by Kody Boye
“Do you even know if they’ll take us in?” someone asked.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “I have yet to address that point.”
“What happens if they do let us?” another questioned. “How will we be housed? Fed? And what would we be required to do?”
“The Kaldr live and sleep in air-conditioned barns. Each stable has been converted into a private room—large enough to hold one person and their personal belongings. You’d have a bed, a cool environment to sleep in during the summer and a warm one in the winter, and a dresser where you could store clothes or anything else you’d wish. You’d feed off the resources farmed on the land and would be able to venture out on your own for whatever else you’d need. As to work… that would be entirely up to Elliot, but I’d imagine you’d tend fields and gather eggs from chickens. There might even be other opportunities available.”
“That doesn’t address the matter of our transformations,” a third woman replied. “It’s not like the stables would keep us from doing any kind of damage.”
“That… is something we would have to address,” I said. “But I’m sure it could be remedied easily enough, so long as you’d be able—and willing—to possibly build your own underground bunkers.”
“I don’t see how that would be a problem,” Poem said.
“Seems reasonable to me,” Baptiste added.
“So,” I continued. “By a show of hands: how many of you are willing to join forces with the Winters Kaldr clan if they are willing to house us?”
Less than half raised their hands. Among those that did were Aerick, Baptiste, Poem, two of the men who’d initially questioned my authority and three women who had remained quiet for the majority of my time here. The rest kept their hands down, their piercing gazes enough to remind me of yellow eyes piercing from the darkest recesses of the night.
“All right,” I said. “That’s eight out of twenty.”
“I don’t want to be around any buttfuck—I mean icicles,” the Central American man said.
“I just don’t think they’d accept us,” another of the opposing party said. “Why get my hopes up?”
“Would you be willing if I got a concrete yes?”
“From Elliot Winters?” a woman snorted. “Unlikely.”
I tried to disguise my sigh as best as I could, but judging from the reactions around me, it didn’t seem to work. Rather than push the issue further, I simply nodded, rose, and concluded my presentation by saying, “Please reconsider. I don’t want to have to split us up. I feel like our forces would be better united rather than divided.”
When no one offered a word in response, I turned and began to make my way back to my quarters.
No matter how hard I tried, nothing seemed to work.
Maybe I wouldn’t need to convince Elliot to let us stay on the ranch.
Maybe, in the end, they’d all just decide to stay here.
7
A knock came at the door late that night, long after I had fallen asleep.
Unsure whether or not I was hearing things, I waited—anticipating, but not completely expecting, another knock to follow.
When one finally did, I rolled over onto my side, said, “Come in,” and waited for whomever had disturbed me at such a late hour to enter my room.
The door opened, then closed. A presence settled at the end of my bed and the individual sighed. “Jason?” Aerick said.
“What’re you doing up so late?” I asked, rolling onto my other side to face him.
“Couldn’t sleep,” he said. “Had too much on my mind.”
“Like?”
“The Howlers. The Kaldr. Our potential move. You.”
I blinked. “Me?” I asked.
“I saw the way you were looking at me at dinner tonight,” Aerick said, reaching out to grab my shoulder before trailing his hand along my chest. He teased a nipple with the tip of one finger before leaning forward to close the distance between our faces. “I saw your longing. Your need.”
“Aerick—”
“I know you need more,” the man said, pressing his lips against my cheek, then against my ear. He bowed his head into my neck and sucked at the flesh at the curve of my shoulder before curling another hand around my ribcage. “And I’m willing to provide it.”
“I’m not sure this is such a good idea.”
“Why?”
“Because I just met you.”
“You’re a Kaldr, Jason. It’s not like you really have a choice in the matter.”
Did I, though? I thought about the day Guy had taught me to use my powers and how drained I’d been at the end of the day—how, when I’d looked into the mirror, I’d seen nothing more than a skeletal vision of myself, black and blue from the supernatural forces of magic. I could not deny that I was still drained—knew, without a shroud of doubt, that I still needed something other than just sleep. His touch upon my skin was supernovas to my consciousness, beading along my brain the endorphin rush of pleasure. Maybe I didn’t need sex. Maybe I just needed someone close to me.
“I don’t want to have sex with you,” I said. “But I do want you to stay,” I added when the look on his face shifted from sensual to annoyed. “Take your shirt off.”
He did, without question, snaring both hands along the hem of his T and drawing it up his body to reveal taut, defined muscles beneath upon the smoothest skin I’d seen. His intoxicating scent radiated out toward me as he lifted his shirt over his head and tossed it to the side, then as he scooted forward to draw against my side.
His skin, our touch—
Warmth pooled against my person.
“You’re so cold,” Aerick said, pressing a gentle kiss against my shoulder.
“You’re still being affected by my magic,” I said. “It’s what’s drawing you to me.”
“I don’t mind it,” he replied.
“I just want you to be aware of what’s going on.”
He spread out alongside me and nuzzled his stubbly chin along the curve of my shoulder. “Nothing wrong with that,” he said, draping an arm across my side. “You know how long it’s been since I’ve been with another man?”
“No.”
“A long time,” Aerick said.
I settled down alongside him and drew the blankets around the two of us. “If you get cold,” I said.
“I know. I’ll leave.”
I closed my eyes.
His warmth alone was enough to put me to sleep.
8
I woke the next morning to find Aerick gone. Torn between disappointment over his departure and my inability to refuse his affections, I curled the remainder of the blankets around my body and tried to find solace in what little warmth was being produced by my own body. His artery had sufficed—had, for the time being, sated the innate hunger that’d consumed my body no sooner had Pierre’s corpse hit the floor—but what I really needed was sex. The man at the gas station had given me enough juice to last one night. But a Howler…
Can you imagine? Guy had once asked. A Kaldr and a Howler?
I couldn’t—but could, in theory, see myself taking Aerick. Or him taking me.
Shaking my head, I pushed myself out of bed, made me way into the bathroom, and ran as warm a shower as I could, taking extra care to wrap Pierre’s old robe around my body so I wouldn’t freeze to death upon parting the glass doorway. I blow-dried my hair, shaved with the only unused razor I found in Pierre’s medicine cabinet, then dressed before departing the room.
Given that I’d slept so late, I didn’t imagine I’d find anyone in the common room where dinner and other timely events occurred. When I stepped inside to find not only Baptiste, but Poem and Aerick pooling over a map, I began to approach.
“Morning sunshine,” Aerick said without bothering to look up.
“How’d you know it was me?” I frowned.
“For one,” Poem said, “you walk like you’re about to step on glass.”
“And for two,” Aerick added, “yo
u smell absolutely delicious.”
“Settle down, Silverback, before I put a leash on you.”
“Oh, would you? Then our new leader can pull me around and make me his bitch.”
“You’re already my bitch,” I said, which prompted laughter from both Poem and Baptiste. Aerick merely smirked before returning his eyes to the map. “What’re you guys looking at?”
“We’re trying to determine the best route for you and Aerick to take on your way back to the ranch,” Baptiste said, trailing a finger along multiple highways. “We’re thinking it might be best if you take 285 before going down to 10 and getting off on 377.”
“Why is that?”
“Because it avoids most of the major highways through the state and isn’t the most straightforward route. You’re more likely to encounter other supernaturals in the more populated areas. If you take 20, you’re basically going in a straight line—and if you’re stuck on a highway after being followed—”
“You’re screwed,” Poem said.
“Wait a second,” I said. “Why are you guys so concerned about the two of us being spotted?”
“The Sanguine have always kept an eye on us.”
“Why is that?”
“Let’s just say Pierre made a deal with them and leave it at that,” Aerick said.
Great. Not only did we have a long trip ahead of us, but now we had to worry about the Sanguine on top of it.
“Is it just like in the movies? Crosses? Garlic? Stake the heart and cut off the head?”
“The head’ll still bite,” Poem said.
“And regenerate if you don’t burn it in time,” Baptiste added.
“And I take it none of you have extra gas to spare,” I sighed.
“Not really.”
“All right. Ok then.” I looked up at Aerick, whose previous enthusiasm had all but vanished. “Would you be willing to head out with me this afternoon?”
“Already?” he asked. “I mean, yeah. If you’re ready, sure.”
“Baptiste,” I said. “Get a truck ready. I’m not looking forward to this.”
“Neither am I,” Aerick said, strolling toward the elevator hatch. “Neither am fucking I.”
9
Given that Aerick had passed out almost immediately upon our departure, I was left to my own devices while navigating the long, barren stretch of west Texas. In near complete silence due to the lack of working radio frequencies, I kept my eyes on the road and my attention set on the task at hand, already dreading the possible outcomes that would arrive come time we pulled into the Winters family ranch sometime tomorrow.
I can only imagine, I thought, how smoothly this will go.
It’d be bad enough that I’d brought a Howler along, let alone one who was so obviously interested in me. What would I tell Guy?
“That I had to feed,” I mumbled.
Aerick snorted, then adjusted his head against the pillow, his subdued breathing enough to assure me that he hadn’t heard what I’d just said.
This’d be so much easier if we just had cellphones.
Can’t have the government spying on us, Baptiste had said when I’d voiced that same complaint right before we left.
It was no wonder supernatural creatures went crazy. Between staying offline and keeping away from society, it was a miracle they hadn’t exterminated the human race yet.
Sighing, I adjusted my position along the wheel and looked out at the endless expanse of flat terrain before me—knowing, if I didn’t continue to engage myself mentally, that I was likely to pass out. The terrain was dull—unmarred by even the slightest of trees—and what little geological formations existed were in the form of lonesome rocks that occurred maybe once or twice every ten minutes. Beyond that, this place was desolate. It was hard to believe there was even a road out here.
I’d expected this drive being boring, given that I’d initially come all this way myself. But with Aerick in the front seat? I should’ve been just fine.
I cleared my throat a few times, then said, as strongly as I could, “Aerick.”
He grumbled something under his breath before stretching his arms above his head. “What?” he asked.
“I need you to stay awake and entertain me.”
“You’re kidding?” he asked.
“Nope,” I replied. “I’m not.”
“There’s nothing but boring ass fucking—”
A single look was enough to silence him instantly. He grumbled something about me being a ‘motherfucking asshole’ that should’ve ‘just minded his own business’ under his breath before straightening fully in his seat. He reached for his bottle of water, chugged a third of it, then turned his bloodshot eyes on me and asked, “What?”
“Didn’t sleep well last night?”
“It’s not like I was exactly looking forward to come on this trip.”
“You would’ve preferred to stay at the bunker?”
“Anything would’ve been better than going out to that godforsaken ranch.”
“Why’s that?”
“Everyone knows Elliot-goddamn-Winters has a god complex.”
“Tell me about it,” I laughed.
“So what’s his son like?” Aerick asked. “I mean, I’ve only ever heard other people talk about him, but the things I’ve heard make him sound a little—”
“Headstrong?” I asked. Aerick smirked, confirming my approval. “Yeah. He is.”
“What’s he look like?”
“Tall. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Incredibly good-looking.”
“Nice cock?”
“You can’t imagine.”
“Oh, I can,” he said, kicking his feet up on the dash. He slid his hands behind his head before tossing a sideways glance at me. “You think he’d be into having a three-way?”
I nearly spit the water I had just started to drink. “What?”
“Yeah. You know. Me, you, him. A three-way. Where three people get together and—”
“I don’t think we’re going to get that far on this visit,” I said, sinking my teeth into my lower lip.
“He really did a number on you, didn’t he?”
“I’m still not sure how I feel.”
“So if I were to ask how you felt right now, you’d say?”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s pretty telling of your relationship.”
Was it, though? I loved Guy to death—or at least I thought I did—and I knew I’d do anything for him if it ever came down to it. But the way he’d tried to control me back at the ranch—the way he’d cast my personal feelings aside for his own wants and desires…
“He’s incredibly headstrong,” I said when I felt as though I couldn’t come up with anything better, “which is something I both love and hate about him.”
“You love it because it makes him a determined man.”
“Yeah.”
“But hate it because it can make him a stubborn prick.”
“How did you know?”
“I’ve been with guys like him,” Aerick said, readjusting himself in his seat. “It’s not easy being in a pack of Howlers, let alone being gay in a pack of Howlers, but, well… you do what you have to do. Sometimes the women aren’t interested. Sometimes the guys are willing to help you out. Me? I’m a people-pleasure. And I like sex, so it’s kinda hard to say no when a dude comes up to me and says, ‘Can I fuck your ass, man?’”
“You mean there aren’t any other gay Howlers in the clan?”
“Oh, trust me, there are. Some of those supposed ‘straight’ guys suck cock like the best of them.” He chuckled and licked his lips, then frowned shortly thereafter. “But yeah. I can sorta understand what you’re going through. You like someone and you know they like you back, but they’ve got some kind of quirk that makes them hard to be with. It’s like sticking your head out in a whack-a-mole game and getting hit nine out of ten times.”
“You couldn’t have described my relationship more perfectly.”
&nbs
p; “Like I said: I’m a people-pleaser. One of the prerequisites is knowing what makes them work.”
With nothing further to say on the matter, I returned my eyes to the road and listened as Aerick began to fumble with the nodules on the dashboard.
“Do they not have anything out here?” he groaned, just in time for a man to start singing, Come on Jesus take me home. “Fuck that shit.”
I laughed.
This was going to be one interesting trip.
10
Though Aerick was more than willing to let me sleep in the back seat that night due to his shorter frame, I chose to remain in the driver’s seat on the chance that we had to make a quick getaway. The windows rolled up, the car freshly idling as cool air pooled into the vehicle, I closed my eyes and listened as the sound of wind skirted alongside the vehicle and tossed tumbleweeds across the vacant parking lot.
Though I would’ve preferred sharing a one-bed in a nearby hotel, we couldn’t risk getting caught—not with my face still so fresh in the media.
You’re sure we have to stay here? Aerick had asked when we’d pulled into the rest stop parking lot that night.
Yeah, I’d then confirmed. Sorry.
That was before he’d crawled out of the car and stomped his way to the visitor’s center—where, he so proudly proclaimed, he was going to ‘drain his lizard’ before bedding down for the night.
A knock at the driver’s side door roused me from thought. I turned to find Aerick standing in his tank top and skinny jeans that hugged his hips in a vicegrip.
I unlocked the door.
He hopped inside.
He leaned forward and pointed at the visitor’s center. “See that?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I replied. “Why?”
“There was some creepy dude in there giving me the once-over. And not in the, He’s old and could possibly be my grandpa creepy either.”
“You think something’s up?”
“I know something’s up. I—”
An ear-splitting shriek that caused both Aerick and I to cover our ears sounded from the visitor’s center and echoed into the cab.
