Having the fox all gloomy was depressing. If they had to be roommates, it just couldn't go on. This called for desperate measures.
"I'm going insane in here," he muttered, with an exaggerated sigh. "I'm so bored."
Liam's gaze snapped on him. "We're going hunting today," he shrugged. "Just come along."
"Deal," Jake replied. "But don't cry if I put you and your rubbish shifter buddies to shame with my extraordinary hunting skills." Liam's lips stretched in a tiny smile, and Jake feigned an outraged expression. "What, you don't believe me?" He pranced around the room, striking heroic poses and flexing his biceps. "See these bad boys here? Could bring down a lion with my bare hands, yessir. What, you laughing at me? You want a piece of me, eh?"
He launched himself at Liam, tackling him to the bed; the fox laughed and kicked, and then shoved him on the floor. When Jake looked up, Liam's eyes were twinkling with laughter, the darkness gone. Jake smiled an upside down smile, still sprawled on the ground.
For some reason, it felt good.
"For the last time, shut up. We're not going to catch anything if you keep scaring the prey away with your chatter."
Jake rolled his eyes. "What prey? Is there even anything to catch in this bloody city?" He grunted as he adjusted himself on the scraped tarmac. Debris cut in his chest, his legs, poking him uncomfortably. "We've been here for hours. When you said hunt, I thought you meant something fun."
"That's because you have the attention span of the monkey you are," Liam retorted. He hadn't shifted in all the time they'd lain in wait, sprawled behind the remains of a low wall. Jake just snorted.
"So, what exactly are we looking for?" he asked. "Some of the giant pigeons? A couple of fat, juicy mice?"
Liam kicked him in the shin. "Don't let Mosley hear you say that. He's a nasty little bastard. He could kill you and make it look like an accident."
"You two. Shush!"
Jake craned his neck to the side. A brown haired fox, crouching a few yards to the side, was shooting them a reproachful look. He turned toward Liam, mouthing "jerk", and the both of them had to bury their mouths in their sleeves to suffocate a very undignified bout of chuckling.
Well. Life with the rubbish shifters wasn't too bad, after all.
Suddenly, Liam stilled, sniffing quickly. He lifted his head, gaze riveted to something in the distance. "There," he whispered. His body had completely shifted, now tense and vibrating, every single muscle thrumming with energy. "Can you see it?"
Jake squinted. Human sight was weaker than the foxes', but he could make out a shape, something a dirty grey, with short legs, nosing a pile of junk. A long, boredsounding bleat floated through the air. "A goat?" he asked, almost insulted. "We've spent hours in hideout to ambush a goat?"
"What were you expecting, a herd of buffaloes? We're in a fucking metropolis,"
Liam huffed. He gestured for one of the other foxes to move, signaling something Jake couldn't understand. "Right. I'll go that way, you move to the right and try to keep quiet. We have to surround it."
"Wait. I got a better idea," Jake said. "Let me use my power. I can bring it down from here."
Liam looked at him, unconvinced. "Power? You sure you can control it well enough?"
"Control? I'm a bloody sniper with it. Come on. Let me do it."
"All right." A challenging grin appeared on the fox's lips. "It's all yours."
Jake lifted himself up on one elbow and extended his right hand. Carefully, he aimed at the animal. He breathed deeply. A hot tide flooded his veins, converging in his arm, filling it to the point of bursting, and then seeped outside. Crisp yellow threads crackled and flickered on his skin, enveloped his hand. Jake blinked. Something was off. Warmth was pooling in his chest, revolving slowly around his lungs. Too warm. His hand ached, the electricity biting at his skin, scorching. Jake struggled to hold it back. It was too intense, too wild; he gritted his teeth, trying desperately to rein it in, just bloody--
Jake was knocked backward as a blinding beam unleashed from his palm, thick and flaring, surging forward with the angry violence of a dragon. He sheltered his face as the landscape in front of him erupted into bright yellow flames, the force of the blast making the fucking ground shake. The boom of the explosion was followed by the deep rumble of an old building crumbling in on itself, collapsing into a smoking pile of ruins. Dust exploded in the air and spread everywhere, obscuring the sky.
Jake was still coughing when the gray cloud began to disperse, and he found several pairs of eyes staring at him with pure, undiluted hatred. In front of him, Liam was covered in a layer of dust and dirt. He didn't seem happy about it.
"Ehr," Jake managed.
In the distance, the perfectly unharmed goat went baa.
Jake stood alone in the middle of the clearing. His jacket was abandoned on the ground, and the cold wind bit into his arms, his hands. Sunset was near.
He took a deep breath. He may as well try. The clearing was far from the camp, surrounded by ruins and the carcasses of abandoned cars. There was no one around that might get hurt. Except, perhaps, himself.
He extended his arm, carefully, every muscle stiff with tension. He focused. The burning began, clawing its way through his shoulder, down his bicep; at the elbow, it seeped out of his skin, sizzling softly. Electricity crackled. Yellow threads began to form, creeping along his wrist to pool in the palm of his hand--
"So. Want to explain what the hell happened back there?"
With a curse, Jake yanked his arm down, the power sucked back into his flesh. He turned to find Liam perched on the rusty remains of a van, legs dangling in the hollow where the windscreen had once been. He was resting his chin on his hands, looking at him with friendly eyes.
"I don't--" think that's any of your damn business, Jake almost said. He closed his eyes for one long moment. "I don't know. I've never released so much energy. I didn't even want to. It was just there, pressing to come out, and I--" He swiped his tongue over his dry lips. That was such a lame ass thing to admit. "I just couldn't hold it back."
Liam cocked his head to the side. "Yeah. That was probably me," he said. "I healed you, right? And powers interact in funny ways. I think it's possible I sort of... maybe part of the energy I fed into your system is still there. Hence the..." he opened his fist, fingers spread, mouthing boom.
Jake stared at him, caught in a crossfire of rather unexpected emotions. Part of Liam's power was now permanently lodged in his body. That was... He shook his head. "Right. Good to know," he huffed. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to try and figure out how to control it."
Liam leaped from the van roof, landing gracefully. "Try it on me," he said. "Training works best if you have a sparring partner."
"I don't think so." Good God, the fox must have hit his head as a baby. "Did you see what happened to that building? I'm not aiming this... this thing at you."
"Don't worry, monkey-face." Liam moved closer, hands in his pockets, leaning into Jake with an infuriating smirk. "I can take care of myself. Or maybe you're just afraid because you know I would kick your ass."
"I am not," Jake sputtered. The fox didn't budge, his eyes glittering with excitement.
"Well, then. Show me what you got."
That was beyond ridiculous. The fox would earn himself a nasty burn, and then be all pissed off. It wasn't as if he hadn't been warned. "Fine," he said. He raised his arm, energy already buzzing around his wrist--
And suddenly that arm was painfully twisted around his back, and Liam was holding him down without any apparent effort. Jake could feel the bones in his scapula crack loudly. "Ouch! You little--" he rasped. Behind him, Liam made a noncommittal noise.
"What? You weren't ready yet?" He pressed harder. "Sorry. My bad."
"No problem." Jake gritted his teeth. Fuck, but that hurt. He hissed and power spread from his wrist, scalding his skin. Liam was quick to let go and jumped back, keeping his distance. Without missing a beat, Jake pi
voted, arm already charged, and let go. An exaggerate burst of energy exploded from his hand in a wild wave, his aim completely thrown off. Liam didn't even have to move, glancing skeptically as the wave hit the van and the thing exploded in a myriad of metal shards.
Before Jake could recover, Liam sprang to the side and then forward. He landed low, hands braced on the ground as he swung his leg in an arc, sweeping Jake's feet from under him. Jake tripped and landed badly, grunting, with barely the presence of mind to project an electric shield before Liam pounced on him.
Liam was clever. He had to rely on hand-to-hand combat, but couldn't keep close if he wanted to avoid Jake's power. He focused on fleeting attacks instead, swiftly placing his blows before leaping back to a safer distance. He moved constantly, making it impossible for Jake to aim. For his part, Jake gritted his teeth and sweated as he tried to force the new rebellious energy to follow his orders. Irregular streams of energy lost trajectory and spiraled out of control, destroying ruin after ruin.
As he reeled back, knocked off balance by the recoil, Liam jumped in. He blocked Jake's attack with his elbow and punched him full in the liver, sending him tumbling down.
"And that's twice. You suck," he said, a little breathless. His eyes sparkled with excitement, his hair wild. "Come on. Stop messing--"
In an instant, Jake had rolled over, both arms crossed over his chest. If he couldn't aim, he thought wildly, he'd have to make aim not an issue. Power blasted out of the whole length of his arms, spreading in a flare too wide to avoid. Liam launched himself to the side, but even his agility wasn't enough; he was caught in the edges of the blast and hurled violently to the ground. He landed on his back with a sickening thump, lifting a cloud of dust.
Jake's surge of triumph died within a fraction of second. "Fuck," he muttered, stumbling to his feet, tripping as he tried to get to the fox's side. "Fuck, fox, talk to me... oh fuck, are you--"
He thought his chest would explode with relief when the fox erupted in a harsh cough, pushing himself up on his elbows. He shook his head, his white hair smeared with dirt. "That was... fair enough," he rasped. Jake stopped, steadying himself, his heart still beating madly in his chest.
"Yeah," he managed. His voice was a little unsteady. "And that's not the half of it."
The fox got up slowly, a predatory smile slowly blooming on his lips. A cut marred his high cheekbone and gleaming blood trailed down his face. "Interesting," he murmured, his voice gone low and husky.
Jake felt a shiver claw its way down his spine.
Liam brought his hand to his cheek. His long fingers lingered on the cut for a moment, glowing a pale gold and, just like that, the wound was gone. He stepped forward with careful, measured movements, until he was standing right in front of Jake. "You're good," he bloody purred. "I am impressed."
Jake found that swallowing had become surprising hard. Liam's scent--blood and dust and a wild, spiced something that must have been just Liam--enveloped him, rushing up to his brain, stroking his nerves in the most agonizing, delightful way. Adrenalin pulsed in Jake's veins with something similar to anger as Liam tilted his head up, gazing at him with smoldering golden eyes. "Liam," he murmured, his hand irresistibly drawn to the lithe body in front of him. His fingers brushed the worn cotton of Liam's shirt. "What..."
Liam's palm slammed into the middle of his sternum, knocking the wind out of him. Liam clutched the hem of Jake's shirt and hooked a heel around his ankle, making him stumble and fall backward with an undignified oomph. He hit the ground hard, the shock vibrating through his spine and ribs. Searing pain shot through his nerves to paralyze his arms and legs. He gasped wildly, trying to catch his breath, and failed miserably.
When he managed to open his eyes, groaning and sputtering and panting, he found the fox leaning over him, eyes sparkling, cheeks flushed, and looking way too pleased with himself.
Liam smirked down at him. "Told you so, monkey-face."
The night was never silent in the encampment.
Hushed voices and careful steps trickled through the soggy air as the patrol went by. Old wheels creaked as someone pushed the tank cart back from the waterworks, and the giant pigeons' wings made heavy swooping noises as they flew aimlessly between the shanties. And under it, the deep rumble of the city: the low hum of concrete and iron bowels, distant and omnipresent, always seeming just about to close in and suffocate them all.
With a groan, Jake rolled over and faced the ceiling, one arm thrown over his eyes. Liam was gone, off somewhere patrolling or hunting or doing whatever he did when he wasn't with Jake. He hadn't been around all day, and Jake didn't even know whether he'd be back anytime soon.
Not that he cared. It wasn't as if the lack of Liam's soft breathing beside him--the lack of Liam's presence filling the room--had anything to do with his insomnia. The idea was... preposterous, that's what it was. It was the city, the stupid city that seeped into his brain, polluting it, making it impossible to sleep.
The door whined as it was slowly pushed open. Wide eyes looked hesitantly at Jake as Kye poked inside. He was wagging his tail nervously, and it thumped against his legs and the doorframe.
"Oh. It's you." Jake couldn't suppress a small, desolate pang in his chest. "What is it? Did you... did you have a bad dream?"
Kye nodded quickly. With a sigh, Jake let his head fall back onto the pillow. Great. As if he was a freaking nanny.
"Sorry, buddy. Liam's not here. Go back to sleep."
Thump. Thump. Thump. In the quiet room, the whacks of Kye's tail sounded very loud. Jake could almost feel the kid's gaze weigh down on him, dripping with expectations. He squeezed his eyes tighter, determined to ignore it until the brat gave up and left.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Thump. Thump. Thum--
"Okay. Okay," Jake groaned. He scooted over and reached to blindly lift the covers, patting the thin mattress. "Here. Knock yourself out."
He was answered by the quick patter of little feet, and, in an instant, a warm weight curled up beside him, nestling against his stomach. Jake squinted one eye open to see Kye peacefully settled down, clutching his bushy tail to his chest, his nose buried in the white hair.
And just what was he supposed to do with that, Jake wondered. The bed was narrow and not at all comfortable, and the kid was lodged right on his diaphragm. But Kye's breathing was soft and regular and, soon, Jake found himself drifting off into a deep, dreamless sleep, his arm awkwardly wrapped around the kid.
The following morning, Liam was so smug it almost physically hurt to look at him. "So. It seems like you and Kye have become friends," he commented, pouring hot water in his mug.
Jake cringed.
Liam must have returned sometime just after dawn. When Jake had blinked awake, roused by the pale morning light, he'd found the stupid fox staring down at him with an insanely annoying grin on those lips of his. Jake's first reaction would have been to jerk up, but he was pinned down by Kye's weight; the kid had shifted in his sleep and was now sprawled on Jake's chest, hugging him fiercely, his small nose buried in Jake's shoulder.
There was no way Jake could have moved without waking him. So, he'd remained still, staring back with as much scorn as he could muster. Given the way Liam had seemed on the verge of bursting with laughter, it probably didn't look as threatening as he'd hoped.
Now, though, Kye was gone, and Jake was standing with his arms crossed, scowling at the gray sky outside the window. "I was cold," he muttered. "The kid is like a bloody stove, and--I was cold." He pretended not to see Liam's soft smile as he brought the mug to his lips, blowing gently to cool his tea.
"I see," Liam murmured, amused. "In that case, it's lucky Kye was nearby. We wouldn't want you to catch your death now, would we?"
Jake stifled a groan. That fox just didn't know when to mind his own business. "Whatever," he scoffed. He reached for his jacket and stomped out, Liam's gentle laughter following him out in the cold morning air.
&nb
sp; There wasn't much Jake could do to help out. He'd been solemnly banned from getting anywhere near a hunting party, and they didn't trust him enough to let him patrol. No one would say it to his face, of course, but Jake wasn't stupid.
After wasting half of the day wandering aimlessly and bickering with Mosley, he was finally recruited by the kitchen team. If the dozens of tiny, stupidly painful cuts on his hands were any indicator, peeling potatoes wasn't as easy as it seemed. There were several sacks of them, not very fresh, and their sickly-sweet smell still clung to his clothes. He had half a mind to burn them. But making himself useful was a welcome feeling. He hadn't been for quite some time.
It was already dusk when he stumbled out, his muscles cramped after the inordinate amount of hours he'd spent perched on a wobbly stool. He decided on the long way back to the shed and walked slowly, enjoying the cool breeze.
The sound of an angry voice ripped the air, and then abruptly cut off. Jake was instantly alert, scanning his surroundings for danger. There was no one in sight, and yet he could hear more voices, an agitated buzz coming from somewhere between the sheds.
Keeping as quiet as possible, he followed the sound, listening keenly. He heard it clearly now: someone was fighting in a broad, rusty construction, not even bothering to try and keep it down. Jake snuck closer still, careful to keep downwind, until he could press his back against the corrugate panels of the shed. He craned his neck to peer through a small window, badly covered by a sheet of plastic. A bunch of foxes were gathered around a table and looked none too happy, ears stiff and tails twitching. Tension sizzled across the room in almost palpable waves.
"You have to calm down," a dark haired fellow said. "We're not gonna solve anything if--"
"Shut your mouth," a voice interrupted. A red sweep of hair passed in front of the window as one of the foxes strode angrily across the room. Jake suppressed a hiss. It was the asshole that had got in his face when he'd arrived in the camp.
Wild Passions Page 2
