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The following story contains violence and erotic homosexual situations and content. If it is illegal for you to read this, please leave now. If after reading this disclaimer, you find yourself surprised by the content, HUKED ON FONIKS didn't work for you!
Chapter 4 Primal
I drifted along in my mind for longer than I cared to, and finally opened my eyes. The ache at the back of my skull faded and I took in a deep breath to calm my heart. I wasn't dead. I had thought I was. I remembered thinking to myself 'am I dead?', and I remembered the strange voices in my dream.
For a brief moment the daylight stung my eyes as I heard the scrape of metal against metal, and the room faded into shadow. The smell of dust and something long forgotten filled the air. I rolled over, or at least started to, before the pain and tug against my arms kept me in place.
I don't know if it was instinct, but I struggled and made every effort against the ties that held my wrists away from my body. I awoke in a hospital bed with my hands tethered to the guardrails, and a growl escaped my throat. It took longer than I liked for everything to register in my mind, and I didn't understand why or how I was strapped down.
Visions of the raccoon's claws ripping away at my abdomen filled my mind and I sat up. My arm tore through the restraint, and I grinned at the sound of the leather binding clattering to the floor. This little bit of freedom soothed me and again I breathed a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, my mind cleared, and my eyes scanned the room. At first I was overwhelmed. I felt as though I was caught in a trap, and my first and only concern was the need to flee, but it subsided as I took in my surroundings. I jerked against the remaining restraint that held my other arm against the rail.
An IV was hung at my side and I followed the clear tube as it flowed down into my bound wrist. Jason and several other people I didn't recognize were standing around my bed.
"Remove my restraints, or I will rip them loose." Even though smarter human logic told me to be still, the animal in me screamed for release.
Jason clutched my arm against the railing of the hospital bed and seemed to be gearing up for a fight. "You have to be still. You're going to rip out your IV." He wasn't gentle in his struggle to keep my arm in its current position, and I felt the animal in me rear to life.
"Let go of me." I knew my eyes changed and I felt my teeth lengthen behind my lips. The tiger was taking over.
"Make me!" His defiant voice was high pitched and it sounded like music. It was also a challenge.
My body changed. The bones of my arms and legs elongated and my hands stretched into the paw shape I wanted so badly. A part of me wanted the conflict, and another wanted the kill. I didn't really care which came first.
Moments later I stretched as any cat will, and looked at my captors. Now the faces were familiar, but I couldn't place where I knew them. I jumped to the floor and roared. The sound exploded from my lungs and filled the room.
He was there. Even in animal form I knew some part of me loved Jason, and I dragged my chin along his thigh. I offered my neck but he didn't take the invitation. I moved forward on all four of my feet and leaned into him as I passed.
My own labored breaths caught my attention and I stumbled. I felt my weight shift and I fell against him for support. He was there, but only to hold me upright. It was impersonal and distant, and his lack of emotion and movement weren't lost on me. My affection was not returned.
I moaned out a sorrowful cry and looked back at him as I padded out of the room. Nature tells a body not to pursue what cannot be had. Jason showed no interest and I mourned the loss.
There was food nearby. I could smell something sweet, and my stomach pulled me down the hallway to find it. My claws clicked against the tile floor and, as I looked around, I didn't recognize where I was. Glancing back, I saw the group of people that had been witness to my torture when Leon and Boris held us captive. I turned and continued down the hall toward the source of food my nose knew was there.
What I found was a vending machine. Contrary to what some may believe, a tiger doesn't have pockets. I reverted back to my human form and shivered as I lay on the cold tile. My mind was still in a haze, and I still didn't recognize where the hell I was. I wanted the yellow bag of 'Funyuns'. My stomach was growling louder than I had ever heard before and, if I had the energy, I would have gotten up and slammed the machine to the floor.
Something grazed my shoulder and I jumped and spun around.
"You'll catch cold, Taylor." He grinned and shook his head as I looked back at him as though he were crazy.
"I want those 'Funyuns'." My voice was barely above a whisper and my tongue felt like sandpaper left in the sun to roast.
Taylor chuckled and helped me to my feet, putting a sheet around me. One bad thing about being in animal form is that, when you revert back, you are totally naked. There never seemed to be clothes handy, and I was thankful for the thin sheet. It didn't really do much to stop me from shivering, but anything was better than nothing.
Every bone and muscle felt as though it had been through a shredder, and I groaned as I stood and leaned against the archaic snack machine. I opened the sheet enough to see my body, and saw pink scars running the length of my sides. From the ache in my back I knew it was covered with the same angry pink lines of healing skin. Just below my ribcage was a softball sized star shape of new flesh, like when a scab falls prematurely and the new skin underneath meets the air too soon. Leon had thrust his claws through my chest and into my heart. It was a desperate but effective killing move, and the last one he would ever make. It was a miracle I was still alive. My muscles contracted and sent another shiver through my body.
"How about we get you something healthy to eat?" Jason wrapped his arm around my back and we trudged back down the hall to where the others stood, staring back at us.
"Funyons are healthy," I grumbled. "They're onions... and onions are vegetables. I want the Funyons!"
"Come on," Jason said, completely ignoring my best logic.
The group's eyes were wide with fear and they scattered as we drew close enough to pass through the door. They hovered a safe distance away, but didn't leave. I looked over my shoulder and saw that their eyes weren't only frightened, but needy. They yearned for something and, for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what. Whatever they needed, I doubted I could help them and right now I was quickly racing to the edge of hostility. I was starving!
"Will, could you bring Tyler something to eat from the kitchen, please?" Jason had barely finished his request as Will disappeared from the doorway and I heard his feet hit the floor as he ran to his task.
"What happened?" I looked up at Jason as he helped me settle into bed and pulled the covers over me.
Again, I was aware that I was in a hospital room, or at least what looked like one. For a town so small, I would never have guessed they might have one. I looked out the window behind me, and saw a brick corner of the building. It was much too small for a hospital, and I realized that I must be in some forgotten doctor's office.
"You killed Leon, and he killed you." Jason's voice was flat, and reminded me of someone dictating only the facts for a given circumstance.
"We were moving your body when you groaned and nearly gave Simon a heart attack. Tigger remembered the doctor's office, and so we brought you here." Each person nodded as his name was mentioned, but kept his eyes on the floor hiding his face beneath their unkempt hair.
I figured that Tigger and Simon were the black panthers from the earlier battle. Their midnight hair was what I would liken to Asian hair. It was the gorgeous, shiny black of a moonless sky that seemed to have no end.
Will, our waiter from the diner, entered the room carrying a tray. What he brought didn't smell like what I would call food, but I was so hungry I didn't care. Jason moved an adjustable cart around so that it stood in front of me as I struggled to sit up. A strange motor hummed to life and I felt the back of the bed rising beneath me. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but it did close the gap between my mouth and the tray of questionable food.
"Thank you." Several gasps burst out, and heads shot up as soon as I spoke the words.
"What?! Just because I'm not a prince doesn't mean I have no manners." Jason shot me a warning glance, but it was too late.
"I knew it!, Will shouted. You're Prince Jason aren't you? I knew I recognized you from somewhere, but I couldn't remember where!" Will stopped for a moment, pondering something, and then spoke again. "I thought you were an eagle."
Jason's face turned a deep crimson and he glared at me as though he could have killed me.
"Ohhhhh.... " The pieces of the puzzle finally formed in Will's mind, and now the fact that Jason was gay was known by all.
Jason didn't seem at all pleased and, had I not been in such bad shape, I think he would have done his best to kick my ass. I suppose that's the benefit of being the patient and not the visitor. You can afford to be a complete ass and most will chalk it up to the illness.
What sat in front of me on the serving tray was far from what I considered food. At least the 'Funyons' would have crunched between my teeth. What sat perched on the cart hovering over my midsection was a bowl of chicken broth, and some pudding. It didn't seem as though the cart had been used in years, and it screeched in protest as I bumped it trying to take a spoon in hand.
I was exhausted and my arm shook so badly that I nearly spilled the soup as I tried to ladle out a spoonful and bring it to my mouth.
"Here, let me help you." Jason reached for the spoon and I jerked back.
"I can do it myself!" I threw the spoon and it hit the wall and fell to the floor with a metallic rattle.
I picked up the bowl with both hands and, hoping I didn't drench myself, poured the soup down my mouth. I managed without too much spilling, and I was thankful that it wasn't boiling hot. The pudding was easier. It had one of those adult-proof seals glued to the top, which I ripped off in a single motion. I brought to my mouth, and then squeezed the bottom to force out the contents.
The single napkin that lay beneath my silverware wasn't enough to clean my hands, but did manage to get the majority of the mess wiped from my face. I licked my fingers clean and then, glaring back at Jason in defiance, belched.
"So much for manners." He sighed and shook his head.
I pushed against the rolling tray and it squealed as it slid awkwardly away from the bed like some dysfunctional shopping cart. The crowd that stood at the foot of my bed jumped back as though being hit, and cowered against the wall, preparing to run from the room. I couldn't help but think 'What a flighty bunch they are', but then remembered who they had lived with.
With more pain than I wanted to admit, I managed to climb out of the bed and grab my pillow and sheet, dragging them behind me as I walked toward the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Jason's words were filled with concern, and it confused me. One moment he was cold, and the next he doted on me like a worried mother.
"I can't sleep here." I dragged the blanket behind me and trudged out into the hallway past the small group of lycan.
My nudity didn't embarrass me as it might a true human. I am Lycan. We sleep in piles of flesh, and the close contact is what bonds us to one another. It seemed like an eternity since I was privy to that comfort, and my body yearned for it.
They followed, albeit from a distance, as I stumbled my way down the short hallway and paused at the snack machine. I still wanted those 'Funyons'. 'Another time' I thought. Beside the snack machine was an entrance into a carpeted waiting room, where I all but fell to my knees and curled up in a tangle of sheets, resting my head against my pillow.
It wasn't long before I felt the others joining on and around me. A head on my thigh, warm breath on my back, and a nuzzle against my chest gave me the warmth and weight of closeness I needed to finally rest.
Dreams filled my sleep. I was in a place I had never been. I was surrounded by rock, some smooth as though it had been carved out of a mountain. There was also a huge crowd, so many creatures that I barely had room to move or stretch. A strange but familiar scent was in the air, and my eyes shot open. An eagle was close by.
"You're not welcome here, Luke. Go now, and forget you ever laid eyes upon me." Jason's voice had taken on that regal tone I remembered from our first meeting. His words were even and emotionless, as though dictating into a machine.
I felt the others scatter away from me. Obviously I was the last to wake and, as I turned my head, I saw them all moving behind Jason. I couldn't see what was going on, and the burning in my bladder was distracting, if not inconvenient.
"You, and now your whore, are marked for death, Jason." The voice was angry, and each venomous word was spat out like something detestable.
I stood up and watched my sleep-mates part as Luke sat, poised, and pointing a finger in my direction. I ignored the offense, as parts of me pointed back just as rudely, and yawned my lack of concern.
Luke was joined by two companions who now stood behind him on either side. I joined Jason and waited for the scene to unfold. I felt better, but I wasn't exactly up for another battle, regardless the odds.
"You are outnumbered, Luke. Leave this place before more blood is spilled." Jason pleaded with Luke and I couldn't help but hear the fear and sorrow in his voice.
Luke threw his head back, and chuckled. "Is this your covey now, brother? Or should I call it a pride, or pack, or pard? What is this mismatched group of lost frightened souls you have become a part of? My, how you have fallen."
Tigger and Simon fell to all fours as they changed to their panther form. Two white wolves, a ferret, and one very pissed off raccoon also appeared. Tigger roared ferociously and nudged against Jason's hand. The shocked look on Luke's face made me grin. We were definitely a mix of creatures, but somehow we truly were a pride, pard, or pack. Whatever name a body might give us, we were together.
"You are outnumbered, brother." Jason advanced and we followed.
We backed the three of them out of the Dr.'s Office and into blinding sunlight.
"So, you would call this your covey now brother? Fine." Luke's expression of fear morphed into a knowing grin.
"I challenge you, brother. I challenge for the right of Eglik. I may not be able to defeat your covey, but I can kill you easily enough," Luke snickered, and I wanted to chew his eyes out of his skull.
Like Agrik, the leader of a pack of wolves, Eglik is the leader of a covey of Eagles. Though I entertained the idea that I was leader of this mismatched lot, I wasn't in any condition to defend the position. Jason knew this, and he also knew that he couldn't possibly win.
The change started to roll through me like a brisk wind, but I paused when I felt Jason grasp my arm.
"No!" I felt his fingers dig into the muscle as he spoke.
"This is a private challenge." His sad green eyes stared into mine for only a moment before he spoke again.
"Do not let him have them when I die."
Jason's change from man to swan was violent. He thrust upward into the air with a scream I had never heard before. Wings erupted from his back and, before he was in mid flight, he changed completely, climbing higher and higher into the air.
Luke's cross over to his animal form was more fluent and comfortable. He ran and his Eagle form seemed to climb around him and lift him to the sky. It seemed more like something he wore like a coat, than what might emerge from within.
They danced in the air for what seemed like an eternity. Luke would dive and Jason would use his superior maneuverability to avoid each attack.
Jason took on a new tactic. After his latest attempt to avoid attack, he spun, dove in, and his webbed claws bore down toward Luke as he turned, attempting to strike at his back. Luke extended his wings, swung around, and his talons dove into Jason's neck. There was a fierce struggle as they plummeted to the earth. A spiral of blood and feathers spun round and round as they fought. Just before they reached the ground, Luke broke off and Jason hit the earth like a bag of dead meat.
The thud of his weight hitting the ground stopped my heart. I leapt into the air and felt my tiger form surge outward. My paws dug into the dirt and I bounded to where he landed. I felt the wind on my face as I raced to him and knew, as the smell of blood filled my nose, that he was defeated. Jason lay quietly but the subtle rise and fall of feathers told me he was still breathing.
I had just started thinking, 'So long as he stays in animal form he'll be okay', then I saw his claws retract and his legs began to morph into a more human form. The soft feathers I leaned against turned to flesh, and loss filled me like an overflowing well. My tears fell and landed on the corner of his mouth when I felt Luke's Talons dig into my back.
Jason's emerald eyes opened and stared back at me as I was lifted into the sky. For a moment I thought to myself, 'What a wonderful thing to see in the last moments of my life.'
An amber blaze erupted in Jason's eyes, and a bird of fire rose up out of his form. The cry was deafening. I felt the heat of it burn my fur as he burst upward. The smell of it made me want to cringe as I fell when Luke released me. The earth met me much quicker than I had expected, and I lost my breath. I looked up and watched Jason's fiery form rise higher and higher into the sky. He turned and dove toward Luke like a crimson hell. They clashed, claws outstretched and again spun toward the earth. Moments before impact, the shrill cry of the phoenix could be heard, and traces of fire swept past us as we watched.
Luke fell to the earth, dead, and what was left of his body smoldered. I finally found my breath and, after inhaling deeply, nearly gagged at the smell of burning flesh. A sad, shrill cry filled my ears, and I watched as a fiery form swooped in and landed. The crimson glow faded, and finally it was Jason who knelt at Luke's side.
"It is the prophesy." I didn't recognize the voice as a cool wind brushed against my back. I glanced over my shoulder and watched as Luke's companions rose into the air and flew away.
Special thank you to all who have had the patience for the release of this chapter and the other stories I'm working on. Another special thanks to Dr. Grant for his fabulous editing. It's appreciated more than you know. Comments and criticisms are always appreciated and a life line that keeps me writing. Please don't hesitate to send them to gaywriter72@yahoo.com.
Of course... there are always thanks to Hal.... Who reads through every update, paragraph by paragraph, as I harangue him into giving me his opinion. Love ya!