Stephan's Monster [Vampires of Vadin 2] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Page 8

“Fix what?” Jayden bellowed. “Look around you, Stephan! There’s nothing here you can fix!”

  Determination filled him. He could fix this. He could do it. While piecing together a body would be hard—not to mention something Stephan had never tried before—he just knew if it was for Jayden, he could do it. And he would, he would fix everything. Stephan would make it right.

  “I can do it…and then I’ll fix the mess I made. Bring the pieces over,” Stephan demanded.

  Reluctantly Jayden did as he was told. With all the energy he could muster, Stephan did the seemingly impossible—he put the dead man back together.

  The longer the process went on, the more lightheaded Stephan began to feel. He swayed, black spots bubbling at the edges of his vision.

  It took the last of his energy to finish his task. And then his world tilted, closing off around him.

  “Stephan!” Jayden cried out in panic.

  He felt a brief flash of pain as he hit the ground, but then there was nothing.

  Chapter Ten

  Jayden had never actually stepped foot in Stephan’s room—the most he’d done was peek his head in. For one reason or another, he had avoided it for the last ten years—especially when his feelings toward the man became sexual.

  So Jayden would assume that under normal circumstances, he’d feel some discomfort being in here.

  However, the circumstances right now weren’t normal, and the atmosphere in Stephan’s sitting room was…depressing and strained.

  Shifting uncomfortably in his chair, Jayden rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve some of the tension.

  Liam, who was sitting in the chair across from him, appeared the epitome of calm. Well, until you noticed how tightly his hands were clutching his knees.

  Neither of them spoke. The uncomfortable silence that had formed between them had gone on for about thirty minutes now. Not that Jayden was very talkative to begin with, or even Liam for that matter, but it had never been dead silence.

  Fear stilled their tongues. Both were terrified of what had happened—what still may happen. It was a horrible feeling and something Jayden only experienced when a certain someone was involved.

  Stephan was hurt, and it was all his fault. It being his fault made him feel…he couldn’t even describe how it made him feel.

  To make matters worse, his monster had reappeared. Apparently, he was going to be a permanent fixture in Jayden’s life now—yippee for being crazy.

  At least this time he wasn’t asking for blood. But his rantings were getting annoying. Jayden’s monster was frustrated. It wanted to know what was going on.

  He and his monster shared a feeling of helplessness as they waited for the healer to finish examining Stephan, waiting for the bedroom doors to open.

  Jayden couldn’t hear anything. The spells around the man’s bedroom were too powerful—the strongest he had ever run into, put in place specifically to keep him out.

  Spells had been placed on both his and Liam’s bedrooms, as well, though the ones on Jayden’s were slightly different than theirs. His went both ways, keeping his thoughts in and others’ out. Stephan had wanted to make sure he had a place where nothing would bother him.

  At the time he hadn’t cared. Mental walls, for most, took effort. It was well known that being asleep weakened them. So, Jayden had understood their wish for privacy. But right now, he was cursing it.

  “What’s taking her so long?” his monster screamed. “She should be out by now. I don’t trust her. What if she’s hurting him? We should bust in!”

  “Liam trusts her. She won’t hurt Stephan,” Jayden hissed inside his head.

  “So what!”

  God, Jayden really didn’t need his monster’s panic on top of his own. “Hush,” he muttered softly.

  Liam jerked at his soft murmur. “Did you say something?”

  Forcing away a flush, he rubbed his neck. “No.”

  In Jayden’s head, eyes that mirrored his own narrowed—what do you know, his monster’s trust issues were worse than his.

  Jayden wrinkled his brows—did he trust Liam? Apparently, he did. How special, he now trusted a total of two people.

  “Well, I don’t!”

  Jayden shook his head at his monster’s grumblings. Then the bedroom doors opened, and his monster quieted in his head, waiting.

  He and Liam stood in unison.

  “How is he?” Liam asked.

  “Weak. I still think it would be pertinent for me to know what Mr. Everwood was doing before he collapsed.” The woman paused as if she expected them to confess something, but continued when no one did. “Whatever Mr. Everwood was doing, he overexerted himself. I would not suggest he do it again. Using that much energy could be fatal for someone so young.”

  A shudder ran through him at the thought of losing Stephan.

  Liam nodded. “What do you suggest we do now?”

  “Bed rest for a few days. Increase his intake of fluids and food to build his energy back up. Blood included. Speaking of blood, I would like to take a sample and test it to see if it’s possible that something else contributed to his collapse.”

  “No, that won’t be necessary.” There was a hard edge to Liam’s voice as he spoke.

  The healer narrowed her eyes, but nodded and left. Tilting his head, Jayden listened, making sure the woman actually left. While in the good healer’s mind, he also made sure she hadn’t taken any blood before even asking—she hadn’t.

  “She’s gone,” Jayden announced.

  “I’m going to go make something for Stephan to eat. I’m sure he’ll be hungry when he wakes. Why don’t you go sit with him? There’s a chair.”

  “I wouldn’t think you’d want me near him after what happened… After what I did, that is.”

  “You won’t hurt him. And I think we all can take some blame for what has happened. Now go.” Liam shooed him toward the bedroom.

  Gulping, he walked toward the door the healer had come out of. He entered and froze in horror, his mouth dropping open at what he saw.

  Jayden’s left eye twitched. Pink—he was surrounded by pink.

  Cotton-candy pink and silver created large floral patterns on steel-gray walls. Every single piece of furniture was either pink or had a bit of pink on it—in the design, the cushions, or the frilly doilies on top.

  His gaze roamed around the room until it zeroed in on the king-size bed in the center. Tucked in the middle of a sea of blankets the color of strawberry ice cream was Stephan. The man was completely surrounded by pink pillows and stuffed animals. It was a miracle he hadn’t suffocated under an avalanche of fluff.

  Dear God, he had known the man loved the color—he just hadn’t realized how much. Not that Stephan wore it much in public.

  Actually, now that Jayden thought about it, he only wore it when he wasn’t working. The man was almost always working. As young as Stephan was, he had to maintain an air of professionalism to be taken seriously by some of the old bastards he worked with. Probably the only thing that was always out of place was his mass of unruly curls.

  An unmanly whimper slipped out as Jayden really looked at Stephan. Oh God, he looked so small and fragile.

  After walking over, he sat stiffly in the chair beside the bed. Jayden took one of Stephan’s tiny hands in his. They were soft, nails perfectly manicured and coated with clear polish.

  Jayden bet, if he could get away with it, the little man would have painted them pink. It was sad that Stephan couldn’t be himself because of his job. The man had riches that most couldn’t even dream of. He shouldn’t need to impress anyone. While Jayden didn’t pay much attention to Stephan’s work, he did know the man had more than proven himself. They should be begging to work for or with him!

  His gaze lifted to Stephan’s face, traveled over his plush pink lips, slid up the slope of his button nose, and settled on his closed eyes. The man’s long lashes were feathered over his cheeks.

  Stephan was beautiful, so beautiful. No one else c
ould even compare—at least that’s what Jayden thought. It was a bit sappy, but he was a monster in love.

  “It’s not sappy if it’s true!”

  Apparently, his monster was still there—he had just stayed quiet.

  “Of course I am. Where else would I be?”

  Sighing, he snapped, “Do you mind?”

  “Fine!” His monster huffed. “But I’ll be back if something happens!”

  In his head, his monster faded away. “Who knew finding time alone would be so difficult,” he muttered to himself.

  Not that he was alone right now, as Stephan was here, but it was close enough, as the man was asleep.

  What was going to happen when he woke up? After what Jayden had done, what now? Jayden hadn’t been lying when he said he would kill again. He wouldn’t be able to hold back anymore—especially not with his monster voicing all Jayden wished to do.

  Was Stephan finally going to wash his hands of him? Would he now abandon him? He should—any sane person would.

  The thought of Stephan leaving him was painful, but it was the only outcome that made sense to him. Who would want to stay with a murderer who never planned on stopping?

  Chapter Eleven

  Stephan’s eyes fluttered open. Through the blurriness of sleep, he recognized his bedroom. Home, he was home—he must have passed out, as he couldn’t remember leaving the forest.

  Knowing that he’d probably caused both Liam and Jayden to worry, Stephan felt a bit guilty.

  However, a small part of him—minuscule, really—was happy that he hadn’t had to trek back through the forest.

  Okay, that was a lie. It was a large part of him. Stephan detested being in nature. Loved looking at it, hated being in it. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if his hair didn’t catch on everything—doubtful.

  Blinking a few times, Stephan tried to focus. He attempted to wipe the sleep from his eyes, but the hands gripping his prevented it.

  “You’re awake,” stated a deep voice he instantly recognized.

  Peering to the right, Stephan found his gaze traveling over a well-defined chest outlined in a black T-shirt. His focus continued to travel up, over a strong jaw, thin lips, a sculpted nose, and high cheekbones to finally settle on the man’s empty black eyes.

  Blushing, he looked away. Stephan knew better than to examine the man so thoroughly. It had been stupid of him to do so now—his attraction to Jayden was something Stephan had forced himself to ignore. It brought forward feelings he couldn’t handle. And as they terrified him, his sexual desires were something he spurned.

  Pushing the thoughts away, Stephan used his free hand to wipe the gunk from his eyes. “Apparently…”

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Tired. I guess I overextended myself…could you help me sit?”

  Jayden’s brow wrinkled, but he did as he asked. Stephan squealed when his body was abruptly jerked up.

  “Sorry. I keep forgetting how tiny you are. You weigh like nothing. Are you eating enough?”

  Stephan glared. “Well, excuse me! Not everyone can be a behemoth like you.”

  “According to the healer, you could have died, Stephan. You shouldn’t have done what you did.”

  He blinked at the sudden subject change. Jade had never been very subtle—or he just didn’t care enough to bother. Knowing him, probably the latter.

  “Yes, well, I probably shouldn’t have done it all in one sitting.”

  Jayden growled. “You shouldn’t have done it at all!”

  Stephan fidgeted slightly under Jayden’s anger. He really didn’t want to fight right now. He was tired, and Jade wouldn’t have liked his thoughts on the subject anyway. Truth be told, even if he had gotten hurt—if it meant helping Jayden—Stephan would do it again.

  He licked his dry lips and murmured, “It’s fine. I’m fine. Is…is your, um, monster still there?”

  “Yes, apparently he’s permanent. Which is just one more reason for us to finally end this.”

  “End what?”

  “Us!” Jayden snapped. “Stephan, we can’t keep doing this! I can’t keep doing this…” He seemed to suddenly deflate. “It’s time for you to let me go.”

  The man was pasty in appearance, his shoulders hunched. The look of defeat and his willingness to give up caused Stephan’s anger to flare.

  Snatching his hand away, he screamed, “No! Never!”

  “Stephan…” Jayden trailed off weakly.

  “I won’t! I can fix this! I know what to do now! So it’s going to be fine. You’re going to be fine. Everything is going to work out!”

  Jayden grabbed hold of his hand again and, in the most soothing and gentle voice he’d ever heard the man use, said, “How could it possibly work out? I told you, I can’t stop.”

  “The Zaytari.”

  The man raised his eyebrows in question. “You’re going to turn me in?”

  “What? No! You’re going to join them!” Stephan screeched, outraged at the very thought.

  Jayden let out a short bark of disbelief. “Stephan, did you hit your head when you fell?” The man threaded his hand through Stephan’s hair. “Or have you just finally lost it?”

  Slapping Jayden’s hand away, he huffed. “Of course not! Wha—”

  “I’m pretty sure being a murderer has eliminated any possible chance I had at joining the Zaytari.”

  “Let me finish,” Stephan sang. “What we’re going to do is ask for a meeting with the head of one of the three Zaytari groups closest to us. A mind search is required of all applicants, so they will find out what you have done. However, before they do, I’ll talk with them. Considering the special circumstances, not to mention the crimes of your ‘victims,’ I believe it won’t be as big of a hurdle as you think. I have a few possible groups in mind. All have leaders old enough to understand the difficulties you’re facing and the need for guidance. I just know one of them will help you find a position. One that will allow you to pursue your, umm…urges.”

  “And what position is that?”

  “Executioner.”

  “What?”

  He supposed the man wouldn’t know. It wasn’t a position that was discussed much.

  “It’s the most violent position in the Zaytari. Their purpose is to punish and eliminate. Not that Zaytari enforcers don’t do so, as well, but the majority of the killing is done by the executioner. An executioner’s identity is never revealed to the public, due to fear of retaliation by disgruntled relatives and so on.”

  Saying nothing, Jayden straightened his shoulders and leaned back in his chair. Stephan figured the man was thinking. As his face remained vacant, he wasn’t sure how Jayden was taking his idea.

  “What if it doesn’t work?”

  “I won’t let anything happen to you,” Stephan asserted with surety. Even if it did go south, he would do whatever it took to keep Jayden safe.

  “You do realize that when they find out what I’ve done, you’ll be exposed, as well.”

  Stephan sighed. “I know.” It was something he’d realized the minute he’d thought of the idea. But Stephan had already accepted the risks that came with his plan. As long as it helped Jayden, what happened to him didn’t matter.

  Jade’s gaze drifted off—he looked so lost. “I don’t understand you…”

  “What don’t you understand?”

  Their eyes met. Jayden peered intently as if he were trying to figure out a puzzle. “Why? Why would you risk so much for me? I just don’t get it.”

  It was a good question, even reasonable, but it was not one Stephan wanted to answer. Well, one he wasn’t sure he had the courage to answer.

  Stephan found it a bit frustrating that Jayden hadn’t realized why by now. Wasn’t it obvious? Did he really have to say it?

  It was probably a bit much of him to ask Jade to recognize a feeling he probably hadn’t experienced often or possibly at all in his life. Hell, Jade had issues understanding a lot of emotions—shame, remorse, pity,
mercy, and most, if not all, of the softer emotions. It was completely unfair of Stephan to be mad about it.

  Ugh, he was such a coward, a selfish coward. He always expected so much of Jayden…it wasn’t right.

  Stephan gulped—he could do this. His heart may be racing, his body trembling, not to mention Stephan felt as if he was about to pass out, and the room had also started to spin a little—that was a bit disconcerting—but he could do this.

  Oh God, was the room getting smaller?

  Jayden raised one of his eyebrows. “You okay? You’re even paler than before…” He stretched his hand out toward Stephan.

  Voice barely audible, Stephan confessed, “I love you.”

  The hand above him froze. Jayden’s shocked look earlier couldn’t even compare to how he looked now. The man was downright gaping at him. Stephan was almost positive that Jade had stopped breathing.

  He avoided Jayden’s eyes, his face radiating heat, a heat he felt all the way to the pointed tips of his ears.

  The reaction wasn’t very encouraging. At this point, Stephan would be extremely grateful if his stuffed animals avalanched down and suffocated him.

  Jayden’s voice was hoarse when he spoke. “Why…how could you? After what I’ve done. How could you?”

  Wringing his hands, Stephan somehow managed to stutter out a reply. “I-it’s not so-something I can easily ex-explain. I-I just d-do.”

  Jayden shot to his feet, his hand clenched, but his face was void of emotion. “Move over.”

  It was an odd request, but he did it anyway. Stuffed animals and pillows fell to the floor as Stephan pushed them aside to make room. Once there was a significant amount of space beside him, Jayden slid onto the bed and pulled Stephan into his arms.

  Stephan stared wide-eyed at Jayden’s covered chest. He stiffened, his pulse raced in his throat.

  Logically, he knew he was safe. Unfortunately, his body wasn’t listening to him. Stephan’s fears were bubbling up to the surface, and he had to fight to maintain control.

  An anguished cry slipped out at the realization that he couldn’t even handle being held by the man he loved. God, how fucked up was that? He was just as broken as Jayden, except Stephan had been too arrogant to admit it.