Summer of Awakenings

by Sandrine Gasq-Dion

  Skylar stood up and smacked the box off the table. “I don’t have friends, just johns.”

  Riley calmly bent down and started picking up the scattered strings. “Well you have a friend now, so tell me your favorite colors.”

  Skylar crossed his arms over his chest and eyed Riley. “What is with you? What do you get out of all this?”

  Riley stood up after collecting all the string and placed the box back on the table. “I get the knowledge that I’ve helped someone, that you have a hot meal, a safe place to stay, a roof over your head and clothes on your back. Now, what are your favorite colors?”

  Skylar searched Riley’s face. “Black and purple.”

  “Good, I like black and purple.” Riley sat down at the table and started making a bracelet.

  Skylar stood watching him for a few more seconds before he sat down at the table. “You are one stubborn man.”

  “My favorite colors are black and light blue. Get started.” Riley grinned while working on Skylar’s bracelet.

  Skylar shook his head with a smile. “Crazy.”

  Kory sat at one of the back tables and smiled. Riley was getting Skylar to open up a tiny bit at a time. He’d have to take over that job once Riley left for Anchorage. Kory was pulled from his thoughts by a tug on his sleeve. One of the younger campers, Elijah, was looking at him with wide blue eyes.

  “What’s your favorite color?” Elijah asked.

  “Pink,” Kory grinned.

  ~~

  Will walked around the archery range making sure the campers had their bows and arrows ready. Ryder was at the end of the line fumbling with the bow and Will walked behind the row of campers to help him before turning his attention back to the group.

  “I feel that I hit the target more often when I imagine someone’s face as the bull’s-eye.” Will heard a collective soft laugh down the line.

  “Who do you imagine?” Ryder asked.

  Will looked at all the faces staring at him. Trust was a big issue with all of them, since they’d all been hurt by someone they loved.

  “My ex–boyfriend,” Will said.

  “Why?” Ryder said quietly.

  Will walked to the front of the group and motioned them to put their arrows down.

  “I imagine him because he hurt me.” Will took a deep breath. “He used to hit me when he was angry.”

  “Did he say it was because you made him mad?”

  Will looked towards the back of the group. One of the smaller kids had asked the question.

  Will nodded. “I’d come home late, or I’d be too tired to do anything. After a while it didn’t matter. It was always my fault. I made him do it. After a while I actually started to believe it, that I had somehow done the wrong thing, but I didn’t. There’s a pattern, and if you think about it long enough, you’ll see it. I’ve been seeing a counselor for over a year, but the last time I saw Gary—” Will closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “He was so mad he threw me down the stairs.”

  “That’s fucked up!” one of the kids shouted.

  Will looked at the kid with a small smile. “Yes, it is. But that was the last time he’ll ever hurt me. I’m taking control now. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy but, for me, it’s worth it. I refuse to live every day in fear of what might happen. Because I’m not living my life if I do.” Will stepped back behind the line. “Now, imagine.”

  The rest of the afternoon went smoothly. From what Will could see, the kids were having a good time. They took the campers down to the lake for an afternoon swim. The boats were launched and some of the kids decided to fish. Will sat on the shore with Kory watching them shouting and laughing.

  “I love this,” Kory grinned. “They all look so relaxed.”

  “Except Ryder,” Will motioned to the kid sitting on the picnic bench. “He won’t go near the water. I don’t blame him. Maybe we should talk to him?”

  Kory smiled as Jacob approached Ryder carefully. “I think Jacob is going to try.”

  Jacob sat down on the bench and looked out over the water. “Hot day, huh?”

  Ryder glanced over at the very large man sitting next to him. “Yes, it is.”

  “Why aren’t you out there with your friends?”

  “I don’t like the water,” Ryder said quietly.

  “I didn’t used to either. I couldn’t swim.” Jacob rested his elbows on his knees. “I fell in the ocean once on a boating trip. I thought for sure I’d drown, but my friend pulled me out. I didn’t get back in the water for a long time.”

  “I used to be on the swim team,” Ryder watched all the kids laughing in the shallow end of the lake.

  “Yeah? That’s cool.”

  “So, do you swim now?”

  “Oh, hell yeah, I was a Navy SEAL for six years. I spent all my time in the water. It was scary at first you know? Once I made up my mind to be a SEAL, I spent every waking moment in the ocean. I knew I had to get over my fear or it would rule me the rest of my life.” Jacob turned to look at Ryder. “And it will rule yours, too. Don’t let them win, Ryder. Don’t let them take something you love away from you.”

  Ryder eyed the lake. “I don’t know if I can.”

  “Just a toe. One day at a time. First a toe, then a foot, then a leg, until you are in that water laughing and splashing with everyone else. You’re a strong swimmer, aren’t you?” Jacob smiled as Ryder nodded. “Rule it, don’t let it rule you.”

  “Will…will you come with me?”

  Jacob stood up and grinned. “You bet your ass.”

  ~~

  Kory smiled as Jacob walked to the water with Ryder. They sat down on the shore and Ryder tentatively put his toes in. Jacob patted him on the back and put his own feet in the water, relaxing back on his elbows. It never ceased to amaze him how loving Jacob was with the kids. Elijah was getting over his own fear of horses and Skylar was opening up, little by little each day. Kory knew Skylar was finally believing that they didn’t want anything from him, except for him to be happy.

  At the end of the day, Kory fell into bed and closed his eyes. This is what he’d wanted from the moment he’d discovered the boy at his father’s camp by the lake crying: A purpose. He had a job and school and now, he might just have a boyfriend.

  ~~

  Will rested on his back and stared at the shadows on the ceiling of the cabin. It’d been a long day, but his body was restless. He’d come clean to the campers and Seth. His counselor had always told him the more he opened up the better he’d feel. And he did feel better. But it was hard to admit he’d let the abuse go so far. Will closed his eyes with a sigh. He felt nothing for Gary now, not even an ounce of caring. Seth had replaced that empty hole inside him. The kids loved Seth and so did the animals. He had been in charge of taking the kids horseback riding and they loved it. Apollo wouldn’t let anyone ride him, but he followed along on the trail.

  “Will?”

  Will glanced to the side and saw Ryder sitting on the floor next to his bed.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I can’t sleep,” Ryder whispered.

  “You want me to read you a story?”

  “I’m not five,” Ryder grumbled.

  “It’s a male on male romance,” Will lifted a brow.

  Ryder slid across the floor to Will’s bunk. “Yeah? Is there sex in it?”

  Will grinned, scooting over. He patted the bed and grabbed his Kindle. “Yep, and I just got to the good part.”

  Ryder crawled up on the bed and settled in next to Will. He rolled on his side and scrunched the pillow under his head. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Are you okay now? I mean, you don’t see the guy anymore, right?”

  “He tries to see me,” Will whispered, as some of the other kids sniffled and moved around on their bunks. “The last time was just that, the last time. I won’t let him hurt me anymore.”

  “Are you taking the self-defense class?”

  “Oh, yeah,�
�� Will grinned.

  “I tried to fight, too,” Ryder whispered.

  Will turned on his side. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Ryder. This is who you are and as your parents, they should love you no matter what.”

  “Do your parents know?”

  Will nodded. “Yes; it didn’t go over well. My mother cried about grandkids, and my dad thought he’d done something wrong.” Will sighed. “After I left, my mom called me and told me they were just shocked and they needed time to process it all. They are good with it now.”

  “Mine never will be. I didn’t think in a million years they’d…”

  “It’s okay now, Ryder. You’re with people who understand and want to help. You can always count on Wayne, Riley and Caden.”

  “You’re pretty cool, you know?”

  Turning his Kindle on, Will looked over at Ryder. “I’m just getting to the juicy part.”

  “Is it romantic?”

  “Yes,” Will smiled, moving a stray hair from Ryder’s brow. “It is.”

  Chapter Five

  Kory was exhausted; his body was still wide awake, however, so he slipped out for some air. The full moon was out as he took one of the trails through the forest. Most of the campers in his cabin had been asleep. Except for Skylar. Kory had asked him to come along on his little late night nature walk, but Skylar seemed perfectly happy reading one of the books Will had loaned him. Kory had to smile; he called Will’s books “Jock Rippers” since they were all male on male romance novels.

  It had been a month already and he and Jacob had barely had any time together. By the time night would roll around, he was too exhausted to do anything but fall into bed. The brief time they had together wasn’t enough. They shared quick kisses here and there and Kory wanted more. Like a lot more. The campers were settling in, and even Skylar had opened up quite a bit to him. Riley had a lot to do with that. He was so calm, so understanding. Kory knew Riley and Mateo’s child would be very much loved.

  Riley, Wayne and Caden had decided to stay longer, just to make sure the kids were doing well. The Skull Blasters had arrived at the camp in Alaska, so they felt secure that the kids would be fine a little longer without them. Kory felt sure that Josh was probably hindering as much as he helped but the campers would absolutely love him.

  Kory grinned. Speaking of big kids, he knew Riley was staying longer because he’d never been to camp as a child and was now loving every second of it — as were Caden and Wayne. Gage and Ethan had gone to the camp in Alaska and were now being watched by the Skull Blasters. It wasn’t a hardship on the guys, as they all loved the boys.

  The first self-defense class had been a laugh riot; Olivia had kicked Seth in the testicles. The big guy went down like a bag of bricks and Olivia had stood triumphantly, looking down at him with a smirk. Seth wore a cup after that.

  Dried pine needles cracked under his shoes as he walked through a dense part of the forest. The horses had carved paths through most of the woods and they went on for miles. A twig cracked off to his right and Kory spun around, looking into the darkness. Seeing nothing, he shrugged and resumed his leisurely walk. He and Jacob hadn’t done more than kiss now and then, and Kory knew he wasn’t ready to be on the receiving end of sex. But he definitely wanted to try making love to Jacob.

  The trees whispered in the wind and Kory heard another twig crack. This time, it was closer and behind him. Kory peered into the darkness and bright, glassy eyes looked back at him. Kory’s breath stopped as the figure came out into the light of the moon. Oh shit. A cougar was looking at him.

  “Well hello, big kitty,” Kory whispered. The cougar’s lips lifted, revealing long canines. A low growl rose from its throat and Kory backed away slowly. He looked around in a panic. Nowhere to go or hide.

  “Shit, shit, shit. I’m going to die a virgin,” Kory whispered. His mind raced. What the fuck was he supposed to do? Jacob, like Kurt, was a werewolf. Kurt had excellent hearing. Did Jacob?

  “Jacob!” Kory shouted as loud as he could.

  The cougar advanced on him slowly and Kory backed up. He was going to be a meal in seconds. Hebacked up further, trying to get closer to one of the larger trees and use it as a shield. The cougar watched his every move, readying itself for the kill. The cougar’s hindquarter’s bent in strike pose and Kory closed his eyes. This was it. A loud growl shook the forest floor and the cougar turned quickly, readying itself for attack. Jacob flew in between him and the cougar and bared his teeth. Another loud growl tore through the forest as Jacob snarled at the cougar. The fur on Jacob’s haunches rose and Kory stepped back as Jacob pawed at the ground, snapping his fangs at the giant cat. Kory’s mouth fell open as the cougar tilted its head, as if it was listening to Jacob. It gave Kory one final look before running into the forest. Kory leaned against the tree and let out a sigh of relief. Jacob turned to look at him and Kory smiled.

  “You heard me,” Kory ran his fingers through Jacob’s fur. Jacob rubbed up against him and whined. “Let’s go, huh? You should probably change into some clothes.” Kory was pushed back towards the camp and laughed. “Okay, okay. I’m going.”

  They walked the path back towards the camp and Kory noticed the stable lights on. He gripped Jacob’s fur at his neck and looked into Jacob’s eyes.

  “Let’s see who’s up, okay?” Kory smiled as Jacob huffed at him.

  The door wasn’t locked; Kory walked in and noticed most of the horses were gathered around in the corner. Seth sat on a hay bale and seemed to be talking to them.

  “Seth?” Kory closed the door behind him.

  “Hey,” Seth stood up. He noticed Jacob in wolf form. “What’s going on?”

  “I was almost cougar kibble,” Kory motioned to Jacob. “It seems the information about your super-sensitive hearing is true.”

  Seth smiled at Jacob. “Have a talk with the kitty, did ya?”

  “Huh?” Kory tilted his head.

  “Wayne’s werewolf line allows us to communicate with other animals.”

  “Ahhh,” Kory nodded. “That would explain a lot.”

  “Why don’t you go to the storage room, Jacob? I’ve got some jeans in there.” Seth grinned at Jacob. “Wouldn’t want Kory to get a shock.”

  Kory laughed as Jacob let out a low growl. Kory turned his attention to Seth as Jacob left. Seth was huge, a couple of inches taller than Jacob with biceps almost as large as Kory’s thighs.

  “So, how are you and Will doing?”

  Seth grinned. “Good, he’s opening up to me slowly.”

  “Well, that’s more than I got from him. I’m glad he has you.”

  Seth ran a hand through his hair. “I’m taking things real slow with him.”

  “I heard about the kiss,” Kory waggled his eyebrows and smiled as Seth blushed. “He didn’t tell me of his own free will.”

  “No?”

  “Nope,” Kory laughed. “‘Truth or Dare’ does come in handy.”

  Seth laughed and grabbed his jacket off the hay bale.

  “Well, I’ll just get going.” Seth winked and headed for the stable door. He turned as he got to the door and regarded Kory. “Jacob cares about you, a lot. I hope you feel the same.”

  “I do.” Kory blushed.

  “Good.” Seth eyed Kory. “You shouldn’t be surprised Jacob was there so fast. You are never too far from his line of sight.”

  “Huh?”

  “He’ll protect you no matter what. He’s never far away when you are alone.”

  “So, basically, I’m never alone?” Kory looked at Seth’s grin. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  Seth grinned, opening the door. “Jacob should be the one to tell you.”

  “Tell me what?”

  “Night, Kory.”

  Kory made his way over to the horses after Seth left and petted Apollo. Jacob was as tall as the horse in wolf form. It was crazy. He’d never seen wolves the size of Jacob. Wayne Maccon’s line of werewolf was massive.

  “He likes you,
you know.”

  Kory turned to see Jacob zipping his jeans. A shirt was over his shoulder. Kory felt his prick hardening at the sight of Jacob’s bare chest.

  “Did he tell you that?” Kory smiled.

  “Yes, he did,” Jacob made his way over to Kory and ran his fingers through Apollo’s mane.

  Kory looked around the stables; a ladder was across from them and probably led up to the hayloft above. Kory took Jacob’s hand and looked up at him.

  “Thanks for saving my ass. Again.”

  Jacob caressed Kory’s cheek. “I’ll never let anything happen to you.”

  “Why?” Kory tilted his head, looking at Jacob’s chest up close and personal.

  Jacob took a deep breath and looked into Kory’s eyes. “Because you’re my mate, Kory.”

  Kory blinked and opened his mouth. Then shut it. He looked up at the man who occupied his thoughts from the moment he set eyes on him. Jacob Steele was perfection and he was Kory’s mate? God was just and true. Kory grinned at the thought and smiled when Jacob raised a brow. “I’m sorry, I’m just thinking about what my parents told me my whole life. I look at you and I think, really?? You are gorgeous, sweet and a total badass. I think God is rewarding me, not punishing me, for having feelings for you.”

  Jacob smiled and ran the pad of his thumb over Kory’s bottom lip. “And I thank the fates every day for you, Kory.”

  Kory moved closer to Jacob and ran a hand up the taller man’s chest. Skin rippled beneath his fingers as he slid up Jacob’s toned muscles. Kory looked up to see Jacob’s eyes closed; his breathing had quickened.

  “I love your skin,” Kory whispered. “It’s so hot to the touch.”

  “As werewolves, our core temperature is a little higher than humans.” Jacob inhaled sharply as Kory pressed their bodies together. Kory’s erection was pressed to his thigh. Jacob’s lupine side was fighting to come out.

  “Really?” Kory leaned in, trailing his lips across Jacob’s chest. “You taste good, too. Is that a werewolf thing?”

  “Um…no, at least I don’t think so.” Jacob’s skin prickled as Kory’s lips traveled across his chest. “Um, Kory?”

  “Mmm hmm.”