Coming of Age

Chapter 9

Seconds later, they were back at the old warehouse Dan was when he first met the vampires. They walked through the place and tapped a brick then slid the heavy concrete wall to the side. Once the heavy door opened, he was carried down a staircase and a damp hall, then arrived at a large door walking into the mansion where Dan met Phil for the first time. He felt thankful that their nest was so hidden, but didn’t have much time to think about that as his body convulsed in pain. It hurt to breathe—hurt to think. Abraham took Dan into a small room off to the side and began working on him as if he were a doctor attending to a patient.

“This is going to hurt, but not by much compared to what you’re feeling now,” Abraham warned as he threaded a needle.

Dan arched his back wanting to cry out in pain, but he couldn’t make a noise. He felt the needle pierce the skin of his neck again and again as Abraham sewed him back up to stop the bleeding. Dan clenched his teeth together not caring about the tears that flowed freely from his eyes—they didn’t even numb him. He felt his eyes trying to roll into the back of his head, no longer wanting to be conscious but Dan wouldn’t allow himself to go under. Not this time.

“Dan! Oh, my Dan. Is he going to be okay?” Phil demanded.

Phil looked more pale than usual and seemed a bit clumsy as if he were drunk, but was alright for the most part. He stared at the dried up blood on Dan’s chest and swallowed hard, like he was trying to swallow reality.

“If you’re not going to lie down, at least keep a pack on you to drink!” an angry Julian demanded, shoving a bag of blood into Phil’s hands as Dan’s eyes tried to focus on Phil.

“Dan doesn’t like when I drink in front of him. Isn’t that right, Dan? I promised I wouldn’t until you’re comfortable. Remember that?” Phil asked hurriedly, brushing Dan’s hair back seeming as if he were to start crying.

Dan nodded reaching out for Phil’s hand which he took and held to his chest. He breathed labored breaths but felt just a little bit better that Phil was with him now. It means Phil isn’t dead and he was safe. You’re always going to be safe with me, just like I’m always going to be safe with you.

“Abraham, is he going to be alright?” Phil asked gently, trying to sound calm for Dan.

“It’s a matter of time now, Philip, I’ve done all I can. We are going to have to wait and see,” he replied admiring his handiwork on Dan’s stitching. “Clean the blood off him. He’s going to allure too many hungry vamps from our clan.”

Phil nodded and walked over to the sink grabbing a rag and soaked it with warm water. He walked back over to Dan carefully wiping around his neck and down his chest.

“You are so beautiful, Dan,” Phil whispered as he cleaned him. “I’m so sorry this happened. We’re going to hook you up to some blood and saline and you’re going to be okay, alright? We’re going to take care of you. Don’t give up on me now.”

“You must feed, Philip,” Abraham ordered.

“I can’t. Not now,” Phil replied shaking his head as he tended to Dan, much less concerned about himself.

“You’ll be useless to him if you don’t. You’re not at your top strength; I doubt you can even lift the boy.”

“I will. I just can’t right now. I must stay with him. Look at how terrified he is!”

“Imagine how terrified he’s going to be when he sees that you can barely hold yourself up, let alone him,” Abraham replied, taking on a kinder tone picking up the blood bag Julian gave him earlier. “I can hook your Daniel up to a saline drip and blood, then you can join him in your shared room.”

“I won’t leave him,” Phil replied looking into Dan’s eyes wishing he could do something about the pain.

Dan’s breathing was still heavy and shallow. He could barely swallow because of the intense pain coming from his neck and spreading throughout the rest of his body. He wanted to close his eyes and just sleep, but he couldn’t even imagine drifting off into a peaceful slumber in this state unless…

Dan moaned trying to get Phil’s attention, trying to form the word with his lips before actually saying it.

“Sl-leep-p,” Dan pushed hoping Phil could understand him.

There’s no way he could try that again. He arched his back up again in pain, balling his hands into tight fists making the veins in his arm pop out as he let out a low groan of pain.

“Oh shh, don’t speak. Don’t hurt yourself,” Phil begged kissing Dan’s forehead. “Abraham, can I relax him? Or put him to sleep? He’s in so much pain from improper bonding…I just can’t take seeing him like this when I know I could help.”

“It’s too risky, Philip. He may not wake up from it. His body might believe its dying and he’ll give out on us. There’s a small chance he’ll live if we relax him, but it’s not great enough to try,” Abraham replied glancing sadly at Dan. “I truly am sorry. I don’t wish to see him in discomfort either, but there’s nothing we can do. The best thing you can do to help him is feed and get your strength back.”

“I’m so sorry, Dan,” Phil whispered into his hair, kissing the top of his head..

“I’ll hook him up and take him to your room,” Abraham promised handing Phil his blood bag. “Now feed.”

***

About an hour later, Dan was laying on the large bed in Phil’s room with two needles coming from his arm—one supplying saline for hydration and the other blood to keep him alive. He had padded stickers on his chest hooked up to wires and attached to an EKG machine monitoring his slow heartbeats. Phil hadn’t left his side once since he fed now feeling much stronger and able to protect Dan from anything. He dressed Dan in a pair of pajama pants knowing that he’d be more comfortable if he was clothed but couldn’t put a shirt on him due to the electro-pads. Phil sat behind Dan, holding him in his arms and listening to him grunt and cry in pain. He kissed the side of Dan’s head every so often to remind him that through the pain he was still there. Dan’s head lay on Phil’s shoulder comfortably, but his breathing hadn’t gotten any lighter.

“I’m so sorry Dan, it’s all my fault. I never should have brought you back home. I was just so selfish—I couldn’t stand the thought of you hating me, so I thought bringing you home for a little while would make you happy and despise me less,” Phil explained wishing more and more he would have just talked it out with Dan. “I thought you could grow to love me if I gave you space, but it was stupid of me to put you in danger like that. I watched you so closely—making sure no one touched you, but they ambushed us at the house. We were able to take them down, but by the time we did, Carmella and Ruse had taken you.”

Dan made a noise letting Phil know he understood, but he wasn’t finished. He had to tell him everything.

“The vamps we took down by your house…they were just a distraction. Just meant to slow us down so that Carmella and Ruse could have time to take you and change you, making you part of their clan. But because you didn’t want the change, your body didn’t submit making it painful. That’s why we wait. We don’t ever want to hurt our mates but those…those monsters don’t care,” Phil looked sadly at Dan’s neck hating that there needed to be stitching there. “I should have protected you. I promised I would keep you safe. I’m so sorry, Dan. I really am. I’m so sorry. I never wanted to see you hurt. I love you so much.”