~o~O~o~
Part Twenty-Five
By the time they caught the goat and returned to their camp reeking of monster guts and sulfur, the sky was growing a pale grey in the east. The battle had spanned a huge area, and the corpses were certainly going to attract carrion feeders and insects, and more night creatures. It was necessary to put distance between themselves and the site of the fighting, and quickly.
They made a hasty exit as dawn approached, and by the time the sun had fully risen the carnage was left behind them and they were well on their way. The monsters had trampled much of the nearby forest and killed a lot of animals. The horses were nervous and Adrian had to walk in front and hold their leads, keeping them from bolting every time a twig snapped or a bird suddenly took flight. Sypha had her beloved goat bundled into the back of the wagon where she could keep a close eye on her. She'd decided that the creature had earned the right to be named, and after a little deliberation had dubbed her 'Daisy'. Trevor and Adrian shared a look of disbelief which bordered on disgust as Sypha fawned over the confounded animal and snuck her handfuls of oats which were supposed to be reserved for the horses.
The light frost melted as the sun crested over the treetops, and Adrian squinted and kept his eyes turned on the ground, wincing at the sear of it on his bare skin. He had removed his coat and shirt, neither wearable until Sypha performed her amazing spell to fix them. His pale chest and shoulders were vulnerable to the light, and his partly healed wound ached when he moved wrong. He could have healed it fully, but he did not want to waste more energy just yet. Blood – both his enemies' and his own – had dried on his torso and in his hair, leaving him looking a frightful sight. If his companions weren't also just as filthy he would have been more self-conscious of that fact, but there was nothing they could do save splash a bit of water from their canteens on their faces and at the very least wipe the worst away. Trevor's nose had thankfully stopped bleeding, and his other superficial scratches and cuts only oozed slightly, most of them already beginning to scab over.
The nights were becoming bitterly cold, but the days were still very warm, hot, even. They were forced to travel wearing the evidence of their battle for another two hours before they came on fresh water where they could finally wash away the now dried on mess clinging to them. They led the horses off the trail and several hundred feet into the trees where they would be far enough from the road to go undetected by any passersby – not that they expected anyone to have survived the wave of death brought by the band of night creatures they had confronted hours earlier.
The horses were thankfully calmer by this time, and were more than happy to be tethered nearby so everyone could rest and clean themselves off. They had come upon a small river which eddied around a bend, creating a reasonably deep pool where they were able to wash. The water was icy cold and fresh, and smelled wonderful to Adrian, who was thoroughly sick of breathing in the scent of dead beasts and dried blood by this time. A large weeping willow tree overhung the bank, long tendrils of pale green reaching down over the water and casting the pool in dappled shade.
"Its really pretty here," Sypha noted as she worked herself free of her robes. She winced, peeling the fabric gingerly from her arm, the dried demon blood sticking to the fine hairs and yanking at them painfully. Adrian eyed her naked figure. He was unused to seeing her spattered in blood but it only served to further the image he had of her as dangerous and beautiful. By comparison, Trevor always seemed to be wearing either his own blood or some poor beast's, so it was less of a shock to see him as he was, red marring much of his flesh and dried into his hair.
"I doubt we will hit another wave like that tonight, we should take some time to dry off and sleep," Trevor suggested as he pulled off his boots and breeches.
Everyone brought their bloodied clothes and weapons downstream and rinsed them clean, staining the water pink until it was washed away by the current. They found sunny places to hang everything to dry.
Adrian stood naked in the mottled shade at the edge of the water. He desperately wanted to be clean and had left his modesty somewhere behind with the sea of monster corpses. His hair had minotaur in it. He curled his lip and waded into the pool, sighing in pleasure at the cold clear water as it swallowed him up to his neck and soothed the healing gash on his back. He dunked his head beneath the surface, his hair billowing around him, floating freely. The river bottom was all rounded stones, and stayed clear even when he stirred things up moving around. He scrubbed his nails through his hair until he was satisfied that not a speck of gore remained, then broke the surface, smoothing his hair back and ringing the water from it.
Trevor and Sypha were a little less quick to jump into the freezing pool. Adrian grinned toothily at them, bobbing in the deepest part and urging them to join him.
"This water is fucking freezing," Trevor complained, wading in up to his bare thighs and tentatively trying to bring himself to go further.
"Oh Trevor, don't worry, I'll help you," Sypha said sweetly before she made to shove him forward. He was expecting it though, and grabbed her small figure easily, tossing her into the pool beside Adrian with a formidable splash. She screeched from the shock of the cold and clung to Adrian for purchase. Her body felt hot against him and he held her securely with a satisfied smile as Trevor took his time slowly working his way inch by inch into the pool.
"You didn't actually think I would fall for that," the hunter laughed and found the courage to wade the rest of the way in before Sypha could seek vengeance.
Eventually they were all clean and standing on the bank, naked and trying to warm up. Trevor and Sypha stuck to the sunniest spot, visibly shivering. Adrian was beside them in the shade of the willow, not bothered by the cold. Being clean was heavenly. He was hungry and tired, but happy. He always felt good after a fight, even if he was wounded. There was something inexplicably satisfying about the fighting itself that left him deliciously spent and relaxed. The battle had been a challenge and he'd successfully used his magic several times. He was pleased with himself for being able to wield the spells in the heat of the moment, although he could already feel the tug of thirst for having expended so much energy in the last day. His overzealous demonstration from the previous morning had consumed a considerable amount of power. He supposed this was his consequence for being a show-off. He eyed his still healing bite mark on Sypha's thigh and a different sort of thrill rolled through him, reminding him of her taste and the events which transpired in the cottage.
They laid out some warm blankets and made a fire. Sypha wrapped another blanket around herself and dug through the packs for something to eat. Trevor sank down beside Adrian and threw a blanket over his shoulders, sharing it with him and covering both their nakedness. He yawned and gave the dhampir a contented smile. His injured nose was swollen and angry looking, his eyes starting to blacken beneath as well. Adrian scooted closer to his heat and earned himself a little wince as his skin made contact with the hunter's.
"Christ, you are almost as cold as the water," Trevor reprimanded, but wrapped an arm around Adrian's back and pulled him closer anyway. He allowed himself to be tugged into the warmth of Trevor's side and relaxed further when he felt strong fingers carding through his damp hair. He could smell Trevor's blood on his breath – he must have swallowed a great deal of it before the bleeding stopped.
Being stroked and pet was exquisitely pleasant, leaving the blonde lulled, his eyes closed as he was treated to a scalp massage under Trevor's fingertips. His enjoyment must have shown on his face, no doubt it was slack with his delight. He yawned, finding himself nearly ready for sleep. He'd only had the brief nap the previous afternoon in the last four days – at some point he was going to need more significant rest. He leaned more heavily against Trevor's chest, soothed by the steady rhythm of his heart and breathing.
He could hear Sypha rummaging around and cracked an eye, watching her pick through her supplies for another robe, which she wrapped around herself and cinched at the waist. She then set water to boil, speeding it along with a flick of her fingertips and a small burst of light. She used some of the water to make tea, and to the rest she added dried bear meat, spices and vegetables, letting it simmer into a soup for their meal. The men were appreciative of her efforts, considering she'd fared the best in the fight and they were both recuperating.
Adrian was slouching into Trevor now, the back of his head resting at the juncture of his shoulder and neck. Warm arms wrapped around him from behind, encircling him and propping him in place, the blanket around both of them. Heat from Trevor's body seeped into him, hopefully easing the shock of his cold skin against the other man's. He was elated when Trevor gathered up one of his hands and began to work it with his own, kneading his palm, stretching it open and taking the time to attend to each long finger. After Trevor's incredibly uncensored comments the previous afternoon it was comforting to be able to relax with him and remind himself that not everything had to be focused around sex. This was wonderful and had Adrian lulled almost to the point of dropping off.
"Don't fall asleep sweetheart, there's tea and food," Sypha said from beside him, giving him a smile when she caught his languid expression and the way he was melting against Trevor.
"I'm not," he mumbled, but it was a lie. Trevor straightened behind him, guiding him back to a more upright position as Sypha pressed a cup of hot tea into his hand. He accepted it and made himself open his eyes and sit up properly so he didn't spill it, though he was still leaning into the hunter. He sipped the hot beverage, allowing it to further warm him, the heat spreading from his middle outward as the cup helped take the chill from his fingers.
Sypha sidled up to them both as they waited for the meal to be ready, tossing her blanket over Trevor's back and kissing him on the cheek. "Your nose looks awful," she commented, reaching out to poke at the swollen appendage.
"Ow! That fucking hurts!" he complained, trying to twist away from her fingertip and nearly making Adrian spill his tea in the process. He cupped his injured face protectively and Adrian roused himself and turned to get a better look at it, shifting between the hunter's legs, ignoring their nakedness for the time being. The blanket slid from his shoulders, pooling around his waist.
"Can I examine it?" he asked, pausing with his hand midway to Trevor's face. Trevor pulled back, evidently not wanting to be prodded and poked. Adrian gave him a disarming smile. "I promise I'll be gentle."
After another moment of wary consideration Trevor slowly withdrew his hand. "I'm not above staking you," he growled in empty warning, but submitted to being looked over.
Adrian was true to his word – he was very gentle in his examination, slowly and carefully tracing his fingers over the swollen flesh. It was impossible to tell for certain with all the inflammation, but if there was a break it was something that did not need to be set. He finished by placing a feather light kiss on Trevor's nose. "I think you just need to ice it to help with the swelling. Sypha could you make ice for him?" he looked to her and she produced a piece of ice which had a small depression for his nose.
A few minutes later Trevor had been coaxed into laying his head in Sypha's lap, the ice already helping with the pain of his injury, a blanket thrown over his middle and his feet draped over Adrian's legs. Adrian and Sypha were sipping tea and Sypha was raking her fingers though Trevor's hair. Adrian didn't have any extra clothing, so he was still keeping the other blanket around himself, his modesty slowly coming back and making it feel odd to be naked in the woods.
"How is you back?" Sypha asked him, drawing his gaze up from where he'd been studying the bubbling soup pot and trying to stay awake.
"Its healing," he assured her. Even without intentional, focused healing, his body did not take very long to recover from wounds by comparison to humans. The injury was already looking a little better, and the pain was less. It was still very deep, but it had closed a bit more, the layers of muscle beginning to knit together. At the shallowest edges his skin was starting to draw closed, especially the portion that reached to his left arm. The part over his shoulder blade where it was most severe stung in the open air and looked raw and angry. He expected that part would be somewhat better in another few hours.
Sypha finished her tea and set down her cup. She glanced at the blonde and her hand came to her throat, fingertips sliding gently over the skin, drawing his eyes to the flutter of her pulse. "Do you need-"
"I'm alright," he said quickly, curling his fingers over hers and pulling them away from her neck. He knew that he needed blood, but he could not bring himself to accept it from her again so soon. His fangs gave a hearty throb, reminding him that he was thirsty, but he still refused. He would rest and have soup and hunt something later on to sate himself. There had been no discussion about whether Adrian would give up animal blood entirely in favour of the far more palatable option of feeding from his lovers, but he had assumed that biting Sypha was a one-time thing, or that it would be done only sparingly to keep him in good fighting condition when they got to the castle.
It was still very strange to think that biting her was even an option; doing it once had broken the ice, but it did not absolve him of his feelings on the matter in general, nor did it erase the awkwardness he felt at discussing it.
Sypha studied him for a long moment, a little wrinkle between her furrowed brows. "I thought you were going to let me do this for you," she said finally, sounding almost disappointed.
Adrian was particularly susceptible to the slightly pouting, sad expression he received from her. He realized that he couldn't win – he would feel guilty if he accepted, and now she was going to make him feel guilty if he refused. That was alright; he was happy to shoulder the small burden of guilt if it meant establishing some important boundaries that would keep Sypha safe. He squeezed her hand in his. "I didn't think you meant every time Sypha, that's not good for you. I will hunt later."
She looked at their clasped hands, obviously thinking about when he had bitten her. "It was over so quickly last time. I-" a rare blush spread over her cheeks, clashing with her freckles and the copper of her hair. She met his eyes, looking uncharacteristically bashful. "I want you to do it again."
He hadn't expected that. He swept a helpless glance in Trevor's direction as though the hunter would bail him out. He was watching their exchange, but he wasn't saying anything. He was leaving Adrian to handle this one on his own.
"I think it would be best to hold off for now," Adrian said finally, releasing her hand. "The soup will be ready soon. Actually, I was hoping you would show me how to do the spell to repair clothing? We seem to be especially good at destroying our clothes and I'd like to be able to perform the spell myself."
Sypha's eyes lit up and the sad look melted from her features in favour of an eager expression. "Of course I can teach you. Now?"
Trevor shifted, sitting up, still holding the ice to his nose. He stirred the pot of soup. "This needs awhile before it will be ready, I'll keep an eye on it for you," he offered. "It would be nice to have something dry to wear," he added, gesturing at his fur cloak on a nearby tree branch, which was stained pink and so laden with water that it was making the branch bow alarmingly. "If we were ambushed right now Adrian and I would have to fight naked. While I do look fucking fetching in only a sword belt, it's probably a bad idea. Nowhere to hide all my knives," he laughed at his own terrible joke and Sypha muttered something derogatory under her breath as she got up, dusting leaves off of her robe.
Adrian tried to hide his smile, peering at Trevor, who was already looking at him. They locked eyes for a moment and then Sypha was tugging at his arm, already explaining the spell. Adrian wrapped the blanket around his waist and followed her. He was grateful that his attempt at distraction had worked.
~o~O~o~
Adrian and Sypha crouched together over the pattern traced in the earth, some of their clothing in the middle. It had been ages since Adrian had learned a new spell and never from anyone but his father. Even though he was tired, he was eager to learn. Sypha was a surprisingly effective teacher despite the differences in the way each of them approached magic, and in no time he was following her example and restoring their clothing a piece at a time. He was already wearing his breeches once more, and was presently working on Trevor's fur cloak.
When all of their clothes were clean, dry, and repaired Adrian found himself even more exhausted from repeatedly performing the spell, but far more comfortable. He was once again dressed in his usual attire as Sypha looped her elbow through his arm and leaned against his uninjured side. "That was fun. I'm glad we can do some of the same spells, even if they are only the boring ones. It's nice to do magic together."
"It is, thank you for teaching me, Sypha," he said to her and surprised her by scooping her off her feet and carrying her princess style back towards the campfire. She felt lovely in his grasp; small and warm. She laughed and wound her arms around his neck, leaning up to kiss him.
He met Sypha's lips, holding her closer and returning her kiss readily. When they broke apart he nosed her gently and peppered smaller kisses over her cheeks and the soft skin of her eyelids before dipping back to capture her mouth with his own. He stopped a few feet outside of the circle around the fire, preoccupied by the sorceress in his arms and the way her tongue was laving along his bottom lip and seeking entry to his mouth.
He willingly opened himself to her and their tongues brushed together in a now-familiar action which left both of them breathing harder. Sypha's fingers curled into the hair at the base of Adrian's skull and tugged, urging him to give her better access to his mouth so she could explore him more thoroughly. He obliged and she began to kiss him in earnest, pressing her tongue to the face of a fang and licking up towards the root, making his teeth itch with the desire to bite. He remembered the exchange they had shared in the Belmont Hold, when she had curiously explored his fangs and watched the immediate reaction that resulted from the attention. She knew what she was doing.
He caught her eyes in question and she pointedly repeated the movement, her tongue playing against his sharp canine, pressing against it and stimulating the very sensitive nerves in his gums. She smiled, satisfied by the tinge of red she'd managed to bring to the whites of his eyes, but he hesitated, uncomfortable because he had specifically told her he would not bite her.
She leaned up to bring their mouths together again and Adrian met her lips in answer, unwilling to let her go. Her fingers delved more deeply into his hair, her nails pressing lightly into his scalp. He purred into her mouth, enjoying the attention and the sensation of her small body in his arms.
She sucked his mouth against her own and Adrian was quite happy to let her devour him, her scent and taste filling his senses. When she nicked her bottom lip on the sharp tip of one of his fangs Adrian's eyes widened as the taste of her blood was suddenly on his tongue. At first he thought that he'd accidentally caught her lip during their kiss, but it quickly became clear that it had been intentional. She broke away to offer him a clear view of the blood welling from the small puncture. His eyes were glued to her mouth as her tongue darted out and suggestively licked at the bead of red, then she pressed her lips together so they were coated in it before tugging him down towards her once more. He was too surprised to do more than acquiesce.
He found himself surrounded by the scent of her blood, the flavour of it on both their breath already. He jerked back from her once he gathered his wits, dropping her in his haste to put distance between them. She caught her balance, grabbing his arm to steady herself.
"What are you doing?" he demanded, anger edging into his voice. His eyes were on her reddened mouth, helplessly watching another fat drop well from the injury and slide down her chin. He was quite suddenly aware of just how thirsty he was. Saliva flowed in anticipation, forcing him to swallow it back as the sound of her pulse drummed obtusely in his ears. He pushed her quickly away, aggravated that she had ignored his earlier refusal and taken it upon herself to try and tempt him into feeding in such an underhanded manner.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut, trying both to decide what to do and rid himself of his body's unwelcome response. Naturally, he wanted to gather her back into his grasp and take what was so blatantly being offered, but he was incensed that she'd done it when he had clearly told her he would hunt for himself.
"Adrian it's alright," she soothed, stepping closer to him and putting a hand on his upper arm. "I'll be fine."
It took a great deal of effort to force his instinct down but he did, pulling her hand away and holding her at arm's length with perhaps more strength than was strictly necessary as he warred silently with himself. He refused to meet her eyes. After several long moments he released her, striding past her towards where Trevor was watching the exchange, although it was not clear what he'd been able to see as they'd been close together and Sypha's back shielded his view. Sypha rubbed her arm where his hand had gripped her too tightly.
He quietly seated himself in front of the fire on Trevor's left, accepting a mug of soup in his hands. He thought he'd managed to clear the red from his eyes, but Trevor was an observant man and Adrian knew that he had seen at least some part of what had transpired and had certainly heard his angry reaction.
Sypha wisely sat on Trevor's right, allowing Adrian space to cool off. He watched her out of the corner of his eye but refused to look at her, opting to glare at his soup instead. He curled his knees close to himself and hunched his shoulders, his hair mostly obscuring his face from her view.
Sypha tossed Trevor his newly repaired breeches and helped herself to a mug of soup. He quickly pulled the clothing on, his gaze lingering on the obvious trail of red that went from her mouth to her chin.
The trio sipped soup in absolute silence and finally Trevor made a loud, obtuse sigh and looked between them. "For fuck's sake. Out with it," he chided like he was talking to two squabbling children. "I'm looking forward to some sleep and cuddling with both of you so please deal with your shit."
Adrian chanced a glance in Sypha's direction, feeling bad for putting Trevor in the middle. There was a red lip print on her soup mug; he immediately wished he hadn't looked.
Trevor eyed Adrian, then Sypha. He leaned towards her and used his thumb to wipe the blood from her chin, staring at the mess disdainfully before wiping it on the leg of his pants. Adrian decided not to mention how that only served to make the smell of her blood even more prominent. Sypha, in turn, cast a hangdog look at the blonde, her shoulders slumping. "I'm sorry," she said. "I thought-
"That you could provoke me into biting you even though I said no?" Adrian quipped sharply, unable to keep the venom from his voice.
Beneath the somewhat guilty expression on Sypha's face was resistance. He could see that she wasn't ready to give up so easily. She nodded. "You always deny yourself. I thought it would make it easier if I… offered encouragement."
Adrian stared at her for a drawn out moment with an unreadable expression before looking back to the pot of soup over the fire. He wanted to snap a scathing retort at her and stomp away, but stopped himself, brooding over how he should respond instead. He finally sighed and set down his mug, slowly meeting her eyes. "Sypha, biting and blood drinking aren't a novelty you can play with. It's not a game. It's how I eat."
The mage was quick to defend her actions, her small fingers gripping her cup tightly, large blue eyes watery and managing to make Adrian feel guilty for scolding her even though it was more than justified. "But- before… it was so intense, you can't tell me that was just eating. It was more than that. And your shoulder still looks awful; that's because you don't want to use too much energy, because then you will need more blood, isn't it? So why won't you take some of mine?"
Adrian looked at her again – another long stare – his mouth pressed into a thin line. He knew the expression made him look like his mother used to when she was disappointed with him. That look made him want to dig a hole to hide in until the shame abated. He tried to soften his face, peering into his cup. Trevor subtly slid a hand onto Adrian's thigh, giving him a light squeeze of support.
"It was intense for me too. I- I'm not refusing to ever do it again, but I didn't intend to make a habit of it. I can't rely on the people I love for sustenance, Sypha. It's confusing for me to think of you that way, it's uncomfortable. And I like hunting. Did you think I would no longer feed from animals?"
Sypha scowled, evidently offended. "You would rather drink animal blood that doesn't satisfy you than mine? Was my blood… not good? Is something wrong with it?"
He snorted reflexively, because that was preposterous. "Of course not. There is literally no comparison, but I will happily hunt animals to avoid putting your health at risk. It would make you weak and sick if I fed from you regularly."
The Speaker refuted him, unconvinced. "You said before that you don't need very much, even less than a full vampire. I won't be harmed from the little bit it would take to at least heal your shoulder properly."
Adrian could feel his frustration mounting; it stirred him uncomfortably. She was not hearing him. She was missing the pertinent part of what he was saying and he didn't know how to make her understand what he could barely grasp himself. "Sypha it's not your decision. You can't force me to do it just because you think I should. I would appreciate if you would never do that again," he said with finality, unable to muster the words to explain further. He wasn't certain how to make it more clear than he already had.
Sypha's lower lip trembled almost imperceptibly, and Adrian got the sense she felt terrible, but also was pouting because she didn't get what she wanted. "Okay," she said softly, still looking chastised and rubbing her arm. "I'm sorry Adrian."
"Thank you," he said, a small, forced smile working its way over his features. He was willing to try to put it behind him, but he was still uneasy about what had transpired. He looked at his empty cup and went in for seconds, ladling hot soup into it and taking a mouthful.
Trevor gave Adrian's thigh a harder squeeze, drawing his attention. His nose looked better after the application of ice, although he was well on his way to having two black eyes. He nodded slightly when their eyes met, but the dhampir only lowered his gaze back to the fire, swallowing from his mug and trying to feel satisfied by the paltry warmth in his belly.
He questioned whether he'd handled the situation properly. His eyes wandered to Sypha's lower lip, which still sported the fresh puncture and residual blood smeared on her chin. Despite his position on the matter, the temptation she presented was great, and he was partly scolding himself for not being more willing to accept her offer. Her blood would thoroughly satisfy the gnawing hunger that was becoming more insistent by the hour.
Adrian knew he was masterful at denying himself; squashing down his instincts into a tiny corner and ignoring them felt normal. It was giving in which was more difficult, the idea stirring a sense of awkward self-loathing, even now. Refusal was simply ingrained into him through years of practice and he defaulted to that almost without consideration.
After the soup was finished Adrian found himself yawning and once more leaning into Trevor, who was all too happy to throw an arm around him and resume the pleasant stroking of his hair like he had done earlier. Adrian nearly crawled into his lap, content to be lavished with attention and try to forget what transpired.
"I'm really tired," he admitted after his third yawn in as many minutes. "I haven't been sleeping very much."
Trevor kissed the crown of his head. Adrian could hear him inhale as he did; he wondered what he smelled like. "May as well catch up while you can. C'mon, let's have a nap."
Adrian was aware of Sypha watching them as they fiddled with the blankets and Trevor grabbed his newly cleaned and dried fur cloak for them to use as a pillow. The hunter got into a comfortable position, making a space beside him for Adrian to lay. The blonde shed his jacket, gloves, and boots, carefully placing them in a neatly folded pile out of the way. As he laid down Trevor pulled a blanket over them both and his large arm wrapped around Adrian's middle, tugging him tightly into his naked chest while being careful of his injury. He could feel the hunter's steady heartbeat at his back – a soothing and familiar cadence – all that was missing was Sypha's warmth on his other side. He flicked his gaze to where she still sat with her mug in hand and a disheartened expression on her face.
She was obviously feeling put out because of what had transpired between them. Adrian found himself second-guessing how he'd handled it, wondering if he had been unreasonable. His relationship with blood was a little messed up and he really felt like there were no right answers.
"Sypha," he said gently. "Come lay with us."
Her lower lip seemed on the verge of trembling. "I should check on the animals first and make sure Daisy isn't going to chew through her lead again," she said distractedly, rising and heading over to where they were hobbled.
Adrian sighed, guilt and uncertainty coursing through him.
Trevor's hand tugged Adrian's bicep, urging him to turn around. He shifted gingerly onto his other side and found himself face to face with the hunter, looking right into his eyes. He studied the scar over Trevor's brow and cheek, a faintly discoloured line in the otherwise tanned flesh. The top of the scar disappeared behind the long strands of his hair that always fell into his face. Under his eye it was obscured by the bruising of his broken nose. Adrian nuzzled closer, hiding his face against Trevor's prickly cheek. "Maybe I should have just done it anyway," he said, voice muffled.
"Then why didn't you?" the hunter asked, offering Adrian a chance to talk through it. His large hand curled around Adrian's waist, the warm, calloused palm pleasantly rough even through his shirt.
"I was angry," he admitted. He really did not like feeling that way; he never had. Anger wasn't a comfortable emotion for Adrian, but now it bubbled in his guts and he didn't know what to do with it. "She tried to manipulate me into doing what she wanted even when I said no. I thought she respected me more than that."
Trevor's hand came to rest over the crest of one hip, squeezing lightly. His face was close, warm exhales tickling and stirring a few strands of blonde hair. "She's stubborn, Adrian. And stupidly fearless, and sometimes she doesn't think things through before she does them, but I honestly don't think she meant to act selfishly, even though it came off like that. She was trying to help, in her own way."
Adrian considered what Trevor was saying. He understood how their mutual partner could be at times, but he wasn't satisfied by simply believing that she meant well. She had blatantly ignored his wishes and feelings. It certainly seemed selfish and disrespectful to him. He sighed again, louder this time. He rolled onto his back, wincing at the pain that flared from his gouged shoulder and looked up at the bright sky, his mind racing. He threw an arm over his eyes, blocking out the light as he attempted to organize his thoughts.
"I can take care of myself, Trevor. I don't need to be fed like a pet. It's insulting."
The hunter's grip on his hip tightened reassuringly. "I know that and so does Syph. But give us some credit; we can tell when you're thirsty. And you know as well as I do that you're never going to ask for blood."
Trevor was correct; he wouldn't ask, even if he was thoroughly starved. He had too much pride to do something like that. He was used to hunting for himself at his own leisure, not begging a meal off of the people closest to him like some kind of parasite. What he had said to Sypha before had been true as well; he was uncomfortable and confused since breaking his blood fast. He cared deeply for his two human partners and it was difficult to think about them as a source of blood. "I can't do that, I don't like to think of you that way," he said finally.
Trevor's palm slid along Adrian's torso until it was splayed over his sternum, over his heart. "A lot has changed really fast. I don't blame you for not knowing what to think about it. I understand what you were trying to explain to Sypha before. You're uncomfortable looking at her, or us, like food, right?"
Adrian felt himself stiffen, sliding his arm away from his eyes and turning his head to look at the man beside him once more. He'd tried to explain exactly that to Sypha, but Trevor managed to phrase it plainly and effectively and hearing it aloud made him want to squirm with a guilty sort of discomfort. It was uncanny how astute the last Belmont could be sometimes. He felt very exposed under the scrutiny of keen blue eyes which seemed to lay him bare with next to no effort. He couldn't seem to find his voice – it always deserted him in these moments, especially with Trevor. He broke the stare, studying the hunter's scarred chest rather than let himself be picked apart by those eyes any longer.
The hand on him made comforting circles over his breast, smoothing across his pectorals and upwards past the deep neckline of his shirt, caressing the side of his neck affectionately. He felt Trevor's thumb working along the ridge of his clavicle, the rough fingertips sliding over his skin. He sighed at the contact, beginning to relax.
Trevor's hand slid higher, cupping his cheek and tilting his face so they were looking at one another again. Adrian could see the wheels turning behind the man's eyes, shrewdness never abating despite the way he was soothing Adrian's nerves with his fingers. The hunter brought their mouths together, lips meeting in an unexpectedly tender kiss.
Trevor took his time with it, conveying understanding in a way that felt deeper than words alone could manage. When they broke apart Adrian found himself trying to get closer, rolling back onto his side to face Trevor properly.
"We'll figure it out," the brunet said, speaking quietly as he pushed a lock of blonde out of his face.
His eyes fell shut, long lashes brushing his cheeks. His fingers curled against Trevor's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. He was tired, sore, and thirsty, and he wished that he could just go to sleep and worry about this later, but it seemed that the hunter had more to say.
"A lot of shit has changed lately. My perspective has changed. I see you differently, and I want to understand you, even though some stuff still freaks me out," he shifted slightly, moving back a few inches so he could see Adrian's face more clearly. "When we were in the Hold after that big argument, Syph said it wasn't fair to always make you do everything the human way, because you aren't only human. She said blood is important to vampires and that sharing it means something. At the time I thought that was nuts, but now it seems… less crazy. When you fed from Syph you just… lit up. You were immediately more… I don't know, more alive, or something. Stronger. Happy."
Adrian stared at Trevor for a long moment, barely breathing. "Are you saying that you want me to drink human blood? Sypha's blood?"
Trevor swallowed, looking a little nervous. "Yeah, I guess I am. If all you need is a small amount, and it doesn't harm her, then it doesn't seem that bad. It's obviously- uh- good for you."
Adrian mulled over Trevor's words, surprised at his honesty. "I don't know if I can do that," he admitted. "When I bit Sypha it brought up a lot of instincts I'm not used to. I'm very practiced at ignoring most of that; I hardly think about it anymore. Suddenly it's all there again, stronger than before, and more complicated because we are involved emotionally as well. It feels… out of control. The things I think… I wish I could turn them off."
Trevor listened attentively and took time before answering, smoothing his thumb over Adrian's knuckles thoughtfully. "I didn't realize you were having such a hard time with it."
Adrian looked away, his eyes falling on the hickeys he'd made on Trevor's neck the day before. As if on cue, he felt his belly tighten shamefully at the sight of the marks that he'd left on his partner. He was reminded of laying between Trevor and Sypha the night after he'd fed from her, and how rampantly aroused he'd been, how his thoughts had been embarrassing and impossible to Trevor knew that leaving marks had an effect on Adrian, he was at a loss to really communicate the extent of it because it was disgraceful and inhuman to be excited by those things. He didn't want to talk about it. He wilted a little under the hunter's gaze, pulling his eyes away from the bruised patches of skin.
Trevor watched him brood, interrupting the silence only after it had gone unbroken for several minutes. "Adrian I can't read your mind."
"Sorry," he apologized, caught up in his thoughts. He pulled his hand free and rubbed his face, fingers raking into his hair and gripping it, body taut. "I don't know what to say."
"That's okay," Trevor said simply, tugging Adrian's hand from his hair and splaying their palms against one another, fingers mirroring each other.
Adrian's hands were a little longer than Trevor's, more slender. His nail beds were narrow and delicate, each nail smooth and clean, the tips evenly rounded. Trevor's nails were bitten and jagged. One of his thumbs had been smashed at some point and the nail was blackened from the old injury. There was dirt deeply worked into the tiny lines between his fingerprints and the creases of his knuckles, and the muscles in his palm and fingers were well-developed from holding weapons. Adrian examined the contrast of their skin, his own a nearly pallid white when placed beside the deep tan of the hunter's flesh. He had no blemishes, scars or callouses, but the hunter had all of the above, a few cuts in varying stages of healing, several old scars, and one of his knuckles was misshapen from where it had healed badly after a break.
Adrian stared at their two very different hands together, completely at a loss. He tentatively glanced away from their joined palms, into intelligent blue eyes.
"I would never suggest anything I thought might put Sypha in danger," Trevor said seriously. "I trust you. I…" he paused, his heartbeat picking up speed as he gripped Adrian's hand tightly and squeezed hard. "I fuckin' love you okay?" he said quickly, his cheeks suddenly burning, embarrassed at the words. "I want you to feel good. I want you and Syph to be happy. Y'know, if we're gonna do like she said and try to- uh- to have a f-family one day, we should be less fucked up, right?"
Adrian was more than a little stunned to hear these things coming from Trevor's mouth. His natural reaction told him to refuse this implicitly and insist he was fine doing things as he had always done them, but he had to consider that the man before him had made some very sizeable changes himself in terms of acceptance and understanding recently. He was really trying.
He looked extremely uneasy with talking about his feelings, but his eyes were honest and clear.
Adrian nodded slowly.
When Trevor released his hand he traced his fingers along the man's face, pushing his bangs from his eyes and carefully memorizing every feature.
"I've never heard you talk about the future before," he observed in a soft tone.
"Didn't see the point. Never expected to live this long. I mostly assumed I'd freeze to death drunk one night and that would be the end of it, or that eventually I'd get into a fight I couldn't win. All I've ever done is fight, fuck, and drink, and try not to die. Nobody wants a Belmont around, you know? Not until there's a monster they need me to kill, anyway. I'm good at killing things. I guess it runs in the family. But when I'm with you and Syph I think there could be something more than that, even though saying it out loud makes it seem like lightening is going to smite me for being such an idiot," he grinned, a nervous reflex to hide how unnatural it was for him to admit his vulnerabilities.
Silence fell over them as Adrian studied the other man, trying to process everything they'd discussed while also attempting to erase the disturbing image of Trevor frozen in the snow. It was easy, at times, to forget that the he'd lived most of his life as a solitary drifter, and the dhampir knew that it didn't come easy to share things like he just had. It was his way of trying to meet Adrian on the same level, demonstrate that he understood he was asking him to do something that forced him well outside his zone of comfort. They were all doing more of that these days, as they tried to figure out how to live together.
"You're not alone anymore," Adrian said quietly, pulling the hunter against his body. His fingers slid over the muscled, scarred back and he held on tightly, nose buried in the other man's hair. Trevor smelled like sweat, metal, and river water and something vaguely sharp and spicy that he'd become very accustomed to. He squirmed, protesting that Adrian was being too sentimental, but he allowed himself to be held anyway.
Sypha's footsteps crunching over leaves and pine needles alerted them to her approach as she returned from checking the animals.
"I'll try what you suggested," Adrian finally agreed, releasing Trevor from his hold and turning to catch sight of Sypha as she reached them.
The Speaker's expression had eased, and a little smile graced her lips at the picture of the men together. Adrian was relieved that she didn't seem to be pouting anymore and thankful for her resilience. She kicked off her boots and unwrapped her robe. Now clad only in the thin black dress she wore beneath her outer clothing, she pulled open one side of the blankets and crawled in. Adrian immediately felt her heat against his back and shifted to welcome her in with them. He laid his head back into the fur cloak they were using as a pillow, watching as Trevor leaned over him to pull Sypha into a kiss. He observed the familiar way their mouths met, lips working over one another in a well-practiced dance.
They pulled apart for a brief moment to meet each other's eyes, then came together again, the tips of their tongues touching gently, sliding along one another until Trevor grabbed Sypha easily around the waist and hauled her over Adrian so she was between them. He then proceeded to deepen his kiss, dipping his tongue further into her and grabbing one of her breasts through her dress.
"Ow, not so hard Trev," she complained, but Adrian could see she was arching into his touch.
In another moment Trevor released Sypha's mouth, allowing her a chance to take in some much needed oxygen. Adrian shifted onto his side, propping his head up on his hand and sandwiching Sypha between his and the hunter's bodies. His mind was still tangled up in what he had just agreed to. He laid a contemplative hand on Sypha's middle, tracing the lines of her body and daring to cup a breast carefully in his palm. Trevor was frustratingly good at both distraction and negotiation, he realized, as he found himself playing with her breast through the fabric, his irritation at Sypha considerably diminished in light of his discussion with the hunter.
"Alright, now that we're all together, let's work this out," Trevor said, looking confidently between his two partners. The vulnerability was completely gone, replaced by the hunter's usual demeanor. He mirrored Adrian's position, laying on his side and propping his head on his palm. He draped his free arm over Sypha's belly, hand finding purchase on Adrian's hip.
"What are we working out?" Sypha asked, large blue eyes flicking from Adrian to Trevor. She rested her hand over Adrian's on her breast, lacing their fingers together absently. His eyes were drawn to her lip, which she worried between her teeth. The wound she'd made was still fresh; he could smell it. He licked his own lips, returning his eyes to Trevor's face.
"Well, we talked a little while you were checking on the animals," Trevor began, and Adrian buried his nose in Sypha's hair as he let Trevor explain what he had difficulty putting into words.
"Adrian's still pretty pissed about what you tried to do. He doesn't like being manipulated, like he already told you earlier, so let's start by reiterating that there won't be a repeat of that anytime soon."
Adrian could feel Sypha nodding and she squeezed his hand again. "I'm sorry sweetheart," she whispered, and he felt her adjusting her position so they were facing one another. He withdrew from where he was enjoying the scent of her hair, meeting her eyes. She deposited a gentle kiss on his lips. "I should have respected your wishes instead of trying to tempt you into it."
"I forgive you," Adrian said against her mouth. He dipped back in for a second taste of her, sucking at the tiny lip wound. His fangs ached deep into his skull and he tried not to completely shut his urges down, but also not to give in to them. He'd have to get more comfortable with this if he was going to do as he had told Trevor he would. He ran his tongue over the small cut. There was nothing to take from it, but he enjoyed the sensation and flavour regardless. The situation was very much as it had been the morning prior, when he was being intimate with his lovers. He needed to accept and acknowledge his instincts, get used to their intensity anew. He could feel Sypha smiling beneath his mouth and he stilled, catching himself before he went further, slowly putting a bit of distance between their faces.
Trevor gave Adrian's hip a reassuring squeeze. "Now that you've made nice with each other, let's move on."
Adrian wanted to speak for himself, rather than letting Trevor do it for him. He cleared his throat to get his partners' attention and cautiously looked from one of them to the other. "This is incredibly awkward for me," he began, drawing a fingertip over Sypha's lower lip and the tiny puncture made by his fang. "I spent such a long time refusing human blood. It feels as if I'm doing something wrong if I let myself give in, even after biting you once," he confessed, cheeks warm. "But, Trevor has persuaded me that it could be… good for me."
Sypha seemed to take a second to process that, but when she did she gave both men disbelieving looks. "Actually?"
Adrian gulped, nodding shyly. "I will… make an effort to become more comfortable with it," he answered, suddenly feeling completely ridiculous as he reflected on the whole matter. In what universe did humans try to persuade a vampire to feed on them? It was laughable. He really didn't need to do anything to get used to drinking blood, it was as natural as breathing. But accepting it from Sypha and perhaps eventually Trevor as well? That was hard to be okay with, even if his body was more than eager to oblige. All of this was about his state of mind, after all. It was about the way he viewed them.
Sypha pulled him from his thoughts as she cupped his cheek, tilting his face towards her. She waited for him to meet her eyes before speaking. "Sweetheart, it's not wrong when it's just us and we're alright with it. Drinking my blood isn't taboo or shameful or anything like that. It is good for you. I understand why you chose to refuse it most of your life, but things are different now. It was so beautiful to see you come alive last time, to see your injuries heal properly and watch you regain your magic. I cannot believe you gave that up for so long. I really want you to keep that."
Adrian leaned into Sypha's touch, letting his eyes slip shut as he moved closer to her body and nuzzled her hand. A life where he could normalize his relationship with human blood and rid himself of the guilt and self-deprecating thoughts that he associated with it would certainly be easier than the one he'd been living for the last decade.
He pulled back and studied both his partners seriously. "I'm willing to very carefully explore this," he said slowly. "However, I am not going to take chances. At the slightest sign that your health is compromised in any way, it ends. Yesterday you made a point of reminding me of my immortality, so now I will remind you that you do not share it and I will not hesitate to stop this experiment if there is even the slightest indication that it is harming you. Do I make myself perfectly, irrefutably clear?"
He looked sternly at Trevor, then to Sypha, wanting to make sure that he had been heard and understood.
When they both gave little nods of agreement he relaxed slightly, letting the reality of what they'd just decided roll slowly over him and settle in.
Adrian wrapped an arm around each of them and pulled them tightly against his body, burying his face between them. They squirmed in their entrapment, but he held them fast, needing them close.
When he could hear both of them struggling for breath and freedom he relaxed his arms slightly. He didn't say anything, opting instead to get as close as physically possible.
"Guys," Sypha wheezed, and Adrian realized that he'd dragged Trevor onto her and she was likely being crushed by approximately two hundred pounds of muscled hunter. He let go, eyeing Sypha sheepishly. She returned the look with a soft smile. "Better," she said after Trevor slid off of her so she could breathe. "One thing," she said, raising a finger pointedly. "If I'm not allowed to tempt you into biting me, then you need to ask for blood when you're thirsty. Alright?"
"Oh. Uhm..." he eyed the little sorceress warily, realizing how hard that would be for him to do. He swallowed, averting his eyes while he tried to make a response come out of his mouth. Finally he nodded his assent, looking at her again.
"Actually," Sypha added, "there's one other thing." She turned her head, facing Trevor. "You've really changed your tune about this in the last couple of days. Are you okay with sharing your blood now too, Trev?"
All eyes were on the hunter, who suddenly seemed to be at a loss for words. He gulped, looking nervous as he raked his fingers back through his hair. "Well, I- uh- I hadn't actually considered that… specifically," he stuttered, his cheeks quickly flushing as all of the confidence and certainty he'd had through the prior discussion evaporated in the blink of an eye. He sat up, his hand going to the deep puckered scar on his shoulder where he'd been bitten before. He rubbed it absently, looking very much like a frightened child in that moment. Trevor's enjoyment of Adrian's claws and teeth when they were fooling around was clearly in a very different compartment in the man's mind than being bitten for real.
He glanced at the mage, then the dhampir, and straightened, obviously trying to conceal the fact that the thought still made him want to piss himself.
When he spoke, his voice was a little too loud with false bravado. "Yeah, sure. 'Course I'll do it too. Only fair, right?"
Sypha and Adrian shared a mutually skeptical look.
"So," Sypha said lightly, her voice dripping sweetness. "Then you're fine with it? As in, he can do it right now?"
Trevor's face tightened, managing to look even more horrified. "Now?" he croaked. "Uh, y-yeah. Yeah now is fine, perfect, actually. Just- uh- just go ahead then," he squeezed his eyes shut and held out his forearm towards Adrian. His heart was rabbiting in his breast and he had stopped breathing entirely.
Adrian couldn't hold back his snort of laughter, somehow more relieved by Trevor's fear than he would have been by true acceptance because it was what he expected. The mighty Trevor Belmont, afraid of almost nothing in the world, except Sypha setting him on fire and vampire bites.
He wrapped his fingers around the tanned wrist and pulled it towards his face, watching the way the muscles in Trevor's shoulders bunched in anticipation. He saw a tremor work its way through him, his eyes screwing even more tightly shut. He lowered his mouth over Trevor's wrist to inhale the scent of his skin, spicy and laced with fear and adrenaline. He exhaled, allowing his breath to wash over the skin. Goosebumps ran up Trevor's arm and all the hairs on it stood on end. Even his fingers were tense.
Adrian smiled against his pulse point kissing it harmlessly before lowering the man's hand.
"Relax," he said, earning a sidelong peek out of one blue eye.
Adrian didn't want to crush the Trevor's ego by pointing out how terrified he obviously was, so he found a suitable excuse which would spare him the humiliation. "Your nose bled substantially after the battle and you have several smaller wounds. It would be irresponsible to take anything from you right now," he reasoned. "Maybe another time."
"Oh thank fuck," he muttered, broad shoulders sagging in relief.
Sypha's fingers slid into Adrian's hair and pulled him to meet her for a kiss. When she released him he curled into her, nose against her temple, kissing her there as he tried to draw up the courage to ask for what he wanted, even though he knew she was more than happy to oblige.
Trevor calmed himself enough to lay back down, resuming his position against Sypha with his hand reaching over to hold Adrian's waist as he watched his partners intently.
It was hard to ask for this. If he hadn't spent so many years denying himself human blood then he wouldn't have such difficulty with it now, and he would be used to the dichotomy of humans being both a source of nourishment and also friends, lovers, and so forth. His rigid refusal to give in to his thirst was responsible for creating this situation. Adrian thought about how he'd felt after last time he bit Sypha, and recognized how intense his reactions were. He was becoming rather curious as to whether it would be more manageable if he fed more often. It would be incredibly inconvenient to have a repeat of the last experience each time. And the sexual response had been nearly overwhelming. He was hopelessly turned on for hours afterwards, both from the blood itself, and from thinking about it, from seeing his marks… it was too much. Such a reaction at the wrong time could be crippling. He hoped that a lot of that was due to his body returning to an 'ideal' state of health, that is, his magic and full strength being restored.
The only way to be certain was to do it again.
"Sypha," he said softly against her temple, closing his eyes and allowing the sound of her heartbeat to fill his ears as he traced a finger over her throat, shivering in anticipation when he felt her steady pulse. "May I?" he said, voice wavering slightly at the awkwardness of asking. "Please," he added quietly as an afterthought.
"Of course," she answered with a smile in her voice, her hand joining his and gripping it reassuringly.
His mouth watered as she granted permission and he inhaled her hair once more before shifting lower so he could find a comfortable position. A thrill of eager excitement rolled through him as he explored the pale length of her neck with his nose and lips, the thump of her heart loud in his ears. He opened his reddened eyes and found Trevor looking at him.
He was watching intently, lying with his head beside Sypha's on the white fur. Adrian had never imagined that Trevor would get to a point where he'd be so accepting, but here he was, seemingly fine with this even though he wasn't ready to be bitten himself. It was nearly inconceivable that a Belmont would be laying down with a vampire. It was still more surprising that Trevor had come so far as to encourage him to experiment this way. Only days ago the man had been dead set against biting of any kind, but a great deal had changed since their argument in the Hold and it was clear that Trevor was trying extremely hard to understand Adrian's physiology and psychology.
Adrian himself had never thought he'd be in a position like this. He still felt that strange separation from some of his instincts, as if his vampire side were personified, whispering to him at times to do things which humans would find perverse and frightening. He was doing what he could to accept the part of himself which he'd fought against much of his life. It certainly didn't hurt that a man who had spent his entire life hunting and killing monsters was willing to look deeper. It made Adrian want to do something in return, so Trevor could feel as good as his acceptance made Adrian feel.
And Sypha. Adrian could not fail to acknowledge how easily and causally she offered herself. She trusted him, she was the reason that he had done any of this, in fact, because she'd confronted him in the Belmont Hold and persuaded him to break his ten year fast in the first place. Sypha had placed blind faith in him when he hadn't even been willing to talk about the subject. Yes, sometimes she did things without thinking them through, but because of her he was stronger than he had ever been. He could use his magic again – which was an incredible feeling – and her confidence in him was unwavering. It made Adrian feel whole.
The dhampir rolled slightly over Sypha so he could take the side of her neck closest to Trevor. He put his knee between her thighs, parting her legs and pushing her dress up a bit so she would not be pinned beneath the fabric. He felt the instincts of possessiveness working their way to the surface, but this time he felt it for both of his partners, rather than wanting to keep Sypha all to himself. He opened his mouth over her throat, licking along the line of her artery as he felt her body's heat beneath him.
His fangs were tingling, itching and sensitive as he allowed their flat faces to brush over her skin. He paused, considering what they'd discussed about doing this more frequently. That meant taking only small meals – just enough to quiet his hunger and give him his energy back. He typically aimed for a killing bite if he was hunting an animal, so he knew it would take practice to perfect this new, more careful and respectful method of feeding.
He felt his way once more with lips and tongue, aiming to nick the vessel with only with one fang, while the other would meet soft tissue of skin and muscle. This would result in less overall bleeding, but perhaps more pain and bruising. He could not help looking to Trevor once more as he slid his elongated teeth in, feeling the layers of tissue yield effortlessly as he found purchase and Sypha's blood began to fill his mouth.
The hunter watched him curiously, looking a bit queasy despite his insistence that he was alright with all of this.
"Ah- oh that hurts," Sypha said, sucking in a breath through her teeth. Adrian felt the muscles in her neck and shoulders tensing from the pain, which he knew would make it worse. He laid more heavily over her and stroked her hair tenderly, carefully pulling his teeth free from the wounds and swallowing the first spurts of her blood that filled his mouth. He wanted to tell her to relax, but he became quickly distracted by the flavour and heat coating his tongue.
It was perfect, simply the best, headiest thing he could ever recall tasting. She was alive in his arms, wincing from the pain but slowly relaxing beneath him and he felt her thighs squeezing together after a time, and her skin began to flush as the subtle scent of arousal indicated that she was enjoying it now. He laved the wound, pulling back to look at her. He licked his lips at the picture she made beneath him with her blood welling in the hollow of her clavicle, still flowing quickly enough that he had to dip down and clean it away to keep it from spilling over onto the blankets and her dress.
He felt both satisfied and like he could never have enough, but his focus was on Sypha. He sucked gently at her throat, eyes closing in enjoyment as his hands smoothed over her lovingly. His lips were marred with red, teeth stained with it. It took only a few minutes for the flow to become slower, and he was confident that the damage was minor and that he hadn't overindulged.
When he next made to look at her she was smiling at him. Her hands found their way around his waist and she wriggled beneath him. Her breasts were pressing against his chest and her hips rocked gently against his stomach. He could see that her nipples had hardened into stiff points beneath her dress and her cheeks were rosy and flushed. He felt Trevor's hand over the small of his back beneath the hem of his shirt.
Adrian sighed in pleasure, heat coursing through his body, warmth spreading to all his extremities and quickly going to work on his wound. It tickled and itched and he knew the damage was disappearing as his body healed easily now that it had what it needed.
He barely stifled a yawn, still exhausted despite the meal. He was relieved that he didn't have the same overly intense buzz of energy that he'd experienced the last time. He felt delightfully sated; not full, but no longer wanting for blood. He regarded the woman beneath him, her eyes a bit hazy, her blood still seeping from the bite on her throat. He purred languidly against her, licking the area clean again and inhaling the scent of the wound with indulgence. A relaxed, contented wave was washing over him, nullifying many of the anxious thoughts that had plagued him for the last hour.
It seemed his lovers had been right; he was simply happier this way, it was good for him. It was as if all of the nervous energy had evaporated into thin air to be replaced by a lazy sort of confidence. He felt strong, and a bit foolish for worrying so much and making such a big deal out of the whole matter. He shifted, partly aroused, enjoying the sensation of Sypha's small, curvaceous frame beneath him. He slid his palm to her breast and squeezed it gently, possessiveness flaring alongside his satisfaction.
"Thank you Sypha," he said, laving the wound again before moving to her mouth to offer her a deep, slow kiss, which she eagerly returned, her fingers gripping his upper arms. He wanted to tell her that she tasted divine, but he didn't quite feel brave enough to say it aloud. "Are you alright?" he asked instead.
"Mmhm," she intoned, her hips moving again. "After the painful part, it feels really good," she said, smiling dreamily and reaching up to tangle her fingers in his hair. "And you're so hot," she added, making Adrian blush in helpless embarrassment. Trevor snorted beside them at the way she said it and Adrian's reaction.
Sypha glanced at the last Belmont and put her free hand around his neck, pulling him closer. "Trev, it's really not bad," she said quietly to him, touching her nose to his cheek. "Next time you should try."
The hunter looked between them, eyes falling on the blood that was still staining Adrian's mouth. "Maybe," he said hesitantly as Adrian licked his lips, trying to clean them. Sypha had let her eyes close, fingers in Trevor's hair and a smile still on her lips.
Adrian settled himself against Sypha's side, yawning again. He slid his hand along her body, passing it gently over the mound between her legs. He could feel the heat radiating from there, even through her dress. He watched the way she lazily responded to his touches. He continued to stroke her over the fabric, but he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open, arousal or no. It occurred to him that now might be a good time to try sex if he were more awake. He was hard, she was wet, Trevor wasn't wearing a shirt – it seemed perfect. Only, before he could really think anymore about it, he was dropping off into a much needed rest.
For the first time in days on end Adrian finally found uninterrupted, dreamless sleep. He barely moved at all for the next eight hours, snuggled against Sypha and Trevor in the forest.
~o~O~o~
A/N: And there you have it, the next installment. Technically I got it up it in under a month... by a few hours. I do apologize for the wait! I know it can be hard to keep up with the story when you have to go a month between updates, but that is honestly the fastest I can go right now.
I hope the chapter is okay. It was one of those parts that I added to and took away from a lot and spent far longer than I am willing to admit on editing. After awhile the whole thing looked like another language to me. Its basically all talking, so... hopefully you weren't falling asleep halfway through and wondering when the pace was going to pick up.
I deeply value constructive criticism and feedback! I am very thankful for all of the support that 'A Night at the Inn' has garnered so far! It is simply incredible to know that so many people have chosen to read this work. More will be on the way soon.