"You're everything, Thomas, a true treasure. How could I not pick you?" Riggs walked him backward a couple of steps and then lifted him onto the bed. Their eyes connected, and much was communicated. The need and its urgency were there, blatant and loud.
He crawled over him, lying flat against his body, pressing him firmly into the comfort of the bed. Thomas reached over to the table at the edge of the bed, and without taking his eyes offRiggs, he pulled open a drawer and grabbed something. He then handed it to Riggs with a soft knowing smile.
Riggs covered his fingers in the stuff and slathered it on his cock before spreading a generous amount to Thomas' waiting hole. His beloved was a smaller man, but he was not fragile; he was soft in the right places and hard in the right places, and those blue-gray eyes were a total turn-on whenever they touched Riggs.
Riggs settled comfortably between Thomas's thighs, grinding his hard cock against Thomas's, bringing light and excitement to those gorgeous eyes. His fingers continued to press against the hard muscle of Thomas's entrance, which soon gave way as he plunged two fingers inside. The stretch was slow and controlled, watching his beloved, making sure only pleasure flooded those eyes, nothing else.
"Yes, Riggs, so good." The words were scrambled and broken, but the message was clear. He held Thomas and carefully edged inside, inch by inch. Again, he stared into those eyes and saw the anticipation and the suspense, and it was beautiful to see. He plunged inside without warning, filling him, stretching him, and that expectant expression suddenly exploded with pleasure.
Thomas was moving with him, picking up a rhythm and increasing the stimulation and sensual reward. Riggs felt his vampire rising to the surface, and he knew his image was taking on a fierce, somewhat wild aspect, which Thomas would be able to pick up on. This was all part of the awareness and the bond, little by little, Thomas would be brought into the secret and into his world.
He pounded into his beloved, relishing the contact and the soft warmth that was all Thomas. He held him, and his heartand mind filled with love and peace and images of forever. This was his beloved and the promise of Fate.
Thomas was blissfully floating and splintering at the same time, so much so full and so perfect he couldn't get a real hold on anything. Lights and sensations exploded through his senses, and vision formed before his eyes and in his mind. The visions were magical and fantastical, swimming in and out of his awareness. Nothing was making sense, but everything seemed familiar.
He closed his eyes, and Riggs held him securely in his arms, hammering inside, stretching him tightly, and then he felt the shift and the knowing, and he could see it all. Riggs slammed into him, staring down at him with red eyes and a face with fierce intention and hard angles. The moment melted and stabilized his understanding, his emotions, and his life.
The bite came quickly. Riggs sank his teeth into the base of his throat, and the pain struck but was gone in an instant. It was replaced with a mind-numbing pleasure that threatened to paralyze every inch of his body in the best way possible.
He dug his fingertips into Riggs' upper arms as he fought to stay grounded, and his mind just went wild. The visions became real, and the knowledge of strange and magical things filled consciousness. It was a strange new reality that suddenly opened, and he was seeing everything.
He tried to push it aside and continued to ride out the euphoric sensations rushing through him as Riggs fed and claimed him as his own. This was the bond; this was sealing their connection. They would become one.
It ended slowly as Riggs licked the wound closed and they both eased back down to earth. His heart slowed and his breathing evened out, but the awareness remained, and his mind continued to flash with new and amazing truths.
"What is this, Riggs? Why does the world seem so strange to me now? Are you a vampire, Riggs? What are all these creatures that fill my memory as if I have known of them forever?"
Riggs held him and remained silent for a few minutes, allowing Thomas to complete his fragmented thoughts and feelings. Riggs never rushed him, never demanded, he always let Thomas keep his own pace. Everyone always rushed him, pushed him, demanded more and better and faster, but Riggs waited and watched and let him be himself.
"Are you a vampire? I see you, and I see your life. It's as if I've known you for a long time, not just a few hours. You and the others and Mr. Conall Rose, you're all vampires." He knew he probably sounded ridiculous, but he also had a deep sense that Riggs knew exactly what he was talking about. "This is real, everything I'm seeing and feeling is real."
"It's all real, sweetheart." Riggs stretched out next to Thomas with his arms around him, holding him securely as he had throughout. The confident, casual way he responded gave Thomas a sense of peace that should have been strange but felt reassuring instead. Everything was okay, everything was as it should be; that belief came through solidly.
"You are experiencing the awakening. It only happens between vampires and their beloveds once their bond has been sealed. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Riggs asked, and Thomas nodded. He understood the bond and being a beloved.Those were two things that he knew nothing about a few hours ago, but now recognized as two vital aspects of his new life.
"I am your beloved, a Fated match." He whispered, contemplating the gravity of it all.
"Yes, sweetheart, destiny made the plan, and Fate brought us together. The world of the supernatural is open to you now. I am Riggs McClain, a soldier with the Rose Coven under the rule of Master Conall Rose." Riggs spoke softly but with authority, and Thomas listened. It was as if all the knowledge of the world was suddenly dropped into his consciousness. One minute, he was clueless, and the next, he was seeing vampires and shifters and realizing magic was real.
“I claimed you. I marked you and claimed you as my beloved.” Riggs touched the wound on Thomas’ neck, and he felt an electric jolt course through his body. It was exhilarating. A small moan escaped his lips, and he saw Riggs smile. "You will always react when I touch you there. It is part of our bond."
"No complaints here," Thomas stated, feeling the pleasure that every moment with Riggs brought him. The night was not what he'd expected, but it was exactly what he'd always dreamed of having. "So, you're not a bartender?" He asked with a smile, and Riggs laughed.
“The Coven owns the Blood Rose as well as many other establishments. Everyone helps out.”
“They’re all vampires?”
"Yes, everyone who works there is a vampire and a member of the Rose Coven."
"I'm getting some very clear pictures of the Rose Coven," Thomas stated. "Master Rose is a very powerful figure both in the human society and the paranormal realm." He paused for amoment and then changed the subject. "You're a lot older than you look."
"Yes, I am, sweetheart," Riggs explained the longevity of vampires and other paranormal species. "As my bonded beloved, your life span will mirror mine. We have many years ahead of us, my love."
"You mean like a century or two?" Thomas' eyes widened at the idea of living for centuries. It was hard to fathom such a long existence.
“Or more, vampires live a very long time.”
“I’m getting that now.” Thomas smiled thoughtfully. “Sickness, injuries, you’re all pretty much immune.”
