Zeke was beyond pissed. Furious even. The gate to his zebra pen was wide open and his zebra, Zaid, was gone. He was going to kill someone.

“Zaid!” He shouted and waited a minute. Hot breath tickled the back of his neck and Zeke sighed in relief. He turned to find Zaid standing there with his ears perked forward. “Really? What if an inspector showed up?”

One of Zaid’s large ears twitched. His big brown eyes softened and Zaid sighed. “Don’t look at me like that.”

Zaid’s upper lip pushed out and his head bobbed. He stepped back, his muscles quivering. Zeke crossed his arms and waited. Zaid shifted and a naked man took the zebra’s place. “Sorry.” Zaid said while he stood. He walked over to Zeke with a smile. “Forgive me?’

As much as Zeke wanted to oogle his naked boyfriend he wasn’t having it. “I told you an inspector is scheduled for a surprise sometime this week.”

Zaid frowned. “How is it a surprise when you know he’s coming?”

Zeke shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I just know the week he’s coming, not exactly when.”

“So I have to be a zebra full time for a week?”

“Basically.” Damn, he wanted to jump Zaid right now.

Judging from Zaid’s smirk the bastard knew how much Zeke wanted him. “I can do that but can you?”

Zeke smirked. His gaze moved over Zaid. He was dirty but he made it look sexy. A light sheen of sweet highlighted his muscles and his flaccid cock gave a twitch of life. “If I make it a week with no sex you have to do the laundry for a month, if you win, I’ll do the laundry for a month.”

Zaid took a step back. “You’re on.” His body twitched and a zebra took his place. Zaid snorted and made a whinny noise then trotted off to the pen. Zeke shook his head and walked over Zaid to close the gate.

A car came down the drive. Zeke recognized the man driving, it was the inspector. Well, it looked like their bet didn’t matter now.

Yale wasn’t trying to be an ass. He really wasn’t. “What do you mean someone signed for it yesterday? I wasn’t even here yesterday.” The person from the shipping company on the other end of the line fed him more bullshit about someone at his address signed for the package he was expecting. “But, I’m telling you I wasn’t here! I was out of town yesterday. There was no way I signed for anything.”

A knock at his door pulled Yale’s attention. He stomped over and wrenched his door open. His not-so-nice greeting died on his tongue when he spotted his neighbor from across the hall, York, standing there holding a package.

The woman on the line kept babbling but Yale wasn’t paying attention anymore. “Hi.”

“Ello.” York held up the package. “I hope you don’t mind,” York’s British accent sent a shiver down his spine, he had a thing for accents, “but you weren’t available yesterday so I signed for your parcel.”

“Oh, thanks.” York hung up the phone and just stared.

York rocked on his feet and drummed his fingers on the box. “So, would you like it now?”

Yale blinked. Yes, he would like it. He would like it all over his apartment. He eyed the box containing his purchase. He hoped to God the box didn’t start vibrating or something embarrassing like that. “The table is fine.” The table would be perfect. Fucking-A he needed to get laid.

York smiled and walked the few feet to the table. Once he placed the box on the table he slid his hands into his back pockets. “Well that’s that then.” He walked back into the hall and turned around. “Have a good day.” He gave a small wave then disappeared into his apartment.

Yale shivered and moved to close the door. He wasn’t sure if he truly was attracted to his neighbor or if he just wanted a good fucking. How bad was that?

York’s door opened. He came up short when he saw Yale still in the doorway. “I don’t mean to be presumptuous but would you care to have a coffee with me?”

“I would really like that.” Yale was a little stunned and surprised York had asked him out.

“Excellent. Tomorrow, then?”

He nodded. “Pick me up at four?”

Yale winked and backed into his apartment a little. “Sure thing since I know where you live. ‘Til tomorrow.” Yale disappeared inside his apartment once again and York finally shut the door as well. He leaned against the door and blew out a long breath.

Did York just ask him out and did he really say yes? He thought about it and pinched himself. Nope, not dreaming.

What was he going to wear?

“We’re late.” Xerxes observed with little to no regard.

Xzavier smirked and took a bite from an apple. The bodies of several humans lay scattered amongst the living room furniture, not that he minded. Quite the contrary, death was his and his twin’s business. “We are neither late or early. We simply are.”

Xerxes stepped over a corpse to stand next to his twin brother. “Simply are qualifies us unpretentious, don’t you think?”

“Brother, we were born from a crystal molded from the other. There is nothing unpretentious about us.” He took another bite and the apple rotted away into a black, lifeless sponge. Xzavier’s gaze fell on the their youngest victim, a six year old little girl. She was propped up on the sofa, her hand curled as if asleep. Black tinged her skin highlighting her veins. He was pleased.

“The humans will want a cure for us.” Xerxes commented. He seemed bored already. Xzavier knew what happened when Xerxes was bored and he loved it.

Xzavier tossed the rotten apple and stepped into the darkest shadow of the kitchen. His eyes opened to take in the scene of a very busy shopping mall. Xerxes appeared at his side not a moment later. The food court lay just to the right full of hungry shoppers. “We were created for the specific purpose of thwarting the humans. They will never cure us.”

Xerxes smiled and started towards the food court. A putrid essence emitted from Xerxes, clogging the air with their virus. He followed his brother and smirked. Within hours most of these humans would be dead, all would pass within forty-eight hours. They were the control mechanism for the human race. It was their job to thin the population and they were good at their job.

They passed Bubonic Plague and Tuberculosis in the food court. They tried in vain to spread their infection but it wouldn’t matter. Chicken Pox caressed an infant but nothing would happen. Vaccines ensured their comrades kept their distance.

Humans couldn’t protect themselves from them.