Ghoulish

by Kat Bellamy

  Colt thought briefly of trying to argue his case, but he knew there was no convincing Jason. Not when it came to anything related to his brother or honoring Luca’s memory.

  “Come with me,” Jason pleaded in that tone that made Colt want to give him whatever he wanted, damn the consequences. “It’ll be good to get away, just the two of us.”

  “What about work? And your internship?”

  “I suspended the internship, and you’re the boss now. I’m sure you can get away with taking a couple of days off.”

  “Wait. Rewind. You suspended your internship?”

  Jason winced. “I forgot to mention that part, didn’t I?”

  “Apparently. What happened? I thought you loved what you were doing.”

  “I do. I did,” Jason corrected. “It’s meaningful work, but after two semesters, I’ve finally accepted the fact that I’m just not cut out for the Special Victims Unit. Going after criminals, I can handle, but seeing the aftermath of child abuse on a daily basis? If I go into that field for my actual career, I’m going to end up killing a suspect and then I’ll be the one on the stand.”

  Colt sighed. "Yeah, I get that. I couldn't handle it for a day. What are you planning on doing instead?"

  "I don't know," Jason said, reaching for his beer. "I put out a few apps. It's still early enough in the semester that I can get full credit if I find another internship within the month. So far, I've applied to the probate court and Sheriff's department as safeties. The DA's office is a reach, but I'm really hoping I get it."

  "DA?" Colt croaked. "As in the District Attorney? Liam Carver?"

  "And here I thought you didn't even know who the mayor was," Jason teased. "What's the matter?"

  "Nothing," Colt said, finishing off his beer. Between Carver and Roland, Carver was the clear choice, but dating the DA's intern was bound to make an already complicated situation even worse.

  "Probate sounds fun," Colt offered.

  Jason cocked an eyebrow. "Now there's a sentence that's never been uttered before in human history. You sure you're feeling okay?"

  "I'm just saying, maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to do something mundane."

  Jason sighed. "I know what this is about."

  "You do?" Colt sure hoped not.

  "Yes. Now that I'm about to graduate, reality is finally starting to set in. I had this same conversation with my parents last week."

  "You did?"

  "Mhm. You sound just like my dad. ‘It's too dangerous. Why can't you practice tax law like your uncle Myron?’”

  "For once, I agree with your father."

  "And I'm going to tell you the same thing I told him. I didn't choose to go into law because I wanted an easy living, I chose it because I wanted to help people."

  "You could help people lots of ways. I just don't see why you have to pick the one that could get you killed."

  "I'll be pushing papers for the DA, not infiltrating a crystal meth ring."

  “And what happens if some psycho gets pissed at your boss for putting him in jail and you get caught in the crossfire?"

  "Then I'll have a hard time holding water."

  "I'm glad you find this so funny."

  "Colt," Jason pleaded, taking Colt's face in his hands. "It was a joke."

  "I guess I just don't find the very real possibility of losing you all that funny."

  Jason's face fell. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "But I can't give up on my dream, Colt. Not even for you."

  Colt clenched his jaw. "Why is this so important to you? Why does it have to be this field?"

  Jason settled back against the couch with a heavy sigh. "You remember how it was when Luca was killed. We all spent months reeling, grasping for something to make sense of what happened. I'd listen to my dad reaming out Fish and Wildlife reps for hours on end, demanding reports and explanations for how a lone wolf in an area where there wasn't supposed to be anything other than coyotes and fisher cats just showed up and killed his son. It made no sense, and we desperately needed it to, even though we knew logic wouldn't bring him back. It wasn't until I got older that I realized there are some things in this world you just can't make sense of. Things that you can't explain no matter how hard you try, and even if you could, it wouldn't change anything. But there are tragedies that can be explained, and there are families out there who suffer needlessly until someone finds the answers. I want to be one of the people who finds those answers, Colt. I don't want anyone else to feel the way my family did if it can be helped."

  Colt’s stomach churned as Jason spoke. The conviction in Jason's voice alone was enough to soften his anger, but more than that, it was the doubt it caused in Colt that unsettled him.

  What if it hadn't been a wolf that attacked Luca, after all? Colt had never questioned the official narrative as a preteen, but now “animal attack” rang as nothing more than a callous euphemism. If one of his own kind had killed Luca, keeping this secret about his own identity was more than just a lie. It was a betrayal.

  “Please tell me you understand,” Jason said, searching Colt’s face.

  “I do.” Colt cleared his throat. “I’m not gonna pretend like I’m happy about it, but I get it. If this is what you want, I won’t try to stop you, but I am going to ask you to be careful.”

  Jason smiled, leaning in for another kiss. “And that’s where you’re different from my family.”

  “I would hope I’m different in a few more ways than that,” Colt teased, pushing Jason back against the sofa.

  Jason laughed. “Well, kissing you is a lot more fun than kissing great-aunt Gertrude. Less stubble.”

  Colt shuddered. “You know how to paint a picture.”

  “I could paint a better one if you come with me,” Jason purred, winding a strand of Colt’s hair around his finger. “Please?”

  Colt sighed. “How am I supposed to say no to that?”

  “You’re not,” Jason whispered against his lips.

  Colt moaned as Jason’s knee slipped between his thighs and the friction of their jeans made his grinding pure torture. Colt reached underneath Jason’s shirt, tracing the lines of his abs down to the sharp cut of his hips. His hand drifted lower underneath Jason’s waistband and his fingertips grazed the coarse patch of hair waiting for him just as the phone on the coffee table buzzed.

  “Ignore it,” Colt murmured, capturing Jason’s lips. The phone kept buzzing.

  “They’re not giving up,” Jason gasped, breaking the kiss. “Maybe you should answer it.”

  “Fuck whoever it is.”

  “What if it’s the secret girlfriend you’ve been running off with lately?” Jason asked in a teasing tone. Colt could tell there was a hint of genuine suspicion in it.

  “Fuck her, too.”

  Jason gave his shoulder a playful shove and reached for the phone. “Hello?” His face went blank and Colt sat up sharply. How he hated technology. “No, sorry. I’ll put him on.” He pushed his finger against the speaker and whispered, “It’s the Sheriff.”

  Colt winced, taking the phone. “Sorry. I should take this.”

  Jason’s eyes were full of questions, but he said nothing as Colt stood and crossed the room, pressing the phone to his ear. “Sheriff Venson. Hi. What can I do for you?”

  “I assume that was the mysterious boyfriend Susan’s always speaking of,” Roland said in a dry tone. “Does he know?”

  “Not at all, sir. Did you need me to answer any more questions about Chuck?”

  That seemed to satisfy Jason’s curiosity, or at least convince him to pretend like he was interested in his own phone.

  Roland chuckled. “A word of advice. If you care about him, keep it that way.”

  “That’s what I was planning on.”

  “I won’t keep you. Just wanted to check in and make sure Wilbur hasn’t tried contacting you again.”

  “No, I haven’t heard anything but I’ll let you know if he calls.”

  “Good man, Colt. Kee
p your head down,” the Sheriff said before hanging up.

  “That was about Chuck?” Jason asked, leaning over the back of the couch.

  “Just a few follow-up questions.”

  “Follow-up?” Jason frowned. “They questioned you about Chuck’s death?”

  Shit. “Uh, yeah. It was routine.”

  “For an animal attack?”

  Colt could see the wheels turning behind Jason’s eyes and knew he needed to stop the investigation train before it ran off the tracks. “Yeah. I guess his wife is insisting on it. Can’t bring herself to accept what happened,” he said, cringing internally. He felt like pond scum before the words were even out of his mouth.

  “Poor thing,” Jason said sadly.

  “Yeah. So,” Colt said, clearing his throat. “Where were we?”

  “I was trying to convince you to go with me on that camping trip.”

  “If your mind’s made up, so is mine,” Colt said with a shrug. “I’m not letting you go out there alone.”

  Jason scowled, but there was more amusement in his gaze than irritation. “I’m not sure I like the new caveman Colt.”

  “Get used to it, he’s not goin’ anywhere,” Colt half-teased, leaning over the couch to kiss Jason. “Especially not if you’re working for the DA.”

  “I haven’t even gotten the internship yet.”

  “Oh, you’ll get it. You get everything you want.”

  Jason grinned. “That’s very true. As a matter of fact, there’s something I want you to give me right now.”

  It just so happened to be something Colt was more than willing to give.

  Chapter 14

  Colt had never been on a camping trip, with the exception of his brief failed career as an Eagle Scout. He’d learned then that as much as he enjoyed being outside and putting in a hard day’s work, he preferred the modern conveniences of electricity and bathrooms that had walls. As he learned that morning, avid outdoor enthusiasts like Jason were insistent on waking up as early as possible to do nothing in particular. By the time the sun rose, they were already hopelessly buried in the wilderness.

  At least Jason seemed to know where he was going even when their GPS lost signal. It was an overcast day and the eerie atmosphere wasn’t helping Colt’s already frayed nerves. Jason insisted that the trip would be relaxing, but all Colt could think about was the danger lurking around them. It wasn’t his own life he feared for, but the responsibility of keeping Jason safe that had always rested on his shoulders. Now there were just a few thousand pounds added to that familiar weight. It was also the first time they’d been truly alone, and the prospect was putting his certainty in his own restraint to the test.

  In preparation for the trip, Susan had loaded Colt’s bag with jerky of the ghoul-approved variety. At first, he’d assumed it was a joke, but her blank if pleasant face told him otherwise. She told him it was the standard fare of hunters who couldn’t guarantee access to a quick meal on long excursions in the wilderness. It was incidentally the only type of meat Ronnie could stomach.

  Colt wasn’t taking any chances. He’d already eaten three sticks that morning and planned to keep himself stuffed to the point of unpleasantness, even if it meant choking down whatever powdered food substitutes Jason had brought along with him as well.

  “This is my favorite spot,” Jason announced once they had left his car in the reserve parking lot and taken their packs onto the slim dirt trail that wound its way around the forest. Colt could hear water trickling from somewhere nearby, but he couldn’t see the stream through the densely packed forest. Jason finally came to a stop in a small clearing within view of the water and dropped his pack in the dirt. “Here’s good.”

  “I’ll trust your judgment on that,” Colt scoffed, dropping his own pack. He eyed the woods around them and tried to quiet his breathing to listen. Just because he couldn’t see or hear any sign of another ghoul didn’t mean they weren’t there. He knew how good they were at hiding in plain sight. A whole forest was a damn playground.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Colt saw Jason positioning the rolled up tent on the ground. With a massive whoomp, a bright orange structure popped up to tower over them both. Colt jumped back, ready to lunge when he realized it was only the tent. “What the hell?”

  “It’s an automatic tent,” Jason said with a laugh. “Why are you so jumpy?”

  “Just had too much coffee,” Colt mumbled, raking a hand through his hair. “Thought I’d at least be helpful at setting up the tent.”

  “You’re sweet,” Jason said with a patient smile, unpacking the rest of his gear. “Troublingly dependent on heteronormative standards of worth and gender roles, but sweet.”

  “You know I have no idea what you just said, right?”

  Jason rolled his eyes. “I know you hate this kind of thing, but try to relax.”

  “Guess it is nice to have a vacation. Even if it is in the dirt.”

  “No dirt in here,” Jason said, crawling into the tent. He patted the spot next to him and Colt wasted no time following him in. “See? We’re not entirely devoid of the comforts of home.”

  “My home has carpet,” Colt teased.

  “You are such a city boy.”

  “Technically, I’m a suburbanite, and so are you.”

  “Semantics,” Jason said, digging through his bag. He pulled out a bottle of wine and started rummaging for something else. “Shit. I forgot the corkscrew.”

  “I got it.”

  Jason gave him a dubious look. “You’re not going to try opening it with your teeth again, are you?”

  “Just close your eyes. It’s a magic trick,” Colt said in a wry tone.

  Jason cocked an eyebrow. “Since when do you do magic?”

  “Eyes closed, and no peeking.”

  Jason rolled his eyes but he turned around and folded his arms. Colt snapped the top off the bottle and filled their travel glasses. Jason turned around, his eyes widening when he saw the perfectly broken bottle. “How did you do that?”

  “No questions,” Colt said, offering a glass to Jason. “That’s the first rule of magic.”

  “Oh, really?” Jason took a sip of his wine, smirking over the rim. “And what’s the second rule?”

  Colt paused to consider it. “If sufficiently impressed, the most attractive member of the audience must give the magician a blowjob.”

  That earned a sharp laugh. “That’s in the official Magician’s Handbook, is it?”

  “Section 10, Addendum A,” Colt said in a somber tone. “It’s practically the law.”

  “Well,” Jason said, setting aside his glass to crawl over to Colt’s end of the tent. “Far be it for me to question the law.”

  Colt’s laugh turned husky as he realized Jason was only half-teasing. Jason made quick work of Colt’s belt, unbuttoning his jeans. Colt was already hard by the time Jason freed his shaft. It didn’t take much when Jason was involved. Hell, sometimes all it took was thinking about him. Colt swallowed a moan as Jason’s mouth closed around the head of his cock and he started sucking and trailing the tip of his tongue around the crown in alternation.

  Colt dug his fingers into Jason’s hair, somehow finding the restraint to stroke rather than to pull him in closer. Jason took his entire length into his throat anyway and this time, Colt couldn’t keep quiet. He reminded himself that they weren’t limited by the paper-thin walls of Jason’s dorm or his own apartment building anymore.

  Maybe there was something to this camping schtick, after all.

  As usual, Jason knew exactly what to do to push Colt to the brink of orgasm. He waited until the last possible moment to pull back, condemning Colt to hover on the precipice of delayed gratification before starting in again full force. Each time he played with the ebb and flow of pleasure, the sensation intensified to the point where Colt was sure he’d spontaneously combust if he didn’t cum.

  “Jason,” he pleaded. Usually, he liked being the one in control, but he was more than happy to ma
ke an exception when it came to Jason’s golden tongue.

  Fortunately for Colt, Jason wasn’t in a particularly cruel mood. He swallowed the length of Colt’s shaft once more and rolled the other man’s balls in his warm palm, giving them a gentle squeeze that pushed Colt over the brink. Colt’s shaft pulsed a few times and Jason eagerly swallowed every ounce of cum, licking him clean once he’d been wrung dry.

  Even in the aftermath of orgasm, Colt wasn’t satisfied. He was on top of Jason before he’d fully processed moving and he tore Jason’s jeans off with a desperation that bordered on violence. The lust in Jason’s eyes as he claimed Colt’s lips for a kiss made it clear he approved. Colt wasn’t sure if Jason had thought to bring lubricant and cursed himself for not having the foresight himself. He’d always taken pride in his endurance, but something told him that he had his newly awakened nature to thank for the fact that he was hard again already. Instead, he bent his head and took Jason’s dick into his mouth, using the slick of Jason’s precum to press a finger into his ass.

  “Colt,” Jason gasped, bucking his hips as his legs fell open, giving Colt full access. Colt worked another finger into him, licking up along the base of Jason’s shaft the way he knew his boyfriend liked. Within minutes, Jason was arching and bucking and panting like he needed an exorcism.

  “Bag,” he gasped.

  It took Colt a second to think through the fog of his own arousal, fueled by the sounds Jason was making, but he reached into the bag and pulled out a bottle of lube. “You think of everything, don’t you?” he grinned, squirting out a generous amount of lube into his palm. He slicked up his own dick first before working a couple of newly lubricated fingers inside of Jason.