eyelids, before pulling him against his chest. “I hate when you feel anguish, m’cridhe , for I feel it too.”
Alec’s voice was muffled by Cronin’s shirt. “How am I supposed to fight this one?”
“We will figure this out together, Alec,” Cronin whispered, kissing the side of his head. “You are not some weak human who has to shoulder this alone. Is that not what you said?” He kissed Alec softly. “I am forever by your side.”
“As are we,” Jodis said.
Finally, Alec smiled. “Just like the musketeers, huh? All for one and one for all.”
Cronin pulled back a little so he could see Alec’s face. “They weren’t vampires.”
“What about King Arthur?” Alec asked. Joking about it seemed to help with the overwhelming feeling. “Elvis?”
Eiji laughed. “No, and the rumors of Robin Hood are not true.”
Jodis joined in. “No, he never wore that ridiculous hat.”
Alec chuckled. “Let me guess, Santa Claus was a vampire who could leap. It would explain the ability to visit every child in the world in one night.”
“I’m not sure a vampire would be inclined to give children gifts,” Eiji said.
“No,” Cronin agreed. “There’s more truth in the legend of the Pied Piper than Santa Claus.”
“The Pied Piper from the Nursery Rhyme?” Alec asked.
Jodis made a thoughtful face. “Yes. Don’t discredit rhymes for children. There is often warning within each one.”
“Oh, Jesus.”
Cronin twisted his lips into a smile. He shook his head. “No. He wasn’t one.”
Jodis laughed. “The Pied Piper lived in Hamelin, Germany. This particular vampire preferred the blood of children. One hundred and thirty children, to be exact.”
Alec’s mouth fell open. “Children?”
“Yes,” Cronin said quietly. “It is not an ethical practice, even for vampires, and he was brought to trial and executed in 1284.”
“There was also Whitechapel,” Eiji said. This time Cronin and Jodis both sighed.
“Whitechapel?” Alec clarified. “The Whitechapel murders? As in Jack the Ripper?”
Cronin nodded. “He was a particularly troubled vampire. He thought himself uncatchable.”
“They never did catch him,” Alec said. “Did they?”
“Not the police, no,” Jodis said with an amused smile. “Kennard had the pleasure of putting an end to that little show.”
Alec shook his head and puffed out a breath. “Jack the freakin’ Ripper was a vampire?”
“Oh, yes,” Cronin said. “Think about it, all crimes took place at night, the throats were cut to obscure bite marks. Though he liked to splash around in the blood. He really was rather peculiar.”
Splash around in the blood? Cronin, Eiji, and Jodis all seemed to find that amusing, but Alec didn’t. He put his hand up in a stop motion. “Yeah, okay that’s enough. I don’t think I need to know anymore.” He sighed and looked out across the view of the city. It was now well and truly daytime. “I need to go to bed.”
Alec only felt Cronin’s arms slide around him before they were leaping. He landed on his back on Cronin’s bed, with Cronin on top of him. “I could have walked from the living room,” Alec said, unable to stop the smile.
“I know,” Cronin replied. A soft purr became a low growl as he ran his nose along Alec’s neck.
Then Jodis called out, “No feeding from Alec.”
Cronin huffed out a frustrated growl, and Eiji laughed from three rooms away. Alec chuckled as well. “Shall we test your self-control?” he asked, biting his bottom lip. “Because I’m pretty sure you can fuck me and not bite me.”
Cronin tore Alec’s shirt from his body, making Alec laugh again. “I take it that’s a yes.”
* * * *
Cronin stayed beside Alec in bed, both of them still naked, and watched Alec as he slept. He’d never imagined in all of his years that he’d have this. Not just a bedfellow, but his fated lover. Someone who was half of him, who filled his very heart and soul, who encompassed every
Alec’s voice was muffled by Cronin’s shirt. “How am I supposed to fight this one?”
“We will figure this out together, Alec,” Cronin whispered, kissing the side of his head. “You are not some weak human who has to shoulder this alone. Is that not what you said?” He kissed Alec softly. “I am forever by your side.”
“As are we,” Jodis said.
Finally, Alec smiled. “Just like the musketeers, huh? All for one and one for all.”
Cronin pulled back a little so he could see Alec’s face. “They weren’t vampires.”
“What about King Arthur?” Alec asked. Joking about it seemed to help with the overwhelming feeling. “Elvis?”
Eiji laughed. “No, and the rumors of Robin Hood are not true.”
Jodis joined in. “No, he never wore that ridiculous hat.”
Alec chuckled. “Let me guess, Santa Claus was a vampire who could leap. It would explain the ability to visit every child in the world in one night.”
“I’m not sure a vampire would be inclined to give children gifts,” Eiji said.
“No,” Cronin agreed. “There’s more truth in the legend of the Pied Piper than Santa Claus.”
“The Pied Piper from the Nursery Rhyme?” Alec asked.
Jodis made a thoughtful face. “Yes. Don’t discredit rhymes for children. There is often warning within each one.”
“Oh, Jesus.”
Cronin twisted his lips into a smile. He shook his head. “No. He wasn’t one.”
Jodis laughed. “The Pied Piper lived in Hamelin, Germany. This particular vampire preferred the blood of children. One hundred and thirty children, to be exact.”
Alec’s mouth fell open. “Children?”
“Yes,” Cronin said quietly. “It is not an ethical practice, even for vampires, and he was brought to trial and executed in 1284.”
“There was also Whitechapel,” Eiji said. This time Cronin and Jodis both sighed.
“Whitechapel?” Alec clarified. “The Whitechapel murders? As in Jack the Ripper?”
Cronin nodded. “He was a particularly troubled vampire. He thought himself uncatchable.”
“They never did catch him,” Alec said. “Did they?”
“Not the police, no,” Jodis said with an amused smile. “Kennard had the pleasure of putting an end to that little show.”
Alec shook his head and puffed out a breath. “Jack the freakin’ Ripper was a vampire?”
“Oh, yes,” Cronin said. “Think about it, all crimes took place at night, the throats were cut to obscure bite marks. Though he liked to splash around in the blood. He really was rather peculiar.”
Splash around in the blood? Cronin, Eiji, and Jodis all seemed to find that amusing, but Alec didn’t. He put his hand up in a stop motion. “Yeah, okay that’s enough. I don’t think I need to know anymore.” He sighed and looked out across the view of the city. It was now well and truly daytime. “I need to go to bed.”
Alec only felt Cronin’s arms slide around him before they were leaping. He landed on his back on Cronin’s bed, with Cronin on top of him. “I could have walked from the living room,” Alec said, unable to stop the smile.
“I know,” Cronin replied. A soft purr became a low growl as he ran his nose along Alec’s neck.
Then Jodis called out, “No feeding from Alec.”
Cronin huffed out a frustrated growl, and Eiji laughed from three rooms away. Alec chuckled as well. “Shall we test your self-control?” he asked, biting his bottom lip. “Because I’m pretty sure you can fuck me and not bite me.”
Cronin tore Alec’s shirt from his body, making Alec laugh again. “I take it that’s a yes.”
* * * *
Cronin stayed beside Alec in bed, both of them still naked, and watched Alec as he slept. He’d never imagined in all of his years that he’d have this. Not just a bedfellow, but his fated lover. Someone who was half of him, who filled his very heart and soul, who encompassed every
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