Chapter Twenty
Amazing how quickly one could get on the road. Douglas and Emesh were more than halfway back to Leverett already. It had all been done on impulse.
Emesh, cuddled up against the wonderfully hard body of Douglas, had been prepared to stare into the dark all night, sated and content, when his mate had admitted being too charged up to sleep. Would Emesh be up for an impromptu road trip? Why not? They were both buzzed from a sexual high, and Zs were not going to happen. They decided, spur-of-the-moment, to pack Dorian’s things up in the dead of night and hit the highway.
The loading had been done efficiently. The two worked well as a team, and all the while, Douglas pressed and needled Emesh for answers about his red glows. By three a.m., when they finally finished and were on their way, Emesh stopped making excuses. After swearing Douglas to secrecy, he evenly assured his mate that the red light in his shoulder originated from a tracking device put there by a higher power. Technically, that hadn’t been a lie. It was a tracking device of sorts…to find a god’s Chosen, and just because Douglas assumed the ‘higher power’ of whom Emesh spoke had to be the government? Well…the god wouldn’t disabuse him of that notion.
Emesh went on to describe his light-up ejaculate as a side effect of the implant. That, too, was not an out-and-out lie, and the prevarication couldn’t be helped. The truth, spoken aloud, would be too bizarre, and Emesh didn’t want to spoil the fledgling trust that had sprung up between them. Emesh’s sperm―him being the god of summer―had always erupted from his dick like little sprinkles of sunshine or in the case of last night, showers of meteors. Not totally odd. His winter brother spewed slush. A simple hazard of the god biz. One thing for sure though, Emesh breathed a sigh of relief that Douglas didn’t suck cock, or his mate would have found another staggering fact about said come. The god’s energy-laden jizz when put in one’s mouth? It fucking exploded on the tongue like pop-rocks. Not that he’d had a partner try it. But young, curious adolescent jerk-offs on his own had apprised him of the bizarre properties. He’d asked his brother about it and found out he had anomalous ejaculate. Nobody else boasted such a thing. Thinking about it, Emesh had to grin. Pretty cool.
Now, just after noon, the god―wiping the telltale smirk off his face―handed his mate an oatmeal-cranberry power bar he’d snagged from one of the backseat cabinets.
“Are you still okay?” Emesh had periodically checked on Douglas, to make sure his partner stayed awake and alert.
“I told you before,” Douglas said, patiently. “I’ve done runs like this hundreds of times. I guarantee you’ll be asleep long before I feel the need.” Emesh wouldn’t disagree with Douglas, but gods could go weeks without sleep if need be, and this particular god would stay conscious and keep a vigilant eye on his human who, as of this moment, hadn’t slept in thirty hours.
“We could pull over and let you rest.” Emesh hadn’t asked why they were in a hurry. He’d figured Douglas would normally have taken a break a long time ago, but each time he asked, Douglas said he wanted to get the whole seventeen hours done in one shot. Well, nine down, and eight to go. Still, Emesh remained puzzled. Douglas seemed a little too insistent upon getting home, and he finally had to ask.
“Can you please tell me what’s so important you have to exhaust yourself to reach Massachusetts?” He didn’t hide what lurked on his wish list. “I kind of looked forward to a few days’ vacation―to get to know you better.” Emesh squirmed at how well they could get to know each other.
Douglas’ jaw became taut. Clearly, he felt uncomfortable with the question. Or could it be Emesh’s wish to know him better that had him grim faced?
“Damn, Emesh. I’m not good at this,” Douglas prefaced.
The god’s heart sank. He lamented. His mate had pondered things and couldn’t wait to be rid of him. That’s why they traveled east at warp speed. The god should have known things had gone too easily. Emesh fought to keep back the tears but obviously failed.
“Ah shit,” his mate cursed, pinning a stare at the one stray bit of moisture that escaped. “That’s not what I meant. Dammit. Do you see? I suck at this.”
Emesh became passive, holding his face stoic. He’d be damned if he showed one more bit of emotion.
“I need to get you home, okay?” Douglas turned his face front, and the god waited for the rest of the ‘it’s been nice’ speech.
“What I’m trying to say is I need to separate you from my road experiences.” Douglas looked more uncomfortable than ever. “You don’t want to hear this, but I’ve picked up a lot of men on the road over the past few years…quick mouths, quick fucks. I’ve had them in the truck, in the restrooms, everywhere on the road until it all kind of blends together.”
Emesh understood this possibility on a gut level, but he couldn’t help the knife of jealousy that sliced through his intestines at Douglas’ bald statement.
Douglas took a very deep breath.
“I don’t want you to be a part of that,” he finally, flatly admitted. “If we spend more time on the road, I’ll take you in the same ways and in the same places I’ve taken nameless others. And you deserve more.” Douglas expelled the air from his lungs in one, long whoosh. His voice became gruff.
“I need to have you in my house―in my own bed―to see if this is as…special as it feels.” Douglas gripped the wheel tightly and changed lanes, growling, “I don’t want you to be a road-fuck. Do you understand, Emesh? I want us to be friends,” he didn’t hesitate a moment before adding, “as well as lovers. I’ve never invited any partner into my home before.”
Emesh’s head buzzed. Lovers, Douglas had said. Love. The word spun around in his brain. Douglas wanted more than his body? He couldn’t help himself, he lit up like a gods-damned firefly. The temperature in the cab skyrocketed, and Emesh’s amulet shoulder blazed, on fire. Douglas eyed him worriedly and scrambled for the air conditioning.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “Your shoulder’s doing that crazy thing again, and it’s a million fucking degrees in here. I think something’s gone wrong with your implant. You better have that thing looked at as soon as we get you back to the Blue Hills. It’s going nuts or something.”
Yeah, going nuts for you, Emesh groaned to himself, but out loud he said, “No. It’s good. I’m good. I’m just happy you want to see if we have something between us, and my emotions are screwing with the device.”
“That’s a hell of a thing to happen,” Douglas joked. “I’m pretty sure the pricks who gave it to you must have laughed their asses off, tying it your emotions.” He chuckled like he’d made a joke. Emesh sighed. If only Douglas knew.
Emesh’s Chosen had shown courage admitting there might be more to them than sex. So conversely, now would be the time for the god to fill his mate in on his secrets. Douglas really liked him and wanted to spend time with him at his private retreat. If his mate could trust him with that, surely, Emesh could trust Douglas with his truths. Slowly would be good.
“So, I didn’t see any big movie library back at your house,” Emesh began, and if Douglas grew confused at the change of subject, he didn’t show it. “What kind of stuff do you like to watch? Do you enjoy paranormal? Sci-fi?”
“I’m a realist, Emesh,” Douglas snorted. “I don’t buy into all that make-believe mumbo jumbo. At a younger age, I might have watched those kinds of movies. I don’t remember. But when my life went to shit, no superheroes came to my rescue, no benevolent beings made things better. I learned pretty quickly black was black and white was white, and the only one I could rely on was myself.” He wore a wry smile on his face. “I like documentaries,” he said. “Give me science any day.”
Well, that certainly shut things down. Emesh didn’t know how else to approach his big reveal. He chewed on his lip, sat back, and closed his eyes in contemplation. He’d have to come up with something. He didn’t know how much time they’d spend at Douglas’, but he remained pretty damned sure his mate would want to get to Kate before long, and there’d be no keeping the god-thing a secret once they entered the compound. Worried silence buzzed in his head, and the rest of the trip passed far too rapidly for Emesh’s liking.
True to his word, Douglas only seemed fatigued around the edges by the time they got off the highway to drop their small load. After unhitching the trailer they wended the last thirteen miles home in the cab over back roads. Emesh felt the renewed energy building in Douglas the closer they got to his home.
“First thing I’m going to do?” Douglas ran a hand around his neck and down into his collar. “Take a shower. I reek.”
Emesh leaned over, eyes narrowed and took a big whiff. “Not from where I’m sitting.” He put on a mock growl, “As far as I’m concerned, all those pheromones running around loose are screaming my name.”
“In that case,” Douglas smoldered back, “I’m sure I could make room for two in the shower,” he suggested with a prolonged wink. Emesh throbbed hard. Yes. He wanted more lessons.
They parked the truck at dusk, got out, and stretched their legs. They shouldered their bags and headed off quietly, picking up the path through the woods. Emesh followed Douglas―eying his ass as the giant man strode as smoothly as a big cat. He filled with anticipation, and his mood must have been contagious. As soon as they hit adequate tree cover where the night closed in thick and fast, Douglas dropped his bag, spun around, and grabbed Emesh’s shoulders with hard fingers.
“I need to taste you. Now.” His face came so close, Emesh could see the amber flecks in Douglas’ irises. He wet his lips.
“Please.” The god didn’t have to say more. Douglas brought his arms up and drew Emesh the remaining inches toward him until their bodies stood flush up against each other. The gentle brush of fingers across his face was not what Emesh expected, and he groaned under the tender touch.
“You are so fucking addictive,” Douglas muttered, sounding aroused and pissed off at the same time. “How am I ever going to get enough of you?” The question became rhetorical as his lips plunged forward and crushed the softness of Emesh’s in a hard, possessive kiss that left no room for doubt in the god’s mind. Douglas claimed him, fully, whether he understood it or not, both turned on and angered by his inability to put Emesh in the fuck-buddy role where all his previous lovers had resided. The god’s back rammed up against a tree as Douglas strove to get closer and grind their pelvises together.
“Wait,” gasped Emesh, thrusting Douglas back a scant inch. He groped inside his tight jeans and repositioned his crushed dick to stand upright. Emesh breathed a sigh of relief. Now. He grabbed for Douglas and hauled him back with a hard slam, opening his legs and letting his mate fit right between them. He glowed. This was so right.
Douglas’ tongue dueled with his, swiping deep, then dragging back, darting in and out, taking every inch of Emesh’s mouth. He kept one hand behind the god’s head to deepen the pressure while the other trapped Emesh’s hands over his head. He lifted away to taunt him.
“This is what my tongue is going to do to your ass,” he promised darkly. “You’ll be writhing beneath me, out of your mind.”
Your tongue…there? That’s another…thing?
Oh, yeah.
Emesh pictured the wicked act and melted. Now he couldn’t wait. Promises of things to come had him wanting to move. We need to get back to your house in a hurry, he said. My prick’s going to make a mess of my jeans in a second.
Douglas eased away, reluctantly.
“You’ve got it.” He picked up his bag and pointed his feet toward the cabin with a show of nonchalance, but Emesh recognized the anticipatory rigidness in Douglas’ back. Tonight would be mouthwatering, for both of them.
Emesh wasn’t certain when he noticed things weren’t quite right, but as they walked into the clearing around Douglas’ house, Emesh put a restraining hand on his mate’s arm.
Look, he said inside Douglas’ head. The door to the cabin hung open, smashed off its hinges.
Goddammit. I’m going to kill those kids. Before Emesh could hold him back, Douglas ran across the grass, directly into an energy that Emesh could sense, but the human could not.
“Douglas. Down,” he shouted, and at the same time, he launched himself across the clearing to his Chosen, throwing his body over his mate and going hard to the ground. He felt a pinch in his neck, and swatted at the pain, coming back with a small dart. “Shit, Douglas. Run.” Emesh picked himself up off his mate, hauling him to his feet. He gave him an enormous shove in the direction of the nearest trees. “Get to safety. Now.” Emesh turned in circles until he spotted the aggressors. Two ghouls and Trask behind one side of the porch. Fuckers.
I’ll deal with this, he commanded his mate. Don’t you dare stay. If I’m not at the truck in two minutes, you take off and don’t look back. Do you understand? The god didn’t wait for an answer. The all-powerful immortal presented himself; the submissive lover gone. Douglas needed to do what he was told… and now.
Emesh roared.
Here stood the asshole of his Chosen’s nightmare, and Emesh couldn’t wait to avenge him. He bared his teeth. He would be more than happy to make all the doctor’s bad dreams a reality.
He took two steps toward the aggressors before his feet faltered. His head swam, and he shook himself to clear it. Whatever filled that damned dart had gotten into his system. A good thing gods needed more than a human dose of anything to react.
Emesh’s roar filled the clearing as he advanced again. Another bite attacked his neck. And another. What the hell? His hand swept up, a second and third dart came away in his fingers. He took a good look at them before his brain turned upside down. Shit. Too much for even an immortal’s constitution to process this time. One god, going down.
He tried to send a last message to his brother, but he couldn’t connect. He reached for Marduk, Dagon, Enlil, Absu. Nothing. No one answered. Where were they all? He was in deep trouble.
His final thought before succumbing to darkness? He hoped like hell Douglas had gotten away.