Nighthawk Old West AU

AUTHOR: TexasAries2

FANDOM: Magnificent Seven - Nighthawk OW/AU

PAIRINGS: Chris/Vin/ Ezra, Josiah/Nathan, JD/Buck

DATE: December-2002

TYPE: Slash

RATING: NC-17

STATUS: WIP, Close

This AU is set in the Old West where vampires and other creatures of the night existed, but are thought to be myth. This AU will be opened once the series is finished.

Author's Notes: I want to thank MotherRati for reading this story and for the kind comments and encouragements in helping me write this story. This AU will be opened once the series is finished.

Terms Used: Amicizia = Friendship
Adorato = Beloved
Amante = Lover

CHAPTER 01: EZRA'S POV

The setting sun cast blue-black shadows on the ground but made the town laid out in front of the approaching rider glow with a reddish light. The rider himself was a silhouette in black, framed by the red setting sun; if an observer had been close enough he would have seen the man grin and happiness light the beautiful face, but otherwise all one would see was a ray of light flashing off a gold tooth.

*

I sat up a little straighter as I came within the town limits, happy to be home. After two days away picking up papers for the judge in Eagle Bend I was ready to be clean, to see the companions that I had claimed in my heart as my brothers and nest mates, to join in a game of chance and then to retire to my soft, comfortable feather bed.

Brothers.

Companions.

Nest mates.

How strange that term sounded to me – nest mates – for I had never thought about claiming any mortal for my nest or as a companion. Three years of living with these strange but wonderful men had made me rethink my stand on claiming human mates, though. We fought as all strong-willed men will do, but under that was something mystical – destiny, as Josiah would say.

The first time I’d met these men I’d been drawn to them but knew that I couldn't stay, for I was in the middle of a chase to destroy a rogue vampire that took joy in killing children. I’d decided to go with them because I had tracked the killer to the hills around the Seminole village and in their company I could look for the rogue without raising suspicion about my true reason for going that way, but soon found that I’d made a slight miscalculation. The Seminole’s chief recognized what I was right away and welcomed me with the gift of blood; he too had felt the rogue vampire taking up residence in the hills around the village and was frightened for his people, but unfortunately he couldn't tell me where the rogue was hiding. I had no clue where the rogue might be until I heard about the defunct gold mine, for I knew the rogue would be attracted to the ore rich dirt just as I would be.

Once the battle was over I continued my hunt, knowing that come nightfall the smell of blood would drive the rogue into a feeding frenzy that could kill them all. But as I drew closer to the cave I heard the sound of battle coming from the village and I paused, torn between killing the vampire or turning around to help. Lowering my head I continued on towards the mine, hoping that the other six men would survive long enough for me to rescue them - if not, I would hunt down and destroy those who had killed them.

Once we returned to Four Corners I’d decided that it was time to move on…until fate and a wily old wizard decided to interfere. Before I knew what was happening Judge Travis had placed me under arrest and I was in the Four Corners jail, all done under some made-up charge just so he could keep me in this dusty little town. Looking back on it he must have known something, for he gave me a probation of one month so that I could not leave the town even if I wanted too. Magic! I should hate him for trapping me here but now I owe the old man; for here I have found what I’d always wanted, a family.

Thinking of my family I though of our leader, Chris Larabee. I have met men and women who have lost loved ones in far more horrendous ways, but something about Chris caught my attention. Maybe it was the quiet way he suffered their loss, maybe it was the fact that he was willing to put himself at risk to protect others so that they wouldn't have to suffer as he had, it could even be the way he challenged me on so many levels of both mind and soul. Chris Larabee will never be a great man or even that famous, but I was proud to ride at his side, proud to have such an honorable man to call friend. There are times that we fight as any two strong-willed men will on occasion, but even at those times I was still drawn to him. He was definitely an enigma, a deadly gunslinger that appeared to be an illiterate drunkard with a short fuse, but in reality he was an intelligent, decent, honest man that I enjoyed talking with. And there was quite an education to be had in watching Chris con the people of Four Corners to think that he was the bad element.

Buck had told us that first year was the hardest on Chris and at that time he did drink too much and start fights, which had earned him the reputation he had. But when he’d hurt an innocent man by accident, almost widowing this wife and robbing his children of a father, that made our leader took a long, hard look at his life and he’d found himself disgusted by what he was doing. Chris did try to change, but his reputation was fixed in everyone's head by that time so he’d decided to use it to help those in danger, trying to protect others so that they wouldn’t suffer the way he had.

So to reinforce this con Chris would buy a bottle of red-eye, dump out four-fifths of the liquor and fill the bottle up with water. I still couldn't believe that the people of Four Corners were fooled so easily; how could they not see that it was all an act when Larabee would become sober at the drop of a hat? The five of us figured out pretty fast what he was doing and we helped keep his secret. That was also why Vin was so comfortable stealing Chris' drinks, he knew that the alcohol wouldn't impair him if bounty hunters came to call.

The next man who’d grabbed my heart was Vin Tanner. Our tracker was a man of many layers and a man that knew and understood me even better than I did myself. He was so free, so wild that he took my breath away, a fresh breeze that aired out this dusty old spirit and gave it life and laughter. Vin was the first person in such a long while that had given me his friendship, which was something I guarded and treasured. But he was also a lonely spirit, at least until he met Chris.

There was something so right about them being together. They seemed to mesh so well, and there was no doubt that both men were meant to be together. During the last few months I had seen them slowly awakening to their desire and love for each other, and I knew that their love and passion would rival anything that Anthony and Cleopatra or Romeo and Juliet had had. I could only hope to warm myself at the edge of their love for one another while I tried to suppress mine for them; I would gladly share either the Adorato or Amante bond with Chris and Vin, but I knew that was only a foolish dream that I would carry with me during my long years alone.

Thinking of Vin made me think of Josiah Sanchez for he offered me the first taste of what a family of brothers could be. He was also an interesting man who was filled with contrasts, for he was a man of peace but also a warrior who would fight to keep that peace. And like Chris, Josiah had also suffered; for he felt he’d betrayed his sister by leaving her with their father instead of taking her with him. Poor Josiah, it wasn't his fault that his father had been a cruel, insane man that took joy in crushing his children's spirits. It was a miracle that Josiah turned out to be the man that he is – a man that I could easily share the Adorato bond with as well as my bed and body.

I enjoyed listening to Josiah tell me of his beliefs, which were as unique as he was for he mixed Christianity with the other religions he’d encountered in his travels to make one that was both tolerant and caring. I also liked to hear about his travels, and the books he had read made for some interesting debating between he, Chris and myself while we sat protecting Four Corners on quiet nights and days. Our shared passion for books resulted in us trading them back and forth, thereby increasing our meager supply of reading materials and allowing us to exercise our minds.

The one that took me longest to get to know had been Nathan, for every time I’d think we had become friends he would make a cutting remark or do something to make me angry. It took me a while to figure out why Nathan was so hostile to me; for a while I’d though it was because I sounded like a Southerner but then I’d realized that he was jealous of the time I spent with Josiah.

Nathan was hopelessly and madly in love with our unique preacher, but he hadn't realized that himself yet. Once I understood why he lashed out we became friends and started to understand each other. It had surprised both of us to find out that we had the same interest in the wonderful art of swordplay and we spent hours sparring with one another. That opened the doors for some interesting discussions between us. I learned of his dream of becoming a true doctor but his fears that because he was a man of color it was a foolish dream. I told him that it was not foolish and that every man, no matter the color of his skin, should have the chance to reach his goals. I think it surprised him that I was willing to back him after our rocky start, but as I worked with him to get the medical books and help he needed to reach his dream I could see us growing closer to one another.

I became addicted to watching Nathan as he helped heal those who came to him, for his face seemed lit up from within by the caring and gentleness that was his spirit. And the love and worry that shone in his face when one of us was sick made him look like an angel to me and probably to the others. The gentle way he touched us and his soft words of comfort became our shelter during the long storm of our pain and illness; we knew that someone was there to help us and that we were never alone. But I have also seen Nate's face become hard and cold with anger when evil struck and seen how he would fight and defend with same determination he displayed when he healed.

As I got to know them and watched both Josiah and Nathan together I realized how perfect they were for each other, for Josiah was just as much in love with Nathan as the healer was with him; the only thing stopping them from being together was that neither of them wanted to acknowledge their attraction for one another. I had recently decided that it was about time the two stubborn, mule-headed men realized that they belonged to each other and I was determined to make it happen.

The scoundrel of group was Buck Wilmington, who had a smile that could light up a city and was pure sex on two legs. He’d had me lusting after him from the first time I’d met him, for his scent was heavily laden with the musky smell of sex. But as I got to know him I realized that there was more than pleasure to Buck, for he was also a man of compassion, loyalty, and gentleness tempered by a strong stubborn streak for justice. He didn't see people as male or female, black or white, he just saw people; and if someone was hurt he turned into a furious protector that was almost animalistic in nature. He was fond of touching, and not only did he touch women but men as well. It surprised me how much more affectionate he was towards us six than anyone else, and several times it took all my strength of will not to throw him onto my poker table and take him in front of the goddess and the whole bloody town.

Like Chris, Buck was still grieving for both Sarah and Adam and I know he also still feels guilty about keeping Chris away that one night. But I don't agree; I thank everything that is holy that it had happened that way, for Chris would be dead today if Buck hadn’t kept him away. I believe that with all my heart and I think Sarah would agree with me. But there is also an older pain that Buck keeps hidden from all of us, some heartache that is buried so deep inside him that Buck doesn't want to acknowledge it let alone allow anyone to see it. He tries to hide it with his flirtatious behavior and most don’t notice the way he doesn't give too much of himself to anyone, but the others and I had noticed what he was doing and with JD's help he was slowing opening up to us, letting us get know him ... and to love him.

The last man in our group is JD, the kid, the sheriff, and our youngest. There is something about him that makes all of us determined to protect him, maybe because of his gentle ways, his quietness or maybe his thirst for life. But at the same time we’d all sometimes have liked to tan his behind for him, especially when he’s done something courageous and foolish or when he is being too stubborn....

Hmm, there seems to be a pattern here. Now that I think about it, the seven of us are probably the most mule-headed group of men in the United States, if not the world. Maybe that's why we get along so well, because no one else could put up with us.

There is much that we don't know about JD Dunne, for he is not as he seems at first glance; I think we may have mistaken a dreamer for an innocent. There is a worldliness about him, but at the same time he hasn’t lost his belief in heroes and justice. Yes, he is a dreamer; but we need dreamers to see what we could be and he does that for us. Subconsciously, we all want to give him his dream.

I could feel my brown furrow as I contemplated our youngest. My suspicions about JD were first spiked by his mode of speech, that lacked any slang words or even a trace of accent, and then there was the careful way he writes which told me that he’d had an excellent education – an education that spoke of money and therefore didn’t quite mesh with his mother being a servant. Then there was the fact he was too damn good with those guns of his, for it takes a great deal of practice to be able to shoot with both hands with any accuracy and his accuracy was astounding for someone who had just arrived in the West. He also knew the laws awfully well for someone so young. This all led me to believe that young JD was probably the youngest son of some judge or lawyer from back East, and a rich one too if the guns, the English style saddle and his cufflinks were anything to go by.

Not for one moment did I believe the boy - no, young man - was hiding something evil, for I knew those types too well. No, he just wanted to do something on his own. To stand on his own two feet with out the influence of a family name or money, to make mistakes and then own up to them as well as to try to set right what he has done wrong. That I could both admire and encourage, for it takes a good man to do this and that JD is. That courage and strength of character drew me to him; I wanted to show him the wonders of the world and see his eyes light up with joy, to lay my head upon his chest and listen to his heart beat as he told me of his dreams, to look down into those brown depths and see them burn with passion as I made love to him or him to me…

Dragging my thoughts away from where they were leading I thought about how good Buck and JD would be for each other. I'd seen the way JD watched Buck, hell we all had, but I had also seen the way Buck watched JD. They are definitely interested in one another but Buck thinks JD is too young while JD thinks that Buck is only interested in women. Too bad I can’t tell JD that Buck is not exclusively interested in women, not with the way I smell Chris on him sometimes.

Settling more comfortably into the saddle I sighed with contentment over my relationship with the six men. I am old enough and honest enough with myself that I can admit I love all of them, love them like I haven't allowed myself to love for almost eighteen hundred years. I had been prepared to spend as much time with them as I could before I had to move on, before people became suspicious, and when I did I’d known that I would be leaving behind my old, battle-scarred heart and soul with them. But that was before. Something had changed about two months ago; I had almost lost all six of them, not to a bullet, not to a human enemy, but to illness.

Smallpox.

We were in a small town called Ingleside escorting a gang of murdering cowards to jail when the epidemic broke out. For the first time in almost two millennia I was scared, terrified really, not for myself for I could not catch the disease but for my friends. I’d begged them to stay in our hotel rooms safe from the disease, but they’d refused like I’d known that they would and instead they’d rolled up their sleeves and started to help those around them uncaring of the risk to their lives.

Two days later I watched, as first Josiah was stricken and then JD and Vin. The remaining four of us continued to help the others stricken by the disease but we’re never far from our friends. Then Chris and Buck collapsed, followed shortly by Nathan, leaving only six people besides myself to care for the seventy souls being kept in the church and saloon and still suffering in the throes of the disease. Fifteen of the people in this little town had already died, four of them elderly, three out of the five outlaws and the rest, children. For me that was the hardest part, to watch young lives destroyed by this terrible enemy, an enemy that I couldn't fight.

It was on the sixth day of the epidemic that I came to realize my friends were dying and I was the only one who could save them. It was up to me to either embrace them, making them vampires, or to create a bond between them and me. The Amicizia bond is the mildest form of linkage that a Nighthawk is able to create; it would mark them as my property while making them immune to all diseases and infections, at least for a while.

As the day wore on I convince the other two helpers to rest while I sat watch. As soon as they were sound asleep I made my way to my friends. Cutting open my wrist, I first forced Josiah and then the others to drink my blood - praying the whole time that if they did remember what happened they would think it but a feverish dream. As each of them drank I felt the bond slid into place, and by nightfall their fevers broke. It was only then that I took some time to go to feed off of Chaucer and the other's horses to replenish my own strength.

In less than a week my friends were well enough to return to Four Corners, and since then I had noticed them watching each other and me with a certain hunger in their eyes that hadn’t been there before. Something definitely strange was going on, for they were a lot more sensual than they had been before I’d given them my blood, the effects of which should have worn off after about a week. Now they had women and even some men gravitating towards them, drawn to them in ways that made me want to drag them away from everyone and claim and mark them as my own.

I pulled myself away from that train of thought. After two days of thinking about it no answer had been forthcoming, and I was beginning to think that maybe it was time to tell the six my secret. But how would they react? Would I be accepted or would I be forced to leave, that was the question.

It was as I was heading Chaucer towards the livery stables that I smelled them. The faint scent told me that they had left a little over twelve hours ago and there were two, or could it be three, full Amante-bonded pairs that were on the verge of becoming fledgings as well as the scent of three vampires.

The first emotion I felt was fear, not for myself but for my bond mates. Somehow I knew that they had been taken, taken by a vampire using these companions I’d scented. A growing rage ignited within me ready to burn those who dared touch what was under my protection.

How dare they take what was mine!

I had urged Chaucer into the stable and into his stall when I notice Chanu's scent. I whirled around to face him with guns raised - for I hadn't forgiven him for hurting Vin – and my actions seemed to startle him. I paused a second before holstering my guns and I demanded, "Chanu, what are you doing here?"

Watching me warily he told me, "Father has sent me to tell you that those who hunt for blood have come to the area. They hope with your death and your clan's that they could hunt us all."

WHAT!

This wasn't good at all. It looked like my secret would be revealed tonight if I was to save my nest from the others. I would have to take out the vampires and let Chris, Vin and the others to handle the companions; I just hoped that they were strong enough to do so. Chanu told me that our sharpshooter somehow had contacted the shaman through a spirit walk; he’d wanted them to warn me and find some way to escape from the vampires. The concern of my loved ones gave me a warm feeling, but it also fueled my anger and my protectiveness. I was determined to rescue them, and to teach those who took them not to try harming the companions of a Nighthawk.

I got Chanu to tell me everything, including the fact that the ones I sought would be at Larabee's cabin; I figured that they were planning to ambush me, but they didn’t quite know who I was or that I was coming for them. I felt a feral grin break across my face, for those who harmed my family would die. Once Chanu left I quickly went to my room and changed my clothes to something more in keeping with tonight's activities. I had to grin for my mother - correction my sire - would be happy to know that I’d be using my god…really, goddess, given talents. Tonight I fly!

*

When I arrived at Chris’ shack I saw that Chris, Buck and the others were tied up like turkeys ready for slaughter. I had to suppress a snarl of anger at the treatment my nest mates had gotten at the hands of my enemies…and then the wind changed and I smelled a blood scent coming from my family.

Blood!

All of them showed signs that they had been taken; their pale, ashen, skin, the pain in their eyes and faces and the weakness that each man exhibited all screamed it. I couldn’t prevent this snarl from escaping, and it had the three vampires and six fledging companions looking for the source. Reining in my feelings of rage I circled around and came up behind my captured family, walking forward into the light right behind Buck. To all outward appearances I was unconcerned about my situation or finding my friends held hostage. Squatting behind Buck, I sliced through the ropes holding him and then handed him the knife so he could free the others. Standing once again I asked them in my most insolent and lazy voice, "Are you looking for me?"

I wove my way among my companions so I could check their conditions and to give them comfort by touching each one. Each of them urged me to leave and save myself, but I asked them to trust me and they all told me to be careful; something must have told them I had a plan or it could simply have been that they trusted me to get them out of this. I just hoped that the trust, friendship and love they had for me wouldn’t disappear once they knew my secret.

The fledgings had spread out so that my enemies formed a circle around my family, and I moved to position myself in front of my nest as the first line of protection between them and the vampires who were waiting to kill them. And then I turned to face my enemies.

When we heard the snarl it made me jump, for it wasn’t like anything I had ever heard before and I could tell the enemy hadn’t either. Of course the vampires just grinned at one another and moved to search for the source of the sound…and then Ezra stepped into the light from behind Buck.

Gone was the brightly colored gambler, instead he was dressed all in black; black leather pants, strange black boots that kind of looked like moccasins and went up to his knees, and finally a black leather vest that exposed his white-skinned, muscular arms and chest to the night breeze. There was an air of menace about him and a deep raging anger that made my own look like a campfire while his was a forest fire. He used the same voice that could piss me off within seconds to ask if they were looking for him, and at the same time he bent and cut through the ropes binding Buck before giving him the knife.

I knew that I was too weak to help, as were the others, so we urged him to run, to save himself. But instead he gently touched us and asked us to trust him. Something … something told me that he could handle our enemy and so I told him, "Be careful, Ez."

The others must have agreed with me because they each told him approximately the same thing I had. The smile that he graced us with lit his face before he turned to confront the enemy. His posture was relaxed, but I knew from long years of watching this man’s back that the more relaxed he was the more dangerous he was.

The vampires were laughing, probably thinking that Ezra was a fool to try to challenge them. The other six people with them seemed to almost cringe from that maniacal laughter and I could see that they were pulling away from their leaders, trying to get as far from both them and Ezra as possible.

We struggled to our feet, determined to go down fighting, backing our seventh. I took a deep breath and spared a look into the black starlit sky, accepting the fact I was going to die; peace flowed through me as I whispered to Adam and Sarah that I would be joining them soon. Then I turned to look at the men around me, my family, and saw that they had the same peace in their eyes as well. We were ready to die and we would take as many of them as we could with us. For one moment I looked deeply into the blue eyes of my Texan and then I reached for him; I wanted one kiss before we died so that we would have something to take with us to our graves.

His lips were warm and soft and I deepened the kiss, feeling the lean body that I’d hungered for both while awake and while sleeping alongside mine. It was like one moment of paradise, and I hoped that we would be together in the afterlife. I pulled back to gently caress my beloved's face, allowing our eyes to do all the talking for us before we turned to face our deaths side by side.

I watched as the alpha vampire came forward, still laughing, to face Ez, but as soon as he came within five feet of our gambler the laugher was gone and he snarled, "Time for you to die, little mortal. Then your friends, the Nighthawk, and then the town you protect. I will enjoy that; I will especially enjoy hunting the children, their fear is so delicious."

OH GOD!

Not the kids.

I could feel the others shifting, fanning out, determine to block the enemy from our town and the children under our protection. I prayed to whatever god might be listening that EZ would keep a cool head – there was only one thing that could make him lose control, and that was a threat to harm any child.

A rage like boiling lead came from the small southerner and rolled over all present as Ezra snarled back, "You have made a number of errors, Vampire. First, no one but you and yours will die tonight; and second, whatever gave you the thought that I was human or mortal?" He then whirled towards me and shouted, "Catch, Chris!" A gold spark was coming towards me and I reached out to capture it. It was the ring Ezra always wore.

What?

Why did he throw this to me?

It was the shocking quiet that made me look up from the ring towards the enemy. Gone were the sneers and confidence that the vampire leader had displayed, instead there was fear – no, terror was coming off all the vampires and those with them.

A snarl came from Ezra and then .... I rubbed my eyes thinking that the loss of blood had made me hallucinate, but when I looked at Ezra again I realized that it was no illusion. From Ezra’s wrists foot-long curved claws were extending, glittering in the firelight, beautiful but deadly. The gambler's appearance was also changing, his face contorting into something that wasn’t human; he looked like some distorted version of a wolf with rows and rows of long, sharp, deadly teeth, a nightmare come to life.

With a roar he launched himself at the pack of vampires, moving so fast that he was just a blur of motion. His strength was so great that he flung the vampires around like rag dolls, trying to get to their leader. Once he got his hands on the alpha vampire Ezra held him off the ground with one hand around his throat and growled at him, "You have come into my territory. You have attacked what is mine. You have broken the rules of the Goddess and now you must pay."

And then Ezra ripped open the vampire’s chest with his teeth, and with one bite of those powerful jaws he ate the vampire's heart. It took all my strength not to lose the contents of my stomach, but poor JD wasn't so lucky. Ezra dropped the body then turned his blood-smeared wolfen face to the two other vampires who were cowering together for protection. He stalked them like a large, deadly cat would a mouse; it was a short fight and then they both ended up like their leader, dead.

Then he turned on the six men and women who had been with the vampires, but as he moved towards them his eyes softened and his face transformed back to its normal appearance - but the claws did not vanish. The small group pulled back from him and looked ready to run when Ezra growled, "DON'T MOVE!"

The men and women froze and shivered with fear as he came near them. Ezra grabbed the chin of one of the females to turn her face towards him, and the unthinking terror in her eyes shocked me as she looked into his face. Then in a mild and gentle voice he asked her, "What is your name, childe?"

Shaking with terror she answered, "Lela."

Ezra cocked his head to the side. "How old are you?"

"Fif ... fifteen."

Ezra reached out and gently patted her on the head, trying to calm. "Now childe, how long have you been bonded?"

She seemed to grow calmer as Ezra stroked her hair. Her voice reflected her confusion. "Three months."

Ezra sat down and pulled her into his lap. He started to rock and -- was he purring? He was, and it seemed to calm the girl down. He turned to look at the others, and now that I had a moment to really look at them I realized that they were just children. Three boys and three girls, all around the same age as the girl in Ezra's lap.

Children.

Children too young to be away from their families.

My heart twisted in my chest at seeing the confusion and pain in their faces. Gone was the mad light and savage hunger that had been there when their leader was alive. These weren't the same creatures that had threatened me and my family. Gone was the red-eye nightmare that had come at me from out of the early dawn shadows as I made my morning rounds. I hadn’t even had time to react as the thing brought me to my knees and bit my neck. The next thing I remembered was waking up as Vin was dumped on me at my cabin; to see my beautiful tracker lying so pale and still with blood smeared on his neck enraged me, but I could do nothing. Nothing to protect him, nothing to save any of us. The creature had laughed at my rage and left. I’d pushed Vin over onto his back and bent down to place my head on his chest to see if he lived; hearing the strong heartbeat of my Texan I’d relaxed and thanked God that he was still alive. It was only then I’d looked around and seen that the rest of us had been captured as well, leaving only Ezra free.

My wild card.

My gambler.

My friend.

I’d hoped that Ezra wouldn’t come back, that maybe he had decided to stay an extra day, praying that at least one of my family of brothers would be spared and live to remember the rest of us. And I’d hoped that he wouldn’t try to seek revenge, but I’d known he would and only hoped that he’d be stronger than me, strong enough to survive.

I turned away from my morbid thoughts to watch Ezra with the children, to watch the magic he was weaving around them. I could see their fear every time he moved, but his gentle voice and manner were rekindling hope in their eyes. He must have done or said something that reassured them, for they dropped down and crawled forward to curl up around him seeking comfort. And as I watched, I knew that these poor victims of the vampires were just that, victims. Somehow they had been affected by the deranged evil in those three vampires who had torn them away from their families and all they had known.

My anger melted as I realized this, and I started forward with Vin to see what we could to help these poor children whose lives had been ripped from them. Lela looked up at us and hissed, but Ezra gave her a sharp tap on her nose and said, "No. Bad."

She stopped and blinked at him before saying, "Yes, Chosen." Ezra then tucked her head under his chin. Looking sternly at the others he told them, "I don't want any of you to threaten my nest. They just want to help you, they won't hurt you." Then he looked up at Vin and me and told us, "Sit down with me, they're scared. Their masters’ madness is gone and now they are confused."

We sat down close to Ezra and the children pulled back to watched us in fear. One of the girls was looking at me, and her resemblance to my baby sister had me hold out my arms to her and say, "You’re safe, I won't let anyone hurt you." She started forward slowly, looking into my eyes, and then before I know it I had a crying girl in my arms.

The others came forward and each man took a crying child into his arms and to try and comfort them – except for Buck, who stood guard to protect us all in case any more of those creatures came. The children filled the night with their sobs of pain and fear while my friends and I tried to soothe them with gentle words and soft touches; we didn't try to stop their crying, though, for all of us knew that the festering wounds to their hearts and souls could only be purged by tears.

I urged Lela up as the children began to grow quiet with the coming of dawn; I had to find them someplace to sleep. I knew that my friends wanted answers, but it would have to wait, the children had to come first. I’d been too late to break the Amante bond and now they are fledglings without a sire and vulnerable. I had to get them to a clan house where they could be trained to understand the written laws and how to feed properly without killing. The only place close enough was in Denver.

Holding up my hand to stop all the questions I asked Chris, "Mr. Larabee, could these young ones use your barn for the day? They need to rest and be protected from the sun."

Chris blinked at my request and replied, "Yes, but -- "

Nodding my thanks, I led the six fledglings into the barn where they found a dark corner and curled up around one another. Taking an old tarp down, I lay it across them for protection before ordering them to sleep and then I kept watch as they settled down to rest while I started to make plans for getting them home.

Finally, figuring that I had stalled enough, I turned to face my nest with a sigh and held out my hand to Chris. "Chris, could I have my ring back please?"

Without a word the gunslinger put the ring in my hand and I promptly placed it on my finger. I felt the shield settle around me, muting what I was from everyone and cutting me off from my most of my powers as a Nighthawk. Looking at the six faces waiting for an explanation, I led them from the barn to Chris’ shack and busied myself with readying some coffee while trying to order my thoughts. I figured that I had about thirty seconds before Chris exploded so I turned to them and said, "Gentlemen please have a seat, it is a long story."

I settled down in a chair and looked around at the men that meant everything to me, the family that I hadn't had for almost two thousand years, my friends, and ... my mates. Taking a deep breath, I started at the beginning. "My name at my birth was Esme, and I came from the northern part of Gaul which today we call France. I was taken when I was twelve and brought to Rome to be sold as a slave." I closed my eyes, remembering that day the slavers came and killed many of my village, including my mother. The men, who were returning from a hunt, only drove them off and the last I saw of my father was him fighting to get to me before the slaver that had me rode away.

I pushed down the painful memories and concentrated on the here and now, but when I opened my eyes I saw shock on Nathan's face. "Yes, Mr. Jackson. I was a slave." I looked away, refusing to meet any of their eyes as I continued. "A slave with my eye and hair color was very valuable so they took great care with me…especially when they found out that I was a virgin. I was sold as a pleasure slave and given as a gift to Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, Emperor of Rome, just before he left to tour Greece."

I’d figured that Josiah would be the only one to know who I was talking about and my suspicions were confirmed when I heard him whisper, "Dear God." But what surprised me was when Chris started to swear, which had the other men questioning he and Josiah. I couldn't look at either of them, fearing to see disgust and hatred in their eyes.

When I felt someone coming near me I stood up, not wanting to be touched, and walked to the window to look out into the night, trying to find peace in the starlit sky and taking deep calming breaths to help stop the panic attack I felt coming on. Once I felt that I was ready to continue I told them, "Nero was mad, for weeks he would treat me like his son, then he would ignore me ... but always he used me for his pleasure. I hated him. I hated that he called me 'Son', that he would tie me to the bed, touching me…" I couldn't go on. I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against the windowpane, wrapping my arms around myself and hoping that I could keep myself whole and not fracture into tiny pieces. I’d never told anyone about that time, and to speak about it now broke open all the old wounds.

Taking a deep breath, I continued. "I was only with him during the last two years of his life. Nero had become increasingly paranoid and more tyrannical, but during one of his ... kinder moments he showed me the secret room he had built where he kept emergency food and money in case his enemies attacked. If they did he was planning on hiding there, with me to keep him ... entertained. I was fourteen when he died. "

I remembered that night, for he’d told me that he was going to kill me. He’d had the knife pressed to my throat, as he was about to rape me again when the pounding of one of his guards on the door stopped him. I hadn’t made a sound, for the guard wouldn't have helped me and it would only have angered Nero; I remembered hoping that the interruption would make Nero forget about me - or at least forget he’d been going to kill me. When the guard told Nero of the Senate’s decree that he was considered an enemy of the state and sentenced to be flogged to death I hadn’t been able to help grinning in fierce joy at the though of him suffering as I had, and I’d thanked the gods for granting my wish for his death.

But Nero had robbed me of the satisfaction of seeing him flogged to death by killing himself instead. I hadn’t made a sound as the guards and secretary removed the bastard's body from the room; it had been my only chance at freedom and I’d taken it. In a ragged breath I told my friends, "It took me most of the night to free myself and escape to the secret room. I stayed there for two weeks, until I could sneak out through one of Nero's secret passageways and escape."

It took me a month to make my way home to my father, only to get there and be disappointed. "I made my way home but nothing remained of my village and I could not find any information on where my father had gone. So I wandered the Roman Empire, learning to survive, and arrived in Jerusalem only to fall ill. A Hebrew found me at the back of his shop burning up with fever. He took me into his home and family. Gamaliel and his family looked after me until I was well and gave me my new name, Ezra." I opened wide the doors of my heart to this bright and wonderful memory of the time I’d spent with Gamaliel and his family, how he had taken me on as a jeweler's apprentice and the love they had given me. That warmth and love had kept me safe through the long years since I’d left them.

Opening my eyes once more, I saw that dawn was starting to light the sky. "Gamaliel was a jeweler and he taught me his trade. I was happy there…but everything changed the day I met Maude. At the time she was going by the name of Magdalene and is pretty much what you see now as she was then. Maude was the guest of the Roman governor, and when she saw me she wanted me as her childe. I was nineteen when she embraced me and I lost my family for the second time; I couldn't go back and defile Gamaliel and his family with what she had made me. So I faked my own death and left with her, traveling as her son, lover, slave, whatever she wanted. She taught me everything about being a vampire, as well as how to run the scams by which she supported herself."

I turned, not meeting any of my friends' eyes, and made my way to the stove to pour myself a cup of coffee before placing the pot on the table for the others. I then sat down and took a couple of sips of the hot liquid to settle my nerves before continuing my story. "I think that it was around 1248 that I ran into my second sire, Christian. He was the one who awakened in me the call of the Goddess, and I became a Nighthawk."

It’s hard to believe what has happened today … no, yesterday. To find that creatures I’d thought to be myths and old wives’ tales were actually real, that a man I rode with was not human and had lived for over a thousand years. A man that had risked everything to come and rescue us from enemies that we were defenseless against even though he knew that his secret would be revealed. He knew that we might reject him but was willing to sacrifice everything he had, his happiness, his home and possibly even his life to save us; it was the most unselfish act that I have ever witnessed and I am humbled by it.

I shuddered as I remembered how this nightmare started. It had been such a pleasant, ordinary night, the winds cooling us off after the heat of the day and the moon casting just enough light to see by from its perch in a sky that looked like velvet with the diamond lights of stars sprinkled upon it. I was walking with Nathan back to his clinic after saying goodnight to JD, Buck and Chris, enjoying spending time with a man that I had started to have strong feelings for and who, I believed had feelings for me. Nathan is a man who has seen the evil that men can do and yet has raised himself above it, a very gentle soul who out of kindness offers comfort and healing to those in pain and tries to help those less fortunate.

We’d stopped in the shadow of the stairs leading up to his clinic and were talking, about what I couldn’t tell you, and as the quiet of the night settled around us I became lost in the soft brown depths of his eyes. It was almost like I could reach out and touch his soul with mine, the perfect moment for me to finally declare my feelings to my dark healer and end our joint loneliness…but instead it was ripped from both us by two creatures who came out of the shadows to attack us. I fought with all my strength to protect him but I was still overpowered, and I watched in horror as the creature sank its fangs into Nathan’s neck while he reached out towards me, and as I felt a searing pain in my own neck he collapsed. Thinking my beloved was dead, I allowed the darkness to claim me so that we could be together in the afterlife.

When I regained consciousness it was still night and I saw that we were at Chris’ shack. My dark healer was resting snuggly against me, and when I saw his chest rise and fall I thanked god that he was alive, but when I saw Buck and JD tied up not far from us and still out I realized that we were in trouble. Not seeing Chris or Vin gave me hope that they might be free and we could still be rescued…but my hope was dashed when a man walked in carrying Chris’ body over his shoulder.

Smirking, the man dropped Chris and looked at me. I was frightened, who wouldn’t be, but I wasn’t about to let this creature know that; the red eyes that locked with mine were pure evil and I prayed to the Lord for strength. Snarling it told me, "Nice to see you awake, Preacher. Brought you a little company. Only two more and then the Magnificent Seven will be no more. Enjoy your last day, for come nightfall tomorrow all of you will die - including that interfering Nighthawk."

And then as fast as this nightmare had happened, it was just as suddenly over when Ezra came out of the night and destroyed those creatures like the wrath of god. At his transformation I recoiled from him; but as I watched I came to realize there was indeed a beauty in him, a savage beauty like to a predator at the moment of the kill, both terrible and breathtaking to behold.

Now as I sat here listening to Ezra's story my emotions were all over the place and from the looks on the others' faces they were in the same boat. It took all my control to not go over to Ezra and embrace him and try to take away some of the terrible pain that was rolling off him, but I knew he needed to tell us for he had kept this buried deep inside himself for centuries and he needed to let it out. I think the rest knew that as well. But it still tore into my heart and soul to hear the pain, terror and despair that Ezra had gone through as a child. My father in instructing my sister and I on the evilness of men had held Nero up as the most perverse and depraved man that ever was and to know that the child Ezra once was had been subject to the madman's base desires made me what to rip something apart…but Nero was long dead and so there was nothing I could do but be here for my friend and allow him to tell us the story of his life - or unlife, as the case may be.

All our impressions of the gambler had been destroyed by what he had revealed. I spared a quick glace at Nathan and saw shock and regret for his past behavior in his eyes, knowing that he had unfairly judged someone who not only understood slavery, but also had lived it in a way Nathan never had. When he lowered his head in shame I reached out and placed my hand on his shoulder to let him know he wasn’t alone; he wasn't the only one that had misjudged our seventh. His brown eyes rose to meet mine and I felt my breath freeze in my lungs as my body tingled with electricity. We started to lean towards each other but a sound made by one of the others broke the spell and we pulled back before I could touch those soft, inviting lips. I smiled, though, for I could see a promise in his eyes that we would have our own little discussion later on, the same discussion I had feared earlier would never take place.

Letting my hand fall from Nathan shoulder reluctantly, I shifted so that I could lean against him as we waited for Ezra to continue as the dawn light started to filter into the shack. Ezra was still refusing to meet our eyes, and I think all of us realized at the same time that he thought we were disgusted by him because of his past. Chris was the first to move, squatting down by the Southerner's chair. When Ezra didn't look up, Chris placed his hand under the man’s chin and lifted it so that the two sets of green eyes could meet. "Ezra, your past is just that, past. It wasn't your fault, what happened to you. You were a child."

Ezra shook his head, "No, Chris, I ... "

The gunslinger placed the palm of his hand across Ezra’s mouth, "No, Ezra. You were a child, no matter what your age, and there was nothing you could do but survive. It takes a strong person to do what you had to do to stay alive and I don't think any less of you." Chris then turned to the rest of us, indicating that we should come forward and tell Ezra that it didn't matter, that we would always be there for him. Vin removed the cup from Ezra’s lax hands before we gently pulled him off the chair so that we could wrap ourselves around him, and so the six of us gathered around our Southern brother and held him as he gave in to the tears that he had held in for too long.

Centuries too long.

We comforted him with gentle touches, soft kisses and reassuring words, telling him he’d done nothing wrong and that his place in our family hadn't changed. I held Ezra's hand to my cheek and made a silent vow that I would never call him son again, for now I knew why he hated that word and how it must have hurt him when I used it. Never again would I allow someone hurt him like that, not even myself.

As the sobs slowed he started to hear our voices, felt the caring in our touches and I saw the knowledge that we would not turn our backs on him wash over him and his beautiful but sad green eyes brightened with joy and happiness as he looked at us. We all knew that there was more for Ezra to tell us, and I watched as Chris made himself comfortable. He then shifted Ezra so that the gambler lay between his legs, allowing him to see all of us while we touched and soothed him. Our leader wrapped his right arm around Ezra and started to pet the troubled man with his left hand.

JD, being young and curious, was the first of us to ask, "Ez, what are you?"

Buck slapped him on the back of the head, which drew chuckles from the rest of us and broke some of the tension in the room. Even Ezra gave a slight grin and said, "Well JD, I am what is called a Nighthawk, which is sort of a ... vampire's vampire. You could also think of me as an enforcer of the Goddess’ will and law; my purpose is to settle disputes, track down those who ignore our laws and give permission to vampires for their hunts." I think he saw our questioning and worried looks at the term ‘hunts’ because he told us. "The vampires are permitted to hunt down and kill only the worst criminals in the area, men and women who take joy in killing and hurting others."

Ezra fell quiet letting us come to terms with this new information that vampires were not the soulless evil creatures that we had been led to believe and that they had their own laws and their own brand of justice, which was far harsher than ours. The knowledge that they hunted people was unsettling, but knowing that they chose to hunt only those who deserve to die eased my conscience. I knew that as lawmen we should all protest these hunts on the basis of the laws we were sworn to uphold, but I also knew that those laws don’t always serve justice, allowing some criminals to slip through the nets of justice and run free to kill over and over again. The justice served by the vampires might lie to rest some restless spirits. Looking into Chris’ green eyes I saw that he agreed with me and I knew that the others would as well; we lived in harsh times that required harsh punishment, so I felt that those who the vampires hunted deserved their fates.

The quiet that we fell into was broken by a single word from Buck. "Chosen?" We turn to look at him. What was he talking about? "Chosen. That's what the girl called you, what does it mean?"

Ezra gave Buck one of his dimpled smiles before answering, "Some call me that for I was called – or ‘chosen’, as the case make be." Then looking each of us in the eye he continued, "The Goddess I referred to is the goddess of monsters. Legend says that the humans beseeched her for help to control those who would destroy and kill for pleasure and her own people competed for the honor of being her champion. A vampire by the name of Lilith won and was given the Goddess’ blood to drink; she became the first Nighthawk and we are all descended from her. Each vampire chosen to be a new Nighthawk is required to drink the blood of a Nighthawk and so, in a sense, the blood of our Goddess herself."

Ezra voice had become very soft and it was obvious that he was uncomfortable about what was to follow. Chris cupped Ezra's chin in his strong hand and again forced the gambler to look at him. "Nothing you could say will change our feelings about you, Ezra. You're our brother and we won't leave you." Chris then gently planted a kiss on the smaller man’s forehead before releasing him. Ezra blinked up at him, shocked - hell we all were - by the gentleness and caring in that gesture.

But it had been the right thing to do. Ezra tucked his head against Chris’ neck, seeming to need this contact with our leader, needing Chris’ strength to proceed. His voice was still soft as he continued, "The blood sets off a chain reaction in the vampire that is to become a Nighthawk, sets our bodies and blood to burning for the hunt and the kill of the rogues and ..." Ezra's skin flushed a beautiful shade of red, his voice dropping to a soft whisper that had not only me leaning forward to hear but the others as well, "for the need for sex with that same sire."

I could see what Ezra was thinking, that we would think that he was a creature of base instincts, but his words told me something completely different. It sounded to me like he had only been used for sex, like no one had ever touched this beautiful man with anything but lust in their mind. Now ever since we had been so sick with smallpox I’d had a fantasy about Ezra and Nathan - truth to be told all of by brothers, but especially our gambler and healer. I had lusted after them both, but after what I’d just heard I knew I didn't want that for either of them. I didn't want to use Ezra like all the others who’d come before had done and I didn’t want Nathan to think that I was merely using him either; I didn’t want to take from either of them, I wanted to give. I wanted to…make slow, passionate love to them, to give both of them as much pleasure as they could ever want.

I reckon that yesterday was one of the strangest days I’d ever had, findin’ out Ez is something called a Nighthawk after we were attacked by creatures called vampires. What the heck are vampires?

Reachin' up, I touched the bite the creature had given me. I remembered how that thing had tracked me through the brush and after the first glimpse of it I could tell it wasn't the girl it appeared to be. It was somethin' evil, even the very earth had cried out against it. I’d stood in the center of a clearin' and watched as it circled me in the shade of the trees, jerkin' in pain every time sunlight touched it. So I’d figured that would be the best place to stand and fight it and, if my luck held out, to kill it.

It’d laughed when I pulled my knife out of my boot, but a shaman had given that knife to me, tellin' me that I would need it to defend my family from a great evil. The bone handle was made from the leg bone of one of the most powerful Lakota Sioux shaman's that’d ever walked the earth and it was carved with symbols of protection and power that would shield and warn me if any evil creatures were about. If I’d had any doubts that what I faced was evil the handle's warmth would have told me.

The creature had suddenly pounced at me, and then I’d seen it’s mad red eyes widen in pain as the knife slice across it's chest. It howled in pain and leapt back into the shadows nursin' the cut I’d given it, and for a minute I saw clear blue eyes looking at me in pain and confusion before they turned wild and red once again. It kept warily circlin’ me, hissin’ the whole time, but it looked like it was fightin' somethin' - somethin' that was pushing it to attack me again and again. Even with the knife I knew that I couldn't hold out forever, and I prayed that I might be able to take it with me so I could protect the rest of my family.

When I finally lost my footing in the grass as it attacked for the last time I knew I was finished. It knocked my knife away, and for split second blue eyes looked down at mine. A whispered, "I'm sorry," reached my ears before the creature’s mouth came down on my neck and pain flared as it bit me.

I blacked out and woke up in Chris’ shack with my hands and legs tied preventin' me from escapin'. I could see that I was surrounded by my family and knew that I’d failed them, but when I found out that Ez was still loose I prayed to the Great Spirit to protect him from the creatures. Desperate to warn both the tribe and Ez of the danger they were in I tried a spirit walk to see if I could reach Shaman Chakru and I was able to get through to him, but I just knew I’d failed again when Ezra showed up.

Lookin' back know I could tell there was somethin' different about Ez as he walked into the clearin'. Most people would reckon he was calm but I could tell he was angry, beyond angry to the point that he was in the flame of cold white rage. And when he removed his ring it was like bein’ touched by a guardian spirit, for somethin' reached out to cradle me in strength and love and I knew that it was my friend. He snarled in rage as he attacked those creatures, going for their leader first. It was so strange to watch how gracefully and powerfully he moved, the way the muscles in his arms, shoulders, and legs moved. Others would have seen him as something ugly but to me he was everything Mother Earth was and I’d never seen anything so powerful or beautiful as he was right then.

Now I sat listening to his life story, as he told us about bein' a pleasure slave and about some fella name Nero. I didn't know who Nero was, but that bastard had hurt my friend, my brother, badly; I’d have to wait to ask Josiah or Chris if they knew what’d happened to this fella, and I hoped it was something bad to make up for what he’d done. I had a feelin' that Ezra wasn't tellin' us everything for fear that we’d reckon less of him, and lookin’ around at my family I could tell they all knew it too. It looked like Ez had only been loved twice in his life, first by his parents and then by this fella Gamaliel and his family. Well, we all have him now and we’ll make sure he knows how much we love him. And when Maude next comes to town I reckon maybe we all will have a little talk with her, let her know that Ez is ours.

I watched JD turn red as Ezra told us how he’d become a Nighthawk, but that didn't stop the kid from cradling Ezra's hand in both of his as he raised it to rub it against his face. JD then placed a lingering kiss in Ezra's palm before releasin' it. I was just as shocked as Ez at our youngest’s display of love, and I wasn't the only one who had to shift a little to relieve the sudden pressure in my pants. Out of us all Ez was the most beautiful and sensual man that I’d ever seen and if I wasn't madly in love with Chris I reckon I could fall in love with him. Heck, I was halfway in love with him already and from the look on Chris’ face…

Hmmmm ...

I sat back and enjoyed how Ez and Chris looked together. Why did I have to choose, why not have both of them? I’d never though of the possibility of the three of us together, but I'm startin' to like it more and more. I could tell that JD and Buck were mighty interested in each other, and Josiah and Nathan would end up pairing off sometime too, which would leave Ez all alone. Yeap, the three of us would be good for each other. I felt a smile break across my face as I though about what both me and Ez could do to keep the ol' dog collared and happy.

Very happy. I could feel myself start to blush and decided to change the direction of my thoughts before anyone noticed. I snuck a look at the other fellas and saw a huge grin on Buck's face as he looked slyly between me and the two that I wanted. Ignorin' him, I took the bull by the horns and I asked, "Ez, what the heck are vampires?"

Ezra turned and blinked at me, surprised, and I reckon the others were too, but I didn't care. I felt my pants get a little tighter as the tip of Ezra's pink tongue came out to lick his lips. "Well Vin, vampires were once human. A vampire drains them of their blood, but then right before the person dies the vampire gives them some of his own blood. This turns the person into a vampire."

Hmmm. Makes sense I guess. "What does it feed on? Why are they affected by sunlight? How do we fight them?"

Then JD chimed in. "I heard that vampires are supposed to die in the light, but why didn't the sun hurt them or you? Do you drink blood? Why have ---"

Buck's upraised hand silenced the string of questions. "Kid, leave off. Let Ezra finish the first one before you ask him more questions kid."

JD looked up at Ezra with a sheepish expression on his face, and Ezra ruffled his hair. "Don’t be too hard on him, Buck. He and Vin are just curious and they have every right to be. " Then Ezra turned to me and said, "Well Vin, to answer your first question, vampires feed on blood. Human or animal doesn't matter, but they prefer human because sex or fear produces a flavor in it that is quite intoxicating."

Sex. SHIT! He just had to mention that; pictures flashed through my mind and my pants were getting a little too tight to sit in. Pictures of all of us touching ... Oh no, boy, your are not goin’ there.

As I was tryin' to pull myself together I could hear Ez still goin’ on with his explation. "There is no need for a vampire to kill, because just a couple of mouthfuls is more than enough to feed on and stop the hunger." Looking up I saw a twinkle in his eye that told me he was about to tell us somethin' that ticked him. "Many female vampires become ladies of the evening because they can feed on their clients while being paid. And then there is also the fact that they can sleep during the daylight hours and have the nights to enjoy, sort of best of both worlds."

I saw some of the others get funny looks on their faces as they tried to remember if they’d ever come across on of these lady vampires. I knew that I didn't have much to worry over ‘cause the few women that I had been with weren't saloon girls, plus truth be told I liked the company of a man more than a woman but there had been even fewer of those because usually they were far too dangerous to take a chance on.

Ez's eyes started to lose their focus again, which got me back to worryin’. "As to your second question, vampires have some resistance to the sunlight and the older the vampire gets the more he or she is immune to it. But the ones who took your are very young and it caused them a lot of pain to be outside during daylight hours." Ezra started to stroke Chris’ arm that was wrapped around his chest almost like he was gainin' some sort of peace in doin' it, and I saw sadness creep into his beautiful green eyes as he turned to look out towards the barn. His voice was just above a whisper and I had to strain to hear it. "The young ones out there had no choice in what they did. Their masters had full control over their minds and bodies, forcing them do anything they wished. Those poor children were raped both mentally and physically during their time with their masters."

Ezra fell silent again, lettin' us reckon over what he’d told us. I reached out with the others to give him some comfort and to bring him back from his dark memories of the past. Chris wrapped his arms around Ez and started rockin' him like he would a child as he stroked his hair, and slowly those green eyes started to clear and Ez gave each of us a small smile to tell us he was back with us.

What he’d told us made sense to me, because I’d been able to tell before that somethin' was drivin' that kid to hunt me. Hmmm ... since the alpha vampire's death those kids didn't have the same evil feel to them as they had before. I could still tell they weren't human, but the evil wasn't there and I wondered what Ez was plannin' to do with them. I reckon Josiah had the same question because he placed his hand on Ezra’s leg to get his attention and told him, "Brother, I would like to help you with them if I could."

Ez gave Josiah a quick smile. "Thank you, Josiah, but there is nothing we can do for them. I’ll have to take them to a Clan house in Denver so that they can be protected and helped."

Josiah nodded his head. "I would like to go with you then to help you with them, then. That is, if you would like me to."

Ezra gave him that dimpled smile that we rarely got to see and told him, "I would appreciate the help, Josiah, but the way we are going to travel is one that you are not capable of."

That got us all puzzled. How else could you get to Denver but by horse or by rail? So I asked him, "'What do you mean, Ez?"

He answered, "I need to get the young ones to Denver as soon as I can, which means that we’ll have to fly there tomorrow night. I’ll stay there during the day and I can then returning the following night."

Fly? Ezra can fly!

I could hear the others talkin’, but all I could reckon of was here was my chance to soar. I'd always dreamt of flyin', floatin' in the clouds and sky like a bird. As a kid I use to lay and watched as the hawks wheeled overhead, and I still do sometimes on a lazy summer day. I took my courage in both hands. "Ez, could you take me flyin' with you some time? Please, just once?"

Ezra’s beautiful green eyes looked into mine and I allowed him to see my dream. "Are you sure, Vin?" I could only nod my answer, for my throat felt like somethin' was in it stoppin' me from talkin'. His golden smile flashed as he told me, "All right, Vin, but we’ll have wait until I get back from Denver."

I felt like yellin' and whoopin' because he’s said yes, I was on cloud nine. I dimly heard JD ask for a ride as well and the others tryin' to talk him out of it, but I knew that Ez would take him too

I kept thinking this whole night must be a dream that I would be waking up from, but I knew that it was real. Ezra wasn't human ... at least he hadn’t been for a thousand years or more. When he’d told us about his past and what had happened to him all I wanted to do was to rip something apart, but the only thing I could do was be there for him and offer comfort and strength for him to lean on.

Ezra’s walls had finally come down with his secret revealed and it was like finding a rare treasure, a miracle. Now I understood why he’d always held himself back, why he’d always seemed so unsure; here was a man whose job was to protect us from things that thought of us as food, that took pleasure in killing. The loneliness, pain and sadness of his unusual life had me disgusted with myself for having forgotten that others had suffered the same or even more than I had. I was also feeling a little in awe of him, for he had survived things that would have broken me into tiny pieces.

He had come to save us, risking everything he had to protect us, and now he was telling us everything and laying bare his soul to us, showing everything he was. I could only offer the one thing that I had of value in return…me. My friendship, love and comfort, and a place in my family.

Thinking of family made me look at Buck; he had suffered as much as I had over the loss of Sarah and Adam and yet we’d never talked about it even though our friendship survived their deaths. We’d always been there for each other and we’d shared our hearts and bodies to comfort one another when life became too harsh to handle alone. And now I think it’s time for Buck and I to mourn together for what we’ve lost and to remember the good times we had together. I love him, not the same way I love Vin, but he fills an empty space in my aching heart and soul just as all the others have.

Turning my attention back to my gambler, my man of mystery, I took my time to study him. So many things were starting to make sense to me, why he’d placed himself in danger, why he’d been so hurt when we didn't trust him, why he wanted to protect us. This creature of such strength and purpose loved us in spite of us being mortal, frail, and full of insecurities; we are his chosen family.

Taking another hard look at myself, I realized that I had buried some of my feelings about Ezra, trying to protect myself in case he decided to leave us for good. I think the others have done the same thing, kept him at arm’s length so that when he did leave it wouldn't hurt as much…but he wasn't going to leave us and he showed that to us this past night. The walls we’d put up against him had become so ingrained in us that we had forgotten about them, but now was the time to take those walls down and really look at our feelings for the gambler, and to decide what he really meant to us.

Vin's blue eyes seemed to be holding a little challenge for me, daring me to step up and grab what I wanted. I had seen the way my Texan has started looking at Ezra and it's the same look he has for me; he wants both of us, as friends and as lovers.

I don't know if I can do what my Tracker is wanting me to do – I could barely acknowledge that I wanted him, and I want him so bad that sometimes it hurts. There is no question that Ezra is one of the most beautiful men I have ever seen. Images of both Vin and Ezra in my bed, naked limbs entwined and beckoning me forward to join them sent a flash of heat through my body that told me that part wouldn't be a problem. Attraction, lust and sex were one thing, though, but was there anything more?

With Vin there was. I loved his sly humor, the twinkle in his eye as he came up with a plan, his gentleness and his poetic spirit, but I also liked the wild fierceness that came out when people he cared about were in danger and the way he wouldn't back down when he knew that I was wrong and he was right. He might not be book smart but he was life smart and that counted a hell of a lot more in my book. And he made me want to be a better person just like Sarah had.

Ezra ... Ezra and I respected one another but we also had our fights. He is probably one of the smartest people I have ever met and I enjoyed our quiet talks about books, politics and life - he comes up with ideas that make me sit down and really think about things, he challenges my mind and my convictions just like Vin does. I do like him, I like how he can take command when he needs too, how he can play with and look after children and how he bedazzles people with his wits and personality. He’s even helped Nathan look after us all when we were sick; I have a remembrance of comforting words, a cool hand and the feeling that everything would be fine and that I was safe and protected. I thought about the three of us together and spending it with long talks in the evenings, the day-to-day events of living, the comfort and love we could share between the three of us. Ezra gets this sad, haunted look in his green eyes that makes me want to see what they would look like when he is happy and loved. I want to hear him laugh with joy the way Vin and JD do, I want to see him happy.

Yes. I think ... no I know that I want this with Vin and Ezra. But does Ezra want it too?

Those two young fools want to fly! If man were meant to fly he would have been given wings. No, this man is going to stay firmly on the ground. They’ll probably fall and hurt themselves and I will end up have to bandage them up. Damn fools!

Who am I trying to fool, I would love to fly if I had enough nerve to do so.

Looking at the man that I’d become friends with through long, hard work on both our parts I wondered what other things he was trying to hide from us. There had to be so much of his past he was leaving out, things that I had a feeling would sicken us to hear about.

My soul and heart still bled from hearing that our Ezra had been a slave, and not just any slave but a pleasure slave to boot. I had met one of those once when a friend of Master Jackson’s came to stay at the plantation; the girl could have only been about fifteen but she was already so broken inside that she had no will of her own. I believed that if anyone had told her to walk off a cliff she would have done it. I don't know who this fella Nero was, but from both Chris and Josiah's reactions and from the little Ezra told us his master wasn't kind but was some kind of monster. He didn't tell us all what the man did to him, but I know it had to be bad.

SHIT!

How could I have been so very wrong?

I knew that Ezra hadn’t had an easy childhood, but I’d never dreamed that he’d suffered like he did. Then to find out that Ezra had found some happiness after escaping slavery only to have it snatched away by Maude…on one hand I'm kind of thankful to Maude for keeping our friend alive so we could meet him, but on the other I wanted to tear her apart. I think that she used him just as badly as the vampire leader did to those children in the barn. Well, no more. I had a feeling I wasn't the only one who wanted her gone from Ezra's life. Ezra is ours and no one but no one will take him away from us.

In the slave quarters the old people told tales about creatures call Asasabonsam that had hooks for feet and drank from their victims through their thumbs. They also told us about many types of undead that lived off the living, but I had never heard of anything feeding off the undead. I suddenly wondered if that could explain why Ezra didn't do too well when he was in the clinic; could I have been hurting him rather than curing him? To gain his attention I touched his leg. "Ezra, is that why you do so badly in the clinic, because you're a Nighthawk?"

He dropped his eyes and nodded his head in answer to my question, and my heart pounded in my chest. I could have hurt him or even killed him without knowing what I was doing; Ezra could have died under my care. I reached out and turned his lovely face towards me and told him very sternly, "You’ve got to tell me these things, Ezra, I have to know what to do to treat you. I think later on today you and I should sit down and discuss this in more detail." His green eyes glistened with tears and my voice softened as I caressed his cheek. "You mean a great deal to us and we don't want to lose you."

He smiled a very tender smile and capturing my hand he placed a small kiss in the center of my palm. I had never been so turned on by such a small gesture of affection before in my life. I regretfully withdrew my hand from his grasp and leaned against Josiah, feeling the preacher’s arm go around me to drag me closer to him almost like he was cuddling me.

I smiled up at the man that I had come to love during the months before the others showed up in town. I knew that the rest of them thought Rain and I had an understanding and we do; she needed to have a man to get the matchmakers off her back and I needed a woman because I didn't want to draw anyone's attention to the fact that I wasn't interested in the saloon girls. Now I regretted all that time I’d wasted being jealous of Ezra for spending time with Josiah and thinking my preacher didn't want me when it was pretty plain he felt the same way I did.

I looked at the man resting in Chris’ arms and thought how beautiful he was. Maybe I’d just never really noticed it, but now with all the walls gone he took my breath away. His white skin seemed almost translucent encased in the tight black leather, and I ran my eyes down his body and took in the way that leather stretched and molded itself along his body to show off the wide shoulders, muscular chest, arms, and legs, the small waist, and the slight bulge where his lax manhood lay. It almost seemed as if he were an angel or a magical being from another world that was here to grace us with his beauty.

I wanted him. I wanted to make love with him, to find out how those muscles would feel under my hand, to see how his skin would look against mine, to find out how he would taste and to see what he would look like as he came. I wanted to make him moan and sigh in pleasure. I wanted to love him and take away all his pain.

Hearing a slight chuckle from Buck's direction I turned and caught a knowing look from the scoundrel’s eyes. Damn him and that too-knowing mind of his. The teasing smirk on his face just ruffled me the wrong way. Well I could fix that. "Buck, you can wipe that smirk right off your face…or is it maybe time to do a physical on you, what do you think? "

That did it. "Nate ...".

Oh god! He’d started whining, but before I could tell him to stop Chris’ voice got both of our attention, "Buck, behave." Then he turned back to the man in his arms. "Nate's right, Ezra, you have to tell him how to treat you when are sick or hurt. You are important to us and we don't want to do something that might hurt you or kill you because we didn't know."

And that was when Vin asked, "Pard, how come you get hurt at all? "

Huh?! I’d never thought of that.

Ezra simply held up his hand, showing us the simple gold band around his ring finger. "This is why, my friends. This ring mutes my nature so humans and other creations of the Goddess can’t sense me. While I am wearing it I have all the strengths and weaknesses of a normal human, with the exception of smell." Green eyes briefly glowed silver in anger, then faded back to their normal green, "That's also how I knew that the fledgings and vampires had been in town and that they had taken you captive."

Chris leaned forward and asked the Southerner, "Why do you wear it at all, Ez?"

Ezra turned his face up toward the gunslinger and told him, "Because without it my true nature would alert those who follow the dark paths and that would prevent me from capturing and destroying them. There is also the fact that animals and some sensitive humans would react very strongly around me and that could make people suspicious."

Chris though about it for a minute before nodding his head, then asked, "You know, you never answered Vin's first question. How do we fight these vampires?

I watched as Ezra stiffened in Chris’ hold. He was angry, his normally green eyes turning silver as he looked at all of us and his voice shaking with rage as he said, "You don't. Just get away and let me handle them." Then his voice softened and he reached out to touch Chris, hesitating before he actually caressed the gunslinger's cheek. "Please, you can't fight them; you would only get hurt and I couldn't forgive myself if that happened to any of you. Just shoot them and run. Get to holy ground if you can, they can't touch you there."

Chris reached up and captured Ezra’s hand. "I understand, Ez, but you can't always be with us – and we won’t always be able to run. There must be something we can do to defend ourselves."

Ezra bit his lip and pulled away from Chris before he nodded, "Yes, there is something that will protect you…but you might not like it."

Chris grabbed his wrist, preventing him from moving further away and then tucked Ezra back against him. "Tell us."

Ezra sighed. "I could bond with all of you, claim you like those children were claimed and mark you all as my nest mates. No vampire or other creature of the Goddess would dare to touch you then, because you would belong to me and to each other."

Claiming? Could he mean the way it sounded?

For each of us to sleep with …

No, to have sex with…

No! That wasn’t right either, for we love each other. I know that men aren’t supposed to say that about men, but that’s what I feel for each of them, love. So it wouldn’t be sex but something else. Something like making love.

I know Buck is all set to keep pushing Casey and me together, but I don’t think either of us are ready for that. I really like Casey and she probably would be the only girl I would ever consider marrying, but if I don’t have to get married then I really don’t want to. That was why I left New York and Boston, I was fed up with feeling like a prize calf at an auction every time I attended a party with my father and brothers, surrounded by all those simpering, empty-headed girls that had no more personality than a doll’s and only one thing on their mind – and I wasn’t much interested in that.

The thing is, the guys think that I’m pretty innocent with women, but we grow up pretty fast in the city. My father personally took me to a cathouse to ‘become a man’ at seventeen, and the boys of my class visit such places on a regular basis or else take on some woman as their mistress, like maybe an actress. After the first couple of visits I became disinterested in the women, but then I met a man who worked in one of the cathouses and he completed my sexual education.

I’d lied to the guys about not knowing who my father was, but how could I tell them that my father was the Attorney General of New York? That I just wanted to earn my place in society instead of having it handed to me because of my name or family connections or money? At first I didn’t want them to know because they would have had me tied up and delivered back to my father before I could even explain myself to them – it was bad enough that they protected me during the first year, called me ‘kid’ and treated me like the greenhorn I was. But once I got to know them, after we had worked together, bled together…I should have told them. The only reason I still don’t is because I’m afraid now that they wouldn’t want me to stay in Four Corners, that they’d want me to make more of myself than just a small-town sheriff. I don’t want to leave them, so I won't tell them. I care ... I love them too much to leave. Hell, I’d never though about actually sleeping with any of the others except for Buck. But now the possibility was open to me; now I might have the chance to actually touch them, love them and have them love me back, and it was like a gift I’d never known I wanted had just been handed to me.

I sat there and thought about what it would be like to have these men, my brothers and teachers, as my lovers. I thought Nathan would be tender and patient with me like he is when I'm hurt. Josiah would be like a gentle giant, surrounding me with his strength and kindness, making me feel warm, safe and cherished.

Chris frightens me a little. Not that I think he would hurt me, but I had a feeling that he would be so focused, so intense, that I wouldn't know what had hit me. I shivered just a little at that thought. Now Vin, on the other hand, would be wild and fun. I could see us laughing as we made love together. But Ezra…I don't know what it would be like to make love to him. Here was a man who’d lived ... centuries. Hell, he was older than the United States! Ezra had seen and done things that I could only dream of, or read about in books, what could I offer him?

Looking over at him, I realized that all his walls were down and I was seeing the real Ezra. And what I saw was a man who had been alone for most of his life, relying on no one but himself, separated from the people around him for no one had called him friend or brother until us. All I could offer Ezra was my love and my friendship, and those simple things were already his.

Our silence must have been too long for him, for his walls came back up and he tried to pull away from Chris again. I sensed that if I didn't move now I would always regret it. The others must have been thinking the same thing, and we all ended up in a tangle of limbs with Ezra, Vin and I squished on the bottom. It was too good of an opportunity to miss; I looked over at Vin and I could tell we both had the same idea, so we started to tickle first Ezra, making him laugh and squirm, and then everyone else we could reach. Of course they retaliated, and it didn’t stop until we were all exhausted from laughing and a nice relaxing quiet had settled around us.

I ended up with my head cushioned by Ezra’s shoulder, playing with the buttons of his vest while he ran his hand up and down my back. His skin under my cheek was like rose petals, but I could feel the coiled steel muscles that moved beneath it. I wanted to just lay there and enjoy the feeling of being safe in his arms, but I knew that now was the time to ask. "Ezra, what are companions?"

His hand stilled for a moment before he answered, "Nighthawks have two sources of power and strength. The first is the killing and eating of a vampire's heart, and the second is from the love and blood of our companions. We don't need to drink much blood to survive because we can also digest meat to accomplish that, but our one weakness is that we need to feel loved. Our companions ground us to this world, giving us love and friendship and reminding us of our humanity. With out that bond between us and at least one companion, we will die."

Die!

No! Not if I could help it. I tightened my grip on him, frightened by the thought of Ezra dying, of him leaving us just as we all had found each other. Taking a deep breath and then another I allowed my body to relax (Nathan's influence). Then I looked at all the facts (Josiah and Ezra's influence). I listened to my instincts (Vin's influence) and they told me that Ez had to have a companion or he would already be dead. I had never noticed Ezra with anyone else but us, so who was his companion? The only way to find out was to confront him head on (Chris’ influence). "Ez, who is your companion now?"

He smiled. "I haven't had a human companion for well over a thousand years, JD. It was just too dangerous to do so, not only for me but for whichever person I chose, so instead I found a companion that would raise very little suspicion; my horse."

Vin turned his head to look up at Ezra from where he was laying on his stomach. "That's why you and Chaucer have that connection and why he’s so damn protective of you."

Ezra reached down to play with one of Vin's curls and answered, "Yes, Vin. The bond between Chaucer and I is of friendship, or what we called the Amicizia bond. See, once you have won the trust and affection of an animal the love you receive from them is the sort that is the most pure."

I toyed with his buttons again. "Ezra, how do you go about claiming a companion?"

This time his hand stopped stroking my back and his arm curled around me, and I could feel the others shifting around so they could watch the gambler but not lose contact with him. Ezra's voice was soft as he told us, "I would have to drink a little of your blood and then have you drink a little of mine. " He at once became very serious. "My friends, you have a choice to make about what level of the bond you want with me. The first type is the Amicizia or friendship bond. This bond requires you to drink from me twice a month to keep it active, but that will give you the ability to fight off any infection or disease."

He looked away from us when he said that, and suddenly those weird dreams I’d had since that smallpox scare made sense. Looking around I saw the same knowledge hit the others at the same time; this man before us must have saved our lives by giving us his blood to drink. I wanted to hear him say it, though. Gently I turned his face towards me and asked, "Ez, did you give us your blood to drink when we were sick?"

He nodded, still refusing to look at any of us. Chris reached around Ezra and made him look him in the eye, then very softly told him, "Thank you, Ezra. Thank you for saving us." Then he bent down and gently kissed Ezra on the mouth, shocking all of us.

Ezra pulled back and stuttered, "But … but … I didn’t ask … I forced …".

I then leaned in to place a quick kiss on his cheek and said, "Ezra, you saved our lives. What you did was the only way, how could any of us be angry at you for that? If you hadn’t done what you did we’d all be dead." His eyes widened with denial and pain, so I pressed my forehead to his and gently cupped his face in my hand before I continued, keeping my voice low and soft. "You would have been visiting our graves if you hadn’t stepped in. I know that I was dying, and what you did was to give me back my life. Please don’t regret what you did, because that would mean that you wish the others and I had all died."

I heard a soft hitch in his in his breathing and I pulled his face in against my shoulder, just holding him while he accepted what I had said. After a minute he pulled away from me and I let him go so that the others could thank him each in their own way.

We sat a moment in silence as Ez tried to get his thoughts in order before he continued. "The second level of bond is the Adorato, which means ‘beloved’. It would require us to drink from each other on a more regular basis, but not only would you have resistance to all disease you would also heal from your injuries faster with no danger of infection, and it would create a connection between us so that we could feel it when the other one is in danger. You would also be able to tell when a vampire or another companion is in the area. But in order to have the Adorato bond we would also need to heart bond to strengthen and solidify our connection. It is hard to explain what a heart bond means without experiencing it, for it's as innocent as cuddling but far more intense than making love."

Ezra gave us a moment to absorb that before he went on. " The highest level of the bond is the Amante, which is used between lovers and is much more intense; it would involve us exchanging blood while we make love, and we would have to reinforce the bond just as often as with the Adorato. I’ve never had this type of bond, for I never could trust anyone enough to form it. The Amante would be a much deeper connection and we would be able to feel each other's emotions and share our thoughts. You would gain everything that the Amicizia bond offers plus you would become stronger and faster and your eyesight and hearing would improve. I should warn you, though, that once you have chosen the Amante bond you cannot change your mind."

My mind was going around and around in circles as Ezra told us about these bonds, allowing us to choose which bond we wanted to have with him. I know that the Amante sounded like just a little too much for me, but thinking about cuddling with Ezra in that nice feather bed of his made the Adorato sound about perfect.

My thoughts were interrupted by Nate crying out, "Ezra!" I looked up just in time to see Ezra collapse into Chris’ arms. I didn’t like what I was seeing, for his eyes were glassy in a face far too pale to be healthy. Nathan was leaning over him trying to keep him awake and demanding, "Ezra … Ezra, what’s wrong?"

This seemed to pull him out of whatever had him sick to try to reach into his vest for something, but he was too weak so Chris had to do it. He pulled out Ezra’s flask before opening it and holding it to his lips. Nate reached out to stop him. "Chris, stop, I don’t think whiskey will be good for him …" But it wasn’t whiskey that was in the flask; a single red drop fell out of the flask and rolled down his pale cheek leaving a reddish trail in it’s wake. We’d always assumed that the flask held some fancy whiskey that Ezra didn’t want to share, but now it all suddenly became too real for me: Ezra was not human and he needed blood to survive.

Nathan helped Ezra sit up when he pushed away the flask and demanded, "Ezra, when was the last time you fed? You said you needed blood from your companion on a regular basis, how much do you need?"

Ezra chewed his lip before replying; "I need one or two mouthfuls every three days. The amount of blood I take isn’t enough to affect anyone and can be replaced in about 24 hours."

Nathan seemed to be thinking it over, and then a stern look came over his face. "Ezra, don't lie to me. You’ve been starving yourself, haven't you? You haven’t had any blood in too long."

WHAT!

I took a careful look at Ezra and suddenly noticed little things like the pale gray color to his skin and lips, the way the bones in his face seemed too prominent, and the fact that his body temperature seemed to be little on the cold side. And the slight widening of his eyes at Nathan's accusation confirmed it for us; he was hungry, starving.

He opened his mouth and I could tell he was about to lie - and I knew it was so that we wouldn't be worried about him. So before he could speak I placed my hand on his mouth and said, "Ez, don't lie to us."

Chris reached past me and grabbed Ezra’s chin to make him face him. "Ezra, you’re part of this family, this nest as you called it, and there is no way we would let you leave. So tell us what you need and we’ll make sure you get it."

Reaching up to cover Chris’ hand, Ezra told him, "I really do only need the blood of a companion once every three days. But that blood isn't food for our bodies, but for our hearts; the friendship and other loving emotions contained in a companion’s blood fills the dark spot in our souls, keeping us sane and whole." He hesitated before continuing, and we could tell that he was still uncertain of our reaction. "The reason I look hungry is because the last couple of days all I’ve had was some bacon and beans. I wasn’t riding Chaucer and I hadn’t had time to full fill my flask before I left, and I couldn't hunt along the way because the trail between here and Eagle Bend is so well travel. I need fresh, almost raw meat to eat or a small amount of fresh blood every day, anything else is just wasted on me."

I had never seen Chris look at Ezra the way he was now, so gentle and tender as he caressed our gambler’s cheek. "I don't know if we can always get fresh meat when we’re on the trail, but we will try – and if we can't we’ll make sure you get a chance to eat at the first town we come to. As to the blood…if you don't want to feed from us then tell us where we can get the blood and how to carry it for you."

Ezra just blinked at him, and for a single moment I saw the love our gambler had for Chris. My heart broke for Ez, for I don't think that the Nighthawk's love could ever be returned; Chris loves Vin and Vin loves Chris. I envy Chris and Vin that type of love they have for each other, but I also realize that I'm not ready for that type of commitment. I know that I feel drawn to Buck, that I feel safe with him and that I'm important to him, but still the depth of commitment that our leader and tracker feel for each other scares me. I'm also scared that even if Buck were interested he would drop me as soon as a pretty new face came to town. Our relationship has developed over the last two years and he no longer treats me like a kid - not that he's not still protective of me, they all are, but now they all treat me like a man, a colleague and a friend. And I don’t want to mess that up, so I’ll have to take it slow with Buck…and maybe I could also give Ezra some comfort if he needs it.

I sat back and watched as my friends' attractions to Ezra were acknowledged and accepted by each of them. I’d noticed it before, especially sometimes in the saloon; Chris would hover between Ezra and Vin, kind of staking his claim like a wolf with two tasty little lambs. And when I realized what Chris was doing I also started to recognize the same behavior with Josiah and me for our gambler and the other two men in our group. Especially when strangers were around, then it was like we were all saying, ‘Mine, mine, back off or you’re dead.’

My mama always told me that love was the most important thing in this world and that when you find someone to love it don't matter who they are you just enjoy that time you have with them…for it could be snatched away from you before you know it.

God! Jenny, I still love you and miss you so much, and I hope that our little daughter is with you. It will be fifteen years next month, fifteen years since you died giving birth to our baby. It took me so long to get over you and it really has only been this last year that the pain has faded enough that I could even think of finding someone to spend my life with again. I know that I had asked Louisa to marry me, but we both knew that it would have been wrong for us; we each wanted things that the other couldn't give us, so not staying together was the best thing to do. She wrote me telling me how much she's enjoyed working in Washington, and she sounds very happy. She wouldn't have been if she’d stayed with me.

My relationship with Chris is the longest one I’ve had after Jenny, followed by my friendship with the others. Chris and me have our knockdown fights, but we also share ourselves with each other when it all just gets to be too much. I know that I shouldn't have encouraged Mary with him, but I’d seen a tiny spark that I hoped would turn into something more. He was so closed off from everyone except me, if something could have happened between them ...

But that wasn't meant to be, because then I saw how Chris and Vin looked at each other even before they realized it themselves. It has been interesting watching those two circle each other and enjoying the sparks that have been flying. I think the only other one that noticed what was going on between them was Ezra. The funny thing was that at the beginning there was that same spark between them and our gambler, but it almost seemed that Ezra withdrew from the competition to leave the two of them together - now I knew why and so did Vin and Chris. Just now I’d seen that challenging look in Vin's face and then the acceptance in Chris, and I think our little gambler is in for a surprise from the two men he is obviously in love with. Good! He needs them both as much as they need him…but I think it will also surprise Ezra to realize that there are four other men here who would accept him into our hearts and beds. Hell, JD has been practically seducing Ezra right in front of the rest of us and hasn’t been shy about doing so.

I was kind of impressed with how well he was doing it, too; there is a lot more to that boy then any of us thought, and I think that it's about time for all our secrets to be told. Including mine.

As the hours had gone by I realized that my dream of him and Casey settling down was only mine, not his. He just wasn't interested, for I think he likes the company of men more than women. Shit! The little devil, he was trying to seduce me the night those creatures attacked us and I didn't even realize it.

Kid, I like your style.

I could feel myself smile as I turned to look over the young man who I’d though of as a kid, and I liked what I saw. That soft white skin and so-black hair, those sultry and not-so-innocent brown eyes, those full lips. Damn but he's a good-looking man! Why hadn't I noticed this before? I just saw him as a kid, a greenhorn and a young man who needed a friend, but he has grown up in the last two years and maybe it's time to start thinking of him as an independent man – a man who knows what he wants and a wife and children doesn't look like it. Maybe, just maybe I’ll let him seduce me; I’ll make him work for it, but not too hard. It would be kind of nice to be on the receiving end for a change, could be very interesting.

Now Nate’s interest in Ezra kind of surprised me, though I think learning more about Ezra's past helped – I think it helped all of us including Ez, for he need to release the pain he’d been carrying around with him. I knew that it would take time and patience before we could learn everything about him and each other, but once we do I think things are going to change for the better.

Turning back to the business on hand I noticed that everyone was at a standstill, not knowing which way to turn. Sometimes I wonder about these boys. Looking at Ezra I told him, "Pard, I would like to become your companion. That there Adorato bond sounds pretty good to me."

Ez cocked his head to one side as he studied me, " Are you sure that you want to do this, Buck?"

I smiled at my friend and told him, "Hell, you only live once. Why not?"

That seem to free the others and they wanted to take the Adorato bond too. The look of happiness on ol' Ez' face took my breath away. The boy is starting to learn what it means to be a family.

Chris went first as the rest of us watched. Ez took off his ring and I was once again touched by the power that screamed Ezra to me. Very gently he picked up Chris’ hand and started to kiss, lick and suck on the sensitive inner wrist. I could see how this affected Chris; my friend's eyes darkened with desire and he watched the gambler hungrily. Ezra, on the other hand, seemed to be glowing from the inside and I wasn’t the only one who gasped for air as I watched. I’d always thought Ezra was too beautiful for a man, but now he took my breath away.

Suddenly Chris grunted as if in pain, but when I checked his face I saw only pleasure. It was over too soon, and the gambler released Chris’ wrist and licked the two little wounds closed; Ez then bit his own wrist and held it up for Chris to drink from.

Chris hesitated, then locked eyes with the gambler as he licked his wrist before lower his lips to finally suck gently on the cut. Ezra’s glistening lips parted in a gasp and he seemed lost in the sensation of what Chris was doing to him, but he still had enough control to pull his wrist from the gunslinger’s mouth.

That was when Vin moved up to face Ezra, leaning against Chris. Vin simply held out his wrist; there was no fear or disgust in his face, just curiosity plain and simple and maybe just a touch of deviltry that sparkled in the blue eyes and twitched at the curve of Vin’s beautiful mouth. Again Ezra first licked then kissed and lastly sucked on the tender flesh of Vin’s wrist, while from Vin’s parted lips a small gasp escaped followed by a soft moan. Chris wrapped his arms around Vin, pulling the tracker tighter against him as he bent his head to whisper soft words into the blue-eyed man’s ear.

I could almost see the heat rising off the other three men as we watched the tender, sensual scene before us. Josiah had tightened his arm around Nathan with his hand gently stroking the healer’s stomach while Nathan was leaning into his bigger friend while his own hand caressed Josiah’s thigh. JD had curled himself up against me, his restless shifting telling me how much he was enjoying watching our three friends together, and I couldn’t resist anymore so I started to nipping and nuzzling the white skin of his neck. His body shivered and then he surprised me by crawling up onto my lap. I loved the feel of his warm skin under my lips, and he wiggled as my moustache tickled him; that wiggle made me think pretty seriously about laying JD down on the floor of Chris’ shack and teaching him more about love while continuing to watch Ezra and Vin but I resisted the temptation, at least for now.

Josiah and Nathan moving nearer to Ezra brought my attention back to what was going on around me. I saw that Chris and Vin were now curled up in each other’s arms; they were gently nuzzling each other and whispered words were being exchanged between them, but they had stayed close enough so that both of them could still touch the gambler and were both still gazing at him hungrily.

Nathan held out his wrist to Ezra, but his arm was trembling slightly and Josiah wrapped strong arms around his friend as he whispered words of encouragement. Ezra had sensed our healer’s tension too and moved up so that he could gently caress Nathan’s cheek. "You don’t have to do this, Nathan, and I won’t hold it against you if you can’t. It’s not something that most people are comfortable with, but if you wish to try I promise you that it won’t hurt and I will do my best to make it pleasant for you."

The healer looked into Ezra’s earnest green eyes and smiled. "Hell, Ezra, I know that you wouldn’t hurt me or force me. It’s just strange." Closing his eyes, the healer took a deep breath and as he slowly let it go it seemed that all the tension in his body seemed to just disappear. Then Nate opened his eyes. "I’m all right now, Ez. Go ahead."

Ezra took Nathan’s wrist in his hand and reverently lifted it to his mouth to place a gentle kiss on the pulse that was beating there. He then raised his eyes to Nathan’s, green meeting brown and neither looking anywhere else as Ezra performed his ritual. I saw Nathan tense for a moment before again relaxing into Josiah’s embrace, and a smile of wonderment graced the healer’s face as the Nighthawk drank from him and then raised his mouth from the wounds and licked them closed before opening a small wound in his own wrist from which Nate drank until Ezra pulled away his hand. A small drop of blood remaining at the corner of Nathan’s mouth had Ezra reaching out to wipe it away with his thumb, but before he could remove his hand the healer had captured it in his own and then licked off the blood.

Both Josiah and Ezra groaned in pleasure, but I couldn’t look away from Nathan’s face for I had never seen him look like he did right now. His eyelids were lowered sensually over his heated brown eyes and his smiling mouth was just asking to be kissed, to me his whole body was screaming sex. Hmm, maybe I’d have to see if Nate would be interested in a little fun…but then looking at our preacher I thought that would probably be a no.

Next it was Josiah’s turn, and the preacher very gently cupped Ezra’s face in his large hand and told him, "I trust you, brother." With shining eyes Ezra repeated the procedure of readying Josiah’s wrist and drinking his blood, and as with all the rest Josiah’s eyes drooped in pleasure and soft moans came from his parted lips. But when it was his turn to drink from the gambler, instead of just sucking on the cut Josiah copied what Ezra had done to him. And when Ezra withdrew his wrist our preacher leaned towards him and captured his mouth in a burning kiss; when Josiah finally released him Ezra's eyes were closed, and when they opened again only a thin circle of green could be seen in his passion-dilated eyes. Damn he was beautiful!

Nate and Josiah then moved to the side to allow JD and I our turns; as with Chris and Vin they curled up around each other but still stayed near enough to watch and touch us. I let JD go and he crawled onto Ezra's lap, resting his head between the Nighthawk's shoulder and neck while Ezra's arms went around his body to gently cradle him. They looked so young and beautiful together that they took my breath away. Ezra leaned in to whisper in JD's ear who looked up and smiled at the other man. Still cradling JD in his one arm Ezra raised the sheriff's wrist to start the ritual.

JD started to moan then nuzzled, lick, and kiss Ezra's neck in passion as the gambler drank his blood, and my own hunger started to rise as Ezra cut the soft skin on his neck to allow JD to suckle there. The boy was now straddling Ezra's hips whimpering and slightly rocking against him as he drank his blood; I could tell that Ezra was reluctant to push JD away from him, but when he finally did the little cry of disappointment from JD had little Buck rock hard. Very gently Ezra cupped JD's face in his hands, talking to him in soothing tones before guiding him into Nathan and Josiah’s arms. And then he turned his attention to me.

The smiles of satisfaction on the other men’s faces told me that whatever the Nighthawk was doing had been more than enjoyable, and I could feel my long-suppressed attraction for the man before me rise up as I stalked towards him. I pulled Ezra towards me and directed his head to the junction of my neck and shoulder; I felt our seventh shudder with some nameless emotion, but he did as I wanted. The rasp of his tongue and the softness of his lips enflamed that wild spark within me as he prepared me for his claiming, then there was a sudden sharp pain that quickly turned to pleasure

I watched as my oldest friend and sometimes lover pulled Ezra against his body and invited him to drink from his neck; Buck's face was lit by pleasure as the Nighthawk withdrew the blood he needed to make the bond between them. Ever the seducer, Buck then shifted the smaller man so that he could lay the smaller man on the floor and with his hands he spread Ezra's legs, laying between them to cover the Gambler with his body before lowing his head to the cut in his neck.

The air in the room seemed charged, our desires building like a storm ready to erupt at any moment…and at the center of that storm was Ezra. It was like I could feel each caress from Buck’s hands, each thrust of his hips, his lips on my neck sucking my blood from me. The feel of Vin’s long hard body beside mine inflamed me even more, and I lowered my lips to my tracker’s tanned neck to nibble and suck at the thin skin over the vein that vibrated with each beat of his heart. Wanting, needing more I started to unbutton his blue shirt and slipped my hands within to touch his warm, soft skin, shifting to trap my beloved Texan beneath me; Vin arched against me as my wandering hands caressed his nipples and the low husky moan that left his lips drove me to start to thrust against him as I lower my hands to cup his hardening flesh.

Buck had raised Ezra up so that he could remove the Nighthawk’s vest, allowing us to see all of the soft white skin that moved over hard muscles leading down to the small, slim waist. Buck’s right hand was slipping down inside of Ezra’s pants while the other held the gambler to him. Ezra’s head was arched back and a soft groan escaped his parted lips; his hands were on Buck’s shoulders, holding him … I sat up suddenly as I realized that my gambler was trying to push Buck away and that the groan wasn’t one of pleasure but of pain. I should have known something was wrong for Ezra had stopped the rest of us long before this point and poor Buck didn’t even realize what he was doing, so lost in the pleasure of drinking Ezra’s sweet blood nothing else mattered. Vin must have realized the same thing because he was moving to the two men before I could.

Vin wrapped his arms around Ezra’s waist and tried to yank him from Buck’s embrace, but my old friend wasn’t about to let go and instead wrapped his arms around my gambler and physically pulled Ezra away from Vin. The others had also realized that Ezra was in danger and helped us to separate the two men, but not before Buck had given Nathan a bloody lip and JD a shiner.

Vin and I were busy trying to see what damage Buck had done to our beloved Nighthawk. Ezra seemed dazed, and I looked up into worried blue eyes as we felt him shiver. For a warm summer night he felt too cool and so we lay back down with him in hopes that the warmth of our bodies would seep into his. But the love in his eyes as he caressed both Vin’s and my faces while allowing us to hold him warmed us even more.

In the background I heard the slap that Nathan gave Buck to snap him out of whatever spell he was under and then I heard him asking, "Buck, can you hear me?"

Buck’s voice was confused as he replied, "Yeah, Nate, I can hear you. What happened?" followed by an anguished cry of, "What did I do?!"

I felt Buck coming closer to us and both Vin and I tightened our hold on our gambler. I was ready to fight to protect both of the men I loved if I needed to, but one look into my friend’s frightened blue eyes told me that the Buck I knew was back. I relaxed somewhat and he hesitantly reached out towards our seventh only to stop as though he was afraid that Ezra would reject him…but before Buck could withdraw his hand Ezra reached out and tugged him forward so that he could cradle Buck’s hand against his cheek as Buck stuttered, "Ez … I’m so sorry … I didn’t …."

With a tired smile Ezra told him, "Shhhh, everything is alright, beloved."

The others all gathered around then to see for themselves that our precious friend was all right, but when Ezra tried to sit up we prevented him from doing so and pulled away just enough so that Nathan could check him over; after a few moments he finally told us that he thought our gambler was just plain exhausted. "Josiah, I need you to move Ezra to Chris’ bed …."

Ezra’s trembling hand weakly grasped Nate’s dark one. "No … need to touch … all of you … only way…"

Nathan cupped Ezra face and asked, "Ezra, are you sure?"

A pale pink tongue licked dry lips as Ezra answered, "Yes … need this."

Looking up at Buck and Josiah I told them, "Get the mattress and bring it back over here, and there’s blankets in the chest." Then turning back to Ezra I started to stroke his face. "If you need this Ezra, if you need us…then you will have us."

I was so exhausted from the fight and the claiming that I fell asleep nestled between Vin and Chris while the rest of our friends curled up around us. The next time I opened my eyes it was night and I was still being held in their arms with Chris’ hard erection rubbing enticingly against my rear while Vin's and mine were burning a hole in each other's hip. The scent of the two men I wished to claim in an Amante bond washed over me, and I moved to rub my body between them.

Both Chris and Vin started to nuzzle along my neck, causing me to groan softly into Vin's shoulder. Unable to resist, I lifted my head to claim Vin's mouth in a kiss unlike any I had ever known; he tasted of the rush and power of a raging river, the tingling of the air as lightening flashed across a darkened sky, and the earth’s gratitude as rain poured to refresh the parched ground of a desert and I mapped every contour of his mouth before releasing him.

Then Chris pulled me to him so that he could kiss me. He was all fire and danger like a wolf hunting or a volcano erupting, beautiful and deadly; but like the wolf he was also protective of his pack mates, loving them all and willing to die for them. He took possession of my mouth, making it plain that I belonged to him, whispering against my lips, "Ours," to which I answered, "Yours." His hands were moving down toward the lacings of my pants when we felt it.

Two vampires!

All of my nest mates awoke and we quickly exited the shack, and I saw that it was indeed two vampires…but ones that I knew. The first was a tall man who looked like he was in his late forties, his hair mostly gray and his brown eyes constantly scanning the surrounding area like the solider that he was. I’d first met Jack on the battlefield where he was fighting the Roman general Agricola, during the time Rome was trying to conquer the Scottish Highlands; even though he’d had been a vampire for about two hundred years at that point, he’d still been fighting to protect his people from the invaders. And I’d met Daniel four days before Argricola’s big battle against O’Neil and other Highland chiefs, a fledging who’s sire had been killed when their small group was captured, a slim young man in his twenties with light hair and crystal blue eyes.

A freshly-killed stag lay on the ground as a nesting gift to me while they knelt behind it, offering their respect. Why were they here and how had they known that I had just set up my own nest? They should have been in Denver keeping the various houses and clans in line. I was happy to see them again, though. "Jack, Daniel, your gift is well received," I said. "Please stand, old friends."

The two vampires stood. "We are glad that our small gift is acceptable, Chosen," said the younger of the two. Neither of them looked at the others, who had fanned out and were ready to fight if need be but were letting me take the lead; according to our traditions it would have been a show of disrespect to me for either of them to acknowledge my new nest mates without my permission. "May we know your companions?"

I stepped down to them, followed by my beloveds who had relaxed slightly but were still wary and replied, "You may make yourselves known." I then named each of my nest mates for the two vampires, and once the introductions were over I turned to Jack and asked, "Why are you here? How did you know?"

He smiled at me. "Ebhline came to us in our dreams. She told us the wonderful news of your bonding and all about the little ones you found."

I was staggered. Our Goddess had come to them and told them of my bonding? Why? I’m just a lowly Nighthawk, I’m nothing to her…my distress communicated itself to my nest and they gathered around me, comforting me but still shooting suspicious glances at Jack and Daniel. And when Jack stepped towards me Chris put himself between us, making it clear that he would fight to protect me and the others. I wrapped my arms around him and whispered in his ear, "No Chris, Jack would never harm me. He’s a friend, they both are."

It was actually because of me that the two of them had come together in the first place. Maude and I had been in the Highlands as part of Agricola’s household; she had hoped to become his wife or at least his mistress, but when she’d seen how interested he was in me I’d quickly been recast as Maude’s wealthy young ward. The general had spent most of the campaign courting me, attempting to make me his lover. Maude had wanted me to play the innocent young man and allow him to seduce me, but even though I’d known that he wasn’t a monster like Nero I still hadn’t wanted him.

Daniel hadn’t been doing too well at that point, for he was a just-turned fledging who needed his sire’s or another full vampire’s blood to survive. I’d gone to Maude to get her to help but she hadn’t wanted anything to do with it, and since I wasn’t a full vampire myself at the time I couldn’t help him either. Even worse, Agricola had taken a liking to him and decided to keep him as a slave, and I could tell that he wanted Daniel as much as he did me; but thanks to the upcoming battle and his pursuit of me the general hadn’t had time to sample his new slave’s wares. I knew that I had to get him away from there, I couldn’t leave him in the Roman general’s clutches.

My chance came the night before the big battle. I carried the young man away from camp toward where I’d felt an older vampire located during the day and prayed that he would take the fledging as his childe. O’Neill felt us moving toward his position and met us about a mile from his camp; before I’d known what was happening he had me on the ground, fangs poised over my throat ready to kill me, and then Daniel had thrown himself at the other man and pushed him away from me. I could hear them talking in their own language but I couldn’t understand what they were saying, and I’d drawn myself up and knelt before the older vampire with my head bowed, waiting for him to decide my fate and hoping that Daniel was telling him the truth.

Soon I’d felt him come closer to me and then he’d rested his hand on my head. In our language he asked me, "Young one, why did you help the fledgling?"

Not looking up I’d replied, "He is of our kind and hurt, I could not allow the mortals to harm him."

"Why did your sire not help?"

He’d squatted down beside me, and I sank even lower to the ground as I told him, "She cares for no one but herself. "

His strong arms tightened around me and cradled me against his chest. "Childe, Daniel will be safe with me. You may stay as well, I would be proud to have you as my childe."

Clinging to the older vampire I’d basked in his caring, but I knew that I couldn’t stay. His people would not accept me and I didn’t want him to be forced to choose. Instead I told him, "No, Sire. You know that your people wouldn’t accept me. My sire maybe selfish, but she looks after me in her own way."

He’d let me go then, and the next day Agricola lost the battle and started to build a wall to keep the Highlanders out of Roman territory. I didn’t see Jack and Daniel again until about three hundred years later, while I was wandering the country after having left Maude. Jack had claimed Daniel as his mate, and in doing so had gained a fierce protector. Their bond had grown even stronger since, and they were still together.

I felt my gunslinger relax in my arms and I smiled at Jack, who was blinking in astonishment. "Ezra, he’s a wolf spirit," he whispered. Then he looked at the others as they stood gathered around me protectively and a look of awe suddenly came over his face. "They are all wolf spirits."

Wolf spirits? I turned to look at the rest of my nest and they all looked just as confused as I was - except for Vin, who was smirking at Jack. "He means our spirit guides," he told us.

I gave Vin a dirty look, which earned me a wolfish grin before I turning back to Jack for more of an answer. He was pacing back forth, running his hands through his hair and talking to himself in Gaelic; this had Daniel coming out of the barn with the six fledglings to see what had upset his mate. Jack then started to rant about something, the word ‘Maude’ punctuating his tirade every so often in a tone that gave me a sneaking suspicion he was cursing my sire.

Daniel finally shook his head and said, "Ezra, it looks like your sire didn’t give you some of the information that she should have. Simply put, your companions are very special, I’d even say rare."

I should have known that Maude would have taught me only as much about being a vampire, as she deemed necessary, so there could possibly be some huge gaps in my education. But before I could say as much Chris reached the end of his short temper and snarled at Daniel, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Daniel just looked at him as though he’d found something totally fascinating said, "You. All of you have a wolf spirit, which means that you have a natural immunity to many of the vampire gifts. Women with wolf spirits have been known to give birth to children that are half mortal and half vampire, while males who have wolf spirits are more like a myth, a holy grail of sorts to our kind." Daniel moved so that he could watch all seven of us while he continued, "Wolf spirit males are supposed be lone wolves, hard men who stand up to protect those who can’t protect themselves but never stay anywhere for long before moving on. As to why they are so desirable as companions, the stories says that their blood will double the strength of their vampire bond mate while they gain all of his strengths and weakness without becoming a vampire themselves - which they can’t."

Still confused I said, "Daniel, this is very interesting but since I’m a Nighthawk and not a regular vampire how does this affect my companions and I?"

Daniel gestured over my shoulder. "Look at them, Ezra. Are they the same as they were yesterday? Look at them."

Turning, I took a good look at my companions … and saw that he was right. Chris, Josiah and Buck looked much younger than I knew them to be and the lines around Nathan’s eyes had disappeared. Vin didn’t look like he was in pain from his back anymore even after sleeping on the floor and JD somehow seemed not older but more mature than he had before. They were beautiful and they were mine, all mine.

I saw their desire for me in their eyes at the same time they read mine for them. It was Vin that moved first, starting back into the cabin and giving me a come-hither look over his shoulder. Then Chris leaned over my shoulder to whisper, "Shouldn’t we get back to what we were doing before we were interrupted?" He walked around me, letting his hands trail across my backside to fondle me intimately before following Vin, his sensual walk gluing my eyes to his tight black pants.

The other followed them but I hesitated, torn between the desire to finish what we’d started this morning and my concern about the fledgings. Then one of the fledgings handed me a goblet that contained the stag’s blood and Jack told me, "Ezra, don’t worry about the children; we will take them home now. Go finish your bonding."

Downing the blood in one gulp, I nodded to Daniel and him. l then place the goblet into O’Neill’s hands before following my nest back into the shack. The door closed behind me, and Chris’ arms came around me to pull me against his bare chest as be lowered his face to suck on my neck. Then others came forward and began to kiss, suck, lick and caress me as they removed the rest of my clothes. And as our souls and minds joined, each touch both received and given was experienced by all.

Slowly Chris pushed Vin and Ezra back out of the circle to take them as his personal mates. The two men gently lowered the gambler onto the mattress; Vin pulling the Nighthawk on top of him while Chris blanked him from the back. Gently they touched Ezra where and how he’d always wanted to be touched, wanting to pleasure him until their love healed all the dark spaces left in him by those that had used him in the past. Never had Ezra been held with such love and gentleness as these two men were giving him; he could see and feel their love for him in their minds and souls, and he gave them everything that he was as they in turn gave him themselves. And once they had driven him nearly mad with desire, Chris helped Ezra to prepare Vin at the same time he readied the gambler for his own claiming, and between Vin and Chris they positioned Ezra so that he could slide into Vin’s body as Chris entered him from behind.

Josiah had picked up Nathan in his arms and placed him near the other three men on a blanket to cushion him from the hard wooden floor. This man who with his gentle and caring nature had seen to their wounds time and time again while also protecting their backs called to Josiah as no one had ever had. He explored the dark skin and thrilled at how it felt and looked against his own, at the clean and spicy tasted of the man under him. The firm muscles under that soft skin quivered in pleasure and Nathan groaned and whimpered under his touch. Josiah didn’t have to ask what Nathan wanted, for he could feel it through the growing bond and took extra care gently preparing him as he knew his beloved healer had never done this before.

Nathan was lost in the pleasure that the preacher was giving him, the soft touches and caresses that he was receiving from his gentle giant starting to erase all the pain and hurt that he had received during his life. Reaching up he hungrily claimed Josiah’s mouth as the preacher slide into his body, and then there was a flash of pain that made him stiffen. Josiah stopped right where he was as he felt the pain of entry and gathered his healer into his arms, mind and soul surrounding him with his love; and as he felt the pain recede he kissed, sucked and licked each place that Nate had always wished to have touched, increasing the healer’s pleasure as he once again began to slowly rocked into his body. And as they joined Nathan and Josiah opened everything that they were, all their dreams and all their pain to each other and slowly became one being.

Buck had also lifted JD up into his arms, never releasing the sweet mouth under his as he lay him down on their own blankets near the other men. Gently Buck explored JD’s body, tasting and feeling every inch of the younger man’s skin and making him groan and keen in pleasure. Buck used all his skill to arouse JD so that all the young man could feel was pleasure and love. JD however, not to be outdone, flipped Buck over onto his back and ravished the scoundrel’s mouth and body until the older man was whimpering and crying out his pleasure. The sheriff’s soul and mind touched Buck’s, surrounding him with his love, admiration and friendship, and he saw everything that his friend had gone through in his life. But instead of running from it as most would have, JD embraced it all and with his love for the other man he wiped out the hurt and pain that Buck had endured.

Buck had been afraid to open himself to JD, to show all his past and everything that had happened to him, but the young man had surprised him; JD had simply held each memory, good and bad, with love and tenderness before accepting it into his own heart and soul, and Buck started to cry as JD’s love, understanding and comfort swept through him like a spring day and healed everything that was broken or dark. JD then opened up everything he was, his dreams and all of his hopes to the man that was his friend, brother, and newly found beloved. Wrapping himself around the older man he gently kissed away the tears falling from Buck’s eyes, and as they stopped JD started to make love to Buck the way the scoundrel had always wanted to be loved and touched. Using the skills he had learned earlier in his life JD prepared him gently before breaching Buck’s body and was quickly lost in the feeling of being surrounded inside and out by the older man while Buck basked in his sheriff’s love. And as the bond between them deepened both men felt themselves becoming one being and also joining with the other two entities that made up the seven peacekeepers.

The seven men’s passions grew and spiraled beyond anything that any of them had ever experienced until all seven were linked together as one, and pleasure intensified seven times over echoed within each man as they came together in a massive joint climax.

The next day the seven peacekeepers returned to town and picked up their duties where they’d left off when they were kidnapped; to explain their absence they told the townspeople that they’d heard about a group of outlaws coming towards Four Corners and had decided to stop them before they reached the town.

The townsfolk accepted their explanation …all except for Mary and Inez. There were things about the seven men that seemed different to them now. Ezra was using the other six men’s first names, and he touched and was touched by the others often where before he had shied away from contact with everyone; he still acted the same as before to everyone else in town, though.

Then there was the fact that Josiah looked like he’d lost twenty years. He still had the same salt and pepper hair, but the lines on his face were no longer there except for the laugh lines around his mouth and eyes, and he seemed at peace as though a large weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Chris also looked younger and seemed at peace with himself and those around him, but what surprised the two women more was that he was now often seen laughing and smiling, something he’d rarely done before. And there was also the odd way that his eyes softened when he looked at Tanner and Standish.

JD seemed far more confidant, older almost, and the quiet strength in the young sheriff that had been present but easy to miss before couldn’t be ignored now – the others had also stopped calling him Kid. Nathan too seemed more confident than before and the quiet tension that always seemed to hang between he and the gambler was now gone. And the healer now radiated a soothing presence that seemed to calm everyone around him.

Buck was still a scoundrel, but the shadow of pain that he’d tried to keep hidden was now gone, healed. He seemed somehow more attractive than before, but instead of his usual womanizing ways he now treated the women that he’d once seduced on a regular basis like … sisters. Vin, on the hand, seemed more wild and free than before they seven men had disappeared. His movements had also become more graceful, he didn’t slouch anymore, and the traces of the hard life he’d led seemed to have been erased from his handsome young face.

Inez found that she couldn’t look away from the seven men, for they seemed to be more attractive than every before. They now drew every woman’s eyes as well as some men’s, and the way they moved was so sensual that she was hard-pressed not to just hang around them the way the working girls were doing. But in spite of her attraction, Inez had caught the sly looks and smiles that each man kept sending the others, as if they were sharing a huge secret, and both she and Mary decided to keep an eye on the seven men so that they could figure out what was going on. Something wasn’t right.