Chapter 1 - Auðr

June is always a busy month for my band, Immortal Eclipse. Being a gay man, I tend to book out June to attend as many pride events as we can. It doesn’t matter that the rest of my band are heteros. To each their own. The point is they are still allies and other than my great-great-grand nephew, we’re all vampires, and fresh blood is fresh blood. They don’t care about gender or sexuality regarding the feed.

Tonight’s gig at Ember in Portland was going to be interesting. A trip through Bloodmoon territory is always interesting, especially after Albert mated up with their human princess. I like Hana. She keeps Albert and his buddies in line, and I like that. Plus, the girl is a fan, and unless they get creeper-level, I love all my fans.

However, catching up with old friends isn’t what will make tonight interesting. My great-grand nephew Léonel got a message from a cop in Bloodmoon about an estranged daughter living there. I know how badly that cunt Jane Cornell and her equally douchey chosen mate Theodore Hanley and their whole fucked up pack hurt Léonel. They cost him his wolf and nearly cost him his life twice. The first was when he was in that coma, and the second was when I found him drunk off his ass, ready to jump off a bridge.

I recognized him, not that we’d personally met, but the Darby genetics were strong in my little brother Joseph’s line. Léonel was a dead ringer for my brother if he was born in this era and favored leather jackets and jeans. I saved his life that night and got him sober-ish. Then, I recruited him into my band as the drummer, and the rest is history—or it was until that phone call.

I couldn’t even imagine what must be going through my great great grandnephew’s mind. To find out all these years later that the one time he had sex with his mate resulted in a child. That fucking whore just found another way to have fucked him over. Screwing another man and taking the other guy as her mate was bad enough. But to keep Léonel from his child and pass it off as her chosen mate is next-level cruel.

Jane Cornell is going to hell. I do not doubt that. And given what I’ve learned, I’m inclined to be the one who sends her there. She has caused unfathomable pain to my family. She left Léonel broken with no reason to live. She kept his child and proceeded to treat the child like trash. Hello, winner of the Worst Mother of the Millennium award. I’m disgusted that she and Theodore were going to essentially sell the child to their pack’s Beta when he wasn’t even her mate.

I’m glad Bloodmoon handled the situation. I’ve met the Bloodmoon Alpha once because of his daughter and the guy might be a tad short for an alpha, but he has one intense aura. Given that he raised Hana, I can believe he’s scary and does what’s right. In the case of Léonel’s child, what was right was putting Theodore and that prick Beta in jail. Logan took it a step further, threatening to take over their pack if they ever tried to force a chosen mating again.

I’d have taken it a step further, and still might, but that’s less what’s right and more eye for an eye. Theodore wanted to traffic my great great grand nibbling. I’d traffic his ass. I’ll have to find out what prison he and Beta got sent to and ensure their time pays them back all the pain tenfold. Nobody fucks with a Darby.

I frowned as I looked at Léonel sitting in a booth nervously waiting to meet this child. I keep saying child because from what we’d been told, they identify as non-binary, as does their mate. They are certainly in the right family if acceptance of gender and sexuality is what they are looking for. We’ve got gay ole me; my sister Marie was a big ole lesbian who just died too young to enjoy being an ‘old maid,’ and of course, my great-grandniece Shikoba, who’s transgender. We Darbys are very forward-thinking and open-minded.

“You gonna be good?” I asked, putting my hand on Léonel’s shoulder.

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be? I mean, it’s just a kid I didn’t know about with the woman who ripped my heart out and stomped into oblivion. Just another day of the week.” Léonel’s sarcasm was thick as he held up his glass of whiskey.

“Do I need to find Rhapsody? Have her on standby? Do you want me to stay close?” I offered.

“I don’t want Rhapsody around.” He shook his head.

“Don’t tell me you two are fighting. I told you when you started hooking up with Rhapsody not to shit where you eat. I don’t want to find a new keyboard player.” I grumbled.

“I don’t think it’s at a point where you need to rethink band status. And why would Rhapsody get dropped and not me? She’s been in the band longer.” Léonel asked.

“Um, because of nepotism. Plus, you’re a great drummer, and I’m not firing you.” I scoffed.

“Just leave it be. We’re just… you know how Rhapsody feels about kids.” He frowned.

“Ugh, family vampires are so temperamental. I can’t have kids, but you don’t see me getting all ‘woes me’ when I see a child or someone I know who has one.” I shook my head.

“Uncle, that’s very, very different. You can have children. You’re just not sexually attracted to women. Rhapsody is a woman who was turned before she ever had kids, and now she never can have one.” He said.

“Whatever. Still think Raphsody is being dramatic.” I shrugged. “I won’t go far. If it gets weird and you need backup, use the bat signal. I’ve got your back, nephew.” I rustled his hair.

“I’ll keep it in mind.” He grunted, swatting me away. “Go find your pre-show snack.”He shoved me away from his booth.

“Fine.” I held my hands up. I’m serious, though. If meeting this kid triggers your bat signal, Uncle Auðr will come to the rescue.”

“Please stop talking about yourself in the third person.” Léonel chuckled.

I grinned, happy to have at least gotten a chuckle out of him before I ventured out of the club and into the early evening of Portland’s Pride Event. I took a deep breath and smiled. So many bodies, so little time. I needed to be selective in my pre-show meal. Not that I’m a super picky eater; it’s just that I’m on a timer. I need to be back in time for a quick touch base with the others and sound check before we go on. So, it’s just a snack, a taste to keep my energy up during our set.

I smirked as I perused the selection—so many options. I spotted Zeke and Rune among the protesters. Yes, it’s 2029, and there are STILL narrow-minded people who think their religion and ‘morality’ should dictate what others do. It’s why, especially in June, my bandmates and I target those fuckers, and we aren’t nice about our feeds either. Rune instigated the protestors, not with words. No, that little shit was in their heads, fueling their ignorant peanut brains with rage. It worked as the protestors started getting more vocal.

“Pride is a sin!”

“Homosexuality is a sin!”

“You are depraved people bound for hell!”

“You’ve perverted the rainbow!”

The next thing I know, signs are flying, and I notice a purple-haired femme boy shouting, “TASTE THE RAINBOW, MUTHA FUCKA!!” as they went in swinging. I know I shouldn’t assume gender. While this purple skittle, my favorite color—though I prefer the UK black currant flavor to the American grape—was dressed in a black pleated skirt with pleats in different colors of the rainbow, nothing about their body type or voice indicated a woman.

I fixed my black suit jacket sleeve as I walked up behind the morsel. I go all out for gigs, even more so when it’s a Pride gig. My coat and slacks may be black, but the lapel and cuffs are rainbow, like the inside of the jacket. Plus, my vest and tie were rainbows, acting as pops of color against my black dress shirt.

As I got closer, I cocked my head as their scent reached me. They’re a hybrid werewolf. Typically, werewolves have a distinct scent that I find gross under other circumstances. However, this purple gumdrop smelled like my next snack, and that had already offered themselves. So, I would be first in line for that taste.

“If that’s an offer, I’m first in line.” I purred.

I ran my hand over their leg, stopping just below the hem of the skirt. I felt an odd spark at touching them but brushed it aside as static. I’m forward, but not THAT forward. I’ve been slapped my share because my idea of not being too forward doesn’t always align with what some men think. What can I say? I’m from a different time when certain advances weren’t frowned upon. Okay, my advances were frowned upon more than they are today cause, well, homophobia is bad in this millennium, but it was even worse in mine.

I was prepared for a bad or good reaction. I started to think it was going to be a good reaction. My little rainbow snack shuddered with a soft moan at my touch. All their anger at the protesters faded. This all added to a good response, especially as they turned to me with a smile and a hunger in their eyes. I wasn’t prepared for the deep growl of “Mate.”

What in the name of all that is holy and unholy? Perhaps they have their wires crossed or are thinking of someone else. I’m a vampire. Beyond that, we don’t have fated mates. On what planet would a vampire and werewolf make sense for more than a fuck? There’s a reason Rhapsody and Léonel are only fuck buddies. Okay, there are MANY reasons, but one is the whole species difference.