“You remembered. They are my favorite,” Ashby said, following him into the kitchen and taking a seat on the barstool across the counter from where Gabriel stood with two apples, a knife and a cutting board. Very slowly and deliberately Gabriel began to peel each apple as if each movement was an effort in keeping control.
“I bet you never imagined your mate as a fox-shifting ice cream parlor owner,” Ashby said, with a self-deprecating laugh. The knife stilled and Gabriel looked up sharply.
“Every night when I lie down to rest, I wonder if I’ve done enough good that day to outweigh the wrongs I have done to keep my people safe and every night I wonder if there is enough good left in me to deserve a mate. Over the thousands of years I’ve endured, I have imagined my mate in a myriad of different ways, each variation better than the one before. But nothing my mind has conjured in all of those millennia could compare to the beauty and strength in you. Your sheer physical beauty is only outshone by your amazingly kind heart and pure soul. No matter how much longer I have left on this earth, I know that I will never do anything to deserve the gift of you,” Gabriel said, making sure he kept Ashby’s gaze so that he could see the truth in his eyes.
Ashby couldn’t stop the tears. In an instant Gabriel was around the counter and cupping Ashby’s face in his large hands. He carefully wiped away the tears before replacing each one with a gentle kiss.
“I have carried the weight of an entire race on my shoulders for so long, I don’t know if I can be the mate you deserve. I had nearly given up my soul before I smelled your blood in that van the morning after you were rescued. The tiny ray of hope that you were my mate has kept me going these past few months.” Gabriel leaned forward and buried his face his Ashby’s neck, their bodies locked in a powerful embrace. Ashby could feel slight tremors go through Gabriel’s body as the man held on to him as if his very life depended on it.
“Ashby, sweet Ashby, what has fate done tying you to a monster like me?” Gabriel said into his neck. Ashby pulled back and shook his head.
“Don’t say that. Don’t ever say you are a monster! I have seen real monsters. I was trapped with my ex-boyfriend for nearly a year before escaping him, he was a monster. The hyenas who went after Rebecca, Landon and Lucas, they are monsters. But you, my prince, are not.” Ashby said, unashamed of the passion in his voice.
Gabriel’s eyes lightened from the black they had become to a steely gray before settling into a royal blue.
“I had forgotten your ordeal with your ex-boyfriend, forgive me for bringing up such painful memories on what should be a happy occasion,” he said, nuzzling Ashby’s forehead.
Ashby blushed furiously.
“I’m fine. But if you really are interested in making this a happy occasion…” He stared up at Gabriel who lifted up an eye brown and smiled down at his angelic mate. Ashby’s mouth twitched as a moment passed where neither spoke and just looked into each other’s faces.
“Bow chica wow wow,” Ashby said, grinning. Gabriel’s mouth dropped before he started to grin. The grin turned into a smile which soon stretched across his face before he lost all composure and he began to laugh until he had tears coming down his face. Ashby couldn’t hold it in either and laughed right alongside his prince. He had a feeling it had been too long since Gabriel had known laughter and joy. He decided right then and there, that would be his job from now on, to make his prince smile.
* * * *
Without wasting a second Ashby dropped to his knees and began to undo Gabriel’s slacks. Gabriel’s laughter stopped almost immediately as he looked down in shock.
“Mon ange, you don’t have to…” Gabriel’s words were forgotten as Ashby’s nimble hands freed his heavy cock and he ran a tongue around the engorged head. He flicked his tongue into the slit before swallowing the thick flesh down completely.
He swallowed the entire length until his nose hit the springy hairs at Gabriel’s groin.
“Mon dieu! Don’t stop angel!” Gabriel said, unable to resist pulling back slightly and moving forward again to feel the soft constricting flesh of his lover’s throat around him. Ashby hummed, sending vibrations down Gabriel’s shaft.
Gabriel ran his hands through Ashby’s soft blond curls and looked down at his mate. When Ashby’s eyes looked up and saw that Gabriel was watching he slid his mouth up and bobbed back down until Gabriel hit the back of his throat.
Gabriel felt the familiar tingling at his spine signaling his impending release.
“Angel…coming.” Was all he was able to articulate before throwing his head back, letting wave after wave of his orgasm crash through him. Ashby slowed his movements before releasing his cock with a final swipe of his tongue.
Gabriel pulled Ashby to his feet and then swept him up in his arms. Ashby blushed.
“I feel like a bride being carried over the threshold.”
“Tonight is our wedding night my angel,” Gabriel whispered and made his way to his bedroom. He set Ashby down next to the bed and pulled Ashby’s tank off, revealing a slender but toned body. “You don’t have any hair.” Gabriel trailed his fingers down Ashby’s chest, and Ashby swallowed hard.
“I don’t wax or anything, I’m just not that hairy,” he whispered. Gabriel nodded his approval. He reached for Ashby’s jeans and easily unbuttoned them and pushed them down Ashby’s legs. Gabriel nearly swallowed his tongue when he saw Ashby standing before him in nothing but a pair of electric-blue boy shorts. Ashby tried to use his hands to cover his groin where evidence of his arousal was clear to see.
“Never hide yourself from me, mon ange.” Gabriel trailed his fingers down Ashby’s sides before hooking his thumbs into the boy shorts. He got to his knees and pulled one side of the boy shorts down to expose a hip bone. He ran his tongue across the ridge before dipping into his lover’s belly button. He could smell the sweet musk of his mate and his fangs burst from his gums. He pulled the other side of the boy shorts down and eased them down and off the most perfectly rounded ass he had ever seen. He slid the shorts down and Ashby stepped out of them. Gabriel leaned back and looked at his mate’s cock for the first time. It was average in length and girth, but the ordinary stopped there. With the exception of the engorged purple head the rest of the shaft was creamy and looked as if it were cut from marble.
“Mon Dieu, you are a vision. Tonight I will make you mine forever.” Gabriel stood and he gently picked Ashby up and laid him down on the bed. He took a moment to look down at the picture of perfection before him. His Ashby looked like a fallen angel. His innocent eyes contradicted his love-swollen lips and flushed cheeks.
“What do you mean forever?” Ashby asked. Gabriel looked over to Ashby and smiled gently. He then removed his suit jacket and placed it on the bench at the end of the bed. Slowly he removed his designer silk shirt and tossed it next to the jacket. He saw Ashby lick his lips.
“What is your ultimate fantasy my angel? You have given me so much pleasure already tonight so selflessly, what can I do for you?” Gabriel asked, his voice deepening. He saw a shiver run through Ashby and he felt ten feet tall.
“Can you make love to me? No one has ever just loved me,” Ashby said so quietly that even with his vampiric hearing he had to strain to catch the words. When he heard Ashby’s soft request his heart broke in two. The gorgeous creature before him should have only known gentle caresses and tender words. From the little his dainty mate had told him about his ex-boyfriend, he knew that Ashby had experienced hell at the hands of a man who should have protected him at all costs. He tried to keep the anger he felt from showing on his face.
“We don’t have to if you don’t want,” Ashby said quickly and rolled over to his hands and knees putting his head down.
Gabriel felt like someone punched him in the stomach. He quickly removed his slacks, throwing them across the bench and went to the night stand and pulled out a packet of lube. He eased himself behind Ashby, running his hands over the crease gently massaging the dark hole winking at him.
“My angel as much as I want to bury my face in your sweet ass and bring you to the brink of pleasure over and over again with my mouth, I need to see your face and kiss those exquisite lips of yours as we make love.” Gabriel placed both hands on Ashby’s hips and pulled him backward until he was sitting back on his knees, his back flush against his chest. Ashby’s face turned up and he looked at him with surprise in his eyes.
Gabriel ran a hand down Ashby’s chest and tweaked the tiny pale pink disk. Ashby moaned and rested the back of his head on Gabriel’s breast bone.
“Does my bebe like that?” Gabriel whispered the words against Ashby’s neck, causing goose bumps to run down his mate’s body.
“Y–y–yes,” Ashby squeaked.
“Good, you will know nothing but pleasure by my hands.” Gabriel ran his tongue up Ashby’s neck and bit gently on his ear. Ashby groaned and pushed his ass back against Gabriel’s hard dick.
“Turn around my angel.” Gabriel said gently turning Ashby’s body in his arms. When Ashby faced him his eyes looked out of focus. Gabriel eased him back and spread his legs wide. He leaned down and ran his tongue between the two perfectly rounded globes before pulling them apart to get at his prize. He opened the packet of lube and started working one finger in Ashby’s hole. He stopped at the second knuckle and waited.
“I’m OK.”
Gabriel nodded and continued.
He eased a second finger in beside the first and gently thrust them in and out. Ashby started thrashing around on the bed, and Gabriel grinned. He scissored his fingers back and forth, stretching his mate. He knew that in order for his angel to know only pleasure he would have to be well stretched. When he got to three fingers he looked into Ashby’s face and saw his mouth slack with bliss. He poured more lube on his heavy cock and he began to move forward. Ashby’s eyes met his and he smiled. Gabriel moved and when the head of his cock popped past the first set of inner muscles he stilled, trying to give his mate’s body time to adjust to his.
“More, it’s OK, Gabriel, I’m not made of glass,” Ashby gave him a lopsided grin.
“Only pleasure angel, only pleasure.” Gabriel leaned forward and rested his forearms on either side of Ashby’s head. With a quick stroke he thrust until he bottomed out inside his angel’s tight channel.
“Oh–oh–oh God, please move,” Ashby gyrated his hips. Gabriel withdrew and thrust home again, he knew that he was hitting Ashby’s sweet spot on every downward stroke. He felt his control start to fray at the edges as he began to slam into his mate. Knowing that he was close he leaned forward and captured Ashby’s lips. Ashby went crazy beneath him. It was if this simple kiss had unlocked every passion his mate had to offer. Gabriel felt Ashby’s legs wrap around his waist as their tongues dueled endlessly, driving their fervor higher. Gabriel pulled back and looked into Ashby’s eyes.
“Will you allow me to mate with you my angel?” he asked and saw tears fill Ashby’s eyes.
“Yes my prince, make me yours.” Ashby pulled Gabriel’s head down to his neck. Unable to avoid the gift his mate was offering, he buried his fangs into the side of Ashby’s neck and fed. He knew for a fact they were mates when Ashby’s blood did not affect his mind, it sated his body but left him lucid. Ashby’s blood tasted of every decadent treat he had ever sampled and he craved more. He heard Ashby cry out and as a splash of warmth hit his stomach, he knew his mate had come again. Still he fed. He closed his eyes as he felt the ice wall around his heart and soul shatter. His soul lifted up and danced with Ashby’s, they merged and returned to their homes now for the first time whole. He lifted his head and licked the two puncture marks so that it would stop bleeding but not so that it would fade, not yet.
“It is done. You are mine,” Gabriel moved to one side and pulled Ashby into his arms. They could clean up in a moment, he never wanted to let go.
“Only you,” Ashby replied.
“You have pulled me from the edge of darkness my angel, I’m not sure I could have survived much longer without you.” Gabriel laid gentle kisses on the site of his claiming bite and Ashby shivered in pleasure. Gabriel grinned and slipped from the bed heading to the bathroom. He quickly grabbed a washcloth and wet it with warm water. He walked back in and Ashby’s eyes zeroed in on his naked groin. Gabriel winked at him as Ashby blushed furiously. Gently he cleaned his lover before tossing the washcloth back into the bathroom.
“Why do your eyes change colors?” Ashby asked as Gabriel got into bed behind him and pulled him into the curve of his body.
“I am one of the oldest of my kind, one of the first. As we age our eyes begin to reflect our feelings. At first our eyes darken, then they are able to turn red with anger. Eventually if a vampire lives long enough their eyes will change color with deep emotions. I know of only one other whose eyes can shift to a different color than red, and that is Mikhail. He is the closest of anyone in the coven to my age.” Gabriel ran a hand softly up and down Ashby’s side.
“So the older you get your eyes turn into mood rings?” Ashby giggled.
“It doesn’t sound as impressive when you put it like that, but yes, our age determines a lot of our abilities. Only a vampire who is over a thousand years old is able to turn a human. I have set up a law that any request for a human to be turned has to go through the council, usually only cases of human mates are approved.” Gabriel leaned forward and kissed his mate’s shoulder. Ashby turned his head to smile up at him.
“What else can you do?” His smile was infectious.
“I am the oldest of my race, there isn’t much I cannot do, mon ange.” Gabriel took advantage of Ashby’s turned head and captured his lips. Ashby returned his kiss then pulled back.
“So you have to be a thousand years old to turn a human, when you’re really old your eyes become like mood rings, and over time you acquire powerful abilities.”
“Yes and we’re extremely protective and possessive of our mates. Marching through time alone can destroy your humanity. Having a mate makes you want to do better, to be better for them. I know that I could not face eternity without you. I cannot go back to being alone.” Gabriel pulled Ashby even tighter against his body.
“Hey, I’m not going anywhere. I may be small, but I’m scrappy.” Ashby gave him a goofy grin.
“I’ll love you for forever.” Gabriel firmly wrapped his arms around his mate and closed his eyes.
“Always,” Ashby replied yawning.
Gabriel fell asleep holding his mate and for the first time in centuries did not suffer the nightmares from his past.
Chapter 4
Ashby woke the next morning and stretched. He had the bed to himself. Gabriel had gotten up an hour ago to go downstairs and see how the club had done during the night. He had kissed him senseless and then promised to return as soon as he could. He smiled as he felt sore in certain places and recalled the three additional times that Gabriel had taken him during the night. He reached up and touched the twin puncture holes on his neck and sighed happily. He couldn’t believe that he was claimed and mated. He had to call Nic! Grinning, he leaned over and dangled off the side of the bed as he rummaged in his pants pockets from where they were dropped the night before. Humming he dialed Nic’s number.
“Hello? Ashby? You alive?” Nic asked answering his phone.
“Yes and I’m claimed!” Ashby fell back onto the mattress.
“Congratulations! Is he treating you OK?” Nic asked.
“Yes, he’s a perfect gentleman and extremely considerate of me. I couldn’t have asked for a better mate. He’s downstairs now checking on the club. I’m about to head down there, I’m starving. Do you think they have food?” Ashby chewed on his lower lip.
“Older vampires don’t need to feed or eat much but are known to intake more food and blood after they are mated,” Nic said, as if he were reading out of a manual.
“How did you know that?” Ashby asked curiously.
“Rebecca had me look into vampires when we realized Gabri
el was really serious about you so we would know what to expect. There’s a book about vampires in the town archives that she loaned me. There is a lot of good information in here. You should borrow it. It can tell you all about your prince, he’s mentioned all over the place in the history section,” Nic explained.
“Like what?” Ashby asked.
“Did you know your prince hobnobbed with royalty in France during the Renaissance period and a number of paintings from the most famous artists supposedly use him as a model?” Nic said and Ashby heard the clankings of a tea pot in the background.
“He’s certainly gorgeous enough to be in paintings, anything else?” Ashby asked.
“Evidently he’s the one that organized the current vampire council when he got tired of ruling over all of them. He is one of the oldest vampires who hasn’t turned feral, most of them turned centuries ago when they couldn’t find a mate, but Gabriel outlasted them all,” Nic said.
“He must have been so lonely,” Ashby said quietly.
“Yeah, which means he will definitely take care of my best friend the way he deserves,” Nic laughed.
“How’s Rebecca doing?” Ashby asked and heard Nic groan.
“She’s moping around missing you. We’re all bonded, but she has the closest connection to you. We’re trying to keep her out of trouble, but she misses you little buddy,” Nic said.
“Tell her that I send my love and that she’s going to adore Gabriel. I can’t wait for them to really get to know each other, it should be interesting.” Ashby smiled and Nic laughed.
“What will be interesting will be watching Aleks’s reaction to them becoming friends,” Nic said and Ashby giggled.
“Is she still trying to carry around her gun?”
“Yeah, she’s still mad at the way he talked down to her during the gun safety lessons he gave her. He might be out of the doghouse by the time the baby is born,” Nic said.