Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

Jaron and Keegan checked into their hotel, and Jaron led the way up to their room. With his dad's credit card, Jaron had booked them the most luxurious suite money could buy.

The room was expansive, with floor-to-ceiling windows that offered an unparalleled view of the underwater cityscape. Every detail screamed opulence, from the marble floors to the chandeliers that glittered like captured starlight.

"Not bad," Keegan said.

Jaron grinned, pleased that his mate had kept his promise not to look ahead and spoil the surprise. "Only the best for us."

Keegan walked further into the room, his gaze catching on the bed. There, arranged on top of the sheets, were pieces of coral in the shape of a heart. Keegan picked one up and sniffed it. "Is this…candy?"

Jaron nodded. "Yup." He grabbed a piece and popped it into his mouth. It was sweet and fruity, dissolving on his tongue.

Keegan watched him, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Is this a honeymoon suite?"

Jaron shrugged, trying to play it cool. "We just got mated. I thought it was only appropriate."

Keegan's smile widened, and he stepped closer to Jaron, sliding his arms around his mate's waist. "I didn't know you were such a romantic," he teased.

Jaron leaned in and kissed Keegan, letting the vampire taste the sweetness on his lips. When he pulled back, he said, "There's a lot about me you still don't know."

They hadn't spent enough time together yet.

Maybe they never would.

Jaron hated that thought, so he pushed it aside.

"What do I not know?" Keegan asked. "Tell me everything."

Jaron gave his vampire a smile and drew him onto the bed.

He leaned back against the pillows, pulling Keegan close. He ran his fingers through the vampire's silky hair as he began to speak. "When I was a kid, I used to sneak out of the house at night and go flying. I'd soar over the city, feeling like I could touch the stars. I got caught so many times but I never stopped."

Keegan chuckled. "A little rebel from the start, huh?"

"You know it." Jaron grinned. "I also had this weird obsession with collecting rocks. I'd fill my pockets with them and then forget about them until they wound up in the laundry."

"Why rocks?" Kegan asked, tracing patterns on Jaron's chest with his fingertips.

"Honestly, I don't know," Jaron said. "I guess I just found them more interesting than the gem stones the rest of my family fawned over."

Keegan hummed. "So you like rocks and flying. What else?"

Jaron considered the question. "I love the sound of rain on a rooftop. The smell of freshly baked bread. The feeling of the sun on my face." He paused, then added softly, "And you."

"There's the romantic again." Amusement tinged Keegan's voice.

"Is that a problem?"

"No." Keegan leaned up to look at him. "I just never thought I'd end up with a romantic. Then again, I never really pictured myself in a relationship at all."

"You never wanted one?"

"I never thought I could have one," Keegan corrected.

"And then you met me." Jaron flashed his mate another grin. "And I wouldn't let you get away." He turned on his side and extended one of his wings over his vampire. "Now you're mine."

"All yours," Keegan agreed.

"So tell me about you."

"There's not much to tell."

"I don't believe that."

"Okay." Keegan thought for a moment. "You said you wanted to touch the stars when you were young. That goes for me too. I don't keep those star charts around because I really think they help. I just find them cool."

Jaron laughed. What a dork. "It's okay, I won't tell anyone about your secret nerd side."

Keegan smacked Jaron's chest playfully. "You better not. I have a reputation to maintain."

"Oh yeah? And what reputation is that?"

"That of the mysterious vampire seer, of course." Keegan flashed his fangs in a smirk.

"Right. Well, your secret is safe with me." He pulled Keegan closer, nuzzling into his neck. "I kind of like being the only one to know. I like being the only one you drink from too."

Keegan hummed, tilting his head to give Jaron better access. "Is that so?"

"Mhmm." Jaron placed a soft kiss on Keegan's skin. "Makes me feel special."

"You are special," Keegan murmured, his fingers threading through Jaron's hair.

Jaron lifted his head to look at his mate. "Yeah?"

Keegan nodded, his gaze soft and sincere. "Yeah. I've had a thousand visions, but you're the one that takes my breath away."

Jaron stopped, chest tightening. "Because I kill you."

He expected Keegan to argue or say that that wasn't how he'd meant it, but instead, Keegan's lips twitched. "You're the only one who's allowed to," he said. "I'm yours. My life, my soul, all of me." He kissed Jaron before Jaron could protest and Jaron melted into him.

Jaron rolled them over, settling his weight on top of Keegan as he deepened the kiss. His hands roamed over his mate's body, mapping out every curve and plane. Keegan arched into his touch, a soft moan escaping his lips.

Hungry for more, Jaron broke the kiss to trail his lips down Keegan's jaw and neck, nipping and sucking at the pale skin. Keegan's fingers dug into Jaron's shoulders, his breath coming in short gasps.

"Jaron," he whispered, his voice rough with desire.

Jaron lifted his head, meeting Keegan's gaze. The vampire's blue eyes were dark, pupils blown wide with want. It sent a shiver down Jaron's spine.

Quickly, clothes were shed, tossed carelessly aside as they lost themselves in each other.

Jaron surrendered himself to Keegan's touch, letting the vampire take control. Keegan's hands and lips roamed over Jaron's body, igniting sparks of pleasure everywhere they touched. Jaron arched into the sensations, his eyes fluttering closed as he focused, desperately, only on the here and now.

Keegan's mouth trailed lower, his tongue flicking out to taste Jaron's heated skin. Jaron gasped, his fingers threading through Keegan's hair as the vampire explored his body with agonizing slowness.

"Keegan," Jaron breathed, his voice rough with need. "Please…"

Keegan lifted his head, meeting Jaron's gaze with a dark look. "Patience," he murmured, his fingertips skimming along Jaron's thigh. "Let's make tonight a night to remember."

Jaron couldn't argue with that.

After all, wasn't that exactly what he wanted too?

He let his head fall back, trusting Keegan to take care of him, to make him feel good.

And Keegan did.

Jaron's breath hitched as Keegan's cool mouth closed around the tip of his cock. The contrast between his heated skin and Keegan's icy touch sent a shiver through him, making him groan. Keegan looked up, meeting Jaron's eyes with a mischievous glint before he took more of Jaron into his mouth.

Keegan's tongue was wicked, swirling around the sensitive head, tracing patterns that made Jaron's toes curl.

The hint of fangs grazed ever so slightly against Jaron's sensitive skin, not enough to hurt but enough to send a thrill of danger coursing through his veins. His dragon instincts screamed at the touch, a primal part of him awakening to the tantalizing threat. His hips bucked involuntarily, and Keegan held him down with surprising strength.

"Gods, Keegan," Jaron whispered, his fingers tightening in the vampire's hair.

Keegan hummed around him, the vibration sending sparks of pleasure shooting up Jaron's spine. He hollowed his cheeks, creating a delicious suction that had Jaron biting back a plea for more. Just when he thought he couldn't take it any longer, Keegan would slow down, easing off until the fire in Jaron's belly dulled to a simmer.

Jaron's fingers twitched with the need to curl in Keegan's hair and guide him faster, harder. But he restrained himself. He didn't want this to end. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

He let go of Keegan and fisted his hands in the sheets, his breath catching as Keegan took him deeper, tongue swirling in maddening circles.

He was so close.

So fucking close.

Keegan seemed to sense this, teasing him mercilessly with every stroke and lick of his tongue. The vampire's eyes locked onto Jaron's face, watching every reaction with an intensity that made Jaron feel both exposed and cherished. He felt like he was teetering on the edge of a precipice, every nerve ending singing.

He wanted to come, but he didn't.

He wanted this moment to last forever.

But then Keegan pulled back.

"I wonder," he mused while Jaron wanted to yell at him.

Before Jaron could accuse his mate of torture, Keegan found a bottle of lube in the bedside drawer and flipped Jaron over.

"Don't you dare waste time on prep," Jaron nearly whined. "Just fuck me."

His need to be united with his mate was greater than his need for anything else.

"I'll make it quick," Keegan promised, sliding a finger inside him without preamble.

Jaron's muscles clenched around the intrusion, but quickly relaxed as the lube warmed him. That wasn't regular lube, was it? "Did you read the label?" he asked Keegan.

Keegan paused. Apparently, he had not. "It says 'magical heat.' Pretty generic description. Does it feel bad?"

"No," Jaron admitted. "Just… warm, and I think… Try three fingers." His insides tingled where the lubed finger had touched him and he felt boneless.

Keegan complied and pressed three fingers inside him. They went without a hitch. "You're loose."

"Watch how you talk to your mate."

"Am I wrong?"

"Not really." Jaron turned to grin at Keegan. "But my loose days are behind me. Now fuck me."

"Demanding," Keegan murmured, but he didn't make Jaron suffer any longer.

With a smooth thrust, Keegan entered him, filling him completely. Jaron gasped at the sudden fullness, quickly turning into pleasure as Keegan set a steady rhythm.

Jaron gripped the sheets, his breath coming in ragged gasps as heat flowed through his body.

"Keegan," he moaned, his voice breaking.

Keegan leaned over him, his breath hot against Jaron's ear. "I've got you," he whispered, his tone filled with love and promise.

Jaron clung to Keegan, his nails digging into the vampire's back as they moved together. The world narrowed down to just the two of them, to the slide of skin on skin and the mingling of their breaths.

In that moment, nothing else mattered. Not the future, not their fate, not the challenges that lay ahead. There was only the two of them, lost in each other, in the pleasure they created together.

Keegan's thrusts grew faster, more urgent, and Jaron met him every step of the way. They chased their release together, their bodies moving in perfect sync until finally, with a shared cry of ecstasy, they tumbled over the edge.

Jaron held Keegan close as they came down from their high, their chests heaving and their skin slick with sweat. Keegan pressed soft kisses to Jaron's face, his touch gentle and soothing.

"I love you," Keegan whispered, his voice raw with emotion. "No matter what happens, remember that. I love you, Jaron."

Jaron swallowed past the lump in his throat, his heart swelling with the force of his own feelings. "I love you too," he said softly. "Always."

Jaron stirred, his eyes fluttering open as he slowly emerged from the depths of sleep. A lazy smile curved his lips as he saw Keegan lying next to him, propped up on one elbow, watching him with an intensity that made Jaron's heart skip a beat.

But as he studied Keegan's face more closely, Jaron's smile faded. The vampire's jaw was clenched, his brow furrowed, and his eyes held a distant, troubled look. Jaron sat up, his own stomach knotting with sudden unease. "Did you see something?" He'd known their happiness couldn't last, but did it have to be over so soon? "You promised you wouldn't look."

Keegan sighed, his gaze flicking away in a guilty fashion. "I can't help it sometimes," he admitted. "You're going to get a call in a few minutes, and then our vacation will be over."

Jaron's heart sank. He wasn't ready to face the future yet, wasn't ready to let go of this precious time they had together. "What if I don't take the call?"

"You should take the call. You'll regret it if you don't."

"I'll also regret it if I do." Jaron was sure of this, sure that whatever news awaited him on the other end of that call… it wouldn't be good.

Keegan didn't argue.

Jaron looked at him a moment longer, and then he drew the vampire in for a kiss. They still had a few minutes, didn't they?

Jaron wanted to make every one of those count.

They clung to each other, hands roaming, breaths mingling as they lost themselves in the taste and feel of each other. Jaron poured all his love, all his longing into that kiss, as if he could somehow make this moment last forever.

But all too soon, the shrill ring of Jaron's phone shattered the silence. They broke apart, both breathing hard, and Jaron reached for the device with a heavy heart.

"Hello?" he said, his voice sounding strained to his own ears.

"Jaron." It was his father's voice, tight with worry and barely controlled anger. "Are Casca and Fei with you?"

"No, they're not. Why are you asking?" Jaron glanced at Keegan, but the vampire had no more revelations for him.

"They weren't in their beds this morning. Your mother is convinced they must have gone to you, or that they're trying to in any case."

Jaron shook his head even though his father couldn't see him. "I haven't talked to either of them since I left your place the day before yesterday." His blood rushed in his ears.

Had something happened to his siblings?

"Where else have you looked?" he demanded to know. Maybe the two of them had only run off to hang out with a friend.

But what if they had been kidnapped?

Oh, please, no.

His little brothers couldn't be dragged into all that.

They had to be somewhere else.

But on the phone, his father was rattling of a list of places they had looked and people they had called, all to no avail.

Deep down, Jaron knew what had happened to his brothers.

"I'll be right there," Jaron said, ending the call.

He was not going to let anything happen to Fei and Casca.

"Is this because we tried to run away?" he asked Keegan while throwing all his stuff into his bag. "Tell me this isn't our fault."

Had his siblings been taken to bring him back home?

If so, the kidnapper was an evil fucking mastermind, pulling the one string that would yank Jaron back to town in an instant.

"I don't know," Keegan said, watching Jaron with a worried expression. "I didn't look into the future before this trip."

And whose fault was that? Jaron's.

He gritted his teeth. "I get the message. No more running away from our problems. We're going to find out who this kidnapper is, we're going to find them, and we're going to take my brothers back."

"Of course." Keegan didn't utter a word of protest, though he knew what going home and facing the criminal might mean for him and Jaron.

Jaron knew it too. They were hurtling toward the fulfillment of their fate at full speed.

Sadly, the brakes had been disabled.