Silver Flash

Here we are again for the Silver Flash!

Come on in and a read a bit.

This week's prompt is. . . "It was 4 am and . . . "

Marek and Brody's story continue. . .

Broken Promise, VIII

Marek called it a road. Brody called that a joke. Trees crowded near on either side of the rocky dirt path. Up ahead was the fortress Marek called a house.

Greyson stopped. A tall iron gate loomed over them, its black horizontal bars fatter than light poles. Marek pulled out his phone, speed-dialed and spoke in what Brody knew was the Old Tongue. A few seconds later, the gate parted in utter silence and revealed thin jagged teeth-like projections. Brody was sure those steel jaws could snap shut any second. Anything that wasn’t out of the way fast enough would have to be flossed out.

He hated this part the most. They were trapped between two gates, the one behind them, and its twin in front of them. Red light probed the truck, leaking through the windows like pale blood. Marek said they were ‘sniffers’. If something smelled wrong, a few thousand volts would fly. Instant barbecue in a box.

“No need to be afraid.” Marek drew Brody into his arms, smoothed his hair back and kissed his forehead. “You’ve had very long nights, my little heart. It would please me if you went up to my rooms when we go inside.”

That was Marek’s way of saying he didn’t want Brody to see what Julian might do to the Hunter. But it was 4 A.M. and no, Brody was most definitely not going upstairs in the vampire king’s house. What Marek called his rooms was the entire third floor. No electric light. No windows. It was shadowy, creepy and too damn dark. After sleeping under a bed, waking up to Greyson and his personal arsenal and then getting trapped in a circle of vampires armed to the fangs, no way.

“I’m staying with you,” Brody said. “I know it’s vampire business. But I’m not going up there without you. Not tonight.”

The look that came over Marek’s face always tickled Brody. The king of vampires wasn’t used to hearing no. “I’ll send Greyson with you,” he said.

Brody put on a puzzled expression. “I’m thinking but . . . no . . . I don’t remember saying I wouldn’t go without Greyson. Do you?” He leaned into Marek’s unyielding body, and let the tension flow out of him. Somehow when Marek was near, everything was right with his world. “And anyway, you feel too good.”

“I can feel much better.” Marek tilted Brody’s head back for a kiss. ”Do you want to know what I’ll do to you when I go up there and find you naked in my bed?”

Oh yeah. Brody wanted to know that almost as much as he wanted Marek’s kiss to last roughly forever. Greyson got the truck moving, but Brody barely noticed because Marek pulled him onto his lap, and kissed down the side of his neck. “I’ll make you say my name all day long,” he whispered.

Writhing on his lap, Brody undid Marek’s shirt and ran his fingers over his hard chest, down to his ridged belly. God. He wanted more. A whole lot more. Giving into the feverish need firing through him, Brody said, “You won’t take long?”

“Knowing you’re waiting for me? Naked between my sheets?” he said. “No. Such beauty and pleasure is meant to be enjoyed.” He kissed Brody. “Again.” Another kiss. “And again.”

His arms around Marek’s neck, Brody yielded to his mate’s sweet, tender kisses, and would have given in completely if not for the shadow that fell over them.

Greyson must have powered the window down. A blast of cold air made Brody press closer to Marek.

“He’s healthy.” The Hunter’s body was draped over Julian’s arms. His hard, unforgiving eyes were on his brother. “Just lost a little blood is all.”

EXTRA! EXTRA! 
Just two days to the release of Warrior Angel, Heart's Desire. . . and my biggest contest ever starts on my release date, March 26th!

Trailer Contest: Warrior Angel, Heart's Desire is in a contest on You Gotta Read Videos. Stop by and vote for your favorite.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming. . . .

Flashers on stage this week are . . .  

MM

• LM Brown
• Lily Sawyer
• R J Scott.co.uk
• Sui Lynn
• Pender Mackie
• Julie Lynn Hayes
• Ryssa Edwards
• Pia Valeno

MF

• Lindsay Kleug
• Victoria Blisse

Silver Flash

It's that time again!  We've got it all here. . . vampires, hot lovers, and sweethearts who get closer than close. . .
The prompt this week was, "Don't look at me like that."

And, Marek and Brody's story continues . . .

Broken Promise, VII

Marek hated the way Brody shrank away from him. It was true. He was a breath away from taking off the Hunter’s head. But his mate didn’t need to know that. “On your feet,” he said to the Hunter. “Your false honor is more of an insult than rising against me.”

The Hunter vampire rose to his feet and backed away, putting Julian between himself and Marek. It infuriated Marek that the Hunter trusted his brother—a mercenary—but not him.

“We didn’t rise against you,” the Hunter said.

“Then your knives are for play?” Marek said, barely controlling his anger.

“Protection,” the Hunter said. “Breeders think nothing of slaying us and making it look as if our clans make war with each other.”

“I grant you audience. Come to my home alone.”

 “Why?” Julian said. “He’s here. You’re here.” He pushed the Hunter in front of him. “Talk.”

The male hesitated. He peered into the snow dunes beyond the truck, as if he wanted to hide inside them.

 “What can be worse than what you’ve already done?” Marek said in a quiet voice.

The male whispered a word.

“What?” If Julian had been impatient a moment ago, he was well beyond that now. His hand fell to the hilt of his knife. “I didn’t hear you. Say it again,” he said.

“Farms.” A drop of blood-sweat rolled down the Hunter’s temple. He wiped it away, glanced at Julian. “One compound is complete. Hidden. Underground.”

Farming humans for blood was a capital crime. Marek enforced the law ruthlessly. He gave Julian and his mercenaries free reign to execute any vampire found doing it.

Farms began as a small number of humans living with a vampire. When the humans realized they were walking blood banks, they tried to escape. But vampire farmers imprisoned them, then sold their blood to vampire criminals too well known to hunt in cities, where Warriors might find them. In small towns, a vampire was a stranger under suspicion the moment he crossed the town limits. Farms were much easier.

“The one that has been completed,” Marek said. “Is it in my territory?”

“Yes, my lord,” the Hunter said. At a hard look from Marek, the male hurried on. “We try to tell you, but your council ignores us. They say we bring them tales against the Breeders to bring down your anger on them.”

The Breeders—the vampires who ran the farms—had been at war with the Hunters for centuries. With the rise of cities, and the need to hide a war from human eyes, tactics had changed. Outright warfare had been replaced with accusations of farming or draining humans to feed. If Marek’s council found proof, executions followed.

“You don’t have farms?” Brody said.

 “These are different,” Marek told him. He didn’t have the heart to tell Brody what happened on the farms. “Why haven’t I heard this from you?” he said to Julian.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Julian said. “You tell me to keep the peace. I do. You tell me and my warriors to stay out of a vampire’s business. We do. A crime’s a crime. We take care of it and move on.”

Marek turned his eyes to the Hunter, who’d backed away a step. “Bring him,” he said to Julian. “And when we arrive, brother, he had better be as healthy as he is this moment. Is that understood?”

“The Hunters threatened you,” Julian said. “And your mate.” He turned his flat dark eyes on the Hunter. “On his orders. Why should I let him live?”

Marek derived a small satisfaction from the surprise that came over the Hunter’s face. Julian was a mercenary, and he might fight Marek fang to fang, but to those he loved, Julian was loyal unto death.

The votes are in. Julian gets his own story. Coming soon. . .

Flashers on stage this week are. . . .

Lindsay Klug (m/f)

L. M. Brown (m/m)

Lily Sawyer (m/m)

RJ Scott (m/m)

Sui Lynn (m/m)

Pender Mackie (m/m)

Heather Lin (m/f)

Victoria Blisse (m/f)

Julie Hayes (m/m)

Silver Flash

It’s time for . . . the Silver Flash!

What do a playground, a pier and a diamond have in common?

Those three words were the prompt items for this week. Read on to find out how the Silver Flashers put them together.

And a special shout out to Reese Dante for designing our awesome Silver Flash badge artwork. . . thanks Reese!

Broken Promise, VI

The three trucks barreling through the snow were big enough to be tanks. The circle of Hunter vampires broke like water in the wake of speed boats. Julian’s phone rang.

“We’re out of gas,” he said. “And you’re late.”

The trucks came straight for them. They skidded to a stop an inch too close for Brody’s comfort. Suddenly they were surrounded in a ring of impassable steel. Doors opened and slammed shut. Warriors dropped to the ground in a crouch, knives and short swords in their hands. The wind whipped their long hair around their hulking bodies. Four of them took up positions in a circle around the truck, facing outward, long curved knives in their hands.

Greyson reached for his door, but Julian stopped him. “No. I’ll check the tank. Be ready to go.”

He was out and moving almost before the last word was out of his mouth, then Brody felt something sliding under the truck. In seconds, Julian was up and running. A warrior met him halfway and tossed him a red plastic gasoline container. Whatever else he might be, Julian was all business when it came to defending his brother. He moved so fast he was a blur, then he was banging on the window and signaling Greyson, two thumbs up.

He glanced in the rearview mirror, and met Marek’s eyes. “Boss?”

Marek opened his door, but Julian was there, blocking his way. “My men say the Hunters want you to talk to them.” He looked away before he said, “They feel safer talking if you stay in the truck.”

“They trust mercenaries, but not their leader?”

Julian didn’t roll his eyes, but it was close. “You giving an audience or not?”

Brody shivered in the frigid air blasting in through the open door.

“Greyson,” Marek said. “The heat. It’s too cold for him.”

The truck started with a throaty roar and Brody leaned between the seats, grateful for the warm air blowing against his face.

Marek ran his fingers through Brody’s hair and turned to face his brother. “Bring the Hunter. I agree to remain inside the truck until the talking is done.”

Julian nodded over his shoulder. One of his mercenaries came out of the snow. His blonde hair flew in the wind. His blue eyes were hard and cold as diamonds glinting in sunlight. He threw a vampire to his knees. The Hunter landed between Marek and Julian.

“What do you ask?” Marek said.

“We have no voice in your counsels. Our needs go unanswered,” the vampire said. “We had no choice. You wouldn’t listen.”

“So you lure us onto your playground with knives and threats?” Marek said.

Brody didn’t know if the snow felt cold to the vampire on his knees, but he looked uncomfortable. And scared. Like a man heading for a long walk off a short pier. “We meant no disrespect,” the Hunter said.

“If it was me,” Julian said, “I’d be telling him what I’m asking for. He’s about two seconds from taking off your head and starting in on the others.”

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about Julian. If you think Julian should get his own story, leave a comment and let me know. That way Julian’s alligator at the door won’t think you’re snack food on the way out. . . kidding. Sort of.

Silver Flashers on stage this week are . . .

Julie Hayes (M/M)

Diane Adams (M/M)

Lindsay Klug (M/F)  (!!flash virgin!!)

RJ Scott (M/M)

Lily Sawyer (M/M)

Sui Lynn (M/M)

Pender Mackie (M/M)

Victoria Blisse (M/F)

Heather Lin (M/F)

Silver Flash

We’ve been hard at work to bring you bling-bling, virgins, bite size fiction and big time fun!

Welcome to the Silver Flash . . . .

The prompt this week is, “There’s only one way out of this . . .”

Marek and Brody’s story continues . . . 

Broken Promise, V

They’d been driving for less than half an hour when Greyson started cursing in a low monotone that would have made a sailor sound like Mother Goose.

“I thought you checked the engine,” Marek said, barely holding back the rage behind his words.

The truck stalled out, leaving them in eerily silent falling snow. “It’s not the engine,” Greyson said. “We’re out of gas.”

In a perfectly even voice Marek said, “Have you betrayed us?”

“Yeah.” Grayson jammed the gear stick into Park. “I always wanted to freeze to death in the snow after two pissed off vampires ripped out my guts.”

The swirling white beyond the windows grew faint shadows. Men moved toward the truck like hunters stalking prey. In their hands, steel glinted in the rays of the full moon’s light. They had to be vampires because Brody didn’t see any coats. Some of them were shirtless, their muscled bodies bared to the blowing  snow.

“There’s only one way out of this . . .  ” Julian said.

But Marek cut off his brother before he could finish. “I won’t bargain with them.”

“I’m not after a bargain,” Julian said, his grim eyes on the wide circle of vampires. “I’ll settle for not waking up staked in the sun.”

“Shouldn’t they be attacking?” Brody said. The Hunters weren’t closing in. They stood utterly still, unmoved by the wind, undaunted by the numbing cold that was creeping into the metal cab of the truck.

“It’s one thing to defy me,” Marek said. “Even challenge me to battle.” Brody barely stopped himself from flinching at the dark fury on Marek’s hard face. He was all warrior. The lover who held him tight and whispered his name just before he came was gone.  “It’s another to offer harm to my mate.”

The circle of vampires seemed ready to wait forever. Cold air seeped into the truck, stealing through secret places. “They won’t hurt me?” Brody said, wondering how he’d ended up in the middle of a vampire battle. “I mean, I don’t smell like barbecue on the grill to them or anything do I?”

“They can’t,” Julian said. “Other Hunters would go after them. It’s against our Ways.”

Brody moved fast. “Then I go first.” He unlocked his door, and even there, about to risk his life, he took a secret delight in saying to Marek, “Big bad vampires stay behind me. I’ll keep you safe.”

“Good one,” Julian said, before Brody even saw Marek move.

Marek lunged across Brody and slammed down the lock on his door. “Sometimes you act as though you had as much sense as my brother.”

“He means that in a good way,” Julian said.

Marek shot him a narrow look. “Where are your warriors?”

“Late.”

Beside Brody, Marek’s face slipped into something less than human, as if a beast lurked just under his skin. Brody didn’t think he needed any mercenary warriors. He looked fierce enough to take on all the Hunters by himself. “If this is one of your games, brother, I’ll fly you to the Sahara and stake you in the dunes.”

Eyes closed, his head against the backrest, Julian said in a low, unhurried voice, “With or without sunscreen?”

Silver Flashers on stage this week are. . .

Julie Hayes (M/M)

Diane Adams (M/M)

RJ Scott (M/M)

Lily Sawyer (M/M) <<flash virgin!!>>

Sui Lynn (M/M)

L. M. Brown (M/M) <<flash virgin!!>>

Pender Mackie (M/M)

Victoria Blisse (M/F)