Shadow Effect - 8. Chapter 8

Kage sighed. He’d really hoped Elijah would head back to his friends in Montana. It’s not that he didn’t want to babysit, but rather Elijah would be safer there. After all, being under the protection of the highest ranking Alpha in the shifter world was possibly the safest place to be.

His boss hadn’t been too happy with him and the latest developments. He really needed to find the damn laptop. Until it was located, more than just Elijah’s safety would be at stake. The Fae already came to the conclusion the device held crucial data regarding the whereabouts of the hybrid shifter pups. They suspected there was so much vital information, it necessitated the need for higher level security that a mere flashdrive could provide. Sure, information nowadays could be stored on the cloud, or other means, but Huntington was old school. At least when it came to sensitive data. It was a method going back as far as written records. A hundred years ago, how many shady businesses had two sets of books? Plenty. That’s why they were searching for the whole damn computer.

Those pups were still out there, somewhere. Finding them had become a priority.

The supernatural world’s species were intertwined when it came to the general well-being of one another. Even though they didn’t mingle very much, it was to everyone’s advantage to keep their existences a secret from humanity. The Veil existed for that very purpose and human ignorance was the primary force behind its strength. The more humans who became aware of the reality of their world, the weaker the Veil would become, until it reached a breaking point and then all bets were off.

Even though supernatural species were dispersed all over the globe, humans still outnumbered them by a huge margin. Despite their physical, and in many cases, mental superiority, supernaturals would be annihilated by just the sheer numbers of humans. A mighty elephant could be killed by a swarm of ants if there were enough of them. So, even though wolves and vampires preferred not to mix in the same circles, they would put aside their disdain for each other in order to protect the Veil.

“Are you sure about this?” Kage asked.

Elijah nodded.

“Alright then. Let’s go back to my hotel so I can get my things.”

“Will you tell me what your boss said?”

He shot a sideways glance at Elijah. Kage was pretty sure his boss didn’t want his words and opinions repeated, but fuck him. He was never explicitly told he couldn’t tell anyone about their conversation. Too damn bad.

Kage nodded.

Grabbing his wallet and keys, he decided he was driving, whether Elijah liked it or not. After having the shapeshifter’s cock in his ass, he didn’t think he qualified as a stranger anymore.

Once they were on the road, Kage laid it on the line and got right to the point. “My boss thinks you’re a liability. Without any leads as to the whereabouts of the laptop, you’re not much use to him. We had a difference of opinion, as to what should be done with you. You can thank me by the way. He didn’t give a rat’s ass about your fate. Oh, he didn’t want me to kill you anymore, he just doesn’t see your value.”

“And you do?” Elijah’s voice sounded a little terse. Kage didn’t blame him.

“Look, my boss doesn’t see the value in anyone, unless it directly benefits him. He runs a business, one that, if it didn’t exist, then in all likelihood, neither would we. He can afford to be picky about who he gives a shit about. My existence benefits him, plain and simple. Yours does not.”

His peripheral vision told him Elijah glared at him.

He turned and looked at the pissed off man. “I don’t happen to share his view, by the way.”

The glare lessened.

Kage pulled into the hotel’s parking lot and killed the engine. Elijah sat unmoving in the passenger seat. Getting out and going around to the other side, Kage opened the door and gave a grand sweeping motion of his arm. “After you, m’Lord.”

It had the desired effect. Elijah cracked a smile and got out.

The hotel’s back entrance was accessible via his room key. He tapped the card against the sensor and the lock clicked as it disengaged. He led the way down a short corridor and up one flight of stairs. Any higher and a quick escape would become almost impossible. Something Kage didn’t like.

He only had a few changes of clothes and some toiletries. There was no permanent house or apartment in his name. A PO box his boss set up for him served as an address to put on documents as needed. Anything else requiring a physical address, was sent to one of the many homes his boss owned. Other than while on a job, he didn’t stay in one place for very long. A nomadic life necessary due to his line of work.

One final sweep of the room ensured nothing was left behind, not that it mattered. Everything within his battered duffle bag could be replaced. He used the hotel’s app on his phone to check out and kept the plastic key card. It was always good to have one on hand. Re-keying them was easy if you knew what programming system to use. It was handy if he needed to sneak into a target’s room to collect something, or kill someone.

“Is there anywhere you need to go?” Kage asked. It was late afternoon and neither of them had eaten since breakfast.

“I need to stop at the grocery store and stock up.”

“The one across from your work?”

“That one’s fine.”

Elijah wasn’t kidding when he said he needed to stock up. Although Kage didn’t have first-hand knowledge, he knew that after a house sat empty for a while, stuff like milk and eggs went a little funky. He rarely stayed put long enough for bananas to turn brown.

Grocery shopping with Elijah was enlightening if nothing else. Pre-packaged frozen meals seemed to be the man’s go-to, or so it seemed since he made a beeline for the frozen section after grabbing a shopping cart.

“Uh-uh,” Kage said, putting back the packages of Stouffer’s and Marie Callender's. “Healthy eating 101. None of that shit, unless it’s an absolute last resort.”

He commandeered the cart and headed to the produce section. Elijah seemed amused as Kage carefully picked out fresh fruit and vegetables. Next was the meat and poultry. Kage put in two ten-pound packs of boneless chicken breasts, ten pounds of lean ground beef, and a couple of packs of thick New York strips.

Next was the seafood section where the employee behind the counter wrapped up some salmon filets and halibut. When Kage caught Elijah looking at the jumbo bay scallops on sale, he added five pounds of those as well.

“Isn’t that a lot of meat and fish for two people?” Elijah asked, eyeing the rapidly filling cart.

“We’ll freeze it in individual servings, so we can take out what we need, when we need it.”

“I thought you moved around too much for being domesticated?” Elijah commented matter-of-factly.

“I’ve had to stay put in one place for several months for a job or two. Eating out all the time attracts attention, and eating all sorts of processed shit attracts fat cells,” Kage rebutted sarcastically. “Besides, not everyone has someone to cook for them all the time,” he added, regretting the words the instant they left his mouth.

“No, they don’t.” Elijah turned and walked away quickly, but not before Kage caught the hurt look in his eyes. He hurried after him, almost bumping the cart into his ass when Elijah halted suddenly.

Uh-oh, his little shifter had a fiery temper and Kage had inadvertently triggered it with his careless comment. Unless he wanted to be part of a public scene, damage control was needed, and pronto.

“Elijah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. It was stupid of me. I guess I’m a little envious because you’ve had not just one, but two mothers who love you. I’ve seen how Tyler’s mother looks at you. It’s the exact same look she gets when she’s looking at Tyler. You’re not like one of her own kids, you are one of them.”

Elijah’s shoulders relax as the anger subsided.

“I am lucky. I can’t imagine what it's like knowing your parents gave you up because of your supernatural abilities. I can’t imagine any reason why a parent would give up their child.”

“Sometimes it’s necessary. There are girls and women out there who get pregnant, not by their choice and they often have to choose between giving up their child or giving up their child’s life. If you ask them, they’ll tell you it’s the hardest choice they’ve ever had to make.”

“Do you think it was like that with your mom?”

“No. My parents willingly gave me up because they didn’t want a kid who could turn into a shadow. They thought I was evil. Any child who could melt into the night must be a son of Satan. At least that’s what I was told growing up. As a child, it confused me, and as an adult, I don’t give a shit. If my parents truly didn’t want me because my unusual ability wasn’t something normal like being a genius and reading War and Peace at the age of two, then fuck ‘em.”

The last of Elijah’s anger faded away and they finished grocery shopping. Kage smiled when Elijah went for a package of English muffins and hesitated before grabbing the whole grain variety instead. Natural peanut butter was another choice Kage was sure was new for Elijah.

They had to pass through the frozen section again to get to the checkout. He didn’t miss Elijah glancing longingly at the ice cream section, which happened to be one of Kage’s weaknesses.

“Pick two,” Kage said as he reached for a carton of cookies and cream and one of chocolate-chocolate chip cookie dough. Ice cream and cookies combined, what could be better? Elijah added a carton of caramel turtle and his second choice was chocolate peanut butter fudge swirl. They were going to get along just fine.

They unloaded their haul onto the conveyor belt, the continuous ‘boop, boop’ of the scanner tallying the purchases until the cashier announced, “That’ll be three-hundred, forty-nine, sixty-eight.” Fuck, when had a cart full of groceries gotten as expensive as a car payment?

Kage handed over his debit card before Elijah could fish out his. “You can get the next one,” he said, cutting off Elijah’s protest.

The groceries filled the trunk and a good part of the backseat of his Camry, and it took five trips to and from the car when they got back to Elijah’s house to haul the food inside. Kage let Elijah put the stuff away while he pulled out some pots and pans to get their supper going. Nothing fancy; pan seared scallops with fried rice and vegetables.

“You were outside with us last night, weren’t you?” Elijah asked as they started to eat.

Kage paused mid bite and lowered his fork. “Does that bother you?”

Elijah bobbed his head back and forth as though contemplating that question. “Yes and no.”

Now it was Kage’s turn to tilt his head questioningly.

“It bothers me that you were spying on me, but it doesn’t bother me that you saw me have a meltdown, if that makes sense.”

“For what it’s worth, I wasn’t spying on you. I wanted to make sure you were alright. You had a really difficult day. I actually enjoyed hearing you talk about your mom and dad and your memories. Any time you feel like talking about them, I’ll listen. I’m not a fan of pushing aside thoughts of someone who died. It’s disrespectful. If people leave behind loved ones, they should keep the memories alive and enjoy them.”

Kage didn’t know why he unloaded those thoughts. Elijah seemed to bring them out of him and he couldn’t figure out why. Maybe the shapeshifter had some vampire in his ancestry. Those fuckers dabbled in mind-fuckery which went way off the charts.

“I think my parents would’ve liked you. Mom had a knack for finding misfits and making them feel not so, ummm, misfit-ish?” Elijah cringed, then laughed at his awkward wording.

Kage’s eyes glinted with amusement. “So, you think I’m a misfit?”

“I think all shifters are misfits in a human society. I don’t think my parents were aware of the extent of this world you and I belong to. Hell, I didn't realize it until recently. They were only on the fringe of it by default, because I was born a shapeshifter. Even though they were descended from this DNA, they weren’t part of it until I came along. As a matter of fact, Dad once told me it wasn’t until after I was born that they told each other about their ancestry. Both of them grew up hearing stories about great-great-whatever grandparents who had some kind of super powers, but neither had any abilities of their own, nor did anyone else in their bloodline, so they chalked it up to family hearsay. It wasn’t until I went all shifty on them that they put two and two together. Damn, it must have freaked them out.”

“I’m sure it did,” Kage chuckled.

They spent the rest of the meal with Kage listening to stories of Elijah’s childhood and his parents. It was easy to see his shifter had grown up in a house full of love, the exact opposite of Kage himself.

As he was drying the dishes and handing them to Elijah to put away, the conversation turned again to the missing laptop.

“I keep running it through my brain, trying to figure out how the hell my parents got involved and why the hell they decided to hide the damn laptop. I mean, I get that Huntington was probably blackmailing them, but why the hell didn’t they just do as he asked? Let’s be real. If there actually is information about those missing hybrids, wouldn’t you think it would be encoded and shit? It’s not like Huntington handed them a computer and said, ‘Hey, will you hang on to this for a few days. By the way, there’s shit on there I don’t want you to see, so don’t look at it because it’s not encrypted, ‘Kay?’”

Kage choked back a laugh at Elijah’s impression of the lion shifter. He had a point though. Did his parents somehow manage to get access to the information on the computer? Was there someone else involved? Did Huntington set them up? Did someone else? The possibilities were endless and dead people didn’t talk.

“No, Huntington would not have said that. I don’t know what to tell you Elijah. There are still so many unknowns at this point. Is there anywhere else you can think of that we haven’t looked?”

Elijah stared out the window into the darkened back yard. “No, I–, oh shit! The shed! We haven’t checked the shed. Come on, let’s go!”

Kage had to throw the dish towel on the counter as Elijah grabbed his hand and hauled him toward the back door, flipping the outside light on, and rushed out into the cold air without bothering to grab a jacket.

The Garrison backyard abutted a copse of trees that separated their neighborhood from the next one over. The shed looked like it was about twelve-foot by fifteen-foot and was across the yard along the tree line.

“Fuck!” Elijah shouted as he realized he forgot to grab the key to the padlock which secured the door shut.

Kage waited patiently as he ran back across the yard and into the house, flying back out a moment later after grabbing the keychain from a hook in the kitchen. His hands fumbled the lock as he tried unsuccessfully to jam the key into the hole.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to try to force your way into a hole?” Kage whispered close to Elijah’s ear. The man’s quick intake of breath halted his failed attempt and Kage reached around him to take the key from his trembling hands. With Elijah’s back pressed up against his chest, Kage inserted the key slowly onto the lock.

“Nice and easy does it,” he murmured and slipped the lock out of the latch, pulling the double doors apart.

“Ass.”

Kage laughed and gave Elijah a nudge.

Elijah flicked a switch and two bare bulbs, one up front and one in the back illuminated the space. It was a typical suburban shed, lawn tractor parked in the middle, covered with a black tarp to protect it from excessive dust. Rakes and shovels hanging on one wall, gardening supplies neatly tucked away onto shelves. A tool bench lined one wall, everything well-kept and organized.

Kage didn’t think it would take long to search and he was right. After a half hour of turning over everything, moving the lawn tractor, searching the shelves, and even poking through bags of mulch and gardening soil, they came up empty once again.

Kage didn’t miss the look of disappointment in Elijah’s eyes.

“Hey, it’s okay. It was a good idea.”

Elijah’s shoulders slumped over. “Yeah, but not the right one.”

“Let’s go back into the house, it’s fucking cold out here.”

Back inside, Kage locked the back door and finished the few things which had been abandoned in the sink prior to their impromptu quest, leaving them in the rack to air dry. Elijah was in the living room on the couch with his feet tucked up underneath him, which made him look even younger. Kage had to remind himself that there was a seventeen year difference between them. All the more reason for Elijah to steer clear of him.

Ignoring his own internal advice, he kicked off his shoes and slid behind Elijah, making him scoot forward a bit so Kage could tuck him between his thighs with his chest pressed up against Elijah’s warm back.

They watched some un-reality TV. Elijah seemed to enjoy it, so Kage kept his not-so-high opinion to himself, let his mind drift and hummed automatically when Elijah explained why so-and-so should be booted off the island, or whatever.

“And then the big bad wolf snatched Little Red Riding Hood’s panties and ate them for a snack. Kage? Kage? KAGE!” Elijah yelled.

Damn, busted. “Yeah? Sorry, squirreled there for a minute.” He tried backpedaling to no avail.

“You could’ve just said you wanted to watch something else, y’know.”

“I hardly ever watch television, so I really don’t care what you watch. As long as you enjoy it, that’s what matters. Although, honestly, yeah, there are other things I’d enjoy doing more.”

“Like what?”

Oh, his innocent curiosity was going to be the death of Kage.

“Like teaching you how to give a blow job.”

Elijah’s swallow was audible. “And just exactly how would you go about teaching me?”

“By example, of course.”

“Oh.”

Kage gave Elijah a little push to get him moving. The exchange already had him chubbing up. He didn’t want to have his pants on any longer than absolutely necessary.

When Elijah finally scooted forward, Kage got up off the couch and closed the blinds. He turned off the TV, but left the lamp on the end table on. He needed to see the expressions on his delectable cutie’s face. Shucking off his jeans and underwear, he dropped to his knees in front of a shell-shocked shapeshifter. Try saying that five times fast.

Elijah sat leaning against the back of the couch, his hips balanced on the edge. As his hands started to move toward his waist, Kage batted them away and undid the button and zipper before Elijah had time to blink. There was a brief struggle to pull the damn things down, as they’d practically been painted on. Kage hadn’t minded earlier when he ogled the tightly encased ass every chance he got, but now they were just a fucking nuisance.

They both breathed a sigh of relief when Kage flung them off to the side after freeing Elijah’s legs at last. He smiled at the bulge tenting the blue boxer briefs with white polka dots. A tiny wet spot appeared as Kage stared.

He leaned forward and captured the cotton between his lips which drew out a hiss from above. His eyes flicked up to see a look of wonder on Elijah’s face. Kage tongued the fabric, soaking the front with his spit.

“Fuck, Kage!”

Kage continued his tongue bath of Elijah’s briefs, sucking on his shaft through the fabric. Elijah jolted.

He could keep this up all night. Maybe he would. He’d always enjoyed a little edge-play. Toying with his little shifter sounded like fun. He nipped along the crown, scraping his teeth on the cloth, very well aware of what it was doing to Elijah. Giving head was always something he’d done out of necessity, not for pleasure. Right now, however, it was pure, unadulterated enjoyment.

“Jesus, Kage.”

Kage lifted his head. “Demoted? What happened to ‘Oh God, Kage’?” His grin was pure evil and he knew it.

Elijah grunted in frustration as Kage went back to teasing him through his underwear, smacking his hands away whenever they tried to come close. Kage knew his sexy shifter wanted the interfering underwear off, but he wanted to draw this out. Elijah’s lesson in giving head was going to be one he’d never forget.

An eternity later Kage decided to put Elijah out of his misery. The poor guy was going to throw his back out contorting it as he writhed and wriggled trying to get Kage’s mouth more permanently attached to his dick.

Kage yanked Elijah’s now soaked boxer briefs down his thighs. His rock hard cock slapped against his abdomen leaving a trail of precum behind.

Curling up his lips in a rather predatory smile, he gripped Elijah’s knees and spread them apart so he could anchor himself between them. The sound Elijah emitted was a combination of a whimper and a groan mixed with a gulp. It was fucking sexy as hell.

He snapped his fingers to get Elijah’s undivided attention. Eyes blazing with desire met his, wordlessly pleading. He made sure those gorgeous peepers followed his every move. Moving at the speed of sloth, Kage descended until his lips hovered right above the glistening head of Elijah’s cock. Locking their gaze, he opened wide, almost wishing he was a snake that could unhinge its jaws; he swallowed the stiff cock down to the back of his throat and was rewarded with a burst of saltiness.

“Oh God, Kage!”

That’s better.

Kage gave a strong pull, using tongue and throat muscles to work Elijah’s shaft. Being twenty-one lent itself to what happened next. Elijah exploded without warning. Hot salty cum shot straight down his throat and Kage swallowed, his taste buds barely registering the accompanying slight bitterness.

He didn’t give Elijah any time to recover before standing up and pulling Elijah into a sitting position with Kage’s hard cock right in front of his face.

He growled. “Did you pay attention to your lesson, boy?”

Elijah’s pretty strawberry red lips opened obediently. Oh damn. This wasn’t going to take long.

He was wrong. Elijah had most certainly been paying attention and he learned his lesson well. Payback was a bitch.

The sight of Elijah’s lips wrapped around his cock was beautiful to be sure. It was Elijah’s own, evil, predatory grin that nearly had Kage shooting prematurely. He let out his own weird half grunt-half gasp as Elijah applied suction, and plenty of it. Kage’s knees nearly gave out.

Elijah pulled off and stood up. The tables were turned as he pushed Kage onto the couch and dropped to his knees between his legs. Fuckity-fuck, he’d created a monster. A cock-sucking, ball-draining monster. Served him right.

Elijah took his time getting his revenge. Kage was sure that’s what it was. Tortuous comeuppance of the very best kind. Elijah was a quick study, and the forceful pull and suction as he worked Kage’s cock had him at the precipice far sooner than he thought he’d get there. He was ready to rocket off the cliff like Evel Knievel trying to jump the Grand Canyon, consequences be damned. This boy had a mouth on him like Kage had never experienced before.

“Jesus-fucking-Christ, Elijah!”

Elijah stopped sucking and looked up, directly into Kage’s eyes, his mouth stuffed with cock. One eyebrow raised in consternation.

Kage was too fucking horny and the need to bust a nut was too strong. He didn’t care that it was Elijah who now had the upper hand. He needed to cum.

“Oh God, Elijah!” he begged.

The vacuum suction turned back on and within seconds Kage jetted into Elijah’s talented mouth. Elijah swallowed as fast as he could, but a little of Kage’s cum escaped the corner of his mouth. His shapeshifter finished milking him and pulled off when the spasms subsided, tongue flicking out to catch the little bit that tried to make a run for it.

As he tried to catch his breath, Kage came to the unequivocal conclusion that he was truly screwed.