(17) Two vampires, a ghoul and a shifter.

"Rod!" Piers raced to greet his Sire only to find himself stopped by a hand to his chest and a glare that could have frozen ice.

"Just where were you?" Roderick hissed angrily.

"We went hiking. I wanted to show Linden the gardens." Piers looked at him guilelessly.

"The gardens are that way." Roderick pointed. "You just came from the opposite direction and, from the look of both of you you've been doing more than just hiking."

"All right, yes and no," Piers replied, thinking fast. "We did go to the gardens but then, well, we sort of got sidetracked when we saw a deer and followed it and, well clumsy here," he shot a pointed, 'back me up' look at Linden, "managed to fall on his ass and almost landed in the lake."

"It was a close call," Linden said with a self-depreciating smile. "I should have been using the flashlight but I didn't want to scare the deer and—" He shrugged.

Roderick tapped a thumbnail against his lip, trying to assess the truth of what they were telling him. He could easily have just pried into their thoughts but that was something he rarely did unless one of them seemed truly distressed and unwilling to talk about what was bothering them. When either of them telegraphed an emotion, he had not trouble picking it up. However at this point both Piers and Linden seemed only to be feeling stupid, nothing more.

"I'll accept that," Roderick finally said. "Sorry for being pissed but I come home and it's almost sunrise and you're not here, Piers, and I got worried."

"I know." Now Piers did hug him, albeit quickly. "I'll be more careful from now on."

Roderick pulled him back, wrapping an arm around his waist as he walked him into the house. "Please do," he said softly. "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you." He kissed Piers' temple and then gave him a swift swat on the ass. "Now get to bed."

"Yes, Master," Piers replied with a cocky grin. "Your wish is my command."

"Would that that were so." Roderick smiled in yearning as he watched Piers raced up the stairs. "But it's not to be," he growled angrily as he turned on his heel and strode down the hall to his study where 'dinner' awaited him.