Stephan's Monster [Vampires of Vadin 2] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Read online

  Vampires of Vadin 2

  Stephan’s Monster

  Jayden knows he’s a monster. The people he killed were horrible, but it didn’t change what he was. And being taken in by Stephan Everwood at fifteen hadn’t changed his homicidal tendencies. Yet ten years later he finds himself struggling to be someone he's not. Then, despite thinking he lost most of his emotions years ago, Jayden discovers that not only is he not as empty inside as he thought, but that his monster is more present than ever before.

  Stephan freely admits he has some issues. His self-doubts could be unrelenting and Stephan’s need to fix things tended to go too far. It blinded him to Jayden’s struggles. In the end his refusal to listen to what Jayden was trying to tell him has unfortunate results. When Stephan finally accepts who Jayden is, he must also face all that he had locked away inside.

  Their difficulties brought them together. Their love healed them. And when the past tries to tear them apart, their darkness saved them.

  Genre: Alternative (M/M, Gay), Fantasy, Paranormal, Shape-shifter, Vampires/Werewolves

  Length: 56,928 words

  STEPHAN'S MONSTER

  Vampires of Vadin 2

  Shelby Rhodes

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  STEPHAN'S MONSTER

  Copyright © 2017 by Shelby Rhodes

  ISBN: 978-1-64010-812-7

  First Publication: December 2017

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2017 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book or print book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at

  [email protected]

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  DEDICATION

  To my friend Kristy. You went from being my first fan to becoming my best friend in such a short time. Though we haven’t known each other long, at this point, I don’t know what I would do without you. You are more amazing than I think you realize or give yourself credit for. I want to thank you for listening to my rambling, for all the encouraging words you have given me, for accepting the mess that I am, and for being my friend.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Books have always been a big part of Shelby Rhodes’ life. Unfortunately, growing up writing had been a constant struggle for her. So, even with her head filled with stories she never tried to write them down.

  It took two degrees in painting, one a master’s degree, for her to finally gain the confidence to explore writing as a creative outlet. Now writing has become a way for her to dive into new adventures and explore new worlds.

  With confidence she fully intends to explore everything that has been stuck in her head for years. It is her hope that others will join her on her adventures.

  For all titles by Shelby Rhodes, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/shelby-rhodes

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Epilogue

  Landmarks

  Cover

  STEPHAN'S MONSTER

  Vampires of Vadin 2

  SHELBY RHODES

  Copyright © 2017

  Chapter One

  Ah, nothing like a little torture to brighten your day—well, night. With a small grin, Jayden brought his foot down on Richard Prayton’s knee. His smile only widened as the man’s inner screams reverberated in his head.

  The audible snap as his heel came down echoed through the wide abandoned space of the warehouse. Yet only he had heard it—the spells had ensured that. Not that there was anyone else around.

  Call him crazy, but there was just something so satisfying about the sound of bones breaking. Crazy, hah, that didn’t even begin to describe him.

  Jayden slowly tilted his head, examining the man sitting in front of him.

  Richard wasn’t doing well. The man’s medium-length mousy-brown hair was sticking up everywhere, clumped with dry blood. His beige dress slacks and white dress shirt were both shredded. Blood had seeped through and stained the light fabrics. Richard’s shoes and socks were missing, as Jayden had removed them earlier—so many fun nerve endings in the feet.

  The dull green eyes staring up at him were so normal. As Jayden peered into them, he searched for something, anything that would hint at the evil inside. There was nothing, absolutely fucking nothing. Not even a single clue to the horrible things the man had done.

  But shouldn’t there be? Shouldn’t they show at least a warning of some kind? Weren’t eyes supposed to be the window to your soul or some bullshit like that?

  Jayden’s eyes, for instance, showed everyone exactly what he was—a monster. His empty black eyes told the whole world how fucked up he was.

  They hadn’t always been that way. No, back when he was “young,” Jayden’s eyes had been cornflower blue.

  Yeah, the color hadn’t lasted long. Now at the ripe old age of fifteen, they were like two bottomless pits. One day his pupils had just been swallowed up—indistinguishable from the black surrounding them. Empty, dead, and soulless were all great ways to describe them.

  Considering his homicidal tendencies, he personally thought they fit. They were just proof of what he had done. And he didn’t regret anything. In fact, Jayden saw nothing wrong with what he was doing or with what he had already done. Others would—they’d probably even call him evil. But he’d seen evil up close, and personally, Jayden didn’t feel the word fit him. So, monster, yes—evil, no.

  He would never deny what he was. Jayden had embraced his monster years ago. He had accepted it. So, if his eyes reflected that, what did he care?

  But wouldn’t it only be fair that the eyes of others would do the same? Of course, from what he had experienced so far, nothing in life was fair. Oh well.

  Jayden did often wonder what his life would be like if everything hadn’t gone to shit. You know, if he’d actually had a loving family, instead of the conniving, murderous child-sellers who’d brought him into this world.

  Ja
yden snickered—probably wouldn’t be torturing and murdering people, that’s for sure.

  Hobbies aside—parents aside—Jayden had been born a freak. There were too many voices in his head for him to ever be normal. It was like a radio with no ff button. Vampire or not, at his age he shouldn’t be hearing the thoughts of those around him—especially when not even trying. Jayden sure as hell shouldn’t be able to control someone from a distance.

  Not that normal vampires didn’t have those abilities. They just needed to be actually touching the person—unless they were super old, which last time Jayden checked, he wasn’t.

  There were a few other things that made him a bit abnormal. For instance, his ability to pull memories inside himself and make them his own. Doing so erased them permanently from the other person’s mind.

  Not that he couldn’t “erase” someone’s mind the way normal vampires did. Though, honestly, Jayden didn’t understand why they called it “erasing.” Really, all they did was veil the memories, hiding them away. They were still there, just harder to find.

  So, yeah, Jayden was pretty fucking “special”—yippee for him.

  According to the library books he read—well, from what Jayden had been able to understand—much of what he could do shouldn’t be possible. Or was it just extremely rare? Hell if Jayden knew. He was sure he’d missed a lot during his sad attempts at reading. A result of Jayden teaching himself.

  His reading abilities were a bit pathetic. But hey, at least they weren’t as bad as his writing skills—his nonexistent writing skills. An illiterate monster. Gee, who would have thunk it.

  His thoughts shifted from his lack of education back to the other monster in the room.

  Richard was also a monster. Not illiterate, but still a monster. A different kind, though—one who pretended he was a good person. Someone who had managed to continue his daily life without anyone ever finding out about the horrible things he’d done.

  As no one even knew a crime had been committed, it had been easy for him to hide. No bodies, no crime. His victims were from the streets, and no one cared about them—hell, no one knew they existed. The world was too selfish to notice them. So the man had gotten away with everything—until now, that is.

  Jayden knew now. He knew everything Richard Prayton had done—he had heard everything, and he had seen all the memories. They’d flashed in his mind the minute Jayden crossed the man’s path, standing out from all the other thoughts around him.

  Violent thoughts weren’t easily ignored. Dripping in brutality, they were stronger and farther reaching. They always found ways to burrow and push through the rest, screaming for his attention. Some had such strength that when they touched him, his whole body ached.

  Richard’s had been obnoxiously loud. The man had hurt and killed a lot of people—children, actually.

  Jayden’s grip tightened on the knife he was holding. Individuals who hurt children were always on his kill list.

  Richard was awake and perfectly aware of what was going on around him. Not tied down, the man constantly struggled to move a body that refused to listen. Jayden had taken complete control the minute he’d gotten to “know” Richard. He found the action as easy as breathing.

  That Richard had no way of protecting himself—no way of even voicing his pain—didn’t bother him. He cared nothing for the man.

  Of course, that could’ve been because Jayden was a bit lacking in the emotions department. To be honest, he was a tad angry, just a little hateful, and somewhat vindictive. Though, most of the time he just felt empty.

  Oh, but he did have a “killer” sense of humor. Ha…killer.

  Jayden supposed there were also a few emotions that snuck up on him every now and then. For instance, Jayden may have felt some pleasure in the pain he was inflicting on Richard.

  The thought had his lip curling in disgust. “Pleasure” was the wrong word—too associated with sex. And none of what he felt was sexual. Jayden wouldn’t call it happiness though. Maybe a fleeting joy?

  With a cold smile, he slid the edge of the blade along the inside of Richard’s leg. Ripping through fabric, his knife sliced cleanly into the skin underneath.

  Jayden’s gaze followed the drops of blood as they trailed down and dripped onto the cracked concrete floor. He inhaled deeply, his fangs throbbing at the thick smell of blood in the air.

  He found himself doubling over as his hunger assailed him—his stomach cramping from need. That on top of his hunger for solid food made it agonizing. Jayden would need to satisfy one or the other soon.

  Need for blood aside, he wouldn’t take any from this man. Just the thought of it had him gagging. Breathing through the pain, Jayden straightened and continued his task. With each cut, Richard’s inner screams of terror increased. However, a noise in the distance stilled his knife. Cocking his head, he closed his eyes and listened.

  All Jayden should’ve heard were the typical sounds of an abandoned warehouse—the scattering of rodents, the buzzing of flies, and the random creaking of old rusty metal shifting under its own weight. But something didn’t belong. The clicking of shoes on concrete—oh, joy, someone was here.

  Jayden narrowed his eyes as the footsteps grew closer. While spells hid him and his “victim,” they would be useless against someone skilled with magic. Jayden supposed he could always control whoever it was. Though, now that he thought about it, their minds should have touched by now.

  Covered in rust, the metal door creaked and scraped against the floor as it was pushed open. A small man stood in the doorway—at least, he thought it was a man. The individual was cute enough to be a girl.

  As the person walked into the room, Jayden inhaled. The scent tickling his nose was sweet, but there was an underlying musk—male then. The man was about his height, standing only a couple inches over five foot. He was wearing a loose, fuzzy pink sweater, tight white jeans, and black ankle boots. From what Jayden could see, the man was a bit on the thin side. Of course, considering how underweight he was, Jayden really shouldn’t judge.

  Haloing his face, pulled into a low ponytail that flowed down to the small of his back, was a mass of thick white-blond curls. Tied loose, a few curly strands had managed to break away from the rest.

  Barely visible under his hair were short pointed ears. The blond was an elf or possibly a pixie…or any of the other species that had pointed ears.

  Jayden should have been able to smell what the man was—most would have been able to. However, as he hadn’t a clue how each of the other species smelled, unless it was obvious, it was difficult for him to differentiate between them. Throw in those who were of mixed species—which was extremely common—and his chance of telling them apart dropped to zero.

  As Jayden was one, he could, however, identify when someone was a vampire. Though, the fact that it was very rare for his species to be born as more than a vampire, helped.

  Facial features dainty and soft, the man had eyes the color of lilacs, large and framed by thick light brown lashes that faded to white. Those eyes were currently examining the decrepit room. He wrinkled his little button nose, no doubt smelling the magical residue—well, shit…

  The man’s thick locks shifted as he slowly tilted his head in confusion. “Hello? Is someone there?”

  Focusing his energy, Jayden tried to slip inside the blond’s mind. Nothing happened. He sighed—of course he would have to run into someone who was hard to read. ’Cause that’s how shitty his luck was.

  Jayden’s gaze roved over him. The blond appeared harmless. The man’s eyes seemed kind. Overall, Jayden was having a hard time imagining the man in front of him was a monster.

  Not saying he wasn’t hiding something. Everyone was hiding something, he thought scornfully.

  The man called out once more. “Hello? I know you’re here. You don’t have to hide. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  Jayden snorted. Hurt me? Not likely, he thought as he looked down at himself. Blood splatters stained both his clothe
s and skin. The man would probably run if he saw him, or faint.

  Jayden sauntered over, reaching out when only a foot away.

  His eyes widened in shock when one of the man’s hands shot out and latched onto his wrist. The brief surge of magic that followed sent his spells crumbling down.

  Large lilac eyes peered into his. Then his gaze traveled over the rest of him. “Are you hurt?”

  Jayden blinked and yanked his wrist free. “No.”

  Did he not see the knife in Jayden’s hand? Not to mention the man behind him. Apparently not, he thought when the blond’s gaze drifted past him moments later. The man shifted his head the other way as he eyed Richard.

  “Does he deserve this?”

  “What…?” Jayden trailed off dumbly.

  Gaze sliding back to him, the man clarified, “What you’re doing to him, does he deserve it?”

  How was he supposed to act in this situation? Did he have any reason to lie? “Yes.”

  A deafening silence formed between them. The only voice was the one in his head, Richard’s voice. Now that he wasn’t actually hurting the man, Jayden found the constant begging and whining annoying—it was giving him a headache.

  With a simple thought, he shut Richard’s mind down, knocking him out. Ah, much better…

  Again Jayden tried to enter the blond’s mind. Unfortunately, he failed as he had the first time. It appeared that if Jayden wanted inside, he’d have to actually touch the man.

  Oddly, none of what the man was seeing seemed to affect him. Jayden would have preferred him freaking out. It was what he was used to.

  It did support Jayden’s belief that everyone had secrets. Jayden rolled his eyes—what an uplifting and joyful thing to be right about.