A Voice From the Night World Ch. 03

I don't own The Night World or seek to profit from the ideas or characters that belong to another. The Night World belongs to the wonderful L. J Smith. I thank her for creating such a wonderful series that I can borrow for the use of my characters.

The characters in this story are fictional and any similarities to living people are accidental. As this story contains sex between males, you need to be of legal age to be reading this story and if you don't want to be reading about sex between young men you might want to stop now. Feedback is very welcome, as is anyone who is keen to pre-read or edit for me. All can be sent to me via the CONTACT tab on my profile. I hope you all enjoy!

Authors note: I am posting this same series on the Nifty website, both stories are written by me. It is also not illegal to write fanfic, as this is what this is. I am not seeking to profit or publish this at all and I am disclaiming the Night World as belonging to L.J Smith, all I am doing is borrowing the world, the idea and mention of the Wild Powers and Lord Thierry's name, the rest of the characters and plot are my own, I wanted to explore what was happening on the other side of the world in the Wild Power hunt. As the books in the series are based in America and there's little mention of what else was happening. Also to those have noticed, I apologise for the minor error or 2 that has popped up in the story so far, it has been a few years since i read the books, so will be fixing those up! But please continue to enjoy my characters and the awesome world L.J Smith invented that I am borrowing to tell my story.

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It was lunch time in yet another dull day at high school and I was standing down at the back of the school grounds, near a small grove of trees used primarily by smokers, drug dealers and couples hooking up. Tien and Jason were still in the cafeteria eating lunch. I'd come out to the small grove of trees to get some air and listen to the different sort of gossip smokers swapped around. As part of my cover I was smoking a cigarette, enjoying the rare sight and feel of sunshine in the middle of a London winter when my soulmate came to visit me.

"Hello." He said in my ear as he came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me.

"Hello." I replied turning my head to kiss his cheek as I leaned back against him.

"You shouldn't be here." I warned him as I dropped the end of my cigarette on the ground, grinding it out with my shoe.

I felt him shrug as he kissed the side of my neck. "I don't care. I haven't done more then look at you all day and watch the other boys and girls eye you up. It drives me crazy"

I grinned amused by the possessive, passionate tone of his voice and by the fact he was never far away from me. His loyalty and habit of never being far away, watching, was something I found entertaining and touching. It was something Damien gave him so much shit for but he didn't give a damn. If you ever want to watch or bring on a shit storm hit on me, it's always pretty funny, although not for the person hitting on me.

I did a quick search of the small grove of trees, there was only the two of us and turned in his arms, wrapping my own arms around him. I knew it was risky but he'd come to me and I too always found it just as hard when we did these jobs that required distance. I kissed him, unable to resist it when his familiar face was in front of me. The soulmate bond opened up, fractured open by the blue lightening, but as we let it, it softened, retreating.

His arms tightened as he opened his mouth and kissed me back. I pressed against him, pushing him up against the back of a tree, as I kept kissing him, exploring his warm mouth and tongue; I ran my fingers through his soft, silky hair. He ran his hands up and down my back, pushing back against me. I could feel his cock hardening in his jeans and my own started to follow suit. I slipped my hands up under his jacket and shirt, stroking over his naked skin.

Lost in him and the hot kisses we were trading it took the quiet gasp of someone from over his shoulder that brought me back to reality. We were in a public place, on school grounds, and I'd backed him up against a tree. My hands had slipped down the back of his jeans, groping his ass as I felt cool air on my dick. His quick, clever fingers had my dick out and he was stroking me. I felt through our soulmate bond our hunger, my need and his surrender.

I pulled away from my soulmate's mouth, ignoring his disappointed sound as he started to scatter kisses down my jaw and throat. There was a small Asian witch standing a few metres away from us, surprise and apology on his tired chiselled Japanese face and in the sad brown eyes. He was a student I'd seen around the school quite a bit in the month since we'd been working here. I should have heard or smelled the witch before he'd got that close and caught us, but I hadn't and felt really defenceless, the predator in me wasn't happy, we should have been more aware but the soulmate bond was like that, blocked out everything else but your other half. The witch had been lucky I hadn't been fucking my soulmate outright because any time we got close enough to touch each other that's what usually happened and was going to happen.

I dropped my arms from around from him and stepped back getting a glimpse of his flushed, dazed face as he turned around giving the witch the same startled look I'd probably given a minute or so before. Cleary he hadn't heard the other Night World witch either and he hissed, blinking as his expression hardened, understanding sparking in his dark eyes.

With a glare at the witch he stalked off and I struggled not to laugh. If it wasn't for the witch's apologetic, weary expression I would have given in. My soulmate was pissed off 'cos he was still horny, but the witch didn't know that. My soulmate can look like a real mean, malicious bully when he wants to.

"Don't worry about him. He's just horny and now has to wait." I apologised to the witch feeling my soulmate's frustration.

I saw a faint understanding smile. "I'm sorry. Didn't mean to catch you, I just want a smoke before class."

I grinned with a crafty smile. "He'll just have to wait till later."

"You're one of the new American guys aren't you?" He asked me as he leaned back against a different tree from our one, pulling a pack of Marlboro's out of his pocket and a lighter out of his jeans pocket. He offered me a smoke, which I accepted and lit the end for me, he lit his own, before putting the pack and lighter away. "But are you a werewolf or a shifter?"

"Yes, I'm Liev and I'm a lynx." I responded with a grin. "I know the foxglove and lily is misleading."

He managed a shaky smile back. "You're telling me it's been driving me nuts trying to work out what you are. I can see your tattoos,"

Foxgloves were a symbol used by the werewolves; lilies were for the rest of us shifters and I realised he must have some power if he could see under Tien's spell that hid my tattoos. I told him that I didn't want a lily tattooed on me, which was the truth. I mean can you imagine a guy like me wandering Scotland with black lilies tattooed on my skin? I mean I can take care of myself, but there's no reason to provoke unnecessary fights or get someone beaten up by my soulmate too is there? Plus the way I looked at it werewolves were shifters after all.

I wasn't the only one who saw it this way either, Chay had done the same thing with his tattoo and the necklace he wore. He'd told me there was no way he was wearing a fucking lily and he added it fucks with their minds; they can't work out what he is, werewolf or falcon. I agreed it is fun messing with Night World minds. Damien too liked roses better then the iris lamia's used. Damien had a bit of a romantic streak he never admits to usually but once he told me that he liked the beauty has thorns metaphor that a rose declared itself to be. He said a rose was the best metaphor he'd found for a vampire.

"Your Michael aren't you? We're in math together." I responded.

He nodded indicating with a jerk of his thumb the direction my soulmate had gone in the sad expression returning to his face. "He's one of you new guys isn't he? Is he your soulmate?"

I nodded agreeing to both and told him a bit about him.

"You're lucky, as much as that one's a bastard, he's nothing like mine." Michael commented with bitter hurt and anger mixed up together.

I gave him a thoughtful look. "My soulmate isn't so bad aye."

Michael snorted. "You didn't see him beat the crap out of Nathan yesterday or make Jade cry. I think they both hit on him."

I laughed. "He's good at that."

"But if you think that was something to see, you should watch what happens when someone hits on me." I added laughing harder as I remembered the last time, that guy has permanent scars along his throat and may never find a way to retrieve his balls.

Michael gave me a real smile. "It was funny to see someone kick the shit out of Nathan. That vampire is a complete wanker, thinks he owns the world and your shifter taught him differently. Jade's only human but her soulmate is oblivious to the fact she fucks any of us she can get."

We shared a grin and then his expression grew haunted, the shadows I'd seen before returning to his brown eyes. "But at least your soulmate gives a damn. Mine couldn't give two shits."

I folded my arms across my chest and he took that as an invitation and proceeded to give me his life story.

By the end I was quiet and still, leaning against the same tree as I kept the anger out of my expression as I watched the small witch quietly cry as he fiddled with the black dahlia ring he wore. I felt really uncomfortable watching him but felt I couldn't leave him alone either. I had seen him around the school in the month we'd been here watching over and hanging out with Jason but this was the first time we'd spoken.

I hadn't realised this chance meeting would open up this conversation. He had my sympathy and rage; he was one of the sad, unfortunate casualties of the Night World. He was 15 and soulmated to a Night World lamia and he was treated like trash. I was surprised he was actually still alive to be really honest, there have been a number of violent stories cropping up where Nightworlders have discovered themselves soulmated to undesirables, humans being the worst, and have murdered them, it happens a lot with the vampires.

Vampires see themselves as top of the food chain and superior to the rest of us in the Night World hierarchy. Most Night Worlders especially vampires consider humans as nothing but food and sometimes a free fuck, just vermin. In a number of Night World enclaves humans are still kept as slaves in the old world feudal system that exists on them. Vampires tolerate us shifters but they consider witches to be nearly human, as aside from their magic don't have any healing ability, strength, speed or heightened senses unless they are spells.

There was news of humans being kidnapped and taken back to the enclaves as slaves and food for the vampires living there. Vampires tend to barely tolerate the rest of us on good days; werewolves get generally treated as bottom of the food chain. Which I could never understand, werewolves are alright, I had no problem with them, I have a foxglove tattoo after all, and they make awesome soldiers.

I'd even heard of a powerful made vampire in France who had found himself soulmated to a werewolf and he'd murdered her the same night he'd discovered her. I had a cousin, a leopard shifter who found herself soulmated to a human boy and she had him killed, Damien's brother is soulmated to a human girl and he kept her as a slave. I personally dealt with my cousin; Damien did the same with his brother. But they were mad anyway, fit for the nut house, killing your soulmate doesn't keep you on the sane road.

It's a horrifying side effect but shows the grim reality of what the Night World can be like. Those of us who are members of Circle Daybreak generally don't have any of this bullshit and do our best to try and rescue the poor unfortunates before they're killed or damaged too badly. Some Night Worlders join Daybreak like my soulmate did, if they find out we're part of it, but it's not actually that common. Most of us who are Daybreakers have been brought up this way or least Tien and I were. Damien was originally part of the Night World but he switched sides through my influence and seeing how evil they can be. I was lucky my soulmate and best friend changed sides, but Damien believes in justice and fair play, we've also been friends since we were 5, he's like a brother to me. My soulmate happens to be a falcon and they mate for life, wherever I go, he goes, he's mine as I've said and would never leave me, so as much as he grumbles and used to be a Night World assassin he now fights with us or me actually if you want the blunt truth.

So I felt embarrassed for all of us and disgusted on behalf of this poor witch. I could see from the pale, exhausted and heartsick state of him that he was being fed on and fucked probably, just used. I could see a healing bruise or two and I often saw him in this state and the real pathetic thing was Michael loved his vampire. The reason he was crying at the moment is he'd seen his soulmate fucking another guy, in the bathroom of all places. He'd heard of Daybreak because he was a member, another mark against him as far as his soulmate Cris was concerned and knew I was one as well. I wasn't trying to hide that from anyone in the school, neither was Tien, Damien and Chay were playing the Night Worlders.

I hesitated wanting to give Michael a hug but I didn't want to give him the wrong idea, he'd seemed really unstable and heartbroken though.

"Fuck it." I muttered and dropped the end of my cigarette on the ground, stamping the stub out with the toe of my shoe.

I shifted, stepping forward and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, giving him a friendly one armed hug.

"Do you have friends you can stay with?" I asked him quietly when he leaned against me, wiping his eyes with his sleeve as he sniffed discreetly.

He looked up his brown eyes red and humiliated but he gave me a weak nod. "I'm so embarrassed for dumping all that on you and now crying like a fucked up sissy." He muttered bitterly his face had too many shadows for one so young and nice, but then the Night World rarely treats you nice.

All of us have old, hard eyes, shadows and masks, it's how we survive, any weakness, any hint of softness and you become prey to someone else.

"Do that then and don't worry about it." I replied giving his shoulder a friendly squeeze and I let go.

"Time for us to skip school I think. A coffee sounds good to me right now." I said glancing at my watch as I waited for him to pull himself together.

A phone call to Tien and I was borrowing his car.

We went.

+ + + + + + + + + + +

"What did you end up doing with Michael?" Damien asked me later that evening, after school and we'd all returned to the safe house we were living in on London's east side.

A karate trained hunter Old Soul and her werewolf soulmate ran and looked after it. At the moment there was our team plus two other Daybreak Night Worlders who were sharing it. The other two were a made vampire who looked about 16, but felt a lot older than that and a newly awakened lost witch. You rarely found made vampires who looked older than 18 as any made after that usually don't make it through the change. They were strangers to us and each other. But we were all seeking sanctuary or using the place as a base.

At the moment only Damien and I were home, Chay had gone hunting and to watch over Jason while he was at it, Tien was out visiting his grandparents who also lived in London and I wasn't sure where Sofia or Rhianna were. I doubted Rhianna had gone far; she was too traumatised from the vampire attack that had awakened her witch power.

"Pretty much ditched school and borrowed Tien's car to take him for a coffee and a time out. I then took him to his friends. He didn't need to be at school like that and I knew Tien was with Jason." I answered him with sigh I had just finished telling Damien Michael's story.

"Damn the shitty things that our people do are fucked up." Damien said angrily. "I'll see what I can do about Cris."

"If you get to him before I do." I said darkly.

"I just worry that soulmate of his will finally be done with Michael." I admitted just as knowingly, inside I was really worried for his life.

"Me too, from what you told me his days sound numbered." Damien admitted back with an angry look his dark blue eyes taking on a silver cast as his anger woke up his predatory side.

"Dinner lads, move your butts." Mary called from the kitchen. "Make sure you wash up on your way."

We were sitting in the lounge, the television on low with the News in the background. Obeying Mary we got up, turned the television off and dutifully washed up before we came to the table and got to sit down to an old fashioned roast lamb dinner.

I was eager I only saw this kind of food when I went and visited my family, which is usually once a year when everyone was back at the old Scottish castle my father's family have owned since the 1700s. My parents are journalists so they travelled the world picking up stories, usually from crime ridden areas of the world. My older sister was in the army and I worked for Zach, so we were always away and rarely saw each other.

"That was great!" I said appreciatively as I managed to stuff a last mouthful into my mouth.

"Thank you." Damien agreed with grateful sigh as he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his full stomach.

We got a smile from the lady of the house and a grunt from her soulmate, I got to my feet and with Damien's help we cleared away the dirty dishes for washing.

Damien had just dried and put away the last fork when my cell phone rang.

"You guys better get your asses down here pronto! A Night World crew is surrounding the house Michael's in." Chay ordered me.

"Where's Jason?" I demanded it was nice to hear that Chay had looked in on him, he'd been the first one home so I'd already told him Michael's story, but he was supposed to be watching Jason.

"He's fine, Tien is with him. We switched shifts; it's his turn to babysit, so I looked in on your friend." He answered me his tone impatient.

Damien with his sharp hearing and telepathy heard Chay through my phone and had obviously talked to his soulmate and Chay because he was already striding to the door, keys in hand.

I hung up and followed Damien out to the car knowing he'd have got directions off Chay.

I hoped we got there in time!