Hey guys eighth chapter is up and I do have to apologise for how long it took. Over a month I was writing it but I had to contend with real life difficulties (cough work cough) and it really interfered with my ability to write but I will try not to take as long with the next one. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and feel free to write comment and criticise all you feel but I really do like getting feedback from you all. Your the best :)
This story is not intended to be read by anyone under the age of 21 so if you are this age then please do not read past this line.
Disclaimed: This is meant to be fiction so any reflection of real life such as names of places or people are purely conincidential.
Thanks for reading guys, and if you have any comments, suggestions or questions then please get in contact with me on kasaihowler@gmail.com
Mike moaned as he felt his head pounding once again. It throbbed worse than anytime he could remember and Mike could not believe that he had done it to himself. What had he been thinking letting Derek talk him into having a drink, as if it wasn't bad enough Mike had gotten to the point where he had forgotten everything by the time he had his third drink. What an idiot he was.
The back window of Kyle's green jeep was down all the way for Mike to get some fresh air. Mike was sitting in the back with Kyle and Amanda in the front. Originally Amanda wasn't going to come but Kyle had begged after things had gotten worse with her Father. Mike didn't mind though he always liked Amanda, she was good company and it would make Kyle feel better.
They were going to a small motel in New York where they were renting out two rooms one for Amanda and Kyle and one for Mike but the two guys were the only ones going to the concert while Amanda would go and see some of the sights. The concert wasn't until Sunday which was tomorrow and they would make their way home on Monday and have Tuesday to just relax.
They had been driving for a little over two hours and Kyle showed no signs of stopping. Mike didn't think he could have gotten Kyle to stop anyway only Amanda could.
"So what did you learn from yesterday?" asked Amanda to Mike in the backseat as she smiled and winked at him. At this Mike simply groaned and said "Yeah I know, I'm a lightweight sue me for having a good time" said Mike as he lay down on the seat to try and sleep some of it off. He knew it was a little irresponsible of him to do this the night before he left for New York but Kyle had given him the approval since it was his birthday and he still had the camping trip planned for next week which would be fun.
Soon enough Mike dozed into dreamland, he wasn't sure for how long but it was at least an hour. He awoke to a conversation that was going on between the couple of a serious nature.
".....know what else to do about this Kyle, he is getting more demanding each day" said the voice of Amanda, obviously a little worried about something.
Mike kept listening out but didn't open his eyes very wide so that neither of them would notice.
"I know Amy, have you thought of leaving White Valley and settling somewhere else. Or even you and I leaving together?" asked the voice of Kyle. Concern was pretty evident in his voice also. They were obviously talking about Mr. Granger again, that much was obvious.
"No we can't my Mum can't go anywhere without him knowing, we tried it once before when we moved to Miami but he found us and was threatening to take us to court if we didn't move back" she said with obvious concern in her voice.
Kyle put his arm around her and then said "Don't worry we'll find a way to get rid of him, we just have to wait for it". He then put his head on top of hers as they embraced a little in the car. It was lucky there was zero traffic on the road. Their display made Mike miss Derek though for a minute. Though he did know that it would only be a couple of days.
"What did he say when you went over to see him the first time?" asked Amanda to Kyle as she let him drive without touching him.
Kyle didn't say anything for a few second which made Mike a little anxious.
"I don't actually remember Amanda, I know it's strange but I honestly don't remember" he said sounding a little freaked out.
Amanda sounded shocked when he said this and responded with "Did he hurt you? If he did I'll...." but she was cut off by Kyle as he said something.
"No he didn't hurt me Amanda, I just remember coming out the gate to his home as good as when I went in. It's strange" said Kyle.
Neither he nor Amanda said anything for a while as they enjoyed each other's company. Mike soon enough fell back asleep thinking about all that had been said. Obviously things were as bad as Kyle had said with Amanda and her family. He wondered how she had managed they get away to join them here. Mr. Granger was obviously capable of using force to get what he wanted.
Mike awoke fully as he felt the car stop with a jolt. Mike opened his eyes to feel his headache felt much better, it wasn't gone but he could focus now.
"Wakey wakey sleeping beauty" said Kyle as he helped Mike out of the car from the back. Mike stepped out to see that they had stopped at a small truck stop. Amanda was in getting them something to eat and Kyle was filling up the jeep. Mike got out and began to walk around a little to stretch his legs. When he looked at his new watch he seen that it was almost 2 in the afternoon. They had been on the road for a little over five hours now.
When he checked his phone he seen that he had a message from Derek which said "Love you Mikey, hurry back x". Mike smiled as he looked at it and then sent a small reply. He closed his phone and then went into the store.
Mike picked up a computing magazine and then went out to wait in the car. When Amanda came out they got on their way. Luckily for them it was only a couple more hours.
"Hey Mikey, out of everything on the shelves you pick the game magazine" asked Kyle as he let out a small snigger.
Mike felt a little small at this but decided to retort to Kyle's comment. "Well if you have to know it's a computer magazine. Gaming ones are lame" he said as he opened it up to read it.
Kyle and Amanda exchanged a look while Amanda took a drink from her bottle of juice. It was going to be a long two hour drive.
Finally Mike entered the motel room that he alone was going to have. As he did he threw his case onto the bed and then slumped down onto it. The journey was much longer than he had ever thought it would be but he was glad to be there now. Tomorrow he would be seeing his band live in concert. Perhaps somehow he might be able to get an autograph. Probably not but he could dream.
The rest of the day was spent looking around the small motel they were in as well as finding somewhere nice to have something to eat. They were all pretty tired from the days travelling to do much else and Mike knew that Kyle would need quite a bit of sleep before tomorrow.
Finally it arrived, the day that they were going to see Linkin Park. The concert was not until 7 o clock on that night so all three of them went around to see some of the sights together. They went to see a lot of things, from the Empire State Building to the Statue of Liberty. They couldn't go inside of a lot of the sites, on account of having not enough time or money but they still managed to get a lot of good photos.
Finally the big night arrived and Mike and Kyle were standing in the line for the concert. They had something to eat already and were pumped with energy. Mike had gotten changed into a T Shirt with the band logo on it to show his appreciation and excitement. "I can't believe that this is actually happening man. I am so excited I could kiss you right now" said Mike as he kept on looking ahead of the cue to see how long until they would be served and let into the building. It wasn't long but for Mike it felt like a lifetime.
"Yeah, I'm taken mind so no fun stuff" said Kyle with a chuckle.
They continued waiting for a further half hour until it hit 6:45 when they were finally served, their tickets were snapped and they were let in. As they did they were almost deafened with the cheering and shouting. It was going to be very fun tonight.
Mike came out of the concert arena with his ears still not quite right. They had been very close to the speakers and it had been loud through the whole concert. Mike didn't mind it at all and concentrated on cheering. Kyle had had to get some ear plugs to stop some of the noise.
"That was the most amazing time ever....." said Mike still in total disbelief at what he had seen.
Kyle smiled at this and then put his hand to his ear and said "Whaattttt" in a drawn out voice in a deaf impersonation.
Mike laughed at this and then said "That was fucking amazing, I want to go back again tomorrow" and then looked at the new t shirt that had been thrown into the audience. It was too big for him to wear but he would put it up on the wall when he got home.
"Well I'm glad you enjoyed it Mikey, that's what makes it worthwhile" said Kyle as he smiled at Mike. Both of them continued the light banter until they got back to the motel. They didn't run into any trouble which shocked Mike considering the reputation that New York had. Maybe it was just over exaggerated.
Mike got back to his room, locked the door and then lay down on his bed. He quickly turned on the TV and began channel surfing but quickly just turned it off. He didn't feel like watching anything and he didn't have his laptop since he wanted to reduce his carrying weight, smart idea that was. Mike finally pulled out his phone and then dialled his favourite number, Derek's.
Mike dialled it and then heard the familiar "Hello?" from Derek.
"Hey yourself" said Mike as he smiled to himself with the remark.
Derek of course knew who it was but he said "It's you Mikey. I was beginning to think you didn't want to talk to me. How was your concert?" he asked Mike. Immediately he wished he had left it for a little while longer because for the next ten minutes Mike did nothing but talk about it. He talked about the band members, the songs they sung and how awesome they were live.
"....I wish you could have come" was how Mike finished when he stopped talking about it with Derek. He let out a small sigh with the thought of sharing this with his best friend and his boyfriend.
"I know Mikey, but there just wasn't enough tickets for three" said Derek as he smiled and then said "Don't worry next weekend it's just you and me and you'll love where we're going to go".
At this Mike shuddered slightly and then said "Well we'll see but I can see that smirk on your face as you said that". Mike had a very good knowledge of when Derek made facial expressions even though he couldn't see him.
Sure enough Derek dropped his smirk and then said "I also thought you should have some time apart with your other friends".
Mike could tell that it was painful for him to admit but he said "I appreciate it Derek, I intend to tell Kyle about us tomorrow so he'll know everything. If that's OK with you?" he asked Derek for approval.
Derek was a little shocked when Mike told him of the plan but after a few seconds he knew it would be a good idea in the long run. "Go for it Mikey, hopefully he'll not do anything or fall out with you" said Derek. He didn't know Kyle as much as Mike but he could tell that they were good friends and that he would probably be OK with it.
"Thanks Derek, it's good to know you have my back" said Mike as he thought of something else to say.
"How are things back home, anything from our black friend?" asked Mike as he thought about how quiet the black wolf had been. It was strange but he knew he had not seen the last of him.
"Quiet Mikey, nothing else to say, there hasn't even been any unusual scents in the forest or in any of the trails" said Derek.
They continued for a while talking about things of no consequence, mainly about their plans for school but also about next weekend. Mike couldn't get Derek to tell him where they were going at all. He wouldn't budge on the matter.
"We should be home by tomorrow night so if you want then you can come over to my house or I'll come over to your house" said Mike hoping that Derek would be up for it.
Without a hesitation Derek said "Yeah course Mikey" at a speed that left Mike a little freaked out. "I'll come over to yours tomorrow night when your back, you sure your rents won't mind?" asked Derek.
Mike scoffed and then said "Sure they won't mind, they like having people over. It gives my Mum a chance to cook" he finished.
They continued talking about tomorrow for a couple more minutes until they said goodnight and hung up the phone. Mike then took the time to call up his Mum and explain the plan for them coming back and also how the concert was.
Mike didn't spend quite as long on this phone call but when he came off the phone it was pretty late. Mike got out of his pants and wore nothing but his boxers and shirt when he went to his bed.
The next morning Mike, Kyle and Amanda were up quite early and went for breakfast at a local diner. The food was alright but Mike had a feeling that he would have preferred his Mum's cooking especially her pancakes.
When they had eaten and they were packed and ready to go it was home time. All three of them got into the car and headed off. This time however at least for the first part of the journey Mike sat in the front and Amanda in the back so she could sleep. From what Mike understood she had not slept right last night with a nightmare.
They all got into Kyle's green jeep and then headed off back to White Valley.
The journey for the next couple of hours was quite uneventful. It was only when Kyle asked him "So what did you think, was it worth a birthday present?" to Mike almost completely catching him off guard.
Mike stirred from his thoughts and then said "huh, ohhh yeah man it was awesome". He said it with a little less enthusiasm than he would have liked. He hoped that Kyle hadn't picked up on it but if he did he didn't say anything. "It was the best thing ever, and they sung everything I wanted" said Mike with a little more effort. "Thanks by the way, I heard what you did for me and I appreciate it" said Mike again.
Kyle nodded while he took a drink of juice while he drove the car. "Well if he is a friend of yours...." he said but cut himself off before he said anything more.
Mike thought about it for a few seconds, did Kyle know more than he was letting on. Had Mike let something slip or did Derek tell him. "Actually Kyle, there is....more to it that that" said Mike as he got ready to spill the beans. "Derek and I.....we're sort of a thing" said Mike as he waited for a reaction from Kyle. More than anything he wanted Kyle's approval on this. He didn't expect Kyle to like Derek but he hoped that he might put up with him while they were going out.
Kyle stared at him for a few seconds while thinking about what it was he had just been told. Contrary to what Mike would have expected Kyle smiled quite broadly at Mike.
This seemed to freak Mike out slightly before he worked up the nerve to ask "Soooo....your thoughts?"
Kyle smiled a little more normally and then said "Well that's awesome man. I never thought you would actually find someone and now you have the school jock" he answered. Kyle didn't seem too surprised to find out. Maybe he did suspect something before this time.
"Thanks Kyle, it's great to have the support of you behind me. But you're not angry at the fact that I said no to you before?" asked Mike trying to completely clear everything about them.
Kyle sat in thought for a few seconds, not saying a word and not moving. He seemed like a statue if not for his moving hair. "Mikey, we have been friends forever and although I did ask you. I'm past that now, I'm happy" he said in response to Mike's question. "I am happy with Amanda but I never told her about what I asked you and I would ask that you do the same" he said to his friend.
Mike nodded at this, he had agreed to this before and he completely understood Kyle's reasons for not telling. It could destroy their relationship if she found out and he didn't want to do that. It didn't matter now since they were both happy now anyway.
After this Kyle took a bit of fun out of Mike for ages until they stopped for a rest and woke Amanda. It was a small facility, a basic shop, place to get gas and a small diner. Mike went into the shop to relieve himself, get something to eat and drink and generally stretch his legs.
When they returned and went off back to White Valley again the seating arrangement was the same as they had went. Mike in the back with Amanda in the front with Kyle. Kyle looked about ready to fall asleep but he insisted he was alright.
When they were on the road a couple of hours Mike began to feel ill again, it was like he got in the forest by the town. His head was getting sore and his face and hands began to swell up slightly. He didn't make too much of a deal about it with either of the two people in front but Mike was getting more concerned about it now. Sometimes he wouldn't get anything for weeks and sometimes it would be every few days. He couldn't figure out what was causing it. Mike figured it might be a good time to go to the doctor.
Finally Kyle reached Mike's street and let Mike out of the jeep. He opened the back of the jeep and got out his bag. Kyle handed it to him as Amanda waited in the car for them. "Thanks again Kyle, this weekend was totally awesome" said Mike as he hugged his friend after shaking his hand. This was simply how close they were.
Kyle let him go and then said "Your always welcome man, you know that" and then slowly made his way to the jeep.
After he opened the door he turned and then said "Remember Avril Lavigne" and then winked to Mike before he shut the door. Kyle started up the car and then slowly made their way back onto the main road for Kyle to drive Amanda home.
It took Mike a second to think of what Kyle had meant, however after a few seconds he figured it out. Avril Lavigne was Kyle's favourite musical talent save for Bon Jovi. He must have wanted Mike to see if he could find tickets for her. For some reason this made Mike smirk a little as he imagined himself or Amanda with Kyle in the crowd.
Mike slowly made his way up to his house with his bag and then slowly opened the door. When he did he was greeted with the smell of pizza cooking in the oven. To Mike the smell was divine, it was almost 6 at night and Mike was starving.
"Mum, Dad?" Mike called to see which of his parents were in and sure enough he was greeted with an answer, the one he expected.
"Mike, is that you home?" asked the voice of Dominique, his mom.
As Mike went into the kitchen he saw that she was making something to eat, she was making chips from potatoes and put them into the over next to the pizza. "Your home Mike" she said stating the obvious.
Mike put down his bag and then yawned into his hand. "Yeah, the concert was awesome and it was amazing to get out of town with Amanda and Kyle" said Mike as he got a drink of water out the fridge. "What made you decide to make pizza?" asked Mike to his Mom.
Mike's Mom took a water bottle when he handed it to her and then said "Thanks Mike, so did you enjoy the concert" asked Dominique to her son.
So for the next half hour Mike went over how his trip had went, he covered the songs, the food, where they had stayed and everything else of value. By the time he was done the dinner was ready. At that time his father had come home.
"Hey Mike, how did you enjoy your trip to New York" he asked, and so again for the second time he went over what had already been said when they were eating.
Finally at 8 o clock Mike was finally able to escape to his room, when he got there the first thing he did was turn on his computer and check his e-mails. After he was done with this he went about trying to find out what could be wrong with him with his hands and face swelling and the occasional head and hand pains. He couldn't find anything solid about it despite looking for over half an hour.
Finally he came away from the computer and lay on his bed for a couple of minutes while he looked through his phone at the memories of the last couple of days. After he had done that he finally looked up his favourite phone number, the phone number of Derek.
"Hey Mikey boy, was just wondering when you were gonna hurry up and give me a call" said Derek as he answered the call in a rather teasing voice. Mike could tell he was in a good mood to hear from him, and he was pretty sure the feeling was mutual.
"Hey you idiot, how have you been?" asked Mike. He was surprised because he was getting good at Derek's sense of humor that he had gotten from Dimetri.
"Well if I had to be honest I would say bored shitless, went for runs, pissed a few times, listened to some tunes, you know the usual" he said as Mike imagined his eyes wondering around his room when he had said that.
So again for the third time Mike went over most of what had happened with the concert and everything in between with Derek. He took a little more time to explain this time though since it was Derek and although he respected his parents, they wouldn't take the same interest Derek would.
"So Kyle knows now huh? And he seems OK with it? That's awesome for you Mikey" said Derek over the phone.
Without meaning to Mike stepped into a big yawn, he tried to hide it but it was way late for that.
"OK Mikey, I can tell I'm boring you to death. I'm gonna go and let you get some sleep" said Derek in a pretending offended voice.
Mike shook his head and then said "No I.....yeah I'm kind of bushed but if you want to then we'll go into town for some fun". Mike flicked the phone to the other ear and continued speaking. "I have missed you the last couple of days and we can catch up with Bobby and Dimetri" he said trying to make plans for tomorrow.
"Yeah those guys will come out I'm sure, Bobby has to help his Dad in the morning, but he'll be free later on in the day" said Derek.
"OK then, I'll see you tomorrow, is that OK?" he asked as an excuse to go off the phone.
"Sure Mikey boy, I'll see you in the morning OK. Night" he said as he began to pull the phone away from his ear.
"Good night" said Mike as he too put down the phone.
For the rest of the night Mike went for a shower and looked out clothes for tomorrow. He had a feeling it was going to be an awesome day, not only was it only a four day week for school but he was getting to hang around with his boyfriend his two friends. Nothing else could be better.
Mike still felt a little bad for Kyle because he knew that he had to deliver Amanda back to her Father, legally it was his weekend to have her and he knew there would be trouble if he didn't. He would have to go see how he was tomorrow and if they had come up with any idea about a more permanent solution to the problem.
Mike got into bed and closed his eyes, tomorrow would be another day.
"Hey Mikey boy" said Derek as Mike walked into the town center. Mike got a shock when he heard the voice of Derek, it was a little louder than usual more than likely because he hadn't seen him all weekend.
"Hey Derek, how have you been. Did you miss me?" asked Mike as he embraced him in a hug. Mike was still a little embarrassed, not because of Derek but mostly if people looked.
Derek sniffed him for a second, another one of his stranger habits. It was obvious by the look on his face that Mike smelled a little bit different, probably due to being away from the area for the last couple of days. "You know I always miss you Mikey, it's painful for me even to be away from you for an hour" said Derek to his younger boyfriend.
Mike looked a little bit abashed at what Derek had said, however Derek smiled his evil way and then said "I didn't mean that you have to be glued to my ass Mikey, we can't be together 24/7" said Derek. This got a howl of laughter from both Dimetri and Bobby whom Mike just noticed for the first time.
Mike greeted them both with a bro-fist. Dimetri looked at him and then to his own fist and looked in admiration before saying "My god Mikey actually put effort in, his puny muscles might not be so puny anymore". As he finished saying this he made a couple of poses that made him look like he was trying to flex his muscles. "Are you feeling the burn" he said in a mock impersonation of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Mike went a little red and then swatted his arm with a rather feeble attack.
"See, now that's the Mikey we all know and Derek loves" he said as a rather huge grin appeared on his face.
"Yo asshole, shove it" said Derek as he interrupted Dimetri before he began mocking Bobby next, which would be a big mistake.
All three of them wondered around town for over four hours. They went to the bowling, to the arcade, to the football field and then to the swimming which was a first for them. Dimetri, Bobby and Derek had to be in their shorts. He knew what Derek looked like but he found Dimetri and Bobby weren't in too bad a shape either.
Bobby was quite big and his bulk showed this, he had a lot more steel to his body than Derek and his muscles looked like they wouldn't give way as easy.
Dimetri was a lot more ripped and a little bit small than Bobby and Derek but as with everything you wouldn't mess with him otherwise you would lose your head.
As they got to the indoor pool Mike went in with Dimetri while Bobby and Derek jumped in. Derek went over the deep end to dive in, while Bobby did a cannonball into the pool, making a small tidal wave.
Mike enjoyed swimming with them, they did swimming races as well as diving competitions and other things. Mike found that he was almost as good a swimmer as Dimetri who seemed to have practiced a lot more. He found it easier than Derek due to his slightly smaller frame.
Mike enjoyed being underwater with Derek because he could admire his body, and his package. He knew that Derek would be doing the same with him, if he wasn't already.
When it came dinner time when they came out of the swimming they decided to get a couple of large pizzas and eat them in the restaurant. Mike was beginning to get a little bored with pizza but after seeing the one that the woman had brought Mike could not say no to it.
"Man I don't think I could eat for another year" said Mike as he made a groaning noise with his "complaint". The others followed him out the door as Derek shut it.
"Yeah that was totally awesome" said Dimetri as he rubbed his stomach and looked at the time. It was now coming on nearly 7 o clock.
Derek asked him the time and he repeated it for him.
"That time huh?" asked Bobby even though he already knew the time. He picked up his bag and then said "OK guys I'm off, I'll see you at school tomorrow" and then bro-fisting the three of them and then began to walk off.
Mike and the other two members of the pack said their goodbyes to him and then began simply walking around town. It was darker now and Mike was beginning to think that he should head home also.
"Hey guys, listen I should get home. I have some stuff to do before tomorrow and I think you do too Dimetri" said Mike giving him the evil eye. Mike had continued their lessons in math and science and Dimetri was doing better but Mike never stopped reminding him of what he had to do.
"OK, alright Mom I'll get it done" he grumbled trying to keep Mike happy, Derek couldn't help but snigger.
Mike said his goodbyes also and then made his way home. From town he made his way onto the road and began walking alongside it. He didn't want to walk through the forest by himself yet. Although the black wolf hadn't showed up in a while that didn't mean they should let their guard down and hope he had went to a different part of the country, no Mike couldn't take that chance.
As his mind began to wonder Mike began to think thoughts of school tomorrow, especially of dodge ball and of chemistry. Mike let off a small shudder, it was like someone had put their finger and swept it up his bag. It felt like something was wrong.
As Mike brought his attention back to the road in general he noticed the other side of the road where the main body of the forest was. He couldn't explain how but it was like he could feel something was there. At this time Mike's heart began to beat a little faster as he worried about what it could possibly be.
At that moment he noticed a pair of eyes looking at him from the inside of the woods. Mike let out a small yelp and then began to back into the other side of the woods.
The eyes stepped out of the woods closer to him, as the creature did this Mike began to relax. The head attached to the eyes was a large silver color. There was also another set that appeared, these eyes were glowing a pair of bright green. They were attached to the slightly smaller and fluffier fur of Dimetri in his wolf shape.
Both of them crept out the forest toward him, Mike had to look back and forth on the road to make sure nothing was coming. It was a good thing there wasn't because both wolves went in the middle of the road and waited for something.
"Hey guys, are you here to escort me home?" asked Mike smiling at both of them.
Dimetri let out a huff and nodded his head in a "yes" gesture you would normally associate with humans. As used to them as he was Mike still found these gestures strange, it constantly reminded him of the fact that both wolves were of human intelligence.
Mike began to walk over the road and into the passage where Dimetri and Derek both came from, both of them followed him and off they set back to Mike's home.
Instead of going on the back of either of them they all walked to Mike's house together. It was a nice pace and because of the wolves Mike never felt alone or scared despite how dark it was. According to what both of them had said they could both see in the dark as well as during the day. It was also for that reason that both of their eyes had a glow to them. Mike didn't find it eerie at all because he knew the wolves.
Mike held onto Derek's fur as he had them through the woods. It still amazed him how warm his boyfriend was, he really was going out with the big bad wolf. True Bobby was bigger but he didn't have anything on Derek's speed.
Finally they arrived back at the street leading into Mike's house. The light began to reveal itself and Mike was glad to be able to see.
As he looked back at the two wolves he said "Thanks guys, I'll be OK but.....you guys are the best. You came out of here just to see me home when I could have done it myself. That means a lot" said Mike as he smiled a warm genuine smile.
Dimetri came over and licked his hand as he extended it but after doing so ran back into the forest. He expected Derek to follow but when he didn't Mike wondered what was happening.
Derek walked over to Mike and put his head in between his arms. Mike didn't expect this but he hugged Derek's massive neck as he put his head over his shoulder. Mike found this a little strange but very comforting. Being so close to his boyfriend was always good but this was something else, something special.
"Thanks Derek, you really are the best guy I could ever ask for" said Mike as he let Derek go. Derek began to walk away a small distance and then waited as Mike picked his bag and then began to walk toward his home.
As Mike looked back Derek let out a small howl of happiness and then began to run back into the forest, presumably back to his house or maybe to explore a little.
Mike got in and more or less got something eat and sat in his room for the next couple of hours before getting his bag ready for school and then headed to bed. He had a feeling he was going to enjoy school over the a lot tomorrow.
Mike walked up to the front of the school which was over crowded already with people waiting for 9 o clock.
"Yeah, Amanda's Mom is pretty upset that she can't spend any time with her daughter at the weekend anymore" said Kyle as he looked at Mike with tired looking eyes.
Mike nodded and then said "I know man, I feel for her and for you but what can you do about it. Her father pretty much has everyone's hands tied". Mike opened the doors and then they headed in.
"It's OK, you don't need to worry about it. Were still thinking and we'll figure it out somehow" said Kyle as he opened his locker and got out his books before closing it. Mike did the same but didn't say anything at first.
"Kyle, your my bro. We'll figure this out somehow count on that" said Mike as he took out his book and shut the locker. "Listen I'll catch up with you at lunch" said Mike as he waved a bit to Kyle.
Kyle did the same and shouted "Sure man, see you later" and then began to walk in the opposite direction.
Mike continued to the door where he would go into history. He couldn't wait he thought with a certain amount of sarcasm.
The day flew in pretty fast for Mike although lunch was the best part of the day. He was able to sit for lunch with Kyle and then went out with Derek for a little while before they had to get in for Gym.
Mike hated dodge ball, even as he got his shorts and t shirt on he had a certain amount of trepidation to him. He knew that Kevin and his gang would be out for him, they always were despite Derek's warning to them. The warning had some effect but whenever Derek was not around they would pick on him. Mike never told Derek since he didn't want to appear weak.
As Mike stood in the line he awaited to see who would get the ball first. He always tried to avoid it if he could.
He heard a "Pssst" sound as the coach was talking and then turned around to see Kevin looking at him and smiling evilly like he had just stolen candy from a baby. He made an impression of a ball shaped object hitting his head and then pointed to Mike. Clearly it was meant to be that he would be aiming for Mike.
Derek wasn't in this class, neither was Dimetri or Bobby so they couldn't even help him. He was on his own now.
As the game began Mike immediately got out the way of whomever had the ball first, it was clearly not going to be his game. Mike would have almost taken ballroom dancing over this.
The game went on for around five minutes while Mike managed to dodge out of the way but eventually it happened, Mike felt the thumping impact of the ball hitting him on the side of the head. Mike fell to the ground hard and held his head. He could have sworn that steel had just been thrown at him and not leather.
When he could make out people and faces again he seen Kevin's friend Pearce sniggering and then high fiving Kevin. Clearly the game was over now, he must have been one of the last to be out. Mike wanted to make them pay but he knew it was a fool's errand they were much bigger than him.
In the locker room Mike was alone and getting changed back into his normal clothes. His head was still thumping but he knew that it wouldn't swell any worse than his face had the last few times. It was then that Mike hit himself. He had forgotten to book an appointment at the doctors, he would have to do that soon.
As Mike left the locker room he heard a voice say to him "Enjoy your trip queer?".
Mike didn't have to even look to know who it was, he turned to see Kevin and Nigel just standing them laughing at him. "Yeah, had a nice trip" said Mike trying to walk away without a second care.
"Well we should have hit you harder" said Kevin as he dropped the snigger and banged the wall next to Mike.
Mike lost his temper slightly and put his hands up and asked "What....What the fuck do I have to do to get you to leave me alone? It's the fucking last year at school and you want to make my life a misery? Grow up" said Mike in a rather bold statement.
Obviously Kevin hadn't thought so as he went up to Mike's face and then shouted at him spitting all the while "Listen queer you shouldn't be at this school. You and your fucking pack make this place look bad and smell even worse. If I could I would fucking bury you six feet under" he said as he spat at Mike and then turned to leave.
No sooner had he done so that Mike heard a punching noise of a fist connecting to flesh.
As Mike turned to see what was happening after whipping snot off his face he seen Kevin covering his face and Derek looking at him with murder in his eyes. Nigel had pissed off from the fight as soon as Derek had showed up.
"....you so much as look at him the wrong way I'll tear out your eyeballs and feed them to you" said Derek as he twisted Kevin's arm and then kicked him to the ground. It looked quite painful.
Kevin spat on the ground next to Derek and then walked away. Before Derek could rise up to this challenge Mike stopped him saying "Don't Derek, I don't want you to get suspended for murder".
Derek held Mike's hand and then said "If he ever does that to you again, find me and I'll bury him six feet under". Mike found the attention flattering but he didn't want Derek getting into trouble from doing something to Kevin.
For the rest of the day, and indeed the rest of the week everything went fine for Mike in school. Other than a few dirty looks he didn't get any attention from Kevin and his gang. Tuesday had been the worst incident in weeks, it was obvious that Kevin didn't like him but to actually say those things about not only him but the people who protected him. It was insane enough for a talk show.
Mike got out of school on Friday in high spirits, tomorrow was his birthday and also the day he would spend with Derek all on his own. He was getting a life home with Kyle again in his green jeep.
Once they got home Mike said goodbye to Kyle for the weekend until Sunday. Kyle knew he would be away most of the weekend but he had promised to go to dinner with Kyle and Amanda on Sunday and he had even jokingly suggested a double date.
"Happy Birthday my son" said Dominique as Mike literally closed the door. Mike jumped slightly since his mom had said that she had needed to go see his old Granny at the nursing home.
Mike had to slap himself on the head for being so short sighted as he thought about it. She had gone to the Nursing home to collect a card for Mike from his Gran.
"Mom I thought you would be out?" said Mike as more of a statement than a question.
On the table was an impressive cake which was obviously baked by his mom, she always outdid herself and Mike felt honoured that she had made it for him.
"Son, you don't think I would forget about your birthday?" she asked him as she gave him a hug. As she moved away she pulled him out a card.
Mike quickly opened the card and then began to read it. It was a large blue card with the standard "Happy Birthday" and $200 in it. Mike hugged his Mom again and looked as she was about to hand him another one.
"Hey, I'm home" said the voice of Ethan, Mike's dad. He made his way into the kitchen and then sat down on the table next to the cake. He noticed the cake and then said "Smells good" and was about to poke a bit to eat.
Dominique slapped his hand a little and then said "Wait a minute".
"Hi dad, how come your home to early" asked Mike with a quizzing look on his face.
At this Ethan smiled and then said "I got home early for once so I could say happy birthday to you, and so I could get some cake" he said looking a bit sheepish.
Mike smiled at him and then gave him a hug also, he knew that he would have helped to get the cake if he could if he weren't working.
"Here Mike, happy birthday" said Ethan as he handed Mike a card. Mike opened the card with care so not to destroy the envelope.
Mike opened it to reveal a smaller black card with the standard "Happy 18thBirthday" on it. However what was inside made Mike smile. Inside of the card was a little card that when Mike looked at it said that he would get free driving lessons for two months. Mike was gobsmacked because something like this would have cost a fair bit of money.
"Thanks Dad, but do you think I'm ready?" he asked looking at both cards.
"Course my man, I wouldn't have got you them if I didn't think you couldn't handle it" he said as he petted Mike's hair.
Mike fixed his hair and then smiled to both his parents again.
Over the next hour they had a bit of cake and caught up on what was happening over the weekend. Mike was going to be out until Sunday with Derek while Mike's mom and dad enjoyed some time to themselves as Mike's dad had finally gotten some well deserved time off work. Overall it would be a good weekend.
Later than night Mike was standing out the front of the gate with his bags waiting on Derek coming with the car he had borrowed from his dad. Mike's parents were in the house because they had already said their goodbyes. Mike didn't bring anything except the essentials like his wallet and phone. No laptop as Derek had said he wouldn't have needed them.
"Hey good looking" said Derek with the window down so Mike would hear him.
Mike smiled and then went down to the car and dumped his bags inside of the boot. Mike was in a very good mood now as he shouted "See you tomorrow" to his parents.
His mom waved out the window as Mike looked at the world go by as he left his street and went onto the main road bound for wherever they had to go.
"So are you going to tell me yet where were going?" asked Mike in a questioning look to Derek.
Derek waved his eyes looking at him for a split second and then said "It's a secret and as with all good magicians I am not telling yet" and then stuck his tongue out.
Mike then rolled his eyes before saying "Fine" in a pretend pout.
The journey to wherever they were going was peaceful with only light conversation, along the lines of things like school, their relationship and even the Moon-Born subject. Mike always liked learning about his boyfriend, all of him.
"So what did you get for your birthday?" asked Derek when he finally remembered.
Mike held up the driving lessons and then said "I hope I'm not too dangerous with them" and tried to hide a smirk.
Derek barked out howling in laughter and then said "Yeah I can smell some Grand Theft Auto shit there" before he looked out the side of the mirror and turned into a turn in on the side of the road.
When Mike looked out the side he saw that they looked to be at what could only be described as the middle of nowhere. Mike wasn't initially impressed about where they were, at least until they came out and into the middle of a clearing. In the middle of the clearing there was a little cabin that seemed to have been made from the trees in the forest, as they looked to be the same kind of wood.
Mike was in awe at it, it was only one level but it didn't look as if it had been touched by anyone for years. "This is what you wanted to show me?" he asked Derek as Derek pulled the car to a stop.
Mike and Derek got out the car and got their bags that they would need for the weekend. Mike left the car and headed to the cabin. Derek opened the door and they went inside. Inside was fairly basic in itself, a small TV a couple of sofas, a fridge freezer, a fire and other such things. One could live here for ages if they had to.
"It's awesome Derek but where did you find it?" asked Mike to his boyfriend as he sat some of his clothes on the large double bed.
Derek started unpacking a couple of things like loo roll and toothpaste. When he had done so he came back to Mike and answered the question, "My family owns it, my Dad helped build it but when my Dad's friend died he got it fully. We sometimes come up here for a small vacation" he said as he went to get the cabin ready for the next few days.
Mike helped out as best he could but Derek suggested that he go and have a look around outside since he couldn't be much help in the cabin at the moment. Mike normally wouldn't be shifted outside but he was curious about what was around the area of interest.
Mike spent the better part of an hour out in the chilly fall air, it felt cool against the skin but Mike could feel that it would probably get colder that night. Good thing he had something better than a blanket to hold up to.
Finally Mike was invited back into the cabin by Derek. When he entered he sighed in amazement, the cabin was now looking more like a living house, the lights were fixed, the sofa had new pillows and the fire was on. Overall Mike knew at this moment that he was going to enjoy it here.
Mike and Derek had something to eat, a couple of Cheese Burgers that they had brought with them. They had enough food so they wouldn't have to do any shopping. They had come here to have fun and have fun is what they would do.
When it came time for bed Mike found the cabin slightly cold but he couldn't wait to get into bed with Derek. Both of them lay next to each other in their boxers not caring what happened in the world around them. After a long day of travelling to the site they both fell asleep pretty quickly in each other's arms. Before he went to sleep Mike's last thoughts were of Derek, of where they were, of his parents, his friends and his life in general. For Mike this life was nothing short of perfect.
When Mike awoke the next morning he felt refreshed and ready for whatever the day would bring. He went down to the small toilet and began to brush his teeth. He started but as he did he noticed something unusual about his face. Once again it was quite swollen, he couldn't figure out what was causing it. Was it something to do with the cabin, he would need to find out soon by visiting the doctor.
It wasn't causing him pain so he ignored it for now. He finished brushing his teeth in time to smell the breakfast that Derek was making. "Morning Mikey boy" said Derek as he picked up a plate and gave it to Mike. Derek had made pancakes for them. They looked so nice that Mike was tempted to drool.
"Morning Derek" said Mike as he took a bite of his pancake and waited for Derek to do so also. As they ate Mike brought up the marks on his face again.
Derek had a look but couldn't think of anything that may have caused it. He made the same advice everyone did, going to the doctor. "Sorry Mikey, I'm no biologist" said Derek in an apologetic face.
When they were done with breakfast Mike and Derek went for a hike in the woods, unlike the ones at home Derek didn't know these ones off by heart and couldn't find every little nook and cranny. This made it a little more exciting for both of them. Derek would sometimes run off and then appear out of nowhere sneaking up on Mike, which both excited and sometimes annoyed Mike because Derek was much faster than Mike was, he would be even if he were a normal human.
When they got back to the cabin Mike was hungry so they had some lunch of a pizza and some chips. Mike was getting a little tired of pizza but he didn't blame Derek because he wasn't to know.
After lunch they both headed down to the lake a couple of miles away from the cabin. Mike didn't enjoy this walk as much as Derek did because it took a lot out of him to get through the oddly shapes passages.
"Come on Mikey, lose weight and feel great" said Derek echoing words he had heard from Dimetri earlier. He was trying to get Mike to push himself to try and get some muscle on him.
"Geez Derek, I'm not part wolf I can't walk through treacherous passages like normal people walk through a garden" said Mike giving him an annoyed look. Mike didn't hate Derek but he wouldn't be able to go as fast as Derek no matter how much he nagged.
Finally they arrived at the river and sitting down at the shore side was a small dock with a pair of paddle boats at it. The paddle boats just seemed to have been waiting there for them.
"How did they get there?" asked Mike wanting to know how Derek had found them.
Derek pointed to them and then said "Well they were here before, they are for anyone to use as long as you put them back" and with that he picked up one of the paddles on one of the boats. As he did he stood on the boat and then lowered himself into it quite gracefully for someone of his size.
Mike picked up the paddle to the other boat and then set himself down on it and grabbed the other paddle. Mike wasn't too sure how he was going to do this as he had never even set foot in a boat before and now he had to paddle one.
"Derek, this is fucking stupid" said Mike as he took a fit with his inability to paddle. He had gone around in circles at least eight times.
Derek quickly rowed back and then took the paddle from Mike before he threw it in the water. "Mikey, calm down your getting your thong in a twist for no reason" he said as he showed Mike the finer details on how to do it.
About fifteen minutes had passed and they were both now in the middle of the lake just enjoying the water and rowing peacefully. Obviously something about this was not appealing to Derek as before Mike knew it Derek stood up and then said "Mikey, come on try it. This is awesome", he tried to keep his balance which Mike admitted he was doing quite well.
Mike slowly tried getting to his feet for a minute as he struggled to remain upright and not rock the small boat.
"This is kind of easy Derek" said Mike as he smiled at Derek and then held his arms out in order to keep his balance. However it was simply not to be, as soon as Mike did this he lost his footing and then fell out of the boat and into the water.
"Fuck, fuck fuck fuck" said Mike as he fell the chill of the water all over his body, cooling him all at once.
Mike heard a splash next to him as he seen Derek dive into the water to join him.
"Are you insane, it's freezing" said Mike as he watched Derek float next to him.
"Maybe, but I'm like a boyfriend heater for you" said Derek as he winked and then put his body close to Mike's.
Both of them floated like this for a few minutes not saying or doing anything. Mike just held his head and body close to Derek's. His Moon-Born boyfriend was so warm he probably didn't feel the water being cold.
"Maybe we should go and get you dried before you catch a chill" said Derek to Mike as they both started swimming to the edge of the water.
When they reached the edge of the water Mike felt instant relief but he knew that he had to get out of the clothes before he caught something. He was sick enough as it was with his face being swollen still.
"Mikey, listen I still have to go get the boats so I'm gonna take you back and then go get them OK. I won't be too long" said Derek as he began walking with Mike toward the cabin they had for the weekend.
When they reached it Mike said to Derek "Don't take too long, I'll be counting" he said pointing to his arm in an impersonation of a watch.
Derek smiled quite heavily and then learned in and stole a kiss from Mike, not a big one but a smaller one. He was sure they would make up for that a little later.
Mike noticed that it was getting into late afternoon nearly evening time. He went into the cabin and found a new set of clothes to wear, a pair of shorts, a t shirt and some slippers. He didn't figure they would be going anywhere once Derek came back.
It had been a little over ten minutes and Mike was beginning to get bored waiting for Derek to come back. "Geez, I thought he was supposed to be faster than most people" said Mike grumbling to himself.
Mike stood up and then went to the door to the cabin and opened it. Immediately he was hit by the cool night air. The air stung his face and refreshed him, the air felt different around here than it did at home. It was probably due to this place seeing very limited contact with people.
Mike went inside and got a drink of water from a bottle in the bags they had brought with them and began drinking it as he admired the view.
After a few minutes Mike noticed something in the clearing, it was darker so he couldn't see it exactly but it looked like it was moving slowly toward him. Mike tilted his head to the side and then squinting his eyes tried to see what it was. From what he could see it looked like it was on four legs, a wolf he guessed. Mike smiled a bit as he went toward the figure.
"Derek, are you trying that shit again come on man it doesn't work" said Mike almost laughing at it.
However as Mike went toward the figure he tried to make out the silver of Derek's fur color. As he did he noticed that the figure didn't appear to be getting lighter, in fact it seemed to be getting darker.
Mike's heart nearly skipped a beat as he saw the face that haunted his nightmares for months now. Mike turned and began running back toward the cabin. He didn't bother to turn around but he could hear a ferocious snarl and growling noises behind him as the beast came to get him.
Before he could be intercepted by the beast Mike got into the cabin and locked the door. However he knew that wouldn't work forever. He could hear the black beast pounding at the door trying to get in.
Mike ran into the bathroom, the one without any windows and a lock on the door and then hid himself in it. He thankfully had the phone in his pocket and immediately dialled Derek's number.
"Come on Derek, if there was ever a time" said Mike as he listened.
The voice on the phone however simply said "Could not connect the call, please try again later".
Mike cursed the phone and then put it in his pocked as he heard a large bang at the side of the wall next to the backroom. Mike jumped a little in fright.
This was it he was going to die here, nobody could protect him from what was coming. He would end up as a slave of this beast or worse.
"I'm not dying without a fight" said Mike as he quickly undid the latch to the door and then quickly ran to his bags. As he did he heard the beast go to the front door again and start banging it.
Mike quickly got to the kendo stick that he had with him, he didn't expect to need it on this trip but he was glad that he kept it with him.
"Come on, son of a bitch" said Mike and at that moment the door's resistance gave way and the black beast came in the door snarling and drooling.
Mike readied himself to strike any part of the beast he could and waited for him to make the next move.
The black wolf quickly ran toward Mike, for what he didn't know but he knew that he had to move now. Mike quickly got out the way as the wolf went over his head and landed a little behind him. Mike then took the time to make a move and hit the black wolf.
Mike hit the kendo stick at the wolf intending to hit the creature's side but the wolf was smarter and attempted to get the stick in his teeth. The moment the wolf did the creature's snout started smouldering slightly and the black wolf quickly let go and growled in a higher tone that normal.
The kendo stick had worked and Mike didn't need to take a second longer to get out the cabin. Mike did so and leapt off the path and into the woods. As he ran he heard large footsteps behind him. He didn't stop running through to even look until something appeared in front of him.
When Mike had the nerve to look up he seen a sight for sore eyes, his boyfriend in his wolf form.
Mike hugged Derek and his tears flowed freely into Derek's fur.
At this Derek let out a challenging howl to defend his boyfriend. Mike was sure that nobody else except the wolf would hear the howl and that was the way he wanted it. Mike knew that Derek wasn't going to let the wolf live this time.
Derek turned his head first and Mike followed as they heard a loud growling noise coming for both of them, they knew who it was and as expected the wolf came out of the forest and stopped in front of them. He now had a cut on his lip on the upper side and was drooling slightly because of it, or perhaps snarling was a better word.
The wolf leapt toward Derek as Mike readied himself for battle, Derek moved out the way and attempted to take the creature by the leg but the black was smarter and got Derek in the neck at the exact moment he had tried to grab his leg. The black wolf began to shake Derek around trying to break his neck.
Mike felt something inside of him snap, almost like an instinct to protect Derek as much as Derek had protected him. He then swung as hard as he could and hit the stick into the cranium of the black wolf.
The smell and the howling that followed was almost unbearable to the ears. Mike could swear that he hadn't felt anything like it inside of his head before. The noise rung out like he hadn't heard ever, so much so he was forced to cover his ears.
As soon as the howling had stopped Mike looked at the damage. The black wolf was snarling worse than ever and looked ready to kill them both. The black wolf quickly headed toward Derek again and without much thought jumped on top of Derek and the two of them started brawling on the ground, biting and clawing like wild animals.
Mike looked for a chance to strike the black wolf to maybe make him retreat if Derek couldn't kill him first. Mike was through with kindness for the wolf it was too rabid and needed to go.
Finally Derek kept the black wolf for a second or two for Mike to get a shot with the stick.
Mike got a gleam in his eye and then took the chance to strike with all his might. However as he did he looked on in horror as something happened.
The black wolf quickly shook Derek and moved him into the line of where Mike had original aimed. Mike tried to stop himself but he couldn't and when the hit connected Mike looked in horror as the kendo stick burned Derek.
As Mike quickly removed it a second later Derek had a large burn mark on his shoulder blade. He tried to get up with all his strength but his left side kept on giving up on him. Derek wasn't able to walk properly now thanks to him.
Mike dropped the kendo stick and then fell to the ground himself. He was horrified, he had hurt Derek when he was supposed to help him. How could he have been so stupid, no human could compete with a Moon-Born, he had been a fool to try.
Mike felt tears stream from his eyes as he watched the black wolf go over to Derek and grab him by the neck and begin shaking him. He was trying to kill Derek when he couldn't defend himself and Mike had no way of helping him.
Mike fell to his knees and grabbed the dirt in the ground, he had failed to protect Derek when he needed him to help just one time and now it was going to cost him his life. However something snapped within Mike when he considered those words.
No, Derek wasn't going to die as Mike would make sure of it.
Mike felt his whole body start to tingle with energy, it felt like he wanted to crawl out of his own skin because it itched all over. It bordered on painful except for the fact that it made him feel....good in not so many words.
Mike got to his feet again and looked at his hands. His hands were beginning to swell again, however this time they were at their worst and Mike could see it happening to his legs and feet also. The next thing he felt was that his face began to feel strange.
Mike began to feel his face change, his mouth began to change as he felt it begin to extend and his teeth begin to sharpen to pointed canines, his nose extended until he had a black nose instead of his own one, his ears began to become more pointed and his head began to grow more and more hair.
The rest of his body began to erupt with more and more hair, he could feel his whole bone structure changing to accommodate what was happening to him. His feet and hands changed into large paws with sharp claws for tearing into things. Finally he was down on his paws as he felt the clothes he was wearing torn apart and now on the ground. He stood with his paws on the ground as he felt his tail go from side to side.
*What has happened to me? *Asked Mike to himself as he looked around in his new wolf eyes. Mike could not believe what had happened, it felt like an eternity but the changes had taken less than three seconds. Mike could not believe this, he had become a Moon-Born.
Mike looked at his wolf companion on the ground as Derek looked up as if he didn't know who he was but with a certain fondness in his eyes.
Mike let out a loud thunder like growl from between his dagger white teeth. He stood almost as tall as Derek, with a little bit smaller a muscle mass but still bigger and more powerful than Dimetri. His fur was a very light brown, in stark contrast to Dimetri's dark brown fur. He had white fur going down from his mouth all the way down his underside which was his most distinguishing feature.
Mike was not going to either kill or be killed here as he set his green eyes on the black wolf, intent on making him pay.