Sanguis Noctis: Bloodlines Part 44

Victor gave an agreeing hum. "Likewise. Next time we should set up a video camera."

The idea made Randall snort a laugh, dismissive only for a moment. Then he gave Victor a considering look and curled up further around him. He took another picture, this time of him, a close up of his eyes, of lips swollen from Victor's kisses, a smile curving across his face. "I think that is an excellent plan," he said, handing Victor his phone. "Maybe I'll make a video just for you. I have some ideas, now. You can watch it after you leave."

"Now that is a good idea," Victor said. His eyes had fallen closed, and he rested his cheek on Randall's shoulder. Randall had to smile fondly-nonwolves seemed to get so tired after s.e.x, he'd discovered, and it was strangely endearing. Right then Victor looked like he wanted nothing more than to drop off into sleep, so Randall s.h.i.+fted accommodatingly, getting them comfortable.

But before Victor was lost to the world, he seemed determined to do one last thing, even though his movements were sluggish with contentment. Victor smoothed a palm over Randall's hip, dragging upward to rest fully over the scars scattered across Randall's collarbone, his hand a warm weight on Randall's skin.

And it didn't hurt. Whatever lingering memories of fear and pain and helplessness were, for the moment, washed over with the present. Victor's touch had branded him far deeper than any vampire could bite. For now, Randall felt no part of himself caught in that h.e.l.l. His Beatrice truly had led him out into heaven.

The pale light of the moon and stars painted the sky outside the room. The doors of the balcony were open, and Randall could hear the lake lapping lightly against the sh.o.r.e, the soft sigh of the wind through leaves. He was surrounded by everything familiar, by the scent of him and Victor combined, and it was the most at home he'd ever felt. As if all of what he knew home to be had just been magnified and expanded. His pack had gotten bigger, fuller, and it felt like this was exactly as it should be.

Victor was leaving in the morning. Randall shouldn't be so attached to the idea of falling asleep in his arms. And yet he was.

One more picture, then. Not for Victor. For himself. Victor half-asleep, strawberry-blond hair spread across the pillow in a messy tangle, Randall's darker head pillowed on his chest. The two of them, tangled together, like nothing on earth could find a way to pull them apart.

RANDALL WAS dragged out of sleep by a knock at the door, a m.u.f.fled laugh, and Victor groaning, "Jed, for the love of G.o.d, go away."

"I know you stole my lube, you s.e.x fiend." Jed was battering on his door, head poking around it to grin widely at them both. "Kinky, professor."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." There was a distinct dry tone in Victor's voice. "Do you want it back?"

"Nope. That was my extra supply. Just want all the dirty little secrets. Come on, breakfast, and we can have the s.e.x talk over pancakes."

Randall buried his face deeper into the pillow, trying to figure out why all these people were in his bedroom.

Except it wasn't his bedroom. Bleary, he lifted his head and stared around, hair completely in disarray, totally confused. Very slowly, he woke up enough to remember what had happened. Victor. Victor was in bed with him. They were tangled up together, legs entwined. A smile eased across Randall's face, and, with a grunt of protest at the whole waking up thing, he dropped a kiss on Victor's shoulder. "Hey," he mumbled. "What time is it?"

"I have no idea. Let me look." Victor was without his gla.s.ses, but he attempted to peer at the clock on the bedside table. After a few moments, he said, "I still have no idea."

Randall decided he didn't care that much. He pulled Victor in for a kiss instead, winding his arm around Victor and nuzzling in close. "Hey," he whispered again, more quietly. "Good morning."

Victor turned into his arms, draping himself over Randall's side. "Good morning," he replied, eyes still closed, a smile at the corners of them. "Did you sleep well?"

Surprisingly well, actually. Randall blinked and stretched, biting back a yawn. "For one of the first times since Cairo, I think I did." He was more than a little shocked. Nuzzling into Victor's neck, Randall peppered kisses along the softly reddened marks he'd left the night before. "How about you?"

Victor seemed more interested in wrapping his arms around Randall, getting comfortable, like he wanted to go right back to sleep. "Very soundly," he replied. "Better than I do at home."

"Well, maybe you should stay longer." It was more than Randall would have suggested any other time, but he was still aching from the night before in the best possible way, they were all wrapped up and warm in each other, and it was so easy to whisper the words against Victor's skin. He eased kisses along Victor's collarbone. "Anthony's appointment is later today. Just stay over after our dinner tonight."

Giving a hum of agreement, Victor said, "Excellent idea. Do we need to get up right now?"

Randall really did have to squint at the clock then, attempting to get the numbers in focus. Nine in the morning. "The appointment is at noon," he yawned, half sprawled out over Victor. "And it's an hour and a half drive. So we have about a half an hour before we need to get up and start getting ready."

"Then how about we sleep more?" Victor sounded like he was already halfway there, his cheek resting on Randall's bicep. "That sounds good."

"Mmm." Randall contented himself with sc.r.a.ping his teeth lightly on the inside of Victor's arm. "We should sleep."

They drifted back into that hazy, warm s.p.a.ce that lay halfway between wake and sleep. Randall's fingers slid in with Victor's, and he curled up closer, letting himself relax. Until, of course, there was a pounding at the door and a very loud, very strident voice calling, "Okay, lovebirds! Ten minutes before I come in and start pulling off covers."

"f.u.c.k off, Jed," Victor shouted back. Even half-asleep, Randall was startled at his cursing. Apparently Victor only did it when he didn't have the brainpower to think of better words.

"Yes, Jed, do go f.u.c.k yourself," Randall agreed with a low growl. "We're sleeping."

"Nine minutes!" Jed was apparently not threatened at all. Jed's fist slammed several more times into the door, jerking Randall out of that pleasant doze. "Redford's making breakfast. Get your fornicating a.s.ses over there."

Victor muttered something under his breath that even Randall's ears couldn't catch, but the mattress s.h.i.+fted a moment later as Victor hauled himself up with a grunt. Randall felt a hand on his shoulder, rubbing gently. "Jed's probably right," Victor sighed. "Up we get."

Rolling over, Randall just studied Victor. The morning light was streaming through the windows, bathing everything in a soft golden glow, lighting Victor up like some ancient G.o.d. "You are so beautiful." Randall reached out, letting his fingers trail along Victor's arm. "I've never seen anyone half as gorgeous as you are."

Victor smiled down at him and teased, "Well, you do have your gla.s.ses off. I'm probably just a big blur to you."

Randall struggled to sit up, grabbing said gla.s.ses again and shoving them on. "Nope," he declared, tugging Victor back onto the bed with him, kissing his shoulder. "You are simply beautiful."

"You really are a shameless flatterer," Victor replied, braced on his hands to lean above Randall. He ducked down to give Randall a kiss, lingering, but sadly not as long as Randall wanted it to be, before Victor got himself out of bed. "Come on, Randall. Don't tell me I'm somehow more a morning person than you are."

"I just suddenly have a very good reason for lying around in bed all day," Randall returned, sticking out his tongue. But he got up to wrap his arms around Victor from behind, nuzzling his nose into the nape of Victor's neck. Sighing, he bit lightly at the soft skin there. "You need to go take a shower before I decide I really can't keep my hands to myself."

"Is that supposed to deter me?" Victor gave a quiet laugh, leaning back against Randall. He smoothed a hand over Randall's arm, every inch of his body language speaking of content. Burying a smile in his shoulder, Randall couldn't help saying it.

"I love you," he whispered. He just said it, hanging it out there like some hopeful prayer. He shouldn't have said it yet, maybe. He should have waited. But Randall felt strangely impulsive, like he couldn't bear to keep it inside. The emotion was too big for him to live with it inside his skin.

Victor's reply was low but utterly without hesitation. "I love you too."

After a low breath, Randall murmured, "Hold still." He fumbled and found Victor's phone, holding it out in front of them, taking a picture so that Victor could see his expression. So that he could see Victor's. Turning it around, he stared at it, at the pure joy in his expression, at Victor's sleepy-eyed content.

"I think I might have to start pa.s.sword protecting my phone," Victor huffed, bemused. "There's a few interesting pictures on there now."

"Just for you." Randall smiled, kissing Victor's neck, the spot just below his ear, his jaw. "So yes, please put a pa.s.sword on it. I don't want anyone else to see that."

Victor turned in his arms, kissing his jaw, then giving Randall a light push against his chest. "Now really, go shower and get dressed," he said, attempting to be stern. "Otherwise we'll be late for everything."

"You're really staying tonight?" Randall confirmed, catching Victor's hand.

"Yes," Victor replied. "Whatever we wind up doing, dinner or a picnic, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Randall leaned in to kiss him one last time. "Okay, okay," he mumbled. "I'm going. Use the bathroom here. I'll be over at the main house."

Reluctantly, Randall got dressed and made his way back to the house. When he walked in the front door, it was to a round of applause. Jed was even standing, whistling at him loudly as Randall rolled his eyes and headed toward his room. "You are all children," he informed them.

"What?" Anthony grinned at him. He intercepted Randall at the doorway, arms out for a hug. "Does this mean you're mated now? Is he part of the pack? Can I do some kind of official ceremony just to confuse him?"

Ducking under Anthony's arms, Randall shot them all a scowl. "Children," he repeated. "And no. No one is mates. Do not say the M-word to Victor when he comes over here."

He heard Anthony give an exaggerated sigh as he headed back to the table.

"Why not?" Edwin asked, following Randall into his room as Randall searched for clean clothes. "I mean, you slept with him."

"s.e.x does not mean mates, Ed," Randall told him, arching an eyebrow at him. "Didn't we have this talk with you?"

"I know that, but you're kind of old-fas.h.i.+oned." Edwin sat on the edge of the bed, picking absently at the comforter. "Are you going to get married?"

"Edwin, Jesus." Turning to face him, Randall fixed him with a look. "Spill. What is this about?"

"Anthony has an appointment today," Edwin mumbled. "What if it doesn't help again? Then he'll get worse and you'll move in with Victor, and I can't take care of Ant by myself." He stared down at his laced fingers, looking, all at once, like he was five years old again. "I'm not good at that stuff like you guys. I don't want to let him down."

Putting aside the clothes for the moment, Randall sank to sit down next to Edwin. "I am never going to leave you," he promised, nudging his shoulder against Edwin's. "That's who we are, remember? We're family."

Edwin almost laughed, a not-quite-there noise. "Victor's not a wolf," he pointed out, sounding miserable. "He won't want to stay here."

"Then I won't be with him." It was said so simply, as if it wasn't an instant stab of pain through him. "Ed, come on. You guys are the most important thing in the world to me. I'm not going to leave you alone, and I'll always be here to help with Anthony. Okay?"

Strangely quiet, Edwin chewed the inside of his cheek, foot wiggling in a nervous jitter. "Do you think Anthony's going to die?"

Randall wrapped his arm around Edwin's shoulders. Bright, beautiful Edwin, who lived life so fully and never seemed to get bogged down in the things that other people did. Apparently Randall had failed him too. "How long have you been worried about this?" Randall asked with a frown.

"Since you started hiding the bills and not sleeping." Edwin glanced over at him, knocking his knee lightly against Randall's. "I'm not stupid, you know. I can smell what's going on. And Anthony knows something's wrong too, only he just goes in his room and frets by himself."

Feeling a sharp sense of guilt, Randall hung his head. "I'm sorry."

"You should be," Edwin said quietly. Stunned, Randall looked over at him to find Edwin staring at him steadily. "You and Anthony both. n.o.body's talking anymore. We used to do everything together, like a pack, but you started keeping secrets when you got back from Egypt, and Anthony pretends he doesn't hurt, and you both worry about money. Like if you talk about it somehow everyone is going to break down. Well, it's stupid."

"Edwin-" Randall started, but Edwin stood up, shaking his head.

"Don't, okay. Just... start talking. Tell Anthony what's going on." Edwin gripped Randall's shoulder before he turned to leave. "And go shower. You smell like snake."

Once left alone, Randall found he honestly didn't know what to do. He'd tried to protect his brothers from the worst parts of what they were dealing with now, only to find out they both knew anyway. So apparently he was the world's worst liar. He finally dragged himself into the shower, and by the time he walked back out, hair still damp, everyone was gathered around the table. Redford was just bringing in a platter of sausages to join the huge stack of pancakes and bacon.

"So you really drive an hour and a half to get to each appointment?" Victor was asking Anthony.

"It's not as if there's any closer hospitals." Anthony shrugged, looking tired as he curled his hands around his coffee mug to warm them.

"That's ridiculous." Victor was frowning, looking at everybody as if he wanted them to agree with him. "You're all busy, and as the weather gets colder you'll find it more difficult to drive yourself. Anthony, I've offered it before, and I will do so again. Come stay at my house. It's close to the hospital, and it's more than big enough to host you."

Randall caught Anthony's questioning glance. He didn't know what to say. His instincts were to say yes, to immediately start packing and move in and never leave. But he was aware that instincts were not a reason to make a decision. This was new. No matter how fantastic the night before was, they were only starting out. "You have three appointments in the next week, right?" he confirmed with Anthony.

Needless to say, Anthony didn't look thrilled at the prospect. "That's right."

The seat next to Victor was empty, and Randall, having fixed his cup of tea, sank into it gratefully. He nudged his knee against Victor's, a shorthand for checking in with him, rather than reading his expression. "Well, a week is not forever," he mused. "That might be nice, Ant, for the next week to be closer?"

"It would be," Anthony said, a rare hesitation in his words. "Are you sure you're okay with this, Victor?"

"Absolutely," Victor said.

Randall glanced over at him, trying to gauge more from the way his lips were curved, the set of his shoulders. "We'd just be guests," he pointed out, half for Anthony, half making sure that he and Victor were on the same page. He wanted to go at a normal speed. Randall wanted the dates and the anniversaries of first kisses. He wanted to build something that would last. Just because he had instincts that were pus.h.i.+ng for more, just because Victor had seen the future, that didn't mean either one of them knew each other emotionally well enough for that.

Most of all, Randall didn't want to be David. Or any of Victor's other past relations.h.i.+ps. If they were going to make it, they needed to grow into each other.

"I know." Victor didn't look at him, but he gently knocked his knee against Randall's. "We've just only had our first date, after all. Moving in permanently would be moving the schedule along quite quickly."

"So you're going to play wolf hotel?" Jed smirked in amus.e.m.e.nt, leaning over to steal a bite of Redford's pancakes. "You might want to invest in a carpet cleaner, princess."

"I have people that do that for me," Victor dismissed. "Or you could come over and do it, since you seem to have nothing better to do."

"f.u.c.k you, princess, I've got loads to do. Redford and I just got another job. Sorry"-Jed winked at Victor-"no seeing me in a maid's uniform just yet."

"I thought you guys were going fis.h.i.+ng?" Edwin asked. "Redford told me how much you were looking forward to it."

"It's getting too cold to do it local." Jed shrugged. "And helping out the furry clan took more of our resources than I would have liked. Just one more job and we'll be finding someplace warm and remote and jetting off."

Randall felt a quick twist of guilt-he was the reason Jed had done a job that had cost him more than he got paid. But Jed didn't seem overly worried about it, really, and there hadn't been anything forcing Jed to stick around. Maybe he'd wanted to do what he'd done for the Gray Lady. Or maybe Jed just honestly couldn't walk away from someone asking him for help.

"Right, then," Victor said, rising from the table. "If you're going to be staying for the week, we'll need to get packing. All you need is clothes. I can provide everything else."

"Do I have to stay inside?" Edwin asked, looking more than a little worried. "It's not one of those apartments up on some top floor where you can't see the sky, is it? Because I think I'd rather drive. It's the full moon soon, and being cramped up in a tiny place would suck."

If Randall looked closely, he could see the curve of a faint smile in Victor's expression. "Oh, no. Not at all. You have a choice of where in the house you stay, of course, and I think you'll like it more than a cramped apartment."

Edwin still looked unsure, but all it took was a look over at Anthony and he was nodding. "Okay, yeah. Sounds great." A little unenthusiastic, but Edwin had never been that great at hiding his emotions. "Are we going straight there from the doctor's?"

"Oh, yes." Randall sat up, looking at his watch. "It's just after ten. We need to get going in no more than twenty minutes. Pack fast."

"We'll tag along." Jed gave Anthony a look. "Might as well. Our place is closer to the hospital than here, so we'll just follow you up."

"Trying to make sure we don't run off the road?" Anthony laughed as he stood, gathering the plates away.

"Of course." Jed easily took the plates from Anthony, Redford getting the rest off the table. "I've seen you drive, La.s.sie. It's a miracle you're still alive. And don't get me started on Edwin."

"Go pack, Anthony," Redford said. "We'll take care of the dishes." Anthony looked reluctant, but he nodded and headed off to do just that. Redford immediately took the dishes from Jed, as if he didn't trust Jed to know what to do with them. Which, fair point, he probably wouldn't.

Randall headed into his room to gather his things, pa.s.sing Edwin's, where Edwin was stuffing clothes into a bag and looking more than a little worried. Apparently he didn't much trust Victor's opinions on what a wolf would like. Alone in his room, Randall tried to pack, he really did. It was a simple enough task. Choose clothes for the week, bring along a few books, some personal items. Nothing too difficult.

But he was stuck, staring at the clothes he'd laid out on his bed, suddenly second-guessing everything. What if this ruined things? What if they carted Anthony to yet another place, yet another bed, yet another doctor, and it didn't matter? Was this the right decision?

Nothing he seemed to be doing was turning out the way he wanted it to. Why should this be any different?

Randall took a deep breath to steady himself. Right. This was what they were doing. They were packing; they were going to stay at Victor's for the week. Anthony was going to have his a.s.sessment appointments, and they would find a way to treat him. End of story.

Ten minutes later, Randall was ready and heading out toward the cars. Edwin was already in Jed's jeep, Knievel on his lap, his bag next to him. Anthony was with Victor, loading the rest of their things into the trunk of their own car. Once again, Randall locked the door of their house, hoping that this wasn't going to be the last time. That when they returned, it would be with an Anthony who had some kind of faith again.

"We should get going," he said, putting his suitcase into the trunk. "Don't want to be late."

Victor pa.s.sed by him, briefly touching his back and giving him a rea.s.suring smile. "It'll be okay. If you hate it, you can come back to your home."

Randall shook his head. "I'm more worried I'm going to like it," he admitted lowly. "And that you'll get sick of me being there too quickly. Or the fact that I come with two decidedly more rowdy brothers."

"I've had a lifetime of being the only one in that house. I think some noise would be more than welcome." Victor opened the door to Jed's Jeep. "I'll see you there."

"You're not riding with me?" A little surprised, Randall paused at the door of the car, looking over the roof at him. He didn't want to be the clingy one, really, but it was an hour and a half ride of knowing Victor was in the next car over. Which suddenly seemed very strange.