108
I met Jack in a dark alleyway after Felix and I had completed our first assignment. We had both been shot and we were bleeding as we heard the high heels click clack towards us. He had smelled our blood and we both looked at the big man that stood in front of us wearing a skin tight dress. Jack was also Jackie and he loved to dress up and perform at a downtown club over weekends.
Jack had loaded us in his car and taken us home, he was a lone wolf and preferred it that way. We became friends and whenever we travelled through Oklahoma we would drop in on him. He had cried when I called him with the news that Felix had been killed.
During the day Jack was also into black market dealings and apparently his wolf had told him he could trust the dragon and vampire. Jack had lost his fair share of bets with Felix and we always had fun as Jack showed us off to his other cross dressing friends when we watched him perform.
“You’ll drink my tea or I’ll make you,” Jack said as I opened my eyes. He had taken his high heels off but he was still wearing the very feminine night gown and his wig was no longer on his head.
“We’re you going out?” I asked him.
“Obviously not anymore, I see some major damage here sweetie pie, where did you drive from?” he asked me.
“New Mexico,” I said and winced as Jack pressed the alcohol pad against the first wound.
“Drink your tea like a good boy and let me wrap you up, then you can go sleep and tomorrow morning I’ll have breakfast ready after you’ve showered,” Jack said.
“Thanks Jack, you’re a good friend,” I said to him.
“Ooh getting all mushy, did you hit your head too?” he asked me and I laughed.
“Apparently I did,” I said as Jack helped me to my feet with plasters and bandages all over my abdomen and led me to his spare room.
“You sleep now,” he said as he put me down on the bed and pulled the covers over me.
I slept for six hours and I slept like the dead. I felt refreshed and I could feel Abeloth in the back of my mind as he flapped his wings, he had healed during the night and I smiled as I walked into the bathroom and took a shower.
Jack had left clothes on the bed when I walked out of the bathroom and I smiled as I put them on. He even got me shoes and underwear and that made me chuckle as I imagined him going shopping dressed as Jackie.
“Morning!” he yelled out the moment I opened the bedroom door.
“Morning,” I said loudly as I followed the scent of bacon to the kitchen.
“I made you coffee,” he said as he put the steaming mug down in front of me.
“You’re an angel,” I said as I picked it up and closed my eyes.
“So what’s going on sweetheart?” he asked me.
“Shit Jack, where do I even start?” I said as he put a plate down in front of me.
“Wherever you want,” he said gently.
I told Jack the whole story starting when Felix died as we ate breakfast and drank coffee. It took me more than an hour to relate everything to him. I kept talking as I helped him with the dishes and cleaned the kitchen.
“Shit Ryder, I’ve always wanted adventure but that’s going overboard,” he said to me.
“This is not adventure Jack, it’s a fucking shit storm waiting to explode in my face,” I said to him.
“You should probably phone that girl of yours, give her your side of the story because right now she thinks you bailed and she hasn’t heard from you in a month,” he said.
“I’m going to, as soon as I hit the road again. Jack, thanks for everything, I owe you big time and once I’m done with all this I’m inviting you to Princeton to come visit my lair,” I said to him.
“Any time sweetheart, the tank is full and you’ve got a spare set of clothes in a bag on the back seat and all your favourite toys,” he said.
I used his laptop and transferred money to his account and we hugged for at least five minutes before I hopped into the truck and started driving again. I felt better, Abeloth was back, and I could feel my eyes change colour. I dialed Megan’s number and held my breath.
“Hello,” she answered and my heart almost stopped at the sound of her voice.
“Megan,” I said and I could hear her intake of breath.
“No, don’t call me again,” she said and ended the call.
I tried calling her again but the call was sent to voicemail, “Megan, you don’t know the whole story, if you just give me a chance to explain what really happened, you’d see things differently. Just talk to me please, I love you.”
I had another twelve hours ahead of me and I didn’t plan on stopping until I reached Broadview. I wouldn’t stop until I had Carlson firmly in my sights. I planned on taking him alive and then I’d have some fun with him.
“Hello,” he answered his phone.
“It’s me,” I said.
“Holy shit bro! What the hell is going on, Dad’s freaking out and Mom’s talking about castrating you and even Melissa’s pissed at me for some reason!” he yelled at me.
“Thanks for the update, I called Dad yesterday,” I said to him.
“Is that why he had sudden urgent business in Springfield?” he asked me.
“Yes, listen forget everything you heard, I was shot with a tranquilizer and taken to New Mexico by those bastards, didn’t think Albert had the balls to go after me,” I said to him.
“Shit, are you okay or are you all fucked up?” he asked me.
“I’m better now, I spent the night with a friend, I’m on my way back and Dad went to get Albert for me, I want him kept alive,” I said to Chase.
“Whatever you’re involved with, don’t rush in alone, you have enough people that are willing to help you,” he said.
“We’ll talk when I get back, I’m still healing and I’ve got another day before I reach Princeton,” I said to him.
“Drive safe bro, I really thought this time you’d lost your damn mind,” he said to me.
“Funny, just tell Mom I’m on my way home and that I’m okay, I’m not going to call her because either she won’t answer or she’s just going to yell and put the phone down in my ear,” I said and he laughed.
“Sure thing, just send a text or whatever so we know you’re still alive,” he said.
I ended the call as I smiled and I knew that if I had to stand in front of my mother right now, she’d kick my ass properly. Hell Megan didn’t even want to hear my voice and the only hope I was clinging to was that she listened to that voicemail and called me back.
“Why are you lying to our brother?” Abeloth asked as his eyes twinkled.
“You know very well if I told him the truth that every Tom, Dick and Harry would show up in Broadview,” I said to him.
“Having help isn’t such a bad thing,” he said to me.
“I know but this is beyond personal now,” I said to him.
“Not just to you, Elio and Basil were taken too,” he said to me.
“I won’t kill the bastard without them there, I just can’t bear the thought of losing anyone else I care about,” I said to him.
“Do you really think we’ve lost Megan?” he asked me.
“You heard what happened, the pain in her voice was real Abeloth, she doesn’t want to talk to me,” I said to him.
“You should’ve marked and introduced her and then hidden her away,” he said to me angrily.
“I didn’t want to risk anything happening to her,” I snapped at him.
“Why are you fighting with me halfling?” he asked me.
“I’m sorry and I know you’re angry but you also know that I’ll never stop fighting for her,” I said.
“You will when she rejects us,” he said.
“She has to do that in front of the Elders, in front of the lair, because I will introduce her as my bonded half,” I said to him.
“It’s so ironic, you rejected Tia and all hell broke loose and now Megan might reject you,” he said and burst into laughter.
“She won’t reject me,” I said to him.
“Let’s hope you’re right halfling,” he said to me.
“Hey what’s with the negative attitude?” I asked him.
“I just feel incomplete and if Megan rejects us, I don’t know halfwit, I might just make your life a living hell,” he said.
“Like it’s my fault we’re here?” I asked.
“Sensitive much?” he asked me as I shook my head.
“Asshole,” I said as he chuckled.
We were quiet for a while and after a few hours I stopped at a gas station and filled the tank up again. I bought more water, coffee and some snacks. I was back on the road again in less than an hour when I had enough of the silence and broke it.
“Why do you think their beasts stays with them? I know the vampires aren’t like us, but dragonkin and wolves, are their beasts naturally evil like them or do they change with their humans?” I asked Abeloth.
“Beasts aren’t naturally evil halfling, but we do get matched and anything can be influenced, take you and me for example, we were a perfect match and we didn’t have to change anything to suit each other, my best guess is that even a human isn’t born evil, shit happens that makes them that way,” he said.
“Do you know if a beast has ever left his host of his own free will?” I asked him.
“There has to be really extreme circumstances for a beast to willingly leave his host, but I guess even Typhon can be forgiving when the host is beyond evil. In our realm, we get punished for our actions because we’re linked to our hosts, I can refuse to separate from you if you order me to do bad things, so it still remains a question of are you willing or not, I’ve heard of beasts being cast to the outer realms by Typhon,” he said.
“Shit, I’m glad I got you,” I said to him.
“We’re a good team halfling, I’d never leave you, not until our dying breath and even then I’d stay with you until the realm pulls me home,” he said.
“I love you Abeloth,” I said to him suddenly, realizing that I’ve never said that to him before.
“Shit Ryder, I love you too,” he said shyly.
“Are you blushing?” I asked him as he turned his face away.
“Let’s just go kill some assholes,” he said as I laughed.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
