Rules Are Meant to Be Broken Read online

  He felt torn. Was he doing the right thing by coming

  here? He wondered if his parents were stil trying to find

  him or whether they had given up hope. His biggest regret

  in al of this was the pain his family had to endure, and how

  his sister would never get to know him as the man he would

  have become. So many wakeful nights he had sat outside

  his family home and watched over them.

  His thoughts were interrupted as Christian entered the

  kitchen. Once again he was dressed as if he belonged in a

  different era: long sleeves, tie, and a waistcoat, though he

  wore black jeans. Somehow, as strange as it seemed, it

  worked for him. Holy hel , he actual y looked good. And

  strangely kind of hot.

  It was obvious that Christian seemed to be surprised to

  find Michael was the only one here. “Where is everyone?”

  “They’ve already gone out for the night,” Michael said.

  “Without me?” Christian asked in astonishment.

  “You’re going out with me,” Michael said with a shrug.

  “Kerr is sending me out alone?”

  “You won’t be alone, you wil be with me.” Michael

  wondered just what he had let himself in for. A cheeky grin

  formed on his lips at the enthusiasm, and spread across

  Christian’s face. He’s kinda spunky, Michael thought again

  as dimples flashed in Christian’s cheeks. Michael dropped

  his eyes in embarrassment. Thank God Christian couldn’t

  read his thoughts. “Did I mention Doyle wil be going with

  us?” Michael said as he saw Doyle walk up behind

  Christian.

  “Wel I’m ready. Let’s go.” Christian slipped his arms into

  his leather coat as Michael began to rise. “Where are we

  going on our date?”

  Michael closed the door to the house behind them and

  said, “Anywhere you want to go. And it’s not a date.”

  Shrugging, Christian spoke, “Okay, let’s go to the

  Keyhole. It’s where Doyle and I watched you the last night.”

  “Why there?” Michael asked curiously.

  “It was fun. There were so many different kinds of people

  to watch.” Christian shrugged. “You seemed at home

  there.”

  “Not at home,” Michael said truthful y. “I was there

  because I blended in. No one there knew me.”

  Doyle spoke softly at his other side. “You mean no one

  there knew what you are?”

  Michael didn’t say anything. He knew Doyle was

  probably right. He didn’t want anyone from his past to see

  him and recognise him for what he had become. And this

  was one place he knew he would never run into any of his

  family.

  § § § §

  The Keyhole was a little out-of-the-way nightclub, where

  most of the clientele were outcasts from society. Michael

  realised he now felt right at home among al the misfits he

  had once so readily rejected. They sat in a booth shrouded

  in shadows. Michael closed his eyes and listened to the

  thrum of the living. They sounded so vibrant. How he envied

  them. His thoughts came back to the present when an

  angry voice sounded beside him.

  “I said what are you staring at, boy?” A pissed off drunk

  held Christian by his shirt front. Michael could see Christian

  was getting angrier by the second. Shifting his gaze he saw

  Doyle had frozen as he carried their drinks from the bar and

  watched.

  “Can I help you?” Michael said calmly. He glanced in

  Doyle’s direction shaking his head slightly trying to say

  don’t come over — let me sort this mess out first. Doyle

  nodded and Michael turned his attention back to the

  problem at hand.

  “Your boyfriend here keeps staring at me,” he slurred,

  giving Christian’s shirt a shake.

  “Maybe my boyfriend finds you attractive,” Michael said

  matter-of-factly. His hand drifted out and rested upon the

  one Christian was clenching on the table. Holding it there

  he tried to draw out al of Christian’s frustrations, wil ing him

  not to lose his cool, squeezing gently to help him control the

  shaking. Michael almost sighed out loud in relief as he felt

  Christian start to relax.

  “Then maybe he shouldn’t.” The stranger shoved

  Christian hard in the chest before letting go and stumbling

  away. Blushing, Christian turned his hand underneath

  Michael’s and interlaced their fingers so they were holding

  hands.

  Doyle frowned as he watched Christian turn his hand into

  Michael’s. Something inside him wanted to snatch Michael

  away, but the saner and more rational part of him that kept

  tel ing him he wasn’t gay wouldn’t al ow his body to move.

  The time wasn’t right.

  “What are you doing?” Doyle heard Michael ask as he

  gestured at Christian’s hand.

  “You told him I was your boyfriend, so I’m just playing the

  part, love.” Christian laughed, and Michael didn’t seem to

  know what to do. “This was your idea.” Christian leaned

  over and kissed the corner of his mouth.

  Anger washed over Doyle as he watched Michael freeze

  when the tip of Christian’s tongue caressed his lower lip.

  Moving quickly toward the table, he tried to prevent anything

  further from happening between Christian and Michael.

  Nervous, Michael leaned back and away from Christian.

  “I only told him what I did so he wouldn’t thump you,”

  Michael said softly. “I’m not gay.”

  Christian’s stunned expression gave way to a maniacal

  grin. “Real y?” Christian let go of Michael’s hand. “I’m sorry

  man. I didn’t mean anything by it. I don’t know what

  happened. Al I was doing was watching the crowd. I think

  it’s kind of cool to watch people, they just fascinate me for

  some reason.”

  “And right there is your problem. These days you can’t

  even glance at a person without getting yourself smacked

  in the head.” Michael drained the remains of his glass and

  ordered another from a passing waitress. He was trying to

  ward off his hunger and was failing miserably.

  “Hey, let me ask you something. Do you have to feed

  every night?” Michael wasn’t sure if he real y wanted to

  know the answer, especial y because he was stil trying not

  to think about what he was supposed to do.

  “Nope, just for the first week or so, and then it is probably

  about once every two weeks,” Doyle said as he sat down

  beside Michael again.

  “Yeah the first week is a real kil er.” Christian started

  laughing at his joke. “Kil er — get it?” He shoved Michael

  playful y in the shoulder.

  “I got it.” Michael shook his head in amusement. “You’re

  so fucking funny.” Despite his earlier assumptions, Michael

  found he actual y liked Christian, and knew he wasn’t going

  to thump him. Wel , he probably wasn’t going to thump him.

  And as for Doyle, he would have to think more on that

  because he seemed a little weird.

  “Come on, I’m hungry! Le
t’s get out of here.” Michael

  heard his voice shake as he spoke and wondered if

  Christian heard it as wel .

  As they stood up to leave Christian said, “Ten to one

  odds says you can’t do it.”

  “There’s your wicked sense of humour again,” Michael

  said as they headed outside.

  “I’l do it if you can’t,” Christian said, his voice barely

  above a whisper. “I mean, I’ve already fed you once. This

  time it would be less fun, but it would be easier because

  you could actual y do the biting and drinking yourself.”

  “How… What I mean is, how did you feed me?” Michael

  asked as they started walking.

  “I gave you the kiss of life, love.” Christian winked at him

  and then began explaining exactly how he had helped him

  to feed. He kept talking and Michael was even more

  confused than ever.

  “You kissed me?” Michael stopped and stared at

  Christian.

  “Lots of times. And it wasn’t actual y kissing. More me

  just spitting blood into your mouth.” Christian grinned and

  somehow it made Michael feel uncomfortable. Honestly, he

  didn’t think Christian was tel ing him everything. Michael

  looked over at Doyle expectantly.

  Doyle only shrugged, “I just let you feed from my wrist. No

  spit swapping with us.”

  “Hey you filthy faggots! ”

  Al three of them stopped at the angry voice and spun

  around. They had made it to the inner city parkway and now

  found themselves face to face with the drunk from the club.

  This time he wasn’t alone; he had brought friends along to

  back him up.

  “I’m gonna teach you perverted little cocksuckers a

  lesson. Come on boys; let’s teach these pretty little fuckers

  how to be real men.”

  Drunken laughter fil ed the air as the men began to circle

  them, cal ing out derogatory remarks and trying to

  intimidate al three of them.

  Michael stared at Christian and then Doyle for a moment

  before stepping in front of them. The need to protect

  Christian and Doyle came without warning. Growling low in

  his throat, he felt something tear free deep inside.

  Something he never knew existed, but was glad it was

  there now. The drunk reminded him of his cousin Jeffery

  and it freaked him out a little. Okay it may have freaked him

  out a lot but now was not the time to let the fear rule him.

  Now he had a more pressing matter to face.

  Tensing, Michael got ready to spring at the first sign of

  trouble. Christian and Doyle growled from behind him and

  Michael felt hands press lightly to the smal of his back in

  reassurance. The touches ran through the whole of

  Michael’s body, and he final y felt right with what he had

  become.

  It seemed to take a lifetime before they made a move,

  but then it was over in a second. Michael stood with his lips

  pressed to the throat of the night club drunk while the others

  turned tail and ran.

  “Wow,” Doyle said to Christian, “I didn’t think he would

  be able to do it.”

  He watched, fascinated, as Christian wiped the blood off

  his lips. One of the drunks had gotten a lucky punch in. The

  drunk’s so-cal ed friends had taken off pretty fast when they

  realised their intended prey was wil ing to fight back. Doyle

  turned his attention to Michael as he let go of the stranger

  and gently laid him under a tree. Michael checked to see if

  the man stil lived.

  “You gonna leave him alive?” Doyle asked.

  Standing up, Michael moved to Christian’s side. Doyle,

  Michael, and Christian al watched the guy curiously. If

  leaving the guy alive worked, then at least this way there

  would be less of a body count. But Kerr was not going to be

  pleased, though not much pleased Kerr of late. “Holy fuck!”

  Doyle’s eyes widened as his bite mark slowly healed itself,

  leaving behind the faintest trace of what had occurred.

  “Oh My God!” Christian said as he leaned against

  Michael’s side as they watched in utter shock. “How did you

  know the bite would disappear?”

  Michael shook his head, “I didn’t. I just didn’t want to kil

  anyone.”

  Doyle was just as surprised himself — even he had

  never seen that happen before. Usual y when the people

  they fed on died, they stayed dead and sometimes wild

  dog stories would crop up when a body was found. Though,

  to be total y honest, mostly they just weren’t found. “I’ve

  never seen the bite disappear before.”

  “With any luck he wil wake up and not remember a

  thing.” Michael said as he stepped away from Christian.

  “Are you ready to head home or do you guys need to

  feed?”

  Michael looked as if his stomach was doing

  somersaults. But it didn’t stop him from reaching out a

  finger and wiping Christian’s bloodied lip and putting it into

  his mouth.

  “No sense in wasting it.”

  Again, anger washed over him when Christian’s eyes

  popped wide as he did it. Strangely Doyle felt a little

  jealous. He didn’t appreciate the feeling one bit.

  “We fed last night.” Doyle could hear the tenseness in his

  own voice.

  They walked in silence for a while, and then Christian

  suddenly burst out, “We are never going to find the creator

  anyway. Kerr and Charm wil realise this one day.”

  Wondering what had brought on this little outburst, Doyle

  listened on. Christian was getting stranger and stranger

  with each passing day. Shaking his head, he walked along

  and kept listening to the conversation.

  “Don’t you want to know where you came from?” Michael

  asked quietly.

  “I know where I came from. Wel , I remember where I was

  yesterday and last week, the rest doesn’t real y interest me

  anymore. It is the past, and is better left forgotten,” Christian

  said in a nonchalant way. “And I figure I’l know where I’m

  going as soon as I get there. What’s the use in worrying

  about it? It’s not like it wil change anything. It just isn’t worth

  it.” He shrugged his shoulders and moved slightly closer to

  Michael as if seeking comfort or reassurance as they

  walked. This time, Doyle noticed Michael didn’t move

  away.

  They walked along in silence for a few minutes before

  Michael spoke. “You seem to have everything figured out.”

  Doyle wondered just what made Christian tick. One

  minute he was this awestruck kid and the next he was

  talking words of wisdom. Maybe he was schizophrenic?

  Nah, that didn’t seem right. Michael looked over at him and

  Doyle turned away until Michael’s attention was back on

  Christian.

  Clenching his fists, Doyle watched as Christian turned

  and smiled at Michael. Doyle heard Michael’s breath catch

  in his throat, and Doyle almost stumbled. This seemed so

  weird to him but for the life of him, he didn’t know why. Why
<
br />   the hel was he feeling this way? It made him want to

  respond in ways he would normal y reject. He wasn’t gay!

  He shouldn’t find Michael attractive. Man, would this make

  Charm laugh her arse off. Despite their closeness to him,

  Doyle tried to ignore Michael and Christian as they walked,

  but it never worked, he was ever conscious of the fact

  Michael and Christian’s hands were nearly close enough to

  touch. His thoughts shamed him. Al it would take was for

  one of them to stretch their fingers out for them to make

  contact. Doyle thought Christian was probably gay, and

  wondered if Michael was as wel . Michael and Christian’s

  hands bumped against each other’s and Doyle saw

  Michael’s whole body shiver.

  “You know, if you want to hold hands you only have to

  ask, love.” Christian chuckled as Michael jumped away and

  shoved his hands into his pockets. Doyle mumbled to

  himself while hoping they wouldn’t.

  Uncomfortable as it was, Doyle listened as they went

  back to their earlier conversation.

  “I could make myself insane trying to work it al out and

  end up crazier than Charm. I love her to death, but man, that

  lady has got a screw loose. And they think I have

  problems.” Doyle bit his lip to stop himself from laughing at

  how much Christian was babbling, while Michael seemed

  to be doing his best to fol ow along.

  “Busted.” Doyle blushed furiously as Michael glanced

  over at him and winked. Michael laughed, ending with a

  crooked smile which only made him blush more. Damn it,

  he so needed to get away from these two — especial y

  Michael. He hated how his body and mind reacted

  whenever they were near each other.

  § § § §

  They were the first ones home. Without saying goodbye,

  Doyle headed straight to his room and Michael watched

  him go until Christian flicked on the TV as he passed it. The

  theme for Buffy came on, and they both burst out laughing

  both col apsing onto the couch.

  “Do you think they would have given us a job? I mean if

  we were in America when they were making this show.”

  Michael wiped the tears out of his eyes.

  The theme music ended and Christian whistled softly as

  he watched Buffy kicking vampire butt. “Man, if being a

  vampire was as easy as they make it out to be then I

  wouldn’t mind being chased by a slayer. Especial y if she