Morningstar: The Malaise - 23. Chapter 23 Comes with the Territory

Morningstar: The Malaise

Chapter 23

Wow. The joining was like nothing he ever could have imagined. Tobyn hovered in that spot between sleep and wakefulness. He had never been aware of another person like he was now, and it felt exactly right. The man beside him was a part of him, and every sense he owned told him he’d never be the same. Would he lose himself? The old Tobyn?

Mulling it over in semi-consciousness, he realized he wasn’t worried. There was no way he’d lost anything. The earth mother had blessed him… blessed them both. He hadn’t been giving her much credit in the last few years, but he’d been wrong. The man beside him was living, breathing proof of that. Kellar needed him in a way no one else ever would, and it wasn’t about the joining. No, its role was to let him see his mate’s needs more clearly, and he did. Never again would the big man have loneliness as his companion. Tobyn would ensure it until his final breath.

His initial fears, ones that prevented him from seeing the truth, had been drowned in love. There was no reason for them. He’d been given the perfect partner in life; someone who was wise beyond his years. The man had already done amazing things for their pack. He’d figured out the malaise in only a few days, and had them pointed in the right direction after decades of aimless confusion and uncertainty.

Morningstar hadn’t been living… they hadn’t even been holding their own. Caution, fueled by a not so subtle paranoia, had held them back, and it had taken his mate to show them that indisputable truth. It wasn’t difficult to envision the pack’s eventual demise on the horizon… every member saw it. But they had obtained a new reason for optimism, and there was real hope for the first time in decades.

Kellar truly was aptly named. He’d proven to be their savior, and because of him they had confidence and a direction to head toward. More earth mates for the pack were their first priority. He didn’t expect it would be easy, but he now believed, without any of his previous doubts, the earth mother was watching over their kind.

Shifting slightly, he snuggled closer to his mountain man and got an immediate response. Protective arms tightened around him, causing him to smile at their gentleness. It sure didn’t hurt that his other half was the hottest man… the hottest person he’d ever seen. He breathed in what had become the most comforting scent in his world, reminiscent of a flowering clover field, and let himself slip back over onto the side of sleep.

Kellar stretched his long legs downward on the bed, careful not to jostle the blond head nestled under his armpit. It wasn’t possible for the man to be any closer than he was, with his left leg hooked over Kellar’s, and his arm laid across his lower abs. What a glorious feeling after the endless agony of the night spent alone. He liked sex… a lot. He’d discovered something new and wondrous with his mate, and he couldn’t wait to do it again… and again… and again, for the rest of their lives. The feel, the taste, the sensations… so different from his one previous experience.

The joining. He wondered. Was it complete? Miss Sybil had said it was different for everyone. Maybe they should consider the blood licking thing? All he knew for certain was he’d never been so connected to someone before. To be more accurate, he had felt a draw to Tobyn from the beginning, but it paled in comparison to what it had become. His hearing picked up their two heartbeats, and he smiled to himself at the fact they were in perfect sync.

He wanted to wrap his arms around the man, but he didn’t want to disturb his peaceful slumber. Judging by the slight lightening of the room, he determined it to be between five-thirty and six in the morning. It was early, but he felt super-charged with energy. A bonus from last night, most assuredly.

The instant his mate woke, Kellar sensed it, even though the man hadn’t moved a muscle. “You’re awake.”

“So are you,” Tobyn mumbled into Kellar’s skin. “Your thoughts were loud enough to wake the dead.”

Kellar’s heart flipped, and he sat partially up. “You can hear my thoughts?”

Tobyn started giggling. “You are so easy. Not yet, but maybe we need to have some more fluid exchanges.” He raised his head to grin at his mate. “Gotcha.”

Kellar laid his head back down and turned sideways, wrapping both arms around Tobyn. “Yeah, you did, but I like your suggestion. Which fluids are we talking about?” It was his turn to grin.

“Maybe just some spit for now. I think I need a shower… and food… lots and lots of food.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“The food or the spit?”

“Both. Spit first, and then food,” Kellar said as he helped Tobyn move up so they were face to face.

“Do you care that my breath probably reeks?”

“I can smell it, and it doesn’t. It smells sweet.” He peered into eyes holding the same devotion they had at the start of their first lovemaking. Smiling, he placed a hand on the back of his mate’s head, gently stroking his short mess of hair. “Are we doing this, or what?”

Kellar loved the answer he received when Tobyn closed the distance. He might be the healer, but Tobyn’s lips had their own health benefits. The surge of energy accompanying the kiss convinced Kellar there was definitely more joining to be done. When Tobyn pulled back, they both sighed. Hazel eyes sparkled in the semi-darkness, and Kellar could see them clear as day. His already superb vision appeared to have sharpened.

“My eyesight is the best it’s ever been,” Tobyn said with a little awe present in his voice.

“I was just realizing the same thing. It must be one of the effects of the joining?”

“Has to be. I think it improved even more right after our kiss. It’s probably my imagination.”

“I don’t think so. I think our joining is a process, and now that it’s started, it grows in increments. I think the kiss stimulated it… sort of gave it a boost. I’m only speculating, but I know I felt something extra as soon as our lips touched.”

“Me too. It makes sense, doc,” Tobyn said with a thoughtful look. “You know, you’re very good at figuring out this stuff. Whatever is going on, I like it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, damn right I do. More spit?”

“Yes, please.”

Freshly showered and shaved, they sat in a shaft of early morning sunlight, enjoying a breakfast fit for a lumberjack, one Tobyn had insisted on making. Kellar helped, but mostly because he needed to be near his mate. Both men were laughing and teasing, and it had much to do with the fluid top-ups that had taken place in their shared shower… not quite simultaneous because of the confines, but close enough. Kellar was captivated by this animated Tobyn, feeling proud he was the reason the man’s face glowed.

“I was thinking.”

“Do you ever stop, doc?”

“About you? No.”

“Talk like that will….” Tobyn stopped and blushed a crimson shade that had Kellar chuckling.

“Aren’t you going to finish what you were saying?”

“No… never mind.” He managed a little laugh at himself. “What were you thinking about?”

“Reznick. He must have had a vehicle somewhere nearby.”

Tobyn stopped eating. “I forgot about him.”

“Sorry. I shouldn’t be bringing this up. Are you good?”

“Sure. Okay, maybe not completely, but I’ll get over it.”

His smile was a weak one, but Kellar understood why his mate still felt some remorse. It would be wrong if he didn’t, just a little, so Kellar left it alone. Tobyn had to work his own way through it.

“So, what about a vehicle?” Tobyn continued, as though Reznick was already forgotten.

“Are you sure you want to talk about this now? We don’t have to.”

“Yes. Kellar… I’m fine, so answer the question. A vehicle?”

“All right. Well, it occurred to me last night, but I had some other, more important stuff on my mind.” He couldn’t keep the smug grin off his face, and that got him a shy chuckle. He continued, after leaning across the table for a maple syrup-flavored kiss. “I have an idea where it could be, and I think we should check it out to see if I’m right.”

“What’s it matter… where it is?”

“It probably doesn’t, but I wouldn’t mind knowing how close it might be to my land, and whether the plates match the province on his driver’s license. It would tell us whether he was on the up and up for one thing. Bogus plates would likely mean he’s dodging the police, and that would be a good thing for us.” Kellar didn’t mention he also wanted to see if there were any clues in the vehicle about a nephew who might still be hunting shifters somewhere in Northern Ontario.

Tobyn looked a little dubious. “I guess I can see that. If you want to check it out, it’s fine with me. It would be nice to know that his car or whatever is far away from this place.”

“Good. It’s settled then. We’ll drive south for a few miles, after we’re finished eating.”

“And then we head to Morningstar?”

“Yeah, of course. Are you anxious to get back?”

“Yes, but mostly to let them know… let them see we’re okay. I probably should call my mom. Word spreads like wildfire in the pack, so I’m sure everyone is wondering, after the way you left… and then me leaving in the middle of the night. You gave them hope, but I went and screwed it all up.”

Kellar studied his mate before speaking. “It’s not your fault it played out in public, and you never screwed anything up. That never should have happened the way it did, but it doesn’t matter now, does it?”

“No, not at all. I guess I wasn’t too good at processing, but I have seen the light. It didn’t take me long either. As soon as I finished running, I saw the whole picture. Being earth mates is the best thing that’s ever happened, and this time I’m not talking about the pack… I’m talking about me.”

“And me.”

“Yeah, you for sure. You really lucked out.” Tobyn’s snicker was contagious, and they ended up sharing a greasy, now bacon-flavored kiss.

Tobyn pulled his truck over to the spot Kellar pointed out. They were on a wide part of the shoulder, about five miles south of the cabin.

“Half-a-mile down is an old campsite. The buildings are long gone but the culvert is still there and the old driveway goes in a ways. It would be the perfect spot to hide his transportation.”

“Is my truck safe here?”

“Yeah, because you’ll be staying in it.”

“What? I’m not going with you?”

“Nope. No sense. I can check it out myself, and if a cop drives by, you can just get out and look like you’re taking a piss. We don’t need the attention an empty vehicle would bring, okay? At the very least, they’d jot down the license plate number.”

“Oh yeah, I see your point. Just be careful. Thinking about Reznick gives me the creeps.”

“I will. He can’t hurt us anymore.”

“I know, but be careful anyway. I’m worried someone will see you.”

“So, they see a big wolf. It won’t mean anything.”

“It will if they have a gun. Hunters, and I don’t mean shifter killers, are everywhere. And farmers don’t think anything of shooting a wolf. A lot of them go looking in their spare time.”

“Are you always going to be a worry wart?” Kellar teased. “Dumb question, I guess.”

“Yes, it is. I’m always going to worry when you’re out of my sight. Comes with the territory,” he admitted, and Kellar melted a little bit.

“It’s a lot different, isn’t it?” He watched Tobyn eye him speculatively, and saw the comprehension dawn.

“From a couple of days ago? Yeah. But I wouldn’t want it any other way. Just make sure you watch your ass out there, buster.”

“Yup… got me a bossy one,” he said with a smirk.

Kellar stripped in the ditch, a little ways down from where his mate waited. Shifting, he trotted through the dry, man-made gully, confident he was hidden in the tall mixture of new and old grass. The strong odor of elk blanketing the area told him his hunch was right. Reznick must have applied that damn musk to the traps close to here. He likely wanted the acrid smell of metal covered before he started out.

He climbed the slope of the ditch with caution. Because of a rise in the road, Tobyn and his truck were now out of sight. An abundance of overgrown brush provided cover as he slunk through it toward the clearing he remembered from past, far-ranging runs. The closer he got, the more potent was the odor of bottled attractant used by hunters everywhere. Peering through foliage at ground level, he first saw the tracks, and then the big, old, three-quarter-ton crew-cab truck that had made them. Kellar didn’t know much about vehicles, but he recognized this as a late 1980's/early 1990’s modified Chevy. It was similar to one his foster-brother had parked in their driveway and worked on for months, until Don had ordered it gone.

Kellar felt some satisfaction at finding it, but only a little, because even with the hunter dead, he was in a potentially dangerous situation. He tested the air carefully and used his ever-improving eyesight to study the surrounding forest, making sure he, or the vehicle, were not being observed. It was a brute of a truck with huge deep-tread tires and a raised frame high enough to navigate most rough terrain. The paint job was one of camouflage, with gray, green and tan patches, even over the cap covering the long box. This mechanical beast had a purpose, and Kellar had no trouble picturing what it had been.

First of all, it was probably a home base for the serial killer Tobyn had dispatched. With a wickedly built-up front grill, complete with monstrous brush guards and a winch, it projected a sinister look. How many shifter bodies had been moved by that winch? This was the kind of vehicle that could easily ram another one off the road. It, like its now-dead owner, was a killing machine.

Gaining confidence after a few minutes of cautious patience, he shifted to human form and made his way at a running crouch to the driver’s side, which happened to be nearest his cover. The truck was pointed out the way it had entered, poised for a quick getaway. Careful not to touch, he peered through the window. Kellar could see nothing that would provide him with more information, but there was a sleeping bag in the back seat, along with an ancient-looking, head-sweat-stained pillow. Knowing it was likely futile, he grabbed a handful of leaves and wrapped them around the door handle to see if it was unlocked. No such luck. Trying the other three just in case, got the same result. Checking the front plates, he saw he’d been correct in his other assumption. There were Ontario plates on top of another set. He wondered if any too-inquisitive policemen or women had been victims of these monsters over the years.

Moving to the camper back, Kellar looked through the louvered side-windows. A single foam mattress which could be easily rolled up, a knapsack, a couple of hardcover books, and what was probably a wooden trap box, did tell him something. Two men, at least occasionally, shared this base as they went about their grisly business. At the same time this realization hit him, his ever-sharper hearing picked up a sound not of the forest. It was the split-second jangle of a chain against metal, and it was a good distance away as yet. His mind immediately went to the vicious trap he’d endured and his entire body froze as all his senses heightened to new levels.

As if by magic, the scent of elk parted, enough that he caught another one. Human. His ears honed in on the sound of a body brushing leaves and a twig kicked loose by a booted foot. It appeared the person’s destination was Kellar’s vicinity. Another few noises in his direction verified this, and he surmised who it had to be. Reznick’s nephew. Another exterminator of his kind. Forcing himself to swallow the human growl that threatened to burst forth, Kellar knew he had to be smarter than this adversary. The man had to die, and he had no idea what awaited him. It was the perfect opportunity.

Shifting back to wolf, he retreated to the brush he’d come out of, all his senses tuned to the hunter. The thought of ripping this man’s throat out had a very strong appeal, and his wolf was eager. There was a part of him repelled by the thought, but he buried it. He would not interfere with his wolf’s instincts to tear this threat to his kind apart.

As he listened, the occasional scuff of footwear indicated his prey was moving closer. Kellar’s excitement rose. As if someone had snapped their fingers, all noise from the man stopped. It was as if he had suddenly disappeared. Kellar could do nothing but listen, careful not to pant or move a muscle.

Minutes passed. There. The sound of the metal trap being carefully placed on the ground, accompanied by the whisper of fabric being rubbed, and a little clink. Kellar pictured the older hunter from the day before sliding his rifle strap off his shoulder, and knew what the rub and clink had been. Reznick Junior had his gun in hand. The faintest sound of the safety being released was the proof he needed the man was ready for anything.

Was he just being cautious or had he somehow become aware Kellar was lying in wait? How could he know? It wasn’t possible, was it? Humans couldn’t scent him, and he’d made zero noise to give himself away. But… no, this wasn’t him just being careful. If it was only that, he wouldn’t have set the trap down as far back as he did. Despite how quiet the man had become, Kellar could still pick out his advancement. His light and carefully placed footfalls were evidence he was stalking something.

Kellar had now become the prey. He had minutes to decide what to do. Could he surprise the man… catch him off guard? His wolf thought so, but what if he failed? Reznick’s advancement was slow but steady… he appeared intent on closing the distance. Somehow, the bastard knew he was there. Every instinct screamed this was the case, and every hair on his body stirred.

He had no choice. If the hunter did pick him off, it would leave the man he loved a sitting duck, and Kellar could feel his wolf inwardly whine at the thought. If he didn’t return, or Tobyn heard a gunshot, he’d come running, and if the hunter knew one shifter was there, he would likely know his mate was too. As much as he hated to miss a potential chance, he turned tail and ran. This Reznick had to be stopped, but it would have to be another day. Even his wolf agreed… Tobyn’s safety came first.

A big thank you to my editor, Timothy M., and to all those who read and support this story.