by Kit Fortier
The intimacy had Fox's heart racing as silvery eyes gazed into his own. He smiled at the man who kissed him up his center line and reached for his pants to return the favor when Jake's hands came to the sides of his face.
"I got this, baby. Let me get the fire going so I can dry these off," Jake indicated their collective wet clothes. "You get dinner, okay?"
Fox smiled.
A little time had passed. Fox dipped into the bunker and pulled out a large towel. He offered it to Jake, who had strung up their clothes on a line near-but-not-over the firepit. Jake took it gratefully, unrolling it with a flick of his wrist. But he pulled Fox close and padded him down first with the towel before drying himself. Through the whole time, Jake was silent, but smiling. He never broke eye contact. With a quick peck and a wink, Jake trotted off. Fox leered a little at the magnificent backside that belonged to his man as Jake began gathering firewood.
When the fire was in full roar, Jake turned the clothes around as to warm and dry the other side. Fox cooked up hot dogs and nestled them in bread buns. His feet were warm on the compressed dirt around the fire pit ring. Jake raised earth in the rough shape of a wide chaise chair, giving him the freedom to lay out next to the roaring fire.
Fox picked up the paper plate loaded with their dinner. He also snagged Jake's canteen, and walked over to Jake's makeshift chaise.
"Dinner's ready," Fox said, a smile in his voice. Jake looked up at him and shifted over, opening up a space for him. But instead of laying out, Fox sat cross-legged next to Jake with the plate in his lap.
"Open up," Fox said, holding out a hot dog. Jake reached for it, and Fox moved it away. "Ah-ah-ah. Open up."
Fox saw Jake catch on, and the bear of a man smiled. He opened his mouth, and let Fox feed him, much the same way they shared a bag of noodles when they were recuperating in the Tower. Fox bit off the end that Jake took. They went on in this way until the plate was empty.
Jake grinned as he lay. Fox stretched out next to Jake, sliding his body against Jake's side, his back was facing the fire.
"You're such a messy bear," Fox said, picking bread crumbs off of Jake's chest.
"And you're kinda fussy," Jake retorted.
"I dunno about that," Fox said as he snuggled into his favorite spot on Jake's chest.
Fox kneaded. It became a kind of soothing action. He tugged gently and slid his fingers through his man's healthy pelt.
"There was a time when I'd shave this thing," Jake rumbled below Fox.
"Really?"
Jake nodded. "My Air Force days. It was annoying when I'd deploy to the desert. Soaked through my shirt before the sun rose every day for the first week or so. The people in my shop constantly razzed me for it. So, I trimmed it and shaved it down to the skin.
"That's terrible," Fox growled.
"Well, that's the military for you."
"When did you start letting this handsome rug out?"
Fox heard Jake's chuckling in his chest. "This rug?" Jake asked, as if there might be a possibility of a different rug. "I let it grow seven years ago, when I started my hike."
"You mean I met you when you were shaved?"
"Yep."
"No wonder I didn't recognize you," Fox grinned.
"I suppose so, huh?"
They lay still and quiet, listening to the murmuring sound of fire crackling. The song of night life of the forest perforated the darkness.
"Jake?"
"Hm?"
"What do you think will happen in Malta?"
Jake didn't answer for a little. The forest hissed softly as a light breeze swept through the canopy.
"We might have company," Jake said.
"Okay."
"You're not scared?"
"I don't really know," Fox said. "On one hand, I've only seen that eagle thing. And those two dead birds on my doorstep. You said there are more--"
"More…?"
"Tell me about Hamish."
Jake chuckled deeply.
Fox waited.
Jake recalled his encounter with the fox-man. The conversation about the creatures coming for them. The jibes about the scent of sex on them. The repeated pokes about the word, "mate". Fox listened intently the whole time. He tugged gently and scratched Jake's chest and belly until Jake said "mate". Fox popped his head up, and his eyes focused on Jake's silvery ones that reflected the dancing firelight.
"Mate?" Fox said, a grin on his face.
"That's right. Animals of all kinds tend to look for one," Jake said innocently.
"Hey, hey! Don't change the subject. He said I was your mate."
"Well… Yes."
Fox's grin could split his face in two.
He slid himself on top of Jake, putting his chin on his folded hands looking into his man's eyes.
"We're mated."
Jake rolled his eyes.
"Shit, you even bit me and drew blood!"
"Yeah. Hey, how's your shoulder?"
"That's like, werewolf stuff, right? Like in the movies?"
Jake put his hand on Fox's face. "You're incorrigible."
Fox licked Jake's palm. Jake snickered. "What are we, five?"
Fox moved his hands and rested his face on Jake's chest.
"We're mated." Fox grinned.
Jake ran his fingers through Fox's hair.
"This past week, we've done it almost every day, and we've marked each other-hush you-so if it wasn't obvious to you, you're mine."
Jake propped his chin on his hands again.
"I'm yours." It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
"You're mine."
Jake inhaled. Fox rose and fell with his breath. Fox watched Jake, watched his mouth and waited.
"Yes," Jake whispered.
Fox focused on Jake's silver eyes, now orange in the light of the fire. When he smiled, Jake did too.
Fox nuzzled his face in Jake's chest, like a mouse burrowing into a hole. When he finally settled, he pressed his lips to Jake's skin.
"Since we're mated, I get to name our first dog."
The rumbling chuckle rolled past Fox's ear he pressed to Jake's chest. It fell onto his other ear, aimed at the forest canopy.
"Also, we're gonna try for a baby." Fox smirked.
Jake laughed. "At least twice a day, Foxy. You and me. Until you're fat with my love."
Fox snored.
23. On the Road, part 2
*** Jake
They cleared the campsite, leaving no sign they were there. Shifted earth was returned, ashes scattered about at the roots of the nearby trees. Fully dressed and packed, Jake took Fox's hand and began walking back to the marina.
"Hey, Foxy?"
"Big bear?"
"Next time you decide to fall asleep on top of me, make sure we're in bed first, okay, babe?"
"I was warm the whole time. I had me a big ol' teddy bear."
"Brat."
"You love it."
They hiked in quiet company, both enjoying the view to their left and the air of the forest around them.
"I meant to ask last night, until you told me we're eternally soul bonded--"
"Mates, you jackass."
"I like that. I'm gonna tell people, 'Oh, that big guy with the sixty-inch chest and pythons that could crush a watermelon? That's my mate."
Jake coughed loudly. "Hyperbole much?" he laughed. Fox shot him a comic side-eye. "You were saying?"
Fox seemed lost in thought for a brief second when he spoke up again. "Oh, right. That fox came into our circle?"
"Yep."
"What am I missing?"
"There are those who took the zoothropy potion that an alchemist who aligned with a wizard made. The alchemist chose wolves, bears, ravens, and eagles to transmute. They fused them with humans they'd captured or coerced.
"On this side of the Pale, there are some animals who are born with a massive amount of the spark. They have the ability to shift into human form, adapt even live among them, going back and fort
h as they please."
"Which animals are those?"
"On the road, I'd seen foxes, cougars, and hawks. A lot of them knew my mentor, in fact. Sully saved them from a particularly nasty witch. The same witch who tortured the raven who found me."
Fox nodded. "So, the silver line, how does it work?"
"The zoothropy potion used a mix of obsidian and hematite. They serve as agents to hold the magic as the serum hits the bloodstream. For the lycanthropy potion, they used moonstones--to their dismay. While moonstones can contain magic, they also impart vulnerability. A sensitivity to the moon's phases.
"Silver in an altered beast absorbs the magicked metals and draws them out. It leaves mortal, human tissue in its wake. The animal can't heal exponentially or shift. Now, if a wounded altered beast is left alone and they heal at a human rate. The remaining magicked metals can fill in the gaps. The beast won't be able to change as fast, or heal as quick, but they're still plenty dangerous."
Fox nodded. "And how does that help with a line? I get a weapon piercing them or touching the bloodstream somehow, but the line just baffles me.
Jake scratched his head. "That's something I never learned from Sully. He told me to make a line and fix it, but the ins and outs confuse me. I'd always thought they made a wall, but the fact that it makes a sphere is a happy accident.
"In a fight between me and this one eagle, I drew the circle and fixed it, and taunted the bird to come at me.
"Like someone you know," Fox said.
"Yes. Ass."
"Please, continue," Fox smiled.
"I thought the wall would stop it. Instead, it seemed to come even faster. So, as it got close, I ducked down to lessen the damage. The thing exploded over my head."
"You were standing outside the sphere?"
"Yep. And when I ducked, I was covered."
Fox nodded.
"All good things to know."
The hike continued. They saw people in the first clearing they came across going out. Fox smiled.
Jake heard Fox humming something. It sounded like a childhood chant. Then he heard Fox singing it softly…
"Jake and Foxy, sitting in a tree…"
"Fox."
"They're M-A-T-I-N-G…"
"I swear--"
"First comes love, then comes marriage--"
"You're in for it, mister!"
"Then comes a bear in a big ol' bear swing!" Fox darted off, moving fast despite having a pack on. Jake roared after him, his feet thumping the ground as he tore through the woods.
Fox ran across the parking lot to his truck, with Jake not too far behind. Jake watched Fox as he slapped his hand on the back of his truck and said, "Not it."
Jake collided with Fox, grabbing his face in his hand and mauling his mouth. He didn't let Fox up for a minute, tasting and biting and scraping and sucking. When he finally let up, he only had to look at the long, thick lump halfway down a thigh under Fox's jeans... A wet spot began spreading from the size of a dime to the circumference of a beer can on the inside of his lap.
"That didn't even rhyme, you know," Jake growled. A cheerful snicker bubbled up from Fox. Jake attacked again. Fox sank into his touch as Jake pawed at the hardness beneath his man's jeans. The bigger man wouldn't let up until he was certain Fox would be hard and wanting for some time.
"Hop in," Jake chimed cheerfully. "It's a few hours to Malta, and we've got things to do!"
Jake took Fox's pack off and secured it in the footlocker, along with his own. He looked around the edge of the truck. Fox was still standing there, eyes glazed but tracking him, mouth slack, a little goofy grin on his face. His lips were swollen and almost raw, and he squeezed himself idly.
Jake rolled his eyes and ushered Fox to the passenger side. Fox played up the role of lust-addled scamp, refusing to get into the cab. Jake lifted Fox into the seat and buckled his belt for him. When his man was secure, Jake took Fox's face into his hands again, kissing him gently but urgently. His hands roamed over Fox's clothed body, groping lewdly in a frenzy of heavy petting. When Jake was satisfied, he made for the driver's seat, adjusting himself before he hopped into the cab. When they were on the main road, Jake looked over and saw Fox still smiling. Clearly, the young guy didn't mind being in a state of arousal for a few hours. Jake didn't know if he should be happy for him or jealous. Instead, he just shook his head with a smile.
"You are so much trouble, baby. It's a good thing I love you," Jake said, pressing a kiss against Fox's temple.
*** Fox
The haze of arousal turned into a kind of tiredness. A fatigue that happens when one was on the road for an extended length of time. Fox's head rocked gently from side to side as the truck moved along. But he woke up when his body realized the truck had come to a stop.
Fox looked over at a grinning Jake. The big man leaned in and gave him a soft, wet, short kiss before pulling back.
"Just want to let you know, we're at a rest stop outside of town."
Fox slowly sat up and looked around. Sure enough, an empty parking lot and buildings housing restrooms ahead.
"Are you good, baby?" Jake asked. Fox smiled.
"Better than," Fox said.
"Wanna freshen up while we're here?" Jake offered. Fox nodded. Both got out of the truck. Jake walked in first, opening stall doors, checking for would-be attackers. Fox smile softly but said nothing. He needed to do this, to have peace of mind, so Fox let him. In the heat of the day, despite the AC in the truck, Fox needed a cool-down. He took off his shirt and laid it over the stall divider beside him. He washed up, giving himself a poor man's bath as thoroughly as he could. Jake came up beside him, took the wet tissue, and took over.
"We've gotten pretty creative, haven't we," Jake said as he soaked up more cool water with the paper towel. He lifted Fox's arm and wiped him down.
"Yeah. I never thought I'd do any of that," Fox replied. He thought back to his ex, to the handful of times he'd fooled around with closet cases in high school.
"Do you think we should have safe words or something?"
"Why? You think you'll take it too far?" Fox said. He knew he never would.
"It's important that you feel safe, baby," Jake said. The tenderness in his voice threatened to melt Fox to the floor.
"Jake," Fox took the towel from Jake's hand. "I've already said it."
"What?" Jake asked.
"I trust you. I trust you, Jake. I love you, and I trust you, and any time you want to have at me, or any time you need me to take care of you, just say it."
Jake's eyes trembled. He leaned in and kissed his man.
*** Jake
They hopped into the truck and pulled away from the rest stop.
Time moved along, as did the men. Fox stared out over the desert of southern Idaho.
A sign flew by. Malta, population 415.
"Wow. It's as big as Pine Haven," Fox said.
"Yeah. I get the feeling we'll know pretty quick if they're lying in wait. But it's a good feeling. Mages don't want their secrets spilled any more than Alchemists do. Sending altered beasts out in public would be a bad thing."
Fox nodded.
24. Unexpected
*** Jake
Jake drove through town five miles under the speed limit. He wanted to take it all in, and make sure nothing was amiss. Mercifully, there didn't seem to be a police-taped cordoned-off area. The worse yet possibility was screaming people, and there were none of those. They were a day away from the activation of the array, and Jake was both happy and nervous for what was to come.
"Wow, there's not even a motel here," Fox said.
Nope. A church, a high school, a restaurant--the rest is farmland and residential stuff," Jake replied.
"What are we going to do?"
"Well, I need to get us to a room of some kind. Can you look it up on my tablet?"
Fox fished Jake's handy link to the world out of his backpack and powered it on.
"The password is Benjamin Samuels, one
word, capitalize the B and the S."
"Your son's last name is Samuels?"
"Yeah. The family I left him with said things like hospital visits and such would be easier that way."
"What's his real last name?"
"Hughes."
"Is that his mom's?"
"It's mine."
Fox went quiet. Jake listened to the sound of applications opening and closing.
"There's a bed-and-breakfast place in Albion," Fox offered.
"I try to avoid b and b's," Jake replied. "The owners tend to be nosy, trying to figure out what you're doing in the area, so they can sell stuff to you."
"A motel in Heyburn, maybe?"
"Nothing closer?"
After a pause, Fox piped up. "There's an inn in Almo. It's southwest of Malta."
"Let's go there."
*** Fox
After two more small towns, each one smaller than the last, they reached the inn at the foothills of Cache Peak. The room at the inn was rustic, spacious, and most importantly, had a shower Fox could use.
Fox and Jake carried their packs into the room. Like he did in Casper, Fox made a beeline to the shower, leaving a trail of clothes carelessly flung about in his wake. He found a spacious bathroom, complete with a large bathtub and a fancy glass shower.
"I asked for the room with the biggest shower and a tub," Jake said, standing naked in the doorway. "They gave us what they called their honeymoon suite. I don't know why it has two beds though."
Fox grinned as he turned on the shower, stepping out to let the water heat up.
"They said the shower's supposed to fit two people. That would barely fit me," Jake grumbled.
"Come here, papa bear," Fox said, reaching out his hand. "We'll make it work. Do you want to do both like last time?"
Jake smiled. "Yeah. I'd like that."
Fox turned off the water in the shower, then began to run the bath. Jake left the room, only to return with two fluffy towels as Fox poured a copious amount of bath soap.
"We're early enough that it gives us plenty of time, but too late to do anything else," Jake said as he leaned against the wall. Fox sat on the edge of the bath.