She grinned. She would have loved to have given him a taste. "Have fun, and don't forget what I said. If I'm going to give you an honourable discharge, you need those citizenship papers."

He issued her a polite smile. He didn't want anything from Tyler Rose, anything at all.

Sam was very surprised to see Tyler Rose walk into her office less than an hour later at the Sky Patrol Station.

His three bodyguards hovered outside the door.

"Mr Rose?" she said, looking up.

"Tyler," he said. "Please, I'll be my grandfather soon enough."

"Tyler," she nodded, noting his grey pinstriped pants and orange cable knit sweater. She'd heard talk of Tyler Rose's seductive, almost indecent attire. Seems he'd really toned it down.

Tyler handed her a miniature disk. "I know you said you weren't worried about vampires anymore given the fact that..." he paused, clearing his throat, "well...given what Commander Donovan told you; but I thought you should have this information on file anyway."

"Well thank you, Tyler," she said, taking the disk. "But you didn't have to make a special trip down here just for that."

He nodded. "It was no trouble. May I ask you something about Commander Donovan?"

She c.o.c.ked her head to one side. "I think first of all you are going to have to stop calling him Commander Donovan."

Tyler narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"Unfortunately, he wants out."

Tyler wasn't surprised. He opened his mouth to speak but she continued, ruffling through some papers.

"Which reminds me, did you run across citizenship papers for Donovan in your grandfather's files? I need them to complete the paperwork, in order to get him an honourable discharge. It's the loophole, you understand. If he is still considered to be a citizen of Sentra, discharge is impossible before the age of one hundred."

Tyler nodded blankly. "I don't remember seeing anything, but I'll look around."

"Tyler," Sam Carter met his gaze, "given Bryce's military record, given the fact that he risked his neck repeatedly to keep this planet safe; I would think he is owed that."

"Of course," Tyler agreed.

"Those bureaucrats on Sentra are not going to let him go easily. He's going to need you behind him."

"I'll make sure you get the necessary doc.u.ments," Tyler told her.

"Good," she laughed, "because he's really starting to shed that military image of his. When I saw him earlier, he said he was going out to taste the nightlife."

Tyler raised an eyebrow. He might not be Bryce anymore but he certainly had retained his sense of ironic humour. "Where did he go?" Tyler asked her.

"Who knows?" She shrugged. "He's doing the town, that's all I know."

"I should find him, discuss...ah...the citizenship issue."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "He might not like that. Tyler, to be honest with you, he doesn't seem to be your biggest fan."

Tyler pursed his lips. He was making it that obvious? "I see. That's okay. Look, can you do me a favour?"

He cast a look over his shoulder at the three men outside.

"If I can," she replied.

"Is there a way I can get out of here without those clowns knowing about it?"

"I suppose but..."

"I won't hold you responsible if something happens," Tyler put up his hand. "I want you to tell them I have to stay here for a few hours. I'll come back as soon as I can."

He waited until she stood up. Then she pointed to a door at the side of the room. "Go in there. It's a bathroom with an escape route out the other side. Don't be gone too long, Tyler."

He smiled at her. "One more thing, I need a vehicle. Can I borrow yours?"

She clicked her tongue. "I have only the police vehicle here."

"Are there any spare ones?"

She sighed, then nodded. "It's against my better judgement, Tyler, and if you weren't..."

"I know, I know. I promise I won't play any games with it."

She eyed him, then reached in the drawer and handed him over the computer access code. "It's in the parking on the roof, Alma twenty three."

"Thanks," he said before ducking into the bathroom. True enough, there was another door. It opened into a long corridor. He ran down the hallway and took the nearest exit.

Once off the roof, Tyler felt a certain sense of freedom he hadn't felt for a long time. He needed to see Bryce.

He didn't care what the transformation had done to him. He loved him. He needed him. And if finding him meant his life, then so be it. There was no living without him.

CARNAL DELIGHTS

There was eye candy everywhere. He was surrounded by it. And anything went. He walked into the backroom of the Manbar where s.e.xual debas.e.m.e.nt was taken to its lowest common denominator. Some of it was a definite turn off, and he would have considered himself far from a prude.

Back on the dance floor, men rubbed their half naked bodies together. A naked man got up on the stage in the front and began to take off his clothes. Dino watched him with amus.e.m.e.nt. It was amateur night. Anyone could jump up there and strip. Some of them should have left their clothes on.

Several men came and brushed themselves up against him. He felt someone touch his hair. He gave the men a guarded glance. There were two of them that definitely piqued his interest, one a blond with incredible blue eyes and another with short dark curly hair.

He walked into a deserted corner and motioned to them to follow. One of them undid the zipper on his leather jacket and pulled it down. The other yanked his tee-shirt out of his pants, sliding his hand up underneath. His pants were being unzipped; a hand began to fondle his s.e.x. His head went back as the tee- shirt was bunched up under his chin. Lips explored his chest, his nipples as he felt his s.e.x being exposed to the air. Hands moved down his thighs to his calves. A velvet mouth enclosed his hard s.e.x and began surrounding it with an enthusiastic tongue.

Dino moaned softly, his eyes flashing red in the darkened corner. He placed his hands in someone's hair, urging his s.e.x deeper into his throat. The other one pinched and teased his nipples, then lowered his mouth to one.

Suddenly, a sensation shot through his body, a sensation of alertness. He stiffened and pushed the two protesting men away from him. Joey. Moving his head, he scanned the room. He took a quick intake of breath.

There he was. So, he had come looking for him.

Dino pulled down his tee-shirt and adjusted his s.e.x back into his pants. With a slow smile, Dino ran his hand over the two men who were waiting. "Come," he whispered, walking out of the shadows and into the light. They followed obediently.

He focused on the stripper on the stage and silently he told him to get off.

Immediately the man collected his clothing and stepped down off the platform to scattered applause.

"Follow me," Dino said to the two men. "Continue what you started with me, up there. Let's give them a show." The blond grinned deviously. "You're a wild man. I like that."

"You have no idea," Dino told him, stepping up on the stage with the two of them on his heels.

As soon as he was on the stage, he was met with whoops and hollers. Men left what it was that they were doing to gather round and watch the show.

Tyler was in the bathroom when he heard the commotion. He hadn't heard it that rowdy here in a long time.

He walked out into the room. His eyes widened suddenly. Bryce! To all appearances it looked like Bryce, except if it was possible, this man was even more beautiful. It might have been his eyes, or his hair which seemed longer and shiny. Whatever it was, it was evident from the reaction in the room that it was addictive.

But what in h.e.l.l was he doing up there?

Dino was now more than aware that Tyler Rose was standing among the onlookers. He didn't have to invite the two men to resume their prior activities; the blond one was already stripping off his jacket and his tee- shirt, while the dark haired one pulled his zip back down and fell to his knees.

Tyler bristled. G.o.d d.a.m.n him. What in h.e.l.l was this all about? Was he trying to punish him? Okay, so you hate me, so you want me to suffer. You've made your point.

But, my love, I haven't even started to make you suffer, came the reply in his head.

The words settled into his mind as if he had spoken them out loud. Tyler swallowed something hard in his throat. Nothing is making me stand here. I can walk away. But even as he thought it, he knew that he wasn't going anywhere.

He watched now as the man on his knees enthusiastically sucked his c.o.c.k. And who could blame him? The other was behind him now, running his hands over his chest, brushing his s.e.x across that incredible a.s.s of his.

Dino's head was back. He closed his eyes. It wouldn't do for people in the crowd to see his eyes, although he doubted that anymore was looking at his eyes. Dino pushed the one on the floor back now, giving the crowd a view of his erect c.o.c.k.

The crowd let out a collective moan.

Dino smiled. He motioned to the two men to take off their clothes, which they quickly did. Pushing them both against the wall, he directed the dark haired one to place his hands above him over his head. He roughly pushed his legs apart and then took the belt from his pants and tied his wrists together.

Tyler sucked in some breath. Already his c.o.c.k was as hard as rock. He licked his lips as other men in the crowd silently m.a.s.t.u.r.b.a.t.ed.

Dino knew what this was doing to him. Slowly he ran his hands down the length of the body in front of him.

He reached out and pulled the other one closer. Forcing him to bend over, he began to stimulate him with his fingers causing him to moan out loud. With his other hand, he tormented the other one's s.e.x.

The two men were moaning with abandon.

Dino suddenly looked right at Tyler. He actually leered at him. Then suddenly he released the man's wrist and took his place against the wall. The men secured Dino's wrists above his head and then began to make love to every inch of him.

Tyler felt himself moving. He pushed his way through the crowd. He bounded up on the stage and before anyone could react, grabbed one then the other of the two men and shoved them away. One fell backwards, caught in the arms of some very ornery men in the crowd. The other grabbed Tyler and the fists started to fly.

Dino lowered his hands, easily getting loose from the belt that was placed haphazardly around his wrists.

He put his pants back on, then with his arms folded across his chest, he stood back and watched the fight.

He couldn't help but smile. Tyler was no fighter, but then neither was the other guy. It was a ballet of hit and misses.

Finally, the manager came tearing up on stage. He did a double take when he saw that one of the men was Tyler Rose. "Break it up, you two," he barked.

The naked man picked up his clothes and scurried off the stage.

Tyler looked over at the manager.

"Tyler Rose, you should be ashamed of yourself," he chastised him. "A man in your position, making a fool of yourself over..." he cast Dino a look.

Dino suppressed the urge to laugh as Tyler gave the man a murderous look and wiped some blood off his lip. "Go back to managing your club before I close down this...this...sleaze pit."

"If your grandfather was alive," the man sputtered.

"Well, he's not. And like it or not, I'm the reason this club even stays in business," Tyler glared at him.

The manager lowered his head and quietly walked away.

Tyler then turned to the rest of the crowd. "There's nothing left to see here, so just go back to whatever you were doing!"

People in the crowd slowly began to go off in different directions.

Tyler turned around now to look at the man standing in the corner. His heart ached to look at him.

Their gazes met.

The expression on Bryce's face was unreadable.