Thane, Harry, and Eddy

Part One – When Thane met Harry

Thane looked around at his friends. Jamie and Andrew were sitting cuddled up on one couch, sharing a plate of food. Adam had Ben sitting on his lap in an armchair and Ben was holding their baby, Thomas.

Jackson was sitting on the other couch and was holding Elizabeth, Jamie and Andrew’s daughter, looking every bit the doting grandfather—rather than the hard-faced Senior Elder the community thought of him as.

Casey was the last of the group and was sitting in another arm chair picking at his food and casting occasional glances at Jackson.

Suddenly there was the noise of the front door opening and then a blurred shape came running into the main room and leapt on Thane.

“Did you miss us? I’ve got so much to tell you. You wouldn’t believe the things I saw!” The babbling was coming from a small ginger haired man that was now sitting astride Thane’s lap. In the end Thane stopped his noise with a kiss.

“We have visitors,” he murmured to the man when they broke apart. Turning to the others in the room he looked the amused looks and smiles.

“This is Eddy, one of my mates. As you can see he’s quite excitable.” He laughed when Eddy thumped him.

“That he is, dear,” another voice said from the doorway, “You should have been in the car with him.”

Eddy poked his tongue out at the other man and then hid his face in Thane’s neck.

“And this is my other mate, Harry. Guys, I think you know most people here but just quickly there’s, Andrew, Jamie, Casey and Ben. Adam and Jackson of course have known us for too long to mention.”

“So these are the mates we’ve been hearing about,” said Jamie. “You know Thane you promised to tell us about your life and how you all met.”

“So I did,” Thane agreed. Holding his hand out to Harry the other man joined him and Eddy so they were all squashed into their favorite soft chair.

“So where to start,” Thane mused, “I suppose the best place to start is at the beginning…”

***

The first memory I have is of when I was five years old and my mother had sent me to school. In those days the school was just a one room building in our small farm town run by the pastor’s wife.

Bigotry was rife as well in our town and this was the first time I remember noticing how I was treated differently.

Even at that age I was taller than other kids my age, I was also fairly muscular from helping my father around our farm. I didn’t know then but this was due to my vampire side, my body developed faster, I had advanced hearing and I was stronger.

I remember sitting outside to eat my lunch that first day and I heard some of the kids whispering.

“He’s the one,” one was saying.

“My mum told me to stay away from him,” another said.

“My mum said he isn’t one of US,” from another.

This went on for the whole time I was there, no one wanted to sit near me and if we had to work in groups I was left alone. Even the teacher took no notice of me unless she had to.

As I got older I had to develop a thick skin because children got crueler. I was called freak on a regular basis and what was worse my older brother and sister that I had grown up with joined in. Oh they never let our parents hear them but even my home life got worse year after year.

Then when I was fifteen the worst happened, my parents were killed in a storm. There had been a problem with the weather spell on the island and the resulting wind blew down our barn with my parents in it, they were trying to rescue the horses. They didn’t survive and we had to dig out their bodies.

The next day my brother and his wife came to me and dropped a bombshell on me. Apparently neither of my parents was my biological parents. I had always known I was different and when I’d asked mom why I had to drink blood when no one else did she just told me it was because I was special.

Apparently, my mom had found me floating in a basket in the river and brought me home to raise as her own. My brother had been six at the time and my sister was three. He hadn’t wanted another child around but our mother had been adamant they couldn’t let me die.

He then handed me a very old notebook. “This was given to me when I turned eighteen by mom,” He said, “She told me that when she and dad died I was to give it to you and it would explain everything.”

“Have you read it?” I demanded, afraid that he knew more than he was saying.

“No, I haven’t. It has a spell on it that’s keyed only to you.”

I nodded my thanks, but as I turned to go back into the house he stopped me again.

“You are no longer welcome in this house. We put up with you because mom and dad said we had to. You’re not our blood relation and they are no longer here. We want you out within three days and I would suggest you leave the town too. Mom left some things in a box for you. I’ll make sure you get it before you leave.”

I stared at him for a few moments but I realized he was serious and I no longer had a home there.

***

When I left town I had the notebook and the small box that mom had left me. Otherwise I had the clothes on my back and small bag with some food.

I read the notebook when I stopped to rest. Apparently my parents were both men, one was a witch called Eric and the other a vampire called Keith. They had been living together pretending to be friends who were both widowers that had decided not to remarry.

They lived in a witch community that tolerated Keith because he proved himself to be useful and mostly kept to himself. Eric was the one to mostly go into town for supplies and other things needed for their farm.

When Eric came up pregnant they made sure it was put out he was sick and in isolation. Being a vampire Keith couldn’t get ill so he was the only one able to go near him. He had trouble getting things from town though as the witches had only put up with him because of Eric, when he had to run the errands he was subject to a lot of insults and abuse.

Eric died giving birth to me, they were unable to get the help of a midwife because that would have meant letting someone know not only were they in a mixed mating but they were in a gay one too. Both of these would have meant their deaths and me with them.

The life link meant Keith knew he didn’t have long, he took his diary and wrapped me in blankets then put me and the book in a basket and sent me drifting down the river.

I looked later and found out he had died within a day of me being found by my adoptive mom.

***

I walked for days, finding food where I could and doing odd jobs in exchange for hot food and shelter.

I even found a lonely young man living alone on a farm. His mother had recently died and left him to cope alone. I worked there for a month until he was able to hire reliable workers and he was set up properly. He didn’t want me to go as we had grown very close and had even given each other our virginity. But I knew I couldn’t stay, the workers would realize what our relationship was and then he would be an outcast the same as me. I couldn’t let him go through that, so I left one night while he was asleep.

***

I made my way to the island main town that is now Unison City. Once there I started looking for work. I figured since all the islands species lived there I would be welcomed. But that didn’t happen, I wasn’t a vampire and I wasn’t a witch. Therefore I wasn’t welcomed by either.

A man who called himself Finn found me one day and offered me food and shelter in return for working for him. When I found out what the work was I refused and took to the streets. It only took a week before I was beaten so badly by a group of vampires I had to accept his offer. That started my life as a prostitute, I had just turned sixteen.

Life wasn’t too bad. Once Finn realized I preferred men he found he could charge more for me and would only send me to his highest paying customers. Apparently young boys who would willingly be with another man were few and far between. Especially in a time when gays were looked on as the lowest of the low. Also being part vampire meant the clients didn’t need to be gentle with me like they would have to be with say a full witch. The rest of the workforce was either witches or submissive shifters, so this made me very popular.

I had my regulars and I was treated fairly well, but I was still very lonely. The other workers didn’t like me because I was popular with the rich clients and they soon found out I was strong too. A small group of them tried to get me to leave by ambushing me, it took two weeks for them to heal, I was fine in twenty-four hours.

Then one night I was sent to an inn in the best part of town. The owner knew me and directed me to the room I needed. Inside I did as I had been directed by Finn. I stripped and laid down on the bed to wait for my ‘date’ for the night.

The man that entered from the bathroom was a complete surprise, he was about a foot shorter than my 6 foot, slim and had long black hair. In a word he was beautiful. I knew he was also a vampire so I wasn’t fooled by his size, if he needed to he could hold me down and take whatever he wanted from me. Being only a half vampire I was only half as strong, and I had never really explored my witch half.

He must have liked what he saw because he immediately lost the robe he was wearing and started stalking toward the bed. He grabbed my ankle I assumed to pull me nearer the edge but then dropped it again as though I had burnt him.

“No! You’ve got to be kidding me!” he all but shouted, and before I knew it he had grabbed his robe and flipped the bed covers over me.

I laid there getting worried, if I didn’t bring home the money from this man Finn would give me a good tongue lashing before sending me to bed with no food. If you didn’t earn your money you didn’t eat, simple as that.

“What’s your name?” the man asked, and I really started to worry, we weren’t supposed to give our names out, the clients knew this. But I had a feeling I wouldn’t like the consequences if I lied to him.

“Thane, Sir,” I answered.

“Well Thane, first let me tell you to calm down. I can hear your heart from here and you’re breathing too fast, you’re going to pass out soon if you don’t calm down.”

Watching him carefully I started taking deep breaths until I felt my heart and breathing slow down to a relatively normal pattern. When he was satisfied he nodded and moved to sit by me on the bed. He reached out and touched the side of my face, I felt a sort of static shock at the touch and flinched back. He looked at me like he was searching for something and then sighed.

“You really don’t realize what this means do you?” he asked, sounding a bit sad.

“What, what means, Sir?” I asked, starting to feel confused by his behavior. I had done everything Finn had told me to do, but this man acted as though I had disappointed him.

“Just how old are you?” he asked.

“I turned eighteen three days ago,” I answered honestly, hoping he would tell me where this was going soon. I was getting frustrated when he kept asking me more questions instead of answering mine.

“Eighteen!!” he exclaimed and shoved a hand through his hair.

“Yes eighteen. Look when you hire a whore unless you ask for a specific age you get what you’re sent. I assume like the others you asked for someone you wouldn’t need to be gentle with. I may be young but I am also part vampire, you can be rougher with me than you can my witch co-workers. Now are you going to fuck me or are you just paying me to lie here? Either way my time is money.” I know I sounded rude but the guy wasn’t making any sense and I needed to snap him out of it before I lost the money and my dinner.

“What do you mean part vampire?”

“I’m part vampire and part witch. Now either pay and let me go or fuck me, pay me and let me go.”

“You’re not going anywhere, young one. I assume because you’re so young you haven’t learnt much about vampire ways? What did your parents teach you before you ran away?”

“My parents have been dead since I was born and my adoptive-parents were witches and are also dead, so I have been taught nothing of vampire ways. Hell, I didn’t even know I was adopted till four years ago. Now please if I don’t return with money I won’t eat for a day.”

“You were raised by witches and you’re part witch? Well that explains a bit.” He seemed to look thoughtful. “Well my young mate, the shock you felt means we are true mates and it also means you are staying with me from now on. I will make sure you’re clothed and fed and you will go wherever I go.”

I was already shaking my head, “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

With that I was up and out the door before he could blink. I used my magic to conjure some clothes, a useful spell my mother had taught me, and ran full speed out the inn and into the night.

I ran straight back to Finn and was nearly halfway through telling him what had happened so I could beg to still eat, when the door of the house was knocked off its hinges.

Finn thrust me behind him and faced the man I had left in the inn room.

“Give me the boy or I will kill you.” The guy snarled.

“Harry, you try and take him and he’ll run—again,” Finn told him. “This boy can run faster than any full vampire I’ve ever met. If he runs you won’t catch him and you know you only get one mate. If what he told me said was true.”

The man—Harry—seemed to deflate, and I peeked out from behind Finn to see him watching me warily.

“Yes he’s telling you the truth, Finn,” Harry said before turning to me. “Why did you run?” He asked.

I looked at him in shock. “Why did I run? What the fuck! I just had a strange vampire claim I’m his mate and tell me he is going to kidnap me and keep me with him whether I want to be or not.”

Finn was staring at the Harry and shaking his head. “You are an idiot, Harry. If Thane is your mate why the hell would you say those things to him? You know a mate is a precious thing, someone to be cared for and looked after. Not kidnapped and frightened half to death.”

By the time Finn had finished berating him Harry was hanging his head.

“I didn’t say I was going to kidnap him. He was saying I needed to pay him or he wouldn’t eat for a day. I just said that from now on I would make sure he had food, clothes and a place to stay.”

“You did not say that. You said you would feed and clothe me and I had to go wherever you went. That makes it sound like I didn’t have a choice and that makes it kidnapping. Especially since by vampire law I’m still a minor, I’m well under 25. I may have been raised by witches but I have learnt a bit since leaving my only home and finding this one. Now are either of you going to explain this true mate’s thing to me or am I running again?” I crossed my arms and started tapping my foot.

Finn started to laugh and when Harry glared at him he laughed even harder ‘til tears were running down his face. “You have really got your work cut for you with this one, Harry. He won’t let you walk all over him, and he won’t be at your beck and call either. Now I’ll leave you two to get to know each other. I have a door to get repaired.” Finn stopped after a few steps and looked back at me. “Thane, you can use the main living room.” He then continued towards the back of the house, still chuckling occasionally.

“This way,” I said and led the way to the room Finn had suggested.

Once inside I remembered my manners enough to offer him a drink before sitting in the chair furthest from him.

“You know I don’t bite, well not on a first date anyway,” he joked. But he lost his smile when I just continued to stare at him.

“Look I’m sorry if you took what I said the wrong way, I didn’t mean that I was going to kidnap you. You said you needed money so you could eat. I wanted to reassure you that I could provide for you. That you wouldn’t need to worry or continue letting men do what they wanted with you.” Harry was starting to sound desperate and I decided to take pity on him.

“You do realize that for us to officially mate you would need to somehow register me in a community. The law says that as a vampire I’m a minor but as a witch I’m an adult.

“There are no laws regulating half-breeds. We’re not wanted in any community because we’re not one species or another. I’m not welcomed by witches, and I’m only welcomed by vampires because they can fuck me hard and not have to worry about hurting me.” I shrugged. “After all they pay for my time, what are a few bruises that will heal quickly anyway?”

“We don’t need to register you to mate. What have you been told?” Harry said.

“I was told that all half breeds had to register when they entered a community. I did for the first two towns, and after how I was treated I decided to just pass myself off as a vampire and not bother. When I arrived here I did register, because I thought it would be different. But it wasn’t, and I was harassed by vampires and witches. So I unregistered telling the offices that I was moving on. Finn found me after I had been caught unaware by a group of vampire thugs. He took me in and taught me what I needed to know to survive. The other half breeds here taught me there are no true mates for us. Our biology just doesn’t work that way. Or at least that’s what they said. They told me the best I could expect was to catch the eye of a wealthy client and get taken on as their companion.”

Harry shook his head. “I don’t know about hybrid physiology but I do know about vampires. And I also know beyond any doubt that you are my mate. I have looked for my mate everywhere I’ve traveled since I was twenty five—which was fifty years ago. I’ve never been in a relationship because I didn’t think it was fair to accept someone, knowing I would leave them if I found my mate. I started using prostitutes to relieve tension because I was getting older and older and there didn’t seem to be an end to my search in sight.”

I looked at Harry in shock, this man was over seventy years old? He didn’t look a day over twenty. His clothes reminded me of some rich merchant’s children I had met on my travels. In a nutshell he looked young, rich, and like he didn’t have a care in the world.

On the other hand I was eighteen, and I had seen more things than any teenager should have. I had been thrown out of the only home I had known, I had been beaten and shunned, and then I had been used for men’s pleasure with little, if any, consideration given for mine.

“What are you thinking young one?” Harry asked watching my face.

I shrugged, “I’m thinking that you may have gotten a raw deal.” When Harry frown I explained what I had been thinking about.

Harry was looking angry by the end and I started looking towards the exit again. “No, don’t you even think about leaving. Do you think I care what you’ve had to do to survive? Hell I’ve done things that I’m not proud of and I will probably do more in my long lifetime.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “I’m a con man, I’ve worked my way round the island conning people out of their money, and then disappearing before popping up somewhere else with a different look and name and starting again. I’m good at what I do but I realized a long time ago if I ever found my mate I would need to be able to settle down.

“To that end I’ve put a lot of money by for this day and I’ve even researched the different communities trying to see where would be the best place to settle.”

I listened to what he was saying, and he seemed genuine, but then he did say he was a con man and so he would be used to sounding like that. So I voiced my concerns. “How do I know if you telling me the truth? You’ve just told me you’re a con man.”

Harry smiled. “But that’s the beauty of mates, you can’t lie to each other. Didn’t you feel anything when I touched you?”

I thought back and nodded. “I felt as though I got a static shock.”

Harry nodded frantically and moved to kneel in front of me. “Yes that’s exactly it, except for a full vampire it is a much bigger shock. Here take my hand and see.” He held out his hand and I looked at him suspiciously for a few moments before taking it slowly. As soon as our fingers touched I felt a shock going up my arm, as I tried to pull away Harry tightened his grip and held on. The shock settled into a pulling sensation that made me want to get closer to Harry.

“You feel that don’t you?” Harry asked.

“Fine,” I huffed. “I feel something. So what do we do about it? Because I’m sure not bonding, or mating, or whatever you want to do with me, until I get to know you a hell of a lot better.”

Just as Harry was about to answer Finn burst in to the room.

“Come on you two, we have to get out of here. Someone has reported the house to the guards and they’re heading this way to arrest us. Kavin and Rich are upstairs packing. If there’s anything you want to take with you Thane you need to get it and get out in the next ten minutes.”

With that announcement he ran back out the room and could be heard shouting for the other boys in the house to ensure they got word round town for no one to come home and to head for the safe house on the other side of town. I looked at Harry in panic.

“What am I going to do?”

Harry pulled me into his arms and I felt myself relax a bit. “First things first, do you have things you want to take with you?”

I nodded but held on when he tried to let go of me. “I can get it all down here without moving.”

I muttered a few words and first my suitcase appeared then one by one my clothes and possessions started to fill it. Harry watched with an open mouth as my suitcase filed about halfway before the things stopped appearing.

“That’s everything.” I said pulling slowly out of Harry’s arms.

Harry looked at the suitcase in confusion. “You said you were eighteen. Where’s the rest of your stuff?”

I shook my head. “I was thrown out at fifteen with just a few possessions and the clothes on my back. This is stuff I’ve bought since moving in with Finn.”

Harry shook his head and closed the suitcase before lifting it.

“You’re coming with me, it’s not safe here.” He held up a hand to stop any comments from me. “I know you don’t know me and I don’t know you, but I promise I won’t push for anything more than you traveling with me and getting to know me.”

I searched his face for a few moments and then nodded. Before I knew it we were out of the house and on our way out of town.

***

We travelled for months, going from town to town. I held out a month before I let Harry bond with me, and I never regretted the decision.

Harry taught me the basics of conning someone into believing what I wanted them to, and we made a fairly good team. We made good money as we worked our way across the island.

Until we made the mistake of trying to run a con in one of the shifter communities. They may look human most of the time but back then they were far from civilized.

Harry and I must have been discovered somehow, because one night we were dragged out of our beds and taken into the forest, where we were beaten.

Fortunately for us—but not the shifters—we were near the Chapmistres View border. The guards must have heard us yelling ‘cause they came to investigate. When they found the shifters beating us they stepped in and rescued us.

We were taken to the home of the Senior Elder, which of course was Jackson. He tended us with a witch healer that was passing through. Harry wouldn’t answer their questions, but Jackson got through to me and I told him everything.

To our surprise instead of being thrown out we were offered jobs. Well, Harry was offered a job. Apparently one of the guards had seen me trying to fight the shifters and told Jackson about it. He offered me training to become a bodyguard.

Harry was given a job as an undercover guard, the idea was he blended into the community to keep an eye on new people when they arrived to ensure they weren’t up to no good.

End of Part One

---

Part Two – Here’s Eddy

The next two hundred years passed with little happening. The only snag with Harry and I was the fact we couldn’t communicate with our minds. Jackson had asked us about the ability early on and was surprised when we didn’t know what he was talking about. After a lot of talking we decided it must be due to my being only half vampire and settle into our new life.

Then one day I was assigned as a bodyguard to a visiting Vampire lecturer from the High Council, High Councilor Terrance Smidge – or Terry to his friends.

Terry liked history and he was eager to meet the new history teacher for the vampire children’s night school. We slipped into the classroom halfway through a class and took a seat at the back as quietly as possible.

The teacher, a witch called Edmund Stone, flicked a look at us before returning his attention to his class.

The lesson was over within half-an-hour and when the class had left Terry and I made our way to the front of the classroom.

“Mr. Stone, this is High Council Member Terrance Smidge,” I said, then I stepped back as they shook hands.

“Welcome Sir. Please call me Eddy, everyone else does,” Edmund said smiling.

“Well you have to call me Terry then.”

The two men were soon chatting about things I could only guess at. I had lived through a lot of history in two hundred years but they were talking about stuff that had happened on the mainland, and I had never taken much notice of the mainland—after all I didn’t live there or have to go there.

I was absorbed in staring at a piece of art work one of the younger children had done, I wasn’t sure what I was meant to be but it was colorful and seemed like the child had to have had fun doing it. A hand landed on my shoulder making me jump.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to startle you,” Eddy said smiling. He nodded at the picture, “It’s supposed to be a waterfall, if you were wondering.”

I looked again, if I squinted, I could sort of make the picture look like water. “I think I see it,” I commented, making him laugh.

“I’m Eddy, and you are?” he asked holding his hand out.

Taking his hand I had to mask my shock as I answered, “I’m Thane. I’m just here to guard your visitor.”

I looked around and saw Terry was inspecting the children’s work displays much as I had been doing. When I had touched Eddy’s hand I had felt a shock too much like the shock I still got every time Harry touched my bare skin. I needed to get out of there and talk to Harry, quickly.

As though he had been summoned Harry knocked and entered the room. He barely paused when he saw me.

“Ah, Mr. Stone, Senior Elder Jackson Langman said you needed an assistant for some of your classes. He thought I may be a good fit. My name is Harold, I’m a second on the council. Jackson knows I have an interest in history.” Harry held his hand out to Eddy and before I could react Eddy had taken it. Harry couldn’t mask the shock that went through him and he stared at Eddy and then at me.

I turned quickly knowing that Harry had a reason for being there and I didn’t want to do anything to ruin whatever his task was. If he could he would fill me in properly later.

“Terry, I think it is time we left Mr. Stone to his work.”

Terry nodded as he joined me and we took our leave.

As I passed Harry I used the sign language he had taught me, We need to talk, dear.

I’ll see you at home in two hours, he replied.

***

Later we sat eating some dinner I had rustled up.

“Well what’s happening?” I asked after another long silence.

“I don’t know, I need to talk to Jackson but he’s out of town ‘til later tonight,” Harry answered. “But I do know that Eddy Stone is going to be very close to us somehow.”

I sighed.

Harry patted my hand. “Look, I left a message for Jackson to call us as soon as he could. You know he’s fond of you so he’ll call soon.” I knew Harry was trying to make me relax but I couldn’t. How could we both be reacting to Eddy when we already had each other?

Harry was right about Jackson though. The Senior Vampire had taken me under his wing from our first meeting. Apparently he didn’t like the fact that my adoptive siblings had just cast me aside without a care for how I would survive. He had always been there for me, during my training, and at any time I needed an older person to talk to.

We both started when the phone suddenly rang, Harry answered and nodded to me to show it was Jackson.

I sat there listening to only one half of the conversation as Harry explained what had happened and asked what it meant. By the time he hung up I was on tenterhooks to find out what Jackson had said.

“Well?” I asked talking quickly and getting up to pace the floor, “What did he say? It’s just an aberration, isn’t it? There’s nothing to worry about, is there?”

“STOP!” shouted Harry, I froze immediately.

“Now when you’ve quite finished panicking I will tell you what Jackson said.” He looked at me and waited for me to nod.

“Right, sit.” He pointed to the couch and joined me once I had sat down. He put an arm round my shoulders and started talking, “Jackson said he has heard of this happening but only rarely. In his seventeen-hundred or more years he has only personally seen this manifesting twice before. It seems you and I were right when we spoke a few decades ago about adding a third for some fun. What we didn’t realize was that actually our need for someone else was actually our bond’s way of telling us we were missing someone. Eddy is the missing part. Our problem is convincing him of that. He’s a witch and Jackson says that they may not feel the same wanting that we do.”

I sat there in shock and just stared at him. Yes we had talked about adding a third but only for play, not permanently. If what he said was true I would have to get used to sharing Harry for the rest of our lives. On the plus side, I suddenly realized I wouldn’t be alone when he had to travel out of the community for his work. Although when he had started he had only working round town, Jackson had soon promoted him to a second on the council and often sent him traveling, checking out the surrounding communities to make sure there was no unrest nearby. His easy manner and years as a con man made sure that people trusted him easily and he made some good allies for the community.

I realized Harry was waving his hand in front of my face and I swatted it away.

“So how do we convince him?” I asked and enjoyed the look of shock on Harry’s face. He had expected me to argue that we were okay just the two of us. “What dear?” I asked trying to look innocent.

He threw a cushion at me and shook his head, “You are too much sometimes.”

“Well to be honest I have been feeling lonely recently. Since you were promoted you’re out of town a lot and that leaves me on my own. And I’ve been feeling that something is missing for a while as you know. I love you more than anything but I keep feeling there’s something more out there.”

Harry looked thoughtful and then nodded, “I know what you mean. I think it’s worth trying to get to know him. But how do we do that without us sounding crazy? What we going to say? Hi, Eddy we’re mates and we think you’re our third mate?”

“Well I assume you’re checking him out anyway, for Jackson?” At Harry’s nod I continued, “Well then. You can get to know him and you can introduce me as your mate. Maybe we can invite him round for dinner. You know a getting to know your workmate kind of thing?”

“Alright we’ll try it your way and see how it goes.”

***

Harry spent a week trying to convince Eddy to meet up with us. Harry had gone to help with his class but had trouble getting Eddy alone for long enough to really work on the witch.

I thought it was hilarious to watch my super confident mate get evaded time and time again. He was so used to getting everything he wanted, he didn’t know how to react.

In the end it was me that got to see Eddy alone first…

***

Harry was out of town one snowy night and I was relaxing at home, when the phone rang.

“Hello,” I said as I answered.

“Thane, is that you?” a voice asked.

“Yes, who’s this?” I frowned, the voice sounded familiar but there was something wrong with it.

“It’s Eddy, I need your help. My car broke down on my way home. I tried to walk the rest of the way but the snow got heavier, and I slipped, and I think I’ve hurt my ankle, and I didn’t know who to call, and Harry gave me this number. He said to call if I ever needed anyone, and I don’t—”

“Eddy. Where are you?” I interrupted.

“About halfway between the school and the Council Building. On the road that passes the pharmacist. I found an open café to use their phone.”

“I know where you mean. Stay there I’ll come and get you!”

I hung up the phone and grabbed my coat and shoes on my way to Harry’s car. Once inside I carefully pulled out of our driveway and headed toward where Eddy was.

***

I found a very cold and shivering Eddy sitting by the outside a closed cafe. I pulled a spare blanket from the back on the car and bundled him up before settling him into the seat. I swore when Eddy told me the café had closed and told him he would have to wait outside for me to arrive. After I had finished making a note of the café’s name so I could report them to Jackson – I mean who lets someone use their phone and then leaves them sitting outside with a hurt ankle in the freezing cold? – I got in and started the car.

“Right where to?” I asked my passenger, I wanted to take him home with me but I didn’t want to press my luck.

Eddy looked down, “I think I lost my keys in the fall so I don’t know where to go.”

“That’s easy then, you’re coming home with me. I’ll wrap your foot and I have a spare room you can get some rest in.”

Eddy tried to refuse but I overrode him and pulled back out onto the snowy road.

“So what were you doing out on a night like this?” I asked curiously

Eddy glanced at me in the half light from the passing street lamps, and he frowned before answering. “I had to finish some marking. I thought I could get it finished and get home before the weather got too bad. But I fell asleep at my desk and this is what I woke up to.” He gestured at the snow outside the window.

It didn’t take long for me to drive us slowly back to mine and Harry’s place. After a few false starts at trying to get Eddy out the car and into the house, I just scooped him up and carried him in, much to his embarrassment.

He weighed next to nothing and by the feel of him through his clothes he was slim but well built. He had short ginger hair and a few freckles over his nose that were standing out at that moment because he was blushing.

“You know you go an adorable shade of red,” I told the small man in my arms.

“Shut up,” he muttered, as I carried him in to the main room and set him down on the couch.

“Right let’s get your shoes off and get that ankle looked at.”

I helped him to get his shoes and socks off and after a careful examination I was fairly certain the ankle was just sprained. I wrapped it tight and we settled in, with a hot chocolate, to watch a DVD for the remainder of the night.

We chatted as he started open up to me, and I actually started to find out things about him. I found out he was thirty years old and that he had no family left due to a sickness that passed through his town. He moved to Chapmistres for a fresh start and to see if he could find someone to settle down with. He said he took after his dad in looks but his mum in height. His dad had been six foot eight, his mum was only five foot three and he was five foot four.

That made him a foot shorter than my six foot four and made him the same height as Harry.

After he made a comment about my strength I told him that because I was half vampire and bonded to a vampire I got to share a few of their characteristics, including, immunity to most illnesses and increased strength, sight and hearing.

When it seemed he couldn’t stay awake any longer I carried him to the spare room and got him settled with access to a pair of Harry’s unused pajamas, before wishing him a good sleep.

***

“You’ll never guess who I managed to get into bed.” I joked to Harry later on the phone as I lay in our bed.

“What do you mean you got someone into bed? Who’s there?” Harry demanded and I stifled a chuckle.

“Oh, didn’t you know? I always have people round when you’re not here…Well, you will leave me here all cold and alone.” I wanted to push it further but Harry caught on to my tone.

“You little tease. So tell me what have you really been up to tonight?”

“Well, I had to go out earlier and rescue Eddy from falling over in the snow. Then I brought him back here and we chatted –“

“What! Is he alright? And what do you meant you brought him back to our place?” Harry interrupted, suddenly I had his undivided attention.

“As I said he had fallen in the snow and he had hurt his ankle. So I brought him back here, wrapped his ankle and settled him in our spare room.”

“What was he doing walking around at night in the snow?” Harry demanded, I grinned at his possessive tone. It seemed my older mate was already getting very attached to Eddy.

I explained the whole evening to him and laughed as Harry wished he was home instead of at least four hours away. I bid him sleep tight when I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer.

***

I was making coffee the next night when Eddy came limping out in just pajama pants and rubbing his eyes.

He looked adorable with his hair all askew and I noticed that I had been right about what was under his clothes – well under his shirt anyway – his chest had good definition to it, he must work out a bit.

“Hello, Sleepyhead.” I smiled and watched as he jumped slightly.

He moved his hands and seemed to peer at me a moment before blinking and nodding, “Hi.”

He looked so cute and confused that I wanted to take him in my arms and never let him go.

“Coffee?” I asked to cover my thoughts as I turned back to the counter.

Eddy nodded and sat down at the breakfast bar.

I placed the coffee in front of him and then added a jug of milk and a sugar bowl to the counter. I frowned when I saw him trying pick up the spoon from the sugar bowl but missing it. He seemed to always be closing his hand too soon to touch the spoon.

“What’s wrong? Are your hands hurt from the cold last night or something?” I asked worried.

Eddy shook his head but wouldn’t meet my eyes, “No, it’s just that the spell I had on my eyes last night has worn off and I don’t have my glasses with me. I have a cream that is spelled, I rub it into my eyes each morning and I can see for seven hours. Then I have to switch to glasses ‘til the next night. I can barely see clearly more than a few inches in front of my own nose.”

I covered his hands with mine and picked up the sugar.

“How much and do you want milk too?” I asked, ignoring his blush.

“Milk and two sugars please,” he said quietly.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about you know,” I said as I fixed his coffee and went to put some toast down. “Harry used to wear glasses as well, but he was lucky and found a witch who could correct his vison completely. But I must admit to missing Harry’s glasses sometimes. He looked like a teacher with them on and I could really get into playing the naughty schoolboy.”

I grinned as Eddy let out a small gasp and I saw a blush spreading down his chest. Then I had an idea.

“Hey, where do you keep your glasses?” I asked thinking fast about what I could try.

“They’re in my car in a case under the passenger seat. I keep them there in case I finish late at the school and the spell wears off before I get home.”

“Okay, let me try something.” I closed my eyes and concentrated. I had never tried to bring something to me that belonged to someone else before, it had always been my own things. I muttered the spell and waited, after what felt like minutes, but was actually only a few seconds, there was a small pop. I found I was holding a small oblong box and I opened it to reveal a small pair of wire rimmed glasses. They looked tiny and fragile compared to my big hands so I carefully set them on the table in front on Eddy.

Eddy stared at them in wonder and his hand was shaking as he reached out for them. I think he thought they would disappear before he could pick them up.

“How did you do that?” he asked, looking up at me after he had put them on. “You said you’re a vampire.”

I caught my breath, I had thought he was cute before but with those glasses on he was downright sexy. I moved behind the counter to conceal the effect he had on me and answered his question.

“I said I’m half vampire, I’m also half witch. My adoptive mother taught me a few useful tricks as I was always forgetting things. Over the last two hundred years or so I perfected the spell, but…”

Eddy’s mouth opened in an o and we settled down to toast and coffee, while I answered his questions about my life. Although his face when I’d mentioned my age had been a picture.

***

The snow stayed bad but word reached us that the witches had found the problem with the spell and that it would stop by the morning. I talked Eddy into staying with me, pointing out that taking a car out would be asking for another accident.

We watched TV and he beat me a most of the board games we owned.

The snow stopped just as we were considering turning in for the day. Because both of us were used to working nights daytime was always our time to sleep.

I was just locking up when I heard a car pull into the driveway. Looking out the window I saw it was Harry and I threw open the door to pull him inside.

“I wasn’t expecting you till later. You shouldn’t be driving in this.” I said as I helped him strip off his coat and shoes.

“I couldn’t resist driving straight through, in the hope that our guest was still here.”

We turned at a noise in the hallway and saw Eddy standing at his bedroom door.

“Hey, Eddy. I heard you tried to drive in worse snow than this.” Harry called out.

Eddy flushed and looked down. I elbowed Harry before Eddy looked back to make him behave himself.

“Right, bedtime I think. Eddy and I have worn ourselves out with movies and games all night and you mister”—I poked Harry—“have been driving all night.”

They both agreed and Eddy headed back into his room. Harry and I were soon cuddled up and Harry was soon snoring up a storm to rival the one that had just finished outside.

***

The next night I was first up and putting on the coffee when Eddy came limping in—although his ankle seemed to be better than the night before.

“I got to get going fairly soon,” he said round a yawn. “I need to get home showered and changed then get to work.”

“I can let you have some of Harry’s clothes, then you can shower here, and Harry can take you to work. I expect he wants to come join your class again tonight as he loves history and hasn’t stopped talking about how much you know.”

I watched Eddy go a deep red. “If you’re sure he won’t mind me borrowing his clothes then that would be good. I think I would be cutting it very close to get home and then get someone to come give me lift to get to work.”

“Let’s ask the man himself,” I said as I saw Harry entering the kitchen. As usual he was in just his tight boxers and Eddy immediately looked at the table top as though it held all the answers to everything.

“Ask me what?” Harry asked as he reached up to kiss me then helped himself to coffee.

I fixed Eddy’s coffee and put it in front of him before answering. “Eddy needs to borrow some clothes and yours would fit him fine. So can he borrow off you, so he can shower and get to work?”

“Course, I think I like the idea of dressing this little cutie.” Harry gave me a nudge and I rolled my eyes as Eddy’s startled gaze flicked up to us.

“Ah, that made you look up did it?” Harry crowed and Eddy immediately looked back down.

“Harry, you leave out guest alone this instant. Now go and find him something appropriate to wear—and I do stress the word appropriate—then get dressed yourself. You’re taking him to work as I assume you want to sit in on his class again?” At Harry’s nod I continued. “Well good, which means I can get his car towed and looked at on my way into the office. Jackson hasn’t got any assignments for me at the moment so I’ll just be hanging around the Council Offices and running errands for the administrators.”

“Oh, don’t go out of your way.” Eddy exclaimed.

“No trouble. No trouble at all. You just keep my mate here in line and come home with him after work. I’ll have your car delivered here and you can join us for dinner.”

My tone left no room for him to refuse, so I wasn’t surprised when he just smiled and nodded shyly.

***

The next few weeks saw me and Harry using every excuse in the book to keep Eddy coming over to our house for some reason or another.

Harry asked for his input on assignments Jackson was giving of him. He said he needed help with researching the histories of the communities he was being sent to and, of course, he thought Eddy was the best person to help him with that.

I on the other hand decided to surprise Eddy. Not many people know but I love to cook, so I kept calling Eddy saying Harry was occupied working late and could he please come round after work to taste test whatever I was cooking. And of course once I had him at the house Harry would miraculously come home earlier than expected and we would of course insist that Eddy had to stay and have a proper meal with us. Harry would then start going on about work and they would be off on one of their history discussions. The night would fly by and before Eddy knew what was happening it was morning and he was heading home for bed, only for us to start the same thing the next night.

If Harry was out of town then I would give Eddy the sob story of being lonely and could he please come and watch TV with me. He almost always said yes.

The turning point was one Friday when I had convinced Eddy to accompany me to a Council event. Jackson had decided to have a party for the staff and Harry was out of town, not due back ‘til near the end of the event. So I pleaded and pouted ‘til Eddy agreed to come.

I have to say until then I had thought Eddy was shy but once he got out on the make shift dance floor, he was a completely different guy. The sexy way he moved had me half hard all evening and when the band did a slow song I didn’t give him a chance to object before I had him in my arms, swaying to the music. Suddenly Eddy stiffened and I lifted my head from his shoulder to see Harry dancing behind him.

I smiled and pulled Eddy even closer, Harry slipped his arms around Eddy’s waist until we were both holding him sandwiched in between us. We kept in time with the music and slowly Eddy started to relax again. By the end he was swaying with us and we all jolted when everyone started clapping in appreciation for the musicians.

Harry and I took one of Eddy’s hands each so he couldn’t escape as we guided him to a secluded table in a dark corner of the room.

“What’s going on?” Eddy asked, looking between us apprehensively.

“Eddy, surely you know by now that we both want you to stay with us?” Harry asked.

I rolled my eyes at my mate’s bluntness, especially as Eddy just looked more panicked.

“Nice going dear, you’ll scare him away. Why don’t you just threaten to kidnap him like you did me all those years ago?”

Harry growled low at my teasing but with the focus off of him I saw Eddy start to relax slowly.

“I did not threaten to kidnap you. You just didn’t listen to what I was saying.” Harry declared, and Eddy giggled at his indignant tone.

I just grinned at Harry and winked at Eddy, causing him to giggle even more.

I reached out and turned Eddy’s face so he looked me in the eye. “Joking aside, Harry’s telling you truth. You know that vampires know their mates the moment they touch them, I’ve heard Harry talking to you about the subject. Harry and I know that you’re our mate. You’re the third part of us and we want you to join us.”

Eddy’s eyes had gone wide but he hadn’t run so I counted that a success. The upper most emotions seemed to be shock and fear. But there also seemed to a bit of curious interest mixed in.

“Tell me you don’t feel a pull to us and we’ll leave you alone,” Harry said confidently. I wanted to punch him. He was giving Eddy a way out and I didn’t want him to have an escape route.

Eddy looked between us nibbling his bottom lip. “Okay I can’t lie and say I don’t feel anything for you both but I thought you two were mates? How can I be your mate as well?”

“I spoke to Jackson after we met you and realized the possibility of what we felt around you. He said it’s rare for there to be tri-mating’s with vampires but not unheard of. There are not currently any in Chapmistres but there are some in other communities.” I was staring at Harry as he spoke. I knew he had spoken to Jackson and that Jackson had said threesomes were not unheard of but I didn’t know Harry knew of others.

Recovering from my small shock and promising myself I would talk to Harry as soon as we were alone I turned to Eddy.

“Let us take you home and give us a chance to prove all three of us can work together.” I asked, holding out my hand for him to take.

Eddy was silent so long I thought for sure I’d pushed too far, too fast, but he smiled shyly and took my hand. Harry let out a whoop and grabbed Eddy’s other hand before trying to tow both of us up and toward the exit.

Before we made it to the door we were stopped by Jackson.

“So,” Jackson said smiling at all three of us. “I take it you three have finally stopped dancing around each other?”

Harry and I rolled our eyes at the obvious pun but Eddy just looked at Jackson in awe, after all he was the Senior Elder of the community. Jackson just laughed and waved us away. “Go on, get out of here,” he said and turned back to the room.

***

Harry and I spent the next week wooing and basically seducing our little witch mate. We pampered him and spoiled him until he actually told us to stop trying so hard.

As the final step Harry and I decided to make dinner for Eddy. We both got home early and set up our table with candles and flowers. We made a good dinner between us—that is to say I cooked and Harry handed me things as I asked for them.

Eddy came home and we made him sit down and relax while we took turns serving him.

Then at the end of the meal we both knelt down on either side of his chair.

“Eddy, you know how much you mean to both of us,” Harry started on our rehearsed speech.

“And you know we will do anything for you,” I continued on with my part.

“Will you please bond with us?” we asked in unison.

Eddy’s eyes filled with tears and for a while he didn’t seem to be able to say anything, but then he shouted at the top of his voice, “YES.”

Harry grabbed him and swung him out his chair and round in a circle. Then he passed him to me so I could do the same thing.

We bonded that night and I must say I for one have never regretted a second since. The best part was the feeling of both my mates talking to me in my mind. It seems that the only thing missing was our third person to complete the bond, and activate the mind link.

***

Thane finished his story and looked around the room. A few of his friends were trying to dab discreetly at the tears in their eyes. While the rest just looked on in fond amusement.

Thane cuddled Harry and Eddy closer. He liked being the biggest of the three of them, because it meant that he could practically swallow up his lovers anytime he wanted.

Jamie was the first one to speak. “May I ask, have either you or Eddy ever had any children?”

Thane felt Eddy stiffen instantly and moved quickly to stroke his back where the others couldn’t see while he answered the question.

“No, Eddy and I can’t have children. I’m half vampire and therefore Harry’s DNA didn’t change me in that way when we bonded. And in Eddy’s case no one knows why but the bond didn’t give him the ability to have children, like your bond with Andrew did you.”

“Actually that might not be entirely true,” Eddy spoke up.

Thane swung his head round to face his bashfully smiling mate and felt Harry shifting to fully face them too.

“What have you done Eddy?” Harry asked.

“Well, Harry, remember last month you took me with you on one of your visits? Well I decided to do a bit of research while you were in your meetings. I found a healer who specialised in vampire/witch bonding’s, and more specifically she had experience of tri-mating’s. She lived near the place we were staying in and so I walked over to meet her. She told me that because I had bonded with both of you, my body was trying to decide which DNA to use.” Eddy turned his full attention to Thane. “Because you’re only half vampire, my body didn’t seem to understand what it was meant to do with your blood. The witch gave me a potion that I have been taking every time we exchange blood now. It separates the witch DNA from the vampire DNA, allowing my body to absorb all the vampire blood while ignoring the witch blood because of course being a witch myself I already have enough of that. ”

“What does that mean for us?” Thane asked, he felt Harry leaning in as though to hear better what Eddy’s answer was going to be.

“I’m pregnant.” Eddy mumbled.

“What, we can’t hear you over here,” Jamie called out from across the room, even though with his enhanced hearing from his bonding with Andrew Thane knew he could hear perfectly well.

“I’M PREGNANT!” Yelled Eddy and threw his arms round Thane and Harry’s necks.

***

The gathering became a celebration that only ended when the vampires of the group had to head home for sunrise.

Thane and Harry led their witch mate to bed and proceeded to show him exactly how pleased they were with his news.