When an angry shadow fell across the bed, Kriss froze then slowly turned his head and looked up into Dean’s accusing silver gaze. He knew he’d crossed the line from friendship into danger upon seeing that expression on his lover’s face.
He’d left with Dean that night, determined that he would not commit the same sins as his father. He felt himself throb again at the memory. Until he got the emotion under control, he knew Dean was right… he had to stay away from Tabatha.
As a further precaution, he’d quit his job at Silk Stalkings just in case she went looking for him there. He’d done everything he could to make sure Tabatha was kept as far away as possible from him, but the separation hurt him like nothing he’d ever felt. When a fallen loved someone… it was a step past what a human called love and the madness that the emotion often caused within humans when they couldn’t have the one they loved was tenfold when compared to the reaction it caused within a fallen.
Kriss once again jerked on the bindings that secured one wrist… he’d hated Dean for restraining him. However, Kriss understood what had almost happened. If he had given into his lust… the pain of losing Dean and killing Tabatha at the same time would’ve destroyed his mind.
He closed his eyes when a cool breeze drifted through the open terrace doors and over his nude body. Although the restraints allowed him movement throughout the huge apartment, he’d laid down hours ago but couldn’t sleep and the tumbled mess of covers on the floor was testament to that. Kriss was now lying on his belly with one knee bent against the mattress and the other leg was covered over with the very edge of the sheet.
Another breeze blew through the room bringing with it a familiar scent. Kriss opened his eyes, watching the shadows of the gauzy curtains against the wall in front of him. When a winged shadow joined them, Kriss remained silent and expectant.
Dean had been on the roof, giving his demons prey and an elusive fallen hybrid a rest for the night. Dropping down from the roof of the building to the terrace below, he stood in the open doorway watching Kriss. The white sheet had been kicked aside, exposing his nude body to the glow of moonlight shining in. Dean felt the loneliness Kriss held in his heart and knew staying away from Tabatha long enough would be the only cure for such pain.
His gaze trailed across the supernatural binding that kept Kriss from leaving the apartment during his absence. He didn’t want to hurt Kriss in such a manner, but he could feel Kriss' love for Tabatha growing every day. He’d reminded Kriss that to sleep with a woman from this world would be the same as killing her and he hadn’t lied… the seed of a fallen would take root even in an infertile woman. It would heal the infertility in order to create life if it had to… but that life would kill the female who bore it.
Dean had told Kriss the truth of his own sins… the one sure way to keep Kriss from being with Tabatha. When he’d first been sent to this world he’d become entranced with a young girl around the same age as Tabatha. He’d spent too much time with her and one thing had led to another… he’d fallen in love with a human female.
Thinking the curse would not follow him… thinking with as much as he loved her that they would have a fallen child, he’d given into to his lust. She’d encouraged it because she wanted him just as badly. Making love to her had been heaven but it had only taken hours for the demon to fully form inside her. When she’d awoken him later in the night with her screams, he’d had to kill his own child when it began to eat her from the inside.
Kriss had been deceiving himself… thinking he could sleep with Tabatha night after night without making love to her but Dean knew that was a lie… a dangerous one. Kriss would never be able to live with himself if he signed Tabatha’s death warrant with the seed of his own love.
The fallen craved love, yet had been sent to a world where they could not touch the women… all they had left was each other. Kriss' beauty had always called to Dean, enchanted him even and he knew why… Kriss was royalty among their kind. He never should have been sent back to this place to fight the demons. He silently wondered how long it had taken one of the kings to realize their prince had vanished. Kriss was meant to be pampered, loved, and cherished.
Stepping into the room, Dean moved slowly making sure his shadow remained on the wall so Kriss could see what he was doing clearly and have time to stop it if he chose to.
“The demons are restless within the city tonight… can you feel them?” Dean kept his voice calm not expecting an answer. His lips parted when Kriss' melancholy voice sent a soft echo through the room.
“Let them come.”
Dean pulled the jacket from his shoulders and tossed it onto a chair against the wall. Next came the shirt… he unbuttoned it and let it fall from his shoulders to the floor in a soft pile of cotton. He unbuttoned his pants and slowly lowered the zipper, almost smiling when Kriss' breath caught. Slipping off his shoes and socks, Dean pushed his jeans to the floor and stepped out of them.
Moving toward the bed, Dean gripped one of the canopy posts for a moment to stare down at Kriss before slipping in next to him. Pulling Kriss onto his side, Dean spooned behind him and jerked him close, giving into the jealousy that simmered within his heart.
He knew Kriss' sadness stemmed from his love for Tabatha… he’d felt a premonition of the danger coming the night Tabatha and Kriss had met. That’s why he’d attacked Tabatha in the parking lot of Silk Stalkings. His intention had been to warn her of the threat but Kriss had stopped him, using his body as her shield… using Dean’s obsession against him.
Kriss rolled over onto his back and turned his head to gaze at Dean. They stared at each other for what seemed to be an eternity before Dean swiftly closed the distance between them and brushed his lips sensuously against Kriss'.
When Kriss inhaled sharply, Dean took advantage and deepened the kiss… making it more demanding. He was tired of lying beside Kriss night after night watching him morn for a girl he could never have. If he could, he would just inhale Kriss' pain and replace it with the furious love of the fallen.
Kriss felt the fire start to spread through his veins but his own guilt made him turn his face away, breaking the kiss. He tucked himself into Dean’s arms, wrapping his own arms around Dean’s body before threading their legs together.
Dean stared silently down at the top of Kriss' head and mentally sighed. The fact that Kriss was holding on to him so tightly was the only thing that calmed him. He could feel the sadness ebb a little before it returned. He’d already decided to release Kriss from his bindings with the dawn but in the face of Kriss' rejection, Dean’s eyes glowed and the bindings disappeared.
In an instant Kriss turned and gripped Dean’s wrists, slamming them down into the mattress and holding them there.
Dean stared calmly up into disturbed silver eyes wondering what Kriss would do now that he had the freedom to return to Tabatha. When Kriss simply held him there, Dean lifted his head from the mattress gently brushing his lips across Kriss' collarbone to the arc of his neck. He was rewarded by Kriss' sharp hiss and his release.
Several hours later they lay entwined together as dawn broke. Dean knew, just as Kriss did, that he would be here when Kriss woke in the morning… he would always be here.
*****
Kane walked the city streets trying to clear his head of everything that had happened over the last few weeks. He’d even felt glimpses of his old personality come to the surface several times… mostly around Michael. He had to admit that he loved the guy.
The tight rein he’d kept on his emotions for the last ten years was slipping and he already missed the security the imaginary walls had allowed him. He was sure some well-paid fraud of a psychiatrist would say that was a good thing but he was also sure he could change their minds in record time.
He