Were-Geeks Save Lake Wacka Wacka

by Kathy Lyons

  Laddin straightened his shirt and moved away from the wall. He knew Bruce wouldn’t accept any touch right then, but that didn’t stop him from holding out his hand. And when he spoke, he thought about his words and prayed they were the right ones. “I don’t want anything from you. I want to help you.”

  “I don’t know how to save the world.”

  “I know.”

  “I just wanted a break, you know? I just wanted….”

  “Okay.”

  Bruce stilled; then he turned back to Laddin. “What?”

  “I said okay. We can fuck.”

  “Don’t do me any favors or anything.” Bruce’s tone was angry.

  Laddin gave him a lopsided smile. “I’ve had a hard-on for you since the moment we met.” Then his gaze slid to the floor. “I just wanted you to want me.” He lifted his gaze again as he struggled for the words. “I mean, you saved everyone. You’re a superhero that way. I wanted to be more than some random guy in the crowd.”

  Bruce stared at him, his expression torn between tender and horrified. “You did not just call me a superhero.”

  “I’m pretty sure I did.”

  Bruce fell back against the dresser. “I thought you—out of everyone—were paying attention.”

  “I was. What did I miss?”

  “That I’m a monster who beat the crap out of my little brother. A lot. That I’ve fucked tons of women I didn’t respect and couldn’t care less about. That I ate fairy fruit so that I could get powerful. Don’t you get it, Laddin? I’m the monster, not Josh. My father guessed wrong. It wasn’t ever Josh. It was me the whole fucking time. I’m the monster.”

  He really believed that. After everything he did to help people, he still thought of himself as a monster. “That’s a whole lot of guilt you’re carrying around. I can’t remember ever meeting a more remorseful monster in my life. And in the few weeks I’ve been with Wulf, Inc., I’ve met a few.”

  Bruce lifted his chin and shot Laddin a glare. “Saying sorry doesn’t excuse what I did. Ask Josh.”

  “I don’t care about what you did, Bruce. I care about who you are now. And nothing I’ve seen says you’re a monster.”

  Bruce didn’t say a word. He stayed hunched against the dresser with his gaze on the floor, the picture of misery. He hated himself at a really deep level. He despised who he’d been as a kid, felt like he could never make up for his mistakes, and flat-out believed the bullshit his father had spewed for years.

  “I’d really like to beat the crap out your father,” Laddin muttered.

  “I’ve thought that a thousand times.”

  “Then why haven’t you? You’re bigger than him, even without the werewolf or fairy stuff. You could probably put him on the ground by the time you were eighteen.”

  “Sixteen.”

  “So why didn’t you?”

  “Because it would kill my mother. Because he was paying for Josh’s education, and I didn’t want Ivy to come home from war and find a broken family.”

  “Because you made sure everyone got out without destroying your mother or committing murder.”

  Bruce shrugged. “My dad had his good moments too. He came to my games, he protected Ivy from asshole boyfriends. I think he really loves my mother. It was just with Josh that he was crazy.”

  “And Josh got out.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Sounds like you were protecting them all. Sounds like you were a kid with a fucked-up father and you did the best you could.”

  Bruce raised his head. “You’re forgetting one important part. I liked it. I liked beating up my brother.”

  “Who doesn’t? Especially after having a forced vasectomy. I’d be pissed and whaling on anything I could too.” He stepped forward and set his hand on Bruce’s chest. The man flinched, but he didn’t draw back, and in time, he inhaled deep enough that Laddin’s hand could slide across the muscled contours. “I think you’re a pretty amazing guy. But what I think doesn’t make any difference. You’ve got to like who you are before anything I say will sink in.” He pressed his lips to Bruce’s hard jaw, then whispered his next words. “You have to love yourself before my love will make a difference.”

  Bruce blew out a long, slow breath. That was good, because Laddin had feared that the guy would run at the first mention of the L-word. Instead, he pressed a tender kiss to Laddin’s mouth. “I’ve hated myself for a really long time, Laddin. I don’t think there’s any love left in there.”

  “You sure about that? I mean, we know you love this, right?” Laddin stroked his hand across Bruce’s chest again, using a nail to cut across that hard nipple.

  Bruce gasped and his dick twitched where it lay heavy against Laddin’s thigh. “That’s not the same thing, and you know it.”

  “I do, but we’ve got to start somewhere, right?” He rolled his hips so that his cock rubbed against Bruce’s, and they gasped together. “Tell me one thing,” he said as he pushed off Bruce’s sweatpants, allowing Bruce’s thick, ruddy cock to thrust up between them. “Tell me that it’s me you want to fuck, and not some random guy you saved from the fairies.”

  Bruce caught Laddin’s mouth with his. He gripped Laddin’s shoulder and angled his mouth so that the play between their tongues was fast. It made Laddin’s breath catch and his dick pulse with need. And then Bruce ripped his mouth away.

  “It’s you, Laddin,” he said. “It’s definitely you.”

  Laddin grinned. “Then let’s clear your head.” He grabbed Bruce’s arm and whipped him hard toward the bed. He couldn’t have done it if Bruce was unwilling, but the guy practically flew onto the mattress. When he finished bouncing, he gripped Laddin’s sweats and jerked them down too. Laddin’s cock leaped forward, wet and so eager it hurt.

  But when Laddin went to join Bruce on the bed, Bruce held up his hand. “Stay right there,” he ordered.

  Laddin froze. “What? Why?”

  “Because I want to show you that it’s you I want. No one else.” Then, while Laddin was still standing there with his heart beating so fast, Bruce climbed off the bed, got down on his knees, and wrapped Laddin’s cock in his big hand.

  Pleasure zapped through Laddin’s body, and he hissed at the sensation. Then Bruce put his glorious mouth on Laddin and sucked him right in. He knew what to do. He stroked and squeezed in the right tempo, and he used his tongue to drive the need higher. Laddin lost control of his body as he thrust into Bruce’s mouth. His hips jerked and his belly tightened. And when the moment came, he dove straight into the whiteout, sensation, pleasure, and need colliding until there was nothing but bliss.

  Pure, ecstatic bliss.

  The first thing Laddin saw when he came back to himself was Bruce, still on his knees, grinning like he’d been given a bonus prize. Laddin blinked because—to be honest—he hadn’t seen a lover look like that. Not after giving so well without receiving anything in return.

  “You okay there, Bruce?” Laddin asked, surprised by how breathless he felt.

  “I’ve never gotten a guy off before. You looked amazing.”

  “I…. That’s because… I mean… it was amazing. You were amazing.” He put a hand to his mouth, mortified by his stammer.

  Bruce pulled the hand away and they kissed. Bruce’s mouth was hard, and his tongue thrust deep. His cock was there between them, thick and ruddy, and suddenly Laddin wasn’t interested in standing anymore. So he pulled Bruce to the bed.

  “Want to learn how to top?”

  “Yes.” No hesitation. No restraint.

  Laddin grinned. “Good. Because I want to teach you. Stay right there.” Now he was the one doing the ordering as he pulled the condom and lube from his bag. Then he taught Bruce what to do. He explained things as clearly and precisely as he would a new kid in demolitions—only he was the one about to get blown apart.

  He lay back on the bed, facing Bruce, and let the man find the angle and the rhythm. He let Bruce see his lust and his need, even as he felt the burn cut through him. Bru
ce thrust his magnificent cock in so deep that Laddin couldn’t stop squirming, thrusting his own cock uselessly into the air. And he watched in wonder as Bruce’s body flexed above him. Bruce’s chiseled face tightened, and his hard abdominals moved in a glorious display—into Laddin, deeper, harder—while Bruce’s eyes took on a laser focus and his mouth pulled back into a grin.

  And Laddin watched while his heart stuttered and his body pulsed.

  Raw male power in the act of possession. It was so beautiful, it tore him apart.

  He watched, and he was ridden.

  And when Bruce finally exploded inside him, Laddin blew apart too. And he fell in love.

  Chapter 20

  DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY

  BRUCE WOKE to a ringtone that played “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” What was even funnier was the way Laddin rolled over, grabbed the phone, and answered with a very crisp “Yes, Captain!”

  Bruce was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes when Laddin leaped out of bed and gestured for him to do the same. “We’ll leave in ten minutes. Will you inform Nero, or should I?” And then he finished with “Yes, ma’am.”

  He hung up the phone while Bruce was pulling on his sweats. He definitely needed to get some real clothes. But at least he had his boots, muck- and cheese-covered though they may be. “What’s up?” he asked as Laddin started grabbing his own clothes.

  “The kangaroo pack has been dispersed. We’re heading in, even though it’s nearly dark.”

  Bruce looked out the window, and sure enough, dusk was starting to gather on the horizon. “I don’t know how much I’ll be able to see,” he murmured.

  “Your fairy sight should kick in. My guess is that you won’t need real light. In fact, you might be better off without it.”

  Good point. “I guess we’ll see what happens.”

  Laddin finished lacing his sneakers. Then he looked up, but not exactly into Bruce’s eyes. “So, um, did you get any clarity?”

  From the sex, he meant. Had their roll in the hay helped him sort out his life? Hell no, but he didn’t regret it for a moment. “It cleared out the cobwebs,” he finally said. “Which gives room for inspiration to strike, right?”

  “Right.” Laddin turned away. There was a tightness in his body that Bruce didn’t like. It could be because they were headed into the spooky dead zone known as Lake Wacka Wacka. Or was it something else?

  “Laddin—”

  “Listen closely. It hasn’t hit the news yet because no one wants to talk about it, but there’s this huge depressive cloud around the lake. It’s really intense. The normals are sobbing uncontrollably—there have been three suicides and dozens who just left because they couldn’t take it anymore—and even our crew is being overcome by it. That’s why we cycle people in and out fast.”

  “Because they get depressed?”

  “Suicidally depressed. You can laugh at me all you want, but I’m there to keep the cheerful going. One positive thought can counter a hundred dark ones.”

  That really wasn’t his experience, but Bruce didn’t argue. Laddin was acting very intense right now—the exact opposite of his usual upbeat self—and Bruce wasn’t one to challenge a superior officer until he understood the situation.

  But when Laddin didn’t keep speaking, Bruce scrambled to fill the silence. “Uh… yes, sir!”

  Laddin rolled his eyes. “I don’t need you to salute me. I need you to not laugh when I tell you to—”

  “Don’t worry, be happy?”

  Laddin frowned. “Yes. That.”

  “I wasn’t laughing. Certainly not at you.” He frowned. “Did I miss something or do something? You’re acting very….”

  “What?”

  “Commander-in-chief?” That wasn’t the right description, but he couldn’t find the right words just then.

  “Because I am your trainer. I am your commander-in-chief.”

  Neither of them looked at the bed. They hadn’t exactly been acting like an officer/recruit a few hours ago. And the fact that they both were avoiding the view was suddenly really obvious.

  Laddin addressed it first. That was no big surprise, since the guy tended to fill awkward silences.

  “I don’t know how to act right now. I’ve never been in charge of an op, and I’ve never had to train a new recruit. Hell, before a couple of months ago, the worst thing I had to do was yell at actors to get the hell out of the blast radius.” He took a breath. “I don’t know what to say to you, and I told the captain we’d be out the door in….” He looked at his watch. “Now.”

  “How about ‘We’ll talk later’? Then we can take our time and really figure it out.”

  Laddin blinked, then nodded. “I can do that.” He hesitated; then his voice rose in clear doubt. “Can you?”

  “I can.” He hoped. He strongly suspected Laddin wanted to talk about feelings, and that really wasn’t his strong suit. But for Laddin, he’d try.

  “Deal.” But Laddin didn’t move. “One more question before we go.”

  “Yes?”

  “Was it spectacular?”

  “What?”

  “You said that the fairy said that after you ate the apple….”

  “That the sex would be off the charts?”

  “Yeah.” Pause. “Was it?”

  Bruce grinned. “And off the next chart after that.” He winked at Laddin. “Thanks.”

  “My pleasure.” He paused at the door. “I’m going to want details, you know. Very clear, very specific details.”

  Bruce chuckled as they went out into the hallway, but his laugh faded immediately. His brother and Nero stood waiting for them, both leaning against the wall, their arms folded and their expressions dour. It was disturbing how much their poses mirrored each other. Especially since Bruce could remember a time, before things went bad, when Josh used to echo Bruce’s poses.

  Then Nero straightened and held up his car keys, but he didn’t hand them over. Instead, he spoke sternly, and Bruce listened closely, knowing that this was a mission briefing and people who enjoyed breathing really ought to pay attention.

  “I texted the way to the lake to your phone. Don’t deviate from it, because there are crazies everywhere, as well as the press. Stratos and Wiz will meet you at the checkpoint. Get in, find the fucktard demon, then call me. Don’t engage. It’s dangerous and you’re not trained.”

  “I know,” Laddin said. “Captain M already told me.”

  “And did she tell you about the depression effect? It’s real—”

  “Yes.” Laddin held out his hands for the keys. “We’re just there to look around.”

  Nero grimaced. “I should go instead—”

  “You’ve been there often enough,” Laddin interrupted. “You’re already growling at people, and you weren’t exactly Mr. Sunshine before.”

  Nero accepted the statement with a grumpy kind of grace. Then he dropped the keys into Laddin’s hand. “Hold on to your sunshine.” He looked at Bruce. “And don’t eat any more fruit.”

  Bruce nodded while Laddin headed into the kitchen. “No need,” he called. “I made sandwiches yesterday.”

  Of course he had. Laddin was a planner, and that was always handy among first responders. And rare. Bruce grabbed the bag of food with a grin of thanks, only to be stopped by his brother.

  Josh was suddenly standing between him and the exit. His expression was closed down, his arms still folded, and his mouth pressed into a tight, angry line. Bruce braced himself internally. He really didn’t want to take one of his brother’s verbal jabs right now, and he sure as hell didn’t need it as he headed into whatever was at Lake Wacka Wacka, but he didn’t appear to have a say in the matter. So he stood still and waited.

  Eventually Laddin got impatient. “Josh, either spit it out or get out of our way.”

  Josh’s gaze flicked briefly to Laddin, then back to Bruce. Then he spoke in a surly tone reminiscent of when he was twelve. “Don’t die. I’m not done with you yet.”

  Wow.
That was more of an admission of affection than he’d had from Josh in years, and it took him a moment to process it. And then, rather than respond with the grace of an adult, he, too, regressed to twelve-year-old communication. He grunted and shrugged. And then he stood there like an idiot trying to find a way to speak.

  Again, it was Laddin who was too impatient to let them flounder. He grabbed Bruce’s arm and hauled him to the front door.

  “Hug it out tomorrow. Let’s go save the world now, okay?”

  Then Bruce and Josh responded in perfect stereo: “Okay.” The similarities in their voice and intonation made it sound like they were in perfect harmony, absolute accord.

  It was weird and special, and for the first time in years, Bruce looked at his brother with real hope in his heart. Maybe, just maybe, they could find their way back to being brothers again.

  Then he turned and headed toward the barn. Meanwhile, Nero called out one last reminder. “If you find something, call me! Don’t engage on your own!”

  Bruce held his tongue as they got into the car and reversed out of the barn. He waited in silence as Laddin pulled up the directions on his phone and passed it to him. Bruce had no problem playing navigator, but he was appalled by the length of time it would take to get to the lake, and that pushed him to voice his objection out loud.

  “He’s being ridiculous if he thinks we have time to wait for him to get to us. It’ll take us an hour to get there.”

  “I know,” Laddin said, his voice grim.

  “If we have a chance to take out this demon, I’m taking it. We can’t afford to let it disappear again.”

  “I know.”

  “And if Nero is any type of leader, he would know that too.”

  “He is.”

  Bruce looked at Laddin, seeing the tight set to his shoulders and his hard grip on the steering wheel. WTF? “Care to explain what’s going on with you? The only time I’ve seen you this stressed was when your life was in danger. Or mine.”

  Laddin cut a hard look at Bruce, then blew out a breath before focusing back on the road. “My guess is that he’s given Wiz detailed instructions on what to do. Wiz is the only werewolf who has magic, and he’s as experienced as Nero. Stratos is a newbie like me, but she’s got some special woo-woo of her own. Don’t ask me what, because I don’t know. Those two keep their secrets close to the chest.”