Justin's eyes followed Ben until he turned the corner, his teeth sliding into his bottom lip, once again, uncertainty swirling within him. "I'm still not sure this is a good idea, Brian."

Brian scowled for a moment, inwardly cursing his brother's constant meddling. He had taken care of himself for a couple of lifetimes now. Why didn't Ben trust him this time? The fact that Ben hadn't ever interfered to such a degree didn't faze him. He blamed himself and his intense attraction to Justin for Ben's elevated concern. In actuality, he had proceeded with Justin differently than any other man, and that difference would be cause for concern to his overprotective older brother. However, that didn't matter. Justin was anxious enough. Ben needed to back off.

"It's fine, Justin. As I have tried to explain, my brother is a bit eccentric. He just expresses himself in a different way---" Brian stopped talking, his eyes narrowed on Justin's lips, a feral growl nearly erupting. A single drop of blood was clinging to Justin's lip. After having a brief taste of his blood earlier, Brian knew how sweet and addictive he was; in fact, unlike anyone he had ever tasted. Now was not the time to lose control.

Justin's eyes widened, unable to mistake the hunger in Brian's eyes, one that was different than his standard lustful stare. "Brian? Is everything okay? You look strange."

"I'm fine..." Brian rasped, his tongue swiping along his own lips, the desire to taste him again overwhelming him. If only he could compel Justin. Things would be so different. He wouldn't have to be so patient and exercise complete control over his deepest desires. "The question is, are you? Your lip is bleeding. You must have bitten it open."

"I don't think so..." Justin answered, his hand reaching up to touch the spot with his finger, instantly surprised to see the unmistakable mark of red on his finger. "It doesn't feel cut. I would have felt something."

Brian nodded, his attention remaining on the one droplet of blood. This was ridiculous. How would he manage his hunger for Justin if he was so easily affected by a small portion of blood? He had to get this under control. "Once you are finished eating, I will take you to your room. It's getting late, and I'm sure you would like to rest." Brian was certain the traumatic day had to be wearing on the young human, and it would be best for them to say goodnight. He needed to talk to Ben... and his hunger needed to be fed. Now more than ever.

"Actually, I would. I'm very tired. This has been a ridiculously long day..." Justin admitted, thinking that no day had ever seemed longer. 

Brian stepped closer to Justin and his half-finished plate of food, looking at it briefly before returning his gaze to his tempting houseguest. "Would you like to take it with you, or something to drink? You will have a bathroom connected to your room, so you won't need to worry about stumbling around in an unknown house."

Justin laughed. "I probably would be. That's nice that the room has a bathroom. I don't want to disturb you or your brother if I need to get up."

Rolling his lips under, Brian told him, "My brother and I both are deep sleepers."

"Oh, that's good. I feel better then. I didn't want to disrupt your normal routine. I realize you probably have to go to Babylon since it's your club. You don't have to worry about me. I will probably sleep in since I don't have to work tomorrow." Justin immediately noticed Brian's frown when he finished talking clearly remembering his disapproval of his job. 

"Babylon is managed very well. I don't need to do much there except enjoy the benefits of being the owner..." Brian smiled, a lustful glint entering his eyes. 

Justin's cheeks flushed. "I'm sure you do that."

"Without a doubt," Brian told him matter-of-factly. "There is a mini-refrigerator in your room. Since the room has been unoccupied it's empty, but take whatever you like with you." Brian's eyes once again touched on Justin's plate, his vampire vision seeing a few red splotches next to the strawberries. His innate senses told him that he wasn't seeing juices from the fruit, but instead, one of his brother's intrusive tactics. How very clever, Benjamin, he thought to himself. A single drop of his blood into Justin's system would give his brother so much in depth knowledge about Justin. Ben had extraordinary mental powers, far more advanced than his own. It was unbelievable that he achieved that so quickly. 

To Brian's immense relief, Justin declined the offer, instead, stepping away from the sofa, and the compromised food. He watched as Justin walked over to Ben's well-laid trap and selected a fresh bottle of water, knowing that was a safe choice. At this point, though, it didn't really matter. If Justin had ingested one drop of Ben's blood, it was more than enough for his brother. Hopefully, Ben would see that Justin wasn't a threat, and this nonsense would be over. On the other hand, if there was something of a threat to be found, then his problems were just beginning. Brian shook his head at the thought finding it to be completely ludicrous. What could Ben possibly discover? "Are you ready to go up?" Brian asked, not actually wanting to rush Justin, but knowing that the boy did need some rest, and just as important, he needed to talk to Ben. 

"Yeah..." Justin walked over to Brian, a bright smile on his face. When he was standing close enough to touch, Justin leaned up and kissed Brian softly on the lips, pulling away just when Brian reached out to clasp his hand behind Justin's neck to deepen the kiss. Pulling away before Brian started doing what Justin recognized as ‘Brian things' he stepped back, a soft smile still clinging to his lips. "Thank you again, Brian. Opening your home to me is a lifeline I desperately needed. I don't have adequate words to express that."

Leaning down, Brian brushed his lips across Justin's again, not at all surprised to detect his brother's scent on Justin's breath, forcing himself not to lose control at his brother's irrational violation. A primal feeling coursed through his veins, one that was both repugnant and alien to him. Jealousy, pure and simple. It was something he had never felt before, but an emotion he had seen enough in others to be able to clearly identify. It stemmed from the fact that he believed that if anyone's blood should be connected to Justin, and moving inside of him, it should be his and not his brother's. Immediately, his more predatory tendencies wanted to take over. He wanted to add his own blood to Justin's system, overtaking the small amount of his brother's. Now wasn't the time, however... but, he was determined to achieve that - and soon.

"Follow me..." Brian told Justin, leading him to the staircase, taking quick steps forward, desperate to achieve two goals. One was to see to Justin's immediate comfort; however, just as important to him was meeting with his brother and ripping into him again... despite how dangerous such a course of action could end up for him. Once they reached the top of the stairs, Brian led him down the far end of the hallway, deliberately choosing a room that was far removed from Ben's suite of rooms, but sadly, his as well. "This end of the level is unused. You should be comfortable, and isolated, which is something I thought you might prefer right now."

Justin followed Brian into the room, his eyes widening in appreciation. "Yes, I would. It's positively breathtaking, Brian. The detail in the wood is amazing, the furnishings warm and inviting." Walking around the room, Justin's eyes settled on the sitting area, a small oak table near the high-arched window that he assumed would be used mostly for in-room dining, and the king-sized bed that was complemented with a high backed wooden headboard, at the foot, tall, and polished wooden ends. "Absolutely perfect."

"I'm glad you like it." Brian motioned his hand forward. "That door is a walk-in closet. Your cases are in there now, and the door to your left is your own bathroom, shower and tub included. If you need anything else that isn't provided, my suite is at the very end of the hall." Brian's eyes hotly moved over his special houseguest. "You can come to me at any time. If I am asleep, you will need to knock loudly. As I said, I am a deep sleeper."

Blushing slightly, Justin shook his head, the very thought of disturbing Brian in his sleep evoking images he didn't want to contemplate at the moment. "I think I should have everything I need. A shower before bed does sound great." Justin stared for a long moment at Brian, his teeth biting into his lip thoughtfully, before he asked, "I'll see you in the morning?"

Barely able to lift his eyes from Justin's teeth biting into his lip, Brian roughly answered, "I will try; but, I am not much of a morning person."

Justin laughed. "Okay. I am sure I can entertain myself in either event. And, I would like to make an appointment with my doctor. After everything with the unnecessary medication, I would like to find out what I can do to get my memory fully restored. At this point, I am assuming that was what Seth was trying to prevent."

"I'm sure." The mention of Seth, and the reminder of the acts he had perpetrated against Justin, filled him with renewed rage toward Justin's former boyfriend. He had killed him too quickly. Such an odious creature should have endured a slow and agonizing death. "What would you think about a new doctor?"

Stepping closer, looking at Brian curiously, Justin repeated, "A new doctor? Why?" 

"It occurs to me that your doctor did prescribe the medication that limited your mental capacity. Despite the fact that your ex-boyfriend most likely suggested symptoms that you didn't have in order to secure those prescriptions, I find it unethical, not to mention a form of malpractice that your doctor didn't investigate your situation more thoroughly." Brian eyed Justin sharply, hoping that Justin would understand his point, and act on it accordingly. 

"Damn, Brian. I hadn't even thought about that." Justin frowned, as confusion and suspicion swirled around his deepest thoughts. "I don't know how that didn't occur to me. Yeah, a new doctor with a fresh set of eyes does sound like a good idea."

"Allow me to make some calls tomorrow. Accessing your medical records shouldn't be a problem." Suddenly, Brian could see the root of Ben's concern. When did he ever go to such lengths to help someone he barely knew? A human, and one he hadn't even fucked yet. His behavior was contradictory to all that he knew, and it only became more obvious the longer he was associated with Justin. Brian didn't have any answers outside of his overwhelming lust for Justin, but, realized he didn't plan on doing anything to change it.

"That sounds good. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure my trust level is very high for my doctor." Justin could only see one problem, and it could be a big one. "Uhhh, I don't think I have insurance, but I should have enough money in the bank to cover a doctor visit and some tests."

Brian gave Justin a look of reprimand. "I don't want to hear anything about medical expenses. You are my guest, and I will handle everything. If it makes you feel better, we can discuss it when your inheritance is resolved."

Justin rolled his eyes, still not comfortable with Brian taking care of him to such a degree. "We definitely will discuss this again. I need to take care of myself, Brian... not only because it's the right thing to do, but I need to know that I can. I hope you can understand that."

Nodding, Brian told him, "Of course I can. Once your medical and legal issues are resolved, I think everything will come together for you. At that time, we can discuss anything you want."

Unable to resist, Justin rushed forward, sliding his arms around Brian's waist, and laying his head against his chest. Justin giggled when Brian's arms seemed to hesitantly enfold him. He looked up and saw a muscle twitching in the other man's cheek, his own eyes rolling in response. Pulling back, Justin curiously asked, "Do you struggle with being touched by everyone?"

"I'm not sure. Most people don't touch me unless I have instigated it." Brian took a few steps back, regarding the beautiful blond closely. In an instant, Brian knew his answer to be dishonest. A touch from anyone else didn't make him feel so uncomfortable. The most disturbing part was that it was a new development. In fact, he didn't remember it being a problem until after he had tasted Justin's blood. As a skilled vampire that had enormous strength and control, he knew the timing wasn't a coincidence. What it meant, he had no idea. 

Stepping back, Brian realized he needed to go. He was filled with both confusion and questions. Now wasn't the time to push for answers that Justin couldn't give him. Brian wasn't sure anyone could do that. "Goodnight, Justin. Get some rest. We'll talk tomorrow, and set a plan for getting your life back."

Justin nodded, wanting to say more, but sensing that Brian needed to go for whatever reason. It was probably for the best. He was exhausted; at least, mentally. And, he couldn't deny how much he was becoming drawn to the beautiful man that had extraordinarily come to his rescue. He wondered how much more that would progress in the days ahead, not a doubt in his mind that if Brian continued his determined pursuit, that would be exactly what happened. "Goodnight, Brian. I'll see you tomorrow."

Brian cast one more hungry glance over the beautiful blond before making his way out of Justin's rooms and heading down the hallway, not a doubt in his mind that Ben would be waiting for him downstairs. His eyes were glowing as he rushed down the stairs, his anger anything but abated regarding Ben's trickery in giving Justin his blood. Brian rushed into the library, where he knew Ben would be, angrily closing the door behind him, rushing forward, his eyes becoming blood red, with tiny blue veins appearing around his eyes. "Your interference needs to stop, brother!"

Laying his book down, Ben stood to his feet, his own eyes glowing when he hissed, "That's not going to happen, Brian. Your obsession places us all in danger, and I will not allow it."

"You won't allow it?" Brian whispered in a cold, hollow voice. At this moment, Brian didn't care that Ben was infinitely more powerful than him. Ben was trying to dictate his choices... and, no one did that, not even the brother that made him immortal. "I have made my decision, and it stands. No one is forcing you to be here!"

"On the contrary, brother. My discovery, no matter how it was obtained, suggests otherwise. I am staying; although, I have changed my mind about Justin's presence here." Ben smiled coldly at his brother, knowing he would soon see both suspicion and unease in his brother's eyes. "I want him close so we can keep an eye on him. In fact, I insist on that."

Brian swallowed, instantly chilled by the ice in Ben's eyes. Whatever Ben had determined about Justin had only made things worse. "He's not a vampire or supernatural, Benjamin. I would have sensed it."

Shaking his head, Ben told him, "No, he's not; although, he's not fully human either."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Brian demanded, deciding his brother was quickly losing his mind.

"Justin descends from a fairy line. He will live a human life, but faeries tend to have the gift of sight, as well as being immune to compulsion. This is a problem, Brian."

Brian briefly closed his eyes, so much making sense now. Justin had been irresistible to him from the instant they had met... and his taste more addictive than any other had ever been. Yes, this was a problem. However, one that he would handle. This news didn't change a thing. He wanted Justin Taylor, and he would have him. In fact, Ben's surprising news only elevated his desire for the extraordinary blond. A desire that he was determined would be satisfied soon. 

TBC