The kiss moved to Shae's jaw, and then his throat, and Shae noticed that Torin's heart was hammering as hard as his own. This experience had been intense for both of them. He wrapped his arms around Torin's shoulders and held him. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Torin pulled back just a little and looked at Shae with those penetrating dark eyes.
"You're a beautiful little man, Shae. I love your enthusiasm, and I am so happily looking forward to our life together." Shae heard him but did not immediately process what he said. He ate up the praise and basked in the attention, and that was all he wanted to deal with at the moment.
"You look pretty good too, and you certainly know how to handle yourself and me for that matter." Yeah, he was talking too much, but what the hell, the sex was fantastic, and it had scrambled his mind a little.
Torin straightened slowly, with a gentleness that surprised every time. The guy was not gentle. There was a vibe, an aura around him that hummed in a way that should have had him running, but it didn't. It should scare him, but his heart and intuition were calm and settled in this man's presence. Soon Torin stood there with a warm washcloth, cleaning Shae in an intimate manner, something unbelievable and so sweet and kind.
When finished, he helped Shae back into his sweats and put on his shoes and socks as well. The attention was crazy, but Shae did not interfere; rather, he ate it up. Shae watched him kill that man in Massey's bedroom, quickly and without a thought or concern. It was hard to equate that guy with the guy currently tending to Shae's cock with a lovely warm washcloth and dropping kisses to his lips as he did so.
CHAPTER FIVE
Torin cleaned and dressed his beloved, and he enjoyed doing it. Taking care of someone was not something Torin was familiar with, for he had only taken care of himself for the entirety of his existence. But taking care of Shae gave him a sense of importance and approval. It was nice.
He'd helped some people along the way, but nothing that interfered with his life or his time. He believed that other people's problems were their own, not his. This was true, except that if those people hired him to handle the problem, he was more than willing to assist.
This right here was the very first altruistic action of his life. He saved this young man, and he would do it again; if necessary, he would do whatever it took to keep him safe. Shae Callahan, hapless masseur, was now the center of Torin's existence. Fate had a wonderful sense of humor.
The legends of the powers of the beloved were fact, and Torin could attest to that. He had tasted him, and the thrills that roared through him had set his soul on fire. The energy that surged through him during feeding, and the connection he felt, were deep and marked him permanently. It was unexpected, butthe vampire half of his soul was ecstatic, and the demon half was very interested.
Shae had a lot to learn about Torin and his life, and about real life in general. The supernatural was a subject he never discussed, especially with anyone who wasn't already part of it, so this was going to take patience and finesse, two things he possessed in very small quantities.
He was Torin's beloved, so Fate would grease the track for him a little, but humans could still be tricky and difficult when presented with new points of view. The attraction was spot on for both of them, so he was confident their relationship would continue to progress.
Shae ran his fingers through his blonde hair and straightened his clothes. He felt awkward in the aftermath of their lovemaking, and Torin did not want that to hang in the air. "You're beautiful, Shae. Your body was meant for me." He stated, and Shae looked at him with a shy smile, but there was a gleam in his eyes. "The attraction I am feeling for you is fucking fierce."
"I feel the same," Shae admitted after a period of weighing and measuring the payoff for such a statement.
"I'm not an ordinary man, and I think you know that now." Torin went in the direction of disclosure, but carefully and calculated.
"And you're not just alluding to the assassin part of your resume," Shae interjected and held Torin's gaze as he did so. Torin walked over to the counter, poured himself a whiskey, and brought it back to him.
"Here, take this, and then we will talk." Shae looked at the brown liquid, swirled it a couple of times, then downed itand handed the glass back to Torin. "Good boy," Torin stated, noticing the spark light up again in Shae's eyes. Interesting.
Torin took Shae's hand, led him to the living area, got him seated on the couch, then sat down next to him, their bodies touching. The contact stimulated the bond, and he wanted all the help he could get as he took Shae down the supernatural rabbit hole.
"Were you born here, Shae?"
"Yes, twenty-five years ago. I thought about leaving, but never did."
“How much do you know about . . . the ruling factions here in Pittsburgh?” He casually took Shae’s hand in his and held it while rubbing the back with his thumb.
"I know Mr. Massey owns a lot of businesses, and he has the power to help or hurt people." Shea thought for a moment and then added. "The Hadden Corporation is powerful; they do a lot of good for the town, but unlike Jarod Massey, there isn't one person who takes the credit. I'm pretty sure Mr. Hadden is the one making all the calls, but he doesn't step up for the praise. Or maybe he's a recluse or something... I don't know." He chuckled nervously.
"Good observations," Torin told him and squeezed his hand. Shae responded instantly and turned to him with a satisfied grin.
“Tell me more about Nikolas Hadden.” Torin prompted.
"He owns the Imperial Club, a posh place way out of my budget. They have a select clientele, and it's an invitation-only sort of place. I hear that it's stunning." He took a long breath and let out a little appreciative sigh. "He also owns the Hadden Center downtown, of course." He chuckled at himself again. "I'vebeen to the Hadden Center. I went to one of the coffee shops on the ground floor and just sat there soaking up the vibes. It was great.”
“What did you feel while you sat there?”
"Enchanted." He paused briefly. "The air felt magical, like any minute a fairy or a unicorn might happen by. Yeah, I know, crazy." He dismissed.
"That was more likely than you know. Not the unicorn, no such thing as a unicorn, unfortunately." Shae gave him side eye that might have killed lesser men. "You ever encounter something in this town that didn't make sense or was just outlandish, and you wrote it off as a hallucination, a misunderstanding, or just false?"
Shae looked at him seriously, watching his face, staring into his eyes. He wasn't going to speak until he knew he was safe to do so. Torin wasn't from Pittsburgh, but he knew the town's reputation. It was one of the most paranormal locations in the country. Vampires, wolves, Fae, magics, you name it, they're in Pittsburgh, and with that said, a young man who has lived his entire life here must have seen something.
"There were rumors that I heard when in high school, and I've heard some of the same rumors since, but everyone considers them exaggerations or ramblings." Shae was still testing the waters.
