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

With the full moon lighting their way, the three men cantered along the trail, Roderick and Piers side by side with Linden bringing up the rear. He watched the two vampires, feeling an ache in his heart for them. He wished he could come up with a solution for their problem that Roderick would accept, but knew from having tried that the elder vampire would never go against the King's edict.

He wondered, as he often had, if Roderick ever sought out other men the way that Piers did. Piers would fuck anyone, and sometimes even formed a brief relationship with some young twink. It was never for long however, and never for any reason other than to prove to himself that someone found him interesting enough and attractive enough to stick around for a while. Linden had pointed that out to him on occasion, only to have Piers laugh or get pissed, depending on his mood.

Linden needed to get away from them and now before he said aloud what he was feeling. Taking advantage of a slight widening of the trail, he spurred his horse, racing past them. "Go," he urged the beast and the horse did.

* * * *

"He's going to kill himself," Piers exclaimed as he watched Linden disappear around a curve in the trail.

Roderick shook his head. "No, he's an excellent rider. I think he just needs the feeling of freedom."

"From us?"

"From us, from everything, something I can empathize with."

"You have your freedom," Piers replied somewhat tartly, feeling anger well and trying to tamp it down.

"Do I?" Roderick reined in his horse, coming to a stop while looking at his Child. "What sort of freedom is it to always be at the beck and call of the King? Running his errands, being the intermediary between him and the lesser Kings? I have the prestige if you want to call it that, but no freedom to do what I most desire."

"He wouldn't have to know," Piers whispered, words he'd said too many times before

Reaching across the space that separated them, Roderick caressed Piers' cheek. "He would find out. One wrong word, one slip of the tongue. Even here, where it seems no one is around, there are watchers. I've told you that. The vampires who guard this place are his minions, sent to keep us safe, and to spy on me for him."

Piers leaned into his touch, covering Roderick's hand with his own. "Kiss me," he murmured so softly only a vampire could have heard his words. "One kiss. Just one kiss."

Roderick almost said 'No', but the look of longing, need, and love in Piers' eyes echoed what he felt. He cupped the back of Piers' head pulling him closer as he leaned towards him, brushing his lips over the soft, willing ones offered to him. Hunger and desire rose between them and the kiss deepened. Tongue danced with tongue as passion deepened.

Suddenly Roderick pulled away, shuddering. "Enough! Oh God, why? Can't you see?" His voice rose in anguish as he stared up at the heavens.

Piers dropped forward, his face pressed against the horse's mane as tears welled in his eyes. "He doesn't care. No one cares. Only you, only me, only we care."

Without hesitation, Roderick reached for Piers, lifting him from his horse, holding him tightly in his arms until Piers' sobs abated. "We'll find a way," he said under his breath. "Some way, some how, we'll find a way."

Piers nodded, trusting Roderick. "We have to." He pressed a kiss to his Sire's lips before saying with great reluctance, "I suppose we should continue our ride."

"And find out if Linden's managed to kill himself yet," Roderick agreed with a small chuckle.