Right Kind of Wrong
By: Delilah deSora

Chapter 2

“Shido. Wake up.”

Green eyes opened slowly and blinked against the dark.

Cold breath grazed his ear and the violet haired vampire shivered. “Are you up, lovely?”

Shido nodded groggily. Cain pulled away to give him room to sit up. “What happened?” He whispered.

Cain chuckled, running a hand up his thigh. “You fell asleep before we could finish. Not very nice.”

Shido shuddered, reaching out to pull a cover over his nakedness. “Stop!” He hissed, trying to fortify himself against Cain’s touch.

The other vampire shrugged and rolled onto his back, not bothering to hide himself as he stretched. Shido tore his eyes away from the display and tried to stand. His knees wobbled and he sank back against the bed.

“What have you done to me?” He demanded, huddling in meager shelter of cloth.

Cain snorted. “I? I have done nothing. Was it not you who came to me?”

Shido could not deny that bit of logic. Not with his mate’s blood in his mouth and his scent on his skin. “You’re forcing me to do this.” He whispered desperately, “You’re calling me somehow.”

Cain clucked his tongue in annoyance. “I am doing no such thing. Any call you feel from me is simply the truth of our existence. We’re bound, it’s natural for us to feel drawn to each other.”

“It is more than that!” Shido snapped, “I’m drowning in you!”

A hand reached out for him and Shido jerked away from his touch, backing from the bed. “Do not touch me!”

Cain sat up, frowning as Shido’s voice cracked and he fell to his knees against the wall. “Shido . . .”

“I can’t control it.” The other vampire hissed, “I don’t want this! I don’t want you. I don’t . . . I don’t understand! Why can’t I stop it? Why can’t I get you out of my head? It wasn’t like this before. What has changed?”

Cain sank to his knees next to the vampire, wrapping a heavy coverlet around the trembling form. “Hush, lovely. Nothing has changed. I feel no different.”

“It has!” Shido insisted, “I feel it inside. There’s something wrong.”

“Then tell me. Tell me what you feel.”

Shido drew a shuddering breath. “I’m hungry and cold. All the time. I try to feed, I do feed but its never enough. I want more. I’m always on guard. Even among my friends. It feels like I’m being hunted even though I know I am not. All I want to do is curl up under you. Rub your scent against my skin and hide in your shadow. I feel like I’m going mad!”

Cain frowned, stroking the violet hair soothingly. “You’re always hungry?”

Shido nodded. “Yesterday I fed twice, twice, and I was still hungry afterwards. I had to come here just to keep away from Yayoi or Riho.”

He peered up when Cain’s hands froze, his body stiffening. “What is it?”

Golden eyes studied him for a long moment. “You want to feed off your own childe?”

Shido nodded. “I know its forbidden to feed off another vampire but . . . I can’t help it. I crave her blood.”

“Even more than the human’s?”

Shido hesitated. “I’m not sure.”

“What about mine? Do you want mine?”

Green eyes widened and Cain tensed, feeling a sharp hunger overwhelm the weak bond they shared.

“Yes.” His mate hissed, reaching up to tangle long fingers into his golden hair. He allowed the younger male to pull him down. He closed his eyes as lips brushed against his neck. The gentle caress suddenly turned violent and he forced down his instincts to strike back as the once tender hands turned to steel, holding him still as strong jaws clamped around the junction of his neck.

There was no rush of ecstasy in this bite, only sharp pain, for it was not a pleasure bite. It was a feeding bite. Shido growled against his neck, dragging his fangs down sharply to widen the wound and allow him to maintain his hold while still feeding. Cain gasped, clawing at the floor to keep from fighting back.

After what seemed like an eternity the bite became less intense, more of a comfort bite than a feeding one. Shido held him as he trembled, muscles weakened by lack of blood. Fangs eventually slipped from his neck and he drifted off to sleep.

Shido purred and snuggled against the body next to his. First the first time in nearly a month he was warm and contented. His body no longer ached for blood and his sleep hadn’t been troubled by fears of attack. He yawned and stretched. A scent that he couldn’t describe tantalized him and he smiled, burying his face in the long blond hair.

Cain grumbled and rolled, trying to shoo him away. He snorted and spooned himself against his mate’s back, wrapping his arms about Cain’s waist. He felt a pricking on his skin, the tell tale sign of a rising sun. He sighed and rose, nudging his mate until golden eyes opened and peered up at him with irritation. Shido laughed and nipped at the aristocratic nose.

“Cranky?” He teased.

The golden eyes narrowed and glared at him. “You seem to be feeling better.”

Shido frowned. “Feeling better? What are you talking about, love?”

Cain froze. “What did you call me?”

 The violet haired vampire game him a strange look as though he wasn’t sure to be angry at the question or confused. “Surely you haven’t forgotten what we are to each other?”

“I have not. But you have . . . or had.”

Shido frowned, his mate’s words stirring up a feeling of unease within him. He tried to brush it from his mind. He urged his mate up out of the bed but was forced to stop when a realization struck him. “Why do I not remember where the coffin is?” He asked, a creasing forming between his eyes as he frowned.

“Because you have never been here to use it before, Shido.”

Shido found himself trembling and he raised his hand to his head. “Cain.” He whispered. Arms wrapped around him, supporting him. “What’s wrong with me?”

“You took my blood. It may have awoken some memories within you.”

That brought the violet haired vampire back to himself for Shido shoved away from him with a growl. Cain sighed and moved past him, forced to concentrate on his balance lest the lack of blood in his system make a fool of him. It took a moment for Shido to realize that with the sun up he wouldn’t be able to make the long walk back to his apartment and if he wanted to sleep he would need to do so in a coffin containing dirt from their homeland but the realization did come and he heard the angry footsteps behind him.

Cain pulled the heavy lid open, frowning at the weakness in his muscles and gestured. Shido stared at him with guarded eyes and he sighed. “Six hours ago we shared pleasure, four hours ago I let you take my blood, ten minutes ago you were acknowledging our intertwined fates. Now you will not come near me. Your moods are truly tiring.”

The words made Shido shudder as an onslaught of half remembered memories flooded through him.

Cain watched as the smaller man came towards him and hesitantly climbing into the coffin. Cain sighed, wishing he had thought to bring the spacious one that they used to share when away from their homeland. Shido lay on his stomach, his face turned away as Cain climbed in, laying his weight upon the mate. Shido sighed; the heavy press of the blond vampire against his back making him feel safe despite his turmoil of emotions.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, his long fingers playing with the satin of the pillow. “I haven’t been right since All Souls Night. It is not your fault. I shouldn’t take it out on you.”

Cain sighed, his cold breath stirring Shido’s hair. “Are you still hungry?”

“No.”

Cain lay silent atop him for so long he had thought that he had fallen asleep before answering. “It has all started with All Souls? Your hunger and . . . mood?”

Shido nodded. “Yes. I can not explain it.”

“Go to sleep, love. We’ll look into it more tomorrow evening.”

Cain awoke before his mate, gratified to find that at some point during the night Shido had rolled onto his side and curled up against him. He stroked the violet hair back away from the pale face. How easy would it be to take his memories, as he had done in the past?

No! He snarled at himself. Taking his memories had never truly helped him in the past. It gave them a short reprieve but it never truly solved anything. Oh but how satisfying had it been to wake to his mate as he had used to be? How wonderful had it feel to hear old honoraries fall from his lips?

Cain shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Now was not the time to think about such things. If what he suspected were true he might be hearing those titles again, without having to deprive Shido of his memories.

He buried his face against the pale neck, breathing in the scent of his mate’s skin. It smelled like warm milk and flowers. And other things. Things that made him want to hold the man next to him, to protect him, to love him, to make love to him.

To feed him.

Cain jerked back in surprise. Feed him? He’d never had that urge before. He leaned in and sniffed again. Yes, there it was, floating just beyond his reach. A faint tang that his mate had never had before. He frowned and sniffed lower on his mate’s body. It got stronger near Shido’s soft stomach though it was still just a faint wisp of a scent.

He sat back, considering the other vampire. After a few minutes he rose, careful not to wake the sleeping man. Padding to the living room he called for Werner. When the silent vampire appeared he sent him off to get in contact with his sire’s mate. With a glare of annoyance at the human invention he sat, waiting for the servant at his estate to hunt down Adrian.