by Kody Boye
“The way I responded?” I laughed. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“When I said, ‘I guess this is goodbye,’ you said, ‘I guess it is.’” He closed his eyes, then opened them, the pain there almost palpable. “Do you know how bad that hurt me, Jason?”
“You wouldn’t let me do what I wanted to do.”
“Do you blame me?” he asked. “You could’ve gotten yourself killed.”
“And that would’ve been my right,” I replied. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to move to the center of the couch and took his hand in my own. “Look, Guy. I… I have to admit something to you. We’ve known each other for… what? Two? Maybe three months? And in that time you’ve done so much for me. You paid off my apartment, kept me off the streets, fed me, clothed me, sheltered me. But you’ve also ruined any chance at a normal life I could’ve had. You pulled me into the paranormal underworld, didn’t let me go, didn’t use the resources you had to offer me an opportunity to return—”
“We could still do that, Jason.”
“It’s too late now. I’ve… I’ve already seen too much. The Kelda, the Howlers, the Sanguine, the Banshees… it…” I sighed. I tightened my hold on his hand and tried not to falter in the face of such overwhelming, but it was almost impossible not to. Here we were—finally reconciling our differences—and I was succumbing to what was undoubtedly the breakdown I’d been putting off for the longest time. And yet… in a way… it was perfect. Perfect that I could do it here, with him, on this couch, in this flat in this house on this property, and I had absolutely nothing to be afraid or ashamed of because I loved him and everything he stood for. For his honor, for his bravery, for his sheer, pure-hearted compassion—he was the man they made movies and wrote books about, because in the end, he had been there for me through and through, no matter what had happened.
Leaning forward, I wrapped my arms around him and bowed my head into his shoulder. “I love you,” I whispered, “but you have to stop trying to take control of everything. It isn’t working, and if anything, it’s making me push you away.”
“But you have feelings for Aerick,” he said.
“Yes. I do. At least, I think I do. And you know what?” I pulled back. “If that makes you uncomfortable, I’ll back off.”
“He’s your chance at a fresh start,” Guy said. “At something you wouldn’t normally have had in this situation. In that regard… I think it’d be wrong to take it away from you.”
I waited for him to continue.
“He’s warm flesh, Jason. You’re Kaldr. I’m Kaldr. We may love each other with all our heart’s desires, but we could never truly be complete, just the two of us, not without a third.” He paused, stroking the inside of my palm with a thumb. “There’s a saying amongst the Kaldr when it comes to love. Hollr elska ey.”
“What does that mean?” I frowned.
“It means loyal love forever, always in Norse.” He paused to let that sink in. “I believe love is universal. I believe it can be more than just between two people, because when you think about it, we all love more than one person in our lives. Our family, our friends—they are just as important to us as the people we go to bed with at night. But sometimes… physical love—it transcends more than just one person. And for people like us—the Kaldr: that love is necessary for our survival.”
He tightened his hold on my hand.
“He says he is willing to dedicate himself to you,” Guy continued. “And, by association, to me. Let him do that for you. For us. We need the varmar—that warmth—to survive. If he is so willing… do not deny him.” He smiled. “Besides,” he continued. “He’s a cute little motherfucker, isn’t he?”
“And dear God is he good in bed,” I laughed.
Guy grinned. “See?” he asked. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“No,” I said. “It wasn’t.”
“There may come a time when you fall in love with him. Hell—even I may fall in love with him someday. Polyamory isn’t uncommon amongst the Kaldr. Regardless, though, it isn’t wrong, and I will never, ever judge you for it.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. I leaned against his body and wrapped my arms around him. “I love you, Guy.”
“I love you too, Jason. Just remember—Hollr elska ey.”
“Hollor elska ey,” I replied. “Loyal love forever. Always.”
3
“You have that talk with your boyfriend?” Aerick asked when I found him wandering the grounds later that afternoon, his hands in his pants pockets and his shirtless torso basking in sweat beneath the Texas sun.
“I did,” I said.
“And?” he asked.
“It went better than I thought it would.” I stepped closer and wrapped an arm around him. Surprised, he returned the gesture, then gave me an incredulous look. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For giving me the confidence to talk to him head-on.”
“I don’t think you needed my help to talk to him, Jason.”
“No, but I needed your help to process some of the things I was going through.”
“Sometimes all you need is a shoulder to lean on,” he replied. He slid his hands back into his pockets and looked up at me. “So… what does this mean for us?”
“I like you,” I said, reaching out to brush a hand along his arm. “You’re charming, smart, extremely good-looking and a bit of an ass.”
“I can agree with that,” Aerick laughed.
“Which are all qualities I find attractive in a guy.” I let my hand fall slack at my side. “I’d… like to invite you to stay with us. Guy and I, I mean. Guy’s already agreed, and he thinks you’d be a good addition to the little family we have. Plus.” I leaned toward him and smiled. “He’s already been checking you out.”
“Trust me. The feeling’s mutual.”
I reached out and extended my hand to him. “So,” I said. “You wanna get settled in? I bet you could use a shower after everything we’ve been through.”
“Could I ever,” he smiled.
4
“Fuck,” Aerick gasped. “God, yes. Fuck me Guy. Fuck me.”
I watched in feverish anticipation as my boyfriend broke in the warm flesh that would soon be ours to share. Legs over his shoulders, ass set upon a pillow, Guy thrust into the younger man beneath him with abandon I felt slightly unnecessary considering it was their first time, but Aerick loved it. He met Guy’s thrusts, leaned forward, captured Guy’s face in his hands and pulled him down for a passionate kiss. My cock leaked for release, but I already told myself that I would save it for Aerick.
His ass—god his ass. Two tight ripe melons just waiting for the taking.
“Holy… fucking… shit,” Aerick gasped when the two broke apart. “Good God.”
“I’m not going to last much longer,” Guy panted.
“Give it to me, baby.”
Guy leaned back, lifted Aerick’s legs from his shoulders, and pushed his knees against his chest, increasing the pace of his thrusts the closer he got to orgasm. “Fuck,” he gasped, thrusting. “I’m cuh-cuh-come—”
He didn’t have time to pull out. He exploded, collapsing against Aerick’s knees and riding out the way of pleasure as his cock pulsed and emptied his balls into the younger man’s ass.
“Shit,” he whispered.
“My turn,” I said as Guy pulled out.
“Shit,” Aerick gasped. “Round two. Fuck yeah. You guys can gangbang me all night.”
“Careful,” Guy laughed, slapping his cock across Aerick’s face. “You might give us ideas.”
Aerick responded by sucking Guy’s cock into his mouth. Guy groaned as the younger man bobbed his head around the sticky length.
I scooted forward and nudged Aerick’s thighs aside with my knees. I didn’t hesitate as I lined myself up with his eager opening and thrust in.
He howled.
His ass tightened around me.
“Don’t even need lube,” I said
as I glided effortlessly in and out of his ass.
“Not when there’s already a load in there,” Aerick chuckled before taking Guy’s cock back into his mouth.
“Great ass, great mouth,” Guy sighed. “What more could a man ask for in life?”
I leaned forward and kissed him, our mouths parting to allow our tongues their passionate dance. Throughout, I continued to thrust into Aerick, adjusting to his needs and whims as he bounced back against me. Trying to contain myself while watching my boyfriend fuck my friend was almost too much to bear. Now that I was actually inside him, it was getting hard to hold off.
“You can do it,” I whispered. “Come on now. You can do it.”
“Just come already!” Aerick cried.
I grabbed his hips, thrust three times, and came, spraying his insides with enough come to coat a river-and-a-half.
By the time I slid out and collapsed at Aerick’s side, Guy was lining up for round three.
“Shit,” Aerick said, then almost made a sound like a squeal as Guy penetrated him again. “Fuck. Fuck!”
“This is even better than the last time we did this,” Guy laughed, hauling Aerick’s ass up to his dick as he thrust again and again. “Fuck, dude. Your ass is like fire.”
“Stoke the coals baby,” Aerick said. He kissed me—hard—tasting of both him and Guy simultaneously. I slid my tongue into his mouth and sighed as the fading glory of my orgasm began to disperse.
Guy, meanwhile, had other things on his mind. He began to thrust into Aerick so hard the headboard began to bounce in the wall. Aerick, in response, gestured Guy to flip him onto his stomach, then proceed to take him doggy style while jerking his dick.
“Fuck fuck fuck,” Aerick screamed. “Someone better get their mouth on my dick before I spray the bed.”
I slid beneath his body, took him into my mouth, and moaned as he came down my throat.
About this time, Guy was coming for his third time. I reached up to tug his balls as they contracted and sighed as I ran my hand along their hairless sacks.
“Shit,” Guy said, leaning back and allowing me to clean his cock off one last time. “That was—”
“Fucking hot,” Aerick gasped, leaning forward to kiss him, then me. “You studs are fucking amazing.”
“We should probably get cleaned up,” I said, casting a glance toward the threshold. “It’s getting close to dinner, and you’ve probably worked up an appetite after taking four loads.”
“Have I ever,” Aerick asked, then licked his lips as he leaned forward and kissed me again. “Shit, Jason. Please tell me you’re gonna let me sleep here tonight.”
“You’re more than welcome to share the bed with us,” Guy offered as the three of us stood and began to make our way into the bathroom. “It might be a little cramped, but nothing an upgrade won’t fix.”
“You’re saying you’d upgrade your bed for me?”
“You’re one of us now, Aerick. Besides—I don’t think any of us want a knee in the crotch while we’re sleeping.”
“I sure don’t,” I said, which instantly prompted laughter from both men.
Though the shower wasn’t realistically large enough to hold the three of us, we somehow managed, taking turns beneath the spouting faucet and assisting each other when we couldn’t. My hands explored both of their bodies—Guy’s rugged and slightly-hairy physique, Aerick’s smooth and slim. I kissed both of them equally throughout—knowing, without a doubt in my mind, that my willingness to let Aerick into my life had been a decision made for the better. Even Guy was warming up to him, judging by the way he gently handled Aerick as he leaned forward to kiss him. It was obvious we had something going here. My only real question was if it would last, given Guy’s tendencies to be completely and utterly controlling.
When finally it felt as though we were clean, we stepped out of the shower, toweled off, and donned robes before making our way out into the bedroom. The scent of sex permeated the air, so thick I could almost taste it.
“Yeah,” Guy laughed as he took a deep breath. “We’re gonna have to change the bedding.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Aerick replied, stepping forward to open a nearby window. “At least we enjoyed ourselves.”
“No kidding,” I laughed, wrapping my arms around both men. “Let’s get dressed. We don’t want to keep Elliot and Amadeo waiting.
“Trust me,” Guy added as he reached into a drawer and began tossing briefs, socks and a shirt at Aerick. “You don’t want to see my father when he’s pissed.”
“It’s pretty scary.”
“Well, come on then,” Aerick said, pushing himself into a pair of underwear. “Let’s get dressed. I feel like I could eat a horse right about now.”
5
Dinner was served plainly, in the grand dining hall amongst the Howlers and warm flesh. Given that we'd no need to eat, Guy and I sat idly by and watched as the new members of the Winters' family ranch ate substantial helpings of pork, mashed potatoes, green beans and homemade biscuits—content with the fact that, so far, nothing had gone horribly wrong.
“This is going well,” Guy whispered at my side, reaching down to set a hand upon my thigh.
“Yeah,” I replied. “It is.”
I laced my fingers within his and continued to survey the crowd, trying to discern the likelihood of confrontation. Everyone seemed fine—peaceful, given that we were no longer in danger and safely in the hands of the Kaldr. Amadeo had returned with the tents, Elliot had begun to build the bunker, and the other Kaldr were hard at work repurposing one of the older storage barns for the Howlers to stay within. They’d all have their own rooms, Elliot had said, and would be afforded privacy they’d not experienced in God knew how long.
Now that the first of our problems had been solved, I had to address the other that would most certainly cause friction were it not tackled immediately.
Sliding my chair back, I stepped away from the table, whispered my intentions in Guy’s ear, then made my way out of the dining room and toward the wing that housed Amadeo and Elliot. Knowing that both men would be present regardless of the early hour of the night, I mounted the stairs with trepidation I felt unnecessary given everything I’d already gone through. I mean, what could be worse? Facing Banshees, or having to deal with the Agency?
Though something told me the latter could and possibly would be just as formidable, I stepped up to the senior Winters’ door, knocked, and waited for someone to answer.
“Yes?” Amadeo’s pleasant voice asked from the other side.
“It’s me,” I replied, clearing my throat. “Jason.”
The door opened. Amadeo—dressed in a fine silk evening robe—looked out at me with curious eyes. “Jason,” he said, offering a slight smile when the sheen of suspicion cleared. “What are you doing here so late? Shouldn’t you be at dinner?”
“I just was,” I replied. “I was actually here to discuss something with you or Elliot, if either of you were available.”
“I am, yes. Mr. Winters is currently bathing, but I’m sure he would be more than willing to speak with you when he is done.”
He gestured me into the room, closed the door behind me, then made his way toward a refrigerator in the far corner of the room. “Would you like something to drink?” he asked. “Tea? Lemonade? Water?”
“No thank you,” I said. I took his cue to seat myself on one of the nearby chairs and nodded as he settled down beside me.
“So, Jason. What can I help you with tonight?”
“I need to get in contact with the Agency,” I said, sighing as Amadeo’s eyes once again faltered. “The fact that we were attacked by another supernatural party has me concerned for not only my people’s safety, but yours.”
“Yes,” Amadeo replied. “That… is concerning.” He sipped whatever he had in his cup and nodded before sitting it down. “If you’ll give me one moment.”
He rose and disappeared into a threshold very much like the one Guy, Aerick and I
shared as a bedroom. The door, however, he slid shut behind him, and as the minutes ticked on, passing by like phantoms threatening to bid me harm, I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for one of them to return. I was hoping it would be Amadeo—if only because, like Guy said, he was the ‘good parent’—but when the men emerged together, Elliot tying his robe off at his middle and Amadeo accompanying him, I stood to greet the men. “Sir,” I said.
“I can give you the information you need to contact the Agency directly,” Elliot said, walking toward a dresser and then thumbing through a series of papers housed within one of the drawers. He lifted it, scanned the number, then pulled another drawer open before retrieving a piece of parchment paper and a pencil. “I will warn you though, Jason—the Agency does not conduct business over telecommunications. They will have to send an agent to us directly, and depending on the circumstance, that may or may not take some time.”
“You think they’d send Scarlet?” I asked.
“Scarlet?” Amadeo frowned. “You mean Scarlet Jane?”
I cursed myself for my stupidity, remembering her previous happenings between Elliot and the former leader of the Hill Country Howlers, before nodding—not willing but having to admit my mistake.
“No,” Elliot said, matter-of-factly, as he approached with the piece of paper and a cell phone. “This will be a Wiper—someone capable of interacting with and navigating the social channels required to maintain supernatural mishaps.” He slid the items into my hands. “Call whenever you have the time and state the words, My name is Jason DePella, and I wish to speak with a member of the Agency when an automated message prompts you to state your reason for calling. They will recognize my number and send an agent as they are able.”
“Would you like me to do it now?” I asked.
Elliot and Amadeo didn’t say anything, but instinctively drew away to give me the necessary privacy for my phone call.
After dialing the number and entering the extension Elliot provided, I waited, on pins and needles as I heard not audible ringing sounds, but silence.
