Blood Match

Chapter 14: Holiday Secrets

The next month went by in a whirlwind. Liam and Leo fought over Tristan as they each prepared for the winter holidays. It became quite comical as both Liam and Leo forbade Tristan to speak about any of the plans.

Liam tried desperately to pry secrets out of Tristan but was met with amused silence. All Tristan would say was that Liam should make sure his passport was current. Days at the gallery sped by as Liam, Leo, and Kara curated the photos to display—until Liam could get Leo to stay still long enough to do a photoshoot.

The gallery was doing a brisk business, and Liam was getting used to the mixed clientele of humans and vampires. Joseph fit in well, being self-effacing and very low-profile. Most of the evening clients simply thought he was another customer perusing the displayed photos. Leo stopped by the gallery quite often, bringing Liam dinner and actually helping out a bit. Liam took to keeping his camera handy and snapping candid shots of Leo when he saw an opportunity. Slowly, a portfolio of these candid shots began to take shape: Leo with his sleeves rolled up, hanging a set of photos for a new display; Leo in the office with Kara, looking at prints to determine what to hang next; Leo talking to customers and smiling at some new observation they made about Liam's art.

Liam had taken to staying at Leo's at least four nights a week. Liam also insisted on being part of Leo and Tristan's feeding ritual. Liam would hold Tristan's hand while Leo fed, and afterward Liam was the one who prepared the food Tristan ate. Liam even researched the best blood-building foods and made sure that Leo kept the house stocked. They had become family; Liam accepted Tristan without hesitation, and Tristan felt the same.

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"Kara, I'm heading to the back. The sun is setting, so I imagine our clientele will change a bit. Joseph should be coming in any minute now. I need to call Leo—back in a few," Liam said as he walked into the back office. It took a little getting used to, having a gallery that catered to both human and vampire clientele. He smiled as he thought about Joseph, who looked like he was just 21 and starting his first job. But Joseph was in fact 150 years old and had seen more than Liam could ever imagine. Liam loved picking Joseph's brain when the gallery was slow, listening to his stories and the places he had been and the things he had seen.

Liam picked up his cell phone from his desk and dialed Leo.

"Hey, sunshine. Miss me?" Leo said, answering immediately. Liam smiled. Leo had taken to calling him sunshine, telling him that when he first saw him, it was like seeing sunlight in human form.

Liam had been drawing on his vast portfolio of photos that he had taken in previous years to display in the gallery. He, Leo, and Kara had been spending a lot of time together deciding which photos would be best for the gallery, and as they chose them, if it was a place or an object that Leo had knowledge of, he would share stories that made the photos come to life. Liam had taken to adding these little excerpts of history to the displays, and the clients loved it.

"Hey, handsome. I was wondering if you wanted to do dinner tonight. I could come to you and—"

Leo interrupted Liam mid-sentence. "It seems great minds think alike. Tristan and I are getting ready to come to you, and we are bringing dinner—if that is okay?"

Liam chuckled.

"Yes, that would be great. We can also talk about starting your photoshoots," Liam said, fiddling with a pen on his desk.

"Liam…"

"No worming your way out of this, Mr. De La Cruz. We are doing this, so you better just surrender," Liam said, laughing.

"Alright, alright. Tristan and I will be there in an hour. Has Joseph arrived yet?"

"He should be coming in any minute now. I'm in the back, so I'm not sure."

"Okay. If you need anything, call me. Liam…"

"I know, Leonidas. Me too," Liam said, right before he hung up.

In the time they had known each other, they had realized the depth of their connection, and although they had not said it out loud, they both came to the conclusion they were deeply in love—never speaking the words but feeling them in the depths of their souls.

Liam left the office and walked back into the main part of the gallery, just in time to see Kara in the arms of a large man. She looked terrified.

"Excuse me, but would you kindly release my gallery manager?" Liam said, moving to pull Kara out of the man's grasp.

"We were just talking. She smelled so good, and I am looking for a donor. I think she's perfect." The man turned toward Liam and looked at him. Liam recognized the signs of a vampire at the beginning of his feeding cycle. Leo had told him that when a vampire needed to feed again, most times their eyes would lose their color as their systems lost the benefit of the blood of their last feeding. At that time, they were very dangerous and needed to find a willing donor quickly.

"I suggest you find yourself a bar and locate a willing donor there." Liam looked to the back, where Joseph had just entered quietly and was edging around to flank the hungry vampire.

"But you both smell so good, and why look for a bird in the bush when there are two in the hand right here?" The vampire lunged forward, but Joseph was quicker. Grabbing the man by his coat, he pulled him back and slammed him to the floor. In the blink of an eye, he placed his hand on his chest and held him there.

"Easy, puppy. Did your sire not teach you any manners? There are no willing donors here," Joseph said, his green eyes glowing with anger. The vampire struggled for a moment and then realized that the one holding him was a century older than him. He stopped struggling and put up his hands in surrender.

"Forgive me, Elder. I didn't realize that this place was under your protection." Joseph allowed the man to get up.

"Apologize to Mr. Von Anderson and don't return here. If you do, it is not my forgiveness you will need but Leonidas De La Cruz’s. Do you understand?" Joseph stepped back.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Von Anderson. Please forgive me. I will leave now." The vampire left in a hurry. Kara and Liam breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you alright, Kara?" Liam said, sitting her down on the stool behind the receptionist counter.

"Yes, I'm fine, Liam. Don't worry. He is not the first vampire I've had to deal with. But I'm glad you and Joseph were here."

The vampire left the gallery and disappeared into the night. A few blocks away, a black SUV with its lights off sat parked on a deserted side street. The passenger door of the SUV opened, and the unwelcome vampire from the gallery got in.

"There is one elder there as security. He is at least one hundred years old. I could feel the power emanating from him. Mr. De La Cruz has taken special interest in this gallery, and in fact, he is its benefactor."

The man in the front seat nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe it is time to see how close their relationship has become. Thank you for your service. You will find your reward waiting at your apartment. When you finish eating, we will clean up your leftovers."

"Thank you, sir. You are most kind," the vampire said, smiling before he opened the door and rushed out.