”

The man’s scowl disappeared at seeing her instead of the gay male who had been serving drinks and he gave a sick smile at the short skirt and low cut top she wore.

He glared at the man, ‘definitely someone who deserves it,’ the thought was satisfied and he started over to rob the bigot blind when Tony’s hand on his arm stopped him and he looked at the older male in confusion.

Tony bent his head to ear to explain, “He’s a pig, but he’s straight and Jasmine’s biggest tipper so she would kill you if he couldn’t pay tonight…Besides her girlfriend has wanted to do some personal damage to him and you don’t want to spoil her jealous vengeance.” Once he was sure that the other would leave the pig alone he released his arm and straightened up. Then he gathered his boyfriend to him and headed out the door, lazily waving a hand in farewell.

Once the two had departed he strolled towards the dancing throng, his step casual and unconsciously following the beat. He felt a chill and looked over his shoulder to see a few blood suckers staring at him and he mentally pushed at them with his own aura, a few looked startled and backed up while the others simply shrugged and turned to find easier prey. Satisfied he turned back to the floor to dance and work the crowd in all kinds of ways…Too bad he never noticed the silver eyes that didn’t leave his form all night, a kind of amusement could be seen in them.

Selwyn woke with a gasp to notice that his face was drenched in sweat and tears, he glanced about to regain his bearings and was almost relieved to see the walls and ceiling of his current prison. He must have fallen asleep while counting the cracks on the ceiling which was easy enough to do seeing as his situation was not the most uncomfortable one in his life. He hadn’t had the dream of the rather small town that he’d hidden himself in for three and a half years after running from Cascade in a while.

He felt more than a twinge of remorse as he thought of Jake and Tony; he had really been fond of the two older males who had never questioned where he had come from or his past. They’d also never looked down on him for the fact that he was a thief nor the fact that he was a shifter, as powerful mages themselves they knew what it was like to be different from everyone else. He had managed to get them a letter telling them that he was alive and in relative good health, which was more than he had managed to get to Bronwren but that was before he had been forced to run from the council’s hunters.

Only a few nights after that scene he’d been kidnapped by the bastard that later turned him into the hybrid he was, and by all of the gods he wished his maker dead. He also felt extemely stupid whenever he had this dream or thought about how he had come to be made into what he was, had he been more cautious perhaps none of what followed would have happened and he would not have hunters after him.

Rather tense he looked about his cell again and then stared at the door in some sort of inane fear that it would open to reveal his captor, but nothing happened.

Since nothing had changed about his confinement he closed his eyes once more and wished desperately to have no dreams or even thoughts. “I hope the others are ok,” he whispered the almost prayer just as the darkness grabbed his mind and dragged him down into its abyss.

Miska paced about the guest rooms while from the large bed Gavin and Bronwren watched her with concern since she had been at for the past hour or so. Her eyes flashed lightning at the doors and windows and her lips were pulled back from her teeth in a snarl and it was nearly as scary as it was when she was in her panther form. “What exactly is that jack ass playing at?” she hissed to her companions as she started yet another turn around the track she had worn in the carpet.

Bronwren gave a shrug because she really did not have an answer for her aggravated mate, she had nearly all of Ancel’s behaviors towards those who defied him in a note book and could not recall him ever doing this before. Of course there could have been an incident like this before she had come to the territory and started her recording. There was also the fact that she rather thought that whatever game he was playing with them was not nearly as important as the truth that he had his hands on her cub and she had no idea what he planned on doing with him. “I don’t know what he’s thinking, but I personally find it strange that he did not try to use Selwyn’s safety to ensure our cooperation,” she voiced her thoughts out loud even as she took Gavin’s wrist into her hand so she could examine it more closely.

Miska stopped mid-step at the point and turned her eyes to Gavin who gave his head a shake. “I’m not sure why he didn’t, the few times I have seen him capture someone he always used any attachment to anything to help ensure their cooperation,” he answered the question with a disturbed frown. ‘It could be because he has no intention of keep Selwyn safe at all,’ the thought was nearly silent and he kept it from showing on his face or in his posture. The last thing either woman needed was to think that way, after all Ancel would not have been happy should they decide that they wanted to attack him and then both feline shifters would most likely be in the same situation as their cub which would help no one.

The panther shifter sighed and seemed to deflate before she threw herself on the bed between her mate and her friend. “I honestly don’t know what he’s up to and it pisses me the hell off,” she admitted in a tone of finality in the concerned silence and rolled onto her back to lay with an arm thrown over her eyes.

“None of us do, and I know that it makes me feel helpless and I am not fond of that feeling,” Bronwren soothed and released the wrist in her grasp to put both arms around her mate, surprisingly enough Ancel had indeed set it right so the healing would go smoothly enough although some blood would make Gavin heal that much faster.

“Screw helpless, I’m bloody terrified and he can’t even break or sell me without the consent of our sire,” Gavin interjected though he seemed more than a little ashamed to admit this fact even knowing that he was amongst friends and his confession would never make it back to his brother’s ears. He hated being afraid even of the slightest move on the elder vampire’s part, that mentality was partly his own feelings and partly instincts given to him when he was turned. His mind could really care less what the other thought, but his feelings and his instincts were usually in a submit or run the hell away mode whenever he had to deal with Cascade’s master in any sort of capacity.

It seemed neither was an option this time and he hated the trapt feeling that all three of them were experiencing, he’d always been empathitic and now that he was a member of the Undead it seemed that his “talent” had only grown by leaps and bounds. Rather annoying when one was trying despertly to survive to see at least another half a century, of course he wasn’t entirely sure that was what he wanted in the first place.

“I guess we should at least be grateful that he isn’t going to starve us,” Miska grumbled from her spot and rolled her eyes expressively. ‘right, he’s not going to starve us he’s going to keep us nice and fat so that he can slaughter us come fall,’ the thought was typically morbid of her so she quickly banished it before her companions could catch onto it. ‘Too late,’ she noticed Gavin gave her a rather annoyed glare.

“Whatever happened earlier has left me exhausted so I think I am going to go back to sleep until we have to eat dinner…the two of you are welcome to join me,” Bronwren announced while deliberately not commenting on her mate’s words. Within seconds of informing them she was once again fast asleep and was rather determined that nothing was going to interrupt her escape until she chose to interrupt it for herself.

Gavin and Miska glanced at the dead to the world snow leopard shifter and with identical shrugs decided to follow her lead into the land of dreams and ignore their waking world.