Synergy

Chapter Eleven

Equinox moaned in twilight sleep delirium.

He was only awake enough to know he'd been dreaming. He'd dreamed of Bay sucking him off--or he was about to anyway. He'd never dreamed of Bay doing that before. He'd dreamed many times he'd preformed sexual activities to Bay, but never that Bay had been the one in the lead.

And what had he dreamed before that rendezvous under the ash tree? That had been more like reliving a memory then just a dream.

Fuck if he could remember it. All he could pay attention to right now was the throbbing ache in his groin. He'd awaken with a hard-on before, but this was ridiculous.

He needed to get rid of it. Now.

Equinox took hold of himself and flinched. It wasn't going to take much he could see. After a few tugs he burst. Random visions of Bay flashed through his mind as he released.

When finished, Equinox rolled over and buried his face in the pillow next to him. The ache in his groin was quelled, but the ache in his heart had only deepened.

He remembered last night--that fucking hell Shade fight. The Common Room.

Bay didn't even look questioning or put-off when Equinox'd pet him. Bay'd just given right in, doing his own petting. Equinox shook his head. He needed to get up. Only Goddess knew what the fucking time was.

He dragged his ass out of bed and went straight to the bathroom. He obviously needed a shower. Maybe the warm water would clear his mind.

Equinox stood under the showerhead, the water rained down balmy and dense like a tropical rainforest. It ran over the divots in-between Equinox's shoulders, easing the stiffness of last night's battle.

At first the steam eased and cleared his mind, but as his thoughts relaxed he remembered what he'd dreamed before the erotic moment under the ash tree.

A memory. He'd dreamed a real memory.

He was seventeen, his father yelling at him, insulting Bay, shitting on Equinox's feelings toward the Irish warlock. Equinox leaned forward, pressing the palms of his long, slender hands on the dripping marble of the shower wall. The shower spray pelted his back as his ire rose.

The memory was so real and deep Equinox found himself getting mad all over again. He took a breath of steamy, moist air. He pushed the anger down.

That had that been what? Over twenty years ago? No use getting pissed over past drama. Equinox grabbed his mint and patchouli shampoo off the shower stand. Squeezing a large glob of the liquid soap in his hands, he took his melancholy irritation out on his scalp.

The thick heels of Equinox's boots fell heavily on the wood floor as he enter the room for some breakfast, the sound echoed slightly through the dining room. Only one vampire, an one-hundred and eighty year old Welshman named John, was left in the dining room. Of course, just like all his vampire brethren, he didn't look a day over twenty-eight.

John was standing up from his chair as Equinox's steps were softened by the rug. John laid his folded napkin in his plate, a sign of elite vampiric breeding. John walked passed Equinox, a gentle hand landed on Equinox's broad shoulder.

"I wasn't there last night, but I want to thank you. Because my daughter was." John made firm eye contact with Equinox. His stare was that of a relieved father who'd already imagined the could-haves of last night's outcome.

Equinox gave John's arm a reassuring squeeze, and simply nodded in acknowledgement. John didn't speak any further, only let his hand slid from Equinox's shoulder and strode out of the room with a sure, sophisticated gait.