“What’re you doing?”
Brandon held his arms wide. “Checking out the view.”
“Well?”
“If I didn’t know it was there, I’d have a hard time spotting it.” Brandon rubbed his bare arms and walked back to the van, stopping beside Raul.
“I have some extra clothes in the back, I think there’s a flannel and a hoodie.” Raul motioned Brandon around the van. “In that smaller silver trunk.” He pointed to a dented, half rusted chest near the back of the van.
Brandon realized it was bolted to the van’s floor when he opened the lid. The trunk was filled with clothes, some shoes and a pair of boots all of which he doubted fit Raul. “Where did you get all this?”
Raul grinned. “Various…ahem…passengers left that stuff behind.”
There was a gray hoodie Brandon pulled from the trunk. He leaned out of the door and gave the hoodie a hearty shake before putting it on and zipping it up. “So, we hid the van and it can’t be seen from the road but won’t smoke from the fire be seen?”
Raul shrugged. “Probably. But we can only do so much and we’re in the middle of a desert. There aren’t a lot of places to hide out here. Someone comes along, we’ll deal with them.” He stepped up into the van and grabbed the cooler he’d stowed away behind the passenger seat. “Let’s see what Yaya gave us.” He sat in the doorway, legs dangling out of the side of the van and unlatched the cooler, opening it. “Christ, we can eat for a week on this.”
Brandon sat on the other side of the cooler and peered inside. There was dried meat and fruit. Tamales with a side container of sauce, burritos and separate containers of guacamole, tortilla chips and a rice, corn and bean mixture. Brandon had no doubt it was all fresh, homemade and outrageously good. In the corner of the cooler was a half-gallon sized glass bottle filled with sangria. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but man, I love your grandmother.”
Raul burst out laughing. “Everyone does.”
“Do you eat like this all the time?”
“Yep. Good thing werewolves have a fast metabolism, or I’d be too fat to move.” Raul stood up and slid open small cabinets anchored to the van wall opposite the side door. He took out paper cups, handing them to Brandon.
“What the hell else do you have stashed in this thing?” He took a good look around. The van was an extended cargo van with no seats other than the driver and passenger seats. There were metal cupboards lining the sidewall behind the driver’s seat and larger storage chests anchored to the floor. Some had pieces of duct tape with words written across it in black marker as labels. Some labels were in Spanish, others English and not all in the same handwriting. ‘Surveillance equipment’ was alongside ‘paper towels, cleaning supplies and extra laptop batteries’, there was no rhyme or reason to the order and organization that Brandon could see. There was space enough in the middle of the floor for someone to sleep. Chain link fencing with heavy chains hanging from it was folded and sitting on hooks projecting from some of the cabinets. There were tool chests behind the driver’s side chair, even the ceiling had nets with supplies in them.
“Well, I use this van to hunt fugitives, which means I live in it. A lot. No need to go without the comforts I need.”
“Did you do the customizations yourself?”
Raul nodded. “Tad and I did, yes. It’s a work in progress. Things I don’t use get replaced and if I need to have something on hand I figure a way to store it in here.”
“What’s the fencing and chains for?”
“That opens into a cage I can attach to the walls and the chains are for bounties that could break out. It’s all laced with iron and silver and a few herbs so no matter what I keep in there they’ll stay put until I let them out,” Raul explained. “It’s amazing the storage suggestions that can be found online. I have a Pinterest board. Tell anyone that and I’ll kill you.”
Now it was Brandon’s turn to laugh. “Your secret is safe with me.”
While Raul got the stove going and their food cooking, Brandon started a fire in the fire pit. He moved the mattresses so when they went to sleep they’d be between their small fire and the van. Blankets were spread over the air mattresses then Brandon grabbed his bag of supplies and put it under one corner of the mattress.
Being out here with Raul was comfortable and made it too easy to forget Brandon hadn’t known him his whole life. They set up camp and prepared their meal with ease, each knowing what to do and then doing it. The experience was new to Brandon, but he loved how it made him feel. Very little time passed before they were settling down to eat.
“I’ve been thinking about your plan,” Raul said after he’d finished eating. “I don’t know if they’ll accept you’ve changed your mind and want to join them.”
“I can do this and it’s not really your decision,” Brandon protested.
Raul sighed. “I know and I believe you, I do. But we have a few things to consider. You’re a horrible liar, which isn’t a character flaw. These people know you’re going to be afraid of them, they’ll use that. You were brutalized and drugged by them, there is nothing you could say to make me, or anyone believe they don’t frighten you. They know what buttons to push to keep intimidating you. Most importantly, it’s going to be hard for you to wear any sort of wire, and if you need back up, I doubt I’m going to get there in time.”
“Raul—”
“Hear me out. We do this together. All they know about me is I’m a bounty hunter and as a group, thanks to cable TV, we have a sketchy reputation. I won’t be lying when I say my bounty was you. We go in together, we go with the story I’m selling your services and have a way to control you.” Raul grinned. “We tell them I’m up to the same game as them and we can double our profits by working together. I bought you, I’m a werewolf with a jinn accomplice, so I’m in control. You’ll do what I say because you have no choice.”
“And how the hell are we going to sell that?”
“I’m not sure. We need something to use, something they can’t verify is real or not,” Raul said. “There is a lot of literature on jinn magic, but how a scintilla and a werewolf interact isn’t well documented, not for something like this.”
“Like a gimmick?”
“Like the fact you need to be stationary and need an anchor when you’re deep inside the digital world.” Raul leaned forward and poked at the fire. It flared for a few seconds, tiny sparks floated into the air dying away in a heartbeat. “Something only another scintilla would know and isn’t discussed much.”
Brandon propped his elbows on his knees and rested his chin in his hands, thinking. After a few minutes he straightened and ran his palms over his thighs.
“This might not work if one of them is a scintilla because rarely do we permit anyone to do this who doesn’t know one of us intimately. It’s got some…um… side effects. But it’s something they can see and it’ll be dramatic.”
“As far as I could tell none of those kids, the ones who were really kids, were magicals.” Raul made a come-on motion with one hand. “Tell me more.”
Brandon nodded.
“I guess if any were, they’d have used their magic to escape.” He pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay, remember the exercises the doctor at the hospital did?” Raul nodded and Brandon continued, “You’re a werewolf, so you can take a bit of a shock and not be hurt, right? Because I have no clue how this will affect a non-scintilla, though I’ve always wanted to find out.”
Raul raised his eyebrows and gave Brandon a truly wicked grin. “I believe you’ve already given a me a few shocks.”
Brandon laughed. “Those were just little jolts to… enhance feelings.”
“They worked.”
“I can do some… um, enhancing in a little while. You remember I can discharge from any part of my body?” Brandon asked.
“Oh, yeah.” Raul grinned roguishly.
“Stop being flirty.”
Raul pointed to himself and mouthed the word,
“Me?”
“You.” Brandon moved so he was closer to Raul and faced him. “You can do this either facing me or from behind, but it would be difficult from the side.” He unzipped his sweatshirt and pulled it down so his neck was exposed. “Put your hands here, just under my jaw, as close to my skin as you can without actually touching me.” Brandon ran one finger along his jawline then let his hands rest on his knees.
Raul scooted closer, kneeling in the sand directly in front of Brandon. The heat from Raul’s body crept out and wrapped Brandon in a sort of cocoon. Raul reached out and placed his hands with his palms a fraction of an inch from Brandon’s skin. The short hairs there twitched and rose. Brandon felt Raul’s fingers as if he could see them, the way they mimicked wrapping around his neck sent a shiver through him. Raul licked his lips and murmured, “that’s…uh…,”
Brandon smiled a bit and blew out a nervous laugh. “Intense.”
“Sure. I can go with that.” Raul raised his eyebrows when the hair along his arm quivered and lifted away from his skin.
“Every living thing has an electric field,” Brandon began. He had to speak slowly and concentrate on his words. “What you’re feeling is mine and yours mingling.”
Raul smirked. “Oh, there’s mingling alright.”
“For me that field is stronger, and I can manipulate it. When that field is distorted—your fingers almost touching me—on that part of my body it creates a sort of reflex reaction.”
“Like when hitting your knee in a certain spot?”
“Yes, but the reflex and reaction are a little different.” Brandon gripped his knees until his fingers cramped. “Now, do not move. And breathe, remember to breathe. Don’t hold your breath, no matter what.”
“Okay.”
Brandon extended his own electric field, he felt how the charge moved out, bounced off Raul’s fingers and returned, warmer and with more power.
“Holy…” Raul’s voice faded.
Brandon gave into the sensations created and let his head fall back so more of his neck was exposed to Raul’s hands. His electric charge grew, began to throb in time with the beating of his pulse. He felt more than heard Raul gasp softly when Brandon’s body swayed then began jerking in rhythm with the charge’s oscillation. The sparks he gave off grew in power and warmth and kept Raul’s hands from bumping his skin. Raul’s hands trembled but held fast. When Raul hissed in a breath, Brandon eased off knowing he’d reached the limit Raul could take before Brandon did harm.
As Brandon’s charge diminished Raul slid still closer, his hands made full contact with Brandon’s skin making his neck tingle. Raul eased Brandon onto his lap, kissed him, gently at first then with more urgency and hunger.
Raul broke their kiss and whispered, “Intense.”
“We should probably leave that last part out,” Brandon said softly. He took a few deep breaths to further relax before he began to explain. “It’s a very personal thing, not something everyone will know, other than another scintilla. It’s also something I wouldn’t do with anyone other than a person I trusted without reservation, it leaves me that vulnerable. I do lose a little control when the charge is higher. If it’s too much of a jolt, sever the connection.” He stopped and closed his eyes, struggling to get his body to quiet. “To break it all you need to do is move away from my field.”
“How far away?”
Brandon held his hands a foot or so apart. “Not far. Taking one step back would be enough. If you touch me for longer than a few seconds we’ll get some extra sparking. It won’t hurt me, but it might be unpleasant for you.”
“Then you act woozy and…”
“It won’t be an act.” Brandon licked his lips again. “I will need protecting for ten minutes or so.”
Raul ran his thumb over Brandon’s cheek, nuzzled him and planted light kisses over the same spot he touched.
“No better protector than a werewolf.”
“Especially a werewolf who knotted me. Despite what he told me months ago.”
“Yes.” Raul nodded. “You’ll be in a sort of trance or look as if you are. I’ll give you orders, you’ll then provide whatever digital information is needed.” He pulled his hands away and stared down at his fingers, waggling them, making a fist then opening his fingers again.
“Did I burn you?”
Raul shook his head. “No. There was tingling, still is, no pain, it feels good. Could I be an anchor for you?”
“Organic instead of artificial. I like that idea. Yes, I think if we practice a bit it could work. My equipment kept me anchored by helping me manipulate my field and keep me stable inside the digital world. I don’t see why you couldn’t learn to do that for me.”
Brandon slipped off Raul’s thighs and inched back. He pulled his shirt off over his head. “This will work with one hand or two, from in front of me… or behind. Remember to put your hands around my neck, right under my jaw, and don’t actually touch me at first or when I start to expand my field or we’ll both get blown across the room. Once I get the field stable and can push against your fingers, if you tap my skin we’ll be safe because there’ll be a more even exchange and my body will naturally start absorbing any shocks created by you touching me. My charge originates from the base of my skull and right under my jaw, it’s most powerful there.” He pulled his lower lip between his teeth, chewed a few times and looked into Raul’s eyes. “Maybe you should try from behind too.”
“Practice all angles.” Raul stood and walked slowly around Brandon, shedding his own jacket and shirt along the way. He knelt behind Brandon and rested both hands on Brandon’s shoulders, leaning close.
“Why do I think you’ve been waiting for the chance to show me this?”
Brandon shivered and croaked, “Maybe.” It was the closest to a confession of one of his most deeply buried fantasies he was going to get.
Raul’s voice was low, husky and his breath was warm against Brandon’s ear. His fingertips inched up and lightly stroked Brandon’s neck as he licked along Brandon’s jaw. “Ready to do this again?”
Brandon gulped once and jerked a nod. He raised his charge making Raul yank his fingers away and snort a laugh. Moving painstakingly slowly Raul ran his fingers up and down Brandon’s neck a few times before settling along the most sensitive spot just under Brandon’s jaw.
Closing his eyes, Brandon relaxed and extended his charge, faster and with more force this time since Raul knew what was coming. Raul rumbled a low, guttural noise then said, “Hmm. I like.”
Brandon felt how Raul’s body changed, growing larger, with coarse hair and thicker muscles. He leaned back, this time resting his head on Raul’s shoulder and gave into the sensations rolling through his body. His skin twitched and his muscles quivered as he drew in deep, deep breaths and let Raul’s wide chest support him.
Raul’s tongue swiped over Brandon’s shoulder then his cheek causing sparks to jump and build for a brief second. Raul pulled back an inch and chuckled. He repeated the act, this time eliciting a crack with the sparks created. Very slowly Raul moved a hand and skimmed Brandon’s chest with his fingertips, making him shudder as the charge followed in a warm, tingling wave that lingered over his nipples before moving across his abdomen.
Brandon moaned, his cock twitched and swelled. He swallowed a small cry as his body began to rock. Raul’s hand moved across his belly and made contact, dampening the power flowing over that spot and creating a wave that rolled over Brandon’s abs and along his groin. His fingers spread wide and he pulled Brandon against him.
“This needs more exploration.” Raul’s low, throaty voice was in Brandon’s ear. His tongue moved a leisurely path along Brandon’s neck then over the shell of his ear.
Brandon let go more of his control and sparks danced across his exposed flesh making him moan again. He stretched his leg and used the toe of his boot to push the bag with lube out from under the mattress. Raul leaned around him, snagged the bag and dragged it to him.
Wi
thout warning Raul’s hands were back encircling Brandon’s neck, not quite touching. He thrummed his fingers ever so slightly, making Brandon’s charge expand and contract. The push of Brandon’s electric field back into him rippled through his body and sent a shudder crawling up his spine. The way his cock was held in his jeans was a sweet pain. When Raul moved one hand down and along Brandon’s abs again, this time wiggling his fingers ever so slightly, Brandon gasped, his body shook as if he was orgasming. When Raul nipped along Brandon’s shoulder, he sank further into his body’s sensations.
“I-I n-need...” Were the only words Brandon formulated and he wasn’t sure he’d actually said anything coherent or aloud.
Apparently he did because Raul rumbled again and moved his hand along to the buttons on Brandon’s jeans. Brandon kicked his boots off then grabbed at the material covering his legs and pulled desperately, wanting his clothes off right the fuck now. How Raul could move so slowly, meticulously, as he inched Brandon’s jeans over his hips was beyond comprehension. When he seized Brandon around his waist and lifted him far enough to free his jeans completely Brandon gave up holding back. Tiny sparks arched off his skin and followed the scratch of rough denim over his cock and down his legs.
He lost track of where Raul’s hands were and what they were doing as he sank into the euphoria of being so deeply immersed in his own charge. His electrical field expanded as far as Raul’s skin and came back to Brandon with double, then triple the feeling. He’d only dreamt of having a partner capable of this intense an interaction. Raul didn’t seem phased at all by the growing sparks and zings. The air around them cracked from the tiny lightning bolts Brandon’s body expelled.
Cool lube rubbed around and into his entrance did nothing to tamper the heat rising in Brandon. He felt sparks dance over his dick and balls when Raul’s fingers encircled him, coming close, but not quite touching. Brandon’s hips jerked and stuttered. Leave it to Raul to figure out his groin was a power center just like his neck. When the reverberation of electricity between them was almost too much to bear Raul gripped Brandon’s cock and stroked a few times. Brandon nearly wept when Raul let go and then used both hands on his sides to ease Brandon down onto his thick cock. The only movement Brandon was capable of was to reach up and hook his hand around the back of Raul’s head for extra support. Every one of Brandon’s exhales ended with a deep, long moan.
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