The Hunger - Only Lovers Left Alive

Chapter Ten

It was a rare occurrence for the two men to find themselves alone in the small home and yet here they were, waiting for her to return from another blood run.

The tension in the air was palpable and thick enough to be cut with a knife, even if they both tried to distract themselves from one another with whatever they could find to do.

For Vincent, it was going through collections of binders filled with paperwork that seemed important and for Adam, it was fiddling with the strings of a violin that she had gifted him mere days ago.

He wasn't entirely sure why she had, he hadn't done anything particularly special to deserve the surprise, but he relished the present like it was giving him life.

In his own mind, Adam told himself that this was her way of making up for the situation he had been put in ever since Vincent's arrival, what with the repeated sexual distractions and the tense atmosphere he would have to live in until either he settled enough with his new life to leave or Vincent left on another long trip.

Adam sincerely hoped for the latter to happen first.

His blue eyes flickered to the other man, observing him as the vampire's eyes looked down the page he was holding up.

Three weeks, that's how long Vincent had been back and Adam was finding it harder to deal with the new scent each and every day.

Somehow, it seemed to get stronger, rather than fading and becoming familiar like most scents would.

Vincent's remained strong and overbearing, as if his presence wasn't trying to force dominance enough between the three.

It was disgusting and Adam would be lying if he said that he hadn't started to have dark thoughts, finding pleasure in imagining demeaning the other vampire in front of his own wife.

The temptation to join in with their sexcapades and show that he had just as much power as Vincent was beginning to get unbearably irresistible, it astounded him that even after so long of being turned that he was still experiencing all new sensations, emotions and wants that were so strong he hated them.

But there was no reason for him not to join, she wanted him as much as he needed her, he knew it and had known it since the end of his first week as a fledgling.

"You're staring."

Adam startled a little and his eyes focused on Vincent, who was smirking at him.

"I mean, I know I'm a handsome son of a bitch, but staring is still rude, even to vampires."

Adam rolled his eyes as Vincent chuckled, hating the deep sound that came from his throat.

Setting down the violin delicately in its case, he clicked the seals into place then ran a hand through his hair in thought.

As much as he currently disliked the other vampire, there was no denying that he had his uses and it would be a shame for Adam to pass up an opportunity.

With a reluctance, he got up from his place on the floor and moved to sit in the chair opposite Vincent.

Sitting down, he leaned back in the seat and put his booted feet on the table while crossing his arms.

Vincent quirked an eyebrow and looked up from the sheet of paper questioningly.

"Yeah?"

"I want to ask you some questions."

Vincent's head twitched a little to the side as his curiosity was peaked, he hadn't spent much time getting to know the younger man and had to admit that it was probably best for them all if he put his uncertainty about him to one side and got to know him, just a little.

No doubt his wife would appreciate the effort he would go to, she had mentioned that the two boys needed to learn to live with one another.

With a shrug, he set the invoice he had been looking over into its place in the folder and closed it before leaning back and opening his arms with a sharp-toothed smile.

"I am an open book to you, fledgling."

"It's Adam," he said bluntly, narrowing his eyes, "I am only a fledgling to her."

"Of course you are, my apologies."

Adam nodded then glanced towards the door, as if making sure that she wasn't returning so that he could continue.

"Is it normal for fledglings to want to be intimately close with their master?"

Vincent seemed to physically flinch in surprise, his eyebrows raising as his eyes widened a little at the bluntness of the first question.

If this was how this session started, how much further could it go?

"That depends," he answered slowly with a light shrug, "a fledgling and master relationship changes with each turning."

"Have any of your fledglings been sexually connected with you?"

"Of course," Vincent chuckled, "with how many I have turned, both men and women, it would be impossible for there not to be."

"And you indulged in them?" Adam watched as he nodded, "before or after your marriage?"

"Both."

"You cheated?"

"It's not that black and white, we have a mutual understanding that our relationship is quite open."

"She's never given me that impression at all."

"She's never indulged in it as I have, in fact, to my knowledge you would be the closest to come beyond mere physical attraction."

"Is it open beyond fledglings?"

"In a way, should the need take us, but mostly no."

Adam tilted his head a little, resting it against the cushion of the chair as his eyes roamed over the vampire like he expected to find something physically off.

"And you don't feel bad that you sleep with your fledglings and she doesn't?"

"You're the first one she's had and I know she'd love to, why should I feel bad that I indulge in an agreement just because she doesn't?"

There was something about Vincent's smirk and nonchalant attitude that ticked Adam off, he didn't like how callous his answers were in regard to his own wife.

"Do you only turn people you're attracted to?"

Vincent looked at Adam as if he had three heads then sighed, rubbing his chin.

"Adam, I get the feeling you're trying to pin me as a bad guy, I'm not, really, it's just that sometimes fledglings have needs that can't be seen to by anyone else until they are stabilized with their turn, hence why their master must see to them before they become unruly."

Brown eyes met blue and Vincent forced out a sigh, his expression reading nothing but defeated.

"You shall understand if you find someone to be with or take a fledgling, I adore my wife more than anyone could know, but we have our freedoms and our long lives would get very monotonous if we couldn't experience others."

Vincent sat forward in his seat and started gathering up the papers he'd been looking over, once everything was tucked away neatly, he stood and headed towards the bedroom.

"Don't judge me until you try it, Adam," he called over his shoulder, "and try it soon, before you do something regrettable."