Chapter Eleven – Contradictions
Theodore felt a muscle twitching in his jaw as he glared at the human guardian. Vince kept staring defiantly at him, which meant that direct threats would get him nowhere.
"Very well," he said, barely containing his rage. "I must warn you. It will be, without a doubt, a dangerous journey. Do not count on me for one moment to protect you. You join me at your own peril. Let that sink in for a moment."
"There's nothing to sink in, and there's no sink," the clairvoyant intervened. "You will protect us, because without us, you won't be able to find this wisdom tree. By the way, do you run wild and free? Somehow, you don't strike me as the type."
The field mouse finished his little speech and crossed his arms. His attempt to impersonate the guardian and his stalwart attitude would have made Theodore smile for a moment under different circumstances.
Jack's eyes went wide. He pointed at Theodore – rudely – and grabbed the guardian's arm. "He is smiling!"
"I am not smiling!" Theodore protested. Could it be that he had lost control of his facial muscles for a moment there?
"Ah, maybe I was wrong," Jack backpedaled. "The thing is, Theo, you can't find this place without us. As much as you dislike babysitting, you'll have to be on the lookout for our wellbeing. We promise not to be a burden. Most of the time. In exchange, we need to make sure--"
Theodore wasn't interested in listening to them anymore. He began walking, which made both humans hurry after him.
"Where are we going?" Vince asked, effortlessly falling in step with him. Behind them, the field mouse complained about having to break into a run just to keep up.
"We will find the place beyond the veil. My pack cannot be revived, but I can still have my revenge."
"Wait!" Jack shouted.
It had to be another trick; the field mouse couldn't walk as fast as his companions, and he wasn't above using any means at his disposal to make the others stop.
"We can't go just yet," the clairvoyant continued.
"Why not?" Theodore said, not bothering to hide his annoyance.
"We need to stay for the wedding," Jack replied promptly.
"What wedding?" Theodore sputtered, beyond fed up with the crazy things this cute rodent was getting up to.
"Danny's and Ryder's, obviously," Jack returned in kind.
Vince moved to take Jack by the shoulders in a protective gesture. "We'll go to the wedding first."
"We will leave right away," Theodore said, clenching his fists and getting into the guardian's face.
Vince stood his ground. "No. My best friend is getting married, and I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Theodore sensed his anger rising like a flood inside him. He needed these two humans or else he'd leave now without looking back. Although a part of him wanted to press Vince for the location of that world beyond the veil, he was well aware that the rest of him wanted the opposite.
Yes, the rest of him wanted to enjoy the company of these two humans for a while longer. His wolf, in particular, wanted to be close to the field mouse and the human guardian. In many ways, he was like a pup who was missing the affection of a family. Despite Theodore's efforts to become cold and detached from anything that didn't serve him or his purpose of obtaining his revenge, there was always that – a lingering desire for a pack of his own.
What was he thinking? He'd never have a pack again. Using these strange companions as a stand-in for his pack was a surefire way for him to lose his mind and the last shreds of dignity he still possessed.
***
"That wasn't hard at all," Jack commented as soon as they were back in their not-so-humble abode. Vince had to admit that he was rightfully impressed with everything Ryder's pack was capable of, like establishing this beautiful settlement in the woods away from what was considered the civilized world with its modern conveniences.
He'd have to spend all of his vacation days in order to follow Theodore on his quest. Would he still have a job when he got back from this adventure? Would he even return from this adventure to begin with? As a guardian, Vince had always planned on how to keep his charge safe, but not himself.
"Do you mean it about Theodore agreeing to attend the ritual, after all?" he asked.
"Yes," Jack said right away in a cheerful voice. "Wait, do you think he might cry because he's not the one getting married?"
Vince snorted. "Can you imagine that cold man crying?"
Jack sucked on his bottom lip, making all sorts of sounds. "Not really, no. But now I'm thinking, though. Isn't it cruel to make him watch an alpha getting his mate, when he doesn't have one? I feel bad."
"We are the ones who'll accompany him on his journey to find his pack. I don't think he'll feel that bad. He has us."
"Okay. But no butt sex, okay? I mean, from him to me."
Vince couldn't pass up such a perfect occasion to tease Jack. "Ah, so you're telling me that you're perfectly okay with me getting a dicking from our arrogant annoying alpha?"
Jack took a moment to ponder the question. "Wow, Vee. I just pictured it."
"What? The dicking?" Vince asked playfully.
Jack nodded slowly. "Yes, and seriously, it looked really sexy in my head. I mean, you're so buff. But you shouldn't be the guy taking it."
"Aww, what makes you say that?" Vince continued to tease his cute friend.
"I mean," Jack said, moving close and grabbing Vince's upper arms, "you're damn thick. Like in muscular, not chubby. And Theo is strong but slender. Something tells me he's going to have to work hard to get you off. He seems like an overachiever to me."
"I don't mind the sexy scenario, but we should focus on more important things. Like what we should wear to the ritual. I know it's nothing like a regular wedding, but I suppose we should find something appropriate to wear."
"They left clothes for us," Theodore announced, taking Vince and Jack by surprise.
Jack jumped for show and then leaned forward to share his little secrets with Vince. "He moves as silently as a cat, I swear. I never know when he's right behind me."
Theodore, go figure, was standing right behind Jack. Vince felt his lips twitching; he enjoyed watching the mighty Theodore Pembroke getting annoyed by someone of Jack's size a bit too much. The city clairvoyant truly compensated for his tiny size in heart and guts.
And Vince had all kinds of thoughts and scenarios popping up in his mind, too, despite telling himself that he had to be serious about the situation and the dangers that most likely waited for them ahead. One of them starred the tiny clairvoyant bouncing on his cock and enjoying the hell out of the ride.
***
The scent was still driving him crazy. Theodore had searched Jack's belongings for any sign of that offensive-smelling pastry and came up empty. So it had to be him. Although he'd never had a sweet tooth, Theodore couldn't help the sensation he experienced whenever he was too close to the field mouse. His fangs threatened to show themselves and tingled in anticipation of tasting the clairvoyant.
"By the way," Jack interrupted his train of thought, "my shoulder still hurts. Weren't you supposed to do something about it?"
Theodore stared at the daring clairvoyant, utterly nonplussed. What could he possible mean by that?
"You said," Jack reminded him, his pretty eyes boring holes into Theodore's face, "you would lick it and make it as good as new. Or something like that."
Theodore passed his tongue over his upper teeth and snarled. Jack took a step back, searching for Vince with one hand. The guardian was watching the scene unfold, looking annoyingly amused.
"You did say that," Vince added. "And now we get to see if your wolf is any good."
Theodore sensed his nostrils flaring. These humans were bent on getting on his nerves and determined to get him to do something stupid. But a promise was a promise, even if one made in the heat of the moment.
"Undress," he ordered.
They were in the large living room, and the temperature was just right. Yet, the field mouse wrapped his arms around himself as if he'd just been ordered to strip on a floating iceberg.
"You could buy me dinner first," Jack admonished him.
"Weren't you the one in pain? It looks to me like you're just yapping your mouth," Theodore warned. The sight of the clairvoyant's pale skin had pushed his wolf faster into doing something stupid. But the guardian was there, and Theodore was sure he wouldn't allow Jack to get hurt.
"Okay," Jack agreed with a long sigh. "But no funny business, okay? None of that bullshit with you transforming into a huge wolf and pouncing on me like you want to breed me or something."
Theodore had to bite down on his bottom lip hard. The things that left Jack's mouth didn't help at all. He was barely holding in an army of hidden desires and longings he'd forgotten about, and this smart-ass human was definitely trying to rile him up.
"You will need to become accustomed to my wolf," Theodore said. "If you're going to act scared every time I'm in my wolf shape, our journey together will be, without a doubt, difficult and tenuous."
"Okay, okay," Jack hurried to agree. "We can't have that. That means that you do need to show us your wolf. Wait, let me prepare a little." He began performing a long and exaggerated ritual of breathing in and out.
Theodore waited impatiently, giving Jack a long glare that hopefully conveyed everything he couldn't put into words for fear that it would all mutate into a long conversation that led nowhere.
"I'm ready now, go ahead," Jack said.
Vince had plopped down on the sofa and was watching them with unhidden amusement. The guardian was one of those people who had a positive outlook on life and all that. Theodore almost felt as if he could start liking him.
Jack was cautious as he removed his t-shirt, which he managed to pull over his head with some difficulty. Theodore's hands itched to rip it away from him, but he knew too well that he might just lean into his darkest desires if he dared do that.
***
Okay, so he hadn't ever witnessed someone, let alone two guys, staring at him like he was dinner. Or lunch. Or breakfast. Which one of the three was the most important meal of the day? Jack had no idea right now.
No, correction. Jack had no idea about anything as his eyes moved from Theo to Vee and then back again to the alpha of Whiteflame.
Maybe his shoulder didn't hurt that badly. Maybe he could put his t-shirt back on and pretend everything was fine. And later, maybe he could ask Ryder to find one of the wolves in his pack to give his hurt shoulder a proper licking. Like that guy Meryl. He seemed nice. He didn't look like someone who'd take a chunk out of him just because Jack looked unusually tasty to this kind of people.
He laughed awkwardly and tried to put his plan in motion. "I think I'm good, actually," he said as he tried to get back into his t-shirt.
He yelped as Theodore snatched the flimsy piece of fabric out of his hands and tore it in two.
"Hey, I loved that t-shirt," he protested. "It was a family heirloom, passed down through generations."
"It was a rag," Theo retorted and moved closer.
Jack felt his shoulder throbbing again. It was true that he needed medical attention. But if he could get it from anywhere else—
He stopped thinking altogether as Theo leaned forward and locked eyes with him.
"Your eyes are really pretty," he blurted out.
A low chuckle that made his skin turn to goosebumps everywhere rumbled from the alpha wolf before him.
"Get it out of your head that you can seduce me, field mouse."
"Who's trying to do that?" Jack protested, but not for long.
Theo transformed slowly until he was a huge white wolf with eyes just as blue as his human.
Jack jumped as the wolf rested one huge paw on his good shoulder. "Sorry," he said, "I have little to no experience in being this close to an animal that could kill me or devour me."
Theo's wolf ignored him and began licking his hurt shoulder.
"That tickles," Jack commented but endured the sensation.
It wasn't half-bad. Actually, it felt like the thing Theo was doing to him took his pain away.
"Is this magic?" he asked out loud.
The wolf's tongue on his skin was coarse but pleasant.
"That should do it," the wolf spoke in a voice lower than Theodore's but still his.
"Wow," Jack said, moving his shoulder experimentally and staring at it. The redness was slowly fading. "Do Vince, too," he added.
"I'm good," Vince said, waving one hand.
"No, no, I insist." Jack felt daring as he wrapped an arm around the white wolf's throat. "This guy should drool in bottles, we cap them and sell them as a miracle cure."
"I will do no such thing," Theodore protested, obviously annoyed by such a scenario.
Jack discovered that he really liked fluffing this big dog's fur. It had to be soft to the touch for a wolf, but again, how many wolves had Jack petted in his life to know for sure?
"It looks like I have better pain resistance than you, Jack," Vince said in a kind voice. "Let's not inconvenience Theodore more than we should."
"Undress, human," Theodore ordered. "I am the one behind your pain. I will set things right."
"Now that's nice to hear. But you wanted to finish us off like days ago," Jack commented. "Aww, Theo, don't tell me you're actually a good boy deep inside." Ignoring any instinct for natural self-preservation, Jack began scratching Theodore around his neck on both sides. "Who's a good boy? Tell me, who's a good boy?"
If Theo didn't turn into a killer wolf by the time Jack finished talking, it'd be a miracle. Despite all that, Jack loved teasing the big white wolf. Although he was huge, he didn't seem as impressive now.
No, that wasn't right. He still looked impressive, but he wasn't as scary.
"Unhand me, human," Theo growled, but for two heartbeats there, he had looked like he was enjoying himself.
Jack took his hands off. "Okay, okay, but make sure to heal Vince, too. I'm sure he's all macho and might say he doesn't need it, but he does. Just do him, too, like you did me."
Vince shrugged and began undressing. Jack stared in awe at Vee's chiseled torso. Now that was what action heroes should look like, he thought but kept to himself.
Theo jumped on the sofa and pressed his tongue against Vince's shoulder. Jack felt like he was witnessing something that might just make him embarrass himself. Vee looked way too good to work in finance forty hours a week. He belonged on a poster somewhere, making people sigh and swoon.
"You're good," Theo said and transformed back quickly. "I will leave you to your silly conversations and habits. I must rest."
Jack stared after the alpha, who disappeared into his bedroom without another word.
"What do you think, Vee? He's awesome, right?"
"My shoulder is as good as new. Yes, I suppose we can say that. But what's more astonishing is his ability to restrain himself. We must not forget to be careful around him. He might lose control of his instincts, and that would be a disaster."
"Hmm," Jack let out. "I feel like he's a bundle of contradictions. I mean, he always looks at us like he's about to strangle us – I mean me – but then he's almost kind."
"Yeah, it does look like that. How about you go check on what we're going to wear for the ritual, and I'll attempt to talk to this wild wolf?"
Jack trusted Vince to do the right thing. He didn't currently know what that meant, but he knew Vee would always know.
***
Theodore gnawed on his hand in an effort to ground himself. Again and again, he was being shown that being so close to these humans meant that he might lose control at some point. He had no intention of hurting them – no, his intentions were of a different nature.
It didn't help that they acted completely unguarded in his presence. Assaulted by the images of Jack's hairless body and of Vince's manly chest, Theodore knew something had to give.
As shameful as it was, he had to take matters into his own hands.
He began fumbling with his belt, when someone came into the room without knocking.
"What are you doing here?" he growled at the intruder.
Vince ignored the question and closed the door behind him. He unceremoniously grabbed Theodore by one foot and dragged him to the edge of the bed.
Then he knelt in front of him, pushing his thighs apart. "You were very good earlier. You didn't bite either of us, and you were even courteous as you healed us. You deserve a reward."
"I'm not a dog," Theodore protested. "Don't call me a good boy like that other human did."
"That's not my intention."
Vince was firm as he swatted Theodore's hands away and proceeded to unzip his fly. His hand was warm and rough as he grabbed Theodore's cock and let it spring free of the confines of his dress pants.
"This will take the edge off, I promise," Vince said as he pressed his mouth against the engorged head of Theodore's cock.
It felt like heaven. Theodore was vaguely aware of his mind losing its ability to form any responsible thoughts.
He was only aware of Vince's hot mouth around his manhood.
Nothing else.
TBC