Spooks & Specters: A San DeLain Short Story Collection

Chapter Two

RAVEN SWUNG the guy around and moved in behind him as the song ended. “Yeah, that’s it.”

“What’s it?”

the man asked over his shoulder as another song pounded to life.

“Move that ass for me.”

Raven ran his hands over the writhing form in front of him. “What’s your name, sexy?”

“Stu.”

The human backed up, his ass rubbing against Raven’s crotch. “Wanna dance?”

Raven let his body do the talking, brushing against Stu’s swaying form. That was answer enough, wasn’t it? Settling his hands on the lean hips in front of him, he pulled the human closer, letting him feel the raging need that strained against his zipper.

The guy in his arms gasped.

The thumping bass swept through Raven’s body, edging his already tense mood toward dangerous. He had no idea why, but his temper had been extremely short lately. There was a restlessness deep inside Raven that was driving him nuts.

And he had no idea what was causing it.

He brushed Stu’s hair back, angled his body closer, and nuzzled the moist skin of the human’s neck. Damn. He smelled good. Like, really good. Fantastic, even. Raven’s fangs itched, threatening to drop, which surprised him because that was not something he normally experienced. Then the body under his hands trembled, and a small smile crossed his lips.

Obviously his response was due to the pheromones this human was pumping out. And he was—almost overwhelmingly so. The guy was hot to trot and was as good as his.

Pleased, he maneuvered a hand under Stu’s loose, flimsy shirt and tweaked a nipple to hardness while his other slipped down and lightly caressed the bulge he found.

“Like that? Want more?”

Raven squeezed the hard cock under his hand. “Tell me.”

“Fuck yes!”

It was pretty obvious to Raven that this guy had come here tonight with one thing on his mind, and Raven was going to give it to him. He let a couple more songs pass, testing the human’s boundaries. Pretty much nothing was off-limits.

From the way Stu panted and whined, he was sure he could have this guy right on the floor or up against the nearest wall. Why not have a little midnight bite?

Raven brushed his lips across the other man’s ear. “Want to come upstairs to my office with me?”

The human licked his lips suggestively, then leaned in close. “My best friend is a bobcat. His name is Martin Ingalls, and he’s a waiter at Embers. He’s a member of the daemon clan here in town.”

Raven almost grimaced but caught himself. Kage. This little human was talking about Kage’s clan. The same clan elder that Raven had managed to piss off not too long ago.

He almost walked away right then and there. Did he really want to get involved with that?

“I know who and what you are, and I’m willing.”

And that statement answered absolutely nothing. Willing? Willing to what? To feed Raven? To have sex with him? Both? Something else? And what did the human mean about knowing who and what Raven was? Obviously he knew he was a vampire, but did he know he was the Master of the City?

“Come with me,”

Raven demanded, dragging Stu to the back room behind the main bar.

They needed to talk, and it needed to be done away from other humans and the pounding music.

“I’m not to be disturbed,”

Raven said to the bartender as he pulled the human along behind him.

His bartender raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. Yeah, this wasn’t something Raven normally did—not there at least. He did have an office, after all. But Stu’s words sat heavily between them.

The human interested him—he smelled delicious, but caution was needed, especially if this human was known to the daemon Elder. So before anything else happened, Raven had questions that needed to be answered.

When he opened the door, the light came on immediately, illuminating the space. Raven pulled the human into the storage room, then shut the door. He didn’t lock it so the human wouldn’t panic. Not that a locked door was truly the threat in the situation—that would be Raven. If Stu knew what Raven was, he should understand that.

“Huh. This is neither upstairs nor your office. At least I hope this isn’t your office. I was expecting something a little bit… more. More black. More dark. More Goth. I don’t know, more… bloodsucking stereotypic vampireness, I guess? Kind of a disappointment, honestly.”

This was either an incredibly brave human or an incredibly stupid one. “Sassy, aren’t you?”

“Why, thank you. Sassy was exactly what I was going for.”

Raven suppressed the small smile that teased his lips. “Then I would say you succeeded.”

“Awesome.”

Stu leaned up against a couple of lockers. “So? Why are we here and not in the aforementioned office?”

“Because you said something that needs to be addressed first.”

“Okay? And that was…?”

“Be serious,”

Raven snapped.

“I am. I said several things. Which one seems to have set you off?”

Raven almost turned around and walked out. That mouth of Stu’s was something else. “How involved are you with the daemons of San DeLain?”

“I’m not. What I said was that my best friend is a bobcat, and his name is Martin Ingalls. He’s a waiter at Embers, and he’s also a member of the daemon clan here in town. He is involved with them. I am not.”

“But that’s not entirely true, is it? You are involved with them through Martin. And yes, I have heard the name. I know Kage has a member who is a bobcat. I also know he was kidnapped recently.”

“Yeah, he was. By hunters. But he was rescued.”

Raven knew this. He’d been there, after all. “So you know about them too.”

“I do. Look, I’m not a member of the clan,”

Stu said. “Hell, I doubt their leader has even heard of me.”

“I wouldn’t bet on that. Kage takes very good care of his people and anybody connected to them. Also? He is the elder, not the leader.”

“Sorry. I meant no disrespect. Sometimes it gets confusing because each group of paranormals have a certain name for, well, their leader.”

“That is true.”

That was a perfect opening to ask if Stu knew who Raven was, but he wasn’t quite ready to address that. Not quite yet. “You said you know what I am.”

Stu nodded. “You’re a vampire.”

Raven inhaled discreetly after Stu said that. How interesting. There was absolutely no fear riding the air current. This human really wasn’t afraid of being in a room with a vampire. In fact, he still reeked of desire, although it wasn’t quite as strong as earlier.

“And that doesn’t bother you?”

“Bother me? No. I’m well aware of what you could do. I’m also well aware that the coven here in San DeLain has a no-kill rule.”

That was very true. It was one of the first things Raven did when he took over. Entirely too many innocent humans were being killed by the vampires here before.

That was unacceptable.

Raven had put a stop to the indiscriminate killing, and those who would not comply were ashed. Immediately. No debate, no regret. His word was law. His current dissatisfaction with one human did not change the fact that they were delightful, complex creatures who were more than just a blood source.

And really, he truly had no right to be upset. A vampire had found his beloved. It was just Raven’s bad luck that the human also happened to be his favorite feeder.

Raven shoved the thought aside and stared at the human before him. They might be delightful, complex creatures, but they also could be major pains in his ass.

“Right?”

Stu asked after Raven didn’t reply.

“Oh, sorry. Yes, you are correct. Humans are treated with respect. Those who become feeders are given a contract that is geared toward their benefit and provided health care, a place to live, and a paycheck. But any innocent human is protected.”

Just not the evil ones.

“I know. You take care of those who work for you.”

Raven raised an eyebrow. “Me?”

Stu chuckled. “Of course you. You’re the Master of the City.”

“Well, I guess that answers the question of whether or not you know who I am.”

“Oh, I know you. Anyone who is aware of the paranormal world knows who the leaders of San DeLain are.”

Which gave Raven pause. Was this human only interested in him because of his title? And if he was, did Raven really care?

“Do you know a lot of leaders?”

“I have a thing for vampires, so you’re the only one I’m interested in.”

That was all Raven needed to hear. Throwing caution to the wind, he darted across the room at an unnatural speed, coming to a halt in front of Stu.

The human’s eyes widened, but that was the only physical reaction Raven saw, although he did hear Stu’s heart rate pick up. Having a predator come at you at a high rate of speed would do that, though.

“I’m very glad to hear that.”

Raven took a deep breath again, enjoying the scent that came off this human. Seriously, it was the best thing he’d ever smelled. Objectively he studied Stu. He was a bit taller than Raven and was very good-looking in the “boy next door”

way with his short brown hair and pretty blue eyes.

A strong chin, a straight nose, and very kissable lips rounded off the picture. But it was the freckles that lured Raven in. They were the most breathtaking thing he’d ever seen in his long life.

Lifting his hand, he gently touched Stu’s face, unable to resist the cute decorations across his nose and cheeks. “How lovely.”

“Why don’t you move those fingers down a little lower? I don’t bite.”

Raven snorted as he flicked Stu’s nose. “You might not, but I do.”

Stu groaned. “Hell. I didn’t think about…. I wasn’t trying to…. I didn’t mean….”

Raven squeezed Stu’s chin. “Glad to see I didn’t scare you with what I said.”

Stu stared into Raven’s eyes. “You didn’t. If I didn’t want you to bite me, I wouldn’t be here.”

“I can fuck you without biting you. You do know that, right?”

“Sure, but why bother?”

“Stu, have you been bitten before?”

Raven trailed his fingers down Stu’s neck, then wrapped his hand around his throat. “Are you addicted to a vampire’s bite, pretty human?”

Raven didn’t think so. If the human was, there were usually signs, and Stu didn’t exhibit any of those. For one thing, an addicted human was usually malnourished because they wouldn’t give their body time enough to recover after giving blood because they were chasing the next high of a vampire’s bite.

That usually meant they had multiple bite marks that were infected. Stu’s skin looked to be untouched, and he was definitely healthy looking. The clothing he wore showed off a tight body.

“Of course I’m not addicted. You would know simply by looking at me. We both know that. And as far as being bit? I have been before, but it’s been a while.”

For some completely idiotic reason, Raven found the idea of someone biting this human troublesome. “So you know what you’re getting into. Is that correct?”

Instead of answering, Stu moved into Raven’s personal space.

That was a yes in Raven’s book. Still, he needed verbal confirmation. “Do you know what you’re getting into?”

“I do.”

Wrapping his arms around the human, he pinned him against the nearest wall. Stu gasped, his arms coming around Raven’s waist. But the gasp was one of excitement, not fear. There was no scent of the acidic emotion in the air, but there were plenty of pheromones.

Raven buried his hand in Stu’s hair and pulled his head back. The soft moan that escaped pleased Raven as he trailed kisses up Stu’s neck. Stu closed his eyes as Raven’s lips caressed the soft skin, his breath picking up and chill bumps rising on his arms.

“Still good?”

Raven breathed into his ear.

“Yeah.”

Stu shivered, tilting his head back.

Raven growled softly at the action. “For future reference, baring your neck to a vampire is one of the most erotic things you can do for us.”

“Oh God.”

“If you want to pray, I suggest praying to me.”

Raven nipped the tender skin with his fangs, careful not to break it. Not yet. “But be very, very careful how you prod my monster. You might bite off more than you can chew.”

Stu opened his eyes. “Yeah? But I can swallow really well.”

Raven started to answer that little dig but lost his train of thought as Stu shifted, rubbing his hardening cock against Raven’s thigh. Fuck, the feel of Stu heated his blood. It had been centuries since someone had turned him on this much. Raven trailed kisses down to a patch of skin at the base of his throat, then nipped the skin there but didn’t break it. He didn’t know who he was teasing more—himself or Stu.

He soothed the small hurt he’d inflicted, and Stu sighed with pleasure. Then he gasped as Raven rubbed his fangs against him. He snuck one hand under Stu’s shirt and fanned his fingers across his stomach. The muscles jumped under his hand.

He bunched the material under Stu’s chin, holding it up with his hand. “How lovely. And so perky. Needy little nipples too,”

he whispered in Stu’s ear.

“Raven, please.”

Raven kissed the shell of Stu’s ear. “Raven, please, what?”

“Touch me!”

Raven laughed breathlessly, his fingertip easing over a nipple. “But I am.”

“Raven!”

“Beg,”

Raven whispered.