He strutted and posed. Smirked and glided. His hair, too long for the current fashion was none the less an attraction, as were the jewels he flashed and wads of bills he could produce. He gathered the most desirable ladies to him and laughed at those that complained under their breaths about his playboy ways. They didn't understand why, every night, he left with a different pair only to return to their parties and soirees the next evening alone and searching out new blood.

He liked that term 'new blood'. Always laughed when he heard it for, to him, it was like some dangerous game for that was truly what he was after.

Hunting in the glittering cities was unlike anything he'd done before. It was so different from the frozen world where one lurked in the shadows until someone came along. He liked this better for he was a vain creature and he loved his prey to acknowledge his looks, his wit, his ability to lure whatever he wanted into his clutches.

He was becoming quite the legend, a mystery in the vast pool of the wealthy reclusive lifestyle. Money could buy the illusion of a shrouded past and no one cared if he grew up feeding from silver spoons or if he amassed his wealth in another way. No one cared if he had no family or that his 'relationships' were one night stands that could barely be remembered upon morning.

They whispered of his prowess, gossiped about what happened those nights to leave his ladies unable to recall more than a moment of intense pleasure so sharp it nearly bordered on pain. They thought him a most creative lover.

It only proved that they knew nothing of him.

In their glittering clubs and lavish hotels each thought themselves the predator but there was only one that walked in their midst. The lady he danced with turned him, flinging her head back to laugh garishly and draw attention to them. He ignored her, his eyes unerringly seeking out the man dark, watching him.

He grinned, sweeping an arm behind an emancipated waist and dipping his partner low, her false cleavage saved from spilling out only by how tightly the cloth clung to her. There was a question in his coffee eyes and it was answered by his silent watcher who shrugged indifferently. He heaved an exaggerated sigh, one that earned him a soft laugh that only he could hear. It made him shiver and he grinned wolfishly.

"Picky." He hissed, uncaring of the lady's confused glance.

From across the room his watcher moved, violet light turning sable hair an array of exotic colors. He lifted his lady, eyes narrowed as the other man sat dangerously close to a beautiful young man, draping his arm over bared shoulders and burying his face against the pale neck. The question was repeated, this time in blue eyes as his watcher peered at him from against the human's flesh and he answered it with bared fangs.

His watcher threw his head back and laughed, leaning against the back of the couch but his posture was no longer one of flirting.

Snorting he traded his lady off for another, laughing as she greeted him with a positively sinful suggestion. They danced indecently close and this time his question was answered with a nod. Gathering his other choice for the night he offered her his own suggestion and she gave him her own toothy grin, a hand closing about his rump and making him yelp playfully.

The night air was chill and he gathered the ladies to him, knowing they would find no warmth from him. Still they cooed and pretend, reaching under his jacket as though warming their hands against his sides. He held them closer, sparing kisses when it was demanded of him as they stumbled down the street.

"Hey Vance, how about you get rid of the tag a long and me and you go find someplace to party, hmmm?" The blonde whispered none too quietly, earning an immediate retort from the brunette on his other side.

He indulged in their bickering for a bit but when their voices got too shrill for his sensitive ears snatched them both under his arms. "Now, now, let's all play nice together." He admonished.

He could have lived in a swanky condo but such places were always well lit with ever present guards and cameras that actually worked. So instead he lead them downtown and it didn't take long for his companions to reveal their proclivities for they both scowled at the increasing poverty they passed.

"Vance . . ." The brunette whined as he used a key to enter a building with barred windows.

"Oh come now, where's your sense of adventure?" He asked, grinning at her as he pushed the door open.

Inside was lit with warm lights and, though the interior was dated, it was comfortable. His companions fell silent, wandering past him and into another time. Sliding the key into the inner pocket of his jacket he closed the door and locked it, using a second key to latch it closed against any escape from the inside. Grinning he followed them silently.

"Where did you find this place?" The blonde asked, reaching out to touch one of the antique chairs.

"I recently inherited it. I've been given to understand that once this was quite the fashionable district."

"Indeed."

They all turned towards the voice and Vance smiled at the man who descended the stairs. He moved to his side, catching the smaller hand in his own and drawing the man to him to press a kiss against his throat. He heard the hesitant intake of breaths and knew he'd surprised their dinner. Laughing he wrapped his arm about his mate's waist, pulling him tighter against him.

"Which one do you want, my love?" He asked, unable to resist the urge to nuzzle his mate's thick mane.

"Well I would have liked something more along the lines of having a penis . . ."

Vance growled, a real growl that made their "guests" start. He pulled back, glaring down at his mate with narrowed eyes. "Anything with a penis that touches you I eat, Kel!" He warned.

His mate laughed and patted his cheek. "You're so cute. I remember being your age once."

Vance snorted and glared as his mate shook free of his arms and moved towards the ladies. "I'm not that young." He grumbled.

Kel pushed the heavy fall of hair back off his neck. "Hmm, all you young sires are so cute. All gruff and overprotective."

Vance's eyes narrowed farther. "And how many young sires have you known . . . and what are their names and current addresses?" He asked, his fists tightening.

Kel's laughter was a clear joyous thing and Vance's found he couldn't maintain his jealous anger in the face of it. He drifted to his mate's side, wrapping his arms about his waist and pulling him close. "I can't help it, you're all mine." He whispered, nipping at the bared throat.

Kel tilted his head back slightly, a gentle smile on his lips. "Later, love. I'm hungry and we still have guests."

Blinking stupidly Vance glanced at their incredulous audience. He grinned. "Pick one." He urged.

Rolling his eyes Kel did.

Vance shut the door behind him, locking it against the outside world and entered the parlor, grinning at the man lounging upon the couch. Kel gave him a dry glance and he smirked, peeling off his jacket and slowly working the buttons on his shirt.

"And what are you doing?" Kel asked, stretching out his legs as he watched.

"I'm sexy," Vance pointed out with the usual young arrogance, "you're sexy, we'll make sexy children, let's fuck!"

Kel laughed softly and shook his head, though he couldn't help but admire the pale chest as his mate tossed off his shirt and strutted forward, long fingers playing with the buckle of his black pants. "Haven't you had enough of that yet, youngling?"

Vance reached back, pulling out the clip and shaking out his ebony hair so that it curled about his chest. "Ha! Didn't your parents ever teach you that during the honeymoon we sires get to have sex whenever we want?"

Kel reached out to capture a strand of hair, pulling his new mate closer. "I must have missed that lesson."

"Or times have changed, old man." Vance teased before capturing his mate in a deep kiss.

Kel murmured into the kiss, reaching up to catching the young sire's broad shoulders as a tongue teased his.

"Wear my gifts tonight." Vance pleaded, his dark brown eyes wide with want.

Laughing softly Kel nodded, secretly thrilled by the flash of joy that crossed his new mate's face. It had been a long time since he'd lived to give someone joy and only now that he'd found it did he realize the hole that had existed in his life. When the young sire had come traipsing into his city he'd been annoyed for sires in his city usually meant having to chase them out with tooth and nail. Sires didn't usually believe that fathers could be stronger then them, no matter their age, but Vance had been pleasing to the eye and it was obvious from the start he was a youngster just flown from the nest. The father in him hadn't had the heart to chase him away when he was in so obvious need of help in finessing his hunting skills.

So he'd let the little twit stay, showing him how to hunt and slapping him back into place when he'd tried to act on a sire's natural instincts to breed. When it became obvious that Vance was going to start to try courting him he'd sent him away, telling him to go find three other unmated fathers before he set his mind on anything. Ten years later he'd returned home to find a wide eyed sire sitting on his doorstep with honest to god references from three unmated fathers urging him to take him as his mate and expanding on all of Vance's good points.

Vance had also gleefully tried to give him references on his bedding skills from numerous vampire lovers as well but he'd declined to see those, knowing in his heart they would only make him jealous.

So he'd played at being exasperated with the young sire's enthusiastic courting but in the end he'd had to be honest with himself. Vance filled a void that no other sire that had come around had been able to touch.

He allowed the younger sire to pull him up and herd him up the stairs, though he refused to be rushed. His mate would bound up a few and then bound back down to hurry him along, like a puppy.

"Come on, come on, come on! We've got babies waiting to be born!" Vance urged, making him laugh.

"What am I a baby vendor?" He demanded.

His mate grinned and nodded. "It's my duty to deliver the necessary materials and your duty to be sexy with your round bellied self!"

"I am going to have to have a talk with your sire sometime about where you got these notions from." Kel grumbled with feigned irritation.

Vance shook his head. "Can't deny what we sires were made to do." He held up a finger to tick off a sire's duties in life, "Wander, protect, and mate."

"Do I even want to know what you think we fathers are supposed to do?" Kel asked, sitting obediently so that his mate could brush his hair back.

"Don't look at me. We sires gave up trying to figure you guys out centuries ago." Vance almost reverently picked up the hair clip, admiring the way its yellow stones glittered against his mate's hair.

Kel sat silently, letting his mate undress him and chose which courting gifts he wanted him to wear. His lover took pleasure in simple things like that and he rather enjoyed being pampered. When hands ceased petting his hair he rose, taking his mate in his arms and coaxing him to the bed. Lips devoured his and he tilted his head back, giving up control to his mate.

Vance may have been young and untried in many things but there were some things sires just knew obediently. Knowing what to do when they had a mate beneath them with their neck bared was one of them and Kel gasped as his body was played to perfection. Vance licked and nipped at the proffered neck, drawing dark bruises to the surface before sliding his fangs home. He just barely nicked the vein, sucking hard to draw the addictive blood to the surface.

Like the strongest aphrodisiac it made his body stir to life and he growled as all playfulness slipped away. Life was a joy for him, a series of adventures and a time of laughter. He was still a child at heart but his body was that of a man and his instincts one of a beast of a dying race. Sex was a fun way to pass the time but mating was not. For their kind it was a life or death struggle for without more young they would disappear and no one would know to mourn their passing.

He clawed lightly at his mate's chest, sharp nails teasing the nubs to hard points. Moving lower he released his mate's neck so that he could take a nipple in his mouth. He suckled it, fangs pricking in the act of feeding. He felt hands in his hair, holding him gently as he licked. Lifting his head he spared a kiss for his mate, enjoying the feel of a tongue lapping the blood from his mouth. With a soft growl he pulled away, turning his attention to his mate's stomach where he rubbed his cheek against the soft, flat skin before teasingly licking the stirring arousal there. His mate hissed, shifting beneath him and he took him into his mouth, teasing his mate until he was as painfully aroused as he was.

Something glittered and he reached out, pulling the golden chain from his mate's wrist. Blue eyes, hazed with lust, watched him as he took the chain, wrapping it about the base of his mate's cock. Kel arched and keened, a sound only father's made and Vance had to grip the covers to keep from pouncing at that sound. Pearly fangs were bared at him, a sign of disapproval at his inaction and he smirked, coming up onto his knees.

"Take me." He ordered, hissing with delight as his mate took him into his mouth. A tongue swiped up his cock making him have to catch himself against the head board lest he fall when his knees went weak. Clawed fingers cupped him, holding him as his mate tormented him with gently nips and powerful sucks. When he could take no more he pulled back, earning a growl of irritation from his now golden eyed mate who tightened his grip.

He snarled, a real snarl that was more animal sounding then it should have been coming from a humanoid throat but his mate relented, falling back against the mattress and arching as he moaned. That sound vibrated to his very core he reacted as it wanted. Catching his mate about the waist he easily flipped the smaller man over and dragged him up onto his knees. The hair clip glittered as Kel nuzzled the pillow, his chest pressed against the bed.

Vance moved behind him, spreading him so that he had clear access to his opening. It seemed impossibly small but the sire grinned, willing to take the challenge. Normal instinct was to work it, to coax the muscle into relaxing so that entry was easy and seamlessbut not tonight. Tonight was a night for claiming, for the possible creation of life. With a snarl he shoved himself in, clenching his fangs against the pleasant pain even as his mate shrieked beneath him. The scent of blood immediately assaulted him, telling him he'd succeeded in spilling his mate's blood internally, creating a pool in which he would soon add his own blood-essence.

Gripping his mate's hips he pulled out completely before punching himself in again. Again the two velassi hissed in pain but it only served to put an edge to their hunger and before long Vance fell low, resting up his mate's back as he gave himself up to the primal rhythm. He panted, biting onto his mate's shoulder as he rode him.

Kel's legs widened, dropping them lower onto the bed until the father lay flat under his mate's body. Still Vance rode him, the thick cock filling and leaving him faster and faster with each thrust. He threw his head back as he came up onto his elbows, crying out wordlessly as the constant back and forth motion put pressure on his own cock. He moved his hips side to side, earning an approving growl from his mate.

"Yeah, that's it." Vance panted, licking his neck. He hands came down, pushing his mate's knees up so that he could penetrate deeper.

Kel's head bowed and he clenched his eyes closed, his body a mess of pleasure and need.

"Like that?" The sire teased, sharp fangs nipping at him.

He would have chuckled if he could but instead all he could do was nod.

Vance's arm slipped under his stomach, pulling him up slightly as the thrusts turned more erratic. Kel reached under himself, fisting his own need as his mate began to grunt. A sudden lurch and the grinding of his mate's hips as hot blood shot into him sent the father over the edge and he shrieked, staining the sheets with his own release.

Kel collapsed, his mate's weight pressing him down but he did not mind for it was comforting. They lay together in silence for a time but long before Kel was ready to get up he felt his mate rise. He grumbled at the proddings but finally relented, allowing his mate to roll him over. The young sire pounced on him, lapping his pale skin clean of the evidence of their joining before offering his throat. Kel closed his eyes and yawned, denying the offering.

His mate lied down beside him, crowding him to the edge of the bed so that he couldn't escape the cuddling. He laughed softly, folding his hands over the arms that wrapped about his waist and held him tight. Breath wuffed in his hair as his mate buried his face against the crown of his head and together they drifted off to sleep.