by Noah Harris
Dream Ash snorted. “Ya mean they were treated like absolute dirt. I’ll tell you the truth Kell. Johnny here? He was treated like utter crap by most of the Coven when he was younger, and even when he was older. There’s plenty of them from the Coven who’ll tell you it wasn’t any loss when he left to be a shifter instead of a witch, and they’ll gladly tell you they saw it coming a mile away too. It was rumored, rumors are all that matter for us just like it is for humans, that Johnny here was born within the Pack, but came to us in the Coven later. That’s all it took, and suddenly, he was the outcast child, the one no one wanted the other young witches to be around. It’s just how things are. Ain’t much different with the Pack.”
Kell looked at Dream Ash. “Look, I know you’re just…the memory of the Ash that Johnny knew, but it’s really odd to have someone I’ve never met talking to me like we’re old friends.”
“Speaking of, you might wanna pay attention,” Dream Ash said, nodding toward the still lit memory.
Kell turned and watched as the memory changed. The setting from the first memory returned, with children sitting in small circles, reading books and writing quietly. All were talking among themselves as they wrote, save for the dark-haired child off to one side, separated from the rest. He didn’t remain alone, however, as a boy with incredibly bright blond hair sticking up in every direction plopped himself down next to the young Johnny. The child Johnny’s expression of surprise was obvious and heartbreaking, but the blond-haired boy chatted away with him, ignoring both Johnny’s surprise and the stares from other children.
“He was my only friend,” Johnny whispered.
Dream Ash chuckled. “Ya didn’t know what to do that day. You were so shocked that ya didn’t say anything to me for almost an hour.”
Johnny shook his head. “Even in my dreams, Ash can’t help but antagonize me.”
The light around the memory of the child Johnny faded, giving way to the darkened woods once more. Other lights appeared at the edge of the forest, lanterns of memory forming at the edge of the meadow. Kell turned on his heel, trying to catch sight of them as he realized they were forming and fading far faster than the previous ones.
Johnny, not looking much younger than how Kell knew him, drinking steadily, sat alone at a bar in some far-flung corner of the world. Johnny of the same age, discovering the thrill and escape of a drug Kell couldn’t identify. Then came the sight of Johnny discovering his resurgent witch powers, and the fear and excitement which came with it. Another Johnny twisting blood from an open wound on his body, using it to fuel his power.
The memories began to burst to light and fade away almost too fast for Kell to keep up. Johnny fighting, running, hiding, nursing wounds, arguing. The images came without sound, but emotion radiated out from them in a blast of sensation and feeling. Kell rocked back, head spinning as he tried to keep up, but he didn’t miss the one thing which was the same in all of them.
“You were alone,” Kell said, closing his eyes to steady himself.
“And you cannot fill the hole within him,” Dream Ash intoned.
“Don’t,” Johnny whispered.
Kell turned to the Dream Ash. “What do you mean?”
Dream Ash nodded toward Johnny. “Weren’t you listening earlier, when he explained about alphas and omegas? Without an omega, he will never have what the wolf inside his spirit truly needs. It needs an omega, and you are a Ward.”
Kell frowned, realizing that the Dream Ash’s heavy southern accent had disappeared, replaced by the ominous rigid speech of a prophet. The light of memories faded to nothing, and with it, Dream Ash disappeared as well. It left him only with Johnny, who was resolutely looking down at his feet.
“Johnny?” Kell asked.
“I wish he hadn’t told you that,” Johnny whispered.
Before Kell could replay it in his mind, the fog around the edge of the meadow thickened into an impenetrable barrier. It crept forward and the grass and flowers at his feet began to melt and shift. Kell felt a pull at his middle, and just as with his arrival, he was yanked upward, away from the space.
With a gasp, Kell was flung back, his head thumping painfully against something solid and real. Wincing, he rubbed the back of his head, squinting around what he realized was the interior of the car. During his trip into Johnny’s mind, he had slumped to the side, and upon reawakening, he’d thumped his head against the side of the car. Johnny was wide awake beside him, his eyes downcast, but looking no worse for wear.
“I knew you were strong but I never expected you to delve so deep,” Johnny said quietly.
“That was really the inside of your mind?” Kell asked, still rubbing the sore spot.
Johnny turned back to the wheel, fingers resting on the keys. “It was…a waystation. A place formed in my consciousness where you could see what you’d come to see, to make it easier. Mind magic is a tricky endeavor, and both the host and the visitor will unconsciously work together to make the process easier. Without the smoothing process, all you would have felt and seen was the brief snippets and emotions you felt the first time you touched my mind.”
Kell chewed on his bottom lip as Johnny turned the car on and pulled away from the shoulder. Johnny’s explanation of where they’d been made sense, but Kell’s focus was on what he’d seen while inside his head. He’d known that Johnny had been alone for a long time but he’d never expected just how far it had gone. Johnny had walked through his life since having left the Coven with no one by his side, and even before that, all he’d had was a singular friend. Now that he was presented with something else, a possibility for a companion, he was turning away from it.
“Are you…avoiding what’s happening between us because you’ve been alone for so long?” Kell asked.
Johnny’s grip tightened on the wheel. “I’m not avoiding anything. I can’t and won’t deny that I’m attracted to you, and that I want you. But you heard…well, the memory of Ash. He spoke the truth. No matter how much I may want you, eventually the alpha wolf inside me will realize you’re not what it needs.”
“So, it’s shown no interest in me huh?” Kell asked, heart sinking.
Johnny frowned. “It hasn’t shown a disinterest.”
Kell perked up at that, turning the idea around in his head for a moment. If the wolf, which Kell admittedly knew so little about, was an instinctual part of Johnny, it could easily influence Johnny’s attraction to anyone. Kell remembered how enthusiastic Johnny had been when they’d kissed, and how difficult it seemed to be for Johnny to keep his hands to himself when he was around Kell.
It matched how Kell felt when he was around Johnny, pulled to him. At the very least, if Johnny wasn’t being pushed away by this inner wolf, then perhaps there was hope.
Kell looked up, reaching to lay a hand on Johnny’s leg. “Then isn’t that enough to try?”
Johnny snorted. “Hardly. I chose the wolf a long time ago, and that means I chose to give myself to its push and its needs. It might very well be interested in the moment because the human side of me is. Yet that will matter very little when it finally realizes that there will be no bond between it and you.”
“I don’t have anyone or anything else inside me but me, so I can’t claim to understand what it’s like. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a pull toward you, or that I’m damn sure you feel one toward me,” Kell insisted.
“That isn’t quite the same thing as a bond growing between alpha and omega wolves,” Johnny said.
Kell shook his head. “No, probably not. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t at least try. You’re not just this wolf, you’re a man, and a witch as well, right? Doesn’t that count for something?”
“It doesn’t matter. Even as a hybrid, I’m still just as vulnerable to the needs of the wolf as a pure werewolf,” Johnny said, voice growing tight.
Kell sighed. “You’re going to find any way you can to avoid trying it out, aren’t you?”
Johnny’s lips thinned. “You don
’t know what you’re asking of me, Kell, or what it means for you. Without an omega, the wolf will eventually drive me to seek another. It might take days, weeks, or hell, maybe years, I don’t know. But I don’t want to form something with you, something meaningful for us both, only to have some part of me drive you away or hurt you.”
“And what if I said I think it would be worth the possibility?” Kell asked.
Johnny took a hand from the wheel to rest on Kell’s. His hand was warm, radiating heat onto the back of Kell’s hand that he found comforting. Johnny remained silent, though Kell could see and distantly feel thoughts drifting around Johnny’s mind. More importantly to Kell, however, was that he could see a smile on Johnny’s face. It wasn’t quite approval, but it wasn’t a denial either, and hope blossomed in him.
Kell rubbed the fingers on Johnny’s thigh back and forth in what he hoped was encouragement. Johnny’s smile flickered and Kell noticed the smell of fertile earth grow stronger. Taking a deep inhale, Kell felt equal measures of comfort and arousal, his fingers sliding a little closer to the man’s inner thigh. Johnny’s eyes flicked to look at Kell briefly before returning to the road, but the hand on Kell’s loosened its grip.
Emboldened by the implied consent, Kell squeezed the muscle of Johnny’s leg. Johnny spread his legs a little farther, keeping his attention on the road as Kell moved his hand up. Kell was pleased to discover Johnny was already half-hard, and as his fingers brushed over the denim-covered shaft, he felt it growing thicker. Kell ran his fingers along the outline, pressing through the denim a little more firmly until he heard Johnny’s breath catch.
Grinning, Kell managed to loosen the button of Johnny’s jeans, then carefully bring the zipper down. Fully confident in Johnny’s ability to drive, Kell allowed himself to divert his full attention to what he was doing. A shiver of lust ran through him as he pushed Johnny’s open jeans out of the way, revealing the hint of dark hair along the edge of his underwear. Kell ran his finger along the waistband before easing beneath it.
Johnny’s breathing grew a little rougher as Kell’s fingertips brushed along the length of his cock. Kell unconsciously held his bottom lip between his teeth as he gripped Johnny, pulling him carefully from the confines of his underwear. He was longer than he’d expected, and Kell’s eyes were locked on the glistening tip that pressed against Johnny’s shirt.
“Kell, it’s been a little while,” Johnny warned.
Kell chuckled, using his free hand to nudge at Johnny’s arm. “A little pent up? Good, move your arm and I’ll take care of you.”
“What are you...” Johnny began, moving his arm even as he protested.
Kell positioned himself as best he could over the middle of the car, so his face was hovering over Johnny’s crotch. Maneuvering so he wouldn’t get in the way of Johnny’s steering, Kell gripped the bottom of Johnny’s cock, positioning the wet tip to his lips. Johnny’s faint words of worry dwindled to a shuddering moan as Kell ran his tongue over the tip, tasting him. Promising himself that he’d draw it out when they had more time and space, Kell wrapped his mouth around the head and began to slide forward.
Johnny gave another moan, this one deeper and more resonant as Kell’s mouth and then throat took him in. Kell worked his throat muscles over first the head and then the shaft of Johnny’s cock. It had been a little while since the last time he’d been with someone, and even longer since it had been someone of Johnny’s size. The man’s length was impressive but Kell reveled in the sensation of it sliding to the back of his throat, his nose eventually pressing against Johnny’s thigh.
From above him, Johnny swore under his breath as Kell eased himself back. Kell took a moment to suck gently on the tip, giving his own soft noise of approval as he tasted Johnny once more. With another push forward, Kell squeezed Johnny’s cock into his throat again, working up a rhythm. Johnny’s hand fell to the back of his head as his hips pushed up, trying to push himself deep into Kell’s throat again.
If Kell could’ve grinned, he would have, but he busied himself with keeping his rhythm as much as he could. Johnny’s soft noises were becoming more frequent, turning into growls the longer Kell worked. Kell’s own desire flooded him, growing more eager as he sucked Johnny down deep over and over again.
“Kell,” Johnny growled, his voice thick and heavy.
Kell knew the warning for what it was and drove down one more time. His throat worked over the sensitive tip of Johnny’s cock, eager and hungry. Johnny moaned low and slow, his cock pulsing as he came hard. Kell slid his mouth back, feeling the long shaft throb against his tongue until the taste of Johnny flooded his mouth. When the last of Johnny’s orgasm faded from him, Kell gave the head one last final lick before pulling himself free, grinning wide.
Kell sat back in his seat, wiping the edges of his mouth. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Chapter 8
Johnny
Johnny burst into laughter. “You could have gotten us killed!”
Kell, looking smug, settled into his seat. “I had perfect trust in your ability to not drive us off the side of the road over a little bit of head.”
“Some phenomenally good head,” Johnny corrected.
Despite his smugness, Kell looked pleased at the compliment. “I aim to please. It’s nice to know I haven’t gotten rusty during my last dry spell.”
Johnny eyed Kell doubtfully. “I find it hard to believe you’d ever have to endure a dry spell.”
“Aw, that’s sweet, but it was a choice. My last ex turned out to be nuts and stalked me, so I decided to lay off guys for a little while,” Kell explained, settling into his seat.
Johnny snorted. “You do attract the most interesting people.”
Kell raised a brow, looking at Johnny pointedly. “Obviously.”
The smile froze on Johnny’s face as the clouds before them changed dramatically. The thick gray clouds darkened in a matter of seconds. The light over the next hill on the empty road became bleak and oppressive. The black clouds grew, pushing toward them with astonishing speed, and Johnny could feel the telltale force of magic behind the cover.
As rain poured down over the hill, a swarm of black crows burst from the oncoming storm. The murder dove for the car, swarming it in a cacophony of caws and flapping wings. As Johnny’s foot slammed down on the brake, he glimpsed hulking black shapes through the flurry of wings. Instincts at the back of his mind sensed the presence of werewolves as the car slid to a screeching halt.
From beside him, Kell gave a startled yelp as he hurtled forward. Johnny winced at the hard thump of Kell’s head hitting the dash. Snarling, Johnny leaned over to check on Kell, summoning as much of his power as he could muster. As his fingers found the pulse in Kell’s neck, Johnny shoved the energy out, slamming away from the car and into the crows. With a shriek, the birds blew away from them, scattering into the sky above.
Relieved that Kell was alive but unconscious, and furious they’d once again been found, Johnny jerked on the wheel and hit the gas pedal. The tires squealed as the car swung around to face away from the oncoming storm and the werewolves accompanying it. Before the car completed its full turn, however, Johnny spotted the fire.
A wall of flame shot out from the forest, crossing over the road in front of them and over the median. Once it crossed the road, the flames blazed even higher, climbing to over ten feet tall. The wall was blisteringly hot, scorching the road and melting it. With the storm behind him and the fire before him, Johnny snarled in frustration at the trap laid by the Coven’s magic.
As if hearing his thoughts, the storm finally reached the car. Rain and hail thundered down overhead, denting the roof and hood as it passed. Johnny watched as the sheet of rain slid over the wall of flames, dousing it with a piercing hiss. Steam and smoke mingled in the air, creating a momentarily thick wall around the highway.
His vision wasn’t obscured for long, as the wind from the tail end of the storm caught the white cloud around the car, stripping it aw
ay. The clouds, even the dark gray ones from before, were gone completely. The sky was blue and clear, and the sun shone brightly on the wet asphalt of the road.
Where the flames had once been, a group of men and women now stood in a line. Each of them staring intently at the car, and Johnny watched their fingers move, drawing the last of their spell away. It had only taken the Coven a few hours to find them again. Every time someone found them, Johnny was a little more amazed at just how much the Children seemed to want to get their hands-on Keller. The Coven had devoted more resources than Johnny had ever seen to find Kell, and as he watched them, he knew they wouldn’t stop until they had him or until Kell was dead.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Johnny could see the wolves pacing their way up to the rear of the car. Each of them looked formidable and ready to fight. Most of the time, the Pack reacted only to immediate threats. Their tendency to react rather than plan long term made them formidable opponents in a battle but lackluster generals in a war. If they were still bound and determined to hunt down Kell so resolutely, Johnny knew they’d be just as determined as the Coven.
Both factions of the war had come hunting from the moment they’d had the first scent. Yet Johnny could feel they were missing one more addition to the ‘party.’ It had been the Vigil which had attempted a first strike on Kell, and it had been the Vigil which had attacked the Children when they’d cornered Johnny and Kell in the abandoned house. If the Children had found them, then Johnny knew the Vigil would be hot on their tail.
Johnny turned his attention to the witches. Behind them, he could see a mass of vehicles speeding their way toward them. Unlike the car he’d stolen, these cars were armored and he wouldn’t be surprised if a few of the shapes he could see on the convoy were weapons. It seemed the Vigil really was just as determined as the Children and were bringing in their own firepower.
As if of one mind, the Pack sprung forward, past the car to stand in a line behind the Coven. Both witches and werewolves stood at attention as the Vigil barreled down on them at high speed. The convoy was showing no signs of slowing down and the witches raised their arms. Johnny felt the magic rising before he saw the effect of the shimmering wall erected between the Children and the oncoming Vigil.
