Chapter 1

The lonely, yet stunningly beautiful death or simply Sebastian, ran his fingers through his long thick black hair. Bright citrine eyes surrounded by rich black lashes glance across the bare landscape. The year 1245 a.d. Sebastian once again is late to save his soulmate. He always finds them, male or female, moments after their death. He rubbed his eyes and kneeled down next to the young woman that had been crushed to death by a stampede of buffaloes. He gritted his teeth and cursed the fates.

Over the centuries Sebastian gave up trying to find his other half. He'd stumble upon them after their deaths but the aches he once had experienced in his lonely heart didn't occur anymore.

Over the centuries, becoming extremely wealthy, Sebastian traveled the world, learned to speak several languages, owned homes, businesses in many countries and cursed love vehemently. Never believing he'd ever find someone to love, he cursed love so often that hating love became his creed. That was, until the day he saved the little boy from being burnt alive during a raging fire.

~The future ~

Sebastian slipped on his sunglasses to protect his sensitive eyes. The sun was brutal in Arizona, luckily his skin was tan. His bro flow styled black hair was highlighted with silver and currently up in a man bun. He drove his Mercedes down South Kinney road watching the desert pass him by, A roadrunner ran across the asphalt along with a couple of lizards. Getting parched he pulls into a gas station. Sebastian stands to stretch his 6'2" tall sinewy frame and enters the establishment.

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 Soft mumblings in Spanish made me grin since it was about myself and my height. A Hispanic woman stood behind a counter with containers full of horchata, my vice.

"May I get a grande horchata and jamón torta por favor," I asked the grinning older lady. She nodded and filled a large styrofoam cup with the cold tasty goodness. I thanked her and took a long sip through the straw. She hands me my sandwich and I go to the register to pay. I sit at an empty table and eat my late lunch and listen to the two older men chat with each other. I chewed and smiled at their creative rundown of me and my apparent drug dealing life. I was just finishing up when flashing lights flew by the station along with a crowd of people. I heard them yelling fuego. I raised my brow when the woman said it was at a daycare and not all the children were accounted for. She was listening to a police scanner behind the counter. I was going to leave it to the fates but felt a pull to go check it out. I rushed out and could see the black smoke billowing into the air. I drove quickly and stopped at the police barricade. I got out and could see the fire slowly spreading to the other side of the building. I could hear coughing with my enhanced hearing. I shrug off my suit coat and rolled up my sleeves as I jogged behind the crowd and towards the flames. I slammed my shoulder into the locked side door and fell to the carpeted floor. Cursing I stood and listened. 

"Yell if you're in here," I called out into the rising flames, I repeated the request in Spanish as well. I could hear rustling and a small gasp of help. I followed the voice into an almost flame filled room. Huge light green eyes full of panic looked at me and my chest felt like it was hit with a ton of bricks. No fucking way, I growled and opened my arms for my tiny soulmate.

"Hurry and run to me," I ordered. I watched him shake his head and pull on his leg. He was trapped under a collapsed television stand. I furrowed my brow and rushed to his side. 

"Are you the only one in here," I asked him as I pulled the debris off of his leg. 

"Yes, I'm the idiot that ran and hid," he mumbled through tears. I pulled him up into my arms and gritted my teeth at the intense heat. The flames were at my exit. 

"Bury your face in my chest, I gotta run through it," I growled and rushed through the flames that whipped against my flesh. I ran out into the daylight and fell to my knees. 

"You did it mister, thanks for saving me," the little boy gushed through a cough and hugged my neck tightly. I snorted and nodded, an unfamiliar flutter in my heart made me frown.

"I'm Sebastian, little one, who might you be," I asked him as I sat on my ass and he sat on my lap.

"I'm Miguel Ramirez and I'm six years old," he proudly stated. I nodded and ruffled his shiny black hair. Miguel, Mio, a woman yelled, running toward the pair of us. Miguel struggled to rise and hobbled to the woman on his injured leg. I stood up and brushed my pants off. My hair had fallen out, was in disarray and probably singed. I gathered what I could of it and wrapped the hair tie around it.

"Thank you señor for saving my mio ," she cried out, holding Miguel in her arms and smothering his face in her heaving chest. I smiled and nodded my head. That young child is my intended soulmate, fates, really? I contemplated the reality of it and frowned. I didn't care that he was male I was only concerned about his age, I wasn't a pedo. I had twelve years to wait till he was even legal. Guess I'm staying in Arizona. I believe I was in Tucson and luckily I had a home in the foothills.

"You must come for supper, you saved my mio and you must come," the small Hispanic woman mumbled repeatedly. I glanced down at the pair and saw Miguel nodding his head in agreement. I smiled and shrugged. 

"Sure why not, give me the address and I'll stop over," I said simply. 

"Will I meet your father," I Inquired. Miguel scrunched his face and looked at the ground.

"My father isn't around sir," he spoke softly and I chewed on my lip and ruffled his hair in a comforting manner. I wondered why the fates were blocking the boy's family information from me.

"It's alright, I'm sure you and your mother are going to be great company," I said sincerely to them both. 

"I'm Miguel's older sister Maria, our parents are both gone and I take care of him," she told me softly and my eyes widened in shock. I apologized for the misunderstanding and Maria told me their address and to be there around six. I nodded my thanks as I reluctantly left them and headed to my car. I drove towards the  Santa Catalina mountains and turned on my long asphalt driveway. I wondered if Ronaldo was still doing the upkeep. I pulled up to the stucco covered mansion and honked. A young man came rushing out and nodded his head at me.

"You're not Ronaldo," I stated.

"Ah no sir, I'm Sergio, his twenty seven year old son and have inherited the home's responsibility after he retired," he claimed. I nodded and told him very well. I shook his hand and he ushered me into my home. I was trying hard not to chuckle at the boy's seriousness and simply nodded my head as he explained all that had been done over the years. I glanced around and tried to recall what it had even looked like before. I remember receiving requests from Ronaldo for upgrades. 

"It all looks fantastic, did you require a raise to support you and your wife," I questioned. Sergio laughs and says that he's not married nor even has a girlfriend but a raise is always welcome. I eyed him and smirked.

"Can you come with me over for dinner with a young woman and her little brother who is my soulmate?" He shrugged and said sure. I went back to my car and grabbed my suitcase. I planned on showering and changing my burnt smoke-smelling clothes. I entered the master suite and grinned at the decor.

"I'm planning on staying here for the next few decades since finding my young soulmate," I yelled. Sergio poked his head in the room and smiled very well, master death. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"You're cheeky like your father and many previous grandfathers," I told him and he said that it must run in the family of assigned death caretakers. I shrugged and headed into the bathroom to start my walk in shower. I chewed on my lips and wondered if playing cupid would be fruitful. Surely Miguel's sister would be interested in the attractive Sergio, who happened to reside within my home. I exhaled and scrubbed my shoulder length hair. I finished and dressed in casual clothes, skinny jeans and a Valentino black t-shirt. I looked through my closet at the numerous tennis shoes and chose a pair of white and black Nike's. I combed my hair and let it air dry then headed back towards the living room space. Sergio was on the phone and he grinned at seeing me. 

"My dad wants to talk with you," he said, handing me the telephone. I grinned and spoke with Ronaldo for about an hour. He was still like the spunky kid of his youth. Speaking with him reminded me of other associations I had in the area and I thought about Amber that worked at IBT's a great gay bar. I chuckled randomly and thought about how pissed she'd be to see me still young. I looked at the clock on the wall and saw it was 2:30. After heading to my wall safe I grabbed my car keys and headed towards my car.

"I'll be back to get you around 5:30," I yelled as I jumped in my car and drove to the best bar in Tucson hoping my buddy was there. I parked my car and slowly headed towards the door. I prepared myself.

 "Bastian is that you!!!" 

My ears ringed and I opened my arms for the twink to come jumping into my arms. I oofed as her long acrylic nails were buried into my back flesh. Her long legs wrapped around my waist.

"You luscious prick, you don't look a day over twenty," Amber whined up at me and I cocked my black brow.

"You're stunning as ever Amber, new wig I see, looks fantastic and I hardly see any wrinkles," I replied and palmed her crotch.

"Still packing as well," I chuckled and she slapped my hand away. 

"So why's my tall glass of yummy coming here to see little ol me," she asked me nibbling on my earlobe. 

"I've found my soulmate, he's a six year old little boy," I mumbled softly and Amber laughed loudly right into my ear.

"You can't make him gay for you, Bastian, how's that going to work out for you hmmm," Amber quizzed. I rolled my eyes and sat her down to her four inch heels.

"I'm not thinking of having sex with the lad. Plus I don't label nonsense like you foolish humans. If you're cursed then love who you want and love them often," I spat. She glared at me and shook her head.

"Of course you don't, you live without a fucking care or any love whatsoever, so you have nothing to label Bastian. You're just a plain ol hypocrite," she snorted and waved her hand in my face. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her body flush to mine. I felt her shiver and her heartbeat increase.

"You still desire death after all these years, you poor little girl," I purred seductively and smirked when she closed her eyes and opened her mouth to expel a tiny moan. I brushed my lips against hers and finally kissed her firmly burying my tongue into her mouth. I felt Amber's growing stiffness and looked into her lust filled bright hazel eyes. So tempting but I didn't want to start a relationship again with her.

"Not now dearest," I mumbled and kissed the side of her frown. I then turned and walked away towards the bar with Jamison, the bartender clapping his hands at me.

"That was an award winning performance Sebastian," he claimed, sliding a drink to me. I laughed and took a sip. I dug out my wallet and pulled out several hundred dollar bills. I noticed Nikki's eyes glistened at the end of the bar.

"You stickin 'around longer this visit, old timer," the old queen asked. I shrugged and drained my glass. 

"Thinking about it but still have some issues to deal with first, you three know what I am. I will pay you triple what I did before when I was here to keep you quiet about it. Deal?" I stated, eyeing the three of them closely. They all nodded. So I pulled out my cash further and made three piles, laying hundreds on top of each other. 

"It's all I have on me now but I will bring more if I need  you to remain quiet. I have a dinner to go to with my destiny," I growled and rolled my eyes. 

"A six year old little boy, damn Bastian, the fates are fucking you awful," Nikki mumbled and I nodded in agreement. I waved goodbye to my three amigos and drove back home. I hoped Sergio had an idea where the address was. I desperately needed to get myself a cell phone. I honked the horn several times and watched Sergio come out with a bottle of wine in his hand as he pressed buttons on the alarm. He slid into the passenger seat and grinned at me. 

"Ready?" I gave him the address and he  surprised me by entering the information into the car. He tells me we are going to south Tucson. I rolled my eyes and looked at him blankly. 

"I'm literally Death, Sergio, areas of a city don't concern me, do you know where the home is located, if so please lead the way," I stated simply and he told me okay.

"You're driving," I told him and unbuckled myself and waved at him to move his ass.