Crushed Crown 10
Crushedcrown10
"This way."
The white witch Morgan marks the path. We follow it. Circe, Whyte, Mickson, Morgan and I. A band of witches that set out to save a king. The woods are thick. The heavy red cloak that I'm wearing isn't helping. Angelica insists witches wear them nowadays. I rather be shirtless. I didn't work on these muscles to hide them and sweat out under flowy garments like some priest.
I look over at Mickson, "I'm sorry we couldn't find Puck."
We've spent too long looking. We diverted away from finding Genesis to go deeper into the forest and find Puck after his horse ran off.
"Finding Genesis is the mission," Whyte interrupts.
I know the look in Whyte's eyes. I've had that look. This need to be near Genesis. Maybe that's why he rides almost next to Morgan who is leading the way. He has his chest built up. Every time we stop, he's finding somewhere to clean or doing pushups. He wants to look good for Genesis for when we find him. He wants to smell good for Genesis. It's obvious because at one point I was Whyte.
"We'll find him," I tell Mickson.
The woods are quiet. For a while you can only hear the White Witch using her retro cognition to say where Genesis has been. Every once in a while, you hear footsteps and see eyes in the darkness. Most likely wolves. They won't attack us though. Not that I think. But with the wolves there is something else I hear every once in a while, as well.
I look off into the distance.
"How about you though? You OK?" Mickson asks me.
My brother-in-law stops me. The trees in Eden are swallowing us. The younger witches look to me for leadership but at times in these woods I get distracted. For a moment I thought I could hear him. Innocent. It was hard being a young father, harder than I thought. My son was always stubborn like me but sensitive like Micko. It was a bad mix. But it made him resilient. I knew he was alive. I just needed to find out where.
"Just...hearing things," I state.
"These woods are full of spirits. You can hear them," Circe responds, "You can hear them. Maybe that's what you're hearing."
Whyte crosses his arms and shivers, "You sure they are spirits?
"What do you mean?" Circe asks him.
Whyte gives her a hard look, "I forget you black witches only deal with the natural spirits to cast your weather magic. There are spirits and then there are demons. They live among us but only witches know they are around. Do you know the difference?"
Whyte has a real hard way of communicating. He always has. He's not too friendly. For too long people looked at him as the boy next door. They looked at him as the sweet boy who dated sweet Mickson. No one feared Whyte Ferris. Because of that no one really respected him either. I can see him rebelling against that more and more every day. He's trying to gain rank in the covens of the Witch Towers and in order to do that he needs to sound knowledgeable.
"Never met a demon," Circe states.
Whyte smirks, almost a little cocky in a way. One of those guys who can't help but to brag about what he encountered and what he's been through because he's desperate to sound cooler than he really is.
"My coven met them all the time. We were possessed by them, we fought them, we made bargains with them."
Circe is clearly impressed. The girl's eyes light up, "Seriously."
"Oh yeah. All the time."
"That's cool..."
"Stop lying, you can't bargain with a demon," Mickson interrupts, "Spirits were once human. Some are good. Some are not so good. But you can understand a spirit. You can bargain for things. Demons are different. All bad. All evil. There's no reason there. There's nothing. Nothing but evil. Ignore Whyte, Circe. There is nothing cool about a demon. Nothing to gain from speaking to one. You come across one whispering in your ear...you ignore it."
Mickson would know best. He was possessed by a demon at one point. Every day he becomes more and more like his brother Micko. They are cautious. The Boss witches were known for their caution.
"You may not be able to bargain with a demon," Whyte tells Mickson, "But Genesis can..."
Mickson, "Genesis also is pregnant with god knows what. So thanks, but no thanks. I won't be taking tips from Genesis on how to handle magic."
"No, but you'll take tips from your brother?" Whyte asks, "Micko was a pregnant male witch too, remember. He had Innocent. God still knows what the fuck Innocent turned out to be."
"QUIET!"
I'm annoyed. The fact that Whyte is freely just talking about Innocent in that way irritates me. The fact that he was kind of right irritates me as well. Innocent was always surrounded by the darkest of things. Demons. Since he was born. So much we did was to try to purify him but somehow darkness always found him. Darkness had found him again and that's why I was here trying to find Genesis. The only one who really dealt with the darkest of magic was Genesis. If Innocent was alive Genesis was the only one who would be able to bring him back.
I just wished Micko understood why I was really out here searching for Genesis.
"I'm sorry," Whyte states, "That was insensitive."
The only thing worse about losing a son is how people look at you when you lose a son.
"Let's just keep going," I tell them, "You two can save your relationship issues for when we are safely back in the Witch Towers. We have to find Genesis."
It was a mistake bringing both Whyte and Mickson. Truthfully I wanted to leave Whyte but he insisted once he knew the mission was to find and bring back Genesis.
"We've already found him," Morgan states.
The white witch points out over the cove. There is a clear of the trees and the formation of some sort of path. There are all these smells in the air. When we continue on the path we make it to a wolf settlement. The things were scattered all around the outskirts of Eden. This one looks like a tornado ran through it.
The tents are everywhere. There are some dead bodies and the others look like they ran away and completely evacuated.
Then there is him.
Genesis.
He's sitting in the middle of it all, sitting Indian style, thrusting his knife into the dirt over and over as though bored or waiting for something. As we move closer we notice someone else with him. A skinny little naked boy with a collar on.
The little naked boy is attached to a chain that is secured to a guard post. He sits there next to Genesis, not saying a word or struggling to get free. He just sits there.
"Really Genesis?" I ask.
He seems surprised that I'm here but not too surprised. A smirk comes across his face. It's mischievous just like I remember. Here we were going through hell and high water to look at Genesis only to find him completely have ravaged a werewolf community and taken a prisoner.
"What?" he asks looking over at his prisoner, "The werewolves started it."
"Circe, cut him loose," I order.
"He's fine. He's used to it. Isn't that right Rory?" Genesis asks all of a sudden seeming amused to show us his new pet, "Show them that thing you like to do."
At that moment this skinny little prisoner stretches out his chain and bends over. This boy that Genesis calls Rory shows us his ass while resting on his hands and knees. As though that isn't enough he plows his head into the dirt and opens his asshole, flashing a tight small butt that reminds me of one of the twinks who used to dance at night at one gay bar back home.
"You didn't?" Mickson asks Genesis, almost in shock.
Genesis seemed annoyed, "Is everyone in the Boss family a fucking idiot? No. I didn't fuck him. First, I'm about. Secondly he's covered in dirt. The wolves must have done a number on him. He expects to be fucked often. He belongs to Rhinestone. Rory change into a wolf. I'll take you for a walk. Look how cute he is. Think when I kill his Alpha, I'll take him back to the palace. Make him my royal puppy."
Rory listens to Genesis obediently and changes into a wolf almost immediately. I can look in Mickson's eyes and tell that he's annoyed by it, but Mickson doesn't understand much about werewolves. They were used to things like this. That's the thing about the Boss family. They never really understood Genesis. They were moral. They were good people. In their eyes there was only good and bad and if you weren't inheritably perfect being of moral composure like they were then they turned their nose up at you and judged you. I had to be on my best behavior around Micko and Mickson.
Genesis was different.
He was wild. Wild like the wolf that is laying at his feet right now. Wilder even.
"It's so nice to meet you king---"Circe starts running forward to introduce herself.
Genesis looks right through her.
"What are you all doing here?" he asks me, "It's kind of far to be doing a nature class with new witches, don't you think?"
He must know I'm in charge almost immediately.
"This isn't a class," I tell him, "This is my team. We came here for you. To bring you back to the palace."
I don't want to mention that I've already lost a member of my team coming here to find him.
Whyte adds almost immediately, "We came to save you."
"Save me?" Genesis asks smiling at Whyte, "How sweet. But no. No thanks. I'm pretty good. Don't need saving. I got this, but I don't mind the company."
I watch how Genesis leaves the wolf and walks up to Whyte. His eyes touch Whyte and all of a sudden I can see how excited Whyte is getting. I can damn near see the tent in Whyte's pants. It's annoying. Whyte is handsome. Back in our ancestral home, human girls used to go crazy for him. Here the witches all knew not to bother. Whyte had an obsession. I can see it in his eyes. It's the reason Mickson broke up with him. It's the reason Whyte was here.
I wonder how Mickson feels. I kind of feel bad when Genesis pushes up against Whyte. Genesis loves it. He loves how Mickson squirms when he presses his lips up against Whyte all of a sudden. I can see Genesis not even looking at Whyte when he does it.
He looks at Mickson.
He loves to see him squirm.
His dark skin is normal for Moreen Islands but he has an extremely pointed nose that is a little too long. His eyes always look uncomfortable. I'm not sure if he's the most attractive man I've ever seen or just weird looking. And it keeps me watching, seeing how his lips curl up when Whyte kisses him slowly. Whyte was the traditional sense of handsome but Genesis was something else entirely.
Whyte forgets where he is when Genesis starts kissing him. His eyes are closed. He's all into the kiss. His tongue goes into Genesis's mouth forcefully. You would think they were long lost lovers at least how Whyte was doing it. His tongue is in Genesis's mouth. His hands begin to slowly start around Genesis's ass. Mickson is only a foot away. Circe is intrigued. Morgan blushes with embarrassment. I'm staring, noticing his hand gripping on Genesis.
But then he does something even weirder.
Genesis turns and he looks at me.
He has a unique face.
Testing me. Teasing me. Tormenting me.
I grab him, "Come with me. NOW!"
I pull Genesis into the nearest tent away from the others. I know it looks weird. It feels weird too and I regret pulling him away but I knew what Genesis was capable of and I was brought here for a reason. That reason wasn't to feel jealousy while he played.
"I like when you're rough," he smiles.
Seeing his stomach is odd. He lays down on the pillows in the tent. This tent has a ton of pillows everywhere. God knows what kind of things the werewolves did in a tent like this.
"Stop playing with Whyte," I tell him.
Whyte couldn't handle it. He took that shit serious.
"Who says Whyte is the one I was playing with?" he asks.
He raises an eyebrow as he says it. The mischievous eyebrow that I know so well always seems to raise higher than anyone else's. He had some naturally arched eyebrows and they were dark but not too thick. Genesis bites on his thin lower lip.
"I see pregnancy hasn't changed you much."
"No...still turned on by you," he responds.
He gets up. I can see him slowly undressing. I quickly stop him grabbing his robe.
"Are you coming back with me or not?"
"Do you want me for yourself..."
"That's not what this is about?"
"Isn't it?" he asks laughing a little bit and laying on the pillows a little too hard for a pregnant person, "For some reason you can't seem to stay away too long, Mason. Why is that? I think I know."
"I'm not in love with you, Genesis."
"Love isn't what I require," I state, "I require fear. Are you afraid of me Mason Wright?"
I look at him.
My heart beats as I see him lying there. Pregnant or not I'm attracted. So many times I thought he put a spell on me. Maybe he did a long time ago. Love spells wore off though. Maybe Genesis had a way to prolong it. He was Genesis after all. That thought comforted me many nights when I was in the bathroom jerking off to his image trying my best not to go to the palace, sneak into his room and fuck the shit out of him.
I admit what he already knows, "Terrified. And so is Whyte, but he can't handle it."
Genesis smiles, "But you can. You can handle me, can't you Mason? You've handled me before. Before you married Micko."
"Now you have a werewolf king taking care of you."
I try to change the subject. I don't want to talk on the past. We had both moved on. I was in love with Micko. That was love. This thing with Genesis was just a drug and I was trying my best not to relapse.
He sees right through me, "I'm surprised Micko didn't stop you from coming to see me."
"He did."
"I should have known," Genesis responds, "A dove flew in with a note attached just minutes before you got here. He's tracking you somehow. He doesn't trust you. I assume that message is for you. Look."
Sure enough there is a dove perched in the tent we are in. The dove was Micko's thing. An obvious sign of what he stood for. Peace, love and harmony. Micko was everything that Genesis was not. He was solid. Genesis was air.
I could hold onto Micko.
I go to the note and open it. I wonder if Genesis has read the note before.
I read the note and take a deep breath.
"Walid has executed the royal family."
"Santos?" Genesis asks, "Impossible."
It does sound unlikely. Santos was power. He was the son of the first vampire, Lilith. We had seen the figure during the war for the Crushed Crown. The vampires whispered of his greatness. Walid was great as well but was he great enough to really destroy Santos?
"That's what he claims."
Genesis seems mad but not too mad. Surprised but not too surprised. He seems more annoyed than anything.
"On whose orders?" Genesis asks.
"On his own. Walid has announced you were killed by the rebels. To avenge you he executed the royal family for plotting to take the throne and claimed the Crushed Crown for himself."
Genesis stares at me, rolls his eyes and sighs, "That's cute."
"Cute? Your fucking werewolf husband is telling people you're dead. He literally kicked you off the throne!" I state.
"I haven't been gone that long. No ones going to believe it. My concern are the rebels, not some opportunist."
"Opportunist? Who says Walid isn't behind the rebellion?"
"The only thing Walid is behind was my ass when he was eating me out. Daily. Begging me. Do you understand how often werewolves want to have sex. It's annoying. He had no time for anything else. He doesn't even take it anymore. He just lays there panting..."
"I don't want to hear about it."
"Sure you don't. Anyway moral of the story is it's not Walid. He's become so...non-Walid. Ever since I took his dick. Sure, I gave it back but he's not the same. He's not a man anymore..."
Genesis looks almost disappointed.
"Micko wants me to hurry and return."
"Well go."
"Genesis, I know you're pregnant and all. And maybe you aren't in the right mindframe, but you do realize this could mean war? Your steroid wolf is declaring himself sole king of Eden."
"I'm not concerned," he responds, "I want the people who killed Exodus. They are coming. The REAL rebels. And I'm going to kill every last one of them."
"Micko wants me to go back. If Walid has usurped the throne than the Witch Towers aren't safe."
"You can do what Micko says or you can stay with me," he responds, "I can give you anything. Everything you want."
"You don't want me."
"Yes I do," he responds, "I always have."
"What about Brandon Ferris?"
Genesis winces at the name almost giving himself away, "Brandon was too kind for me."
"No one adored you more. Not even me, Genesis."
"I don't need adoration," Genesis responds, "What is it that you don't understand? I need A MAN. You've always been the one, Mason."
I remember all the cold wet nights I've had imagining Genesis naked in front of me telling me these words. I remember all the times I considered leaving Micko just to hear them again. Temptation wasn't just a thought. No. It was real. It was power. Genesis walks up to me. He tries to kiss me. His lips get so close. I barely am able to turn away. I take a step back. That's when he drops his clothes. You would think the stomach would turn me off but it doesn't. This is Genesis. That's all that matters. He gives me this hungry look and I think about it.
Every part of me wants to give him what he wants. Turn him around. Fuck him while he begs me to replace Walid who has become too weak to be his lover. I can see it now. Glory. The Witchtowers would worship us. The wolves and vampires would fear us. We had defeated demons together. What were wolves and vampires.
If Genesis was by my side there was nothing I wouldn't be able to accomplish.
Genesis and his king Mason.
The Wright family name would live in infamy and my brother Rio would finally be proud.
Greatness!
Yes. I can see it now.
Somehow though I manage to move past that vision and push him away, "You're right. I was always the one. Always the one for Micko."
"I offer you everything and you settle for mediocrity?"
"I don't think he's mediocre," I state, "I love him. Simple. Plain. Dove. Not threatening in anyway. I love Micko."
"Get the fuck out," Genesis responds sighing a little bit, "You're not the man I thought you were. There's no greatness there. Go join your band of witches and cast your mediocre spells because you're so afraid of a pussy ass werewolf with muscles. There are true enemies in Eden, Mason. True enemies worth my time. Go kill Walid. Maybe that'll make you feel better."
"You're mad... I get it."
"Fuck you. You think you can ever make me mad? You and Walid go share a double sided dildo. Maybe Micko will rub your butthole when you're done. Fucking idiots. You're going to do all that fighting against Walid and guess what...I'll still just come back and take the throne. You know why? Because I'm great."
He's hurt. He's lashing out. He's not used to being rejected. It hurts Genesis. And instead of being humbled or even respecting my feelings for Micko he's lashing out. It's typical Genesis. Nothing to see here.
"I never doubted that Genesis," I state.
"Fuck you."
"I'm heading back to my husband."
"You dare turn your back on me? ME?"
"I'll leave you to your tantrum."
"Oh you are so unaffected by me huh? So in love with Micko? Fine. Go. Although, maybe you should stick around. I am giving birth to your grandson after all."
I stop.
My heart is racing.
"What?"
I turn. I see the smile on Genesis. I hate to give him what he wants. I hate to give him this reaction but I have no choice. I'm pissed.
"Innocent is the father."
Just then I lose it.
I go after Genesis. My hands wrap around his throat. I completely lose it. I forget he's pregnant. I forget everything. It's clear Genesis did this to hurt me and I can't fucking take it. The whole while I'm choking him he smiles squirming.
"Yes! Yes that's it! Kill me. Kill and your grandchild! That's the passion that I remember. That's why you're the best Mason."
The tent opens all of a sudden.
"Stop, Mason stop!" I hear Mickson and Circe screaming.
It isn't until I see a lion enter the room. A full grown lion. I know exactly what and who it is. It's Whyte. Whyte changes back after making sure that I am off of Genesis. He stands in between me and Genesis, clearly protecting him.
"Get away," Whyte responds.
"Thank you Whyte," Genesis says standing behind him and grabbing onto him, "You're a real man..."
Genesis is doing it to spite me. I can't believe I let him under my skin the first time.
I look at the others, "You all stay here. Protect Genesis with your lives. I have to return to the Witch Tower."
"I don't need protection," Genesis responds, "I need a real man like Whyte.."
Genesis squeezes Whyte's arm. Whyte probably feels like a big man right now.
"I'll go back to the Blood Palace and remove Walid from your throne. Micko and I will secure your throne for you. It'll be waiting for you to return when you're done playing with little boys."
I know I was taking a jab at Whyte. I don't care though. I turn to walk away.
As I get out of the tent I'm not surprised when Whyte is there. Whyte stands there already and raging. He has taken off his shirt and dropped it to the ground, showing off his slim muscles as though Genesis wasn't married to a goddam body builder.
"Fight me for him," Whyte states.
I turn. I'm not surprised Whyte is standing there. I'm not surprised to see Genesis peaking his head out of the tent either. Genesis might as well have had Whyte on a leash right next to Rory. What did he sik Whyte on me?
"What is it? Little boy?"
"Fight me for him," Whyte responds angrily, "I don't know what you two have going on but it ends here and now. I'm not taking this shit anymore. Genesis is mine."
I could almost laugh.
"You know how I got my name, Whyte?"
"Who gives a fuck? I want to fight. Come on. Magic or no magic."
"The Wright family used to put out mason jars to collect rain in our ancestral home of Moreen Island. It was a tradition before every birth to cast a blessing on the Wright children using water from Moreen skies. The night I was born the weather got so bad that a flood came. You know what happened to those mason jars when the Tsunami hit? The moral of the story is you are a mason jar and you should be trying to get your piece of rain. Genesis isn't your rain. He's the flood. Genesis is going to wash over, you, drown you, break you and wash all your pieces away until you don't know you exist.. You think what...you'll fight me and win and then what? It'll prove to Genesis how strong you are? No one can satisfy him."
Genesis stares at me. He comes out of the tent.
"It's not my fault you aren't a good swimmer," Genesis retaliates.
I ignore Genesis. It isn't about him. He'll push my buttons if he can. I'm done with talking to him.
This was a warning to Whyte.
"Micko is my rain. Mickson is yours. Don't get washed away Whyte."
I look over at Whyte. I'm not sure he hears me but I'm sure he's thinking. I hoped to help him. That is the least I can do for him. I see how he turns and looks over at Mickson who makes his way out of the tent not hearing anything we just talked about. It's more of a warning about Genesis than I ever got.
People chase things they can't sustain. They try to capture things that are too big for them. All the while it's always the simple things that matter. I had to learn the hard way.
There was no more Mason chasing Genesis.
I had weathered the storm.
I was going back to my rain drop.
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