“Would you stop pacing?” Jacob asked, sounding amused from his position on the couch.

Azrael turned to glare at him. “You’re way too calm.”

“It’s not the end of the world,” Jacob said.

“You’re in a city filled with vampires who would love to bleed you out and throw your body in the nearest dumpster so they can move on with their unlives. Vampires who know you’re here and know what you’re here for,” Azrael told him through gritted teeth.

Jacob shrugged. “This isn’t exactly my first rodeo. This wouldn’t be the first Camarilla that knew I was around and wanted my head on a pike. It’s never stopped me before and I’m not about to let it stop me now.”

“I can’t believe you’re still going to go through with this,” Azrael huffed.

“I’ve got a job to do Azrael. I’m not going to stop just because my life is in danger. And I’m not totally following through on the original plan, I mean, it’s not like I’m going to do anything to you,” Jacob said.

Azrael frowned but said nothing, not comforted by that in the slightest. His appearance at Alexandre’s little gathering had done nothing to soothe his nerves, and all Azrael could do was wait until someone figured out there was more to Azrael’s job than met the eye. He knew from his brief talk with Seamus that Merrick’s Camarilla had already noticed Paul’s absence, but it hadn’t quite garnered suspicion yet. Azrael and Jacob were operating on a very brief, borrowed amount of time, and Azrael had yet to convince Jacob to leave the city.

“The minute they realize Paul is missing for real, they’re going to come after you first,” Azrael tried.

“Again, not my first time doing this. This wouldn’t be the first time a vampire died before I left and I had a Camarilla coming after me. Azrael, please, just calm down,” Jacob asked softly.

He knew his pacing wasn’t going to make him feel any better, and he was likely to wear a hole in the rug. Azrael knew he had to have faith in Jacob’s abilities, but he couldn’t quite calm his nerves by telling himself Jacob had done this before. He hadn’t asked exactly what had happened in the cities Jacob had worked in before, so he couldn’t very well say his city, his Camarilla, were any different. He knew this wasn’t Jacob’s first time working alone and in a dangerous city, but being reminded of that fact wasn’t doing anything to calm him.

“This is the first time I’ve been a part of it,” Azrael said, forcing himself to stop fidgeting.

“I’m a fully trained werewolf, with enough experience to say with total confidence I know what I’m doing. I know how to move through a city in ways that even vampires have a hard time tracking me,” Jacob told him.

“Not well enough that Alexandre couldn’t find you,” Azrael said.

Jacob grunted. “True, I underestimated him. I didn’t know he had people watching the slummy parts of town. I would have moved on eventually, anyway, I know better than to stick to just one place when I’m doing this. Even if I don’t think I’m being watched, I know there’s always a chance I’m wrong. If it wasn’t for the fact that you’re being my eyes and ears right now, I would have already moved from here to somewhere else. Do they, uh, know where I’m at now?” Jacob asked.

Azrael shook his head. “No, I didn’t tell them where you were. Alexandre is really trusting me on this one I guess.”

Jacob snorted. “I wouldn’t call it trust. From what you told me, he just doesn’t want too many people knowing what you’re doing. The less people who know about this, the better off you are, at least it seems that way to me. Still, it’s unusual that he’s giving you so much freedom. Most sires are really controlling over their newborns. They don’t normally let them roam free, let alone operate on tough assignments by themselves. I mean, you are supposedly seducing me so you can grab all my shit and kill me.”

“What, are you telling me I haven’t seduced you yet?” Azrael asked with a raised brow.

Jacob smirked, motioning Azrael over. “Why don’t you stop worrying a hole in my floor, come over here and find out.”

Azrael hesitated, though it wasn’t from a lack of wanting to. It was the first time they’d been alone and in private since Jacob had found out what Azrael was. They hadn’t spent too much time around one another since Azrael had been trying to gauge what the rest of the vampires were up to, so he hadn’t had a chance to see if their romantic connection still existed. That marked the first time Jacob had said anything that made Azrael think his friend still wanted more than friendship.

Jacob noticed the pause. “Something wrong?”

Knowing he’d been caught, Azrael winced. “I guess I’m just a little, well, worried.”

“I’ve noticed,” Jacob said dryly.

Azrael shook his head. “Not about that, I mean, yeah, that, but that’s not what I meant.”

Jacob sat up, making room on the couch. “Okay then, what’s up?”

Azrael made his way to the couch, sitting down carefully. “I guess I’m more surprised than anything. After everything you found out, I guess I didn’t know what to expect from you. We haven’t really had a chance to sit down and talk about how you feel about that shit.”

Jacob looked puzzled at first. “That shit? Oh, you mean the whole you and me thing.”

Azrael nodded. “I mean, I’m not stupid, I know how werewolves and vampires feel about each other. I’ve never really given a shit, since I never had to worry about it until now. Since you’re the first werewolf I’ve met, I’m obviously not going to be up in arms about anything. But—”

“But you didn’t know how I felt about it,” Jacob finished for him.

Azrael sighed. “Yeah.”

Jacob leaned across the space between them, cupping Azrael’s face and kissing him. Both of them were hesitant at first, making the kiss almost as awkward and confusing as their first one. After a few tense moments, Azrael turned into the kiss, opening his mouth against Jacob’s. Heat poured through him as he pressed harder into the kiss, letting the comfort and pleasure of Jacob’s lips spread through him.

When the kiss broke, Jacob was smiling slightly. “Does that answer your question?”

Azrael chuckled, feeling a little foolish. “I guess so. I’m sorry, I was so worried about everything else I hadn’t stopped to think that you might be fine with continuing where we left off. I guess when it came time to think about it, I got a little worried.”

Jacob stroked Azrael’s cheek. “And you being more worried about everything else is one of the many reasons I’m perfectly okay with this.”

“Me being a nervous wreck makes everything okay, huh?” Azrael asked with a soft laugh.

“You being you is what makes everything okay. It’s hard sometimes, to think about you being a vampire. I’m supposed to hate what you are, but I could never hate you, not ever,” Jacob said.

“This isn’t exactly going to make you friends with the other werewolves,” Azrael said worriedly.

“I think they were already going to be pissed off if they found out that not only did I let a vampire live, but that I was friends with one,” Jacob said with a chuckle.

Azrael frowned. “It’s not going to help your case if they find out you’re fooling around with one.”

Jacob shifted closer. “You have a point. We’ve only fooled around, haven’t we?”

The sudden change in Jacob’s tone brought a new flush of heat to Azrael’s body. Jacob was normally so calm and easygoing that it was a rush to see the other, more sexual side to him. Azrael knew that according to vampire mentality, he should loathe seeing the animal in Jacob’s eyes rise up front and center. He wasn’t sold on that idea, since seeing the raw lust and desire come into the werewolf’s face only inflamed his own passion.

“That’s about all I’ve done since I was turned,” Azrael heard himself admit.

Jacob blinked in surprise. “You’ve—wait, you’ve never done anything else? You?”

Azrael laughed, punching Jacob’s shoulder. “Way to make me sound like a slut.”

“What? You never had a problem before, you liked sex and you never wanted to settle down. I never had a problem with it, even if you were always keeping it a secret from me back in the day. What changed?” Jacob asked.

Azrael shrugged. “I guess I did. Turning into a vampire kind of brought a change in perspective for me. I didn’t, ya know, suddenly want to settle down for eternity with someone or anything. But I started looking at things differently. It’s funny, I always treated time like there was always going to be more of it when I was a human, even though I had a time limit. Now I’m immortal, it’s like, time is more important to me. I can’t help but think I’m a bit like our old neighborhood, stuck in time. So I just watch time pass me by and wonder what I’m going to do about it.”

Jacob leaned into Azrael, his bulk comforting. “You live it. Being a vampire doesn’t mean you have to suddenly start sitting on the sidelines. You still have the right to do what you want, you know. And you are.”

“Because of you,” Azrael accused playfully.

“A motivation is a motivation, no matter where it comes from,” Jacob said.

Azrael smiled at him, saying nothing as he gazed up into Jacob’s face. His eyes roamed across the handsome features, and over the shock of red hair that still brought a smile to his face. The werewolf looked as happy as could be, pressed against Azrael. It was such a far cry from the other night, when Jacob had been understandably furious about discovering Azrael’s secret. Azrael had thought he would have to wait a little while until Jacob was willing to come back around. He’d even thought that their relationship would retreat back to friendship, that Jacob would be unwilling to touch Azrael again after finding out what he was. It was a relief to find out he’d been wrong, and he couldn’t deny that it turned him on more than a little.

He breathed in Jacob’s woodsy scent, before closing his arms around his neck and pulling him closer. Azrael hadn’t realized how much he missed the feel of Jacob against him until the werewolf leaned in harder, pressing him down into the couch. His hips pressed up against Jacob, mouth opening further to moan as he felt both of them harden. Azrael hadn’t slept with someone in years, not since the first effects of vampirism had settled into his system. He knew then, as Jacob’s weight held him onto the couch cushions, that he was going to be changing that very soon.

“You’re wearing too many clothes,” Jacob growled against his lips.

Azrael chuckled. “Well, do something about it then.”

It didn’t take more prompting than that for Jacob to sit back and begin pulling at Azrael’s clothing. He thrilled at the feel of Jacob’s large hands pawing at him, taking his shirt off over his head and throwing it to the side. Jacob had to shift around a little but he was able to get hold of Azrael’s pants to yank them off. Azrael was all too happy to help, kicking free once the pants were far enough down his legs. Azrael was just as involved in the process when it came time to pull off Jacob’s clothing. He couldn’t keep himself from letting his fingers tease over bare skin, feeling the strength of Jacob’s muscles as he pulled off his shirt, then his jeans.

“Vampire endurance or not, we’re gonna need lube for this, big guy,” Azrael said, before Jacob could settle on top of him.

Jacob grunted, pushing himself away and heading for the hallway. Azrael bent over the edge of the couch to watch the man’s bare ass before it disappeared around the corner into the bedroom. There was a fumbling noise and Jacob reappeared with a bottle of lube in hand. Azrael could see him wrestling with the new packaging on the bottle, smiling when he realized that Jacob had probably bought it just for the two of them.

“We could have just gone in there instead,” Azrael said with a chuckle.

Jacob frowned, then glanced over his shoulder before shrugging. “We’re here now, so it’s happening here.”

Azrael wiggled playfully. “Well, aren’t we bossy and demanding?”

Jacob took his place atop Azrael with a growl. “Only when I’m naked.”

Azrael would have laughed at that, too, but Jacob silenced him with another deep kiss. The playful banter was washed away by a new wave of lust as he felt Jacob shove his hard cock against his bare ass. Azrael wasn’t really the type to be told what to do, barely tolerating it from his sire who had the brains to know how to do it. When it came to Jacob, especially a horny, naked Jacob who was going to do wonderful things to him, Azrael would happily take whatever orders were given to him.

As he felt Jacob’s hands roaming further down his body, he couldn’t help another laugh. “What, no foreplay?”

“I’ve got your foreplay right here,” Jacob said as he opened the bottle of lube.

After a moment, Azrael felt the press of Jacob’s finger against his ass. As the thick digit slid into him, Jacob took the opportunity to claim Azrael’s mouth once more with his own. Tingling pleasure slid through Azrael as Jacob curled his finger within him, finding the bundle of nerves that had Azrael moaning hard into the kiss. He barely noticed the addition of a second finger sliding in as he tasted Jacob’s tongue against his, pressing his hips down into the man’s hand, eager for more.

When a third finger was added, Azrael finally broke the kiss with a faint gasp. He had enough experience controlling his own muscles that all he felt was the familiar stretching sensation. He’d yet to have anything inside him since being turned into a vampire, and he found the experience a little different than it usually was. The warm stretch of muscles gave way to sharp bouts of pleasure, punctuated by another curl of Jacob’s fingers as he pushed them inside Azrael. The vampire clung to Jacob’s shoulders, unsure if he wanted to take a moment to collect himself or keep pushing down onto Jacob’s fingers every time they pulled away from him.

“Well, you’re fun,” Jacob noted in a low growl.

“Damn you feel good, and it’s just your fingers,” Azrael said with a whimper.

“We’re changing that real quick,” Jacob promised as he shifted and pulled free.

Azrael took over for Jacob, coating his hands in the slick lube and sliding it over the length of Jacob’s cock. He loved the low, almost feral, noises Jacob made as Azrael’s fingers slid up and down, his eyes narrowed in concentration. The werewolf’s cock wouldn’t be the largest Azrael had ever taken, but the vampire knew damn well it would still fill him. Jacob was big, and everything was perfectly proportional to the rest of him. Three fingers got him started, but he didn’t want to wait for Jacob to finish the job with his hands.

When Azrael nodded at him, Jacob took Azrael’s legs and placed them over his shoulders. After a moment, he shifted himself, and Azrael shivered when he felt the thick head of Jacob’s cock against his stretched orifice. He released a small sound as Jacob pushed forward, his muscles giving way as Jacob’s cock slid into him. The once familiar burn of stretching even further hit him, but Azrael only held tighter to Jacob and gave an encouraging moan.

When Jacob was sure he was in far enough that he wouldn’t slip free, he bent over Azrael’s body and kissed him once more. Azrael accepted the kiss gratefully, nipping lightly on Jacob’s bottom lip. Their tongues slid over each other as Jacob rocked slowly, working his way deeper into Azrael. It was obvious Jacob was trying to keep himself steady, trying to make sure he didn’t go too fast. Azrael thought he could probably take it if Jacob went faster, but he relished the slow, spreading feeling from within as Jacob buried himself deep.

The two of them moaned softly when Jacob’s hips pressed against Azrael’s ass. It had been awhile since Azrael had last had someone inside him, and it was a new experience in his changed state. Jacob waited patiently as Azrael allowed himself to adjust to the sensation of someone deep inside him. The pain Azrael was used to experiencing in the first moments of penetration was absent, and he was conscious only of the feeling of Jacob’s cock filling him up. He would swear he could feel every inch of Jacob, making him eager to continue.

With a nod, he signaled to Jacob that he was ready, smiling a little as he shifted his grip to hold onto the man better. Jacob pulled his hips back, earning a slight gasp from Azrael as he felt Jacob slide almost completely out. The gasp became a low groan as Jacob pressed forward, filling him once more. Azrael caught Jacob’s mouth with his own as the man thrust into him again, moaning against him. Pleasure was already building within him, washing through his body as Jacob began to move with more confidence.

“You feel amazing,” Jacob breathed against his lips, his voice filled with something that sounded like awe to Azrael’s ears.

“Hold me?” Azrael heard himself ask in a voice he didn’t recognize.

Jacob didn’t hesitate, stopping his slow movements so he could reposition himself. After a moment of rearranging their bodies, Jacob lay behind Azrael. His arm was around Azrael’s waist, holding him steady on the edge of the couch. His body radiated heat against Azrael’s back as he held himself there, kissing Azrael’s neck gently.

“Better?” Jacob asked softly.

Azrael nodded, his eyes sliding shut as Jacob began to move once more. It wasn’t the time to admit it, but this was the first time he’d ever had someone in this position. It didn’t allow for much in the way of kissing, at least without requiring quite a bit of flexibility on Azrael’s part, but the intimacy exceeded any other position he’d experienced. He could feel Jacob’s body flex and work against his as he slid in and out, taking his time to work them both to the edge. Jacob’s breath was warm against his neck, and Azrael could hear every soft, little noise that Jacob made against his ear. It wasn’t the fevered passion of their first sexual interaction but a slow and steady build up of intimacy between them that made Azrael feel almost dizzy.

He reached behind Jacob, cupping the back of his head, as he slowly pushed back into the next thrust. They moaned together, their bodies beginning to move in tandem. There was certainly plenty of physical pleasure, the sensations more acute than they had been when Azrael was human, but the warmth that came from their emotions was what Azrael enjoyed the most. Jacob sliding into him over and over again sent pleasure arcing through him, but it was the thought that it was Jacob, specifically, filling him and being as close as two people could physically get, that had the man’s name falling from his lips.

They clung to each other, the hand around Azrael’s waist moving so Jacob could take hold of Azrael’s cock. He hadn’t realized how close he was to the edge until Jacob’s fingers slid over the length of sensitive flesh. His body tightened, hips pressing back onto Jacob’s cock, and let out a cry that was an attempt to speak Jacob’s name. His body shook as he came, holding tight to Jacob as his muscles gripped Jacob’s cock inside him. Azrael didn’t know if it was the newfound tightness or the sound he made during his orgasm, but the cock inside of Azrael pulsed as Jacob whispered Azrael’s name in his ear. Jacob’s orgasm pushed through Azrael as he came deep within him. Azrael moaned alongside his lover, the two of them riding the waves of ecstasy and pleasure together to the end.

When he could think clearly, he grinned sloppily at Jacob. “So much for the hot and heavy that I thought we were getting into.”

Jacob hummed, kissing Azrael lazily. “This was better.”

Azrael nodded. “So much better.”