Soulbound Chapter 11

SOULBOUND

By Wes Leigh

This is a work of fiction (or is it?) intended solely for the entertainment of my readers; any resemblance to any real people or places is purely coincidental. Readers who would like to chat are encouraged to contact me at weston.leigh@protonmail.com.

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Chapter Eleven

In touch with the ground,

I'm on the hunt.

I'm after you.

A scent and a sound,

I'm lost

And I'm found.

And I'm hungry like the wolf."

-- Duran Duran, `Hungry Like the Wolf'

School will be closed until Wednesday, maybe Thursday, Xavier thought. They had discovered that their ability to hear each other's thoughts was strongest during sex and in the quiet moments after sex while cuddling. But with a little effort and concentration, they could share thoughts at other times too.

What's your point, Xavier? Daniel asked.

M'cock is gonna be awful sore by Wednesday! Connor thought.

Daniel snorted. Your cock? What about my ass?

"Will you two get your minds off Connor's cock and Daniel's fine ass? Just for one minute?" Xavier asked out loud, shaking his head.

Daniel snickered. "Would you rather talk about YOUR ass, Xavier?" Daniel pictured Connor's thick shaft sliding inside Xavier and sent the image to both of them.

Xavier rolled his eyes, but his cock did start to swell slightly.

Daniel laughed. Your mouth says, `No. No. No.' But your wee-wee says `Hell yeah!'

Connor wiggled his hips from side to side. My wee-wee says, `Come over here and get you some!'

"Come on, guys!" Xavier exclaimed. "Get serious."

Daniel walked over and hugged Xavier tenderly. "What are you thinking, Xavier? Yes, school is closed for another day or so, until the storm lets up. So ...?"

"So we should take advantage of the break. Teach you to do more than fuck like a rabbit."

Rabbits WISH they could fuck like us! Connor thought, with a leer.

Xavier ignored him and said, "We should be teaching you to harness your new powers as a vaewolf. I have a feeling you may need them."

Daniel nodded. "You're right, Xavier. How should we start?"

͠ ͠ ͠

They left the cabin and walked out into the snow, without clothes, without shoes. The snow didn't bother them, nor did the cold.

Xavier focused on the river far below them. "Do you see that, Daniel?"

Daniel looked where Xavier was pointing. "What?"

"Where the river bends, there are three cottonwoods grouped together. In between them, what do you see?"

Daniel stared for a moment, then shook his head. "Nothing but trees and bushes."

Xavier took Daniel's face in his hands and stared into Daniel's eyes. Look at my eyes. Do you see how they're beginning to glow slightly?

Daniel nodded, so Xavier continued, As a vampire, your vision should be especially acute. As a wolf, it will be poor, probably not even as good as a human.

Connor interrupted with a sullen growl. I don't need eyes like yours with a nose and ears like mine.

"I wasn't being rude, Connor. Just pointing out the difference between us. And Daniel is a mixture of the two, so we need to know which of our abilities he possesses." Xavier turned back to Daniel. Focus, Daniel. Command your eyes to SEE. Then look again.

Daniel looked down at the cottonwood stand and turned his full attention on his eyes. He strained for a moment and then sensed the air around them turning brighter.

Xavier smiled. It's working, Daniel. Then Xavier sent Daniel an image of Daniel's face as it was at the moment, with his eyes glowing golden. Look at the trees again.

Daniel stared hard for a moment and he saw a family of deer hiding in the brush, well camouflaged but now exposed to his enhanced vision. He caught an odd scent on the air and heard one of the fawns shifting in the leaves.

That scent is the smell of prey, Connor thought. Your nose is tellin' you what your eyes are seein'. Deer are upwind of you. Your ears are detectin' their movements. They cannot hide from you. If you stalk them, they cannot escape. That is what it is like to be a Hunter.

"So you have my vision," Xavier said.

"And m'ears and nose," Connor added.

What else do you have? Xavier asked, grabbing Daniel by the arm, spinning him around, and throwing him twenty feet away into a snowdrift.

"Hey!" Daniel shouted, climbing out of the snow. "You jerk!"

Xavier laughed. "Do something about it, if you can."

Daniel charged Xavier, surprising them both with how quickly he closed the distance between them. Daniel meant to grab Xavier around the waist and throw him to the ground, but instead Daniel lifted Xavier over his head and threw him into the top branches of a tree.

Before Xavier struck the tree, he disappeared and teleported back down, next to Daniel. Well done, my padawan, Xavier thought.

Okay. I'm telling you both, right now. No more stupid Star Wars references! Daniel thought, glaring hard at both Connor and Xavier.

Connor laughed. "Okay. But let's see you try that trick on me." Connor approached Daniel, arms outstretched.

They locked fingers and began tugging and pushing. Neither one made progress at first, but Connor began growling and growing taller, with long, hairy legs and arms. His muscles bulged and his face elongated into that of a wolf. He snarled and began forcing Daniel to his knees.

Daniel roared and his eyes ignited again with a golden aura. He gritted his teeth and shoved Connor hard, launching the bigger boy through the air to smash into the wall of the cabin. Knocked unconscious, Connor instantly transformed back into a human and fell in a heap.

Xavier stood there, stunned. Then he ran to Connor, checking to see if he was seriously injured. From what Xavier could tell, Connor was simply unconscious, breathing evenly. Nothing felt broken. There was a little blood on the back of his head, but it was rapidly healing. He gently slapped Connor's face. "Connor, wake up," he urged.

Daniel walked forward and fell on his knees in the snow next to Connor. He took Connor's hand in his own and whimpered. "I'm so sorry, Connor."

Xavier glanced over at Daniel and saw that his eyes had returned to their normal bright blue, though filled with tears. "What have I done?" Daniel asked.

Connor moaned and opened his eyes. He saw the other two bending over him and shook his head to clear away the fog. "I guess you're stronger than I thought, Big D."

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Connor," Daniel cried.

Connor snorted. "I'm not hurt. I've been hit harder than that hundreds of times. Knocked out even."

"But you were wearing pads and a helmet then."

Connor reached up and stroked Daniel's cheek. "I'm fine, Big D. No harm done. Don't let it bother you another second."

Daniel began shaking. I lost control, guys. What if I do that again? What if I hurt someone? He stood up and walked away, frustrated and miserable.

Connor motioned for Xavier to help him up, then he trotted after Daniel, pulling him gently into his arms. Xavier joined them, putting his arms around both Connor and Daniel.

Daniel sobbed and asked, What have I become?

Connor kissed Daniel's neck. Whatever it is, Big D, you're still m'mate and m'friend. I'll be by your side every step of the way.

So will I, Xavier promised. We are soulbound, and we'll figure this out together.

͠ ͠ ͠

"Let's keep going," Daniel said with a sigh, having finally settled down and accepted the reality of his new powers. "What's next?"

"We should go for a jog," Xavier said. "I'll be right back." Xavier disappeared, and a few seconds later, reappeared, wearing a belt with a small box attached. Xavier smiled and punched a button on the box, smiling as music poured out:

Stalked in the forest,

too close to hide,

I'll be upon you by the moonlight side.

High blood drumming on your skin.

It's so tight.

You feel my heat.

I'm just a moment behind.

"What song is that?" Connor asked.

Daniel laughed. "Classic rock ... Duran Duran, right?"

Xavier nodded. "I thought the song would be appropriate, considering everything."

Connor listened, nodding his head. "I like it. What's it called?"

Daniel and Xavier grinned at each other and said, at the same time, "Hungry Like the Wolf."

Connor laughed. "Then I REALLY like it!"

They laughed and started running side by side through the snow, while Duran Duran urged them on. Every now and then, Xavier blinked out and reappeared a few feet ahead. Daniel and Connor sped up, running faster to catch him. Soon they were running hard, forcing Xavier to teleport farther each time to stay ahead of them. They reached the bottom of a valley and began sprinting up the next hill, running as fast as they could now. Daniel didn't feel the least bit winded. His lungs were pulling air in and forcing it out, evenly, without straining. His heart was pumping, pumping, pumping, easily accommodating the extra demands his muscles were making.

They reached the top of the hill, stopping to grin at each other, laughing.

Xavier looked at them and thought, I think I have the advantage here. He disappeared and teleported to the top of the next hill. He waved at them and silently shouted, Hey, slackers!

Connor roared and transformed into a wolf, dropping to all fours and galloping through the trees to reach Xavier, then transforming back. They laughed and turned to look for Daniel. He was walking through the trees, eyes on the ground, shoulders slumped.

Daniel! What's wrong? Connor silently asked.

I tried, Daniel replied, frustrated. Tried to transform, but something's holding me back. He climbed the hill and stood next to them. "I can HEAR and SMELL like the wolf, and I guess I can roar too, but I just can't figure out how to change into a wolf."

Connor shrugged. "I was born a Lycan, so transformin' is second nature to me." He thought for moment. "And it's been years since the pack has taken in a bitten Lycan, so I'm not all that familiar with how it works for one of them."

"Bitten Lycan?" Xavier asked.

"A human converted by lycanthropy," Connor explained. "For them, the transformation occurs as soon as the lycan cells dominate their bodies. They don't ever get full control over it, so the pack usually reproduces by pups now, rather than biting humans."

"So I may never have control over my transformations?" Daniel asked.

"I don't know," Connor replied. "But there is one thing we can try ..."

͠ ͠ ͠

Connor stood behind Daniel, wrapping him in his strong arms. I'm sorry about this, Daniel.

Do it, Connor. Daniel replied. I don't care about the pain. I need to learn this.

Connor kissed Daniel's neck. The pain may actually help you. That's why I suggested it. Then he bent over Daniel's neck and bit down while thrusting his thick cock deep into Daniel's guts, no lube, no preparation, just raw animal lust driving him up, up into Daniel's ass.

Daniel screamed in pain, arching his back as he instinctively tried to escape Connor's assault. But Connor held him in an iron grip, one arm around his chest, the other around Daniel's stomach. Connor pulled back slightly and shoved his hips forward again, slamming his hips against Daniel's ass, forcing his thick, hard shaft fully inside Daniel. Then Connor roared and shifted into wolf form. His body grew and his cock swelled, growing longer and wider still, invading Daniel's bowels. Daniel howled and struggled to escape, but Connor's hairy arms wrapped around him, holding him relentlessly in place as Connor's hips humped slowly, forcing his way deeper than Daniel had ever been penetrated before.

Xavier watched, sympathizing with Daniel's pain. But also amazed by how hot it was to see Connor brutally penetrating Daniel. Unable to hold back any longer, Xavier fell to his knees in the snow at Daniel's feet. Daniel's cock was throbbing and hard, despite the attack on his bowels, and leaking precum. Xavier took it in his mouth, pushing down until his nose pressed into the light blonde wisps of hair above Daniel's cock. The tip of Daniel's cock barely touched the back of Xavier's throat.

And then it happened.

Xavier was the first to notice. Without warning, Daniel's cock pressed deeper into his throat and swelled, stretching his mouth. Xavier pulled off, surprised, only to find Daniel's cock was now a good eight inches in length and thick, almost as thick as Connor's. The hair on Daniel's belly was darker, a deeper blonde, almost brown, and his stomach was rippled with hard abs. Xavier scooted away and looked up at Daniel, who now possessed lean, cut muscles covered by a light layer of long, blonde hair. Long claws extended from each finger. His face was extended, with a wolf's snout and ears.

Daniel lifted his head and howled, shaking snow from the branches of the trees around them. He began panting and pushed his ass back into Connor, humping backward to impale himself on Connor even deeper.

Mate with us, Xavier, Daniel demanded, with a loving growl, pulling Xavier back to his cock.

Xavier grabbed Daniel's much bigger cock and took as much of it into his mouth as he could. Daniel grabbed Xavier's head and began forcing himself in and down Xavier's throat. Xavier began to choke, but he adjusted quickly and allowed Daniel to do what he needed to satisfy his sudden, aching need for release. When the cum began pouring from Daniel's cock, Xavier swallowed as quickly as he could, taking most of it down his throat, while even more filled his mouth, gushing out to flow down his face and drip onto the ground.

Connor stopped thrusting and joined Daniel in a triumphant howl, holding Daniel by the hips as the semen shot from his cock up into Daniel's bowels. When Connor finally pulled out, gushes of slippery fluid poured from Daniel's anus and dripped down his thighs to the ground.

Connor fell to all fours and sniffed Daniel's ass and legs. Then his tongue flicked out and he began licking his mate clean, taking extra care around Daniel's red and swollen pucker.

Xavier stood up and kissed Daniel. Daniel licked the cum off Xavier's face, transforming back into a human before he was finished, but continuing on, lovingly licking away the evidence of their love making.

Connor stood to his feet, back in human form, and took Daniel in his arms from behind. Did I hurt you? he asked.

Yes, Daniel replied, licking Xavier's nose. And I loved it.

They all three giggled.

Daniel pulled out of Connor's arms and moved a few feet away. He seemed to be concentrating on something for a moment, then his features shifted and he grew several feet taller, with powerfully muscled arms and legs, covered in fur, with the head of a wolf. His eyes glowed golden. He growled, a deep rumble that made Connor and Xavier both shiver. Then Daniel shifted back into human form. He grinned. I think I have it down, now.

He walked up and took Connor and Xavier in his arms. But I won't mind practicing.

͠ ͠ ͠

"Teleporting is the last skill most vampires master, because it is the most difficult," Xavier explained. "In fact, you might want to wait before trying it."

Daniel shook his head. "No. There's no reason to delay."

"Very well then. Here is how it works." Xavier put his hands on Daniel's shoulders and squeezed. "Mentally prepare first. You must picture where you are going. ACCURATELY. Failing to see where you want to be can be fatal. I cannot emphasize this strongly enough, Daniel."

Xavier turned Daniel so he was facing the bend in the river. Pointing over Daniel's shoulder, Xavier said, "The copse where the deer were hiding his morning ... you know the spot?" When Daniel nodded, Xavier said, "Enhance your eyes. Look at one of the trees. Find an unusual pattern in the trunk. Do you see it?" Daniel nodded again. "Now picture yourself standing in front—"

Before Xavier could finish, Daniel disappeared and reappeared three feet from the tree.

Xavier teleported down to stand next to Daniel, his face red with fury. "I wasn't finished explaining, Daniel! Teleporting is DANGEROUS, even for experienced vampires."

Daniel looked at Xavier, suddenly frightened. "I didn't mean to do it, Xavier. I was picturing it all like you said and then ... I was there. Standing next to the tree. Seeing the pattern in the wood up close."

Xavier calmed down a bit, but concern was still evident in his voice. "Then maybe this is actually easier for a vaewolf. I don't know. But I do know you need a solid picture in your mind. This time, I want you to picture the cabin with Connor standing in the doorway. Send me the image first, so I can check it for you. Then we'll both go together."

Daniel nodded. He conjured up his last memory of the cabin, with Connor standing in the door, watching the two of them preparing to teleport. He sent the image to Xavier and Connor. Connor chuckled and told them he was no longer in the doorway, but was slicing meat from the deer carcass for lunch. Xavier corrected the picture and sent it back to Daniel, double-checking that Daniel had that picture solidly in mind.

I have it, Daniel thought.

Picture us standing next to Connor, Xavier commanded.

They blinked out and reappeared together, next to Connor, making him jump despite his forewarning that they were on their way. Wish I could do that, he thought with a grin, turning back to the carcass to finish cutting off shoulder steaks.

"Well done, Daniel. Those were short hops, which is what I want us to stick to for now. We'll practice larger jumps later."

For the rest of the morning, while Connor prepared lunch, Xavier and Daniel teleported from spot to spot inside and outside the cabin.

͠ ͠ ͠

After lunch, Daniel and Xavier sat on a hill overlooking the river. Teleporting seemed to be the easiest of the skills Daniel had picked up that day, coming quite naturally to him. Xavier couldn't explain why. It could be Daniel's skill picturing places in his mind or his excellent imagination, which allowed him to depict vividly where he wanted to go. Or perhaps, as a vaewolf, teleporting was an innate skill.

Whatever the reason, Xavier still spent extra time explaining long-distance jumps to Daniel, reminding him of the importance of visualization and adding the extra step of picturing no one else in the area where you were going.

"Why is that important?" Daniel asked.

"Distance jumping takes you to a place you can't inspect first. If you arrive in a spot where someone else is standing, the result is instant and painful death for both of you."

Daniel grimaced as he pictured what Xavier was describing. "Ughhh."

"Right," Xavier said with a nod. "That's why I'm drilling this point home, Daniel. I've seen the result of a badly envisioned jump. It was an ugly mess."

Daniel nodded to show he understood. There was only thing left to do, as far as he was concerned, and that was to try it. As he thought about places he could go that he knew well enough to picture clearly, two spots came to mind. His house in Agony, which he ruled out right away. How would he explain showing up there suddenly and possibly running into his parents? Or his home back in Colorado Springs. He'd loved their house, especially the back yard. He'd often gone outside at night, to stand next to the back fence and stare out at the mountains in the distance, illuminated by the moon. It didn't matter what time of year it was. Even in the summer, when there was no snow on the distant peaks, the mountains still appeared to be snow-covered under the light of the moon. He missed that house and all the good memories he'd made there. He could almost feel the wood of the fence under his arms as he leaned against it that last night before they left ...

... and suddenly he was standing there, in his old backyard, next to the fence. It was nighttime, and the moon was just rising, casting ghostly light on the mountains to the west. Startled, Daniel looked around him. He saw the house, so familiar, just as he remembered it when they had moved away. The lights were on inside and he heard voices talking. One of the voices got louder, shouting angrily. Daniel moved off behind trees in the corner of the yard, to avoid being seen. The back door opened and slammed shut again. He saw a boy run down the steps and head for the fence. In the dim moonlight, he couldn't quite make out the boy's features. He was about Daniel's height, slender, light haired. That much he could make out in the moonlight.

The boy stomped over to the back fence and leaned against it, angry or frustrated about something.

Daniel slowly enhanced his senses. He heard the boy sniffling. He saw the boy's hair clearly now, blonde and cut in the same style Daniel wore. And his nose picked up a scent from the boy, a strangely familiar scent. His OWN scent. Daniel tensed up and slid through the shadows until he was a few feet away. He heard the boy mumbling under his breath, "Why the fuck do we have to move NOW, just when things are working out for me here."

Daniel shook his head in confusion. Those were the exact words he himself had uttered on the night before they left for Agony, after arguing with his parents and escaping into the back yard to stare at his beloved mountains one last time.

How was it possible that he was staring at himself, several months younger?

Daniel began shaking, but he bit his lip and commanded his heart to slow down. Now was not the time to panic. He closed his eyes and pictured the cabin in North Dakota with his two friends Xavier and Connor. He pictured them standing outside the cabin, waiting for him. He pictured snow on the ground and the sun high in the sky. He pictured himself standing next to them.

He felt the sun on his back and snow underfoot. He opened his eyes and saw Xavier and Connor, rushing up to grab him in their arms and hug him.

WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU? Xavier shouted mentally.

You had us so worried, Big D! Connor added.

I was ... was ... I ... Daniel felt the world spinning around him and collapsed in their arms.

͠ ͠ ͠

Connor held a cup of warmed deer blood to Daniel's lips, encouraging him to drink.

Daniel sipped it, then drank deeply, relishing the rich nourishment. Just what I needed. Thanks, Connor, Daniel thought.

You need the energy. There's plenty more, Connor replied.

Good thing you stocked extra tomato soup, Daniel thought as he swallowed the last bit and handed the cup back to Connor, winking at his lover and mate.

Connor looked at him funny. "You knew all along?" Connor asked.

Daniel nodded. "I wasn't sure I could drink it at first, but when I tasted it, I knew it was exactly what my body needed to recover fully."

"Any more dizziness?" Xavier asked.

Daniel shook his head. "I feel fine now. Don't know what came over me."

"Then maybe we should start with where you went."

"I went home," Daniel said, suddenly thoughtful.

Xavier shook his head. "I went to your house, Daniel. You weren't there."

Connor handed Daniel another cup of blood and said, "We tried finding you with our thoughts, but you were so far away, we couldn't hear you anymore."

"No," Daniel replied with a sharp shake of his head. "Not my house here. My home in Colorado Springs."

Xavier raised both eyebrows. "That's quite a jump, Daniel. Most vampires are limited to a few hundred miles. Wow!"

Daniel sipped the blood. That's not all.

The others looked at him, silently asking what else there could be.

I went back ... in time. Daniel added, shivering again. Back to the night before my family left for Agony.

The end of SOULBOUND, Chapter Eleven