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Sighing, Arden yanked off his shirt and pants. He tossed them into a corner along with his shoes, too tired to tidy anything up. Instead, he climbed into the bed and sighed deeply, his voice turning into a rumble of satisfaction at how cool and welcoming his sheets were.
Eldon filled his vision as he grabbed the heavy black blanket and pulled it up Arden's body. The vampire looked completely enamored with what he was doing as he tucked his boss in. When he straightened up, Arden couldn't stop staring at him.
"Do you need anything?" Eldon asked.
Arden reached out and grabbed Eldon's hand before he tugged him into the bed. He didn't want to fuck him, not now, but he wanted a body beside him. Someone to press against him so the world didn't seem so big and endless.
"What are you doing?" Eldon asked, his voice breathless as he blinked at Arden.
"Sleeping," Arden said. "If you don't want to stay then you can leave. But if you're going to stick around, be quiet."
Eldon searched his face and the vampire slowly relaxed. When he didn't protest, Arden's shoulders loosened and he closed his eyes.A little bit of sleep couldn't hurt.
* * *
Sweat rolleddown Arden's skin as he panted. The scent of blood and fire clung to the air, so thick it nearly choked him. But that was an aroma that he had long grown used to. He let his claws grow, his eyes shifting to sharp slits as he took in the battlefield.
Bodies littered the ground, strewn across the muddy expanse missing pieces or half burnt. Ezra flew overhead, his red scales rippling in the light as he roared so loud it shook the Earth beneath his feet. Arden smiled. They were close to victory.
A knife slid over his flesh, ripping it open as blood began to flow from yet another wound. He drew himself back into the game, the only one he was good at. Death. Arden spun around and bared his fangs at the man. One look and the scared wolf shifted before he raced toward Arden. A fury of black and white fur aimed for his body, but Arden was faster.
He shifted, every inch of him igniting as his blueish black scales broke free, covering his body. Electricity danced along his flesh and he not only matched Ezra's roar, he far exceeded it. The wolf charging for him whimpered and tried to flee. Without his pack backing him up, it was a lost cause. Arden saw the terror in his eyes, but he wasn't in the business of granting mercy.
Arden shot blue sparks from his mouth and the wolf froze as volts of electricity ran through his body. He fell over, a whine on his lips as his limbs twitched involuntarily. Arden stomped toward him, his long tail slapping and knocking people away before he raised a claw and stabbed the dying wolf.
"Advance!"
The order echoed over the field and Arden did just that. He ripped through the throng of bodies, his heart beating out of control as he unleashed every ounce of pent-up energy onto the people around him. Body parts flew, the coppery tang of blood intensified and he charged into the village, leveling everything and everyone in his path. Arden wasn't there anymore. He was his dragon and his dragon was him. They were joined, their infinite dance continuing since the day the beast had emerged.
"Kyree! Kyree! Oh, gods. No, please no! Kyree!"
Arden turned around ready to strike, his dragon poised to snuff out another life when he froze. A woman held a small child in her arms as she rocked back and forth. The smell of charred flesh singed Arden's nose as she smoothed back long, dirty blonde locks and let loose a heartbreaking wail.
"Mommy?"
The little girl could barely whisper, her hand still clutching a small doll in a green dress. She choked, her voice disappearing as her breathing stuttered and went out. The woman held her little charred body to her chest and the wail turned into an ear-shattering scream.
Arden shot up panting and clawing at himself. Deep, red marks followed his shifted claws, blood flowing as he raked into himself repeatedly. He couldn't breathe. That horrible smell of burning flesh and spilling blood choked him. He gripped his ears trying to drown out the scream, but it was coming from within and he couldn't pull the agony from his chest.
"It's okay. It's okay," he heard whispers and something cool touched him. "Arden, please. Look at me. Look at me!"
Arden panted, his body shaking and twitching as he stared at Eldon with wide eyes. The vampire cradled his cheeks in his hands, his thumbs brushing over Arden's stubbled skin. He frowned and brushed the hair from Arden's sweat-slicked forehead.
"Breathe," he said slowly. "In...out. In...and out."
The sound of screaming and the smell of blood slowly dissipated as Arden tried to fight through the fog. He focused on Eldon's voice and as the vampire became more visible through his blurry vision, his sweet, handsome face calmed the dragon.
"Hi," Eldon whispered.
Arden blew out one last deep, shuddering breath. "Hi."
"Why don't I run you a shower and we can try the sleep thing again?" Eldon asked.
"Okay."
"And a drink?"
Arden's heart squeezed. "I would appreciate that."
