Author: Merula

This is a fusion of GW with a series of books by Christine Feehan called the Dark Series.

Dark Bond + Part Three

Duo awoke first, feeling safe in the embrace of earth- and Heero, he realized, somewhat mortified. He opened the earth above him and made to move out of Heero's arms.

"You aren't going to kiss me good morning?"

Duo glared at the man next to him. "Your kisses are never just kisses." He shrugged off Heero's arms and arose, cleaning himself with a thought, tucking his hair back in a tidy braid.

Heero chuckled and joined Duo, smoothing a few random hairs that Duo missed into place. He also cleaned off the dirt and simply shook his hair into place. "Never just kisses? What does that mean?"

Duo rolled his eyes and transported himself into the bedchamber above, Heero right behind him. "I mean I can't think clearly when you kiss me..." He turned his back on Heero and headed for the door.

"All the better." Heero slipped his arms around Duo's waist, tugging the other back into his arms, nuzzling against his neck. "When you aren't thinking, your heart is able to act..."

Duo could feel the warmth rising off of Heero, could feel the answering pull in himself, but his hunger was stirring- and with it, the dark beast inside his soul. It was stronger now... hungrier than he expected...

Heero's arms tightened around him, the hunger in his lifebonded frightening him. "Duo- how long since last you fed?"

"Last night- off of you..." Duo tried, but Heero frowned.

"That wasn't anything- how long before that?" Heero turned Duo around to face him. His hands stroked Duo's face, his thoughts reached out to Duo's mind, helping soothe the beast the best he could.

Duo looked down. "I don't know... a few days? Maybe a week?"

And this close to turning- without feeding... Heero closed his eyes. "Why Duo? You know you tempt the darkness..."

"I'd tempt it more if I was feeding... all it would take would be draining some poor soul to their death and I'd be lost. Easier not to feed."

Heero bit his lips. Duo had a point.

"If we completed the bond..." he suggested. If they completed the ritual, then Duo would be safe. The beast would be muzzled.

Duo balked, pulling backwards. "No!"

"Why not?" Heero didn't let go.

"What if we do say the words and they don't work? You'll try and pull me back and I'll still turn! You know only the light in our females chains the beast down! And we're both of the dark! How could you keep me from turning when you fight with your own darkness?"

"I'm your lifemate! I can help you. If you'd just let us complete the ritual..."

The ritual would bind them together tighter than the blood bond. They would never be able to be apart from each other for very long, would be able to draw strength and support each other. The vampire could not take over a Carpathian that was bonded to his lifemate.

"And tie you to a vampire?" Duo snapped.

"I'd only be tied if the lifebond is a real one! And if it is, then there is no way that either of us could slip. We are already stronger Duo! Can't you see that?"

Duo stared at him for a long moment, mind whirling. What do I do? Maybe I should greet the sun- use its light to destroy the beast, keep Heero safe...

"Walk into the sun, and you kill me as well." Duo flinched; he had forgotten that Heero couldn't be closed completely out of his thoughts.

Heero sighed. "Let's continue this after we've eaten and you've had a chance to think. I will go and when I come back- you can feed from me."

"And what if I can't stop?"

"You will. I can stop you." Duo opened his mouth again and Heero kissed him gently. "Duo, please, you know we have a bond. I can prevent you from hurting me. Please if you won't consent to the ritual, at least consent to this. If you turn you could pull me with you... " He was scattering kisses over Duo's lips, his chin, his cheeks...

Duo hadn't thought as far as that. He groaned, mind now whirling with terrible futures... what if Heero went out tonight to feed and got pulled under because of his bond with Duo? Was he death incarnate to everyone he cared about?

"Stop it!" Heero's hands tightened, his kisses grew fiercer. "Damn it! If I thought I could force you to the bond I would if only it would stop this fear of yours. Have faith in me, Duo! Have faith in yourself!"

"All right, tonight I'll feed from you." Duo knew it was safer than any other alternative. Heero pulled away, releasing Duo with a last caress.

"Good. Go find Quatre. Look at the stuff Irea saved. I'll be back soon."

Duo frowned at the tone of command in Heero's voice, but saw the logic. Quatre was a hunter too- of a different sort- but he could deal with Duo... if only long enough to get away.

"All right."

"Thank you beloved. I'll be back very soon. The wards are all up- there have been no disturbances yet...Open the window for me?" Heero called up his owl shape as Duo opened the window.

"Be careful."

"Always." The owl circled his head and vanished out the window.

Duo turned and headed down the stairs. Heero had called him 'beloved'... impossible; they might be bonded, but love? They had just met last night. That proved that Heero tended to rush into things... he'd have to make sure to keep an eye on the other if the wards were tested again. He hadn't thought the Perfect Hunter would be impetuous...

"Only where you are concerned, love." Heero sounded amused and Duo flushed. Damn, he had forgotten again. He was used to being able to hide his thoughts from the others.

"Focus on your food..." Duo snapped back. "You should be starving."

"You do make me very hungry," Heero agreed. Duo rolled his eyes.

"Be serious..."

"I've been serious for a very long time. Allow me to enjoy the things I have recovered thanks to you." A mental caress. "Admit it, you feel joy in these things too."

"You know I do." Duo huffed. "Can't hide anything from you..."

"No, you can't." The amused tone was back. Then Duo felt Heero's attention shift as he spotted a potential meal. "Looks like I'll be home very soon..."

"Good." The feeling of Heero's presence receded a bit as he turned his attention to the job at hand. Duo walked into the kitchen, smiling at Quatre and the blonde woman sitting at the kitchen table. "Good evening."

"Good evening Duo." Quatre smiled. "This is my sister Irea."

"A pleasure to meet you Duo." Irea's grip was firm and strong. She pressed his hand for a moment. She had the same blue eyes as her brother and similar features- even the smile was the same, Duo thought. They both looked nice on the surface, but there was a hint of something wild underneath.

"Heero is out- he'll be back soon. He wanted me to look at the papers?"

"Of course." Irea got to her feet and pulled open a drawer. She reached inside and produced a handful of clippings that she started to spread on the table.

Duo leaned over to look- bodies found... blood missing... odd wounds... There was no pattern to the victims- young and old, rich and poor, male and female. The vampire was striking carelessly.

"We'll have to go looking for him... these kills are scattered over the city- and there's several in a night." Quatre said, shaking his head. "He's already killed 8, and he's been here only a few nights."

"Once Heero gets back we'll go for a look..." Duo started.

A ringing along his nerves made him stop. The other two froze, heads lifted, nostrils flaring.

"The wards!" The three of them turned and ran for the door. Duo was vaguely aware of the other two shifting beside him, their bodies lengthening as they ran, sprouting hair...

But the beast was rising in him, and it was taking all his energy not to fall completely to it, even as he welcomed the hunger. He would need it.

"Duo!" Heero's voice rang urgently in his head.

"He's here!" Duo sent back, trying to send reassurance as well. He knew Heero could feel his control slipping. With effort he blocked the other the best he could from his mind- not completely, he couldn't, but enough so that hopefully Heero wouldn't be endangered.

He felt a wave of anger and frustration wash over him from Heero as he closed himself off.

The vampire stood on the edge of the property, his face and form mostly hidden in the shadows, but the body in his hands was illuminated by the moonlight. It dangled, limp and dead in the vampire's arms.

Duo realized the vampire meant to leave it here, to implicate Heero, to set human hunters on him if possible.

Anger rose up inside him at the thought of someone daring to harm Heero. The anger fed the beast inside him and it rose higher, turning his gaze red, hooking his hands into claws, sending the bloodlust spiraling through his veins.

"Duo! NO! Wait for me!" Heero's plea was faint, but his desperation had pushed it through the blocks Duo had set in place. Duo paused for a moment, sanity trying to regain a foothold.

Quatre and Irea sprang past Duo, right for the vampire, no longer human, but two jackals, golden coats glowing in the moonlight, teeth bared as they leapt for the vampire.

He threw the corpse at them and sprang into the air, flying high to escape their teeth. They snarled in frustration.

The sight of the vampire trying to flee banished Duo's sanity. He was not going to escape! He was prey! He would die! Duo went after him, following him up into the clouds, intent on killing the other.

The vampire turned, fangs bared, swiping out with claws spread, intent on slicing Duo's heart out of his chest. Duo dodged, growling.

Eyes glared at him, red-rimmed and angry, furious and hungry-

And familiar... even through the beast's control. Duo paused for a moment, confusion warring with the beast.

The vampire lunged at him; mouth wide, intending to place his teeth in Duo's neck. That banished Duo's confusion, and he bared his fangs in response.

The urge to kill, to rend, to drain, to drink- pulling together, dragging him to the darkness. So easy to fall into it now...

A blur swooped between them, sending the vampire spinning away, and Heero was there, arms wrapping around Duo from behind.

Duo struggled in Heero's grasp, turning to attack the one that held him away from his prey who was now fleeing into the clouds, and found a neck freely offered.

He sank his fangs in, drinking deeply, not noticing that they were headed towards the ground, focused only on feeding.

Heero managed to maintain enough control to get them safely down. Once on the ground, Heero tried to pull away a little from the beast that held him fast.

"Duo... Duo... please beloved... come back to me...."

Duo growled, knocking Heero flat, pinning him to the ground, drinking still. Heero could feel himself growing weaker.

"Duo..."

Then he realized what he was doing wrong. Instead of struggling, he relaxed, wrapping his legs around Duo's waist, pulling Duo closer to him, tilting his head back more. Duo's grip eased, and Heero managed to get his arms free. He wrapped them around Duo; letting his fingers slide down Duo's back, bury themselves in Duo's hair.

"Duo, come back, I need you..."

He felt the beast recede a little..."That's it beloved... I'm here."

Duo recognized the touch of his lifemate and relaxed against him for a moment before he fully realized what had happened. "Oh no..." He let go of Heero's throat; let his tongue stroke over the wound, using his healing saliva to close it. He could feel how Heero trembled in his arms- his lifemate was nearly drained and it was his fault! "Heero...I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Duo tried to pull away, but Heero held him close.

"It's all right..."

"I... I was draining you... I almost..." Duo choked at the thought. "I told you!" He had warned Heero this would happen- why hadn't he listened?

"And I told you that I would be able to stop you. And I did." That made Duo pause, confusion worming in beside guilt. Taking advantage of the sudden lack of fight in his lifemate, Heero got to his feet, bringing Duo with him. A slight movement made him look to his right. The jackals sat there, eyes bright in the moonlight, panting. One of them shifted, standing upright, a hair coat turning into smooth skin... and Quatre smiled, his teeth still too pointed for comfort.

"Are the two of you okay?" Duo swallowed, realizing that Quatre wasn't smiling. He was showing his teeth on purpose...

"We're fine." Heero frowned at him and Quatre closed his mouth. "You and Irea?"

"Fine. What do you want us to do with the body?"

Heero swore under his breath. He had almost forgotten the poor soul that the vampire had been planning to leave on his property.

"Should we burn him?" Heero wondered.

"I don't think so." Quatre shook his head. "He was someone's family member. They need to know that he won't be coming home..."

"We'll have to move the body then..."

"Easy enough." Quatre nodded. "Irea and I can do it. Where?"

"By one of the other sites- the wharf maybe?" Duo spoke up, his voice soft. "I can take it."

"Better if we do it." Quatre met Duo's eyes with a faint snarl. "You need to help your lifemate." Quatre shifted back into his jackal form and he and Irea bounded off into the darkness.

Duo turned to look at Heero, his expression guilty and haunted. "You need to feed..." Duo's hand hovered by Heero's cheek as if he was afraid to touch. "You're in bad shape."

"You have plenty, won't you share?" Heero asked. He had no intention of leaving Duo alone again. Not with the bond between them incomplete. "Let's go inside. Our friend is long gone for the moment, I hope. I think we'll have to go find him next time."

Duo nodded, allowing Heero to take him back to the house. He didn't struggle against Heero's grip, said nothing at all when Heero took him into his study and closed the door behind them despite the other's gentle prodding to talk to him.

He didn't know what to do. He still couldn't truly believe that the lifebond would last- but Heero had brought him back, so it had to be a strong one. But maybe the blood bond had done it? But no one he'd ever heard of had accomplished such a thing with the blood bond alone. It had to be the lifebond.

Would the lifebond between them last? Could he trust it?

But worse- could Heero trust him again? He'd hurt Heero, come close to killing him... the thought made him sick. He never wanted to hurt Heero. He'd nearly repeated his father's crime...

"Duo?" The lack of response was worrying Heero. Duo was feeling guilty, and he shouldn't... but maybe that might work to Heero's advantage. He squashed the thought before Duo could sense it. "Duo, beloved, please talk to me. You're frightening me." That got a reaction, the sense of guilt sharply increased, nearly swamping Heero in the emotion. He gasped and Duo pulled away from him, fleeing across the room.

"I'm so sorry Heero! I told you it wasn't safe! But..." Heero's arms caught him around the waist, pulled him back against Heero's chest.

"I brought you back. You came back to me. Doesn't that prove our bond is a true one?" Heero's hands slid under Duo's shirt, his mouth found the curve of Duo's neck. He let his mouth taste the curve, bit slightly down, making Duo shiver in his arms.

"I... oh..." Heero's mind began to send suggestive images, began to tease Duo with tiny fleeting touches all over his skin, his hands moving in constant teasing caresses.

"I'm hungry. Will you feed me, beloved? I'll make it worth your while..." Heero's teeth scraped Duo's neck gently, sending more sensations dancing over his skin. "I'll pay you however you like afterwards..."

"I took more than I needed- I nearly killed you! Take whatever you want..." Duo tilted his neck to give Heero better access.

"Take whatever I want?" Heero bit down gently, beginning to drink, sending one of his hands up Duo's chest to hold him in place. The other dipped lower, caressing Duo's stomach, then sliding under his waistband. "I don't think you want to tell me that now..."

He lifted his mouth from Duo's shoulder. Against Duo's ear, in the ancient language, he intoned the first line of the lifebonded ritual: "I claim you as my lifemate..."

"Heero!" Duo protested, even as a part of him doubted. Hadn't Heero proved their bond?

"I want you. Don't offer me that lightly." Heero's teeth returned to Duo's neck, pressed down sharply.

"I'm sorry..." Duo managed. Heero tugged him backward a few steps, stopped when his legs touched the large desk in the corner of the room.

Heero released him for a brief moment, turning Duo around in his arms before pulling him close again. This time, he simply kissed his lifemate gently. "Duo, this is hard for me. I want to take you. Force the ritual on you and keep you safe." Duo frowned and tried to pull away. Heero sighed, hopped up on the desk and wrapped his legs around Duo's waist, pinning him in place. "I didn't say I was going to do it. If it was me- if I was that close to the dark, what would you do?"

Duo frowned, tried to imagine it. Heero pulled him closer until his forehead rested against Duo's. "Look:"

And Duo saw it. Saw Heero chase the vampire into the sky, saw his lifebonded snarl as the beast slipped free, felt the tear in his own heart as the other half began to pull away from him. He watched Heero's fangs and claws lengthen, saw the sanity vanish, saw the darkness take over completely, erasing the man he knew. He used the remnants of the bond to try and pull Heero back, but it was incomplete, not enough to save his love and all he could feel was the agony of the bond rebounding on itself. He chased Heero into the sky, only managing to turn the beast on himself, felt the fangs bite deep into his throat, felt his life begin to drain away as his lifebonded tried to kill him... and he tried to reach out, tried to bring the beast back under control... and felt Heero's underlying agony and despair that he couldn't stop himself from killing his lifebonded even as the beast tore out his throat...

The vision released him, and he found himself in Heero's dual embrace of arms and legs, held close and secure. Without thinking, happy only to have his lifebonded whole and healthy in his arms, the terrible vision still before his eyes, he reached out and pulled Heero's mouth to his, felt it relax and open as he claimed it.

Heero was his. He wasn't going to let him go so easily. He moved his hands over Heero's skin, banished the cloth between them, reveled in the slide of warm skin against warm skin...

Heero was not as warm as he should be though. He was still weakened... Duo reached up to his chest, slicing a small line above his right nipple, guiding Heero's mouth to it, closing his eyes as Heero took his offering, letting himself be pulled closer into Heero's embrace, enjoying the feeling of his lifemate's warm mouth on his skin.

Heero drank quickly, letting his tongue slide over Duo's chest, closing the wound. Then he lay back on the desk, eyes half closed, legs still wrapped around Duo's hips, clothing gone...

"I want you..." And the images he sent made Duo's blood burn. "Take me."

Duo placed his hand between Heero's legs, stroked the opening there gently, made Heero moan and twist. "I don't want to hurt you..." But he didn't want to stop either.

He dropped to his knees next to the desk, and as one of his hands stroked Heero, he used his tongue and other fingers to the best advantage, preparing Heero for him, reveling in the noises his lifemate made...

"I'm ready... please Duo! Now!"

Duo couldn't refuse him. He rose to his feet. Heero was spread out on the desk, eyes half closed, his lower lip caught in his teeth, legs spread open- and so very hard. Duo wrapped his fingers around Heero's cock, caressing gently as he pushed into his lifemate. Heero's legs wrapped around him again, urging him on.

Then it was all sensation, Heero's skin smooth beneath his fingers, his moans in his ears, his voice pleading in Duo's mind...

Words rose to Duo's lips, ancient and familiar, words that wanted to be said. Words that would make his lifemate his and his alone...

But he bit down on them, forced them back, even as Heero arched underneath him, even as pleasure coursed through his own body.

Duo leaned over Heero, panting and sweating and sticky. Heero lay still on the desk, eyes closed, legs still holding Duo in place.

Heero felt a twinge of disappointment. So close... Duo had nearly completed the ritual... why was he still holding back?

And then he was sitting up, pushing Duo back as the alarms on the wards shrilled along his nerves.

This was not good. He cleaned and clothed himself with a thought before rushing outside, Duo behind him.

A howl echoed over the lawn. The jackals were at the gate- one of them lying motionless on the grass, coat bloodied, the other standing over their sibling, howling ferociously at the sky.

[part 2] [part 4] [back to Merula's fic]