Black Fox: The Vessel - 8. Chapter 8 - His Royal Musk

The moment I opened my eyes in the morning, the extent of the shit I was in became apparent. My hands were moist with sweat but my body was cold even beneath the warm blanket. I had a dull headache and felt tired even though I slept almost ten hours. My mouth and my eyes were dry and my thoughts were all over the place. Thankfully I had decided to sleep in my own bed.

I immediately thought about calling Mum and telling her to take me home before it was too late. Was it too late?

Owen smiled at me at breakfast, but then wasn't paying me too much attention during the day's activities. I was looking for an opportunity to talk to him alone, but it didn't come until the afternoon. I saw him go to the cabin and I followed him.

“Hey,” I said, “I wanted to talk. Do you have a moment?”

“I kind of wanted to take a break from everybody today. I don't know what to think and I have to gather my thoughts.”

“Oh, okay,” I said, looking down at my feet. “I get it that you don't want to talk but I thought that maybe you are… you know, in a mood?”

“Sorry Ian, maybe tomorrow. Give me some time and we'll talk again. I would really hate to hurt you more than I did.”

"Uh, okay. You didn’t hurt me, for the record."

It wasn't that bad. He sounded like he was considering us doing it again. My worst fear was that he'd want to cut all ties.

But at that moment I felt like a junkie. As I was going back to meet the girls and Kevin by the water, I could feel that my hands were shaking.

They all looked at me weirdly as I approached them.

I raised my eyebrows. “What?”

“Are you talking to Owen?” Sarah asked.

I considered lying but that would make things even worse.

“Yes. Why?”

“I thought he hated you. What are you talking about suddenly?”

I shrugged. “Life, sex, music. All sorts of things. I think he had a change of heart about me after all.”

“Are you alright, Ian?” Kevin asked with a worry in his voice.

“I'm great, better than ever! How about we play some ball?” I suggested, forcing a smile.

“Are you going to disappear again in the evening?” Sarah asked. I was too tired to handle their questions.

“No, today my schedule is free. We can hang out.”

“How about we tell each other stories?” Kevin asked, looking at me intently. “You know, the scary, made-up ones.”

“Absolutely,” I said, holding his stare. “I think it's your turn to tell one. I'm afraid I'm out of made-up ideas.”

“I'm not good at telling stories.”

“I can tell one,” Sarah volunteered. “But for now, let's play ball.”

Somehow, I made it to the evening without acting too weird. But inside, I had a desire that could only be quenched in one way. I politely ignored Owen all day. He was probably testing me to see if I was clingy or I could last a day or two without having his cock inside me. Truth be told, it was torture. I was wondering if in the morning I'd feel better or even worse.

When it got darker and the adults were talking and drinking beer by the campfire, we went inside our boat.

“Okay, Sarah, storytime!” Kevin exclaimed.

“I have one for you, you better have a fresh change of underwear. Here it goes.”

“Long, long time ago, there was a girl named Lucy. It all happened during her sweet sixteen birthday party at her house. There was alcohol, boys and even some drugs! The party was raging long into the night and the music grew louder and louder. Everyone was making out and dancing.

At midnight, the doorbell rang and Lucy's boyfriend opened the door. On the porch, stood an annoyed, old lady. She demanded to speak to Lucy. Lucy went out to talk to her and closed the door behind her because the music was too loud.

“Turn the music down, girl, people can't sleep!” the old lady said with a hoarse voice.

“It's my birthday, I do what I want!” Lucy said. “Who the hell are you anyway, I've never seen you before. You don't live here!”

The old lady smiled ominously. “Oh, I've been living here all my life, girl. And now, so will you.”

She showed Lucy her toothless smile and limped down the street. Lucy watched her leave for a few minutes and went back to the house.

But when she entered the living room where everyone was partying, she screamed in terror. Her boyfriend and her friends were hanging by their necks from heavy iron hooks in the ceiling, all dead! Their bodies were rotten as if they'd been dead for months.

Lucy ran over and grabbed her landline phone to call the police. But instead of a dial tone, she just heard the old woman's voice. “Do you sometimes wish that a party would never end? This one won't! Hahahahahaha!” Then the phone went dead and all the light bulbs exploded into millions of tiny shards. All went silent. Lucy was shaking in terror. But then, she heard a sound coming from the living room where all her friends were hanging. She slowly approached the room. There was a dim light coming through the crack in the door. She slowly approached the door and, very gently, pushed it open. Inside, she saw…

“Boo!” Sarah spooked us suddenly. I almost got a heart attack and Kevin, who’s been sitting on the stern fucking fell into the water. We were laughing so hard we barely managed to help him up.

For a short while, I felt better, but when Kevin and I got back to our cabin, the hunger returned.

“Ian…” Kevin started when we were alone.

“What?” I asked. I was sitting on my bed with my arms crossed, fighting the feeling of cold.

“Are… are you alright? You look like you're in pain. Can I make you feel better somehow?”

He sat next to me and placed his hands on my neck and massaged it gently.

“You're sweet, Kevin,” I said, forcing myself to sound uplifting. “But I'm fine. I’ve had a bad day, that's it.”

“Are you sure you don't need help? I missed sleeping with you last night.”

“I'm sure. Actually, I may need a favour from you.”

“What can I do?” he asked and I saw a spark in his green eyes.

“First… I may need to go out for a bit tonight. I need you to cover for me in case the adults notice I'm gone.”

“Where are you going?”

“That's another favour I need from you. Don't ask any questions.”

“You're going up there, aren't you?” He asked anyway.

“Kevin. Stop it. I'm not going up there, there's nothing there.”

“Ian… I thought I was your friend. I'm not stupid. Wouldn’t it be easier for you if you told me the truth?”

I looked him deep in the eyes to read his thoughts. When I did, I placed a short kiss on his lips.

“Maybe one day. For now, trust me. There's nothing going on. I just need some time by myself. When I'm back we can sleep together. And maybe…”

I didn't finish. Instead, I touched him through his shorts. He squinted his eyes and smiled.

“Okay,” he said, but I knew I only managed to deflect him away for a little bit.

I silently left the cabin and looked around for any signs of life. There were none, so I went behind the rear wall and puked on the grass. It hurt. It felt awful. Everything I ate today landed on the grass along with traces of blood. I slumped to the ground because my head started spinning.

After a few minutes, I was - more or less - good. Keeping away from the lights, I slowly got to the forest. There, I marked a bent tree and started undressing. The late August air was cool on my bare skin and I shivered as I took off the last piece of clothing. Despite the chilly surroundings, I folded everything neatly and hid the pile in the bushes under the tree. Naked, I walked a bit deeper into the forest until it wasn’t possible to see me from outside anymore.

Then, with relief, I changed.

It’s been a while, I realised as I took a few steps, feeling my paws.

I chose the tallest nearby birch tree and climbed it with ease, my claws puncturing the bark. It started rocking slightly as I reached the crown but I didn’t mind. From there, I could easily see the hilltop. I looked to the sky. It was almost a full moon. He had to be there. He had to.

I descended from the tree and ran uphill.

I was hoping my condition would get better after the transformation but it didn’t. My muscles were sore and my vision unfocused. At least my sense of smell seemed to be working fine. The forest was dense with the musky scent of wolves’ fur. I wasn’t welcome here.

I go where I want.

I knew I was surrounded for a good thirty seconds before I saw the first pair of gleaming, red eyes. When those appeared, I slowed down and watched the others join it. I didn’t have to turn around to know they were behind me, too.

I recognised their leader immediately. Now, in my animal form, I could see him much better. He was younger than I thought - probably just a few years older than me. Just a little older than the one Owen and I saw yesterday. He was big, wiry and strong. His red eyes screamed death.

“I told you to stay away, young puma,” he showed me.

“I go where I want, wolf,” I showed him.

I heard movement and low growls all around me. Bloodlust filled the air and I had to use all my willpower to stop myself from turning around and running away. The leader made a few steps in my direction and his sinister eyes almost blinded me. He exposed his long teeth and let out a long growl that sent tremors down my spine.

“You don’t go anywhere without my permission, runt. Your fake confidence amuses me. State your business or die.”

“I want to see him.”

“No.”

“It’s about the Moon Boy.”

“He knows about him.”

“But can he get close to him?” I squinted my eyes.

The wolf hesitated. “He could if he wished to.”

“I want to become his vessel,” I showed him.

The tension became unbearable. I sensed movement right behind my back. My heart beat faster and faster. Even the air around me seemed desperate to squash me. This is it, Ian. Live, or die.

“Are you stupid?” the wolf leader showed me. “He will laugh at you.”

“But he can use me. And I need him.”

“He will laugh at you and then he will kill you.” His red eyes were piercing me like lasers. I sustained the weight of it and never looked away.

“Go,” he said. “You are mad and you will die soon.”

“Until we meet again,” I showed him.

I struggled to control my heartbeat as the wolves made an opening. I marched through it calmly, without rushing, eying every wolf as I walked. Most were mature. Some were very young. Some were old. How come their leader was so young? I didn’t recognize him. I haven’t seen him before.

I heard a wolf howl nearby. This was the signal for my safe passage. As soon as I lost the wolves from my eyesight, I rushed uphill. With every step, I felt the energy radiating from The Place. Mum wouldn’t be proud. I will make it, Mum. I know it’s bold, but that’s what I have to do. I can’t accept the mundane life, Mum.

The birch trees gave way to scarce dwarf trees as I climbed higher towards the hilltop. It was my second time here but my first time alone. I thought of Dad. What would he think? He was most likely dead, but I knew he’d be proud of me. There was no other way. I had to have him. I had to become the strongest. Even if my fate was to burn like a moth in a flame.

Some are born to sweet delight. Some are born to endless night.

I was born for both. I know it.

Moon Boy’s cock in my mouth.

I will prevail.

The ruins of the chapel. I saw them first. Then the pitiful remnants of stone walls. Never repaired. Some, blackened from ancient fires. Rubble everywhere, covered with earth and grass, barely visible.

I sensed his royal musk immediately. He must be close.

Surprisingly, the church gate was intact. It stood high and the wooden doorway was slowly turning into charcoal. The walls were in ruin, though, and I walked into one of the openings.

Just as I was about to step through the crack in the wall, I sensed him. I turned around and there he was. Towering over me; as big as a bison. The biggest wolf I’ve seen in my life. I knew a lot from the stories but I couldn’t help but cower in his shadow. The almost-full moon was bright above his head. His crimson-red eyes made his black fur shine like a precious mineral. His face was stone-cold and his jaw was outright terrifying, holding the weight of countless lives that ended crushed inside it.

“You think you are special. You think your life matters,” he showed me without introductions. “You’re a piece of shit. You’re another worthless cum addict and your death is imminent. How can you hope to be useful to me?”

I gulped. My confidence was all gone as I faced him, the alpha male of all the wolves, the Applier of Violence, the Enthusiast of Death, the Bane of The Moonkin.

“I wish to serve you as your vessel,” I showed him.

He took a step in my direction and snorted. I lay on the ground, showing my submission. He snorted again, prompting me to look into his scary eyes.

“You come to me and say, make me a vessel, but you don’t even ask with respect. You fake confidence. You don’t even call me a sire.”

“I shall be a vessel, sire. If you wish so.”

“Why did you really come to me?”

“To serve you, sire.”

He stomped his paw right before my eyes and I trembled.

“If you lie once more, I will kill you.”

I gulped and showed him the truth. “I wish to mate with Moon Boy, sire.”

He stared at me for a few seconds, searing through my eyes and scorching my soul from the inside. Even at my best, I would find it close to impossible to endure it. Now I felt like a wreck. My head pumping, my skin sensitive, my senses weakened. After an eternity of this torture, he straightened up and looked at me with disgust.

“Permission denied.”

I barely managed to roll away and dodge his falling claws. The world was spinning in front of my eyes as I turned back and retreated toward the chapel wall, his shadow right behind me. Knowing I had only one shot, I let my muscles work by themselves as I climbed the wall like I’ve been doing my whole life. The impact launched the ancient dust in the air when his body hit the stone just a few feet below me. The tremor almost made me fall to the ground, but I kept a tight grip and with a final effort managed to make it to the roof.

He looked at me with anger and backed away a few steps, just to take a run up the wall in an attempt to follow me up. He made it to about half way up the wall before he fell back to the ground.

His strength is his only weakness. The same thing that gives him power also binds him to earth. I might be weak but I go where I want.

Little fireflies started dancing around my peripheral vision. I wasn’t well. I was fading out. I desperately watched him roam around with frustration, figuring out how to get me. Suddenly, he ran around the wall on the other side. After just a few seconds, I started hearing noises directly below me. He was inside.

I looked around and noticed a hole in the roof. It was big enough to fit a grand piano through without scraping the sides. Right after I thought that one of his paws appeared and then the other one. Then I saw his angry eyes as he lifted himself to the roof. I cowered. I was too dazed and weak to react quickly. He almost got me, but I decided it’s about time to jump.

This was only thirty feet above the ground. I was used to jumping from heights twice as high, sometimes to the horror of my parents. And despite their worries, I would always land on all fours without a scratch. This time, I landed like a potato sack. My tired legs went numb on me and I rolled on the grass. Without conscious thought, I darted forward just to see his huge shadow as he landed right behind me. I made it to the nearest tree and climbed it quickly, if a bit clumsily. The tree shook as he tried to climb after me but he was too heavy and the tree was too thin. I clung to the bark way above his reach and wondered if I was going to spend the night up here. One day until the full moon. He can’t be here forever.

I looked down to meet his vicious but frustrated eyes. I had escaped him again. He was infinitely more powerful than me but still, there were things that were beyond his capacity and that I excelled. Maybe that will make him see that he can use my potential. I get what I want. I go where I w…

I never saw him take another run at the tree where I was hiding with full force. The tree stood no chance. There was a loud crack and I found myself falling along with it to the ground. Landing on my four legs was completely out of the question. I hit the ground and the air was forced out of my lungs. I might’ve broken something. And that was just the beginning of my problems.

I squealed when I felt his enormous paw crush me to the ground. I opened my eyes just in time to see his ruby glowing orbs of hate just a few inches away from me. I knew I would take this sight to the grave with me and see it for all eternity. The stench coming from his mouth was nauseating and made every neuron in my brain scream for help.

But he didn’t kill me.

“How did you know that I need a vessel?” I read from his eyes.

“I didn’t,” I showed him truthfully, fighting against the pain.

“You disrespected me in so many ways today no one ever has. I took lives for far lesser offenses without a blink.”

I badly wanted to communicate something logical and submissive but all that my eyes could express was endless pain and fear.

“You’re young, weak, and reckless. But I need a vessel. And I need Moon Boy alive. For now. I denied my own son access to him. Even he doesn’t deserve this curse. You, you’re dispensable.”

“I know sire, my life is yours.”

“You can serve me. If you succeed, I will help you remedy your addiction.”

“Yes, sire.”

“If you disobey or betray me, you and your mother will die.”

“I would never betray you, sire”

“I’ll let you live for now. Get out of my sight and don’t return empty, my vessel.”

***

“Oh my god, what happened?” Kevin shouted when I came stumbling through the cabin door.

“What do you mean?” I asked and hearing my own voice made it painfully obvious that there was no getting away from it.

“Ian,” Kevin gasped. “Lay down, you look like a ghost!”

I obeyed and lay down. He helped me undress and just when his half-naked body lay on top of mine, I felt how cold I was. His embrace felt comforting. If only he knew…

“Ian, I want to help,” he said.

I looked back at him. There was genuine worry in his eyes and I felt awful that he could not be the one for me.

“You’re helping, Kevin. Thank you. I will tell you everything one day. I promise. There’s nothing you can do now.”

I didn’t stop him when he took my penis into his mouth. The warmth I felt was relieving and made me forget. I fed him three loads that night. He was long asleep, spooning me from behind but my eyes were wide open.

I made my body a vessel.